18 October 2024 |
Prada makes a spacesuit, New York flagships galore, and Loewe expands to the Midwest.
What a week it’s been in New York City! Between the return of the Victoria’s Secret show and the glitz and glamour of Giorgio Armani’s one night only runway presentation, it feels like fashion month never ended. Being that the fashion world is in town, it was also a convenient time for brands to celebrate store openings. From Roger Vivier’s Madison Avenue flagship to Jacquemus’ SoHo boutique, retail is thriving just in time for the holidays. Speaking of new shops, it’s not just NYC-only trend, as Loewe has expanded to Chicago. And for a jaunt that’s a little bit further, like the moon far, what else does one wear besides Prada? Yes, you read that right, the Italian brand announced a spacesuit this week.
Read on to learn more and catch up on what else you might have missed.
What Will The First Woman on the Moon Wear? Prada, Of Course
55 years ago, the first men landed on the moon and soon, the first woman and person of color will join that elite list. What will they be wearing? Why Prada, naturally. The brand, along with Axiom Space, announced yesterday at the International Astronautical Congress in Milan that they will be partnering on the creation of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU) spacesuit. Slated for the NASA Artemis III mission, which could take off as early as 2026, the design combines fashion and function. Made with a white material that reflects heat and protects the astronauts from both extreme heat as well as cold, in addition to lunar dust. Engineered to last for at least eight-hours out in space, there are a slew of life supporting functions from carbon dioxide scrubbing to pressure regulation. As for the aesthetics, you won’t find a triangle logo but you’ll notice a red stripe detail — a nod to Luna Rossa perhaps? After all, it literally translates to red moon.
Loewe Expands to the Windy City
Chicago is known for a few things: Cloud Gate aka the Bean, Wrigley Field, and a thriving restaurant scene. As for fashion? Well, it’s on the up-and-coming, especially with Loewe joining the luxury lineup. The brand just announced that they’ve expanded to Oak Street with a 241 square meter boutique that spans two floors of a historic building. Designed around the Casa Loewe concept, you’ll find men’s, women’s, and accessories seamlessly integrated into a space that features hand-crafted ceramic tiles juxtaposed against a sweeping staircase which has an artisan-made, Georgian-inspired handrail. Rendered in shades of deep blue, aquamarine, and rich brown mixed in with concrete, marble, and oak, it’s inviting and soothing. As always, there’s a carefully selected array of furniture ranging from Utrecht armchairs to felt Berin chairs to Noguchi lamps as well as four bespoke carpets that are reproductions of British textile artist John Allen’s rural landscapes Peveril of the Peak Brighter and The River Reaches the Sea. Art, always a key part of any Loewe space, includes pieces by Lorna Robertson as well as Richard Hawkins among others.
Louis Vuitton Hits the Slopes
The calendar might say October but ‘tis the season for the luxury brands to drop their snow collections, in preparation for holiday getaways. This week Louis Vuitton’s 2025 men’s ski pieces hit stores. Designed by Pharrel Williams, it’s an acknowledgement that these winter sports are a mode of life and a culture in its own right. Made for both fashion and function, they’re made with sustainable materials and designed to be worn on and off the slopes. For those who want gear that can withstand the elements, performance pieces are windproof, waterproof and feature details like ski pass holders, goggle pockets, and ventilated zips. Should après be more your speed, shearling jackets, fair-isles sweaters and pearl-embroidered cable knit sweaters are among the pieces that’ll pique your interest. The Damoflage print, a Williams’ signature, gets winterized as Damoflage Snow, an icy palette that calls back to the season it’s designed for. You’ll notice it on a ski suit and a fleece tracksuit in addition to mittens, beanie, and a scarf. And because a good pair of boots are paramount, the collection also includes the LV Blizzard boot which has an inner sock and ankle drawstring to keep feet warm and dry while the LV Check Combat boot is lined in shearling and offers extra coziness. Finally, what’s a luxury snowsports collection without a stylish snowboard? The limited edition piece (only 100 are made) made by artisans in the French alps is almost too good to ride down a train — key word being almost.
Sailor Moon Fans, The New Jimmy Choo Collection is For You
There’s no anime that holds a special place in a fashion lover’s heart as much as Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon. Creator Naoko Takeuchi cited a slew of designers from Chanel to Dior to Yves Saint Laurent as the inspiration behind the outfits worn by her heroines. So it’s only fitting that she’d eventually do a collaboration. Launched last year, the Jimmy Choo x Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon collection was a smash hit and now the two are back again, with an array of accessories and shoes. From the reimagined Avenue Vanity bag which comes in 10 variations for each Sailor Guardian to the Diamond tote which features new artwork, there are practical yet creative options for fans. Rather get something more in your face? You’ll want the pink Chibi-inspired boots or the blue and red bow style identical to the ones worn by Sailor Pluto. And should Luna be more your speed, there are three different bags as well a giant bow made in her likeness. Check out the full collection here.
Dior Launches a Podcast
Ever wonder what happens behind-the-scenes at a Dior show? Well, wonder no longer as the brand announced that they’ve launched a podcast called Sounds of Dior. Consisting of six episodes, it gives the listener an insider’s point-of-view from backstage to the front row. You’kk hear from Creative Director Maria Grazia Chirui herself as well as friends of the house like Natalie Portman, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Rosalia. With titles like Acoustic Asides, The Model Perspective, and Hear It From the Experts, expect short sound bites in an easily digestible format — a little auditory snack for when you’re in the mood for a fashion escape. Stream it on Spotify now.
Jacquemus Opens in New York
Welcome to New York Jacquemus! Simon Porte Jacquemus’ namesake label opened up a boutique in New York in SoHo today with a flurry of free juices and croissants for lucky passersby. Located on 143 Spring Street, the nearly 3000 square foot store combines Parisian and Provençal influences with plenty of art and furniture that reflect the brands’ chic yet witty aesthetic. Designed by OMA, the open layout space is minimalist and warm, with curving shapes and repeating lines. You’ll see a Bourgogne stone floor, inspired by castle pavements while white stucco and yellow curtains add touches of color. With a mix of pieces designed by OMA, as well as ones acquired by Jacquemus and some special loaners, the furniture collection reads like a who’s who of the interiors world. A set of two Frank Lloyd Wright wood side chairs that date back to 1956 is courtesy of Christie’s while Jean Royere’s The Chaise Croisillon and Jean Dunan and Bertrand Lacroix’s Slipper Chair are also noteworthy. To round it out, artwork includes lithographs by Aristide Maillol and Joan Miró, an engraving by Pierre Bonnard, and photographs by Peter Schlesinger and Wolfgang Tillmans.
Roger Vivier Opens a New Madison Avenue Boutique
Just in time for the holiday season and all of its fancy dressing needs comes Roger Vivier’s New York City flagship. Located at 650 Madison, the space is designed to resemble a Parisian apartment and is a nod to the brand’s historic boutique on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré. Featuring a Versailles-style parquet floor with French moldings, you’ll also see tiled mirror walls designed to reflect niches that have golden frames. With silver walls and ceilings, a reference to the Paris location’s Salle d’Argent, they serve to highlight all of the accessories from shoes to jewelry to bags to gilets that are displayed in illuminated niches or on shelves. And what’s a new location without some exclusive pieces? You’ll find a limited collection of six one-of-a-kind Flower Strass Jewel bags in shades like neon pink, Bordeaux red, Ceylon blue. In honor of the occasion creative director Gherardo Felloni and friend of the house Laura Brown hosted a dinner at Le Veau d’Or where they celebrated with the likes of Sarah Paulson, Danai Gurira, and more.
Ecco’s Next Link Up is With Natacha Ramsay-Levi
Continuing in its tradition of inviting outside creative partners into the design room, Danish footwear brand Ecco has once again called on French-designer Natacha Ramsay-Levi to update some of its staple shoes – and prepare to fall head-over-heels in love. An exciting play on the feminine and boyish, the sporty and urban, the sensible and the statement, for the AW24 drop, the Grainer boot gets an earthy new color palette – think olive, cocoa, black and silver – and an updated Offroad range integrates chunky, wavy soles to bring an unexpected energy to functional walking shoes. Meanwhile, the revamped Sculpted model offers a sleek new take on the very on-trend cowboy boot without compromising comfort. These boots were definitely made for walking! Shop the collection in selected Ecco stores and online here.
J.Crew and Holiday Magazine’s Nostalgic Preppy Collab Collection
Perhaps no brand is more in their revival era than J.Crew and they’re taking full advantage of that momentum by pairing up with like-minded labels. Last summer’s collaboration with everyone’s favorite downtown cool girl boutique MNZ was a hit and now they’re following up with a delightfully preppy line in partnership with Holiday Magazine. The Paris-based travel publication, which underwent its own renaissance courtesy of a 2014 return under the helm of art director Franck Durand, is known for their striking layouts and lush photography of far flung destinations. Tinged with nostalgia, it serves as the perfect jumping point to bring back J.Crew favorites of years past. From jerseys to dock shoes to the currently very on-trend barn jacket, it’s equally parts jet-setting fantasy and practical pieces for your next getaway. Shop it all here.
G-STAR x Ottolinger Make the Ultimate Cool Girl Jeans
Spend enough time on TikTok and you’ll find plenty of videos posing the question: wait, what jeans am I supposed to wear now? Answers tend to depend on what generation one identifies as but for those who find those responses unexciting, perhaps the solution lies in the Ottlinger x G-STAR collaboration. The Berlin-based cool girl label founded by Christa Bösch and Cosima Gadient teams up with the classic denim brand as a part of the latter’s new collaborative series titled what else but The Denim. Featuring limited-edition pieces, Bösch and Gadient opted to reinterpret the Elwood, a 3-D designed style that launched in 1996. Slim fitting with knee pads and stitching, they’re sexy and sleek. Available in two iterations, THE DENIM 001 has a low waist and gold-colored hardware as well as side zips at the bottom while THE DENIM 001 Zip has full-length side zips and silver-colored hardware. Get them before they’re gone on G-STAR’s site.
