Rebekah Wing
Mirka Germanova
Millie V R
Luci Matheus
Marie M
Virgil Abloh spends a lot of time in the air. One day he's busy globe-trotting for his full-time gig as Kanye West's creative director, and the next he's jetting off to Miami to represent Been Trill with a DJ set at Ultra Music Festival. In recent months, the 33-year-old Chicago native has been squeezing in trips to Milan, where he operates the atelier for his ready-to-wear label, Off-White, which premiered its Spring '14 men's range back in December.
Building his new brand is Abloh's most personal project to date. His solo career as a designer began with his short-lived Pyrex Vision capsule of graphic tees and hoodies that quickly gained a fervent cult underground following. But he's elevating the streetwear conversation altogether with Off-White, which is being championed by upscale retailers including Colette, Barneys, and Selfridges. The clothes themselves are marked by their worn-in, shabby chic-meets-street appeal, and often tagged with Off-White's signature diagonal stripes that speak to Abloh's passion for art and architecture.
Abloh recently conceived one of the sets for pal Sky Ferreira, who is the opening act on Miley Cyrus' Bangerz tour. His stage scheme involves a grid of intersecting lasers, and Ferreira wears a custom Off-White biker jacket cut from neoprene and embellished with 30,000 black Swarovski crystals. The jacket is also in Ferreira's new, shoppable music video for "I Blame Myself."
That one-off Perfecto paved the way for Off-White's first foray into womenswear for Fall '14. Its corresponding lookbook, which was shot at the Barcelona Pavilion in Spain (designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who is a perennial source of inspiration for Abloh), debuts here on cbamd.com. The feminine side of Off-White is less street, more refined, and definitely influenced by the bohemian moodiness of Hedi Slimane with its wide-brimmed hats, fringed wool coats, velvet maxi skirts, and pumps offered, in addition to the now-trademark faded denim and branded biker jackets. During a phone interview over the weekend, Abloh discussed his evolving vision for Off-White, youth culture, his collaboration with Ferreira, and more.
Looking to make a high-fashion impact on a shoestring budget? The recent runways stand as proof that all you need to tap into the momentary zeitgeist is a little creativity, not a maxed-out credit card.
Take, for example, the pretty young thing caught posing with a McDonald's cup during Sydney fashion week like it was a piece from Jeremy Scott's fast-food-inspired collection for Moschino. Meanwhile, Chanel's supermarket sweep of a Fall show convinced us that even grocery carts can be glamorous (especially if they're being pushed by Rihanna, Cara Delevingne, and Joan Smalls).
Ditto goes for Anya Hindmarch's luxe “Have a Nice Day” bags modeled after those handed out at convenience stores. Other cheap styling tricks we're eager to try out soon include pinning a violet to our furs à la Fendi and securing our ponytails with dollar-bin scrunchies like Dree Hemingway did in Trager Delaney's latest lookbook.
Lupita Nyong'o has a growing awards collection (including an Oscar), but she "never dreamed" she would be named People magazine's Most Beautiful Person.
The 12 Years a Slave star and Lancôme spokeswoman appears on this month's cover with her trademark cropped hair, a sparkly necklace, and her perpetual smile. "I was happy for all the girls who would see me on [it] and feel a little more seen," she told People.
Growing up, her idea of beauty was "light skin and long, flowing, straight hair…Subconsciously you start to appreciate those things more than what you possess."
Now her natural beauty is not only celebrated but further enhanced by her innate elegance, humility, and originality. Nyong'o joins an impressive roster of past winners including Julia Roberts, Beyoncé, Jennifer Aniston, Halle Berry, and Angelina Jolie.
It would seem that model-slash-singer is overtaking the age-old model-slash-actress label—particularly among Victoria's Secret supermodels. First, Cara Delevingne proved she's more than a few goofy faces when she sang "I Want Candy" for a Katie Grand x Hogan video.
Then, Gisele Bündchen lent her talents to not one, but two H&M commercials, most recently covering Blondie's "Heart of Glass.". And today, Bobby Fox released a cover of Elvis Presley's "You're the Boss," with Miranda Kerr (OK, she's a former V.S. model, but still…) taking over Ann-Margret's part.
While the song lacks Elvis and Ann-Margret's palpable chemistry, we have to hand it to Kerr: Her voice does sound supersweet (listen here, below).
Turns out, she's had a little practice. Back in 2012, she sang a tune for a (slightly bizarre) Japanese commercial for Lipton Iced Tea. Maybe The Voice should start filming a models-only segment?
More pseudo-news—sartorial and otherwise—unfolds as the Royals continue their Australian tour. Today, Kate Middleton joined the ranks of social butterflies-cum-music mavens like Chelsea Leyland, Hannah Bronfman, Harley Viera-Newton, and Mia Moretti after being taught how to DJ at an Australian youth center.
Naturally, this all happened while she was donning a baby pink McQueen suit. Maybe The Misshapes will ring the Palace if they're looking to turn their trendy trio into a titled quartet. Then again, maybe they won't.
LN-CC is more than an impossibly cool Dalston concept store offering everything from Lanvin and Rick Owens to vintage books and records—it's a creative family. Most of the people who have worked with the shop since it opened in 2010 are still on board—a fact that's clearly visible in the boutique's Spring '14 campaign, which debuts exclusively here. Lensed by Rory van Millingen in Italy's Carrara marble quarries, the shoot stars Gigi Leon, who poses in LN-CC's Spring merch. "It's kind of the LN-CC philosophy," explained John Skelton, the store's founder and creative director. "Some of the buyers and stylists have been working with us since they were teenagers. Rory was just starting out when he first shot for us, and now he's becoming a bit of a name in London. And Gigi is our house model. We found her working at a Marc Jacobs store and thought she looked amazing. But she's so busy now, she even walked in Louis Vuitton!" he said proudly. There's also a new member joining the LN-CC clan this season: model Max E. "This is literally his first job," said Skelton. "He's from Dusseldorf, and he looks unbelievable. I really think he's going to be the next big face."
When asked why he chose to shoot at the quarry, Skelton told us that he loved the sci-fi, futuristic effect the backdrop offered. However, getting there was no easy task. "I don't know how high up we were, but it was above the clouds. It was quite difficult getting all the product and makeup up there. But it was worth it." We'd have to agree. Featuring wares from Paco Rabanne, Rick Owens, Yang Li, Acne, Lanvin, and more, the shoot perfectly embodies the mix-and-match LN-CC look.
LN-CC's Spring buys are available now on its web site, as the store is currently closed for renovations—the first step in a change-in-gears for LN-CC. After having fallen on hard times this past winter, the store has recently signed a deal with Italian company The Level Group, with the aim of amping up efficiency and profits. "It's a good marriage. They've come in to increase the productivity of the business side, and we get to keep going with the creative side. " As for the London-based outpost's renovations, we've been told that kitted-out fitting rooms, more floor space, and—yes—new bathrooms are all part of the updated space, which will open in September. "It's been a major development for us. It's all up from here."
Everyone's go-to shop for graphic sweatshirts, quirky snapbacks, and killer accessories is getting a major financial boost. WWD reports that Berkshire Partners has recently taken a minority stake in Opening Ceremony.
The Boston-based equity firm plans to enhance e-commerce, further develop ready-to-wear, add more locations, and introduce new stores to exclusively sell the Opening Ceremony label. "Since starting Opening Ceremony, Humberto [Leon] and I have worked together to create a company with a strong point of view that offers our customers a fresh shopping experience in our stores, collections, and website," designer Carol Lim said.
"Our growth over the years has been organic, but also strategic, and the relationship with Berkshire provides Opening Ceremony with broad resources to grow to the next level."
Broadway is no stranger to men in drag (think Kinky Boots, Cabaret, and, soon, Casa Valentina). But it has certainly never seen anything quite like the rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch. The transgressive, transformative, transgender title character first stomped onto the underground scene in the late 1990s, the surly brainchild of John Cameron Mitchell. Creating not only the singing, dancing, wisecracking East German ingenue, Mitchell played her in off-Broadway productions and in the cult-hit film of 2001. It was on the big screen that, along with her angry inch (so named, as she comically hisses in one song, for the proverbial chop she hastily underwent in an effort to flee East Berlin), the stubby star was born.
Ever plucky and resourceful, Hedwig has now made it to Broadway, with Mitchell trading in his wig for a producer's hat. Neil Patrick Harris dons the diva's duds, reimagined by costume designer Arianne Phillips, who originally crafted them for the film version. In addition to Hedwig's blond feathered mullet, the ultimate sight gag, her clothes—cobbled together from whatever she can salvage from her hardscrabble, socialist surroundings—are as unique, sympathetic, and fearless as she. Hedwig's wardrobe goes a long way in telling her story, in all its gritty and triumphant reality, as Phillips explains backstage at the Belasco Theatre.
Despite the fact that it snowed in New York this week, the red carpet was full of summer vibes. Winter coats returned on the East Coast, and in Hollywood, short hemlines and light colors flourished for a bevy of parties, premieres, and award shows.
On Tuesday, Chloë Grace Moretz attended the opening night celebration of The Library in New York in an ecru lace frock with a black yolk from the Carven Pre-Fall '14 lineup. The same night, another one of our favorite A-list teens, Kiernan Shipka, stepped out in a white, yellow, and gray patterned Preen dress for Jimmy Choo's Choo.08 launch party in L.A.
With the premiere tour for The Amazing Spider-Man 2 officially underway, Emma Stone spent a lot of time on the red carpet this week. She stuck to a similar color palette for her Berlin appearances on Tuesday, choosing a light blue Erdem Fall '14 frock dotted with red beading for the photo call and a Chanel Pre-Fall '14 dress with a pale lavender skirt and red-striped bodice for the premiere that evening.
In case you were missing all that awards season glamour, Sunday's MTV Movie Awards brought it back with a summery twist. Ellie Goulding walked the red carpet in a white Emporio Armani dress with cutouts on the sides, while Lupita Nyong'o opted for a gray Chanel Fall '14 dress speckled with colorful geometrics. Rihanna strayed from the red-carpet norm, turning up in a beige corseted bodysuit and a pink silk robe from Ulyana Sergeenko's Spring '14 Haute Couture that took the leg-baring trend to a new level. Your move, Angelina.
It's time to head West—cinematically speaking, at least. Next month's Cannes Film Festival lineup includes a surprising number of Westerns, including The Homesman, starring Meryl Streep, Tommy Lee Jones, and Hilary Swank (and co-written and directed by Jones), and Deux Jours, Une Nuit, a "Belgian Western" starring Marion Cotillard.
We won't attempt to explain how or why the world's top filmmakers became collectively inspired by Western stories, but we will say this: From a stylistic standpoint, it makes perfect sense. Consider the recent obsession with all things Americana, a subject our editor in chief detailed in our latest issue of Style.com/Print.
And of course, there was the Chanel Metiers d'Arts show in Dallas last December, in which models stomped down a hay-strewn runway in leather fringe, big gallon hats, and Native American motifs.
It was the show that sparked a thousand Instagrams and had even the most discerning editors rethinking cowboy boots. As usual, Chanel was ahead of something huge.
We're curious to see if these new films at Cannes encourage a similar surge of interest in old-school American culture.