Understanding the latest Vogue US cover, Saint Laurent goes into film, Lacoste teams up with Netflix + networking in fashion
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For its May 2023 issue, Vogue US paid tribute to Karl Lagerfeld, asking 10 designers to create looks inspired by the legendary late fashion designer. Pierpaolo Piccioli, John Galliano, Donatella Versace, Chitose Abe, Olivier Rousteing, Thom Browne, Christopher John Rogers, Jun Takahashi, Simone Rocha, and Gucci designers took part in the project.
The shooting took place at the Grand Palais in Paris - a site where Karl showed his Chanel collections many times, which happens to be under significant renovation. The looks were photographed by Annie Leibovitz and styled by the fashion editor Alex Harrington. 10 models showcased the designs: Shalom Harlow, Kendall Jenner, Liu Wen, Anok Yai, Adut Akech, Natalia Vodianova, Naomi Campbell, Amber Valletta, Gigi Hadid, and Devon Aoki.
To create the looks, the designers looked into Karl Lagerfeld’s work at Chanel, Fendi, Patou, Chloé, and Balmain. Take a look at what inspired them to design these pieces, in their own words.
Pierpaolo Piccioli, Valentino: “When Anna [Wintour] texted me to ask me to take part on Karl’s project, I was taken back in a very precise moment in time. I was working with accessories at Fendi, with Anna and Silvia, and this is where I first met him. Every time he came he brought a piece of modernity and avantguard, he never ever indulged over the past with nostalgia, he was disruptive, bold and surgical. So when it came to think of what, to me, could represent his work and vision I would wanted to be as precise as he would have been. A white popeline shirt, a black tie, a black neoprene dress that were the grounding elements and then a white camelia cape inspired by my first look of The Beginning HC show. This look is the way I look at his work, it represents the balance of heritage and modernity, keeping the lexicon of both of our work together, and I feel (and hope) that this is something that he would have approved.”
Donatella Versace: “When I approached the design for Karl, I thought about his opulence. I thought about that the opposite attracts. I thought about his way to protect himself. I was very inspired by the work he did at Fendi. So I work on this ball gown, very very big volume. Then I put a bustier, a leather black bustier, because Karl always wore black. You know, he never wore another color. So this is a tribute to Karl and his personality.”
Thom Browne: “I loved his use of shape: molded shoulders, and proportions that were unique, maybe avant-garde for a lot of people—so I wanted to play with that idea, and with the fabrications of the house of Chanel.”
Jun Takahashi: “I’ve tried to reinterpret what Karl did around the time he took charge of Chanel—I wondered what would happen if I attempted what both Karl and Coco had been doing. It’s a quintessential Chanel suit, but there’s something you can’t quite put your finger on—dark pop and punk accents, with the seams exposed or cut into tatters.”
Christopher John Rogers: “I looked at his work for Fendi, which, although very expansive, was always about technique—and I thought about all of the behind-the-scenes construction that went into the house’s couture pieces. That’s at the forefront of what I designed here. It was labor-intensive: There are over 250 pieces of organza, there’s silk faille, there’s an underskirt, a boned corset.”
John Galliano, Maison Margiela: “I focused on his obsession with the line during his tenure at Patou. The polka dots are cutouts, ellipses—we projected them onto the look, and they ended up [cut out] wherever the projection hit the surface of the dress. The sequins were a new way of doing embroidery: cutting them out, then dipping them in hot water to make them pliable, then into freezing water so they held their shape. They’re really fun but with—I hope—all the rigors of couture.”
Olivier Rousteing, Balmain: “The look I’ve created is a tribute to him [Karl Lagerfeld] —I looked at what he was doing at Balmain: emphasizing a tiny waist, bigger shoulders, playing with the buttons.”
Chitose Abe, Sacai: “When you think about Karl, it’s the white shirt, a tie sometimes, and some hard-edged jewelry. I’ve tried to capture that—not to reproduce it, but to hybridize it in the Sacai style and turn it into an elegant dress.”
Simone Rocha: “My starting point was to look at his Chloé era, which I was really interested in, because it is a house very known for flou, for being very female-forward. A few pieces in the archive jumped out at me: One was a washed silk dress, very fluid, with lace. I was thinking, How can I bring lace into my world? I brought in some harnessing, a bit of hardness, for some juxtaposition, because that runs through Karl’s work in general. The harness is a bit twisted, but it brings what he did to today.”
Gucci: Vogue commented on the Gucci look worn by Gigi Hadid: “Gigi Hadid, seen here in Gucci’s tweed jacket embroidered with pearls, jet, and crystals, and a very Karl white collar and black gloves.”
What do you think of this initiative? Which is your favorite look?
What's happening in the industry this week?💚
Mary Quant passed away
The British fashion designer was one of the most iconic fashion designers of the 1960s and made a tremendous impact on the fashion industry by introducing pieces that revolutionized fashion during the Swinging Sixties. Mary Quant is credited for inventing the miniskirt, and she is also known for creating iconic pieces like flat boots, hotpants, and PVC raincoats, and popularizing tights, among others. We wrote an interesting piece about her that you can read here.
Bruno Sialelli is leaving Lanvin
The creative director of Lanvin announced he is leaving the brand after 4 years of tenure, as it adopts a new creative configuration. Indeed, it is said the French fashion House would establish Lanvin Lab and invite international talents for “creative partnerships,” says WWD.
Saint Laurent creates a film production subsidiary
According to WWD, the brand is presenting itself as the first to set up a registered subsidiary to produce movies, rather than merely funding them, or dressing its actors. Saint Laurent Productions will make its debut at the Cannes Film Festival next month with “Strange Way of Life” by Pedro Almodóvar, and another short to be announced later, which are both among the Festival’s official selection.
According to creative director Anthony Vaccarello, “Saint Laurent was always linked to cinema” and expanding into films will allow to reach a wider audience and “expand the vision I have for Saint Laurent with a media that stays longer than clothes in a store.”
Lacoste teams up with Netflix for a collection
The French fashion brand is partnering with Netflix to create a cross-category apparel collection inspired by its TV shows, such as “Stranger Things,” “Bridgerton,” “Lupin,” “The Witcher,” “Money Heist,” “Sex Education,” “Elite” and “Shadow & Bone.” The release of the collection this Wednesday marked Netflix’s first cross-category apparel collaboration. It includes Lacoste’s heritage pieces - polos, sweatshirts, and tracksuits, and the brand’s signature crocodile logo was reimagined in different styles to represent characters and elements from TV shows. Prices range from $30 to $120.
Dior launched a beachwear collection
The Dioriviera beach collection, launched this Wednesday in Mykonos, is available in 10 pop-up stores, 12 concept stores, and 9 Dior boutiques around the world, including Italy, France, Spain, Cyprus, the U.S, Japan, Indonesia, and many other destinations. This year, the line is composed of ready-to-wear, accessories, outdoor furniture, a surfboard, table tennis, deckchairs, and other objects to spend time at the beach. The pieces were created with the Dior “Toile de Jouy Sauvage” variation of soft pink, gray, cream, and blue shades.
Gucci opens a luxury private store concept in LA
The brand has launched its first ultra-luxe Salon store concept in Los Angeles, which is open only for Gucci’s VIP clients and only by appointment. According to François-Henri Pinault, chairman, and chief executive officer of Gucci parent Group Kering, prices would range from about 40,000 euros to more than 3 million euros.
Louis Vuitton presents a collection in LA
“Crafting Dreams”, which opened on Wednesday in Los Angeles, is a collection of objects and goods that includes watches, fine jewelry, and leather goods that were created in collaborations between Louis Vuitton and various creatives in the past years. Visitors will also have the opportunity to create personalized pieces with Louis Vuitton artisans. The collection is available for visits until May 3, and access is by appointment only at a private residence.
What’s new in sustainability 🌱
Triarchy and Neiman Marcus launched a sustainable denim capsule
The Cellsius capsule collection includes 2 trucker jackets, shorts, boyfriend-style jeans and a tunic produced by B Corp.-certified AGI denim from a proprietary material provided by Swedish sustain-tech company Renewcell consisting of 70% organic cotton, 21% viscose from sustainably managed forests, and 9% come from Renewcell’s trademark Circulose®. The brands also partnered with Coats to sew garments from the water-soluble thread, as well as with Polive to create buttons made from waste biomasses, and Triarchy teamed with Jeanologia and Kaiser to achieve chemical-free ozone bleaching.
Philosophy released an upcycled capsule collection
The “Philosophy Re-styled by Lorenzo Serafini 002” collection used the designs from Philosophy’s Resort 2022 collection to create an 8 denim item range available in a limited edition. It is distributed at the retailer LuisaViaRoma as of this Wednesday, with prices ranging from 370 to 580 euros.
Activists renew their demand for the Fashion Workers’ Rights Bill
On Tuesday morning in New York, activists gathered to renew their demand for the New York State’s Fashion Workers Act. The bill was introduced in the state legislature last year but is currently under consideration by the Labor Committee. If the bill passes, it would give models and other fashion industry creatives employment and harassment protections.
W Magazine launched in China
W Magazine launched its first print edition in China under a partnership with MC Style Media, the publisher of Marie Claire China. The publication will be led by chief executive Alex Sun and editor-in-chief Mix Wei and will be released on a bi-monthly basis.
Fashion Career Tip of the Week
How confident do you feel about networking?
Even though we always say you can break into the fashion industry without any experience or connections, it's still a fact that many fashion jobs are assigned through word of mouth. So no matter how uncomfortable it may be, networking is critical to your career, and it has to become part of your weekly habits.
Networking may seem like a mission impossible if right now the number of people you know that work in fashion is zero or almost. But what if we told you there are strategies to build connections in fashion?
Read our latest article here to learn tips on how to build your fashion network with confidence:
why networking is important for your career in fashion
how to choose the right people to connect with
what to say to start a conversation
where to network
It's time to grow your fashion network!
Nice things 💖
Vogue Ukraine returns to print since the war started. Edition 1 is dedicated to people who are contributing to Ukraine and is available now for international pre-orders.
What to watch this week
Want to discover the behind-the-scenes and the making of the different looks for the Vogue US May cover? We invite you to watch this latest Vogue video.
Fashion events to see this week 👠
The Salone del Mobile in Milan is hosting during April 17-23 some fashion-themed events. Vogue Italia and multiple fashion brands including Dior, Hermès, and Valentino are participating. So if you happen to be around, it’s worth a visit! Take a look at the calendar here.
Fashion Profiles to follow this week
Annie Leibovitz, contributing photographer at Vogue
Bruno Sialelli, to follow his career after Lanvin
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That’s all for this week.
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Giada Graziano, Inside Fashion Editor in Chief and Glam Observer Founder
Margarita Skacenko, Fashion Editorial Assistant
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