There was no doubt that Burberry chief creative officer Daniel Lee's first showing for the British brand was a stark departure from predecessor Riccardo Tisci's.
The debut—a collection that we're finally able to experience in boutiques now—was a return to Burberry's Britishness, replete with elements and motifs ripped from Lee's lived experiences as a Brit as well as from the brand's archives. The Burberry check was rendered at a slant and blown up (a simple but effective way of modernising the brand signifier) and the Equestrian Knight Design (EKD) revived as a complementary branding device.
For the Burberry Summer 2024 collection, Lee continued to reimagine the brand's heritage with an even more focused lens. Building a new visual vocabulary for a brand like Burberry is no mean feat. With the second runway collection, we're starting to see the fruits of that labour.
If the Winter 2024 collection was a foundational collection that at times may have seemed a bit chaotic—a mallard beanie and a cacophony of visuals ranging from roses to more mallards to the EKD—the Summer 2024 collection felt more intentional and evolved. Surprisingly, the latter was more subdued and less colourful than the debut. In fact, the 'knight blue' that Lee has adopted for Burberry was little to be seen on the runway.
The fit: The overall colour palette for the collection was relatively quite dark. Instead of knight blue, colours graduated from black to a dark green before branching off to richer hues.
Yet, at the same time, prints were a key focus of the collection. What appeared as though vintage scarf prints lifted from the Burberry archives were actually prints of metal hardware in the shape of a horse—part of the Knight bag introduced for Winter 2023—and chains. Similarly, a repeated motif of the clasp of the Rocking Horse bag too appeared as a print. Both prints adorned a number of ready-to-wear pieces, including a new take on the classic Burberry trench. Lee's intent was to reimagine the trench for the summer and that included making it more lightweight than ever—in look 47, the trench could be seen hung by the neck simply by a thin chain.
What I especially liked about Burberry Summer 2024 was how Lee doubled down on the brand's military past. And while that could have resulted in quite costume-y creations, the ready-to-wear looked simply at home. Epaulettes on shirting as well as outerwear extended well beyond the shoulder line, while the trench coats cut a sharp, regimental silhouette while still retaining a sense of modernity with a dropped waist and exaggerated belt.
The details: Lee may have kept the tailoring sharp but he injected off-kilter semblances in the styling as well as accessories. The collection's slip-ons for example (looks 41 and 45) were doused in rhinestones with the EKD fixed like one would a Crocs Jibbitz. Leather loafers were crafted with an extended leather buckle in the shape of the Burberry Shield bag and topped with the EKD. It's these constant details that help drive the message of the new subtle visual vocabulary of Lee's Burberry.
Three exceptional looks: The ease and simplicity of look 16's black fit embellished with cleverly printed trousers; look 23's printed coordinates that could easily be broken up into pieces that could stand on their own; and look 45's new take of dressed up casual in classic Christopher Bailey-era hues.
The takeaway: Burberry is back to being refined with doses of unexpected quirks—a truly Brit aesthetic.
View the full Burberry Summer 2024 runway collection in the gallery below.
If the Riccardo Tisci-era saw Burberry taking over beach clubs with the TB Monogram, Daniel Lee’s appears to be more subdued and tastefully so. As part of the brand’s announced "Burberry Streets" takeover series, the British brand has kicked things off right at home during London Fashion Week. In partnership with Transport for London—the government body responsible for the transport network in London—Bond Street station has been completely transformed into Burberry Street, complete with signs rendered in Lee's knight blue hue. The takeover will last until 19 September 2023. “Burberry Streets” is set to be an immersive brand experience consisting of events and installations in cities around the world. The series will make its rounds in Seoul and Shanghai this October.
In what would be any fashion designer's foremost nightmare, Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing revealed on Instagram that pieces from the house's upcoming Spring/Summer 2024 runway show have been stolen. "More than 50 Balmain pieces stolen," Rousteing says, expressing his anger and disappointment at the loss of the hard work by his team. With just 10 days to go to the show during Paris Fashion Week, it does seem like Rousteing and his team will have to, in his words, "work days and night" to ensure that everything turns out as planned.
A new take on adidas' iconic Stan Smiths has been revealed, courtesy of British fashion designer Craig Green. The CG SPLIT STAN retains the original silhouette of the shoe save for the "splitting" right down the middle—a rubber protrusion that's seemingly inserted between the two segments. The new design has dropped in three monochromatic colourways: white, black, and khaki.
The adidas Originals and Craig Green CG SPLIT STAN sneakers are now available through the adidas App and online.
Stone Island is embarking on a multi-year partnership with Frieze. Starting with Frieze London 2023—happening this 11 to 15 October—the brand will be the Official Partner of Focus, a fixture dedicated to younger galleries at Frieze London, Los Angeles, New York, and Seoul. Participating emerging galleries of Focus will each receive a bursary from Stone Island amounting to 30 per cent of each exhibitor's stand fee (in addition to Frieze's ongoing subsidies) as well as overall amplification of Focus through a dedicated content series. Stone Island will also become the Official Partner of Frieze 91, the organisation's membership programme. Frieze 91 allows members so gain exclusive access to art and artists through curated experiences as well as members-only content and benefits.
As part of Moncler's RE/ICONS series—an annual celebration of the brand's iconic achievements of the past while looking to the future—the brand has revived its 1954 Karakorum duvet jacket. Worn by climbers in 1954, the Moncler Karakorum is known for its unparalleled warmth as well as technical excellence. Just how excellent, you ask? Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli each wore the Moncler Karakorum while scaling K2 and becoming the very first people to reach the summit in 1954. For the RE/ICONS series, the Moncler Karakorum has been reenvisioned in three designs (with a range of colours) varying in length and fit.
In Coach's latest campaign, Dove Cameron, Yanfei Song, Lil Buck, and newly appointed global ambassador Youngji Lee battle their inner demons. It might sound a bit too dark for a fashion campaign but the "demons" in question are doppelgängers criticising their choice of wearing the Coach Shine collection—a range of metallic and patent leather pieces. The individual duos battle it off in fast-paced choreography before the expressive selves eventually triumphs. Basically, no one should ever dull your shine, Coach Shine or not.
It’s been a decade since Nicholas Daley graduated from Central Saint Martins, and he feels “blessed” to have plenty of notches on his hand-crocheted belt already. “If someone told me back then that during the next ten years I’d be an LVMH Prize finalist, recipient of the BFC Designer Fashion Fund, and continuously working with some of the best stores in the world, I think I’d be pretty happy,” says the 33-year-old designer, in the upbeat yet unassuming manner that turns out to be his neutral gear. “I’m very fortunate to have experienced these sorts of successes.”
Over iced tea at his studio—a vibrant space in a converted warehouse in Tottenham, north London—I meet Daley to talk about his newest notch: a one-night takeover of London’s Southbank Centre on September 15. The Leicestershire-born designer, his hair in dreadlocks, wears an earthy ensemble of his own creation, right down to the vest—a collaboration with esteemed Suffolk jacket brand Lavenham—as he goes over the lineup for Woven Rhythms, comprising live music, talks, a club night, fashion, art and—“hopefully”—food. “We’re looking into that,” he promises.
He intends the night to be a celebration of his story so far, but also to act as his contribution to London Fashion Week—starting that same day—in lieu of a traditional show. “It’s not economical for us independent brands to do runway, repeatedly, over several seasons,” he says.
It was the Southbank Centre that reached out to Daley, who has put on shows in working-men’s clubs, gig venues, and churches. “I’m an advocate for multiculturalism, and the Southbank is a place where people from different ethnicities, generations, and cultural backgrounds meet and congregate. We’re very lucky to have an institution like that here in London that celebrates British culture and identity, so I want to make sure the night is a great success, not just for my journey, but for the centre’s legacy.”
When we meet in May, Daley is designing bespoke looks for the talent enlisted, many of whom are musicians of his parents’ generation. These include Barbados-born, London-based reggae icon Dennis Bovell; Pauline Black, founding member of Coventry two-tone pioneers The Selecter; and newer artists Delilah Holliday and Wu-Lu. His interest in music-industry veterans is nothing new: Don Letts—the influential London DJ who introduced reggae to punk, and vice versa—walked in Daley’s graduate show back in 2013. “He was the muse of my BA collection; I have an affinity for the way he blurred the lines between two different music scenes.”
Hosting a night also connects to his personal history: in the late 1970s and early 1980s, his Scottish mother Maureen and Jamaican father Jeffrey ran the Reggae Klub, a series of club nights held across Scotland and the Midlands that championed Black British music. Daley’s dad DJ’d as I-man Slygo, playing eclectic genres, but specialising in UK roots reggae. “It’s so cool to me that this is what he was doing at the age that I am now, 40-plus years ago.”
The designer pays homage to his heritage in every collection of his namesake label, which he established eight years ago, whether it’s by dint of a bespoke tartan (“there’s always a check or plaid to nod to my Scottish identity”), knitted and crocheted pieces (“knitting and crocheting is a big part of Jamaican culture”) or the Reggae Klub logo (“that’s pretty much our family crest”).
His Autumn/Winter 2023 line, Roots to Rebel, is no exception. “Did you see the lookbook?” he asks, sliding his iPhone across the table. Patterned co-ord sets are paired with knitted headwear and punky sunglasses; a mohair kilt is layered over straight-leg trousers, styled with a Reggae Klub tee and GH Bass x Nicholas Daley loafers.
The collection honors the soundscapes of the Midlands: his birthplace, and the cradle of two-tone, that distinctive fusion of Jamaican ska, punk, and new wave that aimed to unite Black, white, and Asian youth in early 1980s Britain. “It pays homage to the people who laid the foundation for my generation—those who used culture to push messages about what’s important.”
With Woven Rhythms, Nicholas Daley would like to lay some foundations of his own. “I hope this marks the start of more diverse, curatorial moments where I can combine mediums and artists who I think are doing amazing work and pushing boundaries,” he explains. “There’s definitely still more work to be done, and I still have a lot more to say.”
Woven Rhythms is on 15 September at Southbank Centre, London SE1; southbankcentre.co.uk.
Originally published on Esquire UK
It's the official end of an era. Creative director Sarah Burton is parting ways from Alexander McQueen—a fashion house that she's worked for for close to three decades, of which the past 13 years had been at its creative helm.
"I am so proud of everything I've done and of my incredible team at Alexander McQueen. They are my family, and this has been my home for the past 26 years. I want to thank Francois-Henri Pinault for believing in me and offering me this amazing opportunity. Above all I want to thank Lee Alexander McQueen. He taught me so much and I am eternally grateful to him. I am looking forward to the future and my next chapter and will always carry this treasured time with me," reads Burton's statement.
The end of Burton's time with Alexander McQueen means that, for the first time, the creative reins could potentially be handed over to someone outside of Lee McQueen's circle. Before being appointed as creative director, Burton was considered to be McQueen's right-hand person and the only one possible to carry on the legacy of the house as well as its founder.
McQueen may be more famously known for his otherworldly and provocative creations on the runway (more so evident on his womenswear collections) but Savile Row techniques and constructions were key tenets of his menswear. Tailoring was often the foundation of every McQueen-designed Alexander McQueen menswear collection that were then embellished with disparate elements and flourishes. Burton continued the execution. Eventually, the menswear evolved in tandem with its womenswear counterpart, creating a cohesive vision that partly contributed to Alexander McQueen becoming one of Kering's big moneymakers.
Burton is scheduled to take her final bow during Paris Fashion Week later this month. But before that, we look back at her evolution of Alexander McQueen's menswear aesthetic to become the force of craftsmanship and creativity that we know today.
The early collections of Burton's Alexander McQueen menswear focused on McQueen's Scottish roots as well as elements of Britishness. The silhouettes were kept quite conventional but often peppered with instances of exaggerated volume and deconstruction.
Flora and fauna were highly favoured elements of McQueen. Burton started incorporating them into the menswear universe through prints and embroidery—the former gave rise to insect wings that adorned suiting in a myriad of colours and combinations.
Suiting and tailoring began to take a turn with conventional colours and minimalism substituted for mosaic-like prints as well as traditional jacquard and heritage patterns. This was the beginning of a more vibrant interpretation of tailoring.
While embellishments weren't completely new for Alexander McQueen menswear, Burton began to include more metallic beading and embroidery—amping up the level of craftsmanship in the house's menswear pieces. They were starkly employed against dark fabrications and often juxtaposed with streamlined cuts.
Tailoring evolved to include bolder prints that seemed to envelope the entirety of a look. At the same time, Burton nipped waists and offered elegance in the form of cuttingly sharp tailoring.
The house's Britishness was never lost, however. Opting to continuously include typically British motifs—elements of regimental military uniforms as well as fabrications—Burton grounded them with sneakers and more contemporary touches.
The level of craftsmanship exploded with embroidery becoming a key focus. Not only were they employed throughout each and every piece, they were styled with accessories and jewellery to match—a sort of more-is-more aesthetic that came across as haute-couture punk.
Sportier elements of dress were given the Alexander McQueen treatment of exploding sleeves and deconstructed-constructions. Everyday pieces like knitwear and function-first utilitywear took on avant-garde forms that added on to the creative vision of the house.
Gender lines may not have been a consideration for any Alexander McQueen creation—pre- and post-McQueen—but it became increasingly evident with the inclusion of dress-like ensembles incorporated into menswear. Softer elements of flou became quite commonplace too, running in tandem with an increased focus on couture-level embellishments.
Burton's final few menswear collections capture the essence of her time at Alexander McQueen. The blurring of gender, a steely focus on craft techniques as well tailoring at the heart of it all have been continuously refined. There's a certain element of timelessness to the creations, marked by distinctive leitmotifs—the harness and the streamlined silhouette, for example—that have become characteristically Alexander McQueen.
When a design is as revered as the Dior Saddle, any attempts at refreshing its look could be potentially contentious. But Dior Men artistic director Kim Jones is not one to stay on the side of convention. After all, this is the man who has been tapping into the House’s more feminine-centric haute couture history to build and expand its menswear universe. And with the Dior Saddle, Jones continues to revisit the fundamentals of its design and to transmute them into inspired accessories.
The Dior Saddle bag was first conceived more than two decades ago by former artistic director John Galliano. It’s essentially a shoulder purse, meant to be worn tight right in the armpit with its short top handle sitting on one’s—typically a woman’s—shoulder. It wasn’t until Jones’ debut collection for Dior Men that the bag was officially de-genderised. The top handle strap was replaced by a more industrial-looking adjustable one that adapts for crossbody wear and differentiated from its women’s counterpart by a Matthew M. Williams-designed buckle.
If the Saddle bag designed for men captures a more defiant spirit from the original, the latest inspired creation refines the look further. For the Dior Men winter 2023 collection, Jones opts to pay tribute to the elegance of the equestrian world—the origins of the Saddle bag.
The Dior Saddle Boxy bag looks more simplified from the outside. The leather tails attached to the magnetic flap of the original have been removed altogether for a more graphic focus on the curved lines of the bag. With this new iteration, what you’re getting is pretty much a storage upgrade—the Dior Saddle Boxy features an extended body acting as the main compartment topped with a zipper. The original Dior Saddle silhouette then becomes the bag’s smaller front compartment. The dimensions of the Dior Saddle Boxy are about the same as the Dior Saddle but now divided into two compartments for better organisation.
Instead of grained calfskin, the Dior Saddle Boxy is dressed in the house’s new Dior Oblique Gravity leather. Not only is the entire body embossed with the signature Dior Oblique motif, it’s also done in a cloudy effect that is further emphasised through the patent treatment. The straps—a top handle as well as an adjustable shoulder strap that are both detachable—have too been refined. They’re cut from leather and are intentionally thin in width to reflect the more elegant profile.
Regard this latest take as the more grown up, elevated version—one you could easily pair with a suit without feeling as though you’re making the entire outfit a touch more casual. The look of the Dior Saddle Boxy may be a slight departure from the original, yet the functionality and versatility remain. And that’s exactly how you rework an icon.
The Dior Saddle Boxy is now available in boutiques and online.
Walk into the Suitsupply store at ION Orchard and the tailor's station positioned in the middle would immediately catch your attention. There's no mistaking that Suitsupply is serious about suits—an affordable range of everyday and occasion-ready tailoring made from Italian mills-sourced fabrics. The tailor's station is a key asset to ensure that the made-to-measure pieces fit perfectly. Surrounding it however, are the brand's ready-to-wear pieces and accessories that complement its main tailored options.
The overall look doesn't stray too far from Suitsupply's elegant tailoring. The ready-to-wear collection is made from the same quality Italian fabrics as its suits with the cut and make meant to work seamlessly with the made-to-measure tailoring. At the same time, they're contemporary enough to be integrated into one's existing wardrobe. Consider them as elevated wardrobe staples—easy to wear and classically stylish all the same.
With plenty of events lined up in the coming months—whether you're sitting at the grandstand of the Singapore Grand Prix or watching acts the likes of Kodaline and Charlie Puth—here's an edit of just some Suitsupply pieces to look and feel good for exact those moments.
Leave the navies, blacks and whites. Choose between a dark brown or mint green slim-fit shirt to make a statement without opting for something completely out of the norm. Or, you know, get them both because they're made from pure linen—you'd put them on rotation for everything from the beach to a dinner party.
The perfect pair of sneakers doesn't exist. But Suitsupply gets it close with this suede pair that's made to be worn with sartorial-laced pieces. The details are kept minimal but when you're looking for something that sits stylishly between formal and casual, this would be it.
Even if you won't be making use of the thoughtfully roomy patch pockets on this pair of shorts, the detail adds a utilitarian touch perfect to be paired with the plainest of tops. The subtle Herringbone pattern ensures that it's still a sartorial piece dressy enough for most situations.
This buttonless polo shirt—in a mint blue that's a key colour for Suitsupply this season—simplifies the look of the humble polo, with the ribbed detailing offering visual interest and comfort. Wear this on its own or layered under a denim jacket and you're good to go.
You'd need a pair of these whether you're standing for hours on end at the standing pen or making that quick dash from meetings to meetings in the city. The calf suede and mesh detailing ensures that the level of sophistication remains no matter the outfit pairing.
Not only is this pair of shorts made from stretch cotton (giving you that little bit of give for extra comfort), the cuffed hem and double pleats offer a more elevated look even when you're just sitting poolside. Wear this with anything from your favourite leather sandals to a well-beaten pair of sneakers.
A camp collar shirt has become a quintessential part of a man's wardrobe. This Suitsupply version is made out of a seersucker fabric perfect for all-year-round humidity. Style one as is or over a tank and complete with a pair of black tailored trousers for an undoubtedly chic look.
For the full Suitsupply range, visit the boutique at 03-15 ION Orchard.
After 18 months as the creative director of streetwear label Supreme, Tremaine Emory has announced his decision to leave the brand. In multiple statements to various press sources as well as on his personal Instagram account, Emory cited "systemic racial issues" within Supreme as the reason why he's decided to part ways. A particular event—an undiscussed "cancellation" of a Supreme collaboration with artist Arthur Jafa—exacerbated the situation and reportedly became a point of contention leading to Emory's eventual resignation. Emory is also the founder of Denim Tears, a brand that collaborated with Dior Men for the latter's fall 2023 collection.
As part of the second edition of Frieze Seoul, MCM partnered up with British-Nigerian artist Yinka Ilori for an exhibition housed within the brand's MCM Haus flagship in Seoul. The two-part exhibition sees a curated collection of 20 upcycled chairs representing a renewed perspective on diversity and inclusivity. The first half consists of 10 chairs decorated using surplus MCM fabrics, each differing in construction and silhouette as a way of reflecting their status as everyday totems. The second half is tied to Ilori's own memories of growing up in London as a British-Nigerian, exploring topics of culture, heritage and family, leading up to his identity as an artist today.
The MCM x Yinka Ilori showcase runs until 22 October 2023 at MCM Haus in Seoul.
Workwear is already an integral part of sacai's design aesthetic. Add to that Carhartt WIP's well-loved staples in the same space and you get a collaboration that's not only fashion-forward but also teeming with a function-first design ethos. Part of sacai's autumn/winter 2023 collection, the sacai x Carhartt WIP collection plays up the former's penchant for nylon fabrications (and a range of other disruptive elements) with Carhartt WIP's duck fabric jackets in bold and colourful iterations. They're generally cut oversized with drop shoulders aplenty, and most importantly, geared for the urban landscape.
The sacai x Carhartt WIP collection drops 8 September at sacai Voco Orchard boutique as well as online at club21.com.
Before the Singapore Grand Prix kicks off (and towards the tail end of this year’s Formula 1 World Championship season) Tommy Hilfiger, Awake NY and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team have come together for a collection that collides both the fashion and racing worlds. The Tommy x Mercedes-AMG F1 x Awake NY collection includes seven gender-inclusive styles that range from baseball jerseys to rugby shirts—all branded with logos of the three collaborators, with some emblazoned with the racing numbers of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell as well as “85” in honour of Tommy Hilfiger’s debut.
The Tommy x Mercedes-AMG F1 x Awake NY collection is now exclusively available at the Tommy Hilfiger Raffles City store and online. A dedicated pop-up is now running at Raffles City from 4 – 17 September.
The autumn/winter 2023 collections are beginning to stream into stores and so are the accompanying campaigns. Kenzo's East-meets-West-themed autumn/winter 2023 collection defies the typical notion of the term by looking inwards at Japan, exploring the juxtaposition between its cities: Kyoto and Osaka. In a fast-paced campaign video, the dialogue of heritage versus youthful exuberance between the two cities are further explored. And of course, the campaign features the debut Kenzo's newest friend Vernon of K-pop group Seventeen, with the surprise appearance of artistic director Nigo himself.
The way that monograms have become such a huge part of luxury fashion is a testament to their enduring power. We may be moving towards monogram-lite fashion these days (cue all the slew of TikToks on quiet luxury) but monograms remain perennial brand identifiers. In the past few years, brands the likes of Versace, Balmain and Burberry introduced new ones—the latter initiated by former chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci.
One of creative, artistic and image director Hedi Slimane’s first undertakings at Celine was reviving its monogram.
The Triomphe Canvas was officially introduced as part of Celine’s autumn 2019 collection yet its origins date back to the '70s. Its name comes from the chains surrounding Paris’ Arc de Triomphe. The story goes that after a minor collision on Place de l’Étoile (now Place Charles de Gaulle) involving Celine founder Céline Vipiana, she stepped out of her vehicle and noticed the mirrored Cs embedded as part of the metal chains surrounding the monument. Co-opting the motif for her own, she applied it on a range of bags, accessories as well as ready-to-wear.
Slimane took this further with the Triomphe Canvas. The lightweight construction of a Triomphe Canvas piece—a canvas body trimmed with leather—makes one primed for anyone constantly on the move. Its durability is on par with Celine's leather offerings, but less precious in some ways that makes it better withstand some better over prolonged use. The leather on the Triomphe Canvas is poised to age and patina beautifully over time, while the canvas body takes on a bit more character with scuffs.
That's the appeal of the Slimane-era Triomphe Canvas. The monogram already feels timeless with each piece of the collection meticulously constructed to exude a vintage allure. Not only does this give the appearance of a vintage find, but it also paves the way for the legacy of the monogram in the vintage market. Fast forward a decade, and we're almost certain that you'd be able to find Triomphe Canvas pieces in vintage stores the world over.
The fact that it has only been less than five years since Slimane reintroduced the Triomphe Canvas, yet it's become so synonymous with the house speaks to its distinctive markings. In its classic tan colourway, the Triomphe motif is subtle; lighter colourways offer a more striking appearance of the motif. And of course, seasonal interpretations take on various forms and even artistic expressions.
But no matter what you'd gravitate towards, it's bound to be one that you'd surprisingly find more use out of than you'd think.
Miu Miu's collaboration with New Balance continue to be one that's highly sought after by both women and men with feet size smaller than a 42 EUR. Its latest collaborative effort could potentially garner the same reception—this time with British luxury footwear brand Church's. The brand also happens to be part of Prada's group of brands, which could attest to why the two-piece Church's x Miu Miu collection—a pair of brogues and a pair of double-monks—look to be a seamless collaboration. The make of the shoes are rounder and broader than Church's originals, and are fitted with a sportier rubber sole. But unfortunately, for those of us 42 EUR-sized and above, these aren't meant for us.
The Church's x Miu Miu collection drops in Miu Miu boutiques from 6 September.
Ground Y—the brainchild of acclaimed fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto—has collaborated with anime hub Crunchyroll on a limited edition collection of Hell's Paradise-inspired ready-to-wear. The collection stays true to Ground Y's ethos of genderless and ageless fashion with artfully done prints from the anime featured on oversized hoodies, shirts and more.
The Ground Y x Hell's Paradise collection is now available for pre-order.
Both on and off the runway, Alexander McQueen is proving that its outré designs are made to fit a diverse range of individuals. The autumn/winter 2023 campaign exemplifies this with its cast that includes supermodel Naomi Campbell alongside male models Momo Ndiaye and Eliott De Smedt Day as well as French singer Yseult. While the collection showcases standout three-dimensional knits, its the tailoring—applied for both men and women—that truly shines, reflecting a sense of genderless styling codes.
Following the announcement of fellow Stray Kids member Hyunjin as Versace's global ambassador, Louis Vuitton has taken in Felix as its newest house ambassador. The performer known for providing Stray Kids with deep, growly vocals, was previously seen attending Louis Vuitton's pre-autumn 2023 women's show in Seoul and had been dressed by the house for a number of the group's performances as well as appearances. In a statement, Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director of women’s collections, praises Felix for "his energy, his unique personality and his audacious sense of style".
Carlos Alcaraz keeps racking up W's. There was, of course, the victory over Novak Djokovic in the final at Wimbledon in July of this year. (Alcaraz says he "learn[s] something from him every time we play.") Before that was his 100th career win at the Indian Wells Masters in March. And in between those two tennis milestones, a triumph of a different sort: being named a brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton. Not bad for a guy who just recently turned 20.
"I have admired the brand for a long time," Alcaraz says of Vuitton, "so for me the partnership is a dream come true."
Today, the storied French fashion house unveils its spring/summer 2024 formalwear campaign—and Esquire has your exclusive first look. In still photos and an entrancing video, Alcarez takes his virtuoso tennis moves off the court and into an opulent grand hall, all while wearing impeccable tailoring and luxurious loungewear.
"It was a bit surreal being in a palace wearing a Louis Vuitton suit," Alcaraz says of the experience on set, "but [photographer] Dan Jackson and his team were amazing. Once we got into it, we had a lot of fun."
So, when he's not the star of a fashion campaign, has the spotlight changed the way Alcaraz dresses in real life? "Honestly, not really," he says. "I try not to think about it too much. I am still developing my sense of style. That is, of course, made easier by my family at Louis Vuitton, who are always on hand to help when I need." Not a bad situation to find oneself in, if you can manage to make it happen.
It goes without saying, though, that it all comes back to the sport that rocketed Alcaraz into the rarified air that he's currently breathing. And the next step in this big summer of W's is the U.S. Open, which kicks off on 28 August. Alcaraz won it last year—his first major. Now, he's readying himself for a return, and he's pretty excited about it.
"It was incredible to win my first major in NY," he says. "The crowd there are the best. I can't wait to get back out there under the lights."
Photos by Dan Jackson.
Originally published: Esquire US
When BOSS rebranded, not only did it underwent a name change, it also got to the heart of the label. In its #BeYourOwnBOSS campaign, BOSS dives into the brand's slogan: "Bosses Aren’t Born. They’re Made." What are the stories that make BOSS' personalities who they are today? With BOSS' AW23 collection, the spotlight returns to that. BOSS puts the spotlight back onto a selection of top stars and influential ambassadors to explore what it is that defines them as a genuine BOSS.
Showcasing the globally familiar faces of change makers Naomi Campbell, Maluma, Lee Min-ho, Gigi Hadid, Khaby Lame, and Matteo Berrettini, the Autumn/Winter campaign offers a more intimate angle on their individual stories. It also introduces American football quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, and British actress, Suki Waterhouse, as new brand ambassadors. Short black-and-white videos shine a spotlight on these BOSSes sharing the inspiring stories that have defined their journey so far, and reflect on the moments that have shaped who they are today. While wearing pieces from the new BOSS collection, archival footage is projected in the background, providing an up-close-and-personal take on their climb to the top of their fields. Each intimate video features emotive background music in the form of Tupac Shakur’s iconic song ‘Changes,’ which samples the original Bruce Hornsby and the Range single, ‘The Way It Is,’ creating a synergy that pulls at the heartstrings while conjuring a universal sense of belonging.
The Autumn/Winter 2023 collection delivers a blend of sophisticated textures infused with a laid-back approach, embodying the BOSS brand ethos of self-determination and distinctive tailoring. Comprising elevated styles with a retro-modern feel, it features standout colors and nature-inspired prints alongside the brand’s iconic palette of black, white, and camel. A striking spectrum of gray tones augments and elevates the mood of the campaign, bringing added visual richness to the overall look and feel.
The moving and motivational approach of the new campaign—photographed by Mikael Jansson under the creative direction of Trey Laird and his agency, Team Laird—provides a touching portrait of the featured celebrities, while remaining on course with the HUGO BOSS Group’s aim to amplify the global appeal of its brands.
To cement the impact of the new campaign further, large-scale outdoor advertising techniques will be deployed in a range of cities internationally, while BOSS stores worldwide will bring the key look and feel of BOSS Autumn/Winter 2023 to its window displays and interior merchandising. BOSS.com is also hosting a dedicated hub page to celebrate the campaign’s launch and showcase key pieces for the new season.
The fashion industry is dizzyingly brutal. Just this past May, Swiss luxury brand Bally announced it was parting ways with Rhuigi Villaseñor—the founder and designer of Los Angeles-based brand Rhude. Villaseñor assumed the role of Bally’s creative director in January 2022 and only managed to showcase two collections before getting the boot.
But that’s not even the shortest creative director stint in the past year thus far.
French designer Ludovic de Saint Sernin made his creative directorial debut with a runway collection for Ann Demeulemeester during Paris Fashion Week’s Autumn/Winter 2023 show season. The gender-fluid and skin-baring collection garnered quite a buzzy reception and reportedly prompted stockists the likes of MyTheresa to renew their relationship with the brand. Alas, even before the collection could be realised for retail, Ann Demeulemeester ended de Saint Sernin’s time—a mere two months after his debut runway show.
It is hardly a new phenomenon. The fashion industry has been going through creative directors so quickly and frequently that having one lasting longer than the regular contractual three years can be considered a unicorn. We have seen numerous occasions where creatives have been cycled through as though they were in a game of musical chairs: Anthony Vaccarello replacing Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent making way for the latter’s entry to Celine after Phoebe Philo; Kim Jones departing Louis Vuitton to join Dior Men while its former creative director Kris Van Assche went on to head Berluti; and Riccardo Tisci’s jump from Givenchy to Burberry, only to be replaced by Daniel Lee from Bottega Veneta.
Trust us, to say that all this gets confusing for fashion journalists too, is an understatement.
Change is constant and especially so in fashion. While defining a clear, signature aesthetic is undoubtedly the goal for any brand, big or small, there’s often a delicate balance that creative directors have to strike—crafting a distinguishable look while ensuring a consistent flow of excitement that hopefully translates to increased profits. Lest we forget, fashion is a business. And as much as the industry thrives on new, buzzy ideas, consumer dollars are king and these ideas have to resonate with a buying audience at the end of the day.
Zegna’s Alessandro Sartori—already into his seventh year as artistic director—has proven to be a master at evolving a defined aesthetic. Part of the family-run Zegna Group, Zegna is founded on menswear tailoring backed by the company’s expertise in luxurious fabrics. Sartori’s evolution of the brand’s aesthetic appears to be a shrewd calculation of slow and steady. His debut Spring/Summer 2017 collection kicked things off with a unification of Zegna’s then-different lines while still retaining elements of its core tailoring business. Suiting was matched with inflections of sporty dress that introduced a more relaxed approach to Zegna’s tailoring.
Season after season, the silhouette gradually shifted. Trousers got roomier and outerwear grew to be cut oversized with drop shoulders almost a given on every design. It was after the Covid-19 pandemic that the evolution seemed to have accelerated. Sartori referred to the Autumn/Winter 2021 collection as a representation of being in “a world where the indoor and the outdoor are colliding”, resulting in a softening of traditional tailoring lines and construction, making way for elegant ease that has since remained.
While the sportier Z Zegna offshoot is no longer in production, Zegna has offered collaborations with brands specialising in certain areas of sports. Its latest this past January was one with trail-running shoe brand norda as part of Zegna’s growing Outdoor collection.
Coupled with a thorough rebranding exercise—the brand dropped the first name of its founder and has been going by Zegna as of December 2021, complete with a new logo and coloured signifier—the strategy has paid off. For the first quarter of 2023, Zegna’s reported revenue grew 21.4 per cent year-over-year to EUR271.9 million.
Gucci took a different approach. Its appointment of the relatively unknown Alessandro Michele in 2015 created a seismic shift in an industry where the tried and tested are often favoured. Michele’s clear vision of a more poetic and referential Gucci, marked by an exuberantly excessive styling, was a stark departure from his predecessor’s. It was the dawn of a new era, one that was quickly lapped up by both insiders and consumers alike. Gucci saw a boom like never before, landing at the top of every luxury fashion list imaginable, alongside being Kering Group’s top-performing asset.
Michele’s meteoric ascension and cultural-shifting aesthetic, however, proved to be his downfall. The look that he crafted became so distinct that it eventually fell victim to consumer fatigue. Although Gucci remained Kering Group’s majority revenue earner—it accounted for 52 per cent of the group’s total revenues in 2022—its growth started lagging behind other Kering-owned fashion houses such as Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta.
To his credit, Michele did inject excitement throughout his tenure. Collaborations were plentiful, ranging from a capsule collection with one of South Korea’s top entertainers Kai, to an unprecedented two-pronged partnership with Balenciaga. But at the same time, these contributed to an onslaught of the GG monogram that was central to Michele’s design vocabulary—almost every collection incorporated the motif in some form and it became overwhelming and predictable. To the consumer, it was too much of the same thing.
There’s often so much emphasis on the creative director that the essence of the brand that hired them gets lost. Hiring established figures can thus be a double-edged sword. In the hopes of tapping into their prior commercial successes, brands have handed over their design reins to big name creative directors. But every brand is different, and well-known creatives come packaged with their own signature look, which can be boon or bane. Much like forcing a square peg into a round hole, attempting to adapt and weave a creative’s aesthetic into a brand is hardly a surefire hit.
Burberry lost traces of its Britishness when Riccardo Tisci took over as the brand’s chief creative officer. His goth streetwear leanings—a winning combination throughout a 12-year appointment at Givenchy—were pared back to be remixed into Burberry’s more sartorial heritage. There were the odd spikes and embellishments peppered here and there, animal motifs (another Givenchy-era design trope) and heavy-handed use of streetwear elements that all felt forced. The aim seemed to be to create a new Givenchy, even if the world had already moved on from that particular style.
That’s not to say that having an individual point of view spells disaster. Hedi Slimane’s time at a wholly rebranded Celine mirrors more of his personal style than that of the clean, minimalist leanings built by former creative director Phoebe Philo. A hardcore fanbase and the sheer consistency of his vision helped Celine achieve a revenue exceeding EUR2 billion for 2022—all despite the initial blowback from Philo devotees.
There’s no clear-cut solution because no two fashion brands are exactly alike. Each possesses its own unique set of challenges that require different approaches to strengthen its identity. And it gets compounded if a designer’s stamp has become so intertwined with a brand that they’ve inhabited.
A fashion brand/house should never be buoyed by a sole creative force. As harsh as it may sound, a creative’s time is finite. Ultimately, a brand’s strong, overall narrative has to stay consistent and somewhat untainted by an ever-changing roster of creatives. It’s one of the main reasons why some brands, more than others, continue to thrive despite relatively little creative changes at the top. Hermès, for example, repeatedly doubles down on its storied heritage of artisanship and playfulness with Véronique Nichanian at the helm of the men’s universe since 1988. At Loewe, Jonathan Anderson is still going strong after nine years of formulating a rich emphasis on art and craft. Similarly at Maison Margiela, where creative anonymity was taken over by John Galliano in 2014, the house’s avant-garde storytelling remains at its core.
Slimane-like radical changes are risky. And if done in repeated succession, especially within a short period of time, tend to dilute a brand’s identity. Or worse, confuses consumers. As much as fashion embraces newness and originality (if novelty is even a thing any more) a certain level of consistency is comforting. This is precisely why efforts like those employed by Sartori at Zegna as well as Vaccarello’s iteration of Saint Laurent are working. Both were strategically careful to transition and evolve slowly, thus allowing time for consumers—both existing and prospective—to adjust and follow along on their journeys.
And there’s the crux of it all: Time. It’s something that’s necessary, yet not every creative director is afforded it. A vision—and in relation, the strengthening of brand identity—requires time to be fully realised. Could Bally have expanded its brand narrative if Villaseñor were afforded time? Perhaps.
Gucci is gearing itself for another revival with the appointment of Sabato de Sarno. Like Michele, de Sarno is a relative unknown who had been working under Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli. His debut for Gucci is scheduled for this September. Ann Demeulemeester also opted for a fresh perspective in the form of Stefano Gallici, a designer from within its own ranks.
Here’s hoping that they’re all given time. Or at the very least, are offered much needed creative inspiration in a new house.
