We might be halfway through Paris Men’s Fashion Week, but the drops just keep on coming.
This week, Loewe entered the Studio Ghibli universe, Dr. Martens teamed up with Undercover and SSENSE debuted an Abaga Velli capsule collection. Featuring pop-ups, Coachella teases and nostalgic collabs, stay with us for our full Friday roundup of everything you need to know.
LET’S GO! NEW BOTTEGA
Matthieu Blazy’s latest drop from Bottega Veneta’s summer collection is here at last. Focusing on the ever-moving pace of the world, the Andiamo bag (meaning ‘Let’s go!’ in Italian) features classic Bottega Intrecciato elements with a fresh range of colours including a deep, wine red. Combining calf skin crafted leather suitable for all-year wear, gold knot strap detailing and an updated, genderless silhouette, the Andiamo is the perfect Summer bag for 2023.
SALOMON CHAMPIONS OUTDOOR HERITAGE
Mountaineering footwear frontrunners Salomon and German-Persian designer Boris Bidjan Saberi have teamed up to drop a unique FW23 that takes inspiration from the label’s outdoor design references. Utilitarianism elements blended with Saberi’s love for climbing come together as one for this seasonal capsule collection titled “Athletic Bouldering”. Created in partnership with climbing legend Fred Nicole and label So Ill, the collection will be available to shop in worldwide boutiques for FW23.
LOEWE ENTERS THE STUDIO GHIBLI UNIVERSE
Loewe have joined forces with animation legends Studio Ghibli for an unforgettable final collection based on the studio’s iconic film ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’. Featuring a selection of carefully crafted RTW bags and accessories, core elements of the fan-favourite animated movie are reelected in through leather-embossed characters and vibrant, colourful scenes. The collection hits pre-sale on Loewe.com on Feb 1st.
DR. MARTENS X UNDERCOVER CELEBRATES 70S FILM NOSTALGIA
Dr. Martens and Undercover just dropped the footwear collab of the season with their latest three-piece capsule. Partnering with Jun Takahashi once more for this grid-emblazoned collection, expect a solid remix of Undercover’s signature Japanese underground aesthetics with DM’s signature silhouettes. Featuring three new distinctive checked designs in Cherry Red, Blue and Black with classic DM design elements (such as their iconic yellow stitching) throughout, the capsule is heavily inspired by Takahashi’s love for 70’s cinema and boasts ‘WE MAKE NOISE NOT CLOTHES’ embossings on each style.
KALI UCHIS: A NEW TRACK & COACHELLA TEASE
Following the announcement that Billboard award winning singer Kali Uchis would feature on the immense Coachella 2023 artist roster, the enigmatic musician is back once more with a brand new track titled “I Wish You Roses”. Dubbed as ‘divine’ by NME, the track, released via Geffen Records, features a kaleidoscopic Cho Gi-Seok directed music video shot in Korea. Speaking about the single’s meaning, Uchi explained “This song is about being able to release people with love. It could be a friend, a lover, or someone else, but the point is to celebrate releasing people from your life without being resentful or bitter.” Watch the full rose-tinted music video here.
ABAGA VELLI CHANNELS STREET ELEGANCE WITH SSENSE
With an impressive celebrity fan roster including Little Simz and John Boyega at the crux of their cult designs, ABAGA VELLI is going global. Following a successful debut of the label’s COUP 001 Collection, ABAGA VELLI Creative Director Adémidé Udoma’s is back with a second symbolic release, this time for a limited capsule collection with SSENSE. With a focus on core experiences surrounding community and culture, ABAGA VELLI’s Made-in-London capsule includes a range of tailored pieces, pleated finishes and distressed shirts. Bonus points for the Varsity Leather Jacket and a striking ‘ANONYMOUS CYNIC’ emblazoned Water Resistant Tote, both exclusive to SSENSE. For ABAGA VELLI, Udoma’s vision is simple: traditional tailoring meets Street Elegance.
MCM & SONY DROP “A FILTR TAKE”
Luxury leaders MCM have dropped a partnership with Sony Music Entertainment’s music platform ‘FILTR’ dubbed “A FILTR TAKE”. The collab marks the reaffirmation of MCM’s heritage roots (tracing all the way back to the German brand’s 1976 inception during the revolutionary discotheque and rock & roll era) mixed in with a brand new generation-defying take on the future of the music industry. The campaign, featuring 3X Platinum “You Broke Me First” artist Tate McRae, includes standout shots of McRae blending in with naturistic surroundings and hanging out on a wine-red shoot set, showcasing key MCM pieces (classic and new) such their Plisse Skirt and Intarsia Knit Top, Aren Backpack in Visetos and all-new Monogram Denim Jacquard range. The full campaign and accompanying interview episode is now available to watch now via mcmworldwide.com.
ASICS POPS UP IN PARIS
That’s right – ASICS have popped up in Paris, and it’s as slick as you’d expect. Carrying on from their repertoire of industry leading collabs, the running gear giants have joined forces with Andersson Bell, Awake NY and Brain Dead to release boundary-pushing updates of three classic sneaker styles: GEL-Nimbus 3, GEL-MC Plus V and GEL-Cumulus 16. Culminating in an exclusive pop-up store in Paris, the capsule features a range of pastel colourways and iconic silhouettes. The pop-up is located at 35 Rue Des Francs-Bourgeois, 75004, Paris and will run from 19-21 of January 2023.
FENG CHEN WANG AW23: A “KNOT BY KNOT” AFFAIR
At the heart of Feng Chen Wang’s latest collection showcased in Paris, the invitation to connect as a community was extended to all. Debuting their traditionally gender-liberated pieces via traditional Chinese design techniques (with a Western twist), the concept of ‘meeting’ and knitting’ came together as one. This season, the label focused on the Chinese “Hundred Families Robe” tradition, signifying a piece of cloth that 100 friends and neighbours receive up to 100 days after giving birth to a child. Sleek tailoring met modern takes on denim and an all-rounded colour palette encapsulated the core element of the show: to create a sense of unity.
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This season, Wang was thinking especially about the original Chinese “Hundred Families Robe” tradition, whereby, 100 days after giving birth to a child, parents will visit 100 people – from family members to friends and neighbours – and receive a piece of cloth. These fabric donations are then sewn together into a patchwork robe, a shared symbol of love. Similarly, this season, Wang gathered surplus fabric from seasons past, splicing them together in a way that is not only sustainable but symbolic.
