2020-11-30

PortsPURE AW2020 Advertising Campaign

PortsPURE AW2020 advertising campaign shot in a vast expanse where the models embark on an adventure full of the unknown.The campaign is determined to discover sources of inspiration and to explore the limitless – a creative and eclectic journey of fantasy that reinforces self-recognition.

As the models makes their way out into the unbridled wilderness. Textures thicken with heavier knits and outerwear puffs up in a variety of down treatments. The changing winter landscape is reflected in the materials – shimmering across fabrics like the Aurora Borealis and fairytale-like snow crystals mirrored in a modern tie-dye pattern.

Themes of the PortsPURE AW2020 collection are conveyed via the pictures and videos: landing on a space of freedom where the uncharted collides with the alien, initiating an inward exploration of an inner self illustrated in multifarious styles, beyond the beginning and the end.


2020-11-27

DUNHILL Presents 2020 Festive Campaign

DUNHILL Presents 2020 Festive Campaign through a series of evocative Portraits to celebrate the special relationship between dogs and their owners.

"Spending more time at home recently and as dog owner myself, I wanted our Festive Campaign to portray that bond. It's authentic and brings positivity to the everyday." Said Mark Weston, Creative Director.

Uniting sal, Ark and Theo - a Great Dane, Afghan Hound and Toy Poodle - with models Babacar, Stas and Hidetatsu, this distinctive campaign reflects the spirit of connection; to surprise, engage and celebrate this universal friendship.

Focusing on leather goods, footwear and accessories, key looks from the AW2020 collection feature alongside new Dunhill products. Curated exclusively for the festive period, this selective edit also introduces the new Signature collection.


This contemporary range of bags and accessories, inspired by 1970s archive packaging, re-imagines the iconic Longtail logo as an all-over geometric pattern.

2020-11-26

MB&F Presents HM3 FROG X

In 2009, MB&F was four years into its creative expression of mechanical art. Horological Machines N°1 and N°2 had established the guiding principles of the Maximilian Büsser & Friends collective: audacious design, transformative micromechanics, untrammelled imagination. Then came Horological Machine N°3; HM3 had everything that HM1 and HM2 had before - the design, the micromechanics, the imagination - but its defiant three-dimensional construction shot MB&F into hyperspace. One year later, in 2010, the vehicle that transported MB&F into a new universe proved its versatility and cemented its place in the hearts of MB&F lovers everywhere, by morphing into the Tribe’s first (and best-loved) mascot: the HM3 “Frog”. Two globular “eyes” that rotated to give the hours and minutes. A widely grinning “mouth” revealing the occasional bright flicker of the signature MB&F battle-axe rotor as it swept past a date scale. A glistening “skin” of titanium, red gold or exotic zirconium. HM3 Frog may have been small as a specimen of amphibious pondlife, but it was mighty on the wrist as it leapt to iconic status at the crossroads of kinetic art and horology.


Now, 10 years after its debut, HM3 Frog makes its comeback, radiantly exposed in a sapphire crystal case, yet still with a hidden message to be discovered. Presenting Horological Machine N°3 “FrogX”. For the first time, the HM3 engine is showcased in all its glory, used here in its MegaWind iteration that trades the date display for an expanded rotor. Two paper- thin domes, milled out of aluminium to be as light as possible, indicate the hours and minutes, rotating under markers designed to resemble the lateral pupils of a frog’s eyes. Super-LumiNova accents, like the vivid colours that nature endows upon its feistiest creatures, reveal themselves in fluorescing segments under the rotor and on the time-display domes. If the first HM3 Frog was an animal of land and lake, FrogX brings us into the arboreal realms of the transparentskinned glass frogs of Central American cloud forests. The transparent case of FrogX is entirely of sapphire crystal, one of the hardest known minerals, and must be milled with diamond-tipped tools or special high-tech carbide bits.


Despite MB&F’s experience with the most advanced sapphire-crystal producers (as demonstrated in earlier MB&F creations such as the HM4 Thunderbolt and HM6 Alien Nation), machining the case of HM3 FrogX still provides a considerable challenge. The separate sapphire domes not only need to be uniform in size, they must also be exactly uniform and consistent in thickness and curve so as not to create any final optical distortions in the reading of the time. Those looking at the winding and setting crown of HM3 FrogX, expecting to see the usual battle-axe insignia, will be slightly baffled to find a smooth, highly polished disc (although exceptionally observant individuals may notice a slight irregularity in its reflection of light). At just the right angle, with just the right kind of directional light and just the right receiving surface, the final secret of the fully exposed FrogX is revealed. A secret signal, created by sculpting the metal crown at microscopic levels to allow it to reflect light in highly specific ways, is the key to unlocking the MB&F battle-axe. 


The HM3 FrogX 10th anniversary limited editions are available in three versions of 10 pieces each with blue, purple or turquoise rotors and matching colours of Super- LumiNova and case gaskets. To create the secret battle-axe signal, MB&F worked with light-sculpting techniques pioneered by Rayform, a Swiss company whose technology has various applications, from design to anti-counterfeiting measures. By micro-forming a metal surface at levels nearly imperceptible to the human eye, Rayform technology is able to direct incident light beams to be reflected in customised ways, creating a light-encoded message or design that can be viewed on any relatively uniform surface. Among the global Tribe of MB&F, certain elements constitute an insiders’ understanding of a shared passion, the battleaxe insignia being the first and foremost identifier of this exclusive community. With the secret message hidden via Rayform technology in the crown of HM3 FrogX, the code goes further undercover… even in a creation that exposes its innermost workings to the world.


Corundum, commonly known in its gem-quality form as sapphire, is one of the hardest minerals known to man. It is surpassed in hardness only by a few other materials, notably diamond (crystalline carbon), which rates a 10 on Moh’s scale of hardness, while corundum is rated at 9. This exceptional hardness means that sapphire watch crystals are virtually scratch-proof, providing unparalleled legibility and material integrity over the long term, not to mention imparting a level of prestige that is not associated with regular silicate glass or transparent polycarbonate - the two most common alternatives to sapphire watch crystals. Concurrently, this also means that sapphire is extremely challenging to machine in complex three-dimensional shapes, a challenge that is compounded by the small machining tolerances required in watchmaking. Since its very first creations, MB&F has worked with ever-increasingly complicated sapphire crystal components; the HM2 “Sapphire Vision” editions, the double-arched crystals of the HM4 Thunderbolt and the hallucinatory body of the HM6 Alien Nation being prime examples.


The very first MB&F HM3 Frog from 2010 already presented a significant advance in its time, with the twin domes in sapphire crystal over the indications of the hours and minutes. Not only did the curvature of the domed “eyes” of HM3 Frog have to be exactly right, the thickness of the crystal was strictly controlled throughout so as not to distort the time display. In FrogX, the two sapphire domes are fused to the upper case body, itself also in sapphire crystal, creating an additional level of difficulty. Something we take for granted in biology - the formation of perfectly shaped pairs of optical lenses - proves a daunting task to replicate by mechanical means. Machining and polishing each case of HM3 FrogX requires weeks of intensive and meticulous work, a number that would be multiplied greatly if not for MB&F’s 15 years of experience in boundary-pushing sapphire crystal design since 2005.

2020-11-25

JIMMY CHOO AW2020 Advertising Campaign

JIMMY CHOO AW2020 Advertising Campaign features the breakthrough British actor, Daisy Edgar-Jones. An overnight success born out of a period of Global lock down, Edgar-Jones captured the hearts of many playing the leading role of Marianne in the critically acclaimed TV drama ‘Normal People’ that has charmed audiences across the world.


The campaign sees the continuation of the IN MY CHOOS content series that celebrates women who dare to stand out. The striking images that tell the story of Daisy as muse of the season brought to life with a video interview and short film vignettes.


Shot by the London based American photographer Dan Martensen who intuitively captures Edgar-Jones’ confident and alluring spirit. With a maturity that belies her years, Edgar-Jones effortlessly moves between playful, glamorous and beguiling capturing the very essence of the Jimmy Choo woman and giving an insight into the girl everyone wants to know more about.


Shot on location at the London landmark hotel, Chiltern Firehouse, Martensen’s assertive images celebrate modern luxury against the elevated bohemia of London’s Bloomsbury. Video captured using a 16mm bolex camera lends an intimate reportage finish.


“Daisy is a modern heroine in the making, she represents the archetypal Jimmy Choo muse for a new era, her talent combined with her humility lend her an unique allure and confidence. She has found herself on the cusp of global stardom during an extraordinary moment in history. I, like many others, was mesmerised by her performance in ‘Normal People’ and am so thrilled we were able to work together to create such a beautiful campaign that talks to the brand’s London roots so strongly.” Says Sandra Choi, Creative Director.


“I am so delighted to be working with Jimmy Choo on this campaign. This is the first time I have worked on a commercial shoot, and it was a completely new and exciting experience for me. I loved finding a character through the shoes and accessories, it reinforced to me how transformative accessories, especially shoes, can be when playing a role – I also love how the collection includes off duty styles as well as glamorous heels.” Daisy Edgar-Jones.


Talent: Daisy Edgar Jones 

Photographer: Dan Martensen 

Creative Direction: Suburbia

Stylist: Clare Richardson

Location: Chiltern Firehouse


2020-11-24

LAZOSCHMIDL AW2020 “MISTER SISTER" Collection - mylifestylenews' Top 10's Pick

LAZOSCHMIDL AW2020 “MISTER SISTER" Collection pictures a glam rock band on the verge of a comeback.

Their imaginary psychedelic record deals with the eternal dream of an alternative community in which love is the sole guiding principle of existence.

Side A

Twisted Reality 

It Wasn’t Me, It Wasn’t You 

Hijack Me

Reasonable Desires


Side B

No, No, No (No Nothing)

Painful Moments

Kiss Me, Come On (This Is It)

Contemplation


The collection portrays an all-day recording session that climaxes as a slumber party in printed sequins, satin, and soft merino.


Patchwork pyjama pants, kimono shirts, fared velvet pants, crystal-trimmed cardigans and kaftans explore the dichotomy of masculinity and vulnerability while promoting a liberal, non-conformist society.


Using the tour T-shirt metaphor and custom-made appliqué coins as a recurring decorative element.


The collection explores the idea of celebrity culture by introducing a new currency that refects the dangerous eroticism of stardom and consumerism: Money for a broken heart.


The AW2020 sees the premiere of Lazoschmidl jewellery, designed and produced in collaboration with Saskia Diez.


The intertwined heart and coin return as key elements incorporated into necklaces, chokers and earrings.


2020-11-23

LEONARD AW2020 Runway Collection - mylifestylenews' Top 10's Pick

LEONARD AW2020 Runway Collection picking up on a current that runs through the House’s history, Christine Phung transposes it to the here and now, updating the richness of Leonard’s legacy with a fresh, modern mood that taps into the tech-forward energy found in the Far East today.


Shapes evoking traditional kimonos and samurai regalia get a contemporary spin heightened by purity of line, while a deft mix of color-blocking, patterned borders and placement prints injects dynamism to the collection.


An exotic orchid, set on a dark background, was the starting point of the collection, and finds itself translated onto looks ranging from a graphic shirt or a high-waisted, flared trouser with front patch pockets - in a nod to the Seventies.

“What’s so compelling about a placed flower is the negative space around it, how it relates to the print and brings the silhouette to life,” the designer notes.


The House explores the delicate balance between solid colors and motifs, using fitted cuts to emphasize prints, as seen on a sporty red quilted suit pairing a Chinese-style short jacket with a cuffed pant emblazoned with a rooster feather print.


Starting with a square silk scarf, a new architecture in asymmetrical lines is created. Pleating techniques infuse signature prints with fresh interest. Archival florals reappear newly deconstructed, recut and recomposed, for example on jackets or an easy day dress.


This winter, the line is enriched by a series of quilted puffer jackets in various lengths, sprinkled with hallmark florals and border trims, while a rain mantle in lacquered organza complements a sporty yet feminine offer. In a nod to streetwear, signature animal prints surface on more casual pieces as well as on evening looks.


Between tailoring and légèreté, cuts and silhouettes bring structure to flou through puffed sleeves, for example. Experimentation with futuristic fabrics, like technical taffeta and neoprene, further highlights the collection’s modern feel.


The new tailored suit brings together unexpected elements in a hybrid silhouette that hovers between neo-bourgeois and streetwear. Fluid pieces evoke the historic icons of the Leonard wardrobe, in particular the print dresses in silk jersey.

2020-11-20

Hermès Presents The ARCEAU Pocket Watch Aaaaargh!

Hermès Arceau watch, created by Henri d’Origny in 1978, lends its classic yet distinctive round shape – with its asymmetrical stirrup-inspired lugs to infinite expressions of Hermès creativity, style and expertise. Its timeless white gold silhouette stages an alliance between leather craftsmanship and Haute Horloger ie in a one-of-a-kind pocket watch. Beating to the rhythm of the Manufacture H1924 minute-repeater and tourbillon movement, the Arceau Pocket Aaaaargh! frames a refined white enamel dial, protected by a cover adorned with a tyrannosaurus composed of marquetry and leather mosaic.

After the gruff bear of the Slim of Hermes Grrrrr! and the wolf howling in the moonlight of the Arceau Awooooo, the Arceau Pocket Aaaaaargh! watch is joining the bestiary imagined by English artist Alice Shirley. On this model, the <king of the tyrant lizards> with half-open jaws and an attentive eye comes to life under the expert guidance of Hermès watchmakers, after a month of meticulous work using exclusive techniques developed in its leather workshops.


The design of the tyrannosaurus, which appears to be peeking through a porthole, stands out against the cover and involves a combination of several demanding skills. The head and scales are made in leather mosaic: thousands of finely hand-cut multicoloured leather fragments are applied one by one to faithfully reproduce the original pattern.

The domed eye of the dinosaur, visible on both sides of the cover, is made of cabochon cut Grand Feu enamel. Finally, the jaw and tongue are crafted in leather marquetry: fine tesserae are cut from various coloured leathers, previously thinned to just 0.5 mm, before being juxtaposed on the enamel base.

Setting the final touch to this miniaturised leather artwork, a matt green alligator leather cord-strap is secured to the rectangular stirrup and accentuates the overall design.