Dior Talks is an ongoing series of compelling weekly podcasts that explore the House’s position at the intersection of art, culture and society. Featuring a rotating lineup of specialized hosts, each series examines a particular theme, with topics as varying as feminist art, styling and the environment, as well as informative discussions on the heritage of the House itself.

Both Maria Grazia Chiuri and Kim Jones, since their respective arrivals, have produced collections that ask big questions, notably for their regular collaborations with surprising spectrum of artists, performers, writers and intellectuals. Dior Talks continues this level of interactive dialogue with a diverse range of guests discussing their careers and their interactions with the house of Dior.

The latest in the  Dior Talks series ‘The Female Gaze,’Bettina Rheims, a major figure in the world of portrait photography, discusses her remarkable forty-year career.

In this episode, series host Charlotte Jansen, a British journalist and author, speaks with one of the legendary figures of photography in the last half century. Bettina Rheims has been prominent and highly prolific in the world of portraiture, and also fashion photography, for four decades, having first picked up a camera in 1978. She started by photographing a group of female striptease artists and became fascinated by capturing the femininity, power and corporeality of womanhood. This is a fascination which she has maintained ever since in a long and varied career.

In 2017, Bettina Rheims shot a series for Dior Magazine showcasing the spellbinding aura of Laetitia Casta. For the past forty years, the French photographer has interpreted and celebrated femininity in all its forms. The art of image-making has allowed her to explore notions of gender and question stereotypes, from celebrity portraits and capturing subjects representing androgynous and transsexual beauty to her latest project, entitled Détenues, which reveals the daily lives of female prisoners. In an interview for Dior by the journalist Charlotte Jansen, the audacious artist looks back on how she reinvents and transcends codes and conventions to better celebrate the plurality of feminine identities.

The Gucci Garden onscreen tour https://virtualtourguccigarden.gucci.com is a contemporary magical box with unfettered access to explore the rooms, objects, atmosphere, and exhibitions housed in a space created by Alessandro Michele on Florence’s Piazza della Signoria.

The Gucci Garden tells the story of the house by colliding past with present. Clothing, accessories, video installations, artworks, documents and artefacts are displayed over the two floors of the Gucci Garden Galleria, organised by themes. In keeping with the spirit of creative collaboration that Gucci Garden embraces, chef Massimo Bottura oversees an intimate restaurant on the ground floor, the Gucci Osteria. Bottura is internationally famed for his three-Michelin-star Osteria Francescana. The ground floor of Gucci Garden is given over to the restaurant and a bazaar-like retail space organised across two large rooms. Products feature a distinctive Gucci Garden label and come in packaging exclusive to this store alongside pieces from the Gucci Décor collection, as is a selection of innovative magazines and publications, and a collection of books – both current niche titles and antique tomes.

No need to rush, find no crowds to dodge as visitors explore rooms, staircases, and hallways. Footsteps are muffled on the ground floor, where the boutique and bookstore are located. Ascending to the second and third floors, home to the Galleria, visitors are accompanied by the sounds of branches rustling and birds chirping—as if fin-de-siècle mechanical birds crafted by dreaming clockmakers were tucked behind the passageways floral wallpaper.

There’s no preset path and one can wander at their own pace from a couch or desk. Take a look here and there. Watch with amazement. Read the stories and the panel text. Go back and take another look. Let a never-before-seen piece spark the imagination. Dart back and forth between floors.

Cyberflâneurs can poke around unveiling the story of Gucci, be charmed by its history, unveil the magic of fashion, marvel at anything that captures their imagination, delve into descriptions and detailed information about every item leisurely https://virtualtourguccigarden.gucci.com

Is she actually ?? Well literally no, on the contrary our  country/economy is in hot mess, with ongoing pandemic, unemployment, Chinese intrusion, alas, if this wasn’t enough, came the sad demise of Sushant Singh Rajput. With CBI investigating it was a blessing for his fans but it seems to be never ending with everybody trying to take mileage. Frankly speaking, #JusticeforSSR campaign has given people an agenda in these jobless time to forget about their own anguish and fight for the cause. Hopefully, someday everything will make sense and the truth will prevail.

Meanwhile, as the businesses take a hit due to coronavirus, fashion industry isn’t left behind with existential crisis. Yes, we took a hit and continue to take some more,I am sure, says, Masaba. But life goes on, so when everyone is thinking of survival, comes this well scripted fictional show on Netflix, Masaba Masaba , this small-ish actor (as she calls herself)  has showcased unexpected traits in an unconventional way in this series to own your hot mess while taking on the world.

Known for her original, quirky, bold and innovative prints this ‘Hot Mess’ by Masaba consisted her trademark design of floral motifs on bright backgrounds and is a mixed bag of fuss-free silhouettes. Although, the cruise show as dramatised wasn’t actually a disaster, says the designer. Originally, Masaba did premiere her cruise collection in 2017 and had a runway show on a boat, which was a total hit. And, the designer really does have another collection called Hot Mess’’.

As she takes up the challenge, #OwnYourHotMess on instagram, she talks to her audience “Loving my flawed messy imperfect self is far from easy. What’s easy is loving yourself on the good days, when everything in your life seems to work out. But self-love is about owning my messy, flawed imperfect self.  So go ahead and own your hot mess.” With all this mess,  Masaba Masaba gave us a few quirky moments too, like the one where a fabric vendor attempts to sell her own prints to Masaba saying it’s from Africa and the one where she has to design matching outfits for a celebrity’s dogs as well.

With the series trending on Netflix, Masaba posted a picture saying, I don’t know where to begin, but “I’m very proud of myself today of having worked so hard and this is not because of amazing response our show is garnering but because girls like me were told we don’t belong on screen because of the colour of our skin.” I guess, it’s in the genes Masaba. Further she urges all girls, to dream, at any age, in any part of the world & in any shape or form. and ask for what you deserve if you truly deserve it then never let anyone dissuade you from doing anything.

“So, Ladies and Gentlemen give it up for “MASABA GUPTA” !!!

AMSTERDAM – After a brief hiatus, the Fashion for Good Experience has reopened and, as of tomorrow, launches a new theme titled “A CUT ABOVE”. The theme leads programming and events in the museum for the next six months, showing visitors how we can reimagine the way our clothes are designed, made and worn. The selected brands, emroce, Flavia La Rocca, senscommon, The Fabricant, Unspun and Wires, showcase fashion done differently, with 3D weaving, body scans, modular fashion and entirely digital fashion and are available to purchase today in the Good Shop. In addition, the Fashion for Good Experience introduces their new digital museum tours as well as five new, unique exhibition pieces.

‘A CUT ABOVE’ THEME BRANDS

Wires – Co-founded by international supermodel and activist Lily Cole (who participated in the PechaKucha), these sustainably sourced glasses are handcrafted in Italy with 3D printed bio-plastic parts from the UK and interchangeable lenses so a pair can last you a lifetime.

Flavia La Rocca – Italian designer and Green Carpet Fashion Award winner, Flavia creates modular and sustainable garments using hidden zippers to construct new combinations for a never- ending wardrobe that transcends occasion and season.

The Fabricant – an innovator from the Fashion for Good Accelerator Programme, the digital fashion house creates digital couture garments exclusively for virtual environments for fashion shows or digital samples.
Unspun – a unique body scan and 3D weaving technology that can create a perfectly fitting pair of jeans, on demand with no waste or harmful chemicals. Get your measurements scanned and order your pair in the museum!

BUILDING BACK BETTER

The museum collection in the Fashion for Good Experience consists of several, unique and pioneering innovations that are often not (yet) available for consumers but are undergoing piloting and testing. The idea behind the exhibition is to show visitors what innovation looks like and explain what can be improved upon in current production processes. The five new exhibition pieces have all been created in collaboration with a start-up innovator from the Fashion for Good Innovation Programmes;

– Tommy Hilfiger shoes made with 24% recycled apple waste from Frumat
– A backpack from Bergans’ “Collection of Tomorrow” in collaboration with Spinnova, who turns cellulose and waste streams into textile fibres.
– A shawl by Salvatore Ferragamo made with silk-like material produced from citrus waste from Orange Fiber.
– An entirely circular, unisex workwear outfit by Silfir that uses technology from circular fashion for a completely traceable garment which ships using the custom designed, reusable and recyclable packaging from Returnity.
– An organic cotton t-shirt with embedded DNA tracers from Haelixa which through blockchain technology from the BEXT360 platform can verify the garment’s origin and authenticity.

 Vivaha Select held its first webinar titled Bespoke Weddings  – The Future, with the industry experts from various fields. “The Pandemic has made Bespoke weddings the new normal” wherein all the experts forecasted new wedding trends post CoronaVirus world. From cutting down the guest list and hosting weddings in home towns to opting for wedding insurance and broadcasting the celebrations online, and yet at the same time make the wedding exclusive and keep the experience memorable was discussed.

With its soon to be launched Wedding Community, Marketplace, Blog and Directory from the house of Celebrating Vivaha has been Curated by Tarun Sarda.The webinar saw participation by Ashwani Nayar GM Crowne Plaza Greater Noida, Rituraj Khanna CEO Q Events, Aarti Mattoo Founder Momentum Exp Events & Weddings, and Virender Handa, MD Creative Cuisine Inc, Moderated by Nitin Arora MD Katalyst Entertainment Ltd.

Experts from the wedding business revealed new wedding trends for the post-corona era and believed that bespoke weddings/events will be the way to go forward. It will involve creating meaningful and engaging experiences for guests on priority along with precautionary measures in check. Some also sense that the lockdown period has given adequate time to couples as well as wedding vendors to rethink the idea of week-long wedding celebrations and go low-key in the number of guests attending the event.

In recent days, large-scale protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd have erupted in every state in America, as well as around the world. Frenzied looters went wild in Manhattan, busting into designer stores and lighting small fires rising up in protest of systemic racial injustice and the continued use of deadly force against black people.

As protests and rallies continue, artists in the U.S. and around the world are creating works that memorialize Floyd’s death and respond to the BLACK LIVES MATTER movement.

Michelle Obama a supporter of BLACK LIVES Matter movement reposted Los Angeles-based artist Nikkolas Smith portrait of Floyd. Smith chose to depict Floyd in a suit and bowtie rendered in thick, Impressionist-style brushstrokes.

Many outlets hadn’t started covering George Floyd when illustrator and graphic designer Andres Guzman learned of his death, Guzman created a graphic illustration and posted it to Instagram. He made the artwork, which quickly racked up thousands of views and shares, free for anyone to use.

After the murder of George Floyd prompted nationwide anti-racist protests in Minneapolis, the fashion industry too stepped up to support the Black Lives Matter movement in every way possible.

CFDA, said Black people in this country are reeling from years of injustice stemming from institutional constructs such as slavery, segregation, mass incarceration, police brutality and economic and voter suppression. The Black community is experiencing anger and frustration on top of the effects of the global pandemic that has hit communities of color the hardest.

Out lining the initiatives, CFDA will create an in-house employment program specifically charged with placing Black talent in all sectors of the fashion business to help achieve a racially balanced industry. This program will be tasked with identifying Black creatives and pairing these individuals with companies looking to hire.

Whilst, instagram is filled with messages with Fashion brands, designers and stylists to the likes of Nike, Marc Jacobs, Gucci, and Savage x Fenty are using their platform as a way to inform and empower their followers. They’re donating generous sums of money to social justice organizations, sharing educational resources, and matching donations.

Jacobs wrote “A life cannot be replaced. Black Lives Matter”, while Nike posted a moving  VIDEO which was widely shared surprisingly, by adidas, which retweeted the post.

L’Oréal Paris issued a statement that read, “Speaking Out is Worth It.” (The brand will also donate $150,000 to the NAACP”).

As protests continued with scenes of brutality against protesters and journalists were broadcast live, Louis Vuitton launched a new handbag. The luxury brand posted a video with the caption, “MAKE A CHANGE. FREEDOM FROM RACISM TOWARDS PEACE TOGETHER.” 

Kenneth Cole posted a photo of children’s arms, each one a differing skin tone. “We belong to the same color palette,” the designer tweeted, adding the hashtag #BlacklivesMaters. 

To help fight against racism, designer Peter Do will be evenly donating 100 percent of net profits from the brand’s June e-commerce sales to Black-founded organizations. Sandy Liang, also a part of New York City‘s emerging cohort of young designers, is contributing 20 percent of her web store’s proceeds to nonprofits supporting Black Lives Matter.

London-bred ASAI has dedicated its Instagram feed to anti-racism advocacy, in addition to producing its Rihanna-approved Hot Wok Dress with all sales profits benefiting charities. Samuel Ross‘ A-COLD-WALL*, another brand based in the UK, has announced two initiatives to support the Black community, namely a BLM financial aid and grants for independent Black businesses.

Gucci creative director Alessandro Michele revealed by way of diary entries on Instagram that the fashion brand will “abandon the worn-out ritual of seasonalities and shows to regain a new cadence.” Instead of engaging in the traditional fashion calendar of “cruise, pre-fall, spring/summer, autumn/winter,” Michele says, “We will meet just twice a year, to share the chapters of a new story. Irregular, joyful and absolutely free chapters, which will be written blending rules and genres, feeding on new spaces, linguistic codes and communication platforms.”

The news of Gucci comes just weeks after fellow Kering-owned brand Yves Saint Laurent revealed that it will not present its collections “in any of the pre-set schedules of 2020.” “Conscious of the current circumstance and its waves of radical change,” a nod to the spread of the COVID-19 and the sizable impact that it has had on brands’ current operations and bottom lines, as well as their plans for the future, “Saint Laurent has decided to take control of its pace and reshape its schedule.” “Now more than ever, the brand will lead its own rhythm, legitimating the value of time and connecting with people globally by getting closer to them in their own space and lives.”

Belgian designer Dries Van Noten too made headlines, saying,“It is not normal to buy winter clothes in May. It doesn’t make sense,” Van Noten said this month, reflecting on the status quo of the fashion system. More than merely being impractical, the Belgian designer said that such a schedule is “not respectful to the customer, who buys at full price, [only] to see it marked down 50 percent six weeks later.” 

Along with Keith and Carmi, Van Noten issued and open letter and laid out a number of steps that they say they hope will enable the multi-trillion dollar fashion industry to “become more responsible for our impact on our customers, on the planet and on the fashion community. Since the letter was released, hundreds of designers, executives, retailers, and public relations heads – from Tory Burch and Jil Sander have come forward to sign, to voluntary initiate.

However, despite these increasing calls for industry-wide change, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Kering and Chanel have been relatively hesitant to jump on the bandwagon.

Fears around COVID_19 are escalating each day, actually speaking Coronavirus has exposed cracks in our system. Given the crisis  some designers have taken hiatus to rethink on the strategy of how to make more sustainable brand, knowing the fact that industry is responsible for 10% of the global carbon dioxide emission.

Garment workers and artisans are facing unique circumstances inability to pay their rent, utilities and other bills due to loss of income. Government, FDCI and designers have got together to start a CSF fund to help these marginalised communities who are the heart of fashion.

Shantanu and Nikhil has curated a campaign to raise funds for COVID_19 Support Fund (CSF by FDCI) to support the future of fashion, skilled artisans and organisation affiliated to FDCI.

The designer duo has brought together four doyens of Indian design industry who will auction one masterpiece from their collection. The online auctions being hosted on Shantanu Nikhil official instagram handle will run for four weeks each with couturiers Manish Malhotra, Rahul Mishra, Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Tarun Tahiliani.

The highest bidder of each outfit will be announced on Fraternity Talks, a live session with the designer and the hosts at the end of each week.

Early this week, House of Anita Dongre, announces the production of cloth masks for distribution to contribute further in the fight against COVID-19. After receiving adequate permissions from government authorities, production of these masks has begun in two of the five rural village centres.

Starting this week, these centres have had voluntary participation of about 24 women who will be able to create up to 7000 masks each week for distribution to NGOs, village residents, individuals, and hospitals. 

The women in these village centres will be working under strict social distancing and hygiene protocols to produce these masks and distribute them. Every one of us must do everything within our power to stop the spread of this virus and keep as many people as we can safe. The production of reusable masks is one step in that direction.” says Anita Dongre. 

As long as people need masks they will be produced and distributed. This is the company’s second initiative to fight COVID19 after setting up a 1.5 Crore fund to cover smaller vendors and self-employed artisans arising from previously unforeseen medical emergencies at this time, she added further.

#STAYSAFE #STAYCALM

The fashionable dress that you pick from a store or online travels a long journey that leaves a lot of environmental footprint. The garment is made from the fabric; fabric that is made from a yarn/thread and the thread that is made from fibre. Unfortunately, the entire fashion & textile value chain which is engaged in the making of the clothes today is the second largest contributor to the pollution.

This awareness has led to contentious consumers, large retail brands NGOs, leading designers all coming together towards reducing carbon footprints through sustainable initiatives. Sustainability or sustainable initiatives refers to taking steps to avoid depletion of natural resources like land , water, air in order to maintain ecological balance. This World Earth Day, let us understand what we as consumers can do to ensure that our fashion choices do not harm the mother nature.

How can a consumer know who is making his fabric/fibre and is he following right steps to ensure least environmental impact? Can this knowledge help him protecting the environment. Do consumers like us have the right to demand who made my clothes, where are they coming from and how much impact they are making on the environment? Because if consumers demand this, more and more brands and manufacturers would be forced to follow processes which would then lead to least environmental footprint.

While all of the abovementioned is yet to be achieved, some technological innovations are enabling this transparency. In this day and age we have the technology in place to track the full journey of the garment that you are wearing! This ‘journey tracing’ is enabled by a technology called ‘Tracer’. A tracer is nothing but a pigment injected at the orgin of the fibre that tracks the full value chain. Leading garment brands display a QR code on their apparel which when scanned tells you the fields and factories that the fibre/fabric originated and travelled. Today, as a consumer, you can demand this transparency and force the brands and manufacturers to source and follow eco friendly measures. 

Armed with this information on brands and manufacturers, the customer can then visit the websites of these manufacturers and brands and check if they have endorsements from non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) like Canopy, FSC, SAC and Changing markets foundation to name a few.  All these NGOs are like a gold hallmark. They have certain strict norms laid down and they visit brands and factories to ensure compliance on some pre-defined land, water and air pollution parameters.

Recently, the Aditya Birla Group launched a fabric called Livaeco that has a Tracer in it.  Livaeco fabric can be identified by a tag displayed on the garment. These garments available at leading brands, have full value-chain transparency. Many designers like Gabriella Demetraides, Gavin Miguel, have collaborated and used this fabric in their collections.

Water pollution is also one of the side effects of the fashion industry. It’s important to treat the water off the chemicals and dyes before releasing it in the environment. Also, with technological changes and modifications in the processes, brands can reduce their water consumption as well.  

This World Earth Day, let us pledge to do our bit towards the environment!

The search is on for the brightest rising fashion stars as the prestigious International Woolmark Prize opens applications for the 2020/21 talent program.
Whilst no one knows the impact the current climate will have on the state of fashion, an increasing number of emerging brands are looking for new opportunities to ensure their future. Designers looking to shape a positive future for the fashion industry and strengthen their brand are encouraged to apply for this year’s Woolmark Prize via the online portal. Entry to participate in the International Woolmark Prize is available to any brand worldwide who meets the application criteria.

All applications will be reviewed by an Advisory Council of industry experts, committed to discovering and nurturing outstanding achievers in fashion. Ten finalists from any country across the world will be chosen to participate in the final event in early 2021. Each finalist will receive AU$70,000 to develop a capsule collection which highlights the innate versatility, innovative nature and eco-credentials of Merino wool.

Finalists will take part in The Woolmark Company’s Innovation Academy, a robust 18-month education and mentoring program, offering unparalleled access to International Woolmark Prize partners and advisors supporting product development, research and development, business and sustainability strategies to assist in the development of their collections and brands.
To apply, you must have been producing commercially available apparel for a minimum of 2 years and a maximum of 8 years (at the time of submitting an application). You should have consistent experience in working with and promoting best practice across apparel supply chains, show a yearly growth in sales and demonstrate an innovative use of fabrics and textiles.

“Now more than ever we need a reason to celebrate and give hope to independent designers in a way which breaks down cultures and borders to unite us as one,” says The Woolmark Company Managing Director Stuart McCullough. “Online applications ensures the International Woolmark Prize has the potential to benefit designers from every corner of the globe. We also thank the continued support of the International Woolmark Prize Nominating Bodies who play a valuable role in connecting the best emerging design talent with the prize.”

View the application criteria on www.woolmarkprize.com/apply.