Steven Klein Parties in Paris, Balenciaga Goes to the Opera, LaQuan Smith’s Latest Capsule
KLEIN’S CROWD: Steven Klein, who is known for capturing supermodels and mega stars through his subversive and sexually charged lens for the past 30 years, celebrated the launch of his first namesake book during Paris Fashion Week with Naomi Campbell and Matchesfashion.
The famed director, videographer and photographer drew an intimate crowd for the launch party at Le Carmen.
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Notable guests included familiar faces he has shot before, such as Campbell, Natasha Poly and Coco Rocha, as well as industry heavyweights like Michelle Lamy, Anna Dello Russo, Patti Wilson, Law Roach and Stefano Tonchi. Fashion talents including Michael Halpern, Steven Stokey-Daley, Thebe Magugu, Alessandra Rich and Dodo Bar Or also attended the event.
Published by Phaidon, the book features images originally published in magazines such as Interview, W, Vogue, Vogue Italia, Vogue Paris, Vogue Hommes, i-D, as well as photos of fashion icons such as Madonna, Brad Pitt and Kim Kardashian.
Klein has been a frequent collaborator with brands such as Balenciaga, Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen and Louis Vuitton, and his work has also been exhibited at galleries and museums globally such as Deitch Projects, Gagosian Gallery and the International Center of Photography.
The monograph, retailing for 150 pounds, was exclusively prelaunched online at Matchesfashion on Oct. 3. — TIANWEI ZHANG
BALENCIAGA ONSTAGE: The Royal Opera House in London was in bloom as it readied a new production for its opera stage with a first costume partnership with a fashion house.
“Last Days,” which opened in the Linbury Theatre on Friday, is based on Gus Van Sant’s 2005 film of the same name in partnership with Balenciaga.
The work was composed by Oliver Leith, the Royal Opera House and Guildhall School composer-in-residence; directed by Matt Copson and Anna Morrissey; libretto by Copson, and the 12-person ensemble conducted by Jack Sheen with guest artists GBSR Duo.
Balenciaga artistic director Demna collaborated with stylist Patrick Welde and Copson to mark the occasion.
The brand created eight costumes for eight members of the ensemble cast in signature Balenciaga silhouettes, including oversize and deconstructed denim pieces; a long furry acid green coat and a shorter one in black; heavy silver chain jewelry, and dark shades.
“Balenciaga was the obvious fit — Demna’s work involves the questioning and distortion of archetypes, the aesthetics of ‘alternative’ and the legacy of the ’90s in a disruptive and poetic way,” said Copson.
“Each character on stage represents a different tribe and our references ranged from the specifics of Mormon backpacks to Seattle teen fashion. We asked ourselves: What do these forms mean to us now and how can we distort these loaded symbols into something poetic?” he added.
The opera took inspiration from the opening shot of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” where it contains product placement.
“A close-up of Converse shoes, politely tapping along to the iconic riff. We knew early on that we had to move away from costuming a period and into something more paradoxical, that implicated us in the present day,” said Copson. — HIKMAT MOHAMMED
LAQUAN’S CAPSULE: LaQuan Smith has designed an exclusive capsule for Olivela, a luxury fashion e-commerce platform with purpose at its core.
Olivela promotes positive change by donating 20 percent of net proceeds from every purchase to its cause partners, with no cost to consumers or brand partners. The company has more than 25 cause partners customers can select from at the end of their transaction. For October, Olivela is featuring its cause partner Stand Up to Cancer, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Smith’s capsule features eight pieces created from deadstock materials and based on favorite styles from previous collections, with new styles added to the collection every month. The looks include a PVC skirt, dress, gown, corset and pants. Prices range from $495 to $1,995.
The capsule collection will be sold on Olivela.com and LaquanSmith.com.
“Olivela was an ideal partner for us since we will be able to use deadstock materials and prevent them from going to waste through our collaboration,” said Smith, the 34-year-old chief executive officer of his namesake brand. “I am all about giving back. I hope our collection can help raise awareness of the urgency of sustainability and the cause partners Olivela works with.
Asked about his favorite piece in the collection, Smith said, “I love all the PVC; it’s a moment. It can make any woman the center of attention.
“I wanted to create a collection that can make a woman feel unapologetically sexy,” Smith added.
Earlier this month, Olivela, founded by Stacey Boyd, surpassed a $1 million milestone donation to global humanitarian organization, Save the Children, and will continue to support the organization’s ongoing humanitarian assistance through the Children’s Emergency Fund. — LISA LOCKWOOD
RVCA TEAMS UP: RVCA’s newest collaboration is with Stella Maxwell.
“I was kind of thinking, ‘What would I wear? What would I love to see my friends wearing?’” said the model of designing the collection with RVCA founder Pat Tenore.
“I’ve known Pat for a really long time,” she continued. “I met him when I first began my career. We’ve been friends for so many years. He’s like family.”
Their mood board was filled with shots of Kate Moss’ Calvin Klein ads, photographs of a young Jane Birkin, Tupac Shakur, Madonna, TLC and Nirvana.
“It’s early ’90s hip-hop meets ’90s grunge with maybe a little bit of ’70s love woven in there,” she said of the line. There are white tanks, graphic T-shirts, high-waisted jeans, dresses, swimsuits, sweats — and lots of red plaid. “It’s unisex, very street, very comfortable to wear.”
It’s a nod to Los Angeles and New York. Maxwell, who was born in Belgium, has been living between the coastal cities: “We loved the idea of balance of opposites…the balance of the L.A. and New York connection.”
The partnership marks Maxwell’s first clothing collaboration. (She helped design a line of handbags with The Kooples.)
For RVCA, based in Costa Mesa, California, “it’s to gain a new girl, or the girl that we want to obtain in the future, so to speak,” said Scott Payne, global vice president of product and marketing for RVCA.
“The success is gaining an increased audience for sure for RVCA,” he went on, of launching women’s capsules. Last year, the brand unveiled a collection with model and actress Camille Rowe. “It really drives awareness, traffic through socials to our website.”
Sales of women’s at RVCA — owned by Boardriders — is roughly 25 percent of the business, Payne said, with key U.S. markets in California and Hawaii and the East Coast showing the “biggest growth pattern.” Internationally the focus is on Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the U.K., France, Italy and Spain. – RYMA CHIKOUND
NEW SPIRIT: Kerri Rosenthal and Spiritual Gangster have collaborated on a limited-edition collection. –
Centered around wearable, everyday pieces in bright color combinations, the collection features soft cashmere blend knits, performance-driven activewear, and vibrant hand-drawn graphics designed to inspire joy. Retail prices range from $48 to $348.
Spiritual Gangster, a yoga-inspired brand, creates collections to encourage living in gratitude, giving back and choosing kindness. Kerri Rosenthal’s designs also foster positivity with designs that ignite a sense of individuality, warmth and personality. According to Rosenthal, the interior designer, artist and stylist, the company’s philosophy is “quite simple…to make people happy by making stuff that makes us happy.”
“Our core values align perfectly,” Rosenthal said. “Both brands organically make things that, in the end, seem to make people happy. For each collaboration, I kick off the creative development with a painting. For SG, I painted two pieces, Choose Happiness and Super Duper Hamsa. We turned the artwork into fabric designs and together made the styles that are core to each brand. The collection is amazing and I hope it brings you happiness.”
Vanessa Lee, cofounder of Spiritual Gangster, said, “I have been a fan of the Kerri Rosenthal brand for some time and saw such a synergy between Kerri Rosenthal’s mission and Spiritual Gangster’s. I reached out to Kerri, and the stars aligned.…We decided to create something a little new and exciting for each of us, while still remaining true to our brands. In coming together, we are able to bring our messages of positivity and inspiration to a larger audience. We hope that this collection brings you as much joy and light as we experienced creating it.”
The collection includes a superlong cotton and cashmere London cardigan, a high-neck jacquard bra, a sculpt jacquard legging, an organic T-shirt, muscle tank relaxed crewneck pullover, and cotton and cashmere scarf, beanie and socks. — L.L.
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