Designer interviews: New York Men's Day NYMD / NYFW

Ten designers, ten collections and multiple sponsors gathered on one day during NYFW to bring you SS22 New York Men's Day (NYMD). The Art Institutes were there, front and center.

See all the fashion presentations, an alternative to runway, and hear from the designers as they discuss sustainability, trends and creativity with Ai LIVE's E. Vincent Martinez.

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Ai LIVE | Dur Doux NYFW

Dubbed as the "Darlings of NYFW" Dur Doux, the dynamic, mother - daughter design duo, presented their SS22 runway collection at the terrace level of New York Fashion Week's main venue, Spring Studios. The Art Institutes' Ai LIVE Host, E. Vincent Martinez caught up with the designers to discuss the collection and the design process. Also featured are reactions from multiple guests including actor Vincent de Paul and RHOA's Cynthia Bailey.

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Harlem's Fashion Row featuring Johnathan Hayden at NYFW

Harlem's Fashion Row, HFR, kicked off NYFW with four runway collections including The Art Institutes' Ai Dallas alumnus, Johnathan Hayden with his SS22 womenswear line. Ai LIVE's E. Vincent Martinez caught up with Johnathan after the runway for his reaction. Also featured, view the runway collections from designers, Harbison, June 79, Tier NYC and a cameo by Vogue's Anna Wintour.

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Givenchy Dresses The Weeknd For 55th Super Bowl Halftime Show

Creative Director Matthew M. Williams designed custom pieces especially for the superstar's performance.  

During the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show, The Weeknd wore a fully hand-embroidered jacket with crystals, realized by the Givenchy Haute Couture atelier in Paris. A feat of savoir-faire, it required four embroiderers and more than 250 hours to complete. This jacket was worn over a black cotton poplin shirt and wool trousers accessorized with black leather tie, and gloves, as well as black and white derbies.  While made especially for this performance, The Weeknd's outfit reflects the sharp tailoring, minimalism and intense contrast Mr. Williams brought to his debut collection for the House of Givenchy.

"It's truly an honor to have dressed The Weeknd for his incredible Super Bowl show," said Matthew M. Williams. "To me, fashion is all about infusing what you wear with a unique personality, and The Weeknd brought his look to life with his energy, character and sense of style."

The Weeknd's cinematic Super Bowl LV performance was followed by an estimated audience of more than 100 million viewers who tuned in to watch the NFL championship game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Kansas City Chiefs at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

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UNIQLO Debuts at China Import Expo with The Art and Science of LifeWear

Japanese global apparel retailer UNIQLO confirmed that it has successfully concluded its debut at the annual China International Import Expo (CIIE) held this year from November 5 to 10 in Shanghai. The event also marked the first time UNIQLO hosted The Art and Science of LifeWear, a LifeWear global brand exhibition, in China, following similar events in New York, Paris and London in previous years.

At 1,500 square meters The Art and Science of LifeWear was the largest exhibition space in the customer goods category of the CIIE. The space, known as "Museum of Tomorrow," showcased the innovation and technologies behind iconic UNIQLO products, the craftsmanship that goes into creating high-quality clothing, sustainability initiatives, as well as the first public exhibition of the upcoming +J collection in collaboration with legendary designer Jil Sander.

Additionally, with the upcoming of Double 11, or Singles' Day Sales, the world's largest online shopping festival, UNIQLO demonstrated its seamless online-offline integration by inviting customers to visit the Museum of Tomorrow through a simultaneous online exhibition on the UNIQLO Digital Flagship Store.

Jalin Wu, Group Executive Officer of Fast Retailing and Chief Marketing Officer of UNIQLO Greater China, said, "UNIQLO is pleased to have introduced The Art and Science of LifeWear and its product and services innovations to consumers in China, and around the world, through the CIIE platform. We hope that with our participation we could inspire a better future life, and new lifestyles, for people everywhere. UNIQLO is full of confidence about the Chinese market and consumers going forward, and the company plans to continue to deepen its roots into low tiered cities in China."

The Museum of Tomorrow attracted more than 300 domestic and foreign media, as well as more than 200,000 visitors to experience the exhibition and understand the technology behind the products.

One media representative said that for the first time he saw the technology behind Ultra Light Down, and through technology experiments featuring AIRism and HEATTECH, he realized how many innovations of science and design actually go into a piece of clothing that allows people to switch freely between different life scenarios more efficiently, comfortably, and stylishly.

"UNIQLO's booth was very big and impressive. It is hard to believe that UNIQLO staged such an amazing performance for its first time at the exhibition. Whether it was the giant Ultra Light Down jackets or various lab devices, you could feel the brand's dedication and attention to details," said Yang from Shanghai.

Museum of Tomorrow Inspired Future Lifestyles with Clothing of Tomorrow

CIIE also saw the world first public exhibition of the +J Fall/Winter 2020 collection, which will be available in UNIQLO stores and online starting November 13. The collection marks the return of UNIQLO's collaboration with Ms. Sander, who brings her signature modern style to this exceptional line for women and men.

Greeting visitors to the Museum of Tomorrow were Giant versions of Ultra Light Down jackets hanging in the air. The actual Ultra Light Down jackets sold at UNIQLO feature a fabric made of a durable and light ultrafine fiber that is treated to eliminate down packs, combining warmth and lightness while being compact enough to easily fold into an accompanying pouch.

Showcasing UNIQLO innerwear offerings, the Museum of Tomorrow featured three experiments to demonstrate how the various functions of AIRism regulate the air under clothing, releasing heat and humidity to provide a comfy dryness. Another station highlighted the bio-warming technology found in HEATTECH innerwear, loved around the world since its inception in 2003.

Publicly displaying a knitting machine using WHOLEGARMENT technology in China for the first time, UNIQLO showed the art of the revolutionary 3D seamless knitting, which fits the body perfectly and brings a new wearing experience of stylish comfort. The space also featured a BLOCKTECH lab, where experiments clearly demonstrated the high-tech utility outer's windproof, waterproof and breathable functions, which provide comfortable protection against the cold.

UTs (UNIQLO T-shirts), which offer an array of authentic pop culture and art graphics from around the world, allowing the wearer to express their individuality, were also exhibited at the Museum of Tomorrow as a focal point of the world's cultural and creative influences. At the UNIQLO Masterpiece Studio display, UNIQLO highlighted the quality created through persistent craftmanship, refined cutting and fabric selection, which defines the value of clothing.

In addition, UNIQLO's global sustainable development and innovation efforts, which use the power of clothing to help protect the earth and care for people and communities, were also on display. CIIE also marked the world debut of BlueCycle, a rebranding of innovative UNIQLO water-saving technology that allows for significantly less water use in the jeans production process. This technology from the company's Jeans Innovation Center, established in Los Angeles in 2016, was part of a wider exhibit highlighting the history and evolution of UNIQLO jeans and the six types of UNIQLO jeans fabrics.

LifeWear Exhibition Beyond CIIE

Fast Retailing is committed to becoming the world's number one Digital Retail Consumer company. With this in mind, UNIQLO continues to turn information into products by understanding its customer needs and integrating online and offline functions to provide customers a seamless shopping experiences. During CIIE customers were also invited to visit the Museum of Tomorrow through a simultaneous online exhibition in the cloud through the UNIQLO Digital Flagship Store and get an up-close virtual experience of The Art and Science of LifeWear through the 10 innovative exhibition areas.

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Virgil Abloh Raises $1 Million Dollars to Support the Next Generation of Black Fashion Industry Leaders

Designer Virgil Abloh announced today that he has raised $1 million to benefit scholarships for Black students through the Virgil Abloh™️ "Post-Modern" Scholarship Fund, which will be managed in partnership with the Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF), the foremost fashion-oriented education and workforce development nonprofit in the U.S.  Quotes from Virgil Abloh and Peter Arnold, FSF's Executive Director, are available below.

The Abloh Fund's mission is to foster equity and inclusion within the fashion industry by providing scholarships to students of academic promise of Black, African-American, or African descent. Mr. Abloh named the fund "Post Modern" to represent that recipients will not only receive funds, but will also be given access to vital career support services and mentoring. In addition to his own donation, Abloh raised funds from his partners evian, Farfetch, Louis Vuitton, and New Guards Group, with more partners to be announced in the future as the Fund continues to work for long-term change.

In connection with the launch of the Fund, Mr. Abloh has entered into a long-term partnership with FSF to help enhance their internship, mentorship, and networking offerings.

Peter Arnold, FSF Executive Director, said: “At the heart of the FSF’s mission is elevating the voices and creative visions of talented youth from underrepresented backgrounds who are the future leaders of our industry. Virgil is a trailblazer and a game-changer, leveraging his considerable influence to effect change from within. We are grateful to have this opportunity to partner with him and his partners to impact the lives of so many deserving young people."

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