fashionologie

Stella McCartney Celebrates Her 40th Birthday with Kate Moss, Tom Ford, and More

fashionologie — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 10:08:16 PDT

>> Last night, Stella McCartney celebrated her 40th birthday with a small flock of famous friends. Among those who gathered at the fete, held inside the London landmark Aspley House: Kate Hudson (in coral Elie Saab) and her fiance Matt Bellamy; Bono and Ali Hewson (in Edun); Tom Ford in a velvet suit; Kate Moss (in an Azzaro jumpsuit); and her father Paul McCartney and his fiancee Nancy Shevell. Gwyneth Paltrow, too, joined the festivities - which included an after-party at the Groucho Club in Soho - and was later spotted leaving with two mugs, printed with photographs of McCartney as a baby.

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Sharon Wauchob Debuts First Edun Collection for Spring 2011

fashionologie — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 11:32:40 PDT

>> When planning Edun's Spring 2011 fashion show, the label's co-founder Bono originally suggested an elaborate outdoor production with models that appeared to be emerging from the water. But he was reminded by Edun's new chief executive, Janice Sullivan, that they were supposed to be "having a fashion show. Show is the second word. Fashion is the first word." So they ended up staging Sharon Wauchob's first show for the brand in a semi-outdoor space, under the High Line, with gray sand and gravel beneath the models' feet.

Edun's mission statement was originally to manufacture in Africa, but logistics caused deliveries to be late - a no-no - and now most of the clothing is manufactured in China, with Africa currently alotted 15 percent of the total production; label co-founder Ali Hewson says she wants to see that number increase each season. Wauchob was brought in to make the clothes more fashionable, Hewson explained: "We focused too much on the mission in the beginning. It's the clothes, it's the product. It's a fashion company. That needs to be first and foremost."

As a front row populated by Dasha Zhukova, Gavin Rossdale and son Kingston, and Jeff Koons looked on, Wauchob sent out white cotton shirts (the fabric fair-trade and produced in Uganda), ecologically sound "by product" leather skirts, belts handmade in Kibera, Kenya, and long dresses trimmed with recycled metal.

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fashionologie — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 06:07:00 PDT

>> Is Edun Being Melded into the "Stella McCartney of LVMH"? -Bono and Ali Hewson have been cast in the newest Louis Vuitton Core Values campaign - and they're wearing clothes from Edun, the ethical clothing label they founded (and of which LVMH owns nearly 50 percent), marking the first time Vuitton has credited another fashion label in its ads. Hewson is pictured carrying a bag co-designed by Edun and Vuitton, notable as the Core Values campaigns historically highlight monogrammed Vuitton bags and luggage. After Edun recently reported losses, it seems like LVMH is ready to push hard for profit - particularly because the conglomerate is rumored to be molding the brand into their counterpart of PPR's socially conscious Stella McCartney label. Antoine Arnault, Vuitton's director of communications, explained that Edun's presence in a Vuitton campaign would give the small brand major international exposure. [WWD, Fashionista]

Edun Has a New Creative Director: Sharon Wauchob

fashionologie — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 07:49:11 PST

>> Edun has finally ended their search for a creative director, annointing Sharon Wauchob with the task of infusing more fashion into their offerings. As brand cofounder Ali Hewson put it, "Sharon was the one that stuck with us more so than anybody else, due to her thoughtfulness, her obvious talent and just a feeling she is really growing into something. This is her time. She’s of the 21st century in a big way.”

Wauchob will continue to design her own line, and her first Edun collection - which LVMH took a 49 percent stake in last year - will be for the Spring 2011 season. In the meantime, she will be traveling extensively between New York and Paris, as well as Africa and Peru - the latter two to work with factory workers, as Edun was founded with the intension of creating trade opportunities for developing areas of the world.

Wauchob has a say »

Under LVMH's Wing, Edun to Tap Designer, Have Runway Show

fashionologie — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:40:47 PST

>> Now that Edun, Ali Hewson and husband Bono's socially conscious label, has the support of LVMH - which took a 49 percent stake in the company earlier this year - they're hiring a creative director to take Edun to the next level.

“We were so keen on our mission that we made compromises that maybe we shouldn’t have made with respect to our customer and the fact that they should have great clothes,” Hewson told WWD. "Without great clothes, we don’t have a business, so it’s important to get that end right.”

Hewson wouldn't let loose any details of the creative director search, but WWD reports that Alexander Wang and Sharon Wauchob are among those who have been approached. Hewson anticipates the designer being named “within a season” - in time for the Spring 2011 season - and will be someone who can “grow with the brand.” In fact, she says, Edun will "most probabably have a runway show for Spring 2011, likely in New York.

Edun Launches First LVMH-Backed Collection for Pre-Fall

coutorture — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 11:43:43 PST

Socially conscious clothing label Edun presented its first collection for pre-fall with recent backing from LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.

As Edun founders Ali Hewson and her husband Bono realized their social messages were taking importance over the actual product, they looked to LVMH to help grow the brand and to put in place new creative and business teams.

“Without great clothes, we don’t have a business, so it’s important to get that end right," Hewson told WWD.

The new focus is evident in the brand's pre-fall collection, showing now in the company's TriBeCa headquarters, along with a capsule collection created for the FIFA World Cup championships next summer. A jeans and T-shirts collection will follow later in the year-made in Africa from organic cotton and including an initiative to support 1,200 families to grow the fibers.

According to sources, Alexander Wang and Sharon Wauchob have been approached to take over as creative director of Edun, an announcement which will formally be made within the season.

[WWD]

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fashionologie — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:40:18 PDT

>> Natalia Vodianova, Franca Sozzani Make Vanity Fair's 2009 International Best-Dressed List -Vanity Fair just released the contents of its annual International Best-Dressed List from its September issue, and there are fashion figures galore; a whole category was devoted to "Fashion Professionals," which Franca Sozzani, Georgina Chapman, Tory Burch, Style.com's Candy Pratts Price, Rachel Roy, Edun's Ali Hewson, Prada France's Mathilde Meyer-Agostinelli, David Lauren populate. Natalia Vodianova and Justin Portman are included in the "Couples" named; Bruce Weber and Peter Beard are listed under "Fashion Originals"; Matteo Marzotto, formerly of Valentino and currently of Vionnet, is on the Men's Best-Dressed List; and Lapo Elkann made the Hall of Fame. Anna Wintour wasn't included, but she did get a nod from Renee Zellweger, who listed her among her style icons. [Vanity Fair]

fashionologie — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 16:55:38 PDT

>> INSIDER WIRE -Speaking of ethical fashion, Ali Hewson addressed rumors about LVMH taking a financial interest in Edun last night - "Everyone keeps asking us that. I wish it were true." Which begs the question: Who else would Bernard Arnault have been hinting at? Edun seems to fit the bill perfectly . . . [Style File]

*image: source

fashionologie — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 13:56:57 PDT

>> Edun Announces 2009 Loss Going Into First Fashion Week Presentation - Edun's new creative director, Sharon Wauchob, is now not only saddled with the task of pulling the socially conscious label into more fashionable territory, but also bringing it into the green: the company has declared an $8.7 million dollar loss for 2009 (as compared to $4.6 million loss recorded in 2008). Wauchob shows her first collection for Ali Hewson's (left) LVMH-backed brand on Sept. 11 during New York Fashion Week - also marking the first time Edun is holding a runway presentation. [WWD]

LVMH, Arnault to Go Green with Edun Investment

fashionologie — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:27:52 PDT

>> For months, Bernard Arnault has been hovering around an unnamed ethical fashion brand - many guessed Bono and his wife Ali Hewson's label Edun, but she denied it outright back in March.

Turns out it was all a ruse - at the LVMH annual shareholder's meeting Thursday morning, Arnault said the company will announce "very soon" that it has taken an "important" stake in the eco-luxury label - LVMH is expected to remain a minority shareholder, but their stake is to be nearly 50 percent. As part of the deal, LVMH will play a "very active role" in the development of Edun as a brand, including management of the company as well as granting access to its marketing and production resources.

The Edun investment marks the first foray by a major fashion conglomerate into the ethical fashion market.