Polished, Punk, Posh: From Sweden to London.
The cult Swedish brand Our Legacy has collaborated with luxury retailer Matchesfashion on a 12-piece capsule collection titled “Work Shop,” made from deadstock fabrics and highlighting British craftsmanship.
The brand has installed a workshop pop-up inside Matchesfashion’s London town house 5 Carlos Place until Sunday, where customers can get complimentary customization added to their Our Legacy pieces, old and new, by British-Indian designer Namita Khade and multidisciplinary artist Hank Grüner.
Our Legacy Work Shop for Matchesfashion.
Courtesy of Matchesfashion
“We’ve always had an admiration for the British Isles, especially coming from Sweden and Scandinavia, where we romanticize it a little bit and so many pop cultural things came from here when we were young,” Jockum Hallin, one of the three founders of Our Legacy, told WWD on Wednesday afternoon at the town house.
The relationship, however, is deeper than that: it’s one of appreciation, especially as a fashion label that features craftsmanship techniques such as weaving, knitting and shoemaking.
Hallin wanted to emulate British style in the collection with the Harrington jacket; raincoat and the double-breasted suit — which he calls “classic diehards that will live forever.”
The brand found British fabrics in their warehouse by accident that it used on the pieces. The company used deadstock yarns for the knitwear and old Our Legacy suiting fabrics for the barracuda jackets.
“That’s what ‘Work Shop’ does, it’s repurposing and taking care of old things and conceptualizing, but with a British vibe,” added Hallin.
Hallin grew up ingrained with British hard-core punk, which he was introduced to by his father, who also listened to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones.
“I’m really into music and I think British post-punk is really blowing up again with indie guitar-based music,” said Hallin, who listens to High Vis, Chubby and the Gang and The Chisel.
What Hallin finds most fascinating about the British aesthetic is that it can be “so polished and posh, but have a punk attitude at the same time — that’s what we wanted to bring to this collection.
Our Legacy is experimenting with expanding its reach. The brand is deepening its work with Dover Street Market in Tokyo, Japan and is planning to open more locations in South Korea. Meanwhile, for Europe, a bigger space in London is in the cards.
“I haven’t been to London since the pandemic and coming back here, it feels like stuff is really happening and it’s a good energy,” said Hallin, whose brand has a dedicated community in every city around Europe.
He sees the stories as a family home, whether in London or Berlin — for the project with Matchesfashion, he has partnered with store staff who are already models or photographers, with the campaign shoot taking place in both cities.
The brand has enlisted the help of former employers Khade and Grüner for the London pop-up.
Khade has set up an embroidery station inside the town house, where she’s stitching intricate details and symbols onto the garments — and next to her, Grüner has his airbrushing and painting stall, decorating T-shirts and boots. On the opening day the demand was high with waiting times already reaching two hours. — Hikmat Mohammed
Stüssy Tears: Tremaine Emory looked to his roots for his latest collaboration between his Denim Tears label and streetwear brand Stüssy.
Both brands revealed on Wednesday they are releasing a capsule collection called Stüssy Tears that merge both brands’ aesthetics, featuring the Denim Tears’ Cotton Wreath insignia and Stüssy’s Double S logo. The collection offers denim pieces, cardigans, sweatshirts, jackets, accessories and other styles.
For the collection, Emory looked to his hometown of Jamaica in Queens, New York, and was inspired by New York in the ’90s.
Standout styles from the collection include a camouflage-print jacket embellished with the Denim Tears’ wreath motif, Levi’s jeans embellished with the Stüssy logo and a gray knit cardigan.
Styles from Stüssy and Denim Tears’ Stüssy Tears collection.
This is the third collaboration between Stüssy and Denim Tears. The brands previously teamed with Our Legacy, releasing two other apparel collections, one last year and one this September.
The collaboration with Stüssy was revealed just a few days after Emory debuted his guest designed Dior Tears collection during Dior’s men’s pre-fall 2023 show, which took place in front of the pyramids at Giza. Emory’s collection was an homage to Black artists and creatives like James Baldwin and Miles Davis, who were celebrated in Europe during the ‘50s while segregation was still taking place in the U.S.
“How they romanced the idea of being treated differently in Paris and Europe. That romance of being celebrated for who you are, where you are from, the way you live, the way you dressed, your lifestyle and your talents is what we have focused on,” Emory told WWD about the collection. “I see a group of Black creatives doing the same thing now, living in places they can be celebrated for who they are.”
The Stüssy Tears collection will be available for purchase starting Friday at Denim Tears and Stüssy chapter stores, Stüssy’s website and select Dover Street Market locations. — Layla Ilchi
Color-Coordinated: Pantone’s Color of the Year 2023 now has a fragrance facet.
Viva Magenta Pantone 18-1750, the laureate, was chosen for its connection to nature, how it lasts through centuries and into the future.
Swiss fragrance and flavors maker Firmenich partnered with Pantone to create a perfume inspired by the hue. Called Live Bold Eau, it’s meant to capture “the exuberance, optimism and rebellious spirit of Viva Magenta,” Firmenich said in a statement released Wednesday.
Firmenich has launched Live Bold Eau, inspired by Pantone’s color of the year for 2023.
Courtesy of Firmenich
The fragrance, formulated by senior perfumer Gabriela Chelariu, includes ingredients such as Dragon Fruit Smell-the-Taste, exclusive to Firmenich, which teamed with trend agency LSN Future Laboratory to recognize trends and explore sensory partnerships.
“Our report showed that strength and optimism, characteristics expressed by Viva Magenta, were core values that we should embrace in the future,” said Ilaria Resta, president for global perfumery at Firmenich. In the statement, she called Live Bold “the perfect olfactive representation to bring those values to life.”
“Together, color and fragrance contribute to creating a multisensorial and unforgettable experience for consumers,” said Chelariu. “Both have the power to leave an imprint on us physically and emotionally. When the two are actively fused together in creation, it can lead to the discovery of new sensations.”
She had in mind the full spectrum of magenta, leading her to add accords of beet and magenta vetiver to the fragrance.
There’s a Live Bold scented candle, as well. Both the scent and the candle formulas have Emotivewaves Energy, Firmenich-created 100 percent natural essential oils said to evoke specific emotions. The candle’s fragrance includes a Emotiboost Energy accord, too, to generate specific emotional responses, the company explained.
Live Bold has taken on another, digital dimension, by entering the Metaverse, through framevr.io/colorofthe year. — Jennifer Weil
Ready Player Makeup: The world’s biggest makeup brand is betting on the metaverse.
Maybelline New York has sponsored a digital fashion competition in the virtual realm, which took place Thursday. Called “Fashioning Masculinity,” the competition’s aim is for its participants to “reflect on the redefinition of dressing masculine identities,” per a statement from the brand.
Maybelline New York sponsored the Fashioning Masculinities Digital Fashion Contest.
Photo courtesy of Maybelline New York
The initiative falls under Maybelline’s continued collaboration with Ready Player Me on makeup looks for metaverse avatars, in conjunction with hair styles from sister brand L’Oréal Professionnel.
The contest was created in partnership with digital fashion brand Artisant, as well as Jenny Metaverse Dao, a contemporary art collection in the space. The contest takes place on Spatial in Agora Space.
The strategic goal of the sponsorship is to meet consumers where they are, said Shivani Shah, senior vice president of global brand experience at Maybelline New York. “Today, our consumers are in multiple worlds. They’re in the physical world, they’re in the digital world, and now they’re in the virtual world,” she said. “Our objective is to mirror the strategy that we have in the physical world, so for us as Maybelline, we want to provide makeup.”
With the space being so nascent, Shah said “the standard KPIs that we measure ourselves against today just don’t really stand. What these kinds of competitions and initiatives allow us to do is to build brand love and proximity with consumers in a very targeted way. This competition is fashion designers, they’re in the fashion world, and this is an opportunity for us to really be where they are.”
Jenny Metaverse Doa will purchase the first, second and third-place designs for 1 ETH, 0.7 ETH and 0.3 ETH, respectively. Those winners are Creature by Morchen Liu, Duality by Monika and Dandy by Florencia Arezzo.
Maybelline will collaborate with the latter on a Ready Player Me makeup drop for avatars, while L’Oréal Professionnel will team with Machismo with Frills by On-Click Closet for hair. — James Manso
Giving Back: The Global Eco Artisan Awards for 2022 took place Wednesday morning, with a spotlight on indigenous craft.
The GEAA platform — put on by the Agaati Foundation — is designed to celebrate, connect and champion emerging artisans around the world. In the inaugural event held last year, designer Bibhu Mohapatra was among the judges. This year, sustainable fashion advocate Aditi Mayer, fashion designer Naeem Khan and Global Fashion Exchange founder Patrick Duffy were on the judging panel, which spanned categories of craft, textiles, jewelry and décor.
Chuba Ko weavers, one of the winning teams for this year’s competition of the Global Eco Artisan Awards.
Courtesy Chuba Ko
A keynote speech was delivered by journalist Bandana Tewari (who is also a mentor, ambassador and Agaati Foundation board member) for the second year in a row. Her keynote titled “The Humanity of Creativity” highlighted the importance of community.
“You give back. You give back to the community. You give back to the environment,” she summarized during the virtual awards ceremony.
Though their names and artisanal techniques may yet be unfamiliar to the global fashion industry, the participants know the access the GEAA stage provides thousands of viewers worldwide.
Even being among the finalists is important for bridging would-be partnerships with brands and designers, crucial to securing their economic livelihoods as well as crafts. The full list of finalists includes Esme Hofman, Julien Feller, Suresh Lawot Tuladhar and Nanasei Agyemang (for home décor); Verde Alfieri, Karim Oukid Ouksel, Kumiko Kihara, Nino Misriashvili and Ikramzhan Rafikov (for jewelry); Tejsi Marwada, Nana Addae Gyamera, Bholanath Karmakar and Chubako (for endangered craft); Firdose Ahmad Jan, Sanjar Nazarov, Pitchuka Srinivas, Gohar Sajid and Sufiyan Ismail Khatri (for surface décor); and Porfirio Gutierrez, Renny Manurung, Santosh Gupta and Sapna Vedula (for handwoven textiles).
Winners like Chuba Ko — a women-led project preserving indigenous wool-felting techniques in the village of Chuba in South Sikkim, India — offered their remarks on the importance of the awards ceremony to their community. Chuba Ko is funded by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, and seeks to engage, empower and enable women of Chuba. The weavers have preserved the indigenous wool-making practice that has been passed down for generations.
“Thank you Agaati Foundation for the recognition and the award to our growing efforts in sharing the wisdom of the mountains with the world,” Chuba Ko weavers wrote on Instagram. Today, their projects span cushion covers and rugs in a swath of charcoal hues in floral motifs.
Last year the Agaati Foundation received 400 artisan submissions across categories, of which 80 percent were from women showcasing the value of craft in gender equity. Along with mentorship, winners receive $2,000 to put toward their businesses. Judging decisions are based on three criteria: authenticity, adaptability and quality. — Kaley Roshitsh
Source: news.google.com