KENZO A FLOWER DIES AT 80

Japanese fashion designer Kenzo Takada, famous for creating the world-renowned Kenzo brand, has died from complications linked to COVID-19 at the age of 81,

Known especially for his signature floral prints, Takada came to France from his native Japan in 1965 by boat, landing in Marseille before making his way to Paris.

He had planned only a short stay in the city, but Paris eventually became his home. Takada created his first collection for women in 1970, his first show for men in 1983 and his first perfume, Kenzo Kenzo, in 1988.
LVMH’s Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault said in a statement that Kenzo had “infused into fashion a tone of poetic lightness and sweet freedom which inspired many designers after him”.

Ralph Toledano, chairman of France’s fashion federation, credited Takada with contributing to writing “a new page in fashion, at the confluence of the East and the West”.

ISABEL MARANT PARIS 2021

Tonight, Isabel Marant celebrated love, joy, celebration and human warmth. The tent she usually erects in the Palais Royal gave way to an outdoor parade in free placement. No millimetre front row, no hierarchy, just love and a good dose of energy, which devotees like Lena Mahfouf, Kim Chapiron and Tina Kunakey came to celebrate with her. The (La)Horde dance collective shared the podium with a diverse and joyful cast, in an ultra dynamic choreography: the dancers ran, jumped, hugged each other, forming human pyramids that punctuated the passage of the mannequins.

Inspired by the icons of the 1980’s like Debbie Harry or Kim Wilde, the collection was full of shiny pink and silver pieces, micro shorts and mini dresses with ruffles, the perfect attire for the party. American artist Amber Goldhammer signed the print of the season: an accumulation of graffiti-like pink and blue hearts, which blossomed on an oversized jumpsuit or men’s pants. Hearts and stars also hung on the ears of the models, attracting the light like these mini party dresses in lamé agent or these pumps laced at the ankles. Continue reading

RICK OWENS SPRING 2021

That Owens showed in front of the Lido Casino with no audience and not in Paris was a function of the coronavirus pandemic. Venice is two hours away from Owens’ Italian factory, where he’s been holed up. And incidentally, the word quarantine originates from the Venetian language and the region’s response to the bubonic plague in medieval times.

For all of these reasons, his spring collection felt like the defiant fashion act we’ve all been waiting for, what Owens dubbed “an exaggerated middle finger to doom” expressed with major shoulders, thigh-high boots, “lurid” colors, crisp tunics, flowing robes and sculptural capes.

The display was exhilarating, and the free-flowing clothes newsy for Owens, especially the simple yet architectural tunics and the chiffon shrouds in bubblegum pink with trailing ribbons. As he did for his terrific men’s collection for spring, Owens revisited some old, but still good ideas: fishnet tank dresses and hoodies that wink back to the masks used for his fall 2012 show. Continue reading

CHIURI FASHION VICTIMS FOR DIOR

Spring 2021 show, which was held in a vast white box in the Tuileries Garden. Chiuri has been one busy bee in recent months: creating a couture collection in miniature, and a lavish film that continued her narrative, and staging a massive open-air show in Lecce, Italy, for cruise that involved scores of collaborations with local artisans. Here she continued the thread and the toil for spring, linking with women in Indonesia for original Ikat prints, and turning out 86 exits in a dark room punctuated with stained-glass-like windows bearing magazine collages by artist Lucia Marcucci.

With all the loose shapes duster coats, short kimonos and wide culottes and the scarf prints in dusty colors, the clothes felt like old friends or heirlooms, far from the slick and glossy luxury goods of yore.

Chiuri remains committed to physical runway shows even as restrictions on daily life are mounting along with COVID-19 cases in France deeming them the best way to display haute craftsmanship, and a fashion message.

She had a chorus of women singing a lament by avant-garde Italian composer Lucia Ronchetti that added another somber, occasionally dissonant layer to the proceedings. Continue reading

VUITTON SHOW ON ROOF TOP SAMARITAINE

It only took 15 years for Nicolas Ghesquière’s next runway venue to finally be ready: Louis Vuitton will cap off Paris Fashion Week on Oct. 6 with a fashion show at La Samaritaine.

Ghesquière will parade his spring 2021 women’s collection on the top floor of the not-yet-completed complex under a glass dome known as La Rotonde; while those tuning in to the livestream will have a completely different experience thanks to green-screen technology and other digital razzmatazz.

Nicolas’ goal is to create a connection with the guests, according to Vuitton. It is a fashion show that has been designed for digital, but based on a live experience.  Continue reading

CHANEL A PARIS

A new exhibition in Paris aims to redress the balance, providing the most extensive overview so far of the creations of Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, who revolutionized fashion with her sleek, fluid designs that helped to liberate women from their corsets.

Tweed suits, the little black dress, two-tone shoes and quilted handbags: Chanel’s signature codes are as synonymous with French luxury today as they were a century ago, at the risk of obscuring the woman who launched the brand.

“Gabrielle Chanel. A Fashion Manifesto,” which opens on Oct. 1, coincides with the reopening of the Palais Galliera fashion museum and the inauguration of its new basement space for permanent exhibitions, sponsored by Chanel. Surprisingly, it’s the first major Chanel exhibition to be staged in the French capital. Continue reading

SUKEINA OUTSIDER 2021

Omar spent his childhood traveling and living throughout Europe. Initially believing that words were the best way to communicate with the world he started studying film but later realized that he could tell more intricate and vibrant stories through fashion. “Clothing is a language within itself,” he says. Omar graduated from Parsons School of Design with a degree in fashion. In 2001, he started working for Sonia Rykiel in Paris and became Visual Director for the New York City office. He spent seven years with Madame Rykiel fostering a meaningful relationship with the designer. In 2010, he joined Christian Lacroix and spent two years with the house.

In 2012, the designer established his own fashion house called SUKEINA after his late mother, meaning “bright light.” “Light is what reconciles us with the value of everything, and without it, all goes missing,” the designer says. Omar’s passion for making women look and feel special along with a unique worldview shaped his approach to fashion in a way that is progressive, innovative, and powerful while still elegant. Continue reading

KHAITE RTW 2021

While many designers have opted for escapist, feel-good fashion or tried their best to include clothes that work for life at home, Holsten showed a compelling lineup rooted in what one might call power dressing, and worn by models whose determined attitudes approached defiance, as though they’re up to whatever challenges 2020 and beyond throws at them. Continue reading

FONDATION ELBAZ

Laurent Malecaze joins Paris-based AZ Fashions from The Webster in New York, and so Alber Elbaz Finds CEO for Fashion Startup. Laurent Malecaze as chief executive officer of his fashion startup, currently ceo of luxury retailer The Webster in New York.

Elbaz confirmed his arrival exclusively and described an instant personal and professional rapport with Malecaze, who helped The Webster accelerate and widen its digital operations. AZfashion touted the hire in a brief statement, noting the two men would develop the overall strategy of AZfashion and oversee its implementation across the venture.

The development comes almost 11 months after Elbaz announced his comeback to fashion in a joint venture with Compagnie Financière Richemont, and should accelerate AZfashion’s launch, which has been delayed due to shutdowns and slowdowns related to the coronavirus crisis. Continue reading

VIVIENNE HU NYFW 2021

Hu later moved to the United States for her professional development. She worked at an investment bank for over three years, then attended Parsons School of Design and gained industry experience with Oscar de la Renta and Yigal Azrouel. Hu established her brand and debuted her spring/summer collection in 2012.[The label has two stores in Soho, New York, that opened in 2013 and 2016 respectively,[and its first China store opened in 2015.

A CASTLE FOR CHANEL

The French fashion house plans to unveil its annual Métiers d’Art collection on Dec. 1 at the Château de Chenonceau, one of the jewels of the Loire valley. The current château was built in 1514–1522 on the foundations of an old mill and was later extended to span the river. The bridge over the river was built (1556-1559) to designs by the French Renaissance architect Philibert de l’Orme, and the gallery on the bridge, built from 1570–1576 to designs by Jean Bullant.

Traditionally a traveling show that has alighted in destinations including Shanghai, Rome, Edinburgh, Salzburg and Dallas, the Métiers d’Art show was held in Paris last December in the wake of the death of Chanel’s longtime creative director Karl Lagerfeld earlier in the year.

Chanel is expected to be one of the first major brands to return to the catwalk this fall, with its show at the Grand Palais on Oct. 6 scheduled to be one of the highlights of Paris Fashion Week, which should also see brands including Dior, Louis Vuitton and Hermès welcome guests in a socially distanced manner. Continue reading

VIRTUAL FRAGRANCE FOUNDATION AWARDS

Despite double-digit sales declines in the category over the course of 2020, the fragrance industry had a bright spot Thursday afternoon, thanks to the 2020 Fragrance Foundation Awards webinar, which revealed winners in 25 categories.

Here, see the winners for all categories of the 2020 Fragrance Foundation awards.

Fragrance of the Year, Women’s Luxury: YSL Libre Eau de Parfum, L’Oréal, IFF, Anne Flipo, Carlos Benaïm.

Fragrance of the Year, Women’s Prestige: Lancôme Idôle, L’Oréal, Givaudan, Adriana Medina, Shyamala Maisondieu, Nadege Le Garlantezec.

Fragrance of the Year, Men’s Luxury: Dior Sauvage Parfum, LVMH, Parfums Christian Dior, François Démachy.

Fragrance of the Year, Men’s Prestige: John Varvatos JV x NJ Silver Edition, Revlon, Symrise, Carlos Viñals, Nathalie Benareau. Continue reading

KARL AND KIM FOR FENDI

The K.K touch, Jones is to show his first collection for Fendi in February 2021, the Italian brand said in a brief press release.

“Kim Jones is a great talent and since joining, he has continuously proven his ability to adapt to the codes and heritage of the LVMH houses while revisiting them with great modernity and audacity; said Bernard Arnault, chairman and chief executive officer at LVMH. At Fendi, I am convinced that his vision and passion will highly contribute to the success of the women’s collections.”

Serge Brunschwig, chairman and ceo of Fendi added: “Kim is one of the most talented and relevant designers of today. With Silvia Venturini Fendi, who has virtuously carried on Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld legacy, Kim will bring his contemporary one of a kind point of view into the world of Fendi.”

It is understood Jones has harbored ambitions to design women’s wear for some time, and held discussions with Versace in Milan in recent years. He is the latest acclaimed men’s wear specialist to broaden his fashion universe to women’s wear, following on the heels of Hedi Slimane. Continue reading

FROM COCA-COLA TO FRAGRANCE

A whopper or not ?There’s a new executive structure at Sephora, with Martin Brok joining the world’s largest prestige beauty retailer as president and chief executive officer, reporting to Chris de Lapuente, who previously led the chain for 10 years.

Brok, who most recently was Starbucks Inc.’s president of Europe, Middle East and Africa, will start at LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned Sephora on Sept. 14.

Arnault said Brok would be charged with creating the next breakthrough chapter at Sephora,” highlighting his "extensive international leadership experience in multiple fast-paced and client-oriented businesses at a crucial moment of change for global retailing.”

In a letter addressed to Sephora’s more than 35,000 employees, de Lapuente said the executive shake-up would fire up our innovation and accelerate our quest to be the world’s most loved beauty community. Continue reading

LANVIN NEWS FROM THE EDGE

Lanvin has tapped Arnaud Bazin as its new deputy general manager. The fashion house confirmed his arrival and said Bazin would work with Grace Zhao, its new deputy general manager for the Asia-Pacific businesses. “Together, Mr. Bazin and Ms. Zhao will oversee the overall strategy for the brand and its implementation globally,” .The lord of luxury dispatches his men everywhere in fashion and luxury groups.

Bazin was most recently senior vice president of collection merchandising at Versace, and has been in that role, a new one, a little over a year. Zhao joined Lanvin last November from Dolce & Gabbana, where she was senior vice president, Asia-Pacific.

“I am very glad that Arnaud has joined us and we will continue to drive the development of the company as a team,” said Joann Cheng, chairman of Lanvin.“We have seen significant growth in Asia-Pacific since Grace joined and we believe it is the second engine for us to display the growth trajectory globally,” she added. Continue reading

PARIS FASHION WARMED UP

Paris Fashion Week will go ahead this fall with 88 brands on the official calendar, although it is not yet known how many of them will be holding physical shows and presentations.

Among the major brands revealed to be missing from the schedule this season are Celine, Alexander McQueen, Comme des Garçons and Off-White. As reported, Saint Laurent and Valentino are also skipping the Paris season.

The list of absentees also includes Sacai, Lacoste, Lemaire, Junya Watanabe, Noir Kei Ninomiya, Rochas, Atlein, Guy Laroche and Kwaidan Editions. Rochas has been without a designer since last December after parting ways with Alessandro Dell’Acqua, and Lemaire showed its coed collection during the men’s week in July.

The spring 2021 collections for Comme des Garçons, Junya Watanabe and Noir Kei Ninomiya will be unveiled during mini shows or presentations in Tokyo between Oct. 19 and 23 as part of Comme des Garçons’ seasonal showroom there. And Franck Sorbier for a physical Show in Paris Downtown. Continue reading

MEN MORE CASUAL OR NOT ?

Now, as businesses across Europe and the U.S. begin to reopen, the question is raging as to whether those men going back to their offices are prepared to return to their dress wardrobe and ditch the casual look. Meanwhile, the fall collections shown nine months ago seemingly ancient history are just hitting stores.

The world has changed a lot since we saw the fall 2020 men’s wear collections in January. We’ve seen a seismic shift in the landscape due to the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantines that have shifted the fashion focus to things more comfortable and relaxed.

“We’ve seen classic pieces like the cardigan sweater in all of its iterations take on new importance as a comfortable, versatile jacket option that gives polish to a more casual look

No one could have predicted we were about to embark on a global crisis in January, when much of the fall collections were focused on tailoring and the new suit for the everyday working man. We’re seeing men are excited about updating their wardrobes for fall but leaning into pieces focused on quality, design and function. Continue reading