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Why Are Mall Brands Making "Custom" Clothes?

The practice of mass labels making one-of-a-kind outfits has hit warp speed. Most recently, Zara made Bad Bunny a "custom" outfit for the Super Bowl that consisted of tailored trousers, a cropped white-and-cream "64" football jersey, and a white button-up underneath. Why all this work for something the usual Zara — or Victoria's Secret or Gap — customer can't buy? "Let's be real: It's also a covert sponsorship situation," retail editor Sarah Shapiro says. "And mall brands have so much more money than most higher fashion brands, especially for endorsement deals. Like, so much money." Read more…

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Why Louis Vuitton's Speedy P9 Is Worth the Waitlist

Beyond the expert stitching, punching, knotting, and glueing, one of the most impressive parts of the Speedy P9's construction is when a machine-sewing specialist named Céline, who has worked for the maison for 18 years and on the P9 for the past two, performs a blind stitch at the top of the bag. If done incorrectly, the maneuver compromises the whole design, condemning it to the recycle pile. With a smile and not a hint of stress, she executes the stitch in seconds. Read more…

© Dries Van Noten

That Famous Dries Van Noten Sneaker Turned Into a Leather Sock

Available at Dries Van Noten stockists for $675, the new Suede Sneaker is offered without its sidestripe, T-shaped toebox, or even the trimmed leather zigzagging around the laces. This is as back-to-basics as an already basic sneaker can be. It's almost nothing except calf suede and cotton laces. Read more…

© EGNARTS

"Carhartt With a Hint of Vintage Margiela": A Strange Korean Brand's Strange Clothing

The brand's name is literally "strange" in all-caps and written backwards, after all, and how else would you describe EGNARTS' translucent puffers stuffed with toy ducks? Or its $600 baseball cap that replaces the strap with a wristwatch? Strange is the name of the game. Read more…