THE FASHION INDUSTRY DURING INFLATION
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The fashion industry continues to make strides despite inflation. Designers continue to develop their ideas to create brands, and consumers race to have a piece of the latest trends. Although the fashion industry stands to survive the current inflation, it is important to note the changes independent designers and companies must make to accommodate current needs.
Sustainability and production are challenges for creators. Consumers are eager to purchase the latest styles. Getting products to customers, however, is quite difficult with the cost of basic goods scaling up. Designers who hope to make a profit among consumers who are looking for ways to save money during economic shortfalls must find ways to lower production costs. Quality, however, should not be sacrificed in the name of quantity.
The greatest challenge facing the fashion industry during inflation is maintaining loyalty. Purchasing the latest trends remains a desire of consumers and not a necessity. Designers, then, must find ways to continue to profit off their talents while also showing commitment to their base with quality products.
Soccer Player Karim Benzema and Jean Paul Gaultier collab
In hopes of attracting new generation, Jean-Paul Gaultier teams up with the athlete of Algerian descent born in Bron , a neighborhood in Lyon, France.
"Collaborating with Karim Benzema is an opportunity to pay tribute to a new generation of virtuosos who express themselves boldly and do not hesitate to break free from conventions to challenge the status quo and achieve their goals," said the brand about its partnership with the captain of Real Madrid, who is a self-confessed collector of vintage sunglasses and was the star of the video campaign made by Original Kids.
This collab will include the reissue of Jean-Paul Gaultier's iconic sunglasses, the "56-6106". Rapper Tupac wore the iconic pair back in 1990s.
Beyonce Announces New Album Release
28-time Grammy Award winner Beyoncé gently announced to fans of the release of her next solo album, Renaissance, due on July 29. Her Instagram profile quietly mentioned “act i Renaissance 7.29.” Beyoncé’s website provided links to “pre-save” and “pre-add” options.
Pinterest acquires The Yes
An AI-powered shopping service The |Yes was acquired by Pinterest. The Yes was founded by former Stitch Fix COO Julie Bornstein and co-founder, Amit Aggarwal. The platform provides users a personalised shopping feed, while technology studies user's style as they shop online. The plan is to potentially applu same experience to other categories on Pinterest such as home, beauty and food.
“I’ve spent my career at the intersection of shopping, fashion and technology and have seen firsthand the valuable impact of building technology that enables brands to join a platform with ease while enabling customers to share their preferences,” Bornstein said. “Joining forces with Pinterest to broaden our reach utilizing such an inspirational platform is an exciting and ideal next step for our team and technology.”
Ben Silbermann commented: “The Yes team are experts in building an end-to-end shopping experience. They share our vision of making it simple to find the right products that are personalized for you based on your taste and style. We’re very excited about The Yes’s talented team and technology as we build dedicated shopping experiences on Pinterest.
Pregnant Man For Calvin Klein's Latest Campaign
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On May 8, 2022, Calvin Klein posted an unusual ad of a transgender man showing off his baby bump alongside his transgender partner. The ad was part of the brand’s Mother’s Day special advertisement campaign, featuring three non-traditional families. Since then, it has received different reactions from social media. The caption on the Instagram post read, “Today, in support of the mothers and women all around the globe, we have decided to spotlight the realities of new families.”
The Calvin Klein’s ad featured Erika Fernandes and Robert Beke, who is a Brazilian female-to-male transgender TV personality. The post continues to mention that the two are expecting the birth of their son, whose name is believed to be Noah any time soon. Additionally, the ad also contains another image of the same couple in bed, with the Brazilian TV star Roberto cradling his baby bump. The caption read, “We can give birth biologically or from the heart….” Within no time, the post went viral on all social media platforms. Several users congratulated the iconic fashion brand for its inclusive ad claiming the message was beautiful. However, other users posted transphobic comments threatening to abandon the brand following its “woke campaign.”
While some Calvin Klein fans have praised the renowned fashion brand for its inclusive message on equality, others reacted negatively to the post. Some Instagram users were quick to claim that the ad was the brand’s effort to align itself with ‘woke culture’ since it only catered to a few exceptions. Many from this lot threatened to cancel and boycott Calvin Klein.
Other users expressed genuine concern for Calvin Klein customers and employees living in countries like Sri Lanka and Malaysia, where the LGBTQ community is persecuted. In contrast, other netizens were happy that Calvin Klein – a prominent name in the industry – was raising awareness of transgender families.
In response to the negative comments, the company affirmed that it does not tolerate intolerance, saying in part, "At Calvin Klein, we do not tolerate any prejudiced comments, such comments will be immediately removed, and any account users posting these hateful statements will be blocked."
Uniqlo x Marni Coming Up
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Yet another collaboration to look forward to. On May 19th clothing retailer Uniqlo and Italian luxury brand Marni will present lifewear collection. Daily wear pieces you always needed. Nine items are Blocktech jacket with a cocoon silhouette, pajamas, a skirt and ablouse for women and tailored jackets and parka for men.
“We are proud of how this collaboration with Marni has resulted in a collection for a new era and a new season where everyone can experience the joy of wearing clothes,” said Yukihiro Katsuta, Fast Retailing’s group senior executive officer and head of R&D for Uniqlo, in a press release.
Katsuta continued: “The Uniqlo philosophy of clothing that is simple, high-quality, functional and ingenious in detail, infused with Marni’s creative vitality, has spawned bold and innovative LifeWear. I am delighted that we have been able to realise this essential LifeWear collection that positively accentuates individual character and feeling.”
Fists Vs Words
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Will Smith / Chris Rock Oscar 2022
Violence is never an acceptable method for solving any disagreement. Just ask Will Smith. At the 94th Academy Awards ceremony, Chris Rock made a joke about Smith's wife while on stage. It wasn't the first time that they had been the brunt of his jokes, but this one hit close to home as it was about Jada's hair. Unbeknownst to Rock, Jada had publicly disclosed the fact that she suffers from alopecia. Enraged by the joke, Smith walked on stage and publicaly slapped Rock, then returned to his seat and yelled back at the comedian a direct order laced with profanity.
Public blew up, most siding with Rock and others with Smith.Chris Rock declined to file charges but the Academy is weighing the options for dealing with the situation. Smith could lose his best actor award won later that night. In addition, he could be suspended or permanently banned from the Academy. If so, he could never vote, be nominated, or even attend another awards ceremony for the rest of his life. For an actor, this could be devastating but even more devastating is how fans, especially young ones, will perceive him from now on.
Chris Rock was bullied as an adolescent and resorted to putting a brick in a book bag and hitting one of the bullies with it, kicking him, nearly killing him. Later in life, therapy helped him to realize the long-term impact that this one event had on his life. He was afraid of his anger and that affected everything he did.
Develop Some Anger Management Skills
Using your fists to resolve any issue, even when it involves protecting someone you love, can have serious repercussions. So, here are some anger management tips from the Mayo Clinic:
Thinking before lashing out. Once you calm down, express your anger verbally. Getting some exercise. Taking a timeout. Identifying possible solutions. Not holding a grudge. Using humor to release the tension. Practicing relaxation skills. Knowing when to seek help.
Model Amber Valletta Launches Karl Lagerfeld capsule
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Runway star Amber Valletta is one of the supermodels with an impressive career. Vogue cover girl, supermodel, actress, mother, now designer and brand sustainability ambassador of the house of Karl Lagerfeld.
Karl Lagerfeld house announced second collection by Amber Valletta. The collection is not in Karl's favorite combination of balck and white, but beige and ecru.
Politics & Fashion - Crisis In Ukraine
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On Thursday, 24th February 2022, Russian /Ukranian conflict turned into a violence on its neighboring nation Ukraine. The news came as a shock to the world. Like several other businesses, social, and occupational activities, the fashion industry has substantially felt the adversities of the inevitable conflict. As a result, many models, fashion designers, and artists have taken to the streets to protest the invasion and call for peace.
Ukrainian designers are known to use fashion to express and reinforce their solidarity. In times of crisis, Ukrainian women often adopt long dresses with traditional styles and Ukrainian artistic colors with a touch of modern looks. However, this time, Ukrainian and non Ukranian designers, models, influencers took to the internet to condemn and protest against the conflict, with most of them suggesting that it was not a time to host events such as the Milan Fashion Week and showcase the latest Prada designs while fellow women, children, and innocent citizens were suffering in Ukraine.
Giorgio Armani turned off the music during his Milan fashion show and it continued in silence out of respect for the people caught in the Ukrainian conflict.
"My decision not to use any music was taken as a sign of respect towards the people involved in the unfolding tragedy in Ukraine," a black bannered post says on the fashion designer's Twitter account.
Fashion plays a crucial role in reflecting human culture, moral values, and ambitions towards a diverse and sustainable world. However, fashion often takes a political aspect to show support and represent emotions or feelings so that it can send a message. Several fashion-industry leaders have joined in the revolt against Russia for attacking Ukraine, including Nike, Gucci, Versace, and Adidas. As a result, the fashion industry has mobilized millions of individuals and well-wishers worldwide to offer donations and advocate for peace.
The Row x FWRD with Kendall Jenner as Creative Director
A luxury brand The Row, led by Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen is collaborating with FWRD whos is owned by LA-based Revolve Group. The two will launch an exclusive edit of womenswear and menswear.
The collection will launch on Monday, on FWRD.com. Brand's favorite signature colors (beige, black, brown) and styles (classic) will be part of the collection. Expect to see tailored blazers and pants as well as sweaters and trench coats.
Creative director of FWRD is model and reality TV star Kendall Jenner officially stepped into her role during this season’s New York Fashion Week.
“The Row inspires me on a daily basis. I look to the brand for inspiration on not only clothing, but creative ideas and beyond. With that being said it’s obvious that I’m extremely excited about this new collection and all the new collections to come!”
Etro's Iconic Paisley Print To Be Reinterpreted
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Founded by Gerolamo “Gimmo” Etro and ran by siblings Ippolito, Jacopo, Veronica, and Kean today, Etro remains a product of passions of every family member. Gerolamo Etro introduced the Paisley pattern in 1981. The Paisley pattern developed over time and has become the fashion house's signature design.
As a way of finding a new avenue of expression the family is inviting eight young talents to reinterpret the famous Indian paisley pattern. They are the Japanese artist Daisuke, the Italian visual artists Weel Lee and Andrea Crespi, the German painter Mago, the American artist Kate Ahn, the Italian shoemaker Clessio, the Japanese parkour athlete Zen Shimada and the Californian creative Shane Gonzales. These talented artists merge fashion design, painting, music, visual arts, and street culture to compose this collection.
Their world will be featured in a digital campaign of brand's Instagram account as well as artist's accounts to bring more visibility to the brand.
In Memory of Manfred Thierry Mugler
Oh Manfred! We have lost a friend, a visionary, a force of creativity. You were so passionate in your work, your talent was so incredibly unique. You memory will live on through your art. Rest in heavenly peace maestro.
EARLY LIFE
Manfred Thierry Mugler was born in Strasbourg, France in 1948. He came to his career in fashion design via dance and photography. His studied began at the Lycée Fustel de Coulange in Strasbourg from 1960 to 1965 and continued at the School of Fine Arts in 1966 and 1967. He was a dancer at Rhine Opera Ballet in the 1965-1966 season. He later moved to Paris and worked as a professional photographer while freelancing as an assistant designer for many fashion houses of Paris, London and Milan.
CAREER
In 1973 he showed his first ready-to-wear collection with his brand, at the time called Café de Paris. In 1974 the brand obtained a sponsor and Mugler opened his own company, Thierry Mugler. He eventually bought out his investors and obtained full ownership of the company. In 1990 he opened a fragrance company and the infamous Angel perfume scored Mugler a grand success. In two years Mugler showed his first couture collection.
FASHION
Leather and rubber, over-the-knee boots, big shoulders and tiny waists, architechture, sexual fetishism and dominance that was Mugler's vision. He was loved by Diana Ross, Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Cardi B. His designs pushed the boundaries of what fashion is.
Adidas x Prada x Zach Liebereman Team Up For Metaverse Project
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Adidas for Prada re-source NFT project in collaboration with digital artist Zach Lieberman. Fashion, design and crypto will come together to create artword inspired by the physical Re-Nylon collection.
The collection will feature user-generated and creator-owned art. Proceeds from sales will go towards artist related charity. Prada is inviting artists to contribute unique photographs to the open-Metaverse NFT project from January 24.
Adidas said it’s “a truly collaborative endeavour” with participation in the project completely free, “and contributors will maintain full ownership rights over their individual NFT tiles”.
Pierre Cardin To Return To Paris
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But how? Just year after the death of its legendary founder, the new boss of the brand wants to make a comeback. Legendary designer died in December 2020, his last shows he staged in Russia, Khazakstan and in China. He never wanted to be part of the fashion week because he felts it was a path for a young talent and he did not want to stand in the way. Cardin's nephew Rodrigo Basilicati-Cardin wants to reverse it and enter the scene beginning with commemorative show on January 28 at the end of the haute couture week.
"We want to return to fashion week, at least once a year," said the new CEO. "We need the publicity.
Pierre Cardin linen pants, 1972. Photo: Courtesy Archives Pierre Cardin
"My uncle did a lot and the publicity came naturally. But he dedicated the last part of his life to creativity, not to distribution," he added.
Professionaly Basilicati-Cardin is an engineer and graphic designer, His uncle chose him to take over in 2018.
Basilicati-Cardin feels it's the time to rejuvinate the brand, but never forgetting the roots of their legendary founder. Another commemoration will take place in July, in Venice for Cardin's 100th anniversary.
The Beatles in Pierre Cardin, 1963. Photo: Harry Hammond
Bottega Veneta Disappears from Social Media, But All Over Great China Wall
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Did you know that the Great Wall of China is occupied by Bottega Veneta's Logo and characters 新春快乐, in translation Happy New Year? Yes, in honor of Chinese New Year, the Kering-owned brand is donating to the Shanhai Pass.
It looks like the brand is experiementing all kinds of marketing, including removing themselves from all the social media channels.
Why? According to Kering chief executive François-Henri Pinault aka Salma Hayek's boyfriend, the brand wants to allow social media users to drive the conversation around the brand and not the brand doing so.
Barbie x Balmain - Toys and Fashion , The Next Best Thing
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2022 brings new collaboration and the first cool one of the year is Barbie and Balmain and 50-piece Barbie-inspired collection for grown-ups. The collection is modeleted by avatars and includes three NFTs to be auctioned online. Both the collection and the NFT looks are unisex. No more clothing dividing Ken and Barbie.
“Having Barbie in my Balmain army, making a collection inspired by her where there are no boy clothes or girl clothes, is my small revenge,” said Olivier Rousteing, the creative director of Balmain. “I think Barbie represents a joyful dream world. There’s nothing wrong with a dream. But let’s push the dream and not dream of the 1950s or 1960s, but 2022. For me, it’s a lot more than just a commercial project. It’s very emotional.”
Second drop for Reebok x Cardi B
Reebok and CardiB launch another capsule collection 'Let Me Be…In My World Nighttime' this summer. This is a second drop for Reebok and rapper. The collection is inspired by Cardi B's NYC home at night and featured metallic CardiB classic leather sneaker and new apparel.
“Nighttime in my hometown of New York is such a beautiful, magical experience, and I’m happy to see this magic come to life with my latest Reebok collection,” Cardi B said in a statement. “These pieces are easy to wear from the street to the club while still letting you feel comfortable, confident and unique. I promise you’ll be feeling like the best version of yourself when you have these pieces on!”
The full collection, featuring both footwear and apparel, is now live December on Reebok.com and at select retailers.
Filmmaker Jean-Marc Vallee dies at 58
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GETTY IMAGE
Tributes are pouring in from celebrities for Jean-Marc Vallée who passed away over the weekend at the age of 58. "Big Little Lies" and “Dallas Buyers Club” director loved life, stayed away from alcohol and practiced extreme breathing methods. The cause of death is heart attack which happened on December 25th.
3 Ways To Shop For Secondhand Christmas Gifts by Emily London
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ARE YOU BUYING SECONDHAND CHRISTMAS GIFTS THIS YEAR?
In previous years, Emily London ( a former fashion and beauty journalist) found this time of year quite hard to stick to her preloved beliefs and not buy new items for the sake of it. Not this year. This year, it’s secondhand or bust.
Giving secondhand gifts is not a second rate option. There is something already in existance that will delight the most discerning of gifting recipients. Step away from overconsumption and say no to stocking fillers made from man-made fibres which will be in a charity pile come the new year. Focus on finding gifts that will add value to gift recipient's lives for years to come.
Ask Questions. Say no to generic gifts. Nobody needs a beauty coffree set(more plastic packaging than product)or a fleece raindeer pyjama set unless they expressly ask for it. Dig a little deeper into what your family/friends would really like to receive. Whatever it is - you will be able to find it secondhand.
Keep it Simple. You do not need to break the bank to show your loved ones you care. The simplest gift can be the most meaningfull. A retro enamel tin filled with paper IOUs for experiences and your loved one share together throughout the year, is a lovely way to show you care without spending huge amounts of cash. Plus, many charity shops have introduced gift cards for your to spend within their stores, too.
Set Limits. Agree with the people you are gifting to what the rules are going to be gifting wise - stick to them! It isn't about the quantity of goods given and received. The gifts you give do not reflect the person who you are. The thought and consideration behind the gift choice is just as important as the actual item. Above all, the gifts do not need to look fabulous on the 'gram! An item's social media desireability shouldn't be a purchasing consideration.
“Stepping away from age-old shopping habits is tricky. The festive season is primed for all of us to over consume so we can ‘show’ friends and family we care. It doesn’t have to be this way.”
