fashionologie

Arizona Muse - The Next Big American Model in the Making? Anna Wintour Approves

fashionologie — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 15:13:03 PST

>> Arizona Muse's star has been rising at rocket speed - in the past month alone, her Spring 2011 Prada and Yves Saint Laurent ads have come out, she's been on the January 2011 cover of Vogue Italia with Freja Beha Erichsen, and had only-girl spreads in Vogue UK February 2011 and Vogue China February 2011. Now, Anna Wintour is touting Muse in her February 2011 editors' letter as "the breakout star at the Spring 2011 shows last Fall," adding: "When I look at Arizona, I see shades of Linda Evangelista and Natalia Vodianova, but most of all, I see her, a gorgeous, smart grown-up. And how could anyone resist someone with that name?" If Muse keeps this up, she, Lindsey Wixson, and Karlie Kloss could be bringing American models back in a big way. A selection of her aforementioned work in the gallery.

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What Did Anna Wintour Do For Thanksgiving?

fashionologie — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 15:58:23 PST

>> No Thanksgiving break for Anna Wintour: on Thanksgiving morning, she was spotted being shown around the Shanghai Museum. Wintour also made a stop by Vogue China's offices last week, and spoke with Vogue China's editor Angelica Cheung and Vogue's Mark Holgate and Sylvana Soto-Ward at a forum held at the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing.

There, she noted: "China is becoming an increasingly important market. Everywhere you go there is this great drumroll that started five years ago of ‘what do you think about China?’ We decided it was time to make our own visit and to form our own opinions. In a way, American brands are a bit behind coming to China compared to the European brands, and I wanted to encourage them all to visit and open stores here."

On a Eastern influence-related note, Wintour recently told The Washington Post: "Right now, it seems as though we are experiencing a wave of Asian models, and while there is certainly a strong African American presence with Joan Smalls, Jourdan Dunn and Chanel Iman, sadly we don't see as many African American models as we could." (Though it's worth noting that Jourdan Dunn is British and Joan Smalls is Puerto Rican.)

And it sounds like at her Beijing talk, Wintour brought her sense of humor with - when an audience member asked her about The Devil Wears Prada, she apparently replied that she "found the movie highly entertaining and it’s true, of course, that I beat all my assistants, lock them in a cupboard and don’t pay them!”

The Rise of the Asian Model - A Moment or a Movement?

fashionologie — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 08:41:14 PST

>> Is the current rise of Asian models a moment or a movement? The latter, Kwok Chan, director of international scouting at Marilyn Agency (which represents Liu Wen), tells Vogue in its December 2010 issue. Curiously, of all the most in-demand Asian models currently, none of them are Asian-American. "The only way I can explain why there are no big Asian-American names is, why are photo shoots done in some exotic locale and it looks like you've shot in someone's backyard?" Chan says. "Fashion is fantasy; it's about perception."

Dick Page, creative director of Shiseido, chalks up Asian models' increased visibility to "most economics. Everybody in the fashion/beauty industry recognizes the importance of global markets, and currently, China, Taiwan, and South Korea are at the forefront. The upshot is that customers want to see some version of themselves represented." And Anita Bitton, a casting director who has worked on Alexander Wang's shows and Gap campaigns, says that an ease in travel restrictions could also be a contributor: "Some of these girls had trouble obtaining work visas."

Liu Wen herself has noted a change within the last two seasons: "The challenge for me, and for Asian models in general, has been convincing editors, stylists, and photographers that we can have mass appeal. "But Asian, especially Chinese, models have become a stronger presence. Just a season or two ago, there weren't many models for me to talk with backstage in my native Mandarin. Now I usually have no trouble finding someone at any show." Du Juan adds: "There still are brands or clients that would not consider using an Asian model, but things are changing dramatically and quickly. I am not so sure if being Asian was or is a hindrance. In fact, I think it is a plus."

Because of the shift, Angelica Cheung, editor in chief of Vogue China, has noticed a shift in the Chinese ideal of beauty: "Traditionally the Chinese favored a classic kind of beauty - big, round eyes, cute small mouth, a high nose, and very fair skin. The Chinese models who have made it internationally are not beauties in the traditional sense, so they are modernizing the concept of beauty in China. When I was growing up in the seventies, everyone wore a blue, gray, or green Mao suit - there was no chance for women to be glamorous or different. Now you see young Chinese trying to be radical by dyeing their hair blonde or blue, sporting tattoos. It is a combination of copying what they see is popular in the Western world and trying to stand out in a nation where almost all of the 1.3 billion population have straight black hair and brown eyes. I like to joke that in less than a decade, China has gone from Karl Marx to Karl Lagerfeld!”

fashionologie — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 14:56:26 PDT

>> BLOWING THE COVER —Vogue's online reality show Model.Live is debuting in just under a week, but one of the stars is already making waves: Cato Van Ee, who has recently shown up in editorials for Dazed & Confused and Vogue China, popped up today on the September 2008 cover of Dazed & Confused alongside Anna Gushina, Kori Richardson, and Pernille Moeller. [Of the Minute]

Du Juan Brings Fire to the Olympics

fashionologie — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:12:56 PDT

>> There have been many firsts in Du Juan's career: She was the first Asian model to appear on a Vogue Paris cover and graced the first-ever cover of Vogue China. On Friday, she accomplished a big first outside the modeling world, becoming the first Chinese model to bear an Olympic torch by running one leg of the procession in Beijing. It may not hold a candle to the opening ceremony spectacle, but a big honor nonetheless.

Rodarte's Opera Costumes; China's New Fashion School

Justin Fenner — Thu, 17 May 2012 14:37:54 PDT

Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

Barneys unveiled elements of its website redesign on Thursday and will launch the new site's full features on Monday. Next week, customers will be able to "favorite" products - similar to "liking" a page on Facebook - and share their favorites through social media channels. "We are not changing the DNA of Barneys but reviving the way we communicate with customers," said Barneys' chief merchant Daniella Vitale. [Barneys]
Rodarte has partnered with the Los Angeles Philharmonic to create costumes for an upcoming production of Don Giovanni. "The costumes are the kind of thing that you want to lift the music - you don't want to compete or kill it," said Kate Mulleavy. [Styleite]
Istituto Marangoni, the Milanese fashion school where Domenico Dolce learned his craft, is planning to open an outpost in Shanghai. "We are proud to accompany the developing process of the fashion system in China," said the new school's director, Tim Borgmann. [Material World]
A California judge granted class action status to a lawsuit against L'Oreal in which plaintiffs complain the brand didn't warn consumers that its Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Anti-Frizz Serum is flammable. Almost 10 million units of the serum have been sold in the United States since February 2008. [Fashion Etc.]
Net-a-Porter has turned out to be a good investment for Richemont, the luxury conglomerate that owns Cartier, Chloé, and Alaia. The brand's sales helped boost Richemont's profits by 43 percent to $1.9 billion in 2011. [Vogue UK]
St. John is looking for a new owner. The American brand, which is known for its suits and which has counted Angelina Jolie and Kate Winslet among its spokeswomen in recent years, has been owned by Vestar Capital Partners since 1999. [WWD]

Photo: Net-a-Porter founder Natalie Massenet during London Fashion Week Fall 2012.

NowManifest's New Owner, Jean-Paul Gaultier's China Trip, and Rachel Roy's Met Gala Diary

Justin Fenner — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:35:34 PDT

Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

Fairchild Fashion Media, the company that owns WWD and Style.com, announced today that it has acquired Fashion Networks International LLC, which owns NowManifest. The site plays host to blogs written by Bryanboy, Anna Dello Russo, Elin Kling, and Derek Blasberg, among others. [Fashion Etc.]
Kristen Stewart wears both men's and women's clothing in the June issue of Elle. In one photo, she plays both a man in a tailored Balenciaga suit and a woman in a Tom Ford crocodile bustier. [Elle]
Jean Paul Gaultier took his first trip to China this week for a presentation of his Fall 2012 ready-to-wear and couture collections. The show drew a crowd of almost a thousand people. Gaultier joins Dior, Chanel, Burberry, and other European brands that have presented special shows or exhibitions in China, Taiwan, and Japan. [WWD]
Indonesia's national police have canceled Lady Gaga's June 3 concert in Jakarta after religious groups and conservative lawmakers protested against her sometimes racy choreography and stage costumes. The police said they decided to deny a permit because they couldn't guarantee security at the concert, which would have hosted the largest audience of Gaga's "Born This Way" tour in Asia. [The Cut]
Tyra Banks wrote an open letter to aspiring models in light of Vogue's new Health Initiative, encouraging women all over the world to embrace their flaws. "Vogue has the power to make and break-whether it's fashion trends, designers, models, and yes, even industry practices," Banks writes. "Their bold stance means that others will follow." [The Daily Beast]
Rachel Roy has revealed the details of how she and her date Solange Knowles got ready for the Met Gala. In between getting her makeup done and a final dress fitting, Roy squeezed in a "quick phone call to the office" and "a little negotiation on some fabric prices." [Stylelist]

Fashion's Night Out Sets Dates For 2012

Justin Fenner — Thu, 10 May 2012 15:56:00 PDT

Organizers for Fashion's Night Out have set the dates for the fourth annual edition of the global shopping party.

All 19 territories that have their own version of Vogue will observe Fashion's Night Out this year, meaning there will be events in 19 countries spanning three weeks. Below, a breakdown of which nations will join the party, and when:

Sept. 6: Great Britain, the United States, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Russia, Mexico, Australia, and Korea
Sept. 7: China, India, Germany, and Russia
Sept. 8: Taiwan and Japan
Sept. 10 and 12: Brazil
Sept. 13: Portugal, Italy, Turkey, The Netherlands, and Mexico
Sept. 18: Italy
Sept. 20 and 25: Greece

In past years, Fashion's Night Out in the US has been celebrated in more than one city at a time, and this year some other countries will follow suit. Italy, Germany, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, and Greece will all host parties in two or three style-obsessed cities - meaning there will be that many more opportunities to see fashion editors and industry folk doing things like this.

Photo: Anna Wintour and Diane von Furstenberg on Fashion's Night Out in 2011.

Vogue Paris to Launch English Version, Dior Profits Sans Creative Director, and Victoria Beckham's New Cover

fashionologie — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:04:31 PDT

>> All of today's news, here in our daily roundup.

Vogue Paris tweeted that it's getting ready to launch an English edition, meaning non-French speakers the world over will finally be able to read the magazine's stories. "France gave the US the Statue of Liberty, now we are taking Vogue.fr to the wider world... get ready for #VogueParisinEnglish," the tweet read. Whether the translation will extend across both the magazine's print and Web editions remains to be seen. [Fashion Etc.]
LVMH chief Bernard Arnault told his shareholders this week that Dior is extremely profitable - even without a creative director. "Profits more than doubled to 85 million euros, or $118.4 million, as sales in its own stores advanced 28 percent," he said. That must mean John Galliano's interim replacement Bill Gaytten is doing a good job. [The Cut]
Victoria Beckham wears some pretty major statement jewelry on the cover of Harper's Bazaar China this month. Oh, the drama. [The Fashion Spot]

Grace Coddington on Why She Once Quit While Working Under Anna Wintour

fashionologie — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:24:16 PDT

>> The skeleton details of Grace Coddington's CV are pretty well-established at this point: a long and lustrous tenure as Vogue creative director was achieved after a terrible car accident turned her modeling career into that of a stylist and fashion editor. But a profile of Coddington in The Economist's quarterly supplement More Intelligent Life - by one of Coddington's former assistants - gives us a few less-reported details.

Coddington says of her mentor, the photographer Norman Parkinson, in the '70s: “He taught me the art of travelling, which means never closing your eyes in case you miss something. We’d get up at five and drive round on recces to see what inspired us. The approach is so different now. Photographers don’t look out the window: they want to see a location book, and everything is done on computers.”

She turns 70 in April, and admits that she, too, has changed her approach: “I got really sick last time in Paris [during Fashion Week], and I was on antibiotics for two months. I push my body too hard, and do have to stop myself now from jumping on a plane. It used to be me who got sent to Russia and China while the older editors stayed behind, but I’m one of those older ones now.”

A few more things we learned:

She's lived with Didier Malige since the '80s, but she's also been married twice: The first time was in 1969 to Michael Chow, the owner of the Mr Chow restaurant chain. It lasted six months ("I was useless at being a restaurateur’s wife - much too shy to table-hop," Coddington says). And the second time was in 1976 to a "rangy, rock'n'roll" photographer, Willie Christie, who she mentored at British Vogue. They divorced in 1980 because, Coddington says, “It’s difficult to be employed by your wife.” In between the two marriages she dated Duc, a young, Paris-based Vietnamese photographer, with whom she was in love before, during, and after her first marriage.

Coddington - known for her long, red hair - was once a blonde: In 1980, after her second divorce, Coddington turned herself into "a business-suited, short-haired blonde - what she calls a 'Calvin person.'"

She once quit while working for Anna Wintour: Coddington had been at British Vogue since 1968, but after Anna Wintour joined as editor-in-chief in March 1986, Coddington resigned in December of that year: “Anna was much more into ‘sexy’ than I was.” She rejoined Wintour at Vogue two years later because she missed working at magazines (she had been working as Calvin Klein design director in the interim: "Excitement on 7th Avenue ends with the show. The next day it’s all marketing.").