Carine Roitefld had her work cut out for her. It’s no easy task to produce a fashion show, let alone amid a global pandemic, but BAZAAR’s global fashion director managed to do it. For her annual amfAR gala, one that would normally takes place in Cannes, France, she enlisted the fashion industry’s elites for a virtual runway show filmed at different locations across the globe. Kudos go out to the editors cutting all that footage and assembling it in a concise package for YouTube.
The pre-taped recording started with Derek Blasberg, head of fashion and beauty at the video-sharing platform, expressing his excitement to what he described as an event that is “the first of its kind, a high-fashion runway show entirely from home.” The online spectacle was enacted to raise awareness and aid for the amfAR Fund to Fight COVID-19, showing snippets of celebrities, designers, models, and industry insiders conveying heartfelt messages of solidarity against combating the disease and unwavering support for frontline workers.
“It’s not just to have fun,” Roitfeld said. “It’s something to raise money for a great cause and put a smile on your face. Today I am not a fashion icon. My icons are these doctors, these nurses; the lady that [works] at a grocery store.”
Sharing the same sentiment was Kim Kardashian West, who also relayed her gratitude to all those who partook in the film. “I just wanted to thank you, Carine, thank you, amfAR, and to all the beautiful women who are so graciously offering up your time and your energy, and just your beautiful spirit to everyone that is watching from home,” she said.
Before the makeshift catwalk began, the models were given tutorials by leading hair and makeup stylists, manicurists, and show producers, communicating the vibe of the show. But it was subsequently clear that these were just guidelines, as all those involved brought their own looks and personalities to their struts.
Irina Shayk, Karen Elson, Winnie Harlow, Ashley Graham, Eva Herzigova, Carolyn Murphy, Anok Yai, Alessandra Ambrosio, Stella Maxwell, Candice Huffine, Halima Aden, and many more shot themselves getting ready and then walking in their respective homes, most with a wink and smile. Because however much the coronavirus has separated us, we can all come together to shed some joy—and raise some money—during this trying time.
This article originally appeared on Harper’s BAZAAR US.
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