Michael Kors’ New Ambassador, Ralph Lauren’s Olympic Moment
NEW FACE: Michael Kors has named Dahyun, a member of the South Korean global musical group Twice, its newest global brand ambassador.
The 25-year-old Dahyun, whose full name is Kim Da-hyun, has established a close relationship with the Kors brand over the past few seasons, attending both the spring and fall 2023 Michael Kors Collection runways shows during New York Fashion Week.
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In a survey by ListenFirst, a social media analytics platform that analyzed social engagement results during NYFW 2022 from Sept. 9 through Sept. 15, Michael Kors came in first place in social engagement attributed in part to a top-performing Instagram collaboration post of Dahyun arriving at the runway show, which got 639,196 engagements.
The South Korean singer will appear in the Michael Michael Kors fall/holiday campaign, with spring to follow. Additional social media collaborations and appearances are planned throughout the year.
Dahyun has been a member of the global group Twice since 2015.
“I’m excited to embrace the world of music and performance with Dahyun. She’s energetic, animated and has truly captured a global audience. From her incredible talent to her individual style, she’s the perfect representation of our brand,” said Michael Kors. — LISA LOCKWOOD
READY FOR THE GAMES: It’s one year from the start of the Summer Olympics in Paris — and five from the upcoming Los Angeles Games — and Ralph Lauren is doing its part to drum up interest for both.
On Tuesday the company kicked off its expanded relationship with Team USA and LA28, a privately funded nonprofit organization that is organizing the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, by releasing a special custom-designed emblem for the California edition. Ralph Lauren will be an official outfitter of the 2028 Games.
The emblem features a black and red winged A, a reimagined look from the Ralph Lauren P-wing symbol popular in the ’90s, set against black letters and numbers for the L, 2 and 8 along with the Olympic rings.
This is only the second commercialized version of the logo in Olympic and Paralympic history. Last fall, Delta Air Lines, the inaugural founding partner, created its distinct version of the logo incorporating two versions of its widget.
For Ralph Lauren, its version of the logo will initially be added to a denim jacket that will be sold online as well as at its Beverly Hills store. It will retail for $298. The Beverly Hills store, its flagship in Los Angeles, will also host an event on Wednesday night with Olympian Shaun White and other athletes to celebrate the unveiling of the logo.
As the Games approach, Ralph Lauren will also put its emblem on other products that will be available for sale.
“In every iteration of the LA28 emblem, we are writing the collective story of the LA28 Games,” said Peter Zeytoonjian, senior vice president of consumer products for LA28. “We’re thrilled to release this latest custom design with Ralph Lauren, a true icon in the movement who shares our drive to think differently, collaborate and connect more deeply with the next generation of fans and athletes.”
But it’s not just L.A. that the company is promoting. As part of the company’s long-standing relationship with Team USA, it will also be dropping a customizable Team USA capsule collection for the Paris Games on July 26 with exclusive graphics that can be placed on a variety of items including polo shirts and its signature bear. Ralph Lauren has been an outfitter of Team USA since the Beijing Games in 2008. — JEAN E. PALMIERI
NEW CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Frederick’s of Hollywood has appointed a new creative director.
The heritage lingerie brand owned by Authentic Brands Group revealed Tuesday it has appointed designer and stylist Candice Cuoco creative director. She is tasked with overseeing creative direction and product design with a focus on creating modern lingerie to appeal to a broader customer.
“I am honored to be part of such an iconic brand that is steeped in the power of women,” Cuoco said. “Frederick’s of Hollywood has a rich history of celebrating sensuality and self-expression and I am eager to build upon that foundation to create a bold and inclusive vision for the future.”
Cuoco was a finalist on season 14 of Bravo’s reality competition “Project Runway” and returned for the show’s sixth season of “Project Runway All-Stars” competition. She has designed custom pieces for celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Doja Cat, Nicki Minaj, Kali Uchis, Demi Lovato and others.
“We are thrilled to welcome Candice Cuoco to the Frederick’s of Hollywood family as our new creative director,” said Christina Martin Pieper, the executive vice president of lifestyle at Authentic Brands Group. “Candice’s exceptional influence and creative vision align perfectly with our brand’s DNA. Her unique perspective will resonate with our customers and will continue to build on its iconic history.”
Authentic Brands Group acquired Frederick’s of Hollywood in 2015 for $22.5 million after the lingerie brand filed for bankruptcy. Since the acquisition the lingerie brand has embarked on many initiatives, such as relaunching its men’s collection and teaming with Megan Fox on a collection. — LAYLA ILCHI
GROWING MARKET: Runway Vietnam, a luxury and designer fashion retail concept, last week unveiled a 7,535-square-foot multibrand store at Diamond Plaza in Ho Chi Minh City in a bid to meet the rising demand from its sophisticated loyal clientele, while attracting younger generation customers who follow global trends.
The store at the upscale mall is split into two areas, one catering to “women who value creative and original elegance,” with brands like Comme des Garçons Play, Jacquemus, The Attico, Self-Portrait, Theory, Forte Forte, Ganni, Zimmermann, Studio Nicholson and Eenk on offer.
The other area is dedicated to younger generation consumers with a more urban and experimental brand mix including Comme des Garçons, Junya Watanabe, Rick Owens, Off-White, Marni, Fear of God, Ambush and Pushbutton.
Anh Tran, founder of Runway Vietnam, noted that “luxury today can be both exigent and laid-back, out of reach and attainable, serious and funny. It is multidirectional as next to several established labels in our new stores there are brands founded by independent third-millennium designers.”
Founded in 2008, Runway Vietnam is registered under GlobalLink Co. Ltd, the monobrand boutique operating partner for a slew of major luxury brands in Vietnam. Besides the Diamond Plaza location, Runway Vietnam has two other stores in Ho Chi Minh City and one in Hanoi.
According to Tran, Vietnam’s luxury and premium fashion spending is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, even though the market remains “quite challenging” due to the widening discrepancies between online and offline retail prices.
With the new store, Runway Vietnam is looking to capture the spending rebound by bringing established and emerging designer brands and conceptual fashion to the Vietnamese market and “creating a multifaceted shopping experience where fashion and style meet arts and creativity,” added Tran.
Vietnam has experienced robust growth in the luxury sector in recent years thanks to a growing middle class and a rise in the number of high-net-worth individuals.
Data from Statista showed that revenue in the Vietnamese luxury goods market is inching toward $1 billion in 2023, and is expected to grow annually by 3.2 percent in the next five years. Some 8.9 percent of the sales will be generated online sales this year.
The nation logged faster economic growth in the second quarter of 2023, driven by the services sector, which increased by 6.1 percent in the period, higher than the overall 4.1 percent GDP growth. — TIANWEI ZHANG
CHASING THE SUN: W Hotels is collaborating with Sunchasers, an ethically created, unisex clothing brand based in Venice Beach, California.
Using the artistry of tie-dye, Sunchasers is known for its diverse range of unisex loungewear and dress sets crafted from luxurious cotton and silk fabrics. The exclusive collection includes unisex, one-size-fits-all loungewear sets (long-sleeved shirt and pants) that are hand-dyed in India and made of 100 percent silk.
To launch the collaboration, W Ibiza will host shopping events throughout the summer at the Wet Deck and will have the collection available for purchase at the Away spa pop-up boutique located on Level 0 of the property. In addition, W Ibiza will feature two small-scale installations inside the entrance of the hotel that will highlight the collection.
“We are thrilled to partner with Sunchasers for this bold and breezy summer capsule,” said Carly Van Sickle, senior director, global brand marketing, W Hotels Worldwide. “Through our collaboration, we are not only bringing together the vibrant spirit of Sunchasers’ fashion, but also aligning it with our own W summer campaign aptly named ‘Sun Chasers.’ By merging Sunchasers’ innovative and sustainable ethos with the immersive Wet Deck experience, we are offering guests an unforgettable summer experience that epitomizes our shared commitment to authenticity, vibrancy and exploration.”
Carola Bernard, founder of Sunchasers, added, “At Sunchasers, we strive to inspire individuals to express their true selves through vibrant colors and joyful designs. Partnering with W Hotels allows us to extend this message of originality and celebration to a global audience. Together, we aim to create a unique and memorable fashion experience that symbolizes the spirit of summer.”
The W Hotels x Sunchasers Escape Capsule will be available until February for $444 in four different colorways inspired by Miami Beach and Ibiza. It is available at Shopsunchasers.com and on W Hotels the Store. In addition, it will be offered at Suchasers’ Abbot Kinney flagship store in Venice, California. — L.L.
GAME ON: The New York-based womenswear brand M.M.LaFleur is teaming with the WNBA’s New York Liberty for a multiyear partnership.
The union, which became official this month, is a first for both entities. The 10-year-old clothing company and the league’s New York team aligned on the idea that the world is a better place when women succeed.
As part of the deal, M.M.LaFleur will suit up the New York Liberty’s head coach Sandy Brondello along with members of the organization’s executive leadership team. Members of the Liberty will sport M.M.LaFleur’s signature styles for various occasions including game days, off-court appearances and in-office, among other occasions.
In addition in an effort to build community, the organizations will host panel discussions, networking opportunities and social impact events at both Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, and M.M.LaFleur stores. The Liberty and M.M.LaFleur will also team up for some social media content and longer-form features, which will appear in M.M.LaFleur’s digital magazine, The M Dash.
WNBA fans will also have the opportunity to get a dash of style. M.M.LaFleur will serve up some personal styling opportunities and exclusive promotions for the Liberty’s fans.
Revealing the news, M.M.LaFleur’s founder and chief executive officer Sarah LaFleur said she is “a huge admirer of [Liberty CEO] Keia Clarke and her leadership” as well as “a big fan” of the New York Liberty. She noted how the team advocates for women athletes, young girls, Black, Indigenous and people of color women and the LGBTQ community.
Illustrating how the deal is not solely a product-driven one, she said, “There’s so much that our community of customers and suppliers can learn from women in sports and vice versa.”
The partnership is in line with a new commitment M.M.LaFleur unveiled earlier this year. The company has vowed to donate 10 percent of its profits annually to women’s empowerment-related causes. That is in sync with its long-term social impact partnerships with Bottomless Closet and the International Rescue Committee. — ROSEMARY FEITELBERG
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