The Official ContentMode Blog

Beyonce x TopShop creates a street wear brand

                                                         BY DEBORAH FERGUSON

 Has the world of RTW and High street chains become reliant on a celebrity collaboration in order to  ensure their cache ? Or is this just the new expected re-branding business model?  

    TopShop was the first of high street stores to collaborate  with RTW designers and launch diffusion lines, mainly with new British RTW designers.  Other high street retailers began to follow to this idea for example; H&M who only recently started collaborating with RTW designers to create exclusive diffusion lines availble exclusively at H&M.    We can now look forward to Beyonce and Sir Phillip Green of Topshop's  50/50 joint venture clothing company : Parkwood Athletic Topshop Ltd.

 The news about the collaboration between supers,star Beyoncé and Topshop CEO, Sir Phillip Green just broke. The two giants will bring out an athletic street wear brand which will launch in autumn 2015.

"We have been looking at this category as fashion inspired fitness develops, and know that this is right in our customers' heartland. Creating a partnership with Beyoncé, one of the most hard-working and talented people in the world, who spends many hours of her life dancing, rehearsing and training is a unique opportunity to develop this category," said Green, in a statement.

Encompassing footwear, clothing and accessories for dance, there’s also a fashion-forward fitness and sports category according to the release. And it will be distributed globally in Topshop stores and topshop.com.

“I could not think of a better partner as I continue to grow the Parkwood business. I have always loved TopShop for their fashion credentials and forward thinking” said Beyoncé. “Working with their development team to create and produce a technical and fashion led collection is exciting and I’m looking forward to participating in all aspects of this partnership.”

Beyoncé joins stars such as Kate Moss, who have had sweet collaborative lines with Topshop. We may not know the fine print of Bey’s deal, but it is definitely different as it birthed a whole new company. Bey is also not new to the business of fashion; she founded House of Deréon with her mother, in 2004.

Sir Philip added: "Being partners with Beyoncé and her team who have the greatest creative energy and enthusiasm is inspiring for all of the team at Topshop. We have much to achieve in just under a year, but we are all up for the challenge, and look forward to delivering athletic street-wear in an inventive and exciting way.”
 

Image courtesy of Beyonce's new Video : 7/11

 

Pharrell Williams x Moynat accessories

                                                               BY DEBORAH FERGUSON

                                                                   Research:  Yi He

French leather goods brand Moynat has released a collection of train inspired accessories designed by the recording artist which can added to ones covetable items to gift or to add to one's collection of 'It" accessories to wear.

   This isn't Pharrell Williams first co designing venture ; he has lent his name to nine recent fashion collaborations with companies including Moncler, Uniqlo, Adidas and Comme des Garçons.

The collection was inspired by a collection of vintage trunks and an old Moynat label featuring a train that Williams discovered during a visit to the label’s atelier in Paris, the line includes luxe pieces that put a fun-yet-refined twist on the American railroad car. The Moynat x Pharrell Williams collection will include train pochettes available in seven different color variations.

  Pharrell shares his source of inspiration for this collaboration:

"I had done a couple of bags with another brand for myself and wanted to do some more leather goods. Sarah [Andelman] from Colette gave me some advice, and said: 'Try Moynat, it predates Vuitton - but is also owned by LVMH - and started in the 1800s.' So I met Ramesh and we understood each other instantly. For about seven or eight years I had wanted to make these bags after seeing Harvey Girls with Judy Garland … So I was talking about this with Ramesh and I could see the gears turning in his mind. And he was showing me some of the Moynat archive and we found this logo with a train, and we decided that it was a sign."

Shop the exclusive limited edition accessories:  http://moynat.com/en/

Hand tooled Resin locomotive bag

Leather pouchettes with Train shape art

Carved Ebony Clutch

Silk scraves with Train inspired prints