Lemaire was founded in 1995 by designers Christophe Lemaire and Sarah- Linh Tran. Its founder, Christophe Lemaire, was formerly the creative director of Hermès and focuses on minimalist design. Born in France in 1965, Lemaire has been described as a philosopher of fashion who specialises in combining tradition with understatement, elegance and practicality are Lemaire’s hallmarks. The brand focuses on low-saturation colours such as khaki, white, black, grey or straw, simplifying the design to reflect Lemaire’s minimalist sensibility. Christophe Lemaire once said, “Find the clothes that suit you best, that are comfortable, confident, sexy, good-looking, happy, and then hang them up like old friends.” This makes me think that clothes can be truly practical and not be wasted, and that you will definitely find a piece of your own at Lemaire. In terms of garment construction, the Lemaire silhouette is simple but layered, and this is where the details appeal to me. Layering clothes with different functions gives the impression of being sometimes light and sometimes wrapped, which makes me think that being spontaneous is truly free.
urban outfitters is one of the most popular brands within the teenage community. I admire urban as they adapt to different aspects of the market such as having a range of different options for both men and women of different ages, as well as feeding into trends and creating them. Urban have looked at the needs of the market and incorporated that into their clothes and products , such as the 2000s trend, majority of their clothes are inspired by the 2000s and as it has become popular to bring back old trends it demonstrates urbans products are unique and stand out from competitors. In addition they also have done collaborations with brands such as Adidas, kappa , north face and nike. these collaborations with sports wear opens a whole new segment for urban to achieve a larger target audience therefore leading to consumers with different interests. Furthermore urban also sell a wide range of products such as beauty, furniture and accessories further adding to the idea that they target a larger audience.
In addition when a product is popular, urban tend to make mutilple of it in different colours such as their Josie tops. During summer of 2021 urban came out with their Josie tops which they dropped in 5 different colours. They were wore in movies as well as hundreds of teenagers and young adults purchasing them. Once they realised how popular they were, they released them in neon colours and colours that where in season and trend. As well as releasing a long sleeve version as we come into the winter. They do this with many of their products such as their cargos or jeans. This allows consumers to keep coming back to urban to get every colour of their favourite clothing encouraging loyal customers to continue to purchase from urban. They know how to adapt to the market as it is very fast pace and constantly changing however they always manage to keep up with the trends.
GENDERLESS GARMENTS: HOW A LUXURY FASHION HOUSE DEFEATS THE BOUNDARIES OF BINARY CLOTHING.
MIU MIU was established in the year 1992, formed from the Italian house of opulence and taste, the Prada group. Based on the personal garments worn by Prada’s CEO Miuccia Prada, the modern subsidiary prides itself on crossing the boundaries of chic style, through the display of bold, extravagant colours to emulate the flair and seductiveness of femininity. Particularly, the FW22 Paris MIU MIU show aligned itself with the modern expectations of genderless apparel. This is exhibited through Miuccias return of Menswear to the MIU MIU collection and implementation of both female and male-gendered models wearing a cross-over of what was once considered a feminine/masculine binary style into the new and improved, definition of genderless fashion. To open the show, the audience was greeted with a stop-motion display where a large clay hand is crushing flowers within its fingertips. One may interpret this as a way for the brand to introduce this contemporary vision for the future of non-binary clothing, as the flower-crushing may imply the destruction of the backwards meaning of femininity and womanhood. As for the collection, the pieces were cleverly designed to convey this modernised image of what is genderless fashion by using male models to present á la mode items like the ballet shoe, pleated micro skirts and low-rise leather trousers. The coalescence of fashion and gender identity is a crucial example of how the industry and social debates can meet in the middle, and MIU MIU’s iconic demonstration of how the two conjoin is a reason why it is my favourite luxury fashion house. Despite previous representations of gender neutrality on the runway from Louis Vuitton’s SS2021 collection and Versace’s memorable Winter collection in Milan 2021, MIU MIU’s take on this major current debate stood out to me as they went beyond the public image with the pieces and models used but expanded the meaning of a “menswear collection” into something for all. As a member of the Gen Z community, gender identity is arguably one of the crucial ways in which a person can express themselves fully, and just like with fashion, there should be no limitations for how one may present themselves. MIU MIU has made a prominent impact on my respect and love for the brand for integrating the image with such an important topic to date.
Since its birth in 2001 by a designer of the same name, ‘Stella McCartney’ has been a pioneer in sustainable luxury fashion. As a brand that holds its values of ethicality and accessibility at the core of all its products and ventures, it finds the balance between contemporary couture and social responsibility.
The Future First
Stella McCartney proved its commitment to improving the fashion industry from the beginning, through its advocacy against real fur, feathers, and skin of any kind, this policy has grown into an exploration of upcoming practices within the fashion community, that has allowed for a more sustainable approach to design.
Beyond its design for clothes, the brand continues to apply its principles to every aspect of the business. From transparent and traceable supply chains and ecologically powered stores to the production of an Environmental Profit and Loss report each year, Stella McCartney can only be described as showing a firm awareness of its impact as a global brand.
Using its power as a global brand it provides voices and platforms to smaller organisations providing vital work within the climate crisis. In 2017 Stella McCartney collaborated with the marine protection organisation Parley which transforms plastic ocean waste into thread and yarn, this produced the Adidas by Stella McCartney Parley UltraBOOST shoe, the first of its kind. Through the brand’s ability to adapt and integrate the ever-changing technological innovations within fashion, it was able to partner with Bolt Threads, a bio-fabrication company creating faux leather from mycelium. This resulted in the production of the world’s first vegan Mylo leather garments and became the core material for the best-selling Falabella bag. Stella McCartney’s choice to work alongside innovative start-ups allows for the further development of new sustainable design practices which may be critical to the future of fashion.
Change the History
Today, the brands SS23 show posed the question ‘How can we change the history?’ and in a Vogue interview creative director and founder Stella McCartney elaborates on this query, stating “I want to look back at my history and redefine where I started and where I am now and what the next Stella looks like.” As a brand, Stella McCartney continues to embrace its history by revisiting its past styles and practices with a new sustainable approach, showing its awareness of past mistakes and willingness to change for future needs, awarding itself ‘A Favourite Fashion Brand’.
Realisation Par was founded in 2015 by two Australian women Alexandra Spencer and Teale Talbot. The brand was created to represent all women, their lives and friendships, as they are the inspiration behind the one-off pieces that the brand is known for. Through their pieces, the brand aims to bring confidence to women who wear them, hoping to help cultivate and accentuate their own personal style. Realisation Par are known for their feminine, 90s inspired pieces, in particular their iconic dresses. All prints and fabrics that Realisation Par uses, are unique to their brand. All their dresses are made from 100% silk and their signature prints are designed in house by a small team of creatives. Realisation Par are also know for their collaborations, having created collections 90s supermodel, Claudia Schiffer, Elton John and Devon Lee Carlson. However, in the early days, Réalisation Par gained its cult status by launching the Alexandra wrap dress. This dress became a celebrity staple and gave Réalisation Par recognisability that it has today.
Further to this, Réalisation Par not only focus on their clothes but the aesthetic of the brand as whole, making it one of the most recognisable brands on the market today. They have coined the phrase “Réal World” which encapsulates the unique visual of Réalisation Par. They focus on capturing the in between moments believing that photos aren’t just photos but also memories.
Réalisation Par is one of my favourite brands because of the style of clothing they make. Their dresses are fun and make me feel confident when I wear them. I also love the fact they focus on high quality materials and creating pieces that are unique to their brand.
Australia-based fashion brand Hara the label was founded in 2016 by Allie Cameron after facing the heartbreaking realities of the fast-fashion industry during her time in India. Hara was created with a vision for fashion to do good, with a mission to ‘empower lives, rejuvenate the earth and bring change, awareness and education to the fickle fashion industry’, and it is through this mission and dedication to it that Cameron has built up her brand and the community within it.
Hara is a special brand to me because it embodies more than just clothes, it’s about the people who wear them, the people who make them and the planet they’re made on. It’s easy to see that this isn’t just a brand to whom sustainability and social responsibility is just a PR stunt, it’s in their DNA. Every step within their design process and supply chain is carefully thought out to result in the least damaging effect possible to the environment; proving to fashion brands everywhere that even though sustainability is hard, it is not impossible and, with a little TLC, steps can be made towards better sustainability initiatives.
One thing that’s unique about Hara is that most of their clothes are made from bamboo fiber. Everything from the buttery soft fabric to the labels sewn on the clothes. Whilst bamboo is one of the least sustainable textiles out of sustainable fabrics, as it requires chemicals to go from fiber to fabric, it is still a major improvement on what most fashion brands typically go for (cotton, polyester, nylon etc.). Bamboo is organic and requires significantly less water than cotton and can be grown without use of fertilizers and pesticides. It also absorbs much more CO2 than cotton and more can be grown in less space. All dyes used on their products are also natural dyes from plants like Turmeric, Indigo and Madder Root or low impact fiber-reactive dyes. Hara means ‘green’ in Hindi, and they definitely live up to the name.
Based in Stockholm, the brand explores the appeal of a modern uniform through distinct design cues, meticulous craftsmanship, and methodic repetition.
(The Business of Fashion, 2022)
(Gaut and Florsheim, 2022)
Elin Kling and Karl Lindman launched TOMEME in 2014, they may represent minimal aesthetics, but thay never stop refining and adjusting to transcend seasonal trends. Referring to brand vision, the style is perfect for Gen Z, who value unique and high-quality clothing in the workplace or while going to school. In contrast to brands that focus on luxury pattern design, they value creating an idea of Uniform. Personally, the mix of simplicity and an incredible feeling of design quality appealed to me. Moreover, I love the triangle cashmere and pullover knit with extra-long ends and a fluid scarf, as it is unique, and I rarely see it from other brands.
Surprisingly, they are open about their supply chain to their customers! On their official website, I found that TOMEME is committed to long-term sustainability and environmental stewardship. 57% of the items are in Europe, with the remainder in China, and the brand’s trusted partners handle 70% of the manufacture. Furthermore, TOTEME works actively to increase transparency throughout the supply chain. The aim is to reach full traceability for every piece – from raw materials to finished products – in 2025 (Sustainability, 2022).
Besides that, TOTEME is one of the members of STICA. By utilizing the strength and influence of the apparel and textiles sector, the group exponentially accelerates progress toward science-based sustainability targets and Global Sustainability Goals (SDGs).
Meanwhile, The Swedish Chemical Group (a collaboration with the Swedish Research Institute, Rise) provides TOTEME with expertise on the most recent chemical regulations and updates on future dangerous materials (Sustainability, 2022), which ensures TOTEME keeps updated with the latest news and research to improve brand sustainability.
In conclusion, although TOTEME isn’t famous as other big fashion brands, its ambition is to bring positivity and contribute to the planet. They relate to the course Better Lives and the three themes: sustainability, social responsibility, and diversity. TOMEME always performs a role model for me, by actively joining associations to receive environmental resources and support, ensuring a fair workplace for workers, and positively involving production in different countries to encourage the economic. Therefore, This brand deserves to be known.
The Business of Fashion. 2022. The Business of Fashion. [online] Available at: <https://www.businessoffashion.com/organisations/toteme> [Accessed 5 October 2022].
TTOTEME. 2022. Totême official online store – ready-to-wear clothing & accessories. [online] Available at: <https://int.toteme-studio.com/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1vSZBhDuARIsAKZlijQc_wR5AfhtVStrwXnKn6Ck8LBJfwfgSmMANpJnY2ioiSbQ6QyOi-YaAqV6EALw_wcB&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1vSZBhDuARIsAKZlijQc_wR5AfhtVStrwXnKn6Ck8LBJfwfgSmMANpJnY2ioiSbQ6QyOi-YaAqV6EALw_wcB> [Accessed 5 October 2022].
TOTEME. 2022. Sustainability. [online] Available at: <https://int.toteme-studio.com/pages/sustainability?gclid=Cj0KCQjw1vSZBhDuARIsAKZlijQ8cNriDhf0v2NvG_prZo_NK4IlIDJBCShnsoicNk_ariQ4tiatCWAaAlFuEALw_wcB&gclid=Cj0KCQjw1vSZBhDuARIsAKZlijQ8cNriDhf0v2NvG_prZo_NK4IlIDJBCShnsoicNk_ariQ4tiatCWAaAlFuEALw_wcB> [Accessed 5 October 2022].
Gaut, A. and Florsheim, L., 2022. Toteme co-founders Karl Lindman and Elin Kling at the brand’s new Manhattan store. Lindman sits in a chair by Swedish designer Mats Theselius, and the artwork on the wall is by German artist Conny Maier.. [image] Available at: <https://www.wsj.com/articles/toteme-store-new-york-soho-11658848273> [Accessed 5 October 2022].
Our planet is home to 7 billion people, yet we have 100 billion garments (Igini, 2022) that are made, consumed and wasted each year. ‘Planet’ is a pillar here at the Fashion Business School that we aim to incorporate not into just our academic studies but something that we aim to implement into our practices outside our studies. The Fashion Industry currently runs off a linear construction of creating, consuming and then wasting garments, which has created a domino effect in which our industry alone we take up 10% of human-made carbon emissions in the world (Richards, 2021).
Sustainability within the Fashion industry as a whole, we need to think more effectively in a way we can reduce carbon emissions, which will effectively cut costs, increase profits, and promote living in a way we can adhere to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN, 2015). With carbon emissions increasing and consumers demanding new garments more than ever, a proposal to use a circular way of creating garments is a way we can help our planet to grow in a way that we aren’t destroying it to fit consumer demands.
Upcycling and reusing garments are the way forward in a bid to cut these emissions. By upcycling we reduce pressure on Cotton Farmers, reduce landfill and stride to break the current linear model we currently follow. However, the issue with this is that to lead by example we need larger brands and industries to follow suit.
In the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the Fashion Industry must take accountability for the way they use fibres, energy and water in order to meet the regulations of the ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’ values of the UN’s Goals. For say, due to the hazardous chemicals that are put into fibres to make garments, approximately 43 Billion tons of these chemicals go straight into waters across the world (The World Counts, 2022). As a result of this, it makes it increasingly harder for residents of these areas to have clean water and access to food sources such as under water life that is used for food. As a result of these chemicals being released into the waters, it has a detrimental knock on effect on the eco systems that we use to simply stay alive- which strikes against the UN’s Goal to End Food Poverty (UN, 2015).
As an Industry, we need to recognise and change the way we create, consume and make Garments to adhere to a healthier, safer planet for all.
REFERENCES
Igini, M., 2022. 10 Stunning Fast Fashion Waste Statistics | Earth.Org. [online] Earth.Org. Available at: <https://earth.org/statistics-about-fast-fashion-waste/> [Accessed 5 October 2022].
Richards, E., 2021. Fast Fashion’s Carbon Footprint – The Carbon Literacy Project. [online] The Carbon Literacy Project – Relevant climate change learning for everyone. Available at: <https://carbonliteracy.com/fast-fashions-carbon-footprint/> [Accessed 5 October 2022].
heworldcounts.com. 2022. The World Counts. [online] Available at: <https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/consumption/clothing/cotton-farming-water-consumption> [Accessed 5 October 2022].
Sdgs.un.org. 2015. THE 17 GOALS | Sustainable Development. [online] Available at: <https://sdgs.un.org/goals> [Accessed 5 October 2022].
My favourite fashion brand is Off White, this company was founded by Virgil Abloh in 2013, this brand appeals to me as it represents my personal sense of style, it has opened showrooms in 15 worldwide locations and featured in multiple fashion weeks. It merges streetwear culture with premium fashion creating a gap in the market which has appealed to a large number of individuals leading the popularity, growth and success of the brand to increase rapidly. The brand logo is simple yet effective due to it being easily recognisable as it isn’t necessarily exclusive to the off-white brand, it is also displayed on crossings and road signs for decades once again linking back to the streetwear tone. This company appeals to me as it frequently collaborates with other brands and releases limited edition items which have reinvented the reselling market. The brand’s target audience is also millennials leading it to appeal to younger generations. Some of the most recent and world renounced collaborations the brand has released include the Off-White x Nike, this collaboration went viral and was overwhelming to the streetwear community, they were some of the most iconic trainers Nike has ever released that came with a modern twist and included en-vouge themes. Off White had a seemingly good reputation leading the popularity and interest of the brand combined with Nike’s established popularity to be a major hit! The brand has also collaborated with other brands such as Mr Porter, Evian, Mercedes, IKEA, LV and many more, this shows the diversity and adaptability of the brand leading it to be diverse and adaptable.
“Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening“
– Coco Chanel
Gabrielle Chanel was one of the most famous and influential fashion designers during the 20th century. She is a prominent role model in fashion history, well known for her signature style of simple elegance and comfort that still captivates the hearts of many people today. I choose Chanel as my favourite fashion brand because it embraces the simplicity of fashion while still being stylish and embodies a strong feminine flair with masculine accents.
Chanel was founded in 1910 when women’s clothes weren’t designed to be practical and consisted of extravagant dresses and tight corsets. Chanel was not a fan of this style as it restricted the movement of women and therefore introduced the jersey material in 1913. Jersey is a stretchy fabric that was commonly used for men’s underwear and hence was far from the norm of the 1900s as it was viewed to be cheap masculine material. Despite this, Chanel’s daring confidence allowed her to be the first to incorporate both comfort and style into women’s fashion by creating sportswear, changing the trends of that era.
Furthermore, when I discovered Chanel I believed it to be a very sophisticated brand due to its use of high-quality and durable fibres such as tweed and yarn. Tweed especially reinforces the luxurious aesthetic of Chanel as it is an expensive rich material. Surprisingly at that time, tweed was a traditional masculine fabric, however in 1924 when she proposed her classic tweed suits, it offered a new style of attire for women. Additionally, the little black dress was popularised in 1926 and was only available in black so being stylish was easier and simpler.
Spring 1993 Ready-to-Wear Collection
I particularly adore the spring 1993 collection which I think perfectly portrays the minimal yet chic elegance that is associated with Chanel. I appreciate that she accompanies the outfits with many accessories, such as grand hats, gloves, bows and gold chains that re-establish femininity in her work.
Her success continues to flourish throughout her fragrance line with Chanel no.5 being the signature scent worldwide. I admire this aspect of Chanel where she broadens her beautiful designs to other industries such as beauty, fragrance and fine jewellery. Therefore, I look up to her not only as a respected fashion designer but also as a respected businesswoman. I believe Chanel to be such a classic luxury brand that has influenced many people and trends to this day and its timeless designs will never be out of style.
Krick, Jessa. “Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel (1883–1971) and the House of Chanel.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, October 2004, https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/chnl/hd_chnl.htm Accessed 5 October 2022.
