When Coach launched its Classics collection in June, it’s safe to say the entire Fashionista office was instantly obsessed. (Okay, there are only four of us, but still.)
Anyway, while we coveted the truly classic styles in truly classic colors like brown, navy, and black, we’re doubly excited about the latest shipment of bags, which come in candy shades such as vermillion. My pick? The Madison Satchel in lime.
Click through to view the new collection, and head over to Coach to order yours before they sell out.
It’s been a good year for luxury companies–everyone from Hermes to Richemont have reported gains in 2011–and LVMH is not immune. Sales reached €10.3 billion in the first half of the year, an increase of 13% from 2010. The fashion sector of the company also saw a 13% increase in sales, to 3.97 billion. And what’s more, every single brand gained market share.
Including scandal-ridden Dior, whose creative director, John Galliano, was dismissed in February due to racist comments he made in a restaurant (and other unhinged behavior).
So it seems that the brand, despite the constant negative press it’s received over the last six months, is in incredibly good shape. Whether that’s due to the consumer’s understanding of its rich heritage, or the consumer’s ambivalence toward bad behavior, remains unknown.
Today is my last day at Fashionista. After 20 crazy, amazing, exhausting months, it’s time to move on. (I’m joining Lucky as the executive digital editor.)
I can’t even begin to explain how important this job has been to me. Not only have I met many of fashion’s smartest, most creative, and kindest, I’ve also learned a ton about the business, about journalism, about blogging, and about myself. Including:
- Nice commenters can teach you something. (Hat tip: Rachel Gilman, Ben aka @Bongenre, Kristen May Lee. I heart you guys.)
- Mean commenters cannot hurt you unless you let them. You jerkfaces know who you are. (Just kidding! Not really.)
- Always use three sources in a gossipy story, even if you know your first two sources aren’t lying to you. Because nothing is worse than being wrong. And nothing is better than being right.
- Be nice to PRs. Because we still don’t know the identity of @NoBtotheS. Although I think I have a pretty good idea.
- Cool, talented, successful people are usually nice, too. (See: Sally Lyndley, Chris Benz, Mickey Boardman, Rebecca Minkoff, Long Nguyen, Sasha Wilkins, Phil Oh, the entire staff of J.Crew/Madewell…for proof.)
- Fashion Week is not fun. But it is a privilege. I got to see Karl walk Ines down the runway as “Bitter Sweet Symphony” played in the background. All the schlepping around is worthwhile because of moments like that.
- Fashion IS fun! Especially when it means jetting to Florence to watch models perform a scene from West Side Story at the Band of Outsiders runway show. What a spectacular night.
I love fashion. I love Fashionista. I love the readers. I love Leah, Dhani, Cheryl, Steff, and all the amazing interns and freelancers who have made this experience so worthwhile. (And of course Britt, who showed me the ropes.) I wish Leah and her team the best of luck–I know I’ll be reading.
Love, Lauren
Claudia Schiffer‘s 30-piece knitwear collection hits Net-a-Porter tomorrow, but we’ve got the inside scoop one which pieces are the supermodel’s favorites. Bonus: Schiffer also reveals some of her favorite labels (other than her own, of course). Click through to see her top six looks and read why she’s obsessed.
There’s a big fat story in WWD this morning about the rise of fashion reality TV shows, but the only actual news is that Lifetime has a new series in the works starring Alexa Chung. 24-Hour Catwalk will be hosted by the presenter/fashion star, and the show will pit designers against each other in runway challenges. We’re hoping this means Zoolander-esque walk-offs, but it probably just means Project Runway-esque competitions (with new contestants each episode).
We’re still stoked for Chung’s PBS series, but who knows if that actually ever went into production. IMBD doesn’t.
Singer Amy Winehouse has been found dead in her London flat, the Daily Mail reports. She was 27. In the short period in which she made headlines, Winehouse became a style inspiration for plenty of fashion folk, most notably Karl Lagerfeld. Our condolences to her family.
Cute shirt, Lane. Is that Equipment?
Throw the stereotypes out the window. At least when it comes to teenagers and their shopping habits.
Asian American teens spend an average $140.97 per month on fashion, the most of any ethnic group, while white teenagers spend the least amount ($111.58). Latinos spend the most per trip–$98.20–while again, whites spend the least ($81.41).
That’s according to a new survey released by online market research Y Pulse, which taps its community of around 80,000 13 to 30 year olds to conduct surveys like this. The results of this particular report were drawn from 1,300 interviews with teenagers and college students conducted online between May 20 and May 30, 2011.
Other interesting figures: College females spend more on average per month–$139.46–than college males, high school males and high school females. But college males spend the most per trip ($99.25). Presumably this means that guys are spending more on single items (ie sneakers, jeans) and girls are spending less on lots of stuff (at…you know…H&M, Forever 21).
Oh, and nearly 1 in 5 of those surveyed prefer shopping with their moms than anyone else. But of course they do: She’s the one with the credit card.
So we guess some stereotypes still hold true. Does any of this surprise you?
When we think of Issey Miyake, we don’t necessarily think trendy. Or hip. Or cool. Yet the brand’s resort collection for 2012 is all of those things, and much more.
Not only are we obsessed with the colors–plenty of pastels and summery bolds–but we’re also keen on the silhouettes, from the oversize shirt dresses to the ballerina frocks. And the patterned tights were just beyond. It was all very on-brand, without being boring.
Surely this has something to do with the appointment of a new creative director; Yoshiyuki Miyamae was promoted to the position in May. But it’s also that Miyake’s aesthetic–much like that of Dries Van Noten and Kenzo–is very right now. So while these labels always do good work, they currently happen to be tapping into something greater.
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