As the fashion industry continues to experience major shake-ups, co-ed fashion shows may become the new normal.
TEXT LYNETTE KOH
USHERING IN THE NEW
Last September, Bottega Veneta celebrated its 50th anniversary
with its first runway show combining the men’s and women’s collections
As the fashion industry continues to experience major shake-ups, co-ed fashion shows may become the new normal.
From fashion shows moving from being chiefly trade events to consumer-focused spectacles, to the frequent changes in creative directors at various brands, major shifts have been sweeping through the global fashion industry of late.
There are various reasons driving these changes – such as evolutions in the way customers consume information – with streamlining being a key factor driving some of the shifts.
Since last year, for example, fashion houses such as Burberry and Marc Jacobs have been phasing out their diffusion labels and unifying their offerings under one main line. To the same end, these brands, as well as some others, have begun combining their women’s and men’s shows.
Aside from being more efficient, co-ed shows ostensibly better reflect the design themes shared by a brand’s men’s and women’s collections each season.
This month, Bottega Veneta will present its Fall/Winter 2017/18 co-ed fashion show at the women’s fashion week in Milan.
The event will mark the official debut of Bottega Veneta’s new show format. Calvin Klein, headed by creative director Raf Simons, will also be showing a combined collection in New York. This move raises many questions, such as what will become of men’s fashion weeks – which already have leaner calendars than women’s fashion weeks – if more brands choose to show their menswear together with their womenswear? While the answer will only be clearer over time, what’s certain is that in this disruptive era, raising questions is preferable to coming to a full stop.
2 FRESH FACE
Having thrilled shoppers for some two decades, the Louis Vuitton boutique at Ngee Ann City recently reopened after a thorough makeover. Taking its cues from its other global store concepts (while not applying a cookie-cutter approach to all its boutiques), the newly renovated space is all about easy elegance. Against an interior designed to let in plenty of natural light, pieces by artists such as Amsterdam-based design outfit Studio Drift take centre stage, complemented by sophisticated yet earthy features such as natural stone floors and straw-marquetry furnishings.
#01-20/24 and #02-12H to L, Ngee Ann City.
3 TWICE AS NICE
Why have one kind of premium leather when you can have two? At least, that seems to be the question the good folks at Berluti are posing with a pair of limitededition launches. Featuring a handy wrist strap, the Pandora pouch features the brand’s signature patinated Venezia leather on one side and grained leather on the other. For those who have more to carry around, there’s the Time-Off backpack (pictured), which combines black grained leather with a deepblue leather exterior pocket bearing Berluti’s wellknown Scritto motif.
4 A MAN’S DEN
Even as gender-blurring styles (such as Gucci’s frilly men’s tops) or the gym-meets-office trend that is athleisure gain favour with the fashionable set, there are undoubtedly many traditionalists out there who are glad that certain menswear labels remain quintessentially masculine. Dunhill, a British heritage brand rooted in motoring, demonstrates its manly credentials with its recently renovated Paragon boutique. The space, according to the brand, is meant to evoke the feeling that it might have been “thoughtfully curated by a man who has travelled the world”. This translates to features such as black and white checked tiles at the entrance, as well an abundance of traditional wood finishes and rich leather accents. #01-10 Paragon Shopping Centre.
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