15
July

This Week in Style: Fashion takes action, Canada updates its clean beauty legislation and Thom Browne takes Paris

By avi maxwel / in , , , , , , , , , , , , /

Sustainability updates

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Fashion Takes Action’s ReMode event in May, which featured talks, a clothing swap and vendor marketing place with businesses that are all focused on reuse, repair, resale, rental, upcycling.Olga Hutsul/Handout

The United Nations wants fashion marketers to do better

“Sustainable fashion” has become an umbrella term for brands aiming to protect both the environment and the workers producing garments. The term’s growing popularity may be a sign that the fashion industry, dominated by mass-produced styles that move quickly from the catwalk to store, is waking up to its role in overconsumption, waste and carbon emissions (which the UN estimates at 10 per cent of global carbon impacts). But some fashion brands are overstating the sustainability of their products, says Nikki Byrne, a director at Fashion Takes Action, an organization currently conducting a government-backed study on Canadian consumer’s attitudes and behaviors toward sustainable and circular fashion. “There’s constant misinformation and so much greenwashing,” says Byrne. “Even if they are well-meaning, the fashion marketers don’t often understand the science or why there are 50 or more certifications to verify sustainability, which can make it hard for consumers to understand what they’re buying. The more brands can share the data, the more educated consumers become.” A new Sustainable Fashion Communication Playbook calls on the global fashion industry to do just that.

The playbook, released last week by the UNEP and the UN Climate Change-convened Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action, calls for fashion media to work toward countering misinformation, reducing messages perpetuating overconsumption, redirecting consumers to more sustainable lifestyles and demanding greater action from businesses and policy-makers. Around 100 companies, including LVMH, Chanel, Nike and PUMA, are signed on to the charter, and to update on their progress in the following. “The playbook really speaks to the power of advertising and marketing and the role it plays in driving consumption. Brands need to take more responsibility,” says Byrne.

cleanbeauty

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An update to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act means clean beauty advocates can push for greater transparency about harmful ingredients in personal care products.misuma/AFP/Getty Images

Bills S-5 and your future beauty buys

The Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), which regulates everything from vehicle emissions to the ingredients in your lipstick, was modernized for the first time since it was introduced in 1999 this June, with the assent of Bill S-5. The updated legislation codifies that every individual in Canada has the right to a healthy environment. “This is a legislative framework for protecting human health, and what we put on our bodies and faces is part of that,” says Jen Lee, chief impact officer of Beautycounter, an American company which has been lobbying in Ottawa this spring, meeting with MPs to elevate issues such as codifying the list of prohibited ingredients, prohibiting phthalates from being used in cosmetics, and closing the ingredient loophole. Lee says this is a win for the beauty industry, but only scratches the surface.

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09
July

How Princess Diana’s style still has an impact in 2023 according to 6 fashion experts

By avi maxwel / in , , , , , /

The mark that Princess Diana left in the fashion world is boundless. Arguably, she’s the most influence style muse in fashion history, and still, 25 years after her death, her distinguishable sartorial agenda is still being used as inspiration for the whole industry.

The most recent example? This week, when designer Simon Porte Jacquemus, showcased his Fall/Winter 2024 show at the Château de Versailles and explained the whole collection was inspired by Lady Di, “Jacquemus’ latest collection was all based on references from her most iconic style moments, such as the sapphire and pearl triple strand necklace that she wore with her revenge dress,” explains Hello! Fashion’s digital editor Natalie Salmon.

MORE: 10 iconic Princess Diana street style moments

RELATED: Jacquemus just sent Kendall Jenner down the runway in an iconic Princess Diana-inspired trend

© Anwar Hussein
Diana, Princess of Wales, wore her famous black “revenge dress” commissioned from Christina Stambolian, to attend the Vanity Fair party at the Serpentine Gallery on November 20, 1994

Alongside the 80s silhouettes, like the puffed sleeves that the designer said, “will become a signature of Jacquemus,” Kendall Jenner walked the runway in a look that combined two of Diana’s most iconic fashion moments.

Kendall Jenner walks the runway during "Le Chouchou" Jacquemus' Fashion Show© Pascal Le Segretain
Kendall Jenner walks the runway during “Le Chouchou” Jacquemus’ Fashion Show

Off the runway and on to street style, you only have to glance at what the It-girls of 2023 are wearing on their days off to see how Diana’s personal laid back style has been injected into it. Sweatshirts over cycling shorts, straight leg trousers loosely tucked into boots, and varsity jackets. Alongside influencing the models of the moment like Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski, Di’s sartorial power is also proven to be popular with the next generation. The hashtag #princessdianastyle has over 61 million views on TikTok – the platform predominantly used by Gen Z’s.

Diana's style is copied for every style of dressing©Getty
Diana (left), Hailey Bieber (middle) and Sonia Lyson (right)

In an interview with ITN, Diana once said, “fashion isn’t my ‘big thing’ at all. Obviously if I’m helping the fashion industry and the British side of things, well that’s marvellous. But I never try to do that “. An ironic viewpoint considering her stratospheric influence around the world, not just on her home turf.

We spoke to six fashion experts about their thoughts on how Lady Di’s style code still influences the sartorial agenda in 2023:

Alice Manners

Alice Manners©Instagram
Alice Manners

“Princess Diana’s style influence stretched into every part of our lives – from her classic 90s gym looks to her highland outfitting and of course her timeless, classic occasion-wear style prowess. She was and still is on many moodboard references for photoshoots and personal styling clients.”

Diana, Princess of Wales attending the Ascot race meeting in England, wearing a black and white spotted dress by Victor Edelstein and a Philip Somerville hat, in 1988©Getty
Diana, Princess of Wales attending the Ascot race meeting in England, wearing a black and white spotted dress by Victor Edelstein and a Philip Somerville hat, in 1988

“She was effortlessly bold in her eveningwear choices and I think this made everyone who followed her so proud and

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01
July

The eternal style icon? Princess Diana’s legendary fashion sense explored

By avi maxwel / in , , , , , , , , /

The late, the great royal would have turned 62 on 1 July, had she lived. Euronews Culture looks into why she has always remained such an inspiration for designers and fashionistas across the globe.

As soon as she was caught into the public eye as a teenager, Princess Diana drew legions of fans, with many fixated on her impeccable style.

1 July marks what would have been her 62nd birthday and the legacy of her countless iconic outfits lives on, with Gen Z recreating the looks in millions of TikTok videos, often soundtracked with rapper Ice Spice’s hit tracksappropriately titled ‘Princess Diana’.

Nearly 26 years following her untimely death at the age of just 36, Diana has somehow managed to stay as arguably the most relevant style icon in history, with designers taking inspiration from her on a near constant basis.

Earlier this week, Jacquemus dedicated their latest collection, shown at Versailles Palace, to the late Princess. Called Le ChouChou, the show’s designs, headed up by Simon Porte Jacquemus, was described as a love letter to Diana.

Featuring iconic 1980s motifs, such as puff sleeves, tutu-inspired pieces and bubble hems, throughout, there were explicit references to her style drip fed through the entire duration of the runway.

Kendall Jenner stalked down the catwalk in a romper resembling a cloud, which resembled Diana’s wedding dress. The ensemble was teemed with a pearl and sapphire choker-style necklace, a clear reference to a piece worn by the Princess as a complement to her iconic revenge dress.

That outfit is often cited by fashion and royal experts as the ultimate piece in Diana’s extensive wardrobe as well as one of the most recognized by the public.

Celebrity stylist and royal commentator Leroy Dawkins agrees with that analysis, saying it has the ‘wow factor’ thanks to the timing of when she wore it as well as the message it sent out.

“Diana wore the dress in June 1994 to the Serpentine Gallery, the same night (then) Prince Charles admitted his affair with Camilla Parker Bowles”, Dawkins tells Euronews Culture, adding, “It was not her first choice of dress to wear that night; she was going to wear Valentino, but it was leaked what she would be wearing, so Diana chose to wear the now notorious revenge dress, which was designed by Christina Stambolian.”

The dress had the desired effect, landing on the front pages of newspapers, taking the news of Charles’ affair off the spot.

The look has long been recreated by many, including Queen Camilla. In 1995, she showed up to a party at The Ritz in London – her first outing as Charles’ official girlfriend – in an almost identical dress to Diana’s.

While Camilla even chose to style it in a similar way, with a pearl choker and Diana’s signature sheer black tights, the attempt was universally panned by fashion critics and criticized as a poor imitation of Diana’s style.

It isn’t just her taste in formal dresses, though,

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25
June

How the fashion of the Windrush generation shaped British style

By avi maxwel / in , , , , , /

The outfits that new Caribbean arrivals to Britain wore as they disembarked the HMT Empire Windrush – and all the other boats that followed – served as a reassurance of their sense of self.

They had left their previous home behind and, at this stage of the journey, were caught between what was familiar and unknown. For many, the outfit worn on this day was talismanic. Their clothing choices signified their respect both for themselves and for the enormous, life-changing journey they had undertaken.

Many men stepped off the boat wearing well-cut suits, partnered formally with a shirt and patterned tie. Others donned more casual, open-neck shirts with the collars worn outside the jacket, all accessorized with beret or fedoras. And there were the staples – highly polished shoes, a belt and meticulous haircut.


This article is part of our Windrush 75 series, which marks the 75th anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush arriving in Britain. The stories in this series explore the history and impact of the hundreds of passengers who were sent off to help rebuild after the second world war.


Some of the younger travelers sported distinct styles. One young man arriving on the Empire Windrush wore a wide felt hat with the brim turned upwards, a broad and short tie that only reached the top of his chest, and a pinstriped, double-breasted jacket. He paired this with plain, generously-cut trousers that draped into a tight cuff at the ankle.

Women travelers wore a range of dresses, frilled blouses, cardigans to address the English chill and veiled half-crowned hats. The Trinidadian singer Mona Baptistewho also traveled on the Empire Windrush, was photographed in hoop earrings, a dark skirt-suit and light-colored collarless blouse patterned with flowers, which echoed a stunning floral broach pinned to the lapel of her jacket. Her high-heel shoes were slingbacks with round toes.

The clothes packed in the suitcases of these Windrush passengers were, in some cases, equally talismanic. A”Jamaica shirt” was brought to England by Winston Levy, father of the award-winning novelist Andrea Levy, to “remind him of Jamaica”.

A cream shirt patterned with bright images of Jamaica.
Winston Levy’s Jamaica shirt.
Courtesy of Andrea Levy/The British Library

The aesthetics of presence

The individualized styles of the Windrush generation as they settled into their new homes was, for many, a concerted expression of visibility. Their standout outfits were in some way a response to feelings of invisibility, which stemmed from the hostility and racism many experienced upon their arrival.

English photographer Bert Hardy‘s 1949 photographs of West Indians in Liverpool include the barber known as Pee Wee (above). He is shown learning on a lamppost wearing a distinctive, generously-cut overcoat, broad-brimmed felt hat and sturdy laced shoes.

But this spirit of visibility is perhaps best captured in the 1971 photograph of a Trinidadian artist and textile designer Althea McNish (below), the first Afro-Caribbean designer to achieve international recognition.

McNish wears a blouse in her “Bezique” design while sitting among other examples of her work, which blended cultural references

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21
June

Barbie Ferreira on summer style, chub rub and more

By avi maxwel / in , , , , , /

Whether you’ve watched Euphoria or not, you’ve likely heard of Barbie Ferreira. She hit the big time playing the brilliant Kat Hernandez alongside Sydney Sweeney and Zendaya in the first two seasons of the HBO show (psst! Here’s the *real* reason she decided to call it quits) – but she was already making waves on the scene long before her breakout role.

As a teen, Barbie modeled for a handful of major brands (think Adidas, ASOS, and H&M) when un-retouched photos from her Aerie campaign went viral in 2016. She soon became a vocal figure in the body positivity movement, starring in a video series for Teen Vogue called body party, and was named checked in time‘s “30 Most Influential Teens” list later that same year. All this, and she’s only *just* turned 26.

Barbie’s list of achievements is impressive – but never one to rest on her laurels, she is now turning her attention to fashion design, stepping into the role of Global Celebrity Partner for Havaianas. More than just a face for the iconic footwear brand, Barbie has kicked off the partnership by exclusively designing a nine-piece collection of sandals, right in time for summer!

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Courtesy of Havaianas

As well as enjoying as a sneak peek of Barbie’s edit, Cosmo got the chance to sit down with the star (and her adorable dog, Cowboy) to chat about all things summer style, from her favorite trends to fashion disasters – hey, we’ve all had ’em. But if you think you’re Barbie’s biggest fan, you’ll have to get in line. Despite her Grandma’s disbelief when Barbie first told her about the collection, in her family’s eyes this is the most exciting thing she’s achieved in her career to date.

No pressure, then! Luckily, Barbie is more than prepared. “I just went on vacation and I wore my Havaianas on almost every day with really cute crochet dresses and beach cover-ups,” she tells us. Crochet is one of this season’s biggest trends thanks to the ’70s revival, something Barbie says she didn’t realize despite her lifelong love of fashion.

“I don’t mean to be like this girl, but I accidentally am fashionable a lot of times,” she laughs. Having grown up in New York and starting out her career as a model, Barbie describes her friends as “fashion girls” who are always on hand to keep her informed on the latest hot things. “I will buy stuff and then they’ll be like, ‘is that *insert name of designer here*? All the hot girls are wearing that!’ And I’m like, oh slay, something I like is cool with the girls? I will take that as a compliment!”

But ultimately, she won’t let what’s classified as ‘in’ dictate what she wears. “I think for me, more than fashion it’s style. I’ve always loved styling myself, even as a kid. I’d go to thrift stores and get a pound of clothes for like five bucks.” Though of course, her style has evolved with

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