Chanel’s New Design Talent, Katy Perry’s Mushroom Collab
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Smith/Courtesy of Chanel
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NEW RECRUIT: Virginie Viard, creative director at Chanel, has added a notable talent to her design team, WWD has learned.
Alexandre Morgado, a nine-year veteran of Givenchy, has joined the French house to work with Viard on special projects, including VIP dressing.
A Chanel spokeswoman confirmed the appointment to WWD, but provided no additional particulars.
To be sure, Chanel is very actively dressing its clutch of famous brand ambassadors — which include the likes of Kristen Stewart, Penélope Cruz, Charlotte Casiraghi and Blackpink’s Jenny — as well as other celebrities for red-carpet events, such as Giveon at the 2022 Grammys.
According to Morgado’s LinkedIn account, he was most recently head of design for haute couture, celebrities and special projects at Givenchy. He had joined the LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned fashion brand in 2013 as head designer of haute couture and VIP in 2013.
It is understood he worked at Italian label Borbonese earlier in his career.
Many top European fashion houses have dedicated design staff for dressing VIPs, which continue to attract consumer attention and engagement, especially on social media.
Givenchy reorganized its teams following the departure of Morgado and engaged Suzanna Venegas, who has experience working in haute couture and ready-to-wear with John Galliano at Maison Margiela and Dior. She now works under Givenchy creative director Matthew Williams on women’s categories and oversees all couture and VIP requests, according to a spokeswoman for the house. — Miles Socha
CRYSTAL MUSHROOMS: Katy Perry has a thing for mushrooms.
The singer, whose Las Vegas residency show, “Play,” finds her surrounded by dancing mushrooms in one vignette, has now partnered with Judith Leiber Couture on a limited-edition mushroom minaudière — or a bejeweled handbag to those who didn’t take French in high school.
The wearable art piece was designed in collaboration with Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger, who co-owns the brand, along with Authentic Brands Group and Jana Matheson, Judith Leiber’s chief creative officer.
The minaudière is created from more than 10,000 handset crystals in shades of bright red siam blended with scarlet and Bordeaux. The stem is shaded in a gradient range of crystals in light gold with opal accents. The cap features flat back pearls in multiple sizes designed to create texture and dimension. The interior is lined with metallic leather.
Each piece is hand-painted with a polished brass frame and a removable shoulder chain that includes the Katy Perry Play medallion.
The Judith Leiber Couture x Katy Perry minaudière will retail for $6,195 and be sold on the brand’s website and in its store at Resorts World Las Vegas, which is hosting her show. It will also be offered at select luxury specialty stores beginning for fall.
“I’m delighted to unveil this collaboration with Judith Leiber Couture for my show, ‘Play,’” Perry said. “I’ve had an affinity for these dazzling minaudières from the moment that I could afford one. This exclusive piece is the ultimate memorabilia for ‘Play.’”
Perry, who is known for her playful fashion choices, has worn Judith Leiber in the past including a hamburger clutch that complemented the giant hamburger dress that she donned at the Met Gala in 2019, and a crystal-encrusted football clutch she wore to the NFL Honors last year.
“Similar to Judith Leiber, Katy is known for creating wearable art with her iconic looks,” Ocleppo Hilfiger said. “Her one-of-a-kind personality and creative vision were essential to the design of this special piece. We are excited to introduce this new minaudière, which is as unique and vibrant as Katy is.”
“This adorable mushroom was inspired directly by Katy’s ‘Play’ residency,” Matheson added. “Her confidence and impeccable sense of style make her the perfect collaborator for the Judith Leiber brand. She is the supreme representation of the fun and fearless collectors that love the Judith Leiber Couture brand.”
Judith Leiber is available in 105 points of sale across North America, Europe and the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
Perry has sold more than 57 million albums and has racked up 65 billion streams. She is one of only five artists to have topped 100 million certified units with their digital singles. Her Vegas residency kicked off at the end of 2021 and runs through October of this year. — Jean E. Palmieri
Emdad Islam Bitu
NEW INNOVATIONS: Bangladesh’s fashion showcase “Made in Bangladesh Week” returns this November.
Apparel reigns as the dominant economic force in the country, comprising some 80 percent of exports. Its premier event is organized in partnership with the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers & Exporters Association, or the BGMEA, and Bangladesh Apparel Exchange, or BAE, to spotlight the importance of apparel exports and sustainability in the sector.
Organizers are drumming up excitement for the event at the official website MadeinBangladeshWeek.com, which just launched.
The weeklong event running Nov. 13 to 18 includes designer showcases, denim spotlights and other sustainability-inclined focuses. Among the coinciding showcases are a Fashion Innovation runway show touting responsible manufacturers, Denim Expo — which in past sessions has clocked more than 50,000 attendees — and the Dhaka Apparel Summit highlighting the sector’s safety strides and thought leadership.
As inaugural speaker and event opener, Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will also be in attendance, as with a number of brand participants.
For eco-enthusiasts, events like the Green Factory Tour (a daylong tour of multiple factory sites that utilize energy-efficient and environment-friendly practices), or one of many awards ceremonies, are sure to impress, according to event organizers. Meanwhile, the Sustainable Design and Innovation Awards and the Sustainability Leadership Awards on Nov. 16 and 17 will further brandish rising and established leaders in “social excellence,” “environmental excellence” and “innovation excellence.”
Rounding off the week on Nov. 18, the final day, is a technical workshop on sustainability and innovation at the BGMEA Fashion & Technology University and the global launch of the BGMEA Innovation Center. Billed as a hub to drive forward sustainability and technological ideation in fashion, the center houses a library, research lab, training center and museum exhibition space. — Kaley Roshitsh
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