Fashionfad takes pride in announcing and promoting the cause of The Afterlife Projects, as they make a comeback to PURE London. This February, you can once again find them at the Pure CONSCIOUS section, where sustainable brands from across the globe are brought together. The Afterlife Projects will be presenting a selection of conscious brands, like Aamogh, Anagenesis, Anoir, Burrow, Heart Tree and Kinche, from Sunday February 10th through Tuesday February 12th at the Kensington Olympia.

Conscious fashion is the wave for the future. With the fashion industry currently holding the second spot for the most polluting in the world, now is the time to think differently. While the term conscious fashion can mean different things to many people, we at the Afterlife Projects feel that conscious fashion shows ethical standards throughout the entire production process, care for the environment through the responsible use of natural materials, giving a second life to textiles that have already been crafted and caring for those workers who produce our pieces.

The Afterlife Projects brings unique global designers to the fashion capital’s of the world. We do not understand the words ‘limitation & boundaries’ – so you can be from anywhere in this universe and we shall together find a way to make your work global acting local. At Pure LONDON, you will find Amal Kiran Jana, designer and craftsman behind the conscious leather accessory brand Anoir, and Chris Tull-Williams, founder and curator of the Erebus platform for emerging ethical and sustainable avant-garde designers.

After hosting the first-of-its-kind fashion show at Red Fort with FDCI, the Ministry of Textiles National Conclave ‘Accomplishments and Way Forward for Textiles Sector’ in the capital, conferred the ‘Threads of Excellence’ award to various organizations and individuals who have shown their excellence in the textile industry.

During the conclave, Vice-President, Mr M Venkaiah Naidu, and the Union Textiles Minister, Ms Smriti Irani, awarded FDCI Board Members, Rajesh Pratap Singh, for the elegance and simplicity of his designs, and Rahul Mishra, for being the international face of Indian Fashion, while Aneeth Arora of péro, received an award for sustainability, textile innovation and utilizing India’s indigenous skills.

With London Men’s just around the corner, so is Milan from 11 to 14 Jan 2019, just after Pitti Uomo (from 8 to 11). And here Giorgio Armani announces the new exhibition of Armani / Silos, dedicated to the work of the photographer Charles Fréger. Opening on January 12 alongside Milan Fashion Week, the photographic exhibition, titled Fabula, is set to display more than 250 images from French photographer Charles Fréger.

Besides the Versace, Marni, Prada, Fendi and Emporio Armani spectacle on the runway, off the runway Charles Freger exhibit will create a dialogue between the different groups of images through a visual model in which the photographic portraits coexist with the uniforms and the accent is placed on the growing theatrical component in the work of the author. The selection includes portraits of the Finnish ice-skating team (Steps), images of the young Sumo (Rikishi) wrestlers and of the European armies and their representation uniforms (Empire), photos of Sikh soldiers (Sikh Regiment of India) and elephants of Jaipur (Painted Elephants), up to the salient series of Wilder Mann and Yokainoshima, dedicated to traditional masks inserted in a rural context. Each community has its own code, but the guiding principle behind the impulse to express belonging through clothing is somewhat common.

Charles Fréger comes to take an active part, sometimes in disguise,to fully understand what he is studying. “The vitality of color is what initially attracted my attention to the work of Charles Fréger: is not pure visual expedient, but a representation of human energy.” As a fashion designer, I know that clothing has enormous symbolic power: Fréger reminds us constantly, digging up the deeper aspects of dressing up as a way of communicating, and I am very happy to host this show at Armani / Silos “, says Giorgio Armani.

The LGBT, Q community is a loosely defined grouping of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, who are psychologically or physiologically different from the mainstream society. It has been ages since people of these communities are fighting for their rights to be in the mainstream society.

For years, their struggle to earn livelihood has forced the LGBT, Q community to do odd jobs like begging at traffic signals, prostitution or dancing on occasion like marriages and birth of a child.

It is often treated as an unacceptable behaviour or non-curable disease if a lesbian or a gay would put up their decision to choose the person belonging to the same gender as their love partner, discarded by society and disowned by parent’s majority of youngsters belonging to this community had no option but to end their lives, which added in making India factually the number one country for youngsters committing suicide. Gauri Sawant, who not only vouched for LGBT rights but also encouraged other people of the same community to earn their right to live and love whomsoever they want, founded the Sakshi Char Chowhi Trust in 2000 an NGO which promotes safe sex and provides counselling to transgender people.

Working towards the uplifting of the community, for the first time, a fashion discovery portal provided them a complete package for fashion styling at Feronia Fashion Night in Jaipur. The evening saw splendid showcase by four globally renowned designers: Mr Amar Mithapalli, Mr Anurag Manju Gupta, Mr Padma Raj Keshri from India and Mr Hoshigoru William from Indonesia.

Designer and educator Mr. Amar Mithapalli is known for his fashion critiquing in the fashion circles of Mumbai and Pune. His collection Vilay comprised of Indigo sarees with a twist of Aari. An Intricate essence of design, male models wore saree with Nude makeup to complete the look and depicted androgynous fashion which aims to avoid gender stereotyping.

A designer and a Lakme Fashion week regular Anurag Manju Gupta from New Delhi, owns the Label Anurag Gupta.  The identity of his label is to make every detail functional, with unique embroidery. He represented his power of clothing through transformative quality in women’s wear.

A young Lakme Gen Next designer Padma Raj Keshri from Ahmedabad is well known in the textile industry for bringing contemporary designs, exploring new craft clusters, working with artisans on field and bringing the new ideas from its origin.

Lastly, Indonesian Designer Hoshigoru William presented his resort wear collection, Metamorphosis Bali, inspired from magical effect of strip lines that create water/white shadow effect by creating movement in the eyes of the viewer.

India’s newest symposium to converse, elaborate and structure Design and Innovation the ‘India Design Confluence (IDC) 2018’ at the United World Institute of Design in Ahmedabad, was inaugurated by Mrs. Anar Patel, Founder, Craftroots, Managing Trustee, Gramshree.

Prepped with inspirational talks, experiential workshops, paper presentations, networking and innovative thinking, ‘India Design Confluence (IDC) 2018,’ witnessed distinguished line of speakers talking on a range of topics on Designing in different sectors, which included Rajesh Kutty, MD, Design, Kite, Lead Designer, Bentley Motors talked on ‘Future of Luxury’ related to Automobile Design; Ar. Rajiv Mishra, Director of Art, Government of Maharashtra, Principal, JJ College of Architecture shared valuable insights on the ‘Aesthetics of Architecture’, whereas Alain Monnens, Founder, Studio Alain Monnens spoke on ‘Who am I designing for?’.

The IDC 2018 also covered subjects like Animation, Visual Communication, Interior Design, Architecture, Automobile Design, Product Design, Jewellery Design, Lifestyle & Accessory Design, Photography, Fine Arts and Fashion.

Milan, November 2018 – Gucci is pleased to announce the launch of the latest in its occasional series of limited-edition publications, WORLD (The Price of Love), named after the song by British post-punk band New Order. Showcasing imagery of the Gucci Cruise 2018 Collection and shot by the British documentary photographer Martin Parr in Cannes, the book comprises a portfolio of pictures bringing together models dressed in Gucci with images of passer-by and sunbathers as well as observational shots of the location, all seen through Parr’s idiosyncratic, ironic lens.

Martin Parr is famous for his documentary photography, which takes a wry look at society. He is known for his vibrant use of colour and the gentle, satirical humour that characterises his spontaneous imagery. Though most associated with his anthropological commentary on British ideas of class, for Gucci’s Cruise Collection, Parr travelled to France, where he captured the sun-worshipping world of the Riviera. Shooting around the city of Cannes and at the InterContinental Carlton Cannes Hotel and the Carlton Beach Club, Parr captured Gucci’s young, eclectic tribe of models in among the parasols, palm trees and seafront balconies, immersed in a world of ice cream, inflatable beach toys and sun cream. The pictures are what we would hope for from Parr: witty, unusual and utterly memorable.

Distributed by IDEA, the London-based independent publisher, WORLD (The Price of Love) is limited to 1,000 copies. It will be also available at the newly opened Gucci Wooster Bookstore in New York, the Gucci Garden in Florence, through Dover Street Market in London, New York, Los Angeles, Ginza Tokyo and Singapore.

Priced at £45, €55, $60 and ¥8,400+tax, the title will be sold as of 29th November and launched at the Gucci Garden with a book signing event that evening in the presence of photographer Martin Parr.

Celebrated author, newspaper columnist, film producer and former Bollywood star Twinkle Khanna has joined forces with Save the Children to promote rights to menstrual hygiene and adolescent health among children and the communities. Twinkle Khanna had visited slums in Govandi, where Save the Children and its partner agency Apnalaya, undertook an awareness programme, to interact with adolescents from the community. She encouraged and felicitated children who are ‘Hygiene Champions’ applauded their efforts to break taboos around the subject and bring about a behavioral change in the community.

Twinkle Khanna, Artist Ambassador, Save the Children shared, “I am delighted   to join Save the Children to promote adolescent health and menstrual hygiene. Through the adolescent health program, I have firsthand interacted with the youth and learn the strides being made towards changing mindsets, at a time when their habits are not yet ingrained. It is uplifting to partner with Save the Children & Apnalaya for programs that do not just educate girls but also boys to work towards a more progressive society”. She also felicitated 30 young boys and girls as ‘Hygiene Champions’ today at Shivaji Nagar (Govandi) with Save the Children and Apnalya. She further added, ‘I had a wonderful interaction with some inspiring young champions who are leading the change in their communities. Saleha’s journey as a young ‘Changemaker’, and her accomplishments as an SDG ‘Goalkeeper’ and speaker at the UN General Assembly in New York recently, is an inspiration to many other adolescents who want to bring about a behavioural change in communities.”

Maharashtra— India’s second largest state — has nearly 19 million adolescent girls and women of menstrual age live (55 per cent of total rural female population of the state, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA, 2011). Faced with stigma, embarrassment, and often a total lack of information, almost 60-70 per cent girls in the state were found to have been skipping school when they had their periods.

“Access to basic health and hygiene should not be a matter of chance but choice and rights. Therefore, we need to push boundaries, and we need to have more open, honest conversations around menstruation to begin with” adds Bidisha Pillai, CEO, Save the Children.

Twinkle Khanna will promote Save the Children priorities in the area of adolescent health – that includes influencing social behavior change to overcome social taboos, misconceptions and misbeliefs on menstrual hygiene, empowering adolescent girls to take appropriate decisions on management of menstruation, improving the reach and quality of low-cost pads, improving access to sanitation (toilets) at schools and in communities, inculcating hygiene and sanitation behaviors and practices for better management of menstruation in schools and communities.

French screen legend Catherine Deneuve announced Monday she was set to auction off her personal clothing collection designed by her friend Yves Saint Laurent, the late fashion icon.

Around 150 items, including coats, dresses and accessories — some of them unique pieces designed for Deneuve — will be auctioned at the end of January during Haute Couture fashion week in Paris.
Deneuve was often described as a muse for Saint Laurent and was a leading figure in the designer’s circle of glamorous female friends which included Princess Grace of Monaco, Wallis Simpson and Paloma Picasso.

After meeting when she was only 22, Deneuve enjoyed an intense 40-year friendship with Saint Laurent until his death in 2008, telling him at a major exhibition of his work in 2002 that “my biggest ever love affair is you”.
Oscar-nominated Deneuve hit the headlines in January when she signed an open letter objecting to the #MeToo movement that has seen women worldwide go public with allegations of sexual assault and rape over the last 12 months.
(COURTESY – AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE)

Simone Leigh, was presented with the 2018 Hugo Boss Prize at Guggenheim Museum in New York. The Hugo Boss Prize which is given every two years to a contemporary artist comes with a $100,000 check and an exhibition next April at the museum.

Accepting the prize in a short speech before a crowd of more than 200, Leigh spoke of those had taught her about “black women and art and power,” and thanked “the many women who supported me.”

The other artists nominated for this year’s prize were Bouchra Khalili, Teresa Margolles, Emeka Ogboh, Frances Stark, and Wu Tsang. Making the tough decision was a jury chaired by the Guggenheim’s artistic director, Nancy Spector, who was joined by Sofía Hernández Chong Cuy, director of the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art in Rotterdam; Dan Fox, editor-at-large at Frieze; Bisi Silva, artistic director of the Centre for Contemporary Art in Lagos, Nigeria; Susan Thompson, associate curator at the Guggenheim; and Joan Young, director of curatorial affairs at the Guggenheim.

Simone Leigh works in sculpture, video, and socially engaged performance and programming. Leigh’s oeuvre extends from her research in the fields of ethnography, political history, feminism, and folklore. The artist’s social-practice projects place black female subjectivity at their center, with a focus on notions of community, healing, and self-care. The artist’s sculptures and installations, which often make symbolic reference to the black body, utilize vernacular materials associated with Africa and its diaspora to address collective histories.

Simone Leigh solo exhibition is scheduled to open in spring 2019, at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York.

Michael Kors ups his glamour quotient by buying the Italian fashion house Versace worth over $2 billion including the debts. Lately the Michael Kors New York also acquired Jimmy Choo for $1.35 billion last year. The Michael Kors Holdings Ltd., like others in the fashion industry, has fired up sales by attaching big brands to its portfolio like the globally revered Versace Tapestry, once known as Coach, Stuart Weitzman and Kate Spade.

The statement released by Micheal Kor’s CEO, John D. Idol, stated-

“We are excited to have Versace as part of our family of luxury brands, and we are committed to investing in its growth. With the full resources of our group, we believe that Versace will grow to over $2.0 billion in revenues.

We believe that the strength of the Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo brands, and the acquisition of Versace, position us to deliver multiple years of revenue and earnings growth,” Idol said.

The Creative director of Versace, Donatella Versace and her brother Santo and Daughter Allegra will still stay on as shareholders in the company. Versace’s management team will continue to be led by its CEO, Jonathan Akeroyd.

Michael David Kors plans to grow Versace to $2 billion in revenue globally and increase its retail footprint from about 200 to 300 stores.