How to enjoy fashion at home without spending money

While we're expected to be homebound till May 4, alleviating cabin fever and boredom may pose as a challenge to many. Online retail therapy may be an option, but if you're tight on cash, there are other ways to appreciate fashion without having to spend a cent.

A handful of fashion brands have curated exhibits and compilations for you to enjoy online - for free. After all, fashion isn't just about consuming more clothes. It's also a form of art that everyone can use to express their creative side.

Engage in a dialogue session with Prada

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Titled Prada Possible Conversations, this dialogue (among several fashion insiders, creatives and the audience) is spearheaded by the Italian fashion label, and will touch on several topics, including fashion, art, architecture, cinema, philosophy, psychology and literature.

Each session will be broadcast on Prada's Instagram live, where questions can be raised by the audience and addressed by the hosts.

The first session - held last Tuesday (Apr 14) and hosted by artistic director of Jacquard x Google Arts & Culture Pamela Golbin and fashion features director of Another Magazine Alexander Fury - touched on the topic of the relevancy of fashion in times of a pandemic.

For every dialogue, Prada will make a donation (of an undisclosed amount) to Unesco to help over 1.5 billion students affected by Covid-19.

The schedule for subsequent sessions has yet to be announced.

Engage in Prada's dialogue session on Instagram.

Explore Louis Vuitton's digital programmes

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Since March 23, the Louis Vuitton Foundation has been releasing digital content three times a week - Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays (CEST) - on its Facebook page and Youtube channel. This allows its followers to discover and relish in art from the comfort of their homes.

Past acts include an exhibition titled Observatory of Light by French artist Daniel Buren and a performance directed by French cellist Gautier Capucon.

This week's line-up includes Art/Afrique, le nouvel atelier exhibition (Apr 23, 12am SGT), a concert of Ahmad Jamal (Apr 25, 2.30am SGT) and Gautier Capucon's performance (Apr 26, 11.30p, SGT). For more information on the line up, visit its website here.

Explore Louis Vuitton's digital programmes on Facebook and YouTube.

Tune in to Loewe's hands-on workshops

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If you're a fan of all things hands-on, this Spanish fashion label's series of workshops is for you. The Loewe en Casa workshop engages some of its artistic collaborators to talk about and demonstrate different types of craftsmanship, ranging from metalwork and weaving to furniture-making and woodcraft.

Regular workshops will be streamed live on the brand's Instagram account every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with additional sessions on impromptu days.

Tune in to Loewe's workshops here.

Indulge in Hedi Slimane's curated films

If you've expended all the K-drama options out there, why not tune in to Western movies instead? Check out this list of 10 films curated by Hedi Slimane, creative director of Celine. From cult classics to Hollywood hallmarks, films include Apocalypse Now (1979, pictured above), Charade (1963) and Laurence Anyways (2012).

They're free to watch on Mubi from now till May 31.

Indulge in Hedi Slimane's curated films [embed]https://mubi.com/hedislimane[/embed].

Check out Dior's exhibition and podcasts

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Dior has two activities for you to enjoy: An exhibition and a podcast series.

It will be showcasing Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams online on its Youtube channel. The exhibition - held at the Musee de Arts Decoratifs from July 5, 2017 to Jan 7, 2018 - showcases over 70 years worth of designs, objects and photographs created by past and present creative directors, including Yves Saint Laurent and Maria Grazia Chiuri.

Its podcast series Dior Talks features women from all walks of life talking about female empowerment and feminism in art. Every session will be chaired by historian and writer Katy Hessel and a guest star from the creative industry.

In each episode, the latter will share her journey as a feminist artist, while exploring her relationship with Dior's creative director and the French fashion maison.

Past podcasts include the relationship between feminism and surrealism with 73-year old British-born artist Penny Slinger. There have been seven live episodes so far.

Check out Dior's exhibition here and podcasts here.

ALSO READ: Dress to impress at home: Retailers recast spring looks for coronavirus lockdowns

Listen to Alexander McQueen's music

It's said that music is a universal language, and this British fashion label obviously agrees, offering a soundtrack for us to unwind to.

Titled #McQueenMusic, the playlist consists of music from McQueen's fashion shows and is curated by John Gosling, the man behind the amazing tunes at the label's runway shows for more than 20 years.

Plus, the brand will be working with collaborators such as English composer Isobel Waller-Bridge (who composed the live soundtrack for its SS '20 show and the London Contemporary Orchestra for future playlists.

Listen to Alexander McQueen's music on Spotify.

Participate in Bottega Veneta's workshop

This Italian fashion house has launched a multi-concept platform for us to escape from the harsh reality of the current uncertainty. Known as Bottega Residency, this platform will showcase a range of work and activities - live music, cooking recipes and movies - curated by different creative talents once a week.

Past edits include a Fergus Henderson-approved Welsh rarebit recipe (yum!) selected by English photographer and filmmaker Tyrone Lebon.

The Residency will feature French stylist Marie Chaix as this week's curator.

Participate in Bottega Veneta's workshop here.

Watch Manolo Blahnik's favourite films

Manolo Blahnik constantly draws inspiration from movies for his designs, and now's your chance to check out some of his favourite films while you stay home this weekend. The list includes well-loved classics such as Double Indemnity (1944), All About Eve (1950) and Rebel Without a Cause (1955).

For the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit here.

This article was first published in Her World Online.