Dior And Depp
Johnny Depp was the man of the hour — several, in fact — as guests at the
Dior dinner anticipated the star's arrival.
Depp, the star of the opening night film “Jeanne du Barry,” had been late to his own press conference earlier in the day, and kept the pace with a past- 11 p. m. arrival at the JW Marriott rooftop's Club Albane for the dinner.
Depp, whose return to Cannes is being hailed as a comeback after his years of legal woes, will be staying on at Dior for another stint as the Sauvage spokesperson. The brand has continued to support him throughout.
“They've never pushed me to be someone else when shooting campaigns — it's authentic, real, an inclusion of my own style and I value that immensely,” he told WWD. The desert-themed campaigns have always had a rock ‘n' roll edge.
“A unique balance between edge and elegance,” added Depp of the Sauvage campaigns' style. The actor was sporting a pinstriped suit and hat. “I made this myself,” he joked of his tailored look, before coming clean. "No, not really."
Juror Paul Dano arrived in a sleek black tux, but wouldn't — or couldn't — take questions. “I don't think I can,” he said.
The jurors might be mum all week, as jury president Ruben Östlund opened the festival with a joke from the stage that there would be no “long conversations” with the public until after the festival. Dano kept it short and sweet.
Karlie Kloss arrived earlier in the afternoon, and hinted that she was prepping for a major red carpet. She promised an epic look, and didn't disappoint, wearing a gold Grecian gown by Dior at the premiere of “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.”
— RHONDA RICHFORD
Chopard Couture
After dressing the necks of the most famous women in its jewels, Chopard is launching a couture line of gowns, minis and jumpsuits ready for the red carpet.
Chopard copresident and artistic director Caroline Scheufele is the mastermind behind the line, which will consist of 50 looks. The company will stage a runway show during the Cannes Film Festival.
Dubbed “Caroline's Couture,” the collection is designed in silhouettes that are meant to complement jewelry.
Scheufele spearheaded the development of the collection, working with a team of couturiers, and pieces are meant to coordinate and work together over time.
“I wanted to create a collection for women who, like me, want to dress in a way that is fully aligned with who they are today,” said Scheufele. “Women in love with beauty — meaning true beauty, the kind that never goes out of fashion. Pure elegance. Clothes that can be cherished over time, worn in a variety of circumstances and in countless ways, without ever losing their value or relevance.”
Scheufele said that she used the principles of jewelry — collectible, meant to last a lifetime and passed on to the next generation — as inspiration for her couture launch.
“A wardrobe like a jewelry collection, which time makes more and more precious because they are accompanied by slices of life and carry with them experiences, memories and memorable moments. It is this approach to jewelry that I wanted to transpose to clothing.”
The collection was also designed with sustainability in mind. Scheufele went for classic shapes that will last more than one season, and the staple pieces will be available on order for more than one season.
As part of the house's social and environmental commitments, the line is embroidered at the Kalhath Institute in India, a nonprofit educational center dedicated to the preservation of craft of hand embroidery.
“The Kalhath Institute works to strengthen the skills of the artisans, to pass on this exceptional expertise within India and to put in place framework conditions enabling the craftspeople to earn fair wages — and these are exactly the kind of steps we have been taking for several years at Chopard,” said Scheufele about working with the institute.
The company says it is taking a stance against the concept of fast fashion with this collection, which is an issue at the luxury level as well.
“While the very principles of the fashion industry require the production of clothes systemically doomed to programmed obsolescence, due to the rhythm of the collections presented four to 10 times a year by the fashion houses, Caroline Scheufele adopts the same technique as for jewelry,” the company said in a statement.
Fabrics were sourced form Swiss manufacturer Jakob Schlaepfer, particularly chiffon, taffeta, duchess satin, silks and lace. Jacquards were sourced from Italian supplier Gentili Mosconi. Beading was sourced from Japan, and applied in the Indian workshops.
The premiere collection will make its debut on Tuesday in Cannes. — R. R.