In the final days of 2017, Models.com crowned the Model of the Year, Phoebe Philo confirms her departure from Céline and Apple lost a lawsuit to an Italian fashion label. Discover these stories and more as we reveal this week’s top international fashion news.
Models.com Crowns Model of the Year
Once again, a jury made up of fashion industry’s finest has sat down to determine the winners of the annual Model of the Year Industry awards. Two hundred and fifty of the best photographers, editors, makeup artists, stylists and casting directors weighed in on this year’s model performances to crown the best of the best in the business. The categories were Model of the Year, Breakout Star, Social Media Star, Street Style and Celebrity Model. Parallel to the jury votes, the public had the opportunity to vote for their personal favourites in the Readers’ Choice Awards.
The industry’s pick for Model of the Year was Adwoa Aboah, who also took home the same title at the 2017 Fashion Awards earlier this month. The people voted for the younger Hadid sister Bella to be their number one. She also took home the title for Social Media Star in the people’s choice category. After a killer first runway season during the Spring/Summer shows this year, newcomer Kaia Gerber was voted Breakout Star by both parties. Her brother Presley Gerber topped the same category in the men’s division. Fashion icon Rihanna was voted celebrity model of the year by the industry jury, while actress Zendaya won the public vote. For the full list of winners, runner-ups and nominees visit models.com.
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Phoebe Philo Confirms Céline Exit
After months of uncertain industry chatter, it was finally confirmed at the end of last week: queen of the French girl chic, Phoebe Philo, will be leaving Céline after almost ten years of service. In a statement obtained by WWD, the designer thanked everyone involved for a successful decade at the French label. “Working with Céline has been an exceptional experience for me this past 10 years. I am grateful to have worked with an incredibly talented and committed team and I would like to thank everyone along the way who has been part of the collaborations and conversations…it’s been amazing.” Philo’s final collection for Céline will be shown in Paris in March next year. A successor has not been confirmed yet. In the meantime, Philo’s team of creatives will continue to design for the label.
LMVH chairman and chief executive officer Bernard Arnault praised the designer’s efforts during her time at the brand. “What Phoebe has accomplished over the past 10 years represents a key chapter in the history of Céline. We are very grateful to Phoebe for having contributed to the great momentum of this maison.” Furthermore, he expressed his confidence in the bright future of the French fashion house. “A new era of development for Céline will now start and I am extremely confident in the future success of this iconic maison.” As for the future of Phoebe Philo, specifics have yet to be revealed. According to WWD, there are no current plans for the Parisienne to take up a new position at another fashion house. Philo joined Céline in 2008 after a personal timeout to focus on raising her family.
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Apple Looses Lawsuit Against Italian Fashion Label
Following a five-year legal battle, California-based tech heavyweight Apple lost a lawsuit against an Italian fashion brand, which trademarked the name of its co-founder Steve Jobs. The risqué decision to name their brand after the late tech mogul was made after Vincenzo and Giacomo Barbato discovered that the name was yet not officially protected by the trademark union. “We did our market research and we noticed that Apple, one of the best-known companies in the world, never thought about registering its founder’s [name]. So, we decided to do it ourselves.” In addition to that, they designed their brand’s logo with the iconic bitten apple symbol in mind; a ‘J’ with a circular cutout and topped with an Apple-style leaf.
In the lawsuit, Apple opposed the registration of the Naples-based Steve Jobs brand with the EUTM (European Trademark Union) due to the “likelihood of confusion, unfair advantage/detriment to distinctiveness or repute [of an] earlier non-registered trademark.” Interestingly, it was not the name itself that lead Apple to step in, but the likeness of the companies’ logos. In the end, however, the EUTM ruled in favour of the two Italian brothers. Whether this really marks the end of the legal battle between the two entities remains to be seen. In any case, the Barbato siblings got what they were after: lots of international media attention.
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Adidas Rumoured to Release Dragon Ball Z Special Edition
Sneaker enthusiasts have yet another reason to look forward to 2018. If there is substance to the rumours currently circulating on the net, Adidas has signed on for a one-off collaboration with everyone’s all-time favourite anime series Dragon Ball Z. According to the online platform Yeezy Mafia, the sportswear giant will be dropping a limited edition collection sometime at the end of next year. The capsule is said to include seven different sneaker designs, modelled after each of the seven Dragon Balls. To the delight of die-hard anime fans, the shoes are also said to come with the same number of special edition Dragon Balls collectables. While Dragon Ball Z is no stranger to fashion collaborations (see their latest BAPE collection), this will be the first time the show steps into the global footwear market.
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Lanvin Continues to Suffer Financial Setbacks
French legacy house Lanvin continues to struggle financially after a significant drop in sales over the past years. While the brand does not publicly disclose its annual earnings, Business of Fashion reported that Lanvin’s revenue dropped by 33 percent this year. The fashion house already experienced a 23 percent dive in 2016. Since the surprise departure of Lanvin’s star designer Alber Elbaz in 2015, the label has had difficulties restoring its former glory. At the end of this year, Lanvin was expecting a cash injection from majority shareholder Shaw-Lan Wang, which was meant to navigate the brand through its financial struggles and revive the business. However, the planned shareholders’ meeting reportedly never took place.
Lanvin’s managing director Nicolas Cruz told Reuters they are now looking for alternative solutions to revive the business by March. Back in November, rumours were circulating that the brand would be struggling to pay employee salaries from January, should they not be granted a capital increase. Druz, however, now confirmed that all wages for December, January and February would be covered. The couture house dates back to 1889 and is France’s oldest surviving fashion brand. Founded by designer Jeanne Lanvin, it has long been synonymous with classic Parisian chic.
Rose Schleicher is an experienced content and communications professional who has worked across three different continents over the past nine years. She has completed a master’s degree from the renowned London College of Fashion with extensive involvement in the cultural scene of Europe. As a creative, she loves writing about all things fashion, beauty, and lifestyle topics.
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