Naturally, the collaborative range features none other than his signature Nicopanda cartoon character.As if Nicola Formichetti didn't have enough on his plate, what with reimagining the face of Diesel and throwing parties in Tokyo and all, he has now added another title to his long list of professional expertise: jewelry designer. Last night, high atop The Standard Hotel in New York, the likes of Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Ming Xi, and Lindsey Wixson joined Formichetti to celebrate the Stateside launch of his latest project—a capsule collection for French (but Korean owned) jewelry house Didier Dubot. Naturally, the collaborative range features none other than his signature Nicopanda cartoon character.

"It's a new company that they're reinventing," Formichetti told us of Didier Dubot. "So it's totally fresh." The team invited him to Korea this summer to debut the line, which was well received by the K-pop crowd. "I love working with Asians," he remarked of his Eastern home (he was born in Japan). "Asia feels so natural. I feel no fear when I'm there."

To help introduce the lineup, Nicola chose French starlet Lea Seydoux to star in the campaign. "We wanted someone with international appeal who wasn't too commercial," he explained. "Lea is such a cool actress with her own personal style…we didn't have to do too much."

Next on Formichetti's docket? He hopes to continue onward with Didier Dubot, looks forward to shooting his next Diesel campaign, and aims to launch a Nicopanda emporium sometime next year. "Watch out, Hello Kitty!" he exclaimed. However, before heading home, he had a confession to make. "I have to admit," he said, rather embarrassed, "pandas aren't my favorite animals. Dogs are. I have to go see my two Pomeranians, Tank and Bambi. They are my love."
POST: 2024-11-24