Top International Fashion News of the Week | 15.10.2017

This week, Gucci pledged to go fur-free, H&M revealed its long-anticipated designer collaboration with Erdem, Puma launched the #LetUsAllTieTheKnot campaign, while Donna Karan and Georgina Chapman’s struggled following the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Discover these stories and more as we reveal this week’s top international fashion news of the week.

Gucci Goes Fur-Free

Luxury fashion house Gucci has announced that it will no longer be using animal fur in its collections, starting from Spring/Summer 2018. Marco Bizzarri, President and CEO of the Italian brand, disclosed the news during the 2017 Kering Talk and London College of Fashion on Wednesday. The decision to go fur-free follows a long-standing relationship between Gucci and the Humane Society of the United States and LAV – members of the international Fur Free Alliance. In an interview with Vogue, Bizzarri said that amongst other reasons, today’s technological advancements in textile production finally encouraged the move. “Being socially responsible is one of Gucci’s core values, and we will continue to strive to do better for the environment and animals. Gucci hopes it will help inspire innovation and raise awareness, changing the luxury fashion industry for the better.”

The new policy will exclude textiles made from mink, coyote, racoon dog, fox rabbit, karakul and other species that are predominantly hunted or bred for their coats. Kitty Block, President of the Humane Society International, called the brand’s pledge a game changer. “For this powerhouse to end the use of fur because of the cruelty involved will have a huge ripple effect throughout the world of fashion,” she said in a press release. Through this action, Gucci now joins the ranks of other fur-free designer brands such as Armani, Hugo Boss and Stella McCartney.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ8atG5lahh/?taken-by=gucci

Full Erdem x H&M Collection Revealed

In only three weeks, Erdem’s long-anticipated collection for H&M will hit the stores. After many months of secrecy and a teaser directed by Hollywood legend Baz Luhrmann, the label has finally released the full lookbook this week. As one of the sources of inspiration, Erdem credits “Being Boring”, a music video by the Pet Shop Boys. “It’s about a group of young people at a country house mansion. It’s that idea of a country getaway with boys and girls dressing up and playing with their look, with girls in ball gowns and sneakers, and also sharing a wardrobe with guys,” he described the scenario. At the same time, it reflects on a very personal level, drawing creative influence from the past and his own childhood. “The collection reinterprets some of the codes that have defined my work of the past decade. It’s also inspired by my youth.”

In true Erdem spirit, the designs feature colourful flower prints on earthy shades of navy, black, grey and burgundy. The women’s line is defined by the feminine silhouettes of the 20s, 30s and 40s, refined with rich pleat and lace detailing. His first ever menswear collection ties in seamlessly with the womenswear elements. It’s accentuating sporty florals, cosy wool sweaters and distinct British tailoring. “There has to be an easiness to menswear and a sense of reality. I’m so happy with it, and I think so many women are going to love the men’s collection too,” said the designer about his menswear debut. Erdem follows in the footsteps of a long list of A-list designers, including Balmain and Alexander Wang that have produced sought-after capsules for the retailer. Erdem x H&M will be available in selected stores and online from November 2. View the whole collection here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaGU0BvAdad/?taken-by=hm

Donna Karan Under Fire for Voicing Harvey Weinstein Support

Donna Karan, the founder of DKNY, found herself under fire after voicing support for big-shot producer Harvey Weinstein this week. Weinstein was let go from his own company earlier in the week following allegations of sexual abuse in more than 30 known cases of the past three decades. In an interview with the Daily Mail on the red carpet of the Cinema Fashion Film Awards in Los Angeles, she made comments that implied women might be “asking for it”. After criticising the treatment of women all over the world, she went on to question their choices and role in sexual harassment incidents. “How do we display ourselves? How do we present ourselves as women,” she told the Daily Mail. “What are we asking? Are we asking for it by presenting all the sensuality and all the sexuality?”

Her comments quickly went viral, unleashing a wave of verbal despise across news outlets and social media. Karan has since apologised in an official statement, claiming her comments were taken out of context and did not represent her true feelings about the Weinstein affairs. In the past days, many celebrities have come forward in light of what appears to unfold as the biggest Hollywood scandal in decades. Also directly affected is Georgina Chapman, Weinstein’s wife and co-founder of fashion label Marchesa. Shortly after the news broke, Helzberg Diamonds withdrew the introduction of the “Marchesa Radiant Star” collection and the brand’s Spring/Summer 2018 collection preview was postponed “to a later date.” Chapman has confirmed in a statement that she will be leaving her husband of ten years following the incident.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDEkNQCysYd/?taken-by=donnakaran

Coach Inc. Becomes Tapestry Inc.

Coach Inc. has announced that it will be changing its name to Tapestry Inc., which will be effective from the end of the month. Victor Luis, chief executive of the fashion group, said the change is part of an effort to reinforce the company’s image as a multibrand industry player and to become the first American Fashion Group. However, unlike its European counterparts LVMH, Kering and Richemont, Tapestry brands will not be asked to meet exclusive requirements. “We embrace our differences, whether they be race, gender, sexual orientation or belief systems,” Luis clarified. Thus, the group will be open to welcoming non-American brands aboard its ship in the future. “We are not a group that believes there is a single country where products have to be designed or manufactured,” he said, referring to the European groups’ insistence on origin, e.g. “Made in France” or “Made in Italy”.

As for the name, Luis described it as a lively analogy reflecting their company values. “It’s a wonderful metaphor for what we believe in, which is individual threads of different colours all working together to create a picture.” Tapestry was chosen out of a list of thousands of names during a search that took about two to three months. While there were initial concerns that it would be perceived as old-fashioned or elitist, the positives outweighed the negatives considering the word’s associations with craft and handwork. Coach Inc. group currently owns Coach, Stuart Weitzman and Kate Spade. The company’s re-branding may lead to more future acquisitions within the premium market category. The new name will be in official operation from October 31, when the company will start trading under TPR as opposed to COH on the New York Stock Exchange.

Puma Launches Campaign in Support of Marriage Equality

Puma Oceania has launched an initiative in support of marriage equality in Australia. In collaboration with Melbourne-based knot-tying expert Ian Fieggen, the company has created The Equality Knot, a new way to thread your shoelaces to show your support for equal love on a daily basis. Equipped with the hashtag #LetUsAllTieTheKnow, the campaign not only comes with the release of 5000 free limited-edition shoelaces in colours of the rainbow flag, but also a website including a video tutorial on how to tie the know. “There are so many couples who do not enjoy an equal place in the eyes of the law,” Puma writes on the website. “This campaign is for them. And for all of us. Because that’s the hallmark of equality – it’s for everyone.”

About halfway through the voting period of the postal survey, 60% of voting ballots have already been returned. Mandie van der Merwe, Creative Director at Cummins and Partners says by launching the initiative towards the end of the voting cycle, Puma is hoping to boost the “yes” outcome. “We believed there would be a surge in votes at the beginning and end of the voting period. To maximise, Puma’s impact on getting to a “yes” outcome, we decided to focus our efforts in a limited period to capitalise on the anticipated sense of urgency as the vote draws to a close.”

Rose Schleicher

Rose Schleicher is an experienced content and communications professional who has worked across three different continents over the past nine years. She has completed a master’s degree from the renowned London College of Fashion with extensive involvement in the cultural scene of Europe. As a creative, she loves writing about all things fashion, beauty, and lifestyle topics.