week 21.
Dior x Stone Island
It is clearly THE week for collaborations (maybe brands are filling the gap in our attention before the launch of SS25 collections in June…) but one of the more surprising ones that landed in our inbox is a mashup between Parisian couturiers Dior and streetwear brand Stone Island. Surprisingly the meeting of Avenue Montaigne and an Italian football terrace isn’t as schizophrenic as you would have thought – the craftsmanship of the former has been applied quite deftly to the boxy silhouettes of the latter. A standout (and borderline unwearable) piece is a beaded and appliquéd blouson but the yellow jackets are pretty cool too. Shame the iconic but ugly button-on Stone Island label survived.
Uniqlo x Roger Federer by JW Anderson
As anyone who has seen Challengers knows, threesomes are THE thing at the moment, especially in the world of tennis. Perhaps subconsciously channelling this, Uniqlo have just launched a three-way collab with both long term partner JW Anderson and tennis superstar Roger Federer. Considering the combined manpower though, maybe we would expect a little more pizzazz from the results: the track pants and zip jacket are nice enough in a vintage 90s kinda way but a bit underwhelming. The polo shirts in mixed colours or stripes have a bit more going for them but we are missing a bit of the sex appeal of JW Anderson’s own collections in this throuple.
Comme des Garcons x Salomon
Most definitely NOT in the underwhelming category is the eye-popping result of a collab between Japanese avant-gardist genius Comme des Garcons and sports shoe specialist Salomon. Comme was a very early adopter of the collaboration route that now is so widespread, having worked with brands as diverse as Speedos, Converse and even the Pink Panther. They worked before with Salomon but returned this season with a pair of high-rise sneakers in a truly bonkers kaleidoscopic colourway. You know how much we hate ugly shoes but somehow these work rather brilliantly (conceptually and literally) though the price tag of around €1500 will make your eyes water too.
Byredo solid fragrance
Considering how annoying travelling with fluids in hand luggage is, it’s surprising that solid fragrances haven’t taken off (maybe it’s because the rules are still a bit confusing when it comes to waxes and pastes). Anyway, that might all change as left-field Swedish fragrance house Byredo launches their first-ever non-liquid perfume. Celebrating the tenth anniversary of their much-loved Mojave Ghost scent, a limited edition concentrated wax version has just been released, presented in a very tactile and portable container that can hang from your keyring or bag. Admittedly dabbing it onto your pulse points doesn’t quite have the glamour of a full-on spray on the neck but practicality might actually win out here.
Lego Icons of Paris
Getting bored of the wait for the Parisian architectural wonder of Notre Dame Cathedral to be rebuilt after the fire five years ago? Then why not build your own?! Lego – supposedly a child’s building brick system but one that we all know is beloved by adults across the world – has just released a 4383-piece set that allows you to recreate the gothic masterpiece. And if that isn’t enough, the same Icons of Paris series includes a slightly easier 1500-piece reproduction of the Mona Lisa, complete with a gilded frame. Bang goes all our evenings for the next few weeks…
