Yahoo Movies Moët Hennessy Buys a Vineyard, Karl’s Drawings on Sale and SCAD’s Alaïa Exhibit
MOËT GOES TO NAPA: Bernard Arnault has a few more drink options.
Moët Hennessy, the wines and spirits division of the Arnault-led LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, has acquired Joseph Phelps Vineyards.
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Founded by Joseph Phelps in 1973, the Napa and Sonoma-based wine collection is said to be one of the most respected and acclaimed in the U.S. It is known for its legendary Insignia, a Bordeaux-style Napa-grown blend, considered one of the most sought-after and desirable fine wines in the world. Insignia has four times been rewarded with Robert Parker Wine Advocate’s perfect 100-point scores for the 1991, 1997, 2002 and 2007 vintages.
courtesy shot.
Philippe Schaus, chairman and chief executive officer of Moët Hennessy, said: “We are delighted and very proud to welcome Joseph Phelps Vineyards to our portfolio of luxury wines and spirits. Through the combination of the wonderful vineyards of Joseph Phelps, the unrivaled experience and excellence of the Joseph Phelps team, and the support of our global distribution organization and unique expertise with premium, family-owned brands, we will continue the wonderful journey initiated by the founder 50 years ago and pursued by his heirs today. Joseph Phelps has been to the Napa Valley what Nicolas Ruinart, Mrs. Clicquot, Joseph Krug and Claude Moët were to the Champagne region, and likewise we will continue to develop this new House in the respect of the founder’s heritage and vision.”
The Phelps family said: “Our father founded Joseph Phelps Vineyards in 1973 with a passion for innovation, an unwavering commitment to quality, and joie de vivre. Nearly 50 years alter, we’re proud to have grown from a 600-acre cattle ranch and early pioneer of the Napa Valley to a critically acclaimed and internationally known producer of iconic wines.
“As we plan for the next 50 years, we believe that passing the care of this crown jewel of the Napa Valley and Sonoma Coast to Moët Hennessy, will build on our family legacy well into the future,” the family said. “During our discussions with Moët Hennessy, it was abundantly clear that they value and embrace all of our brilliant and dedicated team members, and most importantly, are committed to ensuring that our founding mission and values remain at the heart of Joseph Phelps Vineyards.”
The deal adds to LVMH’s presence in the U.S., which grew significantly with the $15.8 billion acquisition of Tiffany & Co. early last year. — LISA LOCKWOOD
PENCILED IN: For the fourth leg of Karl Lagerfeld’s multievent estate auction, his drawings will take pride of place in an auction on July 6 at Sotheby’s in Paris.
At previous sales in Monaco, Paris and Cologne, Germany, the auction house has dispersed his collection of exceptional furniture, fine art, collectibles, Choupette memorabilia and personal objects that ranged from household linens and suit jackets to a weathered Chanel tote with his Fiac art fair badge still attached.
This time around, Sotheby’s will be offering 180 drawings spanning from the late 1960s to 2018 in an auction timed to coincide with Paris Couture Week.
Part of his personal papers kept in his Paris apartments on Rue des Saints-Pères and Quai Voltaire, these illustrations “uniquely retrace the history of fashion and taste as seen by one of its major players, driven by boundless inventivity and virtuosity,” Pierre Mothes, vice president of Sotheby’s France, said in a statement.
A sharp and confident outline in black ink and washes of color — watercolors, pencils, markers or even makeup — are the recognizable signatures of this prolific and lifelong illustrator.
His fashion sketches will take pride of place, as they served as the main medium for his designs for Chloé, Fendi and Chanel.
One of the highlights will be a set of 24 sketches from 1969, collected in a binder along with three press clippings on the designer and collages of his inspirations. Estimated between 3,000 euros and 5,000 euros, they will no doubt generate intense bidding, as interest in the late couturier shows no sign of waning.
Also remarkable are a sketch for a 2013 dress coat for Fendi outlined in bright marker pen; a drawing of a red-headed model skipping away in an burnt orange ensemble edged in white frills from 1978, and an illustration for a Fendi baguette bag alongside the profile of a woman sporting a Louise Brooks bob. Some even bear annotations, be they indications for the ateliers or evocative titles.
At the first sale in Monaco last December, fashion sketches included “Les trois muses Inès, Anna et Vicky,” which sold for 203,200 euros, and three “scrapbook” notebooks from the mid-’80s that took in 152,400 euros.
The French sales, held at the end of 2021, netted 18.2 million euros, roughly four times the pre-auction estimate, according to Sotheby’s.
Two world records were set at one of the Paris sales: A black Chanel crocodile tote bag from 2010 that Lagerfeld carried daily fetched 94,500 euros, and Martin Szekely’s 2007 work “Miroir Soleil Noir” went for 375,500 euros. — LILY TEMPLETON
SUMMER IN PROVENCE: The Savannah College of Art and Design’s overseas outpost, the SCAD Lacoste in the picturesque village of Lacoste in the Provence countryside, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer with an exhibition dedicated to the work of the late Azzedine Alaïa.
The “Azzedine Alaïa: L’Art de la Mode” exhibit at the university’s SCAD Fash Lacoste museum opened to the public Monday.
Courtesy of SCAD
“L’Art de la Mode celebrates the extraordinary genius of Azzedine Alaïa, who was far ahead of his time and beloved by the world’s most fashionable women for his creations of flawless fit that boldly highlight the female form,” stated co-curator Rafael Gomes, director of fashion exhibitions at the SCAD Fash museum. “Alaïa’s mastery of design and dedication to his craft are exalted in this exhibition, which will inspire our students and visitors alike.”
Co-curated by fashion historian Olivier Saillard, director of the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, it traces the designer’s career, featuring 20 key gowns and suits from his archives and showcasing his skill in accentuating the female form. There is also a film about Alaïa narrated by Naomi Campbell that accompanies the exhibition.
“Created for the public — and Alaïa enthusiasts — this exhibition flourishes from the eyes of SCAD students and all those who will appreciate the art of sculpting that the couturier expressed in his fashion,” Saillard said.
Free and open to the public, the exhibition runs through Oct. 29.
In tandem, SCAD students spending the summer at the arts university’s French location will be offered masterclasses and lectures with representatives of Maison Alaïa. — ALEX WYNNE
EAU DE BRITAIN: Paul Smith is expanding.
The British designer is welcoming home fragrances to his roster of home, women’s and menswear lines.
The inaugural home fragrances collection will include four scents inspired by the designer’s motif of vibrant colors and statement design that will launch in stores and online in September 2022.
Each scent is named after a sentimental moment in Smith’s career. “Botanist” nods to the “clean-cut tailoring” at his first Nottingham store; “Bookworm” points to the stacks of books and papers in his office; “Early Bird” is reminiscent of the iron railings at the London shop, and “Daydreamer” is an ode to long summer holidays, walled herb gardens and cycling at golden hour.
Smith has teamed up with two International Flavors and Fragrances perfumers, Céline Barrel and Meabh McCurtin, to curate the scents.
“The journey I’ve been on to create the fragrances for my first candle and diffuser collection has been a fascinating one, guided by some incredible perfumiers,” said Paul Smith, adding that it gave him the chance to reflect on some of his favorite memories and places in his own new way.
“The creative process didn’t end with the fragrance. I was always very keen to place a lot of focus and time on the design of the vessels themselves. I really enjoy the combination of color and light in the containers and I hope that they will become keepsakes in their own right.”
The ingredients for the scents have been sourced from LMR Natural, a renowned supplier of raw materials that sits in line with Smith’s sustainability strategy, which has already seen the brand introduce eco-friendly packaging that’s 100 percent recyclable.
Each colored glass vessel is purposely made to be reused as a vase or jar that’s accompanied by a lid that can be doubled up as a coaster.
Paul Smith entered the world of fragrances in 2000 and has since launched more than a dozen scents. Now your clothes and home can share the same aroma. — HIKMAT MOHAMMED
AT LAST: After initially postponing its launch indefinitely following the Astroworld tragedy, Dior is launching its Cactus Jack capsule next month.
The range of skate-inspired pieces will release worldwide on July 13.
The collection was designed in a tie up between the house’s artistic director for menswear Kim Jones and rapper Travis Scott and had initially been set for a January drop as the brand’s main spring collection. But the brand said in late December it was postponing the launch indefinitely “out of respect for everyone affected by the tragic events at Astroworld” after Scott’s headline act at his festival in Houston in November turned fatal.
The LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton-owned house did not provide an explanation for the shift in strategy, and now describes the collection as a capsule.
Courtesy of Dior
Eight people died during Scott’s performance and two more died in the hospital over the following days, while more than 300 were injured.
Before the concert, Scott worked on multiple collaborations, partnering with Nike and Jordan on numerous sneakers, with McDonald’s on a curated meal, and with Epic Games’ Fortnite on a virtual concert, among other projects.
Nike was to launch two Air Max 1 sneakers with Scott in December but postponed the launch indefinitely weeks after the festival.
When news of its release initially landed, the Cactus Jack Dior collection was pitched as drawing on the rapper’s home state of Texas and the fashion house’s Parisian roots.
It said Texas was one of Christian Dior’s first stops in America to celebrate his debut collection, and the collaboration explored Dior’s connection to the state. It also marked the first time Dior partnered with a musician on a collection and the first time it allowed its logo to be altered. — WWD STAFF
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