By Stefanie Stöckermann – What is In, what is Out – What do creative pesons wear? Hoodies or haute couture? What is on a window shopping tour? And what is #morethanfashion at @Cannes_Lions2018? First of all: Cannes = red carpet with glitter, glamour and gloria may apply to the film festival. Little of this can be seen at the Festival of Creativity. But this:
INSIGHTS
No.1: The so-called must haves include T-shirts and tops, bows, business bermudas, (sometimes very very) short or long jumpsuits and summer dresses. And, the more of less in the form of bikinis and bathing shorts. All this in a colourful mix – mostly plain as supposedly creative and shrill. Gala and glamour are almost exclusively presented by the display dummies of the luxury labels on the Croisette.
No. 2: Without flip-flops or sneakers it is extremely uncomfortably to run around. And, without plasters against blisters nothing goes any more – especially for those who wanted to conquer the daily felt 100 km footpath over yellow, green, red and sandy carpets in strappy sandals with at least 7 cm heel against all reason.
No. 3: The guards at the numerous security gates, body scanners and party entrances wear dark suits, white shirts and ties. In the current midsummer season, they deserve absolute compassion.
No. 4: “And the Winner is …” During the awards ceremonies, gallant robes or even dinner jackets have no appearance. Only the host and some speakers wear suits. The Lions, because there are a lot of them, are assigned at a fast pace: The winners will stand on stage for an average of three minutes and another one and a half minute in the photo-flashlight. In casual uniform and beach look – which I personally find somehow remarkable – after all, such a lion is something special…
THE GREAT STORY OF PATAGONIA
The fascinating story of Patagonia is far more remarkable, I think. The outdoor and action sportswear company was founded in the early 1970s by Yvon Chouinard, an American pioneer of bigwall climbing. Mark Weller, Marketing Director Europe, about the passion: “Environmental protection is the central reason for our entrepreneurial activity and daily work. (…) The environmental crisis has reached a critical turning point. If not everyone commits themselves to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, keeping water and air clean and turning away from polluting technologies, then humanity will forever destroy nature’s self-healing powers”. The company’s mission reads as follows: “Produce the best product, reduce the impact on the environment as much as possible, inspire other companies to follow this example and find solutions to the current environmental crisis”.
Management and employees have been acting for many years: with extraordinary activities, innovative production methods and materials. Since 1996, for example, the company has been growing cotton without pesticides; recycled polyester and natural rubber are used in clothing production. Furthermore, products are created that can be maintained and repaired for years (by the way, there are exciting stories about this here: http://eu.patagonia.com/de/de/worn-wear-stories.html). Since 1985, at least 1% of annual sales have gone to environmental groups around the world (to date, around 70 million US dollars in donations in kind and money). And, with the founding of the 1% for the Planet® Club in 2002, a global, steadily growing network of currently more than 1000 companies has emerged, which in turn donate 1% of their turnover.
Against this background, the saying “clothes make the man” takes on a completely different meaning – doesn’t it?
PS: Patagonia is one of the 50 most creative and innovative companies in the world: https://www.fastcompany.com