fashionologie

Royal Mail Releases Great British Fashion Stamps

Justin Fenner — Tue, 15 May 2012 11:23:27 PDT

Britain's post offices are about to get a lot more chic. The Royal Mail today released a collection of 10 stamps in honor of the country's biggest fashion influencers.

Photographer Solve Sundsbo shot images of clothes from Alexander McQueen, Zandra Rhodes, Vivienne Westwood, and other designers and retailers for the series of first-class stamps. The stamps will surely lend style to any envelopes they're stuck on, but they also carry an important message about Britain's place in fashion history. Sir Norman Hartnell, for example, designed clothes for Queen Elizabeth II that helped inspire Christian Dior's New Look, and the influential boutique Granny Takes a Trip counted The Beatles and the Rolling Stones among its first customers.

A look at the entire series of stamps in the gallery.

Photos Courtesy of the Royal Mail.

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Sarah Burton and Spanx Inventor Sarah Blakely Named to Time 100 List

fashionologie — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 08:04:27 PDT

>> Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen and Spanx inventor Sarah Blakely are the only two names in fashion to land on Time's annual list of the world's 100 most influential people.

Burton famously designed the wedding dress Kate Middleton wore when she married Prince William last year, and has been running Alexander McQueen since its founder Lee McQueen committed suicide in 2010. In the entry accompanying Burton's name, Sarah Jessica Parker - a longtime McQueen supporter - celebrates Burton's dedication to her craft. "She thinks about women and art and stories, weaves her tale into the future of fashion," Parker writes. "On the runway she is inspired."

Journalist Katie Couric penned Blakely's entry, in which she jokingly points out that Blakely doesn't need to wear her own waist-slimming products. "Poor thing," Couric writes, "She was a size 2 when the idea hit her."

The list honors other fashionable women who aren't in the industry - Viola Davis, Claire Danes, Rihanna, Adele, Pippa Middleton, and Kate Middleton are all included. An increase to two fashion names on the list is an improvement over last year; in 2011, Tom Ford was the only designer on the Time 100.

But Time hasn't forgotten about the runway set. The magazine recently released a list of the world's 100 greatest fashion icons, which includes Anna Wintour, Naomi Campbell, Steven Meisel, and Coco Chanel, among others.

Photo: The finale of Alexander McQueen's Fall 2012 show.

When Sarah Burton Lied to Anna Wintour, Analyzing the Modeling Industry, and Kate Moss's 300 Covers

fashionologie — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:41:11 PDT

>> Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

Sarah Burton looked Anna Wintour straight in the eye and lied to her about her involvement with Kate Middleton's royal wedding dress - not a feat most designers could pull off. According to Hamish Bowles, the editor cornered Burton and asked her point blank whether or not she was designing it, and Burton said no. "Anna was telling everyone, 'Sarah told me she's not doing the dress, so she's not doing the dress,'" Bowles said. [The Cut]
A few other pieces of Alexander McQueen's creations are on display as part of the Victoria and Albert Museum's current exhibit, titled British Design 1948-2012: Innovation in the Modern Age. Among other items included in the exhibit is "a tattered Anarchy in the U.K. T-shirt designed by Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren." [Fashion Etc]
The Model Alliance today released an analysis of the modeling industry's working conditions and found that 68 percent of the models surveyed suffered from depression or anxiety, and 77 percent had been exposed to drugs and alcohol on the job. The analysis also revealed that 93 percent of models get their start in the industry before their 20th birthday. [The Fashion Spot]
Marissa Mayer is known as much for her position as one of the top female engineers at Google as she is for her penchant for designer clothing. "Oscar de la Renta is an amazing designer who works really well with color and detail which I think is something that's inspiring," she says. "When you want to treat yourself to something that's really beautiful, that really inspires you and captures your imagination, you should buy it." [BuzzFeed Shift]
Just how many issues of Vogue has Kate Moss covered? According to a new book, Kate Moss: The Making of an Icon, she's been on over 300 covers of international editions of the magazine, including her recent September 2011 cover of American Vogue. [Stylelist]

Alexander McQueen Fall 2012

fashionologie — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 15:56:13 PST

>> For Fall 2012, all the gorgeous, classic McQueen-isms were in place - hoof-like shoes, nipped-waists coats, drama to the umpth degree - but this season, Sarah Burton injected much more of her own viewpoint into the mix. It came in the form of lightness, volume, and shining optimism. Silhouettes were lush, round, and frothy, with mirror-like details and masses of floral appliqué. Dresses were done in blush-hued tiers of ruffles, coats were capped by whisper-light tufts of ivory fur, and skirts were covered in intricate doily laces. "It’s futurism with softness, not cold futurism," Burton explained.

With a collection as magical as this, Burton's future is so bright she might want to wear shades. Maybe that explains the giant, super-dark visors covering each model's face.

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McQ by Alexander McQueen Fall 2012

Christina Perez — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:09:21 PST

>> The first McQ show to grace London in so many years was marked by a triumphant - and theatrical - return. On a runway strewn with autumnal leaves and a set complete with a wintery forest, Sarah Burton offered up khaki colorblocked coats, embellished velvet frocks, full-skirted tartan, and fantastical tulle-and-flower confections. "A love story, a love of McQueen and a love of great British style - from military coats to overblown ball gowns," the show notes explained. And it was.

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Alexander McQueen Pre-Fall 2012

Christina Perez — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 19:02:34 PST

>> Sarah Burton culled influence from the Victorian era - particularly, the ultra-full circle skirts of that period - for Pre-Fall 2012. Also worked into the mix: the nipped-in waists of '50s couture, lush fabric motifs inspired by Elizabethan art, and exaggerated silhouettes that hint at the work of Charles James. "I've raised the waist, kept the peplum, but moved away from the pencil skirt," Burton explained.

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The New Online Arrivals We're Coveting This Week

Christina Perez — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:29:02 PST

>> The best of the new arrivals, all in one place. With the flood of Resort 2012 pieces taking over stores, a few Spring 2012 items trickling in, and all the Holiday 2011 items still lingering about, the shopping options this time of year seem nearly endless. So, which of the just-in pieces are topping our list this week? Think ponyhair pumps from Alexander McQueen, a hyper-floral shift from Erdem, and drool-worthy handbags from 3.1 Phillip Lim - just to name a few. Shop all those, plus more, here in the slideshow.

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Sarah Burton Takes Home the Big Prize at the 2011 British Fashion Awards

fashionologie — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 13:20:42 PST

>> This evening at London's Savoy Theatre, a who's who of British fashion gathered for The British Fashion Council's annual awards. Victoria Beckham, accepting her Designer Brand of the Year award from presenter Marc Jacobs, told the crowd, "I am SO nervous," before shedding a few tears and adding: "This is rubbish." Alexa Chung, who took home the British Style award - which is decided by a public vote - dedicated her award to "girls who dress like awkward boys." Kate Hudson, presenting Red Carpet Award to Stella McCartney, regaled the audience with an anecdote about the dress McCartney designed for her to wear to her first Oscars: "I wore Stella and made every worst-dressed list. The next day, I called Stella, and she said, 'Face it babe, it was the hair.'" And finally, Sarah Burton, who took home Designer of the Year, called the award "the icing on the cake for what has been an amazing year."

The full list of winners, below.

Designer of the Year: Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen

Menswear Designer of the Year: Kim Jones
Accessory Designer of the Year: Charlotte Dellal for Charlotte Olympia
Designer Brand of the Year: Victoria Beckham
Model of the Year: Stella Tennant
Emerging Talent, Womenswear: Mary Katrantzou
Emerging Talent, Menswear: Christopher Raeburn
Emerging Talent, Accessories: Tabitha Simmons
New Establishment Award: Christopher Kane
Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator: Sam Gainsbury, Gainsbury and Whiting
Red Carpet Award: Stella McCartney
Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Award: Paul Smith
British Style Award: Alexa Chung

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Kate Moss Once Almost Attended an Alexander McQueen Show Incognito, in a Wig

fashionologie — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 13:22:01 PST

>> Kate Moss and Alexander McQueen famously collaborated on an ethereal hologram video of Moss that appeared at the finale of McQueen's Fall 2006 show. Moss, who wasn't in attendance at the show, recently revealed that she never saw the video in person: "I never saw it when it was done . . . I was going to come in [to the show] with a wig on and pretend I wasn’t me, but then I decided no, I had better not go. I phoned up during the show - I was in Thailand - and I could hear everyone screaming." [Mr. Blasberg]

Add a Little Glamour to the Season With These Sparkly Clutches

Christina Perez — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 15:41:58 PST

>> Miniature minaudières and itty-bitty box bags get festive this season with rhinestones, glitter, and a heavy dose of sheen. Though they may be small in stature - just big enough for the necessities - these jazzed-up minis pack quite a style punch. Try Dolce & Gabbana's baroque pearl-and-gemstone-studded style (left) for a bit of '90s glam, or go girlie with Kate Spade's candy-colored jeweled version; both of those - plus more - here, in the slideshow.

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