The couple, Nash Grier and Taylor Giavasis have partnered up with Amazon on National Recycling Day to promote their sustainability mission with packaging and programs such as the Climate Pledge Friendly.
The couple, Nash Grier and Taylor Giavasis have partnered up with Amazon on National Recycling Day to promote their sustainability mission with packaging and programs such as the Climate Pledge Friendly.
When it comes to Dr. Christina Rahm, Los Angeles Fashion Week is not only an event for fashion designers to debut their most recent fashion collections on the runway. As a versatile professional with expertise as a doctor, psychologist, scientist, humanitarian, and entrepreneur, her company Merci Dupre Clotheirs reveals another side to her.
On Oct. 19. at The Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills is where the audience of creatives met Merci Dupre Clotheirs’ latest collection named ‘Enviremware’. The ‘Enviremware’ product line features exclusive technology, incorporating patented nano-biotech formulas intricately integrated into the fabric. This innovation creates a highly effective shield designed to guard against EMF radiation, heavy metals, viruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi. Additionally, it helps prevent exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic particles associated with 5G.
The presentation, jointly organized by Elysian, ROOT, and DRC Ventures, had its origins in a podcast. Dr. Rahm serves as the host of “Under The Red Chandelier,” where she engages in discussions with creative leaders in the realms of fashion, creativity, and the arts. Inspired by these extensive dialogues, her vision expanded into the creation of a fashion brand. This brand goes beyond mere style, aiming to empower women with knowledge about safeguarding their skin against toxins, bacteria, pollution, and UV rays.
As the models strolled down the runway, the audience couldn’t help but turn their heads, capturing the essence of these models and the way designers artfully adorned their clothing. Each ensemble exuded a distinct aesthetic, drawing inspiration from the late 80s with elements such as up-cycled denim pieces, transparent tulle designs, and distressed jeans coupled with jackets and crop tops. Additionally, the collection featured sheer blouses paired with flowing skirts that gracefully trailed the runway, as well as earth-toned dresses that immediately captivated the audience’s gaze. This new collection isn’t confined to a single aesthetic; rather, it offers a plethora of luxurious choices that embody a state of beauty and grace knowing that this brand endorses eco-friendliness.
Merci Dupre is an ardent advocate for the idea that the fashion industry bears a significant responsibility toward our environment. With an unwavering commitment to this cause, they are fervently dedicated to translating this vision into reality through the creation of sustainable clothing solutions. Concurrently, Dr. Rahm, who envisions a harmonious fusion of science and fashion, is embarking on a transformative journey to introduce her groundbreaking Super Skin Coating to the broader world of fashion. This revolutionary endeavor embodies a profound message that extends beyond the realm of attire.
“I want to say this. I am a scientist that has multiple doctorate degrees, I have four children, I’ve traveled to 88 countries and I stand for woman empowerment, but more than that, I stand for all of this,” said Merci Dupre Clothiers founder Dr. Rham.
This mission goes beyond a mere plea for safeguarding our planet from the dangers of environmental toxins; it stands as an imperative to shield our very bodies from these harmful elements. Each and every piece in the collection is painstakingly created through a thoughtful blend of resources including: deadstock, upcycled materials, and sustainable fabrics. In this joint effort, both Merci Dupre and Dr. Rahm aspire to convey a narrative that possesses multiple layers of significance. Their end goal is always sustainability within the fashion industry while also avidly advocating for the well-being of the Earth. You can stay updated with the future of the brand on Instagram here.
There’s power in numbers and The LIONS Management and Fashinnovation event proved exactly that.
Seven innovative Indonesian designers featured modest clothes at the Indonesia Now Fashion Show. Models walked down the glamorous Spring Studios runway. Anggiasari Mawardi’s brand ‘AM’ featured sustainable silk fabric. Indah Nada’s brand ‘Nada Puspita’ displayed sateen and chiffon in warm pastels. Each label emphasized sustainability and utilized nature themes.
As PETA would say, how do we “feed two birds with one scone,” when it comes to reducing our carbon footprint while also checking off all the names from the gift-giving list? The nonprofit, Women and Climate and sustainable fashion marketplace, The Canvas had a holiday party celebrating exactly that.
Spring Studios’ Mindfulness in Fashion talk, hosted by Alo, featured panelists Bianca Quiñes AKA Quin, Christa Janine, Kirat Randhawa, and Hilary Rhoda discuss mental health in their fields and how it plays into the fashion industry at large. Moderator Chrissy Rutherford asked meaningful questions to discover real experiences, learned habits, and more from each of the panelists. Christa and Kirat shared how growing up in religious homes focused on mental health as something that could be solved by prayer, and how they had to learn that “what it means to be well [for them] is different from what [they] were taught it meant to be well” (Randhawa). Panelists stressed the abundance mindset over the scarcity mindset, and then went into work life balance. Quin advised to “tell yourself [self-care/mindfulness] is non-negotiable, like brushing your teeth” in order to make it a priority. In order to show up for others and in the workplace, you must first show up for yourself and make sure that you’re able to care for yourself. Mindfulness is a “necessary means to be of service to the world” (Randhawa). We’ve all experienced the culture of busy-ness: those who seem frazzled by all they have going on, are perceived to be working harder – but we need to reframe the narrative to recognize that those who are calm and grounded aren’t necessarily not pushing themselves professionally. Overall, the fashion industry and other professional industries are slowly coming around to honor individuals’ mindfulness journeys, there’s still a long way to go. People are rapidly transforming their own self-care routines, and employers are going to have to catch up.
The next talk we attended focused on “quality, eco-conscious design that lasts a lifetime” from fashion to home design. Presented by LoveSac and moderated by Kerry Pieri, panelists Shawn Nelson, Abrima Erwiah, Olivia Ponton, Laura Hodges discussed The Long-term Luxury of Sustainability. Climate consequences affect everybody, and if they don’t feel real, it’s due to privilege and they’re guaranteed to catch up fast. LoveSac (who recently debuted a collection with Alice & Olivia) recycled 350 plastic bottles per couch, and is trying to lead the charge to make good design synonymous with sustainability. Currently, a misconception exists within the industry: you have to compromise on quality design to get sustainable products (think: bottlecap wall art, stiff plasticky rug) – but this is false. Additionally, the most sustainable item is the one you already have. Furniture design cycles used to be every 30 years and every 10 for fashion, but social media has been speeding up the process, and companies are racing to produce more output to satisfy this demand. Ultimately, all the panelists agreed that the biggest companies have the biggest input, so they need to get on board to make a significant difference.
The final talk I attended, Ten Years of Costuming the New York City Ballet Fall Fashion Gala, featured panelists Gianna Reisen, Marc Happel, Humberto Leon, Zac Posen talking about their experiences costuming the NYC Ballet. Donya Archer Bommer moderated a conversation designed for dance, in advance of the iconic Fashion Gala. The Ballet’s Gala features historic costumes over 50 years old that are still in use, as well as new design collaborations. The Ballet has collaborated with over 30 designers, first starting with Valentino back in 2012, under the direction of Vice Chair Sarah Jessica Parker. This Gala is the only time that costumes come first at the New York City Ballet – usually, designers need to prioritize lightness and movement to complement dancers’ movements. It’s also an opportunity for designers to try something outside their comfort zones and outside the usual world of fashion. Humberto Leon spoke about his experience bringing social commentary into his designs for the ballet – he looked at the dancers’ social media to learn about each dancers’ individual style, based their costumes off that, and put them in sneakers. This collection for 2016, meant to be a political protest, is still going around the fashion and dance world 6 years later. He also brought the collaboration back into the fashion world by having dancers be models in his fashion shows. They would “fall”, eliciting horrified gasps from the audience, and rise in a graceful way that showed the entire effect was intentional. In this way, both designers Zac Posen and Humberto Leon illustrated how they needed to reflect the dancer’s essence and the heart of the piece itself in their costumes. The fashion collaborations by the Ballet are a beautiful example of collaboration between two beloved NYC industries.