PARIS–New week, new fashion week–although the male collections were only 30 seconds ago and we’re still feeling sleep-deprived, couture is dragging us out of bed.
The entire city is sartorially obsessed for the week, and as if catwalks weren’t enough, heaps of exhibitions, openings and launches become mandatory.
Here is our selection from the first day:
Linda Evangelista’s Baby Daddy Revealed: Francois-Henri Pinault, husband of Selma Hayek, is said to be the unnamed father of Evangelista’s four year old son. {NY Post}
Michelle Obama in Jason Wu: The First Lady wore a custom-made frock by the designer during a trip to Boston yesterday. {Boston Herald}
Hussein Chalayan Gets His First Retrospective: The exhibit, featuring pieces from the eccentric designer’s 17-year career, opens Tuesday at Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris. {WWD, Subscription Required}
Hussein Chalayan to Launch a Diffusion Line: The line, called Grey Label, will hit stores in the US in September and feature more accessible items. The designer also announced that his main collection will now go by simply, Chalayan. {Vogue UK}
You’re Invited to LVMH: In October, 22 of the conglomerate’s brands will open their distilleries and ateliers across Europe to anyone who is curious in an attempt to allow LVMH to communicate with the public. {WWD, Subscription Required}
Allegra Versace Prefers to Be a “No One”: The niece of the late Gianni Versace owns half of the Italian fashion house, but has spent her life escaping the family name. She now works for an unknown designer where she enjoys being out of the spotlight, behind the scenes. {Telegraph}
Franca Sozzani on Her Plus Size Model Cover: The cover of Vogue Italia’s June issue features three plus size models clad in lingerie. Sozzani says she while she doesn’t expect the cover to incite any drastic changes in the fashion industry, she does hope it will make people think. Women with real bodies, she says, are much more interesting than those skinny teenage models. {The Cut}
Missoni Appoints New CEO: Alberto Piantoni, who has previously worked with Italian brands like Bialetti and Richard Ginori landed the gig. {Missoni}
Alex Wang Does Swimwear: Um, yes, please. The king of downtown amazeness is working on a line of women’s swimwear, which he’ll debut this month. And men’s ready-to-wear debuts next month. Boy never stops, does he? {ElleUK}
DvF Falls into the (Baby) Gap: Does your baby need a tiny wrap dress? Diane von Furstenberg thinks so–she’s teaming up with Gap on a children’s collection to prove it. Hat tip to Racked for calling this months ago. {WWD}
Marylin Monroe’s White Dress is For Sale: Actress Debbie Reynolds has apparently been collecting film memorabilia for decades, and will sell the infamous subway grate dress from The Seven Year Itch, along with 3,500 other collectible items. The price for the floating frock? Oh, just a paltry $2 million. {Daily Mail}
The Donald’s Hair Styling Regimen Revealed: How does Donald Trump get his glorious comb-over each morning, you wonder? He combs it a little forward, and a little back. His shampoo of choice? Head & Shoulders. {Telegraph}
Styling Cannes: Stylists Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn (who work with Rachel McAdams) say that they go for edgier, high-end looks when dressing stars for the film festival red carpets versus award ceremonies like the Oscars. {WWD, Subscription Required}
Leonardo DiCaprio Breaks Up With His Second Model: The actor, who previously dated Gisele, has called it quits with girlfriend Bar Refaeli. The split is reportedly over their busy careers and both of their unwillingness to settle down. Which lucky model will Leo go after next? {Page Six}
PARIS–For fall 2011, Hussein Chalayan again presented a film, picking up where he left off last season, exploring Japanese culture within the DNA he’s established over the past ten years. But it’s not the kind of literal Japanese influence you might envision–no obis or kimono sleeves here. This season’s film, Kaikoku, means “open country” in Read more →
PARIS–Nine days. Over 90 collections. But only ten can be considered the best. Click through for our top picks. Au revior, Paris!
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.
LONDON–Possibly the only thing more death-defying than the leap from model to actress is the rarely attempted feat of fashion designer-turned-artist. But for two time “British Designer of the Year” and creative director of PUMA, Hussein Chalayan, these acrobatics are child’s play.
The Cypriot-born, London-raised designer first came to fashion by way of architecture, not surprising for those familiar with the tremendous technical construction and futuristic materials he is best known for.
Think airplane wings, folding table, foam molded car crashes and yes, I am talking about dresses.
Chalayan’s firs solo art exhibit entitled “I am Sad Leyla” is currently showing at London’s Lisson Gallery through October 8. (Definitely stop by in if you’re in town for London Fashion Week.)
