_{https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4YGUfmx31p/?igsh=MWw4N2w5Z3RvcW82ZQ==}

The company has also built a name for itself by making waves and breaking boundaries in regard to their fantastic marketing. They exceeded expectations yet again, with the debut of its first-ever TV advertisement during The Oscars, one of the most highly anticipated events of the year, which again showcased the brand’s clever business strategy and ability to utilise pop culture for their own success.

_{https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4YongKRnFl/?igsh=MWUzaWdnYjhhMjdibg==}

The futuristic commercial, set inside a SKIMS Lab on a ship in outer space. The advert was directed by Frank Lebon and produced by Wieden and Kennedy, best known for their work with Nike, and features Kim in an “out-of-this-world” universe, testing out several of her brand’s best-selling pieces. They worked alongside the incredible costume designer Heidi Bivens, known for her work on HBO series Euphoria. 

_{https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4YGUfmx31p/?igsh=MWw4N2w5Z3RvcW82ZQ==}

With the assistance of a group of Kardashian “Klones,”or lookalikes, the reality star who wears a nametag saying she’s Skim’s “Chief Engineer”, checks out new bras, T-shirts, and shapewear sets to Gary Wright’s 1975 hit song “Dream Weaver.” The camera then pans through the “Klones” as, all of which were united by a sense of empowerment and confidence. The women were shown wearing the iconic Skims products, which hugged their curves and accentuated beauty.

_{https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4QerFZrTzY/?igsh=MWQxajRpaXJvcWNhbg==}

“With this being our first-ever made for TV campaign, we really wanted to bring viewers into the SKIMS universe and create a film about our brand story and obsession with product development in a witty, yet extravagant way,” Kim Kardashian was recorded saying in a press release. “It was great working with Frank [Lebon] on this—his unique creativity and talent for storytelling really shined through. I am really proud of what we created together.”

_{https://www.instagram.com/reel/C4YGUfmx31p/?igsh=MWw4N2w5Z3RvcW82ZQ==}

On top of it’s core message of inclusivity, the ad also highlighted the brand’s dedication to quality and innovation. Viewers were treated to a behind-the-scenes look at the design process of Skims products, showcasing the brand’s attention to detail and commitment to creating shapewear that is both comfortable and flattering. 

The debut of Skims’ first TV advertisement was an incredible success. The ad resonated with viewers for its light-hearted spin, as well as its commitment to quality and innovation. As the brand continues to grow, with plans to expand into physical retail with its first flagship stores in Los Angeles and New York, Skims is poised to become even more so of a major player in the world of underwear and loungewear as well as business in general.

_{Written By Lauren Dickson}

The post Skims Makes Waves With It’s First TV Advert: “Skims Lab” appeared first on Voir Fashion.

The campaign is truly reflective of Diesel’s consumers, showing confident and unreserved models across a variety of genders, races, ages and body types enjoying an indulgent stay in the tropical playscape. Creative Director Glenn Martens, Art Director Chris Simmons and photographer Johnny Dufort work together to create an environment that promotes the unapologetic individualism that Diesel has come to represent.

^{Photo Credit: Diesel}

The campaign features a variety of looks from the SS23 collection including a couple of variations of the oval D cut-out design and every piece of denim that you could imagine. Diesel’s reinvigoration of denim has become almost synonymous with the brand and that remains true throughout this campaign; from denim corsets to layered jeans, Diesel continues to advocate for the re-imagination of denim. And of course, no Diesel campaign would be complete without the iconic belt skirt, which appears in Pleasure Island’s nightclub in a metallic silver shade. 

£ 535

Diesel Black M-Argaret Turtleneck

Read article Shop

£ 325

Diesel 1DR Bag – Yellow

Read article Shop

£ 795

Diesel B-Berny Belt Mini Skirt

Read article Shop

£ 230

DIESEL M-CLARKSVILLE BANDEAU TUBE TOP

Read article Shop

£ 225

Diesel M-llagros Knitted Bodysuit

Read article Shop

^{Photo Credit: Diesel}

Speaking of belts, the campaign also showcases a variety of accessories from the brand including their underwear collection inspired by sets popularised in the 90s. The tropical backdrop of Pleasure Island also allows us to see the Diesel Eyewear collection in action. This collection was a partnership with EssilorLuxottica and featured five new styles to play with. And while Pleasure Island may not be a real vacation spot for this summer, you can visit the land where “all desires, kinks and indulgences are welcome, whilst all judgmental attitudes are not” every time you dress in Diesel. 

£ 250

Diesel M-Ikyla Knitted Jumper

Read article Shop

£ 325

Diesel M-onerva Dress – Pink

Read article Shop

£ 195

Diesel F-Slimmy-E3 Sweatshirt

Read article Shop

£ 395

Diesel D-Martians Track Denim Pants

Read article Shop

£ 225

Diesel Play Shoulder Bag

Read article Shop

^{Words by: Amelia Gregory}

_{Header Image: Diesel}

The post Diesel’s Spring Summer 2023 Campaign Takes us to Pleasure Island… appeared first on Voir Fashion.

A crazy strong brand with an even stronger founder and entrepreneur – we interviewed Loretta, the brains behind the brand.

I was really excited to hear your story as it’s very much what Voir fashion is about; bold females that shake up industries.

Just to kick off, you come from a musical background, don’t you?

I spent around 16 years working in live music. That’s what I always used to want to do, so, I started when I was about 16 and just worked my way up from intern to music agent. I always knew I’d work in live music so that was a big passion at the time.

That’s really cool. So, when you were working in live music were you personally performing?

I wasn’t performing. What we did with the music agent is looked after the live careers of artists and bands. So, anything to do with live shows such as booking festivals, gigs and seeing where they would play and building their live career was managed through us.

I know with most entrepreneurial stories, it is about seeing a gap or feeling some sort of frustration. How did you transition into beauty?

I had a friend who was the beauty director at Stylist magazine and we used to go on nights out and I would complain about the hair products available to me, where I had to go and buy them, and just my experiences in general. Then she asked me to write about it and put it into an article for her so I did. It was one of their most read articles so they asked me to contribute as a beauty writer on a freelance basis which I did for two years and that’s how I got into it. I’ve always been passionate about beauty but I just didn’t feel like it was for me and part of my role was to recommend beauty products for the magazine and I struggled. I was putting in products that were just ‘ok’ because I didn’t have anything else to recommend.

At the time, which was about 5 to 7 years ago, a lot of the products I was importing were from the US and back then it used to take around 3 to 4 weeks to arrive. So I really struggled to find products that I thought were great and that’s where the seed was really planted. I remember waiting for a brand like this to come along and I couldn’t understand why there wasn’t anything that was effective for my hair, smelt great, looked great and was cool. It didn’t exist and I couldn’t see it anywhere so that’s when I decided to do it.

That’s funny because when I was researching, I saw one of your comments when you said that you were sick of seeing the same bog-standard pictures on black hair products and you know… it’s all like the same sort of graphics and visuals that you see in all the stores. I thought that was quite an interesting point as well and because the brand is so cool, it’s got a real 90’s flair to it.

So, in terms of taking the shift to do that, that’s quite a jump and quite bold you know because launching a product brand is very expensive… How did you find that process?

Well, I left my big music job and went to another job but then got made redundant almost immediately. I had nothing to do there anyway *laughs* so it was no surprise. I then spent about 6 months looking for another job in music and there were a few things that I could have taken but I realised my heart wasn’t in it and after about 6 months I was like you know what “this is the time to give this a shot!” So, I used some redundancy money, maxed my credit cards, I was unemployed at the time and just went for it. I got it to sample level and then tested it on about 40 to 50 people. This was for the conditioner, as I had just launched it and they all came back saying it was the best conditioner they’d ever tried so that’s when I knew it was time to just go for it.

£ 22

Dizziak Deep Conditioner

Read article Shop

£ 20

Dizziak Hydration Wash

Read article Shop

One thing I definitely did was created the brand before it even existed, I wrote a press release, had the design which I worked on with an artist called ‘Ted’s Draws’ and if someone would ask me “What do you do for a living?”, I would say “Oh I’m just about to launch a beauty brand”. I just spoke it into existence I think *laughs*.  It was so different that when I took it to a PR, they wanted it immediately and then helped me get contacts for Liberty and Cult beauty. For the Liberty meeting, I prepared a week, got a taxi in because I didn’t want to look like I’d been on the tube *Jyoti laughs* and walked into this meeting ready to pitch the hell out of it. They were like “we’re definitely having this product” and I was like Oh! And then I gone within 10 minutes. I didn’t know what to do with myself.

They said they tried it, absolutely loved; the branding, everything. So, they launched it in the front window of the store. I got nothing but yes’ so it just felt like a no brainer, I can’t really describe it any other way. The product was there, everything was there, the branding was there and that had been because of years and years of my life experiences which I feel went into that bottle… tube! Not bottle *laughs*

That’s crazy. It sounds like there’s been some triumph there. But I have to be completely honest when I say I’ve spoken to so many entrepreneurs and I’ve rarely had anyone say to me that they got so many yes’. Did you feel like it happened quite soon, that it went like that for you or was it quite a tough one?

 I don’t feel like it was soon because this was years of writing and experience, and I spent a year working on it before it launched. So, it wasn’t immediate but I didn’t put it out there until I knew it was 100% ready. It was so different that it couldn’t be ignored and ultimately the results spoke for themselves so when people tried it, they were like “Wow! Look at my hair!”

That is so cool. You also had a big year last year. Are you going into Skincare now as well?

Yeah, there were 2 body products that I always wanted. The body conditioner came about because people kept telling me that they were putting the deep conditioner on their skin *laughs* and I was like “don’t do that!” *laughs* and I just kept getting loads of comments like “I wish this was a body butter” or “I wish this was a body cream”. Body lotions traditionally have no fun in them; They take ages to sink in when your cold out of the shower. And there’s either the really expensive ones that you’re rationing so that it can last a long time, or there’s the drug store ones that you put on but it doesn’t really do anything. So, I knew that there was a massive space to upgrade the body lotion experience where it smelt great, hydrated your skin, lasted a long time and sunk in fast.

Same with the body scrub, it would either be the expensive ones or too thick and too coarse, so you’re in there scrubbing for hours. There’s just no joy from that experience and I’ve always loved to scrub. I love it! Like it’s my treatment of choice. I used to go to a spa and love a body scrub so it’s something I wanted to bring to Dizziak formulas.

£ 20

Dizziak Body Conditioner

Read article Shop

£ 24

Dizziak Body Scrub

Read article Shop

That’s really cool. Where do you operate from now? Do you have your own office space or do you still work from home?

I work from different spaces, I’ve got some spots *laughs* around London but I just need my laptop so I can move around.

Another highlight you had last year was Dua Lipa becoming one of your investors. How did that come about?

Well, I knew her management at the time a few years back and I passed some Dizziak over to her and she loved it. That’s when the conversation started a few years back and I guess I just presented it and said “do you want to come in?”. I’d always had her in mind; I thought she was really cool and I loved her strong opinions. She’s London centric but has global appeal. I just thought it would be a really good match, and it has been.

You also won some awards last year! It’s been a big year in which you’ve had quite a lot happen. Would you say that’s been the biggest year so far?

Erm, I don’t know *laughs* I just keep going *laughs* I don’t really stop. When everyone stops at the end of the year and goes through everything, I don’t. *laugh* I never stop so I don’t really see it, I see it as one. Just keep going, keep the energy up and keep moving is one of my moto’s that I kind of live by anyways!

Is there anything that you’ve got coming up in 2023 that you’re allowed to tell us about?

There’s some hair products that will be coming out. The range for Dizziak will always be kept relatively small. I don’t want to be one of these brands that have 30 different products that all do the same sort of thing. I work hard on each formula so they come out when they’re ready and when they’re done. But, there’s definitely a couple that you will see quite soon.

It’s so exciting because there’s so many positive reviews and it seems like as soon as people they get their hands on it, they can’t really live without it. What’s your secret sauce… what sets you apart from your competitors?

I don’t care about profit margin enough, so that’s probably what it is. I spend the money on the ingredients to get the product where it needs to be. I think, if you’re a massive multi-national brand, you’re not going to spend that money. You’re just going to focus on marketing and branding of something that’s kind of average and that will get you sales. I take the hit basically on the cost of it because why else would I do it? I didn’t dream of being a businesswoman, ever! I just wanted to like, I mean I’d do nothing if I.. *laughs* No I’m joking *laughs*. If I know the market is so competitive, then why would I go out there with something average? That wasn’t going to be me.

So branding is the key part, most importantly it’s your formulas and you’re prepared to take whatever it takes?

Yeah, number one, it’s got to be effective and there’s no reason why it can’t also look great! The scent was so important to me as well. I’d grown up having to use products that always had this sort of artificial sickly fruit smell that I cannot bear. So I really wanted something that was fresh, genderless, and that you would never get sick of. It’s been a long, long time for me! *laughs*

Also the branding is just timeless!

That’s what I wanted. I wanted a staple brand that wasn’t going to be the ‘hypiest’ brand out there because I wanted it to be a “you can trust this brand” and you can always come back to it. It will always be there, be the best it can be and not just hype for a couple of years and then go away.

So I know you said you never really set out to be a businesswoman and never had a big entrepreneurial journey in mind but what advice would you give to someone who wants to launch a beauty brand or would want to come into this?

I feel like people need to listen to themselves more and I mean that quite broadly in the sense that you should listen to advice but you really need to have some sort of gut instinct about things, and you need to be able to trust that.

Also, if you’re looking to launch a brand, stop looking at what everyone else is doing because we’re just getting millions and millions of these copycat brands. Find something that actually matters, that’s different, that’s unique. Otherwise, unless you have millions and millions of pounds, you’re just going to be struggling next to other brands for the rest of time. And it is hard work, so essentially listen to yourself, set yourself apart.

It’s been so amazing speaking to you and listening! Thank you so much. To say you never set out this journey, you were clearly naturally always an entrepreneur and destined to be one!

_{Interview By Jyoti Matoo}

The post Interviewing Loretta De Feo: Filling Market Gaps and Breaking Mainstream Conventions with Dizziak appeared first on Voir Fashion.

The virtual event was a creation from Italian-Angolan writer and director of Netflix’s ‘Zero ‘, Antonio Dikele di Stefano. The video rounded off with an appearance from Edward Enninful (Editor in Chief of British Vogue and Vogue’s European Editorial Director), who has always been a voice for overlooked talents.

The project was carried out by the team at WAMI, an organization set up by BIPOC designers Stella Jean and Edward Buchanan, and by Michelle Francine Ngonmo, founder of the Afro Fashion Association, a nonprofit organization established in 2015. The aim of WAMI is to recognise the contribution Black Indigenous People Of Colour have given, and continue to give the fashion industry, whilst working towards putting an end to the racism and exclusion BIPOC designers have faced; becoming a catalyst for change and representation.

The Fab Five were made up of five talented women; Sheetal Shah, Nyny Ryke Goungou, Romy Calzado Celda, Zineb Hazim and Judith Saint Germain. The designers are now based in Italy, but each originate from five different countries; Morocco, Haiti, Togo, Cuba and India.

At Voir, we wanted to celebrate these women by sharing their collections and stories.

Sheetal Shah

Beginning her training in India, Sheetal ended up securing a BA in Textile Design after studying at the Central Saint Martins School in London. She managed to fulfill two internships in Italy, one at the Cosmo Silk Factory and one in Naples.

Sheetal’s latest collection ‘Breaking Identities’, is gender-fluid and aims to elevate the conventional use of denim in Fashion, and instead transform denim into tailored suits. The collection is injected with the colours of India, acting as a memoir for India’s contribution to the fashion industry. Sheetal also pushed herself to use recycled materials, being conscious of the ongoing environmental issues with the fashion industry.

Judith Saint Jermain

After studying Fashion Design, Designer Judith Borsetto set up her own stylistic consultancy whilst she developed her skills on creating women’s accessories. Eventually, Judith was inspired to start her own line and chose to keep her original surname ‘Saint Jermain’, to symbolize the bond to her native country of Haiti.

Her latest collection ‘UNCHARTED’ is inspired by the love of her homeland, featuring colours of the Haitan flag throughout the collection. ‘UNCHARTED’ offers a range of womens footwear, made from Italian leather, and developed with Italian based manufacturer ‘Pisa’. The collection also includes belts, and jewellery engraved with the ‘J’ logo.

Nyny Ryke Goungou

Originally from Togo, Goungou went on to study at Milan’s NABA, graduating with a degree in fashion and textiles. She then continued her studies in Milan and Paris, where she mastered in lingerie-making and corsetry at the Formamod institute.

‘Ethical Chic’ is Nyny’s latest collection, centered around her appreciation for Japanese culture, whilst using African fabrications in a modern way. As the collection’s name suggests, Goungou chose to use responsible materials, and used traditional manufacturing techniques derived from her native country. She developed relationships with women artisans from Togo, leading to her experimentation with traditional Yoruba fabrics, resulting in her own reinterpretation of the fabrics, offering a similar feeling to linen.

Romy Calzado Celda

Cuban Native Romy Calzado Celda first attended art school in Udine, and then went on to study at the Burgio Fashion Institute, specializing in Fashion Design and CAD Modelling. Romy now holds a teaching role at the institute. She also has a passion for prints and ethical textiles, which she developed during her time at Etro.

Her topical and innovative collection ‘Unlabeled’ saw Calzado Celda team up with Italy-based nanotechnology company ‘Directa Plus Spa’. Through this collaboration she was able to use developed antiviral materials, such as denim coated with graphene, which can prevent the presence of viruses on the material. The collection is ethical and sustainable, allowing for garments to be washed less frequently.

Zineb Hazim

After graduating from Scuola Moda Cesena and being propelled into working in the fashion world, Zineb realised that no fashion organizations were reflecting her needs as a Muslim business woman. Taking this into her own hands, she made the very first collection aimed at Muslim business women.

Her collection ‘Business Woman’ gives Muslim women a voice, and shows that being modest does not mean you can’t dress modern. This progressive message is married with the Prince of Wales print used throughout her collection, to express the masculine and professional side of European culture. She uses bright colours such as blue and fuschia to add flavour, whilst the lengths and shapes reflect the identity of Muslim women.

Words by Nadia Clasper

_{Photo Credit: Vogue Italia}

The post These Boss Ladies Are Taking Over Italian Fashion at MFW appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Channel 4 recently launched the ‘Black to Front’ project, in which they committed themselves to increase representation of the Black community. The project launched on Friday,10th of September, and we saw diverse programming featuring Black presenters, actors, writers and experts, entertainers, and program-makers. The aim is not only to entertain the viewers but to create awareness around Black representation and portrayal, catalyzing a long-term change. 

The four-part docu-ality ‘Highlife’ came as a part of the project. The show devotes itself to presenting the Black community in an ambitious light, featuring a talented cast of prestigious and driven British West Africans; Irene, Tomi, Chiefer, Cuppy, Bernicia, Toni, Kiddwaya, and Kamille (who is of Jamaican heritage).

The setup of the show is fresh, and a total contrast to the outlandish topics that would usually be covered on British reality TV. Episode one saw conversations surrounding a variety of topics, such as; dating struggles, marriage, and business. Particularly standing out, was a personal on-camera conversation Irene Agbontaen had surrounding fertility. She spoke on finding love when she is ready, and that she feels freezing her eggs allows her to do this in a less pressured and more independent space.

Speaking to Wonderland Magazine, Irene said: “Within my culture, it’s mind-blowing for you to be in your 30’s unmarried and without a child. I didn’t want to continue that narrative, the great thing about being a woman of today is that we have so many options. We don’t have to conform to societal expectations.” 

On the show, we saw the moment when Irene shared this decision with her mother. We got an insight into the culture of what Nigerian women were traditionally taught, and that in some circumstances there wasn’t a lot of freedom to not choose motherhood. Irene articulated her point with contemplation, which led to receiving her mother’s blessing, in which she labeled her as a ‘modern woman’.

‘Highlife’ is a celebration of heritage, ambition, and community. This is something that has been missing in the reality TV category, creating a space for the show to entertain and inspire viewers. We look forward to tuning in for the next episode and educating ourselves further on Black representation and topics that truly matter.

Words by Nadia Clasper

_{Photo Credit: Channel 4}

The post ‘Highlife’ — A Breath Of Fresh Air For Reality-TV appeared first on Voir Fashion.

The campaign spotlights positively energetic cultural shapers ranging from Chloé Zhao, the Oscar award-winning director to Alyssa Carson, a 20-year-old space enthusiast, The Ebinum Brothers, artistic and movement directors, and many more. The pillars of the campaign are set on personalities who are an embodiment of the modern American optimism and are propelling groundbreaking changes in how we represent, listen and show across generations.

“Gap continues to amplify the voices of change-making and culture shaping individuals, celebrating who they are and what makes them a true representation of the voices of today. These incredible individuals characterize an optimistic future fueled by creativity, possibility, and unity.”  says Mary Alderete, global head of Gap marketing.

Gap’s heritage is rooted in championing empowerment and optimism that transcends into celebrating individualistic personalities and respect for all. Since 1969, the brand has been at the forefront of launching several campaigns that promote inclusivity and progress. Consequently, capturing the reminiscents from the ’90s, the 2021 campaign has reinvented its Gap essentials to a more effortless style that represents comfort and embracing oneself and has been shot and directed by Seliger and Weber. The duo has been capturing the essence of Gap creatives for years. Each of the campaign videos is focused on “15 minutes of fame” showcasing stories of the chosen individuals in just 15 seconds and each of the ambassadors can be seen sporting pieces from the collection like plaid-button downs, relaxed jeans, hoodies, and transitional outwear. 

Shop The Looks:

£ 17.99

GAP Denim Western Shirt With Washwell Medium Indigo

Read article Shop

£ 59.95

GAP 100% Organic Cotton High Rise Pleated Khakis Tan

Read article Shop

£ 49.95

GAP Cropped Hoodie-Pink Tie Dye

Read article Shop

£ 49.95

GAP Mid-Rise Organic Cotton ’90s Loose Jeans With Washwell

Read article Shop

£ 89.95

GAP Longline Oversized Parka Banana Brown

Read article Shop

£ 25.99

GAP Big Shirt in Poplin Optic White

Read article Shop

Words by Manica Pathak

_{Photo Credits: GAP}

The post Seen And Heard: GAP’s 2021 Campaign For INDIVIDUALISM appeared first on Voir Fashion.

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has just announced its new long term partnership with 50:50 The Equality Project, launching during London Fashion Week (LFW), the partnership aims to positively impact representation throughout the industry.

50:50 The Equality Project is an initiative created by the BBC to monitor diversity within the media. Using a specific methodology that draws upon data, creativity, practicality and passion to shift representation within the media, the collective aims to create content that accurately reflects audiences, thus providing a more realistic picture of the world.

The partnership with the BFC particularly focuses on monitoring diversity across the fashion industry and encouraging cultural change that allows for the industry to become more inclusive. Designers participating in the LFW shows, such as Carlotta Barrera, Labrum, Roksanda and more, will be asked to collect data from their teams, including designers, models, hair and make-up, production, and communications. The data will reveal the level of diversity within the teams and can then be used as a benchmark, as well as a tool for tracking progress across the industry.

June Sarpong, Director of Creative Diversity BBC and Board Director BFC praised the BFC,

“for championing equity and inclusion within the fashion industry”.

As the BFC continues to work towards fighting prejudices and creating a more positive fashion industry, the partnership is the perfect way to accelerate action with a long-term objective plan to increase cultural diversity.

For more information on BFC’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, click here.

Words by Ella Citron-Thompkins

The post British Fashion Council Partners With 50:50 The Equality Project appeared first on Voir Fashion.

The 93rd edition of the Academy Awards came with plenty of surprises, ones more pleasing than others. But we’re here today to concentrate on the positive ones, to celebrate the increase of inclusivity in an industry that so often neglects it.

If you followed last night’s Oscars ceremony you may already know what we’re talking about. Chinese-born filmmaker Chloe Zhao has become the second woman, and first Asian woman, to ever win Best Director at the Academy Awards with the film Nomadland, shocking right?

Well, it shouldn’t be. Nomadland has been one of the most popular films of the last six months, winning avalanches of awards starting with the Golden Lion in Venice and, as of last night, the Academy Award for Best Picture. The movie directed by Chloe Zhao tells the story of financial instability faced by van dwellers in the United States (and much more) and has been a favourite one amongst the public and acclaimed critics for quite some time. So we couldn’t be happier about it’s success and recognition at the latest edition of the Academy Awards. It not only marks an important step in the film industry but in our current society as well, following the increasing debates regarding the recognition of the Asian minorities in the United States.

The event represented a step towards the direct direction, one that hopefully does not solely rely on tokenism but on working towards the inclusivity of women and people of different ehnitichies and cultures.

It was one of the most diverse Academy Awards ceremonies to ever take place, with an increase in the representation of both gender and ethnicity. The most admirable aspect, or shocking one for some, was that it was not limited to list nominees (as we’ve seen repeatedly in the past) but was present in the list of winners as well.

Other wins we should not take for granted, especially when considering the heterogeneous history of the Oscars, are the awards for the Best Supporting Actors. Which were won by Yuh-Jung Youn, who according to us also gave the best speech of the entire ceremony, and Daniel Kaluuya.

We are excited to see the direction which the Oscars, and the overall film industry, will follow and hope that this inclusivity will not surprise us anymore but become the norm – as it should’ve always been.

But we can remain positive for now, at least when it comes to the future of the Oscars, with the new inclusion and diversity guidelines for filmmakers announced last September by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences – which are set to be put in place starting from 2024.

Words By Chiara Ferrari

The post Inclusivity and Diversity: a Better Direction for the Oscars appeared first on Voir Fashion.

We are delighted to see Gucci’s approach to inclusivity in their recent beauty campaign with Vogue Italia. The beautiful Ellie Goldstein is the first Down Syndrome model to work with the brand, a great achievement for anyone trying to make their way in the world of fashion and beauty.

The model from Essex is represented by Zebedee Management, who shares that they are “passionate about redefining the perception of beauty, disability, and diversity”. As a result, Goldstein has been building a strong entry into the Industry having previously featured in campaigns with Nike, Superdrug, and Vodafone. At only 18-years old, and soon to be appearing on the pages of Vogue Italia, the model’s future is looking full of excitement and possibility.

Selected to model for the Brand via social media, Goldstein’s campaign centres on Gucci’s Mascara L’Obscur. Talking to the Independent, Creative Director Alessandro Michele reveals “I designed L’Obscur mascara for an authentic person who uses make-up to tell their story of freedom, in their way”. With an aura that radiates throughout the room, it seems Goldstein was the perfect fit to represent L’Obscur: a mascara that Gucci markets as one with “charm and mystery”. Captured in an embellished gold Gucci dress with subtle makeup and a radiant smile, Goldstein is a natural beauty that fulfills these qualities perfectly.

The Gucci Beauty Instagram page shared a picture from Goldstein’s photoshoot which according to the Independent was Gucci’s “biggest liked post EVER”. Amongst celebrities such as Harry Styles and Dakota Johnson which also feature on the page, Goldstein has claimed the spotlight. Thousands of supportive comments have been made on the post, many congratulating the diverse approach of the Brand along with the beauty of the model. It seems Gucci were right on time with the Campaign, embracing that refreshing and inclusive approach to beauty that we have all been waiting for.

At Voir we love to see women embracing their power with confidence and individuality and Ellie Goldstein is a perfect Ambassador. Posting a headshot picture on her personal Instagram account captioned “Proud of being me”, we see a young woman who is confident and beautiful in her own skin, something which we can all be inspired by. We are excited to see Goldstein taking the Industry by storm and will be looking out for her next campaign!

Words by Brooke Savino

Graphics by Georgia Walters

The post Ellie Goldstein Stars in Gucci Beauty Campaign as First Down Syndrome Model appeared first on Voir Fashion.

Attracting global attention to a beauty product in 2020 has never been more challenging, with the demands to break the glass ceiling more necessary than ever. The standard is high and the exceptions few and far between and if your shade range isn’t quite cutting it like Fenty does, honey you’re not even considered competition. Brands have to do more and more to impress us and the beauty gurus of the world, who will certainly not hold back when it comes to calling out a brand’s lacklustre attitude. After all, we’ve spent years tirelessly rewriting beauty ideals and breaking down the barriers of what it means to look beautiful, and we will be saying it louder for the people at the back. Transparency and inclusivity have never been more celebrated and who wouldn’t stan a multi-shaded, cruelty-free, vegan product with recyclable packaging and a kick-ass launch full of diverse representation? Here are some of our favourite beauty campaigns where innovation has amazed us all. Whether it’s empowering, ‘woke’, or just a bloody good marketing idea, we salute you!

Goop: This Smells Like My Vagina Candle, January 2020

What started as a little joke between lifestyle brand ‘Goop’ founder Gwyneth Paltrow and perfumer Douglas Little when sharing scent ideas, turned into one of the best brand campaigns we have seen this year. Her iconic candle named, This Smells Like My Vagina, is a mix of geranium, citrusy bergamot, and cedar absolutes juxtaposed with Damask rose and ambrette seed and retails for an impressive price of $75. Whilst this may have appeared to be a media frenzy surrounding an absurd product, this item self-marketed itself and the results were great. There’s nothing quite like the effect of empowering femininity that is well, simply outrageous.

Pantene: Tackling Misgendering in Salons, November 2019

A highlighted topic at the moment and rightly so with BBC Three publishing a poem by Gray Crosbie titled, ‘Haircuts Between the Binary’ and haircare brand Pantene launching their own research into the topic – it was found that 93% of UK trans people have been misgendered during a salon visit. Of those people, 27% say it’s happened more than once and 29% of trans people said they find salon experiences stressful. Wanting to address the issue, Pantene partnered with the Dresscode Project which is a global organisation made up of LGBTQ+ friendly barbers and salons, dedicated to offer their clients a comforting space and service. Together they recruited hairdressers and barbers worldwide and supported them with resources and training to educate people on misgendering. Pantene also donated a small proportion of their product sales from Superdrug and video shares to the cause for the month. A refreshing bit of brand activism that we are yet to see elsewhere.

Shiseido: My Crayon Project, June 2019,

Beauty brand Shiseido, renowned for their diverse shade ranges that promote inclusivity within makeup launched this project in Japan to try and tackle prejudice against darker skin tones within schools. The phrase in Japanese that is used to describe the colour of skin – ‘Hada-iro’ – does not refer to just one type, which many feel discourages diversity from an early age. Shiseido created a box of crayons, each named after the child in the shade of their skin tone. The children drew portraits and were able to appreciate and understand the beauty in difference. You can watch the inspiring project here: www.rga.com/work/case-studies/shiseido-my-crayon-project

Nivea: Sun Binoculars, June 2019

Popular sunscreen brand Nivea wanted to encourage and highlight the importance of using sun protection when exposing yourself to sunlight in the summer months. They took to Rio in Brazil, where record temperatures are recorded in the summer, and is also very popular amongst sunbathers seeking a glow. In comes the invention of the sun binocular, using advanced technology to scan a body and reveal which parts are not protected by the UV rays of the sun. These gigantic binoculars were stationed on the beach and informed many sunbathers about the importance of protection and what bits they’d missed. A genius idea and rather helpful too, we think.

Lipstick Queen, Valentine’s Day Lipsticks Launch, February 2018

Targeting Valentine’s Day as their offline goal to launch its new product to UK beauty editors, Lipstick Queen alongside the help of Trace Publicity brought their four new pink lipsticks to life in the form of some very attractive talent. Mr Right, Mr Right Now, Good Catch and Bad Boy, named after the four new shades, delivered the lipsticks to offices in central London on V day accompanied by flowers and more importantly, a pink saloon car. Unfortunately, the dates were not included in the purchase of the actual products, but give us a more iconic lipstick launch…we’ll wait.

Words by Amy Arfi

Graphics by Katie Janes

, , , , , , , , , ,

The post 5 Innovative Beauty Campaigns Changing The Game appeared first on Voir Fashion.