Giorgio Armani is taking fashion to the masses – one Tweet at a time….
There is the occasional complaint that fashion isn’t intellectual enough.
Armani would like to change that, starting one Twitter feed at a time.
This month marks the launch of Tweet Talks, Armani’s curated Twitter &A sessions with movers and shakers into the fashion industry all over the world. The first session on June 1 will feature guests ranging from a Vogue editor to fashion personality Tommy Ton.
No word yet on the topics – Armani simply promises that they’ll be discussing relevant issues in the fashion industry. Rescu. guesses models will come up, as will the fate of the luxury industry, the rise in street style and what the modern woman wants out of her wardrobe.
The first talk’s theme? China and its rising role in the fashion landscape.
Want to tune in and take part? That’s the good part. These aren’t exactly TED talks, but they’re user-friendly – and Twitter users can contribute to the discussion, and ask questions of their own, in real time.
Panel discussions using fashionistas aren’t new – Vogue stages panels regularly, particularly during Fashion Weeks, and many fashion schools hold conferences – but this is the first time such a high-level discussion is accessible immediately to the public via the magic of technology.
We only hope what they say can fit usefully into 140 characters at a time…
Image: Giorgio Armani.
Beth Ditto, lead singer of Gossip, has long been a fashion darling for her unabashed charisma and her embracing of her figure.
She’s a figurehead of the ‘fat pride’ movement, and is outspoken about everything – including Karl Lagerfeld, whom she says is ‘not sane’.
Now Ditto is making waves about producing a line of clothing of her own. She’s made the statement that she wants it to be ‘the IKEA of clothes for fat girls and boys’ – cheap, easy and ethically sourced.
Ditto did a creative collaboration with plus-size UK retailer Evans a few years ago, but wasn’t very happy with the results – it seems Evans wasn’t very able to work with her vision for ethically made clothing, preferring to outsource, which caused Ditto some grief.
Plus-size clothing lines are an increasing bonanza in the West as average sizes go up and up.
Ditto’s other fashionable plan? Getting married to her girlfriend in Hawaii. Considering that Ditto has worn every high-end designer from Jean Paul Gaultier to Givenchy, she won’t have a hard time getting a dress on the big day – but she’s tight-lipped about her plans.
RESCU’s money is on her wearing Jean Paul Gaultier, as she’s modelled joyously for him in the past and wears his creations onstage. Whatever the dress, you know that Ditto will be heavily involved in its design, sourcing and work – every step of the way.
Would you go to an IKEA of clothes like Ditto envisions?
Image; Beth Ditto.
