Doja Cat’s Jeweled Entrance, Pomellato’s New Ambassador – WWD

CAT’S MEOW: The buzz ahead of Monday morning’s Schiaparelli show was that she had been in makeup since 5 a.m., and that the look would be spectacular.

The she in question was Doja Cat, and when the rapper arrived she didn’t disappoint with 30,000 red Swarovski crystals that had been hand-applied covering her face, head and arms. Her dramatic entrance prompted wows through the crowd.

Doja Cat’s been upping the ante with eclectic makeup looks each season, and this intricate assembly matched the silk faille bustier, hand-knit skirr of lacquered wooden beads and trailing shawl from designer Daniel Roseberry for an eerie effect. It was an haute couture week opener that will be hard to top.

Kylie Jenner also stunned the crowd, entering wearing a full-fledged lion head attached to her velvet column. While Schiaparelli staff assured everyone it was fake, it was still a statement that shocked the normally nonplussed fashion crowd. It matched the collection that featured other endangered animal motifs, including a snow leopard dress.

Jenner chatted with Marisa Berenson, the granddaughter of Elsa Schiaparelli, in her front-row seat. The pair were just seats away from Diane Kruger, who showed up sporting a miniskirt on the chilly January morning.

“It’s like a very chic Fran Drescher,” she joked of her 1980s-inspired outfit.

Her latest film “Marlowe,” which will premiere in mid-February, is set in another iconic age. “The fashion is incredible,” she said of the 1930s-set thriller. But while she loved the more formal nature of the era, it’s best left on set. “It just takes so long to get ready. The hair alone is hours. But it’s just so wonderful because you are immediately in the character the minute you put the clothes on,” she said.

“Even the undergarments, they’re all original [for the film], because even the shapes for bras are very different than today, we kept it as original as possible and used vintage fabrics.”

Ruth Wilson also braved the cold for fashion in a midriff-bearing cropped wrap top and trousers. “The rest of the outfit is velvet so it’s actually quite toasty,” she said. It was one of four looks sent to her to select from. “And it was a great chance to wear a hat.”

The actress is in the midst of shooing “The Woman in the Wall” in Belfast, a story centered around the Magdalene Laundries, which forcibly housed so-called fallen women in the 1900s. The film has been turned into a gothic horror story, she said, talking business. “I’ve done quite a few recently, everything is a horror movie these days. Everything has to go through genre actually to be sold,” she said.

“It’s quite clever in a way, it’s a thriller and horror at the same time. It shines the light in a different way around the tragedies that did happen, and frames it in a different way to bring in an audience that wouldn’t usually go and watch a sort of very intense subject matter,” she said. That wraps at the end of February.

Her “Book of Ruth” project, set to costar Matt Bomer, is off the books. “That’s not happening, unfortunately. A great story, a wonderful story, but not happening.”

She’ll be announcing a stage production soon, but had to keep mum on the project for now. “I prefer theater to be honest, so I’m going back to my roots.” — RHONDA RICHFORD

KRYSTAL’S POMELLATO JEWELS: K-pop idols continue to be top of the wish list for luxury brands and Pomellato has appointed Krystal its first Korean ambassador.

The singer and actress, whose real name is Chrystal Soo Jung, debuted in 2009 as a member of the South Korean girl group f(x). Born in San Francisco but based in South Korea, she participated in SM Entertainment’s project group SM the Ballad. Krystal started acting in 2010 and most recently, she starred in the 2021 KBS2 drama “Police University” and last year in the romantic film “Crazy Love.”

The Milan-based jewelry brand, founded in 1967 and controlled by Kering, has worked with several women fronting its campaigns over the years, and dedicated its communication to women’s causes.

In particular, last year, unveiling the fifth chapter of its Pomellato for Women campaign with a new video for International Women’s Day 2022, the brand collaborated with Jane Fonda, who has been part of the project since its launch in 2018; Italian actress and director Valeria Golino, recently seen in “The Morning Show”;  Chinese actress and producer Yao Chen; Australian actress, writer and producer Rebel Wilson; American actress, singer and trailblazer Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, the first transgender woman to win a Golden Globe; Australian rising star Samara Weaving; actress and entrepreneur Aisha Tyler, and actress, singer and songwriter Alexandra Shipp.

In the images presenting Krystal as the Pomellato ambassador, she is lensed wearing gold Iconica jewels, sky-blue Nudo creations and diamond-studded Catene pieces.

Over the last few years, many popular South Korean idols have been anointed ambassadors at several luxury brands. Lisa, Jennie, Rosé and Jisoo of Blackpink, the world’s most popular all-girl group, have secured partnerships with top luxury brands such as Celine, Chanel, Dior and Saint Laurent.

In recent months, NewJeans, a five-member girl band often billed as the next Blackpink, has seen its members Hyein, Hanni and Danielle named ambassadors at Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Burberry, respectively. Dior has signed BTS member Jimin as a global ambassador; BTS member Suga joined Valentino’s ambassadors called Di.Vas, an acronym that stands for Different Values, and Givenchy unveiled Taeyang, a member of Big Bang and a solo artist, as its newest brand ambassador. — LUISA ZARGANI

ROYAL RED CARPET: Kensington Palace will stage its largest exhibition yet in April with a show called “Crown to Couture” that draws parallels between the red carpet fashion of today and the lavish royal court dress of 18th-century England.

The show will open on April 5 with more than 200 objects on display in the State Apartments. The show will focus on how the rich and privileged in both centuries prepared for big events; the sartorial choices they made, and how they dressed to draw attention to themselves.

Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that oversees the parts of Kensington Palace open to the public, has tapped the Emmy award-winning production designer Joseph Bennett, who is also known for working on Alexander McQueen’s catwalk shows, to create the spectacle.

Among the items on display will be the Thom Browne outfit and long gold cape that Lizzo wore to the 2022 “Gilded Glamour” Met Gala, and the luminous green gown by Christopher John Rogers that Lady Gaga donned for the 2020 MTV Awards.

Moschino has loaned several pieces to the exhibition, including the Chandelier dress worn by Katy Perry to the 2019 Met Gala; Iris Law’s couture feather dress, and Jeremy Scott’s gold bejeweled suit.

Claudia Acott Williams, curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said by bringing familiar red carpet looks into the palace “and placing them in conversation with spectacular 18th-century court dress, we hope to provide a new perspective on these historic spaces, and the seemingly distant customs of the Georgian Court.”

Acott Williams said she wants visitors “to experience the palace as it was meant to be experienced: filled to the brim with the most fashionable and influential names of the day.”

Polly Putnam, curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said: “Kensington Palace was home to the original red carpet of the Georgian court,” adding that the show will highlight the similarities in the fashion rules set out by high society designers.

The Georgian fashions have been drawn from the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection at Hampton Court Palace. Looks on display will include the Rockingham Mantua, which is brocaded in silver thread and has silver lace trim.

Curators said the large gown, which was worn worn over wide hoops, is “synonymous with the era” and will be displayed alongside fans, dress swords, hats, jewelry, shoes, stockings, stays and even a wig curler. — SAMANTHA CONTI AND HIKMAT MOHAMMED

ANYA’S NEW EDGE: The theme for Dior’s haute couture show Monday afternoon may have been singer Josephine Baker and the ’30s, but Anya Taylor-Joy went for a little rock ‘n’ roll.

“It started with the skirt and then I was like, ‘OK, how do we make this a little bit more rock ‘n’ roll, a bit more grunge-y?’ Luckily I have the wonderful stylist Ryan Hastings and we just sort of went from there,” she said. The end result was a daringly low-cut lace-up vest, with a short jacked thrown over her shoulders.

She’s been a face of the house for just over a year now and has eased into the role. “Now we’re really good friends so it just feels like the pressure is taken off. You go in and everyone has a good time and we knock it out,” she said of the dressing process.

Taylor-Joy just finished filming the next installment of the “Mad Max” franchise with “Furiosa” now under her belt. The post-apocalyptic atmosphere has spilled over into her real-life wardrobe.

“I wear more leather than I used to for sure,” she said. “That movie is so heavy metal I think I’ve always had it within me but it potentially inspired me to wear it a little bit more.”

The movie isn’t due out until 2024 and Taylor-Joy has moved on to pursuing other projects. “It’s been good to clear my head a little bit. I was doing [‘Furiosa’] for about seven months, and it’s quite an intense world,” she said. She was seated with “The Crown” star Elizabeth Debicki.

The front row was also intense, with Blackpink’s Jisoo making the trip between tour dates in the Middle East for the show. She was seated with Tag Heuer chief executive officer Frédéric Arnault and “West Side Story” star Rachel Zegler. The frenzy of photographers caused other celebs to get jostled.

Kirsten Dunst was seated with legendary actress Catherine Deneuve and shyly asked if her husband Jesse Plemmons could take a photo of them together.

Deneuve happily obliged and Plemmons whipped out an old-school physical camera for the souvenir.

“I feel very honored to be here in Paris — without kids and with my husband, it’s very nice,” Dunst said of taking a little break.

She praised the work of designer Maria Grazia Chiuri and spending the afternoon on the grounds of the city’s Rodin museum. “It’s just the most incredible place,” she said. “All of it is so modern and yet a throwback to the history of this house, so everything is elegant and tailored and still feels unique,” she said of the styles.

She was dressed casually in suede trousers with suspenders for the afternoon out, while Plemmons was in a grey suit and black T-shirt.

For Yara Shahidi it was a return to the Dior world. The “Grown-ish” actress attended September’s Met Ball in a Dior gown that was an homage to Josephine Baker. “I think it’s really beautiful to know the house’s lineage of support of powerful women,” she said.

“That’s why we had chosen her to do an homage because Dior supported her throughout her career while she was alive, so I’m grateful of how this house supports artists and the way it comes through in the work.”

The work was Chiuri’s celebration of women who broke racial barriers in the ’30s. The runway featured art from Mickalene Thomas and set out to “shake up the vision of haute couture.” — R.R.

LATEST INSTALLMENT: Target has named Gabriella Karefa-Johnson as the latest creative director for the second installment of its “Future Collective” brand. 

“Nobody move! Soooo excited to announce that I’ve been cooking up with @target for the last year to bring a very fab collaborative collection to life,” Karefa-Johnson, a New York-based fashion editor and stylist, wrote on Instagram. “Future Collective with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson will be available starting January 29 online and in stores. I like to think it’s got a lil’ somethin’ somethin’ for everyone and I can’t wait to share it all with you!!”

The women’s ready-to-wear apparel and accessories brand, which Target launched last September, has a rotating creative director, or style partner, each quarter. Kahlana Barfield-Brown was the inaugural creative director. But the big-box retailer said it will continue to use a new style or cultural partner each quarter to help codesign the collection as Target continues to grow its larger fashion assortment. 

Future Collective with Gabriella Karefa-Johnson consists of roughly 100 pieces — with items such as outerwear, matching sets, animal-print tops, denim, hot pink dresses and more — across three seasonal refreshes. 

The collection ranges in sizes from 2XL to 4XL and double zero to size 30. The firm said most pieces are under $35. The collection will be available online and in select Target stores. — KELLIE ELL

RI-RI’S SUPER DROP: Rihanna is continuing to drum up interest for her upcoming Super Bowl halftime performance with a drop of a special collection in partnership with Mitchell & Ness.

The entertainer and her partner A$AP Rocky have collaborated with the streetwear brand and the NFL on an officially licensed limited-edition of apparel that was sold starting Monday. 

The capsule includes an assortment of oversize short- and long-sleeve T-shirts, hoodies, a coach’s jacket and other pieces featuring the image used in September to announce her halftime show performance. The items also include a quote from Rihanna, which reads: “If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that we can fix this world together. We can’t do it divided, I can’t emphasize that enough.”

Prices for the collection range from $45 to $135 and the line will be sold online at the Fanatics website, the NFL Shop and in select retailers.

Mitchell & Ness was acquired in February 2022 by Fanatics and a strategic investment group including Jay-Z, Maverick Carter, Meek Mill, the D’Amelio family and Lil Baby. An expansion of the ownership group was announced in October and now includes LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, CJ McCollum, Devin Booker, James Harden, Joel Embiid, Odell Beckham Jr., DeSean Jackson, Kevin Hart, Rich Paul, Rich Kleiman, Scooter Braun and Steve Stoute.

Earlier this month, Rihanna, who will be headlining the 2023 Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show on Feb. 12, dropped a Savage x Fenty limited-edition 17-piece collection of football-themed hoodies, sweatpants, varsity jerseys, tops, hats, beanies, boxers and a bandana. 

The Super Bowl will take place in State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. — JEAN E. PALMIERI

PEN PALS: Video may have killed the radio star, but the smartphone camera has not completely snuffed out the pencil: British fashion illustrator David Downton is attending couture week and sketching the shows for Graydon Carter’s Air Mail.

“I’m drawing and writing a report,” he said Monday just ahead of the Dior haute couture show, where Maria Grazia Chiuri unveiled a long, body-skimming line that winked to Josephine Baker.

Downton noted, however, that he rarely sketches during the show. He learned the hard way.

“The first fashion show I ever saw was Versace couture at the Ritz. Gianni Versace was still alive,” he related. “Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell — they all came out together. And I drew a perfect arm of Kate Moss. And that’s all I got. I missed the dress altogether.”

He said he now takes pictures, notes and does very small drawings in his sketchbook, completing the final illustration later.

Does he feel strange, being one of the few at fashion week that isn’t just filming?

“I started doing it 25 years ago: It felt odd then, and it’s odd now, but it’s wonderful, because it’s another point of view,” he said.

Downton noted he hasn’t been at any shows since the pandemic and he was pleased to be back at haute couture, which he described as the “Super Bowl of fashion.

“As long as I’ve been drawing, I’ve been told fashion illustration is dead. But you know what? It won’t lie down. It’s like couture. Half the time they’ll say, ‘Oh, couture, it’s irrelevant.’ Wrong. It’s never irrelevant because it inspires every single person in this room and everyone streaming.”

Downton noted he has two exhibitions coming up. He just released a limited-edition book on model and actress Carmen Dell’Orefice. “Ninety copies for her 90th birthday,” he said, flashing a smile. — MILES SOCHA

B.I.G. SALE: Sotheby’s and the Jordan Brand are teaming up for a rare sneaker auction.

The auction house is working with the fashion brand to sell 23 pairs of the unreleased Christopher Wallace Air Jordan 13, which was created in 2017 to celebrate what would have been The Notorious B.I.G.’s 45^th birthday. Jordan collaborated with the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation to auction the sneakers. 

The online auction started on Monday and runs through Feb. 3 and the sneakers are estimated to sell for $2,300 to $5,200. Proceeds from the sale will benefit the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation, which supports inner city youth through educational opportunities, scholarships and mentorship. 

“The Air Jordan 13 has been reinterpreted to celebrate the legacy of The Notorious B.I.G., someone who reached for the stars, had the boldest of dreams with the work ethic to back it up,” said Reggie Saunders, vice president of entertainment marketing for Jordan Brand in a statement.

The black Air Jordan 13 sneakers are designed with an image of the rapper on the tongue and his famous quotes, such as, “It was all a dream” and “If you don’t know, now you know.” The sock liner is designed in a classic red and black plaid print and the shoelaces are inscribed with the word “dream.” 

“We are thrilled that the Jordan Brand and the Christopher Wallace Memorial Foundation have entrusted Sotheby’s with these exclusive pairs of sneakers honoring the legacy of The Notorious B.I.G. as part of the Jordan Year 2023 celebration,” said Sotheby’s head of streetwear and modern collectibles Brahm Wachter. “The auction marks the only opportunity for collectors and enthusiasts alike to acquire these special limited-edition sneakers that bring together the legacies of the greatest athlete of all time with the greatest rapper ever.” 

The auction coincides with Jordan Brand’s #JordanYear 2023 campaign, which reflects Michael Jordan’s number 23 jersey and is also meant to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of hip-hop. Other major brands like H&M have featured images of the musician’s likeness in recent seasons. Sotheby’s knows firsthand how the Jordan name carries its own clout and fan base. A pair of Jordan-worn sneakers by the NBA legend during his rookie season sold for a whopping $1.47 million at the auction house in 2021.

“This is just the beginning of a journey for us as a brand in 2023,” said Shannon Watkins, chief marketing officer at Jordan Brand, in a statement. “We want to use the power of our Jordan heritage to energize and accelerate self-belief all year long.” 

The Air Jordan 13 sneakers will be showcased in a public exhibition at Sotheby’s New York gallery during the online auction. 

Another sign of Wallace’s lasting impact is evident in the “Sky’s the Limit in the County of Kings,” a 9-foot interactive statue of the late musician that was unveiled last month in Clumber Corner Park in Brooklyn’s DUMBO neighborhood. Made possible through the Downtown Brooklyn and DUMBO Public Art Fund, the likeness of “Biggie” was created by the artist Sherwin Banfield. It depicts the musician in a Coogi sweater and crown, and features an audio component. Like the Sotheby’s triumvirate effort, the statue is a nod to hip-hop’s silver anniversary, and it will remain on view until October.

Asked about The Notorious B.I.G.’s lasting appeal, Banfield said the hip-hop culture recognizes his authenticity, genius, heart and potential. “His authenticity mirrors the roots of hip-hop, the voice of the voiceless, of disenfranchised Black and brown youth who put their personal stories of hardship and fun on record. There is a relatable human experience in that duality. His genius is recognized in his art; his delivery, cadence, rhyme pattern and style is the highest level of storytelling in the spoken word tradition. His heart was huge; his family, friends and community can attest to this,” the artist said, adding that “the heartbreaking understanding of what his maturing creative and community contribution could have offered the world” was another factor. “We see the maturity and successes of his contemporaries and we recognize he would have been as or more impactful if he was still here. So we celebrate what he was able to offer as his legacy.” — LAYLA ILCHI AND ROSEMARY FEITELBERG