fashionologie

Style.com Moved from Conde Nast Digital to Under Fairchild's Wing

fashionologie — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 10:14:46 PDT

>> Condé Nast Digital isn't going to have Style.com and Vogue.com as friendly competitors, as was envisioned in August, after all. Style.com and its staff of about 15 are moving from under Condé Nast Digital to Fairchild Fashion Group, the publisher of WWD. Gina Sanders, president and CEO of Fairchild, said she proposed the move a few months ago, because with Style.com, Fairchild will be able to “speak to both business executives and consumers obsessed with fashion." Style.com's editorial team, including editor Dirk Standen, will now report to Fairchild editorial director Peter Kaplan. [WWD, WSJ]

RIP, DNR

fashionologie — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 16:34:55 PST

>> Men's fashion doesn't seem to be the forte over at Conde Nast. Less than a month ago, Men's Vogue was folded into Vogue, and now the same thing is happening with DNR, Women's Wear Daily's brother menswear publication.

After DNR ceases publication Nov. 24, WWD will absorb all men's coverage, both online and in print. Come December, a WWDMen's channel will be added to WWD.com, and every Thursday starting in January, WWD will publish in-depth WWDMen's reports.

How times have changed - DNR has been around since 1892 and ironically, WWD was originally a small feature within before it was spun off into its own publication in 1910.

fashionologie — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:53:50 PDT

>> INSIDER WIRE —In honor of the all-new WWD.com, Women's Wear Daily is offering free access to its normally subscription-only website for one week, ending August 11. Enjoy the honeymoon, and don't forget to download the paper in PDF form under the "Today's Paper" link — it's much easier to navigate than the new site! [WWD]

WWD.com: Going Boom or Bust on August 4

fashionologie — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:04:49 PDT

>> Come August 4, Women's Wear Daily is catching up to Internet speed. Instead of posting all the day's articles once nightly on newspaper schedule as they do now — with only breaking stories posted off-schedule — WWD.com will become a more dynamic, 24/7 "up-to-the-minute" information source.

The site is getting a total revamp, with a more interactive interface, slideshow and video features, and what looks to be a new, and hopefully improved, search function. There will even be a blog! Women's Wear Daily — they're just like us.

La Garconne Designing Private Label

fashionologie — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 13:41:25 PDT

>> Opening Ceremony has its own label, and now La Garconne - the online-only specialty retailer with the strong cult following for its tomboyish essentials - is getting on the train. The e-tailer's founder, Kris Kim, has designed a ready-to-wear line in the past, and says now: "We're designing a private label. We haven't talked about it yet, but it will be a small women's ready to wear collection with the same point of view as the store. The price points are up in the air." [Daily Front Row]

In a Time of Media Hounds, Dasha Zhukova Goes Out of Her Way to Avoid Press

fashionologie — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:58:36 PDT

>> Head not brimming with quotes and opinions from Pop editor Dasha Zhukova? The New Yorker's Sept. 27 issue profiles woman-of-few-words Zhukova and explores her relationship with Russian oil billionaire Roman Abramovich, which blossomed while Abramovich was still married to his second wife with whom he had five children (although at the time, Abramovich's spokesman called Zhukova nothing more than "a family friend").

Since, The New Yorker's Julia Ioffe writes, "The pair" - who have a 9-month-old son together - "has kept a low profile. Abramovich, notoriously press-shy, has found a good partner in Zhukova. She will not discuss how they met, or even if they are married. In public, the couple barely interact, floating past each other without words or eye contact. Her press corps rivals his in obstructiveness and obfuscation. She gives few interviews, and when she does, her answers are studies in evasion. When I asked her about her recent art acquisitions - since becoming involved with Zhukova, Abramovich is said to have spent record amounts on paintings by Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon - her airy Southern California drawl turned to lead. 'I don't really talk about the collecting,' she said, and then, as if by way of explanation, added, 'it's something that's quite personal and doesn't involve just me.'"

Ioffe continues: "It's tempting to suppose that such vagueness betrays a neophyte's lack of confidence, and a wariness about being portrayed as a rich dilettante. But Zhukova's almost virtuosic uncommunicativeness seems to apply to all areas of her life, and her infinite unquotability has earned her a kind of fame among journalists. At a fashion show, a reporter for Women's Wear Daily asked her what she thought of the clothes. Zhukova responded, 'I liked them, but that's off the record.'"

While at a June art opening Zhukova was hosting at her Garage Center for Contemporary Culture in Moscow, Ioffe notes: "Periodically, she collapsed on the gray couches, looking like a sullen child, and searched her purse for a pack of cigarettes. (Abramovich disapproves of the habit, and Zhukova denies that she smokes.) She was tired of having a reporter follow her around all day. 'Do you always have to have that tape recorder out?' she asked. She developed a makeshift way of going off the record, covering her mouth and whispering to her friends." And: "At one point in the evening, I came across Abramovich as he wandered into the room with the MOMA exhibit. He walked slowly around, chewing on gum and staring blankly at the works. When I approached him and mentioned that I was writing about Zhukova, she leaped up from a nearby sofa and sprinted over on six-inch Louboutin heels. 'Can I talk to you for a minute?' she said to Abramovich, in Russian, and, grabbing him by the arm, led him quickly across the room and out the door."

"Ultimately," Ioffe concludes, "Perhaps Zhukova doesn't speak much because she understands that her money and connections speak for themselves."

Prabal Gurung Talks Collaborating With Zoe Saldana, Avoiding Marc Jacobs, and the Red Carpet Race

Chi Diem Chau — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 09:36:19 PDT

>> Prabal Gurung went dressed as Marc Jacobs - complete with tattoos, stubble, kilt, and combat boots - to The Standard's Halloween party this past weekend, but as Gurung told us yesterday in San Francisco where he was holding a trunk show at Neiman Marcus’s Union Square location, he avoided Jacobs seeing his costume: "So I was [at The Standard], and I met some of [Jacobs's] friends, and they said, 'Come meet Marc!' As I was taking my steps toward him, I thought, what if he hates it? I’ll be mortified, so I just said, 'No way.'" Gurung continued: "I was so petrified. I saw him the next day at the Women’s Wear Daily event, and I just tried to avoid him! I just didn’t know how he would react to it . . . I hope he liked it!"

So we had to ask: Zoe Saldana has mentioned that she would love to do a collaboration with you . . .

I can’t talk about it right now. I mean, I would love to. Zoe is one of my dearest friends; I’ve known her for almost eight years now, before Avatar or anything happened, and we’ve always talked about doing something. The collaboration we would do is going to be a collaboration that benefits something. Whatever little attention I’m getting, and whatever crazy attention she’s getting, when we combine forces, it has to be not just for economics; it has to be for something better - that’s our goal. She’s shooting right now, and I’m travelling, so we talk a lot. We’re supposed to talk on the phone today, so we’ll see. We’ll keep you posted.

So you guys are definitely talking about it?

Yeah, we are talking about it, but it’s not something like “Oh, we want to do shoes.” It’s more like, "How can we do something that seems authentic?” Because there are so many collaborations out there, and I think the customers are just inundated with that. What is it that is going to be true to me, true to her, true to you guys? Why would you want to buy it? It need to be honest, I feel. Right now, I would give you a direction of where it’s going, but there is nothing yet . . . we just don’t know yet.

Speaking of collaborations, you worked with Nicholas Kirkwood on shoes this past season. Do you plan to continue that or would you do your own accessories anytime soon?

Right now, we're going ahead with Nicholas for the next season also. [Spring 2011] was the first time we did it, and it’s been received so crazily, so amazingly well . . . so we both are very happy. Down the line, definitely - it won’t be like next season that I’m launching my own shoe collection - but definitely in the near future, I will be launching shoes and handbags.

Nice! Do you already have any sketches in the making?

If you knew a little bit about me, all this stuff, with Fall 2009 as my collection's launch . . . About 15 years ago, I had written in my diary - and I’m not kidding - that I wanted to do something then. So I’m a little bit of a planner - not like an OCD planner - but I just like to write down thoughts and ideas. I’m also very open to the idea that I might change them, but I always like to plan stuff.

While we're on the topic, are you interested in any other type of collaboration?

You know, with collaborations and everything, the goal is this: I’m not interested in just being a flash in the pan. I’m interested in the longevity of my career. For me, I’m at point A; I have to go to point Z. It’s a long process, but I’m extremely patient. I want to build a lifestyle brand that has longevity. In 20 years, when I look back, maybe in 20 years we can sit down and talk about it again. I’m not interested in trends, or being cool, or anything. It’s more about timeless but relevant clothes that have a place on the runway, in editorial magazines, as well as in someone’s wardrobe. I’m making clothes for women to wear, not costumes.

Awards season is just a couple of months away, are you looking into entering the red carpet race?

This is what I say: I never get into the red carpet race. We make ourselves available, and if an actress or stylist feels it is the right partnership, I’m always open to it, always. It is important for branding purposes to get your name out there, but what I don’t believe in is the cutthroat kind of thing. If it’s going to happen, it’ll happen. You just have to make yourself available, and that’s what it is.

Who are some of the actresses that come to you a lot?

I met Demi Moore through Rachel Zoe, and she has been the biggest supporter of mine. I always say she’s my fairy godmother, and then there's Zoe Saldana, Carey Mulligan, and Leighton Meester. We've always dressed Thandie Newton, who I love. All the women that I’ve dressed are very intelligent, smart women, beautiful - no doubt about it. But when you sit down and talk to them, they’re not giddy . . . they’ll talk sense to you. That’s what I enjoy about dressing them.

Is there anyone that you haven’t dressed that you would love to dress one day?

There are a few. I love Cate Blanchett, Tilda Swinton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Natalie Portman, Rebecca Hall, and Julianne Moore. The girls I’ve named have some kind of substance to them - they’re unique, they love fashion, but they’re also extremely talented and very good at their craft. Without fashion, they could still survive. I would also love to dress some politicians, and their wives.

Well you’ve already dressed a good one - Michelle Obama!

Yes, she’s been the biggest champion. She is truly a godsend.

Rodarte's Laura and Kate Mulleavy Spent a Year Watching Four Horror Movies a Day

fashionologie — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 12:35:38 PDT

>> Laura and Kate Mulleavy produce about 100 special-order Rodarte dresses a year and spent weeks perfecting the dyeing technique for their early "blood" dresses, ensuring that the red wouldn't leach into the white, but as for their own clothes, they don't aim to personify their brand: When they talked to the Times UK, Laura was wearing a striped shirt she though could be Russian, but it, like all her others, came from a flea market.

The designers have a well-documented film fetish, and spent a year watching horror movies, sometimes four a day, from the Japanese films that inspired their Fall 2008 collection to Hitchcock's oeuvre, fast-forwarding when it got boring. “Everyone in fashion loves Tippi Hedren wearing that green suit in The Birds," says Kate. “But we love the suit after she has been pecked.”

Their entry in fashion was fortuitous »

Donna Karan on the Current Fashion System: "We're Killing Our Own Industry"

fashionologie — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:10:39 PST

>> Last night, in honor of two new graduate degrees at Parsons which she helped initiate, Donna Karan sat down with FIT's Valerie Steele for a little chat before a sold-out audience in the school's auditorium. Karan, who has also been a major proponent of updating the fashion schedule, explained how she proposes the changes be made:

It's very simple, we just stop. It is not nuclear science, it's really simple. We deliver Fall clothes in August like back-to-school, we change the calendar, we go to stores and say, 'Okay, no more getting Fall clothes in July or June so they're on sale in September when the weather hasn't changed. We have to go into a system where we're talking in-season. It's the way we eat, it's the way we dress, it's the way we think. We've conditioned the consumer to buy on sale - I don't want to buy it full price because I can buy it on sale . . . We've turned our business into the white sale business.

"We have to learn restriction »

Kelly Cutrone Doesn't Have Patience for Fashion Show Crashers

fashionologie — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 13:58:00 PST

>> While gearing up for the premiere of her reality show Kell on Earth on Bravo Feb. 1, Kelly Cutrone conducted a conference call for press today. One journalist asked Cutrone, who runs full-service PR agency People's Revolution and twice a year finds herself making sure her clients' runway shows are running smoothly, how she deals with Fashion Week crashers and seat-changers:

I mean . . . You'll see on the show I do not have a lot of patience for crashers. It happens a lot at Bryant Park. It makes me crazy when they clog up the line. Those front row seats end up costing like 300 to 500 dollars. Those are the money seats. All of a sudden I've got [New York Times critic] Guy Trebay standing there, who is really lovely - but he'll just split. I don't want to be the person standing backstage getting fired because Women's Wear Daily or the New York Times reviewer just left because they couldn't find a seat. I also do my new favorite thing, the walk-away. When people are just trying to convince me and I just walk away. Also the slide . . . where you just don't say anything. And just slide away.