Chanel’s MoMA’s Support, AirMail Touches Down in London – WWD

CHANEL‘S SUPPORT: While the annual Chanel-sponsored MoMA Film Benefit was unable to be planned this year due to the SAG-AFTRA strike, which was resolved last week, Chanel will continue to support the museum’s film endeavors with various engagements this fall/winter.

Chanel reveals the sponsorship of MoMA’s The Contenders, now in its 16th year, which is an open-to-the-public screening series of some of the year’s most lauded films, which this year will feature several post-screening talks with the actors and talent behind the films. 

Running through Jan. 10, The Contenders lineup includes a Nov. 30 screening of “Barbie,” with a post-screening talk with Dua Lipa, Mark Ronson and Andrew Wyatt; “Poor Things” on Dec. 5 with a post-screening discussion with Yorgos Lanthimos and Tony McNamara; “Nyad” on Dec. 13, post-screening discussion with Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi; “Passages” on Dec. 14, post-screening conversation with Ira Sachs, and “Priscilla” on Dec. 18, post-screening conversation with Sofia Coppola.

“We have just launched MoMA’s The Contenders 2023 made possible by Chanel, which is our annual survey of the most exciting new films of the past year, which will now happily feature appearances by actors as well as writers, directors and other members of the crew,” said Rajendra Roy, chief curator of film at MoMA. “Beginning Dec. 1, fans of movie music can experience a retrospective of the work of one of the world’s greatest film composers — Ennio Morricone. The series will open with a new restoration of ‘Cinema Paradiso’ and include such classics as ‘Once Upon a Time in the West,’ ‘The Thing’ and ‘The Untouchables.’”

The Contenders is just one area of support Chanel is providing MoMA Film this fall (it is the largest sponsor of the institute). Earlier this week Chanel sponsored a MoMA Movie Night screening of “Maestro,” attended by director and star Bradley Cooper, and on Thursday will hold a Through Her Lens talk with Patty Jenkins and Zazie Beetz.

“To have a sponsor who understands the extreme pressure the film industry has been facing, and stands by our focus on the artistry and the films when we had to scale back events, is such a gift,” said Roy.  “The generosity of their support has allowed us to continue to present the deeply researched, innovative programming that New York audiences expect from MoMA. We couldn’t be more grateful.” — LEIGH NORDSTROM

TOUCHING DOWN: Graydon Carter’s digital weekly Air Mail touched down in London Tuesday night to celebrate the special issue dedicated to the British capital.

At the heart of the issue is the London List — 25 emerging creatives and intellectuals lighting up the social scene.

They include fashion designer Charlie Casely-Hayford, Rejina Pyo, Chateau Orlando founder Edward Hall, actress Greta Bellamacina, ballet dancer Francesca Hayward, Brat’s chef Tomos Parry, novelist Nicola Dinan, painter Joy Labinjo, and TikTok influencer and art historian Honor Cargill-Martin, to name a few.

Carter, who launched Air Mail with Alessandra Stanley in 2019 after leaving Vanity Fair, said he entrusted the team to put together the list “because they are much younger and more plugged in than I am. My lens will be pathetic.

“I think we chose wonderful young people who will do great things in the future,” he added.

One of Carter’s favorite features in the issue is “School for Scoundrels” by James Fox, which entails how Eton College has long played an outsize role in Great Britain’s public life, and how the school has managed to exert its influence on generation after generation of public servants for better — or, more likely — for worse.

“I love the whole issue. I thought it worked really well and I thought it represented London as of now. There’s also a story on Nicky Haslam, an old friend of mine, and his tea towels,” he said.

Other highlights include a deep dive into the UnHerd Club, London’s liveliest — and most controversial — new literary salon by Stuart Jeffries. Dorian Lynskey, in the meantime, offers a brief history of Camden Town, from Withnail to Amy Winehouse, with “All the Young, Noisy People.”

London is a city that’s very close to the heart of Carter, who has been visiting the city at least four to five times a year for the past six decades.

He counts Sally Clarke, a restaurant that’s been open since 1984 on Kensington Church Street, as his must-visit whenever he is in town. Carter is looking forward to Jeremy King, who was being ousted from Corbin & King, the restaurant group that owns the Wolseley, reopening his own restaurant as well.

London is the second city to which Air Mail dedicates a whole issue, with the first being New York.

For next year, Carter revealed that Air Mail will head to Los Angeles. Milan and Paris are in the pipeline as well.

With close to half-a-million subscribers, he added that Air Mail has become “a great business” and a physical edition of Air Mail will “happen at some point.” — TIANWEI ZHANG

LIGHTING UP: Annabel’s, the private member’s club in London’s Mayfair, unveiled its 2023 holiday decor during a fete Tuesday evening.

Created in collaboration with The Caring Family Foundation’s Food from the Heart campaign, the club’s facade was reimagined as a hot air balloon, complete with glowing string lights. 

Designed by the Birley Club’s creative director Tatiana Kharchylava, celebrity guests including Will Poulter, Poppy Delevingne and Leonie Hanne gathered in Berkeley Square to watch the installation’s lights be turned on.

In a surprise performance, The Kingdom Choir sang “Joy to the World” and “Go Tell It to the Mountain” on the steps of Annabel’s. 

Guests moved inside for dinner, where the halls were decked with glittering faux floral arrangements and lit up trees. 

The decor had a charitable bent, marking Annabel’s partnership with the charitable foundation, which aims to reduce child poverty and food insecurity by providing nutritious meals to those in need.

To date, 2.3 million meals have been delivered.

This is the third facade the club has unveiled since reopening earlier this year. 

In honor of Halloween, a masked installation with lit up red eyes and a feathered decoration hung above the famous black doors on Berkeley Square, taking cues from Venetian carnivals. 

In September, Annabel’s celebrated its annual facade for World Amazon Day featuring plants, flowers and birds of the Amazon.

“The Annabel’s facade draws attention to our beautiful rainforest being engulfed by flames to depict the reality of what the Amazon is facing, it serves as a stark message that it is in great danger,” said Patricia Caring, co-executive chairwoman of The Birley Clubs and cofounder of The Caring Family Foundation, in an interview. — VIOLET GOLDSTONE

ECO MINDED: Phoebe English, the London designer who’s known for her darkly romantic creations, has teamed with the Kentucky-based bourbon maker Maker’s Mark on an upcycled capsule for the holiday party season.

The eight-piece collection includes a dress, shirt, T-shirt, trousers, blazer, jacket, scarf and handbag. They are produced on a limited made-to-order basis and are made with a combination of upcycled clothing such as T-shirts, deadstock plaid, occasion party wear, and deadstock wools. 

The pieces are inspired by the Maker’s Mark distillery Star Hill Farm, where nature is preserved and respected via regenerative agriculture and sustainable programs such as zero landfill waste, solar energy warehouses, and the world’s first LEED-certified whiskey cellar.

“The range is purposefully multifunctional so that it can be styled up or down to fit into existing wardrobes and across personal styles,” said English.

“I’m delighted to be working with Maker’s Mark and have enjoyed learning about their extensive and long-standing work with considered agriculture, enhancing water health and biodiversity renewal. My hope is that this project can reach people to show that garments can live beyond a single wear, purpose, or season,” she added.

A dedicated pop-up called the (Re)Made to Party Boutique and Bar will run from Thursday to Saturday at 149 Shoreditch High Street. Customers who wish to purchase an item will be measured in person, before having their custom-made piece delivered to them in time to wear for the holiday season.

The pop-up will also have on-site tailors offering mends and repairs for free. Love Not Landfill, a nonprofit organization that encourages fast fashion fans to buy second-hand, swap, recycle and give clothes to charity, meanwhile, will set up a clothing donation bank there to promote conscious consumption.

Neil Skinner, marketing director of Edrington UK, the parent company of Maker’s Mark, said the brand decided to work on a fashion collaboration because it felt “a sense of responsibility to the way we impact our shared environment.” Maker’s Mark is the largest bourbon distillery in the world to achieve B Corp certification and the first distillery to achieve Regenified certification.

“We’re thrilled to strengthen our pledge to the planet and people beyond Star Hill Farm via our collaboration with Phoebe English, a designer equally committed to her sustainability mission,” added Skinner. — T.Z.

STEPPING FORWARD: Di Minno, the luxury Italian footwear brand, is stepping up its shoe game and strategy.

The brand has opened a second store inside Burlington Arcade, the mid-19th-century shopping mall off Green Park decorated with champagne wallpaper and gold fixtures.

The second store follows the success of Di Minno’s Sloane Square store and the appointment of Alina Balaci as managing director.

She’s held positions as commercial director at Christopher Kane and wholesale manager at Burberry.

‘’As I step into this new role, my passion is driven by a strong dedication to both the growth of the business and the team. I’m embarking on this venture to expand Di Minno in the luxury footwear industry and foster a culture built on collaboration, creativity and unwavering commitment,” Balaci said in a statement.

The brand’s president and creative director Franca Aschenbrenner said London is a place “somewhere that I have seen as a visionary city for years and I’m beyond proud to see my design and vision come to life here.”

Alessandro Maria Ferreri, chief executive officer of The Style Gate, a Milan-based consultancy, is also on the Di Minno team as strategic adviser.

Last month, Aschenbrenner and Ferreri hosted cocktails at the Italian restaurant Sparrow in London’s Mayfair.

“I am proud to have grown Di Minno to a point of recognition and establishment and look forward to putting all of my expertise into the brand to further develop and establish the Di Minno name in the luxury, fashion and footwear industries,” Ferreri said. — HIKMAT MOHAMMED

NEXT CHAPTER: Sustainable Apparel Coalition chief executive officer Amina Razvi will step down at the end of the year, the organization announced Wednesday. A replacement was not immediately named.

Tamar Hoek, chair of the SAC board, will lead a transition taskforce dedicated to appointing a successor to lead the organization best known for the Higg Index, a suite of sustainability assessment and ratings tools for the apparel, footwear and textile industry.

“There will be no changes to the organization’s mission, values or direction, and members and partners — as well as the SAC’s global team — will be engaged at every step of the transition, reflecting the spirit of transparency that is an organizational hallmark,” the organization said in a statement.

No staffing changes are planned, and the board will oversee day-to-day operations until the new CEO is named. Razvi’s departure will be effective Dec. 29.

“During her tenure, Amina played a pivotal role in uniting the industry and strategic partners, paving the way for a more sustainable and responsible future,” Hoek said. “With great enthusiasm, we commend her dedication and the strong foundation she has laid, which will enable the SAC to expand its influence across the consumer goods industry.”

Razvi had been head of the Amsterdam-based nonprofit association since 2019, when she stepped into the lead role after previously serving as the vice president of membership and then the interim executive director.

“Partnership and community has been at the heart of our success. I wholeheartedly believe that partnership is the new leadership, and together, we’ve demonstrated what’s possible. I’m extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” said Razvi, noting the organization had doubled its membership during her tenure.

The organization has more than 300 members, ranging from sustainable brands Eileen Fisher and Reformation, designer houses including Balenciaga and Gucci parent company Kering, and fast-fashion behemoths such as Asos, Boohoo, Mango, H&M Group and Zara parent company Inditex.

The Higg Index has been under fire since 2022 when its consumer-facing transparency program was accused of greenwashing and misleading consumers by Norway’s consumer watchdog, the Norwegian Consumer Authority.

It used data from its Higg Materials Sustainability Index, measuring criteria such as water use, burning of fossil fuels and water pollution. Brands such as H&M, PVH Corp., Zalando, Amazon, Boozt, C&A, Columbia Sportswear, Helly Hansen, JustWears, Lenzing AG, Puma and Salomon all signed on for the program.

As a result of the Norwegian Consumer Authority’s action, SAC paused use of the consumer-facing tools. The methodology is undergoing an independent audit by big-five accounting firm KPMG.

Earlier this month, the SAC launched an update to its Higg Facility Environmental Module, which is used by manufacturers, brands and retailers to assess greenhouse gas emissions, water use, emissions, chemical management and waste management of their production facilities. — RHONDA RICHFORD