Fashion News Alert: Lacoste Cuts Ties with Moha La Squale and Romeo Elvis, Ralph Lauren Cuts Staff, and Sean Combs Collaborates with Missguided

September 23, 2020 by 1 Comment

Image courtesy of bookska-p.com

Lacoste has ended its relationship with rappers Moha La Squale and Romeo Elvis after several young women has accused the rappers of sexual assault on social media. Lacoste started collaborated with French rapper Moha La Squale in 2018 and Belgian rapper Romeo Elvis in 2019.

“[Lacoste] would like to make clear that, when we associate our corporate image to a brand ambassador, the idea behind the operation is to open up new horizons for both parties. This is not what is currently happening in France with some of these [ambassadors], and we deeply regret this,” stated Lacoste in a press release sent to AFP, confirming information reported by French news channel BFM TV.

Moha La Squale has been under investigation since early September for “sexual assault,” “wilful abuse” and “death threats,” following accusations by three women, who all filed complaints. A fourth accusation was filed on September 11. And Romeo Elvis apologized on social media in September for having“used [his] hands in an improper manner on someone,” saying he thought he was responding “to an invitation that was no such thing.” He said that “something that is too often seen as a banal act is a mistake that should not be made,” adding “I’m not proud of this situation, and I hope to serve as an example that must not be followed,” as reported on fashionnetwork.com.

Image courtesy of Missguided

P Diddy collaborates

Sean Combs, aka as P. Diddy, will collaborate with fast-fashion e-commerce company Missguided. This collaboration with Combs’ fashion brand, Sean John, will result in a streetwear women’s collection.

The collaborative collection will come out later this month. It has been revealed that the collection will be a 117-piece collection inspired by Sean Combs’ music history. Sizes will range from XS to Plus, retailing from £12-£80.

“Real disruption that resonates with customers, isn’t just about getting ranges and collaborations right, it’s about being prepared to break new ground,” said Missguided Founder and CEO, Nitin Passi, as detailed in a fashionnetwork.com article. “And with Sean John x Missguided, that’s precisely what we’ve done—the first Sean John collaboration for women, built around how we know the Missguided customers want to look. And we’ll be unveiling additional Sean John x Missguided ranges as our partnership builds.”

Combs commented, ‘it’s an exciting partnership” for his label and that “we feel like the time is right to bring a strong, style-driven collection to market for women. We couldn’t think of a better partner than Missguided, because they get it. Over the years, women have supported the brand, worn our iconic velour tracksuits and have been asking for a collection, so here it is.”

The collaboration will be available online on September 29.

Image courtesy of Ralph Lauren

Cuts at Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren Corp. announced on Tuesday that it would cutting 15% of the company’s global workforce by the end of 2020. Ralph Lauren Corp. currently employs 24,900 employees, and these cuts could affect 3, 700 workers.

“The changes happening in the world around us have accelerated the shifts we saw pre-COVID, and we are fast-tracking some of our plans to match them,” Chief Executive Officer Patrice Louvet said. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused consumers to decrease their buying of luxury handbags, and other accessories.

“After stores reopened, the second phase of recovery for retailers is looking at their balance sheets and how to improve profitability, and for high-end clothing companies, that often means closing stores or letting people go,” said Jessica Ramirez, retail analyst at Jane Hali & Associates, as reported in fashionnetwork.com.

That said; online consumption of luxury goods has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This surge has caused Ralph Lauren Corp. to invest more money and resources into digital platforms.

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Supermodel Emily Ratajkowski Reveals Sexual Assault, Raf Simons to Debut Signature Collection, and Kohl’s Layoffs

September 17, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of vanityfair.com

In a recent, self-penned article for New York Magazine, Supermodel Emily Ratajkowski talks about being sexually assaulted by a noted fashion photographer before she became an established fashion model. The assault happened when Ratajkowski was booked for an unpaid editorial with a photographer in the Catskills.

Jonathan Leder, the photographer in question, the makeup artist, and a 20-year old Ratajkowski has been drinking some red wine, so some details of the assault are not quite clear. But Ratajkowski did detail what she did recall in the article in New York Magazine.

“Most of what came next was a blur except for the feeling. I don’t remember kissing, but I do remember his fingers suddenly being inside of me. Harder and harder and pushing and pushing like no one had touched me before or has touched me since. I could feel the shape of myself and my ridges, and it really, really hurt. I brought my hand instinctively to his wrist and pulled his fingers out of me with force. I didn’t say a word. He stood up abruptly and scurried silently into the darkness up the stairs,” detailed Ratajkowski in a fashionweekdaily.com article.

Ratajkowski did not report the incident at the time; however, revealing images from the photo editorial did pop up in a book of Leder’s photography, and on Leder’s Instagram account. When Leder was sent a cease and desist letter, he produced a signed consent form which Ratajkowski contends she never signed.

Leder released two more books of photography that included Ratajkowski’s revealing images. “Years passed, and Jonathan released a second book of my images, then a third. He had another show at the same gallery. I looked him up online occasionally; I almost felt like I was checking in on a part of me, the part of me he now owned. For years, while I built a career, he’d kept that Emily in the drawers of his creaky old house, waiting to whore her out. It was intoxicating to see what he’d done with this part of me he’d stolen.”

When contacted by The Cut of New York Magazine Leder stated, “You do know who we are talking about right? This is the girl that was naked in Treats! magazine and bounced around naked in the Robin Thicke video at that time. You really want someone to believe she was a victim?”

Image courtesy of timemagazine.com

Raf Simons debut women’s collection

Raf Simons has announced that he will debut his women’s collection on October 23 in Antwerp, Belgium. This showing will happen 25 years after Simons started his brand. The debut will take place a month after Simons will show his debut collaboration with Miuccia Prada on September 24 on Milan Fashion Week.

Simons launched his fashion house in 1995 and has been the creative director of the fashion houses of Jil Sander, Christian Dior, and Calvin Klein. Both Simons’ men’s and women’s collection will be available for sale online on October 26.

Image courtesy of shutterstock.com

Trouble for Kohl’s

On Tuesday, Kohl’s announced plans to cut 15% of its workforce due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kohl’s will layoff employees at its Menomonee Falls headquarters, as well as at its corporate offices in New York and California. Kohl’s hopes to save $65 million dollars with these cuts. In 2019, Kohl’s employed 122,000 associates.

“Through prudent management, disciplined investment in key areas, and smart long-term strategic planning, we are well positioned to capitalize on evolving customer behaviors and the retail industry disruption. The organizational changes we’ve made and keen focus on our strategic business priorities will continue to support our long-term success,” explained SVP of communications Jen Johnson. 

William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Trouble for Paris Fashion Week, Edward Enninful’s TIME Cover, and Phillip Plein Cuts Back

September 10, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of TIME

In this year of change history continues to be made, particularly in the fashion industry. First, there was the appointment of CaSandra Diggs as the first black president of the CFDA. And now British Vogue’s editor-in-chief Edward Enninful has acquired a cover on TIME magazine. This makes Enninful the first black fashion magazine editor on the cover of TIME. To that effect, TIME named Enninful “the most influential black man on the fashion landscape.”

Edward Enninful is the first person of color to helm British Vogue. And since taking over the reins of British Vogue Enninful has had 12 women of color on the cover of the esteemed fashion magazine.

“I wanted to reflect what I saw here growing up [in London], to show the world as this incredibly rich, cultured place. I wanted every woman to be able to find themselves in the magazine,” he said in an article in fashionweekdaily.com.

“I was always othered … you know, gay, working-class, black. So, for me it was very important with Vogue to normalize the marginalized, because if you don’t see it, you don’t think it’s normal.”

Image courtesy of zimbio.com

A distressed Philipp Plein

COVID-19 strikes again!! Philipp Plein has been forced to downsize his eponymous fashion brand due to diminishing revenue attributed to the COVID19 pandemic lockdown.

Founded in 1999, Philipp Plein was one of the most popular new European luxury brands. A go-to brand for hip-hop artists and millennial luxury consumers, Plein’s fashion shows had become one of the most coveted fashion shows in Europe and the US.

With the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown hitting luxury brands hard, Plein has had to layoff 200 employees and close his luxury headquarters in Milan. Plein will maintain his two stores in Milan while keeping his home base is Lugano, Switzerland.

Plein launched his first fragrance in early 2020 but shut down his sportswear line in 2019. Like many designers, Plein will introduce his spring 2021 collection via livestreamed video.

Balmain spring 2020 image courtesy of Peter White/Getty Images

Some designers/brands opt out of Paris Fashion Week

Paris Fashion Week will occur this season on schedule. Still, there is some controversy and trouble brewing for one of the most esteemed fashion weeks on the global fashion calendar.

Paris Fashion Week’s spring 2021 season is scheduled for September 28 through October 6. However, due to rising COVID-19 infections in France and in Europe overall, many fashion designers/brands are opting out of showing at Paris Fashion Week. Additionally, many fashion industry professionals are also not attending with many fashion events cancelling as well.

Plaza Athénée and Le Meurice, both Parisian luxury hotels, are down in hotel bookings from their usual 1,250 bookings to about 250 bookings. Italian distributors, which usually attend Paris Week, are also opting out.

“Our office on the Champs Elysées remains closed. We will stay in Milan to avoid unnecessary risks, and also a likely quarantine, a prospect that has been floated insistently in the last few days,” said the owner of the Studio Zeta showroom, Mauro Callegari, speaking to MF Fashion, as reported in fashionnetwork.com.

“We won’t travel to Paris because, apart from a few European buyers, no one will go there. And Paris is prohibitively expensive,” said Riccardo Grassi, of the eponymous showroom. “We had everything set up to showcase 15 collections at our Paris offices, but our clients themselves are now telling us they won’t go to Paris, to avoid taking risks,” Daniele Ghiselli also explained in MF Fashion. 

For those Parisian showrooms that will remain opened during Paris Fashion Week, most will operate on a very limited schedule, allowing online appointments, and limiting their in-person appointments.

William S. Gooch

 

Fashion News Alert: Michael Kors Gets Political, Sephora Launches Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty, and COVID-19 Makes Local Fashion the Order of the Day

September 2, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Images courtesy of dailyfrontrow.com

The upcoming 2020 presidential election is one of the most important elections in the history of the US. This election is so important that Michael Kors is putting in his more than two cents.

To encourage voter registration and voting in the US, Kors has released a tee shirt and sweater as part of the  Your Voice Matters campaign. One hundred percent of the proceeds of the sales of the tee shirt and sweater will go to the NAACP Legal and Defense Fund.

“Our greatest right and privilege as Americans [are] the right to have our voices heard,” Kors said in a statement. “Voting is the ultimate way to make sure that your voice is not lost. These  [tee] shirts and sweaters are a reminder for all Americans to vote and not let their voices be extinguished. It’s also an opportunity to raise money for legal and social justice.”

Kors has partnered with LA-based black-owned business FKSP, operated by African American fashion designer Folake Kuye Huntoon. The tee shirt features the phrase “Your Voice Matters” on the front and “Vote” on the back. The Michael Kors Collection cashmere intarsia sweater, states, VOTE on the front. The tee shirt is $40 and the sweater is $850.

Images of Valentino’s fall 2020 collection courtesy of latestmagazine.com

Global fashion brands may stay home

Because of COVID-19 international fashion brands are deciding to show collections closer to home. Before the COVID-19 pandemic it was standard practice for fashion designers to show at major fashion weeks in New York, Milan, Paris, and London. That’s all changing.

With New York Fashion Week (NYFW) being mostly a virtual experience for the spring 2021 season and recent outbreaks of COVID-19 in some European countries, international fashion designers are starting to cancel fashion shows in fashion capitals, staying closer to home.

Valentino, who always shows in Paris, is opting to only show in Milan for the spring 2012 season.  “We feel that it is more ethical to present the new show in Milan. We strongly believe that this project will help emphasize the importance of being part of a fashion system represented by both the National Chamber of Italian Fashion and the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, said the brand in a recent fashionunited.com article.

Victoria Beckham always shows in NYC—the city she launched her eponymous brand 10 years ago. This season, however, there is a change. Beckham will present her spring 2021 location in London where she resides.

Because of Japanese travel embargoes on European travel, requiring travelers to undergo a 14-day quarantine after European travel, many Japanese brands—Comme des Garcons and Yohji Yamamoto—will not show in European fashion capitals this season. Travelers will also be monitored by government mobile app for the length of the quarantine.

Because of COVID-19 readjustments, the French fashion federation (FHCM) ahs not released its lineup for Paris Fashion Week.

image courtesy of seventeenmagazine

Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty

Selena Gomez is not letting any grass grow under feet. Despite the COVID-19 slowdown, Gomez is going ahead with launching her beauty brand, Rare Beauty, in Sephora on Thursday, September 3.

“I’m so excited to release beauty products that not only feel great, but also celebrate what makes each of us rare,” said Gomez in a press release. “These products aren’t about being someone else, it’s about being who you are, whether that’s rocking a full face of bold makeup or barely any makeup at all.”

The brand’s debut offering includes 150 SKUs spread over 14 categories, including a calligraphy-inspired Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner, a Blot & Glow Touch-Up Kit, a Brow Harmony Pencil & Gel, and a range of foundations, primers and concealers. And giving a nod to inclusiveness and diversity, the brand’s foundation will come in 48 shades.

Rare Beauty will be sold in Sephora exclusively in the US, Canada, and Mexico.

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Andrew Cuomo Comments of NYFW, Jennifer Lopez’s New Beauty Brand, and Under Armour Delays Sneaker Launch

August 27, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of Instagram

Jennifer Lopez’s empire continues to expand. J Lo recently hinted on her social media that her own beauty line is in the works and will soon be unveiled.

J Lo is no stranger to the world of beauty, having had several fragrances in the past—her fragrance ‘Glow” launched in 2002. J Lo is now primed to take on the beauty market. In 2018 Lopez collaborated Inglot Cosmetics for a 70-piece makeup collection.

On her Instagram account, Lopez announced, “Sunset glow…#JLoBeauty coming soon.” No other details about the beauty line is known at this time.

Image courtesy of therealdeal.com

Cuomo gives nod to NYFW

Unless you are living under rock, you must be aware that the COVID-19 pandemic is changing life as we know it, even the fashion industry. The upcoming New York Fashion Week (NYFW) spring 2021 season will be a digital fashion week. And though many fashion pundits expressed the need to cancel the upcoming NYFW, IMG and the CFDA has decided to go on with the event.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo recently commented on the upcoming NYFW in The Cut. “New York City is the fashion capital of the world and New York Fashion Week celebrates the ingenuity of this city, and our unmatched creative talent. The pandemic is far from over, but we’re proud to support event organizer IMG in moving forward with NYFW, in adherence with strict state public health guidance.”

That said, though NYFW will be a digital fashion week, there will be a few outdoor fashion presentations. However, these outdoor presentations must follow COVID-19 guidelines. There can be no more than 50 people gathered at these presentations at any one time, face coverings are mandatory, social distancing is non-negotiable, and tests and health screenings, such as temperature checks, will also be required for attendees, models, and staff. 

Image courtesy of footwearnews.com

Police shooting delays Under Armour sneaker launch

Under Armour has delayed the launch of its new sneaker collaboration with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The cause of the delay is the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a black resident of Kenosha, Wisconsin. 

“Out of respect for Jacob Blake & his family we’ll postpone our @projectrock @underarmour PR3 launch today,” Johnson tweeted. “Unbelievable we’re here again. Shot 7xs. In the back. In front of his kids. There’s no progress without humanity.”

Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by Kenosha, Wisconsin police while his three children watched from inside Blake’s car. He is now paralyzed from the waist down.

Blake’s shooting has caused widespread protests in Kenosha and around the US. In protest of Blake’s shooting, the National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer refused to play their respective sports on Wednesday. “We support all of those in sport who are currently demanding societal change across the United States and the globe,” Under Armour said in a statement, as reported on fashionnetwork.com.

Johnson has been collaborating with Under Armour since 2016.

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Jay Manuel’s New Book, Michele Morrone’s New Gig, and the High Cost of Air Jordans

August 19, 2020 by 1 Comment

Image courtesy of theattic.com

Though Anna Wintour may not have pleased with Andre Leon Talley’s recent tome “The Chiffon Trenches,” wagging fashion tongues contend that Supermodel/entrepreneur Tyra Banks is even more perturbed by Jay Manuel’s novel “The Wig, the Bitch & The Meltdown.” The novel details the behind-the-scenes and goings on of a reality model competition, Model Muse.

According to pagesix.com, “Tyra is not happy about the book,” explained a pagesix.com insider. “There was some kind of meeting with Tyra [and] some sort of message was sent out regarding the book coming out. A couple of months ago, she asked a lot of the “America’s Next Top Model” family to not interact with Jay and to not support the book.”

We’re told “ANTM” coach Miss J had been appearing on Manuel’s Instagram Live show “Jay’s Chat,” but “all of a sudden, Jay received a call that Miss J can’t [do the chats]. He pulled out without an explanation and hasn’t returned calls. They have a close relationship and now all of a sudden he disappeared.”

Tyra’s discontent or not, “The Wig, the Bitch & The Meltdown” sales are pretty good. The original publication date of “The Wig, the Bitch & The Meltdown” was August 3.

Image courtesy of cnn.com

Out of my price range

If you love expensive sneakers, the price of Michael Jordan’s Air Jordans that recently sold for $615,000 might be too rich for your blood. That’s right, Michael Jordan’s 1985 game-worn Air Jordans’ High 1 that were worn by Jordan during a 1985 exhibition in Italy when he dunked the ball so hard it shattered the glass backboard were sold at Chrystie’s for $615,000, making the sneakers the biggest price tag for any sneakers ever sold for by an auction house.

“This is the original shoe with an actual piece of the backboard, a piece of glass, in the sole of the shoe,” said Caitlin Donovan, head of handbag and sneaker sales at Christie’s—which organized the auction with Stadium Goods, as reported in fashionnetwork.com. At the exhibition, while wearing the 13.5 size Air Jordans, Michael Jordan racked up 30 points.

Jordan’s auctioned items have been getting and going beyond top price at auction houses since the release of his Netflix/ESPN documentary, “The Last Dance.” This documentary chronicles Jordan’s years with the Chicago Bulls.

Image courtesy of fashionnetwork.com

Guess has a new guy

Italian actor/singer Michele Morrone has a new job. He is the global face of Guess Men’s. Morrone is a star of Italian and Polish films and television series.

“It’s an incredible feeling being able to have fun on set doing what I love, while having a sense of comfort that I’m now part of such an amazing family. Family and loyalty are important to me, and I want to take this brand and treat it as my own,” said Morrone, as detailed in a fashionnetwork.com article.

“Michele is an extremely hard worker, and a very ambitious and decisive man and these are all qualities I deeply appreciate. In a matter of minutes, we knew we were going to work together and a few weeks after that very first meeting, we met again in Lake Como to shoot these spectacular images,” added Guess chief creative officer Paul Marciano. 

—William S. Gooch

 

Fashion News Alert: Martin Margiela Documentary, CaSandra Diggs’ New Gig, and Cardi B’s Elle Cover

August 12, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of blackenterprise.com

Is the CFDA serious about diversity? Hmm, the verdict is still out; however, with the promotion of CaSandra Diggs to president of the organization, perhaps, the CFDA is more serious about diversity than previously assumed. This appointment is groundbreaking and history making; CaSandra Diggs will be the first African American to helm the CFDA.

“Expanding her role will provide the CFDA with more opportunity to meet the needs of the membership in a broad and diverse way,” exclaimed CFDA CEO, Steven Kolb in a statement. “It is a critical time for our industry, and she is the right person with the right ideas to help lead CFDA into the future.”

Diggs came to the CFDA in 2001 and the last position she held was that of Chief Administrative and Financial Officer. In her new position of president, Diggs will be tasked with developing strategy, championing, educating, and supporting its membership and the fashion industry-at-large.

“I am delighted to join Tom Ford and Steven Kolb as we continue to advance and evolve the CFDA into a modern, [forward-thinking] organization that is reflective of our times,” concluded Diggs in an essence.com article. You go, girl!!

Image courtesy of Flaunt Magazine

Martin Margiela revealed

What happened to Martin Margiela? That is question that many fashion insiders have been pondering for years. Well, you don’t have to wonder anymore.

 “Martin Margiela: In His Own Words” reveals and details Margiela’s drawings, notes and Margiela’s own reflection on his place in the fashion industry. This 90-minute documentary also has interviews and commentary from Carine Roitfeld, trend forecaster Lidewij Edelkoort, fashion critic Cathy Horyn, fashion historian Olivier Saillard, and Jean Paul Gaultier—whom Margiela once assisted.

Named the best fashion documentary of the decade by The Hollywood Reporter, “Martin Margiela: In His Own Words” is written and directed and produced by Reiner Holzemer.

Image courtesy of fashionista.com

Elle anoints Cardi B

Most fashion magazines’ September issues use fashion models on the cover; however, 2020 September issues are not following that tradition. Rihanna has 26 global covers of Harper’s Bazaar’s September issue, and Cardi B is on the cover of Elle’s September issue.

The announcement that Cardi B has been chosen to be on the cover of Elle’s September issue was timed with the release of Cardi B’s music video for her new single “WAP.” The music video went viral and broke the internet.

In the Elle 2020 September issue Card B talks about everything from politics—Trump, Cuomo—her relationship with her husband, Offset, and of course, music.  “My music is always going to make a woman feel like a bad b**ch,” she told interviewer Marjon Carlos, as reported in fashionweekdaily.com. “When you make a woman feel like she’s the baddest b**ch in the room, to me, that’s female empowerment.”

Steven Klein photographed Cardi B for the Elle 2020 September issue, and Cardi B was styled by her own stylist Kollin Carter. The Elle 2020 September issue hits newsstands on September 8.

—William S. Gooch

 

Fashion News Alert: Rihanna Breaks Harper’s Bazaar’s Record, Lord & Taylor Files for Bankruptcy, and Sayonara Kansai Yamamoto

August 5, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of usweekly.com

As Rihanna’s fashion empire continues to grow, so does her influence. Rihanna has broken a Harper’s Bazaar record by appearing on the covers on all 26 global Harper’s Bazaar upcoming September issue.

As a fashion icon, Rihanna got to wear a vintage John Galliano dress, a Saint Laurent coat, a dramatic yellow fuzzy Veneta Bottega coat from the fall 2020 collection, a Dior logo print silk headscarf, a Max Mara slouchy coat,  and of course her Savage x Fenty lingerie and Fenty makeup and beauty products. The editorial and covers were art directed by Jen Brill, photographed by Gary Sorrenti with interview conducted by editor Kahlana Barfield Brown.

The 2020 September Harper’s Bazaar issue will be on newsstands on September 8. Ri-Ri reigns!!

Image courtesy of curbedny.com

Another one bites the dust

On August 2, mega retailer Lord & Taylor filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. With this bankruptcy filing, Lord & Taylor joins a long list of retail stores and brands—J Crew Group, JC Penny, and Neiman Marcus in May, and Lucky Brand in July—that have recently filed for bankruptcy.

The Lord & Taylor store chain was founded in 1826 and is now estimated to have between $100 and $500 million in assets and liabilities. It has been reported that Lord & Taylor is planning to liquidate inventory in 38 of its retail stores. Lord & Taylor opened its flagship store in New York City in 1914. The flagship store closed in 2019.

Image courtesy of thebusinesstimes.com

 

Bye, bye Kansai

Japanese fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto has passed away. Yamamoto became famous for designing stage costumes for David Bowie, Elton John, and Lady Gaga. “I found David’s aesthetic and interest in transcending gender boundaries shockingly beautiful,” he told website The Cut in 2018, as reported in a recent article on fashionnetwork.com.

Kansai Yamamoto came to prominence in the early 1970s with his famous shows that used bold, bright color with brilliant patterns referencing and incorporating Japanese colors. Yamamoto’s avant-garde designs were also gender neutral and was a direct contrast to some of the more minimalist points of view of other Japanese designers.

Kansai Yamamoto was born in Yokohama, Japan in 1944 and showed his first collection in London in 1971. Yamamoto design aesthetic is inspired by the Japanese concept of Basara—an aesthetic defined by “extravagance, eccentricity and excess.” In later years, Yamamoto collaborated with Anna Sui and Nicolas Ghesquiere for Louis Vuitton in recent years. 

Kansai Yamamoto died of leukemia. He was 76 years of age.

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: Michael Kors’ New Approach to Fashion Week, Rihanna Releases Three New Beauty Products, and Goodbye O Magazine

July 30, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Images of Micahael Kors spring 2020 collection courtesy of tom+lorenzo.com

Michael Kors has decided not to show his spring 2021 collection during New York Fashion Week (NYFW). However, that does not mean that Kors will not have some form of presentation for his spring 2021 collection.

Instead of showing his spring 2021 collection during NYFW, Kors will have a series of digital presentations.  Kors’ will present his spring 2021 collection to the press in an intimate presentation on October 14, and on October 15 the spring 2021 will be broadcast on the brand’s social and digital platforms.

“It is key for us to be able to bring our collection to life and translate that in-person runway show experience as best as possible to the digital world,” says Michael Kors, as reported in a fashionweekdaily.com post. “To ensure the press and consumers alike are able to view the clothes and accessories in detail, virtually, is my top priority,” says Kors.

Image courtesy of thelatch.com

Fenty Beauty expands

Rihanna’s empire continues to grow. This week the Barbadian-American pop singer will debut three products from her Fenty Beauty line. Fenty Beauty launched in 2017.

Fenty Beauty is now a gender-neutral beauty line with a wide spectrum of products that can appeal to wide, diverse demographic. “I’m a woman of color and I have a lot of sensitivity in a lot of areas of my face,” the singer, actress and business mogul, said on Instagram, as reported on fashionnetwork.com. “I wanted a product that just worked.”

These three products—the Total Cleans’r Remove-It-All Cleanser ($25), Fat Water Pore-Refining Toner Serum ($28), and Hydra Vizor Invisible Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen ($35)—will debut on Friday. Rihanna hosted a live virtual Fenty Skin Launch Party on Wednesday July 29.

Image courtesy of O magazine

Bye, bye O

O magazine goes out of print in December 2020. Earlier in the week Hearst Publications announced that O magazine will only exist in a digital format after December 2020.

“As the brand celebrates twenty years of O, The Oprah Magazine, we’re thinking about what’s next, but again the partnership and the brand are not going away,” Hearst said in a statement Monday, confirming a Business of Fashion report from July 24. “This is a natural next step for the brand, which has grown to an online audience of 8 million, extending its voice and vision with video and social content. We will continue to invest in this platform as the brand grows and evolves into one that is more [digitally centric.]”

Like most print publications, O magazine has suffered a dramatic decrease in newsstand sales. And the COVID-19 pandemic has made sales plummet even further.

Launched in 2000, O magazine, a joint venture between Hearst and Oprah Winfrey’s Harpo Productions, at its peak reached a circulation of over 3 million, including 1 million newsstands copies sold each month. In 2019, the magazine’s monthly circulation fell to 2.3 million; however, monthly newsstands sales fell to 228,989.

“I’m proud of this team and what we have delivered to our readers over the past 20 years,” said Oprah, as reported in the nypost.com. “I look forward to the next step in our evolution.”

—William S. Gooch

Fashion News Alert: CFDA 2020 Nominees, Erika Jayne Sells Wardrobe, and Stella McCartney Restructures

July 23, 2020 by Leave a Comment

Image courtesy of cfda.org

On September 14, the CFDA will hold its annual CFDA Awards. Postponed from earlier this year, the CFDA Award winners will be announced on cfda.com and the CFDA media platforms.

“In this time of unprecedented challenge and change for our industry, we feel very strongly that it is important to recognize the nominees representing the best of fashion creativity,” said Tom Ford, chairman of the CFDA, in a statement, as reported on harpersbazaar.com. “We look forward to returning to an in-person celebration honoring the American fashion industry in 2021.”

There are no great surprises with the CFDA Awards nominees this year. This year’s nominees are designers/brands that have nominated in past or won before. And though the CFDA released a press release in June in support of Black Lives Matter and vowing to support designers of color, especially black fashion designers, the CFDA has not named any new black fashion designers to their list of nominees this year.

The list of nominees this season include, but are not limited to, the following:

American Womenswear Designer of the Year

Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row, Gabriela Hearst, and Brandon Maxwell

American Menswear Designer of the Year

Kerby Jean-Raymond for Pyer Moss, Thom Browne, Emily Adams Bode for Bode, Todd Snyder, and Tom Ford

Global Men’s Designer of the Year

Craig Green, Dries Van Noten, Jonathan Anderson for Loewe, Kim Jones for Dior, and Virgil Abloh for Louis Vuitton

Global Women’s Designer of the Year

Daniel Lee for Bottega Veneta, Dries Van Noten, Miuccia Prada for Prada, Pierpaolo Piccioli for Valentino, and Rick Owen

Image courtesy of dezeen.com

Trouble for Stella

The COVID-19 pandemic is causing Stella McCartney to restructure her company. The company is a part of LVMH’s cohort of brands, and this restructure will include workforce layoffs, salary cuts, and store closures, as reported by WWD.

Launched in 2001 by Stella McCartney through a joint venture with French luxury holding company Kering, McCartney bought back Kering’s controlling interest in the brand in 2018. After experiencing financial losses of 10.8 million dollars in 2018, McCartney got an investment of cash and a minority share from LVMH in July of 2019.

With the slowdown of sales and slow opening of stores due to the COVID-19 lockdown, the brand is now forced to reduce salaries “for an extended period” and McCartney has decided to forgo a salary. McCartney’s network of 50 stores will be reduced through the conversion of certain stores into franchise locations and partnerships with wholesale distributors. 

Image courtesy of broadway.com

Erika Jayne cleans out her closet

“Real Housewives of Beverly Hills’” Erika Jayne has partnered with Vestiaire Collective to sell 50 items from her wardrobe. Vestiaire Collective is an online site that sells pre-owned luxury clothes and accessories.

 Some of the pieces that will be sold from Erika Jayne’s collection include Moschino, Alexander McQueen Balmain, Rodarte, and more with prices ranging from $200 to $3000. “Whether on camera or not, I am always drawn to theatrical looks,” Jayne says. “Obviously, showtime is showtime! When I’m at home, things are a little less dramatic.”

—William S. Gooch

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