>> Interior Designer to Alexander Wang, Now to the Models? —Last night, Natasha Poly, Victoria Traina, and Alexander Wang teamed up to celebrate the launch of interior designer (an co-owner of Edon Manor boutique) Ryan Korban's signature website at the Soho Grand Hotel. Korban and Wang have been close friends since they went to college together — they collaborate often, on Wang's offices, for one — and Natasha Poly's up next — Korban will be doing an apartment she has yet to buy. No doubt, he'll have more models than just Poly to add to his client list soon — we counted over 25 showing up to the fete, including Maryna Linchuk, who palled around with Poly, Jessica Stam, Hanne-Gaby Odiele, Mirte Maas, Olga Sherer, Iris Strubegger, and Rose Cordero. One more tidbit that Poly let fly: she may not be doing the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for the second year in a row — she has to choose between that or a shoot in Morocco. [Style.com, Modelinia]
Alexander Wang
Alexander Wang Talks Freja Beha Erichsen, Shoes that Make Girls Cry, and Halloween Plans
>> Yesterday afternoon, Alexander Wang — in black hoodie, white t-shirt, jeans, and dirtied-up white sneakers — spent two hours taking pictures and chatting with fans at his Spring 2010 Barneys trunk show in New York. Wang was Barneys' number one trunk show seller last season, according to his PR director Leslie Rubisch — the sales racked up during that period accounted for fifty percent of Barneys' total Alexander Wang delivery — sold, three months before it even hit the floor. Needless to say, he had some expectations to live up to this time around. Vogue got the scoop on which three Spring 2010 pieces were the best-sellers yesterday, and we chatted with Alex for further details:
What's your favorite piece from the Spring 2010 collection?
Hmm, that's difficult. [Rubisch leans in: "I'm curious to hear what you're going to say!"] I feel like every day I change my mind. But I always seem to come back to Freja [Beha Erichsen]'s look, she really knows how to bring an outfit to life, which is so important in a model for me.
Alexander Wang Takes His Spring 2010 After Party to a Gas Station
>> Alexander Wang may have changed up his collection's look for Spring 2010, but he's not about to lose his street cred. He partnered with Katie Grand and LOVE, rented out a Mobil gas station last night, and brought a crowd — which included Trish Goff, Daphne Guinness, L'Wren Scott, Erin Wasson, Vanessa Traina, plus fellow designers Esteban Cortazar and Gareth Pugh.
Despite the fact that the station's gas tanks were drained yesterday afternoon and the venue drenched with nonflammable suds, cigarettes were verboten; nicotine-dependent guests were constantly reminded with "Please stop smoking!" announcements. To take their minds off those forbidden cigarette, there were performances by both Courtney Love, who told the audience she received (ironically) a carton of cigarettes and a pair of shoes to play, and Santigold; plus guests had a free run of anything in the station's convenience store: Bee Shaffer took advantage of the candy aisle.
Alexander, for his part, seemed to be enjoying himself — he chatted up Lily Donaldson and Frankie Rayder, got down with Hanne Gaby Odiele (below), and jumped onstage and into Courtney Love's arms during her performance.
>> Vogue Cover Possibility for Rachel McAdams? — Is an upcoming Vogue cover — perhaps the January 2010 cover — in order for Rachel McAdams? She sat next to Anna Wintour at Alexander Wang today, then between Sally Singer and Virginia Smith at Altuzarra before heading to Boy/Band of Outsiders. Her next big movie, Sherlock Holmes, comes out Dec. 25, so a January 2010 cover would be right if it's in the cards . . .
Alexander Wang Evolves With Sportswear-Centric Spring 2010 Collection
>> Alexander Wang hinted recently that he was ready to evolve, telling W's September 2009 issue: "As soon as people get used to what you’re doing, you have to change direction." And evolve he did for Spring 2010: the look of his last few collections, with their body-clinging shapes and primarily black palettes, was replaced by a generally looser silhouette and all shades of khaki, tan, olive, and gray. He told WWD that Spring 2010 for him "is very much about classic American sportswear," and the idea is visible in pieces like a sweatshirt dress with football pad detailing (below) and all the shinguard-like socks cut out at the back of the calf.
But Wang didn't give up the sexy side of his label — there were plenty of bra tops, crop tops, and and lingerie-style shorts to go around. The house was unsurprisingly packed, with Katie Grand (Wang's after-party co-host), Terry Richardson, Olivier Zahm, Diane von Furstenberg (Alex's CFDA-appointed mentor), Erin Wasson, Devon Aoki, Liya Kebede, and Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin all front row. Frankie Rayder, Angela Lindvall, and Iselin Steiro walked, newcomer Mirte Maas opened, Karl Templer styled, and Wang's three styles of sunglasses debuted.
>> Frankie Rayder to Walk Alexander Wang; Erin Wasson's Mysterious A-List Guest, Musical Act — Alexander Wang is known to bring familiar model faces back into the runway mix for his show, and this season, rumors are going around that Frankie Rayder — who walked Michael Kors last season — will do his catwalk; her sister, Missy Rayder, recently posed for Wang's lookbook. Style.com promises that Erin Wasson's RVCA show tomorrow, too, will be "memorable . . . for reasons we mostly cannot elaborate" — she has a mysterious band playing and a mysterious A-List guest attending. [Style File, Style File]
Fashion Week Tidbits: Gareth Pugh NY-Bound, Alexander Wang and Katie Grand Teaming Up, and Shalom Harlom Bartending at Organic
>> New York Fashion Week is less than a week away, and the tidbits are flowing freely — a compilation of the highlights from the past couple of days:
Double (or Triple) Duty Presentations
- Gareth Pugh confirmed that he will be showing a video directed by Ruth Hogben on Sept. 13 to "set the mood for [his] catwalk show that will take place as usual in Paris." After the private showing, he'll screen the short film in public nearby — get your name on the guest list via MAC's Facebook page. [Style File]
- Temperley London is taking their interactive Spring 2010 multimedia presentation on the road for the second time, starting in New York Sept. 15 before evolving in format for London Fashion Week and then again in Paris, where it will become an exhibit. The film aspect, plus stills and a behind-the-scenes cut will be readily available online on Temperley's new website.
First look at Yoko Ono for threeASFOUR, and Karl Lagerfeld's attendance status answered »
>> First Look: Alexander Wang Sunglasses —We heard last week that Alexander Wang is adding sunglasses to the mix for Spring 2010 — they'll debut during his runway — and now we've got a peek. He's collaborating with Linda Farrow on the line, which includes "zipper hardware, catlike shapes, and bronzed resin frames." [Nylon]
UPDATE: The picture has been taken down at the request of Linda Farrow's PR, because it did not accurately "reflect Alex’s glasses’ spirit."
Fashion Week Tidbits: Marchesa Launches Handbags, Alexander Wang Is Thinking "Perv" for Spring 2010
>> New York Fashion Week is a little more than a week away, and the tidbits are flowing freely — a compilation of the highlights from the past few days:
Launches
- Marchesa is launching its first accessories — 28 clutches and evening bags (above); They will retail $995 to $5,000 and are made to coordinate with the mainline dresses. [WWD]
Andre Leon Talley, Helmut Lang, and Alexander Wang All Love The Golden Girls
>> Andre Leon Talley, self-professed "big proponent of the man-bag" and owner of a custom-made Diane von Furstenberg caftan, is also a big proponent of shopping high and low, he tells Time Out New York: "You cannot live your life in the elitist world of fashion and not step out or you’re disconnected. You have to realize that fashion is not the endgame. I started wearing Uggs two years ago. It’s a cozy shoe. Also, they’re only $98." In fact, at home, he wears "Juicy Couture shorts, a Ralph Lauren polo shirt and Uggs." But don't expect him to wear Crocs. "I draw the line at Uggs."
He took up horseback riding and tennis after Anna Wintour prompted him to lose weight, but isn't afraid to split a chocolate creme brulee "just for a taste!" When Time Out asked him if he though of the Vogue offices as "a mecca of skinniness," he responded:
The Vogue offices are full of what I call very annnnnnnngular women wearing stilettos, and maybe that’s just the consciousness — that people think that they need this look when they work at Vogue. But Grace Coddington does not fit that mold and she’s elegant. Look at Michelle Obama, she’s the most fashionable woman in America. But she’s not a fashion plate.
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