fashionologie

Julian Louie's Tribal Spring 2011 Aldo Wedges Hit Stores and Online Today! Plus, Details on the Fall 2011 Collaboration

fashionologie — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 08:33:20 PDT

>> Julian Louie's much-buzzed-about Spring 2011 Aldo shoes start hitting New York flagship stores and online today. (So far, there's one style online, the rest of the collection will be online and in nationwide stores starting April 18). And it's all thanks largely to a Fashion Week tweet from Joe Zee. "His excitement got Aldo very excited about it," Louie said last night at the collaboration launch, "And that's when we started talking about the possibility of launching at retail. That's how it all started." The shoes - the Deanna and the Sobeslava - each come in two variations; all retail for $125. And, according to Louie, they'll be in "stores in America, Canada, and the UK, Europe . . . It's big, it's huge."

The mishmash of textiles on the shoes was inspired by Pieter Hugo's photography book The Hyena & Other Men, the designer explains: "The photographs [are] of a group of men in Nigeria who were street entertainers, and they trained hyenas. They had these crazy outfits that were half American sportswear that they found and half really traditional tribal pieces with a lot of interesting textiles and tassels. So the whole collection was about the mix of those two ideas."

As for all the excitement at the launch last night - many a girl took away a pair - Louie says: "I never expected this response, truly. I am so excited. I keep seeing girls buying them, and I'm like, I hope I see you tomorrow! Hailing a cab, on the train, or something." And he already had celebration plans in the works, post-launch, at his favorite spot, Indochine.

Louie worked with Aldo again for Fall 2011 - "We did about 8 styles of shoes" - so can we expect those in stores, as well? "We still are discussing the details of production for Fall," he says. "I don't know exactly, but hopefully, fingers crossed this [Spring 2011 collection] gets a really great response at retail and they want to do it again. I hope it's the beginning of something that's ongoing." He added that he's already started work on the Spring 2012 collaboration in the meantime, and that Aldo has been "very supportive": "They gave me - it's like total freedom. I can't stress it enough how amazing it is. I keep thinking I wish every other aspect of my business was as easy as this relationship. I feel very, very lucky."

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fashionologie — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:54:25 PDT

>> Jason Wu, Daisy Lowe Collaborate on Jewelry with Swarovski -Every season, Swarovski sponsors a handful of shows, and they're currently exhibiting some of the crystal-encrusted designs by Rodarte, Jason Wu, Julian Louie, threeASFOUR, Jeremy Laing, and Costello Tagliapietra at the New York store on 499 Broadway. This season, Wu is unveiling his jewelry for Atelier Swarovski (peek at left), based on the "concept of sculpting with everyday objects, so I'm using fabric and crystals and making sculptures in that spirit." And Daisy Lowe is also working on a 4-piece line (a necklace, bracelet, ring, and a set of earrings), which comes out in January: "They're kind of magical in a dark romantic way. I've incorporated black and white, star and moon crystals and multiple strands of chains." [Style.com, W Editor's Blog]

fashionologie — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 16:14:36 PST

>> THE MODELIZER -A year ago, WWD reported that one-third of the New York shows didn't employ models of color, but according to Jezebel's calculations, spots given to models of color increased six percent this season. Among those shows with the highest diversity: Oscar de la Renta, Victoria Beckham, Tracy Reese, Sophie Theallet; those using no models of color included: Julian Louie, Koi Suwannagate, Temperley London, and Vera Wang Lavender Label. [Jezebel]

*image: source

New York Fashion Week: Julian Louie Fall 2009

coutorture — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 10:15:16 PST

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Nothing better captures that post-Prada Fall 08 "tidiness" than Julian Louie's Fall 2009 collection. With layers so trim they look like they could be peeled off, or so immaculately buttoned-up the wearer looks like a living-doll, he perfectly articulates what women want to look like by next fall--that is, a more organized, efficient version of themselves. After all, "in times like these" who aspires to look unkept?

New, New York, Talent: Julian Louie

fashionologie — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:28:44 PDT

>> Being known as a protege of Francisco Costa doesn't hurt - especially when you're showing your first-ever collection. Julian Louie's fifteen sculptural pieces reeled in the likes of Kate Lanphear and Hamish Bowles last week - and they left with glimmers in their eyes, mirroring those of the Swarovski crystals embedded on Julian's dresses. The bright colors, innovative fabrics (neoprene!), and cocoon shapes reminded me of something that would appear at London rather than New York Fashion Week - even a touch of Christopher Kane's first collection - but nevermind, I'm glad to have a talent like his stateside.
*image: source

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