...and more fashion news you missed
Not content with the $76,000 Birkin-stocks or the Big Red Boots, earlier this month MSCHF unveiled a speck-sized, acid-green handbag that can only be seen under a microscope. Framed as a commentary on fashion’s ever-shrinking accessories, The Miscrocopic Handbag was the final word in clickbait fashion. Still, it went to a charity auction and has just been sold for £50,569 – meaning someone has paid more than most people’s yearly salaries on a handbag that A) cannot be used and B) cannot be seen. At least it looks cool… right? Perhaps this is just the logical endpoint of NFTs – remember them? – and hypewear’s obsession with owning the most ridiculous and rare things imaginable.
In other news this week, Paris Fashion Week came to a close with Jacquemus’ tribute to Princess Diana, while Shein sent influencers on a fake tour of its factories. Elsewhere, Marc Jacobs and Vetements exorcised their anxieties surrounding AI, Ludovic de Saint Sernin showcased the ugliest shoe in the world, and the And Just Like That costume designers said “No. Fucking. Way” to dressing Samantha. For everything else you may have missed, click through the gallery below.
GLENN MARTENS GETS A BAG IN
This week, Diesel dedicated an entire shop to its 1DR handbag. “The bag is fun, no? It’s in your face and it’s straightforward,” Glenn Martens told us last month. “You have to be a happy person to wear it. The reason we’ve had so much success is because Diesel has that no-bullshit attitude.” The store is a stone’s throw from Diesel’s Milan flagship and is set to remain open for 12 months, offering a limited edition run of 30 new 1DR designs. Head down to San Babila to check it out.
KIM JONES COMES OUT AS A VIRGO
No surprise that Kim Jones – who produces more than 12 collections a year at Dior and Fendi – is a Virgo. His latest capsule pays homage to the zodiac, combining archival Karl Lagerfeld illustrations with the breezy silhouettes of Fendi’s SS93 collection. The collection includes clothing, accessories, and beachwear and is accompanied by a campaign video starring Irina Shayk. Click here to see more.
NICHOLAS DALEY LAYS ROOTS IN REGGAE
Nicholas Daley unveiled his SS24 collection this week, drawing on the cultural impact of roots reggae within Britain’s Black community. Fronted by seminal Birmingham band Steel Pulse, Daley’s offering comprises knitted polos, bucket hats, crochet vests, and oversized vests in shades of mustard and burnt sienna. Head over here to see more.
BURBERRY’S MAKEOVER CONTINUES
This week, Daniel Lee debuted his second collection at Burberry and a complete refurb of the brand’s flagship store in central London. The designer’s Pre-spring 2024 proposal – all glitch-print trench coats, picnic blanket capes, bomber jackets, and fringed heels – will arrive in the revamped, space-age store later this year. Head down to 21-23 New Bond Street to get a look at the new space.
DIOR GETS A NEW LOCATION
Dior also gave itself an overhaul this week, opening a unique Sloane Street location, which is twice the size of its former unit. Spread across three floors, the flagship showcases artwork by Victoria Morton, Peter Seal, and Selma Parlour, alongside womenswear, menswear, and haute joaillerie. There are private suits for couture clients and retina-popping window installations for those not brave enough to enter. Visit 196 to 198 Sloane Street in Knightsbridge to experience the space IRL.
JOHN LAWRENCE SULLIVAN WANTS TO SCARE YOU
Blood-flecked shirts, knee-high riding boots, and behemoth suit blazers: John Lawrence Sullivan presented his SS24 collection this week, inspired by the Sedlec Ossuary in Kutná Hora, which is a haunted chapel in the Czech Republic piled high with human bones. Click here to see more.
GUESS WHO’S THE NEW FACE OF GUESS
Georgina Rodríguez is the face of GUESS’ AW23 campaign. The Spanish-Argentine model was shot by Nima Benati in a lavish, old-Hollywood hotel suite in Madrid. "I love the brand and the values it represents. I love wearing the collections because they make me feel empowered yet sexy. They have a distinct, feminine character while expressing a timeless essence,” she said. Elsewhere, LA’s Junior is fronting the brand’s Originals imprint, who skated in Europe for the first time as part of the CPH Open event, which GUESS sponsor. Click here to see more from the brand’s AW23 campaign.
SAINT LAURENT PAINTS THE SKY RED
This week, Anthony Vaccarello commissioned Cai Guo-Qiang to present a daytime fireworks event, which saw the contemporary artist blast enormous bodies of multicoloured smoke into the Yotsukura skyline. That served as the opening to Guo-Qiang’s new Saint Laurent-sponsored exhibition Ramble in the Cosmos – From Primeval Fireball Onward, which is currently on show at the National Art Centre in Tokyo.
DAZED’S FAVES WIN THE ANDAM PRIZES
The prestigious ANDAM awards took place this morning and LGN Louis-Gabriel Nouchi scored big, taking home 300,000 euros and a year’s mentoring from industry bigwigs. Elsewhere, Ester Manas and Duran Lantink both received the Special Prize of 100,000 euros. Click here to read more about them.
NATASHA ZINKO TAMES THE MONSTER
For her Resort 2024 collection, Natasha Zinko has tamed the beast that emerged in her AW23 offering. Leather jackets are still embedded with anatomical padding and bags are made from leather underwear but the whole thing feels cleaner and more streamlined. Head over here to see more of that.