Summer fresh



Evesome, the French boho chic label, has released its summer 2021 range, made of tweed, and 58 per cent cashmere, 42 per cent linen. Made in France, Eve de Rothiacob’s latest collection continues to use high-quality fabrics and luxury fibres, with each part made individually by hand. She says she is a fan of slow fashion, which means she crafts only two collections per year. There are tasteful clothing including kimonos, scarves, headbands, and bags. Find out more at www.evesome.com, or visit her showroom by appointment in Paris.

The Cube





Giòsa Milano, the label of craftsman Giorgio Santamaria, is already known for his crocodile bags and accessories that he makes from his premises at via Ciovasso al 6 in Milano, Santamaria. His latest creation is the Cube handbag, available in a number of colours—navy, fuchsia (our preference), black, Bordeaux, green and taupe—with a minimalist design and 1990s influences. It features double, flat handles, and a large compartment with zip and a flat pocket. The Cube is produced using traditional techniques and is intended to be a timeless design that is durable and versatile. Find out more at www.giosamilano.com.

Mask style

One of the most famous names in skiing, Bogner, has launched face masks, in a unique cotton knit fabric developed especially for this purpose. A set of two is available for €49·90 at www.bogner.com and selected retailers.

Bridal fashion is still a strong sector, based on what’s come across our news desk, but there’s one accessory that’s particularly 2020: the wedding day face mask.
   Grace Loves Lace’s Megan Ziems has created a bespoke lace bridal face mask to match a wedding dress, and has had great interest, especially from the US, for the item.
   The Gold Coast, Qld.-based designer is making the mask from fabric and lace cutoffs from the bridal gowns she normally designs.
   ‘Due to the nature of our on-shore manufacturing, we were able to turn these masks around very quickly,’ she says. ‘Each mask is layered with comfortable, breathable material to ensure there is no irritation on the skin. We do recommend to our brides that they also wear a medical grade mask underneath their bridal mask for full protection.’
   The on-shore manufacturing of Grace Loves Lace’s gowns have also meant no delays in production in Queensland state, where the pandemic has been largely under control.
   ‘Our manufacturing has not experienced delays, like so many other brands. Over 80 per cent of the world’s wedding dresses are mass produced in offshore factories, so very early on with COVID it shone a light on wedding brands that are not honest about their manufacturing process,’ says Ziems.
   Ziems says that her brand continued to grow amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and has continued with Australian and international showroom openings. She opened in the Grounds of Alexandria in Sydney just prior to the pandemic. Grace Loves Lace now has 11 international showrooms as well as its Australian ones. Sales have increased 260 per cent, with 48 per cent coming from the US.

Lucire is the first fashion partner of UN Environment.

Ermenegildo Zegna is offering a wooden heart sculpture with the words ‘From the heart of Oasi Zegna’ engraved upon it. Oasi Zegna refers to the company’s 100 km² nature reserve in Trivero, where founder Ermenegildo Zegna began planting over 500,000 trees since the 1930s.
   With each purchase, proceeds will go toward Fondazione Zegna, preserving the mountains and woodlands in the reserve, including plant diversity. Grown there are magnolias, ginkgo biloba, Persian ironwood, beeches, kousa dogwood, rhododendrons, hydrangeas of various species, mountain ashes and tupelos. The company will nurture, plant and protect the forest.
   The heart, meanwhile, has been crafted from trees that have fallen naturally, or were cut down for safety reasons.
   Priced at €110, the heart, measuring 17 by 15 by 10 cm, comes in a wooden box with a Zegna ribbon.
   The company has also curated a small holiday collection, available at zegna.com or its retailers.
   The collection comprises the #UsetheExisting tote bag, made from upcycled materials; a silk scarf; a card case in orange calfskin with Pelletessuta detail; and a suede triple-stitch sneaker in dark vicuña.

The watchmakers are really pushing their wares in China, one of the few countries who could claim to have a post-COVID economy. It’s now Tissot‘s turn, releasing its latest T-Touch Connect Solar touchscreen watches at the third China International Import Expo (CIIE), with spokesman and actor Huang Xiaoming (黃曉明).
   At the Tissot booth, Huang was hosted by Dai Junjun, the vice-president of Tissot China. Dai told the audience of Tissot’s history, beginning in 1853, tapping into the longevity that Chinese consumers respect and which many of their own brands do not yet have.
   Huang said at the event, ‘The spirit of Tissot is one that is brave to create and climb high. Just like a good actor will not be tied to a role, Tissot has been constantly breaking boundaries, exploring new areas, and making new achievements.’
   On the new T-Touch Connect Solar watches, Dai said, alluding to the times, ‘We want to break the ground for outdoor enthusiasts who have the courage to climb. Concerns about time, space, and safety reduce the burden of travel, allowing them to better enjoy the journey, enjoy nature, and enjoy life.’
   The watches have a low power consumption with capacity for solar charging. When exposed to the sun, they can run for months.
   They are Android, Iphone and Huawei Harmony-compatible, and can be connected to a mobile app interface. Others cannot access the watches readily, with a high level of privacy built in. The case is made of titanium, with a ceramic bezel. The watches are waterproof, withstanding pressure equivalent to 10 bar.

Movado’s Shanghai event saw actor Jerry Chengjie Yuan, singer Li Ronghao, and Movado China general manager Danni Hammer.

Movado held its Music Time Journey event in Shanghai on October 29, with an interview format featuring its spokesman, singer–songwriter Li Ronghao (李榮浩) and host, actor Jerry Chengjie Yuan (袁成傑).
   Movado China general manager Danni Hammer, discussed the philosophy behind the brand, and how it used simple design to convey the attributes of independence and confidence. He noted that beneath the design, Movado used superior watchmaking technology.
   Movado sees Li as a good match for the brand, as an artist with a unique style, and creativity that follows his heart. The event linked Li’s latest album to Movado’s Museum Dial Modern 47 watch, featuring the company’s iconic design created by Nathan George Horwitt in 1947.
   The watch design is an example of Bauhaus simplicity, with no markers on the dials, and a single circle at the top signifying the sun—a piece of functional art. Movado had been producing the Horwitt design without permission originally, and only settled with him in 1975 for a minor sum.
   The Museum name came from the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), to which Horwitt had sold one of three watches he had privately commissioned in the mid-1950s. MoMA produced wall-clock versions of the design, originating the term ‘Museum Dial’.
   Li says this is his favourite design: ‘This dial reminds me that music and time have their own melody and rhythm, so I don’t forget to stick to my original aspirations and find the origin of life.’
   The event also promoted Movado’s 1881 series, targeted at older customers, linking it to Li’s new album Sparrow.

China already had one of the most lively online e-commerce set-ups before COVID-19, and the pandemic drew even more activity online (see Lucire issue 42, and Lucire KSA September 2020). Emporio Armani is no exception in its dealings inside the Middle Kingdom, with Chinese spokesman Song Weiling (宋威龍), the actor and model, launching its Meccanico skeleton watch collection on Tmall on September 13.
   Song’s appeal to Generation Z (born between 1995 and 2012, according to some) is said to help broaden the brand’s appeal to a younger audience. Since joining Tmall in 2016, Emporio Armani has pushed a number of “hot” products appealing to younger buyers, including a gypsophilia watch series.
   Earlier marketing efforts in September 2019 and August 2020 (for the Qixi Festival) saw Emporio Armani team up with actress Tong Liya (佟麗婭).
   Emporio Armani says that Generation Z will account for 40 per cent of overall consumer purchases this year, hence its keenness to attract the group. Purchases in the 2,500–5,000元 segment have risen by 90 per cent. Tmall, in particular, has managed to appeal to Generation Z users, with the men’s watch category increasing 14 per cent between 2018 and 2019.