Rick Owens Launches “Stripped-Down" SS20 Champion Campaign

First seen on the runway during Paris Fashion Week, Rick Owens has now officially launched his expansive, inaugural Champion collaboration for Spring/Summer 2020. A host of the American heritage label’s signature styles, including Reverse Weave hoodies and basketball shorts, are transformed in Owens’ image, described by the designer himself as “stripped-down togas, loincloths and robes.”

Select stores received the goods last month, but Owens is rolling out thematic imagery showcasing models layered up in the progressive garments. Champion’s sporty mesh, usually seen on jerseys and basketball shorts, now graces robe-like coats, tunic shirts and tiny loincloth-inspired skirts, alongside more conventional goods like hoodies and T-shirts. Similarly, Champion’s Reverse Weave textile informs both dramatically-revamped styles, including a lengthy pullover with between-the-legs snap closure, and accessible items like a zippered hoodie, all emblazoned with a co-branded star graphic indebted to Owens’ DRKSHDW sub-label branding.

The co-branding holds special meaning to Owens, who reportedly took cues from Champion’s script logo for his own mainline branding. “When I started my label in the Nineties,” he told WWD, “I hand-drew my logo as a cross between the Champion logo and a Jean Patou perfume label. They both had a similar vintage calligraphic flair.”

Source: Hypebeast

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The 101: Vivienne Westwood

Everything you need to know about the ultra-influential punk designer.

The 101 is an ongoing series that provides a concise and informative breakdown of subjects that range from fashion brands to furniture.Of the fashion industry’s many dissidents few have proven as inflexible as the original punk, Vivienne Westwood. Dame Westwood’s contributions to fashion are so vast that several books have been assembled to properly assess her legacy.

However, it’s worth starting with one key point in her history: her provocative store co-founded with Sex Pistols manager and future husband Malcolm McLaren in the mid ‘70s. SEX — eventually renamed Seditionaires, then World’s End — was where Westwood first distributed her intentionally-shoddy handmade garments, ranging from graphic tees emblazoned with breasts, swastikas and religious symbols (since referenced by countless devotees) to bondage trousers (also frequently referenced).

Westwood and McLaren, 1977

The influence of Westwood’s punk-era designs ran in stark contrast to the fashion industry, but their influence still reverberated throughout. For instance, Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo made their controversial Parisian debuts shortly after shopping at SEX, at least partially inspired by Westwood’s disintegrating knitwear and anti-establishment ethos. Indeed, Westwood’s Fall/Winter 1994 range showcased comically exaggerated anatomies merely three years before Kawakubo’s iconic Spring/Summer 1997 show, referred to by fans as the “Lumps and Bumps” collection.

Westwood’s same uprooting attitude fueled the subversive Ura-Hara movement, including the designs of Hiroshi Fujiwara and Jun Takahashi. years later, Westwood’s widespread influence was reaffirmed when even Dolce & Gabbana admitted to transparent imitation.

In an industry packed with legacy-hungry designers, few can claim more innovation than Westwood. Her legendary 1981 Pirates runway show predated Jean Paul Gaultier’s nautical dabbling later that decade, while her strappy, upcycled bondage trousers informed creations from the likes of Christopher Nemeth, Helmut Lang and Maison Margiela. Other inimitable creations include Westwood’s armor rings and signature rocking horse shoes — Westwood and McLaren also supported George Cox’s trademark creepers, which have since become a symbol of punk rebellion.

The visual language of punk isn’t Westwood’s alone to claim, but her skill in translating the movement’s attitude to wearables remains a lasting point of strength — what other living designer can say they effectively outfitted a musical revolution? Westwood’s take-no-prisoners attitude has never wavered, and the designer remains an activist and figure of change. Throughout the years, she’s donated to and promoted the UK’s environmentally-focused Green Party, launched Climate Revolution, publicly mocked Margaret Thatcher and and invited activists to perform during a runway show, to name a few notable acts. Westwood puts her money where her mouth is, catering to her deeply-held credo over fashion’s fickle tastes.

Though Westwood’s design acumen is far from negligible, her rebellious, headline-making designs are perhaps her best-known and most forward-looking. Prior to Westwood, designers like Pierre Cardin and Gaultier stirred up plenty controversy within the fashion system, but Westwood constantly battled conventionality and trends from the outside-in. Consider Westwood’s iconic mini-crini dress, revealed in Spring/Summer 1985 as a progressive revision of the stodgy crinoline dress, a symbol of 19th-century conservatism.

Similarly, her forward-thinking usage of tartan and Harris Tweed elevated Scotland’s traditional patterns and textiles from intentionally-unfashionable heritage into striking dresses for Fall/Winter 1987’s “Harris Tweed” collection. Or, examine her aggressive dissection of traditional fabrics for Spring/Summer 1991’s “Cut and Slash.” There, she reimagined violently-slashed fabrics of the 16th and 17th centuries in sleek satin rugged denim, predating the contemporary taste for distressed jeans.

When Pharrell wore a re-edition of Westwood’s enormous Buffalo hat, worn to the 2014 Grammys, was a dual moment of clarity. It both cemented his role as style-conscious statement-maker and affirmed Westwood’s ongoing relevance in the industry. Today, Westwood’s Harris Tweed-inspired Orb logo is nearly as recognizable as its forebear, with a new generation uncovering the British creative’s uncanny foresight and uncompromising garments. Recent collaborations with Vans skate shoes and ASICS runners have brought Westwood’s inimitable style to more approachable silhouettes, much like Westwood’s Anglomania x Lee partnerships did several years prior.

Westwood driving a tank to protest fracking

In recent years, household names have paid tribute to the world’s foremost British designer. Notably, Riccardo Tisci brought Westwood on board for a Burberry collaboration, upending traditional British staples with Westwood’s dramatic silhouettes. Ironically, with Westwood always a step ahead of the fashion industry, collectors are now looking backwards, with the Seditionaries and Anglomania designer finding new life on the secondhand market. Newfound interest from archivists has inspired the Westwood brand to reissue Orb jewelry and continue dabbling in doodled graphics — don’t be surprised when Dame Viv inevitably collaborates with a major streetwear brand, à la Gaultier x Supreme.

Andreas Kronthaler, who Westwood married in 1993, has aided the designer in bringing her namesake label into brave new frontiers since he began aiding her creative process in the ’90s; since 2016, his name has led her runway shows as a sign of his importance to the enduring Vivienne Westwood brand. However, Westwood’s legacy is hers alone, due to years of unwavering activism that cap her decades of boundary-pushing design. Climate concerns, struggles for equality and discordant fashion design all remain hot topics in the current fashion cycle, trails long-since blazed by Westwood, a patron saint for all conscious, idiosyncratic designers.

Source: Hypebeast

FASHIONADO

Valentino's Mytheresa-Exclusive Menswear Capsule

Valentino Fall/Winter 2020 boasted the label’s largest collaboration to date, as the Italian brand joined with UNDERCOVER for a host of co-branded wearables. Spring/Summer 2020 focuses on in-house designs but that doesn’t mean the brand is forgoing collaborations entirely; the Pierpaolo Piccioli-helmed label has now introduced a special selection of menswear exclusive to Mytheresa.

The Neiman Marcus-owned German retailer has introduced a new push for the menswear market, headed for the season by its special Valentino range. Encompassing a host of layering pieces and statement items alike, the collection keeps in line with Valentino’s luxury ethos by way of premium gabardines and lavish satin textiles. A bold “city” print lends visual appeal to a wide array of goods — including a technical car coat, jacket and silk shirt — that complements the immediate interest garnered by a special pair of heavyweight Garavani VLTN WOD sneakers.

Source:Hypebeast

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Fear of God Essentials Drops Latest Selection of Minimalist Staples

Ahead of its upcoming Converse release, Fear of God Essentials has dropped its latest selection of minimalist staples. Part of its Spring/Summer 2020 releases, the selection is centered around lightweight fleece options and lounging essentials.

Leading the set are the Polar Fleece items which include a vest with diagonal cut sleeve openings, relaxed fit hoodie, half-zip sweater, three-pocket styling lounge pants and reflective detail shorts. Other garment offerings include Earth-tone Core T-shirts and matching Canvas Lounge Pants. Rounding up the drop are takes on Essentials’ Distance Sneaker, Backless Sneaker and simple slip-on Laceless Sneaker.

Priced between $35 and $215 USD, Fear of God Essentials latest SS20 release is available now at SSENSE.

Source: Hypebeast

FASHIONADO

Moncler and Rick Owens Offer Closer Look at Tour Bus and Collaborative Apparel

After introducing the surprise tour bus collaboration, Moncler and Rick Owens have offered a slightly more intimate look at the bus and collaborative apparel. Inside, one can see a muted gray interior, complete with matching facilities and a spread of special puffer jackets.

Created especially for Owens and wife Michèle Lamy to travel America’s West Coast, the custom tour bus is all-gray on the inside, with a matching sink/toilet hybrid. In line with Owens’ blunt interior design, the bed is placed on an elevated slab that complements the flat, raised couch upholstered in vintage army blankets. Laden with a full rack of puffer jackets and other collaborative garments, the bedroom also plays host to a padded wall, which encircles the room and reaches up to the ceiling.

Expect the Moncler x Rick Owens garments to launch in late 2020 alongside the made-to-order bus — the duo have specifically not yet offered an exact release date.

Source: Hypebeast

FASHIONADO

Spyder FW20 Collection

With a consistent focus on performance without refusing to compromise on style, sports fashion brand Spyder returns with its collection for Fall/Winter 2020. Looking to address the dual demands of today’s active city-dweller, the latest range consists of a number of pieces inspired by the architecture and street art of the contemporary metropolis.

Spyder’s high-performance materials stem from the company’s research and development efforts within their Techwear line. From reflective effects to geometric color blocking, the breathable windproof materials are more advanced than ever. Think: laser-cut windbreakers, joggers, bombers, T-shirts and more.

Creative Director Christopher Bevans took inspiration from city grids and subway metro maps to create the bright blue, yellow, pink, and orange tones of the Spyder Lifestyle range. The eye-catching colors make up the bold attitude of anoraks, tracksuits, hoodies, tank tops and waterproof jackets.

Source: Hypebeast

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Givenchy's SS20 Campaign "Couple" Starring Marc Jacobs and Charlotte Rampling

Marc Jacobs and Charlotte Rampling take the spotlight for Givenchy’s Spring/Summer 2020 campaign. Revisiting its signature “couple” theme, the French fashion house celebrates individualistic beauty and the self-assured attitude emblematic of Givenchy. Capturing Jacobs and Rampling together and individually, the campaign juxtaposes masculine tailoring with feminine pieces and prints.

Shot by famed photographer Craig McDean, the campaign showcases the New York-based designer and Paris-based actress’ strength and character in “Givenchy sitting” style of portraiture. Dressed in contrasting black and white, Rampling folds Givenchy’s Bond shopper bag under her arm, while Jacobs, dressed in a patterned, form-fitting shirt, carries an over-sized waist bag. With mystery, elegance and sophistication, the duo highlight a range of Givenchy’s accessories, including this season’s star handbag, ID93, in yellow suede and the Mystery bag in cognac leather.

In the campaign’s accompanying video, Rampling offers Jacobs a master class in the dramatic arts. The actress plays along with Jacobs’ extravagant, over-the-top acting skills, even using a Givenchy heel as a telephone in a humorous scene.

Source: Hypebeast

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