What the fashion world talked about this week:
CYRUS AND COHEN AGAINST AIDS
The amfAR sixth annual Inspiration Gala in New York was held last Wednesday. Andy Cohen and Miley Cyrus were both honoured for their exceptional efforts in the fight against HIV and Aids. Cohen received the award for his long term commitment to amfAR – he has been a supporter for ten years. In his accepting speech Cohen said that “complacency is the enemy, and that is why we still need amfAR”. Cyrus, who is currently the spokesperson for MAC Cosmetics’ VIVA Glam campaign that has already raised $25 million since January for the MAC Aids fund, was presented with the award, for her outstanding commitment to raise AIDS awareness and end HIV-related stigma. As part of her Happie Hippie foundation she has also started the #InstaPride campaign this week which celebrates transgender and “gender-expansive” individuals. In her speech she said she hopes this makes her parents proud and “somehow makes up for all the shit that I did”. We feel it definitely does.
ISABEL MARANT A PLAGIARIST?
Isabel Marant is under fire after the Mixe community in Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec, Oaxaca, Southern Mexico has sued her for copyright infringement. The Etoile Spring/Summer 2015 collection contains graphical elements which are specific to the Tlahuitoltepec blouse (which can be seen above). Marant will be fighting the allegations in Paris’s district court. The fashion house brought out a statement saying that she has presented submissions which expressly pointed out that these designs come from the village of Santa Maria Tlahuitoltepec in Mexico and that she does not claim to be the author of the tunic and the designs. This is not the first case of potential plagiarism for Marant. Earlier this year the fashion house got into legal conflict with Adidas due to the likeliness between Adidas’s Stan Smith and Marant’s Bekket trainers.
‘THE TRUE COST’ OUT NOW
Released on 29 May, Andrew Morgan’s fast fashion documentary ‘The True Cost’ has been generating some buzz recently with screenings across the world. Morgan insists that the film is not meant to make us feel bad or guilty, but is only supposed to pose the simple idea: ‘There are humans who make what we wear’. It is a topic that will inevitably change your perception of how you shop and why. We, at Impact Style, feel very strongly that for there to be change we need to change. This is especially so for fast fashion, which has its target customers in students and young professionals who cannot yet afford ‘high fashion’. Are we willing to accept that somewhere across the world people are suffering, risking their lives even, so that we can wear a new dress every month? Whatever your opinion might be, ‘The True Cost’ is a documentary not to be missed.
FINALISTS FOR THE MIDDLE EAST’S INAUGURAL FASHION PRIZE ANNOUNCED
The top 10 finalists for the Middle East’s next great womenswear design star launched by a collaboration between Style.com/Arabia and the Dubai Design & Fashion Council (DDFC) and in partnership with Farfetch, have been announced. The finalists hail from six different countries from the Middle East and are: The Emperor 1688 (UAE), Zayan the Label (UAE), Hussain Bazaza (Lebanon), Matar (Bahrain), Nafiska Skourti (Jordan), Amine Bendriouich (Morocco), Taller Marmo (UAE), Reemami (UAE), Rami Kadi (Lebanon) and Aziz Humaid (Saudi Arabia). One of the committees’ member Shashi Menon said: “For so long, this region has been so misunderstood. Fashion can really be a storytelling vehicle. There are such big differences between the fashion trends and preferences of people geographically, and you can see that through the clothes”. The winner, who will receive a $250,000 financial grant, the opportunity to sell a capsule line on Farfetch.com, a year of mentorship and an advertising campaign, will be announced this fall in Dubai where all ten have to present a five-piece capsule collection. Great things can be expected.
EMMA HILL TO LAUNCH ACCESSORIES LINE
Emma Hill has finally announced her next move. The much celebrated, former creative director of Mulberry will be launching her own accessories line called ‘Hill & Friends’. The label will make its first appearance at London Fashion Week and the first collection will be available online from both its own website and Net-A-Porter the following day. It has been two years since Hill has left Mulberry and coincidently the announcement comes at the same time as Mulberry gets ready to welcome the first new creative director since her departure: Johnny Coca. We are excited to see what Coca is going to do at Mulberry and cannot wait to see what Hill has created!
Raphaela Ring
Images: Vogue, Twitter/GuardianGDP, thetruecostmovie.com, style.com
