Back to the future…
Saint Laurent hasn’t produced a couture collection since 2002, when the house was still under the direction of founder Yves Saint Laurent. But this morning creative director Hedi Slimane announced that he’s getting back in the business of made-to-measure. The range aims to be even more exclusive than traditional couture, with each piece individually made for clients who receive Slimane’s approval. [British Vogue]
Is the Birkin bag getting a name change?…
Although it sounds glamorous to be the namesake of the world’s most exclusive bag, Jane Birkin is not happy about the practices involved in producing the Hermès handbag bearing her surname. After reading a PETA report on the brutal ways in which the crocodiles used to make Birkin bags are killed, the actress-singer asked Hermès to remove her name from the bags “until better practices in line with international norms can be put in place.” [Business Insider]
Made in America…
The terrible conditions in foreign sweatshops have received a lot of press in the past few months, and yet one of the only mass-market brands that makes all of its clothing in the U.S., American Apparel, is on the verge of bankruptcy. Is there any hope for its ethical business model? Perhaps, a new article suggests, but only if the company makes some drastic changes. [The New Yorker]
—Lorenzo McClellan, Style.com
