Exclusive: At Givenchy, Flower Power, Military Might, And Even A Cameo From Bambi
Givenchy’s Mert & Marcus-lensed Fall campaign broke today, starring two generations of Roitfelds, Amanda Seyfried, and models Dalianah Arekion and Quim Gutiérrez, but time and tide wait for no label. Hot on the heels of the campaign, Riccardo Tisci unveils its Pre-Spring men’s collection exclusively on Style.com. Anyone who’s had an eye on the Fall womenswear will recognize it as a cousin. Florals, flames, and camouflage motifs abound, and those who eyed the bricolage Bambi tees that look likely to be the latest runaway hit will be glad to find them here in men’s versions, too. Even Luigi Murenu’s painted hairdos from the women’s show get translated for the guys. (The sharp tailoring and sporty Bermuda short/leggings combination is classic Givenchy men’s.)
The collection, Tisci says, takes inspiration from Latin culture, and has the potentially sensitive name of Favelas 74. (1974 is Tisci’s birth year.) “Men in favelas are more natural and more confident about their sexuality,” he explains. “They are not scared to mix and match clothing. They represent sensuality, street, and elegance—what I recognize as elegance. I love the fact that they play with opposite things like flowers (which represent peace and serenity) and camouflage (which represents the army), but all interpreted in a very colorful and positive way.”
Here, the exclusive debut of Givenchy’s Pre-Spring 2014 menswear.
At Issa London, A Changing of the Guard
London-based womenswear label Issa—the Kate Middleton favorite responsible for the Duchess’ famed sapphire engagement frock—announced today that its founder and creative director, Daniella Helayel, is stepping down. “The time has come for me to move on to focus on my art, travel, and other interests,” said Helayel in a press release. Sources say that Helayel, who launched Issa in 2004, had been unhappy in her role for some time.
Helayel will stay on to consult on the label’s Banana Republic collaboration through December 2013, but the brand reveals today that Central Saint Martins-trained designer Blue Farrier has been appointed as Issa’s new creative director. In addition to having worked under Phoebe Philo at Chloé for six years, Farrier has worked with such labels as Stella McCartney, Sandro, and Anya Hindmarch.
Stella McCartney Makes Her Mark in Asia
An English pub isn’t the first thing one might expect to see in the middle of a luxury mall in Beijing. But leave it to Stella McCartney to bring a taste of the UK to the Chinese megalopolis. Tuesday night, the designer opened her first Beijing store and invited guests to toast the milestone with pints of Guinness and Pimm’s Cups. Partygoers noshed on chips and tapped their toes to nineties Brit pop while perusing the airy two-story boutique. Fittingly, the eco-conscious McCartney chose a green location for the new space. Replete with sustainable oak parquet floors and recyclable aluminum tiles, the shop is set inside the recently opened Parkview Green mall—the first LEED-certified commercial development in China.
McCartney wasn’t long for Beijing, though, as the opening was just one leg of a whirlwind Asian tour. Earlier in the week, McCartney traveled to Tokyo to open her second store in the city, and Wednesday night she hosted a black-tie dinner at the Astor House Hotel in Shanghai. In true McCartney style, the event, which drew local celebrities, as well as catwalkers such as Du Juan and Emma Pei, boasted everything from contortionist acts to live jazz to a presentation of evening looks from the designer’s Fall ’13 collection.
NEWGEN Men’s Lucky Seven
The British Fashion Council and Topman have awarded seven up-and-coming talents with NEWGEN Men sponsorship for the Spring ’14 season. First-time honorees include Agi & Sam (designed by Agape Mudmulla and Sam Cotton), Astrid Andersen, and Nasir Mazhar, while Matthew Miller, Lee Roach, Shaun Samson, and Martine Rose are returning NEWGEN veterans. The designers will receive funding to present their lines at the London Collections: Men, which kicks off June 16, and join the ranks of former winners like J.W. Anderson, James Long, and SIBLING.
On Our Radar: GLASS
When it comes to swimwear for gents, there’s a new kid on the beach, repping a hip breed of shoreline swagger: New York City’s GLASS. “I kept thinking, What would both Gianni Agnelli and Jean-Michel Basquiat wear [to the pool]?” founder John Glass told Style.com. The designer, who grew up between New York, Martha’s Vineyard, and London whilst studying history and, as of late, working in branding at Tom Ford, is a man of varied interests. While in the U.K., he hung out with a Savile Row crew—even tagging along on trips to tweed mills in Scotland, obsessively educating himself on tailoring along the way. “I started the line because I felt that swimwear is like a blank canvas, allowing for creativity and originality across one product,” says Glass. His swimsuits are a departure from the formal three-piece looks of his past, but the designer’s wares boast a wide scope of studied, albeit quirky, prints, like a lo-fi Crayon Paisley and an Egyptian-funky Hieroglyphic Stripe. “Wear them anywhere you want to be happy,” suggests Glass. “From a sailboat in the Mediterranean to a hot day in NYC.” Glass debuted his line only last month, but he’s already planning for next season—keep your eyes peeled for potential pop-ups at Art Basel in Miami and Rio’s Carnival.
GLASS’s new trunks are available, starting today, on Moda Operandi.