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Redemption Donates 100 Percent of Proceeds to Coronavirus Charities

Redemption is going all-in on its fight against the coronavirus. 
The Milan-based fashion label was founded with the intention of establishing a new way of doing business. (It normally donates 50 percent of profits to charity.) Now the brand is giving 100 percent of proceeds from its online store to charities that support COVID-19 relief efforts. 
“We decided, at the moment, we needed to do something more,” Gabriele “Bebe” Moratti, Redemption’s creative director and cofounder, told WWD. “We do it because we know we can. That’s kind of our m.o. If you’re willing and able and you have the chance to do something positive for something different, then I choose to do it.” 

Redemption spring 2020. 
Courtesy

Moratti wouldn’t disclose the specific charities, but said the fashion brand will donate to four nonprofits: two in the U.S., one in France and one in Italy. Donations include profits from all collections currently available online and may extend into future seasons “depending on how dire this crisis continues to be,” he said. 
While the business model may seem a bit unorthodox (in its eight-year run Redemption has yet to turn a profit), Moratti said that was never the goal. It was about creating a more sustainable and socially

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Italy to Gradually Lift Lockdown on May 4

FIRST STEP: Italy’s prime minister Giuseppe Conte on Sunday evening confirmed the lockdown in the country, first enforced on March 9, will be gradually lifted beginning May 4, when production and construction will be allowed to restart, as well as B2B operations, in compliance with safety protocols.
Another phase will kick off on May 18 when retail businesses will be allowed to reopen, as well as museums, exhibitions and libraries. Bars, restaurants, hair salons and beauty centers will reopen on June 1.
Masks will be mandatory in public places, large crowd gatherings will be forbidden and a social distancing of at least three feet will continue to be required. Conte was cautious, saying that citizens will have to learn to live with the coronavirus and that another lockdown could be necessary if signs pointed to a fresh outbreak.
As of April 26, at least 197,675 citizens in Italy have been infected, 26,644 have died, according to the Civil Protection.
A number of luxury brands have resumed activities ahead of the end of the lockdown, as reported, also for the production of protective masks and overalls. Valentino, for example, will resume activities on April 27 at its artisan laboratories and at a number of its

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Chrome Hearts Lays Off Most U.S. Retail Staff

Chrome Hearts, even with its luxe swashbuckling persona, is facing the economic realities of the coronavirus.
The Los Angeles-based luxury brand, known best for eccentric biker-themed jewelry and accessories favored by a long list of major celebrities, has permanently laid off 100 employees in the U.S., WWD has learned. The layoffs are thought to affect the majority of its retail employees in America. 
Sources recently noted that the ongoing closures of all “nonessential” retail stores in North America and Europe, where the company has nine and four stores, respectively, were undoubtedly affecting the brand financially — it has no online business to speak of. Chrome Hearts last week filed a required notice with the State of California disclosing the layoffs and categorizing them as “permanent.” Nearly all other companies that have filed worker layoff notices, including a number of retailers, have categorized them as “temporary.”
A spokeswoman for the company said the brand does plan to reopen the stores, but, as with other businesses, it is unclear when exactly that will happen.
“While the retail landscape is challenging at this time, we have full intentions to reopen all of our stores that have been impacted,” she said. “Obviously, we’re all standing by to hear

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Maxfield L.A. Launches E-commerce

It took a pandemic for legendary Los Angeles fashion boutique Maxfield to launch e-commerce for the first time in its 50-year history.
“We changed our computer system a year ago with the idea to go into online, and we probably would have rolled it out in the fall. But faced with the virus and having zero idea when we can reopen, we gathered all the assets we could get our hands on and went for it,” Maxfield buying director Sarah Stewart told WWD.
The site launched this week with a Casablanca for New Balance sneaker drop “that sold out in two minutes,” Stewart said, explaining that her team is uploading new men’s and women’s merchandise, jewelry, gifts and antique furniture photos about three times a week. The fashion assortment includes Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Maison Margiela, Rick Owens and Givenchy spring collection clothing, pieces from the Facetasm x Levi’s collaboration, as well as Maxfield’s edit of L.A. cool labels Amiri and Fear of God, and one-off exclusives, like a Jay Ahr hand-embroidered vintage 1969 Hermès Kelly bag for $55,000, a Mad reworked Rolex watch for $44,000 and a Rogue Bespoke roach clip for $3,895.
Stewart said the store’s loyal Instagram following (126,000) was a

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NFL Draft Picks Attempt Fashion Moments From Home

The NFL held the first round of its first virtual NFL Draft on Thursday night, which turned out to be history-making moments for young prospects and a showcase of home outfits.
The NFL Draft has often been a sports fashion affair, alongside the NBA All-Star Weekend, NBA Draft and the Espy Awards. But how do young prospects have a fashionable introduction to the pro football world when they’re stuck at home?
Some received help from brands including 2019 Heisman Trophy winner and Cincinnati Bengals draft pick Joe Burrow, who wore a Nike custom ‘740’ long sleeve T-shirt from his home in Athens, Ohio. Top prospect and Miami Dolphins pick Tua Tagovailoa opted for a custom suit by Richards Bespoke in Nashville that sported a lining featuring photos of his grandparents.
Others went casual, like Arizona Cardinals pick Isaiah Simmons, who wore a T-shirt bearing KAWS artwork (family members wore similar shirts). Former Alabama wide receiver and Las Vegas Raiders pick Henry Ruggs III opted not to dress up, appearing on TV in a bathrobe for a partnership with Old Spice.
The polar opposite was Jeff Okudah. The Detroit Lions pick wore a Thom Browne outfit for the NFL Draft, but it wasn’t the look

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Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber Release Official Face Masks

Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Justin Bieber and The Rolling Stones are among the Universal Music Group artists releasing washable, reusable, cloth face masks as part of the music company’s “We’ve Got You Covered” initiative.
Available now at wegotyoucoverednow.com and costing $15 each, all net proceeds will go toward charities that include MusiCares and Help Musicians, which are working to support the music community affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The “We’ve Got You Covered” initiative was kicked off after UMG began offering face masks to its employees.
“I’m humbled and grateful to work with artists and partners who are passionate and driven to deliver a program that supports those that need it most during this unprecedented time,” shared Mat Vlasic, chief executive officer of Bravado, UMG’s merchandise and brand management company. “This initiative will continue to grow and evolve thanks to the hard work from everyone here at Bravado and UMG, along with our artists across the globe.”

 

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Cartier Launches Three Watches, Designer Outlines Approach

TIME TALES: As the watch industry grapples with the challenge of launching new products during the coronavirus, Cartier is not skipping a beat, and — through a recently created online platform — is presenting three timepieces on Friday: a retooled Pasha, the Santos-Dumont and the Maillon, which carries a prominent new design. 
“Reading the time is secondary,” noted Marie-Laure Cérède, director of watchmaking for Cartier, explaining her approach to design for timepieces at the storied French label. It’s all about aesthetics, she added, pointing out that she generally doesn’t wear watches that are “on-time” — set to the proper time.
The luxury executive started her career at Cartier before a 12-year stint at Harry Winston where, as creative director, she moved the brand into jewelry watches and large complications. She returned to Cartier in 2017 as deputy director of watchmaking before rising to her current post, which she has held for three years.   
Reflecting the age-old struggle of the high-end watchmaking industry, that is, to draw on a house’s tradition while introducing fresh relevance for a current audience, Cérède describes it as paying homage to the brand’s legacy while introducing a new “vocabulary” for the future — at once daring, forward-looking but

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Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh Creates Exclusive Capsule for Tsum

Virgil Abloh, creative director of Off-White, wants a bigger slice of the Russian market.
Off-White has developed a capsule with Tsum, the Moscow department store, set to launch Saturday and sold exclusively at tsum.ru.
Tsum has carried Off-White’s mainline collections, but this is their first exclusive partnership. The capsule was developed in Abloh’s design studio in Milan and embraces the “spirit of the Nineties.”
Asked his impressions of Russian style and his inspiration behind the collection, Abloh said, “This community passionately embraces an eclectic style, that also happens to be very practical. There’s a lot of mixing and matching, the building of smart casual looks from luxury and vintage. Through this capsule I wanted to bring this concept to life. To me this way of dressing is so heavily linked to ‘the spirit of the Nineties’ — an era that gave us the building blocks of this current trend.”
For example, the women’s wear collection features a fitted, plunged-neck dress with exaggerated shoulder silhouette, an oversize hoodie, fitted Ts and track pants. A touch of metallic is added to bags to give a high-tech, industrial feel. Men’s wear staples include flannels, Ts and hoodies in shades of black and white, zip chain wallet and

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Maria Tash Offers Virtual Piercing Checkups During Lockdown

Maria Tash has been at the forefront of experiential jewelry retail. The piercing artist helped popularize luxury piercing jewelry made from precious metals and stones, opening stores that serve as both fine jewelry boutique and piercing salon.
Now that her six retail locations are closed due to coronavirus lockdowns, Tash is bringing her experience online. The jeweler has begun offering complimentary virtual piercing checkups, conducted via FaceTime and Google Hangouts. The appointments will be available in five languages: English, Spanish, French, Italian and Arabic.
The 15-minute time slots will match consumers with piercing artists to review healing, post size, jewelry changes and any other piercing-related questions.
“The recent launch of virtual piercing checkup technology provides us with a way to stay connected to our clients globally, and we can continue to be an expert resource for anyone with questions on piercing, healing, ring and post sizing, and aftercare,” Tash said in a statement.
“It’s a wonderful and rare opportunity to meet and speak with my senior, lead piercers from my stores around the world for complimentary advice…They give our piercers the opportunity to be creative, share their deep knowledge and inspire, as well as allay client piercing concerns while simultaneously fostering their vision for

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Fashion Girls for Humanity Launches Gowns for Good Made in America

DIRE DRESS CODES: Like many nonprofits, Fashion Girls for Humanity has redirected its focus to the global pandemic to help develop PPE — or personal protective equipment — goods.
The group has teamed with Fashion for the Front Lines to create two information hubs to highlight available resources, including downloadable patterns to make face masks and medical gowns. There is a list of hospitals and health-care facilities that are in need of donations or purchases of PPE. There is also information about companies producing PPE goods.
Fashion Girls for Humanity was started nine years ago by Julie Gilhart, Kikka Hanazawa, Miki Higasa and Tomoko Ogura. As part of the COVID-19 response, the group is helping Care + Wear, a leading resource for health-wear, by starting a campaign to raise funds for its Gowns for Good Made in America.
The group aims to raise $250,000 through its GoFundMe page. The initial plan is to produce about 5,000 gowns each week to start through a group of New York-based factories and then 10,000 each week once things get rolling. Each $25 donation allows for a gown to be donated to a frontline medical worker. As part of the Fashion Girls for Humanity effort, the gowns

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