A short film played at the beginning of the Marques’Almeida show this season in which the brand’s “MA girls” talked about what they’d want their daughters to know. The designer Erdem referenced Tina Modotti as muse, noting: “At the time of her death, the world might have been on the brink of modernity, but it was still in the midst of war, battling ideologies that would rip apart the very...

After a weekend of searing sunshine, Monday morning saw London return to business as usual; grey skies, sullen rain, and trains crowded with commuters in various combinations of what currently passes as the city’s 21st century working wardrobe; crisp blazers or fitted biker jackets, shirts or slouchy tees, pleated skirts or slim trousers. The morning newspapers were splashed with images from...

Last season, the debut collection of Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, freshly appointed as Artistic Director at United Colors of Benetton, actually left me a bit surprised. How can a brand that desperately needs to get back the trust of the youth propose a funny show, even a bit eccentric with the styles, instead of wearable and easy items that were previously the pure DNA of the brand from...

The new fashion season begins with quite some intrigue. After Virgil Abloh’s announcement that he would take a break – on doctor’s orders – from his duties at Louis Vuitton and Off-White, it is now Demna Gvasalia’s turn to cause some ink to flow. Earlier today, WWD released a statement announcing Gvasalia’s departure from the much-lauded and controverted fashion collective, in which the former...

Earlier this week, British Fashion Council chief executive Caroline Rush posted a picture on Instagram from London Fashion Week in 2009, showing a slice of the starry front row (Liv Tyler, Emma Watson, Gwyneth Paltrow) at Burberry’s SS2010 show. For the brand and its designer, Christopher Bailey, the show marked a triumphant homecoming – and for British fashion, it signalled the start of a...

London Fashion Week, like most of the fashion weeks this season, has put sustainability front and centre. For some designers, however, it’s been part of their brand DNA since the beginning. Step forward Phoebe English who, though launched in 2011, is notably still a relatively young and small brand on the schedule. The Central Saint Martins graduate teamed up with biodynamic health and beauty...

Naomi Campbell is having a big year. Not only will the supermodel be presented with the Fashion Icon accolade at this December’s Fashion Awards (formerly known as the British Fashion Awards), she also brought back Fashion for Relief this year. And it took place this week at London Fashion Week, earmarked almost certainly as the jewel in the week’s fashion crown. The champagne flowed – almost...

Leaving his PR position behind at an esteemed Italian brand in order to start a new: Milan-based womenswear designer Alfredo Cortese took a big jump into the unknown and decided to explore his creative potential by founding his very own ready-to-wear brand named A.C.9. However, it is not the first time that the Sicilian-born self-made fashion designer decided to reinvent himself. After studying...

Exclusivity, much like glamor and fame, is a value that has been embedded in NYFW – and for that matter all fashion weeks – since the years of its inception. Traditionally, only a tightly curated list of buyers, press, and VIPs were invited to the runways and then to join the party. In the last few years, however, a bevy of designers have been planning shows and events to include their...

Just a month after the ink dried on the G7 fashion pact Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault presented to world leaders in Biarritz last month, its marquis brand, Gucci, has gone completely carbon neutral.  Thursday, the Italian luxury brand said that it implemented manufacturing efficiencies to avoid and reduce its impact across the supply chain. It will also offset carbon emissions generated by...

Coach certainly knows how to put on a show, and not just in the logistical sense. If the production certainly shines for its attention to detail – from ideally placed lighting for photographers and attendees to obtain sharp content, to an internal organization that results in the show actually starting as noted on the schedule, a rare event during NYFW – it has been the brand’s willingness to...

Established by Svitlana Bevza over a decade ago in Kyiv, Ukraine, BEVZA has become known for its timeless and elegant silhouettes. Bevza’s philosophy is that making clothes should be as sustainable as possible and that they should be worn over and over again; so minimalism and simplicity have become key variables in her work.The brand has been slowly but steadily growing every season, but as of...

Celebrating his 10th anniversary this season, Prabal Gurung put forth an essential and timely question: ‘Who gets to be an American?’A Nepalese immigrant, Gurung is one of those few established designers who has bravely made his political position known from the beginning, more ardently since President Trump’s election. For this collection, the designer found his drive and inspiration in...

The weight of the world seems to be on everyone’s shoulders. Collina Strada designer Hillary Taymour used her S/S 2020 show as a platform for performative protest, underscored by a celebration of sustainable fashion. She's widely known for the latter but this time around involved an unexpected twist. Set outside along the block that lines Stuyvesant Square Park, a rather ideal setting for...

Prior to this NYFW season, editors from several established publications expressed their desire to see designers take a stance. “No one wants another collection that doesn’t stand for something”, wrote Vogue’s Emily Farra in early September echoing a general sentiment. Given the troublesome times we’re living in, from the increasing socio-political tension to the worrisome state of the planet’s...