China already had one of the most lively online e-commerce set-ups before COVID-19, and the pandemic drew even more activity online (see Lucire issue 42, and Lucire KSA September 2020). Emporio Armani is no exception in its dealings inside the Middle Kingdom, with Chinese spokesman Song Weiling (宋威龍), the actor and model, launching its Meccanico skeleton watch collection on Tmall on September 13.
   Song’s appeal to Generation Z (born between 1995 and 2012, according to some) is said to help broaden the brand’s appeal to a younger audience. Since joining Tmall in 2016, Emporio Armani has pushed a number of “hot” products appealing to younger buyers, including a gypsophilia watch series.
   Earlier marketing efforts in September 2019 and August 2020 (for the Qixi Festival) saw Emporio Armani team up with actress Tong Liya (佟麗婭).
   Emporio Armani says that Generation Z will account for 40 per cent of overall consumer purchases this year, hence its keenness to attract the group. Purchases in the 2,500–5,000元 segment have risen by 90 per cent. Tmall, in particular, has managed to appeal to Generation Z users, with the men’s watch category increasing 14 per cent between 2018 and 2019.

The 1970s have well and truly returned, and we don’t just mean with the uncertain economic mood. H&M’s Studio collection for autumn–winter 2020–1 reflects this, too, with a collection called The Refined Rebel, inspired by the 19th-century writer, Violet Paget (who used Vernon Lee as her nom-de-plume), and her residence at the Palmerino villa in Firenze. Despite officially referencing Paget, the style is very much 1970s, with big lapels and a slight flare for suits, including some outlandish colours in green and blue; big-shouldered coats and dresses in a multi-coloured print resembling splashes of paint; recycled polyester frilled blouses; a grey deconstructed sleeveless coat; and chunky-heeled boots. The clothes are gender-fluid, suiting the times, but in the mode of 1970s David Bowie, who was there well before the mainstream. The colour palette is azure blue and malachite green, says H&M, with champagne pink and marbled prints.
   The campaign has been shot separately from different parts of the world, given distancing rules and travel restrictions in place. Barbie Ferreira, Veronika Heilbrunner, Celeste, Alton Mason, Young Emperors and Mia Kong have each done their own interpretations of the collection and the imagery brought together by H&M. Meanwhile, Irina Shayk, Jameela Jamil, Sasha Lane and Indya Moore have donned designs from the range in a series of celebrity images.
   Customers are invited to share their own images from the range.
   ‘The AW20 Studio collection muse is not afraid to challenge the status quo. This collection is for those that celebrate being oneself above all else. We hope our customers feel inspired to dress with a carefree, rebellious attitude,’ said H&M’s creative adviser, Ann-Sofie Johansson.
   ‘In keeping with H&M’s strive for innovation, the H&M Studio team experimented with an exciting new campaign format for AW20. Adapted for today’s climate, this new way of working gives our global cast the creative freedom to style, photograph and express themselves in the comfort of their own space. We hope the new collection and campaign encourages everyone to celebrate their style,’ said Kattis Bahrke, H&M’s head of creative marketing and communications.

Lucire is the first fashion partner of UN Environment.

The New Zealand winner of the James Dyson Award is in the fashion sector: Rik Oithuis, a Massey University student, conceived his Voronui Runners, shoes that can be composted at the end of their life.
   Despite many labels trying to do the right thing by the environment—many of which have been profiled by this magazine, a UN Environment partner since 2003—92 million tonnes of textile waste is created each year. As detailed in Lucire, Abigail Beall at the BBC points out that this is ‘equivalent to a rubbish truck full of clothes’ arriving at a landfill every second. Only 12 per cent of the material for clothing is recycled, says Beall. Footwear is one of the culprits in the sector, with the James Dyson Foundation noting that since 1950, the amount of footwear globally has increased from 7,000 million to 23,000 million, with most shoes ending up in landfill. The average pair takes over 50 years to decompose, with footwear representing 1·4 per cent of global climate impacts. The footwear industry’s waste is increasing tenfold, note Theodoros Staikos and Shahin Rahimifard in their research.
   This makes Oithuis’s concept of a biodegradable shoe all the more important to our planet. He says, ‘Currently, footwear materials focus on performance, which is important, especially in runners. However, what isn’t being considered is what happens to the product once it’s no longer of use. The use of adhesives prevents the separation and treatment of materials at the end of the product’s life cycle. I was inspired to design a sneaker using only biodegradable materials with no adhesives—leading the future of sustainable footwear.’
   Oithuis developed a gelatine- and glycerine-based recipe for biodegradable foam, adding natural ingredients to strengthen the material, compress it, and make it more water-resistant. He then 3-D-printed a Voronoi structure using a biodegradable filament to form the skeleton of the sole and mid-sole. The upper was made from a merino wool fabric with 3-D-printed details. The heel and toe caps were inserted with a plant fibre reinforcement, then sewn shut and stitched.
   Runners-up included Massey University students Lisa Newman and Samantha Hughes, who created a hand tool to maintain clean cattle tails and a pædiatric urine sample collection device respectively.
   Rachel Brown, ONZM, founder and CEO of the Sustainable Business Network, Dr Michelle Dickinson, and engineer Sina Cotter Tait judged the national competition.
   Oithuis will receive a £2,000 award to develop his design. He, Newman and Hughes will go on to the international stage, where a top 20 will be selected by Dyson engineers. Sir James Dyson will select the international and sustainability winners from that group. The former will get a £30,000 prize and £5,000 going to their university, and the latter will receive £30,000. Winners will be announced on November 19.

Iosip Mihail

The sixth day of the 77ª Mostra internazionale d’arte cinematografica di Venezia, the Venice Film Festival, proved far busier, with very topical works being premièred. The Corradi Cinema Lounge at the Ausonia Hungaria hotel hosted Violante Placido and Alessio Boni, who feature in Diego Botta’s Revenge Room, a very relevant tale about revenge porn and the proliferation of content on the web. Also present at the lounge was director Alice Rohrwacher, who directed Omelia contadina (Peasant Homily), highlighting the disappearance of agriculture, with some startling images.
   The cast of Fabrizio Maria Cortese’s comedy Free Liberi also popped by the Corradi Cinema Lounge, including Sandra Milo, Corinne Cléry, Enzo Salvi, Antonio Catania and Ivano Marescotti; as did the cast of Spaccapietre—una promessa, including Licia Lanera. Danish filmmakers Frederik Loui Hviid and Anders Ølholm, who directed Shorta, dealing with the killing of 19-year-old Talib Ben Hassi while in custody, were also guests. The duo say that their film is not political, but one of hope.
   Finally, also attending were Michele Mellara and Alessandro Rossi, whose 50—Santarcangelo Festival deals with the changing trends in theatre and society as seen through the festival.
   Celebrities spotted on the red carpet included Eleonora Gaggero, Nina Verdelli and Alessio Boni, and Baby K.

Iosip Mihail

On day 3 of the 77ª Mostra internazionale d’arte cinematografica di Venezia, Academy Award winner Jim Broadbent and Notting Hill director Roger Michell were present at both the Corradi Cinema Lounge and the red carpet for the film The Duke, which tells the story of a man who sneaks into London’s National Gallery to steal a portrait of the Duke of Wellington by Goya.
   Est director Antonio Pisu and cast members Matteo Gatta, Jacopo Costantini and Italian X Factor judge, Lo Stato Sociale singer Lodo Guenzi were also present at the Lounge, as was Padrenostro actor Francesco Gheghi and Romanian model and actress Mădălina Ghenea. They were also on the red carpet, joined by Arisa, Francesca Sofia Novello, Pierfrancesco Favino, Karina Nigay, Angelo Quarti, Eleonora Bernardi Zizola, and the cast of Padrenostro.

Iosip Mihail

Mihail Iosip

With COVID-19 still infecting people around the world, there was no Festival de Cannes to report on in May, but Venezia has managed to kick off a restricted version of the 77th Mostra internazionale d’arte cinematografica, or the Venice Film Festival, for 2020.
   September 1 saw the start of the Corradi Cinema Lounge at the Ausonia Hungaria hotel, which hosted the cast of Daniele Luchetti’s Lacci, this year’s opening film at the Mostra. The Lounge also hosted directors Andrea Segre (Molecole) and Carlo Hintermann (The Book of Vision).
   September 2, the day of the opening ceremony, saw the Lounge host director Christos Nikou and actress Sofia Georgovassili from Apples, Giona A. Nazzaro, and Jacopo Chessa. Sky Cinema 1 also filmed an episode there for broadcast on September 4 for its 100 × 100 Cinema programme with host Piera Detassis.
   On the red carpet for the opening were president of the jury Cate Blanchett, Adriano Giannini and Gaia Trussardi, Anna Foglietta, Daniele Luchetti, Diodato, Elena Bouryka, Élodie Yung, Ester Expósito, Giulia Rosmarini and Alberto Barbera, Giulia Valentina, Laura Morante, Linda Caridi, Luigi Lo Cascio, Marracash, Paola Turani, and Taylor Hill.
   Tilda Swinton was awarded the Golden Lion award and wore a Chanel white cotton blouse with smocking motifs and a long black crêpe layered skirt from the spring–summer 2020 haute couture collection, accompanied by the Chanel haute joaillerie Tweed frangé earrings in 18 ct white gold and diamonds, and the Plume de Chanel ring in 18 ct white and yellow gold and diamonds. Chanel also created her make-up.
   The Lounge showcases the exterior designs from Corradi, and is now in its sixth year at the festival. It has partnered with Hotcorn.com, a cinema website.

Mihail Iosip