ELLE April 2020

the height of fashion

COUTURE STANDOUT Giambattista Valli’s Magnum Opus Given the hours and expertise that go into creating an haute couture garment, it’s a shame so few people get to see one in person. Giambattista Valli, who sneaked into Alta Moda shows as a child, decided to buck tradition this season, taking over a Paris gallery space where tout le monde could take their time marveling at his fantastical creations. THE ARCHITECTURAL IT BAG Max Mara x Whitney Museum of American Art To mark the fifth anniversary of New York’s new Whitney Museum of American Art, Max Mara has teamed up with Renzo Piano Building Workshop for a special edition of the brand’s Whitney Bag, available in five new colors (plus one coordinating scarf; Poppy bag not shown). The palette was inspired by Florine Stettheimer’s 1931 work Sun,…

eco-warriors

If Jane Fonda can’t motivate you, no one can. With her stirring Fire Drill Fridays protests in Washington, DC, the legendary actress has brought much-needed attention to the climate crisis. “When you’re famous, you have this incredible potential platform, but how do you use it?” Fonda says she asked herself recently. And then the answer came to her: “I have to put myself on the line.” For our second annual Conservation issue, we tapped Fonda and fellow activists to share their inspiring stories in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of Earth Day (page 127). ELLE has an ongoing commitment to covering all things green, and 30 of our international editions are marking this milestone month with sustainability-themed issues. Seeing the tragic fires that have ravaged Australia and the global rise of…

bienvenidos a miami

THE SETAI MIAMI BEACH: COURTESY OF THE HOTEL; REMAINING IMAGES: COURTESY OF THE DESIGNERS; FOR DETAILS, SEE SHOPPING GUIDE.…

new arrivals

1 THE TOTE Dior replanted all the trees used in its spring 2020 enchanted forest–themed show. For your own horticultural pursuits, try the house’s logo gardening bag. Tote, Dior, $3,600 (tools not included), call 800-929-DIOR. 2 THE SHOE Fendi’s retro-chic slingback shines with a spring-ready verdant print. Slingback heel, Fendi, $890, fendi.com. 3 THE TIMEPIECE With its emerald grass-blade band and ruby-and-diamond ladybug, Van Cleef & Arpels’s Secret de Coccinelle watch is a dazzling tribute to nature. Watch, Van Cleef & Arpels, vancleefarpels.com.…

the state of sustainable fashion

Last year, the Swedish Fashion Council made an unprecedented move while planning the annual Stockholm Fashion Week: They canceled the event entirely, citing concerns about its environmental impact. Not everyone in fashion is taking such drastic measures, of course, but it spoke to the urgent need for action on the issue, one that designers and customers alike are now recognizing. Fashion is responsible for around 10 percent of the world’s carbon emissions and nearly 20 percent of the world’s water waste, according to several United Nations groups. An estimated 85 percent of the world’s textiles end up in landfills or incinerated. Fast fashion no doubt contributes mightily to this waste, but it is by no means alone. At the G7 summit in August, 32 major fashion companies, including Kering, Chanel, and Inditex…

going off the grid

Allegra Shaw remembers a time, three or four years ago, when packages from brands—clothes and beauty products sent in the hope that Shaw, a YouTuber with nearly a million followers, would dedicate a video to them—came equipped with confetti explosions and television screens. “When you get a TV in a package, how do you dispose of it?” Shaw says. As conversations around the climate crisis and ethical consumerism reach critical mass, she is one of many influencers rethinking a system that requires them to wear, share, and promote the latest trends at a breakneck pace. Fashion is a notoriously wasteful industry: Nearly 9,000 tons of solid waste generated from the production of clothing and footwear was sent to landfills in 2017, according to the EPA. Still, attitudes are changing. Burberry and…