Kim Shui FW24

For Shui, this collection is about claiming and standing in your power. Even the color palette — deep oxbloods, vibrant greens, and bright cherry reds — evokes intensity, inspired by Kazuo Shiraga Gutai’s paintings.

Signature Shui elements found their way into this collection, including lace detailing and printed mini dresses, but other intentional design choices are specific to the range, like corseted leather jackets and brazen shoulder pads. These symbolize structure and support, bracing the Kim Shui woman for whatever life throws her way — even though she doesn’t need clothing to reinforce that strength, it’s already inside of her.

Backstage offered a closer look into just how fierce every look was, amplified by sultry makeup. Siren eyes were complimented by candy-like shellacked lips and the final accessory touches — futuristic Poppy Lissiman and Akila sunglasses and fingerless gloves — were just the cherry on top of every look.

Fashion

Louis Vuitton Gets Furry

June 03, 2024

Louis Vuitton has made a rare choice for the SS25 Pre-Collection: an entire collection themed around dogs. In addition to a plethora of menswear, including bags adorned in paw-print, shoes melded with dog collars, and Dalmatian patterned jackets, there's also a whole line of canine products. This is yet another collection helmed by Men's Creative Director Pharrell Williams, titled “DOG LVERS”, and is cheekily described as "The dog-walking dandy", a nod to the convergence of high fashion and the professional canine convoys of New York City.

The monogram-draped dog house is the breakout piece, putting a signature LV look on the classic home for hounds, along with a matching monogram-covered dog bowl. The collection continues its conversation with canine culture through homages to dog shows, pairing elegant Westminsor-worthy tailored suits with the Pharrell touch: skate shorts (he really is Skateboard P!).

It’s a distinctly NYC affair through and through, but it also signals an appreciation for English fashion, including a sleeveless Cricket jersey. For those who want to match with their dogs (why you would want to, I have no idea, but I digress), there are featured pieces tailor-made for twinning. Fuzzy slippers with paw prints and LV stamped leashes round out the quirky collection.

Williams has designed the ideal wardrobe for a saunter in SoHo with man's best friend, continuing his streak of seemingly breathing some new life into LV.

Check out some of our favorite looks, on both dogs and humans, below.

Text by Tal Kamara
Photos courtesy of Louis Vuitton

Fashion

Behind nooon: Jose Peon

May 27, 2024

While living in Cuba, Jose Peon worked with sculpture and painting as his creative mediums. After moving to the US in 2021 and being introduced to 3D by a colleague, Peon pivoted, turning to 3D and fashion design as his outlets. By merging his fashion design expertise with the digital, Peon's world is limitless. He creates garments with exaggerated silhouettes that not only adorn the body but also reshape the human form. His creations transcend wearability, functioning as physical structures enhanced by 3D manipulation to create digitally immersive distortions.

As both designer and creative director, he oversees every stage and element of his products' development, driven by a clear vision and meticulous process. This hands-on approach led to the founding of his brand, ‘nooon’, which which has collaborated with online marketplace apps, Grailed and GOAT, consistently showcasing Peon's futuristic and utilitarian aesthetic. His distinctive monochrome and puffer styles, while uniform, somehow stand out from the expanse of emerging designers in the space. Below we chat further about his process.

By Sahara Dawn K.
Photography by Jose Peon

So what drew you to working with 3D in the first place?

I used to do fine arts in Cuba, mainly in sculpture and painting. When I moved to the US, I did not have the space or conditions to continue this practice, so I had to find a way to do both my personal and commercial work in the least amount of space possible, and what better than a computer for that? My colleague Cesar Amezaga (@ultraviolencegraphics) introduced me to the 3D space and its capabilities while we were still in Cuba, so once I got here, I made it my primary practice.

And how did “nooon” come to be?

It’s a long story.

Well then let’s talk a bit about your process, blending fashion design, 3D-rendering, and photography?

I need these tools to accomplish my creative vision. When working with a team on projects, or campaigns for my own brand “nooon”, it’s necessary to contribute to all elements of the project in order to achieve my intended vision. Because of this, it’s helpful to understand and direct what is happening in all areas of the process.

And I had to do it. If I wanted to take pictures, I had to grab the camera. If I wanted sample patterns made, I would do it on CLO. If I wanted visuals for the clothes I didn’t have the means to make at that point, I had to 3D-render them. I used to see this as a problem, but now looking back, I am grateful it happened this way. To this day, I keep exploring new tools while also continuing to strengthen the ones I use regularly.

Who are some of your greatest inspirations?

My parents are. Seeing them work so hard for as long as I can remember has influenced how I am today. The people who inspire me the most are the ones who expand their practice through several fields.

How did you develop your own visual identity?

Work. Iterating countless times and exploring different outcomes. You have to know what you don’t want to know what you need. The more you work and experiment, the more you will eventually curate your work, and from there, your work discovers itself. This process never ends.

So are there specific references you draw from or did you cultivate your identity entirely through the process?

I do have references, research is a very important component of my practice, mostly visual. But it's the implementation of both the references and my own creative process that informs my taste, which is very important to me. The more I develop my taste, the easier it is to produce better outcomes for each project.

What are some of your favorite projects you’ve worked on?

I am working on several projects for nooon that I look forward to completing. In the meantime, I have taken on branded work for other companies. Working with brands is an excellent exercise for me, not only because of their insights and different points of view but also because it helps me understand how more established fashion brands work. I recently worked on a campaign with Joel Evey and the team at Grailed for a SS24 Grailed Sale that was recently live. It is always great to work with them since they have such interesting visual aesthetics and development of ideas.

What do you have coming up this year?

We are currently working on nooon’s first physically presented collection. It will be presented in September 2024 for NYFW and will be accompanied by our first drop of select pieces, so we are looking forward to that!

And in the next 10, where do you see yourself?

I want to help and contribute to as many people and their projects as possible. Eventually, I will be able to open more doors and build more bridges. I am a part of the puzzle.

Fashion

CELINE FW24: Slimane's Symphonie Fantastique

There’s something about male teen energy which functions for Slimane as the gift that keeps on giving. It's a feverish fascination. Likewise the young, passionate Berlioz score runs through the collection’s scenery and seams. However, the “California Teen Cowboy” appears ostensibly more mature than Slimane’s previous “Cosmic Cruiser” and those affected by the “Paris Syndrome” for his 25th anniversary at The Palace. The chokers, slouchy parkas, and snake prints are gone. Nobody’s riding a motorcycle or crawling through the club floor. Winter '23 is silent, sleek, and sophisticated. Slimane focuses less on sex and more on the privilege of seduction.

The Cowboy marks the return of tailoring, at least in Slimane’s psychedelic world. He wears frock coats, three-button suits, and embroidered waistcoats in silk, satin and cashmere. And let’s not forget the majestic capes, catching the wind as he marches determinedly between the Mojave mountains. The Cowboy travels in helicopters, cruises in Cadillacs, and tours on horseback. He's on a journey, yet never are we shown where The Cowboy is going, and we know little about where he has been. But we know he’s no longer wearing sun-bleached denim.