The opera theme at the D&G show spoke volumes about Domenico and Stefano's attitude towards the future. The tassles, lace, bows and opera-print bodices sang songs of positivity. In turn, the audience gave D&G rave reviews and a standing ovation. Bravo!
“I want women to really look like women from today. It’s not from the past and not from the future, because I don’t know what happens in the future. It is the women of today who I think is a seductive woman.”
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Carolina Herrera - Backstage - Fall 09 MBFW
We began to hear talk of this months ago, but depite economic turmoil, Roberto Cavalli will be launching The Cavalli Card this week in Milan. This shiny, colorful Cavalli MasterCard will be in the wallets of top clients, who will then be eligible for VIP treatment at all Roberto Cavalli stores worldwide.
Giorgio Armani announced at his
...by feminizing one of this season's typically male trends- full, rich, chunky knits. Missoni's runway this season was positively dripping with luxurious cascades of knitwear.
Photos from Style.com
"I hope with all my heart that these pieces will be produced"- Roberto Cavalli, in response to his recent showing in Milan despite the prime licensor behind Just Cavalli, Ittierre, filing for bankruptcy protection (Style.com)
Despite the recent string of designers selling out, cancelling shows, and other acts of concession to the current economic state- Cavalli didn't disappoint and showed his Fall 2009 collection for Just Cavalli anyway. Whether the looks he showed will actually be produced is anyone's guess- but holy hell do we hope so.
The possibly morose mood at Cavalli right now in the face of current events was conveyed in the more sober palette of this season's collection; while the trademark outlandish prints were worked into the collection with typical finesse, they were more of an accent and less of a base this time around. That, combined with more architectural elements- such as boxier-cut jackets with rigidly constructed shoulders in blacks and greys- made for a more subdued but still very Cavalli showing.
We're proud of you, Roberto!
Photos from Style.com
The Spanish retailer, Mango, is about to get a taste of stars and stripes a'la Adam Lippes. Lippes, who had his first Bryant Park showing this season, will have his designs in 600 Mango retailers.
“I was really impressed by them,” said Lippes on his decision to work with Mango. “They’re not about copying other designers; they have their own point of view.”
Adam's brand, ADAM by Adam Lippes, was talk of the town at New York Fashion Week and can be found at www.shopadam.com. (FWD, February 27, 2009)
Adam Lippes - Runway - Fall 09 MBFW
“So, shoe me. It may sound odd, but I tend to identify the events in my life by the shoes I wore at the time.”
Charla Lawhon, InStyle
Vivienne Westwood announced today that Pamela Anderson, the face of her last ad campaign, will be gracing her runway in Paris next Friday.
Good thing she got her practice in New York with Richie Rich!
"The Gucci Group has sold its luxury watch brand Bedat & Co. to a Malaysian based group, LuxuryConcepts Watches & Jewelry." (FWD; 2/26/09, Milan)
Bedat & Co. was aquired by Gucci Group about eight years ago by former CEO Domenico De Sole and creative director Tom Ford. Unlike the group's other acquisitions, such as Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga and Alexander McQueen, Bedat never took off as Gucci Group had hoped.
Gucci Group is the world's second multi-brand luxury goods company. The group also controls Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Boucheron, and Sergio Rossi.
VENICE, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 01: Gucci Group C.E.O. Robert Poulet attends the Gucci Group Awards at the Palazzo Grassi during the 65th Venice Film on 1,...
"There are movie stars you see in film or characters in a novel that are an idealized version of what we dream life to be about, and rarely is this great expectation met...But Daphne is the exception: She is the embodiment of the ideal- beautiful, chic, fiercely intelligent, and kind"- Stephen Klein on Daphne Guinness, W Magazine
Photo from VOGUE, UK
"Purple Fashion magazine #11 is currently sold out in most of the United States, but more copies will be arriving at retailers this Friday," Olivier Zahm, editor of Purple Fashion, stated today.
The cover featured the fabulous Diane von Furstenberg in fishnet tights and a crazy blonde coat. Go DVF!!
"Like red lipstick on the mouth, my products wake up and brighten and bring the wearer to life...drawing attention to her beauty and specialness...her moods and movements...her dreams and fantasies." -Betsey Johnson
"The fact that big-shouldered, bling-festooned dressing is now being shamelessly enjoyed by Christophe Decarnin at Balmain (and his many fans) doesn't make Macdonald an imitator—he was already there ten or so years ago."- Style.com
We've seen so much of the Balmain shoulder on the runways this season its already starting to feel like old hat- but that hasn't stopped yet another British talent, Julien Macdonald, from working it quite nicely into a collection that is finally his own.
Among the other current trends oozing from his Fall 2009 Collection, which showed at London Fashion Week this Tuesday past, there was an overwhelming sense that Macdonald had finally come into own. After a rocky period spent with Givenchy, which ended in 2004, he struck out on his own for awhile occupying himself with sundry projects- among them a redesign of the British Airways cabin crew uniform and a mass-produced (HA- there it is again!) line for British department store Debenhams.
"I thought I would grow to love it...I didn't. What Givenchy needs is time. It took Galliano six years to make Dior work. I just wasn't prepared to stay. In the end, I told LVMH, 'I'm miserable and I'm going home.' I don't find a black dress with three holes exciting. I don't find the black cashmere pencil-skirt suit fun. But I kept quiet and did my job."- Julien Macdonald, The Independent UK
His experience at Givenchy no longer a restriction on his career, Tuesday's showing was really a demonstration of muscle-flexing on the part of the designer. The whole package- Balmain shoulders, cutouts, Hi-Res opulence and shine, and sheer paneling on sleeves and bodices- was present, along with a refreshing shift away from the deep violet shades we saw in New York and a move towards greens and blues.
Photos from Style.com
Congratulations, Julien. It's good to have you back.
According to New York Daily News, Valentino's boyfriend saved his life last weekend in Los Angeles.
"Designer Valentino Garavani tried to escape a legion of swarming paparazzi last weekend in L.A. - and wound up stumbling into the street," the article read.
Luckily, Valentino's lover grabbed his shirt, tugging the style genius to saftey.
Moral of this story: Steer clear of L.A. The City of Angels may be a playground for paltry celebrities, but it is no place for high fashion.
Milan Fashion Week, shine on!
Italian designers want to grab your attention and they will use sequins, metallics, patent leather and bright silky fabrics to achieve that goal. Milanese fashionistas know that editors and buyers are starting to get tired and run-down from all of the Fashion Week travel and buzz, so a slap to the cornea is their best remedy!
Kellie, who we met at the premiere of "Broadcast Hero" at the Tribeca Cinema on Tuesday, won our attention for her demure but fabulous wool cape and studded leggings.
"The collection will have rock 'n' roll influences and edgy details such as studs and tattoo-print fabrics. Designer Initiative is a separate program from Target's Go International, which focuses on young or emerging designers. Target said additional Designer Collaborations will be announced in the future. Each collection will be available in stores for a limited time." (WWD)
Oh. Okay, Target is coming out with another middle-market line aimed at the budget-conscious suburban fashionable. Whatever, this happens everyday.
Wrong.
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN IS DESIGNING A DIFFUSION LINE FOR TARGET. WHAT.
Yeah, this doesn't happen everyday. But in light of the recent trend in luxury design houses releasing diffusion lines in cooperation with some of America's most notorious big box retailers, that statement might soon be debunked.
The above quote is a general overview of the collection McQueen will be releasing in March. A version of his bridge line McQ (meaning this collection is basically the bridge line of a bridge line), this is only a part of Target's evil plan to takeover the fashion world. Otherwise known as "Designer Collaborations", the program is "aimed to be an ongoing program that will bring a series of established designers to the masses at low prices." (WWD).
But did they have to go after McQueen? We expect this kind of thing from younger designers who need a vehicle, such as Target, for spreading awareness of their brand and building their business. The great luxury houses, the meat and potatoes of the likes of LVMH and the Gucci Group, built their empires from scratch- they don't need mass-produced diffusion lines where quality is sacrificed in the name of bargain "designer fashions". Alas it appears Alexander McQueen has joined the "ranks" of established designers who, be it for economic strain or pure pecuniary temptation, have possibly cashed in their credibility for a padded bottom line.
Is nothing sacred?
Models present creations by Valeria Marini for Seduzioni Diamonds Fall/Winter 2009-2010 ready-to-wear collection on February 25, 2009 during the week /...
Heading to yet another fashion week? Visiting any of the world's fashion capitals? District L has you covered.
"You have to make yourself necessary and find a way that works for you [...] because a lot of people have come and a lot of people have gone."
-Grace Coddington, in The September Issue on how to have a long career at Vogue
Mark Fast, another talented Central Saint Martin's grad, was a crowd pleaser at London Fashion Week yesterday. The knitwear genius was inspired by thunder, creating sound and light effects of the storm before his show.
"It's time for a rebellion against safeness. It's exciting to be a designer now," Fast stated. And safe, he was not. His tiny, body-conscious dresses barely covered the models as they made their way down the runway. But then again, that seems to be a recipe for success and popularity (ahem, Herve Leger.)
(Photos by Style.com)
Are the rumors true? Did Lily Cole really go under the knife for breast-enhancement surgery? This may be commonplace for models who grace the pages of Maxim or walk down the Victoria Secret runway once a year, but for a proper runway model? Unheard of.
District L will keep our eyes and ears open for Lily Cole's future modeling contracts. There must be a reason why this svelt model decided to supersize.
But to conclude this dish-sesh, we think Lily looks great!
