/FASHION/

Remember, once we devoted an art digest to photography only? Let’s repeat the experience and discuss the field of unearthly inspiration that shows through in our everyday lives. Yes, I’m talking about fashion. Meet a pick-out of solely fashion news for this week!

J U S T   F A S H I O N 

Welcome new show by Vogue exploring fashion industry 

Vogue has recently become famous for coming up with different initiatives aimed at helping the industry of fashion. A Common Thread program launched in May 2020 might be a bright example of that — outfits by the 20 American designers selected by the Vogue & CFDA experts were put up for sale on the Amazon website. However, Vogue shows no signs of stopping, and the next ambitious plans are already here. 

Good Morning Vogue is an innovative fashion news show exploring the challenges the vogue industry faces today. The 12-part-series show features major actors of the field sharing their experience and thoughts on the topic live and is aired three times a week, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. The show is available on vogue.com, and each release has something special about it. For example, in the series from September 14 the show host, American plus-size model Paloma Elsesser gives the floor to Tom Ford (Tom Ford), Virgil Abloh (Off-White and Louis Vuitton Men), Pierpaolo Piccioli (Valentino). Curious what’s coming next? Tune in, the program might surprise you. At least, the opening statement by Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour sounds conscious and promising:

‘For years all of us have been talking about how bloated and old-fashioned the whole system of the shows is. It was this extraordinary spectacle which at the same time generated a huge amount of impressions and an enormous amount of interest and following in fashion. But as a way to run a business it simply wasn’t working.’ 

(Anna Wintour, Vogue)

Amazon Fashion to partner with London Fashion Week 

Well, it was rather predictable — an online-shopping giant has been recently considering the idea to partner with a big name from the world of haute couture. The above mentioned A Common Thread program could have planted the seed of further collaboration between Amazon and Vogue, but in the end it turned out… to be not Vogue.  

London Fashion Week has joined Amazon Fashion to create a mutual online store where British designers can sell their items. Amazon Fashion users from 5 countries only can access the digital boutique, including Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain. The platform features outfits from the previous collections as well as some new items from the upcoming SS/2021 shows, such as ready-to-wear, party wear, loungewear, lingerie, footwear, and, of course, face masks. Among the brands presented at amazon.co.uk/LondonFashionWeek are both British menswear and womenswear designers: e.g. Preen, Les Girls Les Boys, Grenson, De La Vali, Kat Maconie, Teija, 1×1 Studio, Ponder.ER, and Olubiyi Thomas. The digital storefront is hosted by the wider project called Amazon Fashion Connects, which Amazon Fashion implements together with its partners throughout Europe. 

CFDA announced Fashion Awards winners 2020

‘2020 has been anything but typical, and we decided to forego the in-person event and instead announce the winners here today at the beginning of New York Fashion Week’.

(Tom Ford) 

With these words Tom Ford started the 2020 awards ceremony. Yes, though being moved from June 8, Fashion Awards finally took place this year — online, as you can guess. At the beginning of the week the CFDA launched a video where Tom Ford (who is the Council’s chairman, by the way) solemnly announced the winners. 

The CFDA judge panel comprises about 1,500 members, fashion editors, stylists, and retailers who vote for the nominees in the secure procedure. According to Tom Ford, not having a gala show this year allowed the CFDA to focus on the nominated designers exclusively, paying more attention to such issues as scholarships and racial equality. And now for the winners: Kim Jones (creative director at Dior) has been chosen the 2020 International Men’s Designer. Taking the award, he outraced other competitors for the title: Craig Green, Dries Van Noten, Jonathan Anderson (Loewe), and Virgil Abloh (Louis Vuitton). It’s Pierpaolo Piccioli (Valentino) who has been announced the International Women’s Designer of the Year. Look for the complete list on the CFDA website. 

Raf Simons to launch womenswear line 

Legendary Belgian designer Raf Simons is no stranger to women’s fashion: he has been creating womenswear working for Jil Sander (2005—2012), Dior (2012—2015), Calvin Klein (2016—2018), and currently for Prada. However, never before has Raf Simons specialized on women’s under the auspices of his own brand. Well, time has come.

Actually, one could have guessed which way the wind is blowing. And it’s not about Simons’ professional background only, but also his latest pieces — some of them from the previous collection looked rather unisex, thus, a few stores tried selling men’s for female. On his Instagram account Raf Simons wrote that his upcoming SS/2021 men’s and first-ever women’s collection will be presented on October 23. The format of the show is yet to be confirmed. 

Dresses by Zac Posen embellished Central Park

That’s upsetting — American designer and ex Project Runway host Zac Posen had to close his brand at the end of the previous year. The designer explained he had failed to find an appropriate business partner, thus, he took a break and time to think about his future plans. And despite that, Zac Posen didn’t go into hiding — just look at his recent inspiring project located in Central Park (New York).

A new installation by Zac Posen in Central Park consists of 6 mannequins wrapped in gorgeous cream-coloured evening gowns. Fairy-like silhouettes, which bows in the back are like wings, look weightless because of the chosen materials such as muslin and tulle. What did the designer want to say with the installation? The idea was to support New Yorkers celebrating their resilience in changing times. And, of course, to acknowledge the beauty of the city itself, which is meant to encourage people and bring them together. 

‘I was just thinking a lot about the city and what fashion means to the city and fashion as a creative force here. And that it has to remain creative’. 

(Zac Posen)

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