André Leon Talley’s Book Rushed to Presses
Recent media coverage of Andre Leon Talley‘s book “The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir,” has resulted in increased public demand, and subsequently publisher Ballantine has fast-tracked its release date from September to next month. The memoir, which had been postponed in the wake of COVID-19, reportedly delves into the legendary fashion journalist’s complicated relationship with longtime Vogue colleague Anna Wintour. It also details the discrimination Talley has faced during his career. “People have done things to me that I have forgiven them for. There are things in the book that you can’t imagine — the racism, everything. You don’t even understand how much I’ve gone through to get to be 71 years old and I hope that I will live a long time,” Talley told Women’s Wear Daily. Will he be naming names? Find out when the book is released on May 19th. [WWD]
Coronavirus Survey Highlights Model Financial Insecurity, Racial Disparity
The Model Alliance has released the results of a survey detailing the financial impact of coronavirus on working models–and the results are grim. A third of the 212 models surveyed said they are currently owed money by both their clients and agencies, with two-thirds saying they were concerned about their ability to pay for housing. Other results from the survey have shed further light on racial inequality within the industry–60 percent of black models said they could afford basic necessities, compared to 86 percent of white models. But the issues raised aren’t limited to models. Sara Ziff, the founding director of the Model Alliance, says that the survey’s results “probably [apply] to a lot of other creatives as well.” [NYT]
Saint Laurent Drops Out of Fashion Week
Saint Laurent will not show at Paris Fashion Week this year. In a sign of what may be the future of fashion shows, the French brand this week announced that it has “decided to take control of its pace and reshape its schedule” and will stage fashion shows according to their own guidelines. Creative director, Anthony Vaccarello, and CEO, Francesca Bellettini, confirmed in an interview with Women’s Wear Daily that Saint Laurent will no longer adhere to the fashion week calendar, suggesting that the brand may still show this year but “following a plan conceived with an up-to-date perspective, driven by creativity.” [Instagram]
Gigi Hadid Confirms Pregnancy Rumors
Last night, Gigi Hadid confirmed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon that her and Zayn Malik are expecting a baby. Gigi, who celebrated her 25th birthday over the weekend, has been dating the former One Direction member since November 2015. The couple–along with Gigi’s younger sister, Bella–are currently spending their quarantine on the Hadid family farm in Pennsylvania. According to TMZ’s sources, Gigi is 20 weeks pregnant and expecting a baby girl. [TMZ]
Shopify and Farfetch to Support Local Businesses
Online retailers Shopify and Farfetch have launched new initiatives in the wake of the financial strain the retail sector is experiencing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Shopify’s new mobile app Shop has a “Shop Local” feature which enables users to browse for products available from businesses within an area based on zip code. The platform is providing its services to small merchants and brick-and-mortar retailers, some of which are selling online for the first time. In a similar vein, Farfetch is increasing the visibility of its small business partners using the #supportboutiques campaign. “The vast majority of these are small businesses (often family-run) many of whom cannot welcome customers into their stores right now. However, most are still able to trade online. This is a vital lifeline for them at this time. We are doing all that we can to help all of our partners, but especially the smaller ones,” stated Farfetch CEO Jose Neves in an open letter to shoppers. [Fashionista]
