Fendi’s Spring Faces, KidSuper’s Sports Tie-up, Alvin Valley’s Denim Push
MEN’S TRIO: Fendi’s men’s spring 2024 campaign will be fronted by Chinese actor and singer Kuanghan Hsu, American actor Jeremy Pope and Italian actor Massimiliano Caiazzo in their new roles as the brand’s global menswear ambassadors.
The campaign consolidates their relationship with Fendi, following their front row attendance at the brand’s men’s spring 2024 fashion show held last June at the Italian luxury company’s factory in Capannuccia, a 30-minute drive outside Florence.
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The brand’s artistic director of menswear and accessories Silvia Venturini Fendi at the time said she wanted to celebrate work — most notably Fendi’s handiwork — by staging the show at the plant, which is dedicated to the production of fine leather goods.
The new campaign by Italian artist Nico Vascellari reflects Venturini Fendi’s vision as the talents wear the season’s utilitarian garb and signature accessories — including the Peekaboo and Baguette bags, special pieces from the Fendi Kengo Kuma project in collaboration with the Japanese architect, and the new Chiodo backpack and messenger — captured against a metallic background that recalls the Fendi factory, a complex that produces around 200,000 pieces a year and which is surrounded by seven hectares of greenery, over an area spanning 324,000 square feet.
Brown boxes reading “Made in Fendi,” a tongue-in-cheek catchphrase that has to do with branding but also with the luxury house’s commitment to craft, appear in the images.
Hsu, who gained fame for his roles in the dramas Q Series “Love of Sandstorm” and “Someday or One Day” and most recently played in “The Invisible Guest,” will appear in the upcoming movie “Seishun18x2.”
“Fendi not only inspires me a lot in terms of fashionable daily wear, but also the brand’s simple and elegant style is something I can learn from. I also hope that I can make progress in my work and life without losing my heart and keep it simple,” he said.
Pope, who is an Emmy, Golden Globe and two-time Tony nominee, is best known for his roles in “The Inspection,” the series “Hollywood” and “Pose.” He will next be seen in “The Collaboration” directed by Kwame Kwei-Armah playing artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. He also recently released his photojournalism series “Flex(bitch)” with The Scope Art Show and he will have a new music project out this year in collaboration with award-winning choreographer Parris Goebel and director C Prinz.
“To me, Fendi is a living legacy. It’s more than a brand but a statement. It represents a blend of timeless and modern elegance, and is a celebration of personal style that transcends boundaries,” said Pope, adding that the brand “embodies the spirit of boldness and authenticity.”
Caiazzo, known for his role in “The Sea Beyond [Mare Fuori],” will appear in the fourth season of the series, as well as in the new Disney series “Uonderbois.” In the meantime, he will be working on the set of the new Netflix series “Storia della mia famiglia [History of my family].”
“The Fendi man is a man who is not afraid to dare, without unnecessary ostentation though. A man who starts from a certain kind of rigor but who slowly smooths it out. A man who has not forgotten to be a man but who is slowly rediscovering himself,” Caiazzo said. “Perhaps this is precisely what I have in common with the Fendi man, the desire to rediscover oneself through a certain type of sensibility that needs to be supported and worn, today more than ever.”
The campaign debuting this month comprises nine single and nine double-page visuals and three videos, as well as specific visuals for the eyewear collection, including the new Fendi Lab sunglasses. — LUISA ZARGANI
A SLICE OF PARIS: “I can’t say I come to Paris for the pizza, but I’m in,” joked KidSuper designer Colm Dillane ahead of the reveal of his collaboration with the Brooklyn Nets basketball team and the Paris Saint-Germain soccer club on Tuesday.
Featuring Dillane’s doodle of a chef standing between Brooklyn Bridge and the Eiffel Tower, the limited-edition T-shirt is sold exclusively at Sonny’s Pizza, a buzzy American-style pizza parlor near Place de la République renamed The Brooklyn Nets Pizzeria until Saturday.
It is part of a series of Brooklyn-flavored experiences spanning sport, food, music and fashion the team brought to Paris ahead of Thursday’s NBA Paris Game 2024 that will see the Brooklyn Nets face off with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Other activities include an orchestral tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. on Wednesday and an immersive experience at the Carreau du Temple that includes personalizing basketball jerseys with artist Kaws.
“We’ve spent months curating an intentional campaign to bring the best of Brooklyn to Paris and celebrate the unique connection between both markets — something Colm has demonstrated through his previous projects,” said Ron Goldenberg, vice president international marketing and innovation of the Brooklyn Nets.
Dillane felt like the right fit, given he is a Brooklynite, a basketball fan — and that his first fashion endeavor was called BOTS (for “Brick Oven T-shirt Company) and was an ode to pizza, the executive added.
The designer, who will show his fall 2024 collection on Jan. 20 show during Paris Men’s Week, was even more on board when the Brooklyn-based basketball team told him the Paris Saint-Germain team was involved.
“If you’re going to think about who has a Brooklyn-based brand, shows in Paris and loves soccer, I think I’m the only one to have all three,” Dillane told WWD, revealing he was working on a collaboration with the Nets. “It’s cool when you’re from New York to work with your local team together and I like PSG as well.”
The French soccer club also was eager to take part in the project, feeling its foothold in New York City and strong American fan base made them the best partner to take part in a three-way conversation between both cities and the creative connecting both.
“For us, it was a way to welcome [the team] to Paris,” said Fabien Allègre, director of the Paris Saint-Germain brand. — LILY TEMPLETON
VALLEY’S DENIM PUSH: Alvin Valley, who is well known for the fit of his pants, is getting into the denim business.
Early in his career Valley developed a cult-like following from women who appreciated his flattering silhouettes. Years later, Valley opened a small atelier for private clients in January 2021 on Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Fla., and started selling made-to-measure suitings, along with ready-to-wear and accessories.
“I really love working with clients and having that one-on-one process, but I wanted to produce something that everyone can wear and afford. I felt the way my jeans fit, would make every woman a believer in her own power. That’s what it’s all about, a garment that you slip on and makes you feel your best.”
Valley originally offered jeans 20 years ago.
“I am truly inspired by the washes, the material of denim, the processes, and the many new compositions — sustainability that didn’t exist 20 years ago. Also my client has moved on from athleisure during the pandemic and back into jeans.”
After 14 months of developing the fit, engineering the cuts and testing the reaction within the privacy of his own atelier, Valley is offering six styles of jeans in four washes, from dark to distressed.
Many of the styles in the new collection extend up to six more inches at the bottom. Valley has been known for his 38-inch inseam since the beginning. “This is why tall women love my pants, and I want them to be able to wear them as well. So I came up with a great way to extend the leg,” he said.
The first ones that launched were The Doyenne, a flare jean, and a skirt called Bouvier, a pencil skirt. Both were available in two washes (dark and distressed). Valley has also introduced The Scathing, a completely distressed style, The Social Climber, a sleek mid-rise skinny with spacious front and back pockets, and The Beyond, a high-rise jean with wide leg style for a contemporary look.
Prices range from $295 for a skinny crop style to $675 for Japanese denim high-waist wide-leg style. For fall 2014, the collection will expand to 24 pieces including shirts, jackets, skirts, dresses and T-shirts.
The collection is launching at the Brand Assembly trade show in Los Angeles this week. Projections for 2024 are for 120 doors in the U.S., Europe and Asia. — LISA LOCKWOOD
TWIN CITIES: The Shanghai-based fashion brand Uooyaa has teamed with BA fashion graduates from Central Saint Martins, part of the University of the Arts London, to deliver two capsule collections that translate Shanghai’s and London’s dynamic ’90s into the current zeitgeist.
Some 15 graduates were invited to create design proposals under the theme “Magic and Realism: Shanghai and London” with looks that embody the retro and urban spirits of each city. Visual references of the decade were presented to the graduates together with previous Uooya collections and artworks by Peter Doig and Mira Dancy that inspired these collections.
Alexandra Sipa and Jonathon Kidd were picked in the end to work on the project following rounds of evaluations.
Sipa, now based in Bucharest, was the recipient of the British Fashion Council and Swarovski Foundation scholarship with work experience at Balenciaga, Oscar de la Renta and Asai.
The brand said she was picked because of her focus on post-communist youth, which put her in a unique position to understand and appreciate Uooyaa’s core customer, China’s young generation who grew up during a rapid period of dramatic economic growth and sociological changes.
Kidd, meanwhile, is a Liverpool-born, London-based costume and fashion designer. The brand said his passion and flair for costume design meant that he was able to appreciate and interpret Uooyaa’s design language and translate it into bold ready-to-wear pieces.
The capsule designed by Sipa will go on sale in China on Wednesday, and become available worldwide a day later via the brand’s e-commerce site. The Uooyaa concept store on Wuzhong Road in Shanghai will have a special installation and display to celebrate the launch.
Kidd’s capsule will be revealed in the coming months.
Anna-Nicole Ziesche, joint pathway leader of BA fashion womenswear at Central Saint Martins, called the school’s partnership with Uooyaa “a perfect match.”
“Uooyaa’s aesthetic is young, playful and diverse. We especially appreciated their sincere and open-minded spirit nurturing a creative foundation and freedom for our graduates to explore their individual vision for Uooyaa. While I have worked with various companies in context with Central Saint Martins in the past, I really welcomed Uooyaa’s unique approach,” Ziesche added.
Alex Yin, founder and chief designer of Uooyaa, revealed the collaboration with the fashion school not only supports young talents but marks the brand’s first step in establishing an international design hub for Uooyaa outside of China.
The brand, which has revenues of 50 million pounds and 100 points of sale, has previously collaborated with Ottolinger and Christian Lacroix. — TIANWEI ZHANG
BACK TO SCHOOL: Fashion designer Chuks Collins is taking on the role of designer in residence at Berkeley College in a very public way.
Through a new partnership with the New York school, Collins will be opening a studio on campus later this month. The yearlong alliance is designed to educate and inform students beyond classroom learning.
“Funnily enough,” Collins said he did not graduate from Berkeley College, but studied at the Art Institute of New York. After working for Ralph Lauren and Nanette Lepore, he started his namesake company in 2018. That assortment is sold primarily online, but Collins is speaking with specialty stores and department stores about distribution.
Mentorship is being extended to not only students enrolled in the school’s fashion design program, but in other areas too. Founded in 1931, Berkeley College is a career-focused accredited institution that offers master’s, bachelor’s and associate’s degrees and certificate programs in 20-plus fields.
The partnership stemmed from Collins attending a Berkeley event and meeting the school’s chief operating officer Linda Mauro. He also participated in a panel discussion at the school at a later date. Committed to sharing “real-life skills” with students, the designer said he has enlisted some of them — including students in visual merchandising, marketing and public relations — to help with a new campaign that will highlight the new studio.
Collins also created the “Reflection” capsule collection that was inspired by the cycles of life and the vivid cultural tapestries throughout Africa with the help of some students. There are repurposed styles as a nod to the designer’s interest in sustainability and use of recycled and organic materials. His designs blend African and Western fashion and the company advocates for social responsibility.
Collins has dressed such notables as the actress Kerry Washington, the comedian Jimmy Fallon and the Jonas Brothers, but students are his compass at the moment.
In an interview Tuesday, Collins said that more than anything he wants “to amplify the learning experience for students” by having them work with him on ideas and hands-on projects. Collins said of his interest in this new project: “I’m a student at heart. One of the most important things for me to do is to have impact. I also want to be able to pass forward what I know. If I am able to do that for students and prepare them for a future in the fashion world and protect the planet, I consider that a success.” — ROSEMARY FEITELBERG
VERY VERDY: Japanese graphic artist Verdy, the mastermind behind Blackpink’s “Born Pink World” tour, has been named artistic director of the first edition of ComplexCon Hong Kong, scheduled for March 22 to 24.
It will mark the second time that Verdy, who has been attending ComplexCon since 2017, has helped ComplexCon shape its event lineup. In 2022, he was the artistic director of ComplexCon Long Beach.
“For this year’s ComplexCon Hong Kong, I want to bring the Asian community together through new and exciting energy and I want to serve as the bridge between the old and new generations,” Verdy told WWD.
The artist called Hong Kong a very special place.
“My grandma first took me there when I was in elementary school. I also remember during high school, I would always see Nigo and Jun Takah [Takahashi] going to Hong Kong, so it is a place that I always wanted to do something in. I got the opportunity five years ago when I did my first art show. Luckily, I got to know the creative scene there through my good friends Kevin Poon and Jerry Haha,” added Verdy.
Having recently collaborated with Kenzo creative director Nigo on a pop-up store at 66 Avenue des Champs-Élysées during the holiday season, the Osaka-born, Tokyo-based creative’s other notable projects include Girls Don’t Cry, Wasted Youth, his panda rabbit character Vick and, most recently, Visty.
Verdy has also worked with famous names such as Nike, Levi’s, Instagram, Coachella, Dover Street Market and McDonald’s China on a project titled the “Best Friends Forever” campaign that included a capsule collection, exhibition and large-scale sculptures across a network of more than 5,000 stores around China.
“There will be a lot of good energy because there will be different people from all industries coming together in one place. I’m going to bring my world. You can expect my projects, Girls Don’t Cry and Wasted Youth, and my characters Vick and Visty to be there,” the graphic artist said.
Late March is traditionally a busy period for events in China. ComplexCon Hong Kong will coincide with Dior’s men’s pre-fall 2024 runway show on March 23. Shanghai Fashion Week is set to kick off on March 25, while the Art Basel Hong Kong fair is scheduled from March 28 to 30.
The previous edition of Art Basel Hong Kong attracted several high-profile figures in the fashion and pop culture worlds, including Louis Vuitton men’s creative director Pharrell Williams, who hosted the first physical event outside of the U.S. for Joopiter, the digital-first auction platform founded by Williams, with American jewelry designer Lorraine Schwartz.
Verdy, who moves in the same circle as the likes of Williams, Dior men’s creative director Kim Jones, and Kenzo’s Nigo, revealed that he will “definitely bring some of my friends, but you will have to attend to see.”
At the same time, McDonald’s Hong Kong has been named the official taste partner of the fair. The sponsorship will include a pop-up with limited-time offers of food items featuring special packaging, a fashion capsule and a concert-viewing platform.
Randy Lai, chief executive officer of McDonald’s Hong Kong, said: “We continue to challenge ourselves by shaping the cultural conversation and building genuine and enduring connections with our customers. Coming in as the official taste partner for ComplexCon Hong Kong is taking another step to push our creative boundaries and cultivate the cultural landscape.”
As the first Complex in-person event to be held outside of North America, the global luxury streetwear and pop culture fair, supported by the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund of the Government of Hong Kong SAR, will occupy the 430,556-square-foot AsiaWorld-Expo venue, located next to the Hong Kong International Airport.
More headliners and brand partners will be revealed throughout the lead-up to the festival. Tickets for the event will go on sale later this month.
Guests will be able to indulge in an immersive pop culture experience, shop hundreds of exclusive releases from music, fashion, art, food, and sports brands, and attend talks from leading figures in pop culture.
Complex China has been the exclusive operator of the Complex brand in the Greater China region since 2021. It is a subsidiary of the Hong Kong-listed SV Vision Ltd., formerly known as Icicle Group.
With offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Shanghai and Los Angeles, SV Vision Ltd.’s other businesses include the content and programming arm Studio SV, the marketing production team Icicle and Kicks Crew, a global e-commerce platform for athletic footwear and apparel. — T.Z.
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