Gucci debuts a collaboration with adidas Originals
If Louis Vuitton has Nike, Gucci is putting its hat in the luxury fashion house-sneaker ring with adidas Originals. Gucci's return to Milan Fashion Week saw the house melding its visual codes with that of the sportswear brand on everything from tailoring-turned-tracksuits to bags and of course, sneakers. The collaboration's defining insignia is a straightforward fusion of the adidas Trefoil with 'Gucci' neatly nestled below—it doesn't get any more obvious than this.
Loewe reveals its first sneaker collaboration
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Swiss brand On isn't exactly new in the market, what with it being around for 12 years now. But it has been sliding under the radar until tennis legend Roger Federer signed on as an investor and brand partner in 2019. Now, it's ready to head into luxury fashion collaborations and it's starting with Loewe—also making it the first sneaker collaboration by the luxury house. Not much have been released but the sneaker that's been revealed features a gradated blue colourway with both On and Loewe logos visible right at the tongue. A series of apparel will also be part of the drop.
The Loewe x On capsule collection is scheduled for a 9 March 2022 drop on loewe.com and on-running.com with a physical release in stores on 10 March 2022.
JW Anderson taps on British sailing influences for Uniqlo
JW Anderson's next instalment with Uniqlo makes a return to the British isles with a nautical-themed collection. Designer Jonathan Anderson says of the collection: "The sea has been integral to my life ever since I was a child. It inspired this collection, and I hope people enjoy incorporating this maritime styling in their wardrobes." Typical JW Anderson design tropes—patch-working and asymmetry—combines with Uniqlo's more functional fabric technology for a spring/summer 2022 collection that calls to days by the beach and sailing the seas. The line-up is concise too with 12 pieces for women, 10 for men, and a selection of four accessories.
The Uniqlo and JW Anderson spring/summer 2022 collection is available from 18 March 2022 at Uniqlo stores and online.
LVMH and more act on Ukraine-Russia war
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News of the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine have no doubt inundated news feeds everywhere, with concerns of the safety of Ukrainians spreading globally. Fashion brands and their respective parent companies have come out in succession to fund aid and donations. French luxury conglomerate LVMH donated five million euros to the International Committee of the Red Cross as well as launched a fundraising campaign to funnel contributions by its employees across all of its houses. Kering too have pledged a "significant donation" to UNHCR, the United Nations Refugees Agency. Individual brands such as Balenciaga, Gucci, Loewe, Kate Spade New York, and Valentino have individually expressed their concern for the situation and made donations to various charities.
Valentino takes over a bistro in Singapore
Just like its spring/summer 2022 takeover of Paris around its show venue, Valentino has duplicated that experience (albeit in a smaller scale) in Singapore. Partnering up with French bistro Merci Marcel, the luxury fashion house has curated a special menu in conjunction with the launch of its spring/summer 2022 Valentino Rendez-vous collection. The pop-up takeover is only available at Merci Marcel's Club Street outlet where an all-day four-course set can be enjoyed by anyone who requests for it.
The Valentino Café x Merci Marcel pop-up is located at 7 – 9 Club Street until 14 March 2022.
First official reveal of Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga
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Ye signed a 10-year contract with Gap back in June 2020. And it has taken him almost two years before releasing a full collection. The much-awaited (and talked about) Yeezy Gap Engineered by Balenciaga collection has officially been revealed by the various parties involved, and it's a definite departure from the Yeezy that we're all familiar with. The entire line-up consists of models wearing a black bodysuit with voluminous pieces encapsulate their bodies. The collection is pretty much in line with Ye's earlier drop of hoodies and padded bomber, extending the range to include padded denim jackets and jumpsuits. The collection is priced from USD120 to USD440 and the first eight pieces are already available on Yeezygap and Farfetch.
Levi's kicks it old school with The Simpsons
The Simpsons is still an ongoing series and is in its 33rd year on television. It's no wonder then that it has become quite the pop culture icon in its own right, having most recently collaborated with Balenciaga on a short, as well as being a constant source of future-predicting memes. Its latest collaborations sees it partnering up with Levi's for a collection that's a lighthearted throwback to the '80s (the series debuted in 1989). Beloved The Simpsons characters the likes of Bart, Lisa, Milhouse and more, feature as printed graphics on tees, puffer jackets and a host of small accessories. The collection's defining piece is a pair of corduroy trousers done in a The Simpsons-like yellow that comes with a matching jacket too.
The Simpsons x Levi's collection drops on 3 March 2022.
Gucci's star-studded Gucci Love Parade campaign
After a stellar runway show that saw the Italian fashion house taking over the entire stretch of Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, Gucci reveals a rather star-studded campaign for its Gucci Love Parade collection. Familiar names both in and out of Hollywood featured in the campaign include Squid Game's Lee Jung-Jae, rapper Snoop Dogg, entertainer Miley Cyrus, actor and musician Jared Leto, as well as Chinese actor Deng Lun. Photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, the Gucci Love Parade campaign captures the stars as the celebrate an almost ritualistic banquet where Hollywood icons dine with 'mere mortals'.
Kerby Jean-Raymond parts ways with Reebok
Founder and designer of Pyer Moss, Kerby Jean-Raymond, has announced that he will be stepping down as Reebok's global creative director on 1 March 2022. Jean-Raymond has been in the position since September 2020 and first collaborated with the brand back in 2017. His final collection with Reebok will also be released in March. The brand is also experiencing an internal restructuring process as it was announced to be acquired by Authentic Brands Group in August 2021—The Boston Globe reported that Reebok is set to lay off about 150 employees before the change in ownership.
Karl Lagerfeld set to collaborate with independent designer
Spanish designer Archie Alled-Martínez has announced that a collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld the brand is in the works and is set to drop in June 2022. The designer known for his queer-leaning aesthetics (especially of late), has been working closely with the brand's style advisor Carine Roitfeld and design director Hun Kim on a capsule collection comprising of ready-to-wear as well as a selection of accessories. The collection is also poised to be gender-neutral.
Gap launches its first NFT series
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And not to be outdone just by that collaboration alone, American retailer Gap has just released its first series of NFTs. The collectible series is created in collaboration with artist Brandon Sines, famed for his Frank Ape creation. Consisting of four different levels—Common, Rare, Epic, and One of a Kind—the format is such that customers are encouraged to collect the Common and Rare collectibles in order to unlock the opportunity to purchase the Epic level art. The latter consists of a limited-edition digital art by Sines as well as a physical Gap x Frank Ape hoodie.
The Gap NFT series has now launched with additional drops scheduled for the coming weeks.
Dior Men postpones collaboration with Travis Scott
Dior Men's upcoming summer 2022 collection is experiencing a bit of a snag. Done in collaboration with rapper Travis Scott, the fashion house has decided to indefinitely postpone the Cactus Jack Dior collection in light of the controversy surrounding 2021's devastating Astroworld Festival. In a statement by Dior released exclusively to WWD: "Out of respect for everyone affected by the tragic events at Astroworld, Dior has decided to postpone indefinitely the launch of products from the Cactus Jack collaboration originally intended to be included in its summer 2022 collection."
