>> Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone originally planned on having a very small, two-person wedding at the end of August. It was never confirmed after the fact, though, and it sounds like that's because it hasn't happened yet. Jacobs told the Times UK: "We still haven’t fixed the date but Lorenzo and I believe in commitment. We’re quite classic like that. We’ve got the licence, hence the rumours that we’d already got married. So hopefully it will happen in 2010. When it does, it will be very low-key."
Jacobs says that the economy has affected him personally — "I’ve cut back, because my partner Lorenzo and I are buying a house in the West Village in New York" — but it sounds like it hasn't affected Louis Vuitton the way it has Versace, Zac Posen, and Gucci — the former has announced impending layoffs, and cuts are expected to be announced at the latter two. "In terms of what’s selling at Louis Vuitton, the recession hasn’t changed anything . . . our sales are up and I haven’t noticed that people’s tastes have got more subdued. There’s this huge cult following of almost crazy people at Vuitton who just want whatever they buy to be exclusive."
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Marc Jacobs, Lorenzo Martone Now Aiming for a 2010 Wedding
Should Donatella Move On from Versace?
>> After Dana Thomas's best-selling book Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster came out in August 2007, she wasn't invited to Louis Vuitton's show the following October — Vuitton chief executive Yves Carcelle was unhappy with how she had portrayed LVMH head Bernard Arnault. Given the article she just wrote for Newsweek, "The Tragic Decline of the House of Versace," she may be uninvited from Versace's show next.
Just last week, Donatella expressed that she expected Versace to weather the economy, despite having to lay off a quarter of its workforce. Thomas doesn't seem as convinced, suggesting that perhaps it's time for Versace to move past its family-centric setup:
"Many in the fashion industry believe it's time for the brand to continue without Versace family involvement — and some suggest that the family is starting to accept this idea too. Last year, Santo [Versace, Donatella's brother and former CEO of the company] was elected to the Italian Parliament. Allegra [Beck Versace, Donatella's daughter and 50 percent company heir] has been attending Brown University and has said her dream is to become an actress. And will Donatella remain at the helm? 'Maybe,' says [an anonymous] former Versace executive. 'Then again, maybe not.' Which, after a decade of turmoil, may be the best thing for the company after all."
>> Roberto Cavalli Spring 2010 Ad Cast Revealed; Daisy Lowe for Louis Vuitton? — Spring 2010 campaign cast details continue to flood in. Isabeli Fontana Tweeted this morning, "Exciting news! I shot the new Cavalli campaign with Carolyn Murphy. The campaign was shot by Steven Meisel." And causing a little campaign confusion: WWD heard Lara Stone is the new face of Louis Vuitton, but now word is Daisy Lowe is shooting in Miami for the brand next week. [@Isabeli_Fontana, @LiveFashionWeek]
UPDATE: Lowe is being photographed by Vuitton for a new beach line press-kit. [WWD]
>> Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and Dolce & Gabbana Campaigns Under Way —Last week, Gucci wrapped its Spring 2010 ad campaign shoot in Miami, with Emmanuelle Alt styling once again, and this week, it sounds like Louis Vuitton and Dolce & Gabbana are taking care of business. Mary Alice Stephenson Tweets that Vuitton is shooting today in New York — Lara Stone has reportedly replaced Madonna for the brand, with Steven Meisel on photo duty — while Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce left for New York earlier today for their ad campaign shoot — funnily enough, Madonna is said to be on Dolce & Gabbana menswear duty this upcoming season. [@LiveFashionWeek, @maryalicestyle, @stefanogabbana]
Louis Vuitton Spring 2010: All Clogs, Raccoon Tails, and Massive Fros
>> Louis Vuitton started exactly on time this afternoon, leaving more than a few editors shut out and half the front row empty; of those who did make it inside in time, some were still on the runway when the show commenced, leaving opener Patricia Van der Vliet to barge right through. Every single girl had on a sky-high afros, each made from five smaller wigs sewn together, which bobbed "up and down like big pom pom balls" as they walked; Grace Coddington apparently "whooped with delight" at the first sight of them.
A flurry of models were front row — Sophie Dahl and her fiance Jamie Cullum, Natalia Vodianova, Daisy Lowe — but Georgia May Jagger was a surprise on the catwalk. The show, inspired by the '80s and '90s New Age traveller and “street clothes, embracing the hippie-cyber, tribal-punk world,” according to Marc Jacobs, included everything from kitten-heeled clogs to bags with raccoon tails — straight from Williamsburg hipsters — to bike shorts and glitter anoraks. And Jacobs himself wore a pair of the furry clogs for the finale.
>> Marc Jacobs May Be Married, Appearing on Reality TV Show; Louis Vuitton to Live Stream Show —Marc Jacobs and fiance Lorenzo Martone were planning on getting married in a very quiet ceremony at the end of August, but there was never any official confirmation. It appears that it happened, though: Style.com's Derek Blasberg Tweeted a few days ago: "Going for a drink at the new Mrs. Martone-Jacobs' apartment, then OUT. The wife's away this weekend." While we're on hearsay surrounding Jacobs, he has expressed interest in doing a reality TV show in the past and is rumored to be participating in an upcoming reality show dubbed Kept, pitched as a gay version of The Real Housewives franchise. One fact to counteract all the rumors? His Spring 2010 Louis Vuitton show will stream live Wednesday at 2:30 PM Paris time from the brand's Facebook page. [@dizzyblazeberg, The Cut, Vogue UK]
>> Isabeli Fontana Lands Louis Vuitton Cruise 2010 Campaign — Catherine McNeil was photographed back in June for Louis Vuitton's Cruise 2010 lookbook, but it's Isabeli Fontana who landed the campaign. She was in the Hamptons for the shoot yesterday with Patrick Demarchelier and stylist Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, who has recently been bringing her taste for logos to the pages of Vogue Paris. [Louis Vuitton Twitter, LiveFashionWeek Twitter]
>> Kanye West Styles for October 2009 Elle —Avid fashion show attendee Kanye West continues to dip his hands into the industry: first it was designing Louis Vuitton kicks, which promptly sold out, then an internship at Gap — which prompted rumors of a line in the works with the retailer — and now, he's styled a shoot for Elle's October 2009 Personal Style issue, creative director Joe Zee confirmed. [FWD]
LVMH To Hold Out on Marketing Some of Its Brands for the Rest of the Year
>> In the wake of the 23 percent decline in first-half profits it announced Monday, LVMH plans to postpone or suspend marketing and promotions for its brands that failed to be top performers, according to CFO Jean-Jacques Guiony.
He did not specify which brands would receive the "selective investments" still being made, but its wines, spirits, watches, and jewelry businesses were hurt in the past few months and seem like contenders for those being passed over. This new withholding strategy is part of LVMH's cost containment plan for the remainder of 2009.
Video: Marc Jacobs Explains Where the Louis Vuitton Bunny Ears Came From
>> The video accompaniment to Louis Vuitton's Fall 2009 campaign has appeared on The Moment — it will be on louisvuitton.com next week — with Madonna, stylist Marie Amelie-Sauve, and makeup artist Pat McGrath all making appearances. Marc Jacobs, for his part, explains the deal with the bunny ears: "There's a girl who works for us, Lucy, she's on the design team, and Adrian, one of the boys, was tying a little bit of fabric around and it reminded me of bunny. We were thinking of all these different things like can-can dancers, and I saw this piece of fabric wrapped around Lucy's head and said, 'Bunny ears, that's what we need to finish this look.' So we made all these radzimir bunny ears and that's how it happened. I like the kind of Playboy, French coquette aspect to it."



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