Fashionista

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

Tuesday February 5th, 2013

10 New Style Books To Look Out For This Year
Books

10 New Style Books To Look Out For This Year

Around here, we love a good fashion book. 2012 brought us winners like Grace Coddington’s memoir, the Sartorialist’s second venture Closer, and the massive Kate Moss Book. Whether you’re looking for a good read to help pass the long days spent inside waiting for spring, or just something pretty to go on your coffee table, we’ve compiled a list of the best style books being released in 2013, plus where to get them. And the releases start now. Mary Blume’s hotly anticipated biography of Balenciaga hits bookstores today.

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Published at 5:07 PM

Monday January 21st, 2013

Robin Givhan Makes a Timely (and Temporary?) Return to the Washington Post
Media

Robin Givhan Makes a Timely (and Temporary?) Return to the Washington Post

Perhaps last year’s biggest shocker within the fashion media circle was Newsweek‘s sudden layoff of Robin Givhan.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning fashion journalist, best known in recent years for her analysis of the wardrobes of political figures (especially of the FLOTUS), joined Newsweek from the Washington Post in 2010.

So, has she made a return to the DC paper? Sort of!

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Published at 12:22 PM

Friday December 7th, 2012

Tuesday September 4th, 2012

Wednesday June 13th, 2012

The Evolution of the Fashion Editor: Industry Insiders Weigh in On How the Job Has Changed for Better or for Worse
Media

The Evolution of the Fashion Editor: Industry Insiders Weigh in On How the Job Has Changed for Better or for Worse

There’s no question that, over the past ten years, fashion media (and all media for that matter) has changed dramatically–a fact that was underscored last week when bloggers Scott Schuman and Garance Dore took home the CFDA Media Award, something that would have previously been unthinkable.

“10 years ago, [Scott and Garance] wouldn’t have gotten this award,” Pharrel said during the ceremony. “That’s what’s so exciting about tonight.”

Garance reiterated that fact, saying, “Six years ago I opened my blog [and] it wasn’t taken very seriously.” Fast forward to 2012, and she’s accepting the highest honor from her peers. Clearly, the landscape has changed drastically.

“It is just a different world and different time that we live in,” CFDA president Steven Kolb said, of the pair’s win.

“The reason why Scott and Garance won the Media Award and who they are and what they do, is no different than those who have won before,” he added. “Fashion and media are changing every second because of technology.”

Truer words could not have been spoken. Gone are the days when print publications alone ruled the industry–now news is broken on Twitter, and blogs and websites have become legitimate (and necessary) sources of original reporting. While these changes are generally improvements–particularly for the way we consume media–they also have huge implications for the jobs of those who work in the industry, and not all of them are positive. Now, an editor is not just an editor: She or he must also be a blogger, a Tweeter, an Instagrammer, a street style star and in many cases, a “personality.” And that’s not even mentioning all the DJ gigs, TV appearances and special projects that editors today are racking up.

So, what exactly does it mean to be an editor, in today’s ever-changing, digital climate?

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Published at 6:21 PM

Monday May 21st, 2012

Andre Leon Talley and Ralph Rucci On Beyoncé’s Met Ball Gown and How Dressing Kim Kardashian Would ‘Bastardize’ a Designer
People We Like

Andre Leon Talley and Ralph Rucci On Beyoncé’s Met Ball Gown and How Dressing Kim Kardashian Would ‘Bastardize’ a Designer

This weekend I had the privilege of visiting Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) in Savannah, where the university had a handful of exciting events on hand–from a fantastic student fashion show (more on that later) to an eye-opening exhibit of Ralph Rucci’s work at the Andre Leon Talley gallery in the SCAD museum.

Rucci was honored this year with the André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award, and to celebrate the designer sat down with ALT (clad in a red cloak, natch) for a candid talk at the museum’s auditorium with Robin Givhan as moderator. The conversation ran the gamut, covering topics as broad as the importance of celebrity endorsements and how the internet has changed fashion, to specific tidbits, like Beyonce’s Met Ball dress (and why she was late) and why Rucci says he won’t dress Kim Kardashian.

Read on for the best bits:

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Published at 6:30 PM

Tuesday May 1st, 2012

Miuccia Prada on Being a Feminist in Fashion: ‘I Only Recently Stopped Having Problems’
Designers

Miuccia Prada on Being a Feminist in Fashion: ‘I Only Recently Stopped Having Problems’

Miuccia Prada may be one of the most influential, beloved and respected fashion designers of our time–evidenced by the fact that she’s about to be honored with an exhibit at the Costume Institute at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. However, she wasn’t always so keen on the idea of working in fashion. In fact, there was a time when she “hated it.”

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Published at 11:30 AM

Friday March 23rd, 2012

Newsweek to Karl Lagerfeld: We’re Not Dying. At All.

Newsweek to Karl Lagerfeld: We’re Not Dying. At All.

Karl Lagerfeld took aim at Newsweek and Tina Brown yesterday, telling reporters at a press conference in Tokyo that “Tina Brown’s magazine is not doing well at all,” and that Brown was “dying.” He went on to say that he felt “sorry” for Tina Brown, “who was such a success at ‘Vanity Fair,’ to go down with a shitty little paper like this. I’m sorry.” All of this in response to a question from a reporter about a (quite thoughtful) article Robin Givhan wrote about Lagerfeld in which she called him “overrated” and “spread too thin.”

So are Newsweek and Tina Brown actually dying? Not so much.

We reached out to Newsweek and they responded with the following statement, packed with stats indicating the magazine’s success:

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Published at 10:55 AM
Karl Lagerfeld Calls Newsweek a ‘Sh*tty Little Paper’

Karl Lagerfeld Calls Newsweek a ‘Sh*tty Little Paper’

A day without a krazy kwote from Karl Lagerfeld is like a day without sunshine. Here’s today’s gem:

Remember that article Robin Givhan wrote for Newsweek/The Daily Beast where she called Karl Lagerfeld “overrated” and questions whether he was “spread too thin”? Karl Lagerfeld sure does. And he’s still pissed about it. During a press conference yesterday in Tokyo, he didn’t hold back when asked about Tina Brown and Newsweek.

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Published at 9:00 AM

Wednesday March 7th, 2012

Fashion Critic Robin Givhan Says Bloggers are ‘Too Cozy’ With the Designers They Report On
Fashion Shows

Fashion Critic Robin Givhan Says Bloggers are ‘Too Cozy’ With the Designers They Report On

The question of personal style bloggers’ editorial integrity is as relevant as ever, and as the importance of bloggers shows no sign of abating more and more industry players are weighing in on the subject.

The latest is Pulitzer prize-winning journalist Robin Givhan, who told the Toronto Star that “[bloggers] are too cozy with the designers on whom they report.” According to the Star, Givhan doesn’t follow bloggers and she’s uncomfortable with their growing authority in the fashion industry–particularly when it comes to “reviewing” shows, for which they’ve essentially been paid (in the form of free flights and clothing) to attend.

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Published at 6:01 PM

Friday February 10th, 2012

Fashion Industry Insiders Dish: My Most Embarrassing Fashion Week Moment
Fashion Is Fun

Fashion Industry Insiders Dish: My Most Embarrassing Fashion Week Moment

Here’s the thing about fashion week: it’s ripe for embarrassing moments. Why? Everyone gets dressed to the nines, wears their highest heels, and is so worried about how they look, and how everyone else thinks they look, that when something goes awry cheeks instantly go bright red. And it doesn’t help that everyone is looking down at their phones when they should be looking at the rope of wires that’s about to trip them. We’ve spent the last few days poling everyone from editors to stylists to designers for their most embarrassing moments. And they really are embarrassing. Read about Simon Doonan having his fly unzipped at a very inopportune time, Jenna Lyons getting moved from her front row seat, Betsey Johnson’s g-string slip, and many, many , more. Remember YM? Consider this the “Say Anything” for the fashion industry.

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Published at 7:49 PM

Monday October 24th, 2011

Fashion News Roundup: Louis Vuitton’s First Perfume, Ryan Gosling on GQ Russia and Katy Perry’s Occupy Wall Street Visit
Fashion News Roundup

Fashion News Roundup: Louis Vuitton’s First Perfume, Ryan Gosling on GQ Russia and Katy Perry’s Occupy Wall Street Visit

Robin Givhan Is Writing A Book: The fashion critic for The Daily Beast and Newsweek is penning a book about the 1973 Grand Divertissement à Versailles, when rising American fashion designers faced off against established French masters. It’s like a fashion action novel. {Styleite}

Watch Elle’s Women In Hollywood Video: Listen to the cover ladies of Elle’s November issue, including Evan Rachel Wood, Barbra Streisand, Jen Aniston and Freida Pinto, talk about how and why they got into the acting biz, their inspirations and their favorite projects. {Elle}

Ryan Gosling GQ Russia: Here’s a little Monday morning man-candy for you: Mario Testino shot Ryan Gosling for the cover of GQ Russia. His eyes, they penetrate my soul. {Design Scene}

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Published at 1:15 PM