A new era at Swarovski, store closures at Victoria’s Secret and something to celebrate with Smash + Tess.
By Eliza Grossman, Date May 23, 2020
Victoria’s Secret plans to close stores across Canada and the US
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TAYLOR HILL/FILMMAGIC
After plenty of media attention and the affects of COVID-19, the parent company of Victoria’s Secret, L Brands, has announced that they will close one quarter of its retail stores in the US and Canada. Partial closures due to COVID-19 are said to be responsible for a 55 per cent sale of the brand falling through and thus putting the company at risk. The lingerie giant has been criticized for not evolving and for a number of questionable comments from its executives in recent years. Since cancelling any future fashion shows, the brand has made moves to modernize with the introduction of a more diverse group of models including plus sized and transgender models, however closures due to quarantine have still had their affect and Victoria’s Secret’s presence in Canada will soon be limited.
Swarovski appointed Giovanna Battaglia Englebert as Creative Director
Renowned Italian creative director, editor, stylist and street style fixture, Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert, has been named creative director of Swarovski. Battaglia Engelbert is the first ever company-wide creative director for the 125 year old brand. Designs under her direction will debut for Spring/Summer 2021 and her aesthetic and creative expertise will no doubt help define the next chapter for Swarovski.
Smash + Tess partnered with Jessica Mulroney on a wedding collection
Canadian brand Smash + Tess has teamed up with wedding guru Jessica Mulroney for a bridal collection collaboration. The collection of comfortable rompers is made for everyone involved in the celebration – the “I Do Crew”, if you will, as labelled by the brand. The limited edition styles have slogans like “I said yes” and “I asked…” and are available in a variety of styles and colours online. A socially distanced Zoom photo shoot of real couples wearing the styles was shot to launch the collection. $10,000 from the sale of the collection will be donated to the Shoebox Project, a non-profit organization supporting women who are homeless or at-risk of becoming homeless.
Dr. Martens and Undercover collaborate on the 1460 Boot
To celebrate the 60th anniversary of Dr. Martens and the 30th anniversary of Undercover, the brands have teamed up on a new shoe. Undercover designer Jun Takashi’s design is the fifth style released as part of Dr. Marten’s 1460 Remastered collection, a series of 12 one-off designs. Other designers and brands who have reimagined the boot so far are Bape, Raf Simons, Beams x Babylon, and Yohji Yamamoto. Takashi’s design incorporates black corduroy on the upper and exterior of the boot and a custom designed bouquet print on the sock lining and on the shoebox. Embroidered on the vamp of the boots are an ‘S’ and ‘N’ standing for “Spiritual Noise” from the Undercover slogan and yellow stitching along the sole nods to the heritage of the famous boot. The collaboration is available beginning today in select stores and online.
