The 500th blog post at Beyond Branding. And I hope it’s meaning­ful.
   My friend David Freak, of the Freak fashion label in New Zealand, is known for recycl­ing fashion and showing them in unconven­tional venues, includ­ing gay night­clubs. But he is not alone: the Cubans have just done a show called the Art & Style fashion show, which has some recycled fashion, adorned on models and trans­vestites.
   I know for a fact that Cuba has more tradi­tional fashion shows, just as New Zealand does, but it is interest­ing that this item made the Asso­ciated Press news­wires.
   Cuba is a nation of tinker­ers—not surprising when materials are not in as great a supply as they are in the west. However, this may have height­ened Cuban inventive­ness. And it might even show a way forward, because not enough of the west con­serves in fashion.
   I applaud the show for being inclu­sive. Not only did it have recycled fashion, but local artists joined in.
   The west does shows like this, but includ­ing artists is usually done out of snobbery. I have a feeling the Cubans have little room, in a commun­ist nation, for snobbery. And my friend Mr Freak has little room for it, too.
   Another special designer is Gabriel Scar­velli (above), who also looks to a sustain­able prin­ciple in his haute couture. But he, too, is a rare example in the west—some­thing that Lucire tried to change (and has been changing) with its ‘Behind the Label’ series on environ­mental chic developed by model and social respon­sibility advocate Summer Rayne Oakes (top left).
   It’s fashion with a statement, and for a change it’s positive, inclusive, and human. We need more of it, please, whether it’s in Cuba or some­where else. And it’s a great way to celebrate 500 posts here at Beyond Branding. posted by Jack Yan, 8:59 AM  permalink