Art Meets Fashion
Dior’s Summer 2021 Men’s Collection is a harmonious fusion of art and fashion, brought to fruition by brand creative director Kim Jones and Ghanian artist Amoako Boafo.
Dior’s Summer 2021 Men’s Collection is a harmonious fusion of art and fashion, brought to fruition by brand creative director Kim Jones and Ghanian artist Amoako Boafo. What began in 2019 as both creatives meeting at the Rubell Museum in Miami and admiring each other’s work culminated in a collaboration that is, as described on Dior’s website, “a celebration of identity, of the power of creativity, of art’s ability to transport.”
Amoako Boafo’s paintings are an inspired basis for the Dior menswear collection, with pieces radiating in colors, patterns, and embroideries reminiscent of the artwork. The most noteworthy of these creations is a jacquard adorned with brushstrokes in emulation of the canvases in Boafo’s own studio. Dior proudly displayed their new collaborative collection in the form of a video exploring Boafo’s Ghanian studio and premiering the fashions themselves. The promotional videos were directed by Jackie Nickerson, with Chris Cunningham having edited and soundtracked the project.
Boafo’s alliance with Dior is quite the milestone in a career filled with accolades such as the 2017 Walter Koschatzky Art Prize. In fact, the Rubell Museum was one of several that housed his masterpieces. Boafo’s art consistently and brilliantly tackles the subject of toxic masculinity, so his translation of this concept to high fashion is both aesthetically pleasing and thought-provoking.
Photo credits:
https://www.dior.com/en_us/mens-fashion/shows/summer-2021-mens-collection
Report: Nia Hunt
5 Beauty Brands Helping People During the Coronavirus Pandemic
With the coronavirus going around and putting people’s lives at risk, beauty brands are taking the initiative to give back to people in need during the pandemic.
With the coronavirus going around and putting people’s lives at risk, beauty brands are taking the initiative to give back to people in need during the pandemic. For the next 30 days, clean skincare brand Farmacy would be donating 10,000 meals a day to Feeding America, the nation's largest hunger relief organization. With a shortage of surgical masks in hospitals and urgent care clinics, The Crème Shop pledged to donate N95 masks to customer and hospitals running low on supplies. LVMH, which owns Dior, Fenty, and Sephora would be using their perfume factories to produce hand sanitizer. It would then be distributed to French health services and hospitals for free. The French beauty brand, L’Occitane announced that they would send their hand creams to hospital to help with dryness caused by constant cleaning for nurses and doctors. L’Oréal announced their initiative early last week. Their initiative includes using their factories to produce hand sanitizer and distributing it to the authorities. Their skincare brand, La Roche Posay will be providing hand sanitizers to partner French pharmacies, hospitals and care homes. While their haircare brand, Garnier will be supplying free hand sanitizer to European food distribution customers to help protect their employees and customers from the virus. They will also be donating 1 million euros to their non-profit partner organization, which will work to offer essential hygiene kits to social workers, volunteers and beneficiaries.
Report: Amanda Lou
Editor's Notes - NYFW SS17
A few of our Creative Directors personal tips that she use to get through all fashion weeks.
So it's here! We do this twice a year, sometimes more. Yet, fashion week never seems to lose it's touch. I won't relive the madness this time. Just decided to share a few tips that I use to keep myself organized during the week. If you're attending fashion week for the first time or as another page in the book, I'm sure my suggestions could help.
And as always I've shared a few of the pieces I'm packing for the week. A few will be custom made and aren't listed, keep a look out for those on social media. The pieces are scattered throughout this pieces, in no orders, check for the completed looks later.
Note #1
Pen & Paper aren't dead. The convenience of an iphone can't be beat, I won't even argue that. But writing your free thoughts down in a journal between shows, will bring out the best of your ideas. Don't ask me how I know this, just trust me it works! Still take some organized notes in a more modern way, but keep a journal handy incase.
Note #2
Business cards & social media handles; it's 2016, get both. Networking is something that you can't avoid and unless you're overly comfortable with your current career status, it's something that you won't want to avoid. You'll have your business cards ready to go, but this time when you're wrapping up your networking pitch, ask for that social media handle. Here's why: connecting with someone immediately will make the next time you have to revisit that networking moment so much simpler. Over time you will have built a relationship from social media interaction, now your re-introduction over email should be well received. If they're a frequent social media user, you'll also be up to date with their current projects, making speaking points and collaborations a lot easier as well. Even if they are a private person, they'll have platform for public use.
NOTE #3
Here's a chance to show your multitasking skills. Live tweets can only take you up. I'm not one for flooding Instagram feeds, unless you're certain the images will break the internet. But flooding my TL with tweets from a great event is something I'll always love. While you're at various show, tweet your thoughts as they happen. Readers always love insiders viewpoints and guest images that aren't so staged as major publication images sometimes are. You'll find that more readers may gravitate in anticipation of your next event and honest view points. If your event allows and you have time, consider Periscope for one extra step in live feeds. Seeing a live stream has become a great tool for many this year.
Note #4
Save battery power. If you're like me and attend all day events regularly, you know how important electronic's battery power can become. Most times, having my mophie fully charged with me does the trick. To get the most of my original charge, I make sure to change my apple products battery power to power save mode, even when they're fully charged. I know I check my most important apps on a regular schedule, so there's no reason for my phone to continue pushing for that last email. It also stops my phone from wasting power on apps that won't be used at all that day. Another tip to conserve battery power is to close out apps that aren't being used. It's easy to forget you have multiple apps open on apple products. Just double tap the home button and close out whatever isn't being used. (Sorry Android users, I have no idea how batteries work on those.)
Note #5
Connect on the scene. You'll meet tons of influencers and industry professionals during the week. (No avoiding networking) We spoke about exchanging contact information, but if you really have to chance to speak with someone during the event, see if they have anytime to grab a quick cup of coffee. You'll have a chance to pick their brain for more about their background and work. Making a connection on the spot is always the best option.
If you have any tips that keep you together during fashion week, share them in the comments below or email accessbynkc@gmail.com!
At the rise of Covid-19 many of us first questioned the timeline of fashion week and would we see the regular calendar continue - the question weighed over many of us for months! It was refreshing to see design houses and designers across the globe take advantage of the uncertainty and plow into production mode - thus my interest in Jerri Reid New York - The Black Designer based in Brooklyn New York wow’d instagram with his latest collection paying homage to the Black Is King film which debuted earlier this year in July. I was taken aback at quick of a turn round the young designer produced and released his well crafted designs reflecting some of the films most memorable moments.