So girlies what are we wearing this holiday party season? If you haven’t yet got your look to stand out at the office drinks or the family get-together, you’re in luck! From jaw-dropping Gucci eveningwear and Bettter tailoring to sparkling Marc Jacobs resort-wear and Crystal-studded SKIMS, your faves have you covered. If you need some new sneakers to run around the city and find the perfect look in, well, you have the new Wales Bonner x Adidas footie shoes or Kiko Kostadinov’s new label at Asics to pick from. In other fashion news, Valentino takes New York, A–Company takes Broadway and Louis Vuitton takes the slopes. Oslo’s International Library of Fashion Research has a fun new exhibit that is a must to check out while Dilara Findikoglu and Online Ceramics drop your new Wicca wardrobe. Finally, we bring you the highlights from the CFDA Awards and catch up with fashion’s favourite VR sanctuary xydrobe and iconic French stylist Camille Bidault-Waddington. Here’s what’s in fashion.
Valentino touches down on Madison Avenue
Maison Valentino is certainly no stranger to New York City, but lucky for us, the Italian house has just opened a new flagship store at 654 Madison Avenue, bringing Italian heritage and the house’s luxe codes to the Upper East Side. The concept and design was conceived in-house, by creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli and CEO Jacopo Venturini, and signifies the unveiling of a new global retail concept, hitting stores worldwide and representing the future of brick-and-mortar retail. For Valentino, that means a larger-than-life store experience, quite literally transporting shoppers to the heart of Valentino, and their design headquarters in Rome. Set over three massive floors, and anchored by a central grand staircase, the 1930s Art Déco motifs and a bold 1970s aesthetic abound. Maison Valentino enlisted specialist Italian craftsman to create bespoke details, including ceramic door handles, geometric artworks and delicately sculpted chandeliers, while the mezzanine serves as a gallery space, debuting a partnership with Magazzino Italian Art and presenting Mario Schifano’s vibrant, large-scale paintings, a collaboration that strengthens Valentino’s ongoing commitment to global art and visual culture. A grand entrance, indeed! ND
A–Company takes to the stage for its latest show
You don’t need telling that fashion is, in essence, a theatre kids’ creative medium – just look at the widely attested penchant for sending eccentric characters down the runway that we saw this past fashion week. Last week in New York, however, one designer decided to take this obsession a step further, presenting their latest collection by way of an actual play. Staging an open rehearsal of Anne Carson’s new version Sophocles’ timeless tragedy, Antigone, Sara Lopez – creative director of the cerebral New York label A–Company – once again proved their mettle as one of the city’s most timely designers, showcasing an intuitive understanding of the power that lies in rethinking – and remaking – fashion’s archetypal frameworks.
Beyond the play’s familiar themes of tragedy, dilemma and conflicting moral codes in the face of crisis, Sara sought to explore how these themes could be read through a contemporary, queer-inflected lens. Rather than stage a polished performance, she instead opted to open the doors to a rehearsal-cum-script reading featuring a who’s who of New York’s Downtown culturati, including playwright Jeremy O. Harris, artist Diamond Stingily and writer and editor Blake Abbie. Replete with stops, starts, flaws, interruptions, and moments of repetition, their performance disrupted the linear expectation of how a play should play out, exploring rhizomatic interpretations and pathways illuminated by an interactive, interpersonal reading of the text.
It’s an ethos that informed the clothes worn during the performance – looks from A–Company’s latest offering, ‘Collection 9 1/2’. Named for the sense of liminality – of in-betweenness and almost-becoming – that Sara has long since articulated in her work, archetypal garments were cleverly unpicked, reassembled and shifted about, disrupting the presupposed value. Slinky slip dresses were spliced with city workers’ poplin shirts, the latter garment tenuously fastened to the former so as to give the impression that it’s about to tumble to the ground. Tailored jackets were inverted to bare their linings, and reset with screwed-and-twisted plackets and lapels, or appliquéd with denim overlays that peeled off, hanging on by literal threads. MS
Kim Kardashian drops Swarovski-dripping SKIMS
We all know Kim loves a diamond. Remember that earring she cried over when she lost it in Bora Bora? Remember her camp look for the Met Gala in 2019? Well, now, she’s bringing her obsession for dripping in jewels to her shapewear brand SKIMS. Joining forces with Swarovski, and photographed on Kim herself by Mert Alas, the collection sees bandeau tops and bodysuits in nude hues polka dotted with glistening jewels and sporty bras and briefs featuring sparkling, stoned branding. Mesh garms shine as they’re criss crossed with crystals and shimmering chain harnesses and body jewellery are ready to take your opulent looks to the next level. It’s all available now from the SKIMS website and Swarovski stores, or – if you’re in London – there’s a SKIMS pop up on the third floor of Selfridges for the next couple of weeks so you can see all the twinkling pieces IRL. TG
It’s all fun and games at the International Library of Fashion Research
Just when you thought fashion had turned every rock – art, interiors, music, sport, ad infinitum – it finds yet another avenue to exploit our savings with. Yep, unless you’ve been livning under a rock for the past decade, you will have twigged that gamification is big business in fashion or at any of the streetwear behemoths splashing dominoes and Kermit the Frogs with box-logo branding. And so, it’s little wonder that Oslo’s International Library of Fashion Research has dedicated its latest exhibition, Game Over! Fashion & Play, to the coveted trinkets and fare that have defined a large proportion of fashion history this side of the century. From Hermès puzzles and Miu Miu card games to Bratz Mowalola dolls, there’s a gamut of game-inflected goodies on show. Did we mentino the ultra-rare, 39th issue of Visionaire – replete with flipbooks by Steven Mesiel, Craig McDean, Karl Lagerfeld and Nick Knight – on show? That pricked your ears! Running until 31 January 2024, the exhibition promises a playful engagement with fashion’s collectables, using them as a springboard to unpick questions of gender, idenity and childhood. As well as this, the team at ILFR has put together a slick publication, ideal for any budding fash-ademics keen to understand why, exactly, fashion loves a game. Sounds like a PhD thesis in the making… JB
Julie Pelipas and Browns are making men’s old suits bettter
You know your dad’s ill-fitting suit he got in his twenties and now pulls out for every family wedding? Give it to Julie Pelipas and she will turn it into a stunning new tailored piece that will look chic on anyone. In a partnership with retailer Browns, her sustainable label Bettter has released a 26-piece collection using deadstock menswear blazers, trousers and suiting and upcycling them. The technology is incredibly clever and has taken years to perfect, with each suit deconstructed seam by seam before a special software maps out a newly adjusted pattern that makes the garment inclusive for a variety of body styles without compromising on the original silhouette and style. There’s a longline coat overlaid with a blazer and suit trousers with detachable waistband, but every piece features some form of cut-out or intricate design detail to bring out a feminine energy in these initially menswear pieces. Sustainable and inclusive, few are doing it like Bettter! Head to Browns stores or site to shop the capsule. TG
Discover Kiko Kostadinov’s new label with Asics
It’s of course no secret that us girlies over here are pretty big fans of Kiko Kostadinov – and it’s even less of a secret that you are, too! As such, you can imagine the scene that broke out when we received the news that Asics Novalis, the London label’s new collaborative label with the Japanese sportswear brand, has officially launched! Creatively helmed by Kiko and Laura & Deanna Fanning, who head up the brand’s womenswear design, the new line comprises a unisex offering of function-informed apparel, as well as a brand new offering of sneakers that are a one-way ticket to featuring in a Socks House Meeting meme. Head here to shop the new collection before it inevitably sells out, leaving you little other choice than to pay 4x retail on eBay. MS
Gucci presents the party pieces par excellence
Only one runway collection into his tenure at Gucci, Sabato De Sarno has already made his name as a master of less-is-more luxury, both at the level of clothing and his overarching creative vision. Indeed, his pared-back approach is partly responsible for reviving noughties model Daria Werbowy’s career, and, according to the big bods at Kering, a proposed return to commercial monopoly at Casa Gucci. As such, it’s with open arms that we’re embracing Sabato’s inaugural exercise in breathtaking occasionwear, dubbed, quite romantically, ‘Gucci Ancora Notte’. The direct translation? ‘Night again’, or, as far as we’re concerned, ‘hot shit’. Think body-tracing gowns, knotted at the navel before splaying across the thighs to reveal one dazzling set of hotpants – both coloured in the newly concocted Gucci Rosso, a shade more sumptuous than a slab of red velvet cake chez Selfridges – and some deliciously lacey spaghetti dresses, demure in jet black. Elsewhere, creamy turtleneck slit dresses, gashed across the front and held together with the golden Gucci-G buckle offer just a hint of chi-chi gaud, while jewels aplenty bedazzle bijou bags and an emerald strappy number. Together, the capsule strikes a fine balance of understated elegance, but also commands attention. Re-inventing the wheel, this ain’t. Rather, these are revenge dresses, perfect for anyone looking to get their chops on a big Getty splash. JB
Louis Vuitton hits the slopes
Incoming! As the winter sets in and the Christmas holidays approach, we’ve been busy prepping for our next big break. Suitcase prepping, that is. And believe us, it’s a fine art. Verbier with the girlies or Saint Moritz with your fellow gorpers, wherever you’re headed, there’s no excuse to look anything other than chic. After all, Paris Fashion Week is still months away, and here, on Planet Mode, style waits for no man. So, dear fashionistas, turn your eyes to Louis Vuitton’s latest ski range, replete with LV monogram ski goggles, sumptuous down-lofted puffers, skis, a snowboard and none other than the sleekly crafted Capucine bag, replete with fluffy handles to keep the chills at bay. Oh, and before you start wondering why on earth you’d need a handbag up on the glacier, let us kindly remind you that it’s not just black runs and ski lifts out in Tignes. Non, mon cheri. Heading to the Alps without making a pitstop at après-ski is sacrilege for any self-respecting socialite. Plus, these days, it’s harder to get a spot at the bar than it is to book a table at Chiltern. Armed with a nylon Speedy bag and some techy outerwear, you stand a far better chance with the bouncer, and you can smuggle in a hip flask, too. JB
xydrobe’s co-founder discusses the fash-pack’s favourite VR sanctuary
The world of luxury is breathlessly evolving, summoning up new ways to shop, unwind and rekindle our chakras before we return, once again, to the shop floor, primed and ready to pick up yet more It-bags and hot-topic fragrances. As part of the cycle, we’re often privy to the new microtrends and buzzwords being thrown around in a bid to make what is undoubtedly yet another homogeneous commodity sound a little more distinguished. Meta fashion, augmented fashion, blockchain fashion… You get the picture. Of course, every now and then, a few diamonds in the rough emerge, acting like a salve to our hardwired cynicism.
Xydrobe – pronounced zie-drobe, before you butcher it – is one such example, offering up VR experiences that go beyond the gimmicks of digital changing rooms, glitchy AI-produced images and those borderline-incel headsets. Located at 11 Carlos Place, just a few doors down from Matches’ ever-buzzy 5 Carlos Place, the newly launched space acts like a haven for people wanting only the most exclusive aural, tactile, nasal, visual and, we daresay, spiritual awakenings yet.
Launching during London’s Frieze Week with an enchanting insight into the world of Manolo Blahnik, using scent, sound, moving image and more to tell the Spaniard and art world favourite’s artisanal tale, xydrobe now presents its sophomore exhi-perience (it’s a thing) with queen of cosmetics and bodily rejuvenation, Dr. Barbara Sturm. Mindful, life-affirming and ideal for the fash-pack taking a moment of R&R before the next onslaught of shows arrive, it’s one of many commissioned takeovers in the works. Here, we caught up with one of the founders, Michael Pegrum, to hear more about it, and what we can expect in the new year. JB
How did the idea for xydrobe first come about?
There is only so much storytelling you can do on an LED screen. So, we created the xydrobe to physically and sensorially immerse people inside captivating stories about fashion and luxury’s most prominent and noteworthy names. The xydrobe houses the VR experience, and we designed it to be extremely private. It’s a one-person experience only, with specially composed music and soundscapes also, as well as alternating scents that are related to each virtual environment and wind to fully transport our guests.
What does xydrobe offer that other immersive experiences don’t?
Up until now, we don’t believe that VR has been positioned successfully to the luxury audience. xydrobe hasn’t been created as a mass-market brand. Our ethos is always to provide a scarce quantity of tickets for private, luxury experiences. Guests lucky enough to secure tickets will have access to experiences inspired and curated by the world’s most inspirational artists, luxury brands and industry-leading visionaries.
How have you gone about selecting the brands that you work with?
We pick artists we know have a unique viewpoint that we want to reimagine. We reach out to them and ask if we can create a never-to-be-repeated xydrobe experience, using them as the inspiration. Manolo Blahnik was our first experience, which finished on 5 November – it was a playful and evocative journey showing the flawless craftsmanship of their Italian-made shoes. Opening on 17 November, we have ‘Pause’ by Dr. Barbara Sturm. We have created a meditation retreat and a luxury anti-inflammatory treatment and therapy lounge. Expect exclusive take-homes, treatments and bespoke delicacies.
Walk us through the full xydrobe experience. What does a visit to 11 Carlos Place for the Dr. Barbara Sturm experience look like?
Step into Pause, and find yourself in a haven of tranquility. You’ll have 50 minutes to indulge in calm and relaxation, serenaded by the gentle whispers of meditational music and soothing sounds of nature. You’ll also have the opportunity to bask in the warm embrace of a full-body red-light therapy in a light therapy lounge – a powerful anti-inflammatory treatment that will leave you feeling refreshed, inside and out. You’ll also receive two full-sized products from Dr. Barbara Sturm’s renowned supplement collection to nourish your skin from within, plus herbal-infused skin teas and a bespoke anti-inflammatory edible.
What are you most excited for people to discover in xydrobe?
xydrobe would like to forge personal memories, that although they will never be repeated, they will never be forgotten.
Khaite, Willy Chavarria & The Row win big at the CFDA Awards
Ever wonder what happened to Miranda Priestly’s ex-assistant Andrea? Well, she’s only hosting the CFDA Awards! Academy Award-winning actress Anne Hathaway took her rightful place as a fashion girly as she hosted the event celebrating the leading designers bringing American fashion to a global stage. And this year, some i-D favourites went home with those top awards. Winning the major Womenswear and Menswear Designer of the Year awards was Catherine Holstein of Khaite (known for her unexpected twists to New Yorker wardrobe staples) and Willy Chavarria (with his romantic, spiritual menswear) respectively. Mary Kate and Ashley’s minimalist, quiet luxury bag and jewellery options at The Row were recognised with the Accessories Designer of the Year award while Goop took home the Innovators award – congrats Gwyneth! Kim Kardashian presented Serena Williams with the Fashion Icon award (icons supporting icons) while Mara Hoffman’s care to the planet and all its inhabitants with her brand was recognised with the Environmental Sustainability award. Finally, who else would win the International Award other than the man who has rocketed Loewe into the hottest brand of the moment and is creating fun, surreal pieces every celebrity is begging their stylist to put them in: Jonathan Anderson, of course. Deserved? We definitely think so! TG
Dilara Findikoglu conjures a witchy Online Ceramics collab
Oh, you thought Halloween was over? In the world of Online Ceramics and Dilara Findikoğlu it’s spooky all year round and the two have partnered up on a collection for all the bad witches. Graphic hoodies, tees, sweatpants and caps each pay homage to iconic horror movies, such as The Blair Witch Project, with their gothic font, sorcerous slogans, Wicca-style drawings and New England tombstone prints. Of course it’s not all dark and necromantic, and Dilara brings a fun edge to the collection by having many of her pin-up girlies on broomsticks printed onto the garms wear little more than pointed hats and lingerie. Speaking of lingerie, A cutesy bubblegum pink g-string heeds warning to any who try to enter with a lock design and the words “thou shall not pass” printed across the front. Ready to have anyone who walks by you doing the sign of the cross and whispering the lord’s prayer? Head to the Online Ceramics online store to get your new witchy wardrobe. TG
Adidas and Wales Bonner present the ultimate fashion-football crossover
Season after season, Adidas x Wales Bonner remains the gift that keeps on giving. For AW23, it’s business as usual, serving up slinky three-striped tracksuits in quicksilver nylon, some uber-90s button-neck training tops and splay-collar, knitted goalie shirts in that indelible baby yellow we know and love Miss Bonner for. And yes, fashion girlies keen to up your footwear rotation for off-duty Sundays at the pub, your prayers have been answered. The Samba – a universal symbol of cool among quiet luxurians and blokettes alike – gets a zesty, “look at me” twist, replete with pony hair outer and the fold-over tongue tabs that distinguish you as a true, casuals connoisseur. Of couse, in earthy browns or leopard print, primed with contrast stitching or an unexpected pop of cerulean blue, they’re guaranteed cult status. True to Wales Bonner’s USP, the collection is showcased here in an exquisite campaign, homing in on new faces in waiting, plus the already starry skaterboy, Na-Kel Smith. A brief glance will tell you that those kicks are going to fly, so anyone wanting to lux-ify their airport or gym fit in time for the new year better act quickly. Sneakerheads and sartorial intellectuals keen to rep the proudly diasporic doyenne’s latest offering, head to Adidas or Wales Bonner now. JB
Marc Jacobs takes over Covent Garden
Jump on the Piccadilly Line and climb those 193 steps in your kiki boots girls because Marc Jacobs is taking over Covent Garden! Aside from Kim Kardashian’s face plastered all over the train platform walls and the giant chrome tote bag swing, outside a futuristic mirrored shuttle has been set up filled with the designer’s most recent resort collection to get your friends, family and loved ones the chicest gifts this holiday season. What’s inside? Well, the tote, snapshot, wallet and new bag on the block the St. Marc are all there and come in a variety of subtle nudes and classic neutral leathers, as well as attention-claiming rhinestoned offerings and, fitting for 2023, a very Barbie-esque lipstick pink. Those fun, MJ-initialled chain necklaces, bracelets and earrings are on offer too, while the corset party dresses, gravity-defying heels and wintery puffer jackets adorn mannequins, showing the latest runway pieces that can be found just a short walk away in the Regents Street store. The most important reason to check out the space, though, is because that stunning crystal-dotted mini tote bag – you know, the one being clutched by Kim K in the campaign – is available exclusively here, taking centre place in the pop-up like the statement piece it is. Marc Jacobs? More like Marc Slay-cobs. TG
An interview with iconic French stylist Camille Bidault-Waddington
Fashion is an industry obsessed with styling, as attested by the fact that some of its biggest stars (and earners!) are less the designers coming up with the clothes, and more the people who put them all together. Still, whether it’s down to a relentless trend cycle, to which many are chained, or a proliferation of imagery that makes it tricky to develop a visual style that doesn’t feel overly referential, the number of jobbing stylists out there with a genuinely distinct signature is relatively small.
Among that number, though, is Camille Bidault-Waddington, the iconic French stylist who, over a career of more than two decades, has made a name for her emblematic personal and editorial style. Among her most fervent fans is Christopher Niquet, the Paris-based writer, fashion editor and founder of STUDY, a limited-edition quarterly publication that zeroes in on the world of a selected creative maverick. For its fifth issue, Camille’s body of work – spanning collaborations with photographers like Glen Luchford, Inez & Vinoodh, Sam Rock and Harley Weir – made for a fitting focus, with the end result comprising a 90+ page portfolio of images authored by the legendary stylists, as well as a new editorial shot by Angelo Pennetta and a short story by Natasha Stagg inspired by her work! Here, Camille tells us about the experience of putting the issue together, the key ingredients for a CBW look, and how styling has changed over the course of her career.
Hi Camille! To someone discovering your work for the first time, how would you introduce yourself?
I would say that I’m a French stylist with a weird Anglo-Saxon twist, and that I started out in the late 90s, so I’m someone that’s worked through very different times. All along, I’ve been surfing across independent magazines – as I’m always attracted to the new, the underground – and very established places, as I’m also very interested in the digestion of the past as a form of evolution. I lived in London. I live in Paris now.
What’s a quintessential Camille Bidault-Waddington look?
I would start with what the CBW look isn’t! Not stiff, not dry, not clear… It’s more of a feeling, an experiment. Something about colours, textures, and the life of a garment around a body. It needs to be incarnated and is something you can’t measure with a spirit level.
What was the experience of working with Christopher on Study like?
Working with Christopher was eye-opening. I totally trusted Christopher’s sophisticated eye, and didn’t interfere in the process. I was very curious to see what the result would be – his angle was probably different to what mine would’ve been, but I loved seeing it. I then realised exactly what it is that I do! The repetitions, the obsessions, the drapes, the muted colours among the brighter ones, the play with the clothes… his edit was very inspiring to me; it allowed me to reconnect with what I do. It really gave me clarity.
What, to you, are the key ingredients for a successful fashion image?
The concept of a successful image is a pretty strange one for me to define… I started at a time when a successful story was the goal, rather than one in-your-face images. A story was about narrative, layout, a mix of weak and strong – a pace. I love images that can be read differently with time, or that would be make for an iconic record cover. Obviously, with campaigns, you need to create page-stoppers that create desire… but that’s another process.
In the years you’ve been working in the industry, what have been the most significant changes you’ve witnessed?
I’ve seen a lot of changes over the years, particularly when it comes to the creative freedom of stylists. I must admit, I feel very uncomfortable demanding a photographer to shoot a look that I don’t care much for (perhaps because it’s the only one a brand would give), even if find a way to shoot it in a clever and beautiful way. I feel a bit weird, like a cop ticking off names on a ‘to shoot’ list. That said, I love limits and constraints, as they often push out the best creativity, but it sometimes reaches a scary level.
Your work has inspired many, but what (and who!) is inspiring you in fashion today?
There are some really interesting new designers out there, who really make me think that new things can still be said through fashion. At the moment, I love Duran Lantink, Torisheju, Louise Lyngh Bjerregaard, Zoe Mohn and many others!
What are you most excited for readers to discover in the issue?
I hope that it will inspire others to understand that creativity comes from very different places – not just Pinterest, but something lived, something physical, something alive.