Posts for July 2012

YSL

Saint Laurent Paris Reveals New Branding

The brand once known as Yves Saint Laurent revealed its new Saint Laurent Paris logo online over the weekend.



The brand once known as Yves Saint Laurent revealed its new Saint Laurent Paris logo online over the weekend. Said logo — affixed to a black box resting on a marble surface in the photo above — is presented in capital letters. The image was posted to the brand's official Facebook page on Saturday, and while some commenters were supportive of the change, many others decried it as a bad move. One fan called it "an act of disrespect."

Hedi Slimane, who took over as creative director of the house in March, announced last month that he would change the name of the ready-to-wear collection to Saint Laurent Paris. The shift was billed as an attempt to "return to the fundamentals of YSL." When Saint Laurent moved into ready-to-wear in 1966, he called the operation Saint Laurent Rive Gauche.

The new branding will not replace the iconic YSL logo, which will still be applied to some of the house's products.

alek wek

A Long Journey Home: Alek Wek Returns to South Sudan

Alek Wek's stellar modeling career has taken her all across the globe, but it's been years since she's been back to her homeland in the Sudan — until she traveled there this month.
Alek Wek Returns to South Sudan | Runway Pictures

Alek Wek's stellar modeling career has taken her all across the globe, but it's been years since she's been back to her homeland in the Sudan — until she traveled there this month. Wek, who was the first African model to cover Elle, went to the newly formed nation of South Sudan to help celebrate the country's very first independence day. She's also working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to help the country develop and grow, and told us that for now, her work in fashion will take a backseat to her humanitarian efforts.

"I will carry on utilizing my voice to give back: that's long term," she said over the phone in Juba, South Sudan's capital. "I'm already modeling in moderation because my mom is already on my case. At first it was like, 'Education, then a job, and now what's happening, where are the babies?'" she added, laughing. "So I think you can't just be hopping around in planes. You need to slow down a little bit."

However, Wek said that working in fashion was important, because it gave her the platform to affect change. "It's definitely given me a voice, and I think we have such a responsibility to use that," she explained. "Even if I wasn't a fashion model . . . I still think that we all as individuals can do something and make a difference in another human being's life."

To that end, Wek — who has walked the runway for Dior, Valentino, and Diane von Furstenberg, among others — has focused on helping the UNHCR develop agriculture, health, and education initiatives in the country. While she was there this month, Wek visited the nation's new first lady, spent time with refugees waiting to travel back to their hometowns, and spoke at a conference about the importance of schooling children — and especially young women. "When you educate a woman, the entire nation is educated," she said during her speech.

"Who's going to lead this country going forward is the young people, the youth, which I feel really strongly about," she told us. "When you educate the young people, you don't just educate them to be literate. You educate them to not repeat the same bad mistakes that have taken place in the past."

A look back at Wek's decade-plus on the runway, here in the gallery.

Photo: Alek Wek walks during the Anja Gockel Fall 2010 fashion show.

swim

Mara Hoffman Swim Resort 2013

The Mara Hoffman show is always a must see during Miami Swim Week, and with good reason.
Mara Hoffman Swim Resort 2013 Collection

The Mara Hoffman show is always a must see during Miami Swim Week, and with good reason. Not only does the designer excel at putting on a vibrant show, but her collections also always manage to feel fresh and chic without any of the cheese that can sometimes dominate the week. Add Hoffman's penchant for partnering with cool, downtown brands — this season she styled her pieces with Pamela Love jewels and Frye boots — and it's not hard to understand why her line has garnered a cult following.

For Resort 2013, Hoffman's signature tribal-inspired prints were in full effect — they came in high-impact color combos such as coral, flame, navy, and black, and they decorated everything from deep-cut one-pieces to bandeau tops and breezy caftans. Hoffman also made use of subtler patterns this season: a python pattern in tonal beige was particularly pretty, as was an art nouveau-ish feather print in turquoise and pink. The softer prints allowed Hoffman's excellent use of structural and decorative detailing to shine through; cut-out sides, crisscrossing latticework, braided straps, and intricate seed beading provided texture to high-cut briefs, corset tops, and tunics.

Carine Roitfeld

Carine Roitfeld Reveals First Image From CR Fashion Book

Carine Roitfeld has revealed an image from the highly anticipated debut issue of her new magazine, CR Fashion Book.



Carine Roitfeld has revealed an image from the highly anticipated debut issue of her new magazine, CR Fashion Book. In the image — shot by Sebastian Faena — model Juliet Ingleby walks through a cemetery naked, save for a few yards of lavender fabric draped dramatically over her face and body. Ingleby is followed by three other models wearing head-to-toe black, with their faces similarly obscured by black veils. The image can be seen as a GIF file (in which Ingleby's veil flutters in the breeze) on the magazine's website. The first issue itself will be on newsstands Sept. 13, but readers can preorder it now.

This image is one of several teasers Roitfeld has used to create buzz about the magazine. The book's "Issue 0" appeared as an insert in a recent issue of V Magazine, and a behind-the-scenes video appeared online last month. Roitfeld and her magazine are also the focus of a documentary called Mademoiselle C, which is still in production.

Editor's Pick

This Week's Best Dressed

There were plenty of high-profile soirees to keep the fash pack on their toes this week.
Best Dressed Celebrities, Parties, and Models Week of July 16, 2012

There were plenty of high-profile soirees to keep the fash pack on their toes this week. In the UK, the Veuve Clicquot Gold Cup Final in West Sussex brought the likes of Christopher Kane, Henry Holland, and Jade Williams out in the rain for some good old-fashioned polo fun, while over in London, the European premiere of The Dark Knight Rises brought stunning looks from Marion Cottilard and Anne Hathaway.

In New York, Sergio Rossi creative director Francesco Russo joined Barneys in feteing the opening of its freshly-renovated shoe floor; Rachel Chandler and Filipa Fino were among the well-heeled who joined Simon Doonan to ogle the designer offerings whilst noshing on tiny ice cream cones. Across town and later that same evening, Hudson jeans celebrated the release of its Cabaret campaign with a party hosted by the campaign's star, Georgia May Jagger. A dj set by Au Revoir Simone and a live performance by Dragonette kept guests Leigh Lezark and Aimee Ruby dancing all night long.

But perhaps the most talked-about event of the week was Louis Vuitton's Shanghai takeover. In honor of the reopening on the brand's giant China flagship store, Marc Jacobs not only shipped over the brand's Fall 2012 show-opening locomotive, he also whisked over a gaggle of super-chic guests. Among them? Derek Blasberg, Alexa Chung, Poppy Delevigne, Clemence Poésy, and Candace Lake.

A peek at all that — plus looks from Diane Kruger, Mischa Barton, and more — here in the slideshow.

2012 Olympics

Gisele Bundchen's Birthday, Kate Moss's New Cover, and Vivienne Westwood's Vanity

Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.



Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

  • Gisele Bundchen celebrates her 32nd birthday today. [W Magazine]

  • Kate Moss covers the August issue of Harper's Bazaar Ukraine, wearing clothing by Roberto Cavalli and Salvatore Ferragamo in an image shot by Terry Richardson. [Fashion Foie Gras]

  • Madonna's younger brother Christopher Ciccone will show his first collection of footwear during London Fashion Week in September. Buyers have been told to expect "a welcome reprieve to the often unwearable designs of late." [Vogue UK]

  • Not to be outdone by Ralph Lauren or Stella McCartney, Salvatore Ferragamo has designed a set of Olympic uniforms for the Republic of San Marino. [The Daily Telegraph]

  • Is Dame Vivienne Westwood a vain woman? No. "I look in the mirror in the morning, I put my makeup on, and I think about how old I'm getting, and then I forget about it and that's that. I'm just quite happy and satisfied with myself," she says. "Actually, I think I look my best." [Interview]

  • Those who can't attend the physical Barneys Warehouse Sale (in New York from Aug. 23 to Sept. 3) will be able to shop the sale online for the first time this year. [Racked]

  • Kate Spade's senior director of creative Katia Kuethe says the brand doesn't need celebrity endorsements. "I think the whole celebrity thing has become very formulaic: the idea of using a celebrity just for the sake of using one," she says. [The Cut]
Louis Vuitton

Peter Copping on Muses, French Women, and It Bags

In the three years since Peter Copping was appointed creative director of Nina Ricci, his ultra-feminine collections have restored some of the house's former glory.



In the three years since Peter Copping was appointed creative director of Nina Ricci, his ultra-feminine collections have restored some of the house's former glory. In a recent interview, Copping discusses the women he designs for — and how his clothing works for them.

On his customers: "I like that women of all ages can take my clothes and project their own personality onto them. I like a total look on some women, but mostly I like it when the clothes are broken down and different pieces are added to the overall effect."

On keeping things light: "There's a lightness to all of my clothes because I believe that women don't want to be burdened with heavy fabrics. Quite often I will even leave my coats unlined and if a woman is chilly, then she will layer her clothing. I will admit that much of my clientele has the sort of jet-set lifestyle that allows them to wear light clothes all the year round!"

On French women: "In France, women always refer to each other's weight in the first greeting. If they tell you 'Oh, you look well,' it's code for 'oh, you look fat.' By contrast, 'You've lost weight' is the highest praise."

On the women who inspire him: "I don't have a muse. I like to stay away from the idea of creating for one specific woman or one particular sort of dressing. I love the red carpet, but I don't want just to be linked to that. Of course, I thought that Diane Kruger, who I recently dressed for Cannes, looked almost perfect in Nina Ricci!"

On working for Marc Jacobs: "I had a very good apprenticeship in my 12 years at Louis Vuitton. By the time I left, I was the design director of the studio, overseeing the womenswear team. That's how Marc Jacobs works: he trusts you and he gives people the freedom to do their job to the best of their ability."

On It bags: "I think the concept of the 'It' bag is nauseating, which is why it's taken me some time to get around to bags properly. Of course, any major fashion house should have accessories, but they need to relate to the clothing and be a progression of and extension of the clothing line. Everything must be in context. I hope that our new 'La Rue' bag exemplifies my theory."

Photo: The Nina Ricci La Rue bag, with flowers illustrated by Jo Ratcliffe.

Peter Som

Peter Som Leaves Consulting Role For Tommy Hilfiger

Peter Som has left his role as a consultant for Tommy Hilfiger's women's runway collections and accessories after five seasons.

Peter Som has left his role as a consultant for Tommy Hilfiger's women's runway collections and accessories after five seasons. Both Som and representatives for Hilfiger called the departure "mutual and amicable" and intimated that Som could still work for the brand in the future.

"It was a pleasure getting to know Tommy personally, and an honor to work with him — he has been a wonderful mentor," Som said in a statement. "I look forward to focusing on my own business and the other opportunities I have ahead of me."

Som had been working with the brand since 2009, when he was brought in to help refresh the label's image. From now on, members of Hilfiger's in-house team will replace the work Som did on the collections.

Meanwhile, Simon Spurr — who has been consulting on Hilfiger's men's collections for the past three seasons — will continue his work with the brand.

Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs on Fashion's Place in Politics

After drawing the ire of Chinese consumers with a line of products bearing the slogan "Free Tibet," Marc Jacobs says designers should be cautious when mixing their products with political messages.



After drawing the ire of Chinese consumers with a line of products bearing the slogan "Free Tibet," Marc Jacobs says designers should be cautious when mixing their products with political messages.

"I guess politics and fashion, you've always got to be a bit careful because somebody's going to get offended or somebody's going to feel it isn't right," Jacobs said at a recent restaging of his Fall 2012 show for Louis Vuitton in Shanghai. "I don't want to sound stupid or ignorant or anything, but I spend my time in the studio choosing fabric and colors and trying to figure out what we're going to make . . . If you want to avoid controversy, you just don't do [political] things like that."

A series of Marc by Marc Jacobs bags and t-shirts in support of the Tibetan Freedom Coalition prompted users of Facebook and Weibo — China's answer to Twitter — to boycott Jacobs's products. "John Galliano was fired by Dior because of his anti-semitic comments," said one Facebook group that backed the boycott. "We Chinese should also unite to let MJ to apologize and withdraw all the bags and T-shirts with 'Free Tibet' prints." Jacobs said the offending products are no longer in production.

In the past, Jacobs's products haven't shied away from political statements. He's made t-shirts and other items showing support for gay marriage and for President Obama's reelection campaign. In 2006, the Marc by Marc Jacobs store in San Francisco put up a window display that read "Worst President Ever!" referring to then-commander-in-chief George W. Bush.

Editor's Pick

Miu Miu's New Glitter Shoes Are Here

Looking for the perfect flat to wear this Fall?
Miu Miu Fall 2012 Shoes

Looking for the perfect flat to wear this Fall? Look no further. Miu Miu's latest batch of glitter shoes have arrived, and — with their boyish tassels and slightly pointed toe — they're pretty adorable. But what if the twinkle toe look is not your thing? No worries. They also come in neutral-hued patent and tonal blue printed python skin. Available online and in select Miu Miu boutiques now.