Must Read: Central Saint Martins Under Fire For Racist Student Projects, Helmut Lang Partners With 'Slave Play'
Plus, Burberry profits increase by 14%.
These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Thursday.
Central Saint Martins under fire for racist student projects
Central Saint Martins, the world-renowned art and design university in London, received backlash from its Chinese student body for reposting racist student projects on its fashion and textiles program Instagram account. The student projects featured banners that were intended to oppose fast fashion, but also negated and insulted Chinese culture. The university, whose Chinese student population increased 100% from 2009 to 2014, has since released a statement via Instagram stories. {Business of Fashion}
Helmut Lang partners with "Slave Play"
For the launch of Helmut Lang's paint splatter collection, the brand teamed up with actor and playwright Jeremy O. Harris and the cast of his play "Slave Play," as well as singer Tei-Shi. The group threw paint on a series of props in a stark white room to capture the essence of the collection. Click through the gallery below to see the campaign imagery and watch the video here. {Fashionista inbox}
Campaign imagery for the launch of Helmut Lang’s paint splatter collection. Image: Courtesy of Helmut Lang
View the 21 images of this gallery on the original article
Burberry profits increase by 14%
With the help of new accounting measures, Burberry profits have jumped 14% to £150 million and revenues increased by 5% to £1.28 billion. Men's apparel grew in the double-digit percentage and women's apparel saw a high single-digit increase. Burberry also plans to develop social retail in China through a new partnership with Chinese company Tencent. {WWD}
New brand aims to be the go-to of the Black hair market
Radswan, a new DTC beauty brand, makes haircare for the modern Black consumer who wants to swap chemical relaxers for voluminous, natural hair with clip-in textured hair extensions. Blogger-turned-entrepreneur Freddie Harrel started selling clip-in textured hair extensions in 2017 after finding them to be an effective way to volumize her own hair. Filling a gap in the Black hair market, Radswan's extensions and wigs will hit the market next spring. {Business of Fashion}
These Nigerian designers are receiving well-deserved buzz
GT Bank Fashion Weekend, held in the Nigerian city of Lagos, showcases Africa's best designers to a global audience. The Lagos-based talents who featured their work at the fair received welcome praise, with Vogue shining the spotlight on five designers in particular. From environmental advocacy to traditional textile use, these designers all have important and varied messages to share. {Vogue}
Which Margiela documentary presents the truth?
Two documentaries released about elusive designer Martin Margiela tell contradictory narratives about his maison. With one documentary featuring Margiela and one that the designer refused to be a part of and allegedly disliked, the two films struggle to be considered the truth of Margiela's legacy. {Business of Fashion}
Fashion is missing an opportunity: pregnant women
"Mommycore" is the sartorial uniform that brands market to pregnant women, comprised of bland t-shirts and wrap dresses in floral and polyester fabrics that don't reflect current trends. With the exception of fast-fashion brands like Asos and Boohoo, the maternity fashion market is missing an opportunity to provide pregnant women with varying styles that reflect their diverse lifestyles. {South China Morning Post}
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