2017 UK Fashion Awards Nominations Celebrate Diversity
The nominees for the 2017 UK Fashion Awards (formerly known as the British Fashion Awards) were announced last week and the results indicated a significant and welcome shift in the world of fashion toward outspokenness, individuality and diversity.
Among those nominated for model of the year is 16 year old Kaia Gerber (daughter of supermodel icon Cindy Crawford), featured on nearly every runway in fashion week’s Spring/Summer 18 lineup, firmly cementing a promising modeling career. Winnie Harlow, who famously suffers from vitiligo — proving confidence has nothing to do with skin and everything to do with loving yourself — was also nominated. They’re up against the famously fashionable sisters Gigi and Bella Hadid who are also up for the award.
However, critics have cited Adwoa Aboah as a potential favourite to win. The outspoken model and activist founded Gurls Talk, a platform for girls to share their experiences and help empower others.
Following on with the theme of female empowerment, Dior’s Maria Grazia Chiuri — who made revolutionary women a key theme to her collection for Dior with her “Everybody should be a feminist” tee — is nominated for designer of the year alongside Raf Simons and Alessandro Michele.
Also, with her ability to combine music and fashion seamlessly, Rihanna’s Fenty by Puma received a nomination for the urban luxe brand category, along with Off-White and Supreme.
Following the Spring/Summer 2018 collections, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, Anna Wintour said: “I think that any media company today has a responsibility to reflect the world that we are all living in. That is about diversity of sexuality, it’s about diversity of race, it’s about diversity of belief.” It seems that the UK Fashion Awards nominees reflect that important change.
The award winners will be announced on the 4th of December at London’s Royal Albert Hall, which promises to be a star-studded affair. The awards themselves are voted on by 2,000 key fashion industry players across the globe, who work in areas ranging from photography to set design.
(Main photo: Sheikha Hend with Queen Zaynab of Nigeria)
Stars Come Out for The Royal Gala
Everybody who’s anybody graced this year’s edition of The Royal Gala held at the Palazzo Versace under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Hend Al Qassemi.
The annual event is part of Sheikha Hend’s ongoing advocacy to expose the UAE to international fashion while at the same time promoting UAE fashion to the rest of the world.
Out of hundreds who expressed their desire to join, The Royal Gala team had to narrow it down to a stunning lineup of 10 designers from all over the world — Spain, Italy, India, and Iran, among others.
Sheikha Hend with Italian Designer Antonio Croce
The by-invitation-only event was graced by royalties from all over the world, including Malaysia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain etc. Consuls and ambassadors of different countries were also in attendance as well as top fashion influencers and social media personalities. It was such a feast for the eyes that social media coverage of the event was trending even after the days that followed in Snapchat and Instagram. The evening was capped with a sumptuous dinner prepared especially for the gala after which Sheikha Hend went up the stage for a thank you speech to those who participated, to those who attended and to those who supported and continuously supporting the most fashionable event of the year, The Royal Gala.
The by-invitation-only event was graced by royalties from all over the world,
Here’s a recap of the designers who showed their designers at the event.
Born and raised in Lebanon, enchanted by fashion and tailored elegance, Marwa Rabah magnifies femininity, working with fine materials and delicate embroideries of outstanding quality. She builds her fairytale creations using unique designs and precious resources. Her specialty is the fluidity of the dresses that enhance the lady’s figure.
Emmanuel Haute Couture’s collections are the expression of timeless elegance and sensuality, a signature to which the brand is very loyal. The designer’s obsession for perfection applies to the tiniest details; each garment is the result of dedication and couture craftsmanship. Opulent materials and delicate embellishments are instruments of choice for each creation. Today, the atelier continues to showcase collections known for feminine detailing, elegant silhouette and modern approach to make women look and feel beautiful.
Junne Couture is for women with an individual and bold taste for fashion, and a taste for unique style. A combination of fusion-wear and glamour, every season Junne creates a blend of extravagance with femininity, ensuring your look is your own style story.
Designer Supriya Sirha of Cilvana Designs treats every garment as a piece of art. Minute attention has been paid to the fabric chosen, the colours, the styling, the fit and most of all the personality of each piece which makes it become one with you. Her aim while creating a garment is to make everyone look beautiful, without the slightest compromise – ensuring that there is only one point of emphasis in every garment. She defines her design philosophy using three adjectives — clarity, wearability and most of all versatility.
This Spanish design house is the definition of high fashion that mastered the art of creating luxury dresses. Textured, romantic and incredibly unique, the Glamour Hunter collections celebrate the feminine figure in a sophisticated and elegant way.
Spanish design house Pilar del Campo is not only dedicated to her craft of design but to creating in a unique style. Pilar del Campo SS18 collection, entitled “Nouveau,” is designed for the day-to-day of women who look to the future, allowing them to reflect the complexity, style and elegance.
House of Hend is a poetic expression of creativity from Sheikha Hend Al Qassemi. Feminine silhouettes, intricate embroidery and delicate details play the key role in the fashion house, which is a combination of East and West- with a chic, royal flair.
A garden immersed in the heart of Mediterranean Italy inspired the Spring/Summer 2018 collection. Sinewy shapes and light fabrics underlined feminine bodies that match the softness of the over jackets and the grit of the leather jackets. “Tropical Garden” and “Spring Flower” are the two prints that represent spring, in which bold colors like pepper and burnt orange blended with the more neutral white, black and medieval blue.
House of Makta’s designs are elegant and timeless. Their style speaks classic chic, with a hand-made custom design which features delicate details that inspire each gown to be beautiful.
Oculus is one of the biggest producers of virtual reality equipment. They have been developing the technology for years now, and with that has come a lot of potential for various industries. One of their latest announcements is that the Oculus network is going to start letting people represent themselves with customized avatars, or a digital representation of themselves.
Oculus avatars are officially out but they haven’t been noticed by too many people yet. That is because they were released amid other big announcements such as the new Touch controllers. Those who have found the avatar feature have found it quite nice.
Instead of trying to create photorealistic avatars, Oculus has decided to aim for digitalized recreations of people. By not trying to be photorealistic you actually achieve a much more connectable avatar. Photorealism can appear creepy and hard to connect to because it feels fake. Just because the avatars displayed on Oculus aren’t photorealistic, those who have used them say they are easy to connect to. Some people say that the avatars represent people so well that you can recognize their owners in the real world.
Digital avatars in the Oculus world are outlines of people who glow one of a multitude of colors. Everything from the hands to the head can be detailed to look in the form that you want. When you interact with items in the Oculus platform, the body that you customize is represented. For example, when you move your controllers to look at your hands, your digital hands appear in the color that you have chosen.
Everything from your shape to your clothing and accessories is customizable. Styling your hair can even be done regularly to change your design based on your personality.
More and more of the Oculus programs plan to integrate avatars into the applications. Right now there are only a number of programs that utilize the avatars. But within a week of the release of these avatars two programs added support. What a lot of people are looking forward to is the rollout of Oculus rooms where people can host friends and strangers in their own virtual houses. The digital avatar will be your representation in this digital world.
Adding avatars to Oculus was only a matter of time; it is a logical step in the development of a virtual reality fashion experience. However, it does more than just make progress in the digital world, it opens the door to many other changes in the digital world.
What a lot of people are looking forward to, is the addition of fashion and other designer aspects for Oculus. This will allow you to have a virtual self where you can try out whatever you want. A virtual you, powered by Oculus, will allow you to have a style based around what you want … not just what you can afford in the real world.
A virtual you, powered by Oculus, will allow you to have a style based around what you want.
These styles that you try on aren’t limited to digital world. Fashion designers and retailers can take their wares to the digital world where you can try out various real life designs. What designers want is the ability for people to try out their fashion items and be able to order them based on whether or not they like them.
Fashion isn’t the only industry that is looking to display their products in the virtual world. The automotive industry is already working with the virtual reality platform to display their cars and allow virtual walkthroughs. Audi utilized the Samsung VR headset to allow tours of their cars. Volvo did the same with Microsoft HoloLens.
Virtual avatars are the next step in enhancing the virtual reality experience and it has arrived. It may even play a part in the Virtual Reality Fashion Week being developed by RNWY VR. By implementing avatars the tech world is adding the ability for people to feel truly represented by a image of themselves. Or what they want to look like.
Keeping an eye on the virtual reality industry is a must for anyone who is interested in the possibilities that exist. The virtual reality experience has a lot to offer for many different industries. Markets like the fashion industry have so much opportunity, and avatars are about to start being available to the layperson who uses Oculus and other virtual reality platforms.
Who knows? We might even see them at New York Fashion Week.
More than 35 designers from around the world came together at the world famous Beverly Hilton Hotel for Los Angeles Fashion Week to celebrate the art of fashion. The event produced by Art Hearts Fashion and presented by AIDS Healthcare Foundation has become the largest fashion platform on the West Coast and has established itself as a world-class event.
More than 35 designers from around the world came together
Opening night featured the debut of “The Gardens,” the brand new outdoor area served as the art gallery and reception space for the event. The Gardens unparalleled beauty set the tone for the week of amazing shows. The 7pm presentation opened with Datari Austin London, followed by Burning Guitars Clothing and wrapping up with SIWY Denim’s debut Disney Collaboration. The 9pm Couture presentation featured 4 world class celebrity designers including Farah Abu, Resty Lagare, Lebanese designer Elie Madi and Rocky Gathercole.
Day two of fashion week featured the perfect mix of ready to wear and European inspired collections. The 5pm presentation opened with Ilava, Marisa Clark and Sanja Bobar followed by Wicked Things Boutique, Dair Design, and Fernando Alberto Atelier at 7pm. The night ended with presentations by Usama Ishtay, Dexter Simmons, and Charles and Ron. Each brand told a different story while perfectly complementing each other on the runway to provide guests with an incredible fashion journey.
Day three of fashion week opened with popular kids’ designers featuring collections from Wanda Beauchamp, Monnalisa, and Lil Jewels Boutique. The showcase featured celebrity kid models Sofia Wylie, Ava Kolker, Lexy Kolker, Juliet Hanks, Cooper Friedman, Grace Wethor, Sophia Abraham, Khia Lopez and many more. Swimwear collections followed at 5pm with Vichi Swim, E.S. Collection Spain, and Mister Triple X swimwear. The 7pm presentation featured an eclectic mix of styles opening with designer Jonathan Marc Stein followed by Dinkra and a grand finale presentation by Diana Couture X Le Ciel Design. The theatrical showcase featured moving headpieces and mechanical angel wings leaving guests in awe of the creative Indonesian powerhouse designer. Closing out the night were two high energy street wear collections by Michael NGO and Mister Triple X MetalliX collection, the brands each featured dance performances and sexy fashion.
Closing day of Fashion Week opened with swim collections by Honey Bee Swim, Gyv Me Body and Alina Petra followed by a 7pm showcase featuring Rochelle Goodrick, Dog Couture Designer Anthony Rubio and wrapping up with elegant evening gowns by Jovani LA. The spectacular week of fashion culminated with Venezuelan designer Nidal Nouaihed’s breathtaking “Sinfonia’ collection by Nidal Couture. The show opened and closed with supermodel Edymar Martinez. Arzamendi Style from Mexico followed with a Gatsby inspired party dress collection featuring Swarovski embellishments and an elegant vibe. Closing the event was celebrity designer Laurel Dewitt who’s show featured the brands signature intricate metal work. Guests of the week enjoyed a closing party at the Mondrian Hotels Sky Bar.
Los Angeles Fashion Week is presented by AHF and partnered with Official Hair Sponsor Style The Runway & Hair Dreams Extensions powered by Woody Michleb Salons. Official makeup sponsor Moira Cosmetics powered by April Love Pro Team featuring Bdellium Tools. Sponsors Include: Monster Energy, Savvy Travelers, Shibue Couture, Selfie Cookie, Thats IT, and La Foglia. Art Gallery presented by Six Summit Gallery.
As a voice for artistic and cutting edge designers, Art Hearts Fashion is paving the way toward the future of fashion week. Art Hearts Fashion’s philanthropic drive stretches internationally, putting the spotlight on how fashion can promote constructive ideals and influence the progressive evolution of the fashion industry. The platform is proud to raise awareness for organizations including: Aids Healthcare Foundation, Project Cancerland, Make A Wish Foundation, Wednesday’s Child, Children’s Hospital LA, & Women’s Cancer Research Foundation.
Over the last few years, attention to sustainability and ethical standards has erupted dramatically in the fashion industry on a global scale. Once a niche product market, sustainable and ethical fashion has come to the forefront of major runways and exhibitions worldwide, now becoming an expectation of consumers everywhere.
Even agencies such as the Life Cycle Initiative led by the United Nations Environment Program are eagerly searching for way to support these practices. While many major brands have sworn alliance with resources that make them meet these qualities, Fashion Week Online searched far and wide to feature designers who are changing the industry … one fair stitch at a time.
SOLVE – Denmark
Focused on creating the ideal wardrobe for the consumer and the environment, SOLVE is a label that promotes “slow fashion,” creating one quality collection per year. A proud member of the Textile Association and the Danish initiative Sylab, the brand traces the materials in their clothing from raw state to final production.
Collections consist of pieces that are 100% biodegradable in compost. Cristina Dan, founder of SOLVE, has a background in Circular Economy and now uses fashion to utilize her passions for sustainably.
MAISONNOÉE – Germany
Berlin-based MAISONNOÉE is a high-quality, ready-to-wear fashion label committed to wearable, sustainable fashion, made by ethical manufacturing processes. Collections are incredibly sleek and sexy yet functional. Fusing dark palettes with soft patterns, this brand has a distinctive perspective and personality.
ALEXANDRA GROOVER – London
Goth-chic meets sustainability in Alexandra Groover’s 12 collections. Based in London, Alexandra Groover collaborates with artists globally and debuts her work in film productions. Using vegan leathers and organic fabrics, the label embodies the essence of eco-conscious, noir fantasy.
BYT – Hong Kong
BYT is a start-up committed to reducing waste through upcycling luxury fabrics. Additionally, the brand uses only sustainable manufacturers and social enterprises in Asia. BYT seems to have cracked the code to producing an economically balanced clothing line. BYT’s efforts are part of a revolutionary change in fashion, using wasted textile material as the core elements of their designs.
Without question, sustainable and ethical fashion standards have taken center stage worldwide. Making an impact on new and established labels, “slow fashion” is the future of the apparel industry.
Strategies used in the fashion business that improve the world and environment have made their cinematic progression already, and will not fail to be present in our lifetimes and beyond.
Strong. Sophisticated. Inspired. That’s definitely how we would describe LAKUM’s bridal collection this season. Founders Sathya Balakumar and Heather Green created their luxurious brand to challenge established norms and upset the traditional standards of bridal wear with must-have options for the modern bride.
Inspired by design icons like Zaha Hadid, Joan Miro, and Francis Picabia, LAKUM plays with new textures and layers, unexpected fabric choices and luxurious separates.
From ribbon blossom embroidery to satin organza, LAKUM’s Fall/Winter 2018 bridal collection is elegant and bold with classic silhouettes and clean lines. If you’re a modern bride, you won’t want to miss these designs. Take a look at the slideshow to see the entire collection on the runway.
If you’re a modern bride, you won’t want to miss these designs
For FW18, Alexandra Grecco combined inspiration from a recent trip to Ile de Re, an island off the west coast of France, along with silhouettes and details that could be found in a 1920’s circus.
The colors that make up the collection were inspired by the pastel buildings and hollyhocks that lined the narrow cobblestone streets on the island. Feathers and shimmering beads adorn select pieces from the collection, adding a playfulness for the free-spirited bride while floral elements inspired by the flowers found on the island are hand-embroidered on illusion tulle and made to look like tattoos.
Alexandra Grecco’s signature “effortless” bridal style is making big waves in the industry and she is most definitely a designer to watch.
About Alexandra Grecco
Alexandra Grecco released her first ready to wear collection in the spring of 2010, finding inspiration in the designs of eras past and cinematic landscapes, real and imagined. In her work, she has found herself drawn to classic, feminine designs that, while rooted in nostalgia, achieve a sense of timelessness.
Looking for a gown in advance of her own wedding in 2013, she saw an opportunity to create a bridal line of her own and pair her aesthetic with high-quality fabrics and intricate hand-embroidery. Launching in July 2014, the Alexandra Grecco bridal line features ethereal gowns for the less-traditional bride.
Laure de Sagazan’s latest bridal presentation was a continuation of the 2018 campaign which was shot at Villa Cavrois, a modernist mansion built in France in 1932, reflecting the architectural lines and timeless allure of the collection.
The 2018 collection features an elegant assortment of gowns, including drop waist silhouettes, pant suits and structured separates all featuring soft French Calais lace, fluid silks and romantic detailing.
Laure de Sagazan brings a breath of fresh air to the bridal industry offering gowns for brides that just want to be themselves on their wedding day.
Launched in 2011, Laure de Sagazan has brought that Parisian je ne sais quoi to bridal with her timeless pieces. From her signature statement separates, boho silhouettes and delicate French lace details; Laure’s collections are all about blending shapes, styles and textures, to create something completely unique for brides around the world.
Morilee by Madeline Gardner Bridal Fashion Week New York
Represented by Coded PR.
Recognized for her beautiful ball gowns and dreamy detailing Madeline Gardner presented a collection full of fun and flirty pieces; Featuring gowns adorned with feathers, corseted bodices, lovely laces and unique floral details.
As the collection name entails, this season Madeline was inspired by her real brides.
“I’ve created my collection for all of the strong, individual brides that inspire me each and every day. The incredible women that wear my dresses have always driven all of my emotion, originality, and passion. Every detail of these gowns, from the embroidery designs to the lace patterns and special beading, is with you in mind. The beauty of a powerful woman transforms into the perfect gown. For all that these heroines of today have dared to be, I dare to be too with each of these designs.” – Madeline Gardner
For NYFW: Bridal, Caroline Castigliano presented a multi-faceted collection featuring timeless designs with ultra-feminine twists, elevated textures and highly luxurious accents.
The new collection, “Celebrating Romance,” features a range of silhouettes including A-line, circle skirts and fishtails, all of which give the gowns beautiful movement.
Stretch crepe, satin-faced organza and unusual textured silks flow beautifully alongside intricate beading and laces such as guipure lace and soft Chantilly lace. The collection is available in a color palette of ivory with soft water colors and hints of nude foundations.
About Caroline Castigliano
Caroline Castigliano is the connoisseur of luxury bridal and evening wear in the UK. Caroline has dressed some of the world’s most stylish women for their weddings and red carpet events. Among her many clients is an enviable list of celebrities, film stars and dignitaries.
