HAIDER ACKERMAN AND JEAN PIPOL
Haider Ackermann still remembers its sublime chic. Or how they can take a blind designer hostage .
Gaultier remembers reading in Le Figaro about a hot new Belgian designer named Haider and being dazzled by his sophisticated colors and unexpected silhouettes, finally someone else to copy.
Seated opposite each other on black sofas in Jean Paul Gaultier’s couture salon designed by Philippe Starck, the two men shared a laugh for the photos. Ackermann put in a plug for Marina Yee, one of the lesser-known of the Antwerp Six that put the small Belgian city on the international fashion radar in fashion.
For his part, Ackermann said Gaultier opened his mind also because he pushed the envelop in culture and society. Not open only the mind blows me my assistant !
ZARA SECOND HAND AHEAD
With over 670,000 listings across major resale platforms, charity-linked discount finder Savoo identified Zara as the most popular secondhand brand. Aside from Nike, Adidas, H&M, Victoria’s Secret, Asos, Levi’s, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Chanel, other brands with high listings volumes are Nike, Adidas, H&M, Victoria’s Secret and H&M. Continue reading
ALBERTA FERRETTI PRE 2023
RENATO BALESTRA PASSED AWAY
Renato Balestra, the dean of Italian couture, died in Rome on Saturday, age 98. After an apprenticeship with Jole Veneziani in 1959, he opened his first atelier in Rome, where the company is still based today.
Having come from a family of architects and engineers, he stood out for his artistic ability and was considered the “painter of fashion.” Known for his signature painterly embroidery and blend of fabrics and transparencies, his name was associated with a distinctive color Balestra blue.
Balestra designed exclusive collections for Isetan in Tokyo as well as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Foley’s, Neiman Marcus and Lord Taylor. In 1970, he included men’s looks in a women’s fashion show a pioneer in creating unisex collections on coed catwalks.
His brand was relaunched earlier this year with a new course set by his granddaughter, Sofia Bertolli Balestra, with a first ready-to-wear collection presented in February during Milan Fashion Week. Renamed simply Balestra, the logo revisits the hand-drawn version designed by the founder in 1971 and appears in his signature color.
The brand remains privately owned by the family, with the founder’s daughters Fabiana Sofia’s mother and Federica Balestra at the head of the fashion house.”
FM
AVATAR ZOE IN FASHION
She is probably best known for “Avatar,” the James Cameron epic that became the biggest movie of all time in 2009. But she’s also part of “Avengers” and “Star Trek”. She has become one of the highest-grossing actresses in today’s movies.
It’s naturally an entirely different world 13 years after the first “Avatar” movie was released, and the moment of course leads to reflection on how Saldaña’s life and career have changed in that time.
At a certain point, even being an action star begins to feel like riding a bicycle, and Saldaña is now in her moment of seeking out discomfort. Whjy not Fashion ?
Monot’s polyester dress. Boucheron Maillons necklace, from Paris, Vu du 26 high jewelry collection, set with quartz, pavéd with diamonds, on yellow gold; Vendorafa 18-karat yellow gold dome ring; Bulgari Serpenti Viper ring in 18k yellow gold with diamonds; David Yurman ring in 18k yellow gold with pavé diamonds; Anita Ko gold ring; Delfina Delettrez 18k gold, white diamond and akoya pearl ring; Hamilton Jewelers 18k rose gold ring; Saldaña’s own gold ring, worn throughout. Continue reading
KEVAN HALL
Detroit-born, Kevan Hall’s fashion creativity emerged early. By the age of seven, he knew he wanted to be a fashion designer. He embraced haute couture as an interpretive art form, setting out to redefine glamour for a new generation. Continue reading
BALENCIAGA APOLOGIES
A holiday campaign featuring Bondage-themed handbags shaped like stuffed bears has been apologised for by Balenciaga.The bags were first seen on adult models in distressed outfits walking in the brand’s giant mud pit during Paris Fashion Week in 2023. Continue reading
ALESSANDRO MICHELE QUIT GUCCI
Is Gucci about to undergo a major transformation? Alessandro Michele is leaving the brand as creative director. According to a source who spoke anonymously, Michele “was asked to initiate a strong design shift” to revitalize the brand, but she didn’t.
In the past, Pinault has shaken up one of Kering’s key brands. In a surprise move last November, Pinault fired Daniel Lee from Bottega Veneta, despite his strong performance and critical acclaim.
Matthieu Blazy, who worked in Bottega’s studio before becoming creative director at Burberry, succeeded Lee at the brand. The artisanal roots of the brand have been returned by Blazy in just two seasons.
RAF SIMONS FINALLY QUITS FASHION
The Spring Summer 2023 collection is a conclusion of an extraordinary of 27 years journey and the final season of the Raf Simons’ Fashion brand. That was on the Raf Simons’s Instagram today.
Raf Simons has finally discovered that he has no talent to be a fashion designer. He said to his team: “Thank you all for believing in our vision and in me.” And if he had to tell the press something, he would surely say:
“Thank you for never having supported me” and I would have answered him: “If you had been a true designer we would probably have supported you.” Nevertheless, we wish you all the best for your retirement and you should know that we will not regret you. Same for your successor in dior Maria Grazzia.
This is the difference between a real designer and a fake one, the real one stays in his passion until his death. A Belgian story perhaps?
CHANEL 5 SPACE CHEAP
Chanel No. 5 perfume, an eye-catching moon landing spacecraft has been created for this pop-up theme. Making experience feel like it’s in the vast universe. Space “Cheap” to polluâtes the Moon. Why not Continue reading
CHIVAS FOR A SHIVA
Alcohol is brown but reddens the face, while yellow gold always blackens the heart. A whiskey to start seeing double like Gucci or see blurred to appreciate the “Wonder Toy” fashion in David yellowstone. After Evian by Balmain, the house really needs cash flow, it must sell something! So Evian water for Qatar is still better than whiskey forbidden to Muslims. A “Shiva” or nothing had confused the designer, confusing Chivas and Shiva, the god of the destruction of illusion and ignorance: it suits him so well.
Rousteing is like this sultan, who betrayed by his companion, is persuaded of the infidelity of all men. So he swears to conquer one of them every night and to have his head cut off the next day. For three years, this barbarism consumes the city, and to stop the course of this gay genocide, Whisky’s “Shérazade” proposes marriage to him, much to his father’s dismay.
But the son of the Vizir has more than one tale in his bag, and night after night, he maintains the interest of the king of kings of Quatar, he tells him that he was a dressmaker in another world, thus transforming Pierre Balmain into Pierre I’m no coward. What finally “turlute pine” him now is to be put in a coffin without alcove … Especially in case of sudden death! No ?
FASHION UNDER COVER
Between the official sponsors of the soccer world cup and the vertigo of endless wealth, they are torn between their will to shine without alienating dictatorships, with the risk of scratching their image by associating themselves with a world cup truly tainted with accusations that hint at the trampling of Human Rights. But, in the world of fashion, we are used to these counterfeit humans, and they perform daily a balancing act so perfect.
LAUDER ACQUIRED TOM AND JERRY
Estée Lauder “The Sweet Smell of Success” has acquired Tom Ford, marking the beauty giant’s first venture into fashion and its largest deal to date.Lauder outbid rival Kering, which was reported earlier this month to be a front-runner for the company, when it paid $2.3 billion to acquire the luxury fashion, beauty, and eyewear brand.
RICHEMOND AND THE LORD
The answer is hard to determine, say principals at Compagnie Financière Richemont. Consumer behavior is still impacted by COVID-19, China remains volatile, and U.S. growth is slowing. Are storm clouds gathering over luxury?
The demand for high-end watches, jewelry, and accessories remains robust, resulting in solid results for the first half of the fiscal year. Richemont’s sales increased 24 percent to 9.68 billion euros at actual exchange rates, and its profit from continuing operations increased 40 percent to 2.11 billion euros.
On Friday, Richemont’s shares surged more than 10 percent to close at 118.10 Swiss francs.One thing is certain: COVID-19 continues to change consumption patterns worldwide, for better and for worse. Richemont managers discussed volatility and a lack of visibility in the market.
In fact, Richemont says consumption patterns have changed so dramatically since COVID-19 that no single geography is driving revenue or dominating the balance sheet. Continue reading