The storied fashion house livestreams its Fall 2020 haute couture show while Fendi taps singer-sister duo Chloe x Halle for a campaign shot in Los Angeles
Words by JAKE HEDDAEUS
A look from the VALENTINO Fall 2020 couture show. Photo by Nick Knight.
Valentino Goes Digital for Haute Couture and Ad Campaign
For fashion houses steeped in tradition, steering away from conventional campaigns and runway show formats could be met with resistance, but Italian couturier Valentino has risen to the challenge. In past weeks, the house led by creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli presented a livestreaming couture show that explored the ways humans interact with the digital world while simultaneously launching a social media campaign featuring familiar faces like Gwyneth Paltrow and Janet Mock. The maison’s Fall 2020 couture show unveiled 16 looks of epic proportions in a series of images and a video by photographer and director Nick Knight. Models appeared to float in mile-long skirts, each dress a screen for Knight’s film projections. Throughout the video were digital glitches, reminiscent of ones you may see while watching an old VHS tape. Over on Instagram, the brand took to the platform for a social media moment, tapping a range of celebrities and creatives for a series of at-home portraits titled #ValentinoEmpathy, many of which were photographed in The Golden State. Stars include Frances McDormand in Northern California and Naomi Campbell, Laura Dern and Ellery Walker Harper in Los Angeles. All of the campaign’s talent donated their fees, resulting in €1 million going to the Italian Hospital Lazzaro Spallanzani in Rome to help fight COVID-19.
CHLOE and HALLE BAILEY, known as CHLOE x HALLE wearing Pre-Fall 2020 looks by FENDI. Photo by Julian Dakdouk.
Chloe x Halle Are Fendi’s Newest Faces
In Fendi’s latest installment of #MeAndMyPeekaboo, a series that celebrates the inseparable familial bonds and its Peekaboo Bag, the Italian brand tapped ultratalented singers and sisters Chloe and Halle Bailey, who perform under the moniker Chloe x Halle, as its stars. The Grammy-nominated duo enjoyed creative control over the project, assembling a team that included their stylist, Zerina Akers, who counts Beyoncé as a client. Shot in L.A., the resulting images and video convey the high style and cool-girl glamour for which the sisters and city are known. Chloe and Halle wear feminine frocks from the luxury house’s Pre-Fall 2020 collection and the house’s iconic Peekaboo bag, which will be available for purchase this month online and in stores. 201 N. Rodeo Dr., L.A.; South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Ste. 1631, Costa Mesa; 195 Grant Ave., S.F.
S.R. STUDIO. LA. CA clothing on display at DOVER STREET MARKET L.A.
One-of-a-Kind Sterling Ruby Garments Arrive at Dover Street Market L.A.
S.R. Studio. LA. CA., the apparel label by L.A.-based fine artist Sterling Ruby, has debuted its latest Unique collection and an accompanying installation at Dover Street Market’s Los Angeles outpost. The line of one-of-one garments function as wearable pieces of art that are signed and numbered, similar to the cataloging of a painting or sculpture. Previously available exclusively online at S.R. Studio. LA. CA.’s website, this marks the first time the Unique collection is available to shop in person. In gallery-esque display, the clothing is hung on a textile and yarn draped fixture, alongside shiny aluminum hammers, axes and clorox bottles for an intriguing, Duchampian retail experience. 608 Imperial St., L.A.
COS To the Sea V-neck shirt, $99, and To the Sea drawstring pants, $115.
COS Serves Up Sea-Inspired Wares for the Men’s Summer Collection
London-based brand COS released a capsule of weekend-ready menswear called To the Sea. The 23-piece collection features light layers in an airy palette of tonal beiges and ocean blues that include shorts, shirts, wide-leg trousers and knitwear. “The inspiration for this collection was the seaside and coastline” says Chistophe Copin, head of menswear design. “We wanted to evoke the way the ocean, sand, sun and sea breeze trigger your senses, and how they make you feel.” The leisurely collection’s value isn’t purely aesthetic; the brand used 100 percent sustainable materials to produce the garments using organic cotton, deadstock fabric and Tencel lyocell, a textile derived from wood pulp. Discover the capsule online or in stores at its Beverly Hills boutique. 357 N. Beverly Dr., Beverly Hills.
OLIVER PEOPLES TK-2 eyeglasses, $595, and TK-1 eyeglasses, $595, with TK-1 clip, $198.
Oliver Peoples Looks to Japanese Artisans for Takumi Collection Inspiration
Los Angeles-based eyewear brand Oliver Peoples has launched its Takumi collection, a line of frames named after the Japanese word for artisan. The collection consists of two optical styles, one pair of sunglasses and one sunglasses clip, all offering a modern take on classic looks that stay true to the quality and aesthetics associated with Japanese craft. To launch the collection, the brand shot a campaign at Carmel-By-The-Sea’s Walker House — designed by famed architect and Japanese art fan Frank Lloyd Wright — to further illustrate the connection between California and Japan. The textural subtleties seen in the architecture are reflected in the frames, each featuring multidimensional patterns of raised diamonds and dots. 8642 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood.
BRUNELLO CUCINELLI.
Brunello Cucinelli for Humanity Project Donates Garments to Those in Need
Temporary worldwide retail closures have impacted apparel brands worldwide, and Brunello Cucinelli is no exception. With an excessive amount of inventory due to the interruption of sales, the Italian luxury brand has formed a “council in support of mankind” to address this issue, opting to donate €30 million worth of garments to those in need. The is made up of 10 people, six of whom are part of the Cucinelli family and rest company employees. “It seems to me that this project — that we all define as ‘intense’ — in some way raises the dignity of mankind and pays tribute to all those who have taken part in the manufacturing of,” the namesake designer shared in a statement. “It would be a real pleasure for me if this symbolic gesture was welcome as a sign of hope for a new and lasting time.”
Aug. 5, 2020
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