Rihanna refuses to dress like a Smurf

...and more fashion news you missed

28April 2023

There are lots of things Rihanna will do for a paycheck (like taking on the role of Smurfette) but she will not debase herself by turning up to CinemaCon in a mini-dress encrusted with the face of a cartoon humanoid, like Katy Perry once did. Last night, the so-called badgal telegraphed her inner blue demon with a denim Y/Project kaftan and a sapphire necklace to announce that she will be starring in, and writing the soundtrack to, the upcoming Smurfs movie – an urgent piece of cinema which, according to Paramount, will explore themes of identity and attempt to answer the eternal question: “What is a Smurf?” Having rewritten the maternity rule book by dressing like (gasp!) someone who wasn’t pregnant, the second coming of Rihanna’s pregnancy looks set to do much the same. She won’t wear an elasticated waist, she will just unbutton her jeans a bit – because a bump is perhaps the most time-worn accessory of all.

In other news this week, activists in London and Manchester gathered outside fast fashion stores to honour ten years of the Rana Plaza collapse while Luis de Javier dressed VIP entertainers at the annual Pornhub awards. Kim Kardashian was spotted clout-chasing with Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette and Matthieu Blazy went full Kate Moss fan girl. Elsewhere, Tom Ford revealed that he would be quitting Tom Ford and Vivienne Westwood announced that it would be staging an exhibition dedicated to the corset. For everything else you may have missed, click through the gallery below.

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SACAI GETS IN THE KITCHEN

This morning, Sacai announced its latest collaboration with Ghetto Gastro – a Bronx-born culinary collective from Jon Gray, Pierre Serrao, and Lester Walker. The collection is made up of three styles, which rework Sacai’s signature bandana monochrome print: a t-shirt, wide-legged pants, and an apron-skirt. It was originally the uniform designed for Ghetto Gastro’s Sacai GASTRO pop-up at the experimental restaurant Tokyo Burnside. Click here to browse the capsule.

02 / 07

NICHOLAS DALEY DOESN’T WANT TO SEE THINGS

It’s often dismal to live in London – where the sky is the same colour as dish-water – but Nicholas Daley has collaborated with Sub Sun to help shield people’s eyes from the SAD-inducing landscape. Launching on April 30, the designer has referenced the kind of specs worn by Harry Belafonte and Sidney Poitier in the 1960s – crafted with exaggerated curves in purple and green acetate. It’s Sub Sun’s first designer collaboration and you can find them here.

03 / 07

NOR DOES GENTLE MONSTER

Gentle Monster also unveiled its latest offering this week, an extension of its BOLD collection which launched late last year. Inspired by 9 Evenings: Theatre and Engineering – a 1996 art exhibition that converged art and science – the collection comprises saucer-shaped, coloured-lens goggles with futuristic, barbed metallic frames. Head here to see more.

04 / 07

Photography Steven Meisel

MS FLO GETS A MAJOR CAMPAIGN

Longtime muse to Pierpaolo Piccioli famed Elf Bar fanatic Florence Pugh was announced as the new face of Valentino this week. She fronts the brand’s latest campaign – running the gamut of movie-star poses: sometimes evoking pathos, sometimes cackling to no one in particular – and was photographed by Steven Meisel. Head over to Valentino to see more from Ms Flo’s turn as model.

05 / 07

Courtesy of Bally

BALLY IS HEADING FOR THE HIMALAYAS

In line with its Alpine roots, Bally has decided to honour mountaineers Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary, who were the first humans to summit Everest 70 years ago. To mark the milestone, the brand has launched a limited-edition capsule featuring 70 individually numbered crewneck sweaters in ivory tones inspired by the mountain range. Varsity patches recall archival images, alpine iconography, and Himalayan flags, made from GOTS-certified, ethically-sourced organic cotton. Head over here to see more.

06 / 07

BOARDIES ARE BORED OF PLASTIC

Hailing from Bali, the team behind Boardies has first-hand experience of the damage single-use plastics and other pollutants have caused to the environment. With this in mind, the brand announced a series of changes to how they develop their products: moving to 100 per cent recycled polyester, using FSC-certified cardboard, printing labels with soya inks, and using biodegradable bags for packaging. The brand’s shirts also feature buttons made from natural coconut shells. Click here to learn more about that.

07 / 07

NORTH KARDASHIAN TAKES OVER SKIMS (KIND OF)

Is North Kardashian the new creative director of SKIMS? Less than two months ago, Ice Spice got her debut cameo on the nine-year-old’s TikTok account and the rapper was this week revealed as the new face of Kim’s shapewear line – alongside PinkPantheress, Raye, and Nessa Barrett. Click here to see more from the campaign.

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