Demna Gvasalia is making the move from Balenciaga to Gucci, Los Angeles’ American Contemporary Ballet debuts two new works, James Fuentes presents Jim Jarmusch’s first solo exhibition in L.A. and Courteney Cox’s Homecourt launches a laundry collection.
Gucci appoints Demna as its next artistic director
Georgian fashion designer Demna Gvasalia, known mononymously as Demna, is leaving Balenciaga to become the new artistic director of Gucci in July.
Following on from stints at Maison Martin Margiela and Louis Vuitton, Demna launched the brand Vetements with his brother Guram Gvasalia in 2014 and has served as artistic director of Balenciaga since 2015.
Demna succeeds Sabato De Sarno, who exited Gucci in early February after two years. There is no word yet on who will replace him at Balenciaga.
“Demna’s contribution to the industry, to Balenciaga and to the Group’s success has been tremendous,” François-Henri Pinault, chairman and CEO of Kering (which owns both Balenciaga and Gucci), said. “His creative power is exactly what Gucci needs. As I thank him for everything he has accomplished over the past 10 years, I look forward to seeing him shape Gucci’s new artistic direction.”
This will not be the first time Demna has worked with the Italian fashion house. In 2021, he collaborated with Gucci’s Alessandro Michele on a Hacker Project in which Michele unveiled a Gucci collection that included interpretations of the silhouettes and emblems of Demna’s Balenciaga, while Demna created a range of conceptual interpretations of Gucci‘s recognizable signatures as Balenciaga products.
The two brands also happen to share a deep connection to Los Angeles, drawing inspiration from the city’s unique vibe and fashion culture for various collections. While at Balenciaga, Demna has celebrated L.A.’s distinctive style, created handbags called the Bel-Air and the Rodeo, and chose Hancock Park as the venue for its Fall 2024 show. Similarly, while at Gucci, Michele brought his Spring 2022 collection, “Love Parade” – a tribute to the city’s spirit of individuality and self-expression – to Hollywood Boulevard and designed a Chateau Marmont-inspired resort collection in 2019.
“I am truly excited to join the Gucci family,” Demna said. “It is an honor to contribute to a House that I deeply respect and have long admired. I look forward to writing together with Stefano and the whole team a new chapter of Gucci’s amazing story.”
American Contemporary Ballet presents two new original works
Los Angeles’ American Contemporary Ballet has debuted two new shows to be performed at Bank of America Plaza.
“ACB Jazz” fuses ballet with the popular dances of the 1920s and ’30s, set to songs by Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and Johnny Dodds, while “Homecoming“ – billed as ACB’s “biggest and most original ballet” – reinterprets drill and yell squad choreography on pointe, complete with cheerleaders and a marching band. Both are the creations of founder and choreographer Lincoln Jones.
“Like the Metropolitan Opera and New York City Ballet, which give patrons a fuller and more varied arts experience, we want to give people here in Los Angeles the opportunity to see two different shows in the same week,” Jones said.
Founded in New York City in 2004, the company moved to L.A. in 2011. The company performs over 60 shows each season, spanning a repertory which includes works by George Balanchine, Fred Astaire, Lincoln Jones and reconstructions of the seminal works of ballet’s history.
ACB is the only ballet company in L.A. to perform exclusively to live music, played by some of the city’s finest classical musicians. Audiences are seated at stage level, allowing for a rare visceral connection with the beauty and athleticism of ballet.
Every performance is followed by a reception with the dancers and musicians, and audiences can engage further with the art form through the company’s conversations and dancing school programs.
James Fuentes presents Jim Jarmusch’s first L.A. solo exhibition
The James Fuentes Gallery in Melrose Hill will present Jim Jarmusch’s first solo exhibition in Los Angeles, “Some More Collages,” which debuts a new series of his iconic hand-torn newsprint collages.
Celebrated for his work in independent cinema, Jarmusch’s output spans a number of creative disciplines including film, visual art, poetry and music. He has long collected newspaper clippings to form an archive of source material for his collages. He likens their creation to the process of automatic writing, each action unfolding naturally, without over-analysis or predetermination. Through this mode, the collages reflect Jarmusch’s wider creative philosophy.
For Jarmusch, the collages serve as a private, integral part of his creative process and were never initially intended for public display. Over decades, he quietly amassed more than 500 of the works, created spontaneously and without concern for an audience. The James Fuentes exhibitions — first in New York in 2021, and now in L.A. — mark the only occasions where he has publicly exhibited this deeply personal body of work.
Born in Akron, Ohio, in 1953, Jarmusch attended Columbia University and New York University in the late 1970s. He has directed films including “The Dead Don’t Die” (2019), “Paterson” (2016), “Only Lovers Left Alive” (2013), “Broken Flowers” (2005), “Dead Man” (1999), “Down by Law” (1986) and “Stranger than Paradise” (1984). As a musician, he has also created numerous soundtracks and studio albums, including with the band SQÜRL. In 2023, SQÜRL crafted an original score for the first-ever 4K restoration of four films by Man Ray, titled “Return to Reason.”
“Some More Collages” will be on view March 29–April 26 at James Fuentes Gallery, 5015 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles.
La DoubleJ and Mother debut the Ciao Mamma! capsule collection
Los Angeles-based denim brand Mother has teamed up with Milanese fashion and homeware brand La DoubleJ on a collection called Ciao Mamma!
Playing to both of the brands’ strengths, the 30-piece capsule collection represents the best of both worlds, marrying Mother’s California cool with La DoubleJ’s Italian ebullience.
Featuring hand-crafted techniques and ’70s-inspired archival prints, the Ciao Mamma! collection is an ode to femininity in all its forms, designed to imbue the wearer with the confidence and joy imprinted onto each piece. With its cross-generational appeal, the capsule speaks to women of all ages – from the nonna to the mamma to the ragazza.
Every detail in the capsule embodies the eclectic spirit shared by both brands, including flowy dresses, skirts, denim and shirts adorned with La DoubleJ’s whimsical prints, vintage-inspired patches on sweatshirts and Mother’s iconic denim delicately embroidered with intricate artwork. At the heart of the collection is a striking jean jacket embroidered with the same “Mother Mary” goddess design that can be found in La DoubleJ’s sacred “grotta” in their Milan store.
“This collaboration is particularly special to me being born and raised in California and then moving to Milan. It was such a blissful experience to bring these two cultures together — Milan’s bold style and the laidback vibe that is unique to my hometown,” J.J. Martin, founder and creative director at La DoubleJ, shared. “We wanted to create a balance between the energy of our maximalist prints and the laidback vibe of Mother. It was about finding the space for both exuberance and simplicity to co-exist.”
The La DoubleJ x Mother Ciao Mamma! capsule is available now on ladoublej.com and motherdenim.com, as well as at La DoubleJ’s brick and mortar stores.
Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet debuts the We Heart LA Hoodie in support of Altadena Girls
Alice + Olivia by Stacey Bendet has created a limited edition hoodie to benefit the Altadena Girls, a 501c3 charity and social movement to support teenage girls who lost their homes and belongings in the Eaton Canyon Fire.
The We Heart LA Hoodie is available in black and red with 100% of net proceeds going directly to the nonprofit.
“As a brand, Alice + Olivia has always believed in the transformative power of fashion, not only to uplift individuals but also to drive real change,” founder Stacey Bendet said. “The We Heart LA Hoodie embodies this philosophy, blending effortless style with a purpose-driven mission. Whether worn as a symbol of love for Los Angeles or as a reminder of the strength of community, this hoodie is a way to give back in a truly meaningful way.”
Launched in 2002, Alice + Olivia was born from Bendet’s personal quest to create the perfect pair of pants and has since grown into a full lifestyle collection including ready-to-wear, gowns, shoes, handbags and accessories.
The brand is a Hollywood favorite with celebrity fans including Meghan Markle, Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Gwyneth Paltrow, Gigi Hadid and Jessica Alba.
Courteney Cox’s Homecourt cleaning brand launches a laundry collection
Homecourt, the luxury cleaning and household product brand founded by Courteney Cox, is debuting a Laundry Collection.
The line of fine-fragranced laundry essentials includes a laundry concentrate, linen spray and a laundry fragrance oil, all available in Cece, Steeped Rose, and Neroli Leaf — three of the brand’s signature scents.
Founded in 2022 by Cox (a self-proclaimed neat freak like her character Monica in the hit 1990s sitcom “Friends”), Homecourt is a category-defining brand on a mission to inspire transformation from house to home and infuse luxury into the everyday.
The award-winning collection of premium, nontoxic “Beauty Products for the Home” includes surface spray, room deodorant, dish soap, hand wash, hand cream and candles available in five fine fragrances and in 100% post-consumer recycled packaging.
In 2024, Homecourt expanded into body care with its first collection in a new signature scent, maintaining the same high standards of quality and fine fragrance that define the brand’s approach to home care.
Mastro’s Beverly Hills opens The Garden at The Penthouse
Mastro’s Beverly Hills has unveiled a new outdoor space: The Garden at The Penthouse. Designed to elicit the feeling of an exclusive club and accessed via a private elevator, the new third-floor, penthouse dining area brings al fresco dining to the Beverly Hills steakhouse.
Surrounded by lush greenery, seasonal floral garlands, and a 60-square-foot living moss wall, the rooftop garden offers a verdant urban oasis. The 1,654-square-foot space, which seats 80 guests and accommodates up to 115 for standing events, overlooks the Beverly Hills skyline and features a retractable roof.
Along with Mastro’s signature cuisine, the space offers nightly entertainment including the restaurant’s iconic pianists and vocalists, DJs and special performances by experimental electric violinists for an Ibiza-inspired atmosphere.
The Garden at The Penthouse at Mastro’s Beverly Hills is open for dinner Sunday through Thursday from 5:00 p.m. until 10 p.m., and Friday through Saturday 5:00 p.m. to 11 p.m. Reservations can be made on Open Table or by calling 310-888-8782.
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