There was a lot of visual impact at Rosie Assoulin’s resort presentation. Namely, the clothes: a circus of design elements — in the best possible way — of colorful, upbeat and relaxed day and evening fare. Second, the location: a maze of an outdoor artist’s studio-slash-home with towering glass walls and an open concept where models roamed from one room to the next.
The designer’s enthusiasm when speaking about her collection is infectious, and made more poignant considering how much design she puts into a generally watered-down season. “Resort for me is just so relaxing and nice,” Assoulin said ahead of the presentation. Though she didn’t say if she was working with a direct inspiration, Assoulin was feeling sentimental.  
“Bodega” floral prints culled from wrapping paper at different bodegas around the city were flocked and hand-painted onto overalls, a billowing dress with dramatic train and a parka aptly dubbed the “Sarah Jessica Parka.” For Assoulin, going to a bodega is reminiscent of sacred time with family and friends, taking the care and consideration to run around and getting prepared.
She sourced baby alpaca from Peru for a fringy top and soft, weighty sweater. Other visual standouts included a cheerful mixed-plaid dress,

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.Read More…

London-based brand Solace has its eye firmly set in New York. Codesigners Laura Taylor and Ryan Holliday-Stevens presented their resort collection at a space in Chelsea, and are planning for their first official New York show in September. “New York is the right place for our brand — it really fits our aesthetic. London is very cool but it could be a bit more dressed-down; with our e-commerce we ship so much to New York and L.A. — even more than to our domestic market [in London],” explained Holliday-Stevens. Fashion-wise, the brand has that urban sophistication New Yorkers favor: leather tops and knee-length skirts, graphic bodycon intarsia knits paired with cool pleather pants, interesting shirting options that could be layered with the knits (which they highly encourage), mock-neck tunics, elevated denim and no-fuss eveningwear the downtown gals surely embrace.
“It just feels natural here. We actually see people wearing our pieces all the time,” he said.
See More From the 2018 Resort Collections:
Public School Resort 2018: Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne reimagined the perfect items from their childhoods growing up in New York in the Nineties.
Marc Jacobs Resort 2018: Marc Jacobs put together a festive, pretty, mildly nostalgic collection embellished to capture

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.Read More…

Angel Sanchez has been exploring the world outside of New York. Last season, he did not show during collections and for bridal, he opted to show in Barcelona instead. “I moved to Miami and it has been great for me — personally and professionally,” he said. While the designer kept his operation in DUMBO and a small showroom space in the city, he said he calls the trendy city his primary base now.
And it’s definitely rubbed off on him. As a result, the collection reflected the beach town’s sultry palette as well as more relaxed silhouettes. “Being an architect, I did the structural shapes so much, that I decided why not do this also — of course I still do sculptural and always will, a lot of stores come to me for that — but I can do this too,” Sanchez said. And he does fluid well, with a Latin flair and elegance that can translate globally. For example, a red column number featured slit ruffled sleeves — proving that balance is key; while an acid yellow bodice gown featured a cutout detail and feathered sleeves where Sanchez again measured himself by juxtaposing the top against a discreet black skirt.
See

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.Read More…

Eclectic and a tad extravagant, or rational and sleek. Giorgio Armani broke free for resort by delivering a versatile collection, which offered various takes on his signature style.
Surrealism inspired the colors and many of the graphics included in the lineup, which was based on a vivid palette. There was a sense of subtle irony vibrating in the micro jackets with voluminous sleeves inspired by Eighties prom dresses, while a blazer crafted from snakeskin-like leather was printed in a multicolor, vivacious leopard print. A cropped organza jacket, worn with fluid washed silk pants, was exquisitely embroidered with flowers and moons.
Joan Mirò’s artworks influenced the graphic motif of a textured silk jacket featuring a padded bottom edge, which was matched with a printed leather plissé skirt.
Despite the abundance of embellishments, colors and patterns, Armani also showcased his more essential style. This was epitomized by a lightweight wool clean, fitted suit with a slightly retro jacket and by an elegant pair of black trousers revealing a graphic built-in belt, paired with an oversize white shirt.
See More From the 2018 Resort Collections:
Public School Resort 2018: Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne reimagined the perfect items from their childhoods growing up in New York in the Nineties.
Marc

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.Read More…

PARIS — Even illness couldn’t keep Pierre Bergé away from the press conference on Thursday unveiling the future Yves Saint Laurent museums in Paris and Marrakech, slated to open this fall.
A labor of love if ever there was one, the project grew out of the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent, which since 2004 has been staging exhibitions to showcase items from its archive of 5,000 items of clothing, 15,000 accessories and tens of thousands of sketches by the late couturier.
“In 2002, when Yves Saint Laurent decided to retire, I decided to transform memories into projects. Others may try, but they have no memories, so they can always keep trying,” said the 86-year-old Bergé, feisty as ever despite being confined to a wheelchair after a stint in hospital for an undisclosed ailment.
“He came home about a week ago,” said his husband, American landscape gardener Madison Cox, who is vice president of both the Fondation Pierre Bergé-Yves Saint Laurent and the Fondation Jardin Majorelle in Morocco, which is adjacent to the new museum.
“He was absolutely insistent that he be there, because this is really the pinnacle of his [work], I think, for him: the idea of not just one, but two, museums in

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…

MILAN — Damir Doma is unveiling an exclusive collaboration with Italian sportswear brand Lotto during his spring 2018 coed runway show to be held in Milan, on June 18.
The Damir Doma x Lotto collection will include 56 pieces, half for men and half for women, that will combine the aesthetics of the two brands.
“Lotto really trusted me and they gave me carte blanche to develop the project,” said Doma. “I was born in 1981 and I grew up in a period which turned to be extremely important for the brand.”
In the mid and late Eighties, Doma, who started playing tennis at age four, watched Boris Becker winning Wimbledon and the U.S. Open wearing Lotto outfits. The A.C. Milan soccer team also won the Champions League in Athens in 1994 in Lotto field uniforms.
In order to pay homage to the brand’s successful past, Doma researched the Lotto archives to find inspiration for the collection.

Damir Doma x Lotto collection 
Courtesy Photo

“We are extremely happy that Damir got so deeply and personally engaged with the project,” said Lotto chief executive officer Andrea Tomat.
The collection includes tracksuits embellished with deconstructed Lotto bands, T-shirts, sweatshirts, tank tops, polo shirts, as well as rain jackets and waterproof coats. Each piece features both the

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…

SEOUL — A cartoon radish dressed as a rabbit and his diminutive crocodile-like companion riding aboard Louis Vuitton’s signature 1929 Citroen delivery truck is the last thing one would expect to see at the latest incarnation of the brand’s “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez” historical travel-themed exhibition in Seoul.
But in trendy South Korea, where cuteness is a prized cultural aesthetic, Louis Vuitton’s latest emoji-based collaboration with South Korean messaging service Kakao Talk ushers in a new era of digital partnerships and South Korean pop culture relevance for the French luxury fashion house.
The collaboration, unveiled alongside Vuitton’s “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez” exhibit at the Zaha Hadid-designed Dongdaemun Design Plaza, features animated emojis of the brand’s monogram trunks alongside a colorful cast of cartoons including the aforementioned radish/rabbit as well as a cat and dog couple in love; a maneless lion named Ryan; a mischievous personified pink peach, and a hip-hop-obsessed mole named Jay-G who sports an Afro and a black suit. Besides the downloadable emoji pack, which is free for a limited number of visitors, Vuitton and Kakao have also launched purchasable stickers, iron-on patches and custom-made leather luggage tags which will retail for around $200.
Kakao Talk messenger, which can be likened to Whatsapp in the

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…

GREENER FIELDS: Keeping true to its eco-minded approach to fashion, Ministry of Tomorrow has launched a vegan lifestyle magazine called MOT Mag.
Looking to empower staffers and enlighten consumers has been the Los Angeles company’s goal from its inception, according to president and founder Julian Prolman. The content-rich read features articles such as a Vivienne Westwood profile, Pharrell Williams’ inspiration for sustainable fashion, and a piece about the digital deterioration of natural feminine beauty. MOT has created a base of 20 freelance writers and there are plans to add guest contributors who are thought leaders and social commentators, Prolman said. “We decided on publishing the magazine now in order to grow our brand in a more engaging way that builds a community and creates meaningful relationships with our target audience, as opposed to relating to them only on a transactional basis.”
Topics are chosen in different categories, based on how well they align with MOT’s brand values — sustainability, compassion and higher consciousness. Started in 2011, the company’s flagship project is in Nairobi, Kenya just outside of one of Africa’s largest slums, Kibera, where a facility has been built to sponsor professional artisan tailors. They create MOT’s bags for women and men

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…

Los Angeles denim company Seven For All Mankind has enlisted the help of the twin DJ duo Sama and Haya Khadra, also known as Simi and Haze, for an upcoming campaign it hopes will create buzz around the brand.
The 17-year-old denim company, part of the premium denim wave that elevated jeans and price points in the early part of the decade, recognizes the changing competitive landscape in a campaign launching Friday with Seven For All Mankind, Splendid and Ella Moss chief marketing officer Jenna Habayeb, saying “the denim industry is a much different place and so is the digital and social space for that matter.”
“As a brand we want to be able to evolve to appeal not only to a younger audience, but also to inspire our current customers,” she said. “We’re really thinking about denim as the canvas of self-expression and will start highlighting different types of people to showcase their stories and style with Seven For All Mankind as the foundation.”
The Khadra sisters, known for their style and often seen with the likes of Kylie Jenner and Hailey Baldwin, are featured in the ads with Maverick McConnell, who is expected to appear in the upcoming “American Crime Story”

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…

De-stress this Global Wellness Day with a full program of classes to balance mind, body, and spirit.