65 posts tagged "Dolce & Gabbana"
London Called, Dolce & Gabbana Answered
As the men’s shows approach, the London Collections: Men (which will run from June 16 to 18) seems to be gaining more steam. Today, Dolce & Gabbana announced that it will open its fourth London boutique with a bash on June 15. Additionally, after being invited to kick off the season by London Collections: Men chair and British GQ editor in chief Dylan Jones, the brand will show its Spring ’14 tailoring collection during the event. Dolce & Gabbana, whose designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana noted in a statement that British tailoring is part of the house’s DNA, join high-profile names such as Burberry Prorsum, Rag & Bone, Paul Smith, and Jimmy Choo in presenting in London for the first time this season
Three’s a Trend: Rococo Riot
Eschewing pins, plaids, and pugnaciousness, a few of last night’s Met Gala attendees opted for a different sort of ornamentation: all things baroque. Curious, you might think, since gilt and whorls don’t exactly fit with punk’s middle-fingers-up grittiness. But with parallel underlying airs of metallurgy and commoditized Gothicism, we’d say these ladies picked up on a bloodline between the zeitgeists.
Beyoncé’s hellfire custom-made Givenchy gown evoked monarchal muscle and flamboyant architectural tones. Katy Perry arrived in head-to-toe Dolce & Gabbana—florid gold-leafed crown included. Dolce & Gabbana also dressed Giovanna Battaglia and Tabitha Simmons. The former wore the label’s Alta Moda couture line, and both looks recalled a seaside Palermo church awash in halcyon daylight. Hilary Rhoda also walked the line between rococo and rebellion; her Wes Gordon top featured fine-lined Aurelian patterning on diaphanous black sheer—but her cropped leather pants were 100 percent King’s Road.
Is India The Next Big Player in Luxury Retail?
Prada is reported to be in talks for an India entry. Alexander McQueen, Dolce & Gabbana, and Stella McCartney are exploring real estate for stand-alone stores. After opening his first boutique in New Delhi last year, Christian Louboutin is readying himself for a Mumbai launch. This year marks the tenth anniversary of Louis Vuitton’s presence in India—it was the first luxury brand to set foot in the country. Is India finally reawakening to luxury? Historically, it’s a country familiar with all things luxe. After all, in 1925, India’s Sir Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala, granted Cartier its single largest commission: the remodeling of his crown jewels, a collection that included an exquisite 234.69-carat De Beers diamond. Vuitton’s gilded links with India go back well over a century, when the Maharajas of Jammu and Kashmir, Bikaner and Baroda, ordered customized trunks from the company.
Then came freedom. For almost forty-four years after Independence, socialist India snapped all ties with luxury. It’s only in the last decade that the romance has rekindled. And it has to do with math. With a population surpassing 1.22 billion, and 81 million households falling into the upper middle class and high-income bracket, India is a serious market for luxury players. In fact, statistics show that India is one of the fastest-growing and largest luxury markets, with sales expected to touch $15 billion by 2015—nearly double what they are today. In November last year, Gucci opened its fifth and largest India store, spanning 4,220 square feet across two floors in Gurgaon, Delhi’s satellite city. Patrizio di Marco, president and CEO, noted, “The flagship store underscores Gucci’s commitment to India. This is our fifth store in this unique country, where we have been operating directly since the end of 2009, and it is a testament to the importance that we are placing on this fast-growing and competitive market.”
But Kalyani Chawla, vice president of marketing and communications at Christian Dior, insists India is taking baby steps. And she is right. The Western notion of luxury hit Indian shores only ten years ago. It’s still a country of salwar kameezes and saris. But the Indian buyer has grown interested in fashion, investing small but precious sums in brands. “Dior has seen a steady and encouraging growth. As is the case globally with most brands, accessories are doing very well [and] clothing is picking up,” she says, noting that this is partly due to the fact that Western wear has finally slipped into a bride’s wedding trousseau. And for Indians, marriage is the occasion for which discerning buyers splurge. Dior launched in 2006, and has three stores across the country. Continue Reading “Is India The Next Big Player in Luxury Retail?” »
You’re so Vain, Cindy Sherman
Vanity is the theme behind the fourth issue of Dasha Zhukova’s acclaimed Garage magazine. Perhaps not the most surprising subject for a fashion glossy, but the editor’s approach to the concept is definitely original. Garage‘s cover and corresponding spread were shot by Patrick Demarchelier and feature a gaggle of models provocatively posed in looks by Balenciaga, Saint Laurent, McQueen, and Dolce & Gabbana. What’s the twist? Each girl is accessorized with a Cindy Sherman mask created via ThatsMyFace.com. “Cindy Sherman’s work raises such important and challenging questions about the representation of women, both in media and society. There was no better likeness to illustrate issues of identity and facelessness in the fashion industry,” says Zhukova. The artist gave Garage her blessing to create the masks, all of which are based on Untitled #461 (the work was shown in Sherman’s recent MoMA exhibition). However, it would seem Sherman hasn’t yet seen the new issue, which, in addition to the fantastically creepy editorial, includes conversations between Urs Fischer and Neville Wakefield and Boris Mikhailov and Juergen Teller, as well as Aimee Mullins paper dolls and contributions from Theaster Gates, Michael Craig-Martin, and more. “I hope she likes it!” says Zhukova. We suppose we’ll have to wait until the magazine hits newsstands, on February 9, to find out. Unless, of course, she sees the spread’s exclusive debut here, on Style.com.
Victoria Grant’s Sweet Treats
The fusion of fashion and art is a beautiful thing. Just ask London-based milliner Victoria Grant, whose irreverent Spring ’13 collection, a collaboration with British painter Antony Micallef, will feature in an exhibition at London’s HIX Soho next month (the eatery is known for championing artists and has, in the past, displayed works by Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, and more). Grant, who’s worked with fashion heavyweights like Karl Lagerfeld, Dolce & Gabbana, and Jean Paul Gaultier since launching her line six years ago, explains that her aesthetic is a blend of polished elegance, wicked wit and rock ‘n’ roll taste. This shines through in her Spring collection which, titled Sweet Paris, is, as Grant puts it, a wonderfully twisted play on “childhood, candy-colored fantasy.” An apt description, considering her toppers are printed with Micallef’s images of pastel cigarette boxes, pouty fuchsia lips and open lipstick tubes. She’s even included a bright red lip beret, as well as a pillbox stacked with a pyramid of smokes. “The hats we’ve made are commenting on our own vices,” says Micallef. “They all have a dark sense of humor about them but at the same time, are able to laugh at themselves.” In addition to serving as Grant’s inspiration, the artist worked on five one-off pieces, drizzling them with pink, white, orange, red and green paint that resembles frosting or sugar (a melting ice cream cone beret looks especially scrumptious).Grant declared that her collaborative creative experience was “electric” and she hopes to keep the sparks flying for Fall ’13. For her new collection, which she’ll show during Paris Fashion Week, Grant has teamed up with stained glass artist John Reyntiens (the same stained glass artist who created a window in Westminster Hall in honor of the Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee). “The new hats may not be particularly functional,” laughs Grant. “But they’ll be wearable. And they’ll be works of art.”
Sweet Paris will be on view at London’s HIX Soho from February 14 through 19. Victoria Grant’s hats are available at Dagny & Barstow in New York, ACT Nightclub in Las Vegas, and at other select international retailers.