fashionologie

fashionologie — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 12:37:52 -0700

>> Anna Wintour Has A Shopping List for Tonight's Fashion's Night Out - In between kicking Fashion's Night Out off tonight at Macy's in Queens, stopping by Intermix to see Sienna Miller, Oscar de la Renta to see the designer sing, and Saks for the William Rast pop-up (she loves that Justin Timberlake), among other things, Anna Wintour does indeed plan to shop. She's looking to buy "something in red, some new boots, and some kind of savage fur." [Times UK]

The September Issue Premiere: All About Anna Wintour

fashionologie — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:57:50 -0700

>> Last night, Anna Wintour hosted a premiere of The September Issue (which opens Aug. 28 in NYC, Sept. 11 nationwide), and no one dared be late. Arrivals were scheduled to start at 7 pm, but Anna appeared and was joined (despite all the digs about her appearance she receives in the film) by September 2007 cover girl Sienna Miller promptly at 6:45 pm. Even Sean Combs and entourage, when realizing they were late, "sprinted across the lobby," the New York Observer reports.

Despite the general consensus that the film's true star is Grace Coddington, last night was all about Anna. Grace and Andre Leon Talley both avoided being photographed on the red carpet, and it appears that Vogue staffers were required to wear t-shirts for Fashion's Night Out (Anna's pro-shopping pet project) to the event. Grace did comment on her portrayal in the film, however:

I hate to say it, but true to life! A very annoying person. But it’s not really bickering. It’s a process you have to go through for the job we do and it just makes everything stronger. Whatever gets through is then very valid and very strong. I think they focused on me in the movie because I’m a bit more outspoken and because I don’t care about the cameras, I’ll say whatever I want to say and I won’t hold back.

Bee Shaffer, who attended in Proenza Schouler and reminded her mother to put on her sunglasses while on the red carpet (which Anna duly did), thought her own scene in the film was "so embarassing":

It’s funny because that was two years ago and I wanted to go to law school then and that’s basically all I’m talking about and now I don’t want to go to law school at all so . . . [I] still don’t want to work in fashion, that was never a possibility. Now I’d like to work in theater.

Marc Jacobs, who was apparently speaking with a French accent, had his own Anna tribute to share. "She’s a risk-taker unafraid of taking chances. She doesn’t suck up,” he said. “And she’s been very good to me on a personal level as well. When I was having some personal problems, Anna was always there for me. She’s very maternal and caring to people she cares about."

The September Issue Trailer Is Out With More Unseen Clips!

fashionologie — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:40:37 -0700

>> The way that director RJ Cutler cut his new trailer for The September Issue, which covers the making of Vogue's September 2007 issue - its biggest ever - makes it like a real-life Devil Wears Prada. In this two and a half minute montage alone, Anna Wintour is revered and feared enough to carry us until movie's country-wide Sept. 11 release date. No sooner than Thakoon Panichgul proclaims "Anna is like Madonna," the editor herself is telling a disappointed-looking Oscar de la Renta at a runthrough, "I personally would not put this one in the show, the others things you've shown us are more exciting." She scolds Mario Testino about his September 2007 cover mockups with Sienna Miller: "This type seems so large and pretentious, it looks like it's for blind people." And even Karl Lagerfeld looks nervous as Anna inspects a new Chanel piece, eventually proclaiming, "It's gorgeous."

Among her own staff, Anna is just as blunt - of one mockup: "She looks pregnant." Grace Coddington excitedly holds up a neon pink and black Fall 2007 Comme des Garcons jacket from a rack for Anna: "Look!" Not missing half a beat, Anna smiles: "No." And in a meeting with stylist Edward Enninful, she looks at his work for the magazine and declares: "Where's the glamour? It's Vogue, okay? Please, let's lift it." No wonder the movie is inspiring bootleg viewing parties among editors - and Anna to supposedly have her underlings monitor the movie's Facebook page for her.

The trailer! »

A Complete Look at Moises de la Renta's First MDLR Collection for Fall 2009

fashionologie — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:41:24 -0700

>> Back in February, Oscar de la Renta's son Moises launched his own line, MDLR, for Fall 2009 after internships at Phat Farm and with his father. Much of the collection retails for under $1,000, and Lissy Trullie posed for the inaugural lookbook, which thanks to the newly-launched MDLR web site, can be seen in full below. The line was predicted by Style.com to be "a chart topper," and the designer's friend Julia Frakes promises that we'll be "head over heels" for his Spring 2010 collection.

Resort Collections Continue to Attract Attention, But Thrive on Anonymity

fashionologie — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 12:42:30 -0700

>> Resort season is well under way - Calvin Klein and Diane von Furstenberg are among the brands showing today alone. Every year, designers reiterate how crucial the resort season can be, and every year, there's more media attention placed on collections that pop up at this time. But all that increasing media coverage could endanger precisely why resort does so well - the collections typically have an element of anonymity, as Vogue's Mark Holgate explains:

The clothes tend to be shown in a small, discreet way, so they’re not overexposed; the look tends to trans-seasonal in the fabric and color choices; and, typically, what’s shown is on sale for longer than those collections presented during Fashion Week. In short: They’re the kind of pieces that you’ll tend to wear and wear and wear because they manage to be both directional and somewhat anonymous.

Cathy Horyn made note this morning of the increase in attention, when she overheard one editor comment at Calvin Klein: “Oh, I thought this was going to be a small presentation."

Oscar de la Renta adds his two cents »

fashionologie — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:49:33 -0700

>> A LITTLE TURN ON THE CATWALK -Oscar de la Renta hasn't been one for mincing words lately, and yesterday while showing his Cruise 2010 collection - he's one of the only designers opting for a full-blown runway this season - was no exception: "We're going through difficult times but I can't complain. My business remains relatively strong, and I think it could only get better from here. Of course it's challenging for young designers and people in debt. But we're not young . . . and we're not in debt! Let's put it this way: I love to garden. And then there's time where you plant and then there's time when you weed. And that's a good analogy for our business. There comes a time for strong plants to grow and for some just to be pulled away." [FWD]

fashionologie — Wed, 13 May 2009 18:27:44 -0700

>> INSIDER WIRE -Even without Michelle Obama's marketing help, Oscar de la Renta seems to be doing well for himself: he increased the number of runway shows for his label from one to two for the Fall 2009 season in February, and now he's one of the few - Chanel and Christian Dior aside - who will continue to hold a runway show for his Cruise collection on June 1. [MeenalMistry Twitter]

fashionologie — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:09:03 -0700

>> INSIDER WIRE -Is the Obama camp holding a grudge against Oscar de la Renta after his disparaging comments toward Michelle Obama a few weeks ago? During White House social secretary Desiree Rogers's cover shoot for this Sunday's WSJ. magazine, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs vetoed a shot of Rogers in an Oscar de la Renta ballgown in the First Lady’s garden. But doesn't seem to be a matter of branding sensitivity - the rest of the shoot features Rogers in the likes of Jil Sander, Viktor & Rolf, Prada, and Calvin Klein. [WWD, WSJ.]
*image: source

fashionologie — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:56:57 -0700

>> INSIDER WIRE -Of all the designers to scold Oscar de la Renta on his recent criticism of Michelle Obama, Azzedine Alaia would not seem the most likely, but he did nonetheless: “[Obama] has a very strong presence and has set a new style for First Ladies. I’m sure women will follow her style - it’s simple and elegant. It’s not up to him to give her lessons; Michelle Obama is of her time; Oscar de la Renta is no longer." [WWD]
*image: source

Oscar de la Renta's Comments on Michelle Obama Ruffle Feathers

fashionologie — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:54:26 -0700

>> Last week, Oscar de la Renta drew a lot of heat for his frustrated comments on Michelle Obama's decision to champion small fashion houses, wearing Thakoon and Jason Wu over Donna Karan or Ralph Lauren:

American fashion right now is struggling. I think I understand what [Obama and her advisers] are doing, but I don’t think that is the right message at this particular point . . . I don’t object to the fact that Mrs. Obama is wearing J.Crew to whatever because the diversity of America is what makes this country great. But there are a lot of great designers out there. I think it’s wrong to go in one direction only.

He got particularly pointed about Obama's choice of an Alaia cardigan to meet Queen Elizabeth: “You don’t go to Buckingham Palace in a sweater.”

Needless to say, fashion community feathers were ruffled - Paper's Mickey Boardman blogged a piece requesting de la Renta to "hush": "It's beneath de la Renta's dignity as an elder statesman of American Fashion to consistently complain and criticize a First Lady who has done so much for American fashion."

But Oscar's sticking to his guns »