fashionologie

Dasha Zhukova Confirms She's Launching a New Magazine

fashionologie — Fri, 27 May 2011 08:09:37 PDT

>> There have been rumors circulating in the last couple of months that Dasha Zhukova - since resigning from POP last November - was working on a new magazine. Now, she confirms the rumors are true.

Dubbed Garage (the same as her flagship Moscow museum, the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture), it's set to launch in September and will be an art magazine with a strong fashion angle. "It's going to be a girls' magazine," Zhukova says. "I have more ideas than I know what to do with. I guess I'm a bit of a fantasist and a daydreamer - all sorts of things come to me during the day."

She's also enlisted former Vogue Paris editor Joan Juliet Buck as a consultant for the magazine, as well as Vanessa Traina. "I'll set projects up and hand them over," Zhukova explains. "I'm a delegator and I find that quite easy. I feel I do it intuitively. But I have to trust that the people I work with are going to make decisions I approve of."

See Vanessa Traina's Full Maje Collection Lookbook

fashionologie — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 08:42:55 PDT

>> Last night, Vanessa Traina launched her 14-piece capsule collection for the French brand Maje at Barneys, which has the US exclusive. She wore a black tuxedo jacket and pant from the collection, and was joined by her sisters Samantha and Victoria Traina and close designer friends like Alexander Wang, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Joseph Altuzarra, and Proenza Schouler's Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez, most of whom followed her to a celebratory dinner down the street at Le Caprice.

The idea for the collection, which ranges from $150 to $490, came about while Traina was in fittings for the brand's campaign (which she's appeared in the past two seasons). She told Vogue.com: "Maje asked me to do their campaign a few seasons ago and we all got along really well. We met the day before the shoot to do fittings, and by the end of it, we’d put together the proposal for a collaboration."

Her ideas for the collection - inspired by "a lot of old '90s editorial," she told us - came easily: "I had a whole folder with me . . . working in the industry and doing consulting quite frequently, I knew what to expect from a design meeting, and I think it really helped Maje understand my vision right from the get-go."

The resultant pieces are simple, primarily silk or lace, and sans color. In fact, minus one white silk maxi dress, they're all in black. "I wear black quite, quite often," Traina explains. "Because this was a one-time collaboration, I really wanted to do something wearable and [focus on] really great separates that fit into your wardrobe. And black goes with everything, so I really just kind of went with that." She told Vogue.com, "Although I must admit, I haven’t worn anything outside of my bedroom yet."

The collection also provided Traina with her first opportunity to design a shoe: "I mean, I've worked with Joseph Altuzarra and people on their collection from head to toe, so I've kind of worked with a shoe, but he [Altuzarra] really does the crux of it, so yeah, it's the first time. It's really cool because we initially started with doing a flat, and then I just thought it would be cool if we stuck a heel on it. So it's just a sandal design."

Even though she now has more extensive design experience, Traina says the collection is a one-time thing: "I really see myself more as a stylist, and I work as a stylist and do consulting. I was really grateful for this opportunity, it was really fun to do something like this, but I think the direction that I'm going in right now with styling is really what I'm passionate about, [and] is really what I love personally."

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Joseph Altuzarra On the Similarities Between His and Alexander Wang's Fall 2011 Collections and Having His Mom for a Boss

fashionologie — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 14:04:29 PDT

>> Fresh off the announcement of his CFDA nomination for the second year running in the Swarovski Award for Womenswear category - this time he's up against Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's The Row and Prabal Gurung - Joseph Altuzarra hit up Barneys to host a trunk show for his parka and slinky silk-dress-filled Fall 2011 collection. We grabbed him for a few minutes to chat about how competitive it is among young designers in New York, the fact that he and close friend Alexander Wang turned out Fall 2011 collections with a number of similarities, and who he'd like to collaborate with next.

Congratulations on your CFDA Award nomination! Did you do anything to celebrate?

I didn't, actually. I'm drawing pre-collection, so I drew [afterwards]. I went to the [announcement cocktails] thing, and it was great to be there. I actually didn't go last season - I was in Paris, so I wasn't able to make it. But it was really fun to go [this year], it was a nice atmosphere. And what's fun about the nomination that I got is that it's usually very similar generations. So it doesn't feel as competitive, it feels way friendlier. I mean, obviously, Prabal I know, and we're very friendly. Mary-Kate and Ashley, as well.

It feels like there's this whole group of young burgeoning designers rising up together in New York right now - for the most part, the big classic American designers were shut out from the nominations this year.

No it's true, there is I think this kind of mass effect of young designers. And I think we genuinely don't feel all that competitive. Of course you have the, "Why was he featured and I wasn't?" type of things, but overall, I think we're all really friendly - like we talk to each other about business and about what we're doing. It's very open - which is nice, I think it's how it should be.

Speaking of, do you and Alexander Wang ever talk about your collections together? Because for Fall 2011, you had a lot of similarities - you guys both played the same Prodigy song during your shows, and you had a similar quilted poncho cape that Cathy Horyn pointed out.

We hadn't, actually. And this is really the truth - when I saw his show [which happened a few hours before Altuzarra's], I was like, "Oh my God, we're going to get panned." But I think also what people discount is that we're the same age, and we hang out a lot, and even if we don't talk about our collections, we see similar things. I mean, we also have very similar reference points in time, because we're the same age. So, honestly, I think it's more funny than anything. But it's true, there were similarities - the fur shoes . . . I mean, it's kind of crazy when you think about how much - the Prodigy, and that cape thing, and it was kind of '90s, also . . . It was really, really eerie. But funny. And I hope people see it as more funny than anything.

Did you guys talk about it afterwards?

Yeah, I think he sent me a text. He came to my show and he sent me a text like, "That is ridiculous," or something. Or I think he said like, "I think we need to stop hanging out so much." I was like, "Yeah."

But you guys are still obviously hanging out.

Yeah, yeah, it's not like . . . I think we think it's more funny.

Last year you turned a profit for the first time. What do you credit with being able to achieve that?

I think starting during a recession has made a really big difference in the way we run the company - we thought we were going to grow the structure a lot faster than we decided to. And we've really kept it bare bones. I think most people would be shocked to know how small it still is. Our overhead costs and cost of running the company are fairly low because we're just not a lot of people and still in a fairly small space. Also, the great thing about being in New York is that you have so many of these amazing sponsorship programs - MAC at Milk, also the Tents with Maybelline - which really doesn't exist anywhere else at this level. So I do credit it in part to that. And also, I am the designer, but I'm also very aware of the business. I know how much things cost, so I know I'm shooting myself in the foot if I use a lot of crocodile or very expensive embroidery. And I know it's just not the time to do it.

So you do think about what sells when you're designing.

Oh yeah, for sure. I'm lucky to have a team around me that keeps me grounded. The bulk of my work is very creative, but there's also a side to it that's just making sure I'm doing something that can actually sell and translate to a retail floor.

What do you find sells well for you, in general, season over season?

Definitely tailoring always does very well, whether it's the Spring's more peak-shouldered jackets or the Fall's parkas. And we're also starting to see a more popular category in pants. And dresses have always sold very, very well for us.

It felt like for Fall 2011 you went more wearable than you have in the past - was that a conscious decision?

It was a conscious decision but it actually wasn't a commercial decision - it was a stylistic decision. I was feeling something that was a lot more day, just in the proportion and in the ease of things. And that kind of stylistic decision helped make the whole thing look a lot easier and more wearable.

And you're still working with both Melanie Huynh and Vanessa Traina?

Yeah, I mean they come in from different perspectives. Calling Vanessa a muse is so cliche and I wish there was another word for it, but I see Vanessa almost every day, so there is this side to our relationship that is very inspiring, just because of the way she is and how she dresses. And she obviously does a lot of consulting as well. And then Melanie definitely does a lot of consulting, but she comes in more towards the show, in terms of the styling.

Vanessa usually walks in your shows, but she didn't for Fall 2011.

She was actually not in town - I would have loved for her to walk, because this collection was very Vanessa, and it really came from how she was dressing at the time that I was drawing. I was really, really inspired by her.

Your mom is the CEO of your company - how does that work?

Yeah, she's my boss. You know, in a way, it's an ideal situation, because she lives in Paris, and it helps to have this kind of two-legged foundation, because everything is produced in Italy. In terms of time difference, it's just easier to have someone who's on that side of the Atlantic. But I obviously trust her implicitly, and we're able to have very honest conversations about business. I think we're both very good at divorcing our personal relationship from the business.

You have a strong history of collaborations - Gianvito Rossi for shoes, Gaia Repossi for jewelry, Current/Elliott for denim - is there anyone else you'd really like to work with?

No, not really. I'm trying to think . . . No, but I really do want to start developing more things under my name, so it might be enough collaborations for a little bit.

So you're trying to go in-house with accessories?

Yeah, I think maybe by next year we'll start developing accessories. I think it's important for us and for the development of the brand. We'll be at four years, which I think is a good time to start introducing more in-house things.

After everything that's happened with John Galliano, Alexander McQueen, and Christophe Decarnin, there's been a lot of talk that the current pace of the industry is driving designers to unhealthy places. Do you feel that at all?

I think you need a really, really, really good support system, both within your company but also just outside. I'm really lucky that I have the family and friends that I have - a lot of them don't necessarily work in fashion, and that's really helpful for me professionally, and just for my own sanity. I definitely feel it very bodily - like stomachaches. Yes, everything goes really fast, and now it feels like it's going faster even, mainly because of the Internet. And there's this immediacy and access to information and products, which makes everything you do feel old much sooner than it would have before. So you're constantly trying to bring something different and new to the table as fast as you can.

Is there any particular way you're trying to address that need for the new?

Adding collections for sure is the more classic way of doing it, but I think you also have to be very careful about the press that you do, and not be overexposed. The reality today is that there is a customer who will buy a $4,000 jacket because it's in Vogue, but there's also a customer who will not buy it because it's been in Vogue for six months. So you have to find that balance where you're enticing the customer but you're not revealing everything and you're not overselling it.

Final question: Now that the whirlwind of Fashion Month is over and things are calming down a little bit, do you have any plans to relax or vacation? Or are you just going straight into pre-collection?

No, [I'm going] straight into pre-collection . . . we actually started before the [Fall 2011] show. I am going on a long weekend soon, though, which will be nice.

Vanessa Traina Designs 14-Piece Spring 2011 Capsule Collection for Maje

fashionologie — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 10:28:19 PDT

>> Vanessa Traina has been the face of cult favorite French contemporary brand Maje for a couple of seasons now (see the new Spring 2011 campaign images in the gallery), but now she's taking her relationship with the brand further. Traina, who currently acts as a consultant to Altuzarra and is a contributing fashion editor at T, has designed a capsule collection for the brand, based on '90s fashion (as was, coincidentally, Altuzarra's Fall 2011 collection). The 14 "silk and delicate looks [with] a precise, minimalist edge," as WWD describes them, will launch exclusively at Barneys New York, Beverly Hills, and San Francisco on March 23, followed by a worldwide launch in Maje stores on March 28.

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Fash's 20 Favorite Looks of the Year!

Chi Diem Chau — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 11:16:39 PST

>> Before we bid adieu to 2010, check out our 20 favorite looks of the year. Top highlights include Vanessa Traina in a red hot Givenchy ensemble, Carey Mulligan in graphic Vionnet, Kate Bosworth in Jil Sander, Shala Monroque in Chanel . . . and even more eye candy in the slideshow.

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2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Winners Billy Reid, Prabal Gurung, and Eddie Borgo Come Home with Newly-Increased Cash Prizes

fashionologie — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 09:39:46 PST

>> Last night, the 2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winners were announced, but before they could be named during the dinner gala at New York's Skylight Studios, the results were leaked on WWD's Twitter: Billy Reid won outright, and Prabal Gurung and Eddie Borgo were both named runners-up.

Style.com's Nicole Phelps wrote that the results were a bit of a surprise: "Many in the audience had pegged Gurung and Joseph Altuzarra as the front-runners." But nevermind: the prizes were even bigger this year, with Reid granted $300,000 (up from $200,000), and Borgo and Gurung each taking $100,000 (up from $50,000). "The main prize is the mentoring we provide," CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg noted of the increase, "but a little cash never hurts."

The rest of this year's finalists - Christian Cota, Robert Geller, Oliver Helden and Paul Marlow of Loden Dager, Pamela Love of Pamela Love Jewelry, Moss Lipow and Gregory Parkinson - were treated to a keynote speech by Karl Lagerfeld, who talked about how much fun Yves Saint Laurent was "before Pierre Berge" and advised: "Young goes. But good? If you're good, it may all last."

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A Look Inside Vanessa Traina's West Village Apartment

fashionologie — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 09:28:49 PDT

>> Earlier this week, we got a peek inside Coco Rocha's Manhattan apartment, and now some snaps of Vanessa Traina's West Village apartment - which she shares with boyfriend, Chad Muska - have turned up. Traina moved into the apartment, which is scattered with relics, fur pillows, and a giant taxidermic zebra, which her father sent to her when she moved in - in early 2008. More photos of her place, as captured by The Selby's Todd Selby, at the link. [Harper's Bazaar, Harper's Bazaar]

Paris Fashion Week Street Style: Vanessa Traina

Chi Diem Chau — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 08:00:11 PDT

Vanessa Traina looks like a class act in her sporty green and black topper on day two of Paris Fashion Week. Paired with cropped flared trousers, a simple black tee, and pointy-toe pumps, she appears as modernity incarnate. Emulate her look with a similar pair of pants from Diane von Furstenberg, a quilted nylon jacket from Burberry, and black heels from Rupert Sanderson.

Left to right: Diane von Furstenberg Cavaro Pants ($245), Vanessa Traina at Paris Fashion Week, Burberry Quilted Nylon Jacket ($695), Ian R.N. Chiffon T-Shirt ($173), Nancy Gonzalez Large Crocodile Clutch ($2,800), Rupert Sanderson Pumps ($266, originally $590)

Photos: Greg Kessler

Sheer Gowns and Masks Aplenty at Vogue Paris's 90th Anniversary Ball

fashionologie — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 11:03:57 PDT

>> Carine Roitfeld's masquerade ball last night, celebrating 90 years of Vogue Paris and loosely Eyes Wide Shut-themed, meant lots of sheer gowns, and lots of show attendees preoccupied with finding a mask yesterday. Anna Dello Russo, inspired by Lady Gaga, paired a Gareth Pugh headpiece with her custom Emilio Pucci gown. Jean Paul Gaultier designed a metal mask for himself adorned with long feathers: "Yes, they're giant eyelashes, acting like hair -- since I'm missing some as you can see - so instead I've gone for this black plume."

Tyra Banks made do with cut up fishnets, Sasha Pivovarova got her mask "from a sex shop," and Lily Donaldson wore a red tulle veil to match her Christian Dior gown: “I made it myself. I went all the way up to the fabric district in Montmartre today.” Stephen Jones made Karlie Kloss's star spangled mask to go with her Christian Dior gown, and Riccardo Tisci did Mariacarla Boscono's over the top feathered hat, while he looked to Philip Treacy to custom make his mask.

While there was plenty of mask ogling, Carine Roitfeld was more preoccupied with other thoughts. “Oh my goodness, even the models are eating, it’s amazing!” she laughed, as Lily Donaldson took a leaf from a chocolate cabbage.

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fashionologie — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 06:41:18 PDT

>> Victoria Traina Consulting, Tweeting for Proenza Schouler -Vanessa Traina recently told Intermission of her sister: "Victoria is working with Proenza Schouler doing consulting for the capsule collection." But it appears Victoria is doing more for the brand than just that - she just joined Twitter with the handle @proenzaschouler, and sent off her first Tweet: "Hi! This is Victoria Traina. I’ll be tweeting behind the scenes updates leading up to our Spring 2011 show on 9.15.10." [@proenzaschouler]