Sun, 09/13/09 — 10:09:29 PM
>> 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.
Thu, 09/10/09 — 11:51:19 PM
>> Now that he's relieved of his duties at Emanuel Ungaro, what's Esteban Cortazar up to? He was spotted at jewelry line Fenton/Fallon's boutique opening party in New York Tuesday night, where he said he is town for two weeks.
In today's hard copy of The Daily, he divulges that this New York Fashion Week is his first in two years. He's definitely been getting around; he chatted recently with The Daily as he was checking into a Paris hotel for a long-term stay: "I can't give specifics, but I'll definitely be in Europe, and hopefully in Paris."
Mon, 06/29/09 — 01:03:45 PM
>> Esteban Cortazar, Ungaro Still Working Things Out —Despite rumors of creative differences and the serving of a lawsuit, Esteban Cortazar and Ungaro, who were expected to part ways, are still attempting to patch things up. Cortazar showed up to the CFDA Awards earlier this month, escorting Arlenis Sosa Pena in Ungaro and saying he was still with the company; further evidence came when the designer appeared at the Ungaro men's show last Thursday and confirmed that he is working on a pre-collection: "For now I am here." He exchanged a greeting with Ungaro CEO Mounir Moufarrige, who he has been at odds with, and when asked if Cortazar was back, Moufarrige was more evasive: "He's here," he said, pointing at the runway. [WWD]
Wed, 06/17/09 — 10:55:00 AM
>> INSIDER WIRE —The situation at Ungaro with Esteban Cortazar is still unclear — though they are still expected to part ways and the designer has served the house with a lawsuit, Esteban appeared at the CFDA Awards on Monday, escorting Arlenis Sosa Pena in an Ungaro dress. When questioned about his situation, he replied: “I am still there. We are trying to work things out. We have had some differences but hopefully things will work out for the best, whether I am there or not.” [WWD]
Mon, 06/08/09 — 05:52:34 PM
>> INSIDER WIRE —After rumors over creative differences between Esteban Cortazar and Ungaro hit last week, it has been confirmed that house and designer are parting ways. The split doesn't seem amicable, however — word is that Cortazar served the label with a lawsuit, and the house expects to settle. [WWD]
Fri, 06/05/09 — 04:59:15 PM
>> Ungaro has had a checkered past as far as designer retention goes, and it sounds like the tradition is carrying on. Just a few days after rumors hit that creative director Esteban Cortazar was threatening to leave the company, several sources confirm to WWD that the house and designer have reached an impasse over marketing and advertising strategy and plan to part ways.
CEO Mounir Moufarrige is keen to restart the label's provocative ad campaigns, which haven't been done for Ungaro womenswear for years, and is apparently pushing for a celebrity to "help wake up the house," WWD reports. Ungaro has been talking with six or so candidates, including Lindsay Lohan — hence Tuesday's rumors that she was being considered as a creative consultant to the house. However, those specific rumors have been disbanded: none of the celebrity candidates would have anything to do with design.
No potential successors to Cortazar have been mentioned, but Moufarrige is known for making unexpected choices; he replaced Karl Lagerfeld with Stella McCartney at Chloe in 1997, when she was 25.
Tue, 06/02/09 — 12:43:59 PM
>> Since he joined Emanuel Ungaro in 2007 at 23, all has seemed well between the troubled house and Esteban Cortazar — no rifts or tiffs to be reported. Not so any longer — and Lindsay Lohan may be to blame.
According to several of Page Six's sources, Lohan is currently in Paris, talking to the house about signing on as a creative consultant, and Esteban is not happy: "Esteban is threatening to leave the company if they bring Lindsay on as a consultant. It has been a revolving door of designers there and if he leaves, his team will go with him." Management, on the other hand, "thinks Lindsay is going to bring the company new energy and new buzz."
It's not that Cortazar isn't open to the creative influence of young blood — his Fall 2009 inspiration board was full of pictures of Rumi Neely of Fashion Toast, who he invited to his studio and Fall 2009 show — it's just that, as Page Six's "fashion insider" said: "[Lindsay] is going to be the nail in the coffin. Nobody will take them seriously ever again."
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