12 January 2024 |
Plus collabs from Levi’s and COS as well as more famous faces in ad campaigns.
As we get closer to the Year of the Dragon, which doesn’t actually start until February 10th, the more brands are dropping their festive collaborations. This week’s batch includes campaigns and lines from the likes of Prada, Miu Miu, Valentino, and Self-Portrait. Some went the traditional route, using classic auspicious colors and symbolism, while others decided to sneakily drop in their capsule collections in ads that feature more contemporary pieces. Other news worth noting that isn’t Lunar New Year related include more star studded ads, namely Diana Ross starring in Saint Laurent and Jennie from Blackpink highlighting Chanel’s new jewelry line.
Checking out everything you may have missed from this week below.
COS Releases a 100% Traceable Wool Collection
COS is ringing in the new year with a new partnership. The brand is working with NATIVA, a provider of merino wool committed to the highest standards of animal welfare and environmental responsibility. The result is an 8-piece capsule collection made exclusively of 100% traceable wool. It’s a continuation of the brand’s devotion to sustainability, which is also reflected in the classic pieces. Featuring softly tailored blazers, vests, and slacks, the capsule is perfect for a chic return to the office.
Valentino’s Very Red Lunar New Year Collection
Before there was Pierpaolo Piccioli pink, there was Valentino red, so what could be more fitting than a Lunar New Year collection devoted to the brand’s most iconic color? To celebrate the Year of the Dragon, ambassadors Yang Yang and Yang Zi star in a campaign that features wishes loaded into festive lanterns. Wearing the auspicious hue, the two highlight key pieces from the capsule collection included the Locò mini bag, Locò bucket, signature slingback, and more. You’ll find the styles at all of Valentino’s mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong boutiques but for those looking to celebrate from abroad, you’ll also find it online.
Miu Miu Embraces Upcycling
In 2020 Miu Miu started their Upcycled collection, which features vintage pieces reimagined into new silhouettes, as a way to encourage circular fashion. Their fourth iteration has just launched, with the focus being on denim. Using styles that date from pre-2000 and sourced from across the world, the pieces were selected based on their color, weight, and fading. The result is a series of wide-legged jeans, trucker jackets, bra tops, shorts, baseball caps, and headbands. Also in the capsule are bags, a new addition to the mix, which uses leather remnants from prior designs. To showcase the line, the brand photographed actor Ever Anderson and model Hujia Chen, mixing denim and leather with pieces like polos and sweaters from their Lunar New Year collection.
Prada’s Cinematic Ode the the Year of the Dragon
While the rabbit might symbolize beauty and the rat intelligence, the dragon in the Chinese zodiac is undeniably the most powerful. It’s easy to see why there’s been an abundance of imaginative merch and campaigns. The latest to join that list is Prada’s ode to the Lunar New Year, as shot by photographer Lesley Zhang. Consisting of cinematic images, namely iconic Chinese films, the portraits star model and actress Du Juan (who happens to be in a Wong Kar-Wai television series) and Zhao Lei, who can be seen in Yang Fudong’s film First Spring, playing at the Pradasphere II exhibition in Shanghai. Set at Prada Rong Zhai, a historic art space, the two wear pieces from the collection which include organza skirts, knitwear, and satin mules as well as bags and menswear from the Re-Nylon collection.
Self-Portrait Celebrates Togetherness
Speaking of photographer Leslie Zhang, he’s also behind Self-Portrait’s Lunar New Year campaign, starring legendary actress Carina Lau and models Ling Tan, He Zhi, and Ji Shuyan. Set in Shanghai, Zhang, along with brand’s founder Han Chong, wanted to focus on the holiday as it relates to family, friendship, and togetherness. Per the press release, Chong wanted to honor Lau and Tan, two acting and fashion icons he has long respected. Featuring festive dresses, including cheongsam inspired pieces in shades of red, green, and gold, the images bring to mind glamorous women who lived in the city during the 1920s. Also seen in the campaign is the label’s signature Bow bag, which is now also available in silver and gold, as well as kids styles in embroidered cotton and knitwear.
Bernard James Opens in Greenpoint
One of our favorite emerging fine jewelry designers quietly opened a shop over the holidays. Bernard James, known for his delicate pieces that reference everything from his childhood visits to the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens to mistakes while working in the studio, has set up in Greenpoint. Located at 181 Franklin Street, the cozy space features curated artwork by Sarah Favreau, furniture from USM Modular (they collaborated on an incense holder in our gift guide!), as well as custom Altec Lansing Model 19 speakers. You’ll find all six of his genderless collections there as well as never-before-seen pieces from a new diamond collection, made in tandem with a partnership with the Natural Diamond Council. And for those who want something extra special and unique, they can also work on custom pieces as well.
Levi’s BEAMS Collaboration Makes a Return
Does it feel like everyone went to Japan in the past year and managed to find the most unique, exclusive items? Well, Levi’s latest collaboration will let you get in on that experience, even if you’re doing so from the couch. They’re partnering up with cult favorite Japanese brand BEAMS for the fourth time, on a series of wide legged jeans, tees, and boxy jackets. Made in classic styles and washes, the two took inspiration from styles made back in 1944, reimagined in selvedge denim with exaggerated proportions. Think of the pieces as the 1940s by way of Y2K for 2023. Shot on nine models against backdrops that evoke images of traditional landscapes including bamboo forests and cobblestone pavements, the looks feel both current and classic.
Diana Ross is Saint Laurent’s Latest Face
Considering that the first week of January saw Pamela Anderson for Proenza Schouler and Jeremy Allen White for Calvin Klein, spring’s wave of ad campaigns is full of interesting celebrity choices. The latest causing the internet to go astir? That would be the legendary 79 year old Diana Ross for Saint Laurent. First revealed on creative director Anthony Vaccarello’s instagram, the black and white images feature Ross in a chic and slinky black dress as well as swaddled up in a fur stole. The casting isn’t a complete surprise — she’s been a longtime supporter of the luxury house, having attended shows in the 1970s as well as wearing it to the infamous Studio 54, making a case for brand loyalty over the decades.
Chanel Launches Their Playful Coco Crush Campaign
Imagine playing musical chairs with Amandla Sternberg, Lucy Boynton, Lucas El Bali, and a bevy of other models while Jennie from Blackpink seemingly oversees your fate in the game. Oh, and you’re all clad in Chanel. It sounds like a fever dream but in fact, that’s the premise of Chanel’s latest campaign for their Coco Crush fine jewelry collection. As the cast make their way among the seats at the Palais Brongniart in Paris to It’s So Good, an original song by Jamie XX, you’ll see flashes of bracelets, rings, earrings, and more. The pieces are simple and elegant, with crisscross incisions that bring to mind the brand’s signature quilting as well as the idea that life is a series of encounters. Paired with an all-black wardrobe, it’s easy to see why these are destined to be instant classics.
What’s in a Tennis Star’s (Louis Vuitton) Trunk?
If you’ve ever wondered where tennis star Carlos Alcaraz – winner of the 2022 US Open and 2023 Wimbledon – keeps his trophies, wonder no longer. Naturally the Louis Vuitton ambassador has his own Louis Vuitton Malle Vestiaire for such needs. The hard sided trunk dates back to the luxury brand’s earliest days, making it the perfect way for Alcaraz to store mementos. Made with the classic monogram print, there are special touches like a distinctive logo as inspired by his career, which is hand-painted on the exterior. What’s also within? Other keepsakes like the Nike shirt and shoes he wore when he won Wimbledon, a Babolat racquet, his favorite Louis Vuitton Nike AF1’s, and more. For those who want their own version, tennis grand slam prizes not included, you can custom order your own version starting this month.
