Plus Louis Vuitton reconnects with Takashi Murakami
Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
Chanel’s Coco Crush Adds a New Hue
Gabrielle Chanel called red “the color of life” and considered the vibrant shade as essential as her other favorites, beige and black. Now the French house’s Coco Crush fine jewelry collection — with its trademark quilted motif derived from horse blankets and stable hands’ jackets and crafted in yellow, white, and a warm shade of beige gold — is launching new ruby-encrusted designs. Pendants in C shapes and bracelets with letters C or O glimmer with the bold red stones. Additionally, new precise pavé diamond settings adorning the diagonal lines of the quilting pattern are available on rings and bangles. The playful pieces mix with the existing collection or can be worn alone. chanel.com.
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Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami’s Latest Mind Meld
Two decades after Louis Vuitton and Takashi Murakami’s initial era-defining collaboration, a re-edition of Louis Vuitton × Murakami has arrived. Encompassing more than 200 creations, all with origins in the initial reinterpretation of the monogram pattern, the project launched by the house’s former creative director Marc Jacobs includes everything from silk squares and scarves to City bags such as the Keepall, Coussin, Dauphine, OnTheGo, Capucines, and of course the Speedy, plus belts, wallets, sunglasses, shoes, perfume, fashion jewelry, a skateboard, and trunks. Murakami’s unique mix of kawaii characters, anime, sci-fi, and Japanese art, so influential in the ever-evolving pop culture lexicon, are now even more vivid in a new era of higher-definition printing and increasingly vivid hues. In addition to the Monogram Multicolore and the LV Hands logo, Superflat Panda and Superflat Garden all make appearances. Not to be missed is a second chapter, designed around the beloved Cherry Blossom pattern, slated for March. louisvuitton.com.
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Gucci’s Fluid Serpentine Selections
The symbolic renewal of the year of the snake is top of mind for Gucci creative director Sabato De Sarno, who has elegantly reimagined the deep-rooted house motif. His capsule of Lunar New Year selections is inspired by the house’s serpents representing transformation and renewal, and the bold color combinations of Rosso Ancora with either pink or blue. Silk Flora scarves incorporate the snake’s fluidity, and it is intertwined with the GG Monogram on both ready-to-wear designs and accessories. Horsebit 1953 loafers and Signoria slingback pumps are reworked in red patent leather with snaky insoles, while Re-Web sneakers in beige and ebony also incorporate the cold-blooded creatures. The Blondie shoulder bag, also in red patent leather, hints at the celebratory season but eschews the reptile for an enamel Interlocking G. gucci.com.
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New Birkenstock Styles Snake Into the New Year
Snakeskin patterns loom large in Birkenstock 1774’s new collection for the Lunar New Year, which includes three reimagined classics. Leather with python embossing transforms two-strap Arizona sandals and a three-strap Florida version into slick exotics. Meanwhile, the Tokio shoe, lined in nappa leather, is embellished with a combination of soft suede with python-embossed leather. Tones of beige and red contrast with the storied footwear company’s signature anatomically shaped footbed in black leather, and each pair is designed with the 1774 line’s oversized metal buckles in gold or silver. Made in German workshops, the new snake-inspired styles are the newest addition to the line known for custom materials, finishes and details dreamed up for collaborations with a pantheon of bold design minds from Proenza Schouler to Manolo Blahnik. 1774.com.
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Fendi’s Gaze Is on the Year Ahead
Fendi is celebrating its centenary and the Lunar New Year with a capsule centered around a reinterpretation of its Fendi Eye motif, first introduced in the Spring/Summer 2014 collection. The playful design, with leather eyeballs and three-dimensional metal irises, embellish Mini Peekaboo bags and pink Baguette bags inspired by loaves of French bread tucked under an arm. Red enameled FF clasps open to red satin-lined interiors complete with and gold hardware. Black leather Roll and Mon Tresor mini-bags are also covered in gazing eyes, as are pouches, wallets, and card cases. Men’s Flow sneakers and a selection of ready-to-wear, including sweatshirts and hats, are also emblazoned with the ever-vigilant orbs. Bag charms also add an extra set of eyes to any look. fendi.com.
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Dior Resumes a Dialog With the Kaws Universe
Kim Jones tapped Kaws to create a towering figure comprising flowers for his Dior debut and now the house’s menswear artistic director has dreamed up a collaborative capsule with the New York–based artist and designer (Brian Donnelly) known for his figurative characters. Starting with a snaking stylized logo cheekily incorporating an apple dotting the “i,” the line’s ready-to-wear includes quilted shirts, Bermudas, sweaters, scarves, Rider 2.0 bags, and leather goods. The reptile also adorns CD initials that are plastered across B57 sneakers, varsity jackets, and brass bracelets, brooches, and pendant necklaces. Forbidden fruit has never looked so tempting. dior.com.
January 28, 2025
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