Matches Fashion is transforming iconic vinyls into works of art for charity, Versace launches its Medusa Power Talks, and more fashion news you missed
The worlds of music and fashion are in constant symbiosis with designers and musicians locked into a seemingly infinite cycle of inspiration. Well aware of this synergy is Matches Fashion, which is set to showcase a series of impossible-to-source vinyls from the likes of Charli XCX, Sonic Youth, Kano, and Slowthai that have been transformed into one-of-a-kind artworks by some of today’s leading creatives including Joy Yamusangie, Jamie Reid, Gavin Turk, and David Shrigley.
Conceptualised and curated by Pavement Lickers, the Pressing Matters works will be showcased in a physical exhibition opening May 4 at Matches’ 5 Carlos Place hub. Later that month, the whole lot will be up for grabs via an auction hosted by the art dealers Helium London, with proceeds going directly to grassroots organisation Music Support. It’s the beginning of a year-long programme for Matches, aptly named Art Matches Fashion, which will see the retailer merge the worlds of art and fashion closer together through a series of podcasts, collaborations, and events.
In other fashion news, Lil Nas X dropped a contentious shoe made of human blood and the nominees for the LVMH prize were announced (including lots of London names like Saul Nash and Bianca Saunders). Elsewhere, Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga joined the growing number of fashion houses who have banned fur and Missy Elliot fronted Bottega Veneta’s new digital mag.
Have a click through the gallery below to see what else got the fashion world talking this week.
VERSACE LAUNCHES ITS WOMEN-LED MEDUSA POWER TALKS SERIES
This week an animated Medusa head, voiced by the gravelly Donatella Versace, announced the launch of the label’s new Medusa Power Talks – “a female-led series that discusses the role power plays in navigating life in 2021”. So far, we’ve been given teaser snippets of the talks, which are basically recorded interviews starring models Irina Shayk and Precious Lee, photographer Lucka Ngo, actress Indya Moore, and activists Chelsea Miller and Nialah Edari, who share their thoughts on what power means to them. The full clips will be shared across Versace’s social media over the coming weeks, culminating in a live discussion hosted next month on Versace’s soon-to-launch Clubhouse account. In an Instagram post, Donatella explained the importance of the Medusa to both the brand and her new project: “She’s a woman that suits many powers, including the power of love. That’s what Medusa represents to me: a refusal to be defeated. Is the medusa in me? I feel I am the Medusa,” she says. Follow the Power Talks on Versace’s Youtube here.
MELISSA COLLABS WITH ROMBAUT ON NEW JELLY SHOES
Mats Rombaut is the Belgian shoe designer who has built a name on environmentally-friendly and vegan footwear. Melissa is the Brazilian brand best known for its jelly shoes, which were a must-have among school discos and bouncy castle leisure centre parties (if you grew up in the early 2000s, that is). This week, they have come together on a limited edition collaboration, which features two designs: a PVC rendering of Rombaut’s low-ankled Boccacio shoe and the classic Melissa jelly shoe. The new Boccacio is made from 30 per cent bio-based content, such as sugarcane and vegetable oil. The insoles are crafted from sugarcane, the laces are made from recycled plastic bottles, and rice husk is sprinkled in the place of glitter. The pair’s new jelly shoe is also the result of a closed-loop supply chain, having been melted down from old shoes that customers left at Melissa’s designated drop-off points. “I think this is the future,” says Rombaut. In the past, Melissa has also lent its hand to Comme des Garçons and, more recently, Y/Project. Take a look at the collab here.
CRAIG GREEN’S PHOTO SERIES HAS US LONGING FOR SUMMER HOLS
The price of staycations just went up! For his SS21 photo series, Craig Green taps into the nostalgia of British holidaying, albeit through photographer Jack Davison’s art house lens. In a majority black and white shoot, Davison captures Green’s models suspended in fluid movement, emphasising the kind of sculptural qualities that have come to typify the designer’s work. Kite-like rods fan out of garments courtesy of set designer and artist David Curtis-Ring, fluttering like flags on a blustery British beach. Only there’s no clanging arcades or squawking gulls here. Together, the subdued but clearly poetic elements of Davison's photography lean into that vague sense of romanticism which spellbinds at a Craig Green show. Of course, these images have swapped out the looming metallic frames, which accompanied models on the SS21 runway, for Green’s most recognisable (and covetable) pieces – quilted chore jackets, crinkled nylon tailoring, cross body bags, and billowing fisherman hats.
Courtesy of Giuseppe ZanottiGIUSEPPE ZANOTTI TAPS HAIR SCULPTURIST LAETITIA KY
Guiseppe Zanotti has enlisted the help of artist Laetitia Ky to promote the second drop of his Icons project. The Ivory Coast native has risen to internet fame over the past few years, garnering attention for the gravity-defying sculptures she creates with her hair. As well as taking commissions from her behemoth TikTok fandom (recent sculptures include Shrek and a slew of emoji-inspired looks) she uses her hair as a political platform, spotlighting women’s rights, Black Lives Matter, and the EndSARS movement. “Laetitia is a source of inspiration,” Zanotti says. “Her work is at once emotional and modern and I love how she brings her own vibrancy and point of view to the Icons project”. Launched last December, Icons features renditions of the brand’s most popular styles, reimagined with a contemporary twist. Ky is pictured in the brand’s Amira Bejewelled sandals, and it’s not the first time fashion has tapped her – last July Marc Jacobs commissioned the artist to create a series of styles showing off his new bag designs, too.
VIC MATIÉ UNVEILS ITS SPRING COLLECTION
The Italian footwear brand, Vic Matié, which specialises in chunky rubber soles and clomping leather boots, has launched its new SS21 collection. Though, the brand’s creative director Silvia Curzi hopes the styles live a life beyond the confines of the summer season. “In an increasingly circular and no-waste world the beautiful pieces of our wardrobe cannot be disposable but must remain over time as part of the history of those who buy them,” she says. The new 12-piece offering includes leather mules, open-toed heels, and platform moccasins – “designed to meet the demands of the contemporary, global consumer who is always connected and fashion aware”. Shop the collection here.
GUCCI TEASES NEW STAR-STUDDED CAMPAIGN
Gucci turns 100 this year and as part of its centennial celebrations, the Italian label is spotlighting its Beloved collection of handbags: styles such as the Jackie 1961, Horsebit 1955, Dionysus, and the Marmont, which Alessandro Michele has reinvented season after season throughout his tenure as creative director. While the new campaign officially launches on April 22, the brand has released some teaser shots – taken by Harmony Korine – of the seven celebrities set to play a role. To absolutely nobody’s surprise (or dismay!) is the apple of Gucci’s eye, Harry Styles, who grins into the camera, canoodled in a big fur jacket. Then, there are some familiar faces in Sienna Miller and Dakota Johnson who have both been aligned with the brand in the past. And some pleasant new arrivals like Serena Williams, Diane Keaton, and Awkwafina. Then, there’s, um, James Corden.
CHRISTOPHER KANE WANTS TO CAST YOU IN HIS SUMMER CAMPAIGN
Following the success of last year’s Instagram callout for young creatives to lead the More Joy summer campaign, the Christopher Kane label is once again on the hunt for emerging creators, performance artists, image makers, and visual artists (across Instagram, Reels, and TikTok) to help bring its 2021 vision to life. Since its 2019 launch, the brand has endeavoured to foster a sense of community via social media – its Instagram is always packed with follower submissions and user-generated content. And while thousands of people applied to the casting call last year, only 12 made the cut. Their work was shared across Christopher Kane platforms and many went on to collaborate with the label on digital launches throughout the rest of the year. To be in with a shot of getting your work selected, email morejoy@christopherkane.com with a link to your Instagram or TikTok.
BALENCIAGA GOES HARDCORE
Having set its AW21 collection in an imagined video game back in November, Balenciaga is now going further into the matrix with a new glow in the dark capsule. The collection is made up of hoodies, t-shirts, caps, and pool slides, which glow luminescent green when deprived of light. Balenciaga loves a subculture, and this collection, an ode to gabber, is testament to that. Garments come stamped with the ever ubiquitous rave insignia – the smiley face – which became a symbol of acid house during the 80s. Although, in 2021, the smiley comes with a much heftier price tag – Balenciaga’s GITD hoody is over £700. Then again, having spent a year in lockdown, it seems like a reasonable price to pay for an entry to club serotonin. Shop the drop here.
KIM JONES RELEASES CONVERSE CAPSULE
Honestly how does Kim Jones have the time? The artistic director of Dior menswear, Fendi womenswear, and Fendi couture has also found a moment to put his name to a collection with Converse. Of course, the British designer is known for accenting what’s popular on the street with luxury frills, but this limited edition capsule sparks a return to out-and-out streetwear for Jones, who started his career at Umbro back in 2006. Just like he has done with Louis Vuitton or Dior, the designer has taken Converse’s core aesthetic codes and reinterpreted them with coolness in mind. The brand’s Chuck 70 shoe makes up the core of the collection – "the design approach for the shoe was very straight forward – taking a very classic shoe and then almost encasing it in something to protect it," says Jones. Otherwise, a parka, crew-neck, cargo pants, and t-shirt make up the rest of the collection. “There’s an easy look to each of the pieces,” he says. Converse X Kim Jones will launch globally on April 8, head here to get your hands on some.
FRED PERRY GOES GORILLAZ
Fred Perry has announced the unlikely stars of its SS21 campaign today in the form of British band, Gorillaz. The cartoon members of the electro-band will model Fred Perry’s shirt line, adding yet another layer to the subcultural implications of the brand’s iconic polo. Having eschewed the physical way back for their digital incarnations, perhaps the Gorillaz make the perfect link-up for a pandemic fashion launch. The band’s drummer Russel Hobbs recalls his first Fred Perry: “It belonged to Arthur Ashe. Like a cross between Barack Obama and Denzel Washington…he was an artist… he had style, he had an afro, he wore a pair of tiny shorts - and, of course, the classic Fred Perry tennis shirt. He even made a record called How To Play Tennis, I have that record. I still can’t play tennis. Love that shirt tho, it’s my favourite thing”.
ERDEM LAUNCHES A SIZE-INCLUSIVE COLLAB
Late last year, Erdem announced more inclusive sizing from here on out, becoming one of the few high end labels whose collection goes up to a UK22. Now, the London-based designer has paired with another inclusive label, Universal Standard, to launch a new denim collection for every body type. The collaboration with the American fashion brand — which previously brought its body-diverse mission to a collection with Rodarte — combines the “beautiful universality” of denim with Erdem’s floral prints, in sizes 00 to 40. With the aim of making the Erdem x Universal Standard collection accessible to everyone, the pricing is also much more inclusive. The new collection is available to shop now, via the Universal Standard website.
CSM STUDENTS REINTERPRET REDVALENTINO'S SS21 COLLECTION
It goes without saying that Central Saint Martins has been home to some of fashion’s most visionary talent, and the Class of 2021 indicated that the reputation is here to stay. It makes sense, then, that REDValentino would tap CSM students to reimagine its SS21 collection. Specifically, the label asked students on the university’s MA Fashion Image course to share their individual interpretations of the collection, channelled through their personal aesthetic. Unsurprisingly, the result is a diverse array of still images and short films, touching on individuality and perspective. Listen to the featured students — Aparna Aji, Bluebell Ross, Eomji Sim, Isabella Soliman, Kallan Hughes, Lowri Cooper, Martus Chai, Phoebe Wilkinson, Ruby Pluhar, and Yao Peng — talk more about the concepts behind each shoot via REDValentino’s dedicated site for the project, here.