Madonna and Burberry, Tory Taps Sweeney, Moncler Names Sharapova
MADONNA’S POSE: “Burberry knows how to throw a party,” declared Lori Harvey.
Kicking off at 9 p.m. on Wednesday, the late-night bash was held at a private residence on Marmont Lane in Los Angeles, nestled on the side of Chateau Marmont. The hotel was in plain view, projected top to bottom with Burberry’s signature check pattern.
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“Just even driving up, I saw the Burberry [design] on the building before I got close, and I was, like, ‘Wow, okay!’” she went on.
Inside, it was a who’s who of celebrity faces — mingling, smoking, drinking martinis.
There was Leonardo DiCaprio, chatting with longtime collaborator and filmmaker Baz Luhrmann, director of “The Great Gatsby” and “Romeo + Juliet.” In another corner, Robert Pattinson and Timothée Chalamet, with models Stella Maxwell and Irina Shayk nearby. DiCaprio, Pattinson and Chalamet had on the same uniform — casual looks, caps and sneakers — all refusing to be photographed.
Happy to pose for the flashes, however, was Madonna. She arrived moments after her daughter, Lourdes Leon, as the DJ played “She’s Not Me” from the pop icon’s 2008 “Hard Candy” release. The two, matching in black leather, wore Burberry’s quilted lambskin handbag, Lola — the star of the party.
“Where’s the bag? Show us the bag,” party photographer Tyrell Hampton demanded of model Salem Mitchell and Sydney Carlson of Wildflower Cases, before snapping away as the duo held up their Lola purses.
The event was held to celebrate the leather accessory, which Riccardo Tisci first introduced in fall-winter 2019, with the Thomas Burberry monogram, as the “youthful [and] rebellious, unstructured little sister of the elegant TB bag.” Everyone had on a version of the Lola, offered in 17 colors, with options like lime green, deep saffron, sky blue and soft violet.
Harvey opted for the $2,090 black version with metal hardware detailing.
“I’m wearing head-to-toe Burberry of course,” said the 25-year-old model and founder of beauty brand Skn by LH. She’s the adoptive daughter of comedian Steve Harvey, garnering attention for her style influence (and headline-making relationship with actor Michael B. Jordan).
“This is from their new collection,” she continued. “They’ll send me a couple different looks, and I’ll pick. When I saw this, I immediately knew, like, ‘This is the one.’ I love a tailored pant, corset moment. Definitely my style.”
Tisci was in town to host, also joined by Sarah Paulson, standing out in an orange ensemble amid a sea of black outfits; Christina Ricci, who arrived with Mark Hampton; Michèle Lamy, letting loose on the dance floor; singer-songwriter Chloe Bailey; rapper Gunna; actress Laura Harrier; TikToker Dixie D’Amelio; artist Alana O’Herlihy; producer Benny Blanco, and Erykah Badu, the evening’s performer.
It was midnight when the music artist grabbed the mic to sing, sharing she and Tisci had met through mutual friends.
“I’m just up here trying to…god d–n, you know what I mean?” she said, to laughs. The audience was hers, hanging on to her every word.
“I have something really special for Riccardo right now,” she added, before belting her 2010 hit, “Window Seat.” “If you look good in this mother f—er, somebody scream.”
The crowd obliged, phones up, capturing the moment. — RYMA CHIKHOUNE
TORY’S PICK: Sydney Sweeney is furthering her relationship with Tory Burch.
The fashion brand revealed Thursday it has tapped the “Euphoria” actress as its new brand ambassador. Sweeney will be an ambassador for the brand’s handbags and shoes.
Photo: Noa Griffel
“I’m so excited to partner with Tory Burch as her brand ambassador,” Sweeney said in a statement. “I’ve been a fan of her clothing and accessories for years, and I admire her tireless work to support women. I’m inspired not only by Tory’s vision and the business she has built, but also by her kindness and philanthropy. I am so looking forward to the beautiful partnership and meaningful conversations to come.”
Sweeney’s appointment comes after she appeared in Tory Burch’s holiday campaign for its Good Luck trainer collection, which was created with Dazed Media.
“Sydney is one of the most talented and relevant young actors working today, but I am equally inspired by her curiosity and confidence,” Burch said. “She is unapologetic and empowered in her approach to acting and business. I am thrilled to start working together.”
Sweeney has been acting for nearly a decade, getting her start with roles in hit shows like “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “Sharp Objects.” More recently, she has captivated viewers for her performance in the hit HBO teen drama “Euphoria,” which concluded its second season earlier this year, as well as in HBO’s hit comedy “White Lotus,” which aired last summer.
This is the latest partnership for Sweeney. Earlier this month, she was tapped by skin care brand Laneige as its first U.S. celebrity partnership. Last year, Sweeney was also named the face of Guess, appearing in an ad campaign that paid homage to the late Anna Nicole Smith. — LAYLA ILCHI
SHARAPOVA JOINS MONCLER: Maria Sharapova has joined the board of directors of Moncler Group.
As the company approved its financial statement for 2021 on Thursday, it also revealed that the former tennis champion and entrepreneur is among the new additions to its new board for the 2022-2024 period, along with Nike’s former president Jeanne Jackson and Mercedes‐Benz AG’s vice president of communications and marketing Bettina Fetzer.
“Today marks an important moment as one business cycle is coming to an end, and another begins,” said Moncler’s chairman and chief executive officer Remo Ruffini, thanking Nerio Alessandri, Virginie Morgon and Stephanie Phair who, “after an exceptional journey together, step down.”
In welcoming Sharapova, Jackson and Fetzer, Ruffini said that their addition will “reinforce our vision ‘Beyond Fashion, Beyond Luxury’ with their remarkable backgrounds and experiences. Their perspectives and insights will bring further momentum to the group’s understanding of youth culture and community building, as part of our journey to connect to more and new audiences around the globe.”
In addition to her career on tennis courts, Sharapova launched the premium confection line Sugarpova in 2012, as well invested in a variety of companies such as Tonal, Therabody, Public.com and Bala, among others. She’s also passionate about design and architecture, having launched a furniture collection in partnership with Rove Concepts.
Jackson is the chief executive officer of MSP Capital, a private equity and consulting firm that she founded in 2002, and a board member of Monster Beverages and Delta Air Lines. She also served as board member of McDonald’s, Kraft Heinz and Nordstrom, in addition to Nike. Before retiring from the sports powerhouse in 2018, Jackson held top executive roles at Wal-Mart.com USA, Banana Republic and Gap.
Fetzer became head of global communications of Mercedes‐Benz in 2015. Three years later she was appointed vice president and then became the first female chief marketing officer of the company.
Still made up of 12 people, the Moncler board also include vice-chairman Marco De Benedetti as well as executive directors Roberto Eggs and Luciano Santel. — SANDRA SALIBIAN
COACH IN TOKYO: Coach is showcasing its focus on sustainability in a new pop-up concept at Isetan Stage in Tokyo.
Called “Crafted to Last,” the shop is created from environmentally preferred materials and is inspired by the company’s belief that “better-made things will help create a better-made future.”
The shop, which will remain open through April 26 on the first floor of the Isetan Shinjuku Main Building, is modeled after classic New York City flower shops and features bricks and tiles partially created from recycled materials. Customers who spend more than 60,000 yen in the shop will receive a bouquet of locally sourced flowers as a gift with purchase.
KazuhiroWatanabe
In terms of product, the shop offers consciously-designed limited-edition bags, including the Rogue in Original Natural Leather — vegetable-tanned leather treated with naturally-sourced dyes and finished with organic wax — and products made with floral printing, an artisanal technique where flowers are pressed onto the leather and dyed with plant-based materials.
The pop-up also features canvas totes that contain materials made from recycled plastic bottles and upwoven bags crafted of upcycled salvaged leather scraps. It offers bags and small leather goods with Coach’s diary embroidery that are handstitched with colorful words and limited-edition motifs using recycled thread. The motifs include the Japanese-inspired Maneki Neko and Mt. Fuji. Customers who purchase at the pop-up will have the opportunity to customize their bags with embroidery.
This pop-up concept marks the first of its kind for the New York-based Coach brand. — JEAN E. PALMIERI
DOG-à-GOGO: Trussardi’s first product drop under the creative direction of GmbH’s Serhat I??k and Benjamin A. Huseby signals the Berlin-based duo’s disruptive approach to the storied label, which was established 111 years ago.
The brand is debuting a limited-run T-shirt bearing the house’s signature greyhound logo, modernized into a graphic circular form inspired by the ouroboros, the ancient symbol depicting a serpent or dragon eating its own tail. It also nods to Trussardi’s renewed focus on social and environmental responsibility.
To wit: all proceeds from the sale will benefit the Fundación Benjamín Mehnert, a Spanish organization that rescues and rehabilitates Spanish greyhounds bred to participate in races and often abused or abandoned.
“With this capsule, we wanted to celebrate the new Trussardi greyhound and what it symbolizes — the idea of circularity, the eternal renewal of life,” I??k said.
“We wanted everything about these T-shirts to reflect the essence of this circular greyhound — obviously starting from the graphics on the T-shirts, but also extending to the cotton materials…as well as the greyhound rehabilitation program we are supporting with the proceeds from the capsule sales,” Huseby echoed.
The T-shirts are crafted from GOTs-approved cotton cultivated in India from regenerative farms and are available in two variants, one featuring the logo on the back and the other on the front. They retail at 80 euros and will be exclusively available on the brand’s online store starting Friday.
Louis Canadas/Courtesy of Trussardi
The responsible bent falls in line with the designers’ ethos, who last year introduced a full range of vegan shoes and accessories and have embedded recycled, organic or biodegradable fabrics in their own brand’s collections.
The duo is rewriting Trussardi’s rulebook, now bristling with the underground energy and edgy tailoring that the designers bring to the table. Their first designs for the Italian luxury brand bowed for fall 2022 last February with a show as part of Milan Fashion Week, which melded medieval fantasy and modern streetwear.
Before their appointment in May 2021, Trussardi had not had a creative director since Gaia Trussardi’s exit in 2018. She succeeded the likes of Umit Benan Sahin and Milan Vukmirovic. — MARTINO CARRERA
PREPPY HOME: Brooks Brothers is back in the home business and Ginny Hilfiger, Tommy’s sister, is spearheading its return.
Brooks had previously had a small home collection of sheets, towels and decorative pillows that it manufactured itself and sold in a handful of stores and online, but it was no longer being produced.
Courtesy of Brooks Brothers
Brooks Brothers was purchased by SPARC, a partnership between Authentic Brands Group and Simon Property Group, for $325 million in the fall of 2020. ABG has built its business on a licensing model although it has since expanded into entertainment and other brand-building strategies.
For Brooks Brothers, the retailer has signed a license with Turko Textile for an elevated collection of pillows, comforters, bath towels, bath robes and other home products. Its inspiration is derived from Brooks’ 200-year-plus American heritage and will include the company’s signature sheep and ribbon emblem as well as the classic Brooks Brothers script logo on pieces featuring contrasting colors, raised textures, herringbone borders and other Brooks Brothers design elements.
Many of the products will be made from cotton sourced from Turko’s home country of Turkey and will include towels and bathrobes in long-staple cotton, shower curtains in 100 percent combed long-staple fibers as well as pillows and comforters featuring goose down, wool, linen, bamboo and microfibers, also sourced from Turkey.
“Before launching the Brooks Brothers Home Collection, our design team researched the brand’s rich history and DNA,” said Ginny Hilfiger, creative director. “They expanded in the early 1900s with the sheep logo, classic fabrics from oxford cloth, gingham checks, madras plaids, tie stripes and cotton. Now, we’re excited to take elements from Brooks Brothers’ notable heritage and create this category for both brand loyalists and new audiences to enjoy.” Hilfiger, who is consulting for Turko, also serves as creative director of the Messi Brand, a collection for soccer star Lionel Messi that was introduced in 2019.
Susan McCarty, senior vice president of lifestyle brands at ABG, added: “Through this partnership, we are able to bring Brooks Brothers’ heritage and DNA into the homes of consumers across the U.S. and Canada. ABG continues to build the Brooks Brothers lifestyle strategy by identifying key categories of focus including fragrance, children’s apparel and accessories.”
The Brooks Brothers Home Collection will be available starting this spring at retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, Gilt-Ruelala, Hudson’s Bay and Touch of Modern. — J.E.P.
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