After two years of toned down, limited capacity events, the 94th Annual Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre saw the return of a full force red carpet glamour display of high fashion and beautiful celebrities. Hardly any masks was in sight and the social distancing rule was very much relaxed. This year the celebrities and movie stars came in their best fashion outfits that did not disappoint the critics and the cameras. There were sparkles aplenty, creative silhouettes, classic black, bright and bold colours and amazing jaw-dropping necklines. The stars will push their limits in every edition with the intention to stand out and make statements be it political, their personal projects or relationships in their personal styles. However, it was not surprising when some stars chose to shine on Ukraine but the golden moment of the evening definitely belonged to Will Smith who walked up the stage and smacked Chris Rock on the face when the latter made a joke about his wife, Jada Pickett-Smith and then picking up the Best Actor award for his role in “King Richard” a few moments after.

The Dior Fall/ Winter 2021-2022 Haute Couture Show was presented against an exceptional backdrop installation designed by distinguished French artist, Eva Jospin, in the heart of the Rodin Museum in Paris. This backdrop of silk-embroidered panels perfectly harmonised with the threads theme that inspired Dior Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri.

Based on the unique design by Jospin, this 40-meter-long immersive gallery is entirely hand-embroidered by the highly skilled artists of the Chanakya School of Craft and Chanakya workshop in Mumbai.

This phenomenal work of art is the outcome of an extensive process with a dialogue of multiple voices. It also references both Virginia Woolf’s feminist manifesto ‘A Room of One’s Own’ and the Indian-inspired Embroidery Room at the Palazzo Colonna in Rome.

Images courtesy of dior.com

Celebrate yourself, be kind, mask up.”
– Lady Gaga

The biggest winner at the 2020 Video Music Awards was none other than Lady Gaga. This music sensation was up for nine trophies, with seven for “Rain on Me”, Artist of the Year, and Best Quarantine Performance for “Smile”. For every acceptance speech, Lady Gaga rocked the stage with completely different looks that revolved around a futuristic theme. She also wore spectacular face masks and reminded the audience to stay safe. “Celebrate yourself, be kind, mask up,” she said while performing her medley. Lady Gaga never fails to amaze us all! 

While some housewives would probably stich up the left over pieces of cloth and make them into patch blankets, Viktor&Rolf selected some of the most luxurious fabric samples left in their archives all these years and patched them into beautiful couture pieces for the Haute Couture Spring/Summer 2020 encompassing an air of soft poetry and innocent romance. These creations were loosely inspired by their childhood memories of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s ‘Little House on the Prairie’ and Denise Holly Hobbie-Ulinskas’ eponymous ‘70’s illustration character. 

By reusing their high-end couture fabric samples in this way, Viktor&Rolf create a surreal paradox that underlines the beauty of imperfection. This collection highlights the creative principle of conscious design.

The collection shows a series of voluminous, free-flowing dresses and capes, embellished with tiers, ruffles, and crochet galloons. Ranging from floor-length to calf to ultra-mini, several outfits are complemented with wide-brimmed, spontaneously shaped surreal hats. Elaborate glamorous makeup is juxtaposed with faux tattoos, proclaiming messages of love and happiness. 

“A disruptive timeline of fashion history from 1870 to the present.”

As part of The Met’s 150th anniversary celebration, the Costume Institute’s spring 2020 exhibition will trace more than a century and a half of fashion—from 1870 to the present—along a disruptive timeline. Employing Henri Bergson’s concept of la durée (duration), it will explore how clothes generate temporal associations that conflate past, present, and future. Virginia Woolf will serve as the “ghost narrator” of the exhibition.

A timeline of 120 fashions will unfold in two adjacent galleries fabricated as enormous clock faces and organized around the principle of sixty minutes of fashion. Each “minute” will feature a pair of garments—the primary work representing the linear nature of fashion and the secondary work its cyclical character. Each pair will be connected through shape, motif, material, pattern, technique, or decoration.

The exhibition will conclude with a section on the future of fashion, linking the concept of duration to debates about longevity and sustainability. The exhibition is made possible by Louis Vuitton.