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How to Make It in Fashion: June 21, Dream Hotel Downtown, New York

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Monday October 17th, 2011

James Franco Is the Poster Boy for Gucci’s New Bespoke Service
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James Franco Is the Poster Boy for Gucci’s New Bespoke Service

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After earning his masters degree, acting in major blockbusters, penning short stories, and directing and producing critically acclaimed short films, James Franco has finally gone back to harvesting his foremost talent: Being really, really, ridiculously good looking.

Franco is starring in Gucci‘s new campaign for their just-launched bespoke service. Shot by Nathaniel Goldberg at the huge Roman film studio Cinecittà, the campaign is called “All The World’s a Stage,” and as you can see, it features a squinty-eyed (but still completely hot) James Franco posing nonchalantly at what looks like a movie set.

“James has an innate ability to fuse classic elegance with contemporary style and interpret formalwear in an individual way,” Gucci creative director Frida Giannini said in a release.

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Published at 11:30 AM

Friday October 14th, 2011

Carine Roitfeld Weighs In On Marc Jacobs Going to Dior
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Carine Roitfeld Weighs In On Marc Jacobs Going to Dior

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It’s been a week since Paris Fashion Week ended, and at least that long since we’ve heard any rumors about a Dior successor. Well, we still don’t know a darned thing, but a fashion heavyweight, in the form of Carine Roitfeld, just gave her vote of approval to Marc Jacobs.

Vogue UK caught up with Carine at a book signing for Irreverent yesterday, and caught her in a chatty mood. She told the glossy, “He understands the company, how it works and how to work with them. He’s been given the shoulders to do the Dior job already. He’s never done couture though, so I’d be really excited to see him do couture for Dior. He’s a very smart person. If Marc gets the job, I won’t miss a single show.” (Obviously Dior would become the hottest ticket in town.)

And what about if someone else gets the job?

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Published at 9:45 AM

Thursday October 13th, 2011

Here Are the Top Ten Fashion Brands That Are Conquering the Digital Realm (Plus the Brands That Aren’t and Should Be)
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Here Are the Top Ten Fashion Brands That Are Conquering the Digital Realm (Plus the Brands That Aren’t and Should Be)

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Fashion has been notoriously slow to take to the online world (particularly on the editorial side), but some brands are really getting it right. A smart digital strategy can translate to brand awareness, and ultimately, lots of sales.

L2‘s Digital IQ Index took this concept to the next level and released its third annual report card assessing brands’ “digital IQ.” The ratings they give range from Genius to Feeble. Digital strategy is often uneven, and this can hurt a brand. Per the report: “Although 94 percent of brands in the Index have a presence on Facebook, one in five brands still lacks e-commerce capability.” How annoying is it to try to buy something online, only to discover you actually have to leave your home? That kind of thing really matters to consumers these days.

So who’s excelling online and who needs a lot of help? Here’s the top ten list:

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Published at 10:47 AM

Wednesday October 12th, 2011

Cambridge Satchel Company: The Inspiring Story Behind Fashion Month’s Most Affordable ‘It-Bag’
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Cambridge Satchel Company: The Inspiring Story Behind Fashion Month’s Most Affordable ‘It-Bag’

by Leah Chernikoff and Steff Yotka

If you looked at street style blogs from fashion month (and we’re guessing you did), you surely noticed those fluorescent old school style satchels hanging from many a fashionable shoulder. You also might know that they’re from the Cambridge Satchel Company, and retail for under $135. An It-bag that’s actually within our means? We had to have one and we had to know more.

We found out that Julie Deane is the lady behind the Cambridge Satchel Company. She had no previous design experience before starting the company just under five years ago with only £600. This past year profits reached £2.2 million and next year the company stands to make between £10 and £15 million (that’s up to over $23 million).

So how did Deane do it? We hopped on the phone with her to find out. Hers is a true success story, born, of all reasons, out of the desire to remove her six-year-old daughter from a school where she was being bullied. She tells us about her motivation for starting the company, being knocked off by her own manufacturers (she’s pursuing legal action), and what’s up next for Cambridge Satchel (hint: think clutches).

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Published at 6:00 PM

Tuesday October 11th, 2011

Maiyet, a Label With a Social Conscience, Debuts at Paris Fashion Week
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Maiyet, a Label With a Social Conscience, Debuts at Paris Fashion Week

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The fashion industry isn’t generally concerned with social justice or making the world a better place. Just making it prettier. But new label Maiyet aims to do both.

Maiyet, which is named for the Egyptian goddess of truth and harmony, is the brainchild of South African human rights lawyer Paul van Zyl and industry vet Kristy Caylor (she was most recently the president of Band of Outsiders). “Part of this idea was to try to find a way of restoring prosperity to communities which had been through hard times,” van Zyl said. “So the idea was to find artisans who have this very rare skill and to elevate that into something beautiful and to allow them to derive greater value from their craft and to return the prosperity to them.”

What that means is that Maiyet partners with artisans in communities in India, Colombia, Kenya and Indonesia (to name a few countries) and works their craft into design elements of the line. “We take their skill set and do the design work ourselves and harness that skill set into their looks,” Caylor said. Maiyet then works with these artisans to develop their crafts over time and bring value back to the community–no plundering here. To find these artisans, Caylor and van Zyl took 25 international trips over six months. “We scoured the earth from places we both wanted to work with from a social perspective but also from a product perspective,” Caylor said.

And the end product?

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Published at 5:07 PM

Wednesday September 28th, 2011

Behind the Scenes with Liya Kebede at the Shoot for Lem Lem’s Resort Look Book
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Behind the Scenes with Liya Kebede at the Shoot for Lem Lem’s Resort Look Book

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Earlier this month, I got the chance to escape the craziness that is the fashion schedule and kick it with Liya Kebede down in Montauk where she was shooting her latest look book for her line Lem Lem. And it was hard not to feel like I’d really escaped the city, seeing as how the set–Chandelier Creative’s Montauk surf shack–was festooned with ten blow-up swans who were enjoying the ocean view along with the models.

It was the perfect setting for a collection grounded in easy, beachy woven pieces–the look we’ve come to know and love from Lem Lem. This season, though, Kebede had more in mind than just the beach: “Now we’re making it more city with little shorts and dresses.”

Lem Lem was established to save weaving artisan enclaves in Kebede’s native Ethiopia–but has since become a fashion industry favorite, even nabbing one of J.Crew’s coveted “In Good Company” partnerships.

Still, at its heart, Lem Lem is all about empowering the Ethiopian artisans it in employs.

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Published at 4:45 PM

Wednesday August 31st, 2011

We Are Swooning Here: J Brand Is Launching a Full Line of Sportswear
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We Are Swooning Here: J Brand Is Launching a Full Line of Sportswear

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Dark skinnies, cargo Houlihans, candy-colored denim, and a favorite of Kate Middleton to boot? J Brand has given us an embarrassment of denim riches in the mere six years it’s been in existence. Can the brand conquer the contemporary ready-to-wear market? We can’t wait to find out.

WWD reports today that J Brand is launching a full sportswear collection, to hit stores in spring 2012. Expect a muted color palette of black, white, grey and pale pastels; the feeling is minimal, without prints.

Cropped coats, like a khaki mackintosh and a lambskin bomber, will perfectly complement the brand’s jeans. Donald Oliver, the design director who’s heading up the launch, told WWD, “We just didn’t want to look at [our customer] as working or going out. It’s about building an aspirational wardrobe for our girl.” To this end, expect wax-coated cotton trousers, hand-knit sweaters, and a linen blazer with leather trim.

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Published at 9:02 AM

Wednesday August 10th, 2011

Steven Tyler Is the Face and “Inspiration” For New Macy’s Line Featuring “Rock Scarves”
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Steven Tyler Is the Face and “Inspiration” For New Macy’s Line Featuring “Rock Scarves”

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Steven Tyler is enjoying his umpteenth resurgence as a pop culture commodity right now with his popular stint as a judge on American Idol. A long-time style icon, and still proving he has a good eye–he was an early adopter of the hair feather extension, after all–Steven Tyler is the inspiration for a new contemporary clothing line called Andrew Charles. The line will be exclusive to Macy’s, and will be sold in the store’s Impulse department.

Andrew Charles is the brain child of Andy Hilfiger, brother of Tommy (who isn’t involved in this endeavor). The Hilfigers are well-documented supporters of the music industry, and Andy told WWD, “I grew up on Aerosmith and Steven Tyler. I’ve always loved his music and his style.” Andy was involved in J.Lo‘s Sweetface line, so the blurring of music and fashion is familiar to him.

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Published at 3:03 PM

Sunday July 31st, 2011

Matthew Williamson Tells Us About his Diffusion Line, His BFF Cat Deeley, and his Dancing Abilities
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Matthew Williamson Tells Us About his Diffusion Line, His BFF Cat Deeley, and his Dancing Abilities

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Matthew Williamson is not afraid to experiment with his very specific design aesthetic at different price points. Witness his new collection, MW by Matthew Williamson, which just bowed last week.

MW by Matthew Williamson, the designer’s latest lower-priced collection, follows closely on the heels of his recent one-off Macy’s capsule. This line, however, is truly a diffusion line–just don’t call it cheap. While the prices are more accessible than the main line, a cute metallic thread cheetah print coat dress will set you back more than $500.

I caught up with the designer at his colorful Meatpacking District store, where he was celebrating the launch with some fabulous friends (like Dree Hemingway.) Of course I wanted to get the scoop on the collection, but I also wanted to drill him about Cat Deeley. (Ed. note: Leah and I both have girl crushes on the now Emmy-nominated host of So You Think You Can Dance. She’s so pretty. And so nice. And so normal. So when I found out they were friends, I couldn’t resist. Anyway. You’ve been warned.)

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Published at 11:00 AM

Wednesday July 27th, 2011

A First Look at Balmain’s More Affordable Collection Plus Details On Pricing
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A First Look at Balmain’s More Affordable Collection Plus Details On Pricing

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When news broke a few months ago that Balmain was launching a more affordable second line, the question on everyone’s mind was: “How much will a T-shirt cost?” The answer? About $172.

The first collection for Pierre Balmain (as the lower-priced line will be called) will hit stores this December for Spring 2012, WWD is reporting. The prices will range from $172 for a tee to $1,291 for eveningwear. Not exactly Zara prices, but certainly more attainable than the main line. The line will include men’s and women’s categories. Balmain has its sights set on the international market with this line, with planned store openings in Hong Kong, Milan, Paris, and Rome.

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Published at 9:30 AM