Fashionista

Thursday December 1st, 2011

Manolo Blahnik Is Still Trying to Create the Perfect Shoe
Accessories

Manolo Blahnik Is Still Trying to Create the Perfect Shoe

Last night I stopped by Manolo Blahnik‘s 54th Street boutique where the shoe designer was on hand with author Camilla Morton to sign copies of their new book, Manolo Blahnik and the Tale of the Elves & the Shoemaker (Morton wrote it, Blahnik did the illustrations). I only had four minutes to talk to the man whose creations threatened to send Sex and the City‘s Carrie Bradshaw into debt, as the crowd of extremely posh Blahnik-shod women waiting to have the master sign their shoes and books was growing larger by the second.

It makes sense that Morton chose to create a fairy tale of Blahnik’s life since it seems to have played out that way. “Everything in my life is an accident,” he says, downplaying his talent and intense work ethic that has led to his 39-years long successful career. And as the protagonist of a fairy tale, Blahnik–whimsical, witty and utterly charming–fits the bill.

Here’s how my four minutes with Manolo Blahnik played out.

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Published at 6:15 PM

Monday November 14th, 2011

Quote of the Day

Quote of the Day: Manolo Blahnik Doesn’t Think John Galliano Would Return to Dior After Being So ‘Badly Treated’

“Franca Sozzani once said something about John Galliano that I thought was perfect. She said that ‘Dior’s solution and salvation would be to bring back that man,’–and I agree. Of course he would never do that after being so badly treated. What he said was horrific, but said under the influence of drugs and alcohol–that Read more →

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Published at 10:30 AM

Friday November 4th, 2011

Fashion Fairy Tales: Author Camilla Morton Tells Us How She Turned Manolo Blahnik’s Life Into a Fairy Tale (He Supplied the Illustrations)
Fashion Is Fun

Fashion Fairy Tales: Author Camilla Morton Tells Us How She Turned Manolo Blahnik’s Life Into a Fairy Tale (He Supplied the Illustrations)

Camilla Morton, whose name you might recognize as she’s contributed to this site before, is a veteran fashion journalist with a best selling novel, How to Walk in High Heels, under her belt. But after years of writing countless show reviews, this fashion journo is now penning…fairy tales. “I am enchanted by how clothes make you feel, and the people behind it,” Morton said. “Because sometimes the magic and the art of creation gets forgotten in the rush to find the next big thing.” So Morton set about crafting fashion fairy tales, blending the lives of fashion icons with classic fairy tales. The icons supply the illustrations, of course (see an illustration by Manolo Blahnik, above left).

The first in her fashion fairytale memoir series blended Christian Lacroix‘s life story with the tale of Sleeping Beauty. Out this month is Manolo Blahnik and the Tale of the Elves on the Shoemaker. We talked to Camilla about what it was like to work with Manolo to write his fairy tale. Plus we’ve got a peak at some of Manolo’s gorgeous illustrations.

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Published at 6:29 PM
Fashion News Roundup: Tom Ford Makes $52,000 in One Night, Katy Perry’s Feline Fragrances, and Vogue Editors Sit for a Historic Photo
Fashion News Roundup

Fashion News Roundup: Tom Ford Makes $52,000 in One Night, Katy Perry’s Feline Fragrances, and Vogue Editors Sit for a Historic Photo

Tom Ford Sold $52,000 of Makeup in One Night at Bergdorf Goodman. That’s a full year of my college tuition. Is it too late for Tom Ford to adopt me? {The Cut}

Cat Lady Katy Perry Launching New Fragrance, “Meow”: The sister/follow-up fragrance to her first perfume, “Purr,” has a sweeter scent. Possible future fragrances from Kitty Purry: “Hiss,” “Scratch,” “Claw,” “Hairball,” “Litter Box.” {WWD}

Diane von Furstenberg Expanding Beauty Empire: DVF, who has been on a whirlwind world tour promoting her debut fragrance “Diane,” is now planning a color cosmetics line. Says the designer, “This is just the beginning of me being back in the beauty business.” {WWD}

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Published at 1:31 PM

Wednesday October 5th, 2011

Fashion News Roundup: Terry Richardson Snaps Lindsay Lohan in Paris (a Lot), the Best Flea Markets in the US, and Study Says Makeup Makes You More ‘Trustworthy’
Fashion News Roundup

Fashion News Roundup: Terry Richardson Snaps Lindsay Lohan in Paris (a Lot), the Best Flea Markets in the US, and Study Says Makeup Makes You More ‘Trustworthy’

The Office‘s Mindy Kaling Relaunches Blog, is Hilarious and Awesome: The Concerns of Mindy Kaling is full of honest and LOL-worthy observations and tips, like what jewelry to wear if “you want to look laid back but rich, like say, Matthew McConaughey’s girlfriend.” There’s a good chance you’ll start believing she’s your actual BFF… word of warning. {MTV Style}

Apparently Wearing Makeup Makes You More Likable: Studies conducted by Procter & Gamble, which (a bit suspiciously) produces a huge array of makeup products, show that women who wear makeup are perceived as more likable, competent, and trustworthy than those who do not. The only exception was for women wearing “glam” makeup, who seemed less trustworthy. Are you listening, Kardashian Klan? {The Gloss}

Lindsay Lohan at PFW with Fash Folk: Remind me again, what exactly does Lindsay Lohan do these days, aside from being photographed? Here’s the… ahem, actress, hanging out and making various hand gestures with Terry Richardson, Lindsey Wixson, and Charlotte Free in Paris. {Refinery29 via Terry’s Diary}

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Published at 2:00 PM

Thursday September 1st, 2011

Fashionista’s FNO Guide #1: Where to Find the Celebrities
Fashion Is Fun

Fashionista’s FNO Guide #1: Where to Find the Celebrities

We can’t believe Fashion’s Night Out (and, thus, fashion week) is only a week away. As anyone who has ever been to a Fashion’s Night Out is probably aware, they pack enough events to fill an entire week into just a few hours, so pre-FNO planning is key. While Vogue‘s interactive map is quite handy, that is still a lot of stores to go through. So, we’re preparing a few of our own Fashion’s Night Out guides.

This one is for those of you who just want to see some famous people. We don’t blame you! Fashion’s Night Out offers rare opportunities to get up close and personal with real Hollywood stars. Maybe Tilda Swinton and Ne-Yo will become friends or Daniel Radcliffe will get wasted or Alexa Chung will debut a new haircut or Seth Meyers will screw up your drink or the Real Housewives of New York will be insane (that last one is the most likely)! Here’s our guide to where all your favorite celebs will be.

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Published at 6:30 PM

Tuesday August 23rd, 2011

Fashion News Roundup: Alex Wang Nail Polish, Florence Welch Covers Japanese Vogue and Old Navy’s Punctuation Problems
Fashion News Roundup

Fashion News Roundup: Alex Wang Nail Polish, Florence Welch Covers Japanese Vogue and Old Navy’s Punctuation Problems

Genderbending Florence Welch On October Vogue Japan: We haven’t even seen all of the September issues yet and vogue Japan is already rolling out its October cover, which is awesome. Karl Lagerfeld shot musician Florence Welch, who looks like Jack White’s long-lost brother with slicked-back hair and red-white-and-black suiting. {Daily Mail}

Alexander Wang is Making Sally Hansen Polish! He’s working with the nail polish megabrand on a line of exclusive colors to debut at his Spring 2012 show. It’s his first foray into beauty and will probably be insanely popular; don’t expect them to sit on shelves for long (if at all). {Style.com}

Details on the Style.com Magazine: According to their website, the print magazine will launch “just days after the last look has left the runway” and will focus on every aspect of the Spring 2012 shows: clothing and trends, but also people, parties and backstage peeks. They’ll post daily updates on Twitter until the launch. {Style.com}

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Published at 1:45 PM

Monday August 15th, 2011

Thursday June 30th, 2011

Kate Middleton Sets Off For Canada In Canadian Label Smythe and a $1,450 Mulberry Bag

Kate Middleton Sets Off For Canada In Canadian Label Smythe and a $1,450 Mulberry Bag

And she’s off! The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge set off for Canada today for their North American tour. It marks the newlyweds’ first official trip together and will be Kate Middleton’s first ever visit to the US. She looked conservative yet chic as can be as she boarded the Royal Canadian Air Force plane at Heathrow today in all navy–a slim navy sheath, navy blazer, navy leather bag and navy stilettos.

Taking a tip from Mrs. O, who often makes a point to wear designers from the countries she visits or is hosting (except for that sticky situation when she wore McQueen to the China State Dinner), Kate Middleton decided to wear a blazer from six-year-old Canadian label Smythe Les Vestes for her trip to Canada (Smythe confirmed it was theirs via Twitter). The blazer was on sale at Net-a-Porter for $281 (originally it was $595) but, you guessed it, it has already sold out. It’s still available at Bergdorf’s and Neiman’s.

Kate Middleton often wears items from the high street that retail at fairly low price points but this ensemble is a bit more high end.

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Published at 11:32 AM

Tuesday June 28th, 2011

Fashion News Roundup: Kim Kardashian to Wed in Vera Wang and Louboutins, More Plus-Sized Model Discussions and Lara Stone With Blow-Up Dolls
Fashion News Roundup

Fashion News Roundup: Kim Kardashian to Wed in Vera Wang and Louboutins, More Plus-Sized Model Discussions and Lara Stone With Blow-Up Dolls

Kim Kardashian to Wed in Custom Vera Wang and Louboutin: The bride to be was spotted, with a camera crew, meeting with Vera Wang yesterday at her Madison Avenue boutique. Apparently, Kim was also overheard at the west village Christian Louboutin store saying that Christian was, “custom-making her shoes for the wedding, but she wanted to try some on for size.” Does she not already own a pair? {Page Six}

Plus-Size Model Velvet D’Amour Speaks Out About the Industry and Italian Vogue: The model/actress discusses the trend of putting plus-size models in spreads that reference the rubenesque Renaissance nudes, like the recent ItalianVogue, saying that though it’s a step, real progress will only be made when larger models are shown in innovative, clothed fashion editorials, not just in nudes displaying their bodies. {Frockwriter}

Adam Lippes For HSN: The designer, who just did a collaboration with Mango, will create a lower-priced (between $55 and $400) capsule collection called Love Adam for the Home Shopping Network that will have old favorites such as fur-accented coats, tailored suits and party dresses in less expensive fabrics. At this rate, HSN is catching up to Target on the collaboration front. {Elle}

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Published at 1:15 PM

Wednesday May 11th, 2011

Racked Dealfeed: Suno, Manolo Blahnik, Rebecca Minkoff, and More
Sales

Racked Dealfeed: Suno, Manolo Blahnik, Rebecca Minkoff, and More

Suno
Deal: Up to 70% off the young label’s African-influenced dresses, tops, and bottoms, including one-of-a-kind pieces from their first collection (s/s 2009)
When/Where: Wednesday, May 11 through Friday, May 13. Daily noon—8pm. 242 W. 38th St between Seventh and Eighth Aves, third floor (no phone)
Link: www.sunony.com
Ends: Friday, 13 May 2011

Manolo Blahnik
Deal: Sexy heels starting at $100
When/Where: Thursday, May 12. VIP 9am—11am, open to the public 11am—3pm. The Warwick Hotel, 65 W. 54th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves (no phone)
Link: www.manoloblahnik.com
Ends: Thursday, 12 May 2011

Rebecca Minkoff
Deal: The Boyfriend cross-body for $178 (was $295), the Studded Rocker for $182 (was $330), the Beloved Mini cross-body for $217 (was $395), and more
When/Where: Wednesday, May 11 through Sunday, May 15. Weds—Sat 10am—7pm, Sun 11am—5pm. 155 5th Ave between 21st and 22nd Sts (no phone)
Link: www.rebeccaminkoff.com

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Published at 4:08 PM

Tuesday March 15th, 2011

Fashion News Roundup: Japan Fashion Week Canceled, Vena Cava’s Commerce, and Jean Touitou Mouths Off (Again)
Fashion News Roundup

Fashion News Roundup: Japan Fashion Week Canceled, Vena Cava’s Commerce, and Jean Touitou Mouths Off (Again)

Japan Skips Fashion Week: The tragedy-stricken country cancels its Fall 2011 fashion week. {WWD, subscription required}

Vena Cava Digital: Now you can buy all of Vena Cava’s clothes on their website. While you’re there, don’t forget to checkout their awesome blog and the for-sale collection of excellent vintage tchotchkes. {Vena Cava}

17 Things You Didn’t Know About Jean Touitou:
The APC designer muses on Samuel Beckett, Metronomy, and crappy French restaurants. {WSJ}

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Published at 11:51 AM