Against the backdrop of a full-blown crisis in Europe, the French capital, Paris, was held for a week-long fashion show, where symbolic gestures, quiet moments of reflection were seen and financial support was pledged by several fashion houses.
A month before Paris Autumn/Winter Fashion Week began, it was widely believed to mark a major return to the fashion world – a grand celebration that belonged to the fashion industry after two years of pandemic chaos. With relatively fewer COVID-19 cases and international travel to and from France already open, more brands are planning to host physical shows rather than online virtual shows.
But just a few days before Paris Fashion Week began, the positive and optimistic state changed. On February 24, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a brutal armed attack on Ukraine, which was incriminating to people all over the world and plunged into deep fear.
On March 1, Ralph Toledano, president of the Federation de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, the organizer of Paris Fashion Week, issued a statement hoping that the participants of the event would "participate in the fashion show in the coming days with a serious heart and reflect deeply on these dark moments." ”
A week after fashion week, Ralph Toledano told CNN that on the Sunday night before fashion week began, he had two conflicting images in his mind. "On the one hand, the return of Fashion Week is very exciting and unaffected by the pandemic. On the other hand, a country is being attacked in a very cruel and barbaric way ... Some people are dying, some people are suffering. ”
In short, this fashion week, filled with stunning performances and lavish parties, is at odds with the wars of Europe.
Demna, creative director of luxury brand Balenciaga, acknowledged the strained relationship, issuing a statement ahead of the fashion launch. "Fashion feels a bit ridiculous," he wrote in a letter to clients, adding that he had considered canceling the event altogether.
The Georgian-born designer wrote: "The war in Ukraine caused me the traumatic anguish of my past. In 1993, the same thing happened in my home country, and I became a permanent refugee. ”
In the early 1990s, tens of thousands of people fled the Georgian city of Sukhumi as a result of clashes in the disputed Abkhazia region, including Demna and her family. Despite international recognition that Abkhazia is part of Georgia, Russia considers Abkhazia to be independent.
Eventually, the show went on as usual on Sundays, but there were also some symbolic "declarations" — the Ukrainian flag was hoisted on the guest seats, and designer Demna recited a poem in Ukrainian by the famous Ukrainian poet Oleksandr Oles. Demna concluded in the letter: "I realized that canceling the fashion show meant giving in, meaning succumbing to the evil that had hurt me for nearly 30 years. I decided that I could no longer sacrifice part of myself for a senseless, relentless war. ”
Although this series was designed before the outbreak of war, it is difficult not to be reminded of its subtleties. Demna told reporters backstage that it was an exciting runway that deliberately reflected the conflict, war and displacement he experienced 30 years ago.
At a fashion show, models carrying oversized leather garbage bags struggle through a set of costumes that mimic a cold blizzard, which is also a commentary on the climate crisis.
The brand's owner, Kering Group (the parent company of brands such as Saint Laurent, Gucci and Alexander McQueen), announced two days ago that it would suspend all operations in Russia.
Richemont, the owner of Hermes and Cartier, was the first to pledge to temporarily close stores in Russia and cease operations. LVMH (a luxury group with 14 luxury fashion brands, including Louis Vuitton and Loewe) and Chanel is also close behind. Many brands, including LVMH, announced donations, and LVMH donated €5 million (US$5.5 million) to the ICRC to help the direct and indirect victims of the conflict.
Supermodel Gigi Hadid has also pledged to donate all of fashion month's proceeds to Ukraine to support their disaster relief efforts.
Small but necessary actions
Vogue magazine's fashion director for Ukraine, Vena Brykalin, attended the Balenciaga fashion show and several others in Paris this week. The day before Russia invaded Ukraine, he flew from Kiev to Milan for Fashion Week. He finds himself caught up in a dilemma — worryingly calling family and friends, following social networks (he's been using Instagram to share news, including information about Ukrainian designers and various rescue operations), and occasionally watching fashion shows.
After the Copernicus fashion show, Ricardin spoke about his experience at Fashion Week on his way through Paris, when his country was experiencing a war.
"Fashion is a trillion-dollar industry and we know that fashion weeks are an important means of achieving this goal of wealth, so I don't expect them to focus and change everything," he said. He added, though, that he felt the brand needed to show a "right and decent look."
He mentioned Copernicus's exhibition. The exhibition was held in a warehouse on the outskirts of the city, and the brand released a statement saying it would dedicate its fashion show to cap Est Sarl studio in Kiev. At another fashion show celebrating the spirit of youth, their catwalks were also decorated in blue and yellow.
"It's not going to change the world," Brikalin said, but he thinks these moments are important and powerful, and it's unacceptable for brands to remain silent. "Today's brand companies can't operate in a vacuum," he said, noting that he disagrees with the idea that fashion is fantasy or escapism, that fashion is real and is implemented. "If brands choose not to face reality, I don't think it's a modern approach." He said.
He praised Balenciaga for expressing its support for Ukraine through social media in the early days of the Russian invasion, arguing that the brand set an example for other brands, and noted that doing so may have a positive impact on their business development. "(Business) is an aspect that needs to be mentioned here," he said, though it runs counter to brands that shy away from the conversation because they see it as an economic risk to their operations.
Some brands do tend to escape from reality through fashion (Lowey's fashion show is full of playful, surreal designs, such as two trapeze skirts floating into the shape of a car). At larger fashion shows, celebrity superstars remain the protagonists of sensations (Rihanna's attendance at Dior's feast, for example, drew a screaming crowd outside). Of these varied responses, though, several companies have mapped the ongoing crisis in subtle ways.
At the end of the Nuushka launch, for example, three models stood on a pedestal with their eyes closed, revealing their blue-yellow eye makeup while the strings played the ukrainian national anthem.
The brand, led by Hungarian designer Sandra Sandor, also released a statement detailing various charitable activities, including donating proceeds from its e-commerce sales to projects that support Ukrainians. Another spokesperson also confirmed that the company has temporarily stopped sales in Russia.
Other signs of solidarity with Ukraine are more subtle
Danish designer Cecilie Bahnsen, who made her debut at Paris Fashion Week this quarter, arranged a momentary pause at the end of the show. In a brief interview backstage, the models stood shoulder to shoulder, which the designer called a "quiet moment of unity."
Petar Petrov, a Viennese designer born in Ukraine (he left Ukraine at a very young age and moved to Bulgaria with his family), came to Paris Fashion Week to present his latest collection. The day after he released his new outfit through a short video, he was cautious in his reflections on the industry's response to the war. "We're not politicians," he said, adding that there's only so much fashion designers can do, especially smaller indie brands like him. Nevertheless, they have also contributed a small amount of effort. His company announced it would donate 10 percent of the profits from online orders to THE UN REFUGEE.
Plain clothing is eye-catching
In a fashion show that did not produce any obvious response, the more simple and generous and more thoughtful clothing series launch stood out and better matched the overall atmosphere.
Petrov's new collection is elaborate apparel, he told CNN that he's spoken to the brand's customers who say, "We're real women, we know who we are, we need products we like, we wear clothes for a long time, more than once." This way, he said, is a more "plain way of dressing" but "also more meaningful." He believes that during the pandemic, people are used to comfortable clothing, but now they don't want to compromise on this comfort, especially when dressing up and wearing more advanced fashion.
On Chloé's website, Uruguayan creative director Gabriela Hearst presents her collection in a large greenhouse-style structure. Hearst is one of the fashion industry's most climate-focused activists. A huge lamp shines in from the outside, like the sun (which may be related to global warming). This collection showcases earthy color schemes – black, brown, red and citrus. The brand also released a brochure detailing the origin of the material and the production process of the product, which became a landmark initiative for the brand. For example, in this quarter, 56% of fashion collections used eco-friendly materials, including recycled cashmere.
Summing up the week, Toledano said he believes the brands have adopted the most basic respectful approach and have not produced the "festive" holiday state he feared on the eve of Fashion Week.
Asked about the fashion industry's place in a world of conflict and crisis, Toledano said the industry is full of "sensitive people," most notably designers who have a deep sense of reality.
One such designer, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Valentino's acclaimed creative director, came up with a simple but radical idea — the all-pink collection, which focuses primarily on contours, finding the possibility of expression in the apparently lacking possibilities.
Piccioli's voice filled the room before the model stepped onto the pink runway, and he read a statement to the audience. "It's been a tough week, it's been a tough time. Our only response is action. Our attitude is that we will not be paralyzed by war and strive to remember that our freedom privilege is greater than ever. We miss those who suffer, we see you, we feel you, we love you. Finally, he said, "Love is the answer, forever."
Text/Fashion Guangzhou New Media Intern Roll Xin
Global vision, Lingnan fashion
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