fashionologie

Sophie Theallet Takes Home 2009 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Win

fashionologie — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:48:45 -0800

>> Last night, with the help of keynote speaker Alber Elbaz, who doled out gems on the perils of success - "It's like a bottle of perfume. You smell it, you don't sniff it or drink it" - Alaia veteran and Michelle Obama favorite Sophie Theallet took home the 2009 Vogue/Fashion Fund prize of $200,000 and a year of mentoring. Fellow nominees Patrik Ervell and Monique Pean were named runners-up, and received $50,000 each plus a business mentor.

In her speech, Anna Wintour said that in addition to the US, Italy, and the UK - which just started a similar talent-nurturing program - she just met with the French minister of culture about mirroring the contest there. "And Brazil, India, Russia, and China aren't far behind."

Theallet Tweeted of her win: "my american dream comes true tonight thanks and much love to all of you!xox." Cathy Horyn, too, weighed in on the choice:

"The money and the mentoring will help Ms. Theallet because she needs to be able to offer more range in her collection, as well as expand her production options. She has such a distinctly feminine eye, and the skills, that I’ve often wondered why a big retailer doesn’t ask Ms. Theallet to design some blouses and summer dresses for them, using the store’s resources and manufacturing connections."

Videos of the nominees going through the competition and the awards ceremony last night can be seen here and here, respectively.

fashionologie — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:28:52 -0700

>> Bee Shaffer Moves on From Theater to Media Assistant -Last thing we heard, Bee Shaffer was interested in doing a theater production and was planning on interning at the Manhattan Theatre Club starting in September. Seems she's still bent on avoiding fashion, but has switched gears by becoming assistant to College Humor co-founder Ricky Van Veen, who's getting ready to embark on a TV and web-programming company under the guidance of Barry Diller. Which means she hasn't totally escaped fashion, seeing as Diller is husband to Diane von Furstenberg . . . [Guest of a Guest, Gawker]

Alexander Wang Takes His Spring 2010 After Party to a Gas Station

fashionologie — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 22:09:29 -0700

>> 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.

The September Issue Premiere: All About Anna Wintour

fashionologie — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:57:50 -0700

>> Last night, Anna Wintour hosted a premiere of The September Issue (which opens Aug. 28 in NYC, Sept. 11 nationwide), and no one dared be late. Arrivals were scheduled to start at 7 pm, but Anna appeared and was joined (despite all the digs about her appearance she receives in the film) by September 2007 cover girl Sienna Miller promptly at 6:45 pm. Even Sean Combs and entourage, when realizing they were late, "sprinted across the lobby," the New York Observer reports.

Despite the general consensus that the film's true star is Grace Coddington, last night was all about Anna. Grace and Andre Leon Talley both avoided being photographed on the red carpet, and it appears that Vogue staffers were required to wear t-shirts for Fashion's Night Out (Anna's pro-shopping pet project) to the event. Grace did comment on her portrayal in the film, however:

I hate to say it, but true to life! A very annoying person. But it’s not really bickering. It’s a process you have to go through for the job we do and it just makes everything stronger. Whatever gets through is then very valid and very strong. I think they focused on me in the movie because I’m a bit more outspoken and because I don’t care about the cameras, I’ll say whatever I want to say and I won’t hold back.

Bee Shaffer, who attended in Proenza Schouler and reminded her mother to put on her sunglasses while on the red carpet (which Anna duly did), thought her own scene in the film was "so embarassing":

It’s funny because that was two years ago and I wanted to go to law school then and that’s basically all I’m talking about and now I don’t want to go to law school at all so . . . [I] still don’t want to work in fashion, that was never a possibility. Now I’d like to work in theater.

Marc Jacobs, who was apparently speaking with a French accent, had his own Anna tribute to share. "She’s a risk-taker unafraid of taking chances. She doesn’t suck up,” he said. “And she’s been very good to me on a personal level as well. When I was having some personal problems, Anna was always there for me. She’s very maternal and caring to people she cares about."

fashionologie — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:40:22 -0700

>> INSIDER WIRE -Back in 2007 during the filming of The September Issue, Bee Shaffer said the fashion industry was just not for her and that she was thinking about law school instead, but fast forward to a post-grad trip to Venice and her plans have changed: "Right now I am looking for a job, but I also want to study acting." Apparently, she's thinking David Mamet's Atlantic Theatre Company. [FWD]

Venice Biennale Overflowing with Fashion Figures and Their Families

fashionologie — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:09:06 -0700

>> Where art goes, fashion is soon to follow, and with the contemporary arts Biennale going on in Venice right now, there are plenty of designers, editors, and even models in town. On Wednesday, Olympia Scarry’s installation brought out Patrick Demarchelier, Vogue Russia's Aliona Doletskaya, and POP's Dasha Zhukova, as well as Justin Portman and Natalia Vodianova, the latter whose face was reflected in a luminated, aged sketch on display called Dorian Gray, by artist Dasha Fursey.

Naomi Campbell and boyfriend Vladislav Doronin stopped by a lunch for the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art, and popped up again yesterday at the opening of Francois Pinault's new museum, the Punta della Dogana. Stella McCartney was there with husband Alasdhair Willis to support her financier in his new endeavor, as were Franca Sozzani and Marc Jacobs, always the fan of contemporary art, who apparently kept exclaiming, "This place rocks."

Meanwhile, down the river, Angela Missoni held her annual party on boyfriend Bruno Ragazzi's yacht. It was quite the family and friends affair: Angela's daughters Margherita and Teresa, plus son Francesco were all mingling, Franca Sozzani brought son Francesco Carrozzini, and Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld arrived with Carine Roitfeld, who neglected to follow the rest in taking her lace-up shoes off: "It would just take too long to undo them." Bee Shaffer was sans Anna Wintour, but Jefferson Hack brought fiancee Anouck Lepere.

Even those who aren't in Venice in person are there in spirit - Mario Testino sent one of his art consultants to scout the exhibition.

More Details from The September Issue Vogue Documentary Featuring Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington

fashionologie — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:49:01 -0700

>> Despite screening in January at the Sundance Film Festival, details on Vogue documentary The September Issue - with the exception of a short clip - have been kept largely under wraps. A group of British fashion insiders who have seen the 90-minute special are under strict embargo not to discuss it until it is screened at the Edinburgh festival on June 22, and the movie doesn't hit theaters until September 11, but Fashion Week Daily got their hands on a screener and has plenty of details on the film, which features Anna Wintour, the "pope" as Style.com's Candy Pratts Price calls her, and creative director Grace Coddington, or "without question, the greatest living stylist there is," according to fashion news and features director Sally Singer. The highlights, as relayed by FWD:

Anna's apparently not a fan of black . . .

"I wonder if Anna would like this one?" Grace Coddington muses, flipping through pieces. "It's black," someone points out. "That's true," Grace says. "You'd get fired for that."

. . . And perhaps not Stefano Pilati, either?

We watch her drop in for walk-through with Karl Lagerfeld and Stefano Pilati, with whom she is surprisingly (not so surprisingly?) short. What, no color in this collection, Stefano? No evening?

But she pushes for more Olivier Theyskens/Nina Ricci representation in the magazine.

Mario [Testino]'s film from the cover shoots comes back, and Anna is not pleased. There aren't enough clothes, there isn't enough Nina Ricci, and where are the Colosseum shots? She looks through the cover options, and leaves a note on one, where Sienna [Miller] is flashing a grin: "like this best, but teeth."

Terrorizing assistants, angering Grace, and what's next for Bee . . . »

fashionologie — Tue, 19 May 2009 15:42:22 -0700

>> INSIDER WIRE -Anna Wintour has a big day tomorrow: her daughter Bee Shaffer is graduating from Columbia, and Anna's joining New York Mayor Bloomberg at City Hall tomorrow for the retail initiative announcement she hinted at last week. The program, called "Fashion's Night Out," will take place on Sept. 10 at the beginning of New York Fashion Week: stores all over New York are being asked to stay open late and throw parties open to the public; designers, meanwhile, are expected to make appearances at their own stores and at some department stores. [Columbia, City Room]

2009 Costume Institute Gala Arrivals Have Started!

fashionologie — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:10:20 -0700

>> It's official Costume Institute Gala time: Anna Wintour is already snubbing press in her black and white Chanel, Bee Shaffer has already had help navigating in her sheer navy chiffon Nina Ricci gown, and Andre Leon Talley who is wearing "20 pounds" of Roger Vivier jewelry, has already exclaimed "Goddess" upon sight of Kate Moss.

Gisele Bundchen has arrived in sequined Atelier Versace minidress - she says she picked it out herself and they had to make it two inches shorter for her. Meanwhile, Eva Mendes grabbed Amber Valletta's booty on the red carpet, and Shalom Harlow, Amber, Natalia Vodianova, Eva Herzigova, and Stella Tennant have made a red carpet block while they stop to exchange air kisses.

UPDATE: More designer and model pictures have been added to the gallery!
*image: source, source, WENN.com

fashionologie — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:13:17 -0700

>> INSIDER WIRE -The television powers-that-be seem to be obsessed with giving fashion-centric brunettes some small screen time devotion - first MTV works it out with Daisy Lowe and Alexa Chung, and now two more - apparently Bee Shaffer has been approached to do a reality show (which doesn't seem like something she'd say yes to) and Samantha Pleet just wrapped shooting something for TV - though details are under wraps. [Refinery29 Twitter, The Pipeline, WMIG]
*image: source