fashionologie

Tom Ford Talks Makeup, Branding, and Sexuality at Vogue Festival

fashionologie — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:36:18 PDT

>> Tom Ford's talk at this weekend's Vogue Festival touched on everything from the designer's sexuality (at one point he said he's "not gay") to why he wears his own cosmetics.

Alexandra Shulman led the conversation with the designer, asking why he posed for ads with so many naked women when he's been openly gay for years. Ford explained that he doesn't believe people "have to put boxes around everything," then asked, "Have you ever slept with a woman, Alex?"

The question prompted laughter from the audience, and a giggling Shulman answered no and pointed to Ford's partner of 25 years, Richard Buckley. Read on to see how he responded and some of the best quotes from the rest of his talk.

On his sexuality: "I hate to use the words gay and straight, and I think we're all on some sort of sliding scale. Of course, I'm at the Richard Buckley end of the scale, but I hate that gay/straight thing."

On why it's important to be in his own ads: "I'm the face of the brand. With Chanel, you feel that Karl Lagerfeld's personality has really melded with Coco's - but not everyone knows yet who I am, so that's why I'm in the pictures. I don't like having my picture taken but it helps people to respond . . . My real life's not like the fantasy Tom Ford world, with naked girls pouring perfume everywhere. It's more staying in and watching Friends on television."

On staging presentations rather than runway shows: "The reason I present in a small, controlled way is that so much of what makes my clothes special is the cut, the stitching, the lining - things that would be lost on the catwalk. On the catwalk you have to exaggerate, almost."

On testing his line of cosmetics: "I put every single thing on - I don't wear it down the street, but I want to see how it covers, how it works. When you put your name on something, you want people to know you believe in it."

Heidi Klum's New Man, Vogue's First Festival, & Costello Tagliapietra's New Line

fashionologie — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 13:17:56 PDT

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

Heidi Klum has been spotted in public with Thomas Hayo, an advertising executive who's also a judge on Germany's Next Top Model, which Klum hosts. Their public displays of affection have led some to believe Hayo is Klum's first romantic entanglement since splitting up with Seal. Klum and Seal had been married for almost seven years when they separated in January. Klum filed for divorce earlier this month. [The Fashion Spot]
Speaking of Top Model, Tyra Banks let three of ANTM's long-running cast members go this week. Nigel Barker, Jay Manuel, and Miss J. Alexander will not return to the show's 19th season. They've been replaced by Kelly Cutrone, Georgina Chapman, and Cat Deeley. Rumor has it that Bryanboy might make appearances on the next season, too. [Modelinia]
Friday was day one of Vogue UK's inaugural Vogue Festival. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana led one of today's sessions, but tomorrow will include talks with Diane von Furstenberg and Tom Ford, among others. Alexandra Shulman said she created the festival because she wanted to "analyze where fashion intersects with the world we live in." [The Chicago Tribune]
Costello Tagliapietra debuted its new lower-priced line of clothing, called C&T, at Barneys earlier this week. The dresses are all priced around $300, a mere fraction of what the main collection costs. [Racked]
Miranda Kerr turned 29 years old today. Celebrate by taking a look back at her laid-back, ultracool street style. [CelebStyle]

Photo: Heidi Klum with Thomas Hayo during the finale of Germany's Next Top Model in 2011.

Gucci vs. Guess, Charlize Theron's Model Walk, and Chris Benz's Presidential Barbie

fashionologie — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:20:45 PDT

Christian Louboutin's Straratata at left; Jessica Simpson's Evangel at right.

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

As if its trademark lawsuit against Yves Saint Laurent wasn't enough to worry about, Christian Louboutin now has to deal with the possibility that Jessica Simpson may have copied his Straratata sandal. [The Huffington Post]
Speaking of copyright infringement: Guess CEO Paul Marciano defended his company against accusations that it's been knocking off Gucci. "I truly believe that if this is something Gucci was genuinely concerned with, they would have acted within days, everywhere," Marciano said in court. "Are you telling me today that suddenly you realize what's happened in 1995?" [The Daily Telegraph]
Barbie is running for president, but not without a little help from Chris Benz. The designer created the campaign wardrobe for the new I Can Be President Barbie doll – which consists of a single suit. "She actually doesn’t have a change of clothes, and she’s not allowed to take those clothes off either," Benz explained. "That’s not what she does." [Styleite]
Dior spokeswoman Charlize Theron is on the May cover of Vogue UK. In the accompanying feature story, she reveals that being a model isn't as easy as it looks. "That f***ing walk, so hard to do," she says of the forceful strut she performed in her iconic J'adore Dior commercial. [Fashion Etc.]

Ralph Rucci Cancels Fashion Week Show, Lana Del Rey Covers Vogue UK

Christina Perez — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 11:03:15 PST

These stories and more - here in our daily news roundup.

Lana Del Rey is Vogue UK's March cover girl. She was photographed by Mario Testino and wears Spring 2012 Louis Vuitton. [Fashion Foie Gras

Ralph Rucci will not show during New York Fashion Week. Instead, Rucci has opted to hold private showroom appointments. "Cost is always a factor but [that] was not the driving force behind this decision," the communication director for the label says. [Vogue UK]

A former Harper's Bazaar intern is suing Hearst for unpaid work hours. The lawsuit claims that during the intern's tenure at the magazine, she sometimes worked up to 55 hours a week performing duties that were more employee-like than intern-like - and she wants to be paid for it. [Styleite]

Gisele has sent an email to friends and family requesting prayers and positive vibes for husband Tom Brady, who will play in this Sunday's Super Bowl. "I kindly ask all of you to join me on this positive chain and pray for him, so he can feel confident, healthy and strong. Envision him happy and fulfilled experiencing with his team a victory this Sunday," the email reportedly said. [Huffington Post]

And, in fashionable animal news: Jason Wu, Doo.Ri, and Erin Fetherston all have really, really cute pets. [Glamour]

See Rumored Girlfriends Freja Beha Erichsen and Arizona Muse Together in New Editorial

fashionologie — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 11:37:14 PDT

>> Arizona Muse and Freja Beha Erichsen inspired rumors of a romantic relationship during the couture shows last month, and over the past few months, they have been captured embracing by Terry Richardson and featured together in two different Karl Lagerfeld-lensed editorials. Now, they pair up again for Mario Testino and Vogue UK's September 2011 issue in a shoot inspired by the Dutch Masters which Alexandra Shulman says "earns its place among Vogue classics." Beha Erichsen also serves as the magazine's September 2011 cover girl.

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Big Changes Atop British Vogue's Masthead

fashionologie — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 09:26:47 PDT

>> Two top editors at British Vogue have just departed the magazine within days of one another, after putting in many, many years under Alexandra Shulman. On Tuesday, creative director Robin Derrick announced via Twitter: "After 17 years I have decided to leave Vogue. Times of change and time for a change. New projects beckon....Exciting things ahead." And today, it was announced that fashion director Kate Phelan, who has been at the magazine since 1993, is leaving for a post as creative director of Topshop. [@robinderrick, @TheSTStyle, @Topshop]

Agyness Deyn Returns to Blonde and British Vogue

fashionologie — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 12:29:44 PDT

>> Agyness Deyn is back on the scene - and so is the bleach blonde crop that originally helped make her a model of the moment. After sporting a buzz cut and then a dirty blonde shag in recent months, Deyn was snapped last week with a lighter shade and more feminine cut.

Deyn is also slowly working her way back into modelling: she's in Vogue UK's May 2011 issue - her first appearance in the magazine in two years - shot by Tim Walker in the Namib Desert. But she's not giving up those film ambitions. James Franco recently shot her for a project, and though she remains coy about upcoming work, Deyn says: "I've done some short films last year, which were great, and I worked with amazing people. I've got a few projects coming up."

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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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When Hiring Sarah Burton, Alexander McQueen Asked If She Believed in UFOs

fashionologie — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 09:11:23 PST

>> Sarah Burton started working for Alexander McQueen when he was based at a "tiny studio," she tells British Vogue in its February 2011 issue: "At the interview, I remember Lee asking me, 'Do you believe in UFOs?'"

She owes her design knowledge to McQueen, she says: "Everything I know, I learned here. If you didn't know how to do something, Lee made you take on the challenge and would teach you how, or leave you to figure out how to do it yourself. He once handed over a bias-cut houndstooth dress and said, 'Now, put a zip in it,' then left for the weekend!"

But despite that, and the fact that McQueen CEO Jonathan Akeroyd, Gucci Group CEO Robert Polet, and PPR CEO Francois-Henri Pinault all implored her to take the head job at McQueen's label after he died in February, 36-year-old Burton spent weeks deliberating the decision. "For quite a long time I didn't want the job," she explained. "I thought: how would I ever even begin to begin? Lee's mind was so different to everyone else's. I knew there was no way I could pretend to be him; but I had to ask myself, what did Lee work for? For all this to close down? I thought about what I wanted. What was best for me. Like many women my age, I do want children, but I came to think that that's not a reason not to take up a challenge. In the end, I decided to just get on with it: do my best."

There will, of course, be pieces of the McQueen legacy that will remain McQueen's alone. "I could not take on the shows!" Burton laughs. "But I wanted the catwalk to be intimate, to be about the craftsmanship, the designs. People ask: what's Sarah about? But I've worked here so long, there's been a big part of me in those collections all along the way. I'm not going to wipe the slate clean. That would be wiping me away. There will always be McQueen elements, but at the same time, you can never stay still and have to stay true to yourself. That's what Lee drummed into me: you have to be able to stand behind your work."

Siri Tollerod Embodies Astrological Signs for Vogue UK December 2010; Alexandra Shulman Wants to Remain Editor Through 2016

fashionologie — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:03:13 PDT

>> Leave it to British Vogue to come up with a whimsical editorial that doesn't look like every other editorial ever. The spread, "Star Signs," shot by Tim Gutt in conjunction with stylist Kate Phelan and set designer Shona Heath, captures Siri Tollerod as each of the 12 astrological signs for the magazine's December 2010 issue.

Speaking of British Vogue, Alexandra Shulman is coming up on 20 years as editor of the magazine in 2012, and in preparation, she says she's planning to give the magazine a redesign in March to make the format less rigid. Although, she specifies: "I'm more interested in Vogue's 100th anniversary than my 20th," indicating that she plans to stick around until at least 2016.

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