Dior opens the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in style, Gap and Madhappy unveil a limited edition collection and The H.wood Group announces a new multi-story music and nightlife destination on the Sunset Strip
Dior opens the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in style
The Olympic Games Paris 2024 got off to a fashionable start on July 26, thanks to Dior and its parent company, luxury French fashion conglomerate and Olympic Premium Partner, LVMH.
Lady Gaga opened the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony with a rendition of “Mon Truc En Plume” and a tribute to French dancer and actor Zizi Jeanmaire on the banks of the Seine.
The award-winning actress and singer wore a Dior Haute Couture black feather jacket with a black and pink skirt embroidered with feathers and sequins, Dior headpiece, gloves and shoes.
At the end of her performance, she removed the skirt and to reveal a Dior black satin bustier and panties with a white feather pompom. Gaga’s dancers were also dressed in Dior.
French-Malian singer-songwriter Aya Nakamura wore a Dior Haute Couture asymmetrical gold feather and silk dress with Dior shoes for her performance with the orchestra of the Republican Guard on the Pont des Arts. Her dancers were also dressed in Dior.
French singer-songwriter Juliette Armanet wore a Dior black leather top and pants, crafted in collaboration with embroiderer Clara Daguin, while performing a rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine,” on a boat on the Seine.
Embroidered lights were activated to the rhythm of the song, Daguin’s signature touch, in collaboration with the Ateliers Dior to devise this surprise, performative masterpiece.
The evening concluded with a performance of Édith Piaf’s “L’Hymne à l’amour” by Céline Dion on the Eiffel Tower. Dion wore a Dior Haute Couture embroidered white silk long dress with Dior shoes. The gown, designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri, was embellished with over 1,640 feet of beaded fringing. It purportedly took over 1,000 hours to create.
LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton (commonly known as LVMH) is the first luxury brand to sponsor the Olympics. In addition to dressing the talent for the opening ceremony, LVMH brands Berluti styled custom-tailored ensembles for Team France athletes and coaches, Louis Vuitton designed and crafted two trunks for the official Olympic and Paralympic torches and two trunks for the medals, Chaumet designed the Olympic and Paralympic games medals, while wines and spirits produced by Moet Hennessy will be served to hospitality guests during the games.
Kathy Hilton, Toni Braxton and Holly Carter celebrate the premiere of Hulu’s “Dress My Tour”
Kathy Hilton, Toni Braxton and Dr. Holly Carter hosted a screening party for the premiere of Hulu’s first reality-competition show, “Dress My Tour,” last month.
The Tuesday night event, which took place at Hilton’s Bel Air home, included Bozoma Saint John, Cedric the Entertainer, DeVon Franklin, Eric Bellinger, James DuBose, La’Myia Good, MC Lyte, Michael Jai White, Gillian White and Wayne Chaney Jr.
“Dress My Tour,” hosted by Marina Toybina, Kate Upton and Laurieann Gibson, is a reality competition series where fashion designers compete for a $100,000 grand prize. Each week, the designers are tasked with creating an outfit for musicians including Paula Abdul, JoJo Siwa, Toni Braxton and Ty Dolla $ign to wear on their next tour.
Developed by Dr. Holly Carter, known for “The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel” (2020), “Love & Listings” (2019) and “The Next Big Thing” (2019), the series is produced by her company Relevé Entertainment and All3Media America.
Gap and Madhappy unveil a limited edition collection
Los Angeles-based brand Madhappy is collaborating with Gap on a new collaboration that connects optimism and heritage. The limited edition collection for men, women and kids includes apparel and accessories.
The collaboration celebrates the brands’ shared values of optimism and self-expression with a 41-piece line inspired by the Gap archive. The assortment introduces the MAD Arch logo, alongside reimagined Gap essentials including denim, outerwear, hoodies and accessories.
“Madhappy is a brand that lives beyond their product by fostering a community of optimists — this was a natural alignment to our values of championing self-expression and individuality,” Calvin Leung, head of creative at Gap, said. “The result is not only a product we’re proud of, but a collaboration that’s rooted in a shared purpose of spotlighting true originals who are inspiring optimism through their own lens.”
Drawing reference to the iconic “Individuals of Style” Gap campaign, Gap & Madhappy highlight a multifaceted cast who embody authenticity and an optimistic perspective. Bridging art and culture, the campaign features Devon Lee Carlson and 070 Shake, with the support of Ottawa Kwami, Reign Judge, Stella Lucia Deopito and Eera.
“As a kid who grew up wearing Gap in the ’90s, the opportunity to work with them has been an honor. They are a staple of American heritage,” Madhappy cofounder Noah Raf said.
As part of the collaboration, Gap is proud to donate to the Madhappy Foundation, a nonprofit organization with a mission to raise awareness, fund research and positively impact the mental health movement globally.
The collection ranges from $34.95 to $158 and is available in both adult and kids’ sizes. The Gap & Madhappy collection will be available to shop on gap.com, madhappy.com and select Gap and Madhappy stores starting Aug. 2.
Coach announces its debut into the digital gaming space
American fashion house Coach announced its debut into the digital gaming space through collaborations with two popular Gen-Z digital platforms, Roblox and Zepeto.
The brand’s Find Your Courage campaign, released earlier this year, featured virtual human, model and digital creator Imma finding the courage to discover what it means to be real in your own way. Now, players will be able to follow Imma on her journey through three digital landscapes – Colorful World, Summer World and Floral World – and style their avatars with Coach pieces, including the Quilted Tabby, and enhance their digital wardrobes with virtual luxury items.
On Roblox, “Fashion Klossette” and “Fashion Famous 2” offer fans the chance to coordinate free Coach-inspired fashion items or purchase pieces from the original Coach 2024 Spring Collection with in-game currency. Participants can enter these transformed worlds, coordinate the perfect Coach outfit for the competition theme and walk for the judges in hopes of winning the most points. Coach’s cross-experience scavenger hunt also allows players to win their very own virtual Coach piece by collecting hidden items and competing on the runways in both “Fashion Klossette” and “Fashion Famous 2.”
Coach has also launched an immersive experience on the social avatar app Zepeto, featuring an exclusive video booth inspired by the campaign’s Colorful World. Users can create branded user-generated content, including short-form videos. Coach is the first luxury brand to release a limited edition item on Zepeto, with a virtual store offering Coach items purchasable with premium in-game currency.
“Entering immersive platforms with ‘Find Your Courage’ represents an exciting moment for Coach, marking our innovative leap into connecting with a younger, digital-first audience,” Sandeep Seth, Tapestry chief growth officer and Coach Global CMO, said. “It’s about creating a space where people can express their individuality and style in an environment where they feel most at home.”
The Find Your Courage collaboration is available now in Zepeto on all IOS and Android devices, and the “Fashion Famous 2” and “Fashion Klossette” takeovers will be available until Aug. 19 on all Roblox compatible devices.
Sutton Stracke hosts a star-studded fashion show in Hollywood
On July 22, “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Sutton Stracke hosted a party and fashion show at the rooftop pool of the Godfrey Hotel in Hollywood. The event was also filmed for the upcoming 14th season of the Bravo franchise.
The Monday night event marked the debut fashion show for her Sutton Brands Green Label Capsule and was attended by “RHOBH” costars Garcelle Beauvais, Kathy Hilton, Erika Jayne, Dorit Kemsley, Bozoma Saint John and Jennifer Tilly, who also walked in the show.
Sutton Green Label is a sustainable circular fashion line made out of pieces that have been returned. Stracke has partnered with Retail Reworks owner Brian Adams to buy up excess returns, then remanufacture and rebrand them.
The line, which launched last year, started with nonbinary tees, shirts and jackets featuring one-of-a-kind patches. The event celebrated the addition of the Travel Capsule, which includes leather dresses, cable knit sweaters and jumpsuits.
The H.wood Group announces a new multi-story music and nightlife destination
Los Angeles-based hospitality company The H.wood Group has a new nightlife concept slated to open later this month on the Sunset Strip.
Keys, a multistory music and nightlife destination, will be an homage to an iconic era of L.A.’s party scene and the location’s former occupant, The Key Club, which played host to The Doors, Van Halen, and Guns N’ Roses before closing in 2013. The venue also marks the brand’s first foray into the electronic music space.
The 12,420-square-foot venue features three distinct levels that will each offer their own ambiance, bars and full-service kitchens. Offering an optimal vantage point into the main dance floor and stage, the upstairs third floor will feature a poker table and arcade games while the second floor lounge will feature an opera box-style balcony that offers a private viewing experience. The complex will also house an underground dance floor, reminiscent of Europe’s renowned deep house bunkers, with its own sound and bar.
“We are thrilled to finally introduce Keys to Sunset Boulevard,” Brian Toll and John Terzian, cofounders of The H.wood Group, said. “As a brand, we really embody Los Angeles and all that it stands for. It is our goal to honor not only the revered venues that have previously called this space home, but to reinvigorate the rich musical history of the Strip. It is an honor to be able to inform the next golden era of Los Angeles’ live music scene – from big name DJ sets and intimate acoustic shows, to listening parties and more – and to further immortalize the city’s iconic nightlife culture.”
Keys will open in August at 9039 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood 90069.
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