A FIRST TIMER: It was Emma Thompson’s first fashion show.

“I do know, can you think it? Incredible. Nevertheless it’s not my world,” quipped the Oscar winner at Giorgio Armani’s high fashion show in Paris on Tuesday. She was clad in a vivid pink suit for the occasion, and accompanied by daughter Gaia. “I really like Armani, latest inventions and you possibly can be perfection,” she added, breaking into rhyme.

Thompson climbed over the seats to hug Kate Hudson amidst the claustrophobic close quarters of the front row frenzy. “It’s so hot, what were they considering?” she said of the tented area where the show was held.

But Hudson was keeping cool in a bandeau top and high ponytail. “I believe he’s an icon,” she said of the designer. “He’s good, he’s amazing and a legend.” She snapped photos on her phone throughout the show.

Ever the performer, Thompson went backstage after the show to thank the Paris-based couturiers and dressing team in French, after which the Milan-based staff in Italian.

Camille Razat was in character, but not as her “Emily in Paris” alter ego. The actress likes to assume backstories for her outfits, and the night’s blue velvet suit and dark smoky eye had a plot.

“I pictured myself as a widow and I’m grieving my deceased husband, he’s just passed and I’m very sorrowful,” she said of the moody colours.

“Armani is a house that’s timeless. It has been and can all the time be a legend,” she added.

The scrum to get past the velvet rope and take photos with Mr. Armani was dozens deep. Even the VIPs were caught up within the madness.

“We’ve all been waiting. We’re in a pack, and also you’re within the pack with us now,” said Laura Dern, pulling in Noah Centineo as the gang surged forward in a wave. She declared the gathering “a masterpiece.”

Sydney Sweeney was equally enamored. “It was beautiful, the gathering was absolutely stunning. There was a good looking red dress that I’d really like to wear; I literally looked over at my stylist and was like, ‘I absolutely adore it.’” She was accompanied by stylist Molly Dickson, and wearing a black sequined gown.

After the greetings, Sweeney quickly ducked out, attempting to avoid photobombing pics with Centineo. “That black velvet dress, the straightforward one with the roses within the back. I might wear that. I definitely should, right?” he joked. “It was phenomenal. It was my first time coming to a couture show, and for it to be Giorgio’s, I feel very lucky.”

He’s been in France for the past couple of weeks, as a juror on the Biarritz International Film Festival. “It was gorgeous, oh my god. The guy jury members were awesome.”

After the gang made it backstage, Thompson roped in everyone for a gaggle photo, including Centineo, Dern, Hudson, Alessandra Ambrosio and Felicity Jones. As an alternative of “cheese,” she joked, the gang should yell “it’s hot!” Then realizing there was video shooting, everyone sang in unison: “Giorgio Armani Privé!” — RHONDA RICHFORD

ZEGNA OUT EAST: Fashion’s pull east shows no signs of slowing. Brands from Chanel to Gucci and Isabel Marant have been establishing shop within the Hamptons this summer and last Friday evening, Zegna and Mr Porter were the newest to get in on the motion. Zegna is the headliner of the newest installment of Mr Porter’s summer campaign, titled “Al Fresco,” a partnership that was celebrated Friday evening with a celebration on the LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton. 

Zegna’s “Triple Stitch” shoe was the star of the night. Kieran Culkin, fresh off his “Succession” run, serves as “Triple Stitch” ambassador for Zegna and was the celebrity guest du jour, joining Yoox Net-a-Porter Group interim chief executive officer Alison Loehnis and Zegna creative director Alessandro Sartori as hosts for the night. Dede Lovelace spun music for guests who included Blake Abbie, Michael Avedon, Barton Cowperthwaite, Saint Jhn and more.

The Zegna casualwear collection is 28 pieces spanning across trousers, shorts, casual shirts, swim trunks and more; the “Triple Stitch” shoe is obtainable exclusively at Mr Porter. 

The Mr Porter overall summer campaign, called “Summer Stories,” is “a celebration of world summer style through a series of multifaceted chapters,” the brand says. It launched May 29 and may have a 3 month run through the summer, encompassing 125 different brands, eight of that are latest to Mr Porter. — LEIGH NORDSTROM

HOLT’S RENAISSANCE: Canada’s Holt Renfrew, tying into Beyoncé’s “Renaissance World Tour,” has installed a “Renaissance Flagship” at its own flagship in Toronto.

Holt executives called the flagship an “immersive” experience celebrating the style of Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” tour and album. The format was created by Parkwood Entertainment, the film and production company, record label and management firm founded by Beyoncé Knowles-Carter in 2010.

“At Holt’s, we stand behind empowering self-expression and igniting positive change and we truly imagine that the Renaissance Flagship is an incomparable illustration of this spirit,” Sebastian Picardo, president and chief executive officer of Holt Renfrew, said in an announcement.

The set-up incorporates a 21-piece memorabilia edit of apparel and accessories, priced $25 to $325 (all figures are in Canadian dollars). Among the many items are a “We Shut This City Down” T-shirt, a “Green Screen Horse” long-sleeve T-shirt, a “Summer Renaissance” hoodie and a “Renaissance Cowboy” hat.

Also on display are pieces from the Renaissance Couture collection codesigned by Beyoncé and Balmain designer Olivier Rousteing, in addition to 4 limited-edition fashion items — two oversize T-shirts, a dropped-shoulder hoodie and a large tote, priced $200 to $600 — that draw inspiration from the couture. As well as, there may be an 80-page art book with imagery that helped encourage the concert tour.

The Renaissance Flagship, launched Tuesday, occupies 5,000 square feet on the third floor of Holt’s 50 Bloor Street flagship, and might be up until Monday. The timing of the exhibit corresponds with Beyoncé’s Renaissance concert being held Saturday and Sunday at Rogers Centre in Toronto. In Canada, the concert will even be held in Vancouver on Sept. 11.

The Renaissance World Tour is the ninth concert tour by Beyoncé to support of her seventh studio album, “Renaissance.” The tour began in May in Stockholm. The official merchandise partner for Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour is Amazon Music. — DAVID MOIN

GAME, SET, MATCH: Andy Murray is playing games each on and off court on the 2023 Wimbledon Championships.

The British tennis player won his first match on Tuesday against Ryan Peniston and has made it to the second round, but on the Southern Village on the Wimbledon grounds, he’s taking over “Race to Wimbledon,” an interactive game developed on Fortnite Creative as a part of the American Express Fan Experience.

Murray stars in three interactive games that take players on a tour of London landmarks, in addition to the Wimbledon Village and its grounds. The primary player to reach at the distinguished Centre Court wins.

The 2-time Wimbledon champion and American Express ambassador also features in Find Andy, where guests are invited to seek out him amongst giant pieces of artwork throughout the grounds.

The fan experiences on site from American Express includes trainer cleansing with Jason Markk, which was founded by Jason Mark Angsuvarn in 2007, and a postcard station that enables guests to send personalized postcards to anyone they need on this planet.

Within the Cardmember Lounge, Ralph Lauren has arrange its own customization station where guests can personalize their products and accessories from the American brand, which has also created two exclusive designs only available within the lounge.

Off the Wimbledon grounds, the experience might be somewhat replicated on the Centurion Lounge at Heathrow Airport with the trainer cleansing service, Sipsmith cocktails and other giveaways. 

Last 12 months, Murray collaborated with celebrity nail artist Michelle Humphrey, whose clientele includes Dua Lipa, Adele, Cate Blanchett and Madonna, on a bespoke nail bar.

Together they designed 4 limited-edition nail styles that best represent the tennis games: strawberries and cream, a tennis ball, tennis net and the famous Wimbledon purple and green colours. — HIKMAT MOHAMMED

TENNIS, ANYONE?: Tennis is on the brain in London because the 2023 Wimbledon Championships proceed.

Italian sportswear brand Sergio Tacchini has arrange its first installation at Selfridges, on the lads’s floor, which can run until Aug. 6.

The space has been titled “Causing a Racquet,” a nod to the tournament going down at Wimbledon, in addition to the brand’s history.

The brand was arrange by former tennis player Tacchini in 1966.

The space at Selfridges has been transformed into an all-white tennis court with large tennis racquets and balls being a part of the display, together with Roman columns and statues to signal the brand’s Italian history.

“We’re very excited to be creating this immersive installation to introduce the brand to the Selfridges customer. We now have fastidiously chosen products that reflect each our heritage in addition to providing exciting latest designs for everybody to enjoy,” said Zubair Mal, U.K. brand manager at Sergio Tacchini.

“Being inside such a highly regarded department store over the London tennis season is a implausible opportunity to showcase the brand’s history and future,” he added.

The shop will stock spring and summer pieces resembling their track tops and polos, in addition to pieces exclusive to the British department store, including the Vento Track Jacket, taking inspiration from the ‘90s using prints from the Tacchini archive. — H.M.

LOOKING AT BEAUTY: Wellcome Collection, a museum and library situated on Euston Road and owned by the pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline via Wellcome Trust, will host the exhibition “The Cult of Beauty” with an aim to look at the influence of morality, status, health, age, race and gender on the evolution of ideas about beauty through history.

Running from Oct. 26 to April 28, 2024, the admission-free show will feature greater than 200 objects and artwork sourced from latest commissions, contemporary artworks, and historical and modern materials, and presented under three themes: the ideals of beauty, the industry of beauty and subverting beauty. 

The primary a part of the show will lay out the beliefs which have shaped the pursuit of unattainable beauty in society across time and cultures with historical objects resembling corsets from the 18th century, an Egyptian mirror from 800 to 100 BC, a powder compact designed by Salvador Dalí from the ’50s, and wonder products by Lisa Eldridge and Rihanna’s Fenty on display.

The part will even include a latest commission, “An Algorithmic Gaze II,” by Cecilie Waagner Falkenstrøm. Created as an invite to meditate on the changing human form, the work features an AI-generated, endlessly morphing human form created from a wide selection of datasets of bodies.

In a piece dedicated to hair, a movie by hairstylist and the British Fashion Council’s Changemaker Prize recipient Cyndia Harvey will form a gaggle display together with “Hairstyles,” a series of photographs celebrating cultural traditions in Nigeria captured by J.D. Okhai Ojeikere, and Jennifer Ling Datchuk’s “We Climb,” which shines a lightweight on the cultural significance of hair and the strength and support throughout the Asian American Pacific Islander community.

The “Industry of Beauty” chapter will explore the connection between medicine and cosmetics, while tracing a history of product innovation, revealing how the industry has influenced the connection with the body and self-image.

This part comes with a latest installation by Makeupbrutalism, a conceptual art project made by the London-based artist Eszter Magyar. It goals to query how beauty has been instrumentalized as monetary and cultural currencies.

The impact of beauty pageants and cosmetic surgery can be being highlighted with an interdisciplinary project of photography, sculpture and installation based on collections at Wellcome, titled “The Disobedient Nose,” by Sarabande resident artist Shirin Fathi.

The subverting beauty section goals to “query what beauty means in society today and the way it might be used as a tool to subvert social constructs.” It’ll showcase commissions including a digital installation by Xcessive Aesthetics, exploring the opportunities nightclub bathrooms can offer as platforms for experimentation and community-building, in addition to a movie and sculptural work by Narcissister, which can consider the load of beauty ideals inside mixed-race mother-daughter relationships.

Other highlights on this a part of the exhibition will include the film installation “Permissible Beauty” by singer-songwriter and art historian David McAlmont, photographer Robert Taylor and filmmaker Mark Thomas. The show will even highlight the importance of Black queer visibility through latest portraits of six Black queer Britons. — TIANWEI ZHANG

PIÈCE UNIQUE: Roger Vivier made its first showing during couture since artistic director Gherardo Felloni joined the label, presenting a set of one-of-a-kind handbags intended to rejoice the peak of French craftsmanship.

The 15 designs, based on one in all the brand’s classics, the Viv’ Choc bag with its rectangular clasp, feature a variety of embellishments and craft techniques, from plumasserie to embroideries with a whole bunch of shivering natural pearls. The Colibri design, for instance, was inspired by the 1959 “Choc” heel designed by Roger Vivier, with which he innovated by integrating feathers traditionally utilized in hat-making.

“It’s really beautiful for me when it comes to working, because I don’t need to take into consideration production,” said Felloni. “Our clients love limited edition and made-to-order products. They’re really precious, they will’t be replicated.”

The designs, using materials including velvet and alligator skin as their base, were inspired by French history, evoking the Eiffel Tower, Versailles and Marie-Antoinette, for instance. Every bit is a one-off, and took artisans as much as 90 hours to make, often involving numerous intricate steps. As the gathering travels the world for presentations, every one sold might be replaced by one other, different design.

For the presentation, Felloni also designed a custom ceramic display inspired by a chandelier, its painted branches each holding one in all the valuable pieces, which cost as much as $50,000. — ALEX WYNNE