Who's Coming, Who's Not April 29, 2009 3:50 pm >> This year's supermodel-centric Costume Institute Gala is coming up soon — Monday — and it's shaping up to be the toned-down affair that was expected: a number of designers who usually attend are not, tables are not selling as well as in the past, and there are even rumors that Vogue is having model attendees pay an entry fee to the tune of $7,500.Versace has decided to join Burberry, Roberto Cavalli, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, and Alberta Ferretti in the not-buying-a-table camp, and Celine and Fendi are not actively participating in the event at all.
Harper's Bazaar Stoops Low For an Advertising Pick-Me-Up June 30, 2008 4:53 pm >> Depending on where you're standing, Harper's Bazaar has either reached a new high or a new low. As reported yesterday by The New York Times, the Hearst-owned magazine forked over 40, yes 40, editorial pages, plus the cover of its July 2008 issue, to advertiser Estee Lauder. The cosmetic company is keen to sell the socks off of its new perfume, Sensuous, and is using its four stable girls, Gwyneth Paltrow, Carolyn Murphy, Elizabeth Hurley, and Hilary Rhoda to give it their all.
Desperate economic times call for desperate measures, it seems, but Allan Mottus, a beauty industry analyst, said it best: "Boy, they really sold out — Hearst — didn’t they?"
It's no secret that advertisers and magazines have long been in cahoots — Nylon collaborated in a similar way with Chloe earlier this year, placing the faces of the brand's new fragrance on their "Beauty Issue" cover, with an accompanying editorial inside.
Marc O'Polo
GHD