Fashion in the news: interesting fashion reads in February 2019

Every month, FashionUnited selects the most interesting reads about the fashion industry published across US and UK news outlets. Here’s what you may have missed this month.

"Will the real Karl Lagerfeld please stand up?”, Vogue UK

February was marked by the passing of one of the most iconic fashion designers of all time, Karl Lagerfeld, who revived Chanel when joining the French fashion house more than a decade after the death of its founder, Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel. He had a lifetime contract with the label and remained there for 36 years. He also held the same role at Fendi for over half a century, in addition to having his own label.

Most news outlets published an overview of Karl Lagerfeld’s life and work, as is to be expected, but none of them offered such a close look at who Lagerfeld was as a person as this piece published by Vogue UK in 2018 and resurfaced on the day of his passing. Titled Will The Real Karl Lagerfeld Please Stand Up?”, suggesting Lagerfeld was the Eminem of fashion given his outspoken nature, the article is penned by Suzy Menkes, a journalist Lagerfeld knew so well he didn’t even consider her a journalist anymore. The fact he felt so comfortable around her made for some revealing quotes, such as “sometimes I nearly feel guilty that I was not nice to him [his father], as I was a slave to my mother”.

“Anna Wintour: a rare face-to-face with the most important woman in fashion”, The Guardian

Vogue US editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has become a public figure in a way no other magazine editor has ever been. Although she is known for playing to win and expecting perfection in everything she is involved with (character Miranda Priestly from bestselling novel and movie The Devil Wears Prada is believed to have been inspired by her), she swore to Guardian editor Jess Cartner-Morley that becoming famous “wasn’t a conscious path”. In this comprehensive profile, Wintour talks about Michelle Obama, fake news and the future of print media.

If you’re looking to get to know Wintour even more, Vogue started a series of videos this year in which she answers questions from total strangers. The first two videos show Wintour speaking her mind about sneakers, parkas and Meghan Markle’s style.

“Kim Kardashian’s love-hate relationship with fast fashion, explained”, Vox

Love them or hate them, the Kardashian/Jenner sisters are among the most powerful names in fashion today. Online fast fashion retailers such as Fashion Nova, Boohoo, Missguided, Nasty Gal and Pretty Little Thing have risen to popularity by selling similar styles to looks worn by the Kardashians, sometimes as fast as 24 hours after the outfits are worn.

But now this symbiotic relationship is going sour -- or so it seems. Kim Kardashian slammed Fashion Nova this month for knocking off a vintage Thierry Mugler dress she wore. “It’s devastating to see these fashion companies rip off designs that have taken the blood, sweat and tears of true designers who have put their all into their own original ideas”, she wrote on Twitter. She also filed a lawsuit against Missguided for inappropriately using her image, as the brand not only knocks off her outfits but also uses her name and photos to sell the products.

However, fashion watchdog Diet Prada suggested Fashion Nova must be tipped off by either Kim or her team, considering how fast the label is able to put similar styles up for sale. About the Thierry Mugler dress, Diet Prada also posted alleged pictures of Fashion Nova’s photoshoot of the copycat product, revealing they named the files as “Kim’s dress”. Is this all just a big marketing stunt? When it comes to the Kardashian clan, this possibility can never be discarded. It’s also possible that Kim is looking to disassociate herself from cheap, fast fashion now that the family has become influential enough to earn a seat at the luxury sector’s table.

Want to know more about the Kardashian’s love-hate relationship with the fast fashion industry? Vox explains it all in this article.

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Pictures: courtesy of Karl Lagerfeld/Steiff, Tiziana Fabi / AFP, FashionNova