A VAMPIRE AT DIOR’S

Dior’s spring pre-collection will be presented by Robert Pattinson. It was photographed by Rafael Pavarotti, with art direction by Ronnie Cooke Newhouse and styling by Melanie Ward and Ellie Grace Cumming.

Since 2013, Pattinson has been the face of Dior Homme. “Twilight” actor also appeared in Karl Lagerfeld’s spring 2017 and fall 2016 menswear campaigns for the French fashion house.

The actor read lines from Jack Kerouac’s work on the soundtrack of Dior’s pre-fall men’s fashion show in London last December, in addition to attending dozens of fashion shows over the years.

The British actor recently starred in “The Batman”. Among his next projects is a science fiction film based on the novel by Edward Ashton “Mickey7”, directed by the Oscar-winning South Korean director Bong Joon Ho . Science fiction for Dior ! It make sens.

RIMOWA’S NEVER STILL

A series of celebrities, including Rihanna, Patti Smith, and other VIPs, are chosen as ambassadors for Rimowa’s “Never Still” campaign

In a short film format, the “Never Still” campaign of RIMOWA gives life to a new era of travel by taking into account the extremely personal perspectives of four global legends. In collaboration with four exceptional brand ambassadors, Rimowa encourages us to travel with a new spirit and new awareness: Rihanna, Patti Smith, LeBron James, and Roger Federer. Continue reading

KERING STELLAR GROWTH

Kering said sales increased by 14% in its third quarter, driven by strong results in Europe, although Gucci revenues lagged behind overall growth.

With the dollar strong in Europe and the Chinese market recovering from COVID-19 restrictions, luxury giants are disregarding concerns that the industry’s post-pandemic boom may cool.

With overall sales of 5.137 billion euros in the three months to September, Kering also benefited largely from that trend. Analysts had predicted a 12% increase on a comparable basis, which strips out currency fluctuations. However, Gucci’s sales grew by 9%, below a consensus forecast of 11%.

The label’s performance in China was “mixed” and “has yet to normalize,” said Kering’s finance chief Jean-Marc Duplaix. Following years of stellar growth, Gucci has underperformed rivals Louis Vuitton and Hermes in terms of its sales, which accounts for the bulk of profits at Kering. Too bad the turnover is not like Gucci’s collection this season, a double vision.

MARINO AN ARTCHITEC FOR HANDBAG

The pitch-black handbag, with leather straps, nail heads, and medieval-inspired hardware, is not a wussie bag, Peter Marino deadpanned about Louis Vuitton’s Artycapucines collection.

 In a limited edition of 200, the handbag will be sold in Vuitton boutiques around the world by six contemporary artists. Each is priced at 8,000 euros.

Could it be a sculpture, or a handbag? he teased over the line from his New York office. I know at least three women who collect handbags and put them under glass.

At Paris+, the new art fair from Art Basel organizers, Vuitton will unveil its 2022 Artycapucines Collection. Vuitton has been appointed associate partner of the event, which runs from Oct. 20 to 22 at the Grand Palais Éphémère.

While visiting a 14th-century building in Venice, Marino discovered a medieval box with heavy straps and an odd locking mechanism that inspired his Artycapucines bag.

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UK TAX FREE SHOPPING IS BACK

Within less than a month of announcing plans to restore tax-free shopping for international visitors, the British government has backed down. The return of tax-free shopping had been hailed by industry groups and luxury retailers as a way to boost tourism post-COVID-19 and help British luxury brands and retailers compete with their European counterparts.

With Jeremy Hunt as Chancellor of the Exchequer, that euphoria has dissipated as the country tries to generate as much tax income as possible to restore confidence in brand Britain. It is estimated that the new measures he announced will save the government 32 billion pounds per year.

After the speech, the pound rose by roughly 1 percent against the dollar, trading at $1.13. By late afternoon, it had risen to $1.14.  Continue reading

RALPH LAUREN 2023

Thursday night at The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in the preppy Los Angeles suburb of San Marino, California. Ralph Lauren joined the luxury brand movement of destination shows, bringing his runway to the West Coast for the first time. Continue reading

SIMONS THE GATEWAY TO LONDON

The bar turned into a runway. Students, artists, designers, musicians, DJs, and fashion types all pressed together in the chaotic spirit of euphoria that Raf Simons wanted to whip up around the showing of his spring collection.

“I decided to come to London last year, because I felt the energy was incredible,” he said, while prepping a show at Printworks, a massive post-industrial newsprint factory

London, like the country, is a hurt animal, but it’s one that’s ready for release. Positives can be found within the negatives. He is probably talking about him hurt by the fashion Week in Paris and then in New York he is now trying London.

On tee shirts and dresses, he embedded prints of scrawled works by the late Ghent artist Philippe Vandenberg. I know his words are cruel, like, ‘Kill them all and dance,’ but he meant to kill things you’re doing creatively before moving on. Continue reading

FASHION FROM THE SUBURBS 93

She comes to make Paris Fashion Week look ridiculous, and so the doors of the suburbs open, those of the real suburbs, not those where we used to look for the sons of the bourgeoisie in order to make them look like little ruffians who come out of the mire of immigration in order to propel them into fashion. No, the real one, the one that creates, the one that is multi-cultural, the one that is not afraid to be in a multi-ethnic couple, the one of multiple confession.
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PRADA BREAKFAST AT TIPHANIE

In its first fine jewelry collection, Prada is breaking ground as the first global luxury brand to use 100 percent recycled gold. Featuring American poet and activist Amanda Gorman; American actor, model and singer-songwriter Maya Hawke; and Dutch-Korean-Canadian musician Somi Jeon, Prada’s campaign is being photographed by David Sims.

Classic portraits are juxtaposed with gold-gilded reflections for a visually strong and immediate campaign, recognizably different from others in the category.

At the core of the collection is Prada’s signature triangle motif, which harks back to the brand’s founder Mario Prada. the bimbos of the fashion week thought that the triangle was the representation of their sex !

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BROWNE MASTER OF CFDDA

The Council of Fashion Designers of America has named Thom Browne its next chairman, effective Jan. 1. Browne will be tasked with overseeing the organization as it continues to undergo rapid changes.

Browne was unanimously elected to the position for a two-year term by the CFDA board. Tom Ford completed his three-year term as chairman at the end of May, and he is succeeded by the 57-year-old designer.

During his term Ford diversified the board; initiated new programs to help bring much-needed diversity, equity and inclusion to the fashion industry; worked with brands to provide access to hundreds of jobs, opportunities, and mentorships; and founded A Common Thread with Vogue, which provided over $5 million in relief aid to fashion businesses during the first two years of the pandemic.

Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania, Browne didn’t set out to become a fashion designer, graduating from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in economics. Following an acting career in Los Angeles, Browne moved to New York in 1997 and began working as a salesman at Giorgio Armani. Club Monaco, then owned by Polo Ralph Lauren, later chose him to lead its creative development team, which he did for several years before launching his own label. Finally, it is not only in France that we have designer economists!

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KERING AND BEAUTY THE BUZZ

There is a lot of buzz around Kering and its potential entry into the beauty industry. Does the French luxury conglomerate plan to bring back some of its activities? Is there a possibility of other beauty acquisitions?

Gucci, YSL, and Balenciaga are among the companies in the company’s portfolio. Industry insiders believe the answer is “yes,” and that a shift might come sooner rather than later.

“[Kering brands’] competitors Dior, Chanel and Givenchy have everything fashion, beauty, leather goods, jewelry, etcetera under the same roof. It gives for sure more consistency, synergy and power to the brand. Late last month, a Kering executive suggested the group is ready to explore beauty.

The jewels in Kering’s crown are Gucci, whose beauty license is held by Coty Inc., and Yves Saint Laurent, still with L’Oréal. Industry sources estimate those generate sales of a half-billion euros and 1 billion euros, respectively.

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TAG HEUER AND PORSCHE

If you were looking for a getaway car from Paris Fashion Week, a Porsche Carrera would have been ideal, but the trio parked on Place Vendôme were celebrating Tag Heuer’s 50th anniversary.

It is now a collectible car, described by Tag Heuer chief executive officer Frédéric Arnault as a “sporty, performance-oriented car,” with iconic design codes such as white and blue, white and green, white and red, and the iconic Carrera stripe.

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KANYE OLD WILD WEST

Kanye West has not stopped talking about him since his arrival in Paris. The rapper first caused a sensation by opening the Balenciaga fashion show on Sunday, October 2. The next day, he organized his own fashion show for his brand Yeezy. Many stars have also made the trip including Anna Wintour, the god master of fashion. However, his show has caused controversy on social networks after images of him wearing a long-sleeved black top with the following message: “White Lives Matter” have made the rounds of the Web. A reference to the slogan “Black Lives Matter” which became viral on social networks and in the demonstrations after the death of the American George Floyd. The Internet users have expressed their anger towards Kanye West, including the famous model Gigi Hadid.

On Monday night, after the show, Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, a journalist for the American edition of “Vogue”, decided to share her opinion on the show of Kanye West: “The T-shirts that this man designs, produces and shares with the world are pure violence,” she wrote in her Instagram story. Continue reading

FRENCA FENDI PASSED AWAY

Franca Fendi died Wednesday in Rome, as the third-born daughter of the Fendi family, she worked closely with her four sisters Carla, who died in 2017; Anne; Paola, and Aida, in expanding and developing the luxury house.

As retail manager, she was responsible for the brand’s Rome stores until the business was sold in 1999. Prada Group and LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton acquired 51 percent of the Rome-based fashion and leather goods company in 1999.

In November 2001, LVMH acquired Prada’s stake, and today the company is managed by Serge Brunschwig.

Former creative director of Fendissime and now cofounder of Triple F’s vintage resale platform, Federica leaves behind four children: Guido, Andrea, Luca, and Federica.

DGENA PARIS 2023

It is a pleasure under our eyes when the hand of the creator unrolls her creations of a world where everything seems to collapse. She drags us from peaks to abysses, between the infinity of time, which sometimes is suspended, to penetrate our intimate fiber. The creator, about whom everyone speaks in Paris, sublimates the sublime, by a simple and mastered collection; couture spirit says to me the man of the Spring next to me.

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VUITTON ZIP LAND

At the beginning of the show a thirteen year old aficionado tries to pass the security cordon, he gets a slap from a security guard and the MAN said: “I’ll educate you little fag”. Scary, No?

Sports mixed with couture, hardware and arcades at the Louis Vuitton show at the Louvre, which closed four weeks of runway shows.

Indian summer moment finally arrived in “Emily in Paris”, perforated leather suits featured trompe-l’oeil zips and buckles, while giant silver buttons reflected the scene like a fisheye lens.

Ghesquière used ultra-wide belts to tighten some looks, and he adorned a black leather dress with giant buckles. Additionally, the accessories, including luggage tag-shaped bags and supersized versions of the brand’s monogram canvas key pouch, heightened the sense of distortion.

Many guests started filming their own images as the circular mirrors dotted the set revolved just before the show ended. It was a fitting end to a rollercoaster season that should prompt some self-reflection, if Ghesquière is to be believed.

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GIVENCHY PARIS 2023

On Sunday afternoon, a downpour right around call time for Givenchy allowed attendees to learn about the absorbent quality of cork, the material covering their seating cubes.

Matthew Williams raised set in the Jardin des Plantes offered a lovely vista indeed, a foil to his sleek, sharp brand of glamour. Although he has been working at Givenchy for more than two years already, this was the designer’s first dedicated women’s show..

Denim remains one of our fashion obsessions. One word of order dare the total look by opting for similar shades. In a silhouette composed of a bra and a low-cut skirt, or a jacket and a cargo skirt, Denim is declined through an aesthetic right in the ugly trend. Continue reading