Beckham’s Wedding Boost, H&M’s Lovefest, It’s Coachella Time – WWD

THE WEDDING EFFECT: The wedding of Nicola Peltz and Brooklyn Beckham was a media bonanza in more ways than one.

The pair’s Palm Beach nuptials, attended by guests including Venus and Serena Williams, Gordon Ramsey, Eva Longoria and former Spice Girls Mel B and Mel C, in addition to the groom’s parents David and Victoria Beckham, generated more than $54 million in total media impact value, according to Launchmetrics.

That compares with $36 million for the 2018 wedding of The Blonde Salad’s Chiara Ferragni and rapper Fedez, whose three-day bash came with its own hashtag, #TheFerragnez, but it was below the $80 million in MIV brought in by Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas’ wedding in 2018, the data and insights firm said.

Peltz’s Valentino couture bridal dress won the luxury house more than $14.3 million in MIV, while Dior garnered $3.6 million in MIV from Brooklyn Beckham’s suit. The measure, based on a proprietary algorithm, estimates the value of coverage across social networks and in the media.

The top social posts from the event came from Victoria and David Beckham, who posted the same black-and-white image of the bride and groom, shot exclusively by British Vogue, with a caption welcoming Peltz into the family. They generated MIV of more than $800,000 and $787,000, respectively, garnering 1.82 million likes and 1.86 million likes on Instagram.

Reflecting the family’s coordinated social media strategy, Brooklyn Beckham also posted the image with the caption “Mr. & Mrs. Peltz Beckham,” gaining an MIV of $650,000 and 1.33 million likes on Instagram. — JOELLE DIDERICH

ALL ABOUT LOVE: H&M returns with the fifth drop for its sustainability-billed line, as well as a new immersive exhibit.

Celebrating “love” for recycled clothing and the earth, the exhibit coincides with H&M’s Innovation Story “Cherish Waste” collection, which will be available beginning May 5 at hm.com and in select stores in the U.S. and Canada. Along with the collection, there is an exhibit in New York City’s Studio 525 dedicated to the technological strides (including H&M Foundation’s Global Change Awards) empowering sustainable fashion. The exhibit is open to the public April 29 to May 1 and features digital barcodes where shoppers can learn more about the fabrications.

Ranging in price from $19.99 to $299, the 29-piece collection is H&M’s latest feat in innovation using partly recycled and novel next-gen plant-based materials. The effort is a continuation of the brand’s “Innovation Stories,” which demonstrates its investments in sustainability.

“This collection is a celebration of love, filled with wardrobe heroes that feel comfortable to wear, even if they are dramatic, statement pieces,” H&M creative adviser Ann-Sofie Johansson, said in a press statement. “My advice is to step out of your comfort zone and explore versatile combinations: dare to wear an oversize leopard-print coat with heart-shaped spots with a tight, cutout bodysuit, or relax in a coordinated set with heart motifs inspired by foil balloons.”

Hero dresses include a bubble gum-pink heart-shaped evening dress, a pale blue puff-ball mini and a pink knitted spike dress, all made from 100 percent recycled polyester either rescued from marine sources or post-consumer waste streams. The knitted spike dress, for example is a blend bearing 78 percent Repreve (a brand name fabric from Unifi, Inc. upcycled from ocean-bound plastic) and 22 percent post-consumer recycled polyester. Recycled silk also makes a small appearance on a frill-trimmed pink shirt that’s 30 percent organic silk and 70 percent recycled silk, per the brand.

Accessories also have their moment with natural materials.

Pumps and a studded bracelet from the collection are infused with Mirum, an animal-free and plastic-free leather alternative made from plant fibers, vegetable oil and minerals by Natural Fiber Welding. (The Mirum maker counts Ralph Lauren and Allbirds as investors, and recently raised an additional $85 million in Series B financing).

A convertible chain necklace and rhinestone earrings feature black hearts made from AirCarbon (about 3 percent or less of total pieces, with the rest being recycled brass and resin or rubber). AirCarbon is a biomaterial made by Newlight Technologies that transforms air and carbon from greenhouse gasses — that would otherwise pollute the atmosphere — into lightweight, acetate-like material.

Altogether, H&M says this won’t be its last collection using natural materials. — KALEY ROSHITSH

FESTIVAL TIME: The Coachella collaborations keep on coming.

Luxury label Casablanca is bringing the beauty of the Palm Springs, Calif., desert to Maxfield L.A. with an exclusive 51-piece men’s and women’s collection and a takeover of the retailer’s gallery space across the street.

Designer Charaf Tajer’s distinctive printed silk sets, warm weather knits, bikinis, beach towels and bucket hats, $185 to $1,550, are displayed in a flowering landscape of palms and cacti, with a pastel palette referencing the 1980s Memphis movement and archways nodding to his Moroccan roots.

“Maxfield has been supporting me since the beginning,” said Tajer, who had his first Coachella pop-up at the store in April 2019, just six months after he launched his menswear brand in Paris. “California is so positive and colorful, it’s always an inspiration to me. This is a kind of cruise collection, you could put it that way,” added the designer, who is a Coachella Music & Arts Festival regular.

“We did his very first installation and that’s where those sets were born,” said Sarah Stewart, Maxfield’s buying director, of the casual silk shirt and shorts uniform. “We had a nice little business going with those even pre-COVID-19 and when COVID-19 hit it was perfect.”

Titled “Desert Phantastica,” the installation will be up through May 9.

It’s not the only project the designer has while he’s visiting L.A. this month. He has also collaborated with haute health food store Erewhon Market on a limited-edition dragon fruit, coconut and strawberry juice named Alaya after his newborn son.

Packaged in a Casablanca glass bottle with a matching tote bag available for purchase, it marks the first time the celebrity haunt has partnered with a fashion brand. “I call it the healthy nightclub. “I do all my meetings there, I see everyone there, the quality of food is amazing and it’s so progressive,” Tajer said. — BOOTH MOORE

FOR UKRAINE: Kenneth Cole has several initiatives underway to support Ukraine.

Starting Wednesday, with any purchase of Kenneth Cole sneakers, customers will receive a pair of blue and yellow laces so that they can lace up and #StandWithUkraine.

This is in addition to Cole’s current efforts, which include a window installation at its Bond + Bowery store in New York that shows support for Ukraine, including a QR code leading to a landing page that encourages donations to five specific charities: Global Giving, Red Cross, Revived Soldiers Ukraine, UNICEF USA, and United Help Ukraine.

With every purchase on kennethcole.com, the company is donating a percentage of net profits to Revived Soldiers of Ukraine, a humanitarian nonprofit offering first aid and other critical resources to the Ukrainian people.

The company is also working with its longtime partner Give Back Box to encourage customers to print a shipping label and donate gently worn clothing, footwear and blankets to Ukrainian refugees in Poland. — LISA LOCKWOOD

BLOCK PARTY: Jessica McCormack didn’t have to travel far for her latest collaboration. The diamond jewelry designer is working with her London neighbor Matchesfashion, selling bridal gems at Matches’ 5 Carlos Place townhouse in Mayfair, and online.

McCormack’s diamond jewelry edit launched alongside Matches’ spring 2022 bridal and wedding guest campaign and showcases some of the designer’s key creations, including Gypset earrings; Ball and Chain necklaces and pendants, and signature rings, wedding bands and engagement rings.

The pop-up opened earlier this week and, so far, earrings have been the strongest category, with the Gypset hoops driving the most demand, according to Jessica McCormack.

Seven styles from the offering sold out in the first few days, and have since been replenished, including the signature Button Back and Eternity rings, Cut Down necklaces and Gypset earrings.

Colleen Caslin, CEO of Jessica McCormack, said the brand has experienced strong growth over the past two years, “and continues to approach retail in curated, innovative and experiential ways with like-minded partners.

“Our Carlos Place neighbors also provide a unique in-store experience, a seamless online offering and impeccable client services. It’s the perfect brand for us to align with on this pop-up,” she said.

Tanika Wisdom, buyer at Matchesfashion.com, said the retailer continues “to see strong growth in fine jewelry, particularly one-of-a-kind, exclusive pieces that offer a unique take on timeless design.”

She added that there is a “synergy between Matchesfashion and Jessica McCormack, as these special pieces are handcrafted on Carlos Place, just next to our town house.”

Last November, McCormack created a dedicated bridal space on the second floor of her own grand town house on Carlos Place in Mayfair, where customers can browse and shop for engagement rings, wedding bands, wedding day jewelry and gifts.

The space is about 690 square feet — and takes up the entire second floor. It features bespoke textiles, a mix of Edwardian-era and bespoke display cases and Polynesian “tapa” cloths, a wink to the designer’s Pacific Island roots. McCormack is a native New Zealander based in London.

At the time, McCormack said she wanted to take the intimidation factor away from buying diamond bridal jewelry. “It should be a simple, fun and stress-free experience. But it’s also an incredibly special investment, and needs to be treated that way,” she said.

McCormack added that the new bridal space in her store “goes so far beyond engagements. It offers clients gifts for special anniversaries, for bridesmaids, wedding bands and jewelry for the day itself. It’s about celebrating all sorts of love. Not just those big moments.”

In an interview last year, Caslin said she was keen to expand the brand’s distribution channels.

“Given that nearly all fine jewelry purchases in the next five years will be influenced in some part by digital channels, sharpening and expanding omnichannel propositions is key for us,” Caslin told WWD last November, adding that the “bridal momentum” was set to rebound this year, following the lifting of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. — SAMANTHA CONTI

TRAVEL PHOTOS: Artist, photographer and former pro skateboarder Jason Dill is releasing a photography book on April 20 titled “Prince Street (Photos From Africa, People Remembered, Places Forgotten).”

“Prince Street” marks Dill’s first monograph in more than a decade. The book includes never-before-seen 35mm photographs from the F–king Awesome cofounder’s archive comprised of 20 years of travels and experiences. Dill is supporting the book launch with a ticketed talk event at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on April 16, and ticket holders will receive an early copy of “Prince Street” and an exclusive FA Books T-shirt.

Dill is regarded as one of the godfathers of streetwear and a mentor for musicians Tyler, the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt, as well as Miami skater Beatrice Domond and skateboarder and creative Na-Kel Smith.

This book follows past works including “Dream Easy,” a photography book that launched in Japan at Supreme and Beams, among other stores.

“I never thought I’d make a book of my photography, especially a book this big,” Dill said in a statement. “I was 17 when I first went to New York in 1994, traveled to Japan and all over Europe. I had just become a professional skateboarder; this occupation continued to send me around the world. (This book has nothing to do with skateboarding.) I moved to New York, I ended up in Africa, Italy, Greece, Mexico, Paris, Australia, I took pictures all along the way. I took photos of what I thought was beautiful, innocent, strange, ugly, I just shot so much s–t. There are moments of sadness and regret in the book and moments of sheer happiness. There are friends who are no longer here and places and times that no longer exist.”

“Prince Street” will be available at F–king Awesome stores in New York City and Los Angeles, online on faworldentertainment.net, and select boutiques Arcana Books on the Arts, Printed Matter and Tres Bien. — OBI ANYANWU