June 15, 2023 |
TEN CRAVES IS OUR ONLINE SERIES THAT ROUNDS UP ALL THE BEST PRODUCT LAUNCHES AND MUST-KNOW FASHION HAPPENINGS WEEK IN, WEEK OUT.
KUSHIAANIA’S LIMITED EDITION JOHNNIE WALKER WHISKY BOTTLE
British/South Asian illustrator and graphic designer Kushiaania has just unveiled her limited-edition bespoke bottle design for whiskey brand Johnnie Walker. Arriving as the result of Johnnie Walker’s ‘Bold Steps’ campaign and competition – a partnership with South Asian community platform Diet Paratha which aims to nurture the next generation of creative talent – Kushiaania’s design is the winning entry, and in addition to the commission, she’s received a £5000 cash prize and access to Diet Paratha’s Family Tree Mentoring one-to-one programme.
Inspired by the Brit-Asian ‘culture-clash’ world, Kushiaania’s creation is a bold and unapologetic celebration of femininity and culture, using vibrant colour and high contrast to impactfully merge her passion for South Asian tradition with her finger-on-the-pulse modernity. The winning bottle design is no exception.
Campaigns like Bold Steps highlight the importance of ensuring a platform for otherwise underrepresented groups and serve as a reminder of the inspiring art that can come from opening up creative opportunities.
The limited-edition Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle is available for purchase here.
GOOMHEO’S AW23 MOTLEY CREW
Dubbed Riders, Goomheo’s AW23 collection recontextualises traditional menswear design signatures for a subversive and campy exploration of masculinity.
The lookbook, shot by photographer Heji Shin and styled by Gerry O’Kane, showcases a ‘motley crew of characters’ imagined by Goomheo, with each character being a sexy-fied reimagination of a masculine archetype, with a little bit of hedonism and eroticism sprinkled in.
Studs, fringed leather, rara skirts and tiny belted pants form “Goom’s Angels”, the campy beefcake biker characters that make up the first part of the collection. The mad men are then complimented gloriously by Goomheo’s “Party Boys”, characterised by structured denim twinsets and cheekily placed crotch cut-outs. The ‘Bitchy It-Guys’ are next, with their killer micro-miniskirts and cropped jackets.
As always with Goomheo, this autumn offering is an offbeat and unconstrained imagination of menswear.
PALACE SKATEBOARDS TEAMS UP WITH OAKLEY
Taking inspiration from archival Oakley designs and Palace signatures, a new collaborative collection between the two street style juggernauts is designed to launch you into the sporty, future-facing universe they co-inhabit. Featuring sunglasses and slick apparel, it’s a range of flawlessly fused, synergetic pieces constructed with aim of “empowering imagination beyond our reality,” according to the collection release.
Featuring five pocket trousers; a black shell reflective jacket and shorts as well as hoodies, tees, socks and hats, each emblazoned with Oakley’s distinctive skull print, the collaboration is a remarkably wearable exploration of tech-y streetwear styles. The undeniable star of the show, however, comes in the shape of sunglasses with a new iteration of Oakley’s classic Re:Subzero style, weighing just 24 grams, which comes in two cyber style colourways: silver with Prizm™ black lenses and tan with Prizm™ 24K gold lenses.
Enter into the futuristic, digitally warped world of Palace and Oakley through an accompanying short film by longstanding Palace collaborator Adam Todhunter, featuring skater Savannah Stacey Keenan and friends rocking the cooler-than clothes. Discover the link-up here.
RICHARD MALONE FEATURES AT RA’S SUMMER EXHIBITION
While the hands-on art forms of ‘making’ and ‘craft’ may have been somewhat overshadowed in recent years by the rise of digital technology, Irish fashion designer and artist Richard Malone is returning to tradition with his immersive installation at the Royal Academy this summer.
His piece, titled Poem in the Dark, About Sadness, showcases a seven metre high, hanging mobile made from hand-bent metal, hand-sewn recycled materials, polyamide, lycra and cotton thread – all woven together using the largely overlooked skills and techniques Malone learned in his youth, growing up in a working-class Irish community.
Informed by movement and gesture as well as queer, working-class and immigrant identities, the installation is a beautifully imposing structure, existing somewhere between fluidity and stasis – inviting conversations about social class, access and recognition within the worlds of art and fashion into the fold.
Malone’s exhibition is on from June 13 to August 20 in the RA’s Wohl Central Hall as part of the academy’s Summer Exhibition. Discover the installation here.
CLARKS ORIGINALS IS EMBARKING ON A DESERT TRIP ALONGSIDE ARIES
This June, Clarks Originals are bringing us a collaboration with streetwear brand Aries. A two-piece capsule collection reimagining classic Clarks Originals silhouettes – the Wallabee and the Desert Trek – with an Aries twist. Both pairs are crafted from premium suede, constructed Clarks Originals’ natural crepe sole and stamped with the Aries Trip graphic. Also embellished with coloured beads, charms, a python-embossed print and even a faux-fur design, these are the coolest kicks in town.
Dubbed Desert Trip, the capsule aims to invoke feelings of otherworldly nostalgia and distorted memories and in the accompanying campaign, shot by Douglas Irvine, it is easy to imagine donning the footwear for some kind of far away, extra-terrestrial exploration. The collaboration is available to buy from Aries’ Soho store in London or at ariesarise.com.
THE HOUSE OF ACNE PAPER: ISSUE 18
Issue 18 of Acne Paper has finally launched, featuring a collection of 151 fantasy pieces of furniture, art and objects, all coming together to form the an imaginary house: the House of Acne Paper.
Formed of ten chapters, nine rooms and a garden, a photographic story unfurls. Behind every door you’ll find work from some of the biggest innovators in the art, design, architecture and interiors arena, alongside informal interviews and scholarly captions.
No stone is left unturned in the issue; the house stocked with wall hangings, paintings, chairs, tables, cutlery and even a 18k gold toilet – featuring the work of artists like Rick Owens, Salvador Dali, Maurizio Cattelan, Pablo Bronstein and Hannah Levy to name just a few. Nab your copy here.
G.H. BASS’S NEW SUPER CHUNKY LOAFER
On the back of the incredible success of its current ‘90s style chunky loafer, G.H. Bass is levelling up with the Super Lug loafer: a slip-on loafer crafted from polished mock leather that features its chunkiest outsole yet.
The shoes are built remarkably light considering their height, successfully combining wearability, durability and effortless style in effort to catapult the classic kick to new heights – literally.
The G.H. Bass Super Lug is now available worldwide as part of the SS23 collection. Shop now.
DIOR UNVEIL NEW HIGH JEWELLERY COLLECTION
Dior’s latest high jewellery collection by Victoire de Castellane is an elegant array of glimmering adornments aptly entitled Les Jardins de la Couture.
The new line – composed of 170 different pieces including three watchmaking gems – draws upon one of Christian Dior’s infinite sources of inspiration: gardens and nature, and Dior’s garden in Milly-la-Forêt especially; something ever-present in Castellane’s work since 1999.
The collection is delicately and intricately put together – as if concocted by mother nature herself – featuring flowers assembled stone by stone, gems set at different levels to mimic the organic makeup of a garden and the effervescent colours seen in a blooming plant sprinkled with diamonds and precious stones and the flowers of the Diorette and Milly Carnivora collections.
The love of gardens shared between Victoire de Castellane and Christian Dior himself is flawlessly, but subtly showcased throughout the collection, resulting in a poetic, rather dreamlike exploration of house codes. Shop the collection here.
NEW FASHION MARKETPLACE APP NIFT PROMISES DELIVERY IN 90 MINUTES
Say goodbye to slow and unreliable deliveries with new fashion marketplace app NIFT (Need It For Tonight) which promises Londoner’s retail deliveries from fan favourite brands in under 90 minutes.
Founded by sisters Simone and Roxanne Oloman, NIFT works with “conscious and contemporary brands,” spanning from luxury designers to independent boutiques, using a new system comparable to a fast-food delivery service, in which orders are sent directly to the retailers to be accepted before reaching the riders themselves.
With sustainability in mind, transportation comes in the form of push bikes and electric vehicles wherever possible. Plus, by partnering with Ecologi, every order will result in the planting of a tree.
Expect to see brands such as Ganni, Cult Mia and House of Sunny stocked on the app. NIFT is now available on the App Store and the Google Play store, so download the revolutionary service and get shopping.
SKIMS IS POPPING-UP IN LONDON
Calling all Kim K stans! On Monday, Skims’ opened the doors to its first ever European pop-up shop at the iconic Corner Shop at Selfridges in London. As the viral underwear brand continues to create one of a kind, viral retail activations, this immersive space will host its super sexy swimwear collection in particular, just in time for getting your tan on.
Described as “the most conceptual Skims pop-up experience to date,” in the release, this Selfridges residency was designed in partnership with long-time collaborator Willo Perron, of Perron-Roettinger to transport you to a summery poolside oasis somewhere in LA, with diving boards, palm trees and even custom Skims ice cream treats from Chin Chin Labs for those fancying a little bit of self-indulgence while they browse.
The month-long pop up will stock new products weekly, with limited-edition swim collections in various colourways and cuts – ensuring that there is something for everyone at Skims this summer. The Skims pop-up at Selfridges’ Corner Shop is open now until July 15.
THOM BROWNE’S CREATIVE CONSTRUCTIONS FOR SS24
Celebrating classic tailoring in the same breath as upending tradition may seem oxymoronic, but for the ever-technical Thom Browne, this is just another spring collection.
Featuring unique fabrics created especially for the occasion, Thom Browne SS24 is a masterclass in meticulous construction. Shrunken sack jackets, high rise trousers and skirts, oversized sport coats, bias cuts and box pleats fill the collection; and in a showing of both de- and reconstruction, the “inside-out” jackets, trousers and skirts reveal the intricate inner workings of the garments.
The protagonist at Thom Browne this season, though, is the new, subversive tweed, woven from canvas, horsehair and grosgrain – a testament to the individuality of Browne’s designs.
LOUIS VUITTON’S NEW DIGITAL TRUNK
In a new creative venture with Web.3, Louis Vuitton have announced the launch of a new caddy that combines the physical with the digital. The drop features a new iteration of the iconic Louis Vuitton trunk, invented over 160 years ago, but – for the first time ever – its a purely virtual box named the VIA Treasure Trunk. Perfect for those who wish to carry their cargo through new cybernetic realities, the trunk itself will take its owner on a voyage through simulated portals and into the world of Louis Vuitton, allowing access to limited products and immersive experiences launched at regular intervals throughout the year.
Available at for purchase here, the VIA trunk is a must-have for any devoted collector with a thirst for a VR adventure.
JORDANLUCA LAUNCHES SLICK NEW SUNGLASSES
For those who couldn’t help but thirst after the sci-fi style sunnies sported at Jordanluca’s SS23 runway show, we’ve got some exciting news for you – the XP1 sunglasses are now up for grabs at Jordanluca’s online store and at Machine-A.
Coming in two gleaming colourways – black and silver – and with a new, unique ‘thorn’ lens the glasses blend a futuristic and provocative silhouette with modern, sleek wearability. Boasting a distinct, JordanLuca design, these are a summer must-have for ravers and fashion folk alike.
Want to see the world through some sick, spankin’ new lenses? XP1 is available to buy here.
Photography by Ben Fourmi
Top Image: photography by Heji Shin for Goomheo AW23.
