As the first week of Autumn hits but we are still basking in mid-summer heat, we thought we would share some of the things that have caught our attention over the past few days. From the growing trend towards black and grey denim and a multi-purpose watch mashup to a plethora of art and fashion collabs that might in some cases be a missed opportunity, there is plenty out there to keep us interested whilst we enjoy those last few glasses of wine in the sun.
Levi’s X JJJJound
Maybe it’s the eternal draw of rock ’n’ roll, or perhaps fashion’s obsession with Y2K or maybe even a reflection of existential international gloom but black and grey denim is definitely having a bit of a moment right now. Buying into that, brand leader Levi’s have collaborated for a second time with Canadian design studio JJJJound to create a ten piece collection of jeans, leather jackets and shirts all in shades of charcoal and washed-out grey. Our favourites would be the band tour-inspired t-shirts that look like vintage finds (and look way cooler than Levi’s also re-released Oasis band t-shirts).
Chanel Première sound
We all want our investment buys to really work for us but Chanel have taken multi-tasking to the next level with a frankly weird watch/jewellery/headphones hybrid. Figuring that wearing a watch on your wrist is a bit passé, they have placed a version of their Originale Édition Premiere timepiece – inspired by the iconic Chanel No.5 bottle – on a signature handbag chain to be worn around the neck. If that wasn’t enough, it has detachable wired headphones (double-C logo-ed of course) so you can listen to your favourite podcast whilst strolling down the Champs Elysee. Expect to see them hanging around the neck of many a blinged-up rapper this autumn.
Kaws + Warhol x Uniqlo
The influence of Pop Art and specifically Andy Warhol continues to be felt not only in the art world but in many areas of commercial product design and advertising (creating a totally meta situation of cross-pollination) so it’s no surprise to see his image appearing regularly on clothing. However, it’s more unusual to see him paired with a contemporary artist as he is in a new series of products created by Uniqlo. Their latest UT project features work by the master himself mixed with the cartoony iconography of Kaws: selfies of bewigged Andy and Marilyn’s silk-screened lips are combined with cute robots and XX eyes. The funniest piece though has to be the cheeky t-shirt with a centrefold-style Kaws character posing suggestively with a Warhol banana…
Louis Vuitton Silk Squares
More art to wear appears this week chez Louis Vuitton who have asked five contemporary artists to reimagine the brand’s iconic four-petal flower motif as a design for a printed silk square. Approaching the likes of Thomas Ott, Lorenzo Mattotti and eBoy sounds like a cool idea – after all, LV have had fantastic collaborations with Murakami and more recently Kusama in the past – but this time we think the results are a bit underwhelming. Most of the images are a bit too pretty and traditional looking not unlike many previous silk scarves with depictions of flower gardens or a single iris. Best perhaps is the bold labyrinth done by eBoy in characteristic cartoon style in vivid colours which at least will add a bit of pizazz when wrapped around your neck.
Eastpak Resist’r Case
Known to most of us probably as purveyors of ubiquitous canvas backpacks, often in rather garish designs, worn by gap year students across the world, Eastpak is now marching confidently into the realm of much sturdier – and more stylish – hard cases. Launching in early September is a line called Resist’r Case which, despite its terrible name, has a rather pleasing chunky, almost Lego-like appearance in a shiny polycarbonate shell. It’s available in three sizes and colours but we think the smaller cabin one is the nicest (though not 100% sure we are ready to give up on our Away carry-on quite yet).
