BLACKPINK'S Rosé is revealed as the new face of Tiffany and GmbH delve into couture
In what is a considerable level-up from their most recent (and unexpected) collaboration with McDonalds, the K-pop sensation that is boyband BTS, have now been announced as Louis Vuitton’s official brand ambassadors. Of course, Jung Kook, J-Hope, V, RM, Jin, Suga, and Jimin have collectively turned out Louis V looks on red carpets for years, but today marks an official alliance between the luxury label and the pop group, which will see the two come together across a series of TBC special projects.
“Becoming global brand ambassadors for Louis Vuitton is a truly exciting moment for us,” the band shared in a statement. And while this signals the first major fashion deal for BTS, it is not the first time that the fashion industry has dovetailed off the wild successes of K-pop. With every member of BLACKPINK signed onto blue chip relationships with separate Parisian fashion houses, Vuitton’s decision to nab Korea’s biggest export, BTS, is nothing short of a power move. “I am delighted BTS are joining Louis Vuitton today,” Vuitton’s artistic director Virgil Abloh says. “I am looking forward to this wonderful partnership which adds a modern chapter to the House, merging luxury and contemporary culture. I can’t wait to share all the very exciting projects we are working on”.
In other fashion news this week, Balenciaga gave us a collection cooked up in tourist-trap heaven and Shygirl became a Burberry siren, opening the label’s AW21 show with a spoken word performance as Mother Nature.
Catch up on the rest of the fashion goss that may have passed you by this week:
ROSÉ IS THE NEW FACE OF TIFFANY
BLACKPINK’s Rosé is well and truly in her bag. Not only is she a member of the biggest group in the world, she is the face of Saint Laurent, and has just launched her solo career. Now, she’s the global ambassador for Tiffany & Co. “I’ve worn Tiffany jewellery since I was in high school. To be a part of such an iconic brand that has been a part of my life for a long time makes it that much more special to me,” Rosé said in an interview with Tatler on her new appointment. And last week, Tiffany also announced that TFBoys’ Jackson Yee would be raised to ambassadorship statis following a stint fronting the brand in China.
GMBH LAUNCHES DEMI-COUTURE
Closing its AW21 collection back in January, the Berlin-based label, GmbH sent out a slew of male models in fur-lined, decolletage-baring coats, jackets, and blazers, which had been in-built with invisible corsets. With their crossbody necklines, these pieces liberated the chest as an erogenous zone, having been inspired by the construction of Diana’s revenge dress and mid-century haute couture. Now, the GmbH design duo Benjamin Huseby and Serhat Isik, have announced that they will be selling these garments on a made-to-order basis rather than at wholesale. In fact, “the designs are only possible to make as demi-couture because of their complexity,” said Huseby. In taking these one-off pieces direct to customers, GmbH follows behind Balenciaga and Valentino, who have opened up a growing couture market beyond the confines of womenswear. Orders can be placed online at gmbhgmbh.eu from April 23 to May 6.
GUCCI’S GOT A NEW CHAT SHOW (KINDA)
Having teased its star-studded cast just a few weeks ago, this week Gucci dropped its new campaign, which puts Harry Styles, Dakota Johnson, Diane Keaton, Awkwafina, Sienna Miller, and Serena Williams in James Corden’s hot seat. Spoofing a glitzy chat-show, the campaign spotlights Gucci’s Beloved line of bags, which the starlets cradle, clasp, and coo over whilst guffawing with Corden on the set of his fictional “The Beloved Show”. Watch the Harry Styles skit here, as he lounges in a fur coat, navel grazing blouse, flared jeans, and a lil Jackie 1961 bag. Or Dakota Johnson’s video here, the awkwardness of which still could not rival her infamous encounter with Ellen.
HERON PRESTON LAUNCHES HIS CALVIN KLEIN LINE
Having teased a new gig with Calvin Klein via a blown-up New York billboard on Instagram a few weeks ago, Heron Preston has unveiled a new line with the iconic US brand. With a little help from Kaia Gerber, Ashley Graham, Lil Uzi, and Nas – who starred in the campaign video this week – Preston launched his new range of essentials, which had reportedly been a year in the making. “I wanted to create a collection for real people. I saw this collection speaking to not only my specific friendship group but the rest of the globe,” the designer said. And while much of the collection stays true to CK’s minimalist tropes, Preston managed to draw upon the wealth of workwear references that his eponymous label has built up over the years – think carpenter jeans and a canvas denim top, for example. Elsewhere, Preston pushed the codes of the CK brand further with the idea of “underwear as outerwear,” styling bralettes over tank tops on Calvin Klein’s model of the moment, Kaia Gerber. Check out the collection here.
GILLIAN ANDERSON BEGS KERING TO BAN FUR
A few weeks ago, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen formally announced that they would no longer be using fur in their designs. Prior to that, it’s sisters, Gucci and Bottega Veneta, also went fur-free, which leaves Brioni and Saint Laurent as the only Kering-owned labels yet to ditch the contentious material. Enter Gillian Anderson, longtime PETA advocate, who wrote directly to Kering on behalf of the animal rights organization this Thursday (April 22). “Fur production requires toxic chemicals to keep pelts from decomposing, and fur farms are breeding grounds for disease,” writes Anderson. “It’s illogical to keep this dwindling, dangerous trade afloat for the sake of the few remaining unscrupulous designers who haven’t yet broken their fur habit.” The letter made its announcement during Kering’s annual meeting, which PETA have had access to since becoming shareholders in 2020.
PARIAH FARZANEH GOES RUSTIC FOR AW21
With her AW21 collection, Country of the Blind, this week Pariah Farzaneh took us to the hills of Iran, having been inspired by the 1996 documentary Gabbeh, which looked at a community of nomadic rug weavers, who lived in the mountains free from government control. The collection emulated the film’s protagonists in abstract-print headscarves, knitted bags, padded jackets, and patchworked denim, translated via streetwear staples in hoodies, fleeces, gilets, and windbreakers. Inspired by Noémie Lafrance, the accompanying campaign video was somewhat of a social experiment, where Farzaneh’s models were asked to dance and mirror whomever they thought was best, until all models were moving in unison. It was about interrogating the powers of influence and the codependency we feel towards figures of authority.
MCM IS INVITING YOU TO AN IN-PERSON (!) GIG
Marking the easing of lockdown restrictions in London and a return to some smidgen of normality, MCM has come together with Pauli The PSM, a british drummer and model, to host a live, in-person, performance at the label’s London flagship this Saturday (April 24). Alongside the gig, MCM and Pauli have collabed on a one-off drum-kit, emblazoned with the german brand’s motif, which will be sure to feature. “This performance marks a return to in-person experiences, which now feels more relevant and liberating than ever before,” the brand says. Head down to Conduit Street at 12pm to catch Pauli, who “just wanted to remind people that I’m still a badman on drums”, for yourself.
CONVERSE PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE LATE BEN RAEMERS
In an attempt to shed more light onto the importance of mental health within the skateboard community, Converse has linked up with the Ben Raemers Foundation to release a special one star mid chuck. The foundation was established in 2019 after Raemers, who was widely considered one of the most promising British skaters, died by suicide. In line with its new product launch, inspired by Raemers’ favourite Converse style, the shoe brand has donated $25,000 with further proceeds going back to the foundation. “It has been the most beautiful pleasure to work alongside Converse,” says Raemers’ sister Lucy. “Meeting more of Ben’s friends at Converse has given me another feeling of being close to him with them all. Anniversaries are always tough but having this launch on his second one just shows the amazing things that have come (from) us losing the beautiful human that was Ben. He really will shine on forever. The stars have his footprints now but so do we.” The Ben Raemers shoe will be released on the 14th May on the Converse website.
FILA DROPS ITS SUMMER COLLECTION
Gearing up for a summer spent in (hopefully not just) parks, is the 110-year-old Italian brand Fila, who has released its summer collection this week. Front and centre of the campaign is Love Island’s darling geezer Jack Fincham and DJ Spoony, who have been snapped in the streets of London Fields sporting the label’s heritage line. This season Fila has dove deep into its archives and pulled out an array of matching two sets and velour tracksuits, reimagined for the Y2K obsessed punters of today. The collection goes beyond retro styles, too, with dedicated fashion, streetwear, and activewear lines. As the brand puts it, it’s all about “finding your freedom,” which is a fitting motto for a post-pandemic summer.
JADEN SMITH WANTS YOU TO LOOK AFTER YOUR LEVIS
In a new campaign dubbed Buy Better, Wear Longer, Levis have recruited Jaden Smith to spotlight the unholy levels of water consumption, which goes into making a pair of jeans. In a short campaign video, Smith talks of the work he has been doing with his clean water charity, 501cthree, and the importance of considering carbon reduction when shopping. “It’s cool to thrift, it’s cool to wear the same clothes, and it’s cool to be sustainable,” he says. It will form part of a larger campaign from Levis, who are encouraging their customers to buy second hand or use in-store tailoring services to extend the life of their garments. “We recognize that fashion production and consumption has reached unsustainable levels: between 2000 and 2020, global clothing consumption doubled,” the brand said in a statement, “that’s why we’re rallying together to call for 'Buy Better, Wear Longer' — with the recognition that we have work to do ourselves.”
TOMMY HILFIGER AND PATTA CELEBRATE THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
With proceeds going to London’s Sistah Space, The Black Archives in Amsterdam, and The Good Neighbourhood Collective in Milan, a new capsule collection between Tommy Hilfiger and Amsterdam streetwear label Patta is said to “capture the strength and influence of the African diaspora”. The collection, which consists of hoodies, outerwear, jeans, and sweatshirts, has swapped out Tommy’s all-American red, white, and blue, for the Pan-African flag’s red, black, and green. An accompanying short film, Two Become One, was shot in Lagos by the Nigerian filmmaker Dafe Oboro and can be seen here while the collab’s campaign images were photographed by the Morroccan visual artist Hassan Hajjaj. The collection is shoppable now on www.pattaxtommy.com.
MULBERRY HAS COMMITTED ITSELF TO A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
On its 50th birthday, the British lifestyle brand, Mulberry, has made a pledge: to transform the business into a regenerative and circular model by 2030 (the year that climate change is said to become irreversible). The “Made to Last Manifesto” sets out a 6 point plan for sustainability, which includes achieving net zero carbon emissions, developing the world’s lowest carbon leather, and scaling-up its repairs and buy-back programme. “Have we done enough? Are we doing enough to combat the climate crisis, which is unfolding before our eyes? Have we created a business that is truly made to last?,” Charlotte O’Sullivan, the brand’s Global Marketing Director asked over Zoom. Despite its UK operations being carbon neutral since 2019, Mulberry knows that the answer is probably ‘no’, which is why the brand sees its sustainability commitments as a work in progress. And with 90% of its collections made from leather, it’s of particular concern to get it right.