New York Times

Photo: Imaxtree
Rants

Cathy Horyn’s Year-End Fashion Roundup: Here’s What She Loved (McQueen) and Wants to Forget (Kim Kardashian and the Roaring 20s)

This is the time for year-end lists and reflection, and when it comes to fashion, we always look forward to what Cathy Horyn has to say. The Times published a slideshow today of what Cathy Horyn has deemed the top fashion moments of 2011 (check out our own list here) and believe it or not, she didn’t like everything.

Her top 10 list, in which she gives her take on what she felt were the biggest fashion moments and events of the year, includes the Alexander McQueen Met exhibit, Sarah Burton’s royal wedding designs, John Galliano’s fall from grace, as well as some less obvious choices such as a dress Giovanna Battaglia wore to Cannes, Olivier Theyskens’ success at Theory and, weirdly, Pop Phones: landline-style handsets that you attach to your cell phone with a cord. Apparently they’re a thing and editors were using them in the front rows? She also nails into the redundancy of 1920s-inspired clothes on the spring runways, justifiably praising Prada and Balenciaga for going against the grain:

Read more »
toy-story-clothin-line-ailen-dress
Fashion News Roundup

Fashion News Roundup: Toy Story Gets A Clothing Line, NYT Introduces New Style App, and Lea Michele Covers December’s Allure

The Toy Story Clothing Line You Didn’t Ask For: Pixar and Bossini, a Hong Kong based clothing company, have collaborated on a clothing line inspired by Toy Story. While you wouldn’t know it from looking at the pieces, the clothes are for men and women–not just children. As far as wearability, they should fit you just fine if you’re a pre-pubescent fifth grader. {Racked}

The New York Times Delivers Fashion to Your iPad: The New York Times is combining T Magazine, The Moment, Thursday and Sunday Styles, and the International Herald Tribune, to bring you The Collection, a new iPad app for the fashionista that just cannot get enough. Sign us up. {NYT}

Dries Van Noten Photo Exhibit: Remember the breathtaking land and cityscape prints featured on Dries Van Noten’s Spring 2012 collection? Well the original photos by James Reeve that inspired the looks are getting another day in the spotlight. They will be displayed alongside pieces from the collection in an exhibit taking place at the Song concept store in Vienna, and then again in Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Paris in the upcoming months. {WWD (subscription required)}

Read more »

What Do You Wear to a Gay Wedding? Jenna Lyons Talks Outfitting Same Sex Couples at J. Crew; Mickey Drexler Explains Why He Wants Them in the Catalog

When the gay marriage bill was passed in New York, we couldn’t help but wonder what impact that might have on the New York-centric fashion industry and apparently neither could Cathy Horyn. In the Times today, she writes about stylish gay couples heading down the aisle and the outfits they have to choose from.

We have been seeing some unconventional wedding attire during bridal fashion week, and there are pieces that could work well for a lesbian wedding. See: simpler options like the pants suit, and tea length dresses that could counter a partner wearing a longer more traditional dress. According to Horyn, same-sex couples are a growing market that designers and retailers will be catering to. And J. Crew is happy to be one of those retailers.

Read more »
Commentary

Did You Read That Times Piece on Dressing for ‘the Club’? We Thought It Was a Little Off the Mark

In today’s Times Style section, there is a piece titled “Dress Codes in New York Clubs: Will This Get Me In?” The author attempts to reveal the sartorial secrets for getting in to New York City’s most exclusive nightclubs. Apparently, to get into all the hip NYC spots like The Mulberry Project and Provacateur, all you have to do is wear tight jeans, 5-inch heels and forgo stripes.

Here are the most hilarious quotes author and his interviewees’ (NYC club owners) advice for what will “get you in”:

Read more »
Quote of the Day

(Offensive) Quote of the Day: The Samurai Shopper Gives the “Cigar Store Indian” a Contemporary Use

By Steff Yotka Tuesday, Jul 19, 2011 / 9:00 AM

“Sometimes the best shopping partner is the one who sits like a cigar store Indian and reads the paper.”

– The Samurai Shopper in a post describing shopping at AllSaints. Somewhere in the New York Times’ style guide there must be a section on racial monikers from the 19th century. And even if there’s not, they must have at least watched that episode of Seinfeld involving Jerry’s Native American girlfriend.

Magazines

Editorial Musical Chairs: Glossies Keep it Internal

This week, there was not a lot of movement between different publications, but some major internal changes to report on. There must be some happy editors out there because everyone got promoted!

Allure announced three major promotions this week: Kristen Perotta, formerly editorial projects director and beauty director, has been named executive editor. Jillian Mackenzie, formerly deputy editor is now features director/deputy editor. Amy Keller Laird, formerly beauty director, is now deputy editor/beauty director.

At the New York Times, contributing writer Jeremy Peters was promoted to magazine reporter and Stephanie Clifford went from advertising and marketing reporter to reporter, retail coverage.

Read more »
Fashion News Roundup

Fashion News Roundup: NYT‘s Hearts Rodarte But Not Neighborhoodies, More From American Apparel, And The Dark Side Of Organic

New York Times Versus Neighborhoodies Versus Rodarte: When Rodarte released its New York Herald Tribune tee as a tribute to the cult-classic film Breathless, apparently they forgot the cliché that there are no new ideas. T-shirt underdogs Neighborhoodies had already been producing a near-exact doppleganger of the shirt for years– minus the ghosted-out “Rodarte” text, of course. Neighborhoodies is now in a legal kerfuffle with The New York Times, but the Times may not have much of a case. We expect the newspaper giant to emerge from the conflict with no winnings and some bad press–as they say, no news is good news. {Racked}

The Un-Cuddly Facts About Organic Cotton: Hipster mommies and daddies everywhere wouldn’t dream about putting their little Emmett/Regina/Asbury in anything other than 100% pure organic cotton, but they may not realize that the kid’s going to have a hell of a complex when he grows up. According to Time magazine, the insecticide restrictions necessitated by the “organic” label are putting babies in Africa at an even higher risk for Malaria, a disease that’s already wreaking havoc on Uganda. Let’s hope the newly-pregnant Stella McCartney avoids this trap….{Ecouterre}

Read more »
People Are Talking

M.I.A. vs. Lynn Hirschberg: The Battle Begins

M.I.A. seems like the kind of girl you don’t want to get in a fight with. So when writer Lynn Hirschberg wrote a less-than-flattering cover story on her in the New York Times Magazine, disaster was bound to occur.

Hirschberg’s article, published online yesterday and arriving by mail this weekend, includes phrases like, “Unity holds no allure for Maya–she thrives on conflict, real or imagined. ‘I kind of want to be an outsider,’ she said, eating a truffle-flavored French fry. ‘I don’t want to make the same music, sing about the same stuff, talk about the same things. If that makes me a terrorist, then I’m a terrorist.’”

Despite her love of conflict and contradiction, M.I.A. was not so pleased about this portrayal. So she took to Twitter, releasing Lynn Hirschberg’s phone number to her over 100,000 followers.

Read more »
Quote of the Day

“Paris has a long history of creative men and women who in spite of their own generosity of spirit and imagination just never succeeded in making the fortunes they seemed to deserve. That’s the way it is.” –Cathy Horyn on the whole Lacroix situation.

Read more »
Mid-Day Snack

Mid-Day Snack

Everyone’s Talkin’ About: Vogue Italia’s always up to something new. This month, Steven Meisel’s coordinated a Twitter cover for the magazine. The girls: Christy, Gisele, Natalia, Lara and Kasia, took the pictures of themselves. And, it’s Kasia’s first Vogue Italia cover. {Models} Better Late Than Never: In case you, like us, missed it, Net-a-Porter’s gone [...]

Read more »
Magazines

And the Layoffs Go On (and On)

The weather has us in enough of a crap mood already without having to read news of more layoffs in our world all morning. Condé Nast’s never-ending month of news we’d rather not hear seems to be drawing from to a close, but it’s not totally over yet. Just yesterday FWD reported that longtime W [...]

Read more »
Quote of the Day

“It’s really belittling of the customer to think that anyone from a different price bracket deserves anything less.” –Stella McCartney on her cute designs for Gap Kids in the New York Times. We know what our friends’ little ones are getting for Christmas and Hanukkah this year.

Read more »