News just in: Japanese streetwear wonderkid Nigo has been named creative director for convenience store chain FamilyMart. If you’re thinking Tesco or Co-Op, it’s a bit more significant than that. The convenience store game in Japan is way bigger than plastic-packed egg sandwiches and lottery tickets. They do everything from letting you pay bills and print documents to selling underwear and toothbrushes for on-the-go white collar workers. And their snack aisles are legendary. (more…)
While the major fashion brands have seemingly gone nuts with their pricing, it makes sense that a certain demographic has shifted attention to Lemaire and Auralee. Both just showed at the menswear shows – precise (and practical) layering, easy-but-interesting silhouettes, harmonious colour palettes and distinctive accessories. Lemaire’s outerwear is particularly desirable with their gently exaggerated shoulders and I love the dopamine hits of red and green at Auralee (reminding me of Bally SS24). (more…)
Farewell Oliviero Toscani, a brilliant photographer and art director who changed the world through his audacious activism dressed as fashion advertising.
I became aware of him in the 1980s via his vibrant fashion shoots for Benetton using groups of racially diverse, often street cast models in simple studio settings, styled in layers upon layers by (my old boss) Caroline Baker.
But Oliviero Toscani is possibly best known for art directing visionary Benetton ad campaigns opening up discussion around controversial subjects such as AIDS, racial discrimination and religion by featuring provocative, non-fashion images of a kissing nun and priest, three raw hearts labelled ‘white’, ‘black’, ‘yellow’, and a man dying of AIDS in the arms of his family (below).
These campaigns, along with Benetton’s equally unflinching magazine Colors were part of Toscani’s tenure as Benetton art director (from 1982-2000), but more lastingly, cement his influence as a cultural provocateur 25 years later.
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla IMAGES:Benetton; Caroline Baker (Benetton); Benetton x 3 NOTE: Most images are digitally enhanced. Some posts use affiliate links and PR samples. Please read my privacy and cookies policy here
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