>> A month after the Spring 2010 shows finished, plans are already under way for the upcoming seasons. Estee Lauder group president John Demsey confirmed that MAC will continue to sponsor an alternative New York Fashion Week venue at Milk Studios for the next two years, Fashion's Night Out is in the works again for next Fall — some retailers are even pushing to make the September 9 date sales tax-free.
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, which will have its last hurrah at Bryant Park in February for the Fall 2010 season, is moving to Lincoln Center starting in September 2010. Today, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, who resigned from Vogue back in June, ostensibly to spend more time with her family, has joined Lincoln Center as director, fashion week. Winston Wolkoff was director of special events at Vogue and was widely credited with building the Costume Institute Gala into the event it is today; she starts in her new position Jan. 1.
New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Weeks in 2010: More Mac at Milk, Fashion's Night Out, and Stephanie Winston Wolkoff Back in the Game
Proenza Schouler Go Urban Scuba for Spring 2010
>> Of all the shows this week, Jack McCollough's and Lazaro Hernandez's Proenza Schouler presentation had the most excitement and energy about it; Joe Zee agreed, calling it "one of the best this week." We didn't know it at the time, but a piece from the collection actually debuted on Dasha Zhukova during the POP dinner last Friday.
Tonight, the lights above flickered back and forth on the bottom floor of Milk Studios, and with three Trainas in the front row — Victoria, Vanessa, and Samantha — we got to see the full urban scuba collection, which seemed to be a continuation of their Tahiti-inspired resort 2010 collection. Neon printed minidresses mirrored the backs of tropical fish, cateye sunglasses had lifeguard-style reflective lenses, neon tops resembled long sleeve Under Armor, and tinsel and feathers fringed dresses. One girl sported beachy green-tinged hair, another purple. And of course the boys, known for their knack with accessories, didn't disappoint with rainbow-linked minibags and strappy toggle wedges.
Afterward, they told Fashion TV's Jeanne Baker they wanted to indulge in color this season, and edited out about half their potential looks from the show to leave people wanting more.
>> Models Missing from the New York Runways: An Update —With only one more day of New York Fashion Week to go, a number of top models still haven't set foot on a catwalk. Anja Rubik finally appeared at Michael Kors this morning — so did Carmen Kass and Jacquetta Wheeler — but Catherine McNeil — who is supposedly booked all through the New York shows on another job — Toni Garrn, Lara Stone, Anna Maria Jagodzinska, Sigrid Agren — who's rumored not to be doing any shows this season — Tanya Dziahileva, Raquel Zimmermann, and Georgina Stojiljkovic are all totally MIA. In other modeling news, Jessica Stam joined the increasingly large number of models bleaching their hair — she debuted the new hue today at Anna Sui. [Fashin]
Alberta Ferretti's Spring 2010 Philosophy: Light, Gauzy, and Full of Lips
>> Alberta Ferretti's Spring 2010 presentation was both upscale and democratic: waiters circulated with champagne and caviar, on the one hand, but everyone also had the chance to be a front rower — there were no seats but there was a four foot high or so runway, allowing guests to get up as close as they wanted to the walking models, concert-style. The Italian contingent was out in full force — Anna Dello Russo in fiery Lanvin and nude pumps, Franca Sozzani — and the collection, full of fresh, gauzy, light minidresses had prints of eyes, butterflies, and lips — the last vaguely remniscent of Prada's iconic Spring 2000 lip print collection.
>> Low-to-No-Heels (Even the Kitten Heel) Getting Nods from Stylish Key Editors, Marc Jacobs for Spring 2010 —Various editors at Vogue have been rooting for less heel, more flat shoes since resort season, and this past week, at least two editors who love their heels have been going lower: Meredith Melling Burke pulled on knee-high black boots with maybe a half-inch heel, and Giovanna Battaglia chose, of all things, the kitten heel. Marc Jacobs, at both his mainline and Marc by Marc Jacobs (left), had no heels. Instead, both shows had flats with a slight platform. [Style.com, Style.com]
See What Lauren Santo Domingo Is Supposedly Obsessed With at Christian Cota Spring 2010
>> Lauren Santo Domingo has been turning it out front row this week — from Phi leather pants to Balmain sandals — aside from that front-row smoke break at Alexander Wang which caused a stir according to The Daily, but she was also back to style Christian Cota's presentation for Spring 2010. While waiting in line to view the presentation, we overheard one of Cota's publicists talking about how Santo Domingo was "obsessed" with the jewelry she paired with Cota's cocktail dresses; Style.com also just published a piece about how Cota's "show stylist" — Santo Domingo wasn't named — "happened upon" LITTER, a line of headpieces and body jewelry that is primarily made from secondhand jewelry, "on a trip to San Fran a few months back, so she did the natural thing and coaxed the designers back to New York."
>> Halston Bides Time Until Marios Schwab With Perfume-Inspired Spring 2010 Collection — Marios Schwab's first Halston collection doesn't turn up until next season — for Fall 2010 — so the Halston design team of eight whipped up a collection inspired by the brand's perfume bottle (Olivier Theyskens used a similar idea with Nina Ricci's L’air du temps bottle when he was still at the label). Two of the fragrance's top notes, Lavender and Poppy, inspired the color palette, and Dree Hemingway popped by the presentation today. [Style.com, Heard on the Runway, J. Logan Horne Twitter]
Narciso Rodriguez Loosens Up for Spring 2010, Signs Deal with eBay for Lower-Priced Line
>> Designers collectively seem to be over the ubiquitous body-con, hard-edged rock'n'roll look that has swept fashion for the past few seasons: Lorenzo Martone said Marc Jacobs is; Elise Overland told WWD: "I’m tired of that rock-star style — everyone else is doing it now, so I wanted to do something different"; and Joseph Altuzarra, who has focused on form-fitting silhouettes in the past, added some flounce this time around.
Narciso Rodriguez, who like Altuzarra typically goes with a lean look, also loosened up. A white linen and silk dress billowed around Monika "Jac" Jagaciak, even the nipped-in waists flared at the hips. But the three stunners, which showed Narciso's experiment with volume at its best, were the last three finale gowns — one in black, one in white, one in "mercury" gray — knee-length in the front and parachute-like in the back as the model walked.
Also of note: pre-show, Anna Wintour was escorted backstage — not something that happens at every show; Narciso's close friends Ruben and Isabel Toledo sat front row, as did Tory Burch, whose show is tomorrow morning. Narciso has also just signed a deal with eBay to create a line — for Spring 2010 — with nothing over $350 (his runway designs are typically $1,800-plus), to be called "Narciso Rodriguez for eBay." A preview of his ideas for the line can be seen here.
>> Vogue Cover Possibility for Rachel McAdams? — Is an upcoming Vogue cover — perhaps the January 2010 cover — in order for Rachel McAdams? She sat next to Anna Wintour at Alexander Wang today, then between Sally Singer and Virginia Smith at Altuzarra before heading to Boy/Band of Outsiders. Her next big movie, Sherlock Holmes, comes out Dec. 25, so a January 2010 cover would be right if it's in the cards . . .
Alexander Wang Evolves With Sportswear-Centric Spring 2010 Collection
>> Alexander Wang hinted recently that he was ready to evolve, telling W's September 2009 issue: "As soon as people get used to what you’re doing, you have to change direction." And evolve he did for Spring 2010: the look of his last few collections, with their body-clinging shapes and primarily black palettes, was replaced by a generally looser silhouette and all shades of khaki, tan, olive, and gray. He told WWD that Spring 2010 for him "is very much about classic American sportswear," and the idea is visible in pieces like a sweatshirt dress with football pad detailing (below) and all the shinguard-like socks cut out at the back of the calf.
But Wang didn't give up the sexy side of his label — there were plenty of bra tops, crop tops, and and lingerie-style shorts to go around. The house was unsurprisingly packed, with Katie Grand (Wang's after-party co-host), Terry Richardson, Olivier Zahm, Diane von Furstenberg (Alex's CFDA-appointed mentor), Erin Wasson, Devon Aoki, Liya Kebede, and Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin all front row. Frankie Rayder, Angela Lindvall, and Iselin Steiro walked, newcomer Mirte Maas opened, Karl Templer styled, and Wang's three styles of sunglasses debuted.
Manoush
Marc Jacobs
Serfontaine