fashionologie

Dior Taps Mila Kunis

Christina Perez — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 11:44:49 PST

>> Mila Kunis has been named the new face of Christian Dior. The actress - who also appeared on some of the top-selling magazine covers of 2011 - will front Dior's 2012 worldwide media plan, including the Spring ad campaign. Photographed by Mikael Jansson, the campaign will debut in China on January 15, and will hit the US January 29 when it appears in The New York Times. "Mila Kunis is a very talented young actress; she embodies the true modern woman." Delphine Arnault, deputy general manager at Dior told WWD. "We are looking forward to a long relationship with her."

Kunis agrees. "I find that Dior is an incredibly grounded house. I always thought what Dior does is so sophisticated, feminine and beautiful," the actress said. "They made me feel incredibly comfortable. I can’t say it was the hardest thing to do."

Kunis joins a long list of acclaimed actresses - Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron, Marrion Cotillard - who have served as the brand's models and ambassadors. "Christian Dior designed several costumes for the movies and maintained personal relationships with such actresses as Marlene Dietrich, Rita Hayworth, Ava Gardner, Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, Liz Taylor and Grace Kelly," Arnault explained. "It is thus only natural for the house of Dior to continue to develop a very specific and personal relationship with actresses."

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Riccardo Tisci Reportedly Lobbying for Dior Job; Plus, the Other Designers on LVMH's Short List

fashionologie — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:08:17 PDT

>> LVMH is taking its time with the announcement of Dior's new designer, and it sounds like the decision still has yet to be made. At a recent shareholders' meeting, Bernard Arnault said the plan was to interview a number of candidates before making the call when "conviction" arrives.

But who's reportedly on the short list of candidates Bernard Arnault's advisors have submitted? Tom Ford, Hedi Slimane, Olivier Theyskens, Nicholas Ghesquiere, Alber Elbaz, Haider Ackermann, Prabal Gurung, and Sarah Burton. However, a source in Paris told WWD that LVMH is placing less importance on marquee names and focusing rather on “someone who understands Dior and fits the needs of the company.”

While Arnault, chairman of the board at Dior, is sure to get the final say on the appointee, Dior CEO Sidney Toledano, who has helmed the company since 1998, and Delphine Arnault (Bernard's daughter), deputing managing director at Dior and widely viewed as the eventual LVMH heir apparent, are also expected to weigh in. Apparently Dior execs are also receiving unsolicited designer suggestions from top editors and even shareholders.

Delphine, for her part, is seen as a champion of Riccardo Tisci; the Givenchy designer has reportedly been lobbying for the position as well, sketching out his vision for the brand. Bernard Arnault, meanwhile, is reportedly transfixed by royalty, and if Sarah Burton does dress Kate Middleton for her wedding at the end of the month (despite Burton's and the McQueen company's denials), she may pull ahead in the race. Arnault would be keen to launch the new Dior alongside the newly-married couple; Princess Diana, after all, helped catapult the brand's image in 1995 when she wore a Lady Dior bag and then in 1996 when she wore a midnight blue, bias-cut Dior gown by John Galliano to the Costume Institute Gala.

In the meantime, design duties are falling on Dior's in-house design studios, headed by Bill Gaytten, who has worked beside Galliano since the '80s. They're already creating the Cruise 2012 collection and have started in on the upcoming Fall 2011 couture collection, in preparation for its debut in July.

Industry Players on Who They Want to See at Christian Dior; A Decision Isn't Expected for Some Time

fashionologie — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:56:09 PST

>> There's been plenty a rumor about who might succeed John Galliano at Christian Dior, and in the video above, insiders give their two cents on who they think will take the role. While the Vogue contingent won't comment, Fabien Baron suggests Riccardo Tisci or Haider Ackermann, Stefano Tonchi offers up Peter Dundas's name, and Cathy Horyn opines, "People talk about Riccardo Tisci, [but he's] too gloomy for Dior," saying she'd instead like to see Tom Ford, Raf Simons, or Alber Elbaz.

Despite all the speculation, Dior is apparently in no hurry to name a successor; it's also not legally able, under French employment regulations, to do so until the process to terminate Galliano - which can take several weeks - has been completed. “There won’t be any choice for quite a while,” according to one source familiar with LVMH. “They’re receiving offers.”

Among the candidates Bernard Arnault's advisers have been pitching, according to WWD sources: Haider Ackermann, Hedi Slimane and Riccardo Tisci. Delphine Arnault, deputy managing director at Dior and Bernard Arnault's daughter, is said to be partial to Tisci. And overtures were apparently recently made to Ackermann as a possible candidate for Dior, or to succeed Tisci at Givenchy if he moves to Dior.

Sheer Gowns and Masks Aplenty at Vogue Paris's 90th Anniversary Ball

fashionologie — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 11:03:57 PDT

>> Carine Roitfeld's masquerade ball last night, celebrating 90 years of Vogue Paris and loosely Eyes Wide Shut-themed, meant lots of sheer gowns, and lots of show attendees preoccupied with finding a mask yesterday. Anna Dello Russo, inspired by Lady Gaga, paired a Gareth Pugh headpiece with her custom Emilio Pucci gown. Jean Paul Gaultier designed a metal mask for himself adorned with long feathers: "Yes, they're giant eyelashes, acting like hair -- since I'm missing some as you can see - so instead I've gone for this black plume."

Tyra Banks made do with cut up fishnets, Sasha Pivovarova got her mask "from a sex shop," and Lily Donaldson wore a red tulle veil to match her Christian Dior gown: “I made it myself. I went all the way up to the fabric district in Montmartre today.” Stephen Jones made Karlie Kloss's star spangled mask to go with her Christian Dior gown, and Riccardo Tisci did Mariacarla Boscono's over the top feathered hat, while he looked to Philip Treacy to custom make his mask.

While there was plenty of mask ogling, Carine Roitfeld was more preoccupied with other thoughts. “Oh my goodness, even the models are eating, it’s amazing!” she laughed, as Lily Donaldson took a leaf from a chocolate cabbage.

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Christian Lacroix May Have Just Shown His Last Couture Show for Fall 2009; Will He Go Back Into LVMH Fold?

fashionologie — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:51:24 PDT

>> Last Friday, employees at Christian Lacroix were informed the the workforce would be cut from 124 to 12, and the house would close at the end of July - effectively reducing it to a licensing operation - unless a buyer could be found. Today at the Arts Decoratifs, Lacroix showed what may be his last couture collection to just over 200 guests, a set of 24 looks entirely privately financed, which the designer described as: "A collection which is finished, but which was not completed under the usual conditions. It is like a sketch, a drawing for a painting . . . the classic repertory of the house, what is left, the hard disk."

The mood was sober, but staid: badges declaring "Christian Lacroix Forever" were handed out and a sign reading similar was held across the runway. There were tears aplenty as the designer took his walk with bride Vlada Roslyakova, and no red carnations were on the seats, ready to toss in the finale as has been the custom at Lacroix's couture shows since he started in 1987. But he did receive a standing ovation, and Lacroix is not ready to give up: "What really churns my stomach is wondering what is going to become of the workrooms and, for the moment, none of the solutions I am looking at would save the couture side of the business."

Some are wondering if he may renew his relationship with LVMH - under whom he originally launched his label in 1987. Just an hour after his own show closed, he was spotted backstage and front row at the LVMH-supported Givenchy show, where he posed for photos with Delphine Arnault. The Times UK noted that Lacroix, "beaming in the front row at Givenchy doesn't look like a man whose label is finished."

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Bernard Arnault Doesn't Like Plastic Pendants on His Dior Bags

fashionologie — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:05:24 PST

>> So just how does the richest man in France, and one of the most powerful in fashion, do it? A profile in the March 2009 issue of WSJ. gives us a clue about the dealings of Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, who Anna Wintour says "has a very strong understanding of what [his] designers do. If he’s concerned about something, he’ll speak up, but he’ll never tell them, ‘Do this’ or ‘Do that.”

But he will give them a strong hint. When John Galliano was presenting the Pre-Fall 2009 collection to buyers in Paris, Arnault came to oversee. Twenty-three models are escorted in for Arnault's perusal, and Galliano "reads nervously in English from a prepared speech to explain the source of his inspiration: Dior seen through the erotic lens of photographer Helmut Newton":

Arnault, seated on a white sofa, focuses on two ingredients: Is the piece “Dior” enough and is it priced right? “Ah, this is true Dior,” he states definitively of a black waist-cinched suit with pleated pockets. “It’s Dior safari,” he says of a beige coat with fox-fur collar. A skirt suit in Prince of Wales check appears: “The Dior woman will like this and will want to come back season after season,” he says.

"Ça, c’est beau - how much is it?” Arnault asks as a tall blond model stands before him in a $1,500 red double-face wool dress. “Will that sell?” he asks of an embroidered $15,000 cream-colored gown. (The answer was yes, in Monaco, Hong Kong and Moscow.) “Why not use those black masks for the ad campaign?” “If you tell me so, sir,” Galliano answers.

Now about those pesky plastic pendants »

fashionologie — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 11:36:01 PST

>> INSIDER WIRE -Earlier this week, deputy managing director at Christian Dior (and LVMH heiress) Delphine Arnault sat front row at Gareth Pugh's debut menswear show, prompting rumors that he is being looked at to either consult for Dior Homme or perhaps take over from Kris van Assche. So far, there's only been denial from both camps - Delphine chalked her appearance up to "always [being] interested in young designers," and a Pugh spokesman assured: "There have been no discussions whatsoever with Dior or LVMH about any kind of design role." [WWD]
*image: source

Gareth Pugh to Consult for Dior Homme?

fashionologie — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 11:12:52 PST

>> Leave it to Fashion Week to turn up a juicy rumor or two. Currently being served up? The future of Gareth Pugh. At his premiere menswear show in Paris last night, an unexpected front row guest - LVMH heiress Delphine Arnault - caused a lot of chatter. Arnault, who is the second largest shareholder in LVMH after her father Bernard, is not known for staying out late, much less for a show which started an hour late at 10 pm on a rainy Sunday night.

After the show, which she deemed, "Beautiful, amazing," Delphine went backstage to congratulate Gareth. The designer has recently been talking about making more wearable pieces, and Arnault's appearance could be more than coincidence. As the Telegraph reports, "The word is out that someone very big wants to harness his talent, because it could be just the spark to reignite a moribund menswear market." Grazia has heard from several sources that that "very big" someone is LVMH's Dior Homme, who is about to tap Pugh as a consultant.
*image: source

A Christian Dior Show Without John Galliano - Sans Drama, "Funereal" Instead

fashionologie — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:28:00 PST

>> Typically, Cathy Horyn writes, "a Dior show would be an occasion for a mob scene at the front gates, celebrities filling front-row seats, and the arrival of Bernard Arnault." But today, not so: there were no big name celebrities (just Anna Wintour, Emmanuelle Alt, Mario Testino, and Natalia Vodianova instead); there was no Arnault - "owing to the tug of other business obligations," WWD reports - and the mob scene outside was bigger than usual: "I would say more than 300 people were there, along with extra French police officers," Horyn noted. Security was up in all regards - guest invitations were checked multiple times on the way in, and photographers weren't allowed backstage or front row access.

There was no lack in attendance, however: Dior's PR described the demand for invitations as "overwhelming." But the mood at the show "was sombre and muted, with more than one guest suggesting the atmosphere was 'funereal,'" Hilary Alexander reports, "something heightened by the black ribbons which tied the name tags to each attendees' black chair; the black carpet; and the plaintive strains of Chopin and Debussy which echoed through the tent, pre-show."

Dior CEO Sidney Toledano, who is Jewish, took the runway at the start of the show to make his first public statements (full text here) since the scandal:

"What has happened over the last week has been a terrible and wrenching ordeal for us all. It has been deeply painful to see the Dior name associated with the disgraceful statements attributed to its designer, however brilliant he may be.

"Such statements are intolerable because of our collective duty to never forget the Holocaust and its victims, and because of the respect for human dignity that is owed to each person and to all peoples.

"These statements have deeply shocked and saddened all at Dior who give body and soul to their work, and it is particularly painful that they came from someone so admired for his remarkable creative talent. So now, more than ever, we must publicly re-commit ourselves to the values of the House of Dior.

" . . . The heart of the House of Dior, which beats unseen, is made up of its teams and studios, of its seamstresses and craftsmen, who work hard day after day, never counting the hours, and carrying on the value and the vision of Monsieur Dior. What you are going to see now is the result of the extraordinary, creative, and marvelous efforts of these loyal, hardworking people."

Dior face Karlie Kloss opened the show as usual, but with John Galliano gone, Suzy Menkes writes, "The creative partners who supported Mr. Galliano over the years hardly had a look in: the milliner Stephen Jones had only a sprinkling of sensible felt hats and the makeup artist Pat McGrath created none of her dramatis personae. No stage set created a dramatic backdrop. Gone too were the outré accessories. Just a cameo at the throat was the main embellishment, although there was the usual complement of frills, bows and feminine prettiness."

Arnault's daughter, Delphine, who is deputy managing director at Dior, apparently wiped away tears at the end of the show, when the entire 30-person Dior atelier team took the runway in white coats to a standing applause. And Joe Zee tweeted, "The end of the show was an immensely touching fashion moment for me."

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LVMH Is In Shopping Mode

fashionologie — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 13:13:01 PST

>> WSJ., The Wall Street Journal's glossy, is back this weekend with a fashion-centric March issue featuring LVMH chief Bernard Arnault. Inside, Arnault hints that LVMH might be in the market to acquire more companies. “We’re about to enter a market of buyers over the next six-to-eight months. There will be opportunities, and we will be looking at them.” According to WSJ., Arnault was “in talks to invest in a fashion company with ecological and ethical goals founded by a global celebrity” at the time the article was written - WWD is guessing Edun, Bono’s green clothing line.

But there are certainly a couple of other designers on LVMH's radar. Gareth Pugh is the obvious one - rumors have run rampant about him taking over at Dior Homme ever since LVMH heiress Delphine Arnault sat front row at his debut menswear show, and Bernard Arnault has already confirmed that LVMH has helped finance Pugh's shows. Talking acquisitions, however, Rodarte may be a more likely candidate - Pierre-Yves Roussel, CEO of LVMH's fashion division, was in attendance at the Fall 2009 show, and soon after, Katherine Ross, PR honcho for LVMH, hosted a poolside tea party at the Chateau Marmont in LA for the designing duo, so they're definitely on the radar.

Bernard Arnault confirmed in January that Gareth Pugh wasn't the only "new talent" LVMH supports - "LVMH does that with many talented people" - so a number of other brands may be being looked at. Especially now, when as Arnault points it, it's a buyer's market - young brands with plenty of talent may need that big-company backing to keep them going.
*image: source