Reebok has partnered with National Geographic on a collection, which will retail from September 23, 10 a.m. US EST at reebok.com/national_geographic, with Unlocked members getting early access from September 16.
   The designs are inspired by National Geographic’s stories, and the range spans footwear for the entire family, including kids’ silhouettes that begin from US$50.
   Reebok collaborated with two National Geographic explorers and wildlife advocates, ecologist Dr Rae Wynn-Grant and photographer Matthieu Paley.
   Wynn-Grant said in a release, ‘Shoes are the ultimate portal into exploration. They provide protection as we travel through new terrains, but also, over time they often tell amazing stories about the journeys we’ve taken and the experiences we’ve went through.
   ‘I was thrilled to join Reebok and National Geographic to not only shine a light on the incredible environments that inspired the collection but to also provide inspiration for future exploration.’
   There are Club C and Classic Leather designs for children, while adult silhouettes, from US$80, include the Club C Revenge Legacy, Club C, Classic Leather Legacy AZ, Floatride Energy 3 Adventure, and the flagship (US$140) Nano X1 Adventure. Each silhouette features a unique QR code on the tongue taking the consumer into the world that inspired that particular design, with 360-degree immersive videos and perspectives. Children’s models have fun facts on the inner tongue about the shoe’s habitat theme.

Courtesy Hennes & Mauritz

As Tweeted by us earlier in the week, fashion icon Iris Apfel has turned 100—and guess who is the next H&M collaborator?
   On Thursday, during New York Fashion Week, the Swedish retail giant will celebrate Apfel’s 100th birthday and launch the Iris Apfel × H&M collection, which will hit stores on- and offline in early 2022.
   The new collection features eclectic dresses, coordinating sets, floral suits, tiered ruffle dresses, printed dresses, jewellery and accessories, celebrating Apfel’s own æsthetic of bright colours and layers, and feeling good. All materials are recycled or sustainably sourced, and every item has been made with circularity in mind, says H&M.
   ‘With this collaboration, we are celebrating a unique and extraordinary woman and her creative and audacious style. She shows that style is ageless and keeps encouraging people to show who they are with fashion—and to have fun at the same time,’ said Ann-Sofie Johansson, H&M’s creative adviser. ‘Iris epitomizes personal style—a style that is both beautifully flamboyant and eclectic as well as being totally ageless. She shows what fashion is all about—a means to express yourself, who you are or want to be and having fun at the same time—a true inspirer!’
   ‘The collection is playful, opulent and rich with vibrant colours, vivid prints and opulent fabric choices. The look is indulgent with a more-is-more attitude and crowned by over-the-top jewellery, which is very much a signum for Iris.’
   Apfel says, ‘Style is not about spending a lot of money. It’s not about what or who you wear, but how you feel when wearing something. Style is about self-expression and, above all, attitude.’
   She adds, ‘I think that H&M is a fabulous outfit worldwide and absolute pioneers in their field—which I love! I love doing high style at affordable prices, which H&M has mastered!’

Influencer and blogger Chiara Ferragni is the new ambassador for Hublot, joining Pelé, Novak Djoković, Dina Asher-Smith, Usain Bolt, and three Michelin-star chef Clare Smyth.
   Ferragni came to prominence 12 years ago with her blog, The Blonde Salad, and became one of the most influential fashion bloggers in the world. She created a fashion label off the back of her first venture in 2013, with international pop-up stores three years later, and flagship stores in major cities in 2017. She can boast nearly 25 million Instagram followers.
   In July 2020, Ferragni wore the limited-edition Hublot Big Bang Millennial Pink watch on Instagram, ultimately getting over a quarter of a million likes. That formed the genesis of the two parties’ cooperation, with the watchmaker saying that they ‘simply understood that there were many similarities between their worlds.’
   In a release, Ferragni said, ‘Everything I do, I do to share. The things I love, the people I love, the things I experience, my daily life, my children, my work: I put my heart into everything to inspire others, to believe in themselves and their dreams. I found my ikigai in 2009. I managed to combine my passion with my talent in response to a need and now it has become my business. By opening the door to who I am and what I experience, I am also hoping to inspire the women of today not to choose between being a wife, a mother or an entrepreneur. All these roles complete me, just as they complete each other. Beauty drives everything I do. Not only inner beauty, but everything I see around me. That is reflected in my collaborations, my words, my charity work and my daily life.
   ‘Why Hublot? Because Hublot is not like any other watch brand, it follows its own distinctive path, with determination: it follows its dreams of innovation, while respecting traditions; it seeks beauty both inside and out, by showcasing much more than athletic performance or the success of a family member, it celebrates the reasons for this performance and success, in other words, the ability to be first, different and unique. Hublot’s messages and values speak to me, that’s why I have chosen to join this family today. A fusion of passion and determination has shaped who I am, across all my roles, and forged the businesswoman I have become. This same fusion has also made Hublot the company it is today.’
   Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe added, ‘Who does not know Chiara Ferragni? Her extraordinary destiny is not down to luck, this visionary and determined woman is someone who learnt how to grow and evolve with her time. By portraying and sharing who she is and what she loves, she has realized her dream, inspiring the men and women of her generation to believe that anything is possible. As someone who is both authentic and spontaneous, she has turned her happy, positive and generous nature into her trademark. As a visionary and pioneer, she has been able to move with the times by dominating the digital platforms and turning her passion into a real business. Her passion became her job, and her natural talent transformed into a success that is seemingly within everyone’s reach. Her inspiring journey proves that anything is possible; it’s the stuff of dreams, while being very real. Who wouldn’t want to live and realize their dreams like Chiara Ferragni? At Hublot, we love inspiring women and men who believe in their dreams and move heaven and earth to fulfil them, who assert their distinctive personality, are willing to go out on a limb, who are not afraid of what people will say and who follow their path with authenticity and passion. That’s why Chiara fits so well into our family.’
   Ferragni will front Hublot’s upcoming global campaign.
   Earlier this year, Ferragni became GHD’s first global brand ambassador.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Chiara Ferragni ✨ (@chiaraferragni)

Mellerio dits Meller, the jeweller that was founded in 1613 and continues to be in the family, has released its latest collection, named Color Queen. The colourful series of rings is one of the most exclusive, with prices beginning at €20,800 for the Rose Garden design, rising up to €60,400 for the Midnight Blue.
   The latter has a 5·16 ct unheated Ceylon oval sapphire and 100 tsavorites totalling 3·13 ct, on yellow gold. And in case you’ve made the wrong choice after spending €60,400, Mellerio has an easy return and exchange system if you do it within 30 days.
   Mellerio says the story behind the latest collection begins in 1515, when François I became King of France. The king brought in Italian artists who ushered in the Italian Renaissance movement in France, and it was at this time the Mellerios came over. Color Queen, designed by Laure-Isabelle Mellerio who currently directs the house, is a homage to this period of artistic development.
   More on the collection can be found at Mellerio’s website.

If New Balance is right, then we’re in for an era of retrofuturism, as the brand releases its XC-72 in collaboration with Casablanca.
   The XC-72 is part of New Balance’s Shifted collection, complementing the 237 and 327 styles, and intentionally calls on the 1970s for inspiration. Product manager Alana Burton says the XC-72 ‘describes the future as seen from the past and the past as seen from the future.’
   Its designer, Charlotte Lee, says, ‘The XC-72 is the physical embodiment of retro-futurism. As with the 327, I asked myself, “If I was a designer in the ’70s, what would I create as New Balance’s concept car?” I took inspiration and specific elements from the past and reimagined them for today’s consumer. This methodology creates a timeless design that we hope will be reimagined, yet again, in another 40 years.’
   Lee’s 327 had already made a brief preview earlier in 2021 in Casablanca’s autumn–winter 2021–2 presentation, Grand Prix, and the XC-72 follows its design themes.
   The initial colour ways are orange and green with white and grey accents; and red and yellow with black and white accents, meant to recall luxury sports’ cars, with the black outsole suggesting racing tyres. New Balance’s campaign calls the XC-72 ‘Sports car for your feet,’ using a narrow ITC Garamond, which was seen in 1980s Apple advertisements.
   The limited-edition Casablanca collaboration drops August 28 at newbalance.co.nz and select retailers including Good as Gold, Subtype, and Loaded, priced at NZ$270.
   The first multi-colour version of the XC-72 drops September 3 (shown below).

We can see MoEa’s bio-based sustainable sneakers, made from fruits and plants, being the next big thing in footwear. Fully vegan, fully recyclable, PETA-audited and approved, and handcrafted in Porto, Portugal, each MoEa pair is made from one fruit and one plant that have been turned into wearable materials.
   The first batch comprises designs where the colour is based on the buyer’s choice of fruit and plant. You can select from pairs made from apple or grape fibre (from waste juice), pineapple fibre (from waste pineapple leaves), or cactus and corn fibre (from skins).
   The lining is made from 70 per cent recycled bamboo, the soles from 40 per cent recycled rubber, and the insoles from recycled wood fibres.
   To stabilize the waste, the fruits and plants are blended with organic cotton, bio-PU or recycled plastic, depending on the plant. On average, 49 per cent of MoEa’s bio-materials are composed of plants or fruit, and emit 89 per cent less carbon dioxide than leather. The recycled materials have been tested to ensure they have the same comfort and durability as leather.
   Wearers can even send back their old pair to be recycled into up to 40 per cent of a new sole.
   The producers are certified, with the materials either USDA bio-preferred or comply with global recycled standards. MoEa donates 1 per cent of its gross sales to WWF and its forest protection programme.
   The shoes can be pre-ordered via MoEa’s Kickstarter, with deliveries commencing September 2021. Prices begin at €89.