This is how Chanel last presented a fashion show in the Russian capital in 2009, then, its Métiers d’art Paris-Moscou collection and its traveling photo exhibition “Little Black Jacket” in Moscow in 2012.
But fashion show in Moscow on Thursday night, parading his Paris-Hamburg Art Crafts collection in a vast industrial space for Chanel. The factory touch of our preferred powdery dandy. Continue reading
GUCCI VESPER FOR THE BLESSED VIRGIN
Alessandro Michele deserves the award for the most dazzling spectacle to date in a season thick with powerful imagery. The Gucci creative director chose the Alyscamps, a Roman necropolis in the southern French city of Arles, as the setting for his show, and took full advantage of the area’s epic history with a nighttime display that transcended space and time with a trove of references ancient and modern. Continue reading
THE SWIMSUIT YOU MUST HAVE
SWISS WATCH GROWTH IN APRIL
Fuelled by high demand in Hong Kong, Swiss watch sales resumed a strong trajectory of growth, with a 13.8 percent rise in April. The Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry said Tuesday, foreign sales of Swiss watches were 1.8 billion Swiss francs, or $1.8 billion dollars, led by robust growth in Asia.
The pace of foreign sales of Swiss watches had slowed down in March after brisk increases of 13 percent in both January and February. Sales to Hong Kong, the industry’s most important market, jumped 43.4 percent, the highest monthly rate in six years. Sales in China slowed compared to previous quarters and advanced 11 percent, while Japan continued to mark its recovery with a 9.1 percent rise. Continue reading
SHISEIDO A DIRECTOR OF FRAGRANCE
Japanese cosmetics group Shiseido has recently appointed Isabelle Gex as President of Global Fragrances, a newly created post. She will start in her new role on 11th June.
Before joining Shiseido, Isabelle Gex founded and directed Stratlux, a French company specialised in mentoring start-ups in the fields of luxury, fashion and the arts. Between 2001 and 2017, she worked for the LVMH group, her latest role being Senior Executive Advisor on mergers and acquisitions. She also formerly worked as International Marketing Director Perfumes and Cosmetics at Chanel.
At Shiseido, Isabelle Gex will be in charge of the fragrance licences for Dolce & Gabbana, Narciso Rodriguez, Issey Miyake, Elie Saab, Zadig & Voltaire, Alaïa and Serge Lutens, the only brand which will continue to operate independently. Gex will report to Franck Marilly, the EMEA region’s CEO for Shiseido, and to Masahiko Uotani, the Shiseido group’s CEO, and will also be tasked with seeking external growth opportunities via brand and licence acquisition. She will oversee the Japanese group’s centre of excellence for fragrances, which is located in Paris. Continue reading
LÉTRANGE MISTER BAG
The artistic direction of the brand Létrange, Mathias Jaquemet, wants the brand name to be recognized as a seal of excellence in leather goods”.
Létrange was founded in 1838 by Auguste Lespiaut, a saddler at the former stables of the Palais du Louvre, and was recognised as bigger than Hermès in size,
As the company grew, the range of goods increased ranging from hunting, travel accessories, molded leather bicycle to photography equipment. The brand’s atelier is located in the eastern Paris suburb of Montreuil. Continue reading
HURRICANE DIOR IN CHANTILLY
What had been planned as a fairy-tale-like Dior cruise show at the Great Stables of the Domaine de Chantilly, complete with a performance by female Mexican rodeo riders, ended up being hit by a rainstorm that doused the models as they made their way around the semi-open venue. Continue reading
JIL SANDERS PRE-FALL
CARVEN CHAPTER 11
The house was founded in 1945 by the late Madame Carven, the French couturier who traveled the world with her collections. The French contemporary brand and its parent company, Société Béranger, have filed a voluntary petition with the Paris Commercial Court for the French equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the spokesman said.
Carven underwent a renaissance under Sebaoun and the former artistic director Guillaume Henry, who positioned it as a contemporary brand.
After Henry moved to Nina Ricci, the brand initially named Alexis Martial and Adrien Caillaudaud as artistic directors for the women’s collections, and Barnabé Hardy for men’s.
The company, which was “already fragile,” was hit to the tune of several million euros by a delay in the production of its spring 2018 collection designed by Serge Ruffieux, which forced it to cancel deliveries, he explained. Carven, which employs 99 people, has annual revenues in the region of 20 million euros. Continue reading
DIOR HAS NAMED C.DELAPALME
Charles Delapalme must be the new Diore managing director of commercial activities. The appointment takes effect on June 15, 2018.
“Charles will be taking over from Serge Brunschwig,” Dior said in a press release Tuesday morning. Brunschwig left Dior in January to become president of Fendi, which like Dior is a major fashion house within the giant LVMH luxury conglomerate. While at Dior, Brunschwig’s principal role was overseeing Dior Homme.
Moving in the opposite direction Delapalme joins Dior from Fendi where since 2016 he has been Managing Director of Retail & Wholesale.
While at Fendi, Delapalme reported to Pietro Beccari, the former president of the Roman luxury brand who is became CEO of Dior in January. Continue reading
BALMAIN A COPY CAT COLLECTION
A collection representing the whole collection of other designers. Who copies who? thank you Mr. Rousteing for this retrospective.
BRITISH DRESS OF SUSSEX
I am a working mother, I am used to juggling schedules! In total, about 50 people worked on the dress, veil, shoes and bridesmaids’dresses. Three thousand, nine hundred hours over the course of four months work.
Clare Waight Keller was born in Birmingham, England on 19 August 1970. She studied at Ravensbourne College of Art, where she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Fashion, followed by a master’s degree at the Royal College of Art.
She started her career at Calvin Klein in New York as a stylist for the women’s ready-to-wear line, then at Ralph Lauren, for the Purple man line.In 2000, she was hired by Tom Ford to join Gucci, responsible for women’s ready-to-wear and accessories, until her departure in 2004.
After months of speculation about Meghan Markle’s wedding dress, with names including Ralph & Russo, Erdem and Franck Sorbier being tossed around like bridal bouquets, the designer turned out to be Clare Waight Keller.Indeed, the artistic director of Givenchy fulfilled her assignment with such discretion that only she and Markle knew who and what the dress being designed was for. Continue reading
AGANOVICH HAUTE CONNECTIONS
Aganovich is the only new fashion house set to showcase on the Fashion Week Haute Couture calendar that has been elected as guest member by the Board of the Chambre Syndicale.
Founded in 2005 by Irish writer Brooke Taylor and Danish designer Nana Aganovich, a graduate of Central Saint Martins School, the Paris-based house has been showcasing for years its pure elegance, inspired by the movements of futurism, constructivism and Bauhaus, giving rise to collections mostly in a palette of black and white.
Aganovich has also recently ventured into ‘Made in America’ production for its line of t-shirts, dubbed the ‘LA t-shirt project’, created in collaboration with Los Angeles Apparel (the new brand and production studio of Dov Charney, the founder of American Apparel).
Last year, they have also launched an “ethical laboratory” called “Invisible Acts”. A line focused on slow fashion as well as its first fragrance. Good luck and welcome in Paris Haute Couture. Continue reading
WORST OF DUBAI FAHION WEEK
J’ADIOR MYKONOS
Dior is opening a Pop-up shop in Mykonos in June. Maria Grazia Chiuri has designed exclusive pieces, including Dior Book Tote bags featuring the name of the island woven into the canvas.
Maria Grazia Chiuri, artistic director of women’s collections at the French fashion house, has designed a collection of exclusive pieces for the occasion, including striped bodysuits and sweaters, silk cravats and cotton pareos bearing the slogan “J’adior Mykonos.”
The boutique will also carry advance items from Dior’s fall collection, including Dior Oblique zipped pouches, baseball caps and berets, and a Dioraddict bag that can be accessorized with a choice of five straps. These items will be available in Dior boutiques worldwide from mid-July.
The Greek influence could be felt in his designs from 1953, with dresses carrying names such as Athènes, Corfou and Rhodes. Maria is reinventing in copying looks in the archives of the Fashion House! At Myconos, Dior is becoming Iconos!
BURBERRY GOOD THE LEATHER
Burberry is buying out its longstanding Italian manufacturer CF&P. Employees, including the team of craftsmen who have worked closely with Burberry for more than a decade, will transfer to the company on completion of the transaction, which is expected later this year.
Marco Gobbetti, Burberry’s chief executive officer, called the acquisition a major milestone for the brand and “a statement of our ambition in this strategically important category.” He said the purchase would create a “center of excellence” for Burberry’s leather goods. “This will give us greater control over quality, cost, delivery and sustainability of our leather goods,” Gobbetti said. Continue reading
TATIANA V LYALINA
On May 9, a fashion show of a successful and young Russian designer Tatiana V. Lyalina will be held in Dubai. The fashion designer will demonstrate to the public her collection called Dolce Vita which was inspired by Maria Antoinette – a real connoisseur of luxury, the queen of France and glamour. Continue reading
RICHEMONT NET A CARTIER
Richemont’s move to take over all of Yoox Net-a-porter Group is almost complete after the vast majority of YNAP shareholders agreed to sell to the luxury giant. The intention is to delist YNAP from the Milan Stock Exchange following the completion of the deal.
Compagnie Financière Richemont SA said Thursday the minimum 90 percent threshold for is public tender offer had been fulfilled, and it has secured 94.99 percent of Yoox Net-a-porter Group SpA’s ordinary shares. Continue reading
CATE BLANCHETT IN McCARTNEY
Today is the first day of both the Cannes Film Festival and the rest of our lives, since it truly doesn’t matter what happened prior to jury president Cate Blanchett and her peers storming the red carpet on the Croisette.
Blanchett was dressed by the British Designer, Stella McCartney who has just put an end to her cooperation with Kering. Everybody wonders why such a situation… However if you look at the jacket worn by Cate you understand. I do not know who has tailored and sewed this jacket but surely not someone who has studied couture. it looks more like if it had been done by H&M or Zara and I am not sure you will find something so badly made. Shame on you Mrs McCartney…
Blanchett was joined by fellow jurors Ava DuVernay, Kristen Stewart, Léa Seydoux, and Burundian singer Khadja Nin, and while their looks were incredible enough when taken on their own, the five ladies combined to form a Voltron of glamour. Eventually, they were joined by the male jurors actor Chang Chen and directors Denis Villeneuve, Robert Guédiguian, and Andrey Zvyagintsev and entered the Palais for a press conference.
One journalist asked the jury whether the focus on red-carpet fashion was frivolous, given the more important matters at hand for women in the film industry. Blanchett answered easily. “Being attractive,” she said, “doesn’t preclude being intelligent.” Continue reading
MEAT BALL FOR MET GALA
The “Met Gala 2018” referred as the biggest fashion night of the Big Apple welcomed celebrity stars, young creatives and industry paragons alike, only the Pope was not present!
The Gala also means the opening of the Costume Institute’s annual fashion exhibition: “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”. This event is organised to raise funds for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
In my opinion, it is so ridiculous. It gives an image so Has Been of the fashion industry, especially when wars of religions might happened. That is the Fashion dream coming from the edge.
VASKA TBILISI 2018
CHANEL THE TITANIC FLOWS
What is the better way to showcase a cruise than to be on cruise? In Paris, last night, at the Grand Palais, a vintage, live-sized dreamboat, specially constructed for the occasion, became the backdrop of a maritime collection, gingerly modeled on the fake pier. Continue reading
CRUISE BACK TO FRANCE
In recent years, the cruise season has been a springboard for European luxury houses to fan out to increasingly exotic locales, from Rio de Janeiro to Havana, Palm Springs, Dubai and Seoul. In 2018, the pendulum is swinging back closer to home, with four major brands all opting to stage their shows in France.
As Chanel prepares to unveil its cruise collection in Paris on Thursday, to be followed later this month by Christian Dior in Chantilly, Louis Vuitton in Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Gucci in Arles, the fashion flock is gearing up for an extended stay in the home of Champagne, macarons and train strikes. Continue reading
BAPTISTA FASHION GAME OVER
It’s game over for Lacoste and Felipe Oliveira Baptista. The heritage French sportswear brand on Wednesday said it has parted ways with the designer, who has been creative director of the brand since 2010 an impressive run in today’s revolving-door era.
The next collection, for spring 2019, will be designed by Lacoste’s creative studio. “A new organization of the creative direction of the brand” will be announced in the coming months, Lacoste said.
Best known for its iconic crocodile logo polo shirt, Lacoste, which this year is celebrating its 85th anniversary, recently relocated its show back to Paris from New York after 13 years presenting Stateside. Continue reading