GOAT’s Grailed Acquisition and Ralph Lauren’s LA SS23 Show Lead the Charge in This Week’s Top Fashion News

From GOAT’s acquisition of online fashion marketplace Grailed, to Ralph Lauren’s exquisite Spring/Summer 2023 show in Los Angeles, the week was filled with alluring fashion news. Outside of one of the largest recent deals in fashion, Pharrell and NIGO’s Billionaire Boys Club opened its Miami flagship store while the silent word on the street is that Balenciaga has parted ways with Ye. Additional highlights included a closer look at Pharrell’s Jacob & Co. pieces headed to JOOPITER and the new sport line of Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty brand.

Take a look below at HYPEBEAST’s roundup of this week’s top fashion stories.

GOAT Announces Acquisition of Grailed

Goat

Shaking up the fashion and footwear world, GOAT announced its forthcoming acquisition of the online fashion marketplace, Grailed. The business arrangement was made in a cash-and-stock deal that is expected to close in about 43 days.

Since its founding in 2015, GOAT has been a mainstay for sneakerheads worldwide. But in 2019, the platform expanded into apparel and accessories as well. With the new acquisition, Grailed’s secondhand fashion focus will bring a new lever to GOAT’s operations.

“Grailed is a leader in the men’s fashion resale market with a strong community of style enthusiasts,” said Eddy Lu, GOAT Group’s co-founder and CEO. “We have always admired what they created for the fashion industry, and we will continue to build upon their strengths and position as a leader in the space. Together, we’ll advance our collective mission to bring the greatest products together from the past, present and future, while also delivering innovative and memorable experiences to our community around the world.”

Ralph Lauren Stages his SS23 Show in Los Angeles

Ralph Lauren/Getty Images

Taking place during Los Angeles Fashion Week, Ralph Lauren set his recent Spring/Summer 2023 runway show at The Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California. Aptly titled “World of Ralph Lauren,” the show presented looks from the renowned American designer’s Polo, Purple Label, Double RL and Ralph Lauren lines for men, women and children.

From Western-inspired denim ensembles with faded detailing to relaxed natural-toned ensembles, the offering was full of Lauren’s signature refined touch. As such, tailoring served as a collection mainstay as always with silk double-breasted blazers, pinstriped blazers, relaxed suiting and more. Aside from updated classic looks, the show also bathed in bold colors with relaxed skirts in neon shades, multicolored knitwear, preppy rugby shirts and more.

Billionaire Boys Club Opens Miami Flagship Store

Billionaire Boys Club

Pharrell and NIGO’s Billionaire Boys Club has now landed in sunny Miami, Florida. With the continued success of the streetwear imprint, the brand is now extending its operations to Miami’s ever-growing Art District. The art studio-inspired space was designed by Alex Mustonen and Daniel Arsham’s New-York based installation studio, SNARKITECTURE. To this point, the store’s facade features a range of displays, modern artwork and brand-inspired designs.

“I’m very grateful that we have the opportunity to bring our flagship store to Miami. It’s going to be a place where people can come in to get inspired by the mix of fashion, culture, art and design,” said Pharrell Williams, Founder of BBC ICECREAM, in a statement. “I can’t wait for everyone to see what we’ve created here, it’s really special.”

Alongside housing its collections, the store is set to include an array of exclusive collaborations from Comme des Garçons, Human Made, Bamford, Humanrace, Baggu and more.

Balenciaga Has Officially Ended Its Relationship With Ye

Scott Dudelson/Filmmagic/Getty Images

After a slew of unsavory comments and actions from Ye including attacking Vogue Editor-at-Large Gabriella Karefa-Johnson, showcasing violent “White Lives Matter” t-shirts at his YEEZY SS23 fashion show in Paris, making false claims about George Floyd’s death and more, many entities are beginning to pull away from the multihyphenate creative. Now, Balenciaga has officially ended its relationship with Ye.

Initially, several silent actions suggested that the relationship may have gone south. To date, the house removed images of Ye from its runway show coverage alongside the removal of YEEZY GAP ENGINEERED BY BALENCIAGA’s removal from stores, the website and international retailers. Before Ye’s most recent antics, Balenciaga and Ye have a particularly strong public relationship. In a WWD exclusive released today, it has been announced that the French house has officially severed ties with the artist.

“Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,” Kering told WWD.

Burberry and Minecraft Join Forces

Courtesy Of Burberry And 2022 Mojang Ab.

Luxury British house Burberry recently announced its new collaboration with Minecraft – furthering the fusion between fashion and gaming. Titled, Burberry: Freedom to Go Beyond, the collaboration posits a new adventure game.

Expanding the world of Burberry, the game will dive into the depths of the brand alongside 15 downloadable skins. But the collaboration does not end with gameplay. Additionally, the new endeavor is set to include a clothing capsule. Burberry: Freedom to Go Beyond is set to release on Monday, October 31 for Burberry subscribers and on Tuesday, November 1 to the general public. The capsule is set to launch at select stores in New York, London, Seoul, Tokyo, Siam Paragon, Shenzhen Bay and more.

The Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme Announces Chapter Four Winners

The Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme

Since 2020, The Samuel Ross Black British Artist Grant Programme has been committed to celebrating and providing resources for emerging Black British talent in multiple creative fields like fine art, fashion, industrial design, sculpture and more. Now, the A-COLD-WALL* designer’s program has announced the winners of its fourth installment of the program.

This year’s recipients are Cameron Williams and Torisheju Dumi for Fashion; Rochelle Nembhard, Ebun Sodipo, Aaron Kudi and Rhea Dillon for fine art and sculpture; Jebi Ndimuntoh for photography; Habib Hajallie for illustration, and Issi Nanbeyin for industrial design and architecture.

Each winner receives a £2,500 GBP grant alongside mentorship from Ross and the rest of the advisory board that consists of Grace Wales Bonner and Dr. Gus Casely Hayford (V&A East, Royal College of Art, British Fashion Council, Design Museum and University of Westminster).

Closer Look at the 19 Pharrell Williams-Owned Jacob & Co. Diamond Pieces Headed to JOOPITER

Joopiter

With the launch of Pharrell William’s auction house, JOOPITER, fans across the globe have been paying close attention to what pieces from the creative’s extension collection would appear on the platform. Now, the auction house has released the full list of lots, which consists of 52 personal pieces. Out of that figure, 19 are custom diamond creations from Pharrell and renowned fine jeweler Jacob & Co.

Starting from the early days of Pharrell’s career, some pieces include the original NERD pendant, Tech Deck pendants, Asscher-cut Tennis Platinum necklace, Mario pendant and more. Aside from their sheer opulence and one-of-a0kind designs, the pieces also showcase pivotal moments in hip-hop and pop culture history.

“When I met Jacob and saw what he had in there, I was like, ‘Oh okay. This is next level,’ said Pharrell. Then I just started drawing things and showing him, ‘Can we do this and make it like that?’ and he never told me no. He always said, ‘Okay, we’ll figure it out,’ and I don’t know why he did because I didn’t have the money.”

Ranging in price from $15,000 USD – $375,000 USD, the 19 lots are live now on JOOPITER. Additionally, a portion of the proceeds is set to benefit Pharrell’s Black Ambition Foundation.

Take a closer look at the 19 pieces in the link above.

Rihanna Releases New “Sport” Line for Savage X Fenty 

Savage X Fenty

Rihanna is continuing to expand her popular Savage X Fenty brand with the release of a new “Sport” line.

With a sleek and chic aesthetic, the line consists of bodysuits, jumpsuits, high-waisted leggings and medium-impact bras. The debut colorways include royal blue and black. However, additional products and colorways are to be announced at a later time.

“We wanted to push the boundaries with how we define sport and sportswear and there is no one I’d rather do that with than Adam. We think of sport as how you move through your life,” shared Rihanna. “I want people to feel sexy, carefree and powerful when they put these pieces on and Adam is the perfect designer to carry out that vision.”

The Savage X Fenty “Sport” collection releases on November 1 for Xtra VIP members, and on November 9 globally in-store and online.