Find out how the world’s most lauded designers are reinventing their new brands
WORDS BY RYAN THOMPSON
For the fashion devotee, news of a new designer in residence at a big house couldn’t be better: a new talisman, a new philosophy, a new exciting interpretation of the brand. Oh, and hype, plenty of hype. So with that said, here’s our run-down of the most recent movers and shakers ringing the changes at the industry’s favourite labels...
Helmut Lang - Shayne Oliver
Many branches of the luxury streetwear family tree lead back to Helmut Lang, but in 2005, at the height of his fame, the Austrian designer left his brand to pursue fine art. Tumbleweed years blew by, but now the house of Lang is stirring once again. New ‘Editor-in-residence’ Isabella Burley has tasked Hood by Air founder Shayne Oliver to pick up the lauded baton and his debut capsule is manifestly Langian in colour, shape and audacity.
Calvin Klein - Raf Simons
Calvin. Klein. Two of the most recognised words in fashion, but in recent years the brand drifted out of relevance as other mega-brands leaped upon their signature statement dressing with a streetwear edge. So what to do when you’re a label in the doldrums? You hire Raf Simons, the Belgian menswear midas with a resume made of gold. In his AW17 collection, Simons revisits Calvin Klein’s heartland of minimalistic America: cowboy culture, Wall Street and Varsity motifs.
Balenciaga - Demna Gvasalia
Balenciaga’s appointment of the Georgian founder of cult label Vetements, as its new creative director was a shrewd move. For AW17 Gvasalia showcases his genius by taking the label’s century-old tradition of tailoring and transitioning it into a streetwear realm full of boxy silhouettes. It might afford the sartorial classicists some furrowed brows, but Gvasalia is delivering a modern interpretation for an audience with an appetite for change.
Marni - Francesco Risso
It’s one thing to step into someone’s shoes, but when that someone is the company’s founder, the pressure is amplified. That is exactly what Francesco Risso (formerly of Prada) found himself doing last year when Consuela Castiglioni stepped down as creative director of Marni. This season Risso brings his own, ultra-wearable, spin to the brand’s colourful bohemian tradition, featuring quirky plaid patterns, multicoloured stripes and abstract prints.
Zegna - Alessandro Sartori
A fan of Zegna since childhood, it was a dream come true for Alessandro Sartori when he took on the Z Zegna line in 2003. 8 years later he left to head up Berluti, but his love of Zegna never faded and last year he was offered the company’s prime position - artistic director. Sartori has not looked back. His aesthetic is both timely and timeless and his subsequent collections have helped to redefine Italian tailoring, ushering in a more modern age of relaxed, sport-inspired silhouettes crafted from luxurious natural fabrics.
Belstaff - Delphine Ninous
Head of womenswear since 2014, Ninous is now creative director across the whole moto-inspired label. For AW17, all the classic Belstaff silhouettes are present, such as the inimitable four-pocket Roadmaster, only with more innovative leather and wax-cotton treatments. Ninous retains all the masculinity of Belstaff’s outerwear heritage while injecting a healthy dose of modernity - look out for her super-technical ‘Origins’ line for SS18 which will push the boundaries of fabric innovation.
Jil Sander - Lucie Meier and Luke Meier
Husband and wife duo Luke and Lucie Meier have some serious fashion pedigree: Lucie’s career spans Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga and Dior, while streetwear fans will recognise (ex-Supreme head designer) Luke’s own cult label OAMC. Together they now helm Jil Sander, known for its pared-down tailoring and modernist silhouettes. If the pair’s debut collection is anything to go by, we can expect the edge to be taken off Sander’s more recent severe aesthetic in favour of a more elegant construction.
Givenchy - Clare Waight Keller
After huge success at Chloé, Clare Waight Keller joined Givenchy earlier this year, replacing Riccardo Tisci as artistic director of the legendary Parisian house. How Waight Keller - the first ever female head of Givenchy - will translate the house’s codes in her menswear collections remains to be seen, but if her tenure at Chloé is anything to go by, we can expect elegant tailoring with a seductive edge.
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