fashionologie

Interview Keeps the 40th Anniversary Celebration Going with a Little Subbasement Revelry

fashionologie — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 16:09:15 -0800

>> Two floors below the ground level entrance to the Hudson Hotel, Interview celebrated its 40th anniversary last night by christening Good Units, the hotel's new club. The space still had remnants of its past life as a 1930s YMCA - wooden bleachers sat in the middle of the main room, providing seating for the likes of Subversive Jewelry's Justin Giunta and Edita Vilkeviciute - and above, where the room's indoor track used to be, party-goers got an eagle's eye view of the dancing going on below. Archival Interview covers and graffiti by Brian Ermanski on the room's four walls gave the party a '90s vibe.

The crowd was teeming with notables, ready to kick-start Fashion Week. Vena Cava's Lisa Mayock and Shipley and Halmos's Jeff Halmos found a less crowded corner near the bar to chat by while Halmos's design partner Sam Shipley fetched drinks. Becka Diamond and Keegan Singh, arms linked, navigated the crowd and later, Singh's boyfriend Eddie Borgo appeared. Giovanna Battaglia, in a red and black leopard-print minidress, grooved to the music, while Derek Blasberg and Kate Bosworth, nearby, animatedly broke it down before scurrying off into the crowd. Mary-Kate Olsen, who's gearing up for her first The Row presentation, as styled by Marie-Amelie Sauve, and Chloe Sevigny both chatted with Lazaro Hernandez. A dark-haired Martin Cohn teetered in those Nina Ricci platform heels. And Dasha Zhukova, fresh off the purchase of a $19.5 million home in Los Angeles last month, flitted by in an emerald fitted coat. All in all, not a bad way to start out the week.

Prabal Gurung, Sophie Theallet, Justin Giunta Among Inaugural Fashion Incubator Designers

fashionologie — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 06:58:25 -0800

>> The CFDA Fashion Incubator, announced last October in partnership with New York City's Mayor Bloomberg, has its first twelve tenants. Among those named as part of the inaugural group of designers: Alice Ritter, Bibhu Mohapatra, Prabal Gurung, Sophie Theallet, Gemma Redux's Rachel Dooley, Grey Ant's Grant Krajecki, House of Waris's Waris Ahluwalia, Jolibe's Joel Diaz, Lewis's Alison Lewis, Public School's Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne, Ruby Kobo's Yuvi Alpert and Danna Kobo, and Subversive Jewelry's Justin Giunta.

The designers each received two-year leases on design studio spaces ranging from 800 to 1,000 square feet at 209 West 38th Street in Manhattan, with subsidized, below-market rental rates of between $1,500 and $2,000 per month. To earn a spot, the designers had to submit a business plan, show they had "substantive editorial coverage" and orders from high-level retailers, have been in business for over a year and a half, and be supporting a staff.

fashionologie — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:59:27 -0800

>> Justin Giunta Joins Tory Burch as Design Director of Jewelry -In his first long-term post for another house, Subversive Jewelry’s Justin Giunta has joined Tory Burch as design director of jewelry. Burch says of the appointment: “I have always been passionate about jewelry, and it’s a category we want to expand." Giunta's first collection for Burch will debut for holiday-resort season, and he plans to continue his own collections, as well. [WWD]

CFDA Swarovski Nominees Pair with Editors and Stylist for Short Films

fashionologie — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 17:13:00 -0700

>> All 21 designers nominated for the 2009 CFDA Awards have been photographed by Craig McDean for the CFDA Journal, but the nine who are Swarovski emerging designer nominees will also be featured in individual short films, along with an editor or stylist of their choice, to be shown at the June 15 ceremony.

The shorts, directed by Michael Palmieri and still photographed by Jennifer Livingston, feature designers Thakoon Panichgul, Jason Wu (who partnered with T fashion director Anne Christensen, left), Alexander Wang, Justin Giunta (who picked Harper's Bazaar accessories director Ana Maria Pimentel), Alejandro Ingelmo, Albertus Swanepoel, Patrick Ervell (who shot with V fashion editor Jay Massacret), Tim Hamilton and Robert Geller. The films also feature editors Anne Slowey, Brian Coats, Brian Molloy, Kate Lanphear, Camilla Nickerson and Melanie Ward.

2009 CFDA Award Nominees Announced

fashionologie — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:29:41 -0700

>> The 2009 CFDA Award nominees have just been announced, and Marc Jacobs has already won an award - the International Award for his work at Louis Vuitton (he's nominated in two more categories). Last year's Swarovski Award winners, Rodarte and Band of Outsiders, have both been bumped up to compete in the respective major league categories, and 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund contenders Albertus Q. Swanepoel, Alejandro Ingelmo, and Jason Wu have all entered the Swarovski Award ring this year.

We'll have to wait until June 15 to see who wins what, but the ceremony might mark fashion's first Michelle Obama event appearance - she's being honored with this year's Board of Director's Special Tribute for her style choices and penchant for up-and-coming talent.

And now, the nominees . . . »

London, New York Designers Take Show to Paris in Hope of More Sales

fashionologie — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:22:53 -0800

>> Budget cuts brought fewer European retailers to New York Fashion Week and fewer US retailers to London Fashion Week - Julie Gilhart of Barneys, for one - so instead, designers are meeting them at the one Fashion Week they all can't miss: Paris.

Those from New York heading across the seas to meet with potential buyers and hopefully secure sales are Brian Reyes, Alexander Wang, and Victoria Bartlett of VPL, who are all sharing a space, plus Elise Overland, Jason Wu, Erin Fetherston, and Justin Giunta of Subversive Jewelry. Diane von Furstenberg and Philip Crangi have already been spotted together at Tuileries, but The Ritz Paris is said to be the unofficial headquarters of retailer-designer-meet-and-greet activity.

The British Fashion Council is also investing itself in a trip to Paris - starting Friday, designers such as House of Holland, Osman Yousefzada, Felder Felder and Louise Gray will reside at the JTM Gallery on Rue de Richelieu, where international fashion press and buyers will have a second chance to peruse the collections; the hope, of course, is to increase investment in London designers.
*image: source

Fall 2009 Fashion Week: Baubles, Baubles, Baubles

fashionologie — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 12:59:33 -0800

>> Fall 2009 is jewelry's time to shine, judging by all of the collaborations debuting during Fashion Week. Besides Alexander Wang working with Paris Kain of AbraxasRex on "industrial," "animalistic" pieces, Bensoni commissioned Bing Bang's Anna Sheffield to do candy heart necklaces with pyramid pendants, Jason Wu enlisted Philip Crangi to add a "tough element" to his collection, Gilles Mendel and Subversive's Justin Giunta teamed up for chains and jewels to will appear on and worked into the J.Mendel collection, Eddie Borgo channeled his triangle obsession for Jen Kao, producing a sharp set of baubles - and he also working with Joseph Altuzarra. Not to mention a variety of other partners in jeweldom: Hervé Van der Straeten and Ruffian, Thakoon and Fenton's Dana Lorenz, DanniJo and Trovata, Roxanne Assouline and Brian Reyes . . .

Needless to say, the bijoux will be aplenty this season - especially because those partnerships are a good way to for jewelry designers get pieces out there without spending money - "You'll see a lot of collaborations going on with designers - like Irene Neuwirth is doing jewelry for Richard Chai - so you can see the talent at the same time," says CFDA executive director Steven Kolb.
*image: source, source, source