Latest news with #Dior
Khaleej Times
8 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
How fashion brands are turning cafes, airport lounges into new runways of luxury
Luxury today is no longer confined to what we wear. Increasingly, it is about how we spend our time, where we linger, and what we taste. Across the world, fashion houses are transforming the dining landscape, turning cafés, restaurants, and patisseries into the new catwalks of culture. From the white-gloved sophistication of Café Dior in Seoul to the buzzing energy of Prada Caffè at Harrods, luxury labels are now offering curated culinary experiences, each stamped with the same design precision and aspiration that made them global icons. The world's finest chefs are donning creative director hats, and the runway is extending to the dinner table. Welcome to the new frontier of luxury, where Michelin meets maison. From Couture to Culinary The idea isn't new. Ralph Lauren's Polo Bar in New York has long blended fashion and dining. But today's renaissance, led by brands like Dior, Prada and Gucci, is on another level entirely. Dior's Paris flagship now houses the elegant Monsieur Dior Restaurant, where dishes are plated with the same artistry as couture gowns. Prada's acquisition of Milan's Pasticceria Marchesi 1824 resulted in cafés where mint green interiors and velvet seats create an atmosphere as rich as its espresso. Gucci Osteria, under Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura, offers high fashion on a plate in Florence, Beverly Hills, Seoul and Tokyo. Dishes like Parmigiano foam and gourmet burgers capture the maison's playful spirit. Why Fashion Brands Are Dining Out In a post-pandemic world, experiences matter more than possessions. Dining offers tactility, time, memory. A handbag may get you likes, but a lunch at Tiffany Blue Box Café gives you a story. LVMH leads this charge with culinary activations. The Tiffany Blue Box Café in New York serves afternoon tea in robin's-egg-blue settings, a modern nod to Breakfast at Tiffany's. Such experiences extend brand value, increase dwell time, and attract younger audiences. Suddenly, a €20 signature cake at Milan's Cova Montenapoleone can deliver the same luxury thrill as a €5,000 handbag. Pop-Up Cafés and Passport Moments Pop-up cafés are turning fashion weeks and summer destinations into tasting experiences. Miu Miu's roving cafés in Paris, Shanghai, and Amalfi offer playful brand immersion through gingham cushions, pastel espresso machines, and runway-inspired staff. Jacquemus, the darling of digital-age minimalism, created Café Citron and Oursin in Paris with Caviar Kaspia. Every plate evokes the designer's dreamy Provencal world. Bulgari extends luxury lifestyle through its hotel restaurants in Milan, Dubai, Tokyo and London, where caviar and fine Italian design blend seamlessly. Dubai: Where It's All Coming Together Dubai is an epicentre for this movement, blending fashion, food, and architecture in spectacular ways. At Dubai Mall, shoppers can now indulge at the Tiffany Café, where robin's-egg blue walls, jewel-inspired desserts, and signature lattes elevate afternoon tea to an event. Local retailers are following suit. DIFC and Jumeirah concept stores now blend cafés with curated fashion, knowing that today's customer values experience as much as the product. When Chefs Become Creative Directors Chefs are now fashion collaborators. Massimo Bottura with Gucci. Jean Imbert with Dior. Alain Ducasse with LVMH. And most recently, Chef Gaggan Anand's collaboration with Louis Vuitton in Bangkok. At Gaggan at Louis Vuitton, a 17-course spectacle sees edible monograms and dishes echoing LV's heritage. It's molecular gastronomy meets maison luxury, performance art disguised as dinner. LV's choice of Gaggan, a rebel of Indian fine dining, signals the brand's embrace of bold, immersive experiences. Luxury at 30,000 Feet: Airport Cafés Take Off Luxury cafés are now landing in airports. Louis Vuitton has launched cafés at Doha's Hamad International Airport and London Heathrow. At Doha, travellers sip single-origin coffee under gold accents. At Heathrow Terminal 5, LV's café offers branded pastries and cappuccinos, turning layovers into luxury moments. Airports, with their captive, high-spending audience, are ideal for brands to blend retail with refined respite. The Experience Boom A shift in consumer psychology drives this trend. Post-pandemic, people crave moments over objects. After digital fatigue and isolation, they want to be seen, felt, and fed, emotionally, sensorially, physically. Fine dining bookings are booming. Lifestyle cafés have waitlists. Pop-ups sell out in hours. Consumers, especially younger luxury buyers, are investing in experiences. A €200 dinner with cultural cachet? Far more desirable than another monogrammed accessory. Luxury brands have mastered this shift. They now offer not just status, but story, and where better to tell a story than around a table? A New Kind of Status Ultimately, this signals a profound shift in luxury consumption. It is no longer just about the wardrobe. It is about the palate, about sensory memory. Because the future of luxury isn't just about looking good. It's about feeling something, and tasting something, you'll never forget. So yes, that espresso might cost €40. But in a Dior cup, under a chandelier, among a couture-clad crowd? That's not overpriced.
Time Out
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Films on the Green is back with free French movies in Chicago this summer
Bonjour, Chicago cinephiles—your summer just got subtitled. The beloved Films on the Green series is back for its third Windy City edition, delivering a très chic lineup of French films al fresco and en français (with English subtitles, of course). The open-air cinematic affair kicks off July 19 and runs through Aug. 9, transforming city parks into temporary Parisian playgrounds with screenings of stylish French favorites, all free to attend. Presented by Villa Albertine and the French Consulate in Chicago in partnership with the Chicago Park District's Night Out in the Parks, this year's lineup leans glam and rebellious, with the theme French Rebels. Expect protagonists who break rules, challenge norms and look très cool doing it. The series opens with a fashionable bang at Seward Park on July 19, featuring Coco Before Chanel (Coco avant Chanel), Anne Fontaine's biopic of the iconic designer starring Audrey Tautou. It's followed on July 26 by Jacques Demy's candy-colored musical The Young Girls of Rochefort (Les Demoiselles de Rochefort) at Lake Shore Park—a swingy, Technicolor dream of sisterhood and sailors. August brings two more cinematic gems: Haute Couture on Aug. 2 at Lincoln Park's North Pond, a tale of redemption and embroidery inside the Dior atelier, and closing the series on Aug. 9 is How to Be a Good Wife (La Bonne Épouse), a satirical period comedy about a prim etiquette school thrown into feminist chaos, screening at Washington Square Park. All screenings begin at sunset and are BYO-blanket, though stylish picnicking is encouraged. French flair optional but appreciated. Originally launched in New York nearly two decades ago, Films on the Green has expanded beyond the Big Apple, with Chicago now enjoying a starring role. It's all part of Villa Albertine's mission to bring French culture to American audiences in accessible, engaging ways. Whether you're a Chanel stan, a Demy devotee or simply someone who likes their cinema with a side of grass and rosé, mark your calendars. This is your ticket to escape to France, no passport required.
Buzz Feed
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
24 Beauty Products That Basically Blew People's Minds
A jar of E.l.f. poreless primer putty so you can kiss your pores buh-bye! This primer will help you get a super smooth canvas to put your foundation on and will have you looking like your makeup was professionally airbrushed while helping to keep your beat in place. Say sayonara to your oily makeup looks and say heyyyy to a matte look. Olaplex No. 3 hair perfector, which is TOTALLY worth it if your hair is broken or damaged. This bad boy strengthens and protects your hair from within and reduces breakage so your split ends can't stop you from feeling ~FAB~. Orrr a bottle of the TikTok-famous Elizavecca hair treatment that contains ceramides and collagen to help give your hair shine and make it smooth in just five minutes. This stuff is *chef's kiss*. A bottle of Paula's Choice Salicylic Acid Exfoliant to unclog and diminish large pores. This leave-on, fragrance-free exfoliant is gentle enough for all skin types and exfoliates dead skin cells, leaving you looking fresh and hydrated. Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Concealer with a sponge on the end for covering dark circles with ease. You'll look well-rested and refreshed even on days that aren't. Nobody will even be able to tell! A Dior Lip Glow Oil for dreamy lips that don't feel sticky or greasy. This stuff reacts to the moisture level in your lips to give you a custom-colored shiny pout AND constant moisture. An exfoliating scrub mitt to scrub-a-dub-dub that dead skin off. It'll seriously look like you shed a layer like a chameleon by the time this thing is done removing any self tanner, old skin, and whatever else could be caked on. Plus, your skin will be soooo smooth. Like, baby butt smooth. A gorgeous Juvia's Place bronzer duo that'll give you a beautifully blended contour. So good, people *maaaay* just ask you if you've gone to Dr. Miami to get your cheeks done. An angled, chiseled face. Like handsome Squidward but like, less creepy looking. A Kiss falscara lash kit for some DIY lashes at home for waaaay less money 🤑. Plus, it'll be way less time consuming. This kit comes with 10 little lash pieces, an applicator, and a mascara-like bond and glue. STUNNING lashes that everyone will think you paid hundreds for, right from the comfort of home. Orrrr if fake lashes aren't your thing, try Maybelline's Lash Sensational Sky High mascara so you can have the long, full lashes you've always dreamed of. Infused with bamboo extract, this ahhhmazing mascara will have your lashes reaching for the stars and soaring ~sky high~. A jaw-droppingly gorg Ghostface palette to create the most flawlessly stunning shadow looks. With 18 shades and amazing pigment, no need to *call me* and thank me for how much you looooove this palette. A plant-based dry shampoo made from fulvic acid and rice and tapioca powders that'll absorb all that oil, and it delivers over 65 minerals directly into your hair follicles. So, yes, you can skip wash night tonight if you need. A pack of 40 acne patches because a pimple is NOT ruining our day babe! These patches absorb all the gunk and speed up the pimple-healing process without picking or popping. Psh, what pimple? Bio-Oil, made with vitamins A and E, chamomile, and lavender to help moisturize skin, minimize stretch marks and fade scars, both old and new, WITH TIME. Although this isn't an overnight miracle, sticking with this oil can get you shocking results. A Rare Beauty liquid blush by our girl, our fave wizard, Selena Gomez, available in both matte and dewy finish! A little goes a long way and this blush is beautifully pigmented. Like seriously, I think she made this on Waverly Place with her brothers cuz it's actually magic. A lip plumper from the Queen herself, Ms. Fenty Beauty, Rihanna. Everything she touches is a hit — music, lingerie, and definitely this lip plumper. This baby delivers a slight tint and a slight tingle to achieve full, plump, beautiful lips that'll be so juicy you could convince people you got a syringe of Juvederm. A daily facial spray that'll help balance your skin's pH and help minimize irritation, redness, and flare-ups. Formulated to mimic the makeup of our bodies, this bad boy delivers ✨hypochlorous acid✨ (no, it's not a spell for incredible skin), which is found naturally in white blood cells. A Nyx brow glue to keep your brows in place and help you achieve that fluffy, laminated look. No more sweating, then wondering where your eyebrows went — this bad boy will hold those brow hairs down exactly where you want 'em. A CeraVe Hydrating cleanser, a fragrance- and paraben-free facial wash that can be used daily to hydrate the skin without stripping it of its natural moisture. It can be used on your face and body and removes makeup, dirt, and excess oil. A Denman hair brush designed with evenly-spaced bristles to detangle and shape your curls at the same time, cutting your styling time in half. Sounds like heaven, huh? Anything to cut down on the time that your arm has to be sore from brushing. A Glow Recipe toner, which contains a mixture of hyaluronic acid and tea tree extract to moisturize your skin and help even texture. It'll also give you an effortlessly glowy look so you can shine bright like a diamond always. Added bonus, it smells like watermelon! First Aid Beauty's KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub Exfoliant that'll ever so gently help to eliminate any rough or bumpy skin that you've been trying to get rid of. People with keratosis pilaris are raving about this product and its smoothing powers. A facial ice roller you can throw in the fridge or freezer then use it to de-puff your puffy morning eyes. It also can help relieve migraines so, aha, win-win situation baby, am I right? Live Tinted Superhue Pigmentation Stick because you've been searching for a miracle to help with your dark spots and hyperpigmentation. It's packed with niacinamide, bakuchiol (basically a retinol alt), and THD vitamin C that'll help discoloration fade away and leave you dewy and glowing like a Krispy Kreme glazed donut. You, discovering the face roller after looking greasy all day: The reviews used in this post have been edited for length and clarity.
Vogue
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Keke Palmer Is a Vintage Versace Golden Girl
Keke Palmer deserves a gold medal for her vintage game. For the last month, she's been riding the Chanel wave with her stylist Molly Dickson, pulling a tulle-bottomed black dress from the fall 1993 haut couture collection for the BET Awards, and wearing a cropped black, gold logo-buttoned mini-jacket from spring 1995 out in New York. Just yesterday (June 19), the actor stepped out in New York once again, proving that Keke Palmer is the moment's true vintage golden girl: She wore a vintage, gold and textured Versace mini-dress with the house's Medusa buttons across the bodice, with under-the-chest cut-outs. Palmer paired it with platform gold heels with a delicate ankle strap, a gold mini-handbag, a thick gold braided bracelet, and gold pendant earrings. Palmer wore her hair in her now signature red lengths with a deep, flipped over side part. Keke Palmer in vintage Chanel. Photo: TheStewartofNY Keke Palmer in more archival Chanel. TheStewartofNY From John Galliano-era Dior to show-stopping Versace, to cinched and snatched archival Dolce & Gabbana—it's all to play for in the world of archive pulls for Palmer and Dickson.
Elle
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Elle
Your Guide to All the Upcoming Runway Debuts
This past year has been a never-ending game of creative director musical chairs that had us all tossing bets into hats and wondering which talent would end up where. But with the recent confirmation that Pierpaolo Piccioli will succeed Demna Gvasalia at Balenciaga and Jonathan Anderson will take over for Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior, most of the chess pieces have finally made their unpredictable moves and landed in new homes. As of this moment, Marni and Fendi are now two notable luxury brands without an officially appointed creative director (Fendi's 100th anniversary womenswear collection was designed by the accessories and menswear artistic director Silvia Venturini Fendi, who also briefly stepped into womenswear following Karl Lagerfeld's death). Hedi Slimane, John Galliano, Kim Jones, Luke and Lucie Meier, Maria Grazia Chiuri, and most recently, Francesco Risso are the remaining big-name free agents. With men's spring 2026 and couture fall 2025 show seasons just around the corner, industry insiders are buzzing about the long-awaited debuts. Anderson will kick off the season with Dior Men on June 27, followed by Michael Rider for Celine at the top of couture week in July, and Glenn Martens's first standalone couture show at Margiela. September's womenswear runways will bring Piccioli at Balenciaga, Louise Trotter at Bottega Veneta, Matthieu Blazy at Chanel, Demna at Gucci, Simone Bellotti at Jil Sander, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez at Loewe, and Anderson again at Dior. While the aforementioned names and the maisons at which they will be taking the helm no doubt garner excitement amongst stylists and retail fashion directors, one thing about the group stands out to Sonya Abrego, a fashion historian and part-time Associate Professor at FIT and the New School. 'I am most excited and curious about Louise Trotter,' she says. 'She's the only woman designer in the group and has been more under the radar than the rest, which feels like a good fit for Bottega.' Though women are still vastly under-represented at the luxury creative director level, Trotter will now keep company with Sarah Burton at Givenchy and Veronica Leoni (formerly of The Row) at Calvin Klein, both of whom debuted earlier this year during the fall 2025 season. It's Trotter's predecessor, Blazy, that Nordstrom VP, Fashion Director Rickie de Sole has her eye on. '[His] appointment at Chanel is truly exciting,' she says, adding, 'His dedication to craftsmanship and distinctive creative vision makes him one to watch.' Having successfully pushed Bottega Veneta to new heights with his refresh of the house's signature Intrecciato weave technique (a hit both commercially and on the red carpet), there are high hopes for what the French-Belgian designer will do at Chanel. 'There's immense potential for him to reinterpret the maison's timeless elements, from the interlocking C's to the tweed fabrications, offering endless possibilities for exploration and reinvention,' says De Sole. Stylist and ELLE contributing editor Jan-Michael Quammie has her eggs in an entirely different basket. 'There's something incredibly chic about wearing Gucci right now, and not just bags and shoes but Gucci runway,' she says. 'I think Demna is the only creative director that can make me a Gucci girl again.' Fashion is no doubt facing an interesting period, one unlike any other in history. 'We're in a moment of significant change in fashion,' says De Sole. 'This industry thrives on evolution and fresh ideas, but what makes this time stand out is the sheer number of shifts happening all at once.' Abrego equates it to the '90s, when a similar re-shuffling was happening at Dior, Givenchy, and Alexander McQueen. 'What's so different now is in today's landscape we have so much more buzz and speculation on social media (and beyond) beforehand,' she says. All of this pre-season contemplation and anticipation is likely to add pressure for these wildly innovative talents, who are already walking into roles that require so much of their time and energy. Beyond the typical challenges that go along with creating multiple collections a year, and monitoring the sales that their work generates, there is also the need to live up to all of the internet hype. Quammie has reasonable expectations. 'I'm hoping to see class again, new POV's and anything that feels chic,' she says. It's even more straightforward for De Sole: 'Embrace the codes of the past but in an unexpected and bold way.' Let the games begin.
