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Wednesday, October 6, 2021

What Did the Louis Vuitton Protestors Really Accomplish?

It is a privilege to walk on a Paris runway. So to watch the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2022 show video and see two protesters amid the models sparked several thoughts — the main one being, “Where is security?” The fact that the interlopers made it all the way to the finale was even more disheartening.

Decades ago, Linda Evangelista complained to a reporter, “Someone could come backstage with a gun and shoot us all,” or something along those lines. Whatever her exact words were, the sentiment was 100% accurate: fashion shows can be a target for people who want attention and sometimes security can be breached. Back in the day, it was by anti-fur protesters. This time a banner was carried onto the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2022 runway with a message about over-consumption. They needn’t have bothered. We all know the environmental impact of clothing. But saving up to buy one piece of Louis Vuitton that will be cherished forever rather than blowing the budget on piles of fast fashion that will be tossed into landfill soon after is actually the more sustainable choice. So, protestors, pick your runway wisely next time.

The transgression didn’t take away from the power of the procession under a row of glittering chandeliers at the Louvre. The theme of the collection was the idea that time is of no consequence and there was a lot of blurring of day and night, sport and dress-up. Think a pretty lace skirt with wide hip panniers anchored by a wrestling-type boot and you’ve got the gist.

Time was much more specific earlier in the day at Chanel where designer Virginie Viard recreated an ’80s-style runway with photographers standing in deep trenches in front of the first row. This was before autofocus technology had been perfected, later allowing photographers to shoot from the back of the room with long lenses. Aiming up at the models produced awful angles, which you will immediately see looking at show images from that period. But Viard was simply setting a mood. “I used to love the sound of flashbulbs going off at the shows in the ‘80s, when the models were on a raised runway. I wanted to recapture that emotion,” she said in a press release. Her smiling models and denim suits, fishnet skirts and butterfly prints definitely stirred up memories of an easier, breezier time.

ICYMI, here are some looks from both shows.

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The post What Did the Louis Vuitton Protestors Really Accomplish? appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Janaya Future Khan’s COS Collab Is at the Intersection of Fashion And Activism

Clothing is more than what you wear, it’s a way to express yourself artistically, says activist Janaya Future Khan. It involves experimentation and making yourself uncomfortable. But when you find what makes you happy, you cultivate a power that becomes present in all other aspects of your life.

Khan is a storyteller, among other things. As co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto and an international ambassador for the Black Lives Matter Network, they’re no stranger to hard conversations. Last year, after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the Toronto-born advocate began using their Instagram as a space to talk about complex issues. Their weekly live streams, dubbed “Sunday Sermons,” range from more personal topics like self-worth and anxiety to commentary on pop culture and political discourse. And during an undoubtedly isolating time, Khan has nurtured an online community dedicated to growth, self-discovery and multi-faceted activism.

As in-person events have picked up again, Khan’s influential presence has manifested itself in physical spaces, too. Take London-based contemporary brand COS, which enlisted Khan for its Fall/Winter 2021 campaign and runway show. In keeping with the brand’s laidback aesthetic, the collection highlights loosely-fitted, layered styles. In an official release, COS states its latest collection is also crafted toward sustainability and circularity, using repurposed materials and recycled fabrics. Khan’s collaboration with the clothing brand makes sense — as they tell me, fashion is a mode for activism, and COS’s relaxed fits represent the space and possibility needed to advance the fashion world in a sustainable direction.

Janaya Future Khan runway — Photography courtesy of COS

As a non-binary person in the fashion industry — which has historically enforced the gender binary — Khan is helping to break down traditional barriers surrounding clothing. When asked if they ever deal with imposter syndrome, Khan responds, “I decided to step out of the story I was born into and write my own.” Below, FASHION speaks with Janaya Future Khan about the intersection of fashion and activism, dressing as a means for empowerment, and the future of sustainability.

How has your work in fashion connected to your role as an activist?

Fashion is art, and any artistic expression can be activist in nature. The society we live in requires an adherence to a mythical norm that dictates everything from haircuts to clothes to jewelry and shoes. But fashion pushes against the limits of our imagination and invites us to pursue authentic expression that transcends limits and embodies the liminal. Growing up, I never fit in. There were times when it didn’t even feel like my body was my own because I was so policed by the world around me. Fashion provided the creative space to build agency, and agency is about choice. Choice is infectious, and this newfound power informs every aspect of my life, especially activism.

How does COS’s collection align with your personal style?

COS is fluid. Streamlined, elegant and durable. I can be at a protest, in a studio, or on a stage in anything COS makes, and this is perfectly aligned with my personal style.

The COS collection embraces fluidity through draped, layered styles and oversized fits. Do you feel that this type of fluidity in clothing is where the fashion world is headed?

Fashion works in the delicate balance of being in tune with where the world is now and futurists in where the world will be, often acting as the curator of culture and taste along the way. Much like the rest of the world, we are grappling with the tension between creativity and capitalism, glamour and global despair, dreams and dystopia. Fashion will recycle and upcycle material. It will digitize as our lives become more intertwined with technology. We will have to move beyond fast fashion and build accessibility alongside sustainability. Oversized fits and layering are a metaphor for space and possibility, and that is precisely where I see fashion headed. COS is about fluidity, and that word, like the water it implies, is essential.

Janaya Future Khan — Photography Courtesy of COS

In your last Sunday Sermon, you spoke about existentialism and cynicism, specifically brought on by climate change. The fashion industry is notorious for its negative environmental impact. How do you think people can partake in fashion while combating this feeling of angst surrounding climate change?

To live in a society such as ours, and to believe in justice or art, is to be in almost perpetual conflict with the capitalist machine that moves us all. As I mentioned previously, upcycled and recycled materials, digitizing fashion, and wedding the worlds of accessibility and sustainability are necessary, and so are having some personal guidelines. What has helped me combat the consumption bug that fuels angst is asking myself questions before I use shopping cart therapy. Will this elevate my wardrobe? Do I see myself wearing this five years from now? Do I already have anything like this? What fits does it currently work with?

Asking questions helps to build intention and joy to push back against the angst. This cannot work alone. We need to work with brands to build better infrastructure and policies around environmental impact, and luckily there are many out there ready to do just that.

What advice do you have for people who are struggling to find clothes that empower them?

Investing time to locate what kind of expression gives you joy is not frivolous. When I stopped thinking of it as simply “clothes” and more as artistic expression, I gave myself permission to explore joy and possibility. It can be hard when you don’t see yourself out there, so look for clues. There will never be the one perfect form of style that speaks to you, because there is only one of you. You’re special. So take the little pieces of the things you like best whenever you are moved and collect them. Before you know it, you’ll have created a work of art uniquely your own. Go into the spaces that scare you. As a non-binary person who is very drawn to masculine expression, I found myself wearing a Dries silver sequined skirt the other day that felt like chainmail. At some point, you let go of the masculine and feminine and instead get to see the whole.

The post Janaya Future Khan’s COS Collab Is at the Intersection of Fashion And Activism appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

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Balenciaga Takes Over Springfield (Yes, You Read That Correctly)

A new supermodel family has emerged, much to the surprise of attendees at this year’s Paris Fashion Week. Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie Simpson, along with other familiar Springfield faces, made their runway debut on Sunday as part of a collaboration between Balenciaga and The Simpsons for the brand’s Summer 2022 collection. Contrary to popular belief, no, this is not an early April Fool’s joke. Celebrity attendees, including Elliot Page, Naomi Campbell, Cardi B and Offset, were treated to a 10-minute mini-episode of The Simpsons, and it was clear within seconds that this wasn’t going to be your average cartoon romp.

Undoubtedly the classiest and most fashionable episode of the iconic television series, the instantly recognizable Simpsons theme was replaced by French classical music, specifically Erik Satie’s “Gymnopédie No.1,” revealing a snowy Evergreen Terrace household. The plot follows similar Simpsons rhythms as Homer has forgotten Marge’s birthday (which happens to be the same day as the Balenciaga show) and decides to purchase something from “Balenciagaga,” as he calls it, after seeing his wife with a fashion magazine. Eventually, creative director Demna Gvasalia makes a trip to Springfield and invites the population of “America’s most depressing city 10th year in a row” to Paris to model his latest collection.

Lisa Simpson Balenciaga x The Simpsons show — Photography courtesy Balenciaga

Of course, hijinks ensue. Marge — now donning a green Balenciaga gown — gets stuck in a doorway (blame the oversized shoulder pads); Homer nearly faints after seeing the price tag (a whopping £14,000 or about CAD $24,000); Sideshow Bob tries to fit his clown feet in the brand’s “Speed” sneakers; and there are many instances of unexplainable fires.

However, the best jokes are the winks to the fashion industry itself as The Simpsons playfully jest with Anna Wintour’s unwavering influence, the all-black ensembles of runway show guests and the celebrity attendees, including a cartoon Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Justin Bieber.

Anna Wintour The Simpsons Balenciaga audience — Photography Courtesy Balenciaga

Not to be outdone by the cartoon family, the immersive pop-culture experience that was the Balenciaga show started before the screening with the red carpet arrivals, where guests wearing the new collection paused on the walkway before being ushered into the theatre. Canadian Elliot Page donned platform Crocs. Cardi B sported a hat from the designer’s Fall couture collection. And supermodel Naomi Campbell strutted in a monochromatic suit ensemble.

With a penchant for subverting expectations and conventions — think denim couture and their recent collab with Fornite — the French luxury house has become the must-see show of every season, attracting an increasingly A-list audience. The designer continually keeps the media and celebrity guests on their toes, bringing an unexpected sense of humour to each event while creating jaw-dropping clothing.

And while The Simpsons may have stolen the show, celebs posing as models on the Hollywood-style red carpet didn’t disappoint.

In case you missed it, here are a few of the best looks from the runway.