1 GRANARY

"I want a baby but I work in fashion." In our latest newsletter, we explore fashion's deep issue with parenthood and ask: How can we make big life decisions when we feel we lack control over our time and why does the industry push us to choose between a career and a family? Written by Natassa Stamouli

We asked fashion design graduates to share their advice and regrets from their time in fashion school:

Starting a fashion career in a big, expensive city is hard. After a 4.2% increase in the last year, London rent prices now average an extortionate £2,121, or £971 for a room. So, what do you do when you want to build a creative career, but you can’t live with your family who are miles from the city or in another country? In a seemingly never-ending era of unpaid, unstable freelancing, low-paid jobs, and a cost of living crisis, are creative jobs only for those who can get a foothold without paying housing costs? Being from or having a family near a big city makes a huge difference when it comes to starting a career in a metropolis like London, but most people don’t have this privilege. Stories of the immense efforts fashion creatives go through to have work and a presence in the city vary from having a second job, to sleeping in the office, or at a bus stop after missing the last train out of London. Is it time we start exploring new ways of starting and developing a career outside a big city? Which fashion professions are easier to do remotely, and how feasible is a part-time presence in the city? Read our latest newsletter written by Polly Parker

“A woman for the love of god free us from the shackles of white men!” was one of the responses when we asked our audience who they want to see seating on the Givenchy CD chair. The overwhelming choice, often emphasized in all caps, was ‘A WOMAN,’ with Sarah Burton coming in second. Grace Wales Bonner and Martine Rose ranked third, John Galliano and Simone Rocha fourth, and Kris Van Assche with Marine Serre placed fifth. Haider Achermann came right after and some more female names such as Dilara Findikoglou and Marie Adam Leenaerdt were also suggested. Meanwhile, industry “passepartout” Hedi Slimane received only three or four votes, possibly indicating fatigue with his name. There is a pressing call for a female voice at the helm, and we hope Givenchy and other luxury brands seeking a new creative director take note.

Where is the line between the avant-garde and the commercial? Discover all the collections and sketchbooks of this year's Institut Français de la Mode BA fashion graduates:

“You don’t need to become Gucci,” Accademia Costume & Moda chairman A. Lupo Lanzara told us when we asked him for advice for designers who want to set up their own business. A reminder that small is not bad. When BA students at ACM finish their degree and ask for help to start their own business, “the door is shut” for them. The explanation is simple: “When you’re 22, you are not ready to start your own career as an entrepreneur,” Larzana explains. "There’s a perception that it’s easy to succeed because of social media. That’s a lie. Impact, not success, is something that comes with hard work, sacrifice, commitment, resilience, and determination.” Read our full interview with Lupo, full of insights and advice. Thank you Luca Vantaggiato for facilitating!

Exposure still doesn’t pay the rent. Yet, plenty of emerging designers don’t get compensated when loaning their looks to celebrities for red-carpet appearances.  In our latest newsletter, Nicole DeMarco investigated: Why aren’t designers being compensated fairly for red carpet looks? And what can we do about it? 

What is fashion and for how much longer can it stay the way it is? Discover the collections and sketchbooks of this year's The Swedish School of Textiles - University of Borås fashion graduates:

"Little Things Mean A Lot" is Sirui Ma's first photographic solo exhibition, open until the 30th of June at the Hackney Gallery. Read about what it takes to put together a show and Ma's advice for aspiring photographers:

Fashion is often separated from all other art forms. Closely associated with its capitalistic purpose, clothing as a medium is often stripped of any artistic significance. This year's Aalto University graduating fashion class is overturning these misconceptions one collection at a time. Both the BA and MA graduate classes share a common thread: the use of garments as a means of self-expression. Discover their collections and sketchbooks: