Grand designs: the refugees in Paris with an eye on fashion

Grand designs: the refugees in Paris with an eye on fashion - KFGO News

Grand designs: the refugees in Paris with an eye on fashion - KFGO News
The Questionable Fashion Trends Of 2021, From Prairie Dresses To Pointy Nails - HuffPost
Sustainable fashion tips and techniques on a budget - Daily Californian
Ferrari launches first in-house fashion collection - CNN

Grand designs: the refugees in Paris with an eye on fashion - KFGO News

Posted: 15 Jun 2021 03:01 AM PDT

By Michaela Cabrera

PARIS (Reuters) – From old denim fabrics, Afghan refugee Bagher Husseini fashioned a pair of baggy jeans with fringed patches that he hopes will be paraded down a French catwalk later this year.

Husseini has worked with a sewing machine before. He made his way to Iran after fleeing fighting in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, surviving on a modest tailor's income.

Now he's involved in a collaboration between French fashion students and migrants from Afghanistan and the Middle East. The Reprise project aims to train to give migrants the skills to turn second-hand clothes into edgy menswear.

"I enjoy selecting different colors, different types of fabric … and then making something special out of them," Husseini said in his native Dari language.

New to his repertoire are jeans, jackets and hats, sometimes inspired by traditional Afghan clothing.

Reprise evolved from a rudimentary sewing workshop.

The workshop is based inside a holding centre that houses 200 asylum-seekers in a southern Paris suburb.

Once or twice a week, a group of asylum seekers join the workshop, honing new skills in embroidery, crocheting, and modeling.

"I like to come to model. Model and (play) cricket," said asylum seeker Imran Hazarbuz, who used to play cricket in his native Afghanistan. "I don't know which work is better for me, we will see."

The fashion students and social workers want to get hold of professional sewing machines and fabric from fashion brands. If they are able to speed up the pace at which apparel items can be made, a first collection could be marketed later this year.

"The story is there, and the clothes breathe this story," said fashion student Hugo Castejon-Blanchard.

(Reporting by Michaela Cabrera; Editing by Richard Lough and Mike Collett-White)

The Questionable Fashion Trends Of 2021, From Prairie Dresses To Pointy Nails - HuffPost

Posted: 15 Jun 2021 02:45 AM PDT

As vaccination rates rise and COVID-19 restrictions ease, people are finally putting away their sweatpants (at least sometimes) and slipping into "real" clothes.

But after a year of pandemic clothing, many of us are left wondering what we're supposed to be wearing and what's in style now. It turns out the answer isn't to everyone's liking.

We've rounded up 22 funny and relatable tweets about 2021 style. Enjoy!

Sustainable fashion tips and techniques on a budget - Daily Californian

Posted: 14 Jun 2021 09:54 PM PDT

The fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters in the world and the amount of waste from fast fashion overwhelms landfills left and right. Though buying clothes from sustainable brands is a great ethical option, cost remains a significant hurdle for many clothing consumers. A plain white shirt from Patagonia, a brand known for its sustainable practices, is $40, while H&M's fast-fashion equivalent goes for half of that. Sustainable fashion seems like something that is not accessible for those on a budget, but it can be. Here are some tips on achieving sustainability while serving looks on a dime.

Consume less fast fashion

Fast fashion is super affordable, so it's hard to cut it out entirely. You don't have to completely give up Uniqlo and Shein, but if you're trying to be more sustainable, buying less from fast fashion brands is a great first step. Instead of a monthly haul, buy a few clothing items every couple of months. This forces you to play with the clothes in your wardrobe while periodically adding something new. Additionally, many fast fashion brands have sustainable lines made of better-quality fabrics and ethically sourced materials. They are a bit pricier, but buying these instead means these pieces are a bit more sustainable and the products won't disintegrate after the first wash.

I also ask myself these questions whenever I shop at fast fashion stores: Do I really need this? Do I have something similar at home? Will this be something I wear often or once in a while? Will this fashion trend be over in a month? Usually, I will talk myself out of buying fast fashion after I go through a couple of these questions. However, if it's something I really want, I haven't bought anything in a while and I know I will wear it, I'll buy it because consuming less is better than constantly splurging.

Learn how to sew

Sewing is a great skill to learn in case your pants rip or the seams of your shirt fall apart. But even if you don't have a clothing emergency, sewing is a great way to refresh some of the clothes you already have. Turn an oversized shirt or sweater into a crop top or make a skirt into a cute pair of shorts. This allows you to change your style while not buying more clothes.

I highly recommend buying a basic sewing kit for beginners from an arts and crafts store, along with some different colored threads. You don't have to buy a fancy sewing machine — you can start with hand sewing and invest more if you find you're enjoying it. I learned basic sewing techniques from watching some videos and getting tips from my friends, which gave me enough confidence to try these techniques on my clothes. But before you go all out on one of your best items, use some fabric scraps or old shirts to practice. You might end up like me and botch one of your favorite shirts.

Swap clothes with someone

Sometimes your friend or sibling has a cute top that you want to steal while they sleep. Before you're charged with breaking and entering, ask that person if they want to do a clothing swap. It's best to do it with someone who is a similar size or has the same proportions as you. Even if you're different sizes, you can always use your sewing skills to tailor those clothes to yourself.

For the clothing swap, look through the clothes you rarely wear. Keep in mind what your friend or sibling wears and pick clothes that suit their style. Don't try to trade your One Direction shirt if you know the person isn't going to wear it. Find a balance of clothing items that you don't wear but that you think they'll like. Fill a garbage bag or laundry basket and go through those items individually. Keep the clothes they don't want and donate them if you don't see yourself wearing them. This is a fun way to get new clothes while getting rid of the clothes you never wear.

Raid your parents' or siblings' closet

Trends often repeat themselves every 20 to 30 years. Right now, the Y2K aesthetic and early 2000s are the biggest trends in fashion. You'll see people that dress like they just walked out of "Legally Blonde" or "Mean Girls." But before you go to Forever 21 and buy its stock of miniskirts and bucket hats, the biggest inventory is already in your home: your parents' wardrobe.

Parents love to cling to clothes from years and years ago that they never wear. They also keep most of their clothes in good condition, too. Ask them if you can take the clothes they rarely wear. They'll usually say yes, and you might find some gold among the sea of rubble. I was able to find some vintage shirts and jackets from my mom and dad that didn't fit them anymore. Now I rock them and tell people that I thrifted them. This also works on grandparents, uncles, aunts and even family friends!

Though thrifting and resell sites are sustainable, these other unconventional methods maycost you less money. You'll be able to be sustainable but fashionable at the same time.

Contact Nicholas Clark at [email protected].

Ferrari launches first in-house fashion collection - CNN

Posted: 14 Jun 2021 03:52 AM PDT

Written by ReutersMaranello, Italy

Ferrari on Sunday rolled out its first in-house fashion collection, offering fans of the Ferrari brand and its supercars a touch of "couture" within a contemporary clothing range.

The launch marks a major step in Ferrari's new brand strategy, one of its biggest investments outside the car business, which the company wants to account for around 10% of the profits in 7 to 10 years.

Ferrari's plans to extend its brand also include a new restaurant in hometown Maranello in northern Italy with Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura.

The fashions, by creative director and former Armani designer Rocco Iannone, were on show at the Ferrari plant in Maranello, with a catwalk set up on the assembly line for the "Prancing Horse" V12 sports cars, such as the new 812 Competizione.

A model walks the runway at the Ferrari Factory in Maranello, Italy, on Sunday. Credit: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

"We want to attract young people and women," Iannone said. "Our targets are not just those who buy a Ferrari but also those who have awareness of the brand and of its values," he said.

Iannone, 37, a native of Calabria in the south of Italy, said he worked hard on fabrics, which include silk, with a printed pattern of Ferrari iconography, and nylon.

"Most of them are high performance technical fabrics but with a haute-couture touch," he said.

Iannone described the collection as "fluid," with 80% of the fashions designed to appeal to both women and men, with sizes spanning XXXS to XXXL.

Related video: A short history of the fashion show

"Ferrari is never a nostalgic company, it's always ready to seize the spirit of present and to look at the future," he said.

With prices ranging from around 200 euros ($242.12) for T-shirts to up to 3,000 euros for top-range coats, the collection has a "luxury" ethos.

Ferrari, however, will not forget its Formula One supporters even though it is cutting back on license-based merchandising by 50%. The company will still sell hats, cups and T-shirts beloved by fans.

"Our offer will preserve its two souls, car buyers and supporters," Ferrari's Chief Brand Diversification Officer Nicola Boari said on Sunday.

Looks look from the car manufacturer's first in-house fashion collection. Credit: Antonio Calanni/AP

Ferrari's fashion collection will be on offer mainly online and through the company's official stores in Maranello, Milan and Rome, while further store openings are scheduled in Los Angeles and Miami this year and in China in 2022.

Boari said Ferrari's luxury collection would be later expanded to include accessories. "It will be an important area of development."

The collection comes just days after Ferrari appointed as new CEO Benedetto Vigna, a physicist who has spent 26 years in the semiconductor industry and is expected to drive Ferrari into the electric car era.

"Nothing changes in our band strategy, the aim is to reach a wider public, especially young people and women, which is instrumental to our core-business," Boari said.