Posts for June 23rd 2011

Prada

Giorgio Armani Speaks His Mind on Prada, Dolce & Gabbana

>> After his menswear show Tuesday in Milan, Giorgio Armani denounced the fashion industry for being "in the hands of" high finance rather than the fashion houses themselves.

>> After his menswear show Tuesday in Milan, Giorgio Armani denounced the fashion industry for being "in the hands of" high finance rather than the fashion houses themselves. "I’ve wanted to say something about this for awhile, and now’s the time: Fashion is in the in the hands of the banks [and] the stock market," Armani told reporters. "It no longer belongs to the owners, but to those above them. I still haven’t been able to understand how the banks influence our line of work — it’s a mystery."

When he was asked whether his comments were a reference to Prada's recent IPO, Armani replied: "I don’t have debts. Instead, Prada’s problem is that they have to pay back the money that the banks spent to build up the brand." He noted that he preferred independence and had no plans to sell his company. "There are thousands of ways to make money. But for me, I don’t want to wind up having to knock on the door of some Thai managers to explain myself."

Armani also suggested that houses like Prada and Dolce & Gabbana make men look ridiculous, and blamed the press for not being more critical about clownish runway styles that men don't wear. Prada is "ingenious" for her "irony," he said, "and bad taste that becomes chic." But, certain Prada collections are "sometimes ugly," he noted, and stil always get positive coverage in the press. "You know why . . . " His clothes, meanwhile, he said make men look more handsome and elegant.

Both Prada and Dolce & Gabbana declined to comment.

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen Resort 2012

>> A fusion of military details, Edwardian silhouettes, and the idea of "romantic utility" characterized Sarah Burton's Resort 2012 outing for Alexander McQueen.

>> A fusion of military details, Edwardian silhouettes, and the idea of "romantic utility" characterized Sarah Burton's Resort 2012 outing for Alexander McQueen. While staying true to plenty of classic McQueen elements — high necks, cinched waistlines, gold-embellished gowns — the collection also featured an injection of Burton's now-signature sense of softness. Corsetless tulle gowns, fitted lace dresses, and soft-ruffled peplums in elongated cuts portrayed a new, easier wearability. African-inspired leopard prints, colorful embroidery, and mirrored appliques added intrigue to the otherwise neutral palette of khaki, navy, ivory and black.

love

Louis Vuitton Face Nyasha Matonhodze Graces LOVE's New Cover

>> 16-year-old Zimbabwean model Nyasha Matonhodze majorly hit the model radar upon bagging a slot in the Fall 2011 Louis Vuitton ad campaign, and it looks like Vuitton show stylist Katie Grand is helping her perpetuate her rise.

>> 16-year-old Zimbabwean model Nyasha Matonhodze majorly hit the model radar upon bagging a slot in the Fall 2011 Louis Vuitton ad campaign, and it looks like Vuitton show stylist Katie Grand is helping her perpetuate her rise. Matonhodze is featured on the latest issue (likely the first cover of many for the issue) of the Grand-edited LOVE magazine. [@THELOVEMAGAZINE]

jil sander

Jil Sander, Uniqlo To Part Ways

>> After a three-year run with Uniqlo, Jil Sander's Fall 2011 +J collection will be her last, the company announced today in a release: "With the recent completion of the design of the .

>> After a three-year run with Uniqlo, Jil Sander's Fall 2011 +J collection will be her last, the company announced today in a release: "With the recent completion of the design of the . . . Fall and Winter collection, Ms. Sander and [Uniqlo] agreed that they had fully explored the possibilities of their creative collaboration and accomplished what they had set out to do. Consequently, the two parties have decided to wrap up their design consulting agreement with this collection."

Uniqlo has never disclosed revenue for the +J line, and although Sander is notoriously difficult to work with, her relations with the company seemed to be going well as recently as February. According to an interview dated Feb. 1 with Tadashi Yanai, CEO and founder of Uniqlo parent company Fast Retailing, Yanai said: “Jil’s attitude towards clothing creation is truly incredible. She is particularly masterful when it comes to garment shape and style. She will recreate and refresh her designs until she is completely satisfied — even when it comes to the minutest detail. That is why customers feel so satisfied with the fit of collection clothes the instant they try them on. Uniqlo must embrace this fundamental attitude, as well as the passion and attention to detail that Jil brings to creating clothes.”

A Fast Retailing spokesman confirmed today that the company's team of 100 designers “learned a lot” while working with Sander, including her famed attention to detail in selection of raw materials.