"Weekend Reading" is a weekly rundown of our favorite stories from around the web.
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Céline, Hedi Slimane, and the Grown-Up Woman
"At a time when women are increasingly not just finding their voice but using it, demanding parity and flexing their power, Céline consistently gave them something to wear — or at least to aspire to. Ms. Philo was interested not in what would attract the male gaze, but the female gaze (I can’t tell you how many shows I left with male colleagues who were shaking their heads and saying, “I just don’t get it,” while all the women in the audience were making fantasy shopping lists). And even more important: the grown-up female gaze. And in her clothes — deep pile, no-nonsense, swaddling, streamlined — many of them recognized themselves."

via: The New York Times

Sky Blue Sky
"Whoever said youth is wasted on the young knew the frantic feeling of wanting desperately to grow into something, only to grow out of it. Silhouettes of confusion mark the backdrop of young adulthood. But this outward appearance of confusion can be deceiving. Those who are suspended in these moments of transition move freely through the world. The dandelion seed knows that it travels through the air faster than a rock in the gutter."

via: SSENSE

Gucci Is Designing the Costumes for Elton John’s Last Tour
"Quelle surprise – Gucci has been busy dropping new projects as of late. There was its all-illustrated SS18 campaign created by Ignasi Monreal, a new collection to celebrate the Year of the Dog (featuring IRL dogs), and the opening of the lavish Gucci Garden – AKA everyone’s dream brunch destination. Its latest venture has today been announced, with creative director Alessandro Michele named as the costume designer for Elton John’s last tour."

via: Dazed

How Azzedine Alaïa Changed the Way We See Women's Bodies
"The king is dead; long live the king. Azzedine Alaïa’s heart failed last November, but his presence will be more keenly felt in Britain this year than ever before. A major exhibition opens at the Design Museum in May, with his first London boutique coming to New Bond Street before that. After the outpouring of emotion on his death – from Naomi Campbell, who lived with him as a teenage model and always called him Papa; from the Parisian great-and-good who ate couscous at his table; from the clients who worshipped how he made them look – 2018 will be the year when Alaïa is recognized not just as the man who changed what models wore, but as the man who changed what we all wore."

via: The Guardian

Does the Re-Release of the Snow Beach Mean Polo Is Finally Giving Hip-Hop Its Props?
"During the late ‘80s, the Lo-Lifes—a group made up of mostly minority teens from Brooklyn—wore Polo Ralph Lauren like uniforms. It was common to see them rolling 20 deep to clubs in head-to-toe in gear reserved for avid skiers or rugged outdoorsmen, and the rappers who either frequented those same clubs, or were from the same neighborhoods, emulated their style and took the way kids wore Polo in the ‘hood mainstream. The types of clothing rappers were wearing then trickled back down to the fans that weren’t from these same pockets of the country. The circle of life. Polo Ralph Lauren has remained a staple for generations of rap fans and in turn it has benefited from rappers and inner cities buying its clothes. If you search the word “polo” on Genius.com, the shout outs are endless. It’s mentioned in song titles, lyrics, album names and covers. Hip-hop culture has served as a marketing tool for the brand for years."

via: Complex

Why Corduroy Is This Season’s Must-Have Menswear Fabric
"An old-school fabric that was once the reserve of ponderous professors, corduroy has swiftly risen in the sartorial stakes with a full-scale menswear takeover. Littered throughout popular culture, the kitschy-vintage trend has inadvertently given us a whole host of unlikely style icons, from Britpop star Jarvis Cocker to perhaps the most geography-teacher-esque politician there is, Jeremy Corbyn. And, then there’s Netflix phenomenon Stranger Things, which decked what felt the entire cast in corduroy– from Dustin’s cargo pants to Lucas’s burnt orange shearling trimmed jacket. But, more than anywhere else the durable vintage material stood out as the takeaway trend on the autumn/winter runways."

via: The Independent

Male Style Tribes: As Lines Blur, Do They Still Exist?
"Have the distinct style tribes of the past overlapped and coagulated until merging into one? When I see my dad in a windbreaker that wouldn't be out of place on Drake's Instagram, or a TV chef in a JW Anderson x Uniqlo scarf, I worry that we're edging ever closer to a sartorial lowest common denominator. "Hypernormcore-alization," if you will."

via: CNN

Meet You on the Corner of Hype and Mercer
"In the past few years, these off-Broadway streets have become a destination for fashion-curious men (and some women) who want to buy into streetwear culture and its many forms, from graphic skate tees to Adidas sneakers designed by Kanye West. Stores including VFiles, Stadium Goods, Billionaire Boys Club, Palace Skateboards, NikeLab 21M, and Off-White create an outdoor mall for items such as these, which are particularly hyped among young people for their relative affordability and constant supply. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the French designer Agnès B., whose humble storefront sits smack in the middle of all this."

via: The Cut

What is Nike React?
"Wondering what that feels like? Well, if you were to squeeze Nike React foam, you’d get that great cushioning sensation; and then, as you let go, you’d see the foam quickly spring back to its original shape, which is where the energy return comes into play. That translates so well to a run because as it reacts swiftly to each step, bouncing back to its original state to ensure a consistent underfoot feel stride after stride, mile after mile."

via: Nike

The Battle for the Gucci Group: "One of the Most Bitter Fights in Corporate History"
"Just hours before two planes hit the Twins Towers in New York on Monday, September 11, 2001, news broke that “one of the most bitter fights in corporate history” had come to a head. The revelation followed from a weekend agreement – signed late on Sunday evening in Paris – between two of France’s richest men: François Pinault and Bernard Arnault. At issue: Who would claim ownership and control over one of the most famous fashion brands in the world, Gucci?"

via: The Fashion Law

Tags: weekend-reading