LATEST NEWEST, HOTTEST,
This month’s fashion headlines.
HOTTEST, NEWEST, LATEST ... HOTTEST,
1 LEATHER WEATHER
Marking creative director Alessandra Facchinetti’s debut, the first runway show for Tod’s proved a huge hit in Milan. The perforated leather skirts and fringed mules certainly had style enthusiasts in awe.
2 BOLLYWOOD BOMBSHELL
Guess has added Bollywood icon and former Miss World, Priyanka Chopra, to its growing stable of iconic Guess women, featuring her in the Holiday 2013 campaign. Shot by musician Bryan Adams and directed by creative director Paul Marciano, Chopra was captured as the movie star she is, at home in a Mediterranean villa. “Priyanka reminds me of a young Sophia Loren and top actresses of the 1950s,” says Marciano. “Her confidence, strength, and sensuality reflect the qualities I always look for in a model.”
3 DESIGNER BUZZ
This season brought plenty of reasons to celebrate some of our favourite fashion designers, with news of fresh investments and appointments arriving from every direction – the biggest news being Nicolas Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton, of course. 2013 proved to be a banner year for British designer Jonathan Anderson, who is heading to Loewe to be creative director and has also secured LVMH as an investor in his own label, J.W. Anderson. Marco Zanini, formerly of Rochas, was named creative director of the reimagined house of Schiaparelli, while No. 21’s Alessandro Dell’Acqua will step into Zanini’s post at Rochas.
In other moves, shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood has joined the LVMH stable, and Christopher Kane announced that he will be opening his first store thanks to a hefty investment from luxury powerhouse Kering, which has also bought stakes in Joseph Altuzarra and Tomas Maier’s brands as well.
4 HORSE POWER
Ring in the year of the horse in Diane von Furstenberg’s signature wrap dress. The iconic piece celebrates its 40th anniversary in 2014, and this special horse-print edition is bound to bring you plenty of love and luck in the year ahead.
Louis Vuitton’s L’Invitation Au Voyage continues in the magical city of Venice. Arizona Muse, clutching a gorgeous Vivienne bag, meets the legendary David Bowie at a party where he is playing a harpsichord, singing “I’d Rather Be High” from his 2013 album The Next Day. Muse reopens her eyes and the party vanishes, like a dream, and she leaves on an ancient Chinese boat for her next adventure. Watch the full video on Louis Vuitton’s YouTube channel.
INNER BEAUTY
Quietly seductive, featuring opulent designs offset with Swarovski crystal detailing, Valisere offers enticing lingerie without sacrificing functionality and comfort. Details such as baroque-style embroidery meet the finest delicate lace on clean-cut pieces, from long-line bras to empire-cut camisoles.
7
ON POINTE
Expressing his love for classical ballet, Zang Toi showed a graceful collection featuring custom Loro Piano silk jersey and divine silk cashmere for Spring/ Summer ’14. A longtime patron of the American Ballet Theatre, Toi chose Cory Stearns, principal dancer at ABT and personal friend to play muse for the collection as well as to walk the runway. Expect shades of ballet pink and ultra-feminine tulle detail.
8 IN THE STARS
Greatly attached to signs, symbols, and numbers, Mademoiselle Chanel, born a Leo, had lions in various materials dotted around her Rue Cambon apartment. On a visit to Venice after her lover Boy Capel’s death in 1919, Chanel found strength in the beauty of the floating city and its many mosaic and stone lion statues (the lion is the symbol of Venice). First introduced in Chanel Fine Jewellery in 2012, the lion makes its appearance again in the new Sous le Signe du Lion high jewellery collection of 58 stunning pieces. A timeless symbol of courage and strength, wear these sumptuous pieces as chic talismans; who knows what luck the lion could bring you?
9 SURF’S UP
Emilio Pucci’s creative director Peter Dundas channelled his love of the deep blue for Cruise ’14. Think sheer chiffon, ripped denim, and soft, flowy maxis.
10 MA MAISON
Recently revealed during Milan Fashion Week was the world’s first ever Bottega Veneta Maison, sitting pretty on Via Sant’Andrea 15 in Milan. Housed within an 18th-Century building and covering more than 11,000 square feet, the Maison showcases the brand’s entire product range. Expect both men’s and women’s ready-to-wear, fine jewellery, luggage, and sophisticated eyewear.