Diverting slightly from the rebellious, pop-punk narrative of its Spring/Summer 2017 ready-to-wear, Gucci releases an eyewear campaign that bridges the divide between the aforementioned’s aesthetic and the straight-laced collegia of its Pre-Fall line. Starring model Nick Fortna, a Gucci favorite for the ’17 season, and lensed by Glen Luchford, the images spotlight the wide-lensed construction favored by the Italian house and its creative director, Alessandro Michele.
Rag & Bone‘s cinematic off-shoot, Rag & Bone Films, sees its star rise with the inclusion of its latest short, “HAIR,” in the upcoming Tribeca Film Festival. Starring Bobby Cannavale and John Turturro, who also assumes the director’s chair, the 5-minute film is a real-world first for the studio, its cinéma vérité quality allowing viewers to assume an observational position as the two actors contemplate the finer points of personality through hair. A true passion project for Turturro, the film, located in his hometown of Brooklyn and shot by his “The Night Of” collaborator Fred Elmes, is an industry shakeup, a pivoted perspective of fashion’s place in today’s cinematic landscape. Though “HAIR” presents Rag & Bone’s very first documentary-style piece, the film follows the high-reaching 2015 release of “The Driver,” the short-form, Michael Pitt starrer that released in unison with his monochromatic Spring/Summer 2015 campaign.
Tickets to see “HAIR” at the Tribeca Film Festival are available online now.
Though home furnishings may occupy much of the current fashion frontier—see Versace’s Vasmara line or Loewe’s Salone del Mobile installation for reference—Cali-born STAMPD aims to bring something new to the self-designed table through its first home-goods partnership alongside IKEA. Announced at this year’s Milan Furniture Fair, and with IKEA’s “passion for life at home” mantra at its forefront, the new line will focus not on grandeur but rather on the simplified, the crux of the collection building on its ability to assist, rather than detract from, a customer’s lifestyle. Centered around a strategy of at-home storage and its many capacities, the pieces are meant to organize and display items that project a customer’s self-image within the home. Whether it’s one of STAMPD’s Louisville Sluggers or an IKEA tchotchke, the principle of the design theory is to de-clutter one’s life to better instill a personable energy that reflects a specific space’s inhabitant, broadcasting a consumer’s lifestyle, rather than obscuring it from view. This inaugural partnership between STAMPD’s contemporary luxury aesthetic and IKEA’s global vision provides a smooth segue into the young brand’s upcoming minimalist pieces and would seem to profess the staying power of the 2011-founded label.
The STAMPD x IKEA collection will be available in IKEA stores beginning in Spring 2018.
Ushering in a new age for the minimalist German brand, Jil Sander names fashion couple Luke and Lucie Meier as its latest creative leads. Filling the position after the departure of Rodolfo Paglialunga just last month, the duo are aiming to bring a more clever feel to the ’60s fashion house. Having served under the label for three years, Paglialunga reinvigorated its DNA through clean campaigns and sharp-cut collections. With Lucie having worked for the likes of Louis Vuitton, Dior, and Balenciaga, and with Luke designing under Supreme before leaving to head his own brand, OAMC, this latest creative endeavor will be the first professional relationship shared between the two. The married couple are poised to debut their premiere collection with Jil Sander in September 2017.
This week’s complete social snapshot, distilled for your pleasure.
From the hottest celebrity parties to the regretful morning-after shots, ESSENTIAL HOMME‘s Weekly Instagram Roundup brings all of the hottest designer, model, and trendsetting pics from the week directly to you. After all, no one has time to scroll through anything but the best.
Plein Sport
Taking the stage at NYC’s Vision Expo—the celebration for visionaries in spectacle education, fashion, and technology—sportswear brand Plein Sport, an off-shoot of the envelope-pushing Philipp Plein, brought its line of athletic, multi-colored eyewear to the masses. Having premiered its warrior-driven Autumn/Winter 2017 runway at Milan Fashion Week, the brand continues its streak of combining athletic-wear with unapologetic design in this classroom-inspired getup.
Loewe
Loewe Creative Director J.W.Anderson has kept himself very busy. From an upcoming Pitti Uomo presentation to a just announced Uniqlo collection, the designer is poised to experience his grand second coming. Following his most recent museum curative project, Anderson brings Loewe’s Spanish sensibilities to Salone del Mobile—the largest global furniture fair held in Milan—to showcase its sleek home goods line, a brazen mix of cultural inspirations and artistic expression.
Giovanni Squatriti
Fashion photographer and frequent ESSENTIAL HOMME collaborator Giovanni Squatriti expanded his polaroid portfolio with the help of model Francisco Lachowski. Posing next to an Hermes bust, the insta-ready images continue a lucrative partnership between the pair, one that first reared its head within the EH family in April/May 2014.
John Elliott
John Elliott‘s popular Watching Water series receives a casual update alongside retail shop United Arrows & Sons with a selection of exclusive tees based on the same oceanic principles. Featuring roiling imagery of power and tranquility, the pieces are a more relaxed iteration of the thematic elements in the brand’s NYFWM Spring/Summer 2017 runway—where vibrant palettes and watery tones took center stage.
Armani
Milan’s premiere shopping center ups its street credibility with the addition of Armani/Casa, the latest from the Italian brand’s brick-and-mortar locations. Featuring the iconically modular collection known to the house’s furniture offerings, the new flagship will see architecture rub elbows with interior decor as minimalist home goods pair with a state-of-the-art interior design service, aiming to integrate living spaces with conceptual progression.
As true believers of the work hard, play hard mantra, we present you with It’s Been a Long Week, a weekly column aimed at awarding some liquid appreciation to you for just being yourself, dammit. Make a glass or two on us, you deserve it.
WHAT
Jose Cuervo’s El Diablo
Two classics collide in Jose Cuervo‘s El Diablo—a fruity twist that takes the fun of margaritas and blends it with the refreshingly crisp bite of ginger.
HOW
Ingredients:
1 part Jose Cuervo Especial Gold
0.5 part Crème de cassis
0.5 part Lime juice
2-3 parts Ginger beer
Image: ESSENTIAL HOMME, Dekuyper, Jose Cuervo, and Buderim Ginger.
THEN
Combine all ingredients into a shaker, excluding the ginger beer. Shake, then fine-strain mixture into an ice-filled rocks glass. Top with ginger beer and garnish.
California eyewear label RAEN averts its sun-streaked attention to the mountains of Northeastern France for its latest collection: Fabriqué en France. The three silhouettes—Remmy 49, Wiley, Norie—honor the longstanding traditions of the Haut-Jura region in its commitment to frame construction since the late 1700s. In this particular release, each piece features premium Mazzucchelli Acetate, one of the most prolific plastics of today, and 5-barrel hinges sources from Comotec, Italy. The anti-reflective azure coating, utilized to reduce internal glare, allows for a seamless collection that doesn’t shy away from industry standards, despite RAEN’s optical boundary-pushing. Available in three colorways, including Noir, Fumeé, and Arbois, the frames burn with a sunset intensity, the deep tonal qualities reminiscent of the sloping grace of their inspirational mountain range. As a handmade brand that prides itself on innovation through authentic production, this homage to its historical inspiration seems right at home.
Image: RAEN.
The RAEN Fabriqué en France collection is available online now.
Mass retail gets a high-fashion makeover as British brand J.W.Anderson partners with Tokyo mainstay Uniqlo for a just announced Autumn/Winter 2017 collection. Featuring both men’s and womenswear, the pieces seek to pair the modern utility of the retail giant with the iconic heritage of the eponymous designer’s eye. Arriving on the heels of Anderson’s Pitti Uomo inclusion, the news is a welcome change for Uniqlo, who has previously conquered art and film categories with its MoMA and Disney collaborations. Choosing to distill a higher price point of merchandise through its wide-reaching channels, the pieces will take the very best of runway wear and package it into am more digestible collection for the masses. “Working with Uniqlo is probably the most incredible template of democracy in fashion,” says Anderson. “It’s nice that my design can be accessible to anyone, on all different levels.” With fit and fabric at the forefront and an end goal of quality through collaboration, the new collection will push Uniqlo into uncharted territory when it arrives in stores this fall.
This week’s complete social snapshot, distilled for your pleasure.
From the hottest celebrity parties to the regretful morning-after shots, ESSENTIAL HOMME‘s Weekly Instagram Roundup brings all of the hottest designer, model, and trendsetting pics from the week directly to you. After all, no one has time to scroll through anything but the best.
Gucci
After reinventing its watch campaign for a millennial eye, Gucci takes to technology once again in this first look at Alessandro Michele’s upcoming exhibition. Traveling to Hong Kong for a three part installation, the event features the works highlighted in his recent limited edition print run, while adding new pieces from a range of female photographers—as well as the coveted Joshua Tree portraits of director Gia Coppola.
Kris Van Assche
Creative Director Kris Van Assche snapped a quick selfie to celebrate his first decade at the helm of Dior Homme. Wearing a celebratory shirt graffitied by his team, the photo offers a glimpse at the Rue de Marignan headquarters of the French brand’s design hub. In Van Assche’s 10 years, the fashion house has seen a gothic reinvention—classic styles reinterpreted with a serrated edge, as seen in its most recent Autumn/Winter 2017 runway, all while staying true to the clean cuts that have become a Dior staple.
Bella Hadid
Two icons pouting in one quick snapshot, fashion’s it-girl Bella Hadid shared an intimate moment with photographer Mert Alas for a thirsty Thursday treat. Dining at Omar’s La Ranita, the member’s only Manhattan hotspot, the pair celebrated their recent joint cover gig and Alas’ Fashion Los Angeles Awards win for his pet project, “Angels of Concrete,” shot in Berlin and London and featuring the new kids of street culture.
Lanvin
After celebrating its 10th anniversary just last year, Lanvin unveils a new look at its Spring/Summer 2017 in a video by photographer Jean-Christophe Moine. The French couture label showcases its fascinating mix of dejected grays and popping color that walked the Paris runways last year. A brain child of Creative Director Lucas Ossendrijver, the slow-moving video highlights the printed and embellished outerwear that had audiences clamoring.
Unqilo
Japanese retail giant Uniqlo descended upon New York City this week to unveil its latest LifeWear iterations. Showing in Spring Studios, the first time the event has been held within the U.S., the brand’s mass-market clothing line received a luxe touch through collaborations with high-fashion powerhouses, such as model and designer Ines de la Fressange and the upcoming Pitti Uomo participantJ.W.Anderson.
It’s been 10 years since COS first opened its doors on London’s Regent Street. Since then, the Swedish brand’s unique blend of art and design has cemented its position in the fashion collective as a purveyor of minimalist passion. To celebrate its anniversary, the brand releases a jigsaw capsule collection of an airy ethos. Comprised of 10 pieces and featuring men’s, women’s, and childrenswear, the line is understated by design—just a simple pair of shorts, a shirt, and a jacket in muted khaki and pearly white that honors the functional and modern messaging COS has touted with pride for the past decade.
Image: COS.
Image: COS.
The COS 10 year anniversary collection is available online now.
As true believers of the work hard, play hard mantra, we present you with It’s Been a Long Week, a weekly column aimed at awarding some liquid appreciation to you for just being yourself, dammit. Make a glass or two on us, you deserve it.
WHAT
Port Runners
Bearing an American history all its own, SpringHouse at Russell Lands on Lake Martin’s Port Runners is a cocktail of pioneering spirit. Pulled straight from the banks of the Kentucky River and crafted by one of few master distillers, it’s a drink 200 years in the making.
HOW
Ingredients:
1.75 oz. Buffalo Trace Bourbon
1 oz. Bittermilk #3
1.5 oz. Grapefruit juice
1 dash of Angostura bitters
Image: ESSENTIAL HOMME, Buffalo Trace, Bittermilk, and Angosture Orange.
THEN
Shake well with ice, then strain into a coupe glass.
Thanks in part to Warhol’s East-side Factory and Lichtenstein’s paradoxical prints, New York has long been the fan flaming the global pop art movement and its mass-produced, satirical depictions of hyper-consumerist culture. So when CJ Hendry, a Brisbane-born artist, needed to pull her art into its next phase the Big Apple stood waiting, its obsessive desire for branding both a shock and a comfort. “In the early days of my art career I was completely immersed in the luxury shopping mindset,” says Hendry, her initial method drawing super-sized recreations of popular high-end products. “I was a buyer of things I could not afford so I think my work reflected where I was at in my personal life at the time.”
Image: CJ Hendry x Christian Louboutin.
While her peers in the industry may have been tempted by the global recognition of its artistic subject, similar to Warhol’s preference for life in the limelight, for Hendry it was less about the glamour and more concept. “I am not as obsessed with product,” she says. “There are other things that I find far more exciting nowadays. I think my work is slowly developing.” Previously operating with an insatiable appetite for conglomerates’ authoritarian influence, the next step forward in the sketch-artist’s portfolio proved to be a bright one—introducing color into her artwork for the first time. “I have chosen to part from product and take a more conceptual approach,” Hendry says of the change.
Image: CJ Hendry x Christian Louboutin.
It was perfect timing, it would seem, as she was soon approached by a brand with a fiery passion for pigment all its own—Christian Louboutin. “[It is] a brand that stands out due to its colorful energy, which I think translates perfectly.” Roping her in as part of its celebratory Hong Kong Art Basel installation, an honor in itself as the 2013-founded show has seen such partnerships as Ji Zhou, Carmelo Tedeschi, and Quentin Shih, Louboutin provided a global platform for the artist to stand upon. “It is a privilege to get the opportunity to work with such an established brand,” she says. “I am grateful that even though I was wanting to take my work in a new direction, [Louboutin] still trusted my vision.”
Image: CJ Hendry x Christian Louboutin.
Luckily, that artistic pivot worked. Displaying reach-out-and-touch interpretations of vibrant paint blobs, the confectionary-like art is deceivingly inspiring. Using just a pencil, a medium that proved daunting for the self-professed OCD sufferer, the images stretch their arms beyond the canvas for a thought-provoking look at imperfection and its bold capacity to exist. “Working with pencil has forced me to get over my need for perfection,” Hendry says. “If there is a smudge, no one is going to die. Life goes on!” A deep-diving sentiment shared by the French shoe brand—the eponymous founder’s own mantra, “A shoe has so much more to offer than just to walk,” features a similar paradigm. “The fact that I have chosen to launch into color as well as work with Louboutin is an uncanny coincidence,” she says. “It seems to be a very complimentary collaboration.”
Image: CJ Hendry x Christian Louboutin.
Her no-holds-barred approach, insisting that her art be seen at the over-large scale it was meant, allowed for this new phase to experience its proper welcome, growing alongside Art Basel’s collective clout. Though she might not have current plans as to what is next on the horizon following her biggest shift to date—”I don’t know where I will go with my subject matter so you will be as surprised as me”—Hendry asserts her dominance in the pop art collective with every step she takes. Subverting a commonplace pessimism for her own embrace of iconographic influence, her visionary new world now sees its candy-colored reflection in Louboutin’s own glossy, lacquered standing.
