#TISCIFORBURBS? With the fashion industry playing musical chairs, the recent company that joined the game is Burberry. On March 12th, Burberry's CEO Marco Gobetti shocked the world by appointing Givenchy's previous creative director Riccardo Tisci as the new creative officer for the British brand: “I am delighted that Riccardo is joining Burberry as chief creative officer. Riccardo is one of the most talented designers of our time. His designs have an elegance that is contemporary and his skill in blending streetwear with high fashion is highly relevant to today’s luxury consumer. Riccardo’s creative vision will reinforce the ambitions we have for Burberry and position the brand firmly in luxury.” Founded in 1856, Burberry is known for its heritage and traditional use of gabardine. Christopher Bailey, the previous creative director of the brand for over four years brought it back to life through a digital transformation by making the first brand to use a smartphone to film the catwalk show in 2013. However, despite his efforts through exhibitions and technology, Bailey didn't manage to bond heritage with today's fashion. Bringing Tisci to the table might change things around: having worked at Givenchy for over 12 years, he made it a trendy and youthful brand. Editor-in-chief of British Vogue Edward Enningful characterize him as a "true visionary". The Italian designer studied in Central Saint Martins and in 2004 launched his eponymous brand before becoming the creative director of Givenchy in 2005. He will bring numerous things to Burberry which hopefully will be beneficiary: the first one is streetstyle: Tisci has already done collaborations with Nike which has been a recurrent success. On the other hand, Burberry recently did a collaboration with upcoming designer Gosha Rubchinskiy but unfortunately wasn't enough to put the British brand in the streetstyle category alongside competitors. Another interesting asset has to be Tisci’s celebrity friends which can be useful for Burberry: celebrity culture is a successful marketing strategy at the moment and Burberry didn't really use it to the fullest. Tisci is also active on social media with over 2.3M followers on his official account. Once again, this marketing strategy is perfect to promote Burberry and to make it a youthful and trendy brand. The use of social media will empathize further Christopher Bailey's soft spot for technology. Riccardo Tisci is the first luxury designer to introduce a first transgender model to a fashion show; Lea T became a sensation after that. The Italian designer is known for his use of diversity on the catwalk and might continue on Burberry's idea of supporting the LGBTQ+ community in Bailey's latest campaign and catwalk show. Finally, Riccardo Tisci will bring his interpretation of Burberry's heritage maybe with some couture elements to it as he is also a master in this domain. Having said that, let's hope that his interpretation will not completely wipe off Burberry's strong codes and values. If some creatives in the industry are happy about Tisci's arrival, some aren't : for example, Caroline Issa, Tank magazine's fashion director tweeted the day the news was unveiled "Riccardo Tisci for Burberry - Not April's Fool…" The constant use of the same designers for different brands makes the fashion world homogenous and can result into no new sources of creativity. Moreover, designers bring the codes of the previous fashion house they worked for into the new house which results to a loss of brand values and ethos. In fact, an Instagram account Diet Prada became the star of the social platform due to the exposure they did of brands copying each other. This caused heated online arguments between Diet Prada and designers such as D&G. However, others praise their account: they are now invited to fashion shows as their opinion is valued. The Financial Times labelled them as "fashion's most powerful critic". Another unexpected new creative designer who will replace PhoebePhilo at Celine is Hedi Slimane. He completely changed YSL around during his time by first off changing the name to Saint Laurent but also the whole message and brand image of the French fashion house. The Philophistes are worried and hope he will not scrap what Philo built at Celine. This sense of unease can be found with Tisci as he also has such a gothic inspired style which is the total opposite of Burberry. However, we will have to wait impatiently for the unveiling of Tisci's first collection for Burberry in September. With mixed opinions on his arrival, the show will surely also divide. Watch the space...
Thank you J.W. Anderson J.W. Anderson once again confirms Loewe’s strong position in the fashion industry with its latest Autumn/Winter show. Labeled as “one of the season’s strongest shows yet” according to WWD magazine, Loewe has been brought back to life since Anderson has been appointed creative director in 2013. The show took place during Paris Fashion Week at la Maison de l’UNESCO in a calming atmosphere. He transformed this historical location into a perfect cosy living area by using handcrafted tapestries especially made for the show, neo-dada sculptures from Japanese artist Tetsumi Kudo and fireplaces designed by E.W. Godwin. Moreover, to accentuate his inspiration which is the art movement classicism, each front row guest found on their seat a hardback classic novel by Loewe with a photography by Steven Meisel as a front cover: Some received Wuthering Heights and others, Don Quixote. Anderson explained that “classicism is always there…sometimes you change the cover and make it relevant for today.” J.W. Anderson has never hidden the fact that art is his second passion in life; in fact, the choice of his inspiration makes sense. Backstage after the storm, the British designer disclosed the need of “removing noise” during the catwalk show which explains his unusual choice of music for the show: an unknown male voice talking about spiritual wellness. The result of this calmness automatically brings all the focus to the exquisitely constructed collection. Loewe is one of the oldest Spanish brand and debuted as a leather house in 1846. In fact, J.W. Anderson kept Loewe’s strong craftsmanship heritage with stitched leather pockets and bright leather pieces throughout the show. With the arrival of J.W Anderson, it was a gamble to bring such a young and modern designer to this traditional brand however, it paid off. He managed to balance the brand’s legacy with current trends which led Loewe to have a new it-bag called “Puzzle” and can be seen revisited each season. However, the first look of this collection blatantly reminded us of Celine’s Spring/Summer 2017 show with the underwear worn as outerwear: bras worn on top of shirts and elements of corsets were found. These Philo elements were still translated in the designer’s own way with use of leather bras and a hybrid between a shirt and a corset. This disappointing move from J.W. Anderson didn’t stop the collection to have each outfit to look better than the previous one: the loose silhouette was still structured through tailoring elements and feminine high waists. The neutral colour palette was mixed with colourful tribal inspired threads and bold prints. Shearling coats were revisited by making them long and more feminine, discarding the usual aviator shearling jackets look. Another key trend for this collection has to be capes: the designer chose to deconstruct classic tailored suit jackets or just kept the capes traditional in cosy fabric yet with still Loewe’s elegance. Mix of textures and fabrics were seen throughout the show as the designer explains that “cloth is what makes clothing”. According to LVMH, J.W. Anderson’s arrival brought “solid growth” to Loewe however what does the future hold for the brand? With designers constantly leaving fashion houses with just recently Kris Van Assche leaving Dior Homme after 11 years, will J.W. Anderson leave Loewe to devote himself to his eponymous brand? For now, let’s thank the designer for reviving a Spanish brand full of potential with a beautiful legacy.
Interviewing Cynthia Jreige, Owner and Founder of Jdeed Fashion Magazine. “Unveiling an undiscovered side of the Arab World” Cynthia Jreige,Owner and Founder of Jdeed Karine Hawawini: Who is the founder of Cynthia Jreige, the founder of Jdeed (background/education)? Cynthia Jreige: I, Cynthia Jreige, am the founder of JDEED. I was born and raised in Luxembourg from an Italian-Belgian mother and a Lebanese father. I did a Bachelor in Fashion Design at Istituto Marangoni in Paris during which I’ve interned with La-couture.com and Le Nouvel Observateur that were already editorial-oriented. After I completed my BA, I did an 8 month internship in NYC at the Hugo Boss runway studio with Jason Wu then flew back to Paris to work with blogger Une Libanaise a Paris. In 2015, I travelled to London where I started a Master’s in Fashion Journalism at London College of Fashion. I founded JDEED at 22, it being my final master’s project. K.H.: Did the founder’s education and cultural preferences influence the direction of the magazine? C.J.: I believe so. I have been traveling to Lebanon every summer since I was a baby and always felt very attached to the Lebanese culture and my Arabic heritage. Being from a very mixed background, I kind of focused on one of my origins and I guess the Middle-East just became engraved in me. As for the aesthetics per say, I think that the fact that I travel non stop has enabled me to see a lot of variety in terms of art and design and has helped me develop a sharp eye for all things design. I got to know what I really liked over the years and believe to have a naturally strong artistic sense. K.H.: How did the creation of Jdeed come around? C.J.: JDEED was simply my end of Master’s project back in 2016. After I handed it back, I didn’t even question myself about whether I’d actually publish it or not. It was a very natural process- which doesn’t mean that the road has been easy: creating a publishing company takes time and perseverance. But I was so certain about my choice that I gathered all my strengths and made it happen.
”I think that we all want to show the world that we Arabs are just as talented and innovative as anyone else even though we’re not always given the same opportunities. I believe we are also very attached to these Arab roots: for exemple, every single artist I’ve interviewed has told me that they are, and so is their work, influenced by their background.” K.H.: What is different from other current fashion/art magazine?
C.J.: In the Arab world or in general? I’d say that what is truly different is that we are 100% focused on emerging designers, some are still in school about to graduate. It’s a genuine exchange between us and the people we interview – For most of them JDEED is their first magazine feature. We also have a very specific vision for our shoots. That said I believe that the main difference is the fact that our whole team is composed of young Arabs – down to the clothes we shoot. I have no interest in shooting, let’s say, Chanel, unless tomorrow a young Arab take over the brand. K.H.: Is there a category in Jdeed that cannot be found in usual fashion magazines? C.J.: Well I guess it’s not a category per say but the fact that we divide the magazine by cities/countries and that it mixes fashion, art and design. K.H.: Each image from your fashion editorials are beautiful as an art piece, do you take into consideration current art trends and just the art world in general when creating these editorials? C.J.: First of all, thanks a lot. And no, really not actually. We don’t even always shoot the latest collections from the designers but just the pieces we like. Our themes are very broad as I can be inspired by anything. For example, the Sergei Parajanov shoot in our second issue came to me after I visited the namesake museum of this famous Georgian/Armenian movie director in Yerevan. His universe just talked to me so much. But globally I try to create universes that are different from what has been seen before, especially in the Middle-East. We’re not afraid to work with models that are extremely different with bold features, do crazy make-ups, mix prints… I like to disturb people, although I don’t specifically intend to shock. I don’t think this is the kind of magazine that needs to do that. K.H.: What is the process of creating an issue? Do you follow a theme throughout? Do you want to create a storyline? C.J.: I usually start by doing a lot of research or decide on a country I want to cover and then start researching about its emerging art scenes. Another option is that I come up with a general theme that emerged from my researches. When I decide on what artists and countries, I usually travel there myself – so I have for all the countries we’ve covered so far: Oman, Jordan, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Azerbaijan and Lebanon. But for our third upcoming issue, I had to commission people in Saudi as I couldn’t make it there. Then the shoots happen between Beirut, Dubai and Paris We work with a lot of contributors so it’s my role to find them or review the submissions we receive, then send the article to a sub-editor and the graphic designer, check everything with our creative consultant and then when all this is done, we send to the print, two weeks before it hits the newsstands. K.H.: What is the main source of inspiration for Jdeed? C.J.: Probably my travels: I see so much and meet so many interesting people. Although it seems insane, Instagram is also an incredible tool of inspiration: the whole world is on it. But I think at the end of the day it mostly comes down to staying curious about everything all the time. I’m extremely observant and will find beauty in something someone would call trash. Of course design weeks, exhibitions, fashion weeks… they keep us inspired. Lastly, I can’t deny that urban art and street cultures have quite a big influence on our design choices. K.H.: The magazine seems to be working hand in hand with fashion and art, does art have an important part in Jdeed?
C.J.: Its place is as important as is the Fashion’s. I don’t believe in pure fashion and trends, or dictate what someone should wear and how. To me, art has a more “free” feeling attached to it and to me they both compliment each other. Fashion is anyway art in itself. K.H.: Do you think the cultural beauty of the Middle East is being overshadowed by current political events? C.J.: I think that oppositely, it shines bright despite the region’s geopolitics. It is obvious that for the rest of the world, the Middle-East sounds more like war and hoummous than underground fashion. But the main actors on these artistic scenes believe in it so much that it eclipses the turbulent political context. K.H.: What do you think of the digitalisation of magazines? C.J.: Can I hate it? Well not to be as radical, I think it is great that we can access to any kind of editorial content anywhere, anytime, but to me a magazine is a beautiful object that deserves to remain in printed format. I don’t think that a shoot for example is worth looking at digitally. It might be just me but the feel of paper is something that can’t be replaced. I’m genuinely happy -and have been since I was probably 6to go to the bookstore to buy a magazine. K.H.: Would you consider creating a digital version of your magazine? C.J.: We do have one, despite the fact that I’m not specifically a fan of the whole idea but it’s 2018 and there are some things and some demands you can’t ignore. Same goes for Instagram. K.H.: Are you targeting only Middle Eastern readers? C.J.: No, we have a lot of “Western” readers who have a passion for the Arab World without being Arab themselves or people who are just curious. I don’t like the idea of being communitarian. I find interest in many things, specifically Georgian fashion at the moment although I’m really not Georgian. K.H.: Do you wish to sell the magazine worldwide eventually? C.J.: We’re currently sold in Lebanon, Bahrain, Dubai, Amman, Berlin, London, Paris and Stockholm and am really proud to have gone this far in so little time. But yes, definitely I want to take the magazine to a global level and enable more and more people to be be able to be part of our platform – cause to me this is what it is: we’re a platform that we grow together. K.H.: Give me 4 places in the Middle East you would recommend someone who’s never been there (city, restaurant, shop, gallery etc…) C.J.: 4 places is going to be really hard, there’s so much to see and do! I’d say that Petra in Jordan is a must-see, it’s literally breath-taking. Beirut as a whole is such a vibrant city that is a real mix of cultures – I’m probably biased but between the art, the food, the party, I’ve never heard a visitor who said they didn’t like their stay in the Lebanese capital. Another incredible place is Jabal Akhdar in Oman, three hours drive away from Mascate. There’s a hotel called Alila that is one of the most beautiful I’ve been to in my life. The scenery is just breath-taking and Omanis are truly exquisite people. Sheikh Zayed Mosque and the Louvre in Abu Dhabi are also definitely worth a visit. If I can add one, I think that Al Serkal in Dubai is a good way to witness what’s actually going on on the contemporary art scenes of the Arab world, in an urban setting, far from the beaches and the malls that gave Dubai its cliché reputation. Interview by Karine Hawawini Discover Jdeed Magzine on www.jdeedmagazine.com Follow Jdeed Magazine on Instagram: @jdeed_magazine Get your copy today at Al Saqi Bookshop, Notting Hill: http://www.alsaqibookshop.com