In Case You Missed It: The New School Student Workers End Strike, Marsai Martin Wears LaQuan Smith, And More

This weekend in fashion had some standout moments that we had to highlight like young actresses Marsai Martin and Skai Jackson both wearing a LaQuan Smith dress to the 2024 Oscars. One wore a short bright orange gown while the other wore a lime green dress. Supermodel Adut Akech also attended the Oscars in an eye-catching long Valentino gown in a vibrant shade of green. 

Next, MATCHESFASHION is officially closing down. Additionally, a Calvin Klien ad featuring FKA Twigs that was previously banned has received an update. A decision was made that the ad was not as “suggestive” for viewers to see on billboards in the U.K, at the moment it is still banned. Lastly, the Parsons School of Design came to an agreement for academic workers to end their strike.

The Parson’s New School Student Workers Strike Has Ended

A three-day strike ensued with academic student workers looking for a successor contract with Parsons School of Design, according to WWD. Months of negotiations have finally reached an agreement to give student workers a raise by 24 to 30 percent. The new contract also states to protect trans and reproductive rights and will have a childcare fund for the first time for the parents and families at the university. The university stated it was “far behind in standards for graduate worker employment compared to similar institutions of higher education, and this agreement goes a long way towards making the workers whole.” The contract also offers 80 percent of healthcare coverage to be provided to all graduate workers. This has ended the strike with a three-year contract promising those conditions. Classes have been resumed as scheduled. 

Marsai Martin Wears LaQuan Smith

Actress Marsai Martin wore a short, strapless vibrant orange sequined gown designed by LaQuan Smith to MACRO’s Pre-Oscars party. While accessories were kept to a minimum, she did wear a pair of silver cross-style earrings to add to her look and a few silver rings with diamond adornments. She completed her look with a pair of black pointed-toe pumps.

Skai Jackson Wears LaQuan Smith

Another young actress who wore LaQuan Smith to MACRO’s Pre-Oscars party was Skai Jackson. Her gown was also short and strapless in a lime green shade with some draping at her midriff and a bow on the side that created a cinching effect. She also had no necklace but wore hoop earrings and a few rings to accessorize. She carried a mini black clutch as well and wore black open-toed strap heels to complete her look.

Adut Akech Wears Valentino

Supermodel Adut Akech wore a Valentino gown to the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party. The rich green dress had a cowl neck detail that was also low cut. Akech took the opportunity to accessorize with a simple pendant necklace and a pair of stud earrings. She held a deep green sparkling Valentino clutch with a gold branded clasp. The simple yet elegant look was eye-catching on the model’s smooth, darker skin tone.

FKA Twigs Calvin Klein Ad Ban Partially Reversed

The first time singer FKA Twigs’ Calvin Klein ad came out in April 2023, it quickly got banned in the U.K. for presenting her as a “stereotypical sexual object” and the ad being “suggestive” by the Advertising Standards Authority. Now, after “careful thought,” months later the ad’s ban has been revoked. FKA Twigs previously posted on her Instagram after the ad was banned, lamenting on a woman’s struggle with her bodily rights and what her body actually meant to her in the ad. The ASA, after lifting the ban said that the ad was “the image was not sexually explicit, that the ad presented FKA twigs as confident and in control and, therefore, that she had not been objectified.”