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Michael Marson
IRRIVERENT WONDER
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Michael Marson
THE DINNER GUESTS
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SCENT OF HERITAGE

LOVE with Saint Laurent Rive Droite

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Saint Laurent Rive Droite celebrates Valentine’s Day by proposing flower bouquets wrapped in Saint LaurentJe t’aime paper, available in stores. To honor this occasion, Saint Laurent’s love patterned condoms are going to be gifted with the purchase of a bouquet.

Sex games, vibrator Saint Laurent x Crave, will also be presented together with a larger selection of items such as lighters, tote bags and padlocks with heart-shape patterns.

A LOVE Yves Saint Laurent collection with posters and t-shirts will also be available for sale.

All exclusively available at Saint Laurent Rive Droite Paris and Los Angeles.

HERMES BEAUTY IS BORN

Five years in the making, Hermès Beauty came to life in Paris last night.

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The luxury of time is, without a doubt, one of the privileges of French maison Hermès, never rushing anything to completion until it has reached utter perfection. 

Talking to a selected audience of journalists and guests last night - most flown in from all around the world - Pierre-Alexis Dumas emphasized beauty as a gesture and a way to reveal a woman's personality and true character, as opposed to the transient notion of the artifice. 

Hermès Rouge is the first step of a long and hopefully fruitful venture into the exciting world of beauty for the French maison. It was therefore logical - and also strategic - that lipstick was picked as the first gesture within Hermès Beauty, as it is instantly visible on a face and makes a strong statement in any kind of circumstances. The object itself is striking and meant to last, echoing the deeply sustainable nature of anything Hermès creates. 

Gathered in a private house within the elegant 16th arrondissement, guests and friends got to sample Hermès Rouge while they were treated to unique performances from actors and singers, as well as delicious food, makeover ateliers and the best champagne Paris can get. When it comes to beauty, Hermès has no intentions to let its high standards slip. Here are some photographs from last night's launch. 


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/ Words by Philippe Pourhashemi /

CHANEL Eyewear SS20

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The singer Angèle, the actresses Isabelle Adjani and Margaret Qualley, and the musicians Sébastien Tellier and Pharrell Williams: the aura of these five artists lights up the CHANEL Spring-Summer 2020 eyewear campaign, photographed by Karim Sadli. Five eyewear designs for one single attitude: the elegance of CHANEL, for asserting one's own style with pride.

Each pair of sunglasses highlights the originality of these inspiring muses. For Angèle, an oval design whose transparent acetate frame contrasts with the metal temples to which a necklace of grey faux pearls is attached. The mischievous face of Margaret Qualley appears beneath a butterfly frame in black metal, also linked with a string of pearls, this time in white. We can only guess at the enigmatic gaze of Isabelle Adjani behind large square sunglasses in black acetate with the name CHANEL laid like a jewelled hair slide along one of the temples. The XL rectangular shield worn by Sébastien Tellier honours the tweed that swathes its frame. The double C takes shape as a patch and signs the temples. Finally, an oversized rectangular design in black acetate worn by the CHANEL ambassador Pharrell Williams, is embellished with fine metal plaques engraved with a motif that evokes a woven tweed.

A veritable manifesto of daring and self-expression, this powerful campaign, full of character, embodied by five leading figures in the art world, can be discovered from the month of March 2020.

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BERLUTI / Backstage FW2020

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SAINT LAURENT SS 20 #YSL30 – RAMI MALEK

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CHANEL PreCollection SS2020

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To embody the Spring-Summer 2020 pre-collection, Virginie Viard has chosen Caroline de Maigret, ambassador of the House. She was shot by photographer Leila Smara at the legendary CHANEL address at 31 rue Cambon in Paris.

For this pre-collection, Virginie Viard has imagined a very Parisian silhouette, with a cool and chic allure that lights up everyday life. The soft, comfortable lines emphasise the masculine-feminine spirit characteristic of CHANEL, further illustrated by the choice of materials such as tweed, denim, leather, satin and cotton poplin.
A pink and gold tweed jacket with four pockets is worn naturally with faded jeans. Tweed also comes as a black and white checked blazer whose rigour is softened by an ethereal jabot blouse and a pair of diaphanous shorts in cotton poplin. Tweed is feminised as a sensual and graphic bustier top accompanied by trousers in quilted leather. Leather, again, is printed with silver pinstripes for a straight-cut jacket and trouser ensemble.
Ease and freedom of movement are at the heart of the CHANEL silhouette. A tweed trouser suit with an ultra-fluid cut worn over a jersey top, a very soft long coat in cotton tweed combined with white jeans, and a casual chic ensemble in printed satin all perfectly correspond with this philosophy. 

To walk, move, to come and go in the utmost comfort, the shoes are flat or have a small square heel: derby shoes in patent leather, slingback pumps in fishnet, flat sandals trimmed with chains and loafers in crêpe and grosgrain embellished with a rhinestone comet. A small tote bag in quilted leather has integrated handles and a strap allowing for two ways of wearing it. Finally, couture jewelry - multi-strand sautoirs, pearl necklaces, cuff bracelets, curb chains and XL chain belts - punctuates all the silhouettes.

With the Spring-Summer 2020 pre-collection, Virginie Viard reinvents the essence of the Parisienne and her nonchalant elegance. She infuses her with a youthfulness that reflects the eternal and contemporary allure of the CHANEL woman. Discover the collection in boutiques from January 2020.

SAINT LAURENT SUMMER 20 LE SMOKING

Kate Moss, Freja Beha Erichsen, Stella Tennant, Liya Kebede, Mica Argañaraz, Anja Rubik and Naomi Campbell captured by Juergen Teller.

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SAINT LAURENT SELF 05 BY WONG KAR WAI

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Saint Laurent SELF 05, ‘A night in Shanghai’, curated by Chinese artist Wong Kar Wai and directed by Wing Shya, marks the fifth chapter of the project, following Daido Moriyama, Vanessa Beecroft, Bret Easton Ellis and Gaspar Noé. The intention of the project is to capture different aspects of the Saint Laurent personality, underlining the complexity of various individuals through the eyes of artists selected by Anthony Vaccarello, Saint Laurent creative director. SELF represents the self-expression and conveys many different facets of the Saint Laurent attitude.

‘A night in Shanghai’ is a story about the introspective research of our-self, which starts from breaking the balance. Ju Xiaowen is walking on the wire, trying to find the balance in real life by comparing the past and the present, sharply contrasting. Looking for who she is and moved by the desire to express herself.

‘Saint Laurent is unique, distinctive among high fashion. Anthony loves art and his designs worn gorgeously, and stays independent. Saint Laurent is always about ‘breaking the balance’ in this era, like no one else, the brand is brave in expressing itself.’ Wong Kar Wai

‘Wong Kar Wai envisions individual feelings; his art is like a vivid dream projected into real life, which emphasizes the contrast between the fragile aspect of humanity and reality. It was a very instinctive process based on mutual respect and admiration, in the movie you can find and feel the Saint Laurent fantasy taking shape as natural consequence.’
Anthony Vaccarello

The traditional feeling of Shanghai meets the contemporary Saint Laurent, creating a subtle chemistry, as much as the modern skyline of the city blends with the iconic spirit of the brand.

The short movie will be exclusively presented in an immersive screen-installation at Yuz Museum in Shanghai art district, accessible to public from the 22nd until the 24th of November.

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SAINT LAURENT X GOOGLE

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Saint Laurent and JacquardTM by Google announce the Cit-e Backpack.

Jacquard developed a platform that consists of intelligent yarns integrated into the Saint Laurent backpack’s fabric—creating an interactive touch area that allows for gestures. A Jacquard Tag provides connectivity from the interactive panel to a mobile phone.
Saint Laurent and Google Jacquard weave intelligence into the everyday Cit-e Backpack that allows it to control music, drop pins on the go, and take pictures with a simple gesture. The experience is optimized for both iOS and Android. The app allows you to configure Abilities to gestures and alerts and revisit activities with the Cit-e Backpack.

Jacquard is an advanced technology that allows users to interact seamlessly with digital services in their daily activities, to improve their daily lives. This new experience developed by Saint Laurent & Jacquard aims to explore the future of fashion, made possible by technological advances.

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Available exclusively at Saint Laurent Rive Droite

www.saintlaurentrivedroite.com

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DELVAUX modern heritage in 'New York Stories'

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Paying homage to the city's unique character, la Maison Delvaux show elegance, grace and power in black and white, through the talented eye of director Francesco Carrozzini. In 'New York Stories', 4 independent woman (Musician Asia Chow, entrepreneur Neil Diamond, model Chanel Iman and the one and only singer / actress / icon Courtney Love ) display their must-have Delvaux handbag on the Upper East Side. Already famed images to celebrate once again, the Delvaux Boutique on 5th Avenue.

/ Review by Julie Nysten /

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Impulses / CAMPER FW19 Campaign

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The line between humans and machines is blurrier than ever in the technologically tuned-up universe of our Fall/Winter 2019 campaign.

Inspired by the fearless innovation and precision performance of motor sports, Romain Kremer presents a post-modern world fueled by impulses – where how you drive determines your future and respect is earned one race at a time. Featuring eight high-octane avatars, the campaign brings racing subculture to life, blending fierce colors and aerodynamic details in a custom-built collection that craves speed and accelerates out of the curves.

Creative Direction by Romain Kremer

Photography by Daniel Sannwald

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CAMPER.COM

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A TOUCHING FAREWELL AT KENZO

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When it was announced earlier this month that Carol Lim and Humberto Leon would unveil their last collection for Kenzo in Paris, you knew their show would be memorable. It was, in fact, a true spectacle, complete with models, dancers, musicians, and a soulful performance by Solange Knowles.

Kenzo Takada himself sat front row to watch a collection that paid homage to Japan’s ancestral traditions and its breathtaking coasts. The sea was the main source of inspiration for the designers, who invoked the resilient spirit of sailors and super heroes, on the hunt for their next treasure. Mixing traditional sailing motifs with technical fabrics found in scuba diving, Lim and Leon chose neoprene to craft matching jackets and pants, as well as a wet effect creased jersey. Sheer pieces were printed with mermaids, prawns and sea lilies. Ikat prints, sun-bleached denims and liquid look viscose were used for men and women alike, creating a nice harmony between the two lines. 

The American designers are famous for merging sportswear with sleeker lines and their reinterpretation of suiting was right on trend. Beautiful pastel tones added softness to the most structured styles, and a sense of romance defined the last womenswear looks, which were surprisingly intricate and embellished. A fully embroidered skirt -covered with stunning pearls and sequins- was worn with a simple cropped blouse and colorful sneakers. It was the perfect illustration of what Lim and Leon have always stood for: a sense of fantasy fused with urban pragmatism.


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/ Words by Philippe Pourhashemi /

/ Backstage pictures by Merel Hart /

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LUDOVIC DE SAINT SERNIN Men's SS20 BACKSTAGE

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/ Photography by Winter Vandenbrink /

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SWEET LITTLE NOTHINGS AT LUDOVIC DE SAINT SERNIN

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It only took a few seasons for Ludovic de Saint Sernin to turn into one of Paris’ hottest brands, quite an achievement for someone still in his late 20s. De Saint Sernin’s vision is strong, subversive, humorous and uncompromising. His last show gathered industry insiders who clearly showed their support, such as Rick Owens, Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing and Willy Vanderperre who shot the designer’s last campaign.

Ludovic de Saint Sernin’s work is about intimacy, gender -and above all skin- a dismantling of our society’s archetypes to propose a new and sensitive approach towards men and women alike. If the French designer sees beauty in fragility, he’s also challenging the social norms of conformity and suffocating standardization. His incredibly sensual show underlined a Kunderian lightness of being, which was evidenced by his choice of tactile materials, such as breezy taffeta, silk satin or sheer organza.

De Sernin took on certain codes to reformulate them his way, such as military-inspired styles for instance. A belted nude colored trench was worn as an outfit against bare skin, with a pair of matching leather sandals and nothing else. Reworked cargo pants were tight on the hips and flared at the bottom, hugging every possible curve. He even paired one of those with a nude, asymmetrical bandage top, a nod to the early 1990s. Other references to that era were also clear, from Alexander McQueen’s infamous ‘bumsters’ to Helmut Lang’s exposed nipple tops, but de Saint Sernin offered the ultra low waist pants covered with Swarovski crystals and reworked the classic polo shirt with an erotic cutout.

He also presented his own version of sleek tailoring, focusing on body-conscious suits, which featured no pockets and concealed buttons. Avoiding unnecessary details to underline sharply cut lines is one of the designer’s signatures, borrowing from the sexiness of womenswear to avoid traditional men’s finishes. When a model came out wearing a simple towel wrapped around his waist, it offered an instant breather to a delighted audience. In a fashion landscape filled with logos, celebrity lines and trying way too hard clothes, de Saint Sernin’s reductionist and intelligent approach could be the way forward.

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/ Words by Philippe Pourhashemi /

/ Runway pictures by Luca Tombolini /

A LEAN MACHINE AT CELINE

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One of Hedi Slimane’s many talents is to play against expectations while sticking to his guns and that’s precisely what he did with his last Celine show. If David Kramer’s artworks for the brand -featured online and within the invitation book- made you think of sunny LA afternoons and psychedelic pursuits, you were in for a surprise when the show started.

Tapping into the 1970s and some of his beloved icons and musical references, the French designer elongated the silhouette to new extremes. His jeans were rather slim, slightly flared and sat at the waist, which made his models’ legs look even longer. Slimane also used abbreviated blouson jackets that minimized the torso area and shoulder line. A formal, double-breasted pinstripe jacket -trimmed with a red carnation- was casually worn open over a denim shirt, which instantly brought French singer and composer Serge Gainsbourg to mind. If Gainsbourg’s style was négligé and looked accidental, it was in fact the complete opposite as every element of his persona and attitude were carefully chosen and mixed together.

That sense of studied nonchalance was also evidenced in Slimane’s choice of accessories, such as an unpretentious but surprising straw tote worn over the shoulder or straightforward white sneakers, which went against the current trend of gigantic and over-embellished numbers. Such longing to reconnect with authentic clothes is without a doubt one of Slimane’s driving forces and there several garments to covet in his show, from sleek black leather pants and stripy overalls to a military print trench or a slim black suit. The pointy white boots were a nod to 1970s kitsch, and they added a playful touch to the overall silhouette. Think disco pimp dancing to CHIC.

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/ Words by Philippe Pourhashemi /

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