Mon, 10/06/08 — 05:22:50 PM
>> Marc Jacobs loves throwing curve balls — both on the runway and with his personal inclinations — and during New York Fashion Week he was quite taken with wearing skirts.
He appeared on the end of both the Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs runways in skirts, explaining: "I did a lot more skirts in this collection for women than I usually do — we usually do a lot of pants. So I bought this one, and I discovered how nice it felt to wear. They’re comfortable, and wearing it made me happy, so I bought more. And now I just can’t stop wearing them."
Less than a month later, it looks like he's decided to stop wearing them. Yesterday at the Louis Vuitton Spring 2009 presentation, he debuted a new look instead: slicked-back hair, a pinstriped suit, and Nicholas Sarkozy-like stacked heels. Wonder if it was the French president who inspired him?
*image: source
Mon, 10/06/08 — 03:44:05 PM
>> THE MODELIZER — Coco Rocha doesn't really shop that much — "models get [designer] clothes for free" — but she will go shopping at Aldo: "I was in a frenzy there the other day. They had all these cute new styles. The salesgirls were like, 'You’re Coco!" I was like, "Shhh, I’m not really buying all these shoes." But I believe if you see something you like and it’s cheap, by all means get it. Just don’t do it head to toe. Carry an expensive bag." [NYT]
Mon, 10/06/08 — 02:22:12 PM
>> When Phoebe Philo left Chloe in 2006, her assistant Hannah MacGibbon was offered the top job, but turned it down to spend more time with her young family — so Paolo Melim Andersson took the reins instead. Fast forward to the Spring 2009 season — MacGibbon just presented her first collection for Chloe Saturday, full of the muted colors, and is expected to steer the brand back to its roots in Andersson's aftermath.
Can she do it? The critics seem reticent to make sweeping judgments just yet, citing a need for MacGibbon to settle in. So says Suzy Menkes: "What may have been amusing in an earlier girly era looks indulgent in the current crisis. But Chloé can be developed as a brand . . . as MacGibbon settles into her new groove." And more of the same from WWD: "The collection lacked was a little finesse, which MacGibbon should find once she settles in." Style.com rounds out the encouraging troika: "The designer must be given time to realign the brand identity amid our new set of economics, something Philo and she never had to worry about when they arrived at the house as twentysomethings." Time will tell whether she'll stay or go . . .
Mon, 10/06/08 — 01:51:41 PM
>> INSIDER WIRE —Alexander McQueen may have wiggled his bunny tail at the audience of his Spring 2009 show last week, but guess who wasn't there to witness such cheekiness? Not Anna Wintour, Carine Roitfeld, nor Aliona Doletskaya . . . odd, hmm? [Chic Report]
Mon, 10/06/08 — 01:09:41 PM
“Nice to see you, you look 20 years younger. Are you still b*tchy? The b*tchiest b*tch of them all? The b*tchiest b*tch of all the b*tches?
”— A "longtime fashion photographer" to a male editor, who replied, "I am."
Mon, 10/06/08 — 12:22:45 PM
>> Alexander McQueen's Fall 2008 ad campaign — his first since 2003 — may be mighty fashionably late, but the first images are finally here. The campaign, shot by Craig McDean in New York and styled by Tabitha Simmons, features Alice McGibb as gothic bird, tangled among the sticks of a giant bird nest.
*image: source
Mon, 10/06/08 — 12:12:33 PM
>> THE MODELIZER — Jessica Stam has worn wings down the runway, but now she's aiming for a whole different set of wings — she's in the midst of working on her pilot's license, and has already clocked a few hours in the cockpit. "It’s something I’ve always wanted to try." [WWD]
*image: source
Mon, 10/06/08 — 11:55:38 AM
>> Bruno wasn't the only one pulling antics during Paris Fashion Week — Karl Lagerfeld and Harper's Bazaar creative director Stephen Gan had a few tricks up their sleeves as well.
During the Fall 2008 season, the designer and editor remarked at how many unfamiliar names were on the Paris Fashion Week schedule. "There was Fifi this and Foufou that," Gan explained — so for Spring 2009, they added a fictitious label to the Paris Fashion Week List — Poupou Lapin. They gave the label a design brief, a gimmick in the form of a fur bikini, and started putting the word out that Poupou was "the one to watch." They even invented a more affordable line for the label: Poupou Lapin-au-Chocolat.
Apparently, "a certain number of people" fell for the story — and when Stephen mentioned the Poupou show to "a certain editor famed for being at the leading edge of every trend," she stamped her foot and replied, "Damn! I just threw that invitation out!” Silly.
*image: source
Mon, 10/06/08 — 10:42:04 AM
>> INSIDER WIRE —After rumors reached a fever pitch last week, a spokesperson at Vivienne Westwood confirmed that Kate Winslet will play the flame-haired designer in an upcoming untitled biopic. Winslet will reportedly spend time with Viv to study for her performance once the script, which focuses on Westwood's rise from punkdom to international designerdom, is finalized. [Vogue UK]
*image: source
Mon, 10/06/08 — 09:54:11 AM
>> Over the weekend, Valentino confirmed that its accessories designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli will be replacing Alessandra Facchinetti as creative directors of the brand. This marks the second time Facchinetti has been replaced by accessories specialists, the first being when Frida Giannini replaced her at Gucci in 2005.
But here's the rub — Facchinetti found out she was being replaced at Valentino from the press, she said in a statement:
It was with deep regret that I learnt from the press that I would no longer be working with Valentino. This news came as a great surprise since the company’s top management has not yet seen fit to inform me of the above.
I would like to thank Valentino S.p.A. for showing their appreciation of my 'creative contribution and my sophisticated talent,' although I deeply regret the fact that this talent and contribution do not seem to have been adequately acknowledged. I find it extremely sad that a brand label of the caliber of Valentino, which has made history in the world of fashion, has been the subject of rumors for the past two weeks.
[break]So why was she given the boot? »[/break]
Although Facchinetti's most recent collection was well-received, her dismissal was not caused by the clothes, but rather her inability to build a strong, cohesive team, and her inability to make decisions ultimately crippled the production process. Valentino Garavani voiced his approval for the design changes — he did woo Chiuri and Piccioli work for Valentino himself — and took one last swing at Facchinetti in the process:
They are two serious, capable professionals that I had alongside me for many years. They always demonstrated an enormous respect and love for my work. There is an existing archive with thousands of dresses where they can draw and take inspiration from to create a Valentino product that is relevant today. It is a shame that their predecessor didn’t feel this need.
And it's a shame Alessandra Facchinetti wasn't given more than two seasons to work with.
*image: source
