If you're still feeling the come down after the Olympics, I come baring good news because none of the big stars of this year's games are going anywhere anytime soon. Last week Louis Vuitton revealed Michael Phelps as the face of their new 'core values' campaign and this week these images of Bradley Wiggins for Fred Perry emerged.
Unlike Phelps, though, the super cyclist isn't just lending his name to the brand as the campaign showcases his second collection for them. The first range was a complete sell out, with the Fred Perry website receiving a 50 per cent traffic boost after Wiggo won the Tour de France and even more after his gold medal win this month. It comes as no surprise then that he's just signed on for another six-seasons, with the second installment dropping on Thursday August 23.
With his debut menswear and couture collection for Dior just around the corner, to say that the pressure is on Raf Simons would be quite the understatement. That's not stopping him, though. In fact, the Dior creative director has just announced that he is working with Fred Perry too.
The designer, whose eponymous brand partnered with the British label from A/W08 to S/S11, has been asked to come on board again to reignite the Fred Perry menswear line. According to Telegraph Fashion, the 28-piece collection will be unveiled during Paris Men's Fashion Week next month. 'We have great appreciation for the heritage of the brand as well as their dynamism in guiding the brand towards the future,' a spokesperson from his label said.
After Amy Winehouse's death last month, everyone looked to Fred Perry to see what the status of the late singer's collection with the brand is. They decided to remain quiet at the time "until we speak with Amy’s family and management” but now they have decided to speak out.
Today WWD reports that her S/S and Fall 2012 collections will go ahead as planned with all of the royalties and fees going to the Amy Winehouse Foundation. “Amy was passionate and dedicated to the collaboration, and her signature style is clearly stamped across each piece,” a spokesperson said. And in the same statement, Mitch Winehouse, Amy's father, explained that the continuation of the partnership is what the late singer would have wanted. “When Fred Perry came to us to ask what we would like to do with the new collection it was natural to continue…Amy loved working on both collections, and would want them to be made available," he explained.
This week Fendi released an official statement on the death of Amy Winehouse but Fred Perry - who the singer designed for - has remained notably silent on the news.
Many have expected them to talk about the position of the three outstanding collaborations Winehouse was set to design for them but out of respect for the family they have decided to hold out from discussing business. In a statement released today a spokesperson from the brand said: "Fred Perry will not comment until a consultation with Amy's family and management has taken place."
Since the announcement of her death, sites like Fashionista have compiled galleries showing Amy Winehouse's influence in the fashion industry but until yesterday, no brand - even Fred Perry who the late singer designer for - has released a statement about her passing.
Fendi is the only brand that has commented, as they sent an official statement to WWD this week:
"We met Amy in Paris, fresh from having won five Grammys. That night, everyone discovered that in addition to a genius voice Amy also had an exceptional and very British sense of humor. Having restyled the Fendi dress she was wearing that night, she said with a wink: ‘Forgive my ignorance, I don’t know anything about fashion….’ We are very sad for the loss of such a unique talent that in many ways transcended music, fashion, and culture."
Their decision to comment makes sense. After all, Karl Lagerfeld took a liking to the singer and modeled his whole December 2007 show around her. "She's a style icon," he said after her performance at the Fendi store opening. "She’s not only a muse; she’s a genius. She’s one of the greatest voices today."
If there were ever a brand ambassador for Fred Perry these days - boys aside - it would have to be singer Amy Winehouse, who sports a thick sweep of black liquid eyeliner and a heavily coiffed beehive as her trademark, alongside an array of Fred Perry shirts and knitwear. So a 17-piece collaboration between the brand and Winehouse makes perfect sense. Rather than doing a traditional photoshoot for the collaboration, the heritage brand have chosen to create a series of illustrations, however as of yet only one has been leaked.
"Amy has been wearing Fred Perry for years, so we were aware that she was a genuine fan of the brand," explained Fred Perry's marketing director, Richard Martin. "We had three major design meetings where she was closely involved in product style selection and the application of fabric, colour and styling details...The range clearly has Amy's handwriting." From the retro-inspired jumper dress and height-enhancing hair synonymous with the singer that are evident in the illustration, we can fully agree. The collection will be available from October.
