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Prabal Gurung’s Fall 2018 Digital Ad Campaign Features an All-Asian Cast and Crew

Bianca Rodriguez

Image: Courtesy of Prabal Gurung

Nepalese-American designer Prabal Gurung has spoken up about the lack of Asian representation in movies, TV shows and fashion. When he hosted an advance screening of Crazy Rich Asians back in August, he said, “For as long as I can remember, I turn on the television or go to a movie, and [have] never been able to identify with the characters, because I never saw someone who looked like me. I’ve seen Asians typecast, miscast, or fully ignored. Until now.”

The movement towards inclusivity that Gurung envisioned starts with his own brand. Gurung recently released a digital campaign for his Fall 2018 collection with an all-Asian cast. He didn’t just stop with Asian models, but hired an all-Asian team hailing from countries such as Thailand, India and China, whom he credits in his captions. Gurung’s campaign aims to celebrate women and femininity, as he describes in a series of Instagram posts, “I share with you a piece of my past, a part of my world, a collage of my memories from childhood. This story is a cross cultural exploration, a journey from West to East as I discover the various iterations of feminism and femininity.”

“I would like fashion to also be conscious about the power that we have, the visual power of changing the world,” he told Fashionista. “For centuries, we’ve made women feel bad by telling them if you don’t buy this product, you’re not worthy. I’m a firm believer that we have the power to make them feel better. Every group, every minority — women, transgender [people], Asian, Black, Latino — everyone by saying, ‘You’re part of our conversation.’”

It’s not just Gurung’s ad campaigns that strive for diversity. His Spring 2019 runway show (below) featured 76 percent models of color, two plus-size models and one transgender woman, according to our recent diversity report. Here’s hoping more designers follow Prabal Gurung’s lead.

Images: Imaxtree

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Christian Siriano and Karlie Kloss Replace Tim Gunn and Heidi Klum for Project Runway Season 17

Bianca Rodriguez

Karlie Kloss

Image: Imaxtree

Though the news of Heidi Klum and Tim Gunn leaving Project Runway after 16 seasons left us devastated, the show is making it work with two talented new stars: designer Christian Siriano and model Karlie Kloss.

After winning the show 10 years ago, Siriano returns to where it all started, replacing Gunn as the role of mentor to the design contestants. There’s no doubt that Siriano is perfect for the role since he did win Season 4 and is still the youngest winner of the competition. Since his victory, he has been a NYFW mainstay and has dressed such Hollywood elites as Michelle Obama, Kacey Musgraves, Sarah Hyland and Jennifer Lopez.

Christian Siriano

Image: Imaxtree

“Project Runway has offered such wonderful opportunities for so many and I’m excited to take on this role as a mentor,” said Siriano. “I hope to guide and inspire the new talent on the rise.”

Klum’s hosting role will be taken over by model Karlie Kloss. “As someone who grew up watching Project Runway, I could not be more excited to host and produce a series that provides a platform to aspiring American designers as they pursue their creative and entrepreneurial dreams,” Kloss said.

Siriano and Kloss will be joined by fashion designer Brandon Maxwell, former Teen Vogue editor Elaine Welteroth and editor-in-chief of ELLE, Nina Garcia, as judges on the show. Project Runway won’t be the same without Klum and Gunn as they set off to another fashion venture together, but Season 17 is sure to be as spectacular as ever.

[ Next: Christian Siriano: 6 Things No One Tells You About Working in Fashion ]

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Lady Gaga, Yara Shahidi and Others Star on ELLE’s Annual Women in Hollywood Issue for 2018

Mark E

Nina Garcia has been at the helm of American ELLE since January and she’s been hard at work elevating the magazine in terms of design and relevancy. She’s managed to secure an endless list of A-list cover girls ranging from Kim Kardashian to Selena Gomez. This month, Garcia’s first ‘Women in Hollywood‘ issue is here, as she continues ELLE’s long-standing tradition for 2018. For the November issue, Lady Gaga, Yara Shahidi, Danai Gurira, Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson, Shonda Rhimes, Charlize Theron, Keira Knightley and Mia Farrow feature on a total of eight collectable covers.

US Elle November 2018 : The 'Women In Hollywood' Issue

IMAGES: COURTESY OF ELLE

Our forum members were quick to weigh in on which celebs received the best cover treatment. “Charlize Theron’s cover is so elegant it gave me shivers. It’s the perfect shot, breast included,” said dodencebt upon checking out the series of covers.

“Charlize’s cover is the strongest amongst all of them!” PierreGotha chimed in.

“Every single cover is very decent, but I think they nailed Charlize Theron’s and Lady Gaga’s. I was always fond of Zoey Grossman’s work and I think her work with Charlize is possibly one of her best,” added forum member SLFC.

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Jennifer Lawrence Fronts Her Gazillionth Christian Dior Campaign, for Cruise 2019

Mark E

It’s fair to say our forums aren’t fans of Jennifer Lawrence’s ongoing partnership with Christian Dior, given the many pleas for the French fashion house to revoke her endless contract. Despite our wishes, Jennifer returns to showcase Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Cruise 2019 collection, on the heels of her recent unveiling as the face of Dior’s first pillar fragrance in 20 years. In a departure from her previous umpteen campaigns, the actress was photographed by Viviane Sassen in a wild yet modern setting, complete with a black horse looming in the background.

Christian Dior Cruise 2019 : Jennifer Lawrence by Viviane Sassen

IMAGE: WWD.COM

As expected, members of our forums weren’t feeling it. “Without Lawrence, this would be a beautiful shot,” slammed RaisinBoy.

Ken Doll Jenner couldn’t have agreed more. “This could actually be a dreamy campaign with a different model and different point of view. The set is so sparse and austere, it drags the whole thing down and gives off a rather clinical vibe,” they said.

“She never does anything for the clothes. Although she’s a good actress, she’s not aspirational. I’m surprised she’s lasted that long at Dior,” added Morgane07.

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Tracee Ellis Ross Is Pretty in Pink on the November Cover of InStyle

Mark E

We are rarely treated to a Tracee Ellis Ross cover at the newsstand (really, Anna Wintour?) but leave it up to Laura Brown to feature the American actress and comedian on the November 2018 issue of InStyle. With recent covers featuring the likes of Janet Jackson, Serena Williams and Oprah, Brown continues to embrace diverse subjects. Tracee was shot in Paris by photographer Horst Diekgerdes and styled by Karla Welch in a pink floor-length Giambattista Valli Haute Couture creation for the newsstand cover image (below).

US InStyle November 2018 : Tracee Ellis Ross by Horst Diekgerdes

IMAGE: INSTYLE.COM

The cover generated a host of mixed feedback on our forums. “I adore Tracee Ellis so I cannot fault any of this. I love the newsstand cover, for the breeziness and the pop of fuchsia,” admired dodencebt.

“How is it that magazines can’t seem to take the perfect shot of someone as graceful and stylish as her? I like the newsstand cover a lot, but it needed cropping. And since the background is blurred and as such there would be nothing to see, billow that dress a bit more and get her to pose less stiff. The photographer missed the boat with this one,” Benn98 critiqued.

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The Theme and Host of the Met Gala 2019 Couldn’t Be More Perfect

Bianca Rodriguez

Katy Perry and Rihanna attend the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City

Katy Perry and Rihanna attend the Heavenly Bodies: Fashion & The Catholic Imagination Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 7, 2018 in New York City; Image: Kevin Tachman/Getty Images for Vogue

This year’s Met Gala theme, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and The Catholic Imagination”, was a tough one to top. It inspired Rihanna to take fashion cues from the Pope and Ariana Grande to wear a gown adorned with the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It was also the most-visited Costume Institute Show in the history of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Not to be outdone, the just-announced theme for the Met Gala 2019 is sure to inspire celebs to wear some outrageous, boundary-pushing outfits. “Camp: Notes on Fashion” was inspired by Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay, “Notes on ‘Camp,” where she argued that “camp is its love of the unnatural: of artifice and exaggeration.” Sounds like the perfect premise for a fashion gala.

The host of next year’s show couldn’t be more perfect: Lady Gaga, the queen of camp herself. Throughout her career, she has been known for her campy and provocative clothes, including the infamous Franc Fernandez dress made out of raw meat. For a television appearance, she wore a Muppet-covered Jean-Charles de Castelbajac coat. We can’t wait to see what she’ll wear for the Met Gala 2019.

Also co-chairing the event is Alessandro Michele, Harry Styles, Serena Williams and Anna Wintour, with Gucci the official sponsor.

“We are going through an extreme camp moment, and it felt very relevant to the cultural conversation to look at what is often dismissed as empty frivolity but can be actually a very sophisticated and powerful political tool, especially for marginalized cultures,” Andrew Bolton, Costume Institute curator, told the New York Times. “Whether it’s pop camp, queer camp, high camp or political camp — Trump is a very camp figure — I think it’s very timely.”

The 2019 Met Gala will take place on Monday, May 6, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. The exhibit will be open to the public May 9 through September 8, 2019. To get you excited for next year’s festivities, check out the best looks from the 2018 Met Gala below.

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