This year’s Pride festivities will include a philanthropic black-tie event to benefit the cause and celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Hosted at Rainbow Room, the Love Above All Ball (with support from OUT@NBCUniversal) on June 28th is the only ticketed black-tie event scheduled for the season and will benefit the Born This Way Foundation, which is a non-profit founded by Lady Gaga and co-run by her mother Cynthia Germanotta that provides young people with mental health resources.
“Born This Way Foundation was founded with the goal of empowering young people from all walks of life to create a kinder and braver world. Today’s youth are a passionate, collaborative, and diverse generation,” said Cynthia Germanotta, president and co-founder of the Born This Way Foundation, in a statement. “We are proud to be partnering with Rainbow Room for its first-ever Pride event celebrating love, creativity, and community.”
The gala will feature a cabaret performance by RuPaul’s Drag Race alum (and co-star of last year’s A Star is Born) Shangela and will feature live performances by Marina (formerly of Marina and the Diamonds fame) and Betty Who. Additionally, veteran DJs Casey Spooner, Nicky Siano, and Miss Guy will provide the soundtrack for the evening. Sounds like a good night!
Tickets for the Love Above All Ball at Rainbow Room are available online now. Start planning your outfit now.
For those about to rock, head to the Met — the Metropolitan Museum of Art is unveiling the first ever exhibition dedicated to rock instruments with Play It Loud: Instruments of Rock & Roll. Organized in partnership with the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the immersive exhibition features over 130 instruments and other artifacts (like costumes and psychedelic posters, oh my) that belonged to some of the great rock legends of our time, including (but definitely not limited to) Keith Richards, Chuck Berry, Joan Jett, Prince, Eric Clapton, St. Vincent, Jimi Hendrix, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, and Lady Gaga. (Whew.)
“Play It Loud celebrates a formative chapter in 20th-century art and culture, and the extraordinary objects featured in this presentation convey the innovation, experimentation, passion, and rebellion at the heart of rock and roll,” director of the museum Max Hollein said in a statement. “The exhibition allows us to appreciate the artistry of the instruments as well as their powerful role in the creation and expression of rock’s legendary sound and identity.”
With such an expansive range of musical heirlooms, the exhibition does a terrific job of chronicling the history of rock and roll in an intimate manner. And the fact that it’s hosted at the Met speaks to the lasting influence credibility of the genre that continues to challenge the status quo and fight The Man. So rock on.
St. Vincent MASSEDUCTION edition electric guitar, Ernie Ball Music Man, 2017. St. Vincent designed this instrument to suit her ergonomic, stylistic, and sonic needs, and used it on her 2017 MASSEDUCTION Tour. Courtesy of St. Vincent.
Poster by Bonnie MacLean promoting The Yardbirds’ and the Doors’ concerts at the Fillmore Series, San Francisco, CA, Tuesday, July 25 to Sunday, July 30, 1967. Collection of David Swartz Courtesy The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Landing on the scene with a hyper-surreal perspective, Thierry Mugler dominated the fashion world in the late 20th century with his high-production showmanship and futuristic garments. By fusing science fiction and film noir visuals into razor-sharp silhouettes that celebrated femininity, the French label was able to simultaneously capture the zeitgeist and propel it to new heights, turning runway shows into opulent spectacles and models into superwomen.
The reclusive designer, who stepped down from his eponymous brand in 2002 before it shuttered completely shortly after, remains an instrumental figure in contemporary fashion. Renowned for sculpting entire worlds that extended far beyond the runway and amassing a vast body of work that fortified his singular vision, Mugler’s influence remains as idiosyncratic as ever and continues to rouse the public. Almost two decades after exiting the limelight, the designer is being honored with the first exhibition dedicated to his work, Thierry Mugler: Couturissime, which opens at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts this weekend.
When presented with the idea to commission an exhibition, Mugler himself chose curator Thierry-Maxime Loriot to make it a reality. Loriot has emerged as a young, yet seasoned veteran in sartorial show curation—his first exhibition was the widely successful Jean-Paul Gaultier retrospective that toured the world from 2011 to 2016.
“I was quite surprised and flattered when he [Mugler] asked because I know that many museums approached him for the chance to do an exhibition about his work,” Loriot says. “I guess it was a match with the museum director here [Nathalie Bondil] because we do more installations, rather than general retrospectives.”
The two worked closely together to design an immersive experience poised to re-introduce the genius of Mugler’s mind to the masses. (After all, the designer was the first to host a show that was open to the public—the Fall/Winter 1984 show in Paris featured over 350 looks and drew in an audience of over 6,000.) “We make installations that are very alive,” Loriot assures. “We are storytellers. That’s what the exhibition will be about—it’s going to be about fashion and the obsession with Mugler through the years with a thematic approach.”
Comprised of over 150 full couture looks (many on display for the first time), the exhibition encompasses Mugler’s multidisciplinary work as a full auteur, including photographs, original illustrations, and rare video footage from his extensive archives, which remain hidden and carefully preserved in secret warehouses throughout France.
“It’s quite impressive to see the level of perfection that was achieved in these pieces, and also the amount of work and number of hours he spent on every piece,” Loriot says, regarding his time spent combing through the archives and what viewers should expect. “Many people see the pieces in the magazines and on TV, but to see them up close is really impressive.” There’s also some irony that Mugler, whose work was frequently acclaimed for its futuristic appeal, had not preserved any of his archives digitally. “[Mugler] stopped doing fashion in 2002, when pretty much all the photographers went digital, so none of the images were digitized from the archives.”
Despite a seemingly never-ending public demand for all things nostalgic, Loriot is adamant that the exhibition is very much a reflection of today. “I don’t think this is something nostalgic, to be honest. I think this is more like a new work altogether,” he says. Additionally, a section of the exhibit includes new looks crafted exclusively for the museum.
He also mentions the importance of re-contextualizing Mugler’s work for modern consumption. Even at his career peak, his pieces were not without scrutiny—critics frequently deemed his clothes sexist and harmful for their exaggerated shapes and hypersexual tone.
“I think it’s always interesting to put things in context. We live in a #MeToo era,” he says, showing how hindsight has affected interpretation to carry Mugler’s work in higher regard. In his universe, women were autonomous supervixens who existed unburdened by systemic oppression. And it’s likely this interpretation that has continued to attract some of the biggest stars—like Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Cardi B—today.
Since parting ways with his label, Mugler (who’s reverted to using his birth name, Manfred) has turned his focus to extreme bodybuilding, yet his larger-than-life presence still resonates within the industry. His brand remains a fragrance juggernaut, consistently ranking among best-selling in the world since the first perfume launched in 1992. And the label remains a Paris Fashion Week fixture since its resurrection in 2010 under the direction of stylist and art director Nicola Formichetti. (It’s currently overseen by Casey Cadwallader.) But it’s this exhibition that promises to remind the public why a designer like Mugler is so necessary—harnessing a distinct utopian vision, he shattered sartorial convention and expanded the notion of what fashion could be.
“He was really using fashion as a medium; as an artist, and for me that’s what’s important,” Loriot says. “He revolutionized the system.”
This article is featured in the Spring 2019 issue of Essential Homme.
The first hostless Oscars in almost 30 years went on without a swing, and (surprisingly) provided the awards ceremony with the highest ratings in 5 years. This is most likely due to the highly anticipated and showstopping performance of Best Original Song ‘Shallow‘ by Best Actor and Actress nominees Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga. The captivating performance needed no introduction (literally — the music just started playing and Cooper and Gaga walked from the front row to belt it out) and once again flaunted the undeniable chemistry of the two leads. The fact that A Star is Born went home with only one award (Congrats, Gaga!) is borderline criminal, but this performance will go down as one of the awards ceremony’s finest. Watch Gaga scream her fucking heart out below.
Honorable Mentions:
Image: Frazer Harrison.
Billy Porter Wears a Tuxedo Dress
The always regal Pose star stopped traffic with a runway-ready custom Christian Siriano tuxedo dress. The only thing better than seeing men embracing red carpet fashion like never before is this video of Glenn Close’s admiration of Porter’s ensemble. Bless.
Spike Lee’s Winning Speech
After BlacKkKlansman won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay, director Spike Lee leaped into Samuel L. Jackson’s arms before giving a heartfelt speech about rallying for love against hate in the upcoming 2020 election. Right there with you, Lee.
With the Golden Globes on Sunday, we’ve compiled a list of our expected winners of the award ceremony. For the sake of brevity, we’re only focusing on the film nominees as I don’t watch TV apart from the same Frasier episodes I’ve come to rely on. Now on to the show.
Best Motion Picture – Drama A Star Is Born Black Panther BlacKkKlansman Bohemian Rhapsody If Beale Street Could Talk
It’s a toss-up between Black Panther and A Star is Born, but Bradley Cooper really delivered in his directorial debut and third mainstream iteration of the classic Hollywood tale. Plus, “Shallow.”
Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy Crazy Rich Asians The Favourite Green Book Mary Poppins Returns Vice
The Favourite is really unlike anything that’s come out in recent years, and with career-defining performances by its female leads, it deserves the title.
Best Director, Motion Picture
Adam McKay, Vice
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Bradley Cooper, A Star Is Born
Peter Farrelly, Green Book Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman
Lee knows how to capture the zeitgeist and it showed. Kudos.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama
Glenn Close, The Wife Lady Gaga, A Star Is Born
Melissa McCarthy, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Nicole Kidman, Destroyer
Rosamund Pike, A Private War
I love Glenn Close (watch The Wife — 2/3 of the film is just close-ups of her looking doubtful), but Gaga’s intensity (she barely blinks???) and dedication demonstrated in Star are sure to secure her second Globe.
Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Constance Wu, Crazy Rich Asians
Charlize Theron, Tully
Elsie Fisher, Eighth Grade
Emily Blunt, Mary Poppins Returns Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Colman in The Favourite? Dramatic, erratic, and vulnerable. Queen!
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Amy Adams, Vice
Claire Foy, First Man
Emma Stone, The Favourite
Rachel Weisz, The Favourite
Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk.
Amy Adams continued to exercise her incredible versatility in this fierce political satire. Also, Sharp Objects.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Drama
Bradley Cooper, “A Star Is Born”
John David Washington, “BlacKkKlansman”
Lucas Hedges, “Boy Erased” Rami Malek, “Bohemian Rhapsody”
Willem Dafoe, “At Eternity’s Gate”
Malek fabulously lost himself in the role as Freddie Mercury so it’s in the bag.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy
Christian Bale, Vice
John C. Reilly, Stan & Ollie Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mary Poppins Returns
Robert Redford, The Old Man & the Gun
Viggo Mortensen, Green Book
Miranda is a musical master so give praise where it’s due.
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture
Adam Driver, BlacKkKlansman
Mahershala Ali, Green Book
Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Sam Rockwell, Vice Timothée Chalamet, Beautiful Boy
2018’s it-boy was snubbed for Call Me By Your Name and reparations must be made.
Best Screenplay, Motion Picture
Adam McKay, Vice
Alfonso Cuarón, Roma
Barry Jenkins, If Beale Street Could Talk Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, The Favourite
Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, and Peter Farrelly, Green Book
Our winter cover star and Favourite co-star Joe Alwyn called this one of the best things he’s ever read. We can see why.
Best Original Score, Motion Picture
Alexandre Desplat, Isle of Dogs
Ludwig Göransson, Black Panther Marco Beltrami, A Quiet Place
Justin Hurwitz, First Man
Marc Shaiman, Mary Poppins Returns
One of the most original horror flicks to come out, the score was used very strategically and to brilliant effect.
Best Original Song, Motion Picture
“All the Stars” — Black Panther
“Girl in the Movies” — Dumplin’
“Requiem for a Private War” — A Private War
“Revelation” — Boy Erased “Shallow” — A Star Is Born
One word: AHHHHHHaaahhhhAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
Best Motion Picture, Animated Incredibles 2 Isle of Dogs Mirai Ralph Breaks the Internet Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
A different take on Spider-Man that brings it to a new level.
Best Motion Picture, Foreign Language Capernaum Girl Never Look Away Roma Shoplifters
In the lead single off his sophomore effort Bloom, Troye Sivan embraced his queerness uninhibitedly by dancing with reckless abandon. ‘My My My!,’ is an uplifting pop song that captures and rejoices in that overwhelming feeling of young love, which Sivan revels in by turning an abandoned warehouse into his runway in this steamy video directed by Grant Singer. Bless.
4. thank u, next – Ariana Grande
2018 was to Ariana Grande what 2007 was to Britney in terms of media scrutiny. But she was able to soar above adversity and end the year by delivering a sugar-coated break-up/self-empowerment anthem that earned her her first No. 1. The video recreates several millennial classics with some of the biggest stars of now and serves as a victory lap for the rising pop queen.
3. Shallow – Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper
This isn’t much a song as it is the scream heard around the world that will continue to haunt karaoke bars (and the Academy Awards) for the rest of eternity.
2. Nice for What – Drake
Despite being arguably the biggest rapper in the world, a lot of Drake songs sound pretty similar. ‘Nice for What,’ however, uses a distorted Lauryn Hill sample (with support from Big Freedia) to create one of the best songs in his catalog. And a video featuring various famous women feeling fabulous never hurts!
1. Make Me Feel – Janelle Monae
This song is anchored by the spirit of Prince and one of the most simplistic yet slinky basslines ever, and the video is an outstanding addition to the queer landscape. And I did not know about bisexual lighting until this video. Thank you, Janelle Monae.
As the fashion industry continues to evolve from antiquated models, this year saw a significant number of high profile designer switch-ups. Several influential veterans of the industry stepped down from their positions in order to clear the path for the next generation of talent and to help propel these legacy labels into the future. Here are a few of some of the biggest changes we observed.
Virgil Abloh joined Louis Vuitton as Kim Jones moved to Dior
In June, designer Virgil Abloh debuted his vision as the artistic director of Louis Vuitton Men’s Fashion Week in Paris. Originally from Rockford, Illinois, Abloh is a renowned multidisciplinary expert across mediums, who introduced the world to a Wizard-of-Oz-themed LV collection that featured the yellow brick road, huge prints of Judy Garland, and many, many poppies. His personal brand, Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh™ was started in 2012 and still operates from Milan.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgxo1YmHgWj/?hl=en
Kim Jones joins Dior as Kris Van Ashe departs to Berluti Only three days after Kim Jones’ friend and mentor Abloh took the runway by storm with his Louis Vuitton men’s collection, Jones presented his first capsule collection after having taken over as artistic director of Dior. He official replaced Kris Van Assche in March, who held the role for eleven years. Led stoically by the KAWS plush teddy bear that took over Instagram just a few months prior, the English designer’s Dior SS19 collection introduced a new take on the mascot with pastel colors, whilst also featuring Prince Nikolai of Denmark as one of the models.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BprBIVlFPW0/
Kris Van Assche joins Berluti to replace Haider Ackermann
In April of this year, Kris Van Assche took over Haider Ackermann‘s role as the artistic director of Berluti, after Ackermann announced the end of his three-season reign just a week prior. Van Assche has yet to present his first collection for Berluti, which will take place in January 2019, when he will present his new take on the French fashion house as head of shoes, leather goods, ready-to-wear and accessories collections.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BhGNa_fAL3Y/?hl=en
Clare Waight Keller joins Givenchy as Riccardo Tisci departs to Burberry
As the rotation of the luxury artistic directors continued, Riccardo Tisci vacating the Givenchy throne meant that it was time for British stylist and fashion designer Clare Waight Keller to take the reigns. After working at Chloé for seven years as artistic director, Keller was appointed the artistic director of Givenchy. In May 2018, Keller revealed one of her first designs for the label, a wedding gown and veil for the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle for her wedding to Prince Harry.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRs-l0tjQaZ/
Riccardo Tisci replaces Christopher Bailey at Burberry
Since Riccardo Tisci was appointed to replace Christopher Bailey as the chief creative officer at the English fashion house, Burberry is now officially run by two Italians (Marco Gobbetti took over as chief executive in October 2017). After having stepped down as creative director of Givenchy in 2017, Tisci debuted his new post with the Spring 2019 Burberry collection, which contained several classic Tisci-isms, including sleek tailored outerwear and peppered with Gothic imagery.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfxkTLAH1KO/?hl=en
Natacha Ramsay-Levi joins Chloé as Clare Waight Keller joins Givenchy
And since Clare Waight Keller’s position was vacated at Chloé, French fashion designer Natacha Ramsay-Levi took the baton in 2017 and made her solo debut with the Spring 2018 collection during Paris Fashion Week. Her debut Chloé line featured the pairing of pastel colors with hearty leather, floral dresses with combat boots, and other juxtapositions of femininity and the reification of fusion.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRc8oT_l3PT/
Hedi Slimane replaces Phoebe Philo at Celine
Though Phoebe Philo designed for Céline (now Celine) for ten years, she graciously stepped down from her tenure as creative director, and Hedi Slimane was announced as her successor. After controversially changing the logo, Slimane introduced the world to his new take on the brand at Paris Fashion Week collection in September, which featured a very 80s-oriented take on new wave and rocker chic. Since Slimane is perhaps most renowned for his work at Yves Saint Laurent, many were disappointed to observe the precipice of Slimane’s government be headed by an all-too-familiar YSL-Slimane style. But there is still time for a turnaround.
The theme for next year’s exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute is CAMP. Coming to the museum next spring, the exhibition will explore various camp themes, as referenced in Susan Sontag’s 1964 essay ‘Notes on ‘Camp.” Due to the fun and theatrical nature of camp, it should be a good one.
Even better, Gucci will be sponsoring the presentation and camp queen turned A Star is Born star Lady Gaga, Gucci’s creative director Alessandro Michele, former One Direction-er turned rock star Harry Styles, the greatest living athlete Serena Williams, and of course the reigning queen of Conde Nast Anna Wintour have been announced as co-chairs.
The Met Gala will be held on May 6th 2019, and the exhibition, ‘Camp: Notes on Fashion,’ will be on display May 9th – September 8th. You have until then to figure out what ‘camp’ is.
BLDWN, the denim label founded as Baldwin in Kansas City back in 2009, is undergoing a major renovation. Under the creative direction of Johnathan Crocker, the label dropped the vowels from its name (just a day after Hedi Slimane nixed the accent from the Celine logo — is nothing sacred anymore?) in the midst of a total renovation meant to reinvent contemporary American fashion.
“The main focus has been building a modern American fashion brand, and it’s that idea of modernity that I think makes it interesting,” Crocker tells me during the Spring 2019 presentation. “The ideas are so rooted and associated with images of Americana, that modernity in American fashion seems to be a non sequitur.”
There’s been a resurgence in classic American iconography infiltrating fashion, stemming from Lady Gaga’s-cowboy-hat-toting Joanne era to Calvin Klein‘s cowboy-inspired Spring 2018 collection. So reinterpreting it in a more nuanced way seems a good move for the denim brand.
“From a distance, everything should look familiar but as you get closer, you realize there’s something new,” he says, pointing out changes to shirting plackets and other measurements that have been modified ever so slightly, to signify the new change. Check out some of the pieces below.
Acclaimed fashion icon Nicola Formichetti, Diesel’s first artistic director, has announced his departure from the denim brand. Formichetti was recruited into the position in 2013 by founder Renzo Rosso after fears of plateauing. From there began a four-year long partnership that aimed to rebrand Diesel through new marketing strategies, most recently with its Go with the Flaw campaign for FW17.
Formichetti’s Japanese background helped steer the brand in the experimental direction Rosso was looking for — now 21 percent of Diesel’s revenue comes exclusively from Japan. As the year comes to a close, so does Formichetti’s contract at Diesel. He reportedly feels very fortunate to have worked with the label and is looking forward to shifting his energy back into his own brand, Nicopanda.
Formichetti became a household name in 2009 when he began working as Lady Gaga’s artistic director. The iconic Fame Monster cover art and ‘Born This Way’ music video are just two examples of Formichetti’s emblematic style. Hopefully a reunion happens someday soon.
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.
Stampd
STAMPD announces its ongoing collaboration with PUMA, teasing a grayscale sneaker characteristic of STAMPD’s minimalistic aesthetic. The brand has been busy with collaborations this year, such as its recent IKEA partnership designed to exhibit clothing when it isn’t being worn.
Huf
Skate-wear brand Huf invites us to paint the town pink with the Huf x Pink Panther collection, featuring the feline icon across a series of tees, jackets, and accessories. Combining vintage-inspired bowling shirts, chainstitched embroidery, and fleece, the brand always remains one step ahead—just like the Pink Panther.
Gucci
Performing his debut single “A Sign of the Times” on Saturday Night Live, Harry Styles wore a checked wool suit and silk shirt from Gucci’s Autumn/Winter 2017 collection. The collection offshoots the brand’s Pre-Fall 2017 collection, featuring similarly-tailored suits with rich chintzes and warm tweeds.
Mr. Porter
Online retailer Mr. Porter teases a new shot from its Made in California collection, inspired by the U.S.’ Golden State. Featured here is the AMIRI Vitellino leather biker jacket, embellished with jewel-encrusted palm trees—emblems of the sun-drenched state.
Ri-Ri isn’t scared of Katy Perry’s roaring Queen B’s going back to the drawing Lorde smells blood, yeah, she’s about to slay you Kid ain’t one to fuck with when she’s only on her debut
We’re all watching Gaga, L-O-L-O, haha Dying for the art, so really she’s a martyr The second best will never cut it for the divas Give me that crown, bitch, I wanna be Sheezus
She is born again. Now run along and tell all of your friends to come and join her. Give yourself to her. She is our leader. Let her be Sheezus. Nope, it’s not the long-awaited Avatar-sequel; it’s the equally long-awaited follow-up to 2009’s It’s Not Me, It’s You — the title track, Sheezus, off Lily Allen’s upcoming third studio album (out May 6th). Rolling Stonecaught up with the pop star recently to ask her if she was worried that the song’s lyrics would be misinterpreted as pop star mutiny. “It’s completely the opposite of that, though,” she countered, “I’m saying that I want all of them to be Sheezus, and I want to be Sheezus too.”
With a song and video like this, the throne better heighten security. Watch Allen slay:
