The CFDA Awards, the “Oscars of Fashion” (if the Met Gala is the red carpet, the CFDAs are the actual awards), take place this Monday. In advance of the awards, we sent over some questionnaires to the nominees to find out how they reacted to being nominated, their biggest challenges, and sillier stuff like their Read more →
Beyoncé is back! Well, not that she ever really went away. She had that brief hiatus to, you know, give birth to Blue Ivy™, but is now back in all her Sasha Fierce-ian glory. Beyoncé gave her first concert since the birth of Blue Ivy over the weekend at Atlantic City’s Revel resort. She wore Read more →
At the New York City Ballet’s spring gala last night (read about my misadventures here), the renowned company performed two world premieres–one choreographed by the company’s director Peter Martins and one choreographed by former principal dancer with the company Benjamin Millepied, whom you know better as Natalie Portman‘s baby daddy/fiance–as well as the Balanchine classic Read more →
Eric Daman, who’s currently pulling 14-hour days while simultaneously styling Gossip Girl and Carrie Diaries, has somehow found a way to fit in a collaboration with gemstone magnate Swarovski, which launched last night with a soirée at Swarovski’s Rockefeller Center Concourse store. Through the windows, we could see tourists swirling around in the nearby ice Read more →
Swarovski’s been sponsoring the CFDAs for over a decade, and the roster of up-and-coming designers who have won the crystal brand’s trio of awards is quite impressive. (Everyone from Zac Posen to Alexander Wang has accepted a Swarovski.) This little diddy is a montage of acceptance speeches over the years, and features everyone from Kate Spade and Rick Owens to Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen. Totally worth the two minutes.
London-based designer Mary Katrantzou is a bit of a star these days. Not only has she broken the mold of many of her peers by actually being stocked at plenty of American department stores (think Opening Ceremony, Barneys–even Neiman’s) she’s also influencing the next generation. (Seriously, so many of the collections at the SCAD fashion show were inspired by Katrantzou shapes and prints–I was blown away.)
I recently caught up with the busy designer to chat about the business, down time, and mystery collaborations.
Last night, we hopped by Swarovski‘s party commemorating the 10th anniversary of the brand’s involvement with the CFDA Awards, as well as the subsequent limited edition collection designed by Philip Crangi. After getting thoroughly lost in a maze of underground stores and eateries (also known as Rockefeller Plaza), we finally found our way to Swarovski‘s champagne-filled shindig in one of the sparkliest stores we’ve been in yet–and boy was it worth the trek.
Being an unabashed fan of campy Broadway musicals, drag queens, and disco, I was quite pleased to accept an invitation from Swarovski to attend a preview of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Based on the 1994 movie, the musical just opened on Broadway.
Bette Midler is a producer, and Oscar winners Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner designed the costumes, which really deserve their own credit on the playbill. The musical is lighter than the film version, and campier, as any production featuring 15 disco classics must inevitably be. Themes like homophobia and non-traditional family are touched upon, but not brooded over. Overall, I left the theater feeling absolutely elated. It was better than any anti-depressant.
PARIS–For fall 2011, Hussein Chalayan again presented a film, picking up where he left off last season, exploring Japanese culture within the DNA he’s established over the past ten years. But it’s not the kind of literal Japanese influence you might envision–no obis or kimono sleeves here. This season’s film, Kaikoku, means “open country” in Read more →
Since working with Isabella Blow in the ’00s, Nadja Swarovski and her fashion team have made it their responsibility to support designers–both emerging and established–during fashion week and beyond. This season, Swarovski will underwrite the shows of several important New York, London, Milan, and Paris designers. In New York, this includes:
In this behind-the-scenes video, we see how Swarovski crystals play a part not only in the costumes designed by Rodarte (note costume designer Amy Westcott is absent in the video) but also the set design, as they lent several sparkling chandeliers to the film. Moreover, we get a sense that while the Mulleavy’s might be Read more →
LONDON–The Empire in Leicester Square played host last night to the UK premiere of Burlesque, a so-so sparkle-n-sequins musical starring Cher and Christina Aguilera and an army of gorgeous Swarovski-dripping bustiers designed by Michael Kaplan. The BAFTA award winning costume designer is to thank for trend-spawning films like Flashdance, Blade Runner, Pearl Harbor and the Versace and Marc Jacobs-influencing Fight Club…the man’s got range.
The sparkly, indoor-use-only outfits, aside from Christina’s undeniable set of pipes, were the glue-gun that kept the film together. The true stunners included: six variations of delicate hand-linked gold chains with tiny Swarovskis whipping around in the finale; Christina’s high collared string of pearls “dress” that whipped right off her in one number; black velvet bodysuits with 1930s-inspired sequined hands over the bum and boobs. The costumes, like the score, drew inspiration from every era from the ’20s to the ’80s and will undoubtedly boost sales at Agent Provocateur. We also wouldn’t be surprised if some girls abandon the acrobatics of pole-dancing lessons for the glam athleticism of burlesque.
