Barneys New York Campaign Stars Transgender Models; Burberry Vows to Eliminate Toxins From Clothing

Barney's New York Campaign Stars Transgender Models: For its Spring 2014 campaign entitled "Brothers, Sisters, Sons, & Daughters," luxury retailer Barney's New York selected 17 transgender individuals to model spring collections by the likes of Alaia, Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, Givenchy, and Lanvin. The models, shot by Bruce Weber, will be showcased in a limited-edition portfolio and will star in a series of short films by the legendary fashion photographer, highlighting "both the struggles and triumphs a trans person may face in relation to their gender identity." For the campaign, Barney's partnered with the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) and the LGBT Community Center (The Center) "to help break stereotypes and build social acceptance of transgender people." [Barney's Press Release]

Burberry Promises to Eliminate Toxins From Clothing: Following Greenpeace's allegations of harmful substances, Burberry has pledged to eliminate all toxins from its clothing by 2020. Although Burberry released an official statement on January 24 alleging that its products "fully adhere to international environmental and safety standards," it has now agreed to remove any suspicious chemicals from its factories. "Burberry's Detox commitment to rid us of these hazardous little monsters represents a new chapter in the story of toxic-free fashion," Ize Smith, detox campaigner at Greenpeace told The Daily Mail. "In taking this landmark step, Burberry has listened to their customers' demands and joins the ranks of brands acting on behalf of parents everywhere to give this toxic nightmare the happy ending it deserves." [The Telegraph]

Victoria Beckham Debuts Skype Documentary: Fashion designer Victoria Beckham has finally released her highly-anticipated documetnary series with Skype, which catalogues an inside-look into her career thus far. The film, entitled Five Years—The Victoria Beckham Story, offers a tour of her London office, introductions to her team, and a look into what drives her brand. In one clip, Vogue UK editor Alexandra Shulman talks about first putting Beckham on the cover of the magazine. In another, fashion photographer Juergen Teller discusses how he and Marc Jacobs decided to shoot Beckham inside a shopping bag. "It shocked a lot of people when the pictures came out," Teller said. "First of all how powerful the pictures were in themselves and then the idea of what a fashion advertising photograph can be. It worked on many levels and it helped Marc, it helped me, and it helped her. So many people told me it changed their idea of who she was." [Vogue UK]