Branching Out
Hilary MacMillan, a contemporary Canadian lifestyle brand, is branching into the swim category.
She has tapped celebrity drag queen Priyanka, who is the first winner of Canada’s Drag Race, to front the swim campaign.
MacMillan’s 12-piece collection includes six women’s suits (primarily one-pieces) and three cover-ups, in an array of custom Pop Art prints. It also marks the first time the designer is launching menswear, with a limited-edition offering of men’s swim trunks.
Women’s suits retail from $145 to $187, the men’s suits are $115 and the cover-ups are $120 to $168. Sizes range from XS to 4X.
“For us, launching swim was something we need to spend time developing carefully to keep within our brand values,” MacMillan said. “Swim is for everybody and every shape — and we’ve stood by this since inception — so welcoming Priyanka as the face felt like a natural way to extend the conversation around inclusivity.”
“I am so excited to be the face of Hillary MacMillan’s first swim collection,” Priyanka said. “As an entertainer and drag queen, I celebrate fashion with bright colors and iconic designs to really show audiences who I am. Not only do I feel amazing in these swimsuits, but to also be celebrating diversity and inclusion through Canadian design is incredible. I’m really excited or everyone to try them on and feel as beautiful as I do.”
The collection, which launches May 16, will be available at Hilarymacmillan.com, followed by select global retailers such as Wolf & Badger and various boutiques.
MacMillan designs ready-towear, outerwear, home, lounge and accessories. Her purposedriven brand champions women’s empowerment through its many causes and philanthropic endeavors. — LISA LOCKWOOD
Richard Quinn,
Ashish and Daniel W. Fletcher have created limited-edition silk scarves to mark the launch of the chain’s new spring salad boxes and bowls: Miso Chicken & Greens; Tamari & Ginger Aubergine, and Pesto Pasta.
The designs are directly inspired by the salad ingredients.
Quinn’s scarf is covered in purple eggplant, radishes, green leaves and edamame beans, while Ashish’s is awash in the red and orange of tomatoes and peppers, with dashes of basil green.
Fletcher’s could send Peter Rabbit into a swoon with all of the purple cabbage, carrots, broccoli and bits of lime.
Katherine Bagshawe, U.K. food and coffee director at
Pret, said the company wants to inspire customers to “reimagine the salad category through the use of seasonal produce, high-quality ingredients and vibrant flavors.”
She said the scarves will help Pret “bring to life” the freshness of its ingredients and create a “welldressed moment” for customers, and salads, alike.
Pret, like other restaurants and food chains that rely on the lunchtime crowd, is eager to win back customers who are just starting to return to the office, full time or part time, after lockdown.
Each scarf is priced at 30 pounds (scarves from these designers’ collections would usually range from 90 pounds to 250 pounds) with all proceeds going to The Pret Foundation. They’ll be sold through Pret’s Instagram Shopify channel starting on Monday.
The Pret Foundation was created more than 25 years ago, and the organization donates freshly made, unsold food every night to people in need in communities near to Pret shops in the U.K. The foundation also oversees nightly charity van runs that deliver food to shelters and charities across London.
The foundation has begun operating a Ukrainian Employment Program for refugees, offering paid employment at the stores, as well as emotional and financial support to families.
— SAMANTHA CONTI