NEW EDITOR IN CHEF JUMPING ESQUIRE

Hearst Magazines is taking a digital swerve with its choice for the new editor in chief of Esquire. Michael Sebastian, currently digital director for the magazine, is its new editor, making for a major leap on the masthead. Sebastian has been at Esquire for only about two years, but joined Hearst in 2015 as senior editor and then director of its digital news division.

Before that, he was a reporter, with a stint covering media for AdAge and before that several years covering p.r. industry news for Lawrence Ragan Communications.

Nick Sullivan, currently Esquire’s fashion director since 2004, is getting a promotion. He will now be the magazine’s creative director. Both men are taking up their new roles immediately.

MARRAKECH AT MALIBU BY YSL

On Thursday, Marrakech came to Malibu for the Saint Laurent spring 2020 men’s show with a cinematic sunset setting, a runway in the sand and perfectly lit ocean waves crashing at the models’ feet.

Anthony Vaccarello rekindled Yves Saint Laurent’s gender-bending revolution for today’s gender-fluid generation using Mick Jagger as inspiration. The result was a collection of sexy sheer shirts, embroidered tunics and voluminous harem pants (yes, harem pants) that marked a confident step forward for Vaccarello and out of Hedi Slimane’s strictly tailored men’s wear shadow.

Rather than making a political statement with the gender-fluid styles the designer said he was trying to express what just comes naturally to young people when they get dressed today. “When I design for a woman, I think about a man and when I design for a man, I think about a woman’s wardrobe,” he explained of his process, adding that he believed it would be more interesting to show Arab-influenced dress in Los Angeles, which he has been visiting since he was a child, than in Marrakech itself, a place to which the brand is intrinsically tied  and also where Dior held its cruise show just weeks ago.

But once everyone was near the water, the sound of the waves created an unusual pre-show calm. Continue reading

YVES ST LAURENT COLETTE CALL

Colette the space that housed the Paris concept store for 20 years will reopen on Saturday as Saint Laurent Rive Droite, a new retail format developed by creative director Anthony Vaccarello that will sell everything from Jean Prouvé chairs to Saint Laurent-branded condoms.

The new boutique and its sister unit on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles, opening the same day, represent a departure for Saint Laurent, known for its minimal stores featuring acres of veiny marble and gleaming shelves. Continue reading

CHLOE RESORT CHINA 2020

Atop the Long Museum in Shanghai, Chloé resort 2020 dove deep into China’s cinematic treasures, in a first that brought the French label outside its home country to launch a collection.

In the lead-up to Thursday night’s runway show, creative director Natacha Ramsay-Levi found herself digging through the film works of Chinese director greats: Jia Zhangke, Hou Hsiao Hsien, Zhang Yimou, Lou Ye, and Bi Gan, as well as their leading ladies Gong Li, Shu Qi, and Zhao Tao.

Ramsay-Levi played with old China codes quilted jackets with flowers, jacquard prints and even pajama styles. After seeing how it paired so well with the architecture around the city, she added Art Deco flourishes to the clothes, which had been pulled from the house’s archives.

For the brand’s devotees, there was plenty to pick from long-trailing neck scarfs, earthy colors and tailored pants in multiple material variations ranging from georgette silk to denim. Continue reading

FENDI BACK TO CHINA

It’s been 12 years, since Fendi last held a show in China. In 2007, it was a show-stopping spectacle held atop the Great Wall. On Friday evening, the brand returned to the country to stage its first co-gender show, although with a very different tact.

The location of tonight is the Powerlong Museum, where a slick futuristic winding ramp that spread over multiple floors acted as the runway, recalling the spiral interior of the Guggenheim.

Actor Timmy Xu opened the show, which added 15 new looks 10 women’s and five men’s. At least for now, Fendi is overseeing both collections herself. The late Karl Lagerfeld was not involved in the planning of the China event so the combined men’s and women’s collections accurately reflected the new creative structure.

Not looking at the past but to the future is something we have very much learned from Karl. China, to me, is really a country which embraces the future a lot. Continue reading

GUCCI CRUISE 2020 ROME

Just two miles away from Vatican City, a bold pro-choice message was unfurled Tuesday before an international fashion public. In a darkened space in the halls of Rome’s Capitoline Museum, stone Roman faces and their gods presided over a runway where a white gown embroidered with a sequined uterus stirred a media frenzy.

It was Gucci’s 2020 cruise collection, and designer Alessandro Michele chose to make his voice heard through his most powerful weapon: needle and thread.

Amid controversial times, Michele was successful in making fashion’s voice heard. Just across the Tiber River, however, as the 47-year-old designer was putting the finishing touches on his fashion-forward collection, Pope Francis voiced his opinion on the pro-life, pro-choice debate, at a Vatican conference on Saturday. According to the New York Times, the Pope stated that abortion, even of a sick fetus, is like hiring a “hitman.”

Homage to Michele’s Roman upbringing. Models draped in veils and swathed in flowing gowns called to mind the Vestal Virgins, ancient highborns, who in Roman times took a vow of celibacy to honor the Godess Vesta. Continue reading

KAISER MEMORIAL IN PARIS

Karl Lagerfeld Memorial Event to Be Held in Paris, Organized by Chanel, Fendi and the Karl Lagerfeld brand, “Karl For Ever” will be staged at the Grand Palais for one night only.

In celebration of his legacy, the houses of Chanel, Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld have organized a memorial in honor of the fashion Kaiser. The tribute, named “Karl For Ever,” will be held at the Grand Palais in Paris on June 20, for one night only during Paris Men’s Fashion Week.

There had been no public ceremony since the designer’s passing. In keeping with Lagerfeld’s wish not to have a public funeral, he was cremated during a private ceremony in Nanterre, France. The event, accessible via private invitation, should attract around 2,500 guests. Continue reading

GIORGIO ARMANI CRUISE 2020

In his first runway show for a cruise collection, Giorgio Armani touched down in the island nation of Japan, and brought with him even more of an island vibe. The show began with looks in neutral shades, eventually moving on to more vibrant reds and blues.

Linen, silk and satin were accented with leather trim and sumptuous knits. Lightweight fabrics were often used in voluminous pieces, from oversized women’s blouses and flowing ponchos to pleated men’s trousers that gathered at the ankle like jogging pants.

Wide belts with exaggerated buckles defined the waist of coats and pants, tortoiseshell necklaces were chunky and layered and brooches and earrings packed a punch with their sheer size and bright, shiny colors.

One standout piece was a sheer black dress, gathered into pleats from the neck to the waist and secured at the collarbone with a cord. Complete with pockets, it was a picture of effortless elegance. Continue reading

MEN’S PARIS FASHION WEEK

Once again, Paris has confirmed its position as a global leader among menswear fashion weeks. For the upcoming season, Paris Fashion Week Men’s has revealed an expanded calendar with no less than 60 runways up from 56 in January which will present Spring/Summer 2020 collections over the course of six days from 18 to 23 June.

Givenchy had been expected to return to the Parisian menswear calendar with a runway show but now this won’t be happening until next January. However, the Parisian programme be welcoming back Palomo Spain, which will kick proceedings off on Tuesday, 18 June, at 11 AM. Led by Spanish designer Adolfo Gomez Palomo, the brand had decided to return to New York to show its collection last season. Continue reading

VUITTON TRACE AND TRACK

Louis Vuitton on Friday unveiled the first global blockchain designed to help consumers trace the provenance and authenticity of luxury goods, a platform named Aura it has developed in partnership with Microsoft and New York-based blockchain software technology company ConsenSys.

Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer of parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, said the technology was still in the very early stages, but touted it as a key tool in the fight against fakes.

Executives at the luxury conglomerate, including chief digital officer Ian Rogers, declined to elaborate on the platform, which will be open to all luxury brands without intermediation, with data remaining confidential. Continue reading

NAZHA THE KERING McQUEEN

China is the Kering-owned brand’s biggest market, and have 18 stores in the Greater China region, including four in Hong Kong, three in Macau. British fashion house Alexander McQueen appointed Chinese actress Nazha to be their first China brand ambassador on Wednesday.

The brand made the official announcement on Weibo, China’s own Twitter, with five images of her wearing McQueen’s pre-fall 2019 collection.

“I am thrilled to be the brand ambassador of Alexander McQueen, may we join hands and walk into the unique aesthetic world of Alexander McQueen,” the actress said on Weibo. Born Gülnezer Bextiyar in Ürümqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, in 1992, Nazha began her modeling career at the age of 16 and later graduated from the prestigious Beijing Film Academy in Beijing in 2011. Continue reading

BURBERRY AND GIGI

Gigi Hadid Fronts Burberry Campaign For First Ever Monogram Collection can lean into any look. Is it any wonder, then, that Burberry has tapped the model to transform into several characters in its campaign for its first-ever monogram collection?

Photographed by Nick Knight and designed by Riccardo Tisci in collaboration with British artist Peter Saville, Hadid showcases the brand’s interlocking TB initials across an array of pieces from bomber jackets to tote bags and trainers. “I have always loved and respected Riccardo’s work, and I feel so honoured and grateful that he trusted me with this project,” Hadid said.

The distinctive monogram was first showcased in 2018 after Tisci discovered a selection of 20th century Burberry logo motifs in the house’s archive.

WE ARE ALL ANIMALS

Kering SA, the French owner of Gucci and Saint Laurent, says it wants to improve suppliers’ treatment of animals used for products like leather handbags and cashmere suits.

The luxury company will apply European Union standards for animal welfare considered to be among the world’s most rigorous as a global baseline by 2025, it said Monday. For suppliers that already meet the requirements, which include unfettered access to clean water and room to move freely, the company said it wants to encourage further improvements like allowing free grazing for cattle or making sure ostriches have enough space to run. Continue reading

RIHANNA ATTRACTS MR ARNAULT

After months of hype, LVMH and Rihanna’s fashion venture is finally materialising. The superstar is set to present her first collection for the new label, which will be branded Fenty, on May 22 in Paris. The label will span ready to wear, accessories, sunglasses, jewellery and shoes.

“Mr Arnault has given me a unique opportunity to develop a fashion house in the luxury sector, with no artistic limits.”

Fenty is the first fashion brand launched from scratch by LVMH since Christian Lacroix was founded in 1987. LVMH wants probably to compete with the Kardashian Familly. The war between Bimbos is open.

The Bimbo naturally finds her full place within LVMH. To support Rihanna to start up the Fenty Maison, they have built a talented and multicultural team supported by the Group resources. LVMH puts at her disposal a model & a designer as Rihanna does nothing apart from singing. Continue reading

CHANEL PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

One of the most famous buildings in Paris, the Paris Opera, celebrated its 350th anniversary on Wednesday  and it went all out.

A flurry of glamorous guests including Meg Ryan, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Golshifteh Farahani mounted the central staircase of the Palais Garnier, surrounded with an installation of wild flowers by florist Eric Chauvin.

The audience took their seats under the venue’s stunning ceiling painted by Marc Chagall to enjoy a performance by Russian soprano Anna Netrebko, as part of the fund-raising gala supported by Schiaparelli and Rolex and, not by Chanel as we said few month ago. Shame on the people who said it was a fake news.

There was a certain frisson about spending the evening in such a famed landmark, known for being the setting of Gaston Leroux’s novel “The Phantom of the Opera.” In fact, we were the Phantom as we were not invited. So unfortunately we cannot tell you more about the performance.

DRUG SEX AND LUXURY

It’s a green new world full of opportunity for CBD and THC beauty and wellness brands. Cannabis companies are IPOing and heading out on the acquisition trail within a matter of days.

Founded in 2016 by Thea Wayne and Jordan Darian, Humble Flower produces cannabis-infused lotions and oils combining THC and CBD, promising hydrating properties and topical relief from pain and other ailments. Continue reading

BREXIT IMPACT- KORS RELOCATES IN LONDON

Michael Kors to cut two-thirds of staff at French HQ. In order to justify the redundancy plan, Michael Kors has highlighted the brand’s declining results in France. Indeed, in the first three quarters of fiscal 2019, the company’s operations in the EMEA region saw an 8.8% decrease across both wholesale and retail sales.

Luxury ready-to-wear brand Michael Kors intends to cut two-thirds of the staff at its French HQ. The plan affects some 20 employees of the company’s French subsidiary, who will discover exactly which positions are being cut in the next few weeks, with some roles possibly being relocated to London.

The brand’s French HQ currently employs around 30 people, who are responsable for sales and press operations in France and Benelux, as well as merchandising and franchises in the EMEA region. Continue reading

AURORA WOULD YOU SCENT ELEGANCE

What scent would be ideal to describe happiness or how would you scent elegance? Fresh and slightly fruity, with a rind of citrus gently hovering in the beginning the top notes are beautifully embraced with creaminess of rice note and sweetness of water lotus later on.

This fragrance resembles of a light silky dress gracefully flowing in the summer at the opera in Vienna. Something about this perfume feels very delicate, nearly fragile, yet it is so perfectly balanced that every time a touch of rose on my lips and a slightly sweet watermelon flavour….

Charles Wong is an author and a perfume enthusiast from Hong Kong and this is his first fragrance. Aurora was made in France by Corialys and released at the end of 2018. The nose behind this fragrance is Richard Asfour. Aurora is entirely Mr.Wong’s personal tribute to France, Parisian elegance, its romantic and dapper side. Continue reading

KARL LAGERFELD BRAND

The Karl Lagerfeld brand will attend the next session of Pitti Uomo with a presentation honoring its late founding designer. That will include a performance by the London-based street artist Endless, and displays of the brand’s spring 2020 collections of men’s wear, women’s wear, footwear, eyewear, denim and beachwear.

“Our presence at Pitti Uomo will be a special moment to kick off a series of global events that celebrate Karl’s legacy and reflect upon his pioneering, cutting-edge and iconic contributions to design,” said Pier Paolo Righi, chief executive officer of Karl Lagerfeld. “Pitti Uomo will also be an exciting platform to showcase our new collections and share the inspiring, immersive World of Karl experience.” Continue reading

CARDI B AND NOVA

Fashion Nova and Cardi B are back together again for a second collaboration. The 107-piece collection is set to launch May 8 and follows their first release in November. An announcement on the deal said the range draws inspiration from the Eighties and Nineties and includes cinched-waist silhouettes, leather corsets and latex. Continue reading