RIMOWA expands its "Never Still" campaign with the introduction of three more faces to its fold: Blackpink's Rosé, French footballer Kylian Mbappé, and Formula One athlete Lewis Hamilton. The three global icons embody the campaign's latest chapter of travel being more than just for personal advancement, but also an impetus for inner transformation. The campaign's film is scored by Hans Zimmer who created four bespoke tracks in total—one for a collective campaign video, and one for each solo short film.
The nominees for The Fashion Awards 2023—formerly known as the British Fashion Awards—are in. The list of nominees for "Model of the Year", "British Menswear Designer", "British Womenswear Designer", "New Establishment Menswear" and "New Establishment Womenswear" awards were shortlisted by the British Fashion Council together with key press and buyers with in-depth knowledge of the industry. The winners will then be decided by a committee of 1,000 members, with the "Model of the Year" winner determined by public voting for the first time. Up for "British Menswear Designer" are Kim Jones for Dior Men, Martine Rose, Steven Stokey-Daley for S.S. DALEY, Grace Wales Bonner for Wales Bonner, and Kiko Kostadinov.
The Fashion Awards 2023 is scheduled to happen on 4 December 2023 at London's The Royal Albert Hall.
Le Bristol Paris has announced another fashion collaboration. This time, the Parisian hotel is partnering up with Californian brand Sporty & Rich on a range of co-branded ready-to-wear and accessories. Find a a selection of timeless apparel from tees to jumpers and sweatpants as well as caps, socks and other accessories. Each piece is crafted from premium, natural materials and reflects the elegant and sophisticated aesthetic of both brands.
The Le Bristol Paris x Sporty & Rich capsule collection launches 27 September 2023 at Le Bristol Paris Boutique as well as on sportyandrich.com.
The Givenchy boutique in Paragon has officially reopened to reveal a renovated aesthetic that matches current artistic director Matthew M. Williams' vision for the luxury fashion house. Two sculptures in collaboration with British artist Ewan MacFarlane (this is not the first time that Givenchy has collaborated with the artist) add dynamism to the boutique's windows with their atypical postures positioned alongside the house's pieces. The boutique stocks the full range of both the men's and women's collections as well as exclusive capsule collections.
Former Dior artistic director Marc Bohan died on Wednesday in Châtillon-sur-Seine, France. He was 97. Bohan served as artistic director for nearly three decades, succeeding Yves Saint Laurent in 1960. Prior to that, he was already designing for the house since 1958. It was during his time as artistic director that the first iteration of menswear for Dior, Christian Dior Monsieur, was conceived in 1970.
Kim Jones' futuristic endeavours were ever-present throughout the collection, from the innovative construction of the garment to the avant-garde accessories. The construction of a jacket from one continuous piece of fabric is testament to the maison’s impeccable savior-faire.
The Dior Men fall 2023 collection came to light amid the vast, boundless Egyptian desert plains. The majestic peak of the Great Pyramid of Giza painted the backdrop as Kim Jones’ parade of men emerged from a sea of sand in the dark of night to the command of booming techno beats. Jones may have taken the fall 2023 presentation to the grounds where the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the World stood, but his vision for the collection was far from the timeworn. Instead, it carried a distinct futuristic quality that, on many occasions, called to mind Frank Herbert’s dystopian universe, Dune. The otherworldly landscape aside, a palpable Martian sensibility was rife across the 75-men strong crusade. Jones’ army sported futuristic sunglasses topped off with protective face shields, chest guards over knitwear and underneath jackets, and utilitarian combat footwear. Their uniforms, mostly a subdued colour palette of neutrals and varying hues of grey, were occasionally punctuated by pops of bright yellow and zesty orange.
As Jones took to space for inspiration, he naturally had his eyes set on the stars, just as founder Christian Dior and the ancient Egyptians had in the past. The result: a series of astral prints conceived alongside the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), fittingly transposed onto jackets reminiscent of astronaut suits.
It was clear: Jones had little interest in being overtly referential to the history books of ancient Egypt. Instead, he had his nose buried deep in the archives of the Maison—the storied past of its womenswear realm, in particular. By now, Jones’ affinity for drawing from the feminine to inform his menswear outings is an enduring fixture in his modus operandi at Dior Men.
This season, Jones’ points of womenswear reference centred around three archival dresses—the “Junon”, “Bonne Fortune”,and “Caramba”. While the “Junon”, and “Bonne Fortune” dresses were rehashed as meticulously embroidered tank tops and pleated demi-kilts respectively, the “Caramba” dress informed the distinctive cord-stiffened detailing employed in the construction of the collection’s modern wool tracksuits.
The jackets were a tip of the hat to space suits worn by astronauts. Led by expert workmanship, the nuances of the collection were hidden in plain sight. Jones’ vision for the uniform of the future is replete with juxtapositions of experimental accessories against updated menswear classics.
The past and the present, steered by Jones’ vision for the future effortlessly came together where old world techniques were adopted in tandem with cutting-edge technology. These nuances, peppered across the collection, were hidden in plain sight. Astral-printed jackets were purposefully cut to reflect light at precise angles to replicate the shining effect of a star; desert boots featured 3-D printed foot-guards; and demi-kilts were handcrafted with an ingeniuos trompe l'oeil of pleats.
Jones’ work at Dior Men is a wardrobe proposition for men ahead of their time. If not as far a head into a dystopian future as the show presentation might have you believe, the fall 2023 collection offered an ultra-modern sartorial update to quintessential wardrobe pieces. The tailored suits, knitwear separates and tactical jackets would fit into everyday life just as easily as they did in the utopian terrains of Cairo—sans the avant-garde head gear and billowing scarfs.
That concludes fashion month, I suppose. Buyers, stylists, models, and celebrities have been traveling between fashion capitals over the past few weeks to learn how the world's best-dressed men will be dressing for next summer.
So, what's the verdict? Are we all going to be dressed like highlighter pens, or will neutral shades reign supreme once again? Will the silhouettes be baggy or Meet Me in the Bathroom-level skinny? Will our wardrobes be even more gorpcore-y or Y2K or... neither? Without further ado, here's our trend breakdown.
Showing at Fendi’s leather goods factory, Silvia Venturini Fendi presented a collection that played tribute to the callous-thumbed artisans that fill her team. Suits came with stitches for fitting alterations and shirts were printed with toolkits, but it was in the accessories where you could see a direct connection to workers’ uniforms. Models walked with F-monogrammed coffee cups (some in holders, some in hand), documents, measuring tape and name tags as if they were just clocking in for another day.
This trend for accessorising everyday items and elevating the supposedly mundane continued into Paris Fashion Week. Louis Vuitton also had a fellow caffeine addict walk their runway, this time with a straw poking out of the coffee cup lid, as well a model who sported a leather version of the LV shopping bag.
It’s natural for summer collections to be a bit on the brighter side, but no one was expecting the sheer amount of clothes that were imbued with a satsuma-esque shade of orange. While the colour can be intimidating for even the most extroverted dresser, designers made it look as effortless as an Easy Peeler: Dries Van Noten paired pumpkin shorts with a tucked-in double-breasted blazer, while Etro’s more brazen take—a tinsel tank and hoody combo—is for the risk takers. For a contemporary take on suiting, Zegna’s pastel pieces shouldn’t be ignored, and should prove to be a go-to for wedding attire next year, but for casual, everyday-wear, Bianca Saunders’ graphic tees are a must.
Recently, the baseball cap has had a comeback, and it appears that the sporting fervor will continue into next summer as well. Fendi, Martine Rose and Saul Nash all had their own takes, varying from Italian leather to acid-wash denim. But there was more outré headwear, too. Kim Jones had his models wear colourful beanies (at an askew angle) while at Kenzo, Nigo showed wide-brim sun hats and printed berets.
The rules of smart-casual dressing have always included a time-tested formula: pair a nice shirt with some more relaxed bottoms and... there you have it. Foolproof, which is why it featured heavily across the spring/summer ’24 shows. But for this season, you should expect shirt designs that are brasher and a lot more eye-catching. Dior, for example, bejewelled a work shirt with a load of blue crystals, while Ami and Dries Van Noten both had heavily sequinned button-downs within their collections. Prada even stuck on 3D florals and some fringing onto theirs. The message is clear: the bolder the better.
This season also saw brands embrace a concept that has been embraced in womenswear for decades: the going out top. Fendi had a halterneck shirt where the arms drape behind, and Loewe presented a metallic blouse that sparkled like a disco ball. And for more retro takes, Saint Laurent had sleeveless pussybows and sheer blouses aplenty.
It’s lucky that the Y2K low-rise trend has barely entered the menswear-sphere, despite having dominated womenswear for seasons now. In fact, brands are rebelling against it. Waistlines were well above the belly button at Loewe and Prada in both trousers and shorts form respectively, while the use of cummerbunds at D&G and Wales Bonner gave the visual illusion of longer legs and shorter torsos.
Hemlines have also started retreating north, despite seasons of the long and slouchy silhouette. All of the longer-length bottoms at Dior were cropped just above the ankle, and at Hermès the hems were turned up to give full view of the models' fisherman sandals. Waistbands and hemlines are moving on up.
Perennial plants have been blooming in menswear for the last few years, and seeing them blooming in this season’s collections isn’t all that unusual. However, they were blown up to larger and slightly darker sizes as opposed to the more twee prints we had previously seen. As mentioned earlier, Prada had 3D lilies stitched onto shirts, but also positioned them alongside prints of slightly gloomier (potentially underwatered) styles. Emporio Armani centred their black-heavy collection around a ginkgo leaf, where it featured as cut-outs on peak lapel blazers and woven onto lattice-like tops. Valentino had singular roses, an enlarged poppy motif and peonies as part of its sartorial garden, and Kenzo had rose heads printed and stitched onto its denim pieces.
While pairing a linen suit with sandals isn’t exactly a revolutionary move, the catwalks this year were particularly... toe-heavy. Expect wedding wardrobes to follow suit, for better or worse. Dries Van Noten paired a waist-hugging black suit with leather flip flops, and the toe-dividing footwear was also seen at Wales Bonner, where it was styled with a structured linen two-piece. If you have an aversion to seeing your tootsies outside of beach locations, follow Hermès’ lead by sticking to a fisherman sandal. Suited and booted? No, it’s about being suited and sandaled.
The sheer volume of suits and tailoring on the spring/summer '24 runways proved that, despite the pandemic's best efforts to the contrary, they are still in demand. Still, it was clear that there was one cut that reigned supreme for the season: the double breasted suit. They opened the show at Givenchy, worn with hands in pockets at Loewe, paired with contrasting trousers at Ami, as part of a three-piece suit at Paul Smith and in a horse-bit check print at Gucci.
From: Esquire Uk
The Dior Spa Cruise returns for another season amidst couture week. Setting sail in Paris on 3 July, consider it an impeccably dressed, floating wellness guru with great views of the Eiffel Tower and a sincere desire to help you detox, re-energise, reverse-age, and relax, for two hours on the Seine.
Best thing about it? With only four rooms—three single, one double—we’re talking exclusive relaxation that’s available for only five people at a time.
Taking place on a yacht named Stunning Excellence that’s currently moored at Port Henri IV, near Île Saint-Louis, the cruising continues until July 14 (coinciding with Couture Week in the city), and has you covered for tailor-made holistic treatment programs that treat mental, emotional and physical well-being.
To our mind, the Dior initiative gets the concept of cruising just right—namely, it only lasts two hours. Enough time for you to relax, unwind, and enjoy a treatment and the view. There are two types of cruises on offer (treatment-based and wellness) each lasting the full 120 minutes. Those looking for the full Dior package can combine them both for a four-hour extravaganza.
While reservations are available online (here), it’s worth noting that the treatment cruise, includes one hour of chilled time on deck, and a one-hour treatment (detox, balance, reverse-aging, power or relaxation), are available on specific dates, so be sure to check before booking.
The wellness cruise, meanwhile, offers one hour of on-deck relaxation and a 60-minute wellness activity.
Unsurprisingly, the yacht itself is something of a flex. The remodelled decor includes Dior’s signature toile de jouy, while the 1,290-square-foot upper deck features a juice bar and pool, as well as lounge chairs to see and be seen from. Although as you’ll glide past Parisian icons such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame cathedral, Musée d’Orsay and Grand Palais, it would be advisable to be more on the side of seeing than being seen.
Set sail on the Dior Spa Cruise from July 3 to 14. Reservations are available at Dior.com
From: Esquire Middle East
