fashionologie

Frida Giannini Finds Fashion More Inspiring Without a Stylist's Influence

fashionologie — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 11:37:55 PDT

>> When Frida Giannini is asked how she first got interested in fashion - whether it was through music or otherwise - she replies in the new issue of Interview: "I always loved the look of musicians. I’ve always admired them because they have a look - when I was growing up, it seemed that the ones I liked didn’t need to have a stylist. Now there is this trend where everyone has a stylist, or follows the suggestions of a stylist, from designers on down. But I have some memories of looking at David Bowie in the ’70s, and he had this look that was so authentic and original, which I think is more genuine in a way for a musician, and also very intriguing from the designer’s point of view." Also learned: Giannini owns 8,000 vinyl records. [Interview]

Proenza Schouler's Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez Don't Expect to Be in Fashion Forever

fashionologie — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 11:49:17 PST

>> There's been many an argument over the correct pronunciation of Proenza Schouler, and in the March 2011 issue of Interview, Lazaro Hernandez admits of the name, "I actually regret it." Jack McCollough agrees: "Yeah. One of our biggest regrets is the name of our company. It's like alphabet soup. There are so many letters. Even coming up with a font was a mission. We had to do these fine, little letters. We couldn't do strong, bold letters because it would be, like, out to here . . . . The whole reason why we even picked that name in the first place was that when we started, Barneys had just bought our collection and we didn't have a name. We thought, Hernandez McCollough? Doesn't sound so high end, does it?" Hernandez adds, "Proenza Schouler is better."

Their close friend and interviewer for the piece, Chloe Sevigny, points out that she likes the initials PS. McCollough notes: "We like PS, too, but Paul Smith has taken it. It's trademarked." Perhaps that's how their signature bag, the PS1, got named - it's as close to PS as they could get.

McCollough and Hernandez also cleared up questions surrounding their relationship - they are together personally as well as professionally (even though rumors have circulated that Derek Blasberg caused them to split years ago). And Proenza Schouler's CEO from the beginning, Shirley Cook, who McCollough says "was a friend of a friend from school" and "would come over and help us organize the part of running a business that we were clueless about" while working PR at Helmut Lang, has been dating McCollough's brother for six years. "What if they get married?" Sevigny asks.

Hernandez: Or what if they break up? That's even worse. [laughs] If they get married, it's fine. It's still the family.

McCollough: It could get messy. But you know, all relationships can potentially get really messy.

Hernandez: Like Jack and I could break up and then what would happen? Hmm.

McCollough: Whoa! What are you insinuating? I don't need you. [Hernandez laughs]

Hernandez: Those are all ifs. You gotta just . . .

McCollough: . . . move forward.

As far as their design relationship, Hernandez says it often works on compromise: "What's cool about us, if I want black and Jack wants white, we won't do either. We'll do grey. We have to find something in-between what we both want. It's hard. But Proenza Schouler wouldn't look the way it does if it were me by myself or Jack by himself. We do grey because I like white or he likes black. But none of us really likes grey, in a weird, metaphorical way." And between them, they design "90 percent of what you see."

That includes the pre-collections, which many other designers farm out to their design director (they don't have one). McCollough says, "If anything, the biggest stress these days are these pre-collections. They eat up so much of our time." But: "It's become just a huge part of the business. I think the pre-collections are about 60 percent of the business."

Nonetheless, they maintain that while designing, they don't think about sales. McCollough asserts, "If anything, we're anti-sales." And Hernandez adds: "We're really bad about that. We tend to think, 'What does my woman want for next season? What does she need? What does her closet lack? What has never crossed her mind?' It's never, 'Oh maybe she has enough short skirts made by us, now we need to do longer.' That's beside the point."

Sevigny notes that the designers are friends with Joseph Altuzarra and Alexander Wang, and asks if they feel a healthy competition with other designers. "Totally," Hernandez responds. "I think in the very beginning when we were trying to break through, we reacted to people who had already broken through a bit with something like, 'I hate him!' But now we feel more like there's room for everyone. Everyone does something different. All the young designers now are doing something interesting." McCollough chimes in: "There can be some crossover in places, absolutely. But for the most part, when people are doing well, they have their own thing going on."

It's well-documented that McCollough and Hernandez enjoy stepping away from the erratic fashion cycle on their farm in upstate New York - "People say New York is really inspiring and stuff, but for us, New York is a place to get sh*t done. Leaving the city and exploring things outside of the city is really inspiring," Hernandez says. And for such young designers - both men are 32 - it sounds like they've already mulled the idea of exiting fashion:

McCollough: We're not in this forever. We're not going to have the longevity of Karl Lagerfeld, who's doing this stuff at his age.

Hernandez: We respect people who have the stamina.

Sevigny: So are you going to become like Helmut Lang and do fine art?

McCollough: His career is kind of genius.

Hernandez: Helmut Lang's our hero.

McCollough: He stopped at his peak, you know?

Sevigny: But that wasn't exactly because he wanted to.

Hernandez: I think, probably, in retrospect, that served him well. For our generation, he's like God. He stepped down and left everyone wanting more.

Quick Hits With . . . Waris Ahluwalia

Chi Diem Chau — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 21:39:40 PST

>> We spent a quick minute with jewelry designer, actor, and shopkeeper Waris Ahluwalia after the Cynthia Vincent show last night. Listen up to what Waris had to say:

What shows, besides Cynthia Vincent, are you heading to this week?

I'm looking forward to checking out United Bamboo, Elise Overland, and Edun.

Any Fashion Week vices?

No - in addition to attending shows, I have to prepare for my first presentation this week.

What about Fashion Week essentials?

Trying to get sleep. I hardly get any at all, but I love it. I love Fashion Week.

Favorite New York restaurants?

They're always the same: Omen and Bar Pitti.

What item in your closet are you wearing most right now?

My pink suede loafers from Esquivel.

Quick Hits With . . . Tank's Caroline Issa

fashionologie — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:09:46 PST

>> We caught up with streetstyle favorite Caroline Issa of Tank magazine before Rag & Bone's runway show for a quick chat:

Which New York shows are you most looking forward to?

Rodarte, Proenza [Schouler], Marc Jacobs, Donna Karan, and Calvin Klein.

What items in your closet are you wearing most right now?

My Givenchy jacket (shown left), because it's really cold outside, Equipment blouses, and a bunch of Phillip Lim stuff, actually.

What are you hoping to buy next?

I want to get a suit, a full tailored suit with big flared trousers.

And any Fashion Week vices?

I think probably just too much shopping during Fashion Week, that's definitely bad. And a lot of pasta in Milan - but that's not a vice, it's more of a pleasure.

Photo: Greg Kessler

Quick Hits With . . . Stylist Keegan Singh

Chi Diem Chau — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 20:07:47 PST

>> We caught up with Keegan Singh after Jenni Kayne's runway show - which he styled - for a quick chat:

What item in your closet are you wearing most right now?

My Rick Owens shearling jacket. It's the best coat I ever invested in.

Any Fashion Week vices?

No, I have too much work to do.

What about Fashion Week essentials?

Lots of sleep, lots of water, and Vitamin C.

What are your post-New York Fashion Week plans?

I have to go to LA for a video shoot with SHOWStudio in the desert. I'm going to get some warmth, sunshine, and then head over to Paris Fashion Week.

Haider Ackermann's Star Continues to Rise, and He's Feeling the Love

fashionologie — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:04:29 PST

>> Haider Ackermann has flown under the radar for a number of years, but in the past few months particularly, it feels as though he's crossed a threshold. In November of last year, Karl Lagerfeld named Ackermann as the designer he'd like to see take over from him at Chanel; Ackermann was reportedly being scouted by Yves Saint Laurent CEO Valerie Hermann at his October show; and Vogue chose to dress Lady Gaga in Ackermann's dresses both on the magazine's March 2011 cover - a major coup - and inside. As Ackermann tells longtime supporter Tilda Swinton in Interview's February 2011 issue, he's feeling the love: "You know what? I feel like I’m going through such a delicious phase of my life at the moment. It’s nice to feel desired - and I do feel desired work-wise but also privately . . . You know, we all want to be desired. So it feels very good. You know, I really like to take the time to build things slowly and surely - to get more grounded. But it never felt for certain, like, 'One day people will listen to me!' It was more like, 'Perhaps I’ve got something to say.' So it feels fantastic." [Interview]

Guillaume Henry on Carven's Upcoming First Fashion Show and the Brand's Next Step

fashionologie — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 06:17:23 PST

>> In the course of four days, Guillaume Henry has made a whirlwind tour of personal appearances at Barneys in three different cities - San Francisco, Chicago, and then finally, New York yesterday - marking his first personal appearances in the United States since joining Carven as creative director in 2009. A former assistant to Riccardo Tisci, Henry is heading into his fourth collection for the brand - which for the first time, he will show during Paris Fashion Week in March. In between toasts from trunk show host Alexa Chung and chats with supporters like Sally Singer and new Barneys fashion director Amanda Brooks, we caught up with Henry to pick his brain.

Heard you just made your first trip to California! How was it?

I loved it there. It was super quick, so I definitely have to come back. The weather was amazing, the people were super friendly and supportive. San Francisco is a city with the good vibrations of a village. It’s fresh.

How long are you here in New York?

I arrived about three hours ago, and I’m leaving tomorrow morning. Quickest trip ever.

What's the first thing you plan to do when you get back home to Paris?

I have to go to the fabric fair. It started yesterday, and I’m going to be there for only one day, so I have one day to choose fabrics for next Summer’s collection. That’s something I’m going to have to do quick.

Any hints on the Fall 2011 collection?

I’m kind of superstitious, so I don’t talk about the Fall collection until it’s finished. I’m still working on it, and we’re going to show it in Paris in the beginning of March. We’re going to do a show - it’s the first time we’re going to put on a show. It’s not a proper show - you won’t expect girls on the catwalk, walking fast, but we’re definitely going do to it during fashion week. [It will be] a presentation - intimate, it’s all about intimacy. For me, we have to be close to the people, definitely.

What do you think is the next step for the brand, aside from a show?

We’re going to up our shoe line and our bag line - slowly, because it’s a real business. And I hope we’re going to relaunch perfumes, because Carven in the ‘50s was super famous for the perfumes. That’s something I would love to do, because it’s the smell of a collection, the smell of a house. I hope maybe in one year [we will relaunch perfumes]. And for next winter [Fall 2011] we will have lots of new shoes and bags - it’s going to be a proper line. And we’re going to be doing some of the shoes in collaboration with Robert Clergerie, the French shoemaker - it’s going to be a nice marriage.

Do you ever speak with Carven’s founder, Carmen de Tommaso?

Yeah! She’s 102 years old today, but I met her twice. The first time it was eight years ago. I did a contest, and actually the funny thing is I got the first prize. At the end of the day, when she offered me the prize, she said to me, ‘You have to understand now that I am your grandmother in the business.’ I couldn’t expect at that time that a few years later I would design [her] collection. And I met her two years ago at her 100^th birthday, and she was super nice - an old lady, but super nice.

Does she like the collection?

I have no idea. I hope that if she looks at it, she would find the DNA of the brand, because I really respect what she did with it.

What other shows are you looking forward to this season?

I’m looking at everything; I’m super interested in the job that I do, so I do have to look at everybody’s work and consider what’s happening. Commercially, I do have to consider what’s the reality in the streets, so I’m a real observer.

Who embodies the Carven woman for you?

I guess I hope Carven is a super democratic brand, so anybody would feel herself in our clothes. We’ve got girls like Rihanna wearing our clothes, girls like Emma Watson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi Moore . . . older actresses, as well. I really believe that there’s no real small market about Carven. I would love to dress Natalie Portman, and I would love to dress older actresses as well - like Susan Sarandon - so it’s not a question of age.

Tom Ford Covers Interview February 2011, Says He's "One of the Least Materialistic People That Exist"

fashionologie — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 11:55:10 PST

>> Tom Ford covers Interview's February 2011 issue, shot by Craig McDean. In the accompanying cover story, Ford offers up his usual hot shots: "I think gay men make better designers."

Or: "There are moments where I am sexually attracted to women. But it doesn’t overpower my first impulse; my lust for them is the same as my lust for beauty in all things. It’s not like I ever think, 'Oh, my god, I’ve got to spread her legs and f*ck her.'”

And then he tells a story about how he did an interview "sitting with my legs wide open, completely naked," with a straight male reporter because Ford had told him, "When I come home I actually take off all my clothes, and I wear no clothes until I leave. I eat naked. I do everything completely naked." And the reporter thought it would make for a great interview.

But Ford willingly admits that he says things like the above as a front: "Most people don’t actually know me. They know the projection of me that I use to sell things. And they know me from an expression of material beauty. I’m actually very introverted. I’m very shy. I’m very emotional."

He adds: "I grew up mostly in New Mexico, which is famous for sunsets and mountains and trees. That’s the reason I have a place there and spend so much time there now. When I was a little kid, all I wanted to do was to escape what I thought was the country and get to a city. Probably film and television had influenced me so much, I really thought the key to happiness was living a very artificial life in a penthouse in New York with martini glasses . . . As an adult working in the fashion industry, I struggle with materialism. And I’m one of the least materialistic people that exist, because material possessions don’t mean much to me. They’re beautiful, I enjoy them, they can enhance your life to a certain degree, but they’re ultimately not important. Your connections with other people are important, our connection to the earth. And that’s why I go to New Mexico as often as I can. And what I find to be the most beautiful thing in the world now is nature - sunsets, trees, my horses."

RJ Cutler Rumored to Be Working On Teen Vogue's TV Project; See A Portrait of Gareth Pugh and His Longtime Boyfriend, Nude

fashionologie — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 12:14:40 PST

Nick Knight captured Gareth Pugh and his longtime boyfriend, artist Carson McColl (left), as part of a video portrait project [SHOWstudio, SHOWstudio]
Word is that the new TV project September Issue documentarian RJ Cutler is working on is connected to Teen Vogue; apparently they've reached out to at least one well-known blogger to participate [The Cut]
Hamish Bowles shaved off the mustache he's had for the past year while in South Anjuna for New Year's Eve [WWD]
Lauren Hutton is a fan of Tom Ford's films: "He said, 'I'm going back to fashion.' I said, 'Oh no, why? I like your work, but I love your movies!' But, anything for Tom, and he knows that" [Harper's Bazaar]
Calvin Klein bought Manhattan restaurant Indochine out tomorrow night for his boyfriend Nick Gruber's 21st birthday party [NY Post]
J.Crew extended their buyout deadline to Feb. 15 to appease shareholders [The Cut]
Philip Crangi just signed a manufacturing and distribution deal with Lucas Design, the company that produced Tom Binns's Disney Couture line, and is considering a move into leather goods and eyewear [WWD]
Anna Wintour, who attended the White House for Chinese President Hu Jintao last night, told reporters she intended to ask Hu: "Will he invest some money in Chinese fashion?" [Styleite]
22 year-old Lily Kwong, cousin of Joseph Altuzarra and an Elite model, collaborated with her photographer friend on a David Lynch-inspired editorial [T]
Kate Moss loves her country home in the Cotswalds: "I need to get away from the city every weekend to talk, cook, ride my bicycle to Londis to pick up veg and do the country thing. I had another place in the country for three years. Then there was a year that I didn't have it and I didn't know what to do with myself. I was absolutely lost without it" [Vogue UK]
Ryan McGinley captured Lauren Hutton, Lou Doillon, Tali Lennox, and many others for Club Monaco's Spring 2011 ad campaign [Fashionetc, WWD]
Miguel Enamorado, who spent the past three years as Interview's fashion market director, has been promoted to the magazine's fashion director under creative director Karl Templer [DFR]

Emilio Pucci's Peter Dundas Addresses the Possibility of His Own Line

fashionologie — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 10:07:56 PDT

>> “It’s hot in here,” Peter Dundas said at the French Vogue party last week. “Let’s have a nude beach party theme next time.” A funny comment, considering that Dundas tells Pharrell Wiliams in Interview's October 2010 issue, "When I started at Ungaro, I was completely petrified . . . I was this Norwegian who people thought looked like a beach bum. I guess I am a beach bum, but they thought I looked a lot more like that than a designer. I was very worried about those kinds of reactions . . . I’m not intellectual at all as a designer. Whatever I’m into at the moment is usually what becomes the collection."

He's happy designing at Pucci, though: "People always ask me, 'Oh, do you ever want to start your own thing?' And I don’t, actually. I think what I enjoy most is the sort of coproduction of things, where you bring something and somebody else brings something and a kind of alchemy happens. For me, coming to a house and bringing my love and respect to it-and, hopefully, earning the love and respect of the house-is the only way to do it. I think of it as my own house in that sense as well. So I like not working from a blank piece of paper. I like that there’s something from the past, some kind of identity that I have to work with. There are these good ghosts around, these good energies that kind of reinforce what you do. It’s like how your parents raise you and give you this base, and you eventually grow up and have to say, 'Well, you gave me this, but now I need to go my own way.' So, more than finding a balance, it’s about taking the good parts of what you’ve been given and bringing your own thing to it in order to take it all somewhere else - and hopefully, forward."