Latest news with #fashionIndustry
Reuters
09-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Reuters
Giorgio Armani Prive shows glittering black velvet on Paris runway
PARIS, July 8 (Reuters) - Giorgio Armani showed his latest Privé haute couture collection at the label's gilded Paris headquarters on Tuesday, displaying black velvet evening wear with shimmery touches on the runway - once again, without the Italian designer, who continues to rest at home. "In twenty years of Armani Privé, this is the first time I haven't been to Paris," Armani, who turns 91 on Friday, said in a statement from the label. The designer was also absent from his label's fashion shows in Milan last month - a first for the Italian designer famous for his hands-on approach - following a report from Italian newswires that he had spent some days in a Milan hospital. For Tuesday's show, Armani said he oversaw details including fittings and makeup remotely, through a video link. Though he felt ready to travel, doctors advised he extend his rest, he added. Held at the label's sprawling mansion in the heart of the wealthy Triangle d'Or neighborhood of Paris, the show drew crowds to the streets angling for photos of arriving guests. Inside, models walked slowly through a maze of rooms, parading black velvet pantsuits and slender dresses. There were tailcoats, oversize bows and glittering embellishments. Towering black velvet heels added a feminine touch to more masculine looks, while sharp-shouldered suit jackets contrasted with bustier tops in various forms. The Paris fall-winter haute couture fashion shows run through Thursday, featuring runway outings from labels Schiaparelli, Iris van Herpen and Imane Ayissi, as well as Chanel, Maison Margiela and Balenciaga.
Telegraph
09-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Telegraph
Fashion doesn't cater to women like me. This is how I look fabulous at every single party
I hold a unique position in the fashion industry: I am both insider and outsider. For the past decade of my career I have been entrenched in fashion – sitting front row at fashion shows in New York, London, Milan and Paris, discussing and dissecting trends, interviewing designers, models and celebrity faces of brands. I have walked red carpets, worked in the the hallowed halls of glossy magazines and travelled to far-flung corners of the world all in the name of fashion. And throughout all of those career moments, I have thought: 'I have nothing to wear.' Not in an 'I'm so bored of my wardrobe' kind of way, more along the lines of: 'Despite being privy to the inner cogs of this industry, there is still little to nothing to dress my plus-size body with any sense of style.' Because the truth is, fashion doesn't cater to or care for women like me. For as long as I have worked in fashion, the average dress size – UK size 16 – has remained the same. Yet the options for anything above that size continue to be limited and, if we are speaking frankly about it, those limited options are quite rubbish. There are a few truths to be spilt here as to the why; why does fashion overlook such a huge percentage of women? Firstly, so much of inclusivity and representation in this industry is all talk no walk. Time and time again I have seen brands claim to want to dress more diverse body shapes, but what they don't want to say out loud is that only relates to the 'right' body shape. The execution of that claim often comes to fruition via one piece of custom-made clothing for a non-sample-sized celebrity, and off they go with a pat on their backs for being inclusive. The next is the most overused excuse in the book: there isn't an appetite for extended sizing, it's too much of a risk for brands to create sizing above a UK 16, it isn't financially viable. And the last is a brutal truth that no brand wants to say out loud, but it doesn't take a genius to read between the lines: they just don't want bodies that look like mine in their clothes. As someone who sits on the extended spectrum of sizing (and regularly looks at my wardrobe with a sense of disappointment), let me tell you there is appetite and a half. It's the reason why accessories are the biggest sellers for designer brands, not ready-to-wear. Why I have messages every day asking me where on earth women can shop for occasions, and exactly why I have collaborated with insiders' favourite dress brand Rixo on a 16-piece size-inclusive collection. Founded by friends Henrietta Rix and Orlagh McCloskey, Rixo is an independent womenswear brand that has transformed the industry, transformed wardrobes and transformed how women feel about their bodies – mine included. The cornerstone of the brand is dresses, particularly occasion dresses. From wedding to workwear, bride to birthday, there is no occasion the plethora of beautiful, vintage-inspired dresses won't work for. I loved the designs, loved the inspiration, loved the founders; but like so many other brands I interacted with daily as an editor, I loved them at a distance because they weren't made for me. The sizing, while better than many other brands that share the same corner of the market, did not cater to my UK size 24 body – but I was used to this, so I simply accepted my fate that this would be a love affair from a distance. Except, instead of keeping me at a distance with empty promises of being more size-inclusive, Rixo reached out a hand and brought me on board to collaborate on a collection together because they deemed my body, my existence and my experience in this world just as worthy as those in smaller bodies. At the heart of Rixo x Billie Bhatia is a sense of style freedom. A shedding of the frumpy, ill-considered clothes that have populated the plus-size market for so long, and an invitation to feel good. I wanted to create dresses that were going to serve a community of women who had previously been ignored. I wanted everyone who ever dreaded getting an invitation to an occasion to rejoice that they finally had something to wear. I wanted to create pieces that breathed life, excitement and possibilities into holidays, all while carrying you through summers in the city. For years, I accepted my fate as someone who will never open my wardrobe and be excited at what I might step into the world wearing. This collection feels groundbreaking for bodies like mine to enjoy fashion, enjoy dressing and enjoy a sense of occasion. There are few things more thrilling than a wedding invitation to witness one of your best friends marry the love of their life, or a party that you know will be talked about for years to come or preparing for a big milestone, whatever that might look like. For me, that thrill often disappeared shortly after I realised I would have to search high and low to find something to wear – and often not even something good, just something that I could work with. The way I handled event dressing was to go big on everything but the clothes: hair, make-up, accessories, jewellery. I dedicated my time to curating these elements of my look; namely, to distract what was lacking: the dress. With the collection, I get to put fashion at the forefront and that feels almost as exciting as the invitation itself. The dresses do the talking, with big voluminous sleeves, swathes of fabric and frills to create movement and drama, prints that are joyful and uncomplicated to style. These are dresses that to me feel like sartorial serotonin, a collection to move through the world in whatever the occasion and occupy yourself with just enjoying life, because the clothes are effortlessly taking care of everything else. Billie's occasion-dressing favourites Over the years, I've curated a little black book of occasionwear pit stops that, despite not always catering to my size, I have leant into for their generous silhouettes and sense of style.
News24
30-06-2025
- General
- News24
Fashion brands move slowly on their green promises
The fashion industry is responsible for up to 8% of the world's planet-heating greenhouse gas emissions.
Daily Mail
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Fly-on-the-wall account of what really happened when Anna Wintour told stunned Vogue staff she was leaving
The fashion world was brought to a standstill on Thursday as a colossus announced the end of an era. Anna Wintour, 75, sent a thunderbolt through the Vogue headquarters in New York by suddenly revealing that she would be stepping down as editor-in-chief.
BBC News
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Prince William visits former Earthshot finalists textile dye lab
The Prince of Wales and actor Cate Blanchett have complemented the work of a sustainable textile dyes company after visiting its laboratory. Colorifix, which is based in Norwich, Norfolk, uses DNA sequencing to create natural sustainable dyes to reduce water and the use of harmful chemicals in the fashion industry. In 2023, the company was shortlisted as a finalist for the Earthshot Prize, which was launched by Prince William in 2020. Jim Ajioka, the company's co-founder and chief scientific officer, said: "Being nominated as a finalist makes a huge amount of difference... having the prince visit our site and actually see what we do matters." The company was founded after Mr Ajioka and Orr Yarkoni visited Nepal and Bangladesh and saw the devastation left behind from the textile dyeing industry on the natural environment and people's lives. Colorifix, which also has an office in Cambridge, said it finds colours in nature and "borrows the information" of how it is made and inserts that code into microbes to then convert them into pigment or dye. On the visit, Mr Ajikoa said that like in any industry it was important to have "public acceptance" and public trust. During the visit, Prince William and Blanchett, who is an Earthshot Prize council member, observed DNA gel under a microscope and were shown diagrams analysing the effectiveness of the pigments. Before looking at the sample, Blanchett joked, "What if it explodes?"However, when shown the diagrams, the prince said he would not "pretend" he knew what the drawing meant. The pair were also shown the fermentation process where dye is produced in a smaller quantity and then scaled up. David Clarke, the head of fermentation at the company, said the process was just like brewing. He said: "Whenever people see scientific equipment and scientific process it's always interesting... the basis of what we do is very, very simple so I think for people to understand that and engage with that is great."It's always a big boost to see famous people... I think the team are very proud of what they do and very proud for them to come and visit us." The Prince of Wales' Earthshot Prize, gives £1m to five winners to offer the best solution to some of the world's biggest climate challenges. While past ceremonies have been held in London, Boston, Singapore and Cape Town, this year's ceremony is due to take place in Brazil in November. The prince complimented the staff on their "fantastic" work and apologised for any "stupid questions" he had asked."It's going really well, and it's really exciting," he said. Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
