October 18, 2024 |
TEN CRAVES IS OUR ONLINE SERIES THAT ROUNDS UP ALL THE BEST PRODUCT LAUNCHES AND MUST-KNOW FASHION HAPPENINGS WEEK IN, WEEK OUT.
a new louis vuitton cafe lands at heathrow
Look out! A wave of travellers hauling LV-monogrammed suitcases and Keepall Bandoulières are set to arrive at Heathrow Terminal Two for the opening of Louis Vuitton’s new store and café. While the new café was created in collaboration with chef Cyril Lignac, who has cooked up an exclusive, all-day menu featuring lobster rolls, Eton Mess and an artful selection of Louis Vuitton patisseries, the space – which architect Marc Fornes developed as an aerodynamic and intimate pavilion – is a must-see for even the most seasoned flyers. We couldn’t think of a better way to spend a layover than feasting on a Croque Monsieur and leaving with a duty-free steal from the LV collection. The new space is open Monday to Sunday, 5:30am to 10pm. Walk-ins only! Joshua Beutum
Ecco’s Next Link Up With Natacha Ramsay-Levi
Continuing in its tradition of inviting outside creative partners into the design room, Danish footwear brand Ecco has once again called on French-designer Natacha Ramsay-Levi to update some of its staple shoes – and prepare to fall head-over-heels in love. An exciting play on the feminine and boyish, the sporty and urban, the sensible and the statement, for the AW24 drop, the Grainer boot gets an earthy new colour palette – think olive, cocoa, black and silver – and an updated Offroad range integrates chunky, wavy soles to bring an unexpected energy to functional walking shoes. Meanwhile, the revamped Sculpted model offers a sleek new take on the very on-trend cowboy boot without compromising comfort. These boots were definitely made for walking! Shop the collection in selected Ecco stores and online here. JB
Loewe Foundation Teams Up with Studio Voltaire on Limited-Edition Leather Pieces
Calling all leather lovers! For Frieze Week, the Loewe Foundation partnered with non-profit arts and education organisation Studio Voltaire on a top grain series of limited-edition leather works forged by five leading artists. Standouts included a decorative leather and shearling mask by Sanya Kantarovsky, a leather sculpture-paperweight hybrid by Ron Nagle and Anthea Hamilton’s hand-held leather fan embossed with the Italian phrases, Che Bello and Che Brutto. There was also a wearable leather-wrapped chain by Alvaro Barrington, and a leather pouch filled with extra leather. “Add your own leather patches!” says artist Sheila Hicks. Check out the series in-store at Casa Loewe London and take home a piece of Loewe’s leather-crafting history. All proceeds go to Studio Voltaire. JB
Asics drops new KIKO KOSTADINOV collab
The shoe must fit for Asics and Kiko Kostadinov, who are continuing their creative relationship with a new campaign for the just-launched season two of the Asics Novalis by Asics & Kiko Kostadinov trainers. Shot in South London by Frank Lebon and building on the idea of “Sound Mind, Sound Body”, the new advertorial centres on four participants who are committed to mindfulness, reminding us that the body – fitted out in the latest Asics sneakers, of course – is a tool not only for movement but also for considered living. The collection is exclusively available online now, before a global launch on October 26. JB
Johnnie Walker’s Apres ski experience at Selfridges
From Princess Diana to Kim Kardashian and Lady Gaga in House of Gucci, ski fashion and luxe après ski experiences are all the rage for those hitting the slopes. But don’t fret if you can’t get away this winter; Johnnie Walker is bringing ski season to London with Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ice Chalet – and it’s already grabbed the attention of British designers Martine Rose, Nensi Dojaka and Tolu Coker. To celebrate the launch of its collab with luxury skiwear brand Perfect Moment, the high-end whisky company has commissioned SHOWstudio to create an immersive Moment Maker at Selfridges, letting guests wander through three interactive artworks that make clever nods to the brand’s history – Ice Dancer brings the houndstooth print that features on the Perfect Moment collection to life, while Alpine Crystal lets you walk through a forest scene made up of the tasting notes of the brand’s blend, and Après Blue lets you watch the sun set on a Gstaad-inspired mountain. Fancy a whiskey on the rocks, anyone? Don’t miss your chance to soak up the ski season at the Moment Maker in Selfridges from October 28 to November 3. JB
New Tiffany Initiative Proves Oceans Are a Girl’s Best Friend
Forget diamonds! Tiffany & Co.’s new Love For Our Oceans initiative proves that the planet is a girl’s best friend. Continuing its 24-year history of championing the environment through the Tiffany Foundation, the luxury jewellery brand is dropping a new line of T Smile by Tiffany bracelets made entirely from ocean-bound plastic bottles. Yes, you read that right! They’re launching ten new styles crafted with Repreve Our Ocean cord, all with 18-karat gold detailing and the option to add diamonds. Plus, a portion of the proceeds – Tiffany says a total of one million USD – will go to The Nature Conservatory’s ocean conservation efforts. Purchase yours here. JB
Le Labo’s Cosy New Candle
Le Labo’s latest home fragrance will have you craving a warm blanket and a good book by the fireplace this season. In the buildup to what they’re saying will be a particularly cold winter, the Cyprès 21 candle’s promise of a resinous cypress aroma with a base of juniper, clove and star anise is sure to warm you up. Not to mention the spell of patchouli, an incense-like aroma that grounds the home fragrance with a mood certain to transport you straight to a cabin in the winter woods. Cozy up with this new scented candle, available online and in-store here. JB
Robyn Lynch’s larger than life football jerseys
Brace yourselves, there’s a new football jersey in town: Irish-born designer Robyn Lynch has revisited her archives to create two digitally printed box-fit jerseys. The launch comes three years after her collaboration with Japanese laboratory Synflux, where they reinterpreted scans of Lynch’s dads GAA football jerseys for AW22 (that’s Gaelic Athletic Association for you fashion folk).
Created in the label’s Hackney-Wick-studio, the original artwork from 2021 is digitally printed onto sublimation paper and pressed onto custom made jerseys. Tapping into her Irish heritage, the Westminster menswear graduate called upon the help from long-time friend and art director Rory Mullen and artist Peter Eason Daniels to showcase the jerseys. Crystal Palace Sports Centre became the trio’s backdrop – a meeting point for many communities – as Lynch’s jerseys were blown up and draped across the stadium’s terraces. Freya Goodchild-Bridge
Nia Archives’ Dr. Martens Campaign
Dr. Martens has teamed up with jungle artist Nia Archives as a part of its Boots like no other campaign, celebrating the boot that started it all – the 1460. Nia Archives, who released her debut album Silence is Loud earlier this year, features in a video campaign for the shoemaker; telling the story of Archives buying her first pair of Dr. Martens. Directed by Rawtape (Rory A Wood), the video opens with a store-clerk – played by Danny Dyer – who remarks “daisy roots?” to the musician (for anyone confused, “daisy roots” means “boots” in Cockney slang). The camera then dives into a Dr. Martens shoebox, exploring the endless possibilities the 1460 silhouette has to offer. With its lick of yellow stitching looping around the boot, the 1460 design remains unchanged for over 60 years; now that’s a legacy we can get behind. FGB
Atsuko Kudo’s Luxe New Lube
Atsuko Kudo has truly carved out a niche for herself as a designer of luxury latex clothing and lingerie. But in her latest endeavour, the London-based designer is dipping her toes into the wonderful world of sexual wellness. Enter Dressing for Pleasure, the luxury lube you didn’t know you needed.
Named for the fetish magazine that documented all things rubber, leather and latex throughout the 1970s, Dressing for Pleasure is a “smooth, non-sticky and luxurious lubricant,” according to Kudo, “which can be used not just for dressing latex clothing, but also to complement condoms and enhance personal pleasure.” While Kudo had initially set her sights on creating a lubricant that would make it easier to slip on her latex garments – feeling that pre-existing products could use some improvement – after developing Dressing for Pleasure for her brand’s “specialist purposes”, she and her team came to the realisation that lube works just as well on latex as it does “in the wider world of sexual wellness.”
With a hypoallergenic and cruelty free formula, Dressing for pleasure comes wrapped up in a matte black case, imbued with the slanted AK calligraphic logo and includes a special Tongari applicator – Tongari is Japanese for ‘pointy’, which Kudo says “allows a very carefully calibrated amount of the lube to be applied and permits greater accuracy with the location of the application.”
When it comes to applying the lubricant, a little really does go a long way. If you’re looking to smooth out your latest latex catsuit “apply a small amount on the wearer’s arms, legs, hands and other areas…allow this to sit for a minute and then you will be able to easily slide the garments on”. She adds, “Once the latex clothing is dressed this lube also allows the clothing to be ‘mobile’ enough over the skin so that it can be smoothed into a perfect finish. However, as so little product is required to achieve this the garments are not floating in lube (as some products require) but have been more or less caressed into place and will stay accurately positioned.”
For those looking to lubricate for sexual intimacy, “the use of our Tongari tip allows for targeted application, total reduction of wastage and getting the most out of our luxurious lubricant. Simply reapply as, and when, the long-lasting formula is needed!” Shop Dressing for Pleasure here. FGB
Wake Up Glowing With Dior Beauty’s New Capture Totale Retishot
Why wake up with a shot of coffee when you can wake up with Dior Beauty? The anti-aging elixir, Capture Totale Retishot, is the maison’s latest addition to the Capture Totale collection, and its a brightening skin solution that’ll do good to replace your daily caffeine. The new retinol offering comes after Dior Science spent 20 years researching stem cells and their impact on ageing skin, resulting in a serum that not only promotes skin renewal but also refines complexion texture. Housed in a swanky metallic tube, the solution is designed to correct pores, marks, roughness and imperfections from the sun or acne. FGB
Edward Cuming’s Sexy New Indie Sleaze Campaign
A square hole may sound like a total oxymoron to some, but for Central Saint Martins graduate Edward Cuming it’s these contrasts that he thrives within. For his SS25 collection, aptly dubbed Square Hole (which debuted in June), Cuming drew references from furniture maker Roy McMakin and NYC artist Taboo! to explore the balance between realism and the abstract. The Australian-born, Madrid-based designer played with vintage patterns on frayed denim, jacquard and silk; attempting to bring energy to the mundane moments of life. Now in a campaign instilled with sleaze and sexiness, Square Hole is framed within over-exposed, super-cropped candids shot by long-term collaborator Christina Stolhe: think a drunken digital camera photoshoot with your friends, but make it high fashion. FGB
By Pariah’S Sophisticated Stacks
Choosing a piece of statement jewellery goes well beyond what’s visually appealing. It embraces deeper thought – the stories we stack and carry with us in our daily lives. This is the ethos that By Pariah embodies by blending rich organic materials with heritage production techniques in its elegant jewellery offering. For pre-spring 2025, the brand has debuted a new series of stackable bangle bracelets and rings, as well as earrings and necklaces, adorned with an array of luxe hardstones like moss agate, white jasper and grey agate. Crafted with 14ct gold and ovular fine metal, these objects of desire are the ideal autumnal accessory. Shop here. Maria Sarabi
Tilly Sveaas’ T-Bar collection gets the diamond treatment
Forget less is more, ostentatious jewellery is having a moment with big stacks of fine metals spilling over in our jewellery boxes. Leading the charge in eye-catching adornments is none other than eponymous jewellery brand Tilly Sveaas. The latest collection, a reimagining of its signature T-Bar silhouette, frosts bestselling silver and gold pieces in diamonds. Including signature T-Bar necklaces, studs and drop earrings, the gleaming offering is great for elevating your day-to-day uniform or your party garb. Shop the collection here. MS
Nicole Zisman’s sultry fashion film ‘I FORGIVE YOU’
Dark and dingy lighting floods the screen. Sparkling, silver seams radiate in the stark, white spotlights. Rouge lips are smudged, while water droplets soak bare skin. These are the sort of visuals that make up Nicole Zisman’s sultry new film, entitled I Forgive You, and directed by Rei Nadal. Playing on the concept that authenticity is the new modernity through a future-glam lens of the designer’s Venezuelan Jewish heritage, the short film pulls fashion from several of Zisman’s collections and collages to depict a narrative centred around two ex-lovers on a journey from anger to forgiveness. The brand’s signature shattered glass technique, along with the contrasting relationship between light and colour on screen, is used to subvert traditional visuals of nuptials. An audacious visual commentary, I Forgive You embodies the designer’s Judeo-Latin and Hasidic spirituality, while the unconventional craft techniques seen on screen make it clear that Nicole Zisman as an exciting London label to keep your eye on. I Forgive You premiered during the brand’s London Fashion Week DiscoveryLAB schedule. MS
Jo Malone’s Fir & Artemisia Eau de Cologne
Jo Malone London is bringing Christmas in early this year with its fantastically festive new Eau de Cologne, Fir & Artemisia. Beautifully blending the green woodiness of fir and the herbal aroma of artemisia with supple leather, the Fir & Artemisia fragrance will have you feeling as if you’re bathing in front of a fireplace while the wind wisps outside. A warm odour, which also includes notes of patchouli and oakmoss, it’s comforting and joyous, with textured depth. Spritz yourself on the wrists, neck and pulse points to diffuse this earthy bouquet this winter. Shop here. MS
Gucci’s Gorgeous Glow
Searching for that dewy, luminescent skin? Look no further than Gucci’s Glow Highlighter, a new, powder-gel make-up product that comes in a great range of five pearlescent hues from Frosted Lilac to Sunrise Gold for that perfect shine. Buildable, long-lasting and flexible, the radiance enhancer comes encased in a golden tube bedecked with a twinkling star pattern – its a gleaming product all around. Shop here. Emily Phillips
Top image: photography courtesy of Louis Vuitton.
