Thu, 09/24/09 — 10:35:16 AM
>> The Spring 2010 Prada show is starting shortly, and already details are rolling in. The set evokes black-and-white film stills, and the show is apparently all about the beach, with silk palm tree and beach scene-printed mini shorts and jackets, clear jeweled jelly shoes and dresses, and low side ponytails and glossy red lips.
Update 1: A first look from the buyer's show. [IGriese Twitter]
Update 2: A rumor is going around that the press show is starting an hour late because Anna Wintour wanted to introduce Roger Federer, who she brought to Prada, to Giorgio Armani beforehand. [Christina Binkley Twitter]
Update 3: More details: "Shorn off clothes . . . volume sillhouettes, florals." [Christina Binkley Twitter]
Update 4: Lindsay Wixson walked (she opened), and apparently Sasha Pivovarova and Ymre Stiekema didn't. [TFS, TFS, TFS]
Update 5: Fabrics were neoprene, and crystals hung from the heels, the plastic bags, and the finale dresses. [Joe Zee Twitter, Joe Zee Twitter]
Fri, 08/28/09 — 03:39:57 PM
>> Versus, the young Versace line originally launched in 1989 and designed by Donatella Versace under her brother Gianni's supervision before it was discontinued in 2005, is being revived — no surprises here, considering that Donatella said in March of the line: "It was the first collection that my brother Gianni let me work on, on my own, so it's very precious to me."
She asked Christopher Kane to produce a capsule collection of crystal-studded Versus shoes and bags, which was rolled out in February, and for Spring 2010, the brand is on track for a full-fledged "dynamic presentation" of Versus ready-to-wear during Milan Fashion Week, according to a spokeswoman.
The line, which targets "Young Hollywood," or women between 20 and 30, is currently being sold in the new Versus showroom in Milan. “It’s very rock ’n’ roll and sexy,” Donatella Versace told WWD. “The collection reflects Versus’ DNA and is aimed at young people who want to dress with their own style but like to evolve and break new ground.”
Fri, 09/26/08 — 05:22:15 PM
>> INSIDER WIRE —Sacha Baron Cohen hit the Agatha Ruiz de la Prada runway this morning as "Bruno" in a goofy outfit, but at Versace last night, it was a different story. Decked out in head to toe Alexander McQueen, he could have definitely passed for a fashion figure — but the security at Versace wasn't convinced. Instead, he was left "frantically making phone calls and crying into his mobile phone trying to get into the show." Now everybody's wondering: Will he show up again in Paris? [Go Backstage]
Fri, 09/26/08 — 03:28:10 PM
>> THE MODELIZER —Naomi Campbell, Domenico Dolce, and Stefano Gabbana are longtime friends — she sat front row at their Dolce & Gabbana show in Milan yesterday, where she debuted a new, shorter haircut. But when it came time to celebrate Domenico's 50th birthday last night with the rest of the front-rowers, Naomi never showed up — she "was apparently having a bad hair day." [WWD]
*image: source
Fri, 09/26/08 — 02:43:32 PM
>> Julie Verhoeven has developed a cult following for her whimsical fashion illustration style — she's designed limited-edition bags for Louis Vuitton, capsule collections for Mulberry, and for Spring 2009, Donatella Versace commissioned her to rework the Versace iconography. The result? Colorful, cartoonish Medusas scrawled across bags, gowns, and swimwear, sure to be as coveted as those Prada fairy bags from Spring 2008.
*image: source
Fri, 09/26/08 — 12:28:46 PM
>> Bruno is in Milan — that's Sacha Baron Cohen's gay Austrian fashion show presenter alter-ego — and he's filming for his upcoming movie at Fashion Week. It all started Wednesday, backstage at Iceberg, where he threw himself on the floor, dragged down a rack of clothes that stuck to his Velcro-trimmed outfit, and appeared to tear off his clothes until security removed him.
Yesterday morning, he tried to hit up Dsquared, but was blocked by security, and yesterday evening he tried to crash Versace, dressed all in McQueen, but was denied again — the Italian Chamber of Fashion has sent out a press release to designers, warning them not to accredit Cohen's film production companies, after all.
Unfortunately, Agatha Ruiz de la Prada didn't get the memo . . . »
Fri, 09/26/08 — 12:04:12 PM
>> THE MODELIZER —The rash of model falls in Milan continues — at Emilio Pucci yesterday, Angela Lindvall fell not once, but twice — something that has never before happened in her modelling career. Karlie Kloss helped her up the first time she fell, but the same thing happened again during the finale, causing a domino effect among the procession. [Telegraph, Grazia]
Fri, 09/26/08 — 11:18:20 AM
>> The third Fashion Week in for the Model.Live girls, and things start to get difficult — for Madeline Kragh and Austria Alcantara, at least. Austria went to over 30 castings for Milan Fashion Week and got nothing, except a call from a casting director to her agency IMG saying that she wasn't looking her best. Ouch. Madeline had the same troubles — she wasn't cast for any shows, and at one point got frustrated enough to tell the cameramen to stop filming. Both girls, defeated, move on to Paris early. Cato van Ee, on the other hand, scores Prada for the second season in a row — and does a little impromptu song and dance when she finds out. Will Paris be a whole new ball game, as the girls are promised? Next week, we'll find out.
Thu, 09/25/08 — 05:14:22 PM
>> Matthew Williamson took his final bow as the artistic director of Emilio Pucci earlier today — Peter Dundas will replace him Oct. 1 — but the reasoning for why he's leaving the company has been nothing more than he wants more time to focus on his namesake label — until now.

As the Guardian's Imogen Fox enlightens us, "recently there have been criticisms that the Pucci label was starting to look more like [Matthew Williamson's] signature line and less like a distinctive Pucci collection." The Pucci bosses are also rumored to be less than happy with all the multitasking and travelling Williamson was doing, and "in a recent interview Laudomia Pucci, daughter of the company's founder Emilio, stated how important it is that Dundas will be based in Florence." So among all the bright and happy Pucci prints, there was more than a little unrest . . .
*image: source
Thu, 09/25/08 — 04:49:48 PM
>> THE MODELIZER —Several models haven't shown up in Milan shows they normally walk in, but at least we have an explanation for one of them. Catherine McNeil is this season's Sasha Pivovarova — her Sydney agent says that she is "unwell" and will miss Milan and most likely Paris, too. [Frockwriter]
*images: source