Vuitton Taps Saoirse Ronan, Hamlin’s Givenchy Turn, Etro’s AI Ads

FRESH FACE: Louis Vuitton has named actress Saoirse Ronan as its latest ambassador, the house revealed on Tuesday.

The brand has been cultivating links with the American-Irish actress in recent months. Last December, she was a guest of the brand’s artistic director of women’s collections Nicolas Ghesquière at the Academy Museum Gala in Los Angeles, and she also sat front row at its spring 2024 ready-to-wear show last October, as reported.

“I have admired Saoirse’s career for many years now; I find her totally captivating in the roles she plays,” stated Ghesquière. “What’s more, behind her talent lies such a charming and bright person.”

Ronan also wore Vuitton in January at the Sundance premiere of “The Outrun,” in which she stars as well as being its producer.

The actress, who turns 30 this year, has been active for more than two decades, and is lauded for the breadth and emotivity of her work in movies including “Little Women,” “Lady Bird,” “Brooklyn” and “Atonement.” She has been nominated for four Academy Awards, and took home the best actress Golden Globe for her performance in Greta Gerwig’s 2017 coming-of-age film “Lady Bird.” — ALEX WYNNE

CURTAIN CALL: Amelia Gray Hamlin is once more striking a pose for Givenchy, this time for its spring womenswear campaign, released Monday.

According to the brand, the model “embodies the graceful, feminine glamour of this season’s sharply tailored statement pieces.” She was previously featured in Givenchy’s holiday 2023 campaign, alongside Kit Butler.

Echoing the spring’s bright white runway, Hamlin posed against pristine curtains for a series of images that see her don designs from the penultimate collection designed by former creative director Matthew M. Williams, who exited the brand on Jan. 1.  

The outfits Hamlin dons range from an oversized tailored jacket and matching skirt to a beige gown printed with irises nodding to the floral leitmotiv of the season to a filmy black chiffon number.

Elsewhere, the season’s ample overcoats come layered over lightweight knits paired with miniskirts and shorts.

On the accessories front, Hamlin is sporting the Shark Lock thigh-high boots, several iterations of the Voyou handbag, the sculptural Cut-Out purse and eyewear.

The Givenchy spring campaign was shot by photographer Kacper Kasprzyk and styled by Carine Roitfelt, while the season’s videos were directed by Nicolo Terraneo.

Hamlin, who is the daughter of reality TV star Lisa Rinna, has recently burnished her credentials as a fashion darling. She most recently walked Chanel’s spring 2024 couture show and has taken turns on the runway for the likes of Balenciaga, Vivienne Westwood, Max Mara and Tod’s.

She’s also appeared in a number of campaigns including DKNY for fall 2023 and Motorola’s “Flip the Script” series. — LILY TEMPLETON

AI CAMPAIGN: Etro has taken the offbeat title of its spring 2024 women’s collection, “Nowhere,” quite literally in the advertising campaign it released Monday.

Not being bound to a particular place sparked the imagination of creative director Marco De Vincenzo, who collaborated with digital artist and prompt designer Silvia Badalotti to create different scenes through AI.

Thanks to Badalotti’s verbal inputs, the images resulted in a series of fantasy scenarios ranging from pastel-hued architectures to lush natural landscapes and astral maps. The models wearing the brand’s men’s and women’s spring 2024 collection were also generated through AI, with a cast that intended to evoke “a humanity that is both familiar and alien,” according to an Etro statement.

Teasing the campaign on his Instagram account, De Vincenzo captioned an image: “I didn’t know what AI really was before I met [Silvia Badalotti]. Together, we embarked on a journey to a parallel universe where infinite possibilities lie and learned that, time and time again, only the heart can take you far.”

Fashion-wise, key pieces of his collections added to the visual richness of the pictures thanks to their bold patterns and graphics, as seen in flocked velvet pieces with tapestry-like motifs, mannish cotton shirts tucked into long fishtail skirts or printed soccer-inspired jerseys for men. Accessories including the brand’s Vela leather bag and its new sunglasses developed under license with Safilo Group also feature in dedicated images.

De Vincenzo will unveil his new collections for the brand during Milan Fashion Week next month. As reported, for the occasion the brand will embrace the coed format in a show scheduled for Feb. 21 at 8 p.m. CET. — SANDRA SALIBIAN

BAILEY’S BLOSSOMS: Orlebar Brown, the British resortwear and lifestyle brand, has tapped “Fellow Travelers” and “Bridgerton” star Jonathan Bailey to appear in its spring 2024 campaign.

Echoing the collection theme “Blossom,” Bailey posed against a wall of flowers wearing a white sleeveless shirt with red floral motifs in one of the images released on Monday. In the other campaign shot, the sun-tanned star sports a summery ensemble in Fiore print, a seasonal hero print with floral motifs repeating in blue, white and biscuit colorways.

Since it was acquired by Chanel in 2018 for an undisclosed amount, Orlebar Brown, the luxury label known for its well-tailored swim shorts, has grown to operate more than 40 direct stores in London, Paris, New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Sydney, Dubai, Saint-Tropez, Marbella, Ibiza, Mykonos, St. Barths and East Hampton, and can be found in more than 250 other locations worldwide.

Last year the brand doubled down on retail expansion in California, where one-third of its U.S. customers reside.

Photographer Adam Brown launched Orlebar Brown in London in 2007 because he thought men’s swim trunks were too baggy and needed some tailoring. He made waves by implementing bold colors and graphic patterns, attracting a celebrity clientele including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay-Z and Daniel Craig, who wore Orlebar Brown trunks as James Bond in 2017’s “Skyfall.”

The label later became a resort and casual lifestyle brand with a bigger selection that includes cashmere polos, crochet tops, striped hoodies, and cotton and linen pants.

Bailey has been a fashion darling since he shot to fame with “Bridgerton” and has since attended fashion shows hosted by Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani, Loewe and Ami. Last April he joined Omega as a friend of the brand.

Bailey is an Olivier Award winner for his role in the West End production of “Company” in 2019. He has previously starred in Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s first television project “Crashing,” opposite Michaela Coel in “Chewing Gum” and in the revival of “Cock” by Marianne Elliott at the Ambassadors Theatre.

Most recently he won the best supporting actor in a limited series or movie made for television award for “Fellow Travelers” during the 29th annual Critics Choice Award. — TIANWEI ZHANG

FOOTBALL READY: Boss is expanding its relationship with the National Football League and has launched its first Super Bowl capsule.

A year ago Boss and the sports league teamed on a lifestyle collection for men and women and there were two drops featuring 22 teams in each.

The new Super Bowl capsule consists of seven gender-neutral styles in silver, white and black hues. It includes a softly padded piqué jacket finished with silver-tone hardware, elevated T-shirts in comfortable stretch jersey, and sweatshirts and hoodies in French terry. All pieces feature branded accents, including the official Super Bowl LVIII logo and a bold football-helmet motif.

For this new drop, Boss will open a dedicated retail space at Super Bowl Experience in Las Vegas from Feb. 7 to 10 offering fans the opportunity to shop the collection and check out installations. The game, between the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Francisco 49ers, will be played Feb. 11 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

In addition to the pop-up, the limited-edition capsule will be available on the Boss website, the company’s stores in Las Vegas, as well as on the NFL’s e-commerce site, Dillard’s, Nordstrom and select Macy’s locations. Prices range from $98 for T-shirts and $198 for a hoodie to $598 for a bomber jacket. — JEAN E. PALMIERI

BIGGER PRESENCE: The Folklore, which is headed by Amira Rasool, is expanding its footprint at New York Fashion Week with its upcoming fall 2024 showroom. It will also expand its presence by hosting four showrooms throughout the year in New York, adding resort and pre-fall to fall ’24 and spring ’25.

The Folklore is a platform that provides brands with resources to expand their business and collaborate with global partners. The NYFW showroom supports the hybrid showroom approach of The Folklore Connect, the company’s business-to-business wholesale marketplace used by major retailers such as Nordstrom, Shopbop and Revolve to discover diverse and emerging brands. Their February and September 2023 showrooms attracted more than 1,500 attendees

The Folklore NYFW Showroom will run Feb. 11 to 14 in SoHo. This season, the showroom will enable retail buyers, media, stylists and other industry professionals to book appointments to view collections from 23 apparel and accessories brands from the U.S., U.K., South Africa, Nigeria, Hong Kong, Colombia and Côte d’Ivoire.

New brands joining this season are Arch NYC, Boyde, Favelo, Forever Amelia, House of Aama, Kaphill, Kinds, Lab, Macondia, Perade, Ru by Rupal, Sadie + Jean, The Rad Black Kids, Tier, and Twelve Am. Returning brands include Shekudo, V.Bellan, Orire, Rendoll and Elexiay.

“We are thrilled to be hosting our third season of The Folklore Showroom, and nearly doubling the amount of diverse and emerging market designers this season,” said Rasool, founder and chief executive officer of The Folklore. “For our brands and the wider NYFW community, it has become a staple on the calendar, so much so we so much so we will be expanding to four physical showrooms in 2024, including resort in June, spring/summer in September and pre-fall in December.” — LISA LOCKWOOD

COLE’S CAUSE: Kenneth Cole and Lingua Franca’s Rachelle Hruska MacPherson have joined forces to design a limited-edition capsule collection of cashmere sweaters that gives back to the Mental Health Coalition.

Both brands have championed mental health, an important cause to both Cole and MacPherson.

Lingua Franca began in 2016 as a result of postpartum anxiety MacPherson was experiencing after the birth of her second son. Her therapist suggested doing something with her hands to ease the suffering and so she picked up a needle and thread and began embroidering just as her grandmother had taught her as a girl growing up in Nebraska. It turned into a business.

Similarly, for more than 40 years, Cole has made a meaningful impact on diverse communities in need by supporting important causes related to public health and civil liberties. Today, Cole, both the man and the brand, continue to champion social impact initiatives with a focus on mental health, the most prevalent public health crisis today. In May 2020, Cole founded the Mental Health Coalition, an organization whose mission is to catalyze like-minded communities to de-stigmatize mental health and empower access to vital resources and necessary support for all.

This collaboration features two 100 percent sustainably sourced cashmere crewneck pieces that read, “i have issues,” and “almost normal,” words meant to aid in de-stigmatizing mental health and fostering a supportive community. Ten percent of proceeds from each sale of the $400 sweater will be donated to the Mental Health Coalition. Sizes range from XS to XXXL.

To mark the launch, Cole will join MacPherson at the LF Townhouse at 95 Jane Street in New York for an evening of conversation with Dr. Naomi Torres-Mackie, Head of Research at the Mental Health Coalition. Beginning on Jan. 31, the sweaters will be available at lingafranca.nyc or kennethcole.com, or at Lingua Franca’s West Village outpost at 95 Jane Street. — L.L.

HOFFMAN’S CAPSULE: Mara Hoffman has launched an exclusive swimwear capsule with One&Only, the ultra-luxury collection of resorts and private home.

The swimwear collection uses sustainable materials and features a bold tropical pattern inspired by the vibrancy of One&Only. It will be available exclusively at selected One&Only resort boutiques in Mexico, the Maldives and Mauritius, as well as Mara Hoffman’s online store.

This partnership follows the launch of One&Only’s global brand campaign, introduced in early 2023, that featured Hoffman and her family photographed by Lachlan Bailey at One&Only Mandarina.

The limited-edition line includes a viki set, one-piece swimsuit and a sarong. The swimwear is made from newly developed Pyratex Power 3 fabric, while the sarong is Fair Trade Certified made with 100 percent organic cotton.

Inspired by her time spent at One&Only Madarina, a resort set in an undeveloped stretch of coastline in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit, Hoffman designed a floral print featuring shades of vivid orange and rich green for the bikini and one-piece. She was influenced by the natural flora and fauna of the destination.

The One&Only x Mara Hoffman collection launches Tuesday and will retail from $195 for a sarong to $240 for a top, $225 for a bottom to $375 for a one-piece swimsuit. The size range is extra small to large.

Hoffman, who founded her eponymous label in 2000, has made a commitment to carrying out more sustainable and responsible practices in her business. In November, she was honored with the CFDA Environmental Sustainability Award. — L.L.

NEW YEAR DINNER: Brooks Brothers and Gold House, a nonprofit that promotes the interests of people of Asian and Pacific Islander descent, teamed to celebrate the Lunar New Year by hosting a dinner at Mr. Chow’s in New York’s Tribeca for a group of Asian Pacific executives, creators and cultural figures including comedian and actor Hasan Minhaj, actress, singer and producer Bailey Bass, Miss Universe 2022 R’Bonney Gabriel and others.

Ken Ohashi, chief executive officer of Brooks Brothers, said that prior to the pandemic, he thought Asians were “doing well, all was good,” he said. “But then a lot of Americans told us we weren’t good.”

This was one reason Ohashi championed the new Brooks Brothers Gold Prize, a grant to further education and personal development for female entrepreneurs. In partnership with Gold House, the retailer will provide a grant for four females “who have demonstrated leadership potential and resilience in the face of adversity,” the retailer said. The four grantees will each receive $25,000 in funding, mentorship with Brooks Brothers executives, and promotion across Brooks Brothers and Gold House’s platforms.

At the same time, Brooks Brothers unveiled the second installment of a limited-edition capsule in honor of the Lunar New Year, which kicks off on Feb. 10. Creative director Michael Bastian designed Ts, sweatshirts, a button-down shirt, scarves and hats with a playful dragon logo to honor the Year of the Dragon. Five dollars from the sale of each item will be donated to support the Gold House and Brooks Brothers Gold Prize.

Guests at the dinner were gifted a piece from the collection. The dinner, which brought 40 Asian Pacific leaders together, featured an elaborate dragon dance by a local troupe.

Earlier that day, Ohashi; Bing Chen, CEO and cofounder of Gold House, and Grace Lee, New York Assembly member, led a discussion at Brooks Brothers’ offices on how next-generation leaders navigate their identities, success, and societal responsibilities. 

The Lunar New Year collection is now available on the Brooks Brothers site and select stores. — J.E.P.

BACK IN TIME: Esprit has dug deep into its archives for its spring 2024 collection by recreating eight iconic pieces from the 1980s: the multisystem parka, the soft suit, the tracksuit, the tubular skirt, the chunky logo knit, the button down, the Esprit jean and the drawstring backpack.

“[Overall] our spring 2024 collection celebrates the tradition of American sportswear — comfort, casual, movement, functionality and, most importantly, modularity and layered,” Esprit’s global chief brand officer Ana Andjelic told WWD, speaking from Copenhagen Fashion Week, which centers on progressive fashion, emerging designers and sustainability, and which started Monday.

Esprit is a sponsor of Copenhagen Fashion Week, where the brand is spotlighting two emerging Danish designers, Louise Cehofski and Nadia Wire, through its ongoing “Fundom” event program. The designers have reimagined Esprit’s signature logo chunky knit, and their works will be featured by Esprit this spring at a New York City gallery downtown. “They’re deconstructing selected Esprit products and creating pieces of art,” Andjelic said.

Wire’s eponymous brand offers responsibly made knitwear in playful shapes and silhouettes. Wire graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2017 and is on a mission to bring textile production back to Denmark. Cehofski is a jewelry design student at the Copenhagen School of Design and Technology. Her pieces hold morphic forms that mold to the body and utilize gemstones for vivid color.

Esprit’s spring 2024 collection officially launches mid-February, but has begun to trickle into Esprit stores. It’s based on “functional maximalism” and exudes optimism, fun and creative expression, as well as bold colors and prints, oversize silhouettes, utilitarian details and layers. “There’s an air of greater confidence,” Andjelic observed.

For its spring campaign, Esprit continues its interpretation of the “Night at the Museum.” As the company indicated in a statement, the storyline “shatters traditions of ‘Don’t touch!’ and ‘Be quiet, please!’ with irreverent and arresting imagery and the feeling of wide-eyed wonder connected to being in a place that’s off limits.” — DAVID MOIN