>> ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —Those who enjoyed Liya Kebede and Raquel Zimmermann as Lanvin girls, cherish it while it lasts — they won't be back for Spring 2009. Although no casts have been revealed, Steven Meisel shot the new Lanvin campaign in New York last week, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin shot Yves Saint Laurent a few weeks ago with a very "California" theme, Mario Testino is doing Versace in LA in early November, and Gucci will be photographed this week in Miami. [WWD]
>> Last week Hermes had to deal with a belligerent heir, and this week, Gucci is caught up in a spy scandal — anyone want to guess what drama will round out the three?
The brand's offices in Florence, Milan, and Rome were searched this week as part of an investigation of illegal access to the Italian Ministry of Interior's data bank. Last year, Carlo Del Bo, Gucci's former head of security, was arrested for illicitly obtaining information to help the brand fight conterfeits. A Gucci spokesman said that the brand was unaware of Del Bo's methods to unearth the information and is "fully cooperating with the authorities."
Gucci is the latest target to be pulled into into the ongoing "Spy Story" scandal; Alessandra Facchinetti, former head of womenswear at Gucci — who hasn't had a great year already — was revealed in July to be a target of another wiretapping scandal connected to Del Bo's arrest. Her phone conversations were tapped illegally for unclear reasons. *image: source
>> 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 This marks the second time Facchinetti has been replaced by accessories specialists, the first being when Frida Giannini replaced her at Gucci in 2005.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
>> There arevarious Coco Chanel films and a Gucci movie in the works for 2010 — but fashion can never get enough of film, and it looks like the feeling is mutual.
That Vivienne Westwood biopic that has been bandied about for two years? The rumors have been reignited — the designer's managing director was supposedly overheard a couple of days ago telling guests at the Westwood Gold Label show that Kate Winslet is lined up to play Viv from the '70s to present day.
And here's a new one: a Kate Moss movie. Supposedly, a team of Hollywood types is interested in London's Primrose Hill and the crowd who hangs out there — Sienna Miller, Rhys Ifans, Sadie Frost . . . and Kate Moss.
Neither film is anywhere close to being confirmed, but interesting, nonetheless. *image: source
>> 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
>> Jourdan Dunnbroke down barriers last season at Prada, becoming the first black woman to walk for the house in ten years, and now Chanel Iman is having her moment. Earlier today, she walked at Gucci twice, becoming the first black woman to walk for the house since the Tom Ford era ended in 2005 and current creative director Frida Giannini took over. *image: source, 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.
>> ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL —Those who enjoyed Liya Kebede and Raquel Zimmermann as Lanvin girls, cherish it while it lasts — they won't be back for Spring 2009. Although no casts have been revealed, Steven Meisel shot the new Lanvin campaign in New York last week, Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin shot Yves Saint Laurent a few weeks ago with a very "California" theme, Mario Testino is doing Versace in LA in early November, and Gucci will be photographed this week in Miami. [WWD]
>> Last week Hermes had to deal with 
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