Tag: Fashion

Wild Wild West

 

Explore your wild side with classic Western wear with a modern flair. Be it goatskin cardigans, handmade wool sweaters, corduroy trousers, knitted scarves or trench coats, reinvent Western wear with a modern twist this fall and winter.

Prada’s corpse bag: spoof or reality?

How far is too far when it comes to brand obsession? Comedy group, The Kloons, have a really tongue-in-cheek reply to that.

In a hilarious spoof video that surfaced some time ago, they took the idea of brand obsession to the next level with a humorous take on Prada’s bags.

The video, which has been shot like an ad campaign for Prada, shows an ultimate corpse bag with the iconic Prada logo, which can be literally the last bag you ever need!

While Prada’s reaction to the video is not known, Prada itself seems to have taken the brand obsession quite seriously – it recently launched a Prada paperclip worth a neat 185 US dollars!

While the sum may be over-the-top for a paperclip, the bold letters spelling ‘Prada’ give it aspirational value.

Maybe it’s time to sit back and take stock of the ridiculousness of it all or the ‘Prada Body Bag’ may become a reality before we know it.

Who knows, maybe Prada would need to use the ‘Prada Body Bag’ to pack its own brand and we would need to use it to bury our consumerist cravings.

Text: Suchetana Mukhopadhyay

Hepburn-ing Desire: Coveted items from Audrey’s estate

Audrey Hepburn was – and still is – an icon of film and fashion. More than two decades after her death, college-aged girls are still hanging posters in their dorm rooms of Hepburn as Holly Golightly in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The actress was celebrated for her on-screen charm and impeccable style, and die-hard fans now have a chance to take home a piece of Hepburn’s very own wardrobe. 

Items from Hepburn’s personal collection will be sold by Christie’s auction house in London next month. One item up for grabs is the sky blue Givenchy cocktail gown that she wore to a photo shoot in 1966 to promote the film Two for the Road. The satin-fringed dress “epitomises the deceptively simple style for which Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn are both celebrated”, according to Christie’s. A Burberry trench coat and a colourful selection of ballet flats will also be auctioned off. 

The most valuable item for sale is an annotated copy of Hepburn’s working script for Breakfast at Tiffany’s, with notes and revisions written in her own hand. It is expected to sell for at least HK$606,000. As Hepburn once said, “Everything I learned I learned from the movies.” Perhaps the buyer of this script will have a similar revelation while reading it – or at least gain a new appreciation for one of Hollywood’s favourite leading ladies

Calvin Klein for Lane Crawford: Raf Simons debuts fashion collection

Luxury department store Lane Crawford debuts the latest Calvin Klein collection by Chief Creative Officer Raf Simons.

To showcase the collection, Lane Crawford is launching an exclusive installation in its IFC Mall and Shanghai Times Square stores from 23 August to mid-October this year.

Fashion collections for both men and women pay tribute to America, and will be presented alongside displays featuring pom poms, decorative fringe and chrome buckets – all created by American artist Ruby Sterling.

Sterling was given full control to imagine installations which were appropriate for Calvin Klein’s collection.

“It reflects the environment,” says Simons. “All of these different people with different styles and dress codes. It’s the coming together of different characters and different individuals, just like America itself.”

The collection, which celebrates diversity, is available at Lane Crawford stores in IFC Mall and Shanghai Times Square. It is also available online.

With Ted Baker’s new loungewear collection, make lounging a style statement

Who says that casual wear can’t be glamourous? Ted Baker’s new loungewear range for women called ‘Ted Says Relax’ brings the best of two worlds together – creating a look that is at once comfortable and glamourous.

It’s the perfect airport look for the modern jetsetter, whose style statement is always spot-on even after a long-haul flight. The casual jumpers, t-shirt dresses, joggers, slogan tees in shades of pink, grey or black are also any fashionista’s go-to options for lounging out while looking like the ‘queen of calm’.

Ted Baker believes that the proverbial devil is indeed in the details, so the most basic of casual wear has been elevated to ultra-chic sophistication through details like oversized voluminous sleeves, silhouette-enhancing waistbands, mesh-panel leggings and satin finishes.

The ‘Ted Says Relax’ collection is now available at the Causeway Bay Fashion Walk store and the Harbour City store.

Tumi’s Voyageur Leather Halle backpack brings versatility to new heights

Inspired by the state of New York, Tumi launched its men’s, women’s and travel collections for fall/winter earlier this month.

The collections come in different colour schemes and designs catering to both men and women. The travel collection comes in classic autumn shades including royal blue and orbit white.

This season, Tumi also collaborated with well-known fashion influencer, stylist and Instagram star Veronica Li to showcase five special looks connected through one statement piece – the Voyageur Leather Halle backpack in black.

In a series of videos and photos, Li is seen carrying the backpack while rocking different outfits, highlighting its versatility and sophistication.

All five looks are crafted by Li to suit different occasions. Personal touches that set her apart from others shine through in her unique style.

The bag is portrayed with various looks including “fit for gym”, “playful yet professional”, “airport style” and “stress-free weekend”.

Joyce collaborates with visual artist James Jean for gender-free collection

Joyce has launched its Fall/Winter collection in collaboration with visual artist James Jean, with a focus on gender-free fashion.

The collection focuses on fashion individuality and shies away from conventional dress codes for men and women.

The partnership resulted in three iconic pieces of artwork that depict beauty that is free from gender constraints.

Jean, who has previously collaborated with Prada, is happy to escape the clutches of conformity.

“I’m very pleased to be able to explore the theme of gender fluidity with Joyce,” says Jean. “In my own life, I’ve frequently been identified as both genders, while never fulfilling the expectations of being a dis-gendered male.”

The idea of gender-free fashion is gaining popularity as more and more people become indifferent to gender-specific dressing.

The three pieces Jean created for Joyce are Pistil and Stamen, Facets and Interstices 1.1.

To celebrate the partnership, Joyce will host an exhibition in Hong Kong next month.

Marine influence: Scotch & Soda’s latest collection inspired by ‘The Shipping House’

Scotch & Soda’s latest fall/winter collection is inspired by the architectural design of Amsterdam’s “Shipping House” and its leading nautical characters.

The influence of marine design is visible throughout the collection, which features double-breasted tailoring, recreated sailor stripes and maritime details.

The double-breasted waistcoat now comes in a longer length, sea-inspired voluminous ruffles are added to sheer tops and cable knits are given a new edge.

“We are explorers, captains and sea bandits this fall/winter 2017,” says creative director Marlou van Engelen. “These characters lend us heaps of beautiful design cues.”

Other items in the collection include a floral print jacquard in-between jacket, pants with star embroidery and button-up tops in delicate lace, among others. Fabrics are all rich in texture and treatment.

Blurred Lines: Abstract art from the Soviet era

 

 

Renowned Russian painter and art theorist Wassily Kandinsky can now add the title of record breaker to his illustrious name. The auction record for a Kandinsky artwork was smashed twice in one night at Sotheby’s New Bond Street auction house, with one of his paintings going for £21 million (HK$213 million) and a second one selling minutes later for £33 million. Kandinsky, who died in 1944, is credited with painting one of the first purely abstract paintings. 

The first record-breaking Kandinsky painting to sell at the Sotheby’s auction was the 1909 work Murnau – landschaft mit grünem haus (Murnau – landscape with green house). That record only lasted six lots. Kandinsky’s 1913 artwork, Painting with White Lines, was expected to sell for about £27 million, but instead it went for a whopping £33 million. The painting was snapped up by a London-based German collector, who attended the auction in person. 

“Collectors were out in force, participating from a record number of locations around the globe, with the level of Asian buyers as numerous as those from the US, underscoring the enduring importance of London as a key driver of the global art market,” says Helena Newman, chairman of Sotheby’s Europe.

 

 

My Miu: Latest fashion must-have for Miu Miu fanatics

 

Miu Miu has introduced the star accessory of its Fall-Winter collection – the My Miu bag. First seen earlier this year on the runway in Paris, the bag comes with shiny fringes jewelled buckles and comes in five different materials.

Fashionistas can choose from madras leather patched with python, python/ayers decorated with jewelled fringes, python/ayers with a jewelled buckle, and fluffy fur with an ayers belt and jewelled buckle.

The My Miu bag is the first time the name of the brand has featured conspicuously in patched psychedelic lettering and in a large gold or palladium lock.

Along with a removable and adjustable strap that allows the bag to be carried across the body, the bag is made with matelassé leather and textile. It also comes with a metal chain strap.

The My Miu bag is available in a variety of classic, bright and pastel shades including natural snake and black. There is a denim version which comes with a sporty strap in nylon.

The accessory is also available in a smaller size.