Moschino Returns to Denim; Lupito Nyong’o Teams With De Beers – WWD

SOMETHING BLUE: Denim is definitely having a moment, and Moschino seems determined to boost that further with its latest move.

The Aeffe-controlled brand said on Monday it will introduce M05CH1N0 Jeans, a range of women’s ready-to-wear and accessories inspired by denim culture, history and heritage.

This will be a reinterpretation of the 1986 Moschino Jeans line launched by the brand’s founder, Franco Moschino, and will respect the fashion house’s core elements, starting from its signature tongue-in-cheek approach and trompe l’oeil visual effects.

The line will make its debut with the pre-fall 2023 collection, which will hit physical and online stores in May. While the brand has not released any visual teasers beside the line’s logo, it said in a statement that the collection will feature items in denim, chambray, cotton, jersey, velour and leather, with silhouettes paying tribute to classic Moschino designs “with a jean twist.”

The line is also expected to feature stone-washed treatments, patchwork and frayed effects and “clean stitching on nontraditional textiles.” Each M05CH1N0 Jeans item will come with custom rivets and arcuate, too.

The launch further signals the brand’s return to its roots, and reinforces parent company Aeffe’s commitment to the label. As reported, in June Moschino’s creative director Jeremy Scott presented its menswear collection in Milan during the city’s Men’s Fashion Week after years of showing in cities including Los Angeles, New York and Rome. The following month, the brand unveiled its new retail concept through a flagship housed in Milan’s Spiga 26 complex.

Last year, the Italian fashion group took full control of Moschino, paying 66.6 million euros for the 30 percent stake in the brand it didn’t previously own. It also acquired the license to produce and distribute the Love Moschino collections of women’s apparel in-house for 3.6 million euros.

In addition to Moschino, the Aeffe group also includes the Alberta Ferretti, Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini and Pollini brands. Listed on the STAR segment of the Milan Bourse, the company reported sales of 176.5 million euros in the period ending June 30, up 13.2 percent increase at current exchange rates — or 13.9 percent at constant exchange rates — compared to the same period last year. Last year, Aeffe SpA generated consolidated revenues of 324.6 million euros, up 20.6 percent compared with 269.1 million euros in 2020. — Sandra Salibian

ART OF CRAFT: More than a year after unveiling the Chanel Culture Fund‘s partnership with Shanghai‘s Power Station of Art, the French luxury brand has unveiled its inaugural exhibitions at the state-run contemporary art museum.

As a part of Chanel Culture Fund’s “Art of Craft” series, the two-year “Next Cultural Producer” program at PSA marked the company’s first partnership with a museum in Asia. Despite a five-month delay due to COVID-19-related disruptions, Chanel and PSA will put on two parallel exhibitions at PSA’s second-floor exhibition hall from Nov. 5.

The two group shows, borne out of more than 40 open call submissions from film directors, college professors, architects, curators, art critics and sculptors in more than 14 provinces, will focus on showcasing the current state and the revival of Chinese crafts.

“Hill of the Madman,” curated by architects Lixing Feng and You Wu, will explore the idea of craftsmanship as the ability to “know” and “see,” as stated by German philosopher Martin Heidegger. The show will present “a collection of subtle yet highly intensified artworks” that could be taken as the labor of “madness.”

The second exhibition, called “Back to the Future: Breaking the Time Barrier,” is curated by Jing Zuo, editor in chief of the Chinese art publication Bishan Jing Zuo, and Zuo’s colleague Yanzhi Wang. The show will take a look at how traditional crafts could be applied to “contemporary manufacturing and modern life.”

To further explore Chinese craft in its various stages, an adjacent project curated by PSA called “House of Crafts” will open simultaneously at the museum’s third-floor terrace, exhibiting research and literature material.

The second season of the “Next Cultural Producer” is themed “Dynamic Architecture,” which will aim to open in the summer of 2023.

Launched in March 2021, the Chanel Culture Fund is a three-year initiative to “support innovators across the arts in advancing new ideas and greater representation in culture and society.”

Aside from PSA, the fund has forged partnerships with the National Portrait Gallery in London, England; the Centre Pompidou in Paris, France, and the Underground Museum in Los Angeles, California, to explore different topics, according to the company website. — Denni Hu

SHINING STAR: It’s a big end of year for actor Lupita Nyong’o.

She’s set to star in “Black Panther” sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” out in November and has become De Beers’ first global ambassador.

The Academy Award winner appears in the brand’s “Where It Begins,” campaign photographed by Lachlan Bailey, launching globally on Nov. 3.

“This campaign brings to life the transformative power that I feel when I wear De Beers’ diamond creations, and the pride in knowing where they come from and the good they do. Even more importantly, my partnership with De Beers allows me to extend my advocacy for women and girls around the world,” Nyong’o said in a statement.

The brand has set a goal of engaging 10,000 girls in STEM; supporting 10,000 women entrepreneurs, and investing at least $10 million across southern Africa by 2030.

“Embodying modern and responsible luxury, Lupita is an inspiration for all of us,” said Marc Jacheet, chief executive officer of De Beers Brands.

“This campaign represents a number of firsts for the De Beers brand,” he added.

“The first time we’ve partnered with a global ambassador, the first time we’ve depicted the full breadth and scope of the brand from diamond discovery to finished jewelry, and the first time we’ve showcased a rough diamond in a campaign. It’s a powerful new focus for De Beers that represents source, discovery, potential and authenticity.”

Jacheet started his new role on Feb. 1, taking over from De Beers veteran Stephen Lussier. He previously served as president of Tiffany & Co. Europe, Middle East and Africa, and prior to that served as president of Tiffany’s Asia Pacific region. — Hikmat Mohammed

GENERATIONAL GEMS: Jeweler Nina Runsdorf is taking up residence at cult London boutique Alex Eagle Studio.

On Tuesday, a limited run of special Runsdorf earring designs will hit Alex Eagle’s cases — all facilitated by jewelry advisory The Stax. The collection was envisioned as a family heirloom project: Runsdorf designed the studs in a scale that is appropriate for both children and adults to enable cross-generational sharing.

The five-piece collection of studs includes aquamarines, peridots, moonstones, pearls and rubies — each carved to feature a diamond set in the middle. The stones all represent the birthstones of Runsdorf, Eagle and The Stax founder Victoria Lampley’s children.

“The partnership began with Victoria’s wonderful idea to connect us with Alex, who brought an immense amount of passion and creativity to the project. We came up with the idea to celebrate the relationship between mother and daughter with the use of birthstones, designed in a way that reflects our love of effortless luxury,” Runsdorf said.

“I’m thrilled to have connected the aesthetic worlds of my dear friend Alex Eagle, and one of my absolute favorite jewelry designers, Nina Runsdorf. Each earring in the collection features a different precious birthstone belonging to and named after our daughters, and are the perfect size to wear from childhood onwards. Needless to say, watching this partnership manifest has brought me such joy and pride, and I can’t wait to see what’s to come,” Lampley said.

The designs were developed and manufactured in New York City where Runsdorf is based. Prices range from about $850 to $1,200. — Misty White Sidell

ROSIE’S POP-UP: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s beauty brand Rose Inc. is on a high trajectory.

The model-actress-entrepreneur has partnered with British beauty retailer Space NK on a special weeklong pop-up in London’s Covent Garden to launch her new eye collection.

“It was all about creating an eye shadow that was really, really easy to use. I’m not very good at creating eye shadow looks on myself. I always leave it to the experts,” Huntington-Whiteley told WWD, adding that she favors a natural smudged look.

The duet eye shadow comes in four different palettes now available online. At the pop-up store, customers can get their products customized by illustrator Nina Fuga running alongside three beauty masterclasses hosted by Nikki Wolff, Jason Hoffman and Katie Jane Hughes.

Huntington-Whiteley launched her beauty brand in 2021, an extension of her beauty content and commerce platform that she started in 2018.

The focus of the beauty brand has been clean, sustainably sourced products with the help of Rose Inc.’s chief executive officer Caroline Hadfield.

The main ingredient in the Satin and Shimmer Duet Eyeshadow; Radiant Reveal Brightening Serum; the Brow Renew Enriched Shaping Gel; the Lip Sculpt Enriched Amplifying Color, and the Softlight Luminous Hydrating Concealer is squalane, a plant-derived moisturizing agent.

Huntington-Whiteley celebrated the morning opening with the British retailer by wearing a black Prada dress and for the evening soiree, she wore a knit cream dress from New York label Khaite.

“I have an exciting project launching next year in the accessory space,” hinted Huntington-Whiteley, who has previously partnered with Marks & Spencer and Gia Couture on capsule collections. — H.M.