Fashion
H&M Pulls Justin Bieber Project
GHOSTED: Less than 24 hours after stating that it would continue to sell a collaborative collection with Justin Bieber — despite the musician publicly criticizing those designs and saying he did not approve them — H&M has reversed course and has stopped selling the pieces.
On Monday, Bieber posted to Instagram Stories that he hadn’t approved any of the H&M collection, posting “All without my permission and approval [SMH] I wouldn’t buy it if I were you.”
He later posted to his 270 million Instagram followers: “H&M merch they made of me is trash and I didn’t approve it. Don’t buy it.”
The Swedish fast-fashion chain countered that claim on Monday, telling WWD that “as with other licensed products and partnerships, H&M followed proper approval and procedures.” At that time, the company said the merchandise would remain on sale but said “we need to look into this more to understand, before we take action.”
By Tuesday, however, H&M had changed its tune a bit. In a statement, the retailer reiterated Bieber’s involvement, but noted that the designs are no longer being sold. A company spokesperson told WWD Wednesday, “As mentioned in our previous statement, H&M has followed proper approval procedures. Out of respect for the collaboration and Justin Bieber, we have removed the garments from our stores and online.”
Representatives did not respond immediately to requests for comment Wednesday.
Bieber’s image was featured on a dress, sweatshirt, T-shirt and tote bag. A phone case and one $40 hoodie were imprinted with “I miss you more than life” — a reference to the lyrics from his song, “Ghost.”
The alliance was not a one-hit wonder for the Grammy winner and the Swedish retail behemoth. The two parties had teamed up back in 2017 for a “Stadium Tour” collaboration, after Bieber had canceled the last leg of his “Purpose” tour dates. The assortment consisted of hoodies, T-shirts with graphic designs, bomber jackets and sweatpants that were reminiscent of his official tour merchandise.
Given their social media reach, global superstars like Bieber have the influence to sway millions of consumers toward or away from a brand. In the past few years, select incidents have led to legal action, including a lawsuit that Ariana Grande brought against Forever 21 in 2019.
The H&M spokesperson did not respond immediately as to whether the retailer is considering or has taken any legal action against the 28-year-old musician. A representative for Bieber did not respond Wednesday to a request for comment regarding any potential legal action against H&M.
He and his wife Hailey have an abundance of endorsement deals and business ventures, including her recent launch of Rhode Beauty. — Rosemary Feitelberg
SHOW MORE: Haute couture week may end on Jan. 26 but the shows will go on, with Patou and Zadig & Voltaire holding off-calendar shows on Jan. 27 in undisclosed locations in Paris.
Starting the day will be Patou, with a 10 a.m. show, the second under the tenure of artistic director Guillaume Henry.
The brand’s chief executive officer Sophie Brocart said the date segued with a desire to create “an enjoyable event, a true ready-to-wear show the morning just after couture, a friendly moment with coffees awaiting attendees, for example.”
The morning after couture is “an alternative moment that suits well Patou, less crowded day when we can do things differently, when there is less pressure for attendees and models to run from one show to another, when the agenda isn’t packed” like the womenswear schedule of Paris Fashion Week, she continued.
Patou’s debut show last July was held in the brand’s Ile de la Cité offices, with Julia Fox closing the show in a formfitting dress in a Belle Époque-inspired print.
Zadig & Voltaire, on the other hand, staked the 8:30 p.m. spot on Jan. 27.
Its return last June after five years of showing in New York marked the French label’s reinvention and a doubling down on its roots as a “French fashion house with French DNA,” according to designer Cecilia Bönström.
She told WWD at the time that Zadig & Voltaire had “really grown into an international company” and that it was important for the brand to return as they “really want to be anchored there.”
To follow up June’s scaffolding-inspired set in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs that symbolized its brand being under construction, communication and image director Jordan Henrion said the “effortless luxury” brand would “set everything on fire” for fall 2023. — Lily Templeton
MOVING UP: Matt Rock has been named president, Americas, at Pentland Brands. The role oversees Speedo as well as Pentland’s full portfolio, which includes Endura and Mitre for the Americas region.
Rock succeeds Jim Gerson, who is retiring at the end of this year after the successful transition of the Speedo North America business from PVH Corp. into Pentland Brands. Tom Whitmer, previously executive vice president, operations, Americas, has been promoted to chief operating officer, Americas.
Rock, who was formerly president, Asia Pacific, began his career working in sales for Puma and joined the Pentland Brands business in 2005 as sales director for Ted Baker footwear. He was promoted to managing director in 2007 and during that time, increased Ted Baker footwear sales by more than 800 percent and grew distribution from eight to 28 markets. Rock joined the Pentland Brands executive team as global supply chain director in 2015 and was appointed president, Asia Pacific, in 2018, responsible for both the global supply chain and the regional commercial teams. During this time, Rock transformed both functions into multibrand operations and led the development of a “digital-first” China strategy, resulting in a 100 percent growth in sales.
Chirag Patel, chief executive officer of Pentland Brands, thanked Gerson for “his steady leadership throughout the transition. His knowledge, expertise and deep understanding of people were instrumental in successfully onboarding the Speedo North America business,” he said.
Succeeding Rock as president, Asia Pacific, is Abhy Thomas Joseph, and Charlotte Cox continues in her role as president, EMEA.
“The acquisition and transition of the Speedo North America business means we are now a truly global organization. With strong leadership teams now in place across our three key regions — North America, Asia Pacific and Europe — we’re in a great position to deliver on our ambition to build a global portfolio of pioneering brands that make life better,” Patel said.
In 2020, following its acquisition of the Speedo North America business from PVH for $170 million in cash, Pentland Brands outlined its plans to drive an increased emphasis on sustainability and bigger opportunities for its core brands — Speedo, Berghaus, Endura, Ellesse and SeaVees — in the U.S. market. — Lisa Lockwood
IN-HOUSE EXECS: The Fashioneering Lab, a Dallas-based fractional consultancy and think tank that aims to help brands grow, has added eight new executives in residence to offer advice and directions in a number of areas.
Kate Sheldon, Fashioneering’s chief executive, said the new executives include Lars Nilsson, a CFDA member and founder and creative director of Mr. Nilsson; Daryl Kerrigan, a CFDA Perry Ellis award winner and founder of Daryl K., and Kristen Sosa, a former executive of Saks Fifth Avenue.
Other recently added executives in residence are Sharon Graubard, Michael Cleghorn, Elena Bertone, Irene Bernadis and Timothy Parent.
The Fashioneering Lab was launched last year by Sheldon, who has worked as a designer, a design consultant and spent a decade at Neiman Marcus as a buyer of designer collections including Chanel and Christian Dior.
She started her business after noticing her consulting clients, big and small, needed advice on a range of topics, not just design, but also sourcing, optimizing e-commerce, regional expansion, supply chain issues and tech.
The Fashioneering Lab was conceived as a way to offer growth insights from a number of experts for less than the price of full-time hires and to create more communication between strategic advisers.
“When launching The Fashioneering Lab’s consultancy and think tank, I sought to build an entire ecosystem of strategists, thought leaders, and tacticians focused on preparing both emerging and heritage brands for the future,” Sheldon said. “Leveraging our deep-rooted and broad industry expertise, culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing, we are focused on accelerating the adoption of sustainability, circularity, inclusivity, fashion technology and adapting to shifts in work culture and business models.” — Deborah Belgum
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GIGI, PART DEUX: Gigi Hadid’s collaboration with Self-Portrait continues, as she appears in the brand’s latest fall 2023 campaign shot in Paris by British photographer Tyrone Lebon and styled by Marie Chaix.
The contemporary fashion label, which counts Kate Middleton, Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Coolidge and Blackpink among its fans, had worked with Hadid in London and New York on previous campaigns, and according to Han Chong, brand founder and creative director, “it felt only right that we join her in Paris for our latest campaign shoot against a backdrop renowned for elegance and romance.”
In one of the shots from the campaign, Hadid poses behind a grand classical wrought iron balcony while wearing a fuchsia tweed jacket with a matching bar top and a pleated skirt from the brand’s fall 2023 collection. In a separate image, Hadid gazes down at the camera in a sequined asymmetric aquamarine dress.
Commenting on the latest campaign, Chong praised Hadid as “everything the modern Self-Portrait woman stands for — free, spirited, and joyful.”
“Being able to shoot in Paris is always such a dream…it’s one of my favorite cities in the world, filled with so much charm and magic. And to be able to shoot with the Self-Portrait team who have become such incredible partners and friends, made it an even more memorable experience,” Hadid added.
Launching together with the release of the campaign, the fall 2023 collection will hit stores worldwide from Tuesday.
For fall, Chong offered a balanced collection that caters to both the sensual new vibe, as well as those who buy into straightforward pretty, and elegant outfits for their everyday lives.
Standouts in the collection included sequinned, embellished high-glam evening options, many of which came with sleeves, a detail that’s appreciated in the modest community.
The denim pieces were cut for a younger and cooler audience, while the abundant supply of tweed jackets and coordinated bra tops and skirts have already won over fans including Selena Gomez, Princess Beatrice and Zhao Liying, Self-Portrait’s first Chinese brand ambassador. — TIANWEI ZHANG
JUMPING THE GUN: Kirsten Dunst couldn’t help herself from leaking the news about her upcoming collaboration with Coach when actress and comedian Ayo Edebiri was spotted wearing pieces from the Observed by Us x Coach line.
The actress shared the news on Instagram with an image showing Edebiri wearing a white top with dinosaurs on it.
The collection, which will be released to the rest of the world on Wednesday, features ready-to-wear, bags, footwear and accessories printed and embellished with original, hand-drawn illustrations by Jessica Herschko, a Los Angeles-based illustrator and designer of Observed by Us, and Dunst.
Coach creative director Stuart Vevers worked with the duo to create the line of T-shirts, hoodies, floral dresses and jeans whose inspiration was based on pieces found in Dunst’s closet. Key pieces include a wool pointelle crop top, overalls and a straw hat — each printed and embellished with original, hand-drawn illustrations by Herschko. Additionally, the pieces feature “storypatches,” a signature of Coach, in Herschko’s handwriting that tell the stories of illustrations in the collection.
“Creating this collection with Kirsten and Jessica was delightful,” said Vevers. “We got to celebrate our shared love of imagination and playfulness. Kirsten, and her style, have often been an inspiration for me. So to design alongside her and Jessica — and to blend their vivid storytelling and color with our own American heritage design language and craftsmanship — was really inspiring.”
Vevers added that he was introduced to the duo by a mutual friend and the collaboration “evolved quite naturally from there. I was immediately drawn to Jessica’s illustrations and their imaginative use of color and playful themes, but also to the way Kirsten and Jessica joyfully celebrate the beauty in the everyday — a theme I love to explore also. The collection is charming and pretty. The idiosyncratic embellishments feel both personal and expressive. There’s also a found quality and vintage feel that adds a sense of ease and cool.”
Vevers said what he likes most about working with other brands is that it allows him to try something new. “Every collaboration I’ve done is different,” he said. “I think that’s what I enjoy most about collaboration — it’s about trying something new, and working with someone else can give me a chance to challenge myself. Whether it’s with heroes of mine, contemporary artists or iconic imagery it’s also about an element of surprise. Something I’ve not done before.”
“We started Observed by Us to create clothing and other items with images that evoke a special, happy feeling and a sense of appreciation for both the natural and the man made,” said Herschko. “It was very fun to collaborate with Coach because, much like us, they see a world of possibility in the small details and have the ability to execute that perfectly.”
The collection will range in price from $20 to $595 and will be sold on the Coach website as well as in select Coach stores. — JEAN E. PALMIERI
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Four hundred guests will attend the spring 2024 show, where models will walk the runway in tropical print bikinis, shirts and seersucker suits. Yes, there will be Beach Boys on the soundtrack, as well as Beyoncé, and cocktails will be served — grapefruit basil martinis, which will be the featured drink at the new Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa opening later this year in Indian Wells, California.
An unlikely product of the Pacific Northwest, Tommy Bahama was founded in 1992 by Bob Emfield and Tony Margolis, two garment business veterans who met in Seattle in the ’70s, when they were sales reps for Brittania Sportswear Ltd. The company is named after a character they invented after buying houses on Florida’s Gulf Coast, where they dreamed of living life as one long weekend.
Now owned by Oxford Industries, Tommy Bahama — which delivered top-line growth of 5 percent in the first quarter — has become a lifestyle empire that extends from coast to coast and now includes clothing and licensed accessories, home products such as rugs, bedding and upholstered furniture, restaurants — and soon, a hotel.
There’s a unified vision for it all.
For spring 2024, St. Barths was the seasonal inspiration for the 60-member design team based in Seattle, who travel to vacation locations for research trips. On the mood board are photos of the island’s red roofs, sunshine yellow mini Mokes, leafy patios and deep blue infinity pools.
“When I first started, the men’s, women’s and accessories teams didn’t really connect very much on the beginning of the season, and they all looked very different. So we started creating a seasonal destination,” explained design director Bradley O’Brien, who joined in 2014 after a decade at Ralph Lauren, four years at Old Navy, six at Lands’ End and four at Sperry Top-Sider. “We look at everything, from the architecture to the culture to the food and the artisans. We get a lot of inspiration from handicrafts, and flora and fauna of the particular area. We take lots and lots of photos and pull together concepts for the art department that really influences the color and the prints.”
The men’s and women’s collection will feature lots of novelty dresses, including a new Johnny Collar style; linen suiting; seersucker tops, skorts, bombers and blazers; swimwear, and stretch denim with sun protection. (Tommy Bahama has seals of approval from the Skin Cancer Foundation, and has raised more than $500,000 for the organization in its stores.)
“The great part about a runway is it’s not necessarily the real way, and so you can put things out there and style them in a way that makes people think, ‘Oh, I never thought of that.’ Like pairing a linen suit with a bikini,” she said.
The brand’s customer demographic is age 35 to 60, with the sweet spot in their 40s and 50s, and the women’s business is now growing faster than men’s. As a percentage of sales over the last five years, women’s has grown 53 percent, while men’s has grown 22 percent.
Dresses and knits are the two biggest categories and, surprisingly, women’s suiting is not far behind. ‘We’ve always done linen suiting for men and we can’t even keep it in stock now. There’s definitely a trend happening in women’s as well all around the blazer and the suit. So this is the first time that we’ll be offering really great suiting for her as well.”
Performancewear under the Island Zone franchise has also been key to the brand’s success, and the spring 2024 collection is taking inspiration from “court and course,” with clothing that can be worn from the golf course to the pickleball court.
“The fabrics keep you dry, they stretch, they’ve got great details, pockets and things that help you stay active,” said O’Brien, adding that the Palm Coast Polo is a top seller.
The brand has also hit with a woven fabric that’s perforated, used for camp shirts. “It looks like a silk camp shirt but it performs really well, is super lightweight and stretches and keeps you dry. It’s been so popular, we’re introducing it for women. That’s what’s fun about being a dual gender brand.”
Spring will also mark the debut of a performance seersucker fabric, alongside a traditional woven one, leaning into fashion’s return to prep and the old money trend.
“We absolutely look at the runway in the beginning of the season, and scour through some of the shows of the tried and true brands. Then we put it through the Tommy Bahama filters.…Our guest is not about fast fashion but wants to be relevant. And so if puff sleeves are definitely trending, we might put a puff sleeve on something that we already know she knows and loves in a fabrication that she already has in her closet to get her to buy into a new version.”
What are the Tommy Bahama filters?
“We talk about quality, artistry and craftsmanship, and especially in the imagery, we always want to show up looking like sun and sea and sky and sand. And then when it comes down to the product itself, it has to be effortless. Sometimes things will have one or two details too many.…You just want to be able to throw something on and feel super comfortable and relaxed,” O’Brien said. “And then the last thing that we say is we always want to have ‘a sprinkle of sand.’ It’s just a cute detail that makes the customer smile.”
For some fresh inspiration, the brand has partnered with the New York-based nonprofit Fashion Scholarship Fund on a design contest, and on Wednesday will award three $15,000 scholarships to students whose work will be included in the 2024 Tommy Bahama Artist Series.
“They’ll be representing their artwork and will have their apparel on mannequins, and everybody will be able to meet them and understand the inspiration,” O’Brien said. “Coming from the East Coast, and having a career at brands that are household names, I wanted Tommy Bahama to be a household name. And what better way than to gain awareness and recognition with these students? We just launched an internship program as well…so the talent of tomorrow wants to come and work here, too.”
One of the female executive’s proudest achievements has been elevating Tommy Bahama’s women’s profile. “It’s nice to see the perception is shifting,” said O’Brien, who favors the brand’s dresses, jeans and flirty tops for work. “And when you’re in stores, you also see families coming in. So it’s definitely a brand the entire family engages with.”
That’s thanks also to the Tommy Bahama Marlin Bars, which debuted way ahead of the latest wave of fashion-fronted restaurants like the Polo Bar and Tiffany Blue Box Café. Three more Marlin Bars are opening on the horizon.
“We do see that the stores that are attached to those, the sales are really, really strong in those doors. So the guest likes to come in and enjoy being a part of the brand and then shop it as well,” she said.
Soon they can also be able to live it at the Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa, opening in November outside of Palm Springs, California, with 215 rooms, three pools, and a 12,000-square-foot spa.
“That’s going to be a big moment,” O’Brien said. “I was lucky enough to work with our home wallpaper and fabric licensee to help pick out all the fabrics and wallpapers for each of the suites and the rooms. And we are going to have our artists go down and create signature murals for them.”
The hotel property will feature a 1,200-square-foot retail store, even though it’s within miles of Tommy Bahama stores in both Palm Springs and Palm Desert. O’Brien said, “We’re thinking of it more as a lab, where we can test elevated product.”
Tommy for the big 4.0.
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