Around the World With Hood By Air
By now, it’s been established that New York-based Hood by Air has become a cult favorite. And, considering his smorgasbord of upcoming projects, founder and designer Shayne Oliver has proven that the streetwear line is no fleeting niche sensation. Last weekend, Hood by Air launched Morph—a conceptual pop-up in L.A.’s Scion AV Installation space that marked the brand’s West Coast retail debut. The shop’s Saturday opening—which was attended by diehard HBA fan, and the star of Oliver’s Fall ’13 show, A$AP Rocky—doubled as the launch of an eight-piece made-to-order luggage capsule. Running between $800 to $2,500, the range includes a black leather backpack with clever ball-and-chain detailing and a skeletal fetish-inspired latex hiking bag (left). “It’s subversive luxury luggage,” Oliver told Style.com. “The line has to do with me playing more with the actual realm of luxury. With these bags, I’m confronting that sense head-on and feeling things out for myself.”
The travel accessories are just one facet of Hood by Air’s expansion beyond its signature “ghetto goth” sweatshirts and tees. On June 16, an HBA knitwear capsule will land at Selfridges department store in London. The unveiling of a denim line at New York’s Milk Studios will follow in September. And during the Spring ’14 Paris shows, Oliver will introduce suits and jackets as part of the label’s move into formal menswear. No doubt, big things are happening for the 25-year-old designer, who launched HBA in 2006. But the talent is humbled by his growing fan base’s veritable obsession with the label. “I take it as a nod to what I’m doing,” he said. “I’m just building an aesthetic, and a brand, and a place for myself in fashion. I don’t quite know how to take it, because I’m shy. I just see it as gratitude.”
Hood by Air’s Morph will be open through June 16 at the Scion AV Installation space, 7667 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046.
Antonio Azzuolo to Design Giuliano Fujiwara
Antonio Azzuolo, whose namesake label in New York has occupied a small but sought-out spot on the American menswear landscape, now has a bigger platform to call his own. The Canadian-born designer has been named creative director for menswear, womenswear, and accessories at the Milanese label Giuliano Fujiwara. (This marks his first official womenswear collection, though he has designed for women privately under the auspices of his own line, which he will continue to design in addition to Fujiwara.)
The heyday of Fujiwara came in the late eighties and early nineties, when the designer capitalized on the nascent trend for minimalism and architectural shapes. (Fujiwara himself debuted the line on the Milanese runway in 1986; between then and now, it has been designed by Masataka Matsumura and, more recently, Sergio Daricello.) “Giuliano Fujiwara was one of the few brands that I noticed when I moved to Milan right after school, and the aesthetics were so subtle and beautiful,” Azzuolo said. “I still remember the store’s displays so vividly. Along with Romeo Gigli, it was a great inspiration for me.”
Azzuolo’s first collection for Fujiwara will be shown in Italy this June, playing on iconic menswear styles and the idea of a global nomad, incorporating influences from the U.S., Japan, and France, as well as its native Italy. “I think it is important to keep this legacy alive but not duplicate it,” Azzuolo said. “We are at a different time. I think what’s important is to have a strong vision on what is relevant today in the world and community we will live in.” Above, Azzuolo shares a preview sketch from his first collections for women and for men.
Style At Your Fingertips
Aside from maybe a tiara, nothing heightens the glamour of a full-on evening look quite like a pair of gloves. Eye-catching gauntlets turned up on the Lanvin, Gucci, and Oscar de la Renta Fall runways. And at last week’s high-wattage Met Gala, divas from Madonna to Beyoncé to Paloma Faith covered up their digits with statement-making pairs of varying lengths. Kim Kardashian’s custom Givenchy number was the talk of the town, but what really piqued our interest was the gown’s built-in gloves, which prompted speculation that Kim was concealing an engagement ring (you know Kanye would go all out with a rock for his baby mama).
We predict we’ll be seeing more gloves at Cannes. Here, a show of hands.
An A+ For Architecture
Last night, Architizer—an online architecture network for professionals and dabblers alike—hosted its inaugural A+ Awards gala at New York City’s Cedar Lake. And, according to the site’s CEO Marc Kushner, the event not only aimed to honor talents like Richard Meier, who won the lifetime achievement award, but also to make architecture more approachable for those in other creative realms. “We designed an event to help break architecture out of the echo chamber, so that other people can jump in and relate to it,” Kushner told Style.com. Last night’s accolades honored a total of eighty-seven buildings in more than fifty two categories—including Jaklitsch/Gardner’s cubic Marc Jacobs flagship in Tokyo and THEVERYMANY’s Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama pop-up store at Selfridges in London.
“What they do is really amazing—it’s a great resource,” said attendee Joseph Altuzarra, one of many fashion designers present (Thom Browne and Yigal Azrouël also stopped by). Altuzarra offered that he has his own unique tie to architecture. “We have this factory in the north of France that does jersey—it was designed by Le Corbusier. Everything was done so carefully, it’s really beautiful.”
TenOverSix Trots to Texas
As one of the leading retail destinations in Los Angeles, TenOverSix—founded by Kristen Lee and Brady Cunningham—has garnered a cult following with its tightly edited mix of designers (think Jesse Kamm, Jenni Kayne, THVM, Alasdair, Maison Kitsuné, and beyond). Now, Lee and Cunningham have brought their cleverly cool curation to the Lone Star state, selecting Dallas’ recently renovated Joule Hotel for the location of their second outpost. Mimicking the L.A. store’s eclectic white-and-wood interior, the more-than-550-square-foot Dallas boutique is filled with an ample array of wares by up-and-coming designers, established indie labels, and high-profile brands. With the Dallas set in mind, Lee and Cunningham have stocked a ready supply of cocktail dresses and filled their Lucite display boxes with both subtle and statement jewelry from the likes of Mociun, Lizzie Fortunato, and Pamela Love. Staying true to their signature edit, the pair has made sure to bring along their best-selling stock of Karen Walker, Vena Cava, and Rachel Comey, as well as pieces exclusive to the new location.
In addition to the main store, Lee and Cunningham have created TenOverSix Presents—an updated take on a hotel gift shop, which, set in the Joule’s lobby, offers a quirky mix of gifts, accessories, and essentials. Only at TenOverSix can one find toothbrushes, a birdcage necklace, and a pig-shaped fruit basket all in the same place.
TenOverSix is open now at the Joule Hotel, located at 1511 Commerce St. Dallas, TX 75202