Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld has again caused outrage with his comments about other people’s bodies. In his book, The World According To Karl, he states that ‘people don’t want to see curvy women on the runway.’ The fashion industry tends to dance around the words ‘fat’ and ‘curvy,’ never quite admitting to size discrimination. Except Karl…
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She has a pet rat called ‘Buttloaf’ and one of her performance art videos just sold for $1,600 USD at the first ever digital art auction. Pretty much, Molly Soda is a self described ‘artist, internet persona, general webcam “diva” living the ~*dream*~’. TRU. Her super popular blog is filled with personal confessions, video art…
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You may have already heard, the Dutch edition of Vogue has as a mother breastfeeding as its cover image. The October 2013 issue of Vogue Netherlands features model, Ymre Stiekema, posing topless while feeding her baby in a scene reflective of the style of Dutch painter, Johannes Vermeer. Vermeer was known for depicting household moments…
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In August 2013, a fashion report was published by two Australian companies, Not for Sale and Baptist World Aid. This study provides an overview and statistics of how 41 clothing companies in Australia source their garments, and how they treat the workers that help to make them. This report is much needed after a slew…
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From Parliament to Prada or Capitol Hill to Couture, it seems like fashion couldn’t seem further away from politics. But we mustn’t forget how easily fashion can change public perception of an individual, something that is utterly crucial in the political landscape. Some would argue that the image a leader projects is more influential than…
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Lisa Twomey’s petite figure easily draws attention, a fact not belied by her relaxed demeanour and endearing way of speech. As the woman behind Australia label Lisa T, her diminutive frame is continually draped in heavily embellished garments of her own creation that combine elements of fine art and textile design to great effect. Lisa’s…
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‘I always thought we were selling dreams, not clothes.’ – Irving Penn, 1984 In describing his work as a fashion photographer for Vogue, Irving Penn gave the above quote as a response. In doing so he major to capture the growing trend of aspirational fashion; of going beyond simply presenting a picture of a…
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The manufacturing industries of today are becoming increasingly concerned with sustainability as environmental health becomes more relevant than ever before. Accordingly, the world of fashion is beginning to grapple with this ethical and economic imperative – but how does an industry of extravagance, artistic expression and opulence shift to sustainability? It’s a complex task, but…
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Gok Wan, the British fashion stylist behind the Body-Positive make-over show How to Look Good Naked has returned to Australia with a brand new partnership with Target. Riding off the successes of his shows, How to Look Good Naked and Gok’s Fashion Fix, Wan provides women and men fashion advice aimed at improving their self-worth…
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Parisian Couture Week arrives to us wrapped up in a whole lot of ethical issues; the age and weight of models on the runways frequently generates media discussion and the astronomical costs of the Couture pieces themselves are impossible for some to justify, causing them to just tune out. But to brush aside Couture Week…
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‘Hey,’ said my friend. We were thirteen and had managed to pull a little pocket money together to go shopping. ‘Did you know that Supré means ‘slut’ in French?’ It’s a rumour – albeit, a falsified one at that – that many tweens hear about the female clothing retail giant Supré, who claim to embody…
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**Trigger Warning: Discussion of suicide** Earlier this month, Vice, known for their gratuitous photo shoots and “daring” content, published a spread entitled “Last Words” in which models posed as literary heroines. Seems fairly innocuous, right? Except that they were literary heroines in the moments prior to their suicides, accompanied by a description of their deaths and…
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‘I don’t have to look nice for anyone’ explains a messy haired girl of 13, seated in a high school auditorium. Her name is Harper Willat and, along with her sister Amber, she was the subject of ‘Dirty Girls‘, a documentary filmed in 1996 that has been gaining a lot of attention over the past…
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I have this picture on my wall of fashion designer Katharine Hamnett meeting Margaret Thatcher in 1984. Hamnett, who had just been named designer of the year, was invited to Downing Street and, seizing the opportunity to make a statement, took off her coat to reveal the anti-missile message on her t-shirt. It’s often recognised…
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