You've got to hand it to fashion designers - when they're down, they get right back up again. Both Yohji Yamamoto and Jean Paul Gaultier have had a tough time lately. Yamamoto filed for bankruptcy last year and Gaultier recently announced that he would be stepping down as artistic director for Hermes. Although Gaultier said he was leaving on good terms to work on his own projects, industry insiders questioned whether he was forced out.
Last week his motives became clear when he announced that he would be collaborating with lingerie brand La Perla (pictured above and below) on a capsule collection of bras, underwear and other pretty underthings. The partnership makes sense considering that lingerie is a strong part of Gaultier's DNA - in fact he made conical bras and corsets cool again. Two limited-edition pieces from the collection will be presented today during Gaultier's autumn/winter couture presentation in Paris, while the entire collection will land in stores in November.
Things are also looking up for Yamamoto. The emotional roller-coaster ride he experienced last year has propelled him to channel his creativity into his first biography, titled My Dear Bomb. Yamamoto has always been one of the industry's most mysterious and enigmatic designers, and the book is said to provide insight into 'Yohji the man'. It will feature short fiction by the designer, combined with flashbacks of key moments in his career and descriptions of his technique from fabrics and volumes to silhouettes. It will be published in October.
Another fashion book to look out for is SoHo Composites #3 by British photographer Mike Figgis. The Soho Composites Concept was born in London in 2008 when Figgis was commissioned to document the London Soho's vibrant people, places and atmosphere, raising funds for The Photographers' Gallery. Similar collaborations followed with Prada and Milk Gallery in New York, before he decided to come to Hong Kong in October and team up with the Hong Kong Fashion Designers Association. While he was here he photographed some of Hong Kong's most stylish personalities, including Janet Ma, Barney Cheng, Johanna Ho and Kam Kwok-leung. These images have now been compiled into a coffee table book that will go on sale at Joyce and Page One for HK$350. A portion of the sales will be donated to The Photographers' Gallery in London.