29 Dec
Beauty

The Great British Minimalist

Alessandro Michele at Gucci

More than ever, the fashion industry has become one defined by binaries. On the one hand, you have the “throw everything at it” maximalists, many of whom only exist on our Instagram feeds or immortalised on the pavements of fashion week, and whose look is spearheaded by the likes of Alessandro Michele at Gucci and Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga.

On the other hand, you have a fashion tribe who are rejecting the noise and clamour of clashing prints and accessory overload and instead embracing a more contemplative approach to dressing. Yes this is minimalism, but not, perhaps, as you know it. An aesthetic that has simmered beneath the cultural surface for decades, minimalism has occasionally bubbled-up and made its presence felt, but never really disappeared entirely

Minimalism 2.0

Over the last few seasons, it has become clear that simplicity is having another moment in the spotlight—in no small part thanks to the designs of cult brands such as The Row, Jil Sander, Lemaire or Gabriela Hearst who are fronting this ‘minimalism 2.0’. Add to this the fact that, more than ever, shoppers are wanting to invest in pieces that last, both for budget reasons but also for ethical and sustainable implications, and it’s the perfect storm for purists.

“Approaching each season, we look to our six muses; the fashion pioneer, the warrior, the free spirit, the curator, the romantic and the purist,” explains Natalie Kingham, buying director at MatchesFashion. “The Purist opts for minimalist style with a sleek, functional edge, and this season we noticed a new mood for clean, monochromatic elegance on the runway

28 Dec
Sport

Milan Fashion Week AW 2022

Septemberu2019s spring 2021

If not quite a schism, 2020 has sparked a fundamental difference in approach within the Milan fashion system that is set to continue into the new year. Just as at Septemberu2019s spring 2021 womenswear week, next monthu2019s fall 2021 menswear weeku2014five days, reallyu2014will contain a few physical, actually-see-the-clothes runway shows; a fair amount of digital presentations; and some attempts to hybridize the two. Whatu2019s entirely new is that the week will be officially conjoined with this yearu2019s edition of Fashion Film Festival.

Following this past September, those who have stayed true to IRL fashion shows (and that show menswear) plan to remain so: Fendi, Etro, and Dolce & Gabbana. K-Way, the old-school French prep outerwear brand that is now Italian operated, will offer a live event too. Ermenegildo Zegna, meanwhile, will present a fresh variant on its phygitalu2014half-live, half-prerecordedu2014concept, which befits its hybridizations and innovations in everything from sustainability to tailoring.

Keeping the curtains drawn

Our first glimpse of Raf Simonsu2013flavored Prada menswear will be the chief digital diversion; set an alert for January 17 at 2 p.m. CET. A-Cold-Wall, Sunnei, and MSGM are other digital presentations that should be well worth logging on for. Keeping the curtains drawn for now are brands like Giorgio Armani and Dsquared2, while Bottega Venetau2014and this is only a guessu2014seems set to remain aligned with those other Kering-operated marques that have used 2020 as an opportunity.

The changes at Milan Fashion Week reflect a rearranging of the deck chairs across the wider calendar. London Menu2019s Fashion Week has now been absorbed into the newly gender-neutral London Fashion Week in February. Pitti will present a digital platform, Connect, just before Milan next month, starring Brunello Cucinelli, and thenu2014travel and health regulations allowingu2014follow up with a physical Pitti Uomo, which will clash with Londonu2019s mostly digital event in February.

28 Dec
Sport

Valentine’s Day Last-Minute Gifts

Valentineu2019s Day Gifts

If youu2019re reading this article, chances are procrastination has gotten the best of you, and youu2019re currently giftless for the rapidly approaching Valentineu2019s Day. Before you throw in the towel and resort to grocery store flowers (admittedly, some grocery store flowers are beautiful, but you can do better), there are plenty of great last-minute Valentineu2019s Day gift ideas that you can still acquire before Valentineu2019s Day arrives on Friday.

But donu2019t waste any more timeu2014get yourself set for Valentineu2019s Day with the array of gift ideas ahead. From plush robes for lounging around the house to a new overnight bag, these gifts will ship in time for the holiday, leaving your sweetheart unaware that you waited until the last possible minute to find them something special.

Everlane wool-cashmere blanket scarf

Procuring a matching gift with your significant other is a fun way to make a small sartorial item feel special. These scarves will get there in time for the holidayu2014so long as you order before February 12th. Opting for a spa night at home is a great Valentineu2019s Day solve when reservations to all the best restaurants are booked up. Pair this plush robe with some face masks, or luxurious bath productsu2014both of which you can get at your local pharmacy if youu2019re in a pinchu2014and it will feel like a night of self-care between the two of you was the plan all along.

Hook & Albert womenu2019s garment weekender bag. Gifting luggage sends the message that there are many adventures to come between you two. Instead of buying your person a carry-on or a duffle, go for a new overnight bag so that packing for a future week getaway will feel extra special.

28 Dec
Lifestyle

Dreamscapes & Artifi Architecture

Masters of fictional architecture

A subculture of designers and artistsu2014masters of fictional architectureu2014are at last getting their moment in the limelight. A new book, Dreamscapes & Artificial Architecture: Imagined Interior Design in Digital Art, which is being released with Gestalten publishing house on June 16, looks at the best moments of this CGI elegance. Featuring roughly 100 designers from Argentina to Tel Aviv, the tome comprises gravity-defying bizarre buildings, otherworldly landscapes, and pastel-hued interiors.

u201cThese CGI visualizations have become the end result,u201d says Elli Stuhler, the editor of Dreamscapes & Artificial Architecture. u201cThe result is these utopian environments, full of exquisite furniture and extraordinary natural surroundings that canu2019t, and wonu2019t, ever be built.u201d

Ultra-inviting bodies of water

The practice had a key moment in 2018, when Buenos Airesu2013born designer Andru00e9s Reisinger posted an image of a chunky pink armchair he called u201cHortensiau201d on Instagram. It was only a CGI rendering, but it became so Insta-famous he decided to build it into reality, lining the chair with 20,000 pink fabric petals and selling it. u201cIt demonstrated the appeal of this type of work, and that it had the potential to spill over into the physical realm, if unintentionally,u201d notes Stuhler.

Thereu2019s also the pink-hued works of Venice-based designer Massimo Colonna; Ouum, a 3D design studio in Ukraine; and Prague-based designer Filip Hodasu2019s dystopian scenery. Paris-based designer Hugo Fournieru2019s minimalist, meditative scenes are included too, as are the lush, green landscapes of Paul Milinski.

28 Dec
Lifestyle

Calvin Klein Personality Campaign

Controversial advertising

Weu2019ve all seen our fair share of controversial fashion ads. Thereu2019s Tom Fordu2019s 2007 menu2019s fragrance ads, Gucciu2019s 2004 u2018Public Enemyu2019 campaign and American Apparelu2019s racy campaigns (vale).u00a0But look closer and youu2019ll notice the majority of these campaigns happened post-1995. It was Calvin Klein that did it first.u00a0In 1982, CK had a 16-year-old Brooke Shields ask the world: u2018You know what gets between me and my Calvins? Nothing.u2019

A 16-year-old suggesting to the world she wasnu2019t wearing underwear? It was shocking to say the least.u00a0A decade later and Calvin Klein was making headlines once again. This time the label was accused of promoting child pornography in its 1995 campaign, shot by Steven Meisel. The American Justice Department opened an investigation which was later dropped, after the company provided proof that all the models featured were adults. So with all the uproar surrounding these campaigns, why continue the controversy?

Selling more than just a product

Prior to 1980, fashion advertising was all about selling product. Calvin Kleinu2019s ads stood out because they were about selling something bigger: a lifestyle. Take the 1982 launch of Calvin Klein Underwear, for example. Shot by Bruce Weber, the campaign depicted Olympian, Tomu00e1s Hintnaus, lying on a roof in only his briefs. It depicted underwear as sexy, rather than functional. And, as the old saying goes, sex sells.

That campaign revitalised a market that was previously focused on comfort and practicality. Instead of buying underwear, you were buying into a sexy new lifestyle.u00a0As the Guardian explains: u201c[Calvin Klein Underwear] was designed to be seen, conferred status and wealth, and was totemic of its weareru2019s tribe.u201d Marky Mark joined the CK lineup soon after, further cementing the idea of underwear as a marker of status. u2018Calvinsu2019 quickly became a fashion must-have.

28 Dec
Beauty

A Timely Collaboration of 2020

Hamilton x Christopher Nolan

2020 has been a disaster year for movie premieres (will we ever get to see No Time to Die?) but it has been a fruitful time for movie watches. Exhibit A: this limited edition timepiece created for Christopher Nolanu2019s sci-fi spy thriller, Tenet. Modelled after a one-of-a-kind watch developed by Hamilton in collaboration with Christopher Nolan and the filmu2019s production designer, this version of the brandu2019s Khaki Navy BeLOWZERO Auto features a red or blue-tipped seconds hand against its matte black dial.

Japanese designer Hiroshi Fujiwara is one of those people who you might never notice until you know who he is, and then heu2019s everywhere. The multi-hyphenateu2019s work spans a huge range of collaborative projects, from Nike sneakers to Martin guitars and, most recently, TAG Heuer watches. This version of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 is a highly limited edition, whose black and red colour scheme and subtle logo from Fujiwarau2019s fragment design hits all the right notes for hypebeasts and watch fans alike.

Hublot x Cruz-Diez

This partnership between the avant garde Swiss watchmaker and Carlos Cruz-Diez was among the last creations of the late Venezuelan artist, who passed away in 2019. As such, itu2019s both an important historical piece and a totally unique bit of wristwear. In the spirt of Cruz-Diezu2019 focus on colour theory, the rotating dial creates a kaleidoscopic pattern that changes with each passing second.

High-end Swiss watches and high-end Italian tailoring have a lot in common, and so do Kiton and Chopard, two family-run brands with a focus on exceptional quality and attention to detail. After meeting at the Mille Miglia in 2018, the brandsu2019 presidents put their heads together to create the LUC XP Il Sarto Kiton, a watch that pays tribute to watchmaking and tailoring, with a handmade LUC movement and a herringbone dial and strap. Limited to just 100 pieces, itu2019s almost as unique as a bespoke suit.