Fashion For Hope

by Jenn De Los Ama & Kylie Gatpatan

As the world still grapples to recover from a pandemic, several devastating events occurred that made it harder to see life in a brighter disposition .

Natural disasters, public health emergencies, political tensions, and a war invasion in Ukraine are all equally saddening realities we now face. Learn how the global fashion industry pays forward its share to help, take a stand, and give hope.

From Balenciaga to Bryanboy, from Gigi Hadid to Mica Argañaraz, from Angel Locsin to Nadine Lustre - these are the stories that inspire.

Photographer Anna Ozerchuk has now left Kyiv for Lviv, reuniting with family.

https://www.voguebusiness.com/fashion/three-weeks-into-war-ukraines-fashion-creatives-reflect

Starting on February 24, 2022, when a “special military operation” had been ordered in Eastern Ukraine by President Vladimir Putin of Russia, attacks and bombings has led to ruin and deaths of the innocent in the region. To stand in solidarity with Ukraine, different members of the fashion industry across the globe, brands, designers, and key figures, have taken different actions to show their support for the country during this difficult time. 

To name some well-known brands Chanel, LVMH, Burberry, Balenciaga, Gucci, Adidas (in partnership with Russian Football Union), Mango, and Ganni, have all donated towards various organizations such as Red Cross and UNHCR, who work towards supporting refugees and those affected by this crisis indirectly and directly.

Further initiatives include the Armani group donating clothing essentials to nonprofit organizations that cover the borders of Ukraine and Puma offering financial support and opening housing options for its 380 employees living in Ukraine and its surrounding area.

Melodie Jeng/Vanni Bassetti

Image from: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/fashion-brands-designers-against-russia-invasion-ukraine

And as this tragedy falls in the time of Paris Fashion Week, some participants feel torn between continuing with their semi-annual presentations and cancelling their shows to declare their stance regarding the recent events taking place in the world. As opposed to the latter, Balenciaga’s creative director Demna Gvasalia, who has had his own experiences as a refugee of the Georgian civil war, continues with his show but not without imparting his take on the matter. He says,

“…I thought for a moment about cancelling the show that I and my team worked hard on and we're all looking forward to. But then I realized that cancelling this show would mean giving in, surrendering to the evil that has already hurt me so much for almost 30 years. I decided that I can no longer sacrifice parts of me to that senseless, heartless war of ego.”

Others partaking in Paris Fashion Week, such as supermodel sisters Gigi Hadid and Bella Hadid, have decided to donate their earnings in the Fall 2022 fashion show to aid in Ukraine, following fellow model Mica Argañaraz.

Giorgio Armani held his own Milan show without music as a form of showing respect towards the tragedy happening in Ukraine.

On the other hand, Ukrainian fashion designers Anna October and Mary Furtas have gone on social media to share their experiences and use their platforms to provide links and information on how to help their countrymen. In an interview with Marie Claire, Anna shares that two ways of helping are through signing petitions and supporting businesses. Although each person is in a different situation, she says work is solid ground.

Anna also shares an initiative by Vogue Ukraine, Vogue Singapore, and 6 Ukraine-based creatives, including herself, that uses art and NFTs to collect donations for the charity Save The Children Ukraine.

Ukrainian designer Anna October

While it may seem that the Ukraine crisis is far from having any impact on other parts of the world, having diplomatic relations with both Ukraine and Russia affects the Philippines economically. Price hikes on oil and gas are said to only be a starting point for what is to come. And this comes only after Typhoon Odette had left parts of the country without electricity and scarcity of food and clean water.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, 348,642 houses were damaged, and more than 3.3 million people were affected by the Typhoon “Odette,” which swept through Visayas and Mindanao.

With the sudden calamity, local celebrities and content creators such as cebu-based couple Kryz Uy and Slater Young, Kris Aquino, Angel Locsin, Andi Eigenman and Nadine Lustre took part in relief operations and led different initiatives for the victims of the typhoon. 

Angel Locsin visits a relief center for Typhoon Odette victims

On December 16, 2021, the typhoon made a landfall in Siargao, Surigao del Norte, leaving a trail of damage in its aftermath: homes and shelters were demolished, trees and power poles were uprooted, and communication lines were downed.

Filipino actress Nadine Lustre who had been living between Siargao and Manila in the past few months of 2021, made her way back to Siargao Island on December 23 to help with relief operations that have been of great help to the residents of Siargao after the typhoon Odette’s wrath which razed the island and other areas in southern Philippines. 

Nadine Lustre on ground installation of solar panels in typhoon-stricken Siargao

Specifically, she was able to help install a solar charging station that was said to be put up in Barangay Malinao, allowing residents to charge gadgets and lights while electricity has yet to be restored on the island. 

Aside from the help she has given, she was outspoken about how she acknowledges that although Filipino resiliency is something to be proud of as Filipinos are known for it, she stands by the fact that it should not be used to cover up for the current difficulties that the country is facing. 

“Our country has been through so many issues (calamity, pandemic, economy, job losses) and it upsets me so much when people pull out ‘Filipino Resiliency’ as a quick fix,” she said.

“It’s definitely something to be proud of, but really, how long are we gonna keep using that to hide the real problem?” Lustre asked.

Typhoons were not only the time Nadine was lent her helping hand, but even amidst the COVID-19 crisis, she was there to quietly help medical frontliners or what we consider now as our modern-day heroes by donating personal protective equipment (PPEs), acrylic aerosol boxes, and food among others, to the Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital.

CHRISTIAN VIERIG | GETTY IMAGES

Image from: https://www.elle.com/uk/fashion/g32015646/coronavirus-fashion-brands/

With these different events happening over the course of the past few months, is easy to feel bombarded and overwhelmed as the Philippines faces the effects of an amalgamation of the COVID19 pandemic, typhoon Odette, and the Ukraine-Russia crisis. But at the end of the day, what is important is to stay informed and to help even in the smallest of ways. This can be done in the form of monetary or in-kind donations or sharing drives and initiatives on social media platforms. Below are links to the donation drives and other initiatives for COVID19 response, Ukraine aid, and typhoon Odette assistance. Information regarding these drives can be found through the links provided.

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