The Gobi. It’s a vast expanse of emptiness and sand—so much sand—that spreads out into forever where the sky meets the endless horizon in a union of dust and sunlight. From the pictures, you’d imagine it to be tomb-quiet but the howl from the whipping wind says otherwise.
It’s hard to imagine such a landscape to be replete of life but travellers walked these sandy plains once and still. Except, in this day and age, SUVs and motorbikes leave their treads in the sand—signs of existence. These lay there as testament before, hours later, the wind would return the desert to its unblemished state.
For now, a Mongol herder—a sullen man, adorned in weathered leather boots and a dusty blue down coat bisected by a brown belt—leads his camels; trailing foot/hoofprints. They see a figure perched on a dune ahead. As the figure approaches, the herder brim his eyes with his free hand, while the other hand tightens around the reins.
The stranger, a tall foreigner of the Western persuasion, is attired in a white coat and slacks the colour of chocolate. He may look like a fish out of water but, here in this parched land, he feels perfectly at ease. Were this any other encounter, the herder would baulk at the stranger but this is a meeting that had occurred minutes ago. This is the second take before documentary photographer Chris Rainier, satisfied with the shot, directs them to another spot, angled in a way that the near-afternoon sun would flatter them.
It started at Luxor.
Two years ago, to commemorate its semicentennial anniversary, the Italian luxury lifestyle brand Stefano Ricci decided to host the celebration at the Hatshepsut Temple. As part of the Theban Necropolis, the temple is carved into the sheer cliffs of the Deir el-Bahari complex. The monumental architecture characterised by three terraces proved to be a fitting space for Stefano Ricci.
The two-day event culminated in a fashion show for 400 guests. Dr Zahi Hawass, archaeologist and former Minister of Antiquities and Culture, described the show thusly: “I have seen this temple more than a thousand times in my life, but Stefano [the namesake founder and brand chairman] made me see it in a new and different way. The fashion models began to come down the temple stairs, escorted by Egyptian warriors. We saw a great new fashion that the world had never seen before.”
The event created a lot of buzz but it also sparked an idea for a series; one that would take the Ricci family to far-flung corners of the world.
It's called the EXPLORER Project and it’s spearheaded by the sons of Stefano, Niccolò and Filippo—the CEO and creative director, respectively. Filippo said that the Luxor event alerted them to a new outlook in appealing to men’s innate wanderlust. Their clients are “dynamic, independent, powerful men” and the real luxury is to “have remarkable [travel] experiences”.
They started with Iceland. A land of contrasts, where glaciers meet black volcanic sands. The Vatnajökull Glacier—Europe’s largest ice cap—is an indomitable presence on the south-eastern horizon. For their AW24 collection, Filippo came with an intrepid crew consisting of hair-and-make-up artists, stylists, videographers, drone operators and models. They also roped in the expertise of Terry Garcia, CEO of Exploration Ventures, and the aforementioned Chris Rainier.
Terry leapt at the chance to work on the project. He cited the importance of exploration, especially in this day and age. They shot against the Skógafoss waterfall; along the black sand beaches of Reykjanesbær and Reynisfjara; the Diamond Beach, a sand beach next to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and the cavernous ice caves of the Vatnajökull Region.
The Galápagos Islands were the next chapter of the Explorer project but that wasn’t Stefano Ricci’s first choice. They were supposed to shoot elsewhere but unforeseen circumstances forced the crew to scramble for another location. They eventually ended at the Galápagos Islands.
We suppose there is some poetry to this. The volcanic archipelago was where naturalist, Charles Darwin, was inspired to develop his theory of evolution. In this place, where Darwin witnessed the adaptations of finches’ beaks, Stefano Ricci will adapt to shoot their SS24 campaign.
Terry Garcia is still on board but this time, Mattias Klum, photographer, and National Geographic fellow, helmed the photoshoot. Niccolò has decided to come along as well; no sense in letting the younger brother have all the fun. With the supervision of the Galápagos National Park Directorate, extreme care was taken in shooting in the archipelago’s fragile and unique ecosystems.
They shot at Santa Fé Island, a small gem in the Galápagos crown. There, the the sea lions and marine iguanas were nonchalant accessories to the photoshoot. The unique fauna (giant turtles) and flora (cactus and Scalesia forest) complemented the “nature tones” of the collection. This was also their first underwater shoot. On a boat ride out to Isla Guy Fawkes, Matthias said that the underwater perspective added another dimension to the story that they were telling.
That story is part of a bigger one. It’s post-Covid and the borders are slowly opening up. The pent-up agoraphilia that those mindful of quarantine have broken loose. It seemed serendipitous that Stefano Ricci managed to be in the thick of this sudden worldwide yen for travel.
For the AW24 collection, Stefano Ricci’s took to the birthplace of Chinggis Khaan—Mongolia. Aside the return of Chris Rainier as the principal photographer, for this expedition, they included the locals in their campaign, opened the expedition up to valued customers willing to join them and introduced exclusive material for their winter outfits.
First, the material. It’s made from the undercoat of the Hircus goats from Alashan. The fibre is collected through gentle hand combing on goats no older than 10 months of age in the spring. Then, it’s processed into a superlight and resistant cashmere: the Stefano Ricci Alpha Yarn.
Second, the inclusion of Stefano Ricci’s clientele in the project added another facet to the brand’s growing portfolio—that of a semi-bespoke travel agent. Stefano Ricci’s exclusive patronage is a by-invitation-only club. These valued patrons will have the opportunity to embark on this once-in-a- lifetime chance to evoke their inner Magellan (or insert your own ethical explorer alternative). Lorenzo Quinn, an artist known for his large-scale sculptures (one of his works, “The Force of Nature”, is found at Marina Barrage) is an inaugural invitee. In a reportage video, Lorenzo paraphrased the essence of exploration from the project’s motto, “[to] explore the world is to explore ourselves”. For an artist like him, this was a much-needed respite to stir the creative juices.
During the time in Mongolia, the group slept in gers (a Mongolian yurt); traversed the Flaming Cliffs; posed at the Chinggis Khaan Statue Complex; climb the many and winding steps of Aryabal Temple and communed with the Kazakh burkitshi (eagle hunters) in Altai. It is the latter that held great significance with Stefano Ricci; the family’s emblem is the eagle. It is this commonality that the Riccis donated to Kazakh Falconry Association for the preservation of the raptors. (Stefano Ricci also donated to the Charles Darwin Foundation at their last Galápagos project).
For a luxury brand, there is nothing luxurious in how the campaigns were shot. In fact, productions were closer to the point of discomfort. There have been a lot of unearthly hours to aspire to, just to catch the first light of the sun. They also had to contend with the local amenities in these far-flung corners. In their journey from Three Camel Lodge at which they resided, to the shooting location in the Gobi, the early morning darkness caused even the guide to lose his bearings.
But Niccolò had nothing but praise for the professionalism of his team. Everybody knows what they need to do. It’s a well-oiled machine, one that was honed during previous excursions. In classic Italian fashion, the smiles break through the sweat; the camaraderie flows easily.
A fashion house and the theme of travel... this isn’t a novel idea. Luggage brands like RIMOWA extolled the virtue of a well-travelled suitcase and Samsonite highlighted the “man on the go”. Coach had an air travel boutique inside an aeroplane. Japanese label, TEÄTORA, specialises in outfits to ease the rigours of travel—ie, packable T-shirts, jackets to fit carry-ons like a passport and/or an electronic tablet.
We leave off with a quote from Terry: “Exploration, yes, it’s about adventure, it’s about the unknown. But sometimes, exploration is about seeing an old place through new eyes.” And what better way than to view it through the lens of fashion?
Sai Fengjia (FJ, as she’s commonly known) and Isaac Ang were born in the '90s. Too young to experience the grunge era nor relish in the heyday of X-Men: The Animated Series. But it didn't stop them from indulging in their love for the era or earlier.
They met at polytechnic, studying to be graphic designers. They bonded over their shared love of the past. "We got into streetwear," FJ says. "There were a lot of Supreme, HBA, people were dressing like ASAP Rocky, that sort of thing." Like many people in those days, YouTube was a treasure trove of content and FJ and Isaac were willing patrons of short clips and unboxing videos. "We watched people collecting vintage snapbacks," FJ adds. "Not only were they restoring them, they were also talking about the history behind the caps."
That was the trip over the edge of the rabbit hole and they fell into the world of vintage clothing. They chanced upon videos by Round Two, a secondhand clothing business, and had insights into a behind-the-scenes look into its operation. But what cemented the duo’s aspiration to open up their own vintage clothing shop was from a trip to Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. They enjoyed the hospitality and the local owners’ willingness to share their expertise, regardless of the language barrier. "We saw KINJI (used clothing store) and other secondhand stores," FJ says. "It was everything that you see them sell online but in a physical store. I remember Isaac saying to me, Haha, when we return to Singapore, let’s do something like this."
It may be an off-the-cuff statement but it planted a seed. The plan to open up a physical space was postponed until Isaac finished his National Service and in 2018, they set up Loop Garms in Little India. What started as a passion project, has now grown into something else. It's a living. It's still a familiar terrain but now new landmarks have taken root—there’s a business component attached to it; they have a staff who depend on them for their livelihood. While the local vintage market has grown, Loop Garms manages to remain relevant with a vintage selection that caters to almost every demographic and its marketing outreach.
For the latter, FJ and Isaac upload educational videos on how to spot an authentic vintage piece or bite-sized clips on their social media platforms on what they are wearing. It’s this sort of outreach that puts them in the foreground of public perception.
"We bought items with no intention of flipping it," FJ says. "They were just things that we got from eBay that appealed to us." Comic paraphernalia is more of FJ’s wheelhouse, while anime and manga were Isaac’s. But for the rest, they are usually chosen, more often in unanimity.
It borders on hoarding. Over the years, people were dropping off things at the shop. Things that they were too lazy to sell themselves or just want other people to bask in the items’ nostalgic value. FJ and Isaac try will make space for the goods but it starts to turn into a game of "where-else-can-I-clear-to-display-them"? The Loop Garms shop is a scene of organised chaos. Chocked with ’80s-’90s pop culture items in seeming disarray, items were grouped by some unspoken logic. FJ points to the display case at the front counter, a small anthill of old electronic equipment—mobile phones, pagers, handheld game consoles — many were donated by her family. T-shirts of the moment hang from invisible threads from the ceiling. Action figures loosed from the confines of their boxes, stand posed on a shelf to the side.
FJ reveals that she doesn't have the heart to toss out anything. "If I don’t have the space for it, I'd put them in a box and I'll think about what to do with them the next time."
Loop Garms has a healthy international customer base. It is where a lot of their big-ticket items go to. "Mind you, many of our customers are young and they think that vintage must be old-looking or secondhand; something you must thrift. We try to educate them about this. Having a physical space allows for conversations like this to happen."
So, what do customers usually look for? According to Isaac, the local clientele is more trend-driven. "There was a series of T-shirts called 'American Thunder'. Basically, it had lightning streaks on the front and features some sort of Native American-related print. We carried them and they were sold out in 2018. The following year, we had people DMing us saying that they recall us stocking a couple of American Thunder tees in our store. We were wondering why there was a sudden interest and then realised that Travis Scott wore a couple of them on his tour. People are looking at these again because someone famous wore them."
When Netflix’s The Last Dance aired, interest in Chicago Bulls memorabilia surged. Basketballs with the Chicago Bulls logo or posters of Dennis Rodman would double in price. One would point to the nature of supply and demand but it’s more accurate to point to the cyclical nature of fashion—a fad never falls out of season; it hibernates.
Isaac argues that it doesn’t matter what age you are, who can fault you for having an appreciation of the period? I mean, are we going to go after historians next?
"It's really just nostalgia,” Isaac justifies. “But it's not because it’s cool to like pieces from the '80s and '90s. There was a quality to them."
And there's a bigger reason for this: the stories. FJ and Isaac love the histories that come with the T-shirts. "Like us, there’s a personal connection between the customer and the shirt. There was one guy whom we were chatting with and he noticed a Speed T-shirt we had displayed. He pointed at it and said that his dad and he used to watch Speed.
It does reframe your perception of what FJ and Isaac do. Maybe they are more than collectors or packrats. Rather they are archivists of a past for the next generation.
1. INDUSTRIAL SYMPHONY NO. 1 TEE
Isaac: “In the late ’80s, early ’90s, David Lynch created a concert performance called Industrial Symphony No. 1. They created a promo T-shirt that you can only get at the show. We saw a vintage store owner talk about how significant the Industrial Symphony No. 1 T-shirt was to him and we thought about doing a video as well because we have the same shirt. After we posted it, a guy from the States DMed us and offered USD1,000. We declined. We weren’t trying to sell the T-shirt, we just wanted to talk about it and see people’s reactions. Then, we had offers from other people as well and the guy who offered USD1,000 came back with another number: USD2,000. At this point, we’ve no idea if he was joking or not. Obviously, we declined. A couple of months later, he contacted us again. He said that he may not have the most money but no one wants this shirt more than him. And he offered USD3,000. But we refused again. We didn’t want to sell the shirt because the fit is great. We have an XXXL, which would be a modern-day XL; it’s a size that’s very popular because a lot of people can wear it.”
2. NATURAL BORN KILLERS TEE
Isaac: “I remember growing up in Australia and my mom allowing me to watch this. I love Natural Born Killers; love Woody Harrelson... Robert Downey Jr’s character was pretty hilarious. I dig the whole vibe of the film. Pity I don’t wear this any more.”
3. LOLLAPALOOZA ’92 TEE
Isaac: “I’ve never been to Lollapalooza but it doesn’t stop me from wearing this. That year, they had a sick line-up of bands that I’m into: Soundgarden, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam, but more importantly, we tend to collect things that occur in our birth year—1992. The design of this appeals to us.”
FJ: “Fun fact, the Lollapalooza ’93 tee featured fractal art in its design. It was based on the Windows Media Player visualiser. We have a ‘Fractal Generation’ tee by Roberto Azank, a fractal artist, who made visuals for Macworld and Apple conferences.”
4. THE 1992 AND 1996 LITHUANIA TIE-DYE KITS
Isaac: “The national Lithuanian basketball team wanted to go to the 1992 Barcelona Olympics but they didn’t have the funds. The Grateful Dead saw their plight and wanted to sponsor them. They even got their designer, Greg Speirs, to create their kit, which is why their 1992 basketball team’s uniforms were all tie-dyed in the colours of the Lithuanian flag. This uniform is special because the country just achieved independence from the Soviet Union and now they are at the Olympics. And this is their first-ever uniform featuring Skullman... and they came in third!
FJ: “They’d win another bronze medal in the next Olympics and another bronze in 2000. We only have the ’92 and ’96 shirts. Again, prices for these skyrocketed after Jonah Hill was spotted in the ’92 tee. I like these tees because of the underdog story.”
Photography: Jaya Khidir
Who can say they’ve had a reign that lasted over seventy years? The late Queen Elizabeth II comes to mind, and then there’s the King of Rock and Roll, who has not only influenced the pop culture landscape for decades but also the accent of a So-Cal actor to a surprisingly lasting extent.
But within fashion, the Gucci Horsebit loafer has managed to maintain the same level of influence since it was introduced in 1953. With a design so recognisably "Gucci", the appeal stretches far and wide, from A-listers to your most fashionable friends. Seventy years on, that equestrian tool on the tongue will still place you in the upper echelons of style royalty.
The story as to why a snaffle became a signifier for the luxury fashion house starts with its founder. Guccio Gucci worked as a luggage porter at The Savoy, London, when his fascination with the equestrian world started, seeing it as the sport of the rich and famous people who took up residence at the hotel.
But it didn’t come into form as a loafer until his son Aldo Gucci took over the business (along with his brothers Rodolfo and Vasco). So it goes, Aldo designed a pair of dressy loafers as a response to the moccasins that Bass Weejuns were producing, having noticed that the sleek designs were popular with American prepsters. Gucci stamped it with the horsebit detail in honour of his father, and in doing so created a staple shoe that is both discreet and distinguishable.
The shoe quickly became a hit on home soil, but it didn’t take long for its influence to reach Stateside and beyond. Despite its dressier history—with thanks to Cary Grant—Gucci loafers, in particular, became a popular casual shoe among the younger generation. By the Seventies, plenty of women had a pair—perhaps most famously Jodie Foster, who was pictured aged 15 sporting the style while skateboarding—as well as dapper male stars like Kirk Douglas, Francis Ford Coppola and Roger Moore.
The style is just as popular on screen as it is on the streets, too. In 1979, Dustin Hoffman wore a pair in Kramer vs. Kramer, then there was Matt Dillon in Drugstore Cowboy ten years later. Matt Damon wore them in The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), a film that’s repeatedly called upon for its perennial influence on men’s summer wardrobes in Europe and beyond.
Different creative directors of the luxury fashion house have all had their own take on the design. Tom Ford famously revitalised Gucci in 1994, and did so with classic signifiers of the brand like the horsebit. Alessandro Michele continued to use the motif throughout his tenure, incorporating his maximalist and print-heavy aesthetic, while Gucci’s latest recruit, Sabato De Sarno, has (literally) elevated it even more with a platform sole.
In today’s age, you can see the likes of Paul Mescal, Mark Ronson and Kingsley Ben-Adir (who also stars in the new campaign for the shoe) all donning a pair while on and off the red carpet, further cementing their smart-casual appeal. Rest assured, their reign is set to continue for the foreseeable future.
Originally published on Esquire UK
Loewe isn't just a luxury fashion brand. It's a cultural brand that has—since under the creative directorship of Jonathan Anderson—instilled an even greater importance on craft, including from realms outside of the traditional fashion sphere. Through its many collaborations as well as in-house collections, Loewe continues to give prominence the skill of the hand from within its own studios as well as from cultures around the world.
It may seem like a marketing spiel, this idea of a luxury fashion brand being more than creating products to sell. Yet, the proof is in the way Loewe operates. Its social media platforms delve deeper into how a product is crafted by showing a brief run through of the process, while collection notes often detail the craft behind each collection. Separately, Loewe has its annual Loewe Foundation Craft Prize showcasing and awarding the many different works of craft the world over.
Crafted World is in itself a collaborative effort. The exhibition was designed in collaboration with famed design studio OMA with each thematic chapter varying in interactivity and scale. "Born from the Hand", for example, tells the story of Loewe's evolution from its leather-making roots to its current contemporary fashion leanings as seen through the showcase of key products such as first-edition signature bags to costumes made in collaboration with Anthea Hamilton. "The Atelier" quite literally transports visitors behind the scenes to discover the many steps needed to craft Loewe's most iconic bags, with the journey ending with a two-metre-tall recreation of the Howl’s Moving Castle bag. Along the way, Crafted World offers plenty of surprises including knee-high exhibits thoughtfully conceptualised for children to interact with.
And once visitors are done exploring the six thematic chapters, a specially curated gift shop filled with exclusive merchandise and books, lets the magic continue at home. But that's not all. Crafted World continues onto the courtyard with a number of Galician artisan Álvaro Leiro's reinterpretations of the traditional, fringed Galician raincoats woven from reeds, straw and briar.
The free-to-public exhibition comes as Anderson hit his 10-year mark as creative director of Loewe last year—a rarity in today's climate of creative directors not lasting more than three years. Plenty of credit should be given to the man for reinvigorating Loewe into one of the most exciting luxury brands out there; as should the artisans whose works are the cornerstone of Loewe. Crafted World does just that.
Crafted World runs until 5 May 2024 at the Shanghai Exhibition Centre before making its way around the world.
ESQUIRE: Coldplay is in town for the next few days. Have you adjusted to the time zone?
GUY BERRYMAN: Not quite. Getting there. We were in Manila prior and were stuck in crazy Manila traffic. I’ve never seen anything like it. Have you been there?
ESQ: Once. A long time ago. You’ll need to frame your appointments around how bad the traffic is. But having the concert held across several days must be great for you.
GB: So many people want to buy tickets, which is amazing. So, if we only do one show, a lot of people will be pissed-off. From a business point of view, it’s better to be in one spot for many shows because it saves on all the transportation and setup costs.
ESQ: I’d assume that it’s enough time to get acclimatised.
GB: It’s nice not having to move. I like coming to a place, unpacking my stuff in a hotel room and staying there for a week as opposed to flying into a city, doing a show and flying to the next place, y’know? That’s way harder.
ESQ: You have outfits that you have collected over the years. What is that one piece that you’re amazed by?
GB: I’ve got so many garments that I’m completely in love with. Quite often, they’re 50 or 70 years old, something like that. There’s one jacket that I have, which is a Royal Air Force Ventile parka from the 1950s that I think is just one of the greatest pieces of menswear ever designed.
ESQ: Why is that?
GB: It’s hard to say initially... but it’s the details, really. The Ventile fabric, the fit, the lining... what’s particularly nice about the jacket is that it’s 70 years old. It’s faded and got little holes in it; there’s a certain patina to it that brands try to recreate with their products. These days, you can buy new jeans that are full of holes, that’s been faded... it’s all fake. What I love about the [Royal Air Force] jacket is the way it looks, it’s old and really beautiful. I wear vintage pieces all the time. I love them because they look a certain way that you can only get from a vintage piece.
ESQ: Do you think, in this day and age, that it’s easier to buy vintage pieces or harder due to fast fashion?
GB: I’m somebody who buys mostly old clothes. When I go to a different city, I don’t head to the luxury retail experiences. I go for the flea markets, the antique shops and the charity outlets. That’s where I’d find the things that I like. I do shop from Dover Street Market but I’ve no issue with wearing secondhand clothes at all.
ESQ: Was your T-shirt, “Love is the Drug” inspired by one of Roxy Music’s songs of the same name?
GB: Actually, that was just a coincidence. The phrase has nothing to do with Roxy Music. So, we do all of our own screenprinting by hand at our [Applied Art Forms] studio. Somebody in the team said since Valentine’s Day is coming up, we should make a special Valentine’s Day T-shirt. I was thinking about what can we do that isn’t super cheesy like a heart or the kind of typical imagery associated with Valentine’s Day. I kinda thought that “love is the drug”. It kinda had that slightly edgier feel to it. I wrote “Love is the drug” on a piece of cardboard with a pink marker. I let the paint run down a little so that it looked cool. We photographed it, screenprinted about, I think, 50 T-shirts and put it up for sale the next day. When it was sold out, we kept getting e-mails from people wanting to buy it. After a while, we kept printing and making more of them. Then, Chris [Martin] wore it, which led to more people wanting it. So, here we are two years later still with “Love is the Drug”. (shows a T-shirt from the rack) We have a version only for Singapore. This is a black on black T-shirt. But, yeah, “Love is the Drug” has nothing to do with Roxy Music.
ESQ: Has Roxy Music contacted you about the phrase though?
GB: No they didn’t. I mean, I don’t know what the IP rules on this are like. I’m not sure. Actually, the phrase I meant to write was “Love is a Drug” and I wrote it wrong. The “just say yes” portion of it has to do with this 1980s anti-drug campaign in the UK... no, wait, it was an American campaign to stop kids from taking drugs and the campaign slogan was “just say no”. So when I wrote, “Love is the Drug”. I changed and added “just say yes” to it. So, that’s how it came about.
ESQ: Will you do more slogan T-shirts?
GB: For me, my real passion for the brand is outerwear jackets. So whenever we launch a new collection, it’s always built around my ideas for the jackets that I want to make. Most of the time I just wear plain T-shirts... that’s just how I like to style myself. But, of course, graphic T-shirts are what the public wants so we always offer a few different graphic T-shirts. Some are sometimes photographic-based. We do a lot of handwriting or stencilling. “Love is the Drug” is a nice phrase and I don’t think I’m going to introduce another kind of slogan anytime soon.
ESQ: You have a studio in Amsterdam. What does that do for you, creatively as an artist?
GB: My partner, Keishia [Gerrits] is Dutch and so I was spending more and more time over there visiting her family. I fell in love with Amsterdam. It’s just such a wonderful city and it made sense to move there. I’m now a full-time resident of Amsterdam. As a city, culturally, it’s very diverse. The centre of the city looks the same now as it did hundreds of years ago. I always think that it’s very beautiful. But there are a lot of creatives in Amsterdam. Many talented people, like musicians and designers. There are incredible restaurant tours there. The city changed a lot even in the last five years since I’ve been there.
ESQ: Hannah Martin is your partner for your jewellery line, A Vanitas and your meeting with her was serendipitous. Do you like collaborating with other people?
GB: I do. Collaboration is such a big thing these days. I feel almost every day you’re looking on social media or whatever and you’re presented with news of a new collaborative product. When the idea of collaborations first started happening, it was interesting but now I kinda see it for what it is... which is just a big marketing exercise. where big brands are saying, you take some of our customers and we take some of yours. That’s what collaboration these days are like. But the collaboration between Hannah and I was not about that. It was just this very chance meeting. We’re two small brands so our collaboration isn’t gonna move the dial for either of our businesses. Our partnership came about with a focus just purely on the product and the designs that we came up with.
ESQ: What’s next on the collaboration front?
GB: The most sensible collaboration would be with a footwear brand. Applied Art Forms don’t do footwear. For a small brand like us to go into footwear is quite challenging because the minimums on shoes are very high and you have a range of sizes for them. What would make more sense for us, is partnering with an established like-minded footwear brand for shoes. That would probably be my next logical step for any kind of collaboration.
ESQ: You mentioned there was a steep learning curve when you first created Applied Art Forms. Is it easier now? Or do you still find it challenging to sustain it?
GB: No, I love it. I’m very passionate, very driven about design. I’m always full of ideas so it is never an issue to realise them. I mean, we did launch the brand at the start of the pandemic; I was living in the UK at the time and the studio was in Amsterdam. So when the lockdown happened suddenly, I couldn’t go to the studio to work. Very quickly, we had to come up with a new way of working, which was, as you know, would be Zoom calls.
I’d be at home talking through the screen with the team in Amsterdam. We’d have an open Zoom meeting for half a day. If a prototype came in, they would hold it up and try it on. I’d look at them saying, no, the shoulders need to be wider, that needs to be longer, y’know? It’s not ideal but it works. Now, I’m on tour and it allows me to come to places like Singapore and speak to you. That’s helpful for the brand. But I can jump in on a Zoom meeting any time because we have the remote working method really dialled in. Eventually, when I move to Amsterdam, it’ll be fantastic because then I can cycle to the studio every morning and be together with the team. This would be much more productive.
ESQ: What about scalability? How do you navigate that and try to stay true to what you’re doing?
GB: We’re always going to stay true to what we’re doing. Of course, we needed to grow and we needed to scale a bit but I definitely don’t want to turn [Applied Art Forms] into a huge mega brand. It’s always about product quality. It’s about building a community around the brand who understands where I’m coming from. And for me, that’s all it needs to be.
ESQ: We’re curious. Your jewellery line with Hannah is about the memento mori trope (“remember that you’ll die so do all you can in this limited lifetime”). Whereas Applied Art Forms is about the longevity of clothes. What does time mean to you?
GB: It all stems down to trying to leave your mark on the world. If you make something which isn’t very good, or if it doesn’t last a long time, it will disappear. I guess it’s kinda the same way when you make music: you’re trying to make songs that will have an impression on the world. And it’ll still be playing after you’re done. For instance, (points to a jacket) that denim chore jacket there... it’s a beautiful Japanese selvedge denim and this is fantastic in the way it’s put together. Somebody like me could go to a vintage store and find this jacket because it lasted that long. But not only that, it will look so beautiful. It will have faded and there might be some holes in it but it’s going to look beautiful. I always want to make meaningful things whether that be music or clothes or jewellery. It has to be something which will stand the test of time.
Photography: Jaya Khidir
Pharrell Williams and Tyler, the Creator share a longstanding collaboration in the music industry, with many of Tyler’s songs produced by Williams. They also feature in each other’s tracks, including Williams' 2022 single “Cash In Cash Out” and Tyler’s “IFHY” from his 2013 album Wolf. The close friends are in constant creative dialogues and thrive on it. Taking it to a new level, the Louis Vuitton men’s creative director delivers a new capsule collection created in collaboration with Tyler.
This isn't Tyler's first brush with Louis Vuitton having most recently composed the soundtrack for the Maison's Autumn/Winter 2023 menswear show. The Louis Vuitton Spring 2024 Men’s Capsule Collection by Tyler, The Creator is a melodic combination of the visual vocabularies of Tyler and the Maison, especially the one that Williams has established—it's preppy meets dandy with a whole lot of fresh interpretations of both.
The collection features pieces that Tyler would personally wear. “I dress the same in a meeting as I do a performance or grocery store trip, so hand drawing the monogram felt like the perfect balance to me,” he says. Dubbed the "Craggy Monogram", his hand drawn monogram comes in chocolate, vanilla and pastel shades. In addition to the usual LV symbols and 4-petalled LV Flowers, the Craggy Monogram incorporates representations of daisies and Airedale Terriers—familiar motifs from the visual universe of the artist. The uneven shapes of the hand drawn Monogram are echoed in lines and details throughout the collection, from chocolate down jackets to vanilla windbreakers, denim jackets with matching denim pants and denim dungarees, along with accessories.
Known as the guy who turns up to awards shows in shorts, Tyler’s collection just had to include them. Classic shorts and chinos with pleats and fold-ups appear alongside dandy-esque shirts adorned with graphics. With his penchant for pastels, the collection also features baby blue cable knit jumpers with a craggy V-neck and cuff stripes, and a pink fair-isle vest. As a nod to Tyler's obsession of luggages, a special-edition Courrier Lozine 110 trunk featuring the Craggy Monogram was created for the collection.
Tyler's authenticity shines through his recurring playful motifs in the collection’s accessories ranging from flower-studded rings to a Craggy Monogram cereal bowl with a matching spoon. The collection also features a chess set with its chess pieces portraying melted chocolate, hand-sketched by Tyler himself. This is also, unsurprisingly, the rapper’s favourite item from the collection. “I wanted to mix my style and Louis Vuitton’s codes together in a way that felt slightly whimsical but could still be worn to the gas station on a Tuesday,” he explains.
Needless to say, Williams is a fan of the collection: “This collaboration is unique to Louis Vuitton because it’s a natural extension of our LVERS philosophy, building on our network of incredible artists and creatives. There are so many elements specific to Tyler built into these pieces and it’s been inspiring to see him hone in on his craft and collaborate with him for this spring collection."
The Louis Vuitton Spring 2024 Men’s Capsule Collection by Tyler, The Creator is now available in boutiques and online.
2024 is quickly becoming the year of the lapel pin as exemplified by the range seen at the recent Academy Awards. But it was two weeks prior, at another award show, that we were taken by quite an extraordinary lapel pin.
Now, we're not saying that Paul Mescal at the 2024 BAFTAs ignited a sudden re-embrace of lapel pins (and some pretty bejewelled ones at that), but the Cartier piece added to his Gucci suit was such an unexpected surprise in the best ways possible. At first glance, the sharp-edged design looked like individual pins layered atop of each other. However, they're a whole set with its connection hidden at the back of the jacket's lapel. Its name? The Cartier Libre Polymorph jacket lapel gem—crafted in white gold and decorated with garnets, onyx and diamonds.
The Cartier Libre collection isn't exactly new. As the name suggests, it's a completely free expression untethered by conventions of jewellery and watchmaking as well as Cartier traditions, and has resulted in some truly inspiring pieces by the Maison. The Polymorph collection that sits under Cartier Libre however, is the latest creative expression—a collection of watches and jewellery that all share the ability to transform.
No, they don't mechanically move and turn into something else (although judging by the debut collection, it certainly isn't out of the realm of possibility). The Cartier Libre Polymorph collection is inspired by the constant motion of nature, resulting in pieces that are flexible and draws on the Maison's passion for surprise and bringing refined creations to life.
A fine example of this is a Polymorph ring consisting of four rotating discs of white gold, onyx and diamonds. The ring imitates the movement of a solar eclipse with each disc varying in design and size. The full extent of its width can be unfolded on the hand or folded inwards to create a single focal point of a spiral of discs that seems to be in constant flow. It's a show-stopping piece and definitely looks better than a fidget spinner.
One of the collection's more curious objets d'art is a bejewelled carabiner. The precious object is smaller than the size of one's palm but is intricately riddled with baguette diamonds, brilliant-set diamonds, prong-set sapphire and emeralds. In the centre sits a rotating component showcasing a diamond-paved dial surrounded by emeralds and sapphires. At the 12 o'clock position sits a ruby, while beads of lapis-lazuli, onyx, black spinel, turquoise and chrysoprase coil around either side of the dial.
But the main point is that it's a carabiner, and like every other carabiner, it opens up. The Polymorph piece does so with a touch of a sapphire cabochon that activates the diamond-paved band bordered by rubies that it sits on. Talk about decadent.
While Mescal's lapel pin was a unique piece, this next brooch is an incomparable stunner. The panther is Cartier's insignia through and through. Hence, it's no surprise that it would make an appearance in the Polymorph collection too and this time, in quite a menacing interpretation.
Shaped like four claws of the panther, the brooch is crafted from four large moonstones and snow-set diamonds with custom-cut onyx. It sits right at the edge of a lapel, appearing to grip the and display only a hint of its power. But even then, the surprise doesn't stop there. When pressed, a hidden miniature dial is revealed. Smart, audacious and bold—a creative expression like no other.
There are of course more pieces in the Cartier Libre Polymorph collection, including a bracelet that bursts like the sun's rays. But even just these three aforementioned pieces are enough to showcase the unbridled creativity that's at the heart of the Maison. And to think that this is just the beginning.
Creative director Anthony Vaccarello wants eyes on the shoulders of the Saint Laurent man. For the 49-look Summer 2024 collection, he had models either donning jackets with emphasised shoulders, or baring them. Even in unlayered overshirts, the shoulder seams have been intentionally extended to accentuate the broadness of a man’s frame. Presented in Berlin, Germany, at the monumental Neue Nationalgalerie by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, the Saint Laurent Summer 2024 collection found the perfect stage. There, in the glass-and-steel temple of modern architecture, the occasion seared the setting into the minds of guests in attendance—the collection was paraded with the aplomb of modernism amid a glorious sunset.
While it is easy to pick up the references Vaccarello pulled from the Saint Laurent Women’s Winter 2023 collection, translating a female collection onto menswear is no simple trick. Due credit must be given to Vaccarello for making it even remotely appealing to the everyday man. The androgynous wardrobe he has created succeeds because it modernises the inverted triangle body shape that traditionalists worship.
Vaccarello’s modernist approach comes into focus at waists that are cinched, so the inverted triangle is fully realised to its tip, literally. In every look, the top is presented tucked and nipped into the generously cut high-waisted flute pants. After the shoulders, attention gravitates towards the pants of the collection. There is an assuring dissonance in the suaveness of the pants being high-waisted and cut in a flute shape. But there is also a comfort in knowing there’s wiggle room for such a sharply tailored garment. Hemmed at the ankle, the pants are also given attention to the chunky heeled boots that are paired with the looks. The least desired thing about flute pants is the bunching at the legs, breaking up the masculine stature.
There are many other modernist approaches employed by Vaccarello throughout the Saint Laurent Summer 2024 collection. Seemingly stereotypical female garment types are butched up. Deep décolletés satin tank tops are cut wide to look like luxurious muscle tanks. One-shouldered toga sheer tops are treated into cut-out T-shirts for a grunge outlook where the other non-exposed shoulder is completely covered. A silk satin blouse is perhaps Vaccarello’s take on the basic oversized T-shirt seen all over the streets.
The Saint Laurent Summer 2024 collection is entitled “Each Man Kills The Thing He Loves”. And by the way it was presented, many men may have overkilled their excuse of being presentable with lazy suits over basic T-shirts. Vaccarello shows the way with sharp tailoring and a modernist masculine appeal of truly being presentable.
The answer: seemingly limitless. The Dior Men Charm bag is the latest of artistic director Kim Jones’ contemporary take on Dior’s storied heritage.
Familiar motifs have taken on new forms before. We saw how Jones supercharged renewed interest in the classic Saddle bag by reimagining it with a Matthew M Williams-designed buckle. Jones also introduced sneakers into the house’s design vocabulary by featuring either the Dior Oblique or in the case of the B30, a streamlined, sporty CD logo. This time, Jones has taken things up a few notches by combining two.
For a start, the Dior Charm bag features a clasp adapted from the hardware of the iconic Lady Dior in the house’s women’s universe. While the original motif consists of connected letters, D, I, O and R (of course), as mobile charms in a calculated arrangement, the Dior Charm of the men’s universe is rendered as a single plaque fashioned from the same characters, with the ‘O’ as the base. It sports an antique silver finish for a grittier look that distinguishes itself from that of the Lady Dior.
But the immediate defining characteristic of the Dior Charm bag is the Cannage motif that completely envelopes the piece. The Cannage Cosmo leather—first introduced by Jones in Summer 2023—is a slightly blown-up version of the original Cannage and translated as a whole laser-cut cage stitched onto smooth calfskin. A true testament to the skills of the Dior artisans, the topstitching is thoroughly precise and serves to enhance the encasement of the motif. In the Dior Charm’s grey and black iterations, they’re subtle and sleek; the Cannage is decidedly bold in the cognac colourway, especially against the antique silver-finish hardware.
Jones is no stranger to referencing the house’s women’s universe and transmuting these references into what would later become key motifs of Dior Men. The Dior Charm is one of those once-in-a-lifetime lightbulb moments that seem so obvious now that it’s been realised. Having it as part of a new bag like the aptly named Dior Charm bag and then combining it with an equally iconic motif like the Cannage (but once again, reworked) is genius.
The past is often revisited in luxury fashion, especially when a great deal of history and heritage are involved. But sometimes, the past whispers fresh ideas, and Jones is the reigning master of listening to them.
Sustainability is the name of the game at Samsonite’s new Suntec City outlet. We are in an unprecedented moment where more action is needed to combat the urgent climate crisis. Consumers are looking for more eco-friendly alternatives to their products. For Samsonite, its key products—luggages—aren't the only area for the brand's commit to sustainability. Samsonite decided to tackle the project of making its latest outlet as an example of its promise to sustainability.
At Samsonite’s new store, Balau wood sculptures frame the space. It goes beyond infusing the store with a touch of elegance though as it also tells the story of rebirth. Each piece spent at least 30 years in shipyards at Tuas. Then it's recrafted and given a second life, further adding to the store’s timeless charm.
Similarly, the store’s external facade was fabricated from recycled aluminium. Plastic waste are cleaned, shredded into flakes, and then reformed into a new cashier counter. The shelves are made from recycled plastics that were intentionally crafted to look identical to glass and laminate sheets.
“We are not just creating luggage, we aim to shape the industry to be more sustainable, one journey at a time,” Satish Peerubandi, Vice-President of Samsonite SEA, declared. This new outlet is a testament to the brand's commitment to lead the sustainable transformation of the lifestyle bag and travel luggage industry.
Besides increasing the use of sustainable materials in its products and packaging, Samsonite is also moving towards a future where this practise will be the norm. Their Magnum EcoTM line is crafted with recycled yoghurt cups for its shells. And the interior lining is made from repurposed PET bottles.
Additionally, until 28 April, Samsonite opens its annual Luggage Trade-in campaign. All brands, sizes, and conditions of luggage are welcome, with materials of pre-loved luggage being recycled and repurposed into eco travel memorabilia. Trade-ins at any Samsonite store will nab you 30 per cent off on Samsonite’s Myton and Magnum EcoTM collections. Samsonite will also donate SGD10 to the WWF-Singapore Earth Hour campaign for every trade-in. In further commitment to the cause, all non-essential lights in all Samsonite stores will be turned off on 23 March 2024, Saturday, from 8.30pm to 9.30pm to coincide with the Earth Hour Switch Off.
Brand ambassador appointments are nothing new—in fact, they're quite a regular occurrence nowadays. What's unusual and quite rare are instances where multiple brand ambassadors are announced on the same day and by two very different brands.
But that's the beauty of appointing a brand ambassador. One is carefully chosen based not only on popularity and personal achievements in the space that they inhabit, but also by how they fit in with the brand ethos and aesthetic. Hence, even when Burberry and RIMOWA announced their newly crowned brand ambassadors on the same day (8 March 2024), the distinction was very clear.
Irish actor Barry Keoghan, known for his roles in movies such as Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk, Martin McDonagh's The Banshees of Inisherin, and most recently, the highly talked about Saltburn, has had many affiliations with Burberry. The BAFTA winner was a guest of the brand for the 2023 Met Gala (dressed in an attention-grabbing outfit featuring chief creative officer Daniel Lee's reworked Burberry check), and opted to wear Burberry to the European premiere of Apple TV+'s Masters of the Air and the 2024 BAFTA Film Awards. If you've been following the Burberry runway shows closely, you would have also spotted Keoghan on the front rows of the Summer 2024 and Winter 2024 shows.
Keoghan's brand ambassadorship seems like a longtime coming then. "I've been a fan of Burberry for many years now. It's such an iconic heritage brand with innovation at its heart, and a commitment to supporting arts and culture. I'm very excited to be a part of this next chapter," he says.
Trust the King of Mandopop to be a fitting ambassador for RIMOWA. Jay Chou confesses to be a longtime fan of RIMOWA: "As I travel around the world, my RIMOWA suitcases have been trusted companions that I share precious memories with. They've accompanied me not only in professional settings but during other travels too, as I delved into new realms to seek out new inspiration." If you're still in doubt about the authenticity of Chou's affinity for RIMOWA, one of his own was showcased as part of RIMOWA's 125th anniversary exhibition SEIT 1898 back in 2023.
Chou is now part of the latest instalment of RIMOWA's Never Still campaign. As an overarching narrative that defines travel not only as a means of personal advancement, but also a catalyst for inner transformation, Chou's campaign sees him relating travel to his musical endeavours and the boundless inspirations that being "never still" offers. "Melodies know no rules, stories unfold spontaneously," he says as he's captured navigating the streets of London (no doubt one of many cities the seasoned entertainer has travelled to) with a RIMOWA Original Cabin in Titanium.
Edited by Asri Jasman
You’ve heard of VR games and concerts but what about VR dance shows? The first of its kind, LE BAL de PARIS de Blanca Li is a multi-sensory virtual experience. A show that seamlessly integrates music and dance to give audiences an award-winning theatrical spectacle. As an audience member, you are part of the act. Operating in a virtual space, the audience partakes in a storyline of unrequited love filled with anthropomorphic animals.
Created by the world-renowned choreographer and filmmaker, Blanca Li, the immersive and participatory experience is made possible with a room-scale virtual reality. Unlike most VR applications which allow stationary users to engage with their virtual surroundings, a room-scale VR allows for users to manoeuvre around a physical space. Think of it as playing a video game. But the controller is your body in a physical space: you move your right foot forward and your avatar echoes the action.
Running for about 35 minutes, the show is brought to life through the use of the HTC Vive Focus 3 and HTC Vive Trackers (for full body tracking). CHANEL provides the outfits your avatars will don during the session. Players are presented with a line-up of 15 CHANEL outfits to choose from in a virtual dressing room. Once chosen, players are outfitted in a garb that's fitting for a grand Parisian ball. And yes, you can even crossdress, no judgment in a virtual space. In the VR world, you can admire your duds in the mirror and you can see your hands and feet in the space as well.
At each show, 10 audience members can indulge in this shared experience. Due to the nature of the show, interaction among audience members is enforced. You're encouraged to dance or move within the space as music and audio is played through the VR headset. Follow along the story of two lovers, Adèle and Pierre. We meet them in a crowded grand ballroom and then transported to a hedge maze. There's even a travel across a lake on a boat and a jaunty ride on a tram. All these and more, within the confines of a room and in the expense of the imagination.
LE BAL de PARIS de Blanca Li brings its grandeur to Singapore's Infinite Studios and runs until 17 March 2024. Tickets are priced at SGD73 for weekdays and SGD87 for weekends. Get your tickets here.
