Posts for September 25th 2012

Hermes Artist Kermit Oliver Is a Reclusive Texan

Link Time Sep 25, 2012

Hermès's Texas Postman, Condé Nast's Groundbreaking New Editor, and Tom Ford's 007 Moment

Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

by Justin Fenner

Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

Artist Kermit Oliver has designed a handful of luxurious silk scarf prints for Hermès — like the above work, titled "Faune et Flore du Texas" — since the late '80s, but he pays his bills working the night shift at the post office in Waco, TX. [Texas Monthly]
Keija Minor became the first African American editor in chief at a Condé Nast publication when the publishing house announced she would replace Anne Fulenwider at Brides. Fulenwider is now the head editor at Marie Claire, replacing Joanna Coles, who left to lead Cosmopolitan. [Fashionista]
Actress Emma Watson is "over the actor-designer thing," she says. "Models are actresses and actresses are models and actresses are designing sofas and it's crazy." [Nylon]
Tom Ford says dressing Daniel Craig for the new James Bond movie, Skyfall, was a great opportunity, but not too much of a challenge. "We didn't really modify our suits, as James Bond is a bit like our guy — classic and extremely elegant," says Ford. [Vogue UK]
"I don't like pants. I find they're less tomboyish," explains model Charlotte Kemp Muhl. "If I want to pee on the side of the road — which I do all the time — it's going to take way longer if I'm in pants." [StyleLikeU]

Photo via Piasa.

Karl Lagerfeld M Magazine Fall 2012 Interview

Karl Lagerfeld Sep 25, 2012

Karl Lagerfeld Doesn't Like Wearing Sweaters, Suspenders, or Flip-Flops

In the ambition-themed relaunch issue of M Magazine, Karl Lagerfeld says his greatest ambition is "to be impeccably dressed" — and perhaps that's why he has such particular rules about dressing himself.

by Justin Fenner

In the ambition-themed relaunch issue of M Magazine, Karl Lagerfeld says his greatest ambition is "to be impeccably dressed" — and perhaps that's why he has such particular rules about dressing himself.

During a Q&A with the men's quarterly, available this week, Lagerfeld runs down a laundry list of things he won't wear, including t-shirts, hats, and hoodies. "With my hairdo, I can't wear hoods," he explains. A look at what else isn't in the Kaiser's closet, below.

On sweaters: "I don't wear sweaters a lot. I don't know why. I prefer woven material. It feels cleaner. When I wear knits, I have the feeling I get sloppy. For me it is too soft. I like hard wear. I like clothes with discipline, because I think you get more disciplined if you dress yourself in a disciplined way."

On vests and suspenders: "I don't like to wear waistcoats very much anymore. I hate to have something on the stomach. And I hate to wear suspenders. I have the feeling I'm wearing a bra."

On why he only wears custom-made Massaro boots: "Shoes have to be like gloves: flawless, impeccable. I hate sloppy footwear. What I hate most is flip-flops. I'm physically allergic to flip-flops."

Missoni and Converse Create One-of-a-Kind Collaboration

Converse Sep 25, 2012

Missoni and Converse Collaborate on One-of-a-Kind Shoes

Of the six seasons Missoni has been working with Converse, the two brands' newest partnership may have yielded their most exciting products yet.

by Justin Fenner

Of the six seasons Missoni has been working with Converse, the two brands' newest partnership may have yielded their most exciting products yet. Twenty deadstock fabrics from the Missoni archives have been applied to Converse's iconic Pro Leather and Auckland Racer shoe designs, and will be sold at Colette in Paris starting this Friday, Sept. 28 — just in time for Paris Fashion Week. The unisex shoes are available in sizes 5 to 12, and will retail for €400 (about $520 at current exchange).

And if the inventive pairing of design and form didn't make this collaboration noteworthy enough, Converse enlisted artist Gary Card to create a special display for the shoes. A look at the products — and how they'll be displayed — here in the gallery.

Photos courtesy of Converse.

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fashion week Sep 25, 2012

Anthony Vaccarello Spring 2013

Anja Rubik, Karlie Kloss, Arizona Muse, Cara Delevingne, Joan Smalls, and Constance Jablonski were all easy smiles and casual merriment as they prepared for the Anthony Vaccarello show.

by Christina Perez

Anja Rubik, Karlie Kloss, Arizona Muse, Cara Delevingne, Joan Smalls, and Constance Jablonski were all easy smiles and casual merriment as they prepared for the Anthony Vaccarello show. In fact, the vibe backstage was so relaxed, despite the mob of photographers and the swarm of stylists surrounding each girl, the scene felt more like a group of friends getting ready for a night out than the moments before Paris Fashion Week's first major show. Perhaps the location — a cavernous space under the Cité de la Mode et du Design next to the Seine — had something to do with it. More likely, though, it was Vaccarello's sexy take on citified sportswear for Spring 2013 that had the models feeling so good.

In a crisp palette of black and white cotton and silk — and later, liquid-like lamé and metallic animal prints — the collection was filled with pieces that exude a certain youthful confidence. Miniskirts and one-shoulder dresses were draped and gathered in body-hugging layers around the hips and thighs, while asymmetrical cropped tops showed off the mid-drift. And though there were plenty more of Vaccarello's signature skin-revealing elements on display — thigh-high slits, cutouts, whisper-thin straps — the designer tempered them with crisp tailoring, cargo pockets, zips, epaulets, oversize grommets on boxy blouses, slouchy trousers, and double-breasted blazers.

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Giorgio Armani Sep 25, 2012

Young Giorgio Armani Didn't Work Hard, as He "Was Quite Good Looking"

"Up until I was about 30 to 32-years-old, I used to potter around doing a small job at a department store," Giorgio Armani said recently.

by Justin Fenner

"Up until I was about 30 to 32-years-old, I used to potter around doing a small job at a department store," Giorgio Armani said recently. "I used to coordinate what went into the window or other store tasks. And I didn't have to work very hard — because, well, I was quite good looking. The female managers in the shop used to favor me, making things really easy for me."

So when did Armani become the tireless businessman he is today? "I realized that I couldn't and didn't want to go on living like that — on the fringes of a beautiful profession, without working hard, without risking, without standing up for it," he said. "I had to somehow wake up and doing this made me into who I am today."

Street Style Sep 25, 2012

Milan Fashion Week Street Style — Spring 2013 Edition

Mixed-up prints, bright hues, and vertiginous shoes — so far there's been so much eye candy on the streets of Milan that it's hard to even know where to look.

by Christina Perez

Mixed-up prints, bright hues, and vertiginous shoes — so far there's been so much eye candy on the streets of Milan that it's hard to even know where to look. It also doesn't hurt that some of the industry's best-dressed players are all in attendance: Anna Dello Russo, Elisa Nalin, Kate Lanphear, Natalie Joos, Giovanna Battaglia, and more. Click through to peek the best styles of Milan Fashion Week, and be sure to check back soon — we'll be adding more chic looks just as soon as they come in.

Cover Photo: Getty

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