Sabrina Carpenter vogue cover is out now

The last Uniqlo and Kaws collaboration back in 2019 brought about a frenzy of shoppers who were fighting tooth and nail for the coveted T-shirts and tote bags. Now, the American artist is teaming up with Uniqlo again to release a special collection in line with his upcoming exhibition at the Mori Arts Center Gallery, which is set to open July 16.

Nike SB has teamed up with Japanese streetwear label WACKO MARIA to reimagine two of the footwear brand’s most popular sneakers: the Blazer and the Janoski. The collaboration retrofits legendary Nike kicks with WACKO MARIA’s wild aesthetics. Nike SNKRS sat down with WACKO MARIA founder Atsuhiko Mori to discuss the concepts behind the designs:

As the number of abandoned storefronts and closed retail outlets continues to mount, the once unremarkable activity of shopping at brick-and-mortar stores can feel like reality askew — like a stroll through the Twilight Zone. As this glum new normal becomes, well, the norm, signs of life can be almost as jarring.

In September, Vans and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) brought Salvador Dalí, Claude Monet and Vasily Kandinsky’s art to footwear and apparel form. On November 11th, both institutions will launch the second installment of their fall collaboration, which includes works by Edvard Munch, Jackson Pollock, Lybov Popova and Faith Ringgold.

The forthcoming capsule features the Authentic and Slip-On of the first installment, alongside new takes on the Era and Sk8-Hi. Among the four silhouettes, the Era, which debuted in 1976 and was formerly known as Vans #95, boasts three of the six works of art translated from their respective mediums to canvas shoes: Munch’s “The Scream” (1895) and Ringgold’s “Woman Free Yourself” and “Freedom Woman Now,” both from 1971. At age 90, Rinngold, who was born in Harlem, is still actively working to dismantle racism and social injustice from her home base in Englewood, New Jersey. Her “Seven Passages to a Flight” (1995) also serves as the inspiration for the lone laceless option in November’s capsule; “My mother said I’d have to work twice as hard to go half as far” is printed on the pair’s midsole, while the art piece itself is replicated on the inner lining.

Pollock’s “One: Number 31, 1950” (1950) and Popova’s “Untitled.” (1917) take over their respective Authentic and Sk8-Hi canvases. Unlike Munch’s piece, which is isolated within the confines of the Era’s upper, Pollock’s divisive painting sees no boundaries, covering every inch of the shoe (save for the lining and laces). Popova’s untitled piece falls inline with the inclusion of the culturally-welcomed “The Scream,” but delivers an alternating pattern at any given angle.

The second collection by Vans and MoMA arrives on November 11th at Vans.com, store.moma.org, Nordstrom.com, and other select retailers. In the meantime, enjoy a closer look at the footwear and apparel ahead.

Virtual shows, rainy rooftop catwalks and mask fashion. Designers and organizers alike twisted adversity into opportunity at the latest Rakuten Fashion Week Tokyo, managing to innovatively host Japan’s much-anticipated fashion event despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Here are some of the week’s highlights and how Japan’s top designers are envisioning the spring and summer of 2021. (We have our fingers crossed that it’s a much more positive scene compared to the pandemic-consumed 2020.)

Creative outdoor runways 

Like its Paris and New York counterparts, Tokyo saw parks and outdoor spaces transform into fashion runways. Models weaved through pathways and foliage in Shinjuku Gyoen’s balmy greenhouse for TAAK’s show, while MIKIO SAKABE announced its 2021 Spring / Summer collection on the rooftop of the newly-opened Miyashita Park in Shibuya.

Despite the rainy weather at the latter, designers Mikio Sakabe and Shueh Jen-Fang’s choice of sheer fabrics, translucent raincoats and practical trainers were up to the task. Instead of soggy models with clothes clinging miserably to skin, the collection’s sweet pastel shades, crisp whites and puffy sleeves and skirts beautifully juxtaposed against the dark grey skies and reflected off the wet sheen of the ground.