fashionologie

Vera Wang Pre-Fall 2012

fashionologie — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:48:54 PST

>> Vera Wang's Pre-Fall 2012 starting points were Jane Birkin and Yves Saint Laurent circa the late 1960s, but she ended up with a layered collection of modern looks. Ribbed knee socks and minidresses were paired with coats, cropped sweaters, or vests, and rounding out the collection was a sweep of evening gowns, surely prepared for the upcoming awards season.

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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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Snejana Onopka Marries in Vera Wang

fashionologie — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:28:16 PST

>> Snejana Onopka, 24, married 29-year-old businessman Mykola Schura from Donetsk, Ukraine, in Kiev on Nov. 15. The bride wore a Vera Wang dress she purchased in Kiev in front of less than 40 guests. "It was very traditional," Onopka said of the ceremony, to which she arrived in a black Bentley. "I've never been to weddings. This is the first wedding I attended, and it's mine!" See a video of the ceremony - where Onopka admits she "almost cried" - and more pictures at the link. [Jetsetter.ua]

Vera Wang Explains Why She Showed Black Wedding Gowns

fashionologie — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 11:21:44 PDT

>> Vera Wang, who debuted 15 wedding gowns during her bridal show last week, nine of which were black - causing quite a stir - suggested that after a year of major white weddings, she was ready for something new.

“I found black to be fresh and tongue in cheek,” Wang said. “With all the big weddings that happened this year, it was fun to step out of the box.”

Wang has experimented with purple, pale green, and neutrals in past bridal collections, but wanted to explore ways for black to read "wedding day": “I did take it to a witchy kind of place. For me, it helped build a sense of mystery that I was hungry for. And it added this sensuality and sexuality, and a little bit of severity, too.”

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Vera Wang Spring 2012

Christina Perez — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 11:56:28 PDT

>> Vera Wang has been known to work some dark references into her ready-to-wear collections, and Spring 2012 was no exception. Citing Alice in Wonderland, the designer's show notes riffed on the idea of "tailoring and transparency" - and there was plenty of both. A series of all-white looks opened the show, cutting a sharp silhouette in perforated piqué, organza, and tulle. Waists were nipped with drawstrings or boning, and juxtaposed by full-flared peplums galore. Softness came in the form of whisper-weight chiffon; in graduated-hem skirts it was drawn up high in the front and left to billow smoke-like behind. While most of the collection flowed from one monochromatic look to another, Wang did give us one print: a psychedelic take on 18th-century wallpaper that swirled ethereally in grey, violet, and jolts of pink. The effect was trippy and intense - and at times even beautiful.

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See Vera Wang's New $10 Million Beverly Hills Home

fashionologie — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 09:31:01 PDT

>> After announcing yesterday that she's going into the engagement ring business with Zales, Vera Wang has complete another, more personal transaction: She's bought herself a home in Beverly Hills, as she's spending more time in Los Angeles, according to her real estate representative.

The midcentury modern home was listed in March for $10.9 million; Wang bought it for about about $10 million, the Wall Street Journal reports. It was completely renovated by the previous owner, real-estate investor and designer Steven Hermann, and has four bedrooms, a home theater, and glass walls. There's also a pool and spa.

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Dylan Lauren's Ralph Lauren Wedding Dress, Unveiled

fashionologie — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 09:37:47 PDT

>> The dress Ralph Lauren designed for daughter Dylan to wed hedge fund founder Paul Arrouet appears in the August 2011 issue of Vogue. Lauren, who reportedly consulted with Vera Wang on the dress's design, decided on a handmade duchesse-satin, silk-tulle, and georgette embroidered dress with a tiered, nine-foot train. "I had to do something that was better than ever before," he told Oprah before the June 2011 wedding, which took place at his 300-acre Westchester County, New York estate. "When you do something for your family or your daughter, I mean it's the only daughter I have - beautiful girl. I want to just give her something that she'd really treasure and give her something that would be really amazing. I want her to feel fantastic."

Lauren also designed the bridesmaid's dresses in Dylan's Candy Bar-logo colors, with specially-made Spanx if the wearer so opted. "I also was inspired by a New York Times front page of one of my father's Spring/Summer collections where they showed the finale lineup of all those vivid colors of satin evening dresses," Dylan explained.

Karl Lagerfeld, Donatella Versace, and More React to Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress

fashionologie — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 05:45:54 PDT

>> Vera Wang was on CNN this morning, weighing in who she hoped designed Kate Middleton's dress; but, now that it's been revealed to be Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton, how do Burton's other designing colleagues rate the dress? (And one can't help but wonder what Alexander McQueen would have thought of a partnership between his label and Middleton, given that he once famously wrote "I am a c*nt" in the lining of a jacket destined for Prince Charles.) But without further ado . . .

Karl Lagerfeld: “[Middleton] is very elegant. The dress is classic and goes very well in the Westminster decor. It almost reminds me of (Queen) Elizabeth’s wedding, the royal weddings in the '50s. The proportion of the train is good. The lace is very pretty. I like the veil a lot.”

Christian Lacroix: “I like the dress very much, simpler than expected: A combination just in between 1956 Grace Kelly and 1947 Queen Elizabeth dress. I love the modest veil with the Queen Mother’s '30s scroll tiara and balanced volume of the whole gown. She’s radiant; she never was so beautiful. And Prince William’s red Irish uniform is gorgeous.”

Hubert de Givenchy: “The dress is very simple and very nice. The veil is a little flat, but because she has such a lovely face, she can afford to wear it this way. She is very pretty.”

Peter Copping of Nina Ricci: “Very much in a royal tradition, reminiscent of Queen Elizabeth’s - and a little bit Grace Kelly. She looks happy, radiant, and natural.”

Donatella Versace: "Kate's dress was beautiful. She looked very regal."

Prabal Gurung: “I thought it was pretty and appropriate. A high-profile wedding like this is not the place for making a crazy fashion moment. It sounds like an oxymoron but it was a personal moment in a very public place. The dress clearly said she’s a modern girl and of this generation. It was not McQueen at its theatrical sense but McQueen in its quiet but beautiful sense. I loved the bustle and how her silk tulle veil was moving softly in the wind.”

Jason Wu: “I thought Catherine’s dress looked stunning. The details were very well done and I loved the emphasis on craftsmanship and the use of British talent. Her choice to pay tribute to Alexander McQueen was both touching and exciting.”

Viktor & Rolf: “Kate’s dress was simply elegant. Her hair down was a beautiful and natural touch, and the tiara was stunning. She looked as at ease as humanly possible and was radiant. Our compliments.”

Diane von Furstenberg: “The dress was beautiful. I think she is irresistible, she is so beautiful. I am happy it was McQueen. It was absolutely the right thing to do. They made [the dress] simple, so it wasn’t costumey but a beautiful evening gown. I was happy for Sarah, happy for the Met, and happy for McQueen."

Tory Burch: “Kate looked stunning. Choosing Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen reflects Kate’s modern aesthetic and style, but the handmade lace details and craftsmanship are a great nod to British tradition. The lace, the clean lines of the dress, Queen Elizabeth’s tiara - every detail was stunning.”

Donna Karan: “The dress was extremely elegant. For me, it wasn’t so much about the dress though, it was all about her. She was the most beautiful bride in the world.”

Francisco Costa: “Kate’s dress had a classic elegance with a modern edge. The superb detailing really characterized Sarah’s expert hand.”

Oscar de la Renta: “She looked absolutely ravishing. She looked like a bride should look and she handled herself tremendously. And they look like a much loving couple. I am happy to see fresh blood coming into the family. It was a very traditional, beautiful dress which it needed to be for that kind of wedding. Most of all she devastated with her charm. Listen, she will wear anything and will look ravishing.”

Valentino: “I loved the dress . . . it was very simple and young even if a hint of Grace Kelly's dress spoke of 1950s! I loved the flounce on the back of the skirt and the little decoration all around the short veil. I loved the choice of the tiara: simple, pretty, very right for the dress and for her attitude . . . it was used almost as an hairpiece to keep the hair and the veil, not as a heavy decoration. Compared to the famous Diana’s dress, Diana’s was a dress of a fairy-tale princess . . . still a dress everybody remembers. Kate’s one is a very pretty, modern dress that will be copied everywhere but lacks that fairy-tale element. Today most of the new princesses are young, modern, nonroyal women who have clear ideas, independence from stiff protocol . . . they want to be themselves and not anymore a symbol of the crown.”

Reed Krakoff: “I thought the dress was very modern. It bridged the gap between modern and youthful, and was respectful to the position she is in. It didn’t look to traditional or expected though. I particularly liked the neckline. It was more youthful than I expected. The fact that the bodice was fitted and formfitting was great, because she is a beautiful young woman and it accentuated that.”

Frontrunner Bruce Oldfield Bows Out of Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress Race; Vera Wang Rumored to Be Involved Somehow

fashionologie — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 07:38:21 PDT

>> Bruce Oldfield, who has been tipped as the frontrunner to design Kate Middleton's wedding dress for months now, has confirmed that he is not Middleton's choice: “It has been such a subject of rumor and speculation over the past months, but I am not designing it. We will all know [on Friday] - and I thought I’d duck out of the ‘possibles list’ to give everyone 24 hours to place their final bets!” He added: “Catherine will undoubtedly look spectacular. She has a fantastic figure and knows well what suits her. I shall be intrigued to see her choice of design.”

With Oldfield out of the race, speculation is honing in on the other likely candidates who have not yet issued denials: Catherine Walker, a favorite of Princess Diana; Alice Temperley, and Daniella Helayel from Issa. Also entering late in the game: Jenny Packham, whose spokesperson said yesterday is “not commenting at all on the wedding.”

Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, Sophie Cranston of Libelula, and Phillipa Lepley have all also been reported as frontrunners, but all have denied repeatedly that they're working on the dress.

And Vera Wang's name has surfaced as having some kind of role in the wedding, but WWD thinks "that seems highly unlikely" - particularly that Wang, an American, would be chosen to do the dress. Although: sources apparently indicated that the designer may be involved at another level. A Vera Wang spokeswoman denied the designer is involved with the wedding, however, last night.

A newly-released Mario Testino portrait of the Middleton and Prince William, above.

Balenciaga Reportedly Dropped Their Longtime PR Firm Last Year Because of Attention Paid to Versace

fashionologie — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:32:34 PST

>> Last May, when Balenciaga severed its 12-year relationship with public relations firm PR Consulting, rumors circulated that it was the result of a Balenciaga designer leaving to work for one of the firm's other clients and that some of the client's designs were too similar to Balenciaga. Now, WSJ. reports that insiders at PPR say Nicolas Ghesquiere felt slighted by the attention Pierre Rougier was giving to Versace, his newest client, at the Costume Institute gala last year. It's worth noting the decision to drop PR Consulting was made within two weeks of the gala at the beginning of May.

At the time of the severance, Rougier said: “It’s been a wonderful 12-year adventure with Balenciaga and I really wish Nicolas and Balenciaga all the best and lots of luck going forward. It’s been really great and I really don’t want it to seem any other way.” And now, he tells WSJ. simply, "I love Nicolas."

Post-Balenciaga, Rougier seems to be doing fine. Alongside Versace, he counts among his clients Yves Saint Laurent, Jil Sander, Dries Van Noten, and Proenza Schouler. He is "notoriously picky about whom he takes on," according to the WSJ., and "can lift a brand to another level . . . his job is to keep the Americans, whose critical opinions drive international buying trends, in line."

Vera Wang president Mario Grauso avers this fact - one of the first things he did when joining Wang a year and a half ago was hire Rougier: "Vera had gone dark - hadn't done enough media, wasn't dressing celebrities. Pierre helped me change that. We [at Vera Wang] can veer a little too mainstream, a little too bridal-y. I wanted to be edgier and Pierre knew how to do that." Grauso also credits Rougier with bringing top European press to Wang's shows, admitting it's "something we couldn't do without him."

But cultivating brands isn't all Rougier aspires to - apparently he wants to get more involved with advising the venture capital and investment side of fashion, WSJ. reports: "Too many backers choose the wrong horse in the race, he says, and then are flummoxed when throwing money at the problem doesn't solve it."