Puppy Love

October 28, 2016 / by Chris Campbell

For the ultimate shopping experience when you’re seeking that special gift for a loved one, there’s no city better than Hong Kong. Looking to buy a cute little silver pendant encrusted with Swarovski crystals? A pearl necklace? A day at the spa with aromatherapy massage and a mud wrap? A session with a hairstylist who specialises in the hottest new looks from Japan? Some sturdy boots for walking on rocky ground? Designer rainwear for those stormy days? A cooling mat to stretch out on when the floor is too hot? Yes, Hong Kong has it all for your beloved pet dog. 

The love affair between humans and dogs goes back a long way. Scientists estimate that they first lived together around 15,000 years ago, and there is evidence that our ancient ancestors and their dogs were often buried side by side. Fantasy grooming became all the rage in France during the reign of Louis XVI in the 18th century, when poodles on the streets of Paris were clipped into decorative shapes to reflect the flamboyant style of the French court. Marie-Antoinette was a renowned dog lover – although it’s not known if she let her favourite papillon, Coco, eat cake.

Today, the cutting-edge trends in dog grooming primarily come from Japan. Angelia Leung of Hong Kong’s Hot Tails Salon recently trained in Tokyo; the shop offers a seemingly endless variety of styles that feature in the grooming magazines she brought back from her trip.

“In Japan, there is more attention to detail and there are so many styles; it’s crazy,” says Leung. “They make the hair curly with rollers or use colour highlights. They like the cut that makes the dog look like a teddy bear, the round ‘ball’ head look or the ‘up ear’ that makes the dog look like they are wearing headphones.” But it doesn't stop there. She adds, “They even give their dogs dreadlocks, which nobody wants to do here.”

Want to celebrate those memorable moments? Numerous specialist pet shops organise doggie birthday parties (called “barkdays”) and weddings (“puptials”). Hong Kong’s Wow Pet Shop has a smart reception hall for dog celebrations of all kinds – even providing wedding gowns and a mini-limousine for the big day when the happy couple tie the knot and the proud groom is invited to “lick the bride”.

And when the time comes to say goodbye, there are specialised funeral parlours where you can bid farewell. You can even have your doggie’s ashes encased in a stylish charm bracelet as a permanent keepsake. One such business in the US is aptly named Final Paws.

It might all seem over the top to non-dog-lovers, but the bond between human beings and their pets is particularly strong, as trainer Jonathan Klein explains from his office in Los Angeles. “Dogs have the keenest ability to read humans and read their body language,” he says. “They have had thousands of years of training to become close companions as well as working animals. I’ve seen a lot of people experience their first pet dog and the reaction is ‘Wow! I never knew that a dog could be a companion and a friend – and someone I would pour my heart out to.’”

Pet-a-Porter

October 28, 2016 / by Emily Zhang

They say that animals and children are the most difficult to work with on-camera – but these fashionista pets are clearly throwing that mantra out the window. No matter if it’s for a street shoot, a magazine cover, a product image or even on the runway, you’re bound to see their adorable faces somewhere these days. A few of these furry creatures have skyrocketed in social media circles and live a ridiculously glamorous lifestyle – they’re the fashion world’s It pets.

If you know of only one, it’s probably that white Birman cat, Choupette Lagerfeld. The pet and muse of renowned designer Karl Lagerfeld, her bio reads on her Instagram account (which has 88,000 followers): “I’m Daddy Karl Lagerfeld’s spoiled Chanel pussy, whose maids pamper her every need.” This couture kitty has her own bodyguard, personal medical consultant, personal chef and two maids at her service. She also has her own iPad and travels in a private jet, with possessions packed in her custom-made Louis Vuitton and Goyard trunks. 

For Choupette, a fabulous life has gone much further. She has a book about her luxurious lifestyle; she inspired Karl to launch the Monster Choupette collection; she has her own make-up collaboration with Shu Uemura, called Shupette; she has modelled for German car brand Opel; and she has appeared on the cover of numerous fashion magazines in true A-list star mode.

If Choupette is the first It pet, then Neville Jacobs is the latest star. The four-year-old bull terrier is the beloved dog of Marc Jacobs and has nearly 200,000 followers on Instagram. Aside from his good taste and broad fashion sense on Instagram, he’s posed with supermodels such as Christy Turlington and Kendall Jenner, and has “worked” as a guest editor of Love magazine as well as a brand ambassador. Another celebrity dog living a fabulous life is Lady Gaga’s Asia. The adorable French bulldog wears luxurious pearls, travels in private jets, carries an Hermès bag and even drinks dog wine. She frequently accompanies Lady Gaga to big events and joined a fashion campaign for Coach.

It’s not all cats and dogs, of course. British supermodel Edie Campbell’s horse Dolly made her fashion debut with her owner in Lanvin’s autumn/winter 2014 campaign. Supermodel Cara Delevingne’s bunny rabbit Cecil is also a new power in the fashion world; she visited Mulberry’s headquarters, wears Chanel jewellery, works with Cara and has taken photos with every celebrity you could think of.

These pets might get famous because of their family connections, but there are many stars that work on their own. Among them is “number-one dog model” Bodhi – a five-year-old Shiba Inu dog who was an ambassador of Salvatore Ferragamo and Coach; he’s got his own website and Instagram as well as two full-time agents. And there’s Toast, the toothless dog who starred in eyewear extraordinaire Karen Walker’s summer 2015 campaign because of her good spirit, confidence and style. It’s not all smiles, though – take fashion icon Grumpy Cat, the four-year-old feline who became internet-famous for her “grumpy” facial expression; it soon developed into a lucrative career in the advertising, film and media industries. 

Arresting Looks

September 30, 2016 / by Zhang Mengyi

Tailored Approach

September 30, 2016 / by China Daily

What sparked your interest in fashion?

I’ve always been excited to wear things that were a bit different from other people. It took me a little while to realise that it could evolve into fashion design, rather than just having my own sense of style. I’d always been interested in music and film when I was a kid, and the styles of people in that world always intrigued me. I think that’s where my interest in fashion came from.

How did the story between you and Gieves & Hawkes begin?

Before Gieves & Hawkes, I was with Hackett and Tom Ford. Hackett is very British and Tom is inspired by British styling. It seemed a great opportunity to work for one of the most famous brands on Savile Row – so about four years ago I started at Gieves & Hawkes, with lots happening and lots of change. It’s really exciting to be able to build on a brand that has so much heritage, but is able to make something fresh and new.

You were appointed as design director in April. What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?

I think the biggest challenge is to understand the different marketplaces where we feature. Obviously China is our biggest market. Being a British heritage brand, though, our challenge is probably to translate British-feeling products into those that are suitable for marketplaces in the rest of the world.

Gieves & Hawkes has a very long history. How do you aim to modernise the brand while staying true to its rich heritage?

I think it’s about understanding customers’ needs – the way we live now is evolving constantly. So it’s about taking the things we’ve always done well and translating that into products that feel more relevant for today’s consumers. Part of it is being confident and sticking to what you do best – that will never go out of style.

How do you plan to translate the products and help people understand the history?

Well, understanding the heritage is one thing. We can try to create dreams and paint pictures to express our own heritage. But translating the product is a different question entirely. For example, we use lots of heavyweight dry-handle cloth, which tailors very nicely. But I think it doesn’t translate very well for markets here [in Asia] because the weather is a bit warmer. It’s just not in the mindset of customers. So it’s about accepting the fact that we create a British-inspired look, and use cloth or techniques to fit what we think will help the customers feel like they’re part of the British heritage world while maintaining the functionality.

Can you tell us about the autumn/winter 2016 collection?

As a brand, we really try to communicate our British heritage – and we need to make sure it’s modern and relevant for customers globally. This collection is based on the idea of country walking in the UK. It has a kind of traditional country feeling, but brings luxury and elegance. The idea is that if you’re in a cold climate, when you’re walking, you’re going to feel warm and comfortable.

Who is the Gieves & Hawkes man?

I think the ideal Gieves & Hawkes men are confident, elegant and sophisticated. For me, confidence is really a big part of everything we do.

What do you think about the bespoke tradition in today’s world, where trends and the way we live is always undergoing significant change?

Bespoke is something I’m very passionate about. When you’re actually on Savile Row, you feel the history as you walk along the street – you feel that romance of bespoke tailoring. I think it still holds importance with regards to the traditions of producing any garments, whether factory-made or handmade. I think bespoke always has a customer base. There are a lot of clients who are very much in love with the process and some who are new to it, who want to experience the best and get something personal.

What are you fascinated by at the moment and how does it feed into your work?

I always try to maintain a broad spectrum of references. Maybe the one thing I’m enjoying at the moment is people who feel like they have their own real sense of style, who aren’t frightened to express themselves in a way that may feel more exaggerated than styles they had tried in the past.

What’s your personal style when you’re not working? Do you wear jeans?

I like to keep it simple. Sometimes I don’t mind being a little bold and unexpected, but I’m always in tailored trousers. I’ve recently stopped wearing jeans. I used to wear jeans when I was a bit younger, but now I’m able to experiment with tailoring a bit more and am enjoying the ability to wear it in different ways.

What are three words you’d use to describe yourself?

Relaxed, confident and inquisitive.

If you could dress any man, who would it be?

I think Gieves & Hawkes have been very lucky to dress a lot of famous people over the years. Obviously we have our royal connections, which are very important to us. In the modern market, maybe it’d be someone like Eddie Redmayne, the young British actor who won the Oscar.

Joseph Abboud

September 30, 2016 / by China Daily

KTZ

September 30, 2016 / by China Daily

Make Your Mark

August 26, 2016 / by Zhang Mengyi

With the rise of leisure travel in 19th-century Europe, luggage personalisation became a popular way to mark ownership via a series of names, initials, numbers or stripes. Luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton, Goyard and Burberry pioneered this craft and continue to carry on the tradition today. For the younger generation of luxury consumers in China, however, the art of personalisation is just starting to take off.

“Luxury customisation has just started in China,” says Liu Yuchen, the founder of Beijing-based design studio Yunzhu, which focuses on customising luxury bags. “A good economic environment, solid sales results and the maturity of customers’ understanding of the essence of luxury has driven many brands to start customising their products here.” 

Liu worked at Louis Vuitton for five years as an artisan for the brand’s customisation service. When luxury sales in China started to decline, he saw an opportunity to start his own company. With the encouragement of his boss, he opened Yunzhu with a business partner.

As China’s consumer market is being reshaped by younger, more sophisticated shoppers, luxury goods are increasingly seen as a source of enjoyment, rather than a flashy symbol of wealth and status. In terms of customisation, global luxury giants tend to take more cautious steps than start-ups – considering the potential costs of hiring a local design team and the risks of conveying the wrong brand message. “At Louis Vuitton, it’s limited to the more traditional customisation styles, such as initials and stripes,” says Liu.

Free to Be Me

August 26, 2016 / by Zoé Manset

With her sparkle and talent, Josephine Baker offered her own interpretation of feminine identity to the eyes of bewildered crowds – by performing practically nude on the stage of a famous Parisian cabaret. The flippancy of her extravagant costumes made her the first widely recognised black performer in the Western world. By choosing to reveal parts of her body and covering the rest in sequins and glitter, she opened the door to a new wave of entertainment – and, specifically, to women’s control of this form.

Above the intellectual and artistic liberation triggered by the works and ideas of strong-willed women, social emancipation was central to the fashion of the roaring twenties.

Dancing on tables, riding on taxi roofs or indulging in endless night follies were among the things that caused writer F Scott Fitzgerald to call his wife, Zelda, “the first flapper”. The famous silhouette of the flapper – her low-waisted knee-length dress hanging loosely as she nonchalantly smokes a cigarette, with the beads, sequins and feather fringes of her top intertwining in the most gracious manner – was the result of this quest for women’s independence. Though expressed through different means, these needs for liberation and emancipation all had in common an unconventional and even revolutionary approach to femininity and fashion, which remains iconic today.

How Sweet it Is

August 26, 2016

The global fast-fashion industry has long been criticised for its high levels of waste, as trends change every season. Naturally, sustainability in design has come to the fore. Numerous entrepreneurs have been hunting for versatile, innovative textiles that can provide a necessary alternative to traditional materials. One such person is Spanish designer Carmen Hijosa,
who uses fibres made of pineapple leaves to create Piñatex, an environmentally friendly material.

The idea for Piñatex was inspired by the barong tagalog – a traditional shirt long considered the national dress of the Philippines, which is woven with fibres of pineapple leaves. After working in the traditional leather industry for many years, Hijosa decided to set out to create a sustainable natural textile. In 2013, at the age of 63, she founded Ananas Anam to introduce her game-changing product to the broader fashion industry. 

“We can make shoes, we can make bags. We can make chairs, sofas. It can be panelling. Eventually, it can be made into the interiors of cars, even linings,” said Hijosa in an interview with The Guardian. Today, Piñatex has gained rising popularity among many big-name brands, including Puma and Camper. 

Piñatex Original comes in charcoal, natural and brown hues, while the newest offering from Ananas Anam is Piñatex Oro, which currently comes in gold and aims to expand into other metallics. They all look like real leather and are even better in terms of eco-friendliness; the fibres are the by-products of the pineapple harvest, which means they don’t require extra land, water or fertiliser. 

Growing Up Fast

August 26, 2016