ANDREW GN SS2021 "May There Be Light" Collection - mylifestylenews' Top 10's Pick

ANDREW GN SS2021 <May There Be Light> Collection carries on the brand legacy with his immaculate sophistication and a brand new thought for what we wear in this unprecedented period. Let's hear what the designer has to say......

"During the lockdown, like many others, I had a lot of time to think about my purpose and my work. I strongly feel that, despite all the unknown, we have to move forward. We have to project ourselves towards better times. We, designers, are the core and the driving force of the whole fashion ecosystem. The weavers, printers, embroiderers, ateliers, all depend on our creative work. We must keep on.

Some might question “who knows when and where women will be able to wear these clothes you’re designing …?” Maybe, but if we think within that limiting scope, we stop fighting, and the whole system stops and collapses. We accept to loose the war.

So I set out to design a collection which would simply bring joy, pleasure and hope. Times may be very grim, but surely we’ll be celebrating again someday. First I thought of white. It symbolizes purity, cleansing, rebirth.

Total white looks with contrasting textures and materials : guipure, silk, lace, tweed, fringe… Smooth and knobby, matte and shiny, soft and structured…

Then I moved into colors, in a range of a striking peacock blue, tangerine, chartreuse, pale turquoise, blush pink, Sahara beige…

And I ended with prints, going in two different ways: A figurative print called “Iris Border”, inspired from one of my mother’s Japanese kimonos. It has vivid colors and motives reminiscent of Japanese watercolors of the Meiji period.

Then a more abstract print called “Impression of Cherry Blossoms”. It was inspired by a series of contemporary paintings which I saw recently, described them to my team in detail, asking them to work from imagination. I like the result very much.

I named this collection “May there be light”. - Andrew Gn

SACAI X HANK WILLIS THOMAS Presents LOVE OVER RULES SS2021 Campaign

To celebrate Sacai’s Spring 21 message of “LOVE OVER RULES”, Chitose Abe venerates her partnership with artist Hank Willis Thomas, whose work the words originated from, with a poetic and empowering two-part campaign. Inspired by those who have broken the rules and pushed the boundaries to defy society’s expectations regardless of race, culture or gender, the campaign realized by Hank Willis Thomas Studio in collaboration with Equator Productions features individuals with a focus on collective community through portrait photography, and a film integrating music, movement, and interviews with the cast members discussing what “LOVE OVER RULES” means to them. Thomas sought to create an emotive film that captures the essence of the collection’s theme reimagining intimacy and virtual community, exemplifying the power of choosing love over fear. The cast of individuals includes trumpeter and composer Keyon Harrold; movement artist, Mizuho Kappa; artist, Zoë Buckman; designer and advocate, Celine Semaan Vernon; jazz pianist, Jason Moran; and artist and activist, Chella Man; as well as Thomas himself and his wife, curator Rujeko Hockley.

HANK WILLIS THOMAS is an American conceptual artist working primarily with themes related to perspective, identity, commodity, media, and popular culture. His body of work encompasses video, public art and collaborative installations, sculpture, and photography that inspire reflection on how art informs racial equity and civil rights. Thomas transcends his visual art oeuvre to brand partnerships in fashion and consumer goods, opening a new dimension in his exploration of advertising and the ubiquity of messaging. His work has been exhibited throughout the United States and abroad, including at the International Center of Photography, NY; Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, Spain; Musée du quai Branly, Paris; Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong, and the Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art, Netherlands.

MONTBLANC Appoints Marco Tomasetta As New Creative Director

MONTBLANC CEO announced the appointment of Marco Tomasetta as Creative Director recently - a graduate on Instituto Europeo di Design in Milan, Tomasetta has extensive experience in leather goods and accessories, having worked for numerous renowned fashion brands including Prada, Chloe and Louis Vuitton. Most recently, has was Creative Director Men's and Women's leather Goods at Givenchy.

“We are thrilled to have Marco bring his creative leadership and vision to Montblanc to accelerate its evolution as the Maison of Luxury Business-Lifestyle. Marco is an agile and dynamic innovator who is also committed to the value of fine craftsmanship and timeless design that have always been central to Montblanc’s identity. He understands the importance of overarching brand themes across all Montblanc categories, and I am looking forward to him working with our team to refine them in a compelling way. Even though our iconic emblem will remain at the heart of everything we do, we are committed to further breaking boundaries when designing products that appeal to both existing and new clients, mirroring their shifting lifestyles and needs,” says Nicolas Baretzki, Montblanc CEO.

“I am excited to join Montblanc, a storied Maison known for its rich heritage and its uncompromising focus on substance through the design and functionality of its products. As a designer, writing and drawing are the starting points of any design process, which is why I was immediately drawn to Montblanc - fusing tradition with pioneering design. I am looking forward to collaborating with Nicolas and the team to chart a new creative vision for the brand that bridges icons like the Meisterstück with new design concepts across product categories that will appeal to this new Montblanc Luxury Business-Lifestyle mindset. Furthermore, there is something incredibly meaningful about being assigned the task of fulfilling the Maison’s goal of creating perfect companions that will grow with their owners and become part of their accomplishments,” explains Marco Tomasetta, Montblanc Creative Director.

JIMMY CHOO X MARINE SERRE Spring 2021 Collaboration Collection

Jimmy Choo collaborates with leading Parisian designer Marine Serre - whose body-conscious and environmentally-attuned clothes have fast made her a pivotal figure in the contemporary fashion scene. Inspired by Serre’s commitment to ergonomic and kinetic clothing, influenced by athletes and designed to move with the rhythms of modern life, the streamlined silhouettes of the collaboration highlight the shared ethos of both brands: comfort and respect for the body, without compromising style.

A tightly-focused offer of six key styles, the Jimmy Choo x Marine Serre capsule collection helps delineate the narrative of Marine Serre’s SS2021 collection and accompanying film, created in collaboration with directors Sacha Barbin and Ryan Doubiago. Each style denotes a different character - a distinct identity, a new facet of a wearer, underscoring each total look they are designed to be an integral part of. The inspiration is drawn from the Jimmy Choo archives: the vintage FARO, from AW2000, is the starting-point, its proportions examined anew. Attuned to Marine Serre’s constant interest in renewal and regeneration, it is a reinvention for today.

The silhouette of the FARO - an elongated pointed toe, a lower heel with a sportif attitude and freedom of movement - defines the offering. The collection comprises a wardrobe of classics: a 100mm heel pump; a Mary Jane, ankle-boot, sock ankle-boot and sock calf-boot, all with 50mm heel; and the knee-high KATO flat boot.

“Marine Serre is an exciting talent - her innovation and experimentation grabbed my attention. Her designs are bold, confident and inherently feminine - which is perfectly attuned to our language at Jimmy Choo. Marine has her own ethos and way of thinking about the future and it felt right for us to collaborate. It was refreshing to see her perspective on our DNA, our archive - how she would remix Jimmy Choo. I’m always intrigued by the mindset of the future, there is still so much to exchange.” Sandra Choi, Creative Director Jimmy Choo.

“I really enjoyed collaborating with such an iconic brand as Jimmy Choo, because of its heritage, unique savoir-faire and for its consolidated experience in shoe design and production. Sandra and I had an immediate connection during the creative process; she fully understood my perspective and it was exciting to see how we could merge the two brand’s identities into a hybrid product, that could reflect the feminine aesthetic of JC and our futuristic approach towards practicality and comfort.” Marine Serre, Founder and Creative director MARINE SERRE.

The colour palette is sharp: black, white, tan and red. All styles feature Marine Serre’s leitmotif crescent logo: some an evolution, a bi-color “Half Moon” shape executed on recycled jersey, alongside calf printed with Serre’s all-over Moon. Drawing from the world of high-performance sports, stretch jersey is used for the sock-boots at ankle and calf, and all styles combined their jersey and calf with rubber details in contrasting textures and hues. Inherently feminine, the styles are also dynamic, engineered for movement: walking, running, cycling, designs that are sensual hybrids between sportswear, streetwear and high fashion. The KATO boot, referential to the soft-soled, flexible fabric boots worn for boxing and martial arts, is the most obvious crossover, but all styles borrow from the universe of sports. They add to a reflection of the way we dress - and live - today.

BALLY Introduces New Styles In Bally Lift Collection

BALLY's new styles of Bally Lift collection offers new ways to wear the brand’s contemporary signature sneaker as well as personalization options available in select stores worldwide. First introduced for AW2020, the Bally Lift’s ultra-light rubber sole and sleek details have made it an immediate best-seller and recognizable brand silhouette. Latest arrivals for men include the Melvin, the final word in style versatility thanks to a fully tonal look across leather, lace and sole. Moony strikes a retro-sporty look with perforated detailing to the toe cap and the iconic Bally Stripe to the side panel. Further brand details are visible on the Miky, with an all-over B-Chain motif and Bally stamp logo in celebration of the brand’s 170-year anniversary in 2021.

A new colorway in the women’s Maxim strikes a harmonious look in clean white and blush pink detailing, while the Malya features a detachable press patch to the heel with interchangeable tonal and shining crystal patches, making for a variety of ways to wear. The patch can be personalized in select Bally boutiques with hot-stamped letters and symbols, making for a special gift for sneaker lovers or a way to truly make the Bally Lift your own.

LEONARD PARIS Presents Silky Wave

Silky Wave Sail away, with passion, desire and joyfulness. It is through a short film with a road-movie texture that Leonard Paris has chosen to present the SSS2021 collection, imagined by Creative Director, Christine Phung. Staged by the ocean, incarnated by two models, Margot and Maren, and professional surfer, Nina Reynal that the latter comes to life. Free, athletic and blissful, the heroines in the film luminously embody today’s modern women, traveling in a Volkswagen retro combi, with pit stops as they please to better experiment the ocean and its promises at daylight, and cherish the warm summer evenings at dusk.

With the Hawaiian shirt and its thousand possibilities as common denominator, Leonard Paris has imagined a solar and versatile collection, in which the artisanal know-how and riches of the Maison’s innovative techniques combine and position themselves at the service of beauty.

The iconic and signature orchid merges with palms, hibiscus flowers and wave foam on loose and supple blouses, light silk jersey jumpsuits, airy ponchos and kimonos, a cotton coat, quilted silk seersucker and long pleated evening dresses pleated in silk crepe. The surfers’ wardrobe is moreover emphasized through technical details affixed to short dresses or wetsuits in neoprene and mesh, as well as colorful swimsuits and a hoodie sweatshirt printed with the Maison’s inimitable color palette. 

The movie features an authentic surfboard made off Leonard Paris prints, as well as kites designed from shawls and silk scarves, becoming essential characters of this dream journey. Poetic, enthusiastic and colorful, the SS2021 Leonard Paris silhouette is unquestionably optimistic. A true ode to freedom found.