Ludovic De Saint Sernin Has Been Named Creative Director At Ann Demeulemeester

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for fashion. Following Alessandro Michele’s departure from Gucci, the shuttering of Raf Simons’s eponymous label and Estée Lauder’s agreement to buy Tom Ford, there’s news today from the Claudio Antonioli-owned Ann Demeulemeester brand that Ludovic de Saint Sernin has been named its creative director.

De Saint Sernin’s appointment signals a creative change for the company. Antonioli, who co-founded the New Guards Group, bought Ann Demeuelemeester in 2020 and until now has run it with an unnamed design team. Though she stepped away from her namesake label nearly a decade ago, Demeulemeester herself is tangentially involved. It’s an an unusual arrangement, but she and Antonioli are friends, and so she oversaw an exhibition of her archive at Pitti Uomo this summer and has given her blessing, it would seem, to collections made very much in her image.

Like Demeulemeester, De Saint Sernin was born in Belgium. The Paris-raised, l’ESAA Duperré-educated designer launched his eponymous label in 2017 and quickly garnered notice for the hedonism of his aesthetic and a binary-breaking approach to clothing design. De Saint Sernin is a proponent of what could be called equal opportunity nudity, putting all genders in sheer suits, crystal mesh tanks, lace-up briefs and “body-formatted” knits, and he has built a starry fanbase of It-girls and It-boys for them – Dua Lipa, Hailey Bieber, Bad Bunny and Troye Sivan among them.

His collection’s sex positive glamour is attention getting, but it also comes from the heart. He’s just as likely to be wearing his stretch tank top as Ms. Bieber is. “The way that I design for the brand is like a journal, it really is autobiographical,” he told Vogue recently.

The pictures the company has released suggest he’ll be taking a similar approach to his new gig. The Willy Vanderperre-lensed shots are portraits of De Saint Sernin in archival Ann Demeulemeester. In one he wears a black shearling collar, for the others he chose a single-breasted suit, a see-through knit, a one-shoulder sheath and a bias-cut silk maxi skirt. The press statement reads “authorship and autobiography gain centrality, as Ludovic de Saint Sernin shapes the Ann Demeulemeester traits around his vision, proclivities and individuality, offering a first-person reading and the connection with today’s audience that comes from that.”

In her time, Demeulemeester built her own cult of personality, making devotees who went back to her Couvent des Cordeliers location season after season for poetic shows full of fluidly constructed tailoring, slouched-on shirting, bias cut dresses and her signature butch-femme mix of leathers and feathers. Her celebrity muses included Robert Mapplethorpe and Patti Smith.

In an interview with Vogue Runway’s Laird Borrelli-Persson on the eve of her Pitti exhibition, Demeulemeester said, “I was interested in the tension between masculine and feminine, but also the tension between masculine and feminine within one person, that is what makes every person really interesting to me because everybody is unique.” She and De Saint Sernin have that sentiment in common.

Jimmy Choo, Timberland Collaborate With Harlem’s Fashion Row

Luxury accessories brand Jimmy Choo has collaborated with Timberland on a second capsule collection inspired by the Big Apple.

The two brands have enlisted the help of Harlem’s Fashion Row, an agency that bridges the gap between brands and designers of color in fashion.

The agency has introduced Jimmy Choo and Timberland to New York-based designer Shanel Campbell, whose work focuses on the Black experience in America.

“Collaborating with two brands was one of the most interesting things I’ve ever done. I was constantly asking myself, what does it look like when these worlds, Jimmy Choo and Timberland, collide? It was an amazing experience collaborating with another woman in a creative director role,” said Campbell.

She said she was inspired by Jimmy Choo’s creative director Sandra Choi’s position within the fashion and luxury space.

The capsule collection includes seven styles for men and women available now. The most distinct styles are the two hot pink velvet boots; the classic nubuck boots with a graffiti script that reads “Jimmy Choo”; a black boot with Swarovski crystal embellishment, and a thigh-high black leather harness boot with dual styling functions, transforming into a 6-inch boot.

“Working with Harlem’s Fashion Row and Shanel Campbell brought a new dimension to the collaboration. Shanel infused the collection with her authentic New York creative lens, a true New Yorker living and breathing the heartbeat of this vibrant city. I love to mix it up by getting together with interesting creative minds, combining our DNA to create beautiful and surprising pieces,” said Choi, describing the collaboration as a celebration of urban glamour, resilience and the eclecticism of the city’s dynamic community.

The campaign shot on a New York rooftop features musician and actress Justine Syke and rapper and producer Pi’erre Bourne. It is accompanied by an interview with Campbell.

Felix Mas Fine Art

Felix Mas has enjoyed a vibrant success across the international art world. Born in 1935, in the Catalan capital of Barcelona, he began his initial studies within the fine art world at the city’s famed college of fine arts, Sant Jordi. After a period of military at La Vall d'Aran, Mas returned in 1957 to apply his talents at the Spanish art agency, Seleciones Illustrada. It was here that he engaged in commissions for a variety of projects such as romance comics Valentine and Fleetway. He continued working within this genre to draw for detective story Lt. Kane for T.V. Heroes. During the mid-60’s, he worked in Northern Europe and Scandinavia as an illustrator, before returning to comics and working with D.C. Thomson's Romeo in 1969.

 

Mas was contracted by Warren Publishing from 1972-75 and during his tenure, he produced around 17 horror stories for cult magazines Creepy and Vampirella. The Vampiress Stalks the Castle at Night from Vampirella #21 was incorporated within the list of top 25 Warren stories in the book, The Warren Companion by David Roach. After commercial success, Mas left Warren, where he stopped producing comic work and moved to Venezuela with his family. It was here he chose to focus on painting and a lifestyle which would take him to the cosmopolitan climes of Florida, a whole new client base and an increased passion and control of colour.

‘Felix Mas has always possessed a passion for art since his childhood and developed his fine art and illustration skills as he matured into adulthood. An attendee of the Reial Acadèmia Catalana de Belles Arts de Sant Jordi, he received a great deal of traditional training which is reflected across his works. Mas has also travelled extensively across Europe and the United States which he says has enriched his perspective and skills.’ - Charles Daniel McDonald

Felix Mas is an internationally recognised fine artist and famed for his artistic portrayals of “sensual elegance.” The majority of his works are dedicated to the female form as the subject matter, in a style which has been hailed as intoxicating and alluring. His works take inspiration from a multitude of travels and cultures, with influences from the historical grace of ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece, through to the fashions of India and the richness of Japanese woodblock prints.

 

The method in which Felix Mas selects colours for his artwork is quite unique, with many of them being personally created using natural pigments. His vibrant and controlled use of colour within his paintings act as expression of the emotion of his work, notions which are evident upon a multitude of mesmerising glances that are derived from the complete beauty and breath-taking intricacy of his work. Whether it is a woman adorned with iridescent gossamer butterfly wings or one clad within an imposing magenta kimono, Mas truly knows how to capture the grace and femininity of his subjects with a depth and passion that is unparalleled within his genre.

‘Mas’s inspiration comes from the diverse array of beautiful women he has encountered throughout his travels. His works are particularly influenced by ancient Rome and Greece, as well as his travels to Asia, Egypt, and India. Each of his subjects are painted using a precise elegance which is enhanced by a vibrant backdrop, carefully thought out to add a narrative and individualised flare to the central figure.’ - Charles Daniel McDonald

The talent of Felix Mas can immortalise a woman's soul and beauty on canvas in a way that very few artists can translate with such complexity. His work is subjective and left intentionally up to the viewer's own thoughts and translations. Mas currently lives between La Sénia and Barcelona, where he still indulges his passions on a daily basis, both on canvas and on his digital platforms.

 

You can discover more about the works of Felix Mas through his latest feature interviews for World Radio France and on his official website and social media channels.

Louis Vuitton Takes Over Tokyo For Yayoi Kusama Collaboration Launch

Louis Vuitton will launch its second collaboration with Yayoi Kusama on Tuesday with a takeover in Tokyo featuring a mix of physical installations and augmented reality activations.

The French luxury brand unveiled its first tie-up with Kusama in 2012 as part of its longstanding tradition of working with artists and designers, which the company traces back to Gaston-Louis Vuitton, the grandson of the house’s founder.

In the spirit of Kusama’s immersive happenings, the company will tease its second collection with the 93-year-old Japanese artist, set to hit stores in January, with a citywide event that will include landmarks such as the Tokyo Tower, Zojoji Temple and Tokyo station.

An anamorphic billboard in the buzzy Shinjuku district will take onlookers inside a Louis Vuitton trunk decorated with Kusama’s signature polka dots, via an avatar of the artist. At Shiba Park, strollers will be able to see chrome sphere sculptures and a hot air balloon in the shape of a pumpkin.

Tokyo Tower, an Eiffel Tower-inspired communications tower, will be transformed into a colorful holiday tree and the Tokyo station installation will include a fish-shaped food truck.

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In each location, AR filters will unlock lively animations, while selfie features will allow participants to blend in among imaginary characters or dots, or to try on virtually items such as Louis Vuitton x Yayoi Kusama sunglasses.

Some pieces from the collection, including handbags decorated with hand-painted dots or metallic spheres, debuted as part of creative director Nicolas Ghesquière’s women’s resort 2023 fashion show in May at the Salk Institute in San Diego.

Vuitton will offer a further glimpse of the collection during Art Basel Miami from Thursday to Saturday, where the brand will host a booth dedicated to its artistic collaborations, in line with its presentation at the Paris+ by Art Basel show in Paris last month. Its new partnership with the art fair is surfing on the euphoria of post-pandemic social gatherings and trade events.

“When you’re given that opportunity to have that type of discourse and engagement with this crowd, who is still very, very hungry coming out of the pandemic, you want to contribute to that,” Michael Burke, chairman and chief executive officer of Louis Vuitton, told WWD.

“I think before the pandemic, we were so serious in everything we did, and then having been gone for over two years, when you come back, everybody’s a little bit giddy,” he said.

Could Alessandro Michele Go To Chanel?

Sylvia Mantella has mixed feelings about creative director Alessandro Michele leaving Gucci. “I had heard rumours within the fashion industry about the possibility of him leaving,” shares the prominent Gucci collector via email. “It was just hard to believe a move of this magnitude would actually come to fruition.” And, of course, we know what happens next.

On November 23, Kering — the Italian house’s parent company — announced that Michele would be leaving, effective immediately. While rumours were swirling the morning of the announcement, like Mantella, no one was quite prepared for them to be true. Luckily, the vice-president of marketing, sponsorship and philanthropy at Mantella Corporation made the most of his tenure.

As detailed in FASHION’s Winter 2023 issue, Mantella has amassed an unimaginable amount of Gucci products, making her the foremost collector in Canada. While the Italian name was always on her radar, she didn’t become a gigantic Gucci fan until 2015, when Alessandro Michele took over as creative director. “When he first came into the brand, I think we were all left a little bit speechless because he completely restructured everything we had known Gucci to look like,” she explains. “But it was beautiful, and he took huge risks.”

Thinking of herself as part collector and part curator of her own mini Gucci museum, Mantella reveals that almost from the very beginning, she knew Michele would “leave behind an enormous legacy, very much on the level Tom Ford did when he departed the house in 2004.” And now that she has an opportunity to look at Michele’s work as a whole, she thinks of it as “lovingly adding onto the existing DNA” of the brand.

So what does the future of Gucci look like? Mantella believes the brand’s aesthetic will drastically pivot with the arrival of a new creative director. After all, we’ve had almost a decade of Michele. “I’m sure the wheels are already well in motion within the company,” she muses. As for the former designer, the collector is sure we haven’t seen the last of him yet. “Alessandro’s style is thoughtful, meticulous and intentional, so I think he would make an incredible addition to any house. It would be very interesting to see him at Chanel.”

That would be a true shakeup, indeed. But for now, she will continue revelling in her Gucci reservoir while keeping an eye out for any missing pieces to her collection. “My eyes are always open for Alessandro Michele accessories,” she shares. “From the flower pins to the sunglasses to the shoes, it’s all super fun and collectable!”

Jimmy Choo’s Sandra Choi On Designing A New Type Of Christmas Tree For Claridge’s Hotel

It’s a Jimmy Choo Christmas. The luxury accessories brand’s creative director Sandra Choi has unveiled her Christmas tree design for London’s Claridge’s hotel in Mayfair.

The brightest and most animated in the hotel’s history, the tree is a minimal geometric shape lit by white lights with a double-knotted neon pink bow.

“The bow as a symbol of bringing things together and this united ceremony is what I wanted to portray,” Choi told WWD on the morning of the tree’s big unveiling.

“The tree itself was a symbol to the core of our brand because what does Jimmy Choo mean? Glamour always comes like a boomerang,” she added. Glamour is a running motif in the brand’s winter 2022 campaign shot at the famous hotel, starring Iris Law, Mica Argaňaraz and Stan Taylor, photographed by Angelo Pennetta.

The tree has been given the name of The Diamond, a nod to the brand’s regalia-like accessories. The designer wanted to translate the allure of Jimmy Choo’s through light in collaboration with set designer Simon Costin who worked on the tree that stands more than five meters tall and took more than 350 hours to construct.

“We chatted and we dissected what it means to use light as a whole idea into the future. It’s about stepping inside the jaw, which I talk about often. Claridge’s is a place of heritage, it’s iconic and for us at Jimmy Choo, we needed to bring that glamour that Claridge’s has,” Choi said.

Simplicity and upcycling were at the forefront of Choi and Costin’s ideation when they met to plan the project.

“We produce a lot of stuff and Christmas is one of those times where you’re overloaded with things to bring the festivities alive, but we wanted to minimize the stuff element and have the ability to upcycle certain parts of the tree. We haven’t got there yet, but it’s something we discussed last night. What do we do with the materials and what do they mean to us?” said Choi, who will be hosting a cocktail party at the hotel on Wednesday evening to celebrate the tree commission.

Christmas for Choi is all about treating others. Her most memorable memory of the holiday is from 2019 when her family took a trip to Lapland in Finland, she said.

“We packed our bags, went to the cold and had a white Christmas. It was incredibly magical because it’s not about stuff, but rather just being together,” said Choi, who will be celebrating Christmas with her sister in Wales this year.

“I have volunteered my sister to treat me,” she said, jokingly.

Choi has already started forward planning for 2023, and hinted at a mentoring program in the works.

“I’m really into seeing what the new generation is looking at. I’ve got teams of people I work with and I always chat to them about what they see and how they feel. I’ve been in this brand for so long, I’ve seen it all, but to actually see it from another lens is very important,” she said.

Choi hinted at another project set for spring 2023 that she describes as a “nostalgic childhood project that is really artful, creative and feminine at the same time.”

Get To Know Canadian Fashion Designer Charles Lu

They say what’s meant to be, will be — and Charles Lu is a testament to that. When his career serendipitously kicked off after an unfortunate snub, Lu proved to the world that regardless of any setback, he’s destined to rise to success. From starring in the inaugural season of Netflix’s Next in Fashion to launching his eponymous label and having a runway show at Fashion Art Toronto’s annual spring showcase earlier this year, there’s no slowing down. Nicknamed “Panda,” Lu has established a signature black, white and grey palette on some of the most distinct silhouettes in the game.

For FASHION’s Winter issue, Lu spoke to us about how he got his start designing clothes, the hurdles faced along the way and the icons he dreams of dressing.

You were born in Hamilton, Ont., but your parents are from Vietnam. How has your background influenced your relationship with fashion?

“My parents came to Canada because of the Vietnam War and literally left everything behind. So I always remind myself to be fearless, and when I say fearless, I mean it’s OK to be scared — you just can’t let that fear paralyze you. But I’ve always been the dreamer of the family, and I took a very non-traditional route. I had to prove to my parents what I was capable of, and I said, ‘If I’m going to go into fashion, I’m going to succeed.’”

Is it true that your first fashion show was at age 12?

“Eleven or 12. When I was a kid, my mom never let me use her sewing machine, and I was like, ‘If you’re not going to let me use it, then I’m going to make clothes out of recycled materials.’ So in Grade 6, I proposed doing a stand-alone fashion show at my school and made dresses out of plastic bags, pop cans, tape and things like that.”

You’ve previously said that the fashion world wasn’t very kind to you when you were in London, England. Can you expand on that?

“During my time in London, I worked for a brand where I designed the collection as a full creative director. But before the show, I was demoted to a ghost designer and they took credit for everything I made. The company even took my sketchbook — the whole thing was crazy! Serendipitously, a couture buyer who attended that show started following my career and years later passed along my name to Netflix for its new reality competition series Next in Fashion.”

With a second season of Netflix’s Next in Fashion on its way, what advice would you give to the new contestants?

“Be willing to adapt, and keep everything honest. Remember that it’s a TV show first and a competition second.”

Where does your love of black and white come from?

“The first black-and-white piece I made was while I was studying at Istituto Marangoni in London. I was 21, and something just clicked that day. I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I really love this.’ Now it’s what I’m known for — also because I only wear black and white in my personal life, which is why my nickname is ‘Panda.’”

What was the inspiration behind your latest collection?

“This collection was all about lines. If you’re creating clean lines, you can’t hide behind anything — they have to be perfect. So, really, it was the ultimate flex of my skill. I also wanted to marry the worlds of couture and streetwear, so I took utilitarian fabrics, like parachute nylon, and made them look more classically beautiful.”

What’s next for Charles Lu?

“I want these looks to be available to the public, so eventually I’d love to set up e-commerce and a physical store with the help of a business partner and financial backer. In the meantime, I’ll probably do a few mini releases. The next collection is almost entirely designed in my head. It would just be a continuation of this one as I love the direction I’m heading in.”

Charles Lu shares three celebrities he would love to see in his latest looks:

Lady Gaga

“Gaga is the queen of avant-garde fashion, and she uses it as performance art. I’d like to see her in this look because it’s severe yet soft and balances feminine and masculine qualities.”

Gwen Stefani

“It’s always been a dream of mine to dress Gwen because I really admire her bold and experimental style. Not many people can wear black and white without having the garment consume them, but she can.”

Megan Thee Stallion

“Confidence is key when you’re wearing my designs, and Megan embodies that to the fullest. I think she could wear an oversized structural puffer and still have all that strength shine through.”