We're noticing a trend more significant than black rimmed glasses cropping up in Milan. That is, diversity. Not the typical hand-picked representative sample of one beautiful model for every ethnicity, but a downright street-style version of diversity, culminating with this guy. No, we are not the only one's who haven't a clue what to do with the discrepancy between the women's and men's castings. This week, aside from Westwood's beefcake superstar, Etro showed a few models post-midlife crisis, not a new concept but certainly something you don't see in women's wear (the women's standard is, what, 21?). We can't wait for that controversial Vogue Italia issue to come out and 'wow' everyone with its drop dead gorgeous models of color. Wouldn't it be a perfect world if the women's wear side of the ball game just shut their mouths and put models like these guys on the runway? Oh wait, same designers...
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>> Victoria and Vanessa Traina's summer gigs sound very much like those of another set of sisters . . . three years ago. In the Summer of 2005, Ashley Olsen interned for Zac Posen and Mary-Kate Olsen worked with Annie Leibovitz; This summer, Victoria (left) is said to be working in Christian Lacroix's Parisian atelier, while her younger sister Vanessa (right), who just recently appeared in the May 2008 issue of Vogue Paris, is now working in the magazine's editorial department.
Funny how it's all connected — Vanessa styled a video for the Olsens' line The Row a year ago or so — does this bode a high-end line in the making for the Trainas in a few years time?
*image: source
We might be covering men's wear now but that doesn't mean we'll keep from saying that things look 'hot' and mean it in a 'we want to date them' way. Queue professor specs. These glasses just cropped up styled into the D&G men's wear show and we saw it yesterday from Romeo Gigli. Shall we call it an eyewear trend in the making? Let's hope so. Aside from liking them because they look so sharp, we're pretty sure we have some trend evidence to back this up. First Persol 714's replaced Wayfarers as the retro sunglasses of choice this Summer and we have to say the shape it curiously similar. Second, as we know, men and women alike are going high water these days (from Spring and now, well, Spring) and so a nod to nerd in the trouser arena might have made way for professor specs as a full on trend. It can't just be that gents look good in them, could it? No, we know better than that. We going to take it from Milan and make it our own. Let's just hope it looks half as good on us.
Hayden Harnett is launching a line of shoes this Spring 09, as reported through their blog. The Brooklyn-based handbag (and now clothing) designers, known by fans as just 'Toni and Ben' (sigh, Greenpoint) have made quite a business for themselves. That is, the line is stocked at Nordstorm and Anthroplogie and their customers fit rightly between those two worlds. The Spring 09 shoe line will consist of nine styles and range from simple flats to over-the-knee boots. Is this a reverse Loeffler Randall? Seem so. We're guessing that if you're a contemporary brand working with leather (a very difficult material to keep cost-effective) you're much more able to spout out a shoe line in one day than a contemporary clothing brand. Here's to working smart and a new line of shoes to look forward to. A Hayden Harnett shopping fix, as always, included.
Tom Ford opened his first stand alone store in Milan yesterday. Much excitement over the venture was expressed by the fashion press. "It's more contemporary than New York, which is in a 1930s building," he said during a walk-through. "We used the same vocabulary and colors, but this one is housed in a Fascist building so it's more linear and modern."Measuring nearly 12,000 square feet over five floors, its Ford's largest store to date. 
Liz Claiborne is working on a new logo and ad campaign for the spring launch of Liz Claiborne-brand women's clothing under creative director Isaac Mizrahi. No one is saying anything and naturally the whole thing is quite tight lipped. As big fans of Isaac Mizrahi we are certainly hoping for the best for the designer and his new label.
Jemima Khan, daughter of Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart and the late tycoon Sir James Goldsmith, has designed a capsule collection for Paris fashion house Azzaro which will include ready-to-wear and accessories. It will be presented in the showroom during the Paris couture. accessories line.
Jimmy Choo is going to Japan with a new Ginza location. The 1,700-square-foot store will be set over two floors, with a mirrored staircase leading to a salon space on the second floor. The unit will carry the brand's handbags, leather goods and sunglasses, along with its most complete selection of shoe styles in its stores in Japan.
