From an environmentally conscious capsule collection by Stella McCartney to Comme des Garçons’ first foray into fine jewellery with pearl necklaces
Stella McCartney: We Are the Weather
This month marks the release of a new capsule collection from designer and sustainable fashion pioneer Stella McCartney, part of an ongoing collaboration with the author and environmental activist Jonathan Safran Foer (with whom she also collaborated on her Spring/Summer 2020 collection, Force of Nature). Titled We Are the Weather, the entirely sustainable capsule sees slogans like “we are entirely free to live differently” and weather-based illustrations across T-shirts, dresses and sweaters. A beautiful series of images, whereby the collection is shot by British photographer Lee Whittaker on inhabitants of a remote Canadian island, accompanies.
Maison Margiela’s new handbag, the ‘Snatched’
There is a double meaning behind the name of Maison Margiela’s newest handbag, the ‘Snatched’. The brand’s creative director John Galliano decided on ‘snatched’ to evoke the idea of speed – that you might grab this bag to pull together an outfit in a hurry – and also the word’s use as a slang compliment (as in, ‘my wig’). The bag’s angular design – which comes in two sizes – is a world away from Maison Margiela’s cushiony padded ‘glam slam’ variation, with a hole-punched handle and origami-esque foldover opening. The Snatched lands in-store and online at the end of the month.
Kiko Kostadinov x ASICS
The latest spoils of the fruitful partnership between London-based Kiko Kostadinov and ASICS arrive in stores this month, in the form of the GEL-Kiril sneaker, the first style to be entirely designed from scratch by the designer (in a process that took 18 months). Featuring a unique checkerboard design, as well as a gel technology sole and a floral tread, the typically offbeat style will come in three distinct colourways: black, acid green and an eye-catching blue, arriving in staggered succession over the coming months (find them at numerous retailers, including Dover Street Market). To coincide, Kostadinov drafted director Tommy Malekoff to create a playful film, shot in the designer’s native Bulgaria.
Raf Simons A/W19
For his Autumn/Winter 2019 menswear collection, Raf Simons emblazoned stills from Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks across T-shirts, jumpers and coats. The designer – a longtime fan of David Lynch – chose images of the film and TV show’s stars, Laura Dern and Kyle MacLachlan, and appliquéd them like patches throughout the collection (and the show was even attended by Dern, AnOther Magazine’s newest cover star, who “means the world” to Simons). Pieces from the masterful collection are still available to buy – find T-shirts and coats on Matches Fashion – and as this season’s sales come to a close, now is the time to invest.
Bottega Veneta’s S/S20 pop-up at Harrods
Launching at Harrods this week, shop exclusive styles by Bottega Veneta at a pop-up in the storied department store. The brand’s woven leather bags and pumps – introduced in recent seasons by creative director Daniel Lee, and fast favourites among buyers and editors soon after – will be available in racing green and ‘ice’ in Harrods for Spring/Summer 2020, with the playful pop-up space in-store until the beginning of March.
Comme des Garçons’ first jewellery collection with Mikimoto
Marking the first fine jewellery collaboration in the history of the Japanese label, Comme des Garçons has united with storied jeweller and cultured pearl-specialists Mikimoto, on a collection which arrives this month. Purportedly choosing the pearl for its timeless quality, Rei Kawakubo’s designs feature classic strings of pearls inset with chains or decorated with the Comme des Garçons logo. Arriving mid-February in Dover Street Market and Comme des Garçons stores worldwide, the collaboration marks the beginning of a two-year partnership between the brands.
Mr Slowboy’s curated edit for Mackintosh
Fei Wang, aka Mr Slowboy, is known for his timelessly charming fashion illustrations, depicting urbane and elegantly outfitted characters. The artist is inspired by the Bloomsbury Set – the group of 20th-century luminaries like Virginia Woolf and E M Forster – and, following in this vein, heritage brand Mackintosh invited him to curate a capsule collection stemming from the proposition: “What would a modern-day renaissance man, wandering the streets of Bloomsbury, wear today?” The result is a collection of traditional “wardrobe essentials” revisited, pulling from Mackintosh’s extensive archive.