Kim Jones

The love child of Fendi and Versace has arrived

Fendace is finally here – and now, we’re getting the chance to experience the lauded mashup collection between Fendi and Versace with a front row seat. To celebrate the collection’s official release, the houses have activated ten worldwide pop-up shops in Dubai, Kuwait, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Osaka, Paris, Shenyang, and Tokyo for Fendace fans to purchase the full collection.

The two Italian powerhouses combine their signature style codes in the Fendace collection. Fendi and Versace come together to create a collection that celebrates the legacy and symbols of both fashion houses. Signature silhouettes, expert craftsmanship, FF patterns and the iconic Medusa motifs are seamlessly combined in a showstopping selection of ready to wear and accessories.

It’s a swap rather than a collaboration and, most of all, it is done out of friendship. It is the beauty of togetherness after time apart and a celebration of women who have inspired me so much.

Kim Jones

After months of increasing anticipation, the Italian labels have finally released Fendace – a collaboration swap that was debuted during Milan Fashion Week back in September. The partnership finds Versace chief creative officer Donatelle Versace teaming up with Fendi artistic director Kim Jones to create two separate collections that combine signature elements and time-honored codes from their fashion houses. 

Fendace consists of the ‘Fendi by Versace’ range as well as ‘Versace by Fendi’, the latter of which was a joint effort between Jones and Silvia Venturini Fendi. The collections consist of ready-to-wear pieces, handbags, footwear, and accessories, which are presented in “an exchange of roles and brand codes”.

The campaign captures the same sense of friendship and energy we had when we were designing the collection. Kim is a visionary designer and innovator. To me, Fendace will always mean love.

Donatella Versace

Fendi’s double F logo is paired with Versace’s Baroque print, the Fendi baguette is paired with a Versace Medusa emblem, and a selection of tees and hoodies feature co-branded graphic designs.

The labels showed off Fendace with a Steven Meisel-photographed campaign as well as a men’s and women’s visual directed by Alec Maxwell.

The world of Fendace comes to life, arriving in opulent colour and vibrant style to pop-up events across the world. From Paris and London to Los Angeles and Osaka, the Fendace pop-up experience takes the excitement of the moment global. 

The Fendace collection is now available to purchase online at Versace and Fendi as well as in person at Fendace pop-up boutique locations:

Paris
44 Avenue Montaigne
May 12 – June 12 

London
Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road
May 12 – 30

Dubai
The Dubai Mall, Fashion Catwalk
May 12 – 21

Kuwait
Fendace Display, The Avenues, Ghazali St. Al Rai 
May 12 – 21

Los Angeles
323 N Rodeo Drive, CA
May 12 – June 19 

New York
90 Prince Street, SoHo, NY
May 12 – June 19 

Tokyo
Isetan Shinjuku, Main Bldg. 3-14-1, Shinjuku-Ku
May 12 – June 31 

Osaka
Umeda Hankyu Men’s 8-7 Kakudacho
May 12 – May 17

Osaka
Umeda Hankyu Women’s 8-7 Kakudacho
May 12 – May 17

Shenyang
Atrium, 1/F, Mix City, No. 288 Qingnian Street
May 17 – May 29

Iconic Christian Dior Boutique 30 Montaigne-Reopend

Christian Dior Boutique 30 Montaigne, Paris © Adrien Dirand 

Emerging from the shadow of a two-and-a-half year renovation, the iconic 30 Montaigne boutique reopened this past Sunday to reveal a ravishing new identity. It not only unites the multitude of collections together in a vastly enlarged and art-filled boutique that also contains a restaurant, café and three gardens, but also represents a revitalized expression of the Maison’s heritage and savoir-faire.

This latter is highlighted by the return of the haute couture ateliers along with the new arrival of the haute joaillerie ateliers. Totaling 2000m2, La Galerie Dior is an unparalleled addition, a permanent exhibition space filled with thousands of pieces, including some 166 couture creations in 13 thematic spaces, and a recreation of Monsieur Dior’s office.

Boutique

On the ground floor, women’s creations designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri – including ready-to-wear, accessories, shoes, bags and small leather goods – are displayed alongside men’s pieces designed by Kim Jones.

On the 1st floor, exceptional pieces in exotic leathers and evening wear designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri can be found nearby the Fine Jewelry collections, Dior Maison and men’s Demi Mesure.

La Gallerie Dior

Featuring a unique scenographic narrative, La Galerie Dior is a testament to the visionary audacity of Christian Dior and his six successors: Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, John Galliano, Raf Simons and Maria Grazia Chiuri.

Restaurant & La Pâtisserie Dior

As an ultimate treat, La Pâtisserie Dior – overlooking the sumptuous rose garden – provides any visit to 30 Montaigne with a requisite interlude over a sweet creation. Subtly reinterpreted by Jean Imbert, the most emblematic French cakes frequent original creations that reinvent Dior symbols in edible form.

A barista – selecting rare coffees for you – will be present to prolong these delicious moments, from the beauty of the gesture to the art of savoring. From breakfast to teatime, surrender to delicious pleasure and culinary excellence in an unparalleled setting.

The Restaurant, affectionately named Monsieur Dior, embodies the French art of living, driven by Jean Imbert’s creativity, both refined and generous, combining simplicity with elegance. The French chef, accompanied by his faithful collaborator Antony Clémot, drew from the heritage and history of the Maison to develop each menu. The cuisine is enhanced by exclusive Dior Maison collections dedicated to the arts of the table, enhancing classic dishes from the founding couturier’s favorite recipes.

An impressive Claudia Wieser mirror composed of geometric panels dialogues with Guy Limone’s pictorial work – especially created for 30 Montaigne – the result of a colossal research project: an original installation made from thousands of images – in a palette of red, black and white hues – drawn from Dior’s archives and the artist’s personal visual treasure trove. As a delicate hommage, an oil on canvas entitled Christian Dior à Table, by René Bouché is also featured in Le Restaurant.

Haute Couture Salons

The haute couture salons, precious testimonies of Dior’s history, have seen the collections of Christian Dior and premiered, right up to Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior fall-winter 2019-2020 haute couture line. Confidential, located near the ateliers and visible from the boutique through a large bay window, they are now regaining their former prestige, guarding the secrets of haute couture.

Haute couture represents a treasure trove of conscientious craftsmanship, a triumph of the sleight of hand, culminating in a kind of masterpiece.

Enhanced by wooden moldings and a parquet floor featuring a compass rose (a Dior classic) designed by architect Peter Marino, this timeless, refined setting hosts a selection of furniture and works of art, such as an abstract floral sculpture commissioned especially from Johan Creten or tables designed by Ado Chale or Claude Lalanne.

The Garden

“Thankfully, there are flowers”, said Monsieur Dior, who was – as well as a gallerist, an architecture aficionado, and grand couturier – an avid gardener. It was in Granville, in the rose garden of his family’s home overlooking the sea, that young Christian planted the seeds of his fascination with this most artful intersection of nature and culture. Growing into a fashion designer, Monsieur Dior found a bounty of inspiration in the gardens, allowing the dazzling silhouette of a femme-fleur to blossom from the very first collection, leaving her bewitching sillage in her wake.

On the ground floor, majestic tropical trees reach up to the windows of Le Restaurant Monsieur Dior, while perennial flowers bloom in abundance. One floor above, beneath a glass roof, there is a winter garden, where exotic plants seem to transcend borders. As for the terrace, it is adorned with a striking steel sculpture by John Chamberlain. On the third level, a veritable garden in the heart of the capital boasts apple trees and roses, Christian Dior’s favorite flowers, adding irresistible touches of elation.

The different spaces of 30 Montaigne:
– Monsieur Dior restaurant at 30 Avenue Montaigne
– La Galerie at 11 Rue Francois 1er
– Children’s fashion at 26 Avenue Montaigne

The boutique offers valet parking service. Come into the beautiful world of Christian Dior.

The Magical World of Fendi

Step into the magical world of Fendi Couture. Take a glimpse inside their showroom in Paris. Designed by Kim Jones and presented as part of the Paris Haute Couture Week, the collection draws inspiration from the historic codes of Rome and futuristic imagery, nodding to the past with refreshingly modern results.

Rome, for me, has so many layers to it. It’s such an ancient city. We’re always thinking of the past, present, and future of it. The idea of different times and that very spiritual side of Rome, which becomes almost celestial; almost spacey.

Kim Jones

Created using a variety of time-honored techniques like beading, embroidery, and elaborate mother-of-pearl embellishments, the collection also experiments with new forms of craft, such as 3D trompe l’oeil prints and molded leather.

Come into the beautiful world of Fendi.

The result of supreme savoir-faire

At French Maison Christian Dior, their creations are the result of supreme savoir-faire. See some of the savoir-faire behind the new Dior and Sacai capsule from Spring 2022 designed by Kim Jones and Chitose Abe.

The tailors in the menswear ateliers reimagined their skills to adapt to the innovative constructions and new proportions, mixing materials of different weights and weaves and combining them with a medley of closures and utilitarian elements, before adding the finishing touches – patches bearing the sacai name integrated into the Dior logo.

The Dior Men Spring Collection is available now. Come into the beautiful world of Christian Dior.

Kim Jones made his Haute Couture debut for Fendi

Kim Jones made his Haute Couture debut for Fendi on January 27 at the Palais Brongniart in Paris. Named Artistic Director of Women’s collections of the Roman house last September, the British designer is also head of Dior Men. Inspired by the writings of Virginia Woolf and timeless Italian codes, Kim Jones proposes a romantic vision of the Fendi woman.

The only surviving recording of writer Virginia Woolf is from a 1937 BBC radio broadcast series called ‘Words Fail Me’. Kim Jones chose her mysterious voice to open his first haute couture show for Fendi, setting the tone for the collection: “Words, English words, are full of echoes, of memories, of associations – naturally. They have been out and about, on people’s lips, in their houses, in the streets, in the fields, for so many centuries”.

Words infuse the collection, from love letters written by Virginia Woolf to her lover Vita Sackville-West, to her novel ‘Orlando’, inscribed on mother of pearl minaudières or leather boots. The set for the show also referenced the author in a glass labyrinth decorated with bookcases to create intimate ‘rooms of their own’.

For his first haute couture show, Kim Jones surrounded himself with longtime friends including Demi Moore, Kate Moss and her daughter Lila, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Cara Delevingne. They took to the runway alongside androgynous models with carmine lips wearing long flowing capes to the sound of Max Richter’s soundtrack.

Fendi represents artisanal quality of the highest order, and it is all about family. It is in its third generation with a Fendi at its helm, and I am guest starring while bringing in the fourth.

Kim Jones

In addition to literature, Kim Jones also found inspiration in the murals painted by Virginia Woolf’s sister Vanessa Bell at Charlheston Farmhouse, the regular meeting place of the Bloomsbury group to which they belonged. Her decorative motifs are embroidered on gowns. Another key theme of the collection is marble, mirrored on an imperial gown worn by Naomi Campbell. The marble palette is a tribute to the Galleria Borghese in Italy, a country adored by the Bloomsbury group, and above all the native land of the Fendi family.

The history of Fendi provided a final and equally central inspiration for Kim Jones’ maiden haute couture collection. He paid tribute to Karl Lagerfeld, who shared his love of literature and was his predecessor at Fendi for over 50 years. The final Fendi monograms designed by Karl are beaded onto boots. The history of Fendi is that of the family that founded the Maison in 1925. Silvia Venturini Fendi is today Artistic Director for menswear and accessories, while jewelry designer Delfina Delettrez Fendi also walked the runway. As Kim Jones noted, “Fendi represents artisanal quality of the highest order, and it is all about family. It is in its third generation with a Fendi at its helm, and I am guest starring while bringing in the fourth”.

Come into the beaautiful world of Fendi.

Fendi Selects Kim Jones to Replace Karl Lagerfeld

The job of artistic designer at Fendi has finally been filled. The storied Roman fashion house and fur specialist announced on Wednesday that the British fashion designer Kim Jones would replace Karl Lagerfeld, who died in February of last year, in the role.

Mr. Jones will be responsible for the haute couture, ready-to-wear and fur collections for women, Fendi said in a statement. He will also maintain his current position as artistic director of Dior Men in Paris. It is the second major designer move by Fendi’s owner, LVMH Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, the world’s largest luxury group by sales, since the coronavirus pandemic began, – the French company appointed Matthew Williams as Givenchy’s new designer in June.

As such, it reflects the luxury group’s commitment to forging ahead with its brands and buzzy designers, even as questions swirl around the future of fashion, shopping and the entire traditional show system. In a statement, LVMH’s chief executive, Bernard Arnault, called Mr. Jones ‘a great talent’, adding that he had proved his ability to adapt to the codes of assorted LVMH Maison’s ‘with great modernity and audacity’.

The hire represents a doubling down on a bet by LVMH that fur will continue to be a hallmark of luxury, at a time when it is increasingly being seen as an unethical relic of another era. And as the industry faces a reckoning on race and diversity, the hiring of a white man already in its employ at Dior for one of the most plum design titles in the business also could be seen as going against the trend of confronting fashion’s systemic racism, and LVMH’s stated commitments to tackling that.

The choice of Mr. Jones is the culmination of more than a year of discussions and apparent soul-searching by LVMH, which built Fendi into a billion-dollar brand. Fendi has been a core pillar of its fashion empire since it purchased an initial stake in the company from the Fendi family in a joint venture with Prada in 1999 (in 2001, LVMH became the brand’s sole owner).

Along with Silvia Venturini Fendi, the only family member still in the company, who will continue to design Fendi accessories and men’s wear once Mr. Jones arrives, Mr. Lagerfeld was integral to that growth. Over a 54-year tenure at Fendi, Mr. Lagerfeld created the concept of ‘fun fur’ when fur was seen as the stale province of the bourgeoisie. He held ‘haute fourrure’ shows on the couture calendar even as fur increasingly fell out of fashion. He and Ms. Fendi appeared on the catwalk together at the end of every women’s wear show.

Though it was often suggested that Ms. Fendi, who referred to Mr. Lagerfeld as a mentor, might assume sole creative ownership of the brand after his death, executives at LVMH were open about their belief in the benefit of two creative personalities sparking off each other. Along with Mr. Jones, another name thought to be in the running for the position was Maria Grazia Chiuri, artistic director of women’s wear at Dior.

Designer pairings can be a risk, given the egos that are sometimes involved. But along with Miuccia Prada’s recent decision to name Raf Simons as co-creative director of Prada, pairing Mr. Jones and Ms. Fendi may also signal a new approach to team-building in fashion. A fetishisation of the single visionary has more often been the norm, and several high-profile talents like Mr. Jones and Virgil Abloh have increasingly juggled multiple design responsibilities across top fashion houses. Fendi’s chief executive, Serge Brunschwig, called Mr. Jones “one of the most talented and relevant designers of today”.

I would like to profoundly thank Mr. Arnault, Mr. Brunschwig and Silvia Venturini Fendi for this incredible opportunity. Working across two such prestigious houses is a true honour as a designer and to be able to join the house of Fendi as well as continuing my work at Dior Men’s is a huge privilege.

Kim Jones

After graduating from the London art-and-design school Central Saint Martins and one of the brightest stars on the luxury men’s wear scene, the London designer worked for several brands, from Iceberg to Mulberry. And while he’s best known for designing menswear for Louis Vuitton, Dior and his own brand, he’s scored many a female fan (including close friends Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Victoria Beckham and the Karadashians-Jenner). In fact, when he joined Dior Hommes, in 2018, there were rumours that he was going to lead all of the collections for the Parisian fashion house, including womenswear.

Before joining Dior Men he worked at Louis Vuitton as their men’s wear designer for seven years. At Vuitton, he brought his longstanding love and encyclopedic knowledge of luxe streetwear – athletic tech fabrics, big sneakers, oversize graphic T-shirts and elegant tracksuits, but also crocodile backpacks and cashmere baseball tops – to a superbrand that had been overly content to sell its male clientele little more than monogrammed leather cases, belts and wallets.

More recently, at Dior, his shows merging suiting with streetwear and reworking tailoring for a modern audience generated buzz beyond the men’s market. They have shown Mr. Jones to be more plugged in to the outside world than some of his industry peers.

In July, for example, a week after the brand was criticised for casting an all-white ensemble of models for its women’s wear couture presentation as Black Lives Matter protest raged worldwide, Mr. Jones featured only models of color in his spring 2021 collection. It was designed in collaboration with the acclaimed Ghanaian portait painter Amoako Boafo. In December, Mr. Jones was named designer of the year at the Fashion Awards in London.

He will be expected to bring some of that magic to Fendi. The brand has seen robust growth in recent years, fueled by its savvy leather accessories, fur designs and a burgeoning fan base in China and Southeast Asia.

“I look forward to taking the Fendi universe to the next level with Kim”, Ms. Fendi said. Though Fendi is planning to hold a physical show – for fall-winter 2021/22 – on Sept. 23 in front of a reduced audience during Milan Fashion Week, Mr. Jones’s debut collection is planned for February, the company said. We can’t wait. Come into the beautiful world of Fendi.

Breaking news: Givenchy names Matthew Williams its new Creative Director

matthew-williams-dropcast-main

Earlier this year, French Maison Givenchy and Clare Waight Keller announced the end of their three-year partnership and since then, we’ve been wondering who would fill up the Creative Director post. Now it’s official! Givenchy’s seventh couturier has been named…

Just moments ago, the iconic French Maison has announced Matthew M. Williams as the new Creative Director via Instagram, sharing a brief message from the newly appointed American designer.

View this post on Instagram

A voice note from our new Creative Director, @MatthewMWilliams.

A post shared by GIVENCHY (@givenchyofficial) on

When you’re a follower of menswear, or a fan of ‘hardware’, like fancy buckles, you may have heard of him. He’s a 34-year-old self-taught California native who got his start in music, designing for Kanye West and later Lady Gaga.

In 2010, he founded the Been Trill collective along with Heron Preston and Virgil Abloh, and in 2015, he started his own label, 1017 ALYX 9SM (known more simply as Alyx – ah-LEEX – after his older daughter). It began with womenswear but has grown to become one of the most exciting labels to show during Paris Fashion Week: Men’s.

I am extremely honoured to join the House of Givenchy. The Maison’s unique position and timeless aura make it an undeniable icon and I am looking forward to working together with its ateliers and teams, to move it into a new era based on modernity and inclusivity.

Matthew M. Williams

Williams has also recently collaborated with Moncler Genius and with his friend Kim Jones at Dior Men, but this is his first time at the helm of an LVMH-owned brand. (Alyx was a finalist for the LVMH Prize in 2016, which gives prize money and mentorship to emerging labels that submit and compete for its notice – and gives LVMH execs an opportunity to survey the design landscape).

As creative director of Givenchy, Williams will replace designer Clare Waight Keller, who stepped down in April after just two and a half years. The two have very different aesthetics. Waight Keller’s soft, elegant tailoring drew inspiration from Mr. Givenchy himself, and appealed to women like Meghan Markle, who notably wore a gown by the designer to her wedding with Prince Harry.

I am grateful to the LVMH group for trusting me with the opportunity to fulfill my lifelong dream. In these unprecedented times for the world, I want to send a message of hope, together with my community and colleagues, and intend to contribute towards positive change.

Matthew M. Williams

Williams, meanwhile, has a sharper, shinier, more futuristic edge. The large aluminum buckles he puts on just about everything, which resemble those on a parachute harness, were recently named-dropped by Drake in his song ‘Tootsie Slide’. In general, his work is perhaps closer to that of Riccardo Tisci, who was creative director of the brand before Waight Keller, and is now at Burberry.

Like those who came before him, Williams will be responsible for all creative aspects of the brand, including both women’s and men’s design. The designer is set to present his first collection for Givenchy in October in Paris. Come into the beautiful world of Givenchy.

 

 

 

Dior x Sorayama B23 High-Top Sneaker

Dior-x-Sorayama-B23-High-Top-Sneaker-01.jpg

Hajime Sorayama is an acclaimed Japanese illustrator famed for his works of retro-futuristic robots (specifically eye-popping female androids) and also the man behind the creation of the 39-foot-tall silver cyborg that formed the gorgeous centrepiece of Kim Jones’ Pre-Fall 2019 menswear show held in Tokyo.

Sorayama is also credited with the creation of this exclusive print created for Dior, in which a dinosaur robot is set within a picturesque landscape of delicate cherry blossoms. Interestingly, the composition is anything but jarring and one that works well with the #DiorOblique print.

And because Dior likes to release its products in several drops across the season, you will have to wait patiently for the entire Pre-Fall 2019 collection to arrive in stores. If, however, you’ve got your eyes set on these gorgeous B23 High-Top Sneakers, the good news is that it is part of the very first drop that’s now available across Dior boutiques worldwide. Coming in a beige or blue printed #DiorOblique technical canvas body, the standout feature’s got to be the addition of the Sorayama’s dinosaur.

Priced slightly higher at $1050 (when you say it quikly, it isn’t a lot), this is definitely the sneaker that any Kim Jones/Hajime Sorayama fan shouldn’t be without.

Come into the beautiful world of Christian Dior.