Vuitton Taps Brown, Dioriviera Travels Wider, Cornell’s Target Pay – WWD

ALL GOOD THINGS: Nicolas Ghesquière has made no secret of his “Stranger Things” fandom, even featuring a T-shirt bearing a poster for the Netflix series in his spring 2018 runway collection for Louis Vuitton.

When cast members including Millie Bobby Brown visited the designer’s studio in 2016, speculation was rife that a collaboration would follow. A full six years later, the French luxury house has named Brown as brand ambassador, making her debut in an eyewear campaign alongside model Karlie Kloss and singer Lous and the Yakuza.

“I met Nicolas Ghesquière six years ago and have been a fan of his work with Louis Vuitton ever since. Today, I am proud and honored to be joining the Louis Vuitton family. Truly a pinch me, full circle moment,” Brown said in a statement.

The 18-year-old British actress, who plays the telekinetic Eleven in the sci-fi series, was photographed by Steven Meisel against a terracotta backdrop wearing My Monogram sunglasses and the square-frame LV Moon style.

Brown, who is signed to IMG models, has previously featured in campaigns for companies including Calvin Klein, Pandora, Moncler and Samsung. She also owns a majority stake in her Gen Z cosmetic and skin care brand Florence by Mills.

The Vuitton campaign, which breaks online on Tuesday, was styled by Joe McKenna, with hair by Jimmy Paul and makeup by Pat McGrath. It will appear in print and online through August.

Brown, who has frequently worn Louis Vuitton on the red carpet, has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for “Stranger Things,” and in 2017 won the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series with her costars.

In 2018, she became the youngest person ever to be included in Time magazine’s list of the most influential people in the world. The same year, she also became UNICEF’s youngest goodwill ambassador. — JOELLE DIDERICH

SUMMER SPOTS: Dior is casting a wider net for its Dioriviera beach collection.

This year, the line — which ranges from ready-to-wear in fluorescent shades inspired by the fall 2022 collection, to parasols, pool mattresses and even skateboards — will be available in new destinations including Bali, Taormina, Italy and Montauk, N.Y.

This summer’s rollout, which starts in May and lasts until September, includes pop-ups in Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, China and Japan, and resort stores in nine destinations in and around Europe, including Ibiza, Mykonos, Bodrum and Paraggi, in addition to Montauk in the U.S.

The collection will also be sold in seven Dior boutiques in Saint-Tropez and Cannes, France; Monaco; Marbella, Spain, and Portofino, Capri and Porto Cervo, Italy.

The house’s signature toile de Jouy features on skirts, dresses, shorts and swimwear, as well as accessories such as the Dior Book Tote and the Diorcamp satchel. The line also features Dway mules, DiorAct sandals, ponchos, striped sailor tops, scarves and bob hats.

Dior began selling a beach collection at a pop-up store in Mykonos in 2018, joining the ranks of luxury brands courting customers in summer holiday destinations with in-season merchandise and convenient temporary locations.

Last November, it opened its first winter pop-up at the Cheval Blanc hotel in St. Barths, reflecting growing synergies between Dior and parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton’s hospitality division. — J.D.

CORNELL’S PAY: Target Corp. chairman and chief executive officer Brian Cornell logged $19.8 million in total compensation for the second-straight year in 2021, as the discounter went from strength to strength despite the turmoil of the pandemic.

The bull’s-eye retailer pushed comparable sales up 12.7 percent last year — on top of the 19.3 percent gain seen in 2020, when the company received an “essential retailer” boost and was able to stay open during mandated COVID-19 lockdowns.

Most of Cornell’s take last year was made up of stock awards, which were valued at $13.7 million, although their true value will depend on how the company’s stock price performs, linking the CEO’s pay with shareholder success.

Cornell also received a salary of $1.4 million, a $1.2 million bonus, $2.8 million in other incentive pay and certain perks, including $224,997 for private use of company aircraft for security reasons.

The company’s proxy statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission detailed the pay package and also set Target’s annual meeting for June 8.

And clearly, the retail giant feels it will have a strong report for shareholders at the meeting.

Monica Lozano, Target’s lead independent director, described 2021 as a “consequential year for Target” in a letter to shareholders.

“It was the fifth full year of deep investment in an outstanding team and a long-term growth strategy; it was the second full year of uncertainty in the face of the resurging pandemic,” Lozano said. “Through the positive developments, like widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines, and the unforeseen twists, like rising inflation and global supply-chain constraints, the Target team showed what it means to stay true to its purpose — and to grow and win in the marketplace by caring for all stakeholders.”

Lozano added that the company has “many additional years of growth potential ahead, stemming from past and continuing investments” including in its employees. Earlier this year, Target laid out a $300 million investment in wages and expanded healthcare benefits for employees, working to build up its team in a period of intense competition for workers. — EVAN CLARK

BAKING BEAUTY: Too Faced Cosmetics has unveiled “Bakeup and Makeup,” a pop-up shop bringing together Jerrod Blandino’s love of beauty and baking.

“It was really during COVID-19, when we were all trapped in our homes and with nothing to do, and I had no creative outlet, and I wasn’t around my team or my friends, and Jeremy was upstairs watching ‘Game of Thrones’…It’s not my thing, so I went downstairs, and I made a pot of tea, and I thought, ‘I really wish I had a scone,’” explained Blandino, asked what sparked his interest in the new hobby. “It sounded delicious, and I thought, ‘I’m going to try to make one.’”

He and husband Jeremy Johnson founded the beauty company in 1998, before it was acquired by The Estée Lauder Cos. Inc. 18 years later for reportedly $1.45 billion, the largest purchase in Lauder’s history.

“They turned out as ugly as crap, but they tasted delicious,” he went on about the scones. “And I had so much fun doing it, and I put it on Instagram. I just found a creative outlet that I loved. It really reminded me of my day job where I put different colors, textures, ingredients together to create one amazing new thing, and that was exactly like baking.”

While playing chef in the kitchen is new for Blandino, he’s long been inspired by food while creating cosmetics collections, bringing a playfulness to makeup with cheeky product names and formulations like chocolate-scented bronzer.

Located at The Grove in Los Angeles, open now through May 17, the activation is a shoppable event, showcasing Too Faced bestsellers like the Better Than Sex Mascara, Lip Injection Lip Gloss and the Born This Way complexion range, as well as the Sweet Peach Palette, Hangover Pillow Balm and newly launched Too Femme Heartcore Lipstick, a glossy color and lip balm hybrid.

“It’s a wonderland,” Blandino said. “It’s a totally immersive experience for your senses.”

Visitors can also expect Instagram-ready photo moments, with decorative cakes by Samantha Ray of The Gemini Bake, and programming with giveaways, mini makeovers and social media competitions.

“It really is just sharing our hearts and sharing our smiles and our interactions and our souls with one another,” Blandino said of the importance of in-person events. “You can’t do that on Zoom. We tried….It’s in our DNA now to be safe and to be aware, to be responsible to ourselves and to one another, but it’s time to just live our lives and have fun again and start looking for the best in each other and the best in life.”

The pop-up marks Too Faced’s first event since the pandemic began. Complying with L.A. County’s COVID-19 guidelines, masking will be up to the individual. (While the county currently requires masks in some settings, like public transportation, it’s leaving mask mandates up to the policy of a business or venue.)

“It’s time to celebrate again and to experience each other in a fun and fabulous way again without fear, without worry, without stress,” he added. — RYMA CHIKHOUNE

SNYDER’S LATEST COLLABORATION: Todd Snyder continues to push the envelope for his longstanding collaboration with Champion, this time teaming with designer Mark McNairy for a limited-edition collection called The Daisy Drop.

The capsule includes 20 styles of varsity jackets, cardigan sweaters, archival-inspired sweats and graphic Ts in mesh nylon and other materials as well as a sweatshirt cardigan and a vintage-inspired varsity jacket in tropical-weight wool from Italy’s Tollegno mill.

The collection was inspired by ideas that pushed the envelope of Ivy League dressing — hallmarks of McNairy’s New Amsterdam collection. Over the course of his career McNairy has also designed for Woolrich Woolen Mills, J. Press and Pharrell Williams. He was an early proponent of mixing tailoring and casualwear and promoted that through his 2016 book: F**k Ivy: **and Everything Else.

“In the ’90s, I was traveling to Japan a lot, and my first stop was always this Champion store in Tokyo,” McNairy said. “They sold vintage styles that would make me lose my mind, and I started collecting these cool, unique items, some of which inspired this collection.”

Snyder said that he and McNairy established a friendship when they were both just starting out as designers. “We were in the same class of GQ’s Best New Designers, and I’ve long admired his irreverent POV and bad boy attitude,” Snyder said, pointing to “F**K Off” inscribed on the sole of his brand’s leather shoes.

The collection launches Thursday at 11 a.m. EST and will be sold on the Todd Snyder e-commerce site as well as at his New York City TriBeCa location, Todd Snyder at The Liquor Store. — JEAN E. PALMIERI