News

Photo: Ondria Hardin via Ford
Models

Ford Cops to Repping Underage Models This Season Despite CFDA Guidelines: Does This Mean New Rules Are Unrealistic?

The CFDA’s new health initiative guidelines–which stipulate, among other things, that models be ID’d to show they are above 16 years of age–have been met, for the most part, with glowing support from the fashion industry. Or so it seems. Because despite the industry’s best intentions, actually following the new rules is a whole other ballgame.

Designers Tory Burch and Tommy Hilfiger both told the New York Times that models that are either too young or too thin are still being sent to them by casting agencies. Burch said she was concerned for some models who walked through her door during this season’s casting. “There is still an issue, and there is still a lot of work to be done,” she said. “There have been positive steps. But I see some girls coming in who are really emaciated. It is still a problem.”

Here’s the problem:

Read more »
Lady Gaga w/Barneys' CEO Mark Lee (Photo: Getty)

Barneys New York Still Struggling Financially, Prompts Bankruptcy Fears

Is Barneys on the brink? The quirky high-end retailer has been working for years to revamp its business model, including a management overhaul in 2010, and some highly publicized promotional events such as the Daphne Guinness window display and Lady Gaga’s Workshop this past Christmas. But behind-the-scenes things may be a bit less upbeat for the retailer.

Barneys just hired law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP, WWD is reporting. The firm is being brought in to help renegotiate a $200 million revolving loan that will come due this September. This immediately fueled speculation and concern that the retailer would be closing stores or possibly even filing for bankruptcy.

Read more »
Photo: Getty

Karl Lagerfeld Apologizes To Adele For Calling Her ‘A Little Too Fat’

Since his comments about Adele being “a little too fat,” predictably started an internet shit storm earlier this week, Karl Lagerfeld has released a statement to Paris’ Metro paper, saying his quote was “taken out of context.” How do you say “back-pedaling” in French?

Karl’s apology:

Read more »
News

Fashion Week Mad Libs with Veda’s Lyndsey Butler!

By Nora Crotty Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012 / 7:30 PM

Read more »

Screen shot 2012-02-08 at 5.42.20 PM

Last Night’s Party: Dree Hemingway Fetes Her New Collection for Sandro

It seemed as though Fashion Week started two days early as the sartorially (and genealogically) blessed crowd dropped by the Sandro flagship in the West Village last night to celebrate Dree Hemingway’s capsule collection for the Parisian brand. For those who didn’t recognize the model/street-style star/designer’s famed last name, she’s the granddaughter of author and bull fighting-obsessive Ernest, and, oh yes, the fresh faced beauty is blessed with the same famed cheekbones of her mother, model/actress Mariel.

Hemingway’s ten-piece collection, inspired by her childhood days in Idaho, is quite bohemian/Southwest Americana for the French label (like a pink and tangerine tribal-print palazzo pant jumpsuit) and it was pretty refreshing to see that she chose the two most low-key pieces from the line to wear to her party.

Read more »
  • Fawnia Soo Hoo
  • Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012 / 6:15 PM
  • Comments ()
Photo: Melissa Hom

Amy Odell Tells Us About Leaving The Cut, And What to Expect From her New Project at BuzzFeed

After four years of dispatching fashion news with her signature biting humor, Amy Odell is leaving The Cut. She’s been poached by BuzzFeed editor-in-chief Ben Smith, WWD reported this morning. She’ll run a vertical geared towards women that is set to launch in March. We spoke with both Odell and Smith to get the scoop on the new venture.

We’ve been reading The Cut for years and can’t really imagine it without her, though Odell assures us the site will “still be great. There are so many great people working there.”

Odell has such a distinct voice, which we’ll look forward to continuing to read over at BuzzFeed, though in what capacity we’re not entirely sure. “It’s going to be a women’s interest site [and] fashion is going to figure in but it’s not going to be the only thing,” Odell told us. “It’s going to be something that’s in my voice and my taste–not even my taste in terms of fashion but in terms of things we cover.”

“We haven’t ironed out all the details,” BuzzFeed’s editor-in-chief Ben Smith told us over the phone. “[But] Amy is going to have a big role in defining it. It’s really going to be built around her voice.”

Read more »
  • Hayley Phelan & Dhani Mau
  • Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012 / 2:27 PM
  • Comments ()
News

Fashion Week Mad Libs With Lauren Moffatt!

By Dhani Mau Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012 / 1:45 PM

Read more »

photo: Getty

The New York Giants’ Victor Cruz Scores IMG Contract, Will Cut the Ribbon to Kick off New York Fashion Week

Is Victor Cruz, the New York Giants’ crowd-pleasing salsa-dancing super-adorable wide receiver, fashion’s newest obsession?

It sure seems like it. WWD just tweeted that Cruz will cut the ribbon to kick off Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week later today.

He’s also snagged a contract with IMG.

Read more »
Photo: Getty

Anna Wintour’s ‘Runway to Win’ Obama Fundraising Efforts Catches Flack from Republicans, Snarky Reporters

Last night Anna Wintour and Scarlett Johansson hosted “Runway to Win,” the fundraising event in support of Obama’s re-election campaign. Some fairly big-name fashion people attended, including model trio-of-the-moment Karlie Kloss, Chanel Iman, and Joan Smalls. Designers like Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch and Alexander Wang also all took time out from what is probably their busiest time of the year to come out to support Obama. You’ll recall that a slew of them designed items like totes and tees for Obama’s campaign.

But not everyone is responding well to fashion’s (or more specifically, Anna Wintour’s) call to arms for Obama.

Read more »
2011 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show - Performance
Fashion Week

Confirmed: Kanye West to Show at Paris Fashion Week on March 6

There have been rumors, and Kanye all but confirmed it on Twitter, but now we know with certainty that we can look forward to (or dread) a second Kanye West collection and runway show. Karla Otto, Kanye West’s PR agency, confirmed to WWD that West will show at 9.30 p.m. on March 6. The venue has yet to be confirmed.

Read more »
norma_rae_union
Models

Models Have Rights Too: Learn Why Coco Rocha, Crystal Renn and More are Lending Their Support to the Model Alliance

Last night loads of leggy models–A-listers like Shalom Harlow, Doutzen Kroes, Coco Rocha and Crystal Renn among them–gathered at the Standard in the Meatpacking to sip free vodka drinks over loud music. At first glance, a typical fashion party.

Only it wasn’t. These models were gathered to celebrate the launch of the Model Alliance, a non-profit organization founded by Sara Ziff dedicated to “helping models in the American fashion industry organize for safe, fair, and healthy standards in their workplace.”

Read more »
mzl.gcxqvctb
Fashion Week

Made Fashion Week’s Futuristic New App is Like Shazam For Fashion Shows

You know how it can be virtually impossible to get a good shot of a look during a runway show with your phone and then you end up tweeting disappointing blurry photos of nothing? Not anymore, thanks to a genius (seriously) new app just launched by Made (formerly MAC & Milk). The Made Fashion app, which I got to try out this morning at a blogger breakfast at Milk Studios, uses technology developed with Sonicnotify (more on that in a sec) to streamline the way designers, editors, buyers and consumers experience fashion shows and presentations. Here’s what it does, in bullet points because technology is confusing:

• While you’re at a Made fashion show, the app somehow recognizes sound waves that are inaudible to the human ear and automatically syncs your phone/iPad to what show you’re at. Seriously.

Read more »