Udo Spreitzenbarth

Casa Zeta-Jones is the newly launched dream child of Catherine Zeta-Jones. Fashion-forward and creative, Zeta-Jones wanted to build a brand that inspired beauty in everyday life. She pulled her own inspiration from the captivating elegance of old Hollywood to create a ready-to-wear collection that is luxurious and irrefutably wearable.
   ‘We have created a collection that not only embodies my vision but speaks to my customer, a multi-faceted, modern and confident woman who’s living a dynamic life,’ comments Zeta-Jones on the collection that features natural fabrics and a colour palette derived from nature.
   Zeta-Jones collaborated with Fred Tutino, the creative director of the Casa Zeta-Jones ready-to-wear collection. Upon working together, Tutino states, ‘Before I met Catherine I knew she had exceptional personal style, but as we spoke more I began to realize Catherine really understands design, colour, finishing, proportion and fabric.’
   The collection is made using luxurious natural fabrics such as silks, cottons and cashmeres. Whether it’s for easy day dresses, chic yet casual sweaters and knit lounge pants, or your new favourite go-to luxurious blouse and perfect form-fitting pant for an evening out, everything has a premium look and feel. The collection is fashion-forward but designed to convey effortless style.—Jody Miller, Correspondent

Udo Spreitzenbarth

It was probably inevitable that Reebok would build on its collaboration with Cardi B after how quickly her collection sold out last October. That collection, with retro colours and motifs applied to the Reebok Club C sneaker, recalled the rapper’s own fashion choices, such as a bright red dress she wore to the Met Gala in 2019.
   Reebok has now announced its first apparel collection with Cardi B, called the Summertime Fine collection, releasing April 23 at 10 a.m. EDT. This time, the German-owned brand stresses that it was a full collaboration, with Cardi involved since the beginning of the design process, and trying on every piece herself.
   Rather than the ’80s vibe of the shoes, there’s a ’90s one this time, recalling Reebok’s own vintage styles and Cardi’s memories of summers on the Coney Island boardwalk. Colours are bright red and pastel purple, with cinched waists and mesh cutouts, designed to be fashionable both at the gym and on the street. Sizes range from 2XS to 4X. Matching footwear, in the shape of the Cardi B Club C, will also be available, in women’s and children’s sizes.
   ‘I’m so proud to announce my first apparel line with Reebok. This collection gives every woman the product they need to feel sexy and confident; the waist-snatching tights and curve hugging silhouettes make every body look amazing,’ she said.

Carla Zampatti

Hugo

Specsavers’ autumn–winter 2021 collection features a number of well known brands, with the emphasis on modern classics. Even though there’s an appetite for more unconventional fashion in Australasia, with COVID-19 relatively under control compared to many other parts of the world, eyewear remains on a safer path, with familiar shapes such as the aviator, club master, square and round eye. However, it’s in the details where there’s variety, with contrasting shades and tortoiseshell bringing freshness to the season.
   Specsavers’ head of frames, Juan Carlos Camargo, noted in a release, ‘From oversized aviators by Hugo to sophisticated square frames by Marc Jacobs, there’s a little something for everyone.
   ‘The autumn–winter range provides a good base of classic styles to build your glasses wardrobe around. We see tortoiseshell and soft gold emerge as important colours for subtle opulence, while textured metals add a stylish touch. These are staples that work smarter, and harder and will be wardrobe additions that never go out of style.’
   Brands include Carla Zampatti, Marc Jacobs, Viktor & Rolf, Hugo, and Alex Perry. Prices begin at NZ$299 for two pairs, single vision. They are available now online at specsavers.co.nz or at Specsavers stores nationally.

Viktor & Rolf

Levi’s

Alex Perry

Deus Ex Machina

Labelhood, China’s first fashion incubator combining design and brand management, has presented its first show at the Tank Shanghai complex, opening Shanghai Fashion Week’s autumn–winter 2021–2 Shanghai Fashion and Lifestyle Carnival.
   The show was hosted by beauty influencer Li Jiaqi, and streamed on his Taobao channel, which allowed audiences to purchase the items they saw in the show. On the show were Deepmoss’s Liu Xiaolu, 8on8’s Gong Li, and Yirantian’s Guo Yirantian. Labelhood selected 26 items from 13 brands, including Private Policy, the Flocks, and Motoguo, as well as established labels such as Uma Wang, Yirantian, and Deepmoss.
   Estimated views exceeded 10 million, according to Labelhood, with online sales also exceeding that number. There had been no need to discount, with brand development more the focus of the event.
   Labelhood, or Leihu to give its transliteration from Chinese, has run its services for 12 years, and collaborated with Li to get its independent brands in front of a larger audience.
   This season the incubator hosted 32 brands at its Labshowroom.
   Labelhood has four physical retail stores in Shanghai, Nanjing and Guangzhou, and has branded spaces in Lane Crawford in Shanghai, Beijing, Chengdu and Hong Kong. It also has a Tmall presence, and supported its designers to open there, including Tirantian, Shushu/Tong. Deepmoss and Motoguo. In addition, it has cooperative deals with over 100 retail channels, including SKP, Galeries Lafayette and Net-à-Porter.
   The incubator has successfully attracted younger buyers who favour independent designers.

To mark Earth Day 2021 on April 22, Salvatore Ferragamo will release a limited-edition version of one of its watches, but made with low-environmental-impact materials and responsible packaging.
   The F-80 Skeleton Sustainable will be limited to 200 pieces. Its strap is made of post-consumer-recycled PET fibre on the outside and FSC-certified cork on the inside, while the hole covers are made from vegetable-tanned leather.
   Packaging is made of FSC-certified cardboard on the outside, while the wood and metal protective shell is lined with hemp inside, wrapped in post-consumer PET fibre fabric on the outside. The watch support cushion is made from a fully sugar cane-derived bioplastic.
   The automatic movement is housed in a black satin case.
   The watch construction’s climate impact has been measured according to the ISO-14067 Product Carbon Footprint standard. Salvatore Ferragamo has ensured the process is carbon neutral by supporting Rete Clima’s Burgos Wind Project, the largest wind farm in the Philippines.
   The F-80 Skeleton Sustainable is available from April at Salvatore Ferragamo stores, authorized retailers, and online.

Van Cleef & Arpels has released six Perlée creations, exclusively for the Middle East first, coinciding with the holy season of Ramadan. They are available now in the region, two months ahead of their official global release.
   The new Perlée additions comprise three bracelets and three rings in gold hues. These feature the sweet clover motif, which are Van Cleef & Arpels’ symbol of luck. They also feature a border of gold beads, characteristic of other jewellery in the Perlée range.
   As the jewellery can be mixed and matched, they can suit a wearer’s every mood.
   The Perlée collection débuted in 2008 and draws on the maison’s history. Accented stones and motifs appeared in the 1920s, and it was also during this decade that Van Cleef & Arpels used the round bead setting in the collection. Golden beads became more ample in 1948. From 1963, in the Twist collection, golden beads appeared in more permutations, accentuating ornamental stones such as lapis lazuli and carnelian, and pearls. Bordering golden beads also appeared in Van Cleef & Arpels’ Alhambra collection in 1968. The designs have a direct link to these earlier collections.