The event will also feature appearances by Karlie Kloss, Hailey Bieber and Winnie Harlow, all hitting their home runways, as Derek Blasberg handles hosting duties.
Some big names in fashion are coming together for a one-of-a-kind runway event to benefit COVID-19 relief.
CR Fashion Book founder Carine Roitfeld announced today the CR Runway global event Fashion Unites, a 30-minute special in partnership with amfAR, the HIV/AIDS nonprofit that has shifted to create a fund to raise money for relief efforts and scientific research amid the global pandemic.
Hosted by Derek Blasberg, head of YouTube Fashion and Beauty, the event will stream worldwide YouTube on May 1 (1 p.m. PST/4 p.m. EST). Described as the first self-filmed fashion show, Fashion Unites will feature models wearing creations from their personal wardrobes as styled remotely by Roitfeld and her team, along with exclusive at-home musical performances, tributes and messages from designers and contributors for front line workers.
Created by Roitfeld and directed by Fabien Constant, the special will include appearances by Kim Kardashian West, Karlie Kloss, Ashley Graham, Hailey Bieber, Adriana Lima, Diane von Fürstenberg, Halima Aden, Virgil Abloh, Karolina Kurkova, Alexander Wang, Joan Smalls, Amber Valletta, Winnie Harlow, Irina Shayk, Karen Elson, Jasmine Sanders, Alessandra Ambrosio, Heron Preston, Carolyn Murphy and others.
“Embracing fashion as the creative expression through which to support the health and safety of our global communities, we hope this show can offer a small moment of hope, inspiration and uplifting connection for those who are doing their part to self-isolate. A modest contribution as our world unites to collectively weather the storm of this pandemic together,” said Roitfeld in a statement.
The Fashion Unites creative team includes casting by Piergiorgio Del Moro, music supervision by Michel Gaubert, hairstyling direction by Sam McKnight, makeup direction by Tom Pecheux, nail direction by Mei Kawajiri, choreography by Stephen Galloway, creative consulting by CR Studio and production by Andrew Boose and his AAB Prods.
In its second year, CR Runway is an annual fashion show co-founded by Roitfeld and her son and business partner Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld. After eight years of curating a fashion show in conjunction with amfAR's Cannes gala, CR Runway came to life with an event in Florence last June.
To help fight the pandemic, amfAR created the amfAR Fund Against COVID-19, a global initiative to assist in providing the organization's resources and top infectious disease experts to support treatments and aid in the search for a vaccine. Roitfeld, CR and participating creatives have made personal donations to the initiative.
Viewers can learn more about the effort on the initiative's website, CRRunwayXamfAR.org.
