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Fashion Giants | ANNA WINTOUR | Gucci | Vogue | Ralph Lauren | Full Documentary

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How Simone Rocha's Hometowns Inspire Her Design | i-D Hometown

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Right now, I would say that my biggest drivers as a creative are my passion for combining multiple art disciplinaries in fashion and using my work to invoke an emotion resonation in people.

I love to read (fiction and non-fiction) and watch documentaries, which I hope helps me in this area. I also want my work to always be reflective of our world in a meaningful way. One of my biggest passions beside activism and fashion is art history, and I love learning about how different art movements and artists have impacted and driven/continue to drive and shape our world. Being in London, I realised that I have a huge privellege to make full use of my location where art and culture is so rich, with many new and old galleries and events to visit.

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Couture embroidery techniques

Fabric manipulation

In progress:

Illustrator CAD

Winter:

Clo 3D

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Bella hadid is a fashion model and public figure whom I admire very much. Despite being a legacy name, I feel like her work ethic and passion has shone through which allowed her to make a name for herself and earn the respect of industry figures and consumers/the average person alike. What I admire most about her is her kindness and integrity, and being able to carry herself in a way that allows her to have a balance between maintaining her career and staying through to her values, which I think most effectively helps the causes she’s passionate about as she had a significant platform now to talk about them.

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Supermodel, activist, actress and entrepreneur. Since Bella Hadid made her first runway debut in 2015, […]

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Today we were taught to use the SWOT analysis in order to self-reflect on and plan for our future career pursuits in fashion. Although I had learnt about the SWOT analysis before, I do not usually use it for personal use about myself. It was helpful to organise my thoughts about myself and where I could improve on in an organised method where my strengths and weaknesses were clearly penned out in front of me. This allowed me to more clearly plan out the next steps I could take in order to better myself.

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For the past 2 weeks, we focused on building our applicant packs, with classes on CV writing and reaching out to potential employers. The CV writing lessons made me nervous as I did not have any impressive experiences in the fashion industry yet, especially with high/luxury/couture fashion.

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We had a class on interviews today which was very helpful for me as I sometimes have trouble expressing myself confidentally. I learnt many key points to take note of when going for an interview, such that it should be a respectful and engaging conversation that I should also contribute to. It was reiterated the importance of being passionate enough about the company to do your research and be up-to-date with what they are working on.

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https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/52826/1/bella-hadid-influencing-israel-palestine-crisis-social-media

https://www.dailysabah.com/life/fashion/bella-hadid-unafraid-to-lose-modeling-jobs-for-palestinian-activism

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In the past few years, Bella Hadid has become increasingly vocal about her support for Palestine, the country where her father, Mohamed Hadid, was born. Her advocacy has gotten her a full-page attack ad in the New York Times and a direct tweet from the official country of Israel Twitter account, both of which she touched on in a new interview about her advocacy.

"I have this overwhelming anxiety of not saying the right thing and not being what everybody needs me to be at all times," Hadid said at the top of her new interview with Noor Tagouri's the Rep podcast. "But I've also realized that I have done my education enough, I know my family enough, I know my own history enough. And that should be enough." The supermodel has long been an advocate for Palestine. In a June Instagram post, she reaffirmed her commitment to fight for Palestine, writing, "I will never allow anyone to forget about our beautiful Palestine, or our beautiful people."

Hadid's activism has ramped up in the past two years. On Instagram, she's shared a letter against apartheid, as well as photos and videos of alleged unprovoked violence between the Israel Defense Forces and Palestinians. In March, she and her sister, Gigi Hadid, announced that they would be donating their Fashion Week earnings to organizations providing aid in Ukraine and Palestine.

Her activism has not come without cost. "I had so many companies that stopped working with me," the supermodel told Rep. "I have friends that completely dropped me." In May of 2021, she was accused of being an "advocate for throwing Jews into the sea" by the official Israel Twitter account after attending a pro-Palestinian march following an air strike in Gaza. At the time, Hadid called out "Israeli colonization" and "military occupation and apartheid" on Instagram - though she also made clear that this was "not about religion" or "spewing hate on one or the other" - writing, "I stand with my Palestinian brothers and sisters." Shortly thereafter, Hadid, her sister, and Dua Lipa (who was dating their brother, Anwar Hadid, at the time) were targeted by a full-page ad in the New York Times accusing them of "antisemitism." Speaking with Rep, Hadid called the ad "disappointing," adding that the paper "sold their soul." Reflecting on the vitriol that came her way, the model noted, "When I speak about Palestine, I get labeled as something that I'm not. But I can speak about the same thing that's happening there, happening somewhere else in the world, and that's honorable. So, what's the difference?"

Hadid noted in the interview that she realized at a young age that people wouldn't necessarily embrace her identity as a proud Palestinian woman. She recalled being called a "terrorist" in the eighth grade. "I was being called names and being immediately blasted as a person of hatred for another people, but all I was talking about was freeing my father's people - people who are deeply hurting." But a recent interaction with an Israeli woman in the streets of New York City has made her realize she's not afraid to speak up anymore.

"I was just leaving lunch, and this woman came up to me and was like, 'I just moved to New York from Israel recently, and I told myself that if I ever saw Bella Hadid I would walk up to her and ask why she hates me so much,'" Hadid said, adding that she responded openly, saying that she actually welcomed the conversation, telling the woman that she didn't hate her and inviting her to speak her mind. "I'm not scared of anything, but I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to combat whatever she had to say to me," Hadid said. "But I realized in that conversation, it never had to be combative. All it had to be was two girls talking about their history and hopefully finding a common denominator, which is that we want nobody to die."

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Bella Hadid Isn't Afraid to Speak Out About Palestine Anymore

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Bella Hadid touched on her increased advocacy for Palestine and her connection to her Palestinian heritage in a new interview with the 'Rep' podcast.

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The t-shirt is arguably fashion's greatest leveller: the most popular and affordable item of clothing on the planet, it offers comfort and utility across all genders, classes and cultures. But at what point did the humble t-shirt become the Trojan horse of style, as a vessel for political discourse to sneak into our wardrobes?

A new exhibition opening this week at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London, T-Shirt: Cult, Culture, Subversion, traces the garment's history all the way back to its beginnings, selecting key turning points in the relationship between the use of the t-shirt as political tool and wider social and cultural shifts. It becomes instantly obvious that the t-shirt's role as a platform for sloganeering lies simply in being innocuous - like a second skin, it does away with any distractions that could otherwise undermine the impact of a punchy political statement.

It's easy to mock the potential impact a t-shirt can have on politics. But as the exhibition makes clear, it's a two-part process: using the wider awareness that a t-shirt can bring to a cause, then harnessing that attention to encourage others to incite real change. You have to start somewhere, and wearing your heart (quite literally) on your sleeve can force difficult conversations to take place in the open. As the grande dame of the political t-shirt, Katharine Hamnett, puts it: "a successful t-shirt has to make you think but then, crucially, you have to act."

THE T-SHIRT'S HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

The history of the t-shirt has always been inseparable from social and economic concerns: initially developed by the U.S. Navy as a practical form of underwear that could be easily washed, this versatile new garment allowed uniforms to be worn for days in a row. From here it spread to other industries requiring manual labour, specifically agriculture and manufacturing. In this sense, the plain white tee has always been tied to social hierarchy, as the first uniform of the post-industrial working class - although ironically, the term 't-shirt' was coined in the 1920s by that famous chronicler of America's great and good: F. Scott Fitzgerald.

MARLON BRANDO AND JAMES DEAN MADE IT COOL

A major shift in how the t-shirt was perceived took place on the silver screen, with Marlon Brando's performance as the brutish Stanley Kowalski in 1951's A Streetcar Named Desire. The tight fit and rolled-up sleeves made for a tantalising show of Brando's beefy torso and trunk-like biceps, ushering in a new era of the male star as sex object. While it no doubt played on stereotype and an unsavoury association of thuggery with the working class, along with James Dean's 1955 turn in Rebel Without A Cause, it planted the seed for the t-shirt as the cultural renegade's garment of choice.

THE HIPPIES TURNED TEES PSYCHEDELIC

Despite originating from the traditional fabric treatment techniques of Indian bandhani and Japanese shibori, the tie-dye trend only caught on in the West during the 1960s. As the Vietnam War raged on, American youth looked for a means of rebellion against the conservatism of their parents' generation, moving towards traditional, hands-on techniques that corresponded to the emerging trends of new age philosophy and psychedelic rock. Plus, the patterns formed by tie-dye surely enhanced the effects of that other beloved 60s psychedelic recreation: dropping industrial quantities of acid.

VIVIENNE WESTWOOD USED IT AS A PUNK CANVAS

The next milestone for the t-shirt came in the 1970s, as Vivienne Westwood established her now legendary 'SEX' boutique on the King's Road. While the punks of her generation were chopping off sleeves and fastening the rips in their tees with safety pins and badges, Westwood recognised the potential of the t-shirt as a blank canvas for more overt political messages. A number of her designs caused controversy, but a 1975 graphic of two cowboys touching penises actually led to the arrest of one of their shop attendants, who was stopped and later fined for "indecent exhibition" while walking through Chelsea - a dispiriting sign of how little British attitudes had changed towards homosexuality following the 1967 Sexual Offences Act.

KATHARINE HAMNETT CONFRONTED THATCHER WITH IT

No history of the political t-shirt could go without mentioning Katharine Hamnett, who caused a stir in the 1980s with her impactful political slogans in bold type. During a decade of unbridled consumerism, Hamnett took the rhetoric of advertising and slyly refashioned it for liberal political causes. Her most famous moment took place upon being invited to a reception at the heart of British political life, 10 Downing Street. Sneaking a t-shirt in under her coat, she shook Margaret Thatcher's hand wearing "58% DON'T WANT PERSHING", a statement reiterating the public opposition to the Prime Minister granting the US permission to station nuclear missiles on British soil. The image ended up on the front cover of newspapers, bringing widespread attention to the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament cause - according to Whitehall legend, it was one of the few times ministers ever saw the Iron Lady visibly rattled.

IT BECAME AN IMPORTANT TOOL IN THE FIGHT AGAINST AIDS STIGMA

The 1980s wasn't just about hedonism: casting a tragic shadow across the decade was the worldwide AIDS epidemic, most notably in the West among gay and bisexual men. The stigma still attached to being outwardly queer in America led to the Reagan administration's slow response to the crisis, so in 1987, six gay activists based in New York began putting up posters around the city and later disseminating badges and t-shirts - turning the public's attention to what was being, on a governmental level, largely ignored. Inverting the pink triangle used to identify homosexuals in Nazi concentration camps, the t-shirts served as a stirring summary of their manifesto, which declared "silence about the oppression and annihilation of gay people, then and now, must be broken as a matter of our survival." It was a watershed moment for queer visibility in the USA, and their work with ACT UP led to a speeding-up of the FDA drug approval time window, saving thousands of lives by allowing those living with HIV and AIDS to access experimental medicine.

IRONY TOOK OVER, AND IT STARTED TO LOSE MEANING

The 1990s and 2000s were more about ironic tees than direct political statements - take the war on drugs DARE designs, which were co-opted by youth and popped up on screen courtesy of filmmakers like Gregg Araki. The era's most political t-shirt was also its least political: the one depicting Che Guevara, Cuba's revolutionary guerrilla leader. We've already written the Secret History of the Che tee, but here's the main takeaway: the original image by Alberto Korda was turned into a pop art piece by Jim Fitzpatrick which, after being mistakenly attributed to Warhol, achieved a kind of pre-internet viral status. In a very ironic moment, the image of the anti-capitalist revolutionary would go on to be sold on products by companies including Gap, Urban Outfitters, Belstaff, Vans, and Louis Vuitton.

FEMINISM BECAME FASHIONABLE, AND T-SHIRTS WERE THE MEDIUM

With the emergence of fourth-wave feminism in the 2010s, the t-shirt as political tool has undergone a revival, reflected in 2014's ubiquitous 'This Is What A Feminist Looks Like' tee. Produced as a collaboration between ELLE and high-street chain Whistles, it foreshadowed the increasingly murky waters of 'commodity feminism': it later emerged that the t-shirts were being manufactured in Mauritian sweatshops, by women earning 62p an hour. A more complicated issue has been witnessing the absorption of the political slogan tee into the luxury market: is the political sentiment undermined by the price tag attached to it? For Maria Grazia Chiuri's inaugural collection for Dior, she opened with a powerful statement, quoting Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche's now seminal 'We Should All Be Feminists' essay on a t-shirt. The catch? It will set you back a cool £490 (this didn't go down too well, so the house announced that a portion of the proceeds would go to to Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation). See also: Balenciaga's knock off Bernie Sanders t-shirt.

ITS REBELLIOUS SPIRIT REMAINS

A more accurate reflection of what a political slogan tee for today should look like comes by way of 18-year old designer Kayla Robinson, who began producing t-shirts via her upstart clothing brand Green Box Shop reading "Why Be Racist, Sexist, Homophobic or Transphobic When You Can Just Be Quiet", paraphrasing a 2015 tweet by 18-year-old Brandon Male. Much to her surprise, she ended up being the focus of wider attention in August 2017 when Frank Ocean wore her t-shirt to perform at Panorama Music Festival, making international headlines as the t-shirt became a woke millennial must-have. With Robinson donating 50% of the $18.99 price to charity while guaranteeing ethical manufacture and the use of fair-trade fabrics, it's socially conscious fashion that puts its money where its mouth is - and a sign that for a new and politically outspoken generation, the t-shirt could have an entirely new lease of life.

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A brief history of the political t-shirt

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How the humble garment became fashion's Trojan Horse

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Oversized arachnids, contorted female figures and mutant penises: Louise Bourgeois was one of the most boundary-pushing creatives of her time - but never call her a "woman artist". The French-American sculptor grew-up working in her family's tapestry workshop, where she would restore damaged pieces - a skill for handling textiles that would take the form of experimentation in her art. She's proved to be an inspirational figure for many, including designer Simone Rocha. "I just absolutely love the fact that it's so personal," the designer told us after her recent AW15 show. Taking Bourgeois' love of tapestry and mirroring her ability to use sewing as a means of bringing harmonious elements together, the designer's latest offering served as a homage to the subversive icon. Here we revisit an intimate conversation between Rocha and the late artist's long-term assistant Jerry Gorovoy.
I want to start by talking about Louise Bourgeois' textile works. There seemed to be a constant thread of wanting to repair something - memories, in particular.
Jerry Gorovoy: Well, her fabric works consisted mostly of things that belonged to her: shirts, skirts, towels, sheets and stockings. She once told me to empty out everything in her closet, and she started to arrange them into colours. She had this phobia of throwing things out. That opened up a dialogue of memories, and it was fascinating for me to see it open up this relationship with memory. I didn't know what she was going to do at that point - or what made her want to incorporate these things - but I think one aspect was that she was getting older and wondered what would happen to all these things she'd saved. Even though they would be cut up and deconstructed (in her work), they would still survive. I felt the psychological impetus behind using this as raw material for sculpture was fascinating.

Simone Rocha: You can really see how it makes the work personal and emotional; when it's the clothes off her back, it makes it such a reality.

Jerry Gorovoy: It's funny, at a certain point in the 90s she basically started wearing the same outfit. It was always black: a uniform. When I look back at these photographs, she dressed in a very different way to when I first met her in 1980, when she had certain colours she liked: blue, white, pink. You could see her father was dapper and stylish, so her relationship with clothes and society was very important to her growing up.

I always found the way she styled herself fascinating. She was the wife of a historian - she circulated in one group which dressed in that way - but she was also an artist. You see these polarities in her wardrobe reflecting the really different identities she had. The most profound thing she ever said was, "Clothes are about what you want to hide."

Simone Rocha: I totally relate to that. When I'm doing a show, it's really exposing and emotional, so I tend to wear the same thing every day. I feel if I meet anyone on that day, I want them to see the same person. When you're in a creative time, you want people to know you're in the thick of working, and you want to represent yourself in a specific way. For women and their relationship with dress, it isn't so much about the day-to-day, but how it makes you want to feel, how you feel about your work, how people perceive you. It's all connected.

Jerry Gorovoy: It's the one art form everyone can participate in. It is wrapped up in the psychological aspect of what you choose to wear. I'm always amazed when I see people in clothes that look so inappropriate for them and their body, but you realise it's a projection of how they want to feel. Simone, how do you feel when you see people in your clothes not wearing it how you intended? Do you have a body type in mind when you're designing?

Simone Rocha: It's upsetting when someone wears it with an ugly lady shoe, and I'm like, "You need a nice practical shoe." What I do can be quite feminine, so it's about mixing it with something that has a harder edge. People ask me, "Who's your woman?" But there is no woman; it's a femininity that all women can relate to. The way Louise dressed was amazing; you could see her personality in it. Didn't she work with Helmut Lang?

Jerry Gorovoy: She was friendly with him and they were close. Louise's fashion sense was very particular. She had an incredible profile; when someone has a natural beauty, it's a gift, and to have a certain sense of style on top of that... It's definitely psychological, the relationship with the clothes, for the creator and the wearer.
When Simone met you for the first time in New York she said that you were 'setting up', was it the studio or the house?
Simone Rocha: It was the house, wasn't it? You were going to restore her home for scholars.

Jerry Gorovoy: Louise had left her house to a foundation, and before she passed away she had bought the adjacent house. It will be a scholarly centre for researchers; they can stay in the house and have all the archival material, the photographs, diary, writings, interviews and films. We're trying to keep it the way Louise occupied her house, because it is like a sculpture in itself. There was no decoration, she never wanted to be a slave to decoration and the house had to be very utilitarian, so she wrote on the walls when she wanted to and we're keeping that in tact. You feel like you're in the space of someone who is very particular.

Simone Rocha: It's really special; you feel that you can relate to all her work. Didn't she design the metal doors?

Jerry Gorovoy: She did: art deco-looking metal structures for the doors and the window gates. It was like a lair or a den, with all these exits and entrances. In the end, there was no separation between her art and her life; it was one cohesive thing and you can see that right away.

Simone Rocha: Things should be made in a beautiful way even if it is taken from a dark place; even if you're designing a t-shirt, it should have a soul.
Simone, can you talk about the influence Louise Bourgeois has had on your work?
Simone Rocha: The first time I was with (Louise Bourgeois') work was in Ireland. My mother had brought me to IMMA (the Museum of Modern Art) to see Stitches in Time, and all her beautiful textile works. I think that's what started my relationship with her work. I had just started art college in Dublin, so I started to research her whole body of work; her sculptures and drawings. I found I could really relate to it.
The retrospective at the Tate Modern (in 2007) had a massive impact on a lot of people.
Simone Rocha: Yes, that was such an amazing distribution of her work.

Jerry Gorovoy: That was the show that Frances Morris did. It was really good. It's interesting even for me, because you see how the work has evolved. You're getting a whole story of a person's life: for a lot of people, because the work is so different, when you see a lot of it together it starts to fit together quite well.

Simone Rocha: It tells a story when you see it all together, you pick up the different emotions and stages of life. I thought it was really special in the Tate, with the spiders inside and outside; it was amazing for people to really be a part of it and to be able to be so close to the work.

Jerry Gorovoy: I think that's the gift she had: to do something so personal, so idiosyncratic, yet by going so deep within herself she almost comes out the other side. There is universality to the emotional (aspect) of the work. It's a very rare gift.There is also a complexity to her work; it has multiple readings. The more you get into it, the more complex and rich it gets, depending on your engagement. Louise wrote a lot: really beautiful passages, some poetic and others that are a stream of consciousness. You get this complexity that jumps into every form and gives it multiple readings...

I've always wondered, people say, "Fashion is fashion because it's locked into a certain time." How do you feel about that? Do you see fashion dealing with an ephemeral moment in time, or do you see it as transcending time?

Simone Rocha: I hope it does transcend time because fashion is something I don't feel should be disposable. It's about having a relationship to it, whether it's how it makes people feel or how they feel when they're in it with somebody else. Things should be made in a beautiful way even if it is taken from a dark place. Even if you're designing a t-shirt, it should have a soul. If you treat it with sensitivity it should have longevity.

Jerry Gorovoy: But you have to admit, the body changes - what looks good at a certain point in your life may not work a little later on!

Simone Rocha: That is very true. But I think it's about adapting it to your personal style: I might be not able to wear a whole look that I wear now when I'm in my sixties, but I could probably still wear the lace skirt... with a larger jacket!
I think it has a lot to do with memories: this idea that garments can hold memories and they become specific to a certain time and emotional connection.
Jerry Gorovoy: I'm always amazed when you look at old photographs of yourself, how the clothes look dated. It does have this lock into a moment.

Simone Rocha: I think there's something nice about that. It's about seeing it then in that time, and having nostalgia for it. Then seeing how you can relate to it now and make something relative today. But there's still that feeling of nostalgia, because they probably wore a skirt like that in the 90s or their mother wore a skirt like it the 80s. They can relate to it, but they still feel like they are wearing something unique to them because it's a different time.

"She had this phobia of throwing things out. That opened up a dialogue of memories" - Jerry Gorovoy

Jerry, you worked for Louise for almost 30 years. What are your strongest memories from that time?
Jerry Gorovoy: Well, Louise was very emotional: she could be very volatile and very irrational. Sometimes I felt like I was dealing with this amazing, sensitive woman and then sometimes I felt I was dealing with a three-year-old baby. She had this hilarity in her, and that was pretty consistent. She said this herself: she was very fearful and anxious, yet in her work she was totally fearless. Now I feel very lucky to have been around her; I learned an incredible amount of things about myself through her.

Simone, I wanted to ask, do you feel with the younger artists that there is a pressure in terms of the market and the fashion? Do you feel that pressure? Or do you feel free to do it and just see what happens? I sense there's a relationship now to money and marketing; do you think it's a good thing? Do you think it's healthy?

Simone Rocha: I don't think it's healthy. It's so exposed. I work with my mother: I have a studio here in east London, and we close the door, and we're living, working, breathing studio. It's about how I feel at the time - negative, naïve or positive - and that's what really shapes my work. If you start thinking about what other people want, you'll never please everybody. We're an insular studio, and we have to release that in a show every six months to the world, but we do it in the most poetic and sincere way we can. Then we retreat back into our studio and start thinking about how we're feeling and what we'd like to say next. It is a real race and there is a huge amount of pressure, but I've always thought you can't please everybody, so why would you try, and why would you want to?

Jerry Gorovoy: I want to tell you how pleased I am. You hear all this stuff about the way fashion is moving, that from an economic point of view it's a business model, and there's a lot of pressure.

Simone Rocha: There is a lot of pressure day-to-day, but we've been really lucky. We've had wonderful support from people like Dover Street Market and Colette in Paris. The way we've been able to grow is (from) people actually wearing (our) clothes. Which my mother, who has been in the industry for 30 years, says is a miracle!

Jerry Gorovoy: You see the same thing with young artists; the market has such a strong force that the young artists who want to get some kind of recognition have to start marketing at a very early age. It's quite destructive.
How did Louise deal with the selling and the art market side of it?
Jerry Gorovoy: She never got involved. To be honest, she gave up on all that. She saw it as something destructive to what she wanted to concentrate on. That was the deal we made out of the exhibitions: she would just make the work, she didn't have to go to the openings, she didn't have to do anything she didn't want to do. Once the work was done, I would do the installations. I would organise the shows. People would visit her and say, "Oh, I saw this show!" and she wouldn't even know what was in the exhibition. She was glad when people said they saw her show and reacted to her work: the communication she enjoyed.

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As the designer pays homage to the subversive icon for AW15, we revisit a conversation between Rocha and the late artist's right-hand, Jerry Gorovoy

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On the day of her 73rd birthday, we thought it apt to pay homage to the provocative life of punk pioneer Dame Vivienne Westwood. From political activism, to posing nude for Juergen Teller and being knicker-less in front of HM the Queen, Westwood has reinvented, shocked and radicalised fashion for decades to come. Here's your comprehensive 26-point guide to all things Westwood.
A IS FOR ANARCHY
It's safe to say that Vivienne Westwood was at the epicentre of the anarchic punk movement in all its safety-pinned, bondage-bound, leather-clad glory. In fact, she fronted the entire movement with her partner in crime, then husband and manager of the Sex Pistols, Malcolm McLaren. From outspoken slogans to weapon like studded chains, they paved the way for one of the most iconic youth movements to date.

B IS FOR BREASTS (FAKE ONES)
The Queen of controversy, Westwood spiced things up a little at her AW03 menswear show, sending males striding down the catwalk wearing fake breasts underneath their cashmere sweaters and polo neck jumpers. Gender-bending at its most fashionable.
C IS FOR CHAIN GANG
It seems that rebellion runs in the Westwood family. Following in the footsteps of his mother, Ben Westwood took to London with his chain gang in 2009, to protest against the illegalisation of extreme porn. Declaring "1984 is now", Ben led two gagged and corset-clad "slaves", Jade and Dolly Blowup around Parliament Square.
D IS FOR DAME VIVIENNE WESTWOOD
Following her OBE in '92, Westwood was titled Dame Vivienne Westwood in 2006. Her fiery red hair, eclectic dress sense and utterly outspoken persona have won her popularity no end and her string of accolades are testament to this.

E IS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS
It's rare to see the fashion hemisphere collide with environmental activism, but in Westwood's world this is quite frankly the norm. As a long-time activist she utilises her position of power to voice her concerns over sustainability, climate change and the increasing need for global responsibility. Her most recent outburst saw her shower on camera in a lengthy discussion about water scarcity, it's not every day you get to see that.
F IS FOR 'FAUX CUL'
Renowned for throwing the pattern book out of the window, Westwood is a lover of the unconventional. So, when the world wanted boobs Westwood gave them bottoms. Introducing the 'faux cul', a lightweight bustle she accentuated the female form, later presenting us with the bustier, her signature tartan and ten inch platform shoes - all Westwood staples.
G IS FOR GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
Despite being banned from the radio, "Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen" made it to number two in the British charts in 1977. Westwood's t-shirt collaboration with Jamie Reid payed tribute to this and soon became some of the most iconic pop culture imagery of the century - our trusty monarch's face strewn across slashed clothing, pierced with pins. However, in the years following this, the collapse of the Sex Pistols and the infiltration of punk into the mainstream is said to have left Westwood disenchanted.

H IS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
Westwood's AW11 campaign was set against the backdrop of a Nairobi slum to promote her partnership with the Ethical Fashion Africa Programme. Through this partnership they aim to support and replenish impoverished communities. Whilst some spectators admired her efforts condoning her "this is not charity, this is work" motto, others slated the campaign referring to it as "poverty porn cliché". Either way Westwood is determined to make a difference.
I IS FOR ISSUE 163
Issue 163 of Dazed and Confused underwent a thoroughly Westwood takeover in 2008. Whilst the cover states "Vivienne Westwood wants you to get a life", her content as guest editor continued the political messages she left off at, at her AW08 show. From cultural change and rising sea levels to children modeling eco-warrior vintage Westwood clothing styled by Nicola Formichetti - it was a jam-packed dedication to subverting the status quo.
J IS FOR JUERGEN TELLER
Juergen Teller's 2012 exhibition at Lehmann Maupin, New York unveiled a striking image of Westwood reclined naked on an ornate floral settee, covered only by a dainty necklace and a slick of fiery red lipstick. "It was lovely, in her house, on a Sunday evening. I've worked with her a long time, and I'm always amazed at how wonderful her skin is" - Juergen Teller.
K IS FOR KNICKER-LESS
Westwood was awarded an OBE from the Queen in 1992, but it wasn't the typically royal affair one would expect. The wind got the better of Westwood's tailored skirt and the photographers got the better of her... The result? A knicker-less full-frontal snapshot to show the grandkids. A moment of sheer shock-horror, although rumour has it the Queen was rather amused.
L IS FOR LILY COLE
Westwood's SS14 Red Label show saw her collaborate with her long time muse Lily Cole, for a live performance and film driven by the amount of people displaced as a result of natural disasters. Based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale of "The Red Shoes", the film sees Cole dancing in a mix of Westwood archive pieces. Dazed talked to the fiery-haired duo about creating the film and how fashion needs to engage with globalization.
M IS FOR MALCOLM MCLAREN
Having met in 1962, Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood married and lived together in a Clapham council flat with their son, Joseph Corre who grew up to become co-founder of Agent Provocateur. During their relationship McLaren became manager of Sex Pistols before opening his iconic 430 Kings Road clothing boutique and Westwood abandoned teaching for her real passion, designing clothes. Together they became punk provocateurs, a central force driving the youth movement.
N IS FOR NON-CONFORMITY
Westwood skillfully masters the art of fearless non-conformity whilst keeping an undulating sense of tradition. Bored of the late 1960s hippie movement, McLaren and Westwood diverted their attention to 1950s clothing, music and memorabilia. Les Enfants Terribles of the fashion world, together McLaren and Westwood rebelled against the mainstream etching out their own idiosyncratic path which others strived to follow.

O IS FOR OLYMPICS
Always in fine-tune with the social, political and cultural movements of the present, Westwood's SS12 menswear collection was dedicated to the Olympics held in her beloved London. Laurel wreaths and real sports medals were worked into a collection of t-shirts printed with torches and Greek figures, whilst each athletic male was given a dewy (or sweaty) sheen.
P IS FOR PIRATES
"Pirates" was the title for Westwood's catwalk debut in collaboration with McLaren for AW 81/82. Following collections titled "Savage" and "Buffalo Girls", the "Pirates" collection was born from her obsession with 18th-century mens clothing patterns - the result, a romantic yet unconventional aesthetic which cemented itself within fashion DNA for years to come. It was the year Westwood pioneered the ever-iconic pirate boot.
Q IS FOR QUEEN OF PUNK
Where there were studs, leather and safety-pins, there was music and it was McLaren and Westwood's ability to synthesise clothing and music that shaped the 1970s cultural movement. Although despite her punk bravado, born and raised in the country, Westwood is a hippie at heart who once said that "vegetarianism could ultimately be the most radical political statement of all". Nonetheless her name is synonymous with the punk era.
R IS FOR RULE OF TARTAN
A key code in the history of Westwood, traditional Tartan is the punk provocateurs pattern of choice. Whether it is plastered on dresses, suits, trousers or handbags, it remains the uniform of punk, of youth and of the Westwood legacy. Season after season, we see a thoroughly tartan takeover.
S IS FOR SEX
Sex: rubberwear for the office. Under a four-foot-tall pink rubber lettered sign spelling "SEX", McLaren and Westwood's 430 Kings Road shop was like no other at that time. Undergoing name changes from Let it Rock in 1971 and Too Fast to Live To Young Too Die in 1972, before becoming Sex in 1974, it was a mecca for provocative slogans, hard-core imagery, bondage and all forms of obscure sexual fetishism. Thrown together with a D.I.Y fashion aesthetic - Sex defined the way punk was to be worn.

T IS FOR THATCHER
Not one to shy away from controversy, Westwood appeared on the cover of Tatler in 1989 playing dress-up as then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher. Wearing Thatcher's suit which had been ordered but not yet delivered, the cover was emblazoned with newspaper ransom letters exclaiming "this woman used to be a punk" - an iconic moment in both history and fashion. It comes as no surprise that Westwood's impersonation infuriated the Iron Lady. A lot.

U IS FOR ULTRAIST
Westwood's string of memorable quotes over the years demonstrate that she is not one to bite her tongue. Most recently she declared that we face mass human extinction: "The main message we want to get out there is that climate change is caused by the rotten economic system. If we don't change public opinion, we're going to have mass extinction of the human race very, very quickly, in two or three years."
V IS FOR VIVIENNE WESTWOODS LONDON
January 2011 saw Westwood feature in a Canadian television documentary named Vivienne Westwood's London. Sharing her love of high culture, she takes viewers on a journey to her most loved haunts - Courtauld Institute of Art, Brixton Market, the National Gallery and Hampton Court amongst others.
W IS FOR WHY IT IS GREAT TO BE A PROTESTER
"In the '70s protest had a face and you'd get these mass movements like black power or Martin Luther King, that's a face that you can put a protest to. Gandhi, that's a face. Today you don't get that." In her recent Dazed Digital takeover, Westwood discusses how political activism has changed over the years: "You know you meet all these people you can go to the pub with after, get to know people. It's great to be a protester."
X IS FOR X-TREMITY
One of the most visually arresting campaigns in fashion history - Westwood's SS08 collection took inspiration from George Bernard Shaw's 1932 novel, The Black Girl in her Search For God. Shot by Juergen Teller, Westwood is seen axe-wielding, squatting over dirt mounds and propped up by tropical birds, tribal masks and machine guns in the thought provoking campaign.
Y IS FOR YOUTH
Having recently shaved her head in an attempt to draw attention to climate change, the only dashes of fiery red left on Westwood's body were her tattooed eyebrows. Although despite it being a cut for climate, Westwood also favoured her natural white, to show she's proud of her age and grwoing old gracefully. As far as we're concerned you're as young as you feel, so in Westwood's case that must be pretty damn young.

Z IS FOR ZERO TOLERANCE
Ahead of her AW14 Paris fashion show, Westwood enlightened us to her double life of design and activism and when it comes to tolerance, we learnt that she has zero for fracking. Taking to the streets of London last month, Westwood joined hundreds of anti-fracking campaigners to protest against the controversial process of extracting gas, in other words she told them to frack-off.

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Happy Birthday Viv! We chart the punk provocateurs life in 26-points in honour of her special day

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The world's largest luxury brand landed in Hong Kong on Thursday to show Pharrell Williams's second collection as men's creative director. Chairman and CEO Pietro Beccari sat down with Vogue Business ahead of the show.

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It was a spectacle befitting Pharrell Williams's tenure at Louis Vuitton to date.

On Thursday night, around 1,200 guests attended the brand's surf-themed pre-fall menswear show in Hong Kong, held on the Avenue of Stars in the Victoria Harbour waterfront. Celebrities from Hong Kong and all around Asia - including Hong Kong actors Chow Yun-fat and Karena Lam, K-pop star and house ambassador Felix of Stray Kids, Taiwanese actors Austin Lin and Jasper Liu, Dylan Wang from China and Japanese actor Sho Hirano - sat front row, as well as Bernard Arnault's wife Hélène Mercier Arnault.

There was sand on the ground, ukulele players, a cast that included Hawaiian surfers, all while overhead, drones formed shapes in the sky. Excitement reached its peak at the finale when Williams walked the runway with the models.

The show was a declaration of Hong Kong's - and Asia's - importance to the brand. "The Hong Kong skyline is in everyone's head, and having the chance to block the Avenue of Stars, which normally has two million people passing through every day, for two days is not bad," says Louis Vuitton chairman and CEO Pietro Beccari, speaking to Vogue Business ahead of the show. He called the choice to come to Hong Kong "a decision from the heart".

Luxury in Hong Kong is seeing a rebound since the reopening of its borders with mainland China in February 2023. The city's geographical positioning offers an advantage. Shanghai, Beijing, Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul and Bangkok are all less than a four-hour flight away. "Hong Kong is the belly button of Asia," the executive points out.

Staging such a show in the current economic climate, when brands are more likely to curb investments, is bold. "As usual, we accelerate on the bends," says Beccari. The executive, who was appointed in January, is known for making bold moves: while CEO at Dior, he staged physical shows during the pandemic, including one in 2022 in front of the pyramids in Egypt, built top-tier retail stores and experiences, and raised the bar for flagship stores across the luxury industry with the reopening of the Dior historical flagship. A destination show like this one is worth the investment, according to Beccari. "Louis Vuitton being the brand of travel, it's necessary to go and meet different cultures."

The Hong Kong show marked Williams's second for the house. He presented his first collection, for Spring/Summer 2024, with a bang on the Pont-Neuf bridge in Paris ( slated to hit stores on 4 January). This Friday, the house is opening pop-up stores in the US and China where clients are able to pre-order the collection.

Williams, together with Beccari, was a driving force behind the decision to show in Hong Kong. "Think about the economic force that China has always been. And when you zoom into it, Hong Kong is a very special place," Williams told Luke Leitch during a preview of the release. "So for me, it's very important to be here, with the people here. Sure, they have a great impact on our business, but beyond that I'm also talking about the energy here; the culture, the art."

After the show, Williams, who just opened accounts on Chinese social media platforms Red and Douyin, is heading to Mainland China to meet clients, press and influencers in Shanghai, Chengdu and Beijing. While Hong Kong is gradually recovering from the pandemic lockdowns, growth in Mainland China is slowing. According to HSBC estimates, luxury sales there are expected to grow 5 per cent in 2024, a sharp deceleration compared with 2023's projected 18 per cent.

"China is still doing well for us," Beccari says. "Going from A to B is never a straight line. We know that we'll get to B. We have a strategy. We adapt to the conditions." Looking ahead to the fourth quarter, LVMH CFO Jean-Jacques Guiony noted that the comparison base in Asia will be easier than in Q3. "Louis Vuitton is not [just looking at] the next quarter [but at the next decades]," Beccari says.

Louis Vuitton is the world's largest luxury brand, generating sales of €20.62 billion in 2022, according to estimates from HSBC and representing around 26 per cent of total LVMH revenues. But the house is not immune to the wider industry's growth normalisation. In the third quarter of 2023, sales of LVMH's fashion and leather goods division rose 9 per cent.

How far can the mega-brand go? The house has already expanded to hospitality with restaurants, beach clubs and an airport lounge and, according to sources, plans to open a hotel on Avenue des Champs-Élysées. "We can go into surprising territories," says Beccari. "Louis Vuitton is a brand that goes beyond the product. It's a cultural system - now, with Pharrell, even more [so]. Nicolas [Ghesquière] (who recently renewed his contract at Louis Vuitton for five years) has left his mark on the fashion culture over the last 10 years. The growth of Louis Vuitton doesn't have a limit."

Asked if Williams already has had a 'halo effect' on the brand before his collections even hit stores, Beccari says: "I think so. There are a lot of people entering the stores and asking for Pharrell's products; there is a lot of anticipation, not only in the US. I don't have numbers but my feeling is yes."

Comments, questions or feedback? Email us at feedback@voguebusiness.com.
More from this author: Vanessa Seward returns to fashion with collection for Bonpoint What Antoine Arnault's departure from Berluti could mean for LVMH Pharrell is heading to Hong Kong. Will others follow?

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Inside Louis Vuitton's Hong Kong spectacle

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The world's largest luxury brand landed in Hong Kong on Thursday to show Pharrell Williams's second collection as men's creative director. Chairman and CEO Pietro Beccari sat down with Vogue Business ahead of the show.

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Gucci creative director Sabato De Sarno takes to the runway in Milan on Friday, in a high-stakes designer debut for the Italian label's owner, French luxury group Kering.

De Sarno's Gucci catwalk presentation - one of the industry's most highly-anticipated shows this year - will serve as an aesthetic reset for the brand, aimed at reigniting sales, but it is also the first major test of a sweeping overhaul at Kering.

Efforts to regain momentum at the label, which accounts for the bulk of sales and profits at Kering, have prompted broad change in the group's top management.

The group has also taken steps to broaden its revenue sources, announcing plans to buy high end perfumer Creed in June and a 30 percent stake in fashion label Valentino in July.

Although it was one of the biggest success stories in fashion in recent years, Kering's star label struggled to capitalize on a post-pandemic rebound that fuelled surging sales at rivals, such as LVMH-owned Louis Vuitton and Dior.

Group managing director Jean-Francois Palus is now stepping in to run the brand while the company seeks a more permanent replacement for chief executive Marco Bizzarri, who leaves following De Sarno's first show Friday.

Bizzarri and the label's previous creative director Alessandro Michele had been credited with the brand's soaring success, doubling sales between 2015 and 2019 to nearly 10 billion euros, but lost ground to rivals, who invested heavily in marketing during the pandemic.

In the run-up to De Sarno's debut, executives at Gucci have been focused on timeless fashions and higher-priced products - and showcasing them in specialised shops catering to ultra wealthy clients - while increasing marketing and the number of collections.

"We believe the quiet progress being made on product, price and merchandising sets the right foundation for Sabato De Sarno's new chapter at the brand," said analysts at RBC, flagging company moves to reduce the label's entry price offer while adding new products at higher prices.

Kering may need to invest more to catch up with rivals like LVMH and Hermes, potentially prompting a revision of margin expectations, analysts say.

"We don't think that a margin reset would be badly received by the market," said Carole Madjo, analyst with Barclays.

De Sarno's new design style will be key to reigniting brand heat, not only for drawing shoppers into boutiques, but can also serve as a template to follow as stores are refurbished.

The designer's first major advertising campaign for Gucci, made public in August, features Daria Werbowy, a model who had retreated from the fashion scene after dominating the runway in the early 2000s, appearing in a slim bathing suit and chunky, gold "Marina Chain" jewellery.

A fall fashion campaign from the label, which recently wiped all posts from its Instagram account, meanwhile, maintained a "recognisable Gucci aesthetic" while not committing "too much to any one direction," said industry publication The Impression.

"It becomes now very important that the new Gucci team will score some goals and win some matches, to give investors confidence that we are indeed on the right path," said Luca Solca, analyst with Bernstein.
By Mimosa Spencer and Elisa Anzolin Editing by Tomasz Janowski

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Sabato De Sarno's High-Stakes Gucci Debut

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The designer's first outing this Friday will be a major test for the Italian megabrand and owner Kering.

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Since its inception in 1970, international Modern and contemporary art fair Art Basel has evolved in its bid to unite and connect different facets of the global art community. Founded by three Swiss gallerists - Ernst Beyeler, Trudl Bruckner and Balz Hilt - the fair today is a global leader with four international shows in Switzerland's Basel, Miami Beach, Hong Kong and, since 2022, Paris.

For luxury fashion, courting the contemporary art customer could provide access to a cohort whose spending appears to be less impacted by rising living costs. According to the 2023 Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting, the median expenditure on fine art and antiques by collectors surveyed across 11 markets worldwide reached $65,000 in the first half of this year, up by 19 percent on 2021.

High-net-worth spending remained consistent in the first half of 2023, signalling another potential year-on-year increase with 77 percent of collectors interviewed forecasting confidence in the market's performance over the next six months.

Art Basel is doubling down on its partnerships with luxury brands and looking to expand its influence within adjacent creative industries too. Its upcoming Art Basel Miami Beach 2023 show will see UBS, Louis Vuitton, Audemars Piguet and Tribeca Festival among its partners. However, effectively collaborating with the fine art community requires a nuanced understanding of the market.

Ahead of the Miami Beach show, which will play host to 277 exhibitors showing over a five-day event, BoF sits down with Art Basel's global head of partnerships, Melissa Netecke, to discuss the evolution of the art fair, insight into ultra-high-net-worth consumers and how best to utilise the fair as a cultural conduit between art and luxury fashion.

What can luxury brands learn from the art world?

Fashion and luxury move quickly. There's always a new trend, a new cycle. It's hard for brands to keep up with the constant demand that exists season after season. However, the art world is very good at anticipating what's next - whether in certain artistic media or creative practices, or in the pursuit of the next generation of artists.

But beyond novelty, the art space is concerned with building and establishing careers of creatives over the long term. That longer view ties into how we at Art Basel approach partnerships. This isn't a space for opportunistic stunt partnerships: we are here for brands that want to be legitimate in the space - and that takes commitment.

Additionally, the art world can offer luxury an opportunity to convey its cultural relevance. Artists work in response and in relation to their cultural context, responding to the social and political events around them. For brands, meaningful collaboration in the arts can connect them to individuals who are shaping culture, offering knowledge and perspective to, in turn, build brand relevance.

How can brands meaningfully contribute to the art community?

Having been with Art Basel for more than nine years, I have seen so much reinvention and creativity from our brand partners, particularly post-pandemic, when it felt like everyone wanted to fundamentally change their approach. There is a real break from traditional brand experiences - hospitality lounges and poolside parties - and a new focus on experiences which haven't been done before.

To meaningfully contribute, luxury and fashion players should ask themselves: 'What is the long-term legacy of this project?'

For instance, this year we launched, in collaboration with Audemars Piguet, a new partnership concept called Rendez-Vous, which provides handpicked guests invite-only access to an immersive cultural programme, uniting art, music and gastronomy in unique locations during our show.

To meaningfully contribute, luxury and fashion players should ask themselves: "What is the long-term legacy of this project? Does it have a life afterwards? Does it empower an artist to create new work or provide a platform for their discovery among new audiences?"

Artists are also sensitive to marketing gimmicks - they want to see real intention from a brand and a genuine desire from the brand to offer and support creative freedom, knowing they are not being used for quick marketing gain. We aim to work nine to 12 months in advance with our partners, using the time to help with ideation and to activate our network of leading artists, galleries, collectors and curators.

How can brands attract the attention of ultra-high-net-worth individuals in the art space?

Art Basel caters to top collectors and cultural leaders worldwide - we welcome thousands of collectors who spend six to seven figures per year on art and advisors who strongly influence the buying behaviours of their clients. For more than 50 years, we have worked to act as a signifier of quality for the ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) collector. That trust is critical and has to be built up over time - we work closely with our partners to show our expertise in this space and help to build loyalty with this audience.

From my view, the best way for brands to capture the attention of the UHNWI in the arts is through a commitment - no serious creative collaboration can be a last-minute marketing play. The project needs to have a legacy. There is little point in a poolside party, without purpose, when nobody remembers it soon after.

Trust is critical and has to be built up over time.

That said, Art Basel does attract a wider audience than solely ultra-high-net-worth individuals. We make a concerted effort to ensure the show is accessible for younger collectors too - running programmes for non-established collectors and cultural influencers who are new to Art Basel.

We are focused on cultivating next generation buyers because it's important to build a pipeline - and it's also important to consider the lifetime value of customers. Starting the relationship early can open the door for a brand to connect with customers in an intimate and supportive capacity, right at the onset of their journey.

What examples can you share regarding successful collaboration between art and its adjacent industries?

In 2022, we worked with Saint Laurent to bring the exhibition of photographs from the re-release of Madonna's 1992 "Sex" book to the Miami Beach oceanfront, accompanied by a variety of events, including an opening night with Madonna in attendance. It was the second year of our partnership with the brand and the directive came from Anthony Vaccarello himself. He wanted to make an impact in the space - to use the show as an outlet for his creativity.

The signifier of a great event is the combined power of many cultural players and industries coming together, creating a multiplier effect. It helps to diversify the audience and reach new consumers. Executing something like this at Art Basel can also help amplify attention as a wider cultural momentum is already underway.

Art fairs can act as a guide or conduit between brands and end consumers. Brand activations become a core part of the show programming.

Last year, we collaborated with Macallan whisky to bring an ambitious project to Collins Park in Miami Beach. It featured a music performance by James Blake, with dancers from the New York City Ballet and a responsive art projection behind the stage - all within an immersive environment. The project received major media attention and social engagement with many crediting it as a highlight of the week - it shows that brand activations can become a core part of the show programming.

What role could art fairs play in helping brands capture the attention of consumers?

I believe art fairs act as a conduit between brands and consumers. We make introductions and give insight into a new field with which a partner may be unfamiliar. The art world already has the attention of a discerning audience, which brands can benefit from, provided that they enter the space authentically.

There's also the sheer amount of footfall at our shows - approximately 80,000 people across five days, in addition to thousands of media outlets and influencers who attend to cover the event. It would be challenging to hold an activation in another physical location and deliver that volume of traffic - particularly with such an engaged audience. Our role is to act as an aggregator on a global stage, welcoming these varied demographics together and capturing their attention.

What excites you most about partnerships between the art and luxury sectors over the medium term?

While we are established as a major event for Modern and contemporary art globally, it is interesting to consider how the Art Basel brand - through a physical presence or digital channels - can expand and grow. We are thinking about how to leverage the power of our brand to grow increasingly active year-round. We are considering what new formats, collaborations and activations in new markets and smaller cities could be possible.

The bar is already high when you think of standards in the luxury experience field, so I am inspired to see more new ideas and approaches. There is a saying that "there is nothing new under the sun," but I have a feeling in 2024 this will be proven untrue.

This is a sponsored feature paid for by Art Basel as part of a BoF partnership.

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At Art Basel, Lessons in Engaging Luxury Customers

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Across its 53-year history, international art fair Art Basel has been quick to innovate, catering to a rapidly developing art market and its customers. Today, it is utilising its expertise to help fashion and luxury do the same.

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4 Draping Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

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4 Draping Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

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4 Draping Mistakes and How to Avoid Them - ﻿Tutorial by Reagen Evans | Domestika English

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From the course: Illustrator for Fashion Design: Drawing Flats

Exploring the workspace

- [Female Teacher] In this chapter, we're going to take a look at the Illustrator tools we'll be using to draw fashion flats. First, we'll open Illustrator and talk about the workspace. So, to create a new file you're going to click on the Create new button, right here. Once this window opens, we're going to select Print, and we're going to select Letter. You're going to to move over to this window and click Create. Now the reason for selecting Print is because it gives us an Artboard, which is this big white paper in the middle that is 8.5 by 11, which easily prints on your desktop printer, and since most of the work we're doing, is going to have its final version printed, this is the best way to work. The gray area outside the Artboard, you can consider as scratch paper. You can draw on it, but it won't print. Up on the top is the menu bar. Each of these have drop-downs that relate to either tools or panels on the page, and we'll talk about that in a little more detail, later. On the left, is the toolbar. These are all the Illustrator tools. We're not going to cover all of them. We're going to stick to the ones that we specifically use for fashion. There are a lot of other great videos in the library where you can learn more about the other tools, if you're interested. Up here, is called the Control panel, and the Control panel is context sensitive, meaning, it changes based on the tool you have selected. Over on the right, we have the Panel dock. Each of these panels has information that we're going to be covering a little bit later. This is a Swatches panel. Down here, we have the Layers panel, and we'll talk about those in more detail, in a later movie. So let's move on to the next movie, and we'll start to cover the basic selection tools.

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Exploring the workspace - Illustrator Video Tutorial | LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com

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Join Robin Schneider for an in-depth discussion in this video, Exploring the workspace, part of Illustrator for Fashion Design: Drawing Flats.

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Fashion design basics in Photoshop - Photoshop Video Tutorial | LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com

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Join Robin Schneider for an in-depth discussion in this video, Fashion design basics in Photoshop, part of Photoshop for Fashion Design: 2 Rendering Techniques.

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Fashion design basics in Photoshop - Photoshop Video Tutorial

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From the course: Photoshop for Fashion Design: 1 The Basics

Fashion design basics in Photoshop

- [Instructor] Most job postings for fashion start the same, proficiency in Photoshop required. And that's what this course is all about, helping you stay competitive. It's designed with beginners in mind, but there are still plenty of great techniques for more experienced users. I'll start with an overview of the workspace and cover the basics of the tools you'll need to know. We'll move on scan, prep, and render your pencil sketches quickly and easily. I'll show you how to scan, clean, and recolor your existing marker or watercolor illustrations, remove the backgrounds and create a professional layout for presentation. And finally, we'll dive into mood boards. I'll walk you through three different styles from start to finish and show you how to pull it all together for striking results. So, join me, Robin Schneider the reigning queen of Adobe for fashion in my LinkedIn Learning course, The Basics of Photoshop for Fashion Design. Together we'll take your work to the next level.

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Fashion design basics in Photoshop - Photoshop Video Tutorial | LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com

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Join Robin Schneider for an in-depth discussion in this video, Fashion design basics in Photoshop, part of Photoshop for Fashion Design: 1 The Basics.

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From the course: Photoshop for Fashion: Warping Pattern Fills

Welcome

- [Robin] What if you could turn fabric swatches into seamless repeating patterns to use in your illustrations? And, how much more impact would your design presentations have if you could warp the pattern fills so that they appear to be draping around the body? When fabric fills aren't warped to follow the drape of the garment, the result is illustrations, line sheets, and photos that look flat and just plain wrong. In this course, I'll simplify the tools and techniques you'll need to put fabric swatches into seamless repeat, turn them into pattern fills, and, finally, warp them around the body. And, the best part is that I'll do it with Smart Objects. That way, you'll be able to quickly and easily swap out the fabric fill and replace it with a new one that will magically retain the warping and shading of the original. So, join me, Robin Schneider, the reigning queen of Adobe for fashion, and take your work from flat to fabulous.

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Welcome - Photoshop Video Tutorial | LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com

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Join Robin Schneider for an in-depth discussion in this video, Welcome, part of Photoshop for Fashion: Warping Pattern Fills.

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Custom keyboard shortcuts - Illustrator Video Tutorial

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From the course: Illustrator for Fashion Design: Advanced Drawing Flats

Custom keyboard shortcuts

- [Instructor] Now that we have our graphic styles, I'd like to set up some custom keyboard shortcuts. There's a few menu commands that we use frequently. 'Object', 'Path', and 'Outline Stroke', and 'Offset Path'. And you'll notice there's not currently a keyboard shortcut associated with either of them. So, we're going to make our own. Click on the 'Edit' menu and drop-down to select 'Keyboard Shortcuts.' We're going to select, instead of 'Tools,' 'Menu Commands.' Click on 'Object' and scroll down to 'Path.' Then we're going to scroll down to find 'Offset Path.' You'll notice, again, no keyboard shortcut. I'm going to click, click in the box, and type in 'Command Q,' which is my preference for the shortcut. And immediately it brings up a little warning sign telling me that 'Command Q' was already in use by the 'Quit' command. That's fine, but I only 'Quit' one or two times a day. I 'Offset Path' probably 30 or 40, so we're going to change this, and I'm just going to click 'Ok.' And...

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Custom keyboard shortcuts - Illustrator Video Tutorial | LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com

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Learn how to make custom keyboard shortcuts for the menu commands you use most often, such as offset path and outline stroke. This is a great time-saver when drawing flats.

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Creating patterns - Illustrator Video Tutorial 

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Creating patterns - Illustrator Video Tutorial 

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From the course: Drawing Vector Graphics: Patterns

Creating patterns

- [Von] Patterns can be found everywhere you look. You'll see them on fabrics, find them on wrapping paper, used for wallpaper. It could be a media backdrop covering a wall with a pattern of brand logos at a press conference. Or maybe it's a book you open and discover an in-paper pattern and it can even be found within your mail, such as the security pattern printed on the inside of envelopes. Pattern design is one of the oldest forms of artwork. Here is a pattern that was found in the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk that dates back to 35,000 BC. I was first inspired to create patterns by the artist William Morris who I discovered after reading a book on tapestry design. William Morris created intricate pattern repeats by hand nearly a hundred years before digital methods existed. His work showcases impeccable craftsmanship and beautiful organic patterns. Another artist that showed me what you could do with patterns is artist MC Escher. His magical illustrative tesselations are immersive, whimsical, and distinctly unique. In this course we're going to cover how to create your own own custom repeat patterns from scratch and discover helpful methods to make creating them easier and sustainable. We'll also use the newest pattern related features added to Illustrator and discover more methods to help you create and utilize patterns in your own work as well. You'll be able to take the pattern creation information gleaned from this course and adapt it to your own creative workflow to improve your skills and expand your creative possibilities. Welcome to Drawing Vector Graphics: Patterns. Let's get started.

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Creating patterns - Illustrator Video Tutorial | LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com

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In this video, learn how to use repeat pattern design in a wide range of creative projects.

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Share your videos with friends, family, and the world

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Fashion Culture | Paris Fashion: A Cultural History

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The History Of Christian Dior | Fashion Documentary | Absolute Documentaries

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CAD Pattern Making

Our Computer Assisted Design (CAD) Pattern Making lessons, created in partnership with Tukatech, will teach you how to make digital patterns on your personal computer. Click on any lesson picture, below, to learn more about that lesson. Note: You'll learn the most from our lessons by doing exactly what the teacher is doing using your own software and supplies.

Beginner

Recommended Lesson Order
We recommend watching the lessons, below, in the order shown. These lessons feature TUKAcad, an inexpensive, easy-to-learn Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) software package. TUKAcad can be installed on both Windows- and Apple-based computers. You can get an amazing $19 a month deal on the TUKAcad Learning Edition if you go totukaweb.com/subscriptions. Our first lesson, below, describes the amazing things TUKAcad can do for you and gives our paid subscribers a special UoF discount on TUKAcad's Professional Edition.

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CAD Pattern Making how-to videos - University of Fashion

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Learn about CAD Pattern Making with the University of Fashion how-to movies. We have fashion design videos for Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced users.

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Design Like Balenciaga (Cropped Blazer) | CLO3D Beginner Tutorial | Episode 1

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CLO3D For Beginners - Making a Bomber Jacket - Pattern Drafting from References - Base Pattern

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McQueen And I - Alexander McQueen Documentary

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Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty - Gallery Views 2011

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Fashion Through History: Episode 1 – Victorians

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"TOO FUNKY" THE LIFE & LEGEND OF THIERRY MUGLER

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Simone Rocha On Ten Years Of Her Label | The Extra Mile With Edward Enninful | British Vogue & BMW

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Simone Rocha on Louise Bourgeois' 'Untitled' | Artist Interview | Hayward Gallery

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What Inspires a Fashion Designer? | The World of Simone Rocha | Farfetch

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Dame Vivienne Westwood, the fashionable activist

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Vivienne Westwood is a household British name whom is a designer known for her advocacy and activism in her creative work.

Even though she has passed away now, her legacy and impact is still lasting and strong, with her family carrying on her work and passions in her name. I admire her sense of style and creativity, from watching her old and new interviews, fashion shows as well as following the social media pages about her work. She also has a thick skin which I think is especially important in this industry, and inspires me to not just be able to handle, but welcome criticism. It has also taught me to differentiate between constructive criticism and to let others that I feel are not relevant to me to roll off my back, teaching me to maintain a good balance between being receptive but still confident in myself.

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Artist, activist, rebel, gardener, vegetarian and undisputed queen of British fashion
Vivienne Westwood at the Prince Philip Designers Prize 2010 Credit: Graham Jepson

As the original punk provocateur, it is no surprise that Vivienne Westwood used her fashion brand to fight for a better world. Referred to by The Guardian as 'the rebel who was never without a cause', over the years Westwood campaigned tirelessly against climate change. She supported charities, encouraged fashion brands to switch to renewable energy suppliers, wrote a climate manifesto, and regularly used her clothing as a vehicle for a greater cause.

Westwood's designs and activism are so intertwined that it is impossible to separate the two. Her social and environmental work is more than a polished page on her website, it's a way of life that she shared with the world in the best way she knew how: through fashion.

And yet, fashion and the hunger to consume are undeniable contributors to climate change, with the industry estimated to contribute 10% to global carbon emissions, as well as drying up water sources and polluting rivers. The irony of campaigning for climate action through a commercial fashion brand was not lost on Westwood and her website acknowledges that 'fashion creates products which are too often disposable, and which - through their creation, distribution and eventual disposal - can have a disproportionately negative impact on our planet, its wildlife and people.'

The brand owns up to the fact that they are not perfect and that there is more to do, but has evidently taken steps to minimise their environmental impact: their Ready-to-Wear collections are made from 90% lower impact fabrics, their packaging is plastic-free and reducing the overall size of their collections so that they produce less.

Westwood implored people to 'buy less, choose well, make it last', promoting the consumption of fewer, high-quality goods over countless low-quality ones. Without the power of her global brand, there is no doubt that Westwood's climate activism and messages such as these would have reached fewer people. As she said herself, she got 'credibility from doing the fashion, which help[ed] [her] as a propagandist, [and gave her] a voice.' Her power derives from the fact that she used her voice to share her deeply held beliefs with the world.

Although Westwood is best known for being a fashion designer, her approach to climate activism demonstrates that she could equally be labelled a systems designer. Her campaigning is more than just bold statements splashed across t-shirts, there is real intent and action behind her words. Like systems designers, she understood that she was one piece of the puzzle and worked with NGOs, scientists, experts, and charities in partnership, declaring that 'we cannot achieve systemic change without government cooperation'.

She donated generously to several climate change organisations, charities and grassroots activists. She and her partner personally donated more than £1.5 million to support Cool Earth's work in the Amazon and dedicated two fashion shows to the charity, realising the importance of re-distributing wealth to tackle social challenges. Throughout her work and her life, she embodied the four characteristics of change-makers, as set out in the Design Council's Systemic Design Framework, effortlessly blending systems thinking with designing, connecting and storytelling.

Honour Dame Vivienne Westwood's memory by using your platform to champion the protection of our planet - not forgetting to be authentic, bold and a little bit rebellious while you're at it.

#LiveLikeViv #DesignForPlanet

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Dame Vivienne Westwood, the fashionable activist

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As the original punk provocateur, it is no surprise that Vivienne Westwood used her fashion brand to fight for a better world. Referred to by The Guardian as 'the rebel who was never without a...

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Vivienne Westwood - fashion icon and active activism

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Environmental issues, human rights, climate change. Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood has a strong opinion. A look at the life of the British activist.

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On Sunday night, fashion icon and label matriarch Donatella Versace was presented with the Humanitarian Award for Equity and Inclusivity at the CNMI Sustainable Fashion Awards, and used her acceptance speech to shine a light on the treatment of LGBTQ+ people in her native Italy.

"Here in Italy, it has never been more important for us to champion minority voices," the designer began. "Our government is set on taking away the rights of individuals to live as they wish. The freedom to walk down the street with your head held high and without fear, however you identify. The freedom to build a family and live how you want... We all must fight for freedom."

Earlier this year, Italy's right-wing government - led by the conservative traditionalist Giorgia Meloni - began a crackdown on same-sex parenting. The prime minister announced in March that state agencies would begin removing gay caregivers from their children's birth certificates if they were not a biological parent. In addition to this, Meloni's party is also writing up legislation that would outlaw finding a surrogate mother abroad (surrogacy has been illegal within Italy since 2004).

In her speech, Versace also notes that in a time when "trans people are still suffering terrible violence" and "minority voices are attacked by new laws", there is still a lot more work to do. Versace then went on to recall her older brother Gianni coming out to her when she was 11 years old. "For me, this changed nothing," she said. "I loved him. I didn't care who he loved. His love and encouragement made me who I am."

Versace received a standing ovation in response to the speech. Since the ceremony, Italian civil rights activists such as Franco Grillini have praised her intervention into the political sphere. "Donatella Versace was the first person in Italy to be so clear and explicit in the face of the government's homophobic politics," he said. "She is one of the most important names in fashion, and I invite others to follow her example."

Fabrizio Marrazzo, a spokesperson for Italy's Gay Party (Partito Gay), also commended Versace's speech. "Donatella Versace's declaration is important", said Marrazzo. "She made clear how this government is diminishing freedoms and rights for the LGBTQ community... We ask her to support us, in particular the campaign to make marriage for lesbians, gays and trans people the same as for everyone else."
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Donatella Versace slams Italy's anti-LGBTQ+ legislation

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While accepting a humanitarian award at Milan Fashion Week, the Versace creative director criticised the Italian government's spate of anti-LGBTQ+ laws, and paid tribute to her late brother Gianni

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We have been having upskilling fashion illustrations and drawing lessons in PLP classes, which I’m nervous about as it is one of my weaknesses, but I am reminding myself not to compare myself to my peers too harshly and just focus on improving myself. I also want to have the mindset of looking at my peers who are much better in some areas than me as inspiration rather than competition.

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We have now finished our fashion illustration classes. The lessons’ speed sketches were my favourite as it helped me to practice not to overthink when I draw, helping me to be more in tube with what I want to convey, like I was training a “muscle reflex” of sorts. This was helpful for me as I tend to spend too long in the very initial drafting/brainstorming stages of a project. I feel like this has improved, and I will remember to implement this in my internship and future projects, and not regress back to how I worked before.

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Curious with diverse interests / open and fast learner

Pre-existing natural passion for social/ethical concerns within the fashion industry and in general

Embroidery

Excel and good with numbers

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Trouble honing in on a focused topic for a project (due to a mix of not being confident and indecisive)

Drawing technical details

Digital skills

Creative pattern cutting

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Financially stable from part time jobs

Living in London

Access to resources via Ravensbourne

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Poor decision paralysis at the beginning of projects.

Not much previous work experience in fashion.

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Artists and couturiers have had an uneasy relationship - yet art continues to be seen on the catwalks, writes Kelly Grovier.

Sometimes a lobster is just a lobster. In 1937, however, the crustacean became an intriguing case study in the complicated relationship between art and fashion. It all started when the Spanish surrealist, Salvador Dalí, and the legendary Italian fashion designer, Elsa Schiaparelli, teamed up to create a silk summer evening dress. The gown, which featured a print of an oversized lobster (his idea) that dangled down from the waist, clawed its way into cultural consciousness when the American socialite Wallis Simpson wore it for a photoshoot in Vogue magazine.

The friction between Dalí and Schiaparelli reveals an inevitable conflict between the aspirations of the artist and those of the designer. What motivates artists is the desire to create an object or image that is timeless - a work that transcends trend. Designers, on the other hand, rely for their very livelihood on the mutability of taste. By definition, their work is seasonal, if not disposable, and depends upon the constant flux of what is considered fashionable. Any attempt to wed art with fashion is arguably destined to trigger tensions between the craving for permanence and the need for transience.
Monetising meaning
Sometimes that collision of sensibility is comical. Sometimes it is confrontational. Take Yves Saint Laurent's famous adaptation, for a series of six day dresses that the French designer unveiled in 1965, of the Dutch abstract artist Piet Mondrian's soulful grids. Though Saint Laurent insisted he was a great admirer of the "purity" he detected in Mondrian's distinctively austere style, which is characterised by a simplicity of line and elegance of colour, his eagerness to commodify that aesthetic as a luxury garment is at odds with what the Dutch painter believed.

Picasso and Khokhlova were both involved in the 1917 ballet Parade, conceived by the French writer Jean Cocteau. The bold and boxy costumes that Picasso contributed to the production are a jumble of urban structures, like skylines sprouting legs. Their resemblance to the angular forms that crowd Picasso's Cubist paintings was lost on no one. For those who believed that Cubism represented the breaking down of conventional and socially enforced ways of perceiving the world, Picasso's attraction to the privileged circles of theatre-going Rome was dispiriting. While he was rubbing shoulders with playwrights and dancers, his co-founder of Cubism, George Braque, was having his skull trepanned to alleviate the pain of the serious head injury he had suffered fighting for the French Army in the war. "Picasso's Cubist followers," according to the artist's biographer, John Richardson, "were horrified that their hero should desert them for the chic, elitist Ballets Russes."
Selling out?
Must the marriage of art and design always involve such friction? It's a question worth asking as the collaboration between artists and the tastemakers of the fashion world has only accelerated in recent years. Often the symbiosis is more confounding than invigorating, particularly when the designer merely invokes the essence of an unwitting old master. Vivienne Westwood's autumn/winter 2016/17 collection, according to its promotional blurb, has been "heavily influenced" by the artists Donatello and El Greco. How that debt actually obtains in the look of the designs themselves is rather less clear. What the claim does succeed in doing is thread Westwood's fabric with a cultural seriousness it might otherwise lack. It makes you look a little closer.

Perhaps it says something about the shifting priorities of contemporary art that the collaboration between painters and sculptors working today with leading designers does not seem as inherently fraught as in early eras. As contemporary art has gradually embraced ephemerality and the perishability of culture as an aesthetic element, finding common ground with the endless turnover of catwalk merchandise has become less compromising.

That's not to say there aren't some surprises. The partnership between the late fashion guru Alexander McQueen and the British artist Damien Hirst, for whom grotesque shapes of death (including pickled sharks) are recurring motifs, remind us that however impeccably dressed the Virgin Mary may be in Medieval altarpieces, there is always a skull lolling at her feet, troubling the scene.
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Artists and couturiers have had an uneasy relationship - yet art continues to be seen on the catwalks, writes Kelly Grovier.

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We all have a habit of initially judging a person by what they wear because that's the first thing we notice when we see them, clothes! Fashion has the power to create a visual impact and deliver the message without saying any words.

As Miuccia Prada said - "What you wear is how you present yourself to the world, especially today, when human contacts are so quick. Fashion is instant language."

This quote by Miuccia Prada prominently holds more value than we can imagine in the political world around the globe. People wear certain clothes to stand up for something or to make a statement.
The Power of Political Dressing
There are different ways in which power is represented and articulated through a piece of clothing. A clothing article has functionality of compelling political language. Moreover, it highlights social and political transformation that could not be observed through verbal or written structure.

In the era of colonization, colonial powers used clothing to assert domination. However, various colonized societies employed the politics of clothing to demonstrate the culture of the colonized society and revolt against the colonizers. On 22nd September 1921, Mahatma Gandhi decided to wear an attire to Loincloth or Dhoti, not as a revolt but to identify himself with the poor masses, and a symbol of humility and ahimsa. However, Africans used western fabric to suit their own agenda. In Algeria, choice of dress played a key role in the success of the Algerian war of resistance against French cultural aggression. In Tanzania and Zanzibar, clothing was used to display affiliation with anti-Western sentiment. Among the Masai of Tanzania, traditional dress served as a point of conflict on the country's path towards modernity.
"Attire is a powerful visual means of communicating ideology, whether political, social or religious. The dress can symbolize ideological orthodoxy, as well as revolt"
Politicians are not considered style icons but more like binaries. They have uniforms to wear and responsibility to carry. However, it is a fact that the politicians have an image to hold and values to portray. Politicians across the globe have chosen a style that asserts their philosophy or beliefs and have used their attire as a medium of communication through which they aim to evoke an emotional response and connect at the grassroots and cultural level. They carefully craft their style to uphold their values in society. Their clothes are part of their message.

From Narendra Modi in India to Kamala Harris in the United States of America, all have never backed down from their style to show what they believe.
India
In India, there are many leaders who make a style statement or we can say a belief statement. Here are a few prominent and notable ones.

Narendra Modi: When Narendra Modi dresses, the world watches[7]. A category of kurtas and jackets have been christened 'Modi'; cashmere shawls in bright colors over a dapper suit are in vogue. Wearing khadi is a trend, and occasionally replacing the pocket square with a Mont Blanc pen has become a thing to do. One can call it sheer elegance or a symbol of profligacy but even those not interested in politics haven't been able to ignore the Prime Minister of the country, sporting his Movado watches and rimless Bvlgari glasses.[8]

Omar Abdullah: He has a bold style while maintaining a local touch in his attire. He is not afraid to bring the Kashmiri pheran in the front seat. From a pathan suit topped by a gilet, to a trench draped over the de rigueur navy suit, sherwanis, and bandhgalas.

The Gandhi's: This family has a legacy, not only in politics but in the fashion department too. From Nehru Ji's iconic Nehru Jacket and a khadi cap donning his forehead to Rajiv Gandhi introducing dark shades, sneakers and sleeveless fleece jackets with khadi kurta-pajamas. Whereas, Indira Gandhi ventured out in rose pink Tanchois, exquisite Banarasi saris and fresh handlooms. Sonia Gandhi additionally followed the comparable pattern of Khadi material plain handloom sari, and Priyanka Gandhi can be said to be quite experimental when it comes to her style. She showcases the best of both worlds; from a sari to casual trousers and tops.

The Thackeray's: The three generations of Thackeray have their own unique take on evoking the emotions of the people. Bal Thackeray's initial attire of shirt and pants of the urban office worker was aimed at the Maharashtrian audience that aspired to be part of the urban office space. However, later he abandoned that style and started wearing orange-colored clothes to relate with the Hindutva agenda. Uddhav Thackeray, son of Bal Thackeray and Chief Minister of Maharashtra, has always kept his look minimal with bright and neutral color sadra-pajama that relates closely with the Maharashtrian people. On the other hand, his son Aaditya Thackeray has a blend of local and modern attire. He is more relatable to the younger generation in the nation.

There are few politicians in India like Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal who shouts a message of simplicity. Mamata Banerjee's trademark simple white cotton saree with a mono-colored blue border and her signature hawai chappals, and Kejriwal's muffler resonates with common people.
Around the World
It's not a hidden fact that internationally politicians have hired people to manage their image through their styles. Image management is considered to be a full-time job in the western world. The aim is to build connections with the people.

International world leaders have carefully constructed an image that conveyed authority, elegance and decorum. The left-wing leaders (Italian politico Benito Mussolini) choose khaki regimental attire. Whereas the dictators (Adolf Hitler) have chosen a military attire to assert power and authority.

When it comes to world politics, how can we forget Queen Elizabeth. She is the most notable world leader when it comes to showing her style and conveying her message. Her style is filled with vibrant colors and is always poised and strategically curated. The Queen's styling choices are as much a form of diplomacy as they are an expression of identity. Queen's daughter-in-law, Sophie Rhys-Jones, the Countess of Wessex has been quoted in the documentary 'The Queen at 90' saying that "She needs to stand out for people to be able to say 'I saw the Queen'."

The political leaders in America like Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, and Donald Trump have indirectly developed their persona through their style. On many occasions, Kamala Harris can be seen wearing an affordable American household shoe, 'Converse' with her pantsuit. It conveys the message of simplicity, affordability, and comfort in the eyes of the American people. Pantsuits are considered power dressing and usually draw a connection with men's attire until 2016, where Hillary Clinton made pantsuits her go-to outfit during her presidential campaign. Pantsuits connotes confidence and determination. Her style is subtle but a vital fashion statement. The Trumps are no less when it comes to making belief statements. Trump's campaign team during the 2016 presidential campaign sold MAGA hats (baseball hats) with the slogan 'Make America Great Again' that resonated with a lot of Americans and their favorite sport, baseball! However, on the other then first-lady Melania Trump raised many eyebrows when she visited migrant children on the U.S.- Mexico border, with a jacket that read, "I Really Don't Care. Do U?". Another significant Trump is Ivanka Trump, who has been involved in the business of fashion since 2007, from launching a shoe collection to fine jewelry. In 2014, she launched her clothing brand and, during Donald Trump's 2016 Presidential Campaign, she showed up in her own products. However, later in 2018, the news broke that she decided to shut down the brand.
Making a Fashionably Political Statement
Everyone loves making a fashion statement. Especially people from the world of politics and glamor. Making a fashion statement is an old phenomenon and has a controversial past. It's like wearing your heart on your sleeve. The people in positions of power have taken every chance to convey their solidarity and support to social causes through their fashion choices
The Merger of Fashion and Politics

Katy Perry's Dress (2012): The pop star wore a blue latex dress during a Democratic rally that read 'Forward' while performing at the Delta Center in Milwaukee showing her strong support to Obama.

NBA Player's Tribute (2014): Killing of black men by police officers for no reason is an old phenomenon in the USA. Once such an incident in 2014 evoked a havoc when a man from Staten Island named Eric Garner was killed by the police officer, and was heard saying "I can't breathe". Days after then Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose sported an "I Can't Breathe" T-shirt during a warm-up game. Players from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets (LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Garnett, Deron Williams, Jarrett Jack, and Alan Anderson), wore one during pregame warm-ups as well.

The Black Saga at the Golden Globes (2018): Sexual harassment has prevailed all around the world, and across all industries since a very long time. However, it was #Timesup in 2017 when survivors came out and spoke about the sexual harassment in the Hollywood which gave rise to global #Metoo movement. To show their support and solidarity to all the women survivors, from Issa Rae to Aziz Ansari, Reece Witherspoon, Viola Davis, Oprah, and Ava DuVernay were dressed in black during 2018 Golden Globes awards.

Sushant Singh Rajput Case (2020): The world was into a global health crisis, and in the middle of that the Bollywood, fans, and family of Sushant Singh Rajput had to grieve his loss when the news broke of his suicide in June 2020. The prime accused in the case, Rhea Chakraborty was subject to a lot of witch hunt from the media to his fans. On 8 September 2020, she hinted her aggression by wearing a casual t-shirt that read "Roses are red, violets are blue, let's smash the patriarchy; me and you". Many Bollywood celebrities reshared the image and showed solidarity with the actress.

This Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez look from the Met Gala 2021 is the latest addition to the movement to grab the world's attention to social issues. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is an American politician (Congresswoman for NY-14: Bronx and Queens) and activist. When AOC (as popularly known) posted this picture on her Instagram handle with the caption - "The medium is the message. The time is now for childcare, healthcare, and climate action for all. Tax the Rich" she steered a buzz not only in the fashion world but in the political world too.

Fashion gives opportunities for self-expression, especially for powerful people. Over the years, fashion has come to the rescue when words have failed. It's safe to conclude that people in positions of power create an impact on the people around them and communicate their agenda.
References:
According to Nandita Abraham, professor and president, Pearl Academy (2021 cited in The Politics of Fashion: From PM Narendra Modi to Rahul Gandhi - a window into philosophy & belief system of politicians)

[7] https://www.hindustantimes.com/fashion-and-trends/when-narendra-modi-dresses-world-watches-his-top-10-fashion-moments/story-s7Y4VziZnJGElFVWcQRz6I.html

[8] https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/india/four-years-of-high-fashion-pm-modis-sartorial-sense-is-a-hit-2575911.html

Nishat Fatima, The Fashion of Politics, 09 April 2018 14:27 IST https://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/fashion/the-fashion-of-politics/article23457008.ece

Leah Dolan, Decoding the Queen's colorful style, 11th June 2021 https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/the-queens-fashion-and-colorful-style/index.html

Mary Hanbury, Ivanka Trump's fashion company is shutting down. Here's the full story of the first daughter's business from its founding to the end, 25 July 2018 4:19 IST https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/ivanka-trumps-fashion-company-is-shutting-down-heres-the-full-story-of-the-first-daughters-business-from-its-founding-to-the-end-/articleshow/65126177.cms

Talia Smith, 18 Moments When Fashion and Politics Merged in the Last Decade 19 December 2019 https://www.teenvogue.com/story/18-moments-when-fashion-and-politics-merged-in-the-last-decade

Note: The views expressed in the article are of the author.

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Influence of Fashion on Politics: The Power of Political Dressing - Fashion Law Journal

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We all have a habit of initially judging a person by what they wear because that's the first thing we notice when we see them, clothes! Fashion has the power

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We often view fashion as a form of art. The famous Andy Warhol once said, ' fashion is more art than art is. ' Revolving around the same sphere, the worlds of fashion and art are forever intrinsically linked. From Raf Simons and Sterling Ruby, Virgil Abloh and Takashi Murakami, to Saint Laurent and Vincent Van Gogh - the relationships between fashion designers and artists have been notable. By embracing the world of art to spark original styles, fashion designers are creating works on a broader scale than before.

Whether it's Sterling Ruby, Jean Michel Basquiat or Richard Prince, art and fashion have forever been in a marriage made in dingy art studios and luxury filled apartments. Synonymous for being outlets of creative expression, fashion is to art what art is to fashion. Throughout history, we have seen many fashion designers borrow ideas from art movements or even collaborate directly with them.

The two worlds of art and fashion share a bridge that forever connects them. Both deeply rooted in creative self-expression, for decades, fashion designers like Raf Simons, Walter Van Beirendonck and Dries Van Noten have turned to artists to convey contexts and storylines they just couldn't tell through the medium of clothing. Luxury fashion brands have long collaborated with artists, from Helmut Lang's collaboration with Hank William Thomas to Salvador Dalí's daring collaboration with Elsa Schiaparelli, which may have invented the art slash fashion collaboration as we know it today.

The art world has historically provided boundless inspiration for fashion makers - giving them a different perspective and lens through which they have created outstanding collections based on art collections and art movements. For instance, when it was time to design his first Haute Couture collection for Dior, Raf Simons turned to the art of Sterling Ruby for inspiration. He created a striking collection of couture pieces that utilise prints by the artist. The relationship between Raf and Ruby marks a long line of collaboration between fashion designers and artists, and this collaboration sees the fashion industry continuously falling over itself to fraternise with prominent names in the art world.

Today, fashion and art continue to be at their peak in the fashion climate. Whether it's the Basquiat estate selling his likeness to anyone who will pay or designers like the late Virgil Abloh working with contemporary artist Takashi Murakami, the art world's impact on fashion makers cannot be understated. Fashion designers are big players in the world art world, either as collectors or as budding artists themselves. Helmut Lang, like Kenzo, turned to sculpting later in his career, and it is widely known that Virgil Abloh was inspired by the Dada movement's pioneering artist Marcel Duchamp to create his "Figures of Speech" exhibition.

Mixing high and low materials with multimedia campaigns and celebrity endorsements has brought about untold popularity for both fashion makers and artists. As a result, the cross-pollination between fashion and art continues to energise both worlds to continue collaborating.

Fashion's links with the art world have long formed part of the creative process for designers. The alchemy of mixed cultural influences and artistic mediums has helped shape collections for many a luxury house. Art has always inspired designers to produce something novel and timeless. As the fashion industry continues to move away from the singularity of designers who only work with clothes as a medium, the proliferation of multi-hyphenate designers will continue.

Undoubtedly we are bound to see more designers turn to art as they look beyond their front doors for inspiration. Luxury fashion brands are investing in art. As they look for creative ways to bridge the gap between the arts, brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada and Hermes are commissioning pieces from well established and emerging artists. This only goes to show that fashion and art have always and will always work hand-in-hand.

Discover more from GUAP's Fashion section here

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The Marriage Between Art and Fashion - GUAP

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We often view fashion as a form of art. The famous Andy Warhol once said, 'fashion is more art than art is.' Revolving around the same sphere, the worlds of fashion and art are forever intrinsically linked.

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Charmaine Koh has 404 books on Goodreads, and is currently reading Decolonizing Israel, Liberating Palestine: Zionism, Settler Colonialism, and the Case ...

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Fashion account where I sell pieces I make

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Fashion account where I sell pieces I make

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Volunteering with helping kids read once a week

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Volunteering with helping kids read once a week

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Doorstep library

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For my first term in second year, I would like to dedicate my time and energy to discovering myself as a designer and building myself up to be ready as I can be for the industry. I want to achieve this by doing well in my university work so that I can receive feedback and criticism that I can work on, as well as pursuing other things outside of university.

To do:

Take full advantage of exhibitions and events in London, by signing up to newsletters and following pages that announce events.

Ask for artpass as an early Christmas gift.

Use free time to practice technical skills - make youtube playlist to decrease inertia in effective learning.

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About skateboard's design. Starting in the 1950s and sliding into the present day, the exhibition positions the skateboard as a cultural phenomenon and symbol of a global community, which I was interested in as street style isn't something that I gravitate towards or am familiar with at all.

The exhibition showed old prototypes alongside today’s technologically advanced models, magazines and retro memorabilia. This was very interesting for me as I learned alot about a subculture and was a jumping point to get excited about and to research more into a style that helped me expand myself

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I wanted to learn about the influence of landscape and folklore on Japan's culture, technology, and design. After visiting I gained insight into how Japanese stories have shaped art, design, and technology. This was very interesting for me as I like to draw inspiration from different cultures and love learning how they crossover in the past and how they can continue in the future.