And more fashion news you missed
When Glenn Martens teased a Jean Paul Gaultier collaboration as part of his AW22 offering – all languid columns in heat-mapped nudes – the fashion set took a sharp inhale. And then a spluttering cough when TheKimbino posted a $24.99 iteration on Instagram this week, albeit a mini dress with a searing-red crotch. Obviously, the redux didn’t come from a Parisian atelier, but the online behemoth Fashion Nova, beloved by Instagram influencers trapped in the late 2010s. At this point, fast fashion’s flagrant approach to plagiarism shouldn’t come as a shock, and yet the gall is just as breathtaking, especially when it’s been appropriated from fashion’s less mainstream designers. The whole thing is reminiscent of when Shein began shilling a pair of tracksuit bottoms festooned in criss-cross, latticed shoelaces – a near identical copy of Rick Owens’ signature Mega Lace pieces. Unethical, obviously, but quite impressive, really.
In other fashion news this week, Burberry made a pledge to bridge the wealth gap at fashion schools, while Solange and Kai-Isaiah Jamal starred in Virgil Abloh’s last ever Louis Vuitton campaign. Dazed founder Jefferson Hack was announced as a special prize winner at this year’s Fashion Awards and Saint Laurent’s SS23 menswear collection emerged under the Eye of Sauron, while the internet unearthed an archival clip of Rick Owens flirting his way through Club MTV. For everything else that may have passed you by, click through the gallery below.
VISCOSE JOURNAL IS HOLDING A TRANS FASHION ROUNDTABLE
Viscose Journal AKA the magazine for “fashion people who read” is hosting a roundtable in New York to discuss the histories of trans people within the fashion industry. Travelling through the contributions of trailblazing models like Tracey “Africa” Norman and Connie Fleming alongside industry leaders Cruz Valdez and fashion director Dara Allen, the symposium will be held at the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art on July 31. And do not worry if – like me – you cannot read, because you will be able to listen, which is like reading, but with your ears.
YOU’RE PERFECT, YOU’RE BEAUTIFUL, YOU’RE LINDA EVANGELISTA
Linda Evangelista made a triumphant return to fashion last weekend as the face of Fendi. Piled with silken caps and tiled Baguettes, the campaign announced a one-off fashion show in New York in celebration of the It bag’s 25th anniversary. Though details remain sparse for now, the runway is slated for a September 9 showing during NYFW.
YOHJI YAMAMOTO LINKS-UP WITH, ERM, PLAYBOY
In this week’s dispatch from the world of berserk fashion collaborations, Yohji Yamamoto – who is known for emotive draping and an austere use of black – announced it would be joining forces with Playboy on a capsule collection. Created for Yamamoto's S'YTE diffusion line, the pieces are only available online and feature boxy shirts, tees, and jorts adorned with retro pin-ups. Though this is sure to have fashion purists quivering, this shouldn’t come as a complete shock given the brand previously collabed with Netflix’s Ghost in the Shell and New Era. Head over to Yohji Yamamoto to see more.
THOM BROWNE HEADS TO SAINT TROPEZ
With his new Saint Tropez outpost, Thom Browne said an emphatic “no” to pale cheeks peeking out from this season’s jockstraps. Kiernan Shipka christened the store’s opening with a photo diary shot by Christian Coppola at the private members club EPI in Saint-Tropez. As an extension of the tennis retreat, the shop plays host to a co-branded capsule collection drawing inspiration from former athlete John McEnroe and the uniformed attire of tennis. So, if you happen to be “summering” in the south of France, be sure to head down.
YEEZY GETS SLEAZY
Kanye West’s collaboration with GAP and Balenciaga went on sale in a physical store for the first time this week. Transforming the brand’s Times Square flagship into a blacked-out space where clothes were piled haphazardly into plastic bags, the set-up is set to be replicated at a slew of other stores in the US. To coincide with the launch, the team also unveiled a new video game where users can dress their avatars in full-look attire before collecting a swarm of doves flying overhead. The game is now available to try out via mobile on the YEEZY GAP website.
UKRAINE FASHION WEEK GOES GLOBAL
Ukraine has never missed a fashion week in 25 years of its existence, but, for obvious reasons, the chances of a 51st season looks unlikely. As such, organisers have launched an appeal, Support Ukrainian Fashion, which is encouraging global fashion weeks in Europe and the US to host the Ukrainian SS23 collections on their own catwalks. So far, Malta Fashion Week, Budapest Central European Fashion Week, Berlin Fashion Week, Transylvania Fashion Festival, Vienna Fashion Week, MBFWMadrid, Brussels Fashion Week, and Vegan Fashion Week in LA have all agreed to take part. For more information, head here.
TRUSSARDI UNVEILS ITS FIRST IT BAG
Making its debut as part of Benjamin Huseby and Serhat Isik’s AW22 collection at Trussardi, the designers’ first signature bag has just had its big release. The Owena, an asymmetrical mini inspired by the shape of a chrysalis, comes as a shoulder bag, a cross body bag, or a pouch with a chain wrist strap. Subscriptions to a first-access list will be available on the Trussardi website from July 22, before launching officially in store and online towards the end of the year.
FASHION TRUST ARABIA PRESENTS ITS 2022 NOMINEES
The 2022 edition of the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize has just announced its finalists. Renwa Yassine, Rym Beydoun, Siham and Sarah Albinali, and Yousra Elsadig make up the ready to wear category, while emerging designers Claudia Khachan, Kazna Asker, Mohammed El Marnissi, and Rayana Boulila have been nominated for the Francesca Sozzani Debut Talent award. Applications were whittled down from 1000 applicants and winners will be revealed in October.
MEET THE HOUSE OF JUICY
This week, Juicy Couture drew back the curtain on its new Selfridges store, House of Juicy. It’s the brand's biggest UK real-life shopping destination and comes with a selection of exclusive products. To align with the launch, the brand has cast Emma-Louise Boynton, MeeMee White, Missy Flynn, and Anita Chhiba as the protagonists of its #JuicySelfMade series, fronting the new collection in a shoot staged at Rita’s in Soho.
DOVER STREET MARKET TAPS JUVENTUS FC
As fashion continues to stick its boot in “the beautiful game”, Juventus FC is collaborating up with Liberal Youth Ministry and launching a limited-edition capsule of jerseys, which will be exclusively sold at Dover Street Market from July 23. The collection coincides with the Italian team’s summer tour, which will see players compete in friendlies with Deportivo Guadalajara, Barcelona, and Real Madrid. See more of what’s to come here.