MAD Paris, the mastermind behind creations such as a “Grande Fleur” engraved Audemars Piguet, has returned with its latest timepiece, a matte black steel Rolex Milgauss.
Embellished with a full-bezel set of round orange sapphires, the matte black watch features a black dial that keeps the original Milgauss youthful aesthetic, featuring an orange lightning bolt seconds-hand. As with all Rolex Milgauss’, the timeless classic is equipped with Rolex’s calibre 3131 movements, a self-winding mechanical setup that is certifiably Swiss chronometer approved. The MAD Paris edition keeps the standard luminous orange 3, 6 and 9 o’clock indicators.
The MAD Paris Rolex Milgauss will cost $173,323 HKD (approx. $22,000 USD), which is $13,800 USD more than your standard Milgauss. To see more of the MAD Paris Rolex Milgauss, head to retailers such as Farfetch where you can purchase one now.
Following A$AP Ferg’s collaborative G-SHOCK timepiece, Casio‘s youthful watch imprint continues its 35th anniversary celebration by teaming up with Bodega for a remastered take on the DW-6900 model. Dressed in a clean black matte finish, the watch is informed by the Bodega storefront’s “Hidden in Plain Sight” concept, with the slogan even printed on the band to drive the point home. Further underlining the bodega theme, the watch comes packaged in a stash can designed to look like an everyday can of alphabet soup.
The collaborative timepiece is available via Bodega’s web store and Boston store.
LEGO recently celebrated its 20-year partnership with Star Wars by releasing a special-edition line full of iconic characters from the movie franchise. Now, the brand is tapping into another classic name by unveiling its upcoming LEGO Creator Expert Ford Mustang model.
The new expert-level set comes with 1,470 pieces that measure out to 13” inches once the toy is assembled. In order to embody signature details from the ’60s-era car, the kit was developed with input directly from Ford to create the most authentic replica possible. The parts are meant to closely resemble the bodywork of the original vehicle and include racing stripes on dark-blue body paint, 5-spoke rims with road gripping tires, a hood scoop, printed Mustang grille badge and GT emblems. Other customizable add-ons are also included, such as a rear ducktail spoiler, a selection of license plates, exhaust pipes, a front chin spoiler and a nitrous oxide tank.
In addition, flexible elements allow for the car to be displayed as the builder wishes. The rear axle, roof panel and doors can all be adjusted, while the steering wheel also operates as a working piece. There’s even room in the trunk for holding items, and the hood can lift up in order to show off the big block 390 V8 engine.
The LEGO Creator Expert Ford Mustang set is priced at $150 USD and will be available on LEGO’s website beginning March 1.
In other design news, a full-sized Volkswagen Type 2 Kombi made entirely out of LEGO bricks was recently unveiled at the f.re.e travel and leisure fair. The project utilized over 400,000 pieces and took the team around six weeks to finish.
After a long wait, the colorful collection has arrived in the form of a multicolor Milo & Shiro button up shirt, a blue/white Shiro print sweatshirt, and a multicolor Mila print long sleeve T-Shirt. The volleyball-centered anime has given the collection a wide array of vintage colors to choose from, taking a playful approach in mixing and matching colors as seen in the Milo & Shiro button-up. There are also cross-cuts of bright yellow with dark navy fading into black, and hues of green and reds. The vibrant Mila-print long sleeve T-shirt is another notable piece, featuring a tie-dye pattern in a beautiful blend of light purples, faded reds and violet hues.
The three MSGM pieces range from $240 USD to $450 USD and are now available via SSENSE.
The limited “True to 7” jersey takes on an all-black color palette while stark white “Kaepernick” lettering and the number “7” pay tribute to the athlete/activist. Kaepernick shared the news via Twitter stating, “For those true to themselves on and off the field. Proudly, unapologetically and against all odds. This is only the beginning.” Big name stars like LeBron James and Steph Curry have already been seen rocking the jersey ahead of its release.
In 2016 Colin Kaepernick pioneered the “Take a Knee” stance, a gesture used during the playing of the U.S. national anthem to protest against police brutality and racial inequality. This protest then swept through the NFL on September 24, 2017 when over 200 players knelt on one knee in a show of defiance against President Donald Trump, who called for owners to fire their protesting players.
Support for Kaepernick has since been huge, seeing as his “#IMWITHKAP” jerseys dropped in September of last year were completely sold out. Kap donated 20% of the sale proceeds to his Know Your Rights campaign, an organization created to help “raise awareness on self-empowerment” for youths. Kaepernick was also crowned the face of Nike’s 30th anniversary for the “Just Do It” campaign in the same month. “We believe Colin Kaepernick is one of the most inspirational athletes of this generation, who has leveraged the power of sport to help move the world forward,” Nike spokesperson said, via The Undefeated.
Keep it locked here for when the Colin Kaepernick limited edition “True to 7” Nike jerseys drop.
Tommy Hilfiger has official revealed its Spring 2019 collection made in collaboration with Zendaya. The TommyXZendaya lookbook stars the actress herself styled in the tailored garments. Standout pieces include the high-waisted jeans, suits and zodiac-inspired shirts. The range has a strong ’70s aesthetic that is merged with classic American design. Fans can expect swimwear, underwear and other accessories to be released with the first drop.
The TommyXZendaya line will premiered at Paris Fashion Week on March 2. Following the experiential runway event, the collection will be available at Tommy Hilfiger stores and on tommy.com.
Yesterday, news broke that legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld had passed away age 85. Known mostly for his impressive tenure as creative director at Chanel, Lagerfeld was one of the the most innovative, iconic and seemingly everlasting visionaries in the fashion world. Acclaimed not only as a fashion designer but also as a costume designer and prominent photographer who shot magazine covers and advertising campaigns for some of the world’s biggest brands, his work has had an enduring impact on many and to honor his legacy, we’re taking a look back at his life and many accomplishments over the years.
It wasn’t until 1965 however that he began one of the tenures for which he is best know, at Italian house Fendi where he retained his position for over a staggering five decades. He worked closely with the Fendi sisters throughout his career and together they transformed the brand into the luxury powerhouse it is today. He also launched his namesake line in 1984, a year after he took the reins as creative director at Chanel – the position he will forever be best known and celebrated for.
At the time, Chanel was a suffering brand; it had basically been stagnating since the death of Coco Chanel a decade earlier. Although there was much concern that Lagerfeld, a designer who had previously dismissed the need for the craft of Haute Couture, would be a good fit for a brand, critics were silenced when he presented his first couture collection for fall 1983.
With each year since, Lagerfeld continued to amuse, delight and inspire the fashion industry and enthusiasts alike with his couture and ready-to-wear spectacles that saw him transform the Grand Palais into everything from a Chanel-branded supermarket, a recreation of the Eiffel Tower and an all-white undersea scene to the unforgettable arctic adventure in fall/winter 2010 which featured a literal 265-tonne iceberg, imported from Scandinavia.
In his later years, Lagerfeld had the mammoth task of designing fifteen collections every year, for three incredibly different houses – Chanel, Fendi and of course, his eponymous brand. You’d think with an undertaking this large, his creativity would surely falter but year upon year, Lagerfeld blessed us with aspirational, dramatic and beautiful collections and shows that substantiated exactly why he was a widely-proclaimed genius and so completely deserving of his unofficial title as the “Kaiser of fashion.”
As well as celebrating its heritage, Lagerfeld was a major force in driving the industry forward. He was a notable early adopter of collaborations; he kick-started H&M’s limited-edition designer collabs back in 2004. Following that, he partnered with Faber-Castell, Vans, Diet Coke, PUMA and more. He even got his beloved cat Choupette in on the action; the kitty landed her own branded products with Shu Uemura and her likeness created by toy manufacturer Steiff.
Rindoff Petroff Castel/Getty Images
His distinct aesthetic, with his mostly black wardrobe, penchant for sunglasses and iconic 18th century-esque white ponytail, as well as his often snippy remarks, helped cement his status as a bona fide pop culture icon. He wasn’t without his issues however; he was regarded as a “nemesis” and frequent target of PETA due to his continued use of fur and his comments on size and sexual harrassment in the fashion sphere were the center of much controversy and reinforced many negative stereotypes of the fashion industry.
These elements have largely been eclipsed by his work, which itself of course will remain his greatest legacy; with a career that spanned over seventy years, Lagerfeld was without a doubt one of the greatest and most acclaimed design talents of his generation.
Horst P. Horst/Conde Nast/Getty Images
Alongside his remarkable contribution to fashion, we’ll fondly remember him for his love of Diet Coke (it was reportedly all he drank, consuming up to 10 cans per day), the fact he claimed to have lost 200 lbs simply to “wear suits by Hedi Slimane” and his frankly insane collection of 300 iPods. As someone who defined the fashion landscape for such a long time, it’s almost hard to imagine the world without him in it however his passing marks a shift towards a new era for Chanel, and it will be interesting to see how the brand adapts and progresses with a new creative director at the helm.
While there have yet been no formal announcements about his final FW19 show, scheduled for March 5 during Paris Fashion Week, it’s clear that an air of deep sadness will entrench the city as the fashion industry descend upon it this season.
“I do not want to be a reality in the lives of others,” Lagerfeld once famously said, “I want to be like an apparition, that appears and then disappears.” While he may have disappeared from the physical realm it goes without saying his indisputable genius and legacy will continue to inspire creatives in decades, even centuries, to come and live on through them forever.
