Tommy’s Bigger Family, Libertine and LeSportsac, Bulgari and Save the Children Celebrate

ALL IN THE FAMILY: Tommy Hilfiger, which is owned by PVH Corp., is welcoming 10 next-generation artists and tastemakers as the newest brand ambassadors to the “Tommy Family.”

TikTok creators Noah Beck and Sabrina Quesada; models Jasmine Tookes and Lyndsey Vrckovnik; actors Sophia Hublitz and Mason Gooding; actor and musician Justine Skye; journalist and former Miss USA Elle Smith; writer and content creator Orion Carloto, and rising star in fashion and model Grier Henchy (Brooke Shields’ daughter) will bring their contemporary perspectives to the brand’s red, white and blue DNA.

“I have always found great inspiration in collaboration with stars of pop culture to define what’s next,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “These remarkable young people are future American icons and we are so happy to welcome them to our family. I can’t wait to see each of their own unique energy as we endlessly reinterpret the meaning of classic American cool.”

The news builds on Hilfiger’s legacy of partnering with stars in the world of fashion, art, music, entertainment and sport.

All of the newest brand ambassadors are confirmed to attend Hilfiger’s fall ’24 show — “A New York Moment” — on Friday evening, dressed in the brand’s latest spring collection.

Madelyn Cline and Madison Bailey recently became Hilfiger brand ambassadors as well. — LISA LOCKWOOD

LIBERTINE’S NEW LINE: Anyone missing the days of more-is-more maximalism should look to Los Angeles luxury brand Libertine, whose designer has been doing it for 22 years.

Designer Johnson Hartig’s hand-embroidered, crystal-covered confections can run $4,000 and more, but he’s just debuted a more accessible taste of Libertine with Le Sportsac.

The Libertine x Le Sportsac collection is available exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman now, and will launch at Neiman Marcus and ILoveLibertine.com on March 1. Further drops will happen through the year, and will include handbags, backpacks, totes and weekenders in Surrealist eye prints, geometric patterns, with crystal fringe and more, $90 to $400. Le Sportsac will also be part of the fall show on Friday.

Libertine’s business expanded 38 percent year-over-year in 2023.

“The pandemic was this real emotional and creative recharge,” said Hartig during a recent visit to his L.A. studio.

“We have upped the game,” he said of the brand, which is a favorite with collectors like Danielle Steel, Linda Fargo, and a female executive in the California casino industry he doesn’t want to name who owns at least 60 coats.

Last year, Hartig hired a VIP client specialist who brought 18 years of experience at Hermès, Chanel and Dior, and has helped create client events in The Hamptons, Dallas and Houston.

“We have a loyal clientele,” said Hartig, who wholesales at Maxfield, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus. At the San Francisco Neiman’s, Libertine is the second biggest seller behind Brunello Cucinelli — two very different looks to be sure.

“With Gucci so close to our aesthetic for so long, it took a lot of our impact away, especially globally because people knew Gucci but didn’t know us. That was rough,” he said. “Now we’re the only ones doing it.”

For fall 2024, Hartig created photo realistic prints of the view of L.A. landing at LAX at night, and continued his tradition of using text, excerpting a Lord Byron poem called “The Darkness” on tailored pieces. His crafty tendencies are on full display in a jacket completely covered in colorful oversize buttons, inspired by the bibs and bobs on 1920s Memory Jars, which he displays in his Hancock Park home that’s been featured on the cover of World of Interiors.

The Le Sportsac bags use the same prints and similar details.

Hartig is also working on his fourth and fifth collection of wallpaper and home fabric for Schumacher. “They originally approached me because they loved some of the collection prints so it’s funk” he said.

Although he’ll always consider himself a fashion outlier (he started out very punk rock, silk screening vintage clothing, after all), he’s hoping to grow Libertine enough to get investor or buyer interest soon.

“We have a formula like no other in the business,” said Hartig, whose clothes are made in the U.S. “No one has six people hand placing crystals….But we do feel confident that we are getting close to a number that will be attractive to people.” — BOOTH MORE

BIG YEAR: Bulgari and Save the Children celebrated their 15th anniversary working together on Wednesday night at Casa Cipriani in New York with an intimate cocktail party hosted by Veronica Bulgari. 

The fine jeweler brought together a group of industry executives and creatives to celebrate the charitable milestone. During the 15-year partnership, Bulgari has raised $105 million benefiting roughly 2 million children in 37 countries, aiming to provide educational opportunities, youth empowerment, emergency responses and to fight against poverty. 

“I vividly remember when we began the partnership and I remember thinking — I had children who were quite young — and I thought this is what we should be doing, supporting children,” Bulgari said during the event. “It’s such an important cause and it’s our future. They are the most vulnerable in our world. I also think it was one of the first partnerships and, really for a big company, to start giving back and really doing it with rigor and seriousness. Now 15 years later, we can say that we’ve accomplished that and will continue to do so.” 

In addition to the cocktail party, Bulgari celebrated the anniversary with the release of a new pendant necklace as part of its Save the Children collection. The necklace was showcased in Bulgari’s #WithMeWithYou campaign starring Anne Hathaway, Law Roach, Eva Herzigova, Jon Kortajarena and Beatrice Venezi.

“The Bulgari partnership helped build Save the Children in Italy because it gave us credibility, it gave us a reputation where we started from scratch there,” said Janti Soeripto, the president and chief operating officer of the organization. “We started in Italy only in the late ’90s, early 2000s, so having Bulgari with us side-by-side gave us so much more than the funding, the brand, the awareness, the events, the amazing collection that brings so much to so many, but it also gave us a real foundation and a circle of support in Italy, which is now one of the strongest countries in the Save the Children global movement.” — LAYLA ILCHI

ON THE STAIRS: “It’s not old Barneys, it’s the new Saks staircase,” mused Annabelle Fleur.

The content creator, a fixture in the L.A. fashion scene, stood in front of the pièce de résistance — the spiraling marble steps. It’s what’s left of the former department store, which ended an era when it closed its doors in 2020. Saks Fifth Avenue has taken over the space at 9570 Wilshire Boulevard, throwing an opening party on Wednesday night to mark the unveiling, encompassing 130,000 square feet. Some had already gotten a sneak peek.

“I got the whole tour,” said Kathy Hilton. “I’m in love with it. And I’m not just saying that.”

In a sea of cocktail dresses, Hilton stood out in a T-shirt, jeans and zip-up hoodie, paired with black lace Manolo Blahnik booties and chains of massive diamonds dazzling in the florescent lighting.

“I just like that ying-yang,” she said of the contrast. “Why not, right?”

Madelaine Petsch opted for head-to-toe Saint Laurent, an oversize wool blazer and leather miniskirt. She works with stylists Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn.

“I just picked this out,” the actor said of the look, rain-ready in tights and boots as it poured outside. “I just got this. Saks hooked me up.”

Did she have her eye on anything in-store? “A lot of things. I’m going to have to come back.”

Fleur, in Monse and a Bazilika coat, planned to return, too: “I shop online for necessity. But in store, in-person purchases, they’re more special, they’re sentimental. There’s a story around it.”

It’s “slow shopping,” she went on. “It’s more of a moment. It’s a little bit of shopping, maybe lunch with a friend. It’s taking the time for yourself.”

Shopping as a hangout experience is certainly encouraged; drinks can be ordered on the floor in any department using a QR code. And the terrace, which was closed off during the event, offers lunch for those in Fifth Avenue Club, with a few seats saved for Resy.

“It’s the kind of place you spend the day,” said Hilton.

Guests shared whispers about the old days of Barneys and what Saks hopes to bring with its $52 million investment. They sipped on cocktails by the makeshift bars in the very front, surrounding a Lucid car — the night’s sponsor.

“Why is there a car inside?” one asked.

“It’s a Lucid.”

“Why?”

“Why not?”

A few, the VIP clients, roamed the shops-in-shop at Chanel and Louis Vuitton upstairs in the ready-to-wear. But most mingled on the first floor, which is focused on accessories with a shoe footprint nearly double the former women’s Saks store.

“Fashion changes so every season is something different,” chief merchandising officer Tracy Margolies said of the selection.

In footwear, “when I look, I think loafers are really important,” she continued. “I think ballets are important — seeing some mid-heels. And I think people are looking to transfer from sneakers into something a little bit more comfortable, but that’s fashion.”

Shoppers are looking for “something special and unique and embellished,” she added. “Looks great either dressed up or with denim.”

Those who came out for the occasion included Morgan Stewart McGraw, Brittany Xavier, Carmella Rose, Marta Pozzan, Leah Talabi, Caroline Day, Phillip Picardi, Gab Waller, as well as design duo Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard, who have been in town showcasing their new handbag launch.

“The customer here really does love fashion,” Margolies said. — RYMA CHIKHOUNE

WHEN IN DUBAI: Diesel’s creative director Glenn Martens swept into Dubai to unveil a limited-edition capsule collection. The Belgian designer had taken some of the brand’s most iconic pieces like 2010 D-Macs and 1969 D-Ebbey and reimagined them to honor the Gulf city.

For the first time, he played with the brand’s logo and famous tagline. To wit: “Dubai for Successful Living” came boldly emblazoned on T-shirts, hoodies and caps in a playful riff honoring what he describes as “a bold and futuristic city.”

The collection also includes a 1DR bag adorned with a crystal-encrusted oval D in the colors of the United Arab Emirates flag. Martens, whose vision has been credited with invigorating Diesel for a new generation, said the feeling of the city being “five steps ahead of the world” inspired his vision for the collection and what he says was a “fun little word game.”

The collection will be sold at the brand’s recently redesigned flagship at The Dubai Mall. It is the second store globally to open with the new retail concept under Martens’ direction, after Rue Saint-Honoré in Paris.

The store is awash in Diesel’s signature red along with bold metal billboards, a throwback to its ‘90s counterculture advertising style, according to Martens. “Even back then, when the world was focused on the supermodels of the day, Diesel was all about having fun, focusing on successful living and a feeling of living a life full of adventure,” he said.

Martens, who will reveal a new runway collection in Milan during the upcoming fashion month, is very focused on his vision of what luxury means for Diesel.

“We aren’t a classic luxury brand. We are alternative luxury and what that means is embracing this vibe of successful living, owning what you do in a fun and straightforward way,” he explained. “Our garments are for people who are actively living and working.”

That includes a focus on creating special treatments on denim. “We are constantly developing new ways to work with fabrics,” he said.

This includes baking fabrics like denim and jersey, which results in a coating that Martens describes as “having the look and feel of a leather coating, almost like a tropical skin. We think about luxury in a different way, still focusing on the craftsmanship and intellectuality.” — RITU UPADHYAY

BACK DOWNTOWN: H&M is back in SoHo, and New York’s fashion crowd is back on the party circuit.

On Wednesday night the brand hosted a cocktail party to celebrate the opening of its boutique at 591 Broadway. Daniel Ervér, a week into his post as chief executive officer after a surprise shake-up last week, was on hand to welcome VIP friends of the brand including Hunter Schafer, Diane Kruger, Amelia Gray Hamlin, Iris Law, Quannah Chasinghorse and Aweng Ade-Chuol.

“It’s so fresh and modernistic and futuristic. This is the future; it feels communal and fashionable and real. There’s just a real energy to this,” said model and social justice advocate Aaron Rose Philip, taking in the 10,000-square-foot store, which features fitting-room technology like “smart mirrors” and a spacious selling floor. Philip, who uses a wheelchair, has worked with H&M several times and describes the brand as a major supporter. “I feel a togetherness. I’m looking at this gorgeous clothing, and I feel like we’re all united by our love for fashion,” they added.

At several points throughout the evening models paraded the H&M Studio collection around the store’s central staging area, which provided a popular backdrop for personal photo shoots throughout the evening for the many influencers and influencer hopefuls in the crowd. Schafer was game to pose for selfies as she made her way through the boutique, which stretches from Broadway to Mercer Street. But once her glass of Champagne was empty, the photo ops were over. “Sorry, I gotta go!” she told one lingering hopeful on her way out.

With Fashion Week kicking off the next morning, everyone was just getting started. — KRISTEN TAUER

DRINK UP: Ulla Johnson, the womenswear brand, has teamed up with cult Parisian vegan eatery Wild & The Moon to introduce their multicity, limited-edition collaboration during New York Fashion Week.

Long-time partners during Paris Fashion Week, Johnson and Wild & The Moon founder Emma Sawko have developed four exclusive beverages anchored in ingredients that are intended to energize, beautify and promote health. Each beverage is organic, cold-pressed and served in plastic-free, biodegradable bottles.

Featuring a color palette inspired by Johnson’s fall 2024 collection, the beverages will be served to guests after Johnson’s runway show Saturday at Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn. The collaboration will be available on the same day and complimentary to customers during the rest of NYFW at the Ulla Johnson Bleecker Street boutique, while supplies last. It’s the first time that Wild & The Moon is available in the U.S.

The collaboration spotlights four recipes that aim to integrate health benefits with superfoods. There’s Beauty Water — Beauty Elixir (water, collagen, rose water, with a touch of agave); Glow Up — Smoothing, Relax and Refresh (pistachio milk, saffron, agave, orange blossom); Chill-ixer — Relaxation, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory (almond milk, pear, chai spices, turmeric, coconut oil) and Purple Rain — Stress and Anxiety Reliever (almond milk, blueberry, lychee, taro powder and ashwagandha.)

The collaboration will later move to Paris Fashion Week, and transform two of Wild & The Moon’s flagships (55 rue Charlot and 19 place du Marché Saint-Honoré) from Feb. 29 to March 2. Drinks and additional exclusive items will be available for purchase, with bonus activations for the public. — L.L.