श्रद्धा कपूर बीटाउन के यंग फेसेस में से एक हैं। यही वजह है कि यंग गर्ल्स के बीच उनका स्टाइल और फैशन भी फेमस है। इस बार तो यह अदाकारा ऐसी ड्रेस में नजर आई जो समर सीजन के लिए इतनी परफेक्ट है कि इस स्टाइल को कॉलेज या सिंपल हैंगआउट पर आराम से कैरी कर कूल लगा जा सकता है।
“I’m here because I love Kobe,” Beyoncé proclaimed to a packed Staples Center and hundreds of thousands at home, all gathered to honor the late Kobe and Gianna Bryant, before launching into an emotional performance of “XO,” a song she recalls was Kobe’s favorite of hers, and “Halo,” which, according to Billboard, was inspired by a choir of angels. The performance kicked off A Celebration of Life, a memorial for the NBA star and his 13-year-old daughter, who passed away in a tragic helicopter accident earlier this year. Behind her, a mixed choir and full band, all wearing angel white, took both “XO” and “Halo” to new heights, leaving the crowd in tears. “He will be your, she will be your Halo,” Beyonce riffed.
Beyonce’s outfit was also a tribute to Kobe’s memory. She wore a gold two-piece suit paired with gold and purple jewelry and purple nails painted with the names of both Kobe and Gianna in gold polish. Gold and purple are the colors of the Los Angeles Lakers, the team that Bryant played for during his entire 20-year career in the NBA. She also added a button to the lapel of her blazer that reads, “KB.”
Her suit was designed by Sergio Hudson who was a contestant on Bravo TV’s “Styled to Rock.” Since, he’s dressed Michelle Obama, Demi Lovato, and Rihanna. In September, Beyoncé wore a piece from his fall ‘19 collection, a neon orange suit with pointed shoulder pads, a belted waist, and fringe leg detailing. “Thank you to the queen @beyonce and @zerinaakers for supporting us,” Hudson wrote in an Instagram caption on January 1. “You guys should win a medal for the support you have shown to designers of color this year. I am forever indebted.”
In the middle of the history-making press release announcing Prada’s decision that Raf Simons will be joining the brand as co-creative directors with Miuccia Prada is this impossible proposition: The partnership will be “a dialogue between two designers widely acknowledged as two of the most important and influential today.”
On Sunday, the Italian fashion house announced this unprecedented partnership as a necessary and optimistic action in response to changing times where increasing market pressures have limited creative decisions and burnt out creative directors. Rumors had been circulating that Simons would be replacing the 70-year-old Miuccia Prada at her company, or that he might take over the Miu Miu label and resurrect its defunct menswear line.
But this announcement was much more surprising. What took critics and fans aback was not that Raf Simons found a landing pad — that was always going to happen for the acclaimed designer, whose stints at Calvin Klein, Dior, and Jil Sander are considered to be among the most exciting years for those brands. What was unprecedented was that he would be sharing the captain’s seat with another designer as masterful, productive, and lauded as he. And, what’s more, it’s her name on the front door.
The press release emphasized the equity of the partnership. “With equal responsibilities for creative input and decision-making.” “A deep reciprocal respect.” It was “a mutual decision, proposed and determined by both parties.” Seated side by side at the press conference and in promotional imagery, the duo worked to highlight their maturity and professionalism as well as the equivalence of their roles — all without diminishing the size of their talents or largesse of their power. “We think it’s probably the first time that two designers, two mature designers, decided to work together,” Prada told Cathy Horyn at The Cut.
There have been many successful dynamic duos in business history, but rarely do individuals come together so late in their careers (as “mature” designers, as Prada put it). Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Elton John and Bernie Taupin were all born from an initial commitment to a partnership when neither have “made it;” this loyalty is the best defense in weathering growing egos, fame, and outside priorities. In fashion, design duos begin their careers together: Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia. Oftentimes, the industry forces one to the creative forefront: Yves Saint Laurent over Pierre Berge, Rei Kawakubo over Adrian Joffe, Tom Ford over Domenico De Sole. Boy bands breed solo artists, not the other way around.
Though fashion designers are functionally product designers, they are like front-men and lead singers for hire, who lend their talents, fanbase, and star power to houses who have the resources to bring their geniuses to life. Some of the most famous designers of our generation — Phoebe Philo, Karl Lagerfeld, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Hedi Slimane — are most famous for what they’ve done to reimagine other brands. The speed and quantity of their output require big visions supported by bigger egos: By creating at least four collections a year comprised of hundreds of garments each, designers’ value is in knowing exactly who their creative selves are and being able to consistently manifest that into a cohesive assemblage of products. The more experience a designer has had, the more solid their sense of self, which has led to an increased metabolism of brands’ intense and brief employment of ambitious creative directors.
To be able to split that responsibility into two parts, while taking it slow and steady, requires enormous self-awareness as well as humility.
But, there’s a lot of evidence that this could work. Prada the brand is not known for using history as a blueprint for its own futures. Prizing innovation over inertia, and pushing boundaries over precedent, Prada has become, under Miuccia Prada’s leadership, one of the most beloved and recognizable brands that people actually buy and wear. They have invested their business in ways that’d make the risk-averse queasy, but have proven to be incredibly perceptive: By elevating common fabrics like nylon to a luxury status, by expanding women’s sartorial vocabulary and finding beauty and glamour in the “ugly” and “modest,” by investing millions in diversifying their workforce to become a global brand with integrity, Prada is one of the few European brands that are known for thinking ahead.
Raf Simons is perhaps one of few designers who share in that vision. “The past is not romantic to me. The future is,” he opines in Dior and I, the documentary about his early days at the company, following Simons as he worked to incorporate the brand’s outdated designs traditions, like corseted waists and restricting silhouettes, with modern conceptions of femininity. His laconic personality is perfectly matched to Miuccia Prada’s philosophy that political clothing should be so well-conceived and -designed, that it speaks for itself.
They share a mutual love of the fine art (Simons’ long-term collaboration with painter Ruby Sterling has informed his understanding about the power of partnership; Prada has regularly highlights and celebrates other artists’ work, and her Fondazione has become a global art hub and institution); and one can get excited about how this might usher in an era of multidisciplinary collaboration and collectible fashion.
These are also two designers who are uniquely qualified in bridging the luxury market with Gen Z consumers, who want their clothing to come with a side of social consciousness, cultural relevance, and provocation.
If innovation and collaboration are the guiding principles, Prada the brand is well-positioned to change the trajectory of the fashion industry. Is there a future in which business decisions fuel creativity, rather than limit it? Can the company execute real sustainability initiatives, with health and longevity — and not just good PR — as its goal? Can it figure out a way to slow down the churn, minimize chaff, reduce its footprint, and present its products in the places and with the gestures our digital generation can connect with?
This all hinges on one small question: Can two visionaries work in tandem to create one new vision? There’s quite a lot riding on whether Prada and Simons will work well together. Because if the answer is yes, what could change is everything.
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If New York Fashion Week can be defined as, at times, too cool for its own good, Milan Fashion Week remains a site of earnest decadence; of showgoers dressed to the nines even early in the morning; of runways boasting sequins, fringe, beading, tulle, and other super-feminine detailing.
What the week lacked, though, was the kind of integration of social justice issues into runway performances that other cities have begun to do, with just a few exceptions — Vogue Italia announced a partnership with Yoox to support emerging sustainable designers, and Diesel hosted an event all about upcycling. For the most part, though, paper invites piled up and runways were covered in plastic. Meanwhile, Paloma Elsesser and Jill Kortleve made history as the first plus-sized models to walk in Fendi. They were, however, the only plus models I spotted for the entire week, leading me to question whether or not designers in this beautiful city are willing to accommodate their increasingly vocal customer bases.
Fur was also extremely present at the shows of many major designers, an interesting choice given the growing dissidence towards its use in fashion (though many argue that fur is more sustainable than synthetic options).
All that being said, the craftsmanship displayed on the runways was inspiring, and there were several very clear trends that emerged over the course of the week. From puffy sleeves to suits with fringe, it seems designers in Milan have one thing on the brain: Making a statement. Subtlety has no place in Milan’s fashion scene, where the louder the piece, the better.
Ahead, our favorite trends from Milan Fashion Week.
Westworld Extras
Corseted dresses with layers of voluminous, lacy ruffles dominated the runways, in a Western-saloon-meets-Renaissance vein. At Gucci, gowns were large, romantic, and classic. At Fendi, they were figure-hugging, the lace draped and belted for a more modern feel. And at Moschino, gowns were finished with enormous bustles, an ironic throwback made to feel contemporary with extremely short hemlines.
GucciPhoto by Estrop/Getty Images.MoschinoPhoto by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images.FendiPhoto Courtesy of Fendi.Fringe Benefits
As models moved down countless runways, fringe swirled around them, hypnotically bouncing and swaying. At Prada, suiting was sharply tailored and then decorated with swaying fringe of various thickness, over and under blazers, trousers, and skirts. Fringe played heavily at Bottega Veneta, too, decorating the edges of sweaters, bags, dresses, and coats, in colors that included a very pleasing kiwi green. More fringe was seen at Philosophy Di Lorenzo Serafini, Salvatore Ferragamo, Alberta Ferreti, and Fendi, until it became so ubiquitous that I began to think ahead to fall 2020: Will we be able to wear anything without fringe?
Bottega VenetaPhoto by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images.PradaPhoto by Estrop/Getty Images.Jil SanderPhoto by Estrop/Getty Images.Alberta FerrettiPhoto by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images.Statement Sleeves
An echo from the U.S. awards season and New York Fashion Week, sleeves in Milan were bigger, frillier, and louder than ever. It’s perhaps the most refreshing and thorough update to the silhouettes that dominated the 2010s. This new decade is starting off with strong arms for women, and I’m living for it. At Fendi, shoulder lines dropped and sleeves billowed outwards. At Max Mara, sleeves sprouted layers of frills. It was ‘80s-meets-Renaissance-meets-future, a new kind of power dressing for the woman who isn’t afraid to take up space.
Fendi Photo Courtesy of Fendi.Max MaraPhoto by Pietro D'Aprano/Getty Images.Corporate Luxe
In sharp contrast to frills and bows, many shows also including suiting, and even more shows including head-to-toe gray pantsuits. Max Mara, Fendi, Prada, Ferragamo, and more all took turns adding a unique spin to this otherwise classic (and, typically, relatively boring) wardrobe staple, with wide legs, high waists, big shoulders, and, yes, sometimes fringe and ruffles. The perfect answer to your work-related clothing crisis, these gray suits for fall will look as good with a silk blouse during the day as a lacy cami at night.
FerragamoPhoto by Estrop/Getty Images.Max MaraPhoto by Victor Boyko/Getty Images.PradaPhoto by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images.Head-To-Toe Leather
There is probably one week per year in New York City when leather is weather-appropriate, but in Milan, it’s pretty much the It-item for fall 2020. From yellow leather shirt dresses at Fendi to patchwork leather dresses over matching pants at Marni, buttery leather of all shades and shapes was layered with — well, more leather.
MarniPhoto by Victor VIRGILE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images.FendiPhoto Courtesy of Fendi.Jil SanderPhoto by Estrop/Getty Images.
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During a press conference held yesterday during Milan Fashion Week, Prada announced that Raf Simons would be joining the Italian fashion house to become co-creative directors with Miuccia Prada, who has overseen the womenswear, menswear, and Miu Miu diffusion line since the late-’70s.
Raf, who previously held a seat at Jil Sander, Christian Dior, and Calvin Klein until December of 2018 when he unexpectedly left the brand, will be starting at Prada come April. According to the press release, Raf will share “equal responsibilities for creative input and decision-making” with Miuccia.
“I like working, and I’m very excited and this will bring new wind,” she said with a smile when asked about whether Raf’s appointment signals anything about her retirement, according to WWD. “Please don’t make me older than I am.”
According to The New York Times, the decision to collaborate has been in the works for over a year as an answer to the industry’s changing landscape, as a tough market has forced business decisions to usurp creative freedom, limiting what designers can do. “This is a new approach to the very definition of creative direction for a fashion brand — a strong challenge to the idea of singularity of creative authorship,” stated the press release. As a longtime leader in fashion, Prada has weathered this volatility by routinely betting on innovation and newness, while simultaneously staying true to the tradition of the label as envisioned by Miuccia, who grew her family brand into the household name that it is today.
Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada have a long-standing relationship, one that started when Prada hired Raf to head Jil Sanders, then owned by Prada Group. When the brand was purchased by private equity firm Change Capital Partners LLP in 2006, the two remained in touch. Simons has on multiple occasions attended Prada presentations, once for the spring ‘17 menswear show, and again for its resort ‘19 event in New York. “We like each other, we respect each other,” Prada said of her and Simons during the conference.
The duo’s first collection as co-creative directors will be held this September during spring ‘21 Milan Fashion Week.
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कैंसर के बारे में पता चलने, उससे जूझने और हराने के दौरान सोनाली बेंद्रे के साथ कई लोग स्ट्रॉन्ग सपॉर्ट सिस्टम की तरह बने रहे। इन लोगों के बारे में ऐक्ट्रेस ने खुद भी कई बार सोशल मीडिया अकाउंट पर बताया है। हर स्थिति में सपॉर्ट करने वालों में से एक सुजैन खान भी थीं, जो सोनाली के ट्रीटमेंट के दौरान उनसे कई बार मिलने जाती थीं और इमोशनल सपॉर्ट देती थीं। अब अपनी इस बेस्ट फ्रेंड के साथ सोनाली ने फोटोशूट भी करवाया है, जिसकी तस्वीरें भी दोनों ने इंस्टाग्राम पर शेयर की हैं। फेमिना मैगजीन के लिए हुए इस फोटोशूट में सोनाली और सुजैन का बेहद ग्लैमरस लुक देखने को मिला। शॉर्ट हेयरस्टाइल में भी ऐक्ट्रेस सुपर गॉरजस लग रही थीं। इन तस्वीरों में सोनाली ड्रेस से लेकर जंपसूट और स्कर्ट टॉप तक में नजर आईं। स्टाइल के लिहाज से ये सभी आउटफिट्स कमाल के थे। वहीं स्मोकी आईज लुक में सुजैन भी हर फोटो में ग्लैमरस दिखीं। उन्होंने इस शूट में ज्यादातर ड्रेसेस ही पहनी थीं, जिनका डिजाइन और स्टाइल अलग-अलग था। हर ड्रेस सुजैन पर काफी सूट कर रही थी। वैसे इन फोटोज को शेयर करते हुए सोनाली ने अपनी दोस्त के लिए भावुक पोस्ट भी लिखा है, जिसमें उन्होंने जाहिर कि जिंदगी के हर उतार-चढ़ाव में सुजैन उनके साथ मजबूती से साथ देती रहीं। सुजैन ने भी अपने इंस्टा पर यह जाहिर किया कि जब वह दोनों साथ में होती हैं तो चीजें और भी अच्छी हो जाती हैं।
कोरोना वायरस का डर न सिर्फ चीन बल्कि दुनियाभर में छाया हुआ है। यूरोप में भी इस वायरस से जुड़े मामले सामने आ चुके हैं। इसे देखते हुए मिलान फैशन शो में दुनियाभर में मशहूर डिजाइनर जॉर्जो अरमानी () ने अपने शो में किसी भी गेस्ट को इंवाइट नहीं किया और खाली थिअटर में अपने लेटेस्ट कलेक्शन को डिस्प्ले किया। शो से पहले ही अरमानी ने सोशल मीडिया के जरिए इसकी जानकारी दी थी। उनकी ओर से बताया गया था कि कोरोना वायरस के खतरे और अपने मेहमानों की सेहत के खातिर इस बार Women Fall-Winter 2020-21 के लिए होने वाले फैशन शो में किसी को इंवाइट नहीं दिया जाएगा, बल्कि इसे लाइव स्ट्रीम किया जाएगा। रविवार को हुए शो में ऐसा हुआ भी। फैशन शो के दौरान मॉडल्स ने आम फैशन शो की तरह ही रैंप वॉक करते हुए न्यू कलेक्शन को डिस्प्ले किया। वहीं आखिर में खुद अरमानी ने रैंप पर आते हुए लाइव टीवी देख रहे दर्शकों का अभिवादन भी किया। जॉर्जो अरमानी को शो और रैंप पर आने से पहले खुद भी मास्क लगाए स्पॉट किया गया था। हालांकि, लाइव स्ट्रीम के दौरान वह बिना मास्क के लाइव टीवी के कैमरे को फेस करते दिखे। शो की तस्वीरें डिजाइनर के ऑफिशल सोशल मीडिया अकाउंट्स पर भी शेयर की गई हैं। वैसे इस लेटेस्ट कलेक्शन में वेलवेट फैब्रिक एक बार फिर वापसी करता दिखा। मॉडल्स ने इस फैब्रिक की वरायटी ऑफ जैकेट्स और यहां तक की पैंट्स को डिस्प्ले किया।
अमेरिका के राष्ट्रपति डॉनल्ड ट्रंप और उनकी पत्नी मेलेनिया भारत पहुंच चुके हैं। इस दौरान जहां ट्रंप क्लासिक ब्लू सूट में नजर आए तो वहीं मेलेनिया ने अपने वेस्टर्न कपड़ों में भारतीय टच को जोड़ने की कोशिश की।
