Fashion News

Madewell is hopping on the bralette train.
The retailer is moving into the intimate apparel category with a line of bralettes and underwear.
“I feel like we’ve always been trying to find ways to get further into our girls’ lives and it just made sense for us to be able to dress her inside and out,” said Joyce Lee, Madewell’s head of design. “We saw a gap in the market to offer her something that fell in line with our brand and what’s going on out there. The line is really minimal, very comfortable and functional but also really beautiful.”
The collection, which will be available starting today, will include 16 bralettes and 26 bottoms that will come in three different fabrics: cotton Modal, lace and mesh trimmed. The underwear silhouettes will range from the classic bikini brief to a boy short to a thong. There’s also a high-waisted style as well.
The line, which retails from $12.50 to $32 will be sold on Madewell’s e-commerce site, select Nordstrom locations and within all of its 112 retail locations. Lee said that within Madewell stores, the merchandise will have its own dedicated fixture that will be displayed next to the brand’s sleep and lounge collection.
Bralettes

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…

EXTRA LIME FOR CAMPOS: In recent months, Mexico has had a rough go of it, given President Trump’s blistering criticism and the potential border tax on Mexican imports. But Jose Cuervo will be doing what it can to present a more fashionable point of view.
Through a new collaboration with fashion designer Carlos Campos and artist Ricardo Cavolo, the tequila maker will help unveil the Cuervo x Campos x Cavolo collection on Feb. 15 at the Kola House in Manhattan. The exclusive deal celebrated Jose Cuervo’s 222nd anniversary and will spotlight limited-edition Jose Cuervo Especial 222 bottles. The Extortionists Ibe Soliman and Public School’s Dao-Yi Chow will be there as DJs.
Aside from marking an anniversary and its heritage as Mexico’s oldest premium commercial tequila, the company reportedly is close to unveiling an initial public offering that is expected to raise $700 million. A spokesman for the company declined to comment Tuesday on the status of the IPO.
“Cuervo was the first family-owned company to be run by a woman in Mexico, and it represents the heart of Mexico,” the spokesman said. “They have been funding art, design and music projects for years.”
The Mexican-born Cavolo works from a studio in Barcelona, Spain, and

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…

NEW YORK — After nearly three years of planning, Off-White designer Virgil Abloh finally got the opportunity give a lecture at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation. Abloh has undergraduate and graduate degrees in architecture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Illinois Institute of Technology, respectively.
During the talk titled “Young Architects Can Change the World Without Building Buildings,” Abloh revealed two new collaborations — one with Nike and another with a furniture company, which he did not name. Other topics included a book of fashion editorials he’s working on and the rise and fall of Pyrex — and how it directly inspired Off-White. He also played Migos’ song “T-shirt,” which was a “life goal, because the stuff that interests youth culture is important, the stuff that we make is important,” he said. “Who is to say that we can’t start cross referencing these things to have a larger feeling? That’s sort of the freedom I create.” What was not up for discussion were the reports that Abloh is in talks with LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton to succeed  Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy.
Here, a recap of Abloh’s remarks.
ON COLLABORATIONS, PRESENT AND FUTURE: Toward the end of the two-hour lecture, Abloh,

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…

WHAT’S IN A NAME?: Fashion scribes, rejoice! French fashion’s executive body has decided to simplify its official name.
From July 1, the Fédération Française de la Couture, du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode will be known as the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode — something even non-French speakers can get behind.
It’s the first time the federation has changed its name since it was founded in 1973. The idea was the brainchild of its executive committee, under the aegis of federation president Ralph Toledano, head of Puig Group’s fashion division.
“The idea was to make it more global, easy to pronounce and meaningful,” said Pascal Morand, executive president of the federation. He noted that the designation “French” had been removed from the name, since “haute couture” is a label that is only granted by the French government.
The federation governs three trade associations whose names will remain unchanged: the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, which groups haute couture houses; the Chambre Syndicale du Prêt-à-Porter des Couturiers et des Créateurs de Mode, which includes haute couture and women’s ready-to-wear houses, and the Chambre Syndicale de la Mode Masculine, which covers men’s rtw.
Members of the federation also include

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…

Same.

Escada is in a bit of a transitional state since the departure of longtime fashion director Daniel Wingate at the end of last year. The brand’s fall collection was created by the design team, drawing on the Hitchcock classics that were the anchor of the pre-fall lineup, while addressing the client’s desire for clean lines and a more casual attitude. This played out on a few levels. The retro Hitchcock vibe took root in A-line dresses, one a diamond print, with a high spread collar and a loose tie back, as well as throwback ladylike outerwear — trim minks and a gray A-line alpaca with a jeweled button — and pretty flats with square jeweled buckles. On the more relaxed side, well, Escada doesn’t serve a dressed-down clientele. There’s a big boardroom contingent, for which there were more fluid, boyish-cut suits and parkas that toed the polished side of sporty with fur trims and peplum details.

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.Read More…

Allen Schwartz is taking his apparel business in a new direction.
The 35-year-old, Los Angeles-based company, which has been through several different incarnations, most recently was manufacturing dresses under the ABS by Allen Schwartz label. For fall, it will launch a single label, Allen Schwartz, which is an advanced-contemporary collection.
“We changed the name of the brand to match the product selection and establish ourselves as an advanced-contemporary collection that is accessible and made in the U.S.A.,” said Schwartz. The collection will launch the week of Feb. 20 and will be shown at Coterie.
The entire collection is manufactured in downtown Los Angeles using novelty fabrics. Schwartz described the targeted customer as a woman between the ages of 30 and 45, who will wear it to work and to go out at night. She’s digitally savvy, pursuing her career, is interested in current affairs and cares that a product is ethically produced, he said.
“I think I can bring a superior product at more accessible price points,” said Schwartz. The collection wholesales from $150 to $300, including faux furs. Among some of the looks are Victorian lace tops, off-the-shoulder dresses, velvet baseball jackets, pinstripe suits, pajama pants and pajama tops and dressy tops.
“Women can’t

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…

ALL ABOARD: Iris Apfel and Julien Macdonald will be among the industry guests aboard Cunard’s Queen Mary 2 when it makes its fashion trans-Atlantic crossing to New York, landing on Sept. 7, the first day of New York Fashion Week, WWD has learned.
The 1,130-square-foot boat will depart from Southampton, England, on Aug. 31 and arrive at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal. Apfel and Macdonald will join passengers on the seven-night voyage that will feature a fashion show and industry-related talks. Fashion consultant Gail Sackloff, Colin McDowell and models from Storm Model Management will also be making the trip.
Macdonald will host a show comprised of his archive looks, while McDowell will do a Q&A with Apfel, the 95-year-old known for her eccentric style. The Q&A session will follow a screening of the documentary “Iris,” about her life.
“I’ve lived quite a life of fashion and can’t wait to experience style at sea,” said Apfel. “I look forward to being inspired by the elegance and glamor of the occasion and life onboard, especially the formal nights, on my voyage across the Atlantic.”
The 2017 Transatlantic Fashion Week price for a Britannia Balcony stateroom starts from 2,249 pounds, or $2,807, a person, including flights and transfers.

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…

FLYING PERKS: Etihad Airways has launched Runway to Runway, a travel program tailored to the fashion industry that will be unveiled during New York Fashion Week.
Etihad, which forged a fashion partnership with IMG last year, offers Runway to Runway members discounts on airfare and other services, preferred corporate rates for business travel, discounted cargo rates and special group travel rates when traveling for photo shoots, showing collections overseas or conducting business globally.
“Very few industries travel as much as the fashion industry does, spending tens of millions annually,” said Patrick Pierce, vice president of sponsorships, Etihad Airways. He said the travel program offers practical benefits.
Fashion industry members will receive additional benefits, depending on their guest tier level, whether that be gold status, silver status or guest status, ranging from lounge access for members and a guest, additional baggage allowances to complimentary upgrades and onboard Wi-Fi. Guest status will receive fashion news, exclusive access to partner promotions and be eligible for invitations to special fashion events including fashion weeks in New York, London, Milan, Mumbai and Sydney.
Etihad Airways supports 17 fashion events around the world annually. To support the new program, Nicole Kidman and Lauren Santo Domingo of Moda Operandi will host

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…

Elsa Schiaparelli, political freedom and words of empowerment are among the diverse influences that moved designers for fall.

Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Read More…