Award of the week: Faustine Steinmetz wins Swarovski Award
In her constant reimagining of denim, the Paris-born, London-based designer deconstructs and reconstructs, distresses, and ornaments one of the most ubiquitous everyday fabrics into something that it is not just unrecognisable, it is otherworldly. For fall/winter 17, Steinmetz guided us on a tour of denim across the world. From Burkina Faso to Tel-Aviv to Bogota to Seattle, her sustainable fashion fusions were a celebration of localized nuances in craft, approach, and wear. Some of the most marvellous and magical manipulations of this season, and the ones before it too, have included thousands of Swarovski crystals. These shimmering creations caught the industry’s eye and now have Swarovski’s attention and support. “Her sustainable and ethical design approach, and the innovative and visually stunning use of crystal in her collections, make her a unique talent and an emerging role model for the industry,” Swarovski’s very own Nadja Swarovski explained. After walking away with the third edition of the Swarovski Award, Faustine Steinmetz is €25,000 richer and has year-long access to the famous crystals for further fabulousness.
Announcement of the week: Tim Walker for Pirelli Calendar 2018
Fresh from helping us celebrate the unrivaled creativity of London for our latest issue, the boundary pushing photographer will follow in the recent footsteps of Annie Leibovitz and Peter Lindberg to shoot next year’s Pirelli calendar. Although the concept for 2018 is under wraps, we can be sure that Walker’s fantastical fairy tale take on the annual publication will herald yet another fresh approach for Pirelli after Peter Lindbergh’s stripped back take and Annie Leibovitz’s homage to strong, creative women. Here’s to a year of positive change.
Launch of the week: LVMH finally launches multi-brand e-commerce site
On June 6, the internet will have a new temptation. After months of whispers, the luxury conglomerate announced yesterday that it would be launching a new, multi-brand e-commerce site, 24 Sevres. The name offers more than a fond nod to Le Bon Marché, 24 rue de Sèvres has been the Paris street address for the the world’s first department store for more than 160 years. It marks an intention to become the global address for luxury fashion online. Offering more than 150 luxury brands, 20 LVMH heavyweights including Louis Vuitton and Dior will be joined by a host of fashion favorites. The promise is to offer an “unparalleled Parisian take on fashion, until now conspicuously absent from the e-commerce landscape.” A trip through the chic 7th arrondissement will soon only be click and a scroll away.
The move of the week: Roberto Cavalli appoints Paul Surridge as Creative Director
Industry insi-Ders aside, this is a name that might not be familiar to many of you. However, his work certainly will be and his CV will whet your appetite. After graduating from Central Saint Martins, he worked at Calvin Klein during the 90s, joined Christopher Bailey at Burberry during the early 00s, was appointed Jil Sander’s Design Director under Raf Simons’ leadership in the late 00s, and was most recently Creative Director of Z Zegna and a Creative Consultant for Acne Studios. In short, Surridge has worked on some of your favorite collections and had a hand in some truly iconic fashion moments. The appointment begins with immediate effect and we won’t have to wait too long before we experience this new era for ourselves. Surridge’s first season will debut with the women’s spring/summer 18 collection, showing this September in Milan.
Business move of the week: Burberry is relocating 3,000 jobs to Leeds
The luxury fashion brand is looking to create a new business center of excellence and will move roles from finance, HR, and procurement from the UK and overseas, alongside some customer service and IT roles. After announcing plans in 2015 for a £50m manufacturing and weaving facility in Leeds — currently on hold — this is further proof of Burberry’s commitment to tightening its historic ties to Yorkshire, home of not only its iconic trench but the birthplace of its President and Chief Creative Officer, Christopher Bailey. Here’s to hoping more UK brands will explore investment possibilities beyond London.
The collaboration of the week: Spring/Summer Nikelab x ACG
Designed with Acronym founder Errolson Hugh, NikeLab delivers a summer ACG full of fire with a collection built to embody the Berlin-based design studio¹s unwavering belief that form follows function and function should not deny aesthetic. Its two key pieces — the NikeLab ACG.07.KMTR shoe and the poncho — are filled with technical treats including waterproof ripstop, lightweight fabrics, cable ports, and utility pockets. Each item is packed full of features you didn’t even realize you needed in your life. In an ever rising sea of creative collaborations, Nikelab x ACG surfs the waves and leads the way. The Summer 2017 NikeLab ACG is available beginning May 18.
Credits
Text Steve Salter