fashionologie

Alessandra Facchinetti Not Told of Her Replacement by Valentino

fashionologie — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 09:54:11 -0700

>> 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 This marks the second time Facchinetti has been replaced by accessories specialists, the first being when Frida Giannini replaced her at Gucci in 2005.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.

[break]So why was she given the boot? »[/break]

Although Facchinetti's most recent collection was well-received, her dismissal was not caused by the clothes, but rather her inability to build a strong, cohesive team, and her inability to make decisions ultimately crippled the production process. Valentino Garavani voiced his approval for the design changes — he did woo Chiuri and Piccioli work for Valentino himself — and took one last swing at Facchinetti in the process:

They are two serious, capable professionals that I had alongside me for many years. They always demonstrated an enormous respect and love for my work. There is an existing archive with thousands of dresses where they can draw and take inspiration from to create a Valentino product that is relevant today. It is a shame that their predecessor didn’t feel this need.

And it's a shame Alessandra Facchinetti wasn't given more than two seasons to work with.
*image: source

Alessandra Facchinetti Not Told of Her Replacement by Valentino originally appeared on fashionologie on Mon, 10/06/2008 - 8:54am Please see fashionologie for terms for use of feeds.

Frida Giannini's Spring 2009 Collection: For Gucci or Zara?

fashionologie — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 17:11:49 -0700

>> 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 show will 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

Frida Giannini's Spring 2009 Collection: For Gucci or Zara? originally appeared on fashionologie on Wed, 09/24/2008 - 4:11pm Please see fashionologie for terms for use of feeds.

Gucci Fine Jewelry Fall 2008: Different Girl, Same Ads

fashionologie — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 17:23:35 -0700

>> 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

10 Photos: View as Gallery | View as Slideshow

Gucci Fine Jewelry Fall 2008: Different Girl, Same Ads originally appeared on fashionologie on Mon, 09/22/2008 - 4:23pm Please see fashionologie for terms for use of feeds.

Frida Giannini Taps Into the Rachel Zoe Style Rules for Gucci Resort 2009

fashionologie — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 10:39:31 -0700

>> 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 . . .

A video of the show can be seen here.
*image: source, source

29 Photos: View as Gallery | View as Slideshow

Frida Giannini Taps Into the Rachel Zoe Style Rules for Gucci Resort 2009 originally appeared on fashionologie on Wed, 07/09/2008 - 9:39am Please see fashionologie for terms for use of feeds.

Live from Rome: Snejana Onopka Makes a Runway Return at Gucci Resort 2009

fashionologie — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:26:51 -0700

>> 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!

Live from Rome: Snejana Onopka Makes a Runway Return at Gucci Resort 2009 originally appeared on fashionologie on Tue, 07/08/2008 - 2:26pm Please see fashionologie for terms for use of feeds.

Frida Giannini Gets in Touch with James Franco's "Seductive Side"

fashionologie — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:12:19 -0700

>> When Gucci recently tapped James Franco to front its new fragrance, Gucci by Gucci Pour Homme, Frida Giannani said of her choice: "James has an intriguing air, he's very contemporary, natural and at the same time has an intriguing, seductive side."

Last night at the fragrance launch in Milan, Frida seemed to be tempted by James' "seductive side" . . . either that, or she was having a really good time. Sure, she was playing a good hostess to the actor, but they were also photographed dancing together, chatting the night away on a couch, and even . . . dare I say . . . getting a little more touchy-feely than professionalism calls for. A full gallery below.
*image: source

6 Photos: View as Gallery | View as Slideshow

Frida Giannini Gets in Touch with James Franco's "Seductive Side" originally appeared on fashionologie on Tue, 06/24/2008 - 10:12am Please see fashionologie for terms for use of feeds.

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fashionologie — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 14:36:42 -0700

>> A LITTLE TURN ON THE CATWALK —Frida Giannini knows how to party. For resort 2009, she can't let Chanel and Dior get the best of her, so she too is staging a full Gucci runway show, followed by a party, in Rome on July 8.

The whole ordeal celebrates Gucci's 70 years in Rome plus their newly renovated Roman flagship, but Frida couldn't wait another month to show the collection off, so she gave a preview yesterday in New York. "It's a bit hippie but not too much." [WWD]

originally appeared on fashionologie on Thu, 06/12/2008 - 1:36pm Please see fashionologie for terms for use of feeds.