The Met’s Spring 2023 Exhibit, According to Sources, and Dior’s Celeb-studded Front Row
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
THE MET: The Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s spring 2023 exhibition will be dedicated to the late Karl Lagerfeld, sources said.
The museum is hosting a press presentation on Friday in the middle of Paris Fashion Week at a yet-undisclosed location.
More from WWD
Andrew Bolton, Wendy Yu curator in charge at the Costume Institute, and Anna Wintour — Condé Nast’s chief content officer, global editorial director of Vogue and a Met trustee — are expected to host the gathering.
WWD reported on Aug. 1, 2019, that a Karl Lagerfeld retrospective was in the works and scheduled for 2022. However, the coronavirus pandemic impacted the museum’s exhibition calendar.
It is understood the three brands most closely associated with the German designer over his extraordinary career — Chanel, Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld — are among sponsors of the upcoming display.
Additional details could not immediately be learned. A Met spokesperson deferred any comment until after Friday’s event.
Lagerfeld, who died in February 2019 at age 85, has had a long history with the Met, staging his last Métiers d’Art show for Chanel, which had an Egyptian theme, in its Temple of Dendur in December 2018.
Chanel, where Lagerfeld was its couturier for 36 years, was the subject of a major exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2005.
More than a designer, Lagerfeld was a fashion mastermind, one of the most prolific, admired and multitalented fashion figures of the modern age, credited with setting the modern template for reviving and animating heritage brands.
A polyglot with a photographic memory and vast knowledge of history, philosophy, art and popular culture, Lagerfeld ran his own publishing imprint and bookstore, 7L. He was also an accomplished photographer, and late in his career, he started making films to accompany certain fashion shows.
“Fashion and the way it is now, it’s like the life of an athlete. It’s OK with me, I’m used to it. Appetite comes from eating,” he told WWD in 2008. “Collections, books and photos — that’s what I’m interested in most.” — MILES SOCHA
ANIMAL CROSSING: Not content with boasting a restaurant, exhibition space and private apartment, Dior’s historic flagship on Avenue Montaigne in Paris has teamed up with auction house Sotheby’s to host a preview of an upcoming auction of works by Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne.
More than 20 sculptures from the collection of their daughter, Dorothée Lalanne, are on show at the store until Oct. 9 to coincide with Paris Fashion Week. Diners at the ground-floor pastry café will find some of the duo’s whimsical sheep sculptures dotted across the indoor garden, while a silvery shark overlooks the entrance rotunda of the store.
Founder Christian Dior, who began his career as an art gallerist, met the duo known as Les Lalanne in 1957, and went on to commission pieces from them for the boutique. Claude Lalanne subsequently designed a circular bench for architect Peter Marino to be used in Dior stores, and created the jewelry for womenswear designer Maria Grazia Chiuri’s first collection for the house in 2017.
In 2021, Dior sponsored a large-scale exhibition of the work of the sculptors in the gardens of the Château de Versailles.
“It’s the first time that we organized an exhibition in situ in a luxury brand’s premises,” said Sophie Dufresne, head of press and communications at Sotheby’s Paris, which will auction off the full collection on Nov. 3.
The married couple had close ties to the fashion world, being granted commissions from the likes of Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, Hubert de Givenchy and Karl Lagerfeld. Marc Jacobs, John Galliano, Reed Krakoff and François Pinault have collected works by the Lalannes, as well. — JOELLE DIDERICH
A FAMILY AFFAIR: Nothing could dampen Dior’s spirits, not even an afternoon downpour just ahead of its Paris Fashion Week show. The brand returned to the Tuileries Garden for Maria Grazia Chiuri’s latest collection.
Despite the crush of crowds and rain outside, Maggie Gyllenhaal maintained her sunny attitude. “We’re walking through a corridor of hot men,” she joked of the umbrella-toting, suited-up ushers that lined the entrance. “It’s an amazing spectacle.”
Gyllenhaal said her kids help her keep calm. “I have a lot going on in so many ways — like family and children and all the things that are happening in the world, it does put some of this other stuff in perspective,” she said.
Her 15-year-old daughter Ramona was in tow, attending her first Paris Fashion Week show. The duo had spent a few days in the French capital taking in the sights before Dior. Gyllenhaal also revealed she’s working on a new script, to follow up her Oscar-nominated “The Lost Daughter.”
Shailene Woodley had spent a few days walking around the city that she used to call home, after having just wrapped shooting her upcoming show “Three Women.” Based on a bestselling book, the series explores sex and intimacy through a series of interviews of women around the U.S. Filming taught her a major life lesson, she said. “We all face a lot of challenges that we don’t often talk about.”
Woodley was sporting a style from the brand’s Spanish-inspired collection, including a large hat. “Dior does accessories in a way that no one else does and I love the way they play with it — whether its jewelry, hats, suspenders, gloves, they always have a chic way of accessorizing outfits.”
Natalie Portman maintained a mysterious air, slipping through the back entrance at the last minute sporting a black face mask and oversize sunglasses that remained on throughout the show.
It was a strong showing from Chiuri, who centered her show around a grotto made of cardboard by French artist Eva Jospin, and featured a troupe of modern dancers moving through the space to Bjork’s “Atopos,” featuring the lyrics: “If we don’t grow outward toward love, we’ll implode inward toward destruction.”
Rosamund Pike praised the juxtapositon of the choreography, by Dutch siblings Imre and Marne van Opstal, and the clothes. “It was a careful building of the world, I loved it,” she said.
But it was the K-pop stars that caused a frenzy, with scrums of photographers jostling for shots of Blackpink’s Jisoo and Astro’s Cha Eunwoo. Cha did a mini photo shoot inside the sculpture after the show, before becoming a little shy in front of the audience that had amassed.
“I feel excited and a little bit nervous,” he said. “The show was really amazing and the dancing — I was so impressed.” He called out the unique shape of the shoes as his favorite item.
It was Emma Raducanu’s first fashion show, and she declared it “really cool.” The tennis champ sported a voluminous ballgown skirt, one of Chiuri’s signature styles. “I honestly picked what felt most like what I would wear and was most comfortable. It’s interesting, because I don’t get to wear casual clothes very often so it’s a nice experience.” — RHONDA RICHFORD
UPSKILL BOOST: L’Oréal is launching a global program called L’Oréal Boost that is aimed at supporting young people’s employment.
The initiative comes a year after the world’s largest beauty company introduced its L’Oréal for Youth program, and at the same time as the U.S. division, L’Oréal USA, plans a new research and innovation center in New Jersey.
Forty-six percent of Gen Zers are waiting for companies to help them develop their skills, and only 39 percent say they feel prepared for the future, L’Oréal said in a statement, citing figures from The Boson Project and Universum, respectively.
L’Oréal said the Boost project will give 20,000 students a year access to on-demand digital courses from Coursera, an online learning provider for students and employees focused on developing young people’s employability in the early stages of their careers.
“In doing so, L’Oréal Boost will open the doors to vital education that bridges the gap between school and work, giving young people from underrepresented backgrounds access to certifications from the world’s most prestigious universities,” the company said.
Additionally, 100,000 people are to be offered guided digital projects through companies’ digital tools and software.
“Investing in young people is our responsibility and is a very strong part of our culture at L’Oréal,” said Jean-Claude Le Grand, L’Oréal chief human relations officer. “We have never stopped betting on youth to ensure they are the future of the company. These are challenging times for the younger generation. Therefore, we must be even more engaged as a company.
“The last two years have impacted youth in their education path, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds,” he continued. “More than ever, our responsibility is to support youth so they can build a bright future for tomorrow.”
“Greater access to digital skill development programs provides the [most] equal access to opportunity that today’s job market requires,” said Jeff Maggioncalda, chief executive officer of Coursera.
L’Oréal for Youth was launched in July 2021. It gives work opportunities for young people — especially from underrepresented backgrounds — and takes action to increase their employment potential.
So far, it has created 18,342 work opportunities. The program has enrolled 59,000 people in masterclasses, upskilled 70,000 learners, career-coached 18,000 young people and mentored 13,000 of them, according to the company. L’Oréal said it should offer 25,000 opportunities to people under the age of 30. — JENNIFER WEIL
LAUDING LOUBOUTIN: Christian Louboutin’s appreciation for Egypt has been well documented, and this fall his commitment to cultural heritage is being recognized by the World Monuments Fund. The designer, who offers significant support for the Colossi of Memnon in Luxor, has been named a recipient of the organization’s Hadrian Award.
The 33rd annual Hadrian Gala, which honors leaders who champion cultural conservation and preservation projects, will be held on Oct. 24 at the Rainbow Room in New York. In addition to Louboutin, the event will honor Mellon Foundation president Elizabeth Alexander, and art collector Suzanne Deal Booth. LACMA director Michael Govan and Monument Lab director Dr. Paul M. Farber, respectively, will present their awards.
The World Monument Fund has a slate of events planned leading up to the gala. Louboutin will take part in a talk on Egypt during the World Monuments Summit on Oct. 22, after which the designer will host gala attendees at his Madison Avenue boutique with sale proceeds to benefit the World Monument Fund; the following day, Diane von Furstenberg will host a VIP tour and cocktail reception on Little Island with designer Thomas Heatherwick.
The World Monument Fund advocates for works to preserve cultural heritage sites and monuments worldwide. The fund recently named 25 heritage sites as part of its World Monuments Watch list, which highlights urgent projects for the organization. To date, the fund has raised more than $300 million since 1965. — KRISTEN TAUER
COLORS GALORE: Max & Co. has teamed with designer and curator Duro Olowu for its latest &Co.llaboration — a joyful and fun collection called “People, Places, Color.”
“This is for self-assured women who love to travel with their imagination through their wardrobe,” said Olowu, who was inspired by Italian artist and photographer Luigi Ghirri. The designer referred to Ghirri’s “poetic and dreamy images, which reflected Italy in the ’70s and ’80s with such rich colors and his spirited style.” Olowu said he imagined Ghirri “traveling to explore locations such as Bamako in Mali or Saint-Louis in Senegal, to capture those warm and powerful colors that he lensed in Italy.”
This translated into a collection of tailored pieces, dresses and shirts featuring colorful floral, striped or graphic prints that could easily be mixed and matched — and sometimes beautifully clash, “encouraging individuality,” he said.
“Color is life, it’s important to express emotions through colors,” contended Olowu.
In February, Max & Co. paired with Efisio Rocco Marras, the creative director of I’m Isola Marras and son of designer Antonio Marras, on a &Co.llaboration.
Max & Co. is controlled by the Italian Max Mara Fashion Group, which kicked off the &Co.llaborations with a co-branded capsule for spring 2022 created with Margherita Maccapani Missoni. The capsules are aimed at linking with creative friends of the brand who are tasked with reinterpreting the house codes. — LUISA ZARGANI
DESIGN AWAY: Away is continuing its designer partnerships series for a second year with a new batch of talent. The direct-to-consumer luggage company has teamed up with Vaquera, Palomo Spain and Ashish on limited-edition designs.
Each label applied its aesthetic signatures to two key Away items, each designing a large carry-on and sling bag.
Vaquera’s cheeky, nihilistic outlook on New York City Youth culture was translated via a photorealistic rose that recalls the wrapping paper that city bodegas use to tie up sidewalk bouquets. Ashish’s larger-than-life approach to color and texture comes through with scratchy, digitized doodles. And Palomo Spain also covered its Away design in a large flower — his in black on a yellow background — recalling some of the Victorian mourning ensembles that have been referenced in earlier collections.
“It has been incredible to partner with such creatively diverse and bold minds for this year’s collaboration series. Each designer brought a new perspective to some of Away’s most beloved pieces. Utilizing original materials, prints and colors, the designers perfectly paired their distinct aesthetics with Away’s streamlined designs,” said Away chief design officer Cuan Hanly.
The designs hit Away’s website and retail stores Oct. 4 and range in price from $155 to $295. — MISTY WHITE SIDELL
STREET SHOTS: Gigi Hadid stars in the latest Self-Portrait campaign shot by the Vogue-approved photographer Tyrone Lebon.
In a series of images shared exclusively with WWD, Hadid wears sparkly crystal-embellished dresses in gold, green and a gradient hue from the brand’s spring 2023 collection, while posing for Lebon with the iconic New York skyline as the backdrop.
Han Chong, founder and creative director of Self-Portrait, said he wanted to reveal the new collection in “an interesting way.”
Instead of doing a fashion show on the runway, he took the collection to the street.
“Seeing them in a natural and urban setting feels more connected to us as a house and to our customers,” Chong said.
This marks the second time Self-Portrait is working with Hadid. The American Palestinian model first appeared in the brand’s fall 2022 campaign shot by Zoë Ghertner. The campaign documented a usual day for Hadid in New York City, crossing Fifth Avenue at 49th Street in a beige tailored ensemble, picking up dry cleaning in a classy lace dress, and waiting for a taxi while carrying the brand’s debut handbag.
“Hadid really captures the electricity of these new designs against New York City’s vibrant backdrop. She and Tyrone Lebon formed a magical partnership in bringing the spirit and sensibility of our brand to life for this preview,” Chong added.
“One of the things I love most about my job is the opportunity to build creative relationships,” Hadid said. “Collaborating with Chong and the Self-Portrait team was so much fun and felt familiar in all the right ways.”
More looks starring Hadid and shot by Lebon will appear episodically throughout the season.
The spring 2023 collection, which aims to “celebrate the evenings both in and out,” will hit stores in February.
“I wanted to create a collection that was vibrant and sensual and full of energy.…We’ve introduced new styles and colorways — brights, neons, dégradé hues — and have fallen in love with rhinestone detailing for this joyful collection,” the Chinese Malaysian designer said. — TIANWEI ZHANG
Best of WWD
