Blue Celestino: The conference will focus on the role of blue in materials and objects
Blue is the theme of the 21st Annual Fashion + Design Conference in New York this week, cutting a broad swathe across materials and categories of objects unified by the same color.
Held Nov. 14-16 at Parsons The New School, Blue will focus on sustainability and fashion, and implementation of responsible practice in apparel and jewelry. The event will also explore new developments in design, technique, process and technology, in addition to the networking with fashion luminaries speaking and in attendance.
“Because color is one of the most important and visceral signifiers, this year’s conference will focus on blue, an extraordinary color, sitting astride the entirety of fashion and jewels,” said Lisa Koenigsberg, founder/president of Blue organizer Initiatives in Art and Culture (IAC), New York.
“This year’s conference will explore the signal significance of this color historically and in the present, its uses and its importance in branding and rank in consumer preferences,” she said. “And we will also view it is the thread linking the entirety of the sustainable supply chain: blue sky, blue waters, blue planet, the ultimate heirloom.”
Colorful lot
Speakers include designers Stan Herman, Dame Zandra Rhodes, Anna Sui, Sergio Guadarrama and Kade Johnson; fashion historian Kimberly Chrisman-Campbell; fashion photographer Arthur Elgort; WWD executive editor Bridget Foley; celebrity stylist Andrew Gellwick; jewelry consultant Elle Hill; and Converse’s Jessica L’Abbe.
Also speaking are Diamond Producers Association’s Grant Mobley, Panjshir Valley Emeralds CEO Michael Peters, art writer and producer Joan Agajanian Quinn, indigo master Rowland Ricketts, Decades founder Cameron Silver and fashion journalist and author Dana Thomas.
Sponsors include the Parsons School of Fashion, JCK, Piaget, Vogue, Panjshir Valley Emeralds, Trusted Gems, Salon Art + Design and the Diamond Producers Association.
“Respect for materials, craft and authentic expression are at the core of IAC’s focus,” Ms. Koenigsberg said. “Key to all exploration is a concern for ethical practice and responsible sourcing, whether in textiles or gemstones.
“Using a cross-disciplinary approach, this deep-dive brings together growers, makers, manufacturers, retailers, journalists, environmentalists, taste makers and thought leaders to trace the ties that bind individuals and communities along the continuum from production to arrival in the marketplace,” she said.
“Along the way, leaders and luminaries illumine the importance of each link in the entirety of the sustainable supply chain and the cultural response to the created garment or jewel.”
Please click here for the agenda and to register for Blue: 21st Annual Fashion + Design Conference
Luxury Daily readers can use the promotional code BLUE to get the discounted rate of $250 instead of $350. Student rate with ID is $100.
