fashionologie

Manolo Blahnik Makes a Comeback, Is Again in Demand

fashionologie — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 11:29:37 PDT

>> After being overtaken for a few years by Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik is back in the spotlight. Recent deliveries of a particular Manolo pump sold out so fast, Bergdorf Goodman had to institute a waiting list. “Manolo’s shoes are very much in the spirit of this moment’s clothes, pared down, with simple lines, and I hate to say ladylike, but classic,” said Linda Fargo, SVP for women’s fashion at the store.

“We do a very, very strong business in his shoes,” added Jonathan Joselove, SVP and merchandise manager for Neiman Marcus, noting that the stores have difficulty keeping certain Manolos in stock.

As the New York Times points out, Kate Moss wore a classic pair of Manolos for her wedding this past Summer, and Sarah Jessica Parker was shot exclusively in the Blahnik BB pump in the August issue of Vogue. “I walked in [for the shoot] and looked around and saw all these shoes, and then I spotted the Manolos and it was like water in a desert,” Parker explained. “I was just so excited to see a simple black pump.”

Of Louboutin's more embellished shoes and signature red soles, George Malkemus, president of Manolo Blahnik USA, says: “It was a chic idea for a minute. You wore a red sole, and everyone knew you spent $1,200 or $1,400 for your shoes. And I would say there was a period when certain customers abandoned us and moved into that world.” But, as Blahnik himself added last week: “The gimmicky thing I’m not very keen on. I’ve never been tempted to do these hideous furniture shoes.”

New York Fashion Week Dispatches from Lane Crawford Fashion Director Sarah Rutson - Monday and Tuesday

fashionologie — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 21:14:40 PST

>> You've met Lane Crawford Fashion Director Sarah Rutson and gotten her thoughts on shows like Alexander Wang and Altuzarra from the first part of New York Fashion Week. As the week carries on, find out what she did for Valentine's Day yesterday and her thoughts on Marc Jacobs's show. More in the slideshow - including Sarah's catch-up with Anna Dello Russo!

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Erin Fetherston, Linda Fargo, and More Do Drag for Paper's September 2010 Issue

fashionologie — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 09:32:18 PDT

>> Erin Fetherston's name is typically associated with super feminine designs, but on the set of Paper's recent shoot, which captured women like Fetherston (below), Bergdorf Goodman SVP Linda Fargo, and Rachel Roy in menswear and mustaches, she admitted: "I've started to wear pants a lot, having been a dress-only girl for so many years. It's interesting to have a balance." Jenny Shimizu, who also took part, told Paper she's working on something new as well: a book of her life experiences, particularly "carousing around" in the '90s supermodel scene.

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Fall 2009 Milan Wrap-Up: Still Whitewashed, But with Promising Talents Aquilano and Rimondi

fashionologie — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 15:55:21 PST

>> Milan is infamous for being one of the hardest markets to break open for models of color, and unfortunately, that still seems to be the case, based on tallying by The Cut. The worst offenders? Burberry, Giorgio Armani, Missoni, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo, who all only used one model of color, while Gianfranco Ferre, Jil Sander, and Prada didn't use any.

Meanwhile, buyers have spoken on their Milanese favorites: Jil Sander, Prada, Marni, Bottega Veneta, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Pucci, Roberto Cavalli, and Gianfranco Ferré - surprisingly, Missoni was not in the mix.

A number of critics and retailers have Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi on their lists as Milan's most promising up-and-coming talent, but their situation at Gianfranco Ferre is currently tenuous - the front row Friday included three government-appointed special administrators, a reminder that owner IT Holding faces bankruptcy proceedings, and could take Ferre, Just Cavalli, John Galliano, and Malo down with it. Regardless, hopes are high - as Linda Fargo, fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman, put it, "Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi continue to show the promise of world-class design for the future - both in their own line and at Gianfranco Ferré. We hope the dust settles favorably on Ferre as the two designers are hitting the right notes."

Other highlights on the to-watch list: Christopher Kane at Versus and, for next season, Vionnet, under the care of Prada alum Rodolfo Paglialunga.
*image: source

Jason Wu, Hottest Ticket in Town?

fashionologie — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 13:06:18 PST

>> Isabel Toledo may have shelled out for that lemongrass fabric she used to make Michelle Obama's inaugural day dress - it rings in at $500 a yard - but it's Jason Wu who will be reaping the Fashion Week benefits of an Obama nod.

In fact, Wu's show "might be the hottest ticket in town" - right after Marc Jacobs - according to The New York Observer. Elle is sending seven more staffers than it did to Wu's Spring 2009 show - including editor-in-chief Robbie Myers, creative director Joe Zee, and style director Kate Lanphear. Bergdorf Goodman is bringing its entire buying team, in addition to fashion director Linda Fargo and senior women's fashion director Roopal Patel, who attended last season. Anna Wintour is sure to attend again, especially since she was already front row for the Spring 2009 show.

"I feel extreme pressure . . . »

Olivier Rousteing's Debut Balmain Collection Deemed "a Hit" by Critics

fashionologie — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 15:01:13 PDT

>> In his Las Vegas-inspired debut at Balmain earlier today, 26-year-old Olivier Rousteing has won himself a few new fans. "Viva Las Vegas…and budding young fashion talent," WWD wrote.

Rousteing said he wished to turn the label away from holey T-shirts and tattered jeans to give more focus to the Balmain's couture roots, and his efforts were rewarded. The Wall Street Journal's Christina Binkley noted: "From the look of things, Mr. Rousteing has a bright future." "I think he did great," said Bergdorf Goodman fashion director Linda Fargo as she exited the show. And Suzy Menkes called the collection "a hit": "Mr. Rousteing proved his weight in the gold he scattered so liberally on the collection."

Wes Gordon Spring 2012

fashionologie — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 15:26:28 PDT

>> Four seasons in, Wes Gordon is building up his offering - ramping up from 18 looks to 23 for Spring 2012 - and making sure he's appealing to a "younger girl": "[I] focused this time on irreverence, a mismatch of day and cocktail - the embellished jacket with the pair of skinny jeans, or a lurex pant with a little blazer." He also introduced his first shoes, done in collaboration with Manolo Blahnik - think glitter, green, or yellow and white-striped Mary Jane heels and ankle strap heeled sandals tied with primary-colored ribbons: "They're so simple and clean, I'm obsessed."

As for the look Gordon expects to sell well? "The [short] cadmium red dress really looks good on every girl we put it on." Linda Fargo did, after all, pop backstage before the show. "We're in Bergdorf's this season for the first time," Grodon explained. "It's fun to have a store in New York, because I can go check out the clothes. But then I feel like I have to be dressed up, so I never end up going."

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Interior Designer Kelly Wearstler Forays Into Fashion with New Collection

Chi Diem Chau — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 08:40:22 PST

>> More than a couple of designers are admitted fans of Kelly Wearstler - but the interior designer is now joining their ranks. “I have been thinking about it for probably five years,” Wearstler told WWD. “So much of my influence in interior design comes from fashion, and everything relating to fashion, from jewelry, which can be reminiscent of sculpture, to the colors and silhouettes that I find in clothing. This feels like a natural evolution." Her debut collection, for Fall 2011, includes clothes, jewelry, clutches, and scarves, and will be sold exclusively at Bergdorf Goodman in a Wearstler-designed space.

“When you look at the collection, it feels like it could be a few rooms in a house,” says Wearstler, who will present the collection during New York Fashion Week by appointment. “Each delivery has its own little voice, but works very harmoniously with the whole collection.” The jewelry was inspired by Wearstler's travels from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay, and prices are set from $205 to $1,395 for clothes; $155 to $995 for jewelry; and $795 to $995 for bags.

Bergdorf SVP Linda Fargo is sold on the collection: “Kelly, more so than a lot of other people who get involved in fashion and didn’t technically come up through the ranks of studying it, is genuinely, in her heart, a free-spirited fashion person. With people who don’t come up through the traditional schooling of fashion, there is always a certain skepticism. Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen probably met with a lot of skepticism, but they were able to prove themselves, and they showed a lot of commitment to it. You always worry that this could be just a dalliance for someone, a fascination for a year…a way for them to expand themselves as a brand. Kelly has a track record with us. I would bet on anything that she decided to apply her design sense to.”

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Fashion's Night Out Will Bring Anna Wintour To Queens, Hamish Bowles To Juicy Couture, and the Olsens To Bartend at Barneys

fashionologie — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 15:58:47 PDT

>> The roster of events for Anna Wintour's international shopping extravaganza on Sept. 10, Fashion's Night Out, has been rolled out, and as Anna put it in the press release: “Little did I think when the idea of Fashion’s Night Out was first dreamed up this past March during the Paris collections that we would have over 700 and counting retailers, designers, and brands joining us on the night of September 10. There is so much planned that we could shop till dawn and still not see and do everything.”

Wintour kicks everything off, along with Michael Kors and "a surprise celebrity guest," at Macy's Queen Center location at 5 pm and will sign t-shirts for the first 50 customers. That event just so happens to be ten minutes away from a US Open tennis match Roger Federer will likely play that same day at 7 pm (and thus Anna will likely attend).

Meet Steven Klein or take a picture with Daria Werbowy »

bits and baubles

philleif — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:15:00 PDT

»Bergdorf Goodman's fashion director Linda Fargo refers to Alber Elbaz as a "love bug" [The Cut]
»Nicole Farhi was robbed at knifepoint last week [Times UK]
»Elle is still losing more people [FWD]
»Hedi Slimane may be designing a Red Collection for Diesel [WWD]
»Way back when, Nina Garcia worked as a PR assistant at Perry Ellis for free because of visa issues [Prestige HK]