The Benetton ad.Photo: Courtesy of Benetton.com
We’re not sure if you know or not, but the Olympics start today. It’s 8-8-08! And sure, we may not know how to throw a shot put in track and field, but we sure do love looking at a well-dressed athlete (Sean Avery, are you listening?). So in honor of the summer Olympic Games, we took a deeper look into what fashion news made headlines:
• United Colors of Benetton is under fire for a double-page ad campaign which was released today in leading news dailies to coincide with the opening ceremony. The image shows a Tibetan monk and a Chinese soldier praying face-to-face under the word “Victims.” Benetton’s Website says the ad “attempts to make a small contribution to dialogue and engagement between Tibetan and Chinese people.” [WWD]
• Giorgio Armani will dress Charlene Wittstock, South African swimmer and girlfriend of Prince Albert of Monaco, when she’s off swimming duty. [WWD]
• Beijing Municipal Government’s Capital Ethic Development Office (longest-name ever) issued 4.3 million copies of a 36-page etiquette booklet outlining rules on good manners and foreign customs regarding what not to wear. Among the list of fashion no-no’s: white socks with black shoes, pajamas in public, and older women should wear low heels, not high. [WSJ]
• Hogan’s Olympia sneaker, originally created for the games in 2004, has been revamped for 2008. The new sneaker is limited-edition and quantity; only 888 pairs will be made. [Passmenterie]
• Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, co-founders of downtown boutique Opening Ceremony, handpicked designers that they think should redesign sports uniforms. Rodarte for boxing? We like the sound of that. [Moment/NYT]
• Speaking of Opening Ceremony, the store will be open for 72 hours straight in honor of the games. On the agenda: Saturday morning is a Scrabble tournament hosted by Suchin Pak (6 a.m.–9 a.m.) and Olympic manicures and tattoos (9 a.m.–11 a.m.). On Sunday, try your hand at a Ping-Pong tournament hosted by Philip Crangi (1 a.m.–4 a.m.) followed by a breakfast for champions courtesy of H&H Bagels (7 a.m.–10 a.m.). Free breakfast! We’re in. [We Are the Market]
