Fashion brands celebrate International Women’s Day
Kate Spade, Chinti and Parker, and Net-a-Porter are among the fashion
brands and retailers getting behind International Women’s Day 2018, a day
devoted to celebrating and supporting women and to raise awareness of
gender equality, which has been given a bigger spotlight this year
following the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements.
Kate Spade New York ‘On Purpose’
American accessories brand Kate Spade New York has released a new
collection of handbags from its ‘On Purpose’ label that was founded in 2014
to empower women in Masoro, Rwanda to help transform their communities
through trade-based initiatives. The On Purpose programme in partnership
with Rwandan-based company Abahizi Rwanda has brought over 150 full-times
jobs to the community.
The new collection of limited edition handbags, launching on
International Women’s Day, features handmade accessories including totes
with graphic prints, beaded detailing and oversized bows. Prices range from
70 to 340 pounds, and as part of Kate Spade’s International Women’s Day
event 2 percent of all sales will go directly to the ‘On Purpose’
organisation to help fund additional programmes at the Abahizi Rwanda
centre.
Images: courtesy of Kate Spade New York
Zadig & Voltaire x Micol Sabbadini
Designer label Zadig & Voltaire has created a capsule line of T-shirts
featuring designs by young Italian artist Micol Sabbadini that
uses photographs she took during the Women’s March in New York City last
year that it says, “denounces a deep-seated disparity between the sexes
that still exists”.
The T-shirts, feature slogans seen during the march including ‘Give Us
Hope’, ‘Love Will Rise Above All’ and ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fundamental
Human Rights’. They are priced 75 pounds each and are a web exclusive. All
profits go towards ‘Every Mother Counts’, a non-profit organisation
dedicated to making pregnancy and childbirth safe for every mother
everywhere.
On its website, the brand states: “Zadig & Voltaire has chosen to defend
women’s rights and empowerment throughout the world with this capsule
collection which all profits will go towards ‘Every Mother Counts’.”
Images: courtesy of Zadig & Voltaire x Micol Sabbadini
Chinti and Parker ‘Women 4 Women’
London-based knitwear brand Chinti and Parker has collaborated with
Women For Women International on a capsule collection of empowering
cashmere jumpers and T-shrits featuring slogans such as ‘I am a woman, a
daughter, a mother, a sister’, ‘Love’ and ‘I Am’, as well as a rainbow
design featuring the female symbol and love hearts.
The collection, which features a campaign headed up by model Arizona
Muse, will give 100 percent of the profits to the charity, Women for Women
International that has helped more than 462,000 marginalised women in
countries affected by war and conflict across countries such as
Afghanistan, Nigeria, and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Prices range from 95 pounds for the T-shirt to 350 pounds for the
cashmere sweater, all are available on the brand’s website and Farfetch.
Images: courtesy of Chinti and Parker
Net-a-Porter IWD T-shirts
The luxury online retailer Net-a-Porter has teamed up with designers
including Stella McCartney, Rosie Assoulin and Bella Freud on a capsule IWD
cotton T-shirts to promote gender equality and celebrate female
empowerment, as well as raise funds for Women for Women International.
The limited edition tees feature slogans including ‘Thanks Girls’ by
Stella McCartney, ‘Woman’ by Off-White, ‘Love For You’ by Bella Freud,
’Girls Girls Girls On Top’ by Gianni, and ‘Do It For Grandma’ by Rosie
Assoulin that has been written across the chest in seven languages. There
is also a design by Chloé that features an ivory silk breast pocket
embroidered with gold female silhouettes and a piercing-style hoop attached
to one sleeve.
Prices range from 85 to 375 pounds and 100 percent of the profits from
the sale of these products will go to Women for Women International.
Images: via Net-a-Porter website
Boohoo ‘Woman’
Fast-fashion e-tailer Boohoo has launched a ‘Woman’ mini capsule
collection featuring a T-shirt and hoody to raise money for the Wonder
Foundation charity that strives to advance young women and girl’s education
and equality around the world. Boohoo will donate 5 pounds for the sale of
each T-shirt and hoody, which features the slogan ‘Woman’ across the chest
in red to the charity, to the charity.
Images: via Boohoo website
Rachel Roy ‘Giving Love’
On March 8, International Women’s Day, designer Rachel Roy is being
appointed as a UN Women ambassador as a Champion of Innovation, and to
celebrate she has created a capsule collection ‘Giving Love’ with 100
percent of the proceeds being donated to World Of Children, a global
organisation that funds, elevates and educates initiatives for the world’s
most vulnerable children.
The capsule line includes a T-shirt featuring the slogan ‘Choose Love’
on the back, cargo pants, and a ‘Love’ beaded camo jacket. Prices range
from 55 to 179 dollars and are available on the Rachel Roy website.
Diane von Furstenberg opens offices
New York-based fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg has long been a champion of women and to celebrate International Women’s Day she is opening the doors of her headquarters for a free four-day event to celebrate and empower women. The series of events include discussion panels featuring prominent women meant to inspire and celebrate women who take on leadership roles.
The event runs from March 8 to 11 in New York and will also include a limited-edition collection of merchandise centred on the mission of being ‘In Charge’, which attendees will be able to shop and customise online.
Gucci launches new initiative with Chime for Change
In honor of International Women’s Day, Gucci is promoting its new initiative with Chime for Change, their international campaign to empower women and girls.
The fashion house and the non-profit organization have collaborated with artist and poet Cleo Wade, who created a series of artwork featuring messages like “How Will You Use Your Voice Today” and “We Do Not Change The World When We Whisper We Change It When We Roar.”
The campaign is being promoted on Gucci’s social media channels, in addition to running as an ad campaign in The New York Times, the Financial Times, La Repubblica and Il Corriere della Sera. It is also being featured on a Times Square Billboard and on billboards in Los Angeles.
Chime for Change was founded by Gucci in 2013 to convene, unite and strengthen the voices speaking out for girls and women around the world. The campaign uses innovative approaches to promote gender equality. Co-founded by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Salma Hayek Pinault, the organization also works with a coalition of partner organizations, including the Kering Foundation, Facebook and Hearst Magazines.