Plus Jimmy Choo launches a channel-crossing collab with Jean Paul Gaultier
Words by KELSEY McKINNON and ELIZABETH VARNELL
Ready Teddy
Over the past decade, sweater weather has taken on new meaning for the fashion pack who instead envelop themselves in MAXMARA’s plush camel cocoon-cut coverup each fall. Since the camel hair Teddy Bear Coat’s runway debut in 2013, it has become an autumn fixture evoking both the playful glamor of faux fur and the instant comfort of a silk-lined coverup. Now there are oversized Teddy wrap coats with a wide hood, and a trove of fuzzy accessories including mittens, hats, and even slippers — in addition to the original Teddy Bear Coat inspired by an archival piece designed in the 1980s. This year the classic shape is available in alpaca and wool in a spectrum of neutral colors, from white, sand, or pink to black, bold sage green, and lilac. Also on offer is the Marine bag in camel Teddy fabric or a soft beige hue made of alpaca and cashmere. Time to bundle up. maxmara.com. E.V.
Second Home
Deconstruction and reconstruction are hallmarks of Demna’s BALENCIAGA, and the French house’s creative director is employing the concepts in Los Angeles at a just-opened second boutique now housing women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, bags (including its new quilted Monaco line) accessories, eyewear, and jewelry. The label’s initial Rodeo Drive location now has a menswear focus. Its new 6,000-sq.-ft. site follows the house’s Raw Architecture concept with chipped edges foreshadowing wear and tear and time’s inevitable passage. A two-level glass-paneled storefront allows views of Demna’s fall collection and its experiments with hybridity, and the monochromatic interior keeps the focus on the clothes. 418 N. Rodeo Dr., Beverly Hills, 424-421-7385; balenciaga.com. E.V.
Haute Steppers
A new shoe collaboration between two fashion houses is shaping up to be a tale of two cities. The JIMMY CHOO/JEAN PAUL GAULTIER collection explores the dichotomy between London and Paris both figuratively and literally, with a pair of plexiglass wedges laser etched with Gustave Eiffel’s famed tower on one heel and Big Ben on the other. Elongated toes echo classic Choo silhouettes, and Gaultier’s gothic prints, liberating corsetry, and penchant for tattoos are recurrent motifs throughout the pairing. Jimmy Choo creative director Sandra Choi and her counterpart, JPG’s Florence Tétier, have joined forces to create witty footwear masterfully blending the codes of both the salon and the street. jimmychoo.com. E.V.
Rhapsody in Blue
Kim Jones’ latest men’s capsule, DIOR DENIM, is an elegant exploration of twill weaving, a beloved technique Californians have embraced since a certain dry goods wholesaler in San Francisco sold a rivet-reinforced version. Jones’ modern take includes pared-back pants, shirts, and jackets with architectural pockets. The new designs are made from eco-friendly cotton and are produced in the most essential hues, from white, gray, or black to indigo faded into lighter or darker shades. Naturally the house emblems appear in various places among the pieces: the house founder’s name is embossed on a leather patch on some back pockets, while various linings nod to the Dior Oblique motif also picked up on B33 tennis shoes paired with the capsule’s silhouettes. The clean shape makes for a look that’s anything but basic. dior.com. E.V.
Natty Valley
“From the minute I moved to St. Helena, it felt like home,” says ELYSE WALKER, the proprietor of luxury brick-and-mortar boutiques in locations including the Pacific Palisades, Newport Beach, Calabasas, and New York. “The community not only embraced my husband and me, but also welcomed our little store with open arms.” Now, nearly four years after the fashion heavyweight moved to Napa and opened her first shop there, Walker announces the relocation and expansion of her boutique. Architect Janson Scuro designed the new space, which is a stone’s throw from the former location, in warm neutral tones to set the stage for Walker’s highly curated collections of Bottega Veneta, Celine, Gucci, Hoorsenbuhs, Saint Laurent, The Row, Valentino, and Walters Faith, among others. 1381 Main St., St. Helena, 707-968-6105; elysewalker.com. K.M.
Chic Sneaks
A shared sustainable vision and sneakerhead-worthy embellishments drives the new collaboration between VEJA, known for design innovations and bio-based materials, and Los Angeles–based REFORMATION, with its sustainable bent and vintage-inspired aesthetic. The made-in-Brazil trainers come in two neutral colors: The tan-hued J-Mesh Venturi is made with a combination of jute, recycled cotton, and suede, and the technical mocha-toned Walnut Venturi is crafted from recycled polyester — for lightness and breathability — and suede. Like Veja’s stable of sneakers, the shoes’ thick outsoles contain Amazonian rubber, midsoles include sugar cane, and super-cushioned inserts contain natural latex, all purchased directly from producers in Brazil and Peru at fair-trade prices. Two sets of laces give wearers the option of tying shoes with recycled polyester or organic cotton. Getting your daily steps in just got a bit more glamorous. veja-store.com, thereformation.com. E.V.
Loro Piana’s Enveloping Cashmere Returns
Just as a new crispness in the air signals seasonal change, Loro Piana is bringing back its lightweight knitted Cocooning collection with designs for women and now also for men. The soft separates are everyday pieces designed to wrap the body in thin but warm Aircash cashmere yarn or Cashmere Fleece, a new entirely cashmere knitted fabric. For women there are textured shorts and pullovers with round necks or dropped shoulders in thin-rib, raised stripes or waffle-stitched cashmere plus stretch wool jumpsuits, shrugs, and pedal pushers in a natural palette of creams. Sweaters, pullovers, and trousers in Aircash or a cotton, wool, and cashmere blend comprise the lineup for men. Socks and leg warmers made with the thin new fabric top off the collection, as do Cashfur home boots made with a blend of silk yarn and cashmere. Embracing the colder months ahead has never looked — or felt — so good. loropiana.com. E.V.
Celine Conjures Alan Vega’s World in a New Collaboration
The sounds of punk pioneer Alan Vega and instrumentalist Martin Rev of the band Suicide, as well as its self-titled 1977 debut album, serve as the soundtrack for Hedi Slimane’s fall/winter 2023 menswear collection for Celine that debuted in Paris at Le Palace. The electronic beats of the track “Girl,” from a mix co-produced with Vega’s wife and collaborator Liz Lamere, accompanied the looks, which included a glimpse of the house’s new capsule of Vega’s Ransom Notes artwork emblazoned on sweaters, shirts, sweatshirts, and bags. The capsule, based on a series of collages Vega — who was also a visual artist — made in 1974 by pairing up particular words cut from newspapers into phrases, spotlights his novel use of stark words and lyrics, a practice later amplified and explored in his music. celine.com. E.V.
Christian Louboutin Enters the Marvel Universe
Ever the intrepid boundary-pusher, Christian Louboutin is now Loubi in a new limited-edition Marvel comic aptly titled The Loubiverse Explodes. Naturally, a capsule of shoes accompanies the comic, launched in celebration of Disney’s 100-year legacy and headlined by jewel-like embellishments inspired by powerful Infinity Stones from the first universe. Infinity sandals include heels embellished with a rainbow of strass in 14 colors alongside five types of spikes. Cosmic boots with similar heels are made with electric blue mirror stretch fabric. Sea Warrior gladiator sandals inspired by Marvel’s aquatic Namor character include hand-fixed gems on climbing straps creating an armor-like silhouette. Black patent leather Hero on the Rocks lace-up leather shoes with jeweled heels extend super powers to guys, as do Khonshu Crescent sneakers inspired by the Moon Knight and complete with red Loubishark soles. Supply your own superhero tagline here. us.christianlouboutin.com. E.V.
Feature image: BALENCIAGA has a newly opened boutique.
Portions of this story originally appeared in the Fashionable Living 2023 issue of C Magazine.
Discover more STYLE news.
See the story in our digital edition
