Yet another Monday has rolled around which can only mean one thing – it’s time for another Monday Briefing. In this week’s news, sneakers are taking centre stage with a Converse x UNDEFEATED collaboration that revisits the Chuck 70s and another TAKAHIROMIYASHITATTheSoloist x Suicoke Vibram FiveFinger shoe. We’ve also got a new Herschel Supply set of luggage and Casablanca’s AI -generated campaign. Keep reading to get your full news fix with today’s Monday Briefing.
OLAOLU SLAWN IS OPENING A CAFÉ IN EAST LONDON
Celebrating his 5 years of living in London, the artist Slawn has announced the opening of his family-run East London coffee shop. Called “Beau Beaus”, the space will be a place for “all you bastards to enjoy and fully be your bastard selves”, as written in Slawn’s Instagram caption where he revealed his red name logo café.
HERSCHEL SUPPLY RELEASES A NEW LUGGAGE
Built to last through airports’ relentless handling of suitcases, Herschel Supply is launching its Herschel Heritage Hardshell luggage. Coming in a total of 4 sizes – a carry on, large carry one, medium and large versions, the suitcases have been built with sustainability in mind, made with the brand’s polycarbonate EcoSystem that uses 70% recycled road barricade material. Finished with the signature diamond logo and silent-rolling Hinomoto wheels, the luggage is now available online.
CASABLANCA TURNS TO AI FOR SS23
AI has become an integral part of fashion within these past few months and Casablanca is the latest to turn to the technology. Titled “Futuro Optimisto”, the SS23 campaign was launched by founder Charaf Taraj and assisted by photographer Luke Nugent and created by Midjourney, an AI image generator. The campaign imagery, which looks more like a painting rather than realistic photographs, takes inspiration from Mexico and stays in touch with Casablanca’s brand entity, with previous campaign images having been fed to the AI.
A RELEASE DATE HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED FOR NIKE’S SB JANOSKI OG+
Created with skater Stefan Janoski originally released in 2009, the Nike SB shoe is being reworked and re-released this year in a “Going Green” version. Releasing on May 23 and priced at $95, the skater sneaker features a suede green upper decorated with the Swoosh in an embroidered teal colour. The heel and tongue are found in black, and the Stefan Janoski branding is found on a stitched label on the tongue that also reads “for daily use”.
SWATCH TURNS TO BASQUIAT FOR ITS LATEST INSPIRATION
Part of Swatch’s Art Journey 2023 which has already seen 4 capsule collections inspired by various artists, Basquiat is the latest to be tapped by the Swiss watch company. 3 watches have been created in this collaboration, inspired by various artworks from the New York artist. In the offering we can see the “Hollywood Africans”, the “Ishtar” and the “(Untitled)”, all now available online as well as the collector’s Swatch x Jean-Michel Basquiat Triptych, a special box that includes all 3 items with exclusive loop detailing.
UNDEFEATED AND CONVERSE ARE TEAMING UP AGAIN
Priced at $90, the UNDEFEATED x Converse collaborative Chuck 70 Mid-rise shoe comes in a “Parchment/Chive” and “Black/Natural Ivory” canvas iterations. Having previously worked together in 2021 on a “Tiger Camo” pair, the two keep it minimal this time, with UNDEFEATED’s discreet 5-tally signature on the shoe’s tongue. The heel features mismatched branded tags while the insole also features both brand’s names. The collaborative Chuck 70s are now available on UNDEFEATED’s website.
THE HILLSIDE X DOVER STREET MARKET COLLECTION IS HERE
After holding a pop-up over the weekend in London’s Dover Street Market store, the collaborative Hillside collection is now available online. The British streetwear brand has kept its drops exclusive up until now in perhaps the biggest move the brand has made. The collaborative collection includes a range of graphic tees, some with insects while another sports wildflowers, as well as a rain “Photo Jacket”, reining in Hillside’s technical side.
TAKAHIROMIYASHITATHESOLOIST. X SUICOKE COME TOGETHER FOR SS23
Having previously launched 2 shoes last year, Japanese menswear label TAKAHIROMIYASHITATTheSoloist and the Japanese footwear brand Suicoke have created another pair of Vibram FiveFinger shoe. The slip-on foot piece comes just in time for summer, featuring a blend of suede and neoprene fabrics in shades of black, white and grey. The collaborative shoe is now available for purchase on TAKAHIROMIYASHITATTheSoloist’s website for ¥28,600.
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET ENTERS HIS CHANEL ERA
Taking to his Instagram to post an elusive black image with the centred double-C white Chanel logo and the caption “CC X TC OTW”, Timothée Chalamet is cooking something up. The actor has been keeping busy this year with the release of Dune: Part 2 coming out later this year, Chalamet is now adding Chanel to his roster of high-profile work. Whether this will be a one-off collaboration or a long-term partnership is yet to be revealed.
VALENTINO IS SET TO SHOWCASE ITS MENSWEAR SHOW IN MILAN
Breaking away from the typical coed setup that the Italian house has been following for the last 3 years, creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli will showcase Valentino The Narratives Menswear show in Milan on June 16. The location has been chosen after the original 1985 menswear show by Valentino Garavani, highlighting the city as both a historical landmark and a hotspot for innovation.
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