■ Dior announces Lewis Hamilton as ambassador and guest designer · Hamilton
Image source: Dior's official Weibo
Dior has announced seven-time Formula 1 World Champion ·Lewis Hamilton as its new brand ambassador and guest designer for the new lifestyle collection, where he will collaborate with Kim ·Jones, Dior's men's artistic director, Kim Jones, to design a new lifestyle capsule. Lewis · Hamilton, who stands out in Formula 1 with his fashion taste and has his own clothing line, is connected with Kim · Jones, creative director of DIOR menswear, because of their shared commitment to sustainability and passion for Africa.
The new collection, which focuses on "outdoor-friendly" garments, uses 80% sustainable materials and incorporates African-inspired motifs, some from Burkina Faso, will be launched on October 17 in Dior stores and online. The new collection includes pattern-centric sweaters, snow jackets and accessories, including skis stamped with the Dior logo. Lewis · Hamilton will leave the Mercedes F1 team after 11 years of contract and will switch to a new team, Scuderia Ferrari, in 2025.
■ Switzerland Mido announced Ren Jialun as the global brand ambassador
Image source: MIDO official Weibo of Switzerland
Recently, the century-old watchmaking brand Switzerland Mido announced that outstanding young actor and singer Allen Ren (Allen Ren) has become the first global brand spokesperson. Since becoming the brand ambassador of Switzerland Mido in 2023, Ren Jialun has witnessed many highlight moments of Switzerland Mido. During his tenure as the brand ambassador of Switzerland Mido, Ren Jialun let more people understand the brand's core values and witnessed the contemporary expression of inspiration of the century-old Switzerland watchmaking brand. In addition, the "Inspiration Vision" pop-up space will be used to witness the 50th anniversary of the Helmsman TV watch and unveil a number of eye-catching new creations since then.
As an award-winning young actor, Ren Jialun has starred in a series of popular film and television works, and has successfully created a number of popular roles with his outstanding strength and professionalism. In the process of breaking through himself and improving his acting skills, Ren Jialun gradually won the attention and love of audiences at home and abroad, and won the Best Actor Award at the Asian Academy Creative Awards at the Singapore Media Festival, further confirming his international influence. In addition to his acting career, Yam Jialun also insisted on pursuing his music dreams and released a number of albums, interpreting diverse charms with strength. On the occasion of the upgrade of the partnership, Ren Jialun said: "Switzerland Mido is in my mind a model of exquisite craftsmanship, innovative aesthetics and practical functionality. Since its inception, the brand has been committed to combining high standards of watchmaking expertise into competitive timepieces, making it easy for more people to enjoy the quality and pleasure of authentic Switzerland watches, a vision that I admire. In the future, he will continue to join hands with Mido Watch in Switzerland to inherit the century-old watchmaking skills and open up a new chapter.
■ Swarovski announces Ariana Grande as a global brand ambassador
Image source: SWAROVSKI official Weibo
Austria jewelry brand Swarovski has announced singer Ariana Grande as the global brand ambassador and will appear in Swarovski's holiday ad at the end of October. It is reported that the stars Swarovski has worked with also include Kardashian, supermodel Bella Hadid and Karlie Kloss.
Ariana Grande is a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and actress who is known as one of the best-selling artists in the world. As the "popular fried chicken" in the music industry in recent years, Ariana Grande quickly climbed to the pinnacle of her career with her outstanding musical talent and unique voice. She has released two Billboard number one songs and became the first solo singer to occupy the top three of the charts at the same time, and her compositions have won numerous titles, attracted a large number of loyal fans with her golden songs, and also made her known as the "next stop" of the European and American music industry.
■ Shi Luohua Glasses officially announced Bailu as the spokesperson of the new global brand
Image source: Swarovski Eyewear official Weibo
On July 19, Shi Luohua Glasses officially announced Bailu as the spokesperson of the new global brand. Nowadays, with the gradual improvement of residents' consumption level, consumer demand is becoming more and more personalized, diversified and fashionable, and this trend is also reflected in the wearing of glasses. Shi Luohua actively accelerates product upgrading and innovation, emphasizing wearing comfort and upper face feeling in product design, and paying more attention to life and social scene orientation, and constantly meeting the needs of the younger generation of consumers to use glasses as a trendy accessory. At the same time, Shi Luohua also creatively opened up a new category of CP in the glasses industry.
And the spirit of continuous innovation and breakthrough is also vividly reflected in Bailu's body. From the seed of her dream to today's bright star, her hard work and persistence have become her most shining label. From model to actor, from singing to variety show, Bailu has shown his talent and charm in the entertainment industry since his debut. With her serious craftsmanship in acting, she has also continued to receive warm praise from the audience and peers: Outstanding Young Actor of the Year, Most Popular Young Actress, Popular Actress of the Year, and Eye-catching Actor of the Year...... Behind every flower and applause, there is a spirit of Bailu daring to challenge and constantly surpassing itself.
■ Supreme was acquired by Ray-Ban's parent company for $1.5 billion
Image source: Supreme official Weibo
A few days ago, Ray-Ban's parent company, Italy eyewear group Essilor Luxottica, announced the acquisition of Supreme from VF Group, the parent company of Vans, for US$1.5 billion (about 10.8 billion yuan). However, comparing the prices of the two transactions, Supreme's worth has shrunk by $600 million in just four years. Analysts believe that after being acquired by EssilorLuxottica, Supreme will expand its sales by selling eyewear products.
In March, Supreme opened its first store in China in Shanghai, but the brand did not expand as fast as VF Group expected, with Supreme's revenue falling 7.1% to $523 million and profit falling 21% to $64.8 million from $82.4 million in the previous year. As a luxury group with eyewear as its main product, Essilor Luxottica's takeover of Supreme is undoubtedly unexpected. In the announcement of the acquisition, the group's CEO, Francesco Milleri, said that Supreme will have its own unique position as a creative and iconic presence within the group, and will be able to complement the group's existing matrix of licensed brands.
■ Kevin Germanier designs the costume for the closing ceremony of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Image source: SWAROVSKI official Weibo
It is reported that Kevin Germanier, a designer from Switzerland, will design the performance costume for the closing ceremony of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The closing ceremony will be held on August 11 at the Stade de France, covering an area of more than 2,788 square meters and expected to be attended by more than 100 performers. Kevin Germanier, a graduate of Central Saint Martins, is known and acclaimed for his eco-friendly and stylish designs. In 2018, Central Saint Martins graduate Kevin Germanier's eponymous label Germanier made its debut. He loves to have fun with fabrics and pays great attention to details, such as those that are redecorated with discarded beads. "Upcycling" has always been in Germanier's DNA, and all of his products are made from recycling. Drawing inspiration from futuristic fashion, Kevin Germanier has a strong ecological value.
With the Spring/Summer 2023 collection, Kevin Germanier has successfully returned to Paris Fashion Week, and his unique style has occupied the public's eye. The concept of "annihilation" provided inspiration for the brand. The Switzerland-born, Central Saint Martins-graduate designer Kevin Germanier explains in the exhibition's notes: "Dig a hole and expose it, using destruction to positively change it. The upcoming Paris 2024 closing ceremony costumes will be the first collection to be made from 100% upcycled materials and materials from unsold products from LVMH Maisons.
■ Swatch Group announced its 2024 first-half earnings report, and Swatch bucked the trend in the Chinese market
Switzerland's Swatch Group (Swatch Group) recently announced its 2024 first half performance report, under the weak consumption environment of the overall Greater China market and the high comparison base in the same period of 2023, the sales of its Swatch brand in the Chinese market bucked the trend and achieved a 10% growth. Nick Hayek, CEO ·of Swatch Group, recently publicly said that high-end consumption in the Chinese market is going through a relatively difficult period, and predicts that consumers' reservations about high-priced products will continue at least until the end of this year, and the current situation will bring an excellent opportunity for its Swatch brand to further grow in the Chinese market and expand its market share.
斯沃琪集团表示，消费者对Omega（欧米茄）联名的MoonSwatch系列中的“Mission to the MoonPhase”的全新型号腕表：NewMoon和Full Moon以及“Mission on Earth”的全新型号腕表：Lava、Polar Lights 和 Desert 以及Blancpain（宝珀）联名的Scuba Fifty Fathoms系列的需求仍然很高。
■ ARKET has unveiled its first offline flagship stores in Milan and Barcelona
ARKET officially unveiled new offline flagship stores in Milan and Barcelona in July 2024, showcasing ARKET's men's and women's clothing, accessories, children's clothing, body care and other products, which is also the brand's first offline store in Italy and Spain. ARKET Milano is located in the Medelan Building in Piazza Cordusio. The store presents a floor design created exclusively for ARKET's Milano flagship store, which is based on an in-depth study of Italy and Milanese architecture, combining red and white marble with ARKET's custom terrazzo and wood flooring to create different spatial structures to enhance the experience.
ARKET Barcelona is located on Avenida de Gracia. On the first floor of the store, there is a large terrace facing the courtyard, and the indoor seating area is decorated with restoration work from the Artek 2nd Cycle platform. On the occasion of the opening of the new store, ARKET has partnered with Barcelona-based independent magazine Apartamento to open a pop-up bookstore featuring a selection of books on food, art and the aesthetics of everyday life, selected by the Apartamento team. ARKET's design philosophy originated from the Nordic modernist movement of the mid-20th century. In 1919, Sweden art historian Gregor Paulsson first proposed the concept of "better everyday objects", intending to use democratic design methods to closely link art, craftsmanship and practicality to create more accessible and convenient daily necessities.
■ Skechers opened the largest flagship store in the Asia-Pacific region in Chengdu
Image source: SKECHER Skechers' official Weibo
Skechers recently opened the largest flagship store in the Asia-Pacific region on Chunxi Road in Chengdu, with a total of four floors and an area of nearly 1,000 square meters. On the first floor, a variety of professional sports equipment including running shoes, football shoes, basketball shoes, pickleball shoes and other categories are displayed to meet consumers' increasingly refined and diversified consumption needs for professional sports equipment; The second floor focuses on comfortable and technological footwear and clothing products that meet the needs of emerging sports scenarios such as outdoor sports and yoga; The third floor is built for children and provides a one-stop shopping solution for families; The digital life experience area is built on the fourth floor, and the relationship between sports technology and daily leisure life is reconstructed through the online and offline integration of the live broadcast room, upgraded interactive experience and VIP member services.
Since entering the Chinese market, Skechers has continued to expand its retail channels, and has more than 3,500 offline stores in China so far. It is reported that Skechers' sales in the first quarter of this year increased by 12.5% to $2.25 billion, with a net profit of $210 million and a gross profit margin of 52.5%, an increase of 360 basis points.
■ ON opened the largest store in the Chinese market in Hong Kong
Switzerland sports brand On opened its first large-scale flagship store in Central, Hong Kong, on July 17, and is also the largest store in the Chinese market. Spanning nearly 279 square meters and located in the heart of the core commercial and travel retail area, the brand aims to build a branded sports community around running, fitness and outdoor enthusiasts, including yoga classes, street running activities and fitness classes. Up to now, On has opened more than 50 stores in the Chinese market, and after opening its first flagship store in Hong Kong, the brand will open another directly operated store at the end of the year to further expand the brand's subsequent footprint in the Greater China market.
At the same time, On launched LightSpray™, a high-performance upper innovation technology. Developed by the innovation team at The Labs' headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland, the launch of the technology marks the beginning of a new era of shoemaking and athletic performance. The Cloudboom Strike LS is On's first high-performance racing shoe with LightSpray™ technology. Unlike traditional upper manufacturing processes, LightSpray™ is a high-performance, lightweight upper that can be precision manufactured in a single step by using On Labs' unique robotic arm to perform independent automated spun weaving operations.
■ adidas collaborates with Bella Hadid to launch the new SL72 sneaker
Image source: BellaHadidCN Weibo
Model Bella Hadid recently took to New York's Times Square to promote adidas' new SL72 sneakers, which were first launched in 1972 and re-released last year and are expected to surpass Samba. Its retro-inspired classic running shoes are available in two versions, the SL 72 RS and SL 72 OG, in five new colorways. To increase its market momentum, adidas continues to work with celebrities such as rapper A$AP Nast, singer Melissa Bon, soccer player Jules Koundé and model Sabrina Lan.
Bella Hadid has become popular since 2021 and has become the hottest "That girl" in the fashion industry. Bella Hadid's name has long since become a style of taking over the streets. Cargo pants with designer ready-to-wear, nerdy glasses with jewelry, her style has been analyzed by countless bloggers, listing various formulas, but it has always been difficult to copy. There have been many words that have been used to sum up Bella's style — intellectual, aunty, American vintage, and even the "office siren," which is so popular this year...... But none of these words encapsulated the complexity of her. Her style, at its core, is a chaotic and orderly aesthetic, like an antique shop you stumble across on the side of the road, displaying all the bizarre utensils and flowers you can think of.
■ Valextra collaborates with illustrator Jiang Shan to create an art collaboration
In celebration of the upcoming Chinese traditional Qixi Festival, Valextra, a Milanese leather goods brand from Italy, has unveiled the fourth chapter of the project with renowned illustrator Shan Jiang once again in collaboration with the "Tropic of Cancer" art collaboration project. Valextra is also celebrating the occasion with the Iside V-Heart Intarsia bag. Under the brushstrokes of artist Jiang Shan, this Qixi blockbuster is intertwined and integrated in a bold and novel way. The backdrop transcends the constraints of time and space, connecting the two cities of Milan and Shanghai, with rich colors and lines intertwined and blended, presenting the artistic collision of modern urban design concepts and classical Chinese culture.
As the fourth chapter of the "Tropic of Cancer" project, the collaboration between Valextra and illustrator Jiang Shan not only continues the romance and warmth of the project, but also incorporates new creativity and ingenuity into the illustrations, deeply exploring the collision and integration of Eastern and Western cultures in the field of art and fashion. Valextra's architectural aesthetic is presented in geometric lines, which intersect with the unrestrained brushstrokes of artist Jiang Shan's work, composing a new spark of inspiration.
■ China's Li Ning launched the "Hack" designer platform
China's Li Ning recently announced the official launch of the "chuàng" designer platform and the creation of an offline experience space at XC273, a pioneering new retail space in Shanghai. In addition to designers, the future will also be open to athletes, artists, musicians, photographers and other creative people with different identities and fields, and interpret new ideas under the proposition of oriental aesthetics. The launch of this platform aims to showcase the sports spirit and "In My Name" proposition of the Li Ning brand through immersive experiences and narratives, which not only enhances the brand's innovative design capabilities, but also boosts the brand's boundaries. The platform is highly consistent with the design concept of China's Li Ning, and has received the support and cooperation of Chenfeng Fashion Creative Industrial Park and its designer team, which jointly brought the first batch of collaborative collections.
In 2024, the "Chip" Innovation Program will join hands with its partner Chenfeng Fashion Creative Industrial Park, with designer Ding Jie, designer fashion brands Shang Xiuhui and KEH FORME respectively with the design themes of "In My Name", "Tai Chi Joy" and "Walking in the East", based on the three iconic series of products of China's Li Ning, Kung Fu and VITAL, organically combining sports, trends and Chinese culture, and interpreting and reconstructing Chinese culture and oriental aesthetics in classic sportswear. As the high-end line of the Li Ning brand, China Li Ning is committed to integrating sports, Chinese culture and trend creativity, showing the competitive spirit and trend attitude of Chinese youth, and since 2018, China Li Ning has frequently appeared in international fashion weeks and has become a representative of Chinese culture.
■ "Yingtong Holdings", which manages the Hermes perfume brand, went to IPO in Hong Kong
Image source: Yingtong China's official Weibo
On July 18, the domestic perfume giant Yingtong Holdings Co., Ltd. officially submitted a prospectus to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to be listed on the main board. The history of Yingtong Holdings can be traced back to 1987 by Liu Jurong, when one of its major operating subsidiaries, Yingtong Far East, began to introduce international fragrances to Chinese mainland and eyewear products to Hong Kong and Macau. At present, Liu Jurong and his wife hold 100% of the shares of the group. In 1992, the Group established a distributor partnership with the international perfume group InterParfums, which has been the main business partner for more than 30 years. In 2005, he began to manage Hermès perfume products in Chinese mainland; In 2007, a distributor partnership was established with EuroItalia, an Italy perfume company, and the cooperation has been continuous for more than 15 years.
According to Frost & Sullivan, in terms of retail sales in 2023, "Yingtong Holdings" is the third largest perfume group in the integrated market of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, the largest perfume brand management company in the integrated market of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau, and the only perfume brand management company among the five major perfume groups in the Chinese mainland market and the integrated market of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong and Macau. The company mainly manages and sells fragrances at various price points, including entry-level high-end fragrances, high-end fragrances and luxury fragrances. At the same time, the company has a large and diversified portfolio of brands, including not only fragrances, but also makeup, skincare, personal care products, eyewear and home fragrances. The total number of brands managed by "Yingtong Holdings" is 63, including Hermès, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chopard, high-end Japan skincare brands Albion, Laura Mercier, Elegance, etc. In addition to external brands and products, the company also manages fragrances and eyewear under its own brand, Santa Monica. The company has been offering eyewear under the Santa Monica brand since 1999 and launched five more fragrances under the private label in 2022.
■ Wen Jingyuan and Quan Junhao's new exhibition "Weather Station" landed in Beijing
Recently, the internationally acclaimed avant-garde artist duo Moon Kyungwon and Jeon Joonho (MOON Kyungwon & JEON Joonho) have launched a new exhibition "Weather Station" at the Hyundai Motor Academy in Beijing. As a series of interdisciplinary collaborative research and artistic practices from Seoul to Beijing, Weather Station examines climate issues from a posthuman perspective. The exhibition focuses on redefining the relationship between human, non-human and nature in the context of the age of artificial intelligence. Focusing on the concept of symbiosis, the artist thinks about climate change from a new perspective and way.
Since 2009, Wen Jingyuan and Jun Hao have been working as duos to explore the role of art in the many challenges facing humanity and the ever-changing world. Their works involve a variety of media and technologies such as artificial intelligence, video, installation, and painting, integrating thematic narratives into multi-sensory spatial experiences. Wen Jingyuan and Jeon Junhao's "Making Fire" (2022-2024) is inspired by Jack ·'s classic short story of the same name published in 1902, and tells an AI-generated story about the transformation of the earth and climate change over thousands of years from the perspective of a stone. At the same time, guided by the quadruped robot Spot, the audience is invited to enter an expanded time and space full of mystery and unknown, where the boundaries between humans and non-humans are no longer clear, and new sensory experiences are encountered.