Creatives 4 Systemic Change: With this fashion raffle, aspiring designers are collecting money for anti-racism inside

“Creatives 4 Systemic Change x APOC” is the fashion raffle not to be missed

“What can we do?” Was a question that probably many asked in 2020 – in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, the growing Black Lives Matter movement and the horror of the pandemic. Boy Kloves and Erika Maish, two young designers from Los Angeles, did that too. Then they gathered their creative friends from all over the world and put together a raffle that brought in almost 50,000 US dollars within a few weeks. All of the money went to five organizations that support black trans people.

How did the collective do this? They used their strongest currency for this: the clothes, accessories and objects they designed. You could buy a ticket for as little as 5 dollars and hope to win parts from designers such as Paolina Russo, Bianca Saunders and Ashish. “It became this group performance – a collective of people who organized, collected money and donated clothes for auction,” explains Central Saint Martins graduate Kloves via Zoom from London.

Now “Creatives 4 Systemic Change” is going into the second round. This year’s line-up reads like a who’s who of (young) designers: inside who are making waves in the fashion world with their looks: The Y2K-style jeans with a diagonal cut donated by Masha Popova have just been sold to Solange Knowles seen. The mesh top by Di Petsa ties in with their popular wet look pieces with poetic prints. The one up for raffle 3D printed latex bra by Kasia Kucharska has just been worn by singer Moxie Raia in her new video and a spiky knit top by Chet Lo, which recently caused a sensation at Doja Cat and SZA, is also part of the campaign. There is also fashion by Christina Seewald, Chopova Lowena and Central Saint Martins graduates: women such as Gui Rosa, Dylan Mekhi and Sun Woo can be won. The campaign continues as before: a ticket costs just under 12 euros (£ 10) to be entered in the raffle for a specific item; For just under 6 euros (£ 5) you can buy a mystery ticket – as often as you want.

“We are very aware of what is going on in the world”

There are six organizers behind this year’s initiative: Kloves and Maish, the designers and CSM graduates: Leeann Huang and António Castro as well as Ying Suen and Jules Volleberg. In 2020, the two founded the online marketplace APOC, which specializes primarily in independent designers and artists. “I think there is something very powerful about the fact that so many designers have come together to make a difference with their craft and their work,” says Suen, explaining her enthusiasm for the campaign. In addition to the ongoing support for the organizations “HOME” by the London photographer Ronan McKenzie and “For The Gworls” in New York, “Creatives 4 Systemic Change” put a special focus on the recently growing anti-Asian violence and discrimination in this year’s edition.

Fight Anti-Asian Discrimination

“It became very clear, especially with the March shooting [als ein weißer Mann in der US-Stadt Atlanta mehrere Massagesalons stürmte und acht Angestellte erschoß; sechs davon waren von asiatischer Abstammung]that the way Asian women are viewed is a very, very important problem, “explains Leeann Huang. The Taiwanese-American designer came across” Red Canary Song, “an organization that advocates the often undocumented workers: inside the widespread (and by no means always sex work) massage parlors and is supported by the raffle this year.

Ying Suen from APOC chose the “Hackney Chinese Community Center”, which is providing vaccinations to many undocumented migrants from Asia in London during the pandemic. “Compared to other organizations, HCCC is extremely active locally and has community initiatives that support the ESEA [ost- und südostasiatischen] Providing diaspora a safe place to foster connectedness and a sense of belonging, “said the British-Chinese co-founder. And with the support of the” AWAJ Foundation “,” Creatives 4 Systemic Change “is also tackling problems in the fashion industry itself : The organization works for textile workers in Bangladesh who are in even more precarious situations due to the pandemic. “We know that the momentum of last year and the circumstances surrounding the events of June 2020 were different … But at the same time these problems are still very important. We hope people will see them and recognize them, “says Leeann Huang.

“Asian people are involved at almost every level in the fashion world,” adds the 26-year-old. And: You experience discrimination almost everywhere. As a supplement to the raffle, Huang is collecting testimonials from people of Asian descent in the western fashion industry, which will soon be published on the collective’s Instagram account. They are stories of terrifying prejudice and blatant racism in the fashion world and beyond – stories that show that we all still have a great deal to do. For Kloves, who contributes a tailor-made shirt from his graduation collection, social activism is part of the ethos of many designers of his generation: “It’s so wonderful about young creatives that they like to have a lot of meaning attached to their work. We are each other very aware of what is going on in the world, “said the 25-year-old.

The Creatives 4 Systemic Change x APOC raffle runs online until July 4th. Participation is possible from just under 6 euros (£ 5), delivery is worldwide.

“Creatives for Systemic Change x APOC”: The VOGUE selection

The collective is giving away almost 100 items of clothing, accessories and objects. Would you like a little insight? We present ten pieces (and their designers).

Party pants from Feben

You can well imagine how the red trousers by London-based designer and artist Feben Vemmenby feel when you walk … Her clothes play with volume and surrealism and a bit of humor; they revolve around issues like black identity and the importance of communities. In 2020 Vemmenby completed her master’s degree at Central Saint Martins, promptly made the ball gowns for Beyoncé and Blue Ivy’s “Brown Skin Girl” video and secured a place at the Canadian online store SSENSE.

Flowery clunkers from Mondo Mondo

Natasha Ghosn describes her jewelry as a trip and as a souvenir, as “something we bring with us from this other world; something that proves that we were there.” In any case, the gold-plated earrings with red glass stones and small pearls seem to be on the other side.

Charlotte Knowles print top

Her famous fans (a large part of the Kardashian Jenner clan, Bella Hadid) and her catchy aesthetic ensure that London-born designer Charlotte Knowles is well on the way to long-term success after starting out with the fashionable incubator Fashion East. Her powder pink top with a flower print, one of which she is donating to the raffle, was recently worn by Beyoncé.

Playful boots from Sun Woo

With the characteristically artistic “Tri-Quare Boots” by Sun Woo, the name says it all: The turquoise shiny boots stand out with a square and a pointed toe. Focused on images from his childhood, the creations of the Central Saint Martins graduate from Korea play with geometric shapes, rich colors and clothes that can be folded in and out.

Made to measure from Common A Commune

The chocolate brown top from the London label Common A Commune is tailored from an anorak. The winner (s): in not only chooses the size, but also the color of the cord that holds the top in place.

Crochet gloves by Gui Rosa

For his Bachelor’s graduation collection from Central Saint Martins, crocheted fruits and vegetables flew across the room. And the designer Gui Rosa did not become any less playful in the years that followed. With crochet and knitting, for example, the Portuguese is rethinking cowboy boots and opera gloves.

Padded mules by Ugo Paulon

The winner (s) will have a work of art on their feet: in Ugo Paulon’s sandals. The accessories label from East London with an anonymous founder uses only deadstock and recycled materials to make its soft shoes and bags.

Silicone lace bra from Kasia Kucharska

The parts by Kasia Kucharska look like scrawled: The designer, who lives in Berlin, takes the historical craft of lace making and uses latex to make it completely new (and biodegradable).

Print by Richard Kilroy

The male form has always been in the foreground for illustrator Richard Kilroy – in the past mostly on catwalks and in connection with fashion from labels such as Hermès, today mostly undressed.

Spiky top by Chet Lo

Future, fun, sexiness – the key words in the playful world of designer Chet Lo are tough. It’s the same with his clothes: At Central Saint Martins, where he specialized in knitwear, Lo developed a method that makes his creations appear spiky and somehow extraterrestrial.

Here go to the Creatives 4 Systemic Change X APOC raffle.