Fashion in the news: most interesting reads in June, 2019

Every month, FashionUnited selects the most interesting reads about the fashion industry published across American and British news outlets. Here’s what you may have missed this month:

“What does it mean to be a designer in 2019?”, Vice

Being a fashion designer is harder than ever, Vice argues in an article published earlier this month. As the industry dramatically changes, designers cannot afford to sit in an ivory tower and only worry about making beautiful clothes. Today, they have to speak to a global, hyper-connected, politically active audience, making sure their creations don’t offend anyone. After all, nobody wants their brand to be “cancelled”. Read the article in full here.

The potential effects of the under-18 model bans

Kering announced in March that, from Fall 2020, the company will no longer work with models under the age of 18. "We believe that we have a responsibility to put forward the best possible practices in the luxury sector and we hope to create a movement that will encourage others to follow suit", said chairman François-Henri Pinault in a statement at the time. The Model Alliance, an organization founded by former model Sara Ziff to fight for a safer work environment for models, has been advocating for such a ban for years, as underage models are often not mature enough to deal with constant pressure about their physical appearance, not to mention young models are often photographed nude or in sexualized poses.

Two news outlets published interesting articles about the ban this month. Fashionista analyzed how agencies are changing their recruiting practices as other brands are likely to follow in Kering’s footsteps, while Vogue Business showed that the ban can actually be good for business. After all, why do luxury labels aimed at adults with a lot of disposable income expect their target audience to identify with pictures of adolescents?

Interesting interviews with Vera Wang and Clare Waight Keller

The New York Times spoke with Clare Waight Keller about Givenchy’s first full menswear collection, being the first woman in her role and, of course, Meghan Markle’s wedding dress. Read the interview in full here.

We’d also like to recommend Harvard Business Review’s interview with Vera Wang. For those of you thinking it’s too late to change careers, remember Wang started her bridal business at the age of 40. Questioned about that, she replied: “why? Is that old?”. Head over to HBR to learn more about her experience and read her tips for younger designers and entrepreneurs.

Pictures: Pixabay, Off/White SS20, via Catwalkpictures; Pixabay; Andrew Matthews / POOL / AFP