Game On

October 3, 2019 / by Stéphane Roth

Image above: YSL pop-up at Coachella 2019

If shopping is today’s top leisure activity for people all over the world, then the insufferable portmanteau “retailtainment” is its most advanced stage. Basically, this refers to the enduring trend where retail meets entertainment in creating a unique experience for clients. To connect with their consumers, brands have long understood the need to create emotional connections and to constantly surprise and delight. 

Luxury brands have understood that paradigm better than any other players in the retail game. They created flagship stores in the 2000s to showcase their brands’ universes. Then came branded cafes and restaurants within the stores, so as to literally “eat the brand” – including the enduring success of the Armani cafes in Hong Kong and Paris, the Beige Alain Ducasse restaurant in Chanel’s Ginza store in Tokyo, and the brand-new Tadao Ando-designed Tiffany at Cat Street store in Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku, featuring a playful cat-themed cafe. 

To take things one step further towards creating immersive experiences, some luxury brands started creating hotels. Among the recent examples are the Bulgari Hotel Shanghai, which opened in 2018 to echo the luxurious Roman style of the Italian jeweller after launching similar venues in Milan and London, and the new Fauchon l’Hôtel Paris on Place de la Madeleine, which celebrates both pâtisserie and hospitality in the Instagram-worthy pink and black rooms.

And we can’t forget pop-ups with unique products or services (remember the Hermès Instamatic concept, where it would dye your old silk scarves on-site and give them a new style?), immediate desirability for a short period of time in a high-traffic venue (Dior’s fragrance pop-up on the trendy Greek island of Mykonos this summer) or the creation of social-media buzz (the YSL Beauté pop-up that looked like a gas station at the 2019 edition of the Coachella festival). 

So what’s the next trend? Brands now want to “play with your mind” and capitalise on our universal appetite for games. We all enjoy a little fun – and if we can find these luxury houses cool and playful, it’s all the better for the brand. Clearly targeting millennials and tapping into their nostalgia for the 1980s, Louis Vuitton released a video game called Endless Runner in July. With its basic 16-bit graphics, bold colours and simple rules, the game echoes Virgil Abloh’s latest autumn/winter 2019 men’s collection. 

Just days before, Gucci introduced Gucci Arcade on its mobile app with two 8-bit video games: Gucci Bee and Gucci Ace. Designed in a clear ’80s approach, these games play with some of the brand’s codes (such as the bees) or its key products like sneakers, thus evoking the playful universe that artistic director Alessandro Michele has been promoting over the past seasons.

Images: © Gucci (Gucci Arcade); © YSL Beauty (YSL pop-up at Coachella 2019); © Stéphane Roth (Tiffany’s Harajuku store); © Louis Vuitton (Endless Runner by Louis Vuitton)

Cosmic Chic

September 18, 2019 / by China Daily Lifestyle Premium

Images: Walter Van Beirendonck; photography: Dan Lecca (SS20 runway images); photography: Ronald Stoops (SS20 backstage images)

Play Time

September 4, 2019 / by China Daily Lifestyle Premium

Image above: The exhibition’s poster

Fashion has always been in a state of constant flux. Even in 12th-century China, a monarch was said to have enjoyed women wearing dangling pearls and jade in a “hair-knot that sways at every step”, while the emperor who built the Great Wall preferred a “hair-knot that rises above the clouds”. Women of the Tang dynasty wore the “hair-knot of the homing bird”, and a writer in the last years of the Qing dynasty described the “hair-knot of disintegration and homeless wandering” as a style of the day. “The times are indeed out of joint,” he wrote. “I tremble to think what is to come.” 

What came was modernity. In 1993, Estelle Ellis, Seventeen magazine’s founding promotion director, gave a speech at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, in which she explained: “Fashion is a perpetual-motion machine expressed in four areas: ‘mode’ – the way we dress; ‘manners’ – the way we express ourselves; ‘mores’ – the way we live; and ‘markets’ – the way we are defined demographically and psychologically.”

Every culture, society and group has its own fashion codes, and this has given rise to a form of communication that resembles a game. In today’s breakneck digital world of social networking, anyone can transmit images of their attire, ushering in a new phase in the way we engage with fashion. 

Until October 14, Japan’s National Museum of Modern Art in Kyoto and the Kyoto Costume Institute are staging Dress Code: Are You Playing Fashion? The exhibition focuses on contemporary fashion, encouraging viewers to re-examine dress codes in contemporary society and our apparel practices – or games. 

Rather than being a historical narrative or an unravelling of a particular designer’s work, Dress Code is laid out under a series of themes, all of which spur questions of fashion’s intricate codes. For example, is it a violation of the code to walk around outside naked? Is it necessary to be artistically and culturally literate? Should you be aware of how others look at you? Is it wrong to listen to what adults say? Can everyone be fashionable? And do all of the above criteria make fashion an endless game? 

The title of the exhibition hits the spot in terms of topicality. Among many examples, China’s fixation with gamification and its relation to the world of fashion and cosmetics has seen luxury brands attempt to make their offerings more playful via arcade-style promotions, claw-grabbing machines and digital live-streaming events. And as it is in competitive sports, the players and spectators can be interchangeable. 

Wearing clothes are an act of becoming someone. Dress Code explores the diverse practices of contemporary artists and their relationship to the meaning of fashion. In his most recent work, Dutch photographer Hans Eijkelboom has been taking photos of passers-by on streets all over the world for more than 15 years. Several people in the same place on the same day are often wearing similar outfits – a reminder that style is an expression of individuality but is seldom unique. Renowned American photographer Cindy Sherman has worked exclusively in self-portraits since the 1970s; her Society Portraits series from 2008 acts out stereotypes popularised in popular media, and embodies her critique of superficial values such as anti-ageing and social status. Yasumasa Morimura, a Japanese appropriation artist who re-enacts historical portraits and photos, bends roles and gender in Self-Portrait as Marilyn in Tokyo University, Komaba Campus, where he assumes Marilyn Monroe’s identity while striking the famous pose in which she holds down her skirt while the wind blows from below – as a bunch of bored-looking university students sit unmoved in a lecture hall.

To explore the relationship between characters and clothing in theatre, film and manga, the Kyoto Costume Institute commissioned artists to create work based on the exhibition concept. These include Shinichi Sakamoto, the author of the manga series Innocent and Innocent Rouge, as well as the theatre companies Mum & Gypsy and Chelfitsch. The latter two make use of the Costume Institute’s vast collection, highlighting the process of choosing clothing to match the personalities of each character in a theatrical work – and the resulting creation mirrors the everyday action of picking out clothes when we get up in the morning. 

Images: ©The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Takashi Hatakeyama (Comme des Garçons/Rei Kawakubo design for spring/summer 2018; Jeff Koons x Louis Vuitton backpack, 2017; Gucci/Alessandro Michele design for autumn/winter 2018; Beautiful People/Hidenori Kumakiri design for autumn/winter 2017; Yuima Nakazato design for autumn/winter 2016; Koché/Christelle Kocher design for spring/summer 2018); ©The Kyoto Costume Institute, photo by Masayuki Hayashi (Hi Brows boots, late 1960s); provided to China Daily

The Ultraglamorous Life

September 4, 2019 / by China Daily Lifestyle Premium

Named after one of New York’s most popular Manhattan nightclubs of the 1980s, Area is a womenswear and accessories design studio specialising in textile development, innovative embellishments and quality craftsmanship. Founded in 2014 by Parsons School of Design alumni Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk (of Calvin Klein Collection and Chloé, respectively), it has been on a meteoric rise to stardom since. 

Area’s signature style is multifaceted: witty, decadent and suffused with pop energy. Worn by Hollywood celebrities and luminaries from Ariana Grande to Michelle Obama, the brand’s fluid satin dresses and fit-and-flare silhouettes showcase ultra-feminine glamour. 

Images: Courtesy of Area

Intellectual Stimulation

September 4, 2019 / by China Daily Lifestyle Premium

Austrian-born, Milan-based designer Arthur Arbesser isn’t afraid to channel some lofty and distinguished names when it comes to his design – be it Egon Schiele, Sigmund Freud or Gustav Klimt – and this has given his clothes the cachet of a kind of intellectual glamour. The Central Saint Martins graduate lives and works in Milan’s Sant’Ambrogio neighbourhood, a conservative enclave where women parade around in their Casentino wool jackets (worn by the aristocratic Italian families of yore, originally with an outer cape) and from which Arbesser has drawn inspiration, along with the traditional Austrian loden jacket. 

Images: Henrik Blomqvist

Dos and Don’ts for the Beach

August 7, 2019 / by F. W. 

Do: 

• Invest in high-quality waterproof mascara. Leave the panda eyes to the fluffy cuties in Chengdu.

• Avoid the awkward my-feet-are-on-fire dash to the sea by donning a pair of chic flip-flops to keep your cool right up to the surf.  

• Come well prepared and avoid the struggle to keep your modesty under your beach towel by wearing your one- or two-piece under your kaftan.

• Remember to douse yourself in sunscreen unless you fancy lobster-red sunburn: not fun, not comfy and guaranteed to make you the butt of office jokes for the rest of the summer.

• Sport a sleek pair of sunglasses poolside. Not only will they keep those evil UV rays at bay, but they’re also the perfect mask to hide behind when checking everyone else out. 

Don’t:

Say it with a Fan

July 24, 2019 / by Marine Orlova

From judicial sentences in imperial China to gallant chats at Marie Antoinette’s royal court, the fan has long been used to convey messages. Unisex, elegant, and both useful and futile, fans reveal as much as they hide. Here are three ways to cool yourself down in style while flirting with some exciting codes of seduction.

1. Fancy

Spending a night at the opera so you can whisper sweet nothings into the ear of your betrothed? Don’t forget your hand fan. When it comes to being sophisticated and unique, these elegant little wings are a girl’s true best friend. What’s more perfect for showing off than this precious, light accessory? Be it one of silk gauze, satin or leather, or with some magnificent embroidery, you’ll surely find the perfect fan to enhance your beauty and bring a breath of fresh air between the two arias.

French fanmaker Sylvain Le Guen, who designed custom creations for Sofia Coppola’s 2006 film Marie Antoinette, defines his fans as pieces of art. “I see the fan as an extension of the hand and I want it to be its owner’s mirror, whether he or she is strong, glamorous, bold or refined,” he says. “I thus love to play with different materials such as light feathers, thick paper or sequined silk to create pieces that merge art and fashion.”

As soon as you enter the opera house, your magnetic presence will arouse lust and desire in the hearts of countless admirers – and that may be way too much to handle for a single woman. Don’t panic – rely on a little help from your fan. Flutter it to say “I’m engaged” or wave it slowly to say “I’m married” and they’ll be sure to keep a safe distance.

2. Fantasy

Getting ready for a romantic rendezvous? No doubt you’ve painted your lips red, perfumed your hair delicately and are probably about to wear your highest heels as you become the ultimate femme fatale. But if you want to raise your man-eater style to the next level and stack the odds in your favour, dare to play with your erotic fan. After a couple of slight movements, the temperatures will rise and you won’t be able to blame them on global warming.

French label En Cas de Chaleur offers boudoir-inspired fans, featuring endless legs, fetish shoes and other licentious drawings. “I create seductive art objects, both playful and precious,” says Elsa Fabrega, the young creator of En Cas de Chaleur. “My fans are small worlds full of fantasies, the relevance within the impertinence. I couldn’t agree more with Picasso when he says that art can be nothing but erotic.”

Night is falling and the moonlight is shining – it’s time for action. Close your fan and let it touch your cheek to say “I love you”. Then point it at your chin to ask for a kiss.

In the Mood for Gloves

July 24, 2019 / by Marine Orlova

Let’s start with a fairy tale. Once upon a time, there was a woman who had a magical wooden box, carefully stored in her wardrobe. If you had the chance to open it, you could smell a delicate perfume of musk and discover numerous treasures made of leather and silk – her collection of gloves. She had one pair for each hour of the day – long ones, short ones, pale pink to deep black, embroidered or not. They were so tight that she had to put some talc on her fingers before slipping them in. But once she was gloved, every gesture she made was like a caress. No one could resist the fascinating power of her hands. 

Too good to be true? This was the elegant woman’s daily routine before the 1930s, when gloves were a staple of the feminine wardrobe. “Back in the days, women possessed 15 pairs of gloves and they took care of them in order to wear them as long as possible,” explains Olivier Causse of French glovemaker Maison Causse. Indeed, they were kept safe from the sun in a dedicated box; the leather was regularly nourished and, obviously, they weren’t meant to be crushed in a woman’s handbag. “Today, gloves are considered to be more of a fashion accessory, worn for a season or two,” says Causse. “Still, we love to manufacture them the way my ancestors did for more than 120 years: made to last.”

Baby, you can drive my car

Gloves have always been a must-have for drivers, whether holding the reins of a horse-drawn carriage or sitting behind the wheel of a modern automobile. Open on the top and made of hole-punched leather, driving gloves are designed to keep the hands dry and fresh. “People who love cars and have the chance to drive a nice one know the unique sensation of driving gloves,” says Causse. “They offer comfort and protection, and give a better grip. To grasp the wheel with gloved hands is definitely part of a luxurious driving experience.”

Even if you don’t drive an expensive racing car every day, be sure they’ll make you feel – and look – like the reincarnation of Gatsby. And after your regal ride, don’t forget to stash them in the glove compartment, or they may be stolen by some of your more unscrupulous passengers…  

Length matters

On the length of gloves, connoisseurs advise you in unison: the shorter the sleeve, the longer the glove. Indeed, gloves are basically made to extend the sleeve length. The most famous long ones are the opera gloves. Covering the elbow and usually made of silk or satin, they’re perfect for accessorising sleeveless or short-sleeved evening gowns – and they’re sexy as hell when worn with a strapless dress. Have fun and play it like Rita Hayworth in Gilda while you glamorously peel one off… 

If you want to go further, there are even longer gloves. “The longest ones come up to the armpit and are called the 18 buttons,” explains Causse. “It refers to the number of buttons sewn along the glove, which was used as a unit of measure – 18 was the maximum possible length.” You may want to note, however, that these gloves are heavily embedded in the fetish world and probably not ideal for the first encounter with your future mother-in-law.

Gloves 2.0

You’ve probably noticed that you need to remove your rings when wearing gloves. But there’s a solution for those who want to show off their gems: fingerless gloves. Despite their casual modern look, they actually have ancient origins. Close your eyes and imagine you’re back in ancient Greece as a young athlete takes a break between fights. He wraps his hands with leather strips, thus wearing the oldest form of fingerless gloves. Since those days, they have been worn for ages, from the Renaissance to the 19th century. 

Sunny Side Up

July 24, 2019 / by Marine Orlova

Colour Code

June 26, 2019 / by China Daily Lifestyle Premium

image above: one of the looks from the Cynthia & Xiao autumn/winter 2019 collection

Launched in 2014, Cynthia & Xiao is a Hong Kong-based knitwear label founded by two female designers – Cynthia Mak and Xiao Xiao, who are from Hong Kong and Beijing, respectively. The duo met while studying at London’s Central Saint Martins. Distinguished by its bold and playful style, the label was selected as being one of the Ten Asian Designers to Watch at Fashion Asia Hong Kong 2018. For the spring/summer 2019 collection, called The Bad Habit, Cynthia & Xiao collaborated with Korean illustrator Minkyung Lee to create quirky and vibrant iconography. CDLP spoke with Mak about the challenges of cracking the Chinese market and why Hong Kong shoppers don’t always support their local designers.

Is the Mainland China the main focus for your brand these days? 

Well, we were showing in Paris, London and New York, but three years ago we went into the Mainland. We luckily found a showroom that could help us. The Mainland’s market is hard, because stores are very new; brands might not have a website, just WeChat. But sales have grown from our first season to now and it has been significant. The Mainland has overtaken my orders from Europe. And of course, the scale is different. We have around 25 points of sale there now. So yes, we’re focusing more and more on the Mainland. 

Do you design especially for the Mainland market? 

We do tailor some of our designs, yes. I sometimes follow trends, but we care more about ourselves and our feedback from the buyers, who will tell us what sold well last season. We take that and move forward. But if the buyer says a particular fit works, or a certain colour, we will expand on those things. So we take about 50% of outside advice and add 50% of our own ideas. 

The media seems to portray the brand as being for fashionistas, yet Cynthia & Xiao doesn’t feel entirely that way. Would you agree? 

Yes. It’s for fun kinds of girls who feel comfortable with themselves. We do get some cool fashionistas who might wear our stuff and some Hong Kong KOLs [key opinion leaders]. But I don’t see our brand as a KOL thing. I’d rather have more people wearing and touching the product than a KOL endorsement. I also don’t have a massive inventory of stuff, so I don’t need some super high-profile KOL. It’s about the right balance. 

The Mainland is also such a different kind of vibe from Hong Kong. They like that “girl-next-door” look, which is very relatable. These influencers are really successful, but you don’t know who they are. It’s a different type of visibility. 

What do they like about Cynthia & Xiao? 

We find colour just works. When we started out, the palette was more muted, with navy and grey – the idea being that pieces could be mixed and matched. But as we’ve grown, we’ve incorporated more colour – lots of it! [laughs] – like yellow, red, orange, neon green… stuff that’s really in-your-face. And they sell really well for us. The consumers seem to love it.  

What’s your best-selling piece? 

Our favourite shape is something we call “oversize”. For some girls, it could literally be a dress, but you would have to wear something underneath. Let’s just say it covers the bottoms and is our best-selling shape no matter what we do. Then again, they also don’t want something too long. They like above the knee. If you cover the knee, you look short. And of course, the aim is to look both short and thin. In Shanghai, we always go shorter – a more fitted shape. Sometimes we make longer pieces, too. 

Hongkongers don’t really seem to support their local designers – or their artists for that matter, either. But isn’t the current digital age meant to be all about disruption, inclusion and youth? 

I think there are very good designers in Hong Kong, but they struggle to get visibility. Is that because of the people who read the papers or the advertisers; is it that people only want to read about Gucci? Is it just money? Or is there a genuine lack of curiosity? There’s also a feeling among local consumers that if they buy a Hong Kong designer’s clothes, it should cost less than HK$1,000. So the economics of that equation can just make it hard to survive for local designers, because the quality of fabric and design we produce can’t be sold too cheaply either. And if the designers don’t think the locals will buy their stuff, then perhaps that stops them from being so creative. It’s a catch-22. 

Also, many Hong Kong designers are creative, but they don’t go out of the city. I think you have to force yourself to do stuff out of your comfort zone; it helps you see more, get more exposure and get to know more people. In contrast, if you go to Shanghai, you will find the designers are very creative and dynamic. But then, the Mainland in some ways feels much more advanced than Hong Kong in terms of fashion and art. They are bold, eccentric and fun, and they have strong convictions. 

Would you say that Hong Kong’s consumer taste is changing? 

Yes in that it’s so much easier to buy clothes, with more choices – and that doesn’t necessarily mean buying on the high street, but from Taobao. So getting clothes is easier than it was; people can buy more and try more. But if Hong Kong people have the money to buy name brands, they will; they won’t run away from big brands. 

Abloh and Behold

June 12, 2019 / by Sonia Altshuler

image above: Abloh concludes the autumn/winter 2019 Off-White womenswear runway show