Spring's Western-wear obsession carries on into the summer with our favorite low-heel ankle boots. Dress like an urban cowgirl by pairing low-rise boots with flirty floral dresses or cropped denim. The classic Cuban heel and subtle western accents make us giddy for the season's saloon girl look.
>> Luella Bartley's Style Guide to Be Released Oct. 14 —After a year-long delay, Luella Bartley has finally finished her book, titled Luella's Guide to English Style — her main project while between design jobs. The style guide, which Bartley wrote completely by herself according to her publisher, includes the designer's take on English street style and British style icons such as Kate Moss and The Duchess of Devonshire. "My aim is simply to dig up the roots of and, more importantly, show my unerring appreciation and devotion to those contrived subtleties and that blatant contrariness that makes British women so staggeringly adept in the art of expression through style," Bartley writes in the introduction. The book, which comes complete with photographs, drawings, and even diagrams, is currently available for pre-order in the UK — and is out Oct. 14. We're waiting to hear back from the publishers regarding US availability. [Vogue UK]
>> Last year's Fashion's Night Out public service announcement featured designers and models, but this year's features the latter exclusively: 14 models, (including Karlie Kloss, Caroline Trentini, Doutzen Kroes, Liya Kebede, Karolina Kurkova, Lara Stone, Miranda Kerr, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Joan Smalls, Chanel Iman, Stella Tennant, Lily Donaldson, Sasha Pivovarova, and Jourdan Dunn) filmed by Peter Lindbergh for two days all around New York City.
“This year, it was really about fashion hitting the streets,” Trey Laird, who developed the segment, told WWD. “It was important that all of New York City was represented.” Thus, filming locations included PS 1 in Long Island City, the Bronx Zoo, Central Park, and Lincoln Center. Tabitha Simmons styled the shoot (behind the scenes images here), and the resulting 30-, 15-, and 10-second spots launch on television, in taxi cabs, and online today. From Sept. 3 to 10, they will be shown nine times an hour on the Toshiba screen in Times Square.
>> Rumor: Ralph Toledano Out at Chloe? —Just over the weekend, Cathy Horyn wrote: "Chloe’s real success has been due to Ralph Toledano, its CEO for the past decade." And Ron Frasch, president and chief merchandising officer of Saks, echoed that sentiment, crediting Toledano with understanding all the steps it took to rebuild Chloe as a brand. But is there unforeseen turmoil at Chloe? This morning, a rumor hit Twitter: "Woah: Chloe parent Richemont has ousted its industry-beloved CEO Ralph Toledano, the man who pretty much made the French label a success." [@jimshi809]
UPDATE: Toledano was reportedly given the boot this week after Richemont became impatient with Chloe's poor financial results, according to sources close to the situation. The brand has struggled to become profitable in recent years, and announcement of Toledano's departure is expected shortly. It is unclear whether Chloe has a replacement in the pipeline. [NY Post]
>> Since Stephanie Seymour filed for divorce from Interview owner Peter Brant in March 2009, the proceedings have, according to the New York Times, made it "one of the most bitter, high-profile divorces in years." The Brants or their lawyers have been in court at least five times, in front of three different judges, since Seymour sued to end their 15-year marriage. Most recently, on Aug. 6, they appeared in court to haggle over mandatory drug testing, which both has done for the past year, and whether Brant could end his testing.
Brant v. Brant goes to trial on Sept. 20 — by that time more than 12,000 pages of public divorce documents (with thousands more sealed) will have been generated, and millions of dollars in lawyers fees racked up. Brant, whose net worth is an estimated $500 million, did not sign a prenup.
>> Fall Pierre Hardy for Gap Collection Out Oct. 19 —A few seasons in now, Pierre Hardy's footwear collaboration with Gap has garnered a cult following, to say the least. In a follow up to Fall 2009's shearling and suede boots, Hardy is back with a lace-up peep-toe wedge, which will retail for $195 and hit Gap stores Oct. 19. The heeled platform boots at left, meanwhile, are part of Gap's mainline Fall footwear collection. [Fashionista, Refinery29]
>> Marc Jacobs and his longtime business partner Robert Duffy have a unique relationship, which while the two chat in the September 2010 issue of Interview, Jacobs describes as thus: "I think anything that affects you [Duffy] affects me. I am Marc Jacobs by birth, but we are Marc Jacobs by the company we built."
Jacobs also speaks to what has worked his mind recently — perhaps there's some potential Spring 2011 inspiration in there? "I don't know much about classical music, but I've been enjoying listening to it lately. I find it very calming and with my energy not being as high as it often is, I guess I've just been enjoying the beauty of different composers. In terms of visuals, contemporary art stimulates me the most, although in working on the new [West Village] house, I've been antique shopping, looking at rugs and fabrics for interiors, and so I've been looking at a lot of interior magazines. I find gorgeous rooms to be extremely arousing at the moment."
On all the attention: "If we built a pile of crap then nobody would care what I ate for lunch." »
>> Garance Doré Moved to New York! —Garance Dore announced yesterday that she has left Paris for the Big Apple. Perhaps the move was to be closer to her Manhattan-based beau, fellow streetstyle photographer Scott Schuman? "It’s awesome," she blogged, adding that she's been keeping busy: "I worked on twelve things at the same time, did my first project where I was the artistic director, shot some editorials, some ads, and worked night and day on illustrations." [Garance Dore]
>> Is Jessica Stam taking the Erin Wasson route to design? Just like Wasson first got exposure to the design process while working with Alexander Wang (and has since launched LowLuv and her short-lived RVCA collaboration), Stam has been dipping her toes into design, creating a pair of Repetto oxfords for the brand's 60th anniversary in 2008 and then consulting with Marcus Wainwright and David Neville on their Spring 2010 Rag & Bone collection.
Her latest endeavor — four pieces for Rachel Roy's lower-priced line, RACHEL Rachel Roy — launches this month at Macy's. "I had full creative control," Stam told Marie Claire of her designs, which include a boxy checked sweater, a pair of jeans with buttons at the ankles, a quilted bag, and a belt. "But Rachel really stressed that whatever I made should be something I'd want to see my friends in." As for whether she might design her own collection in the future, Stam remained coy: "No comment."
Oscar de la Renta embraced new technologies in his recent resort runway show, live-streaming the collection online and sending a handful of models out with iPads in neat leather covers tucked under their arms. The iPad clutches seen on Oscar's runway are available now and sold exclusively on the Oscar de la Renta website. We've also found chic iPad carrier alternatives in the budget-friendly category, namely a natural cork cover and Moleskine-style case, which are $27 and $50 respectively. For those of you still lugging around laptops, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Valextra make our favorite fashionable computer cases.
