Kim Kardashian Fronts Balenciaga, International Fashion Weeks Take Center Stage and More News
The fashion news stories you should know this week.
This is the Wednesday NEWSletter where I break down a few fashion news stories you should know about this week and why. The fashion industry has a lot of news, and not all of it makes it into the mainstream. Fashion often tells one side of a larger story, and usually, it impacts us all.
Copenhagen Fashion Week is underway.
Copenhagen Fashion Week is happening, and yes, it seems like everywhere in the world has a fashion week now. While there is certainly an argument against so many collections popping up week after week, I think that having runway shows in metropolises outside of the major four cities might be a good thing. It allows smaller designers to shine, and encourages a local fashion scene that has been lost to the big fast fashion brands.
Unique to CPHFW is that the city usually boasts the most sustainably-minded designers, which is a necessary antidote to the over-the-top opulence of fashion month. Often, however, it's the street style that we see more of. While I think it's great (and all the attendees have excellent style), it sometimes obscures some of the genuinely fantastic fashion happening on the runways. Kerne.Milk, for example, is an exciting brand with a no-waste policy.
Kim Kardashian is the face of Balenciaga.
Kim Kardashian's long-time relationship with Demna, the designer of Balenciaga, has finally come to its natural crescendo. The star is now the face of the brand's newest collections. Kardashian sits on a couch in the images, taking a selfie wearing head-to-toe black Balenciaga. The outfit is reminiscent of the ones we've seen her wear throughout 2021 – including that infamous Met Gala outfit this past year.
Celebrities fronting fashion campaigns have lost its luster for me. What can I say? I love models! But surprising? This photoshoot is not.
Ralph Lauren unveils winter Olympics uniform amid boycotts.
Last week, Ralph Lauren unveiled the new Olympic uniform for the 2022 games. The brand has been creating the uniforms since 2008, and this year is no different – except for one thing. The unveiling comes alongside even more calls and plans for boycotts of this year's events because of human rights abuses against Uyghurs in Xinjiang. Per the Washington Post, "Olympic athletes from multiple countries who want to show solidarity with the victims of the Chinese government's human rights abuses have been quietly preparing to boycott the Opening Ceremonies, according to human rights activists who have been helping to educate and organize them."
In July 2020, Ralph Lauren posted a press release about its policies regarding sourcing from the region. "Ralph Lauren does not source any yarn, textiles, or products from Xinjiang. Our suppliers are prohibited from using any cotton grown in the Xinjiang region and we are working with our partners and other brands to identify an effective solution for raw material traceability and verification at the fiber level to ensure that the materials we use in our products are responsibly sourced," the release read.
Ukrainian Fashion Week is still happening.
Despite the looming concerns of a military invasion by Russia, Business of Fashion reports that Ukrainian Fashion Week will go on. The schedule begins on Thursday, February 3rd, and ends on February 6th. Iryna Danylevska, chief executive of Ukrainian Fashion Week, told BoF, "Ukrainian political instability and its shifting economic agendas have made uncertainty a part of our everyday lives since 2014." She went on to say that the designers and the people of Ukraine are used to this type of disruption and that they are resilient against it.
*This Stuff is a newsletter by me! fashion journalist, Alyssa Hardy. Three times a week, I unpack the ways our clothes impact the world through news, essays, interviews and more. Subscribe for free here and follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.*