Chanel Redux, Lululemon Serves, Honoring Mothers
ITALY CALLING: Chanel is taking its Métiers d’Art collection on the road for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic broke out.
The line, which was originally unveiled on Dec. 7 at the French fashion house’s new center for specialty workshops on the outskirts of Paris, will be showcased with a repeat show in Florence on June 7.
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“Artistic craftsmanship is anchored in the history of Florence, rich with a cultural heritage and ancestral savoir-faire, still very much alive today,” the brand said in a statement on Tuesday.
Chanel last showed its Métiers d’Art collection in Italy in 2015, when it staged a display at the famed Cinecittà film studio in Rome. Chanel’s manufacturing facilities are split between France and Italy, where it has acquired suppliers such as tannery Samanta and yarn-maker Vimar.
Illustration by Remembers/Courtesy of Chanel
Traditionally a traveling show that has alighted in destinations including Shanghai, Rome, Edinburgh, Salzburg and Dallas, the Métiers d’Art display was held in Paris in December 2019 in the wake of the death of Chanel’s longtime creative director Karl Lagerfeld.
Faced with the restrictions of the COVID-19 outbreak, his successor Virginie Viard chose to film the collection at the Chateau de Chenonceau in the Loire Valley the following year in front of a single VIP guest: Kristen Stewart.
Unlike some of its competitors, Chanel did not stage any major events outside of its domestic market between the start of the pandemic in March 2020 and November 2021, when it headed to Dubai for a repeat presentation of its cruise 2022 collection. — JOELLE DIDERICH
HITTING THE COURT: Lululemon is gearing up for its latest match.
The athletic apparel, accessories and footwear brand will soon enter the tennis game with a new men’s and women’s tennis collection.
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“The new spring ‘22 lineup brings Lululemon’s signature designs and technical performance to the tennis court, to make even the toughest shots feel effortless,” the company said in a statement.
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The collection, which includes an assortment of apparel and accessories, launches online and in select stores in North America on March 29, with more pieces coming this summer. Technical features include four-way stretch, “feather-light” fabrics, advanced wicking and quick-dry materials.
The retailer has enlisted Canadian professional tennis player Leylah Fernandez as an ambassador to wear Lululemon pieces on the court this season.
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“When I’m on the tennis court, I don’t want to think about anything that I’m wearing,” Fernandez said. “I’m just there to play tennis, to have fun and to put on a show for the people. When I put on Lululemon, I feel confident and ready to take on any challenge that’s in front of me.”
The tennis collection comes just weeks after the Vancouver-based firm unveiled its inaugural assortment of footwear. Other recent creations include Lululemon bags made from mushrooms and Team Canada’s outfits at the recent Olympic Games. — KELLIE ELL
MEMORABLE MOTHERS: This year’s Outstanding Mother Awards will honor four women leaders from the retail, beauty, finance and media industries for their commitment to their families and dedication to their careers and philanthropy.
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The 44th annual event, which will be held May 5 at The Pierre Hotel in New York, will honor Nancy Berger, senior vice president/group publishing director at Hearst Media; Phyllis Newhouse, chief executive officer, ShoulderUp Technology Acquisition Corp. and CEO of Xtreme Solutions, Inc.; Marisa Thalberg, executive vice president, chief brand and marketing officer, Lowe’s Cos., Inc., and Priya Venkatesh, senior vice president, Skincare and Hair, Sephora.
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Proceeds from the annual luncheon will benefit Save the Children’s U.S. Programs.
“We are thrilled to welcome our Outstanding Mother honorees and guests back in person to our annual event this year and to celebrate such an accomplished and inspiring group of women leaders,” said Laurie Dowley, chairman of the National Mother’s Day Committee. “Since our founding, we have strived to recognize and support mothers and all they do to positively impact their families, communities and workplaces. This year’s group of honorees have all demonstrated remarkable achievements in the face of significant challenges and we very much look forward to highlighting their contributions as mothers, executives and role models.” — LISA LOCKWOOD
BACK IN MANHATTAN: After canceling its planned show in January due to the surge in Omicron cases, Project is taking the plunge and will hold an in-person show in New York City in July.
The event will be held July 18 and 19 at Iron23, an event space in the Flatiron District where the January show was going to be held. That location, which replaces a larger space in the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, Project’s longtime home in Manhattan, will allow the show to offer a more curated assortment of brands.
The July edition will focus on contemporary men’s and gender-fluid apparel, footwear and accessories brands in what is being called “an intimate and new setting.” The brands will range in price from premium to affordable luxury, the company said.
Project selected the dates to coincide with MAN’s New York show, as well as the Society for International Menswear event, the inaugural event being created by Wainscot Media, parent company of MR magazine. Society for International Menswear is being managed by Lizette Chin and Coleman McCartan, former executives with Project’s parent company, Informa Fashion. It will be held at the Metropolitan Pavilion on 18th Street.
MAN has not yet said where it will be held in July, but its January show was at AG Studios on Walker Street.
Project held an in-person show in Las Vegas in February and also had an event in Tokyo from March 16 to 17 at the International Design Forum. — JEAN E. PALMIERI
JOINING MODA: Moda Operandi is getting a new head honcho for fine jewelry: Abby Huhtanen has joined the e-tailer as its director of fine jewelry.
Huhtanen comes to Moda after a long stint as the founder of consulting firm AMH Global, which she set up in 2018 after leaving Ippolita as chief commercial officer. Huhtanen also served as the president of Kimberly McDonald and worked at Bergdorf Goodman for a decade as its fine jewelry and watch buyer.
Alyssa Romano @ Hey Saturday
According to a release, she will be “Strategically positioning the [fine jewelry] category for aggressive growth with a plan to define [Moda] as the premiere luxury online destination for fine jewelry.”
Huhtanen will be responsible for all buying and merchandising efforts related to fine jewelry and will also collaborate on events and private sales engagements relating to the category. She will report directly to Moda’s chief merchandising officer, April Hennig.
The merchant steps into a role that has been somewhat in flux since the 2019 departure of Jodi Kaplan, who had joined Moda from Bergdorf where she had worked as its vice president of jewelry and watches. Kaplan eventually grew her purview at Moda to include all accessories as well as home goods.
The role was then filled by veteran jewelry editor Will Kahn, who stayed at the website for about a year.
The “structure” of the department has since changed, according to a spokesperson — and has since been overseen by Myriam Attou — vice president of exquisite sales, fine jewelry, home merchandising and special orders. According to a release, Attou is leaving her position at the site and will be, “continuing to support on key business partnerships and priorities until her departure in June.” Attou first joined Moda in November 2019 from Tesla where she was the director for the U.K., Northern Europe and Middle East. — MISTY WHITE SIDELL
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