>> Last night, with the help of keynote speaker Alber Elbaz, who doled out gems on the perils of success — "It's like a bottle of perfume. You smell it, you don't sniff it or drink it" — Alaia veteran and Michelle Obama favorite Sophie Theallet took home the 2009 Vogue/Fashion Fund prize of $200,000 and a year of mentoring. Fellow nominees Patrik Ervell and Monique Pean were named runners-up, and received $50,000 each plus a business mentor.
In her speech, Anna Wintour said that in addition to the US, Italy, and the UK — which just started a similar talent-nurturing program — she just met with the French minister of culture about mirroring the contest there. "And Brazil, India, Russia, and China aren't far behind."
Theallet Tweeted of her win: "my american dream comes true tonight thanks and much love to all of you!xox." Cathy Horyn, too, weighed in on the choice:
"The money and the mentoring will help Ms. Theallet because she needs to be able to offer more range in her collection, as well as expand her production options. She has such a distinctly feminine eye, and the skills, that I’ve often wondered why a big retailer doesn’t ask Ms. Theallet to design some blouses and summer dresses for them, using the store’s resources and manufacturing connections."
Videos of the nominees going through the competition and the awards ceremony last night can be seen here and here, respectively.
>> Stylist Tabitha Simmons's Shoe Collection Find an Exclusive Home at Bergdorf —Stylist and Vogue contributing editor Tabitha Simmons nervously launched her eponymous shoe line during Paris Fashion Week in March, while husband and photographer Craig McDean walked fans like Karen Elson through the collection. Later, she told the New York Timesof the line: "I wanted to do styles that were timeless — no crazy heels or platforms that tie them to one season. These are English walking boots, crossed with a Scottish Highland influence. I’ve also done sexy sandals and girly Mary Janes. It’s a little schizophrenic, the line." The collection — of which The Cut has a gallery — arrives exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman next month, and ranges from $795 to $2,200. [The Cut] *image: Lee Clower
>> Tom Ford pulled a Karl Lagerfeld for Spring 2009, taking over shooting his brand's ads from Terry Richardson. Some shots featured Karen Elson sporting his eyewear, prompting a new round of that ever-present question — is Tom Ford doing womenswear? It did used to be his forte, after all.
Turns out there is hope — circulating Milan Fashion Week is the rumor that Alessandra Facchinetti, who was unceremoniously dumped by Valentino last season, is currently working on Ford's nascent womenswear line. Most appropriate, since Facchinetti was top womenswear designer under Ford at Gucci, before taking over when he left that brand. *image: source
>> THE MODELIZER—Karen Elson's vintage foray is almost open for business: Venus & Mars — The Showroom officially debuts Oct. 23 in Nashville, and will stock rare high-end vintage, with the option of custom tailoring in-house. As Elson describes it, "The aim of the store is to encourage shoppers to think that vintage isn't just an old hand-me-down but a one-of-a-kind garment with a wonderful history." [The Pipeline]
>> Karen Elson has plenty of projects these days — her modeling work, raising two young children, opening that vintage store in Nashville — but when Zooey Deschanel came through Tennessee with her band She & Him a couple of weeks ago, Karen joined her onstage for a resounding edition of "The Tennessee Waltz." The two have previously appeared together in Sarah Sophie Flicker's short film Lay Down Lean, and seem to run in the same Erin Fetherston-Leith Clark circles.
>> TheAugust 2008 issue of Vogue Paris is dedicated to Yves Saint Laurent, and likewise, the editors at Vogue Italia had their own August 2008 YSL tribute in mind. The follow up to the hugely successful July "Black Issue" features Karen Elson, Linda Evangelista, Guinevere van Seenus, and Iris Strubegger in a funereal Steven Meisel cover story, "Silent." In one picture, a huge headstone features the name "Black," strangely implying that "black is dead." I wonder if the message was purposeful? A strange choice to follow up the celebratory nature of July's issue, especially considering that there are no black models in this editorial . . . *image: source
>> In a fun riff on Carine Roitfeld's iconic Vogue Paris editorial with Snejana Onopka posing as Anna Wintour, the August 2008 issue of Vogue has an editorial featuring five models styled by five different Vogue editors in their own style. Sasha Pivovarova, Raquel Zimmermann, Maryna Linchuk, Tanya Dziahileva are all involved, but first up, Karen Elson as Vogue's cat-loving creative director Grace Coddington. *image: source, source
»Anna Wintour has been bestowed with an OBE (Officer of the Civil Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) for services to British journalism and British fashion in the US [WWD]
»Bottega Veneta tops the list of the Luxury Institute's list of designer brands accorded the highest social status by affluent consumers [WWD]
»Devon Aoki shot with Self Service and Yves Saint Laurent at the Chateau Marmont last week [FWD]
fashionologie is the musings of a twenty-something American girl who wishes she could have a Freaky Friday incident and switch bodies with Phoebe Philo.
>> Stylist Tabitha Simmons's Shoe Collection Find an Exclusive Home at Bergdorf —Stylist and Vogue contributing editor Tabitha Simmons 
>> Tom Ford pulled a Karl Lagerfeld for Spring 2009, 
>> THE MODELIZER —Karen Elson's 
Alexander McQueen
Agnes B
Havaianas