fashionologie

Model Daul Kim, 20, Has Passed Away

fashionologie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:18:37 -0800

>> Daul Kim was found dead this morning in Paris, her agency Next confirms in a statement. "She was a top model and a great friend to all of us at Next. Please respect her family’s privacy at this time of sadness. We will all miss her very much." Cause of death remains unknown, but The Cut reports a source says it was suicide. Daul just posted a video on her blog yesterday, under the title "say hi to forever."

Some recent favorites of Daul, below.

Irving Penn, One of Fashion's Most Influential Photographers, Dead at 92

fashionologie — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:47:18 -0700

>> Irving Penn, one of the fashion industry's most influential photographers, died this morning at his home in Manhattan, according to a friend. He was 92.

Penn started out in 1937 as an unpaid design assistant at Harper's Bazaar, but it wasn't until he was hired as assistant to Vogue's art director Alexander Liberman in 1943 that his career started taking off. His first assignment involved designing Vogue's covers: He sketched out several designs, but none of the staff photographers would oblige, so at Liberman's behest, he photographed them himself. His very first color photograph for Vogue, a still life of a gloves, belt and pocketbook, became a cover - October 1, 1943. His photographs appeared on over 150 Vogue covers over the next 50 years.

His perfectionism comes through in his work - Liberman related a story of when Penn was asked to take a picture of glasses falling from a serving tray. He apparently insisted that Baccarat crystal be used for authenticity's sake, and went through several dozen shattered glasses before the final picture met his standards.

In 1947, Penn was asked to make a group portrait of the twelve most photographed beauties of that era. At that session, he met Lisa Fonssagrives, a few years older than he and credited by some as the first supermodel. They fell in love and were married in 1950. The two collaborated together, producing what become some of Penn's most memorable pictures - including “Rochas ‘Mermaid Dress,’ Paris” and “Woman with Roses, Paris” - on his first assignment to photograph the Paris collections for Vogue. "I didn't know Balenciaga from a baseball player," Penn told Vogue in 2007. "But she was a real pro. And she was not offensive about teaching me." Their marriage lasted 42 years, until she passed away at 80 in 1992.

Naomi Sims, "First Black Supermodel," Dead at 61

fashionologie — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 17:58:51 -0700

>> The title of "first black supermodel" has been handed out to Beverly Johnson, the first African American woman to score the cover of Vogue, or Donyale Luna, who Vogue named model of the year in 1966, but Naomi Sims, who died of cancer Saturday, at 61, held her own right to the title.

Halston referred to her as "the first [black supermodel]" in 1974: "She was the great ambassador for all black people. She broke down all the social barriers.” When modeling agencies turned her down in the late '60s, she went straight to photographers, finally convincing Gosta Peterson to capture her for the cover of The New York Times Magazine's Fashions of the Times supplement in 1967; the image is now appearing in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's "Model as Muse" exhibit. Sims sent out the image to ad agencies, and within a year, she was earning $1,000 and had a national AT&T TV commercial campaign wearing Bill Blass.

She paved the way for the likes of Pat Cleveland, Beverly Johnson, gave up modeling after five years in favor of pursuing what became a multimillion dollar beauty empire, and thought of her race as an advantage: "It’s ‘in’ to use me, and maybe some people do it when they don’t really like me. But even if they are prejudiced, they have to be tactful if they want a good picture.”

Fashion Mourns Michael Jackson

fashionologie — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:21:54 -0700

>> Just today, Swarovski announced that they were going to clothe Michael Jackson head to toe for his "This Is It" tour kicking off next month - his costumes and sets were to feature over 300,000 crystals, in 53 different shapes, 43 different sizes, and 27 different colors. In April, The Imagist reported that Balmain stylist Emmanuelle Alt "would weep" if Jackson allowed Balmain to do his tour costumes because she was "100% obsessed" with him - a fact reflected in Balmain's flashy runway pieces.

Jackson had catapulted himself back into fashion's eye in recent months after he was spotted in a number of different Balmain looks - no doubt courtesy of Emmanuelle Alt - and a favorite gold studded Givenchy jacket. At the news of his death this afternoon, an outpouring of reactions - some incredulous - came from models, editors, and designers alike - those from a few, below.

"This is unbelievable..."

fashionologie — Thu, 21 May 2009 14:46:41 -0700

>> RIP -Luke Smalley, a photographer whose minimalist works have appeared in the likes of T magazine, V, Dazed & Confused, Vogue Hommes, and Arena Homme Plus and are typically focused on all-American looking men and inspired by 20th century fitness manuals, passed away unexpectedly on Sunday at the age of 53. His portfolio is here. [COACD, The Moment]

T Magazine Downsized; Mixte Magazine Folds

fashionologie — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:16:07 -0700

>> The print casualties aren't done: the Women's Summer issue of T magazine will appear as a 24-page "bonus section" of the New York Times Magazine this Sunday instead of its usual stand-alone issue, and now word comes that French style magazine Mixte announced it's folding - the forthcoming June 2009 issue will be its last. Vogue Paris fashion director Emmanuelle Alt is an alum of the cult magazine, and its vividly colored covers (a few of our recent favorites below) and innovative spreads will be sorely missed.
*image: source, source

Photographer Shawn Mortensen, 1966-2009

fashionologie — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 12:35:53 -0700

>> Los Angeles-based, self-taught photographer Shawn Mortensen passed away last night, and there's been an outpouring from the industry - Paper's Kim Hastreiter was "shocked" and saddened, and Dazed & Confused was "devastated" to hear the news. 43-year-old Mortensen was originally discovered by i-D founder and editor-in-chief Terry Jones, who "recognized his ability to interpret the streets," and his portraits and editorial work have been scattered among i-D, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Interview, and British Vogue. He's also covered the fashion stages of London, Paris, and New York. At the time of his death, he was working on a series of artwork to debut in June, as well as a collaborative photo-based T-shirt line.

Below, a gallery of his work.
*image: source, source, source

Former Dior Homme Model Randy Johnston Passes Away

fashionologie — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 12:28:59 -0700

>> Under unknown circumstances, Ford model Randy Johnston passed away October 11. The 20 year-old from Connecticut is currently being memorialized on Ford's web site, and his resume was highlighted by a turn as Dior Homme campaign model under Hedi Slimane for Fall 2007. He also appears in the November 2008 issue of i-D with Lara Stone. May he rest in peace.

fashionologie — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 14:42:29 -0700

>> RIP — Gerard "Jerry" Ford, who with his wife Eileen Ford created Ford Models, passed away on Sunday at 83. He is credited with creating modeling contracts to promote brand exclusivity, and represented such big names as Lauren Hutton, Christie Brinkley, Veronica Webb and Kristen McMenamy over the years. [NY Times]

*image: source

Mayle To Follow Jovovich-Hawk's Fate

fashionologie — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 22:55:15 -0700

>> And another one bites the dust. Just shortly after Milla Jovovich laid Jovovich-Hawk to rest, Jane Mayle has decided after ten years to call it quits on her contemporary line Mayle.

The holiday-resort collection will be Mayle's last. The closure is not for financial reasons — the designer told WWD her business is healthier than ever — but rather due to the accelerating fashion calendar:

The customer gets tired before the collections even hit stores . . . That mystery and remoteness and insouciance have disappeared from fashion in order to accelerate the product. I feel I have just become another cog in that machinery.

Mayle wouldn't disclose what she has in the works next, but hasn't ruled out fashion altogether.
*image: source