MCM unveils new global retail design concept

German luxury brand MCM has opened a second flagship store in the brand’s birth city of Munich introducing a new global retail concept.

MCM's new retail concept makes its debut in Munich

Global Creative Officer Dirk Schoenberger masterminded the new visual identity with the renowned architecture studio Gonzalez Haase AAS. The architects looked back to the decade of MCM’s origins, the 70s, translating the ethos of the brand into a modern design language, while keeping the interplay between light and architecture at the forefront of their designs.

“Our design relates to the 70s origins of MCM with the strong connection the brand had to the music scene,”  said Gonzalez Haase AAS. “The usage of primary geometric shapes for goods became the formal basic language for the new spaces. The space tries to break from the straight forms and colours used in the luxury industry.”

Classic MCM bag shapes such as round, square, rectangle and triangle are reflected throughout the store. The architecture studio mixed the geometric forms with luxe materials and MCM’s signature colours.

“The new design concept embodies the energy and attitude of MCM perfectly by playing with its strong heritage as well as influences of art, culture and music, offering a modern showcase for our products as well as a contemporary setting for our customers,” said Schoenberger.

Spanning 168sq m, the new flagship store is located in the luxury shopping street Maximilianstraße. The store carries all available MCM AW19 product lines, including the 2020 Chinese New Year collection.

Women are changing the sustainable fashion game

Prominent female leaders have discussed the hot topic of sustainability in the fashion world at a major event on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos.

Sung-Joo Kim discusses sustainability in fashion at Davos

The panel discussion, organised by Sung-Joo Kim, Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Sungjoo Group and Chairperson of MCM, took place at The Female Quotient’s Equality Lounge. The session, titled "The Future of Fashion: How Women Are Leading the Way in Sustainability", also featured Shelley Zalis, CEO, The Female Quotient; Vanessa Kingori, Publishing Director, British Vogue; Miki Tsusaka, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Chief Marketing Officer, Boston Consulting Group; Marisa Drew, CEO Impact Advisory and Finance, Credit Suisse; and Jeehae Kim, Corporate Sustainability Leader, MCM.

They discussed how fashion can support women as the catalyst for sustainability and heard from mission-driven brands such as MCM that are changing the game.

“Greta Thunberg’s words, ‘You’ve stolen my dreams and my childhood’, went straight to my heart. I’d rather stop my business today if we can’t make a difference. We need to focus on reversing our direction and creating sustainable fashion,” said Sung-Joo Kim, adding: “As a company, we’re working to cut our carbon dioxide emissions in half, as Greta Thunberg has told us.”

Her words came just days after MCM launched its new underwear collection made from biodynamic Egyptian Giza cotton, becoming the first brand to use such an ecological and ethical fabric in this way. The packaging is a reusable, biodegradable EVA pouch with an FSC-certified, recycled paper hangtag.

BCG’s Miki Tsusaka added her voice to the Davos discussion: “As an industry, fashion is a huge offender in terms of sustainability. Brands can’t afford not to listen to the consumer. More than half of consumers care about sustainability from the brands they purchase. The fashion industry is worth $2 trillion. If they invested even just 1% a year, we could get to our 2030 sustainability goals.”

The Female Quotient, which hosted the Equality Lounge at Davos, brings leaders together to activate change through pop-up experiences at conferences, events and college campuses. The movement is described as the largest global community of women in business working together to transform workplace culture.

You can view the full panel discussion at the following link: https://m.facebook.com/FemaleQuotient/videos/319873885571959/

Also attending the Davos summit was Prince Albert of Monaco, a great champion of sustainability as head of the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, which has donated millions of dollars to environmental projects.

Sung-Joo Kim at Davos with Prince Albert of Monaco, her classmate at Amherst College in 1981

Club kids star in MCM’s Spring/Summer 20 campaign

Luxury fashion brand MCM pays homage to contemporary club culture in its Spring/Summer 20 collection - the first designed by Dirk Schönberger since his Global Creative Officer appointment.

Schönberger marries Munich disco with Berlin’s underground techno in a collection that breaks the rules, the company said.

Club inspiration: MCM's Spring/Summer 2020 campaign

The latest campaign celebrates the seminal moments in sound which defined the brand’s attitude and aesthetics from its creation in Munich in 1976 to 2020 Berlin.

Shot by Lukas Wassman, it stars five “creatives, rebels and starlets” whose inspirations are driven by arts, music and culture. They are singer Daisy Maybe, designer Imran Potato, model Joo Won Dae, rapper Tayahna Walcott and skateboarder Evan Mock.

Tayahna wears MCM's Chinese red trench

The collection spans 70s tailored suiting pieces and exaggerated silhouettes. Key pieces include a high-gloss Chinese red trench that fades to a matte finish and monogram matching sets of contemporary streetwear.

Singer Daisy Maybe

Accessories span classic items as well as unique bag shapes that make their debut in signature Cognac and shades of blue.

Royal Salute fires off $30,000 whisky

Royal Salute has released the first edition of its exclusive Time Series - Royal Salute 52 Year Old Single Cask Finish, retailing at $30,000 per bottle.

Limited to 106 bottles globally, the blend combines Royal Salute’s finest Scotch whiskies, and is available in travel retail and beyond. Out of the 52 years this blend has been aged, the last 14 years were spent finishing the liquid in a single oak cask.

Precious: Royal Salute 52 Year Old Single Cask Finish

As with all Royal Salute expressions, Master Blender Sandy Hyslop celebrates Queen Elizabeth II, Britain’s longest-serving monarch. Royal Salute also seeks to pay homage to the importance of time with the Time Series, according to the Pernod Ricard-owned brand.

Royal Salute 52 Year Old Single Cask Finish is housed in a prestigious hand-blown Dartington crystal decanter. Dark blue in colour, the crystal is enhanced by elegant gold engravings and stopper. Each bottle is individually engraved with a unique number and is presented in a Time Series box that takes inspiration from the Royal Wedding Edition box, finished with five different layers of wood, each representing a different decade in the life of the blend. A striking 24-line sundial motif is revealed on opening the box that further manifests the importance of time.

The whisky is described as having intense, fruity aromas of ripe plums, toffee apples and dark chocolate-covered hazelnuts with the sensation of sweet, aromatic oak. Tasting notes are bright with sweet orange marmalade and hints of ginger and cloves, while soft ripe pears in syrup mingle with a touch of liquorice. The 14-year cask finish brings a creamy and sweet texture to the blend, enhanced with notes of toffee and vanilla and long, well-balanced sweet finish.

Hyslop said: “At Royal Salute we have unparalleled expertise in blending such extremely rare high-aged whiskies. Time is precious and fundamental in the creation of blends such as these and we are thrilled to be marking the launch of our Time Series collection with this stunning liquid. Every whisky in this blend, the youngest of which dates back to 1967, is influenced and enhanced by the delicate combination of flavours that only maturation in an exceptional quality cask can deliver, and the incredible result speaks for itself. Royal Salute 52 Year Old Single Cask Finish is an unparalleled blend for collectors and enthusiasts alike to seek out on their travels.”

Royal Salute 52 Year Old Time Series Collection is limited to 35 bottles in travel retail and 71 bottles in selected domestic markets worldwide. Launched at the end of December 2019 and retailing at $30,000, the product is available in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, US, Dubai, UK, Paris, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Thailand and Hong Kong.

Royal Salute was originally crafted as a gift for Queen Elizabeth II on her Coronation Day in 1953. Royal Salute is the official partner of all ceremonial royal gun salutes fired at the Tower of London, home of the Crown Jewels.

MCM debuts gender-neutral lounge and sleep wear

MCM has unveiled its first loungewear collection made of high-quality Mulberry silk, as well as an underwear collection made of Egyptian Giza cotton that’s produced according to ethical-ecological standards, is biodynamic and Demeter certified.

American actor Quincy Brown stars in MCM's loungewear campaign

Designed with comfort in mind while also embracing boldness and colourful energy, the Mulberry silk loungewear collection includes a reversible robe, pyjama sets, drawstring and sleep shorts, boxers, and sleep masks. The colour scheme is described as classic and full of attitude, all in the brand’s signature Cognac with black accents. Each piece showcases the MCM logo throughout via the letters or the MCM signature Visetos print. 

MCM's new underwear collection

The underwear collection, which features versatile styles that can be worn underneath or styled as separates, are lightweight, comfortable and packable.

The campaign stars American actor and musician Quincy Brown. He said: "I'm always aiming for style, but comfort plays a huge role in my wardrobe. When the two combine, it instantly bumps up the self-confidence in anyone and it becomes my ultimate favourite look, albeit casual or formal. When MCM came to me about being part of their brand new lounge line, it was a natural fit for me. For me, it works both for home and as street wear."

Taking a contemporary approach, photographer Ilya Lipkin sought to blend the visual expression of joy, freedom and pleasure during the shoot with strongly composed choreography and a high-end aesthetic.

The MCM Lounge & Sleepwear collection made its debut in MCM stores worldwide and online from December 2019.

Dewar’s marks Chinese New Year with limited edition

To celebrate the Chinese New Year of the Rat, Dewar’s has launched a limited-edition travel retail exclusive gift box presentation of its 18yo blended Scotch whisky. The launch is supported in-store with the message of Celebrate with the Most Celebrated, aiming to emphasise the brand’s position as the world’s most awarded blended Scotch.

Double-aged in oak casks for extra smoothness, the whisky is described as creamy, full and well-rounded. Honeyed in taste with a hint of marzipan, this product is presented in a striking, limited-edition travel retail exclusive one-litre presentation gift box, retailing at around US$99.99.

It is available from the following airport and land border retail locations: Bangkok (King Power), Beijing (Sunrise), Dubai (Dubai Duty Free), Hong Kong Airport (Lagardère), Hong Kong Border (Anway), Jakarta (Gebr Heinemann), Kuala Lumpur (Eraman), Manila (Duty Free Philippines), Seoul (Lotte & Shilla), Shanghai (Sunrise), Sri Lanka (Dufry & Flemingo), Taipei (Everrich), Zhuhai (Zhuhai duty free).

Luxury meets streetwear in MCM x BAPE collaboration

MCM has collaborated with Japanese streetwear brand BAPE on a cutting-edge collection for Fall/Winter 2019.

The German luxury house has built on its legacy in music by partnering with the groundbreaking streetwear brand which, like MCM, is also celebrated by the hip-hop community.

Cutting-edge: MCM x BAPE

Large and small accessories, ready-to-wear and slides are decked out in the two brands’ respective house codes.

MCM’s Visetos print sets the scene for BAPE badges, while BAPE’s fluid camo is subtly punctuated with MCM's three-letter logo.

The collection sold out a few days after its launch in selected stores in London, the US and Japan, and online.

Exclusive humidor unites Davidoff and dance

Davidoff has unveiled a new limited-edition Masterpiece cigar humidor Royal Release Edition, crafted by the renowned French feather artist Émilie Moutard-Martin. Only five pieces are available worldwide.

Inspired by Davidoff and dance, the Royal Release humidor centres on the natural wonder of the feather. Moutard-Martin seeks to bring those worlds together in an original work, described by the Swiss cigar specialist as “a flight of the imagination to the beat of the waltz”. The circular patterns aim to evoke both the spiralling wisps of smoke and the arabesque of the waltz. 

Davidoff's new Masterpiece humidor Royal Release Edition (Picture: Oettinger Davidoff AG)

Each humidor is accompanied by 50 cigars, blended by Davidoff‘s Master Blender exclusively for this Masterpiece. Wrapped in a shiny, smooth Aromatica Dominicana leaf, the exclusive Davidoff Royal Release Perfecto Cigar brings together notes of pepper with oak wood, roasted almonds, milk chocolate and fresh spices.

The humidor was introduced in selected markets from December 2019.