“I learned pretty early on that press doesn’t pay the bills,” says Harlem’s Fashion Row founder and CEO Brandice Daniel. “I knew I needed to do something that would actually give financial opportunities to designers of color.” Daniel founded the initiative in 2007 to create an equal playing field for Black and Latinx designers, staging…
Shortly before fears of COVID-19 swept through this spring’s Fashion Week, fashion show production maestro Alexandre de Betak was already reexamining his business model. Famous for his transporting work for the likes of Dior, Rodarte, and Jacquemus, de Betak released a statement declaring that shows must be smaller, more sustainable, and more digital. The pandemic…
When so many “fashion people” speak in tentative, pre-digested sound bites, Virgil Abloh’s candor and refusal to go along with conventional wisdom is refreshing. For ELLE’s look at the future of fashion, the Off-White founder and artistic director of menswear at Louis Vuitton talks about how creativity is like a sprint, why brunch is the…
Stephen LovekinShutterstock When we caught up with Gabriela Hearst this summer, the sustainability champion remained optimistic about the future of the industry. Hearst, who was just awarded Womenswear Designer of the Year by the CFDA, also wanted to set the record straight about the misconception that being green means spending more. She spoke to ELLE…
After months of lockdown, Milan had recently re-opened, with workers flooding back to offices, and Donatella Versace was happy to be back in the office (though she had picked up some Zoom skills in quarantine.) Below, as part of ELLE’s look at the future of fashion, the designer speaks about how this moment is making…
Since starting her brand Brother Vellies in 2013, Aurora James has always sought to help right the industry’s wrongs—from utilizing recycled materials to ensuring fair wages. This spring, James started a bona fide movement when she created the 15 Percent Pledge, which asks retailers to devote 15 percent of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses.…
When I spoke with model and Pose star Indya Moore back in May, they were quarantining in, in their words, “a regular-ass home in Chicago,” where they had already begun doing at-home shoots. Below as part of ELLE’s look at the future of fashion, they reflect on the ups and downs of working from home…
Victor VIRGILEGetty Images “When it comes to energy, we need to look to the future, and when it comes to garments, into the past,” Gabriela Hearst said at a preview of her fall 2020 collection in February, a month before the world, and the industry, got turned upside down. Eco-pioneers like Hearst and Stella McCartney…
Giorgio Armani has always had a singular vision. Back in late February when cases of COVID-19 were beginning to rise in Italy, the designer made a snap decision to stage a virtual presentation. Here, as part of ELLE’s look at the future of fashion, he reflects on that decisiveness and lessons learned from 2020 so…
The fashion industry has changed significantly since model-turned-advocate Bethann Hardison got her start in a Garment District button factory. As part of ELLE’s look at the future of fashion, she shares her views on the industry’s current struggles and how she personally has effected change over the decades. When did you decide to leave modeling…