Fashion News at the Speed of Light: Gucci in Formula 1, Achille Lauro at Dondup, Givenchy’s New Chapter and Blake Lively’s Beauty Collapse

Bonjour fashion lovers,
In the past few days, fashion news has been moving at the speed of light, and keeping up with everything is not exactly easy, but let’s try to put together a short, juicy recap.

I would start with a piece of news that has just broken: Gucci, starting in 2027, will enter Formula 1 with Alpine, the team owned by the Renault Group and led by Flavio Briatore, replacing Swiss brand BWT. Francesca Bellettini, President and CEO of Gucci, said: “The partnership with Alpine Formula One Team inaugurates a new chapter in our history: Gucci is the first luxury fashion brand to become Title Partner in Formula 1. This reflects our ambition and the role we want to play on this stage.” Luca de Meo, CEO of Kering, echoed her words: “Formula 1 has moved well beyond sport, establishing itself as one of the most powerful premium content platforms in the world: every…” Entering such an enormous global stage, a constant source of aspiration, could help Gucci emerge from the crisis that seems unwilling to let go of the brand. We truly hope the answer will be yes.

Another surprising piece of news? The appointment of Italian singer and songwriter Achille Lauro as Creative Director of the brand Dondup, followed by the presentation of his first collection, EROTICA, at San Siro on June 15. The appointment surprised me, and I was not the only one. It also saddened me, because I feel we are going a little too far with this obsession for hype, while study and real expertise are being pushed aside.

The role of Creative Director is fundamental. It cannot be reduced to a photo of someone sitting in a room surrounded by sketches and pencils. Achille Lauro’s fans will forgive me, but fashion, to me, is a serious matter. It is the result of study, work, sacrifice, and often the financial sacrifices of families who support young talents through years of education and training. Throwing all of that into the air like this? No, thank you. Surely there will be a serious team working alongside him, supporting him and guiding the process, and I understand that a name like Achille Lauro is attractive from a media point of view, but I do not agree with this choice, and I never will.

I want it on ShopMy

Exactly as I never agreed with Pharrell Williams being appointed Creative Director of Louis Vuitton Men’s, even though I adore him, and I truly do. Maybe I belong to that generation for whom the Creative Director was a key figure, the beating heart of a creative and professional process capable of bringing beauty and style into the world. I think of Valentino Garavani, Marc Jacobs, John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, Alessandro Michele, Sarah Burton... and I apologize to those I have not mentioned, but the list would be far too long, and I went straight from the heart. For me, it is a no.

Instead, we have a big, huge yes for the appointment of Marco De Vincenzo as Head of Leather Goods at Givenchy. After four years as Creative Director of Etro, a brand that was truly reborn under his direction, and after several years at Fendi, here is the right professional, competent and perfectly placed. This is the fashion we want to see, the fashion we love to observe, the fashion that still makes us dream. Givenchy cannot help but shine with Sarah Burton and Marco De Vincenzo.

Finally, let me talk about a collapse in the beauty world: Blake Lively’s beauty brand is reportedly down by 90%. Yes, my fashion lovers, you read that correctly, 90%. Launched in 2024 as a haircare brand, it initially reached an incredible peak, an immediate success that left not only industry insiders wide-eyed. But after about two years, most likely because of the legal turmoil involving director and actor Justin Baldoni, and after a series of unfortunate public moments from the actress, the brand has collapsed.

This often happens when a brand becomes too closely identified with the celebrity behind it, almost as if it does not have a life of its own. Chiara Ferragni docet. And then, let’s be honest, the beauty market is not simply saturated, it is beyond saturated. It is almost inevitable that after an initial acceleration, often driven by curiosity, there may be a slowdown or a natural adjustment. But here we are facing a real defeat. If I said I expected it, I would be lying. At the same time, I wonder why so many influencers and celebrities continue to make such risky and poorly thought-out choices. Honestly, I do not understand. What do you think? As always, I hope to see more and more of you joining the conversation.

Emanuela Formoso – Founder & Editor, The Fashion Lover.
Always fashion, always black. Always Paris.