fashionologie

Stefano Tonchi to Be Named W's New Editor-in-Chief?

fashionologie — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 06:44:37 -0700

>> All those rumors last year of T editor Stefano Tonchi jumping ship to Conde Nast were apparently not for naught: Just a day after it was announced that longtime W editor Patrick McCarthy would be stepping down, Fashion Week Daily reports that an announcement of Tonchi as W's new editor-in-chief is expected imminently.

As launch editor of T, Tonchi has propelled the magazine "into the ad-rev stratosphere," as The Daily puts it; he was previously fashion creative director at Esquire.

WWD, meanwhile, says it also expects a new editor-in-chief to be named quickly, and cites Tonchi, Carine Roitfeld, Katie Grand, New York's Adam Moss, and former Men's Vogue editor Jay Fielden as frontrunners, although none would comment.

fashionologie — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:48:47 -0700

>> An Unnamed Industry Critic Consulting for Pay- A couple of weeks ago, there were questions about whether Carine Roitfeld's relationship soured with Balenciaga because of her consulting gigs for other brands; now, word comes that there's a fashion critic who has been illegally taking money for a brand consulting job, although no hints to the giving or receiving ends were mentioned. [Imaginary Socialite]

fashionologie — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:06:21 -0800

>> Team Vogue Paris "Blacklisted" from Balenciaga -After neither Carine Roitfeld nor any of the Vogue Paris staff appeared at Balenciaga yesterday morning; Roitfeld told WWD later in the day: “We’re blacklisted. It’s too bad, it’s a beautiful house and it’s French. I hope that it’s not forever.” She said that Balenciaga no longer advertises with Vogue Paris or lends the magazine clothes, but has given no reason for the rift. "Ask them." A Balenciaga spokesman declined comment, but a commenter on Fashionista noted that it may have something to do with Balenciaga's stylist, Marie-Amelie Sauve, who is no longer styling for the magazine. Vogue Paris hasn't had Balenciaga ads as far back as the October 2009 issue, although that issue did feature Balenciaga samples. [WWD, Fashionista, Fashin, Fashin]

Proenza Schouler Fall 2010: Graffiti Pants, Schoolgirl Skirts - And Anna Wintour Watching Without Her Sunglasses On

fashionologie — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:12:21 -0800

>> If you didn't get enough late '90s references at Alexander Wang, look to Proenza Schouler to fill your Fall 2010 quota. Newcomer Ann Kenny - who has the most arresting blue eyes - opened the show in high-waisted graffiti pants, made in collaboration with J Brand, and a shrunken navy toggle jacket. All the John Fleuvog-style curved platform heels and sheer thigh highs paired with full pleated school girl-style miniskirts must have caught Anna Wintour's attention - she sat next to Bee Shaffer the entire show, sunglasses-less (a first?), until the final runthrough when she finally put her trademark shades on.

Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez had the house packed: benches arranged around the X-shaped runway sat as many as they could possibly fit - with the likes of Pamela Love, Mary-Kate Olsen, Jen Brill, Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Carine Roitfeld (in green furry heels), Joseph Altuzarra, Lauren Santo Domingo, Vanessa Traina, Chloe Sevigny, Craig McDean, Terry Richardson, and Olivier Zahm all accounted for. Bass pumped through Milk Studios loud enough to shake the walls, while fuzzy printed flannel dresses and alpine knits evolved into razor-sharp cropped jackets and finally, patterned minidresses with bubble skirts and trapeze shapes.

Marie Chaix styled once again, and if you're a fan of straight-off-the-runway (many front-rowers had their PS 1 clutches handy), for the next 24-odd hours, two of the runway handbags are available for purchase. Post-show, a sight: Hamish Bowles, in his usual dapper suit, but instead of his usual brogues, his trousers stuffed into shiny black wellies. A video of the show can be seen here.

Altuzarra Fall 2010 Wows Well-Heeled Crowd with Sutured Suiting and Blood-Red Gowns

fashionologie — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 14:03:43 -0800

>> Joseph Altuzarra may have gone with an intimate presentation at Milk Studios last night, but his guest list packed a lot of punch. The Roitfeld clan was well-represented: Carine, Vladimir, and Julia were all there, with Vlad greeting his sister with a kiss on each cheek; his girlfriend, Giovanna Battaglia, and Julia von Boehm showed up, too. The Trainas were also out in full force: Victoria and Samantha sat next to Chad Muska (there to support girlfriend Vanessa Traina, who walked in the show for the second time and was listed in the program notes as an "advisor") and Alexander Wang, who was relaxing with his show behind him, enjoying a glass of white wine, and chatting to close friend and interior decorator to the models Ryan Korban. And then there was Anna Wintour, attending Altuzarra's show for the first time, who arrived early to have a chat with the designer backstage pre-show; after she took her seat, Carine smiled at Wintour as she passed.

Needless to say, Altuzarra did not disappoint. The designer, who pushed a looser silhouette last season when everyone else was hanging onto the hard-edged look interestingly decided to veer back that way now that everyone else is moving away. Inspired by Edward Scissorhands - the film's theme was played during the show - and the current sexualization of vampires, Altuzarra started out with a stream of black leather - accented with goat hair, slashed and then stitched up suture-style, belted multiple times across the waist, chest, back, wrists, and even thighs; Abbey Lee Kershaw was even suited up in a Catwoman-style leather bodysuit. Then came the blood red gowns, sparkling with Swarovski crystals and ending with Natasha Poly in the sophisticated version of a Little Red Riding Hood cape. The ankle-slashed boots were done in collaboration with Gianvito Rossi, and former Vogue Paris editor (and Carine's former assistant) Melanie Huynh did styling honors. Perhaps Bryanboy put it best when he said of the collection: "It's like raiding Carine's Closet."

Kate Moss Launches Longchamp Handbag Collection with a Bang - Lots of Zebra, Too

fashionologie — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 10:29:14 -0800

>> Last night to close out couture, Kate Moss held a launch party for her first Longchamp handbag collection at the Ritz Club in Paris. With zebra print everywhere - on the carpet, on the walls - which has become somewhat a signature for the line, featured in both the lining and a scarf that can be tied around the handbag strap, Moss and her silver-streaked hair were joined by the likes of boyfriend (maybe fiance?) Jamie Hince, Maryna Linchuk, Frida Gustavsson, Lauren Santo Domingo, Hamish Bowles, Giovanna Battaglia, Giambattista Valli, and Carine Roitfeld, who coincidentally wore a zebra print coat the day before.

Moss said of the collaboration: "'I've been working with Longchamp for a while - we just get on. It was a fabulous opportunity for me." She named the bags, out Feb. 11, The Glastonbury, after her favorite music festival, The Soho, and The Glouchester - prices start at $155 for a small purse, clutches are $490 to $780, handbags are $780 to $1,700, and weekend bags are $1,290 to $2,500. Already, a video of her campaign shoot has popped up - the ads will run with taglines like "Don't You Wish Your Bag Was Hot As Kate's?," "An Absolute Moss-have," "Kate Is Not A Plastic Bag," and "My Moss Bag Brings All The Boys To The Yard."

Jean Paul Gaultier Does Avatar-cum-Mexican Fiesta for Spring 2010 Couture

fashionologie — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 10:21:13 -0800

>> And then there was one. With Christian Lacroix off the couture schedule, Jean Paul Gaultier is the only French designer left creating couture for a major house. Braids melded into mohawks, couture cowboy boots, sombreros, palm frond clutches, gauchos . . . as Gaultier explained it: “I saw the Avatar and, like everyone, found it extraordinary. And from there I began thinking of nature and ecology, and the Latin American tropics; and from there it was not very far to Mexico.”

Pre-show, Anna Wintour's bodyguard almost knocked Carine Roitfeld over - the knocks just keep on coming - and to finish out the show, Mexican-raised Paris-based actress Arielle Dombasle serenaded the audience before joining Gaultier in his bow.

Anna Wintour Urges France to Better Support Fashion

fashionologie — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 10:29:41 -0800

>> Yesterday in between couture shows, Anna Wintour, Carine Roitfeld, and Hamish Bowles sat down with French industry minister Christian Estrosi for a half hour meeting Wintour requested. She told Estrosi that France doesn't do enough to support fashion and encouraged more support for young designers.

"She's right," Estrosi admitted during a press conference afterwards - for which Wintour wasn't present. "Everyone knows the role Anna plays in making New York a great fashion capital. My objective was to benefit from her experience."

So what's the solution? »

Dree Hemingway Dabbles in Acting

fashionologie — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 15:01:00 -0800

>> Dree Hemingway scored three top campaigns for the Spring 2010 season - Gianfranco Ferre, Valentino, and Jean Paul Gaultier (styled by Carine Roitfeld), natch. But perhaps less known is that for every one of those only-girl campaigns, she also wrapped three small film parts last year.

Her acting portfolio now includes a bit part in My Suicide, a "teen coming-of-age romantic dramedy about a media-obsessed geek and the most beautiful and twisted girl in school," in which she plays "Christian Girl #2." The movie, out in the United States Feb. 1, features mom Mariel Hemingway in one of the main roles. She also plays "School Girl #1" in Privileged, starring Twilight's Nikki Reed. Her largest role, as "Kristi," comes in The Truth About Angels, about "an ordinary guy [who] escapes his turbulent home life when he is invited to an exclusive Hollywood party by his movie star friend, only to discover that there's more to the glamorous world than meets the eye."

Loic Prigent's Habillees Videos Capture Anna Wintour Implying that Carine Roitfeld Should Better Support Young French Designers

fashionologie — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:46:44 -0800

>> During the Spring 2010 season, Loic Prigent, director of documentaries Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton, Signe Chanel, and The Day Before, and French TV personality Mademoiselle Agnes teamed up to film Habillees, chronicling the search for the next French design talent. The Sundance Channel uploaded the six Habillees webisodes this week, and the hour's worth of content features everyone from John Galliano taking his runway bow to Karl Lagerfeld waltzing to Nicholas Ghesquiere saying of his work: "Wearing Balenciaga is a choice. These clothes aren't easy to wear. They're not meant to be easy to wear."

When Pierre Berge, former partner of Yves Saint Laurent and president of ANDAM, which annually bestows 160,000 euros to designers under 40 seeking to expand their businesses in France - most recently awarded were Giles Deacon for 2009 and Gareth Pugh for 2008 - was asked by Mademoiselle Agnes who the next big French talent is, he replied: "No one."

But perhaps best of all are the scenes with Anna Wintour, who is shown exiting the Rochas show flanked by two bodyguards, one who brusquely nudges a woman out of the way. Just after, as Anna descends a set of stairs, the other bodyguard turns a flashlight on her feet so she can walk without fear of tripping in her heels. Later, Agnes catches up with Anna before the Balmain show to ask her how important she thinks it is to support young designers. Notice the subtle dig at Carine Roitfeld in Anna's response:

I think it's totally important for all of us in the American fashion industry to support the young designers, and I think that's why New York's become such a vibrant fashion center, because people go there not only to see the Donna Karans of the world but a whole new generation. I'm just so sorry that there isn't something like that in Paris that's similar. I think that they should look for the younger generation here [in Paris] as well. Not only New York but London really supports their young talent; Franca Sozzani at Italian Vogue supports the young Italian designers, and I think when France is so known for its fashion industry - for them not to be reaching out to help younger people today is really a shame. [Agnes: "And there's space in your pages for them."] There's space in everybody's pages.

The videos! (The Anna Wintour bit is in Part 5) »