As a 21-year-old college student, living in the year of 2020, being privileged enough to have access to esteemed medical facilities in America, I still never expected to be hit with the news that our world is in a state of crisis. Or that I’d test positive for coronavirus. But alas, here we are… Social distancing in quarantine. It’s tough for me to even consider writing a blog post about fashion, let alone talk about how COVID-19 is affecting the industry, when so many have contracted the virus and lost loved ones. But of course, fashion and business publications alike are still writing about how this virus is affecting the industry, and how the industry is affecting the virus, so I guess I’ll write about it too. 

COVID-19 arrived in Italy on February 21^st, directly in the midst of Milan Fashion Week (which was intended to span from the 18^th to the 24^th). The Fall 2020 Fashion Month Season was just beginning, and following the news of the pandemic’s spread, it seemed as though the industry was at a loss. Some of the fashion market’s most iconic brands and luxury powerhouses canceled their runway shows. Ralph Lauren rescinded the invites for his Fall 2020 show set in April. Giorgio Armani opted for a livestream of the runway on the last day of Milan Fashion Week. And boy, was it eerie to see all the vacant seats on the sidelines. Many editors, reporters, designers, models, and influencers skipped out on shows and booked a flight home. But many other brands and industry personnel, sadly, did not. Perhaps it was too early on for everyone to grasp the severity of this issue. Fashion itself is an industry based on delivering a fantastical idea of reality, a utopian ideal of sorts (and we all know utopian societies don’t deal with pandemics, so why would the utopia’s creators?). Instead of facing full defeat and canceling their shows, esteemed names – including Chanel, Dior, and Louis Vuitton – opted for heightened security and hand sanitizer. Regardless of the distressing news reports, Virgil Abloh, creator of Off-White, said he never considered canceling the brand’s show. He told Women’s Wear Daily that “if we had, it would send a message of panic. And I don’t want to be reactionary.”  To further the revolt of social distancing for the sake of fashion, Lanvin’s public relations representative even announced that medical face masks were available upon request at their runway show. Following the lack of industry response, and more specifically their inability to give up runway shows for one season, I felt pretty defeated. Is this what the climate change activists felt like? I had expected a more rapid turnaround, a superior response to the mounting crisis. 

However, now that a month has passed since the fall fashion season, I’ve been reconsidering my initial judgments aimed at the industry. Yes, in the first few weeks following the announcement of COVID-19, the industry didn’t necessarily react well to their new reality. Luxury brands, esteemed designers, and department stores were all having to shut their doors, lay off their workers, and lose their suppliers. And yes, some struggled to accept this reality and cancel their shows. I mean, handing out masks and avoiding the European double-kiss backstage is like moving the deck chairs on Titanic while it sinks. But since the end of fall fashion month and the beginning of mandated quarantines, the industry has proven why it holds power. Since forever, the fashion realm has the capability to ignite aspiration in others. To speak to people, to bring color to their dreams. And they can do so to the masses through a variety of carefully curated channels. Take social media for example, and more specifically, Instagram. In light of the seemingly unstoppable pandemic, designers, fashion influencers, and brands themselves have shifted their grids from displaying the latest trends to generating the sharing of information and funding. Have you seen Gucci’s profile lately? Well, if you haven’t, take a look: 

And even better, Gucci isn’t alone. Burberry shared three Instagram posts on March 28^th, exclaiming that they support hospitals, vaccines, and community. The luxury brand first turned one of its major factories into providing gowns and masks for NHS. Additionally, the company has made a variety of monetary donations to support vaccine research and fight food insecurity.  

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The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation donated $10 million to help fight the COVID-19 pandemic. If you want to see who they donated the money to and why, click here! 

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A post shared by Ralph Lauren (@ralphlauren)

Designers have even made personal donations. According to Harper’s Bazaar, Donatella Versace gave 200,000 euros to the intensive care department of San Raffaele hospital in Milan. “Our hearts go out to all those who have been affected by this disease and to all the doctors and medical staff who have been working heroically non-stop in the past weeks in the effort to take care of our loved ones,” the designer said. “This is when we, as a society, need to stand together and care for one another.”

In case you haven’t seen my article on how influencers are bringing relief to the virus (*sly plug*), check out how fashion influencer Chiara Ferragni (19.1 million followers) raised enough money to construct an intensive care unit in Italy: 

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A post shared by Chiara Ferragni ✨ (@chiaraferragni)

            The diverse community that makes up the fashion industry has inarguably proven its worth while responding to the virus. Luxury apparel brands, fashion influencers, designers themselves, fashion editors, and many others are utilizing their seductive power of aspiration for good. There might be plenty of things wrong with the fashion industry. It can definitely be dangerous to feed people dreams when reality comes crashing down. And to tell you the truth, I’m equally as bothered by the number of fashion influencers posting their at-home workout routines. But despite this projection of useless vanity, the fashion industry is using its power to provide inspiration, entertainment, and connection in light of our virus-induced adverse reality.  They’re making generous donations, manufacturing face masks and hand sanitizer, and sharing important information regarding our humanity’s health. They’re starting important conversations, bringing attention to helpful organizations, and fueling our community in the fight against coronavirus.

I don’t know about you, but ever since my corona quarantine began, I’ve received what feels like a trillion promotional emails a day. Either I’ve subscribed to far too many online retail sites to get 10% off my first purchase or fashion brands are really starting to push their marketing efforts to the masses. I even noticed that my typical “Picked Just for You” emails from Intermix are 1. appearing in the unread section of my Gmail every morning and 2. showing me the same god damn A.L.C. sweater I can’t afford. As we’re all becoming more painfully aware of the power of smart devices – assuming you also spend a large chunk of your free time staring at your phone screen – it’s extremely clear that we can buy whatever we want or need in just a few clicks (except toilet paper or Clorox, that is). So why is it that fashion brands and retail outlets are upping the ante on push marketing in the face of a pandemic? Yes, it is utterly unsettling and tragic that the fashion and apparel markets are taking such a big hit. With factories closing, stores shutting down, and industry workers already losing their jobs, who knows what companies will face as we continue to fight this virus’ spread.  But, in the interest of humanity and the survival of a positive brand reputation, should companies really be expediting their use of push marketing? Will flooding the inboxes of consumers with generic, impersonalized, insipid messages, signed by a fashion company’s CEO, really draw in more customers to support your brand? A lot of marketing professionals argue no. In an interview with Women’s Wear Daily, brand communications expert and cofounder of NivenBreen, Ellen Niven, believes capitalizing on the virus as a selling tool “reeks of opportunism and strikes the wrong tone.” She argued that “it is OK for many companies to just be quiet right now and emphasize communication with employees, and individual, directly affected customers rather than mass outreach.” 

On one hand, I do empathize with companies trying to stay afloat by sending out mass emails – including those just telling consumers to “shop now.” I admit, I’m even guilty for clicking on an email titled “the Best and Most Luxurious Loungewear to Wear While Working From Home,” so maybe some of these ‘marketing pusher’ brands are appealing to at least a portion of their vast customer base. But on the other hand, it seems to really be pissing some people off. Cecilia Gates, CEO of creative agency Gates Creative, told WWD that “It does start to feel not genuine, and like [they’re] taking advantage of the situation…It’s a time to step back. Everyone obviously is scared of what this is going to do to the economy, and consumers are holding purse strings tight right now, but we have to ride out these next few weeks and then take stock.”

So, is it worth it for companies to exploit the pandemic hysteria? Some consumers will make a purchase but others might form a negative impression of the brand. In my opinion, as a 22-year-old with minimal marketing (I took an Advanced Marketing class one semester) or entrepreneurial experience, I’d say to hold off on any mass push marketing endeavors while the world’s population is still getting comfortable with the new normal. I mean in reality, fashion industry professionals are not the only ones getting laid off. I can only imagine that those who’ve lost their job won’t react too promisingly at a sales email for pajamas and self-care must-haves. 

Although this form of generalized marketing is seemingly frowned upon, there are still other ways for companies to remain relevant. Take social and influencer marketing, for example. In a time where people are looking to their phones for entertainment, information, and connection, it is the perfect opportunity for brands to engage their communities via social media and influencer, blogger moguls (click here to see how fashion influencers are bringing relief to the virus). With all of us locked up in our homes, all we’re looking for is a way to connect. And we do so through social media channels. So why not use what’s already there – a hyper concentration of social media users – and throw your brand name into the mix. Plus, social media can be a way to send a more personalized and meaningful message. Many designers and apparel brand owners have taken to using their platforms as a way to send good vibes, give back, and inspire others. They are inviting consumers to understand what their company cares about, what it values. Brandon Maxwell, fashion designer and creative director of luxury women’s ready-to-wear label Brandon Maxwell, posted the following to his Instagram page on March 20^th: 

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A post shared by Brandon Maxwell (@brandonmaxwell)

Cynthia Rowley, a fashion designer based in NYC, shared the following DIY mask initiative to her social pages and blog site to give back to those affected in her community: 

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A post shared by Cynthia Rowley (@cynthiarowley)

 These personal messages and efforts shared through social media are both a valorous act and a solid marketing tool. Marketing elites argue that the key to marketing is understanding your consumer and appealing to their fantasies. They say consumers instinctively form opinions and brand references in their minds when they come across advertisements that either please or displease their psyche. (I’m getting all this information from my Advanced Marketing textbook, by the way) So, when potential customers interact with influencers promoting a brand or a designer contributing to a rightful cause, they remember, and usually, they form positive opinions.   

After some consideration, I do believe that I react better to fashion marketing stunts (& honestly ads for any brand in any industry) on my social platforms than in my inbox. There’s something about the ones I see on Instagram that make me click the link to purchase and at least consider actually buying it. Maybe it’s the lives of the fashion designers, influencers, and other industry elites that sparks that sense of lust for their lifestyle (and for the things they own or make). Maybe our social feeds are just personally customized followings of all our alluded fantasies. At the end of the day, who’s to say I didn’t drool at the sight of Chrissy Teigen’s robe on my Instagram feed and then proceed to purchase one for myself? 

            Like many other millennials stuck in quarantine, I’ve been spending a lot of my time scrolling through various social media feeds on my phone – Tik Tok, Instagram, Snapchat, and dare I say it, even Facebook.  And to no surprise, many of the esteemed fashion influencers I follow have been keeping up with their ever-perfect grid aesthetic. Matching sweatsuit sets, flawlessly messy-bunned selfies, and sexy masculine side pieces seem to be the most enviable assets of quarantine. But to my surprise, these same picture-perfect social media celebs might just be making a difference amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Although they’re not directly bringing relief to the pandemic, say by spending their hours as medical personnel treating patients, or as scientists testing out and discovering different vaccines, influencer marketing is shifting towards becoming a potent platform in a time of crisis. As we’re all becoming increasingly more aware that the economy is declining, social media fashion gurus are creating a finance safety blanket for a multitude of brands. While fashion influencers use their credible and convincing platforms for advertisements, they’re allowing a variety of different companies to maintain their levels of customer trust, constancy, and purchase. Some critics might argue that they’re doing this all for money, and honestly, they could be right. However, at the same time, these influencers are still keeping companies afloat by drawing buyers to their pages with their persuasively engaging content.  The alluded lifestyle image behind these fashion gurus is a lustful and persuasive one. So when they rage about their latest new purchase, their followers follow suit and get it for themselves. In a time of ongoing isolation, the last way left for ‘human connection,’ entertainment, and information is online media. And as more people continue adjusting to the new normal of staying home, influencers are distinctively primed to procure consumer interest. Ranging from where to shop online and what to order, to finding the tastiest and healthiest items we’ve all been longing for in our pantries, or to discovering the best at-home fitness programs, fashion influencers are drawing in their followers to an array of different markets.  

            Despite helping businesses remain part of trending conversations and tabloids, some influencers have also dedicated their social pages to bringing awareness. Take Danielle Bernstein, for example. Bernstein has amassed a following of 2.3 million followers since the birth of her fashion-blogger platform @WeWoreWhat in 2010. On March 21st, Danielle advertised the below Instagram post, inspiring those with the same level of influence to direct their followers to organizations that can make a difference among affected populations.

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A post shared by Danielle Bernstein (@weworewhat)

@WeWoreWhat continues to publish stories and posts about the virus and where you can donate to relieve its outcomes. Whether she’s doing this for the sake of being a good person or for the established clout, we’ll never truly know, but regardless she is still getting people off their Instagram app and onto sites where they can learn more and give back. Just yesterday, Danielle posted this series of graphics, with each graphic listing several organizations and stating the purpose of donating to them.  

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A post shared by Danielle Bernstein (@weworewhat)

Bernstein is not alone in her philanthropic endeavors, however. Italian fashion designer and influencer, Chiara Ferragni, boasts a casual 19.1 million followers on her Instagram page (@chiaraferragni). Throughout the last month, as Italy became gravely more affected by the virus, Ferragni has used her platform to spread awareness and raise money.  Her and her husband, the notorious Italian musician @Fedez, worked together to raise enough money to construct a new intensive care unit, which opened for patients three days ago (meaning they raised enough money and formed the facility in just two weeks). Together, this powerhouse couple raised more than 4.3 million euros from over 200,000 donors solely through the content they curated on their Instagram accounts.

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A post shared by Chiara Ferragni ✨ (@chiaraferragni)

It may seem trivial and somewhat offensive to have just discussed how fashion influencers are relieving a global pandemic. We all know they singlehandedly won’t. *In my defense I did dedicate this blog to how fashion influences culture and how culture is represented in fashion so this plays.* Nevertheless, I do believe that fashion influencers have done much more good than harm in the face of this pandemic. They arguably provide entertainment for millions. Motivate the masses. Bring consumer attention and familiarity to a variety of companies. Spread awareness. And some even build god damn ICUs for coronavirus patients. And to that, I’d like to thank the influencers for their efforts and for making social good trendy. I hope everyone is staying safe (and in quarantine) out there!

By Bella Sprague

I don’t know about you, but whenever I buy clothes that are “sustainable” – aka my favorite jeans from Reformation that supposedly saved 500 gallons of water – I tend to feel pretty good about myself. Fast fashion has been on the rise ever since the birth of the internet. But since then, the world of fashion has been viewed as an industry based on obsolescence. Did I really need to buy yet another pair of light wash boyfriend jeans? No. I probably have 5 pairs. Did my perfectly loose on the legs but tight in the waist jeans really save our water supply? No. Wouldn’t there be more water if the jeans were never made? If I just bought another pair from a thrift store? Yes. According to Business Insider, the fashion industry currently makes up 10% of all humanity’s carbon emissions, is the second-largest consumer of the world’s water supply, and pollutes our oceans with microplastics. 

I know what you’re thinking: the title of this article is inarguably boasting the efforts of environmental conscious clothing brands, yet here I am shaming the industry for deterring our planet. But at the end of the day, are people ever going to stop buying apparel based on current trends? Will they stop throwing away old clothes to make space for new, in-style pieces? Probably not. In conjunction with the rise of the internet and the mainstream use of social media, fashion will be an ever-changing and transformative cultural enigma. Although the idea of altering your external experience – and thus what you wear – to maintain a socially desirable persona seems irrational, I don’t see this first-world shared norm going away anytime soon. So, given society’s mounting emphasis on appearance and our declining environment, the sustainable fashion movement may just hold some purpose. If people are going to continue buying new clothes regardless of the environmental repercussions, why shouldn’t fashion brands be pushing for sustainable processes? 

Over the last few years, our world has become increasingly more aware of our planet’s well-being and of the industries that have contributed to such widespread waste and pollution (like fashion). Thus, it’s no surprise that a lot of sustainable fashion and apparel companies have sprung up or have shifted their branding to be more eco-friendly. Elite fashion houses like Stella McCartney, Rag & Bone, and Mara Hoffman are discovering new and unique methods to producing garments and textiles. Uncovering innovative ways to repurpose, recycle, and reengineer fabrics. Luxury brands like Dior and Prada have even followed precedent, steering the runway with reformist production techniques and pioneering textile developments. Yet, despite the seemingly current trend of sustainability, these fashion brands were in no way the first to embark on an environmentally conscious mission. All the new sustainable apparel start-ups and the ecologically-changing fashion brands that we know and love owe a great debt to a radical environmental activist: the CEO and founder of Patagonia. 

The Patagonia Story: 

The year 1953 marked a momentous turning point for a seemingly normal 14-year-old boy, who was strung out with a sense of hopelessness at every hobby he acquainted himself with. This boy turned to the mountains and found a passion for climbing, feeling an abundant source of exhilaration each time he mounted the edge of a cliff and rappelled down and across its sides. This boy goes by the name of Yvon Chouinard, and he would later find himself to hold the esteemed role of being Patagonia’s founder.

After finding his newfound love in the mountains, he spent the next months and years travelling across America with his friends, searching for the most enticing and inviting peaks they could climb. His climbing soon transformed from a hobby into a way of life. As Yvon continued living for his awe of the outdoors, one thing struck him that he couldn’t seem to let go: his climbing equipment was damaging the surface of the rocks. He soon took this disgruntling thought, as he has always been hyper-conscious about the environment, and transferred it into the driving force that would define the philosophy of his first business, and later Patagonia’s. In 1965 Yvon and his like-minded nature-loving friend, Tom Frost, started Chouinard Equipment. Together, the duo redesigned and developed each element of a climber’s equipment. Their design standard was inspired by French Aviator, Antoine de Saint Exupéry, who voiced that “in anything at all, perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away, when a body has been stripped down to its nakedness.” As a result, their product offerings were the most durable, light, and simplistic equipment climbers could find in the market. And by 1970, their company became the largest supplier of climbing equipment in America. But something was wrong: their offerings were dismantling the rocks and causing severe damage, and in response to such damage, Yvon curtailed the business and set out on finding an alternative (which he soon did).  

Shortly after, Yvon found himself adventuring to Scotland for a climbing trip, and during his journey he purchased a rugby shirt to wear on the mountains. As he reached the crux of his climb that next day, he realized that the shirt’s collars were protecting his neck from being painfully cut into by the hardware slings. He continued wearing this shirt and the trend soon caught on, his climbing mates asking where he got it and where they could purchase one themselves. This sparked Yvon’s action to create these shirts and sell them to climbers around the world under his Chouinard Equipment business. By 1972, their sales were skyrocketing. As the clothing side of the company continued to be met with unparalleled success, they decided this portion of the business needed its own name. And it was then, in 1973, that Patagonia was born, with Yvon Chouinard holding the reigns of the soon-to-be leading defender of environmental ethics in the activewear fashion industry. 

Paving the Way for Environmentalism in Fashion: 

Since the company’s launch, Patagonia has made a commitment to reducing their role as a corporate polluter. The company’s core values augment this promise, as they aim to “build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to protect nature, and don’t be bound by convention.” After years of research and design, they have now settled on the most efficient and non-depleting fabric yet: their Synchilla® fleece, a material made entirely from recycled polyester from soda bottles. Further, among their widespread array of patterned and colored activewear garments, they adamantly evaluated the dyes they use and eliminated any color from the line that mandated the use of toxic sulfides and metals.

By 1996, they reached a 60% reduction in energy at their distribution center in Reno, Nevada. They accomplished this feat in a variety of ways: by utilizing solar-tracking skylights and radiant heating; using recycled content for everything from rebar to carpet to the partitions between urinals; and retrofitting lighting systems in their current retail stores and buildouts for new stores. In that same year, they had met the goal they set for themselves in 1994 – to make their cotton sportswear 100 percent organic. Although this may not seem like a big feat given the current scope of fast fashion, Patagonia is nonetheless making itself a stepping stone for inciting change in the fashion industry. They are creating a community of consumers who push themselves to be skeptical of the companies they’re buying from, how those companies make their garments, and what affect this has on the greater good of our struggling environment.  

Patagonia’s commitment to the environment stems far beyond their use of recycled materials and organic cotton. The company devotes itself to dedicating time and funding to the progressively evident environmental crisis. In as early as 1986, Patagonia had made the decision to make routine donations to smaller groups working to save or restore habitat. They began donating 10 percent of their profits each year to those groups, and later one percent of sales (profit or not). This action inspired the inception of 1% for the Planet in 2002, where members of this movement – both inside and outside the fashion industry – contribute at least one percent of their sales to environmental causes each year. Patagonia has also introduced a multitude of national environmental and educational campaigns, stemming from finding an alternative to a master plan of deurbanizing Yosemite Valley in 1988 to arguing for “dam removal where silting, marginally useful dams compromise fish life.” Patagonia became the first California company to become a benefit corporation, a legal framework that permits mission-lead companies to remain that way as they cultivate and change. They are also a Certified B Corporation, and to qualify as a B Corp, a business must “have an explicit social or environmental mission and a legally binding fiduciary responsibility to take into account the interests of workers, the community and the environment, as well as its shareholders.” In 2013, Yvon Chouinard formed a venture capital fund to aid start-up companies that weigh environmental and social outcomes with financial returns equally. However, Patagonia was no longer satisfied with lessening their impact on the planet. They wanted to start healing it. Yvon Chouinard took the first step by introducing Patagonia Provisions in 2012, which promotes sectors within the food industry that are equally indebted to being as sustainable and ethically aware as their fashion brand is. By late 2018, Yvon and Patagonia’s CEO altered their mission statement to reflect this goal: “Patagonia is in business to save our home planet.” In the grand scheme of things, Patagonia can’t save our environment on its own, but the company is setting new precedents for how fashion brands can truly make a difference. They’re inspiring consumers to think differently, and this change in consumer mindsets is pushing other companies and industries to feel pressure to act in similar ways. 

Beyond caring for the physical environment, Patagonia carries a concern for the labor ethics within the fashion industry, and more specifically within their own supply chain. As the company does not directly own the factories that make their products, they have restrained control over how the factory workers are treated and how much they get paid. With their dual focus on the supply chain, Patagonia solely works with Fair Trade Certified factories in India, Sri Lanka, and Los Angeles. In enacting The Fair Trade Certified™ Sewing symbol, they’re assuring that a portion of the money spent on a product goes directly to the producers and stays within their community. To Patagonia, this is their way of pushing toward paying living wages throughout their supply chain. 

Why We Should Care: 

It may seem trivial to boast about one brand that’s making a difference. We all know that Patagonia isn’t the solution to the environmental crisis. But highlighting and celebrating this company holds purpose. Patagonia has constructed a fashion and lifestyle brand that inspires consumers and industries to change their behaviors. They have revolutionized a fad that makes caring for the environment cool. They have created a cultural and social shift in consumer and industry mindsets, moving them away from finding or making the best product at the best price to caring how it was made and what effect it holds in our communities and across the world. At a time where fast fashion seems to be conquering the globe, it is important to bring companies like Patagonia to the forefront of consumers’ minds. Companies with a commitment to bettering the environment have the ability to inspire corporate and cultural change, that who knows, may even lead to systemic change in regard to production and labor ethics. Is Patagonia and those like it an instant cure all? No. Are they important in a variety of subtle ways? Yes. Their mission and efforts can be a gateway in for people like me, the average consumer, to actually find meaning in a topic that can be overwhelming and alienating for a lot of us. Fashion in this mode is a stepping stone to igniting widespread change. There is a potential here that we often overlook, but together, if we center our attention and voice on appreciating and purchasing from brands like these, all companies may just follow suit. 

By Bella Sprague

This year’s Oscars red carpet was not filled with your typical designer get-ups and over-the-top embellishments, but still the entertainment industry’s elites managed to define themselves as illustrious stars with an impactful agenda. Ranging from sustainability to female empowerment inspired looks, the Oscars red carpet took an unprecedented turn as it transcended itself into the perfect platform for making politically charged and culturally relevant statements. Among the most standout fads of this year’s Oscars fashion wear, actors and actresses alike chose their garments as a means of inciting conversation and attention to international recognition, gender equality, tribute, and environmental sustainability. When our society’s idols were met with the question “what are you wearing tonight?,” they didn’t respond with what designer or stylist inspired their look, but rather with remarks that ignite a movement and need for change. 

International Recognition  

Syrian filmmaker, Waad al-Kateab, was nominated this year for her documentary “For Sama,” which details the siege of Aleppo and the affliction of the Syrian population during their nearly decade-long civil war. She wore a pink gown with an embroidered Arabic statement: “We dared to dream” and “we don’t regret asking for our dignity,” sharing the ever-prevailing and momentous message of her film. 

Female Empowerment 

America’s dream girl, esteemed actress, and Harvard graduate, Natalie Portman, shook the red carpet with her custom, protest-inspired Dior cape. The cape was embroidered in gold with the names of female directors who were left out of this year’s Oscars nominations, calling out the saturated sexism the award ceremony has historically portrayed (as only five women have ever been nominated for their roles as director). Lulu Wang of “The Farewell,” Greta Gerwig of “Little Women,” Marielle Heller of “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” Mati Diop of “Atlantics,” Melina Matsoukas of “Queen & Slim”, Alma Har’el of “Honey Boy”, Céline Sciamma of “Portrait of a Lady of Fire,” and Lorene Scarfaria of “Hustlers” were among those mentioned on the cape’s lining. Portman told the Los Angeles Times that she “wanted to recognize the women who were not recognized for their incredible work this year in [her own] subtle way.” Similar to her alluded disdain at the 2018 Golden Globes, where she presented an award by stating “and here are the all-male nominees,” Portman continues to voice the need for equal recognition and respect for women in the workplace. 

Tribute

Spike Lee, American film director, producer, writer and actor, wore a custom purple, gold-trimmed Gucci suit to pay tribute towards the life of Kobe Bryant, his dear friend. Bryant passed away on January 26, 2020, just a few weeks ago, with his beloved daughter Gigi in a helicopter crash. When asked about his choice to wear such a standout look, Lee was at a loss for words but instead pointed to the “24” patches on his suit’s lapel and back, representing Kobe Bryant’s jersey number for the Los Angeles Lakers. 

Sustainability 

As Hollywood’s elites flooded the 92^nd Academy Awards and its notorious after party (hosted by none other than Vanity Fair), it seems as though one fashion trend dominated the red carpet: sustainability. Numerous actresses, actors, and influencers made the notable decision to rewear, repurpose, opt for vintage, and use ethically made and sustainable fabrics when picking their attire for the night. These icons of the entertainment industry capitalized on their highly publicized and sought after red carpet moments to advocate for more eco-friendly rituals in fashion, which currently credit for 10% of the world’s carbon emissions.

Re-Wearing

Joaquin Phoenix pulled up in the same Stella McCartney tuxedo we’ve seen him wear throughout this year’s awards season. According to Phoenix, he continues to present this commendable fashion choice as an objection and revolt against textile waste. 

Jane Fonda, an actress venerated for her lifelong commitment to environmentalism, presented the Best Picture award while wearing the same Elie Saab gown she wore to the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. While entering the stage at the Oscars award ceremony, she draped the same red coat over her arm that she spoke about during one of her famous Fire Drill Fridays climate change protests, stating “You see this coat? I needed something red and I went out and found this coat on sale. This is the last article of clothing that I will ever buy.”

Elizabeth Banks attended the Vanity Fair after party in the red Badgley Mischka dress she wore to the same event in 2004. 

Repurposing

Saoirse Ronan repurposed the black satin from the Gucci dress she wore to last weekend’s BAFTA awards (right) and turned it into the V-neck bodiced gown she wore for the Oscars red carpet (left). 

Eco-Friendly Fabrics

The French fashion house Louis Vuitton dressed two actresses, Kaitlyn Dever (left) and Léa Seydoux (right), in their newly introduced eco-friendly fiber, Tincel, that will be introduced to the market in May (according to WWD). Both actresses are ambassadors for the Red Carpet Green Dress Initiative, “a woman-led global change-making organization from moment to movement, bringing sustainable design to the forefront of conversation and action within the fashion industry.” “Booksmart” actress Kaitlyn Dever told E! that “supporting sustainable clothing is really important.” 

Timothée Chalamet’s shockingly athleisure-esque Prada set (which seems to have taken over the meme community) was devised from the Italian luxury brand’s Re-Nylon textile, which uses renewed nylon and Econyl. 

Vintage

The beautiful and talented Margot Robbie, who was nominated for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her work in “Bombshell,” wore a vintage Chanel haute couture dress that was first seen on their runway in 1994.

Reality star and vintage connoisseur, Kim Kardashian West, attended the Vanity Fair after-party draped in the timeless Oyster gown from Alexander McQueen’s Spring/Summer 2003 collection, and as if this dress isn’t enticing enough on its own, only two of them exist in the entire world (the other one can be found in a glass case at the Metropolitan Museum of Art). 

Award shows unite some of the world’s most iconic and idolized celebrities in one space, making it one of the most powerful stages to endorse better fashion industry and consumerism practices, while also bringing to the forefront some of society’s most necessitated change efforts. As the award season has now officially come to a close, I still hope to see as much, if not more, courageous and commendable efforts made by stars and stylists throughout the rest of 2020. These seemingly minuscule outfit choices directly affect and inspire the masses to make fashion choices based on a deeper meaning than just useless vanity.

By Bella Sprague

Like many other 20-somethings, I’ve gone through my fair share of so-called ‘funks,’ or weeks and months tainted by my inability to cope with depression and anxiety. Yet somehow, for as long as I can remember, mental health has been stigmatized and shamed. We grew up being told to turn our frowns upside down and to put on a good face for whatever that day had in store for us; to essentially bottle up our real feelings and project what we were expected to be: happy. But in 2017, four male entrepreneurs – Noah Raf, Peiman Raf, Joshua Sitt, and Mason Spector – had had enough.

Suddenly the Instagram feeds of millennials and Gen-Z’s were crowded with ads about MadHappy: the optimistic lifestyle brand dedicated towards bringing awareness to mental health and crushing its stigma. The ads showcased an array of colorful hoodies, sweats, and tees, and each piece had a unique, stand-out stitching surrounding its hood.

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What I originally thought would be another clothing brand committed to delivering that hypebeast streetstyle aesthetic every testosterone-driven LA-native was dying to achieve, actually proved itself to be much more powerful than that. The MadHappy brand surpasses the status quo of wearing clothing for the sake of style and trend adherence. According to an interview the founders had with Forbes, they view MadHappy as more of a movement than as a fashion brand, as something much bigger than the casual streetwear they sell on their website and in their pop-up shops. Each piece portrays a positive message of hope and optimism, but most importantly, a sense of community, belonging, and a reminder that “we have way more in common than we do differences.”

Rather than promoting the typical exclusive image so many labels pride themselves on (I mean, look at Hermes and the nearly impossible task of purchasing a Burkin), MadHappy considers itself to be an “inclusive community of local optimists” that host both digital and physical experiences to “give a platform to mental health.” The MadHappy brand extends its influence far beyond its product offerings. Amongst their seven immersive pop-up shops – in cities like Los Angeles, NYC, Aspen, Williamsburg, Melrose Place, Miami, and Aspen – they host “at least one panel on mental health and usually a few other wellness events (meditation, workout, yoga, etc.),” according to Peiman Raf. And for those of you who don’t have access to their pop-ups, they have an online space called the Local Optimist where stories, interviews, ways to get help or get involved, and advice (on habits, boundaries, stress, etc.) are shared by therapists, the founders, and MadHappy community members alike. But their mission to positively influence the community doesn’t stop there. The brand introduced a donation portal on its company’s website in 2019 that highlights three charities they believe make a compelling difference in our world: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, National Alliance to End Homelessness, and Donor’s Choose, aimed at promoting the normalization of mental health, ending homelessness, and creating equal access to education. When checking out on their website, it’s the consumer’s choice to decide which of the three charities they’ll have MadHappy donate $1 to (I know this may not seem like a lot, but they had nearly a million dollars in profit by the end of 2018).  

MadHappy has been paving the way for the future of fashion brands by tying it to social good. It is no longer about wearing something for the sake of affluence and opulence, but for the sake of relating to a brand’s mission and what they believe in and making it your own. According to Noah Raf, “When people get dressed in the morning, the clothes they put on represent them. How they feel and how they want to be seen by others… Wearing Madhappy really means more than just wearing clothes. You are wearing something with meaning, with a message that brings people together and reminds us that we have way more in common than we do differences.” In fact, LVMH, the esteemed French multinational luxury goods conglomerate that runs companies like Christian Dior, Fendi, Celine, and more, just put $1.8 million in funding into MadHappy last October.  It seems as though the fashion industry will continue taking a step back from exclusion and wealth and maintain its transformation into something with a greater purpose and influence for social good.