Having hogged the headlines throughout the last Paris men's fashion week, Louis Vuitton's streetwear supremo Virgil Abloh attempted to repeat the trick Wednesday by giving the suit and tie a millennial makeover.

Having set Instagram alight by sending out Michael Jackson-style sparkly white gloves as invitations for his Louis Vuitton show Thursday, the American designer took his scissors to the business suit in his own Off-White label show.

With the rappers Offset and Playboi Carti on the catwalk modelling massive puffer coats, and a further posse of hip hop stars on the front row, the only African-American in charge of a big brand set out to prove that there was more to him that street culture.

"I zig while I zag," the one-time architect, civil engineer, DJ, artist and all-round renaissance man told reporters afterwards.

"If you look at how I am depicted, I am always the streetwear guy, but that is only part of the surface level. In culture you are supposed to lead," Abloh added.

The show in the courtyard of the Louvre museum was one of the hottest tickets of the week. Set in an overgrown post-industrial wilderness, a gentle waft of hashish floated on the air.

As well as his reimagined "authoritarian business suits" inspired by television newscasters from Abloh's youth in the "time before Instagram", several of his models wore American football helmets.

Abloh -- whose magpie imagination has set fashion alight in recent years -- also treated his 3.4 million social media followers to a preview of his new jewellery line, inspired by the humble paper clip.

Ode to Michael Jackson

He also wrote a poem for his Jackson-inspired Vuitton show, his first "outside of a high-school homework assignment a million years ago", the 38-year-old said.

With his friend, former collaborator and fellow black American Heron Preston kicking off Paris fashion week, Abloh told reporters that it sometimes felt that their moment had come.

Both are close to the rapper Kanye West, who long dreamed of leading a major fashion label himself before Abloh got their first by taking the helm at Vuitton last year.

Abloh will be subject of a major retrospective exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in June.

Elsewhere on the second day of the Paris men's shows, black was also the dominant colour on the autumn-winter catwalks, with Givenchy, Valentino and OAMC all opting for a relatively sombre palate.

One of the big exceptions was the Japanese youth label Undercover, whose designer Jun Takahashi mixed ski wear, Venetian ball masks and the swagger of Highland Jacobite rebels with plumed bonnets in his show.

But it was Belgian maverick Walter Van Beirendonck who really turned up the chromatic temperature with his fabulously multi-coloured acid-trip looks that seemed to have escaped from an alien anthropological museum.

His sharks' teeth sneakers were also clear winners of the day's snappiest shoes.

Another Flemish legend Raf Simons rounded the day off, with his first show since he parted ways with New York brand Calvin Klein last month.(AFP)

Photos: Off/White AW19, via Catwalkpictures

"We haven't yet found a better way of selling knickers than a beautiful bottom," says Sarah Stagliano, one of a new breed of French lingerie designers grappling with how to make exciting underwear in the age of #MeToo.

With G-strings and push-up bras losing their allure as ultra sexiness gives ways to comfort, and the whole idea of seduction being questioned, designers are grappling with how to be interesting without objectifying women.

Aubade, one of France's leading lingerie brands, does not shy away from sex in its advertising.

But it found itself at the centre of controversy last month over a huge poster of a pair of perfectly rounded buttocks wearing embroidered panties.

Hung from the facade of one of Paris' biggest department stores, it sparked a furious response from the city's deputy equality chief who called for it to be taken down.

Communist councillor Helene Bidard accused the brand of objectifying a "faceless" woman and demanded "the immediate withdrawal of this sexist campaign."

Others, however, countered that women's rights tended to be the least respected in countries where such billboards were banned.

"We were not expecting the fuss," said Aubade boss Martina Brown.

The brand's "Lessons in Seduction" ad campaign sparked similar horror 25 years ago, she said, when it urged women to "keep it spicy" and "let the situation work to your advantage".

"It shocked people but that did not stop women buying the lingerie nor the brand evolving," said the German-born managing director.

"Women love to see fine embroidery and lace; it talks to them, and that is why we have been zooming in on the underwear.

"We have to cut off the models' heads in the photos otherwise we can't show the detailing," she insisted.

'Let women dream'

Nor did she feel that impossible body standards were being set for women. "Twenty years ago some brands used ordinary women rather than models for their ads. We prefer to let people dream," Brown added.

Aubade will be showing alongside 15 other big French brands at a huge "Lingerie Rocks" show this weekend during Paris fashion week.

The line-up also includes Henriette H, a young label at the other end of the spectrum which works mostly on Instagram.

Its creator Stagliano opened her boutique on a street in central Paris once known for its bordellos.

Stagliano has tried to capture something of that risque air by putting her changing rooms in the window. It is up to the customers whether they pull the curtain or not.

Nor is her label averse to some rather provocative embroidery, with an explicit come-on delicately sewn into the arm of a chemise.

"I can see how all this could be taken badly," she told AFP. "But a woman should be at liberty to put herself in the window if she wants to. It's about reappropriation."

And according to Stagliano, 36, that also extends to women being free to choose whether they want "to be a sexual object".

No more Photoshop

She backs her model, Jazzmine, who is in her 30s, and refuses to be photoshopped even if her breasts have "fallen perhaps a little" after she breastfed her baby.

Jazzmine has been the face of the brand for six years and "will still be in 10 years", Stagliano declared.

In this line of fashion, sensual photo shoots are a must, she said. "To sell a pair of knickers you need a pair of buttocks because that is where you wear them," the designer added.

"We haven't yet found a better way to sell them than a beautiful bottom. "If I was using a woman's rear end to sell cream" that would be another thing, Stagliano argued.

The Simone Perele brand takes a far more restrained view. For last year it has been showing its creations in still life draped on the end of a sofa, or glimpsed on a sportswoman or writer.

"There is another way of doing it," said Stephanie Perele, the grand-daughter of the label's founder, who says women have had enough of photoshopped images.

Renaud Cambuzat, a fashion photographer who is now artistic director of the Chantelle group, said there were still nowhere near enough underwear choices for modern women, who are "complex, multifaceted and ever changing".

At one extreme you have the ailing American giant Victoria's Secret, he said, "which seems totally oblivious to #MeToo" and whose difficulties show that "we could be seeing the end of an era".

On the other "there is the opposite extreme where you can no longer see the form of the body and we are in a kind of cartoonish plus-sized" universe.

"Even after #MeToo we are stuck with a lot of stereotypes. Lots of things are changing but there is still a way to go," Cambuzat argued.(AFP)

Photo: Lionel Bonaventure / AFP

Swedish financial tech firm Klarna has confirmed that American rapper, Snoop Dogg, aka Calvin Broadus, has become a minor shareholder in the company, which offers retailers including Asos and Missguided buy-now-pay-later services.

“Snoop is not only a rap legend, but also a successful businessman, with a genuine interest in tech, retail and e-commerce. He has a great understanding of consumer behaviour and is exceptional when it comes to branding and marketing,” said Sebastian Siemiatkowski, chief executive of Klarna in a statement. “Teaming up with one of the smooothest persons alive, opens new doors to Klarna as we grow and develop as a company.”

The size of Broadus’ investment has not been disclosed, just that the action was part of his European investment strategy, added the statement, and that he will acquire his shares from an existing Klarna shareholder. He joins other backers including Sequoia Capital, Bestseller Group, Atomico, Visa and Permira.

Commenting on his investment, Broadus added: "I've been looking for an opportunity to expand my tech investment portfolio to Europe and seeing the way Klarna operates and how they challenge the status quo, I think it’s a match made in heaven. I’m very excited about this partnership.”

Klarna launches new global campaign with Snoop Dogg, as he becomes a minority shareholder

As well as taking a stake in the company, Snoop Dogg is fronting a new global campaign, ‘Get Smoooth’, where the rapper is transformed into Smoooth Dogg and can be seen in adverts partying in a mansion, spreading gold peanut butter, as well as relaxing on a silk bed and lounging on a sofa alongside Afghan Hounds.

Klarna states that the concept centres around the tech firms promise of being ‘smooth’ by removing friction from the world of pay later payments by making everyday life easier for consumers and retailers.

This marks the first of many collaborations with Snoop Dogg added Klarna, the next step it said will be presenting a range of “unique items enabling anyone to Get Smoooth”, with full details to be revealed at a later date.

Klarna is Europe’s leading payments provider and a newly-licensed bank, and its aim is to revolutionise the payment experience for shoppers and merchants by offering various payment options to pay later. The finance firm works with 100,000 retailers in Europe and across the US and is active in 14 countries.

Images: courtesy of Klarna

It looks like Rihanna is reaching for even greater heights in the fashion industry. The pop star is in “secret talks” with luxury conglomerate LVMH to launch a luxury house under her name, says fashion publication WWD quoting “multiple sources” familiar with the negotiations. If the rumors are true, Rihanna’s label would be the first to be launched from scratch by LVMH since Christian Lacroix, founded over 30 years ago.

LVMH reportedly bets on Rihanna’s midas touch

The singer, who started her music career in 2005, has become a fashion powerhouse in recent years. According to a recent report by marketing consultancy firm NPD Group, Rihanna’s fans are 3.7 more likely to buy her branded products than fans of any other celebrity. Since 2014, Rihanna holds the role of Creative Director at Puma, where she oversees the brand’s womenswear leisure gear. The duo has also launched a brand, Fenty Puma by Rihanna, which has been very well received: the first branded sneakers, launched in 2015, sold out in just 35 minutes.

The success of her collaboration with Puma has led Rihanna to launch a makeup brand, Fenty Beauty, in 2017. Once again, it was a hit: sales surpassed the 100 million mark in just a couple weeks. Last year, Rihanna expanded her fashion footprint once more with the launch of a lingerie label, Savage x Fenty, developed in partnership with Techstyle Fashion Group. Fans waited up to an hour on a “virtual queue” to be able to access the brand’s website on the day of its launch.

According to WWD, Rihanna’s label with LVMH would offer ready-to-wear, leather goods and accessories, signaling yet another step outside its comfort zone. Last month, the luxury conglomerate invested over 3 billion US dollars in Belmond, a hotel group whose properties include the Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro and Cipriani in Venice.

Photo: Fenty Beauty Facebook

London based eponymous brand Tolu Coker has been named as the winner of the autumn/winter 2019 Merit Award by Fashion Scout, which will see the unisex fashion label making its debut at London Fashion Week in February.

The Merit Award was created in 2009 as a new talent initiative to develop new designer businesses and support them on their global goals. As winner, Tolu Coker will receive a package worth 20,000 pounds across three seasons including a fully sponsored catwalk show with Fashion Scout.

Tolu Coker, a graduate from Central Saint Martins, has been creating a lot of buzz for her unisex brand that centres around inclusivity, diversity and social responsibility. Her designs have already been worn by the likes of Rita Ora, Rihanna, Emily Sande, and Demi Lovato, and they even saw her clinch three awards at the ITS 2018 competition across both the fashion and artwork categories - The Diesel Award, The Vogue Talents Award and The ITS Time For Coffee Award.

Originally from Nigeria, Coker isn’t just a fashion designer, but also a textile designer and illustrator, and that all comes through in her designs which feature reworked denims, recycled leathers and re-used plastic and lace scraps across striking and daring silhouettes, bold illustrative prints and embroideries across its environmentally conscious clothing, shoes and accessories.

Central Saint Martins graduate Tolu Coker wins Fashion Scout’s Merit Award

Coker states that the brand’s ethos is all about identity with the aim of serving as a creative outlet for “youthful expression of political reform, changing social and economic climates and new emerging identities”. Within her designs Coker showcases her own identity by embracing dual heritage and cultures by reconstructing the black identity within the western world with the addition of personal prints, embellishments and personal old polaroid photos of her family.

Previous collections have focused on giving social 'outsiders' a space within the community by representing their stories and challenging conventional perceptions of power, aesthetic beauty and stereotypes.

On hearing she had won the Merit Award Tolu Coker said in a statement: “It came as somewhat a surprise and it’s also a challenge, preparing for a debut show because I’m a one-woman band. But I’ve been ready for a new collection since graduation and I have new stories to tell, so while it's nerve racking, I’m very excited!

“It’s such an honour and it’s come at such an important time because storytelling is such an integral part of my brand and my artistry - I’m passionate not just about designing, but also about how I communicate my design and use my voice. That freedom of expression requires financial and logistic support, so this definitely feels like a step in the right direction. I’m really looking forward to the mentorship, pr and business advice too, it’s such a necessary resource.”

Fashion Scout’s founder and creative director Martyn Roberts added: “We are extremely excited to award Tolu Coker the Merit Award following her exceptional collection showcased at the selection panel.

“Her brand was an easy decision for the judging panel to award Merit to, due to her originality and exciting concept of implementing past generations and dual cultures into her work. Fashion Scout are excited to give Tolu Coker the opportunity to continue building the brand and profile here in London.”

Coker, who has worked at Maison Margiela, J.W. Anderson and Celine, as well as collaborate with established labels such as Dr Martens, Swatch and illy, follows in the successful footsteps of past Merit Award winners including Eudon Choi, Phoebe English, David Koma, Roberts|Wood, Han Wen, Xiao Li, Katie Ann McGuigan, Edda and spring/summer 2019 winner, I-Am-Chen.

Tolu Coker will show her autumn/winter 2019 collection on February 15 at Fashion Scout during London Fashion Week.

Images: courtesy of Tolu Coker/Fashion Scout

CEO INTERVIEWAmazon, Alibaba, Shopify and even Instagram have made it easier for starters to launch a niche fashion brand online. However, the “first mile” of the supply chain hasn’t changed much: the majority of fashion manufacturers still operate according to the traditional model, in which collections are planned up to 1 year in advance and ordered in large quantities. As a result, these new brands often struggle to find a manufacturer which is able or willing to produce small batches for an affordable price.

Enter The/Studio, a San Francisco-based startup offering a cloud-based platform through which brands can order custom apparel and accessories on-demand, in the quantities they need -- even if it’s just 100 pieces. The company takes the duty of building a supply chain off the brand’s shoulders: with a network of 400 partner factories in China, the order is sent to the most suitable one. Samples are sent free of charge.

While small, niche brands are The/Studio’s target client, the need to quickly manufacture trending items has led big players such as Nike, Everlane, Tommy Hilfiger and Urban Outfitters to use the company’s services as well. Last year, the startup raised 11 million US dollars in a Series A funding round led by Ignition Partners. FashionUnited spoke to founder and CEO Joseph Heller over the phone to learn more about the company’s business model and next steps following the investment.

How did the idea for The/Studio come about?

I’ve always been an entrepreneur. Coincidentally, my grandparents and great-grandparents both worked in the textile industry, but I swear my decision to work in fashion was not guided by that! I lived in China for a few years, where I did some private label manufacturing. There, I realized there was a big opportunity for quick, small batch production.

Traditional manufacturers are not set up to support quick turnaround times and small bath requirements, lead times are very long. That’s because large retailers were the ones who started outsourcing their production to China. Since they all worked with structured seasons, most supply chain teams are oriented around large productions.

But the world is changing. Today we have all these niche, Instagram brands, and consumers themselves are driving the trends, the relationship between fashion brands and customers has been shifted in the last 10 years. Brands now have to act much faster.

Additionally, excess stock is a pervasive problem in the fashion industry. So many fashion retailers sit on piles of unsold apparel they couldn’t get rid of even after markdowns. If you look at the entire industry, a lot of companies aren’t even profitable because of all the unsold inventory. So, I think it’s time for us to change the traditional buyer’s mentality, based on buying large quantities to get the lowest possible price, which leads to excess stock and hurts the environment, and move towards a more responsive, on-demand model. Everybody benefits from such a model: the price may go up for the consumer, but brands will get rid of excess stock and there would be less pressure for low prices on the manufacturer.

How do you go about approaching Chinese factories to work with The/Studio?

We target small and mid-sized factories, which know how to meet the quality requirements of bigger brands because, when big factories can’t meet the demand, they usually hire smaller ones to help. We try to take as much capacity in the factory as possible, that’s our pitch. With some factories, we took nearly 100 percent of their capacity.

Then, we provide them with our software, so they’re able to process our orders. That’s extremely important to us because it removes the miscommunications that can happen when everyone uses a different system or uses emails and spreadsheets. when customers place an order, they have to use our dashboard as well, everybody uses the same system. That leads to more efficiency and transparency.

What are the advantages of using The/Studio?

The/Studio allows for brands to eliminate a lot of the risk involved in manufacturing. They don’t have to look for factories or visit them, and we ensure the success of their order. Brands don’t really care who makes their products, as long as the quality is up to their standards and the order is delivered on time. And we can guarantee that. Our customers also like that they can manage everything from our dashboard, it makes their lives easier.

At The/Studio, brands get a sample free of charge. Manufacturers often complain about losing money with all the samples they have to make for fashion brands. Who covers the costs of the sample?

The manufacturer does, but at The/Studio, the customer first has to commit to the order.

What is The/Studio’s revenue source?

Currently, we make money per transaction, but we are also looking to launch a subscription service in which clients would have access to certain advantages, such as express shipping.

Small brands seem to be your target client. However, your client list also includes prominent players such as Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein. Did you approach them or did they approach you?

It was purely organic, we didn’t even have a sales team when Everlane and Tommy Hilfiger approached us! Since our product also has great potential with larger players looking to compete with smaller Instagram brands, we’ve hired a VP of sales to manage these larger clients and prospect new ones.

The company received 11 million dollars in a Series A funding round in September. How do you intend to use the money?

We want to continue investing in our software so orders can be manufactured even quicker. We already hired 15 engineers to help us out with that! In addition, we’re looking to expand our factory network. Another thing we’d like to do is add a third-party designer network to our platform as well, so small fashion brands wouldn't even have to have a designer in-house.

Photos: courtesy of The/Studio

Puma is venturing into makeup. The sportswear brand has teamed up with Maybelline New York to launch a 12-piece makeup collection featuring a smudge-proof mascara, a metallic highlighter, matte long-lasting lipsticks, metallic and matte eye sticks, and gloss face sticks. The duo did not specify when the collection will be launched, but said the availability both in-store and online will vary per country. Customers are advised to visit Maybelline’s local websites to obtain more information about the release date where they live.

"Our young consumer today prioritizes an active lifestyle whether it be career, fitness or personally. She's always on the go, never settles and needs high performance products that keep up with her grind. The PUMA x Maybelline Collection was created to do just that", said Trisha Ayyagari, Deputy General Manager of Maybelline New York, in a statement. "This collection is truly the representation of the point where the gym meets the runway, a goal we strive for in everything we do for our female consumers," added Adam Petrick, Global Director of Brand and Marketing for PUMA. The athleisure trend has reached the beauty industry, therefore.

Top model Adriana Lima, a long-standing spokesperson for Maybelline who is now also a Puma ambassador, will be the face of the campaign.

Photo: courtesy of Maybelline

Hip hop loves fashion. Influential brands Marc Jacques Burton and Kangol have teamed up for an exclusive collaboration inspired by music and the styles of contemporary hip hop artists, set to launch during Paris Men’s Fashion Week.

A British brand, Marc Jacques Burton is heavily inspired by the punk and hip hop movements in music from the 1970s and 1980s. Popular musicians and celebrities have taken a following to the brand, as its designs have been seen on influencers including Migos, Future, Gigi Hadid, Winnie Harlow, Tom Holland and Tom Hardy.

Similarly, British brand Kangol started out in the 1980s dressing hip hop legends such as LL Cool J, Run DMC and Notorious B.I.G. With its historic background, the brand continues to dress musicians like Beyonce, Eminem and Migos.

Marc Jacques Burton, Creative Director of his eponymous label, said in a statement, “I wanted to collaborate with Kangol as, like MJB, we’re a British brand and closely aligned to music. Both our brands are worn by musicians. I respect the Kangol heritage and history and I created, these pieces, which can as easily be rocked on stage, travelling between concerts or worn in the studio.”

The two brands first previewed teasers of their collaboration last month, when the members of Migos wore tracksuits by the two brands last month while on tour with Drake.

The full streetwear collection debuts at Paris Fashion Week this week and will launch in L.A. later this year. At the moment, items are exclusively available at Marc Jacques Burton stockists and on the brand’s ecommerce site.

Rihanna is suing her father for his name. The pop singer, who named her well-known beauty and fashion lines under the name Fenty, claims her father is using the name fraudulently to make money. The issue, however, is that Rihanna inherited the name from him.

According to the singer, father Ronald Fenty and his business partner Moses Perkins launched production and talent company Fenty Entertainment in 2017, therefore falsely representing the company’s association with Rihanna.

After cease-and-desist motions from Rihanna’s legal team were ignored, Rihanna filed a 75 million dollar lawsuit in a California federal court.

"Although Mr. Fenty is Rihanna's father, he does not have, and never has had, authority to act on Rihanna's behalf, nor has he ever been authorized to use her name, intellectual property or publicity rights," the lawsuit stated. "Similarly, neither Mr. Perkins nor the Company has any affiliation whatsoever with Rihanna."

Rihanna’s Fenty fashion and beauty company has released lines of cosmetics, lingerie and Puma collaborations, all of which are beloved by consumers. The singer is now in plans to launch a luxury label under the umbrella of LVMH, as was announced today.

INTERVIEW

The NYU Costume Studies program’s new exhibit “Gray Area; Authenticity, Value and Subversion in Fashion” raises big questions in an industry now trembling under the beady eyes of Diet Prada. While the accepted thinking is that bootlegs, riffs and counterfeits should bring shame, and possible financial ruin, on any opportunist encroaching on the intellectual copyright of our most beloved brands, the definition of authenticity begins to blur when confronted with many of the pieces that have been curated in this gallery setting.

Artist Stephanie Syjuco’s crochet Gucci purse, Peter Gronquist’s gold Gucci chainsaw or Ava Nirui’s hooded sweatshirt emblazoned with the phrase, “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Marc Jacobs” defy pronouncements of black and white verdicts, especially when we consider that Marc Jacobs entered into collaboration with Nirui after discovering her work, and Diet Prada sells products emblazoned with the words Kim des Garçons, a parody of Japanese avant garde label Comme des Garçons. Art and fashion have long enjoyed a camaraderie, possibly fueled by tacit acknowledgement of their own self importance, but what happens when the relationship sours? At the exhibit opening, FashionUnited spoke to one creative whose experience deep in the gray area has cost him thousands of dollars but put him dead center of a necessary conversation.

Ari Forman, graphic designer, experiential marketer, and sneakerhead became a wanted man after daring to address serious questions through the medium of sneaker design. In 2006, convinced that the top brands like Nike and Adidas could do more good with their power and inspired by Nigo and his label A Bathing Ape which infused sneaker designer with wit, he designed a limited run of his Menthol 10s, a sneaker whose design merged elements of Newport cigarette packaging with the iconic Nike Air Force 1 silhouette. Instead of the stars found on the Nike shoe’s front sole his Menthol 10s had dollar signs, as well as an interior which featured a print of the words Blah Blah Blah, a lining patterned like a cigarette filter, and a tag containing the words: “This sneaker is dedicated to the two brands who have taken the most and given the least. Thanks for the motivation…Now it’s OUR turn!!!” Only then did he realize how advocating for conscious consumerism over blind tribal acceptance has a price.

Tell us the story of the Menthol 10s

It’s so complicated that it’s boring. In short, it was a case study that was an art project, talking about the hypocrisy that exists not only with consumption, and perceived value, but in corporate responsibility. Every corporation, like every person, has positive and negative, good and bad. You can love brands and not love what they do. You can love the art directors and the ads they create, but hate tobacco. You can love Nike for its beautiful products, and how it fits your lifestyle, but also not like their bad business practices or disingenuous marketing. In my family there are smokers, drinkers and addicts which raises the same question: how do you love someone when you hate things about them? We learn to look past individuals’ faults and this is also true with regards to our relationships with corporations. But we need to hold corporations accountable in ways that we’re not going to hold people.

Why did you choose these two particular corporations to merge in this piece of work?

The people behind Newport were a rich tobacco family from the 1700s who became society folk in New York and were very philanthropic.The spinnaker logo was established in the late 40s, early 50s. Nike came along in the 70s. Legally you cannot have competing marks unless you agree to have competing marks. Newport didn’t object to Nike’s swoosh which looks like the spinnaker inverted. So I said to myself, I’m going to do something that’s going to make both of them object to me so that the three-way argument could illustrate the hypocrisy around corporate responsibility. They hold me to a standard they don’t hold themselves to. They’ll protect their interests over the interests of humanity. This was a way to create a discussion around anti-tobacco, corporate responsibility, perception of value, and about comparing authenticity and what is an original idea.

What happened when both companies became aware of the existence of the Menthol 10?

They both gave me cease-and-desist. Newport’s parent company, Lorillard, like all big tobacco, has a settlement with the federal government outlining the types of advertising they can’t do anymore which includes targeting children. Their impression was that a sneaker appealed to kids and so I was promoting tobacco, and their brand, to children, as well as the fact that I was obviously infringing. They thought I should have carded kids who bought the sneaker, considering it a tobacco-related promotional product. I said no, it is anti-tobacco. I come from a family rocked by cancer caused by smoking, and while this may appear pro, that’s how you have to talk to people, deliver something eye-catching, then drop the message behind it. You can’t come in as the enemy. It took years to develop this case study and then bring it to market, with all the moving parts coming together.

So your product hit the market?

Oh yeah, the sample run of 252 was manufactured––the boxes domestically (they carried the message General Warning: Get Off The Brandwagon), the sneaker in China. They sold out within an hour. Kids lined up for two days, slept out to get them. Then Nike came in with their cease and desist––they were great about it––but Lorillard said cease production, give us all you have, we need to talk legal details, I’m not even allowed to own a digital photo of the shoe.

Are you in breach of that now that the shoe is in an exhibition?

This is not mine. I’m not allowed to own it and I don’t. This is from private collections. Over the years people have come to me, asked me to sign something, but I’m not going to breach the arrangement. Talking about it is blurry but basically I can’t profit from it. There’s no money involved in dialogue and if anything I get to talk about what’s transpired from then as tobacco use has further affected my family, and it moves the dialogue down the road.

Would you say your story has echoes of Dapper Dan and his experience with Gucci, another David and Goliath pairing?

Of course! Growing up, I came into my own with hip-hop in the 80s when I co-owned a magazine called On The Go with a fellow controversial artist, Steve Powers. It was published until 1997 and heavily featured hip-hop culture and Dapper Dan. I’ve also designed logos and album covers within the industry. When I lived in Philly, we had our own local Dapper Dan and then we’d go to Atlantic City to get Gucci. Dapper Dan’s a legend. There are two ways for brands to handle the situation and Gucci did it the best way possible. There are many arguments around appropriation and taking advantage but it’s not for us to decide, it’s for Dan to decide. He’s no fool, he came through segregation and tough times so he’s not a man to sell out. Gucci owed him and they did the right thing for each other, in my opinion.

Are you proud to see your work turn up in a show like this?

I am. It’s been in some interesting situations over the years, in various contexts. Nothing that has been this clinical, I would say, but anything that has an educational component to it is exactly what I set out to do. That’s all it ever was. Everyone sees something different, some see this hip-hop thing, but it’s about the message. In every detail of this shoe, there are messages, in the tongue, on the manufacturing tag, about fake corporate credos and mission statements. So on the outside, sneaker, on the inside, subversion.

Ari Saal Foreman’s work is part of the exhibit which runs until February 2 at 80WSE Gallery, 80 Washington Square East, NYC.

Fashion editor Jackie Mallon is also an educator and author of Silk for the Feed Dogs, a novel set in the international fashion industry.

Images: FashionUnited, header image Aanchal Bakshi

Sports company Puma has announced the appointment of Arne Freundt as Regional General Manager Europe and EEMEA with immediate effect. In this position, the company said in a statement, Freundt, currently Puma's global director retail & ecommerce, will continue to directly report to the company’s CEO Bjørn Gulden.

As Regional General Manager Europe and EEMEA, the company added, Arne will be responsible for the management of both regions. Arne has been in charge of Puma’s global retail & ecommerce business since 2015. He joined the company in 2011 as head of global strategy, where he was most notably in charge of the company’s transformation process in Europe.

Freundt succeeds Martyn Bowen, who has been serving in this role since 2015. The company said, Bowen, who had joined Puma over 20 years ago and held various management positions within the organization, has decided to leave the business to pursue personal interests.

Picture:Arne Freundt via Puma

Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail has re-launched its e-commerce website aiming to grab a slice of the country’s lucrative online fashion retail market with a revamped hybrid offline-to-online e-commerce model. India’s thriving e-commerce sector is largely driven by the country’s rising purchasing power, which is currently the second largest in the Asia-Pacific region in terms of GDP based on purchasing power parity.

Over the years, not only multinational companies but also homegrown fashion retailers have started taking a keen interest in the offline-to-online e-commerce model. Reliance has decided to enter e-commerce adopting the offline-online e-commerce model atop its 7,500 stores across India.

Similarly, fashion retailer V-Mart plans to adopt an online-offline strategy with new stores and a warehouse. The Future Group is working on a hybrid model, Tathastu, under its Retail 3.0 plan. The entry of dedicated fashion houses entering the e-commerce space directly could pose a stiff challenge to popular e-commerce giants, Flipkart and Amazon, which are largely dependent upon its sellers’ product base.

Moreover, the new policy that restricts online marketplaces from influencing the sale price of products, or deep discounting practice, has put e-commerce companies in a tight spot.

Kinnevik AB has announced that Cristina Stenbeck, Erik Mitteregger and Mario Queiroz have decided not to stand for re-election to Kinnevik's board of directors at the 2019 annual general meeting, and that the nomination committee will propose Susanna Campbell and Brian McBride as new board members.

Stenbeck, the company said, was elected to the board of Kinnevik in 2003 as deputy chairman and over the last 16 years, she has led the transformation of Kinnevik from a mobile, media and packaging investment holding company into a leading digital growth investor. The company added that she will continue to support the business and influence material strategic matters in her role as an active owner and will also continue to lead the nomination committee work together with her partners.

"On behalf of all shareholders, this is a moment to reflect on the extraordinary commitment, energy and leadership that Cristina has provided over the last 16 years. We are confident that Cristina's thoughts and ambitions and her backing as principal shareholder will continue to be deeply beneficial to Kinnevik, to its now established management team, and to our work on the nomination committee," said James Anderson, Member of the nomination committee in a statement.

Susanna Campbell and Brian McBride nominated to Kinnevik board

Campbell, the company further said, currently serves as Chairman of Röhnisch Sportswear, Ljung & Sjöberg, and Babyshop Group. She is currently a board member of Telia Company, Indutrade, Northvolt and Nalka Invest, as well as a member of Norrsken's investment committee. Between 2012-2016, she was the chief executive officer of Swedish investment firm Ratos, having joined the company in 2003 from McKinsey & Co.

McBride is the former chairman of Asos, the global online fashion and beauty retailer. He is currently a non-executive director of Wiggle, a private-equity owned online cycling and apparel business, and of AO World, an online retailer specializing in household appliances. He also sits on the UK government's Government Digital Service advisory board, supporting the delivery of digital quality public services, is a senior adviser at Lazard, and a member of the advisory board of Scottish Equity Partners. Prior to assuming chairmanship of Asos, McBride was the managing director of Amazon UK, and prior to that the managing director of T-Mobile UK.

Commenting on these two nominations, Cristina Stenbeck, Chairman of the Kennevik’s nomination committee, said: "The nomination committee is pleased to be able to propose the elections of Susanna Campbell and Brian McBride. Susanna brings experience from different stages of private investing in sectors like ecommerce, healthcare and TMT and has also agreed to serve as Chairman of the board's remuneration committee, and will join its audit committee. In Brian McBride, Kinnevik will have a director with an exceptional operational background from ecommerce and TMT, drawing on his experience at companies such as Asos, Amazon and T-Mobile."

Virgil Abloh bent the knee to Michael Jackson -- a fellow African American from the Midwest whose "prodigious talent catapulted him to unparalleled fame" -- in his Louis Vuitton show Thursday at Paris men's fashion week.

The designer -- the first African American ever to lead a major Paris label -- did not make a direct comparison between himself and the "King of Pop". But there was plenty there for those wishing to read between the lines.

The 38-year-old's bravura celebrity-studded show for his own ultra hot Off-White brand had already hogged the Paris limelight Wednesday.

And his Vuitton show Thursday in the gardens of the former royal Tuileries gardens confirmed the streetwear guru as the new pretender to the title of king of the catwalk.

The designer is currently jousting with the Georgian-born Demna Gvasalia, who designs both for Balenciaga and his own post-Soviet tinged poverty chic brand, Vetements, for the title of most influential creator on the block.

Abloh threw down the gauntlet by sending out a sparkly Michael Jackson white glove as his invitation to the show.

He penned a long tribute to Jackson in his notes and posted a poem he wrote about him to his 3.4 million Instagram followers.

He even included the flag of the singer's home state, Indiana, in one of the pleated "flagification" pieces which brought a splash of vivid colour to an otherwise chromatically restrained collection.

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Black wizard

Abloh, a renaissance man who studied architecture and engineering before switching to fashion to work with his friend rapper Kanye West, was born in neighbouring Illinois.

As well as a run of sparkly and jewel-encrusted Jackson-style gloves, he sent out a jumper, hoodie and a shirt and trousers with cartoon figures inspired by "The Wiz", the 1978 all-black musical version of "The Wizard of Oz" which had Jackson as the Scarecrow and Diana Ross as Dorothy.

Iron Man also made an appearance in the guise of a hooded aluminium foil knee-length coat worn with similarly reflective sunglasses.

Abloh also made a nod to the legendary three-zip red jacket worn by Jackson in the video for his megahit "Beat It".

But the designer -- whose parents are from Ghana -- showed he was not afraid to take a knife to the heritage of the Paris house, which has often toyed with colonial chic.

To show that the roles have changed, Abloh had one black model head off on his travels with a Vuitton bag wearing a safari hat and a quasi-military camel suit.

'We will shock you'

This Paris fashion week has been something of a storming of the bastions by a rising tribe of streetwear-savvy designers from the US, Japan and China.

They almost threatened to put fashion's provocateur-in-chief Gvasalia and Vetements in the shade.

But the corsair of the Caucasus, who regularly references/rips off other people's logos in his work, had as usual a surprise up his hoodie sleeve.

"Warning!! What you are about to see will disturb you. Even shock you," proclaimed his first sweatshirt.

"There is a dark side to humanity the censors will not let you see... but we will. View at your own risk," it added.

Yet other than sticking two fingers up to his Kering stablemate Saint Laurent by borrowing its iconic black jacket, "le smoking", there was nothing to scare the horses.

With typical Gvasalia cheek he attached a disclaimer to the pocket: "This garment is a tribute to an iconic style. Modifications have been applied."

Gvasalia told AFP that the computer geeks may be the new punks and he covered several of his models faces "to show how the Internet can give us the liberty to hide our identity."

Flemish master Dries Van Noten has nothing left to prove but he still the went on a voyage to reinvent the suit, going back to the hungry grey days after World War II in search of a new shape.

He called the show "Nostalgia of the Future" and he pared back his usually brilliant prints to a new grey and brown dawn, based on baggy straight trousers and mix of slightly oversized shoulders and belted waists.

"I was afraid of colour taking over, grey is such a dull colour that it emphasises the shapes," the Belgian creator said later.(AFP)

Photos: Louis Vuitton AW19, Catwalkpictures.com

French screen legend Catherine Deneuve's personal clothing collection designed by her friend Yves Saint Laurent will be auctioned in Paris next week.

Deneuve, 75, is auctioning her clothing by the late fashion icon after selling her country home in northern France where she kept a wardrobe full of Saint Laurent items.

"These are the designs of such a talented man who designed only to make women more beautiful," Deneuve said in a message last October shared by the auction house Christie's, which is handling the sale.

Hundreds of items, including coats, dresses and accessories -- some of them unique pieces designed for Deneuve -- will be auctioned in an open sale on January 24 and online.

One of the highlights of the auction is a beaded evening dress from a 1969 collection which she wore when meeting director Alfred Hitchcock in the same year, as well as an evening dress with pink ostrich feathers.

Deneuve was often described as a muse for Saint Laurent and was a leading figure in the designer's circle of glamorous female friends which included Princess Grace of Monaco, Wallis Simpson and Paloma Picasso.

After meeting when she was only 22, Deneuve enjoyed an intense 40-year friendship with Saint Laurent until his death in 2008, telling him at a major exhibition of his work in 2002 that "my biggest ever love affair is you".

Oscar-nominated Deneuve hit the headlines in January when she signed an open letter objecting to the #MeToo movement that has seen women worldwide go public with allegations of sexual assault and rape.

The star of the classic 1967 film "Belle du Jour", in which she plays a bored housewife who spends her afternoons as a prostitute, wrote in favour of men's freedom to "hit on" women.(AFP)

Trendstop brings FashionUnited readers a first look at the emerging trends fresh from the Fall/Winter 2019-20 Men's Fashion Weeks.

Trendstop's catwalk experts bring you key colour, print and theme ideas emerging from the European Men's Fashion Week events. From London, Milan and Paris three essential runway looks from influential designers will provide the inspiration for your next collection. Our comprehensive, global catwalk coverage and accompanying trend galleries evaluate each trend's commercial value and longevity, giving you the best possible basis for your decision making.

This week, FashionUnited readers get an exclusive look at three directions informing menswear collections into the Fall/Winter 2019-20 season and beyond. Colours fuse organic tints and colder tones for a fresh take on core shades in Earthy Industrial Tones while Cosy Comforts sees indoor cosiness goes outdoor as staple pieces are given a comforting twist. Tie-Dye Diffusions takes a more refined approach to tie-dye effects with subtle watery diffusions.

Colour - Earthy Industrial Tones

Core shades of grey and brown are given a cooler cast for Fall Winter 2019-20. Applied to technical fabrications and sheen finishes, these cold tones lend an industrial edge to the classic utilitarian palette. Greenish tints produce a contrasting organic influence.

Images courtesy of Trendstop, left to right: Feng Chen Wang, Private Policy, A Cold Wall, all Fall/Winter 2019-20

Print - Tie-Dye Diffusions

Tie-dye is softened through water bleed effects, diffusing formally bold patternation into a more muted, wearable option. A "repeat pattern" approach, focusses on considered placement rather than the classic all-over pattern look.

Images courtesy of Trendstop, left to right: Feng Chen Weng, Les Hommes, Liam Hodges, all Fall/Winter 2019-20

Theme - Cosy Comforts

Developing from the previous season's rustic themes, tactile textures bring a comfort element to apparel and lend a cosy indoorwear appeal to functional everyday pieces. Oversized silhouettes and layering cocoon the body, providing protection from the winter weather.

Images courtesy of Trendstop, left to right: Sunnei, Fumito Ganruy, OAMC, all Fall/Winter 2019-20

Exclusive Offer: Fall Winter 2019 Men's Fashion Week Trends Live

FashionUnited readers are invited to join our Trendstop Live Session online on the January 24th at 4.00pm GMT/11.00am EST. The topic we will be discussing is 'Fall Winter 2019 Men's Fashion Week Trends', presented by Trendstop CEO Jaana.

Register here to receive the session link by email. Enjoy the session!

Trendstop.com is one of the world's leading trend forecasting agencies for fashion and creative professionals, renowned for its insightful trend analysis and forecasts. Clients include H&M, Primark, Forever 21, Zalando, Geox, Evisu, Hugo Boss, L'Oreal and MTV.

Being a fashion buyer is one of the most sought after careers in fashion. Behind the glamorous image of a buyer who is travelling the world to select the latest pieces off fashion week runways is a job that requires a combination of skill sets to be successful. Solely responsible for selecting and ordering what is sold in stores to ensure maximum profit, in this demanding role you’ll need to be constantly trend spotting, have a strong business sense and be a great communicator. FashionUnited takes a look at what it takes to be a fashion buyer in the competitive yet exciting world of fashion.

Trend forecasting and brand discovery

Taking from their knowledge of fashion together with business sense, fashion buyers decide what to buy, which mix of brands to buy and need to know what their customer is looking for. Besides maintaining strong relationships with top brands, buyers constantly stay on the lookout for new brands, designers and trends. Before the rise of Instagram, brand discovery would mostly be done via trade shows, networking, a magazine editor’s referral or simply from designers sending samples. Today, Instagram plays a large part in how fashion buyers discover and reach out to emerging brands.

Quantitative and analytical skills

The role of the fashion buyer is where art meets science, meaning being analytical and comfortable with math as well as fashion savvy will put you ahead. Once the buying process gets going, the buyer writes up buys, rolls out the budgets and processes orders. To keep track of inventory, the fashion buyer uses spreadsheet softwares (Excel,Google Sheets) and should be familiar with the formulas in the program. One minute the buyer could be talent scouting the latest brands, the next minute he/she could be presenting to the board why the buying decision has been made to purchase a budding designer’s collection based on consumer insight.

Planning and working with merchandisers on buying

What is the difference between a fashion buyer and merchandiser? Buying is a specialization in the merchandising field. Together withfashion merchandisers, they plan and make buying decisions. Based on the customer’s buying patterns and company budget, they analyze how much of each item to buy, the mix of brands and what to buy for each location that will drive profit. Through this meticulous planning process, a framework for what to purchase will be in place for the buyer to follow.

Experience and training

Many students believe that majoring in merchandising at a prestigious fashion institute is the path to becoming a successful fashion buyer. Although this is one option, there are also opportunities within the retail industry that can offer you the training for this job. From British Vogue’s “The Future of Fashion” documentary series, fashion maven Alexa Chung interviews Judd Crane, previously the director of womenswear and accessories at Selfridges (now CEO of Proenza Schouler). Crane advised that to become a good buyer, gaining experience in visual merchandising or working in personal shopping can be valuable as it teaches you what customers want. Another opportunity is to seek out and apply for training programs offered by top national retail stores. In blogger Song of Style’s “How to be a Buyer” video interview, Sharmaine Harrison (buyer of handbags and accessories at Saks Fifth Avenue) shared that she learned the fundamentals of being a buyer and took the time to develop her craft through Macy’s training program.

Sourcing fabric and materials for brands

Besides being a fashion buyer on the retail side, buyers can also be responsible for sourcing fabric and materials for brands. Fabrics decided for a collection could determine how profitable it will be and designers have to work with fabrics available that season. It is rare for luxury brands to entirely create and weave their own fabric, but they are able to order specific prints, dyes or color combinations from manufacturers. It’s more common for sportswear companies such as Nike to create their own specialized fabrics. These buyers need to have a vast network with suppliers that sell fabric in bulk as well as in smaller quantities. Also, a good relationship with mills and suppliers is key. Oftentimes they will work with fabric agents that can offer advice and better trading terms with the mills.

Photo: Pexels

VF Corporation’s revenues for its third quarter ended December 29, 2018 were up 8 percent or 10 percent in constant dollars to 3.9 billion dollars. Excluding acquisitions net of divestitures, the company said, revenue increased 7 percent or 9 percent in constant dollars, driven by VF’s largest brands, international and direct-to-consumer platforms, as well as strength from the active, outdoor and work segments.

“VF's third quarter results were fuelled by strong growth in our largest brands and balanced growth across the core dimensions of our portfolio,” said Steve Rendle, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of the company in a statement, adding, “Based on the strength of our third quarter performance and the growth trajectory we see for the remainder of fiscal 2019, we are again increasing our full year outlook, including an additional 45 million dollars of growth-focused investments aimed at accelerating growth and value creation into fiscal year 2020."

Review of VFC’s third quarter results

Gross margin for the quarter increased 40 basis points to 51.9 percent, driven by a mix-shift toward higher margin businesses. On an adjusted basis, gross margin increased 60 basis points to 52.2 percent. Operating income on a reported basis was 592 million dollars and on an adjusted basis, increased 30 percent to 656 million dollars, including a 7 million dollars contribution from acquisitions net of divestitures. Operating margin on a reported basis increased 170 basis points to 15 percent, while adjusted operating margin increased 270 basis points to 16.6 percent. Adjusted operating margin, excluding acquisitions net of divestitures, increased 280 basis points to 16.8 percent.

Earnings per share were 1.16 dollars on a reported basis and on an adjusted basis, earnings per share increased 30 percent or 31 percent in constant dollars to 1.31 dollars, including a 1-percentage point growth contribution from acquisitions net of divestitures.

VFC raises full year outlook on strong Q3

Updating its outlook for the year ahead, the company said, revenue is now expected to be at least 13.8 billion dollars, reflecting an increase of approximately 12 percent or 13 percent in constant dollars compared to the previous expectation of at least 13.7 billion dollars, an 11 percent increase. By segment, revenue for outdoor is now expected to increase 8 percent versus the previous expectation of a 7 percent to 8 percent increase; revenue for active is now expected to increase 16 percent versus the previous expectation of a 14 percent to 15 percent increase; revenue for work is now expected to increase 39 percent versus the previous expectation of a more than 35 percent increase; and, revenue for jeans is now expected to decline 3 percent versus the previous expectation of a 1 percent to 2 percent decline.

International revenue is now expected to increase 10 percent to 11 percent or about 13 percent in constant dollars versus the previous expectation of a 12 percent to 13 percent increase. The company added that direct-to-consumer revenue is now expected to increase 13 percent or 14 percent in constant dollars versus the previous expectation of a 12 percent to 14 percent increase. Digital revenue is still expected to increase more than 30 percent.

Adjusted gross margin is expected to be at least 51 percent, while adjusted operating margin is expected to increase 90 basis points to 13.6 percent. Adjusted earnings per share are now expected to be 3.73 dollars, including an additional 45 million dollars or 9 cents per share, of incremental investment, reflecting an increase of 19 percent or 20 percent in constant dollars). This compares to the previous expectation of 3.65 dollars.

VF’s board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of 51 cents per share, payable on March 18, 2019, to shareholders of record on March 8, 2019.

Picture:Facebook/Timberland

Back in 2011, the Dutch National Opera & Ballet had a problem: it couldn’t find any local talent when looking for high-quality tailors. This realisation gave birth to Meesteropleiding Coupeur, a private school with a goal to revive the craft of tailoring. And so far it looks like it’s been successful, with past graduates having worked with Dutch designer-duo Viktor & Rolf, denim label G-Star Raw, and the National Opera & Ballet.

This Saturday, the institution, situated in a former red-brick school building in the west of Amsterdam, will host another Open Day to introduce prospective applicants to its six workshops and education system. Long hallways connect the ateliers with sewing machines and large tables, displaying works of past students, like a majestic all-white Elizabeth costume with a star-shaped standing collar used in the play Maria Stuart.

Crafting perfection

”Everything is about quality,” director of the school, Roger Gerards, told FashionUnited. In order for students to excel as master tailors in their craft, the education is rigorous. After admission, the most essential basic techniques are taught for half a year. Sometimes, students may have to repeat different parts of a garment 20 to 30 times until the teacher approves, Gerards said. “This half year really shapes the basic mentality of the students. They strive for perfection.”

After mastering the basics, students then learn to make whole garments and will specialize with two master tailors in either menswear and womenswear. Gerards also emphasised the importance of the workshop environment in providing students with sufficient space to practice the craft of tailoring.

“We don’t design, we only make” Gerards said, stressing the difference between tailors and designers, as well as the difference between the training at his institution versus a common higher-education fashion school. The students learn techniques to make clothes with their hands and with machines, but they never design, illustrate or learn about marketing as other schools do nowadays, he says.

The sober almost ascetic training of the makers behind flamboyant costumes and intricate corsets showcased on the last Open Day in November, is perhaps best embodied in the silent garden of the school, where students sometimes take their lunch. “It’s very important for a craftsman to have silence to focus on making,” says Gerards.

So how do students who might have dreamt about entering the glamorous world of fashion experience these very down-to-earth teachings? “I heard so many times: ‘maybe try it again?’” said 23-year-old Lidewij Plaat, when reminded of the moments teachers measured her work and asked for a re-do. “But it’s necessary. Craft is the base of everything. You can have a good imagination but you have to know how to translate it into clothes,” said Plaat, who graduated in 2018 from the fulltime-womenswear track. She most enjoyed the school projects working for museums, the stage or fashion designers where she could finally see her work displayed.

Students keep a meticulous journal of the pieces they make throughout their training. Hoover over the image to discover more.

Photo: Meesteropleiding Coupeur | FashionUnited

Much needed skills

The training equips students with valued knowledge and skills of clothes and pattern making and opens many doors in the fashion world. Besides the fulltime and part-time training, the school also offers classes for beginners and masterclasses for people with experience.

The next step for Roger Gerards is to work more with the commercial fashion industry which has outsourced most of its production and skills to the Far East in past decades. The school hosts a Fit Studio with different European body models by U.S. company and fit expert Alvanon, which is also open to fashion companies that want to improve their fits.

The rediscovery of craft could serve as an inspiration amidst currently mass-produced garments. Tailor-made, high-quality clothes with a personal signature of the maker could offer a worthy alternative to widespread anonymous garments that are quickly discarded and at the core of today’s unsustainable fashion industry, according to Gerards. “Craft is now again in the picture as an answer and to give another way of looking at the business and supply chain of fashion.“

Pictures: Meesteropleiding Coupeur / FashionUnited

Dior set out to redefine 21th-century tailoring on Friday in a show which summed up a Paris men's fashion week in which the suit has made a surprising comeback.

British-born designer Kim Jones drew inspiration from the French capital's heroic statuary to suggest that there was no better armour for the modern man than well-cut clothes.

His spectacular show in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower had models standing still like statues on a moving conveyer belt catwalk.

The mesmerising effect made it look as if they were gliding or skateboarding to a techno disco beat. Jones, in only his second Paris show for the mythic French label since leaving Louis Vuitton, sent out a sleek, dark-hued riposte to the oversized trend that has dominated men's fashion for several seasons.

Big on blacks, greys and burnished silky browns, his suits and trousers were cut close to the body, with some given added panache with long scarfs worn like the sashes so beloved of 17th-century cavaliers. Stylised utility vests worn over suits like bulletproof jackets gave some of his models the air of postmodern hussars.

"For me the suit and the tailored jacket are the key things which say Dior," Jones told AFP. "It is elegance, tailoring and couture. "We have made the black suits cooler and a bit more fashion with new boots... and the scarves are inspired by a dress by Christian Dior (the label's founder) from 1952," he said.

Streetwise luxury

Leather trousers and mink and plasticised silk bomber jackets gave the whole thing a sheen of unapologetic streetwise luxury. "We are taking utilitarian things and making them in fine fabrics," the designer added.

Jones also dotted his winter Dior Homme line with leopard print in another nod to the legacy of the house's founder, the feline, feminine feel softening the collection's hard edges. But artworks commissioned from the cult Los Angeles punk artist Raymond Pettibon were the collection's main print motifs, principally his pouty, Lauren Bacall-esque rendering of the "Mona Lisa".

Despite their punk provenance, Jones called the images "quite romantic". And like the dog-loving Dior he also referenced his own Pomeranian pooch, Cookie, in his redesign of the label's classic saddlebags. Dior had moved its show from Saturday to Friday to avoid the weekly "yellow vests" protests which have plagued the French capital most weekends for nearly two months.

The anti-government demonstrations often turn violent and Dior's flagship shop on the Champs Elysees was looted after a rally in November. Other protesters scrawled "The people want (to wear) Dior" on its nearby headquarters. Several other luxury brands have been targeted by the "yellow vests" activists, with boarded-up boutiques regularly scrawled with graffiti denouncing the rich.(AFP)

Photos: Dior Homme AW19, Catwalkpictures.com