Posts for October 16th 2012

Link Time

Rachel Zoe's Comedy Hour, Mulberry's Knitters, and America's Next Top Male Model

Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.



Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

  • Who's laughing now? Rachel Zoe and her husband, Rodger Berman, have signed on as executive producers of an NBC fictional comedy show based on Zoe's life. The show has not yet been named and its debut date is unknown, but it's scheduled to air during prime time. [Deadline]

  • The 20th season of Tyra Banks's show America's Next Top Model will include something the previous 19 never had: male contestants. [The Cut]

  • Levi's has unveiled a line of denim that includes recycled materials from soda bottles and food trays. The Waste Less jeans will be available in stores and online in January 2013. [WWD]

  • In the first episode of MTV's recently revamped show House of Style, Karlie Kloss and Joan Smalls take viewers on a behind-the-scenes look at what models do during Paris Fashion Week. [MTV Style]

  • If you're the owner of a Mulberry sweater, you have one of the charming women in this video to thank. [Racked]
James Franco

Exclusive: Watch Petra Nemcova in James Franco's Walking After Midnight

Stuart Weitzman's new short film Walking After Midnight packs a lot of cool.
Petra Nemcova in Stuart Weitzman Film by James Franco

Stuart Weitzman's new short film Walking After Midnight packs a lot of cool. It stars supermodel Petra Nemcova, was directed by James Franco, and was styled by Anya Ziourova — one of the most talented fashion editors working today.

Ziourova told us that styling this video was "a piece of delicious cake," even if it was a minor challenge to create outfits that look good in a variety of settings. "You have to make sure that the clothes sit well from every angle, which isn't always the case in print," she said.

As for Franco, he mostly sat back and let Ziourova do her job. "James didn't get involved much," she said. "He trusted letting me create looks."

And from the way this video turned out, we'd say that was a good decision. Take a look at the episode from the film below and click through the gallery to see exclusive behind-the-scenes shots from the production. The first two vignettes are on Weitzman's Facebook page, and the fourth video will premiere online next Wednesday.

Victoria's Secret

Alessandra Ambrosio to Don $2.5M Bra For Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Victoria's Secret has already given Alessandra Ambrosio her angel's wings, but this year it's also giving her another precious gift to wear: diamonds.
Alessandra Ambrosio in Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra 2012

Victoria's Secret has already given Alessandra Ambrosio her angel's wings, but this year it's also giving her another precious gift to wear: diamonds.

Ambrosio will wear this year's $2.5 million Floral Fantasy Bra. The pricey piece of lingerie comes with a matching belt created by London Jewelers and features over 5,000 amethysts, sapphires, rubies, and diamonds arranged in a floral pattern. The bra features a removable 20-carat diamond hanging at its center.

"I felt they made it for me. It's very romantic," said Ambrosio, who's appeared in every Victoria's Secret Fashion Show since 2000. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

The 2012 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will air on Dec. 4 on CBS. Until then, a look back at the Fantasy Bras of seasons' past here in the gallery.

Photo via Victoria's Secret

Sofia Coppola

Sofia Coppola, Alexa Chung, and More Fete Acne Paper's Newest Issue

Alexa Chung, Sofia Coppola, and Clemence Poesy were among those who braved the rain Monday night to fete Acne Paper's Issue 14.
Acne Paper 14 Party Pictures With Sofia Coppola & Alexa Chung

Alexa Chung, Sofia Coppola, and Clemence Poesy were among those who braved the rain Monday night to fete Acne Paper's Issue 14. Held at New York's storied Four Seasons Restaurant, the champagne-filled soiree featured live jazz from the Blue Velvet quintet, while music stands placed around the room showcased copies of the paper. At 272 pages, it's the magazine's biggest issue yet, and also the first time it's been entirely dedicated to a single locale. "We could have chosen London, Paris, Berlin, or any other city of cosmopolitan importance, but we took Manhattan," editor in chief Thomas Persson explained. "During our many visits to the Big Apple we have had the great fortune of befriending a number of wonderful people who have only taken a keen interest in our publication but who have also helped shape it." Perhaps some of those friends were also in attendance — we spied fashion vets Simon Doonan, Lily Donaldson, Hanne Gaby Odiele, Olivier Theyskens, and Monique Pean all there and having a pretty grand time. An inside look at all the fun, here.

Photos courtesy of Acne

YSL

It's All Over: Yves Saint Laurent Drops Christian Louboutin Lawsuit

Well, this took long enough.



Well, this took long enough. A year after Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Louboutin sued each other over a pair of red-soled shoes, YSL has filed a motion to dismiss its case against the French shoemaker.

The newest development comes just a month after a New York judge decided that Louboutin has the right to its trademark on red-soled shoes — except in the case of a shoe that's red all over. An all-red shoe with a red sole that YSL produced last year is what prompted Louboutin to sue YSL for trademark infringement last April. The ruling means that technically, both firms can claim victory in this case — and that's exactly what YSL's lawyer David Bernstein did today.

"Now that the Court of Appeals has definitively ruled for Yves Saint Laurent and has dismissed Christian Louboutin's claims, Yves Saint Laurent has decided to end what was left of the litigation and refocus its energies on its business and its creative designs," Bernstein said. "By dismissing the case now, Yves Saint Laurent also wishes to ensure that the Court will not make any further rulings that put at risk the ability of fashion designers to trademark color in appropriate cases."

Louboutin's lawyers may not agree with that interpretation of last month's ruling, but they were happy about it. Harley Levin, who represents the shoemaker, said, "The two key elements we sought answered were that color can be a trademark in the fashion industry and that our trademark is valid and enforceable — thank God."

Photo via Christian Louboutin.

Narciso Rodriguez

The Complete Narciso Rodriguez For Kohl's Lookbook (With Prices!)

In just a few short weeks, Narciso Rodriguez's Istanbul-inspired capsule hits Kohl's stores and online.
Narciso Rodriguez For Kohl's | Complete Lookbook With Prices

In just a few short weeks, Narciso Rodriguez's Istanbul-inspired capsule hits Kohl's stores and online. The first of the retailer's Design Nation collaboration series (the second, by Derek Lam, will bow in April), the collection is made up of polished separates and precisely cut dresses — all in Rodriguez's signature geometric paneling and bold colorblock. Among the many standouts: a gorgeous kimono-wrap cocoon coat in cobalt blue for $130, long-sleeved dresses in curve-flattering two-toned patterns for $64, and a printed pair of tuxedo-striped pajama pants for $48.

The collection will be available starting Nov. 7, but only for a limited time. To get a head start on what's sure to be a small shopping frenzy, peep the entire lookbook — and prices for each piece — here.

Chanel

As Suspected, Karl Lagerfeld Is Never Going to Retire

Can't stop, won't stop.

Can't stop, won't stop. Karl Lagerfeld says the reason he's constantly producing clothing, advertising imagery, and coffee-table books is because none of it feels like work.

"Working is something boring for people who go to an office to make a living," said Lagerfeld in an interview with Vogue UK. "I do a job. I wanted to do it as a child. I love fashion. I like the world of fashion. I'm lucky to work in the most perfect condition. I can do what I want in all kinds of areas: the expensive, the not expensive, and all that. I think I'm very lucky. I would be stupid to stop that. Why should I? It's not work. Work is when you make a living being bored."

Of course, most people don't have the freedom that the Kaiser enjoys, which might have something to do with why he has so much fun at the office.

"When I took over Chanel, it was 30 years ago, the owner said, 'I've got the business. The way it is, I'm not proud of it. Try to make something out of it. If not, I'll sell it.' And it became a huge modern business. So the limit is up to me to create, because I have what the French call carte blanche. No one ever tells me any limit. That is luxury at its best."