Apo and Mile Truck It, Dior on Cruise Control, Louboutin’s New Kicks
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KIM’S KREW: Follow the trucks. That might be the motto for fashion week, as devoted fans of new Dior ambassadors Apo and Mile hired not one, but three, trucks to drive around Paris promoting the Thai actors. (A similar stunt happened for Chinese pop star Fan Chengcheng at the previous day’s Givenchy show, though his truck was solo.)
Their destination was the Ecole Militaire, where Kim Jones was staging his fifth anniversary show. The duo were thrilled to be there, despite all the commotion, and gamely posed for photos with anyone and everyone who asked, plus filmed the entire show from their front-row seats.
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Apo and Mile, who costar in the Thai drama “KinnPorsche,” were introduced to K-pop star Cha Eun-woo, and politely asked how to say “thank you” in Korean before they all shared a bow.
Colombian rapper Maluma also roused the fans that were lined up outside, despite the blazing midday sun. “I love all my fans, and especially the French ones, they know how to show off love,” he said of the enthusiastic amour.
J Balvin has crowned Jones with a new moniker. “I always call him ‘king,’” the singer said. “He’s elevating the culture, the fashion world. He always levels it up. Every time I come here, it’s a new statement. The ideas that he has, that he creates, are always next-level. Not only from the clothes, which is so important, but the whole spirit.”
Demi Moore was in a white suit from the men’s collection, but it hadn’t been tailored for her female frame. She lifted up her blazer to show the back of the trousers were safety-pinned for her tiny waist. But she admitted she loves to borrow from men’s closets, as does Amber Valletta.
“It’s always super chic, cool, beautiful,” Valletta said. “It’s a meeting of the past and the future and modern man — and also modern woman because I like to steal their clothes.”
Calling her self “both a fan and a friend,” she continued: “It’s awesome to hit milestones and to reflect on what you’ve done, and I’m just super proud of him. Nobody deserves success like he does.”
With slicked-back, wet-look hair, she was planning to beat the heat with one simple solution: “Drink a lot of water. It’s important to stay hydrated.”
“Stranger Things” actor Caleb McLaughlin was attending his very first Dior show. The experience was “robust,” he said, diplomatically. “Getting out of the car with the screams — it’s surreal.”
He’s about to make a big transition to music and is working on songs right now, but is careful not to release anything before it’s time.
“I want it all to come together so that when I drop it, I don’t have any regrets. I want to make music videos, and perform and do a tour. I want to do it right way, and I want to give you guys a story,” he said. “I’m a perfectionist, 100 percent.”
Noomi Rapace spends time with Jones in London, where they are both based. “He’s in a very confident place,” she said of the designer. “It’s a very powerful collection. It’s such a good vibe here.”
The actress said she has been working nonstop, but is about to take the summer off. “I’m going to just live for a moment,” she said of the upcoming down time.
That living will not be done in London or her native Sweden, but further south in Portugal. She joked that she hadn’t anticipated the Dior tent to be so steamy, and that maybe picking a look from the fall collection hadn’t been well planned. “It’s hot there, too, but next to the ocean and I will be in the water. And I won’t be wearing wool, I will tell you that,” she joked. — RHONDA RICHFORD
EVEN KEEL: Speaking of Dior, the Dior cruise is back, and no, it’s not a fashion collection, but instead the brand’s summer wellness spa on the river Seine, which is back for another season.
Starting on July 3, in tandem with couture week beginning in Paris, the boat will run through July 14, with reservations available on dior.com.
The yacht is named Stunning Excellence and will be moored at Port Henri IV, near Île Saint-Louis, offering tailor-made holistic treatment programs, billed to treat mental, emotional and physical well-being, using the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned brand’s protocols. There are two types of cruises on offer, lasting two hours each, though they can be combined for a four-hour extravaganza.
The treatment cruise includes an hourlong face or body treatment — focused on detox, balance, reverse-aging, power or relaxation, which are available on specific dates — and a one-hour rest on the deck.
The wellness cruise comprises one hour of R&R on deck, then 60 minutes of an activity such as Pilates flow, respirology and postural stretching, mobility or detox flow.
The Excellence’s remodeled decor includes the brand’s signature toile de jouy, in blue and beige accents, as well as canework.
The 1,290-square-foot upper teak deck boasts and open-air sports deck, juice bar and pool — replete with lounge chairs from which it’s possible to view Paris monuments, such as the Notre-Dame cathedral, Musée d’Orsay and Grand Palais drift by.
Below the deck, after passing through a reception room containing Dior skin care and fragrance, a corridor leads to four single cabins, plus one double with a lounge. — JENNIFER WEIL
CHRISTIAN’S KICKS: Christian Louboutin unveiled its latest sneaker style, Astroloubi, on Friday night during Paris Men’s Fashion Week with a party at Le Dernier Étage, which is located on the top floor of a building in Montmartre that offers a panoramic view of the Paris skyline.
Hitting the market later in the summer with five colorways for men and women — white and red, green and lilac, multifoam and navy, titan and supernova, and kismet and supernova — Astroloubi has a ’90s street-style-inspired silhouette borrowing the aesthetic of the era’s basketball and skate sneakers with the brand’s signature spikes on the back counter.
The style is touted as the brand’s lightest low-top sneaker offering to date, 20 percent lighter than its usual all-leather counterparts. It also marks the first time the brand has used a light and breathable Lycra-covered open foam footbed as well as a fast-drying red lining.
Other spring 2024 footwear styles were presented during the party, as well as the brand’s first hat collection, a selection of caps and bucket hats featuring a removable visor, inspired by a bright ’90s color palette.
Guests including Miguel, Noah Beck, Burna Boy, Tom Daley, Cindy Bruna, Dan Clement, Tyrod Taylor, Miles McBride, Karl Anthony Towns, Tyler Perez, Blake Gray, Jack Wright and Serge Ibaka danced to DJ sets by Tay James, Blue Hawaii and Benjamin Morau and Noemi Ferst from Radiooooo. — TIANWEI ZHANG
PULLING UP A CHAIR: Never one with a shortage of things to do, Josie Natori is taking on another hefty responsibility. The Asian Cultural Council’s board of trustees has elected the fashion designer as its new chairman.
Far from a newcomer to the organization, Natori, who was born in the Philippines, has served on ACC’s board since 1995. Five years later she helped establish its Philippines Foundation and ACC’s affiliate office in Manila. That location is one of the organization’s five international offices.
Having started her namesake company 46 years ago, Natori, chief executive officer and chief creative officer, is as tireless as ever. She routinely flies back and forth between her homeland and her home base in New York. After each 10-hour flight to and from Manila, she is known to go directly to the office for a full day’s work. That was the case Thursday, when the designer was reached in Manila and she had mentioned that she was en route to her office there.
In fact, the designer said her love for the arts started as a child growing up in Manila studying piano, which became a lifelong passion. “While I adore my work, success in fashion is not enough. I want to be able to give something back, to make a difference in people’s lives. Serving as a trustee, and now taking on the role of chairman in ACC’s New York headquarters, is emblematic of that desire,” she said, adding that she is looking forward to working with the board and staff “to continue providing artists, scholars and arts professionals with singular opportunities to further expand their practices and pursuits through dynamic cultural exchange.”
In her new role at the helm of the ACC’s board of trustees, she succeeds Wendy O’Neill, a 14-year board of trustees veteran, who had acted as chairman since 2012. In May of this year, O’Neill was tapped as a life trustee.
Announcing Natori’s appointment, the ACC’s executive director Judy Kim said, “Josie Cruz Natori has been a stalwart champion of ACC’s mission, generously sharing both her deep-seated passion for the arts and her business acumen for over two decades.”
Natori started her career on Wall Street, where she became the first female vice president of investment banking at Merrill Lynch.
Since launching the Natori Company, her fashion and international lifestyle brand, in 1977, Natori has been bringing art to life with an East-meets-West sensibility. Previously, she had a career on Wall Street, becoming the first female vice president of investment banking at Merrill Lynch. In addition to being a long-standing member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, she is a board member for both the Orchestra of St. Luke’s and the Statue of Liberty — Ellis Island Foundation. — ROSEMARY FEITELBERG
SHINING PROUD: Betsey Johnson’s partnership with Miley Cyrus’ Happy Hippie Foundation came to life Thursday night at a Pride party in West Hollywood.
Continuing their collaboration, the two unveiled a social campaign for Pride titled “Sparkle and Shine” earlier this month. It features drag queens Aquaria, Kandy Muse, Desmond Is Amazing, Catherrine, Vanjie, ballet dancer Harper Watters and model Lizette Pinto e Melo.
Held at Heart WeHo, Cyrus was MIA at the bash, but Johnson held court. She arrived on theme — inspired by Studio 54 and Andy Warhol’s The Factory — sparkling in a metallic gold dress of her own design. She accessorized with signature elbow-length gloves in black, cut out at the fingertips to reveal long red nails that matched her cherry-colored pout.
“RuPaul’s Drag Race” stars Gottmik, Kandy Muse and Vanessa Vanji Mateo performed for guests, which included Chrishell Stause of “Selling Sunset”; singer-songwriter Loren Gray; dancer Harper Watters; drag performer DD Fuego, and music artists Lydia Night and Ashlee Keating.
For every item purchased from Betsey Johnson’s rhinestone collection, the brand will donate $1 to Happy Hippie through Shopping Gives, a software allowing brands to make a social impact. The Happy Hippie Foundation, a nonprofit founded by Cyrus in 2014, focuses on helping homelessness youth, the LGBTQIA+ community and other “vulnerable populations.” It’s funded privately, with all donations going to those in need, according to the organization.
“At Happy Hippie, we celebrate our LGBTQ community every day of the year, and this June for Pride Month we are so excited to be partnering with Betsey Johnson to keep sharing our message of acceptance and belonging and to continue our work providing LGBTQ youth with support services,” Cyrus said in a statement. — RYMA CHIKHOUNE
IT’S A BARBIE WORLD: Barbie is taking her imaginary world to Iguatemi, the Brazilian shopping center that frequently serves as the port of entry for luxury brands entering Latin America.
Starting July 13, Iguatemi, in partnership with Mattel, will introduce the international installation, “Barbie Dreamhouse Experience,” for the first time in South America.
Spanning an area of nearly 7,000 square feet, the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience is an in-person, life-size recreation of Barbie’s iconic pink mansion. The Experience will feature interactive rooms such as a glamorous closet full of fashion looks and a dream kitchen. Entry is ticketed.
The dreamhouse seeks to allow Brazilian visitors to experience the “Barbiecore” trend in a fully interactive, immersive way. There will be a café, and Barbie merchandise will be for sale.
“Barbie invites everyone to be anything they want to be. We are excited to bring the magic of the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience to São Paulo, providing a unique experience that celebrates imagination, self-expression and empowerment, inspiring people from all ages to embrace their individuality and pursue their dream,” said Angel Hidalgo, licensing director for Mattel in Latin America.
Renata Zitune, media director at Iguatemi, added, “Recognized for anticipating trends and as one of the most important shopping centers in Brazil, JK Iguatemi sets the stage for important fashion, lifestyle and cultural events in the city. Reinforcing our pillar of originality and innovation, we bring the Barbie Dreamhouse Experience project so that visitors can fulfill their dream of visiting Barbie’s home and have this unique experience.”
The project will be introduced in São Paulo at JK Iguatemi until Sept. 13. It will then move to Iguatemi Campinas in São Paulo and finally Shopping Paraia de Belas in Porto Alegre, Brazil, later in the year.
This summer, “Barbie,” will hit the big screen starring Margot Robbie in the titular role and Ryan Gosling as her male companion Ken, with an additional ensemble cast including Issa Rae, America Ferrera, Will Ferrell, Simu Liu and Kate McKinnon. The film premieres in theaters in the U.S. on July 21 and internationally on July 19. — LISA LOCKWOOD
HOME RUNS IN NEW YORK: While brand ambassadorships are in abundance for style arbiters, Thom Browne and Andrew Bolton have landed a more distinguished one.
Friends of the Upper East Side Historic Districts, New York’s premiere preservation organization, will honor the pair with its Ambassador to the Upper East Side Award. The high-powered couple will be the guests of honor at the group’s Sept. 19 fundraising dinner at the Metropolitan Club in New York.
However, the fashion designer Browne, who also heads up the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and Bolton, the Wendy Yu curator in charge of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, are not being saluted for leading their respective fields. They will be recognized for their “contribution to preserving the majesty of the Upper East Side through the careful renovation of their home on Sutton Place, a Georgian town home overlooking the East River” that was designed in 1920 by the American architect Mott Schmidt for Anne Vanderbilt. Schmidt’s work can also be seen in the Estée Lauder Building on Fifth Avenue. The 7,000-square-foot home rests on some prime Manhattan real estate — the northeast corner of East 57th Street and Sutton Place.
In an announcement, the Upper East Side Historic Districts noted how Browne and Bolton “renovated with deep consideration” for the provenance of their Sutton Place home. “They updated the property with great respect and tremendous design sense, creating an exceptional tribute to the history and aesthetic of this important building,” according to the 41-year-old organization.
In 2019, Browne and Bolton purchased the brick Georgian town house from the estate of philanthropist Drue Heinz. Heinz, who had been married to ketchup-heir husband Henry John “Jack” Heinz II, served as the Paris Review publisher for 15 years until 2008. Browne and Bolton reportedly bought the property for $13 million, with some of the proceeds earmarked for charities that Drue Heinz supported. The address had been initially listed for $21 million in 2018.
Another well-known New Yorker, Merrill Lynch cofounder Charles Merrill, who helped to build the financial world as Browne and Bolton have helped to create the foundation for the fashion industry and art, also once called the townhouse home.
As is often the case with major home improvement projects, theirs took some serious elbow grease. In a statement, Browne said, “We feel honored and humbled to receive this recognition for the years of effort we put into protecting the original design intent of this remarkable building, working closely with our friend David Kleinberg.”
The couple worked closely with Kleinberg to actualize their plans for the three-year renovation. They were also said to have made “great effort to update as needed with great consideration for the original planning.”
Bolton added, “We are thrilled to accept this award from an organization dedicated to protecting the history and culture of this part of New York City.”
Friends of the Upper East Side Historic District has been key in designating the neighborhood’s 131 individual landmarks and seven historic districts, encompassing a total of 1,907 protected buildings. The group’s executive director Anna Marcum said the honorees’ “phenomenal renovation of the property exemplifies how historic preservation fortifies the Upper East Side’s sense of place. Their home beautifully illustrates how architecture, fashion and art are intimately connected.”
This fall’s benefit will be stacked with plenty of Browne’s and Bolton’s friends. Alina Cho and Kent Barwick will serve as honorary chairs, with Amy Fine Collins, Alexandra and Philip Howard, Christian Keesee, Larry Keigwin and Ann and John Pyne serving as chairs. — R.F.
WHAT GOES AROUND: Bernard Arnault has made his name as the entrepreneur behind the world’s largest luxury group, but on Thursday he was honored for his contribution to real estate, receiving the award from one of the world’s most famous architects.
Frank Gehry, who has collaborated with Arnault on several projects, most memorably the striking Fondation Louis Vuitton building near Paris, flew from Los Angeles for the Pierres d’Or ceremony held at the InterContinental Paris Le Grand hotel.
“Working with Bernard Arnault is something of a pleasure, I can tell you. I recommend it for other architects. He’s an active and very committed client; he stays involved with the projects and with the detail,” Gehry told the crowd, made up of the French capital’s leading real estate executives.
“Both of us share a love for the arts, of course, but especially for classical music, so when we work on a project together, even the restrooms, we try to make music. It’s like a disease, isn’t it Bernard?” he added, directly addressing the chairman and chief executive officer of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
Accepting the special prize, which marked the 25th anniversary of the awards, Arnault recalled that he started his career with his family’s construction firm Ferret-Savinel, overseeing its transformation into real estate firm Ferinel. From those early days of overseeing the building of homes, offices and factories in France and the U.S., he has kept an abiding love of architecture.
“I haven’t practiced this profession in years, as you probably know, but it was then that I perceived the potential in combining entrepreneurship and creativity to come up with real estate products that sold a lot better because they had this creative, inventive dimension that made them stand out,” said the executive, who competes with Elon Musk for the title of the world’s richest man.
He noted that for more than three decades, LVMH has contributed to restoring historic buildings dating back to the Middle Ages, in addition to working on new projects with architects including Christian de Portzamparc, who designed the LVMH Tower in New York City. Arnault particularly enjoys working with Gehry.
“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “He’s a phenomenal architect but he’s very easy to work with. He’s not the kind of architect who says, ‘You pay the bills and I’ll handle the architecture, leave me alone.’ Not at all. We work together very closely.”
Arnault recalled the difficult gestation of the Fondation Louis Vuitton, which took 10 years to complete and has welcomed close to 10 million visitors since its opening in 2014. “Paris is not easy,” he said to applause. “Even when you have the support of the city of Paris or the government, you’re not out of the woods.”
He teased plans for a cognac museum, to be designed by Gehry, next to the Moët Hennessy cellars on the Charente river in Cognac, France. “It won’t be ready for several years because it’s a beautiful building, but again not very easy to build, with copper on the inside,” Arnault said.
Speaking to WWD after the ceremony, Arnault said he felt a duty to preserve Paris while helping to modernize the city.
LVMH has contributed 200 million euros to a fund to rebuild Notre-Dame Cathedral after it was destroyed by a fire in 2019, and has revitalized the neighboring Pont-Neuf area, where Pharrell Williams earlier this week showed his debut collection for Louis Vuitton on the French capital’s oldest bridge.
Although some left-wing city councillors criticized the luxury group’s use of a public space for its show, Arnault noted that LVMH’s investment has transformed the neighborhood, with the opening of the La Samaritaine department store and Cheval Blanc hotel in 2021 near Vuitton’s headquarters.
“I don’t know if you remember that little square down there. Ten years ago, nobody came there. There was no point. Now, it’s one of the liveliest places in Paris, and that’s terrific. And I believe that, frankly, without wanting to boast, it’s really thanks to us,” he said. — JOELLE DIDERICH
SUITS HER: “This oversize suit is giving boss girl vibes,” said actress and musician Halle Bailey as she took her seat at the Ami Paris show on Thursday, clad in a light gray suit.
“These pants are so cool and allow so much air and they’re comfortable and cute,” she enthused as editors peppered her with questions on where she’d want to vacation — Fiji; what her song of the moment is — “Hummingbird” by James Blake, from the soundtrack of “Spiderman,” and what color spells summer for her.
“Pink is what I love right now,” she revealed. For all the attention she was getting in Paris, the star of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” live-action remake was also not forgetting fans who did not make it to the show, taking the time to record a selfie video with one photographer for his young daughter.
With a summer of rest and relaxation ahead as her latest projects were squared away, including new music that will soon be released, the June 9 premiere of thriller “The Line” and musical coming-of-age drama “The Color Purple” set for a Christmas Day release, nothing could dampen her mood.
“Yes, the traffic is bad today but the city is beautiful and warm and summery and I love it,” she said with a megawatt smile.
“Long journey,” concurred Tom Daley, who commiserated with fellow attendees “Wednesday” actor Hunter Doohan and Noah Schnapp. But the British Olympic diving champion’s attention was on something else — the knits people were wearing.
“I hope to launch my own knitwear brand next year,” he revealed. “Fingers crossed.”
Nearby, fellow Olympian and American fencer Race Imboden was also cribbing notes for an upcoming fashion line, which is slated to make its debut within weeks. “This is a tremendous amount of work but it’s too late to back out now,” he said, revealing that he’d quietly added a link to his eponymous brand in his Instagram profile.
But neither of them, nor Ami’s Mattiussi, should count on Lucas Bravo to model for them as the “Emily in Paris” leading man was firm about not taking a second turn on any runway.
“I walked for a childhood friend of mine and now, every time there’s an article, it’s actor and model,” he protested. Despite this, he said it had been a good experience and made him aware of his gait. “It’s the one time in your life where you’re actually conscious of the way you walk. There’s a lot of things you do without thinking.”
Don’t expect to see much of him in the coming months — at least not at the shows. After being mostly in the U.S. for the past three years, Bravo was keen to get back into French films and he is about to begin work with César awards nominee Noémie Merlant and then with “Inglorious Basterds” and “Now You See Me” star Mélanie Laurent. After that, there will be season four of the hit Netflix show. “I’m entering a tunnel until March,” he said. — LILY TEMPLETON
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