Emily Cheong, the creative force behind the Paris-based brand Homolog, had a moment to cherish at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. As several stars graced the iconic red carpet in her designs, it was a dream come true for the talented designer. After all, what could be more rewarding than to see your creations taking centre stage on such a global platform? Cheong’s Homolog brand has always been more than just pretty dresses. At its core, the label champions inclusion, culture, and storytelling- values that seamlessly align with the festival itself. Naturally, it was only fitting that the brand’s designs found such a comfortable home on the Cannes red carpet. The designer’s thoughtful designs and meticulous attention to detail ensure that each Homolog garment celebrates women’s inner and outer beauty.
Cheong was also invited to attend the prestigious Kering Women In Motion dinner, alongside the likes of Hollywood royalty, Michelle Yeoh, Zoe Saldana, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, and many others. Ultimately, the Kering Foundation’s mission of female representation and empowerment lies at the heart of everything Homolog stands for. As the Women In Motion programme continues to shine a spotlight on emerging talents and inspiring figures in the arts, Cheong’s presence at Cannes has undoubtedly driven her to push Homolog to new heights.
How do you feel about attending the 2024 Cannes Film Festival?
Art and culture are the soul of the city, and the Cannes Film Festival is one of the most famous film festivals in the world. All kinds of awards, especially for individuals and studios to select the Lifetime Achievement Award, so I am very moved and I feel the festival has always revered heritage. Thanks to the Cannes Film Festival’s attention to film practitioners, through the red carpet more embodied in the fashion industry’s tolerance, the Cannes Film Festival shows the accumulation of time brought about by the valuable wealth of wisdom.
This year, you attended the Kering Women In Motion dinner. What was the significance of this experience for you?
I am very honoured to have been invited to participate in this event. As a young, female designer and entrepreneur, I am very grateful to be able to meet and receive guidance and help from seniors at the dinner, especially women in the development of society to produce an irreplaceable and important impact. I also hope to be like Michelle Yeoh, Yu Pei Pei, who inspire me to become a legendary woman and bring forth the power of women.
How do you see the impact of initiatives like “Women In Motion”?
The Kering Group is very admirable and brings an irreplaceable role and impact on social peace. Its commitment to women is its main priority. The Kering Foundation was first created in 2008 to fight violence against women around the world and to implement an internal policy based on diversity, equality, and gender equity. In addition to this, Kering launched the “Women In Motion” programme in 2015, which highlights inequalities in culture and the arts and seeks to change people’s mindsets. It has made a huge positive impact on society. The programme not only honours inspirational female filmmakers and young female talents with its awards, but the forum also provides a platform for leading figures in the film industry to share their perspectives on the role of women in the film industry. It has brought immense positivity to women in the fashion and film industry.
In what ways do initiatives like these help empower female designers and creators?
More than one hundred forums have been organised across Europe, Asia, and the United States in efforts to change perceptions of women’s representation in the arts and culture. Since its inception in 2015, 10 iconic figures from the world of cinema and photography have been honoured with the “She Moves” award. All of this gives female creators unlimited motivation and encouragement.
What does Homolog symbolise for you? What vision do you have for the future of Homolog?
Homolog to me is like a rose for the Little Prince. The Homolog brand, positioned at the high end, intends to provide unlimited service to a limited group of people. The production of haute couture, ready-to-wear, and dresses, also includes haute couture modification of old clothes, so that after many years the customer is still able to wear the clothes’ original beauty, as the customer’s beauty is like the sun, always emitting light, always shining. I hope that people will carefully choose every piece of clothing they buy and cherish it, advocating serious life and serious love, and letting time become a good friend, just like the rose irrigated by the Little Prince.
How do you plan to integrate the values and messages from the “Women In Motion” event into your own work and brand?
Just as the “Women In Motion” program builds and grows year after year, helping to change habitual thinking as well as leading the discussion about the place of women in art and culture. Haute couture shapes and builds its own temporality. A specific time reflects the production process and the excellence demanded by haute couture. The Homolog brand intends to be an infinite service to women’s inner and outer beauty. Advocating a passionate and vibrant life, letting time forge legends and letting the light of every woman shine in the world.
Editor
Hala Kassem
