Hasta La Ideas

Some really beautiful and revitalizing brand work for the new Levi’s “Go Forth” campaign by Wieden+Kennedy.

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Ready to Work” appears to promote the Levi’s workwear line, this time portraying the situation of workers and women of Braddock, Pennsylvania, which has experienced serious financial difficulties in recent times. Its mayor, John Fetterman, received national attention for his attempts to help rebuild and revive the town by enlisting the help of modern pioneers – artists, craftsmen, musicians and business owners.

Read the press release and full back story here.

Watch other short films & content here.

With one successful collaboration already under their belt, two of fashion’s most loved luxury brands recently teamed up again for another winning collection. First lady fave Lanvin and modern multi-disciplinarians Acne this time came up with lightweight, well-cut silhouettes referencing classic looks from both brands. Acne’s strength shows in the use of quality Japanese denim over typical wide-shuttle woven alternatives, while the resulting inventive glamour of the dresses, skirts and tops comes from the signature drapes and flourishes of Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz.

Touches of ruffles and ruching, positioned slightly below the hip or nestling on the collar bone, draw the eye to all the right places. While the color scheme mostly tones it all down with shades of black and blue, a jet-black tunic intricately studded with silver and crystals pushes it in a tribal direction with a breastplate design.

As yet there’s no menswear, but if the past two collections are anything to go by, it won’t be long. With perfect spring looks and an abundance of style, we wouldn’t be surprised if it was a perennial thing. Prices start at $900 and it’s all available from
Acne’s online shop.

With acclaimed Greek fashion designer Sophia Kokosalaki at the helm, the Diesel Black Gold Autumn/Winter 2010 collection maintains its defining rock ‘n’ roll attitude but updates it with the newly-appointed designer’s characteristically intricate details.

To set its pieces apart from their world-renowned denim, the Italian label’s high-end line uses better fabrics and elaborate embellishments, like this season’s metal embroidery. Kokosalaki seemed to embrace a heavy Americana streak for her debut collection, with a Harley-inspired vibe ironically lending clothes a look that would fit right in at a county fair in the early ’90s. This knit quilted motorcycle jacket featured impressive technical specs, while denim and leather jackets boasted airbrushed graphics on the back.

For the denim itself, Kokosalaki explained how she treated the denim as if it were yarn. Her technique involves such elaborate approaches as combining three layers of yarn to achieve a true vintage effect and spending nearly six months developing one type of denim.

Extremely slim silhouettes cater to a set that likely doesn’t share body types with the bikers they emulate, and feminine components—such as lace outlining denim hot pants, sheer tulle over denim jumpsuits, crystal studded belts cinching mono-shoulder leather mini-dresses, and soft mohair tops layered over black leather shorts—add another twist to the concept.

Wanting to “keep the Black Gold DNA” an obvious element, Kokosalaki successfully integrated her own elegant aesthetic without taking away from the label’s edgy nature for a cohesive collection.