The Chunky Sneaker Champion

The new shoes drop May 10th, available at Opening Ceremony. Text by John Martin Tilley.

Fashion

Alexander McQueen SS25

September 30, 2024

The Alexander McQueen Spring/Summer 2025 show, held in Paris, was a powerful blend of sharp tailoring, ethereal fabrics, and folklore. Under the creative direction of Seán McGirr, the collection took inspiration from the banshee—a haunting figure in Irish mythology—and transformed it into a symbol of feminine strength and resilience.

Twisted British suiting formed the backbone of the collection, with wool mohair and gabardine tailored into angular silhouettes. Ethereal silk chiffon and intricate cobweb lace contrasted the sharpness, giving the collection a haunting, ghost-like quality. The color palette was predominantly ivory, grey, and black, with fiery accents of yellow and orange.

The show space, designed by Tom Scutt, echoed the collection’s themes of tension and duality, blending classicism with modernity. Accessories, from sculptural boots to jewelry inspired by the banshee’s lore, reinforced the mythical narrative.

By Enzo Holdt
Images Courtesy of Alexander McQueen

Fashion

Saint Laurent SS25

September 26, 2024

No fashion house is more closely tied to the idea of a multi-dimensional female archetype than Saint Laurent. The Saint Laurent woman is far more than a classic muse — she is confident in her darker impulses, drawn to danger and pleasure.

Anthony Vaccarello continues to evolve the essence of the House by channeling the timeless attitude of the Saint Laurent woman. Her complexities mirror those of Yves Saint Laurent himself, blending refined sophistication with raw instinct. The collection reflects this duality, featuring fluid suits and blazers reminiscent of Yves’ signature looks, while opulent skirts offer a nod to the vivid styles inspired by the artists he admired.

Over the years, the fashion house has been defined by a select group of models, chosen for their singularity and their embodiment of a new feminine ideal. This show honors their legacy by naming each look after one of these influential women.

Set against a striking backdrop — a dark structure within a historic courtyard, illuminated by a golden frieze — the show captures the essence of the Saint Laurent universe. With a deep blue floor paying tribute to Yves’ beloved Marrakech gardens, Vaccarello’s vision continues to celebrate the complexity and independence of the Saint Laurent woman.

By Enzo Holdt
Images Courtesy of Saint Laurent

Fashion

Lucila Safdie's Farewell Princess

September 26, 2024

Lucila Safdie’s favorite destination? The internet. The Argentine designer curates her archive through stories she finds there, from John Cassavetes’ A Woman Under the Influence (1974) to podcasts about tragic Hollywood blondes. She reinterprets these cultural moments into garments through a coming-of-age lens.

Her SS25 collection, Farewell Princess, delves into themes of female hysteria, drawing inspiration from the tragic stars of the last century. Staple pieces, like the peach shorts — a surprise favorite for the designer — reappear in soft baby pink. When her second collection launched without them, Safdie was stunned by the flood of requests. When asked where she envisions a Lucila Safdie girl wearing these shorts, she quickly replied, “the cinema” — fitting, given the August debut of her film club, which kicked off with a screening of The Holy Girl.

Last Tuesday, Safdie took a moment to chat with office before heading to Paris for her label’s first showroom — and, of course, to visit a little market she loves, known for its vintage Chanel treasures.

Interview by Julia Silverberg
Images Courtesy of Lucila Safdie

How's London Fashion Week going?

It's good. I haven't done much for it, to be honest, just my collection drop. I went to my friends' party on the weekend, but it wasn't a fashion party, and otherwise, I'm chilling. I'm quite tired from everything, so I need some rest.

When you do get downtime, is there a particular place you go for inspiration?

I mainly go to the internet to be honest, either browsing eBay, Vinted, or streaming movies. Otherwise I also like heading to Prince Charles Cinema or the BFI. They alway have good programs.

I love Prince Charles Cinema.

Me and my best friend, June, went not that long ago to this movie marathon there. It was all David Lynch films, and it went from 11 PM to 9 AM.

That’s hardcore. Did you guys have a drink or something to get through it?

They had a coffee machine, so we had like seven coffees. We both fell asleep at certain moments—people brought blankets and pillows, and we wished we did too.

I notice your research seems to consistently reference the films you watch.

My hobbies inform my work, but it very much depends on what I'm into at the moment of the collection being developed. For some reason, it's never music though.

The new SS25 collection, Farewell Princess, is named after the New York Post headline following Grace Kelly's death. How did you come across that issue?

For a while, I was listening to a podcast that had a season about dead blondes from Hollywood. I was super into it, and one of the episodes focused on Grace Kelly. The series covered the different women from the last century, and at some point I was curious to see how the newspapers looked when they died, what they were saying compared to the podcast. And I thought Farewell Princess was so nice. The other ones were more like, Jayne Mansfield Just Died.

Sounds, not gory, but just…

Straight to the point, where Farwell Princess one was more poetic. And I was already thinking I was going to do my collection on this podcast since I was spending hours and hours listening to it, but the title was going to be different. It was going to be Every girl for herself, for herself and god against all, which encompasses the whole season of this podcast and references a movie, Every Man for Himself and God Against All. But then, when I read the headline, it made more sense to me— as well that my last collection had a really long name.

Do you have a favorite Grace Kelly look?

I really love her looks in films before she became a princess; there is one in the last scenes of The Country Girl. I like that movie because her look is not Grace Kelly as you would imagine, it's quite nerdy. Though at the end, she's wearing this very Grace Kelly black dress and still has her glasses on, but now in this look, they are super chic, so it's so nice.

I love her wedding dress. How does modern Hollywood style compare?

Honestly, I'm not so tapped into the looks of Hollywood today. I'm definitely into pop culture, but I don't know much about the lore or what's happening with it. I like going to watch new movies, but I don't know what’s going on behind the scenes.

Do you have a favorite ‘50s film?

The Hitchcock movies from that time, like Rear Window, are great.

People obsess over starlets of that era — do you find yourself feeling the same way over anything?

Right now, I've been working so much that I feel like I've become a bit stupid. I haven't been doing much other than trying to finish the collection; I guess my brain is still. I try to watch movies at night when I get home, and also Succession, which is not an obsession.

Do you envision your audience obsessing about your brand?

Sure, I would love people to be obsessed, but it's different; my brand is just a brand, it's not this star with all this tragedy and alcoholism and adultery. Though, I obviously want people to understand the brand, and hopefully it keeps growing.

I noticed a lot of black in the collection. What was the purpose?

Not really. There's a lot of navy as well. Maybe it happened because of the imagery I was looking at, but it wasn't a conscious decision.

Do you ever think about why we, as a culture, tend to glamorize tragedy?

There's not that much fun in romanticizing happiness. Happiness is boring and tragedy is more interesting, there're more elements to it. Also, a lot of people I know love making it worse when they’re sad about something, kind of glamorizing their own tragedy.