Why Women Are Walking the Men’s Runways This Season What’s the point of showing women's clothes to men? I generalize, of course—not everyone in the audience at the men’s shows is male—but, look! Lots and lots of girls have been walking runways in London and Milan these past couple of weeks, in the round of collections that are (ostensibly) aimed at showing the chaps of the menswear industry what they might like to wear, come spring 2016. Regard! Miuccia Prada liberally studded her men's collection with female models yesterday afternoon. Out of 51 looks, 20 were a compilation of super-compelling, wacky, girls’ outfits—a layered pile-up of sweaters with rocket and rabbit motifs, short sequin shifts, vintage-y sport stripes, skirts with collaged panels going this way and that: in all, Mrs. What is this all about?
Video | June Sarpong and DeRay McKesson on Race and Inequality in Fashion OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom — DeRay Mckesson, an American civil rights activist and a leading voice in the Black Lives Matter movement, and British television personality June Sarpong took to the VOICES stage in December to discuss the matter of racial injustice in the wider world. “The goal is acceptance, it’s not tolerance. Tolerance at best is one of the pathways to acceptance,” said Mckesson. “These are not new issues, they have always been under the surface but in the age of social media and technology, we’re able to talk about these things in public and [now] people understand that they are not alone in dealing with them and that’s what's new in this moment.” On the role of the fashion industry, Mckesson said: “It’s not enough for you to just slap 10 more black people on the covers of your magazines or put them in ads.” With the rise of emerging markets, “there is a new normal” of greater racial diversity that needs to take shape, added Sarpong. Related Articles:
Joan Smalls and Hari Nef on Discrimination in Fashion OXFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom — Diversity in fashion was one of the most widely-discussed topics at VOICES, BoF's new annual gathering for big thinkers, and models Joan Smalls and Hari Nef both have first-hand experience of the industry's issues with discrimination. Smalls, who is mixed-race, and Nef, who is transgender, were joined on stage by IMG Models president Ivan Bart, and, in a conversation with BoF editor-at-large Tim Blanks, urged the industry to rethink its limited perceptions of beauty. “You should be reflective of the world you live in,” said Smalls. “I look at this crowd, beautiful faces from different backgrounds and that’s the world I see. So when I see a runway with all the same models that are just cloned, I’m like: ‘Is that your beauty? Is that your world?’ “There needs to be a greater awareness of who wears the clothes,” echoed Nef. Related Articles: Models Face Bullying, Cruelty and Racial Discrimination at Castings
Gender neutral clothing: the trend that's breaking down barriers | The Week Portfolio Selfridges is to become the first major British retailer to introduce gender neutral clothing across its stores, reflecting a growing trend on both the catwalk and the high street. "We want to take our customers on a journey where they can shop and dress without limitations or stereotypes," the store said in a statement. The iconic department store will no longer be split into sections, but will instead offer three floors of unisex clothing, effective from March this year. Campaigners have welcomed the move, arguing that the decision by such an influential retailer will set a precedent by sending a clear message to society that strict gender boundaries should be challenged. It reflects a wider attitude within the fashion industry. The industry is also witnessing the rise in high-profile models that model both men and women's clothes, including Elliott Sailors, Saskia De Brauw and Andreja Pejic. Manzocco acknowledges that, unfortunately, androgynous men were not as accepted by society.
Survey reveals "shocking" lack of gender diversity in big architecture firms Just three of the world's 100 biggest architecture firms are headed by women and only two have management teams that are more than 50 per cent female, a survey by Dezeen has revealed. The survey found that women occupy just 10 per cent of the highest-ranking jobs at the world's leading architecture firms, while 16 firms have no women at all in senior positions. Our research, which is based on data available on the practices' own websites, reveals that just one in 10 of top-level roles, including CEOs, COOs, presidents and senior partners, at the 100 biggest international firms are female. Update: read responses to the survey from leading female architects Architect Dorte Mandrup, who runs her own studio in Denmark, described the findings as "quite shocking". "It's interesting too that there seem to be practically no woman holding creative director or lead designer positions," she added. Many firms proudly list their senior staff on their websites, along with photos and brief biographies.
Selfridges unveils its agender fashion campaign at Oxford Street store From Cara Delevingne rocking a suit on the red carpet to Brad and Angelina wearing matching androgynous outfits to the BAFTAS, fashion icons have never been scared to experiment with gender. And one major retailing is jumping on the bandwagon by blurring the lines between men's and womenswear. Selfridges has launched a 'gender-neutral' fashion campaign encouraging consumers to buy clothes without being restricted to men's or women's fashions. Scroll down for video Selfridges has launched a 'gender-neutral' fashion campaign encouraging consumers to buy clothes without being restricted to men's or women's fashions as it opens the doors to its 'agender' shopping space The Oxford Street department store has axed its separate women and menswear departments in favour of three floors of unisex fashion. Selfridges believe that shoppers no longer want to be defined or limited by their gender as to what they can wear. Selfridges launches gender neutral fashion campaign, Agender Loaded: 0% Progress: 0%
Saffiyah Khan: anger is an energy Taken from the autumn/winter issue of Dazed. You can buy a copy of our latest issue here. You have seen her photo before. Birmingham, last April: Saffiyah Khan, unfazed, hands in her pockets, gazing calmly at the red face of an irate EDL member. The still went viral and, in a big way, the student-activist’s courage was emblazoned across social media. Six months later, Saffiyah Khan is using her platform in creative and subversive ways. Seen here in Repossi for Dazed’s autumn/winter 2017 issue, we catch up with the British activist and artist to talk grassroots movements and her powerful enmeshment of art and politics. Punch records in Birmingham exhibited your work as a photographer this summer — you’re behind the lens this time! Saffiyah Khan: The exhibition was a photo documentary of a youth engagement project based around the south Asian music influences, and how young people could couple it with modern sounds to produce a track. SK: It hasn’t been too taxing. Who inspires you?
Campaigns taking a stand for equality DIESEL’s “MAKE LOVE NOT WALLS” Yesterday Diesel launched their latest campaign entitled “Make Love Not Walls“, shot by iconic fashion photographer, David LaChapelle, in his characteristic over-the-top aesthetic. Aiming to break down the barriers between us and overcome discrimination, the campaign is taking the metaphor literal by showing a wall breaking down, uniting the different sides in a rainbow coloured diverse new world of love. “At Diesel, we have a strong position against hate and more than ever we want the world to know that, to use our voice for good, love and togetherness is crucial in creating a society we all want to live in, and the future we all deserve”, says artist director at Diesel, Nicola Formichetti. Alongside the campaign, a huge multicoloured inflatable tank will tour around London, Milan, Shanghai, Tokyo, New York, and Berlin, to spread the good message and the love. NIKE’s “EQUALITY”
Between the Catwalk and the Consumer: Fashion’s Growing Diversity Gap LONDON, United Kingdom — Bethann Hardison remembers the days when, before every New York Fashion Week, “Casting directors would send out notices to all the modelling agencies in the city, saying 'no blacks, no ethnics' — we don’t want to see them.” Back then, the issue of diversity in the fashion industry had “got lost like a splinter,” says Hardison, a former model and founder of the Diversity Coalition, which works with industry bodies like the CFDA to raise awareness about racial diversity and discrimination in fashion. In 2007, tired and frustrated, Hardison hosted a press conference in a New York hotel, where she publicly lambasted the industry’s lack of diversity. “From that moment on,” Hardison says, “No one has ever said that again.” The consumers buying luxury fashion, however, are more diverse than ever before. Over the last four weeks, BoF has surveyed 117 key shows from New York, London, Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks. However, “fashion houses do listen,” says Godart.
When will diversity be on trend? - Shift London Individuality is celebrated and creatives are encouraged to be inclusive in the fashion industry. But is all diversity celebrated? Individual style is embraced by the industry. This London Fashion Week, black model Leomie Anderson reopened the floodgate of frustration that is being a black model on twitter. Fellow model Jourdan Dunn retweeted Leomie having made her feelings clear in the past when it comes to the lack of diversity in the industry. One of the problems these models have is that the majority of white hairstylists who work the shows and photo shoots are not trained to do black hair. But is it ok that these professionals don’t have a full understanding of all hair types? Black hairstylists are trained to do all hair types. Leomie Anderson tweeted “Why is there more white makeup artist backstage than black when black ones can do ALL races makeup?” These ladies have been trying to get us into formation for years before Beyoncé so when will the fashion industry hear them?
How Diversity Changed Fashion At Balmain's most recent Paris Fashion Week show, Creative Director Olivier Rousteing was hammering home that you can't expect to build a global fashion brand without embracing global casting. His models, all different in heritage and ethnicity, came from all over the world: Britain (Jourdan Dunn and Lily Donaldson);Tanzania (Herieth Paul); Dominican Republic (Lineisy Montero, Genesis Vallejo and one of August ELLE's cover girls, Ysaunny Brito); Jamaica (Tami Williams); the Netherlands (Maartje Verhoef); India (fellow August ELLE cover girl, Bhumika Arora); Angola (Maria Borges); Brazil (Alessandra Ambrosio) and China (Cong He and Ming Xi), to name just a few of the destinations that were championed. Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid, who opened the show and swapped hair colours just for the event, may have grabbed the headlines but the real story was diversity – a topic that's forcing its way to the forefront of fashion today. So are times changing?
theFashionSpot Runway Diversity Report Fall 2017 Alicia Burke at Lanvin Fall 2017; Image: Peter White/Getty Images On the eve of Paris Fashion Week, an Instagram post by prominent casting director and model and diversity advocate James Scully made headlines. In it, Scully alleged that Balenciaga’s casting agents, Maida Gregori Boina and Rami Fernandes, made models wait in a dark stairwell for three hours during a casting for the brand’s latest show. Scully also pointed the finger at Lanvin, which, according to “several” casting agents, had asked that it not be presented with women of color. Boina and Fernandes publicly denied the claims, but were summarily fired. Lanvin likewise proclaimed its innocence. Thus, we at theFashionSpot offer our contribution to the conversation: a report that examines diversity across New York, London, Milan and Paris and calls out the designers who heeded (or ignored) the industry-wide call for inclusion. Louis Vuitton Fall 2017; Image: Peter White/Getty Images Dara at Marc Jacobs Fall 2017; Image: Imaxtree
Edward Enninful addresses diversity debate with first cover for British Vogue | Fashion The first Vogue cover produced under Edward Enninful has been released, signalling the new editor’s mission to make political statements, not just fashion ones. The coverlines make no mention of trends, It bags or new mascaras. Instead there is a list of power players in politics and the arts, including Sadiq Khan, Skepta, Steve McQueen and Zadie Smith. These names – diverse in age as well as ethnicity - outnumber the more familiar fashion names of Kate Moss, Christopher Bailey, Naomi Campbell and Cara Delevingne. The cover star is the mixed-race British model and feminist activist Adwoa Aboah, who helms the online platform Gurls Talk, sending a clear message that Enninful intends to engage in the conversation about diversity which has sprung up in the wake of his appointment. Last month, Shulman wrote a column entitled What makes a great magazine editor? Enninful arrives at Vogue during a challenging time for the glossy magazine industry. This is a Vogue with a strong point of view.
VS Fashion Show 2017 Lineup Is More Diverse Than Ever The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show cast list is finally here, and it's already making history. To our excitement, it looks like the 2017 edition of the infamous runway show will be the most diverse it’s ever been — at least when it comes to race. This year, close to 50% of the models are black, Asian or Hispanic (at least 25 of the models are POC), which is a stark difference from years past. Just last year, only around 30% of the models were of diverse backgrounds. Another aspect that fans are excited about is the opportunity to showcase natural hair amongst the sea of signature beach waves. Related: Why Kendall Jenner Will NOT Be Walking in the 2017 VS Fashion Show People Are Trying to STOP Gigi Hadid from Going to China for the VS Fashion Show Every Single Model CONFIRMED for the 2017 VS Fashion Show Check this out: