Natacha Ramsay-Levi Exits Chloé
After almost four years and previous stints at Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton as a pupil under Nicolas Ghesquière, French designer Natacha Ramsay-Levi has stepped down as creative director of Chloé. In a brief statement released via Instagram Ramsay-Levi spoke on her sudden departure, “Over the last months of health, social and economic turmoil, I have given thoughts to the changes I want to see in our industry and how to better align them with my own creative, intellectual and emotional values. It is this reflection that makes me consider my future differently and desire to pursue new opportunities.” Ramsay-Levi’s successor has yet to be named but WWD reports Gabriela Hearst, Ilaria Icardi, design director at Victoria Beckham, and Gabrielle Greiss, who has designed for Chloé and Sonia Rykiel are being floated around as possible replacements.
The British Fashion Awards Goes Digital
With no red carpet this year and awardees unable to physically accept, The British Fashion Awards still went on without a hitch by releasing a Fashion Awards film recognizing the real winners who are advocating for change, both within and without the industry. In a year that was as unpredictable as they come, designers and creatives who stepped up to the social challenges of the community were highlighted like A-Cold-Wall’s efforts to establish a grant for Black-owned businesses; the Black in Fashion Council’s extensive organization and diversity initiatives; the Emergency Designer Network, founded by Bethany Williams, Cozette McCreery, Holly Fulton and Phoebe English that helped create 50,000 surgical gowns and 10,000 sets of scrubs for health workers in the UK; and Michael Halpern’s inclusion of frontline workers in his advertising campaign. Yes, the big names were honored too like Prada and Raf Simons, Kim Jones, Riccardo Tisci of Burberry, and Stella McCartney but the side effects of the global pandemic certainly centered the vital importance of humanity.
Anh’s Muse Moments
Iconic model and artist Anh Duong has shared memories of her most significant moments in front of the lens. From her start in Paris as a young ballerina under the guidance of photographer David Seidner to shooting for Miu Miu with Ethan James Green during the pandemic, Anh’s fascinating career has seen her expand fashion’s approach to beauty ideals. [MDC]
Chanel Pairs With Another ‘CC’ for Métiers d’Art
Chanel’s annual Métiers d’Art showcase that highlights the extensive possibilities of the 38 specialized workshops the brand owns made a meta-reference to itself this season. The Pre-Fall 2021 show was hosted at the Château de Chenonceau castle, which was once owned by the former queen of France Catherine de’ Medici, and is filled with interlocking Cs representing her initials. The cast and crew of 300 people had to scrap a live audience due to France’s second lockdown, unveiling 67 looks to the online viewing public. [WWD]
E-Commerce Innovator Tony Hsieh Passes Away
Tony Hsieh, former CEO of Zappos.com, has died following a house fire in Connecticut. Aged just 46, Hsieh had retired in August after two decades at footwear e-retailer Zappos, which was purchased by Amazon.com in 2009 for $1.2 billion. Known for his unorthodox management style and innovative approach to e-commerce, in recent years Hsieh was a fixture of the Las Vegas community, contributing to the revitalization of the city’s downtown area. [BoF]
Kate’s New Kit
Moss has merch! Kate Moss has released a line of hoodies, t-shirts and tote bags through her creative agency KMA Studio. The line named “Eyescapes” features an image of Kate’s iris photographed by Rankin and was produced at an ethically run factory in Tiruppur, India, using organic cotton and recyclable packaging. To get kitted out with Kate, clobber through the KMA Studio website. [WWD]
Zendaya is the newest face of Valentino
In a marketing move that surprises no one, Valentino announced today that the youngest Emmy award-winning actress in a Drama series, Zendaya is its newest spokesperson. In a statement released on Instagram this morning, Valentino spoke highly of the rising actress, “A symbol of individuality, freedom, and power, Zendaya encapsulates Valentino’s resignified values, as set out by Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli.” The actress adds to her ever-expanding list of sponsorships as the face of Lancôme, Bulgari, and Tommy Hilfiger.
