LVMH announces the list of the 20 semi-finalists selected. For the 8th year running,the new edition of the Prize attracted over 1,900 young designers worldwide. 

Among the many applications, 20 young designers, semi-finalists come from China, France, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States, and, for the first time, from Albania and Colombia, thus expressing a great diversity of cultures and talents.

This year, exceptionally, as a result of the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, the LVMH Prize has set up a digital platform: from 6th April to 11th April 2021, the 20 semi-finalists competing this year for the final of the LVMH Prize will be showcased on its dedicated website lvmhprize.com, to learn about their collections, their creative world and their personalities.

Delphine Arnault declares: “I am very grateful to all the candidates from more than 110 countries for taking part in this year’s competition. All the semi-finalists have incorporated use of innovative or traditional materials, up-cycling, recycled fibres, artisanal and local approaches. Among the semi-finalists, seven do womenswear, five menswear, and two do both womenswear and menswear. Six of them design genderless collections. This edition also saw the return of knitwear, body-conscious garments and the celebration of colour among certain designers. I am also delighted to welcome Naomi Osaka, a committed and outstanding tennis champion, the ambassador of this edition who will accompany us to the final.

Another innovation: this 2021 edition will see the possibility for everyone to discover the semi-finalists and to vote for their favourite candidate. This year, the public becomes an Expert of the LVMH Prize.

The winner of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers receives a €300,000 endowment and benefits from a one-year bespoke mentorship program provided by a dedicated LVMH team.

The Karl Lagerfeld/Special Jury Prize rewards a young designer with €150,000 and a mentorship program.

In addition, the Prize distinguishes three young fashion-school graduates who have completed their studies in 2020 or 2021 by allocating them, as well as their school, a €10,000 grant. The prize-winning graduates will join the creative studio of an LVMH Group House for one year.

Along with Gucci’s support, the ‘I was a Sari’ digital project aims to train new expert artisans in the art of embroidery.

The new professional embroidery training program created by ‘I was a Sari’ along with the support of Gucci, debuted on an online digital portal, users can join the online training program by sending an email to support@iwasasari.com

The new course, with the evocative name “Now I Can” is structured in 2 parts and 80 sections and covers both theoretical and practical learning. The initiative stems from the  long-time experience of ‘I was a Sari’, a social enterprise that has been working for years to train groups of Indian women from disadvantaged communities, offering them the opportunity to become skilled craftswomen and gain financial independence. For the first time it allows Indian women to access a sector which was traditionally reserved for men.

“Now I Can” was created with Gucci’s support through its CHIME FOR CHANGE initiative, with the aim of further enhancing the impact of the partnership between ‘I was a Sari’ and Gucci and increasing the number of women beneficiaries of the project. In fact, social enterprises, NGOs and associations will be able to offer the course free of charge to their members and promote a qualified professional training for Indian women, who can in this way enter the labour market and ensure an income, especially during this difficult time due to the pandemic.

“The idea of ​​creating a turnkey course on the art of embroidery was born from the desire to train an increasing number of Indian women from disadvantaged social backgrounds.” Stefano Funari, Founder and Managing Director di I was a Sari, explains. “Together with Gucci we have decided to offer this new content free of charge to anyone who shares our values ​​and is interested in creating a new generation of female artisans.”.

“Inclusion for Gucci means creating a sense of belonging, through concrete actions.” Explains Antonella Centra, EVP General Counsel, Corporate Affairs & Sustainability at Gucci. “With ‘Now I Can’ craftsmanship is a tool for social emancipation and offers to disadvantaged women the opportunity to find their own place in the world of work and grow professionally. Values ​​that are a fundamental part of our CHIME FOR CHANGE campaign and which immediately brought us closer to the ‘I was a Sari’ project.”

Founded by Stefano Funari in 2013, ‘I was a Sari’ is an Indian social enterprise selling contemporary garments and accessories through the creative reuse of pre-loved saris. Each ‘I was a Sari’ product is handcrafted by Indian artisans and guarantees them a regular source of income, which involved more than 170 artisans in 2020.

Gucci, committed to the issues of gender equality, diversity and women’s empowerment, as well as the promotion of virtuous circular economy processes, has supported the initiative since 2018 through various forms of collaboration. For example, thanks to the support of four Gucci partners, the artisans of ‘I was a Sari’ received specific training on the main traditional embroidery techniques and from this experience a new line of luxury products stamped ‘I was a Sari’ was launched.

For further information about the training  program, visit https://iwasasari.com/now-i-can/

• Launches the first hybrid vehicle in Maserati’s history developed by the Maserati Innovation Lab of Modena.
• Expands the Trofeo collection: Levante is joined by Ghibli. V8 engine in Ghibli for the first time.

Maserati renews the Ghibli MY21 range. The latest Ghibli model carries on the spirit that shaped its first incarnation in 1966. That means exclusive luxury, glorious style, progressive technology and of course, empowering performance. Born from a passion for race-bred engineering, Italian craftsmanship and style. The Ghibli is a luxury sports sedan like none other.

The 2021 restyled signature grille bearing the iconic Maserati Trident clearly states your daring character. Inspired by the Giugiaro-penned Maserati 3200 GT “boomerang” rear lights that pioneered the use of LED in the industry, the new MY21 tail lights are a delight for your inevitable followers to admire. Dynamically sculpted curves and gracefully flowing lines. A striking coupé look makes it impossible to go unnoticed.

The spark of electrification ignites Maserati’s future: with the new Ghibli Hybrid, the Trident Brand enters the world of electrification. The new Ghibli Hybrid represents one of the most ambitious projects for Maserati, which after the announcement of the new MC20 super sports car now sets the seal on another step forward towards the brand’s new Era.

The new Maserati Ghibli Hybrid is introduced in India at a starting price of Rs 1.15 Crore and as the name suggests, is something new, electrifying, and fearless. Like with all Maseratis, the Ghibli range will be offered with unparalleled expertise in sales and aftersales service; and customers will also have the option to configure the exterior and interior look of the new Ghibli Hybrid in GranLusso or GranSport trim using the virtual Maserati configurator.

Writers from around the world, including Ruskin Bond from India and George the Poet, team up to use their positive words to help people stay connected in an effort to spread hope and positivity.

Poets, author, writers and artists around the world including the Indian author, Ruskin Bond, and British spoken-word artist George the Poet – widely known for kicking off the Royal Wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry with his poem – are among the six prominent authors and poets who have created these stories, as a part of this campaign to help spread love and optimism in challenging times.

Fifteen original and favourite positive stories of love, friendship, community, work, hope and family were commissioned on behalf of Nokia phones and have been created and designed to be shared with loved ones as Short Moving Stories. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlsyNHeDFRo&feature=youtu.be

The idea taps into its roots as Nokia phones were developed in Finland – the happiest country in the world – in a bid to spread joy and positivity across the world.

This collaboration comes after a year in which people worldwide have learnt to slow down and find new ways to stay in touch with their lives and loved ones by using their phones, with the artists designing messages of hope to give people a way to connect and inspire each other.

“In a world of constant ups and downs, what helps us survive is the comfort we find in words spoken by our loved ones. These words have the power to create magic and help us through the toughest of times. I hope that my short stories help people in expressing their feelings to their loved and special ones. Share along,” said Ruskin Bond.

“Sometimes a few words can make all the difference. We’ve all experienced how some days can feel flat and endless, especially as we can’t see our friends and family. Like the new Nokia 5.4, I hope that my poems help you stay connected and in touch with your loved ones, until we can all be together again,”says critically acclaimed poet, podcaster and spoken word artist George the poet.

The Panel of Positivity includes:

• India’s well-known author, Ruskin Bond, winner of the Padma Shri, the Padma Bhushan and the Sahitya Academy Award, who always strikes an inspiring note when writing for children
• Multi-award winning George the Poet, an author, rapper, spoken word performer who opened the Royal wedding with a poem about Union in 2018
• James McInerney (UK) whose Poetry Project first put positive messages across the London Underground network in 2018
• George Kagwe (Kenya) is a content creator and comedian from Nairobi
• Alina Balashova (Russia) – Snowboarder and outdoor enthusiast who believes in no bad days, and keeping active to stay positive
• Juan Pablo Gaviria (Bogotá, Colombia) an author, influencer, conferencist and coach who defines himself as a Happiness Manager

Fashion designer Satya Paul, passed away on last Thursday at the Isha Yoga Center in Coimbatore. He was 79.

Puneet Nanda, his son took to his Facebook account, thanking all who have sent messages… and adding notes about his passing… saying,

He had a stroke on Dec 2 and as he was slowly recovering in the hospital, his only wish was to get all the things he was being monitored and poked with –  removed so he could fly away. We finally got clearance from doctors to take him back to Isha Yoga Center, his home since 2015.

As per his wish, he gently passed on with blessings of the Master.

Most people are not aware, more than as a designer or entrepreneur, he has been steadfastly a seeker. In the 70’s his inner journey started with going to listen to talks with J. Krishnamurty, later he took sannyas from Osho. After Osho left in 1990, though he wasn’t seeking another Master, he discovered Sadhguru in 2007. He immediately started enjoying the path of yoga and eventually moved here in 2015. He has been a doorway for hundreds of people towards spirituality and all the Masters he was so blessed to have been with.

He couldn’t have had a sweeter life or passage… at the feet of the Master. We are sad only a bit, mostly rejoicing him, his life and now his passing with such a blessing.

Those who have been with him at any point in life would recall him as one who showered his love without hesitation or any barriers. I can attest to him having lived in totality and left fulfilled in every possible way. It is the greatest testament to him as he went joyously, without fear.

Dior par Christian Dior is published by Assouline, in celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the house of Dior comes the first volume in a series devoted to each designer of the couture house. Dior par Christian Dior is the ultimate compendium of the most iconic haute couture designs conceived by Christian Dior. Carefully conserved in the world’s great museums and institutions, these fashion treasures have been photographed and exclusively compiled for this indispensable collection.

A digital re-edition of Dior par Christian Dior is the first volume in a series dedicated to the artistic directors who have perpetuated the passion of Dior since the very beginning. Today, a complimentary digital version of the book is accessible online, for (re)discovering the most emblematic models designed by the founding couturier from 1947 to 1957. In a series of purist photos by Laziz Hamani, with texts by fashion historian Olivier Saillard, more than eighty pieces are unveiled from across collections, deciphering with singular acuity Christian Dior visionary inspirations. An escapade to the “kingdom of dreams”, and the secret world of haute couture, in the name of elegance and desire, to enjoy in the comfort of your home.

Director of the Palais Galliera in Paris since 2010, Olivier Saillard is a recognized fashion historian who has curated several innovative fashion exhibitions, including the critically acclaimed Madame Grès: Couture at Work (Musée Bourdelle, 2011), an Azzedine Alaïa retrospective (Palais Galliera, 2013), Comme des Garçons: White Drama (Les Docks, 2012), and Cristóbal Balenciaga: Fashion Collector (Les Docks, 2012). As a live performance director, he staged The Impossible Wardrobe in collaboration with British actress Tilda Swinton at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris (2012), then Eternity Dress (2013), and Cloakroom (2014) at the Palais Galliera. In 2015, his show Models Never Talk, featuring seven former fashion models reminiscing about their careers, was presented at the French Institute Alliance Française in New York. Most recently he curated the exhibition Louis Vuitton: Voguez, Volez, Voyagez at the Grand Palais in Paris (2016).

By hosting a three-day Cannes 2020 Special of screenings on the Croisette for Cannes, the Festival de Cannes and the Mayor of Cannes celebrated cinema in a city synonymous with this art form.The awarding of the Palme d’or for Short Films on the Grand Théâtre Lumière marked the closing of the occasion.

Surrounded by young filmmakers, the Short Film jury made up of Damien Bonnard, Rachid Bouchareb, Claire Burger, Charles Gillibert, Dea Kulumbegashvili and Céline Sallette got on to stage to name I AM AFRAID TO FORGET YOUR FACE directed by Sameh Alaa as the unanimous winner of the Palme d’or.

In the wake of a new generation of compelling young Egyptian filmmakers featuring in the Official Selection in recent years, this is the first time an Egyptian film has won the Palme d’or for Short Films at the Festival de Cannes. Meanwhile, the film Souad by fellow Egyptian director Ayten Amin was also chosen for the Official Selection 2020.

Gucci presents the new collection Ouverture of Something that never ended through the eponymous mini-series co-directed by Gus van Sant and Alessandro Michele.

Gucci is pleased to announce that its upcoming collection, titled Ouverture of Something that Never Ended, will be presented by Creative Director Alessandro Michele through the eponymous mini-series in seven episodes screened during GucciFest, an innovative digital fashion and film festival running from November 16^th to 22^nd.

Shot in Rome and co-directed by filmmaker Gus Van Sant and Alessandro Michele, the seven-part film series stars the actress, artist and performer Silvia Calderoni in a surreal daily routine in the city, encountering a series of international talents and Friends of the House, including: Paul B. Preciado, Achille Bonito Oliva, Billie Eilish, Darius Khonsary, Lu Han, Jeremy O. Harris, Ariana Papademetropoulos, Arlo Parks, Harry Styles, Sasha Waltz and Florence Welch.

The seven episodes will be released daily through the course of the festival as an exclusive broadcast on Gucci YouTube and will be embedded on the dedicated site GucciFest.com, gradually revealing the new collection day by day.

As anticipated by Alessandro Michele last May on the occasion of the release of his manifesto Notes From the Silence, the presentation of the new collection is a joyful and irregular new tale, no longer constrained by the old notion of seasonality, closer to his expressive call and told by blending rules and genres, feeding on new spaces, linguistic codes and communication platforms.

Together with the OUVERTURE of Something that Never Ended series, the GucciFest will also be screening fashion films celebrating the works of fifteen independent young designers: Ahluwalia, Shanel Campbell, Stefan Cooke, Cormio, Charles De Vilmorin, JordanLuca, Mowalola, Yueqi Qi, Rave Review, Gui Rosa, Rui, Bianca Saunders, Collina Strada, Boramy Viguier, and Gareth Wrighton. Proudly supported by the House, these talented emerging designers were selected by Creative Director Alessandro Michele to showcase their collections across the digital platforms of the GucciFest.

The Costume Institute’s exhibition About Time: Fashion and Duration (on view October 29, 2020 to February 7, 2021) traces 150 years of fashion, from 1870 to the present, along a disrupted timeline, in honor of the Museum’s 150th anniversary. Employing philosopher Henri Bergson’s concept of la durée—the continuity of time—the exhibition explores how clothes generate temporal associations that conflate the past, present, and future. The concept is also examined through the writings of Virginia Woolf, who serves as the exhibition’s “ghost narrator.”

About Time, Fashion and Duration by Louis Vuitton, considers the ephemeral nature of fashion, employing flashbacks and fast-forwards to reveal how it can be both linear and cyclical,” said Max Hollein, Director of The Met. “The result is a show that presents a nuanced continuum of fashion over the Museum’s 150-year history.”

“When I first heard about the exhibition, it’s central idea of fashion intimately linked to the notion of time felt particularly compelling,” Ghesquière said. “As a designer, I have always looked to marry silhouettes, techniques, memories, and impressions from the past with the latest technology to create fashion for today that peeks to the future. Of course, since then COVID-19 has effected the world profoundly, even making ourselves questions our own rapport with time itself. Yet, the pause the pandemic has imposed on many of us has also created certain space to reflect upon where we are and where we are going even in the most troubling times, heart fashion and couture can help us navigate change and frame how we see the world anew,”

Andrew Bolton, the Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, said: “Fashion is indelibly connected to time. It not only reflects and represents the spirit of the times, but it also changes and develops with the times, serving as an especially sensitive and accurate timepiece. Through a series of chronologies, the exhibition uses the concept of duration to analyze the temporal twists and turns of fashion history.”

Presented in The Met Fifth Avenue’s Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Exhibition Hall, the exhibition features a timeline of 125 fashions dating from 1870—the year of The Met’s founding and the start of a decade that witnessed major developments in the global standardization of time—to the present. The majority of objects on view are drawn from The Costume Institute’s collection, including major gifts from designers as part of The Met’s 2020 Collections Initiative, and related to the Museum’s 150th anniversary activities.

The timeline unfolds in two adjacent galleries fabricated as enormous clock faces and organized around the principle of 60 minutes of fashion. Each “minute” features a pair of garments, with the primary work representing the linear nature of fashion and the secondary work its cyclical character. To illustrate Bergson’s concept of duration—of the past co-existing with the present—the works in each pair are connected through shape, motif, material, pattern, technique, or decoration. For example, a black silk faille princess-line dress from the late 1870s is paired with an Alexander McQueen “Bumster” skirt from 1995. A black silk satin dress with enormous leg-o’-mutton sleeves from the mid-1890s is juxtaposed with a Comme des Garçons deconstructed ensemble from 2004.

All of the garments are black to emphasize changes in silhouette, except at the conclusion of the show, where a white dress from Viktor & Rolf’s spring/summer 2020 haute couture collection, made from upcycled swatches in a patchwork design, serves as a symbol for the future of fashion with its emphasis on community, collaboration, and sustainability.

Designers whose work is on view in the exhibition include Virgil Abloh (for Off-White), Azzedine Alaïa, Jonathan Anderson (for JW Anderson and Loewe), Cristóbal Balenciaga, Boué Soeurs, Thom Browne, Stephen Burrows, Sarah Burton (for Alexander McQueen), Gabrielle Chanel, Christian Dior, House of Drecoll, Tom Ford (for Gucci), Mariano Fortuny y Madrazo, John Galliano (for Maison Margiela and John Galliano), Jean Paul Gaultier, Rudi Gernreich, Nicolas Ghesquière (for Louis Vuitton), Hubert de Givenchy, Georgina Godley, Madame Grès, Jacques Griffe, Halston, Johnson Hartig (for Libertine), Iris van Herpen, Marc Jacobs (for Perry Ellis, Marc Jacobs, and Louis Vuitton), Charles James, Victor Joris, Norma Kamali, Donna Karan, Rei Kawakubo (for Comme des Garçons), Patrick Kelly, Lamine Kouyaté (for Xuly.Bët), Christian Lacroix, Helmut Lang, Karl Lagerfeld (for Chanel), Jeanne Lanvin, Martin Margiela, Claire McCardell, Malcolm McLaren, Alexander McQueen, Issey Miyake, Kei Ninomiya (for Noir Kei Ninomiya), Norman Norell, Shayne Oliver (for Hood by Air), Rick Owens, Jean Patou, Elsa Peretti, Emile Pingat, Miuccia Prada, Paco Rabanne, Zandra Rhodes, Olivier Rousteing (for Balmain), Yves Saint Laurent (for Dior and Yves Saint Laurent), Elsa Schiaparelli, Raf Simons (for Dior and Jil Sander), Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren (for Viktor & Rolf), Jun Takahashi (for Undercover), Gianni Versace, Madeleine Vionnet, Junya Watanabe, Weeks, Vivienne Westwood, and Yohji Yamamoto.

The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has appointed FDCI President Sunil Sethi, a leading personality in the Indian fashion industry, as its advisor. Sethi will advise the Commission on latest design interventions in the readymade garments segment as well as promotion of Khadi in India and abroad.

Sunil Sethi appointment is for a period of one year. Earlier, renowned fashion designer Ms Ritu Beri served as advisor to KVIC whose term expired recently. With over four decades of experience in global merchandising, Sunil Sethi has contributed significantly to the growth of Indian handicrafts, design and the textile industry, through many innovative and successful initiatives. As Chairman of the Fashion Design Council of India, which is represented by 400 designers, Sethi has been working to take Indian fashion industry global.

“Sustainable growth of Khadi in the fashion industry, both locally and internationally, is the key idea behind the appointment. KVIC has already marked its advent on the global platform and from here on we must capitalize on every opportunity. Khadi artisans are capable of producing the finest quality and the most unique fabric in the world and with the newest design innovations, Khadi can be a favourite of a vast global consumer segment,” KVIC Chairman, Shri Vinai Kumar Saxena said.

In align with the clarion call of the Hon’ble Prime Minister – Local to Global and Vocal for Local for Indian manufacturing sector. The development assumes greater significance in wake of the growing buzz around Indian handcrafted products and the consumers increasingly becoming fashion-oriented.

Before being appointed Advisor to the KVIC, Sethi has discharged advisory roles in various government bodies like the HHEC, National Crafts Museum and Hastkala Academy, Ministry of Textile, Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Culture.  He has also served as Member, Board of Governors, at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).