Just as the other big Kering brands, such as Gucci and Bottega Veneta, are returning home for their fall collections, Alexander McQueen is embracing the itinerant show.
The brand said Wednesday it plans to show its fall womenswear collection on March 15 in New York, but gave no further details. The off-schedule show will happen well after the main fall collections wind up in early March.
McQueen usually shows on the Paris calendar, but broke with tradition last October with an off-schedule show in the far eastern reaches of London.
Guests sat inside this greenhouse-like dome, surrounded by views of the City of London and a sunny sky — a striking contrast to the eerie sounds of thunder that blasted through the speakers and reached a crescendo as the show was about to begin.
The crowd was mostly local; there was no street-style frenzy or fanfare outside the venue, while the vibrant front row was packed with McQueen supporters, including Kosar Ali, Vanessa Kirby and Emilia Clarke, picked for their close relationship with the house rather than the size of their Instagram following.
Asked why she chose to show in London, and when the European collections were all wrapped up, McQueen’s creative director Sarah Burton said she wanted to “listen to the rhythm of her studio,” stay immersed in her London day-to-day and choose a time and place that suited the team.
Indeed, the event in October had the feel of an indie show, one that was pure McQueen, and that didn’t conform to broader industry demands. — SAMANTHA CONTI
ROMAN AROUND
Three years, and one pandemic ago, Kim Jones teamed with Nikolai Von Bismarck on “The Dior Sessions,” a book charting Jones’ first year at Dior Men through 100 black-and-white portraits of the designer’s friends and colleagues.
This week, the two creatives returned for an encore with the launch of “The Fendi Set,” a book of portraits showcasing Jones’ first couture collection for the brand, which focused on Virginia Woolf, her sister Vanessa Bell and the Bloomsbury Set bohemians.
On Tuesday night, Jones and von Bismarck hosted an opening party at London’s Royal Academy of Arts, with guests including Stephen Jones, Kate Moss and her daughter, Lila Grace Moss, Mary Charteris, Alexa Chung, Daisy Lowe, Honey Dijon, Bobby Gillespie and Marc Quinn.
They filtered through the Academy’s rooms, which were hung with blown-up portraits from the book showing Naomi Campbell, Demi Moore, Christy Turlington and Bella Hadid wearing looks from Jones’ debut Fendi spring 2021 couture collection.
The book, published by Rizzoli, features photography by von Bismarck, and text by Jones, Jerry Stafford and Dr. Mark Hussey.
It was shot at different times of the year in Sussex and Kent, England, in Paris and in Rome, where von Bismarck photographed three generations of Fendi women — Anna, Silvia and Delfina. The three Roman Fendis were styled by Amanda Harlech in Jones’ fall 2021 ready-to-wear collection at Villa Medici.
“It was the first time I did a collection for Fendi, and I wanted to document it, so I thought ‘Why not?'” said Jones, who cooked up the idea while on holiday in Scotland with von Bismarck. “I love Rome, although when I’m there I’m usually just working. And most of the time it’s been in lockdown — but, still, it’s great, and I love walking around and seeing all the history.”
Von Bismarck made it his mission to unearth the Bloomsbury Set’s connections to Rome — of which there are many. Those bohemians certainly knew how to live.
He shot in Polaroid film, and used “different printing processes — things that won’t exist in 10 years’ time. I thought it would be amazing to make something permanent out of all these different, traditional techniques.”
Another British designer called Jones swept into the party early in the evening wearing a Dior jewel on the lapel of his black jacket — a lovely spray of flowers, dotted with pearls.
Milliner Stephen Jones said he’ll be traveling to the U.S. to give a speech on Sunday at the Brooklyn Museum. “It’s about my vision at Dior, over the years” and part of a series of events linked to the exhibition “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams,” which runs until Feb. 20. — S.C.
CALVIN WHO?
Jordache has tapped Brooke Shields as the face of its latest ad campaign.
The campaign was shot in New York City by Cass Bird and styled by Deborah Watson and embraces the denim company’s signature style of sexy and bold. The actress-entrepreneur was photographed in various styles of Jordache jeans, including the skinny, flare and straight.
The brand chose Shields to continue its legacy of featuring strong, successful women in their campaigns.
“We are excited to work with Brooke Shields,” Liz Berlinger, president of Jordache, said in a statement. “Like Jordache, she is iconic in Fashion. We have watched her grow from a young girl into an incredible woman, mother and entrepreneur — throughout it all she has remained authentic and an inspiration to women everywhere.”
Last September, Shields launched a project called “Beginning Is Now,” an online platform and lifestyle brand with the aim of inspiring and unifying women across generations.
“I feel stronger, sexier, more capable, more confident now than I ever have,” she told WWD of its initial inspiration. “And I want other women to feel that way as well, to give themselves the permission.”
“This comes from a desire of mine to energize women to embrace new beginnings, to really start to learn how to celebrate who you are and not be afraid to find courage and find resilience and harness strength,” Shields said. “It can be as small as starting to exercise, and it can be as large as pivoting and quitting a job and starting a new endeavor of some kind. I want to build a community where we are energized by one another.” — CONCHITA WIDJOJO
JOAN’S NEW ROLE
Anne Klein will feature model, actress and activist Joan Smalls in its spring 2022 campaign.
The brand will introduce its spring campaign during New York Fashion Week on Friday at 9 a.m. Smalls will appear in the collection’s look book and video presentation on CFDA’s Runway 360 digital platform, and the collection, entitled “See It Now, Buy It Now,” will be available to purchase on Anne Klein’s e-commerce site.
Smalls is the first featured talent in Anne Klein’s multiyear campaign that will showcase dynamic women each season. The consumer campaign will be an ongoing series of portraits and profiles of notable women who are creating change using their public platforms. Each woman presented will be featured in print, video and digitally, ranging from consumer advertising to Instagram Reels, showcasing their efforts in raising awareness for organizations and causes.
Actress Gina Rodriguez will be featured in fall 2022.
The spring 2022 campaign was shot by Daniel Jackson in New York.
“We are excited to have Joan Smalls showcase the brand this season as she exemplifies the multifaceted empowered woman Anne Klein serves,” said Effy Zinkin, chief operating officer of WHP Global, owner of the Anne Klein brand. “Joan’s work in the fashion community and beyond embodies Anne Klein’s vision and we look forward to working with her to further support charitable endeavors.”
Smalls donated 50 percent of her wages in the second half of 2020 to charitable causes via DonateMyWage, and in 2021 helped launch the #ChangeFashion initiative dedicated to eradicating racism in the fashion industry. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Smalls will join Anne Klein and a retail partner on another charitable initiative to be revealed soon. — LISA LOCKWOOD
DESIGN WINNERS
PacSun and Fashion Scholarship Fund on Thursday have unveiled two collections from Oli Carrillo and Allegra Abrams, the winners of their Gender-Neutral Design Competition.
The partners announced the initiative in spring 2021 and — with a judging panel comprised of Fashion Scholarship Fund executive director Peter Arnold; PacSun co-chief executive officer Alfred Chang and vice president of men’s merchandising Richard Cox; Them. editor in chief Whembley Sewell, stylist Ashley Cimone, the co-founder of New York–based design label ASHYA; founder of The Shop Miami, Calyann Barnett, and creative director/designer and stylist Jérôme LaMaar — selected the winners from more than 200 submissions, including FSF Alumni and Class of 2021 FSF Scholars.
“We are so pleased to see the creative visions of our Alumni — Oli Carrillo and Allegra Abrams — come to life as the culmination of this incredibly rewarding partnership,” said FSF executive director Arnold in a statement. “The FSF shares PacSun’s commitment to providing a more diverse and inclusive space for young talent, from all backgrounds, to thrive within the fashion industry.”
2018 FSF Scholar and Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angeles graduate Carrillo and 2021 FSF Virgil Abloh™️ Post-Modern Scholar and University of Wisconsin, Madison student Abrams won the opportunity to develop and manufacture the co-branded collections to be taken to market.
Though from New York, Carrillo found inspiration from the SoCal skate scene, punk rock and graffiti for their collection, and said: “It was important for me to look at a juxtaposition of energy and mannerisms when designing graphics. I want to cater to a contrasting binary of emotion, so that the graphics and prints don’t stick to singular femininity or masculinity. It was important to mix both masculine and feminine in the same image(s) so that these graphics stand on their own, so that they could be styled in any sort of closet or outfit.”
Meanwhile, Abrams, from Minneapolis, aimed to reflect merging traditional masculine and feminine designs and push for inclusivity and diversity in the fashion industry with the “Love to the People” collection.
“My aesthetic as a designer focuses on aspects of ’70s fashion and referencing Black culture,” Abrams said. “This collection incorporates my personal design and style aesthetic with the sporty and retro garments. Most importantly, the ‘Love to the People’ collection represents my constant focus to push inclusivity and diversity in the fashion industry.”
PacSun president Brieane Olson said the partnership with FSF, specifically watching the young talents bring their ideas to life, has been “tremendously rewarding.” PacSun design director Dom Chavez added: “Working with the FSF designers was an inspiring process. Seeing the strong and passionate vision of the youth come to life was truly gratifying. Both designers had a clear perspective, and being able to help execute that perspective at such an early point in their careers reminds us all of the reasons we got into this business.”
The collections are available now for three months on the PacSun website and at select locations nationwide.
In addition, the retailer is a sponsor of the FSF Scholarship Funds Class of 2022 Scholarship program and granted 10 recipients 2022 PacSun Scholarships and grants of $7,500 earlier this year. — OBI ANYANWU
