Anna Wintour Doesn't Think You Should Be Wearing $25,000 Sequined Crop Tops Right Now

fashionologie — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 11:31:17 PST

>> Although she rarely gives interviews - except for, you know, the lengthy one in The September Issue and that profile she's supposedly doing for 60 Minutes (rumor is their cameras were following her again at the amfAR Gala Thursday night), so maybe she's changed her mind - Anna Wintour sat down with Rachel Dodes of The Wall Street Journal right before New York Fashion Week for a quick fashion state-of-the-union-interview.

But before we get started, a sidenote - the coat she wore Thursday (left) looks to be from Peter Som's Fall 2009 capsule collection, so methinks he will be taken care of just fine. Now, among the interview's highlights:

Now is not the time to look "too Dubai."

I don't think anyone is going to want to look overly flashy, overly glitzy, too Dubai, whatever you want to call it. I just don't think that's the moment. But I do feel an emphasis on quality and longevity and things that really last.

She won't name names, but some designers aren't making clothes that are worth the price tag.

In the [Vogue] Index pages we are looking more rigorously at price and value and asking, 'is something worth that particular price tag?'

A thing that wasn't worth it? Without naming names, we had a little sequined thing that wouldn't come down to here on you [points to chest.] And I said, 'How much is it?' $25,000. I said, 'No. We're not going to photograph that right now.'

What Anna thinks is "fabulous" »

Wall Street Journal Fashion Bureau: No Longer

fashionologie — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:26:17 PST

>> Even icons aren't safe anymore. In late December, Village Voice laid off 30-year veteran and fashion writer Lynn Yaeger - she's since been picked up to blog for New York magazine during Fashion Week - and now, the Wall Street Journal has dismissed 23-year veteran Teri Agins as part of a decision to close its fashion and retail bureau.

The number of staffers has been reduced from nine to five - currently retained are columnist Christina Binkley and editor Lisa Bannon; the seven other employees - including Teri Agins, Rachel Dodes, and Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan, who generally writes the newspaper's must-read Heard on the Runway blog - have all been let go effective at the end of March and asked to reapply for the three remaining positions in the bureau.

All WSJ.'s fault? »