Fashion News

Kenzo continues its eccentric, cerebral bent with the unveiling of its spring campaign.
Creative directors Humberto Leon and Carol Lim have cast a troop of vivacious entertainers, including actress Tracee Ellis Ross, actor Jesse Williams and musician Kelsey Lu.
They have been photographed by the Los Angeles-based twin duo Jalan and Jibril Durimel, jointly referred to as Durimel. The Kenzo job marks their first global campaign.
Durimel’s images will be accompanied by a short, original film written and directed by Grammy nominee, Kahlil Joseph — who led the creative team for Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” HBO spectacular. The short — Joseph’s second work for Kenzo — is scheduled to premiere in Los Angeles on Feb. 9 in the lead-up to the Grammy Awards. It is set to be titled “Music Is My Mistress,” and marks Lu’s acting debut.
The campaign images will launch in the March issues of magazines including Vogue; T, the New York Times magazine, and Wallpaper.

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The US government is considering imposing tariffs on 85 European imports – including viscose rayon staple fibre – in retaliation for what is says is the EU’s discrimination and ban on American beef products.

The US athletic footwear industry grew by 3% in 2016, generating US$17.5bn despite a turbulent fourth quarter, but the year will still go down as “slightly below average” thanks in the main to the sports retail landscape over the last 12 months.

Plans mooted by the Trump administration to impose tariffs on imports from Mexico have escalated tensions between the two countries, although there is confusion over the exact nature of the proposals.

The executive order signed by president Donald Trump on Friday (27 January) banning people from seven majority-Muslim nations from entering the US, has been criticised by Nike chief executive Mark Parker.

Retail sales volumes fell unexpectedly in the year to January following robust increases over the final quarter of 2016 – but growth is expected to return next month, figures show.

Luke Tadashi and Tommy Nowels, the California natives who design Bristol, drew from a few sources for their collection, which is new to the New York Men’s Day schedule. The NBA was the primary reference and Tadashi said Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady and Allen Iverson’s off-court style during the early Aughts influenced the line, as did rules and restrictions, specifically the rules that players were forced to abide by when the NBA established a dress code in 2005.
“These rules stripped players of their personal identities, but they also improved the way they dressed,” Tadashi said. “Many times when we are given constraints, we get more creative.”
The looks hit on the notes that are trending within streetwear — velour, bomber jackets and matching monochromatic sets — but what felt fresh were the cropped tartan pants, the shearling-collar coat with red racing stripes, and the dusty color palette, which was influenced by California landscapes. Also interesting was their use of fabrics, which were all Japanese. The Tito suit, which consisted of a bowling shirt and matching cropped pants, was made from linen while a classic sweatsuit style was reimagined in terry cloth and updated with pin tuck pants.
Tadashi and Nowels, who won Gen Art’s

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Uri Minkoff’s love affair with the urban commuter continued for fall with a lineup that effortlessly blended a tailored aesthetic with technical fabrics and detailing.
“It’s all about the modern commuter — the highs and lows, the stresses and relaxation, being part of a group but being alone,” he said. 
That translated into a lineup of stretch wool and cotton fabrics in everything from houndstooth and Prince of Wales patterns to a new double-breasted suit model with a low two-button stance in burgundy corduroy and leather puffers with cross-protection panels and bright blue stripes on the venting that added a sense of utility and upped the fashion quotient.
Minkoff drove home the point by using an eclectic group of models — from Berlin club kids to actual bike messengers who showed their cycling skills — and the pop colors on the bottom of their shoes — on Tribe bikes Minkoff collaborated with to use in the presentation.
Another cycling reference came in the zip-up tight-fitting sweaters with removable sleeves and pants that were cropped enough to avoid the inevitable bike grease.
Accessories, still a core of the line, were shown in everything from cross-body bags and briefcases to a smaller and higher luggage shape.
Minkoff also took the opportunity to

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David Hart has always had an affinity for eveningwear, but this season his collection was exclusively dedicated to the category, which, according to Hart, has been a vehicle for growth. Over the past year, celebrities including Ryan Gosling and Alan Cumming have worn his designs, and Hart said he’s relying less on traditional retail and more on made-to-order and a direct-to-consumer portion of his business.
Models posed on a red carpet in front of a David Hart step and repeat wearing wool tartan suits with velvet bow ties, iridescent mohair suits with notch lapels and a bubble gum pink tuxedo that was very reminiscent of the Seventies. 
Hart is also dabbling in women’s wear this season — he started out designing for women at Anna Sui and Tommy Hilfiger — and presented a women’s tuxedo, which he said is a test.
Hart’s quirky take on men’s wear is still there, but his strong presentation concepts, which have ranged from American Indians to Blue Note Jazz, were sorely missed. It seems as if some of the wind has been taken out of his creative sails.

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Samuelsohn came up with an innovative way to showcase the brand’s new high performance fabrics in its fall collection. The company took over the skating rink outside the Standard Highline hotel to promote its proprietary Ice Technology of wool and cashmere in an updated assortment of suits and overcoats. While they look like regular fabrics, a special process provides them with water resistance, wrinkle recovery, stretch and breathability.
“There are a lot of firsts here,” said Arnold Brant Silverstone, president and chief creative officer. “It’s the first show during New York Fashion Week for Samuelsohn, we’re unveiling our new branding with its wine and silver coloring and we’re showing our Ice wools and cashmeres.”
He said that by having models — and one Canadian silver medalist in pairs skating — wear the line, it showed the collection’s “performance and movement.”
While some of the suits were slim fitting, other silhouettes — notably the coats — were flowy, including a cashmere number with silver fox collar.
The mainly gray palette was injected with a few pops of color including cobalt blue and burgundy velvet that added some bright relief.
Tailoring expertise has always been a strong suit for Silverstone and that remains a hallmark of the collection

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