Tiffany Haddish has actually worn that dress at quite a few photographed events. She's been mocked for it, but said in an interview that she didn't know she was actually buying the dress when she bought it (her assistant told her later) and since it was so expensive she intends to keep wearing it until she's gotten her money's worth.
Keira knightly often repeats her own dresses, she has worn her own wedding dress 4/5 times for red carpets. I love cate blanchett has up cycled or altered a number of hers.
I know that the society treats women differently, but we need a woman to make that casual wear statement on red carpet. Women are strong. I know most of the people will be talking about it negatively, but I 100% believe that someone on the tubes would appreciate it. And if she repeats the statement a couple of times like Sandler, I bet Leena would take her side.
Yes, and it's much more worrying to see women dressed in barely anything at these events than someone being very casual. Of course women can dress in revealing clothes if they want to but often it just seems to be due to societal expectations. Whereas men wear suits. I would like to see more women in flat shoes and more normal dresses/clothes...
In a similar vein to Phoenix, in 2014 Australian morning breakfast show host Karl Stefanovic wore the same knockoff Burberry suit for a year as an experiment on sexism in fashion. His female colleagues were constantly judged about fashions, hair styles etc and no one picked up on his blue suit in all that time.
The thing is : there is less meat on the Lady Gaga dress than is thrown away in a week by the average-to-small supermarket. I dumpster dive to get more diversity in my food, and I’m always shocked by the waste. I live in France and we have laws to prevent some of it, but the amount left is vertiginous. In winter we get meat from there, and we could eat only meat for days if we wanted to (we share it instead, after it’s been properly cooked)
I'm not really an Adam Sandler fan, but I don't think he's a pick me for not participating in the plumage display. I don't think there is anything wrong with him dressing the way he wants to events. The red carpet part is ultimately a marketing strategy and if he is uninterested in marketing himself or him dressing this way if it's his brand, all power to him. I wish women could also get away with it. Him showing up to watch and support others or sometimes to win an award himself is the thing he's there for. He's not going to fashion events. The rest of the expectations seem to me to come down to just "tradition" and "its respectful". As a former religious person I don't think traditions should demand anyones behavior or comfort. Especially when not participating In those traditions affects no one negatively. Do I wish he used his appearence and preferences as a statement for something? Yes. Do I think that he is living a sustainable lifestyle? Of course not! But I would answer the same for most celebrities across the board.
I agree with you! As someone who hates formal wear and avoids it at all costs, I kind of feel like should I ever end up famous I would do the same. In many ways I think he may indeed be making a sustainable choice and even statement, in that he is just wearing regular things he's worn before and will wear again, so not encouraging the mindset of buying "special" outfits for "special" occasions which in turn get worn once (usually).
I agree - I also think his choice opens the door for a lot of new/up-and-coming artists who start going to award shows but don't yet have the cash/brand connections to do the whole designer gown thing. By making it clear that a ludicrously expensive outfit is not a prerequisite for attending, he makes the space more accessible (though this probably wasn't intentional).
from a fashion student: carey mulligan wearing the reproduction balenciaga may be disappointing, but keep in mind that an archival dress cannot be altered in any way, so the body has to fit the dress. for the movie phantom thread, they used archival couture pieces and had to cast models by measurements. couture artesans, especially embroiderers and those who work on small details, are not especially well paid despite their talent and training. if i were to remodel the red carpet industry with sustainability in mind, i would 1. have fewer events in general 2. dress celebs in natural fibres and use historical (fabric saving) cutting techniques 3. encourage outfit repeating and vintage. but think of the waste in the events thenselves, not just the dresses!
I do find Adam Sandler's approach interesting, because why would you have to be forced into a specific toxic fashion corner just because you're an actor, if you don't want to wear an uncomfortable tux, don't haha
I agree that it is interesting! But I feel there is a big difference between a sweatshirt/lounging on the couch outfit and a tux. There's such a world in between.
@@InsoIence in the big picture, no it doesn't 😄 I just think it's common courtesy to others to show up dressing nicely. No tuxedo needed but something else than sweatpants.
I would absolutely defend the Adam Sandler move. Because it’s not technically a fashion event. For instance it’s a movie award, or a music award. You might be invited because you were part of a nominated project. To not show up and support your movie or album would seem more disrespectful to me, then to show up but not participate in people making a event that is technically about music now about fashion. Maybe you have no interest in fashion? Maybe you think the night should be about the music and not how people look. Hollywood and music industries are notoriously known for being too superficial (especially for women) caring more about looks/ sex appeal then talent. And while some people might see red carpet fashion as “art” some might see it as superficial and not what that evening is supposed to be about. So sure, you don’t mind if other people want to dress up, but I don’t think you should feel forced to participate just because you want to support the art you already created. The art the night is actually about. And I say this as a person who has attended red carpet events. I felt no pressure, got dressed up, and made loud choices more about having fun then looking “good”. But I in no way did that because I thought I “should”. And so in no way feel others should. 🤷♀️ Just my two cents.
100% (but you said it better than me. At least Adam Sandler had clothes ON and they didn't seem dirty or torn up or anything. Tom Hardy is another one who doesn't get dressed up for his movie premieres. Except when he was promoting Lawless in Cannes. He wore a tux). It hasn't seemed to hurt him or his career any.
Re Adam Sandler: I think it’s too ‘short thought’ or simple to interpret his casual clothes with him internally/emotionally bowing out of the event. I find it possible and completely comprehensible that he likes to celebrate all the work that went into a film by organising a premiere screening and using it to promote a new film, while also feeling “but I don’t want to be someone on the red carpet that I’m not”. (Sure, any celebrity is not fully themselves at any public event, but we all got our limits on how far we’re willing to bend…and I can totally understand that/if one of his limits is clothes.)
You make a great point about it being counterproductive to reproduce archival pieces in sustainable materials, but I wonder if there’s a role for that process in expanding the archive to include plus sized people. My understanding from watching some of the HauteLeMode reviews is that many archival pieces don’t exist for most plus sizes because they simply were not produced. Just my two cents! Loved this!
tencel/lyocell is made from plant cellulose but iirc the chemicals used for it are less damaging to the environment and can be reused again and again in the process (unlike some other plant fibre fibres like viscose/rayon, where a lot more chemicals are involved in every batch)
I think saying Carrey Mulligan should have worn the original is ignoring the fact that it may not be an option and possibly wouldn't fit even if she had access to it. Which was why Kim Kardashian wesring the Marilyn dress was an issue. I don't think the really extravagant events are the problem but if you are somewhere where people come in and outfit they could go out in then why wouldn't they wear it multiple times. Saying Adam Sandler shouldn't go is kinda ignoring that the fashion is not the main point of most of these events. I believe Tiffany Haddish wore that dress like half a dozen times.
I'm afraid I do think you're being a tad grumpy about Adam Sandler and his casual clothes. Yes he is attending a celebration of art but not specifically for fashion art, why should he or anyone else have to make a spectical of themselves to go and celebrate their colleagues and friends hard work? And what is more sustainable: rewearing clothes you wear everyday or rewearing a peice of clothing once every few years? I am by no means a particular fan of his, nor do I particularly watch any of the awards shows. But I do like engaging with your content 😊
At this point, I just feel like celebrities are like the people in the capitol city of Panem. And the rest of us are in the various districts just trying to survive.
On the note that Adam Sandler is not giving the "symbolic respect" as you say at an event that isn't about fashion, you also state in this video that you don't know how to pronounce the big designer brands and you proceed to mispronounce them, which could arguably be interpreted as not offering a, let's say, symbolic respect towards them? I am 100% NOT dissing you, just wanted to point out that there isn't any symbolic respect to be given in any of these 2 contexts! You don't care about the big brands? Pronounce them however you feel! He doesn't care about fashion? He wears whatever feels like himself!
About the question "are you being mean and grumpy about the Adam Sandler thing?" I think you kinda are, yeah, but I understand where you're coming from, personally. There are infinite ways to protest and every day there's discussions about what the best way to go about a specific topic is, about how this specific act of protest was actually bad for the cause, etc. Which is good! Helathy, respectful discussion should be encouraged as a communal way to work problems out for our society. If this kind of high standing events started getting more casual and generally less "classist" Adam Sandler would probably be pointed out as one of the pioneers in breaking the aforementioned classism. Is he quietly doing it with that intention/on purpose? Probably not! Or maybe he is! I don't know the man! The only two facts I know about him are: 1) he opened a production company with his friends to have fun, 2) at least one trans man I know wants to be his character from Airheads. And I'm glad I don't know more. Bottomline is, it's good and healthy to discuss different ways of protesting and fighting against capitalism and its many many woes, there's never gonna be a perfect way to do it, so as long as you don't hurt real people, you're probably gonna be fine and put your little contribution in the right side of the balance.
I do think you're a bit grumpy about Adam Sandler. I don't think he is necessarily making a statement about fashion, but more about the extravagance and over-everything of red carpet events themselves. Like, he can't make a statement by just not going, but if he wants to say "let's focus more on the art and artists this red carpet leads to, instead of on what people are wearing" the easiest way is to do it the way he does. And it's a statement one can agree or disagree with - people who are really into fashion probably disagree - but I believe it's a statement worth considering. Maybe he even wants to say "it's ridiculous how much money and resources people are wasting on this" but since he's basically living off the money and attention his movies and appearances and awards shows are making, it's unlikely.
I think by Adam Sandler not wanting to make a fashion statement on the red carpet, he is making a statement. He’s known for not putting a lot of effort towards fashion in general, not just at award shows. It’s part of his personality, not him trying to be a “pick me.” I’ve always like Adam Sandler but recently learned how genuinely kind and authentic he is as a celebrity. I appreciate his outfits on these red carpets and feel like the whole “tradition” and “respect” take caught me off guard, I didn’t expect Leena to have that sort of hot take 😂
Tencel and other regenerated fibers (viscose, modal...) are made from cellulose, basically wood pulp. Most of the processes to make these fabrics use really harsh chemicals, huge amounts of water and energy, so not that sustainable necessarily. Especially if the chemicals get into the environment. These regenerated fibers are usually advertised as really eco friendly, and maybe they are better compared to some other fibers but they are still fresh materials.
I do think the Adam Sandler take is grumpy, if I'm being honest. One, because people should dress how they want to dress. If that's the way he wants to dress, power to him. I think having expectations about what other people wear is a bit weird, when you really think about it. And, we don't know celebrities! The fact that Adam Sandler dresses casually doesn't actually tell us anything about him, not really. Two, the idea that red carpets deserve some symbolic respect is a bit ridiculous imo. Red carpets can provide a platform and if people take the opportunity to make a statement, great, but I think it's a mistake to validate the importance of awards shows by expecting people to show reverence to them in some way. I mean, arguably, awards shows and red carpets are given way more cultural power than they actually deserve. Why feed that? Awards shows are about 30% recognizing artistic endeavour and 70% marketing and propping up and fuelling a celebrity fixated and saturated culture that is massively profitable and also harmful (socially, environmentally)! So basically, if Adam Sandler wants to wear a track suit then I say go on bud
How do you think the red carpet would look if the world where everyone was acting as if they take the climate crisis seriously? To me it’s absurd that all these people have clothes they only wear once/a few times. It’s so strange that there are few enough people rewearing their clothes that it is special. People could still be respectful of the special occasion of getting fancy awards by having a few fancy clothes that they wear again and again, and get altered and make different with different jewellery or make up or hairstyles etc. Then maybe it’d be more normal to do that in everyday life too. I know people who get something new basically everytime they go to a special occasion because they don’t want to be seen wearing the same thing as to the last event. I think that’s just not possible in this world, how can we use so many resources on something you wear once or twice? Since some of it seems to come from wanting to respect the occasion by having something new, I wonder what other ways we could do that instead, to eg show we put effort in and take it seriously and didn’t ‘just grab our go to clothes without much thought’ as if that were disrespectful.
Emma Watson has always been a role model for me in terms of sustainability on the red carpet. Her 2016 Met Gala look was made mostly of recycled plastic bottles. I know that closes the loop on recycling plastic bottles (which isn't great), but her look was made of a top, pants, and a train, all of which were designed to wear separately and multiple times after the event. I thought that was really cool.
For someone who cares a lot about pronuncing the names of authors from all around the globe with care, I have to admit that it was a bit disappointing to see you not even try for these fashion brands. These brands are the names of artists just as valuable as authors, musicians, painters and any other creative spirit out there. While we all have our accents getting in the way, they deserve our respect too.
Yes, the brands are named after people, but they are not people. Some founders, now dead, have no real influence on these dresses. And if alive know the difference between their personhood and their company and are unimpacted by this sort of disrespect. A brand named after a person does not deserve more respect than a brand named after something else. And personally I disagree that we have to respect all artists just because they create. It's for every person to decide whether they think a piece of art contains value or whether something is considered art at all. But most of all, companies are not people, no matter what we call them. To suggest that we should show respect to companies is an ironic critique for what some might consider a anti capitalist video
@@campfire87 1)I know that most of these people are dead , thank you for the groundbreaking revelation. 2) I never said that a brand not named after a person deserves less respect than a brand named after "something" or invented. 3) I don't see why the effort put into pronouncing people's name correctly would differ whether someone's dead or not, whether they work in fashion or not, whether their names were co-opted by conglomerates or not. Does it mean that when people talk about Dries Van Noten as a person they should pronounce it correctly but when they talk about his company owned by Puig then... fuck him? How many bullshit Marilyn Monroe objects are out there, does it mean that it gives me the right to mispronounce her name? My comment had nothing to do about "anticapitalist this or anticapitalist that". I come from from a culture where names (people or objects) have meanings and trying (insisting on TRYING) to pronounce them well, no matter their origin or your appreciation of that thing/person is considered "bare minimum behaviour". I was personally tickled in this context because across the board people tend to shit on fashion (no matter the context, from SHEIN to real art), as it's considered the highbrow/better than move to make regarding this "frivolous interest", down to not even care about pronouncing things properly because who cares about this dumb shit, right? I'm not an anglophone or from a a culture that would have traveled through colonisation so I'm struggling to understand this disdain for something that simple - trying (again, insisting on TRYING) to pronounce things right.
I feel like people who have stylists (for these events at least) should be more able rewear clothes! They have tailors, stylists, hair and makeup artists- they can absolutely change things up in a way more stylish and interesting way! I’m thinking of Cate Blanchett using her dresses to make tops (bc I feel dresses are more difficult to do this with), but also of people re-styling the same pieces in totally new ways. We do this in daily life, but I don’t think it should be out of reach for special events
The thing that rubs me the wrong way about Adam Sandler not dressing up is the discrepancy in expectations for men and women. Women are expected to go all out and look their best all the time and men can get away with putting zero effort into their appearance. Also, I wish there was more creativity in men’s clothing in general. And I wish it was more socially acceptable for straight men to wear different clothes
Right! If men were socially "allowed" to be more creative with fashion, and women were socially "allowed" to show up undone and casual so many more people would be happy. I don't think being super casual is the problem, but it is f*ed up that women mostly can't also "get away with it."
But why should Adam Sandler dress up because women aren't able to dress casually? You're getting irritated with Adam Sandler for expectations he didn't create and that he doesn't participate in. Everyone should have the ability to dress however they want and however they feel comfortable. Having a set of expectations for appearances is something we should be critiquing period!
@@bluestockingkatfor me I think it’s that it’s giving «I’m better than you and you are so silly for participating in this» when it’s women who would be absolutely steamrollered if they showed up looking the way Adam Sandler does. Even Billie Eilish wears fancy/expensive clothes, they just happen to be something more comfortable and less restrictive. And she DOES get negative reactions, on a very different level than Sandler does showing up looking like an actual slob.
@@marthabjo That strikes me as a massive projection though. We have no idea why he dresses casually on the red carpet. Maybe he think it's funny. Maybe his kids think it's funny. Maybe he doesn't feel comfortable dressing up. Maybe he doesn't care! We have no idea because we don't know him. But "he's wearing casual clothes therefore he thinks he's better than everyone else and he thinks other people are silly for participating" is a huge leap and built on nothing but personal projection. Women WOULD be steamrolled for dressing casually, but that has nothing to do with Sandler, and surely the ideal is that men women are able to wear whatever they want without us commenting on it, and if that's the direction we want to move in (at least I personally think it should be), then shitting on Sandler for dressing casually is not getting us any closer to that. Women shouldn't be steamrolled for what they wear AND Sandler should be able to dress casually if he wants - we can hold both those opinions. I also think there's a lot to unpack in the idea that Sandler is somehow an "actual slob" for dressing casually. For one, let's be real - Sandler showing up in casual clothing is not him being a slob. He's wearing clean clothes that are well maintained, they're just... casual. Why the value judgment? But I think it's also worth unpacking why you've juxtaposed Eilish with her "fancy/expensive" clothes with Sandler. The ways in which we talk about clothes and appearance are often subconsciously rooted in class, and obviously Sandler and Eilish are stupid rich, but what is it about expensive or fancy clothes that read to us one way while clothes that don't look particularly expensive (but are perfectly fine - again, he's not showing up to awards shows with stains on his clothes or something) read as "slob."
The Adam Sandler take was a bit grumpy for sure! Enforcing (explicitly or implicitly) dress codes for any reason other than health & safety is almost always rooted in classism, racism and ableism.
Hahahaha what get outta here. As a working poor Latina, I call bullshet. She doesn't have the power to enforce anything. You can't just go around calling people out like this unless you have a serious analysis of power and material reality
@Nico5890 To clarify, I wasn't saying that Leena could enforce a dress code on red carpet events. Just that it's good that there isn't an existing dress code that would prohibit what Adam Sandler does. An implicit dress code (like, say, at the Met Gala) that requires attendees to wear designer couture, immediately cuts out anyone who can't afford the clothes, who doesn't have the power or influence to get a designer partnership for the clothes, who's body doesn't "work" with the clothes (including the fact that to walk the carpet at the Met you have to walk a million stairs to showcase your outfit from all angles, immediately ruling out anyone with mobility issues), and anyone who's outfit somehow triggers an unwritten faux-pas can get uninvited or kicked out by Anna Wintour. The Met Gala uses it's dress code to dictate who is allowed to attend, before they even walk in the door.
Other places with implicit/explicit dress codes to consider include: churches (everybody should be clean and neatly dressed), sporting matches like tennis or polo that will include explicit dress codes including blazers/suit coats, schools requiring expensive uniforms that often need serious alteration to fit different sized bodies and/or different religious practices. Think about what these dress codes imply about who is easily welcomed in these spaces (and who is begrudgingly accommodated).
I think Adam Sandler has a really great opportunity to speak out on this issue, it seems he clearly doesn’t want to do the circus of the red carpet so I do wonder if he has a sustainable take (but like you say, I doubt it- would be cooler if he did)
Archives exist for fashion history though? Is like saying we should just recicle all the first editions in the national library because then we could print new After smut on what was previously a 400 year old copy of Macbeth. It feels extremely icky that your art is valid and should be preserved as it is because it doesn't HAVE to serve any function but somone else's art isn't valid if it isn't currently serving a function. It doesn't make any sense to keep the thousands upon thousands of Forever 21 jeggins in a museum or an archive. But fashion designers usually only make a very very limited amount of items of each "piece" they create. The more beautiful and elaborate ones are so expensive to manufacture that nobody bought them/buys them and there is literally just one or two in existence. Sometimes things literally get lost and we have grainy pictures of back in the day but that's it
I am studying to be a physicist but even I can understand that you can't just take someones art pieces, especially like VERY VERY important ones and just shred them and turn them into something else. It isn't just disrespectful to the artist but a society that refuses to remember and acknowledge its own history is condemned to repeat it... over and over and over. It would be like reinventing the wheel forever. Or reinventing dragons and vampires forever. It just feels icky, icky, icky, icky, icky all over. I like to believe it is coming from a place of ignorance.
That's also why it's naive at best to state that Carey Mulligan should have worn the original Balenciaga dress. Just because an old manuscript exists and is still in a library somewhere, you can't just flick through the pages like it was nothing. Wearing the original dress would probably damage it. It's a piece of art, it definitely makes sense to me that one needs a replica of it to be made in order to wear it.
@@saramartina4029 Exactly! It is a form of respect to the designer, the brilliant idea, the craftsman behind it and to the thousands and thousands of hours that took to bring it to life. Doing otherwise is just wrong in so many levels.
I don't really care about most celebrities or awards shows, but wouldn't it be great to see more independent designers being utilised, especially sustainable ones? Who cares about the big fashion houses with their 'greenwashing'!
I will say as a dress historian I understand recreating a 50s Balenciaga rather than wearing the real thing. Think back to the appalling Kim K Met gala incident. It'd damage antique garments too much
I found myself nodding vigorously at your point re celebs re-wearing old dresses, just to flex about their weight not fluctuating! A brill point on seeing celebs altering clothes over time 😊
Its a Eurocentric opinion, it is not consistent with a world view. Because the global north does something, doesn't amount to the planet! As a women in her 50s, my body shape and size is consistent with the healthy body I had in my early 30s. I had also had children (3) at that point.
Can't you and Leena see that these celebrities must have a huge wardrobe full of dresses of different sizes. That celeb wore that particular dress not because she is maintaining that size all those years, but she just happened to be that size again at this turn of life. And it's not that she naturally regained that body, it might very well be the requirement of the role she is currently shooting for.
I really think that statement was bordering on body shaming. Some people are the same size as they were at a previous point in their life and they shouldn't be subjected to criticism for it, especially when it means they can sustainably rewear their clothes. That's just how they are genetically. My Oma (86) has been the same size since she was 16.
Never usually one to defend Adam Sandler, but I am uncomfortable with the idea that respect="dressing up". I hate formal attire because it's so much more gendered than casual clothing, and the most of the materials of formal trousers, suit jackets, shirts/blouses, etc. feel awful against my skin. So if I turn up to a "fancy" event in something other than a suit wearing no makeup, that's not out of disrespect, it's out of a need for comfort--no amount of respect for an event or person would make me wear that kind of thing. I'm sure Sandler's casual dress is more to do with his 'brand', but shouldn't there be a way other than fitting into a very slim category of clothing to demonstrate respect? More of a comment on society that you specifically lol, it's just something that irks me.
I completely support Adam sandlers lack of dressing up. I think it's wrong that rich people show off their wealth in the way they do and I think he makes a good statement
Was a happy surprise to hear you on the radio this afternoon talking on veganism! 😄 Really appreciate your content, it’s really eye opening and helpful ^^
Also Lady Gaga is quoting Jana Sterbaks "Flesh Dress for an Albino Anorectic" - so there's many more layers than just the prime rib. Also I love Ellen DeGeneres offering Gaga a Bikini made of salad instead. Xo by someone who published an essay on the meat dress :)
Leena what do you think about France's proposed anti-fast fashion bill? One of my fav celebs- wearing-vintage moments is Gillian Anderson at the 2012 BAFTA's wearing a Sybil Connolly, 1950’s pleated handkerchief linen dress. Though I am not a monarchist by any means, Princess Beatrice wearing a borrowed dress of her Gran's(Q Elizabeth II) with a few adaptions, for her wedding dress was quite lovely.
The ad on this being a subway where the typography states MEATIER. CHEESIER. Really don't think they got leenas target demo there 😅 I have hope against the fumblings of the algorithm yet
Really interesting video! Funny you mentioned Adam Sandler, I watched a clip last week of an interviewer calling him out for wearing the same thing at various events and paparazzid moments. I get way more hasn't wanted to conform to Hollywood's expectations than pick me as it's been his take from the beginning
I thought celebrities where lended clothes by the brands? For them to showcase them. Anyway, one thing I can appreciate about this level of fashion is the celebration of handcraftmanship and good quality clothes. What I think is out of touch is not necessarily the use of new clothing but the opulence of the events themselves in a world like this.
I used to pronounce Givenchy like you did, but I'd also heard "She-vo-she" (French pronunciation) before, and it took me years to realize they're the same thing. 😂 Now on with the video...
Celebrity fashion but make it “period dramas reuse the same few dresses because bespoke clothing is incredibly valuable and should be worn more than once.” Seriously, I love playing “spot the dress” when watching period pieces, and it was cool seeing you do that with some red carpet looks.
Adam sandlers approach is likely because he just likes to be comfy. But actually, i feel like it stands out more than typical mens fashion on the runway, which is usually a black tux. Maybe thats his real motive 😅
I love the Sandler outfits, as I think all of these afterparties and red carpets are a colossal waste of resources and money. It might be a bit of an obvious political statement, but he *is* being sustainable, and he looks good! I just finished a film degree and fully understand the amount of work that goes into making a movie, and I don't think these hideously expensive one-use clothes do anything to celebrate that - it's just rich people showing off their money and feeding in to a culture of celebrity that, imo, is unhealthy for the development of truly innovative cinema. I would appreciate if actors just came in their own clothes instead of trying to stand out and build up an image for themselves. That said, I do wish women felt they were able to come dressed the way Sandler does. People like Kristen Stewart I think are coming close - I've seen red carpet photos of her in a jacket and jeans - and I also think that at smaller film industry events, such as indie movie premieres and film events outside the US and UK, there are women who feel more comfortable to wear the stuff already in their wardrobes. The one that always comes to mind for me is the premiere of Final Destination 3, where everyone's dressed like they're attending a prom or a birthday party - they look really nice without making the fashion show something separate from the art they are there to celebrate!
On the Adam Sandler point, I agree that its almost certainly a subversion tactic, however, If you view these award shows through a socialist lens, that these award shows are merely a display of wealth and power, which while celebrating the highest level of art certainly shouldnt be they nevertheless have become, there is a quiet radicalism about Adam Sandlers refusal to partake in the glitz and glam, there should of course be room for glitz and glam in the world , however since it has been co-opted by the ruling classes in this manner the refusal to participate strikes out against these institutions which have hold so much power
Also all those dresses being altered specifically for a certain celebrity and yet after the show being returned to the designer because they were just "rented" - insane
Lots of the alterations won’t be permanent, like hems can be taken up temporarily by hand and then let go afterwards. Moreover, there will be a “sample size” (🤢) that a large majority of celebs can fit into that won’t need massive alterations to make work for a short event. But yes, lots of alterations are permanent and are like covering paint with more layers of paint… making a room ever so smaller each time
12:48 Yes, I think you are being grumpy. Adam Sandler wearing his daily wear *is* making an statement. As far as I understand, and I don't understand much, red carpets are just a path to enter the auditorium where the ceremony is happening. He wants to attend the ceremony, he wants to meet and greet his friends and he wants to make an statement that this all can be done in clothes which normal people wear.
The Marily Dress... I disagree. There is a nice Video from a great German french designer about this. This got so much attention. But actually no museum wanted this dress. It was in private hands. It got damaged and that is sooooo stupid. But all in all. Its not even close to such a big controversy that the 'world's seemed to make it.
Watching celebrities on red carpets to me feels like I'm in the hunger games universe watching the people of the Capital. I feel so disconnected from them that it's hard for me to grasp sometimes that they're just people like me, who happen to be well-known. I'm poor and I either thrift or sew my own clothes. I can't relate to the sustainability of celebrity clothing.
It is an interesting trend but I hope it becomes about sustainability rather than a further display of wealth because only the ultra rich can access famous archival pieces.
A couple years ago, I did the typical (very American) autumnal "farm" visit (think: corn maze, hay ride, etc.) with family. I saw a woman with a blow-out, perfect makeup, perfect 2010s tumblr/pinterest outfit, and her male partner was wearing sweatpants and flip flops. I definitely noticed, definitely turned to my generally well-dressed husband and said something catty like, "she looks like that and he literally just rolled out of bed?" That's the whole Adam Sandler conundrum for me. On the one hand, it feels genuine, authentic to see him wearing a baggy tee at a red carpet event, and so, in an industry that is very contrived, very plastic, refreshing. But on the other hand, I am the type of person who judges people for being too casual. I am the "pajamas at the grocery store, really?" person (internally, not aloud--I'm not a monster). So I do feel like, wouldn't it be more respectful of him to just put on a damn tie? His wife is dressed up. His female colleagues are dressed up. But then again, the whole jogging shorts at an event thing is ... funny? Like, it cracks me up. But also, and I know this is controversial for the nature of Leena's channel, but: he's not obligated to make a statement. His job is movies and movie-related stuff. That's it. Not fashion, not social or eco justice. Just movies and the accompanying business and selling of movies. And maybe that's the statement he's making, consciously or not.
this was such an interesting concept. although I am with adam sandler on this one! it's what i'd want to be doing if I ever had to go to one of these. and what I wish I was doing ever time I go to a normie dress-up event. mostly for my own comfort since I really feel uncomfortable, like deep in my soul, in dress clothes. but even from a sustainability standpoint--even if you're reusing these high fashion outfits, that's getting how much more use really? a handful at best? and then what happens to them?
Super interesting to hear your take on Adam Sandler. I know nothing about fashion or celebrity so YMMV but I'm Autistic and I've done the getting dressed up to fit expecations (wearing what other people thought I should wear) for events and stuff, but after an incredibly bad burnout I'm now very much in a place where if I can't go in my dungarees I'm not going. Sure I'd probably get some sparkly dungarees for a red carpet but I want to be *me* and be comfortable.
It's nice when celebrities rewear clothing, but how much good does it do, when at the same time they also use private jets all the time, have multiple enormous mansions, promote questionable brands etc?
To be clear: if we're going to use feathers, fur, etc, synthetic imitation is not better than the Real Deal. This subject is kind of hairy, because we also need to acknowledge that both leather and furs are - aside from any personal feelings you might have about utilising animal products - incredibly resource intense to produce. Leather is, by far, the most water-demanding material to produce by weight and while this is closely tied to working conditions in places like Bangladesh those factors can only be eliminated to a point. This specifically is not true for feathers but what is true is that as far as function goes, leather, furs and feathers are absolutely unique. Their properties cannot be reproduced with other organic materials and even if synthetic materials could, that means running into the issue of, well... Petroleum. Microplastics. Lack of circularity in the system. There is a question here about functionality itself. A lot of the leather we use is not really necessary from a functionality perspective, especially for those of us who live in cities, doubly so when those cities are in warm climates. If you need weatherproof boots, there is no beating leather, simple as. If you don't need weatherproof boots for half the year, maybe go with canvas and rubber for your daily wear. As with anything else, it is an issue of scale, as well as frivolity. Most of the world's leather comes from meat cattle, where such enormous amounts of hide is produced that were it left to rot, we'd have a whole new methane issue. When animal materials are cosmetic, as is the case here, there are other ways to do it. Fashion brand Area did some really cool tromp-l'oeil fur print for their SS24. While we need to challenge how they are used and produced, animal materials as a whole are as essential to dress future as they were to dress history, especially if the alternative we are pushing is synthetics - the oil industry has put a LOT of money into remarketing PVC, PVU and other leather imitations as "vegan" "leather".
I hate to pop a bubble, but... Look, when it comes to extruded woody pulp aka viscose aka rayon aka soft bamboo or tencel, it is true that the bulk of the raw materials can be grown from more sustainable sources. Unfortunately, the chemicals used to turn the wood into fiber are dangerous and toxic, and as these things so often go, companies love exploitation and cutting corners. I recently watched some investigative journalism into a place making viscose, where the workers got their lungs permanently injured in the first couple weeks of work. People were dying. They were not protected or defended, and honestly, I basically thought 'here are the matchstick girls of this era.' No one is talking about the nitty gritty of the process, so I can't say if the notion that the whole process can be made safe is pie in the sky wishful thinking, or just a matter of solid investment. What I can say is that the textile industry has long gotten away with murder. There are many places whose water are polluted by byproducts of textile production, and the communities live or die with that reality, and have no real ability to protect their water or their lives. Or there are places like the first superfund clean up site in the US. A textile factory sealed up dye bath water in drums, and when they moved on, they left a dump behind. At first, the drums were set into clay. Then some people thought they could cut corners, and they bought the land for a school for only a dollar. Then they developed the land around it, funding the school. Well, of course the clueless construction workers tunneled right through the clay, laying plumbing and the like. Soon sink holes were popping up. The groundwater was completely contaminated. (Soil? Air? Who knows how fast the pollution got around?) Then people started getting cancer en masse. Naturally, it takes the government decades, and protracted battles to order an evacuation, and it isn't even in a wide enough radius. Did I mention that this stuff is so toxic that it gives people inheritable diseases to pass down? Yeah. Now, I'm a watcher of documentaries, not an expert, but let's just say that I now have absolutely no faith in any governing body to simply not make things worse in the event of the confluence of money, politics, and pollution. Also, I now believe that water contamination is a valid reason to get into a hazmat suit and move away before anyone has any more information to give out. Did I mention that I'm more committed than ever to minimalism, after watching this? Anyway, it seems like no one has yet figured out how to limit the damage of the textile industry, or to simply tell parts of it 'No,' and get it to stick. But I have long been interested in making clothes and cloth, and here's the thing, if you are limiting yourself to sustainable, ethically produced clothing, get ready for a lot of linen, hemp, and wool, and subtler, more muted colors. Yes, you can wear second hand clothing, but at some point, we all probably need to stare down our cravings that have produced what we have. I can tell you right now that even with what I know, I'm still trying to justify using technical, and rather special nylon fabric for my outdoor gear DIY project. The natural alternative is silk, and not necessarily ahimsa silk, because I need some serious load bearing properties. Silk production has a terrible track record of boiling living creatures alive, and exploiting the people making it happen. Anyway, for a lot of people, their stumbling block is going to be the less stunning colors, or a lack of softness, or a lack of durability, even if you can convince them to spend more money on natural materials. Mycellium is an exciting new option. That said, most materials for textiles are labor and/or land intensive, and the demand is so massive that the pressure is always going to be to exploit producers, and to grow these things as cash crops, and monocultures, until we re-think and re-legislate these matters on a community level. Already, the notion of having locally sourced and made garments is out of reach of most people (unless you live on a farm, and own your proceeds, and can afford to set some by for your own projects). It used to be that pretty much everyone was producing piece wear, spinning, knitting their own socks, etc... That was in part because it was the thing to do, and in part because they lived with the raw materials for such things close at hand. Can you imagine trying to convince suburbanites to lend their lawns to grazing sheep, maybe taking down a few fences in the process? Because that is exactly what needs to happen. Really, what is required, is that workers become owners, and that they consolidate power, so that they are lauded and supported for the little they produce, and they own their communities in such a fashion that basic welfare for all, and public utility access is guaranteed, and such things are protected from greed and predation. In other words, our systems need to switch entirely to co-operation and communal enrichment. Because this is a very vegan friendly space, I feel like I really need to say this. Killing all the domesticated animals sucking up air, and farting out huge amounts of methane, isn't this peak sustainable solution, that is going to leave more for humans with hardly any down sides except a lack of animal product in our diets. Animals are the answer as to how to get more naturally fertile, lush landscapes. Most of our problems are based on how we have have separated animals and land. I know Michael Pollan is a pretty great resource, and most people who have gotten into his work know about Joel Salatin. I want to add two other important names to the list, Alan Savoy, who can tell you all about fertile grass land and savannah, made so by herd animals living on them in proper rotation and proportion, and Geoff Lawton, who at one time had an excellent video series on his permaculture practices that produce nothing less than Eden everywhere he settles. Herd animals, and large carnivores are, over, and over again, surprising lynch pins in the food chain, and a lack of them can often send places into a steep, cascading decline. Instead of thinking that we are keeping animals around for eating, we really ought to start thinking we are keeping them around for the health of the soil, and the plant life cycle we are all depending upon. One cow does more for the soil, if it gets to live on real pasture, than one human will ever do. (I know we try, but it's just no substitute for all the chewing and pooping.) So let's have a little heart to heart about sheep and pigeons. Sheep need to be shorn for their health. Just like humans needed to learn how to wipe ourselves when we started to stand upright. Life happens, and events create opportunities, and cut off more sensible options in the process. Species, individuals, we don't always get to choose what those trade offs will be. Unfortunately, we have gotten into the habit of choosing for other species. So let's look at a case of human neglect: pigeons. Pigeons with their white poop... Were messengers, doves, coveted pets housed in every city, and their poop wasn't white. Why? They weren't malnourished. Pigeon has been eaten for a long time, and I can easily imagine that when the telegraph came to town, some people were all too happy to eat their darling doves. Clearly though, plenty of pigeons were simply neglected. Now here we are, and have pigeons adapted to enjoy better health? No, probably because humans are such omnipresent evils. And we (broadly speaking, or in many quarters) have the temerity to put around that no one should encourage the pigeons by feeding them because they are dirty pests who leave white poop everywhere! Humans in the collective sense tend to be fickle, and cruel to animals, creating a relationship largely from our own unquestioned, unedited projections. Which animals we think are heroes, or villains, worthy of food and on-going care, or better off fending for themselves on shrinking resources, or dying for our betterment, doesn't often make a bit of logical sense, nor carry significant emotional investment. If we bothered to categorize this behavior as we would in human to human terms, we would be privileged revisionists with something in between sociopathic and psychopathic blind spots. Sadism implies arousal or emotional investment linked with being callously cruel, and we can't even do that much, most of us. So let me ask you this, when forests stretched even across the North American plains, and the land was managed into food forests the people moved in, following seasonal migration patterns, and the land was teeming with animals, do you think the animals didn't eat human food? Aren't you curious what human-animal interaction was like, and what people's attitudes were? Perhaps most humans then strove to conquer the animals who posed a danger, and they were simply grateful for greater control over their environment. But what if there were other attitudes? What if there was even some deliberate construction of this very fertile environment, home of humans, and countless others?
I don't think you're being grumpy about Sandler. I believe we wear clothes not just for ourselves but to honor and celebrate others. That's also part of my upbringing and culture as a South Asian. He can wear a nice silhouette without buying something new. I'm sure he has nice and comfy clothes in his closet that look presentable and look as though he wants to celebrate the art he has come to celebrate. I don't buy that he's just a man being himself- it's a calculated choice, and he could have chosen to be less put together and very comfortable without being absolutely sloppy. He's a rich man, he has clothes 😂.
very though provoking video! I never comment but i'm giving it a go- the lady gaga meat dress is sustainable, i.e decomposed by now! she's not a vegetarian or vegan, so by wearing the dress I believe it was more in line with her values and morals than someone else who eats meat on a daily basis but rejects the meat dress because its 'gross'. it makes me think of the adage that if you are going to eat chicken you need to feel comfortable killing a chicken, if you're going to eat pork you need to feel comfortable killing the pig, etc. I believe she was engaging more truthfully with the lifestyle of animal consumption by wearing the meat dress, and what really upset people was that it went against social norms! not the killing of the animal. on a separate note, to those who study or work in fashion, original archival garments should be preserved and conserved whether they were worn by Marilyn or not. the sweat, moisturizer, fake tan, perfume, etc. that all get muddled onto the archival garment is detrimental to its conservation no matter whether it's a pop culturally famous dress or not. in that sense I think it's a bit unfair to put the women who attend these events into the double bind of 'ruining' the original dress (kim k in marilyn's) to huge backlash, or listening to the fashion conservationists and 'needlessly' recreating the archival piece (carey mulligan). it seems like they can't win in either case. IMO the whole culture and structure of these events need to be reevaluated because they aren't sustainable at all, so it's difficult to judge celebs for their personal (often outsourced) styling choices in these situations. they are more of a symptom than the problem themselves.
At a convention gala one of the attendees wore a version of Lady Gaga's meat dress but made entirely from cabbage leaves, I'm not sure how much hot glue was involved in assembling it, but I thought you would appreciate the sentiment of a real Green Dress Leena.
Would actually not be surprised if Adam Sandler does get new clothes for the red carpet, considering how little rewearing rich people seem to do in general 🫠 Another great video Leena!
I guess I appreciate the intent, but couldn't the curtains have been reused as curtains? What happened to all the offcut fabric? If it's for sentimental reasons I get that, but I'm not sure it's particularly sustainable.
With love, I do think you came off a little bitter that some people are slim and still fit into the same clothes across decades. I fit into clothes from 15 years ago because my weight and build is the same (it went up briefly in the middle due to health). I am not thin, but could "flex" this same way. Do we want people to recycle clothes, but only if it doesn't show them up as happy in the skin they're in? Why alter a nice dress that fits just to make people think their weight did change? On the other hand, I would love to see celebs that have clearly gained or lost weight and how they alter their clothes to fit. I do agree that Sandler is kind of a slap in the face to the others, but I wonder if maybe that's how red carpet could/should be? I don't feel qualified to speak on him, as I would do the gardening in a ballgown if I had one 😂😅
Kristine Vike has a very informative video about viscose and mentions tencel/lyocell and its impact on the environment. I’ve been getting a bit disenchanted with red carpets but this was fun!
this is interesting because i was under the impression (depending on the type/prestige of the event) that red carpet fits were returned to the designer/stylist after wearing
I agree with your take about Sandler! Also, back in 2016 in Quebec we had a women artist who dressed casual once for the music awards, and people brought her down for it during several years. During those years, many men did the same and people just thought it was funny…
Based on these comments I think I'm in the minority to say that I agree with you about Adam Sandler. He's definitely gotten more put together as time as gone on.
Oh, and "repurposed plastic bottles" -type descriptions of fabric just means "this material is synthetic and instead of recycling those bottles into other bottles/single use items, we made them into a dress", it's pretty much always greenwashing. It looks nothing like plastic bottles because "plastic bottles" are just the most easily recyclable plastic out there because we pretty much have systems already in place for it. Also happy to hear a man described as "pick me" for once, lol, I agree it's kinda cheap but he does also do it so consistently and earnestly I kind of have to respect it.
Tiffany Haddish has actually worn that dress at quite a few photographed events. She's been mocked for it, but said in an interview that she didn't know she was actually buying the dress when she bought it (her assistant told her later) and since it was so expensive she intends to keep wearing it until she's gotten her money's worth.
Good for her!
Rewearing items should be normalized like this.
She wore it on SNL for her monologue and talked about it.
She is so funny, the SNL monologue about it was hilarious and I am so glad she keeps wearing it.
Rare Tiffany Hadish W
Ever notice how we never see Edna Mode and Leena in the same place at the same time?
Yeah… suspicious 😅😮😮
Keira knightly often repeats her own dresses, she has worn her own wedding dress 4/5 times for red carpets. I love cate blanchett has up cycled or altered a number of hers.
Truly an icon
Imagine how torn apart a woman would be if she was on the red carpet and dressed the same casual way as Sandler
I know that the society treats women differently, but we need a woman to make that casual wear statement on red carpet. Women are strong. I know most of the people will be talking about it negatively, but I 100% believe that someone on the tubes would appreciate it. And if she repeats the statement a couple of times like Sandler, I bet Leena would take her side.
I want someone to rock a full juicy tracksuit and uggs
Yes, and it's much more worrying to see women dressed in barely anything at these events than someone being very casual. Of course women can dress in revealing clothes if they want to but often it just seems to be due to societal expectations. Whereas men wear suits. I would like to see more women in flat shoes and more normal dresses/clothes...
In a similar vein to Phoenix, in 2014 Australian morning breakfast show host Karl Stefanovic wore the same knockoff Burberry suit for a year as an experiment on sexism in fashion. His female colleagues were constantly judged about fashions, hair styles etc and no one picked up on his blue suit in all that time.
The thing is : there is less meat on the Lady Gaga dress than is thrown away in a week by the average-to-small supermarket. I dumpster dive to get more diversity in my food, and I’m always shocked by the waste. I live in France and we have laws to prevent some of it, but the amount left is vertiginous. In winter we get meat from there, and we could eat only meat for days if we wanted to (we share it instead, after it’s been properly cooked)
I miss being able to dumpster dive. Everything in my current area is locked or in a compactor
I'm not really an Adam Sandler fan, but I don't think he's a pick me for not participating in the plumage display. I don't think there is anything wrong with him dressing the way he wants to events. The red carpet part is ultimately a marketing strategy and if he is uninterested in marketing himself or him dressing this way if it's his brand, all power to him. I wish women could also get away with it. Him showing up to watch and support others or sometimes to win an award himself is the thing he's there for. He's not going to fashion events. The rest of the expectations seem to me to come down to just "tradition" and "its respectful". As a former religious person I don't think traditions should demand anyones behavior or comfort. Especially when not participating In those traditions affects no one negatively.
Do I wish he used his appearence and preferences as a statement for something? Yes. Do I think that he is living a sustainable lifestyle? Of course not! But I would answer the same for most celebrities across the board.
I agree with you! As someone who hates formal wear and avoids it at all costs, I kind of feel like should I ever end up famous I would do the same. In many ways I think he may indeed be making a sustainable choice and even statement, in that he is just wearing regular things he's worn before and will wear again, so not encouraging the mindset of buying "special" outfits for "special" occasions which in turn get worn once (usually).
I agree - I also think his choice opens the door for a lot of new/up-and-coming artists who start going to award shows but don't yet have the cash/brand connections to do the whole designer gown thing. By making it clear that a ludicrously expensive outfit is not a prerequisite for attending, he makes the space more accessible (though this probably wasn't intentional).
Yess I agree!
I do think he's marketing himself when he does this, though. It's part of The Brand.
@@thatjillgirl Agreed.
When I see a red carpet I feel like I’m watching a nature documentary where multicoloured birds dance around
"Biologically unusual" 😂 genuinely loved that! Loved this video and all the climate crisis content - thank you!! 💚💚
Pronouncing Mugler (moo-glare) as muggler was so delightfully british I loved it
from a fashion student:
carey mulligan wearing the reproduction balenciaga may be disappointing, but keep in mind that an archival dress cannot be altered in any way, so the body has to fit the dress. for the movie phantom thread, they used archival couture pieces and had to cast models by measurements.
couture artesans, especially embroiderers and those who work on small details, are not especially well paid despite their talent and training.
if i were to remodel the red carpet industry with sustainability in mind, i would 1. have fewer events in general 2. dress celebs in natural fibres and use historical (fabric saving) cutting techniques 3. encourage outfit repeating and vintage. but think of the waste in the events thenselves, not just the dresses!
I do find Adam Sandler's approach interesting, because why would you have to be forced into a specific toxic fashion corner just because you're an actor, if you don't want to wear an uncomfortable tux, don't haha
I agree that it is interesting! But I feel there is a big difference between a sweatshirt/lounging on the couch outfit and a tux. There's such a world in between.
Exactly my thoughts! Why does he have to look like he's going jogging or doing garden work at home? Why not neat normal clothes?
@@marlena_a Why does it matter though?
@@InsoIence in the big picture, no it doesn't 😄 I just think it's common courtesy to others to show up dressing nicely. No tuxedo needed but something else than sweatpants.
I would absolutely defend the Adam Sandler move. Because it’s not technically a fashion event. For instance it’s a movie award, or a music award. You might be invited because you were part of a nominated project. To not show up and support your movie or album would seem more disrespectful to me, then to show up but not participate in people making a event that is technically about music now about fashion.
Maybe you have no interest in fashion? Maybe you think the night should be about the music and not how people look. Hollywood and music industries are notoriously known for being too superficial (especially for women) caring more about looks/ sex appeal then talent. And while some people might see red carpet fashion as “art” some might see it as superficial and not what that evening is supposed to be about.
So sure, you don’t mind if other people want to dress up, but I don’t think you should feel forced to participate just because you want to support the art you already created. The art the night is actually about.
And I say this as a person who has attended red carpet events. I felt no pressure, got dressed up, and made loud choices more about having fun then looking “good”. But I in no way did that because I thought I “should”. And so in no way feel others should. 🤷♀️ Just my two cents.
100% (but you said it better than me. At least Adam Sandler had clothes ON and they didn't seem dirty or torn up or anything. Tom Hardy is another one who doesn't get dressed up for his movie premieres. Except when he was promoting Lawless in Cannes. He wore a tux). It hasn't seemed to hurt him or his career any.
Well said
Re Adam Sandler: I think it’s too ‘short thought’ or simple to interpret his casual clothes with him internally/emotionally bowing out of the event. I find it possible and completely comprehensible that he likes to celebrate all the work that went into a film by organising a premiere screening and using it to promote a new film, while also feeling “but I don’t want to be someone on the red carpet that I’m not”. (Sure, any celebrity is not fully themselves at any public event, but we all got our limits on how far we’re willing to bend…and I can totally understand that/if one of his limits is clothes.)
Edna Mode of the climate crisis needs to go on your business cards
This!! Yes! Me over here trying to afford food and pay bills while looking at fancy celebrities events. Very Hunger Games 👀
You make a great point about it being counterproductive to reproduce archival pieces in sustainable materials, but I wonder if there’s a role for that process in expanding the archive to include plus sized people. My understanding from watching some of the HauteLeMode reviews is that many archival pieces don’t exist for most plus sizes because they simply were not produced. Just my two cents! Loved this!
Those glasses are fantastic! Also loved hearing you mispronounce the names of people who must think they are so damn important.
tencel/lyocell is made from plant cellulose but iirc the chemicals used for it are less damaging to the environment and can be reused again and again in the process (unlike some other plant fibre fibres like viscose/rayon, where a lot more chemicals are involved in every batch)
I did not know that! Thanks for commenting 😊
Yeah, it's a (patented) closed system, a sort of more effectively made viscose or nylon.
I think saying Carrey Mulligan should have worn the original is ignoring the fact that it may not be an option and possibly wouldn't fit even if she had access to it. Which was why Kim Kardashian wesring the Marilyn dress was an issue.
I don't think the really extravagant events are the problem but if you are somewhere where people come in and outfit they could go out in then why wouldn't they wear it multiple times.
Saying Adam Sandler shouldn't go is kinda ignoring that the fashion is not the main point of most of these events.
I believe Tiffany Haddish wore that dress like half a dozen times.
I'm afraid I do think you're being a tad grumpy about Adam Sandler and his casual clothes. Yes he is attending a celebration of art but not specifically for fashion art, why should he or anyone else have to make a spectical of themselves to go and celebrate their colleagues and friends hard work?
And what is more sustainable: rewearing clothes you wear everyday or rewearing a peice of clothing once every few years?
I am by no means a particular fan of his, nor do I particularly watch any of the awards shows. But I do like engaging with your content 😊
At this point, I just feel like celebrities are like the people in the capitol city of Panem. And the rest of us are in the various districts just trying to survive.
Dystopian plot points are less fun when you’re living them!
Almost like the books were social commentary....
On the note that Adam Sandler is not giving the "symbolic respect" as you say at an event that isn't about fashion, you also state in this video that you don't know how to pronounce the big designer brands and you proceed to mispronounce them, which could arguably be interpreted as not offering a, let's say, symbolic respect towards them?
I am 100% NOT dissing you, just wanted to point out that there isn't any symbolic respect to be given in any of these 2 contexts! You don't care about the big brands? Pronounce them however you feel! He doesn't care about fashion? He wears whatever feels like himself!
Hahah absolutely fair point
About the question "are you being mean and grumpy about the Adam Sandler thing?" I think you kinda are, yeah, but I understand where you're coming from, personally. There are infinite ways to protest and every day there's discussions about what the best way to go about a specific topic is, about how this specific act of protest was actually bad for the cause, etc. Which is good! Helathy, respectful discussion should be encouraged as a communal way to work problems out for our society. If this kind of high standing events started getting more casual and generally less "classist" Adam Sandler would probably be pointed out as one of the pioneers in breaking the aforementioned classism.
Is he quietly doing it with that intention/on purpose? Probably not! Or maybe he is! I don't know the man! The only two facts I know about him are: 1) he opened a production company with his friends to have fun, 2) at least one trans man I know wants to be his character from Airheads. And I'm glad I don't know more.
Bottomline is, it's good and healthy to discuss different ways of protesting and fighting against capitalism and its many many woes, there's never gonna be a perfect way to do it, so as long as you don't hurt real people, you're probably gonna be fine and put your little contribution in the right side of the balance.
I do think you're a bit grumpy about Adam Sandler. I don't think he is necessarily making a statement about fashion, but more about the extravagance and over-everything of red carpet events themselves. Like, he can't make a statement by just not going, but if he wants to say "let's focus more on the art and artists this red carpet leads to, instead of on what people are wearing" the easiest way is to do it the way he does. And it's a statement one can agree or disagree with - people who are really into fashion probably disagree - but I believe it's a statement worth considering.
Maybe he even wants to say "it's ridiculous how much money and resources people are wasting on this" but since he's basically living off the money and attention his movies and appearances and awards shows are making, it's unlikely.
I think by Adam Sandler not wanting to make a fashion statement on the red carpet, he is making a statement. He’s known for not putting a lot of effort towards fashion in general, not just at award shows. It’s part of his personality, not him trying to be a “pick me.” I’ve always like Adam Sandler but recently learned how genuinely kind and authentic he is as a celebrity. I appreciate his outfits on these red carpets and feel like the whole “tradition” and “respect” take caught me off guard, I didn’t expect Leena to have that sort of hot take 😂
Tencel and other regenerated fibers (viscose, modal...) are made from cellulose, basically wood pulp. Most of the processes to make these fabrics use really harsh chemicals, huge amounts of water and energy, so not that sustainable necessarily. Especially if the chemicals get into the environment. These regenerated fibers are usually advertised as really eco friendly, and maybe they are better compared to some other fibers but they are still fresh materials.
I do think the Adam Sandler take is grumpy, if I'm being honest. One, because people should dress how they want to dress. If that's the way he wants to dress, power to him. I think having expectations about what other people wear is a bit weird, when you really think about it. And, we don't know celebrities! The fact that Adam Sandler dresses casually doesn't actually tell us anything about him, not really. Two, the idea that red carpets deserve some symbolic respect is a bit ridiculous imo. Red carpets can provide a platform and if people take the opportunity to make a statement, great, but I think it's a mistake to validate the importance of awards shows by expecting people to show reverence to them in some way. I mean, arguably, awards shows and red carpets are given way more cultural power than they actually deserve. Why feed that? Awards shows are about 30% recognizing artistic endeavour and 70% marketing and propping up and fuelling a celebrity fixated and saturated culture that is massively profitable and also harmful (socially, environmentally)! So basically, if Adam Sandler wants to wear a track suit then I say go on bud
How do you think the red carpet would look if the world where everyone was acting as if they take the climate crisis seriously? To me it’s absurd that all these people have clothes they only wear once/a few times. It’s so strange that there are few enough people rewearing their clothes that it is special. People could still be respectful of the special occasion of getting fancy awards by having a few fancy clothes that they wear again and again, and get altered and make different with different jewellery or make up or hairstyles etc. Then maybe it’d be more normal to do that in everyday life too. I know people who get something new basically everytime they go to a special occasion because they don’t want to be seen wearing the same thing as to the last event. I think that’s just not possible in this world, how can we use so many resources on something you wear once or twice? Since some of it seems to come from wanting to respect the occasion by having something new, I wonder what other ways we could do that instead, to eg show we put effort in and take it seriously and didn’t ‘just grab our go to clothes without much thought’ as if that were disrespectful.
thank you leena for talking so loudly about the world being on fire, helps me feel a little less crazy
Emma Watson has always been a role model for me in terms of sustainability on the red carpet. Her 2016 Met Gala look was made mostly of recycled plastic bottles. I know that closes the loop on recycling plastic bottles (which isn't great), but her look was made of a top, pants, and a train, all of which were designed to wear separately and multiple times after the event. I thought that was really cool.
For someone who cares a lot about pronuncing the names of authors from all around the globe with care, I have to admit that it was a bit disappointing to see you not even try for these fashion brands. These brands are the names of artists just as valuable as authors, musicians, painters and any other creative spirit out there. While we all have our accents getting in the way, they deserve our respect too.
Yes, the brands are named after people, but they are not people. Some founders, now dead, have no real influence on these dresses. And if alive know the difference between their personhood and their company and are unimpacted by this sort of disrespect. A brand named after a person does not deserve more respect than a brand named after something else. And personally I disagree that we have to respect all artists just because they create. It's for every person to decide whether they think a piece of art contains value or whether something is considered art at all. But most of all, companies are not people, no matter what we call them. To suggest that we should show respect to companies is an ironic critique for what some might consider a anti capitalist video
@@campfire87 Whether the person is dead or not has nothing to do with intentionally mispronouncing their name.
@@campfire87 1)I know that most of these people are dead , thank you for the groundbreaking revelation. 2) I never said that a brand not named after a person deserves less respect than a brand named after "something" or invented. 3) I don't see why the effort put into pronouncing people's name correctly would differ whether someone's dead or not, whether they work in fashion or not, whether their names were co-opted by conglomerates or not. Does it mean that when people talk about Dries Van Noten as a person they should pronounce it correctly but when they talk about his company owned by Puig then... fuck him? How many bullshit Marilyn Monroe objects are out there, does it mean that it gives me the right to mispronounce her name? My comment had nothing to do about "anticapitalist this or anticapitalist that". I come from from a culture where names (people or objects) have meanings and trying (insisting on TRYING) to pronounce them well, no matter their origin or your appreciation of that thing/person is considered "bare minimum behaviour". I was personally tickled in this context because across the board people tend to shit on fashion (no matter the context, from SHEIN to real art), as it's considered the highbrow/better than move to make regarding this "frivolous interest", down to not even care about pronouncing things properly because who cares about this dumb shit, right? I'm not an anglophone or from a a culture that would have traveled through colonisation so I'm struggling to understand this disdain for something that simple - trying (again, insisting on TRYING) to pronounce things right.
I choked on my own spit when you pronounced the French designers, I shall sue you from the afterlife for damages
I feel like people who have stylists (for these events at least) should be more able rewear clothes! They have tailors, stylists, hair and makeup artists- they can absolutely change things up in a way more stylish and interesting way! I’m thinking of Cate Blanchett using her dresses to make tops (bc I feel dresses are more difficult to do this with), but also of people re-styling the same pieces in totally new ways. We do this in daily life, but I don’t think it should be out of reach for special events
Leena, we would love a video about your thoughts on various political statements in fashion! That would be amazing!
I’ll put it on the to-do list ;)
The thing that rubs me the wrong way about Adam Sandler not dressing up is the discrepancy in expectations for men and women. Women are expected to go all out and look their best all the time and men can get away with putting zero effort into their appearance. Also, I wish there was more creativity in men’s clothing in general. And I wish it was more socially acceptable for straight men to wear different clothes
in this regard (dressing how you want to on formal occasions) I feel like Billie Eilish is the female equivalent to Adam Sandler
Right! If men were socially "allowed" to be more creative with fashion, and women were socially "allowed" to show up undone and casual so many more people would be happy. I don't think being super casual is the problem, but it is f*ed up that women mostly can't also "get away with it."
But why should Adam Sandler dress up because women aren't able to dress casually? You're getting irritated with Adam Sandler for expectations he didn't create and that he doesn't participate in. Everyone should have the ability to dress however they want and however they feel comfortable. Having a set of expectations for appearances is something we should be critiquing period!
@@bluestockingkatfor me I think it’s that it’s giving «I’m better than you and you are so silly for participating in this» when it’s women who would be absolutely steamrollered if they showed up looking the way Adam Sandler does. Even Billie Eilish wears fancy/expensive clothes, they just happen to be something more comfortable and less restrictive. And she DOES get negative reactions, on a very different level than Sandler does showing up looking like an actual slob.
@@marthabjo That strikes me as a massive projection though. We have no idea why he dresses casually on the red carpet. Maybe he think it's funny. Maybe his kids think it's funny. Maybe he doesn't feel comfortable dressing up. Maybe he doesn't care! We have no idea because we don't know him. But "he's wearing casual clothes therefore he thinks he's better than everyone else and he thinks other people are silly for participating" is a huge leap and built on nothing but personal projection. Women WOULD be steamrolled for dressing casually, but that has nothing to do with Sandler, and surely the ideal is that men women are able to wear whatever they want without us commenting on it, and if that's the direction we want to move in (at least I personally think it should be), then shitting on Sandler for dressing casually is not getting us any closer to that. Women shouldn't be steamrolled for what they wear AND Sandler should be able to dress casually if he wants - we can hold both those opinions.
I also think there's a lot to unpack in the idea that Sandler is somehow an "actual slob" for dressing casually. For one, let's be real - Sandler showing up in casual clothing is not him being a slob. He's wearing clean clothes that are well maintained, they're just... casual. Why the value judgment? But I think it's also worth unpacking why you've juxtaposed Eilish with her "fancy/expensive" clothes with Sandler. The ways in which we talk about clothes and appearance are often subconsciously rooted in class, and obviously Sandler and Eilish are stupid rich, but what is it about expensive or fancy clothes that read to us one way while clothes that don't look particularly expensive (but are perfectly fine - again, he's not showing up to awards shows with stains on his clothes or something) read as "slob."
The Adam Sandler take was a bit grumpy for sure! Enforcing (explicitly or implicitly) dress codes for any reason other than health & safety is almost always rooted in classism, racism and ableism.
Hahahaha what get outta here. As a working poor Latina, I call bullshet. She doesn't have the power to enforce anything. You can't just go around calling people out like this unless you have a serious analysis of power and material reality
@Nico5890 To clarify, I wasn't saying that Leena could enforce a dress code on red carpet events. Just that it's good that there isn't an existing dress code that would prohibit what Adam Sandler does.
An implicit dress code (like, say, at the Met Gala) that requires attendees to wear designer couture, immediately cuts out anyone who can't afford the clothes, who doesn't have the power or influence to get a designer partnership for the clothes, who's body doesn't "work" with the clothes (including the fact that to walk the carpet at the Met you have to walk a million stairs to showcase your outfit from all angles, immediately ruling out anyone with mobility issues), and anyone who's outfit somehow triggers an unwritten faux-pas can get uninvited or kicked out by Anna Wintour. The Met Gala uses it's dress code to dictate who is allowed to attend, before they even walk in the door.
Other places with implicit/explicit dress codes to consider include: churches (everybody should be clean and neatly dressed), sporting matches like tennis or polo that will include explicit dress codes including blazers/suit coats, schools requiring expensive uniforms that often need serious alteration to fit different sized bodies and/or different religious practices. Think about what these dress codes imply about who is easily welcomed in these spaces (and who is begrudgingly accommodated).
@@Nico5890 I think you misunderstood the point.
It's rooted in misogyny as well
Greenwashing is so common. Greenwashing is like capitalism changing the rules of the game as soon as a movement tries to gain traction.
I think Adam Sandler has a really great opportunity to speak out on this issue, it seems he clearly doesn’t want to do the circus of the red carpet so I do wonder if he has a sustainable take (but like you say, I doubt it- would be cooler if he did)
Archives exist for fashion history though? Is like saying we should just recicle all the first editions in the national library because then we could print new After smut on what was previously a 400 year old copy of Macbeth. It feels extremely icky that your art is valid and should be preserved as it is because it doesn't HAVE to serve any function but somone else's art isn't valid if it isn't currently serving a function. It doesn't make any sense to keep the thousands upon thousands of Forever 21 jeggins in a museum or an archive. But fashion designers usually only make a very very limited amount of items of each "piece" they create. The more beautiful and elaborate ones are so expensive to manufacture that nobody bought them/buys them and there is literally just one or two in existence. Sometimes things literally get lost and we have grainy pictures of back in the day but that's it
I am studying to be a physicist but even I can understand that you can't just take someones art pieces, especially like VERY VERY important ones and just shred them and turn them into something else. It isn't just disrespectful to the artist but a society that refuses to remember and acknowledge its own history is condemned to repeat it... over and over and over. It would be like reinventing the wheel forever. Or reinventing dragons and vampires forever. It just feels icky, icky, icky, icky, icky all over. I like to believe it is coming from a place of ignorance.
That's also why it's naive at best to state that Carey Mulligan should have worn the original Balenciaga dress. Just because an old manuscript exists and is still in a library somewhere, you can't just flick through the pages like it was nothing. Wearing the original dress would probably damage it. It's a piece of art, it definitely makes sense to me that one needs a replica of it to be made in order to wear it.
@@saramartina4029 Exactly! It is a form of respect to the designer, the brilliant idea, the craftsman behind it and to the thousands and thousands of hours that took to bring it to life. Doing otherwise is just wrong in so many levels.
I don't really care about most celebrities or awards shows, but wouldn't it be great to see more independent designers being utilised, especially sustainable ones? Who cares about the big fashion houses with their 'greenwashing'!
I will say as a dress historian I understand recreating a 50s Balenciaga rather than wearing the real thing. Think back to the appalling Kim K Met gala incident. It'd damage antique garments too much
I found myself nodding vigorously at your point re celebs re-wearing old dresses, just to flex about their weight not fluctuating! A brill point on seeing celebs altering clothes over time 😊
Its a Eurocentric opinion, it is not consistent with a world view. Because the global north does something, doesn't amount to the planet! As a women in her 50s, my body shape and size is consistent with the healthy body I had in my early 30s. I had also had children (3) at that point.
Can't you and Leena see that these celebrities must have a huge wardrobe full of dresses of different sizes. That celeb wore that particular dress not because she is maintaining that size all those years, but she just happened to be that size again at this turn of life. And it's not that she naturally regained that body, it might very well be the requirement of the role she is currently shooting for.
I really think that statement was bordering on body shaming. Some people are the same size as they were at a previous point in their life and they shouldn't be subjected to criticism for it, especially when it means they can sustainably rewear their clothes. That's just how they are genetically. My Oma (86) has been the same size since she was 16.
Nice body shaming you got there
Never usually one to defend Adam Sandler, but I am uncomfortable with the idea that respect="dressing up". I hate formal attire because it's so much more gendered than casual clothing, and the most of the materials of formal trousers, suit jackets, shirts/blouses, etc. feel awful against my skin. So if I turn up to a "fancy" event in something other than a suit wearing no makeup, that's not out of disrespect, it's out of a need for comfort--no amount of respect for an event or person would make me wear that kind of thing. I'm sure Sandler's casual dress is more to do with his 'brand', but shouldn't there be a way other than fitting into a very slim category of clothing to demonstrate respect? More of a comment on society that you specifically lol, it's just something that irks me.
I completely support Adam sandlers lack of dressing up. I think it's wrong that rich people show off their wealth in the way they do and I think he makes a good statement
Was a happy surprise to hear you on the radio this afternoon talking on veganism! 😄
Really appreciate your content, it’s really eye opening and helpful ^^
The thumbnail should probably say "versus".
As a fashion student, I did indeed cringe after hearing you pronounce Thierry Mugler haha
Also Lady Gaga is quoting Jana Sterbaks "Flesh Dress for an Albino Anorectic" - so there's many more layers than just the prime rib. Also I love Ellen DeGeneres offering Gaga a Bikini made of salad instead. Xo by someone who published an essay on the meat dress :)
Leena what do you think about France's proposed anti-fast fashion bill? One of my fav celebs- wearing-vintage moments is Gillian Anderson at the 2012 BAFTA's wearing a Sybil Connolly, 1950’s pleated handkerchief linen dress. Though I am not a monarchist by any means, Princess Beatrice wearing a borrowed dress of her Gran's(Q Elizabeth II) with a few adaptions, for her wedding dress was quite lovely.
The ad on this being a subway where the typography states MEATIER. CHEESIER. Really don't think they got leenas target demo there 😅 I have hope against the fumblings of the algorithm yet
Sometimes I think it’s good to get mis-targeted ads because then you’re not tempted
I'll be honest I hit the like button as soon as the words 'the edna mode of the climate crisis' came out of your mouth 😂
The mispronunciation that got me was Joaquin 😂
Great video, Edna. Love to see sustainability highlighted. 🤘🏻
Really interesting video! Funny you mentioned Adam Sandler, I watched a clip last week of an interviewer calling him out for wearing the same thing at various events and paparazzid moments. I get way more hasn't wanted to conform to Hollywood's expectations than pick me as it's been his take from the beginning
Did anyone already mentioned that the thumbnail has a typo? It's 'versus' not 'verses'
I thought celebrities where lended clothes by the brands? For them to showcase them.
Anyway, one thing I can appreciate about this level of fashion is the celebration of handcraftmanship and good quality clothes.
What I think is out of touch is not necessarily the use of new clothing but the opulence of the events themselves in a world like this.
I used to pronounce Givenchy like you did, but I'd also heard "She-vo-she" (French pronunciation) before, and it took me years to realize they're the same thing. 😂 Now on with the video...
Gesundheit!
Celebrity fashion but make it “period dramas reuse the same few dresses because bespoke clothing is incredibly valuable and should be worn more than once.”
Seriously, I love playing “spot the dress” when watching period pieces, and it was cool seeing you do that with some red carpet looks.
Adam sandlers approach is likely because he just likes to be comfy. But actually, i feel like it stands out more than typical mens fashion on the runway, which is usually a black tux. Maybe thats his real motive 😅
I love the Sandler outfits, as I think all of these afterparties and red carpets are a colossal waste of resources and money. It might be a bit of an obvious political statement, but he *is* being sustainable, and he looks good! I just finished a film degree and fully understand the amount of work that goes into making a movie, and I don't think these hideously expensive one-use clothes do anything to celebrate that - it's just rich people showing off their money and feeding in to a culture of celebrity that, imo, is unhealthy for the development of truly innovative cinema. I would appreciate if actors just came in their own clothes instead of trying to stand out and build up an image for themselves.
That said, I do wish women felt they were able to come dressed the way Sandler does. People like Kristen Stewart I think are coming close - I've seen red carpet photos of her in a jacket and jeans - and I also think that at smaller film industry events, such as indie movie premieres and film events outside the US and UK, there are women who feel more comfortable to wear the stuff already in their wardrobes. The one that always comes to mind for me is the premiere of Final Destination 3, where everyone's dressed like they're attending a prom or a birthday party - they look really nice without making the fashion show something separate from the art they are there to celebrate!
On the Adam Sandler point, I agree that its almost certainly a subversion tactic, however, If you view these award shows through a socialist lens, that these award shows are merely a display of wealth and power, which while celebrating the highest level of art certainly shouldnt be they nevertheless have become, there is a quiet radicalism about Adam Sandlers refusal to partake in the glitz and glam, there should of course be room for glitz and glam in the world , however since it has been co-opted by the ruling classes in this manner the refusal to participate strikes out against these institutions which have hold so much power
Therry muggler really got me 😅... givenchee too
6:46 he shall now be known as Hurricane Phoenix, it's law now
Also all those dresses being altered specifically for a certain celebrity and yet after the show being returned to the designer because they were just "rented" - insane
Lots of the alterations won’t be permanent, like hems can be taken up temporarily by hand and then let go afterwards. Moreover, there will be a “sample size” (🤢) that a large majority of celebs can fit into that won’t need massive alterations to make work for a short event. But yes, lots of alterations are permanent and are like covering paint with more layers of paint… making a room ever so smaller each time
12:48 Yes, I think you are being grumpy. Adam Sandler wearing his daily wear *is* making an statement. As far as I understand, and I don't understand much, red carpets are just a path to enter the auditorium where the ceremony is happening. He wants to attend the ceremony, he wants to meet and greet his friends and he wants to make an statement that this all can be done in clothes which normal people wear.
The Marily Dress... I disagree. There is a nice Video from a great German french designer about this. This got so much attention. But actually no museum wanted this dress. It was in private hands.
It got damaged and that is sooooo stupid. But all in all. Its not even close to such a big controversy that the 'world's seemed to make it.
ua-cam.com/video/J3sje2dWP0A/v-deo.htmlsi=D-02V0BzWrQ1J91C
Watching this video whilst stitching the arms onto my first ever handmade crochet sweater feels very apt!
Diesel showed some denim fur looks on the runway last month (literally denim frayed and fluffed to look like fur) which looked really good.
Can I suggest an Aunt Mabel style vid where you find out about plastic bottles being turned into fabric? Because the sceptic in me is… sceptical
Watching celebrities on red carpets to me feels like I'm in the hunger games universe watching the people of the Capital. I feel so disconnected from them that it's hard for me to grasp sometimes that they're just people like me, who happen to be well-known. I'm poor and I either thrift or sew my own clothes. I can't relate to the sustainability of celebrity clothing.
It is an interesting trend but I hope it becomes about sustainability rather than a further display of wealth because only the ultra rich can access famous archival pieces.
A couple years ago, I did the typical (very American) autumnal "farm" visit (think: corn maze, hay ride, etc.) with family. I saw a woman with a blow-out, perfect makeup, perfect 2010s tumblr/pinterest outfit, and her male partner was wearing sweatpants and flip flops. I definitely noticed, definitely turned to my generally well-dressed husband and said something catty like, "she looks like that and he literally just rolled out of bed?" That's the whole Adam Sandler conundrum for me. On the one hand, it feels genuine, authentic to see him wearing a baggy tee at a red carpet event, and so, in an industry that is very contrived, very plastic, refreshing. But on the other hand, I am the type of person who judges people for being too casual. I am the "pajamas at the grocery store, really?" person (internally, not aloud--I'm not a monster). So I do feel like, wouldn't it be more respectful of him to just put on a damn tie? His wife is dressed up. His female colleagues are dressed up. But then again, the whole jogging shorts at an event thing is ... funny? Like, it cracks me up.
But also, and I know this is controversial for the nature of Leena's channel, but: he's not obligated to make a statement. His job is movies and movie-related stuff. That's it. Not fashion, not social or eco justice. Just movies and the accompanying business and selling of movies. And maybe that's the statement he's making, consciously or not.
this was such an interesting concept. although I am with adam sandler on this one! it's what i'd want to be doing if I ever had to go to one of these. and what I wish I was doing ever time I go to a normie dress-up event. mostly for my own comfort since I really feel uncomfortable, like deep in my soul, in dress clothes. but even from a sustainability standpoint--even if you're reusing these high fashion outfits, that's getting how much more use really? a handful at best? and then what happens to them?
I'm sure many of the women want to be doing it too.
So why don't they feel they have the option to?
Oh right, male supremacy
Super interesting to hear your take on Adam Sandler. I know nothing about fashion or celebrity so YMMV but I'm Autistic and I've done the getting dressed up to fit expecations (wearing what other people thought I should wear) for events and stuff, but after an incredibly bad burnout I'm now very much in a place where if I can't go in my dungarees I'm not going. Sure I'd probably get some sparkly dungarees for a red carpet but I want to be *me* and be comfortable.
It's nice when celebrities rewear clothing, but how much good does it do, when at the same time they also use private jets all the time, have multiple enormous mansions, promote questionable brands etc?
It’s worth saying that although I love both Billie Eilish and Jane Fonda, they’ve both recently done collections with H&M, which definitely sucks.
To be clear: if we're going to use feathers, fur, etc, synthetic imitation is not better than the Real Deal.
This subject is kind of hairy, because we also need to acknowledge that both leather and furs are - aside from any personal feelings you might have about utilising animal products - incredibly resource intense to produce. Leather is, by far, the most water-demanding material to produce by weight and while this is closely tied to working conditions in places like Bangladesh those factors can only be eliminated to a point. This specifically is not true for feathers but what is true is that as far as function goes, leather, furs and feathers are absolutely unique. Their properties cannot be reproduced with other organic materials and even if synthetic materials could, that means running into the issue of, well... Petroleum. Microplastics. Lack of circularity in the system.
There is a question here about functionality itself. A lot of the leather we use is not really necessary from a functionality perspective, especially for those of us who live in cities, doubly so when those cities are in warm climates. If you need weatherproof boots, there is no beating leather, simple as. If you don't need weatherproof boots for half the year, maybe go with canvas and rubber for your daily wear. As with anything else, it is an issue of scale, as well as frivolity. Most of the world's leather comes from meat cattle, where such enormous amounts of hide is produced that were it left to rot, we'd have a whole new methane issue.
When animal materials are cosmetic, as is the case here, there are other ways to do it. Fashion brand Area did some really cool tromp-l'oeil fur print for their SS24. While we need to challenge how they are used and produced, animal materials as a whole are as essential to dress future as they were to dress history, especially if the alternative we are pushing is synthetics - the oil industry has put a LOT of money into remarketing PVC, PVU and other leather imitations as "vegan" "leather".
I am not remotely fashionable (basic brand, unisex vibes) but even I know how to pronounce these designers 😅😂
I hate to pop a bubble, but...
Look, when it comes to extruded woody pulp aka viscose aka rayon aka soft bamboo or tencel, it is true that the bulk of the raw materials can be grown from more sustainable sources. Unfortunately, the chemicals used to turn the wood into fiber are dangerous and toxic, and as these things so often go, companies love exploitation and cutting corners. I recently watched some investigative journalism into a place making viscose, where the workers got their lungs permanently injured in the first couple weeks of work. People were dying. They were not protected or defended, and honestly, I basically thought 'here are the matchstick girls of this era.' No one is talking about the nitty gritty of the process, so I can't say if the notion that the whole process can be made safe is pie in the sky wishful thinking, or just a matter of solid investment. What I can say is that the textile industry has long gotten away with murder.
There are many places whose water are polluted by byproducts of textile production, and the communities live or die with that reality, and have no real ability to protect their water or their lives. Or there are places like the first superfund clean up site in the US. A textile factory sealed up dye bath water in drums, and when they moved on, they left a dump behind. At first, the drums were set into clay. Then some people thought they could cut corners, and they bought the land for a school for only a dollar. Then they developed the land around it, funding the school. Well, of course the clueless construction workers tunneled right through the clay, laying plumbing and the like. Soon sink holes were popping up. The groundwater was completely contaminated. (Soil? Air? Who knows how fast the pollution got around?) Then people started getting cancer en masse. Naturally, it takes the government decades, and protracted battles to order an evacuation, and it isn't even in a wide enough radius. Did I mention that this stuff is so toxic that it gives people inheritable diseases to pass down? Yeah. Now, I'm a watcher of documentaries, not an expert, but let's just say that I now have absolutely no faith in any governing body to simply not make things worse in the event of the confluence of money, politics, and pollution. Also, I now believe that water contamination is a valid reason to get into a hazmat suit and move away before anyone has any more information to give out. Did I mention that I'm more committed than ever to minimalism, after watching this?
Anyway, it seems like no one has yet figured out how to limit the damage of the textile industry, or to simply tell parts of it 'No,' and get it to stick. But I have long been interested in making clothes and cloth, and here's the thing, if you are limiting yourself to sustainable, ethically produced clothing, get ready for a lot of linen, hemp, and wool, and subtler, more muted colors. Yes, you can wear second hand clothing, but at some point, we all probably need to stare down our cravings that have produced what we have. I can tell you right now that even with what I know, I'm still trying to justify using technical, and rather special nylon fabric for my outdoor gear DIY project. The natural alternative is silk, and not necessarily ahimsa silk, because I need some serious load bearing properties. Silk production has a terrible track record of boiling living creatures alive, and exploiting the people making it happen. Anyway, for a lot of people, their stumbling block is going to be the less stunning colors, or a lack of softness, or a lack of durability, even if you can convince them to spend more money on natural materials. Mycellium is an exciting new option. That said, most materials for textiles are labor and/or land intensive, and the demand is so massive that the pressure is always going to be to exploit producers, and to grow these things as cash crops, and monocultures, until we re-think and re-legislate these matters on a community level. Already, the notion of having locally sourced and made garments is out of reach of most people (unless you live on a farm, and own your proceeds, and can afford to set some by for your own projects). It used to be that pretty much everyone was producing piece wear, spinning, knitting their own socks, etc... That was in part because it was the thing to do, and in part because they lived with the raw materials for such things close at hand. Can you imagine trying to convince suburbanites to lend their lawns to grazing sheep, maybe taking down a few fences in the process? Because that is exactly what needs to happen. Really, what is required, is that workers become owners, and that they consolidate power, so that they are lauded and supported for the little they produce, and they own their communities in such a fashion that basic welfare for all, and public utility access is guaranteed, and such things are protected from greed and predation. In other words, our systems need to switch entirely to co-operation and communal enrichment.
Because this is a very vegan friendly space, I feel like I really need to say this. Killing all the domesticated animals sucking up air, and farting out huge amounts of methane, isn't this peak sustainable solution, that is going to leave more for humans with hardly any down sides except a lack of animal product in our diets. Animals are the answer as to how to get more naturally fertile, lush landscapes. Most of our problems are based on how we have have separated animals and land. I know Michael Pollan is a pretty great resource, and most people who have gotten into his work know about Joel Salatin. I want to add two other important names to the list, Alan Savoy, who can tell you all about fertile grass land and savannah, made so by herd animals living on them in proper rotation and proportion, and Geoff Lawton, who at one time had an excellent video series on his permaculture practices that produce nothing less than Eden everywhere he settles. Herd animals, and large carnivores are, over, and over again, surprising lynch pins in the food chain, and a lack of them can often send places into a steep, cascading decline. Instead of thinking that we are keeping animals around for eating, we really ought to start thinking we are keeping them around for the health of the soil, and the plant life cycle we are all depending upon. One cow does more for the soil, if it gets to live on real pasture, than one human will ever do. (I know we try, but it's just no substitute for all the chewing and pooping.)
So let's have a little heart to heart about sheep and pigeons. Sheep need to be shorn for their health. Just like humans needed to learn how to wipe ourselves when we started to stand upright. Life happens, and events create opportunities, and cut off more sensible options in the process. Species, individuals, we don't always get to choose what those trade offs will be. Unfortunately, we have gotten into the habit of choosing for other species. So let's look at a case of human neglect: pigeons. Pigeons with their white poop... Were messengers, doves, coveted pets housed in every city, and their poop wasn't white. Why? They weren't malnourished. Pigeon has been eaten for a long time, and I can easily imagine that when the telegraph came to town, some people were all too happy to eat their darling doves. Clearly though, plenty of pigeons were simply neglected. Now here we are, and have pigeons adapted to enjoy better health? No, probably because humans are such omnipresent evils. And we (broadly speaking, or in many quarters) have the temerity to put around that no one should encourage the pigeons by feeding them because they are dirty pests who leave white poop everywhere! Humans in the collective sense tend to be fickle, and cruel to animals, creating a relationship largely from our own unquestioned, unedited projections. Which animals we think are heroes, or villains, worthy of food and on-going care, or better off fending for themselves on shrinking resources, or dying for our betterment, doesn't often make a bit of logical sense, nor carry significant emotional investment. If we bothered to categorize this behavior as we would in human to human terms, we would be privileged revisionists with something in between sociopathic and psychopathic blind spots. Sadism implies arousal or emotional investment linked with being callously cruel, and we can't even do that much, most of us. So let me ask you this, when forests stretched even across the North American plains, and the land was managed into food forests the people moved in, following seasonal migration patterns, and the land was teeming with animals, do you think the animals didn't eat human food? Aren't you curious what human-animal interaction was like, and what people's attitudes were? Perhaps most humans then strove to conquer the animals who posed a danger, and they were simply grateful for greater control over their environment. But what if there were other attitudes? What if there was even some deliberate construction of this very fertile environment, home of humans, and countless others?
sometimes i wish i was famous just to be a role model for sustainable living :')
I don't think you're being grumpy about Sandler. I believe we wear clothes not just for ourselves but to honor and celebrate others. That's also part of my upbringing and culture as a South Asian. He can wear a nice silhouette without buying something new. I'm sure he has nice and comfy clothes in his closet that look presentable and look as though he wants to celebrate the art he has come to celebrate. I don't buy that he's just a man being himself- it's a calculated choice, and he could have chosen to be less put together and very comfortable without being absolutely sloppy. He's a rich man, he has clothes 😂.
very though provoking video! I never comment but i'm giving it a go-
the lady gaga meat dress is sustainable, i.e decomposed by now! she's not a vegetarian or vegan, so by wearing the dress I believe it was more in line with her values and morals than someone else who eats meat on a daily basis but rejects the meat dress because its 'gross'. it makes me think of the adage that if you are going to eat chicken you need to feel comfortable killing a chicken, if you're going to eat pork you need to feel comfortable killing the pig, etc. I believe she was engaging more truthfully with the lifestyle of animal consumption by wearing the meat dress, and what really upset people was that it went against social norms! not the killing of the animal.
on a separate note, to those who study or work in fashion, original archival garments should be preserved and conserved whether they were worn by Marilyn or not. the sweat, moisturizer, fake tan, perfume, etc. that all get muddled onto the archival garment is detrimental to its conservation no matter whether it's a pop culturally famous dress or not. in that sense I think it's a bit unfair to put the women who attend these events into the double bind of 'ruining' the original dress (kim k in marilyn's) to huge backlash, or listening to the fashion conservationists and 'needlessly' recreating the archival piece (carey mulligan). it seems like they can't win in either case.
IMO the whole culture and structure of these events need to be reevaluated because they aren't sustainable at all, so it's difficult to judge celebs for their personal (often outsourced) styling choices in these situations. they are more of a symptom than the problem themselves.
At a convention gala one of the attendees wore a version of Lady Gaga's meat dress but made entirely from cabbage leaves, I'm not sure how much hot glue was involved in assembling it, but I thought you would appreciate the sentiment of a real Green Dress Leena.
Would actually not be surprised if Adam Sandler does get new clothes for the red carpet, considering how little rewearing rich people seem to do in general 🫠 Another great video Leena!
I can’t bare to think about it so I’m gunna believe he DOESN’T, just for my sanity
Disappointed that you pronounced Versace and Gaultier correctly 🤣🤣
I guess I appreciate the intent, but couldn't the curtains have been reused as curtains? What happened to all the offcut fabric? If it's for sentimental reasons I get that, but I'm not sure it's particularly sustainable.
This was really interesting, thank you Leena! Lots of food for thought for my own wardrobe.
Don’t know if this has been commented already but I read that Emma Stone’s wedding dress is made with ostrich feathers.
With love, I do think you came off a little bitter that some people are slim and still fit into the same clothes across decades. I fit into clothes from 15 years ago because my weight and build is the same (it went up briefly in the middle due to health). I am not thin, but could "flex" this same way. Do we want people to recycle clothes, but only if it doesn't show them up as happy in the skin they're in? Why alter a nice dress that fits just to make people think their weight did change? On the other hand, I would love to see celebs that have clearly gained or lost weight and how they alter their clothes to fit.
I do agree that Sandler is kind of a slap in the face to the others, but I wonder if maybe that's how red carpet could/should be? I don't feel qualified to speak on him, as I would do the gardening in a ballgown if I had one 😂😅
Most of these "Eco" dresses were worn to the afterparties, so it doesn't even make sense lol
Kristine Vike has a very informative video about viscose and mentions tencel/lyocell and its impact on the environment. I’ve been getting a bit disenchanted with red carpets but this was fun!
Also if you love wearing a dress, why not wear it more than once! If you feel good and look good, it's so silly to stop wearing it.
this is interesting because i was under the impression (depending on the type/prestige of the event) that red carpet fits were returned to the designer/stylist after wearing
Haute Le Mode was my pronunciation teacher lol
Love all your takes, Leena. You are so smart and thoughtful :)
So much love but the way you say Mugler is so scary
" No Capes! "
I agree with your take about Sandler! Also, back in 2016 in Quebec we had a women artist who dressed casual once for the music awards, and people brought her down for it during several years. During those years, many men did the same and people just thought it was funny…
There’s a typo in the thumb nail :)
Based on these comments I think I'm in the minority to say that I agree with you about Adam Sandler. He's definitely gotten more put together as time as gone on.
Oh, and "repurposed plastic bottles" -type descriptions of fabric just means "this material is synthetic and instead of recycling those bottles into other bottles/single use items, we made them into a dress", it's pretty much always greenwashing. It looks nothing like plastic bottles because "plastic bottles" are just the most easily recyclable plastic out there because we pretty much have systems already in place for it.
Also happy to hear a man described as "pick me" for once, lol, I agree it's kinda cheap but he does also do it so consistently and earnestly I kind of have to respect it.