Archivi categoria: Highlights

FREE MASKS FOR DALLAS

14/06/2020 Donatella

PROTESTING IN 2020? BRING A MASK

By Idara Umoh

While most of the world got ready to usher in the year 2020, the Chinese government announced that dozens of people in the city of Wuhan fell sick with a new virus. Few would have guessed what the next months would look like.

The virus was identified as a new member of the coronavirus family and was named COVID-19, and it quickly became everyone’s topic of discussion as it spread throughout the world. Unlike something most never experienced before, airlines grounded flights, travel was restricted, jobs were lost, restaurants closed and the economy took a hard nosedive. As of June 12, 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 7.4 million confirmed cases, and 418,294 deaths worldwide.

So how do you get COVID-19? Like the common cold or influenza, it spreads when a sick person coughs, sneezes, or speaks. The most common symptoms are fever or chills, cough, and tiredness, with some also reporting a new loss of taste and smell. With symptoms ranging from mild to severe illness, face masks and social distancing became our main means of protection while states began to issue orders to shelter-in-place.

Although COVID-19 has become one of the most significant pandemics in modern history, there has always been another epidemic quietly eating away at the United States which would soon come to the surface. On May 25, 2020, George Floyd, an unarmed black man, was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For 8 minutes and 46 seconds, George was crushed under the knee to the neck, while other officers watched, and bystanders recorded while pleading for his life. He called out for his mother, and cried out that he could not breathe, but this was not enough to make it stop. This was not the first time that an unarmed black person was brutally killed. Merely months before, Ahmaud Arbery was chased down and killed while jogging, and the list goes on: Breonna Taylor, Trayvon Martin, Philando Castile, and many more. But this time, something was different, something broke. Racism, the silent epidemic that had been kept quiet for centuries could no longer be ignored. From San Francisco, California to Washington D.C and even worldwide, streets filled with thousands of protesters demanding #justiceforgeorgefloyd, chanting #Blacklivesmatter and #icantbreathe.

People of all colors and backgrounds coming together to fight against injustice was something many have never seen before, and in the midst of all the protests, the importance of social distancing and masks went to the backburner.

Right here in Dallas, we have already seen 13,585 cases, and 280 deaths, and large crowds of people shouting and singing close together with some doing this without masks, would certainly be a perfect opportunity for the virus to spread.

We wanted to see people protesting peacefully and safely to prevent a spike in cases of COVID-19 so we began to ask for donations of face masks that we could give out during these events, and quickly, we began to get answers from various organizations, including Meetcaregivers and C. Adeola. Masks were given out during the Dallas Stand Up for Justice protest held on June 6^th, more will be distributed during upcoming events, and to help our community, we will also be sharing masks with local businesses so customers without a mask can use one to shop safely.

In the midst of a pandemic, a fight for social justice has broken out throughout the United States, and we are hopeful that these efforts will bring about reform and newfound unity between all. In the words of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” We have chosen to longer be silent, but we must remember to also do it safely.

If you live in the Dallas area, and need a mask, please reach out to us at deshabillemagazine22@gmail.com.

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¹ How the Coronavirus Pandemic Unfolded: a Timeline. https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-timeline.html.

² WHO Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard. https://covid19.who.int/

³ Q&A on coronaviruses (COVID-19). https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/question-and-answers-hub/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

⁴ Dallas County Coronavirus (COVID-19) Updates and Information. https://www.dallascounty.org/covid-19/

Highlights

Déshabillé Magazine supports BLACK LIVES MATTER

13/06/2020 Donatella

“I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” MLK JR

2020 is an uncomfortable, challenging year. It keeps pushing us to see our failures, our weaknesses, our flaws and the true nature of what humanity has tried to hide under the carpet for too many years, even centuries. But it also a wonderful opportunity to reveal our strength and to connect with our neighbor.

It is clear like the first light of the day that the solution is in recognizing that we are part of one body, if an arm is broken, all the body will suffer. We need healing and it will come only if we consistently implement our ability of listening, understanding and taking actions for the common good for all.

Déshabillé Magazine decides to stand and support the Black Lives Matter Movement against an unbearable pandemic event like Racism. 2020 is pushing for a radical change. Will we be able to respond to this call?

We have decided to contribute to the movement in 4 ways, join us in one of these activities!

1. THE ROCK CHURCH MARCH

Today Saturday 13th June at 12pm, if you are in New York you can join our friends from the Rock Church in a peaceful march that will remain in history.

In these last weeks, more than ever, we remember Martin Luther King Jr., his messages of equality, hope and love remain relevant today. His life demonstrated Jesus’ commandment to “love our neighbors as ourselves.”

Join The Rock Church this Saturday as they petition in prayer. NYC tri-state area will meet in Washington Sq. Park at noon. Register by clicking this LINK

“Love is one of the pinnacle parts of the Christian faith. There is another side called justice, and justice is really love in calculation.”

2. MASKS FOR SALVATION BY DESIGNER CHINAZA ADEOLA

The brand @c.adeola has dedicated its energy and love to saving the world one soul at a time. Believing that our duty is to use our gifts to do it, they have launched #buyamasksalvation to help those protesting to stay safe. For every purchase of a designer mask, they have donated proceeds to purchase disposable masks for the world. Their products were sold out very quickly but keep in touch with the designer for the next step!

“Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction. So when Jesus says ‘Love your enemies,’ he is setting forth a profound and ultimately inescapable admonition.” — “Loving Your Enemies”

3. BAIL THEM OUT WITH DON KAKA

Don Kaka is a talented designer who has just released his new collection called ‘Darkest Summer in LA’. The name of the collection started off as a reference to the dramatic situation around the world, from the coronavirus pandemic until the tragic news of George Floyd’s death, and the escalation of protests that seized America.

In his own words: “I had no idea things would get even darker since then. I want to help however I can so I decided it would be best to donate all the profits of this collection to Black Lives Matter & protester bailout funds”. His reusable masks are made of thick dual folded woven material, 2 layer interior filter and a double elastic band.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”MLK Jr

4. PROTECT THE COMMUNITY

Déshabillé Magazine team is based in Europe, Asia and US. Having this opportunity we have decided to call for masks donation in order to distribute it out to the protesters and the community.

Our thanks goes to Mrs. Florence Furaha, CEO of MeetCaregivers who donated us a generous amount of masks from Boston that we will distribute to the Dallas County community during the protests. If you are in Dallas and in need of mask, please get in touch with us, write us here: deshabillemagazine22@gmail.com

You could also sign all the petitions you find online if you are not in the States; your voice and your support is important and it will lead to a change. Don’t underestimate how much you count.

“Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?” MLK Jr

Highlights

Nico’s version

Galleria 11/05/2020 Donatella

Nico and I we know each other since 5 years already, and I still remember the first time we were talking on my terrace, drinking a glass of wine, the moment I thought that I needed to tell his story. He is the typical artist, the way we all imagine a creative mind: brilliant, fleeting, changing and enthusiastic about everything and every proposals!

Since then he climbed the ladder, but always being humble, passionate and curious.

Who is Nico?!

I grow up in Tuscany on a hill in the middle of nowhere. It was, and still is an oasis of freedom and inspiration. Surrounded by nature, as a child I helped often my dad to do agricultural activities such cutting grass or doing fire wood. This was my first contact with machines like the chainsaw. As I grew older, I started using it for carving sculptures. A lot of space, no neighbors, no noise restrictions, it was the perfect playground for me to learn as autodidact wood sculpture. When I was 17 years old I did my first sculpture, without model, protection and without a plan what a possible outcome could be.

This was the starting point of my career as sculptor.

When did you start to sculpt?

When I was a child I always wanted to become a midwife. I do not know how this idea went into my mind, but it was so strong that I started to look for an internship in that field as I was 16 years old. The idea of giving birth to something always inspired me. At the time (nowadays I do not know how it is) this type of profession was reserved for women. Looking back at this time I think that I always had in me the unconscious desire to create something or at least to assist to giving birth to something. In the context of making sculptures I realized that it was more important to me to create something, instead of only assisting to give birth.

I decided to move to London in 2016, as I got a place at the Royal College of Arts. I always wanted to study product design.

What’s so special in your works?

I am not so sure. I think that they are quite unique as I never do research before starting a new project. I do not know if something like that exists already; I also do not know where my work is going to take me.

In other words I often start with a material or a process without knowing what the outcome come will be.

Where does your passion come from?

I think the most important thing about my work is that I enjoy doing what I am doing. I do not think that much about it… I just start somewhere, without knowing exactly where I am going to end. This is the reason why the first and last step in producing my sculptures is the making aspect. I do not sketch that much and I prefer not to model what am doing.

Your mantra?

Start doing instead of thinking!

When you start a project, do it with love and follow your passion and choose your project topic in base of what you enjoy doing.

Soon the new website!

Instagram

Donatella

Highlights

The Corona Chronicles

Galleria 03/04/2020 Donatella

Overcoming loss is complicated and some have linked it to the stages patients with terminal illness go through – denial, anger, bargaining and acceptance”

I picked up on the above amongst the flurry masses of Covid-19 articles and links forwarded to my mobile device hourly. Filtering plethoras of bad news has been a routine since 18th March 2020.

Doomsday scenario: the entire nation is forced to stay home in social isolation and to suspend non-essential work and businesses. The city is haunted by the army patrolling for hefty summons towards those who wander out of their homes for no valid reason. Our country has locked our borders from the outside world. Life has never been the same since.

Life is shit.

Our current situation is akin to an alien invasion – the virus is an extraterrestrial thus is beyond any human comprehension. Out of this panic pandemic, world leaders are head butting social policies blindfolded while they attempt to convince the public that they fully know what they are doing.

In reality, nobody knows. Do you?

No doctor and the greatest advancement of science is able to immune, let alone buffer mutated flu. Vaccines will only be available a year from now, at the very least. For as long as every single person on the planet has NOT had a virus test – locking us in with an isolationist approach will never shield us from an invisible, yet seemingly invincible enemy. Without a clear strategy, we hastily chose to destroy our global economy in this process of figuring out what to do.

The virus is a decoy. Many of us are dying psychologically.

This level of uncertainty and imposed lockdown devastates all our 2020 plans, hopes and resolutions including our sanity. Cabin fever is imminent. Panic buying becomes a fun outing. We are all addicted to our phones seeking out death tolls rather than the recovery tolls.

There are four groups of characters dealing with lockdowns:

1) Opportunists who will work on bettering themselves, or to be lazy (and lazier).
2) Pessimists who will grief, and dwell in this nightmare.
3) Spiritual Sadists who affirms that the world should suffer for abusing the earth (weird karma?!)
4) Futurists who will plan for the future, even if normalcy only resumes in 2030.

The past two weeks I went through all of the above except for spiritual sadism, just because I am not into self-flagellation for something someone else did.

My first lockdown week was a living disaster. On March 16th all businesses were given a 20 hour notice to wind down their businesses by March 18th without clear governmental policies. I still recall the day I stood with my team, which comprise from all walks of life, in breaking the news of the apocalypse.

I was rather teary-eyed when I said this:
“Everything we are experiencing now is beyond our control and the world. I beg you all to stay strong and have faith in us making this work”
I couldn’t entertain any questions thereafter because I simply had no answers. What a shitty leader.

My other half, my love, was due to fly in on the day of the national lockdown. We met out of exceptional circumstances back in November 2019 and even though we were mostly apart, we miraculously manoeuvred the long distance by racing through airports and we lived our lives epic. Life would fall into place by March as we would finally be united for the long term in the same country, but then the international borders shut abruptly. Indefinitely.

As this is non-fiction, I was heartbroken. I don’t know when we will see each other again.

Coping with the shock of being imprisoned within the family home in your late 30s, where I have spent 80% of my life gallivanting the world, socialising at the restaurants, parties and at work crippled my nervous system. I had a grand idea of surviving the lockdown with a bottle of orange wine daily… but it turned out that being drunk in my negative state of mind would bring out the worst of me and hell it did.

So I stopped drinking.

I hated the world, its policies and its helplessness. I cried most mornings, struggled with the smallest tasks. I snapped at the slightest irritation. My insecurities returned, so much so that I was so sad that I turned vegetarian.

By week 2, I learnt to poach an egg. Every morning I run around my garden 60 times, planked 3 sets of 100 seconds reps and I began reading a self-help book into the sunset. I finally wired in my surround speakers in my bedroom, retrieved my old techno CDs and ordered a DJ console. I am appreciative that the wifi signal is forgiving. I started to play PubG by teaming with my other half because counting kills became a mode of sanity and unity over long distance.

To ease myself into strategic planning for an unforeseeable future, I transformed my kitchen bar into a workspace. While our dire circumstances is seemingly real – history has shown that any ridiculous idea born out of pain can be a game-changer in reality. Perhaps there is no better opportunity to plan ahead of time even if it makes no sense?

That’s me being futuristic with a hint of sarcasm.

As the days go by, I work on self-love as immunity to the ongoing negativity that surrounds us. Humanity has never felt so vulnerable, but courage is all it takes to wait out our days with hope.

I hope for the day when we can hug our friends at our local bar. I cannot wait for the day when I can dive back straight into work, back into my restaurants and back into the kitchens. And the day when I would head to the airport’s arrival so that we will never have to say goodbye again.

Courage is not to lose hope of all the above. While this imposed imprisonment is unjust, we must attempt to make the best of the present, one small sober step at a time. Just like a terminal illness, we may never know all of the answers – but the least we can do is to strive for psychological survival, that is to be the best version of ourselves during these deepest darkest depths.

Post Covid-19: Everyone will live happily ever after as no one will ever take life for granted again.

But that said, on acceptance – and as this virus is so seemingly contagious beyond all universal scientific truths – I shall hope that there will not be any further “surprise” policies or discoveries that could mean putting our beloved pets into quarantine….

I will refuse to pay the price of this negligence. You can F&*k off.

Lyn Siew

Based in Kuala Lumpur and having previously lived and worked across 8 countries, Lyn Siew is the owner of an award-winning Contemporary Chinese Hybrid Restaurant, Ruyi & Lyn. She is currently incubating a local startup project for culinary students, and building an online platform for the global food community. Relationship status? Married to food and champagne.

Highlights

I CAN’T GIVE NAMES

11/12/2019 Donatella

Once upon a time, there were designers.

Young, beautiful and hopeful.
Dress well, not following the trend, but, it’s only smoke in the eyes of people unaware of fashion.

God blesses them!

When I believed I was a designer, I was too old to be enchanted by the false promises of designers more famous than me.
Because, first, “my mother wanted” me to learn at the University of Humanistic Studies. And then, in spite of them, “the designer, the real ones”, when I finished IED, the European Institute of Design -IED-, nobody was interested in a 29-year-old girl trained with a beautiful cultural background and no one, not even, the “Milano da bere” would have overwhelmed her, in fact, now I am here, moved only by the passion that I have never lost.

Passion is the only thing, because, We, designers, losers and little nerds (it’s not like the Devil wears Prada life, but hours and hours on Photoshop to give us back pain) we believe in what we do. Really.
Tough, we meet despicable people, cold office, old computers, and someone who claims to be a designer and wants to teach us a job, We want to learn it. Please teach me!

I stay here fourteen hours a day to show you how I am good with Illustrator,and “You” don’t care of it, because your budget has been reduced, and you prefer to sell your soul at Milan parties, rather than investing in wonderful, and I repeat, hopeful, fashion students.
Look Out! They, those who come out of that constellation of fashion schools, are really good! they believe in it, they stop eating and waxing, to go all out and in the end, arrive you… not photocopies and coffee, but only running an errand by feet under the rain, and if the next day, designers come into the office at 9,15 am with bronchitis, pneumonia, oh my Godness, I’m dying, What a palaver for you!
I spend 4 hours drawing ribbons on a sweater, because I learned drawing, doing a good job, and not being approximate. and you tell me that I waste time, it’s not necessary put ribbons on drawings, workers know doing it!

…Indeed, nobody says that you are able to go to Mars and came back with graphic programs.

It’s worthless, they told us. Never mind. Once in a while we will buy that coat Prada. Suck it up! Because the internship is not always paid. It doesn’t mean reimbursement, lunch, metro-season ticket, we know the live in Milan is cheap… especially if our parents sell a kidney to realize their children’s dream! But it’s okay, we go along with the requests of an experienced designer, who wakes up one morning and decides that the twenty-year-old phenomenon is no longer needed, so, bye bye, if you need six months of internship to graduate from the master’s course, it doesn’t matter. Stay at home “Young and useless free resource”.

We’ll wait for a new internship, another one, over and over again. We get stronger, we start from scratch, we will learn a little more next time, but on the human soul and the wonderful life of emerging designers… maybe.
And… I mean, I don’t like to put labels on it, but, for you, Alessandro Enriquez, some other time.

A name it’s not enough, and little luck, to be a designer, and, that’s what matters, a great man.

Written by Benedetta S.

Highlights

Lone Design Club arriva a Milano – LDC comes to Milan

03/12/2019 Donatella

Lone design club nasce da un ostacolo che quasi tutti i nuovi designers affrontano ad inizio carriera. Rebecca Morter non faceva eccezione. Giovane designer inglese alla ricerca di spazi e stores che ospitassero le proprie creazioni, decide, anziché dipendere ulteriormente dalla volontà altrui, di aprire lei stessa dei pop up stores nella capitale Inglese. L’idea funziona e da ciò prende vita il Lone design club. Rebecca decide di replicare il proprio successo aiutando altri designers nella medesima situazione, proponendoli al pubblico in temporary stores che crescono per numero e locations.

Oggi LDC vanta concept stores non solo a Londra ma in varie sedi europee fra cui Milano ed in Asia, ove poter incontrare il designer artefice della collezione ed ascoltare la storia dietro la propria produzione, con fondamentale attenzione alla sostenibilità. Con la crescita dei contatti e della community, i punti vendita si trasformano e diventano prima di tutto fonte d’esperienza, attraverso un ventaglio di eventi ed attività interattive partendo dall’incontro con il creativo fino ad arrivare a workshops, personal shopping e speaker panels.

Il club diventa quindi un punto di arrivo ma anche di partenza per gli emergenti, fornendo assistenza per lo sviluppo del proprio brand, attività di counseling e marketing, un luogo virtuale e reale dove incontrarsi, condividere e crescere ma non solo, LDC arriva a Milano con una serie di eventi dedicati a marketing, comunicazione, slow fashion e sostenibilità, per cui DéshabilléMagazine sarà official press partner quindi, SAVE THE DATES!

Dec 12th Women Networking

Il panel dei lavori includerà tre professioniste, tre donne e tre personalità diverse che perseguono la propria voglia di riscatto e che, con forza e perseveranza desiderano migliorarsi continuamente senza mai arrendersi, diventando eroine di se stesse.

Francesca Galli @overantastrong insegnante di fitness

Ilaria Gosetti @ilariagosetti Social media manager

Ilaria Berti @Ilariaberti16 Attrice e comica

Dec 14th Organize Yourself

Saranno presenti Elena di @RINCHIUDETELY e lo staff di @YOURCLOUDEROBE. Elena è una professional organizer, il vostro anello mancante fra una vita serena ed un armadio ordinato, mostrerà piccoli tricks per migliorare l’organizzazione day by day. @yourcloudrobe è una startup milanese che collabora con i professional organizer e li mette in contatto con i propri clienti che desiderano avere sempre tutto sotto controllo

Dec 18th The Mindful Maker

Sostenibilità fashion Speaker ed ospite Michele Armenise, giovane designer emergente, che presenterà la propria capsule collection interamente sostenibile @m.armenise @_ifpossiblemakelove_

Dec 21st The influencer panel

Questo influencer panel si trasformerà poi in un vero xmas party/Wrap party. In questa occasione gli influencer racconteranno di sé attraverso interview, per condividere, consigliare ed ispirare.

Stay tuned!

LONE DESIGN CLUB IS COMING TO ITALY

LDC is a British company founded in 2018 by fashion designer Rebecca Morter, with an ultimate goal of raising awareness on the importance of switching our consumer habits to sustainable fashion. This will offer more business opportunities, space for growth and visibility to emergent designers and lifestyle brands from all over the world.

How does it work?

If you are an emergent designer, we know how difficult it is to look for showrooms and multi-brand stores that will believe in your brand. Most times the resources are not many and you don’t know where to invest your money. There are several boxes to tick: you need financial advisors, marketing consultants, copywriters, and sometimes you may also need a brand coach to push you into the right direction. How can you cope with all of this?

LDC was born from the real experience and challenges faced by Rebecca Morter to respond to these needs she had at the time that she started her journey.

As a designer you will be able to sell your sustainable collection for 2 weeks at a time in one of LDC’s pop-up stores around the world. Shangai, London, Paris? Yes, it’s happening, subscribe to the community and find out how you can have a space in the store.

Breaking news – On December 9th LDC will open it’s first Italian pop-up store in Brera district.

Milan is still the capital of fashion, so being part of this experience will enhance your personal and professional experience.

It won’t be only about selling your products, but you will also be your own brand ambassador; think about how many times you’ve really had the chance to tell your story to your customers. Not so many, right? Today, it’s possible, moreover you can be part of several events where empowerment and entrepreneurship will be the leading topics.

For conscious tourists and Italians looking for something new, this event will be unique and special, a chance to bring to their loved ones a different Christmas. This will be an opportunity to meet and be inspired by new talents, discover and shop independent and sustainable brands with traceable and mindful practices, and eventually return home full handed and enriched by the value of the designer’s story.

Come by to meet & greet, join the events with International speakers, explore new topics from fashion sustainability, entrepreneurship, empowerment and be part of interactive workshops.

Here, we share the fabulous event calendar of LCD in Milan with you. We’ll be there, don’t miss this chance!