Plus, J.Crew is in a hurry to launch a Madewell IPO.
These are the stories making headlines in fashion on Thursday.
The quiet mogul behind Off-White speaks out
The Milanese holding company New Guards Group is responsible for birthing many of luxury streetwear’s most-hyped brands, including Off-White, Palm Angels and Heron Preston. Business of Fashion‘s Vikram Alexei Kansara spoke with the company’s quiet mastermind Davide De Giglio about how he’s built a modern business that will generate €420 million in sales this year and his entrepreneurship journey. {Business of Fashion}
J.F.K airport is fashionable again
Designers are casting their eyes on the long-abandoned terminal at the T.W.A. Flight Center at J.F.K. The space-age, bewinged structure has been closed since 2001, but will reopen in May as a 512-room hotel. Louis Vuitton will hold its resort show there on May 8, and the following week, greeters will welcome guests dressed in T.W.A. uniforms of yesteryear by designers like Valentino, Ralph Lauren and Oleg Cassini. What’s more, various hotel employees will wear uniforms created by Stan Herman, the longest-serving president of the CFDA. {The New York Times}
J.Crew is in a hurry to launch a Madewell IPO
According to financial sources, management at the J.Crew Group has spent the last few weeks talking with banks and creditors about a stand-alone business plan for Madewell. The company believes a Madewell initial public offering is the best option as it could satisfy debt holders, give a new lease on life to the troubled J. Crew brand and eventually pay a return to its private equity backers, TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners. {WWD}
Balenciaga launches video series on YouTube
Balenciaga has landed on YouTube with the launch of its “Loops” video series. Every month, the label will release a new clip that features pieces from its collections, along with art and music mixes in collaboration with different artists. The videos are meant to provide background sounds that meld with everything from working out to sitting in the office. {Hypebeast}
The rise of gamer fashion
“Esports organizations have outfitted players with custom jerseys since the early 2000s,” writes Luke Winkie for The New York Times. “But the influx of apparel brands treating those players as they would athletic stars is tied to how lucrative the pro gaming industry has become.” The rise of gamer fashion — which we predicted would be the next big merch trend — is similar to that of skateboarders in the late ’90s, who went on to create some of the biggest brands in the world. {The New York Times}
Kering’s CEO has ambitious plans for the luxury group
On Wednesday at Kering‘s headquarters on Rue de Sèvres, the company’s CEO François-Henri Pinault presented his plan to become the “most influential group in the luxury universe” to over 300 shareholders. Pinault emphasized the billion-dollar potential of both Balenciaga as well as Alexander McQueen, while acknowledging that there is work to be done at Bottega Veneta. He also addressed why Kering dissolved its 50-50 partnership with Stella McCartney in 2018. {Business of Fashion}
Taylor Swift had a hand in designing her Time 100 dress
At the Time 100 gala on Tuesday night, Taylor Swift offered a glimpse at what her “TS7”-era aesthetic will look like, arriving to the event in a billowy pale pink and yellow J. Mendel gown. As it turns out, the singer had a hand in designing the custom look: “We started with my spring palette, and from there, we built up the dress,” J. Mendel’s Creative Director Gilles Mendel tells Page Six Style. In fact, it was Swift who came up with the idea to wear an oversized bolero, which could then be taken off during her performance. “She had the vision of having some sort of cover that would give it a different volume than just a basic dress,” Mendel explains. “So we developed, with our Gilles Mendel touch, this little hand-pleated, silk-sleeved bolero cover that I thought came out really stunning.” {Page Six}
Source: Fashionista.com
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