It’s not every day that we get a new addition to haute couture fashion week. Mostly because, in order to make it onto the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode’s calendar, brands must be sponsored by members of the elite association that includes historic houses like Chanel, Givenchy, and Christian Dior. Which is why we were thrilled to learn that New York-based label Area would shake things up while debuting its first-ever couture collection — albeit digitally and not as part of the official calendar — this season.
On Thursday, Area designers Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk released the kind of unexpected and daring collection, made up of sequin-adorned suits, crystal bustiers, and accordion-like dresses, that this season’s couture week was missing. Sure, there were big productions and names, and even bigger gowns — not to mention horses used at not one, but two shows, at Dior and Chanel — but, there hasn’t been a lot of playfulness. Nor has there been a lot of size diversity.
The design duo changed that by tapping Precious Lee — the first plus-size Black model to appear in Vogue, who most recently walked in Versace’s spring ‘21 runway show — for its debut. “We feel like every type of body is beautiful and unique in its own way,” they said in the show notes. “We wanted to highlight that by playing with a range of silhouettes created to compliment the wearer — showcasing that beauty and craft can feel exclusive in its core, but at the same time, include a range of body types.” Yasmin Wijnaldum, a Dutch model who’s walked in shows for Prada, Jean Paul Gaultier, Chanel, and Valentino, also showcases the new collection.
With 14 looks in total, Wijnaldum showcased eight of them — including a rainbow, crystal-covered bikini and a sideless gown with tiers running down the front — while Lee modeled the remaining six — ranging from a bow-and-crystal-embellished black suit to a white-and-silver corseted gown that also contained a petticoat.
In line with couture standards, all clothing was custom-tailored — one of the areas that makes couture week feel extra special — and, as the duo said, inclusive of different body types. “With this couture collection, we wanted to showcase our ability and dedication to creating beauty by hand,” Fogg and Panszczyk noted. In doing so, they used close to half a million Swarovski crystals.
This extended to one of our favorite parts of the collection: the chunky, metallic clogs worn by both Lee and Wijnaldum. Alongside hot pink sandals and square-toe boots were two pairs of bulbous clogs — one shiny and silver and the other black with crystal studs — that looked equally chic when paired with gowns and bikini tops. We didn’t need another reason to love clogs, but we’re glad Area gave us one anyway.
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Signage outside a Chico’s FAS Inc. store in Fort Myers, Florida, U.S., on Monday, March 3, 2020. For the third quarter, total sales improved 14.8% from the thirteen weeks ended August 1, 2020, driven by robust digital performance and rebounding store revenues. Photographer: Eve Edelheit/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Starting on Friday, redditors on the subreddit r/WallStreetBets began to target Wall Street short sellers — market makers and hedge funds that bet on the price of a stock falling. It began with GameStop, the go-to store for GameCube games in middle school. Now that gamers frequent online stores, and thousands of GameStop stores have closed, hedge funds were sure the retailer’s stock would continue to decrease. Therefore, they bet boatloads of money to make a profit.
For those of you who are unfamiliar with short selling, according to Refinery29 Work & Money writer Whizy Kim, it works like this: “Step one, borrow shares from someone else. Step two, sell them right away. Step three, wait for the stock price to drop and buy the same number of shares you borrowed. Step four, return the borrowed shares and make a profit from the difference in price.” So when redditors decided to pour their money into GameStop, thus increasing the company’s stock price from $18.84 on New Year’s Eve to over $250 at the time of writing, all of the hedge funds involved were forced to sell their stock at a loss. GameStock’s valuation skyrocketed — on Tuesday, its value exceeded $10 billion.
The same is happening to other ‘00s forgotten brands like Build-A-Bear, Blockbuster, and BlackBerry, that have been stored away in the back of our brains, only to be brought up in conversations about childhood birthday parties and Brick Breaker. Fashion may also have gotten hit. According to a tweet by Bloomberg anchor Jon Erlichman, clothing store Express’ stock spiked 245% yesterday. Despite the fact that Wedbush analyst Jennifer Redding told Bloomberg that the Ohio-based retailer is “hemorrhaging cash” as a result of the pandemic, more than 350 million Express shares were traded on Monday — a record high for the clothing chain — and their shares nearly doubled.
According to Business of Fashion, Express isn’t the only fashion brand that may be on Reddit’s radar. The publication speculates that WallStreetBets’ next conquest could be mom brands. Analysts who spoke to BOF shared that the same small investors from WallStreetBets that bought stock in GameStop, Blockbuster, and more, are now readying to do the same with stock for mall brands like J.Jill and Chico’s, especially since restrictions have been put in place to slow the trading of GameStop and AMC shares.
Despite the surge in demand for beige, boxy button-downs layered over turtlenecks and cuffed, wide-leg trousers in fashion — comfortable, neutral clothing that appealed to moms of the ’90s and ’00s, the stores that were known for them have been struggling over the years. The pandemic has made it worse. According to WWD, the parent company to retailers like Chico’s, White House Black Market, and Soma, lost $178 million during the first wave of the pandemic; in December, Retail Dive reported that J.Jill remained in a $24.1 million loss, with sales down 30% in Q3.
According to Susan Anderson, a B. Riley FBR analyst who was quoted in BOF, because some fashion retailers have such low market capitalizations, meaning that it’s cheaper to infiltrate their stock, they are perfect targets for Reddit’s next round of, “What brand can we tear down Wall Street with next?”
Of course, even if WallStreetBets members do throng to J.Jill and Chico’s stock, thus increasing the price and value, that doesn’t necessarily mean that either will survive in the long run. As we’ve learned from the J.Crews and Lord & Taylors of the world, mall mainstays have been failing to capture the interests of the internet-savvy consumer even pre-pandemic. And despite the fact that the Diane Keaton-in-Something’s Gotta Give aesthetic is on the up-and-up in fashion — as shown by the clogs and billowy shirts trending right — from where we’re sitting, it doesn’t look like the brands who flaunted them in the past will be invited along for the ride.
Refinery29 reached out to Express for a comment but had not yet heard back at the time of publishing.
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बीटाउन की ऐक्ट्रेसेस खुद को फिट रखने के लिए जमकर पसीना बहाती हैं। इसके लिए वे जिम जाने से लेकर योगा क्लास, बॉक्सिंग क्लास, डांसिंग क्लास, पिलाटिस जैसी न जाने कितनी ऐक्टिविटिज में खुद को इन्वॉल्व रखती हैं। इस वजह से उन्हें बार-बार इनसे जुड़ी क्लासिस के बाहर स्पॉट किया जाता है। इस बार सारा अली खान, मलाइका अरोड़ा और खुशी कपूर को पपराजी के कैमरे में कैद किया गया।
बॉलीवुड एक्ट्रेस मलाइका अरोड़ा (Malaika Arora) घर से बाहर निकली हों और उनकी बात न हो, ऐसा कैसे हो सकता है। अभी जहां एक्ट्रेस की जिम वाली तस्वीरें ही लोगों के जेहन से नहीं उतरी हैं, तो वहीं अब मलाइका का नया लुक चर्चा में है।
There’s nothing quite like waking up on a winter morning and discovering a view blanketed in snow. But with the pleasing aesthetics of fresh snowfall comes, too, the need to trek through it (and, for some, shovel it). For that, only one genre of footwear will do: snow boots. But, given that most utilitarian winter footwear is clunky, it's often not the most stylish option. That is until this winter, when designers decided to upgrade the cold-weather staple.
In 2021, snow boots are still waterproof, warm, and durable, but they’re also chic, with lug soles, colored stitching, and shearling details that will make you want to wear them long after your driveway has been cleared. Hell, we’d wear them even if it didn’t snow. Responsible for their rise are brands like Ganni, Diemme, and Suicoke, who’ve turned water-repellent styles into wardrobe items you’ll want to show off. Even Gucci’s making them, and yes, they include the horsebit.
So before you begrudgingly pull out your salt-stained boots from the back of the closet for yet another snow-filled season, click ahead and find a fashion-forward version that you won’t want to hide.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
Ganni Rubber-Trimmed Leather Chelsea Knee Boots, $, available at Net-A-Porter
Zara Low Heel Quilted Tall Boots, $, available at Zara
Gucci Off-White Rubber Horsebit Ankle Boots, $, available at SSENSE
Mango Water Repellent Boots, $, available at Mango
एकता कपूर का बेटा रवि दो साल का हो गया है। इस मौके पर उन्होंने अपने घर पर शानदार पार्टी रखी। इसमें बीटाउन के कई सितारे अपने हमसफर और बच्चों के साथ स्पॉट हुए। इस दौरान सिलेब्स के साथ ही उनके किड्स का स्टाइल देखने लायक था।
एकता कपूर का बेटा रवि दो साल का हो गया है। इस मौके पर उन्होंने अपने घर पर शानदार पार्टी रखी। इसमें बीटाउन के कई सितारे अपने हमसफर और बच्चों के साथ स्पॉट हुए। इस दौरान सिलेब्स के साथ ही उनके किड्स का स्टाइल देखने लायक था।
