fashionologie

Next Up for Rachel Zoe - A Jewelry Collection, and The Rachel Zoe Project Is Back in July

fashionologie — Thu, 26 May 2011 09:51:59 PDT

>> Rachel Zoe has "no idea" what annual sales might be for her new eponymous collection, which hits a long list of stores in July: Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, Intermix, Selfridges, Kirna Zabete, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, and Shopbop.com. But she says she went numb when she heard who had bought the line: “It was this dream that I never thought would be reality because I was petrified - I was. I feel so complete now becoming a designer and having my son. I’m that happiest that I’ve ever been in my life.”

Neiman Marcus, for one, is launching Zoe's sportswear, handbags, and shoes at all 41 of its doors, plus online and at Bergdorf Goodman; "The rollout across the entire Neiman Marcus Group is a rare endorsement of a fledgling brand," WWD notes. Why the decision? "She is a real talent,” Ken Downing, SVP and fashion director of Neiman Marcus, notes of Zoe. “She understands the customer and she’s brought an effortless chic to the collection. The clothes are going to appeal to women of many ages. And, she’s got an amazing name.”

Next up for Zoe? The fourth season of The Rachel Zoe Project, which will begin airing on Bravo in July; and jewelry for Fall 2012. “I wish it were for spring,” Zoe says. “I am dying to do jewelry. I’m gagging.”

Erdem Moralioglu On the Kate Middleton Wedding Dress Design Rumors

fashionologie — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:25:03 PDT

>> Erdem Moralioglu, who dropped by Saks Fifth Avenue in New York yesterday for a trunk show, was evasive when asked whether he was Kate Middleton's wedding dress designer: "I mean, any mention like that is just a huge compliment. It’s so flattering! I will say that Kate is very beautiful . . . " He also sounds like he's not ready to take on a mass collaboration anytime soon : "It’s come up so many times, but I’m just too focused on my own collection at this point. It takes up all my time! But in the future, down the line . . . who knows?" One thing he will be doing soon - while he's in New York? Going to J.Crew. "I love J.Crew, we don't have [it] in the UK." [Fashionista, StyleList]

John Galliano Previously Refused to Seek Help for Alcohol Issues; Saks Pulls His Men's Collection from Stores

fashionologie — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 16:06:28 PDT

>> John Galliano is now spending time in rehab in Arizona after he was persuaded to go for alcohol problems. According to the Washington Post, he had been having issues for a while now: "In recent months, according to sources, Galliano had been in a depressive state, his drinking increased voluminously and his work habits became increasingly erratic. Friends and colleagues reportedly urged him to seek help, but he refused. No one staged an intervention."

As for how his designs are faring, retailers are still placing orders. Galliano's spokesman said, "It's business as usual." And Dior reported the same. At Neiman Marcus, fashion director Ken Downing says: "We do not carry Galliano, but we carry Dior and we will continue to do so. Was Galliano's behavior acceptable? No. But we haven't had the sense that the collection itself has been tainted. We came to the European shows to buy clothes that will be in the store in six months, and we haven't lost that focus. It's our business."

At Saks, meanwhile, a rep for the store says that Galliano's Dior collections will remain on sale, but "John Galliano's men's collection, of which we had a small presentation, is no longer on the floor of our New York store."

The industry has generally chided Galliano for his comments, but few have come out as Isaac Mizrahi (who is Jewish) did last night, expressing what Galliano did as unforgivable: "I don’t think he’ll work again. I hope not. I hope he doesn’t work again . . . I guess I’m the wrong one to talk to, because I never really liked sort of what he did so much. I liked better what [Alexander] McQueen did. I liked better what Vivienne Westwood did. So now I don’t like it, and he’s a Jew hater? I was like, buh-bye."

And will the downfall of Galliano and the suicide of McQueen - and even the reticence of Tom Ford to take the big stage again like he once did at Gucci - usher in a new type of fashion designer? The Washington Post points out: "Today, only a handful of star artistic-directors-for-hire remains at the helm of big luxury brands, including [Marc] Jacobs at Vuitton and [Karl] Lagerfeld at Chanel. Instead, fashion executives are hiring young, unknown and inexpensive designers with shorter contracts and a business background to churn out big-selling products season after season, and are reaping the fame and fortune for themselves."

Rachel Zoe on Her Collection Being Inspired by That Vintage Dress; Plus, See the Full Collection Lookbook

fashionologie — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 12:19:52 PST

>> Rachel Zoe is a little ahead of the fashion schedule in a lot of ways - as everyone is just gearing up to premiere their Fall 2011 collections, she's already debuted her signature collection for Fall, sold it to Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, and Intermix, finished her Resort 2012 collection, and started on Spring 2012. Some of the exigency could be blamed on her impending baby boy, due in March, who is also preventing her from traveling to Fashion Week this season.

One of the bestsellers for Zoe's Fall 2011 collection, Style.com reports, is a black batwing top with columns of gold sequins (left) - see the full collection for the first time in the gallery. And as for the collection's infamous dress that looks strikingly similar to a vintage frock Zoe styled years back, the designer-cum-stylist says, "I've been subconsciously building this collection in my mind for a long time. There are a million vintage pieces that have inspired me, and every other designer in the world."

But don't expect to see Zoe dress Anne Hathaway in her own collection for the Oscars - Zoe is said to be charging Hathaway an "astronomical" fee for the occasion, and with such a fee comes a certain caliber of dress. "If you're gonna use couture," she tells Style.com, "it should be at the Academy Awards."

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Details on Google's New Fashion Initiative - Boutiques.com

fashionologie — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 11:15:38 PST

>> After last week's rumor suggesting that Google is launching ecommerce on Wednesday, a few clarifying details have come up: the initiative Boutiques.com is actually a curation of virtual boutiques; visitors won't be able to purchase directly from Google but rather, will click through to a brand's online store or an online retailer like Saks, Net-a-Porter, or Barneys to purchase the item.

There are at least 19 designers, including Oscar de la Renta, Tory Burch, Cynthia Rowley, Marchesa, Isaac Mizrahi, Tracy Reese, Prabal Gurung, and Erin Fetherston, who have been invited to set up virtual stores on the site. There will also be curated boutiques selling looks worn by celebrities and influencers like Lady Gaga, Victoria Beckham, Emma Watson, Anna Wintour, Rachel Zoe, and Michelle Obama. Sarah Jessica Parker has been asked to set up her own personalized shop, and a handful of high profile bloggers are also said to have been invited to curate their own boutiques in exchange for a low five-figure payment.

The idea is to have any user be able to do the same - create and share their own personalized boutique with items, brands, and looks they prefer. Elements of entertainment, gaming, and social media are also planned.

Zac Posen Ditches Hollywood for Urban Hipsters with New Saks Collection

coutorture — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:24:22 PST

Zac Posen is launching a lower-priced bridge collection exclusively with Saks Fifth Avenue next spring. According to Posen, the line-called Z Spoke-has an "urban hipster quality." He added that he could see the collection on Lower East Side girls.

That's a long way from Posen's designer collection, which is heavy on dramatic party clothes and over-the-top evening dresses. Posen says it's not a change of design philosophy as much as an answer to retailers' demand for more American sportswear-meaning he needs to sell some clothes.

Z Spoke will retail from $78 (for a t-shirt) to $675 (for a knit dress) and launch in 17 Saks stores on the same floor as Tory Burch and Elie Tahari.

“To me, it’s more appropriate to build a whole brand and collection around this price point," said Posen. "Chic sportswear should be at this price point. Designer dresses and cocktail pieces should be at a more expensive price point.” Zac Posen's designer collection retails for $900 to upwards of $12,000.

[WWD]

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Louis Vuitton Recruits Maggie Gyllenhaal to Launch 2010 Cruise in NYC

PopSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:20:11 PST

Maggie Gyllenhaal was the guest of honor last night at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York as Louis Vuitton hosted the worldwide launch of their 2010 Cruise line. The company's President and CEO, Daniel Lalonde, joined Saks' chairman Steve Sandove at the "Jardin Louis Vuitton," where other famous faces like Serena Williams, Alexis Bryan and Amy Sacco mingled among the greenery, flowers and a make-a-wish tree.

Maggie apparently didn't feel terribly at home with the plant life; she said her husband Peter Sarsgaard has a greener thumb and she doesn't even know what he grows in their Brooklyn backyard. Model Vika Kuropyatnikova sported a pair of the house's bunny ears, which seemed appropriate for the garden theme.

11/10/09 New York Getty and WireImage

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Fashion Industry Designs Houses for Womens' Charity

coutorture — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:07:09 PST

You can tell a lot about a person by looking at their home-Vera Wang's is covered in rhinestones and tulle, Isaac Mizrahi's is perfectly printed in vibrant pink, Diane von Furstenberg's is dripping in leopard and lips, and Sean Combs' comes equipped with a helipad.

Although not real interiors, these papier-mâché houses were created by fashion celebrities coming together to raise money for the Women In Need charity. Each hand-decorated piece will be displayed in the windows of Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and auctioned on charitybuzz.com on November 9th. Check out the gallery below to find out what the houses decorated by Jennifer Lopez, Oscar de la Renta, Justin Timberlake and Trace Aylaya, and the Beckhams say about them.

[WWD]

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Fashion In 50 Seconds 05/06/09 Sui Goes Collab Mad & More

coutorture — Wed, 06 May 2009 06:42:34 PDT

Anna Sui is slated to follow in Alexander McQueen's footsteps as the second participant of Target's Designer Collaborations series.

Bulgari will continue its 125th anniversary celebration with a celebrity-studded retrospective in Rome.

Yesterday, Saks Fifth Avenue celebrated "Chanel No. 5 Day" and gave away glass vials of the iconic fragrance.

It seems Keifer Sutherland headbutted Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler at the Met Gala.

Fashion In 50 Seconds 03/05/09 "60 Minutes" Follows Anna & More

coutorture — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 07:27:34 PST

Journalist Morley Safer of "60 Minutes" compared his shadowing Anna Wintour at the Dolce & Gabbana festivities in Milan to covering the Vietnam War...

Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus compete for better gift bags at the beauty counter.

Topshop lands in New York next month and gives Americans a glimpse at upcoming deliveries.

Maison Martin Margiela reported a 20 percent increase in sales in January, while rumors circulate that Martin Margiela will be leaving the company.