... and more fashion news from this week
In his new music video for “DMB”, A$AP Rocky does the “Come on Eileen” dance and drinks Newcastle Brown Ale from a dimpled pint glass before stumbling home to Rihanna and fixing his face into a smile that says “marry me”...
... Kind of. Beyond all the Louis Vuitton and Stefan Cooke, the Harlem-born rapper appears to have moulded himself into the shape of an Engerlish football lout, wearing a Phipps reproduction of a Manchester United shirt with Eric Cantona’s name emblazoned across its back. Here is that moment immortalised:
Albeit rhinestoned, the whole thing chimes with a supposed “Blokecore” movement that is happening on TikTok. I was worred I might perish if I saw another fashion trend suffixed with “-core” but I think seeing a Daily M*** article describing how “Gen Z men are ditching the metrosexual look to dress like a dad on the way to a football match,” might have actually snatched the last bit of breath from my lungs.
That being said, there is obviously something at play, with even Bella Hadid dressing like she owns a giant Sports Direct mug, which the company has now created in her honour. In other fashion news this week, Gucci started accepting cryptopay, Ms Hadid scored a big Swarovski gig, Dazed’s editor-in-chief IB Kamara was appointed image director at Off-White, Lotta Volkova debuted a JPG collab, and the Met Gala, erm, happened.
For everything else that may have passed you by, click through the gallery below.
ACNE STUDIOS IS TURNING WASTE INTO WANT
Acne Studios has released season seven and eight of its Repurposed project. Forging new looks from waste materials left over from previous collections, naive, childlike scribbles emerge on woven silk shirting, jersey t-shirts, fleece sweatshirts, and stonewashed jeans. Everything comes oversized and boxy in faded-greys, sun-bleached pinks, and baby blues. Check it out here.
CHARLI XCX IS FLOGGING HER OLD CLOTHES ON DEPOP
Charli’s Depop collaboration launched this week, giving fans the chance to shop some of her signature pieces – not including that “They Don’t Build Statues of Critics” t-shirt. All the proceeds will go to GLITS, a grassroots organisation supporting LGBTQ+ people around the world. Head over to Charli’s secondhand shop here.
GUCCI CHIMES ONCE MORE
Gucci has announced the latest edition of its Chime Zine. Edited by Adam Eli, the publication features a collection of works by Elisa Manici on the social stigma of fatness, Assa Traoré on the fight for racial justice in France, Eno Pei-Jean Chen on Taiwanese queer culture, and Cecilia Gentili and Bianka Rodríguez on trans activism in Central America and beyond. Since its inception the Zine has raised more than $19 million to support advocacy projects in 89 countries, benefitting more than 630,000 girls. Alongside its publication, Gucci also revealed the names of its Chime for Change grantees, among them Equality Now, Global Fund for Women, mothers2mothers, Ms. Foundation for Women, Promundo, and the Cascina Ri-Nascita project. You can find a copy of the zine here.
AZ FACTORY ANNOUNCED ITS LATEST COLLABORATOR
Having collaborated with Thebe Magugu not so long ago, AZ Factory has announced its latest guest designer – Ester Manas. With the collection set to be revealed in June, the link-up builds on the similarities between the Manas duo and the late Alber Elbaz, all of whom have approached fashion with a sense of kindness and frivolity. Stay tuned for more.
THE BFC UNVEILED ITS NEWGEN RECIPIENTS
The British Fashion Council has announced the designer recipients of this year’s grants. As part of it’s mission to bolster the industry, 23 designers were named, among them Ahluwalia, Sinead O’Dwyer, Di Petsa, Chet Lo, Nensi Dojaka, and Robyn Lynch, with Richard Quinn taking home a £200,000 prize for winning the BFC/Vogue Fund. Elsewhere, Clothsurgeon, LYPH, Nicholas Daley, and Olubiyi Thomas were revealed as nominees for the BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund, which will be finalised in June.
GCDS AND WOLFORD SLIP INTO A NEW COLLAB
It wasn’t long ago that Wolford hailed Margaret Thatcher as a fashion icon, but the Italian hosiery label has now found a new muse in GCDS, partnering on a sports-inflected capsule collection comprising leggings, bodysuits, and sleeveless crop tops. The 13 pieces run the gamut of techno-animalier prints, an allover GCDS pattern, and acid-green raver camouflage references. Head over to GCDS to slip into the collab.
SAUL NASH IS CROWNED WITH THE QUEEN ELIZABETH AWARD
Having just been awarded the 2022 International Woolmark Prize at the end of last month, Saul Nash was announced as the recipient for the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design this week. “I honestly never even dreamed I’d be given this,” Nash said during his acceptance speech, somewhat stunned. The annual award goes to emerging British designers who exemplify community-mindedness and sustainable practices, previously won by Richard Quinn and Priya Ahluwalia.
GIVENCHY’S GOT A NEW PAIR OF SHOES
To mark the launch of its TK trainer, Givenchy released an accompanying teaser video, taking fans of the brand behind the scenes in a digitised recreation of its atelier. Drawing on state-of-the-art technology, the TK is an aerodynamic, fully-knitted piece that creative director Matthew Williams described as his “dream shoe”. Head over to Givenchy to see more.
VALENTINO PAYS HOMAGE TO EAST LONDON
Taking to Arnold Circus in Shoreditch, Valentino unveiled its campaign for PF22, drawing inspiration from the tradition of stooping – whereby people leave unwanted clothes on the street as an offering for their neighbours. All zebra prints, capes, romantic blouses, and hefty embroideries, Pierpaolo Piccioli said he wanted “to dress [the models] in the way they dress in their own life. It is about individuality and uniqueness, which connects to my work in Couture. It is about diversity and inclusivity. It is about community.” The label also made a donation to the Friends of Arnold Circus for the shoot. See more of that here.
SYDNEY SWEENEY STARS IN MIU MIU
This week, Miu Miu launched its first ever bag campaign, starring Sydney Sweeney. Having turned to the brand for multiple red carpet appearances, the actor is photographed here by Tyrone Lebon and styled by Lotta Volkova – who has, coincidentally, just launched a major collection with Jean Paul Gaultier.
CHANEL REVVED INTO MONTE CARLO
Virginie Viard christened this year’s Cruise season with a jaunt to Monte Carlo – proffering motocross tweed and quilted silk jumpsuits, helmets emblazoned with No 5 and tiny handbags fashioned to look like slot machines, chequered sweaters and baseball caps. Alongside the runway was a short film directed by Sofia and Roman Coppola, splicing clips of the new collection with images of Grace Kelly, Coco Chanel, and Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista wearing sequined Chanel in the Riviera.
PACO RABANNE HEADS INTO THE SUNSET
According to a press release, sunsets in the Paco Rabanne world last forever, which is nice. When it came to designing its summer capsule, then, the label wanted to try and capture some of that feel-good energy, drawing inspiration from 1950s holidays in Hawaii, reggae, and Jane Birkin in the 1970s. In terms of the clothing itself, that translates to flared pants, clingy knitwear, deep-slit skirts, culotte-style shorts, body chains, and lively prints. See more of that here.