TheGrio Style Guide: Balenciaga drops Ye, Telfar trumps Hermés, and is it a baby shower without Burberry?

From new lines and collaborations dropping to Kanye West being dropped by his closest collaborator, here are some of fashion’s biggest stories this week.

After several consecutive weeks of tumultuous drama following his controversial Paris Fashion Week show, news broke on Friday that Balenciaga severed its collaborative relationship with Kanye West. But this week’s fashion news doesn’t stop there.

The week kicked off with Big Sean creating commotion online with his Burberry baby shower ensemble. Elsewhere, Method Man got cozy in down jackets for a new campaign for Moose Knuckles, Hanifa hosted a virtual show, luxury brands are partnering with Black designers, Telfar bags reselling for more than double the value of legacy luxury brands such as Hermès, Black women continue killing it on November magazine covers, and more.

Balenciaga gives Kanye West the boot…

In a statement to Women’s Wear Daily released Friday, representatives from Balenciaga’s parent company Kering disclosed that there is no longer “any relationship nor any plans for future projects” with Kanye West.

This announcement comes after West, who now goes by “Ye,” startled, offended, and baffled the masses with increasingly troubling behavior that has included declaring “White Lives Matter” in both his latest Yeezy designs and alongside Candace Owens, insulting and harassing a Black female editor of Vogue, sitting down for an interview with Tucker Carlson, catching a lawsuit from the family of George Floyd, and doubling down on antisemitic rhetoric.

Notably, Ye opened Balenciaga’s Spring/Summer 2023 show during the most recent Paris Fashion Week. His partnership with the brand dates back to 2015 when he collaborated with Balenciaga’s Creative Director Demna Gvasalia and his brother Guram Gvasalia on Yeezy Season 1. Demna also worked with West on both his Yeezy Gap collection and the “Donda 2” tour and was present at the entertainer’s most recent presentation.

News of Balenciaga closing ranks amid the recent controversy comes as a particular surprise given that earlier this year, Demna praised West for being one of the few artists who understood his vision.

Is your Telfar bag a better resale bet than an Hermés?

A bag by Telfar may be affectionately called the “Bushwick Birkin”; however, according to a new retail report on resale values, the brand’s resale value is double that of legacy brand and actual Birkin maker Hermès, making the nickname more of an actual descriptor.

This week the luxury resale site Rebag released its latest Clair Report, which details the latest value trends in the everchanging resale market. According to their latest report, Telfar bags are currently on resale at an average of 195 percent of their initial retail price. This is impressive when you consider that figure is nearly double what major legacy luxury brands are being resold for, including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès. According to this same report, Chanel is currently reselling for an average of 87 percent of its original price; Louis Vuitton is currently reselling for an average of 92 percent; and Hermès is currently reselling for an average of 103 percent.

A quick search online shows Telfar bags, initially priced in the $150 to $500 range, are on sale at sites like StockX for as much as $1200.

Thebe Magugu collaborates with Dior for charity

Dior is collaborating with the South African designer Thebe Magugu on a collection that will benefit fellow South African and Dior ambassador Charlize Theron’s charity Africa Outreach Project.

According to WWD, for the collaboration, Magugu reimagined a hallmark cinched jacket as a cotton T-shirt with straps within its inseams, allowing anyone wearing to highlight the waist.

Magugu shared with WWD how Dior has inspired him over the years.

“I’m from a small mining town called Kimberly, a place which sometimes is completely overlooked on certain maps. But even there, people are very familiar with Christian Dior,” said Magugu. “It sort of revolutionized how women dress.”

The limited-edition capsule collection will be available Oct. 27. ⁠

“Selling Sunset” star Amanza Smith launches jewelry collection

Reality TV star Amanza Smith may be keeping her new boyfriend a mystery until season six of “Selling Sunset” drops, but she isn’t keeping quiet about her first-ever jewelry collection, a collaboration with Eden + Elle called “Spirit of Place.”

According to WWD, the collection features handwoven earrings, bangles, bracelets, necklaces, and charms in blue, silver, white, black, and gold that evoke a few places of meaning to Smith.

“Basically, they told me to choose places that really spoke to me, places in the world…So I came up with city, urban and beach,” she said in WWD.

The line ranges in price from $69 (for a single woven bead) to $409 (for a gold bangle), is available online and in-store at a pop-up at Showfields in New York City through Jan. 22.

Method Man stars in Moose Knuckles Icon

Canadian luxury outerwear brand Moose Knuckles is introducing a new “Icons” campaign for the Fall/Winter season starring rapper and actor Method Man alongside actress Natasha Lyonne of “Orange is the New Black” and “Russian Doll.”

According to Complex, the collection includes fur-lined parkas, bombers, jackets, and vests in black, white, brown, and camouflage print options ranging in price from $595 to $1,450.

“Both are powerful forces and originators in their respective fields making them perfect choices as the faces of the campaign,” said CEO Victor Luis in a statement.

Kicks Crew teams up with NBA All-Star Damian Lillard 

Portland Trailblazers point guard Damian Lillard is taking a shot at tech-startup investing with a partnership with digital sneaker platform Kicks Crew.

Lillard will be joining the platform as its first “Crew Athlete” and is investing an undisclosed amount into the company according to WWD.

“I see a real opportunity to not only learn something new but make real contributions that will help develop the business — beyond just putting my name on something…With everything I do, I strive to ensure I’m highly involved and that it is a reflection of my values and priorities,” Lillard told WWD.

Hanifa hosts a virtual fashion show

A certain generation may recall stumbling upon the Home Shopping Network late at night and becoming entranced as an enthusiastic host sold items live to viewers at home and in the studio. Even older generations may recall how fashion shows used to be in a similar format, some even including a presenter or host detailing the items on the runway for the audience. Hanifa founder and Creative Director Anifa Mvuemba channels both classic forms in her latest FW2022 virtual show which debuted on her site Monday.

During the virtual “see now, buy now” show, a host perches on a light pink suede couch as Mvuemba’s designs are paraded by her on models. Each model takes a pause for the host to gush over, style, and describe the items. At the same time, links to the various pieces appear for viewers at home to purchase during with the show.

The FW2022 line is a continuation of signature Hanifa silhouettes and includes new knit dresses, bold color blocking, and a black and green leather trench coat. The black and green color theme continues in two pairs of shoes being introduced, an over-the-knee leather boot and a furry strappy heel.

If you missed the virtual show, the line, ranging in price from $899 to $129, is available to shop now online.

Keke tells Porter about her reign as the Queen of Memes

In the November issue of Porter magazine, Keke Palmer discusses with Hanna Phifer her many achievements, dealing with prejudice in the industry, and, of course, the many memes she’s inspired. The accompanying editorial shoot features Palmer posing in red and pink designer duds ranging from full length skirts to lace catsuits, most of which are on sale at the magazine’s luxury sister site, Net-A-Porter.

“There’s no moment, and there’s nothing, outwardly, that can make me feel as good as I feel about myself,” Palmer tells Porter.

Other November cover stars include Lupita Nyong’o, Venus Williams, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex; see them all in our gallery below.

Keke Palmer for Porter Magazine

Photo: Milan Zrnic for Porter Magazine

Nicki Minaj for Interview Magazine

Cover: Torso for Interview Magazine

Lupita Nyong'o for The Hollywood Reporter

Cover: Christian Cody for The Hollywood Reporter

Laura Harrier for Cosmopolitan

Cover: Danny Kasirye for Cosmopolitan

Venus Williams for Glamour UK

Cover: Chrisean Rose for Glamour UK

Meghan Markle for Variety

Cover: Ramona Rosales for Variety

Keke Palmer for Porter Magazine

Photo: Milan Zrnic for Porter Magazine

Lindsay Peoples tells WWD about the ‘fearless usefulness’ of The Cut

Lindsay Peoples, who became the editor-in-chief of The Cut in January 2021, sat down with WWD to discuss what life has been like since taking the helm of the popular fashion and culture vertical.

In the interview, Peoples breaks down how she’s been able to lead heavy reporting and champion Black women in her position. Since becoming editor-in-chief, she’s had Gayle King interview CNN anchor Abby Phillip, and placed Cynthia Erivo, Sandra Oh, Tracee Ellis Ross and Rep. Cori Bush on the magazine’s digital covers.

Peoples has also given considerable space to the families of those killed in high-profile police killings.

“Our [Black Lives Matter cover on the 10th] anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s [death] was really important to me…We’ve done some pieces with Breonna Taylor’s family and a piece with Samaria Rice, Tamir Rice’s mom; I wanted to make sure that the experience of a Black mother who is stuck in time and in her pain was really given space on our platform,” she said.

Recalling her early days as an assistant for Teen Vogue, Peoples is also frank in her interview about how being Black has impacted her career.

“People never understand that when you are a person of color, you just have a different responsibility,” she said. “Everyone has to choose how much of that they take on. It is something that I literally wake up and think about every single day.”

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