Carine Roitfeld Announces Special Cr Runway Global Event With amfAR Against Covid-19: Fashion Unites

Streaming worldwide May 1st exclusively on YouTube

Hosted by Derek Blasberg, Head of Fashion and Beauty, YouTube, with appearances by Kim Kardashian West, Hailey Bieber, Karlie Kloss, Adriana Lima, Ashley Graham, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Diane von Fürstenberg, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Alexander Wang, Virgil Abloh, Karolína Kurková, Alessandra Ambrosio, Miranda Kerr, and more

New York, NY (April 28, 2020) – Carine Roitfeld, founder of CR Fashion Book, announces Fashion Unites, a special CR Runway global event with amfAR Against COVID-19. The second edition of CR Runway, this first-of-its-kind virtual fashion show and behind-the-scenes event will bring together some of the industry’s most iconic faces to offer a moment of creative inspiration and uplifting entertainment for everyone doing their part by staying home while raising awareness for research efforts led by the amfAR Fund to Fight COVID-19.

Hosted by Derek Blasberg, Head of Fashion and Beauty, YouTube, the global event will be available to stream worldwide exclusively via YouTube on Friday, May 1st at 8:00 PM GMT / 1:00 PM (Los Angeles) / 4:00 PM (New York) / 9:00 PM (London) / 10:00 PM (Paris). Everyone at home can learn more about their front row seat by visiting https://www.youtube.com/fashion or CRRunwayXamfAR.org.

Created by Carine Roitfeld and directed by Fabien Constant, the 30-minute special will include
appearances by Kim Kardashian West, Karlie Kloss, Ashley Graham, Hailey Bieber, Adriana Lima, Diane von Fürstenberg, Halima Aden, Virgil Abloh, Karolína Kurková, Alexander Wang, Joan Smalls, Amber Valletta, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Winnie Harlow, Lily Aldridge, Irina Shayk, Pierpaolo Piccioli, Karen Elson, Jasmine Sanders, Alessandra Ambrosio, Heron Preston, Lily Aldrige, Miss Fame, Shanina Shaik, Jacquemus, Natasha Poly, Jasmine Tookes, Xiao Wen Ju, Jordan Barrett, Riccardo Tisci, Olivier Rousteing, Brandon Maxwell, Carolyn Murphy, Alton Mason, and more (full list below).

The first self-filmed fashion show – captured by a diverse range of models wearing creations pulled from their personal wardrobe and styled remotely by Roitfeld and her team – will also include a backstage look at what it takes to produce this global collaboration as well as messages of hope and gratitude by designers and contributors for the real-life heroes who risk their lives fighting the pandemic on the front lines every day.

“As we face times of great uncertainty, our support for one another is more important than ever. Embracing fashion as the creative expression through which to support the health and safety of our global communities, we hope this show can offer a small moment of hope, inspiration, and uplifting connection. A modest contribution as our world unites to collectively weather the storm of this pandemic together,” says Carine Roitfeld.

To play its part in the research effort to defeat the deadly new virus, amfAR has created the amfAR Fund to Fight COVID-19. Through this global fundraising initiative, amfAR will assist in providing the organization’s state-of-the-art resources and top infectious disease experts to support the development of treatments for the coronavirus. 

“amfAR is uniquely positioned to contribute to the all-out effort to develop effective treatments for the coronavirus,” said amfAR CEO Kevin Robert Frost. “There is no doubt we can do this and remain fully committed to HIV research and to finding a cure for the 38 million people worldwide who are living with HIV – that commitment hasn’t changed.”

In addition to all parties contributing 100% of their time, energy, and hearts to this global non-profit event pro-bono, Carine Roitfeld, CR, and other participating creatives have also made personal monetary donations to kick-start the initiative. Viewers are invited to support by simply staying home and enjoying the show, but may also learn more about the initiative and fund at https://archive.amfar.org/covid19/.

WALKS AND WORDS BY:
Halima Aden, Lily Aldridge, Alessandra Ambrosio, Jordan Barrett, Hailey Bieber, Luna Bijl, Vittoria Ceretti, Abby Champion, Grace Elizabeth, Paloma Elsesser, Karen Elson, Miss Fame, Isabeli Fontana, Ashley Graham, Kris Grikaite, Winnie Harlow, Eva Herzigová, Candice Huffine, Kim Kardashian West, Miranda Kerr, Karlie Kloss, Jill Kortleve, Karolína Kurková, Adriana Lima, Alton Mason, Stella Maxwell, Shayna McNeill, Eniko Mihalik, Carolyn Murphy, Garrett Neff, Sasha Pivovarova, Natasha Poly, Julia Restoin Roitfeld, Jasmine Sanders, Shanina Shaik, Irina Shayk, Hyun Ji Shin, Joan Smalls, Lara Stone, Cara Taylor, Jasmine Tookes, Amber Valletta, Parker Van Noord, Xiao Wen Ju, Chad White, Anok Yai

APPEARANCES AND WORDS BY:
Virgil Abloh, artistic director of Louis Vuitton Menswear and CEO of Off-White
Maria Grazia Chiuri, creative director of Dior
Peter Dunas, founder of Dundas
Silvia Fendi, creative director of Fendi
Kevin Robert Frost, CEO of amfAR
Fernando Garcia, co-founder of Monse and co-creative director of Oscar de la Renta
Rowena Johnston, Ph.D., vice president and director of research at amfAR
Brandon Maxwell, founder of Brandon Maxwell 
Pierpaolo Piccioli, creative director of Valentino
Heron Preston, founder of Heron Preston
Simon Porte Jacquemus, founder of Jacquemus
Richard Quinn, founder of Richard Quinn
Olivier Rousteing, creative director of Balmain 
Riccardo Tisci, chief creative officer of Burberry
Diane von Fürstenberg, founder of Diane von Fürstenberg
Alexander Wang, founder of Alexander Wang

LINK TO DOWNLOAD TEASER VIDEO & IMAGERY
@carineroitfeld
@amfar
#CRRunwayXamfAR
#FashionUnites

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ABOUT CR RUNWAY:
Now in its second year, CR Runway is an annual fashion show co-founded by fashion visionary and CR Fashion Book founder, Carine Roitfeld, and her son and business partner Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld, President & CEO of CR Fashion Book Ltd. Creative Curated by Carine, CR Runway is a global fashion experience uniting the industry’s most celebrated designers and models from around the world. 

After 8 years of curating a fashion show in conjunction with the annual amfAR Gala Cannes to benefit AIDS research, CR Runway was brought to life by Carine Roitfeld last June with its first memorable standalone fashion show in Florence. Using fashion and creativity as impactful vehicles for global unity, relief, and communal responsibility, Carine and amfAR will continue this mission for a 9th year to bring the second annual CR Runway to life through CR Runway with amfAR against COVID-19: Fashion Unites. 

ABOUT THE amfAR FUND TO FIGHT COVID-19:

amfAR is a leader in infectious disease research and will be applying the experience and expertise acquired over 35 years of funding the most innovative and creative research on HIV/AIDS towards developing effective treatments for COVID-19. 

Many amfAR-funded scientists have pivoted their work to focus on the immediate crisis of COVID-19, and amfAR has created a special fund to support them and many more scientists to join in the effort to find treatments for the coronavirus. 

amfAR remains as committed as ever to finding a cure for AIDS, but in this global health emergency it’s all hands on deck, and the amfAR Fund to Fight COVID-19 has been created to join the fight.

THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS CREATIVE TEAM:
Carine Roitfeld, founder and creative director of CR Runway
Vladimir R Roitfeld, co-founder of CR Runway and CEO of CR
Directed by Fabien Constant
Produced by Andrew Boose, President of AAB Productions
Hosted by Derek Blasberg, Head of Fashion and Beauty, YouTube
Edited by Maxime Gillier
Casting by fashion’s leading director Piergiorgio Del Moro and Giulia Massullo
Music supervision by fashion’s leading sound director Michel Gaubert
Additional music direction by Johnny Jewel
Music by Chromatics and Glass Candy, Courtesy of Italians Do It Better Records
Hairstyling direction courtesy of award-winning hairstylist Sam McKnight
Makeup direction for each model by renowned makeup artist Tom Pecheux
Nail direction from Mei Kawajiri
Choreography for each model at home provided by the go-to creative movement director Stephen Galloway
Shelby Beamon, studio director of CR
Ron Hartleben, senior fashion editor at CR Fashion Book 

PRESS INQUIRIES:
CR Runway
Nike Communications
cr@nikecomm.com 

amfAR
Bennah Serfaty
(212) 806-1607
bennah.serfaty@amfar.org