NEW YORK: New York Fashion Week kicks off the global fall/winter 2018 season fighting to stay relevant blighted by sexual harassment scandals, an industry in chaos, and designers jumping ship.
More than 230,000 people flood the US financial capital to attend the style fest that generates nearly $900 million a year for the city.
It is currently scheduled twice-yearly in February and September.
But as social media influencers wrestle power from fashion editors and buyers, more labels than ever are opting out this season, abandoning New York for Europe or tearing up the runway show altogether.
Here is a look at the top trends expected to dominate when Fashion Week formally gets underway on Thursday, preceded by three days of men’s shows.
The sexual harassment watershed engulfing the US and rocking the fashion industry has seen the Council of Fashion Designers of America unveil new guidelines in an attempt to clamp down on misconduct.
“We have zero tolerance for unsafe environments and strongly encourage everyone in our industry to report abuse in the workplace,” wrote CFDA chairman Diane von Furstenberg in a letter announcing the guidelines, which also raise awareness against eating disorders and advocate greater diversity.
Misconduct accusations have seen celebrated photographers Terry Richardson, Mario Testino and Bruce Weber barred from collaborating with Vogue and Vanity Fair publisher Conde Nast.
The magazine empire has issued a new “Code of Conduct” to include bans on alcohol on sets, on under-18 models without a chaperone, and for nudity or “sexually suggestive” poses to be agreed beforehand.
But the Model Alliance has demanded “meaningful and lasting change,” saying “voluntary standards” without education, proper complaint mechanisms and independent enforcement “are not going to work.”
Marchesa, the label of Harvey Weinstein’s estranged wife Georgina Chapman, canceled their Valentine’s Day show, still reeling from the fallout of his downfall over multiple allegations ranging from sexual harassment to rape, in favor of “an updated format.”
Added to the schedule is a #MeToo fashion show — named for the movement against sexual harassment — on Friday to raise awareness.
“The only way to change things is to be united... and stand up and say, ‘That is not OK, we are not going to accept this anymore,’” organizer Myriam Chalek told The Daily Beast.
Alexander Wang, the New York king of cool whose urban chic is so adored by off-duty models, is making his swansong before this summer ditching the traditional February-September calendar in favor of June-December.
His departure follows the exit of Proenza Schouler and Rodarte for couture week in Paris on the same schedule, and Altuzarra, which moved to Paris Fashion Week.
“Why do something that’s not working?” Stephanie Horton, chief strategy officer at Alexander Wang told a recent industry event in New York. “The business model needs to change because the consumer has changed.”
Steven Kolb, president and CEO of the CFDA, predicts that other designers could follow suit.
“I think it’ll be a period of chaos, maybe, but chaos always calms down at some point,” he told the same event in New York.
Tommy Hilfiger is taking his see-now, buy-now fashion roadshow to Milan, Rihanna’s Fenty collaboration with Puma is taking a break, and rap superstar Kanye West chose to unveil his latest installment for urban sportswear brand Yeezy last week on Instagram, modeled by his wife Kim Kardashian.
British former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham is marking her last show in New York before celebrating her label’s 10th anniversary in London. Spanish label Delpozo is already moving to London and Tome to Paris.
Bucking the trend is Italian luxury house Bottega Veneta, showing at the American Stock Exchange on Thursday as a one-off to celebrate a new boutique on Madison Avenue.
Look out for the influencers — the breed of bloggers, Instagramers and celebrities whose followings can shift markets and who are particularly dominant in New York.
“We’re so embedded in pop culture, in media and entertainment,” explains Kolb.
Face and figure alone are no longer a guarantor of hitting the big-time. Instead it’s genes, having the right name and an Instagram following.
Think 16-year-old Kaia Gerber, look-alike daughter of Cindy Crawford already collaborating on a collection with Karl Lagerfeld, Kendall Jenner, half-sister of Kim Kardashian, and Gigi and Bella Hadid, daughters of “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Yolanda Hadid.
No longer just the face of brands, their huge celebrity following is a meal ticket for brands and they can monetize that. Think Calvin Klein’s recent underwear campaign featuring the Kardashians.
New York Fashion Week weathers #MeToo storm
New York Fashion Week weathers #MeToo storm
Bella Hadid celebrates fragrance launch in New York
DUBAI: American-Dutch-Palestinian model Bella Hadid celebrated the launch of her new fragrance brand, Orebella, at a party held over the weekend at The Huntress New York.
In typical Hadid fashion, she turned heads in an archival Roberto Cavalli look from the label’s Spring/Summer 2003 collection, consisting of a petite yellow gown, matching lace-up corset, and gold stiletto sandals.
The runway sensation turned to Instagram last week to showcase images of her fragrances, which are named “Salted Muse,” “Blooming Fire” and “Window2Soul.”
Crafted from glass and adorned with gold caps, the bottles are offered in 10, 50 and 100 ml.
Hadid in her caption described the fragrances as “hydrating, alcohol-free and enriched with essential oils.” She urged her followers to “shake to activate the transformative bi-phase formula.”
The “Salted Muse” perfume has “top notes” of sea salt, pink pepper and carbon dioxide extract, “heart notes” of olive tree accord, fig and lavender, and “base notes” of cedarwood, sandalwood and amber, according to reports.
The “Blooming Fire” fragrance has bergamot, cedarwood, clove leaf and cardamom, followed by Tahitian monoi and jasmine, and finishes with patchouli.
The “Window2Soul” scent has a blend of lemon, geranium and mint in its top notes, transitions to jasmine and damask rose, and concludes with a base of tonka bean.
Hadid wrote on her website: “For me, fragrance has always been at the center of my life — helping me feel in charge of who I am and my surroundings,” she said. “From my home to nostalgic memories, to my own energy and connection with others, scent has been an outlet for me. It made me feel safe in my own world.”
“Through my healing journey, I found that I was extremely sensitive to the alcohol in traditional perfumes — both physically and mentally — it became something that was more overwhelming than calming to me,” she added. “That is the main reason I wanted to find an alternative, so essential oils became an artistic and experimental process for me.”
While Hadid’s New York trip has primarily been spent promoting Orebella, she is expected to attend the Met Gala in a few days.
Naomi Campbell sparkles in Nicolas Jebran gown
DUBAI: British supermodel Naomi Campbell wowed fellow guests at the wedding of PrettyLittleThing founder Umar Kamani and model Nada Adelle, which took place at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France.
Campbell wore a custom couture gown by Lebanese designer Nicolas Jebran, who took to social media to share the supermodel’s ethereal look.
“It is not a catwalk: this is a Naomi-walk with grace & gardens of bliss! The gorgeous beauty queen takes it to the next level! @Naomi, a complete stunner, in a #NicolasJebran custom couture gown as she attended the #kamaniwedding wedding yesterday!” wrote the designer to the stars.
Campbell herself posted three white heart emojis and: “My chosen family! Would not want to be anywhere else than with you on this day, TO WITNESS THIS BEAUTIFUL UNION OF UNCONDITIONAL LOVE MR & MRS KAMANI @nadakamani @umarkamani WE LOVE YOU.”
The wedding was also attended by Saudi Arabia’s Mohammed Al-Turki, the CEO of the Red Sea Film Festival Foundation. Other celebrity guests included former England international footballer Rio Ferdinand, fashion designer Manish Malhotra, singer Christina Milian, and Ronan and Stormy Keating.
Serenading the couple during the wedding ceremony was renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who performed his rendition of “The Prayer,” accompanied by a full orchestra, as Adelle walked down the aisle.
Supermodel Campbell enjoys a huge fan base in the Arab world. She has also been romantically involved with individuals from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt.
Late last year, she was among was among the celebrities spotted on the red carpet at the Middle East and North Africa premiere of “The Absence of Eden,” on the third day of Jeddah’s Red Sea International Film Festival.
“I love what Red Sea has become and that it’s growing and growing and growing. And it’s really amazing and phenomenal what the team and Mo (Al-Turki) and Jomana (Al-Rashid) have created,” said Campbell in a video posted on festival’s Instagram page.
Her charitable organization, Fashion for Relief, also joined forces with Qatar Creates to launch a new global initiative called Emerge. The catwalk star co-hosted a charity gala and fashion show to support creatives and business talents around the world, with a focus on Africa, the diaspora and developing communities.
Simi and Haze Khadra discuss the functional vision of their beauty brand and its Middle East launch
DUBAI: US-Palestinian beauty entrepreneurs Simi and Haze Khadra this week went on tour in the Middle East to launch their brand, SimiHaze Beauty, in the region. Their travels included stops in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
While in the region, the sister duo — raised by Palestinian parents between Riyadh, London and Dubai — shared insights about their brand with Arab News.
The 31-year-old identical twins, who are also DJs, said that they initially launched the brand out of “pure functionality,” creating products they wanted and needed in their own makeup routines.
Every product they develop undergoes the same rigorous process of ensuring functionality, they said.
“We are constantly thinking of new ideas and ways to make makeup easy and fun to apply,” Simi told Arab News.
The pair launched their US-born cosmetics brand in 2021 with a range of stick-on makeup designs that can be placed on the face for a bold beauty look achievable within seconds.
The sticker book features an array of edgy designs inspired by their favorite DJ looks from the past, such as chrome wings, neon negative space eyeliner and holographic cat-eyes.
SimiHaze Beauty then expanded to include a range of products, such as lipsticks, bronzing powders, and a lifting mascara.
Simi and Haze believe they were “actually late bloomers to the beauty world.”
“We only started becoming interested in it when we were around 18,” Haze said. “We started SHB from just a single product we wanted but couldn’t find in the market, which is our Velvet Blur lipstick.
“We loved a matte lip for every day at the time but couldn’t find one that wasn’t drying, so we created it.”
The twins developed an interest in eye makeup when they began DJ-ing.
“We weren’t the best at applying eyeliner, so again we just created our perfect solution which became the eye stickers,” Haze said.
To the sisters, launching the brand in the Middle East “felt so surreal.”
“The market has been such a huge goal of ours since we started because we grew up here,” Simi said. “We’re so happy that our products are finally accessible to our amazing followers here, because they have been such huge supporters since the beginning.
“Now people are finally able to really see and touch and feel the products, which is so important to us because you will never get the experience and vision of SHB unless you actually hold the product and feel the texture, curves, and ergonomics of it. The online experience doesn’t do it any justice.”
The sisters said that they personally oversee the development of every product. They visit their lab in Italy for a few days at least twice a year to test and create new formulas.
“It takes a while and a lot of back and forth because after we create something it gets tested on our whole family from my grandma to my mom to my little sister and also all my friends with different skin tones,” Simi said.
“My friends are used to me calling them and saying: ‘Hi can I come over and try on some blush colors on you?’ So by the end of it we know what formulas and shades work best on the widest range of people.”
While visiting the Middle East, the sisters observed a prevailing trend in the region: skincare.
“I’ve seen so much good skin here and I can tell people really care about skincare here,” Haze said.
“We’ve also been increasingly obsessed with it. Our products are all infused with skin-loving ingredients, because we’re personally super-paranoid about anything that’s clogging or could cause irritation.”
Loli Bahia, Arab models walk Chanel cruise show in France
DUBAI: French Algerian model Loli Bahia, British Moroccan Nora Attal, and part-Saudi Amira Al-Zuhair took to the runway at the Chanel Cruise 2024/2025 show in Marseille, France.
Bahia donned a green ensemble, composed of a knee-length pencil skirt paired with a matching top, layered over a white shirt boasting a hoodie collar.
Attal graced the runway in a white summery dress adorned with delicate sheer geometric prints, complemented by white slippers.
Her look also featured beach-inspired layered necklaces, a thin chain belt and chunky bracelets adorned with hat, ship anchors and Chanel logo pendants.
Meanwhile, Al-Zuhair sported a vibrant yellow ensemble featuring hot shorts paired with a button-down top and a coordinating cardigan.
She also wore a beige hat, a gold choker embellished with blue detailing, chunky earrings and a chain belt adorned with pendants.
From intricate embroideries to dazzling sequined jackets and swimwear, Creative Director Virginie Viard’s latest collection showcased ensembles inspired by an underwater reverie.
The outfits included knee-length Bermuda shorts, high-waisted shorts, loose trapeze dresses, and large outerwear. Viard also demonstrated the power of layering, using shirt collars, French cuffs and jackets in unexpected ways throughout the collection.
Earlier this week, Chanel shared a series of images, captured by British photographer Jamie Hawkesworth, on Instagram featuring Bahia. The pictures, drawing inspiration from the seaside and scuba diving, provided an initial preview of Viard’s collection.
Bahia showcased multiple ensembles from the collection in the photographs. In the first shot, she dazzled in a glitzy black sequined mini pencil skirt and blazer. Another image captured her wearing the green ensemble seen on the runway, with the hoodie of the white shirt covering her head.
Additionally, she was photographed donning a white one-piece swimsuit adorned with a black bow around the chest.
The photo series also featured Bahia in a variety of other outfits, including a vibrant white dress with colorful square-like designs, tailored shorts paired with a blazer, as well as a striped set featuring a full-length skirt and matching top.
Saudi Arabia announces Red Sea Fashion Week
DUBAI: The Kingdom is all set to host the inaugural Red Sea Fashion Week. Set against the waters of Ummahat Island, the glitzy event is scheduled to take place from May 16-18 at The St. Regis Red Sea Resort.
Red Sea Fashion Week, which is organized by the Saudi Fashion Commission, will showcase local and international designers. It aims to celebrate the fusion of traditional Saudi aesthetics with cutting-edge contemporary design.
Among the highlights will be the participation of Saudi 100 Brands, an initiative spearheaded by the Fashion Commission to support and promote emerging local talent.
Saudi Arabia played host to its first fashion week in 2023, in Riyadh. The event took place in the King Abdullah Financial District from Oct. 20-23 and set the stage for a new fashion capital in the Middle East.
