#17talks

OLIVIER ROUSTEING TALKS THE BALMAIN ARMY, WORKING WITH KIM AND KANYE & INCLUSIVITY IN FASHION

When a designer takes over the creative lead at an established label, there’s always the fear that they’ll live in the shadow of its founder. That’s only amplified in prestigious luxury houses where the brand’s identity is so intertwined with that of its, frequently namesake, founder. Making one’s own mark while still honoring the label’s DNA is a careful balancing act and few designers have managed this challenge better than Olivier Rousteing. Rousteing took over the helm of Balmain eight years ago at just 25 years old. Despite his young age – arguably even because of it – the historic Parisian house has since undergone a renaissance. Rousteing has successfully added his own signature to the luxury brand, while still honoring the house’s chic French luxury aesthetic and penchant for glamour established by Pierre Balmain. He’s also brought the brand into the 21st century without compromising on its heritage. “Some people call me disruptive and some people call me controversial, but I never tried to be controversial,” he tells me when we sit down for an exclusive interview at the opening of Balmain’s new flagship store on Rue Saint Honoré. “I’m not a genius. I’m not a revolutionary. I’m just trying to be myself.” Balmain After Yves Saint Laurent, Rousteing is the second-youngest designer to ever take the creative lead at a French fashion house. Prior to assuming the role in 2011, he’d only spent two years as the label’s women’s ready-to-wear designer working closely with then creative director Christophe Decarnin. Being thrust into the spotlight has forced Rousteing to grow a thick skin – fast – and to learn to trust his instincts. “When you do your first show, you’re just glad if the model doesn’t fall on the runaway. That’s your biggest fear,” he says. “After your first collection, you understand that fashion is a huge business where people can love you or hate you. You have to be strong enough to face the critics and say, “This is who I am. I would rather be hated for who I am than be loved for who I am not.” “At 24 years old, I was really genuinely a dreamer of fashion. If you ask me at 33 years old, I know my shit.” Olivier Rousteing Being himself involves acting like any other individual that’s grown up with constant digital access and sharing his life and world via social media. But as a creative director for a storied luxury fashion house, it means speaking to a savvier and much younger audience than the brand did prior to his arrival, which he does through his designs, campaigns, and social media. “I think people saw that I was authentic and spontaneous in my posts and they saw that I was just genuinely happy to communicate who I am and what I do,” he explains. “When I started with my first social media posts in 2012, people were criticizing social media as a cheap platform to promote fashion. And I just remind them 20 years ago when we start to sell clothes online, people were like saying that luxury cannot be sold on the internet. Look how it is now.” Many luxury brands have struggled to carve out the digital space they want to fill, as the nature of social media goes against the sense of secrecy and mystery that they traditionally uphold. But Rousteing’s approach speaks to the current demand for greater transparency, and it’s paid off. While the fashion house is still smaller in size and revenue compared to its contemporaries such as Louis Vuitton and Dior, its digital reach is disproportionately large. Rousteing alone has 5.3 million followers, significantly more than peers in the role such as Virgil Abloh’s 3.9m and Kim Jones’ 625k. Balmain Balmain As with his penchant for selfies, Rousteing is often criticized for watering down the prestige of the luxury house by choosing pop cultural “celebrities” to front his campaigns. The famed Balmain army – a power troop of women with a massive combined Instagram following – is now as much a part of the brand’s DNA as embroidered epaulet blazers. RELATED NEWS Pièces Uniques Flaunts Military Monochrome With Latest Collection ‘Call Me By Your Name’ Director Casts Kid Cudi & Chloë Sevigny in New HBO Series “It came from me from my fall/winter 2014 collection. I had Rihanna in my campaign and I started to be close to Kim and to so many different kinds of women, and I realized that those women have such strong voices and so many things to say to the world,” he explains. “They’re soldiers and we are creating an army to fight against what we don’t believe in in the world, which is racism, exclusivity, conformism, and the fashion system.” The women that makeup Balmain’s army feature in the brand’s campaigns, on the runway, on Rousteing’s Instagram, and also regularly dressed in the brand when they appear at events. It’s a full 360-degree approach that’s hard to replicate. Rousteing is, essentially, surrounding himself with his friends, who conveniently are the most powerful names in modern culture. Take Kim and Kanye, in 2014 they fronted Balmain’s advertising campaign, then the two showed up at the 2016 met gala in suitably embellished Balmain outfits. He and Kanye then released a joint music-cum-campaign video and Kim continues to regularly appear on Rousteing’s Instagram. “It’s about defining the times. I want to be a witness of my time and when I first met Kim I knew she would change the world.” “You can definitely give her [Kim] credit for being one of the first to build that community of followers that wanted to see her lifestyle, her story, be part of her world. You might like, you might dislike, who cares? The reality is that she had a point on what she was seeing at the time that she was seeing it. “When I shot her with Kanye, I think it was interesting for me because he was witnessing what was going to change the world,” Rousteing days. “Kanye was one of the first one to bring streetwear into luxury. We all talk about sneakers in luxury, but who launched the Yeezy? I’m sorry to say, but why don’t we recognize the talent of people at the time that they build it?” Balmain Balmain Inclusivity is another word Rousteing drops throughout the interview, whether he’s talking about casting or his experience as an adopted child. “Since I was young, I always fought to be recognized as a French citizen. When I grew up in my family, I could see people looking at me like, ‘Oh, you’re black but your parents are white.’ So this is something that I always kept in my brain and my soul.” “It’s really funny to see everybody today using inclusivity and diversity in their message – I’m really happy to see that of course – but just go on the runway and check three years ago if they were so inclusive.” This fight for diversity carries through to the sensitive question of the front row. On the whole, who you sit in the front row is an indication of whose opinion matters the most to you, which is why traditionally critics were favored over customers. “Front row is a big question. It’s important to talk to the fashion elite and the fashion intellectuals, but right now, let’s be honest, a review of a fashion show doesn’t tell you if you’re going to sell or not,” he says. “At some point you need to decide do you want to be a designer for the front row or do you want to be a designer for people actually wearing your clothes? Fashion is a business. Rousteing continues on the topic of business, “No matter if the fashion crowd loves you or not, at the end of the day you need to build a business out of your clothes. People have to realize that brands become bigger when the aesthetic is supported by the people that actually buy it.” The numbers prove it. According to Business of Fashion, Balmain’s chief executive Massimo Piombini said that 2018 revenues are up 20 percent year on year and that the business will have doubled in size by 2019 over the last three years. And it’s not going to stop there. In the last six months, the luxury label has undergone a series of major changes that nod to its ambitious plans to modernize the brand beyond its digital presence. This started out with the redesign of the brand’s logo – the first time it had been touched in 70 years – and was followed by the reintroduction of haute couture after a 16 year hiatus, and finally the opening of the new flagship on the acclaimed Rue Saint Honoré in Paris, which is the blueprint for a series of global boutiques set to open in the next year. PreviousNext 1 / 3 Balmain Balmain Balmain Critics will continue to knock Rousteing’s pop-star like image and apparent indifference to the traditional codes of fashion, but the numbers on Instagram and on the balance sheets continue to climb upwards proving he’s on to something. Whether this momentum will continue as the pace of social media slows only time will tell, but what’s certain is Rousteing will continue to march his own path (with followers and celebrities in tow).

PAUSE OR SKIP: NIKE SHOX TL “TRIPLE BLACK”

An old classic. Bringing back on old classic, Nike updates its Shox TL with a reworked version of the iconic 2003 silhouette. In a “Triple Black” colourway with its unique midsole, the latest version of the Shox TL features a mix of mesh, rubber, neoprene and nylon materials. Constrasted with an embroidered Swoosh, the sneaker bares the “Nike Shox” branding on its tongue in bold red hue, and a breathable mesh covers the toe cap. Reknown for it’s signatue midsole, the Nike Shox TL’s midsole is appears in a glossy black colour, giving the shoe extra flair. Is this classic sneaker a PAUSE or Skip? Let us know below:

BALENCIAGA RECRUITS REAL-LIFE PARISIAN COUPLES FOR ITS NEWEST CAMPAIGN

For its latest campaign, Balenciaga took to the streets of the city of love to showcase real couples in its Fall/Winter ’19 collection. Paris-based photographer Greg Finck’s romantic lense captures the lovers in the seasonal range. The campaign comes as the FW19 collection starts retailing. It boasts staple pieces for the colder months, including broad-shouldered coats, oversized anoraks, graphic sweaters, and square-toed boots. The photo series sees the couples model the pieces across the French capital, from casual supermarket runs to the down-right romantic banks of the Seine. An accompanying video by Ed Fornieles documents the couples talk about their relationships on CCTV footage, watch it below.

VALENTINO'S FW19 CAMPAIGN CELEBRATES UNDERCOVER'S OTHERWORLDLY PRESENCE

After debuting the goods on the runway in January, Valentino now presents its UNDERCOVER-centric Fall/Winter 2019 campaign imagery. Entitled “Past and Future,” the new collection is rife with space-age prints and UFO imagery, all layered atop Valentino’s typically lush garments. Thigh-length coats, pullover parkas and slouchy slacks are all executed in neutral-toned wool and technical textiles ideal for resisting the winter chill, with the versatile color palette allowing the bold prints and patterns to speak for themselves. Woven into the body of the garments or printed all over, the richly-colored visuals are accompanied by Valentino’s signature oversized logo and a host of co-branded sneakers and bags. The accessories blend leather and sportswear influences into an accessible package, making for a suitable counterpart to the muted garments. Check out the campaign photos above and view the initial accessories rollout below, bolstered by a limited edition cloth tote. The first wave of goods hits Valentino Omotesando and Ginza, as well as Isetan and Hankyu Tokyo. The full FW19 range begins to hit global on July 27. Most recently, UNDERCOVER announced its first-ever global web store. 1 of 10 2 of 10 3 of 10 4 of 10 5 of 10 6 of 10 7 of 10 8 of 10 9 of 10 10 of 10

GUCCI DROPS PRINTED GUCCI MANIFESTO SWEATSHIRTS AND T-SHIRTS

Available now. On the back of two recent campaigns, Alessandro Michele’s Gucci’s come right back with a new line up of t-shirts and sweatshirts. Inspired by the designers vision for the autumn/winter 2019 show, the latest drop from the luxury brand sees an assortment of t-shirts and sweatshirts printed with masks seen on the last Gucci runway show. A representation of showing and hiding who are are; a means to protect the kindness and beauty within. Appearing in a selection of hues, the t-shirts rear of the pieces is printed in text that reads “THE MASK AS A CUT BETWEEN VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE.” You can shop Gucci’s Manifesto pieces which come in a special edition packaging on the brands webstore now. PHOTO CREDIT: GUCCI View Larger View Larger View Larger

DIESEL PRESENTS PRE-AUTUMN 2019 DENIM COLLECTION

Muted tones. Packed with a spectrum of muted tones, Diesel just unveiled it’s Pre-Autumn 2019 denim collection. Featuring new denim styles in a scope of grey and blue hues, the collection offers up denim goods including distressed jeans, t-shirts, hoodies, shirts and denim jackets, all dressed in innovative colour blacking treatments and vintage washes for a “dirty vintage” finish. With a ’90s city street aesthetic, select pieces in collection feature bold logos, exposed zips and stamped bleached white DIESEL logo print. The stand out piece in the collection is a dark wash denim jacket, dressed in an all-over DIESEL print, while accessories round out the collection. Available now, you can pick up the Diesel Pre-Autumn 2019 Denim Collection on the Diesel online store. Check out the pieces in the images below: PHOTO CREDIT: DIESEL View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger View Larger

CELEBRITY OUTFITS OF THE WEEK: DEV HYNES, SHIA LABEOUF, KANYE WEST & MORE

This week in the world of style, Helmut Lang previewed its 2020 Resort collection, suggesting we would all be better off in minimalist suits and simple denim jeans (and we would); Matthew Williams’ 1017 ALYX 9SM added Swoosh-adorned rollercoaster buckle necklaces to its SS19 accessories; and Social Status founder James Whitner wrote for Highsnobiety about the lack of corporate diversity in the realms of fashion, sneakers, and streetwear, proposing some ideas and initiatives to redress the balance. Elsewhere, the rest of us were just trying to get a good ’fit off, and that includes celebrities and cultural figures. We had Mr. Blood Orange Dev Hynes rock up for the tennis at Wimbledon and Donald Glover kill it on the red carpet at the premiere of The Lion King in Los Angeles. And they weren’t the only ones. Below is our shortlist of the week’s best celebrity outfits. Dev Hynes crowned 2019 Wimbledon champion (of style) Polo Ralph Lauren / Chris Allerton Dev Hynes pulled up to Wimbledon in head-to-toe Polo Ralph Lauren, looking inarguably fucking fire. If we’re going to be critical, we’d say this look falls under “playing by the rules,” which we don’t always condone. But some institutions are special, not least Wimbledon, with its age-old expectation that competitors wear all white. So showing deference for such a storied, prestigious event with a respectable outfit is only to be applauded. Hynes, aka Blood Orange, has just dropped a new mixtape, Angel’s Pulse(listen here). But style-wise, Hynes has been dropping heat all year, bringing his A-game to the Met Gala in New York with a sunshine yellow roll-neck and giving us life with his accessories at Sole DXB in Dubai. Shia LaBeouf keeps it simple Backgrid / Roger Shia LaBeouf was seen leaving Jaden Smith’s 21st birthday party this week in a categorically Shia ’fit, haphazardly thrown together yet somehow working on every level as a relaxed and under-the-radar look. The dirty white Nike Cortez, New York tee, and uncomplicated dark gray skinny jeans are rounded off with a shout-out on his cap to Slauson Rec., where LaBeouf gives free acting classes. Donald Glover brings double-breasted red carpet drip Getty Images / Kevin Winter The turnout at the Lion King premiere in LA wasn’t a 100 percent success. Beyoncé, who voices Nala in Disney’s new live-action remake, showed up in bespoke Alexander McQueen (never a bad idea), but unfortunately — and it depends on which photo you’re looking at — the crystal chandelier-embroidered tuxedo dress was a bit of overkill. A star of Beyoncé’s magnitude shouldn’t need to announce her success in such an obvious way. Bey’s stylist? Canceled. However, Donald Glover, who voices Simba, wore a charming Gucci double-breasted cream and cherry red double-grid tailored suit with a generous showing of chest underneath, looking every bit the successful multi-hyphenate artist and entertainer. Pay particular attention to the color reference on foot, a pair of patent leather oxblood monk straps, which tie the whole outfit together. Kanye West does Kanye West in Calabasas What is there to say about Kanye West’s ’fit here? It’s an oversized YEEZY silhouette on top, Patagonia shorts below, and what appears to be a preview of the YEEZY Boost 350 V3 in a white-ish colorway. It’s quintessential Kanye. The low-key shorts echo a trend of West distancing himself from the high-end Maison Margiela and Raf Simons pieces he was once known for. His Met Gala outfit in May, which included a $43 Dickies jacket, showed that having lots of money doesn’t necessarily mean announcing your bank balance through your wardrobe (cc: Beyoncé). Ezra Koenig reps Denmark at Roskilde Festival Vampire Weekend frontman and co-producer of Netflix anime Neo YokioEzra Koenig wore a burnt orange cotton workwear jacket by Danish designer Henrik Vibskov at Roskilde Festival in Denmark last weekend. The jacket features four front-facing pockets and was styled with an unbranded pair of shorts and Teva sandals. A navy Dries Van Noten quarter zip has been Koenig’s go-to for most of the Father of the Bride tour, but for the summer festival run the frontman has decided to go for something a little more colorful. As always, he kills it. The prep style icon has been mixing up his ‘fits in recent times. If you missed it, here’s our feature with him from back in April. Billie Eilish does all-green everything Rapid riser and self-described “bad guy” Billie Eilish flexed in this all-green Maxwell Bresler outfit with a pair of neon green Balenciaga Triple S. Bresler’s Space Punk Jacket (now sold out) features dinosaur-like spines on the back and along the sleeves with a contrasting orange lining on the zip. The designer’s aesthetic, which is a perfect match for Eilish, combines cartoon-like proportions and shapes with the kind of luxury neon outerwear Prada put out last year under its relaunched Linea Rossa line.

TOTE BAGS ARE THE SUMMER BACKPACK, HERE ARE THE BEST ONES

We’re now deep in the throes of summer, when you have to weigh your desire to flex against your desire not to sweat buckets. With layering off the table, the best way to boost your style in these scorching months is by focusing on accessories, which we dove into on our latest episode of Itemized. In this space, we’re going to focus on a New York City staple: the tote bag. Whether you’re a backpack or side bag devotee, the tote is an excellent summer alternative that’ll save you from awkward sweat spots. All you really need is something that can fit your lunch, a water bottle, your keys, and any other small essentials. Anything else will just weigh you down, literally. With its large canvas, the tote also gives you another platform similar to a T-shirt, allowing you to broadcast your interests to the world. If you want to look educated, you can rep your favorite media brand. GQranked the best such totes, although we were conspicuously absent. Maybe someone missed out on our exclusive POWERS collab. In all seriousness, as much as we want to toot our own horn, you should look into expanding your streetwear tastes to include the beloved tote. Many of our favorite brands, from high-to-low, offer their own totes. Canvas Tour Tote Bag Stüssy $36 BUY AT NEED SUPPLY If something simple and branded is what you’re looking for, Stüssy has a standard canvas tote for just $36. You can’t go wrong repping one the of the OGs of our crazy world. Large Plaid Tote Bag Opening Ceremony $37 BUY AT OPENING CEREMONY Opening Ceremony is a staple for the in-crowd, with its polypropylene totes, acting as a stylish but still inexpensive upgrade from IKEA’s signature bags. Polartec Tote Supreme $127 BUY AT STOCKX For more hype, consider picking up Supreme’s most recent tote for (a reasonable) resale price. It’s the perfect way to rock Supreme while displaying a semblance of taste. Large Tote Bag Human Made x Girls Dont Cry $200 BUY AT BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB / ICECREAM Human Made’s collab with Girls Don’t Cry appeals to vintage heads and fans of classic workwear. Reinforced with rivets at the handles and bottom, it’s a versatile tote that makes a statement to the most discerning of fuccbois. Canvas Tote Bag Kapital $455 BUY AT MR. PORTER If you’re looking for something nicer, consider making an investment in a bag you’ll have for life. Kapital offers a seriously durable tote with thick canvas and reinforced leather straps. Rendered in a tasteful army green with brown leather, it’s got a cheeky accent with the brand’s signature smiley face tucked into a corner. Of course, $455 is a lot for a tote, but you won’t need to replace it any time soon. WorkBoat Holdall NOAH $168 BUY AT NOAH Noah also has its own heavy duty tote in its WorkBoat Holdall. With webbed handles, snap closures, and six eternal pockets, it’s the perfect bag to pack for a day at the beach. The embroidered patch is also a great kicking off point for you to customize it by adding your own patches. Goyardine St. Louis PM Tote Goyard $1295 BUY AT THE REAL REAL Nigo has been customizing his Goyard St. Louis totes for years, adding the BBC Ice Cream and Human Made logos to the luxurious bags. If you have the ability to ball out, you could do the same. The bag retails for a little under two racks, but online consignment sites like TheRealReal often have them for (a bit) less. It’s still mad guap, but if you can afford the flex—why not? Open Tote Boat and Tote $30 BUY AT L.L.BEAN But you also don’t have to spend rent on a statement bag. To follow Nigo’s lead, you can pick up one of L.L. Bean’s classic Boat and Tote bags. They offer monogram options, so you can make the bootleg of your dreams (like say, using their academic typeface to create a faux Off-White™ logo). Or if you’re artistically inclined, cop some acrylic leather paint and have at it. If you don’t trust your brush game, consider commissioning an artist to do it for you. What Nigo proves is there’s no bigger flex than taking an item and making it your own. If all else fails, tie-dying is much easier than you think, as you can see in our handy instructional video. Give any old tote bag a second life by tie-dying it, and you’ll have no problem recognizing which one belongs to you. Book Tote Dior $2700 BUY AT DIOR Dior’s oblique book tote is a true grail, although at $2,700, it’s not for the faint of heart (or bank account). Speaking of customization, Dior used to allow customers to customize its tote under its abcdior program, which Matthew Williams utilized to say “Baby X” for his daughter Alyx. Kim Jones even laced up his dog Cookie with one, giving Choupette a run for her money for most luxurious pets. While not currently available, it’s worth keeping your eye out for a return.

GUCCI'S LATEST "GG" PRINT ARRIVES ON SILK SHORTS AND A DENIM JACKET

1 of 6 2 of 6 SSENSE 3 of 6 4 of 6 SSENSE 5 of 6 6 of 6 Gucci plays around with its iconic “GG” motif in two new releases. Coming adorned on a pair of silk shorts and an oversized denim jacket, the “GG” logo is applied in a red and blue color that overlaps each letter — giving off and almost stereoscopic 3D effect. The White Denim Oversized GG Print Jacket features large cutting, indigo denim mixed with red and white striped trim, a spread collar, welt pockets, and logo-engraved brass hardware. The Off-White Silk GG Shorts see the same blue and red monogram over silk twill construction. The mid-rise shorts incorporate both an elasticated waistband and drawstring design and have three pockets for all your carrying needs. The made-in-Italy denim jacket and shorts are priced at $2,400 USD and $1,200 USD, respectively, and can be found over at SSENSE.

ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB DROPS ALL FEMALE CAST FW19 LOOKBOOK

Anti Social Social Club Drops All Female Cast FW19 Lookbook “Still Stressed” collection is releasing soon. 1 of 35 2 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 3 of 35 4 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 5 of 35 6 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 7 of 35 8 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 9 of 35 10 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 11 of 35 12 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 13 of 35 14 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 15 of 35 16 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 17 of 35 18 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 19 of 35 20 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 21 of 35 22 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 23 of 35 24 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 25 of 35 26 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 27 of 35 28 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 29 of 35 30 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 31 of 35 32 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 33 of 35 34 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB 35 of 35 ANTI SOCIAL SOCIAL CLUB FASHION 9 Hrs ago By Felson Sajonas 12.443 Hypes 10 Comments Anti Social Social Club just released a new lookbook for its upcoming collection titled “Still Stressed.” The Fall/Winter 2019 range is comprised of some new and familiar graphics such as the standard ASSC typeface on the back but in different iterations — some of the newer prints include a sashimi photo with the phrase “Always and Forever,” a UPS truck tee graphic and a retro cell phone photo to name a few. ASSC’s lookbook also features an all-female cast but the standout theme across the whole collection is the vibrant colors used for all the clothing staples as well as the artworks. You’ll find bold pastels and earthy tones for the hoodies and tees as well as a multitude of hues for the prints. The “Still Stressed” range by ASSC releases Saturday, July 6 8 AM PST exclusively at antisocialsocialclub.com.

VIDEO: ROLLÀN – WESH FT. DYSTINCT & HANSIE (PROD. GIVANO)

Rollan komt met een single wesh in samenwerking met Dystinct en Hansie. Beluister het hierbeneden.

THE 10 BEST FOOTWEAR OFFERINGS FROM THE SPRING/SUMMER 2020 RUNWAYS

Though Fashion Month isn’t quite over yet — couture collections are still on the way — the seasonal ready-to-wear men’s collections have come to a close. Fashion editors, critics and store buyers have now parsed each presentation, drawing up reviews, selecting seasonal purchases and forecasting trends, as the general fashion-observing public watched the glitz and glamour scroll past on social media. Though any memory of the upcoming clothing will likely fade from the general consciousness before the Spring/Summer 2020 season arrives in stores, the event’s most exciting footwear designs will retain relevance for months to come. Observers of all stripes can pick apart the subjective success of the latest sportswear collaborations and offer opinions on in-house designs, with various styles ideal for consumers of all income brackets. For those who loathe the arduousness of sifting through countless runway slideshows, we’ve once again recapped the 10 most notable on-feet moments from the festivities — though that isn’t to say that there aren’t plenty of runners-up we didn’t have room to mention. The below picks represent our choices for the most headline-worthy in-house designs and collaborations (and yes, there are plenty of collaborations) that hit the runway for Spring/Summer 2020, in no particular order. Futura x Off-White™x Nike SB Dunk Low Legendary graffiti artist Futura rejoined Virgil Abloh for Spring/Summer 2020, having most recently linked with the Off-White™ designer for Louis Vuitton’s Fall/Winter 2019 runway show. Futura got much more hands on with Off-White™’s latest seasonal range however, splashing his Pointman avatar across T-shirts, guiding the splashes of painted color across a host of layering pieces and even crafting some headline-worthy statues for the presentation itself. But the locus of all this collaborative activity are two pairs of Nike SB Dunk Low sneakers. Splattered with paint and intertwined with dual laces, both shoes are emblazoned with the logo of Futura’s recently-revived clothing label to drive the sneakers’ collaborative nature home. To complete the design, Abloh’s requisite bold-face text is printed towards the heel and Futura’s signature is hidden beneath the translucent outsole. Unsurprisingly, no release date has emerged for Abloh and Futura’s collaborative SB sneakers, but stay tuned for updates as the year draws to an end. Walter Van Beirendonck x GIDDY UP Antwerp Six member Walter Van Beirendonck has maintained a clear trajectory for the past decade or so, splitting time between mentoring emerging creatives as the leader of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts’ fashion program and directing the whimsical designs offered under his eponymous label. Though Spring/Summer 2020 isn’t his first joint effort with Mikio Sakabe’s ambitious GIDDY UP project, this iteration did yield the duo’s most accessible sneaker to date — comparatively speaking. Sakabe’s project focuses on 3D-printed sneakers, allowing for wildly inventive footwear that ranges from futuristic, springboard-like shoes to woven sneaker-boots with layered ovoids for outsoles. Beirendonck’s latest presentation utilized one of Sakabe’s more conventional options, a trim woven upper with an enormous bubble-like outsole. Resembling some kind of cartoonishly distended teeth, the shoes’ aesthetic appeal is arguable, but the sheer creativity of them is irresistible. And when it comes to the grind of Fashion Month, nothing compares to exceptional individuality. Dior Spring/Summer 2020 Continuing to reshape Dior’s menswear to his whims, Kim Jones has delivered some of the label’s most covetable luxury accessories to date. Though Dior has a long history of collectible bags, never before has a wider array of young men sought to purchase the Saddle bag or its branded jewelry, until Jones brought his street-leaning, collaboration-heavy vision to the table. For Spring/Summer 2020 he teamed with artist Daniel Arsham to provide thematic revisions of sneakers that have since become house staples, plus plenty of new models. Along with plenty of new B23 high-tops, Jones unveiled a selection of sleek runners, slide sandals and strappy, open-panel sneakers, all replete with Dior’s iconic Oblique logo and premium textiles. Translucent work boots are designed as an homage to the artist’s work uniform, while several clunky running shoes sport bespoke dyes inspired by Arsham’s well-worn Future Relic series. Yet more new styles feature retro “DIOR” branding and newspaper print, a seasonal twist that likely won’t be reproduced after SS20. Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2020 What’s there to say about Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton output that hasn’t already been said, restated and repeated once again? Well, for starters, the footwear issued under Abloh’s direction has received comparatively little buzz aside from the staple 508 sneakers, which recently emerged in eye-pleasing futuristic and garden-inspired variants. Abloh’s sportswear inclinations have yielded court-ready lowtops and clunky derbies in past releases, but Spring/Summer 2020 introduced an array of runners that challenged Abloh’s work with Nike as the designer’s most covetable running shoes. Plush suede and breathable mesh inform the muted sport shoes, reinforcing the luxury aesthetic at the core of Louis Vuitton. Simultaneously, the shoes intelligently reinvent the house’s classic monogram into clever streetwear graphics, tweaking the LV branding into a stylized plastic logo on the lateral side and embedded shapes in the heel. Elsewhere, Abloh underscored the collection’s gardening motif with tall molded boots embellished with florals and lug sole hikers, another update to the street staples the designer frequently tackles. COMME des GARÇONS x Nike Air Max 95 Nearly every COMME des GARÇONS x Nike collaboration since 2017 has divided audiences as neatly as the brand’s HOMME PLUS menswear collections. From the blinding Air Max 180or BLACK CdG’s Air Footscape, Rei Kawakubo‘s family of labels aptly disturbs sneakerheads and traditional fashion fans on a regular basis. If anything, the aggressively torn-up Air Max 95 that hit the SS20 runway is the Japanese label’s most palatable release since its minimalist VaporMax. Offered in two tonal and one monochrome makeup, the shoe boasts stacks of raw-hemmed panels in place of its usual smooth upper, a natural complement to COMME des GARÇONS’ shredded garments. OAMC x adidas Originals “Type 04” For Fall/Winter 2019, Luke Meier debuted OAMC’s first adidas collaboration, the “Type 01.” Its follow-up apparently skips a few generations, as Meier and adidas’ joint effort for Spring/Summer 2020 is titled “Type 04.” Taking a similar tack to the Type 01, the Type 04 retains some deconstructionist detailing, like the minimalist facade and raw stitching near the ankle collar, but takes cues from hiking kicks to create a futuristic trail runner. A grippy Vibram outsole and sturdy nubuck upper peppered with mesh cut-outs informs the sneaker’s streamlined shape, utilizing neutral tones to ensure maximum versatility. The shoe’s translucent plastic heel counter and shiny leather toe are some of the more style-conscious touches that tie in with OAMC’s knack for straddling the worlds of technical design and fashion-forward design. A-COLD-WALL* SS20 Footwear, Collaborative Nike Air Force 1 and Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star Hi Samuel Ross’ A-COLD-WALL* continues to innovate for Spring/Summer 2020, remixing past footwear styles with new touches and introducing a host of fresh kicks. The collection’s major collaborative effort sees Ross continuing his Nike collaborations with a new Converse Chuck Taylor offering, wrapping a lightweight ripstop upper inside custom rubber cages and laced with hiking-inspired eyelets. In-house footwear includes chunky loafers, paint-splattered running shoes and snub-toed slip-on boots, all very much keeping in line with A-COLD-WALL*’s aggressively futuristic clothing. Notably, the in-house silhouettes include a new high-top silhouette, a sequel of sorts to A-COLD-WALL*’s first-ever Nike Air Force 1 remix. This shoe boasts elegant panels of premium leather and suede in muted earth tones, complete with ankle strap and hefty midsole. N.HOOLYWOOD x New Balance, UGG Though it enjoys an immense following in its native Japan, Daisuke Obana’s N.HOOLYWOODremains a relatively niche label in the West. Obana’s novel footwear experiments seek to change that perception however. Spring/Summer 2020 sees the label reuniting with New Balance and linking for the first time with UGG to deliver some playfully fashion-unfriendly footwear. Clunky black shoes and a complementary pair of slide sandals marry UGG’s comfort-centric designs with N.HOOLYWOOD’s utilitarian inspiration, an ideal mingling of the Japanese brand’s military-, sport- and street-leaning influences. Meanwhile, the New Balance shoes are far more bold, sporting tonal orange detailing on a pared-down suede and mesh upper with bright accents on the sockliner and laces. Despite the unmissable hue, the sneaker retains a function-driven shape that serves the collection’s theme, complete with care-tag woven on the toe. Craig Green x adidas Originals Kamanda “CG POLTA AKH II” Craig Green has created an unshakable fashion legacy since making his solo London Fashion Week premiere a half-decade ago, a claim few other young designers could hope to make so early in their design careers. As such, that it took Green this long to join up with a major sportswear label for bespoke sneakers is surprising, to say the least. Sure, he’s turned out Grenson collaborations for several seasons and there were those one-off Nike concept shoes, but Green hadn’t prepped a signature shoe from one of the big sneaker brands until Spring/Summer 2020. Sportswear titan adidas is the lucky recipient of Green’s thoughtful design ethos, with one of its more unconventional silhouettes selected to receive his full attention. Taking on the soccer-inspired Kamanda, Green upgraded the shapely silhouette with metallic hues on the upper, complemented by tonal outsoles and reflective alternate panels tucked in between the more saturated spots. Offered in brilliant red, green, purple and yellow tones, to name only a few, the shoes feature co-branding towards the ankle and patterned laces, as if they aren’t already enough of a statement piece. Kiko Kostadinov x ASICS, Camper London-based designer Kiko Kostadinov has turned out collaborations with ASICS almost since the inception of his label’s ready-to-wear offerings, with Spring/Summer 2018’s GEL-Burz followed by the GEL-Burz 2, GEL-Delva and the recent GEL-Sokat Infinity. For Spring/Summer 2020, Kostadinov created another bespoke model with the Japanese footwear imprint, introducing a variety of aggressively bold runners that sport patent leather and mesh in an alternating checkerboard pattern, offered in bright green and contrasting blue/yellow. That was just part of the equation for Kostadinov, however, who also debuted graceful monochrome loafers in collaboration with Camper Lab. Neutral colors and clean lines distinguish the leather slip-on shoes from the ASICS collaboration and another footwear offering: a knee-high boot executed in lurid primary tones that make the ASICS look downright understated.

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