Notes from the Style Jungle

McQueen for a (Momentous) Day?

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 01:01:00 +0000

At 7 pm New York time tonight I was vaulted into heights of giddy optimism, when Twitter lit up like a house afire over the alleged sighting of Alexander McQueen creative director Sarah Burton arriving at the Goring Hotel, where Catherine Middleton spends her last night as a commoner before emerging from Westminster Abbey tomorrow morning a princess ...

The rumors that McQueen might be the chosen label for Middleton's wedding dress bubbled up almost from the moment the engagement was announced in January. Quick denials were issued by the house, though I never quite believed it. There was no proof to the contrary, of course; as a devout fan of McQueen, I just wanted to believe that Middleton would choose a gown not only fit for a future queen, but which also emerged from the mind and hands of this most poetic man, whose painstaking passion elevated fashion to art season after season. If true, the choice adds yet another layer of romance to a story already imbued with massive doses of fairytale. (She's wearing his mother's ring; that's all anyone ever had to tell me.)

And so tonight I hope and wish anew. After the (still-unconfirmed) Burton photo (above) was released, accompanied by conjecture that Middleton not only had chosen McQueen, but indeed a vintage design from the house's archives, I e-raced to my forever-favorite McQueen collection: Fall 2008. A flawless melange of British colonialism, luscious embroideries from India, and lighter-than-air tulle and feather treatments, the collection was roundly agreed to be nothing less than a rhapsody. This exquisite presentation can be viewed on Style.com in its entirety here, but for now, feast on the three designs at right and below. Maybe it's no accident that this is also the collection which McQueen said at the time was partly inspired by Queen Victoria. The past meets the future? Until tomorrow morning, we can only hope ...

What To Expect When They're Expecting ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 04:28:00 +0000

Natalie Portman, Kate Hudson, Victoria Beckham, Selma Blair, Marion Cotillard: To change up a timeworn cliche, they must be putting something in the (bottled) water in Hollywood these days ...

Celebs seem to be on a baby high of late, but every time one of these announcements -- forgive the pun -- pops, here's where my mind goes: Congrats, but what about the red carpet? Admittedly it sounds flippant, but it's no minor thought. If A-list actresses are like the rest of us, surely a significant portion of daily mental thought is devoted to the challenge of looking stylish while a bump grows, and grows, and grows (and unlike the rest of us, they must do so with the eyes of the world quite literally upon them).

With the Golden Globes set for Sunday night, a cursory perusal of the Spring/Summer and Pre-Fall collections reveals that an abundance of chic options await the boldfaced name who, for reasons of enceinte, would rather not reveal just how convex she is by sporting a body-skimming goddess gown. And granted, there's a good chance we won't see Kate or Posh, but our titular Black Swan? Undoubtedly she's mulling her options. With that in mind, here's a quartet of choices to suit every taste:

Emilio Pucci Pre-Fall: The boho look, with its flow and volume, is often a popular choice among the Hollywood set when preggers, thus making this an ideal dress from Emilio Pucci's Pre-Fall collection. It also doesn't hurt that Peter Dundas was channeling the theme that's overtaken fashion for 2011: the '70s. "Charlotte Rampling meets Stevie Nicks" was how Dundas described the collection that debuted earlier this week -- a highly romantic notion, yes?

Lanvin Spring/Summer: Alber Elbaz is the darling of the fashion industry, crafting dresses that are forward and luxurious and always respectful of a woman's body (that may sound like an obvious prerequisite, but you'd be surprised). This caftan-like wonder from his Spring/Summer collection for Lanvin is both highly chic and looks highly comfortable. Add a touch of fab jewelry and heartstopping shoes ...

Valentino Pre-Fall: To play up a pregnancy in a most poetic fashion, you can't beat an empire waist. For their Pre-Fall collection, Valentino's Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri worked a modified empire on a variety of evening dresses, part of a collection that also evoked a decided '70s vibe. This organza and lace dress is perhaps a little serious for the more fun-loving Globes, but might we see it come Oscar Night?

Marchesa Spring/Summer: I'm both delighted and dazzled by the dichotomy of this ornate jeweled neckline above -- wait for it -- a distressed-chiffon trapeze minidress! Few reinvent eveningwear like the Marchesa duo of Keren Craig and Georgina Chapman (Mrs. Harvey Weinstein gave birth to a baby girl mere weeks before the debut of this collection, btw); we're sure to see their now red carpet-requisite label represented Sunday night, and likely more than once. I'll be endlessly tickled if this is among the winning choices.

Of course, this is all conjecture; despite weeks of preparation among fashion houses, there's no guarantee of a "get" until a starlet steps out of the limo. And you never know how much a stylist will influence the final choice: Just ask Rachel Zoe -- if she doesn't go into labor first, that is ...

The Skinny on Maura Kelly's Bias ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 04:49:00 +0000

I was outraged reading Maura Kelly's incendiary post on MarieClaire.com, for a variety of reasons. It's doubtful this will ever find its way to her eyes; let's just say that writing it makes me feel better. So ...

Dear Ms. Kelly:

As a journalist I embrace the right of free speech as one of the most sacred tenets of our democracy. Having said that: Man, are you full of it. And I mean that not only as a journalist, but very much also as a fashion editor.

Your words betray the sisterhood in so many ways, and quite frankly I am shocked that Marie Claire saw fit to publish your ignorant blather. I can only surmise that someone at MC rubbed their hands together gleefully while reading it, envisioning the controversy that would ensue, and the resulting increased traffic to their site. Your obvious bias toward a considerable sector of American women only benefited your employers in the long run, making them equally culpable. And I respect Marie Claire, so that's really a shame.

So allow me to unleash a little of my own bias: The fashion press is filled with far too many stick-thin, mean-spirited, above-it-all editors who not only view women of larger sizes to be inferior, but also have absolutely no problem saying such objectionable things out loud -- and then pondering with wide-eyed wonder why they've caused such a fuss. After all, you're just pointing out what you believe to be a standard of beauty to which we should all aspire, right? Well, wrong. Very, very wrong, and you should be ashamed.

Marilyn Monroe fought her weight issues her entire life. At her heaviest, a size 14 by today's standards, would you have looked upon her with derision if she had the unmitigated gall of crossing your sanctimonious field of vision? The most celebrated sex symbol of the 20th century wasn't "aesthetically pleasing" to you? Or in a museum, do you view with disdain the paintings of Peter Paul Rubens, Sandro Botticelli or Pierre-Auguste Renoir? After all, it doesn't look like Venus has been to bikram yoga anytime recently, while Renoir's nude bathers probably should cut out the carbs. Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure any one of those immensely gifted men, who saw beauty all around them, might look at you and think, Um, no. Because you are not the standard of beauty celebrated during their respective times.

Of course, this isn't the 15th, 16th or 19th century. It's the 21st century, which only makes your words all the more hateful. Even if it's difficult to imagine how tough it was to be a woman then, doesn't so much of our current conversation center around how difficult it is to be a woman right now? I seriously question almost every day the unfortunate notion of whether feminism still really exists, and while you are a fine example of being part of the problem, it's doubtful you will ever be part of the solution.

By simply putting out an annual "Shape Issue," so many fashion magazines only give lip service to the larger-size women who according to statistics comprise the majority of the U.S. female population; how ironic, then, that Marie Claire goes one step further with a regular column by the lovely Ashley Falcon, whose "Big Girl in a Skinny World" is rooted precisely in the notion that women of all shapes and sizes should be celebrated. Personally I hope one morning she spikes your coffee with whatever Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson slipped into Bradley Cooper's drink in Wedding Crashers. Because ultimately I find you objectionable, Ms. Kelly, not primarily because your boney self assaults my sensibilities of what it means to be a good and well-raised person; rather, it's because you have a voice at a major fashion magazine, and you have squandered it with your ignorance.

Finally, in the interest of full disclosure: Am I a size 0? No, I'm not. I have starved myself in recent years to get to a 4-6, but genetics demand that I starve myself, and I'm just not willing to do that (yes, genetics, not laziness or an inability to overcome a temptation similar to alcohol or drugs, one of your most egregious suppositions). So sure, I'm also one of the women you insulted -- trust me, my feelings weren't hurt by you, because I saw your words for exactly what they were: just plain ugly.

Of course there's the saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder; combined with the right of free speech, I can't argue your ability to do what you did. But there's that other saying that beauty is only skin deep; and right now, Ms. Kelly, you have proven your heart and soul to be wholly unattractive.

Mad for these Glee-ful, Modern Emmy choices ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:33:00 +0000

A little more than 24 hours until the Emmy awards, and while most of the conversation around LA is rooted in trophy talk -- Mad Men or Dexter? Glee or Modern Family? -- some of us are already dreaming about dresses. With that in mind, here are three picks from three hot Resort collections, a trio that just might saunter down the red carpet tomorrow night:

Marchesa: I dug the tribal-meets-Grecian vibe of the gowns seen in Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig's latest Marchesa collection, and this white chiffon gown seems perfect for, say, January Jones with its elegant flow and touch of sparkle. My prediction for the number of Marchesa gowns we'll see tomorrow night? Three.

Oscar de la Renta: It promises to be a big night for Glee, and possibly an equally nice night for Oscar, given that Lea Michele is a de la Renta devotee. Oscar's evening looks for Resort were especially varied, from a slim cap-sleeve illusion gown to voluminous ballgowns, including a luscious number in emerald silk faille. Michele looks fab in everything, but I'm going out on a limb and choosing for her this little claret chiffon dress with the sculpted skirt. Youthful, pretty and chic -- and as the Emmys are always just a tad less stuffy than the Oscars, short may be the way to go.

Monique Lhuillier: Another red-carpet favorite, the LA-based Lhuillier excels at combining romance with modernity. In her Fall collection she did a strapless crimson-satin gown with roses cascading down the A-line skirt, and it must have been a hot seller, because she's reinterpreted the idea in Resort, including this style in brilliant blue. While I love hearing Modern Family's Sofia Vergara say "Carolina Herrera" (no one in Hollywood rolls their r's better), I think she'd look fantastic in this.

Dancing Queen ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 22:45:00 +0000

Headed to Paris for the haute-couture shows last month, and even though packing was a leisurely, non-rushed affair prior to an 11:30 pm flight, it wasn't until I was happily ensconced in the Air France lounge that I realized with annoyance: I hadn't packed a single pair of flat shoes. Three- and four-inch Louboutins, Diors and Manolos all found their way into my carry-on (I don't check the important girls, they've been pilfered from my bags in the past), but not one single pair of comfy footwear. What a rookie mistake.

By the third day the situation needed to be rectified; Paris is a walking city, and cabs are maddeningly scarce. So I turned my oversight into a history lesson, venturing out to Repetto at 22 rue de la Paix, near the Opera Garnier. In 1947 the Milan-born Madame Rose Repetto crafted in a tiny Paris workshop her first pair of ballet shoes for her son, the dancer and choreographer Roland Petit, and thus her business was born. She opened the rue de la Paix shop in 1959, and in the years since everyone from Nureyev to Baryshnikov has trekked to Repetto for ballet shoes (here's a fab video showing the making of the shoes, which in 1967 moved to a factory in the Dordogne, or Perigord section, of southwest France).

But it was three years before the rue de la Paix shop opened that Repetto cemented its status as a fashion must-have. In 1956 Brigitte Bardot, who'd studied ballet before modeling and acting beckoned, asked Madame Repetto to make her some ballet flats, which she wore in the film that vaulted her to international stardom, 1956's And God Created Woman. As a tribute to Bardot, Repetto christened the resulting design the BB, which continues as its style name.

The rue de la Paix shop has changed little since 1959, with ceiling-high wood shelves packed with pink satin ballet shoes, though jazz shoes, ready-to-wear shoes, bags, dancewear and ready-to-wear now jockey for equal attention. Indeed, on a low circular table you see immediately upon entering, the BBs fan out before you, a feast of colors, fabrications and details (leathers and velvets, metallics, stitching, etc). If you plan a similar pilgrimage, keep in mind that if you go during the summer months, you might be lucky enough to score a sale ("soldes"), but the store will also be a bit steamy; not unlike many historic buildings in Paris, it isn't air-conditioned. If you can't make the trek, fear not: Stockists around the globe carry Repetto, including Saks and Bergdorf in the U.S.

I bought the simplest black pair and have since worn them like mad on the streets of New York. I've been pretty impressed by their stamina; though seemingly delicate, they're actually quite bulletproof. I also enjoy the irony: Sky-high stilettos are what we envision as the shoe that symbolizes sex, and yet it's a chicly minimal flat, born out of a dancing shoe, that gets its name from the woman for whom the term "sex kitten" was born.

At Chanel, the Lion Roars ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:54:00 +0000

An iceberg, a carousel bedecked with pearls and camelias on steroids, a lusty barnyard - if there's one element on which you may always rely with Chanel, it's that the house never skimps on the settings for its shows. So when we walked into the Grand Palais this past Tuesday evening, 6 July, for Chanel's Fall/Winter haute-couture presentation, it's likely most of us were equal parts awestruck and yet not too surprised by what greeted us on the circular stage: a giant golden lion. Questions of Leo's symbolism immediately kicked in: Karl as king of the jungle? Beauty and the beast? The answer is actually both simple and quite romantic; here are five factoids to give you a little more insight into the how and why of Leo:

-- He was an oversized replica of a bronze statue that resides in Coco Chanel's famed apartment atop her iconic atelier at 31 Rue Cambon.

-- Leo stood at 12 meters high and 20 meters long (that's roughly 39.25 feet high and 65.6 feet long for us metrically challenged Americans), and he weighed almost 8 tons.
-- He arrived at the Grand Palais a week before the show in 60 pieces.
-- Coco Chanel was born on 19 August, under the fire and sun sign of Leo, hence her fascination with the animal as a symbol.
-- Leo rested his left paw on a giant pearl (a convenient device from which the models made their entrance and exit), but I'll also pose the theory that this served as an allusion to Chinese foo dogs or lions, renowned symbols of power, bravery and protection (here's the Wikipedia entry on foo dogs, also known as guardian lions). Collecting Chinese art was one of Chanel's many passions, which Lagerfeld explored in greater detail in last December's debut of the Paris-Shanghai collection; his accompanying film, Paris-Shanghai: A Fantasy, can be viewed here on Chanel's dedicated website.

Of course, knowing a little more about Leo's origins doesn't take away from the artistry of the haute couture that emerged from the pearl beneath his paw: the reproportioned suits with their short jackets and mid-calf A-line skirts; the delicacy of dresses in navy lace or golden tulle; or the lush floral embroideries and lattice-work beading. If anything, such beauty only made this beast all the more memorable.

Dresses to Remember (Really) ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Sat, 22 May 2010 18:34:00 +0000

Recently a UK poll listed "The Top-Ten Iconic Dresses of the Past 50 Years." It was a trifle, really, an innocuous survey generated by the online fashion retailer Offers Supermarket, meant as pure escapist fun, with the results decidedly British: Geri Halliwell's Union Jack dress, worn to the 1997 Brit Awards, topped the vote with 82 percent, which should in itself prove that this list of "iconic dresses" was never meant to be a global representation. (Besides, how can you take seriously any poll that lists Bjork's swan dress as "iconic"?)

But here's the thing: Others picked up the poll and ran with it. Daily Telegraph Fashion Director Hilary Alexander posted it, instantly lending credibility to the survey. Fashionista.com found this a little objectionable and chose to publish its own list of iconic dresses. But Fashionista.com went for a combo of dresses and iconic women, diluting the true spirit of the original question: What would you choose as the top-10 iconic dresses of the past 50 years?

Such a list is always going to be a little subjective, so with that in mind, here's what I would choose, with the caveat that in a couple of cases I expanded beyond 50 years -- but as you'll see below, I'm not the first to do this ...

10. Marilyn Monroe's white halter dress in The Seven Year Itch: I had to laugh when this dress made the original list, if only because Seven Year Itch is a 1955 film, putting it out of 50-year contention. But I would still include it, because a) It truly is an iconic dress, with designers such as Michael Kors noting that they continue to reinterpret it, and b) it allows me to include a couple of others that fall outside the scope of the past five decades of fashion. To wit:

9. Grace Kelly's dress in Rear Window: The black and white gown she wears in her entrance scene in Hitchcock's 1954 film was designed by Edith Head, a collaboration that helped cement Kelly's status as a fashion icon. You still see elements of this dress walking down runways -- Oscar de la Renta and Monique Lhuillier are two designers who spring to mind.

8. Elizabeth Taylor's Place in the Sun gown: This 1951 film established Taylor as an adult actress, and her entrance gown (also designed by Head) was an instant sensation with its strapless, floral-bedecked bodice and tulle skirt. If you went to a prom in the first half of the 1950s, chances are you wore a copy of this dress. And PS, how many tulle-skirted princess gowns did we see at the most recent Costume Institute Gala?

7. Jean Harlow's Dinner at Eight goddess gowns: Designed by Adrian, Jean Harlow's bias-cut gowns in 1933's Dinner at Eight established her role as the decade's ultimate sex symbol. Bias-cut charmeuse gowns, meanwhile, continue their dominance as the ultimate in red-carpet glam.

6. Halle Berry's Oscar moment: When Fashionista.com reinterpreted the poll, they chose Gwyneth Paltrow's pink Ralph Lauren, worn in 1999 when she won for Shakespeare in Love. That's a lovely dress, but I remember thinking at the time that it seemed a bit ill-fitting in the bodice, and a return to those photos does little to change that opinion. Instead, I'm going for the Elie Saab gown Halle Berry wore in 2002 when she won for Monster's Ball. With its richly embroidered illusion bodice and spectacular fit, I find this dress to be more memorable -- aided by Berry's historic win -- while it also established Saab as a designer of note.

5. Elizabeth Hurley and Jennifer Lopez (tie): I'm listing these two memorable looks as a tie because I think neither outshines the other as the dominant red-carpet moment. Hurley became an instant celebrity in 1994 because of the Versace safety-pin dress she wore to then-boyfriend Hugh Grant's Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere; six years later, Lopez likewise made worldwide headlines for the Versace gown she wore to the 2000 Grammys, a green palm-print chiffon that made low-cut a classic understatement.

4. YSL's Mondrian dresses: This and #2 were the duo I couldn't believe made no one's list. When Yves Saint Laurent launched his Mondrian collection in 1965, he became a global sensation for his shift dresses based on Piet Mondrian's graphic paintings of the '20s-'40s. It was the first collection in which Saint Laurent employed an overt artistic reference, and alongside fellow designers such as Pierre Cardin, Saint Laurent launched the decade's Mod movement in fashion.

3. Diana's wedding dress: A tiny ache in my heart arose when researching the ideal photo for this dress. I was one of millions of American girls who planted herself in front of a TV at 4 am to watch start-to-finish coverage of this wedding on 29 July 1981, and Diana's gown, designed by instantly famous British couturiers Elizabeth and David Emanuel, quickly became the world's most coveted wedding dress. I also think the silk-taffeta gown, with its enormous sleeves and profusion of ruffles, perfectly captures the mood of the '80s: I can't think of another 20th-century wedding that matched the pomp and circumstance of Charles and Diana, and the more-is-more design of her gown was an early sign of that decade's fashion excess.

2. Diane von Furstenberg's wrap dress: You talk about iconic dresses and don't include DVF's wrap?!? The designer made Newsweek's cover in March 1976 because she quite simply revolutionized fashion with her jersey dresses, which allowed women to feel sexy and confident in the workplace. It was an iconic moment for both fashion and feminism, and the wrap dress continues its popularity as a must-have to this day. In 2006, Mattel released a collectible Barbie wearing a pink DVF wrap. 'Nuff said.

1. Audrey Hepburn's Breakfast at Tiffany's dress: Without a doubt, fashion's biggest heavy-sigh moment. By the time Breakfast at Tiffany's premiered in 1961, the collaboration and deep friendship between Hepburn and Hubert de Givenchy was known worldwide, so when she saunters down a dawn-lit Fifth Avenue in the opening shot of the film, your mind steps outside the story for a brief second to marvel at the perfection of Givenchy's black column gown with the graphic back, accessorized so sublimely with gloves and pearls.

Selecting a list of iconic dresses likely will always be a little polarizing (I don't, for example, list any dresses worn by Jacqueline Kennedy, such as the Oleg Cassini shift she wore on Easter Sunday 1963 or the Givenchy gown she wore during the famed Paris trip she took with JFK in 1961). But it's obvious that when it comes to Hepburn and Givenchy, on this we can all agree.

Cannes-tastic: Fashion's most important red carpet?

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Tue, 18 May 2010 22:12:00 +0000

Maybe it's because I was in the South of France as the 63rd-annual Cannes Film Festival kicked off - alas, not attending, though the intel from fellow journalists is that getting around town is nothing less than a logistical nightmare - or maybe it's the avalanche of "dressing" emails I've received from designer PR reps in the past week. But I've reached the conclusion that Cannes is quite simply kicking ass as a red-carpet showcase.

Cate Blanchett in Pre-Fall Alexander McQueen (a moment that was stunning and touching at once, to be sure). Salma Hayek (aka wife of Francois-Henri Pinault, CEO of PPR, which owns The Gucci Group) undulating down the Cannes red carpet in the very first gown from Gucci's just-released Premiere couture collection. Kate Beckinsale in a flurry of pale blue Marchesa. And those were the highlights from just the first night, May 12th, at the Robin Hood premiere. Cannes continues its pomp and circumstance up through the awards ceremony this coming Sunday, May 23rd.

The Academy Awards like to tout - and we in the media are quick to report - that the Oscar telecast is also the world's most-watched fashion show, with a reported one billion people tuning in from around the globe. And yet The New Yorker back in 2005 dispelled this as a myth that is nothing less than slightly preposterous, if any logic is applied to the mathematics of such a claim. I'm also in agreement with this simply because I've been in Europe on Oscar Night, with nary a moment of red carpet or award ceremony to be found on any television, as hotel clerks scoff or look at me quizzically should I be bold enough to inquire.

Cannes, on the other hand, is a decidedly more global affair, with its rich array of entries from multiple countries, as well as the attendant controversy that propels the festival beyond entertainment headlines (Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi sits in a prison in his home country rather than taking his invited place on the Cannes jury because he is accused of making films that criticize Iran's leadership). And yes, because no matter where you might call home, if you call yourself a lover of fashion, chances are you eagerly feast on the depth and breadth of red-carpet glam that emerges over this 12-day extravaganza of film premieres and after-parties (the Gucci/Vanity Fair party for Martin Scorsese among the week's most high-profile events, with Frida Giannini among those in attendance).

And so, from CNN International to Access Hollywood to the International Herald Tribune to the New York Post and Style.com, we are treated to almost a fortnight of reminders that designers just love to loan fantastical gowns to A-List actresses. The result? In addition to the aforementioned labels, we have enjoyed a lengthy and luxurious parade of starlets wearing Emilio Pucci, Gianfranco Ferre, Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein, Jimmy Choo, Vionnet and Lanvin, to name just a few; while on the jewelry side, Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, Bulgari and de Grisogono also have been generous with their red-carpet loans.

Because of the internet, the world has become a much smaller place; and while that may not make an Oscar-Night stat of one billion people any more true, it does allow those who love fashion to more easily cast their eyes toward a posh seaside town in the South of France, and for 12 days, drink in some sartorial magic. The world's most important red carpet? I say yes.

Vivier La France ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 02:40:00 +0000

I'm in the middle of a project that has me researching iconic fashion photos of the 40's and 50's, and as a result a wealth of Dovima images have been coming up. I pretty much worship at the altar of Dovima, Suzy Parker, Dorian Leigh, Jean Patchett, Lisa Fonssagrives, Sunny Harnett, etc., those mid-20th-century supermodels who epitomized super long before the term was coined.

So while searching "Dovima," imagine my rapture upon finding this shoe (above), which Bruno Frisoni crafted for Roger Vivier's haute-couture collection last year. The bird-and-feather-adorned Dovima pump in champagne satin quite simply screams high drama, beauty and the undeniable feeling of luxe -- not unlike Dovima herself (I've included what is easily her most iconic photo here, Dovima With Elephants, by Richard Avedon in 1955; she's wearing Christian Dior in this, btw, and please, oh please, Netflix Funny Face immediately if this is all new to you) ...

To add a timely aspect to this blog entry -- and because I'll look for any excuse to feature a spectacular shoe -- I'm also including a current style from Frisoni's Spring/Summer 2010 haute-couture collection for Vivier, the Unicorn shoe, a feathered divinity you're more inclined to put on a shelf and admire than ever dream of wearing. The height of artful fashion, after all, should come with an air of unattainability, shouldn't it? I'm sure Dovima would approve.

Stylesetter? Sure. But icon? Not so fast ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 02:59:00 +0000

Many years ago I innocently employed the adjective “phenomenal” in a story I had written, and someone whose writing I admired took me to task for the usage: “Phenomenal is a pretty powerful word,” he pointed out. “Did you really mean to compare what you were writing about to a true phenomenon?” Likely I didn’t do much more than shrug, but clearly the point stuck with me: to not be so cavalier in my descriptions, to think about the inherent intensity of certain words and therefore to use them accordingly.

With the awards season now wrapped up, I’m reminded of this lesson because of the word, so integral to fashion vernacular, that at such events gets tossed around with abandon: icon. Inevitably during breathless red-carpet reportage, more than one TV correspondent will ask “How does it feel to be a style icon?” a question that makes me eager to grab the microphone and rap the offender on his or her head. Aside from the fact that it’s debatable whether any genuine style icons are living today, how does one even answer such a question, no matter whether or not they agree the appellation is fitting?

Grace Kelly (above in a publicity still from Rear Window) was/is a style icon. Nicole Kidman is not. Audrey Hepburn, yes; Mary Kate and/or Ashley Olsen, not so much. For one to be accurately deemed an icon, she not only should be easily identified for a unique, discernable style and an active influence upon fashion, but the very definition of the word demands that this be proven by the passage of time. And yet for some reason in recent years we are so quick to apply “icon” to anyone who’s managed to gain a little fame and is lucky enough to secure a good stylist. I am reminded of Mischa Barton at the height of her O.C. fame, when someone on a red carpet asked her how it felt to be a style icon. Kudos to Barton for replying, “I don’t know that I’m an icon; I mean, I’m only 19.” Given that Mischa isn’t exactly dominating pop culture or red carpets at the moment, I wonder if that same reporter would be so quick to call her an icon today.

I realize this is all subjective, and admittedly this is only my opinion. For example, I don’t know that I would term Sarah Jessica Parker a style icon, a statement that is sure to make many a fashionista's head want to explode. Ask me 20 years from now, and perhaps you and I both will have different opinions on the matter. After all, Audrey Hepburn starred in Roman Holiday in 1953 and in Funny Face (above) in 1957, but it wasn’t until the ’60s, in films like Charade and How to Steal a Million, that her close friendship and collaboration with Hubert de Givenchy was so entrenched in the mainstream that it spawned tongue-in-cheek references (“For one thing, it gives Givenchy a night off,” remarks Peter O’Toole in a How to Steal scene).

If you backed me into a corner, I’d say there is one woman today who comes close to being termed a style icon, and that’s Michelle Obama. I wasn’t willing to jump on the bandwagon when, pre-election, comparisons already were being made between Mrs. O and Jacqueline Kennedy; I mean, c’mon, that is one huge pillbox hat to fill. But I’m completely besotted by the style choices Mrs. O has made since her husband took office, from the Isabel Toledo and Jason Wu worn on Inauguration Day (the latter’s gown was donated to the Smithsonian in a ceremony on Tuesday, above) to subsequent picks ranging from Naeem Khan to Prabal Gurung (it's his dress she's wearing above next to Wu and his gown) and, yes, the occasional J. Crew that must have that company dancing with glee over her everywoman intentions. I’m hoping she continues in this direction of both spotlighting designers who don’t necessarily leap foremost in your mind and mixing upper-tier labels with Middle America retail. Even so, is she an icon yet? Sorry, I’m not ready. But time will indeed tell.

For Your (Fashion) Consideration ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 02:01:00 +0000

With the world's most-watched fashion show set for tonight (red carpet kicks off at 6 pm EST, telecast at 8:30 pm), I thought it would be fun to pick three strong dresses from the Fall 2010 runways and see if perhaps they'll show up at the Academy Awards.

First up, Marchesa: Georgina Chapman quickly grew into a perennial red-carpet winner - not surprising, as her gowns are consistently romantic, statement-worthy and memorable. From her Fall presentation, I love this one-shoulder lace and silver-beaded affair. And let's face it, one-shoulder gowns have become a staple silhouette on red carpets, so who might wear this? Anne Hathaway? Anna Kendrick? Weigh in with your comments below.

Next, Monique Lhuillier: This finale gown from her Fall 2010 show sort of screams Oscars, as it's a gorgeous color and just the right amount of drama. With its strapless neckline (another red-carpet favorite), this gown is also quite bling-friendly, perfect for a statement necklace by Bulgari or Tony Duquette. Kate Winslet rarely wears American designers, but this gown seems tailor-made for her, or wouldn't it be great to see Tina Fey try a gown with this styling? She rarely goes for the frills, but after that slightly disastrous Zac Posen prom look at the Golden Globes, a dress like this, paired with a low, tousled chignon, is precisely what Fey needs.

Finally, Alberta Ferretti: I love this dress from her Fall collection. It's dreamy, tasteful, ethereal and luxe. Her use of the trompe l'oeil jewelry draped across dusty rose chiffon is nothing less than sublime. A strong cuff, chandelier earrings and a bag with a little bit of shimmer, and there's no way you're incurring the wrath of all those red-carpet haters who weigh in with snarky opinions the next day. For this look, perhaps Penelope Cruz or even Carey Mulligan, who is rumored to be considering a European designer.

No one knows for certain who will wear what until Hollywood's A-listers hit the red carpet, but this is my wish list. What's yours? Stay tuned ...

Five Moments in Bryant Park ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:39:00 +0000

We said goodbye to Bryant Park Thursday night, as New York Fashion Week decamps and heads to Lincoln Center in September. I’ve worked those tents since they first went up in 1993, but still I was surprised by how emotional Thursday night was; “the end of an era” can seem like such a cliché, but for those of us who honed our craft between those white canvas walls, the farewell elicited many memories. Here are my top five:

5. I’ll start with the silliest memory: I still recall what I wore the first time I walked into the Bryant Park tents—unfortunately, I cannot use the word chic. It was a blue and black brocade vest with nickel-sized silver buttons that I, gulp, had purposely sewn onto the vest, having chosen them as more fitting replacements for less-blingy buttons. My only excuse? It was 1993 and I was very young. Maybe someday—perhaps when she’s all of 15—Tavi will look back and cringe at what she wore to some shows.

4. The supermodel moment: In the early days of Bryant Park, I don’t think we comprehended how amazing it was to attend shows by Todd Oldham or Isaac Mizrahi and witness Cindy, Christy, Linda, Naomi, Shalom, et al saunter down the same runway. Thankfully, filmmaker Douglas Keeve documented this blazing-hot cadre of girls in 1995's Unzipped, which chronicles one season in the life of Mizrahi, and quite stands up over time if you haven’t caught it recently. The Mizrahi show that climaxes Unzipped also stands out as a favorite memory: The designer used a white scrim as the runway backdrop, and depending on where the lighting fell, it either appeared to be simply a white backdrop or, when lit from behind, was more transparent so you could view the backstage proceedings. Before the online universe changed everything about fashion (not to mention our daily lives), it was Unzipped and Mizrahi's now-famous "Nanook of the North" show that truly threw open the doors of life off (or behind) a New York runway. Here’s a link to buying the DVD on Amazon.com: http://bit.ly/buTL1t

3. Thank you, Mr. Blass: For the presentation of one of the last Bill Blass collections for which the venerable designer was still at the helm—he retired in 1999 and passed away from cancer in 2002—his PR director, in gratitude for a story I recently had written, bestowed me with a choice seat: second row, next to John Mellencamp. (Seems odd these days that anyone would seat a celeb in a second row, but the celeb frenzy that exists now really didn’t then because, again, it was more about the girls on the runway.) I also sketched then, as the immediacy of digital film or Style.com didn’t exist, and your sketchbook was your best friend for remembering trends and highlights. Anyway, the first models walked out, I started sketching, and out of the corner of my eye I noticed Mellencamp observing my work. Well, of course, my sketches got better, more elaborate, executed with decidedly more flourish. He said, “You’re really good at that,” and I blushed and stammered. Mellencamp was there because his wife, the stunning Elaine Irwin, was walking Blass’s runway, and I complimented her, genuinely, by noting she had the best walk on the runway. She really did, as the supes in those days undulated seductively down a runway; it wasn’t the giraffe stomp so typical now. Mellencamp smiled proudly at the compliment. They’re still married (they're shown above in 2008), and I like to think I had a little something to do with that.

2. How we’ll miss you, Mr. McQueen: We were exiting BCBG, the second show of Bryant Park’s first day this season, when we learned that Lee Alexander McQueen had taken his own life in his London home. Twitter and email spread the news through the tents, and one quite literally felt the mood change as editors dashed back to their offices for news and to rip pages apart to make room for tributes. And so on that first morning, the air seemed to be sucked out of the tents as though by a vacuum. More than anything, the death of this brilliant, romantic, troubled man points out a truism about fashion rarely discussed: the all-too-precarious balance of working in such a hard, brutal business, and yet it’s populated so greatly by those who are often quite fragile. The most poignant moment of Bryant Park this season took place at Naomi Campbell’s Friday-night Fashion For Relief show when, in the midst of raising funds and awareness for a country so battered by tragedy, a moment was taken to honor McQueen, with a finale of several iconic models walking the runway in his designs.

1. Finally, of course, the day the world changed: September 11, 2001, was a Tuesday, the fifth day of the Spring 2002 collections, and at 9 a.m. Liz Lange was presenting the Bryant Park debut of her maternity line. It was a bright, beautiful September morning—and then it wasn’t. Confusion initially reigned over what actually had occurred downtown, but by the time Lange’s show had concluded, the decision already had been made to cancel the rest of Fashion Week. The tents were stripped of what immediately seemed like frivolous décor—weren’t they pink that year?—and they were offered up as a site for emergency services. I thought of this recently after Haiti’s tragedy and, not unlike Hollywood celebs and their instant telethon, how the fashion industry quickly banded together both to present Fashion For Relief and to create the To Haiti With Love T-shirt (http://bit.ly/cY6awL). In those initial days after 9/11, I spent a lot of time wondering whether I had the most frivolous job in the world, especially after the call went out for volunteers: doctors, nurses, welders. And so we dived into planning fundraisers for the families of 9/11 victims, not only to make a tangible contribution in the aftermath of so much pain, but also to feel that sense of contribution from an industry that, yes, was too often dismissed as one rooted in frivolity. Season after season in the tents, we hope to witness something beautiful, something that moves us. Bryant Park has created countless memories in 17 years, but none more beautiful than what can be created when passion and energy arise out of tragedy.

Vionnet Waltzes Anew Down the Red Carpet ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 04:04:00 +0000

The red-carpet scorecard boasts a few new players this awards season, one with perhaps the most storied history of any A-list label: the House of Vionnet. We've seen sprinkles of its presence here and there - Carey Mulligan at last fall's London Film Festival premiere of An Education, Rachel McAdams at a Sherlock Holmes premiere in December - but Ginnifer Goodwin's appearance at this month's Golden Globes, left, put the label on a televised world stage. With the Oscar noms set for announcement at 8:38 am EST this Tuesday, you can expect stylists' phones to be ringing at 8:39 am, and surely more than a few Vionnets will find their way onto consideration racks throughout Los Angeles. Here are some notes to keep in mind when viewing the divine, drapey designs that might saunter into the Kodak Theater on March 7th.

- These days the press gets whipped into a frenzy over designers who mount full-blown shows at ever-more-youthful ages, such as Zac Posen (who launched his label at age 21) or Esteban Cortazar (who boasted Madonna in his front row when he was 17 and was named designer of Ungaro at 23), but Madeleine Vionnet was 36 when she founded her Paris atelier in 1912. Not unlike her compatriot Coco Chanel, Vionnet rose from virtual poverty to become one of the most influential women of the early 20th century.

- Vionnet forever altered fashion history with her use of the bias cut: In the 1920s she revolutionized the idea of eschewing structure (and corsets) in favor of cutting fabric on the bias so it would drape seductively on the body. The term "goddess gown," now so ubiquitous on runways and red carpets, is due to Vionnet's influence. During the house's 1930s heyday, Greta Garbo, Katharine Hepburn and Marlene Dietrich were just a few of the boldfaced names in bias-cut gowns.

- At its height, the House of Vionnet employed 1,200 seamstresses in its atelier at 50 Avenue Montaigne in Paris; Vionnet also was ahead of her time in fighting for copyright laws in fashion and fair labor practices, including maternity leave and daycare - all in the 1930s.

- The house closed in 1939 just prior to the outbreak of World War II; Vionnet retired and never reopened the house, eventually passing away in Paris in 1975 at age 98. (If you happen to be in Paris, a Vionnet exhibition concludes in mere seconds at the Musee des Arts Decoratifs, with featured pieces including this 1936 evening coat, above; details about the exhibit here http://tinyurl.com/ya446md and a PDF of the exhibition's user's guide here http://tinyurl.com/ylhdo5w.)

- Ownership of the Vionnet label ultimately passed through several hands, and in 1996 the decision was made to relaunch the house. After years of speculation and indecision, Sophia Kokosalaki was named creative director, and the first Vionnet collection in 67 years debuted in December 2006. The results were met with mixed reviews, and the relaunch never really picked up steam.

- In February 2009, Matteo Marzotto, formerly general manager and president of Valentino and the scion of a wealthy Italian textile family, purchased the Vionnet label and moved it to Milan. It is now designed by Rodolpho Paglialunga, whose previous stints include 13 years as a womenswear designer at Prada.

It is roundly agreed that thus far Paglialunga is doing a masterful job at modernizing the label while maintaining the essence first visualized by Vionnet almost a century ago (Goodwin's dress was from his Spring 2010 collection, only his second for the house). Come March 7th, it will be interesting to note whether a bias-cut gown's appearance on a red carpet will be accessorized with such a wealth of fashion history.

In the pink (and red) ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 16:33:00 +0000

With the Spring/Summer 2010 haute-couture presentations kicking off today, I thought it appropriate to pen a love letter to my favorite couture-inspired color combo: pink and red. Such a pairing still draws askance expressions from the unitiated, those unhip to the fact that these days we're far more open to fashion's quirkier color palettes. Carolina Herrera, Matthew Williamson and Diane von Furstenberg are just a few who have employed the duo in recent seasons. And who doesn't love a pink Louboutin with its signature glossy red sole? For Spring, CL's Alta Spritney open-toe slingback comes in pink suede, satiating fans of the color combo and the designer alike.

There's a long tradition of the pink/red pairing in haute couture: Elsa Schiaparelli favored the coupling in her adventurous and often controversial designs, while more recently Christian Lacroix likewise used it to great effect in both solids and the luscious floral prints we'll all surely be missing with his absence from this season's couture runways.

With bold colors key to Spring/Summer 2010, I wanted to give a shoutout to two favorite must-haves now arriving in stores: Lanvin's Pompon PM Cabas Tote, seen above and now available at Barneys.com; "cabas" has its origins in the idea of a lady's workbasket, and I love the idea of this piece evoking the image of a woman walking through the Paris flower market, filling her cabas with peonies. And here, from Chanel's Spring/Summer 2010 preview, the house's iconic two-tone pump, tricked out in red and pink with a chrome-like platform, a chic update to the classic camel and black.

Pink and red? Separate or together, always a choice that is equal parts fresh, pretty and modern - and guaranteed to add some Spring to your step.

Magic Marchesa ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:25:00 +0000

Jennifer Lopez, Anne Hathaway, Sienna Miller, Cameron Diaz: For the past few years A-list actresses have turned Marchesa into a red-carpet staple precisely because of its combination of glam factor and romantic details, from sculpted bodices to feathers to overtly lush beading. The results sometimes can be polarizing: Witness Kate Hudson’s white Golden Globes gown, which seems to be eliciting more outrage than why the heck(!) The Hangover scored Best Comedy over 500 Days of Summer. With awards-show season in full swing, now’s the time to know a little background about the label on everyone’s lips:

-- Marchesa was co-founded in 2004 by Brit BFF’s Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig, who met at age 17 while attending London’s Chelsea College of Art and Design.

-- The name is based on the duo’s mutual love of Marchesa Luisa Casati, a noted Italian style icon of the early 20th century.

-- Casati (pictured below) lived an extraordinary life even by today’s standards; she was photographed by Man Ray and Cecil Beaton, wore the designs of Paul Poiret and Erte and was the direct inspiration for Cartier’s iconic Panther designs.

-- Her biography, Infinite Variety (available on Amazon.com) details Casati's notorious lifestyle, from walking her pet leopard on a diamond leash to throwing wild parties in her Venetian palazzo, complete with gilded naked servants.

-- Casati once brought a boa constrictor to the Ritz Hotel in Paris – and promptly allowed it to escape.

-- In 1999 Craig read Infinite Variety and gave Chapman a copy; they fell in love with the idea of Casati as the muse and essence of their label.

-- Chapman (aka Mrs. Harvey Weinstein) is both the designer and the face of the label (she appeared as herself on an ep of Gossip Girl last year), while Craig works more behind the scenes, focusing on textile design.

-- Marchesa scored its first red-carpet success when Cate Blanchett fell in love with only the second dress ever designed by the label.

-- The duo was sharing a tiny London studio when Neiman Marcus asked them to create a collection of 30 dresses the retailer was interested in putting in 20 stores. With six weeks to complete the collection, they moved to New York, borrowed a studio space, hired seamstresses and never looked back.

-- In 2006, the label was named one of the ten finalists of the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund.

With Hudson's gown drawing both admiration and ire, it seems the time-honored fashion adage has never been more accurate: There's a dress for every girl, and a girl for every dress.

Globes v. Oscars: The (fashion) politics of the two-party system ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 17:22:00 +0000

Tonight's 67th-annual Golden Globes ceremony offers the potential for more surprises than the March 7th Oscars - at least in a sartorial sense. Oh, sure, the reasons all those A-Listers will gather around Moet-laden tables at the Beverly Hilton are all but assured: funny-yet-heartfelt speeches from Streep, Cameron and Scorsese (I'm still on the fence about Bridges v. Clooney, as much as the Hollywood Foreign Press seems to adore the latter). But from a fashion point of view, the Globes offer a terrific opportunity to think outside the box in both label and style.

Let's face it, the Academy Awards are the senior prom, where everyone turns it out in "important" gowns and jewelry. But the Globes? This is the pre-party at the cool kid's house, where the gang has fun getting a little tipsy before heading off to the Big Event. Shouldn't the clothes match this attitude?

I'm sure we'll see all the requisite players tonight: Monique Lhuillier, Marchesa, Versace, Reem Acra; Marion Cotillard most assuredly will wear Dior, while Vera Farmiga has been showing up on red carpets in Dolce & Gabbana. Might someone change it up a bit? I love the casual elegance of the Lanvin above, but with no Hilary Swank in sight, will Alber Elbaz be shown any love this evening? Will Naeem Khan's highly publicized gown for Michelle Obama translate to some Hollywood adoration? Stylists and celeb reps alike enthusiastically phoned Khan in the days after that State Dinner, but that moment occurred waaaay back in November, and the West Coast has a famously short attention span in such matters.

Indeed, make no mistake: Red-carpet looks are highly debated in the weeks, days and moments before the actress steps into the limo, with who she's wearing as much an issue as what she's wearing. Is Alexander Wang enough of a name outside fashion circles to warrant his dress as a choice? I love pretty much everything Giambattista Valli sends down a runway - including this Globe-friendly look from Spring - but he's not on the mainstream radar as much as a Chanel or Herrera. The politics of fashion are difficult to define - they evolve as rapidly as trends, tastes and a designer's hip quotient change - and yet they undeniably exist. A few actresses can be counted on to think outside the box: Chloe Sevigny at September's Emmys, wearing polka-dotted Isaac Mizrahi, springs to mind; but as big as Big Love may be, her fashion sense always will be tied to her indie cred, and I for one am glad about this.

I'm hoping tonight offers a few surprises, especially as it's roundly agreed that award-show red carpets have grown far too safe in recent years. Designers likewise will be surprised, as it's a now-notorious fact that they cannot count on a choice as confirmed until they see it on TV with their own eyes like everyone else. Too many anecdotes have been shared in recent years about a designer being told, "Yes, she's wearing your dress," only to watch that starlet hit the red carpet wearing someone else. And so designers are gun-shy about offering exclusives and instead have spent the past few weeks blanketing Southern California with their Resort, Spring and Pre-Fall collections. One designer's rep told me Friday that four actresses had their gowns out for "final consideration," with the rep hoping two make the cut: "Two's the perfect number - one on a very big name, and then another on a younger, up-and-coming starlet."

All of which is to say, the politics of the red carpet are very much a two-party system, and a two-way street.

Past or future, Peggy's present is an all-time fashion must-have ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 01:47:00 +0000

On last night's ep of Mad Men, Peggy (Elisabeth Moss) enters her office to find that a gift has been delivered -- she unwraps the package, and ... a telltale orange box?!? The melding of fashion and pop culture on TV's hottest show is complete as Hermes makes its foray into the one watercooler program that is just as much about style as it is the well-structured, scintillating scripts.

Pete (Vincent Kartheiser) soon enters the scene, but forget about the childish, we-love-each-other/hate-each-other banter that ensues -- instead get rapturous over that which Peggy soon unfurls from the signature orange box: a Brides de Gala scarf, the most popular silk-twill creation ever crafted by Hermes. We show it here in red, while Peggy's was accented in pale blue. Following are all the stats to start you on the path to becoming a Brides aficionado:

Origin: The house's silk-twill scarves, or carre's, were first envisioned in 1937 by Robert Dumas, grandfather of current design director Pierre-Alexis Dumas. Eager to find some way to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the house, Robert Dumas (founder Thierry Hermes's great-grandson by marriage) was fascinated by the notion of printing on silk, and so created a 90-centimeter-square carre titled Jeu des Omnibus et Dames blanches, which illustrated the debut of the Paris omnibus line from Madeleine to Bastille. Each carre continues to be hand-silkscreened in much the same way since 1937, while edges likewise continue to be hand-rolled, all from a factory in Lyon, France's home to the silk trade.

1957: Dumas by now is calling on acclaimed artists for his carre designs, and in this year enlists Hugo Grygkar to sketch the famed Brides de Gala, or "gala bridles," a tribute to the house's origins as a bridle, harness and saddle maker. In July 1963, the moment in which this episode is set, a Brides de Gala would be instantly recognized as a gift equal parts chic, luxe and timeless.

Grygkar would go on to become Hermes's most prolific scarf designer, while Brides de Gala continues to rank handily as the pinnacle of most-popular designs, indeed highly sought-after as a bona fide cult item for collectors. It's been reinterpreted in more than 70 colorways over 52 years, with embroidery and sequins also finding their way onto special-edition Brides de Gala designs. If there's only one Hermes scarf on which you can invest, this is it, no question; not unlike the expression on Peggy's face as she brushed the silk against her cheek, the allure of such an icon is, quite simply, unforgettable.

(scarf photo courtesy of David Hamsley)

Feelin' the blues ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 02:31:00 +0000

What's the hot color emerging on the Spring 2010 runways? Check out, from left, looks from Christian Siriano, Cynthia Steffe and Lacoste, each of whom has contributed to Spring's sea of beautiful blues ...

To check out highlights from each show, click here:

http://mbfashionweek.com/newyork/spring2010/designers/christian_siriano/index.html

Yigal's sexy polish ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 03:35:00 +0000

Yigal Azrouel's Spring 2010 women's collection was satisfying on many levels: fresh, exciting, forward and yet wearable. Beautifully textured minidresses and jackets that were artfully cut -- combined with his penchant for unique fabrications and techniques (such as washing his leathers so they're ultrasoft and slightly distressed), Azrouel simply is one of the most refreshing designers working today.

Click here to view highlights:
http://www.mbfashionweek.com/newyork/spring2010/designers/yigal_azrouel/index.html

(Un)civil actions ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:47:00 +0000

When did fashion shows lose all sense of civility? This question crossed my mind this morning in Bryant Park, when I noticed that most of the front row couldn’t be bothered to applaud as the models walked their finale carousel. This trend has been increasing in its frequency, and this morning it was shockingly obvious to me: Instead of polite applause, the majority of people were texting/checking email, stuffing programs into their bags, talking to their neighbors, or just plain looking bored. Here’s a newsflash: You don’t applaud only when the designer runs out for his or her bow; aren’t you also applauding the models for their work? Like any event, isn’t applause a courtesy to signal approval of the group effort? Oh, yeah, and thanks for the front-row seat? (To be fair, this behavior wasn’t exclusive to the front row and could be seen throughout the audience.)

My day finished with witnessing another questionable act, which started with an attendee who moved from her second-row seat to a first-row seat that wasn’t hers. At 30 minutes after the hour, as is the custom, the seats were “released,” which in fashion parlance means that those who possess a standing ticket are welcome to fill in the empty seats. The woman’s second-row seat was taken by a daily editor who hadn’t been shown much love by this particular designer – not surprising, as dailies are often given short shrift at the shows (apologies for the alliteration), while national mags bring layers upon layers of editors, all of whom are offered prime seats.

But when the real owner of the front-row seat unexpectedly appeared at the last minute, the woman who had moved wanted her second-row seat back. She was supported in her thinking by her co-workers in the nearby seats, all of whom descended upon the now-horrified daily editor with fury and indignation. I happened to be sitting next to this woman (and thus hope to eliminate any speculation that this was me), and having witnessed the entire episode, I told her to stay; the mover was forced to stand. If you decide your seat is inadequate and you take the chance to sit in someone else’s, then you risk losing your original seat if the release has indeed taken place. Don’t get me wrong: I have moved – did so this morning, in fact, to sit next to a friend. But I do this knowing it may backfire, so it’s rare that I move (also because, with few exceptions, my seat is typically more than satisfactory).

When combined with the earlier show’s lack of applause, however, I was left wondering: What has happened to simple etiquette? A fashion show used to be one of the most civilized environments you could enter, but no longer. To be sure, it’s still a far more glamorous way to earn a living than the vast majority of jobs out there – but lately, due to far too many incidents such as this, I’ve been thinking it isn’t as much fun as it used to be. Largely it’s exhaustive and infuriating, filled with pushing and shoving, ego and attitude, and hopefully you’re rewarded by seeing a beautiful show here and there, something fresh and forward that leaves you excited about witnessing that particular moment.

When I spied the offended group in the lobby after the show, still in a tizzy and soothing the mover as though she had been physically assaulted, I couldn’t help myself: As I passed by, I smiled and without a trace of snarkiness said, “Have a lovely evening.” I have never felt more civilized.

What’s your opinion of both episodes? Feel free to
weigh in …

No, no, no, no, no, no, no ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:01:00 +0000

My head about exploded last night when I read the news that Emanuel Ungaro CEO Mounir Moufarrige had signed Lindsay Lohan as "artistic advisor." As one friend texted, "That's just so many ways of wrong."

The melding of fashion and pop culture is undeniable and valid -- but there are limits. For those of us who actually respect fashion, who believe that to direct and influence one must possess some sense of perspective, history and technique through study and practice, the appointment of a questionable tabloid celebrity whose chief attribute is that she's managed to bankroll an impressive closet -- I'm sorry, that is wrong. I'm all for the fashion muse, whose influence upon a designer has resulted in some of the greatest relationships and collaborations, from Hubert de Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn to Yves Saint Laurent and Catherine Deneuve to Marc Jacobs and Sofia Coppola. But let's be honest -- that's not what this is, not even a little bit. Lohan has no relationship to Estrella Archs, who was named creative director in the same moment Lohan's cushy title was announced. Archs' previous work includes solid stints at Nina Ricci, Prada and with Christian Lacroix while he was at Pucci, so surely she also must be wondering why the bottle-blonde tabloid celeb is needed at the revered French fashion house. Even their publicity photo looks uncomfortable. Muse? No one is amused. (And gosh, what an imaginative outfit to herald her introduction: a gray jacket over -- wait for it -- a black T-shirt.)

Every house at one time or another has struggled with the notion that its customer base is aging right alongside the label; indeed, history is littered with the tales of panicky, youth-driven moves that didn't pan out: Galliano muscling out Hubert de Givenchy and Badgley Mischka choosing the Olsen twins for their ad campaign are two past debacles that spring to mind.

Moufarrige already had proven he possesses zero patience for allowing a designer to settle in and build a following. Since Emanuel Ungaro retired in 2004, three designers -- the insanely gifted Giambattista Valli, as well as Vincent Darre and Peter Dundas -- had been shuttled through the house in as many years. The young, effervescent Esteban Cortazar, named to the post in 2007, is a talented designer who after three short seasons was finding his footing at Ungaro, with his latest F/W collection drawing solid reviews from many. Fashion is going through challenging times, to be sure, but the schizophrenic, revolving-door mood currently driving Ungaro has done nothing to help it build a younger customer base, as women simply aren't given the chance to develop a sense of the label or the heart of its aesthetic.

We've already lost the House of Lacroix because commerce triumphed over art; as Moufarrige clutches desperately for the immediacy of tabloid frenzy over solid talent, we sadly -- and inevitably -- watch Ungaro follow.

The shoe I'm loving for Fall ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 04:32:00 +0000

I'm not a big Renee Zellweger fan, and let's face it, My One and Only does not serve her well. George Hamilton's early-years biopic is a lovely story with fab retro fashion -- unfortunately Zellweger's faded Southern belle Mama is lacking depth, not to mention poorly lit. But the same can't be said for her spate of appearances to promote the flick -- in addition to sporting the requisite Herrera (love the gray dress with the tie neck from the Resort collection), she's also working my favorite footwear look of the moment: fab beige pumps with a nude leg, a look that is at once ultrasexy and lengthens the leg. Love it!

The adjective in my head after "The September Issue" ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 03:29:00 +0000

As Fashion Week is looming, I'm organizing a group of out-of-town friends, and we'll find some two-hour hole in the schedule and duck over to Empire 25, an easy walk from Bryant Park, to see The September Issue. This will be my second viewing -- a friend and I caught it opening night at Landmark in SoHo amid what was clearly a fashion-savvy audience (even an icy pause from Anna drew laughter, not from her action, but in our shared sympathy of knowing what it's like to be on the receiving end of such a moment, whether the editor is Anna -- or more likely not). But with Fashion Week about to kick off, here's the thought I can't help but wonder: I walked away from September Issue liking Anna more than I thought I might -- not merely for revealing the warmth beneath the steely veneer, but especially because the movie exposes equally and graciously both her deep well of talent and her fearless command. And Grace Coddington? Well, Grace has always been a hero, but largely to fashion insiders -- she is the field general while Anna is Patton, George C. Scott standing in front of the giant American flag (insert symbolism here). With all that in mind, and given the rhapsodic reaction to the film, I'll be keeping an eye out in the tents to see whether the invisible wall that prevents people from approaching Anna will remain so impenetrable. Not unlike any documentary or reality show -- though she surely would shudder at the latter notion -- don't we all think we know Anna a bit more now? By throwing open the doors to the inner sanctum, has she torn down the walls around her front-row seat as well? It's highly unlikely, but a delightful and entertaining exercise nonetheless as we wait for shows to begin.

Finally, that adjective -- it's a simple one: Inspired. Watching Grace work simply inspired me. Sure, bottomless-pit budgets are the most heavenly and enviable of luxuries, especially these days, but I still took away lessons about the adjectives she employs, like "artful" and "cinematic," on a daily basis, and roll them around in my head as I'm planning work in the future. Ultimately, September Issue wasn't an expose about the meanest of all Mean Girls or the perils of putting together the most fabled issue of all fashion magazines. Rather, it was simply about inspiring me to raise my game just a bit more as well.

Michael Tonello brings his Birkin (talk) to NYC

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:44:00 +0000

I was charmed by Michael Tonello's book, "Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag" (Harper, $14.99 in softcover), not only because he exposed one of fashion's greatest conundrums -- how exactly does one walk into Hermes and walk out with the pinnacle of status handbags? -- but also because his story inspired my wanderlust, leaving me eager to check out Hermes boutiques from Barcelona to Capri to the south of France. New Yorkers or those in town for Fashion Week can kick off Fashion's Night Out by stopping at Borders in the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle this Thursday, Sept. 10th, where Tonello will do a reading and book signing at 7 pm. Prior to getting on yet another plane, Tonello was kind enough to answer a few questions about the book and his adventures:

Have you heard any reaction from Hermes since the book was published? Being a reseller is far from illegal, but I can't imagine they were excited that you were exposing some of their "secrets” …
Hermes seems quite pleased by all the publicity. My book has brought their brand name and Birkins to mainstream middle America. I've only been told good things by some of the Hermes store managers.

The book features great illustrations and a glossary of terms; I'm happy to say I learned some key terms heretofore unknown to me! Tell me about the balance of telling your own story with imparting a little bit of fashion history ...
After I finished the manuscript and read through it, I realized many of the terms would be utterly foreign to the average reader. I went through the book and rewrote numerous portions to make them somewhat informative or educational, without reading that way.

Do you feel any of the history or sense of craftsmanship crept into your soul?
Oh, yes. I really prefer to own one finely made item rather than a pile of “stuff.” Quality stands the test of time and this is especially nice now that times are tough.

Given the current state of the economy, do you feel as though you got out at just the right time? I occasionally search Hermes on eBay, and I'm not seeing items move as fast as they once did.
Most definitely. The entire world of Hermes, starting back in 1999, has been total kismet and serendipity for me. I'm just going with the flow ...

Do you ever feel the tug to return to your Hermes adventures?
No. It served its purpose and brought me to other opportunities. The rights to the book have been optioned for film, and I'm working on my second book. I’m also working on a series of kids' books based on my two cats, Gala and Dali. Everything happens for a reason!

Finally, how much Hermes is presently in your own closet, and what goes through your mind when you walk past (or into?) an Hermes boutique?
I own two pair of Hermes chino trousers that I wear like five days a week. When I first purchased them I had one pair hemmed with a traditional plain hem and the other with a two-inch cuff. I never really liked the way either looked. One day in a bit of a fit I took a pair of scissors and cut the bottom of both pairs of trousers, and now they are all frayed and I adore them. In addition, I have a few pieces of Hermes cashmere since they often do offbeat colors and I really like (and look good in) chartreuse and acid greens.
Listen, Hermes changed my life, so as I walk by one of their stores I smile big and keep walking ...

A Louis By Any Other Name ...

noreply@blogger.com (fashwriter) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 23:44:00 +0000

A friend of mine swears his luggage is consistently first onto the airport-baggage carousel because it's Louis Vuitton. I smile supportively at his insistence, but in truth am skeptical, my cynicism rooted in the notion that baggage handlers are more likely to steal a piece of LV rather than coddle it and its owner (I have had perfume and jewelry purloined from my suitcase, hence my trust issues). This is what occurred to me when I saw that Louis Vuitton is expanding its Mon Monogram program, a personalization service that allows you to customize certain coveted pieces of Vuitton. Launched in 2008, Mon Monogram initially (no pun intended) applied to LV's two most iconic bags, the top-handle Speedy and the duffle-like Keepall. But in June the company extended the service to both the classic and business version of its Pegasse 55 rolling suitcase (classic seen here; price without monogram: $2,490). In addition to two-tone initials up to three letters, you also choose either vertical or diagonal stripes from a range of 17 different colors. I've never been good at math (a reason I work in fashion), so I trust LV's press reps when they note that such choices result in more than 200 million possible combinations per bag. A nifty computer program at an LV boutique allows you to see what the resulting custom piece will look like before you hand over your black card, likely so you won't suffer any post-order regrets about that fuchsia-magenta stripe combo. Once your credit card is swiped, your order speeds its way to the closest LV workshop, where your personalized bag is handcrafted, a process that could take from six to eight weeks. But really, aren't the best things in life worth the wait? Unless, of course, you're standing at an airport carousel; and what baggage handler wants a pricey suitcase if it's sporting your initials? That alone makes it a worthy investment ...