Posts for January 25th 2013

Sundance Film Festival

This Week's Best Dressed: Couture Edition

Not your average Fashion Week crowd.
Street Style and Celebrities at Couture Week & Sundance 2013

Not your average Fashion Week crowd. Those who attend the twice-yearly Couture shows in Paris give added meaning to the idea of haute, and the guests at this week's shows were absolutely no exception.

From Daphne Guinness in her signature bespoke finery to Elena Perminova in a showstopping array of bold florals — not to mention the polished ensembles of visiting Hollywood stars Jessica Alba, Diane Kruger, and Chloë Moretz — there was so much finery on display that the snowy gardens of the Tuileries and imposing steps of the Grand Palais were like mini fashion shows all on their own.

Click through for a recap of all the very best looks from the week in Paris, and, since no best-dressed list would be complete without a little insight into Hollywood's elite, there's also a healthy helping of the chicest looks from Sundance and more. It's all right here, in the slideshow.

Shopping

Shop It Now: Joanna Hillman's Limited-Edition Blazer Collab

Street-style star Joanna Hillman has infused her signature taste into two blazers she created with master tailor Martin Greenfield.

Street-style star Joanna Hillman has infused her signature taste into two blazers she created with master tailor Martin Greenfield.

Greenfield, who's created suits for everyone from Rag & Bone to President Bill Clinton, teamed up with Hillman to produce the limited-edition blazers for Edition01. The Joanna, a deep burgundy two-button affair with a black lapel, is lined in lace. The Hillman is a cropped tuxedo jacket in navy blue with white lapels.

Both are made to order and are available for preorder on ShopBazaar.com. A look at the jackets here in the gallery.

Related: Joanna Hillman Named Style Director of Harper's Bazaar

Photo courtesy Edition01

fashion week

Coco Rocha's Sassy Social Takeover and Vivienne Westwood's Dancing Dresses

Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.



Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

  • Next week, Coco Rocha will take over the website and social media channels of Sass & Bide, where she'll share self-styled looks as well as pictures shot with her own camera. [Vogue UK]
  • Vivienne Westwood lent the English National Ballet some of her most dramatic gowns for dancers to wear in its new ad campaign. [WWD]
  • Not to be outdone by Virgin Airlines' partnership with Banana Republic, American Airlines has enlisted Kaufman Franco to design uniforms for its entire staff. [Styleite]
  • Bernard Arnault has moved the bulk of his fortune from France to a private foundation based in Belgium in an attempt to prevent LVMH from breaking up if he dies in the next 10 years. [The Financial Times]
  • In time for Valentine's Day, Fleur du Mal is offering custom monogrammed lingerie. [Fashionologie Inbox]
  • In a cease-and-desist letter, PETA has asked Bebe to uphold its 2008 decision to stop selling fur. The animal rights organization claims the brand still sells items that include animal skins. [Fashionista]
  • Henry Holland says his casual attitude toward his Twitter account aligns with his brand's desire to be "open, inclusive, and something people want to buy into." [Refinery29]
  • With Fashion Week right around the corner, Fern Mallis revisits how falling plaster helped the industry organize its shows. [ArtInfo]


Photo via Sass & Bide

Spring 2013

Ulyana Sergeenko Couture Spring 2013

Ulyana Sergeenko said her Spring 2013 Couture collection was inspired by classic American tales like Gone With the Wind.

Ulyana Sergeenko said her Spring 2013 Couture collection was inspired by classic American tales like Gone With the Wind. But long before her answer to Scarlett O'Hara's famous green curtain dress came down the runway, Sergeenko had already reaffirmed her commitment to storytelling by pairing her gowns with straw hats and parasols. One model even had a sack on a stick slung over her shoulder.

The clothes themselves spoke to the aesthetic that made Sergeenko an international street-style star. After all, she's one of her own best customers, and even pieces that looked like they were made from burlap were nipped in at the waist with full skirts. But what elevated Sergeenko's second couture effort were small details, like crochet embroidery (one example, attached to a white blouse, depicted dancing cats) and hand-painted porcelain buttons.

Rachel Zoe

Rachel Zoe's TV Show Addresses Rumored Business Woes

A trailer for the new season of The Rachel Zoe Project, which premieres on March 6, sheds some light on rumors that its star's clothing line had lower-than-expected sales last year.



A trailer for the new season of The Rachel Zoe Project, which premieres on March 6, sheds some light on rumors that its star's clothing line had lower-than-expected sales last year.

After following Zoe to Fashion Week in New York and Paris, camera crews capture Zoe getting bad news about the health of her label's sales.

"A lot of the pieces that go down the runway don't do well on a retail floor," says one of Zoe's associates about halfway through the teaser. Later, the stylist's husband and business partner, Rodger Berman, says, "I just want it to be commercially viable, that's all. . . . The legitimacy of our company is really at stake."

In August, Page Six reported that consumer interest in Zoe's line had "peaked" and that her show might not return to Bravo. But shortly after the network confirmed a fifth season of The Rachel Zoe Project, Zoe dismissed any speculation that her line was underperforming. "My business is up significantly. Just launched jewelry, things are going well," she said at the FABB conference in New York. "None of those points from the NY Post article were true, and it got picked up by everyone. Our retailers didn't even blink, though, because they know the truth."

Perhaps that confident statement means whatever caused concerns about Zoe's business was resolved. A look at the trailer, below.

Related: Rumor: Are Sales of Rachel Zoe's Clothing Line on the Decline? (Update)

Related: Rachel Zoe Fall 2012