Prada Cup Unveiled in Monaco

MONACO — There were holograms of skippers from Sardinia, videos of the stunning new technological sailing boats, and a model of the new Luna Rossa AC75 — but all eyes were on the new Prada Cup designed by Marc Newson that was unveiled on Thursday at the Yacht Club de Monaco by Prada Group chief executive officer Patrizio Bertelli and his son Lorenzo, head of digital communication.
The trophy was housed in a luxurious leather trunk designed and handcrafted by Prada. The trunk, inspired by the first luxury steamer trunks produced by the brand, was made and assembled by hand.
“A passion must be strong, otherwise it’s not really a passion,” said Patrizio Bertelli, himself an avid sailor, on the sidelines of the event. Sharing the stage and posing for a photo with his son was yet another sign that the entrepreneur is starting to increasingly ease him into the business and the many activities that are part of the group. “He is building his experience within the company to one day pick up the baton,” explained Bertelli.
Over 200 guests from the America’s Cup community gathered to celebrate the launch of the Prada Cup — the Challenger Selection Series for the 36th America’s

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HOLIDAY SPIRIT: Undeterred by the autumnal British showers, Isa Arfen designer Serafina Sama wanted to bring a taste of the Italian Riviera to London.
She took over a dining room at the Italian restaurant San Lorenzo — an old Knightsbridge favorite that dates back to the Sixties and transports guests to the Mediterranean by way of palm trees and old-school paintings of the coast — to showcase her latest spring collection and give her guests, who included Charlotte Dellal, Alexa Chung and Martina Mondadori, a taste of her happy, colorful world.
Models ate, drank and danced around in a room filled with tinsel, origami and half-empty glasses of Aperol spritz, showing off the collection that was filled with cute pink check dresses, airy striped shirts, bright floral jacquard skirts that had a vintage feel and loose T-shirts with postcards of the Italian Riviera printed on them.
It was Arfen’s love letter to Italy: “The collection was a nostalgic homage to my childhood and the endless summers of I spent in the Italian Riviera. My mood board was full of photographs of Luigi Ghirri, Massimo Vitali, Charles H. Traub and Martin Parr,” said Sama.

Having skipped the London catwalk in September in favor of one-on-one appointments

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FUR REAL: PETA France continues to score points in its mission to eradicate the use of fur within the fashion industry, with a pro-fur campaign by the International Fur Federation deemed misleading by the Jury de Déontologie Publicitaire.
The independent French authority emits opinions regarding consumer complaints about ads that seem to breach the codes established by the French advertising self-regulatory organization, ARPP.
The “Natural Wonder” campaign, running as a three-month exclusive in Vogue editions in six major markets including France, aims to promote fur’s ethical, ecological and biodegradable properties. It features fur looks by brands including Carolina Herrera and Elie Saab, with the tag line: “Natural wonder: sustainable and beautiful, ethical and exquisite, fur is irresistible.”
According to a copy of the advertising authority’s report obtained by WWD, JDP concluded that the claims made in the campaign are “misleading and abusive, and even based on lies.”
“Numerous reliable reports show that the production of fur is extremely cruel and polluting, and that the final product contains toxic substances,” it said.
The JDP could not immediately be reached for comment and has yet to publish its decision on its web site.
According to the report, fur campaigns making misleading claims around the subject of sustainability were

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TIPPING THE BALANCE: Luxury goods giant Kering has snagged a prize for its high level of female representation on its board.
The award for the “Most Feminine Board of Directors” was handed out by European Women on Boards along with Ethics & Boards. The organizations compared the 200 largest companies of the Stoxx Europe 600 index, considering the percentage of women on the boards as well as the presence of women serving as chief executive officer or chair of the executive board.
In a statement, the company, which owns a range of high-end labels including Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and Pomellato, said the recognition served as an illustration of its long-standing commitment to gender equality. Kering launched a leadership and diversity program in 2010 with the aim of increasing access for women to leadership positions. It has set the goal of reaching gender parity and pay equality at all levels by 2025.
Women make up more than half of the group’s managers, at 56 percent, the majority of its board, 64 percent, and 33 percent of its executive committee.
In addition to including efforts to promote gender equality in its human resources policies, Kering sponsors events related to cinema through its Women in Motion

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MILAN — After Saint Laurent’s 1-million-euro record bid for the rental of a 883-square-foot store in the city’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, another company could land in the iconic shopping arcade.
According to Italian media reports on Thursday, Moncler was the only company bidding for the rental of the 8,051-square-foot space located almost at the corner with Piazza Scala and formerly housing Urban Center, a multimedia venue promoting activities and information about Milan.
Although details of the outerwear specialist’s offer have not been disclosed, the auction started at 1.2 million euros for the annual rent of the venue.
Being the only bidder, Moncler has apparently provisionally won the auction and the 18-year lease of the space, but the assignment won’t be official until next month, after the municipality has gone through the details of the offer and the company’s data.
If it does win the space, Moncler will be the latest luxury addition to the 19th-century shopping arcade, joining Prada, Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Versace, Gucci and Chanel.
In the meanwhile, the Urban Center will be relocated in a wider and more innovative format inside the Milanese Triennale design museum.
Reached on Thursday, Moncler declined to comment.

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