Why Cruz Is The Biggest Fan Of Victoria Beckham's Latest Reebok Collection

One of the biggest compliments of Victoria Beckham’s career arrived unexpectedly at home last week. Her youngest son, 13-year-old Cruz, told his mother he wanted a pair of her new Reebok trainers. “This is a kid who logs on every Thursday morning to see what Supreme products have dropped,” she tells Vogue. “He knows about trainer exclusives all around the world and he likes mine!”

The trainers are part of the Reebok x Victoria Beckham spring/summer 2019 collection – the designer’s second foray into sportswear with the brand that initially wooed her thanks to its UK heritage. “Who didn’t own a pair of Classics in the ’90s?” she smiles. But, if the first capsule tapped into the nostalgia that’s wrapped up with Reebok, as well as its prowess in the basketball field, the second is about premium sportswear. Beckham has got technical.

“Every time I go into a product category, it’s because I want that thing in my life,” she rationalises. “I work out a lot, so sportswear is very important to me and my wardrobe. It needs to work, as well as look good.” And so, she set out to create the perfect hoodie and tracksuit bottoms; leggings that don’t bag around the knees or the bottom; uncomplicated bras that don’t irritate and “no silly backless tops”. “Just because I’m a woman doesn’t mean I want to wear pink trainers,” she continues. “In our house we all share sportswear, so it was important that this collection worked for both women and men.”

Beckham road-tested everything herself – “no one in my team can be bothered to go to the gym!” – in between life in the studio and on the school run in both London and LA. Her exercise routine currently entails two hours every day: “a mixture of treadmill work, dancing, weightlifting and [resistance] bands," she affirms. "If I get my cardio out of the treadmill, I normally spend the next hour with my trainer on muscle definition.”

She’s particularly taken with how the seamless biscuit-hued pieces will work with her ready-to-wear line, but is quick to emphasise that this is just the starting point for her functional fashion sportswear series. “I’ve already finished the next one, and I’m halfway through the following one,” she enthuses. “It’s going to be a long-term plan, I’m pushing the team and they are pushing me to keep creating newness.”

Browse the lookbook, which was shot by Mario Sorrenti and styled by Alastair McKimm, below, and shop the £29-£500 collection at Reebok.com/VictoriaBeckham.

Virgil Abloh's First Louis Vuitton Campaign Stars A 3-Year-Old, His Studio Team And LA Students

Fresh off the back of the news that Virgil Abloh’s first Louis Vuitton designs are selling faster than the LVMH brand’s much-hyped collaboration with Supreme, the tastemaker has revealed his inaugural campaign for the house. Rather than serving up a series of model portraits, Abloh has created a manifesto and a visual statement of his intent as creative director.

“I wanted to make something that is universal and human at the core,” Abloh commented. “Inclusive and dense, something that has gravity. So I decided I was going to focus the campaign on boyhood, not menswear. What makes men? The different stages in one’s life, from infancy all the way through teenager, adolescent, young adult to adult.”

The first Inez & Vinoodh-shot images depict three-year-old Alieyth playing with paper boats wearing an oversized jumper from Abloh’s Wizard of Oz-themed spring/summer 2019 collection. Seven-year-old actor Leo James Davis is also pictured with his eyes closed as he basks against a rainbow backdrop, and 16-year-old actor Luke Prael is captured wearing a poppy-print jacket. The images were released to coincide with Martin Luther King Jr Day on January 21st in America.

A second run of images reveals Algerian multimedia artist Mohamed Bourouissa’s homage to “The Artist’s Studio”, a painting by Gustave Courbet. In the photograph, Abloh moonlights as the artist in the centre, and is flanked by members of his team and inner circle, including rapper Octavian; Christine Centenera, who styles Abloh’s Louis Vuitton shows; painter Lucien Smith and Bourouissa himself. The series, which will be released in its entirety on February 1, will appear in print advertising placements only.

The third and final strand of the campaign, which is imagined by Dutch photographer Raimond Wouda, features LA students dressed in the bright T-shirts that Abloh gifted his guests at his debut show. The shots will drop on March 22nd across Louis Vuitton's social media channels and website.

“I’m not content with just designing clothes,” Abloh told WWD about his alternative approach to campaign casting. “I am more enamoured with providing a premise of why my designs exist. Today it’s the context that is the punctuation on the object.”

Dev Hynes Composed The Soulful Original Score For The AW19 Louis Vuitton Men’s Show

The autumn/winter 2019 Louis Vuitton men’s collection, which debuted at the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris on Thursday, was a full-out tribute to the late Michael Jackson. Men’s artistic director Virgil Abloh sent out individual white gloves in lieu of proper paper invitations, and the garments themselves wove some of Jackson’s style signatures — like those iconic gloves and sequined military jackets — into the lexicon of Abloh’s designs.

It would have been easy to imagine Abloh using Jackson’s music to contextualise the pieces, but that would have been too easy. Ever the music-obsessive – Abloh is a DJ and producer himself and consistently brings musicians onto the runway for his shows—he instead commissioned Dev Hynes, aka Blood Orange, to create an original composition for the runway. Orchestrated by Louis Vuitton music director Benji B, and with the help of singer-songwriter Ian Isiah, Hynes brought his distinctly soulful touch to Abloh’s proceedings.

This isn’t the first time the two have worked together, nor is it Hynes’s first time scoring a fashion show. Hynes walked at Abloh’s Louis Vuitton debut last year, and the singer-songwriter has contributed his distinct musical stylings to a number of runways, including those of Eckhaus Latta and Maryam Nassir Zadeh. Most recently, he collaborated with menswear designer Grace Wales Bonner on a short film inspired by her autumn/winter 2017 collection. Listen to Hynes’s Louis Vuitton score below – with yet another notch in his belt, Hynes is fast becoming the fashion world’s most in-demand composer.

Offset Storms The Off-White Runway In Massive Lilac Puffer

When Offset made his runway debut at New York Fashion Week last September at Jeremy Scott, he was clearly excited about the opportunity. He walked in a Pikachu-covered sweatshirt as his rapper friends, including 21 Savage and fellow Migos member Quavo, looked on from the front row. “It was great to do show people that I can do something outside of rap,” Offset told Vogue at the time. “I’d love the opportunity to do it again.”

Offset didn’t have to wait long to see that become a reality. The Atlanta star made another memorable runway appearance dressed in a massive lilac puffer that boasted a built-in cross-body bag at the Off-White show, which was undoubtedly one of the hottest tickets at Paris men’s Fashion Week.

It’s not the first time that Off-White’s Virgil Abloh, who is also the artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s menswear, has tapped musicians to moonlight as models. Last year, Playboi Carti (who also appeared at Off-White today), Steve Lacy and Dev Hynes all walked in his inaugural Louis Vuitton show. Now that the designer has brought Offset into the fold, the Migos rapper has officially turned bona fide fashion force. Though rapping may be his main gig for now – he’s currently at work on his debut solo album – modelling is shaping up to be a pretty sweet sideline.

Why Was Karl Lagerfeld Absent From The Chanel Couture Show?

The finales of Chanel’s shows are a highlight of the haute couture calendar, as Karl Lagerfeld traditionally takes a turn around the fabulously decorated Grand Palais alongside his bride of the season. The head of the house was notably absent from today’s spring/summer 2019 presentation, however. In his place, Lagerfeld’s long-time right hand Virginie Viard, who has stood alongside him at the close of previous shows, took a bow.

Viard appeared alongside Italian model Vittoria Ceretti, who acted as Lagerfeld’s bride in a sparkly swimsuit and matching cap with cascading veil. The duo stood arm-in-arm in front of an archway within the dramatic Mediterranean set.

“For the traditional greeting at the end of the show, Mr Lagerfeld, artistic director of Chanel, who was feeling tired, asked Virginie Viard, director of the creative studio of the house, to represent him and greet the guests alongside the bride,” the brand said in a statement following the two shows on January 22nd.

“Virginie Viard as creative studio director and Eric Pfrunder as Chanel’s director of image continue to work with him and follow through with the brand’s collections and image campaigns,” the house added, according to WWD. “We wish Mr Lagerfeld to recover quickly."

Valentino's Pierpaolo Piccioli And Luca Guadagnino Have Collaborated On A Short Film

Luca Guadagnino might have become a household name in 2018 owing to his Oscar-nominated coming-of-age love story Call Me By Your Name, but he has had a toe dipped in the fashion pool for some time. After directing and producing short films and adverts for Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Cartier and Salvatore Ferragamo, among others, he has teamed up with Valentino.

Guadagnino and Pierpaolo Piccioli have collaborated on a short film spotlighting the designer’s couture creations, according to WWD. And it's more than just a brand exercise – the duo plan to enter the yet-to-be-named work into a handful of film festivals.

The filmmaker and fashion tastemaker are a match made in sumptuous screen heaven. Guadagnino’s paean to 1980s bohemia and young romance might have won him a turn on the world’s stage last year, but his filmography – 2009’s I Am Love and 2015’s A Bigger Splash are two previous jewels – have long been indicative of his artful approach to cinema.

Piccioli, a purveyor of fairytale worlds, meanwhile, imagines voluminous, whimsical gowns that delight Lady Gaga, Frances McDormand, Tracee Ellis Ross and Tilda Swinton – who is a Guadagnino casting favourite – alike. “For me couture is a place where you liberate your dreams,” Piccioli told Vogue after his autumn/winter 2018 presentation – the collection the short film is expected to focus on. “It's fantasy, intimacy, emotions altogether.”

As we await for more details of the Call Me By Your Name sequel, a dose of Guadagnino’s fashion on film – even if it's sans Timothée Chalamet – is most welcome. Stay tuned for more details.

Ozark's Julia Garner Gets The Tim Walker Treatment In New Kate Spade Campaign

With starring turns in Miu Miu’s Women’s Tales, the 2019 Pirelli calendar and, most recently, Nicola Glass’s first Kate Spade campaign, Julia Garner has carved herself out a neat sideline in fashion. For her, it’s not about the kudos, but about tapping into the creativity that comes hand-in-hand with the industry. Spot her keeping the front rows warm at fashion week, for example, and she’s mentally forecasting trends, not plotting her new-season wish list.

“People feel the same thing energetically,” she tells Vogue over the phone from New York. “Sometimes I’ll read scripts [exploring] a similar theme because people want to write about it now. It’s the same with design – people are connected.”

A beautiful pie of clothing, for Garner, is akin to a work of art – “I’ve always had fun with clothes, because my dad is a painter” – and it was this that drew her to Glass’s vision at Kate Spade. “Some of the spring/summer 2019 collection looks like Matisse pieces, particularly his cut-outs,” she muses. “Others have little aspects of Monets in them.” When Glass asked Garner to star alongside Sadie Sink and KiKi Layne in her debut brand campaign, the decision was a no-brainer. But, again, the motive wasn’t the profile boost – it was Glass’s use of colour that captured Garner's imagination. When Tim Walker signed on as the photographer – “he’s the sweetest guy” – she could foresee something even more brilliant.

Garner had no difficulty tapping into Walker’s fantastical methodology. “I acted out the clothes, which are very gentle and feminine, but strong because of the colour and patterns,” she muses. “I felt confident and grounded, but also channelled someone sweet and free.”

Unlike red-carpet pictures of herself, which she dislikes – “If one isn’t good, then it's always everywhere!” – she felt at home on Walker’s set and is pleased with the results. In fact, the smorgasbord of psychedelic shades reminds her of her first Kate Spade bag in the most unusual shade of blue. “I’ve still never seen anyone with a bag that colour, I begged my grandma for it," she says. "And so, in a weird way, as a New Yorker, Kate Spade reminds me of home."

Bruno Sialelli Named As Lanvin's New Creative Director

”Bruno Sialelli, a 31-year-old unknown French designer hailing from the menswear division at Loewe, has been named the creative director of Lanvin. Sialelli will be the fourth designer in four years at the French fashion house.

Sialelli’s “singular and very personal vision, his audacity, his culture, his energy and ability to build a strong creative team definitely convinced us,” Lanvin’s chief executive Jean-Philippe Hecquet commented. In his new position, Sialelli, who has stints at Acne Studios, Paco Rabanne and Balenciaga as well as Loewe under his belt, will be charged with unifying Lanvin’s menswear and womenswear divisions, as its Chinese parent company Fosun prepares to take the house in a “pivotal new direction”. As more and more brands lean towards a co-ed model, this is no surprise.

"I am delighted and honoured to join Lanvin, a house founded by a visionary woman who, among the first French couturiers, dared to offer a global universe with a very wide field of expression,” Sialelli noted. “Bringing emotions through compelling stories and defining a modern attitude are going to be exciting challenges in continuing this legacy.

Lanvin has experienced a period of unrest since Alber Elbaz departed the brand in October 2015 after 14 years. In response to his removal as creative director, which was acrimonious after the designer was forced to defend his work amid poor-quality claims, the Lanvin staff revolted. Elbaz was replaced the next year by Bouchra Jarrar, who lasted only 16 months before also coming into conflict with management. Her successor, Olivier Lapidus, lasted half as long, and the women’s collections have been designed by an in-house team since March. Lucas Ossendrijver, who headed up the menswear division for 14 years, departed the house in November.

Upon Lapidus’s sudden exit, Joann Cheng, president of Fosun Fashion Group, which purchased Lanvin in February, said: “Lanvin is a truly iconic and storied brand with immense potential. By being a part of the Fosun Fashion Group, Lanvin’s future growth can leverage resources from the expansive global platform of Fosun’s established companies and experts.”

Lanvin was the first major fashion acquisition for Fosun, which is a relatively unknown conglomerate fighting for a slice of the luxury pie, and also owns Wolford and Caruso. Whether the relationship will be beneficial for both parties remains to be seen, but the pressure is certainly on for the Studio Berçot-educated Sialelli to transport Lanvin out of its fated past and into a promising future, where a growing number of fashion houses are led by a new, younger guard of designers.

Will Olivier Rousteing's Balmain App Help Democratise Fashion?

The next phase of Olivier Rousteing’s Balmain expansion plan has been actioned, and this time the designer is coming for your iPhones. The Balmain app – an effort to increase communication with its customers through inclusive, authentic entertainment – is now available to download on iTunes.

“For too many years, the legendary ateliers, boutiques and runways of Paris have only been open to a very lucky select few,” stated Rousteing of the launch. “We’d like to try to begin to change that, by inviting as many members of our Balmain Army as possible into our Balmain universe.”

App users will be able to watch shows – the January 18 men’s show will be uploaded online the day after it takes place, and the January 23 haute couture show (the house’s first in 16 years) will be live-streamed – and view an immersive tour of Balmain’s Saint Honoré flagship, which is due to open in February. For Parisians, augmented reality content can also be accessed by scanning posters that were plastered across the city’s walls the night before news of the app broke. Similar initiatives will be rolled out across Europe throughout 2019.

“The app is the final element of the strategy we are rolling out to launch the new monogram, the new logo, and to support overall the new communication strategy of Balmain,” Balmain’s chief executive officer Massimo Piombini told WWD. “This is a way to connect with the next generation, with new customers, with a segment of customers that are close to the brand that are expecting from us these kinds of new features.”

The app can certainly be seen as a step closer towards Rousteing’s mission to democratise his fashion – but only digitally. “I create a world that is expensive because with Balmain it’s luxury, but if you think of my ideas and ideologies it’s more than a price on the clothes,” he told Vogue in May 2017. The next phase of his Balmaination will be to balance his revival of couturewith accessible product lines, such as his past collaborations with H&M and L'Oréal Paris. For now, there's a shiny new toy to play with.

Is Rihanna Set To Launch Her Own Luxury Fashion House?

She has already made an indelible mark on the fashion and beauty industries with her wildly successful Fenty Beauty line, Savage x Fenty lingerie and collaborations with the likes of Puma, Dior, MAC and Manolo Blahnik, but now Rihanna is reportedly on the brink of launching a luxury brand under her own name, according to WWD.

Multiple sources have said that talks have been held between the singer-turned-designer and LVMH, with the multinational conglomerate recruiting a team (from internal companies such as Louis Vuitton and Celine) to establish the new fashion house - which is expected to incorporate ready-to-wear, leather goods and accessories.

It would perhaps be an unsurprising next step in their working relationship, given the reach and influence that Rihanna has come to possess in the fashion world and the business and consumer savvy that she has demonstrated with her Fenty forays (not to mention the fact that Fenty Beauty is created with LVMH-owned beauty brand incubator Kendo). Still, however, it's suggestive of a new direction for the luxury giant, which is known for its heritage brands - Rihanna's fashion house would be the first that LVMH has launched from inception since Christian Lacroix in 1987.

If the news is confirmed, 2019 looks set to get even bigger for the megastar, who told fans over Christmas that her ninth studio album will drop later this year. While the rumour mill goes into overdrive with speculation that a pair of oversized sunglasses - which she wore earlier this week, spelling out Fenty across her forehead - were a teaser from the collection, we'll just have to wait to see what RiRi has in store¨

Chanel's Love Affair With Paris Continues, Thanks To Karl Lagerfeld

During a turbulent time in Paris, where anti-government protests are impacting the tourist and retail climate, Karl Lagerfeld has weighed in and pledged his support for the capital. The creative director will stage Chanel’s next cruise collection on May 3 at the Grand Palais.

Reprising the exact date and location of last year’s cruise show – the occasion that called for a gigantic ocean liner to be constructed as a celebration of the real cruise lifestyle – might not seem significant. The Grand Palais has been transformed into the fantastical worlds that represent Chanel ready-to-wear and haute couture, from beaches to supermarkets and casinos, since 2005. But, Lagerfeld did not intend it to make headline news. Rather, it's a quiet statement of a brand reinforcing its commitment and support to its home during a time when the forecast for Europe looks cloudy.

“Karl Lagerfeld’s decision to hold the show at the Grand Palais demonstrates the close link between the house and this exceptional location, and confirms Chanel’s desire to contribute to the cultural and artistic influence of Paris around the world,” the house commented to WWD.

Last year a handful of brands, including Gucci, Dior and Louis Vuitton, bucked the trend for showcasing cruise collections somewhere exotic and far-flung and all presented in Paris. The latter has announced it will stage its cruise show on May 8 in New York, but the former brands have yet to announce show plans. Chanel’s May 3 slot at the Grand Palais will buoy up Paris’s fashion calendar for the spring of 2019, before the brand's brief sojourn to New York in December for its travelling Métiers d'Art spectacular.

In 2020, renovation of the historic venue will begin ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Chanel, the private sponsor, has pledged 25 million euros to the Grand Palais works, and near 5 million euros to aid the creation of permanent exhibition spaces at the Palais Galliera fashion museum.

The British Fashion Council Calls For People's Vote On Brexit

The British Fashion Council has supported the call for a People’s Vote, after MPs rejected Theresa May’s latest Brexit deal – voting against it by 432 to 202 – in a historic parliamentary defeat.

“As the British Fashion Council, we cannot emphasise strongly enough that a no-deal Brexit is a scenario that should be avoided at all costs,” the BFC said in an official statement on January 16. “The ongoing uncertainty and confusion that a no deal creates will have a negative impact on our industry, where investment is already impacted from the uncertainty being faced. A no-deal situation will result in no transition period, and with an industry that is predominantly small-medium enterprises, we would struggle to cope with the trade realities that it would bring.”

The prime minister now faces a vote of no confidence in her government leaving the Brexit strategy all the blurrier. In light of this and the fashion industry’s preference to remain (a 2016 BFC survey of the industry saw 90 per cent of respondents state a preference to remain), the BFC has pledged its support for a second referendum.

“A no-deal Brexit would have unthinkable repercussions for fashion entrepreneurs,” fashion critic Sarah Mower told Vogue following May's defeat. “Most of the British fashion talent we have are small, medium and emerging companies. Just the idea of having to deal with the massive complications of extra form-filling, delays in shipping, the stopping of the easy flow of goods and people in and out of Paris, as well as other European locations such as Italy, Portugal and Romania, where fabric is bought and clothes are manufactured, is enough to threaten the closing down of an entire sector of the UK’s £32 billion fashion industry. We are facing a national emergency; the politicians have failed to show they have concern to protect jobs in fashion or any other UK industry. A people’s vote needs to be called.”

Paul Smith, who said he remained without question loyal to Europe, agreed: “It's impossible to anticipate what effect the exit will have on the purchasing of goods and services or on customer confidence, but being an independent company, we're flexible enough to weather the storm.”

The BFC has worked with the Home Office to expand and promote Tier 1 visas to international fashion creatives since the 2016 EU referendum to aid those whose futures look less stable. “Our continued conversations with the industry have shown that the key challenges remain movement of people, tariff-free access to the EU and frictionless borders,” BFC chief executive Caroline Rush told Vogue. “We will continue to gather information for the industry to support them through the changes, as well as work with and educate government on specific challenges for fashion and consider all the options put forward.”

Rush added that the BFC is also setting up a BFC Brexit Technical Working Group to analyse how the UK leaving the EU may impact the UK’s fashion sector, in order to quickly assess the range of exit scenarios. Members will include representatives across all areas of the fashion industry.

Giselle Norman Is The Rising British Model Who Found Confidence Thanks To Cindy Crawford

Turning 18 is a big deal for Giselle Norman. It's not just the fact that she can "get a real ID, drink and get to vote," as it also means new doors are about to open for the model as she comes of age.

While the fashion industry continues to expand its practice of duty of care by - amongst other stipulations - upping the age requirements, it means that a model's rise has to be more staggered. Girls of the season exist during fashion month and amongst the campaign securing, but for those making the decisions of further education or taking up the job full time, things will be more spaced out than before when age specifications were placed in the mid-teens rather than the over-18 mark of today.

Giselle is a testament of this new practice. Her shows plentiful, her campaigns fruitful and yet almost a year since she made her debut is, she is only now giving her first interview, on her 18th birthday. As her friends were submitting UCAS applications this May, Gisele made the decision on a train headed to the South of France for the Louis Vuitton cruise show to close her school textbooks for good.

"I remember being on that six-hour long train journey with my mum and her being like, 'Come on, Giselle, get your work out' and I started crying. It was then that she said 'Right, modelling or school?' and straight away I was like 'modelling, modelling, modelling.' I was at the bottom of the class, I didn't know what I was doing, and I enjoy modelling. I remember calling Storm and being like 'I'm leaving school,'" she told Vogue. "It wasn't really a hard decision because my parents were really supportive, and they knew that I was doing well in modelling and how much I was struggling at school. So, it's chilled."

Her debut, aged 17, happened at JW Anderson's London Fashion Week show last February. With Vogue's contributing casting director Ashley Brokaw selecting her for both the opening slot and exclusive. "I felt sick but so excited. I can remember walking out and seeing everyone's phones rising. In my head I was like, 'Oh wow, this is actually happening," she laughed. A few days earlier she had phoned home with the news and the Norman family - there's four sisters in total - were all in elated tears.

"It's different now. When I'm doing shows now, I'm able to block everything out," she says with the seasoned nonchalance of a catwalk regular who has racked up over 50 shows in less than a year. "At my first show I was so aware of everyone around me, and the music. My legs were just moving for me." Part of the new British invasion of models like Fran Summers, Hannah Motler and Nora Attal currently taking the industry by storm, there's an energy surrounding them that feeds on the opportunities and the doors being opened for them.

"I think that we are all quite down to earth and we don't take life too seriously. Everyone just takes is as it goes. We're happy and excited, and really taking it all in. We all get on really well with everyone and we don't judge. We go there, we talk to everyone, we have a good laugh."

Warned by those around her of the reputation that precedes the fashion industry, and the modelling sector in particular, Giselle and her infectious positivity have found the situation to be quite the opposite. "I came into it having heard stories that the girls would be bitchy, and it would be overly competitive, but I've walked in and my opinion has completely changed," she explained. "I've made such good friends, who I'm really open with and can have such a laugh with. I can be myself, I don't have to try and be something I'm not. It helps to know that I am doing the same thing that they are doing. There's a weird thing that happens twice a year with fashion where we come together every day and I love being with them. There is not a single girl that I don't enjoy the company of."

Growing up in West Sussex, modelling was never a profession that crossed her mind as she struggled with self-confidence issues, but all it took was a certain Cindy Crawford - who Giselle now shares an agency with - to shift her mindset. "I didn't really know about modelling when I was younger, but the first model I was ever shown was Cindy Crawford because I was really self-conscious of my beauty spots," Giselle explains laughing at the situation today. "I remember walking into my mum's office and saying to her 'Look, I'm really conscious. Please can I have them lasered off?' She didn't even talk to me and continued typing but was getting up a picture of Cindy and said to me 'Do you think she's beautiful? She's famous for her beauty mark on the side of her lip.' Ever since then I've thought she is so beautiful and I remember walking into school the next day and being like, 'these moles are beautiful, so shut up!' I've actually never told anyone that story, not even Kaia."

Now, the opportunity seized, modelling is certainly a natural fit for the highly personable Norman. "I'm not really very jealous of my friends going to uni, because a lot of them are very stressed at the moment and I know that if I was still at school, I would be getting sick with the amount of work and I wouldn't be enjoying it. I know university just isn't for me and I wouldn't be getting a lot done there. I just think I may as well get a step ahead and get started. I get to talk to so many different people now and travel the world, meeting all the amazing people, the clothes, the places I get to go to. I didn't think this would ever happen to me and it has happened so quickly. I'm loving it." You can tell she really is.

What's next for the model who barely out of A-levels has captivated the imagination of almost every international fashion house? "When I started, I dreamt of a lot of things that have happened already. One of them, for instance, was walking Chanel. I didn't think that would happen. I always see the Vogue covers on my mum's coffee table and always wish that I could be in one one day!"

Rihanna Takes Her Father To Court Over Fenty Trademark Dispute

Rihanna has reportedly taken her father to court in the US, accusing him of exploiting their family name to further his entertainment business. The popstar, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, filed a lawsuit against her father, Ronald Fenty, after he allegedly falsely claimed that she is affiliated with his firm, Fenty Entertainment.

The lawsuit decrees that Rihanna owns trademarks in the US for the Fenty name and has sent formal "cease and desist" requests to her father, according to the BBC. "Defendants continue to this date to use their misrepresentations for their commercial advantage and to mislead the public," it continues. "This fraudulent conduct harms not only plaintiffs but the public at large and requires judicial intervention."

Fenty, who launched his business in California in 2017 with business partner Moses Perkins, has also been accused of attempting to negotiate a tour deal for his daughter for more than $15m, despite having no connection to her business. "Although Mr Fenty is Rihanna's father, he does not presently, nor has he ever, had the authority to act on Rihanna's behalf or had the right to use her Fenty mark, to exploit the goodwill of her Fenty brands or to solicit business on her behalf," the lawsuit continues.

The “fraudulent conduct” poses "serious irreparable injury" to Rihanna’s Fenty brand – comprising Fenty Beauty, which the performer launched in 2017, and Savage x Fenty lingerie, which was born in April 2018. Both strands of her business have been widely credited for having a positive effect on the consumer landscape owing to the all-inclusive retail models that underline them.

4 Ways The CFDA’s New Sustainability Report Will Change Fashion Week Conversations

Page one of the CFDA’s new sustainability report asks a broad, burning question: “What is sustainability?” The answer tends to change depending on whom you ask. For some of us, sustainable fashion has to do with a brand’s environmental impact; others think social justice is more important; others are focused on preserving artisanal crafts and supporting developing economies; and still more are concerned with animal rights. Truthfully, sustainability is an umbrella term that encompasses all of the above, and then some. Thus, the CFDA guide comes at a good time: Sustainability is a complex, multifaceted issue, and understanding it requires serious research and energy – plus even more research and energy to put it all into practice. Many designers simply don’t have time to dig into it, but this guide will provide them with the resources, strategies and contacts they need.

It’s no coincidence the CFDA released this report just three weeks before New York Fashion Week, either. As sustainability becomes one of 2019’s biggest talking points, designers are going to get a lot more questions about how they’re prioritising it in their businesses going forward. Below, we’ve outlined four ways the report could change fashion week (or at least fashion week conversations!) going forward – and how it will spark new ideas for 2020.

1. Sustainable design starts from the ground up

From the outset, the CFDA report insists that improving your manufacturing and social impact doesn’t mean sacrificing fashion. “Sustainability is great design,” it says. “It is based on a deep understanding that all things are interconnected in this world. Sustainability provides the ability to design and produce indefinitely. This requires that the design, development, production and use of fashion products meet today’s needs – without preventing those needs from being met by future generations.”

2. Be a team player!

The CFDA points out a string of conferences, summits, and tools for designers who want to learn more about sustainability and connect with like-minded peers: There’s the Copenhagen Fashion Summit, the largest global gathering around sustainable fashion; the CEO Agenda, a guide for executives who want to “future-proof” their companies; the Sustainable Apparel Coalition, the industry’s leading alliance for sustainable production, and its HIGG Index, which helps companies measure their sustainability performance; the Pulse of the Fashion Industry Report (published by the Boston Consulting Group), which reveals the business opportunities that lie in embracing sustainability; and the list goes on. No designer can attend every summit, read every report, or visit every sustainable factory or manufacturer – so the CFDA is encouraging collaboration and having a “common agenda.”

3. Consider your company’s culture

Reimagining your business or changing your supply chain isn’t a one-person task. It requires an all-hands-on-deck approach – but even the best ideas fail if a team isn’t inspired or given the means to succeed. Fashion has always been an industry supported by behind-the-scenes workers—seamstresses, patternmakers, assistants et al – and they’re instrumental in making these changes happen. The CFDA referenced a January 2017 report by Bain & Company, which found that 98 per cent of sustainability initiatives fail because they “do not have senior leadership support to ensure that the project has adequate resources, that employees are engaged and supportive, that other priorities don’t get in the way, and that there are clear metrics for success.”

4. Don’t get hung up on “efficiency”

As humans, we’re naturally inclined to make things easier and more efficient for ourselves; it’s a basic principle of evolution. However, in the fashion industry – and in many other industries – efficiency is often confused with the “best” way of doing things. When it comes to natural resources, efficiency is obviously important: “Efficiency with material inputs like water and energy is not only good, but vital,” the CFDA writes. “We want to use and waste as little of these precious natural resources as possible.” But efficiency can be detrimental if you’re hiring low-wage workers because they work quickly, for example, or eliminating jobs and crafts because a computer or machine can knit a sweater faster and cheaper.

5 Changes To Make This Fashion Revolution Week

In the guide, the CFDA pulled an excerpt from Kate Fletcher that compares sustainable fashion to the Slow Food movement: “Fashion is not time-based but quality-based (which has some time components). Slow is not the opposite of fast – there is no dualism – but a different approach in which designers, buyers, retailers and consumers are more aware of the impacts of products on workers, communities and ecosystems. The concept of slow fashion borrows heavily from the Slow Food movement. Founded by Carlo Petrini in Italy in 1986, Slow Food links pleasure and food with awareness and responsibility. It defends biodiversity in our food supply by opposing the standardisation of taste, defends the need for consumer information, and protects cultural identities tied to food.” No one wants standardised food or fashion; easier isn’t always better.

Why Net-A-Porter Is Turning The Spotlight On Colombian Design Stars

As travel searches to warmer climes far, far away reach their peak, Net-a-porter.com, which is ever keeping tabs on what its customer wants before they even search for it, has launched a shiny new curation of brands and exclusive capsules. Introducing the “Colombian Collective”, a smattering of covetable collections from South American designers who celebrate the artisan techniques and resources of their homeland.

“I have always been fascinated with the level of craftsmanship and creativity that comes out of Colombia, from the use of colour to the appreciation of the beauty in the natural world,” Elizabeth von der Goltz, global buying director, tells Vogue about upping the etailer's buy of designers hailing from the region and receiving positive customer feedback.

to "Esteban Cortázar, whom von der Goltz has “always loved”, kicked plans for a specific Columbia spotlight into motion, along with Johanna Ortiz, whom she met through friends. The latter is one of the headline acts, and has created a holiday edit entitled "Cartagena Nights”, as well as footwear in collaboration with Tabitha Simmons. More beach-ready accessories come by way of the Muzungu Sisters, whose playful raffia bags and hats once set Instagram alight; Castañer (the Duchess of Sussex is a fan of its espadrilles) in collaboration with Mercedes Salazar; and Hunting Season, which has supplied a beach-to-city line – perfect for those who haven’t booked a plane ticket yet.

“We are particularly excited to introduce Magnetic Midnight to our edit as we have been focusing on expanding our eveningwear accessories,” von der Goltz adds. "The handcrafted aspect of the bags – they are made from unconventional fabrications like straw and then dipped in gold – makes them limited edition by nature."

Each designer – Verde Limon, The Lazy Poet and Bibi Marini are more of von der Goltz’s favourites – was also tasked by Net-a-porter.com to create something bespoke for the e-tailer using Columbia as the inspiration. The end result, she says, is a selection of unique pieces from designer friends who support one another as well as the local talent they work with. Now that’s an online community that’s worth getting behind.

Virgil Launches Own-Brand Jewellery, As His Louis Vuitton Sales Smash Supreme Record

Virgil Abloh’s first Louis Vuitton designs are already selling faster than the LVMH brand’s much-hyped collaboration with Supreme. But, Abloh has got his sights set beyond the Tokyo pop-up shop where his Louis Vuitton spring/summer 2019 collection is flying off the shelves (it has sold 30 per cent more in the first 48 hours than the luxury-meets-streetwear collab did in 2018). The tastemaker is launching a jewellery line under his own name.

The creative head of Louis Vuitton and Off-White took to Instagram on January 14 to share pictures of his new endeavour – and it’s as offbeat as one might expect. The first post shows a box labelled as “Recycled Jumbo Paper Clips” by the brand “Virgil Abloh”. The second depicts the designer himself wearing a necklace fashioned from paper clips.

Abloh, who has previously worn a neck charm made out of the office stationery cupboard staple, has been developing the accessories for three years, according to WWD. “The idea is like high jewellery for all,” he said of the line, which will include earrings and accessories. “It’s a crash – it’s a paper clip, but it’s also pavé diamonds made in a very specific way.”

He will present his take on the looped wire paper holders (fun fact: paper clips were born in the 1890s) alongside his latest handbag and (non-Nike) trainer designs for Off-White at a pop-up boutique in Hôtel Costes, Paris. “Floral Shop” will open its doors from January 17–29 to coincide with the men’s ready-to-wear and women’s haute couture shows, and, as its name suggests, it will also sell bouquets arranged by Abloh's own hands.

“My ideas don’t stay neatly in one box,” he added about his lesser-known passion. “When I’m old and done, I will be in some remote town somewhere owning a flower shop. I have the concept already done... That’s what I’m into most.”

Burberry Has The Last Laugh In Instagram Egg Battle

Burberry’s Instagram egg post might have only garnered 28.5k likes since its January 14 post date, but the brand has quietly won the social media battle that's gripped the world this week.

The label's carefully curated post of a cracked egg (in the same shade of blue as Clarence Court’s Old Cotswold Legbar range, no less) mirrored the picture of the egg that has broken the world record for the most liked Insta image of all time. Soz Kylie Jenner. The coup was no fluke, for an anonymous account created by the “egg gang” set out on a vendetta to dethrone the influencer.

"Let's set a world record together and get the most liked post on Instagram. Beating the current world record held by Kylie Jenner (18m)! We got this,” read the January 4 post from the gang. Its 5.4m followers spread the message and rallied to fortify the mission to scramble Jenner’s reputation. The egg won (38m likes and counting!) and reminded everyone of that almost forgotten Christmas in 2009, when Rage Against The Machine’s "Killing In The Name" stole the number one spot over X Factor hopefuls, after weeks of underground effort.

Jenner, who had previously amassed 18m likes for the first picture she posted of her daughter Stormi Webster on February 6, retaliated by posting a meme of herself attempting to fry an egg on hot concrete. "Take that little egg," she quipped mercilessly.

It was Burberry who had the last laugh, however, by appropriating the image and capitalising on the furore for its own marketing. “Kingdom” read the caption accompanying its egg, while the sell-by date had been modified to reflect Burberry and its creative director Riccardo Tisci’s names. The quiet hatching of the social-media moment was the perfect time for the former Givenchy leader to remind us that he knows how the younger generation think – and he does a cracking good job of harnessing it for his own means.

Nicolas Ghesquière Hires An A-List Power Posse For His Louis Vuitton Pre-Fall Lookbook

Luxury goods companies have staged Pre-Fall shows this season with the sort of enthusiasm and expenditures until now reserved only for Resort. Chanel installed itself at the Temple of Dendur at the Met, Valentino’s Pierpaolo Piccioli took his pre-collection all the way to Tokyo, and Coach descended on Shanghai. Of course, the social media impressions were ginormous.

Louis Vuitton’s Nicolas Ghesquière, whose Resort show was held at the South of France’s Fondation Maeght last May, hasn’t put on a Pre-Fall show per se, but what he’s pulled off is just as major: a lookbook shoot lensed by his frequent collaborator, Collier Schorr, starring the likes of Alicia Vikander, Jennifer Connelly, Ruth Negga, and Laura Harrier.

Fashion and Hollywood have long had a reciprocal relationship, but this shoot—conducted in New York over two days shortly before Christmas in what Ghesquière described as a tour de force of logistics—makes the synergies explicit. The cast includes 17 performers of one kind or another, most of whom are regulars in his front row. Oscar winners and nominees were photographed along with newcomers like Kelsey Asbille, Indya Moore, and Urassaya Sperbund.

On a phone call from Paris, Ghesquière explained the impetus behind the all-star casting this way: “The more I work, the more it’s about their response for me. It’s inspiring to see the second life of the clothes... For an ‘in-between’ collection, where we don’t do a runway show, I thought it would be great to have their point of view.” The designer and his longtime stylist Marie-Amelie Sauvé worked to put together looks that the women “felt were right for them.” Léa Seydoux wears a siren-y floral print sheath with a plunging v-neckline; Kelela layers a plaid blanket jacket over a floral dress over contrasting floral pants; Doona Bae models an oversize checked sweater and animal print skirt. The majority of the women model handbags, what Ghesquière called “inversions” of styles previously seen on the runway.

Without a formal show, Pre-Fall is Ghesquière’s opportunity to dig into items that performed well in the recent past and ideas that bear further exploration. The wedge heel boots, for example, are an elaboration of the best-selling Archlight sneaker he showed for Spring 2018, and very nearly as weightless. Zhong Chuxi wears a great-looking navy peacoat with the raglan shoulders and rounded sleeves of Ghesquière’s Spring 2019 outing. But it would be a mistake to say that this is a collection of basics, certainly not the way the items are put together, with clashing prints and offhand pairings, most often homey plaids and slick animal graphics.

The juxtaposition of the rustic with the very urban is something new for Ghesquière, who’s always had a sci-fi, futuristic bent. He even mentioned the Amish as a reference point. Though Vikander and Chloe Grace Moretz’s calico and lace dresses are far from humble, something of the frontier woman comes through in their belted silhouettes. “This vision of American culture, the pioneer—I love that this is exotic for us. It’s not reflected in French culture.” There’s a timely synergy of a different kind to that. In May, Ghesquière is bringing his Louis Vuitton Cruise collection to New York. It’ll be the first time he’s put on a show stateside since 2002, a fashion eon ago, when he was the newcomer at Balenciaga.

Milk Make-Up Is Finally Launching In The UK

You can wave goodbye to the Sephora Milk make-up mules - the brand is finally landing onto e-commerce site Cult Beauty on January 28, preceded by a London pop-up store, so you can experience the colour brand whenever you feel the urge.

Founded by UK export, former beauty and fashion editor and now E!entertainment correspondent, Zanna Roberts Rassi, along with Milk Studios co-founder Mazdak Rassi, product developer Dianna Ruth and creative director Georgie Greville, Milk Make-up was created in downtown New York (which explains why the brand reeks of originality and spirit).

The Milk family set about wanting to create a brand that was cool but conscious, inclusive and innovative, which is truly reflected in the cultish products. Taking inspiration from street culture and the many creatives that frequent the Milk Studios scene in NYC and LA, along with other influences such as brand-new ingredients and stationery packaging, Milk is very selective when it comes to adding products to the collection. Launching products only when they have cracked the magic "Milk formula" of being free from nasties without compromising on performance, every product is practical and perfect.

The range is aimed at delivering on-the-go application - fast results with formulations that not only deliver excellent performance and pigment pay-off but that are loaded with skincare benefits, too. Anyone that knows Roberts Rassi will appreciate why the range must be easy to use on-the-go and give more than just colour - just look at her Instagram account and you’ll take a peek into her hectic schedule (raising twin four-year-old girls, running a business, making #zannaquicktricks Milk make-up hacks and her E!Entertainment style reporting that sees her on the red carpet all over the globe).

That’s why Milk is known for its tool-free, blendable, multi-use, travel-friendly solid formulations and products. All these touches make it a cleverly-put-together brand for those on the go and with a fun, carefree spirit.

The Milk pop-up shop with Cult Beauty opens on January 26 and 27, located at 6a Langley Street, Covent Garden and launches exclusively online with Cult Beauty on January 28th.

This Is What A Post-Raf Calvin Klein Looks Like

Farewell Calvin Klein 205W39NYC. Less than a month after announcing the departure of Raf Simons, the brand is implementing changes to quieten the creative director’s vision. The 654 Madison Avenue flagship store, which Simons renovated in 2017, is due to close, the 205W39NYC ready-to-wear line will relaunch under a different name and a new creative direction, and plans are underway to consolidate teams.

Specifics were scarce in the statement released by chief executive officer Steve Shiffman on January 10, but he said that the business model would be "designed to evolve the traditional luxury fashion model by connecting with a diverse range of communities, offering an unexpected mix of influences and moving at an accelerated pace".

The new creative director will be tasked with complying with the new retail plan that Calvin Klein is implementing in the interim between design leads. Shiffman outlined the need for the high-fashion sector of the business to become “digital-first” and reflective of the other strands, including Calvin Klein Jeans and Calvin Klein Underwear, and that it would be unifying resources in North America, such as the men’s sportswear, jeans and e-commerce.

Profit goals are also high for Simons’s successor: "Our industry is witnessing a historic transformation in consumer behaviour which presents a significant growth opportunity as we look to grow the brand to $12 billion in global retail sales over the next few years," said Shiffman.

In place of the Sterling Ruby-makeovers and popcorn-filled catwalks shows, Shiffman suggested that online and in-person “experiences” would be fruitful for generating brand awareness and connecting with customers during this new era.

David LaChapelle On Recruiting Humberto Leon's Mum For Kenzo's SS19 Campaign

First Britney, now Humberto Leon’s mother. Kenzo’s campaign stars are nothing short of surprising. Blink and you might miss Leon senior in the spring/summer 2019 images, however.

Photographed by David LaChapelle, the campaign visualises “Kenzotopia” – a rather fabulous looking place which celebrates a riot of colour and playfulness. Look at the curious sets and Cirque du Soleil poses – yep, mum too – and anything goes, it would seem.

“My mum showed up on set with a bowl of Chinese soup for me to drink because that’s what mums do,” Leon tells Vogue of the shoot. “David saw her and wanted her in the picture. He was adamant she needed to be in this specific shot. She was game, and the rest is history.”

LaChapelle took on the commission precisely because of this openness and spontaneity. “I felt that with the freedom of the team, the cool clothes and the key words Humberto gave me – ‘utopia paradise’ – the shoot was right on point,” the photographer explains. “I was really flattered Humberto and Carol [Lim] asked me [to shoot it], because some of the people they have worked with are ones I look up to a lot. Jean-Paul Goude and Spike Jonze, for example, are two of my favourite artists – for life.”

How did he land on such a fantastical follow-up to his predecessors? “They were all ideas I’m depicting in Good News, my new book, so the project seemed like a good fit,” says LaChapelle. “I look at the Kenzo shots now and feel the same way I did on the day itself… happy.” Browse the campaign below, and you can’t argue with that sentiment.

"Valentine's Just Got Extra AF": Rihanna On Her Latest Savage X Fenty Lingerie

New year, new Fenty. Popstar-turned-entrepreneur Rihanna is striding into 2019 with product launches aplenty to satiate fans of her inclusive brands. On New Year’s Day, she unveiled 50 shades of Pro Filt’r concealer for everyone “looking busted” after the holiday season, and spawned a cheering new hashtag #THECURE.

From Fenty Beauty to Savage X Fenty, where Rihanna is looking ahead to Valentine’s Day with a line of lingerie that cuts through the saccharine connotations of the Hallmark holiday. Launching on Savagex.com on January 9, the sheer camisoles, lip-printed briefs, cut-out bodysuits and heart-shaped pasties are in line with the pieces that have preceded them: body-positive bras and briefs for bad gals everywhere.

"Valentine's just got Xtra AF," is the tagline inviting customers to shop the collection on the e-commerce site. And there lies the success of Savage X Fenty: it’s all Rihanna. Every inch of it, from the materials to the models and marketing, and she gets it. There’s no objectifying women with cutesy poses and kiss blowing, or ticking diversity boxes, Savage X Fenty is simply a no holds barred celebration of women.

"Savage X is about respect," the quote from Rihanna continues. "Do what you do. Be unapologetically you. Embrace individuality.” As Valentine's campaigns from competitors, including the out of favour Victoria's Secret, start to emerge, the Disturbia singer's mantra about embracing a savage kind of love whatever time of year is worth banking.

Stella McCartney On Why Kate Moss And Kaia Gerber Are Her Women Of Today And Tomorrow

I am who I am, who are you?” Tygapaw asked over the airwaves at Stella McCartney’s spring/summer 2019 show. It’s a question the designer has also been considering for the collection's campaign, and she’s subsequently landed on two women who represent her brand: Kate Moss and Kaia Gerber.

“I have a true connection with these women,” McCartney tells Vogueexclusively of the Johnny Dufort-lensed imagery. Moss, who walked in the designer’s graduate fashion show at Central Saint Martins in 1995, represents the Stella McCartney woman of today, and Gerber, who made her brand debut during the spring/summer 2019 show in October, symbolises the woman of tomorrow.

"For this season, I wanted to capture the wonder of women: the circle of life and the love of learning from those that inspire and came before us and are in the now," McCartney elaborates on her reflective mood. “We represent women of any age."

The circular metaphor is realised literally in the disc shape of the photographs, and the hoops that the models, who are outfitted in McCartney’s signature boiler suits, use as props. The spherical theme also represents McCartney’s commitment to sustainability and efforts towards a circular economy.

Sixty per cent of the runway edit was created using green materials, including regenerated cashmere, organic cotton and denim, recycled nylon and sustainable viscose, and McCartney is on a mission to increase that number each season. She’s particularly happy with her new monogram cluster bags, which are made from environmentally friendly cotton and designed with every eventuality in mind.

Has she imparted her wisdom onto her longtime campaign star – this will be Moss's seventh time posing as the face of the brand – and her new protégée? "There was so much energy at the shoot!" she smiles. "Kate and Kaia’s bold beauty really shine in these images... and our effortless relationships – how we choose to support one another over time – come through."

Vegan Fashion Week Is Coming To Los Angeles

#VFW is about to become a bona fide hashtag, as Los Angeles prepares to host the first Vegan Fashion Week from February 1-4. The brainchild of founder and animal rights activist Emmanuelle Rienda, VFW is a natural step forward for the city which has already banned the sale and manufacture of fur.

“I want to ignite conversations and debates within the industry by educating, elevating, and drawing connections between our most important values: our respect for human life, animal rights, and the environment,” Rienda told VegNews about the fashion-meets-activism project.

The four-day event, which will take place in the California Market Center, will comprise catwalk shows and presentations from a list of conscious designers who will be unveiled on January 21, as well as an exhibition on the evolution of vegan fashion. The animal-free mood will also extend to the vegan lounge, which will showcase innovative alternatives in the realms of beauty and food, as well as fashion.

Riccardo Tisci Outlines His Revolutionary Vision For Burberry

It’s a new dawn, a new day, a new story both for me and for Burberry,” Riccardo Tisci tells Vogue’s executive fashion news editor Olivia Singer in an exclusive interview in the February issue. “I want to sustain the Burberry heritage, but I also want to go with the times, with modernity. I want people to come to Burberry and buy a beautiful trench, a beautiful car coat, a beautiful suit, a beautiful evening dress, beautiful trainers. Not just one product; I want to make it more open, more democratic.”

When Burberry announced that Tisci would become its chief creative officer last March, there was a frenzy of speculation about how the Italian designer’s glamorous, neo-gothic aesthetic would translate to the prestigious British house. At Tisci’s first ready-to-wear presentation for the heritage brand, guests entered a dimly-lit warehouse - only for the ceiling to roll away and expose a blue sky. “I wanted people to think, ‘Oh, he’s back with that same darkness.’ But, really, it’s about starting again,” he explains.

Titled Kingdom, the collection nods to eclectic subcultures across Britain, from streetwear kids to city boys, because “that’s what fashion should be: every age, every culture, every lifestyle”, Tisci says. The Puglia native has a strong personal connection to Britain - having lived in London for years - and still feels the country’s essential qualities remain the same after all these years. “For me, Britishness is an attitude, a strength, a confidence and a freedom. The moment I put my feet here, I fell in love. I realised, this is my place.”

It’s a love that’s apparent in every detail of the collection - from the sou-wester hats to handbags covered in lines from Shakespeare plays (“I weep for joy to stand upon my kingdom once again”). Modelling some of Tisci’s exquisite spring/summer 2019 creations in the February issue are British talents from Kate Moss to Lily James, Jess Glynne to Stella Tennant, all captured by Willy Vanderperre.

Donatella Versace And Maria Grazia Chiuri Will Both Feature In Chiara Ferragni's Documentary

It has been 10 years since Chiara Ferragni unleashed The Blonde Saladinto the digital sphere, and to celebrate the Italian businesswoman is making a documentary.

Directed by emerging Italian director Elisa Amoruso and produced by Memo Films Srl, the film will focus on Ferragni’s private life, as well as the professional persona she presents to the world. Donatella Versace, Diane von Furstenberg, Jeremy Scott and Maria Grazia Chiuri all help shape the narrative, as well as academic professors, sociologists and Ferragni’s loyal followers.

The influencer began filming the docufilm, which is slated for release in autumn 2019, during her fabulous wedding celebrations in Sicily in September. Amoruso then followed the newlywed around the international fashion week circuit, as she sat on the front rows and hit the parties in New York, Milan and Paris, and then on to her hometown of Cremona.

2019 is shaping up to be a big year for the entrepreneur. As well as seeing herself on cinema screens, she will launch her first beauty masterclass in collaboration with make-up artist Manuele Mameli. “Beauty Bites” will take place in Milan’s Teatro Vetra venue on February 9-10, reports WWD.

This Is What Female Utopia Looks Like, According To Chloé's Natacha Ramsay-Levi

Hippie modernism might not be a proposition you’re currently ruminating over for your January wardrobe, but, thanks to Natacha Ramsay-Levi, it’s firmly on the agenda. Her hand-spun knits and scarf prints – very Sienna Miller circa 2005 – premiered at Chloé's spring/summer 2019 show, and, now, the campaign for the collection has landed.

Shot by Steven Meisel, the imagery evokes a “feminine utopia”, according to Ramsay-Levi. Four women, played by models Rianne Van Rompaey, Carolina Burgin, Hannah Ferguson and Imaan Hammam, drift through a modern villa space and embody the alternate Chloé lifestyle. “There is an aura of mystery surrounding the nature of their bond,” the designer continues. “They are linked by a sensuality and a stately demeanour.”

If the concept sounds predictable for a brand that has spun hippie clichés into its unique currency, the collection is rooted in Ramsay-Levi’s New Age research. “Hippie modernism is an oppositional expression suggesting a lifestyle that is affected by the environment and the idea of modernity,” the designer explains. “The hippie culture represents the last utopia of the 20th century, which for me, is very relevant today.”

The head of the house enlisted Meisel to envisage each of her campaigns in order to create a common thread between them. “For me, Steven has this ability to film women and reveal their incredible beauty while simultaneously proposing a strong statement about the fashion,” says Ramsay-Levi. “This is a balance that I find rare and hence treasure in a photographer’s work… you can notice a recurring flow to the films and a composition to the images that become emblematic of Chloé today”.

The campaign is foremost a film, which will be unveiled on January 21. But, unlike Ramsay-Levi and Meisel's creative collaboration for autumn/winter 2018, which showed a cast of six women from a distance, this time Meisel shot his subjects at closer range. “You are almost right there next to the models, as though you are being transported, too,” Ramsay-Levi muses. “You become aware of this evocation of desire, and my hope is that it will linger in your thoughts.”

Nick Knight On Shooting Equinox's High-Octane New Campaign With An Exciting Array Of Talent

Fitness campaigns don't often win plaudits for empowerment and positivity, but the message at the forefront of Equinox's high-octane new short film is determined to do just that. It was this ethos - manifested in the slogan, "It's Not Fitness, It's Life" - that first attracted Nick Knight to partner with the lifestyle brand, bringing together a diverse cast with an array of talent to represent the building blocks of life.

"There’s a lot of old school thinking that goes on towards the body," Knight tells us of why the brand's approach to exercise beyond the walls of the club is different. "So I wanted to understand the ethos of Equinox - they are teaching that it isn’t just about working out one part of the body, it’s about looking at it as a whole system. They treat across a whole range of movements and dynamics and activities. And the thrust is that it isn’t about fitness - hence the logo and slogan - it’s about life."

"This is probably how fitness should be seen," he continues. "Not in isolation, as something that makes your torso bigger or hips slimmer but has no effect on the rest of your body. I liked their approach to fitness. I like the fact they saw it not just as a set of exercises to get you fit, but as a way of living your life."

The elements that Equinox's campaign celebrates through dance, movement, vocals and real-life emotion are Spirit, represented by Grammy Award-winning performer Ciara; Energy, embodied by a group of freerunners, parkour athletes and stuntmen; Light, depicted by Maria Borges, which she describes as "such a special experience - especially when they covered me head-to-toe with 200 bottles of lip gloss to get into the part!”; Love, displayed by Knight's long-term collaborator Jazzelle Zanaughtti and her partner Sadiq Nasir; Water, represented by models Hannah Ferguson and Richard Ampaw; Life, personified by ballet dancer Sergei Polunin; and Voice, which musician Saint JHN expresses by reciting the It’s Not Fitness, It's Life mantra.

"The casting for this was really important," Knight says. "There was a really great set of people to work with. The brief that came from Equinox was as simple as it’s not just about fitness it’s about life, and then it was up to me to suggest people who I thought would in some way bring that through. We looked at trying to describe life in different ways. We talked about light and energy and looked to break it down to its scientific building blocks. And then a more esoteric or spiritual way, we talked about what life is. We talked about love and we talked about the soul."

"I’ve always wanted to work with Ciara so couldn’t she be spirit? I’ve always wanted to work with Sergei so perhaps he could represent life itself," the photographer continues of the talent that he enlisted and the qualities that they brought to each element. "The thing that is interesting with ballet dancers is that their goal is to become weightless. They want to overcome gravity almost. It’s such a spiritual representation of life. It felt very poetic to me. Then I thought, who can represent love? I know that Jazelle is particularly in love with her partner, so why don’t we just ask them? We’re filming and photographing two people kissing so they should really mean it. I would rather have the tenderness and the playfulness and the reality of a couple who are in love."

The powerful short film marks an ongoing series of collaborations between the acclaimed photographer, his fashion platform SHOWstudio and the Equinox brand. “Knowing that the articulation of life itself is not an easy brief, I was excited to collaborate with Knight because his whole body of work is about using the visual to explain the emotion of a moment or concept,” Elizabeth Nolan, Executive Creative Director of Equinox, says. “Equinox exists to enable people to maximise the potential within themselves, and the brand has always expressed itself by showing the world an image not of what we do — but of why we do it."

Knight's own relationship with health and fitness goes back a long way. "Photography and being a photographer is sort of a performative art," he tells us. "It isn’t where you stand or sit at an easel. You’re jumping around and moving a lot, you’re almost acting as a sort of mirror for the model to emulate, so it's very physical." He has filmed all of his sessions since the ‘80s, which he says has given him an awareness of his own movement on the rare occasions when he needed to watch them back. Knight's fitness regime is impressive, spurred on, he says, by starting to feel a little less agile several years ago. It was then that he took up pilates, which he now does for at least 15 minutes every day.

"I enjoy it enormously just because of the moment you have in an otherwise busy timetable. Just to be calm and still and think about your physicality and to actually work on the physical side of your body rather than just the imaginative side," he reflects of the impact that it has on his life. "It’s so important that you keep dynamic and you keep your body moving. Our bodies are all different and they all work in slightly different ways, but we all have our bodies as systems. Everything is an integrated system and you have to train with that in mind."

Michael Kors Holdings Ltd Begins 2019 As Capri Holdings

It was the much-publicised merger of 2018, and, on the eve of 2019, the acquisition of Versace was made complete. Michael Kors Holdings Ltd has officially changed its name to Capri Holdings. From January 2, it will trade under the new stock market ticker CPRI.

Michael Kors bought Versace for $2.1 billion in September 2018 as part of its action plan to become a luxury fashion conglomerate to rival Kering and LVMH. Under the Capri Holdings label – the name it chose to reflect its new portfolio approach – also sits Jimmy Choo, which Kors acquired in 2017 for $1.2 billion.

“Versace has long been recognised as one of the world’s leading fashion luxury houses, and is synonymous with Italian glamour and style,” John Idol, chairman and chief executive officer of Michael Kors, said in a statement on December 31. “We are thrilled that the house of Versace is now part of the Capri Holdings family of luxury brands.”

Under the instruction of its new parent company, Versace will increase its accessories offering from 35 per cent to 60 per cent of revenues to secure a year-on-year profitability – a policy adopted by Michael Kors, itself. Capri Holdings will also up Versace's global retail footprint from approximately 200 to 300 stores and accelerate its e-commerce and omni-channel development to support the company goal to make an annual turnover of $2 billion.

The aim of the parent company itself is to reach a revenue stream of $8 billion from its new client list. How shares of CPRI perform during the first days of trading in 2019 will, however, prove whether or not Idol’s belief that “we have created one of the leading global fashion luxury groups in the world” is truthful.