Latest news with #fashionhouses
Arab News
08-07-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Riyadh Fashion Week issues final call for designer applications ahead of 3rd edition
DUBAI: Riyadh Fashion Week (RFW) is gearing up for its third edition, with organizers issuing a final call for designer applications. Fashion houses from across Saudi Arabia and around the world have until July 15 to submit their proposals for inclusion in the official calendar. A post shared by Riyadh Fashion Week (@riyadhfashionweek) One of the Middle East's most anticipated fashion events, RFW offers a platform for both emerging and established designers to showcase their collections to international buyers and industry leaders. The official calendar will feature a broad spectrum of brand activations beyond traditional runway shows. Designers can also take part in curated presentations, showroom exhibitions, trunk shows, retail pop-ups, creative takeovers, private dinners and immersive experiences. Saudi Arabia-based and international fashion brands across ready-to-wear, couture, menswear, and streetwear categories are eligible. 'This is more than a runway,' said Burak Cakmak, CEO of the Saudi Fashion Commission. 'It is a statement of creative identity, innovation, and ambition. Riyadh Fashion Week provides a high-impact opportunity for designers to tell their story on a global stage.'
South China Morning Post
11-06-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Why Loro Piana has reason to celebrate as it turns 100: the original ‘quiet luxury' brand is prized by those in the know – including David Beckham and Jeremy Strong – for its quality materials
As anniversaries go, Loro Piana's 100th this year couldn't have come at a better time. The Italian luxury label celebrated the milestone with its first-ever exhibition, aptly titled 'If You Know, You Know. Loro Piana's Quest for Excellence', held at the Museum of Art Pudong in Shanghai, China. The event was a fitting way to cap a momentous few years for the low-key maison. Known as the purveyor of the finest fibres in the world – from baby cashmere to merino wool and vicuña – Loro Piana has experienced significant growth recently. Advertisement Founded in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy, the family company was acquired by LVMH – the largest luxury group in the world – in 2013. Since then it has expanded into categories such as footwear and leather goods, while staying true to its roots as a maker of high-quality, functional and well-designed garments that stand the test of time. Yarns at Loro Piana's Quadrona factory in Piedmont, Italy. Photo: Handout It's hard to believe that as recently as a decade ago, Loro Piana was not widely known outside industry circles, where it always had a reputation for the utmost quality thanks to its other business of providing yarns and textiles to the world's top fashion houses and tailors. From Hermès to Louis Vuitton and Fendi, the most prestigious luxury brands rely on Loro Piana for the raw materials to produce creations such as knitwear, scarves and tailored jackets. The first thing you notice when visiting Loro Piana's main factories in Roccapietra and Quadrona – both in Piedmont and about an hour's drive from Milan – is how similar they are to a watch manufacturer or a jewellery workshop. Quality control that requires painstaking attention from seasoned artisans; hi-tech machines that detect the tiniest imperfections in a skein of yarn; and a state-of-the-art logistics system for materials ranging from linen to cashmere are some of the feats of engineering and savoir faire at the heart of the two plants. Classic styling: a look from the Loro Piana autumn/winter 2025-26 women's collection. Photo: Handout Tradition and technology, not to mention nature – thanks to the quality of the water in the surrounding mountain region – come together to make the Loro Piana mills symbols of the prestige long associated with the Made in Italy label. 'For me Loro Piana is first and foremost about textiles,' says fashion editor and front-row regular Anna Dello Russo at the Loro Piana Knit Design Award , a yearly event the company holds to support fashion students. 'It represents Italian excellence and it's about true luxury and being timeless. They start from the yarns and the textiles in order to then develop a silhouette. To me they're the real source of luxury as they're the only ones to have the capability to produce fabrics of such high level, and they do it in Italy.'
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
See Japanese artist Takashi Murakami's newest exhibit at the Cleveland Museum of Art
After working with fashion houses, musicians and Major League Baseball, famed contemporary Japanese artist Takashi Murakami is taking his work to the American Midwest, with a newly opened exhibition at the Cleveland Museum of Art. (AP Video by Patrick Aftoora-Orsagos)
Vogue Arabia
19-05-2025
- Business
- Vogue Arabia
5 Trends Driving the Downfall of High Heels
You must have noticed it. Less of the loud clomping hitting tiled floors at the office. A decrease in looks of discomfort across female colleagues. Women embracing their natural heights, rather than adding on inches through stilettos. Whether they're wearing square-toed penny loafers, woven ballerinas or sporty trainers, one thing is evident: high heels have fallen from the stature they once enjoyed, signalling a sartorial overhaul of fashion's footwear codes. Here are some wider movements that have contributed to the demise of high heels: Comfort over everything Comfort has not always trumped style in the world of fashion – but it's starting to. Or rather, more creative directors are making clothing and footwear that prioritise comfort. One reason for this design revolution is the fact that more females are heading fashion houses that were previously led by men. When women create for women, concerns like comfort are addressed more authentically. Trends across the wider industry have reflected this transformation in fashion: oversized silhouettes, streetwear and modesty have all become increasingly mainstream. And, if clothes are becoming more comfortable, footwear will never fall far behind. The new workwear codes When the world locked down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, impelling many of us to work from our homes, fashion, well, took a bit of a backseat. From the waist up, we dressed up: collared shirts, chunky necklaces and styled hair. Waist down, not so much. Tracksuit bottoms, workout leggings and fuzzy house slippers, far from heeled, constituted #WFH attire. So now that we're all back to the office, these casual tendencies have naturally followed us to the workplace where we're less inclined to wear footwear that makes us dread the walks from our desk to the meeting room, kitchenette and parking lot. Photo: Amina Muaddi at Level Shoes 'Customers are gravitating toward pieces that feel effortless yet refined — styles they can wear from day to night without compromising on style,' shares Elisa Bruno, CEO of Level Shoes. She says that while comfort may be a key factor, heels remain a strong sales category. 'That said, there's been a clear shift in preferences when it comes to heel height — there's less demand for 100mm stilettos and more interest in wearable silhouettes like kitten heels and sling-backs,' she explains. 'It's less about heels becoming irrelevant, and more about flats becoming the main character this season.' Elisa Bruno Ballerinas are having a moment A recent BoF report found that Mary Jane and ballet flat sales spiked in 2024, growing faster than the entire high heel segment. Leading the pack of luxury brands is, of course, Alaïa, whose mesh flats have somehow surpassed multiple seasons in both relevance and widespread appeal. Decorated with edgy buckles and maximalist bobbles; feminine bows and girly-girl glitter, ballerinas are now available in all sorts of styles, making them fun – and now socially acceptable – footwear for even the most formal occasions. 'We're seeing flats being reimagined through elevated materials, intricate details, and innovative design, making them just as statement-worthy as heels,' shares Bruno. Quickly gaining a cult following globally, Flabelus is one label specialising in this realm, and its popular silhouette combines the dainty appearance of the ballet flat with the traditional craftsmanship of Spanish espadrilles. "The modern lifestyle demands footwear that allows for ease of movement, and traditional high heels often fall short in this regard,' explains Duaa El Sayed, events and press manager for the Middle East and Asia. 'High heels are experiencing a decline, as women increasingly prioritise comfort alongside style.' Sneakers – and sneakerinas – are on the rise Speaking of ballerinas, the latest hybrid shoe taking fashion by storm, influencing brands from Miu Miu and Louis Vuitton to Puma, is a ballerina-based trainer. Or a trainer-based ballerina. Whichever way you call it, the two styles from opposite ends of the footwear spectrum – one dainty and feminine and the other chunky and sporty – have come together in a surprisingly popular blend of aesthetics. Apart from sneakerinas, classic old trainers, upgraded through contemporary colour and textile combinations, have become increasingly acceptable in women's fashion over the past decade. Today, a luxury trainer can be just as much a status symbol as a designer stiletto. Feminism is in fashion Finally, it would be remiss to explore the downfall of heeled shoes without stating the obvious: sexiness is no longer the prime priority for women. Dressing for the male gaze, in shoes designed by the male gaze (Christian Louboutin, we see you) has lost some of its appeal in the post #MeToo era, and with advancements in feminist movements. Advertisements and campaigns – often featuring females in heels – designed to objectify women have come under fire, giving women pause for thought before dragging their feet to purchase them. Of course, this isn't to say that there's anything inherently bad about high heels. At the end of the day, it comes down to comfort and confidence, and if you can achieve both in a pair of heels, more power to you. But if your weary toes are reluctant to squish into any more uber-high shoes, embrace this new era of heel-less footwear and enjoy feeling more grounded, for a change.
