Saint Laurent’s Restaurant Pop In, Philosophy’s China Capsule, Elite World Adds Avatars – WWD

PARK IN PARIS: To mark Paris Fashion Week, Saint Laurent will host an exclusive residence by Los Angeles-based restaurant Sushi Park at its Rive Droite store from Sept. 28 to Oct. 7.

The brand said the “culinary event” will mark the first time that chef Peter Park and his team will bring the Sushi Park experience to another destination. The restaurant, opened in 2006, is renowned for its chef’s choice menu and “has become one of the city’s most iconic culinary destinations,” the French fashion house said in a statement.

Park and his team will be traveling to Paris at the invitation of Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello. From Sept. 28 to Oct. 7, the store will host two evening services, at 7 p.m. and 9.30 p.m., where guests can discover Park’s menu featuring a selection of high-quality, seasonal fresh fish.

“I have always been thankful to Anthony for being a regular, when I was offered the opportunity to collaborate with YSL, I said yes. I wanted to create a unique experience and invited an old friend and ceramist, Daeyong Kim, to create a new line of ceramics just for this collaboration. I truly hope it will be a joyful and unforgettable experience for everyone,” Park said.

The Rive Droite boutique, which occupies the space that previously housed concept store Colette, is billed as a “creative and cultural destination” that regularly stages exhibitions and events. It has previously hosted a Sant Ambroeus food truck, but diners lucky enough to snag a Sushi Park reservation will be seated in the basement nightclub. — JOELLE DIDERICH

CHINA COLLEGE: Philosophy girls are eastbound.

The Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini brand is teaming up with Chinese fashion label and retailer Mo&Co., a youth’s favorite, for a fall capsule collection dropping Tuesday.

“I think collaborations can be a great tool to give a new twist to a brand and to explore different fields. At the same time, I believe it is important to choose the right partner. And in this case, I am sure that I found the perfect one,” said Lorenzo Serafini. “I hope to convey to Chinese girls all the energy, strength, vitality and femininity defining the most authentic spirit of the Philosophy brand.”

Designed by Serafini and echoing the Italian brand’s fall 2021 collection defined by a preppy style, the 24-piece capsule comprises two drops. It provides Chinese consumers a glimpse into the Philosophy aesthetic with tailored blazers, cable-knit sweaters, bomber jackets, T-shirts and sweats.

In sync with the collegiate theme of fall 2021, some of the pieces in the capsule bear logoed patches, while the brand’s signature feminine touches echo in the range of collars that are part of the lineup.

The collection will be carried at around 800 Mo&Co. doors in China. A dedicated campaign featuring actress Cecilia Song was released by the Chinese fashion brand to promote the launch.

Seen as a further push into China for the brand, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini is carried at several retailers there, including I.T. and SKP.

Part of the Aeffe fashion group, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini has increasingly forged collaborations as of late. It teamed up with Milan-based resort brand Manebì and Superga for a footwear range and last December unveiled a tie-up with London-based Smiley Company for a cheerful ready-to-wear capsule. — MARTINO CARRERA

MODELING AVATARS: Elite World Group has partnered with Igoodi to create 3D avatars of models, adding all the measurements of their bodies to their books.

This kind of agreement is a first in the fashion model management sector globally, according to Elite, although avatars are all the rage in fashion at the moment, as reported. “Changes are already taking place. There is no need to wait for them; if anything, they need to be ridden,” said Paolo Barbieri, chief executive officer of Elite World Group. “There are risks, but it is better to take them than to stand still, to attack newness first in order to take advantage of these opportunities. We need to take the customer by the hand, to be able to apply our skill set to novelty.”

Igoodi’s technology is based on scans performed with a process that creates an avatar that is as much a copy of the real person as possible in terms of figure, hair color and complexion. Igoodi also provides a unique set of data called Smart Body, including the model’s anthropometric measurements, taken during the scanning process, which are precise down to the millimeter.

The technology will allow the creation of new operating models that are completely virtual and more versatile while reducing the carbon footprint of modeling, as castings could be carried out online.

“We are thinking of a near future in which it will be possible to make catalogues with avatars of real models,” Barbieri observed. “This will allow people to do two jobs at once, one in the real world and another in the metaverse, or to move virtually, reducing the cost and environmental impact of travel.”

“We are happy and proud of this important partnership which, thanks to EWG’s innovative spirit, allows us to introduce evolution to such an important sector,” said Billy Berlusconi, CEO of Igoodi. “We also like that it is a Made in Italy company like us that is doing this. For Igoodi, technology is a formidable tool that can improve people’s real lives. Our vision is based on the ‘good’ utility of innovation, which supports human innovation in all our activities and according to principles of digital humanism.”

The entrepreneur is the nephew of former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and has been garnering attention with Igoodi, first launched in 2015 and which tackles fashion industry issues, such as the virtual collections designed and engineered on the virtual body.

Vittoria Ceretti, Mariacarla Boscono, Kendall Jenner, Majesty Amare, Adut Akech, Isabeli Fontana, Pleun Keijers and Loli Bahia are only some of the models represented by the agencies of the Elite World Group. — LUISA ZARGANI

PINK ALL OVER: Valentino is in a pink mood.

The brand this week will partner with Hypebeast to open a Pink PP installation at its store at 41 Division Street in Manhattan’s Chinatown, and will also create a special sneaker in celebration of the collaboration.

Pink PP is the name of the company’s fall collection designed by creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli. Although Valentino has historically been associated with the color red, for the season Piccioli worked with the Pantone Color Institute to create an intense magenta pink hue that the brand used on everything from minidresses and straight-leg pants to platform heels.

As part of the Hypebeast activation, Valentino is taking over the window facade of the multilevel store, turning all windows Pink PP. The inside of the space will feature Pink PP flooring, furniture and silver chrome mannequins dressed in pieces from the fall collection.

Only 20 pairs of the sneaker, which will retail for $1,430, have been created, and they are numbered and signed by Piccioli. It is an open skate style in calfskin, fabric and suede with a padded fabric tongue, leather tag with Pink PP Limited Edition personalization, a transparent rubber outsole and Pink PP lettering in black.

The installation will remain through Oct. 3 and there will be an event at the space on Thursday.

Valentino Pink PP installations and guerrilla projections are being brought to cities around the world this fall and include the facade of the company’s Rue Saint-Honoré boutique in Paris and pink buses and phone booth takeovers in London.

So far the installations have been in Antonio in Milan, Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and the Plastic Milan Club Night. Next up is Aranya in the coastal city of Qinhuangdao in China, as well as Seoul Wave Art Center in the middle of the city’s Han river, the Daphne NYC Club Night and Selfridges. — JEAN E. PALMIERI

YOHJI REIGNS SUPREME: Yohji Yamamoto, marking his 50th anniversary in fashion this year, is releasing his second collaboration with cult streetwear brand Supreme this week.

The collection includes leather jackets and pants, bomber jackets, parkas, suits, sweaters, shirts, hoodies, cargo pants, T-shirts, beanies, Dr. Martens 1461 3-Eye shoes and skateboards. 

The capsule will go on sale from Thursday in Supreme stores in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, California, London, Paris, Milan and Berlin.

It will be available in Supreme stores in Japan and select Yohji Yamamoto stores worldwide from Saturday.

Many of the styles feature original artwork from the Japanese gaming franchise “Tekken,” meaning iron fist in English.

A black bomber, for example, comes with a demon motif at the front, while a shirt comes with the faces of the characters in the game, and the word “Saiko,” meaning the best in English, at the back.

Yamamoto first collaborated with Supreme in 2020.

At the time, the brand called him “one of the most influential fashion designers living and working today,” and lauded how Yamamoto “blazed a new path forward with masterful draping and playful androgyny” and “continues to break barriers between catwalk and street, luxury and sport, tradition and the avant-garde.”

Following Supreme’s high-profile 2017 collaboration with Louis Vuitton, the luxury world has been keen to embrace the VP Corp.-owned brand.

Last year alone, the street brand label released capsules with Emilio Pucci, Tiffany & Co. and Missoni. It has also teamed with Rimowa, Jean Paul Gaultier and Junya Watanabe on additional collaborations. — TIANWEI ZHANG