fashionologie

A Peek at The Francisco Costa For Calvin Klein Macy's Collection

Christina Perez — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:24:32 PDT

Francisco Costa brings his clean-lined Calvin Klein minimalism to Macy's this month with a limited-edition capsule collection of dresses in architectural shapes and sunset hues - all inspired by his home country of Brazil.

The collection of jersey and crepe pieces - titled Francisco Costa For Calvin Klein - will be priced from $135 to $180 and is part of the retailer's "A Magical Journey to Brasil" Spring initiative. "The collection really represents Calvin Klein; its really light, its really well-made, and the price is really right." Costa told us. "It's always a challenge but very exciting to design within a different block. It's good that we can bring our collection product to a much larger audience."

Francisco Costa For Calvin Klein hits Macy's and macys.com May 15. Click through for a peek at pieces from the collection.
At left, Costa backstage at the Calvin Klein Collection Fall 2012 show; Greg Kessler

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Francisco Costa Models, Natalia Vodianova Defends Her "Skinny" Comments, and Opening Ceremony Pops Up in London

fashionologie — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:29:00 PDT

>> Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa landed his first modeling assignment with the American Foundation for AIDS Research. Costa will star in a campaign advertising the organization's new "São Paolo for the Cure!" t-shirts, set to debut tomorrow in his native Brazil. He's joined in the campaign by fellow Brazilians Luciana Casta and Raquel Zimmermann. [Daily Front Row]
Natalia Vodianova took flak for saying "It's better to be skinny than to be fat" at this past weekend's Vogue festival, and today she responded to the criticism on her Facebook page, explaining that her original comment was designed to make people laugh. "If I was giving a speech I would have chosen my words more carefully of course," she wrote. [The Cut]
Opening Ceremony will open its first London store - a pop-up shop - to celebrate the start of the 2012 Olympic games this July. When the games are over, the store will move to a permanent spot on King Street in the Covent Garden neighborhood. "Bringing Opening Ceremony to Covent Garden is an important next step in the growth of our company," said founders Humberto Leon and Carol Lim. [Catwalk Queen]
The Food and Drug Administration will start monitoring what goes into beauty products sold in the United States by creating a mandatory ingredient registry next year. Current law allows beauty companies to report their ingredients voluntarily, and there are only 10 ingredients that are banned from domestic products. In the European Union, tighter beauty industry regulations have banned some 1,200 ingredients. [Refinery29]
Richemont, owner of luxury jewelers and watchmakers like Cartier and IWC, won a momentous infringement case against a company that registered the trademark for Vacheron Constantin - Richemont's oldest watch brand - in Russia and sold clothes under that label. The outcome of the case means that a well-known trademark in one country can't be taken and reregistered in another country, because it can confuse consumers and harm the original trademark holder's reputation. "This is a landmark case with worldwide implications," said Richemont chief counsel Frederick Mostert. [Material World]
Photo: Natalia Vodianova walks during Stella McCartney's Fall 2012 show.

Exclusive Video - An Inside Look at the 2012 CFDA Nominee Event

Christina Perez — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 17:32:29 PDT

>>You've seen the pictures from Wednesday evening's event - now here's a video that will make you really wish you were there. Put together by Swarovski - who is underwriting the awards for the 11th year in a row now - the video reads like a who's who of the industry. Among those who make cameos? Well, there's Carolina Herrera, Johan Lindeberg, Narciso Rodriguez, Rachel Roy, Rebecca Minkoff, Peter Som, Phillip Lim, Diane von Furstenberg, Pamela Love, Stefano Tonchi, Virginia Smith, Garance Doré, and Scott Schuman - just to name a few. There's also lots of head-nodding, air-kissing, champagne-drinking, and general good times being had all around.

Calvin Klein Fall 2012

Christina Perez — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:42:43 PST

>> Francisco Costa built volume - and a nice dose of structure - into his Fall 2012 collection for Calvin Klein. There was a strong showing of dresses, most of which came full-skirted, long-sleeved, and cinched at the waist. Silhouettes were covered-up and slightly '50s, but pressed mohair, "technical" wool, glazed cashmere, and pebbled leather provided plenty of texture and edge. The result was forward-thinking, ladylike - and powerfully sexy.

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Calvin Klein Pre-Fall 2012

fashionologie — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 11:31:28 PST

>> Nary a pant was in sight at Francisco Costa's Pre-Fall 2012 Calvin Klein show. Pleated skirts, emphasized shoulders, and nipped-in waists were painted in a palette of khaki, mahogany, and gray with a pop of orange.

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Calvin Klein Spring 2012

fashionologie — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 16:31:41 PDT

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Calvin Klein Resort 2012

fashionologie — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:27:14 PDT

>> Some of Calvin Klein's most recent memorable red carpet moments have involved vivid colors or metallic sheen, but neither were present in Francisco Costa's Resort 2012 collection, which is instead washed in a sea of white, black, navy, and icy gray. Monochrome the collection may be, but not monotonous: the finale halter dresses earned more than a few fans as the models clomped by in their white-soled sandal flatforms.

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Karl Lagerfeld, Donatella Versace, and More React to Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress

fashionologie — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 05:45:54 PDT

>> Vera Wang was on CNN this morning, weighing in who she hoped designed Kate Middleton's dress; but, now that it's been revealed to be Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton, how do Burton's other designing colleagues rate the dress? (And one can't help but wonder what Alexander McQueen would have thought of a partnership between his label and Middleton, given that he once famously wrote "I am a c*nt" in the lining of a jacket destined for Prince Charles.) But without further ado . . .

Karl Lagerfeld: “[Middleton] is very elegant. The dress is classic and goes very well in the Westminster decor. It almost reminds me of (Queen) Elizabeth’s wedding, the royal weddings in the '50s. The proportion of the train is good. The lace is very pretty. I like the veil a lot.”

Christian Lacroix: “I like the dress very much, simpler than expected: A combination just in between 1956 Grace Kelly and 1947 Queen Elizabeth dress. I love the modest veil with the Queen Mother’s '30s scroll tiara and balanced volume of the whole gown. She’s radiant; she never was so beautiful. And Prince William’s red Irish uniform is gorgeous.”

Hubert de Givenchy: “The dress is very simple and very nice. The veil is a little flat, but because she has such a lovely face, she can afford to wear it this way. She is very pretty.”

Peter Copping of Nina Ricci: “Very much in a royal tradition, reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth’s - and a little bit Grace Kelly. She looks happy, radiant, and natural.”

Donatella Versace: "Kate's dress was beautiful. She looked very regal."

Prabal Gurung: “I thought it was pretty and appropriate. A high-profile wedding like this is not the place for making a crazy fashion moment. It sounds like an oxymoron but it was a personal moment in a very public place. The dress clearly said she’s a modern girl and of this generation. It was not McQueen at its theatrical sense but McQueen in its quiet but beautiful sense. I loved the bustle and how her silk tulle veil was moving softly in the wind.”

Jason Wu: “I thought Catherine’s dress looked stunning. The details were very well done and I loved the emphasis on craftsmanship and the use of British talent. Her choice to pay tribute to Alexander McQueen was both touching and exciting.”

Viktor & Rolf: “Kate’s dress was simply elegant. Her hair down was a beautiful and natural touch, and the tiara was stunning. She looked as at ease as humanly possible and was radiant. Our compliments.”

Diane von Furstenberg: “The dress was beautiful. I think she is irresistible, she is so beautiful. I am happy it was McQueen. It was absolutely the right thing to do. They made [the dress] simple, so it wasn’t costumey but a beautiful evening gown. I was happy for Sarah, happy for the Met, and happy for McQueen."

Tory Burch: “Kate looked stunning. Choosing Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen reflects Kate’s modern aesthetic and style, but the handmade lace details and craftsmanship are a great nod to British tradition. The lace, the clean lines of the dress, Queen Elizabeth’s tiara - every detail was stunning.”

Donna Karan: “The dress was extremely elegant. For me, it wasn’t so much about the dress though, it was all about her. She was the most beautiful bride in the world.”

Francisco Costa: “Kate’s dress had a classic elegance with a modern edge. The superb detailing really characterized Sarah’s expert hand.”

Oscar de la Renta: “She looked absolutely ravishing. She looked like a bride should look and she handled herself tremendously. And they look like a much loving couple. I am happy to see fresh blood coming into the family. It was a very traditional, beautiful dress which it needed to be for that kind of wedding. Most of all she devastated with her charm. Listen, she will wear anything and will look ravishing.”

Valentino: “I loved the dress . . . it was very simple and young even if a hint of Grace Kelly's dress spoke of 1950s! I loved the flounce on the back of the skirt and the little decoration all around the short veil. I loved the choice of the tiara: simple, pretty, very right for the dress and for her attitude . . . it was used almost as an hairpiece to keep the hair and the veil, not as a heavy decoration. Compared to the famous Diana’s dress, Diana’s was a dress of a fairy-tale princess . . . still a dress everybody remembers. Kate’s one is a very pretty, modern dress that will be copied everywhere but lacks that fairy-tale element. Today most of the new princesses are young, modern, nonroyal women who have clear ideas, independence from stiff protocol . . . they want to be themselves and not anymore a symbol of the crown.”

Reed Krakoff: “I thought the dress was very modern. It bridged the gap between modern and youthful, and was respectful to the position she is in. It didn’t look to traditional or expected though. I particularly liked the neckline. It was more youthful than I expected. The fact that the bodice was fitted and formfitting was great, because she is a beautiful young woman and it accentuated that.”

2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Winners Billy Reid, Prabal Gurung, and Eddie Borgo Come Home with Newly-Increased Cash Prizes

fashionologie — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:39:46 PST

>> Last night, the 2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winners were announced, but before they could be named during the dinner gala at New York's Skylight Studios, the results were leaked on WWD's Twitter: Billy Reid won outright, and Prabal Gurung and Eddie Borgo were both named runners-up.

Style.com's Nicole Phelps wrote that the results were a bit of a surprise: "Many in the audience had pegged Gurung and Joseph Altuzarra as the front-runners." But nevermind: the prizes were even bigger this year, with Reid granted $300,000 (up from $200,000), and Borgo and Gurung each taking $100,000 (up from $50,000). "The main prize is the mentoring we provide," CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg noted of the increase, "but a little cash never hurts."

The rest of this year's finalists - Christian Cota, Robert Geller, Oliver Helden and Paul Marlow of Loden Dager, Pamela Love of Pamela Love Jewelry, Moss Lipow and Gregory Parkinson - were treated to a keynote speech by Karl Lagerfeld, who talked about how much fun Yves Saint Laurent was "before Pierre Berge" and advised: "Young goes. But good? If you're good, it may all last."

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CFDA Hosts Parties Two Nights in a Row - A Design Challenge at Anna Wintour's House and a Book Launch

fashionologie — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:52:53 PDT

>> The CFDA has had a busy last couple of nights. The 2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists, which include Eddie Borgo, Pamela Love, Joseph Altuzarra, and Christian Cota, gathered at Anna Wintour's house on Wednesday night with their model muses for the design challenge cocktail party, which this year required a look for a working woman, inspired by Ann Taylor. Photos of the event can be seen here, and a video of the the finalists presenting to this year's judges can be seen here.

And last night, designers like Francisco Costa - with Bianca Jagger on his arm, Subversive Jewelry's Justin Giunta, Peter Som, and Yigal Azrouel braved the torrential rain to toast the CFDA and Assouline's latest tome, American Fashion Designers at Home. CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg didn't make it - she's been temporarily bedridden with a cold - but plans are already in place for the next CFDA and Assouline collaboration: American Fashion: Designers on the Go, due out in Spring 2011, which will encompass travel guide tips, suggestions, and personal photos of favorite vacation places from designers.