fashionologie

Stella McCartney on Her Famous Family and Staying Sane in the Age of Galliano

fashionologie — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 11:12:31 PDT

>> It's going to be a big year for Stella McCartney. Her sporty Fall 2012 collection garnered nearly universal rave reviews, and 900 of Britain's finest athletes will compete in her wares during this year's Olympic games in London.

In a recent interview with Tim Blanks, McCartney explained how she's keeping all of her success in perspective. "When I feel myself getting nervous and stressed and self-absorbed, I try to just go, 'Oh, come on,'" she says. A few more highlights from the interview:

On the demise of designers like John Galliano: "I don't think anyone can give an exact reason. Yeah, there's a lot of pressure in our industry. We all feel it. But I think there's a lot of pressure in a lot of industries. Sometimes the fashion industry can get a bit kind of isolated and it's all 'Oooh! It's so relentless!' But I don't see our industry as the only one like that. But I do think that personality comes into play a lot. I also try not to take myself too seriously."

On her famous parents: "Imagine . . . everyone knows who your mom and dad are, and they know something about you and you don't really know anything about them or who they are. So you get a little bit defensive and you sort of want to go up to them and say, 'Hi! Who's your mom and dad?'"

On the death of her mother, photographer Linda McCartney: "I feel like a different person since my mom passed away, like I'm driving a ship with my husband alongside me and we're leading these four children into unknown waters . . . Sometimes I'll get into the bath with all my kids and they'll look at me and say, 'Oh, it's just us! It's just our family in the bath!' And I remember that feeling, when it was just our family. It's such a powerful moment."

On whether she's changed how fashion uses animal products: "I don't think I have, no. But I think I am definitely in the process of doing something very different from other luxury brands. I did always say I wanted to infiltrate from within. That was always my reasoning behind going into partnership with a luxury group that uses a lot of leather in their products. I'm also a real believer that just doing a little something is really a lot better than doing a lot of nothing."

Photo by Craig McDean for Interview

The Chic Thief at Ralph Lauren, DKNY's Thousands of Tweets, Longchamp Adds Shoes

fashionologie — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:32:35 PDT

>> Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

Grand theft fashion! Police are on the hunt for a "chic, well-dressed woman" they believe is responsible for the theft of a $17,000 handbag from the Ralph Lauren women's boutique on New York's Upper East Side. The bag, a version of the Ricky bag made from African crocodile skin, went missing last month. Anyone who might know its whereabouts is encouraged to call the NYPD Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS. [Styleite]
Aliza Licht, the publicist who tweets from @DKNY, sent out over 1,100 missives on the social networking site in February. That's nearly three times as many tweets as the second biggest users of Twitter in the fashion industry - Kate Spade and Betsey Johnson only sent around 350 tweets in the same month. Only. [The Fashion Spot]
Giorgio Armani took some flak for sending out an email announcement of his new Sense of Being campaign, which depicts British Olympians wearing his sportswear alongside inspirational messages, about a minute before Stella McCartney unveiled her uniforms for the British Olympic team. The jury is still out on whether or not you can actually steal someone's thunder via email. [The Cut]
Mischa Barton is adding clothing to her line of products. She's had her own line of handbags since 2008, but her line of clothing and accessories, called Mischa's Place, started selling online today. [Stylelist]
Longchamp, the French handbag company that makes the ubiquitous nylon-and-leather handbags, announced today that it's going to start selling shoes to complement those bags this Summer. The shoes, which range in price from $285 to $735, will be available in July. [Fashion Etc.]

Stella McCartney Reveals Uniforms For the British Olympic Team

fashionologie — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 08:20:36 PDT

>> Stella McCartney's recent runway collection wasn't the only Spring debut she had to worry about. The designer has spent the last two years working on the uniforms for the 2012 British Olympic team and finally unveiled them Thursday.

McCartney said that the uniforms started with a meditation on the Union Jack, the flag of Great Britain. "For me it's one of the most beautiful flags in the world and it was important for me to stay true to that iconic design, but also to modernise it and present it in a contemporary way," she said. "Ultimately, we wanted the athletes to feel like a team and be proud with the identity we created."

To that end, McCartney infused her athletic gear with the same attention to detail and craftsmanship that goes into her ready-to-wear pieces. The entire kit, which is composed of nearly 600 different pieces created in collaboration with Adidas, will be distributed to the over 900 athletes who make it on the team.

Photos Courtesy of Team GB, Getty

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Stella McCartney Fall 2012

Christina Perez — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 11:13:18 PST

>> It's not surprising that Stella McCartney would have athletic-wear on her mind - she is, after all, designing the British uniforms for the upcoming Olympics. Not surprising either, then, that a bit of sports influence would creep into her Fall 2012 ready-to-wear collection. And indeed, there it was in the form of baseball jackets, racing stripes, tennis dresses, and streamlined ski sweaters. But, as McCartney puts it, "the Stella woman is about balance," so there were plenty of elegant, grown-up elements on hand as well. Those tennis dresses? They were flippy, sure, but they were also cut in a serious tweed. And the speedy-looking ski sweaters? Those came neatly tucked into work-ready trousers.

Also on hand for more of that signature Stella balance: cable-knit sweater sets, sharply tailored jacquard suits, and a selection of electric-hued power coats that - with their asymmetrical zips, contrast panels, and oversized proportions - felt very right now.

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Inside Stella McCartney's Fall 2012 Flash Mob Presentation

Christina Perez — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:23:42 PST

>> This season, Stella McCartney decided to forgo her usual show in Paris for an intimate - and unorthodox - dinner presentation at London Fashion Week. Around 100 guests - including Kate Moss, Stella Tennant, Yasmin Le Bon, and Rihanna - attended the Saturday evening event, which began with a magic show and finished with a formal jazz band. The real excitement, however, came with the presentation of McCartney's Fall 2012 collection. While guests dined unassumingly at their tables, models burst forth from the crowd - flash mob-style - in an energetic display of table-dancing, chair-passing, and rowdy hip-shaking. "It was nice to see something different, something dramatic. The clothes looked great," guest Bianca Jagger exclaimed.

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Karlie Kloss Skips New York Fashion Week, Brad Goreski Spills All in His New Book, and Kanye West's Latest Fashion Project

Christina Perez — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 14:17:39 PST

>> Those stories and more - here in our daily news roundup.

Brad Goreski's new biography, Born to Be Brad, hits bookstores March 6 - and it's reportedly full of some surprisingly sordid details, including cocaine and alcohol abuse. "I was in our bathroom, staring in the mirror, and I didn't recognize myself," Goreski writes. [Stylecaster]

Speaking of March 6, that's the day Kanye West will be taking his second stab at Paris Fashion Week. Now, rumors are swirling that he may also be planning a line for Topshop. However, Topshop's CEO Sir Phillip Green, who was spotted having lunch with West in London, denies that a collaboration is in the works. [Fashionista]

Looks like Karlie Kloss is skipping New York Fashion Week; The Daily Beast's Isabel Wilkinson confirmed the news today via Twitter. "Karlie Kloss won't walk in New York Fashion Week this season because of an 'engagement that has come up,' says her spokesperson," Wilkinson said. [Styleite]

James Franco has directed and shot the latest 7 For All Mankind campaign, featuring Lily Donaldson, Henry Hopper, and Amber Anderson. The campaign - which the brand describes as an "innovative multimedia experience that embodies the brand's California roots and 'forever cool' aesthetic" - launches on a dedicated You Tube channel Feb. 15. [Telegraph]

Despite a very successful design career, Stella McCartney doesn't think of herself as famous. "I don't think many people recognize me," the designer recently said. "I guess, I grew up with one of the most famous people in the world, so for me, I don't really see it." McCartney goes on to say that she still gets excited when seeing her designs on strangers in public: "I'm embarrassing when I see someone in the street with one of my bags, I'm like 'nice bag'. It's really embarrassing, I need to stop actually!" [Vogue UK]

CFDA Fashion Fund winner Joseph Altuzarra has quite a sweet tooth. The designer - who shows his Fall 2012 collection this Saturday - recently divulged the 12 things he can't live without. Among the goodies on the list? Billy's Bakery carrot cake. "It's my all-time favorite. Nothing beats eating a slice in bed while watching TV." [Elle Decor]

Stella McCartney Pre-Fall 2012 - Plus Accessories

Christina Perez — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:32:56 PST

>> Monogrammed suits, argyle sweater dresses, buffalo plaid ponchos - there was a bit of something for everyone at Stella McCartney's Pre-Fall 2012 presentation. Held at New York's West Village restaurant, One If By Land, Two If By Sea, the presentation offered up a nice helping of what McCartney does best: Elegantly-crafted separates and dresses that feel chic, but don't take themselves too seriously. "Pre-Fall has a wider starting point, so it’s about giving a voice to the different facets of a woman," McCartney said. "It’s less about referencing something specific and more . . . psychological." See the entire collection - including accessories - and scenes from the presentation here.

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15 Warm-Weather Getaway Essentials

Christina Perez — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:51:57 PST

>> Escape the gift-buying bustle and cold-city hustle - the season's sunnier side is all about jet-setting in style. In bold primary hues, graphic prints, and easy shapes, these pack-now essentials will have you in a cruise state of mind in no time. See them all now.
Photo: Stella McCartney Resort 2012, courtesy of Getty

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This Week's Best Dressed

fashionologie — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:29:34 PST

>> Slits, cut-outs, and head-to-toe print looks - courtesy of the Resort collections - all got major play this week. See who went there - and who got two nods apiece - in the slideshow.

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This Week's Best Dressed

fashionologie — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 16:14:17 PST

>> Winter white came out to play this week - much to our pleasure. See who chose the snowy hue - and who chose otherwise - in the slideshow.

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