Top: A close-up of an Amehra design. Centre row and above: Images from Neiman Marcus’s fall 2021 campaign.

Amehra is a luxury creative footwear brand created by the visions of Persian-American brother and sister, businessman Arash Arabian and creative director Mehrnoush Arabian. Amehra’s designs are carefully designed through distinct silhouettes, vibrant colours and intricate details. With a strong background in supply chain, retail and ecommerce, the duo aims to merge sustainability with chic luxury designs.
   As well as a focus on sustainability, Amehra’s designs are modern, detailed and quality, creating a new standard of footwear artistry. Pieces such as the Bella sandal, constructed of GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) peach satin and light peach crystals; the Avenue slingback in a yellow and black zebra print; as well as Amehra’s signature style Amore sandal, combining to create a modern collection that reflects luxury and functionality.

Neiman Marcus has launched a campaign for autumn 2021, called Re-introduce Yourself, based around the theme of people re-emerging from COVID-19 restrictions and sharing what they have learned.
   The campaign has been shot in Art Omi’s sculpture and architecture part in upstate New York, the Million Air runway in Dallas, and in the studio. The campaign video breaks in mid-August and has been directed by Anaïs Larocca and produced in partnership with the Mill.
   Neiman Marcus is also bringing back The Book, with the latest edition featuring interviews with Gabriella Hearst of Chloé and Virgil Abloh of Off-White and Louis Vuitton.

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has released the date of its highly anticipated Fashion Awards 2021. They take place on Monday, November 29 at the Royal Albert Hall, London. The Fashion Awards 2021 will celebrate important figures who have had great impact on the fashion industry, warmly inviting brands, creatives, designers, artists and tastemakers to come together.
   Following the same format as last year’s awards, the Fashion Awards will honour and celebrate the category of Leaders of Change; figures and brands in the fashion industry that have created positive change in the categories of environment, people, community and craftsmanship, and creativity and culture. Other awards on the night include special recognition awards, such as the Outstanding Achievement Award, the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator and Fashion Icon. The nominations for these awards are determined by a panel made up of over 800 key members of the international fashion industry, which will commence in September.
   The Fashion Awards will also help fundraise for the BFC Foundation, which advocates for the growth and success of the British fashion industry through education, grant-giving and business mentoring. The Fashion Awards were able to raise £1·7 million for the BFC Foundation in 2020–1, as well as support 33 designers and numerous students through financial support grants and mentoring. The Fashion Awards anticipates to continue to support and promote growth of the fashion industry, whilst recognizing its influential figures.—Yuriko Shiratori and Lucire staff

Priyanka Chopra-Jonas is the new global ambassador and creative collaborator for Max Factor, with the brand changing direction to focus more on personal empowerment and co-creation rather than employing its traditional Hollywood angle.
   Chopra-Jonas, as an actress, producer, philanthropist and UNICEF goodwill ambassador, fits the brand’s new direction, as Stefano Curti, chief brands’ officer at Coty, noted: ‘Priyanka is the modern embodiment of our diverse Max Factor audience, and a champion of the empowerment that comes with transformation. We couldn’t be more thrilled to partner with her and know we will be able to achieve so many extraordinary things together.’
   Chopra-Jonas said, ‘A brand with a rich heritage that spans more than 100 years, Max Factor is behind the most iconic and effortless beauty transformations in pop culture, and I am honoured to be collaborating as their new global ambassador. Confidence can be someone’s most powerful asset, and it’s important to trust that your beauty products will deliver. From make-up artists to people all over the globe, I know I’m in good company in sharing my excitement for Max Factor’s new product launches and I’m proud to be part of the brand’s next chapter.’
   The first product that Chopra-Jonas will endorse is the FaceFinity All Day Flawless Airbrush Finish 3in1 Foundation, a product that combines primer, concealer and foundation. Chopra-Jonas’s input has included working with the language in the campaign, to accurately reflect her own voice and personal experience with the product.

Fluid Images

The most iconic Aston Martin is arguably the DB5, the one piloted by Sean Connery as James Bond in Goldfinger. Aston Martin made 1,021 DB5s, including 60-odd in Vantage tune, and 123 convertibles. Getting a DB5 is hard enough, but getting three Vantages—a coupé, a convertible, and a one-off Shooting Brake—would qualify as a very special, unique situation. Aston Martin specialist Nicholas Mee & Co. is offering this very special trio for sale, with a price tag of £4 million.
   The DB5, developed from the DB4 Series V with the slanted headlights first seen on the DB4 GT, was incredibly desirable from its launch in July 1963. The engine was enlarged from 3·7 to 4 litres, increasing the power to 282 hp. Vantages saw the power increased further, to 314 hp, giving a 0–60 mph time of 6·5 s.
   The Shooting Brake is unique, and when some sources cite that only 65 DB5 Vantages were built, they omit this very special car. It would be fair to say it was not a production model: the first was produced for Aston Martin chairman David Brown, to accommodate his gundog and polo equipment. Eleven were ordered by customers, with hand-made bodies by Radford. Only one Shooting Brake was ordered in Vantage tune, commissioned by dealer Cyril Williams of Wolverhampton. It is the only one to have left the factory and was delivered to its first owner in 1966. This one-off is finished in California sage over red hides.
   The DB5 Vantage convertible—the Volante tag had not been coined at this point—is in Caribbean pearl blue with white gold hide interior, and is one of five in this specification. Finally, the coupé is finished in silver birch with a black hide interior—the same colour combination as the cinematic James Bond’s.
   The trio have been collected over a 12-year period and were subject to full restorations by Aston Martin specialists. Each car comes with a detailed history with original build details, BMIHT certificates, maintenance records, ownership documentation, and restoration particulars.
   They are being shown at a concours event at the Honourable Artillery Company’s HQ in London, over three days from June 8. Find out more from Nicholas Mee & Co. at www.nicholasmee.co.uk.

Fluid Images

Chiara Ferragni, who has regularly featured in Lucire’s pages in both print and online, is the new global ambassador for GHD.
   Ferragni, who originally came to the industry’s notice as a blogger, has since branched out into designing and Instagramming (where she has nearly 24 million followers). As a fan of GHD, she said in a release: ‘I’ve used GHD for years and have always shared my good hair days with my community. I’m so pleased to announce that I am the international brand ambassador for GHD.’
   It marks the first time GHD has appointed an international brand ambassador. The announcement coincides with the 20th anniversary of the brand.
   ‘We are thrilled to welcome Chiara Ferragni as GHD International Brand Ambassador during our 20th anniversary year—she is the ultimate global fashion trendsetter who speaks directly to the social media generation and our digital-savvy consumers,’ said Jeroen Temmerman, CEO of GHD. ‘With Chiara’s unparalleled global appeal and GHD leading technology, we are confident this new partnership, and impending new product launch, will help GHD to deliver more good hair days around the world.’
   GHD’s chief marketing officer Montse Passolas added, ‘Chiara Ferragni is an entrepreneur with an undeniable spirit, attitude and unique sense of style—she perfectly embodies the essence and energy of GHD. Chiara was a natural choice for GHD to become international brand ambassador. Chiara loves the brand and genuinely uses it to style her hair, so that it is always flawless and in great condition. She relies on ghd for safer for hair heat styling and long-lasting sleek results.’

Greg Alexander/Méphistopheles

New Zealand- and UK-educated, France-based Karnit Aharoni, profiled earlier in Lucire, has shown new entries for spring–summer 2021, inspired by her grandmother and the photographs of her from the 1930s. Aharoni has chosen to combine the 1930s inspiration with the wild west, on the basis that we currently live in times of change and chaos, and there’s anticipation about what’s to come.
   The fabrics are 100 per cent natural and environmentally responsible, sourced from Italy and France, and the clothes are produced in France and Portugal. The shoot was helmed by photographer Greg Alexander in Paris, with Sebastien Vienne art-directing. Hair and make-up were by Carine Larchet (for La Roche–Posay) and Eugène Perma, with Angline of Élite Milano modelling.
   ‘I believe what we are going through at the moment are changes which would have happened anyway, even without COVID,’ said Aharoni. ‘I keep walking the path I’ve started with … small quantities, responsible production and partners, season-less pieces.
   ‘I am a woman and I come from a line of very strong women. My grandmother was an incredible person as well as my mother, both very strong and creative. I also have two sisters, two daughters, and friends. I’m always sensitive to their feedback, comments and needs. It’s the contemporary femininity.’

Greg Alexander/Méphistopheles

The Institute of Positive Fashion Forum will take place digitally on June 10, and runs from 9 a.m. to a final event with Stella McCartney commencing at 6.10 p.m.
   The thought leadership event is designed to galvanize the fashion industry—one of the planet’s major contributors to environmental harm—into action, ahead of COP26.
   Tickets are £150, and speakers include Virgil Abloh, Kering chief sustainability officer Marie-Claure Daveu, British Fashion Council CEO Caroline Rush, Baroness Lola Young of Hornsey, Burberry CEO Marco Gobbetti, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, British Fashion Council chair Stephanie Phair, Parley for the Oceans founder Cyrill Gutsch, Centre for Sustainable Fashion director Dilys Williams, Alexander McQueen CEO Emmanuel Gintzburger, and other luminaries. A more complete list of speakers and the day’s programme are available here.
   Sessions include ‘Positioning Around COP 26: the Role of UK Fashion to Help Fight Climate Change’; ‘Future of Fashion: Innovation for Climate Action’; ‘Fashion and Nature: How Biodiversity Is Moving up the Corporate Agenda’; and ‘Social Justice: Eliminating Exploitation in the Supply Chain’.
   ‘Fashion and Nature’ will feature journalist Bandana Tewari, Dilys Williams, Dr Helen Crowley of Kering, and Michael Wessely of Sheep, Inc.
   The intent is to provide real tools to effect change and ticket-holders are encouraged to make serious commitments to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the Race to Net Zero, and others.
   Tickets are available here.