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Thomás de Lucca by Anthony Pomes – Fashion Editorial

Posted on 26 June 202222 July 2022 by Marco Marini

Anthony Pomes, the French photographer we had the chance to meet recently, has exclusively immortalized Thomás de Lucca for us, in déshabillé on a terrace flooded with light in Milan, where the Brazilian model moved not long ago.
Powerful and yet delicate pictures, that underline the modus operandi of an author who, as he revealed us, searches for sensitivity and uniqueness in every portrait.

We had the opportunity to ask Thomás a few questions.

Thomas de Lucca male model — Trousers **Zara**

I start with the shooting by Anthony Pomes. The pictures reveal a rather relaxed and spontaneous atmosphere on a sunny terrace, isn’t it? How was it like working with Anthony?

I felt very much at ease with Anthony. He’s very talented and knows how to guide a model during the photo shoot. To he honest, I thought I’d be a little rusty since I haven’t been focusing on other things at the moment and not doing much of modelling. But everything went pretty smoothly with him.

Tell us something about yourself: where you are from, how long you’ve been modelling, what your interests are beyond work…

I’m from the south of Brazil and I’ve been modelling for almost 9 years. Everything started in 2013 when I went to China for work, it did help me to grow up as a model, and to be here today represented by one best agencies in Milan.
I also do marketing apart from modeling. I’ve been doing that since last year, and that is where I’ve been spending much of my time and efforts recently, although my passion has always been modeling and always will be. When I have spare time, I like going to the gym, doing yoga and meditation – if possible I like to practice the two latter every day. I love spending time with my boyfriend and friends, and watching horror or sci-fi movies.

male fashion editorial — Jacket Tommy Hilfiger

You are Brazilian but you live in Milan for work. What were your first impressions? What do you love most (and least) about living here?

Milan is great, very international and easy to get around, but I have to confess that I’m still struggling with the language as “il mio italiano non é molto buono” (this is literally the only sentence I know how to say without using Google Translator).
What I love most are cappuccino and pizza. On the other side, living in Milan can be very pricey, so that part isn’t that funny.

male model editorial — Top **Bershka**, trousers **Zara**

If I say style, what do you think of?

David Gandy, he’s a reference in the male model industry for me, and I love how he styles himself according to his age and still looks fashionable and attractive.

Anthony Pomes photography — Briefs **Thorns**

What brands or designers do you aspire to work for?

I’d would love to walk for Dolce&Gabbana and Giorgio Armani since they have inspired me when I first started modeling.

Where do you see yourself in ten years?

In ten years’ time, I want to be a successful coach of fashion models traveling the world and giving lectures on how to think beyond their dream job, without giving up on it but using that passion in their favour.
I’d like to encourage all models to not give up on their careers so easily (I know it can be very tough to listen to so many “no” sometimes) and to do something else they may like in addition to that. There are so many ways to use what you’ve learned or experienced as a model to help you on starting something new and that resonates with you. There are more opportunities out there than you can imagine.

Thomas de Lucca — Boxer shorts **Personal Parade**

Credits

Model Thomás de Lucca @D’Management

Photographer Anthony Pomes

Fashion & Music: the Art of Styling

Posted on 19 June 202222 July 2022 by Valeria Oppenheimer

Fashion and music are two sides of the same coin, two universes of meaning which dialogue and create a hybrid with one another. We are always led to consider them as a single entity, and perhaps we wouldn’t even be able to imagine one disconnected from the other. Artists such as Elvis Presley, The Beatles, Madonna, Michael Jackson and Lady Gaga have taught us that the right image can define, if not build, an entire character, just as much as their talent. Besides, many scholars have explored this connection, most notably the anthropologist Ted Polhemus, who often stressed how “Over the course of history, the musician has been a figure to watch, besides being listened to”.

Thus music and fashion are two forms of communication, two actual languages. Now more than ever, the visual package of musical talents is manufactured behind the scenes, and behind this process lie stylists, professional figures capable of bringing life to imaginaries of strong emotional impact, which powerfully attract our gaze.

Achille Lauro Gucci — **Achille Lauro** (ph. Leandro Manuel Emede)

“Above all, dressing a person means knowing their true essence. That is where everything starts. I see clothing as a bridge between different cultural areas and physicality: only when I manage to build solid bridges is my work done”. These are the words Susanna Ausoni, celebrity styling queen in Italy, describes her profession that has led her to collaborate with the biggest artists in music and showbiz. Ausoni has a long career behind her, first working for MTV in the 90s, and currently being the creator of looks for stars of the calibre of Mahmood, Noemi, Elisa and Francesca Michielin.

Nicolò “Nick” Cerioni, a creative visionary who often uses irony and surprise, had his professional training precisely with Ausoni. He has collaborated with Jovanotti for 10 years. Cerioni’s aesthetic signature is surely high-impact and often controversial; not coincidentally, he is indeed behind many of Achille Lauro’s, including that by Gucci which he wore at the 2020 edition of the Sanremo Festival, an unforgettable tulle, crystal-studded jumpsuit.

He is also the person behind Måneskin’s glam-rock aesthetics, as well as the new trend that Orietta Berti has recently taken up; “Orietta is a free, open-minded woman, she is our Lady Gaga”, he commented, surely a daring comparison which however high- lights the irony behind such a makeover.

Sometimes a change in image can put an artist’s career into turbo mode. As one of the most requested stylists in the music biz, Ramona Tabita knows this quite well. She is behind Elodie’s metamorphosis from ‘Amici’ alumna to femme fatale, as well as Ghali’s frequent collaborator for years.

One of the biggest new names in the field is Lorenzo Oddo, a.k.a. Mr. Lollo, fashion designer who was part of the Marco de Vincenzo’s team for years, as well as Levante’s go-to stylist. “Claudia is an expressive, extraordinary force, she’s like a blank page that paints itself through clothing, in different colours each time. She’s got exceptional charisma, she can wear anything without it overpowering her image”, he says.

It is precisely during a Levante concert that Oddo met Veronica Lucchesi and Dario Mangiaracina, a.k.a. La Rappresentante di Lista, whose image he also curated at the latest edition of the Sanremo Festival. “When I heard the song, I instantly thought of putting two characters on the stage; we spent months in the Moschino archives looking for the right pieces that would help us represent the song’s themes visually. The record is apparently light, fun, but at the same time, it compels us to think about the world around us. We opted for looks that were apparently playful, but that would also convey a deep message, high-impact outfits that would perfectly complement the narrative. Styling starts from the mind, there has to be some thought behind it”.

La Rappresentante di Lista style — Lorenzo Oddo with La Rappresentante di Lista

If we will remember Blanco’s cloaks and light blouses from the latest Sanremo Festival, we have Silvia Ortombina, a.k.a. Tiny Idols, to thank, who’s collaborated with the artist for years. “I wanted to translate carnality into simple elegance, to represent the body rather than the spirit, to represent a lucid dream that lives in an authentic, real feeling. Pierpaolo Piccioli has always had the ability to superbly translate that kind of aesthetics, and I was honoured to collaborate with the Valentino team, starting precisely with the Maison’s statements: cloak and chiffon. I wanted to give life to a powerful message by combining embroidery and tattoos, repainting the body in a precious, but simple way at the same time, affirming that fashion is not a question of trends, but style”.

Who can argue with that?

Blanco Valentino — Blanco on stage at Fabrique Milano

Blanco fashion — Silvia Ortombina with Blanco

Opening image: Riccardo Fabbriconi a.k.a. Blanco

Oh so pretty

Posted on 19 June 202222 July 2022 by Redazione MANINTOWN

Model Luigi Bruno, in front of Davide Musto’s lens, plays with the cult pieces of the new season and shows off a naturally fluid attitude, fitting with ease lace micro tops, sleeveless pleated blouses, studded blazers and leather accessories with a BDSM flair.

Luigi Bruno model — Shirt **Youwei**, pants **Roberto Cavalli**

Fashion editorial fluidity — Shirt **Youwei**, pants **Roberto Cavalli**

Luigi Bruno — Left: total look **Simon Cracker**, boots **Giuseppe Zanotti**; right: body **Adelbel**, hat **Bonfilio** **Hats**

Manintown fashion — Left: hat **Bonfilio Hats**, t-shirt **Simon Cracker**, shorts **Youwei**; right: print bomber jacket **Roberto Cavalli**

Manintown editorial — Left: total look **Dsquared2**, harness stylist’s archive; right: total look **CHB Christian Boaro**, rings **Vanesi**

Luigi Bruno Instagram — Total look and shoes **John Richmond**, choker **Vanesi**, socks stylist’s archive

Fashion editorial fluid — Shoes **Roberto Cavalli**

Credits

Talent Luigi Bruno @Elite Milano, CmodelsCrew

Editor in Chief Federico Poletti

Photographer Davide Musto

Stylist Alessandra Gubinelli

Photographer assistant Valentina Ciampaglia

Stylist assistant Federica Mele

Make-up Alessandro Joubert @simonebelliagency

Hair Sara Petrucci @makingbeautymanagement

Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

Posted on 18 June 202222 July 2022 by Redazione MANINTOWN

Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari is the capsule collection created thanks to the collaboration between the outerwear brand Napapijri and the famous Italian designer and artist Moreno Ferrari. The inspiration for the concept came from the ‘NO Project’, an installation created by the artist in 2018 when he revisited one of Napapijri’s icons, the Skidoo jacket, transforming it into a work of art. Ferrari’s vision turned the Skidoo into an armour with traces of urban material in contrast with nature: a symbolic encounter between the artist and the brand to reflect on the boundary between commitment and civic responsibility towards the environment, especially for fashion. The desire to develop projects with this philosophy, where negative becomes positive, translates into a Circular Capsule Collection that combines design, sustainability and an innovative and ethical approach to the environment.

Napapijri Moreno Ferrari — Alan Cappelli Goetz wears Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

Each garment is 100% recyclable

The capsule features a range of sustainable and fully recyclable urban looks. The five styles draw on elements borrowed from the urban landscape – such as bubble wrap and plastic safety nets – and focus on the need to reuse and recycle as much as possible. Each garment is 100% recyclable, made of ECONYL® regenerated nylon: an innovative fibre created from plastic waste such as old fishing nets, rugs and industrial waste. It has the same quality as virgin nylon, but unlike the latter, is infinitely recyclable.

Napapijri capsule Moreno Ferrari — Alan Cappelli Goetz wears Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

“Objects that have heart, an ethic” (Moreno Ferrari)

Moreno Ferrari comments: “My design approach and this work in particular always takes society into account, it is a declaration of courage. Starting from the concept of beyond, crossing that ideal threshold beyond which one cannot go. Using recycled materials creates endless products and the result are objects that have heart, an ethic. There is no aesthetics without ethics nowadays”.

Napapijri capsule collection — Alan Cappelli Goetz wears Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

Strengthening Napapijri’s commitment to designing a circular future for fashion, the brand’s online take-back program allows all capsule products to be returned two years after purchase so that they can be transformed into new yarn and new products. Martino Scabbia Guerrini, executive vice president & group president of Vf Emea said: “This work is a perfect synthesis of what the market is today, where consumers are aware of sustainability but attentive to design. On the company side, we must look at the meeting points between communities, culture and our vision of design and aesthetics, always maintaining the strong commitment to sustainability that has distinguished us for many years”.

Napapijri sustainable — Alan Cappelli Goetz wears Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

Alan Cappelli Goetz was called on to interpret this capsule collection, as an actor who’s always attentive to green issues and responsible fashion. He is featured in an editorial set along the naviglio della Martesana, a crossroads between nature and urban culture, a place that has been redeveloped today and full of surprising stories.

Napapijri sustainability — Alan Cappelli Goetz wears Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

Napapijri eco collection — Alan Cappelli Goetz wears Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

In the opening image, Alan Cappelli Goetz wears Napapijri x Moreno Ferrari

The romantic fashion of Ann Demeulemeester, (also) featured at Pitti Uomo

Posted on 17 June 202222 July 2022 by Marco Marini

The 102^nd edition of Pitti Immagine Uomo is about to open its doors. This year features an exceptional special guest, who over the course of her career lasting more than 40 years has written indelible pages of the history of fashion with a capital F: in fact, the Ann Demeulemeester brand will be the guest of honour of the Florentine kermesse, as the protagonist of a special project curated by the same Flemish designer that will animate Leopolda Station during the four days of the event (14-17 June). It is a significant part of the brand’s relaunch strategy, which has been under Claudio Antonioli since 2020, added to the three collections designed so far by an internal creative team, as well as the reopening in September 2021 of the flagship boutique in Antwerp, a place intimately linked to the (glorious) past of the Belgian label.

Ann Demeulemeester Pitti — The special project at Stazione Leopolda curated by Ann Demeulemeester (third image ©Pitti Immagine/Olly Hooson)

The store was redesigned by Patrick Robyn, Ann’s husband and close collaborator, and is a showcase for the label’s new direction under the aegis of Antonioli. An entrepreneur, owner of the eponymous multibrand and already one of the co-founders of New Guards Group, he acquired the brand a year ago, determined to restore it to its rightful role. Indeed, it was the founder who brought it to the top of the fashion world as one of the Antwerp Six: the six designers (in addition to Ann, Dries Van Noten, Marina Yee, Dirk Van Saene, Dirk Bikkembergs, Walter Van Beirendonck) who graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp in the early 1980s and would soon make an indelible mark on the fashion of the time, becoming a fundamental part of fashion history.

Ann Demeulemeester: the beginnings

Ann Demeulemeester portrait — Ann Demeulemeester in her studio, Antwerp, 1999 (ph. by Kevin Davies)

Just think: born in 1959 in Waregem, West Flanders, Demeulemeester had considered dedicating her time to painting in the beginning, as attracted as she was by Flemish portraiture, but soon realised the expressive strength of clothing and enrolled in fashion design at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts. She graduated in 1981, giving rise to the brand that bears her name four years later along with Robyn. In 1986 she joined forces with the above-mentioned university partners: they rented a van, filled it with their own creations and travelled to London to exhibit them at the British Designers Show, where they were a huge sensation. Their proposals, on the other hand, were astronomically far from the pomp prevailing in the eighties, a decade characterised, stylistically speaking, by shoulders, baroque, glitter and much more, their touchpoints were rather more in step with the conceptualism driven by the innovators who had arrived in Paris from the Far East a few years earlier, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo.

Ann Demeulemeester’s creative inspirations

Having gained notoriety, Demeulemeester began to detail her very particular vision of ready-to-wear: in her opinion, clothing is a means of communicating, an emanation of the creator’s personality, of her sensations, experiences and interests. The Belgian creative orients the latter towards the verses of poets like Rimbaud, Blake or Byron, on the music that expresses the anxieties of the youth of that time (Doors, Velvet Underground, Nick Cave…), on those paintings that, in youth, had pointed her towards the art school of Bruges. As a teenager, she then came across the cover of Patti Smith’s album Horses, with the cover featuring the artist in black and white wearing a superbly androgynous outfit (the work of Robert Mapplethorpe, cursed genius of American photography); she fell in love with the music and even more with her style: in her academy years she made three white shirts and managed to send them to the singer’s address in Detroit.

Patti Smith Ann Demeulemeester — Ann Demeulemeester with Patti Smith

The priestess of rock became her muse, and a friendship and mutual esteem soon arose between the two, with Smith even signing the introduction of the monograph published by Rizzoli USA in 2014, which retraces over 30 years of the label’s history with words and images, dwelling on the sentimental value that the garments signé Demeulemeester have for her (“I draw great power from wearing Ann’s clothes. They make me feel safe […] They are a talisman”, she wrote).

First collections

In the brand’s collections all this translates into a twilight romanticism veined with melancholy and bohemian spirit, in the chromatic absolutism of black and white (sometimes broken by flashes of bright colour), in the tension between opposing elements (rigour and delicacy, body and lightness, fluid shapes and others adhering to the body) that characterise every outfit, a real leitmotif of the designer’s work.
The first women’s fashion show in Paris was held in 1991, in a bare art gallery where severe, blatantly dark looks broke out, crushed by critics branding them “funeral directors”. She adjusted the bar, made her silhouettes drier and further refined her vision with almost scientific precision, while remaining elusive with unambiguous definitions and easy categorisations, which soon began to tickle the interest of the press, buyers and simple observers, struck by the designers cutting-edge, often deconstructive, approach.

Ann demeulemeester first collection — Left: a look from the Fall/Winter 1988 collection; right: S/S 1997

Ann Demeulemeester 90s — Left: S/S 1998; right: F/W 2000 (ph. by JB Villareal/Shoot Digital)

Menswear did not take long to arrive, and in 1996 men’s outfits began to appear, seamlessly mixed with the women’s releases, a choice that was repeated in subsequent collections until the creation of a specific line in 2005. Besides, Demeulemeester never paid too much attention to gender distinctions, clearly ahead of today’s gender fluid. Men and women therefore shared many of the cornerstones that, season after season, forged the maison’s aesthetics: the insistence on fluid and elongated lines, bias cuts, preferably graceful, naturally soft fabrics (silk, rayon, jersey, linen), with textures reduced to a minimum even in the most dense materials such as leather or cloth, surfaces punctually rippled by layering or clever draping, the copious use of belts, ribbons and cords, as if to support garments from which a sense of precariousness emanates, of only apparent carelessness which is then the essence of Demeulemeester fashion.

Ph. Erik Madigan Heck for Nomenus Quarterly

Ann Demeulemeester collections — Ph. Erik Madigan Heck for *Nomenus Quarterly*

The success of the label and her retiring from the stage

The brand’s man has a perennially dreamy look and a noble but tormented soul; a bit the maudit of today, a bit rebellious metropolitan style, with relaxed-fit trousers and crumpled blazers. A hint of vanity is granted with the use of feathers, a decoration that exemplifies the dialectic between natural sophistication and eccentricity that is so dear to the designer: thus feathers resting on wide-brimmed hats, attached to necklaces, bracelets and other jewellery or even covering the boas wrapping around the clothes of the Fall/Winter 2010 show.

Ann Demeulemeester runway — Ann Demeulemeester S/S 2007 (ph. by Giovanni Giannoni)

The brand’s consolidation process reached its peak with the S/S 1997 collection, a symphony in black & white punctuated, for the men’s part, by hints of layering, widely unbuttoned shirts and pants almost liquid in their looseness. This time the critics enthusiastically applauded the textbook performance, the New York Met Costume Institute purchased several key pieces, and the cult brand status became clear. Her withdrawal from the scene was a surprise in 2013, communicated with a handwritten letter. She was succeeded by Sébastien Meunier, who worked in the wake of his illustrious predecessor, introducing minimal variations from time to time, fluorescent touches here (S/S 2016), softness with decadent aesthetics of a closed bedroom there (S/S 2018).

Ann Demeulemeester mens runway — S/S 2012 Men’s backstage (ph. by Yang Wang)

Ann Demeulemeester black white — Ph. by Erik Madigan Heck

A new turning point: Antonioli

The new turning point came in the summer of 2020 when Meunier left the maison and after a few weeks Antonioli, one of the brand’s first historic retailers, took on the role for an undisclosed amount. The founder was (re)convened to play the role of creative consultant, some already hypothesise her greater involvement, her niche, while the new owner speaks to MF Fashion of a ‘new beginning’, yet to be written. Basically, it is a rethinking of the concept of masculinity, finally called upon to recognise all the fragilities, doubts and fears inherent in the human soul: the masculine ideal of Demeulemeester is present more than ever.

Ann Demeulemeester b&w — F/W 2021 collection

Matthew Zorpas, the first “digital” gentleman

Posted on 17 June 202222 July 2022 by Marco Marini

When it comes to savoir-vivre, elegance and men’s style (concepts that are often overused but still hardly investigated in their countless nuances), Matthew Zorpas is the perfect person to examine the state of the art of everything relating to modern gentlemen’s customs and habits. Exactly ten years ago, this multifaceted Cypriot creative entrepreneur, Londoner by adoption, launched the site ‘The Gentleman Blogger’, which quickly became a touchstone for menswear and lifestyle in general, addressing outfits (often formal and highly recognised, for instance Esquire UK magazine included him in its annual ‘Best Dressed Men’ list in 2010) as well as travel (another passion and atout of the founder), wellness, tips for a community of passionate, demanding and cosmopolitan people.

The Gentleman Blogger influencer — Coat **Paul Smith**

In short, Zorpas proved to be a true forerunner of the matter, focusing on men and their interests well before the crowds of male influencers (or self-styled ones) on social media today. The numbers attest to his success, together with all the brands with which The Gentleman Blogger has collaborated over the years, from IWC to Tod’s, Fendi, Bentley, Nespresso and many others.
We had the chance to talk with him during his shooting about what distinguishes true gentlemen today, the impact of Covid on men’s taste in clothing, the changes affecting the men’s fashion industry and society as a whole, from the transformations in the communication scenario full of influencers up to the metaverse.

Matthew Zorpas Instagram — Total look **Pal Zileri**, shoes Church’s, watch **Cartier**

For several years now you have been considered a role model for contemporary (and aspiring) gentlemen, as the title of your – very popular – blog suggests. What distinguishes a true gentleman in 2022, what are his qualities in terms of style and otherwise?

I have seen the definition, attitude and form of the term change over the last ten years. At the end of the day a gentleman is pure, it is all about soul. It’s not an act or a lifestyle but a living. It’s not a forced, well-thought-out bespoke suit, but a casual choice of dressing up. It is so much easier to dress like a gentleman today and yet so much harder to carry the qualities of one.

Matthew Zorpas — Left: coat **Edward Crutchley**, sweater **Zegna**, pants and shoes **Emporio Armani**; right: total look **Corneliani**, shoes **Church’s**

‘The Gentleman Blogger’ crosses the ten-year line this year. This platform allows you a privileged view of everything related to the male universe. In your opinion, what are the main changes that have affected menswear and, more in general, men’s lifestyle over this period of time?

I founded The Gentleman Blogger in 2012 and have been on this wonderful ride for ten years. I have seen the industry shift its attitude from arrogance towards influencers to embracing us, cheering us and choosing us. I have seen men’s lifestyle shift from proper and standard to relaxed and diverse.

Matthew Zorpas Gucci — Jacket **Gucci** @Tiziana Fausti (www.tizianafausti.com), shirt and scarf vintage

You prefer a personal style marked by sophistication, elegance with an ‘old school’ flair for tailored suits, patterns and motifs in the best British traditions, tuxedos, perfectly cut garments. Yet the lockdown, remote working and other consequences of the pandemic have deeply changed (and often negatively) formal attire, which had already been affected by significant transformations caused by changing consumer tastes and habits. How do you think formal wear will change in the future?

Change is welcomed here. Fashion is an industry that must follow consumers: it is for the diverse and knowledgeable consumer. It will continue to reflect movements, political or environmental crises. It is our job to make sure it moves and changes, it predicts and follows. Sadly, those who hold back will fail. Don’t translate this as an expansion in offering choices and options, but more on doing what is true to the DNA of the maison and doing it well.

Matthew Zorpas fashion — Total look **Dolce&Gabbana**, watch **Cartier**, burgundy ring **Bulgari**, shoes **Christian Louboutin**

Covid also impacted influencers between restrictions, closures and other disruptions, prompting them to change the tone and type of content posted on Instagram, Facebook & Co. Not to mention that this industry was already grappling with unprecedented challenges, from the ‘saturation’ of space to the pitfalls of virtual ’competitors’, the metaverse and other innovations that could soon change social media as we know it. What can you tell us about this, what is the state of the art in influencing?

Influencers as an industry will be here to stay for many years ahead. Just like the publishing industry had its run, we will need to allow the digital space to expand, grow, develop and when the right time comes it will clear and decline. We have not experienced the peak yet, as we are only now experiencing the years of transition from offline to online. The upcoming generation Alpha is developed and dedicated to online only.

Matthew Zorpas Prada — Shirt **Prada** @Tiziana Fausti (www.tizianafausti.com)

Speaking of the metaverse, what’s your take on this? Could – and should – gentlemen also carve out their own space in a virtual reality based on pixels and avatars?

I am aware of the metaverse, it is not my personal space or choice. I am aware of TikTok too, it’s not my space though. We need to remind everyone that we have a choice to be anywhere we want to be. New platforms or worlds shouldn’t be there to replace the old but to satisfy and please the consumer.

Matthew Zorpas jewels — Total look **Emporio Armani**, ring Nikos Koulis

Travelling is one of your great passions, you have always cared about the world of hospitality and you have also collaborated with the Ministry of Tourism of your country Cyprus. After the Coronavirus ’storm’, do you think there will be structural changes in this sector?

With the beginning of the pandemic, every sector or industry had to implement structural changes, especially in the western world. From deliveries to production, to tourism and hospitality. With my team and the Cyprus Deputy Ministry of Tourism, we managed to put together the first open air social distancing ‘RoundTable’ event in 2020, followed by the ‘7AM campaign’ in 2021 and ‘ImagineBeingHere’ in 2022. We needed to rebuild the dream when there were no flights to the country, rebuild the need for people to visit when flights opened up again and now we are reminding visitors of both as we go back to normal.

Matthew Zorpas bio — Total look **Zegna**

Can you name at least three garments/accessories that should never be missing from the wardrobe, the ‘never without’ of every self-respecting gentleman?

There is absolutely no basic garment that anyone must own. We break every rule and every single one of us needs and should own whatever is necessary to them. I used to always say a double-breasted suit and a tuxedo. Now you can have a plain white t-shirt and Levi’s jeans and be a gentleman. Let’s move on with the times.

Matthew Zorpas style — Total look **Alexander McQueen**

Although making predictions is risky, how do you imagine The Gentleman Blogger in ten years’ time? What might characterise the gentleman community in the near future?

The Gentleman Blogger has been a wonderful adventure. I’m quite pleased with the change, the innovation, the creativity, the passion and community that has loved and surrounded this amazing project for ten years. I have no predictions about how my next project will develop but I’m excited to embark on the next adventure with the strength, purity and health to fight for it to become a success.

Credits

Talent Matthew Zorpas

Photographer Georgios Motitis

Styling Giorgia Cantarini

Stylist assistant Federica Mele, Emma Thompson, Mariam Ajami from MA Fashion Styling – Istituto Marangoni London

Location The Dorchester

5 HISTORIC KNITWEAR BRANDS TO (RE)DISCOVER

Posted on 3 December 202122 July 2022 by Marco Marini

Spells autumn, reads knitwear: with temperatures dropping lower and lower, we need to get ready with pullovers, preferably in warm and cozy yarns, and above all wool. The options are basically endless, from evergreen shades such as navy blue, black and grey to eye-catching, frost-proof textures or remarkably fine, almost intangible. In any case, it’s best to play it safe choosing brands with decades of heritage with certain quality and blazonry, such as the following five.

Missoni

When you say knitwear, the mind immediately goes to of one of the most representative dynasties of Italian fashion, the Missoni family. For the fashion house founded almost seventy years ago by Ottavio and Rosita, work and life partners, knitwear has always been the at heart of a company with strong family connotations, the gateway to a success able to encompass decades, as well as changes in clothing habits and customs. Thanks to jumpers bursting with colours and flamboyance, Missoni-mania exploded in the 1970s, on both sides of the ocean: it was impossible to ignore the extravagant, multi-coloured, hypnotic patterns weaved across the garments produced by the designer-entrepreneurs’ workshop in Sumirago, in a joyful blend of shades, stitches and motifs that the Americans called “put-together”.

Crowned “best in the world” in 1971 by none other than the New York Times, knitwear earned the brand the Neiman Marcus Award in 1973 for “daring to explore new dimensions and colour relationships”, features that still distinguish the brand’s collections today; the Fall/Winter 2021 collection is no exception, in which Missoni’s expressive zeal bursts onto jumpers, turtleneck pullovers and cardigans with slouchy lapels through the familiar jumble of lines, intricate patterns and graphic textures, including mottling, enlarged chevrons, stripes creating optical games, and colours that fade from dark to light, or vice-versa.

Ballantyne

Rising to fame in the 1950s thanks to “Diamond Intarsia”, a technique that made it possible to trace the typical elongated rhombuses on sweaters that made the Scottish brand’s fortune, Ballantyne celebrates its hundredth anniversary this year.

Admirers of the diamond pattern on its pullovers include royals, Hollywood stars and world-famous jetsetters (from Alain Delon to Jacqueline Kennedy, James Dean and Steve McQueen). Even Hermès and Chanel, impressed by the label’s ability to treat the finest fibres to perfection, entrusted them with their knitwear. In 1967, Her Majesty honoured Ballantyne’s signature knitwear with the Queen Award.

The company is now run by former artistic director Fabio Gatto, who, in order to bring it back to its golden age, has combined jumpers inlaid with the unmistakable argyle with a wide, varied range of weight and fineness, capable of satisfying lovers of ultralight under-jackets and of enveloping pullovers, as well as capsule collections from the Lab line, in which the production virtuosity of the house meets the fresh vision of young designers cherry-picked each time.

Drumohr

With roots firmly planted in Scotland, the land that originated this century-old brand (in business since 1770), Drumohr has been speaking Italian since 2006, ever since it was acquired by the Ciocca group.

The Brescian company has moved production from the United Kingdom to Italy, while paying the utmost attention to keeping intact the craftsmanship that, throughout the 20th century, had conquered actors, aristocrats and ultimate models of chicness, from the King of Norway to Prince Charles, from James Stewart to Gianni Agnelli; It was the latter, guardian deity of male elegance eternally imitated (with poor results, it goes without saying), who made Drumohr’s “razor blade” a must-have, renamed “biscottino”, a pattern consisting of small rectangles spread rhythmically on wool or cashmere.

Combining artisanal know-how and ceaseless research, the collections now include colour blocking, micro or macro inlays, embossing and precise reworkings of the pattern dear to the Avvocato, which do not disdain rather bold colour choices, matching, for instance, blue with pistachio, orange with burgundy, turquoise with burgundy.

Malo

A history that is approaching the half-century mark; an entirely Italian manufacture, concentrated in the factories of Campi Bisenzio and Borgonovo Val Tidone; an idea of understated luxury, which lets the quality of garments with exquisite yarns and exquisite craftsmanship speak for itself. These are the pillars of Malo, a brand founded as a producer of cashmere knitwear in 1972, when Scottish dominance over the sector seemed untouchable. Despite that, it managed to establish itself thanks to the rich, vibrant palette of its pullovers constructed to perfection, bien sûr.

The company reached its peak between the 1990s and 2000s, then started a decline, interrupted in 2018 by a trio of entrepreneurs (Walter Maiocchi, Luigino Belloni and Bastian Mario Stangoni) who took over ownership, handing back an absolute central role to the craftsmanship of the offer, centred on cashmere from Mongolia, sometimes mixed with equally precious materials, from alpaca to silk and vicuña, nicknamed the “fleece of the gods”.

Deluxe fibres are, of course, at the heart of the F/W 2021 Boulevard collection, in which the nuances, architecture and charms of the great metropolitan boulevards are transposed onto extra-soft wools, in cool colours (above all the different shades of grey, the true passe-partout of the collection) or bright colours, inlaid with tiny geometric reliefs or slightly distorted braids, ribbed or compact, for garments with measured, clean volumes that the brand defines as “timeless and urban-chic”.

Pringle of Scotland

When it comes to high-profile knitwear, thanks to its centuries-old traditions and incomparable wool varieties, Scotland is unrivalled, and this is even more true for a brand that refers to the country’s genius loci right from its name, Pringle of Scotland.

Founded in 1815 by Robert Pringle in the Scottish Borders, it is credited with at least two “patents” that were destined to have a profound effect on the fate of the wool industry: in the 1920s, it invented the argyle pattern, the iconic – it has to be said – lozenge pattern, promptly adopted by Edward VIII, Duke of Windsor, the unrepentant elegant and supreme arbiter of male good taste of the time, immediately imitated by the aspiring epigones of international aristocracy. Another feather in the label’s cap is the twin set, the combination of a crew-neck jumper and ton-sur-ton cardigan that has become a pillar of bon chic bon genre style. Basically an authentic national pride, it is not surprising that Queen Elizabeth, a distinguished customer of the knitwear factory, awarded it with the Royal Warrant in 1956, an honour certifying its status as official supplier to the House of Windsor.

Still made in the Hawick factory, Pringle of Scotland garments can be purchased from the comfort of home on the official e-shop, choosing from a fair range of relaxed fit models, from the ever-popular argyle jumpers to sweaters of vintage appeal, with the lion (a symbol retrieved from the archives) woven on the chest.

Translation by Zoran Trevisan

Reinvention is art: the multifunctional sales space Dover Street Market

Posted on 23 November 202123 November 2021 by Alessia Caliendo

In the early days of the department store, Dover Street Market CEO Adrian Joffe, and husband of Rei Kawakubo, the mastermind behind Comme De Garçons, was wondering: “Can Dover Street Market leave Dover Street?” The answer was yes, and years later, it can be found in London, New York, Tokyo, Singapore, Los Angeles, Beijing and the French capital.

In Paris, as part of the French government’s plan to renew the city, he decided to experiment with a new format named ‘3537’, a multifunctional platform named after the address of its headquarters in the city, at the Hôtel de Coulanges in 35-37 Rue des Francs Bourgeois. The project features entertainment activities that blend with shopping experiences, with the goal of hosting music concerts, exhibitions, ballets and film screenings.

Radical thinking has always been part of the duo’s working method.

Suffice to say how, in 1999, they chose to open a store in the Chelsea neighbourhood in New York, at a time when few galleries were busy settling in the area.

Rei Kawakubo founded Comme des Garçons in 1969, and in 1981, its first Parisian show broke all the canons of contemporary aesthetics in a whirlwind of chaos and creation. South African by birth, Adrian Joffe, is part of the brand’s evolution. While searching for a new location for the Comme des Garçons flagship store, Joffe came across Dover Street, former home to the Institute of Contemporary Art. Initially, the idea was to acquire just the ground floor, but “why not take the whole building and host a large creative community?”, just like how it happened in Kensington Market, the dearest place to Kawakubo’s London heart, where she first found herself in the 1960s. Kensington was a bazaar of unprecedented contaminations that had fueled London’s underground culture in the decades before. Named ‘The Best Shop in the World’, DSM was the turning point of their careers. Four names joined for the creation of exclusive products for the launch of the concept store: Hedi [Slimane], Raf [Simons], Alber [Elbaz] and Azzedine [Alaïa]. Other watersheds were the arrival of Phoebe Philo’s iconic Céline collection in 2009, Nicolas Ghesquière’s first collection for Louis Vuitton in 2014, as well as Alessandro Michele’s fresh visions for Gucci in 2015. And those were just a few of the stages that led to the leap that in 2021 has opened new horizons.

“We give people freedom, but with a fair share of rules,” Joffe has repeatedly stated.

Supervision at each shop is manic. Rei takes care of the group’s image, its shared spaces and the Comme brands, delegating other responsibilities to Adrian. “If she was only approaching the things she likes, we would have nothing. Rei likes people that work hard and have something to say. That’s the only selection criterion”. It is a department store that places the role of the salesperson and its training philosophy at the centre of its universe. The company structure is horizontal, strategically enlightened and aimed at sustainable growth.

“And do you find this job fun?” “Fun is not really the right word.” Joffe replies. “It’s exciting. It’s what I do. There’s satisfaction in working. There are a lot of problems – with designers and their egos, the dynamics with Rei. It’s a nightmare, really, but it’s what keeps us going. There’s no progress without fight. If it were easy, everyone would do it. It also means thinking about the future. There will be a day when she’s gone. We have to think about it… But that’s another matter.”

TOM OF FINLAND AND WE ARE SPASTOR REVEAL THEIR NEW SUSTAINABLE COLLABORATION

Posted on 12 November 202112 November 2021 by Anselmo Prestini

The collaboration between Tom of Finland and We are Spastor offers a limited edition jacquard knit twin set consisting of a sweater with a 70s silhouette and a scarf with the iconic “biker head”.

The Finnish designer is one of the most influential artists of the 20th century for the exceptional uniqueness and artistry of his designs that not only redefine the masculinity of the human being, but also offer a clear vision of the position of homosexuals in modern society. The master designer has changed queer culture with his proud, subversive and joyful expression of sexuality.

Each garment is made of the softest Italian fabric, sourced from a Tuscan mill with a blend of kid mohair and hand carding finished, creating a true charcoal effect. Each garment is woven with care, produced in the surroundings of Barcelona, in a workshop run by a young entrepreneur, made in the smallest details and hand-labeled with the special woven label “Tom of Finland + We Are Spastor”, made of 100% recycled polyester. In fact, the collaboration supports local production, actively engaging in a policy of social responsibility.

Finally, 10% of every purchase will be donated to the Tom of Finland Foundation for the preservation of the artist’s archive and legacy.

Freddy Carter – the mysterious Kaz Brekker in Shadow and Bone

Posted on 29 April 202119 November 2023 by Rosamaria Coniglio

Photographer: Joseph Sinclair

Stylist: Ella Gaskell

Groomer: Nadia Altinbas

If you are charmed by the fantasy genre, where a long series of events intertwines with the adventures of protagonists with a complex personality in unreal places, you cannot miss “Shadow and Bone“, a TV series adapted from the first novel of the fantasy duology Six of Crows, set in the world of Grisha, written by the American authoress Leigh Bardugo. The novel is narrated in the first person by the protagonist, Alina Starkov, a teen orphan who grew up in Ravka, a fantasy world inspired by Tsarist Russia in the 1800s, with breathtaking costumes and special effects.

On the occasion of its release on Netflix, Mondadori republished the novel with a new graphic and the title “Shadow and Bone” on 3rd November 2020.

Freddy Carter, a film director, is also an extraordinary actor who plays the role of Kaz Brekker, a mysterious criminal, in Shadow and Bone. As you can perceive from his work as a director, with his short film “No. 89“, even in the guise of an actor, he can combine a subtle and sharp irony with tragic situations, with an unexpected rhythm that makes you feel dizzy. He stages stories and relationships among characters in the most innovative way possible.

Mr. Brekker is a cold and detached individual with a mysterious charm who hides a past that turns out to be eye-opening and will reveal his temperament. His eyes unveil an unsolved pain mixed with a thirst for revenge. He is a clever criminal prodigy who does not trust even his closest friends. The eight episodes reserve many surprises about the characters and their evolution.

Freddy was born in 1993, he spent his formative years at the Oxford School of Drama. His first theater experiences were followed by the first performance on the big screen in the movie Wonder Woman, where he played the role of a soldier. However, he got the fame he deserved when he played the character of Peter, called Pin, in Free Rein.

We know you wrote and produced the short film “No. 89” with Caroline Ford and your brother Tom Austen. Would you talk about it?

“I think that “No. 89” is one of the works that I am most proud of. Seeing a project developing from the initial idea, through the production, to its conclusion has been very fulfilling. It has been a pleasure working with Caroline and Tom: they are both talented actors who made my job much easier. I have been affected by the “movie direction virus” because now I am working on my second short film “Broken Gargoyles” which will be shot in the next few weeks.”

In which series have you felt most at ease? Besides interpreting the cold Mr. Brekker, we have also seen you play the role of Pin Hawthorne in Free Rein.

“I have been so lucky to work on a wide range of TV programs with different tones, themes, and targets. I enjoyed working on Free Rein. It is rare to play the same character for three years – eventually, I felt like I knew who Pin really was. But I admit that Kaz Brekker has been my favorite role so far. He is so complex and there is always something more under the surface: it is a real challenge.”

By the way, do you like riding a horse? Which are your hobbies off the set?

“I love riding a horse, I miss it so much and hope to go back to it soon. Besides acting, my greatest passion is photography. I started taking pictures of my colleagues on the set of Free Rein. It was born as a distraction to kill time and then I fell in love with it. It is a way to remember all the emotional adventures that I am lucky to experience.”

Shadow and Bone is a hymn to friendship and the importance of an alley to achieve goals. Which role does the presence of a partner play in your life? Do you want to tell us about a specific experience?

“This is so true. The topic of the family is very important in the books and it is also evident in the TV show. I think I had a similar experience with the cast of “Shadow and Bone” in Budapest. We all arrived in that new city alone, nobody knew each other, but we soon got closer and created a small family.”

Do you have any projects? Either as a director or as an actor.

“I am very excited to start filming a new miniseries called “Masters of the Air” for Apple TV. I will work with the same team of “Band of Brothers” and “The Pacific”, this is a dream coming true for me because I loved that series. As a director, we are getting ready to shoot “Broken Gargoyles” in London within a few weeks!”

What does it mean today to be a film director? Does he/she have a responsibility in the choice of the topics?

“I think it is fundamental to put some elements of hope in the stories we tell. The pandemic and the various lockdowns have shown how necessary entertainment and the arts are for people’s well-being. So, as long as artists do not lose hope, everything will be fine.”

Curated by Francesca Romana Riggio

Henry Lloyd-Huges, a British genius for a new Sherlock Holmes

Posted on 14 April 202119 November 2023 by Rosamaria Coniglio

Interview: Rosamaria Coniglio

Photographer Joseph Sinclair

Stylist Manny Lago

Grooming Shamirah Sairally

British charm and savoir-faire, highly talented not only in front of the camera but also on the cricket pitch, where he has been spending most of his free time for over 10 years. He has played so many different roles that we do not know exactly which character suits him most. And probably, he has not decided yet, too. When talking about his talent, he prefers not to focus too much on himself. Is this elegant modesty that makes him so special?

Our country has already appreciated his role of Alfred Lyttelton in the Netflix series “The English game”, set in the time when football was at its beginnings. Between power games and low blows, the first professional football players start succeeding, but not without controversy, arose more by class interests than moral issues. We suggest not missing out on the chance to see him in the shoes of a wealthy businessman who places his self-interests above an apparent strong friendship and a morality that is useful for the conservation of power and social status. However, the real news is his role of Sherlock Holmes in the new Netflix series “The Irregulars”, where you will discover an irreverent and brilliant version, described by Tom Bidwell, very different from what you have watched so far about the most famous detective in the world.

A dystopic version of London, where certainties and values are replaced by horrible crimes and supernatural events, hits a nerve of a society like ours, completely distorted by the pandemic, which has affected every field and has forced us to live a new reality.

Troubled teenagers are protagonists and victims at the same time, they are manipulated to solve the crimes for Dr. Watson and his mysterious business partner. You have to wait for some episodes to find out what has happened to Sherlock Holmes in the last few years. And this is where the greatness of this character is hidden. He reveals what we have never known about him: his before and after.

We discover the young, brilliant and ambitious Sherlock, led by the energic impulse of youth and high self-esteem that will be his fortune but also his greatest weakness. What about his maturity? What about the man, emptied by his ego and consumed by guilt, who saw his strengths falling apart? You will find out. And you will also discover all the aspects of a new Sherlock that Henry Lloyd-Hughes will convey through his extraordinary performance.

An unexpected psychological perspective is revealed in small doses. Traces of personal elements linked to his character make an act immortal or a romantic gesture extreme through suspense.

We asked him how difficult it is to show two different sides of such a complex personality: the methodical, witty, and self-confident side and the other one, destroyed by pain and deprived of any motivations. His answer left out his performance, he praised, instead, the great merits of the costume designer and the makeup artist. He is a real gentleman. “We really wanted to push both versions as far as possible and tell the story of someone absent for 15 years. Through the body and the look, with the Oscar-winner Lucy Sibbick and Edward K. Gibbon’s costumes, it has been an emotional experiment to see how far we could push ourselves, making sure that the character would seem the original one”.

I think his charm lies in the depth with which he can connect with his characters. He confirmed that the aspect of Sherlock that most attracted him was “His vulnerability and his perforated and broken ego.”

The exchange between Henry and his characters is intimate and deep. His great introspective ability can give us a unique version of the detective; from what he tells us, every character goes into his universe in a special way. “It always depends on where the character meets you in your life. You meet a certain character at a certain age and you bring everything you have experienced with that role in your life. At the moment, I’m thinking with affection about my time spent with the character of Sherlock, and something very personal arises. But I’m sure that when I play another character, I will love him in the same way or even more.”

Do you want to tell us about some funny moments during the shooting?

“Yes! We burnt some of the original costumes to create the oldest Sherlock’s clothes. During the shooting, the burnt wool stunk so much that all the other actors started complaining. Moreover, every time I put my hands in the pocket, clouds of soot rose, and I left prints of dirty hands everywhere!”

In the “English Game,” you play the role of one of the best football players of that time. But we know that you have a great passion for cricket and a brand with a two-generation story inspired by this sport: N.E. Blake & Co.

“Sure. It is a great honor for me to continue the family tradition. “Paddy” Padwick was my great-grandfather and an extremely gifted athlete. He turned his passion into a business with “N.E. Blake & Co.” I relaunched it, trying to bring back a classic sporty look focused mainly on cricket. Sometimes it is hard to run a business as well as acting, but honestly, I’m so keen on the classic sporty style that I can’t help it.”

How important were sports in your life?

“Very much. I have been playing in a cricket club for 10 years, the Bloody Lads Cricket Club. Because of Corona Virus, unfortunately, the season was shortened last year. We look forward to getting black to play regularly.”

Considering that we don’t want to miss them, what are your future plans on the big screen?

“We are all waiting to know the future of The Irregulars, so this might be my next adventure!”

Have you ever wanted to play a particular role? Someone who reflects your personality or someone so different from you that you feel attracted by him?

“I would like to do a musical or something very eccentric like the movies of Wes Anderson. I have loved Grand Budapest Hotel so much that I feel perfectly fit in his surreal world, followed by James Bond, of course.

Henry Lloyd-Hughes in the shoes of Sherlock Holmes in “The Irregulars”

Curated by Francesca Romana Riggio

CDLP: male underwear made in Sweden

Posted on 30 March 202119 November 2023 by Redazione MANINTOWN

Created in 2016 by Christian Larson and Andreas Palm, CDLP is a Swedish male underwear brand. Its story begins after several trips of the founders, where the two designers discover how similar their taste in underwear was. Hence the idea of creating a new solution for men’s underwear, a combination of sustainable fabrics and sewing techniques used for tailored trousers.

Today, the collection entirely represents men everyday life: from underwear to t-shirts but also leisure and sports opportunities such as swimwear, homewear and finally sports underwear. Breathability, comfort and silk-like softness distinguish underwear, such as lyocell, a future-oriented fiber that is naturally breathable and moisture wicking, as well as being wrinkle-resistant, durable and quick-drying.

In addition to lyocell, future-oriented materials in underwear can be found in bamboo socks, in tops with a blend of pima cotton and lyocell, performance clothing in rPET and swimwear in Econyl. Also suppliers are small-scale European, to breathe new life into obsolete products that mass production inevitably produces. Partners are carefully selected based on mutual values to foster long-term and sustainable collaboration.

Milan Fashion Week – a recap on a journey through space and time

Posted on 8 March 202119 November 2023 by Rosamaria Coniglio

What the following fashion shows have in common is an abstract journey through space and time, between past and future, and between reality and utopia. With futuristic garments and classical-style scenography, you are transported into a parallel universe.

Missoni depicts the new generations, ambitious and a bit rebel, as seen in their free time, involved in their passions, full of dreams and plans for the future. They move with ease and elegance among suits and multicolor knit and lamè coats that accompany their movements, reflecting the cornerstones of the Maison in a fresher and more optimistic version. Like the wool or cashmere kaftan, a symbol of the versatility of the collection that adjusts to different looks. Chromatic variations, in the brand’s DNA, embrace shades of terracotta, cognac, pink, but also turquoise and orange, up to the elegant white and grey combination. They travel through time under the notes of Mad World, a cover by the Tears For Fears, representative of a succession of generations with the version by Gary Jules first and those by other artists, who have interpreted it, giving it new and endless lives.

The world is a digital, utopian, and switchable reality where space takes shape according to its relation. In this atmosphere of intellectual freedom, Iceberg celebrates its heritage by wrapping garments. The main color, white, realized on large volumes, takes us back to an appealing aesthetic, like a lunar landscape.

Then we are transported into an ideal environment, delimited by arches, stairs, and structural elements, leading us into the domestic walls that in this new daily life resemble the workplace, but more silent and less hectic. Grey and black scales, evoking a metropolitan style, appear on tricot dresses; more marked silhouettes and more feminine lines integrated into a new guise, more agile and functional. This is ICEBERG Knitwear Utopia.

“I thought about a complete wardrobe with garments that adapt to every moment of the day, from morning to night—clothes designed for a contemporary detail-oriented woman, immersed in a different and less chaotic reality. The usual pop colors of ICEBERG are softened in favor of an essential palette to escape from reality and dive into a parallel universe, knitted on the skin,”- explains the creative director James Long.

The new Salvatore Ferragamo‘s fashion is projected into the future, led by its Creative Director Paul Andrew’s inspiration. References are taken from ’90s science fiction movies, among jumpsuit and padded trousers, metal mesh, and cuts of space uniform. The goal is to relaunch, with an energetic and positive spirit, the future of a world that belongs to everyone by natural law, without distinction of color or social class. Renewed footwear, the starting point of Maison’s story, embraces a new look with the space biker boot for a whole new mission and aesthetic vision. “As Salvatore Ferragamo said about his shoes, this collection is dedicated to all those who have to walk, united in their determination to reimagine and rebuild a new responsible future, positive and joyful,” says Andrew.

Fendi‘s fashion show with Kim Jones‘ first Prêt-à-porter collection, Artistic Director of Fendi’s Couture and Ready-to-Wear woman Collections, talks about a change, as well. It is about a future that would not exist without the foundation of its past. Fendi’s man and woman cross the catwalk scattered with classical columns that resisted time, like remains of an ancient, unearthed city. References that emphasize and value Karl Lagerfeld’s inheritance, in his monogram, Karligraphy. The architectonic heel of FENDI First shoes, born from an archive drawing, and the patterns of his Couture Collection are echoed in marbled silk clothes, flowered rosette, or delicate organza embroidery on jacquard shirts.

Even the bags steal the scene, thanks to the new creation of Silvia Venturini for Fendi: FENDI. First, a clutch declined in thousands of varieties, sizes, and materials: leather, shearling, and exotic leathers—new silhouettes for the FENDI Way tote and the FENDI Touch shoulder bag.

Great attention to the craftsmen of Made in Italy, emphasized in FENDI hand-in-hand project, which involves artisans from the 20 Italian regions to reimagine the Baguette icon.

The collection MANIFESTO dedicated to the FW21-22 of MSGM is a rewind of the tape. A Rewind to understand and regain possession of ourselves and our roots because we cannot plan a successful future without being fully aware of our past. The forced lockdown led us to long pauses to reflect, among flash-back and a deep analysis of ourselves.

The Manifesto par excellence marks the beginning of something new that affects the whole cultural universe of a historical period. In the seat of Teatro Manzoni in Milan, the film-event was shot by Francesco Coppola, one of the young up-and-coming filmmakers in Italy, under the notes of a song written and interpreted by Gea Politi, editor of Flash Art, in collaboration with Club Domani.

Shiny fabrics, latex, recycled vinyl, and ecological furs tell us about the nightlife in Milan because Manifesto is addressed to a multi-cultural pole open to the future and a tireless and optimistic Milan, the driving force of the economy.

Adaptation by Intl Editor Francesca Romana Riggio

Milan Fashion Week – a new statement of freedom

Posted on 5 March 202119 November 2023 by Rosamaria Coniglio

Woman Fashion Week 2021 starts with an unmissable tribute to Beppe Modenese, who left us on 21st November 2020, through the work of Beniamino Barrese, who relocates him immersed in a world very dear to him, with the same severity and concreteness with which his voice resounds: fashion.

A hectic Milan, accompanied by the usual traffic noise in the background, marks the working hours. Behind his words, the supreme value of fashion as the driving force of the economy and the birth of new professions, which have contributed to creating the Italian identity, is ineluctably rooted in his System.

In what direction is the fashion we’ll see in the shop windows next fall going? What are the designers inspired by for their idea of style evolution in a pandemic universe that is still difficult to get used to? Moved by new necessities, essential for the preservation of the planet and humanity divided by useless and destructive acts of intolerance, the new collections are also a statement of responsibility, addressed to the new generations who want to be part of a new world regulated by a circular system and free from prejudice.

The common thread of these designer’s fashion shows is a statement of freedom: the freedom to express yourself through what you wear and through your body, the freedom from any social conventions, the freedom to show your true self and who you want to be.

Giorgio Armani’s fashion show is an excursus among the iconic garments of menswear in the last decades, updated in a comfort key to be worn casually by a man who is aware of what he desires and of his body. The knit jackets and the deconstructed coats fall softly on the shoulders, highlighting the natural male shape. Mandarin collars, the signature style of King Giorgio’s elegance, characterize shirts and velvet jackets and fine textures.

New details are depicted by geometrical patchworks on wool or velvet jackets and t-shirts that highlight the silhouette. Free overlaps of elements characterized by floral prints and embroidery, inspired by far-off places, on classic trousers and velvet loafers, break the stylistic boundaries and offer the best to represent the choice of a garment: the freedom to express yourself.

Prada‘s fashion show is also a statement of freedom. With its authority, it addresses the concept of the simultaneous existence of masculinity and femininity in man and woman. This freedom from any conventions, wished by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simon, finds expression in the tight jacquard knit “long johns”. If on the one hand, they cover the skin completely, on the other they make it free in all its possible movements, as if it was naked and uncovered, so that the action, the activity, and the intentional act take over.

The classical shapes change in favor of comfort, with flexible fabrics and unconventional cuts. Evening dresses become comfy suits, and tailored coats are covered with bright colors or sequins, turning their original purpose into the exact opposite. Materials intended for a garment or a preconceived use change destination in the name of freedom from any canons.

Even the scenography, the same one used for the men’s fashion show, created by Rem Koolhaas and AMO, destabilizes with its “faux fur” and marble accents to represent this exaggerated contrast best way to express one’s idea of freedom.

It is important to remember that these materials will be donated to Meta, a circular economy project based in Milan, which provides sustainable solutions for the disposal of waste produced by temporary events.

Fluid materials for the elegant sensuality of N°21, where the lace is the protagonist in its fluid version and is part of weight contrasts, ranging from wool maxi coats to versatile oversize mohair shirts, worn rebelliously by man and woman for the need of communicating through the body, as a result of the forced digitalization caused by the pandemic.

Precious details, such as Swarovski crystals, follow a pave pattern on impalpable silk tops and accessories or, in a genderless key, they are lined up on check jackets to showcase necks and both the male and female body. Like the egg-shaped speckled wool coats similar for man and woman. Alessandro Dell’Acqua‘s inspiration comes from a polaroid of Carlo Mollino: “It made me think of an aesthetic shape that the great Italian architect also transferred into the positions and attitudes of the women he photographed in environments that he built through his eclectic vision. I wanted to transfer the same eccentric erotism into my collection, typically Italian, that can put together modesty and desire to show off. This gave rise to a very “clean” declination of the middle-class eccentric side, made of lace bras, accidental transparencies, and a desire for carnality and nudity. But their casual exposure makes them naive.

It is a collection that is not built upon “double entendre” to interpret, but upon direct words that allow men and women to represent themselves as they want to be.”

The new challenge of Alessandro dell’Acqua for Elena Mirò connects brands with principles of femininity and seduction, so dear to the designer who uses the sensoriality of the silk, of the seductive macramè and the wrapping knitwear that together with large outwear follow the body movements naturally. These are materials that can interpret a woman connected with nature and the dynamism of metropolitan life. “I thought about designing desirable clothes without being too influenced by the rules related to sizes,” explains Alessandro dell’Acqua ” Basically, I focused on transforming the fabrics technologically to increase their comfort, even when they are heavy like the tweed, and I have removed any easy solutions that could give the impression of wrapping women in the shape of a sack. I accepted this challenge because I am sure it is possible to work on this topic without falling into the curvy fashion clichè.”

Ermanno Scervino‘s fashion show at Palazzo Serbelloni includes his strengths contributing to the designer’s success. Creator of femininity, he relaunches waist and silhouette on the runway through couture leather and sensuality of the lace to develop an evolved collection with landmarks that are an integral part of Ermanno Scervino’s cultural heritage. Like the leather’s couture working process reaching its highest level on lace and inlays, the wise use of macramè for very feminine dresses. Femininity maintained in research materials such as the innovative use of neoprene declined in a great classic such as the pleated skirt.

Adaptation by Intl Editor Francesca Romana Riggio

10 Stylish Staples That Are Eminently Covetable (And Seasonally Reasonable)

Posted on 2 February 202119 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

February has officially kicked-off and the spring moods—lockdown permitting—are high. Tier 3 folk, rejoice! Don’t let lockdown hamper your cheer; fashion can still be in order. Whether you’re racing for Zooms in full-force or gathering for a (socially distant) dinner, fuss-free wardrobe staples are your tickets to keep you in good spirits.

There’s plenty on the high-street for the taking, including comfortable options of chuck-on gear that are bound to turn heads among your colleagues and peers—ditto. Dress for a meeting with maximum ease in a striped number from Marni, or look to Umbro for a classic nod on tailoring.

Stay comfy, stay safe! Shop Man In Town’s edit of covetable wardrobe staples, below.

Marni

Striped crew-neck jumper, £650, available at farfetch.com

Umbro

Classico high-neck jumper in black and bio lime, £40, available at umbro.co.uk

Sebago

Grizzly mid tumbled shoe in brown, £200, available at sebago.co.uk

Palladium

Pallashock OG in marshmallow, £80, available at palladiumboots.co.uk

Isabel Marant

Logo-jacquard crew-neck jumper, £335, available at farfetch.com

Bode

Boxing felt shirt jacket, £1,099, available at farfetch.com

Neil Barrett

Panelled crew neck jumper, £310, available at farfetch.com

Acne Studios

Knitted wool cardigan, £270, available at farfetch.com

Roberto Collina

Classic cotton polo shirt, £184, available at farfetch.com

Sacai

Chevron pattern jumper, £1525, available at farfetch.com

Barbera’s Biella handmade shoes

Posted on 21 January 202119 November 2023 by Francesca Romana Riggio

“All our lives, we have heard our father called Maestro, and that has always made us proud of him, now that they call us Maestro, we know that it is our father who is very proud of us.”

Barbera Sandro & Figli is an artisan company rooted in a long tradition of working with leather to create fine, entirely handmade footwear. For over 50 years, our family has been producing shoes according to our area’s ancient shoemaking traditions.

Founded in 1968 in Biella, thanks to our parents’ will, Sandro and Luciana, Barbera Sandro & Figli has its headquarters in the city.

Just on the occasion of our 50th year of activity, the company obtained the recognition of “Eccellenza Artigiana Piemonte”; an award followed by “Eccellenze Italiane” and “Artigiano del Cuore.” Together with the collaboration with leading companies in the fashion industry, three awards have filled us with pride and satisfaction for our work.

Barbera shoes are unique and completely customizable models because they are created one at a time and proudly Made in Italy.

The desire is to offer a refined, long-lasting accessory to meet each customer’s style and comfort needs. The collections range from the most youthful, modern, and exclusive models to the classic and timeless ones (both for men and women).

Each shoe is produced with the utmost care, aimed at searching for the best materials (strictly Made in Italy), design and development of exclusive processes and colors, such as hand-dyed, stone waxed, and garment-dyed.

Let’s review the history of the company with Andrea Barbera.

Tell us about your journey and how your company was born.

Barbera Sandro e Figli is an artisan workshop producing quality footwear for over 50 years, strictly by hand and selecting 100% Made in Italy materials. The company was started in 1968 by our parents Sandro and Luciana, and over the years we brothers, Stefano and Andrea, took over.

For both of us to continue the family business was a natural path. It was born by learning the trade secrets from our father and, above all, being “infected” by his passion.

The aim is to create unique products with our own hands, capable of enclosing all the beauty and quality of Italian handmade products.

How do you carry on the tradition while keeping up with the times?

For us, making shoes by hand means creating elegant footwear and researching innovative processes and materials to ensure maximum comfort to our customers even when they buy a leather shoe. After long years of studies, we have reached this goal, experience in the field, and the continuous updating on the market news. Besides, we wanted to give a green footprint to many of our collections, selecting eco-friendly materials, such as Merino wool for our iconic Wooly, or ecological rubber for the soles.

We also focused a lot on the digital sphere, making ourselves known and keeping a channel of communication open with our customers near and far. We have opened our social media with Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube and created a website with e-commerce, to be always reachable and tell a bit of us to those who follow us.

What are the iconic pieces that characterize the brand?

Our Wooly unisex sneaker is one of the most appreciated creations. It was created in collaboration with the designers of Reda Active.

It is a New Zealand Merino wool shoe, a tribute to our land known for its fine fabrics. Thanks to this material’s properties, it can be worn all year round (wool provides exceptional thermal comfort) and can be combined with a casual style, but also with a broken dress.

To celebrate our 50 years of activity, instead, we have created our Barberini, Belgian loafers with an exclusive design, made of calfskin, suede, and fabrics and with Flex processing, which combines maximum comfort with an elegant and ultra-trendy style. Last but not least, the Multicolor shoes that have made us known all over the world. This is a line of men’s brogues entirely handmade and dyed. One of their strengths lies in the extensive possibilities of customization, as the customer can choose the color of every single part of the shoe.

Which craft techniques are part of your heritage and still used today?

As already mentioned, we make extensive use of the Black Flex technique, one of our exclusive processes, which increases the shoe softness, giving it a particular aesthetic, but above all, considerable flexibility. Another traditional method that we still use for some models is hand dyeing, which gives the shoes unique shades of color.

Finally, there is the “stonewashed” process: as the name suggests, with this technique, shoes are “washed” with stones to give them a vintage effect, soften the leather and create a unique texture, with a gritty and very current style.

Plans for the future and what strategies are you developing to overcome this moment.

In this period, we are focusing a lot on the digital part: we continue to invest in online communication, but also to implement new services to meet the needs of our customers, such as the Virtual Shop.

The latter consists in the possibility of scheduling a video call on WhatsApp to virtually enter our laboratory and get advice on the sizes and style of our models. Beyond the fact that the relationship with people is one of the aspects we love most about our work, today more than ever, we believe that the human connection, even if at a distance, makes the difference for our customers and us.

11 Trophy Staples To See You Through The Festive Season

Posted on 21 December 20202 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

As the world hunkers down ahead of a new lockdown and a tartly cold season, practicality comes with reason. And if you thought comfort can’t be classy, we invite you to think again. As well as offering a simple-to-twinkle route to your daily routine (check out Bottega Veneta’s cult options), comfort staples provide the right balance between ease and a tongue-in-cheek style currency to see you through the frosty days.

Gucci’s suede-trimmed number with two-toned fastenings doesn’t fail to make an impact, while Lee offers wear-anywhere practicality with its quilted lining, for added comfort. From woollen shirt options to figure-hugging alternatives, shop Man In Town’s edit of the best trophy staples to wear this winter.

Gucci

Web-stripe suede-trimmed wool-blend cardigan, £1,150, available at matchesfashion.com

Raey

Loose-fit V-neck cashmere sweater, £395, available at matchesfashion.com

Bottega Veneta

Cargo-pocket cotton-blend trousers, £655, available at matchesfashion.com

Loewe

Anagram-embroidered striped sweater, £450, available at matchesfashion.com

Triumph Motorcycles

Combustion worker shirt khaki, £90, available at triumphmotorcycles.co.uk

Lee

Sherpa rider jacket corduroy in olive green, £84, available at lee.com

Mercer Amsterdam

Racer lux alcantara pearl grey, £230, available at merceramsterdam.com

Umbro

Terrain cargo pant in camouflage, £60, available at umbro.co.uk

Samsoe Samsoe

Neil crew neck jumper, £150, available at samsoe.com

Grenson

Sneaker 22 men’s, £195, available at grenson.com

Simon Carter

Surfer boards and scissors face masks, £20, available at simoncarter.net

#MitParade – New Collabs of December

Posted on 18 December 202019 November 2023 by Rosamaria Coniglio

Celebrations and experiments. From the Olympus of luxury, an exceptional Maison wears blue the most exclusive eco-bottle of the moment, while the number one denim in the world celebrates with a capsule the Disney family. High-end brands in the world of anti-theft garments celebrate a winning partnership of 10 years, it is a certainty when it comes to high-altitude safety.

The festivities are enriched with new inspirations to customize your style with audacity and a pinch of irony to achieve what nobody has ever dared to do before, like tattooing a tennis racket.

It is a revolutionary idea born from the union between Prince, an icon of the world of tennis, and Hydrogen, a company on the rise in the panorama of sportswear. The Tattoo Pack consists of a tennis racket coordinated with bags and accessories, designed exclusively by Alberto Bresci, designer of Hydrogen and Ambassador of the project Prince by Hydrogen. The “O3 Tattoo 100” racquet is available in two versions of 310 gr and 290 gr, in order to meet the needs of intermediate and advanced players. This captivating design, inspired by the designer’s tattoos, joins the high-tech Textreme X, which adds Twaron to the original Textreme formula for greater shot control.

The Italian excellence of eyewear and footwear combines quality and craftsmanship with innovation and an extravagant attitude. The footwear label Hide & Jack is famous for introducing the concept of dualism in the world of footwear. It has interchanged soles and uppers in its models and created three eyewear models with the eyewear brand Miga Studio, which combines Italian authenticity with the minimal, futuristic Japanese mood.

The most exclusive version of the 24Bottles, father brand of the sustainable Clima Bottle, and always engaged in reforestation projects, is dressed for this Christmas with the unmistakable oblique Dior pattern in a night blue shade. The most stylish answer to the endless variations of the eco bottle is the Travel Tumbler: the thermal travel cup 100% hermetic and thermal, able to keep the drinks cold for 24 hours and hot up to 6 hours, on sale with its practical Travel Tumbler Holder, which is the hook specially designed by the House to carry it comfortably anywhere.

“Being chosen again by Dior for a second collaboration makes us very proud and definitively consecrates 24Bottles as the new cult accessory of international fashion”, said Giovanni Randazzo and Matteo Melotti, co-founder of 24Bottles.

The protagonists of the most famous comics in the world, idols of very young but even younger, invaded overall prints and embroidery, jeans, sweatshirts, and quilted outerwear of a special edition signed Levi’s® x Disney Mickey & Friends. A connection story that sounds familiar and reassuring, in the graphics of Minnie, Mickey Mouse, and Goofy that remains united, even if physically distant. A celebration of life and fundamental values such as family and friendship is found in the most powerful representation of Mickey and Minnie chatting through a vintage phone, on t-shirts for men and women, and on Padded Reversible Trucker Jacket for men.

It is a garment of excellence, unisex, inspired by the vast peaks of Canada to celebrate 10 years of partnership between OVO and Canada Goose, along with a success always active among the top of the range in the landscape of antifreeze. The Terrain Parka, in three color variants, achieves technical characteristics to the limits of excellence that place it in second place within the Thermal Experience Index (TEI) of Canada Goose, providing the maximum in terms of internal heat and comfort, to protect from temperatures up to -15 C.

Sporty & Rich: Good Health Starts Here

Posted on 25 November 202029 March 2022 by Redazione MANINTOWN

Sporty & Rich is a unisex streetwear and lifestyle brand, founded by Emily Oberg in 2014. It began as a mood board for life: a collection of images from past and present that represent a life surrounded by beauty.

Grown up in Canada, Emily Oberg got connected with the Complex team before moving to New York in 2014. She began her career as an Editorial Producer and towards the end of 2016, she started to work alongside streetwear mogul Ronnie Fieg at KITH, taking on the role as the Creative Lead of KITH Women. Originally launched as an online magazine, Emily founded Sporty & Rich in 2014. After some initial success, Emily decided to leave KITH and to move to Los Angeles. Her move to the West Coast influenced her desire to promote positive lifestyle choices in herself and others and helped her to explore her passions through a variety of projects and collaborations.

Conscious of the effect that clothing brands have on the environment, Emily wanted to build a company where they could offset their impact on the planet as much as possible. That is why she decided to produce garments in small batches on a pre-order basis, achieving Climate Neutral Certified status, as well as partnering with environmentally focused organizations.

Today, the brand offers a collection of thoughtfully designed products that emphasize longevity by placing health, fitness and the wellbeing of ourselves and our planet in the forefront. The ethos is, ‘Be nice, drink water, be good to the planet, take care of yourself and live a life of pleasure.’ Her brand is still growing, with notable fans such as Elsa Hosk, Rosie Huntington-Whitely, Chiara Ferragni and Dwight Howard as well as wholesale distribution through Moda Operandi, Selfridges, The Webster, Ssense and others.

The Eco of Southern Italy: Where Emerging Fashion Flourishes Aplenty

Posted on 20 November 202020 November 2020 by Chidozie Obasi

In light of a global health crisis sweeping across the international economy, Italian luxury retailers battled against financial odds to present their collections both in September during fashion month and beyond. However, if one delves deeper into the reasons why the financial struggles are facing unforeseen times, one can discover that many of the problems that are being highlighted are a magnification of issues that the world has carried on for years: reducing footfall for brick and mortar retail spaces, the relevance of fashion weeks, the snail’s pace acceptance of digitisation and technology are amongst the gripes we’ve been battling with for a long time.

Covid-19 hasn’t created a new existential crisis, but it has highlighted the one we were working through at our leisure. Sustainability is another area where, in particularly fashion, brands have been making improvements and there have already been calls from many areas of the industry, including from buyers, consumers and brands themselves, to ensure that we do not undo the steps that have been made. After all, when the Covid-19 pandemic has been managed, we will still have to tackle the climate crisis. All those in the fashion industry should consider the changes they can make to improve their own business sustainability – we aren’t far away from the time where business partners, clients and consumers will start asking you, ‘Is your business being socially responsible?’.

In addition, as much as the pandemic has thrown our business lives into turmoil, it also provides us with opportunities for our industry to create better product and reduce waste. It is giving us the space to work out how to have a productive dialog with our consumers and integrate their feedback, values and wants into the products we create. It provides brands the opportunity to work on really understanding their customer through direct-to-consumer channels, providing insights which they would not gain through wholesale. The Italian market seem to have faced a crucial turning point this season: Evening Dresses Show (Edshow) – Salerno Organised by IFTA (Independent Fashion Talent Association), with the collaboration and support of Ice – Agency for the promotion abroad and the internationalisation of Italian companies – Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Campania Region, Municipality and Chamber of Commerce of Salerno, Edshow has selected 40 brands in the eight southern Italian regions (Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Sardinia and Sicily) which, during the three days of the show (10-12 October) have a Digital-area where they can make themselves known to buyers connected to the 78 Ice offices worldwide. The October event aims to consecrate Salerno as the capital of evening fashion, but also as a fashion hub for the best micro and small businesses in Southern Italy. Like the 23 bells, the most representative symbol of the show, followed by Puglia, with 7 companies, Sicily with 4 and Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Molise and Sardinia, with one company for each Region.

“Italy has always been associated with innovation and I have always been impressed with the talent emerging from Ed Show,” remarked the recent notes. “The competing collections looked to the future of Catalan fashion design while maintaining all the cultural references that have makes 080 one of our favourite fashion destinations.” While all of the brands and designers who showcased their collections over the week captured our attention in different ways, once again the Italian market hasn’t failed its great knack for craftsmanship.

12 Season-Approved Wardrobe Classics To See You Through Winter

Posted on 17 November 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

If you find off-duty dressing a forced affair, allow a fair dose of chic practicality to come to your rescue. The new seasonal fashion lexicon takes the effort out of looking effortless. This year’s unavoidable WFH situationship (pardon my lingo) shouldn’t dissuade you from dressing up (or down from you Zoom-ready set up). Nod to casual style in Finisterre, go all swanky in top-to-toe monochrome woollens by All Saints, or make a gently tapered number from Parajumpers your first port of call. For added interest, Colmar offers contemporary styles in a neutral colour palette, while Triumph Motorcycles Lifestyle’s cotton-rich tees blaze a trail through the leisurewear arena, for a crisp touch. And who can blame us? Of course, comfort dressing flourishes aplenty in these times, and whether you like it or not, the go-anywhere style formula promises wear-anywhere ease. Below, shop Man In Town’s edit of the best wardrobe classics to boost your Winter game.

Triumph Motorcycles Lifestyle

Deacon d-pocket wax cotton black jacket, £275, available at Triumphmotorcycles.co.uk

Parajumpers

Stretch cotton fleece with light nylon ripstop, £203, available at Parajumpers.it

Colmar

Down jacket with ribbed collar, £419, available at Colmar.it

ALL SAINTS

Campo wool blend coat, £265.30, available at Allsaints.com

ALL SAINTS

Estrela British Harris Tweed jacket, £181.30, available at Allsaints.com

NOBIS

Wayland men’s long reversible puffer, £1,095, available at Uk.nobis.com

Mercer Amsterdam

Vegan black sneaker, £250, available at Merceramsterdam.com

Finisterre

Marwick smock shirt in navy, £110, available at Finisterre.com

Finisterre

Marwick cordium shirt in green, £110, available at Finisterre.com

Timberland

Mountain trail jacket in navy, £265, available at Timberland.co.uk

Puma

Puma x Central Saint Martins mid length jacket, available at Eu.puma.com

NICCE

Ela hood sweatshirt in grey, £40, Nicceclothing.com

#MITPARADE: the fashion collabs championing the icons of pop music and art

Posted on 2 November 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

We resume our journey with the fashion brands that tell their story through the values of music and art. Two forms of expression that know no borders, but are made of colours and frequencies, mark time and influence moods. They keep us together due to a rhythm that beats in unison or an image that goes straight to the core and this is precisely the reason that makes them vital: because they make us feel alive. Today more than ever, their role reminds us where we come from and how much this can be an impulse not to give up. So, let’s wear these values: of beauty, of music, of art.

A positive message shared by the new Kappa campaign whose protagonist is HELL RATON, which carries forward the value of teamwork and of the ancient popular wisdom of the union that makes strength. A dedication to team spirit, to those who win shoulder to shoulder, as the brand logo teaches. Being a team means playing the same game, running towards the same goal, sharing credit with someone who is committed to the same attainment. The new X Factor judge tells his idea of a team, with his project, Machete Gaming, linked to Esports. After just a year he’s already having a huge success on socials and the Twitch platform, where gamers compete.

Supporting the ability to unite the guys, even during training: “The Esports are exactly like a real sport.” Manuelito reveals his passion for the world of video games as well as the music we already know, and the success achieved by his label, thanks to his innate charisma that makes everything he throws himself into cool. The winning sixth sense of two positive generations, Z and Millennials, a tribute to those who find in common passions, a way of feeling part of the same team.

Moleskine, with respect to its DNA, declares its attraction to the art world with a new limited edition celebrating one of the most striking female exponents of the 20th century, Frida Kahlo. Her struggle and love for life have been her greatest source of inspiration, which we find in her powerful works of art, an object of great interest for all generations. In her words all her resilience, the affirmation of the ego and her attachment to life, in spite of the Pelona (death) who danced around her bed throughout her almost entire existence. It is no coincidence that Moleskine dedicates his attention to this rebellious spirit. In the two limited editions and a special box set, the powerful words of a woman who had all the fire of Mexico inside her and thoughts, like a flooding river, of a rebellious spirit. This edition is a hymn to freedom.

Vans, a brand that symbolises action sports, is signing its collaboration with the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) for the second time. T-shirts, jackets, trainers and accessories become artists’ canvases to capture all the power of abstract expressionism of the works selected for this extraordinary project, available worldwide from November 11.

From Cubism to constructivism by Lybov Popova, to the harrowing cry of Edvard Munch (1895), who, more than a century later, launches a message of great actuality. From the revolutionary dripping of Jackson Pollock, a pioneer of action painting, who won the interest of Peggy Guggenheim, to the explosive quilts screaming for Faith Ringgold’s defence of civil rights. “Faith Ringgold worked closely with the Vans design team and the MoMA team to tell a story through detail, introducing quilted borders to contextualise her work in Vans,” said Angie Dita, head of Global Footwear Design for Lifestyle Footwear at Vans.

Popova’s painting “Untitled (1917)” was applied to Vans Sk8-Hi. Two options of fleece and ringer T-shirts are added to the series.

This Classic Slip-On takes inspiration from Ringgold’s first series of abstract paintings, “The Windows of the Wedding”, made in the 1970s. On the side is engraved a quote by Ringgold, printed with his handwriting: “My mother said I’d have to work twice as hard to go half as far” (My mother told me I would have to work twice as hard to go half as far).

A capsule collection signed by Ciesse has a street flavour and is abandoned in an explosion of graffiti. The collection, which includes the release of two more pieces, expresses the perfect synthesis between J-Ax‘s belonging to the American dream, its rebellious spirit and desire for freedom and the high quality standard of Ciesse Piumini, without shifting the focus from the theme of urban dynamism in harmony with the needs of safety, comfort and style.

The capsule was activated on the singer’s IG page on Tuesday 27th October, with a SWIPE UP connected directly to the Ciesse Piumini website, to pre-order the limited edition street jacket. Just a preview in view of the sale of the other two models, starting from November only in selected stores.

Triumph Lifestyle continues its utility reboot by messing with timeless conventions

Posted on 7 October 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Legendary and timeless label Triumph Lifestyle is back with a bold bang for Autumn Winter 2020: drawing inspiration from 100 years of history and a premium etiquette of sportswear- appropriate apparel, the brand provides clothing for craftsmanship aficionados with a penchant for iconic wardrobe classics.

“The Autumn/Winter 2020 campaign is the second collection from this new Triumph Motorcycles sub brand, putting quality at the forefront of every decision,” highlight the notes. “Inspired by the ride, the collection was shot in the raw and unforgiving British landscape of Honister Pass in the Lake District, a bucket list route for any rider. The location provides a breath-taking backdrop, whilst portraying the perfect scene of escapism that so many bikers strive for, a longing to explore – nothing but you and your motorbike.”

Exploring new prints and colours with styles such as the Camo Wax Garstang Jacket, making an item stand out delicately, grounding its heritage in early Field Jackets and constructed with compact twill oil cloth. Contrasting with the bold colours of the Avenham Wool Jacket in herringbone plaid inspired from the early 1920’s Moto blouson sports jackets, this collection has bolstered the foundations of its timelessness. This season, the brand’s masterstrokes incorporated a covetable line-up of luxury leather and wax jackets – which really tells us everything we need to know about the brand’s skill with transmuting staples into something original – blending the likes of utility wear and contemporary fashion.

The Triumph AW20 collection will be available from Triumphmotorcycles.co.uk

Alined Network’s Entrepreneurs are re-writing the future of showroom experiences

Posted on 7 October 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

The global fashion industry is undertaking a tumultuous ride in light of the Coronavirus pandemic which, for many enterprises, has been the catalyst of irrevocable financial disruptions. Major fashion capitals have had to adapt to a ‘new normal’, fledging to a new modus operandi in order to endure the crisis. Fashion weeks, in fact, have switched their format and the community of insiders hasn’t gathered like previous seasons due to the plethora of government restrictions put in place. For buyers, jetsetters whose task is to identify – likewise represent – world-leading brands, it’s been a shift marked by unprecedented challenges.

As seen over at Milan Fashion Week, an event that took place almost as normal (with over 30% of physical catwalk shows, as reported by the Wall Street Journal), the Italian fashion capital has skilfully cemented its mindset to new avenues of transformation. In Milan, nine partners coming from eight independent showrooms joined forces in creating Alined Network, a digital business portal dedicated to shops and buying groups. Created with self-financed curricula by the leaders themselves, the organisation’s versatility widens to a multiplicity of brands, guaranteeing a creative outline and re-assessing the role of the showrooms. “This is a time to change and rethink fashion,” highlights Livia Gregoretti, Co-Founder of Alined Network. “We wanted to ensure that we could build an initiative that considers the future of fashion and that defines its appropriate character and dynamics.” With a positive mindset and a plethora of brands in its roaster (approximately 200), the initiative introduces a broad spectrum of product search to new consumers, as well as delivers visibility through its digital portal. International brands and emerging designers are represented on its channels, activating a portfolio of innovative business contacts.

Moreover, as the pandemic caused a halt to organisation depriving them from travelling, Alined Network enables a remote reaching system in order for buyers to overview a myriad of offers of the founding showrooms and affiliates, creating an opportunity to schedule appointments with customers and worldwide buyers even from afar. “The new fashion business model of Alined Network lives in the sign of inclusiveness and openness. It lives in progress,” the notes remark. Overall, the portal encompasses clothing, home wear, accessories (footwear and bags), and fragrances, for a men and women.

Sustainable Fashion Production

Posted on 27 August 202019 November 2023 by Mattia Maietti

The materials that are changing the rules of the game

The fashion industry is famous for being innovative, thriving, a real avant-garde. Unfortunately it is also well known that the global fashion system is one of the main polluters in terms of exploitation of natural resources. During the last few years, following the massive changes affecting our environment, the concept of sustainability has adapted to common consciousness: from being a necessity to being considered as an opportunity. This is probably what put the spotlight on a few fashion players who distinguished themselves in the global scenario thanks to their innovative concepts, supply chains and, last but not least, materials.

Do we know what we wear? Sustainability and respect towards the environment we live in starts from basics, the yarn. The fabrics and, more in general, materials represent a point many companies decided to stress in order to raise consumers’ awareness in this era. Yes sir, organic cotton is old-fashioned and many new alternatives are being increasingly used in clothes manufacture.

MILK

For example for those of you who are lactose-intolerant and look down at milk why don’t you just… wear it? Milk fabric is one of the main still-niche products that are changing the future fashion forecast. Even though it may sound unexpected and completely innovative, the milk fabric production dates back to the 30s, when its manufacture involved heavy chemical processes. A few companies picked this idea up and changed the rules of the game turning this fabric into a 100% natural product avoiding any use of chemicals. An example is the Italian brand Duedilatte that made milk fabric its trademark. In an interview with TRT World the founder Antonella Bellina explained how the production works: milk is heated until it reaches 50°C and then citric acid is added to separate whey from casein, the protein this fabric is entirely made of. Casein is collected and turned into powder before being reprocessed and transformed into a very thin yarn. The fabric obtained from this production is completely natural and organic as no chemicals are involved. The milk fabric has furthermore special features: it is antibacterial, hypoallergenic and moisturizing. Even the colorings used to dye clothes are completely natural and obtained by the pigments of fruits and vegetables. Isn’t this enough to make you choose milk fabric? Let’s consider water consumption. In order to produce 1kg of milk fabric Duedilatte needs only 1 liter of water whereas cotton needs slightly more to obtain the same quantity.

Duedilatte is not the only company that took advantage of milk in the fashion industry. Another player is the German brand QMilk that was founded by Anke Domaske. She is a microbiologist and fashion designer who tested the milk-fabric production for many years before finding the perfect recipe. The entire process requires only wasted milk that is then turned into fashionable, soft and thermo-regulating garments.

ORANGE SILK

Of course cotton represents a problem talking about sustainability because of its water footprint, one of the highest in the sector, but it is not the only bad guy in fashion. What about silk? Only a few people know the process necessary to get the soft and prestigious silk. Not many ingredients are needed: silkworms and hot water. After the small animals have produced their silky cocoon they are thrown into hot water to start the manufacture of the fabric. This means that unfortunately the life of the small silk-warms ends when the production begins. An alternative to this may be Peace Silk. With this term we mean organic silk that begins its production process right after the warms, turned into butterflies, leave the cocoon. This alternative is not widely used as the yarn appears not to be strong enough. So what needs to be done to produce sustainable vegan silk? The Italian brand Orange Fiber came up with an innovative silk made from oranges. Yes, orange silk. Starting from the parts of orange left after the industrial squeezing they collect the material and extract the cellulose from it. This process is key in order to obtain a polymer from which the yarn will be created. The fabric obtained from oranges is extremely light and soft, a great vegan alternative to the common harmful silk.

CORN, LOTUS, BAMBOO

Moving out of Europe another fashion player worth to be mentioned is the Delhi-based Indian brand Dhuri. The founder Madhurima Singh has always been particularly interested both in fashion and in the environment: this is why she decided to launch her sustainable fashion label which displays a wide choice of clothes and materials ranging from milk to corn, lotus and many more. The concept laying behind her business idea is the one of slow fashion combined with sustainable fashion production and organic 100% natural fabrics. In an interview with Down To Earth Mrs Singh shows and explains the different fabrics. The unconventional materials include those made from milk, eucalyptus (temperature-regulating fabric), corn (antibacterial, anti UV and great against bad smell and sweat), bamboo (antibacterial and light), lotus (very breathable, good for skin) and banana (very resistant with great absorption).

PIÑATEX

Talking about sustainable and ethical fashion production leather represents a real challenge nowadays as in the past. Dr Carmen Hijosa, Spain, came up with an innovative vegan natural material which is able to replace leather completely and that is being used by many brands worldwide such as Grey Whale, Svala and Hugo Boss. I am talking about the famous Piñatex. For those of you who never heard about it, Piñatex is a state-of-the-art material derived from pineapple, in particular from pineapple leaves, with interesting properties. Thanks to its lightness combined with strength it is ideal for shoe, bag and even furnishing manufacture. What’s more? It is also 100% compostable.

PLASTIC & FISHING NETS

Are you feeling upset as none of the above-mentioned brands is one of the most known worldwide? You shouldn’t be as also the biggest names in fashion are increasingly coming up with astonishing innovations. An example to this can be considered Adidas x Parley, the collaboration between the well-known sportswear brand Adidas and Parley Ocean Plastic that was launched in order to raise awareness and step forward in the field of sustainable fashion production. But what is it about? This partnership produces sportswear and shoes made from plastic and fishing nets: plastic trash and fishing nets are collected from the ocean and then sent to Parley, where they are processed in order to obtain the polyester thread necessary for the manufacture of the garments. This can be considered a great move towards a more aware and sustainable purchasing behavior, that should be influenced not by the quantity but by the quality and the added value of the product.

The statement “from threat into thread” of the Adidas x Parley collection is probably the best heading for the hard work fashion labels are doing today, in order to fight the old-fashioned pollution, exploitation and waste.

Credits photo:
http://orangefiber.it
https://www.vanityfair.it/fashion/news-fashion/2017/04/19/salvatore-ferragamo-orange-fiber
http://orangefiber.it/hm-sceglie-il-tessuto-dalle-arance-per-la-conscious-exclusive/

Cat Footwear ‘Engineered For Originality Campaign’ Voices Digital Artists Cross-Globally

Posted on 26 August 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Cat Footwear unveiled their new Autumn/Winter 2020 ‘Engineered For Originality’ campaign, created by several digital artists from across the globe. Hailing from seven markets, UK, Poland, Sweden, France, China, Chile and USA, the artists were recruited by Cat Footwear to unleash a campaign which follows on from SS20, taking cues from the initial concept. The concept epitomises the brand’s forward-thinking and disruptive philosophy born from the challenges implemented from coronavirus, it continues to push the boundaries.

For this, each content creator was briefed to create an authentic story, sticking to the brand’s key driver of credibility both in style and in craftsmanship. The result? An evolution in design language, combined by a use of digital artistry. The brand encouraged the use of CGI, graphics, and augmented reality. The final campaign platforms championed the scale and diversity of the Re-Powered community around the globe.

Utilising ‘collage effect’, 3D, and energetic, high-octane style edits, Nas’ campaign styles the Re-powered collection against a backdrop of inner-city environments. Bursts of coloured shape and graphic overlay, alongside high-rise buildings and subways, emphasize the evolution of the collection, from archival workwear shoe, to bold, alternative lifestyle sneaker.

The AW20 campaign mechanic alone, highlights more than ever the role and influence of the Re-powered community on the Cat Footwear product. By placing the creative directly into the hands of the taste makers that make up the collection’s community, the AW20 ‘Engineered For Originality’ campaign continues to position Cat Footwear as the alternative and progressive choice. “User generated content (UGC) has always sat at the heart of Re-Powered, allowing others to translate our brand for their audience has been the key driver of authenticity, credibility and relevancy. This approach not only makes sense for the time we are living in, but it perfectly aligns to the ethos of Re-Powered and sits at the forefront of content trend,” remarks Gemma Little, Cat Footwear International Brand Marketing Manager.

10 Pairs Of Feel-Good Summer Staples That Provide An Instant Wardrobe Boost

Posted on 26 August 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

If there’s one way to ensure you keep up an optimum regime of wear-anywhere options, a selection of great versatile options might be the ultimate solution to solve your mid-season drama. Is it fitted, or slouchy? The right answer may have not yet come to fruition, but the best propositions are the ones comfortable enough to support you day and night. And, now restrictions are being lifted and normality is slowly-but-surely resuming, there’s no better time to invest in season-defining staples that exude comfort and peerless functionality. Whatever style takes your fancy, the formula reads: dress good, feel better.

Perhaps you lean towards a ribbed crewneck tee à la Bottega Veneta, or maybe your proclivity knocks harder for a maxi-printed option from ALL SAINTS. Look to Finisterre for a smart update in tailoring, and Wrangler for the timeless denim number. Below, Man In Town’s pick of the best feel-good summer staples to buy now and wear forever, to provide your wardrobe an instant boost. You’re welcome.

BOTTEGA VENETA

SHORT SLEEVED COTTON T-SHIRT, £305, BOTTEGAVENETA.COM

ALLSAINTS

VENTURA LONG SLEEVE SHIRT, £95, ALLSAINTS.COM

WRANGLER

CLEAN-CUT SHIRT IN DENIM, £60, WRANGLER.COM

FINISTERRE

STAFFORD WORKWEAR JACKET, £135, FINISTERRE.COM

PUMA

PUMA x MR DOODLE RS-2K TRAINERS, £100, PUMA.COM

MFPEN

LIGHT-STRIPED OVERSIZED SHIRT, £160, MFPEN.COM

URBANEARS

URBANEARS LUMA, £79, URBANEARS.COM

LEE

CHETOPA JACKET IN RINSE, £77, LEE.COM

LEE

SHORT SLEEVE RESORT SHIRT IN SUMMER BLUE, £22.50, LEE.COM

SAMSØE SAMSØE

OSCAR AX SHIRT, £112, SAMSOE.COM

The Breeziest Summer Staples That Exude Timeless Comfort

Posted on 7 August 202012 January 2024 by Chidozie Obasi

Keeping a casual style currency has never been so imperative in the circumstances we’re currently living in. Of course, the #WFH mode will perhaps cease in the new year, however comfort calls for one to look smart even in the most laid-back occasions. The solution? Chucking on a wear-anywhere shirt could solve your seasonal wardrobe conundrum, adding a classic spin to your zoom call meeting set-up (that’s right, crispness is yours for the taking).

You could opt for an oversized slouchy option in shirting like Scotch & Soda playing with dashes of bright hues, or make Bottega Veneta your prime port of call with a refreshing take on luxurious practicality. Gucci could be a great bet to serve fearless sophistication…even when you’ve run out of options.

Here, a breezy selection of staples ready to pep-up your summer dressing – in just a heartbeat.

SCOTCH & SODA

LIGHTWEIGHT SHORT SLEEVE PRINTED SHIRT, £89.95, AVAILABLE AT SCOTCH-SODA.COM

SCOTCH & SODA

PRINTED SHIRT HAWAII, £73.47, AVAILABLE AT SCOTCH-SODA.COM

GUCCI

DOUBLE G STRIPE COTTON OVERSIZE SHIRT, £500, AVAILABLE AT GUCCI.COM

JW ANDERSON

OVERSIZED CURVED-HEM COTTON POPLIN SHIRT, £210, AVAILABLE AT MATCHESFASHION.COM

BODE

MOUNTAIN TABLEU EMBROIDERED COTTON BOWLING SHIRT, £380, AT MATCHESFASHION.COM

BARENA VENEZIA

NALIN COTTON HENLEY SHIRT TOP, £155, AT MATCHESFASHION.COM

NOBIS

CLAYTON MENS TRADITIONAL MAC, £495, AT NOBIS.COM

Ph credit: https://www.instagram.com/isabellasanfilippoph/

Louis Vuitton opens new store in Las Vegas

Posted on 23 July 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Louis Vuitton has opened a new men’s store in Las Vegas. Located in the famous Bellagio luxury resort and casino, the new shop features a contemporary design reflective of the Paris brand’s luxury roots and uncompromising craftsmanship. The outpost overlooks the popular Bellagio fountains and designed with an eye-catching façade studded with twisted stainless-steel blades. Moreover, the interior is as sleek and as pristine as they come with leather goods being the first selections customers see.

Moving along inside the shop are travel goods and accessories with ready-to-wear at the rear which opens to a relaxing outdoor terrace. Consumers will be pleased to know that the new LV men’s location carries the latest season collection as well as the new LV Volt unisex jewelry collection up for pre-launch. The release, which is the second collection by Francesca Amfitheatrof, Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director of Watches and jewelry, is part of the store’s opening.

The Bellagio outpost is Louis Vuitton’s third store in Las Vegas. The other two are located at the Wynn Las Vegas and the Forum Shops Caesars.

UNIQLO owner forecasts 50% profit shortfalls in light of the present crisis

Posted on 15 July 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Fast Retailing Co., owner of Japanese apparel retailer UNIQLO, has officially readjusted its financial forecasts for the rest of this year, lowering its profit outlook as a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

More specifically, the company now expects an annual operating profit of ¥130 billion JPY, approximately comparable to $1.21 billion USD. This marks a 50 percent decrease, as compared to the smaller 44 percent drop previously predicted, which altered due to an operating loss of ¥4 billion JPY ($37,400 USD) in the period between March and May.

Despite these forecasts, Fast Retailing Co. remains positive as it reports a strong bounce in domestic sales for the month of June in Japan as well as a faster-than-expected recovery in the Chinese market. UNIQLO’s domestic sales — which comprise online purchases — rose by a notable 26 percent last month compared to a year earlier, an impressive achievement by the retailer following a 57 percent decrease in April followed by being 18 percent down in May.

In light of these two recovering markets, the company says it will continue to open more stores globally.

The creative industry to receive £1.5bn in light of global crisis

Posted on 7 July 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Creative organisations are to get a £1.5bn lifeline to help stay in business while coronavirus forces dim all hopes.

The rescue package is expected to help world-known institutions such as the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Mary Rose Trust. Unveiling the plan, Boris Johnson said the money would help safeguard the arts for “future generations.” The British government has been under pressure to help the arts after warnings the industry would be brought to its knees without government intervention. Now organisations comprising palaces, museums, galleries, live music venues, cinemas and others will be able to access emergency grants and loans. Ministers said the money was the largest ever one-off investment in UK culture.

MANINTOWN to launch multifunctional studio space, ‘Manintown + Progetto Nomade’ in Milan

Posted on 3 July 20203 July 2020 by Chidozie Obasi

Where fashion, culture and art abound.

MANINTOWN prods to new ventures: in the heart of Milan’s metropolitan centre, the menswear and lifestyle platform powers the ‘Manintown + Progetto Nomade,’ a pioneering concept where fashion and design combine one another with the search for novelty and design excellence, along with storytelling. The project was born thanks to the union of two realities: on one hand MANINTOWN magazine, which explores menswear ever since 2014, founded by Federico Poletti; on the other, the PROGETTO NOMADE, a new travelling container inspired by the likes of art, design and the collection of 50s pieces by Christian Pizzinini and Antonio Lodovico Scolari. From this creative synergy, a new exhibition format has developed, burgeoning a narrative that’s curated in visual design by art director and brand strategist Cecilia Melli.

MANINTOWN + PROGETTO NOMADE GALLERY wants to be a prime meeting point, a small living area in the center of the city of Milan, where fashion, craftsmanship or design enthusiasts will meet, likewise industry insiders. The space will host Italian and international talents who will be able to exhibit their productions, but also have networking opportunities thanks to presentations, small happenings and targeted appointments.

August 2020 will see the launch of MANINTOWN’s e-commerce space, giving change to fashion brands (both emerging and non) and push digital access to retail horizons, encompassing both menswear and womenswear labels. “By combining the strength of the already renowned digital platform with the functionality of the e-commerce platforms and the exhibition space, we can better serve brands in an omni-channel approach,” remarked Francesca Riggio, Executive Brand Strategist Director at MANINTOWN.

The Progetto Nomade, however, has created the space and shared it with MANINTOWN, wants to consolidate the experience of the Palazzo dell’ Elefante della Torre in Salento, where exhibitions and events related to art and the design will enable a solid continuity to the projects and experiment with refreshing promotional approaches.

MANINTOWN’s Editor-In-Chief Federico Poletti concludes: “This space was born in the name of inclusion, giving a voice to new realities that will not only be put on display, but also told in a different way following a phygital vision. From month to month the Gallery’s program will be enriched by creative appointments, scheduling new pioneers and small events. A new phase has now taken place in Milan, city which has always been dynamic and fruitful in cultural initiatives.

Kanye West revamps Chicago Gap store as result Of YEEZY’s collaboration

Posted on 3 July 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Kanye West knows exactly how to drop the jaws. Yes, you heard it right. Singer and entrepreneur, he announced a head-scrabbling partnership with chain retailer GAP, kicking off a ten-year-long collaboration.

A mysterious shroud envelops the Gap Store at the corner of Michigan and Ohio in Chicago, apparently the exact store that West himself used to shop at. https://www.instagram.com/p/CB_RIL9HI_8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

One of the street-facing side features the quirky asymmetric logo for YEEZY Gap (as the joint effort is known), while a larger one at the end of incline is emblazoned with text sourced directly from a note West wrote by hand. It says:

Thank God
Hi Chicago it’s me
This is [the] Gap store
I used to shop at when
I would drive my Nissan
from the southside
so blessed
I thank god and I am
so humbled at the
opportunity to serve
I put my heart into the
color palette and every
detail I love Tron the original
Do you like stuff
I don’t know what to do with
my hands
Love YEEZY

The text indicates that West himself redesigned the store down to the colour palette. No launch date for the collection or store opening have been confirmed, but specific timelines will surely emerge soon.

Explore the wild with NICCE’s LA-inspired SS20 collection

Posted on 30 June 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

It wasn’t all a luxury affair when fashion chose to meet its modern forces. In reality, this meant simple, fairly traditional clothes, done well. Any collection American-related would be missing a trick if it wasn’t a little focused on athleisurewear. Fortunately, NICCE wouldn’t make such a mistake – the brand’s Spring/Summer 2020 collection pays homage to the laid-back ease of Los Angeles in the 90’s. Best of all, a super-tactile, utility number with a functional texture is the kind of thing you would want to wear every day. Silhouettes are slouchy and unfussy, with baggy shorts and soft-shouldered jumpers playing key roles. There was a kind of understated beauty to low-key bucket hats in intelligently chosen fabrics and classic jackets that were tweaked just a touch and cropped. This season imbues hints of the utility trend, showcased through gradient tones. Colours mirror iconic NICCE jersey staples, offering newness across wardrobe essentials for upcoming months. Creating the perfect base for festival season, the Kurt-Cobain-esque stripe tees serve-up in nostalgia. This was a collection low on concept and all the better for it; there’s a great deal to love here, which certainly isn’t something you can say at every street brand.

Available at the brand’s site.

Photographed by Ollie Radford

Kanye West’s Yeezy taps Gap for a decade-long partnership

Posted on 29 June 202022 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Kanye West’s YEEZY has signed a reported 10 year partnership with Gap entailing a co-branded line of apparel set to release sometime in 2021.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CB5hG0anVIX/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The collaborative collection, designed by West and the YEEZY team (helmed by Design Director Mowalola Ogunlesi), will include womenswear, menswear and children’s clothes at accessible price points.

The controversial rapper has long expressed desire to work with Gap.

In a 2013 radio interview with 99.7 NOW!, West said he approached the brand but “couldn’t get past the politics.” Then in 2015, he told Style.com (now Vogue.com) that he would “like to be the Steve Jobs of the Gap” and take “full Hedi Slimane creative control” of it.

“We are excited to welcome Kanye back to the Gap family as a creative visionary, building on the aesthetic and success of his YEEZY brand and together defining a next-level retail partnership,” Gap Brand Global Head Mark Breitbard said in a statement.Kanye West’s YEEZY x Gap collection will release in 2021 at the Gap website and Gap stores.

Jean Liu, Emma Watson And Tidjane Thiam Join Kering’s Board Of Directors

Posted on 18 June 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Luxury conglomerate Kering has just added three new members to its board of directors, announcing that actress Emma Watson, businessman Tidjane Thiam and entrepreneur Jean Liu have joined the French Company. “The collective intelligence that comes from diverse points of view and the richness of different experiences are crucial to the future of our organization. I am proud to add such impressive talents to the team,” said Kering CEO and chairman François-Henri Pinault in a statement.

Emma Watson will serve as Chair of the Sustainability Committee, following years of advocacy on environmental and social justice issues. The actress has been a UN WOMEN Global Goodwill Ambassador since 2014 and has previously been featured in Vogue Australia as a sustainability guest editor.

Tidjane Thiam has been appointed as Chair of the Audit Committee, coming from his previous position as CEO of the Credit Suisse Group AG. Thiam also serves as the African Union Special Evoy on COVID-19, and is a member of the International Olympic Committee.

Jean Liu is the president of Beijing-based transportation company Didi Chuxing and has been at the forefront of empowering women in tech through her DiDi Women’s Network. Additionally, she is a founding member of the advisory board of the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, and also serves as a member of the Asia Society’s Board of Trustees.

Kering has been donating around $1 million USD to combat the spread of coronavirus and has reported a 15.4% decrease in revenue in Q1 due to the widespread pandemic.

Adidas pledges $20 million to Black communities and vows “more inclusive” hiring

Posted on 15 June 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Sportswear giant Adidas has recently issued a statement following last week’s protest due to the organisation’s complacency on racism. Along with the message, the sportswear brand has vowed to immediately implement three steps of action, including a $20 million investment in Black communities, university scholarship for black employees, and focusing on a “more inclusive” hiring.

Adidas’ investment in BAME communities includes a $20 million pledge in the United States over four years. The money will go to in the adidas School for Experiential Education in Design; and Honouring Black Excellence, a program honouring and supporting the Black community through sport initiatives such as Adidas Legacy, a basketball platform for underserved communities; the adidas School for Experiential Education in Design; and Honouring Black Excellence, a program honouring and supporting the Black community through sport.

Over a five-year, Adidas will finance 50 scholarships each year for Black students at partner schools. The company has also pledged to increase the number of Black employees. According to the memo, 30 percent of new positions at Adidas and Reebok in the US will be filled with Black and Latinx individuals.

“The events of the past two weeks have caused all of us to reflect on what we can do to confront the cultural and systemic forces that sustain racism. We have had to look inward to ourselves as individuals and our organization and reflect on systems that disadvantage and silence Black individuals and communities”, said adidas CEO Kasper Rorsted. “While we have talked about the importance of inclusion, we must do more to create an environment in which all of our employees feel safe, heard and have equal opportunity to advance their careers. As adidas, we will create a lasting change and we will do it now.”

“We recognize the immense contribution of the Black community to our success and that of others. We promise to improve our company culture to ensure equity, diversity and opportunity. We understand that the fight against racism is one that must be fought continually and actively. We must and will do better” the company concluded.

London Fashion Week Men’s virtual line-up has landed

Posted on 11 June 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Back in April, London Fashion Week announced it would become a virtual event in light of the global pandemic. The British Fashion Council has released more details about what to expect when it launches this weekend.

From Friday, the London Fashion Week website will relaunch as a ‘digital platform’, aimed at both industry figures and consumers. The BFC have invited designers, brands, media companies, retailers, and other creatives to submit content for inclusion on the platform, which will be free for members of the public to access.

Over the last three months, designers have had their ability to produce collections severely impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, which has forced most factories into temporary closure and abruptly halted the fashion industry’s supply chain. As a result, in lieu of traditional shows to unveil new seasonal collections, brands will showcase a variety of digital content formats.

Designers including Marques’Almeida and Robyn Lynch are showcasing smaller capsule collections, while others are opting out of showing clothes entirely: Bianca Saunders will be hosting a panel discussion with SHOWSTUDIO, while designers including RAEBURN and Daniel W. Fletcher are contributing ‘conversations’ instead of presenting collections. The platform will also host podcasts and playlists created by a host of creatives and brands: ART SCHOOL, Ahluwalia, and the retailer Browns are among those who have contributed.

While the line-up is dominated by emerging brands, notably absent from the schedule are most of London’s internationally recognisable names. Burberry, which typically shows its collections in London during February and September, has not participated. Other absentees include Britain’s most successful independent designers: Martine Rose, Wales Bonner, and A-COLD-WALL* are currently opting out, as is Craig Green, who moved his runway shows to Paris in January this year.

The virtual event runs from June 12-14 at London Fashion Week’s website, where the full schedule will be available soon.

Streetwear giant Palace pledges $1 million to Black Lives Matter

Posted on 10 June 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Streetwear Giant Palace joins the burgeoning list of brands and institutions donating o the black community, announcing a $1 million pledge to Black Lives Matter and the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust. The streetwear brand made the announcement on June 8, while sharing an anti-racism video on its Instagram page.

News of the pledge comes as fellow brands Nike and Jordan, for instance, recently unfolded donations of $40 million and $100 million, respectively, following the atrocious killing of Minnesota-hailed George Floyd.

“Palace stand firmly with all protesters seeking justice against police brutality and racism,” the company said in a statement. “Looking at a long-term commitment, we pledge to donate 1 million dollars in 2020, starting with the Black Lives Matter and Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.”

Palace added on Instagram, “this ain’t some band wagon shit btw. It just took a hot minute to figure out. if I could drum up a mill by the end of the year. and work out what we’re going to do long-term.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBK9Tw2lF8v/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Dickies’ Latest Collection Looks At The Colourful ‘90s For SS20

Posted on 28 May 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Referencing a time when freedom was in the air and everyone was there for a good time (how wistful), Dickies adopted 1990’S tailoring elements and styles to create their SS20 collection. The brand adopts those famous nineties styles into something more contemporary. Using modern, lightweight construction techniques and breathable premium cottons, the brand fused tailoring and sportswear shapes to create a modern take on that urban spirit we’ve always yearned for. Colourful codes are one – of the many – Dickies’ trademarks. Never one to shy away from the brightest of hues, for SS20 Dickies thought it was important to lighten-up our lives in these dark and stressful times.

A poised take on the retro-inspired trend, the brand taps a past that sees a future filled with novelty and fresh cues. Building a heritage on existing styles within the iconic range, Dickies’ designers deliver a lesson in dynamic and versatile dressing intermixing a blasé take on chromatic elements. Hybrids are made-up of two sight-grabbing combinations: multi-panel constructions and of bold blues, reds and yellows juxtaposed by a softer palette.

Ever since the company’s prime foray, counting over 100 years since its dawn, the brand’s expansion has led to the reinvention of wearable and functional apparel that adopts a culture spanning beyond the likes of functionality – but prods to a perpetuation of practical-driven fashion. Now, more than ever.

Tie-Dye Is Spurring Hot Vibes Only For 2020 – (So You’re Welcome, DIY)

Posted on 20 May 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

If your proclivity longs for a cool-meets-slick style renaissance, stop everything you’re doing: The tie-dye technique is a mainstay, so be prepared to embrace it.

Tie-dye was once the stuff of elementary school arts and crafts–DIY gifts bestowed upon parents and grandparents on special occasions. Then, it became a cure for middle school boredom–a photogenic (and budget-appropriate) backyard event for kids who preferred matching tees to friendly bracelets. Now, more than ever, it’s become a full-blown (and sworn) trend for Spring/Summer 2020. Indeed, tie-dye has peaked the helmed of this year’s most coveted trends, elevating fashion to a new status, already pervading our Instagram feeds and favourite retailers.

The 2020 tie-dye obsession began back in September (during the Spring/Summer 2020 catwalks), when R13, Prabal Gurung and Eckhaus Latta stormed tie-dye pieces at New York Fashion Week. Of course, these trend-frenzy items barely resembled their forefathers.

With tie-due clothes from years past evoke images of the ‘60s and ‘70s–or to say the least, memories of haphazardly dumping colour-rich dye onto cheap T-shirts-contemporary tie-dye hybrids feel crisp and edgy. Once-distinct shades haven’t blended together to form new, compelling tones; they’re starkly separate, acting more as a print than a chromatic fusion.

The result? A dynamic, hot trend that feels clean but organic, bohemian but tailored, avant-garde but contemporary. The reinvention of tie-dye tells us a story of enormous juxtaposition: but juxtaposition that triumphs (decade after decade), that uplifts (one’s dreary style conundrum through tonal psychedelia), that works (if paired accurately), time and time again.

Tie-dye is too often linked to the puerile pleasure-seekers of Ken Kesey’s party bus. But as designer brands refuse to let go (case in point: Loewe’s SS20 iconic tie-dye collection), and as famous men of all shades further indulge, tie-dye isn’t solely for festival season. Though this 2020 fashion trend has been in the works throughout lockdown around the globe, it’s already trickled in many (big and small) fashion retailers. By shopping designers and budget-friendly staples, alike, you can get an incredibly power-tone glimpse at the perfect tie-dye composition (and serve-up the best off-duty looks in the process).

Dip your eye in the below gallery and get ready for a full immersion, assured you won’t sigh nor yawn. You’re welcome.

Balenciaga Lands A New Flagship Store In London

Posted on 17 May 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Reports comment that luxury label Balenciaga has authorized a deal to open a new flagship store on London’s Bond Street. The Kering-owned label came in accord with British footwear and handbag retailer Russell & Bromley to take over its lease on for its store on New Bond Street.

Kering liaised with the building’s landlord, the City of London Corp., to take over the first floor of offices above the store too, therefore giving Balenciaga a new two-story flagship shape. Sources commenting on the matter report that Balenciaga allegedly paid $6.2 million USD to take over the lease. However, the parties refused to comment on Bloomerang.

The North Face Supports Outdoor Companies With Funds In Light Of Covid-19 Disruptions

Posted on 13 May 20208 May 2020 by Chidozie Obasi

The fund is available to companies and charities across the U.K., Germany, France and Italy, with the intention of supporting these organisations until they are able to operate again. Winners of the prize will be chosen by The North Face alongside national and local outdoor officials.

Applications for the Covid-19 Explore Fund are now open through The North Face website, and applications close on May 22.

Brazil Drops Major Fashion Revenues In Light Of Global Disruptions

Posted on 12 May 20208 May 2020 by Chidozie Obasi

Brazil has been reportedly affected by the current pandemic, totalling 66,000 confirmed cases and 4,500 deaths from the coronavirus attack, situation that led to major downfalls in economy, dropping sales to 50 percent.

The figure comes from a recent WWD report, where Chief Financial Officer of luxury beachwear brand Luis Lima remarked – “We are expecting 50 percent across the board.

Shares are the same sentiment as analysts’ predictions for retail in general. Lima also pointed out lockdowns in the country’s capital have led to store closures.

“All of Brazil is closed and the only stuff that’s selling is online,” says Andrea Milanez, who handles São Paulo Fashion Week’s public relations. “Everyone is doing sales but even then, no one is buying. People are worried about what is happening.” She also points out that after the pandemic, the consumer’s spending habits will change: “People won’t buy like they used to,” she added. “They will probably change their view of fashion and how they buy it. We will probably see a lot more online buying.”

Fashion Revolution Names H&M “World’s Most Transparent Brand” – However, Concerns Soar High

Posted on 10 May 20208 May 2020 by Chidozie Obasi

In the new analytical index of Fashion Revolution, showing the ranking of the world’s leading brands (and how they communicate) on social, political, environmental and economical terms, atop of the list is H&M (with a 73 percent grading against data points). The average score for the 250 brands was only 23%.

According to Fashion Revolution, any scores over 70 implies a good transparency of social and environmental practices. Sportswear giants Adidas and Reebok scored 69 percent, while Gucci, for instance, reached a score of 40 percent. Zero percent was scored by Bally, Max Mara and Tom Ford.

A head-turning statistic factor from the report reveals that only two percent of brands pay above minimum wage to workers amid the supply chain, with Patagonia being the street pillar to disclose data on their supply-chain workers earning above the living wage.

To be included in such ranking, brands must increment sales constantly, reaching a turnover of over $400m across sportswear, luxury or high street, meaning smaller labels who do not meet the criteria cannot be included. And to make things clear, transparency isn’t eponymous to sustainability.

In a recently released statement, Carey Somers (Fashion Revolution’s Operations Director) points the effect of the pandemic on global supply chains. “The crisis has brought to light the systemic problems within the industry and revealed just how fragile the system really is,” she says. “For decades, brands have chased ever-cheaper production and factories operating on impossibly tight margins, consequently, workers’ wages and rights have been squeezed.”

Canadian Outerwear Brand Nobis Pledges To Kickstart A Donation Of Online Sales In Response To Covid-19 Crisis

Posted on 7 May 202017 April 2020 by Chidozie Obasi

Canadian premium outerwear brand Nobis has announced a three-week global initiative, whereby 100% of online sales will be donated to help frontline health medical workers who continue the battle against the scattering of the pandemic.

From April 10 to 20, 2020, the pre-tax purchase price from all online sales of the brand will go directly to support hospitals and healthcare workers around the world responding to COVID-19 in urgent need of supplies and PPE (Personal Protective Equipment). All global sales will be directed to the Red Cross COVID-19 to enable Red Cross and Red Crescents around the world to support Covid-19 preparedness, response and recovery activities.

In Canada, the list of recipients comprises the CanadaHelps Covid-19 Healthcare & Hospital Fund, which supports over 90 hospital foundations across the country, and five local Ontario hospital foundations – Headwaters Health Care Foundation, Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation, Scarborough Health Network Foundation, Toronto General, & Western Hospital Foundation and William Osler Health System Foundation.

This program is being implemented in addition to the commitment made last week when brand donated $100,000 to local hospitals in Ontario. Customers making purchases on Nobis’ website between April 10 to 30, will be able to direct the donation funds to the organisation of their choice, by selecting the hospital or organisation name at the time of check out. For the full list of benefitting foundations and additional details on the initiative, please visit Nobis’ community resource page: Nobis.com/pages/community.

A recent statement saw the label’s Co-Founder and Vice President Robin Yates commenting: ““Nobis, Latin for ‘us’, has always understood the importance of community, and we are incredibly proud of and indebted to our frontline healthcare providers whose bravery and selflessness are a beacon of hope in uncertain times. There has never been a crucial time for us to further our community support. This is why Nobis is doing everything within our means to recognise and support the incredible sacrifice being made by these outstanding individuals in the ongoing battle against COVID-19.”

American Vogue’s Digital Met Gala Wants You To Take Part Too

Posted on 4 May 20204 May 2020 by Chidozie Obasi

In light of a disrupting pandemic, global circumstances call for a shift in social customs – galas and festivals included. The first Monday of May could only mean one thing: The Met Gala, in other words, The Oscars of Fashion, where industry groundbreakers [co1] gather in the name of charity (and sartorial excellence).

Due to the current situation affecting the fashion community in its entirety, Vogue Magazine has chosen to host a virtual alternative to the Met Gala today. The historic event has been postponed indefinitely due to the Covid-19 crisis.

The yearly fundraising event would have marked its 150^th anniversary tonight. American Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour remarked the following in a recent statement: “It would be impossible to recreate the gala on Monday evening, though I have loved hearing how so many are marking the occasion in their own ways. So instead, I asked a few friends to join me for a simple moment — one that I hope will bring us all a bit of joy.”

The digital Met Gala, titled “A Moment With The Met,” will foresee a live performance from Florence + the Machine and a live DJ set from Virgil Abloh.

As tickets for the Met Gala usually amount up to $35,000, this may feasibly be the most low-price chance to get involved in the fashion’s wildest parade yet. In order to support the Met’s Costume Institute, Vogue Magazine has prompted to donate the Met and the CFDA’s “A Common Thread” initiative, which provides financial backing for emerging designers and independent business amidst the pandemic. Virtual attendees are also encouraged to donate where possible.

The event’s official Livestream will happen on Vogue’s YouTube channel at 6 p.m. EST.

Gucci Sales Are “Crashing” According To Kering Q1 Report

Posted on 23 April 202023 April 2020 by Chidozie Obasi

Luxury conglomerate Kering S.A. (Gucci, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, and Saint Laurent) has revealed its financial report for Q1 of 2020. Similar to the Q1 report from rival LVMH, the Coronavirus outbreak has quivered revenues streams with a reported shortfall of 15.4 percent.

Gucci, among Kering’s most profitable brands, has witnessed a sale downfall by 22 percent worldwide compared to Q1 of 2019. This has been attributed to the closure of physical stores and suspension of travels, interrupting the essential profits obtained by the Chinese investors. This decline, however, was offset by an increase in online sales, which now counts for 9.5 percent of Gucci’s retail strategy.

Jean-Marc Duplaix, Kering’s chief financial officer remarked that exclusivity will be ever more paramount than before,” as Gucci plans to make further reductions from wholesale. In contrast, one of Kering’s less established brands Bottega Veneta actually saw a growth with a 10.3 percent increase for Q1, which was put down to a 55 percent year-over-year growth from wholesale. Bottega Veneta was recently taken over by Daniel Le, who has tactfully repositioned the brand as a key player in the new wave of Italian craftsmanship, harnessing eco-conscious materials and low-key branding.

While statistics are looking promising, Bottega Veneta’s Q1 track record was reasonably low.

Duplaix also commented further discounts and product mark-downs that are expected for Spring/Summer 2020, as collections begin to pile up in warehouses as a result of shut down stores. He continued, “we know we will face a very difficult second quarter and a challenging year overall, but I can assure you that we are not only adapting to these unexpected circumstances, we are also using these lessons to improve our efficiency, resilience, and agility to emerge better prepared for the future.”

Man in Skirt | the skirt of “discord”

Posted on 23 April 202019 November 2023 by Beatrice Errico

Long, short, tunic, habit, chiton or toga, the male skirt has been the favorite garment of people, civilizations, tribes, kings, and warriors. It has ruled in temples, courts, agora, and battlefields. But, in 1789, to the cry of “Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité”, trousers have become the flag of revolutionaries and skirt was put in the pillory.

In the modern West, wearing a skirt is still inconvenient for men because it is a garment associated with the female world and it is a symbol of lack of masculinity. But it is amazing how the points of view change when we look from another perspective.

Think about the kilt. Prince Charles, Sean Connery, Ewan McGregor o Gerlad Butler with the kilt and knee socks look like “William Wallace”, they are daredevils and dark and with patriotic pride, they say: “It’s a kilt, not a skirt”.

Also, the Tartan Skirt, the traditional symbol of Highlands, it is not very different from a piece of cloth rolled around the waist. However, if we think about Maasai wrapped in their gaudy colored drapes (Shuka) and dressed up with bead jewelry and iron wires, the first thing that will come to our mind, won’t be a tribe of female men in skirts, but a tribe of warriors, hunters, and skilled fighters.

For the utopian hippies, instead, the skirt embodied the image of a future society without gender diversity; for punks, in their rebelliousness, it was a symbol of contempt for the patterns and models imposed by the society; David Bowie, as an incarnation of the excessive glam rock, showing off white fur, glitter, feathers, rafts, and skirts, denied clothing as an expression of personality.

In 1984 people shouted to the scandal when the irreverent Jean-Paul Gautier debuted with his first men’s collection “objectification of men”, questioning the clichés of clothing and dressing a rough and macho man with skirts, scoop-neck sweaters and sailor’s t-shirts with uncovered back.

But on second thought it is fashion. As well as if Joaquín Cortés dances in a skirt is art, and if Billy Porter shows up at the Oscars with a wide black skirt is show biz. If the male uniform of the Starfleet of Star Trek is a mini dress, the Skant then is science fiction.

Summing up, in today’s society, the acceptance of a man with a skirt (or his refusal) is essentially related to the historical, cultural, environmental, religious, ethical and creative factors. Its decontextualization leads to hilarity, discomfort or distrust. If we ask a man to wear a skirt, he “will be struck to the idea to appear effeminate” as the journalist Arwa Mahdawi wrote in “The Guardian”.

In a West that has consecrated the skirt as an icon of femininity, for the male culture the time to welcome it in its wardrobe has not yet arrived.

A day, maybe, the idealistic hope of David Hall of “give men more freedom without meaningless extravagance, but without dull conformism” will be realized.

On the other hand, when Elizabeth Smith Miller, the first woman who has worn trousers in 1851, showed up in public with Turkish wide trousers was hit with vegetables and snowballs, insulted by men and accused of outrage against decency.

It has been a long road, but finally today also a woman with trousers can give of herself an image of strength, power, and career. Maybe, in the next future, it will also be for a man wearing a skirt.

Interview to the brand strategist Yossi Fisher: the fashion system after Covid-19

Posted on 18 April 202022 April 2022 by Federico Poletti

We have interviewed Yossi Fisher, a brand consultant and brand strategist who also in this delicate period is carrying out international projects with costumers and associations. Here some reflections related to the phase that the fashion system is going through.

You are connected with many creative people around the world. What is the general sentiment of the people about this moment?

There are a lot of emotions circulating these days, and respectfully so. There’s no denying the uncertainty of these times. What I’m noticing is while some are seeing the troubles it’s causing in their careers or businesses, the majority of those people are using this time as a way of re-assessing what truly makes them happy, and what they want to return to – or not, when this is all over. Ultimately, it seems to be a time of great reflection, and people are using it as a way to step back and redefine the values their careers and businesses are built on, and their progressive relevance – or lack there of, as we move towards navigating a whole new set of industry landscapes.

How do you think the fashion system will overcome the crisis and rethink its models?

The fashion system is now forced to take a massive step back and re-asses itself in its entirety. Everything from freelance structures to content, production to manufacturing, retail to design and all the way though to Live streaming, Fashion Weeks, PR dynamics, and digital initiatives … and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. As a system all of its components effect the Fashion Economy and how the industry operates as a whole. The entire idea of Fashion will be forced to take a massive step backwards in order for it to move forward. As a collective industry we all have felt in one way or another how broken it’s all become, but there was nothing truly driving change across all of its channels until now, making this a very exciting time.

In my opinion, there’s too much romance and idealism and not enough practicality in the system. I believe this crisis will be the catalyst for healthier business practices, as well as a stimulus for mental health initiatives, especially within freelance and creative communities. Many within those circles are already rethinking why they’ve put themselves through so much financial uncertainty and lack of job stability for so long.

As they find new interests and hobbies that make them happier during this forced pause, many are questioning what exactly it is they’re going to want to do after this is all over. Regarding Businesses, they will need to humanise their practices even further, and will have to face massive questions like; whether trading off ethical values for higher margins and selling more products is emotionally or environmentally sustainable, and how their supply chains and practices will be scrutinized by their consumers as people’s values and humanities change. Many feel that sustainability will be a driving force forward, but even that has its challenges; especially how it tends to price out many consumers who share its values, but can’t afford the slow fashion price points.

As we enter a world with less people employed, and strained finances, many businesses are going to have to strategically reframe their losses if they plan on getting ahead of the curve and have a hand in redefining the industry.

How do u see the future of the retail (physical stores vs digital?)

We are very far away from a completely online world but we are evolving for sure, there’s no question. Physical and digital will both play a massive part in the future of retail, but they will both have to be much more consumer centric. Physical spaces may need to downsize, integrate more digital components, hold less stock, and treat their spaces more as experiential than just a place to shop.

Dynamic in-store brand experiences that revolve more around their culture than products will be a good way to keep consumers coming back, which will usher in the opportunity for much more dynamic collaborations. Online digital initiatives will have to become more personal as well though. Currently E-com shopping lacks personalization and engaging emotional prompts, so having brand specialists go live with scheduled showings, presentations, and collection run-throughs (one on one with VIP’s or mass sessions, where consumers can chime in with questions to better understand their purchases) will be a great way to deepen community, trust and drive D2C conversations.

We will certainly witness more confusion and market disruptions while everyone finds their bearings. Physical retail may need to scale back to invest finances deeper in to their ecosystem, while the Digital realm may require more testing investment as the depths of its foundations and structures are still being explored. I believe the brands that will win he next 6-18 months will be the ones promoting more ethically driven, consumer-centric businesses models.

You started some live conversations with designers and entrepreneurs. What did u get from these dialogues?

I have really enjoyed the IG-Live Talks & Zoom Sessions I’ve been a part of during these times. It’s allowed me to share tips, strategies, and insights with so many communities and platforms (like here on MANINTOWN). More than anything though, I’ve really been using those opportunities to really listen to the ones I’ve been engaging with and the questions I’ve been receiving from our collective followings.

Taking an empathetic approach to these conversations has allowed me to forecast what the world will need post Covid-19. One thing I’ve noticed to be a constant though is the human approach in how these LIVE Talks have been playing out. We’re all vulnerable to these massive global shifts, and it’s obvious just how interconnected we all are. Everyone needs to remember that although we are all going through our own set of challenges, we truly are all in this together. Social media and online communities are offering support in many different forms, and that has really been beautiful to see.

What is your advice for the companies and brands to restart?

EQ is now more important than IQ. The future of companies and brands won’t be products or services; it will be empathy. Leading with empathy at this time and perpetually forward will fundamentally be the most important tool at our disposal.

The humans and businesses that are going to come out of this on-top are the ones that aren’t solely focussing on their problems, but rather on how to solve the ones everyone else is facing. For example; many people have been, and unfortunately will continue to lose their jobs.

As a boutique, perhaps a good idea would be to create a campaign initiative for people that have recently found themselves unemployed, offering a complete outfit (suiting, etc.) + a CV consultation (perhaps serviced through an outsourced professional). That way when businesses open up and start hiring again, these people will be ready and well equipped to hit the market and better their lives again. Consider this a stronger shift towards a Giving Economy.

If you’re a CBD company, perhaps integrate in to your culture a meditation series, exercise video’s, journaling tips, healthy eating to promote clean bodies, etc. Look at ways to help others with their mental health right now. Provide free structured self betterment initiatives, provide resources to nurture and support people’s mental spaces. Both those ideas show that your business actually cares, and that’s what people need now more than ever.

Innovating consumer appreciation initiatives across physical and digital channels will fundamentally compound success rates over time, deepen community appreciation, and strengthen customer relations.

To offer a starting point strategy, Businesses should be asking question like; what do our consumers care about, what would elevate their lives, and how can we express to them that our values align with theirs? How do we do it in a way that isn’t a direct sell? How we do we humanise our approach?

These are the types of healthy, empathetic actions needed not only to restore our trust in brands, but more importantly, our faith in humanity.

yossifisher.com; IG: @yossi_fisher

Photographed by nathanrichardsphoto.com; IG: @nathanrichardsphoto

Giorgio Armani’s open letter to fashion

Posted on 9 April 202019 November 2023 by Francesca Romana Riggio

Published this week on WWD an open letter by the pen of Maestro Giorgio Armani to the world of fashion. After being one of the very first one leaders to recognize the danger of the pandemic, showing his new collection behind closed doors during Milan Fashion Week, donating 2 ml euros to the local hospitals for research and cure, Armani also converted his manufacturing facilities in Italy to produce single use-disposable gowns, leading by example in this global fight against COVID- 19.

The reflection explores, in Giorgio’s words this “absurd” current state of affairs exposing a world where fashion industry has fallen in “a criminal nonalignment between the weather and the commercial season” in a frenetic pursue of fast fashion.

The decline began when we pursued fast fashion

He continues on stating that the slow down forced by the pandemic is bringing to light a necessary redemption of value to the work and world of designers, which would ultimately bring the customers to the understanding of the value of fashion and its collections.

“The decline of the fashion system as we know it began when the luxury segment adopted the operating methods of fast fashion, mimicking the latter’s endless delivery cycle in the hope of selling more, yet forgetting that luxury takes time, to be achieved and to be appreciated. Luxury cannot and must not be fast. It makes no sense for one of my jackets or suits to live in the shop for three weeks before becoming obsolete, replaced by new goods that are not too different.”

Luxury takes time

Giorgio Armani’s creations as we know them are the indisputable symbol of timeless elegance. This pause is giving the world a chance to renew the pace of proposing ideas to the world especially giving the chance to refocus on production cycles and seasons, allowing to a more livable and therefore quality-driven fashion.

It is a moment of reflection that calls for a more ethical approach to fashion.

Timeless Elegance

“I don’t work like that, and I find it immoral to do so. I have always believed in an idea of timeless elegance, which is not only a precise aesthetic code, but also an approach to the design and making of garments that suggests a way of buying them: to make them last. For the same reason, I find it absurd that, in the middle of winter, one can only find linen dresses in the shops and alpaca coats in the summer, for the simple reason that the desire to purchase must be satisfied immediately.”

Who buys an item to put it in the closet waiting for the right season? None or just a few, I believe. But this, driven by department stores, has become the dominant mind-set, which I think is wrong and needs to change.

This crisis is an opportunity to slow down and realign everything; to define a more meaningful landscape. I have been working with my teams for three weeks so that, after the lockdown, the summer collections will remain in the boutiques at least until the beginning of September, as it is natural. And so we will do from now on.”

Slow down and realign

“Special events should happen for special occasions, not as a routine.” The expense of a grandiose show far surpasses and is no longer justifiable especially when, according to Armani, it carries just a mediocre message. The letter denounces a scenario where too much is spent on “vulgar” displays of “mild ideas”; the designer reinforces his invitation to focus on slow-paced high-quality measured communication adding on to the message of focusing on authenticity to “regain human dimension”

“It is nice to see that in this sense we are all united. For retail, this will be an important stress test. I want to send my heartfelt encouragement to the American fashion operators for the difficult weeks they will face ahead. United, we will make it. But we have to be united and operate in unison: This is perhaps the most important lesson we can learn from this crisis.

United we will make it

Giorgio Armani

Ralph Lauren Provides $10 Million In Donations To Combat Covid-19 Crisis

Posted on 7 April 202020 April 2022 by Chidozie Obasi

Ralph Lauren donates $10 Million to help in combating coronavirus crisis. The sum, extended via the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation, will go towards the company’s employees in need, as well as global communities impacted by the pandemic.

The recently-turned knight, together with the Foundation’s president Patrice Louvet, declared the pledge to WWD. “We believe that no matter who you are or where you are from, we are all connected. That is why we are taking significant action to help our teams and communities through this crisis,” Lauren remarked.

“We recognize that this is an unprecedented multifaceted crisis that demands different responses for different needs in different places,” Louvet continued. “That is why we are funding multiple activities to support our teams, our partners and our communities around the world.”

$10 million has reportedly been planned to go towards various programs, from financial grants for Ralph Lauren employees to the World Health Organization’s Covid-19 Fund. In addition, Lauren has committed in supplying medical equipment such as 25,000 isolation gowns and 250,000 masks.

Elsewhere, the company pledged that it will be closing stores and hospitality locations in selected countries until further notice. The wellbeing of our teams, friends, and family around the world is what matters most right now.” The announcement has been shared via a few Instagram posts, featured below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ralph Lauren (@ralphlauren)

Italian Luxury Label Gucci Donates €2 Million To Facilitate Support For Coronavirus Pandemic

Posted on 3 April 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

After the entire fashion world has placed major shifts towards supporting and backing Covid-19 turmoil, Gucci is the latest fashion house to pledge a lump-sum donation to battle against spreading coronavirus.

Based in Italy, where the epidemic has implemented huge havoc, the luxury label announced a 1 Million euros donation to the Italian Civil Protection Department (Protezione Civile) in partnership wit Intesa Sanpaolo and an additional million-euro sum to the United Nations Foundations Covid-19 Solidarity Response Fund in support of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Gucci solicits its consumers and followers to join to help in raising financial backing to combat the pandemic. Those interested can help donating to the Solidarity Response Fund for WHO through the “donate” feature on Gucci’s website.

Moreover, Gucci is offering its social media accounts, owning over 70 million followers, to the World Health Organization to tackle public health information that could protect the health of the community.

Gucci’s President and CEO Marco Bizzarri and Creative Director Alessandro Michele remarked: ““This pandemic calls us to an unexpected task, but it is a call to which we respond decisively, advocating the selfless work carried out by health workers, doctors and nurses on the front lines every day in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, in Italy and in the rest of the world.

Their generosity and courage light our way forward in these difficult days. By supporting each other and helping those who are most vulnerable among us, we will be able to overcome this crisis: united, even more than before.”

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A post shared by Gucci Official (@gucci)

Philanthropic Fashion: Designers Support Scholars (And Beyond) Through Free-Of-Charge Lectures

Posted on 2 April 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

As times of upheaval couldn’t get worse and all hopes seem to dim, the fashion industry knows how to get hold of the quickest solutions. On this occasion, the Alexander McQueen’s Sarabande foundation has consolidated in the making of free lectures on the subjects of art and fashion, as the world rolls in self-isolation.

Titled The Sarabande Sessions, the free-of-charge classes are set to broadcast talks from household such as Thom Browne, Tim Walker, Molly Goddard, and A-COLD-WALL*’s Samuel Ross – and that’s just to name a few.

The first session, on March 27, featured a dialogue between Oscar-winning designer Colleen Atwood and acting mogul Eddie Redmayne. Classes start everyday at 5 pm DMT and run until April 9.

The schedule is as follows:

Tuesday 31 March
Camp: Notes on Fashion. Andrew Bolton in conversation with Liam Freeman.

Wednesday 1 April
A-COLD-WALL*’s Samuel Ross in conversation with Bunny Kinney

Thursday 2 April
Grayson Perry

Friday 3 April
Script to screen: How to get your films made with Olivier Kaempfer, Amy Jackson and Fiona Lamptey.

Saturday 4 April
Get your film seen: How to market your film with Bunny Kinney, Saam Farahmand and Dr. Rebekah Louisa Smith

Sunday 5 April
Jake Chapman in conversation with Mark Sanders

Monday 6 April
Juno Calypso

Tuesday 7 April
Maggi Hambling OBE in conversation with James Cahill

Wednesday 8 April
Thom Browne in conversation with Tim Blanks

Thursday 9 April
Tim Walker in conversation with Molly Goddard

The Cosiest Season-Defining Jumpers That Spell Instant Bliss

Posted on 17 March 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

Newsflash: cosy jumpers have whipped their sleekest revival. Now, whether you buy them cropped, long and laid-back, they semaphore simple and classic polish. And you don’t need to stick to the conventional silhouettes – induce a hint of subtle hues teamed with brights to champion seamless comfort and practicality (both highly coveted on a shopper’s list), and the perfect buy will offer both.

Opt for the cosy jumper: this versatile all-in-one staple is your swiftest route to practical chic. As seen on the autumn/winter 2020 catwalks, ease is the perfect way to make a statement, leaning towards a proof in timeless dressing.

This season, there’s a jumper for everybody. Marni’s macro bold-striped take oversized shapes cater a flattering, relaxed fit, while Bottega Veneta’s latest knitwear numbers deliver a wear-anywhere off-duty mood. Look to Etro for vibrant dramatics, Maison Margiela for the softest pastels and Givenchy for the smartest neutrals aboard. If you’re on a pursuit for amplified sophistication, consider pairing layers in matching hues.

The note says: effortless, fuss-free, sophisticated. Got it? Shop Man in Town’s edit of the jumpers bound to galvanise your spring wardrobe in just a heartbeat.

MARNI

BLUE AND RED JUMPER IN MACRO STRIPES, £289, AT YOOX.COM

BOTTEGA VENETA

TWISTED DETAILED KNIT JUMPER, £2,898, AT FARFETCH.COM

BOTTEGA VENETA

PANELLED CUTOUT ROLL NECK JUMPER, £1,365, AT FARFETCH.COM

MAISON MARGIELA

ELBOW PATCH SWEATHER, £335, AT MAISONMARGIELA.COM

DRIES VAN NOTEN

KNITTED JUMPER IN MONOTONE, £334, AT YOOX.COM

ETRO

SILK AND CASHMERE CREWNECK JUMPER, £690, AT ETRO.COM

GIVENCHY

BUTTON DETAIL JUMPER, £850, AT FARFETCH.COM

WOOD WOOD

GUNTHER SWEATHER, £145, AT WOODWOOD.COM

Cover photo: Photography by Chris Davies, styling by Jo Levi and grooming by Tina Elliott

The Best Streamlined Updates That Promise Duty-Chic

Posted on 6 March 202019 November 2023 by Chidozie Obasi

The news in tailoring? The wear-anywhere blazer is a man’s ultimate utility rival. Sometimes the best fashion solutions are staring you in the face.

Extending a smart wardrobe while blending it with breezier updates becomes synonymous of relaxed sophistication.

As the new season is looming, necessary investments roll in. Subtle hints of colour seamlessly blend with the daily winsomeness you already own: And trust us, it’s worth exploring.

The appeal of minimalist dressing has yet to wane and, varying on one’s style proclivity, clean-cut tailoring twists have flown in plethora this season – see Bottega Veneta, Prada, Jil Sander and Marni for further evidence.

Give duty-lead styles a try: pair elegance and relaxed practicality with a cool approach, and you’ll gain everyday (and night) advantage.

Shop Man in Town’s edit of the best streamlined updates to uplift your Spring wardrobe now and forever.

BOTTEGA VENETA

DOUBLE-BREASTED JACKET IN CASHMERE FLANNEL, £2,795, AT BOTTEGAVENETA.COM