Image courtesy of hypebeast.com

The second time might be the charm, well that might be true in Timberland’s and Jimmy Choo’s case. After their first collaboration in 2020, both brands are primed to collaborate again.

In partnership with Harlem Fashion Row, Jimmy Choo and Timberland have recently teamed up to celebrate New York City’s creative spirit. For this newest collaboration Timberland’s iconic Original Yellow Boot has been revamped by Choo’s creative director Sandra Choi and New York City Shanel Campbell in more glammed out fashion.

“Shanel infused the collection with her authentic New York creative lens, as a true New Yorker living and breathing the heartbeat of this vibrant city. I love to mix it up by getting together with interesting creative minds, combining our DNA to create beautiful and surprising pieces. This collection celebrates urban glamour, the eclecticism of the city’s dynamic community, and is a tribute to a New York staple, the Timberland boots,” said Choi, as reported in fashionnetwork.com.

“It was an amazing experience collaborating with another woman in a creative director role,” said Campbell. “It was also so inspiring, because it’s like looking into the future that I want to have one day. I’m super excited to see my fellow New Yorkers wearing this collection, I feed off the vibes and energy of the city. Without a doubt, my main source of inspiration are the people of New York, from people riding on the city’s transport system to the suits on Wall Street–they inform everything I create,” she added.

This collaboration will have seven men’s and women’s styles which includes two pairs of boots in neon pink velvet with transparent soles, two pairs of classic Nubuck boots inscribed with a graffiti-style Jimmy Choo logo, a pair of black boots with a collar embellished with Swarovski crystals, a pair of knee-high boots with removable leather harness, and a limited-edition pair of stiletto-heeled boots entirely coated in Swarovski crystals. The collection became available on November 30 at Jimmy Choo and Timberland stores, and at select multi-brand retailers. 

Image courtesy of mint.com

Scandal supreme

The fashion industry is always exposed to scandal and controversy. However, the latest fashion scandal which involves Balenciaga is of particular concern.

For Balenciaga’s 2022 holiday campaign, the iconic brand featured children holding teddy bears in bondage harnesses.  Additionally, an image was released that showcased a Balenciaga bag perched on top of copies of what appear to be documents from the Supreme Court case United States v. Williams, a ruling that upheld the PROTECT Act, which increased federal protections against child pornography.

This image was promoting Balenciaga’s collaboration with Adidas for their spring 2023 campaign. There was an immediate backlash with outraged fashion and culture pundits accusing Balenciaga’s creative director Demna Gvasalia of child pornography and pedophilia.

Balenciaga released two statements on Instagram on November 22 about the controversial holiday campaign. “We take this matter very seriously and are taking legal action against the parties responsible for creating the set and including unapproved items for our spring 23 campaign photoshoot. We strongly condemn abuse of children in any form. We stand for children’s safety and well-being.”

Gabriele Galimberti, the photographer behind the holiday campaign, released a statement distancing himself from the imagery, as reported on thecut.com. “I am not in a position to comment on Balenciaga’s choices, but I must stress that I was not entitled in whatsoever manner to neither chose the products, nor the models, nor the combination of the same,” he wrote. “As a photographer, I was only and solely requested to [light] the given scene and take the shots according to my signature style.”

Some celebs, namely Julia Fox and Kim Kardashians, who were both big advocates of Balenciaga have recently distanced themselves from the brand. And on Monday, Business of Fashion pulled their 2022 Global Voices Award from Demna.

 Balenciaga has filed a $25 million lawsuit against North Six, Inc. and set designer Nicholas Des Jardins over the controversial campaign image on November 25. The lawsuit claims that the defendants included the Williams documents “without Balenciaga’s knowledge or authorization” and goes on to say that as a result of “defendant’s misconduct, members of the public, including the news media, have falsely and horrifically associated Balenciaga with the repulsive and deeply disturbing subject of the court decision.”

Image courtesy of fashonista.com

The incomparable Patti

For its art issue, Harper’s Bazaar has placed rock n’ roll icon Patti Smith on its cover. This December issue also includes an editorial and feature that talks about Smith’s 50-year career as a musician, writer, artist, and cultural icon.

Smith turns 76 in December and has a book, A Book of Days, coming out this month. “I haven’t survived all this time, and sadly survived many of my friends and loved ones, because of any special formula. I’ve survived [because] I want to live. I want to be here. Even in our troubled world. Even with all the greed and stupidity and terrible things that we’re all facing and reading in the news or experiencing, I want to be alive. I want to breathe. I want to do my work.”

In this art issue, Smith is photographed by Pieter Hugo.

William S. Gooch