Four Designers in Sustainable and Ethical Fashion

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.

##

With love,

FWO

Liselore Frowijn

Tlead

Twenty energetic looks where shown on the gallery’s damier floor where Liselore Frowijn’s daring universe was fully immersed with the upright columns: freedom can be a powerful tool of independence.

FROWIJN took us on a dry archeological journey deep into Mexico, reminding us all of the vibrant country’s overpowering beauty. She referred to the Maya’s ancestral culture and took references from nature, buildings and pyramids for their size and decoration. She used hope as the weapon for creation; the rotatory printed cactus created in collaboration with graphic designer Michiel Schuurman literally symbolizes this hope.

“The collection is a an intensive homage to the country of Mexico. In March this year I went on a research trip there and met many locals who proudly showed me their traditional arts and crafts. My new collection is an ode to freedom generally, and to Mexico specifically, with elements of its cultural history and hopes for a bright future interwoven throughout”

The collection’s motto of hope is to keep Mexicans shinning as they call themselves “People of the Sun”, bringing up a critical reflection on the current threats the country suffers by oppressing not the entire culture, but also blocking its creative instincts.

 
Liselore Frowijn

[portfolio_slideshow id=43096 align=center width=699 click=advance thumbnailsize=40 showcaps=false]
 

##

Learn More

website.com

With love,

FWO

Addition Elle NYFW SS18

We’e been covering Addition Elle — and the rise non-exclusive fashion, sometimes called “plus-size” — for awhile. So it’s particularly gratifying to see Addition Elle finally grace the NYFW runways.

The Montreal-based fashion brand debuted their Fall Holiday 2017 runway show at New York Fashion Week at Skylight Clarkson Square. This marks the brand’s first monumental show in partnership with IMG and NYFW: The Shows.

The looks were playful, fun, sporty, and chic. One of the shirts said: “Labels are for clothes only.”

The looks were playful, fun, sporty, and chic

Next all we have to do is get some of these models on the rest of the runways, so we can get rid of the “plus size” moniker. And while we’re at it, maybe we can go ahead and remove the word “race” from our vocabulary, too.

Then — label-free — we can all look forward to a kinder, better world.

 
Addition Elle: NYFW SS18

[portfolio_slideshow id=38391 align=center width=699 click=advance thumbnailsize=40 showcaps=false]
 

This past week, Addition Elle unveiled the latest offerings from top model power house Ashley Graham’s eponymous lingerie lines, Purple Rain and Ritz, alongside social starlet and model Jordyn Wood’s Love & Legend RTW capsule collection and Addition Elle’s Holiday 17’ mainline. The shoes for the show were custom made for each model by Shoes of Prey, further solidifying that style should never be limited by size.

The shoes for the show were custom made for each model by Shoes of Prey

Championing runway inclusivity and fashion democracy, Addition Elle also opened the doors to their first New York City pop up shop, offering looks straight from their runway show as part of a “see now, buy now” retail model.

Addition Elle is championing runway inclusivity and fashion democracy

About Addition Elle

Addition Elle is a leader in the Canadian market, with over 30 years of experience in delivering trendy, flattering and fashionable clothing for plus size women across Canada and the United States. Addition Elle’s ready-to-wear collections of intimates, sportswear, outdoor active wear and career apparel are designed to inspire customers to look and feel their personal best in every aspect of life. With close to 100 retail locations across Canada and brand name recognition in U.S. department stores such as Nordstrom and Lord & Taylor, Addition Elle promises to deliver “fashion democracy” to its customers, a philosophy grounded in the belief that style isn’t limited by size. Addition Elle fashions can be purchased in-store or online at additionelle.com. Addition Elle is a division of Canada’s leading specialty retailer Reitmans Canada Limited, which includes Reitmans, RW-Co, Penningtons, Hyba and Thyme Maternity.

##

Learn More

additionelle.com
NYFW schedule

With love,

FWO

Evolution of Attitude: How Rihanna Seized Fashion Week

Now that Rihanna’s throne in fashion is well-established, it’s not uncommon to hear the public sing her praises and buy out whatever apparel, shoes, or products she launches.

Of course the road to success wasn’t always paved in gold bars, and Rihanna’s history of fashion collabs deserves a glance as she releases her last collaboration with Manolo Blahnik, appropriately titled “#SoStoned,” and hypes up the beauty world in anticipation for Fenty Beauty.

Rihanna’s history of fashion collabs deserves a glance

In 2011 Rihanna teamed up with Armani, releasing a capsule collection of denim, lingerie, bags, and some miscellaneous tees and jackets. It’s a collection fit for a fashion designer newbie, but with a monster brand. It’s also the sort of clothing I would delight in getting at a fast-fashion box store in 2011, and probably did. She debuted another capsule collection with them the following year, featuring denim pieces yet again.

River Island, a high street London brand, was next and was instrumental in Rihanna’s fashion career, as far as I’m concerned. She collaborated with the brand multiple times, releasing Spring, Summer, and Fall/Winter Collections in 2013. With affordable prices and high fashion, yet still relevant looks, Rihanna catered to mere mortals this time around in lieu of Armani frocks. We see an escalation of boldness in these collections with a touch of her signature athleisure vibes, but she remains paradoxical, with something as classic as a velvet black maxi dress. It is the contradictions of her style that make her so magnetic, after all.

It’s the contradictions of her style that make her so magnetic

When Rihanna became Puma’s brand ambassador and creative director for their women’s training division in 2014, she really took off, no longer earth-bound from that moment forward. Her fan base supported her early on, and the fashion world looked kindly on, but her ever-growing success found its exponential growth.

From Puma we were blessed with creepers that even an anti-creeper fashionista could love (or at least, I learned to love them in ways I thought impossible), RiRi-designed trainers, and of course—the cult fashion favorite—the fur slide. For a glimpse of the mania, see sadder versions of them in your local shoe retailer.

creepers that even an anti-creeper could love

Not only did we get shoes, but we also got three collections shown in New York and Paris: FW16, SS17, and FW17, with SS18 on the way. All of the collections had subversive street style and athleisure elements, heavily reminiscent of Rihanna’s own style, brimming with bravado, but not without a trained eye. So often do we see a celebrity take the reigns of their own label, or a borrowed one, only to be met with vague interest or event insults. Not so with Rihanna.

brimming with bravado, but not without a trained eye

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention all of her previous shoe collaborations with Manolo Blahnik, despite briefly acknowledging them above, but I can’t quite write a novel. In short, Rihanna worked with Manolo Blahnik, creating some excellent and unique collections titled “Denim Desserts,” “Savage,” and now “#SoStoned”.

She’s also been a bastion for makeup lovers, with her bold lips, eyes, and so on. During her collaborations with one of her favorite brands MAC, she met immense success and became the face of their Viva Glam campaign. She’s announced she’ll be taking on a beauty line titled Fenty Beauty, which has me trembling in anticipation for Fall 2017. And if we’ve learned anything from the past, this is a line that I’m sure will sell out in moments.

##

With love,

FWO

(Main photo designer: Laura Mancini)

Arab Fashion Week Roundup

Arab Fashion Week in Dubai is making a name for itself in the field of “ready couture”; and — more importantly — by the indisputable quality of its production and featured designers. Created by the Arab Fashion Council, in partnership with Sheikh Mohammed Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum Investment, the five-day event in Dubai recently hosted a swarm of international designers.

The result was a diverse assortment of designers showcasing a range of styles and backgrounds, all while keeping close to Arab Fashion Week’s signature “ready couture” approach.

 
Day 1

[portfolio_slideshow id=30596 align=center width=699 click=advance thumbnailsize=40 showcaps=true]
 

Day 1 started with Abdo Aouadi, who displayed his feminine silhouettes with rich embroidery with subtle hues, followed by Jenanne Filat, the Palestine-American designer who wowed the audience with her menswear lineup. The right mix of vibrant colors and pastels made the collection apt for the region.

The right mix of vibrant colors and pastels

Mrhua Mrshua highlighted the monochrome, using accessories that had a tribal vibe. Marchesa marked the end of Day 1, with the brand leaving the crowd mesmerized. Their trademark appliqué and delicately detailed gowns received a great reception, as predicted.

 
Day 2

[portfolio_slideshow id=30597 align=center width=699 click=advance thumbnailsize=40 showcaps=true]
 

On Day 2, demi couture and prêt-à-porter brand Ilse Jara used strong textures that incorporated art motifs. Laquan Smith and Laura Mancini showcased their collections as well. Where the former brought back rock chic with firm cuts and thigh-high boots, the latter kept her collection classic and soft.

Jeans Couture took the bold path, with the reds and the blacks married creatively. Next-Generation Project dabbled between arty and modern cuts that enthralled the onlookers.

 
Day 3

[portfolio_slideshow id=30598 align=center width=699 click=advance thumbnailsize=40 showcaps=true]
 

Indonesian designer Sapto Djojokartiko interpreted his vision with graphics and lace while Italian designer Renato Ballestra placed the pastel palette onto flowy gowns on Day 3.

Malliny brought back the ’60s with tea-length dresses and crocheted tops.

With the right amount of embroidery, Speranza Couture gave its craft a sophisticated edge. Florals seemed to dominate the collection, from empire waist to dainty neckline.

The day also witnessed Dubai designer Zoe Eckett with her modern take on the abaya — the local dress of the Middle East.

 
Day 4

[portfolio_slideshow id=30599 align=center width=699 click=advance thumbnailsize=40 showcaps=true]
 

Day 4 featured Dubai-based Aiisha Ramadan exhibiting her L’Azure collection, which contained 48 different looks by women from different walks of life. The deep hues of blues and red drew inspiration from the depths of the ocean. The collection varied from swimsuits to couture dresses and gowns.

Bruno Caruso, was also present among the talent displayed. Caruso’s eclectic designs were the perfect depiction of modernity-meets-tradition.

While Caruso’s designs left everyone spellbound, Kristina Fidelskaya enthralled all with her ready-to wear collection. Her long flowing gowns were soft and made an impact.

Lace seemed to be the constant hero on the runway, and Polish designer Sylwia Romaniuk channeled the look spectacularly.

Lace seemed to be the constant hero on the runway

The day ended with Dubai’s favorite couturier Michael Cinco. Cinco never fails to impress. His attention to detail shows well in every design and is impeccable.

 
Day 5

[portfolio_slideshow id=30600 align=center width=699 click=advance thumbnailsize=40 showcaps=true]
 

The last day of the week ended with the absolute best. Antonio Marras enticed fashion lovers with his bold prints and solid cuts. Marras always seems to have a tale to tell with his vivid collage of detailed patterns.

Ingie Chalhoub of the Ingie Paris had minimalist looks, but with an impact. Her choice of fabrics added the opulent touch, keeping the look absolutely clean and sharp.

We saw the return of Marchesa for the closing finale with their bridal collection. The Greek goddesses took to the runway, proving yet again that the brand never ceases to perform their magic. The voluminous dream-like gowns edged with chantilly lace were to die for.

All in all, Arab Fashion Week is proving that the Middle East is as serious about its fashion as for its love for everything luxurious. Here’s looking forward to next season.

##

Learn More

arabfashionweek.org

With love,

FWO