fashionologie

The September Issue Premiere: All About Anna Wintour

fashionologie — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:57:50 -0700

>> Last night, Anna Wintour hosted a premiere of The September Issue (which opens Aug. 28 in NYC, Sept. 11 nationwide), and no one dared be late. Arrivals were scheduled to start at 7 pm, but Anna appeared and was joined (despite all the digs about her appearance she receives in the film) by September 2007 cover girl Sienna Miller promptly at 6:45 pm. Even Sean Combs and entourage, when realizing they were late, "sprinted across the lobby," the New York Observer reports.

Despite the general consensus that the film's true star is Grace Coddington, last night was all about Anna. Grace and Andre Leon Talley both avoided being photographed on the red carpet, and it appears that Vogue staffers were required to wear t-shirts for Fashion's Night Out (Anna's pro-shopping pet project) to the event. Grace did comment on her portrayal in the film, however:

I hate to say it, but true to life! A very annoying person. But it’s not really bickering. It’s a process you have to go through for the job we do and it just makes everything stronger. Whatever gets through is then very valid and very strong. I think they focused on me in the movie because I’m a bit more outspoken and because I don’t care about the cameras, I’ll say whatever I want to say and I won’t hold back.

Bee Shaffer, who attended in Proenza Schouler and reminded her mother to put on her sunglasses while on the red carpet (which Anna duly did), thought her own scene in the film was "so embarassing":

It’s funny because that was two years ago and I wanted to go to law school then and that’s basically all I’m talking about and now I don’t want to go to law school at all so . . . [I] still don’t want to work in fashion, that was never a possibility. Now I’d like to work in theater.

Marc Jacobs, who was apparently speaking with a French accent, had his own Anna tribute to share. "She’s a risk-taker unafraid of taking chances. She doesn’t suck up,” he said. “And she’s been very good to me on a personal level as well. When I was having some personal problems, Anna was always there for me. She’s very maternal and caring to people she cares about."

fashionologie — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:40:56 -0700

>> The Kate Moss Effect: She's Still Got It for Cruise 2010 -The gold lame Stephen Jones turban and matching Marc Jacobs dress Kate Moss wore to the Costume Institute Gala in early May is still resonating with designers for resort: Marc Jacobs decided to use the dress in his collection; Roksanda Illincic, Alexander Wang, and Michael Kors threaded gold lame through their collections; and Yigal Azrouel used turbans to top off his looks. [Style File]

fashionologie — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:17:21 -0700

>> INSIDER WIRE -Rumors that circulated a couple of months ago about the nature of Yigal Azrouel and Katie Lee Joel's relationship are not going away now that Katie Lee and her husband Billy Joel have announced their spilt. The latest on Yigal and Katie Lee, who often wears Azrouel's designs, is that the designer called Joel his girlfriend, but Billy Joel's spokesman says the split is "absolutely unrelated to Yigal." [NYDN]

The Emperor Valentino Reigns at New York Premiere

fashionologie — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:00:14 -0700

>> Last night, Valentino Garavani and Giancarlo Giammetti were in New York to fete the opening of Valentino: The Last Emperor - arguably their biggest Manhattan party ever, between the screening and the dinner for 200 of fashion's finest (including Anna Wintour, Anja Rubik, Jason Wu, and Chanel Iman) at the Plaza's Oak Room. The designer's six pugs Molly, Milton, Monty, Margot, Maude, and Maggie, who director Matt Tyrnauer has dubbed "the costars of the film," weren't present - according to Valentino, "they're getting some time away from me in Italy" - but maybe that's a good thing: Karolina Kurkova admitted, “they’re really not nice to everybody” and Gwyneth Paltrow agreed, calling the pugs "kind of mean."

When Giancarlo Giammetti was asked about his comment on film that the designer looked too tan, he was quick to explain, "We'd come from the beach, and we were about to show summer suits, and he just . . . it just seemed like too much. But it was one time, and one time only." And as for those rumors that he was back to helping out at Valentino for Fall 2009, Garavani denied having any hand in it, "No, not at all. Very far from the truth. I don’t think about it. I wish my assistants to do the best. It’s a big job, though, and to know my name goes on the designs, I want them to do the best.”

Meanwhile, the film seems to have already inspired at least one person - Zac Posen. "I wouldn't mind being followed around too for two years. It's all about having the right collaborators."
*image: source, source, filmmagic

fashionologie — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:55:37 -0800

>> INSIDER WIRE -The appearance of scorned call girl Ashley Dupre front row at Yigal Azrouel caused confusion this morning; apparently it wasn't just us - the designer "didn't know she was there" and was "shocked" to find out: "I'm not somebody who's following and focusing on celebrity. I'm concentrating on making beautiful clothing." Supposedly, Kelly Cutrone of People's Revolution, who handled Yigal's front-of-house, invited Dupre to another show, but she showed up to Yigal's instead; Yigal was "not really happy about it" and has decided to fire People's Revolution "for mismanagement." [The Cut, WWD]
*image: source

Yigal Azrouel Rocks It Out for Fall 2009

fashionologie — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 12:03:29 -0800

>> We've been tracking a number of designers fleeing the Bryant Park Tents, but this morning, Yigal Azrouel brought his audience into the tents for the first time - thanks in part into backing by primo tent sponsor Mercedes-Benz. While Andre Leon Talley sat front row wearing a red beanie decorated with rhinestones spelling "Obama" - mild compared to the midriff-bearing getup he wore yesterday - Azrouel sent out a collection with a bit of a harder edge than he's tried in the past: metal pinstuds decorated a handbag, leather jacket, and pumps; stovepipe leather pants and tights pushed into skintight leather over-the-knee boots; exposed zippers traipsed down the backbone of skirts and dresses.

Kate Young, who styles the show, may be responsible for some of the rocker feel; it is her taste. Pamela Love - known for her skull and claw-casted jewelry - contributed claw earrings, leather and beaded cuffs, and cage rings. As for the standout pieces: a heavily beaded, feathered black bolero, a pencil skirt of leather paillettes, and the cozy looking boiled wool blanket coats.
*image: source

fashionologie — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 14:58:54 -0800

>> INSIDER WIRE -Narciso Rodriguez is joining the likes of J.Mendel, Yigal Azrouel, and Tommy Hilfiger in returning to the tents. For the past six seasons, he has chosen to show elsewhere, but for Fall 2009, Bryant Park is his venue. Perhaps he's aiming on having First Lady Michelle Obama, who's a fan of his work, as a guest, and wants the security the tents provide? They've had experience hosting former First Lady Laura Bush, plus Secret Service, last February, after all. [WWD]
*image: source

"When I was a kid I was sick skinny . . . like a chopstick or something"

fashionologie — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 17:30:50 -0700

»Eniko Mihalik, former "chopstick" [TI]

»Yigal Azrouel designed condoms [The Cut]

»Ownership of Jil Sander has changed hands [WSJ]

»Kai Kuhne is being backed by the venture capitalist who co-founded Proenza Schouler [Style File]

»Iris Strubegger loves Bette Midler songs [Supreme Being]

»Style.com is launching e-commerce [Racked]

»Chris Benz is staging his first runway show, inspired by pre-American Revolution period dress [Style File]

»Cushnie et Ochs, the "new Proenza Schouler," guest bloggers [Word Up!]

Kelly Cutrone Can, and Will, Eat You For Breakfast

fashionologie — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 14:51:42 -0700

>> Since we're going to be seeing a lot more of Kelly Cutrone — thanks, The Hills! — The New York Observer graciously served us up a little backstory on the People's Revolution founder and tooth-gnashing power publicist.

First, the mini-bio — it's quite a whirlwind. She lives with her 6-year-old daughter, Ava, an Argentinian male model named Demian (who she's not dating), and a 7-year-old girl who is the the granddaughter of a former boyfriend. She was married to her first husband, pop artist and Warhol affiliate Ronnie Cutrone, briefly in her early twenties (she's 42 now), and then seven or so years ago met Ava's father, an Italian in Paris, only shortly after leaving her second husband, an actor. She promptly left Ava's father three months into her pregnancy, and has been dating music producer Jimmy Boyle for some years now.

She left her first PR firm, Cutrone & Weinberg, in her late twenties because she wasn't happy and decided to become a tarot card reader on Venice Beach for a year and a half. As for where she is today, People's Revolution reps 46 clients, including Longchamp, Yigal Azrouel, Vivienne Westwood, and Sass & Bide. Kelly's happy with where the company is at, and curates her clients based on those she thinks deserve "a voice."

I wouldn’t want 80 percent of [powerhouse fashion firm and rival] KCD’s roster. I would never rep Versace, I can’t stand her, I think she makes disgusting clothes. Calvin [Klein] is like, snore! Who wears Calvin Klein? I’m not dissing him. I think he’s built an amazing, respectable business, but I would never want to work for Calvin Klein, ever.

Oh, and good thing Lauren Conrad and Whitney Port aren't Kelly's assistants — althought it might make for better drama — she works until 1 or 2 am during fashion week, midnight many other months, and doesn’t allow her two assistants to leave before she does.

*image: source

Are Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, Boyf Setting Up to Do the Magazine Thing?

fashionologie — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:11:19 -0700

»Julia Restoin-Roitfeld is rumored to be working on an indie magazine called The Last with boyfriend Magnus Berger and stylist Keegan Singh [Fashionista]

»Sofia Coppola has been hired to do a TV spot starring Maryna Linchuk for the Miss Dior Cherie fragrance, which will air in September [WWD]

»An inner tube was created for Sarah Jessica Parker's Vivenne Westwood wedding dress in Sex and the City, so that it wouldn't drag on the ground [FWD]

»Ann Demeulemeester uses primarily black and white because "Black to me is the colour of the poets, but I need white too, like a black and white photo." [Dazed & Confused]

»Alexander Wang for Uniqlo debuted today [The Cut]

»I still haven't warmed to Tyra Banks, even after reading the entire New York Times Magazine profile on her [Jezebel]

»Just like Alber Elbaz is doing Lanvin denim with Acne, Sophia Kokosalaki has announced she is doing an eight-piece capsule collection of black denim for her main line [FWD]

»Peeks at Alexander Wang, Versace, Roberto Cavalli, Yigal Azrouel, and Anna Sui Resort 2009 collections [WWD, WWD, WWD, WWD, WWD]