fashionologie

Paris Agencies Go Comic Book for Spring 2010 Show Packages

fashionologie — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:53:45 -0700

>> So far this season, the most eye-catching show package came courtesy of One Management, who had their stable of models mimic an iconic '60s Harper's Bazaar cover by Richard Avedon, but a couple of Paris agencies are running a close second, and curiously, they are both feeling the comic book look. Women Paris altered portfolio pictures of the likes of Iris Strubegger and Iselin Steiro into with a little high contrast look and a splat of yellow, and WM emulated Sin City for their gaggle of fresh faces.

Christian Lacroix May Have Just Shown His Last Couture Show for Fall 2009; Will He Go Back Into LVMH Fold?

fashionologie — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 09:51:24 -0700

>> Last Friday, employees at Christian Lacroix were informed the the workforce would be cut from 124 to 12, and the house would close at the end of July - effectively reducing it to a licensing operation - unless a buyer could be found. Today at the Arts Decoratifs, Lacroix showed what may be his last couture collection to just over 200 guests, a set of 24 looks entirely privately financed, which the designer described as: "A collection which is finished, but which was not completed under the usual conditions. It is like a sketch, a drawing for a painting . . . the classic repertory of the house, what is left, the hard disk."

The mood was sober, but staid: badges declaring "Christian Lacroix Forever" were handed out and a sign reading similar was held across the runway. There were tears aplenty as the designer took his walk with bride Vlada Roslyakova, and no red carnations were on the seats, ready to toss in the finale as has been the custom at Lacroix's couture shows since he started in 1987. But he did receive a standing ovation, and Lacroix is not ready to give up: "What really churns my stomach is wondering what is going to become of the workrooms and, for the moment, none of the solutions I am looking at would save the couture side of the business."

Some are wondering if he may renew his relationship with LVMH - under whom he originally launched his label in 1987. Just an hour after his own show closed, he was spotted backstage and front row at the LVMH-supported Givenchy show, where he posed for photos with Delphine Arnault. The Times UK noted that Lacroix, "beaming in the front row at Givenchy doesn't look like a man whose label is finished."

fashionologie — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:44:58 -0800

>> THE MODELIZER - You know Fashion Week season is here when a number of models all change their hair simultaneously: Coco Rocha did an early swap to red a couple of months ago, and Monday night, Vlada Rosylakova took her strawberry blonde redder to a similarly vivid color. Also parading a new look: Iekeliene Stange, who ditched brown for blonde, and Iris Strubegger, who debuted her cropped cut - supposedly done for a Vogue Paris cover - during the Givenchy couture show late last month. [COACD, Place Models, Women Management]

Redheads on the Rise, or Coco Rocha's Wig Mystery Solved

fashionologie — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 17:47:42 -0800

>> After seasons of blonde after blonde model, change appears to be afoot. Don't worry, there are still seas of blondes out there, but for some key players, red seems to be the new shade of choice. Coco Rocha - who created a stir by wearing a wig to an event last week - debuted her new flame-haired shade last night, a change which she apparently made for a January 2009 Vogue editorial. Vlada Roslyakova also warmed up her tint recently - originally done for an upcoming Christian Lacroix fragrance campaign, she made the change back to blonde. That is, until the team re-dyed her hair strawberry blonde to film the accompanying television commercial, and she decided to keep it. And let's not forget Lily Cole, who has not made any changes to her red head, but is about to be launched in a series of TV and print ads by Rimmel, who formerly relied solely on the blonde Kate Moss.

But maybe this new ginger obsession is just coincidence - fashion's perennial redhead Olga Sherer did decide to go closer to brunette last month at the behest of Steven Meisel . . .
*image: source

fashionologie — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 17:24:38 -0700

>> ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL -Vlada Rosylakova holds the title of Fall 2008 and now Resort 2009 face of DKNY, but is that the end of her run? Rumors are circling that the job, which before Vlada went to Kate Moss, has been placed in the hands of Elite+-signed, New York it-girl Harley Viera-Newton for Spring 2009. [Paper, Nylon]

Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi's First Ferre Collection: The Reviews Are In

fashionologie — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 12:49:47 -0700

>> Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi had a tall order to fill for Spring 2009. Before Gianfranco Ferre passed in 2007, his architectural-based label had ceased to become relevent - as Cathy Horyn put it, "It’s been a while since anyone [has] paid serious attention to the Ferre name." So could the newly tapped designers bring it back to the forefront?

The general consensus says yes. Nicole Phelps of Style.com was pleased: "They deserve high marks for this outing." Cathy Horyn of The New York Times, a Aquilano-Rimondi fan, loved the effort, with one caveat: "The designers distilled the essence of Ferre in a new, eye-catching way. Now to just refine the elements a bit more . . . " WWD felt the same: "Aquilano and Rimondi have the right ideas, but what they need now is a little restraint."

Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune also echoed the same sentiment: "Not all the Ferré collection was approachable. Yet . . . the two designers created the clothes and the buzz that will bring fashion life back to Ferré." With another season under their belts, Aquilano and Rimondi could definitely hit the right stride at Ferre.
*image: source

Rodarte Spring 2009: Making It Big

fashionologie — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:48:52 -0700

>> When Natalie Portman comes to the show, Keira Knightley hits up the after party, and Anna Wintour brings Bee - who usually only goes to Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler - along, you know Rodarte is really starting to make it big. Even Vogue Italia's editor-in-chief, Franca Sozzani, had a little trouble getting in - apparently, she tried to follow Anna and Bee through the velvet rope, but the PR staff wouldn't allow it.

Onto the clothes: They followed the same thought process as the Fall 2008 collection, but with a few key changes - the colors, the shoes (those treacherous shoes, made by Nicholas Kirkwood instead of Christian Louboutin this season), and the leggings, which were leather instead of knit, and although they looked laser cut, were entirely handmade. Some think the look veered into Balenciaga territory, but me? I'm just enjoying the view.
*image: source

Proenza Schouler Takes Dellal Downtown for Spring 2009

fashionologie — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 22:38:51 -0700

>> Alice Dellal may have been a special guest at Alexander Wang, but she was there in spirit at Proenza Schouler - the sideswept wavy hair, red lip, leathers, zippers, and crop tops shown were all reminiscent of her look. She may have been a starting point, but the collection had a downtown refinement that you would never seen in Alice - she revels too much in the grunge. All I have to say is: So many fun, billowy jumpsuits, so little time. And don't forget to check out the accessories - they're part of Jack and Lazaro's first full season effort.

To get the full experience, check out the runway video at Elle.com.
*image: source

Costello Tagliapietra Spring 2009: Anchored in Lady, With a Touch of Butch

fashionologie — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 18:24:01 -0700

>> The third time was the charm for Costello Tagliapietra yesterday - after starting and stopping the runway music two times, the second of which included dimming the lights, the show finally got under way for the third and final time an hour after its scheduled start. Lucky for Jeffrey Costello and Robert Tagliapietra, their designs made it worth the wait.

Their tailored lady got some edge, courtesy of Philip Crangi's black leather accessories and an airbrushed-on tattoo . Each girl sported a blue anchor with her initials under it, Miu Miu Fall 2008-style, to match the designers' own anchor and initial tattoos, and Christina Kruse got to show off the big cobra tattooed on her arm. An unconventional fabric choice - ultrasuede - gave a matte contrast to all the shiny charmeuse, and unexpected color combinations gave a real zing to the lineup. The only major problem came from the shoes, made by Giuseppe Zanotti for the show - a lot of girls had trouble navigating them, and Georgina Stojilkovic came close to falling.

*image: source

Preen: Pregnant with Pretty for Spring 2009

fashionologie — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 23:27:57 -0700

>> It's hard to imagine being pregnant and designing hot little minidresses for other women to wear, but when you're Thea Bregazzi, one half of design duo Preen, and those hot little minidresses happen to be what your label is known for, that's just what you do.

The heavily expectant Thea stayed across the pond in London while her partner in design and life, Justin Thornton, carried on with the label's show today. He carried it well - everything went smoothly, save a slight wardrobe malfunction for Anja Rubik and the confusion that ensued at the end of the show, when Justin didn't appear at the end of the runway and no one knew when to start the final applause.

As for the clothes, the dresses with intricate paneled cutouts and peekaboo zipper slats, the piquante shots of tomato red, and the sexily laced up pleated skinny pants came together for a more refined collection than we have seen from Preen in the last couple of seasons. Maybe Thea should be pregnant more often . . .
*image: source