This week, fashion got us excited. Louis Vuitton shared a first look at its highly anticipated Yayoi Kusama collaboration; Moncler Genius announced it will be showing during London Fashion Week in February; and Chanel confirmed it will reschedule its Dakar Métier d’Art show in Tokyo in June. While some brands looked ahead, others celebrated achievements:
Below, Hypebeast has rounded up the best fashion stories of the week so you can stay up-to-date on industry trends.
adidas is “reevaluating” its Balenciaga partnership
After Balenciaga’s controversial “Gift Shop” campaign, Sneakers Freaker They recently posted screenshots of new customer service emails from Balenciaga and adidas, which say pre-orders from the brands’ collaborative collection will be delayed or not fulfilled.
“We have taken time to re-evaluate our partnership with Balenciaga and have decided to halt all product launches until further notice,” adidas’ email read. “Unfortunately, therefore, we will be unable to fulfill your pre-order of the Balenciaga/adidas Stan Smith.” Balenciaga’s email was more vague, telling customers that orders would be “delayed in shipment” and that previous tracking numbers were no longer accurate.
According to the outlet, the customer who received the emails had recently received a pair of the Balenciaga x adidas Triple-S, so the status of their partnership is most likely fluid.
Nike reported incremental revenue growth in fiscal second quarter 2023 results
Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Nike, Inc. reported its fiscal 2023 financial results for the second quarter ending Nov. 30 on Wednesday, revealing one of the best quarterly revenue increases in more than a decade.
The company’s revenue rose to $13.3 billion, which is a 17% increase compared to last year’s figure. The number, which surpassed an estimate of $12.57 billion USD, marks Nike’s best report in 42 quarters, in addition to a 95% increase in the fourth quarter of 2021, when retail stores reopened after pandemic lockdowns.
In North America, Nike’s largest market, sales rose 30%; however, figures in China, the brand’s most profitable market, fell by 3% due to COVID restrictions.
Nike’s margins tightened, primarily due to increased markdowns for inventory liquidation, unfavorable changes in net foreign exchange rates and increased freight and logistics costs. The company’s gross margin decreased 300 basis points to 42.9%, and revenue for the quarter was reported to be flat compared to 2021.
Louis Vuitton unveiled a first look at its upcoming Yayoi Kusama collaboration
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton is ready to bring polka dots to the fore in its upcoming collaboration with Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama.
The collaboration will fuse the French Maison’s signature shapes with Kusama’s iconographic designs and million dollar brushstrokes. The brand is gearing up to release a range of ready-to-wear, accessories, leather goods and even perfumes under this collaboration. In anticipation of its launch, Steven Meisel shot a series of campaign images featuring Gisele Bündchen, Liya Kebede, Devon Aoki, Christy Turlington and Anok Yai.
The first products are expected to be released on January 1, 2023, in Japan and China as a pre-launch, while all other 460 Louis Vuitton stores worldwide will see a release of the collaboration on January 6, 2023.
Gucci opened its first luggage-only store in Paris
Gucci
Gucci announced the official opening of its first independent luggage store in Paris. The luxury giant finds a new home on the coveted Rue Saint-Honoré, inside a 2,900 square meter storefront housing the full Gucci Valigeria line.
In a statement to WWD, CEO Marco Bizzarri details what the boutique opening means for Gucci. “The opening of our first Gucci Valigeria boutique on Rue Saint-Honoré represents the next stage in our ongoing strategy to reinforce our leadership in the travel category,” he said. “Gucci Valigeria is a powerful reminder of our Florentine roots and our timeless craft.”
Bizzarri confirmed that the brand has plans to open more luggage-only stores in “other iconic city destinations” in the future.
Fendi unveiled its state-of-the-art factory in Tuscany
Andrew Ferrari
Fendi pulled back the curtain on its new factory in the Tuscan town of Bagno a Ripoli. The multifaceted post was a collaborative project between the label’s specialist architecture team and Milan-based architecture studio Piuarch.
The ultra-contemporary yet minimalist factory blends into its surroundings in a natural warm tan shade and its roof is covered in a lush garden. Inside, the innovative building houses a production warehouse, workshops, offices, a leather goods school and a restaurant.
Moncler Genius will be featured at London Fashion Week 2023
Moncler
Moncler CEO Remo Ruffini’s collaborative project, Moncler Genius, will debut during London Fashion Week this February.
The French luxury label launched the Genius label in 2018, with the aim of infusing the works of the industry’s leading creators and designers into Moncler’s DNA. In the past, Genius has worked with CSM alumni DingYun Zhang, Craig Green and Palm Angels.
The “Moncler Genius” show will take place on February 20, 2023. Ruffini has not yet announced the list of talents that will be featured in this upcoming collection.
of Christian Dior: The Designer of Dreams The exhibition arrived in Tokyo
Yuichi Yamazaki/Afp/Getty Images
After receiving high praise for her performance in Paris, he Christian Dior: The Designer of Dreams The exhibition is heading to Tokyo.
The exhibition will further strengthen Dior’s influence in Japan, one of the French label’s strongest markets. In homage to the country, the exhibition includes a new scenographic narrative, created by architect Shohei Shigematsu, which highlights over 75 years of the brand’s fashion designs, alongside traditional Japanese cultural elements.
In an interview with AFP, Shigematsu explained, “When Dior makes a skirt, there is a structure and then the fabric is placed on top of it. I was asked to create a traditional Japanese structure, so I thought about shoji screens, for example, which have a wooden structure and are covered with paper.”
of Christian Dior: The Designer of Dreams startet is now open at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo. It will remain on view until May 28, 2023.
Chanel will reinstate its previous Dakar Métiers d’Art show in Tokyo
Chanel
In light of the success of the Métier d’Art Dakar 2022/23 Collection, Chanel has announced that it will renew the show in Tokyo in 2023.
The collection debuted at the former Palais de Justice in Dakar, Senegal, on December 6. The line, which highlights rich colors and beading and beading, is very Chanel, with its fair share of flared trousers in the House’s heritage tweeds.
The Dakar show attracted a high-profile audience, with attendees including house spokesperson Pharrell Williams, Naomi Campbell, Whitney Peak, Nile Rodgers, Princess Caroline of Monaco and her daughter Charlotte Casiraghi. Notably, the show was part of a three-day cultural program in the Senegalese city.
The Chanel show in Tokyo will take place on June 1, 2023.
