Dior and Puma Head to New York, Carlos Alcaraz Packs His Vuitton Trunk
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MORE NEW YORK: Dior is continuing to make a splash in New York this year.
Following on the heels of the brand’s blockbuster takeover of Saks Fifth Avenue’s windows and store interior for the holidays will be a Dior pre-fall 2024 fashion show that will take place April 15 at the Brooklyn Museum.
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EXCLUSIVE: Dior Taps French Surfer Kauli Vaast Ahead of Paris Olympics
Louis Vuitton Teams With Carlos Alcaraz to Create Personalized Trunk
The collection, designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, the artistic director of women’s haute couture, ready-to-wear and accessories collections, will be a tribute to the “unwavering ties forged between Dior and the United States from the very beginning of the house,” according to the company.
The show will also reaffirm the “symbolic and powerful alliance” uniting Dior and the Brooklyn Museum.
Last March Dior showed its pre-fall collection at the Gateway of India, which overlooks the Arabian Sea and is one of the city’s best-loved landmarks. The Taj Mahal hotel is across the road.
That show — massive in featuring 99 styles — was unique in that many of the styles showed Chiuri’s affection and appreciation for India, with her choice of color palette, motifs, mirror work, sequins and crafts. She had collaborated with Karishma Swali, who directs the Chanakya ateliers and the Chanakya School of Craft in Mumbai, which brought to life Chiuri’s love for embroidery and the craft of India.
Among the celebrities who attended that show were Hollywood actors Yara Shahidi, Cara Delevingne, Freida Pinto, Maisie Williams and Simone Ashley; Thai actors Mile Phakphum and Apo Nattawin, and Bollywood stars including Sonam Ahuja Kapoor and Anushka Sharma with her husband, well known cricketeer Virat Kohli, as well as sitarist Anushka Shankar. — LISA LOCKWOOD
RUNNING BACK: Puma is returning to the New York runways in February. The German brand will host a fashion show on Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. at the Park Avenue Armory.
The official dates of New York Fashion Week are Feb. 9 through Feb. 14.
The show will celebrate the return of the Mostro sneaker, which originally launched in 1999 and comes from the Italian word for “monster.” The company is calling the show a “mysterious and nostalgic experience that will transport attendees to another world for humans and monsters alike.”
At the Armory, Puma expects to transform the space through light, music, projection and experiential elements to rediscover the statement shoe.
Pulled from Puma’s archives, the low-profile silhouette boasts a signature spiked sole and versatile snap closure. The selection of custom and commercial pieces from the fall 2024 line will complement the star of the show, the Mostro.
Heiko Desens, creative director of Puma, said, “With this show we will celebrate the comeback of one of our most unconventional ‘low-profile’ icons. We will also be using the moment to reveal some Mostro design concepts clearly pointing toward the future to build the sneaker archive of tomorrow.”
Steven Kolb, chief executive officer of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, said, “The CFDA is delighted to welcome Puma once again to New York City to stage their show on the eve of New York Fashion Week. Puma’s collaboration, energy and presence add to the week’s momentum, and we look forward to their creative prelude and fashion show.”
The last time Puma showed in New York was in September 2022, when it staged the Futrograde show.
Creative and production partners working on this show with Puma include Prodject Agency and creative director David Stamatis. Musical guests and talent will be revealed closer to the date.
As reported, Puma is focused on increasing brand heat in the U.S. and believes that investments into “triple A ambassadors” will help. These include the likes of pop icon Rihanna, Charlotte Hornets’ LaMelo Ball and, most recently, musician A$AP Rocky, who was named creative director of Puma’s F1 collaboration in October. — L.L.
TRUNK SHOW: Cementing its relationship with sporting champions, Louis Vuitton has teamed with tennis player Carlos Alcaraz to create a personalized trunk to hold a selection of his memorabilia and equipment.
It marks the second chapter of its Malle Vestiaire project, which launched last August with rugby legend Dan Carter, as Vuitton ramps up its sports marketing in the run-up to the Paris Olympics, sponsored by its parent company LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
Alcaraz, who signed on as a Vuitton brand ambassador last year, selected items including the Nike shirt and shoes he wore when he became Wimbledon champion in 2023, and one of his Babolat rackets.
In addition, the trunk holds some of his personal Vuitton items, such as a blue Speedy bag that was a gift from Pharrell Williams, creative director of menswear at the French luxury brand, and his favorite LV x Nike AF1s.
Reflecting his life on the tournament circuit, accessories include tennis balls, Vuitton’s Nanogram portable speaker, Horizon Light Up earphones and toiletry bags.
The exterior of the trunk, in classic Monogram canvas, was handpainted with logos reflecting the career trajectory of the 20-year-old, who has enthralled audiences with his explosive playing style.
When he won his maiden Grand Slam at the U.S. Open in 2022, Alcaraz became the first man in history to top the tennis world rankings before the age of 20.
“I’m excited to have collaborated on my own Malle Vestiaire with Louis Vuitton. It is a project we began last year and have put a lot of time and effort into with the team,” he said.
“I put personal items inside it that represent my life and career, and the custom hand-painted symbols on the outside also represent me as a person — they add a nice, personalized touch. For me, it is a bit of a time capsule from my first trophy at 10 years old, to my shirt and shoes from my Wimbledon win,” Alcaraz added.
A replica version of the trunk — minus the one-of-a-kind memorabilia — is available to order for 150,000 euros.
Alcaraz is the number-two seed heading into the Australian Open, which is set to kick off the 2024 season on Sunday.
Vuitton has been addressing sports-loving audiences with a series of campaigns and activations, including an image of soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi playing chess. In the run-up to the Paris Games, it has signed French champion swimmer Léon Marchand and fencer Enzo Lefort.
“What I love about Louis Vuitton is that they are more than just a fashion brand. It is more than just clothes. The brand is ingrained in culture and has been for over 100 years,” said Alcaraz.
“They understand how to mix fashion with art, design, sport and music, to make something unique and special. The campaign with Messi and Ronaldo playing chess, for example. I think only Louis Vuitton could do that,” he added. — JOELLE DIDERICH
SURF’S UP: Dior is padding out its dream team ahead of the Paris Olympics.
The French luxury brand has tapped surfer Kauli Vaast as its latest brand ambassador. The 21-year-old from Papeete in French Polynesia is considered one of the rising stars of the sport and one of his country’s leading prospects heading into the Games.
“I’m honored and proud to join this magnificent fashion house, which moves forward day by day with audacity and creativity, just as I must do in surf,” Vaast said in a statement.
Dior described him as a “new icon,” having qualified for the Olympics at the 2023 ISA World Surfing Games in El Salvador. “Driven by a desire to surpass himself, he henceforth embodies the audacity and excellence of the house,” it added.
Surfing made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Vaast grew up surfing Teahupo’o, the fearsome wave that will host the surfing event at the Games in 2024. In August 2021, he shocked onlookers by tackling a wall of water more than 10 meters high, coming out unscathed and with a reputation for fearlessness.
He becomes the first male athlete recruited by Dior in the run-up to the Olympics. The house has also tapped gymnast Mélanie de Jesus dos Santos and wheelchair tennis player Pauline Déroulède as ambassadors.
A premium partner of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, luxury conglomerate LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton has also committed to partnering with several athletes. — J.D.
APPLE’S ARRIVAL: Apple may not be exhibiting at CES, the consumer tech mega-show taking place this week in Las Vegas, but that doesn’t mean the company is laying low. On the contrary, more than half a year since it introduced the Vision Pro at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June, the company finally unveiled the ship date for its much-anticipated mixed reality headset on Monday.
According to the announcement, the $3,499 device will be released Feb. 2 for delivery and retail availability. The 256GB base model will come with a Solo Knit Band and Dual Loop Band, headset cover and light seals, in addition to battery, polishing cloth and USB-C charging kit. Two Zeiss lens options will also be available for readers at $99 or prescriptions at $149.
The technology impressed reviewers, who had a chance to preview the unit in a hands-on session hosted by Apple last summer. The hardware boasts 4K displays and a dual-processor system across Apple silicon, with its M2 chip and a new one designed specifically for mixed reality wearables called the R1. Dedicated to tackling the data load from the sensors, cameras and microphones, the R1 was designed to beat back performance lag and reduce motion sickness — a common complaint that some users have about immersive or virtual environments.
To ensure customers have plenty to look at from day one, the company developed its new visionOS operating system so that it works with most iOS and iPadOS apps, with no retrofitting necessary by app-makers. But if that’s not enough, the Apple TV app will also offer more than 150 3D titles via the Apple TV app.
Vision Pro was built for control and ease, allowing the user to switch between augmented reality and virtual reality with a hardware dial planted on the side. It also supports eye, head and hand tracking, and not merely incidentally. These are the primary ways of interacting. The system follows the eye to know where to focus, and registers finger gestures to select, akin to button presses. Apple is so committed to this that the package doesn’t even include nunchuks or controllers.
That’s a critical distinction from virtually every other major VR tech-maker. Some have been working on hand gestures, like Meta in its Quest headsets, but as secondary or experimental features only. Apple’s decision has been rather polarizing in the developer community, but well-heeled early adopters will soon be able to judge for themselves. — ADRIANA LEE
MILLER’S MOMENT: Three months after Adidas revealed that Rupert Campbell was stepping down as president of North America, the athletic giant has found his successor.
The company, which is in the midst of a turnaround, said on Monday that it has appointed John Miller president of Adidas North America, effective immediately. Miller will be based in Portland, Ore. In this role, Miller will be tasked with overseeing operations in the United States and Canada, and report to Arthur Hoeld, Adidas executive board member responsible for global sales.
Miller, who has worked for Adidas in sales leadership roles in the past, most recently served as senior vice president of wholesale for Puma. His career also includes stops at Nike, G-Form and Salomon, where he held leadership positions in sales, marketing, wholesale and merchandising. He was previously at Adidas from 2002 through 2006 in various sales roles. He was director of mall sales when he left the company in 2006.
“We are happy to welcome John back to Adidas as our new president of North America. John is a consumer-driven leader who has a strong record of success in executing growth strategies, repositioning and accelerating brands throughout his career,” Hoeld said in a statement. “John is passionate about people and building a strong team-based culture. We are confident that his deep knowledge of the U.S. marketplace along with his ability to build and lead effective teams will foster growth in North America.”
Miller succeeds Campbell, who had two separate tenures with Adidas. Campbell’s most recent stint began in 2018, assuming the managing director Russia, Ukraine and Kazakhstan, before being named president of North America in January 2022. WWD learned in October 2023 that Campbell was leaving Adidas “to pursue other opportunities.”
There has been a lot of movement in Adidas’ leadership ranks in recent years. Most notably, Adidas announced in November 2022 that former Puma CEO Bjørn Gulden would become its next CEO. The executive just concluded his first year on the job. — PETER VERRY AND ROSEMARY FEITELBERG
BEAUTY BEAT: Augustinus Bader has named Jérôme Pulis the head of its global brand marketing and communications.
The seasoned beauty and fashion executive will start at the beauty brand on Tuesday.
From 2006 to 2022, Pulis served as the director of international communications at Parfums Christian Dior. After leaving there, he founded the Biarritz International Film Festival — Nouvelles Vagues and set up his own agency, RE7.
Pulis’ career has also spanned positions at L’Oréal, Sonia Rykiel, Vogue and Marie Claire.
At Augustinus Bader, he is charged with accelerating the globalization of the brand and strengthening its positioning in beauty and skin care, according to a statement.
Pulis will remain pro bono president of the film festival he founded.
In 2022, Augustinus Bader reached unicorn status, with a funding round valuing the company at $1 billion, according to sources. Its skin care portfolio boasts signature products such as The Cream and The Rich Cream.
The brand began when founder and chief executive officer Charles Rosier, who worked in finance, was introduced to the doctor Augustinus Bader, an expert in stem cell research and wound healing. The two launched the brand in 2018, which took off quickly and tripled sales to $70 million by 2020, during the depths of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Since then Augustinus Bader has expanded its skin care range, launched a body cream and moved into hair care, tapping into its hero ingredient, TFC8, across formulations. It has also forayed into wellness, launching hair and skin ingestibles with probiotic strains. Last year, it applied stem cell research to a new skin care line. — JENNIFER WEIL
STEPPING UP: One year after assuming the Fila USA president role, Todd Klein has been elevated to global brand president.
Fila Holdings Corp., the parent company of Fila, said that Klein would assume the newly created role. In a statement on Monday, Fila stated Klein will assume oversight for the operations of the Fila brand —including global product and marketing strategies — in addition to his existing responsibilities.
Klein will also join the board of Fila Luxembourg, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fila Holdings that oversees the global trademark in all markets except for China, Hong Kong and Macao.
“I am honored and excited to take on this broader set of responsibilities within Fila Group to lead our strategy asserting Fila’s position as a premium lifestyle sports brand while upholding our valuable heritage,” Klein said in a statement. “We’ll seek to deliver game-changing product innovations and continue to invest in inspirational collaborations. And we’ll reach out to consumers with a consistent brand voice across diverse platforms, leveraging their insights and feedback to more intentionally fuel product creation.”
Fila, in its statement announcing the move, referenced its five-year “Winning Together” strategy announced in 2022, which was created to make the company the “leading authentic sports brand inspired by the style, elegance and passion of its Italian heritage.” Fila said the creation of the global brand president role was intended to “unify and enhance Fila’s global brand and presence and foster a cohesive and superior consumer experience, while continuing to invest in accelerating innovation.”
“At this exciting time for the Fila family, as we continue to make progress in our five-year global strategy, we needed a leader to ensure a sharper and more cohesive vision for Fila and to direct the brand to new heights,” Fila Holdings chief executive officer and president Keun-Chang Yoon said in a statement. “Todd’s extensive industry experience and profound comprehension of Fila’s brand, operations, products and services make him the ideal person to fill this vital role as global brand president.”
Klein, a 30-year industry veteran, assumed the Fila USA president role following the retirement of Jennifer Estabrook, who was named president of North America in 2019. Klein’s industry experience includes several roles at Adidas, last serving as vice president of advanced concepts, as well as the global sports marketing director for Reebok.
The brand’s efforts to bolster its presence in footwear and fashion in 2023 included high-profile ambassador signings, including model Hailey Bieber and South Korean actress Han Sohee, who both signed in September. — P.V.
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