September 11, 2023 |
TEN CRAVES IS OUR ONLINE SERIES THAT ROUNDS UP ALL THE BEST PRODUCT LAUNCHES AND MUST-KNOW FASHION HAPPENINGS WEEK IN, WEEK OUT.
RÓISÍN PIERCE AND DOVER STREET MARKET TEAM UP FOR IRL OFFERING
Cottage-core fans, listen up! Irish brand Róisín Pierce has just partnered with the LA and NYC branches of Dover Street Market as the exclusive retailer for its latest collection, Beware, Beware. Reframing traditional techniques, the 20-piece offering is an expression of female liberation and the intersection between softness and resilience. Sitting pretty in DSM’s Natural Space section, the designer – known for her unique interpretation of a heritage-centric design language – uses swirling cotton, cascading crepe and carefully embroidered organza to form the pieces, speaking to the “beautiful chaos” upon which DSM was founded. Collating three generations of Dublin-based artisans, this collection is a testament to the empowerment that can be found through cross-generation collaborations.
The drop was released in full from August 5 and is available to shop IRL at Dover Street Market LA and NYC. Bella Koopman
ARIES AND CROCS’S SUN-SOAKED COLLAB
Footwear behemoth Crocs is truly the gift that keeps on giving. This season partnering with luxury streetwear brand Aries for an exclusive capsule that launched September 6. The first-time collaborators have hit the ground running featuring two new versions of the Crocs Hiker Xscape Clog, reimagined through a distinctly Aries-focused lens. Available in two earthy colourways – a slate grey and desert grass – the Jibbitz™ reflect the seaside findings of an Aries-influenced ‘trip’, including seashells, snail shells and magic mushrooms. A removable strap crosses over the mouth of the shoe taking form through the signature Aries braided 6MM paracord rope for an extra dash of flare.
A sun soaked campaign set on the sandy beaches of Lanzarote accompanies the drop, shop by acclaimed photographer Colin Dodgson and i-D‘s creative director Jonny Lu. The pair have also created a 32-page zine as an added extra.
The offering is available to buy from the Aries website here as well as the brand’s flagship store in London’s Soho. BK
BOTTEGA VENETA DROPS NEW FANZINE
This winter, luxury label Bottega Veneta has introduced a limited edition set of fanzines across all of their stores worldwide. And get this – they’re completely free! Starting this tradition after creative director Matthieu Blazy’s AW22 collection, the zines are being released in line with the latest collection becoming available to shop IRL. Spread across four fabulous volumes, these pretty page-turners will reveal the bottom-to-top of the collection, starting with the OG sketches and going all the way up to campaign release. The collection, which concludes Blazy’s ‘Italia trilogy’ – a series of collections drawing on Italy’s past, present and future – showcases the houses new direction, reimagining traditional craftsmanship and materials.
Readers can also find sketches by British Cypriot designer Hussein Chalayan spattered throughout the pages, speaking to the ease and vitality of the various looks. Encased in a sleek, stracciatella-inspired slip that mirrors the floor that set the stage for the collection’s original showing, the zines are available from today onwards. BK
GUCCI OPENS LUXURY BOND STREET ABODE
Lovers of the finer things in life, this one’s for you. Gucci, a consistent deliverer of decadence, has just unveiled its shiny new upgrade on London’s famous New Bond Street. Shifting from its longstanding address on Old Bond Street, the opulent outpost has been developed using a Grade II-listed former art gallery as its shell. Go inside and you will see a sweeping space with a distinctly Parisian air that is both impressive and understated. Speaking on the opening, the Italian luxury house has noted it wants the “exceptional craftsmanship” of its clothing and accessories to really take center stage. A multi-floored, 15,000 sq ft colossus, the upper mezzanine draws on Gucci’s expansive history, nodding to motifs from previous collections as well as founder Guccio Gucci’s early fascination with travel accessories. Also available for the rummaging is ‘The Tudor Room’ – a wood-panelled space featuring pieces from the luxury label’s Florence archive – and ‘The Gucci Salon’ – an invite-only room for the most exclusive clients.
Fancy a peep? Gucci New Bond Street is open to the public now. BK
JW ANDERSON TAPS POP DARLING CHARLIE XCX FOR NEW CAMPAIGN
Pop-princess Charli XCX just became JW Anderson’s newest frontwoman, starring in a campaign shot by photography legend David Sims. The campaign centers around the Corner Bag, an elegant accessory first presented in February this year as party of the London-based label’s AW23 womenswear collection. Head-to-toe in the brand’s winter offering, the campaign shows the Cambridge-born singer – equipped with a smokey eye and teased-out mane – posing with the calfskin tote against a distinctly dilapidated den. Various versions of the trapeze-formed handbags are featured throughout the images, including versions developed in collaboration with dancer Michael Clark, who informed several other pieces within the collection.
The Corner Bag is available in either black or burgundy – plus an additional array of two-tone colourways – available from the JW Anderson website or the brand’s stores in London and Milan. BK
ELLISS INTRODUCES A NOSTALGIC GLITCH IN TIME
Embodying ethereal dream girl realness, Elliss introduces a Glitch in Time, its spring/summer 2024 collection bringing us back to fond and faded memories of holiday romances past. With illusory patterns, playful transparencies and a colour palette inspired by vintage film photography, Glitch in Time combines the influences of a wealth of nostalgic beach imagery to emulate an ever-lasting summer feeling.
The collection not only considers the beach front in its aesthetic, but also in its materials. Exclusively recycled and sustainable fabrics comprise the garments, emphasising breathable organic cottons and organic cotton denims alongside RPET silk, mesh, Ecovero jersey, all of which are mainstays of the brand. An exciting new debut of Tencel drill, a soft textured, sustainably sourced woven fabric also makes an appearance throughout the collection. Start your summer romance with Elliss here. Mirrin Hegharty
GIORGIO ARMANI AW23 DENIM CAPSULE
Our denim desires are satisfied with Giorgio Armani’s exclusive selection of luxurious and durable denims. The capsule collection is defined by unusual volumes, contemporary cuts and sumptuous materials. Innovative detailing and modern fits also make lush statements through both the men’s and women’s lines. The former includes trousers, jackets and shirt jackets in a smart pinstripe cotton denim, along with hoodies, overalls, and t-shirts in Sea Island cotton. The women picks are crafted in an exclusively light and neutral colour palette, which weaves its way into everything including jeans in five different flattering fits, as well as jackets with labels, blousons and coats with embossed logo detailing.
For men, wool-cashemere drill and milleraies velvet are utilised throughout – and crop up in the women’s as well – elevating the collection and infusing the line with warm neutrals that are characteristic of Armani style.
Giorgio Armani takes on denim, delivering a capsule collection that’s sophisticated and meticulously crafted down to the smallest detail. An exclusive selection characterised by contemporary and unusual volumes as well as high-quality materials, is designed to last this season and beyond. Only be available until mid November, so shop it while it lasts here. MH
PEACHY DEN’S BUBBLY RELEASE
Bringing bubble hems back, Peachy Den launches a reimagined classic half-circle skirt – the Deba Midi Skirt. Merging technical wear with a floaty feminine silhouette, the mid-rise midi is made with recycled nylon – the same material as the London label’s bestselling Mimis – and has a flattering deep-v cut. Complete with an invisible front zip closure which descends into a draped and gathered midi, its available in both a dark onyx and a light oyster shade making it the perfect piece for to carry you through to autumn in comfort and style. Shop here. MH
DANIEL LEE’S DEBUT COLLECTION WITH BURBERRY IS NOW AVAILABLE TO BUY!
Daniel Lee’s highly anticipated first collection with Burberry is finally ready to satisfy all your shopping pleasures. The winter wardrobe is warm, protective and, with its supersized versions of *that* famous Burberry check, unconventionally bold. Done in zingy tomato ketchup red or Donald Duck yellow, forest green, indigo or Knight blue, there are trench coats, sporty tees with rose motifs, field jackets, blankets, skinny argyle knit jumpers and kilts (we suggest you wear them over the wide-leg trousers also on offer).
The accessories options are just as audacious, with the Fuzz Sandals and the Suede and Shearling Highland Mules offering a fun twist on classic styles. As we head into winter can’t wait to get our hands on the Check Wool Hooded Scarf – a lush tartan number – along with the selection of adorable hot water bottles and fleece coverings. Shop the full collection here. MH
SELFRIDGES LAUNCHES ‘YELLOW PAGES’
With a goal to offering a shortcut to the “good stuff, Selfridges has launched a scheme designed to reimagine its physical and digital stores as a “directory of now”. Affectionally dubbed Yellow Pages – coming on loan from The Yellow Pages Directory, which served as a British Household telephone-directory staple for over 50 years – it certifies Selfridges’ place as a top tier destination to navigate the brightest people, product, experiences and destinations.
Like any great project does, it comes to life with a 72 page printed zine, also dubbed Yellow Pages, created in partnership with editorial director Richard Turley, along with a host of talented collaborators and contributors.
Accompanying the launch of the zine comes an exciting new concept for the store’s famed window displays. Hosting key cultural moments of the season, by way of innovative collaborations, the windows have provided a platform for works by film makers A24 and Danny Boyle, as well as artist Gray Wielebinski. The displays also count Beka Gvishiani, founder of fashion-insider Instagram account, Style Not Com, who has created a window on Duke street sharing a fun and factual ‘ALL CAPS’ commentary – in classic @stylenotcom style – to line up with this upcoming London Fashion Week.The windows also feature memorably irreverent headlines taken from Yellow Pages, as well as Selfridges first ever audio windows for the visually impaired.
What’s more, the “directory of now” has also taken over Selfridges’ physically, in and out of store. With an abounding creative agenda for September and October, expect exclusive to Selfridges product launches, installations and destinations with partners including Versace, Newgen, Jil Sander, Nina Ricci by Harris Reed and Martine Rose. You can even enjoy a month-watering meal at Jackson Boxer’s new restaurant at The Corner, and if you’ve a music lover, unwind at the Selfridges Lounge, a brand new music venue which has debuted with its fab first resident: up and coming UK DJ Jamz Supernova. You won’t want to miss this. MH
JPG x KNWLS COLLABORATION
French atelier Jean Paul Gaultier collaborated on an 18-piece collection with South London-based label Knwls and it’s gorgeous affair of gritty glamour! Grabbing inspiration from their collective archives, the offering nods to their past whilst creating a reimagined capsule that’s thoroughly contemporary.
Both labels share similar DNA, visible through newly forged prints. A hand-stencilled trompe-l’œil tattoo print – inspired by heavy metal ephemera – features a wide-mouthed serpent and a hand-scratched wood pattern – derived from a decaying fence found by Knwls’ Senior Print Designer, Harriet Cox – showcases a heart-shaped ‘JPG ♡ Knwls’ carving.
Gaultier’s iconic marinière has also received a Knwls revamp – a bleach plaid treatment on a series of skin-tight, body-contoured mini-dresses and sheer, flesh-baring knitted separates. Knwls signature aged leather takes its form in a distressed high-neck shearling jacket complete with oversized shaggy sleeves, a leather bomber jacket and a corset harness with rib inserts. The showstopper? A fully fledged corset costume accentuated by its screen printed leather and hand-crocheted panelling that took the design team a year to construct.
The accompanying campaign was shot by Harley Weir, styled by Georgia Pendlebury and stars rising model Alex Consani. Influenced by late ‘80s and early ‘90s Jean Paul Gaultier campaigns, the resulting visuals feature a hand-cut logo and overexposed techniques, harmoniously encapsulates the acid-tinted energy of the collab.
The Jean Paul Gaultier x Knwls Collection is now available either from the Knwls and Jean Paul Gaultier E-Shop and an exclusive list of retailers. Shop here. Joe Benham.
Top Image: photography by Colin Dodgson courtesy of Aries x Crocs.
