PRADA’S SPORTY SIDE: Prada has named Chinese basketball player Shuyu Yang as its latest brand ambassador.

The athlete appears in a series of photos and a brief film wearing pieces from the brand’s latest men’s collection and twiddling with a red basketball, or listening to music from a vintage turntable.

With greater than 3 million followers on Weibo, China’s own Twitter, Yang reached national fame by helping China rating a bronze medal in the ladies’s 3×3 basketball tournament within the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

Her gender-neutral appearance attracts a following just like the likes of singer Chris Lee, who’s the face of each Gucci and Versace, in addition to Dior’s China ambassador Liu Yuxin. Each Lee and Liu are known for his or her androgynous way of dressing.

Yang is the second sports superstar that Prada appointed as a face for China. The brand named Chinese table tennis player and Olympic champion Ma Long as a brand ambassador ahead of its men’s fall 2022 show last 12 months.

The brand also dressed 4 Chinese Olympic athletes last 12 months for its Douyin campaign, featuring Yang, Tokyo Olympics shot put gold medalist Gong Lijiao, marathon runner Li Zhixuan, and China women’s national water polo team member Xiong Dunhan.

This shift in Prada’s celebrity-endorsement strategy in China comes after it received backlash in 2021 as former brand ambassador Zheng Shuang was caught in a highly publicized child dispute.

The brand’s other ambassadors from China include singer Cai Xukun, whose appearance at Prada’s fall 2023 show created $1.37 million and $2.2 million in earned media value on Instagram and on Weibo, respectively, actor Li Xian, and actress Chun Xia. — TIANWEI ZHANG

SCHOLARLY CHIC: Couture clients can come from many walks of life, including academia. French literary critic, author and professor Antoine Compagnon commissioned Balenciaga for the “habit vert” he’ll wear for his induction to the Académie Française Thursday.

The ceremonial garb features a sword and a black or navy suit embroidered with green and gold olive branches. Based on Balenciaga, which resumed making couture in 2021 after a 53-year absence, that is the primary time for the reason that house was founded by Cristóbal Balenciaga in 1917 that it was called upon to provide a bespoke suit for the academy, which was founded in 1635 to safeguard the French language.

Created by creative director Demna, the black cloak, tailcoat and pants, white shirt, white vest and bowtie required 300 hours of labor in Balenciaga’s couture ateliers in Paris. Meanwhile, the embroideries festooning the outer edges of the tailoring took 900 hours at Maison Lesage.

France’s Immortals, as inductees to the Académie Française are known, steadily call on couture brands like Dior and Givenchy to create their regalia.

Meanwhile, Boucheron, which like Balenciaga is controlled by French group Kering, realized the sword that is supposed to represent Compagnon’s life and work — hence its feather-shaped handle and the hedgehog depicted within the cabochon. (The latter creature is related to Greek poet Archilochus, who proclaimed “a fox knows many things, but a hedgehog knows one big thing.”)

François-Henri Pinault, chairman and chief executive officer of Kering, said he was “proud and honored by the trust placed in our homes.…These unique, custom-made pieces fully reflect Antoine Compagnon’s personality, a manifestation of creativity combined with the best skills and traditions that allow individuals to specific what is exclusive to them.”

Brussels-born Compagnon is professor emeritus on the Collège de France and a specialist in French literature. He also taught at École Polytechnique, the French Institute of the UK in London, Columbia University in Latest York, and the University of Maine and the Sorbonne in France.

He has written quite a few books on literary criticism, history and is taken into account an authority on Michel de Montaigne, Charles Baudelaire, Marcel Proust and Colette. — MILES SOCHA

LOST AND FOUND: Rare images of Kate Moss and Cameron Diaz from the early ’90s captured by photographer Michel Haddi will go on display on the image-focused art fair Photo London, which runs from Wednesday to Sunday.

Represented by the Milan-based 29 Arts In Progress gallery, Haddi shot Moss for British GQ in 1991, and Diaz for Vogue Homme Magazine in 1993. Polaroids were taken by Haddi during these shoots, and he stumbled across them while clearing out his storage.

Within the image, Moss gazes into the camera before appearing to writhe on a dark velvet sofa, while Diaz wears a Our P—ys Our Alternative T-shirt and holds an empty water bottle.

Haddi, who has shot for a big selection of publications over the a long time, said he met Moss through stylist Kim Bowen, a mutual friend, and he later shot Moss for a Bloomingdale’s campaign.

“When I believe of Kate, I believe of the little mermaid of Copenhagen. That was my idea behind this shot,” Haddi explained.

With regard to his experinece of working with Diaz, Haddi recalled, “She had that T-shirt on and I believed it was so amusing. You have got to know it’s way, way back before the #MeToo movement, when women didn’t speak that much. So to have a fantastic and attractive lady showing that T-shirt off, was like OMG.”

Also on display on the booth are images of Uma Thurman, Linda Evangelista, Veruschka Von Lehndorff, and Marisa Berenson captured by Haddi, alongside works of Rankin/Gian Paolo Barbieri and Toni Meneguzzo.

There can even be a book signing for “Kate Moss — The Legend Book of Lost Polaroids of Kate” by Michel Haddi on Saturday on the fair inside Somerset House. — T.Z.

TEAMING FOR TENNIS: Nordstrom has teamed with Paris-based contemporary brand Casablanca for its next pop-up.

The 2 corporations have created an exclusive capsule of recent tennis-inspired athleisurewear for the Casablanca@Nordstrom concept. The road includes ready-to-wear, accessories, jewelry and eyewear for men and ladies including après-sport tracksuits, engineered knitwear and on-court looks.

As well as, a special collaboration with Mad Paris can even be offered, including a Contax G2 camera and the primary Casablanca tennis racquet housed in a specially designed case featuring the brand’s signature perforated leather and colorblock branding.

Prices will range from $40 for logo ribbed socks to $8,240 for the camera. Printed men’s swim trunks are $325, a pique polo is $420, a women’s scallop-edge pleated skirt is $470 and a pearl logo necklace is $225.

“The Casablanca Tennis Club has all the time been an integral a part of the brand’s DNA from the very starting,” said Charaf Tajer, creative director of Casablanca.

“Charaf Tajer’s vision for Casablanca has all the time been a feast for the eyes,” added Jian Deleon, Nordstrom’s men’s fashion director. “He has a natural penchant for vibrant prints and wealthy color stories that actually flesh out the world he’s been constructing over the past few seasons. The chance to bring that to our customers is exciting, especially when filtered through the lens of tennis. I’m a fan of how he subverts and reinterprets resort and leisurewear together with his signature sense of irreverence.”

The capsule will probably be available online and in nine Nordstrom stores across the country starting Thursday through the start of July. — JEAN E. PALMIERI

STRONG MATCH: Within the midst of the Champions League heated semifinals that kicked off on Tuesday, Dsquared2 founders Dean and Dan Caten had loads of friends to support.

To have a good time the brand’s ongoing partnership with Manchester City Football Club, which has to duel with Real Madrid to get the golden ticket to the soccer competition’s final, Dsquared2 has developed a capsule collection of ready-to-wear and accessories bearing the team’s crest together with its logo.

That is the primary time the 2 parties release a capsule collection since launching their collaboration in 2016, when the Catens developed the primary pre-match uniforms for the soccer team.

Dropping at Dsquared2 flagships, its e-commerce and a choice of wholesalers worldwide on Thursday, the range comprises Dsquared2 staples like denim and outerwear, together with accessories including baseball caps and sneakers. 

Mostly rendered in black, items feature contrasting daring lettering reading “Dsquared2 for Manchester City Limited Edit,” as seen on a tailored jacket with a split vent, a crewneck knit or on the tongue of lace-up boots. 

The Manchester City circular crest detailed with a ship and diagonal stripes stand out in other pieces, encompassing bomber jackets, jumper knits or back pockets of straight fit denim pants, along with beanies and backpacks. 

With an entry price of roughly 200 euros, the capsule collection comes with a special hangtag and internal label, in addition to a dedicated campaign featuring key stars of the team, including Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Julian Alvarez, Aymeric Laporte and Ruben Dias.

The partnership with Manchester City is just not Dsquared2’s first in soccer. In 2006, the Canadian duo designed the official uniforms for Italy’s Juventus Football Club, while in 2009 they created the off-field attire for the FC Barcelona’s team. Incidentally, Manchester City’s current coach Pep Guardiola was the Barcelona coach on the time. 

However the Catens’ might need watched closely the opposite Champions League semifinal, seeing Milanese clubs A.C. Milan and FC Internazionale Milano on opposing fronts on Wednesday, for the reason that brand released the “Black on Black” capsule collection codesigned with A.C. Milan soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimović last 12 months. — SANDRA SALIBIAN

SHARK BEACH: The seaside resort craze begins.

Menswear specialist Paul&Shark, whose DNA is rooted in its love of the ocean and sustainability, is taking up Tigu Beach for the upcoming summer season, offering a multifaceted experience of leisure and cultural opportunities.

Positioned on the shores of eastern Liguria, in Riva Trigoso, a stone’s throw from Sestri Levante facing the biodiversity-rich Tigullio Gulf, the beach club has been revamped to echo the style brand’s aesthetic.

Paul&Shark’s signature orange color decks the wainscoting details juxtaposed with wallpapers bearing vintage-nodding prints of natural landscapes. Inspired by Parisian interiors from the ‘40s, furniture has forest green details matching the green tea-colored flooring, chairs and tables reference bistro decor while sage green cabanas framing the beach appear to be a cruise boat’s corridor.

The solarium area, with 54 regular and 10 large-size beds, sunbeds and umbrellas bearing orange, green, white and beige stripes, is flanked by two restaurants offering Italian and Japanese menus.

In step with its green commitment, Paul&Shark is organizing outdoor experiences throughout the summer, led by the OutBe start-up focused on spreading knowledge on and fostering the safeguard of natural and marine environments. Kayak clean-up expeditions at sea, coasteering, or coastal trekking, sessions and electric boat tours will animate the season, offering tourists a probability to find the world.

The beach takeover was developed by the brand’s creative team in tandem with Edoardo Santanna, the beach club owner and Mattia Ferrari, an art director and cofounder of girls’s fashion label Julfer.

The initiative falls inside Paul&Shark’s journey toward rebranding, as reported. The corporate desires to evolve its DNA, softening its sailing message and embracing a more urban and casual aesthetic catering to a wider customer base. Earlier this 12 months, Paul&Shark unveiled its spring 2023 campaign starring Mark Vanderloo and his son Mark Vanderloo Jr. shot by Giampaolo Sgura. — MARTINO CARRERA

VISIONARY AWARD: The High School of Fashion Industries will hold its student fashion show and fundraiser on May 24 at Gansevoort Plaza within the Meatpacking District. The event will honor Angelo Baque, founder and inventive director of Awake NY, with the Visionary Award, and global logistics provider UPS with its Fashion Equity Award.

The thirty fifth annual event is in partnership with the Meatpacking District Management Association. It marks the primary time the event will happen in a community space. The style show will happen at 6:30 p.m. and the awards ceremony will follow at 7 p.m. The show and awards will probably be held outdoors, with a rain date of May 25.

“I’m grateful for this recognition and the improbable work we did alongside UPS for 2022 NYFW in support of HSFI. Still, the true honorees are the children, teachers, administrators and supporters of HSFI, who’re shaping the long run of fashion,” said Baque.

Previous HSFI honorees have been Ken Downing, Ruth Finley, Jeffrey Kalinsky, Tracey Reese, Daniela Vitale and Gary Wassner, amongst others.

Daryl Blank, the principal of HSFI, said, “The past three years have been among the most difficult at HSFI for college kids and college alike. Showing within the Meatpacking District, one in every of Latest York’s top style destinations, is inspiring for your complete school. Furthermore, we’re beyond thrilled to be honoring Angelo Baque, founder and inventive director of Awake NY, and UPS for his or her overwhelming support of HSFI and generous BIPOC scholarships.”

Jeffrey LeFrancois, the Meatpacking District’s executive director, added, “We’re thrilled that our plazas will grow to be runways for this 12 months’s High School of Fashion Industries Student Fashion Show. The longer term of fashion has all the time come from Latest York City, and the Meatpacking District is a destination for style and innovation, making it the proper backdrop for college kids to showcase their creativity. We are able to’t wait to see their final creations.”

Three Latinx students will receive UPS scholarships for $25,000 each, which can go toward their college education from funds raised by donations from UPS and Baque.

The event highlight will probably be a runway show presented by the graduating senior class, including students’ designs, models, styling and choreography. All year long, the category is mentored by an inventory of industry designers and leaders who attend events similar to the HSFI Profession Day and the Fashion Show Preview, a critiquing process leading as much as the ultimate designs and show. — LISA LOCKWOOD

FAMILIAL TIES: Photographer Mous Lamrabat’s latest exhibition, “There’s No One Like Us,” explores how those affected by the worldwide diaspora stay connected to their family members via the international messaging service WhatsApp.

Set to run from Thursday to Saturday on the Tab Centre in Shoreditch, London. Lamrabat created the pictures in collaboration with WhatsApp, featuring daring and fantasy-like colours with a poignant message.

“Home is just not a rustic, it’s your loved ones,” the Moroccan Belgian photographer told WWD.

The photographs are accompanied by audio from each subject, describing their experience of living in a foreign community and culture, separated from their families. 

Amadou, an elderly man living in Brazil who was coping with health complications, touched Lamrabat essentially the most.

“He has loads of siblings, and everybody lives in a unique a part of the world,” Lamrabat explained. 

“After we were shooting he had just come from the hospital. It felt really sad for me when he talked about his family, because if you undergo a troublesome time, you simply wish to have that comfort of your mom, and there was nobody there,” he added.

Global identities were highlighted through styling, subjects bringing and wearing clothes and accessories from the country they’re from, mixed with items from the country they currently live in, emphasizing “how beautiful it’s if you mix different worlds or various things.”

That sentiment explains why the series will probably be shown on the Tab Centre, a community center in Shoreditch that helps children, families, young people, vulnerable adults and asylum seekers. 

“The work of the Tab Centre aligns with the whole lot we value each as a brand and the tenets of this project,” said Vivian Odior, global head of selling at WhatsApp.

“I would like to begin experimenting outside of photography,” said Lamrabat, hinting at the opportunity of venturing into installation art.

He’s currently developing a capsule collection, featuring two prints for ladies and men.

“It’s all in regards to the fabric and shape. I would like to do pieces that look very artistic, very wearable,” Lamrabat said. — VIOLET GOLDSTONE