Kaia Gerber's Rebellious Style Proves That Sweet Sixteen Has Never Looked Better

Besides her stellar appearances at Spring 2018's runways and her Marc Jacobs campaign, Kaia Gerber is starting to become known for her signature style too. The teenage model has stepped out in a range of playfully rebellious looks, letting us know that sweet sixteen has never looked as good as now. Last night, Cindy Crawford's supermodel heir donned matching cargo pants and combat boots with a friend on a dinner date--an ensemble that smelled like teen spirit.

Since it is 2017, Gerber gave her look a contemporary twist by opting for a black-and-green pair of cargo pants in luxurious silk, making the outfit a winning choice for day and night. A black safety buckle belt tied the trousers together, and its utilitarian nature hinted at Christopher Kane's signature touch, though it looked like it might just as well have been purchased at an army surplus store too. She paired the bottoms with a stretchy, '90s throwback top that revealed most of her mid-riff, since any seasoned runway star knows that rock-solid abs are the best accessory to any outfit. She finished off the outfit with her signature R13 combat boots, proving once again that she is ready to take on the world.

Erdem Moralioglu Talks Influences, From Wolfgang Tillmans to Twin Peaks

On the one hand, Erdem Moralioglu makes some of the most exquisitely refined and plainly (and often not so plainly) gorgeous clothes coming out of London—or anywhere else, for that matter. And on the other, he resides in gritty-cool East London, epicenter of all that’s hip and happening in the British capital, is well-versed in contemporary art and culture, and has the kind of address book—from Beth Ditto to Keira Knightley—that shows he’s as plugged in as the place he lives.

The charming Moralioglu is a study in contrasts. He’s someone who knows his way around fil coupe and guipure lace, conjuring them up into dramatically proportioned, romantically inclined looks, but also able to ground them in a way that feels effortless and real; his shows also involve checking out the shoes the models are wearing, whether it’s lug-soled boots or substantial oxfords. (Perhaps it was always thus: Back in 2007, he told Sarah Mower, “I rebel with lace and tulle” and things haven’t changed much since.)

The imaginative, sly storytelling inherent in his clothes has also started to flower in his shows; a charmingly dilapidated space tucked behind the Selfridges department store being dressed to resemble after-hours film sets, whether it’s a fin de siècle drawing room or a mid-century Danish fantasia. Yet the biggest twist in the tale is that Moralioglu has flourished, despite being entirely independent, while facing the likes of a global economic downturn and the vacillating uncertainty engineered by a U.K. contemplating Brexit.

All of this will no doubt come up when he meets Joseph Altuzarra and Simon Porte Jacquemus in conversation at Vogue’s Forces of Fashion conference on October 12 in New York. They will be joining plenty of other mega-talents—the “forces”—that day, but we thought it would be fun to ask him (and his fellow speakers) about the people, places, and pop culture moments that have helped shape his outlook on fashion. Watch this space for more, and visit www.vogueforcesoffashion.com to purchase tickets.

Melania Trump Heads to Camp David in Missoni

Melania Trump is currently en route to Camp David with her husband, son, and extended family. Departing from the South Lawn earlier today, Trump sported a Missoni knit dress with a contrasting, lattice-like trim in aubergine, blush pink, and blue.

The choice of fabric and color were new for Trump who has relied upon traditional fit-and-flare dresses in simple, solid shades. Indeed in the last week, she has stepped outside of her fashion comfort zone not once but twice, and was seen departing from Morristown Municipal Airport in New Jersey wearing a striking midi-length Delpozo dress with a petal-like hem. With this latest look, she is clearly continuing to explore new territory. That said, her choice of shoes—sky-high stilettos by Manolo Blahnik in orange lizard—were a familiar choice.

Krysten Ritter Does a Quick Change Worthy of a Superhero at Marvel’s Defenders Premiere

Just because you’re busy saving the world doesn’t mean you can’t find time to look great. Just ask Krysten Ritter, titular superhero of the Netflix hit Jessica Jones. At last night’s premiere of the related series The Defenders, Ritter caused a stir in a crimson sequined cut-out Julien MacDonald dress that only a daring few could pull off.

Taking to Instagram post-event, Ritter revealed that she and stylist Ilaria Urbinati had spotted the piece several months earlier on MacDonald’s runway and asked him to hold it for them. She then thanked MacDonald for creating a piece of wearable art and allowing her to be the first to wear it.

Clearly attuned to her power color, Ritter switched into a second red dress for the show’s after-party, a silk Cushnie et Ochs number. With its ruffled neckline and floor-skimming length, it was subtler, yet every bit as sultry—a quick change worthy of a superhero.

Decoding the Ageless Style of Copenhagen’s Coolest Boutique Owner

The talent pool of Danish fashion runs deeper than what can be seen on the runways. And if a directional designer isn’t showing at Copenhagen Fashion Week, there’s a good chance his or her work is hanging on the racks at Sabine Poupinel. The French-Danish 60-something has served as a linchpin of the local avant-garde movement since 1973—the year she founded her self-named boutique in the country’s capital. After studying photography in art school, Poupinel decided she “didn’t want to work in advertising,” and instead began making and selling clothes in a storefront space. 44 years later, that independent spirit remains—nowhere more so than in Poupinel herself, who embodies both her culture’s penchant for wardrobe experimentation and its embrace of aging without artifice.

Though her fuschia-floored corner space is situated just a couple of blocks off of what has become a strip of international fast fashion chains, its purpose couldn’t be more different. Poupinel seeks out idiosyncratic pieces, many of them one-of-a-kind items made by graduates of the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts. They embody what she calls “art and craftsmanship—you have to have both.” Her designer discoveries (which populate her colorful Instagram) include Guðrun & Guðrun, whose Sid Vicious–esque sweaters are hand-knit on the Faroe Islands from locally shorn wool, and Bettina Bakdal, a professor at KADK who reconstructs elaborate ruffle-trimmed shirtdresses and blouses from found garments. The store is a destination for clued-in creative types, and has been, apparently, for decades: A young Helena Christensen would swing by with her supermodel posse, and Lenny Kravitz once stopped in during his heyday and bought a pair of snakeskin pants. (Poupinel had no idea who he was at the time, but her shop assistant did—and the star promptly asked her out on a date.)

Poupinel is also a fixture among the Copenhagen intelligentsia, known for hosting political salons and curating Fan Out, a biannual exhibition that spotlights emerging and established Danish designers and features art installations, music performances, and interdisciplinary panel discussions (she’s hoping to also take it to Paris next year). Yet despite her role as an industry connector, “I’m not friends in my private life with fashion people,” she says. “I don’t like small talk.”

That came across—in a good way—during a recent visit. Laconic yet warm, with an air of androgynous chic, Poupinel is the ideal ambassador for her design aesthetic, which she describes as “right now, loose, street, big pants.” Her short, rumpled hair is undyed, her face free of makeup or other interventions; she was holding court that day alongside her Shiba Inu, Loca, in a tie-front wide-leg jumpsuit by local designer Trine Wackerhausen and stiletto sandals with puffy twisted straps by London-based expat Elise Born. It’s not the sort of look commonly found on women of a certain age, which is just how Poupinel likes it. “Yeah, yeah, yeah! You are quite right,” she says with a laugh. “But I think it’s cool because I’m old. That’s the whole point.”

Nike's basketball business leads profit rebound

Nike, the world's leading sportswear manufacturer, has posted better-than-expected profits following a rebound in its basketball business.

Profits rose 7.3% to $842m (£681m) in the three months to November, while revenue jumped 6.4% to $8.18bn.

Nike's basketball category and the Jordan brand accounted for about 15% of Nike's wholesale revenue in 2016.

"Basketball is back," Nike president Trevor Edwards told analysts on a conference call.

Nike, the world's largest sports footwear-maker, has released new lines such as the Jordan 31 and Kobe A.D that have proved popular with consumers.

It has been facing stiffer competition from rival Under Armour, which has a top-selling line by NBA star Stephen Curry.

Nike's sales in North America, its biggest market, rose 3% in the second quarter and were up 12% in Greater China.

The US firm stopped issuing future orders for deliveries - previously a key measure for analysts - starting in the latest quarter.

Nike shares rose 1.8% to $51.79 in New York on Tuesday but have fallen 17% this year, making the company one of the Dow's worst performers.

Justin Bieber for Calvin Klein – but who would buy his pants?

Justin Bieber in Calvin Klein’s 2015 campaign. Photograph: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott/Calvin Klein

After several days of drip-fed teasers, last night saw the unveiling of Calvin Klein’s newest underwear model: singer Justin Bieber.
The black and white campaign, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, features the topless 20-year-old in various poses, staring with his familiar “who me?” look of bemusement alongside Calvin Klein model Lara Stone. Tanned, heavily-tattooed and clearly no stranger to planking, Bieber’s casting makes aesthetic sense. There’s just one issue: if the aim of the campaign is to boost sales, who is it aimed at?
We know that Bieber’s audience is primarily pre-teen and teenage girls. This suggests that the adverts are aimed either at girls with both a disposable income and a desire to turn their boyfriends into Biebers, or boys who either want to look like Bieber (unlikely) and/or please their girlfriends. This might seem sad or misguided: historically, Calvin Klein’s underwear models scream cool, whereas last year, Forbes declared Bieber one of the most overexposed celebrities in the world. But as with Kim Kardashian and her ilk, we know there’s no link between saturation point and selling power.
Bieber’s immeasurable popularity, born on YouTube and nurtured at an impressive rate by social media, has seen him become more of a brand than a singer. Short of selling tampons, Bieber has successfully endorsed everything, from bags and dolls to shower curtains and acne cream, earning an estimated $58m last year. In 2012, his Girlfriend fragrance was the best-selling celebrity licensed perfume. He is a cash cow first, artist second.

With Lara Stone. Photograph: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott/Calvin Klein

The main issues with his casting is not his target market; rather it’s how the rest of the world sees him. In the past, Calvin Klein have cast their underwear models from one of two pools: relative obscurity or celebrities with edge. To wit, former models Antonio Sabàto Jr, Australian Travis Fimmel (who reportedly became the first male model to earn six figures for a single campaign) and Jamie Dornan pre-The Fall, alongside rapper Marky Mark (Mark Wahlberg, who appeared with Kate Moss), actor Djimon Hounsou and footballer Freddie Ljungberg, the latter appearing in one of the brand’s most successful campaigns to date.
Extremely famous and deeply uncool, Bieber is in neither camp. His recent dance with controversy, which saw him charged with assault and dangerous driving, might neatly echo the narrative of proto-Bieber, Mark Wahlberg, who had several drug and assault offences to his name by the time he appeared in his Calvin Klein boxers in 1992, but that’s where the similarity ends. Furthermore, it’s unlikely the brand would actively choose to be seen promoting or courting controversy.
In his defence, Bieber is a longtime fan of the low-rise jean, wearing logoed Calvin Kleins with shameless visibility for several years, for once suggesting this is case of product following placement. It’s just whether you’d buy underwear from a man who sings: “Stay in my backpack for ever, stay in my backpack for ever/ You know I gotta find my spaceship, my planet’s outside there waiting”, six pack or not.