The lingerie brand is catching copycat accusations, plus more fashion news you missed last week
It feels like Victoria’s Secret has been in its ‘realising things’ era for quite some time now – but finally, we’re on the countdown to the reimagining of the original VS runway that was equal parts iconic and body dysmorphic.
Titled The Victoria's Secret World Tour, the show is set to drop on Prime Video on September 26. Last week, new teaser visuals dropped – the clip showed the latest generation of Angels, including Gigi Hadid, Hailey Bieber, Iris Law, Lila Moss, Imaan Hammam, and Honey Dijon, alongside legendary Angels Lily Aldridge, Adriana Lima, and Candice Swanepoel.
Dazed cover star Doja Cat rounded out the teaser, as she’ll be the musical act – continuing a tradition that has been upheld in the first iteration of the runway show by Rihanna and The Weeknd.
The World Tour brings together a series of four designers who will represent four cities – London’s Supriya Lele, Lagos’s Bubu Ogisi, Tokyo’s Jenny Fax, and Melissa Valdes for Bogotá. The designers are part of the ‘VS20’ – a group of 20 innovative global creatives – and have each produced pieces for VS, which has been captured for the doc and will be shown in the runway show alongside a fifth core collection. The BTS doc will be streamed, and then the show will be live.
Let’s see what the pink carpet has to offer. In the meantime, here’s the rest of the fashion world news you might have missed...
VALENTINO BALLERINAS PIROUETTE THROUGH PARIS
…and London, and Milan! Chassé away. Bringing a rebellious touch to the dancecore aesthetic-du-jour and the Italian house’s classique feminine silhouette, Maison Valentino has tapped a trio of ballerinas to showcase the latest Valentino Garavani Rockstud Ballerina slippers. The satin and patent leather versions of the studded and strappy flats, which are part of the label’s Urban Riviera Autumn 2023 collection, encase the feet of dancers Chloe Anais Lopes, Carolina Fregnan, and Patricia Zhou as they pirouette through Paris, Milan, and London respectively. Shop them online or in Valentino boutiques in black, soft pink, Barbiecore fuschia or sumptuous red and cabriole out of here.
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD AND EASTPAK DROP COSMIC BAG COLLAB
Mercury may be in retrograde, but the stars have aligned for the Vivienne Westwood x Eastpak collab – and the collection includes a back-to-school backpack for those crashing back down to earth and into the classroom this September.
The collab brings together the functional and practical ethos of Eastpak (a classic brand that previously collaborated with Telfar and Raf Simons, among others) with Westwood’s future-facing, innovative spirit. It comprises of seven utilitarian styles – including the aforementioned backpack, there’s also a satchel, tote, and suitcase – utilising the planetary print first developed and used in Andreas Kronthaler for the Vivienne Westwood SS19 runway collection. The graphic was inspired by Saturn Return, a moment in a person’s astrological chart said to enact change and transformation. In this collab’s context, the focus on Saturn embodies the need to change how we treat the Earth – so, proceeds from the collection support the Cool Earth initiative. You can shop the exclusive, eco-conscious collection now.
LOUIS VUITTON DEBUTS THE FUTURE IT-GIRL BAG
It’s coming up to a decade since Nicolas Ghesquière’s revelatory first collection as Louis Vuitton’s women’s artistic director. Harking back to those icon-emulating first designs, LV has reimagined one of his earliest products to create the GO-14 bag – AKA, the Ghesquière October 2014, a coded moniker to mark that special debut. Taking it up to the sartorial speed of 2023 while in keeping with the brand’s design signatures and history, the GO-14 bag makes use of the familiar LV malletage – ie, the now renowned crisscrossing padded pattern first seen on LV trunks – with cushiony lambskin, in a variety of shades, sizes, and strap options.
Ahead of its drop, you’ve probably already spotted the bag wrapped cross-body around Cate Blanchett, swung and strutted with by the Haim sisters, and toted by Emma Stone, Gemma Chan, and Hoyeon Jung. Get ahead of the rising it-girl accessory and grab the GO-14 from select Louis Vuitton stores exclusively.
(G)I-DLE’S MI-YEON PAINT PARIS RED FOR JIMMY CHOO
It’s a glam girls night out in Paris for Jimmy Choo’s recently announced global brand ambassador Mi-Yeon and model Rebecca Longendyke, as they front the label’s evening-set Autumn 2023 campaign. In a series of short campaign films and photography, Mi-Yeon and Rebecca showcase the bags, shoes, and accessories that make going from day to night v easy and v, v chic.
Mi-Yeon, the K-pop sensation who fronts girl group (G)I-DLE, was announced as Jimmy Choo's first global face at the beginning of August. She's snapped by Stas Komarovski, toting a blood-red Diamond Top Handle bag and matching Diamond Tilda slingbacks.
BOTTEGA VENETA CELEBRATES EVERYDAY MILAN
Everyday life doesn’t mean monotony. There is beauty to be found in the banal, as Bottega Veneta’s Winter 2023 campaign shows. Matthieu Blazy’s third collection for the label is lensed by photographers Malick Bodian, Louise and Maria Thornfeldt, and Sander Muylaert. The clothes and accessories adorn the busy-as-hell everyman as they navigate life’s peaks and troughs in Milan. The images and film are in reverence to the architecture of the label’s home country, juxtaposing Italian luxury design with the sculptural and scene-setting backdrops.
The film, directed by Massimiliano Bomba who also previously produced the brand’s The Craftsmanship visual, zones in on key pieces such as the textured leathers and sleek tailoring. No speaking to the manager necessary.
GET IN LINE! IT’S ALANIS MORISSETTE FOR MOOSE KNUCKLES
Here comes Carlos Nazario’s campaign for Montreal brand Moose Knuckles, led by Canada’s living music legend Alanis Morissette. Get In Line is a celebration of the urban experience through the creative community, interpolating the grit of city living and the harsh Canadian winters with the raw spirit of the modern creative scene – who else then but the Jagged Little Pill singer to front it. This is Nazario’s first venture since being named Global Artistic Director for Moose Knuckles earlier this year.
“As a young artist singing from the age of 9 in my hometown of Ottawa, I felt surrounded by a quality of expressing that was androgynous and brazen,” Morissette said in a press statement. “I am very happy to be working with a brand that understands the importance of raw and visceral expression being brought to the world.” The artist’s iconic “Hand In My Pocket” music video is reimagined in the campaign visuals, seeing Morissette walk her ‘herd’ (a gaggle of young people sporting the brand, others in moose mascot costume) through the streets – gang! The visuals also feature Euphoria’s Javon ‘Wanna’ Walton, skateboarder Beatrice Domond, musician Mustafa the Poet, and emerging model Shy.
The Moose Knuckles AW23 collection range is available now at Moose Knuckles boutiques, select retailers and its website.
MARC JACOBS AND RUBRIC INITIATIVE LIFT UP POC CREATIVES
The Rubric Initiative is a vital organisation that has been pushing to make change in the fashion industry for people of colour, and promote dialogue around race, class, gender and status barriers – its latest venture has seen the org join forces with Marc Jacobs for a multi-part mentorship programme for the next generation. In a bid to break down barriers to getting into the industry for some of the most marginalised, the programme has included close mentorship from industry experts, as well as hands-on photoshoot experience, and the design of a co-branded t-shirt.
Mentees were selected for a multitude of fashion industry categories, including photographers, stylists, art directors, producers, set designers, casting, nail artists, hairstylists, and makeup artists, and paired with an expert in their field.
The shirt was designed by mentor-mentee pair Hassan Rahim and Cam Canty, with each purchased shirt providing 50 per cent to the Rubric Initiative endeavours, to support more educational resources, mentorships, outreach initiatives and internship opportunities. The photo shoot was supported by mentors – photographer Alasdair McClellan, stylist Sydney Rose Thomas, hairstylist Virginie Moreira, and nail artist Mei Kawajiri.
The next part of the project sees Marc engage in an ‘Ask Me Anything’ with Rubric Initiative mentees, who have got to ask him questions directly. More of the program is set to be unveiled across the coming week, so stay tuned.