More stories

  • in

    Puppets and Puppets Has Its Last Fashion Week Show

    On Puppets and Puppets’ last New York Fashion Week show.On Monday, Puppets and Puppets, the six-year-old New York fashion brand/art project, had its last show.Its founder and designer, Carly Mark, had decided it was too hard and too expensive to keep making clothes and trying to build a business in this city, despite being known as “downtown N.Y. gold,” as Highsnobiety called her, and despite developing the sort of culty following that is supposed to be an indicator of success. She is pulling up stakes and moving to London, she told The New York Times last week. She will keep her more lucrative and successful handbag business going from there. But no more runway and no more clothes.Does it matter?Practically, probably not. Fashion history is littered with the corpses of once promising brands that never quite worked out (Miguel Adrover, anyone?), so it’s not as if this is a new story. And even though Ms. Mark was nominated for a CFDA award as emerging designer of the year, the clothes were never all that good.They often fit weirdly or couldn’t really be called clothes, or didn’t seem entirely finished. (She has a fondness for Edie Sedgwick tights and not much else.) They seemed more like works in progress. The material could look sort of flimsy. Ms. Mark was trained as a fine artist, not a designer, and she was essentially learning in real time and in front of the world. But she was getting better.Don AshbyDon AshbyDon AshbyDon AshbyDon AshbyDon AshbyDon AshbyThis season her work actually looked more like real garments than it has in the past, though sometimes only portions of real garments. A big fake fur coat turned out to be a false front; a peplos dress was entirely open on one side, save for a tiny tie at the waist. The hems of some draped jersey skirts and lacy little tops looped back up on themselves to form a veil, creating a sort of portable backdrop. That had potential, as did the holey sweats belted over lace skirts, like a corroded cocktail frock.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

  • in

    Tiger Woods Introduces His New Brand: Sun Day Red

    Mr. Woods is trading in the Nike swoosh he wore for decades for the tiger logo of Sun Day Red, which will be a stand-alone unit within TaylorMade Golf.For even those who have only a passing interest in golf, one of the sport’s most memorable images is of Tiger Woods playing his way to another major tournament victory while wearing a red polo shirt with a white Nike swoosh.That image is officially in the past, however. In January, Mr. Woods announced the end of his 27-year deal with Nike, which had made him hundreds of millions of dollars. The partnership was marked by memorable ads and, of course, the red Nike shirts that Mr. Woods wore during many final rounds on Sundays.When Mr. Woods announced the ending of his partnership with Nike, he said there would “certainly be another chapter.” On Monday, he and his new brand sponsor, TaylorMade Golf, made clear that the next chapter would again include a red polo shirt. It will be stitched with a tiger in the center, the logo for his new brand under TaylorMade: Sun Day Red.Sun Day Red is marketed as a “lifestyle brand” for both sports fans and non-athletes and will include apparel — even cashmere sweaters — and shoes, David Abeles, chief executive of TaylorMade, said in an interview. (Mr. Woods switched to FootJoy shoes from Nike after his car crash in 2021.)How much of a role design will play in that apparel was not entirely clear, but Mr. Abeles said that “the design language of the products is completely different” from products Mr. Woods wore in his last sponsorship deal. Initial promotional images showed a new logo — a tiger with 15 stripes to mark the number of major championships Mr. Woods has won; a black, long-sleeve T-shirt with the brand’s name, Sun Day Red, on it; and its version of the red polo, which is on the bloodier end of the red spectrum and includes black buttons, suggesting attention to detail. (To be fair, there’s only so much anyone can do with a polo.)Mr. Woods’s affinity for red stems from his mother, who is from Thailand, where the color has significance.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

  • in

    Taylor Swift Gives a Fashion Brand a Boost at the Super Bowl

    Who says Area is just about the concept and not the clothes?About half an hour after the Area show ended in New York on Super Bowl Sunday, Taylor Swift appeared in Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas wearing a pair of the brand’s “crystal slit jeans” — a high-waist denim style sliced diagonally at the center of each thigh, the patently faux “rip” framed by diamanté. It was like a runway-to-real-life feature happening in actual time — or Super time.Area, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, is generally one of those fashion week brands that most nonfashion people see and say, “But who would wear that?” (Well, other than Simone Biles making a viral statement at the Met Gala.) Ms. Swift was the perfect answer. The designer Piotrek Panszczyk — and indeed all of fashion, which sometimes suffers from a clothes-concept perception gap — could not have planned it better had he tried.Mr. Panszczyk sits firmly in the Moschino-Schiaparelli fashion tradition of wielding sartorial humor as a commentary on contemporary life, though he tends to sit on the punny performance art end of that spectrum. Last season he used “Flintstones” bones and “Dynasty” faux furs to symbolize the evolution of luxury and caste signaling, which came after a season built around the idea of fruit and mortality, mostly in the form of banana skirts. The looks attract the sort of person who does not mind going on a milk run in Bushwick draped in rhinestones and not much else.Ms. Swift, however, is an endorsement of a different kind. It’s not the first time she has worn Area denim. Last April she wore the brand’s crystal butterfly jeans in New York, and in October she wore a pair of Area embellished jeans shorts to another Chiefs game. (She does like a bit of sparkle.) But this is the first time she wore its denim when more than 100 million people were watching. It’s a potent, and deserved, argument for the future of Area as a credible business, rather than merely a fashion week gimmick.AreaAreaAreaAreaAreaAreaAs was the latest collection, which chose as its hot topic the peculiarly modern state of endless watching — of looking, and being looked at in turn. One that seemed notably apropos given the attention being paid to Ms. Swift and everything she does. It’s a serious subject, but the clothes were awfully fun.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

  • in

    America Ferrera, Katie Holmes, and Carey Mulligan Turn Out for Chanel

    The brand hosted a celebrity-fueled bash for its U.S. foray into high-end jewelry.On Wednesday night, a throng of actors, cycling through a swirl of events — awards season, New York Fashion Week and the Super Bowl — assembled in Midtown Manhattan, wearing Chanel, dressed by Chanel and for Chanel.Over cocktails, guests mingled for the opening of the brand’s first U.S. watch and fine jewelry flagship boutique on Fifth Avenue near 57th Street, designed by the architect Peter Marino with elements from Coco Chanel’s apartment in Paris.America Ferrera greeted Natasha Lyonne. Kerry Washington chatted with Elizabeth Olsen. Katie Holmes posed for photos with Michelle Williams. Zazie Beetz convened with Rachel Brosnahan. Dianna Agron lingered. And nearby, Carey Mulligan and Jerrod Carmichael talked.The new flagship store for fine jewelry and watches comes as New York’s retail space prices have kept rising over the past year. The move seemingly positions Chanel in a sector of the fashion industry that other brands, like Prada and LVMH, are also embracing.Chase Sui Wonders and Molly Gordon.Rachel Brosnahan and Zazie Beetz.Michelle Williams and Katie Holmes.Sadie SinkThe location on Fifth Avenue — sandwiched among Cartier, Tiffany & Company, Bulgari and Harry Winston — was a yearslong waiting game, according to Frédéric Grangié, the president of Chanel’s watches and fine jewelry.“It’s a big step for the house,” Mr. Grangié said.Steps away from the boutique, around 200 guests, including Lori Harvey, Francesca Scorsese and the actor Molly Gordon, shuffled into a dimly lit event space for dinner. In contrast to the store’s well-lit sparkle, the multilevel venue was enveloped in darkness that mimicked the shuttered Abercrombie & Fitch that was once there.Natasha LyonneCarey Mulligan and Jerrod Carmichael.Rose Byrne and Seth Meyers.Christopher AbbottPeople reflected on their favorite everyday accessories, like Ms. Lyonne’s grandmother’s gold chain. “I never saw her as a Tony Montana type. She was just a little Hungarian lady in a Pucci dress,” she said.The actor Taylour Paige, who loves her tennis bracelet and engagement ring, said that you can never have too many rings.“If anyone says you’re wearing too many rings, cut them out of your life,” she said.For the actors Tommy Dorfman and Amandla Stenberg, watches, which were family heirlooms passed down from generations, elicit a sense of nostalgia and sentimentality in an era of smart devices.White roses lined long tables where influential guests like Lauren Santo Domingo, the artistic director of Tiffany’s homewares; Larry Gagosian, the gallery magnate; and Sean MacPherson, the hotelier, enjoyed oysters, caviar-topped potatoes, lobster or wagyu, and a two-tiered assorted dessert tower. After one course, guests were offered vodka shots.Seth Meyers, the late-night host, did rounds greeting Ms. Ferrera and Ms. Olsen at one table, Ms. Beetz in another section with Ms. Holmes, and then later settling at his table with Ms. Washington and Ms. Williams.When it grew late, the crowd was invited to the basement for a surprise performance, and the singer Gracie Abrams took the stage to a backdrop lit like a starry sky.The singer Gracie Abrams. Larry GagosianKerry WashingtonPeter Marino and Cornelia Guest. More

  • in

    How Vintage Won the Grammys Red Carpet

    Miley Cyrus, Laverne Cox, Olivia Rodrigo, Billie Eilish — big stars in old clothes was the trend of the night. Because it’s not just about the gowns.The awards show red carpet has become such an access game, such a race of clout and connections to see who can wear the most never-before-seen or sizzlingly-hot-off-the-runway look — the answer, this time, was Beyoncé, in Louis Vuitton men’s wear from Pharrell Williams’s January show — that any other approach can seem like a shock.But recently a different trend has been emerging, and at the 66th Grammys it reached critical mass. Indeed, it’s so applause worthy, here’s hoping it isn’t a trend at all but rather the signal of a permanent shift in the fashion-Hollywood industrial complex.I am speaking of the rise of vintage. Or as it is apparently now known, “archival” fashion. “Archival” here is being used to refer to anything that simply isn’t new. (Well, it was getting a little ridiculous to refer to two-season-old clothes as “vintage.”) That could mean clothes from a brand archive, or a personal one. Sometimes also known as a “closet.”Laverne Cox in 2015 Comme des Garçons.Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated PressOlivia Rodrigo in a Versace siren gown from 1995.Jordan Strauss/Invision, via Associated PressAt the Grammys, Laverne Cox, the E! red carpet host, led the way, as she also did at the Emmy Awards, in a Valentine’s Day red contraption from 2015 Comme des Garçons. She chose the look, she said, because that collection had been about “blood and roses” and finding beauty in pain, and, well, it felt particularly apropos.Then there was Olivia Rodrigo, another vintage disciple (remember the 1995 Chanel suit she wore to the White House?), in a white 1995 Versace siren gown. Also Caroline Polachek in gothic 1998 Olivier Theyskens coursing with crimson veins and arteries. Billie Eilish in an upcycled and customized Chrome Hearts “Barbie” baseball jacket. Lana Del Rey in a found-it-herself puff-sleeve black vintage floral number. Coi Leray in a 2019 Saint Laurent jacket and leotards, no pants.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe. More

  • in

    Sandy Liang’s NYC Lunar New Year Party: Pink Bows, Red Gowns

    On Wednesday night, more than 400 people flowed in and out of Sandy Liang’s Lunar New Year party held at Boom, the venue at the top of the Standard High Line Hotel.Some guests wore bright red, to symbolize good luck, but many were in looks adorned with bows and ballet flats, emblems associated with Ms. Liang’s playfully nostalgic namesake fashion brand.The evening was an early celebration of the Lunar New Year, which starts on Feb. 10; Ms. Liang grew up observing the holiday with her family in Queens. This is her second year hosting the event with the chef Danny Bowien, and she hopes her friends will embrace the holiday.“Maybe they’ll start their own traditions,” she said.Guests at Sandy Liang’s Lunar New Year party accessorized with red details and little bows.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesDraped over Ms. Liang’s shoulder was a piece she was “test-driving” for her upcoming collection: a large baby-pink bow that served as a handle for a bag.“It just looks like a big bow, and then you pick it up and it’s actually a bag,” she said, while wearing an orchid hair bow and earrings from her new Lunar New Year collection.As Sandy Liang’s popular black and red Palermo bows floated around the room, guests crowded each corner of the dimly lit space, which was decorated with paper lanterns and flowers on each table.References to the Year of the Dragon abounded. Near the dance floor, there was a large floral arrangement shaped like a dragon egg. And guests were handed temporary tattoos that Ms. Liang said were inspired by a tattoo Angelina Jolie once had: These featured Ms. Liang’s name hovering above a dragon, instead of “Billy Bob,” the name of Ms. Jolie’s ex-husband.Ella EmhoffJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesDanny BowienJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesAliyah BahJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesYoung EmperorsJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesDelia CaiJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesAntoni BumbaJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesParker RadcliffeJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesIvan LamJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesAshleyJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesIzzi AllainJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesIsze CohenJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesPierce AbernathyJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesAlia Ssemakula, left, and Faith KimJutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesElla Emhoff, a model and artist (and the stepdaughter of Vice President Kamala Harris), slinked through groups elbow to elbow by the bar. Mr. Bowien, unintentionally matching Ms. Liang’s coat, lounged next to one of two fireplaces.Nearby, the fashion duo Young Emperors danced to classic hits by Kelis, Peaches and the Black Eyed Peas and modern singles by PinkPantheress and Aliyah’s Interlude, whose given name is Aliyah Bah. Ms. Bah was in attendance, mingling with the crowd wearing her signature “Aliyahcore” earmuffs and Y2K-era clothing.“I think my favorite thing about Sandy Liang, the person and the brand, is how unapologetically girly they are,” Ms. Bah said, while showing off her pink Hello Kitty bow and Lisa Frank-inspired nails.A dragon-egg-shaped floral arrangement for the Year of the Dragon.Jutharat Pinyodoonyachet for The New York TimesGirls often become alienated from girlhood, Ms. Bah said, but the Sandy Liang brand supports her in embracing it. “At the end of the day,” she added, “I’m literally just a girl.” More

  • in

    Madonna’s Celebration Tour Draws Fans Clad in Leather and Lace

    Madonna performed at Madison Square Garden on Monday night as part of her Celebration Tour, a lavish stage spectacle devoted to her catalog of hits as the Queen of Pop. During “Like a Prayer,” she sang from a spinning carousel filled with jumbo crucifixes and shirtless men. When she performed “Vogue,” she invited Kelly Ripa onto the stage to join her in judging the ballroom moves of her dancers with scorecards.“I don’t know when I’m going to be back here playing again, but I’m doing this show like it’s my last show,” Madonna, 65, told the crowd. “And I’m doing this show like it’s my first show.”Before the concert, the scene outside the arena resembled a fashion runway as Madonna fans arrived to serve up style tributes to her. Men emerged from the subway wearing black biker boots and leather jackets. Some women had drawn fake beauty spots onto their upper lips. At a subterranean pregame bar in Penn Station, while hits like “Holiday” and “Papa Don’t Preach” piped from a speaker, Sophy LeMay, a corporate accountant, wore fingerless lace gloves as she nursed a drink.Fans shared their opinions about the lawsuit filed by two concertgoers against Madonna, who has become known as an unpunctual stage performer, accusing her of false advertising and negligent misrepresentation for going on late at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in December. (Her representatives said that they “intend to defend this case vigorously.”)“It is what it is,” Julio Alvarez, who wore a bowler hat, said. “She’s Madonna.”“I’ve traveled all the way from Oklahoma to see her,” added Kevin Smith, who brandished a black riding crop. “I’ll stay awake until 1 a.m. to see her if I need to.”In the edited interviews below, fans reflected on Madonna’s enduring cultural relevance.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber?  More

  • in

    Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Collars, Captured by Camera

    An exhibit at the Jewish Museum features photos of collars worn by the late Supreme Court justice.Good morning. It’s Friday. We’ll look at an exhibition of photographs of the collars that Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg wore. We’ll also look at a Manhattan Democrat whose City Hall hopes were dashed in 2021 but who is now looking into challenging Mayor Eric Adams in 2025.Kris GravesIn the soft stillness of a museum gallery, you could forget that the photographs on the walls around you were shot under time pressure.Six minutes each, the photographer Elinor Carucci told me.The photographs, on view at the Jewish Museum in Manhattan, are haunting, almost three-dimensional images of collars and necklaces that belonged to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the Supreme Court.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber?  More