For Dior’s Spring 2022 Menswear collection, Kim Jones continued his creative partnerships that fuse different artistic and cultural influences. This time it’s Grammy-nominated rapper, songwriter, producer, businessman and designer, Travis Scott. Titled Cactus Jack x Dior — after Scott’s label, Cactus Jack Records — the collection debuted during Paris Fashion Week on Friday.

Scott has been close to the brand for a while, modelling the Air Dior capsule collection that the French fashion house developed last year with Jordan Brand. Through his Cactus Jack Foundation, founded last year, he partnered with The New School’s Parsons School of Design to establish a fashion program, launching his own scholarship program for historically black colleges and universities.

“A conversation – between two friends, two cultures, and two different eras – results in a collection that explores the identities of a groundbreaking modern musician and the heritage of one of the leading Parisian couture houses,” Dior wrote in the show notes.

According to a press release announcing the partnership, Cactus Jack x Dior is “the first full Dior collection ever created with a musician for the house.”

The collection draws from the desert landscapes of Texas, a nod to both Scott’s home state and a place house founder Christian Dior visited when he brought his debut collection to the United States in 1947. According to the show notes, Texas was an unexpected destination for the founding couturier and the grand canyons and huge dusty deserts made a lasting impression. So too did the ethos and spirit of America – in his own words, ‘the zest for life and self-confidence’.

The models appear in a desert landscape dotted with a buffalo head, giant cacti, roses and mushrooms. Bit by bit, the desert transforms into a rose garden in a nod to Christian Dior’s family home.

The colour palette features a soothing mix of dull pinks, café browns, dusty greys, creamy whites and pale blues, with pops of black and electric green, across Jones’ signature mix of exquisite tailoring and sportswear-inspired separates, and featured hybrid hats designed by Stephen Jones.

The graphics seen throughout — on prints, on embroidery, on patches — are a mix of Scott’s drawings and images from the Dior archive. There’s also collaboration within the collaboration this season, on a line of shirts hand-painted by George Condo that will be auctioned off to fund scholarships for the next generation of creatives.

Founded by Diane Walker and Stacey Demar, Mary Jane Swim is a lifestyle apparel brand dedicated to normalizing cannabis. The two women founded their swimwear company, Sweenie Manufacturing in 2008, producing swimwear for other companies. After discovering the healing potential of cannabis for themselves, they decided to help change the perception of the plant for themselves and Maru Jane Swim was born.

We spoke to them about their fashion-forward styles, beautifully subtle cannabis prints and earth-friendly fabrics and production.

What inspired you to launch Mary Jane Swim?

The idea came about in late 2017 after our rediscovery of cannabis, specifically CBD for wellness, on a trip to Telluride, Colorado. We thought about how we could help destigmatize the plant in our own way.

Diane had been working in fashion and Stacey in fitness for many years, which organically led to the creation of Mary Jane Swim. It showcases both of our expertise and we focused on cannabis base printed apparel.

We launched a very small capsule “OG Kush “collection summer 2018 and just launched our full “Seven Leaflets “2019 SS line this past April which also includes activewear and accessories for both men and women.

What makes Mary Jane Swim unique in the marketplace?

Our focus is to bring elevated cannabis apparel to the market that has historically been promotional items. We have created a line that incorporates fashion-forward styles, beautifully subtle cannabis prints and earth-friendly fabrics and production.

Do you design the prints yourselves or do you source them?

Yes, we design each print ourselves inspired by current world trends and interpret them through the flower and leaf and our perspective.

How do you think Mary Jane Swim helps normalize the opinion of cannabis?

The more that the plant shows up in every day products, the more society starts to see it as a beautiful and beneficial plant and not as an evil gateway drug.

Any plans to develop a collection made from hemp and other more sustainable, eco-friendly products?

We have been researching hemp blends in both woven and knit bases for future products, as well as recycled fabrics.

You donate a portion of each sale to Athletes for Care. How did you become involved with them?

After using CBD daily for everyday use for wellness and pre/post workouts and realizing how powerful it is.

We came across their mission to help promote cannabis in sports and help alleviate the opioid crisis. A portion of the profits will be donated.

How do you want people to feel when wearing Mary Jane Swim?

Empowered and healthy.

What don’t you leave the house without?

CBD of course and a swimsuit!

Shop Mary Jane Swim here.

Rachel Quiles has built a cult following with her successful company Vintage Redeux, a men’s and women’s apparel brand based in Los Angeles, California. The twist? All the garments she uses are vintage. Quiles sews original handmade patches sewn onto vintage pieces she has personally sourced from thrift stores across the state and beyond.

Her mission is simple: cut down on the collective waste of over-manufacturing. According to the EPA, more than 10 million tons of textile waste (e.g., clothing and linens) is added to landfills every year. That rounds out to around 60 pounds per person, per year.

Her Dutch army spirit animal jackets put Vintage Redeux on the radar of all good streetwear sartorialists and freethinking fashionistas. Now, the talented designer has turned her attention to cannabis with her Mary Jane Gang, paying homage to the heritage scene with a fresh, modern vibe. The Mary Jane line has also extended from the iconic Dutch army jackets to include luxurious smoking robes and denim jackets.

We spoke to Quiles about her inspiration, sustainable fashion choices and changing the stigma surrounding cannabis.

When, where and how did the idea for Vintage Redeux begin?

Vintage Redeux came to fruition after I was laid off from a dream job in 2011. Little did I know, it would be a blessing in disguise because I was forced to face what I wanted my future to look like. I’ve always loved vintage clothing and had a knack for finding it, so I slowly started buying vintage and selling on Etsy. After a while, I was bored with online resale and turned to all the local markets in Los Angeles. That was all fine and dandy but I didn’t feel that I was challenging myself. That’s when the idea sparked to update all this high-quality vintage clothing.

Tell us the story behind the name Vintage Redeux.

After having success with my little shop for a few years, I thought it was best to create a name for all these pieces that were being reworked. Vintage Re-Do came to my mind immediately but I didn’t love the look of it written out. At the time, I had a partner in this venture and came up with “deux” — the French word for two. So it’s a bit of a made-up spelling but it looked cool. I no longer have a partner but there’s no way I would ever change the name.

What makes Vintage Redeux unique in the marketplace?

Vintage Redeux is unique because it’s not trying to follow trends, fads, or seasons. I make timeless pieces that transcend any box it should be confined to. I create and design artwork for me and just happen to be lucky enough that it speaks to other people, too. I love what I do because it doesn’t have any specific demographic. I’ve seen Vintage Redeux on all genders young and old, all body types, and all styles making it a unique piece for everyone.

Tell us about the craftsmanship that goes into a typical Vintage Redeux piece.

Take the Dutch army jacket for example. Every jacket is from the Seventies and Eighties and handpicked from a military warehouse. It’s chosen for quality; no holes, no stains, all snaps intact, no parts missing, etc. Then, the chosen jackets are thoroughly washed. I silkscreen the Mary Jane patches, cut them out, and place them on the jacket. Everything is sewn onto the garment along with a custom tag inside. From there it either goes to the store or the customer.

What inspired you to develop a Mary Jane line?

A while back, around Christmas time, I was trying to come up with a gift for a dear friend of mine, who had also been my one and only weed dealer in L.A. He was such a special person to all of us in our solid, little group. I was already making Dutch army jackets at the time with different patches but I liked the idea of creating a cheeky patch set to make us an unofficial Mary Jane gang.

When he received the gift, he was blown away by how cool it was! Being the biggest cheerleader for my company, he insisted that I sell this jacket to everyone, not just as a one-off for friends. Little did he know that it would be such a hit and synonymous with my company. I lost my dear friend last year to cancer, but he would be so proud to see how much our little “gang” has grown!

How do you think your clothes help change the opinion of cannabis-inspired fashion?

My biggest challenge with creating the Mary Jane patches was breaking down the stigma of wearing “cannabis branded clothing” without being tacky. My friend I created this for was 52, so he wasn’t about to wear some kid shit. I wanted to produce a tasteful design that anyone could wear without it being overly in-your-face. Thus, the creation of a beautiful, classic-looking woman named Mary Jane, smoking a joint, was born.

How important are sustainable practices to you in the current eco-conscious climate?

If only people could see the amount of vintage clothing, second-hand clothing, and military surplus the world is sitting on. They would be shocked. It doesn’t make sense for me to create new pieces with possibly unethical overseas practices, sell for nothing, and have it fall apart tomorrow. Rather, I can find these authentic pieces that are perfectly faded and worn-in, that other companies would struggle to reproduce and charge premium prices. Why not contribute to supporting recycled clothing companies, all the while not sacrificing your standard of quality?

How do you want people to feel when wearing your clothes?

I want people to feel comfortable, feel confident, and know that they’re wearing a piece of history. All of my clothes come with a previous story and it feels good to know you are continuing that story for many more years to come.

Do you have any design heroes?

Norma Kamali. I want to look and feel like her at 74 and accomplish as much as she has in her lifetime. She’s an incredible inspiration because she’s still continuing to create and do what she loves successfully.

Where can we follow you?

Instagram: @vintageredeux

What don’t you leave the house without?

My Mary Jane jacket! It’s the perfect complementary piece to every outfit.