What’s behind the first door of the sartorial news advent calendar? Plot twist: it’s the earth-quaking news that Matthew M. Williams has left his position as creative director of Givenchy! What does this mean? We give you everything we know below. What else sits under the Xmas fashion tree? The Ganni x Dr. Martens collab of our dreams, a Street Souk world takeover, a Saint Laurent sponsored Juergen Teller exhibition, a Kenzo x Verdy capsule, Christopher Esber sunnies, Taiba hairwear jewellery, King Krule decked out in Yardsale AW23, a new J.Lo video from Coach and Paolina Russo gaming skins. What more could you want? Here’s what’s in fashion.
Matthew Williams says goodbye to Givenchy
After three and a half years in the top job of creative director at Givenchy, Matthew Williams has stepped down from his role at the French house effective from 1 January 2024. “Leading the creative direction of Givenchy was, as I said upon my arrival in 2020, the dream of a lifetime. Over these three years, I have strived to perpetuate Mr. Hubert de Givenchy’s legacy while bringing my own creative vision and I would like to sincerely thank the studio, Renaud de Lesquen, and LVMH for this incredible opportunity,” Matthew said in a statement. The American designer – who was previously artistic director to Lady Gaga and had worked on collections for Dior, Nike and Moncler – has been recognised for bringing streetwear styles to one of Paris’ most tradition-steeped houses. He’s also noted for giving house staples such as the U-Lock jacket, Voyou bag and their sunglasses a new modern edge and attracting a new audience with them. Matthew’s successor in the creative director role has not been named as of yet and the house have said their AW24 collections, set to take to the runway early next year, will be designed by the in-house studio. Matthew, on the other hand, plans to focus on his own brand 1017 Alyx 9SM. We look forward to what these new eras bring for them both! TG
Drop everything because Ganni x Dr. Martens is here!
The Ganni girl is entering her punk era! With the Scandinavian It-brand and its fun, flirty and femme take on the local aesthetics becoming a Gen Z obsession, it was only a matter of time before they would partner with the timeless workwear shoes Dr. Martens, that have held an aura of cool across the generations since the label was born in the mid-twentieth century. For the 10th anniversary of Dr. Martens’ Jadon Boot, a stacked sole version of the brand’s classic silhouette, Ganni put a few cutesy touches to the staple – adding its very Y2K butterfly logo and dual branding to each shoe, as well as yellow accents around the laces that match the OG boot’s yellow welt recognised the world over. The true Ganni additions go deeper, though; with their progressive ethos of exploring new-gen, better and more sustainable fabrics, the Ganni x Dr. Martens boot is remastered to be formed from recycled polyester and leather-free materials. Bad bitch energy, but make it ethical! We have to stan. Get your pair on either brands’ website or in select global retailers. TG
Lagos streetwear festival Street Souk takes over the world
Since its inauguration in 2018, Street Souk has blossomed from a DIY forum for Lagosian steezeheads into Africa’s largest streetwear festival, earning co-signs from the likes of the late Virgil Abloh along the way. Founded by a then-19-year-old Iretidayo Zaccheaus as a means to connect the dots a streetwear scene that was otherwise scattered, the annual festival has become the high point of the community’s calendar, bringing together stalls from brands including Mowalola, Nike, Motherlan and Off-White alongside pop-up skate parks and (often impromptu) gigs, drawing vast, not to mention star-studded, crowds – previous editions of Street Souk have seen the likes of Skepta, Davido and i-D cover star Rema pull up. This year will mark the biggest and boldest edition of the festival to date – and not just because of the scale of the Lagos event, but because Iretidayo is taking Street Souk on a world tour. Ahead of Street Souk’s mammoth voyage through London, LA, Accra, Cape Town and Dubai – where Street Souk will staging Popped Up at Sole DXB in conjunction with Power Horse – we caught up with Iretidayo on how it all started, and bringing it to it’s widest audience to date.
How would you introduce Street Souk to someone coming across it for the first time?
Street Souk is the biggest streetwear community in Africa. It’s a streetwear festival that celebrates authentic African youth culture and exports it to the rest of the world.
What were the main reasons behind its creation? What did you create it in response to?
To create a platform for upcoming and established streetwear brands to be able to showcase their collections. There were numerous brands that were selling items via Instagram and there was no real community or infrastructure at that time, so I decided to create an event that would bring together the streetwear community as well as foster growth for brands by creating an environment where they could market directly to consumers.
Why did you want to take Street Souk on this world tour? And why did now feel like the right time?
My vision for Street Souk has always been global, it has always been to show and tell the story of the African streetwear community around the world.
What’s the reasoning behind the selection of cities you’re taking Street Souk to this year?
I felt this was the right time because the more I travelled the more tapped in I realised people around the world are, mainly because of the growth of Afrobeats over the last few years. It really showed me that there’s something special brewing back home and we can take it around the world for everyone else to catch on. London is like my second home, so it was only right to do it here, and there is a massive African diaspora. Complexcon in LA is like the mecca of streetwear, so it was only right to showcase there amongst the biggest and best in the world. The UAE also has a big African diaspora community, but they are not represented much on the culture side of things, so the idea is to bridge that gap between streetwear culture in the Gulf and Africa. After the success of our initial pop up in Accra, it was only right for us to come back again and further promote African streetwear brands, especially those in Accra. And since the inception of Street Souk in Lagos, we have been getting offers from South African brands to collaborate and explore what the scene there is like. South Africa has always been very ahead in terms of streetwear due to the infrastructure they have in place, so it was only right to tap in with the right people there to further promote and build our continental streetwear relations.
What are some of the highlights that lie in store for attendees across the cities you’re taking Street Souk to?
Exclusive and extremely limited collaborations, special guests, mixing and networking with like-minded individuals, celebration.
What are you most excited for people to discover at Street Souk?
I’m most excited for people to discover new brands and designers. I love when i get feedback of people finding some brand they never heard about and now that’s their go to.
Hermès embarks on a voyage across the Silky Way
It is of course no secret that Hermès’ silkwares are out-of-the world, but on Thursday night, the French house made a point of making that clear, staging an extraterrestrial voyage in a galaxy far, far away… well, a film studio in far west London, but same difference from where we’re stood! Drawing inspiration from Brides de Gala, the iconic print first introduced to the Hermès canon in 1957, and now an instantly recognisable motif of the house, Cécile Pesce (the brand’s creative director of Women’s Silk) welcomed far-travelled voyagers to Brides de Galaxy, a world where “residents use silk to affirm their uniqueness, creativity and personality,” a release reads. Stepping into a super saturated, desert-like landscape, guests were able to discover five distinct zones, each of which offered a novel interpretation of the Brides de Gala scarf, proving its perennial capacity for inspiration and reinvention, even after close to seven decades since it was first designed. Needless to say, with the world we currently live on looking like it is, we’re eagerly awaiting the countdown for the next voyage to Brides de Galaxy. MS
Saint Laurent sponsors Juergen Teller’s major Paris show
In what is perhaps some of the chicest news we’ve heard in a while, this week it was announced that Juergen Teller’s forthcoming exhibition at Paris’ Grand Palais Ephémère has bagged itself an oh-so-stunning official sponsor: Saint Laurent. Yes, the impeccably refined French house – which regularly enlists Juergen’s equally refined photographic services for its campaigns – will be supporting “i need to live”, a survey exhibition comprising personal and commissioned works, instantly recognisable images, a new photographic series, as well as videos and installations, and which opens on December 16th. To commemorate the collaboration, Anthony Vaccarello and Juergen have teamed up to create an incredibly distinguished lifestyle collection, featuring clothing and accessories alongside more esoteric homeware, decorative objects and vinyls. “Juergen Teller is a tremendous photographer whose intelligence, humour, and respect make his work a veritable introspective game, where flashbacks are both tributes and allusions to the founding myths of the Maison Yves Saint Laurent,” Anthony said in a release from the house. “Our collaborative work for Saint Laurent is all about the search for origins as a creative driving force.” Tell ‘em, Anthony! Anyway, the capsule will be available to shop at the Saint Laurent Rive Droite stores in Paris and LA, though if you’ll be neither of the cities in the near future, you’ll be glad to hear that you’ll also be able to cop on YSL.com. Needless to say, absolutely everything from the capsule collection has leaped right to the top of our festive wish list. MS
Nigo and Verdy link up on a Kenzo holiday capsule
There’s no doubt Kenzo creative director Nigo and famed graphic artist (and Blackpink’s newest artistic director) Verdy, are two of the biggest icons of contemporary Japanese street culture. The pair got the hypebeasts excited after Nigo brought on Verdy to reimagine the logo of the French fashion house in his own style for the Kenzo SS24 collection that played on an East meets West aesthetic. Well, now you can add those pieces to your wishlist for Santa because Kenzo have dropped a capsule ahead of the holidays! Oversized sweatshirts, hoodies, knit jumpers, vests, leather jackets and baseball caps are brandished with the new logo and come in tones of navy, off-white, black and bold red. Other pieces such as a skirt, a cardi and a windbreaker feature the phrases KP, Kenzo Paris, 18 Rue Vivienne (the Kenzo head office ofc!) and 1970 (the year the brand was founded) across them in a pinstripe design – the perfect garments for the ultimate logo mania lewks. In the spirit of the East meets West vibes of the collection and the artists behind it, the drops will also be sold at exclusive pop ups on the Champs-Élysées in Paris from 2 to 17 December, and in 10 Corso Como in Seoul from 16 to 26 December. Or, if you’re quick, grab it while stocks last from Kenzo.com today or in Kenzo stores from 4 December. TG
Christopher Esber launches sporty chic eyewear
Fresh off his Paris Fashion Week debut, Australian designer Christopher Esber has released his Resort 24 collection replete with silky black separates, sheer floral prints and a stunning, pale blue plastic lace dress that will have even the minimalist-chic Esber girlies rethinking mermaidcore. Shot on one of his muses since childhood, supermodel Carmen Cass, the campaign marks a banner year for the designer, but he’s not done yet – Resort 24 also sees the debut of Christopher Esber eyewear, across three styles and colourways, first spotted on the SS24 runway. The ‘Uma’ features a double arm designed to massage your temples as you slip the sunglasses onto your face, and for those leaning into fashion’s seemingly endless obsession with sport, look no further than the aerodynamic, wraparound styles – we suggest the retro yellow tint! – to take your Aussie beach wardrobe to astronomical new heights. ND
Yardsale taps King Krule for their AW23 lookbook
10 years ago, Dan Kreitem’s Yardsale label went from dressing the local South East London skate-obsessed youth to becoming a recognised casual wear brand beloved by street cultures around the globe. And yet, Yardsale has remained close to its roots all these years later, evidenced by their AW23 lookbook that features London icons rapper King Krule repping the tartan reversible hood jacket, artist Slawn in comfy fit hoods and producer Taro Imai in very y2k tees. Other pieces include baggy jeans with printed underwear-esque waistbands, boyish spider web tees and washed out denim jackets, all perfectly embodying that 2 kool 4 skool energy Yardsale was founded upon. TG
Taiba looks to the hair salon for her new jewellery drop
We all know the iconic shaggy hair shoes and dyed synthetic locks turned into jaw-dropping garms all by Taiba Taiba. We’ve all seen those beautiful hair braid frames the hair artist has become renowned for. So what’s Taiba doing next? A jewellery collection! Specifically, a hairwear jewellery collection, created in collaboration with jeweller Conor Joseph. Ear piercings are fashioned to look like those teethed claw hair clips and actual hair clips are made in the style of vintage shaving razor blades. Elsewhere hair pins are wrapped around arms as bracelets or looped through each other to form chain necklaces. Taiba’s famed thick hair braid design makes an appearance too, here forming shimmering chunky hoops! Who knew hairy ears could be so chic! Shop the collection here. TG
J.Lo shines in Coach’s new campaign film
Coach have dropped their new campaign video which sees Jenny from the block takes to the rooftops of the block, showing off her dance moves over the skyline under the sun. It’s part of the New York house’s latest Wear Your Shine campaign that looks to inspire everyone to see fashion not just as a tool of personal expression but personal empowerment, to allow your stunning fits to bring out your inner shine too. And who better to encapsulate that message than the woman whose confidence, beauty and vibrancy literally emit their own light. TG
The chic gamer girls can wear Paolina Russo AW23 on Roblox
Just imagine you’re in the middle of a deathmatch on your favourite battle game and just as you’re about to go in for the kill the NPC says “wait, are you wearing the…” and you say “the Paolina Russo AW23 collection now available on Roblox? Yeah, I am”. Any fashion girly who knows their way around a console will also know that picking what to wear in the metaverse is just as important and as enjoyable as the actual gameplay itself, sometimes better! That’s something Paolina Russo and Lucile Guilmard, the London designers behind the brand Paulina Russo, know all too well. And so, it would make sense that when the opportunity came through 1Granary to partner with SKNUPS – the tech brand yassifying in-game outfits for avatars by working with fashion labels – that they would run with it and create something the chic gamers would j’ad.
What’s your own relationship with gaming?
Lucile Guilmard: We both grew up in the suburbs and the countryside where there wasn’t much access to art, so gaming was a way to create and escape. Games like The Sims where we could construct our own secret worlds, which I feel has served us a lot in working on our brand.
Paolina Russo: I remember going to my friend’s house every day after school to play The Sims 2 because we weren’t allowed to play at home, or spending hours making outfits on The Doll Palace.
Lucile: I’d spend my whole time building the houses and making the characters’ outfits, I wouldn’t even play the actual game in the end.
Paolina: Even now, games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild or Tears of the Kingdom are a massive inspiration for the work we make. I love how they blend global mythologies with technology, creating a world that feels both ancient and futuristic and a realm that transcends time. That is something we try to achieve with our work as well.
What made you decide to release these pieces both digitally and physically?
Lucile: We have collaborated with SKNUPS through the 1 Granary mentorship program, which we are a part of, before. They consistently emphasise the importance of thinking beyond the “young London designer” box and they’re the ones who brought us together with Charlie Thomas and Fred Speirs, the co-founders of SKNUPS. They both focus on creating opportunities for brands within leading games. Our connection with SKNUPS aligned a lot with our hands-on practice and emphasis on craftsmanship. For us craftsmanship is the way we approach textiles and collaborative manufacturing with artisans and makers. SKNUPS want to push the limits of what is possible by surpassing the constraints of real-life limitations to create a unique blend of digital and physical fashion.
Paolina: The collaboration was really a natural progression for us to expand into the digital space and diversify from traditional wholesale models and revenue streams. Also, the chance to create a Paolina Russo video game? Total flashback to our early Sims days. It was an exciting opportunity that allowed us to fulfil our dream of dressing people not only in their day-to-day lives but also in the digital realm.
How did you go about deciding which pieces from the AW23 collection would become available as skins on Roblox?
Lucile: When selecting pieces from the AW23 collection to feature on Roblox, our focus was on how to showcase our core values the best: craftsmanship, innovation, sustainability and community. To achieve this, we chose to highlight our most artisanal and collaborative pieces from the season.
Paolina: For instance, one of the looks features our illusion knit pieces, a lenticular knitting method developed with natural fibres of 100% merino wool. The vibrant colours are a result of a collaboration with Cavan Jayne, a natural dye artisan in Glasgow. She used pigment sourced locally from flowers and spices. SKNUPS was able to translate these colours and lenticular textures onto garments which people can play with in Roblox. There are three looks they play with, including accessories and hairstyles and everything can be mixed and matched.
Were there any challenges in digitising the garments and how did you overcome this?
Paolina: The whole process of digitising the garments was really intriguing. SKNUPS has this amazing team of crafters who delved deep into developing each piece, stitch by stitch, pixel by pixel. Using 360 still images, they managed to capture all the intricate details and textures of the actual fabrics – even replicating the disappearing/ reappearing lenticular effects of our illusion knit graphics. It’s honestly kind of unbelievable!
Lucile: The trickiest part was getting the fabric movement just right, you know, how materials drape, fold, and react as the character moves. In the beginning, when the characters would swim in the water, there was this weird glitch where the clothes would magically disappear. But we figured it out, and now she can swim with her dress on without any disappearing acts.
Do you see future Roblox collections you release continuing to follow your IRL collections or do you see them evolving into something separate?
Paolina: We see this as a long-term collaboration with SKNUPS, and our plan is to roll out each upcoming season’s selected looks in the game. Now that we’ve got this foundation of garment shapes in the game, we’re also thinking about the idea of dropping exclusive online colourways.
Lucile: The digital versions of the looks are like an extension of the real pieces for us. We’re into creating this contrast between the physical and the digital to really emphasise the craft that goes into both. It’s all about highlighting traditional craft in the digital hand. We’re firm believers in the synergy of traditional craftsmanship and digital advancements.
What look from the collection would your avatar wear?
Lucile: My avatar would definitely wear the full rainbow crossover top and skirt, everyday and everywhere.
Paolina: For me too! The rainbow crossover pieces are full warrior princess looks!
