August may traditionally be known as the calm before the storm in the fashion world but there are still some events to get excited about before September's New York Fashion Week, including the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Sydney.
miércoles, 22 de agosto de 2012
Fashion agenda: Fashionistas head Down Under
Apps agenda: Darwin Festival, BBC Proms, Stockholm Fashion Week, Gamescom
A roundup of the essential apps needed for keeping up-to-date with major events in art, music and more for August 13-19.
Analyst: Ralph Lauren CFO heading to Estee Lauder
An analyst says Ralph Lauren's departing chief financial officer might be heading to makeup company Estee Lauder Cos.
Hugo BOSS presents BOSS Black campaign
High-end brand Hugo Boss has released a video, shot in Napa Valley, California, as part of its new BOSS Black campaign.
Designers Dolce, Gabbana face tax trial: sources
MILAN (Reuters) - Italian fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, who count model Naomi Campbell and pop star Madonna among their friends, will stand trial over alleged tax evasion, according to legal sources and a court filing seen by Reuters. Milan judge Giuseppe Gennari gave the green light for prosecutors to bring the fashion duo to court over allegations of tax evasion offences totaling around 1 billion euros ($1.25 billion). ...
Coca-Cola and Will.i.am to launch eco-friendly brand
Black Eyed Peas member Will.i.am is teaming up with The Coca-Cola Company to launch a brand of eco-friendly clothing and accessories in a bid to promote recycling, reports FashionMag.com.
Elie Saab channels inner sultan at Paris fashion week
PARIS (Reuters) - Byzantine opulence and splendour worthy of a sultan's harem greeted guests at Elie Saab's fashion show on Wednesday, as the Lebanese designer beloved of the Hollywood set presented a fantasy collection spun from embroidered tulle and lace. Saab, who is known for his red carpet creations, said he was inspired by Constantinople for his autumn/winter 2012-2013 Haute Couture collection, and indeed the gold, shimmer and sparkle overflowed in the pillared Paris reception hall on the Rue Cambon. ...
Lakmé Fashion Week: Five quickfire questions for celeb makeup artist Kapil Bhalla
As fashionistas descend on Mumbai for the Winter/Festive edition of Lakmé Fashion Week, makeup artist to the stars Kapil Bhalla -- one of the event's special guests -- chats with Relaxnews and reveals the biggest beauty secret he believes his countrywomen have to share.
Christian Dior changes its face in couture day 1
The start of haute couture week in Paris is a must on any self-respecting fashionista's calendar.
A look at the Spice Girls' updated styles at the Olympics
The Olympics closing ceremony reunited famed girl group the Spice Girls, who inspired many fashion trends among teens and young women in the 90s, including towering platform shoes. MTV Style has revealed details on the band's outfit choices and provided a look at the fashion statements made at their comeback show.
Bridal gown designer Vera Wang and her husband agree to separate; couple married in 1989
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Fashion designer Vera Wang, who launched her label with wedding gowns, and her husband, Arthur Becker, are separating.
Ralph Lauren 1Q profit up 5 pct, warns on 2Q sales
Ralph Lauren Corp. said Wednesday that its fiscal first-quarter net income rose 5 percent, but the clothing and home goods maker forecast a revenue decline in the current quarter and sounded a note of caution about the weak global economy hurting consumer spending.
Czech supermodel Nemcova named envoy for Haiti
Supermodel Petra Nemcova has been named ambassador at large for Haiti because of the charity work she's done through her nonprofit group the Happy Hearts Fund.
Raf Simon's Florally Refined Christian Dior
There is nothing quite like the respect of one's peers, which is what Raf Simons got in considerable quantities at his debut runway collection for the house of Christian Dior.
News summary: Ralph Lauren 1Q net income rises
THE NEWS: Clothing and home goods maker Ralph Lauren Co. on Wednesday reported its fiscal-first quarter net income rose 5 percent on strong growth in North America and a lower tax rate.
Fashion world mourns style icon Anna Piaggi
Designer Stefano Gabbana has led a pouring out of Twitter tributes to renowned style icon Anna Piaggi following reports of the 81-year-old's death in the Italian press.
Cosmo editor Helen Gurley Brown dies at 90
Helen Gurley Brown, the saucy Cosmopolitan editor who delivered thousands of sex tips to single women and more than a few curious men, died Monday. She was 90.
Joel Kinnaman new face of H&M
High street retailer H&M has chosen Swedish-American actor Joel Kinnaman as the face of its Fall 2012 ad campaign, directed by Jonas Akerlund.
Alexander McQueen unveils frenetic Fall 2012 fashion film
It appears that for Fall/Winter 2012 designers are attempting to outdo each other in the psychedelic stakes, with Alexander McQueen the latest label to unveil a trippy '80s inspired campaign video.
Olympics: Fashion wins few medals in London
Designer Giorgio Armani predicted that the London Olympics would be the most stylish ever, but fashion experts say there has been as much bad taste as elegance on display.
Fifth & Pacific: Kate Spade will buy Japan venture
Fifth & Pacific Cos. said Friday that its Kate Spade LLC brand is buying out the interest of its partner in a joint venture based in Japan.
Famed Bridal Designer Vera Wang Separates From Husband
Vera Wang, the fashion designer who has all but become the face of American weddings, is separating from her husband, Arthur Becker. “Vera Wang and Arthur Becker have mutually and amicably agreed to separate,” Wang’s publicist said in a statement to ABCNews.com. “They remain devoted parents...
Millionaire Fashion Designer Wants Your Funding
Crowdfunding can be a great way to get a charity or creative project off the ground if you're starved for cash. Now, apparently, more established business owners are turning to it too.
Fashion agenda: Britain Creates 2012, Lakmé Fashion Week
The Olympic Games aren't traditionally associated with fashion but visitors to London with an interest in style will be glad to hear about the ongoing Britain Creates 2012: Fashion & Art Collusion project in the UK capital. Meanwhile, fashion weeks in destinations ranging from Mumbai to Copenhagen are coming up.
Dolce&Gabbana summer fashion sings of Sicily
These are happy boys. Happy that it's summer. Happy to be Sicilian.
AP Photos: Mumbai's fashion week
India's cultural capital of Mumbai is in the thick of the fashion world with Lakme Fashion Week, wrapping up five days of runway presentations on Tuesday.
Fashion Designer Nicole Miller Wants to Talk to You on VYou
Fashion designer Nicole Miller is expanding her social media presence to video, becoming the first designer on VYou. Miller, a self-proclaimed social media fanatic (the designer is a regular poster to Instagram and Facebook) is using VYou to interact more with her fans and show the authenticity behind her label.
Qatari royals buy Italian fashion icon Valentino
MILAN/LONDON (Reuters) - Italian fashion house Valentino has been snapped up by the Qatari royal family for 700 million euros ($857.5 million), the latest purchase of a top European luxury brand by an emerging market investor. The luxury label loved by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Audrey Hepburn said on Thursday that Mayhoola for Investments S.P.C, an investment vehicle backed by a leading Qatari, had bought it from UK-based private equity fund Permira and minority investors the Marzotto textile entrepreneurs. Valentino did not disclose financial details of the sale or name the investor. ...
London Fashion Week: Jonathan Saunders creates bespoke visuals
This year's BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund winner Jonathan Saunders has collaborated with London Fashion Week to create his own bespoke visuals to promote the event, marking the launch of a new annual designer team-up.
Beauty agenda: Lakmé Fashion Week, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Festival Sydney
Fashion weeks in destinations ranging from Mumbai to Sydney makes August an exciting month for beauty junkies, with special guests at Lakmé Fashion Week including beauty expert Kapil Bhalla -- who has worked with top celebrities such as Shilpa Shetty.
Czech supermodel Petra Nemcova named ambassador at large to promote Haiti in other nations
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Supermodel Petra Nemcova has been named ambassador at large for Haiti because of the charity work she's done through her non-profit group the Happy Hearts Fund.
lunes, 20 de agosto de 2012
Ralph Lauren to buy back up to $500M in shares
Clothing and housewares maker Ralph Lauren Corp. said Thursday it will add $500 million in shares to its buyback program.
Ralph Lauren adding 500 jobs in High Point
Ralph Lauren Corp. will create 500 more jobs over the next five years and invest $97 million in High Point, N.C., where the company already has several operations.
Ralph Lauren Won't Make Olympic Mistake Again
Revealed: Ashley Greene for DKNY Jeans fall campaign
Twilight actress Ashley Greene is starring in a new DKNY Jeans campaign shot by German photographer and director Peter Lindbergh.
Vogue breaks own record with 916-page September issue
The US edition of fashion magazine Vogue said Thursday its upcoming September issue will be its biggest ever, surpassing the previous record-setter made famous in a documentary film.
Video: Behind the scenes with Lady Gaga and US Vogue
American Vogue unveiled a behind the scenes video from Lady Gaga's September issue cover shoot August 10, with the songstress performing the song "Hair" as she plays with her huge backcombed tresses in the clip.
Yves Saint Laurent rebranding unveiled online
Last month Hedi Slimane made the headlines when it was announced he would rename Yves Saint Laurent's ready-to-wear line as Saint Laurent Paris, and now the first images of the rebranding have emerged online.
Supermodel Christie Brinkley's father dies at 91
Don Brinkley, the father of supermodel and actress Christie Brinkley, has died. He was 91.
Jean Paul Gaultier
There's little doubt that posterity will recognize Jean Paul Gaultier as one of the all-time greats, but it will also have to recognize the profligacy of his genius, the carelessness with mere bagatelles like timekeeping (the 90-minute wait today bordered on those interminable delays that were a signature of the house 20 years ago), the way the extravagantly throwaway has always shared catwalk space with fiercely disciplined, beautifully crafted clothes. Haute couture has indulged both those impulses to an extreme for the designer, so the pendulum swing of consensus on his couture is unsurprisingly determined by which impulse dominates. Today, mercifully, it was discipline and craft.
That's probably what happens when you have a presiding spirit as wayward as Pete Doherty, the voice on the soundtrack, the star of Sylvie Verheyde's adaptation of nineteenth century poet Alfred de Musset's Confession of a Child of the Century, which was the spark of the collection. Once you'd ascertained (thank you, Wiki!) that de Musset's grand amour was the novelist George Sand, who scandalized mid-nineteenth century Paris by wearing men's clothes and smoking in public, Gaultier's collection slotted with the greatest of ease into his series of salutes to everything that has ever made Paris so justifiably full of itself. Erin O'Connor opened the show as Sand, in top hat, tailcoat, and gentleman's fob. She was followed by a set of Gaultier's peerless meditations on Le Smoking, including a silhouette that quoted Dior's Bar silhouette. It was never a secret that Gaultier would have been a logical candidate for the top job at Dior when Galliano got the gig. This season, when Dior is once again the big story with the Simons ascendancy, there was a certain poignancy in such reminders of that long-ago dream.
But Gaultier went on to prove how he owns his decadent, romantic, polymorphous fashion sensibility. Sand's tailcoat came back time and again, in crocodile, in camel, in the "male couture" that Gaultier inserted with a wincing lack of subtlety, and in the bridal finale, where the tails were splayed across a white skirt in front while the lapels were extended into swan's wings in back. The designer also paraded silken kimono-styled eveningwear that conveyed the fin de siècle feel of outfits named after characters from Proust, Huysmans, and Wilde. The colors—absinthe, coral, gold, papal purple—were the colors of opium dreams. Gaultier amplified the Beaux Arts mood by including a couple of articulated automatons. They could have been the robot from Metropolis. Or maybe they were sisters of the Georges Méliès creation that featured in Martin Scorsese's Hugo. Better that way—Gaultier's collections are always a love song to Paris.
—Tim Blanks
That's probably what happens when you have a presiding spirit as wayward as Pete Doherty, the voice on the soundtrack, the star of Sylvie Verheyde's adaptation of nineteenth century poet Alfred de Musset's Confession of a Child of the Century, which was the spark of the collection. Once you'd ascertained (thank you, Wiki!) that de Musset's grand amour was the novelist George Sand, who scandalized mid-nineteenth century Paris by wearing men's clothes and smoking in public, Gaultier's collection slotted with the greatest of ease into his series of salutes to everything that has ever made Paris so justifiably full of itself. Erin O'Connor opened the show as Sand, in top hat, tailcoat, and gentleman's fob. She was followed by a set of Gaultier's peerless meditations on Le Smoking, including a silhouette that quoted Dior's Bar silhouette. It was never a secret that Gaultier would have been a logical candidate for the top job at Dior when Galliano got the gig. This season, when Dior is once again the big story with the Simons ascendancy, there was a certain poignancy in such reminders of that long-ago dream.
But Gaultier went on to prove how he owns his decadent, romantic, polymorphous fashion sensibility. Sand's tailcoat came back time and again, in crocodile, in camel, in the "male couture" that Gaultier inserted with a wincing lack of subtlety, and in the bridal finale, where the tails were splayed across a white skirt in front while the lapels were extended into swan's wings in back. The designer also paraded silken kimono-styled eveningwear that conveyed the fin de siècle feel of outfits named after characters from Proust, Huysmans, and Wilde. The colors—absinthe, coral, gold, papal purple—were the colors of opium dreams. Gaultier amplified the Beaux Arts mood by including a couple of articulated automatons. They could have been the robot from Metropolis. Or maybe they were sisters of the Georges Méliès creation that featured in Martin Scorsese's Hugo. Better that way—Gaultier's collections are always a love song to Paris.
—Tim Blanks
Armani Privé
Giorgio Armani's morning-to-midnight scenario gave him the perfect excuse to offer his clients an entire wardrobe in the most traditional sense of haute couture. If that didn't make for his most drama-laden show, that's scarcely the point when you are as absorbed by the exigencies of daily dressing as Mr. Armani is.
Nor was the kind of woman who would arise to don the pale blues and lilacs paired with black velvet pants that were part of the matinal Armani offering really the point. His point was this: easy jackets with a broad, slightly peaked shoulder, trousers with a generous volume, flat shoes. And Armani has made this point so convincingly throughout his career that its reiteration here could be called icing on a billion-dollar cake.
There were dresses, the best being a pair of lean cocktail numbers in lavender and mauve organza. Armani's tendency to pair models on the catwalk, coupled with the subtly exaggerated makeup, gave these looks a slightly android Blade Runner appeal that underscored the futurism that infuses Armani's work. So did his headgear. The little black berets by Philip Treacy and the beaded veils created a through line of uniformity.
Armani said it was mystery he was after with those veils, and to his credit, when Aymeline Valade eased down the catwalk in folds of midnight organza, her shoulders veiled in tulle, her features subtly concealed, it was mystery he got.
—Tim Blanks
Nor was the kind of woman who would arise to don the pale blues and lilacs paired with black velvet pants that were part of the matinal Armani offering really the point. His point was this: easy jackets with a broad, slightly peaked shoulder, trousers with a generous volume, flat shoes. And Armani has made this point so convincingly throughout his career that its reiteration here could be called icing on a billion-dollar cake.
There were dresses, the best being a pair of lean cocktail numbers in lavender and mauve organza. Armani's tendency to pair models on the catwalk, coupled with the subtly exaggerated makeup, gave these looks a slightly android Blade Runner appeal that underscored the futurism that infuses Armani's work. So did his headgear. The little black berets by Philip Treacy and the beaded veils created a through line of uniformity.
Armani said it was mystery he was after with those veils, and to his credit, when Aymeline Valade eased down the catwalk in folds of midnight organza, her shoulders veiled in tulle, her features subtly concealed, it was mystery he got.
—Tim Blanks
Bouchra Jarrar
Bouchra Jarrar has been showing at Couture for six seasons and has yet to put a single beaded ball gown on her runway. Rigor is her stock in trade, and there was more of that at her Musée Bourdelle show today. She opened with tailoring. It's as precise as ever—she cuts a mean pair of trousers. But notice the ruffle at the hem of the first look's ivory vest. That small detail told the whole story of the collection, which was notable for its new sense of femininity.
"Everything has a waist," she said backstage. "It's very constructed, but A-line and flared." A year ago, her jackets were boxy and her frocks were almost egg-shaped. Here, belts played a starring role, whether cinching dresses made from shirting stripe fabric or buckled over the black, peplumed bustier that topped a pair of gabardine pants.
Women have fallen for Jarrar because she's given them something new to wear for work. This season, seduction is the order of the day. A silk gown in a lily print turned to reveal a plunging draped back. Another long dress was made from shifting layers of georgette and crepe de chine in black and a green she aptly called "very profond"; the effect was captivating. And, yes, she even did a beaded gown, or at least it was partly beaded on its bodice. Lovely all around.
—Nicole Phelps
"Everything has a waist," she said backstage. "It's very constructed, but A-line and flared." A year ago, her jackets were boxy and her frocks were almost egg-shaped. Here, belts played a starring role, whether cinching dresses made from shirting stripe fabric or buckled over the black, peplumed bustier that topped a pair of gabardine pants.
Women have fallen for Jarrar because she's given them something new to wear for work. This season, seduction is the order of the day. A silk gown in a lily print turned to reveal a plunging draped back. Another long dress was made from shifting layers of georgette and crepe de chine in black and a green she aptly called "very profond"; the effect was captivating. And, yes, she even did a beaded gown, or at least it was partly beaded on its bodice. Lovely all around.
—Nicole Phelps
Valentino
Look at Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, so ascetic and spare with their dark clothes and modest demeanor, and you can only wonder at the intensity of the clothes they create. So, obviously, did the scribe who penned their show notes, as lost in the search for words to define the collection as everyone else was after the fact. That's because Chiuri and Piccioli are like the solitary writer who spins a magic kingdom out of his imagination. "Regal beauty," Piccioli said by way of explanation. "Sensual but severe." And if that had a Game of Thrones tang, well, that fitted with a Couture collection that felt like a world we were allowed to enter without fully understanding what it was we were seeing.
The mood board in their studio was dense with nineteenth century altered states: the symbolists, the decadents, a romantic spirit that combined ecstatic release and exhausted lassitude. Valentino is a house that traditionally reads red, but Chiuri and Piccioli dialed down to blue, introspection and reflection versus the extrovert essence of house habit. It made for a quietly spectacular opening in crepes, chiffons, and cashmeres with a lush sobriety. That same idea of modest luxury carried over into a full-length lace and chiffon floral dress, and a coat that was encrusted with cashmere appliqués of flowers and leaves in a pattern that was inspired by William Morris' Tree of Life. It was so ludicrously vivid that you could imagine the old boy himself would have felt one step closer to God when he looked at it.
If there have been times in Chiuri and Piccioli's tenure at Valentino when they seemed a little stultified by respectful politeness, today felt like a once-and-for-all cutting loose. The way they introduced brocade, for instance, an oldish idea, but here zapped with yellow. Then there was the blue, of course, antithesis of all the house traditionally holds dear, even if the red did reinsert itself toward the end of the show (which only created a pleasurable tension for Spring). One of the most memorable outfits from this Couture moment in Paris will surely be the evening dress in navy plissé with the black shadow falling diagonally across it. Stark lushness—why does that notion sound so right with Couture in such transition?
—Tim Blanks
The mood board in their studio was dense with nineteenth century altered states: the symbolists, the decadents, a romantic spirit that combined ecstatic release and exhausted lassitude. Valentino is a house that traditionally reads red, but Chiuri and Piccioli dialed down to blue, introspection and reflection versus the extrovert essence of house habit. It made for a quietly spectacular opening in crepes, chiffons, and cashmeres with a lush sobriety. That same idea of modest luxury carried over into a full-length lace and chiffon floral dress, and a coat that was encrusted with cashmere appliqués of flowers and leaves in a pattern that was inspired by William Morris' Tree of Life. It was so ludicrously vivid that you could imagine the old boy himself would have felt one step closer to God when he looked at it.
If there have been times in Chiuri and Piccioli's tenure at Valentino when they seemed a little stultified by respectful politeness, today felt like a once-and-for-all cutting loose. The way they introduced brocade, for instance, an oldish idea, but here zapped with yellow. Then there was the blue, of course, antithesis of all the house traditionally holds dear, even if the red did reinsert itself toward the end of the show (which only created a pleasurable tension for Spring). One of the most memorable outfits from this Couture moment in Paris will surely be the evening dress in navy plissé with the black shadow falling diagonally across it. Stark lushness—why does that notion sound so right with Couture in such transition?
—Tim Blanks
Mugler
Since Nicola Formichetti and Sébastien Peigné took over at Mugler last year, their runway shows have been strictly high-concept. Emphasizing the sales-floor viability of their aesthetic hasn't been the priority. So it was interesting to encounter the pair in a showroom setting, pointing out the similarities and differences between the editorial pieces "for magazines" and their commercial equivalents.
Resort is their most relatable work so far. Inspired, they said, by Asia, flags, the Olympics, and the work of New York illustrator Mel Odom, with whom they collaborated on a kissing print, they focused much of their attention on tailoring. High-waisted, full-leg trousers will find buyers, as will little leather Perfecto jackets and boxy, man-size T-shirts. The "runway" versions of the color-blocked flag tees were printed many times over for a rubbery sheen that shows up in the lookbook pics. The "real world" styles were printed less often, which not only lowers the price but makes them softer. Not the kind of details that will earn them Facebook "likes," but vital nonetheless. Something else important to the brand and the bottom line: Formichetti and Peigné will be launching Mugler's handbag range at the show in September.
—Nicole Phelps
Resort is their most relatable work so far. Inspired, they said, by Asia, flags, the Olympics, and the work of New York illustrator Mel Odom, with whom they collaborated on a kissing print, they focused much of their attention on tailoring. High-waisted, full-leg trousers will find buyers, as will little leather Perfecto jackets and boxy, man-size T-shirts. The "runway" versions of the color-blocked flag tees were printed many times over for a rubbery sheen that shows up in the lookbook pics. The "real world" styles were printed less often, which not only lowers the price but makes them softer. Not the kind of details that will earn them Facebook "likes," but vital nonetheless. Something else important to the brand and the bottom line: Formichetti and Peigné will be launching Mugler's handbag range at the show in September.
—Nicole Phelps
Osman
Rigor is essential to a designer. But an excess of discipline—like any other kind of too-muchness—can be the undoing of a collection. When Osman Yousefzada launched his line four years ago, his clothes were rigorous almost to the point of sterility. He obviously had a way with cut and a strong and refined sense of color, but his sculptural aesthetic was rather monastic, a tone hard to square with the warm, curious young man responsible for it. Now, with the debut of his first Resort collection, he finally seems to be having fun.
The playful feeling here was due to two positive developments: First, Yousefzada has loosened up his shapes, and second, he's accommodated himself to the idea of decoration. The looser mood could be summed up in a simple, slit-up-to-there black gown with painterly flowers embroidered on the bodice. The piece breathed. Elsewhere, the designer applied the same embroidery to more typically structured looks, such as squared-off strapless dresses, but the cuts were softened by their sexiness. Likewise, the repeated use of an open shoulder, in A-line dresses and peplum tops, modernized pieces that would have otherwise come off atavistically prim. There was still a vintage-y mien—Yousefzada's pastel jacquard tank and brocade cigarette pant wouldn't have looked out of place on Jackie Kennedy—but overall, the collection was sprightly and up-to-date.
—Maya Singer
The playful feeling here was due to two positive developments: First, Yousefzada has loosened up his shapes, and second, he's accommodated himself to the idea of decoration. The looser mood could be summed up in a simple, slit-up-to-there black gown with painterly flowers embroidered on the bodice. The piece breathed. Elsewhere, the designer applied the same embroidery to more typically structured looks, such as squared-off strapless dresses, but the cuts were softened by their sexiness. Likewise, the repeated use of an open shoulder, in A-line dresses and peplum tops, modernized pieces that would have otherwise come off atavistically prim. There was still a vintage-y mien—Yousefzada's pastel jacquard tank and brocade cigarette pant wouldn't have looked out of place on Jackie Kennedy—but overall, the collection was sprightly and up-to-date.
—Maya Singer
Peter Som
Like other designers this season, Peter Som has been struck by wanderlust. He hasn't gotten further away than Fire Island himself lately, but pointing to the pictures of camels, Moorish doors, and Moroccan tiles on his Resort mood board, he described the look of his new collection as "nomad chic, with a Talitha Getty sort of feeling." Well, he who seeks shall find: After a Fall show that found him cozying up to a crisp, referential minimalism, his latest offering signaled something of a return to form, emphasizing the charming prints and colorful tweeds that have become, over a decade in the business, house signatures.
Those mood board photos of wall tiles inspired a striking mosaic vine print that appeared on everything from a matching pantsuit to a maxi dress; damask wallpaper, meanwhile, was the starting point for the blue and white cotton burnout he used for a long-sleeved dress. Som let the fabrics do the talking. If it backfired on him in the case of a tweed jacket and torn paper-print blouse worn with pink paillette pajama pants (those materials were practically shouting over each other to be heard), it worked well in the case of a simple T-shirt gown cut from aqua Chantilly lace. Talitha would've appreciated its zip-up-and-go efficiency.
—Nicole Phelps
Those mood board photos of wall tiles inspired a striking mosaic vine print that appeared on everything from a matching pantsuit to a maxi dress; damask wallpaper, meanwhile, was the starting point for the blue and white cotton burnout he used for a long-sleeved dress. Som let the fabrics do the talking. If it backfired on him in the case of a tweed jacket and torn paper-print blouse worn with pink paillette pajama pants (those materials were practically shouting over each other to be heard), it worked well in the case of a simple T-shirt gown cut from aqua Chantilly lace. Talitha would've appreciated its zip-up-and-go efficiency.
—Nicole Phelps
Camilla and Marc
Did Marie Antoinette play sports? It strains the imagination a little, but it's not entirely impossible to picture her pitching up in the backyard of the Petit Trianon for a nice game of croquet. Maybe even a set or two of badminton, before retiring to her rooms in Versailles to have her wig clamped back on as she nibbles on macarons and dreams of Count Fersen. Anyway, this train of thought comes courtesy of the latest Camilla and Marc collection, which takes its inspiration from the interiors of Versailles. Siblings Camilla Freeman-Topper and Marc Freeman have put a jaunty spin on the baroque, turning out abbreviated cocktail dresses trussed with ruffles; sharp, shoulder-baring peplum tops and cropped trousers in reflective pink or a magnified jewel print; and striped knit and tailored dresses in colors of buttercream frosting. The strongest pieces here, unusually for the brand, were the most casual—the short, squared-off silk dresses with a high neck and fluttering sleeve were particularly good, as were the waterfall tank tops featuring a contrasting band of color on the hem. It's also worth calling out the Camilla and Marc denim: This season, the jeans were high-waisted, perfectly cut skinnies executed in a handful of pastels, and they looked like a cult phenom waiting to happen. Or to put it another way, the jeans seemed like exactly the thing a modern-day Marie Antoinette would don for a game of petanque, before shimmying off to meet her lover.
—Maya Singer
—Maya Singer
Milly
Michelle Smith is rounding out a long Resort season with a new lineup for Milly inspired by the irresistibly catchy seventies tune "Funky Nassau." With its polka-dot PVC trenchcoats, neon bungee cord belts, and graphic prints, her collection had an upbeat vibe similar to the song. And stylish moms will be happy to know their girls can dress just like them in scaled-down, coordinating pieces from the Milly Minis line (Smith's daughter Sophia was happy to skip summer camp for a day and model for the lookbook). Tailored shorts suits and corseted shifts for daytime came in a "wood grain pattern that I wanted to be a non-pattern," explained the designer. Another highlight was the slouchy, marled sweater paired with a ruffled geometric miniskirt, which struck a nice balance between free and easy funk and fashion.
—Brittany Adams
—Brittany Adams
Revillon
Designing his first Resort collection for Revillon, the Parisian furrier founded in 1723, newly installed creative director Andrew Heather faced a challenge: how to make fur relevant for a warmer season. He answered it by using fox and goat as an accent on lace. And not just any lace, but a lace he designed to resemble a civet's spots and stripes and also needle-punched with mohair, then cut into a black cocktail dress, worn with a long matching scarf tossed over the shoulders, as well as a peony pink T-shirt, skirt, and belted jacket. Another good idea: a mink redingote sheared so thin it could pass for silk velvet. Heather's is a discreet kind of luxury.
He's also got a practical streak, despite years spent in the couture atelier at Givenchy, and he exercised it today with a trench made from kangaroo leather, which he chose for its papery touch and its light weight.
—Nicole Phelps
He's also got a practical streak, despite years spent in the couture atelier at Givenchy, and he exercised it today with a trench made from kangaroo leather, which he chose for its papery touch and its light weight.
—Nicole Phelps
Chanel
Maybe it's because he speaks so fast that there always seems to be a slight undertow of scorn in Karl Lagerfeld's aperçus. "In fashion, the future is six months," he practically spat after Chanel's Couture show today. That could be why he took New Vintage as his theme. "Vintage is depressing," Lagerfeld clarified. "But 'new vintage' is something to come. It's preparation for something that could last."
The show was staged in the Grand Palais, as has become custom, but this time Lagerfeld used the Salon d'Honneur, a space that had been closed off for 70 years. The walls were painted, the ceiling and door surrounds customized to an interior design concept that Coco Chanel used in her original salon de couture. But here it was refreshed. "A renovation of the existing spirit for our time," Lagerfeld said.
Renovation wasn't, however, the thrust of the actual collection. It was far less jeune fille than it's been of late. When Jamie Bochert and Stella Tennant stepped out on the catwalk, they looked like substantial women of character. Their clothes had a 1940's line—broad shoulders, swingy coat, cape backs—in a color palette of black, gray, silver, and dusty pink that spoke of film noir interiors. Their hair also had a forties flavor, with a Rosie the Riveter snood. In other words, there was nothing new about this particular vintage. But it worked, in a gutsy, grown-up way. Lagerfeld's portrait of Chanel adorned the invitation and, in keeping with that nod to heritage, the spine of the collection was suits. Except that the classic tweed was actually embroidery on tulle. Thousands of hours of handwork. Couture in excelsis.
Lagerfeld paired the suits with sparkling hose and wove silver through his "tweeds." There was gilding galore. "These clothes are for a world of privileged people," he said, with a hint of resignation (surely not scorn). And it was a wide world of clothes on display: an ethereal gilet spun from what looked like thistledown followed hard and less than coherently on the heels of a tracksuit in dégradé sequins. But that wayward abundance has always been the rule with Lagerfeld's Chanel. And who knows how that tracksuit will look on the block at Sotheby's in 50 years?
—Tim Blanks
The show was staged in the Grand Palais, as has become custom, but this time Lagerfeld used the Salon d'Honneur, a space that had been closed off for 70 years. The walls were painted, the ceiling and door surrounds customized to an interior design concept that Coco Chanel used in her original salon de couture. But here it was refreshed. "A renovation of the existing spirit for our time," Lagerfeld said.
Renovation wasn't, however, the thrust of the actual collection. It was far less jeune fille than it's been of late. When Jamie Bochert and Stella Tennant stepped out on the catwalk, they looked like substantial women of character. Their clothes had a 1940's line—broad shoulders, swingy coat, cape backs—in a color palette of black, gray, silver, and dusty pink that spoke of film noir interiors. Their hair also had a forties flavor, with a Rosie the Riveter snood. In other words, there was nothing new about this particular vintage. But it worked, in a gutsy, grown-up way. Lagerfeld's portrait of Chanel adorned the invitation and, in keeping with that nod to heritage, the spine of the collection was suits. Except that the classic tweed was actually embroidery on tulle. Thousands of hours of handwork. Couture in excelsis.
Lagerfeld paired the suits with sparkling hose and wove silver through his "tweeds." There was gilding galore. "These clothes are for a world of privileged people," he said, with a hint of resignation (surely not scorn). And it was a wide world of clothes on display: an ethereal gilet spun from what looked like thistledown followed hard and less than coherently on the heels of a tracksuit in dégradé sequins. But that wayward abundance has always been the rule with Lagerfeld's Chanel. And who knows how that tracksuit will look on the block at Sotheby's in 50 years?
—Tim Blanks
Collette Dinnigan
As a brand becomes more established, recurring stylistic elements come to be known as "house codes." That Collette Dinnigan has several easily identifiable touches—lace that flutters over shoulders and neckline-to-hemline sparkle both come to mind—speaks to a level of consistency that she's more or less maintained over 20 years.
Her 2013 pre-collection follows the classic Resort ethos—clothes for beach getaways—without abandoning her red carpet-lite niche. Dresses in geranium, sky blue, and crisp green French lace skimmed the body without clinging. A short-sleeved dress in mesh and lace was an LBD with staying power. Dinnigan placed equal weight on three-dimensional fabrics (featuring raffia flowers, beads, and paillettes) as on two breezy but busy prints.
If some pieces (the daisy embroidery, the coral capped-sleeve ruffle dress) prompted a déjà-vu reaction—as in, doesn't that look like [insert high-end label here] from Spring 2012?—it simply confirms that this designer can turn runway drama into first-date fashion. Her collection will make it to poolsides and movie premieres; eyelet blouses and jersey dresses looked travel-friendly, while the bejeweled gowns are party photo bait. These are lifestyle codes that Dinnigan understands well.
—Alex Veblen
Her 2013 pre-collection follows the classic Resort ethos—clothes for beach getaways—without abandoning her red carpet-lite niche. Dresses in geranium, sky blue, and crisp green French lace skimmed the body without clinging. A short-sleeved dress in mesh and lace was an LBD with staying power. Dinnigan placed equal weight on three-dimensional fabrics (featuring raffia flowers, beads, and paillettes) as on two breezy but busy prints.
If some pieces (the daisy embroidery, the coral capped-sleeve ruffle dress) prompted a déjà-vu reaction—as in, doesn't that look like [insert high-end label here] from Spring 2012?—it simply confirms that this designer can turn runway drama into first-date fashion. Her collection will make it to poolsides and movie premieres; eyelet blouses and jersey dresses looked travel-friendly, while the bejeweled gowns are party photo bait. These are lifestyle codes that Dinnigan understands well.
—Alex Veblen
Cacharel
Vintage tennis outfits from the thirties and forties inspired Cacharel's new Resort collection. Styled with crisp white sneaks and a ringlet-curl pixie cut, lookbook model Maja Salamon channeled racket stars from the era like Pauline Betz Addie in cotton shorts sets and collared pointelle knit dresses (the Wimbledonlike green turf on which she was standing helped achieve the desired effect). For their first few seasons as creative directors, Ling Liu and Dawei Sun resisted the French house's signature Liberty florals, opting to show more graphic patterns instead. This time around, the design duo put their own spin on the signature prints, mixing in crystallized butterflies with the standard blossoms. The result was particularly fresh worn head to toe on a fitted tank with matching wide-legged trousers. Other noteworthy moments included a tie-back turquoise top paired with a "wavelength"-motif silk maxi skirt and an on-trend, away-from-the body geometric jacquard coat.
—Brittany Adams
—Brittany Adams
Elie Tahari
Our review will be posted shortly. See the complete collection by clicking the image at left.
Givenchy
Riccardo Tisci brought together dueling impulses in his Fall Couture collection: On the one hand, he returned to the simple lines of the sixties, when Hubert de Givenchy was at the center of the Paris scene. On the other, he riffed on the look of gypsies, specifically the gypsies you encounter in present-day southern Italy, where he's from. The haute and the street—it's the kind of mix this designer loves.
After seven years at the house, the Tisci codes are instantly recognizable, and copied nearly as quickly. Beaded fringes will be multiplying at the fast-fashion brands as quickly as machines can string them. Here at the mother ship, of course, the beads were painstakingly strung by hand, red and black ones in a pattern that together created a mosaic design to match the embroidery on the top of a floor-length cape. It was the collection's pièce de résistance, and under it, the model wore a jumpsuit made from jersey on top and beaded velvet on bottom, complete with attached open-toe, kitten-heel booties.
Beyond It factor, which he has in spades, technique is the thing at Tisci's Givenchy. The black nappa fringe on a dress boasting intricate leather embroidery extended all the way to the ground, and a halter-neck gown came with a built-in cape that was obsessively embroidered with sequins not on its outside but on its inside.
You felt like Tisci was fighting his own impulses with a pair of nude-colored dresses that featured sheared mink bodices and narrow, unadorned wool and cashmere skirts. And yet that was intriguing, too. It's more than likely that his signatures—a lavishly beaded and fringed cardigan that shaded from cappuccino at the neckline to deep espresso at its hem, for instance—will be the collection's hot tickets. But those restrained column gowns pointed in a new direction, one that's worth exploring further.
—Nicole Phelps
After seven years at the house, the Tisci codes are instantly recognizable, and copied nearly as quickly. Beaded fringes will be multiplying at the fast-fashion brands as quickly as machines can string them. Here at the mother ship, of course, the beads were painstakingly strung by hand, red and black ones in a pattern that together created a mosaic design to match the embroidery on the top of a floor-length cape. It was the collection's pièce de résistance, and under it, the model wore a jumpsuit made from jersey on top and beaded velvet on bottom, complete with attached open-toe, kitten-heel booties.
Beyond It factor, which he has in spades, technique is the thing at Tisci's Givenchy. The black nappa fringe on a dress boasting intricate leather embroidery extended all the way to the ground, and a halter-neck gown came with a built-in cape that was obsessively embroidered with sequins not on its outside but on its inside.
You felt like Tisci was fighting his own impulses with a pair of nude-colored dresses that featured sheared mink bodices and narrow, unadorned wool and cashmere skirts. And yet that was intriguing, too. It's more than likely that his signatures—a lavishly beaded and fringed cardigan that shaded from cappuccino at the neckline to deep espresso at its hem, for instance—will be the collection's hot tickets. But those restrained column gowns pointed in a new direction, one that's worth exploring further.
—Nicole Phelps
Balmain
Olivier Rousteing has developed a bit of an America fixation. A year ago, at a presentation of his first collection for Balmain, he was talking about Las Vegas. When he was working on this Resort lineup, a trip to Miami made a big impression. You saw it not only in its South Beach colors (yellow, peach, and mint) and oversize Don Johnson proportions, but also in its Latin influences. "I'm mixed race, too," he said, "so it was beautiful to see the connection between Cuba and the U.S. there."
"Fun, happiness, and hope" were the endearingly earnest Rousteing's talking points for Resort, and we'd say he nailed all three, without killing off the sexy edge that defined the Balmainia moment under his predecessor, Christophe Decarnin.
The key silhouette here was an elongated blazer that buttoned well south of the navel and fell to about the hips, worn with loose, pleated, and cuffed trousers. There was no such oversizing with the dresses, though, which remained as mini as mini gets. Rousteing is really getting behind a silhouette with a folded-over skirt construction that creates a flaring volume at the sides of the thighs. He also gets this season's prize for novelty for a dress made from basket-weave raffia.
—Nicole Phelps
"Fun, happiness, and hope" were the endearingly earnest Rousteing's talking points for Resort, and we'd say he nailed all three, without killing off the sexy edge that defined the Balmainia moment under his predecessor, Christophe Decarnin.
The key silhouette here was an elongated blazer that buttoned well south of the navel and fell to about the hips, worn with loose, pleated, and cuffed trousers. There was no such oversizing with the dresses, though, which remained as mini as mini gets. Rousteing is really getting behind a silhouette with a folded-over skirt construction that creates a flaring volume at the sides of the thighs. He also gets this season's prize for novelty for a dress made from basket-weave raffia.
—Nicole Phelps
Ralph Lauren
You may never walk a mile in Ralph Lauren's shoes. You may have to walk a mile to Ralph Lauren's shoes. A fashion spectator, invited into Lauren's sweeping Madison Avenue showrooms, has a long journey ahead of him. The trip through the worlds of Purple Label, Black Label, Polo, and RLX—plus the Jeans iterations of at least a few of the preceding lines—seems to encompass at least one city block. Bring your hiking boots. Or borrow a pair of those on display.
First, Purple Label, the toniest jewel in the RL crown—the chairman of its board, if you will. The highest rollers won't be disappointed by the three-piece tailoring and tailcoated evening options, though they may be surprised to find them newly snug, thanks to a slimmed silhouette. The sportswear offerings have been much expanded, from floral pants to hazard orange, bonded slickers, for the CEO who peacocks when he's off the clock. Or perhaps just in acknowledgment of the fact that today's CEO isn't necessarily hoary. This is the age of the Instagram millionaire.
At Black Label, the story is brown. It's the label's new neutral, and it looks great against the country club pastels like lilac and sea foam that are RL standards. The Black Label denim gets in on the story, too, in weather-beaten sand tones.
Polo is more relaxed, the college boy of the bunch, with natural shoulders and softer materials to match. The RL team has begun to mix it in with the technical-sport RLX collection, a move that's brought a bit of freshness to both. The vibe is Outdoorsman in the Off Hours—which translates pretty directly to Men's Fashion Editor in the On Hours. Leave on those hiking boots, in other words, but put on your blazer, too.
—Matthew Schneier
First, Purple Label, the toniest jewel in the RL crown—the chairman of its board, if you will. The highest rollers won't be disappointed by the three-piece tailoring and tailcoated evening options, though they may be surprised to find them newly snug, thanks to a slimmed silhouette. The sportswear offerings have been much expanded, from floral pants to hazard orange, bonded slickers, for the CEO who peacocks when he's off the clock. Or perhaps just in acknowledgment of the fact that today's CEO isn't necessarily hoary. This is the age of the Instagram millionaire.
At Black Label, the story is brown. It's the label's new neutral, and it looks great against the country club pastels like lilac and sea foam that are RL standards. The Black Label denim gets in on the story, too, in weather-beaten sand tones.
Polo is more relaxed, the college boy of the bunch, with natural shoulders and softer materials to match. The RL team has begun to mix it in with the technical-sport RLX collection, a move that's brought a bit of freshness to both. The vibe is Outdoorsman in the Off Hours—which translates pretty directly to Men's Fashion Editor in the On Hours. Leave on those hiking boots, in other words, but put on your blazer, too.
—Matthew Schneier
Christian Dior
Fashion had seen nothing like it for years. Outside in the street, there
was hysteria. Inside, the industry's great and good—Alaïa, Elbaz,
Jacobs, Theyskens, Tisci, Van Assche, Versace, von Furstenberg—gathered
to see Raf Simons debut his first haute couture collection for Christian Dior. That it would be a success seemed a given, what with the evolving
polish and confidence of Simons' "couture trilogy" for his previous
employer, Jil Sander. That it would be such a triumph was a thrill. The avant-garde outsider from Antwerp insinuated himself into the hallowed history of haute couture with a tour de force
that had both emotional and intellectual
resonance. As the man himself said, "A shift is happening."
About that outsider thing: It's a position that has always loaned a
crystal clarity to Simons' vision and has helped him to the purest
interpretations of his inspirations. Here, he used that unusually
heightened sense of focus to reflect on Christian Dior as architect, a
notion that dovetailed neatly with his own obsession with construction.
The first look—a tuxedo whose jacket was shaped after Dior's iconic Bar
jacket, one of the most distinctive silhouettes in fashion—established
an innate compatibility that reached across a half-century.
Simons has been engaged with this world for a while. Dior was obviously
the guiding spirit of his fascination with midcentury couture (see the Q&A here) during his
last seasons with Sander. But he approached an actual couture collection
with an appropriate balance of reverence and iconoclasm. One key
silhouette could best be defined as a full-skirted classic ball gown
truncated at the peplum (a quote from a 1952 collection, according to the
run of show), its skirt replaced by black silk cigarette pants. The
formal past, the streamlined future, meeting in the middle. It was the same with
the traditional Bucol silks woven to represent a painting, drips and all,
by Sterling Ruby, one of the contemporary art world's hottest properties
(and a Simons favorite). Past and future met again in an evening
ensemble that matched the athletic ease of a citron silk knit to the grandeur of
a floor-sweeping silk skirt. And the veils that Stephen Jones contributed
to the finale may have been from Paris in the 1930's, but there is
timeless allure in that look.
Simons returned to the flared hip of the Bar with a deep-pocketed coat-dress in red cashmere as well as a strapless dress in the same
heartbreaking shade of pink that launched his last Sander show. That was
the kind of subtle personal flourish that married his own story to
Dior's
history. It also underlined how much of an asset Simons will be not just
to Dior but to couture itself. He can't help himself; he will bring a
heart-on-his-sleeve human dimension to this remote and rarefied world.
But as he proved today, he certainly won't be doing it in a low-key way.
Christian Dior's own obsession—flowers—was translated into salons
lined ceiling to floor with panels of blooms: delphiniums in the blue
room, orchids in the white room, mimosa in the yellow room, and so on.
More than a million all told, making a gorgeous architectural abstraction
of nature. There's some kind of metaphor about creative processes in
there somewhere, but it's simpler to leave things with Simons' own definition
of the day: "a blueprint."
—Tim Blanks
was hysteria. Inside, the industry's great and good—Alaïa, Elbaz,
Jacobs, Theyskens, Tisci, Van Assche, Versace, von Furstenberg—gathered
to see Raf Simons debut his first haute couture collection for Christian Dior. That it would be a success seemed a given, what with the evolving
polish and confidence of Simons' "couture trilogy" for his previous
employer, Jil Sander. That it would be such a triumph was a thrill. The avant-garde outsider from Antwerp insinuated himself into the hallowed history of haute couture with a tour de force
that had both emotional and intellectual
resonance. As the man himself said, "A shift is happening."
About that outsider thing: It's a position that has always loaned a
crystal clarity to Simons' vision and has helped him to the purest
interpretations of his inspirations. Here, he used that unusually
heightened sense of focus to reflect on Christian Dior as architect, a
notion that dovetailed neatly with his own obsession with construction.
The first look—a tuxedo whose jacket was shaped after Dior's iconic Bar
jacket, one of the most distinctive silhouettes in fashion—established
an innate compatibility that reached across a half-century.
Simons has been engaged with this world for a while. Dior was obviously
the guiding spirit of his fascination with midcentury couture (see the Q&A here) during his
last seasons with Sander. But he approached an actual couture collection
with an appropriate balance of reverence and iconoclasm. One key
silhouette could best be defined as a full-skirted classic ball gown
truncated at the peplum (a quote from a 1952 collection, according to the
run of show), its skirt replaced by black silk cigarette pants. The
formal past, the streamlined future, meeting in the middle. It was the same with
the traditional Bucol silks woven to represent a painting, drips and all,
by Sterling Ruby, one of the contemporary art world's hottest properties
(and a Simons favorite). Past and future met again in an evening
ensemble that matched the athletic ease of a citron silk knit to the grandeur of
a floor-sweeping silk skirt. And the veils that Stephen Jones contributed
to the finale may have been from Paris in the 1930's, but there is
timeless allure in that look.
Simons returned to the flared hip of the Bar with a deep-pocketed coat-dress in red cashmere as well as a strapless dress in the same
heartbreaking shade of pink that launched his last Sander show. That was
the kind of subtle personal flourish that married his own story to
Dior's
history. It also underlined how much of an asset Simons will be not just
to Dior but to couture itself. He can't help himself; he will bring a
heart-on-his-sleeve human dimension to this remote and rarefied world.
But as he proved today, he certainly won't be doing it in a low-key way.
Christian Dior's own obsession—flowers—was translated into salons
lined ceiling to floor with panels of blooms: delphiniums in the blue
room, orchids in the white room, mimosa in the yellow room, and so on.
More than a million all told, making a gorgeous architectural abstraction
of nature. There's some kind of metaphor about creative processes in
there somewhere, but it's simpler to leave things with Simons' own definition
of the day: "a blueprint."
—Tim Blanks
MP Massimo Piombo
Italian flair, French sophistication, a touch of debonair British elegance: These were the ingredients of designer Massimo Piombo's Spring collection, and they made for an exquisite cocktail, shaken and stirred to perfection and best enjoyed, you imagine, on a terrace of the Hotel Splendido in Portofino. A growing partnership with the Neapolitan brand Kiton has brought impeccable in-house tailoring execution and a sartorial spirit, mixed with the refined restraint that is typical of Piombo's native Genoa. "Italians understand beauty as nobody else does, brought up as we are with a natural feel for quality," he claims. "Luxury for us rhymes with style and not with money and has more to do with memory, romance, charm, and wit."
The Genoese have been known for centuries as kings of the sea, secretive and powerful merchants who crisscrossed the world bringing back exotic wonders from remote lands.
Piombo has the same soul-searching malaise of a true eccentric traveler. You can see that in his treasure trove of lovingly researched fabrics: rare French silks from the hidden archives of old Lyon factories; Irish or Belgian linens of the softest texture, spun after the yarn has been put to leaven as if it were dough in dark, damp caves; Massaua cotton from Ethiopia, a modest, inconspicuous fabric light as a whisper but of such quality as to be chosen by local noblemen for their Savile Row suits; cashmeres and cottons dyed and printed in India with old hand looms, perfect and unique in their touching imperfection. This is the wardrobe of a well-read, worldly pirate—dapper in a dark blue hand-printed silk tuxedo, off for an old-style grande soirée in Antibes, chez Hotel du Cap.
Elegance with a well-born ease, a nonchalant attitude, an educated mind: Massimo Piombo is ready for his close-up, the brand very much a doppelgänger of himself. And what else if not blue would be the color of choice for the collection? Make that more than 50 shades of true blues reminiscent of the enchanting Portofino bay, where you can picture him carefree and chic as hell, strolling about the Piazzetta, eyes grinning with a mischievous sparkle, charming everyone.
—Tiziana Cardini
The Genoese have been known for centuries as kings of the sea, secretive and powerful merchants who crisscrossed the world bringing back exotic wonders from remote lands.
Piombo has the same soul-searching malaise of a true eccentric traveler. You can see that in his treasure trove of lovingly researched fabrics: rare French silks from the hidden archives of old Lyon factories; Irish or Belgian linens of the softest texture, spun after the yarn has been put to leaven as if it were dough in dark, damp caves; Massaua cotton from Ethiopia, a modest, inconspicuous fabric light as a whisper but of such quality as to be chosen by local noblemen for their Savile Row suits; cashmeres and cottons dyed and printed in India with old hand looms, perfect and unique in their touching imperfection. This is the wardrobe of a well-read, worldly pirate—dapper in a dark blue hand-printed silk tuxedo, off for an old-style grande soirée in Antibes, chez Hotel du Cap.
Elegance with a well-born ease, a nonchalant attitude, an educated mind: Massimo Piombo is ready for his close-up, the brand very much a doppelgänger of himself. And what else if not blue would be the color of choice for the collection? Make that more than 50 shades of true blues reminiscent of the enchanting Portofino bay, where you can picture him carefree and chic as hell, strolling about the Piazzetta, eyes grinning with a mischievous sparkle, charming everyone.
—Tiziana Cardini
Damir Doma
Damir Doma opened up shop on Rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré on Sunday. A store to call his own (and after only five years in the business) is reason enough to deliver a sharp, sellable Resort collection, but the designer said he had another good excuse, too. "When I went back to look at Fall, I think I went too costumey," he said of his most recent show. "I decided to take out the strong bits and do them in a more cool and effortless way." Step one was to introduce denim to the lineup. His jeans came in a blue so faded they were nearly white and with a crossover waistband. Paired with a lapel-less linen blazer in the same almost-blue shade and cinched with a black leather belt, they met both his criteria for success. Same goes for a tank dress made from texturized black silk. Fitted through the torso, it fell loosely from the waist to below the knees with the kind of everyday ease that will make girls reach for it again and again.
—Nicole Phelps
—Nicole Phelps
Ulyana Sergeenko
Ulyana Sergeenko, the Russian couture collector and street-style star turned designer, put on a runway show smack dab in the middle of Chanel and Armani Privé today, and had the kind of front row that other up-and-coming designers dream about: Carine Roitfeld, Grace Coddington, and a coterie of her own high-spending countrywomen, who gave Sergeenko a standing ovation when she came out for her bow. Her pal Elena Perminova was actually wearing a variation on one of the looks on the catwalk. Not a bad business plan—the Russian crowd is obsessively photographed on the streets outside the shows. Inside the Théâtre Marigny, there was more than a handful of young women wearing what has become Sergeenko's signature look: clingy sweater tucked into a fifties-style full skirt, some extending all the way to the ground.
And there was more of that on the runway, as well as Russianisms like military great coats lined in fur and chintz apron dresses, plus street-style bait like a puff-sleeve turtleneck top and matching bloomers. The accessories—babushkas, hand-carved wooden heels, big fur hats and gloves—put the accent on the designer's heritage. Natalia Vodianova, the Russian supermodel, closed the show in a floor-sweeping black coat and flower-embroidered tulle veil. "Bellissima," Anna Dello Russo crowed backstage afterward. Sergeenko is a storyteller, but if she wants to break through to a wider audience, she'll eventually need to curb the fairy tale.
—Nicole Phelps
And there was more of that on the runway, as well as Russianisms like military great coats lined in fur and chintz apron dresses, plus street-style bait like a puff-sleeve turtleneck top and matching bloomers. The accessories—babushkas, hand-carved wooden heels, big fur hats and gloves—put the accent on the designer's heritage. Natalia Vodianova, the Russian supermodel, closed the show in a floor-sweeping black coat and flower-embroidered tulle veil. "Bellissima," Anna Dello Russo crowed backstage afterward. Sergeenko is a storyteller, but if she wants to break through to a wider audience, she'll eventually need to curb the fairy tale.
—Nicole Phelps
Anne Valérie Hash
Soft tailoring is Anne Valérie Hash's main gig. Comfy isn't a word that gets used much in fashion, but maybe it should. It's the reason why shoppers respond to her jackets that slouch on like a sweater and crossover waistline pants. Practicality isn't a quality that gets cheered much, either, but Hash embraces it, whipping up blazers in a Japanese technical cotton that are completely reversible. She's even got a "dress in a bag" in her new pre-collection. Take it off and you can stuff the whole thing into one of its gathered sleeves. If that cobalt jersey number was more marketing gimmick than anything else, it showcased Hash's gorgeous color sense. The same shade of blue was used as a waistline accent on a great-looking terra-cotta all-in-one. Jumpsuits are doing well for the designer in stores, so she added several new styles to the lineup. There's no reason to think they won't perform just as well.
—Nicole Phelps
—Nicole Phelps
Maison Martin Margiela
Raf Simons' presence in the front row at Maison Martin Margiela's first couture week runway show caused a stir. One editor wondered aloud if it meant that the mystery man himself, a friend of Simons', had returned to the label that bears his name. That's not likely, but this 15-look "Artisanal" collection, as the house calls it, was founded on one of Margiela's signature fixations: reclaiming vintage clothes, accessories, and other objects (remember his household furniture show from Fall 2006?) and reworking them by hand into new pieces.
The raw cotton sleeveless jacket that opened the show was modeled after a 1905 tailcoat, its closure a crystal doorknob found in New York City. An antique silk gown beaded in an Art Nouveau motif was transformed into a long, quilted bomber jacket. And a bolero and vest constructed from vintage baseball gloves and a coat made from a windsurfing sail added a surreal touch.
The focus was on the upper half of the body. For the lower half, the design team sourced lace from all over France to make simple straight-leg trousers that acted as a canvas for the action above. The models went incognito behind masks (another old Margiela trope) embroidered with hundreds of crystals. There was no shortage of beads or lace either, but nonetheless the presentation acted as an avant-garde (and eco-friendlier) antidote to the shows that preceded it this week. A welcome addition to the couture schedule.
—Nicole Phelps
The raw cotton sleeveless jacket that opened the show was modeled after a 1905 tailcoat, its closure a crystal doorknob found in New York City. An antique silk gown beaded in an Art Nouveau motif was transformed into a long, quilted bomber jacket. And a bolero and vest constructed from vintage baseball gloves and a coat made from a windsurfing sail added a surreal touch.
The focus was on the upper half of the body. For the lower half, the design team sourced lace from all over France to make simple straight-leg trousers that acted as a canvas for the action above. The models went incognito behind masks (another old Margiela trope) embroidered with hundreds of crystals. There was no shortage of beads or lace either, but nonetheless the presentation acted as an avant-garde (and eco-friendlier) antidote to the shows that preceded it this week. A welcome addition to the couture schedule.
—Nicole Phelps
Alexis Mabille
Pity the designer who had to follow Raf Simons' blockbuster debut at Dior. Today, that task fell to Alexis Mabille, and the Frenchman suffered by the comparison. A beauty look that had his models sporting crescent moon hairdos with diamanté brooches suspended from their tips did him no favors, but the collection's more fatal flaw was its lack of focus.
Backstage, Mabille said he was "imagining women as jewels." That gave him his far-ranging color palette—malachite to opal to topaz to platinum—and an excuse to lay the sequins on thick. Beyond that, it was hard to connect the dots between the show-opening clingy black jersey dress trimmed in 600 buttons and the finale look in nude crepe veiled in a silvery organza. Still, there were a few winners in the mix. The long-sleeved velvet number with slits on the front and back of the bodice and batwing sleeves stood out for its simplicity. There's beauty in diversity, sure, but a strong point of view is everything in fashion, as Simons made so clear at Dior. Mabille's collection didn't have enough of that.
—Nicole Phelps
Backstage, Mabille said he was "imagining women as jewels." That gave him his far-ranging color palette—malachite to opal to topaz to platinum—and an excuse to lay the sequins on thick. Beyond that, it was hard to connect the dots between the show-opening clingy black jersey dress trimmed in 600 buttons and the finale look in nude crepe veiled in a silvery organza. Still, there were a few winners in the mix. The long-sleeved velvet number with slits on the front and back of the bodice and batwing sleeves stood out for its simplicity. There's beauty in diversity, sure, but a strong point of view is everything in fashion, as Simons made so clear at Dior. Mabille's collection didn't have enough of that.
—Nicole Phelps
Giambattista Valli
Giambattista Valli spun a bucolic backstory for his Couture collection: nymphs, fairies, silvery reflections in woodland ponds. And the Master's Margarita, witchy and wanton in her dealings with the devil. Ain't couture grand! Remarkably, these pagan sentiments almost managed to infiltrate the clothes. They certainly shaped the prints.
Valli was thinking that the couture dream is so far away from what constitutes "fashion" in most people's minds that he could follow his fantasy into some timeless realm, a place where the transience of beauty was arrested, kind of like the dreamy fairyland in Ridley Scott's Legend. It was a lovely idea, embodied by models whose veiled heads were studded with butterflies. But the clothes didn't match the concept.
That was partly a function of Valli's solid grounding in Roman alta moda. If the prints brought the moda, the silhouettes looked merely alta, ruffled to discomfort, extended into traditional volumes that looked… er… stuffy.
There were moments when the concept crossed over into glamorous conviction. A coat designed to look like the grass of a woodland glade had a shaggy splendor. A sequin underskirt shimmered like sunlight on water. The final outfit, an orgy of ruffles, had a tenebrous sensuality. Otherwise, Valli's party-girl froth went off the fizz with this collection.
—Tim Blanks
Valli was thinking that the couture dream is so far away from what constitutes "fashion" in most people's minds that he could follow his fantasy into some timeless realm, a place where the transience of beauty was arrested, kind of like the dreamy fairyland in Ridley Scott's Legend. It was a lovely idea, embodied by models whose veiled heads were studded with butterflies. But the clothes didn't match the concept.
That was partly a function of Valli's solid grounding in Roman alta moda. If the prints brought the moda, the silhouettes looked merely alta, ruffled to discomfort, extended into traditional volumes that looked… er… stuffy.
There were moments when the concept crossed over into glamorous conviction. A coat designed to look like the grass of a woodland glade had a shaggy splendor. A sequin underskirt shimmered like sunlight on water. The final outfit, an orgy of ruffles, had a tenebrous sensuality. Otherwise, Valli's party-girl froth went off the fizz with this collection.
—Tim Blanks
American Gangsters
David Cronenberg premiered his new film Cosmopolis at MoMA last night as legions of loyal Robert Pattinson fans screamed outside. Some had lined up as early as two days in advance to catch a glimpse of the heartthrob in his latest leading role. Pillows embroidered with the actor's likeness were the accessory of the evening.
Inside the museum, it was a much more sophisticated scene. Cronenberg discussed how he had to work on a very human, relatable level with Pattinson to develop his character—a vapid, billionaire antihero on an epic journey in his limo across Manhattan for nothing more banal than a haircut. "You can't say to someone, 'You're going to play the embodiment of American capitalism.' You can't act that. Start from the ground up." Pattinson's co-star Sarah Gadon said what she found surprising about acting opposite the world's favorite vampire was that he remains "entirely egoless"—this despite his overwhelming Twilight fame and the recent media scrutiny of the twists and turns in his relationship with Kristen Stewart. Just as his character spends most of the film inside a limo, Pattinson was the last to arrive on the red carpet. Wearing Gucci, which presented the evening alongside the Peggy Siegal Company, he thanked some fans for coming, gave a few brief interviews, and was whisked away as quickly as he came.
One block south, the Cinema Society and Manifesto Yves Saint Laurent hosted the premiere of Lawless. The film stars Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, and Jason Clarke as the Bondurant brothers, whose successful bootlegging operation in Depression-era Virginia comes under attack by authorities seeking a cut of the profits. Mia Wasikowska and Jessica Chastain co-star as the brothers' love interests. "It's sort of a cross between the gangster and western genre. It's about everything. It's sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll—it's a really exciting film," promised Chastain, who was doing double duty as the brand ambassador for the new Manifesto fragrance. After the screening, LaBoeuf, who's had his fair share of run-ins with authorities, said he had a cathartic experience making the movie. "I come from a family of rabble-rousers and misfits and I'm trying to figure my way out onstage. I'm just a fallible 26-year-old man who's human."
—Todd Plummer and Caroline Tell
Initial Reactions
It was raining on 18th Street, but inside Barneys Co-Op last night, it was a full-on summer bash, complete with mini Coronas, ice pops, and a performance by Tanlines—all in honor of Prabal Gurung's inaugural collection for ICB. According to the designer, the approachably priced collection was inspired by working girls who know how to have fun with fashion. "It started off with the idea of how the superstars of the industry, who get photographed by the likes of Tommy Ton, are celebrated," said the designer. There were plenty of chic working girls (and chic girls working it) at the event, particularly its hosts, Hannah Bronfman, Elin Kling, and Leandra Medine. "I love the silhouettes and the prints are great," said Bronfman. "Prabal always manages to spice it up while keeping it feminine." Man Repeller's Medine agreed: "Prabal really knows how to accentuate and celebrate the female body."
Hanne Gaby Odiele, dancing to the Tanlines' live tunes, said, "I really like the collection's psychedelic feel." The catwalker is sure to have her own tan lines soon, as she's escaping to Hawaii for a week's vacation. "I'm not even thinking about fashion week," she laughed. "I'm just going to be swimming, snorkeling, and chilling." We can't be working girls all the time.
A few blocks south at the Standard's High Line room, InStyle hosted the annual Young Friends of ACRIA dinner. And though the premise of the evening was pleasure, conversation quickly turned to work. "It's not here yet!" Bibhu Mohapatra said at the mention of New York fashion week. "We still have about 21 days." BLK DNM's Johan Lindeberg, on the other hand, wasn't fazed in the least. "I just got back from Sweden, where I was visiting my sister," he said. "Luckily I do my own thing; I don't really do a show." Waris Ahluwalia, for his part, was still on a high from his latest project—a 14.58-carat diamond necklace made for Forevermark. "Where's the necklace? Oh, that's just my daytime casualwear," he said. "I'll make tea for whoever buys it, and other unknown favors. But I can't tell you what those are—don't want to ruin the surprise."
—Katharine K. Zarrella and Kristin Studeman
Sports Night
Opening Ceremony was founded on an Olympics concept—the nations of the world battle it out on its racks for fashion domination—and named for same. And in an Olympic year, the store's gurus, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, with its in-house editor, Rory Satran, launched their own magazine. Its theme was just about a forgone conclusion. What else? Sport: sportswear, sports memories, and sports stars—though, as it turns out, none of the Olympic hopefuls pictured inside actually competed in London. "We have three amazing athletes, and none of them made it," Satran said with a laugh. "That's what you get for putting a magazine to bed before the Olympics." (Bruce Weber, Jessica Craig-Martin, Poppy de Villeneuve, and Theo Wenner are among the debut issue's contributors.)
At the launch dinner for the new magazine at Silkstone, the private event space run by the Fat Radish's Ben Towill and Phil Winser, Satran remembered her first tentative steps into the OC universe, back when she was still a Paris-based editor at Self Service. "I literally showed Carol and Humberto this binder of ideas I had in the middle of a nightclub," she said. "The band was playing; we were in the smoking corner." Magazine wonks unite? "I think we're all nerdy in the same way," she agreed.
Nerdy, maybe; life of the party, also. The crowds came to cheer the magazine out of the gate and take a few swings at the basketball-shaped piñata while they were there. Erstwhile OC collaborator Chloë Sevigny was on hand, topless in a pair of Kenzo overalls. Solange Knowles, with son Julez in tow, eyed the ribbon-twirling rhythmic gymnast who performed after ushering guests to their seats. ("She wanted a solo," Leon shrugged.) "I kind of want to get up there," Knowles said, eyeing the ribbon. "I can figure it out."
She settled for the ring instead of the ribbon, challenging Leon to a hula-hooping contest just before dinner was served. She lost, but she was a good sport about it.
—Matthew Schneier
Sparks Fly
It was a bittersweet fête at the Soho Grand last night as the Cinema Society teamed up with Alice + Olivia to screen Sparkle. The absence of Whitney Houston—leading lady, longtime friend of the film's producer Debra Martin Chase, and driving force behind bringing Sparkle to the screen—cast a conspicuous shadow. She never even got to see the finished product. But if the evening was a memorial of sorts, it was far from solemn. "We taught Whitney how to Dougie!" gushed Tika Sumpter, one of the three leads. "She came in while me, Jordin, and Carmen were doing the dance and she just said, 'Teach me!' "
Jordin Sparks, the American Idol winner, makes her acting debut as Sparkle, the film's eponymous main character. The similarity between "Sparks" and "Sparkle" was just one of the "spookily stars-aligning" things about making the film, co-star Carmen Ejogo told Style.com, pointing out how her own character's ups and downs mirror Houston's real-life struggles with fame. "People unsure of what Jordin can bring to the table will be surprised," continued Ejogo. "And people who can see the natural-born entertainer in Jordin get exactly what they expect." One star sets, and another rises.
—Todd Plummer
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