Beyoncé’s couture collaboration explained, Julia Garner and Halle Bailey’s Gucci debut, Bottega Veneta goes to Beijing, and JPG is welcoming Julien Dossena | Need To Know.

Here is what you need to know this week… Everything you need to know about Beyoncé’s couture collaboration with Balmain, Halle Bailey, Julia Garner and Hanni make their Gucci campaign debut, Julien Dossena is Jean Paul Gaultier’s newest collaborator, and Bottega Veneta goes to Beijing with new show.

HALLE BAILEY, JULIA GARNER AND HANNI ARE THE NEW GUCCI MUSES FOR HORSEBIT 1955

Throwing it back to the oldest elements within the house of Gucci, the Horsebit signature is refreshed for the newest Gucci accessories campaign, starring creative powerhouses Julia Garner, Halle Bailey and Hanni, celebrating the equestrian symbol of heritage. First seen on loafers in 1953, the history of the bag originates two years after the Horsebit motif was introduced to ready-to-wear collections, drawing inspiration from the art of horse riding and the enamour with the equestrian world in the 1950s. In its 68 year history, the element has taken on numerous reiterations of design across coats, bags, wallets, shoes and accessories.

The campaign, shot by fashion photographers Mert and Marcus, sees the stars take on their creative spin showcasing the multitudes of transformation and how Horsebit 1955 transforms according to how you want to express it.

Presented alongside the campaign, Gucci also takes us behind the scenes of how Horsebit 1955 is made and witness how 70 years of history is made in under a minute.

Explore more of the Horsebit 1955 campaign at www.gucci.com

BEYONCÉ’S DEBUTS HER FIRST COUTURE COLLECTION CO-DESIGNED WITH BALMAIN AND OLIVIER ROUSTEING

The Renaissance era is in full swing, bringing forward Beyoncé’s couture debut as a co-designer alongside Olivier Rousteing, debuting the Renaissance Couture collection - 16 looks, embodying the 16 tracks on ACT I: RENAISSANCE bringing the deeply soulful disco energy that inspired the Balmain creative director whilst listening to the music, to start embodying the energy of Renaissance through his visionary spirit.

“When Beyoncé first released those extraordinary sixteen songs, she mentioned that she hoped that they would inspire all of us “to release the wiggle.” Actually, she managed to push me to release a whole lot more than that. By the time that we reached the rentrée—those end-of-summer days when French vacationers make their way back into the real world—I had been stirred to sketch out fifty new silhouettes riffing on the rhythm, spirit and voices of RENAISSANCE.” expressed Olivier Rousteing.

As the idea progressed into a bigger feeling, Rousteing brought forward the idea of Beyoncé becoming a co-designer to this couture collection, to which she gleefully expressed absolute excitement. “This time, I wasn’t asking her to simply be my muse. Instead, I was very much hoping that she might be up for something completely new: an actual, true collaboration between two creators who are both obsessed with pushing their art to the next level. I wanted us to be co-designers.”

Hundreds of messages, sketches, Zooms and WhatsApp messages later, presented below are 16 couture looks, embodying and representing the bustling energy of the Renaissance album, and Beyoncé’s distinct foray of influences from club culture and disco music.

Explore more of the Balmain x Beyoncé collection at www.balmain.com

PACO RABANNE’S JULIEN DOSSENA IS JEAN PAUL GAULTIER’S NEWEST COUTURE COLLABORATOR

Julien Dossena is the newest collaborator of Jean Paul Gaultier, and his revolving creative cycle, with a new collaborator presenting their spin on the iconic JPG legacy each season. Riding off of the brilliance of Haider Ackermann’s detailed attention in silhouettes and sleek luxury, the Paco Rabanne designer is expected to show his couture interpretation of the Parisian house during the couture schedule in July 2023.

BOTTEGA VENETA TO STAGE A SHOW OF ITS AW23 COLLECTION IN BEIJING

Matthieu Blazy is taking his AW23 brilliance to Beijing, staging a show in the Chinese capital, and debuting 20 new looks alongside the archetypes presented in Milan in February. Explaining his idea of archetypes, and building out characters he sees in the world around him, Blazy’s third collection for the Italian fashion house was met with fervour and fashion frenzy, honing in on the immensely detailed craftsmanship and trompe l’oeil techniques behund intricate leather garments presenting as regular jeans-and-a-tshirt combo that he made viral previously. The show will take place on July 20th, and aims to strengthen the presence of Bottega Veneta across China, and introduce the Blazy brilliance to a completely new audience.