Iman Calls For More Black Models on the Runway

Classic supermodel and wife of David Bowie, Iman has recently spoken out about the lack of black models on the catwalks. Iman, who first became successful in the 1980’s claims that we seem to of gone back in time and that more brands are less open to using multicultural models. And she is right, last New York Fashion Week saw a 2% drop in the use of black models compared to the previous year. Meaning that only a ridiculously low 6% of models were black. 
Naomi Campbell, who is also a part of the Diversity Coalition with Iman, has also spoke out about the lack of diversity in fashion. The supermodel expressed her disgust, saying ‘ the statistics, its really shocking, heartbreaking. Your body and beauty, it doesn’t matter what colour you are. If you’ve got the right talent, you should be there having the opportunity to do the job’. 
Yves Saint Laurent was known for pioneering the use of black models on the catwalk and was even said to of really helped black models back in the 60’s and 70’s yet at the Summer 2013 show (Hedi Slimanes first at the helm of the French brand) only featured one black model. Its upsetting that in this modern day and age when you think prejudice would be long behind us fashion seems to be going backwards, however with stunning models like Jourdan Dunn, Alex Wek, Chanel Iman and Joan Smalls popping up on the catwalks perhaps its time for the casting directors to start being more thoughtful and radical with their selections.

Is Tom Ford Losing His Fashion Crown?

Recently some people, particulaly Colin Mcdowell during his talk at Ravensbourne, have started to question Tom Fords place in the industry. Mcdowell said he feels that Ford was no longer relevant to fashion, but to me this doesn;t seem to be the case.
In recent months Tom Ford has opened his first UK store on Sloane Street, this is part of Fords plan for world domination as by the end of year he's hoping to of opened over 100 stores world wide. This to me symbolises a return for Tom Ford. Along with the new store, Tom Ford has also released a new fragrance Private Blend London.

The new London store features a specific section for Ford cosmetic and fragrance ranges. On the subject, Tom Ford is releasing a cosmetic range for men. It does seem to me that nowadays men have become a lot more obsessed with grooming, perhaps thats down to the likes of Mark Wright and all the other TOWIE lot, theres more and more guys obsessing over their appearance and hopping on sun beds. Is make up the next step? I think not. Some guys admit to borrowing their partners concealers to hide blemishes but I think thats as far is it goes, make up is still seen as very feminine I feel and for a man to go out a purchase it would probably take a lot of pride. I do think that Tom Fords line will perhaps sell with clients who can afford his products as they often care more about their appearance but I don't think it will be a knockout hit. The line features both make up and grooming products such as face masks and creams. Industry sources have estimated that the could do as well as £1.8 million in its first year so I guess we'll have to wait and see!

Sunspel: Selling Heritage

British clothing label ‘Sunspel’ have created a short film entitled ‘A Day in the Life of a British Clothing Factory’, the title says it all really. 
It beautifully demonstrates the (small) manufacturing base that some people forget we still have in the UK. Moreover it’s an intimate reminder of the sometimes forgotten relationship between what we wear and the lives of the people who actually sit down and make our clothes. Sunspel have been a classic British clothing manufacturer since 1860 so they’ve got quite some history behind them, this film sells their heritage perfectly, and gives a private peep in to the precise and devoted production of their garments.
If you’ve got a couple of minutes to spare take a look.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A BRITISH CLOTHING FACTORY from Sunspel Clothing on Vimeo.

Marks and Spencer Leading Ladies

Its been known that in recent years Marks and Spencer’s haven’t been doing particularly well in the style stakes.  What could M&S do to bring it all back? How about a £100,000 campaign shot by legendary fashion photographer Annie Leibovitz featuring some of the most influential women in Britain? 
The “Leading Ladies” campaign stars Helen Mirren, Grace Coddington, Ellie Goulding, Tracey Emin, Katie Piper, Helen Allen, Nicola Adams, Monica Ali, Darcey Bussell, Laura Mvula, Karen Elson and Jasmine Whitbread. The campaign has already received criticism based on a couple of the chosen stars. Most press have been questioning the use of controversial artist Tracey Emin, whose not generally thought of as a style icon. She describes herself as ‘single’ and ‘unloved’, has talked in horrifying detail about her promiscuity and is best known for presenting a condom-strewn bed as art. Customers took to Twitter to share their disbelief at Emin’s inclusion. ‘Is this a joke?’ wrote one. ‘I don’t know if I want to buy into an M&S brand of luxury fronted by Tracey Emin,’ wrote another. ‘I definitely don’t need extra help to be dressed like an unmade bed with scattered pigeon poop. 
Some of the chosen stars don’t seem to fit the Marks and Spencer’s brand particularly well, pop star Ellie Goulding isn’t really the type to be spotted in Per Una and even stated herself he favorite brand was Topshop. Then there are high fashion flyers such as Grace Coddington and Karen Elson who are probably rarely seen out of expensive designer clothes. 
It’s a beautifully shot campaign from Leibovitz and looks fresh out the pages of Vanity Fair and Vogue but I find the subjects slightly questionable. The campaign has been styled by new style director Belinda Earl, who seems to of made the brand more upmarket with cashmere, silk and sharp tailoring. Some consumers have commented on the campaign stating that the models don’t bother them and it’s all about the clothes. Could this new direction be what M&S needs? Only time will tell.

Fit > Thin

You may all remember the age of the ‘thinspo’ being constantly bombarded with images of super thing girls with huge thigh gaps and sticky out ribs, as the concerns of anorexia have grown things have changed. In fact search the hashtag ‘thinspo’ on instagram and you’ll find no posts, in fact Instagram have banned any thinspo communities, which openly encourage eating disorders. Now type in  ‘fitspo’ and you’ll be swamped with posts of strong beautiful toned women. It seems the times have changed and more women want to build strength as opposed to shedding pounds.

Moreover, British model Daisy Lowe has recently teamed up with the Sunday Times to front their ‘Fit Not Thin’ campaign.  Personal trainer and ex-Olympic speed skater, Sarah Lindsay, told the Sunday Times she thinks “the message that fit is the new thin is brilliant, I applaud Daisy Lowe not bowing to pressure to be model skinny.  It’s extremely encouraging given the size zero look that has plagued the past decade”.  She goes on to say how she thinks the Olympics has had an influence on this view and that more and more of her customers are asking for guidance to tone up rather than just lose weight.

Will this signify a change for fashion? There’s no denying that over the years steps have been taken to build awareness of eating disorders however were still bombarded with impossibly thin models and I feel that’s the way fashion will stay as it is aspirational. Although I agree that women should focus on being strong and healthy, and lets be honest skinny girls look better in clothes fit girls look better naked. 

Geek Land: Paul Deneve Leaves YSL for Apple

Paul Deneve, CEO of French fashion house Yves Saint Laurent has announced he’s leaving the brand to work on ‘special products’ with technology giant Apple. There’s been rumors flying around for a while that Apple are looking to begin creating ‘wearable’ technology and many have speculated that Apple are creating an ‘iWatch’. 
With the news of Deneve's arrival at Apple seems to confirm the rumours. The iWatch is basically an iPhone on your wrist, smart huh? By bringing in Deneve Apple are hoping to create a watch that will rival premium brands such as Rolex. Deneve has previously worked at Lanvin and Nina Ricci and whilst at YSL almost doubled their revenues thanks to his marketing so we know Deneve is the perfect candidate to help Apple out.
Does this signify a big change expected in fashion? It seems anything is possible now when it comes to technology so I have no doubt that the iWatch will be just the beginning of techno fashion. Is this a wonderfully smart idea to modernize fashion or is this taking things too far?

Oxford Street Celebrates London Fashion Week

It seems that everyone wants a part in London Fashion Week this year, and being one of the biggest high streets it’s a wonder Oxford St never got involved before. This year Oxford St are launching a 17 day festival to coincide with Fashion Week, the festival will give shoppers the opportunity to mingle with top British designers and models in the build up to fashion week. The collaboration is part of Oxford Sts efforts to affirm itself as ‘the most powerful fashion destination in the world’. The British Fashion Council has teamed up with Oxford St to arrange various pop up events which will feature some of the biggest names in the industry offering make overs and advice for those wanting to progress in to the industry. Some of the biggest high street stores are also getting involved such as Topshop, Selfridges, John Lewis and H&M. To me this seems like a brilliant idea to promote both Oxford St and Fashion Week and is also a brilliant way to get involved if you didn’t (like many of us boohoo) many to snag a ticket to the prestigious event so make sure to get yourselves down there guys!

Ralph Laurens Class Act

Esteemed American brand Ralph Lauren has pledged to help fund of the most prestigious art institutes in Paris, École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts by showcasing his S/S 14 at the art school, marking the beginning of a two year multi million pound plan to give the art school a whole new make over. 
He will premiere his catwalk show at New York Fashion Week then on the 8^th October he will fete his line at the picturesque setting in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Près. He will then host a gala dinner in the school’s cobblestoned courtyard. 
The École des Beaux-Arts is a 300-year-old venue and fashion show favorite, but in need of significant restoration. The funds Ralph Lauren Corp provide will restore the semicircular lecture theatre, add seating to the amphitheater and bring the whole building into the 21st century by adding audio-visual equipment. 
I think this is a lovely project which will really benefit both the school and the Ralph Lauren brand, the fact the institute has so much heritage reflects the aesthetic of the Lauren brand and it’s a known fact that Lauren is a huge fan of Paris. He has a massive store in the French capital and it is an international brand so this move only seems right. 

Do Men Buy Clothing or Fashion?

Its been said that the majority of males don't both with catwalks or mensweek and instead prefer to look towards celebrities and sporting personalities when deciding how to dress. There are them men who are interested in fashion but it is the majority of men who don't know anything about fashion and instead style them selves around their personal icons such as David Beckham. However it seems that in recent years mens fashion week has grown in popularity and there is a stronger emphasis on mens fashion. 

However for the time being it seems famous figures are still the go-to for campaigns etc. David Beckham's line for H&M saw an increase is sales of mens underwear and bodywear. Tom Daley is sponsored by Adidas for $750,000. 
Tommy Hilfiger recently announced that he would be pulling out of mensweek even though menswear counts for 60% of their sales, they have claimed that they will be seeking other avenues to promote menswear. So perhaps mensweek wasn't bringing enough sales in for them, maybe they should consider a celebrity endorsement.
Either way anything that inspires men to dress well can't be a bad thing!