ALIBABA AND THE 40 CHINESES

Xinhua, CEO of Chinese giant Alibaba, will soon sign an agreement with Paris to install a logistics center in France and to increase the sale of French products on its trading platforms online.

“We are planning to open a logistics center in France, we are currently looking for a site and partners,” said the founder of the Chinese number one of the e-commerce, on the sidelines of the meeting between French and Chinese presidents, Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping, at the People’s Palace in Beijing.

Jack Ma met Emmanuel Macron last Tuesday morning with also Richard Liu, boss of JD.com, number two of the Chinese e-commerce, which also announced to want to set up in France and promised to sell for 2 billion euros of French products on its platforms within two years. Continue reading

TOURNE DE TRANSMISSION LONDON

Graeme Gaughan, Tourne de Transmission’s creative director, returned to foreign cultures for fall 2018, the inspiration material that fueled his rise on the men’s wear scene. “I got a bit distracted in the last few seasons, this season it was images in photographer Lee Gordon’s book, “Kanaval: Vodou, Politics and Revolution on the Streets of Haiti,” that galvanized his return to form.

Jacmel’s Carnival celebrations are famous across Haiti, and every year thousands of partygoers descend on the city to take part in this fantastic spectacle. Jacmel turns into one giant street theater for the event: it’s a world away from the sequins and sparkle of Carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

Gordon’s images of the carnival in Jacmel, Haiti, in the Nineties depict men smeared in paint or mud wearing dresses, and children in ill-fitting suits gathered to reenact a grisly story from their history. Continue reading

FASHION CAMPAIGNS 2018

Spring 2018 Ad Campaigns: Calvin Klein Jeans, Kaia Gerber, 16 and Presley Gerber, 18, children of Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber.

Spring 2018 Ad Campaigns: Dior, Dior’s spring campaign features Sasha Pivovarova, the model and artist who opened Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Spring runway show wearing a T-shirt printed with the title of Linda Nochlin’s essay, “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?” Continue reading

GUCCI PLACES TO BE

Gucci reinvents “Instagram”. Earlier this year Gucci has launched an application called “Gucci Places” using geolocation services on user’s phones that sends them a push notification when they are near a Gucci shop. Once in the place, the user can earn corresponding badges and share them on social media.

The aim is to invite aficionados to discover unexpected stories about these places, and to form a community. The first Gucci Place was the Chatsworth in Derbyshire, England, where Gucci was supporting an exhibition of clothing and memorabilia baptized “House Style”, as well as where it realized its Cruise 2017 advertising campaign.

The latest Gucci places to discover include: The Angelica Library, in Rome, Italy; the Castello Sonnino, in Montespertoli, Italy; The Assouline House, in London, England; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), in Los Angeles, California; Bibo restaurant, in Hong Kong; and the Waltz store in Nakameguro, Tokyo, Japan. Continue reading

ALAIA GRAVE IN LONDON

From May 10th to October 7th an exhibition planned by Alaia himself will be presented by the Design Museum as Azzedine Alaia. The exhibition will explore his passion and energy for fashion as he himself intended it to be seen showcasing more than 60 pieces personally selected by the iconic designer.

Azzedine Alaia was recognised throughout his life as a master couturier who expressed the timeless beauty of the female form in the most refined degree of haute couture.

Alaia was born to a farming family in Tunisia in 1940 and studied sculpture at the fine arts school in Tunis before working at a modest neighbourhood dressmaker’s shop. He rose to fame in the 1980s, refusing to march to the beat of international fashion weeks and instead releasing his collections, like Franck Sorbier in his own time, with scant concern for publicity. Continue reading

FERRAGAMO WAREHOUSE

Salvatore Ferragamo has inaugurated a new advanced artisanal laboratory inside his Osmannoro plant.

The 12,916-square-foot space, which is dedicated to the development and realization of men’s and women’s leather good samples, will enable the company to further expand its leather accessories offering through the combination of a traditional artisanal approach and the use of innovative machineries and techniques. The new laboratory has been realized with eco-friendly materials and was designed to reduce the environmental impact of the manufacturing processes.

“In keeping with the brand’s philosophy, focused on the development of artisanal products celebrating Made in Italy craftsmanship, the new leather goods laboratory will enable our artisans to grow their passion and skills with an approach based on innovation and research, always in the respect of tradition,” said Salvatore Ferragamo chief executive officer Eraldo Poletto. Continue reading

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH LOUBOUTIN

Christian Louboutin and Disney are making magic once again. Following 2012’s reinterpretation of the “Cinderella” slipper and 2014’s “Maleficent” shoe, Louboutin has reunited with Walt Disney Studios to create a showpiece and a set of shoe designs for the release of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.”

A fan of the sci-fi franchise since the beginning, Rey (Daisy Ridley), Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo (Laura Dern), Captain Phasma (Gwendoline Christie) and Rose Tico (Kelly Marie Tran). The commemorative styles are to start with the showpiece on Saturday at the Los Angeles premiere of the latest episode.

The showpiece, a collaboration between Louboutin and Industrial Light and Magic, incorporates Louboutin’s six-inch Ballerina Ultima heel. The display will feature a hyper-realistic holographic installation and will be guarded by a set of Praetorian Guard members on the red carpet of the premiere. Continue reading

DONATELLA LONDON BIO BOUTIQUE

The new store, located on Sloane Street, is taking a sustainable approach to design. After paying tribute to Gianni Versace’s legacy with a high-energy spring 2018 show in September, Donatella Versace has kept the celebratory spirit alive and brought it to London.

On Monday night, she accepted the Fashion Icon prize at the Fashion Awards here and the following day she marked the opening of the new Versace boutique on Sloane Street.The store is located a few yards away from the previous one, and Versace made the move in order to secure a bigger space.

“London means a lot to me, all the young, creative talent is here who I try to work a lot with,” said Versace at the boutique’s opening party, where she was joined by one of those young talents, Christopher Kane, who used to design the Versus line. Other guests included models Natasha Poly and Irina Shayk. “I wanted a bigger space, and I’m particularly proud of this store because of the sustainability approach we are taking.” Continue reading

AFTER A COMA CASEY

American designer Casey Cadwallader as its new artistic director of women’s ready-to-wear, succeeding David Koma, who is leaving the house after four years at the helm. The 38-year-old studied architecture at Cornell University and has 17 years of experience, including positions as design director of rtw and accessories at Narciso Rodriguez and director of design at J.Mendel. He has also held positions at Loewe and Tse.

“The Clarins Group is very happy to welcome Casey Cadwallader to Mugler,” said Sandrine Groslier, chief executive officer of Clarins Fragrance Group and Mugler fragrances and fashion.

“His determination and unique sensitivity to Mugler’s artistic and experimental heritage will enable us to pursue the renewal of the house in the long term. We are confident that his personal vision and talent will position Mugler among the most sought-after avant-garde fashion brands of today,” she added. Continue reading

NOBUYOSHI ARAKI X SAINT LAURENT

Saint Laurent will reveal 16 unique pieces at Colette, which are part of a special art and photography project by world renowned Japanese artist Nobuyoshi Araki.

The artist captured Anja Rubik, integrating photography and painting techniques, exclusively for Saint Laurent and Anthony Vaccarello. The series, titled “Saint Laurent Shiki-in” (lust for color), merge elements of the world of Saint Laurent with the traditional themes of Araki’s work, a key figure in the modern world culture.

All of the pieces can be pre-ordered at Colette through the Taka Ishii Gallery and will then be sent from Tokyo along with Araki’s label signature and certificate of authenticity. Continue reading

GUCCI TAX INVESTIGATION

On Saturday, Reuters released a report saying that  Gucci is under investigation for tax evasion. Italy’s Guardia di Finanza, the national police force specializing in financial crimes late this week visited the fashion house’s offices in Milan and Florence for fiscal checks.

Mentioning an anonymous senior source with direct knowledge on the matter, Reuters reported checks started because Milan prosecutors suspected Gucci may have paid taxes on profits generated by sales in Italy in another country with a more favorable tax structure.

Reached for comment, Gucci released a statement saying the company is providing its full cooperation to the respective authorities and is confident about the transparency of its operations. Continue reading

KIMONO EXHIBITION

A new Kimono exhibit will be held in Tokyo to bring together traditional craftsmanship, high-tech robotics, and leading contemporary artists from all over the world. Dubbed Kimono Roboto, the project is being led by Hong Kong-based company Melco Resorts and Entertainment.

“This is a passion project — plain and simple. Japanese arts and culture have been an inspiration of mine since I was young, and I’m glad to be able to say that it’s an enthusiasm shared throughout the Melco family today,” Lawrence Ho, chairman and chief executive officer of the company was quoted as saying in a release. “We could not be more honored or excited to celebrate the heritage, culture and arts of Japan alongside our partners and these kimono artisans.

21 LOGO GUCCI FOREVER

Forever 21 isn’t giving up an effort to cancel Gucci’s trademarks for its classic, two-tone stripe design detail, and it’s using the designs of numerous other brands to support its case.

More than 40 brands and retailers across a range of price points, including Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s and from Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga to Tory Burch, J. Crew and Urban Outfitters, were cited in Forever 21’s updated complaint against Gucci, arguing several trademarks covering the house’s blue and red as well as green and red stripe designs should be canceled.

“All of the Gucci registrations feature three parallel stripes colored blue-red-blue or green-red-green,” Forever 21 pointed out in a new complaint filed last week. “Many clothing and accessory items adorned with decorative stripes colored blue-red-blue or green-red-green are sold by countless third parties. Continue reading

ARTEMISSION DARE VALLI

Giambattista Valli is launching an activewear capsule collection and gearing up for a retail push, marking the first steps of his label’s planned expansion under its new partnership with the billionaire Pinault family.

Following the end of his decade-long partnership with Italian luxury outerwear firm Moncler as creative director of its Gamme Rouge line, he will unveil his namesake activewear collection of 50 to 60 pieces to buyers in January.

With core prices ranging from 1,100 euros to 2,500 euros, the line will be delivered in June 2018 in tandem with pre-fall. Identified by a color-coded label, it will be sold in Giambattista Valli boutiques and select specialty stores.

“It’s a capsule collection where we will express a more functional side of the brand, while remaining faithful to the atmosphere of contemporary chic that is part of its DNA,” Continue reading

MORAND GUEST MEMBERS

Two new couture houses, Christophe Josse and Noureddine Amir have been elected as guest members of the official calendar by the membership committee of the famous and worldwide known Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture.

The invitation is a much sought-after approval by fashion houses and guarantees the two couturiers a slot on the official catwalk schedule during Paris couture week. The next season will take place over four days from Monday, January 22 to Thursday, January 25, 2018.

Amir is a Moroccan-born designer, noted for making film costumes in the 1990s and known for creating “wearable sculptures”, who received the distinct honor of an exhibition in the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent in March 2016.

For Josse, the annoucement could be seen as a comeback. French-born Josse is an experienced designer, who, after studying art history, joined the house of Torrente, where he eventually became the creative director of its couture collection. Continue reading