Telfar and Eastpak?; Gabrielle Union Adds Shoes
GUESSING RIGHT?: Twitter users are guessing that Telfar’s secret collaboration is with Eastpak, the lifestyle brand that specializes in bags, backpacks, travel gear and accessories.
A spokeswoman for Telfar said speculation began to bubble up Wednesday, but the official reveal won’t take place until March 30, ahead of the medium and large bag drop date on March 31. A spokesperson for Eastpak, a division of VF Corp., couldn’t be reached.
More from WWD
As reported in WWD Wednesday, three sizes of square shopper bags (small, medium and large) are being offered, as well as a circle bag. They are designed in tactical nylon with woven hand straps and adjustable padded shoulder straps, according to their description on Telfar’s website.
As part of the mysterious nature of the release, Telfar’s site shows blurry images of the bag in photographs, and a video teaser that contains blurry images and hints at a red logo.
Following the medium and large sizes drop on March 31 (with the collaborator’s reveal on March 30), the small bags will drop on April 4 and the circle bag will drop on April 8. The small and circle bags will be revealed a few days before the drop. Prices range from $110 for the circle bag to $198 for the large shopper.
Customers are being offered the opportunity to blindly preorder these bags this Friday at noon EST, without knowing the collaborator.
Telfar’s Instagram so far has received 1,722 comments about the secret drop, ranging from “I can’t wait for the blurry pixel bag to drop,” to “great promotional teaser.” The video has 293,707 views.
Eastpak has collaborated with Neil Barrett, Liberty London, Havaianas and Eternals. Telfar has done collaborations with Ugg, Moose Knuckles, Converse and White Castle. — LISA LOCKWOOD
UNION’S NEW SHOES: Gabrielle Union is launching her first footwear collection.
The line, which is in partnership with New York & Company, will include a wide array of boots, heels, sneakers and flats with neutral tones and pops of vibrant hues.
Created with elevated, high-quality materials and designed with comfort and style, the Gabrielle Union Footwear Collection will be available for purchase starting March 24 on the official New York & Company e-commerce site. The 10-piece collaboration will range in price from $79.95 to $129.95.
Courtesy of New York & Company
“I have been working with New York & Company to launch my seasonal apparel collections for several years now, so I’m thrilled to expand our partnership into footwear,” the actress said. “Similar to my clothing, I love having a variety of shoe styles to have fun with, and this new footwear collection does that.
“It offers a wide range of styles and colors, from sneakers to high heels, encouraging us to step out in something new this season,” Union continued.
Courtesy of New York & Company
Union’s footwear line launch comes after her successful spring collection with the company, which was released in February. The line featured a range of colors, such as bright hues, pastel tones, to highlight the pop of color as spring emerges. It also has pantsuits, two-piece sets and cutout dresses.
Union’s first collection with New York & Company launched in fall 2017 as part of their multiyear partnership. Since then, the line has proven to be a success, with customers praising the actress for emphasizing positivity and inclusivity. — LAYLA ILCHI
HONORING PEOPLES: The Cut’s editor in chief Lindsay Peoples is to be honored by the Pratt Institute at its upcoming fashion show for graduating students. It returns to Brooklyn this year, taking place at Building 77 in the Brooklyn Navy Yard on May 5.
Pratt Institute said Peoples, who rejoined The Cut as editor in chief at the beginning of last year, will receive the fashion visionary award for her journalistic work and commitment to representation and inclusivity in the field of fashion and beyond.
“We are thrilled to honor Lindsay Peoples at this year’s fashion show,” said Jennifer Minniti, chair of Pratt Fashion and inaugural Jane B. Nord professor of fashion design. “Her unwavering dedication to diversity and inclusion in fashion, journalism and beyond is an inspiration not only to our students, but the Institute at large.”
Courtesy
As editor in chief of The Cut, Peoples oversees all editorial content, events, brand extensions and more, conceiving of the strategic direction for the site’s next chapter. She is also the cofounder of the Black in Fashion Council, which holds fashion and beauty brands accountable to their diversity initiatives.
Previously, Peoples was editor in chief of Teen Vogue and under her leadership, the publication launched Generation Next, a mentorship initiative that invited six diverse designers to showcase their lines at New York Fashion Week. Prior to joining Teen Vogue, Peoples was a fashion market editor at The Cut and a fashion market reporter at Style.com.
At the show, Pratt’s top graduating seniors will each present a runway collection composed of eight to 15 complete looks, including accessories. The rigorous program is interdisciplinary in nature, closely allied with illustration, photography, film, performance, visual studies and material culture.
Past honorees have included Kerby Jean-Raymond, Gabriela Hearst, Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, Francisco Costa, Thom Browne and Hamish Bowles. — KATHRYN HOPKINS
DIFFERENT GAME: Wolverine is the latest brand to dip its toe into the gaming field.
The Rockford, Mich.-based footwear and apparel company is partnering with 343 Industries, developers of the popular Halo video game, on a new boot inspired by its famous protagonist, the Master Chief.
Daniel Van Duinen
The new Wolverine x Halo: The Master Chief collaboration boot are based on Wolverine’s Hellcat model. Wolverine released a video in August 2020 touting the strength of the boot’s safety toe and video gamers quickly started to weigh in that the boot looked like it was part of the Halo universe. That led to the two companies to start talking about collaborating, a process that lasted a year and resulted in the release of 117 pairs of the Wolverine x Hale: The Master Chief.
The boots will feature a number of references to the popular game, including the number 117, the Master Chief’s Spartan number that will be included on each left boot. In addition the UNSC (United Nations Space Command) insignia can be found throughout the boot and the outsole includes the in-universe logo for the “Materials Group,” the manufacturer of the Master Chief’s Mjolnir armor.
Beyond the gaming references, the boots are equipped with an UltraSpring midsole for a lightweight feel, and rubber lug outsoles for traction. They are made from full-grain leather and include a hook-and-loop cover over the laces.
“After nearly a year of design and collaboration, we’re proud to launch the Wolverine x Halo: The Master Chief boot,” said Tom Kennedy, global brand president of Wolverine. “This collaboration is a true testament to the devotion both Wolverine and 343 Industries have to our fans, and we couldn’t be more thrilled to bring a boot inspired by the Halo universe to life.”
In December, 343 released the Halo Infinite, the latest game in the series and its largest to-date with more than 20 million players. In addition, the Halo television series premiered exclusively on Paramount+ on March 24.
“Given our roots in military science fiction, we’ve often heard from our fans that there is an appetite for a boot inspired by the Master Chief. So, when Wolverine approached us about a collaboration, we were ready to answer the call,” said John Friend, director, Halo and Xbox Consumer Products at 343 Industries — Microsoft. “The limited-edition boot gives Halo fans a chance to step inside (the boots) to become Master Chief and bring the Halo universe into their everyday life, and we’re eager to see how fans react to the collaboration and forthcoming launches as part of our partnership with Wolverine.”
The limited-edition boots will retail for $225 and be available starting at noon on the March 29 on Wolverine’s e-commerce site. — JEAN E. PALMIERI
Best of WWD
Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.