>> Interior Designer to Alexander Wang, Now to the Models? —Last night, Natasha Poly, Victoria Traina, and Alexander Wang teamed up to celebrate the launch of interior designer (an co-owner of Edon Manor boutique) Ryan Korban's signature website at the Soho Grand Hotel. Korban and Wang have been close friends since they went to college together — they collaborate often, on Wang's offices, for one — and Natasha Poly's up next — Korban will be doing an apartment she has yet to buy. No doubt, he'll have more models than just Poly to add to his client list soon — we counted over 25 showing up to the fete, including Maryna Linchuk, who palled around with Poly, Jessica Stam, Hanne-Gaby Odiele, Mirte Maas, Olga Sherer, Iris Strubegger, and Rose Cordero. One more tidbit that Poly let fly: she may not be doing the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for the second year in a row — she has to choose between that or a shoot in Morocco. [Style.com, Modelinia]
Jessica Stam
>> Jessica Stam Sits Out Paris Fashion Week Sick, Tanya Dziahileva To Finally Walk This Season —Toni Garrn made her first catwalk appearance this season today at Gareth Pugh, but we're still missing a number of models usually on the circuit: Catherine McNeil, Raquel Zimmermann, Sigrid Agren, Anna Maria Jagodzinska, and Tanya Dziahileva among them. Word is it's possible some may be hitting the Paris catwalks, but it looks like a Tanya appearance is most likely out of the bunch. Don't expect to see Jessica Stam, though, who's been going light this season as is: She's been sick for the past few days and decided to head back to New York. [Fashin, Jess Stam Twitter, Jess Stam Twitter, Jess Stam Twitter]
>> Models Missing from the New York Runways: An Update —With only one more day of New York Fashion Week to go, a number of top models still haven't set foot on a catwalk. Anja Rubik finally appeared at Michael Kors this morning — so did Carmen Kass and Jacquetta Wheeler — but Catherine McNeil — who is supposedly booked all through the New York shows on another job — Toni Garrn, Lara Stone, Anna Maria Jagodzinska, Sigrid Agren — who's rumored not to be doing any shows this season — Tanya Dziahileva, Raquel Zimmermann, and Georgina Stojiljkovic are all totally MIA. In other modeling news, Jessica Stam joined the increasingly large number of models bleaching their hair — she debuted the new hue today at Anna Sui. [Fashin]
Rag & Bone Adds Sunglasses, Shoes, and Other Sundry Accessories to Their Cool Girl Basics for Spring 2010
>> Marcus Wainwright and David Neville are expanding Rag & Bone in every which way for Spring 2010 — sunglasses in three types of tortoiseshell, accessories spanning belts to stick pins to sure-to-be-clamored over wedge boots. Just as much as the show is about cool girl basics — this time flutter-backed tops and fitted leather jackets — and how show stylist Tabitha Simmons pulled them all together, it's about the models. Iselin Steiro, who hadn't walked a runway in a year, opened; model-to-watch Emily DiDonato made it her first runway show ever; Kinga Rajzak debuted a newly-dyed brunette 'do; and Jessica Stam, who is said to have collaborated on the collection, sat front row and Tweeted about it — she's only doing two New York shows, the first is Anna Sui.
>> Fashion Continues to Invade TV on the CW's Gossip Girl, The Beautiful Life —Zac Posen has staked out a position in the series premiere of the CW's model-centric drama The Beautiful Life and Nina Garcia just filmed for the show recently, but they're not the only familiar guest stars that are slated to appear: Matthew Williamson, Erin Fetherston, and Jessica Stam have all been booked and Versace and Calvin Klein are also somehow involved. As for Georgina Chapman and Tory Burch's mysterious Gossip Girl cameos, they begin in the upcoming season's first episode by hooking up with Blake Lively's character Serena, and according to the show's executive producer have to do with Serena's “decision [in terms of college] and what happens to her in the first couple of episodes.” [E! Online, People]
>> Jessica Stam Is Collaborating with Rag & Bone for Spring 2010 —Although they remained mum on details, at Rag & Bone's Intermix launch party last night, designer David Neville revealed that he and Marcus Wainwright have been "designing some clothes together" with Jessica Stam. The pieces, which will make their debut for Spring 2010, are "more of a collaboration, really," according to Stam. In the past, the label has collaborated with Maryna Linchuk on a leather jacket for their Fall 2009 collection. [Style File, Vogue Daily]
Jessica Stam Goes All Smoke and No Mirrors for Fendi's Fall 2009 Campaign
>> Although there are still a few major Fall 2009 campaign casts to be revealed — Lanvin and Christian Dior among them — it seems that generally, Jessica Stam is moving away from fashion and more into those well-paying beauty campaigns this season: Already, she's got a Nina Ricci fragrance ad and a Dior Beauty campaign under her belt. But don't count her out just yet — she helms Karl Lagerfeld's Fendi campaign, photographed by the man himself, all wafting smoke and mysterious man — most likely Baptiste Giabiconi — in the background.
Chanel Teases Venice Cruise Collection; Karl Lagerfeld Directs Short Film with Lara Stone
>> Matthew Williamson launched a trippy online-only campaign video with H&M earlier this week, but his is not the only brand that has recently become fascinated with online video. Chanel just posted the first teaser for their Cruise 2010 show, taking place next Thursday, May 14 at the Grand Hotel Excelsior Lido Resort in Venice.
Karl Lagerfeld, according to press release, chose Venice as the newest Chanel runway hosting ground because Coco Chanel visited the city in the summer of 1920 to promote her beach pyjamas and soak up inspiration. A symbol that may play into the upcoming collection? The lion — Chanel collected many lion figurines while visiting, as she was a Leo. Two more cruise teaser videos will be posted under Chanel News on May 11 and May 13.
The brand has also recently launched a video highlighting their pink and jade Fall 2009 accessories, with guest appearances by a number of models, including Chanel favorites like Coco Rocha, Eniko Mihalik, Lily Donaldson, Anja Rubik, and Jessica Stam. But the best video added to their library is "Fitting Room Follies," a short film done by Karl Lagerfeld with Lara Stone trying on the Fall 2009 collection (NSFW) — you can hear him directing Lara in the background over the music.
2009 Costume Institute Gala Arrivals Have Started!
>> It's official Costume Institute Gala time: Anna Wintour is already snubbing press in her black and white Chanel, Bee Shaffer has already had help navigating in her sheer navy chiffon Nina Ricci gown, and Andre Leon Talley who is wearing "20 pounds" of Roger Vivier jewelry, has already exclaimed "Goddess" upon sight of Kate Moss.
Gisele Bundchen has arrived in sequined Atelier Versace minidress — she says she picked it out herself and they had to make it two inches shorter for her. Meanwhile, Eva Mendes grabbed Amber Valletta's booty on the red carpet, and Shalom Harlow, Amber, Natalia Vodianova, Eva Herzigova, and Stella Tennant have made a red carpet block while they stop to exchange air kisses.
UPDATE: More designer and model pictures have been added to the gallery!
*image: source, source, WENN.com
Jessica Stam Does a Little Basketball Before House of Style
>> Friday evening while Marc Jacobs was partying in Brazil, Jessica Stam went out a little closer to home. She and her boyfriend for the better part of the past year, Huey Lewis's son Austin Cregg, attended the New York Knicks game at Madison Square Garden in New York. Perhaps the outing was in celebration of her House of Style segment, which aired on Saturday? Although the show received less than stellar reviews — MTV must have known, burying it on Saturday afternoon — clips are up online, with one of Chanel Iman's segments here and another, featuring an Erin Fetherston dinner party, here.
*image: source
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