Fashion News Alert: Kering May Acquire Tom Ford, Nicola Formichetti’s New Gig, and Victoria Secret Acquires Adore Me

November 3, 2022 by Leave a Comment

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French luxury holding company Kering is in talks for the acquisition of US luxury brand, Tom Ford. As reported in the Wall Street Journal earlier this summer, the frontrunner in the acquisition of Tom Ford was cosmetic and fragrance giant, Estée Lauder. However, disappointing quarterly reports, published on September 30, showed that Estée Lauder had an 11% decline in sales, with a net profit decrease of $103 million dollars. This decline takes Estée Lauder out of its lead pony, so to speak, acquisition position.

That said, Kering is experiencing a financial boom of sorts. Across its brands Balenciaga, Gucci, and Saint Laurent, Kering is delighting in a higher-than-expected sales increase, supported partly by US tourists who are spending heavily in Paris and other European cities.

With a market value of almost 60 billion euros, the acquisition of Tom Ford would not make much of a dent in Kering’s heavily stuffed monkey bags. Estée Lauder was hoping to ink a deal with Tom Ford that could have been worth $3 billion or more, making Tom Ford the biggest acquisition by an American cosmetic giant.

Tom Ford founded his eponymous brand in 2005. The brand initially specialized in menswear, but now includes women’s ready-to-wear, accessories, and cosmetics. With Kering’s expertise in global high-end luxury and accessories, the Kering acquisition could be a match made in heaven for Tom Ford.

Image courtesy of fashonista.com

A new job for Formichetti, kinda

Surprise, surprise, surprise. Nicola Formichetti has a new gig, and you would’ve never guessed this one!!

The designer, stylist, and fashion personality will be the new creative director of youth brand, Claire’s. For those not familiar with Claire’s, Claire’s is an Illinois-based tween and teen girl retailer of accessories, toys, and jewelry.

Formichetti has several upcoming projects in the works. First, he will produce five videos that give fashion trend tips and insights, set to roll out by November 14. Next, Formichetti will collaborate with V magazine on Claire’s first-ever issue, featuring op eds by Jaden Smith, Maddie Ziegler, Dixie D’Amelio, and others. And lastly, Formichetti will open a Paris store with a futuristic feel, conceptualized by Formichetti.

Seems like Nicola has a lot on his plate. Good Luck!!

Image courtesy of nytimes.com

Victoria’s Secret and Adore Me, compatible bedfellows

Victoria’s Secret is bouncing back into prominence by repositioning itself as a brand that has just as much online traction as brick-and-mortar traction. Known mostly for its global stores and extravagant runway shows, Victoria’s Secret experienced a major downturn in the market in recent years, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday, it was announced that the lingerie giant would be purchasing digitally native intimates brand Adore Me. “Adore Me is a technology-led, digital-first innovator in the intimates category that will help us bring differentiated experiences to Victoria’s Secret and Pink customers,” said Martin Waters, CEO, Victoria’s Secret & Co., as reported in fashionnetwork.com.

“This acquisition will be a significant accelerant as we pivot toward growth and modernize the foundation of our company with an entrepreneurial mindset that puts technology at the forefront of everything we do. In partnering with the incredible team at Adore Me, we will move to the future much faster.” 

The acquisition will include an initial upfront $400 million cash payment and further cash consideration, a portion of which is fixed and a portion of which is based on the performance of Adore Me and achievement of specified growth and synergy targets over a two-year period. This Adore Me acquisition comes on the heels of Victoria’s Secret acquiring a minority stake in the US swimwear brand, Frankies Bikinis.

Adore Me was founded in New York City in 2011. This online-only intimates brand boosts 1.2 million active customers.

William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: The CFDA’s New Chairman, Desigual Commits to Reducing Carbon Emissions, and Elon Musk’s New Fragrance

October 14, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of hypebeast.com

It appears that the Council of Fashion Designer of America (CFDA) has a new chairman. Since Tom Ford stopped down from his post, the CFDA has been looking for a replacement. Tom Ford completed his three-year term on May 1, 2022, and rumors started spreading over the summer that Ford would be replaced by Thom Browne. CFDA Chief Executive Officer Steven Kolb has been serving as the interim chairman until Browne assumes his duties in the beginning of January 2023.

“I am very excited about taking on the chairmanship of the CFDA …,” said Browne. “I feel a huge responsibility in working with Steven and the CFDA team to carry on the positive and important work of Tom, Diane, and Stan. I also feel that it is important to give back to an industry that has supported me so well over the last 20 years. I am so proud to be an American designer … there is so much happening in American design today that the world needs to really see and recognize and truly appreciate.” 

Thom Brown launched his namesake brand in 2003, expanding his menswear brand to include accessories, womenswear, footwear, and fragrances. He has been a member of the CFDA since 2005. Browne has also won the prestigious CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year Award in 2006, 2023, and 2016.

“Thom understands the steps that are required to build an American fashion business that is both successful and highly respected by the global fashion community,” said Kolb. “Our members, at every level of the CFDA, and the organization as a whole will benefit immensely from his thoughts, ideas and experience, and I’m looking forward to our work together.”

Image courtesy of angelvancouver.com

Desigual goes into action

It’s one thing to talk about your commitment to sustainability, and its other thing to do something about it. Talk is cheap for Barcelona-based apparel brand Desigual, as the brand continues to actively seek to reduce carbon emissions.

Desigual has committed to reduce carbon emissions by 2026. To accomplish this goal, Desigual is partnering with the Science Based Targets initiative, supported by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), the United Nations Global Compact, the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), whose main purpose is to limit global warming levels in line with the Paris agreement.

“Reducing emissions is the perfect example of how all of Desigual’s department work together and is one of Desigual’s specific objectives as part of the climate commitment component of our sustainability and CSR plan,” explained Clara Delmuns, Desigual’s product manager, as reported in fashionnetwork.com. “We are aiming for a business model that minimizes the environmental impact of our business and this includes energy efficiency, waste management and the use of recyclable materials, among many other measures involving our suppliers and value chain. Ultimately, it is about involving the entire company and promoting sustainability wherever we are present,” she added.

Desigual hopes to reduce greenhouse emissions, generated by electricity, by increasing its purchase of energy from renewable sources. In 2021, 84% of the energy consumed at the company’s headquarters, logistics centers and stores in Spain, as well as in France, Italy, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal, was renewable energy. Over this period, Desigual recovered 97% of the waste generated in its buildings and stores in Spain, around 1,100 tons, while its total waste generated was 5.6% less than in 2020.

Image courtesy of economictimes.com

Elon Musk smells purty

We all know about Elon Musk and his company that produces electric cars and renewable energy. We also know his projected tours into space with his company SpaceX. But, did you know that Elon Musk has created a fragrance?

In just a few days of the launch of Musk’s fragrance, Burnt Hair, the fragrance has already made $1 million dollars. “Please buy my perfume, so I can buy Twitter,” he wrote on the platform Wednesday. Elon Mush also disclosed on Twitter that he has sold over 10,000 bottles of Burnt Hair.

Burnt Hair comes in a red bottle with the tagline, “The Essence of Repugnant Desire.” Each bottle sells of $100.

Elon Musk is the richest man in the world so Fashion Reverie doubts that he needs the money from sale of Burnt Hair to purchase Twitter for $44 billion dollars. Still, Burnt Hair is an ingenious marketing tool for the man (Elon Musk) who wants for nothing!!

William S. Gooch

 

Fashion News Alert: Jared Leto as Karl Lagerfeld, Lil Kim’s New Gig, and Kanye’s Rant

October 7, 2022 by Leave a Comment

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Kanye West continues to make news in out of the fashion industry. West, or Ye as he likes to be called, aggressively clapped back at Vogue’s global editor-at-large Gabriella Karefa-Johnson who criticized Ye for wearing a black, long-sleeve shirt emblazoned with the words “White Lives Matter” during his Paris Fashion Week Yeezy show. There were several folks in attendance who were either outraged or walked out of the show. British Vogue editor-in-chief Edward Enninful called the shirt “insensitive,” and Jaden Smith walked out.

Karefa-Johnson put on her Instagram stories that Ye’s “White Lives Matter” shirt was “indefensible behavior.” “I’m fuming … collecting my thoughts …,” she wrote via her Instagram Story along with a video of her reaction to the fashion show.

“I guess I get what he tried to do—he thought it was duchampian. It wasn’t,” she wrote in another Instagram Story. “It didn’t land, and it was deeply offensive, violent and dangerous.”

“There is no excuse, there is no art here,” she continued. “I do think if you asked Kanye, he’d say there was art, and revolution, and all of the things in that [tee] shirt. There isn’t.”

Ye clapped back. “This is not a fashion person,” mocking Karefa-Johnson’s shoes. And instead of supporting Ye, many fashion industry professionals have come out against Ye on social media.

As of October 6, Ye and Karefa-Johnson have attempted to make amends. “WE APOLOGIZED TO EACH OTHER FOR THE WAY WE MADE EACH OTHER FEEL WE ACTUALLY GOT ALONG AND HAVE BOTH EXPERIENCED THE FIGHT FOR ACCEPTANCE IN A WORLD THAT’S NOT OUR OWN,” he wrote on an Instagram post.

The rapper concluded the message by saying, “SHE DISAGREED I DISAGREED WE DISAGREED. AT LEAST WE BOTH LOVE FERDIE AND FASHION.”

Image courtesy of wtmx.com

Leto and Karl

Jared Leto will produce and star in an authorized biopic about Karl Lagerfeld. This biopic will be produced with Emma Ludbrook through their production company Paradox. 

“Karl has always been an inspiration to me. He was a true polymath, an artist, an innovator, a leader and, most importantly, a kind man,” Leto said in a statement on his social media platforms. “When we came together with the Karl Lagerfeld team, we immediately shared a creative vision of doing a respectful ode to Karl while pushing the artistic boundaries of what a biopic can be. I’m so grateful to Karo, Pier and Seb for allowing us to go on this journey together.”

According to WWD, when Leto first met Lagerfeld, Leto said to Lagerfeld, “You know, one day I have to play you in a movie.” Lagerfeld responded by saying, “Only you, darling, only you.” A recent press release says that the biopic will be about, “the key relationships in Lagerfeld’s life, told through an unpredictable lens.”

Sebastien Jondeau, Karl Lagerfeld’s longtime bodyguard, will be an executive producer on this authorized biopic. No director has been named.  Karl Lagerfeld died in 2019.

Image courtesy of hypebeast.com

Lil’ Kim’s New Gig

Though we haven’t heard much from Lil’ Kim as of late, it doesn’t mean that her career is stagnant. Lil’ Kim is the new face of Mackage, appearing in their fall 2022 campaign. The new campaign will highlight the Canadian luxury winter wear brand’s first-ever Monogram line.

“They knew and understood the history of my style and most iconic looks and built campaign looks around that,” Lil’ Kim explained in a dailyfrontrow.com article. The founder of Mackage, Eran Elfassy added, “As we were founded in the 1990’s, and rose in the early 2000’s, there was a synergy culturally and from a nostalgic perspective. Kim has always created iconic powerful looks and there is power in the way she represents herself. Mackage has always designed for powerful women, so it just felt like a natural fit.”

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Cher Walks for Balmain, Riccardo Tisci Is Out of Job, and LVMH Gives Staffers Their Own Stimulus Package

September 29, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of nydailynews.com

If you ever attended New York Fashion Week (NYFW) during the Bryant Park or Lincoln Center era, then you may have witnessed runway shows with a large crowd with lots of celebrities in the audience. Those days are no more during NYFW.

However, those huge mammoth shows still exist in Europe. And the recent Balmain show during Paris Fashion Week, there were over a thousand attendees. In fact, the Balmain show was more like an event with Cher as the star attraction.

The show featured about 100 looks in which warm colors predominated, marked by elongated silhouettes, draped cuts and body-contouring dresses, the materials ranging from knitwear to braided fabrics and elaborately embossed leather with 3D designs, as well as vertiginous platform shoes.

The show opened with Cher in an opening video clip.  And to the audience’s surprise Cher appeared on the runway at the end of show with Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing. 

Olivier Rousteing’s face was projected on giant screens throughout the venue. Rousteing said at that start of the show, “I want to create something that will last forever.”

Olivier Rousteing became the creative director of Balmain at the age of 25, and over the past decade it appears to some that Rousteing stamp on the iconic French luxury house is becoming more prominent than Pierre Balmain, who founded the fashion house in 1945.

Image courtesy of hypebeast.com

Ciao, Tisci

Riccardo Tisci seems to move around a lot. He was creative director for Givenchy for twelve years and later at Burberry up until recently. And now he is, well we don’t know.

Tisci will be replaced as Creative Director at Burberry by Daniel Lee. Tisci’s spring 2023 collection was his collection for the iconic brand. Daniel Lee was the former Creative Director for Bottega Veneta, of which he left brand abruptly last November.

“I am delighted that Daniel is joining Burberry as our new Chief Creative Officer. Daniel is an exceptional talent with a unique understanding of today’s luxury consumer and a strong record of commercial success, and his appointment reinforces the ambitions we have for Burberry,” Akeroyd said in a release. “I am excited about working closely with him and I am confident he will have the impact we are aiming for in this next phase, supported by our talented and experienced teams.”

Timing was not great for Tisci at Burberry. He had to deal with the Brexit crisis as well as the COVID-19 pandemic while at Burberry. That said, he did have some triumphs. Tisci re-imagined and updated the Burberry’s logo and eliminated the use of fur from the iconic British fashion house. And the Adam Driver-fronted campaign for Hero, Tisci’s first Burberry men’s fragrance, was a viral success.

Daniel Lee will present his first collection for Burberry in February 2023. And Tisci, well who knows. Fashion Reverie doesn’t believe he will be without a prestigious post for long!!

Image courtesy of reuters.com

LVMH doles out the bucks

President Joe Biden is not only top dog offering financial packages to the ordinary person. French fashion giant LVMH has jumped into the fray offering bonus packages to help staffers tackle rising inflation.

While Biden offered financial assistance due to COVID-19 pandemic, LVMH, following the lead of blue-chip French companies Air France and Stellantis, is giving out bonuses to 27,000 staffers to help battle rising costs. LVMH’s French staffers will receive from 1,000-1,500 euros ($973.50-$1,460).

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said this month that inflation in France was expected to ease back to 4.2% on average for 2023, from 5.3% this year.

—William S. Gooch
 

Fashion News Alert: Kanye West to Leave Gap, British Vogue’s First Male Cover and Goodbye Roxanne

September 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment

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Kanye West’s partnership with Gap is ending. This partnership with Gap was a very lucrative partnership for West. However, West is seeking to sever this relationship because certain contractual obligations had not been met.

West contends that Gap refused to market and sell certain Yeezy clothes and open stores that only sold Yeezy products. West plans to open his own Yeezy stores soon.

“[West] had diligently tried to work through these issues with Gap both directly and through counsel (but) he has gotten nowhere,” Nicholas Gravante, Jr., Kanye West’s attorney told CBS MoneyWatch. “Gap left him no choice but to terminate their agreement.”

In 2020, Kanye West and Gap, Inc. signed a 10-year deal to Yeezy-branded merchandise designed by West in Gap in Gap stores. West received royalties from the sale of Yeezy merchandise and the Yeezy merchandise proved to be an immediate hit in Gap, Inc. stores.

Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData Retail contends that West’s Yeezy merchandise “was just too extreme for Gap,” adding that West was “a radical innovator who loves to shake things up.” Saunders comments that West’s departure will be “a blow to the brand.”

West’s departure from Gap, Inc. will probably end up in court, and according to Saunders “will simply be a further distraction for Gap at a time when it needs to revitalize its core business.” According to cbsnews.com, Gap reported a $49 million net loss during its second quarter earnings call last month.

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A first for Timothée Chalamet

Everyone loves Timothée Chalamet. And we especially love his red-carpet looks. Chalamet fashion savvy will be front and center in British Vogue’s October 2022 issue, making Chalamet the first-ever male film star cover.

“I always held off from a man-only print magazine cover,” editor-in-chief Edward Enninful said in his editor’s letter. “Forever conscious of Vogue being a space that celebrates women first, I [did not] want it to be a stunt or a statement. Are men in dire need of more places to dazzle on their own, I pondered. The answer, of course, is no. Yet, in turn, it increasingly felt to me that there was something at best old-fashioned, at worst dangerously retro, about these tired old gender boxes. Fashion [does not] always work that way—is every last piece in your wardrobe strictly designed for the gender with which you identify? I doubt it. Sex and fashion these days is no longer about va-va-voom dressing. [It’s] about expression and personal ease. It’s about politics and playfulness. It’s about dressing to make yourself feel good. So, a man on the print cover? Perhaps, I was waiting for the right man. Certainly, I was waiting for us all to evolve a little further, for the moment to feel right, to have it feel like less of a “thing”. I wanted it to feel effortless. And then, one day, it … did.” 

In the October issue the 26-year-old Chalamet talks about fate, fashion and being an old soul. His new film “Bones & All” opens this fall. Chalemet stars as a cannibal drifter.

Image courtesy of hellas.com

Goodbye, Roxanne

With great sadness, Fashion mourns the death of iconic fashion photographer Roxanne Lowit. Lowit was an American fashion and celebrity photographer.

“We are very sad to say we lost a remarkable woman today,” began an announcement of her passing on Instagram. “Roxanne Lowit was a legendary photographer who provided an intimate look into the world of fashion and showed us a side of nightlife that most people didn’t get to see.”

After graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), Lowit had a successful career as a textile designer, working with Donna Karan and hanging out Jean-Michel Basquiat and Andy Warhol. In the late 1970s began taking backstage images of the goings-on at New York and Paris fashion weeks.

Lowit was one of the first photographer to photograph Yves Saint Laurent’s backstage and have the images published. Because of this Lowit formed a lasting relationship with Yves Saint Laurent. “I think the most memorable for me was when I was his photographer for 25 Years [of Design] at the Met,” she told W at the time. “It was the first time anybody did something for a living designer, and I was his personal, private photographer for the whole thing. My feet didn’t touch the ground the whole two weeks. We just had this wonderful rapport together, we liked being in each other’s company and we liked each other. From day one it was like that.”

Lowit popularized backstage images from global fashion weeks. And her images of supermodels for the golden age of fashion will never be forgotten.

Roxanne Lowit was 80 years old.

—William S. Gooch

 

 

 

Fashion News Alert: Tommy Hilfiger’s New Monogram, Kate Moss Launches Wellness Brand, and Another Collaboration for Pat McGrath

August 25, 2022 by Leave a Comment

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As we move into this new fashion season, it is interesting as many brands attempt to reposition themselves and expand their consumer base. And as a precursor to the upcoming New York Fashion Week (NYFW) spring season, Tommy Hilfiger has announced a monogram.

The monogram will debut during Hilfiger’s presentation at NYFW on September 11. The new monogram was created with British illustrator and graphic designer Fergus Purcell and will appear for the first time on Tommy Hilfiger’s fall 2022 collection.

“Since 1985, the ‘TH’ monogram has stood for authentic prep style, playfully reinvented for all,” Hilfiger said in a release, as reported in fashionnetwork.com. “Fergus Purcell has been a truly inspiring collaborator. His elevated approach and connection to street culture is unique. It has been a joy to reinvent our monogram with him—for 2022 and beyond.”

Tommy Hilfiger is returning to NYFW after a three-year absence. His presentation at NYFW will be “experiential” runway event built around its latest see-now-buy-now collection for fall 2022.

Image courtesy of hypebae.com

Second time around for Pat McGrath

For makeup icon Pat McGrath, McGrath is betting on that the second time around will be the charm. And that second time around refers to McGrath’s second collaboration with mega streetwear brand, Supreme.

Pat McGrath is teaming up again with Supreme for co-branded nail polish kit. This is Pat McGrath’s foray into nail polish.

The nail polish kit, Supreme/Pat McGrath Labs Nail Polish, contains three “long-lasting, high-shine” colors, including red, black, and white, as well as custom logo nail decals. The kit will be sold exclusively at Supreme.

The Supreme/Pat McGrath Labs Nail Polish is created for both men and women. The set is also backed by inspiration on how to use them from nail artists Jin Soon and Nails by Mei, who regularly work on set with McGrath.

Pricing and launch date have yet to be announced.

Image courtesy of flipboard.com

More for Kate Moss

September 1 will be a very special day for Supermodel/entrepreneur Kate Moss. September 1 is the launch date new beauty and wellness brand called Cosmoss.

Cosmoss is a curated wellness space with beauty and wellness products that balance and rejuvenate and draw on the “extraordinary life experiences of Kate Moss.” Announced on the brand’s Instagram page, the products have been “meticulously crafted with well-being in mind, using potent, natural substances. Each ritual opens a door to balance, restoration, and love.”

—William S. Gooch

Breaking Fashion News: Sayonara Issey Miyake

August 10, 2022 by 1 Comment

Image courtesy of skynews.com

Iconic Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake has died.  Often thought of as the Asia designer who opened the proverbial fashion door for Asian designers, Miyake was known for his origami-like designers that featured pleated skirts, dresses and pants that facilitated more freedom of movement.

Issey Miyake was one of the first designers who thought of clothes as pieces of design art and from that conception he collaborated with many architects and photographers. Miyake was one of the first designers to appear on the cover of Art Forum, unheard in 1982 and do have in fashion designs in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art. He was also the first Japanese designer to present a collection during Paris Fashion Week. And this showing in Paris opened the doors for other Japanese fashion designers, namely Yohji Yamamoto, Junka Watanabe, and Rei Kawakubo.

Image courtesy of bbc.com

Miyake is best known for his micro pleating which he began experimenting with around 1988. His micro pleating design aesthetic enjoyed a huge popularity among younger consumers and new consumers to this new direction in fashion.

His Pleats Please line, launched in 1993 contained garments that had no zippers, buttons, or snaps. There were no delineated waistlines or armholes and could be easily slipped into, requiring very few underpinnings. The garments ranged in color from blue, green and crimson—or fabrics printed with flowers or tattoos. Issey Miyake also used a proprietary heating system that facilitated his garments never losing their shape and never wrinkled.

Issey Miyake’s Bao Bao bag was also a very popular item. The Bao Bao bag is made from mesh fabric layered with small colorful triangles of polyvinyl, has long been an accessory of choice for creative industries. 

Image courtesy of torontostar.com

Issey Miyake was born in 1938 and walked with a noticeable limp, the result of being of radiation poisoning—that caused bone marrow disease—of the Hiroshima bombing in his hometown. He graduated with a degree in design from Tama Art University in Tokyo in 1963. While living in Paris he worked as an assistant to Guy La Roche and Hubert de Givenchy.

After working in New York, Miyake founded the Miyake Design Studio in Tokyo in 1970. Miyake did not see himself as a fashion designer because as he stated, “Anything that’s ‘in fashion’ goes out of style too quickly … I don’t make fashion. I make clothes.” 

Image courtesy of newyorktimes.com

“I am most interested in people and the human form,” Mr. Miyake told The Times in 2014. “Clothing is the closest thing to all humans.”

Issey Miyake died on August 9 of liver cancer.

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: NYFW Spring 2023 Calendar, Supermodel Christy Turlington Burns’ New Gig, and Benetton’s New Creative Director

July 29, 2022 by Leave a Comment

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One thing about being a supermodel is that if you keep yourself in shape and your looks don’t fade, you can continue to work. Christy Turlington Burns has done just that.

Athleta’s new fall campaign focuses on togetherness and motherhood as the central themes to their fall 2022 campaign. Christy Turlington Burns is front and center in this campaign which stars the supermodels’ mom, sister, niece, and sister-in-law.

This fall 2022 campaign was photographed on the beach by Cass Bird. Christy Turlington Burns is the founder of Every Mother Counts, will also take part in an exclusive Q+A with Athleta’s platform AthletaWell which will go live on August 1.

Image courtesy of fashionista.com

NYFW spring 2023 calendar

The CFDA recently revealed the New York Fashion Week (NYFW) spring 2023 calendar. The six-day fashion event will begin on September 9, ending on September 14, 2022. Tom Ford will close NYFW and Proenza Schouler will open the fashion event.

This season’s calendar includes fashion brands that we are all familiar with—Carolina Herrera, Christian Siriano, Jason Wu, Coach, Michael Kors, Altuzarra, and Prabal Gurung—with the return of Puma, Tommy Hilfiger, and Area. The spring 2023 calendar will include the debuts of AnOnlyChild, Ashlyn, Heron Preston, Foo and Foo, Midnight Studios, One/Of by Patricia Voto, and Tia Adeola, as well as international brands Fendi, Marni and Cos. 

“This year marks the 60th anniversary of the CFDA, and as the organizer of the official NYFW schedule, we are incredibly proud to release a lineup that reflects our founding principle: to promote American fashion on a global scale,” said CFDA CEO Steven Kolb. “We celebrate the collective excellence, diversity and resilience of our industry and look forward to a strong American collections season alongside our esteemed international guests,” as reported in fashionnetwork.com.

For this NYFW spring 2023 season, New York State Department of Health protocols are still in place. Some runway shows and presentations will continue to be presented digitally via Runway360, CFDA’s centralized digital hub and business tool to support American fashion brands’ collection releases year-round. 

Image courtesy of laprensa.com

Benetton’s new direction

Benetton has a new creative director. Andrea Incontri has been named the new creative director of Benetton’s women’s, men’s, and children’s collections.

“We take great pride in the fact that Andrea Incontri is joining the large Benetton ‘family’ because in him we have recognized the will, enthusiasm and research that will enable exceeding the goals that characterized the birth and history of our brand. Benetton is an industrial and creative enterprise that has contributed to increasing sensitivity towards fashion and raising awareness about many of the social issues facing Italy over the last 50 years. Incontri’s arrival will bring new energy to a success story, one of a company and brand that wish to make a generational change and guide Italian industry in these years in which a redefinition of the social role of fashion and clothing appears urgent,” comments Massimo Renon, chief executive officer of Benetton Group, as reported in prnewswire.com.

This month a new fall 2022 advertising campaign under Incontri’s leadership will launch on all of Benetton’s channels. Incontri’s first collection for Benetton will be presented during Milan Fashion Week for the spring/summer 2023 season.

“I am very honored to join Benetton,” says Incontri. “It is a company, a brand, a creative and product philosophy whose story has great meaning both to my personal and professional training and to the history of Italy as a whole, and not just in the fields of industry and fashion. I take great pride in accepting this appointment because it allows me to participate in a project of values that involves not only clothing, but a wide range of cultural issues concerning the variable aspects of modern humanism.”

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Halston’s New Creative Director, Yohji Yamamoto Launches Collaborative Brand, and Victoria Secret’s New Fragrance

July 21, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of fashionnetwork.com

Fashion collaborations are always a great way to expand a brand’s audience and reach. And in this age of acquisitions with fashion brands attempting to acquire as much fashion real estate, so to speak, as possible, fashion collaborations have become as common as spring/summer, fall/winter collections.

That said, Yohji Yamamoto has taken the concept of fashion collaborations even further. Yohji Yamamoto with fellow Japanese brands Needles, Noma td, Hysteric Glamour, Ambush, and Minedenim is launching a unisex collaborative brand, Wildside, which will only be available online.

Wildside will be available in Yohji Yamamoto’s signature color black and will include a wide range of disciplines including art, interior design, and lifestyle. The early collaborations will be more fashion focused.

As reported in fashionnetwork.com, “military, work, and sports” are the keywords for the brand with “elements extracted from the essence of Yohji Yamamoto reconstructed with a casual taste.” Wildside will also feature link ups with “galleries and artists who have a close affinity with Yohji Yamamoto Inc.”

Wildside will open its flagship store in Japan this coming fall.

  GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Ken Downing’s new gig

Effective August 1, Ken Downing will be the new creative director of luxury fashion at Halston. In his new role Downing will oversee the creative direction of Halston, as well as serving as the face and voice of the iconic brand. Downing will also host the brand’s livestream sessions.

Downing has previously served as the senior vice president and fashion director for Neiman Marcus and as the chief creative officer of international retail developer Triple Five Group Worldwide. At Triple Five Group, Downing helped launch American Dream, a revolutionary 3.3 million square foot shopping, dining and entertainment complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The Halston brand was launched in the 1960s by Roy Halston Frowick, rising to prominence in the 1970s with signature materials such as jersey, cashmere, and suede (Ultra Suede) to reinvent the jumpsuit, the shirtdress, and the classic caftan. Roy Halston Frowick died in 1990.

Image courtesy of fragrantica.com

Victoria’s Secret’s new fine fragrance

It has been five years since Victoria’s Secret launched a fine fragrance. Well, the time is here for a new fine fragrance and that new fine fragrance launched on Tuesday.

Victoria’s Secret’s Bare Eau de Parfum adapts to every person’s body chemistry to create a scent that is unique to all who wear it. Bare Eau de Parfum uses Cryptosym technology, which can encrypt scent formulations and protects it from future replication. 

“Bare Eau de Parfum is our most intimate fragrance yet. It’s about a quiet confidence that comes from knowing your authentic self, and celebrates individuality in its most natural form,” said Kristen Lagoa, vice president of merchandising, beauty and accessories at Victoria’s Secret, as reported in fashionnetwork.com.

“When creating this fragrance, we wanted to craft something completely different—something that unveils the signature scent everyone is looking for,” added master perfumers at Symrise, Nathalie Benareau and Carlos Vinals. “Comforting yet captivating, soft yet sensual. The idea was to accentuate the natural beauty of the wearer without covering up their unique scent and individuality.”

Bare Eau de Parfum launched with a women-led campaign featuring incredible women ranging from social advocates, herbalists, artists, and creatives. The Bare Eau de Parfum campaign was photographed by photographer Zoe Ghertner and styled by Camilla Nickerson. 

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Tom Ford Brand Looking for Buyers, Kate Moss’ New Gig, and Kate Hudson Collaborates with Juicy Beauty

July 8, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of desgnscene.net

According to a recent Bloomberg report, Tom Ford is considering a sale of his eponymous fashion brand. The brand is in talks with Goldman Sachs for the sale of the famous brand that could value the brand at several billion dollars and would give the new owners to option to work with Tom Ford.

 As reported in fashionnetwork.com, no decision has been made at this point and Tom Ford nor Goldman Sachs have commented on the Bloomberg report. Still, many fashion insiders believe that Tom Ford could choose to remain an independent brand.

Ford launched his eponymous brand in 2005 after servings as creative director of Gucci. The Tom Ford brand expanded to include beauty and eyewear, made in licensed partnership with Estee Lauder Companies and Marcolin, respectively.

The past three years, Tom Ford recently served as the chairman of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).  Ford stepped down from that position in May of this year.

Image courtesy of happi.com

Kate Hudson expands her reach

Actress Kate Hudson is no stranger to fashion. She has made significant inroads with her popular athleisure brand Fabletics.

Now Hudson has branched off into the beauty industry with her collaboration beauty brand, Juice Beauty. Juice Beauty is concentrating on the beauty boom in India, choosing to launch its latest collaboration with Kate Hudson on July 5. Juice Beauty first launched in India in 2021.

“Kate embodies the Juice Beauty mission of fitness, wellness and environmentalism and I have revered her spirit, talent and business acumen since we first met,” said Juice Beauty founder Karen Behnke, in a press release. “We got together just before the pandemic and decided it was finally time to kick off a partnership. Coming out of [COVID], we wanted to introduce a very personal, customizable ritual with an emphasis on self-care. Kate is wonderfully ingenious, and she was involved in every step of designing the mask, from the ingredient choices to the sensorial texture to the design of the packaging. She even designed the heart to coordinate with our logo drop!”

“We are overjoyed to launch Juice Beauty’s newest addition to its truly sustainable and [high-performance] product portfolio, the Revitalizing Acacia + Rose Powder Mask,” said House of Beauty’s vice-president Sanjali Giri in a press release. “It a product developed in cooperation with Kate Hudson, a huge supporter of clean and green beauty. We are delighted to finally bring this product to the conscious and responsible beauty consumers in India soon after its remarkable global launch.”

 “I feel a genuine connection to Juice Beauty and Karen,” said Hudson, as reported in fashionnetwork.com. “In fact, she was the one who opened my eyes to clean and green beauty over 15 years ago before it was a thing … It’s exciting to finally be able to create this product together—and it’s not just another mask. It’s exceptional and you can really see the results instantly!”

Image courtesy of thegrocer.com

Skinny Moss takes command

Supermodel Kate Moss once said, “Nothing tastes has good as skinny feels.” Well, Moss is bringing that quote into fruition by becoming the latest creative director of Diet Coke.

Moss will work across multiple platforms for the Coco Cola brand including a collection, advertising campaign films and events around the brand’s 40th anniversary. Moss stated that she was “thrilled to join the Diet Coke family”, adding: “I love the past collaborations they’ve done with such incredible names in fashion.”

Michael Willeke, the integrated experience director for Europe at the Coca-Cola company, said the company was “[honored] to appoint Kate Moss as our new creative director, continuing Diet Coke’s rich history of collaborating with some of the biggest names in fashion and culture.” And those fashion names include Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld, and Jean-Paul Gaultier. Diet Coke has also been a sponsor of London Fashion Week.

—William S. Gooch

 

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