Ruth E. Carter to Receive NAACP Award; Baby Dior ‘Pop-ins’ – WWD
WINNING DESIGNER: Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter — the name behind looks from “Black Panther,” “Selma,” “Malcolm X” and “The Butler” — is to receive the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s Vanguard Award for Costume Design.
Carter will be given the award at the 53rd NAACP Image Awards’ “Colors Behind the Look: A Celebration of Fashion, Costume Design and Glam” event, taking place a day before the award ceremony on Feb. 25 in Los Angeles.
“I am honored to be named a Vanguard by the NAACP Image Awards,” Carter told WWD in a statement. “I am being recognized as the first in Costume Design, but there have been generations of women of color, who came before me, who went unrecognized for their artistry and craftsmanship and denied the opportunity to work as, let alone dream of becoming, a costume designer. I am humbled to accept this award in their memory and grateful that my work is opening doors for people of color. Thank you to the NAACP for their introduction of the category of costume design among their many accolades for this celebration of black excellence.”
Hosted by celebrity stylist Googoo Atkins, the private affair will feature a fashion show with designs by Kevan Hall, Carl Jones, Rodney Epperson, Isaiah Hemingway and Byron Lars. There will also be a Ruth Carter Costume Exhibit, displaying film costumes by Carter.
“As a trailblazer and icon for innovators and costume designers alike, the NAACP is excited to honor Ruth E. Carter for continuously using her talents to revolutionize and transcend the world of fashion,” said Karen Boykin-Towns, chairman of the NAACP Image Awards and vice chairman of the NAACP board, in a statement.
In 2019, Carter took home the Oscar for best Costume Design for “Black Panther,” making history as the first African American to do so. With a three-decade career, the costume designer has worked with the likes of directors Spike Lee, Steven Spielberg and Ava DuVernay.
“As the first Black costume designer to win the Academy Award for Costume Design, we commend Ruth for utilizing her platform, as well as the power of visual communication, to share narratives of culture, race and politics,” Boykin-Towns continued.
The NAACP has added two categories, Costume Design and Hair and Makeup, which will be presented at next year’s award show.
This year’s NAACP Image Awards, airing Feb. 26 on BET, is planning a tribute to late fashion journalist André Leon Talley and designer Virgil Abloh. — Ryma Chikhoune
BABY DIOR EXPANDING: Dior is birthing Baby Dior pop-ups and “pop-ins.”
The luxury brand sells kids and baby ready-to-wear, as well as shoes, strollers and other items, and the division is gaining visibility. Dior Baby is already operating in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, and inside Saks Fifth Avenue in Houston and Bal Harbour, Fla. in what are considered “pop-ins.”
In June, three more Baby Dior pop-ins will open inside the Saks Fifth Avenue flagship in Manhattan, and inside two Holt Renfrew department stores — in Vancouver and the Yorkdale section of Toronto — while a freestanding Baby Dior pop-up will open in the Miami Design District.
The SoHo unit, at 109 Greene Street, is a freestanding shop scheduled to operate until the end of the year. The Saks flagship pop-in will stay open until October; the Miami Design District pop-up has yet to disclose an end date; the Baby Dior pop-ins at Saks Houston and Saks Bal Harbour are open through July, and the Holt Renfrew pop-ins will be open through September.
Pop-ups are low-cost, temporary formats enabling a brand to gauge consumer interest in a particular market, and possible preludes to long-term lease commitments.
“The spring 2022 Baby Dior collection pays tribute to the steadfast ties between Dior and the magically rich colors of India,” the luxury brand stated. “We see this interpreted at the pop up with bespoke textured toile de jouy wallpaper in a gradient vibrant colors emulating a Sahara sunset. The window is a storytelling moment featuring a custom-made baby elephant and parasol paired with a couple looks from the collection on rolling sand dunes.” — David Moin
ON CLOUD NINE: Angus Cloud is the new campaign star for Ralph Lauren Fragrances.
The “Euphoria” breakout actor stars in the heritage brand’s new digital campaign released today for its Polo fragrances, including Polo Green, Polo Blue and Polo Red. Cloud is described by the brand as a “Polo superfan.”
Cloud appears in the campaign reminiscing on his younger years and how he “discovered the world of Polo” by thrifting colorful Ralph Lauren Polo shirts. He now boasts a collection of over 200.
“Every time I was in the thrift store, anything with a Polo pony on it, I would grab that,” he said in a statement. “At a certain point, I realized I hadn’t worn a T-shirt in a couple of months…that was the start of it, collecting Polo ponies.”
Cloud’s obsession with Polo shirts has translated into his character Fezco’s wardrobe in “Euphoria,” where he’s seen wearing the styles in many scenes. HBO’s “Euphoria” is currently airing its second season, which stars Cloud alongside Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Sydney Sweeney, Alexa Demie, Maude Apatow and others.
The actor’s campaign is a part of Ralph Lauren Fragrances’ “larger vision to reach a broader, more diverse audience through relevant partners and channels,” according to a statement from the brand.
“When meeting Angus at an event last December, we really loved the authenticity of his Polo story, his kindness and his unique style that resonates in today’s world,” said Alexandre Choueiri, global president of Ralph Lauren Fragrances, in a statement.
The Ralph Lauren Fragrances campaign will be unveiled on social media. It also stars TikTok influencers Blake Gray and Sharl. — Layla Ilchi
DESERT WALK: Keanan Duffty has worn many hats over the course of his career.
The U.K.-born designer graduated from Central Saint Martins in London, dressed the Sex Pistols and collaborated with David Bowie to create a fashion collection for Target in 2007. His namesake collection was established in 1998 and showed at New York Fashion Week until 2010. Since then, he’s worked for brands including John Varvatos, Moods of Norway, Ben Sherman and others, and currently serves as director of fashion programs for Parsons School of Design. In addition to his fashion career, Duffty is also a musician who has a punk rock-inspired band called Slinky Vagabond — a name he also used for a fashion collection in the 1990s.
And next month, Duffty’s history of work will be front and center at Fashion Week El Paseo at The Gardens on El Paseo in Palm Desert, Calif., where he has been tapped to create a fashion- and music-inspired runway show.
The 40-minute-long extravaganza, titled Rebels on the Runway, will include 40 men’s and women’s looks from Duffty’s collections as well as original video content created by Italian video director Fausto Fabbri and music videos from Slinky Vagabond.
“After two years of pandemic lockdowns, people are hungry for excitement and spectacle once again,” Duffty said. “It is an honor to be invited to participate in Fashion Week El Paseo and a privilege to stage a fashion event with live models and a real audience in such a unique setting. The California desert has a very special energy. My wife Nancy Garcia and I have been coming to Palm Springs regularly and visiting Joshua Tree and the Yucca Valley for almost a decade. It’s an inspiring, authentic place with a special desert energy, which attracts a creative community of musicians, artists and designers, who by their very nature are rebels.”
Duffty described the show as a “greatest hits” compilation of some of his most memorable looks from over the years. “I find that fashion events that are outside of the official schedule of the ‘big four’ cities, New York, Paris, Milan or London, are really interesting. When you go to a different geographical location like Fashion Week El Paseo, there’s a fresh spirit. People are there because they want to be, not because it’s their job to attend.”
In addition to Duffy’s show on the evening of March 22, the 15th annual consumer fashion event, slated for March 19 to 26, will also feature cocktail receptions, trunk shows and celebrity meet-and-greets from brands including Trina Turk and retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue. It is produced by Palm Springs Life Magazine/Desert Publications. — Jean E. Palmieri
