The DRG Style Index: Ralph Lauren, Prada X Adidas, Keith Haring
Here’s the latest DRG STYLE INDEX ranking, a round-up of the brands and industry stories currently buzzing on my radar…
RALPH LAUREN IS NICE
In the 20-teens you’re no one if you haven’t had a documentary made about you. The Ralph Lauren story, Very Ralph, airs on HBO this Tuesday, but according to the NYT it’s as saccharine as a Polo ad campaign. In response to the lack of scandalous ‘tea’, Ralph said, “Can people believe there might be people out there who might be honorable? They can’t believe it. They won’t be happy unless they find out that I’m a killer or I did something bad.”
GET READY FOR PRA-DIDAS
In an era where there’s ‘an exciting new brand collab’ every day, the Prada X Adidas union is one of the most buzzworthy. This long-term project aims to “investigate the realms of heritage, technology and innovation – and to challenge conventional wisdom through unexpected strategies,” according to WWD. I would love to see this collab marry all three, rather than exploring each facet separately. I’m not that interested in Prada’s take on a Stan Smith but I’m totally up for some Prada-fied hi-tech Adidas garb. The first drop will be two limited edition Prada for Adidas footwear styles, made by Prada in Italy, landing in December, so not long to wait.
KEITH HARING’S NEW YORK NIGHTLIFE
I’m shocked and saddened that I didn’t get my arse to Liverpool for the Keith Haring Tate exhibition. What kind of loser fan am I? Here’s praying someone brings it to London. In the meantime, Dave Haslam’s mini-book, We The Youth: Keith Haring’s New York Nightlife sounds excellent. P.S. I’m also rather partial to this Etudes KH sweater* and this Fiorucci X Keith Haring collab* (I’ve seen both IRL and I can confirm it’s all fab).
IN OTHER NEWS…
Love him or no, you’ve got to admire Banksy’s business strategy. His new merch site, Gross Domestic Product sells entry point products for genuine fans, e.g. not collectors. So just to nip any ideas of ‘flipping’ (aka buying things with the goal of reselling at a higher price) in the bud, prospective customers are asked to register and answer a joining question, ‘does art matter?’. LOLZ
The next Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute show will be a conceptual affair. ‘About Time: Fashion and Duration’ looks at fashion through the lens of time, especially apt for 2020 I feel. It might not sound as instantly appealing as past shows, but personally, I love the idea. Vanessa Friedman’s musings are worth a read and if you haven’t seen The First Monday In May, you simply must
More exhibition news: London College of Fashion is showing Streetstyle: From Teddy Boys to Grime Kids, from this Friday (Trinity Art Gallery, Unit 22, Hope St, E14 0LG). Exploring the history and evolution of subcultural style, it looks at the underground scenes that helped shape popular culture, with Grime as a modern-day focus. Look out for Zandra Rhodes’ 1977 Conceptual Chic collection and Fiona Cartledge’s 1990s Sign of the Times archive. Note: it’s only on til 7th December, so no snoozing on this one
Speaking of Zandra Rhodes, I loved this podcast hosted by Camilla Morton*, first in a new Liberty series called Non Conformists
Kathy Sledge’s new song with Horsemeat Disco is my earworm of the month and her interview on Ross Allen’s NTS show is gold
Yet more listening pleasures, does anyone remember Jo Whiley’s music discussion TV show in the late 90s? In an extended bout of Google rabbit holing, I came across these gems from a 1998 episode with Bernard Sumner, Keith Flint and Jarvis Cocker describing their parts in the early rave years. Listen to part 1 and part 2 here (warning: autoplays!)
NOW CLICK BELOW TO SHOP THE POST (I MAY EARN A COMMISSION ON THE BASKET VALUE OF ITEMS BOUGHT*)…
WORDS: Disneyrollergirl / Navaz Batliwalla
IMAGES: Ralph Lauren; Prada X Adidas; We The Youth: Keith Haring’s New York Nightlife
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11 November, 2019 @ 6:01 am
I very much like some of Ralph Lauren’s Double RL range – excellent vintage American stylings. The problem I have is that it is all made in China …. but priced as if it was made in Japan or the US.
11 November, 2019 @ 9:19 am
Yeah me too. Is it really all made in China? I’ve not looked for ages. I mean I’m sure there are some good factories in China but…
11 November, 2019 @ 12:20 pm
Have you see the insane prices on these items. They don’t even look properly sized o_0. Not to mention the 360 pounds jacket that looks like its worth 20 tops.
11 November, 2019 @ 12:25 pm
The Fiorucci ones? I’ve seen them and the quality looked good to me. I don’t think the pricing is too bad in terms of their brand positioning.
11 November, 2019 @ 2:18 pm
Yes everything I’ve seen recently has been Made In China .. except for some leather goods that were made in Mexico. I bought a wallet and plaited leash and it was rubbish – the leather was like thin cardboard.
I did buy a Chore jacket with a great USAAF tropical print. Made in China but good quality. What I object to is the fact that the Chinese factories will be paying their workers a pittance and they’ll be working in bad conditions. None of the Japanese or US “8 Hour Union” conditions. Meanwhile Ralphy is still projecting his image of being the all American hero.
11 November, 2019 @ 5:37 pm
Thanks Martin – fair point! I know for a fact that there is some good manufacturing there, but don’t know about Ralph. I’m going to research.