SHOWnews: New Year New Mica, Maria Grazia Takes A Walk, Selfridges In Two Takes

Tod’s And Mica Argañaraz Marry The Summer

In dreams, Tod’s is transporting us to the sun-soaked heart of Sicily with its S/S 25 campaign, starring Mica Argañaraz alongside a close-knit seeming cast that includes Hedi Ben Tekaya, Hugo Sauzay and Tod’s Global Brand Ambassador, Xiao Zhan. Set against the laconic backdrop of Villa Tasca in Palermo, this campaign is a postcard series in filmic resolution to the effortless elegance of Italian conviviality. Captured by photographer Zoe Ghertner, the campaign features Argañaraz as a beacon of ease in timeless Tod’s against dazzling Sicilian landscapes. It’s as if each shot is soaked in golden sunlight, evoking the effortlessness of a Tod’s definition of summer as we dream it in dreary January.

Images are a masterclass of natural refinement that showcase standout Tod’s pieces the Gommino loafers, the perforated leather T Timeless shopping bag and Tod’s Di Bag Folio, brandished by Mica wearing a Pashmy Suede Harrington with authority.

The campaign evokes an undercurrent of Luca Guadadgnino’s Challengers, minus the testosterone teakettle. Tod’s and Ghertner hold serve with a reminder that Italian style in repose is the standard-bearer for execution, authenticity and Argañaraz. A’s across the board.

(D)-ior (D)-eparts Reality To (D)-esign (D)-esire

Christian Dior Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri has departure plans up her sleeve…although not the kind fashion rumour mills would have you believe. Scoffing in the face of gossipy nobodies who don’t shop, MGC focuses on some bodies who do. And so goes the new Dior D-Journey bag. Unveiled at the Christian Dior S/S 25 show, MGC’s D-Journey redefines multitasking as an emblematic undertaking. Imagine a bag that not only holds your daily essentials but does so with the rough, tumble aplomb of Ruth Bell from Chiuri’s first fencing-inspired season at the maison.

Fluid, supple lines place the D-Journey tantalisingly between elegance and practicality. You could toss in your Dior Foundation, Dior Contour Sticks, phone and keys while converting D-Journey to a shoulder sling that promotes your team affiliation, CD, as a tireless supporter of maison and Maria Grazia. The D-Journey is a gold trophy without the discomfort of being a literal champion stopped for autographs in the civilian world. Be it worn as a crossbody or on the shoulder, the D-Journey demands attention without screaming for it. It's a peek-a-boo with finesse, which is quite naturally the Roman way.

Sarabande Crafts An Intricate Selfridges Takeover

Sarabande’s House of Bandits will bring its vaunted creative energy to Selfridges with a pop-up running from 20 January. This expansive concept of store and gallery will showcase the works of the foundation’s artists and designers, alongside exclusive limited-edition pieces by iconic collaborators. From designer Thom Browne’s specially designed shirt to artist Jake Chapman’s graphic t-shirt and a limited-edition sweatshirt by alumnus Craig Green, the pop-up assures an assortment of surprising designs. Additionally, Sarabande will offer a programme of live artist workshops, talks and VIP events reflecting the foundation’s mission to support the next generation of creatives.

The collaboration with Selfridges marks a significant moment for Sarabande, whose spirit will inject the department store with a 360º celebration of today’s multifaceted creative landscape. Art, fashion, photography and craft will be on display, highlighting exclusive prints and signed artworks from friends of Sarabande including Daniel Roseberry, creative director at Schiaparelli, and legendary filmmaker Tim Burton. Visitors will also witness artists working live on the shop floor, creating a dynamic, in-studio atmosphere that mirrors Sarabande’s enclaves in Haggerston and Tottenham.

‘We hope everyone — whether an art aficionado or not — will come and experience the creative buzz of the foundation, support our artists, and leave with a unique piece that helps nurture the future of British creativity.’

— Trino Verkade, Sarabande Director

All sales will go towards supporting the artists and the foundation.

Gentle Monster Is Making Mia Thermopolis Awfully Jealous Today

Wildly experimental eyewear design bunch Gentle Monster steps into a new dimension of luxury with the launch of its jewellery collection, a slightly audacious fusion of eyewear and fine jewellery that redefines eyewear as tiaras.

In the collection, revealed through a dreamy campaign blurring fantasy and royal-ity, eyewear becomes ornamental by way of embedding intricate jewellery details into the temples of each signature frame. From statement eyewear to bold reinterpretations of vision, chokers and pearl necklaces, Gentle Monster’s vision of jewellery as adornment is more than a glow-up for modern Genovian aesthetics, it makes us want Princess Diaries 3 right now!

If You Ask Nicely, Chet Lo Will Spike Your Sofa

Chet Lo is stepping into the world of homeware this week with a striking new collaboration with innovative furniture studio Rankin Editions. Known for its bold, experimental designs, the new three-piece collection blends Chet Lo’s spiked, sculptural aesthetic with Rankin Editions' signature approach to form using daring silhouettes and a plushy embrace of Lo’s geometric shapes. The result is a collection that turns furniture into art: a spiked chair, a curvaceous chaise and pillows that incite touchy tactility. As Rankin Editions routinely push the boundaries of materiality and scale, this partnership with Lo is no exception. Each piece features intricate elements with protrusions that are as visually compelling as they are functional, reimagining everyday objects as dynamic sculptures.

Launching on this Friday (9 January), the Chet Lo x Rankin Editions collection will be available as made-to-order. The partnership is a natural convergence of two creative forces—Chet Lo’s conical, textured designs meet Rankin Editions’ flair for monumental, unconventional furniture pieces. Whether leaning into the chair’s sharp points or sinking into the couch's oversised curves, this collaboration is as much about feeling as it is about seeing — each piece a bold, sensory terrain of comfort.

Dries Van Noten Presents Fourteen Dancing Drapes

Winds of change continue to blow at Belgian fashion house Dries van Noten. Vitrines become anthropomorphic reflections of their house fragrance bottles. Yes, team Dries will combine tapestries from their S/S 25 collection with the fragrance side of DVN ops into a captivating installation experience at Selfridges London Oxford Street flagship. Fourteen ‘Dancing Drapes’ elevate patterns, fabrics and the senses as aromatic potions Rock the Myrrh, Soie Malaquais (a personal favourie) and newly released Camomille Satin scents invigorate shopping experiences.

Let's return to those twisting winds a moment. Van Noten’s spectral tableaux of print and perfumery deliberately introduces the new Dries Van Noten corner on floor 2, gallery 3 evolving with immersion placing Dries menswear next to its womenswear. Next in 2025 will be the new standalone London store, likely making its debut after new creative director Julian Klausner does during Paris womenswear shows in March. Until then, Dries Van Noten and Selfridges invite everyone to experience a new, yet familiar atmosphere with capacious Dries colours.

Dries Van Noten ‘Dancing Drapes’ is at Selfridges on 400 Oxford Street, London W1A 1AB from January 16 to February 24.

Martine Rose Sticks Her Snout In It

The Martine Rose S/S 25 campaign captured by collaborator Sharna Osborne doesn't aim to please. In the best way possible. The MR way is to peak interest, with a wink and a nudge. Clothes, and people, that are so familiar and yet one-of-a-kind, you can't help but lean in. The overtly fake prosthetic noses from Rose's debut Milan show last year nod to the characters and beauty ideals fashion revolves around, throwing the MR clan right back down to earth.