>> Where Linda Evangelista left off, Kate Moss picks up? Reports are floating around that Kate is pregnant with her second child by Pete Doherty. There has been no official confirmation yet, but I will keep an eye out.
>> It's official: the whole "Where will New York Fashion Week take place from now on?" quandary has been rectified -- sort of. Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that NYFW will stay at Bryant Park for the Fall 2007 shows (yay!), and will have to find a new home after that (boo!). I have to say, I thought Bryant Park was a great venue for the tents, with the trees and the green ironworking and the good location. I am disappointed to hear of this decision (which even Anna Wintour couldn't prevent), but what is done is done.
>> Can I just say that this doctor bag by 3.1 Phillip Lim is fantastic? The leather looks so rich and soft, and I love the turn-of-the-century vintagey feel it has going on. Very unique. And it has chains -- I'm a sucker for a bag with chains, and these give this doctor bag a slight hint of rocker.
>> Linda Evangelista gave birth to a baby boy, Augustin James Evangelista, on Wednesday in New York City. Congratulations to her!
>> Shortly after Yvan Mispelaere, who designed Chloe's Spring/Summer 2007 collection, defected to work under Frida Giannini at Gucci, Chloe has finally announced a replacement for Phoebe Philo. Paulo Melim Andersson, the new creative director, comes to Chloe after being the design director of Marni for seven years. I have to say, I hope he points Chloe in a direction with his Fall 2007 collection -- it seems like Chloe's been stuck in the Phoebe years (all the babydolls, anyone?) even after (and ever since) Phoebe left.
>> The only show I was able to catch at New York Fashion Week that she also attended was Doo.Ri. The woman sitting in front of me had a camera zoomed in on her the entire show, constantly taking pictures -- perhaps to catch reactions? And we wonder why she pulls on her trademark Chanel sunnies as soon as the lights go down -- I probably would too if I felt like half the audience was watching me instead of the runway show.
Ms. Anna Wintour -- the feared. I don't agree with most of the stylistic choices she makes, but business-wise, I think she's right on the money (no pun intended). She understands the need for fashion to mesh with business, fostering young designers and helping them make connections, and selling the most advertising out of all the fashion magazines. I just came across a three-year-old interview from the Wall Street Journal that shed some new light for me on Ms. Wintour -- she came across very positively. As much as we love to hate her, I do think that we should step back and recognize the good things she has done. Besides, Vogue wouldn't have kept her around this long if she wasn't making a weighty contribution or two.
>> In Asia, Du Juan is "pretty -- not stunning, but pretty." Lu Yan "is known, not unaffectionately, as the Ugly Duckling." Even Hye Park is "plain."
The discrepancy between what is beautiful in the West and what is beautiful in the East is definitely discernable: "Western photographers look for character but with the Chinese it's different," says Angelica Cheung, editor of Chinese Vogue. And as designers expand more and more in Asia, maximizing on the spending power and trying to appeal to a new group of consumers, the face of fashion is forced to change once again. Will the designers cast two different ad campaigns -- one to appeal to the Western idea of beauty and one to appeal to the Eastern ideal? Or will they find somehow to bridge both ideals?
Some say Du Juan is the first to start building that bridge. I say it's going to take a lot more effort than one person. But I do look forward to seeing the outcome -- I've always loved fashion for this reason. It's forced to be everchanging, chameleonic. Always a sense of mystery, of what's coming next, and how it will adapt.
** all quotes from The Independent
>> Call it what you will, a sixth sense, extrasensory perception, or what have you. I've had a feeling for a while that nude heels would be big for spring, and look at that! They showed up on YSL's runway, en bonne forme. Judging from the initial reception, they will be big (it's rumored that Carine Roitfeld herself has eyes for them). I could be wrong, but I will tell you one thing true: a pair of nude heels will be on rotation in my closet for next spring.
>> Just as rumors (once again) are coming around that Kate Moss is planning to marry Pete Doherty next January, it seems that Jefferson Hack has announced his intentions to marry Anouck Lepere, and Johnny Depp is planning on marrying Vanessa Paradis next year. Coincidence it may be, but I still find it entertaining that both ex-beaus decide to get married just as Kate finally decides to get serious about getting married herself.
