Bang & Olufsen announces SS2019 Collection in Scandinavian summer colours

The new Spring/Summer 2019 Collection from Bang & Olufsen, which includes a range of premium headphones, speakers and accessories, celebrates the subtle colours associated with a Scandinavian summer. 

The limited-edition B&O SS19 Collection includes a range of premium headphones, speakers and accessories in a new, ethereal colour scheme that eases from the ground, through the forest and up into the pale blue sky. 

The new, ethereal colour scheme features Clay, a deep and natural colour inspired by the earthy tones and dramatic seaside cliffs; Pine, a dark green that brings to mind the crisp freshness and deep contrasts of the Scandinavian forest; and Sky, a light blue tone with a cool sense of breezy summer afternoons. 

DDP streetwear label in collaboration with Neith Nyer in Paris: A clashing of universes or a cohesive love affair?

The French streetwear label DDP's new AW2020 collection was conceived with the collaboration of Neith Nyer,  and unveiled at Paris Fashion Week in February.

Described as "a brutal car crash with tender lovemaking",  the inaugural collaboration was designed with the intensity of a clashing of patterns, layering of various proportions, marked by floral prints and madras checks,  fleece, knits and leather, oversized sportswear shapes, puffa jackets, along with drawstring detailing taken from active sports.   The collection carries this spirit of accumulation, searching for cohesion between clashing universes.  

The new collection isn’t just about two brands working together, it is an attempt to create an aesthetic that blurs the lines between the new and the old, luxury and streetwear, a genre that Neith Nyer creative director Francisco Terra does very well, working closely with DDP Founder Laurent Caillet and their shared obsession with flea markets have influenced their ideas. "We thought of a digger," explains Francisco. "She's a girl who obsessively bargains, she runs from the club early morning to get the best deals at the garage sales."

The creative process guiding this collection reflects the same dynamics: through their research, the designers excavated hundreds of DDP archive pieces, some of them dating from the mid 90s. (DDP was launched in 1995 by LAURENT CAILLET with partner DIDIER MAUROUX.)

Individually, the pieces are commercial and adaptable.  It's in the use of fabrics in an unconventional, almost perverted way that provokes.  Fleece is treated to look moth-eaten, then employed to craft byzantine corsets and bizarre flowers. Padded nylon is the base of mini skirts while knitted jackets are spray painted.

The cartoonesque shoes were done in collaboration with Naomi Hille, while Florence Tetier designed this seasons jewelry, a cosmic assembly of iridescent bubbles.

The collection is under the auspices of the iconic figure of the eggman, one of the most memorable visual elements of DDP, whose face is burned on jersey and hand-sewn on hoodies. This character, revived for the collection, serves as the symbol of « Neith Nyer and DDP », a brand that stands for playfulness and inclusiveness. 

Butterflies bring a happy feeling.

A Red Admiral among lilacs. in my garden.  Photo by Lucia Carpio.

With the promise of Spring,
Butteflies are everywhere.

Butterfly effect. 
Bold lines, dynamic cutouts and refined lens shape.
From Silhouette Spring Summer 2019 collection.
Accent Shades inspired by the Morpho didius butterfly of Peru.

Chase And Wonder Gift Wrap The Butterfly Lady Portrait.

Printed butterfly scarf, National History Museum, London.

Made-to-measure butterfly wallpaper mural by Gina Lorena Maldonado at Wallsauce.com.

 Hand-decorated butterfly chest of drawers, the Natural History Museum, London.

Kimhékim's runway presentation in Paris: Ready-to-wear 2020

KIMHÉKIM's ready-to-wear collection for Fall Winter 2020 features smart tailoring and suiting shapes, as well as street-style aesthetic with a nod to his Korean roots.  Note the asymmetric cuts, fitted as well as generous silhouettes, in a range of fabrications.

“ If one asks me about my new collection, I will say it is all about ‘me’, who I am and what makes me. I say or mention the word ‘me’ more than uncountable times per day, ‘Text me’, ‘Give me’, ‘Love me’… what really defines me ?" says the designer Kiminte Kimhekim.

In fact the name Kimhekim is of ancient royal family in Korea and it symbolizes the era of a golden kingdom.

This catwalk presentation is referred to as the "Renaissance of the Golden Kingdom -  Enrichment of the decorative art" whereby he enhances women’s silhouette with experimental elements.

The new elegant collection represents the brand’s signature silhouette indicating the designer's passion through details, feminine references and sophisticated finishes.

The designer Kiminte Kimhekim graduated from the notable Paris fashion design institute of Studio Berçot in 2009 and went straight to work at the prestigious fashion house Balenciaga in Paris.  He worked there for 4 seasons crossing between the studio and the atelier and learned the importance in the approach and the attitude and mentality of an artisan.

KIMHEKIM has presented in Paris since 2014 and has expended into the global market, 

receiving high praises from buyers and the social media.  

Britons splash out £6 billion a year emulating celebrating lifestyles

Magazines and social media's report on celebrity styles and fashion because such news drive circulation sales and in turn, what a celebrity wears can have great influence on the way we shop in the UK.

David Beckham named as
British Fashion Council (BFC) 's
Ambassadorial President last year.
BFC photo.

According to a new report conducted by OnePoll for Zopa, British consumers love to emulate celebrity lifestyles to the tune of £6 billion a year, in the survey of 2,000 consumers.  Additionally a typical Briton spends £517 yearly making an attempt to emulate celebrities’ lifestyles.  While nearly a fifth admitted to purchasing merchandise within a fortnight after seeing a star wearing or using a merchandise, one in four adults stating that their spending habits have been influenced indirectly by celebrities.

The most influential female celebrity has been revealed as TV star Holly Willoughby, presenter on This Morning, whereas  David Beckham is deemed the most influential male celebrity.

Other influential female celebrities include Rihanna, Kate Middleton, the Kardashians, Kate Moss, Meghan Markle, Taylor Swift, Victoria Beckham and Emma Watson.

Male style-role models include actors Bradley Cooper and George Clooney followed by Cristiano Ronaldo, Kanye West, Ryan Gosling, David Gandy, Justin Bieber and Harry Styles.

The top items that celebrities inspire consumers to buy included gadgets and clothing, and products for the home.
Celebrities can also influence us on hairstyles, fragrances, merchandise, watches, make-up, footwear, luggage, jewellery and sunglasses.

The survey shows that women are more incliend than men to be swayed by a celebrity link, while 25 percent in comparison with 22 percent of males.  But men are more likely to be influenced to make more expensive purchases.

UK Retail: Is Fashion fleeing the high street?

Following the news on Friday 15 March that Arcadia is reportedly poised to launch a CVA, Sofie Willmott, Senior Retail Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view on the chain's current challenges and the scenario on the UK retail market: click vs mortar.  Clothing & Footwear will the fastest declining sector in UK town centres over the next five years.

News that Arcadia is poised to launch a CVA comes as no surprise as clothing & footwear spend continues to shift online and rising operating costs make physical locations less viable, said Ms Willmott.

“(UK) High streets will be the hardest hit with already declining spend being further impacted by significant branch closure plans at Arcadia as well as major players Debenhams and Marks & Spencer. The shuttering of anchor stores in town centres will encourage consumers to go elsewhere to purchase clothing & footwear, negatively impacting other retailers in the area.

“GlobalData forecasts that clothing & footwear will be the fastest declining sector in town centres over the next five years with spend falling 13.8% between 2018 and 2023, versus the total town centres market which is set to decline 1.9%, propped up by essential product sectors namely food & grocery and health & beauty.

“While town centres accounted for over 40% of clothing & footwear spend in 2013, other locations which are better able to meet shoppers’ needs such as supermalls and retail parks, as well as the online channel, have tempted consumers away with high streets forecast to account for just 25.9% of spend by 2023.”

A Fisherman's Trend for transition weather

It's hard to decide what to wear during this Spring-cum-rain time of the year.  Especially when it's looking stormy outside.

Elka has collaborated with Monocle to bring a unisex hardwearing rain jacket to the market.

Elka draws on its expertise in creating Danish fishermen’s work clothes when producing its high-quality rainwear.

With welded seams and adjustable hood, this exclusive Monocle collaboration is a careful adaption of the classic raincoat.

Made in the EU with lightweight PVC, simple snap buttons, and an adjustable hood, it is a practical solution for a wet weekend away.  Elka X Monocle rain jacket available in Navy and Olive, in sizes: XS to XL.

About Monocle, it is a complete media brand based in London, with print, audio and online elements and an expanding retail network and online business. Via their shops in London, Toronto, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Zürich and LA, and a seasonal shop in Merano, Italy, the company sells products that cater to their readers’ tastes, produced by brands they believe in. Monocle also has cafés in Tokyo, Zürich and London, as well as a newsstand and coffee concept in London called Kioskafé.