ESSENTIALS x Fear of God

The Essential Tennis Low and Mid shoe is available at Nordstrom, SSENSE, Mr.Porter, and many others for $295.

GUESS JEANS at Pitti Uomo 105

In 1993 GUESS Europe began in Florence, with the opening of the first European GUESS store in the city in 1994. 30 years later, in the same city that’s rooted in the brand's history, a new era of denim is announced. GUESS JEANS launches with an immersive exhibition exploring THE NEXT 40 YEARS OF DENIM.The exhibition embarks upon a curated exploration of GUESS's storied past with a denim focused retrospective paying homage to the brands humble beginnings, and meteoric rise. This journey into the denim archives unveils the brand's pivotal role in revolutionizing the industry with the popularization of stonewash jeans in 1981, a defining moment that reshaped the denim landscape forever.

The ethereal “Stone to Air” installation introduces GUESS AIRWASH, an industry-defining stone-washing process, which places GUESS JEANS at the forefront of eco-conscious innovation.

Fashion

“Beauty Beyond Borders”: Magliano Fall 2024

January 11, 2024

Creating newness within a super-palpable framework is the challenge Luca Magliano has chosen for himself. “This season bridges the realm of functionality with a romantic flair,” the designer opined post-show, adding that “the shapes, cuts and volumes form a poignant interplay of influences: an occasion to talk about classics, in a way they reshape our creative thinking of producing clothes while shining a light on an overextended femininity.” For Fall, he more than delivered on that front. The clothes, with their curving seams, drippy layers, and billowing hems, looked painstakingly his, but they looked fresh as well. The freshness came in the form of pins on jacket collars, candles worn as military ranks, likewise sweaters and jackets that took the lead in contemporary elegance — mimicking one another on a much lighter, fuss-free shift from past outings. More subtly, the shift was there in the form of hand-sewn details used to polish the avant-garde silhouettes into way, way beyond minimal offerings, as well as in the longline separates that he’s put on the runway before, which are now finally able to be taken further.

By Chidozie Obasi
Photos courtesy of Magliano

Magliano took a more freewheeling approach to accessories, too; you could picture a lot of the maxi bags and sculpturally-shaped earrings being rather adventurous and soft when juxtaposed with the sharpness of the garments’ cuts. But their sartorial feel was generally a good match for this designer’s spare, precise sensibility and his strength as a tailor. Magliano delivered in the suiting department, showing dagger, lean cuts in a neutral gamut of hues, occasionally decorating the hem of a puffy trench with a cinched waistline and a slightly futuristic touch.

Season after season, Magliano has garnered an impressive reputation for stealthy luxurious garb that happens to be loved crazily. So what’s the secret? A chic, dare-not-freak conundrum that tangentially reveals a lot about the frenzy pace of out times, as it happens. “I’m learning to appreciate craft as I go,” he says, pointing to the hot pursuit for consumption that’s speedily exacerbating the industry and the world at large.

“At the brand, I want clothes to breathe into the airwaves of longevity and craftsmanship as we first came to know it, as opposed to producing huge scales for the sake of taste.” Here, one can say that the buzz (or, more accurately, the high-frequency vibration) about Magliano lies in a paradox that’s shaping the contemporary fashion scene: nonsense fashion. However, at a time when seeking out creative anonymity in clothes is continuing to be, ahem, fashionable, his approach hits the full mark. “This season, we call this tailoring subversion a gentle sabotage of the shape, referencing the elegance of a wealth of women who have shaped Italian culture and whose allure stands the test of time.”

And while we’re at it, there were beautifully constructed coats to check out. Take one in a camel, with a loose waist, a subtle line and a vent in back. Or another cut into a narrow collarless early noughties shape, which makes a nice nod to a start of season without screeching maximalism. Or yet again, a body-hugging man’s overcoat that transcends trends. Fleeing from excess is no easy feat, but here’s hoping that this season’s tasteful practicality will turn into a blockbuster hit for Magliano, as his clothes nicely evolve each season.

Fashion

Achilles Ion Gabriel

January 11, 2024

Sometimes it’s up to the Finnish to show the Italians where they stand with their own history — while also being just a little more reverential toward it. Achilles Ion Gabriel is one such case in point: established and presented as part of the Fall 2024 edition of Pitti Uomo 105, it showcased an avant-garde wardrobe for both men and women that juxtaposed tailored severity with an irreverent formality of sorts. In his debut outing for the namesake brand, the Finnish Creative Director has infused his offering with the romance of the neutral age, when garments become increasingly free from all manner of constrictions. “I’ve always felt compelled to tell a story, and this collection feels extremely personal because I was able to integrate my attitude into a wardrobe of pieces that gain a versatile feel,” opined Ion Gabriel post-show. Perhaps this is why there’s a certain toughness in the womenswear that adds to its gloom, ditching the girly folderol that can occasionally creep in when designers embrace a broadly masculine, functional verve.

By Chidozie Obasi
Photos courtesy of Achilles Ion Gabriel

Saying that, some of the standout garments were the dresses, particularly a sublimation printed mesh dress coupled with its all-sheer minimal counterpart. Reworked to often feature a decadent edge, the coats were among the most desirable elements of the collection, alongside the reworked accessories staples. The iconic leather and animal-printed pattern appear in many fabrics for both men and women, with a particular emphasis on maxi prints. The intense sense of breeziness seeped through pretty much everything, but the designer was clever in not dissipating a heavy dose of practicality into the mix, particularly in the menswear. For the Italians, this brand, with its hints of streetwear culture — the denim, roughness and overly functional fabrics — might conjure up a mood of simplicity. But the youngsters might come across a far fresher side of its DNA, that the designer is pushing to new heights. That, to some extent, could continue to broaden its appeal — though for an unapologetic fan of ultra-functionality, that’s the relief (should that be how you wanna call it) of knowing the designer will keep growing his selection of ultra (in fact, extra!) billowing garb. And on that note, there was plenty there to charm.