Must Read: Brands Speak Out to #StopAsianHate, André Leon Talley's Eviction Lawsuit Exposes the Gray Areas of Fashion Relationships

Plus, Aurora James discusses expanding the 15 Percent Pledge.

Prabal Gurung at the End The Violence Towards Asians rally in New York City.

These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Wednesday.

Brands speak out to #StopAsianHate
The United States is seeing a massive spike in anti-Asian hate crimes, and the media, according to several activists, has been too quiet on the matter. Several fashion brands are now speaking out, taking to instagram to declare their solidarity with the Asian community. In the past week, Valentino, Nike (see below), Adidas, Converse, Tommy Hilfiger, Benefit Cosmetics and U Beauty have publicly called for a more inclusive and accepting future. {Business of Fashion}

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André Leon Talley’s eviction lawsuit exposes the gray areas of fashion relationships
Vanessa Friedman and Elizabeth Paton’s latest investigative work for The New York Times exposes the gray areas of fashion, where the lines between close friends and colleagues are often blurred and gifting is a currency of exchange. They use André Leon Talley‘s ongoing eviction lawsuit involving the former head of Manolo Blahnik U.S., George Malkemus, to shine a light on these issues. {The New York Times}

Expanding the 15 Percent Pledge
Fashion and beauty retailers were first to adopt the 15 Percent Pledge, which Aurora James launched last spring, but in a new interview with Vogue‘s Janelle Okwodu, the Brother Vellies designer said she’s spent the months since working to expand the initial scope of the program to include other industries. Though sadly not always successful, there have been several major wins including the addition of furniture giants West Elm and Crate and Barrel, the review app Yelp and the Canadian bookstore chain Indigo. {Vogue}

Becca Cosmetics to shut down this September
Per an Instagram post on Wednesday, Becca Cosmetics will cease operations this September. In the caption of the post, the brand cited “an accumulation of challenges, together with the global impact of Covid-19” as its reason for closing. You can read its full statement below. {@beccacosmetics/Instagram}

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLrM8sLjAJJ

Phenomenal partners with Netflix on “Bridgerton” merch
Phenomenal, the statement T-Shirt brand launched by Meena Harris, has teamed up with Netflix to create “Bridgerton” merch. The collection launches on Feb. 24 (shop here) with four items: a “Dear Reader” crewneck sweatshirt; an “I wish to be entertained” hoodie; an “if there’s a scandal, I shall uncover it” crewneck sweatshirt; and an “I burn for you” crewneck sweatshirt. Browse images of the collaboration in the gallery below. {Fashionista inbox}