On the occasion of Milan Design Week 2019, contemporary art magazine and creative studio KALEIDOSCOPE once again teams up with the iconic luggage company RIMOWA on a multi-platform project developing in print, online, and live. Featuring Spanish designer Guillermo Santomá (b. 1984), who was invited to share his progressive outlook on this timeless icon of functional luxury and purposeful travel, the collaboration will unfold through three separate but intertwined activations: a short film, an installation, and a printed publication.
Merging his sense of color and play with a sensibility towards industrial materials and processes, Santomá creates surreal objects and spaces suspended between art and function. His new installation at Spazio Maiocchi, inspired by the idea of a conceptual gas station, will be centered on a fully functioning car customized with RIMOWA aluminum into a light and sound sculpture. Entitled “GAS” after Ed Ruscha’s iconic series Twentysix Gasoline Stations and overtly indebted to custom car culture and the Light and Space movement, the installation furthers the artist’s fascination with the US West Coast.
“In many cases, developing a product is very close to an artistic practice. I like to work with industrial materials, and push them to the limit,” says the designer about the RIMOWA aluminum—the brand’s quintessential material, which has stood the test of time since 1937 and revolutionized the world of travel.
A photo zine and short film—shot by Thibaut Grevet between the wild landscape of the Monegros desert and the artist’s studio and signature home in Barcelona—complete the project, providing exclusive insight into the making of this one-of-a-kind collaboration.
Pierre Hardy’s Poworama capsule is inspired by the Summer 2012 Collector Poworama sneaker, which pays tribute to the Pop Art movement of the 60s and particularly the artist, Roy Lichtenstein. The collection initiates the 20th year Anniversary celebration of the brand which will happen in Autumn of 2019.
The Men & Women collections will be exclusively available on pierrehardy.com and in Pierre Hardy's stores starting from 350 euros to 650 euros.
Kim Jones’ first campaign as Artistic Director of the Dior Menswear features the emblematic bff character, conceived by new York based artist Kaws and wearing a suit to symbolize Christian Dior, echoing the monumental centerpiece constructed for the summer 2019 show.
Captured by the American photographer Steven Meisel, Kim Jones’ designs embody a new masculine allure.
“I wanted this advertising to reflect the spirit of the summer show and the beauty of Dior,“ affirms Kim Jones.
In sequences of soft and sharp shades of pink, this wardrobe unfolds in bright tones, illuminated with yellow, blending the codes of haute couture, tailoring and sportswear, reinforcing the dialogue between art and fashion, heritage and daring. iconic motifs held dear by the founding couturier are tweaked with a sense of nonchalant humor. the bee, Toile de Jouy, the Dior oblique canvas, or cannage in lasercut form, are freely employed, reinvented and re-visited with the subtle mastery of re-appropriation that is one of Kim Jones’ signatures.
Iconic and playful, the Brillant is one of the jewels of Maison Delvaux, the beloved leather goods House that reigns from the Kingdom of Belgium. For its 1958 arrival in the world, the newborn Brillant was presented at the Brussels World’s Fair. Presiding over the the Brillant’s baptism, Baudouin I, King of the Belgians, bestowed his blessings on the newly arrived creation. Since then, with its aristocratic and joyous imagination, the Brillant has never stopped reinventing itself. A product of the finest leathergoods tradition, and having stood the test of generations of kings and queens, the Brillant merrily mixes it up—playing with conventions and lending itself to fantasy reinterpretations.
To celebrate the opening of Delvaux’s London boutiques on Sloane Street and on New Bond Street, the Brillant now exists in the form of the “Miniatures So British”. This collection of four Charms embodies la Maison’s tradition of “Miniatures”, small masterpieces of fine leather craft, combined here with the emblematic symbols of England—a monarchy that is also distinguished by a high degree of fantasy. Embossing, screen printing, and micro-techniques are used to create these four designs—four clins d’oeils, that is to say, four cheeky winks and nods—requiring artisanal savoir-faire.
A mecca of alternative culture, the Camden Town neighbourhood lends its name to a miniature Brillant that is as punk as can be. Dressed up in black—like Sid Vicious’ hair— its iconic tartan plaid is enhanced with patent leather, thanks to highly sophisticated printing techniques. Here and there, safety pins and piercings are studded across its miniature body.
The ultimate in symbols, the uniform of the royal guards of Buckingham Palace also garners its own Delvaux Miniature. With its black coiffe of shaven mink, its officer’s vest of scarlet red Box calf, and two round black-laquered metallic eyes, the adorable soldier that is so emblematic of London is now available as a Charms.
Immortalised notably in Michelangelo Antonioni’s mythical film Blow Up, the iconic red phone booth has never quite been dethroned by mobile phones. Engraved in the collective consciousness, this quintessential symbol of London is infused here with the energy of the aptly named Piccadilly Circus—the iconic crossroads thrumming with life. Supple and miniaturised,
Delvaux’s phone booth combines a 3D effect and numerical UV precision printing, for a strikingly authentic appearance.
A collection named So British would not be complete without an homage to the Union Jack! A high-frequency technique and silk-screening create an effect that is rich in dimension and volume and amazingly precise. This celebration of England would not have displeased Admiral Nelson whose statue adorns the famous Trafalgar Square, in commemoration of his 1805 victory in the battle of the same name.
Though small in size they pack a big punch – even more hours are dedicated to artisanal fabrication, embossing, silk-screening, micro-techniques…These four decorative Charms, for wearing, carrying and even collecting, are veritable, precious little bijoux.
Delvaux's latest creation, the D to D, accompanies everyday life with its refined shape.
Far from going unnoticed, this high-quality bag has a unique look from the get-go, with its two ultra-resistant carbon fibre handles. It can be hung on your shoulder with a single movement, thanks to its long grained leather handles, which can be slipped discreetly inside the bag when carried by hand.
It's this simplicity that makes the D to D the essence of sophistication. An exclusive, waterproof fabric has been created to enhance the piece. Its production is the result of several weeks of meticulous craftsmanship, from the colour of the threads to the inner coating and the weaving. A choice of two colour combinations, classic or solar, further brighten up this timeless bag. Ebony and ivory come together for an understated style.
Saffron yellow is paired with bayadere stripes, creating a lively energy.
Available in size MM and size XL, this supple and simple bag is perfect to suit all your needs, especially when on the go, where it can be packed and stored in a silkscreenprinted cover embellished with the bag's name - all made in France.
In a film to celebrate the bag's launch, Anna Cleveland embodies the Delvaux woman, a Flemish beauty straight out of a Vermeer painting. Gallivanting around a frozen Belgian beach, her eccentric style and her classical yet outlandish look are out of place in the grey landscape that surrounds her. An irreplaceable companion in her mischief, her D to D bag accompanies her on a quasi-surrealist adventure.