July News Roundup

1.

This Financial Times story is a thoughtful article on the increasingly difficult times independent and emerging labels are facing today. From a contracting wholesale market to the decrease in private equity funding, there is a concern that more brands may go bankrupt by the time the September Spring 2025 shows roll around. Even surviving multi-vendor stores are less risk-adverse due to the current economic climate, leading to more sameness across retailers – a huge drawback for both brands and ultimately fashion fans as well.

Erykah Badu

2.

It’s the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York is celebrating with ‘Ice Cold: An Exhibition of Hip-Hop Jewelry’ through January 2025. Read up on how the exhibit not only showcases some of the most brilliant baubles and fly style from legendary names like The Notorious B.I.G., Jam Master Jay, Ghostface Killah, and Erykah Badu, but also puts the jewelry into a political and sociocultural context. The show also documents how hip-hop artists turned to immigrant jewelers from the former Soviet Union, and parts of Asia and the Caribbean in the beginning, as luxury houses were slow in understanding the power of the music and its makers.

3.

Milan-based designer Daniel Del Core has become a highlight of the city’s biannual fashion week. His fashion-forward work melds futuristic design with femininity and elegance. This article tracks the designer’s rise from in-house designer for Gucci to launching his own self-named brand, his preference for working one-on-one with clients, and his latest store opening in New York City.

Missy Elliott

4.

Missy Elliott is a groundbreaking hip-hop legend. This past month, NASA bestowed on her the honor of being the first hip-hop artist blasted into space after transmitting "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" to Venus at the speed of light. Learn more about how NASA collaborated with Elliott on this out of this world sonic experience here.

5.

If you’re itching for a great summer fashion read, Wallpaper has you covered with its roundup of the best fashion books for style enthusiasts. Topics range from an exploration of Karl Lagerfeld’s homes to the latest tome in Thames & Hudson’s ‘Catwalk’ series, which looks at the work of Hubert de Givenchy and the subsequent designers who have designed for the famed Parisian house. Anyone looking for early holiday gift ideas for their fashion friends should take note of this list.

Flavor Flav photo courtesy of Adam McCullough; Erykah Badu photo courtesy of Jamie Lamor Thompson / both Shutterstock