Archive for October 2010

Fashionista contributor Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–“I was really intrigued by this period of Japanese history called Sakoku. It was during the two centuries in the Edo period when the shogun closed the country to outsiders. This isolation enhances the notion of abstraction. The collection was not inspired or based on Japanese clothing, rather I was fascinated by the idea of abstract isolationism. These are silhouettes I have worked on for a long time,” designer Hussein Chalayan said after showing the 12 minutes film he made for his spring collection, titled “Sakoku.”

Mr. Chalayan has directed several films over the last decade, even a conceptual film with little clothes for Tribe Art Commission in late 2003 that was sponsored by the Honda Formula Racing team. That film featured an old female racer going through London and Istanbul in an aerodynamic pod.

Screened against the white walls of a small art gallery tucked away in the 3rd arrondissement, the color film was shot against a black background. A single spotlight shone on model Juju, who wore the 37 looks in various poses: walking, standing, coming in and out of frames. At one point, three ninjas played with the silk pieces attached to her floral bustier dress.

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PARIS–Look at the cult around Vogue or Purple: Magazines today are institutions, with their own admirers and followers. No wonder they’re also becoming the life and soul of Parisian nightlife. Increasingly, brands are pairing up with hip publications to ensure a successful event.

One day before the end of Paris Fashion Week, we put on our blue suede shoes and went out, wined and dined by various magazines.

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The Kardashians call LA home, they’ve “taken” Miami, and now Kim and Kourtney have settled in NYC, where they will open the newest location of their boutique, Dash, on 119 Spring St. (and film a reality show about it, naturally). Maybe the NYC branch will even sell Scott Disick’s forthcoming Ralph Lauren/Tom Ford-inspired line. We’re crossing our fingers that they at least carry over the $10 bottled water with the Kardashian sisters on the label that they sold at the Miami boutique.

119 Spring is a pretty plum piece of SoHo retail real estate. Dash will be on the same block as John Varvatos and a soon to be opened Etro store. Chanel, Burberry, Longchamp and Diesel are on the next block over. The Yelp reviews for the Miami boutique weren’t so hot. Highlights include: “Talk about trashy and cheesy…their clothes made Walmart look like Gucci and Louis Vuitton,” “I was SHOCKED at how lame this store was!!” and “all around the place is a HOT MESS.” So we decided to ask the Kardashians soon-to-be neighbors if they had any advice for the sisters. Unsurprisingly, Burberry and Chanel declined to comment. Longchamp only muttered something about Duke’s being a good place to grab lunch.

Here’s what everyone else had to say:

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Trendspotting

Trendspotting: Color Theory

Wednesday, Oct 6, 2010 / 4:37 PM

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Name: Ramon

Occupation: Owner of Strip: Ministry of Waxing

What is your current favorite song? It’s not current, but “La Vie En Rose.” I rock to it on the subway all the time.

What are the most prominent colors in your wardrobe?
Primary colors. Red, blue, anything primary that catches my eye.

How would you describe your style? Monaco tax refugee meets Filipino Preppy

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Most of what we see in fashion, as whole, can be very serious. It’s full of unsmiling models, people wearing black, harsh editors and moody vibes. We understand and appreciate the serious side of fashion. However, as you may have noticed, we have a soft spot for cuteness. Most recently, Brad Koenig’s kid at Chanel warmed our hearts and inspired us to recall our favorite cute moments over the years.

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We at Fashionista don’t hide our love of Urban Outfitters’ designer collaborations and this one by Grey Ant has always been one of our favorites. The pieces are always flattering and easy to wear with interesting details that are rare for such a low price point.

Spring ’11 is full of great body-con skirts and dresses, super cute fairisle-meets-tribal prints, sheer white cotton shirts, and simple cropped pants. It’s sporty yet feminine and full of soft cottons and linens, which we’re crazy about for next spring. Seriously, is it March yet?

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Yes, it’s that time of year again. You can now officially start your holiday shopping. The somewhat anachronistic yet always entertaining Neiman Marcus Holiday Book, now in its 84th edition, was released yesterday.

As WWD noted today, for the second year in a row, almost half the items in the catalog are less than $250, with 63 ringing in at $100 or less. But don’t worry—the ridiculous, over-the-top fantasy items that we’ve come to expect every year are still there.

For starters, there is a $7,500 gourd ukulele made by Danny Ferrington, who crafts handmade instruments for the likes of Keith Richards, Elvis Costello, and, uh, Tony Blair. Or for a mere $125,000 you can snag an Avion tequila party. Celeb event planner Colin Cowie will style and plan the event and Todd English will cook for you and 75 of your friends. (No mention of whether they will also provide a home big enough to fit 75 people.)

Click through for some of this year’s best offerings:

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Fashionista contributor Long Nguyen is the co-founder/style director of Flaunt.

PARIS–In January 2009 at the historic lecture hall of the Sorbonne, newly-anointed designers Pier Paolo Piccoli and Maria Grazia Chuiri, personal protégés of Mr. Valentino, presented their spring Haute Couture collection. It was virtually immersed in the house codes and heritage, with little indication of their own voices. The road that Mr. Piccoli and Ms. Grazia Chuiri have traveled since at Valentino includes figuring out how to inject their own visions–drawn from their own experiences and observations–into clothes for a new generation. One of the most difficult jobs in fashion today is working at a once venerable institution currently in need of transformation.

In a quiet showing at the Halle Freyssinet–where the industrial depot was momentarily outfitted with camel colored cotton benches–the designers clearly embraced the foundations of Valentino.

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Dash New York Has an Address: A former SoHo gallery space at 119 Spring between Mercer and Greene will soon be Dash’s newest location. A Keeping Up With The Kardashians spin-off with Kim and Kourtney will focus on the store’s opening. Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick stopped by on Monday to check it out. Kanye West, inexplicably, was also there. Also, Scott apparently has a clothing line in the works that will be “inspired by the looks of Ralph Lauren and Tom Ford.” {Racked NY}

Stormy Weather: Burberry has a new capsule collection of outerwear and accessories called “Winter Storms.” They also made this video to feature the clothes and it just makes us want to bundle up with a cute male model. {Burberry}

Win Wonderland: Want a free year’s subscription to Wonderland magazine? All you have to do is like Wonderland’s Facebook page and put “@Wonderland Magazine” as your status. And the easiest contest of the year award goes to…{Wonderland Magazine}

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A promising sneak peak at Miu Miu’s SS 2011 collection from the rehearsal. Stay tuned for Lauren’s full report on the show tomorrow.

Click through for more looks!
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American Apparel may be holding on by a thread but that doesn’t mean you can’t hold office meetings in bed. Read more »