>> You know Burberry is worried when their Spring 2009 campaign comes out looking like a catalogue. Mario Testino did the honors at Petersham Nurseries outside London, and Christopher Bailey carried on his all-British cast tradition with returner Lily Donaldson and newcomers Eden Clarke and Alexina Graham, but gone are the days of Fall 2008's moody black-and-white ads and Spring 2008's edgy, colorful group shots. These new Spring 2009 ads seem aimed much more for the mainstream, with their prominent placement of denim, the top-selling trenches, and the new, trademark plaid-covered Gardener Bag. Everyone's going for the money shot this season — and with Burberry, those intentions are quite transparent.
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Lily Donaldson
Burberry's Spring 2009 Garden Full of Money Trees
>> THE MODELIZER —Although rumors have placed Lily Donaldson in the hands of two other men in recent months, it looks like she's still with Carine Roitfeld's son Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld. The two arrived together at the Visionaire 55 party on Tuesday night. And while we're talking model love, Anja Rubik does seem to be dating Sasha Knezevic, as the holiday Gap ads imply — they appeared together at the Gucci Tattoo Heart party just before Thanksgiving. [Style File, TFS]
Jourdan Dunn, Luella Bartley Win Big at British Fashion Awards
>> Tonight, The British Fashion Council hosted the British Fashion Awards — the British counterpart to the CFDA Awards. Jourdan Dunn stole Agyness Deyn's Model of the Year crown, and looking shocked, managed to accept the award between tears: "My mum would like me to say I'm going to buy her a mansion but she's just going to have to accept this speech instead!" As for Designer of the Year — an honor bestowed on John Galliano and Alexander McQueen four times each — Luella Bartley was the anointed one.
[break]A complete list of awards, with winners in bold. »[/break]
- DESIGNER OF THE YEAR: Luella Bartley
- MODEL OF THE YEAR: Agyness Deyn, Jourdan Dunn, Lily Donaldson
- SWAROVSKI EMERGING TALENT — READY TO WEAR: Danielle Scutt, Louis Goldin, Felder Felder
- SWAROVSKI EMERGING TALENT — ACCESSORIES: Nicholas Kirkwood, Charlotte Olympia, Anna Vince
- DESIGNER BRAND OF THE YEAR: Jimmy Choo, Agent Provocateur, Paul Smith
- ISABELLA BLOW AWARD FOR FASHION CREATOR OF THE YEAR: Pat McGrath, Terry Jones, Tim Walker
- RED CARPET DESIGNER OF THE YEAR: Matthew Williamson, Giles Deacon, Stella McCartney
- MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR: Christopher Bailey for Burberry, Paul Smith, Richard James
- ACCESSORY DESIGNER OF THE YEAR: Jonathan Kelsey, Rupert Sanderson, Lara Bohinc
- BFC AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT IN FASHION: Stephen Jones
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Lindvall, Rubik, Wasson, and Donaldson Get It for Gap
>> We got a preview on Tuesday, and the rest of the Holiday 2008 Gap ads are here, full of Angela Lindvall's son's gap-toothed grin, Anja Rubik looking cozy in a furry hat, Erin Wasson trading in her usual ripped denim shorts for boot-cut jeans, Lily Donaldson with her little brother Jesse, and then some.
>> THE MODELIZER —Instead of walking in Yves Saint Laurent yesterday, Lily Donaldson took a seat front row — after the first look came out. The brand's Fall face Naomi Campbell was also in attendance, and "hooted and hollered" when Chanel Iman appeared on the runway. [Teen Vogue]
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>> THE MODELIZER —Lily Donaldson seems to have put Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld and those Michael Phelps rumors behind her. Now the buzz places her hand in the hand of Gabriele Corto Moltedo, 31-year-old handbag designer and son of Bottega Veneta founders Laura and Vittorio Moltedo. [Grazia]
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Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi's First Ferre Collection: The Reviews Are In
>> Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi had a tall order to fill for Spring 2009. Before Gianfranco Ferre passed in 2007, his architectural-based label had ceased to become relevent — as Cathy Horyn put it, "It’s been a while since anyone [has] paid serious attention to the Ferre name." So could the newly tapped designers bring it back to the forefront?
The general consensus says yes. Nicole Phelps of Style.com was pleased: "They deserve high marks for this outing." Cathy Horyn of The New York Times, a Aquilano-Rimondi fan, loved the effort, with one caveat: "The designers distilled the essence of Ferre in a new, eye-catching way. Now to just refine the elements a bit more . . . " WWD felt the same: "Aquilano and Rimondi have the right ideas, but what they need now is a little restraint."
Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune also echoed the same sentiment: "Not all the Ferré collection was approachable. Yet . . . the two designers created the clothes and the buzz that will bring fashion life back to Ferré." With another season under their belts, Aquilano and Rimondi could definitely hit the right stride at Ferre.
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Vogue October 2008 Ends With a Cliffhanger
>> Steven Meisel's October 2008 "Natural High" editorial in Vogue has everyone talking. Where else but Vogue would you see models in chubbies (not to be mistaken with chubby models) climbing up the steep side of a mountain, goat-style, clutching clutches and in super-high heels? Or what about Caroline Trentini, dangling over the side of a cliff? This one is just begging to be LOLVogued.
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Coco Rocha, Lily Donaldson, Hilary Rhoda Get Their Buttons Pushed
>> The Tents are loaded with plenty of freebies, but these might be the cutest — to go along with Fashion Week's election theme, someone took a page out of Henry Holland's book and printed model slogan campaign buttons for Coco Rocha, Lily Donaldson, Hilary Rhoda, Ali Michael, Jessica Stam, and Agyness Deyn. Apparently, Agyness has been seen wearing Stam's around, and Stam wearing Coco's . . .
Rag & Bone Goes Rock & Roll for Spring 2009
>> Take working-class fashion, add a pinch of Joy Division, and you've got the inspiration David Neville and Marcus Wainwright were drawing on for their Spring 2009 collection. The Rag & Bone show changed venues this season from the upscale Cipriani to the more hard-edged Pier 94 — a change from polished to slightly edgy that you could also say was reflected in the clothes.
Black wraparound leather belts with threateningly sharp silver spikes accented so many of the looks, and are sure to be a must-have — but even the typical Rag & Bone tweedy suits were rock-n-rolled up with a leather mini, like Julia Dunstall's closing look, or a silvery silk sheen, like Jessica Stam's blazer.
The model cast was full of high notes — stalwarts like opener Sasha Pivovarova or Coco Rocha — and the coveted new girls like Aline Weber and Liu Wen. Arlenis Pena was there too: she's had a big day, between being named as the new face of Lancome and slipping up at BCBG this morning.
To get the full experience, check out the runway video at Elle.com.
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