fashionologie

Jason Wu's Charity Team, Karl Lagerfeld's Quotable T-Shirt, and Stephen Jones's Jil Sander Hat

Justin Fenner — Wed, 16 May 2012 12:48:39 PDT

Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

Jason Wu and Karlie Kloss will cocaptain a team for the annual New York AIDS Walk. The designer and the model, who attended the Met Gala together, will be joined by family and friends in an effort to raise money to fight the disease. "I'm so excited to be participating, and to be teaming up with Jason and all of our friends for such an incredible cause," Kloss said. [Modelinia]
Some of Karl Lagerfeld's most memorable quotes have been turned into a t-shirt for the designer's eponymous line. English design agency I Love Dust formed quotes like "Sunglasses are like eyeshadow: They make everything look pretty and younger" into the shape of Lagerfeld's iconic face. [Refinery29]
The veiled maroon beanie Stephen Jones designed for Raf Simons's second-to-last Jil Sander collection is now for sale on the Jil Sander website. The inventive topper goes for $440. [Racked]
A new study conducted by model agent Ben Barry found that using very thin models in advertising can make women not want to shop. "Women will buy fashion when models convey a realistic, attainable image and make them feel confident," Barry wrote. [Fashion Etc.]
Kelly Cutrone tweeted this week that one of her former assistants will be arrested for stealing from her public relations firm People's Revolution. Cutrone aimed this message at a private Twitter account. "@HussyChildPlz you better run cause you are going down CLOWN." [Styleite]

Lights, Camera, Action: i-D Magazine's Summer 2012 Covers

Justin Fenner — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:36:37 PDT

A pregnant Julia Restoin Roitfeld and a winking, smiling Agyness Deyn are among the cultural icons on the eight covers of i-D's Summer issue.

The "Lights, Camera, Action!"-themed issue, which hit newsstands today, features a treasure trove of stories about all of its cover subjects, including Dior artistic director Raf Simons and model Arizona Muse. The attention-getting covers also include Felicity Hayward, Andrej Pejic and Dree Hemingway, Léa Seydoux, and actor Andrew Garfield - who will star in this Summer's Spider-Man reboot. Take a look at all of the covers in the gallery.

Photos courtesy of i-D magazine.

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Raf Simons Is on the Summer 2012 Cover of i-D Magazine

Justin Fenner — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:31:34 PDT

Newly appointed Dior couturier Raf Simons will grace the cover of i-D magazine's Summer 2012 issue. The cover photo, lensed by Willy Vanderperre, features Simons breaking through a wall of black and white flowers wearing clothing from his eponymous menswear label, styled by Olivier Rizzo. The one cover line of the "Lights, Camera, Action"-themed issue reads, "It's Show Time! Starring Raf Simons." An online teaser for the issue promises a story written by i-D contributor Holly Shackleton. The issue is available for preorder on May 7 and hits newsstands on May 10.

Photo courtesy of i-D magazine.

Dior Designers Raf Simons and Kris Van Assche Aren't Exactly Buddies Yet

Justin Fenner — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:55:24 PDT

>> Raf Simons has been the artistic director of the women's division of Dior for a few weeks now but hasn't spent much of that time with his menswear counterpart Kris Van Assche.

Van Assche, seen above, hosted a party at the Dior men's pop-up store in New York this weekend and told WWD that he and Simons have "never been in the same place at the same time so we never got close. But I hugely admire his work."

Both men are Belgian designers who got famous for their innovative menswear, but Van Assche says that just because he and Simons come from common backgrounds doesn't mean that they have a similar aesthetic.

"I think it’s a bit of a cliché, no?" he said of that idea. He added that Simons's appointment is "great news. Let's just wait and see how he decides to express himself."

Simons was named as John Galliano's successor at Dior in early April. He'd been creative director of Jil Sander since 2005 but was ousted when Sander herself returned as the brand's designer. Van Assche was Hedi Slimane's first assistant at Dior Homme and left to present his first menswear collection in 2005. He was named design director at Dior Homme in 2007.

Photo: Kris Van Assche takes a bow at the Fall 2012 show for his eponymous menswear label.

LVMH Buys Stake in Rumored Dior Candidate Maxime Simoens

Justin Fenner — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 10:17:25 PDT

>> Maxime Simoens might not have gotten the top job at Dior, but a recent cash infusion from Dior and LVMH owner Bernard Arnault should be a comforting consolation prize.

Arnault is reported to have purchased a stake in Simoens's eponymous two-year-old fashion label. The size of Arnault's stake in the business is unknown, but his investment indicates that he wants to keep tabs on Simoens. At 27, Simeons is so well-regarded in the French design world that he was widely rumored to be in the running to replace John Galliano at Dior. Until recently, Simoens was also the creative director of French label Leonard, but he left that post earlier this month - which made many believe that he would in fact take over for Galliano. It was announced shortly afterward that the job went to Raf Simons.

But just because Simoens isn't at Dior now doesn't mean he won't be in the future. A source suggested to WWD that LVMH may be interested in parlaying Simeons's talent into a future role at one of its bigger fashion houses, which include Givenchy, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi, among others.

The last time Dior bought a stake in a smaller fashion company was 2009, when it acquired 49 percent of Edun, the eco-friendly line founded by U2 frontman Bono.

A look at highlights from Simoens's past collections in the gallery.

Photo: Maxime Simoens takes a bow at a presentation of his clothing in Singapore, October 2011.

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What Will Raf Simons's Version of Dior Look Like?

fashionologie — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 07:20:51 PDT

>> Today is Raf Simons's first day of work as artistic director of Dior, and one of the first things he did was assure the world that his work there won't be primarily concerned with minimalism.

While Simons isn't revealing any hard and fast plans for the French fashion house yet, he says his point of view for Dior will skew more feminine and romantic that stark and simple - even if stark and simple is what he's been known for in the past.

"I don't think it's wrong to call me a minimalist. It's wrong to call me a minimalist only," he told WWD. "When I'm married to a house, I will fully embrace its original intention, its original heritage and meaning. I wouldn't go to that place if I only had minimalism in mind. I'm very aware of what the environment is about."

Look no further for proof of that than Simons's Fall 2012 collection for Jil Sander, where he had been creative director since 2005. Many saw the simple and elegant clothing he presented there as a sort of audition for his new role at Dior, as it echoed elements and sentiments of midcentury couture without imitating it outright.

Dior announced that it would hire Simons to replace John Galliano on Monday. Simons's first show for the house will be in July during Paris Fall 2012 Haute Couture Week.

Photo: The finale of Raf Simons's Fall 2012 runway show for Jil Sander.

The Dior That Was - A Look at the John Galliano Era, 1996-2011

fashionologie — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 10:33:25 PDT

>> With John Galliano out the door at Dior, so, too, went the theatrics, the elaborate sets, and the exaggerated makeup and silhouettes. And, with the recent news that Raf Simons - a designer celebrated for his refined sensibility and minimalist aesthetic - has been named artistic director, it's safe to say that the era of exposed posteriors and breasts that dominated Galliano's tenure is definitely gone for good as well. Here, a look back at the Dior that was, 1996-2011. (NSFW)

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Raf Simons Is in at Dior

fashionologie — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 09:25:44 PDT

>> After over a year of searching for a creative director to replace John Galliano, Dior has finally selected Raf Simons to lead the storied French fashion house.

Simons, who was recently ousted from the director's chair at Jil Sander, will pick up the reins at Dior this week. The house will make the official announcement on Wednesday, and Simons will present his first collection for the brand in July during Paris's Fall 2012 haute couture shows.

Simons's selection makes sense - his final collection for Jil Sander featured clothing that experimented with couture techniques and drew on midcentury silhouettes, rendered in Dior's signature reds, beiges, and pale pinks. It lent credence to the idea that Simons was auditioning for the role - or was at least being considered for it - but media speculation pointed more directly at other designers, like Marc Jacobs and Haider Ackermann.

But Simons will be a fresh start for a house that for a long time was led by a isolated artist. Cathy Horyn noted that Simons is the opposite of Galliano in his approach to creating fashion - an idea the designer echoes. "I'm someone who takes responsibility," he said. "I'm not an isolated person. The more I connect to people, the more I have the feeling that things work."

The job became available in March 2011, when longtime Dior creative director John Galliano was fired for making a string of anti-Semitic remarks in public. Bill Gaytten, Dior's studio director, has been filling in for Galliano in the interim. But Simons wasn't a candidate until October or November of last year, when he began meeting with Dior CEO Sidney Toledano and LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault about the job.

Simons hasn't started designing his first collection for Dior yet, but he said he is looking forward to the challenge of interpreting the house's history for the 21st century.

"Mr. Dior was very innovative during a short time span. And it was in the middle of the 20th century, a period I am very interested in, whether it’s linked to fashion, architecture or art," he said.

Jil Sander on Her Impending Return, Suzy Menkes on the Current State of Fashion, and More

fashionologie — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 10:42:09 PST

>> Right here, in our daily news round up.

Jil Sander says she's very excited to be returning to her namesake label. "It feels very natural, even though it is like a miracle," the designer says. "At the moment, there seems to be a craving for authenticity and clear visions. I am confident that this is the time for modern sophistication, for attractive, wearable fashion which is true to the new century." The designer's first day back is tomorrow. [WWD]

Suzy Menkes (left) has spoken out about "the current state of fashion," saying that the recent brash of designer shakeups - which started last year with Galliano's ousting from Dior and has continued with Raf Simons's recent departure from Jil Sander - "leaves a queasy feeling." Menkes goes on to say: "this is not a game of chess . . . real people - especially sensitive designers - deserve not to be treated as pawns in someone else's game." She also mentions that Christopher Kane may be going to Dior. [New York Times]

Topshop's Sir Philip Green will celebrate his 60th birthday in March by flying 150 friends - including Kate Moss and Adele - to a top-secret tropical destination. The exact location has not been disclosed, but it reportedly houses a five-star resort with over 100 villas with private pools. [Vogue UK]

Jil Sander Fall 2012

Christina Perez — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 11:20:35 PST

>> It's not every day that the finale of a fashion show is met with a tearful ovation or an audience that rushes the runway in unrestrained appreciation. As Raf Simons gave his final bow at Jil Sander today, he was met with both.

It was "moving and spontaneous, and certainly not like anything I’ve experienced in 25 years of covering the industry," Cathy Horyn reported of the show's final moments. Federico Marchetti echoed the sentiment saying, "Raf was in tears at Jil Sander, the purest moment in fashion since I started in this industry."

Of course, it's not every day that a designer presents a collection so lovely, elegant, or quite so poignant. It is also not every day that a designer who's done such a remarkable job leaves a successful post to go off into the great unknown.

Regardless, it's true that wherever Simons goes he'll be just fine. Today's ice cream-hued swan song - which some say evoked a modern take on '50s Dior couture - was a triumph, not only in its breathtaking beauty, but in its optimism and promise as well.

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