>> Over the weekend, Valentino confirmed that its accessories designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli will be replacing Alessandra Facchinetti as creative directors of the brand. This marks the second time Facchinetti has been replaced by accessories specialists, the first being when Frida Giannini replaced her at Gucci in 2005.
But here's the rub — Facchinetti found out she was being replaced at Valentino from the press, she said in a statement:
It was with deep regret that I learnt from the press that I would no longer be working with Valentino. This news came as a great surprise since the company’s top management has not yet seen fit to inform me of the above.
I would like to thank Valentino S.p.A. for showing their appreciation of my 'creative contribution and my sophisticated talent,' although I deeply regret the fact that this talent and contribution do not seem to have been adequately acknowledged. I find it extremely sad that a brand label of the caliber of Valentino, which has made history in the world of fashion, has been the subject of rumors for the past two weeks.
>> If Frida Giannini is good at one thing, it's selling clothes, and bags, and shoes, and accessories. The attendees of her Spring 2009 Gucci showwill admit that she's a "master merchandiser," but another, perhaps less flattering, comparison for her collection kept coming up — Zara.
Those reviewing express disdain for Frida's blatant merchandising — at WWD: "Gucci looks are all over Zara. The argument that they seem more appropriate to such a venue than to the upper echelons of luxury fashion hasn’t put a damper on sales of the real thing, even in the United States, where everyone knows that almost nothing is selling." At The Wall Street Journal: "Not every designer puts such an array of products on the catwalk, even though they will appear in stores. At first glance, there was nothing much about either the fabrics or silhouettes of the clothes that would make them stand out from fast-fashion imitators [Zara and H&M]."
Even Cathy Horyn of The New York Times said her piece: "Apart from the updated Jackie bags and chunky stone bracelets, how luxurious was it? The olive and khaki safari dresses, with zips and drawstrings, were cute and well-executed. But are they a look you expect from Gucci, or Liz Claiborne?" Some food for thought. *image: source
>> Back in April, Gucci announced that Claire Danes would be replacing Drew Barrymore as the face of their fine jewelry line this Fall. The campaign was shot by the same photographers — Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin — and now that the new set of photos with Claire have been revealed, they leave me wondering. Why switch headliners and shell out the money for a whole new shoot if you're going to use the same exact sand background, same poses, same concept . . . ? *image: source
>> If Frida Giannini is aiming for her Gucci customer to be one Rachel Zoe, nothing says it stronger than the flowy printed maxi dresses and one-shouldered bohemian blouses that she sent out as Gucci's Resort 2009 collection.
Shown in Rome to celebrate the brand's 70th anniversary and a re-opening flagship, the collection will surely please those who hanker for a Hermes scarf-like minidress or a pair of fringed espadrille wedges. Guests who were left waiting for their rides to the show venue, however, were less impressed, remarking that if Tom Ford were still at Gucci, the cars wouldn't have been late, and the drivers would have been handsome and topless . . .
>> If you missed the live feed of the Gucci Resort 2009 presentation earlier today, fret no more: it's waiting for you to watch below. The video starts out with a little backstage coverage — Mariacarla Boscono sneaking a cig while her hair is curled, Iekeliene Stange iPoding it up — and then, when it hits 2:48, the good stuff. Natasha Poly opens, Lily Donaldson closes, and for all you Snejana Onopka fans who were fretting after couture . . . she's back!
fashionologie is the musings of a twenty-something American girl who wishes she could have a Freaky Friday incident and switch bodies with Carine Roitfeld.
