Archive for October 2011

Accessories

Here Are Shoelaces That Cost $19,000

We never thought we’d be writing about shoelaces, but leave it to someone to go and make super expensive ones. Thanks to amazing style editor Bobbie Thomas over at the Today Show, we are now aware that we can own pure gold or silver shoelaces. And you thought $39,000 for a backpack was a lot of money.

For $19,000, a company called Mr. Kennedy will make you 24-carat gold laces (two of them!) which take about 120 hrs to make by hand. The downside?

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Fashion Careers

Meghan Folsom needs a Sales Representative in NY!

Meghan Folsom, a fashion and media relations consultant, is hiring a Sales Representative for the designers that she represents.

This is the ideal position for a self-motivated, hard-working individual with established buyer contacts and a familiarity of the high fashion market. As the sales representative, you will work closely with Meghan and the designers to place them in boutiques and online venues worldwide. This job is great for someone who is passionate about cultivating emerging designers and wants to work in a flexible and creative environment.

Requirements:
- Have at least 1 – 2 years of sales experience within the high fashion market
- Have existing relationships with buyers throughout the U.S, Europe, and Asia.

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Rihanna Settles Out of Court With David LaChapelle For Allegedly Copying His Photos in ‘S&M’ Video

Rihanna‘s S&M video caused a stir earlier this year for its sadomasochistic imagery and general boundary-pushing scenes. The only problem? The video directly cribbed from several of David LaChapelle’s photographs. Oops.

LaChapelle filed suit against Rihanna this summer and now, the The Independent reports that the two have reached an out of court settlement. Or, in layman’s terms, Rihanna just had to fork over some serious cash.

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Shopping

Neiman Marcus Is Selling $1 Million Fountains in its Holiday Book (Plus Other Really Expensive Stuff)

The Neiman Marcus Christmas Book is here, which means if you need a gift in the $20,000 to $1 million range, you can totally relax, because the retailer has you covered. Neiman Marcus has a tradition of offering over-the-top gifts every year (with some proceeds going to various charities), and this year is no exception.

The charities benefitting from your gift-giving generosity include Water.org, the Double H Ranch, Stone Barns Center, First Book, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, amfAR™ and Big Brothers Big Sisters. So which one of these one-of-a-kind gifts would you like to give to a loved one? Rubber ping pong table? Ferrari? We’ll start with a few cheapies and work our way up to the gifts that say you *really* love someone. Click through to start your holiday shopping list.

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The Business

Christian Louboutin Vs. YSL Lawsuit Continues; Louboutin Appeals Trademark Decision, Claims Judge Made ‘Errors of Law’

Christian Louboutin‘s shoes may give you an orgasm, but the current trademark lawsuit over their red soles will give you a headache. Nonetheless, Louboutin’s most recent claims are pretty interesting.

As you may remember, Louboutin sued YSL in New York Federal Court in April because the latter was selling a shoe with a red sole: Louboutin’s trademark, which the company legally obtained in 2008. Louboutin wanted a court-ordered injunction to stop YSL from selling the shoes while the case was in review. Instead, the presiding judge decided that maybe Louboutin’s trademark–the one obtained in ’08–wasn’t even valid and that one designer shouldn’t be able to have a “monopoly” on a color. Louboutin has been fighting back ever since and filed their appeal brief this Monday.

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Doo-Ri Chung Is the Next Guest Designer at Macy’s

We haven’t even had a chance to try on the Giambattista Valli for Macy’s collection yet–which hits stores next week–but the retailer has already announced its next collaboration. Doo-Ri Chung, who just made headlines after dressing Michelle Obama for a state dinner in South Korea, is the next to design a line for the mass retailer’s Impulse line, WWD is reporting.

The collection will drop February 15 and be available for about eight weeks; prices will range from $39 to $159. So what the collection will look like? You can expect to see the draping, color-blocking and prints that Doo-Ri is known for on mini and maxi dresses, leggings, blouses, and trenches, another Chung signature. As for designing at a lower price point, Doo-Ri says it wasn’t much of a challenge.

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Magazines

Are Fashion Editors the New Models? A Look at the Trend of Editors Featured on the Glossy Page

It’s been a long time coming, but it looks like it’s officially happened: Fashion editors have fully made the transition into modeling. After years of being stalked by street style photographers and having their perfectly put together ensembles plastered all over the Internet, the faces that were once behind-the-scenes at our favorite glossies have emerged as the industry’s most recognizable (and sought after) personalities.

The public flocks to fashion industry insiders like Kate Lanphear, Taylor Tomasi-Hill, Joanna Hillman, and Anna Dello Russo for direction when it comes to trends, styling advice, and ultimately, what to buy. From an advertising standpoint, it makes sense to feature editors—who can merchandise pieces and market clothing better than they can? Chances are, the more clout a magazine has during Fashion Month and beyond, the more of these “celebrity editors” are on their mastheads. And giving readers a glimpse at the personal style of these celeb editors is not only a way to get a peek into their enviable, glamorous lives, it’s great press for print publications.

The lofty ideal of the fashion editor is just as aspirational (and possibly just as unrealistic) as that of a model, but there’s the added hints of expertise, self-expression, attention to detail, and appreciation of good design that have helped to make street style photography immensely popular. There’s a reason why women like Anna Wintour and Carine Roitfeld have such a large pull in what ends up on the runways and in stores each season, and it was only a matter of time before the industry cut out the middle man and brought their sensibilities to the forefront.

We’ve explored the evolution of this editors-as-models trend, which shows no sign of slowing down. Are you a fan of this new development?

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Sales

Racked Dealfeed: Beyond Vintage, Jil Sander, Elie Tahari and More

Jil Sander
Deal: Major markdowns on clothing for men and women from the spring/summer 2011 collection, as well as various items from previous seasons.
Where/When: Tuesday, October 18 through Saturday, October 22. Daily 10am—6pm. 8 Crosby St between Howard and Grand Sts, fourth floor (no phone)
Link:Jil Sander.com
Ends: Saturday October 22

Beyond Vintage
Deal:
Where/When: October 18 and 19, 12pm through 7pm,275 West 39th Street 2nd Floor,
New York, NY 10018
Link: Beyond Vintage
Ends: October 19 at 7pm

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  • Fashionista
  • Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 / 6:42 PM
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Fashion Is Fun

Here Is Some Wearable Art Made Out of Stuffed Animals, Sock Monkeys and Twigs

By Dhani Mau Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 / 5:34 PM

Photo: Fast CoDesign

Nick Cave (not the musician) runs the School of the Art Institute of Chicago‘s fashion department. He also creates “soundsuits,” which, as demonstrated in the video below, are furry, colorful Abominable Snowman-looking things that can be worn and danced about in. The materials, which move so gracefully, include sticks, stuffed animals, sequins, beanie babies, rugs, twigs and sock monkeys. Read more »

Campaigns

Miu Miu Taps a 34-Year Old Modeling Vet to Replace 14-Year-Old Hailee Steinfeld

By Dhani Mau Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 / 4:49 PM

Miu Miu’s fall 2011 ad campaign starring 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld were not entirely well-received. Even though we thought the Bruce Weber-lensed ads were tasteful and age-appropriate, many criticized Miu Miu for using a model that the brand’s adult money-spending customers can’t relate to.

An image from the Miu Miu’s Resort 2012 campaign has just been released (we saw it on The Cut) and we wonder if the casting decision was informed by the mixed reactions to the Hailee Steinfeld campaign. Miu Miu has chosen Guinevere van Seenus, a 34-year-old modeling vet, as the latest face of the brand. David Sims shot the campaign, which has a more traditional campaign feel compared to Hailee’s care-free, natural shots. Read more »

Calvin Klein on Hiring Kate Moss Because She Was ‘Natural’ and His Struggles With Addiction

Legendary fashion designer Calvin Klein was the subject of the first installment of the “Fashion Icons with Fern Mallis” series at 92 Street Y last night. A packed room of Klein’s friends and enthusiasts–including pal Anna Wintour (who Klein gave a shout-out to during the discussion)–enthusiastically gathered to watch the Fashion Week guru moderate a candid discussion with the iconic American designer in one of his very rare public speaking appearances. Klein, who founded the Calvin Klein fashion label in 1968 and sold it in 2003 to Phillips-Van Heusen (Francisco Costa is the creative director now), is known for his minimalist aesthetic, successful licensing endeavors with denim, fragrance, and undies, and his totally boundary-pushing advertising campaigns which introduced Brooke Shields, Kate Moss, and the glamazon-era crushing “waif” revolution to the world.

Throughout the one-hour discussion Klein gamely answered questions both from Mallis and the audience. Here are some highlights from the evening, including the reason he chose Kate Moss and his thoughts about addiction in the fashion world:

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  • Fawnia Soo Hoo
  • Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 / 3:57 PM
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Entertainment

Brazil Gets Its Own Project Runway Franchise, Starring Alexandre Herchcovitch as Tim Gunn

Brazil is in a financial boom right now while other countries and regions are trying to dig out of near-recessions. And what better way to celebrate a booming economy than with a Project Runway franchise? Truly the way to know you’ve arrived!

Brazil’s Project Runway, called Projeto Fashion, follows the same formula as the other franchises (which in addition to the US have run in Korea, Australia, Latin America and Canada). There are 12 designers in this inaugural season, most of whom are in their early 20s, with a lone 39-year-old man representing the “old” crowd (his bio says he loves Madonna). The usual quirky backgrounds exist–after all, this is still reality TV. While most have gone to or are still attending fashion school, there’s a miner, a former beauty contestant, and a “super Christian” (that’s a Google translation from the original Portuguese) who is letting God guide her designs. Also–and I’m not sure if this represents the population at-large in Brazil–three of the six male designers have pretty decently sized ear gauges.

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