NEW YORK — They don’t call her “the designer’s designer” for nothing.
Rei Kawakubo convinced a fleet of marquee designers — including Gucci’s Alessandro Michele, Burberry’s Riccardo Tisci, Maison Margiela’s John Galliano and couturier Jean Paul Gaultier — to allow her to design a special holiday item, based on a clothing item, accessory or design fragment each submitted. Kawakubo’s only suggestion: something iconic.
The nine items, considered part of Comme des Garçons’ annual holiday campaign, are to go on sale today in Kawakubo’s boutique network in Japan, and then roll out to other Comme des Garçons and Dover Street Market locations on Dec. 6.
The other invitees are Walter Van Beirendonck, Simone Rocha, Craig Green, Marine Serre and Stüssy, telegraphing the range of Kawakubo’s cultural antennae, and her diverse tastes.
“I think it’s more than a bunch of collaborations,” said Adrian Joffe, president of Comme des Garçons International and chief executive at Dover Street Market, adopting the language of the Grinch in characterizing the project as far more than the sum of its parts. “It’s about inclusivity: How people can come together and work together.” (The Grinch ultimately concluded that Christmas, more than just presents, means a little bit more.)
To be sure, only Kawakubo seems

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The first ACJ320neo has completed its inaugural flight to a completion center in Switzerland, where its interior will be finished.

DANCE OF THE AVATAR: Bart Hess, the Dutch designer who took slime to new heights for Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way” video and album artwork, has pulled off another trick. His futuristic costumes for “Sleeping Beauty Dreams,” a digitally enhanced contemporary ballet that premieres Dec. 7 in Miami, may cause young men to actually want to accompany their mothers. But they won’t be there for the classic fairy tale’s mushy love story or principal dancers Diana Vishneva and Marcelo Gomes in the roles of Princess Aurora and Prince Peter. Their eyes will be fixated on Vishneva’s real-time avatar projected on a giant screen backdrop, which Miami-based production company Magical Reality Group believes is the first time the live technology has been applied to a dance performance.
“I saw a rehearsal, and it’s so amazing to watch her avatar also drinking coffee on breaks,” said Hess, who incorporated about a dozen sensors into Vishneva’s formfitting suit in a reflective, foil fabric inspired by fish scales. “This technology is used a lot in film and video games but not live dance. Being a ballet, it’s even more unique.”
Hess, who’s also worked with fashion designers like Iris Van Herpen and Walter Van Beirendonck, researches

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MILAN — Treat yourself.
According to Yoox Net-a-porter, this will be the imperative driving consumers’ purchases during the holiday season, beginning with the upcoming Cyber Weekend.
The Group released on Thursday insights from its global survey of 2,600 luxury customers across four continents, which showed the increasing trend toward high-end self-gifting, the growing importance of exclusivity when choosing gifts and the ongoing popularity of Instagram as a source of inspiration for purchases.
In particular, 65 percent of the surveyed customers intend to treat themselves over the festive period, with Millennials leading the trend and accounting for 70 percent of the share.
Fine jewelry and watches will be among the most popular categories, as the research shows that over 60 percent of women wouldn’t wait for someone else to buy them a desired jewel. According to the survey, the most popular items will include statement diamond earrings and pieces with colored gemstones. Similarly, over 70 percent of men will opt for buying a luxury watch for themselves.
These categories reflect how luxury customers — especially Millennials — are increasingly seeking exclusive items, as well as one-of-a-kind experiences.

An image from Net-a-porter’s 2018 holiday campaign. 
Courtesy Photo

To meet the demands of the 40 percent of surveyed shoppers looking for pieces

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Alejandra Alonso Rojas unveiled a 2,000-square-foot pop-up shop at 62 White Street in TriBeCa in a restored landmark building with 16-foot ceilings and the original cast iron exterior from 1896. The pop-up will operate until Dec. 5 and the designer said there’s the possibility of extending the engagement further.
Alonso Rojas, who studied fashion design in her native Madrid, augmenting her education with classes at Central Saint Martins in London and Manhattan’s Parsons School of Design, considers herself a global citizen, and designs as such. “I’m always thinking about when the collections going to be delivered,” she said. “People want to buy for the weather now, rather than three months earlier. People have less patience.
“I’m launching pre-fall during the first week of December,” Alonso Rojas said. “I’ve also developed the [buy-now-wear-now] category.”
Offerings at the pop-up shop include the brand’s signature handwoven knits, eco-conscious cashmere pieces, tailored leather items and shearling-trimmed outerwear in earthy tones.
Alonso Rojas, who launched her collection in 2016, won Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award for women’s wear the following year, and was nominated for the 2018 International Woolmark Prize. A fourth-generation hand-knitter, she uses classic and experimental knitting techniques to create one-off pieces.
Alonso Rojas also attended the

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BEIJING — The Yoox Net-a-porter Group said on Thursday it would pull Dolce & Gabbana products off its platforms, the first global retailer to drop the brand in the wake of the posted insults about China sent from designer Stefano Gabbana’s account.
It follows the majority of leading Chinese e-commerce players including Alibaba, JD, Secoo, VIPshop and Netease to drop the Italian fashion house’s products.
The brand will be removed from company’s platforms: Net-a-porter, Mr Porter and Yoox.com, a spokesperson confirmed to WWD.
Police and security guards have been posted at physical Dolce & Gabbana stores in both Beijing and Shanghai as precautionary measures.

A police officer stands guard outside the Dolce & Gabbana store in SKP Beijing. 
Tiffany Ap/WWD

Social media platforms in China have filled up with videos of people destroying their Dolce & Gabbana clothes, from burning and shredding them, to using them as rags to clean floors and toilets.
For More Coverage, See Also: 
China’s Fashion Heavyweights React to Dolce & Gabbana Debacle >>
Dolce & Gabbana Show Canceled, Chinese Celebs Flee Furor >> 
Dolce & Gabbana Under Fire From Chinese ‘Netizens’ Over Ad Campaign >>

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