Winter Is Here
Ahead of the upcoming 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Prada has unveiled “Prada on Ice” at its New York and Beverly Hills flagships. The pop-up shops feature a full collection of outerwear, knits, sweaters, ski goggles, skis, snowboards, boots, ski boot bags, sleeping bags and snowshoes.
The pop-up at Prada's New York flagship at 575 Broadway opened Monday and will remain until Jan. 6. The Beverly Hills pop-up, which was unveiled Nov. 16, will be up through Jan. 9, and an Aspen pop-up will open next month. “Prada on Ice” pop-ups have also opened in China and Japan, as well as in such European countries as Denmark, Italy, Russia and the United Kingdom.
The exclusive collection has red and blue graphics — a clear reference to the lines on ice hockey rinks. The pop-up's decor features snow-white walls and red LED strip displays rolling
Prada logos like a scoreboard.
The stands of a stadium are transformed into a functional area for customers and a bobsleigh platform becomes a display surface. The scene is highlighted by mannequins reproducing sporting figures in athletic poses.
As for the clothing, ski trousers and Bermuda shorts are made of technical fabric; oversize polyester jackets have vibrant and colorful geometric and floral patterns, and double-printed jersey outfits and mountaininspired sweaters are made of extremely fine cashmere.
The Prada on Ice capsule collection has a total of 199 stock keeping units, ranging in price from $295 to $5,400.
— LISA LOCKWOOD
“My intention with Fleur has always been to build something more than a lingerie or fashion brand,” Zuccarini told WWD. “It's an aesthetic and I'm excited to expand into more lifestyle items. And I'm a longtime surfer who developed an appreciation for the sport over the years. I used to spend part of every summer in Montauk; it's where I also had my very first surf lesson. And Tony is such a legend in the surf world.”
Zuccarini first met Caramanico about nine years ago in the Hamptons through her husband Edward Menicheschi, who is also a surfer. It was there that the friendship began — and the desire to one day work together creatively.
“We have been talking about creating boards together for years,” Zuccarini explained. “It was a natural fit to collaborate on the boards, but also just the beginning of so much more to come for the brand.
“I think most people will buy this as an art board; it's the perfect holiday gift,” she added, explaining why she decided to launch the collection pre-holidays. “But you can, of course, also surf on the boards, as well.”
Fleur du Mal surfboards are $2,850 each and available at fleurdumal.com, as well as the brand's Los Angeles and New
York shops. Boards are 5 feet, 7 inches tall and 20 inches wide.
Zuccarini — who is also the cofounder of another luxury lingerie brand, Kiki de Montparnasse, which was later sold — founded Fleur du Mal online in 2012. Since then, the brand has grown to include two brick-and-mortar stores, as well as partnerships with third-party retailers, such as Revolve, Shopbop and Bloomingdale's. Fleur du Mal now also sells ready-to-wear and swimwear, of which Zuccarini said sales are up 80 percent, year-over-year.
While the designer said she has no plans to go into surfwear, there is a possibility that Fleur du Mal would create a permanent collection of surfboards.
Meanwhile, the demand for both swimwear and surfwear spiked during the pandemic, causing several brands to expand their assortments. In June, lifestyle brand LoveShackFancy expanded into surfwear after noticing a rise in the sport during lockdown. Cynthia Rowley and Roxy recently teamed up for a limited-edition ski and swimwear collaboration, just as many consumers are beginning to once again travel to warm-weather locales for the holidays.
Rowley said the demand for wetsuits was particularly evident during the pandemic, thanks to the noticeable number of celebrities spotted in the designer suits, such as Kim Kardashian West, Gigi Hadid, Gwyneth Paltrow and Julia Roberts. — KELLIE ELL generation to generation.
The home collection launches at the end of the month and is available on Altuzarra.com and select retailers. Blankets can be customized with a personalized monogram. Prices range from $195 to $695.
Last year, Altuzarra partnered with a handful of Etsy artisans to create limited-edition, one-a-kind pieces of highly curated home decor collections featuring items such as tie-dye silk pillows, dog beds, ceramic vases, woven baskets and candlestick holders. — L. L.
Guillermo Andrade's 424 outfitting Arsenal. This is a new type of deal for the NBA and for an arena.
Johnson hopes to elevate Monumental as a destination for more than just sports, as well as provide players with products like jewelry and watches that they can have long after their playing career. He said he'll be dressing the team for travel and games, but also for events like holiday parties, in which the franchise is partnering with a luxury jeweler.
“If you look at the statistics of players with financial woes three to four years after playing in the league, I want them to have pieces that appreciate or hold their value so when you're done you can have some collateral,” he explained.
He also explained his plans for the arena, “Many teams focus on the court and not so much of the audience and I want to look at it from a different perspective and give people a new reason to go to the stadium like a unique bar or shopping experience or spa experience while watching a concert or game. That has not been done before but people have a thirst for something new and relevant.”
Johnson closed his New York City location at the beginning of lockdown in 2020, but is opening stores in Dubai on Jan. 25 and Qatar in the coming months.
Also during lockdowns due to the pandemic, he entered into a deal with Saks to be an exclusive partner. He felt the partnership was ideal, seeing Saks as “the last standing” in luxury retail.
“We reaped the benefits this past season,” he said. “The tougher part has been that we're a brand that needs to be touched, felt and tried on so for us to have the success we've had online would only benefit us more when we have a physical presence. We hope to expand to Saks brick-andmortar when they see more foot traffic to the store.”
In addition to Saks and two coming retail locations, Brett Johnson is available globally in more than 40 stores. He currently has a presence in Asia in South Korea, but would like to expand in the continent. — OBI ANYANWU