Irenebrination: Notes on Architecture, Art, Fashion, Fashion Law, Science & Technology

Recycle, Upcycle, Reinvent or Re-wear: From Couture to Ready-to-Wear

A graduate of Central Saint Martins in London, Swiss designer Kevin Germanier was among the standout independent fashion names during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

He first gained attention at the opening ceremony by dressing Italian Paralympic fencer Beatrice "Bebe" Vio Grandis, but it was at the closing ceremony that his vision truly shone.

For that ceremony Germanier created the costumes for the Golden Voyager, a futuristic space traveler, and for pianist-composer Alain Roche. For the former, he employed 20,000 upcycled gold beads and sequins sourced from a Hong Kong supplier, while for the latter, he reimagined his own VHS tapes from his mother's basement into a striking design.

Renowned for his innovative and sustainable approach, Germanier has built his signature aesthetic around upcycled materials - beads, feathers, and sequins in particular - a practice he began as a student, when financial limitations led him to repurpose discarded textiles such as bed sheets and embellishments.

This ethos remains central to his work, even in couture. For his first couture show, which closed Paris Fashion Week and was titled "Les Globuleuses", he expanded on his signature beaded creations, bringing even more vibrancy and complexity to his work.

In some pieces, upcycled beads were arranged into pixelated motifs, creating expanding patterns across the models' bodies. Close-up details revealed surprising elements: colored pencils and long, reed-like structures sculpted like pencils, all integrated into the garments. Accessories played a key role, with intricately beaded headbands and boots fully encrusted in beads completing the looks.

The designer pushed his experimentation further, thrifting jackets and shoes from iconic houses like Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, then transforming them with hand-applied beading and crystal embellishments for an extravagant yet surprisingly wearable vintage wardrobe for both men and women.

While some critics argue that Germanier's signature color-drenched beading risks of making him a one-trick pony, a closer look at the craftsmanship - all beading is done by hand - offers a fresh perspective on his practice. Beyond beadwork, the collection also featured feathers, raffia, and knitwear and crochet pieces.

The crocheted lamé designs included crenellated, wave-like structures, reminiscent of the intricate formations found in coral reefs, biological manifestations of what we call hyperbolic geometry. These undulating surfaces hinted at an underlying mathematical influence, perhaps even a nod to Daina Taimina's studies on hyperbolic crochet and tactile mathematics.

Positioning himself at the intersection of theatricality, sustainability and couture, Germanier hopes to highlight the finest craftsmanship from artisans worldwide through his designs. In this collection he continued for example his collaboration with Brazilian crochet artisan Gustavo Silvestre and promises he will remain committed to upcycling materials (it will be worth watching how he applies this approach to the costumes he is designing for the Eurovision Song Contest in May).

When Germanier designed the costumes for the performers at the Paris Olympics closing ceremony he turned to textiles from LVMH's Nona Source, a platform dedicated to repurposing luxury deadstock fabrics.

A similar approach was taken by Spanish designer María Bernad, who incorporated Nona Source materials into the A/W 25 collection for her label, Les Fleurs Studio, her first commercially produced.

Titled "Lost Objects," Bernad structured her show in two distinct parts: the first embraced a soft, romantic aesthetic, with crocheted doilies embellishing structured suit jackets, lace overlays, and wool-and-lace trousers.

Bernad further expanded her womenswear vocabulary, integrating found lace, embroidery, and crochet work, with small doilies repurposed into delicate ruffles cascading down a long skirt. A tiered skirt, crafted entirely from her own offcuts, reinforced her commitment to zero-waste design.

Vintage tablecloths were transformed into skirts and veils, while sheer silks were either sculpted into a voluminous balloon-pouf gown or ripped into strips to create fluid movement on a top. The jewelry, made in collaboration with Mineral Weather, was crafted from rescued lamps and fixtures, adding another layer of reclaimed beauty to the collection.

The second half of the show took a bolder, more experimental turn. Leather scraps were reworked into corsets and skirts, while layered cords adorned hand-stitched black suits, evoking a style somewhere between The Girl on the Motorcycle and Edward Scissorhands.

The standout pieces, however, were bomber jackets, tailored blazers and a top with a floral motif, assembled from 18th-century tapestries salvaged from estate sales and flea markets across Europe, each garment a fragment of history, reimagined as contemporary fashion.

Reusing crocheted doilies or sections of tapestry works in fashion is nothing new; it has even appeared in costume design, as seen in Fellini's The Clowns (with costumes by Danilo Donati, View this photo). Nowadays, designers like Marine Serre have elevated the art of recycling and upcycling, turning discarded textiles, including bed sheets and crocheted tablecloths, into high-concept fashion. While Bernad is still finding her creative footing and some pieces are not totally convincing yet, her fascination with forgotten artifacts, textiles imbued with history and memory, suggests that her approach to giving the past new life may take her work to the next level.

In different ways Germanier and Bernad's commitment to reinvention prove us that discarding is not necessary and that there is power and beauty in everything.

Speaking of preserving and repurposing textiles, some Haute Couture collections may provide us with some ideas and inspirations for further experiments. Tapestries for example also found their place in Alessandro Michele's Haute Couture S/S 25 collection for Valentino, where a grand gown was made with a cross-stitched tapestry fabric and a long black velvet skirt was adorned with a beaded embroidered panel that looked like a tapestry.

Actually inserting tapestry panels in velvet designs is far from new. My mother, for example, owned a velvet and tapestry ensemble that was handmade in the 1970s. Though the skirt was lost long ago, I still have the top, which features a large tapestry panel across the front and back, with sleeves crafted from alternating strips of tapestry and crepe.

As fashion remains cyclical, rather than upcycling, recycling, or reinventing - as seen with Germanier, Bernad, or Michele - for me, it will simply be a matter of re-wearing.

A Maximalist's Remix: Valentino Haute Couture S/S 25

Have you ever seen a stitch sampler? In the 17th century, these intricate swatches of embroidery served as both a training ground and a showcase, a tangible résumé of a young woman's mastery of stitches, motifs, letters, and symbols. In a nutshell, they were both a reference and a declaration of skill, each thread woven with purpose.

For Alessandro Michele, stepping into Valentino after Gucci was like threading an entirely new needle to embroider into the language of Haute Couture. He had to attune himself to the legacy of a house split between Rome and Paris, a house that for decades dressed stars, socialites, and the world's elite in its sumptuous designs.

Like a novice embroiderer, he had to learn every step and learn how to direct an atelier steeped in a different rhythm of craftsmanship. The experience was dizzying, an overwhelming plunge into the vertiginous depths of couture. That very sensation inspired the title of his debut collection for Valentino: "Vertigineux".

The presentation itself mirrored this heady disorientation, with stadium-style bleachers looming in the dimly lit venue, heightening the sense of imbalance. And dizzy it was.

Like eager amateur stitchers filling every inch of space with a motif, Michele tried to cram all sorts of references, obsessions, fixations and materials not just in all the collection but in each and every gown donned by models, spanning generations and including women in their 50s and 60s as well. Aside from that, he also interwove philosophical musings throughout, layering meaning atop fabric.

Hence, while the opening look conjured up in the mind of Italians the anticipation of Carnival (arriving later this year, in early March), the colossal crinolined skirt covered in tufted Harlequin motifs (with a finely pleated bodice that called to mind Madame Grès' designs), pointed at tropes from the commedia dell'arte.

Perhaps in evoking it, Michele was doing more than mining its aesthetics, perhaps, like Elsa Schiaparelli in 1938, he was turning to its theatrics in the face of crisis. After all, when the world darkens, fashion designers often turn to the commedia dell'arte, a theater of exaggeration that offers both escape and satire.

The collection then oscillated between grand, operatic gowns and more tempered - though still theatrical - looks.

A frothy tulle confection, seemingly conjured from the memory of Piero Tosi's legendary ball gown for Claudia Cardinale in Luchino Visconti's The Leopard, stood in stark contrast to armor-like silhouettes encrusted with a constellation of sequins and crystals, modern-day battle attire, perhaps, for contemporary Joans of Arc.

Michele's maximalist instinct was omnipresent, saturating the runway in an opulent deluge of embellishment and excess. It poured itself into the sweeping ballgowns, among them, a Valentino-red evening gown, a tribute to the house's founder, and in tiered ivory lace and chiffon column dresses.

A robe manteau from Valentino's archives was reborn as a vivid grass-green coat dress, now ballooned by a hidden pannier, a nod to the decadent silhouette of Versailles.

Panniers reappeared, cinching a sculptural black evening gown that otherwise evoked an uncanny resemblance to Anita Ekberg's iconic La dolce vita look, while ecclesiastical reds and stark black-and-white ballgowns pointed at cardinals, nuns and priests (and Michele already reinvented ecclesiastical robes in a Gucci collection) the surreal clerical fashion show in Fellini's Roma (while at times the hats seemed borrowed from Fellini's The Clowns).

Cinematic references were also a personal homage as his mother was a costume designer in Rome (one look was indeed entitled "My Mother" - fourteen picture in this post, look on the right).

Masked figures and historical flourishes recalled Fellini's Casanova, but they were also a nod to Venice and to Michele's long-standing fascination with disguise and masks, a motif that frequently appeared in his collections for Gucci. There were also references to Adrian’s costumes and early couture gowns by Charles Frederick Worth.

The ghosts of the Ballets Russes and of La Casati shimmered in rich brocades and Oriental moods, while hints of Caramba's costumes for Turandot and Umberto Brunelleschi's rich illustrations, lingered in some of the extravagant designs matched with grand headdresses. 

Overload? Absolutely. But couture has always been a space for spectacle, and Michele delivered it with ferocity through sequins upon embellishments, couture techniques upon historical echoes delivered through pannier skirts, ruff collars, towering sleeves, and floral tapestries, a rhapsody of excess, that proved that in Michele’s world, too much is never enough.

Fast fashion has dulled our appreciation for clothing, reducing garments to mere commodities rather than the deeply personal vessels of memory they truly are. Yet, clothes hold our histories. Even people suffering from Alzheimer's tend to remember certain garments and to recall through them significant events.

With this collection, Michele sought to imbue his designs with a sense of remembrance, intertwining Valentino's rich history with echoes of his own tenure at Gucci. It was an act of sartorial archaeology, more than designing, that consisted in excavating visual and technical memories from the past and threading them into the present.

Michele included all these memories, references, and inspirations into a weighty document left on each guest's chair. It was no philosophical treatise, but rather a collection of lists, of words, drawn from the lexicon of fashion, art, cinema, and philosophy, that served as anchors, mapping the conceptual framework behind each look.

This was an attempt to impose structure on the dizzying avalanche of ideas he got while visiting the house's archive. These same words, glowing in digital red type, pulsed across the back of the set, reinforcing the dense narrative embedded in every design.

The result? A heady, opulent spectacle, overcharged, maximalist, and layered. It was a collection best appreciated by those well-versed in art, cinema, and fashion history, where even a silhouette, a fabric choice, or a precise shade of red could spark recognition.

Not everyone will embrace this overcharged vision of couture. After all, Michele is not a couturier in the traditional sense, he is part of the generation of designers who can be defined "remixers" and he excels at this skill. There is indeed a world of difference between inventing an entirely new construction, pattern, or silhouette, as Cristóbal Balenciaga, Charles James, or Worth once did, and weaving together disparate details from different eras into a single garment. But at this moment, this debate is beside the point.

What truly lingers is something else: the profound sense of vertigo Michele experienced upon stepping into Valentino's couture atelier, where artisans, many of whom have dedicated decades to the house, bring garments to life with skill and devotion. Though Michele has spent years in the industry and helmed a powerhouse like Gucci, he openly admitted he had never witnessed the inner workings of a couture atelier before. What he saw left him awestruck, as if experiencing a kind of creative epiphany.

After all, a monumental, hand-stitched gown cannot be treated like a ready-to-wear skirt, it demands reverence, time, and a deep understanding of craftsmanship. And this raises an even bigger question: how many young designers, caught in the relentless cycle of fashion's ever-accelerating seasons, would pause, perhaps even reconsider their path if they, too, were given the chance to step inside such an atelier, if they were confronted with history, heritage, and the magic of the human hand? Who knows. For the time being we just know that a maximalist has found in a couture atelier an inspiring place to dream, unravel the past and stitch it into the present, weaving endless fashion remixes.

Cinched In: Schiaparelli Haute Couture S/S 25

In Coralie Fargeat's body horror film "The Substance", currently nominated for five Academy Awards, the protagonist, Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), after turning 50 and on her way to being replaced in her job by a younger and more attractive woman, turns to a black-market glowing neon yellow concoction. This mysterious substance promises to deliver a better version of herself, and, indeed, it does.

Soon after injecting the liquid, a younger version of Elisabeth, whom she names Sue (Margaret Qualley), emerges from her back. A new life begins, but it comes at the cost of a grotesque physical and moral degradation. The film, which won Best Screenplay at last year's Cannes Film Festival, is a satirical sci-fi horror centered on society's obsession with female beauty and youth, the invisibility of aging women, and the exploitation of women's bodies in Hollywood's star system.

Elisabeth and Sue consume each other, transforming into deformed monsters. Their double monstrosity visually represents the cruel judgments women often face as they age and the societal derision at their changing bodies.

The substance itself symbolizes the extreme measures individuals take to meet certain beauty standards, driven by pressures from magazines, social media, or online commentary. From makeup and fillers to plastic surgery and weight loss treatments and drugs like Ozempic, these standards are pervasive.

Fashion contributes to the ongoing pursuit of a younger, more idealized self, becoming part of the horror that traps women.

However, there is nothing inherently horrific in Haute Couture, a world defined by its sublime, elegant, and refined style, materials and techniques. Still, the obsession with women's bodies surfaces within the industry and in Haute Couture as well.

Daniel Roseberry's Schiaparelli S/S 25 show at Paris Fashion Week exemplified this duality. His runway featured gowns crafted with the most refined techniques of Parisian ateliers, yet the designs also seemed to regress in terms of body ideals.

Corsets reigned supreme, cinching waists into an exaggerated S-shape. In some designs, the corsets were visible, while in others, they were discreet, offering structural support underneath the gowns. In most cases, Roseberry evoked an hourglass shape inspired by Schiaparelli's Shocking fragrance bottle, which was itself inspired by Mae West's curvy silhouette (View this photo).

Yet, where Mae West's curves were celebrated, Roseberry's corsets sculpted waistlines that mirrored the restrictive ideal of an Ozempic waist. Kendall Jenner wore for example a nude mesh dress with an embroidered satin bra and train that evoked the opulence of the late 1800s.

However, the dress was so tight that a roll of skin was visible spilling above the back of her corset, highlighting the extreme and unnecessary compression of her body, a detail that raises concerns about the pressure on "normal-sized" women to fit such standards.

The geometry of the corset was particularly striking when paired with a draped tulle skirt: in one design a corset formed a rigid, tutu-like peplum that juttingly arced from the models' body, creating wavy shapes.

Padded structures around the hips of some of the evening gowns didn't enhance a plump silhouette, but rather emphasized the sharpness of the hip bones, resembling structural concrete beams, a detail that pointed at architecture. Architectural and sculptural volumes were also present in jackets featuring low, rigid necklines and there was just one black design in which the waist wasn't emphasized (and, frankly, it just looked like a shapeless tent...).

The collection's color palette was dominated by dusty nudes, with pale grays and browns interspersed and splashes of black. Roseberry explained that the hues were inspired by a visit to an antique shop, where he found early-20th-century Lyons couture ribbons.

Some of the designs included in the show were created using silk ribbons sourced from that collection that formed vertical tiers or were twisted around the body to form layers. These multi-layered effects and some of the techniques employed in the collection evoked '50s styles by Jean Dessès and Roberto Capucci and the cream skirt of a gown with a black bodice called to mind some of the iconic silhouettes designed by Charles James.

Overall, the collection was more sculptural and rigid than conceptual, with some designs looking like more extravagant and elaborate derivations of the nude ensembles in Schiaparelli's A/W 23 collection. Though titled Icarus, a reference to the Greek myth about ambition and the risks of striving too high, the collection did not appear as a cautionary tale. Rather, it was conceived by the designer as a tribute to the power of Haute Couture, suggesting that the pursuit of beauty and innovation in fashion mirrors the ambition to transcend limits.

That said, the return of corsets and tiny waists makes you think: corsets aren't certainly a new addition in the history of contemporary fashion and re-emerged periodically over the last decades, often in punk-inspired contexts or to play with anachronisms and juxtapositions between different fashion eras, while medical corsets also inspired some trends.

Yet, the return of rigid, waist-cinching designs in this collection feels particularly ill-timed, coinciding with the resurgence of social and personal constraints imposed on women. At a time when women's rights are under threat in many parts of the world, these designs seem less like a celebration of couture and more like a reflection of restrictive beauty standards.

Fashion has never been about comfort, but in some Haute Couture collections, it now seems entirely absent, with gowns that prevent bending or sitting becoming the norm on the runway or on the red-carpet (behind-the-scenes footage of events often shows guests arriving standing in mini-vans to gala and awarding ceremonies, as if sitting is no longer an option).

The best approach, then, is to admire the craftsmanship behind these designs while remembering that we can feel like goddesses without constricting corsets and we can actually laugh at the absurdity of restrictive fashion perhaps through caricatures from the 1700s or 1800s in the Wellcome Collection.

Fashion students interested in the medical effects of corsetry can also explore from its archives historical documents on the deformation of ribcage and spine due to tight lacing or early innovations from the late 1800s aimed at improving corset design. In a nutshell, don't let yourself be constricted by fashion, but use its trendy constrictions as tools to educate yourself, expand your creativity and challenge the expectations and pressures it places on us.

We Exist, We Resist: Comme des Garçons Homme Plus A/W 25

The war in Ukraine is still in the headlines, sharing the spotlight with the situation in the Middle East, where the Israel-Hamas ceasefire has broken 15 months of war.

Yet, a simple search for armed conflicts across the globe reveals a stark reality: ongoing turmoil stretches from Sudan to Somalia, Yemen, and Myanmar, just to mention a few countries.

Beyond these active battlegrounds, there are whispers of potential conflicts brewing, with US President Donald Trump harboring imperialist ambitions on Greenland, Canada, and Panama, while engaging in economic warfare through tariffs aimed at nations he disapproves of.

Besides, the language of war and conflict, remains a favorite for him and for other leaders intent on fortifying their borders, framing migrants not as individuals fleeing poverty and despair but as invading forces.

Fashion, a world ostensibly distant from the harsh realities of war, paradoxically draws inspiration from it time and again. Military motifs regularly march down the runways, with camouflage prints resurfacing in collections like echoes of distant battles.

Yet at the moment few designers dare to confront this moment of global disarray, wary of stumbling onto a metaphorical minefield that could alienate consumers and jeopardize their brand's allure.

But fearlessness is Rei Kawakubo's hallmark. Last week in Paris, her Comme des Garçons Homme Plus show boldly tackled war as a theme.

"To hell with war," she proclaimed backstage to fashion critics looking for a comment to dissect the label's Autumn/Winter 2025 collection.

That defiance echoed through her designs, starting from the army boots rendered useless with their upturned toe boxes, as if frozen mid-kick, a symbol of rejection, or maybe hinting at functional boots made useless and looking therefore surreal, a commentary on the absurdity of conflict through the language of fashion.

Military tailoring took center stage, but in true Rei Kawakubo fashion, it was deconstructed and reimagined into something wholly subversive. Olive-green jackets, hallmarks of the military attire, were spliced and reassembled, while brass buttons multiplied into impractical double rows, subverting their original utilitarian purpose.

In some cases there were juxtapositions between one design and the next: one jacket had extra long sleeves, another looked shrunk. Pockets, once regimented and orderly, were rearranged at unexpected angles or transformed into exaggerated cargo pockets that, large enough to rival the ones in Elsa Schiaparelli's "Cash and Carry" collection in the early '40s, spilled onto genderless skirts.

Slashes on a jacket, rather than conjuring images of wounded soldiers, evoked Renaissance tailoring tricks designed to reveal sumptuous fabrics beneath. Tailcoats sprouted from jackets, cheekily signaling that these were not uniforms for war but garments for happier times. Military fabrics collided with pinstripes, floral prints, and jacquard waistcoats, adding a formal or poetic and romantic layer to the narrative. Tartans, reminiscent of traditional kilts and of uniforms again, added a historical nod to rebellious self-expression.

Military tropes were turned inside out, transformed into a joyful moment of defiance: multi-zippered shorts hinted at punk irreverence, for example, rejecting conformity, while collaged fabrics and unexpected tailoring created a playful anarchy that dismantled the rigidity of militaria.

As the collection progressed, the disciplined greens gave way to vivid colored panels, destabilizing the formality of double-breasted silhouettes and introducing an element of play.

Even the classic army helmet was stripped of its utility, transformed into an exotic decorative object and covered with fabric as if it were a turban. Synthetic hair, and flowers also adorned them.

This interplay of flowers and war carried an undeniable resonance for those attuned to the Ukrainian conflict: in 2022, a brave Ukrainian woman confronted a Russian soldier, inviting him to put the sunflower seeds she offered him into his pockets, so that they would have bloomed when he died (the sunflower is Ukraine's national symbol).

But this collection wasn't a vision of dead soldiers sprouting flowers from their bodies, but a bold and unruly subversion of military codes, a sartorial rebellion, a two-finger salute to war. Kawakubo's collection didn't evoke a regiment marching to battle or a military parade; instead, it celebrated the irreverence of steadfast, unrelenting, and creative peace, resilience, and resistance.

Were these models joyful rebels and free-spirited hippies? Conscious objectors who had read Wilfred Owen and rejected "the old Lie: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori"? Who knows, maybe they were just representations of all of us, a wide humanity living in a permacrisis and fighting against adversities conscious that, while the oldest lie of war is still alive, so is the indomitable spirit to resist.

Those Who Forget Their Past Are Condemned to Relive It: "Holokaust c Komikse" @ Staromestská knižnica (Old Town Library), Bratislava, Slovakia

Just days before the International Day of Commemoration in memory of Holocaust victims and the 80th anniversary of Auschwitz’s liberation (January 27th), the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) released its first-ever, eight-country Index on Holocaust Knowledge and Awareness.

The survey reveals a concerning global trend of diminishing knowledge about basic Holocaust facts. In the surveyed countries - the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Austria, Germany, Poland, Hungary, and Romania - large portions of the population are unaware that 6 million Jews were murdered during the Holocaust. Alarmingly, among 18-29-year-olds, many believe the number of Jewish victims has been exaggerated.

Shocking as well, some respondents admitted they had never heard of the Holocaust, or weren't sure if they had, before taking the survey. When asked to name concentration camps, killing centers, or ghettos, nearly half (48%) of Americans could not identify a single one of the more than 40,000 camps established during WWII. Auschwitz-Birkenau was the most commonly recognized name.

Despite this lack of knowledge, the majority of respondents believe that something like the Holocaust could happen again today. On a more hopeful note, there is strong support for Holocaust education: in every country surveyed, more than nine out of ten adults agree that it's crucial to continue teaching about the Holocaust to prevent such atrocities from happening again.

However, the survey also highlighted the concerning spread of Holocaust denial, misinformation, and distortion, particularly on social media platforms like X and Facebook. "The alarming gaps in knowledge, particularly among younger generations, highlight an urgent need for more effective Holocaust education. The fact that a significant number of adults cannot identify basic facts - such as the 6 million Jews who perished - is deeply concerning," Gideon Taylor, President of the Claims Conference stated in a press release announcing the survey. "Equally troubling is the widespread belief that something like the Holocaust could happen again, underscoring the critical importance of educating people about the consequences of unchecked hatred and bigotry."

There are many ways to educate ourselves, and for younger generations, the graphic novel format may be an ideal choice. Several authors have employed this medium to tell real stories or create equally compelling fictional narratives.

From today until February 10th, there's a special exhibition entitled "Holokaust c komikse" (Holocaust in Comics) showcasing comic book illustrations from graphic novels about the Holocaust at the Old Town Library in Bratislava, Slovakia.

The exhibition covers a wide spectrum: from biographical accounts to imaginative storytelling, historically accurate reconstructions and intimate portraits, including works such as Paolo Bacilieri's Ettore e Fernanda, (Ettore and Fernanda), Lorena Canottiere and Julian Voloj's "Bartali, la scelta silenziosa di un campione" (Bartali, the silent choice of a champion), "Una stella tranquilla: Ritratto sentimentale di Primo Levi" (A Calm Star: A Sentimental Portrait of Primo Levi) by PIetro Scarnera, and "X-Men: Magneto Testament" by Greg Pak, illustrated by Carmine Di Giandomenico. These artists approach the Holocaust from a variety of angles, using different narrative and artistic styles.

Paolo Bacilieri's "Ettore e Fernanda" tells the remarkable story of Ettore Modigliani and Fernanda Wittgens, who devoted their lives to art as a means of preserving humanity and educating the public. Modigliani, the director of Milan's Pinacoteca di Brera, famously shipped over 900 masterpieces of Italian art to London for a major exhibition in 1930. His antifascist beliefs and Jewish background eventually led to his dismissal, forced confinement, and professional persecution under the fascist regime.

Fernanda Wittgens, his brilliant assistant, succeeded him in 1940 as the first woman in Italy to lead a major museum. She heroically protected the Pinacoteca's treasures from bombings and looting during WWII, was imprisoned by fascists for helping Jewish families escape, and played a key role in the museum's post-war reconstruction.

Through the evocative imagery and vibrant colors of Lorena Canottiere, and the meticulously researched writing of Julian Voloj, "Bartali: La scelta silenziosa di un campione" tells the story of Italian cycling champion Gino Bartali, from his sporting triumphs to his secret work during World War II, helping Jews escape Nazi-Fascist persecution.

After the enactment of racial laws, Bartali, at the request of Cardinal Elia Dalla Costa, joined the Delasem underground network. Using his bicycle as a courier, he transported secret messages and forged documents, assisting countless Jews, both Italians and refugees, to evade the horrors of Nazi-Fascist persecution. This life-threatening act of heroism, which he never boasted about, earned him Israel's recognition as "Righteous Among the Nations" many years later.

"Una Stella Tranquilla" offers a fresh perspective on Primo Levi, looking at his time in Auschwitz, but also exploring his career as a writer and scientist. This graphic novel combines biography, documentary, and fiction, drawing from photographs, book covers, and personal artifacts, such as the copper-wire masks Levi created, to bring his multifaceted life to the page.

"X-Men: Magneto Testament" takes a different path, following the origin story of the X-Men character Magneto and tracing the life of young Jewish boy Max Eisenhardt, fighting for survival in Nazi Germany and the horrors of Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Some of these graphic novels were translated into other languages, others are only available in Italian, but the real-life protagonists behind these stories stand as powerful symbols of resilience amid darkness. It is of crucial importance to remember their legacies because, as Primo Levi wisely said, "All those who forget their past are condemned to relive it."

The exhibition will close on 10th February with a special event featuring comic book expert and curator Nicola D'Agostino.

Porcelain Illusions: Art Resonances in Beauty

In the previous post, we explored how art details resonate within contemporary fashion collections. Yet, the dialogue between art and beauty is equally profound. Nearly a year ago, Margiela's Spring/Summer 2024 Artisanal collection rocked the fashion world, reviving the forgotten grandeur of fashion as spectacle. But it wasn't just the collection, the narrative and the presentation that broke the Internet. One of the highlights of the show was indeed Pat McGrath's visionary makeup artistry that transformed the models into ethereal porcelain dolls, their skin gleaming like polished glass.

Speculation ran wild as everyone scrambled to identify the products responsible for the otherworldly finish.

Social media exploded with experiments and theories, but McGrath kept the beauty world guessing until she revealed the secret: a combination of products was used to achieve the look. In that circumstance she also teased the release of a Pat McGrath Labs product promising the coveted glass finish, something she had been working on for three years.

The wait is over: launching on January 30th, Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Glass 001 Artistry Mask promises to deliver the sought-after porcelain glow.

This peel-off, pore-blurring mask features a blend of hydrating glycerin, rose flower water, and soothing allantoin. Designed to create an ultra-luminous, lacquered radiance, the mask is as versatile as it is transformative.

The application process is straightforward as shown on Pat McGrath's site: brush it onto bare skin or over makeup in thin layers, ensuring each coat dries completely before adding another.

Whether you're channelling Margiela's fully-lacquered runway look or opting for a subtler glow by highlighting your cheekbones, the mask forms a smooth, glass-like film that can be effortlessly peeled away. For the full porcelain doll effect, however, you'll need to keep facial movements to a minimum as the mask's delicate lacquer won't hold where there's motion.

Can we detect any similarities between this porcelain effect and any paintings by a modern artist? Well, the finish evokes some of the hyperrealistic textures in Michaël Borremans' haunting paintings. Like his art, the effect teeters between the surreal and the sublime, bridging the gap between beauty and art with spellbinding allure.

Michaël Borremans shifted his focus from photography to oil painting, employing traditional techniques inspired by masters like Velázquez, Manet, and Degas. His works carry the richness of historical painting while incorporating an unsettling, surrealist aura.

In 2008, Borremans exhibited his works at the Zeno X Gallery in Antwerp: the show was entitled "Painted Fruit" and explored the themes of masks and the lustrous sheen of glazed surfaces. The invitation card to the show was indeed a painting by Borremans representing a porcelain figurine View this photo).

One standout painting in the show, "Mombakkes I (Mask)" (2007-2008), depicted a close-up of a figure whose ambiguous identity amplified the work's emotional complexity. The figure's exaggerated makeup evoked the playful spirit of commedia dell'arte, with arched brows, blue eyeshadow, glossy cheeks, and bright red lips. Yet, the figure's gaze looked hollow, distant, and profoundly melancholic and his smile seemed frozen and disturbing, looking more like a sneer.

This contrast between outward merriment and inner desolation actually encapsulates the tension in Borremans' work. His aim is not to portray realistic portraits but rather to create masked figures imbued with dramatic, often ambiguous, narratives. As the viewer is drawn in, the painting reveals the truth about the sitter who is actually wearing a mask, made of a transparent material. In another work, Borremans also depicted the discarded mask, stripped of its illusionary joy once removed.

The mask itself heightens the illusion of humanity while simultaneously exposing its artifice. The recurring motif of masks in Borremans' oeuvre, such as in "Untitled" (2008), where a woman lies with a similar mask on her face, embodies layers of reality, oscillating between appearance and authenticity. Masks in his art function as a metaphor for modernity's preoccupation with surface, concealment, and the blurred boundaries between what is genuine and what is contrived.

The hyper-glossy finish by McGrath mirrors Borremans' surreal transparency, both invite us to explore the interplay of illusion and reality. The skin mask is therefore a tool for performance and transformation, embodying narratives of identity, fragility, and artificiality. Like Borremans' works, it examines the dualities of fake and real, depth and surface (and in fashion surface and appearance reign supreme…), and permanence versus ephemerality. 

The artistry mask offers a playground for these contrasts, allowing users to engage with its creative potential. But the opportunity to experiment with the Skin Fetish Mask may be fleeting - the product will be available in limited quantities, so those ones eager to explore its glassy allure will have to be quick to snatch it as soon as it goes on sale. 

Art Resonances in Contemporary Fashion Collections

In Jacques Audiard's trans musical crime drama "Emilia Pérez", Zoe Saldaña delivers a standout moment as her character, Rita, a lawyer in Mexico City, attends a gala with politicians.

The scene is electric: Rita, in a ruby red velvet suit, glides from table to table, exposing scandals and corruption through the fiery lyrics of "El Mal." Under the spotlight, the velvet transforms into more than fabric, it becomes a symbol of power, temptation, and rebellion, casting Rita as a devilish, kinetic force commanding the room.

With two Cannes awards, four Golden Globes, and thirteen Academy Award nominations, "Emilia Pérez" is a cultural sensation (albeit in Europe; in Mexico the film has been criticized for trivializing the drug war violence, misrepresenting trans people, and lacking authenticity since it was shot in a French studio by a writer-director who doesn't speak Spanish and features only one Mexican actor...), while the crimson velvet suit, a bold sartorial choice by costume designer Virginie Monte, is poised to inspire trends in fashion, anticipated by what we've already seen on the Autumn/Winter menswear runways in Milan and Paris.

Velvet appeared with renewed energy in the men's shows. Saul Nash showcased it in a modern tracksuit (View this photo), but Giorgio Armani and Emporio Armani took the textile to sumptuous new heights.

At Giorgio Armani, velvet dominated the A/W 25 collection, shaping loose, fluid silhouettes: harem pants, softly structured jackets, and sweeping coats in shades ranging from ruby red to forest green, navy, dove, charcoal and cognac.

Textural play added depth, with herringbone-patterned velvet paired with velvet fedoras, culminating in a finale of formal black velvet designs.

Armani himself took his bow in navy trousers and a double-breasted black velvet jacket.

Emporio Armani offered its own take on velvet's versatility. Here, the fabric shimmered with a tweed effect, appeared crushed for a tactile edge, and was reimagined in tapestry-inspired bomber jackets.

Black velvet dinner jackets adorned with intricate floral embroidery brought a poetic grandeur to the collection. Across both runways, velvet emerged as a sophisticated statement, equal parts heritage and innovation.

In Paris, Willy Chavarria chose the American Church, a historic landmark in the 7th arrondissement, as the setting for his runway show in which he combined his Mexican-American heritage and LGBTQI+ culture. Once the first American church established outside the United States, its roots date back to 1814, while the current building at 65 Quai d'Orsay has stood since 1931.

Against this hallowed backdrop, Chavarria's signature broad-shouldered boxy suits with oversized '70s collars took on a solemn, liturgical air, especially his opening look: a deep ruby red ensemble in which fashion clashed with ecclesiastical grandeur, something symbolized also by the rosary beads worn as necklaces or carried by the models in their hands. 

The show was not centered on religion, though, but rather on a spiritual sense of humanity, one that calls for salvation through embracing our shared humanity. This message was powerfully reinforced in the show's finale, where models gathered together and Chavarria joined them while an excerpt from Episcopal minister Mariann Edgar Budde’s speech at Trump's inauguration in which she urged the president to "have mercy" on immigrants and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, played.

Championing humanity and compassion is a central theme for the designer, who unveiled at the show a sweatshirt emblazoned with the phrase, "How we love is who we are." This piece is part of a collaboration with Tinder aimed at raising awareness and funds for the Human Rights Campaign and LGBTQIA+ rights.

Besides, an olive velvet suit from the collection will be auctioned on eBay (some of the designs on this runway were archival pieces that Chavarria sourced on eBay) in support of the California Community Foundation Wildfire Recovery Fund, which aids fire recovery efforts in Los Angeles.

Velvet, particularly in opulent shades of red, has long been synonymous with power and refinement, a connection often immortalized in portraiture.

At the upcoming Sotheby's auction, "The Vision of Aso O. Tavitian: Master Paintings & Sculpture" (a series of four sales offered during Master’s Week New York at the beginning of February 2025), the fabric finds its historical echo in several works. 

For instance, Bartholomäus Bruyn the Younger's portrait of Nicolaus von Gail and Sophie von Wedigh captures the upper-class elegance of 16th-century Cologne, with ruby velvet sleeves and gilded jewelry symbolizing wealth and influence.

In the same auction there is a portrait by Ambrosius Benson featuring Saint Mary Magdalene reading an illuminated manuscript in which she is portrayed like a grand lady, wearing a wine-colored velvet gown with crimson sleeves and lynx fur.

Benson often portrayed Mary Magdalene in the act of reading and wearing a red velvet gown, as proved by a 1520 painting in the archives of the National Gallery in London.

Yet, no piece in the auction embodies velvet's allure quite like the portrait of Margaret of Austria by the Master of the Magdalene Legend, painted circa 1495. The artwork presents a young Margaret, just fifteen years old, poised in a gown of sumptuous red velvet trimmed with ermine.

Her half-length figure is set against a simple green backdrop, which highlights the richness of her attire. Her calm gaze foreshadows the formidable leader she would become: Princess of Asturias, Duchess of Savoy, Governess of the Burgundian Low Countries, and a distinguished patroness of the arts.

This connection between velvet's symbolic legacy in art and its modern reinvention in fashion resonates strongly in recent collections.

In "Emilia Pérez", Zoe Saldaña's crimson velvet suit becomes a metaphor for rebellion and power, while on the runways of Chavarria and Giorgio Armani, the fabric is reinterpreted for the contemporary wardrobe and continues to signify elegance, authority, and artistry.

Modern fashion trends often draw inspiration from historical dress and artistic details immortalized in paintings. While many designers pursue authorized collaborations with contemporary artists, others subtly weave art history into their collections, creating a dialogue between the past and the present.

Kim Jones, the creative director of Dior Homme, exemplifies this interplay between fashion and art.

Known for his curated partnerships with contemporary artists, Jones also integrates elements reminiscent of classical works into his designs. In Dior's A/W 25 collection, certain details appear to have been borrowed from historical portraiture. For example, Jacob Ferdinand Voet's portraits of women often featured gowns with ribboned sleeves, where the ribbons added both functional ruching and decorative elegance. Jones reinterpreted this motif in men's jackets, incorporating sculptural ribbons along the sleeves (a nod, perhaps, also to the attire of King Louis XIV of France - View this photo and View this photo).

Besides, some of his slashed tops that echoed historical costumes as well, were accessorised with a chatelaine, a medieval and 19th-century "tool belt" that predated pockets in women's garments. Once clipped to a belt, chatelaines kept essentials like scissors, thimbles, watches, household seals and keys within reach, making them indispensable for housewives and housekeepers.

Their utility is well-documented in 16th-century portraits of Central European women and even in whimsical illustrations like Albert Robida's or Walter Crane's (for the fable "The Frog Prince"). On Prada's A/W 16 men and women's runways, the chatelaine re-emerged with a modern twist, transforming this functional relic into a statement piece.

But there are further art and historical references in current collections. We've previously explored how statues with their cloaks draped below the hips have influenced fashion, inspiring fitted skirts or dresses with sculptural draping around the waist. This motif resurfaced on Juun J's runway where pencil skirts and trousers seemed to melt or drip down the hips. Aside from creating a sculptural silhouette this gave the chance to the designer to play with different and contrasting materials and use this trick to display his tailoring skills.

So, the next time you explore a fashion collection, take a moment to look for references to paintings, sculptures, or other art forms. It's a fascinating exercise that not only sharpens your eye but also deepens your understanding of the creative connections shaping our visual culture.

An Allegory for the World: "Thomas Demand: The Stutter of History" @ Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan

When Donald Trump held a press conference in January 2017, just before his inauguration as U.S. President, he appeared before the press alongside a table piled high with manila folders (View this photo). He claimed these documents represented the agreements he had signed to transfer control of the Trump Organization to his children, effectively relinquishing his business responsibilities. The stacks of folders were striking but enigmatic; journalists were told they could not examine their contents. This left many wondering, were the documents genuine, or were they mere stage props? The mystery was never resolved.

Artist Thomas Demand found this scene fascinating and reinterpreted it in his 2017 artwork "Folders", meticulously recreating the table and stacks of documents in his signature style. Demand's photographic depiction of the recreated moment is now featured in his retrospective exhibition "The Stutter of History" at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum (TFAM) in Taipei, Taiwan (running until 11th May).

The exhibition showcases around 70 works spanning Demand's 30-year career, highlighting his unique approach at the crossroads of sculpture and photography.

Born in Munich in 1964, Demand studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and the Düsseldorf Academy of Fine Arts, later earning a master's degree in fine arts from Goldsmiths, University of London.

In the early stages of his career, Demand crafted paper and cardboard sculptures, using photography primarily to document his creations. However, this process prompted him to reflect on the contrast between three-dimensional objects and their flat, photographic representations. This shift in perspective led him to focus on creating objects specifically for the camera, a method that has since become the foundation of his practice.

Thomas Demand meticulously reconstructs life-sized scenes of seemingly mundane images sourced from mass media, using paper and cardboard. He then photographs these crafted scenes to produce images that closely resemble the originals. Once the photographic phase of the project is complete, he destroys the models, leaving only large-format photographic prints as the final artwork.

Through this process, Demand challenges the perception of photography as an inherently objective or truthful medium, emphasizing the gap between reality and representation, a tension similar to what journalists faced when confronted with Trump's enigmatic stack of papers.

The subjects of Demand's works often stem from news photographs depicting significant historical or social events, reimagining pivotal moments that have shaped Western or global narratives.

Some of his earlier works explore German history through iconic images of events he did not personally witness but learned about through visual records. Examples include the bomb-damaged room where Hitler narrowly survived an assassination attempt in 1944 ("Raum / Room," 1994) and the film archives of Nazi-supported filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl ("Archiv / Archive," 1995).

Demand has also recreated scenes tied to major world events. These include the hotel room in Russia where Edward Snowden, the American National Security Agency whistleblower, first stayed as a fugitive ("Refuge Series," 2021); the storeroom of the Wildenstein Institute in Paris, where missing artworks were recovered during a police raid ("Vault," 2012); and the abandoned control room of the Fukushima nuclear power plant following the devastating 2011 Tōhoku earthquake ("Kontrollraum / Control Room," 2011).

Thomas Demand's works also explore the interplay between artificial and natural worlds. In "Clearing" (2003), he used over 270,000 paper leaves to construct an idyllic forest scene with sunlight filtering through the canopy. The work reflects humanity's idealized and often unrealistic vision of nature as pure and untouched.

Another ambitious piece, "Grotte / Grotto" (2006), was created using 36 tons of cardboard. Demand studied hundreds of postcards of caves, commonly sold in gift shops worldwide, to construct a life-sized grotto complete with stalactites formed over millennia.

"Grotto" is the only model among Demand's works that has been preserved, and it is on permanent display at the Prada Foundation in Milan. Demand's relationship with the Fondazione Prada is longstanding: he collaborated with filmmaker Alexander Kluge and stage and costume designer Anna Viebrock for the widely praised exhibition "The Boat is Leaking. The Captain Lied" that was on view at Fondazione Prada in Venice in 2017.

At the entrance to the TFAM exhibition, Demand's wall-sized photographic wallpaper "Hanami" (2014) creates an immersive experience inspired by nature. Made by reconstructing countless cherry blossoms from paper, the piece invites viewers to reflect on the fleeting and cyclical nature of life, evoking the delicate and ephemeral beauty of the blossoms in full bloom.

In 2008, Thomas Demand shifted focus from monumental subjects to more personal and everyday themes, resulting in his "Dailies" series.

Using the same meticulous methods - transforming images into paper sculptures and photographing them - Demand drew inspiration from snapshots he captured on his mobile phone. These seemingly banal scenes include an empty yogurt cup with a pink plastic spoon left on a shelf, a bar of soap balanced on the edge of a sink, a pile of letters spilling out from under a door, and cups placed in the holes of a chain-link fence.

Through the "Dailies" series, Demand crafts an autobiographical narrative, celebrating the understated beauty of life's minutiae. By weaving the mundane into his work, he presents a more holistic view of history: one that encompasses not only monumental global events but also the quiet, everyday details of individual lives.

These unremarkable yet evocative moments encourage viewers to reflect on the importance of the countless images we take, share, and consume obsessively on social media and messaging platforms.

Demand has also ventured into stop-motion animation, using the medium to explore motion and time. In "Pacific Sun" (2012), he recreated viral surveillance footage showing a cruise ship cabin battered by rogue waves off the coast of New Zealand. Tables, chairs, lockers, paper plates, and computer monitors slide back and forth chaotically. Demand spent months reconstructing the tumultuous scene frame by frame, using paper and cardboard to capture its bizarre, almost whimsical energy.

In "Balloons" (2018), a string of balloons tied to a red plastic clothespin drifts lazily across a brick and concrete sidewalk, propelled by the wind. The balloons themselves remain outside the frame, their presence suggested only by shadows dancing gracefully on the ground. These shadows, accompanied by the swaying of tree branches and the occasional flutter of fallen leaves, transform a fleeting urban moment into a poetic meditation on movement and light.

In 2011, during his residency at the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles, Thomas Demand initiated his "Model Studies" series. Departing from his usual practice of reconstructing images through sculpture, Demand turned his focus directly onto the preparatory paper models created by architects and designers. His photographs capture abstract, fragmented elements within these models, exploring the creative process behind their design.

His fascination with models and architecture has also led to collaborations with renowned international architects like David Chipperfield and Rem Koolhaas, on projects ranging from exhibitions and installations to architectural building designs. Demand also appeared four times at the Venice Architecture Biennale.

The "Model Studies" series includes the provisional maquettes of figures such as John Lautner, one of America's most influential modernist architects, as well as contemporary architectural firms like SANAA. It also extends to unexpected realms, such as the radical paper dress patterns of fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa (a delightful nod for fashion enthusiasts). Together, these images unveil the profound role of paper in art and design, offering a glimpse into the creative and structural underpinnings of the objects and spaces around us.

Through layers of reproduction and translation from one medium to the other, Thomas Demand’s works reveal the inherent gaps in our perception of truth. While history persists in collective and individual memory as images, his ghostly creations underscore how fragile materials like paper can carry the weight of both personal moments and world events. Besides, by exploring the tension between photographic representations and reality, Demand questions the inertia of image culture and the paradox of perception. As he puts it: "I guess the core of it is making the world into a model by redoing it and stripping off the anecdotal part, that’s when it becomes an allegory, and the project becomes a metaphor. Making models is a cultural technique - without it we would be blind."

Image credits for this post

1. Thomas Demand, Folders, 2017, C-Print/Diasec, 125 × 195 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Taipei Fine Arts Museum. © Thomas Demand, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.

2. Thomas Demand, Archiv / Archive, 1995, C-Print/Diasec, 183.5 × 233 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Taipei Fine Arts Museum. © Thomas Demand, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.

3. Thomas Demand, Kontrollraum / Control Room, 2011, C-Print/Diasec, 200 × 300 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Taipei Fine Arts Museum. © Thomas Demand, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.

4. Thomas Demand, Pacific Sun (still), 2012, Video, 2.02 min, stereo (3,050 frames). Courtesy of the artist and Taipei Fine Arts Museum. © Thomas Demand, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.

5. Thomas Demand, Refuge II, 2021, C-Print/Diasec, 160 × 200 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Taipei Fine Arts Museum. © Thomas Demand, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.

6. Thomas Demand, Grotte / Grotto, 2006, C-Print/Diasec, 198 × 440 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Taipei Fine Arts Museum. © Thomas Demand, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.

7. Thomas Demand, Hanami, 2014, UV Print on Non-Woven Wallpaper, Dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist and Taipei Fine Arts Museum. © Thomas Demand, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.

8. Thomas Demand, Daily #22, 2014, Framed Dye Transfer Print, 82.3 × 58.5 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Taipei Fine Arts Museum. © Thomas Demand, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.

9. Thomas Demand, Starling, (Model Studies 4), 2020, Framed Pigment Print, 135 × 172 cm. Courtesy of the artist and Taipei Fine Arts Museum. © Thomas Demand, VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn.

10 - 17. Installation views, "Thomas Demand: The Stutter of History", Taipei Fine Arts Museum, Taipei, Taiwan. Courtesy of Taipei Fine Arts Museum.

Will Trump's Attitude Towards DEIA Programs Turn Into a Trend in Other Sectors as well?

At the World Economic Forum today, U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled his plan to incentivize domestic manufacturing: tariffs on companies that fail to produce their goods in the U.S.

"Come make your product in America, and we will give you among the lowest taxes of any nation on Earth," the president said. "But if you don't make your product in America, which is your prerogative, then very simply, you will have to pay a tariff, differing amounts, but a tariff which will direct hundreds of billions of dollars, and even trillions of dollars into our Treasury to strengthen our economy and pay down debt."

This policy, positioned as both a financial strategy and a nationalist economic push, may force the fashion world to rethink its global supply chains. Some luxury brands have already taken steps in this direction. Louis Vuitton, for instance, opened a production facility in Alvarado, Texas, in 2019, during Trump's first term, marking the beginning of a collaboration between the Trump administration and the Arnault family. 

However, this shift is likely to pose significant challenges for designers and brands heavily reliant on overseas manufacturing. Many fashion houses produce their designs and accessories abroad to capitalize on specialized craftsmanship or lower production costs, a dynamic that also plagued British designers during the uncertainty of Brexit. How the industry will adapt to these proposed tariffs remains to be seen.

Adding complexity to this policy landscape is Trump's ongoing hostility toward Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) initiatives. On Monday, Trump signed an executive order terminating all federal DEIA offices, roles, programs and mandates, dismantling in this way decades-old equity policies. The move has already led to the removal of equity plans from federal websites, including the White House's own, and DEIA federal employees have been placed on administrative leave.

A second order on Tuesday rescinded long-standing policies, including Bill Clinton's environmental justice directive for low-income and minority populations and an equal opportunity requirement for government contractors first signed by Lyndon B. Johnson during the civil rights era.

The fashion industry has been working to embed DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) principles into its identity, spurred largely by public backlash on social media to controversial campaigns and designs. Brands faced consumer boycotts over perceived cultural insensitivity or outright offensive imagery, leading to high-profile initiatives aimed at restoring trust and demonstrating accountability.

Consider Dolce & Gabbana's 2018 campaign for the Chinese market, which sparked outrage for its stereotypical portrayal of Chinese culture. Or Dior's "Sauvage" fragrance campaign, which, despite being developed in collaboration with Native American consultants, was criticized for its perceived insensitivity due to the fragrance's name, which translates to "savage."

In response to such controversies, major fashion houses began appointing DEI officers and forming advisory councils to guide their strategies. For instance, after backlash over its "Pradamalia" range, which included charms evoking blackface imagery, the Prada Group established its Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council in 2019. This council featured prominent figures such as artist Theaster Gates and filmmaker Ava DuVernay, aiming to foster dialogue and education around inclusivity. Prada also brought on Malika Savell, former Director of Cultural Diversity Partnerships at LVMH, as its Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for North America in 2020.

Similarly, Gucci faced severe criticism for its 2019 balaclava jumper with a cut-out mouth and red lips that summoned up blackface imagery. In response, the brand appointed Renée E. Tirado as its Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Before joining Gucci, Tirado had developed and led DEI strategies at Major League Baseball (MLB). Under her leadership, Gucci launched a series of multicultural programs focusing on inclusivity and global exchange. Tirado worked in this position at Gucci for a year and, after she resigned, her responsibilities were shared by Chief People Officer Luca Bozzo (who left Gucci last December) and former model and activist Bethann Hardison.

These steps reflect a broader industry reckoning: diversity and equity have evolved from being PR tools to essential components of corporate strategy. However, Trump's recent actions highlight a genuine aversion for DEIA policies and raise questions about how the U.S. government's rollback of these policies will resonate in industries like fashion that are striving to embrace inclusivity.

In the fashion industry, progress often comes with a side of skepticism. The sector has a tendency to jump on trends with fervor, only to abandon them just as quickly: take the fleeting embrace of body diversity, which faltered as the Ozempic craze swept in. Conversations about diversity and inclusion in fashion peaked whenever a brand committed a faux pas in an advertising campaign or in a collection, but they often waned after a few weeks, while the problems persisted. That said the interest in these matters, helped some houses tracing potential roadmaps for creating lasting change. Additionally, university-level courses on overcoming bias and making better workplace decisions have become more common, reflecting a growing awareness and the possibilities of opening up new job opportunities in companies.

The U.S. has seen some significant progresses when it comes to diversity and inclusivity: the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) organized events with American clothing company PVH Corp. and also released reports on the State of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in Fashion that focused on the experiences of Black employees and other underrepresented groups across all levels of the industry.

But the future of all these efforts faces uncertainty. With Trump's influence and growing resistance to DEIA initiatives among conservative groups, who often argue that such programs unfairly discriminate against white people and in particular against white men, there’s concern that companies might scale back or abolish these programs altogether.

Yet statistics repeatedly show that diverse management teams drive better business outcomes. Since 2015 strategy and management consulting firm McKinsey issued a series of reports on the issue of diversity to provide a comprehensive global perspective on the relationship between leadership diversity and company performance and always found that companies with strong DEI policies are more likely to outperform their industry peers financially. Which means that rolling back DEI initiatives in fashion companies could directly impact earnings as well. Therefore championing diversity is also a business imperative rather than just a box-ticking exercise.

For those looking to dig deeper, check out the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lighthouses 2025 Report by the World Economic Forum's Centre for the New Economy and Society. The document (Download WEF_Diversity_Equity_and_Inclusion_Lighthouses_2025) offers valuable insights: the report builds on the work of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouse Programme and highlights impactful corporate strategies. Among the other companies they mention there is also LVMH, featured for its gender equity progress. According to the report, representation of women in key positions at LVMH grew from 23% to 48% since 2007; 65% of LVMH managers are now women. Besides, female CEOs increased from 0 to 17 since 2007 and women on the executive committee rose from 1 to 3 since 2007.

The report also highlights the 2025 goals for LVMH, that is "ensuring that 2% of its workforce consists of people with disabilities and attaining 30% representation of the Black, Indigenous, and people of colour (BIPOC) community in key positions in the United States."

But given the current political climate, will these plans withstand mounting pressure to scale back DEIA efforts? Only time will tell. The hope is that the fashion industry won't succumb to Trump's divisive trends. To ensure progress, we as consumers should remain vigilant and continue to demand accountability and advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. After all, the collective voice of consumers has the power to shape not just brands' values, but the future of the industry itself.

Through Accessories or Gentle Yet Firm Words, Dissent Against the Policies of U.S. President Trump Remains Alive

Amid symbolic colors, a hat of mass distraction and a Hollywood reference at Monday's swearing-in ceremony of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, one figure stood out with a much deeper symbolism: U.S. Associate Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Justice Jackson chose to accessorize her black robes with a striking collar crafted from cowrie shells, complemented by matching earrings. Shells, always a timeless adornment, carried a profound meaning in this context.

Cowrie shells, particularly those of Cypraea moneta, known as the money cowry, served as currency across Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Traded for goods and services as early as the 14th century, their significance endures. In Benin, for instance, giant cowries adorn the exterior of the Central Bank of West African States, a symbolic nod to their historical role in commerce (View this photo).

Had Justice Jackson simply alluded to the power of money and of billionaires in Trump's life and presidency, it would already have been a pointed statement. But her choice carried deeper layers of meaning.

In many African cultures, cowries hold a dual role as symbols of beauty and protection. They are worn as jewelry or hair ornaments, stitched onto garments, and incorporated into rituals. The shells serve as amulets, believed to safeguard their bearers.

But there is something more behind these shells. The National Museum of African American History and Culture highlights this complexity on its website: "Cowrie shells were more than money. They also represented power in trade. Europeans in the 16th century were able to use cowries to enter the valuable African trade markets, where they used shells to buy goods, including people (...) Knowing that Africans used cowries as charms for protection, historians speculate the cowries may have been brought to America as talismans to resist enslavement."

The swearing-in ceremony coincided with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and perhaps Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's choice of accessories also hinted at Black culture, history and racial discrimination. Besides, the cowrie shell is also a symbol of femininity and fertility in many cultures, and may have been a powerful statement against Trump's anti-women record (many seem to have forgotten that this is the same Trump who was found liable for sexual abuse in May 2023).

While Justice Jackson has not publicly explained her choice, it's tempting to interpret her cowrie collar and earrings as an expression of dissent, following the tradition of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In the documentary "RBG", directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen, Ginsburg explained the origin of her jabots, which became feminist symbols: "The standard robe is made for a man because it has a place for the shirt to show and the tie, so Sandra Day O'Connor thought it would be appropriate if we included in our robe something typical of a woman."

For Ginsburg, the collars were more than an accessory, they were a declaration. They symbolized that one didn't need to adopt masculine attire to excel in a traditionally male-dominated role. Beyond aesthetic appeal, her collars conveyed purpose. A piece gifted by her law clerks marked majority opinions, while a black rhinestone-adorned collar was reserved for dissent.

Justice Jackson's choice of cowrie shells also resonates within contemporary African design. Ivorian designer Dion Dewand Marcia Lafalaise frequently incorporates cowries into her pieces for her label Lafalaise Dion. Two of her works - "Mami Wata" (2019), a cowrie-adorned headpiece, and "Tankë Short" (2022), a skirt crafted from shells - were featured last year in the exhibition "Africa's Fashion Diaspora", at the Museum at FIT in New York. These creations showcase the enduring significance of cowries as symbols of cultural identity, spirituality, and resilience.

Dissent against Trump's policies extended beyond the swearing-in ceremony. Yesterday, during the traditional interfaith prayer service at the Washington National Cathedral, the Episcopal Bishop of Washington, Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde, delivered a calm yet resolute appeal for mercy on behalf of communities affected by his immigration and LGBTQ+ policies.

On his first day in office, Trump wasted no time signing executive orders that rolled back protections for transgender Americans, sought to enforce a binary definition of sex, recognizing only "male" and "female" and laid the groundwork for mass deportations. He also initiated plans to dismantle birthright citizenship and put all federal employees working in DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) offices on paid administrative leave, effectively closing these programs and ending their initiatives.

Speaking with grace and resolve, Rev. Mariann Edgar Budde delivered a poignant sermon stating: "In the name of our God, I ask you to have mercy on the people in our country who are scared now. There are gay, lesbian and transgender children in Democratic, Republican and independent families, some who fear for their lives."

"And the people who pick our crops and clean our office buildings, who labor in poultry farms and meat packing plants, who wash the dishes after we eat in restaurants and work the nightshift in hospitals, they may not be citizens, or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals, they pay taxes, and are good neighbours. They are faithful members of our churches, mosques, synagogues, gurdwara and temples (…) Our God teaches us that we are to be merciful to the stranger, for we were all once strangers in this land."

When asked by a reporter what he thought of the sermon, Trump dismissed it as "not too exciting," as if it were a poorly edited action film rather than recognizing it as a direct critique of his divisive policies. Later, in a post on Truth Social, he attacked Budde as "nasty in tone" and "not compelling or smart."

But the reverend's credentials speak for themselves. Budde holds a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Rochester and both a master's in divinity and a doctor of ministry from Virginia Theological Seminary. She is a published author and the first woman to serve as the spiritual leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. She already attacked Trump in June 2020, when she published an op-ed in The New York Times condemning Trump's photo opportunity holding a Bible in front of St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington DC, after peaceful protesters were removed by force by federal officers as they demonstrated against the murder of George Floyd.

Judging by the expressions on the faces of President Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance, as well as the outrage among Trump's supporters, Budde's words had landed precisely where they were meant to: a clear critique of his administration's policies and rhetoric.

Resistance in this climate is challenging, but it's not impossible. Whether through symbols, like Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's cowrie shell collar, or through words, gentle yet firm, like Rev. Budde's sermon, dissent remains alive.