Revlon (Q4478)
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an American-based New York City multinational cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care company
- Revlon (United States)
- Revlon, Inc.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Revlon |
an American-based New York City multinational cosmetics, skin care, fragrance, and personal care company |
|
Statements
Rev is a brand founded by Laurent and Arik Bitton (the masterminds behind Iro) that launched with a fall 2023 collaboration with Martine Sitbon to great fanfare—and some confusion. Here’s the deal: Rev was conceived as an umbrella project. It is designed by the Bitton brothers, who will invite various designers to revive their designs through short-term collaborations. Having ironed out the logistics of this new and growing business, part two of the Sitbon project is slated for spring 2025.In the meantime, the brothers seem pleased, if a bit overwhelmed, by the response to Rev, which Arik attributes to the brand’s mix of “innocence [and] rebellion.” It’s no wonder, then, that the duo have landed on Lux Lisbon, the protagonist of Sofia Coppola’s 1999 filmThe Virgin Suicides, as inspiration for the new season.As the director herself is a fashion icon, and very much in the news with the release ofPriscilla, this starting point delivers on more than one front. Interestingly, the brothers played less with ’90s references than those from the ’80s, saying that they are attracted to the strength and androgyny of that decade’s aesthetics, which inspired the oversized jackets, generously cut jeans, and second-skin leggings here. There’s a retro futurism to some of the draped looks and perhaps a nod to Christophe Decarnin’s Balmain in a wide-shoulder red sequined dress, which is nicely accessorized with leg warmers.Even in photographs, the care the Bittons take with fabrics is evident. At the core of their proposal are jerseys that sit close to the skin, move with the wearer, and are easy to layer over. Rev might not be reinventing the wheel, but it’s delivering French-girl attitude in spades.
8 November 2023
Last year Laurent and Arik Bitton, the founders of Iro, launched a new project, Rev, with a bang. The name, a homophone of rêve (dream in French), also refers to revisiting. The idea is that Rev will exist as an umbrella under which varied revivals of ’80s and ‘90s designers’ work will take shape.For the brand’s debut, the brothers teamed up with Martine Sitbon—she of the devore slip dresses and perfect coats—to create a collection that used her archive as a starting point. Sitbon will be back to do another main collection, said the Bittons on the call. In the meantime they designed this resort collection, which harks back to the decade of decadence, and enlisted Emmanuelle Alt to style the lookbook.The line up is big on shoulders and short on hemlines. Asymmetry is celebrated, as is power. A vintage garment inspired a square-shaped jacket with many pockets and snaps, while a cropped and sequined puffer paired with stirrup pants recalls the proportions of Montana, and also Decarnin-era Balmain. Look closely and you’ll see that both the leggings and the shoes are draped. This softness is an important part of the collection, balancing the boldness and strength of the broader silhouette. Likewise suiting is countered with stretch.“Since the 2000s, we lost these iconic fashion, big movements. This is when there was a real vibe, a message that doesn’t look at marketing, merchandising, social media,” said Arik. “It was real. It was true.” The Bittons are chasing all that is cool, the “decontracte” (relaxed), freedom, from a before time that can never be reconstituted. Like the revived Ann Demeulemeester brand, Rev is not replicating the past but renovating it to make what was, in this case, “acceptable in the ’80s” (to borrow a line from Calvin Harris), palatable in the 2020s. Is this the dream materialized, or a simulation?
7 July 2023
Sorry-not-sorry to break the news that a Birkin and printed foulard are not the be-all and end-all of “French girl” style, but one alluring iteration of it. Starting in 1988 the go-to label for those looking for something a sharper and edgier French style, was Martine Sitbon. Her siren-meets-garconne, or “rock’n’romantic”-style balanced a sophisticated and grown-up sensuality with sharp tailoring that simply oozed cool. The designer shuttered her brand in 2004 leaving a gap in the market. Now that’s changed with the launch of Rev, a collaboration among Sitbon and Laurent and Arik Brittom (brothers and founders of Iro) who decided to do something about their Sitbon nostalgia—voilá, Rev.Rev will feature curated and reimagined pieces from the designer’s archive, along with new complementary pieces. But regardless, new or old, everything is made from scratch as no paper patterns from back in the day remain. While the premise is to bring the past forward, Sitbon is finding that in some cases “You can have pieces of 20 years ago that are written exactly the same, more or less.” She attributes this to her collections always having retained “some reminiscence of the past. Maybe you can find something a little ’30s in the evening [looks],” she offers as an example. “But what I always have done in my collection is mixing all the inspirations.”In Paris, the collection debuted with a small presentation of key looks, which Sitbon styled with colorful tights to conjure “the good old days.” She also brought back the legwarmers (trending once again) which were used in her famous fall 1997 collection Les Arbes (The Trees). (Some pieces from this collection can currently be seen in the “1997 Fashion Big Bang” exhibition at the Palais Galliera, which runs until July.) The devore chiffons and velvets also refer back to that show, while a batwing sleeved top in the thinnest, softest leather is from an early ’00s line-up.Sitbon says she has no interest in being part of the fashion circus and having to produce seasonal gimmicks; her preference is to refine again and again. “I really want to work on the perfect—of course I’m not saying everything is perfect—but I’m trying to think and always ameliorate something … [and create] something that can last.” While it’s true that fashion reflects the times, it is also true that good design can be eternal.
That’s certainly the case with the bomber with ruched sleeves, the sharp double-breasted coat, and the smokings, among other pieces in this debut Rev offering. The sexiness and specialness of the slip dresses speak to current bodycon trends, just as a pair of high waisted double-belted white jeans relate to a polished casual way of dressing. Style is also an attitude, and this collection exudes confidence, something you can’t put a price on.
8 March 2023