fashionologie

Alexander Wang's Gritty Fall 2011 Campaign Features Raquel Zimmermann

fashionologie — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 11:02:43 PDT

>> For his second-ever ad campaign, Alexander Wang chose Fabien Baron to shoot Raquel Zimmermann in an abandoned grain factory from the '20s in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Karl Templer, Wang's usual collaborator, was on styling duty. “We wanted something really gritty and raw to contrast with the polished richness of what we showed on fall runway,” Wang explained of the scene.

The accompanying campaign video, set to a soundtrack of SebastiAn’s “CTFO” featuring MIA, is going to be projected at several locations around Manhattan (Houston and McDougal, 14th and University, 14th Street and 8th Avenue) - starting around 9 pm tonight for six hours and continuing both tomorrow and Friday nights (July 13-July 15).

For those not in New York, the full video is below.

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.

See Lara Stone's New Calvin Klein Collection TV Commercial

fashionologie — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 07:10:35 PST

>> For the first time ever, Calvin Klein Collection is getting its own TV commercial - a rarity for designer collections - and Calvin Klein face Lara Stone stars in it, alongside Tyson Ballou. There are 15-, 30-, 60- and 90-second spots, directed by Fabien Baron and filmed in La Jolla, California, which will be unveiled on television during pre-Golden Globes red carpet coverage on Sunday, run through the live Globe awards broadcast, and then continue to be shown after the awards in 200 additional times.

And it seems that this commercial has legs - Calvin Klein CEO and president Tom Murry expects the clip to be usable well past the Spring 2011 season: “We feel it has a fairly extensive shelf life and we can run it again this year, or next year. This is iconic Calvin product. We can run it in Milan or in Tokyo, or around a store-opening event, for instance. It really has multiple usages.”

Fabien Baron Predicts Emmanuelle Alt's Vogue Paris Will Be "More Commercial"

fashionologie — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 13:32:09 PST

>> Vogue Paris's newly-named editor Emmanuelle Alt is not expected to make big changes to the magazine when she takes over from Carine Roitfeld - she did work as Roitfeld's fashion director for ten years, after all. But Fabien Baron, who was Vogue Paris's creative director until two years ago, said he thought Alt might make the magazine more accessible to readers: "She’s more commercial than Carine - in a good way. She’s looser, more connected to the street.”

As for whether Alt was the right choice for the job, Baron replied: “That’s the question that remains.” He added that she was the logical choice, given her contacts with top photographers and within the fashion establishment, and given that she has had ample time and training to know what kind of magazine she wants.

Interview Continues Black, White, and Red Cover Pattern with September 2010 Issue

fashionologie — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 11:10:22 PDT

>> When Interview's August 2010 cover of Marion Cotillard surfaced, Fashionista pointed out that the magazine has started to favor a "standard cover composition: a tight shot of a woman’s face in a black, white, and red palette." It became prevalent as far back as Kristen Stewart's October/November 2009 and Penelope Cruz's December 2009/January 2010 covers and continued for three months in a row with Madonna in May 2010, Megan Fox in June/July 2010, and Marion in August 2010.

Now, Blake Lively's September 2010 cover is out and it follows the same basic pattern - close headshot in blue-tinted grayscale highlighted by red on the cheeks and lips. It seems strange that with Fabien Baron's creative power behind the scenes there's such a formula in place. Will the magazine break out of it next issue?

Preview Alexander Wang's Two New Fall 2010 Campaigns

fashionologie — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:38:04 PDT

>> Alexander Wang had not one, but two ad campaigns come out today. The first - a follow-up to his premiere T campaign last season featuring Hannah Holman - is a portrait of his friend Zoe Kravitz alongside model Max Motta, which just like last season will be plastered on the streets of New York starting tomorrow.

And the second, something new for Wang: his first-ever main line campaign video, a collaboration with Craig McDean, Wang's show stylist Karl Templer, and Fabien Baron, featuring Abbey Lee Kershaw in a deserted Manhattan hotel. “This is our way to sum up the season in a different light other than the show,” Wang told WWD. “It’s abstracted . . . Rather than saying, ‘Here’s the product,’ this is more about expressing ourselves.”

The video! »

Lara Stone Scores Calvin Klein Exclusive for Runway Plus Three Fall 2010 Campaigns

fashionologie — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:15:01 PDT

>> Lara Stone is following the footsteps of Christy Turlington, Kate Moss, and Natalia Vodianova - whose associations with Calvin Klein were instrumental in their careers - by scoring an exclusive with the brand for both campaigns and Fall runway appearances.

Stone is set to appear in three Fall 2010 campaigns; the first time that Calvin Klein has chosen one model to do so in years. “I conceived my fall 2010 collection with a self-aware and assured woman in mind,” Francisco Costa said. “For me, Lara was the perfect choice for the new campaign because she is a woman who epitomizes confidence and sensuality.”

Stone's Calvin Klein Collection (below) and Calvin Klein Jeans campaigns were both shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott; in the latter, Stone appears with four male models, including one image which alludes to an outdoor orgy, reports WWD. And Fabien Baron captured the ck Calvin Klein beauty campaign, which features Stone as well as Abbey Lee Kershaw.

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fashionologie — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:06:19 PDT

>> Tonchi: New W to Be More Accessible; Suggested T Editor Possibilities?- W's new editor Stefano Tonchi acknowledged earlier today that he aims to make the magazine more accessible, “probably to just make it more of a general-interest style magazine, and less of a fashion-obsessed publication.” Even before Tonchi was confirmed today, rumors were circling this weekend that W will be moving further away from its current "high art/high fashion/high society/token celebrity" cachet, as The Imagist puts it, and "swerving closer to the In Style magazine model. Or in other words, 'In Style Deluxe.'" Meanwhile, suggestions are already being made for T's currently empty editor-in-chief position: The Imagist suggests T features director Horacia Silva, while The Daily is leaning toward former Elle creative director Gilles Bensimon, former Interview editor Ingrid Sischy, Interview's editorial director Fabien Baron, Elle's fashion news director Anne Slowey, or T's fashion director Anne Christensen. [TI, FWD]

Alexander Wang Fall 2010: Wall Street, Wang-Style

fashionologie — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 10:57:13 PST

>> Despite the vast concrete-floored warehouse space waiting inside Pier 94 to house Alexander Wang's guests, they all had to pass through a single set of double doors at the entrance yesterday, causing quite the crush, particularly because a burly security guard took up a large part of the entryway, allowing VIPs like Dasha Zhukova and Fabien Baron pass on his right, while everyone else had to go to his left.

The crowd buzzed with excitement; after all, Wang has come a long way in a few short seasons - to the point that a major magazine's accessories editor had to ask stylists to stop using one of his shoes, the lace-up sandal boot from Spring 2010, which had become ubiquitous, in all of their shoots.

Tavi Gavinson emerged from backstage, Fashion Television camera crew in tow, and took to laughing with and interviewing Lauren Santo Domingo, Julia Restoin Roitfeld, and Derek Blasberg. She took her front row seat, and the stadium-style lights went down and then up, revealing opener (and closer) Natalia Vodianova, hair shellacked over one eye, as she walked along the long black background, giving the audience a prolonged view in profile, before turning to give them a closer look.

Wang, like fellow young designer Jason Wu, felt the need for a turning point in his brand this season, hence a focus on a more tailored silhouette in the form of deconstructed pinstripe suits: Wall Street, Wang-style. But there was also a strong element of late-'90s goth: the models wore black backpacks with fluttery floor-length tails, 5-inch high chunky-heeled mid-calf boots in velvet or brown with burnished yellow toes (which they had trouble turning in), pleated mini-skirts with tuxedo tails in back, and mid-thigh leggings which belled out over their shoes. There was even some chenille and a black leather trench thrown into the mix.

Big on collaborations, Wang worked with stylist Karl Templer and Linda Farrow sunglasses each for the second time, the latter producing bug-eyed shades worn over the models' hair, and Gaia Repossi for jewelry. In addition to Natalia, Freja Beha Erichsen and Snejana Onopka made their runway debut for the week; Agyness Deyn and Jessica Miller, ready for a comeback, also took a turn. The designer's CFDA-appointed mentor Diane von Furstenberg was front row, smiling during the finale, along with her CEO Paula Sutter, whose appearance raised a few questions about investment potential (DVF has a stake in Nathan Jensen's line).

Wang decided to forgo an after-party this season after last season's gas station-set rager, but fret not; last night, he told WWD with a grin: "We're planning something big for September."

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Interview Keeps the 40th Anniversary Celebration Going with a Little Subbasement Revelry

fashionologie — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:09:15 PST

>> Two floors below the ground level entrance to the Hudson Hotel, Interview celebrated its 40th anniversary last night by christening Good Units, the hotel's new club. The space still had remnants of its past life as a 1930s YMCA - wooden bleachers sat in the middle of the main room, providing seating for the likes of Subversive Jewelry's Justin Giunta and Edita Vilkeviciute - and above, where the room's indoor track used to be, party-goers got an eagle's eye view of the dancing going on below. Archival Interview covers and graffiti by Brian Ermanski on the room's four walls gave the party a '90s vibe.

The crowd was teeming with notables, ready to kick-start Fashion Week. Vena Cava's Lisa Mayock and Shipley and Halmos's Jeff Halmos found a less crowded corner near the bar to chat by while Halmos's design partner Sam Shipley fetched drinks. Becka Diamond and Keegan Singh, arms linked, navigated the crowd and later, Singh's boyfriend Eddie Borgo appeared. Giovanna Battaglia, in a red and black leopard-print minidress, grooved to the music, while Derek Blasberg and Kate Bosworth, nearby, animatedly broke it down before scurrying off into the crowd. Mary-Kate Olsen, who's gearing up for her first The Row presentation, as styled by Marie-Amelie Sauve, and Chloe Sevigny both chatted with Lazaro Hernandez. A dark-haired Martin Cohn teetered in those Nina Ricci platform heels. And Dasha Zhukova, fresh off the purchase of a $19.5 million home in Los Angeles last month, flitted by in an emerald fitted coat. All in all, not a bad way to start out the week.

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