fashionologie

Anna Wintour Makes It Back for A Night of Stars

fashionologie — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 14:07:15 PDT

>> After missing out on the Chanel Mobile Art opening and the Versace-hosted Whitney gala earlier this week, Anna Wintour was back in fine form - with Karl Lagerfeld at her side and Chanel on her person - at the Fashion Group International's Night of Stars last night. It was a night of family - Donatella Versace picked up the Superstar Award as Allegra Beck Versace looked on, Franca Sozzani was honored with her son Francesco Carrozzini in attendance - and friends - honorees Christopher Bailey and Francisco Costa brought Kate Bosworth and Ashley Olsen, respectively. Host Simon Doonan kept it light, at one point joking that Carla Sozzani had to make it back to the Marriott Marquis in time for a speed-dating session.
*image: source, source

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Fashion Group International 25th Annual Night Of Stars

coutorture — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 09:34:30 PDT

Last night Fashion Group International called out great names from the fashion, architecture, beauty, and entertainment world--these individuals were celebrated for their contributions to our culture and called, 'The Alchemists' for their abilities in their chosen field. Among those individuals celebrated were, Francisco Costa, Christopher Bailey, Carla Sozzani, Franca Sozzani, and Christian Louboutin for fashion, Bobbi Brown for beauty, Phillipe Stark for architecture, Natalie Massenet from Net-a-Porter for corporate leadership, Harvey Weinstein for entertainment, Bill Mccomb from Liz Claiborne Foundation for humanitarianism, Harold Koda from the Fashion Institute for the Oracle Award, and John Paul de Joria from Paul Mitchell for sustainability. Check out our gallery below for pictures from the event. (Plus, look how happy Karl and Anna are together).

LookOnline Shoutout: Over "It"

coutorture — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 09:58:51 PDT

Being bored to death with fashion is almost as trendy as being obsessed with fashion. Or at least that is the impression we get from LookOnline's Marilyn Kirschner's report on Fashion Group Internationale's Fall/Winter 2008 Audio Visual Trend Overview.. FGI’s Fashion Director Marylou Luther narrated the presentation and afterwards the "best eyes in the business" weighed in on the report including Linda Fargo, Senior Vice President, Bergdorf Goodman; Michael Fink, Vice President – Women’s Fashion Apparel, Saks Fifth Avenue; Ana Maria Pimentel, Senior Accessories Director, Harper’s Bazaar; and Jane Larkworthy, Beauty Director, W. The Special Guest Moderator was Hal Rubenstein, Fashion Director, InStyle.
The general consensus formed around the frustration with the fall season. Not only were the looks lacking in cohesion or direction but the focus on "it" procuts from bags to shoes had everyone sighing. Hal Rubinstein asked “What are we watching?” “What are we looking at? “What are we selling”?
Thankfully Marilyn helped us focus in on what might work best for fall , she tells us that you can start stocking up on black and purple garments, prints (particularly winter florals), coats (a category which is now very much focused on statement pieces), jackets (structured, cutaway, swallowtail, peplumed, boyfriend) pants (wider in New York, narrower in Europe), blouses (often bow tied at the neckline and worn with a skirt or tailored pants): skirts (there is literally a “hemline for every age”): knits (particularly the knitted coat); evening (cocktail lengths outnumber full-blown gowns); embellishment (everything from safety pins and staples, to sequins, holograms, feathers); fur (from savage to super-chic); accessories (the “fundamental ornamental for fall is the necklace”); shoulder bags (slung diagonally across the body).

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]

Storied House Jean-Louis Scherrer Could Be Producing Womenswear Again Soon

fashionologie — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 13:21:27 PDT

>> Jean-Louis Scherrer exited the fashion business in 2007 with the departure of both its ready-to-wear designer Bouchra Jarrar (who was only in the role five months) and its longtime couturier, Stephane Rolland, who left to found his own couture house. But it may be on its way back - in a different form.

Scherrer was just acquired by the French family-owned group JSB International, which currently has no intention to reinvigorate the house's ready-to-wear and couture lines, but it does aim to develop the brand's licenses, including eyewear and footwear. There are also plans to add a womenswear license by the end of the year.

Vena Cava Get Together With Uniqlo For Collaboration

Chi Diem Chau — Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:49:37 PST

>> Vena Cava's Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock - whose past collaborators include Via Spiga, Gap, and Bloomingdale's - have a new partner. “We’re about to do [a collaboration] with Uniqlo,” Buhai announced at a Fashion Group International-hosted panel discussion on entrepreneurship yesterday. “Lisa and I were at a point where we felt like we were getting stagnant,” Buhai elaborated. “Fashion is cyclical, but when you add in different projects, you feel like you’re learning again.”

“It’s an opportunity for us to articulate our brand in a way that’s more mass,” Mayock added. “We just want to make sure whatever we do has our stamp on it,” Buhai concluded, giving no further detail.

Rumors of Theory's Andrew Rosen Investing in Proenza Schouler Still Persisting

fashionologie — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 10:23:53 PDT

>> Andrew Rosen, who has invested in Rag & Bone and Alice & Olivia and hired Olivier Theyskens at Theory, was rumored to be circulating an investment in Proenza Schouler back in March. Not much has been heard about it since, but last night at Fashion Group International’s annual Night of Stars awards gala, Eric Wilson reports: "There was a little intrigue in the audience. Among the guests at the Proenza Schouler table, where [Jack] McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez sat with Anna Wintour between them, was Andrew Rosen, the Theory executive, who has reportedly expressed interest in taking a stake in the company." [On the Runway]

Nicolas Ghesquire Apparently Loves Utah

fashionologie — Fri, 29 Oct 2010 14:11:11 PDT

>> Nicolas Ghesquiere was in New York last night - he was given the Superstar award at Fashion Group International's Night of Stars gala - and while he was pleased to be one of the youngest ever to receive the honor, he joked, “I might be the youngest, but I'm coming from the oldest house. And I don’t feel like a superstar at all. It’s like a fantasy book title!” Ghesquiere also shared: “I just took a Western road trip. I went to San Francisco, Utah, and Arizona just taking pictures and discovering the beauty of all the landscapes. I was in awe of Utah.” Next season's inspiration, perhaps? [DFR]

Si Newhouse on Ousting Anna Wintour From Vogue - "Never. I Hope She's Here 10 Years From Now"

fashionologie — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 11:27:14 PDT

>> Mario Testino photographed Anna Wintour for the April 2011 cover of WSJ. - likely at her request (he often shoots Vogue's covers). Because if there's one thing about Wintour, it's that she does things on her own terms.

Si Newhouse (chairman of Advance Publications, which owns Vogue) attests with an anecdote about a Fashion's Night Out meeting Wintour held in Paris, which had 30 international Vogue editors and publishers in attendance: "It was the first time anybody had gotten them all together. She didn't need my authority to do it - she has a remarkable ability to impose her will. If I had had reservations, she probably would have gone ahead anyway."

Marc Jacobs, too, confirms: "If I get a request for something I don't want to do, first I get an email, then a phone call from someone at Vogue, and now I don't even bother to say no - I know the next call is from her." And New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, who Wintour has worked with on a number of initiatives - including Fashion's Night Out - says: "Behind all Anna's grace and poise is some pretty tough resolve. She's not a person you want to say no to."

Even the Costume Institute has bowed to Wintour's requests (she has raised a grand total of $75 million for the organization, after all). For last year's gala, she had a 30-foot hot-air balloon trucked in from South Dakota to float above the museum's Engelhard Court. "When we first saw it, we go, 'Never! We can't have gas in the museum!' " says Met president Emily Rafferty. "Anna's changed our attitude - she's brought us to new levels of thinking of what we can do, but without ever losing sight that we're working in a museum context here."

Needless to say, Wintour's reach extends much further than fashion. Harvey Weinstein, who has known Wintour for 15 years (and more recently married Marchesa's Georgina Chapman), notes: "I'm a streak player, but Anna's there, good or bad. When I wasn't doing so well, Anna would throw a party and put me next to Bernard Arnault." Although he declined to be specific, Weinstein said that he had several business deals come out of that party. And Baz Luhrmann, who just recently cast Wintour favorite Carey Mulligan to star in his upcoming film adaptation of The Great Gatsby, says: "I always talk to Anna about what I'm up to, and I always listen to what she has to say."

Within fashion, too, Wintour is more than just an editor. As Francois-Henri Pinault, head of PPR, says: "She tackles things that are really much bigger than what any other editors take on." Because of Wintour, Pinault is currently discussing how to financially support young designers with the French government. But Wintour never straight-out asks him to do something: "She's much more subtle than that."

She's also something of a matchmaker - whether it's designer to brand (in the case of placing John Galliano at Christian Dior back in 1996; Bernard Arnault - chairman of LVMH, which owns Dior - says of Wintour: "She pointed us towards unexpected choices. I speak very openly to her, and this was quite audacious - it was not about picking the big names of the moment. It took her to see that there was a stylistic closeness between John and Dior. She was the discoverer.") or brand to financier (in the case of Bottega Veneta and Gucci Group or Michael Kors and Sportswear Holdings). "She does this very discreetly, but she's really a kind of consigliere to the entire fashion and retail industry," one former colleague who worked closely with Wintour says. Another former colleague, who attended several corporate matchmaking meetings with Wintour, adds: "I came to realize that she's really the McKinsey of fashion." As for Wintour's word on the matter? "We can suggest," she says, "but in the end, everybody makes up their own minds."

It sounds like Wintour isn't going anywhere anytime soon. Vogue is Conde Nast's most profitable publication, Si Newhouse confirms, adding that he has no successor in mind: "Never. I hope she's here 10 years from now, 20 years from now." Wintour, for her part, says: "With all the new media outlets out there, with all the noise, a voice of authority and calm like Vogue becomes more important than ever. The more eyes on fashion, the more opinions about fashion, the more exploration of fashion around the world, the better it is for Vogue. Vogue is like Nike or Coca-Cola - this huge global brand. I want to enhance it, I want to protect it, and I want it to be part of the conversation."

A few more quotables from the WSJ. profile:

Marc Jacobs on Wintour's cold reputation: "She gets such a bad rap. She stands by the people she believes in, and if you're not one of those people, perhaps you take a different view."

Wintour's take on her reputation: "I care deeply about my friends and my family and they know it, but work is work."

Wintour on cover choice regrets: "I'm not terribly proud of putting the Spice Girls on the cover."

Wintour on the John Galliano scandal: "This is all so tragic."

Wintour on being criticized for using the same people in Vogue: "I try to remain open to new people, but obviously there's a stronger element of trust with people you've known for a long time. I think we have a Vogue vocabulary, and there are certain people we like to have as the backbone of the magazine - Vogue's signposts. We try very hard to integrate the familiar signatures with people we feel are new and up-and-coming, but I would rather err on the side of being a little more familiar than being too . . . What's the right word? . . . Edgy."

WSJ. on Wintour's morning habits: "When I met Wintour in her big, artfully tidy office at Vogue, she had been up since 5 am - her normal waking hour. On most days she goes off to play tennis at 6, but lately she's been nursing a sore elbow and can't play. Which didn't mean no tennis."

The Last Two POP Covers for Dasha Zhukova's First Issue, Plus More Inside Details

fashionologie — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 13:17:07 PDT

>> The first issue of POP under Dasha Zhukova's guiding hand hits newsstands tomorrow at $8, with two international newsstand covers, each with a 50/50 split run, of Style Rookie's Tavi, plus a 500-copy limited-edition hardback cover by Ed Ruscha (below, left), and a limited subscriber's cover of Cicciolina for the Baltic States (below, right).

“The new Pop launches at an exciting turning point in fashion, where the possibilities and potential for creativity are almost overwhelming,” Zhukova told WWD. “The new era is more fluid than ever before; one where teenage girls in Chicago, fashion editors in Paris, street photographers from Berlin and bloggers everywhere . . . redefine the fashion landscape.”

Fake Karl, Jen Brill, and Mark Borthwick are all involved »