Dior’s New Men’s Ambassador, ‘Wednesday’ Star Turns Out at Gucci
BRANCHING OUT This is the latest pairing of luxury brand and K-pop celebrity. Dior Jimin, South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer, was signed as an ambassador for the world by BTS Boy Band.
The band’s relationship with the French luxury house dates back to 2019, when Dior menswear designer Kim Jones designed stage outfits for their “Love Yourself: Speak Yourself” world tour. BTS has worked with brands including McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Samsung and Louis Vuitton, which named them as brand ambassadors In April 2021, the partnership was ended.
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Both Vuitton and Dior belong to French luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
BTS released their first album in 2013 and shocked the world when they announced in June that members Jin, Jin, Suga and J-Hope would be taking a break to allow Jungkook, V, and Jungkook to pursue solo projects and finish their military service. Jimin recently collaborated with Bigbang’s Taeyang on his new single “Vibe.”
Dior’s signing of Jimin indicates that each band member can individually flex their branding might. “The South Korean artist now embodies the spirit and singularity of Dior style, modernity with a timeless signature,” Dior said in a brief statement.
K-pop is no stranger to the house. Jisoo, who is also a member Blackpink has driven people crazy since signing up with Dior as a global ambassador in March 2021 for fashion and beauty. Jisoo and Dior have been recognized numerous times. the social media post with the highest value during Paris Fashion Week according to Launchmetrics data and insights.
On the men’s side, Jimin joins a group of brand ambassadors that includes Sehun, a member of Exo, and Astro’s Cha Eunwoo. Both attended the brand’s pre-fall show Held in front the pyramids in Giza, Egypt. — JOELLE DIDERICH
AGAINST THE WIND “Wednesday” actor Percy Hynes White attended his first fashion show on Friday in Milan, taking in Gucci’s fall 2023 men’s collectionThe model paraded around a rock band jamming out on a circular dais.
“It’s pretty cool,” he said before the show, pausing for some photos with Korean pop star Kai and Gucci chief executive officer Marco Bizzarri.
Gucci’s hip-dockworker look for next season might look right at home in Hyne White’s hometown of St. John’s, Newfoundland, which is known for its rugged weather.
“You can like walk up the street like, completely horizontally when it’s windy. It’s crazy,” said the actor, who now lives in Toronto.
Told Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog, a “noise rock” trio, would be the featured attraction, Hynes White was intrigued. “I’m very excited to see. I don’t know the band.”
Actor Idris Elba, musician Nick Cave as well as Jalen Ramsey, Los Angeles Rams cornerback, were also present at the show.
Gucci was the first big show of men’s fashion week in Milan, which ran through Monday. It was a closely watched display as it featured the first collection realized by Gucci’s design studio without creative director Alessandro Michele, who exited the brand last November After a prestigious seven-year tenure. — MILES SOCHA
Multifaceted Man: Valentino has named Suga as its latest brand ambassador.
The much-loved member of the pop BTS boy band joins the company’s ambassadors called Di.Vas, an acronym that stands for Different Values.
Creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli defined Suga as “a multifaceted artist; he is an interpreter and uses his talent and his work to express himself with energy and authenticity. He perfectly embodies everything that DI.Vas testimonials stand for: diversity, inclusivity, creativity and passion.”
For his part, Suga said “all individuals have different dreams and values.” He said Valentino and Piccioli “have been supportive of diversity which is something that I also believe in.” The artist will also front the Maison Valentino Essentials campaign, dedicated to the brand’s menswear staples.
Valentino joined Sir in May 2022. Lewis Hamilton You can go one step further. The Valentino Pink PP advertisement campaign saw the seven-time Formula 1 World Champion appointed as the first Valentino menswear D.VAs.
The brand appointed Li Ronghao (a popular singer and husband to Rainie Yang) as its brand ambassador for the Greater. This was in order to increase engagement in the Chinese market. China region.
BTS, the popular South Korean group, has been getting to know the fashion world for a while. As reported, Dior just signed the band’s member Jimin as its global ambassador and in 2021 the group modeled for Louis Vuitton. — LUISA ZARGANI
NEW ROLE: Lululemon Elizabeth Binder has been named chief merchandising officer.
Binder, who began Monday, will be based out of Vancouver. He reports to Sun ChoeChief Product Officer.
Boden was the U.K.’s chief product officer until October 2020. Earlier, she spent 12 years at Burberry and led her team through the brand’s biggest growth years, driven by digital and international expansion, specifically in Asia. J. has also been her merchandising role. Crew, Club Monaco, and Ann Taylor.
“Throughout her career, Liz has proven her ability to bring teams together through times of immense acceleration and business expansion, and lead with clarity and vision,” said Choe. “Liz’s proven leadership coupled with an astute understanding of consumer needs will help accelerate and scale all that is possible form a product, design and distribution standpoint.”
Binder added, “I’m drawn to Lululemon Its commitment to people and its leadership in product development. As consumers search for products that offer versatility, style and performance without compromising on style, there is great potential for all product categories. I’m excited to build on the momentum of the brand and play a part in shaping the future of how people want to dress.”
Lulemon, a Canadian footwear, apparel and accessory manufacturer, announced third quarter earnings last month. The company showed an improvement in top line and bottom lines, with strong performance across all channels. Last week, however, investors were rattled by Lulemon’s fourth quarter outlook. It showed a slight decline in gross margins despite the fact that profits were on target. — LISA LOCKWOOD
BEST FOOT FORWARD Jean Paul Gaultier is a fashion house, and J.M. Weston are the two latest members of French luxury association Comité Colbert.
Although the house’s founder retired from the runway in 2020, Gaultier has kept its haute couture division active with one-off collections conceived by guest designers.
Following Chitose Abe of Sacai; Glenn Martens of Y/Project and Diesel, and Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing, it will be Haider Ackermann’s turn to present his creations for the brand January 25, 2005
“We are very happy to join the Comité Colbert and its prestigious members, and proud to be able to contribute to the influence of French know-how, in particular through a new and collaborative approach to haute couture,” said Vincent Thilloy, chief brand officer for Jean Paul Gaultier.
“The values of inclusivity and diversity specific to our house will be at the heart of our contributions,” he added.
J.M. Weston, in turn, increased its visibility by appointing Olivier Saillard, a fashion historian, as artistic and image director. Saillard directed several performances for the shoe company, including one in recent memory. a dance class led by leading choreographers Mathilde Monnier and La Ribot.
The latest additions raise the number of luxury houses that are members of Comité Colbert to 93. The organization has 17 cultural institutions and six European member.
“Comité Colbert welcomes the arrival of these two new members, whose history, excellence of craftsmanship and international influence promise mutual enrichment at a time when the resilience of our industry is a source of pride for France,” said Bénédicte Epinay, chief executive officer of Comité Colbert.
The organization’s objective is to promote luxury, preserve the ancestral know-how of its houses, to work on legislative and regulatory issues and to anticipate future challenges in the sector.
As luxury firms struggle to recruit young artisans despite the boom in their sales, Comité Colbert hosted a three-day educational fair Last month, the goal was to promote careers in craftsmanship to students. — J.D.
ANIMAL KINGDOM Boulevard Haussman, the bustling district that houses Galeries Lafayette and Printemps department store, will soon have polar bears or gorillas in its chic boutiques.
It’s all the work of renowned animal sculptor Michel Bassompierre, who will unveil his largest sculpture to date at the opening ceremony Feb. 1. The new piece, titled “Le Mélèze,” stands just above 13 feet and will tower over the famed shopping street. The open-air display of 11 pieces will continue until March 31.
Other pieces from Bassompierre’s series “Fragile Colosses” will also be on display at the nearby Mogador Theater. He is best known for his portrayals of endangered species in bronze or marble.
The exhibit, brought together by the Comité Haussmann association and Galeries Bartoux, is meant to shine a spotlight on the existential environmental threats species face due to climate change, human encroachment on their habitats and ecosystem collapse.
“I am one of the nature lovers, who are in awe of life. Our duty may be to share our sense of beauty to make others admire the wonders they pass by without noticing,” said Bassompierre. “I hope my exhibit ‘Fragile Colosses’ in the Haussmann district, one of the most beautiful in the capital, will make as many people as possible aware of the need to respect and preserve our environment.”
The exhibit was created to portray animals in a completely different light. It was supported by Sabrina Krief (primatetologist) and Cesar-winning actor Jacques Weber. Bassompierre is well-known for his ability to transform animals into soft, round forms that depict a peaceful and tranquil nature. These sculptures are used as ambassadors to help people see animals that were once thought to be dangerous from a different perspective.
“In the heart of one of the most prestigious Parisian neighborhoods, the monumental sculptures of Michel Bassompierre will raise awareness this winter of the threatened beauty of nature. We are happy to join forces with the Comité Haussmann, whose values we share, on this exceptional exhibition which will awaken and amaze people’s consciences,” Galeries Bartoux noted.
“Every day, we are committed to offering our visitors a different experience of Paris Through artistic events in urban spaces, accessible to all. We are very happy to associate ourselves for the first time with the Galeries Bartoux to offer our visitors an exceptional exhibition and create a unique route in the heart of our emblematic district of the capital,” added Comité Haussmann president Alexandre Liot.
From February 1 through March 31, the works will be displayed. Pieces from the collection were last on display in Paris’ Jardin des Plantes in 2021. — RHONDA RICHFORD
Mushrooms and Makeup Daniel Martin, celebrity makeup artist and Tatcha’s global director of artistry and education, has partnered with MycoWorks, the creators of a leather alternative, to create a reishi leather makeup brush roll.
Martin stated that the collection was years in making after the partners met during the pandemic.
“This friendship grew from that over like two years, and they asked, ‘if you ever got a hold of this material, what would you create?’ I had this brush roll that I’ve had for almost 20 years that I’ve always wanted to recreate,” Martin said.
“They gave me the opportunity to do it in this incredible natural leather.”
MycoWorks’s reishi mushroom leather has to be grown to size, so each roll is made to order. There are only three available, and only two will ever be sold.
“I want to auction two of them off for charity,” Martin said. “If we can get it at a really cool place and it helps somebody out, that’s nice. But so much of the partnership was just understanding the material, understanding the brand.”
Martin joins a range of collaborators with MycoWorks, including Hermès.
“As a company founded by two artists, MycoWorks is always eager to collaborate with artists and artisans from other fields who share our values and vision. Daniel is a perfect example of this. His devotion to creativity, aesthetics and craft aligns with ours,” said Xevi Gallego, artist and MycoWorks’ vice president of brand and marketing. “Reishi is a new kind of natural, luxury material that can be used anywhere leather or leather alternatives are used — and do more. It has been adopted by industries spanning fashion, home décor, automotive and art — and we see opportunities for it in beauty and beyond.” — JAMES MANSO
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