ReBelle

Bella Hadid walked for Mischa; her first walk on the runway for Australian fashion week.

Mischa aimed to make a feminist #GirlSquad statement by playing Beyoncé’s Formation; but failed to understand the songs cultural relevance and importance specifically to black women.

Formation is an anthem of black female empowerment that celebrates #BlackGirlMagic. For a song that celebrates Black women to be played at a show that excluded Black models is culturally insensitive. In its original context, the song is addressed to black women but in this instance, it removes black woman from the conversation entirely.

In the song, Beyoncé sings about her black heritage, Hurricane Katrina – which predominantly affected Black Americans and the #BlackLivesMatter movement. And although many view Formation as just a song, it is a song with cultural significance.

Australian model Ajak Deng quit modelling this year due to the ‘undertones of racism’ in the fashion industry which favours Caucasian over ‘dark skinned’ models.

The Met Gala theme was Fashion in an age of technology. For this Lupita wore an emerald Calvin Klein dress. But it was her hair that created the most discussion.

Nyong’o said she was inspired by ‘sculptural hairstyles from all around the continent.’ Andre Leon Talley mused that the style was reminiscent of the musician and civil rights activist Nina Simone’s hair. But Vogue seemed to overlook this and put their own interpretation on the hairstyle stating: ‘Is Lupita Nyong'o the New Audrey Hepburn?’

Vogues comments were dismissive to the people and cultures that invented such artistic hairstyles.

Nyong’o swiftly corrected them on Instagram, simply captioning her photo: ‘Hair Inspiration. Check’, also adding the Vogue Instagram handle. Here, Nyong’o made a point of crediting the black women she was inspired by.

It wasn’t until recently that Americans couldn’t travel to Cuba. However, it was the location for the Chanel resort show – the first show in Latin American for the brand.

Karl Lagerfeld used the El Prado for the setting – a long boulevard transformed into a runway to showcase Chanel’s 2017 Resort collection. An after-party was also held in the Cathedral Plaza.

For Cuba, Chanel is the first major fashion house to host a show there, possibly showing a change in relations with the West. The collection was inspired by the ‘cultural richness and opening up of Cuba’.

Guests were transported from the Hotel Nacional to the venue in 1950’s Chevrolet’s – a common car in Cuba as foreign trading was halted after the Revolution in 1959.

The venue is a long park which separates an avenue. On one side is the tourist area of Old Havana; the other is Central Havana – a historical area occupied by lower-income families.

The models walked the boulevard framed by a backdrop of a different era, watched by supermodels and the elite yet locals were prohibited from seeing the show. Three Cuban models walked the show after partaking in an intensive audition and training process at a Cuban modelling academy.

‘Chanel is going to mark a before and an after in the history of Cuba’

Cuba is receiving an increase in attention with every celebrity that chooses to vacation there. However, for the Cuban people, they don’t get to experience the desirable side of Havana that is presented on social media. And such misrepresentations lead to stereotypes, simplifying a diverse country to imagery of cigars and 50’s cars. It paints an unrealistic picture of life in a country where many citizens are financially deprived. The daily reality of no phone service may feel like a welcome break for tourists but a disconnection to the world for the locals.

Kim Kardashians censored nude selfie opened a dialogue on female sexuality and the inevitable scrutiny women face as a result of expressing it.

Kim commented on the backlash in an open letter. ‘I don’t do drugs, I hardly drink, I’ve never committed a crime – and yet I’m a bad role model for being proud of my body?’

Rightly, Kim K states that she shouldn’t be defined by a sex tape she created 13 years ago, and shouldn’t have to constantly prove herself by reaffirming her accomplishments.

‘I am empowered by my body (and) my sexuality’. ‘I will not live my life dictated by the issues you have with my sexuality’

The comments revealed society's perception of women: That mothers shouldn’t present themselves in a sexual context and wives should not celebrate their bodies without permission from their husbands.

Emily Ratajkowski showed her support with her own selfie, commenting: ‘We need to have the freedom as women to choose when and how we express our sexuality. We are more than just our bodies, but that doesn't mean we have to be shamed for them or our sexuality.’

‘I am not shamed or apologetic of what my body might represent to you. ‘

Although the model meets societal standards of beauty, she doesn’t feel the need to reject her femininity to make a viable statement about sexuality. Her modelling background has previously led to criticism that questioned her relevance in a political debate when she showed her support for Bernie Sanders.

Victoria’s Secret model Leomie Anderson has openly discouraged young women from sexting and sharing nude selfies. Although cited a hypocrite by critics she states that she can control her image and how it is shared. ‘If I felt uncomfortable with anything, I knew I could call my agency and get them to say no. When you’re at school, you don’t have that.’

Emily Ratajkowski calls for a space outside of the male gaze for women to own and express their sexuality. It disconnects from the idea that female sexuality plays into male desires and is for their consumption alone.

Rowan Blanchard expressed the importance of teaching girls to accept themselves; using selfies to dictate how they are viewed.

Ashish: the brightest runway of London fashion week.

Sequins and an array of rainbow afros danced down the runway. A sweet and sugary fantasy dripping in sequins and glitter… 

A celebration of diversity was executed in a colourful 80’s disco fashion.

The multicultural cast of models reflected the colours of the rainbow. 

Blooming afros encompassed the heads of each model, reminiscent of fluffy candyfloss. The models wore a block of one vivid candy colour; from the top of their afro adorning heads to their pointed sparkly shoe.

The collection was inspired a box of Crayola crayons and expressed the carefree vibe of disco.

Throughout March, Stella McCartney has been revealing the faces of her new fragrance Pop. The ‘muses’ include: Grimes, Kenya Kinski-Jones, Amandla Stenberg and the final reveal – Lourdes. The Stella girls represent a collective that promote girl power. Each face was announced on social media via Stella McCartney’s Instagram account.

Described as the new fragrance of an emerging generation, each girl’s individuality is celebrated. It focuses on their inner beauty – expressed through their talents and ethical stances.

And the scent: a woody floral mix of tuberose and sandalwood.

The campaign stands out from the rest by promoting self-acceptance; a deviation from the continual body shaming in the media and ‘unfiltered opinion-sharing’ online. Lourdes who channels 8o’s Madonna vibes in the campaign states: “I go through this struggle myself, [where] women’s bodies have been made so public that everyone feels like they need to comment.”

The campaign is set on the backdrop of the dry Californian desert; the girls holding powder pink guitars (nothing says girl power and mutual support like a girl band).

Fenty x Puma

Rhianna’s collection for Puma was a Gothic 90′s interpretation of underground Japanese street wear. Rhianna added small aspects of athletic wear into the oversized dark and stark white looks. Her inspiration is an attitude, an unapologetic attitude of a person who can execute thigh high trainers and exaggerated proportions. Many looks feature large hoods, overshadowing the models stern faces and black lipstick.

Oversized fur hoodies and diamond chokers #everydaylooks

Denim Desserts

Rhianna’s next collaboration is with Manolo Blahnik. Think Britney and Justin VMA’s 2001 and you can begin to picture the all-denim shoe collection. One of her designs is a thigh-high denim boot which she modeled in her recent Vogue shoot. She is launchig six differnt styles that will be sold exclusively in only three stores in London, New York and Hong Kong. The shoes are a perfect pairing of denim and sequins (queue the heart eye emoji) with embroidery inspired by her hand tattoos.

(as seen in Vogue)

Rihanna has put her name to many collaborative collections and is also a brand ambassador for Dior. The “most marketable celebrity” (according to The NPD Group) is sure to extend her positive impact to Manolo Blahnik too.

As soon as I saw the photos from the Tommy Hilfiger show I was drawn to the models hair, decorated with sparkling tiaras.

The show was nostalgic of the 1940’s. Hilfiger created the idea of a girl finding her grandmas favourite dress and wearing it with her boyfriend’s coat. Worn with a pair of sparkly heels, this new borrowed style is transported into the current era.

Feminine floaty dresses and sequins, alike the looks seen at Gucci’s since their current rebrand were worn with masculine black leather. Soft pyjamas and silk dresses created a carefree spirit and bows added a charming touch.

Exploring his love of nautical, Hilfiger makes it the theme of his show. The looks seen were wide leg sailor pants and military coats. The runway was situated on the top deck of the Hilfiger cruise liner, offset by a dark backdrop lit with lights to emulate stars. The added touch of faux steam created a dramatic cinematic effect. The upper deck was reserved for the front row; a whimsical twist on classicism.

(Photos courtesy of Vogue.com)

This February, Calvin Klein released a new fragrance – CK2: The gender fluid perfume for the millennials.

This shows the progression of the brand as it is almost a sequel to CK One – their unisex fragrance released in 1994 for generation X. The visuals of CK One were monochromatic, which achieved an androgynous and urban format for the campaign.

Both perfumes are connected. Not just by the similar name but also the ingredients as each include a selective mix of mandarin, violet and sandalwood scents.

CK2 is a fresh scent with a woody base of sandalwood, spicy wasabi, citrus, a combination of violet and rose and an interesting addition of wet cobblestones

The advert for CK2 is visually lighter, using blues and oranges. The bottle is placed between pictures of the two conflicting elements of air and water. The fragrance represents a balance of opposites.

The campaign signifies the changing attitudes towards sexuality and relationships by showing four intertwining stories that celebrate youth and romance. It displays the diverse ways two people can be connected, from biracial couples to same sex couples. Overall, it rebukes the idea that relationships need labels.

The BBC created a 3 part series on the perfume industry which I watched to aid me in my course.

‘Something Old, Something New’ was the first episode in the series. The setting: Paris, naturally. As I watched the screen, I was taken into the House of Guerlain, a famous French perfumery that personified everything French and decadent. The House relies on tradition and doesn’t conform to modern ways of selling perfume as seen in stores like Macy’s. Instead it encompasses the idea that a daughter is introduced to perfume by her mother.

Smell is considered to be our most primitive and least understood sense. Perfume (or liquid luxury) manipulates this sense and exploits our feelings.

The consistently booming perfume industry has now reached a flat line in recent years. As perfume has become more of a fashion item, more and more have been produced which has led to market saturation as consumers become overwhelmed with choice.

The documentary revealed the process Tommy Hilfiger used to penetrate the market with the creation of ‘Loud’, a perfume aimed at adolescents. The idea of fusing music with the fragrance to create liquid rock ’n’ roll was a good representation of the brand which continually uses this genre of music in their fashion shows. The bottle was circular and rigged to resemble a vinyl disk. Although the bottle was quite unusual, not much thought was put into the women’s perfume which was made an unimaginative pink.

‘Bottle the Memory’ focuses on the perfumers. The opening sequence states perfume is magic captured by science. Its job is to capture a moment which is possible as scent has a close connection with memory.

The role of the perfumer is to be a mixture of a scientist and a poet. The simple act of breathing in and out is an important part of their work.

Interestingly, the documentary says that people want to divorce themselves from their own smell as much as possible. They use perfumes as an unseen mask.

Beyoncé’s makes a pro-black political statement in Formation, flawlessly executed no less in Black history month.

Mapping the history of Louisiana, the video shows the post-abolition era and boldly places black people in spaces they were excluded from in the past, juxtaposing the negative presentation of black people in historical contexts.

Dressed in a red and white high-collar Gucci dress and combat boots, Beyoncé positions herself on a police car submerged in the ruins of hurricane Katrina. She also adds her voice to the conversation of police brutality as the camera scans a wall of graffiti proclaiming the phrase ‘Stop shooting us’.

Another scene shows a wall of police officers holding shields as a young black boy dances with his hands held out; a homage to ‘Hands up don’t shoot’.

And then Beyoncé unites her army of black female dancers with the words ‘ladies, now let's get in formation’. The scene is framed by a haze of afro curls.  The same imagery was reflected in her Superbowl performance, with the dancers wearing Black Panther uniforms and berets sitting on top of afros.

In the Louis Vuitton window display, the brand used reptile as a print for their bag collection this season. Putting a modern twist on a common print, LV used turquoise, chromatic blues and greens to create a dynamic display contrasting the cactus plants used as a backdrop.

The Prada flagship store (SoHo) incorporated a lot of animal print into their ready-to-wear-collection. Snake print was the most prominent theme. The colours were dull green and grey tones giving the collection a swamp like feel.

A mannequin was also displayed on a stack of snake print luggage. Mixed with suede accents, the feel of the visual merchandising was quite dark, using green and dirt brown  throughout the display.

I saw this interesting display that advertised a bag and different detachable straps that can be worn with the bag. The straps curve around the bag emulating snakes, fitting as a snake  pattern is printed on the straps.

Instagram has put its filter on the fashion industry. The app has advanced with the development of the new fashion-focused portrait format, making it a better platform for both fashion editors and brands. Eva Chen, who previously worked for Anna Wintour has been hired as Instagram’s head of fashion partnerships.

The platform has enhanced the dialogue around established brands and boosted the exposure of emerging brands. DKNY used the messaging system to directly communicate with their followers; allowing them to ask the brands creative directors about their vision for the brand.

Muslims compose up to 22% of the world’s population. With the Middle Eastern luxury market currently worth $8.7 Billion and estimated to be worth over £200 billion by 2020; it is an untouched sector that is continually ignored in the fashion market.

Over recent years, there has been an increase in the presence of Western brands in the Middle East. Chanel’s Cruise 2015 collection was shown in Dubai; H&M cast their first hijabi model in their campaign and DKNY released a collection exclusively for Ramadan in 2014.

Dolce & Gabbana’s collection of hijabs and abayas remain modest yet adhere to the brand identity; interworking floral daisy prints, bright citrus accents and colourful snakeskin into the designs.

Muslim women are an active portion in society who want to abide by to their culture and still be fashionable. A mainstream brand like D&G using Muslim women in their campaign markets Islam in a better light.

Not simply just a fashion trend, but a move toward inclusive design; brands are breaking down the barriers between the fashion realm and devout Muslims. Muslim women deserve acknowledgement.

Fashion mirrors the changes in attitudes of wider-society and culture. Brand Louis Vuitton altered their creative direction for their spring 2016 ad, using Jaden Smith in their womenswear campaign. There has also been a recent surge of brands resisting the limits of gender norms; for example & Other Stories' using transgender models for their autumn/winter 2015 campaign.

The futuristic Punk-grunge clothing reflects the revolution of attitudes to new future norms; and Punk clothing has always been used to provoke and create shock value.

Smith injected a youthful vitality into the shoot; his participation embodied a shift in the views of this generation and the blurred lines of gender, rebuking conformity.

Having previously visibly expressed his choice of wearing gender neutral clothing, Smith balances a new attitude with the creation of a new norm.

Jaden’s sister Willow added her voice to the conversation, stating that men and women are put into boxes on opposite ends of the gender spectrum. The expectation to fulfill these hegemonic identity’s are enforced from birth, shaping the understanding we have of ourselves. The freedom from these expectations will allow people to grow and fully become themselves.

It’s questionable whether the intentions of the ad were to simply create dialogue around the brand or to further diversity in their campaigns. However, it has added to the conversation of gender-fluidity in fashion.

Lily-Rose Depp is sugar and spice and all things nice for the February issue of Love magazine. With her iconic baby face decorated in vivid 80’s style candy-coloured make up, Depp makes a bold yet playful impact with her first cover of the year.

The magazine carries on the youthful theme by illustrating the cover title in a colourful teenage scrawl.

At 16 years old, Lily-Rose is already making an impact on the fashion industry; following in the footsteps of her mother model Vanessa Paradis, posing in a Chanel campaign and Vogue Paris. Now, the daughter of Johnny Depp talks about pursuing acting.

In the magazine, she elaborates on her future interests of furthering her acting career and her desire to become a muse for Quentin Tarantino.

In M.I.A.s recent music video Borders, she makes a political statement condemning the West’s attitude towards refugees.

Her self-directed video ‘Borders’ powerfully displays the current refugee crisis, depicting refugees lying on cramped boats and climbing over wire fences. The lyrics express her frustration of an issue that she feels reoccurs constantly across each generation – the diaspora of people fleeing conflict by immigrating to the West. M.IA. herself immigrated from Sri-Lanka to the UK as a child during a civil war. She was drawn to the diversity of the British music scene ‘I was exposed to hip hop, Jamaican dancehall and house music and drum ‘n’ bass’; each shaped by the mixing of different cultures which she felt represented England.

Due to globalisation and the increasing interconnectedness of societies, virtual borders in music and information have disappeared. ‘You don’t put borders on Apple, and you don’t put borders on YouTube and you don’t put borders on MTV’ because of this people across the world can virtually interact with the ideologies, brands and art that represent Western society. M.I.A. muses on the contribution of how pop culture promotes the ideals of the West. ‘We fight to get what we do in the West into the homes and the screens of every single person on the planet. We want to make money off it’ this then leads to people saying: ‘I want the dream'. The West sells the idea of democracy and people fleeing oppressive regimes want to embrace that.

M.I.A.s definitive statement is that as virtual borders have disappeared, so should the borders between people. It's a cause and effect relationship. ‘If the West is so deliberate in promoting its brands and is using art and culture to inspire people’s dreams, how can the West then turn people away?’