There’s nothing like a carefully plated delicious meal that will get conversation started at the dinner table. Food generally brings families and friends together, and like food, fashion tends to gather hungry crowds just the same. A room full of thirsty appetites, whether desiring a glass of shiraz or craving a fresh take on classic silhouettes is all digested best with a dose of sustenance.
   Flow, a burgeoning fashion label founded by two sisters, Victoria and Veronika, understands how to design in harmony. Their Belgian–Ukrainian label, not to be confused with the Malaysia-based clothing retailer of the same name, embodies the art of creating just the right amount of what the Swedes call lagom, and it shows throughout their collections.
   Pieces are not overly designed. Instead, garments are braised predominantly in pure silk and cotton, then enriched by colour or finishing shape. The sisters experiment with volume, whilst using the unconventional as an undercurrent in designing. The result is a pensive (spring–summer 2015) collection full of playful prints with child-like embraces, Japanese-inspired shapes, and a modern perspective on sportswear.
   The designing pair has managed to produce a smörgåsbord of distinct and charming garments to satiate fashion palates, especially if it favours edgy, artful, and quirky styles. Nonetheless, the pleasant appeal of a Flow garment might also be the fact that it can be worn by diverse women. ‘The most essential is to have that “special something” inside of you. That feminine, sensitive and elegant, yet kindly ironic thing that is very Flow. It is more about chemistry and common wit,’ the designers said, regarding the Flow woman.
   So, what’s the secret to the flourishing brand? Well, their approach to design is much like a gourmet recipe, using key ingredients to craft a tasty and well balanced dish to savour. Their main course is just also served with a side of passion, meticulousness, and confidence. And, like your grandmother’s recipe secrets, when it comes to the artful process, they prefer to keep it close to home.
   In fact, the sisters are involved in all aspects of the design process. However, having just under a dozen people in their design team certainly helps. ‘When we seek new co-workers, we primarily seek professionals who can become new members of the family. Creation of a collection is a group process and mutual understanding has great influence on the result,’ the designers confessed.
   In their spring–summer 2015 collection, you will see a palette of red, white, and blue with accented colours that look as vivid as a fresh floral bouquet. Pieces like the pyjama-esque silk garment with kookaburra bird drawings are eye-catching. The line is full of sprightly, sophisticated sportswear with a contemporary gracefulness that’s hard to ignore. But, that’s mostly because of the designer’s underlining influence, including the œuvres of Niko Pirosmani and Ivan Semesyuk. ‘The spirit [of the line] is childish and patrician at the same time,’ the designers said.
   Flow’s offerings come in a range of styles, with pieces that can easily be translated into workwear, or casual elegance for the avant-garde art enthusiast. There are silhouettes for the classic fashion darling, as well as separates that exemplify opulence at its very core. The designers have fused a nourishing concoction of culture and art, creating a smart fashion paella, all which seems to give them a discerning compound of depth and simplicity.
   The young brand’s maturity in execution and outlook is well seasoned. And, with only a handful of collections under their belt, there’s much that they have already learned from having a fashion business. ‘It requires lots of time and enormous sources of energy … true fashion is always about the dream, the feeling, and the humanly approach,’ Flow said.
   You may view Flow’s upcoming autumn-winter collection at the BeNext showroom during this Paris fashion week, and at the Tranoï exhibition shown in Milano.
   For more information, visit www.flowthelabel.com.—Tamara Madison

Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images

Above Frida Giannini photographed at The New York Times International Luxury Conference at the Mandarin Oriental Miami on December 2.

Gucci creative director Frida Giannini and CEO Patrizio di Marco will leave the label shortly, parent company Kering SA, formerly PPR, announced Friday.
   Giannini will depart after showing her autumn–winter 2015 collection at the end of February, and no successor has been named. She will have worked for over 12 years at Gucci, and has been creative director since 2006. She had succeeded Tom Ford at the label.
   Di Marco, who has been with Gucci since 2009, will leave at the end of the year, with his role taken up by Marco Bizzarri, who is presently Kering’s luxury couture and leather goods’ division. Like di Marco, Bizzarri is formerly of Bottega Veneta.
   Gucci’s revenues have been dropping, suffering from a perception that its brand is not exclusive enough. Demand in China is down this year, while third-quarter sales showed a 1·6 per cent fall. Turnover has also fallen in recent years.
   Kering had already named new CEOs in October at Bottega Veneta, Brioni and Christopher Kane as part of an internal overhaul. It also owns Stella McCartney and Puma.

New Zealand menswear tailors Rembrandt Suits and Wayward Heir have revealed their summer 2014–15 collections, paying homage to the coveted summer holiday. Designer Jonathon Hall puts the loyal jacket front and centre in the Rembrandt collection, with the pièce de résistance being the crease resistant ultimate travel jacket, the Halcyon.
   To prove their confidence in the jacket, professional footballer Paul Ifill tested the Halcyon (captured in the video below), and Hall recently took the jacket on a 15-day tour of Europe’s fabric fairs (search Instagram for the hashtag #halcyonontour, and see some of the photographs at the bottom of this article).

   With the holiday season fast approaching, Hall takes us through Rembrandt and Wayward Heir’s top ten must-haves for a summer escape.

   1. Rembrandt’s wool–mohair Halcyon, the definitive travel jacket. This unlined lightweight jacket, available in navy and silver-grey, is strong and durable with an exceptional resistance to wrinkles, making it the ultimate fabric for travelling across town, or around the world.

   2. Rembrandt cotton-stretch Beck trousers: narrow fit with plenty of stretch, perfect dressed up or down and exceptionally comfortable to wear on long-haul flights.

   3. An unlined cotton or linen jacket; for a more relaxed look choose between Wayward Heir’s Rimini and Rembrandt’s double-breasted Cornwall jacket.

   4. Blue Hoxton cotton-stretch jeans: they perfectly fill the gap between a jean and a chino.

   5. Wayward Heir Japanese selvedge Garage jeans: a great pair of jeans can take you anywhere.

   6. At least one slim white shirt, a classic that you can wear with anything, for any event.

   7. A Rembrandt Liberty print shirt: dress it up, dress it down, enjoy.

   8. Good shoes. Ones that you’ve worn in. Don’t travel with a brand new pair of shoes, you’ll regret it.

   9. A Rembrandt reversible belt: it can do double-duty with either black or brown shoes.

   10. Pocket squares: even if you’re not wearing a tie, a pocket square in your jacket completes any look. Just make sure one of them is white linen.

Travel tip

When flying, the best way to keep creases out of your jacket (even the crease-resistant Halcyon) is to hang it. A seat-back hook is better than folding, but ideally you could request it gets hung in the cabin wardrobe.

Edward Enninful will receive the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator at this year’s British Fashion Awards, the British Fashion Council announced today.
   Ghanese-born Enninful is a stylist and the current fashion and style director of W.
   In 1991, he became fashion director of I-D, at the age of 18, making him the youngest editor at a major international title. Seven years later, he became contributing fashion editor of Vogue Italia, and he held the same post at Vogue in 2006. In 2011, he took on his role at W.
   Enninful has also worked on campaigns for Gucci, Comme des Garçons, Christian Dior, Dolce and Gabbana, Celine, Lanvin, Mulberry, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Jil Sander, Calvin Klein, Fendi, Alessandro Dell’Acqua, Hugo Boss, and Missoni.
   I-D founders, Terry and Tricia Jones, said, ‘When the wonderful Simon Foxton first introduced Edward into the I-D family, we had no idea that he would become one of the most outstanding stylists of his generation. He not only brought his own talent to the magazine, but started working with hundreds of other individual youngsters at the beginning of their careers. His fashion corner in the I-D office was always a mecca for ideas and supermodel diversity became one of his many contributions to the international fashion industry.
   ‘We are thrilled and super proud that I-D’s youngest-ever son has travelled so far in his career and feel very privileged to have known him as a teenager. Edward’s own individual talent, his absolute loyalty, his encouragement and promotion of other peoples’ careers, as well as his love and belief in diversity within the industry, is rare and quite unprecedented. We truly believe that Edward’s creative voice, experience and original inspiration fully justify this very prestigious award!’
   Supermodel Naomi Campbell said, ‘Edward is not only one of my dearest friends and brother, but he is also one of the most outstanding people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. His unique talent, drive and imagination are poured into his work, making him responsible for some of the most heart quickening imagery in the history of fashion.’
   Fashion photographer Stephen Klein added, ‘Edward has exquisite taste and precision and is both sensitive to the aim of the photographer and venue without compromising either.’
   Speaking for the British Fashion Council, Natalie Massenet, its chairman, said, ‘Edward’s creative energy and level of vision captures the mood of our times: his work is original, energetic, sincere and unforgettable. His creative journey may have started in London, but today his influence spans the entire globe intersecting the worlds of fashion, art and business.’
   The British Fashion Awards 2014 is sponsored by Swarovski, Canon, MAC, Toni & Guy, Vodafone, American Express, Marks & Spencer, Mercedes Benz, Penhaligon’s, and Rightster.

Francesco Pizzo

French actress Eva Green is the face of the 2015 Campari calendar, entitled Mythology Mixology. Campari is teasing the calendar with behind-the-scenes images and a video, featuring Green, announcing the project.
   This 16th edition has been photographed by Julia Fullerton-Batten, an acclaimed fine art photographer, and the first female who has shot a Campari calendar.
   The 12 months celebrate Campari’s history and its best loved classic cocktails. Each month tells the story behind the cocktail, with anecdotes and trivia.
   Campari believes that there has been a classic trend over the last decade, and an interest in history, which the calendar attempts to tap into.
   While some may dispute the presence of a classic trend, Campari has been on the pulse in recent years with its calendars. Notably, in 2008, Jessica Alba appeared in its 10th anniversary edition. Other calendar stars include Salma Hayek, Eva Mendes, Milla Jovovich, Penélope Cruz and Uma Thurman.
   Green, whose Penny Dreadful series is currently netting her headlines in the lead role of Vanessa Ives, came to prominence in Bertolucci’s The Dreamers (2002), and as Bond girl Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale (2006), for which she won a BAFTA. She has recently been seen in 300: Rise of an Empire and will soon be seen in Sin City: a Dame to Kill for.
   ‘To work with an iconic worldwide brand such as Campari is an honour and a privilege. There is something very special about this year’s theme as it strikes a compelling and almost magical balance between the classic and the contemporary. At the root of each image is this rich sense of history behind each of Campari’s best-loved cocktails but they are presented in a way that is ultra-modern, exuding imagination and style. It’s a thing of incredible beauty and clearly shows that whilst some of these recipes are over 100 years old, they are still relevant to and adored in today’s world,’ said Green in a release.
   Fullerton-Benton is known for her series, Teenage Stories (2005), which followed the transition of a teenage girl into womanhood. Campari says that the photos will carry her hallmarks of creative settings, unusual locations and cinematic lighting.
   ‘Campari has always had an inherent ability to recreate itself and keep the brand image fresh, inspiring and imaginative—a goal I constantly strive towards in my own work, too. This year’s theme was an interesting challenge, as there was an important job to do in terms of taking historical anecdotes and invigorating them with a modern edge. I’m confident we managed to strike that delicate balance with this year’s imagery,’ says Fullerton-Batten.
   Bob Kunze-Concewitz, CEO of Gruppo Campari says, ‘Though there has always been a sense of timelessness around our classic cocktails, we’ve been hearing reports from bartenders all over the world that there has been a surging popularity for classic recipes like the Negroni and the Americano. This year’s Campari Calendar is designed to celebrate those enduring recipes and the heritage behind them, so we’re very much looking forward to unveiling it later in the year.’

Francesco Pizzo

RIT

Massimo Vignelli, who passed away on May 27, was a hero of mine. When receiving the news shortly before it hit the media in a big way, from our mutual friend Stanley Moss, this title’s travel editor and CEO of the Medinge Group, I posted immediately on Facebook: ‘It is a sad duty to note the passing of Massimo Vignelli, one of my heroes in graphic design. When I was starting out in the business, Massimo was one of the greats: a proponent of modernism and simple, sharp typography. His influence is apparent in a lot of the work done by our brand consultancy and in our magazines, even in my 2013 mayoral campaign graphics. A lot of his work from half a century ago has stood the test of time. There was only one degree of separation between us, and I regret that we never connected during his lifetime. The passing of a legend.’
   This Facebook status only scratches the surface of my admiration for Vignelli. There have been more comprehensive obits already (Fast Company Design rightly called him ‘one of the greatest 20th century designers’), detailing his work notably for the New York subway map, and—curiously to me—glossing over the effect he had on corporate design, especially in the US.
   Vignelli, and his wife Lella, a designer in her own right and a qualified architect, set up the Vignelli Office of Design and Architecture in Milano in 1960, which had clients including Pirelli and Olivetti. In 1965, they moved to New York and Vignelli co-founded Unimark International (with Ralph Eckerstrom, James Fogelman, Wally Gutches, Larry Klein, and Bob Noorda), where he was design director. It was the world’s largest design and marketing firm till its closure in 1977.
   The 1960s were a great time for Vignelli and his corporate identities. He worked on American Airlines, Ford, Knoll, and J. C. Penney, and the work was strictly modernist, often employing Helvetica as the typeface family. Vignelli was known to have stuck with six families for most his work—Bodoni was another, a type family based around geometry that, on the surface, tied in to his modernist, logical approach. However, there were underlying reasons, including his belief that Helvetica had an ideal ratio between upper- and lowercase letters, with short ascenders and descenders, lending itself to what he considered classic proportions. The 1989 WTC Our Bodoni, created under Vignelli’s direction by Tom Carnase and commissioned by Bert di Pamphilis, adheres to the same proportions.
   Although my own typeface design background means that I could not adhere to six, there is something to be said for employing a logical approach to design. American corporate design went through a “cleaning up” in the 1960s, with a brighter, bolder sensibility. Detractors might accuse it of being stark, the Helveticization of American design making things too standard. Yet through the 1970s the influence remained, and to my young eyes that decade, this was how professional design should look, contrary to the low-budget work plaguing newspapers and books that I saw as I arrived in the occident.
   When the Vignellis left Unimark to set up Vignelli Associates in 1971 (and later Vignelli Designs in 1978), their stamp remained. The MTA launched Vignelli’s subway map the following year, and like the London Underground map by Harry Beck in 1931, it ignored what was above ground in favour of a logical diagram with the stops. Beck was a technical draftsman and the approach must have found favour with Vignelli, just as it did with those creating maps for the Paris Métropolitain and the Berlin U-bahn.
   New Yorkers didn’t take to the Vignelli map as well as Londoners and Parisians, and it was replaced in 1979 with one that was more geographically accurate to what was above ground.
   In 1973, Vignelli worked on the identity for Bloomingdale’s, and his work endures: the Big Brown Bag is his work, and it continues to be used by the chain today. Cinzano, Lancia and others continue with Vignelli’s designs.
   Ironically, despite a rejection of fashion in favour of timelessness, some of the work is identified with the 1960s and 1970s, notably thanks to the original cut of Helvetica, which has only recently been revived (a more modern cut is commonplace), and which is slightly less popular today. Others, benefiting from more modern layout programs and photography, look current to 2010s eyes, such as Vignelli Associates’ work for the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
   The approach taken by Lucire in its print editions has a sense of modernism that has a direct Vignelli influence, including the use of related typeface families since we went to retail print editions in 2004. Our logotype itself, dating from 1997, has the sort of simplicity that I believe Vignelli would have approved of.
   Vignelli was, fortunately, fêted during his lifetime. He received the Compasso d’Oro from ADI twice (1964 and 1998), the AIGA Gold Medal (1983), the Presidential Design Award (1985), the Honorary Royal Designer for Industry Award from the Royal Society of Arts (1996), the National Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cooper–Hewitt National Museum of Design (2003), among many. He holds honorary doctorates from seven institutions, including the Rochester Institute of Technology (2002). Rochester has a Vignelli Center for Design Studies, whose website adheres to his design principles and where educational programmes espouse his modernist approach. It also houses the Vignellis’ professional archive.
   He is survived by his wife, Lella, who continues to work as CEO of Vignelli Associates and president of Vignelli Designs; their son, Luca, their daughter, Valentina Vignelli Zimmer, and three grandchildren.—Jack Yan, Publisher

Michelle Watson/CatchLight Group LLC

Chinh Phan/CatchLight Group LLC

Bulgari opened its 130 Years of Masterpieces exhibition at the Houston Museum of Natural Science with Bulgari vice-chairman Nicola Bulgari, his daughter Veronica Bulgari, and actress Naomi Watts in attendance, along with Wendi Grimes, chair of the Museum, Joel Bartsch, its president and CEO, and Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin.
   The exhibition begins May 2 and runs through October 5, 2014.
   The function on Wednesday brought together 220 guests at the Museum, who enjoyed an Italian dinner in a setting evoking the Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti (the Spanish Steps). Modern pianist Elizaveta (a.k.a. Elly K.) performed live at the venue. Other guests included Lynn Wyatt, Joanne King Herring, Sima Ladjevardian, Greggory Burk, Isabel David, Becca Cason Thrash, Christina Girard, J. J. Watts, Divya Brown, Claire Cormier Thielke, Ashley Menzies, David Grimes, Valerie Sarofim, Annie Amante, Mickey Rosmarin, Alberto Festa, Linda McReynolds, Scotty and Jana Arnoldy, and Monica Hartland Blaisdell.
   The exhibition features c. 150 pieces and is said to be the most substantial Bulgari retrospective featuring the Heritage Collection. Many pieces are from the personal collection of Dame Elizabeth Taylor, and others, some which have never been seen publicly before, are on loan from Wyatt, Herring and Girard. Sketches, photographs, archival materials and interactive displays provide context.
   ‘The exhibit has came to Houston for 130 years of the company because Houston is a mirror of Bulgari values—it’s a bold, powerful, daring entrepreneur city, always forward thinking in exactly what Bulgari stands for in the world of jewellery, so it’s a great match,’ said Babin in a release.
   Naomi Watts wore a stunning one-of-a-kind Serpenti necklace from Bulgari’s high jewellery collection (a sleek double-coil diamond Serpenti in white gold with two pear shaped diamonds [1·04 ct], emeralds [48·67 ct], and pavé diamonds [170·50 ct]), and carried a Bulgari cocktail evening pochette in palm embroidered silver and gold. Wyatt wore an 8 ct white gold necklace (with 29 emerald cut diamonds [57·45 ct] and 567 round brilliant cut diamonds [44·22 ct]), as well as an 18 ct white gold bracelet (12 emerald diamonds [16·95 ct] and 374 round brilliant cut diamonds [23·51 ct]), and an 18 ct white gold diamond bracelet (28·92 ct). Herring wore an 18 ct white gold necklace with sapphires (93·64 ct), peridots (161·85 ct), milky quartzes and round brilliant diamonds (21·29 ct), and matching earrings.

Michelle Watson/CatchLight Group LLC

Chinh Phan/CatchLight Group LLC

Michelle Watson/CatchLight Group LLC

Chinh Phan/CatchLight Group LLC

Chris Sullivan/Seen in Dunedin

Mahshid Mahdian, from Brera Academy, Milano, won the ID Dunedin Emerging Designers’ Award and its NZ$10,000 prize on Thursday night.
   Mahdian’s collection, Shadow, was inspired by shadows in Burano Island in Venezia, and features geometrical shapes and innovative technologies.
   The Tehrān-born designer was encouraged by Mittelmoda’s Stefano Sopelza to enter the awards.
   Judge and World creative director Francis Hooper said in a release, ‘While overall, the standard of finalists were amazing, the winners stood out because their unique character and personality as a designer came through in their garments.
   ‘Mahshid captured a moment in a heartbeat … When you looked at her collection, you knew she had it just right. It delivered on that inexplicable X-factor.’
   Alanna Barca of RMIT won the Caffè l’Affarè second-place prize of NZ$4,000; Chin Hau Tay of RMIT won third place with the Dunedin International Airport prize of NZ$2,000.
   A special prize was awarded to Vaibhav Singh of NIFT, who wins an internship with Martin Grant in Paris.