...and more fashion news you missed
Haider Ackermann has just been announced as the latest designer to create a one-off couture collection for Jean Paul Gaultier. In a moment specifically cooked-up for Timothee Chalamet’s stylist, Ackermann will debut his offering in January 2023, picking up the baton from Glenn Martens and Olivier Rousteing. “I’ve always loved Haider’s work, especially on tailoring,” Gaultier told industry mag WWD. “I am certain that his couture will be remarkable, and I cannot wait to discover the collection that he will present.” Having flunked his fashion design degree at Antwerp’s Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Ackermann is famed for sinuous, sensitively cut and masterfully-draped designs: all fluid silks, satins, and sculpted leathers. Given Martens and Rousteing’s penchant for overblown pageantry, this collaboration is sure to take on a slightly more understated accent.
In other news this week, Milan Fashion Week came to a close, with editors and buyers schlepping over to Paris for the final SS23 pit stop. The not so-Shygirl became an official Calvin Klein model, Riccardo Tisci announced his departure from Burberry – with Daniel Lee stepping into the role – while Kanye West waded into his (flip) flop era. Elsewhere, Raf Simons shifted the date of his formerly-cancelled London fashion show, and Karl Lagerfeld was made the subject of the Met’s next exhibition. For everything else that may have passed you by, click through the gallery below.
WELCOME TO HOTEL QASIMI
Qasimi launched its AW22 campaign this week, staged in an abandoned hotel festooned in squiggly lines, the colour brown, and other 70s-style interiors. The collection itself comprises winged, purple cape dresses; pistachio hoodies with trailing hemlines; sheer, chequerboard roll necks; and pussy bow boiler suits. See more from the offering here.
BALENCIAGA WANTS YOU TO SELL ITS CLOTHES
Giving the RealReal a run for its money, Balenciaga has just launched its own resale platform, partnering with tech-and-logistics platform Reflaunt to help customers shill their old morph suits and Cagoles. Following in the footsteps of Alexander McQueen and Gucci, the brand described the initiative as a “circularity programme”. When Balenciaga fashions sell for up to £20,000 – and sometimes more – this new project might just give fans of the brand an actual chance at buying its products.
SKEPTA KISSES PUMA
Earlier this month, Skepta transformed himself into a first-time painter, debuting a portrait in a one-off Sotheby’s sale. And now, the musician is going even further beyond the music as Puma’s latest ambassador. Announced earlier this week, Skepta will adopt a hands-on role within the company, designing products and curating global marketing campaigns. “Together with PUMA we can put our spin and create a new way of thinking about fashion and style,” Skepta said in a press release.
VALENTINO WRAPPED SELFRIDGES IN PINK
Valentino Pink PP has transformed Selfridges into a fuschia-hued oasis, launching its AW22 collection in-store with a collaborative capsule from Douglas Coupland – the cover of his cult classic, Generation X, bears the brand’s signature shade of pink. The offering comes emblazoned with Coupland’s musings, like, “MY BRAIN FEELS LIKE FRIDGE MAGNET POETRY”, and “I MISS MY PRE-INTERNET BRAIN”. Quotes like these have also taken over two windows on Oxford Street, beneath a light-wash of Pantone Pink PP. See more from the collection here.
GUCCI GETS WITH RYAN GOSLING
Ahead of his big Barbie debut – the images from which made Margot Robbie completely and utterly “mortified” – Alessandro Michele has just cast Ryan Gosling as its latest muse. In a campaign released today, the actor fronts the label’s luggage imprint, looking like one of the protagonists in The Talented Mr Ripley. Click here to see more.