Standout Details From Ganni’s AW20 Show

In a Copenhagen skatepark colour-scaped by the Serbian-born, New York-based artist Ana Kraš, Ganni staged an autumn/winter 2020 show that outlined the Scandi brand’s vision for the 2020s. The key takeaway? Collaborative fashion with a strong focus on upcycling defines its new-era dressing. And big collars are going nowhere. Here’s everything you need to know about what Ganni girls will be wearing next season.

Fashion is better together

After Ditte Reffstrup’s 10th anniversary edit for spring/summer 2020 – which the creative director dubbed her “therapy collection” following a decade at the helm – Ganni is widening the brand’s sphere. For autumn, she invited a series of female collaborators from the fields of art, photography, design and music to help her set the tone for the next chapter. “We need to stand together and work on new solutions for the future,” Reffstrup, who feeds off the energy and inspiration of these global friends, told British Vogue during a preview. “This collaborative project demonstrates the intention of togetherness in the wild times we live in.”

Can’t wait until next season to tap into this holistic offering? The online Ganni Kiosk is currently selling quilts upcycled from past-season fabrics by textile designer Anna Clarisse Holck Wæhrens, hats woven from leftover yarn by knitting whizz Lulu Kaalund, and recycled cotton T-shirts with unique prints captured by filmmaker Emma Rosenzweig and photographer Shaniqwa Jarvis. New pieces, including glass designer Nina Nørgaard’s delectable colour-dappled tumblers made out of recycled plastic, will continue to drop as part of this year-long curatorial project. A portion of the profits will go to I:CO, the partner for Ganni’s in-store take-back schemes, too.

Are you thinking responsibly?

Coronavirus might be plaguing the thoughts of the fashion pack in Copenhagen, but far more pressing for Ditte and her husband, Ganni founder, Nicolaj Reffstrup is the global climate crisis. For autumn/winter 2020, every stage of their “responsible” creative process was approached with the term “reuse” in mind. The brand now has a four-strong sustainability team, one member dedicated to traceability, another mapping out the company’s sustainability journey via the Higg Index, and Nicolaj himself overseeing the innovation side of the studio. Ditte’s favourite piece in the autumnal edit is a coat woven from disused wool samples – a process that was inspired by “the old days of mending and making do, rather than casting aside old garments”. The duo is also really happy with the softness of the organic cotton sourced from a new supplier (a bonus of the brand’s stratospheric rise and increasing profit margins means Ganni has upped the quality of the factories and fabrications it works with, in addition to hiring skilled workers).

Prairie collars are getting a grungy reboot – yes, really

Ganni’s wide, frilly-collared shirts won the hearts of Little Women fashion fans everywhere, so it’s no surprise the brand is reworking the sell-out styles for next season. The twist? The cotton-poplin versions are out. In their place are leather and denim blousons sprouting the same micro ruffles, but with a lower neckline. Reffstrup, who wears a spearmint-striped iteration tucked into high-waisted jeans when we meet, originally souped up the neckline of her shirting to add extra oomph to plain knitwear. She admits she can’t quite look at a normal collar the same way now, so there’s no going back...

Bucket hats are out, berets are in

Cali-style headwear is reserved for tropical climes only, as Ganni models walked the runway with jaunty knitted hats sitting nonchalantly upon their crowns. “When you put these crochet berets on, they make you sit up a little straighter and walk a little taller,” says Reffstrup, miming the action of putting on a hat and then pouting. The other accessory of the season? Stomper boots, because, quite simply, “They give you the best walk,” she grins. “They make a girl look so self-assured, you know?”

Suit up, but make it slouchy

Reffstrup has always set out to “make women feel like they are capable of anything” in her designs, and her ever-expanding network of female creatives has influenced a new grown-up uniform. “I can’t say why, but I just have a good feeling about tailoring,” she muses. For autumn/winter 2020, there are slouchy separates in abundance, and prints have been phased out in favour of a darker, moodier palette. “Next season, who knows if there will be suits, but for now I like the sharpness. It’s that feeling of walking a little taller again.”

Giorgio Armani To Stage Peter Lindbergh Exhibit

Giorgio Armani will stage a photo exhibition at his Silos space dedicated to Peter Lindbergh. Called “Heimat. A Sense of Belonging,” it will be unveiled during Milan Fashion Week with a private preview on February 21st, opening to the public the following day and running until August 2nd.

The exhibit will include both published and unpublished works by the prolific photographer, whose fashion portfolio included Dior, Louis Vuitton and the Pirelli calendar, among others. Lindbergh died at the age of 74 in September. As reported, another exhibition, “Peter Lindbergh: Untold Stories,” comprising 140 works, will be unveiled in Düsseldorf, Germany, next month and run until June 1st.

In recent years, the Armani/Silos space, which opened in April 2015, has staged solo exhibitions of photographers Larry Fink and Sarah Moon and artist Paolo Ventura, as well as a collective display of images by the likes of Aldo Fallai, Kurt and Weston Markus, Tom Munro, David Sims and Richard Phibbs. Last year, it housed “The Challenge - Tadao Ando” exhibit, which was the venue’s first dedicated to architecture. 

The retrospective displayed more than 50 projects by Ando, illustrated with sketches, original blueprints, video installations, technical drawings, travel notes and photographs taken by the Japanese architect himself.

Contemporary Muslin Fashion Exhibition

Following its successful run at the de Young Museum in San Francisco and the Museum Angewandte Kunst in Frankfurt, the Contemporary Muslim Fashions exhibition will make its way to the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City. On view from February 28th to August 23rd, the exhibit will specifically focus on the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and other communities within the United States and Europe.

This ground-breaking show is the first to investigate the modest fashion industry, as well as Muslim women as arbiters of style within and beyond their communities. It will take into consideration how Muslim women not only define themselves, but how they are defined by their dress.

In addition to shedding light on the ever-growing modest fashion category, those who attend the exhibit will grasp how Muslim women's attire is overall shaped by their religious traditions and cultural customs. Social media will also play a large role in the show by relaying Muslim women's representation in conventional media.

The exhibition will showcase about 80 up-and-coming and established designer garments, and 40 photographs to contextualize the fashion through streetwear, sportswear, and couture. Susan Brown, the associate curator of textiles at Cooper Hewitt stated, “Focusing on the work of young professional Muslim designers and artists, the exhibition celebrates the vibrant global community that has arisen around modest fashion and uses contemporary art, street photography, social media and music videos to bring diverse voices into the gallery.”

Contemporary Muslim Fashion will be on view at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum from February 28th, 2020 to August 23rd, 2020.

Charlotte Rampling Slaps Mark Jacobs

A surprising pair appear in the three black-and-white teaser videos that Givenchy dropped for its Spring/Summer 2020 campaign, which will be revealed on January 29th. The clips, posted on the fashion house's Instagram page, star the rather unforeseen duo of designer Marc Jacobs and British actress Charlotte Rampling.

Jacobs, with slicked back hair, comes eye-to-eye with Rampling, both wearing floral pieces from Givenchy's Spring/Summer 2020 collection. One video shares the pair engaging in a fun round of tongue twisters, while another displays an annoyed Rampling striking Jacobs across the face after he continuously repeats “I am Charlotte Rampling.”

While it may seem unexpected for Givenchy to feature another designer for its advertising campaign, this is not the first time this strategy has been used. Donatella Versace actually appeared in another a black-and-white Givenchy campaign for Fall/Winter 2015. And as for this season's talent, the booking marks the second time Rampling and Jacobs have joined forces. The actress was featured in Marc Jacobs' Spring/Summer 2004 campaign, lying in an embrace with photographer Jeurgen Teller.

Naomi Campbell Makes Her Vivienne Westwood Campaign Debut

Set in the backstreets of Paris, Naomi Campbell, Vivienne Westwood, and Andreas Kronthaler star in Westwood's latest campaign, unveiled today. It marks Campbell's first campaign with the British designer.

The atmospheric images and video were shot by esteemed fashion photographer and Westwood collaborator Juergen Teller in the 18th arrondissement of the fashion capital, where the Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood Spring/Summer 2020 show took place last September. Model Kanidoura Fissourou, who walked that runway, is also featured in the campaign.

The campaign highlights the eccentricity of Westwood's designs and the unique qualities of the garments, each of which have a story embedded in their creation. “When I design clothes, they always have to have a story and when somebody shoots me in our clothes, I always have to have that story in my mind," says Westwood on her most recent collection and the campaign. "I’ve been reading mythology. For this, it was like we were on our way to paradise and we were all going to change from fish into birds."

Campbell, who has waited patiently for her moment with Westwood, says: “I believe things in life come along when they are meant to. It’s taken 33 years to do a Westwood campaign and I’m so happy to be doing it in my 49th year. It’s meant to be when it's meant to be.”

Hermès Sets New Prize At Hyères Fashion Festival

Jean-Pierre Blanc, founder of Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography, gathered friends and collaborators on Wednesday night to officially unveil the jury of the 35th edition of the festival, to be held from April 23 to 27, as well as announce the 10 finalists in each category. But before the grand announcement, Blanc had a couple of important pieces of news to share.

“I am proud to say the French government has given its high patronage to the 35th edition of the Hyères festival, which particularly moves me as it’s the first time in the history of the festival that this request has been accepted,” said the founder, who in 2018 had called for more funding to help the festival survive.

Hosting a flower-filled cocktail party at the Beaux Arts, Blanc also unveiled a new prize for the 2020 edition of Hyères: Hermès has created a new accessories prize delivering an endowment of 20,000 euros, or $22,000, for the best collaboration between a Hyères finalist and the Hermès ateliers for a leather-based piece of jewelry.

“It’s kind of amazing to think that in a couple of weeks, these 10 young fashion school graduates will be able to go work in the Hermès ateliers,” Blanc said. He then went on to announce the three jury presidents: Jonathan Anderson will head the fashion jury; Paolo Roversi will lead the photography jury, and Hubert Barrère, artistic director of Chanel Métiers d’Art house Maison Lesage, will take the lead for the accessories prize.

The 10 finalists of the fashion prize, chosen by Anderson’s jury that day, are Aline Boubert, Xavier Brisoux, Marvin M’Toumo, Céline Shen and Emma Bruschi from France; Katarzyna Cichy from Poland; Timour Desdemoustier and Tom Van Der Borght from Belgium; Andrea Grossi from Italy, and Maximilian Rittler from Austria.

The winner of the fashion prize, named Grand Prix Première Vision, will take home a 40,000 euros endowment, one half sponsored by Première Vision and the other from Chanel. There are two other fashion prizes to be won: the Chloé prize and the 19M Chanel Métiers d’Art prize, launched in 2019, both worth 20,000 euros each. Both the photography and the accessories prizes are worth 20,000 euros, provided by Chanel.

Founded and headed by Blanc, the festival has been a launchpad for many fashion designers, including Paco Rabanne’s Julien Dossena, Viktor & Rolf, Anthony Vaccarello and most recently Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh, who were named creative directors of Nina Ricci mere months after winning Hyères and reaching the final stage of the LVMH Prize.

Paris Haute Couture Spring Summer 2020

A womb-inspired runway show, a set based on Coco Chanel's orphanage, the first showing from a Sub-Saharan African designer, and Jean Paul Gaultier's farewell to fashion - there was no shortage of memorable moments at the Spring-Summer 2020 edition of Haute Couture Week, where top labels present elaborate custom garments to selected audiences in Paris.

As fashion's biggest names descended on the French capital for a packed week of shows, it emerged that some had, somewhat unusually for haute couture, put comfort front and center. 

Schiaparelli, for instance, opted for slouchy daytime creations alongside extravagant eveningwear. Stand-out pieces included a pitch-black tailored, yet accommodating, silk-satin trouser suit embellished with surrealist motifs, from padlocks to winking evil eyes.

Similarly memorable was the Italian label's asymmetric royal blue double-puff ball dress with bejeweled charms, which were also glued to models' faces and bodies, and a seductive Oscar-worthy gown with a shocking pink gravity-defying silk skirt.

"Being an American, I am coming at couture from a different perspective," said Schiaparelli's creative director, Daniel Roseberry, after the show. "Celebrating that feels good. I wanted the real pieces to feel more real, and the fantasy pieces to feel so much more unreal."

For Dior's show, artist and feminist icon Judy Chicago created a monumental womb-like space at the Rodin Museum. The elaborate set featured 21 embroidered metallic banners posing questions including "What if women ruled the world?"

"We are in the body of the goddess, in a female space," Chicago said, explaining her design during last Monday's show. "As we are in the Rodin Museum, I was acutely aware of how masculine (sculptor Auguste Rodin's) work is, so I thought, fine, masculine there and feminine here! If the world was like this, it would be a lot better. 

"It's about empowering women through clothes," she added.

Dior's models glided along the purple carpet in various golden gowns, which were paired with veils by master milliner Stephen Jones. Some appeared in long, glittering fringed dresses, while others floated down the runway in more delicate, translucent creations with flowing silk tulle capes.

The duo behind Ralph & Russo dedicated the label's show to their Australian homeland, asking attendees to donate to a fundraiser to help fight the country's bushfire crisis. Celerating their 10th year of couture, the creations combined sumptuous fabrics and glamorous proportions, from a black silk organza crystal mesh suit embellished with graduating metallic crystals, to a ravishing off-the-shoulder chartreuse taffeta ballgown.

Elsewhere on the schedule, Chanel's creative director Virginie Viard turned to the brand founder, Coco Chanel, for inspiration. Her showspace recreated the cloister garden - complete with lavender, cabbages and vine tomatoes at the French Abbey orphanage where a 12-year-old Chanel grew up after her mother's death.

The accompanying collection was light and airy, featuring the brand's classic black-and-white checked suits and Gigi Hadid in a fitted button-down shirt-waister with white Peter Pan collar and cuffs. Then came a timeless all-black outfit: A round-neck Chantilly lace top with a bib and winged caped sleeve on top of a long georgette skirt.

Over at French designer Alexis Mabille's show, held at Sotheby's auction house, Dita Von Teese introduced his creations in a black sequined smoking jacket and pants. "This season, the craftsmanship expresses shades of white, a pallet free of color to better reveal the women's power," she said onstage before joining the audience.

Models walked dressed in mostly all-white ensembles, including a simple shirtdress worn with an overskirt knotted at the side and held in place by a crystallized belt. Some of them took champagne flute-shaped bags down the runway.

"I wanted to be free of color connections," Mabille explained backstage. "It's not summer, it's not winter; it's super elegant, super feminine. It's a realistic collection, and easy to wear." 

On Tuesday evening, Ronald van der Kemp once again demonstrated the possibilities of up-cycled haute couture. His collection was also filled with nostalgia, transporting his audience to Le Palace, a theater today but Paris' equivalent of Studio 54 in the 1980´s.

His brand RVDK's sharp lines referenced the images of photographer Helmut Newton, who the Dutch couturier has credited as a major influence, while the core message seemed focused on reducing waste and overconsumption.

The outfits on display included a mock fur coat (or as the show notes described it, a "Boucherouite guilt-free fur trash coat") and another alluring jacket made from a profusion of hand-painted flowers and a gathered matt-black ball skirt adorned with rose cloqué that had been up-cycled from a previous season.

Elsewhere, Viktor & Rolf created voluminous shapes made from flower prints. Backstage, co-founder Rolf Snoeren said that these were the only new fabrics used for the avant-garde Dutch duo's collection. "All the rest, all the patchwork, is archive fabric swatches that manufacturers have sent to us over the years."

The pretty florals were offset with temporary body tattoos by make-up artist Peter Philips, and accessories by Brazilian brand Melissa, from a limited-edition line of vegan plastic flat shoes and bags.

Valentino's runway show was one of the most anticipated of the season. The label's breathtaking display didn't disappoint, with creative director Paolo Piccioli's mastery of color and craft demonstrated through a series of backless dresses.

British model Stella Tennant wore a diaphanous powder-rose organza blouse, tied with an extravagant fluttering bow, along with a long black fishtail skirt and red leather gloves. A timeless column dress, complete with duchess satin cuff, collar and train, was pure Valentino, as was a long red high-neck dress worn by Australian model Agi Akur, accompanied by long graduated diamond earrings with red flat glossy feathers at the ends.

A native to Cameroon where he made his first dresses (including for his mother, who was Miss Cameroon in 1960), Imane Ayissi is the first Sub-Saharan African designer to show at Haute Couture Week. The 51-year-old created a sophisticated collection using organic cottons, also transforming tree bark into decorative flowers. The designer uses African materials and techniques in his collection, and works with cooperatives to ethically source organic materials.

Last but not least, "L'Enfant Terrible" of French fashion, Jean Paul Gaultier, marked his retirement after a 50-year career that has earned him international renown for his provocative designs and extravagant shows.

He sent out nearly 200 looks for his final couture catwalk, attracting fashion A-listers including Carla Bruni, Eva Herzigová, Christian Lacroix and Simon Le Bon, whose wife Yasmin starred on the runway.

The catwalk offered a number of surprise cameos, including Dita Von Teese in a shimmering pink belted minidress, and Karlie Kloss in a up-cycled plastic bodice with massive bubble-wrap skirt. French singer and television presenter Amanda Lear was carried in by two men wearing crystal T-shirts and heels, while Canadian model Coco Rocha showed off a high-kicking Irish jig.

Boy George closed proceedings with a performance of Culture Club's 1983 hit, "Church of the Poison Mind," which saw attendees jumped up to dance and clap along. Gaultier was held aloft in the middle of the stage, as if at a festival, and was clearly loving the moment.

"I love fashion," Gaultier said backstage. "And I will continue with a new approach, taking a backseat."

Review Of Paris Fashion Week - Men’s Fall/Winter 2020

Paris Fashion Week Men’s wasn’t always an exciting affair. Until the latter half of the last decade, menswear shows in general were something of an afterthought, showcasing traditional tailoring and conventional staples. Even the men’s shows in Paris were meant to be a prelude to the haute couture presentations that followed and often overshadowed them.

Streetwear and star designers have since changed all that, of course. Now, menswear shows boast all the glitzy elements that its women’s counterpart has long enjoyed: supermodels, celebrity appearances and even scandals.

Paris Fashion Week Men’s certainly checked off all those boxes for the Fall/Winter 2020 season. Below, we round up some of the highlights of the week from Dior, Louis Vuitton and more.

Dior celebrates Judy Blame

For his latest Dior Men outing, Kim Jones staged a tribute to the late London stylist and punk icon, Judy Blame. Models stomped down the runway in berets, top coats, opera gloves and monogrammed chelsea boots, echoing Blame’s irreverent style. The collection also referenced Blame’s DIY aesthetic, heavily featuring metallic embellishments and accessories like safety pins, chains and metal zippers. The highlight? A shimmering car coat, which took took 940 hours of hand-embroidery to make.

Louis Vuitton goes to heaven

Virgil Abloh brought “Heaven on Earth” with his menswear show for Louis Vuitton. The set featured dreamy blue skies and clouds, complete with a surreal touch in the form of gigantic props of craft tools like scissors, a thread spindle and a pencil. Despite the playfulness of the setting, Abloh’s collection was a little more grown-up. Straying even further from his streetwear roots, the designer reinterpreted the classic suit with ruffles, cloud prints and laser cuts in the shape of the Louis Vuitton monogram.

FKA Twigs graces the Valentino show

Speaking of heavenly, FKA Twigs made a surprise appearance at the Valentino menswear show. The English musician blessed showgoers with an otherworldly performance of her songs while clad in an ethereal embroidered lace gown by the French haute couture brand. Models streamed past her in an array of loose, oversized shirts and coats, featuring romantic blown-up floral prints.

Fake supermodels at Vetements

Vetements continues to blur the lines between fashion label and social experiment with its latest stunt: supermodel doppelgängers. Its menswear show featured models that closely resembled Kate Moss and Naomi Campell, as well as celebrities like Angelina Jolie, Snoop Dogg and Mike Tyson. The reason for the lookalikes? The fashion brand couldn’t afford the real ones, according to Vetements co-founder Guram Gvasalia. The show was otherwise a standard Vetements affair, featuring belted coats, padded jackets, hoodies and tees, save the fact that there was hardly a slogan in sight. Perhaps the brand is taking itself more seriously after Demna Gvasalia’s departure?

And real ones at Jacquemus

Simon Porte Jacquemus brought out an all-star cast at his Paris presentation, which showcased both his Pre-Fall 2020 women’s collection and Fall/Winter 2020 men’s collection. The roster included models of the moment such as Vittoria Ceretti, Adut Akech, Bella and Gigi Hadid, as well as industry veterans Doutzen Kroes and Joan Smalls. The show also marked the return of ’90s French supermodel Laetitia Casta after 10 years’ of absence. The collection offered all of Jacquemus’ signatures, including slinky dresses, neutral-toned separates and the cult-favourite Le Chiquito bag, this time with micro Le Chiquito jewelry to match.

Cornrows controversy at Comme des Garcons

It may be 2020, but fashion has not yet purged itself of its cultural appropriating ways. The latest offender is Comme des Garçons, who sent white models down the runway in cornrow wigs. The show caused a storm on social media, with many criticizing the Japanese label for its tasteless decision to use braids, which are historically worn by black people. Others suggested it was a publicity stunt. The show’s hairstylist Julien d’Ys has taken to Instagram to apologize and clarify that the headpieces he designed were an homage to Egyptian princes instead. Homage or not, the wigs certainly drew attention away from Comme des Garçon’s colourful collection, which is more than we can say about the show’s casting.

Top Looks From Paris Fashion Week Men´s Collections A/W´20

Paris is home to some of the biggest names luxury fashion; Dior, Louis Vuitton, Dries Van Noten all show here and have done forever. The weight of those brands means Paris Fashion Week has a rep for being a serious affair with lots of serious ceremony surrounding it, but this season we saw a few surprises and plenty of looks to take from the runway.

Rick Owens

"A Rick Owens show is a startling affair. Impossibly tall models strut the runway in stack heeled boots and waist length hair kicking up clouds of dry ice – a menacing and uncompromising silhouette.

"This season, Owens was partly inspired by Bowie’s famous knitted Ziggy Stardust one-piece jumpsuit by Kansai Yamamoto from the early Seventies. Look 22 – my spirit animal with his long grey locks – stopped me in my tracks at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris. A glimpse of flesh, a hint of leather and all thrown together with that razor sharp, pagoda-shouldered coat."

Acne Studios

"For his latest collection, Acne’s Jonny Johansson had a future-facing trick up his sweatshirt sleeve, collaborating with Robbie Barrat, a “generative artist”, who rose to internet fame by creating a “rapping AI” that uses Kanye West’s discography to write its own songs (terrifying and brilliant).

"The clothes that appeared in a big white room were led by Barrat’s algorithmic black magic. Thousands of former Acne looks were fed into his software, resulting in a sexy, surreal, tailoring runway. While I’m not quite ready (or lithe) enough for the leather suit, the oversized Klein blue mountain parka is a perfectly realised piece of outerwear. It also fits into one of my favourite proportion playing combinations: tailoring under proper outdoor jackets. Thank you Acne. Thank you new fashion robot overlords."

Casablanca

"There's little to compare to Casablanca: a streetwear-cum-tailoring-cum-terry towelling tribute from French-Moroccan designer Charaf Tajer. The latest collection, a military marchin Dalmatian prints and pastels, was no different. The surprise, though, came in the resort-wear focus.

"Yes, yet another murky phrase within the fashion lexicon. But Casablanca took resort-wear literally. There was skiwear for a lodge in a yet-to-be-made Wes Anderson film. There were silken suits for drinks on the balcony of Liberace's middle eastern holiday home. And also this: a boxy, double-breasted silver suit, that you might wear for a wedding in a Vegas casino in the Seventies. Or just every single event I've got planned in 2020."

Jacquemus

Following on from an Insta-friendly show in Provence (Jacquemus won 1.8 million new followers following last season's walk through a field of lavender), founder Simon Porte Jacquemus was keen to prove his brand wasn’t just a social media phenomenon. A fabric inspired by the first garment he ever made for his mum was the linen spine of he entire show.


"Overall, this wasn’t as energetic as his S/S '20, with an overarching palette of tan or sage. The men's looks were styled clean and uncomplicated: camp collar shirts, loose casual suiting and the odd double-trouser (open fly) layering. But it was wearable: a point Porte stressed before the collection's release. Look 19's Gallic flip-flop, camp collar party piece is very 'me going to the boulangerie before work'."

Copenhagen Fashion Week Unveils Its “Radical” Plan To Become More Planet-Conscious

Fashion is finally beginning to recognise its impact on the planet, but Copenhagen Fashion Week is really leading the charge in taking responsibility. As part of an ambitious three-year action plan, Copenhagen has become the first major fashion week to ensure its brands are taking sustainability seriously. “We are in the middle of a climate crisis, so we have to act now and act urgently,” Cecilie Thorsmark, CEO of Copenhagen Fashion Week, tells Vogue.

Step one is reducing the environmental impact of the fashion week itself. Single-use plastic bottles are already banned and all operational carbon emissions are offset, but the ultimate goal is to be zero waste by 2023.

The second (and more ambitious) part of the strategy is getting all brands to adopt rigorous sustainability policies. By 2023, Copenhagen Fashion Week will ensure all its designers comply with 17 minimum standards, which includes using at least 50 per cent certified organic, upcycled or recycled textiles in all collections and using only sustainable packaging and zero-waste set designs for shows.

“It’s looking at how we, as a fashion week, can use our platform to actively engage with the industry and drive change,” Thorsmark explains. “The most important part is looking at how we can accelerate the sustainable transition of brands.”

Danish brand Carcel - which uses natural materials and employs women prisoners in Peru and Thailand to manufacture its garments, used its debut appearance at Copenhagen Fashion Week to accelerate this conversation. Rejecting the traditional catwalk format, the label didn’t show any clothes, instead opting for a video installation to highlight key issues within the industry. At the end of the show, guests were invited onto the catwalk to underline the role they have to play in enacting real change.

“We need a new conversation in fashion; the conversation that's going on right now is not radical enough,” Carcel founder Verónica D’Souza, a member of the Copenhagen Fashion Week advisory board, says of her decision to experiment with a new format. “What should fashion weeks be about in the future? Should it always be products? I think it should also be about the process. We share images from our production inside of women's prisons; it’s a platform that communicates our brand [ethos].”

While there are few brands that aren’t speaking about sustainability right now, it’s important for Copenhagen Fashion Week that brands take a 360-degree approach. “There are brands out there who claim to be sustainable; maybe it's because they use some sustainable fabrics,” Thorsmark says. “In our world, you have to look at sustainability holistically. I don't think you can call yourself a sustainable brand if you're not actively working throughout your entire value chain.” 

Baum und Pferdgarten is a brand that has already set out its sustainability policies in detail, in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 50 per cent of the pieces in its collection this season are sustainably sourced, with the aim to reach at least 65 per cent by 2024. “We want the public to know where we produce, how we produce and what fabrics [we use],” Rikke Baumgarten, the brand’s co-founder, explains. “It's not easy but it is possible to make [the] industry more green. Everybody knows it's just not possible anymore to continue like we did before.” 

Meanwhile, Ganni, which has commissioned women creatives to craft upcycled and reworked pieces as part of its pop-up this season - is also ensuring it takes an overall approach. Around 70 per cent of the collection will be made from certified responsible and/or recycled materials, once order volumes are taken into account. “In all areas of the business, we're committed to making more responsible choices every day, whether that's exploring new materials or mapping our supply chain to the widest extent possible,” Nicolaj Reffstrup, Ganni founder, chief executive, and member of the Copenhagen Fashion Week advisory board, comments.

Ultimately, Copenhagen Fashion Week hopes that other fashion weeks will follow its lead in ensuring the industry is taking sustainability seriously. “Fashion weeks are extremely important because that's where the entire industry meets,” D’Souza says. “But I think we need to redefine what they're about. We need to take responsibility and start talking about new business models and some of the issues that we have [as an industry]. More than ever, we need to use this platform to share new ideas and visions for where we want to go next.”

“Every fashion week around, big and small, should be requiring a minimum level of sustainability from their participating brands,” Thorsmark adds. “If we want to have a real impact globally, then it's not just Copenhagen Fashion Week that should be doing it.”

Marc Jacobs Joins Charlotte Rampling In Front Of The Camera

Marc Jacobs has established himself as one of fashion’s biggest fans. Between his all-embracing wardrobe and his frequent Instagram shout-outs, the designer has proven to be as much a supporter of fellow brands as he is the creative force behind his own. The designer has a penchant for Celine tiger-prints, Gucci florals and Balenciaga outerwear, and recently paired his favourite Rick Owens boots with a fresh-from-the-catwalk Prada coat.

Further evidence of his role as the industry’s ultimate team player comes in the shape of the new Givenchy campaign, in which he joins actor Charlotte Rampling to make up the “iconic Givenchy couple”. Jacobs will front the spring/summer 2020 campaign, which Givenchy first teased in a series of Instagram videos.

Jacobs and Rampling face off in the tongue-in-cheek clip, in which the actor dramatically slaps the designer across the cheek as he repeats, “You’re Charlotte Rampling.” Not that he minded being on the receiving end of a cuff from an arthouse icon. Jacobs said on Instagram he was honoured to have been chosen by Givenchy’s artistic director Clare Waight Keller, and added that he would “get slapped by [Rampling] anytime”.

Waight Keller was equally effusive in her praise for her campaign stars, whom she described as “true icons”. “How can I describe my feelings about seeing these extraordinary legendary figures in the Givenchy campaign, both of whom I admire so very much,” the British designer wrote on Instagram. “Firstly for their undoubted originality and talent in fashion and film, amazing passion in everything they do, a fantastic sense of humour and intelligence... I am honoured and thrilled they have become part of my journey at this beautiful Maison”.

This is the first professional collaboration for Jacobs and Waight Keller, but it’s likely their paths crossed in the ’90s, when Waight Keller was working at Calvin Klein in New York as Jacobs established his eponymous brand. Perhaps it was then that what Waight Keller describes as their #FashionFriendshipForever was established.

Givenchy and Jacobs’s namesake brand also share a parent company in French conglomerate LVMH, and this isn’t the first time that a designer has lent their face to a “rival” house. In 2015, Donatella Versace pivoted to front a Givenchy campaign during Riccardo Tisci’s tenure.

Jean Paul Gaultier x Supreme: A Perfect Union

Legendary French designer Jean Paul Gaultier hasn’t produced a ready-to-wear collection since 2014, which makes his newly-announced Supreme collaboration particularly surprising. Not only is it a seemingly unexpected choice by Supreme, but Gaultier’s recent reticence towards conventional clothing makes him an unlikely streetwear partner. However, the cacophonous creations of “French fashion’s enfant terrible” have shocked the fashion elite since the early ‘80s, reflecting a rebellious streak that mirrors the anti-establishment ethos of Supreme’s previous collaborators, Gilbert & George.

Gaultier’s career was kicked off by a fascination with streetwear. “I was super influenced by streetwear [in the early years,]” Gaultier told us last year. “I think it’s great. But it has to be at the price of streetwear. I don’t like when it’s kind of a plagiat [plagiarism] of streetwear.”

Though this collaboration may revive Gaultier’s relevancy, the designer has never really left the industry; he continues to introduce new fragrances and design couture. Haute couture has been speciality of the Gaultier brand since its inception, serving as a true expression of Gaultier’s unmatched ingenuity. He’s more than earned his place in fashion history; New York’s Madame Tussauds wax museum even has a figure of Gaultier on display.

At the tender age of 24, Gaultier hosted his first runway show in Paris after working for French idiosyncratic Pierre Cardin, garnering attention from editors at major fashion magazines for his sharp eye for detail and whimsical, opulent clothing. These included delicately layered tulle dresses, a brief array of trim tailoring and graphic shirting, a rarity at cultured French fashion events. Around the same time that COMME des GARÇONS and Yohji Yamamoto were shocking French buyers and journalists with their all-black, heavily-deconstructed collections, Gaultier was providing a different kind of high-low asynchronicity. “What is masculine and what is feminine, anyway,” Gaultier asked Out. “Why should men not show that they can be fragile or seductive? I am only happy when there is no discrimination.”

Menswear in the early ‘80´s was all about appealing to conventionality with sophisticated styling and relaxed power suiting. Gaultier refuted the norm sending street-cast models down the runway wearing skirts and kilts. The designer suited up his inclusive, multi-racial cast with faux tribal tattoos, bridal veils and nose piercings, drawing influence from oblique sources like pirates, Buddhist monks and Hasidic Judaism (Fall/Winter 1993, “Chic Rabbis,” made a fan of Kurt Cobain). All the while, Gaultier proved his acumen with exquisite craft and subtle nods to his forebears, delivering smoking jackets indebted to Yves Saint Laurent and short dresses inspired by Cristóbal Balenciaga.

His divisive work on the runway won Gaultier plenty of critics, but he also drew celebrity admirers like Madonna, who walked his runway and wore his iconic pointy bra on her Blond Ambition World Tour in 1990. This initiated several requests to create movie wardrobes, including The Fifth Element and a series of Pedro Almodóvar films. Marilyn Manson wore several Gaultier creations in 2003, the same year that Gaultier became the creative director of Hermès, where he remained until 2010.

Currently, Gaultier continues to design haute couture collections, demonstrating his boundless sense of creativity, though recent shows have been reigned-in compared to his earlier wanton presentations. Even though he no longer designs ready-to-wear, the designer’s influence can be found across the industry; Gaultier mentored a young Martin Margiela in the mid-’80´s, in reaction to Gaultier’s debut 1976 presentation, Margiela told Vogue, “I was seized by an excitement I had never felt before.” John Galliano’s lavish ‘90s presentations are almost a direct ode to Gaultier. Gaultier also broke down barriers in casting, representing men and women of all ages and body types in his earlier presentations just to further thumb his nose at the fashion establishment.

Though his name lacks the street cred of, say, Gucci and Fendi, Gaultier’s ‘90s-era glasses and belts found early supporters in musicians like Kurt Cobain and still have an audience with fashion-conscious rappers like Big Sean and Wiz Khalifa. The archival movement has latched onto his irreverent designs, including mesh shirts and heavy metal-inspired handbags, while his signature sailor pants, fur coats and all-over-printed T-shirts remain relevant to a core group of devotees.

One could argue that the radically anachronistic designer has never been more relevant to the industry. “I think there is too much of everything, not only designers. I think it’s like, concentration, there is too much clothes, and not a ton of people to buy it,” Gaultier said. “But, I think it’s a moment of big change. There is something social that happened, now it’s like a mutation, social also with the internet… Every time, even on the clothes, it’s only reflective of what’s happening in society.”

Gaultier has proven himself to not only be prescient, but progressive, constantly taking steps that push the fashion dialogue forward. The Supreme collaboration is less about the skate brand smartly selecting key influences or paying homage. Instead, it’s about acknowledging Gaultier’s undeniable influence on fashion designers that dare to go against the grain. Much like Supreme itself, Gaultier’s sterling legacy as a disruptor has already been cemented, the collaboration is simply an opportunity for a new generation to discover it for themselves. Jean Paul Gaultier x Supreme launches on April 11th.

Remember When Tom Ford Saved Public Hair Into The Gucci Logo

To sell sex or not to sell sex? That's a question Tom Ford (whose 57th birthday was earlier this week) never has had to wrestle with, especially when it came to concepting brand campaign imagery (his own or otherwise). Though his proclivity to lean toward uncensored NSFW graphics wasn't always realized. When the boundary-pushing designer held court at the helm of Gucci starting in 1990, his direction was still relatively tame.

In 1995, he cast a fully clothed Amber Valletta to front a campaign, outfitting her in a satiny teal blue shirt (immodestly unbuttoned down to her chest, but modest nonetheless), a matching wool coat, and a logo belt. But in the years since, he dialed up the explicit nature of his vision with each passing season. There was the Fall/Winter 1997 ad with Carolyn Murphy and Angela Lindvall embracing one another in matching patent bondage-like dresses, and another with the two models and Gavin Matthews engaging in a ménage à trois.

It came to a head in 2003 when the luxury brand unveiled its most controversial campaign to date: A provocative spread shot by Mario Testino, styled by Carine, and directed by Doug Lloyd, featuring model Carmen Kass with pulled-down briefs that exposed her pubic hair neatly shaped into Gucci's G logo. "He understood more than anyone else that sex sells," Fern Mallis once said about Ford.

The public response was swift. The Advertising Standards Authority, the U.K.-based self-regulatory organization of the advertising industry, received countless complaints. Consumers deemed it "deeply offensive" and "extremely harmful," and campaigned to ban it. And John Beyer, director of Mediawatch UK, was quoted saying that it was damaging to society: "Imagery showing young women in this way is extremely harmful to society and should not be appearing in mainstream magazines."

But the industry recognized how inventive it was. "Advertising campaigns became more exciting than editorial," Testino previously said. "When I started doing Gucci with Tom Ford he pushed me to new heights." And if the intention was to harness the power of campaigns, to grab attention, to disrupt the status quo, and to spark conversation (even a controversial one), then it worked.

Dior To Hold Cruise Show In Italy, Moves Forward Date

Maria Grazia Chiuri has chosen Puglia, the region where her family is originally from, for Dior’s next cruise collection. The display will be held in Lecce, in the heel of Italy’s boot, and its date has been moved forward to May 9th.

The French fashion house had originally set the show date for May 27th, and did not provide a reason for the switch. Chanel will kick off the cruise calendar on May 7th in Capri. Gucci will show somewhere in the U.S . on May 18th, Prada in Japan on May 21st, and Max Mara in St. Petersburg, Russia, on May 25th.

Since arriving at Dior in 2016 as artistic director of women’s haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessory collections, Chiuri has paraded her cruise collections in Los Angeles, Chantilly and Marrakech, Morocco.

Frank Ocean Fills In The Blanks For Prada

While Frank Ocean is famously mysterious, from random music releases to a surprise nightclub pop-up; his relationship with Prada is something of a budding romance. He chose to wear the Italian fashion house to this year's Met Ball and even traveled half way across the world to attend Prada's men's show last season in Shanghai. Now, in a not-so-surprising but still pretty surprising move, the enigmatic musician fronts the brand's Spring/Summer 2020 campaign by David Sims.

Beside actor Austin Butler and filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn, Ocean appears captured in a dramatic moment of suspension. The theme of the series is "Optimist Rhythm," and each vignette shows its star as a real-life "hangman" of dualities. The brand's logo itself is deconstructed into an acronym, and the newly-added words create different but similar definitions for a name universally known.

All in all, it's an overwhelmingly intellectual series as per usual for Prada. This marks the third fashion campaign for Ocean, who has previously fronted ads for Calvin Klein and Band of Outsiders.

Jonathan Anderson To Head Fashion Jury at Hyères Festival

Jonathan Anderson, creative director of both Loewe and his own brand JW Anderson, is to preside over the fashion jury of the 35th edition of the Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography, set to take place from April 23rd to 27th. It’s the first time an Irish designer is chosen for the position. “I hadn’t really thought about that, but that does make it exciting,” laughed Anderson, who will be attending the Hyères festival, which is located in the South of France, for the first time.

“I’ve been following what has been going on at Hyères over the years,” he told WWD. “It has really become an iconic festival for young talent, and it’s fun to get involved and see how I can help. Also, everybody always seems to have a great time there, the landscape and setting are so beautiful.” Anderson is no stranger to talent competitions. The designer, who created his own brand in 2008 and joined Loewe in 2013, created the Loewe Craft Prize in 2016 and is one of the jury members of the LVMH Prize for Young Fashion Designers, which has helped spotlight talent such as Marine Serre and Grace Wales Bonner.

“It’s a big honor to have been chosen for Hyères, but also a responsibility as part of the industry; we have to look out for the next generation,” he said. “New talent must come up continually in order for fashion to survive.” To pick his jury, the 35-year-old fashion designer asked himself a simple question: “Whose opinion do I trust? The people I’ve chosen for Hyères are people I have worked with for various projects and who I deeply trust, like a fashion family.”

It includes Amanda Harlech; model Kaia Gerber; photographer Tyler Mitchell; sound designer Michel Gaubert; actor Arnaud Valois of “120BPM” fame; stylist and creative consultant Benjamin Bruno, who works on Loewe campaigns with Anderson, including the brand’s latest one featuring Megan Rapinoe; creative director Ronnie Cooke Newhouse; journalists Tim Blanks and Derek Blasberg; editor in chief of Vogue Hommes International Olivier Lalanne, and fashion designer Christoph Rumpf, who won last year’s Grand Prize at Hyères.

“These are all people I go to for advice,” Anderson said of his jury. “For example, Amanda and I have been friends for a very long time, she has supported me from my very first collections. She’s always there at the frontline of all of my shows.” The names of the 10 fashion finalists will be unveiled on Wednesday evening during a cocktail held in Paris to celebrate the fashion festival’s 35th edition, where the finalists for the festival’s photography and accessories prize will also be announced.

“It was interesting for me to go through the finalists with the jury, because it really gave me an idea of what the industry as a whole is looking for,” said Anderson, who said he was on the lookout for “people with a distinct, defined viewpoint.” The fashion designer will also be organizing an exhibition at the Villa Noailles, where the festival is held, focusing on his work both at Loewe and JW Anderson. “It will be a look back at the work I have done for both houses, men’s and women’s, in the last 12 years,” he said.

Founded and headed by Jean-Pierre Blanc, the festival has been a launchpad for many fashion designers, including Paco Rabanne’s Julien Dossena, Viktor & Rolf, Anthony Vaccarello and most recently Rushemy Botter and Lisi Herrebrugh, who were named creative directors of Nina Ricci mere months after winning Hyères and reaching the final stage of the LVMH Prize. Photographer Paolo Roversi will head the jury for the festival’s photography prize, while Hubert Barrère, artistic director of Chanel Métiers d’Art house Maison Lesage, will take the lead for the accessories prize, sponsored by Swarovski and now in its fourth year.

The accessories jury will include actors Nicolas Maury (“Call My Agent”) and Joana Preiss; gallery owner Magda Danysz; Vogue Paris journalist Eugénie Trochu; accessories designer Yaz Bukey; creative director of M Le Monde magazine Jean-Baptiste Talbourdet; dancer and choreographer Blanca Li; influencer Monica Ainley, and last year’s winner Noélia Morales. For the photography prize, Roversi tapped Adrian Joffe, president of Comme des Garçons International and ceo of Dover Street Market; retailer Carla Sozzani; Priscilla Royer, art director of Maison Michel; Jérôme Gautier, director of publishing for Christian Dior; Simon Bainbridge, editorial director of the British Journal of Photography; Chiara Bardelli Nonino, photo editor for Vogue Italia and L’Uomo Vogue; philosopher Emanuele Coccia; stylist Ibrahim Kamara; photographer Petra Sedlaczek, and last year’s winner Alice Mann.

Why The Alaïa And Balenciaga Exhibition In Paris Is A Must-See

The Balenciaga - Alaïa joint exhibition is now open in Paris and we highly recommend it. Balenciaga and Alaïa in dialogue. On one side, a little black dress with a low crew neck, whose pleats start right on the hips. On the other, a long strapless dress, fitted down to the thighs and flared to the ground in a perfect flare. The first is made by Cristóbal Balenciaga and dates from 1954; the other is a haute couture piece by Azzedine Alaïa, dated 2003. What they have in common is an extraordinary mastery of form and a study of the lines of the body, which are highlighted by the finest stitching and the most subtle folds. The term "architect" has often been used to describe the work of Balenciaga and Alaïa, whose creations are demonstrations of craftsmanship and technique. It is not surprising that the latter was passionate about the work of the former and that of his elders, Madame Grès, Elsa Schiaparelli or Madeleine Vionnet, outstanding couturiers whose legacy he continued.

It was almost by chance that he started collecting their clothes. Shortly after Cristóbal Balenciaga decided to close his fashion house in 1968, Azzedine Alaïa was contacted by Miss Renée, deputy director of the Balenciaga fashion house. Concerned about what would become of the stocks of fabrics and dresses stored in the workshop that had recently closed down, she suggested to a young Alaïa that he dispose of them as he wished and take the liberty of cutting new models from the dresses. Fascinated by the technical and creative work used on the clothes, Alaïa chose to keep them intact, and to build up an archive that would mark the beginning of a great collection that he would never stop enriching throughout his life. The new exhibition at the Azzedine Alaïa Gallery brings several dozen of his models into dialogue with those of Cristóbal Balenciaga, an astonishing face-to-face encounter between two great masters of style and volume.

Alber Elbaz Honored at Parsons Paris First Fundraising Gala

“If you can survive four years in one room with 25 designers, you can survive anything in life.”

These were the opening words of fashion designer Alber Elbaz’s speech Wednesday night at the first Parsons Paris fundraising gala, held on the Place Vendôme and hosted by Parsons Paris dean Florence Leclerc-Dickler.

After a cocktail where guests could discover projects and silhouettes created by students of Parsons Paris, the French branch of The New School’s Parsons School of Design, Elbaz was handed an award from Julie Gilhart, fashion consultant and chief development officer at Tomorrow Ltd., honoring his contribution to fashion over the years.

“I ask myself if in this age, in this time, do we still need schools?” questioned the designer in his acceptance speech. “Could we not learn it all virtually? Could we actually have a screen replacing a human being, a teacher?

“Of course we still need schools, it’s a massive ‘yes,’” he continued. “Schools are the one place where you can still dream and your teacher will make your dream come true.” The designer opened up about the break he took following the termination of his contract at Lanvin, where he was creative director from 2001 to 2015.

“In the last few years I took some time off and a little break from fashion,” said Elbaz. “I spent my time traveling around the world, giving a lot of master classes. More than I wanted to teach, I wanted to understand what is next. What is fashion all about today? What is the role of a designer today? I wanted to understand if fashion was only a powerful industry or also a force for the future. We are living in a time of change and uncertainty but it is also a time of renaissance.

“The designers today are not less good than Vionnet or Madame Grès,” he continued. “The only thing we miss is a little bit of time. That’s why sometimes we are less creators than curators.” He closed his speech with a couple of words on his new project, a venture with Richemont known as AZfashion providing wardrobe “solutions” for women. “If we look for comfort we will never find the truth,” said Elbaz. “This is where I am today, not in my comfort zone. I am starting all over again.” His last words were greeted with rapturous applause.

Elbaz had many fans that evening, one of them being Pyer Moss designer Kerby Jean-Raymond. “I’ve heard him speak many times, he’s such a charismatic and charming person,” said Jean-Raymond. Despite being a relatively recent business owner, the designer founded his brand in 2013, Jean-Raymond still feels it is part of his role to support young designers. “It’s very unbecoming of us as creatives to close the door behind us once we’ve reached the pinnacle of success,” he said. “So it’s important to continue to find new ways to help the next generation come up after us.”

The evening continued with a look back on the creation of both Parsons and Parsons Paris, a jazz concert by students of The New School’s College of Performing Arts, and a live auction, the benefits of which went to help create more scholarships.

Rumors Swirl Around Raf Simons In Milan

There are some rumors that just won’t go away and the most insistent in Milan is the one that sees Raf Simons on his way to Prada Group. Market sources suggest the Belgian designer could be headed to Miu Miu as they say that Prada’s sister label has moved its design and communication office to Milan from Paris. The sources added that Simons has been searching for an apartment in the Italian city, which may have led to the tie-up speculations. Prada Group had no comment on the rumors. To be sure, Simons is a longtime friend of Miuccia Prada’s and has attended several of her fashion shows. Sources also contend that perhaps Simons could be in talks to collaborate with the Italian designer in some form or work on capsule collections, given her full-on engagement at both brands.

In November, during an event organized by Flanders DC, at the fourth edition of Fashion Talks in Antwerp, Simons touted the importance of staying independent and reflected on his frustration at his previous positions at Jil Sander and Dior, although he did not mention Calvin Klein, a post he left as chief creative officer in December 2018. He was also uncomfortable with the pressure of constantly growing the company as the only measure of success. Prada is a publicly listed company, which could pose a hurdle for Simons in this sense.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas Is The New Face Of Crocs

Priyanka Chopra Jonas has landed herself a new gig, as the face of the world’s most controversial shoe brand, Crocs. However, there’s a very good reason for the team-up, the brand has donated 50,000 pairs of shoes to children in Belize in partnership with UNICEF, for which Chopra Jonas also serves as an ambassador.

The relationship, she says, is “very organic”, telling ELLE US, “I have been a fan and a user of Crocs for a very, very long time….[and have been] working with UNICEF for a really long time. I remember doing a UNICEF trip one time, and I saw all of these kids with no shoes or rundown shoes. And I remember saying at that point that I wear Crocs so often that Crocs would be a better shoe that would last, look good; kids would have comfort. And that conversation started with Crocs. And we partnered with UNICEF and Crocs and delivered about 50,000 shoes to kids in need. We decided to come together for this campaign because again the campaign is very organic to me.”

In the interview, the actress goes on to share her best styling tips when it comes to the polarizing shoe, saying that she’s “worn Crocs at a ranch with a silk skirt and a camel T-shirt. And I’ve thought that looked amazing.” The sandals, she says, are her go-to because they are “super comfortable” and “really, really stylish.” She even went as far as to say that she’d rock a pair on the red carpet. “If I were to wear Crocs on a red carpet, I would wear the Crocs sandal because it has a heel. And I would wear that with a dress that had a slit so that you can see one side of the leg and it would add length to it. I would probably choose a black pair, and have a really cool pedicure as well, with the slide, so the leg would look amazing.” There you have it, Crocs, coming to a red carpet near you.

Jean Paul Gaultier S/S´20 Couture Collection

What really hit you watching Jean Paul Gaultier’s last-ever show is the astonishing influence his trademarks continue to have on fashion today. While we’re eternally aware that his fetishised lingerie, cage dresses and sailor boys grace the mood boards of many a fashion studio, it’s the stylists who benefit most from a Gaultier legacy that keeps on giving. The Théâtre du Châtelet was packed with some of the most powerful ones in the world, cheering and clapping at the high-octane retrospective that unfolded before our eyes: a bottomless well of inspiration for fashion shows and editorial, where a garter belt detail, a chapeau marin, or a gendarmerie boot can elevate the narrative to another level.

If there was ever a time and a place for a retrospective show, this was it: a digital age obsessed with finding authenticity in things, where watchdog influencers split-screen new collections with old, calling out designers for plagiarism left and right. In Gaultier’s case, you get the feeling he’d consider it flattery, even celebration, rather than theft. And so, he saluted the old rather than the new in an upbeat, nostalgic show that counted some 200 looks and opened with a funeral for his own fashion house. A tableau of black-clad models vogued in freeze-framed poses; evoking Madonna’s “Justify My Love” performance on the Girlie Show tour in the early ’90´s, as pallbearers danced their way down the sweeping staircase with a coffin. Karlie Kloss opened it to reveal look number one, a baby doll dress collaged from christening gowns.

If you wanted to read into it, the sentiments were endless: an illustration of the never-ending reincarnations of Gaultier’s own legacy, the ongoing recycling of his codes by other designers, and the positive, rather than negative, upcycling of ideas it entails. Boy George sang “Back to Black”, a reference to Gaultier’s Amy Winehouse show, and once the funeral was over the wake could begin. Through several acts, models and celebrities flexed Gaultier’s inclusive, subversive and camp muscles, reminding us all who was first to celebrate the non-binary, unconventional values so central to the present-day moment in fashion. Cone bras and men’s skirts (sadly Madonna, who breathed as much life into Gaultier’s career as he did into hers, was still touring in Portugal) on a ceaseless stream of diverse poseurs.

The models included Anna Cleveland, Erin O’Connor, Hannelore Knuts, Irina Shayk, Jade Parfitt, Joan Smalls, Jourdan Dunn, Karen Elson, Liu Wen, Winnie Harlow, Yasmin Le Bon, and the Hadids. The celebrities were out in force: Paris Jackson, Rossy de Palma and Dita Von Teese did their thing, while Coco Rocha revisited the Riverdance that forever tied her to Gaultier and fashion hearts. At the end, Gaultier himself was elevated in a throne formed by human hands; those of his atelier and famous friends, as designers including Christian Lacroix, Nicolas Ghesquière, Dries Van Noten, Mary Katrantzou and Isabel Marant applauded him. Sailor caps off to Jean Paul Gaultier. He might be leaving the show schedule, but his signature elements will surely appear in fashion shows for decades to come.

Vetements’s Kate Moss Lookalike Speaks: “Honestly, There’s Only One Kate”

The idea that Vetements would cast Kate Moss for its show on Friday, its first since the departure of its longtime creative chief, Demna Gvasali, made perfect sense. But once again, the label outdid itself: Instead, it cast a Kate Moss lookalike, generating even more buzz by inducing a mass state of confusion that stretched from online to backstage. Moss was actually elsewhere in Paris, at the Dior mens show, but for a while, the only person who seemed to realize as much was the self-described “Fake Moss” herself, whose actual name is Denise Ohnona.

At this point, the 39-year-old mum of two is used to all the double takes. She’s been mistaken for the 46-year-old supermodel practically her entire life, though it wasn’t until about a year ago that she decided to enter the surprisingly robust industry of lookalikes. Ohnona wasn’t the only lookalike to join the Vetements cast; there was also an “Angelina Jolie,” a “Sharon Stone,” a “Mike Tyson,” a “Snoop Dogg," and of course, a "Naomi Campbell." But she was by far the most convincing, not just at the Vetements show, but across practically the entire workforce of lookalikes. On occasion, she even fools the paparazzi.

Back home at a “small village” four hours from Liverpool, where she’d just taken her kids out for a bit of arts and crafts, Ohnona shared what it’s like to live a double life (and to wreak havoc on the Vetements runway).

How and when did Vetements first reach out to you? 

I’ve done little bits of the Kate Moss lookalike for the past year, and an agent from Germany got in touch with me and said that a designer was looking for some lookalikes. He just sent some of my photos and videos over and they said 'Yep, we want you to come.' But I thought that I was just there to mix and mingle, like at an after-party. I didn’t actually realize that I was walking.

When did you find out? 

They said I needed to get a doctors note to say I was of a healthy BMI to walk in the show, so then I was like, Uhh, okay, I must be walking in the show. I got my note and everything, but it wasn’t until the day before when I realized just how big of a scale it was on. When I saw the space we were going to walk in, which was a huge warehouse, and they told me I was going to be walking for two-and-a-half minutes, I did get a bit nervous.

Had you ever walked in a show before?

Never.

Had you ever been to Fashion Week?

No. I’ve only ever seen it on YouTube or social media. I was totally blind when I went.

Had you heard of Vetements? 

I’d heard of them, but I had a little look and saw McDonald's show and the ones a few years before. I thought Oh, this is cool, it’s great because they’re going to really cover me up in loads of big clothes. And of course they put me in the smallest dress ever. [Laughs.] I think it was quite clever what they did, though. Denise Ohnona walks the Vetements fall/winter 2021 show during Paris Fashion Week Men's.

Did you know any of the other lookalikes who walked beforehand? 

I’ve met so many lookalikes but none of them in particular. Sharon Stone is actually from where I’m from, so we hit it off. Mike Tyson is from London. Snoop [Dogg] is from the Netherlands, and he’s so much like the same character as Snoop Dogg. It’s quite funny, he’s so chill and seems to have that same attitude. So we’re all friends now, we always make friends when we do different jobs as lookalikes. I don’t think anyone was really sure what we were doing, but obviously as the time got closer, we realized we were walking in the show. Like I said, I thought we were going to entertain afterwards. As a lookalike, I usually get invited to a whole range of events to mix and mingle with people who want to get photographs and stuff like that.

What type of people usually reach out to you? What do you think is the appeal? 

It could be anyone. I’ve only been doing it for about a year, and before that, I never really understood it. My mentality was: Why would anyone ever want a lookalike? They’re just going to want the real thing. I didn't even realize there was a market for it. And then when I got involved in this world of lookalikes, I realized that people go crazy for them. They find it fun and amusing and entertaining, and the confusion draws more publicity to whatever it is that they’re trying to achieve. I can kind of understand the buzz of being around lookalikes now, too, like, when I met the Angelina Jolie lookalike I was kind of starstruck, because she’s just identical.

Did people mistake you for Kate when you were backstage?

Yep. It was so funny because I went in there with no makeup on, and I was eating pieces of cauliflower, and everybody was taking my photo. And then when we were in the lineup, it was just, Can I have your photo? Can I have your photo? Some people were like, Why didn’t you tell me Kate Moss was here? They all thought it was Kate Moss. One particular model thought everyone was playing a joke on her, that I was Kate Moss and they were pretending that I wasn’t. And after the show, every time I tried to get dressed it would be Can I have your photo? Can I have your photo? I kept having to put the dress back on again. I must have taken hundreds and hundreds of photos with people. A lot of people were initially so confused. The show was in the dark, and all I could hear when I was walking was Kate Moss? Kate Moss? Kate Moss?, all the way through. It fooled people, and I think that’s what they wanted to do. You know, it’s a bit of fun.

There was no lighting on the runway, right? 

It was all in the dark, and I was worried about that, because I'm not used to heels that high. And I’m walking so fast because some of the models are so tall, maybe like one step is two to me. [Laughs.] I had to walk so fast. The model in front of me was probably one of the tallest, and I was like, maybe you could have just graduated it. But there was enough light from the torches and the cameras. And all of the lights were on for the finale; I was like, I can see! I’m just glad that I didn’t fall over. But imagine if I did, then it would be like, Fake Moss fell over!

How tall are you? 

I’m 5’4”. [Laughs.]

Well, Kate is pretty short for a model. 

I know, so I thought I might get away with it. But she’s a couple inches bigger than me. But don’t forget, I wasn’t the only lookalike.

But you were by far the best! In my opinion, anyway, but that definitely seemed to be the consensus. 

Aw, that’s so cute. Some of the models were telling me that, which was so nice. Because the thing for me is that there’s thousands of lookalikes out there. But I’ve not really found another Kate Moss lookalike just to have a little chat with, so we could go through it together. It’s so hard to be like, Oh yeah, I’m a lookalike for Kate Moss, because there’s only one Kate Moss, you know what I mean? It’s not like I’m trying to be Batman or something. It’s Kate Moss.

So you’ve never met another “Kate Moss”?

I haven’t met another one. And I think that’s why I started doing it. I just gave up in the end, because people kept asking me if I could do jobs, but my mentality then was, I can’t be a Kate Moss lookalike, I’m gonna look like an idiot. And then I think I had a midlife crisis and I went, Screw it, just do it. For a while it was off the agenda, as far as I was concerned, because I was in a big car accident when I was 18 and got a big scar on my head. And now, it doesn’t bother anyone else. People are doing a lot worse to change themselves, through all kinds of apps and things these days. I just got over it, really.

I didn’t notice it at all. 

You know what, they’re not so bad, the scars. It’s so funny because I see some photos of myself and obviously you’re not always aware when there are cameras, so they can get a really bad shot of you. Then I read some of the comments that are like, “messy Kate,” and I’m like, I know. I actually agree with you, but I don’t look like that in real life. I’ve been caught really rough in some of the photos, and my natural face is kind of a moody one, so I look really miserable.

I mean, Kate can get caught at pretty rough angles too. 

Yeah, that used to always make me feel better. Like, I look rough like her! She’s also having a rough day!

Have you ever met her?

No. And I’m not shy, really, but I think she’s the one person who might... I just always think, Am I annoying her? [Laughs.] I’ve met some of her friends and they say it’s just uncanny, down to the mannerisms. One of them especially was so freaked out by it, and sent her little video clips and photos of me. So she must be aware of me, that there’s a “Fake Moss”, but I’m just a lookalike, you know. I hope she’s laughing about it and not angry.

What would you say to her if you did meet?

I’m so sorry!!! [Laughs.] No, I’m kidding. I’d be like, Honestly there’s only one Kate. I’m not trying to fill your shoes.

Is it just recently, or have people always mistaken you for her? 

Always. For years and years and years. I’ve always been told I look like her. And I always correct them. Sometimes I do freeze up, like when I was shopping once in Liverpool and this woman yelled “KATE MOSS!” I got so shy and just went, “Uhhh, no.” I didn’t expect it where I live. I think everyone knows there because it’s such a small village. I get it a lot more in city centers. Sometimes I do get caught off guard, or you just know people are filming you or secretly taking pictures. They’ll stare, or they’ll whisper. I’ll walk down the train and hear, Kate Moss, Kate Moss? You hear people say it all the time. But unless someone’s very confident, they don’t say it to my face.

Does being a lookalike ever mess with your identity, especially since you’ve started doing it professionally?

Never. I don’t bring Kate Moss home with me. When I come home, I unpack my suitcase and I go back into mum mode. Like today, I took my two children out to eat and then to arts and crafts. Now I’m doing some housework, and I’m back at the gym tomorrow morning, until the next job comes up. My personal trainer in the gym and the people in the local restaurant where I eat all find it hilarious because I’m always in gym clothes, with a scruffy ponytail and no makeup on. People do often go to me, Can I be honest with you? I thought you were gonna be a bitch. I thought you were going to be so high maintenance. And it’s like, What! I live a double life. I don't know her life, but I don’t think mine could be further from hers. Nobody’s throwing designer clothes at me, do you know what I mean? [Laughs.] But I’m super happy as I am.

Has this become your primary source of income? 

Yeah, because I wasn't working anyway since I had my second daughter. I used to work in telecommunications, and then I was a bit bored, to be honest. I’m gonna be 40 this year as well, and felt like I was just doing Groundhog Day type of stuff. So I started doing it almost for my own confidence, because you have to go outside of your comfort zone to grow. The best thing is that I'm not a worrier anymore. If people have something negative to say about me, I don’t dwell on it. I don’t panic; I don’t worry. I’m just a really happy person now, and I’ve got a really nice balance. I get to do my own stuff independently, away from my partner and my children, but then I get to be a mum in my everyday life as well. My little darlings are my no. 1 priorities. And they actually don’t care what I do. I try to show them photos, and they’re like, Okay, mummy.

Would you do something like this again? 

Yeah. A year ago, it wouldn’t even have crossed my mind. It would have been an adamant no. But as long as people want to book me or use me or spend time with me, I’m happy to do it. Life’s too short, why not? It’s quite funny because I’m not a model but I’ve kind of gone into that now because I get requested to do shoots and things. I wish [Kate] could give me some tips, actually, teach me how to bloody pose. [Laughs.]

Louis Vuitton Is Opening a Restaurant

LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton keeps diving deeper into the hospitality business and will open its first Vuitton café and restaurant next month at its new flagship boutique in Osaka, Japan, WWD has learned. Michael Burke, chairman and chief executive officer of Vuitton, confirmed the development, and hinted that eateries and even hotels could be a future expansion avenue for the mega brand, which on Tuesday night unveiled the Sewelô, a 1,748-carat stone billed as the second-largest rough diamond ever discovered.

Separately, architect Peter Marino, who designs stores for Vuitton, Dior and other luxury brands, told WWD he would design the first Paris branch of Langosteria, a high-end seafood restaurant in Milan popular with the fashion crowd. It will be located on the seventh floor of La Samaritaine, the landmark department store slated to reopen in April as a showcase for LVMH businesses, including the group’s Cheval Blanc hotel, also designed by Marino.

The twin developments come as consumers continue to splash out on fine dining, holidays and other luxury experiences, and LVMH is making sure it carves itself a healthy slice. Its historic Dior flagship boutique on Avenue Montaigne is currently undergoing a major renovation and will reopen with a restaurant among its new features. And headlining LVMH’s acquisitions in the last 18 months were Tiffany, which opened the Blue Box Cafe at its Fifth Avenue flagship in 2018, and Belmond Ltd., which operates a portfolio of 46 luxury hotel, restaurant, train and river cruise properties in 24 countries.

““We think the so-called experiential luxury is something that will be important in the future,” Jean-Jacques Guiony, chief financial officer of LVMH, said at the time of the Belmond acquisition. According to the most recent Altagamma Worldwide Luxury Market Monitor by Bain & Co., spending on gourmet food and fine dining rose 6 percent in 2019 at constant exchange, outpacing personal luxury goods, which posted a four percent uptick. Spending on luxury cruises gained 9 percent, private jets and yachts 5 percent, and fine wines and spirits 5 percent, the report said.

Le Café V will be located on the top floor of Vuitton’s new four-level Osaka maison, with a menu by celebrated Japanese chef Yosuke Suga, an adjoining bar and a generously sized terrace. Next to the bar will be Sugalabo V, serving only dinner to a lucky few via an open kitchen mirroring the Tokyo branch of Sugalabo.

The boutique, in a new building by architect Jun Aoki, is to open on Feb. 1, while the restaurants are to start serving on February 15th, Vuitton conscripted Tokujin Yoshioka, who designs for its Objets Nomades of home and travel objects, to create a charger plate inspired by its famous monogram, which inspired the restaurant’s tableware, according to Vuitton. While food and beverage has become an important traffic driver and revenue stream for shopping malls and department stores in particular, it’s still relatively new and untapped territory for top-tier luxury brands.

Marino, whose firm designed his first restaurant, The Lobster Club, located in the Seagram Building in New York City, hadn’t realized that his second eatery is also based on shellfish until a reporter told him so. “Perhaps I just like claws,” he said, extending a hand covered in lethal-looking silver rings that run the length of his fingers. The architect is partial to full Tom of Finland-worthy leather regalia and punned: “The next one is going to be the Mussel Bar.”

Marino is deeply involved in the design of the Cheval Blanc hotel opening in La Samaritaine, and another in development on and around Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California.