The Finnish-born, Paris-based shoemaker Achilles Ion Gabriel is a master of reinterpretation. The Derby, Chelsea and work boot are all transformed in his latest offering of offbeat footwear. Incorporating thick soles, contrasting toecaps and a juxtaposition of block colours through the brand’s signature strap detailing, Achilles’ work plays with androgyny, convention and the notion of a classic shoe.
Achilles Ion Gabriel can be found online at LN-CC or in store at Dover Street Market.
House of fun
22 December
London based-fashion designer Matty Bovan has created a selection prismatic of Christmas wreaths for House of Voltaire. Created from marble foam, plaster and bedazzling jewels, the decorations are an acid-trip take on festivity.
21 December
Renowned for creating clothes that defy classification, Sacai’s Chitose Abe has turned her hybrid aesthetic to handbag design. Collaborating with Katie Hillier on her debut bag collection, the six enigmatic styles, crafted in soft leather, crocodile skin and mink act as spliced versions of archetypal silhouettes.
Wool worth
20 December
This season sees the return of an exclusive C.P. Company fabric, which was developed by designers Paul Harvey and Alessandro Pungetti four years ago. Named Shetland SL, a heavy-duty lycra is formed by bonding light weight traditional yarn-dyed wool.
The team worked with a bouclé yarn for the first time, which was typically used for men’s outerwear in the 1950’s and 60’s. Combined with the Shetland SL technique, the fabric boosts the coat’s protective qualities whilst maintaining the natural elasticity of the wool fabric.
Feeling Plein
19 December
The latest addition to the New Bond Street fashion mile, Claudio Pironi & Partners, the architecture practice who designed Philipp Plein’s expansive Milanese showroom, has worked with the German fashion designer on his new London flagship. The majestic three-floor store boasts marble, gold and mirrored surfaces, bedecked with Plein’s idiosyncratic logoed and rhinestone finishes.
19 December
New Zealand-based sunglass maker Karen Walker has used industrial acetate and monel in her debut range of clear lenses. The vintage-like oversized frames are the ultimate eccentric optical update.
15 December
The casual aesthetic of German brand Closed and the delicate yet humorous embroideries of designer Jackie Villevoye are brought together in a three-piece line launching in spring next year. Villevoye, the founder of Jupe by Jackie, worked together with her team of master artisans in India, who hand-stitch the mythological creatures directly onto the garments.
14 December
Go-faster stripes race through Smythson’s new luggage offering for S/S17, with every piece from the Burlington Stripe collection boasting bold hand-printed navy and blue track lines. The pattern pays homage to the heritage brand’s signature jacquard, used in the lining of the Bond Street bag, which was the first ever produced by Frank Smythson in 1902.
13 December
Robe de Voyage work with a collective of talented weavers in Bihar, East India, to craft its lightweight khadi cotton and silk travel robes. Scribble, the first print in the collection, which evokes rippled sunlight on water, was hand-painted by founder Jessica Linklater in her London studio, and then screen-printed in Delhi. Constructed in vibrant colourways, bright oranges, salty blues and rich reds were inspired by landscapes in Zanzibar, Kyoto and Malabar.
12 December
Renowned for its attention to American craftsmanship, FRAME has collaborated with Cone, the oldest fabric mill in the US on its debut range of rigid denim. Reimagining 11 archive styles, including denim jackets and its signature cropped bootcut silhouette, the faded and frayed finishes are inspired by vintage denim fabrics.
9 December
Inspired by his childhood spent overseas, men’s artistic director Kim Jones has brought a piece of Africa with him to the Louis Vuitton menswear pop-up shop in Selfridges. Teaming up with regular collaborators the Chapman brothers, Jake and Dinos have added wild flair to the pop-up with African animal illustrations. Customers can also enjoy exclusive products from the pre-spring/summer 2017 and S/S 2017 shows and shop at the brand’s denim bar.
8 December
Bally has a new addition to its ever expanding accessories family, and the Suzy bag is its disco-centric little sister. Showing off the same B Turn lock, its smaller shape and gold chain shoulder strap is both youthful and rebellious. Stepping out in studded, block and tri-colour versions of suede, python and calfskin, it makes for most B-loved dance floor date.
23 November
Each season Kris Van Assche revisits Dior’s iconic house monogram in a capsule accessories collection for Dior Homme. For A/W 2016, the designer taps his rebellious streak with overprinted checks, embroidered streaks and paint splashes running riot on coated canvas backpacks and travel bags. A series of works by Japanese artist Toru Kamei completes the collection.
16 November
The bold and the beautiful come together in Roksanda Ilincic’s debut sunglasses collection, made in collaboration with luxury eyewear brand Cutler and Gross. Vivid, contrasting colours clash with geometric lines in handmade frames of the highest quality Italian acetate. The sunglasses are the latest addition to Roksanda’s growing accessories range.
15 November
As designers make increasingly clever use of 3D printing, Alexander McQueen is the latest to foray into digital fabrication with its new ‘Black Skull’ umbrella. McQueen enlisted a helping hand in the form of Berlin-based company VOJD Studios, which specialises in luxury 3D printed goods. Created from a cast of a handprint, the ergonomic handle was scanned in 3D and then printed, so as to fit organically and comfortably in any grasp. The asymmetric handle has been galvanised to achieve the resulting high-shine, mirror finish, and a slim brass stem leads up to a wide, canopy, embroidered with the classic McQueen skull emblem.
10 November
Having recently joined Mount Street’s distinguished retail arena, J&M Davidson brushes up its art credentials, launching a new collaboration with fashion illustrator Tanya Ling. With every purchase from the A/W 2016 handbag collection, the brand will offer a personal customisation option. The ‘Belle’, ‘Olivia’ (pictured) and ‘Oona’ bags become canvases for Ling’s artistic endeavours, transforming them into abstract, sculptural works. Customers will be able to purchase any bag from the Mayfair boutique and order the unique commission to be painted on them until 31 January.