Elevated and luxury streetwear brands are on the come-up and Virgil Abloh is king. From establishing his luxury streetwear brand Off-White, to being named artistic director of Louis Vuitton’s men’s wear, Abloh has been bringing the concept of elevated streetwear to life for almost fifteen years.
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So it only makes sense that his trajectory is skyrocketing—and this past month alone is almost all the evidence you need.
He opened Paris Fashion Week with his Laboratory of Fun Fall 2021 Ready-To-Wear collection and then opened the Off-White flagship store in Paris that same week. Today, Abloh announced that LMVH has officially acquired 60 percent of Off-White, marking a new era of the brand—giving Abloh “full range” of the luxury conglomerate’s services and avenues, including ventures outside of the fashion industry.
Abloh told WWD that his “eyes have always been wide in terms of the fashion, arts and culture and how they can merge together.” With that in mind, the acquisition can lead to Abloh expanding Off-White across the other branches where LMVH has a significant foothold.
Because Off-White is wholly different from the other brands under the LMVH house, the collaboration between Abloh and the other directors will be working to “[invent] new business models as [they] go.” He expressed he wants Off-White to be a generational brand, and partnering with LMVH in this capacity makes that possible.
Move Over Big Hoops, Oversized Tennis Rackets Are the New Craze
Well, that is if Naomi Osaka has anything to say about it. The tennis player covers this month of Vogue Hong Kong in a white studded bodysuit and mesh jacket and—you guessed it—very oversized tennis racket-inspired earrings. I mean, we could probably play a game of ping pong with those things but since they’re covered in jewels, we’d better not. The sporty bustier-style bodysuit was designed by David Korma while Osaka’s braided updo gives a relaxed mohawk vibe. This has been the week for covers for Osaka as she was featured in a trio of Sports Illustrated covers for the Swimsuit 2021 issue alongside Megan Thee Stallion and Leyna Bloom.
L’Oréal Embraces Yseult’s True Self
When French singer Yseult was named one of L’Oréal Paris’s international spokespeople, it was a refreshing pleasure that the global brand “didn’t ask [her] to change [her]self, but to embrace [her]self.” The chanteuse was named a spokesperson in June and the message she promotes through her music is centered around self-acceptance—and that message is being portrayed through her L’Oréal campaigns, as well.
Growing up, Yseult says she didn’t see a lot of Black, plus-sized women in the beauty industry, but the ever-changing dynamics of the beauty industry are making it possible for more women like her to be part of the content and make others feel less alone. She told WWD her campaign would be “global and quite big”—which goes to show the impact of increasing representation in the media surrounding beauty and just how seriously major brands are taking this cultural shift.
*Clapping Between Each Word* Yes, Ms. Hudson, You Work That Ottoman!
The Oscar-winner is draped in a pale gold monochromatic look, fur jacket, open-toed pumps and yellow-gold slip dress that is to die for on the cover of InStyle’s August issue. Throughout InStyle’s cover story in promotion for her upcoming film tribute to Aretha Franklin, Respect, we see Hudson in a variety of grunge revival looks—a combination of streetwear-meets-librarian chic, and a standout bright blue leather vest paired with a Louis Vuitton studded jacket.
Now that the highly enviable and fashionable scene has been set, we can talk about how she mastered the operatic aria “Nessun Dorma” during quarantine in preparation for her role as the Queen of Soul. It’s been fifteen years since Franklin tapped Hudson to portray her in a biopic—and the release of the film will finally come August 2021.
B Michael Takes on Textiles
If you happen to be staying at the Symbio Villa in Virgin Gorda in the near future, you might find yourself laying on B Michael-designed bedding, dining on fabulous table linens or lounging under a custom umbrella. Myrna Colley-Lee, the designer and head operator of the villa, tapped Michael, best known as Cicely Tyson’s designer of choice and frequent red carpet companion, to design a new collection of textiles for the domain this fall. At his previous stay at the villa, Michael told WWD he “took photos of the floral arrangements and…those photos inspired some of the patterns that are being used in the textiles.”
He also expresses he wants to get more into textiles moving forward and developing a home line. During the lockdown, Michael rebranded and remodeled his business to include a ready-to-wear collection to be sold via e-commerce, which will be debuting some time next year.
Forvr Mood Candles at Sephora
I’ve been following Jackie Aina on Tik Tok for quite some time, so I was pretty damn excited when she announced her Sephora collaboration. Aina’s already successful lifestyle brand, Forvr Mood, has been picked up by the beauty behemoth, and her line of candles will now be available in the U.S. alongside other candle brands such as Overose, Jo Malone London and Otherland. Forvr Mood’s four-piece collection of bold yet soothing fragrances is made from coconut wax and includes a silk pillowcase and matching headband.
Aina told WWD, “the Sephora customer definitely loves what is on trend, what is relevant, what is the cool thing that everyone else is buying. That is Forvr Mood as a brand.”
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