LONDON, United Kingdom — What does the red carpet at the Cannes International Film Festival say about the women in a country that is undergoing rapid economic development? Bandana Tewari's column on the demure and very traditional dress worn by Bollywood star Vidya Balan at Cannes fired up the passions of women around the world, from Greece to Benin and many places in between, who joined the conversation in our comments section and on Twitter and Facebook.

“In a country still reeling from an unbroken stream of rape and other forms of violence against women, the gaping reality of gender inequality and the stereotyping of woman has taken centre stage,” she wrote. “The idea of a woman being covetable because she looks servile continues to sit in our collective psyche and is regurgitated again and again.”

While not everyone agreed with her conclusions, a healthy debate ensued, touching on a topic that has been plastered across the newspapers in India, in a thoughtful, analytical way. A must read.

It was also a busy week in the technology world. Digital watchers around the world wait with bated breath for Mary Meeker's annual Internet Trends presentation. High on Ms Meeker's list of trends shaping our world this year is ongoing momentum in mobile devices, the rise of digital China and the emergence of the next great technology battleground, an area that will surely interest fashion companies: wearable devices.

Speaking of the intersection of fashion and technology, 3D printing has been getting lots of attention of late, becoming something of a buzzword. But we brought things down to a more tangible level, investigating how 3D printing could disrupt the designer eyewear market.

Consumers still crave the authenticity of hand-craftsmanship, however. This was obvious when I visited Hermès' Festival des Métiers which touched down in London last week after a worldwide tour. More than 40,000 people crowded into a tiny space in London's Saatchi Gallery to take in the up-close-and-personal access to Hermès artisans — a wonderful way to explore the history of this incredible brand, and its rich tapestry of handmade products.

But Hermès was also in the news for very different reasons. On Friday, French market regulators were poised to issue a damning report on the tactics that LVMH has, reportedly, used to secretly acquire a stake in Hermès. But the world's largest luxury group vigorously contested these allegations and asked that the charges be dismissed. The ongoing drama will continue to play out inside and outside the French courts in the coming months.

In other looming legal indictments, there was also bad news for Italian mega-designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, who could face over two years in prison for tax evasion if Gaetano Ruta, the prosecutor representing the Italian government gets his way.

And as usual, we also met with inspiring people who are shaping the business of fashion around the world. BoF was fortunate to sit down with the press-shy Chitose Abe, designer of the cult fashion brand Sacai, which has been rising up the ranks of fashion insiders.

And, following the announcement that he will be developing a new global store concept for Jimmy Choo, we spoke to the affable Irishman David Collins, whose interior design work, already well known in London, is set to make a mark on the global fashion stage.

Enjoy your weekend.

Imran Amed, Founder and Editor in Chief

Links:

Cannes, Capitalism, the Red Carpet and India (Global Currents)

Mary Meeker's Annual Internet Trends Report Highlights Mobile Momentum, Wearables and Digital China (Fashion 2.0)

Could 3D Printing Disrupt the Designer Eyewear Market? (Fashion 2.0)

Right Brain, Left Brain | The Welcoming Appeal of Hermès' Festival des Métiers (Opinion)

First Person | Chitose Abe of Sacai Says It's About Following Your Instincts (People)

The Creative Class | David Collins, Interior Architect (People) 

Why Tmall Works (Fashion 2.0)