Oscar-nominated costume designer Arianne Phillips has teamed up with YOOX to create a capsule collection of unisex organic cotton t-shirts inspired by the rich history of cinema and Hollywood.
The collection is available exclusively at YOOX and all proceeds will be donated to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) to support the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures.
Arianne Phillips has designed costumes for films including Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, James Mangold’s Walk The Line and Madonna’s W.E. She has received a number of Oscar nominations for her work and has become one of the most sought after costume designers in the industry. In 2019 Arianne co-founded RAD (Red Carpet Advocacy) with her partner Carineh Martin. The aim was to celebrate culture through cause by leveraging influential platforms to drive social progress through education, inspiration and activation. RAD’s signature advocacy campaigns amplify conversations about human rights, social justice, climate change and other global issues, while also raising money and awareness for charities working in these areas. RAD has so far produced 35 campaigns with 150 talent and 32 brands impacting 50+ charities since their launch. Their campaigns have generated billions of earned media impressions and organic reach on social media by promoting advocacy that creates impact.
We find out more about the latest project with YOOX and the importance of this exclusive collection.
Why did you decide to partner with YOOX on this project?
I have been a loyal YOOX customer for well over ten years. This is not the first time they have kindly invited me to collaborate with them and I am always incredibly excited to work with them and I’m grateful for their interest in the relationship between fashion and film, which is essentially celebrating costume design and its influence on culture and fashion.
Tell us a little about RAD and the mission behind the organisation?
RAD is a female-founded social enterprise that creates advocacy campaigns to illuminate values and drive impact for charities. I co-founded RAD with my friend, Carineh Martin who is a luxury marketing veteran. We curate organic, purpose-driven partnerships that leverage influential platforms to educate, inspire, and activate fans towards social progress and giving back.
Our mission at RAD is to celebrate culture through cause. Our advocacy campaigns can be seen on global red carpets, at live and digital brand events, academy screenings, and RAD Talks, in film and TV content campaigns, on retail platforms, and via a broad range of marketing and media projects. 100% of the money raised by RAD is donated. Since launching last year, RAD has produced 36 campaigns with talents including Charlize Theron, Priyanka Chopra, Travis Scott, Margot Robbie, Tracee Ellis Ross, Camila Cabello, Olivia Wilde, Elizabeth Banks, Demi Moore, and brands including Gucci, Amazon, Giorgio Armani, Moschino, Piaget, Levi’s, Matchesfashion, La Prairie, ThredUp, Sony Pictures and more.
Tell us about the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles and how the project with YOOX will help this?
Opening September 30, 2021, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will be the world’s premier institution devoted to exploring the art and science of movies and filmmaking. Visitors will experience the magic of cinema and the creative, collaborative process of filmmaking through the lens of those who make it. Built in Los Angeles, the movie capital of the world, the museum will be housed in the renovated and expanded May Company — now the Saban Building — on Wilshire Boulevard and a distinctive spherical addition designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano with Renzo Piano Building Workshop. The museum will feature more than 50,000 square feet of gallery space for both a highly immersive permanent exhibition and a schedule of diverse temporary exhibitions, two film and performance theatres, a state-of-the-art education studio, and dynamic spaces for public and special events.
The Academy Museum has actively been acquiring three-dimensional motion-picture objects since 2008. Its holdings now number approximately 5,000 items representing motion picture technology, costume design, production design, makeup, hairstyling, and promotional materials. The museum will also draw from the unparalleled collection of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which contains a vast range of motion picture production and history-related objects and technology, works on paper, and still and moving images covering the history of motion pictures in the United States and throughout the world. The collections include more than 12.5 million photographs; 237,000 film and video assets; 85,000 screenplays; 65,000 posters; and 133,000 pieces of production art. Highlights feature more than 1,700 special collections of film legends such as Cary Grant, Katharine Hepburn, Hattie McDaniel, Alfred Hitchcock, and John Huston.
What can you tell us about the capsule collection, we know it is made with organic cotton – can you share a little more on the collection itself and the choices of prints and logos?
The purpose of the TSHIRT capsule collection is to come together with YOOX to give back by celebrating Hollywood and filmmaking. A world where dreams come true and movies are made. I loved the idea of revisiting the iconography and mythology of HOLLYWOOD. I had so much fun designing these T-shirts, which are putting a new spin on the classic “tourist” T-shirt, basically designing something celebrating Hollywood as well as being something that I would want to wear.
Why do you think it’s important for platforms such as YOOX to support charitable causes and how do you think it helps to raise awareness?
In my opinion, the best product or brand is one that is socially responsible and transparent about what they are doing to help make our world a better place. We are living in a time when we should expect the brands we patronise to reflect our values and are doing “good” in the world. Especially post-COVID-19 and the social justice movement we “vote” with our dollars. Infusing “purpose” into what we are buying or doing already relevant today. YOOX is that company and so it made sense that to celebrate the culmination of our collaboration on the past few months shoppable edits we give back to the industry that has inspired this collaboration. The Academy Museum is a non-profit organisation that is dependent on donations and membership, so it made perfect sense. There are so many causes and charities to support. In this case, it is especially meaningful since the donation to The Museum is aligned with our collaboration.
Tell us a little about you as a person – what is your biggest achievement and what would you still like to achieve?
My biggest achievement so far has been launching the entrepreneurial social progress endeavour RAD. This has enabled me to change the conversation at work and come together with other creatives and brands to raise awareness and donations for charities.
I would still like to achieve pay equity for Costume Designers which is a huge issue, as well as Costume Designers owning their own IP (intellectual property) , so that we own our work. As of now we are “work for hire” which means we do not “own” our designs. This prevents us from benefitting anytime a Halloween costume, a doll or even a collection is designed or inspired by the costumes we design. As of now the film studios “own” our work and we are not included in the “merchandising “ side of filmmaking. So this is something I would like to change.
What is a current project or issue you feel very passionate about?
So many things! The effects of climate change and the state of our planet, inequities, systemic racism and the social justice movement, artists rights as stated above, equal pay and equal rights for women and all marginalized people.
Looking forward, What is your vision for RAD?
We have a few very exciting BIG picture and “scaling” opportunities we are developing in the tech world and other areas that will enable advocacy and giving back on an even larger scale.
Moving onto fashion what is your favourite film you’ve worked on and why?
It’s impossible for me to say a favourite as every film experience is unique and different.
I would say though that some of the highlights have been “W.E”, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood” and the film I just finished shooting which directed by Olivia Wilde; “Don’t Worry Darling”.
What is the all-time favourite look you’ve styled?
Again that’s impossible to answer! I would say any of the fashion editorials I have done with Steven Klein, and especially our collaborations with Madonna are some of my most favourite.
Who is your fashion muse?
SO MANY!!! It is a forever expanding list.
This year has been unusual, to say the least – what is a lesson you’ve learned from the past year and how were you able to continue working?
This past year was one of the most humbling and also the most productive. As soon as COVID hit, RAD went into high gear, working to raise money and advocacy for a number of projects. Our largest scale project was for COVID Relief. We worked with photographer Mark Seliger and the auction house Christie’s. When the lockdown happened, Mark called me and said he wanted to do something, and what could we do together? So together we curated a collection of 23 of his most iconic portraits, we asked the subjects of these portraits, everyone from Brad Pitt, to Jennifer Lopez, to Oprah, to Billie Eilish, Barack Obama and more, to join our efforts, raising money for their COVID relief charity of choice thru the auction we had at Christie’s. We raised over 250 thousand dollars for over 19 COVID-relief charities. We went on to do a number of campaigns raising advocacy and donations for, Voting rights, a social campaign with Amanda Gorman benefitting Michelle Obama’s charity When We All Vote, as well as campaigns at Venice Film Festival and The Emmy’s red carpet benefitting UN WOMEN, and Facing History a non-profit that teaches equality and anti-hate thru education, as well as a campaign for Women’s health benefitting The Center for Reproductive Rights. When COVID hit we knew it was our time for RAD to step up. This is the whole reason why we created RAD, to be able to help make a difference in the lives of others and create community thru coming together for good.
I was also extremely fortunate to be able to go back to work in the fall of 2020 for the film “Don’t Worry Darling”. So juggling both my work as a costume designer plus RAD kept me very busy, unfortunately, I didn’t get to learn how to bake bread or watch all the great series on tv, but I was able to see it all unfold on social media!
What are your thoughts on the fashion and style of women in the Middle East?
Some of the most beautiful traditions of native dress come from the middle east. Also some of the most interesting new generation of designers we are seeing come from the Middle East. With so many varied cultures and customs, I love seeing how that translates into daily life and how people choose to express themselves thru the way they dress and the fashion choices they make. Being connected thru social media has given me a window into street culture and trends, I wouldn’t have normally been able to access.
How do you think women and men can incorporate sustainable fashion choices into their day-to-day life?
By making purchases that are consciously and well made that will last beyond a trend or a season. Building a wardrobe of classics that can be sustained over time. Taking the time to look into the practices and ethics of any given brand. Not buying fast fashion, being mindful of denim manufacturers and patronising brands that are transparent in their supply chain.
What is a message you would like to share with our readers on why they should go but the Arianne Phillips X YOOX collection?
First and foremost to have a little piece of HOLLYWOOD, a playful fun, chic organic cotton unisex T-shirt for men or women, whether you wear it with jeans or a simple skirt, you could buy it oversized and wear it as a dress or to the beach or pool as a or cover-up. Or just around the house with shorts …AND the added bonus is that 100% of the sales of the T-shirt will benefit a great academic museum supporting the tradition of movie-making that will inspire generations of filmmakers to come!
Shop online at YOOX.com
You can see RAD’s work at www.wearerad.org or on Instagram @radvocacy
