Balenciaga’s New Date, Revolve Responds, Selfridges and Jacquemus – WWD

WEEKEND DUTY: Balenciaga has shifted the date of its spring 2023 collection unveiling in New York City to May 22 at 11:30 a.m.

It had previously announced Saturday, May 21, for its itinerant showing in the U.S. The Paris-based fashion house, controlled by French luxury group Kering, typically occupies a late Sunday morning slot when it takes part in Paris Fashion Week.

Other details, including the venue, are still under wraps.

The industry is witnessing  a strong return to destination fashion shows as the pandemic loosens its grip. As reported, Pucci is heading to Capri on April 28 to unveil its first designs by Camille Miceli and Dior plans to hold a runway show for Maria Grazia Chiuri’s pre-fall 2022 women’s ready-to-wear collection on April 30 in Seoul.

Chanel kicks off the 2023 cruise season with a showing May 5 in Monaco, and Louis Vuitton heads to the Salk Institute in San Diego, Calif., for its show on May 12. Meanwhile, Gucci has earmarked May 16 for a coed show at Castel Del Monte in the Italian region of Apulia, and Kim Jones plans to unveil his spring 2023 men’s collection for Dior in Los Angeles on May 19.

Balenciaga’s New York showing is bound to be a hot ticket, given its creative director Demna’s reputation for mounting immersive and gripping fashion spectacles.

His fall 2022 show in Paris last month had models battling gale-force winds in a giant snow globe, evoking images of Ukrainian refugees fleeing their country amid Russia’s invasion.

The designer is known for fearless and incisive commentary on the climate crisis, the perils of technology, the geopolitical situation — and fashion itself.

He also continues to have a broad impact on fashion. Last July, he staged Balenciaga’s first couture show since Cristóbal Balenciaga retired from fashion in 1968, and his strong-shouldered tailoring foreshadowed a glut of dark pantsuits in an array of fall 2022 collections.

Alexander McQueen, also controlled by Kering, opted to show its fall 2022 womenswear collection in New York on March 15. — MILES SOCHA

REVOLVE EXPLAINS: Revolve has spoken out amid the backlash over its Revolve Festival.

After the e-tailer’s festival went viral on social media, particularly on TikTok, with guests complaining about having to wait hours for its shuttles to the exclusive event, Revolve has issued a statement regarding the criticism.

“In anticipation of the high level of interest in attending Revolve Festival this year, Revolve worked closely with all appropriate city and safety authorities to ensure a safe and secure path for guests to access the two-day invitation-only event,” a representative from the etailer said.

“With an event of this magnitude, city regulations mandate an off-site location for guest check-in and parking, as well as licensed shuttle transportation to and from the venue,” the statement read. “The offsite lot was set up with guest parking, as well as rideshare drop-off and pickup access with added WiFi for car booking, restrooms, shade, water, medics and security.”

The backlash against Revolve Festival went viral this weekend after multiple influencers took to TikTok to share their experiences. A short TikTok video by content creator Averie Danielle Bishop, for one, discussed the “chaos” of the festival and how festivalgoers had to wait hours to get onto the shuttles to transport them to the event. The only way to go to the event was with the shuttles provided by Revolve — guests were not allowed to arrive by any other means of transportation.

“As the festival was reaching capacity late Saturday afternoon, shuttle access to the venue was limited in order to remain in compliance with safety requirements causing longer wait times for entry and resulting in some guests not being able to attend the festival,” the statement continued. “The safety of our guests is of the utmost importance to us and we will always make that a priority.”

It continued, “We sincerely apologize to all the guests who were impacted. We always strive to provide a great experience and we promise to do better.”

In Bishop’s TikTok, she and her friend discuss how the logistics of the event were reminiscent of the notorious Fyre Festival from 2017, in which guests were stranded in the Bahamas without proper accommodations or food when they thought they were attending a luxurious and exclusive music festival hosted by Billy McFarland and Ja Rule.

The invite-only Revolve Festival was held on the first weekend of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and produced in collaboration with The h.wood Group on April 16 and 17. — CONCHITA WIDJOJO

BLUE SUMMER: British department store Selfridges is teaming with Jacquemus on a takeover project titled “Le Bleu” ahead of the summer.

From May 3, the retailer’s The Corner Shop space on Oxford Street will be turned into a surrealist retail concept inspired by Simon Porte Jacquemus’ own bathroom.

The space will offer the brand’s bestselling Chiquito and Bambino bags in exclusive colorways; an exclusive range of hoodies, T-shirts and towels; the brand’s photography book, “Jacquemus’s Je T’aime,” and pieces from the Le Splash ready-to-wear collection.

With the project, the designer said he wants to “create a visual and sensorial experience inspired by casual, everyday life places and play with the color blue and the concept of water, and to “play with the proportions of all the bathroom accessories and make them in a very pop and disproportional way.”

On top of taking over the pop-up space, Jacquemus will be the first fashion brand to take over the Selfridges Mews, which is located behind the store where the Christmas market is traditionally held, for the brand’s Jacquemus 24/24 vending machine installation. Different from previous editions in Milan and Paris, the London version will be stocked with the Chiquito and Bambino bags in colorways exclusive to Selfridges.

The old Selfridges Hotel on top of the food hall right next to the mews will host the immersive experience concept “Le Vestiaire,” a continuation of the concept “Le Bleu.” Customers will be transported through a surrealist interpretation of a swimming pool with locker rooms and a number of different rooms which will have different sensory elements.

“I wanted to recreate an accumulation of lockers with different 3D experiences inside, inspired by Jacques Tati movies,” the designer added.

The project comes with a campaign featuring Iris Law, posing by the pool in a blue bikini with matching nail color. — TIANWEI ZHANG

SOUNDING BOARD: Renowned for his eye for contemporary art, François Pinault also seems to have an ear for music.

The French billionaire’s family office is among founders of a special purpose acquisition company that is poised to merge with streaming platform Deezer and take it public.

The SPAC, known as 12PO, said the business combination would be renamed Deezer and list this summer on the professional segment of Euronext Paris, valuing the firm at 1.05 billion euros.

A press release touted Deezer as “the second largest independent music streaming platform in the world” after Spotify with 9.6 million subscribers and 2021 revenues of 400 million euros. The French tech start-up was created in 2007 by Daniel Marhely.

“We are excited to accompany one of the emblematic European tech leaders in its next chapter as a public company listed in Paris,” commented François-Henri Pinault, cofounder and member of the board of directors of I2PO. “We launched the first European SPAC dedicated to entertainment and leisure with the ambition to take a European champion to new heights. In Deezer, we have found the ideal combination.

“I2PO brings an extensive international network and a complementary skill set to help develop Deezer as the leading independent music streaming platform through strong positions in selected key markets,” he added.

François-Henri Pinault is also chief executive officer of French luxury giant Kering, parent of Gucci, Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and other brands.

I2PO started trading in July 2021. The SPAC was formed by Groupe Artémis, the family holding of the Pinault family; SaCh27 SAS, a vehicle for Iris Knobloch, and Combat Holding SAS, controlled by Matthieu Pigasse.

Deezer touts streaming as the “fastest-growing segment of the recorded music market” with retail revenues advancing at a compound annual growth rate of 28 percent between 2016 and 2020, when it reached a total addressable market of about $22 billion.

In addition, music streaming subscriber penetration is forecast to increase to 14 percent in 2027 from 8 percent in 2020. — M.S.

ELIE’S PREMIER: “The United States of Elie Tahari” documentary premiered Monday at the Walter Reade Theater in New York City’s Lincoln Center. Around 250 guests were in attendance, including Elie Tahari and the film’s director, David Serero.

The evening also involved a Q&A between Teri Agins, Serero and Tahari, in which the designer revealed he actually made more money as a real estate mogul than he did in fashion. He started purchasing property in the ‘80s.

When asked what he did to take care of himself and stay fit, Tahari simply responded: “I have been doing yoga for 40 years. I also used to roller skate in Central Park and every week at The Roxy.”

The film is the first documentary ever produced about Tahari. It is now available on video on demand on Vimeo for only 30 days before making its rounds in the film festival circuit.

The film explores Tahari’s life, from when he was born in Israel to Iranian parents to when he arrived in New York in 1971 with barely any money to build his fashion empire, which was once valued at $1 billion. The designer’s creative process as well his last four decades in the industry are also documented.

“I want Elie Tahari’s life to travel in everyone’s heart,” Serero said in a statement.

Today, Tahari’s label can be found in five continents and is sold in more than 600 stores worldwide. His creations have been seen on the likes of Angelina Jolie, Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, Oprah Winfrey and more. — C.W.

OLIVIA’S NEW ROLE: Olivia Rodrigo is joining Glossier as its first celebrity face.

The beauty brand revealed Tuesday that the Grammy-winning singer is joining as an official partner in a first-of-its-kind partnership. Through the partnership, Rodrigo will appear in brand campaigns, participate in product development and content creation and “connect with the Glossier community,” according to the brand.

“If I could send a note to the Glossier community, I’d say, ‘You look good exactly as you are,’” Rodrigo said in a statement.

In a statement from Glossier, the brand explained the partnership “signifies the brand’s focus on building authentic talent partnerships grounded in real-life connections and shared values.”

Rodrigo’s launch campaign shows the singer embracing Glossier’s “You Look Good” motto in unedited photos. To celebrate the campaign, Glossier is offering some of Rodrigo’s favorite products in a set called “Olivia’s Favorites,” which includes the brand’s Boy Brow, Ultralip and Pro Tip makeup products. The set retails for $45.

Rodrigo first started working with Glossier in early 2021, working with the brand to debut its Ultralip product in an April 2021 video with Vogue. She also worked with Glossier for her appearances at the 2021 American Music Awards and this year’s Grammy Awards, where she won three awards.

While this is Glossier’s first celebrity partnership, the brand has worked with the likes of “Gossip Girl” stars Evan Mock, Zion Moreno and Savannah Lee as well as model Eve Jobs for previous campaigns. — LAYLA ILCHI

BACK TO IT: For the first time in two years, the Academy of Art University School of Fashion will be staging an in-person fashion show for its BFA and MFA graduates.

The May 12 evening event will also honor the fashion designer Giles Deacon, who is a familiar face to Simon Ungless, who heads up the academy’s School of Fashion as executive director. Ungless and Deacon were classmates at Central Saint Martins. The school values the work Deacon has put forward across fashion, costume design, illustration and others, a school spokesman said.

The London-based designer and illustrator blends fashion, fine art, theater and glamour in his creations. His designs can be found in the permanent collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the V&A Museum in London. Deacon teamed up with IWG, a leading operator of office and flexible working spaces, last year to design the WFA (work from anywhere) capsule collection. He also crafted Pippa Middleton’s wedding dress and Billy Porter’s 24-karat gold-foiled feathered ensemble at the 2020 Oscars. His portfolio includes designs for Marvel, Lions Gate Films, Fox Searchlight, the New York City Ballet and the dance company A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham.

For next month’s show at St. Brigid Church, Ungless will orchestrate 30 current and recent BFA and MFA graduates works on a diverse range of models. Deacon will receive his honorary doctorate – a doctor of humane letters – for his fashion achievements from Academy of Art University president Elise Stephens. She described the upcoming event as “more than just a showcase of our students’ journey through their craft,” but also as “a glimpse of the next generation of fashion, art and design.”

Ungless and other faculty worked virtually and in-person with students to create a fashion week-inspired runway show that will features womenswear, menswear and knitwear. Special consideration was given to students who graduated during the pandemic lockdown and were unable to present their designs to the public and peers. The catwalk lineup will include a choral performance as an accompaniment.

The fashion show for 450 will be closed to the general public, but it will be live-streamed. In advance of the main event, Deacon will be hosting a drawing class at the academy for students that will also be live-streamed. — ROSEMARY FEITELBERG

NORMA’S WISDOM: Norma Kamali will join Deborah Koenigsberger, owner of the luxury fashion boutique Noir et Blanc and the retail shop next door, The Thrifty Hog; Constance White, fashion editor and author of “How to Slay;” Cynde Watson, director of Artisty at It Cosmetics, and Carlton Jones, stylist, designer founder and chief executive officer of his eponymous fashion brand, for a panel discussion Thursday.

The topics are sustainability, fashion trends, and looking good while doing good. The panel will be moderated by fashion journalist Teri Agins at the Noire et Blanc boutique at 7 West 25th Street in New York at 1 p.m. It will  be followed by cocktails and light bites.

At 5:30 p.m., there will be a discussion of spring beauty tips, demonstrations and a Q & A with Watson. On Friday, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. will be a fashion show and reception featuring Jones’ spring/summer 2022 collection.

This is all part of a nine-day initiative, Fashion & Fill-Antropy, that began April 15 and runs through Saturday, where people are spring cleaning and donating to The Thrifty Hog in support of homeless moms and kids. Trunk shows took place at the store last weekend.

A VIP two-day pass is $100 ($150 at the door) and a general ticket is $50 ($75 at the door or $25 with clothing drop). An all event platinum Champagne pass is  $250, or $300 at the door. — LISA LOCKWOOD