fashionologie

2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Unveiled: Anja Rubik, Chanel Iman, and Anna Jagodzinska Work It

fashionologie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:16:47 -0800

>> Abbey Lee Kershaw wasn't feeling well backstage, neither was Eniko Mihalik, but they pulled it together to walk in the 2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which taped today in New York City - on a big, sparkly V-shaped runway - and will air on CBS Dec. 1. Many of the girls chatted about what they had for breakfast - coffee and fruit for many - but Anja Rubik, who was convinced to walk the show for the first time by good friends (and fellow walkers) Mayna Linchuk and Caroline Trentini, admitted: "I've decided this will be my starving day today."

This year's big surprise? Heidi Klum decided to walk for the twelfth show in a row, after all, six weeks after giving birth to her fourth child. Adriana Lima, on the other hand, who gave birth Sunday, sat this one out; Emanuela de Paula and Flavia Oliveira, rumored to walk, were also nowhere to be seen.

The show features five sections of twelve outfits each - this year's themes are Star Trooper, All Aboard, Pink Planet, Enchanted Forest, and Romantic Journey. As show stylist Charlotte Stockdale explains it: “We came up with the idea of this girl who lands from outer space in Paris. She gets on a train that comes to a halt in Pinkland, where pink girls get on and off. Then they go into this fairy-tale forest and little lady bugs and butterflies land on them and vines grow up on their clothes. Then, there’s Tick-Tock Time; the wings in this section are based on clocks - there’s one modeled after a pocket watch with metallic feathers. And she ends up in this regal realm of princess-ness, where the wings have Swarovski jewels and peacock feathers.”

Zac Posen, Alexander Wang, Carine Roitfeld (in Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent Fall 2002), and Patrick Demarchelier were all in attendance, and Chanel Iman tossed her handbag into the audience as she walked.

A Peek Backstage at the 2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

fashionologie — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:27:14 -0800

>> The likes of Chanel Iman and Dorothea Barth Jorgensen are already getting primped and prepped for the two tapings of the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show this afternoon - final cut airs Dec. 1 on CBS - but it seems like mood is light. When Caroline Trentini was asked for a photo backstage, she joked, "Sure! Want me to jump?"

Chanel Iman, meanwhile, prepared for her first Victoria's Secret catwalk by chatting with mentor Tyra Banks and doing a little research. “This might sound corny, but I went on YouTube and I did my homework by going and seeing the different years that Victoria’s Secret has had, the different shows and who did Victoria’s Secret, and studied their walks so that I can turn mine different from everyone else’s!”

More 2009 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show Cast Revealed - Including Liu Wen

fashionologie — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:44:12 -0800

>> One week from today, this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will be taping in New York City - so who's stepping foot on the runway?

In addition to nine Angels who are walking (not including Heidi Klum, who just had a baby and is hosting, and Adriana Lima, who is still pregnant), Modelinia has confirmed that Izabel Goulart, Isabeli Fontana, Erin Heatherton, Shannan Click, Caroline Winberg, and Flavia Oliveira are all returning from last year, Caroline Trentini is making her first appearance since the 2006 show, and Lyndsey Scott, Aminata Niaria, Lily Aldridge, Liu Wen (and new Angel Chanel Iman) are all walking for the first time. Liu's appearance marks the first by an Asian model since Ujjwala Raut walked the 2003 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Also rumored to be filling out the cast are returners Noemie Lenoir, Anne Vyalitsyna, and Ana Beatriz Barros.

Victoria's Secret Announces Newest Angels, Including Chanel Iman

fashionologie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:56:31 -0800

>> With Angel Heidi Klum just three weeks post-partum, fellow Angel Adriana Lima nearing the end of her pregnancy, and former Angel Karolina Kurkova just giving birth late last week, Victoria's Secret was bound to make some changes before their annual Fashion Show tapes on Nov. 19.

Heidi Klum is said to be hosting the event, which is back in New York City this year, and while non-Angel casting is always highly anticipated, five new faces now have a guarantee. In addition to Klum, Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Miranda Kerr, Marisa Miller, and Doutzen Kroes, the company has named Emanuela de Paula, Lindsay Ellingson, Candice Swanepoel, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, and Chanel Iman as their newest Angels - Iman has said in the past being an Angel was one of her modeling goals. First-time Angels are said to typically sign three-year contracts.

Donatella Brings that Versace Glamour to the Whitney Museum Art Gala

fashionologie — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:35:06 -0700

>> For the second year running, the Whitney Art Musem Gala was Donatella Versace's party. Editors - Olivier Zahm, Lauren Santo Domingo, Glenda Bailey - commingled with designers - Peter Som, Moises de la Renta, Ruffian's Claude Morais and Brian Wolk - and a smattering of models like Chanel Iman and Hana Soukupova. Christopher Kane's Versus designs even made an appearance - the Fall 2009 crystal shoes were on Byrdie Bell's feet, and Taylor Momsen - who seems to be close with the Versaces, particularly Allegra, changed into a black Spring 2010 Versus frock for the Studio Party post-Gala Dinner.

Donatella was fashionably late to the party - two hours in, she was nowhere to be found; perhaps she was still upstairs tending to VIPs - as was Lindsay Lohan, who swept in, all blonde hair and gold dress - earning comparisons to Donatella's trademark look. Lohan said she came "for Donatella" before beelining to Brian Atwood for a chat. Keeping with the "art chic" theme, the walls of one whole room at the party downstairs was covered in paper for guests to scribble on.

fashionologie — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:35:00 -0700

>> Jourdan Dunn Walks Spring 2010 Jean Paul Gaultier Runway Pregnant, Admits Used to Be on Not-Great Terms with Chanel Iman -In her seventh month of pregnancy - she's due with a boy in December - Jourdan Dunn hit her first catwalk so far this season over the weekend in a padded cone bra and baby bump plate for Jean Paul Gaultier. She's also appearing on Teen Vogue's November 2010 cover with Chanel Iman - inside, the latter admits they haven't "always been the best of friends": "Until recently, we barely even spoke. We went from being superclose in the beginning to dead silence if we saw each other backstage at a show." Jourdan chimes in: "It's competition. There aren't a lot of us, but instead of sticking together, we're pitted against each other. People will say things in Chanel's ear like, 'Jourdan is taking your spot,' and then they'll say to me, 'Don't trust Chanel.'" [Fashin, Teen Vogue]

Are Sessilee Lopez and Chanel Iman Having a Tiff?

fashionologie — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:49:44 -0700

>> Yesterday, Sessilee Lopez, who frequently Twittered, announced on the site, "sorry twitter but this is my very last tweet ... we had some good times and bad but now our relationship is over ... "; she's now deleted her account entirely. Many were left wondering why, but some now think that it may have to do with Chanel Iman.

Two days ago, Grazia reported from London Fashion Week, "Sessilee Lopez throwing a tantrum at Jeremy Scott and Nathan Jenden. 'No pictures please' but lots of tears and chair throwing! Not pretty." Later, they changed it out to read, "A certain model throwing . . ." Chanel Iman was backstage at Nathan Jenden, but was not at Jeremy Scott.

Sessilee's mom called Chanel out »

Jourdan Dunn Talks Pregnancy, the "Unnecessary Competition" Among Black Models, and Joins Sessilee, Chanel, and Arlenis in i-D

fashionologie — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 13:00:41 -0700

>> Jourdan Dunn, Sessilee Lopez, Chanel Iman, and Arlenis Sosa Pena reunited a year after the all-black issue of Vogue Italia to shoot the September 2009 cover of i-D under a railroad arch and next to a go-kart track in East London.

Jourdan is pregnant (she's due in December - with a boy, according to Sessilee) and chats with i-D about how she may be out for a season, but doesn't plan on leaving the scene. As for the father of her child, who she's generally very private about: "My boyfriend didn't even know I was a model when I started going out with him and we've been together for three years now. It's hard, you never really know whether people want to be around Jourdan or Jourdan Dunn, and he's been there from when I was just Jourdan."

Edward Enninful, who styled the shoot - which can be seen here - calls Jourdan "reserved" in the video below, but she's very outspoken when it comes to her work: "There are loads of black models working and the idea that there's only a few of us, or four of us, to let in as top models at any one time is just bullsh*t. It creates an unnecessary competition when we should be standing together."

Chanel chimes in: "It usually takes an ethnic girl - I'm not saying black, I'm saying ethnic, let's make that clear - twice as long. We've gotta work extra-hard to stay in the game and stay with the girls who do well but aren't ethnic. Some girls can skip seasons, but us ethnic girls, we cannot skip a season because that'll kill us."

Video: Straight from the i-D shoot! »

fashionologie — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 11:15:35 -0700

>> i-D First Fashion Magazine to Showcase Women of Color on September 2009 Issue -The "major surprise cover" and "major moment in fashion" Sessilee Lopez and Chanel Iman both teased in April is finally here: They are joined by Arlenis Sosa Pena and Jourdan Dunn on the September 2009 cover of i-D, photographed by Emma Summerton, styled by Edward Enninful, marking the first (and so far only) major fashion magazine to go with women of color for their September issue this season. [The Magnet Agency Twitter]

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."