Gigi Hadid is the new face of Miu Miu’s Wander and Arcadie bags, but what exactly does the world’s most famous supermodel carry around in her bag? Well, in a new interview, we have all the answers. There were also some great bags this week, courtesy of Balenciaga’s new extraordinarily ordinary Spring 24 collection, presented via a digital video (tres 2020) that saw a fictional cast of balenciaga employees form scene of everyday life on the streets of Avenue George V, home to the house’s historical maison. What’s the opposite of norm pre? Gucci, of course. The Italian house’s Gucci Chime initiative celebrates its 10th birthday this year, continuing to fight for gender liberation a decade on. Meanwhile? Pharrell is hosting an auction of LV and Chanel goodies (and more!) and Pat McGrath has put together some stunning Swarovaki beauty looks that will have your jaw on the floor. Here’s what’s in fashion.
An interview with Gigi Hadid on fashion, fame and what’s in her Miu Miu bag
There’s no doubt that big slay supermodel Gigi Hadid fits within Miu Miu’s universe of empowered heroines and a new campaign from Steven Meisel that reworks the spirit of the legendary artist Margaret Keane, showcases her chameleonic power. Dressed in the house’s signature extraordinary reworkings of uniform and minimalist workwear, including that mini skirt, she showcases two of Miuccia’s matelassé nappa leather holdall offerings – the beloved Wander bag and the new bag on the scene, the Arcadie. Here, Gigi chats about working with Steven Meisel, the impact of fame and fashion on her life, and her favourite of the Miu Miu bags. TG
How would you describe the experience of working with Steven Meisel for the Arcadie bag campaign and how would you describe the relationship between model and fashion photographer?
Any time spent in front of Steven’s lens is an honour, but shooting this campaign and celebrating a new partnership with Miu Miu was special. I was so excited about this concept and especially enjoyed this set design by Mary Howard — she and Steven always make magic together, and the set being based on paintings made it SO Miuccia! It was fun to walk onto a set that made me feel small and take on this character.
Steven has taught me so much about being a model and he’s given me a lot of confidence in my instincts while shooting. I respect him a lot because he knows exactly what he wants, he’s efficient, gentle spirited, and effortlessly funny! Every working relationship with a photographer is different, it’s like dancing with someone … it either works or you don’t find your rhythm. I love dancing with Steven!
What does fashion mean to you and what part does it play in your life?
Fashion inspires me through its more creative sides: the campaigns, editorials, shows, set design, creative direction… in my day-to-day life I have a wardrobe of staples mostly, but I love expressing myself through accessories, bags, shoes, eyewear, and of course have fun with runway looks and custom pieces for special moments.
How would you say you approach your work as a model? What is your working process?
I would say I take my job from a very professional and creative perspective. I’m there to get the job done, sell the product, but you have to understand the story you are there to tell as well. What I enjoy most is the friendships I have made from spending time on set. I love watching everyone and taking in their different crafts; I think a good model needs to understand everything that’s going on around them, too.
How far do you play yourself in fashion editorials and/or campaigns and how far is it someone else?
It depends on the day, and the creative direction I am given… sometimes they very clearly want ‘Gigi’ and sometimes I play a character. If I can find myself in a character, I will play into that, but if not, my mind goes to whatever the story inspires.
How do you maintain the balance between fame and privacy?
It takes time, and you learn from trial and error, but I think becoming a mom has really helped me to prioritise the balance of being home at my farmhouse and fully focused on my time with my daughter, and making sure my time to work consists of jobs and experiences that are fulfilling for me.
What do you like about carrying the Miu Miu bags in the campaign?
I love these bags and carry my own often, my favourite is the pink one! Shooting this new campaign, I had my eye on the sand beige and white ones, I feel like I could wear them with so many things. I love how it’s a seemingly simple bag from afar but has so much detail and character, it comes in so many colours, and of course the quality is exceptional; I feel like everyone can find a way to express themself through these Miu Miu bags.
And what’s inside yours?
For a night out or a quick walk to lunch I travel pretty light: wallet, lip liner, lipstick and/or moisturiser, sunglasses, phone… sometimes a camera.
Balenciaga goes normcore for their Spring 24 collection
Remember normcore, that 2010s phase of banality that gripped the fashion industry? Do you remember the designer who brought it to the catwalk with his DHL t-shirts and oversized hoodies? Demna, of course! The designer returned to his roots of crafting brilliantly ordinary fashion for the streets of Paris with his new collection for Balenciaga, presented via a short film set on the cobblestone streets of Avenue George V, home to the house’s historical headquarters. A fictional cast of house employees and normie citizens are seen coming and going from Balenciaga HQ, joining passers-by as they walk their dogs in springtime weather one minute, get on their bikes in a downpour the next, deliver parcels, gossip on the sidewalk, and generally get on with the mise-en-scene of everyday life. See: models, they’re just like us! The film was directed, impressively, in one continuous shot by Mau Morgó and scored with BFRND’s rework of Édith Piaf’s “Sous le Ciel de Paris”. The collection itself riffed on the banality of everyday clothes, too. Split into two camps, it comprises Balenciaga’s “Garde-Robe” (Balenciaga’s line of refined wardrobe essentials) and seasonal ready-to-wear components, boot-shaped bags, gowns in surfer jerseys, and plaid-lined hoodies. “The result is an observation of metropolitan motion, fusing Balenciaga’s nexus with the pulse of real life in real time,” read the show notes. Call it what you want, but let’s agree that nobody does normcore quite like Balenci. OA
Florence Welch discusses gender liberation for Gucci Chime
10 years ago, Beyoncé, Salma Hayek-Pinault and Gucci founded Chime for Change – a campaign pushing for gender equality worldwide – that was marked by a live music event featuring Queen Bey herself alongside Florence Welch, John Legend and J-Lo. Now, 500 projects, 630,000 lives changed and $21.5 million raised later, the platform, now called Gucci Chime, is renewing that promise. In a new video series directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Gucci friends old and new – Salma, Florence, John and Julia Roberts are joined by Halle Bailey, Julia Garner, Idris Elba, Serena Williams and Jodie Turner-Smith – share their commitment to raising a new generation pushing for change and what equality means to them. At a time when attacks on human rights feel increasingly a threat, Gucci Chime are looking to another decade of working to impact and improve the lives of girls and women from all backgrounds. TG
Pharrell’s JOOPITER is hosting another unmissable auction
It’s time to start saving because in just two weeks JOOPITER – the auction house founded by Pharrell Williams – will be hosting its next auction, filled to the brim with rare artworks and must-have fashion and cultural pieces. Entitled Just Phriends, because many of the lots come from 50 collaborators of Pharrell and the auction was made in partnership with his longtime friend Sarah Andelman of Collette, those with items going into bidding include Takashi Murakami, KAWS, Daniel Arsham, Futura, JR, Paola Pivi, Vier Veilhan, MSCHF, Chanel, Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, Richard Mille, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Pharrell himself and more. The exact list of items available will be shared on 14 June 2023 but we do know one art piece on offer is “The Simple Things” (2009), a surreal collaborative piece by Takashi Murakami and Pharrell. The auction itself will be open from 19 to 27 June and, if you’re in Paris for Fashion Week Mens this month, you can see all the pieces IRL at 8 Avenue Matignon from 20 to 24 June. Keep the JOOPITER website and Instagram bookmarked for the full line up of items on offer – this is sure to be one not to be missed! TG
Pat McGragh styles Swarovski’s enchanting new campaign
You can always count on the work of Pat McGrath to take your breath away and a new campaign with Swarovski continues that legacy. For the crystal jewellery brand’s Metamorphosis campaign, lensed by photographer Steven Meisel and styled by the brand’s creative director Giovanna Engelbert, four different jewellery families are reimagined on the faces and bodies of models, transforming them into enchanting, otherworldly beings. The Florere jewels are used to turn a model into a butterfly-adorned fae while Idyllia jewels are set boldly on the lips, the eyes and across parrot rings to become an exotic exploration of the tropical bird, or become a spikey cage reminiscent of the body of a pineapple. Finally, forest green Millennia jewels encase the head like the shell of a young turtle. It’s all inspired by the magical garden rooms created by Empress Maria-Theresa at Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace in the 18th Century, a nod to Swarovski’s Austrian heritage. “Maria-Theresa’s garden rooms are populated from her dreams,” Giovanna Engelbert. “They are fantastical spaces painted with murals of exotic flora and fauna from around the globe that would never naturally share the same habitat. In the same way, I wanted to create an enchanted crystal garden that does not exist in nature but still brings the same joy.” TG