Lionel Messi’s New Fragrance, Dior Adds Ambassadors, Suzy Menkes Marks 80th
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SOCCER SUPERSTAR’S SCENT: Cosmoprof North America is bringing a slew of new brands to its first Miami Edition next month — including one from a famed soccer star.
Lionel Messi will be unveiling his eponymous fragrance brand, Messi Fragrance, at the event, which will take place Jan. 23. Messi created the fragrance with licensee Game On Product Group, which will be distributing it globally upon its launch later in 2024.
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EXCLUSIVE: Rachel Zegler and Dilraba Dilmurat Named Dior Ambassadors
Lacoste Taps Rising Tennis Star Arthur Fils as Brand Ambassador
Other brands exhibiting at the show are also new to the game. A statement from Cosmoprof North America said more than half of the exhibitors are new brands that haven’t previously shown at Cosmoprof North America’s annual Las Vegas event.
Messi is the latest in a long line of celebrity fragrance players. Beyoncé launched her fragrance, Cé Noir, earlier this year, as did Millie Bobby Brown. Sabrina Carpenter and Ariana Grande both expanded their existing assortments.
It’s been a big year for Messi, who made his Stateside soccer debut with Inter Miami earlier this year. Six of his 2022 FIFA World Cup jerseys are being auctioned by Sotheby’s and are expected to fetch more than $10 million. — JAMES MANSO
BIGGER STABLE: At the tail end of a frenetic year for ambassador signings at European luxury brands, Dior has topped up its already formidable stable with two acclaimed and buzzy actresses: Rachel Zegler and Dilraba Dilmurat.
Both women will be ambassadors for the fashion creations of Maria Grazia Chiuri, Dior’s creative director of women’s collections, and for makeup by Peter Philips, creative and image director of Dior Makeup.
They join a roster of “One Dior” ambassadors that includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Jisoo from Blackpink, Robert Pattinson, Cha Eun-woo, Emma Raducanu and Jenna Ortega.
Zegler has clocked some high-profile moments for Dior already, wearing an ethereal gown from Chiuri’s fall 2023 collection to the 2023 Time 100 Next Gala in New York City last October.
She also attended Dior’s spring 2024 runway show during Paris Fashion Week last September, sitting front row with longtime Dior fashion ambassador Jennifer Lawrence, who starred in the original “The Hunger Games” franchise.
Zegler can currently be seen on screens in the prequel “The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.” She wore Dior for the red carpet at some of the film’s premieres last month.
Next year Zegler will be seen in the comedy “Y2K,” and the following year in Disney’s live-action remake of “Snow White,” making her the first Latina actress to star in such a film, according to Dior.
The 22-year-old American actress, who began her career starring in stage musicals, first came to international attention in 2021 playing María Vasquez in Steven Spielberg’s musical adaptation of “West Side Story,” for which she won the Golden Globe for Best Actress — Motion Picture Comedy or Musical. According to Dior, she beat out 30,000 women who also auditioned for the role.
Her film credits also include “Shazam! Fury of the Gods.”
Zegler has been recognized by Variety in its annual Power of Young Hollywood Impact list, and on the Next Generation List of The Hollywood Reporter.
Dilmurat, who hails from China and is of Uyghur descent, is primarily known for roles in television series.
These include 2017’s “Pretty Li Huizhen,” for which she won most popular actress at the 29th China TV Golden Eagle Awards and most popular actress at the 12th China Golden Eagle TV Art Festival, and “Eternal Love of Dream,” which further fanned her popularity in China and overseas.
In 2020, she won a “rising star” award at the Busan International Film Festival.
Dilmurat is also a singer and model, and is considered one of the most in-demand brand ambassadors in China, boasting tens of millions of followers on social media platforms. — MILES SOCHA
STREET PARTY: Stephen Jones, Simone Rocha, Zandra Rhodes and a host of other designers gathered at Dover Street Market in London on Wednesday night to mark Suzy Menkes’ 80th birthday, which came complete with limited-edition merchandise, and artwork in the fashion writer’s image.
Menkes, who was dressed in a Christopher Kane multicolor paint print coat and an Issy Miyake sweater, greeted guests including Kane, Laudomia Pucci, Michael Kors, Michèle Lamy and Sarah Burton, and talked about her long career in fashion.
“I like to think that some of the things I’ve said, even if they seemed a bit tough at the time, turned out to be a turning point where a designer could do a bit better,” said Menkes, recalling her past reviews. “I don’t mean that in a bad way, it is part of my job.”
She said her most gratifying moments are when she sees “something moving forward for designers. When you catch that moment in the very beginning, and you just know that they’ve got something in them to give the world of fashion. It makes me very happy.”
Dover Street Market’s president Adrian Joffe hosted the dinner at Rose Bakery, where the menu was curated by chefs Rose Carrarini and Harry Lomas. Guests dined on glazed beetroot, pear mustard velouté, guinea fowl, cranberry and radicchio, and a chocolate and clementine sorbet with nut brittle for dessert.
During the evening, designers recalled their favorite Menkes moments. “She helped me kick-start my career,” said Pucci.
Jones, who has known Suzy for 40 years, gave a speech in between courses.
“Each of us has got stories about you. Everybody in the room has been guided by Suzy. Always in a positive way. But sometimes your reviews were quite to the point,” said Jones, referring to a few stories she wrote about him in the early ‘80s.
Jones also asked Menkes how many articles she has written, to which she replied: “I think in terms of words, it’s somewhere around a million and a half, and that’s not including all the things I wrote secretly. I kept a kind of a report on what is really going on,” said Menkes, which elicited a big laugh from her guests.
To commemorate the event, Dover Street Market released a limited-edition Comme des Garçons x Suzy Menkes T-shirt with artwork by illustrator Darcel Disappoints. A larger-than-life figure, based on the Darcel Disappoints design of Menkes, appeared at the dinner. — MARIA PAPAKLEANTHOUS
RISING STAR: French professional tennis player Arthur Fils, who became the youngest entry into the men’s top 50 this summer after winning his first ATP singles title in the Lyon Open at the age of 19, has been named a brand ambassador for textile and eyewear collections at Lacoste, a brand founded by French tennis legend René Lacoste in 1935.
Lacoste said it will also become Fils’ equipment supplier to help him score major victories in upcoming matches.
Fils said he is proud to be associated with a brand that “symbolizes elegance, authenticity, and the union between style and sporting performance.”
“Lacoste is part of the tennis imagination and represents a strong history, marked by the legacy of René Lacoste and the legend of Les Mousquetaires. For me, joining Lacoste today means becoming part of a company that is both iconic and on a human scale, and assuring myself of excellent support daily, as well as for major tournaments,” said Fils.
Thierry Guibert, chief executive officer of Lacoste, said Fils’ energy on and off the pitch is “contagious, and his humility fascinates us.”
“His professionalization is a logical next step in his career, just as it is for us to accompany him every step of the way to victory. What’s more, his desire to inspire the next generation of players and leave a lasting imprint on the world of tennis, while remaining true to his roots, is totally in line with the values we share,” added Guibert.
Born in Bondoufle, a suburb of Paris, Fils started playing tennis at age five. He is now being coached by former captain of the French Davis Cup team Sébastien Grosjean and two-time Grand Slam winner Sergi Bruguera.
On top of Fils, Lacoste counts tennis players Novak Djokovic, Venus Williams, Daniil Medvedev and Grigor Dimitrov, as well as K-pop star Somi Jeon, actor KJ Apa, fencer Ysaora Thibus, polo player Ashleigh Johnson, rifle shooting champion Ruth Mwandumba, and gymnast Marcel Nguyen as brand ambassadors. — TIANWEI ZHANG
WE ARE IN THE AREA: With its 10-year anniversary approaching, the fashion and accessories design studio Area NYC is extending its reach with a deal through the business accelerator for fashion brands Tomorrow London Ltd. Terms of the deal were not disclosed Thursday.
Tomorrow is further supporting Area as its global partner for business development. The announcement is in advance of Tomorrow’s plans to debut the Area fall 2024 pre-collection at its showrooms in Milan from Jan. 12 to 16 and in Paris from Jan. 18 to 23.
Area was founded in 2014 by Piotrek Panszczyk and Beckett Fogg in downtown New York City and is known for its thoughtful approach to glamor that draws upon history and aspiration. The label can be found at retail outlets like Net-a-porter and Farfetch.
Tomorrow London works with such labels as Martine Rose, Athletics Footwear, Charles Jeffrey Loverboy, Colville and Coperni. The company’s chief executive officer Stefano Martinetto said the company is committed to “brands of brilliance that contribute innovation to the industry.” In turn, Fogg, who serves as CEO, said Area’s vision is “to become the new face of global luxury.”
Area representatives did not respond to a media request Thursday. — ROSEMARY FEITELBERG
POLO’S NEWEST MATCH: The U.S. Polo Assn., the official brand of the United States Polo Association, aims to make an indelible impression with the launch of its premier edition of an annual digital magazine.
Called Field x Fashion — presented by U.S. Polo Assn., the new online content highlights sport, fashion and influencer events and how they tie back to the multibillion-dollar, athletic lifestyle brand. In addition to the events, readers will find U.S. Polo Assn.’s photo shoots, sustainability initiatives, philanthropy and branding, among other features. The digital publication is targeting polo fans, consumers, influencers, brand ambassadors and partners. It showcases all things related to the U.S. Polo Assn.
Field x Fashion is meant to be a sign of thanks to the “millions” of followers that the U.S. Polo Assn. brand connects with in 190 countries, according to J. Michael Prince, president and chief executive officer of USPA Global, the company that manages the U.S. Polo Assn. brand. It also aims to magnify the brand’s connection to the sport from an international standpoint.
The USPA is the nonprofit governing body for the sport of polo in the U.S. Dating back to 1890, it is one of the oldest governing bodies for a sport in the U.S.
The new digital content, of course, has a commercial spin, playing up the U.S. Polo Assn. collection, too. The brand offers apparel for men, women and children, as well as accessories and footwear. USPA Global is the for-profit subsidiary of the USPA that manages the global, multibillion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand, and provides the sport with a revenue source. Through its subsidiary, Global Polo Entertainment (GPE), USPA Global also manages Global Polo TV, which provides sports and lifestyle content. Through a multiyear deal between USPA Global and ESPN, many of the leading championship polo games in the U.S. are available via ESPN’s broadcast and streaming platforms.
Polo fans, who are willing to brace Switzerland’s wintery temperatures, can catch a weekend of live matches at next month’s Snow Polo World Cup St. Moritz. They need not worry about standing alone on the snow-covered fields, since organizers are expecting more than 25,000 fans over the course of the weekend. — R.F.
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