Rosé at the Met, Tommy Hilfiger’s Active Eyewear, Kendall Gets a ‘B’ – WWD

ROSÉ IN THE TEMPLE: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Korean beauty brand Sulwhasoo launched their yearlong partnership on Wednesday night with a dinner at the museum’s Temple of Dendur.

Earlier in the day, Sulwhasoo brand ambassador Roseanne Park, otherwise known as Rosé of Blackpink, had shared on Instagram that she was in town for the event, along with a photo of the invitation. Not surprisingly, her fans had turned out in full force, congregating on the sidewalk at the bottom of the Met steps as guests made their way inside the museum.

The singer was joined by fellow brand ambassadors Youn Yuh-jung and Jia Song, along with guests including Ashley Park, A$AP Ferg, LaQuan Smith, Britt Lower, Precious Lee, Chloe Flower, Georgia Fowler and Antoni Porowski.

Dinner, created by Atomix chef Junghyun Park, kicked off with a screening of Sulwhasoo’s latest campaign video “I Am Ginseng” — projected on the museum walls — followed by another video that featured new brand face Tilda Swinton. After opening remarks from the Met’s chief advancement officer Whitney Donhauser and Sulwhasoo parent company Amorepacific Group’s Sean Kim, the three brand ambassadors each took their turn at the mic.

“I’m not very used to these speeches, so please excuse me if I mess this up,” Rosé said. “Today has been an incredible experience for me, and I feel extremely honored to be part of this tradition to celebrate global heritage. I would love to congratulate Sulwhasoo and the Met for this new partnership, and I hope you both continue to inspire us all to appreciate and observe timeless values that make our world a more beautiful place.”

Youn, who won an Oscar in 2021 for her supporting role in “Minari,” spoke about discovering the brand many years ago in Europe, while visiting her sons during their study abroad.

“I thought that it was really smart to use such a traditional Korean ingredient like ginseng. And after that, I fell in love with Sulwhasoo,” the actress said. “It shows appreciation and pride in our country. Now, the Met and Sulwhasoo are working together to share our heritage.”

Song kept her comments succinct. “I’m really honored to be here for Sulwhasoo, for art,” the actress said. “Cheers!”

The evening continued with a performance by Ambiguous Dance Company and after party DJ set by Anderson.Paak. — KRISTEN TAUER

GOTTA WEAR SHADES: The Tommy Hilfiger sunglasses were suspended in blocks of ice, broadcast on stacks of TV sets and at the disposal of guests for photos at various selfie stations, one depicting a futuristic city in the brand’s red, white and blue palette.

Custom cocktails were tailored to various lifestyles — beach, mountain or city — one of them steaming like a cauldron.

The sprawling party at Palais de Tokyo in Paris on Wednesday night was to introduce a spring campaign for the eyewear featuring Spanish soccer player Sergio Ramos, Australian snowboarder Scotty James and Brazil-born mountain biker, surfer and skier Nick Pescetto.

It also underlined the fizzy market for sunglasses designed for various outdoor leisure pursuits.

Clutching one of the steaming drinks and straining to be heard above the hip-hop DJs, Angelo Trocchia, chief executive officer of Safilo Group, Hilfiger’s eyewear licensee since 2010, described robust demand for eyewear of this ilk. “We believe there is a gap in the market and that Tommy can fill that gap,” he said.

Dubbed “Sporty Active,” the spring collection hinges on resin frames and polycarbonate “tech” lenses in a variety of colors.

According to Ramos, the glasses “combine everything you need — design, comfort and a cool touch.”

Safilo has been producing sporty eyewear for Tommy Hilfiger for about two years, Trocchia noted. The latest licensing pact between the two firms runs until Dec. 31, 2025. — MILES SOCHA

KENDALL’S NEW CORP: The Kendall Jenner-owned tequila brand 818 Tequila was B Corp-certified Thursday, joining thousands of businesses.

To certify as a B Corp, a business has to earn at least 80 points out of a possible 250 points (the Florida-based business received 81.3 points overall). The average scorer receives just 50 to 55 points, according to certifying firm B Lab, and the assessment spans environment, employee well-being, community impact and supply chain conduct among its rigorous score card.

The 818 brand excelled in areas such as “mission locked,” (racking up 10 points for its business model approach) and “supply chain poverty alleviation,” earning 9.3 points though its community partnerships. It scored lower on areas of air and climate (the company currently has no public emissions-reductions targets, earning a score of 0.2), as well as worker health, wellness and safety.

In a statement, Jenner, who founded the brand two years ago, expressed her pride in the achievement. “I founded this company with sustainability at its core, and to be recognized for this commitment motivates us to continue building on these goals. This is just the first step, we will continue to work hard to make 818 as sustainable as possible.”

WWD asked if 818 looks to set science-based targets, or to address prior cultural appropriation backlash to the company, but did not hear back by press time.

The company touted its B Corp status on its website, alongside its 35 tasting awards at 12 international spirits competitions, among them Best Reposado at the World Tequila Awards, and a potentially risky green claim, if measured by the EU’s recent directive or FTC green guides, of “Made in Harmony with the Earth.”

In the news, the company detailed its supplier commitments, such as sourcing only Forest Stewardship Council-certified packaging, and philanthropic aims, including its 1 Percent for the Planet membership and “Buy a Bottle, Give a Brick” campaign. From April through June 30, every bottle of 818 Tequila purchased equates to one brick donated through its Bricks Program, up to $25,000. The brand is partnering with Saving Agave for Culture, Recreation, Education and Development to fund infrastructure builds in Mexico.

To date, 818 Tequila has donated almost $400,000 in support of the Bricks Program, funding community library, small business and office projects in Mexico’s Jalisco, Oaxaca and the like. As with many of the entrepreneurial Kardashian-Jenner family businesses, Jenner’s business reported strong growth — with 1.5 million bottles sold as of 2021. — KALEY ROSHITSH

PRADA’S NEW CAFE: It’s a Prada par-tea.

The Italian luxury brand has opened a Prada Caffè at Harrods in Knightsbridge on the ground floor of the department store.

The brand’s mint green hue has been plastered all over the space, which includes a balcony area for extra seating. The flooring follows the black-and-white checkered floors of the Prada boutique on Corso Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan with the floral bas reliefs taking inspiration from the brand’s international flagships.

The tableware takes cues from ancient Celadon pottery, with pale blue Japanese porcelain used in the space.

Prada Caffè is open from March 31 to Jan. 7, and will soon be accompanied by an outdoor stall offering ice cream coming soon to Harrods.

The menu includes breakfast, light lunch bites and evening cocktails, from sandwiches and risotto to ​​buffalo mozzarella, salmon and crab dishes.

The mint-green counters will also be selling pastries for eat-in and takeaway — taking hints from Prada’s Milanese café Bar Luce designed by filmmaker Wes Anderson.

The drinks menu offers negroni-based aperitifs, classic cocktails and wines from across Italy, such as Sicily to Piedmont.

In early March, the Prada Group reported a strong set of full-year results and said it achieved margin targets thanks to a solid performance of the Prada and Miu Miu brands, and across all product categories.

In the 12 months ended Dec. 31, net profit soared 58 percent to 465 million euros compared with 294 million euros in 2021.

Revenues rose 25 percent to 4.2 billion euros compared with 3.36 billion euros in 2021, when the group returned to profitability. — HIKMAT MOHAMMED

TECH SUSTAINABILITY: Maison du Dodo and its parent South Korean company Hyaloid Co. have launched in Milan a new proprietary fashion tech platform that combines social media, e-commerce and community.

The project was unveiled during a press conference that took place Thursday at Italian textile maker Vitale Barberis Canonico’s showroom, introduced by Hyaloid founder Hin Sang Hyun and chief executive officer Oh Sang Hyeon.

The platform will offer to brands, businesses, entities and personalities the possibility to create their own customized social and e-commerce application.

The platform will be available to all Hyaloid’s partner brands and influencers seeking to communicate directly with consumers.

In order to provide a very personalized experience, each app is highly customizable. Brands and users can change the layout and add videos, photos and music. In particular, they can add e-commerce functions, guaranteeing themselves a virtual flagship with a global reach. 

Once launched, the app will enable content creators and users to sign in and create their own profiles called “My Room.” 

The technology will also financially reward users for product and brand promotion — a sort of commission.

The more they promote the brands, the more users will be bestowed a badge, differentiating the level of authority in the system.

The platform will allow data to be fully available to the community.

Newly launched fashion brand Maison du Dodo will take part in the project with the aim of democratizing access to sustainable luxury products thanks to ethically sourced raw materials and low-carbon manufacturing processes. — ANDREA ONATE