Craig Green’s Honor, Dior Lands in Hamburg, Best Jumpers Designer Wins a Prize
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GREEN’S HONOR: On Wednesday, Craig Green traveled to Windsor Castle to collect a Member of the Order of the British Empire honor, or MBE, for his services to fashion from Princess Anne.
Green was among more than 1,000 members of the British public to receive an official accolade from Queen Elizabeth II in what was to become the monarch’s final annual Birthday Honors list, released ahead of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations last summer.
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Other fashion names on the Jubilee list include Stella McCartney and Grace Wales Bonner, who were awarded OBEs and MBEs respectively for services to fashion. OBE stands for Order of the British Empire.
For the investiture ceremony, Green wore a simple and sleek white shirt and black tie with a black worker jacket from his eponymous label.
In January, King Charles recognized a host of British beauty and fashion figures in his first New Year Honors list as monarch.
Designer Mary Quant, Johnnie Boden, podiatrist Margaret Dabbs and Sam McKnight, Princess Diana’s hairstylist from 1990 to 1997, will receive honorary titles for their services to the fashion and hair industry.
Quant received an Order of the Companion of Honour, or CH, for her outstanding achievement in British fashion. The award is limited to just 65 people at any one time.
Quant will join fellow designer Paul Smith, who was named a Companion of Honour in 2020 by Queen Elizabeth II.
McKnight was given an OBE for his services to the fashion and beauty industry. He is known for giving Princess Diana the short, slicked-back hairstyle she sported shortly before the royal couple separated in 1992.
King Charles’ choice to honor his late ex-wife’s hairstylist gives a clue to how he wants to lead, with compassion and sensitivity.
Catalogue and online clothing entrepreneur Boden was awarded Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or CBE, for his services to the fashion and retail sector. — HIKMAT MOHAMMED
HAMBURG HOME: Dior has set down roots in the German city of Hamburg. The French label quietly opened the doors to its first store in one of Europe’s wealthiest cities on Friday, with the official opening ceremony to follow next week.
The 5,380-square-foot boutique sits in the middle of Hamburg’s luxury shopping district, which is basically a small central city island in the middle of several of the harbor city’s canals.
Retail space in the area is much sought after and after decades of add-ons, the whole building at Neuer Wall 30 was remodeled in 2003. As is typical for this shopping district, the building has both a street side and a canal side. In fact, customers will be able to shop with a view of the water through the large back windows. Dior’s include Prada and Gucci.
The new Dior store will house accessories on the first floor and ready-to-wear on the second, with the floors connected by a grand staircase. The Hamburg store is also the first in Europe, besides the Paris flagship, to have a “toile” wall. Interiors are white, cream and gold with distinctive Dior touches that pay homage to the brand’s Parisian flagship at 30 Avenue Montaigne, such as the parquet floor and motifs on the mirrors.
Modern furniture provides contrast, as do the two contemporary artworks — one by French sculptor Etienne Moyat who works primarily with wood, and a painting by Scottish artist Peter Seal, who specializes in abstract painting and collage.
The Hamburg boutique’s interiors were designed by the internal Dior team. — CATHRIN SCHAER
AUSTRALIAN WINNER: Melbourne-based designer Dylan Best has won the 2023 National Designer Award for his Best Jumpers line of elevated casualwear for men and women.
Announced at the PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival on Thursday morning Melbourne time, Best will receive a prize pool of 130,000 Australian dollars, or $86,566 at current exchange, which includes 20,000 Australian dollars, or $13,318 cash, in addition to marketing and editorial opportunities.
A graduate of the University of Melbourne and The New School’s Parsons School of Design, Best worked as an assistant designer at Ralph Lauren and Club Monaco in New York from 2014 to 2017 before returning to Australia and launching his brand in 2018, with a focus on unisex pieces, premium fabrications and humorous Australian-isms. Prices range from 55 Australian dollars, or $37, for a bucket hat emblazoned with the word “Mate” or an embroidered wombat — an Australian marsupial and the Best Jumpers house logo — and reach 389 Australian dollars, or $259, for a zippered black utility jacket.
“Lots of international brands really embrace where they are from, this is my way of embracing our Australian heritage,” said Best, whose wombat logo features on the chests of polo shirts and button-down shirts. His spring 2022 collection offers graphic T-shirts printed with the words “No Worries” and 100 percent merino crewneck sweaters with “Mate” rendered in intarsia across the front. He sells through his own website and retail store in trendy Gertrude Street, in the Melbourne suburb of Fitzroy, but has plans to expand into local and international wholesale and open a second store in Sydney.
The judging panel included PayPal Melbourne Fashion Festival chief executive officer Caroline Ralphsmith and David Jones’ general managers of womenswear, footwear and accessories Bridget Veals, and menswear, childrenswear, home and audio visual Chris Wilson.
Said Wilson, “We look forward to supporting the brand and its growth and development within the Australian fashion industry. Best Jumpers has developed a clear brand proposition and creative aesthetic that captures the laid-back Australian lifestyle while carefully considering the fundamentals required for future business success.”
The Honorable Mention for Sustainability went to Sydney label Madre Natura, which will receive a 10,000 Australian dollar, or $6,659 cash, and a mentorship program with awards partner David Jones. Byron Bay, New South Wales-based Hyde & Stone won the 2023 People’s Choice Award, which is decided by public vote. — PATTY HUNTINGTON
FIFTH AVENUE TAKEOVER: Prada has once again taken over the Fifth Avenue windows of Bergdorf Goodman through March 21.
The windows feature the Prada logo with a background of graphic color bands in pink, blue, red, orange and green, which align with the vivid color scheme of the women’s and men’s product offerings. A white line running through the bands connects all the windows.
Bergdorf’s is the global launch retailer for womenswear, introducing a special collection which focuses on the Vichy pattern in shades of pink and blue. The ready-to-wear selection includes skirts, tops, pajamas and knitwear.
The Vichy pattern is also featured in the accessories through an assortment of raffia bags.
For the menswear, the Vichy pattern is highlighted in bright red and turquoise. The men’s selection for Bergdorf’s also includes an exclusive offering from Prada’s spring 2023 collection. — LISA LOCKWOOD
WALES BONNER’S NEW ADS: Grace Wales Bonner is reuniting with two collaborators for her brand’s spring 2023 campaign.
The British designer is teaming up with photographer Tyler Mitchell and model Binx Walton for the Horizon Blues spring 2023 womenswear campaign, which debuted Thursday.
“I love the intimacy of these images that depicts the strong friendship between Binx and Tyler,” Wales Bonner said. “The photographs record a special moment in time for us, and highlight the craftsmanship and care that goes into making these unique pieces.”
The campaign was photographed in Florence and features Wales Bonner’s inaugural footwear and jewelry collections, which were debuted during her spring 2023 runway show that took place during Pitti Uomo in June. Wales Bonner’s jewelry collection includes pieces handcrafted by local artisans from Krobo, Ghana. The designer’s footwear offerings include loafers, sandals and heeled ankle boots.
Walton is also seen in the campaign wearing the Wales Bonner Java Macrame dress that was handmade with Ghanaian wood and artisanal recycled beads.
“It’s an honor to continue expanding my ongoing collaborative relationship with Wales Bonner,” Mitchell said. “I was extremely excited to photograph Binx Walton, a friend and one of my favorite models, in an around the Wales Bonner show venue in Florence. There was a magic energy that day and I’m glad we elegantly captured it.”
Wales Bonner’s spring 2023 campaign comes after the designer made her Paris Fashion Week debut in January with her fall 2023 collection, which offered additional womenswear, footwear and jewelry.
Earlier this year, Wales Bonner also debuted her collection with Adidas for the Jamaican Football Federation and teamed up with Nordstrom in New York City for a visual installation inspired by her spring 2023 collection. – LAYLA ILCHI
MOVING DATES: Paraiso Miami Beach is moving its multiplatform event to an earlier date, June 8 to 11, from its traditional participation during Miami Swim Week in July. The decision came after industry requests as the business cycle has shifted, especially during the pandemic, according to Paraiso founder Natalija Dedic Stojanovic.
“June is the bestselling month for swimwear, and it’s the official launch to the summer season,” she said, having factored in the best time for brands to dig into their marketing budgets and when buyers have time to attend shows. “Editors also start covering swimwear in late spring, so they’re well into fall content by mid-July.”
Paraiso based its dates on data for production schedules and peak selling months, as well as the rise of online shopping and social media, both of which have been a boon for swimwear.
“While most of the designers show previews, many mix in see now, buy now pieces. We want them to reach consumers as early as possible through the vehicles we offer: experiential, social media and press and retail partnerships,” she said.
The move won’t affect the number of brands, which remains under 40, but some that have never been able to participate in Paraiso, like Shan, will make their debut. Returning brands are Acacia, Azulu, Beach Bunny, Luli Fama, Maaji, Sinesia Karol and Paraiso partner brand OneOne, whose suits are made to order at its factories in Colombia. The event will include runway shows, presentations, pop ups, gifting hubs and experiential activations at venues including the oceanside main tent in Collins Park; directly on the beach; hotels like Soho Beach House and W South Beach, and the Miami Design District for the first time.
Beyond shows, Paraiso plans to launch the Summer Fashion Summit at the W that will cover topics like sustainability, social responsibility, new technologies, consumer behavior, branding and marketing and communication strategies. The Upcycle Project, a design competition pairing students with mentors (past brands have been L*Space, Beach Riot and Chromat, among others), continues, and teams will be revealed in spring.
Though SwimShow and Cabana trade shows will keep their July dates at the Miami Beach Convention Center, Paraiso partner Sports Illustrated Swimsuit is moving its annual runway show to the W on June 10. — REBECCA KLEINMAN
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