Will Covid-19 Force A New Fashion Calendar?

With physical shows put on hold, fashion Weeks tilt toward coed, buy-now formats

By Miles Socha For Wwd 29/04/2020

Could see-now-buy-now and coed formats get a second wind in the international fashion calendar once the COVID-19 crisis eases?

It would appear so, with the British Fashion Council last week unveiling plans for four “gender-neutral” weeks in London, including purchasing options for consumers. For its first purely digital edition last month, Shanghai Fashion Week saw designers hawking current-season merchandise on Tmall alongside showcasing autumn 2020 collections.

And organizers of Milan’s fashion weeks have already indicated they will fold the June men’s shows into women’s fashion week in September, assuming that goes ahead as planned. Brands are free to present as they wish, with Ermenegildo Zegna the first to reveal plans for a “physidigital” presentation in July.

Paris has yet to unfurl its go-forward strategy for men’s fashion week in June amid so many uncertainties and moving parts.

Meanwhile, some suggest it might be better to first fix some of the industry’s longstanding ills — headlined by too-early deliveries and markdowns — and align retailers and brands before pushing the reset button on its show business aspects.

Saks Fifth Avenue took a step in that direction recently, vowing to shift merchandising to better align with customer preferences, which is for more focus on see-now-buy-now, and urging the entire industry to shift to later deliveries. That could put additional pressure on the international show calendar, since it would further widen the time lag between when products are revealed on the runway and when they hit the racks.

“The calendar has been broken for some time,” said luxury and retail consultant Robert Burke. “Everyone knew it was out of sync, but no one was willing to take a pause.”

The coronavirus crisis has forced a pause, throwing into question what fashion weeks might look like when large gatherings are no longer prohibited for safety reasons.

To wit: Saint Laurent told WWD it would drop out of Paris Fashion Week and set its own pace for showing collections for the duration of the year, favouring formats that are more intimate and closely aligned to the final customer.

According to sources, a few brands in Paris have started scouting locations for the September fashion week, while others are exploring in parallel physical and digital options, concerned that borders may remain shut for some time. Many question whether any in-person fashion shows will be possible in September, and expect mainly local attendance if they do have them.

“There will definitely be more of a consumer component to shows going forward. After you’ve opened the door, it’s hard to go back,” said Caroline Rush, chief executive officer of the British Fashion Council. “Our digital platform is a focus for June, and it will play an integral part of fashion weeks going forward.”

The BFC has explored ways to integrate consumers into its trade-focused fashion weeks via experiences, certain shows and events for high-spending clients.

“What we did learn over the last few years is that see-now-buy-now doesn’t work for everybody,” Rush said in an interview. “What I would say is in the current climate — by the time we get to June 12, stores will hopefully be starting to reopen. There’s definitely an opportunity to embrace the consumer and use platforms like fashion week to reengage the consumer audience in terms of the excitement that comes from fashion, creativity, and a bit of ‘behind-the-scenes.’ Consumers understand the business, and maybe feel more connected to it, and want to support the designers.”

Lv Xiaolei, vice secretary of Shanghai Fashion Week, said the rise of see-now-buy-now components springs from “changing consumer behaviour in the digital age.”

“While showing the best fashion in China, which is the core of Shanghai Fashion Week, we also need to keep China’s expanding fashion audience in mind,” she told WWD. “We encourage brands to be creative and provide multiple choices for consumers to express their identity. They have a strong desire for a quality lifestyle and they are not used to waiting.”

Screen shots of livestreaming from Private Policy, Shushu/Tong and 8on8 during Shanghai's online fashion week.

Tasha Liu, founder of Labelhood, a retailer and platform for emerging designers in Shanghai, agreed that in an age of Internet overload, people are more impatient, making see-now-buy-now options a vital way to reach consumers.

“When a piece of work catches your attention in a short period of time, it is the fastest way for you to get connected with this brand. And the transaction can be done immediately,” Liu said. “But I don’t think that a fashion show with so much time and creativity input should serve purely for selling. The future of fashion week must coexist with shows and shopping. Brands and designers need to think clearly about what purpose each function serves. The show will be purer and the purchase will be more direct.”

A pioneer and stalwart of the see-now-buy-now format, Tommy Hilfiger introduced his roving TommyNow fashion spectacles in 2016, partnering with model Gigi Hadid to unveil the first of four capsule collections for immediate purchasing. He went on to collaborate with Zendaya and Lewis Hamilton on subsequent shows in London, Paris, Shanghai and New York. Hadid shows had touched down in Milan, London, Los Angeles and New York.

According to the company, it’s all about being consumer-centric.

“When we became one of the first brands to switch to see-now, buy-now, it was because we were engaging with and listening to our consumer,” Hilfiger explained in an interview. “They didn’t — and still don’t — want to wait six months to buy product after they saw it all over social media during fashion week. Brands and retailers that have adapted to this reality — not just from a marketing perspective, but from a 360-degree operational perspective — are best positioned to identify and respond to consumers’ needs.”

Its spring 2020 event with Hamilton attracted 1500 guests to the Tate Modern in London while 500,000 people watched the livestream. It generated 29 million impressions.

According to Michael Scheiner, Hilfiger’s chief marketing officer, the advent of e-commerce, the explosion of social media, the rise of influencers, and new direct-to-consumer business models upended the “power dynamic” with consumers.

“Our industry has sometimes been slow to understand this shift: consumers are either going to get what they want from the brands they love, or are going to create it themselves,” he explained. “We’ve always had the perspective that we want to be part of leading this change with our consumer.”

Both men stopped short of saying what configuration the brand’s next show might take, and how the industry at large might reshape fashion weeks after the health crisis ebbs. But they hinted they might have a new ace up their sleeve.

“I do think there is an opportunity to reinvent the fashion calendar in a more consumer-centric way that will benefit everyone,” Scheiner said. “We are experimenting even more with new digital approaches that allow us to show up in new ways, times and locations.”

With his see-now-buy-now format, Hilfiger has participated in major fashion weeks and also staged events in less expected locations off-cycle. “But ultimately, we need to push this even further so that we’re staying relevant to where, when and how consumers want to experience fashion,” Hilfiger said. “Whatever we do next is going to be another step in our history of breaking conventions, doing the unexpected, and being determinedly optimistic about the future.”

The designer recalled that when he started his company 35 years ago, he asked consumers on the street what they were looking for in a fashion brand.

“We’ve continued to reinvent around our consumer as we’ve grown, and that’s never going to stop,” he said. “For me, the ideal fashion calendar will take the same approach: engaging the consumer and creating an overall experience that surprises and excites them.”

Ralph Lauren, who has staged see-now-buy-now events during New York Fashion Week, and cancelled an event that had been planned for late April, has yet to determine the way forward given the disruptions of the crisis, thought it remains committed to creating special brand experiences, a company spokeswoman said.

Tom Ford, who went see-now-buy-now for one season in 2017, did not respond to a request for comment.

Ralph Lauren RTW Fall 2019
Ralph Lauren RTW autumn 2019

According to the BFC’s Rush, the forced slowdown of the industry due to lockdowns could make see-now-buy-now more feasible.

“I’ve spoken to quite a lot of businesses, and they’re now having to push collections from one season into the next, reducing the number of collections they do and carrying through products that then don’t have to go on sale. And if you do that, you’ll always have elements that could be see-now-buy-now because there will be elements that are relevant to the customer, that aren’t seasonal and therefore should not be discounted,” she said.

Rush said ideally, there would be two main physical fashion weeks a year in the four main fashion capitals, in addition to the platforms in Asia.

“It’s important for buyers and the press to see different sorts of curations in the regions and see designers benchmarked against their peers so that they can make a call about what to buy,” she said. “All audiences are important. The trade is so important in creating the hype that then generates sales to the consumer. Once designer trends/hype gains traction, the consumer becomes important because they are the ones buying. So you have to engage the consumer as part of the conversation because, ultimately, we are all in the business to sell clothes.”

Meanwhile, Guram Gvasalia, cofounder of Vetements, is adamant that the see-now-buy-now format doesn’t work because of a complex production cycle. “Getting orders in, buying fabrics and trims, producing the collection, getting it first into your own warehouse, shipping to the stores and waiting for the stores to process the orders takes months,” he explained in an interview.

“There are two ways how see-now-buy-now could theoretically work. One way is to gamble and to pre-produce the entire collection prior to receiving any orders in hopes all will go as planned. However, in today’s economy, it would be not a smart move,” he said. “Another option is to have a secret showroom months in advance, where no pictures can be taken. The collection will be presented at a later stage, however this will totally kill buyers’ mojo and the shows will become merely a publicity stunt.”

He suggests no more than two collections a year with multiple delivery windows.

Vetements RTW Fall 2020
Vetements RTW autumn 2020

Since it was founded in 2013, Vetements has experimented with the timing of its shows, ultimately settling into men’s fashion week in Paris with coed displays, finding that timing ideal for efficient production and delivery. It also produces what it shows, but “doesn’t talk about the pieces” on its social channels, particularly Instagram, until they’re available for purchase, the executive explained.

In his view, the calendar conundrum pales next to rampant markdowns that have stoked demand for earlier deliveries in order to achieve some full-price selling. “The biggest poison of the industry are premature sales and constant midseason promotions. The goal of the industry should be to have winter sales starting in March, when winter is over, and summer sales in September, when summer is over. When this works out the industry will be fixed, and we will all live happily ever after,” he said.

The consultant Burke agreed it would be best to have the industry aligned on a new cadence of deliveries and markdowns — more closely aligned to consumer demand and weather patterns — before tinkering with the show calendar.

“Retail, online, direct-to-consumer all have to be aligned for this to work, that’s the key,” he said. “This has become a mandatory reset because the stores have been closed, and you’re not going to have fall (autumn) delivered until fall. There’s an opportunity, if everyone bands together, to not mark down so early.

“If the online retailers embrace it, there’s a real opportunity to be able to sell product in-season,” he added.

According to sources, another big European luxury brand is mulling the possibility of a see-now-buy-now showcase, timed with one of its later seasonal deliveries. It is understood it is not working in concert with fashion-week organizers, raising the spectre of an even more fragmented and diverse fashion calendar, at least in the interim.

“The brands are really going to call the shots, as opposed to the department stores calling the shots,” Burke stressed.

He also underscored how fashion shows, small showroom affairs for professionals only up until the mid-Nineties, have evolved into entertainment spectacles — while not straying far from their traditional timing in February/March and September/October for women’s wear.

Asked about possibly adjusting the timing of fashion weeks, Rush warned that any change would have a knock-on effect on fabric fairs and manufacturers and would be a huge shift for the industry’s calendar as a whole. She said the core of any argument with timing is this: How do you ensure that full-priced stock stays on the shop floor for as long as possible?

She agreed that the system is now so out of whack that stores are discounting coats before customers even decide they want one.

Returning from fashion after a long hiatus with AZfashion, a from-scratch venture with Compagnie Financière Richemont revealed last autumn, Alber Elbaz vowed to do things his way. It is understood his first project, aimed at wardrobe solutions for women, will be revealed later this year, depending on the pace of factory reopenings.

Yet he said it’s too early for him to say how he might reveal his designs, whether with a fashion show or some other format.

“We have to think and we have to dream and we have to use intuition. It’s the idea about thinking together,” Elbaz said. “I think it’s about being authentic, it’s about being individual, it’s about not compromising, it’s about being unique, and being original.”

Pressed for more specifics, he replied: “I cannot come with an answer today. Let me have more time to reflect. I want to be more of a doer than a talker.”

According to Hilfiger’s Scheiner, “This isn’t about fashion week any more. It’s about ensuring that everything we are putting in front of the consumer is relevant, accessible and engaging,” he said. “As we look more at our brand investments from this perspective, it’s clear that we don’t foresee a return to the more traditional fashion show calendar.”

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Escape from the Ordinary

Ponant, the luxury cruise line known for its meticulously planned itineraries and high-end service, ups the ante on their upcoming European Journeys that promise an unrivalled exploration of the Mediterranean.

By Robb Report Team 19/02/2024

Not all cruises are created equally. Ponant, the luxury cruise line known for its meticulously planned itineraries and high-end service, ups the ante on their upcoming European Journeys that promise an unrivalled exploration of the Mediterranean. From the stunning Amalfi Coast to the pristine Greek Islands, the narrow Corinth Canal to the picturesque Dalmatian coast, historic Istanbul and beguiling Malaga, each destination is a unique adventure waiting to be unravelled. With Ponant, these aren’t just locations on a map; they’re experiences that come alive with the intimate knowledge and insight that their expert guides provide.

Ponant’s luxury cruises are renowned for their individuality, with no two journeys the same. This is not by chance. Itineraries are scrupulously designed to ensure that each passenger is left with a feeling of having embarked on a journey unlike any other.

Athens-Venise. Photograph by N.Matheus. ©PONANT

In 2025, their fleet will set sail for a combined 56 departures from March to October, exploring the dreamy locales of Greece and the Greek Islands, Malta, Italy (including Venice and Sicily), Croatia, France, Turkey, Spain and Portugal. These European Journeys offer an intimate encounter with the Mediterranean, its people and culture. As you cruise in luxury, you’ll dive deep into the heart of each destination, exploring historic sites, engaging with locals, sampling scrumptious cuisine and soaking in the vibrant atmospheres.

The company’s small, sustainable ships, which can accommodate from as few as 32 to 264 guests, have the exclusive ability to sail into ports inaccessible to larger cruise liners, affording privileged entry into some of the world’s most treasured alcoves. Picture sailing under London’s iconic Tower Bridge, crossing the Corinth Canal, or disembarking directly onto the sidewalk during ports of call in culturally rich cities like Lisbon, Barcelona, Nice and Venice, among others.

Photo by Tamar Sarkissian. ©PONANT

This singular closeness is further enriched by destination experts who unravel the tapestry of each locale’s history and traditions.

Onboard their luxurious ships, every guest is a VIP and treated to refined service and amenities akin to sailing on a private yacht. Whether at sea or ashore, their destination experts guarantee a fascinating experience, immersing you in the rich cultural and historical diversity of each region.

Indulge in the finest gastronomy at sea, inspired by none other than gastronomic virtuoso and Ponant partner, Alain Ducasse. Each voyage offers an expertly crafted dining experience, from a-la-carte meals with perfectly matched wines by the onboard Sommelier at dinner and lunch, to a French-inspired buffet breakfast, featuring all the favourite pastries, fresh bread and quality produce.

Chef Mickael Legrand. Photograph by NickRains. ©PONANT

For a more intimate discovery, consider Le Ponant, with its 16 high-class staterooms and suites—perfect for private charter—sailing eight exclusive routes between Greece and Croatia, offering guests unparalleled experiences both onboard and ashore. Ponant’s commitment to crafting unforgettable experiences extends beyond itineraries. Aboard their ships, the luxury is in every detail. Unwind in opulent cabins and suites, each offering private balconies and breathtaking views of the azure water and destinations beyond.

Ponant’s upcoming European Journeys are more than just cruises—they’re your passport to a world of cultural immersion, historical exploration, and unrivalled luxury. Don’t miss this opportunity to embark on the voyage of a lifetime: the Mediterranean is calling.

To book European 2025 sailings visit au.ponant.com; call 1300 737 178 (AU) or 0800 767 018 (NZ) or contact your preferred travel agent.

 

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Saint Laurent Just Opened a New Bookstore in Paris. Here’s a Look Inside.

The chic new outpost is located on the city’s arty Left Bank.

By Rachel Cormack 14/02/2024

Saint Laurent is taking over even more of Paris.

The French fashion house, which only just opened an epic new flagship on Champs-Élysées, has launched a chic new bookstore on the Left Bank. Located in the 7th arrondissement, Saint Laurent Babylone is a mecca of art, music, literature, and, of course, fashion.

The new outpost is a tribute to the connection that Yves Saint Laurent and partner Pierre Bergé had to the Rue Babylone, according to Women’s Wear Daily. (In 1970, the pair moved to a 6,500-square-foot duplex on the street.) It is also inspired by the house’s original ready-to-wear boutique, Saint Laurent Rive Guache, which opened in the 6th arrondissement in 1966.

The exposed concrete in contrasted by sleek marble accents. SAINT LAURENT

With a minimalist, art gallery-like aesthetic, the space is anchored by a hefty marble bench and large black shelves. The raw, textured concrete on the walls is juxtaposed by a soft blue and white rug, a wooden Pierre Jeanneret desk, and sleek Donald Judd stools.

The wares within Saint Laurent Babylone are the most important part, of course. Curated by Saint Laurent’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello, the collection includes everything from photos by British artist Rose Finn-Kelcey to books published by Saint Laurent itself. Some tomes on offer are so rare that white gloves are required for handling.

The store also offers an enviable selection of records that are no longer being pressed. Highlights include Sade’s Promise, Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love, and the debut studio album of electronic band Kraftwerk.

Other notable items on the shelves include Leica cameras, chocolates made in collaboration with pastry chef François Daubinet, prints by Juergen Teller, and brass skull sculptures. You’ll also find an assortment of YSL merch, including pens, lighters, and cups.

To top it off, Saint Laurent Babylone will double as an event space, hosting live music sessions, DJ sets, book readings, and author signings over the coming months.

Saint Laurent’s latest endeavor isn’t exactly surprising. With Vaccarello at the helm, the Kering-owned fashion house has entered new cultural realms. Only last year, the label established a film production company and debuted its first movie at Cannes.

The space is fitted with a Pierre Jeanneret desk and Donald Judd stools.
SAINT LAURENT

Perhaps Saint Laurent film reels and movie posters will soon be available at Babylone, too.

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The Best Watches at the Grammys, From Maluma’s Jacob & Co. to Jon Batiste’s Vacheron Constantin

Music’s biggest names sported some outstanding watches on Sunday evening.

By Rachel Mccormack 08/02/2024

Weird yet wonderful watches punctuated this year’s Grammys.

The woman of the moment, Taylor Swift, who made history by winning Album of the Year for an unprecedented fourth time, wore an unconventional Lorraine Schwartz choker watch to the annual awards ceremony on Sunday night. That was just the tip of the horological iceberg, though.

Colombian singer-songwriter Maluma elevated a classic Dolce & Gabbana suit with a dazzling Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon and a pair of custom, diamond-encrusted Bose earbuds, while American musician Jon Batiste topped off a stylish Versace ensemble with a sleek Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon. Not to be outdone, rapper Busta Rhymes busted out a rare Audemars Piguet Royal Oak for the occasion.

There was more understated wrist candy on display, too, such as Jack Antonoff’s Cartier Tank LC and Noah Kahan’s Panerai Luminor Quaranta BiTempo.

For the rest of the best watches we saw on the Grammys 2024 red carpet, read on.

Maluma: Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon

Maluma busted out some truly spectacular bling for this year’s Grammys. The Colombian singer-songwriter paired a classic Dolce & Gabbana suit with a dazzling Jacob & Co. Astronomia Tourbillon and a pair of custom, diamond-encrusted Bose earbuds. The sculptural wrist candy sees a four-arm movement floating in front of a breathtaking dial adorned with no less than 257 rubies. For added pizzaz, the lugs of the 18-karat rose-gold case are invisibly set with 80 baguette-cut white diamonds. Limited to just nine examples, the rarity is priced at $1.5 million.

Asake: Hublot Big Bang Essential Grey

Nigerian singer-songwriter Asake may not have won the Grammy for Best African Music Performance for “Amapiano,” but did wear a winning Hublot Big Bang at Sunday’s proceedings. Released in 2023, the Essential Grey model is made purely of titanium for a sleek, uniform feel. The 42 mm timepiece was limited to just 100 pieces and cost $37,000 a pop.

John Legend: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding

Multihyphenate John Legend wore a legendary Audemars Piguet with silky Saint Laurent on Sunday evening. The self-winding Royal Oak in question features a 34 mm black ceramic case, a black grande tapisserie dial, and striking pink gold accents. The watchmaker’s signature is also displayed in gold under the sapphire crystal. The piece will set you back $81,000.

Jon Batiste: Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon

American musician Jon Batiste received four nominations but no wins at this year’s Grammys. The “Butterfly” singer can take solace in the fact that he looked ultra-sharp in Versace and Vacheron Constantin. A tribute to the spirit of travel, the Overseas Tourbillon features a 42.5 mm white-gold case, a bezel set with 60 baguette-cut diamonds, and a blue dial featuring a dazzling tourbillon cage inspired by the Maltese cross. Price upon request, naturally.

Fireboy DML: Cartier Santos

Fireboy DML’s outfit was straight fire on Sunday night. The Nigerian singer paired an MCM wool jacket with a Van Cleef & Arpels bracelet, several iced-out rings, and a sleek Cartier Santos. The timepiece features a steel case, a graduated blue dial with steel sword-shaped hands, and a seven-sided crown with synthetic faceted blue spinel.

Noah Kahan: Panerai Luminor Quaranta BiTempo

Best New Artist nominee Noah Kahan wore one of Panerai’s best new watches to Sunday’s festivities. The Luminor Quaranta BiTempo features a 40 mm polished steel case and a black dial with luminous numerals and hour markers, a date display at 3 o’clock, and a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock. The timepiece can be yours for $14,000.

Busta Rhymes: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore

Legendary rapper Busta Rhymes busted out a chic Audemars Piguet for this year’s Grammys. The Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph in question is distinguished by a 42 mm rose-gold case and a matching pink méga tapisserie dial with an outer flange for the tachymeter scale. The face is fitted with three black subdials, large black numerals, and a black date display at 3 o’clock. You can expect to pay around $61,200 for the chronograph on the secondary market.

Jack Antonoff: Cartier Tank Louis Cartier

Producer of the year Jack Antonoff took to the red carpet with a stylish Cartier on his wrist. The Tank Louis Cartier in question appears to be a large 33.7 mm example that features an 18-carat rose-gold case, a silvered dial with black Roman numerals and blued steel hands, a beaded crown set with a sapphire cabochon, and a brown alligator strap. It’ll set you back $19,900.

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This 44-Foot Carbon-Fiber Speedboat Can Rocket to 177 KMPH

The new Mayla GT is available with a range of different powertrains, too.

By Rachel Cormack 03/02/2024

We knew the Mayla GT would be one of the most exciting boats at Boot Düsseldorf, but a deep dive into the specs shows it could be downright revolutionary.

The brainchild of German start-up Mayla, the 44-footer brings you the blistering performance of a speedboat and the luxe amenities of a motor yacht in one neat carbon-fiber package.

Inspired by the go-fast boats of the 1970s and ‘80s, the GT sports an angular, retro-futuristic body and the sleek lines of a rocket ship. Tipping the scales at just 4500 kilograms, the lightweight design features a deep-V hull with twin transversal steps and patented Petestep deflectors that help it slice through the waves with ease. In fact, Mayla says the deflectors decrease energy usage by up to 35 percent while ensuring a more efficient planing.

The range-topping GT can reach 185 kph. MAYLA

The GT is also capable of soaring at breakneck speeds, with the option of a gas, diesel, electric, or hybrid powertrain. The range-topping GTR-R model packs dual gas-powered engines that can churn out 3,100 hp for a top speed of more than 100 knots (185 kph). At the other, more sustainable end of the spectrum, the E-GT is fitted with an electric powertrain that can produce 2,200 horses for a max speed of 50 knots. The hybrid E-GTR pairs that same electric powertrain with a 294 kilowatt diesel engine for a top speed of 60 knots (111 km/h/69 mph). (The GT in the water at Boot sported two entry-level V8s good for 650 hp and a top speed of over 70 knots.)

The GT is suitable for more than just high-speed jaunts, of course. The multipurpose cockpit, which can accommodate up to eight passengers, features a sundeck with sliding loungers, a wet bar and BBQ, and a foldaway dining table for alfresco entertaining. Further toward the stern, a beach club sits atop a garage with an electric transom door.

The garage has an electric transom door. MAYLA

The GT is even fit for overnight stays. Below deck lies a cabin with a double bed, sofa, wardrobe, vanity, and en suite. You can also expect a high-tech entertainment system with TVs and premium audio.

As for price, the GT with the entry-level powertrain will cost between $2.7 million and $2.9, depending on the final configuration. (You can fine-tune the layout, hull color, and interiors, naturally.) Interested buyers can set up a sea trial with Mayla, with test-drives set to begin this spring in Europe.

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Red Centre

First Nations artist Shaun Daniel Allen joins forces with Chopard to create a timepiece inspired by the Australian landscape.

By Horacio Silva 29/01/2024

Shaun Daniel Allen does not look like your typical collaborator on a prestige watch. For one, Shal, as he prefers to be known (“There are many Shauns but only one Shal,” he explains), is more heavily tattooed than your average roadie. His youthful appearance, bad-boy ink and all, belies his 38 years and leads to a disconnect. 

He recounts being recognised on the street recently by a journalist, who, unable to remember his name, shouted out, “Chopard!” “I was with a friend,” Shal says, holding court in his apartment in Sydney’s inner city, “and he’s, like, ‘What the hell? Does that happen to you often?’”

Perhaps because of his body art, he reasons, “People don’t put me and Chopard together.” It’s not hard to understand the confusion, Shal adds; even he was taken aback when Chopard reached out to him about a potential collaboration a little more than a year ago. “When I first went in to see them, I was, like, I don’t know if I’m your guy. I’m not used to being in those rooms and having those conversations.”

He’ll have to adapt quickly to his new reality. Last month Chopard released Shal’s interpretation of the Swiss brand’s storied Alpine Eagle model, which in itself was a redo of the St. Moritz, the first watch creation by Karl-Friedrich Scheufele (now Co-President of Chopard) in the late 1970s. 

Previewed at Sydney’s About Time watch fair in September, to not insignificant interest, and officially known as the Alpine Eagle Sunburnt, the exclusive timepiece—issued in a limited edition of 20—arrives as a stainless steel 41 mm with a 60-hour power reserve and a burnt red dial that brings to mind the searing Outback sun. Its see-through caseback features one of Shal’s artworks painted on sapphire glass.

When the reputable Swiss luxury brand approached Shal, they already had the red dial—a nod to the rich ochre hues of the Australian soil at different times of the day and gradated so that the shades become darker around the edges—locked in as a lure for Australian customers.

Shal was charged with designing an artful caseback and collectible hand-painted sustainable wooden case. After presenting a handful of paintings, each with his signature abstract motifs that pertain to indigenous emblems, tattoos and music, both parties landed on a serpentine image that evoked the coursing of rivers. “I have been painting a lot of water in this last body of work and the image we chose refers to the rivers at home,” he says, alluding to formative years spent at his grandfather’s, just outside of Casino.

It says a lot about Chopard, Shal points out, that they wanted to donate to a charity of his choosing. “Like everything else on this project,” he explains, “they were open to listening and taking new ideas on board and it actually felt like a collaboration, like they weren’t steering me into any corner.”

In another nice touch, a portion of the proceeds from sales of the watch will go to funding programs of the Ngunya Jarjum Aboriginal Corporation—an organisation, established in 1995 by Bundjalung elders, whose work Shal saw firsthand after the 2022 eastern Australia flood disasters ravaged their area. “Seeing Ngunya Jarjum suffer from the floods,” he says, “and knowing how much they do for the community on Bundjalung Country was heartbreaking. I want to see Bundjalung families thriving and supported.”

So what’s it been like for this booster of Australian waterways to be swimming in the luxury end of the pool? “I’ve done a few things with brands,” he offers, referring to the Louis Vuitton project earlier this year at an art gallery in Brisbane, “but nothing on this scale. It’s definitely fancier than I’m used to but I’m not complaining.” Neither are watch aficionados.

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