ART & STYLE:

German designer Valentin Lessner just won the 2022 Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Prize, as selected by a jury of globally recognized fashion experts, including Diesel and Y/Project‘s creative director, Glenn Martens. Lessner’s win was announced during this year’s Festival d’Hyères, a longstanding partner of Mercedes-Benz since 2012.

The prize itself first launched in 2021, as a way to showcase Mercedes-Benz’ commitment to supporting responsible fashion design and the next generation of international fashion talents. Alongside the prize, the festival is home to the Mercedes-Benz Shortlisted Showroom, a space which sees the 10 fashion finalists present their collections to the festival guests.

The designs of each finalist were captured in an editorial shoot lensed by Jenny Brough and starring poet, activist and model Kai Isaiah Jamal and sustainability advocate, writer and model Nassia Matsa, which took place in a London-based studio ahead of the festival. Advocating for sustainable design at every turn, the shoot’s set was inspired by Mercedes-Benz newest car innovation, the VISION EQXX, complete with vegan leather interiors, and fabrics made from bamboo, cactus and mushroom.

Finalists also received mentoring support throughout the process, through Fashion Open Studio, an initiative developed by non-profit global movement, Fashion Revolution. The 10 finalists were guided through the overarching practice of sustainability in fashion, accompanied by in-depth Q&A sessions and presentations and feedback during workshop sessions.

“Our brand is globally engaged in fashion for nearly 30 years and we are very happy to continue the support of international talent also this year as a long-standing partner of the Festival d’Hyères. We cordially congratulate Valentin for winning our Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Prize 2022 and recognize her passion for a responsible fashion design,” says Julia Hofmann, Mercedes-Benz AG’s Head of Branded Entertainment & Brand Partnerships in a press release. “The vote was unanimous for the Mercedes-Benz Sustainability Prize as Valentin Lessner was able to translate sustainability with a contemporary, ready to wear approach,” adds The Festival d’Hyères Fashion Jury.

As the winner of this year’s prize, Lessner is set to receive a 20,000 Euro grant, which aims to support the designer in her commitment to responsible design. Alongside Martens, the judging panel included designers at Berlin-based label Ottolinger. as well as former Grand Prix of Jury Première Vision, Ifeanyi Okwuadi.

Today, protestors from the climate change organization Just Stop Oil threw tomato soup at Vincent Van Gogh’s Sunflowers at the National Gallery in London.

After the two activists then super glued themselves to the wall. In the provocative video, they can be heard shouting, “What is worth more — art or life? Are you more concerned about the protection of a painting or the protection of our planet and people?” Many criticized the act of protest as detracting from the climate change movement as it destroys a work of art that neither helps nor hurts the Earth — the National Gallery does not share as large of a carbon footprint as corporations like Amazon might. Just Stop Oil’s public action follows calls for the British Museum to end its sponsorship from oil giant BP, however, it seems as though the selection of Van Gogh’s art was arbitrary, thus adding more insult to injury for passionate art lovers who may never get to see his work now.

Nevertheless, a billion dollar industry has been built around fine art, begging the question — is it ethical and sustainable to spend exorbitant amounts on an inessential luxury than turn our attention to the very real demise of our planet. Take a look at the viral moment below.

adidas Originals ventures into the digital world with the debut of the first-of-its-kind virtual Ozworld Experience. The immersive platform celebrates the brand’s latest Ozworld collection, presenting the world’s first personality-based AI-generated avatar creation platform, in collaboration with Ready Player Me. Designed to give all the power of self-expression, the online Ozworld experience allows users to create a truly unique digital version of themselves which can then be taken around the web exclusively with Ready Player Me – a cross-app avatar platform for the metaverse that allows anyone to explore virtual worlds with one consistent identity.

In both the digital and physical worlds, the Ozworld collection is a bold representation of fashion experimentation, breaking the status quo about what style can be. Diving deep into our inner worlds, the accompanying web experience forgoes the importance of physical appearance by asking users a series of questions to build an avatar based on their personality. Users of the platform can also select their favorite Ozworld footwear silhouette, marrying the physical collection with the virtual experience. Meanwhile, every user will be able to download their Ozworld alter ego to deploy as stickers and GIFs across their social media accounts.

Experience the digital Ozworld realm in the gallery above and head to adidas’ website for a first-hand look.