Plus Gentle Monster’s cultish shades arrive in Costa Mesa and Givenchy’s capsule with (B)Stroy introduces optical prints
Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
Mr Porter’s American Apparel
From Jack Kerouac and John Steinbeck to Jon Krakauer, the ethos of cross-country journeys toward enlightenment—or the next town with a great bar—looms large, and now online retailer Mr Porter is curating a capsule of designs to clothe a new generation of American pathfinders. Amid menswear exclusives from over 40 brands, including more than 600 ready-to-wear, footwear, accessory and fine jewelry designs, California creatives play an outsize role. It’s a fitting distinction given the state’s ubiquity in coast-to-coast travel. A slim suede jacket from Tom Ford and Greg Lauren’s upcycled bomber join tie-dyed cashmere sweaters from The Elder Statesman in the Mr Porter In America collection. Other standouts include vintage Rick Owens sneakers, Camp High trucker hats, Jacques Marie Mage x Yellowstone Dealan sunglasses, Napa Valley-inspired looks from Rhude, vibrant prints from Hillary Taymour’s Collina Strada and a pit crew puffer by Cherry LA. The workwear, streetwear, heritage and avant-garde designs all tap into the nation’s collective fabric. mrporter.com.
A Different Persona for the Fendi Peekaboo
To compliment the season’s pastel tones of gray, mint green and beige, Fendi is reinterpreting its Peekaboo bag, initially launched in 2008, in a new capsule with bold, hand-made designs for men and women. The new accessories foreground oversized Selleria stitches using thicker waxed thread in a technique that outlines bags and handles, and also holds them together. The by-hand macro loops bring out the bag’s artisanal origins while the Peekaboo’s trademark sleek frame and twist lock remain. For women, there are Peekaboo ISeeU versions in medium and small sizes, a Mini version and even Micro Peekaboos with python straps, plus a suede iteration in a camel hue. For men, the Peekaboo ISeeU arrives in shapes resembling briefcases bordered with macro stitches, and are made with house-exclusive Cuoio Romano natural leather and paired with Strap You shoulder straps. Whether you’re carrying a tube of lipstick or a manuscript, there’s a Peekaboo bag for you. fendi.com.
A Collab of Color at Givenchy
Givenchy creative director Matthew M. Williams and his longtime friends Brick Owens and Dieter Grams of the streetwear label (B)Stroy are using all colors in a vibrant new collaborative capsule. Owens and Grams, Atlanta natives based in New York, previously designed denim for Virgil Abloh’s Off-White label and are riffing on some of their high-concept mainstays for the new Givenchy x (B)Stroy offering. Denim-draped boots with ankle zippers nod to the characteristic silhouette of (B)Stroy’s trompe l’oeil jeans, while the French house’s Shark Lock biker boots are adorned with a multihued optical print, a look echoed in kaleidoscopic Moon Cut Out shoulder bags and G-totes. Men’s knitted TK-360 sneakers have new gradient blue-green and red-yellow colorways, and graphic prints adorn oversized, draped T-shirts and jeans for men and women. Even (B)Stroy’s double-headed hoodie gets the Givenchy treatment. givenchy.com.
Assouline Pops Up at South Coast Plaza
New York publishing house Assouline is unveiling a new ephemeral Costa Mesa space housing its new releases, including Louis Vuitton: Virgil Abloh (with it cartoon-driven cover, hot air balloon image or the coveted hand-bound Ultimate Edition version), and other beloved classics on art, travel, fashion and design, plus objects and gifts. Sommelier Enrico Bernardo’s new volume, The Impossible Collection of Champagne joins Valentino Rosso, an exploration of the Italian house’s obsession with the color red, and volumes on winter playgrounds including Gstaad, St. Moritz, Aspen, St. Barths, Miami Beach, Palm Beach and Tulum, are also on offer. South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, 714-760-4680; assouline.com.
Zegna Scores With Real Madrid Wardrobe
On the road, traveling between matches, Real Madrid athletes are now kitted out in a new off-duty wardrobe courtesy of Zegna. Players on the club’s soccer and basketball teams are donning Triple Stitch suede sneakers paired with made-to-measure cashmere overshirts, chore jackets and crewnecks plus wool joggers and slimfit trousers, all emblazoned with a tonal double-stripe logo in tribute to the Italian house’s panoramic 232 Road running through the Oasi Zegna, a reforested open-access natural territory revitalized by founder Ermenegildo Zegna in Piedmont. Artistic director Alessandro Sartori says the challenge of creating the pieces to fit each unique athlete made for an electrifying exchange. In celebration of the partnership with the storied club once synonymous with Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinédine Zidane, and now champions such as Karim Benzema, Zegna is creating customizable versions of its Made to Measure overshirts and chore jackets—the house’s New York boutique will even personalize the garments with hand-stitched numbers on the back. zegna.com.
Gucci Says Buon Viaggio in Costa Mesa
As we collectively resume our pandemic-delayed adventures, Gucci is celebrating our return to the skies, roads and seas with an ephemeral pop-up devoted to Gucci Valigeria, the brand’s travel selection of luggage, carry-ons and accessories. Open at South Coast Plaza through spring 2023, the 4,500-square-foot space is a testament to the notion that there is truly a Gucci bag or case for everything. The concept pays homage to company founder Guccio Gucci, who launched his Florentine luggage atelier in 1921 after finding inspiration in London, where he worked as a porter at The Savoy Hotel, surrounded by the international jet set. The new Gucci Savoy collection of heritage-infused, travel-ready pieces (featured in store) is proof the Italian house is still honing its ever-expanding offerings for globetrotters. The brand’s assortment of leather goods, including trunks, hatboxes, briefcases, backpacks, overnight bags, totes, wallets and purses, are a chic way to interpret the adage about enjoying the journey. 3333 South Bristol St., Ste. 1212, Costa Mesa; gucci.com.
Balenciaga and Adidas’ Rising Stocks
The trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange seemed lit from within as Balenciaga’s Spring 2023 line made its way down the runway. Exaggerated polished suiting, overcoats and wardrobe staples with oversized drop-shoulder silhouettes (a signature from creative director Demna) made up the new Garde-Robe collection, while eveningwear stunned with floor-length silk trenches, tuxedos and bodycon gowns. Closing out the show, Adidas’ unmistakable three stripes debuted across bright yellow, red and blue tracksuits, dresses, boxing robes and more. At first glance, the Balenciaga/Adidas collaboration—launching with a pop-up at Maxfield in Los Angeles—recalled the colored blazers worn by floor brokers who traded using shouts and hand signals before the adoption of computer software. The stripes and trefoil logos placed above the Balenciaga brand name (itself written in the German sportswear company’s lowercase typeface) demarcate the much-anticipated ready-to-wear, handbags, backpacks, duffels, jewelry and shoes. Let the trading begin. Maxfield, 8825 Melrose Ave., L.A., 310-274-8800; maxfieldla.com.
Gentle Monster Brings Cult Eyewear to Orange County
South Korean eyewear innovator Gentle Monster, known for large-scale frames and cultish collaborations, is moving beyond Los Angeles to launch its second California flagship, this time at the South Coast Plaza. The 4,500-square-foot space is a digital wonderland filled with video art and rotating kinetic installations riffing on the concept of evolution. Inside are all the brand’s shades and eyeglass lines, as well as its Hood By Air collaboration comprised of goggle-style, sports-ready frames with colored, blackout or mirrored gradient lenses, plus black cat-eye Swipe LCD sunglasses made with Moncler Genius that include built-in touch sensors revealing logos and graphics on the frame’s left temple. South Coast Plaza, 3333 Bristol St., Costa Mesa, 714-435-2000; gentlemonster.com.
Chic and Unique Totes From ReWeave L.A.
Designed and made in Los Angeles using fabrics and shearling from showrooms at the Pacific Design Center, ReWeave L.A.’s totes are among the season’s most sustainable winter-ready carryalls. Founders Julie Benniardi and Debbie Ouyang use durable interior design fabric samples to create their collections, repurposing thousands of pounds of textiles each year that would otherwise go to landfills. Roomy enough for a laptop and everyday essentials, each rectangular bag is one of a kind, edged in shearling and distinguished by unique patterns not repeated in subsequent designs. Two interior pockets secure keys or phones, and a magnetic fastener keeps each two-handled design closed. Cozy up. reweavela.com.
Cast Reframes Fine Jewelry With Its Marin Store
Cast’s new 500-square-foot fine jewelry boutique in Corte Madera is a riot of color. The vibrant spot, designed by marketing firm Grow, is filled with brightly-lit baubles ready to try on. The San Francisco-based brand’s first brick-and-mortar space comes a year after co-founders Rachel Skelly (Olly vitamins, Plum Organics baby food) and Eric Ryan (Method cleaning, Welly first aid, and Olly) launched their latest concept designed to bring wonder to the hunt for fine jewelry made from stones that are ethically sourced (no coral or ivory) and set with metal alloys made with recycled gold and silver. Skelly favors the line’s Dome and signet-shaped rings scattered throughout the multi-sensory space while tastemakers including digital trailblazer Gina Pell layer gold Baby Brazen chain bracelets and necklaces, and stylist Sophie Lopez uses Brilliant Stud diamond-and-ceramic earrings in vintage hues to add a dash of color to neutral looks. 1536 Redwood Hwy., The Village at Corte Madera, 415-802-9839; castjewelry.com.
Louis Vuitton’s Smart New Artycapucines
Louis Vuitton is tapping a new roster of international artists for its latest Artycapucines Collection, now in its fourth chapter. The limited-edition handbag designs, each released in groups of 200, include Cannes-born Amélie Bertrand’s luminous study of light on surfaces, French artist Daniel Buren’s stark trapezoid-and-circle concept, New York architect Peter Marino’s black studded bag (inspired by a medieval lock box he spotted in a 14th-century Venice building), and Korean artist Park Seo-Bo’s striped offering derived from a painting of the intense red sunlight in a valley by Mount Bandai in Japan. Also tapped for the project are Swiss sculptor Ugo Rondinone (known for his Seven Magic Mountains installation in the desert outside Las Vegas), who created a textural work, and St. Louis native Kennedy Yanko, whose sheet-like paint-skin sculptures are reflected on a transformable bag that doubles as a clutch. louisvuitton.com.
Joe’s Jeans Goes Beyond Basics with Andrea Lublin
Los Angeles native Andrea Lublin, stylist and founder of Andrea’s Lookbook, is teaming up with Joe’s Jeans on a deftly considered capsule including three denim designs and the ideal trench coat for a coast-adjacent climate. The Andrea’s Lookbook x Joe’s Jeans collaboration consists of classic silhouettes—15 in all—such as blouses and dresses adorned with ruffles or pussy bows and high-waisted wide-leg trousers created from lightweight denim in dark indigo or creamy ecru. Even sweatshirts are elevated with gigot sleeves. As for the trench, Lublin calls the coat her go-to for three out of the four seasons. “I wanted to create something that was functional, comfortable and warm on cooler days but also a layering piece,” she says, noting the design can be worn open or draped across shoulders. The edited staples make a strong case for a local take on elevated basics. joesjeans.com.
Feature image: ReWeave L.A.
Portions of this story originally appeared in the Winter 2022 issue of C Magazine.
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