...and more fashion news you missed
If there is one thing Beyoncé loves, it’s making bank – and as her megawatt tour descends on Tottenham for a five-night run, FLANNELS is transforming itself into “The RENAISSANCE flagship” so that she can sell merchandise to even those who did not score a ticket to the concert. The retailer is positioning itself as an extension of the tour itself, shape-shifting into a mirrored oasis complete with behemoth chrome monoliths and booty shorts with the word “THIQUE” emblazoned across their behind. Alongside a preview of the Balmain couture collection Beyoncé co-designed with Olivier Rousteing, are a couple of exclusive and slightly more affordable pieces, among them an oversized tee, a drop-shoulder hoodie, and a giant tote bag. There are also other t-shirts on offer: one says “CUFF IT” and the other says “London has a problem,” which is true. The immersive installation will until at FLANNELS on Oxford Street until June 5.
In other fashion news this week, Central Saint Martins’ 2023 BA graduates unveiled their violent and vibration-raising collections while Bad Bunny’s cuntification entered its final stages and Glenn Martens took arms against Giorgia Meloni’s rave ban. In Cannes, celebrities exposed their bras to some of the world's nerdiest film journalists, Dua Lipa launched her first-ever collection with Versace, and Martine Rose got a new job as Clark’s guest designer. Elsewhere, the tragic news of Tina Turner’s passing brought a renewed interest in her long-term relationship with Azzedine Alaïa.
For everything else you may have missed, click through the gallery below.
VALENTINO SAYS LET THEM EAT COUTURE
For its spring 2023 offering, Valentino brought couture to the dancefloor, gutting an underground club tucked just below the Pont Alexandre bridge in Paris. But its AW23 Haute Couture show will see the storied label head to the grandeur of the Château de Chantilly, 30 miles north of the French capital. Think opulent salons filled with ornate portraiture on a sprawling country estate. The original Château was partly destroyed during the French Revolution, but rebuilt in the 1870s – here’s hoping Pierpaolo’s show meets a kinder fate than Marie Antoinette did when the show takes place on July 5. Until then, you can shop Valentino at their newly minted Paris store on Avenue Montaigne that opened its doors just last week.
GUCCI VAULTS THE COMPETITION
With warmer weather just around the corner, Gucci has launched the summer edition of Vault, its concept store that allows independent designers to create pieces using the house’s fabrics. For Vault Summer, the Italian label has linked up with Oxbridge cosplayers Rowing Blazers for some classic, prepster clobber, and Connor McKnight for a functional take on knitwear. Plus more looks from Agua by Agua Bendita, Husbands, Judith Leiber and Maison Michel. Click here to see the vault in full.
LANVIN AND SUICOKE MAKE A RIGHT PAIR
Cult Japanese brand Suicoke is no stranger to collaboration. The brand has previously teamed up with brands as diverse as Toga, Missoni, KidSuper, and Carhartt. After a successful first collaboration, the footwear label has hit up Lanvin for a second time, with the Parisian house plastering its signature chevron across a couple of clogs and sandals. Shop the limited-run capsule here from May 31.
CHARLES JEFFREY’S MEDIEVAL FAYRE
Fresh from his inclusion in V&A Dundee’s tartan exhibition, Charles Jeffrey returns with a Pre-Spring 2024 offering that takes medieval aesthetics and tosses them through a LOVERBOY blender. Schoolboy socks and electric blue tartan collide with Jeffrey’s own illustrations for a topsy-turvy collection of jester-like proportions. Skimpy mesh and micro-mini kilts add a little Highland flare. Discover the new collection here.
STUDIO NICHOLSON AGES WITH GRACE
If you’re one of those people who can’t wait to wither away into old age, just to slip into a pair of comfortable slacks, or slide a bunioned toe into some orthopaedic clogs, then this Studio Nicholson exhibition is the one for you. Of course, the brand’s take on ageless wardrobe separates is far chicer than slacks and clogs suggest, and this team-up with Kyle Kivijärvi’s Gramparents Instagram account is proof of that. Senior Snaps features a selection of Gramparents images curated by Kivijärvi and Studio Nicholson founder Nick Wakeman, and promises to celebrate the freedom that ageing in style will bring you. The exhibition runs from June 2 to June 4 at the label’s Hackney studio.
CAMPBELL ❤️S JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL
To celebrate the launch of his I Love Campbell exhibition, Campbell Addy headed to London’s 180 Studios for a private dinner hosted by Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Dazed editor-in-chief Ib Kamara. Guests such as A$AP Nast, Bree Runway and Saul Nash sipped on bespoke Johnnie Walker Blue Label cocktails, while musician cktrl curated a special playlist for the evening’s event. The dinner may have been invite-only, but you can still catch Addy’s exhibition at 180 Studios until June 4. Click here for more info on the show.
ARIES GETS GNARLY
This week, Aries joined White Claw to create a capsule collection lensed by French photographer David Ledoux. The whole thing is meant to honour the culture of Biarritz, with surfers including Trankil Trankil, Paul Duvignau and Sacha Kirnidis modelling. The four-piece collection is accompanied by a cloth-bound hardback which features 118 lithographic-printed photographs of Ledoux’s portraits of youth culture. Click here to see more.
Photography Guz ReichwaldEARTHEATER DRINKS FROM THE HAUNTED STARBUCKS CUP
Fashion’s foremost meme-merchant James Wallace released a collaboration with Swedish techno producer Jonas Rönberg. “We had a fucking insane time together running around the city putting the lookbook together. It was like a 12-hour shoot with a bunch of different people all shot by Guz Reichwald,” the designer says. Modelled by Eartheater, the collection comprises eight items that will drop on June 1. Head over here when the time calls.
MACHINE-A GETS A REBIRTH
Having just opened its first international outpost in Shanghai, fashion incubator Machine-A is marking 10 years in the bizz with a brand-new Soho store. Redesigned by architect Peijing Lu, the flagship expands its offering across two floors – all concrete and mirrored accents – with a basement exhibition space housing Kvadrat and Raf Simons’ lifestyle collection. “This launch signals the next 10 years of MACHINE-A’s experimentation as a retail store that constantly shapes the idea of the shopping experience in a dynamic and engaging way for our London community and global audience,” founder Stavros Karelis said. Head down to 13 Brewer Street to see more.