Tory’s Fragrance Layers, Sneaker Surgeon and Lanvin, President Haider – WWD

MORE LAYERS: Tory Burch is expanding her fragrance assortment.

The designer, who serves as executive chairman and chief creative officer of her namesake brand, is introducing a new format to her range of scents. Called the Essence of Dreams Layering Oils, the range will debut in Tory Burch stores and online, in addition to Nordstrom, on Friday. Each of the three fragrances is priced at $60.

The launch comes one year after Burch introduced the Essence of Dreams fragrance collection, the brand’s inaugural perfumes with fragrance licensee Shiseido. “We created layering oils to give people a new way to think about fragrance. I wanted to capture the purest form of vetiver, sandalwood and rose. They are luxurious and beautiful to wear alone, or layered to enhance another scent you love,” Burch said in an email.

The three oils are designed to either be layered or worn alone. Essence of Rose blends Bulgarian rose, upcycled rose water, bergamot, a morning dew accord and musks; Essence of Vetiver contains notes of Madagascan vetiver, ambrette absolute, bergamot, black pepper and coriander seeds; Essence of Sandalwood combines Australian sandalwood, balsamic and cedar notes.

Those notes are each suspended in a blend of avocado oil, vitamin E and olive oil, and housed in Malin Ericson-designed bottles.

“I have definitely seen a shift in the way people approach fragrance. It isn’t about wearing the same one for years, it’s about experimenting with different scents based on your mood,” Burch continued. — JAMES MANSO

DON’T CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM: Sneakerheads and luxury gurus are sure to gobble this up: Dominic Ciambrone, aka The Shoe Surgeon, has “reimagined” Lanvin’s popular Curb sneaker.

Images of the shoe are still under wraps, but the concept is essentially a mashup of West Coast self-expression and haute Parisian craftsmanship.

Now dubbing himself simply The Surgeon, Ciambrone is considered one of the top customization experts in America, known for tearing apart athletic shoes, reconstructing them and adding special paints, studs, crystals, swooshes or leather features to set them apart.

For the Lanvin project, Ciambrone went with a palette of soft blues, tans and beige, reminiscent of the California coastline, a touch of pink and embroidery details. “A marriage of old-school workmanship and cutting-edge technique,” according to Lanvin.

A video clip depicts Ciambrone taking a scalpel to the shoe’s quarter panel, interspersed with a closeup of a sewing machine’s needle and presser foot.

First released in early 2021, the Curb is a ’90s-inspired sneaker with an exaggerated, round shape, padded tongue, oversize eyelets and jumbo laces.

“I wanted to transform this iconic silhouette with my personal design philosophy, bringing together Lanvin’s rich heritage and L.A.’s roots in street style,” Ciambrone explained in a statement shared with WWD.

The limited-edition, bespoke designs are slated to drop on Sept. 13 at Lanvin boutiques in the U.S. and Paris, and online at lanvin.com.

Ciambrone’s client list is headlined by Justin Bieber, Will.i.am, Drake, Michael B. Jordan, P.J. Tucker and Odell Beckham Jr. — MILES SOCHA

PRESIDENT HAIDER: Haider Ackermann, the Colombian-born French ready-to-wear designer, has been tapped as president of the international jury of the Latin American Fashion Awards.

The organization’s mission is to spotlight on Latin American talent all over the world.

Both the Latin American Fashion Awards and Ackermann posted his new role on Instagram Wednesday. The Latin American Fashion Awards said Thursday that further information about the project and Ackermann’s participation as president of the jury will be forthcoming. Ackermann couldn’t be reached for comment Thursday.

The Latin American Fashion Awards, which will be held Nov. 4 in Altos De Chavón Amphitheater in Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic, includes 13 award categories. There are more than 25 participating countries, 16 members of the international jury and two strategic headquarters that bridge Latin America and the fashion scene: Dominican Republic and Milan. Businesswoman Constanza Etro and designer Silvia Argüello teamed to launch the first-ever Latin American Fashion Awards.

Awards include Fashion Designer, Emerging Fashion Designer/Brand, Model of the Year, Fashion Influencer of the Year, Fashion Photographer of the Year, Fashion Film of the Year and Emerging Fashion Photographer. Nominees have been selected, and finalists will be revealed Tuesday.

The three finalists of each one of the 13 Latin American Fashion Awards categories will be invited to the award ceremony and other events in the Dominican Republic. Finalists will receive networking and promotional support before, during and after the event. Winners will participate in the White Show in Milan in June 2024, where they will have a dedicated space for Latin American Fashion Awards winners to showcase their work to international designers. They will also participate in the Fashion Hub Market of the Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana in Milan in September 2024, where they can showcase their work to international press and buyers during Milan Fashion Week.

In addition, Farfetch will carry a selection of pieces of the winners and their work will be exhibited in the digital platforms of the Fashion Film Festival Milan 2024. Finally, the Council of Fashion Designers will support their business development and profession growth of the Emerging Talent winner.

In addition to Ackermann, the international jury consists of Anna Dello Russo, Nina Garcia, Carmen Busquets, Carlo Capasa, Steven Kolb, Sara Sozzani Maino, Margherita Maccapani Missoni, Carlos Nazario, Indya Moore, Karla Martinez De Salas, Vivian Soto Corno and Bruno Aveillan.

Earlier this year, Ackermann was the guest designer of a one-off haute couture collection for Jean Paul Gaultier. — LISA LOCKWOOD

NEW RITUALS: A move out of New York City coupled with a second baby three years ago lead creative Donnie Soddu on a personal journey. Having the time and space to reflect inward, she looked to nature as a way to anchor her personal restorative process.

“I had all these things happening that to me felt like a spiritual expansion and a moment for spiritual exploration,” she said of the time. It lead her to lean into her creative side, creating jewelry based on ceremonial objects, “as a way to connect with my own personal power,” she said.

What began as a project of self-reflection is now a full-fledged brand: High Line Rituals is built on the proposition of ceremonial objects designed to encourage the wearer to become more in tune with themselves and their inner world. “The pandemic aspect had to do with me sharing it more broadly,” she explained of wanting to expand the project. “I was feeling like in our collective conscious, there’s just like a lot of trauma and this deep need for reconnection.”

The debut collection begins with pendants and bracelets made of semiprecious stones and crystals, heavily influenced by natural elements. Each piece has different layers, of symbolism, “but when you look at them, they’re quite classic,” she said, like the Large Genesis Pendant, which is meant to help channel good fortune, and the Abundance Prayer Pendant, meant to invoke a fruitful mindset of gratitude and prosperity.

Her pieces, she says, are meant for a customer seeking spiritual expansion but aren’t necessarily religious. “People who are exploring crystals and mysticism but might feel intimidated or unseen by the metaphysical brands in the market delivering bulky, DIY-driven styles,” she said.

The collection ranges from $75 to $2,500, crafted from recycled 18-karat solid gold, ethically sourced gemstones and lab-cultured diamonds. “For the initial collection, gold was most aligned. The recycled element of it is important because again, this is our philosophy is very earth centered.” Pieces are handmade-to-order and are cleansed and blessed by Donnie herself before being sent to their new “home,” she said.

A seasoned marketing executive — she has had stints at Nécessaire, Tula Skincare and BaubleBar — Soddu has crafted a strategy that stays true to her direct-to-consumer brand DNA, launching with paid media and new social channels. Along with e-commerce, her website is also built as a place for discovery with a brand blog. “It really gives us a huge it’s a great opportunity for education and connection,” she explained.

A solo female founder, Soddu defines her brand goal on her own terms: “For me, this brand is about helping people feel connected. As long as I can take care of my family and be able to spend my time focused on this brand…that to me is success.” — THOMAS WALLER

PRIZE WINNER: Amesh Wijesekera, a semifinalist for the LVMH prize, has won the U.K. prize for the Circular Design Challenge.

After the winner of the Milan prize is announced, Aijesekera, as well as Hong Kong prize winner Pei-Wen Jin, and finalists from the India prize, including Riddhi Jain, Dhruv Satija, Jinali Mody, Arundhati Kumar and Anish Malpani, will gather at Lakmé Fashion Week to participate in the finals for the prize in October.

Circular Design Challenge partnered with the British Fashion Council on choosing a winner. The jury included Phoebe English, Sevra Davis, Sarah Ditty, Megan Doyle, Daniel Whitley and Wilson Oryema.

The final winner will receive the prize money of 14,000 pounds; a Circular Design Challenge trophy; a six-month mentorship, and a solo show at Lakmé Fashion Week.

Orsola de Castro, cofounder of Fashion Revolution and creative director of Estethica, will mentor the winner and runner-up.

“We were hugely impressed by the cohort of designers who came together to showcase their thoughtful collections at the event, all deeply rooted in the principles of circularity and sustainability,” said Hannah Robinson, who is a senior relationship manager for Architecture Design Fashion.

“It has been an exciting journey together with the United Nations in India and Reliance Industries to support the next generation of designers who are shaping the future of fashion and we look forward to seeing the next stage of the programme later this year,” she added.

Circular Design Challenge is a platform in India that encourages a greener fashion industry to those coming up and thinking about a career in the creative spaces. — HIKMAT MOHAMMED