Image courtesy of fashionista.com
Fashion designer Virgil Abloh may be a star in fashion circles. However, that level of esteem and prestige is not held for Abloh in many communities of color as he put a proverbial foot in his mouth, condemning on Instagram protests and looting due to the murder of George Floyd. Abloh also only contributed $50 in bail money to protesters jailed by the police.
Cardi B’s stylist Kollin Carter clapped back on Instagram at Abloh for failing to support the protesters and take a stand against the racism that contributed to the murder of George Floyd. “Some of you fashion houses and CEO’s are absolutely bogus,” Carter fumed in a graphic on Instagram Monday. “You take from the culture, and us brown Men and Woman for your traffic and profit but have absolutely nothing to say now,” he continued in the caption, as reported in the nypost.com.
Since Monday, Abloh has apologized for his comments. “If looting eases pain and furthers the overall mission, it is within good standing with me,” said Abloh. “I am fortunate enough to be able to rebuild my stores. And I am seeking out anyone who needs help rebuilding.”
Abloh also addressed his measly contribution to protesters’ bail fund. “I also joined a social media chain of friends who were matching $50 dollar donations,” wrote Abloh, as detailed in the nypost.com, clarifying that he’d actually donated $20,500 in total to “bail funds and other causes related to this movement.” However, the pioneering designer claims that he was on the “fence about publicizing total dollar amounts because I didn’t want to look like I’m glorifying only higher amounts.”
Image courtesy of Netflix
No second season for “Next in Fashion”
“Next in Fashion” will not be back for a second season. “Next in Fashion” made its debut in January on Netflix. “Next in Fashion” was hosted by Alexa Chung and British fashion designer Tan France.
“It remains unclear why Netflix has scrapped the series after just one season, although the internet entertainment giant is known to act quickly when shows don’t perform well or become too expensive. And of course, there’s always the chance that the Covid-19 crisis could have had a part to play in its demise, explained Tan France in a Variety interview.
On “Next in Fashion” 18 contestants competed to be named the next great fashion designer, a cash prize of $250,000, and a debut of their collection on Net-a-Porter. Net-a-Porter was one of the sponsors of the show. “Next in Fashion” was created and produced by theoldschool and executive produced by Robin Ashbrook and Yasmin Shackleton with co-executive producer Adam Cooper.
Image courtesy of wwd.com
The CFDA wakes up, finally
The murder of George Floyd and the ensuing protests is producing some interesting results in the fashion industry. The Council of Fashion Designers of America’s (CFDA) chairman Tom Ford and the CFDA’s chief executive officer Steven Kolb have come up with an initiative that will produce systemic change when it comes to the fashion industry’s support of black talent. Both Ford and Kolb met with the CFDA’s board of directors to discuss creating an in-house employment for black talent, as well as implementing an inclusion and diversity program for their members.
Well, its about time; better late than ever. Read the full statement from Ford and Kolb, as detailed in fashionweekdaily.com, below:
The CFDA held a board meeting on Tuesday, June 2nd. Given the deplorable acts of racism and violence that we have seen play out in our country over this past week, our response as an organization was first and foremost on our minds and in our hearts.
Black people in this country are reeling from years of injustice stemming from institutional constructs such as slavery, segregation, mass incarceration, police brutality and economic and voter suppression. The Black community is experiencing anger and frustration on top of the effects of the global pandemic that has hit communities of color the hardest.
Having a clear voice and speaking out against racial injustice, bigotry and hatred is the first step, but this is not enough. This is a deeply disturbing moment that speaks to us all. Our world is in deep pain. Our industry is in pain and it is not enough to simply say that we stand in solidarity with those who are discriminated against. We must do something.
The CFDA outlines the below initiatives that will immediately be undertaken by the organization to create systemic change within our industry:
The CFDA will create an in-house employment program specifically charged with placing Black talent in all sectors of the fashion business to help achieve a racially balanced industry. This program will be tasked with identifying Black creatives and pairing these individuals with companies looking to hire.
The CFDA will also create a mentorship program and an internship program focused on placing Black students and recent graduates within established companies in the fashion sector.
The CFDA will implement and make available to our members a Diversity and Inclusion training program.
We will make immediate contributions and take up fundraising activities in support of charitable organizations aimed at equalizing the playing field for the Black community such as, but not limited to the NAACP and Campaign Zero—amongst others.
We urge each and every member of the CFDA to take stock of their corporate structure to ensure that they have a racially balanced workforce and we challenge the retail sector of the fashion industry to ensure that their roster of brands and their product assortment is representative of the Black talent within the industry.
—William S. Gooch
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