Roundup: Ciara Launches Fashion Company, Sophia Danner-Okotie And 7 Other Fashion Entrepreneurs Make 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 List

Every week, juicy, great, and exciting news pops up in the fashion space and we are always here to bring it to you. In this week’s global fashion roundup: Ciara launches a fashion company named the House of LR&C, 8 8 fashion entrepreneurs make 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and more.

Ciara, Russell Wilson and Former Lululemon CEO Launch Fashion Company.

Grammy award-winning artist Ciara has launched a new fashion company in collaboration with her husband, NFL star Russell Wilson, and former Lululemon CEO Christine Day.

According to the artist, the brand, named the House of LR&C, is on a mission beyond the clothes it sells. The brand will focus on environmental sustainability and giving back to society through the Why Not You Foundation.

“We’re not only doing the fashion part. We’re also combining the passion for fashion but also the passion for impact,” Ciara says in an interview. “That was really important to both Russell and I and also Christine in creating our company. There has to be more to it than fashion.”

The 2 clothing lines under the company now are Good Man brand founded by Wilson in 2016 and the newly launched Human Nation that sells causal gender-neutral pieces. According to Day, a women’s brand is underway. 

Complex’s Fashion and Music Festival Turned Into a Video Game.

Annually, since 2016, CompelxCon has offered streetwear lovers a place to gather together to buy exclusive gear, listen to good music, and eat great food. This year, however, instead of a physical event, Complex had built a video game where users can shop, watch talks, and order from local restaurants. 

The game, ComplexLand, is a single-player experience designed to give the feeling of being at a live event. The event will take place from December 7th to 11th. The game is accessible via web browsers either on desktop or mobile. 

The game is designed to launch shoppers into a sort of abstract, futuristic cityscape once they create an account. Afterwards, shoppers have to create an avatar choosing from various brand name hats and sneakers. 

8 Fashion Entrepreneurs make the 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 List.

Forbes had released its 2021 Forbes 30 Under 30 list which comprises of 600 young entrepreneurs, activists, scientists, and entertainers. The list features some who are “defying the odds and building businesses despite Covid-19; others are helping to fight the illness, serving on hospital frontlines or working with A.I. to discover new drugs”.

This year’s list has the highest number of Gen Z to date with 12% and nearly half of the individuals on the list self-identify as people of colour. 

Among these outstanding individuals are 8 names in the fashion industries. They include; Boy Lie cofounders Leah O’Malley and Tori Robinson, Shelby Ivey Christie founder Shelby Christie, Besida founder Sophia Danner-Okotie, ManiMe co-founder David Mira Llopis and Jooyeon Song, KHIRY founder Jameel Mohammed, Jamall Osterholm founder Jamall Osterholm, Gracemade founder Jasmine Rennie, and Samii Ryan founder Samantha Franz.

Click here to see the full list. 

Off-White Releases New Handbag Inspired by Louvre Pyramids.

Off-White’s designer Virgil Abloh, has created a special edition of his popular Jitney 2.8 handbag in partnership with Christie’s for Bid for the Louvre auction. The auction is one that supports the Louvre Museum and The Louvre Studio, an artistic and cultural education space set to launch in fall 2021.

The handbag was made with a twist for the auction, as Abloh removed the kitschy motifs and created the bag from silver calfskin leather with diamond-shaped reliefs and shimmering mini paillettes. These details are intended to reflect the Louvre’s iconic I.M. Pei-designed glass and metal pyramid.

The auction will be held on Christie’s online platform from December 1 to 15. 

Fashion Awards 2020 Takes a Different Turn.

The Fashion Awards 2020 took a different turn from what the ceremony has been known for in previous years. Firstly, the show, which could not hold at London’s Royal Albert Hall due to the coronavirus pandemic, was replaced with a 30-minute film released on YouTube and the Fashion Awards’ website on Thursday.

Next, in place of the Swarovski crystal-covered trophies, 3D-printed columns of recycled ocean plastic, commissioned by Parley for the Oceans, were awarded to 20 designers, brands and organisations. These awardees were those that “inspired us to develop a better future and take action on issues that require our immediate attention.”

Winners recorded their acceptance speeches in their space and sent it in. These awardees fall into 4 broad categories; community, people, environment, and creativity. 

Among the winners were big names like British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful, Stella McCarthy, Burberry, and Jonathan Anderson of JW Anderson and Loewe. Up-and-coming winners included Kenneth Ize, Christoper Raeburn, and A Sai Tai.