Fashion's Short Memory

If you flip through any September issue or click through Street Peeper's recent snaps, you'll find that leggings are everwhere. Don't worry, that isn't the "big topic" of the post. The focus is the fashion industry's incredibly short memory. While the crazy pace of fashion is a common theme, this trend returned before some people could let them go the first time around. Looking back at 2005, leggings were definetly a staple in my wardrobe. By 2006, everyone was donning the body-conscious trend. Now its back, albeit in a fabulous, more textured variety, revisiting our magazines, blogs, and sidewalks.

Get ready for fashion week, chicsters. Its about to be shiny!

Get Stoned

WWD reported a trend I've been watching intently, but never acted upon; that is using natural agate and drusy jewelry for fall. With shiny layers of colorful, glossed rock, these accessories, unsurprisingly, create a mysterious, earthy look. Too much, of course, toes the line of making you look like a psychic advisor.

So what's a girl to do if she likes shiny things but lacks fortune-telling abilities?

Anya's Addition

Anya Hindmarch's new line, Anya Hindmarch Bespoke, offers clients a luxurious, yet personal touch. Unfortunately, most only know her for her "I'm Not a Plastic Bag" and "Be a Bag" totes. But this line is more than a just new craze for the masses. But is it for us? Well, we'll have to wait and see.

Versus Revived

Versus, originally launched by Donatella Versace in 1989, is coming back to Milan Fashion Week after a 4-year break. In February, Ms. Versace recruited Christopher Kane to relaunch the brand with an accessories presentation. Versace plans to open 20 Versus stores worldwide by 2010.

Will the world learn to love Donatella's lower-priced line this time around?

Bi-Costal

District L's co-editor, Amanda LaMela, is on a plane to New York from San Francisco. Time to gear up for Fashion Week!

Fashion product categories that don't suck.... as much.

WWD reports on the top 10 product categories with the most resilience:

1. Male Underwear - could he even go without?

2. Fleecewear - booooring.

3. Outerwear - try to endure a NY winter without this

4. Intimate apparel - because sex is free

5. Sleepwear - zzzZZzz

6. Hoisery - hey, big spender

7. Tops - down 7.6% from last year

8. Bottoms - down 7.8% from last year

9. Swimwear

10. Tailoring

 

Come on, people. Do your part! Buy something fabulous!

Full-length Fashion's Night Out PSA

Multiple Choice Question!

Say you had an eco-friendly fashion line called... oh, I don't know, Organic. Which location would be best to present your line:

A) A garden

B) The Altman Building

C) A steakhouse

 

If you chose "a steakhouse", you're right! John Patrick is showing Organic, his eco-friendly line, at New York Steakhouse, Keens.

I hope he invites PETA. And Karl.

 

Donna Does Dallas

Over 120 invited fans flocked to Neiman Marcus at NorthPark Center in Dallas to hear fashion guru, Donna Karan.

"We are strong women," she told attendees, "We've got a lot to do."

She also warned, "We really will have a disaster if something happens to the fashion industry."

Translation: Buy shit, you rich Texans. We need money!

Julia Stiles, we forgive you for all of those bad movies.

In this video, Julia Stiles mocks the green fashion craze and celebrity clothing lines.

Fashion's Night Out: Heating Up

Watch out! Fashion's Night Out will be raiding your television, internet, and New York taxis starting tomorrow.

The marketing blitz will include fashion stars like Sarah Jessica Parker, Carolina Herrera, Chanel Iman, Alexander Wang, Tory Burch, Zac Posen, Ashley Olsen, Vera Wang, and many more.

The event, which will be taking place on September 10, is a retail initialive to revive the public's passion for fashion.

Attention: All Bay Area Fashionistas

August's F.A.B. Mixer (Fashion and Associated Businesses) is being held tonight in Swig at 7pm. If you are a fashion-lover, designer, publicist, model, stylist, buyer or photographer, bring your business cards to this chic spot at 571 Geary Street, San Francisco.

See you there!

Wanted: Art Director

Martha Nelson, editor of style and entertainment at Times Inc., is looking to fill Patricia Marroquin's former Art Director position at Instyle.com.

Any takers?

 

September Issues

In the September Issue screening on Friday, chicsters watched Anna Wintour's reaction to Stefano Pilati's collection. The lack of color and eveningwear left the editrix unsatisfied.

The Daily proceeded to ask attending designers whether or not their upcoming collections fit the bill. Marc Jacobs refused to comment, Vera Wang wasn't sure, and Jason Wu wanted to keep it hush-hush.

Sounds like fashionistas are shaking in their Pradas.

 

Quotable

"I have to admit that I do actually enjoy acting up to the 'diva' role that I have been allotted: after all, I am a bit of a diva, aren't I?" - Donatella Versace

Seriously? Get the hell out.

Kohl's may be hauling its dumpy ass to New York right behind its yawn-inspiring competition, J.C. Penny's.

WWD sources say that Kohl's has been eyeing a space on 57th Street and 8th Avenue - just less than a month after J.C. opened up shop in Herald Square.

We'll look on the bright side - at least we have a place to put our tourists from Wisconsin.

Davidelfin's Big Break

Davidelfin will make its Bryant Park debut on September 10 at 11am. After his more intimate presentation last season, designer David Delfin is ready to dive into the Promenade. The collection, Playback, is all about David Delfin's previous acting career.

Action.

Word on the Street: San Francisco

Some San Franciscans show off their dark, dramatic style one day before WWD makes the trend official.

Hats Off to You

This coming Friday, designers, DJs, and drinkers will be flocking to Florida and 21st Street, San Francisco to check out an awesome collaboration of Bay Area hat makers.

"Support the lost art of millinery and come see what these agents of transformation have to say!" -Katie Burley

A Sunny Day in Fashion

• Bloomingdales to rebuild the entire 60,000 sq. ft. main floor of their Manhattan flagship.

 

• Copenhagen will be expanding their fashion week this season with an increase in designer presentations and more elaborate shows.

 

• David Meister's eveningwear label will make its Bergdorf debut later this month.

 

Quotable

“J. C. Penney has always trafficked in knockoffs that aren’t quite up to Canal Street’s illegal standards. It was never 'get the look for less' so much as 'get something vaguely shaped like the designer thing you want, but cut much more conservatively, made in all-petroleum materials, and with a too-similar wannabe logo that announces your inferiority to evil classmates as surely as if you were cursed to be followed around by a tuba section'.”

- Cintra Wilson, New York Times

 

Hold on to your Philip Treacys.

The Chanel biopic, Coco Avant Chanel, hits select theatres in NY and LA on September 25th.

Even Style.com, after viewing an advance screening, liked the film despite previous apprehensions.

Sweet. I guess Hollywood didn't fuck up too badly this time.

Unexpected. Surprising. Rulez.

Hussein Chalayan Wooden Skirt, A/W 2000

"I'm perceived as avant-garde, which is a misconception...but I never thought a big American company would be interested in us."

Hussein Chalayan is known more for his cutting edge fusions of fashion and techno-mechanical engineering than, say, denim.

Which is why District L is pumped for his recent collaboration with J. Brand. Although the collaboration celebration party was held on July 30th, the three styles Chalayan designed for the denim dynamo should be hitting stores right about...now.

We say yes.

 

Fashion's Night Out Update!

While fashionistas everywhere are working diligently to prepare their fashion week schedules, the real smart chicsters are working out their pre-game party, Fashion's Night Out.

The Vena Cava girls will be throwing a block party in Brooklyn, celebrating female designers, store owners, artists, and DJs.

Alberta Ferretti, on the other hand, will have Daisy Lowe DJing in her Philosophy store window in Soho.

Where will you be?

The Boys are Back in Town

While it sounds Helmut Lang is so over menswear, 3.1 Phillip Lim is making it a new focus. This coming fashion week, Lim will hold its first stand-alone presentation for menswear.

No.

Yes.

This, however...

This is completely unacceptable.

Who Shall Be Next...

just sayin'.

...to jump aboard PETA's Bleeding Heart Express? From the sounds of a recent TV interview with Ryan Seacrest, it may very well be Lady Gaga.

Lady Gaga (a.k.a Stefani Germanotta, of somwehere in Northern New Jersey *shudder*) appeared in the interview wearing a coat made entirely out of plushy stuffed Kermit the Frogs.

She spent most of the interview astride a high horse; apparently she viewed her choice of attire as an outspoken criticism of the fur industry.

"I really loved this one . . . because I thought it was [a] commentary on not wearing fur, 'cause I hate fur and I don't wear fur," said the barely-older-than-us artist who recently appeared in concert sporting a metal bustier rigged with sparklers.

Naturally, PETA immediately tracked her down and is currently hounding her to appear in the all-together for one of their "Rather Go Naked" campaigns.

LOL.

Georgia Has an Anna Experience

Anna Wintour has shipped some couture pieces down south to Savannah College of Art and Design. The college will be displaying these one-of-a-kind creations until September 30th. The exhibition will include a Dior dress from S/S 2004 and Dior suit from S/S 2000.

While we applaud your good deed, Anna, we have some better ideas where you could ship your Dior couture...

Scheduling Conflicts

New York Fashion Week is nary a month away, and already there are some tough choices to make.

Thursday, September 10th at 10 AM has both BCBG and Organic by John Patrick.

Sunday September 12th at 5 PM has Rachel Roy, Rebecca Taylor, and Y-3.

Tuesday September 14th at Noon has both Halston and Rodarte.

Where will you be? We sure as hell don´t know. Bon chance!

Fashion´s Night Out, Milanese Style.

Known to the New York scene as Fashion´s Night Out, Carla Sozzani of District L favorite hotspot Corso Como 10 in Milan will be kicking things off a bit differently on September 10th. The popular Milanese store and gallery will play host to a fabulous block party (if you´ve ever been to Corso Como 10, you can just imagine how much fun that would be) that will celebrate the release of the new photo book Italian Touch, which was commissioned by design house Tod's.

The last time District L was there, the sake and champagne flowed freely- frankly, we may not remember a whole lot. But you can be sure we´ll be picking up our copy of Italian Touch at the Tod´s NY store that same day.

Besos District L desde Lima!

District L co-editor Nicolas Sera-Leyva is taking a brief break from his soon to end blogging hiatus whilst in Lima, Peru checking out his new digs in the fashionable Miraflores district.

Instead of trying to make a teachable moment out of extolling the virtues of Alpaca sweaters, here is a glimpse of Peruvian designer Titi Guiuolfo´s latest runway show. Enjoy!

Well, we would have eaten it...

Jenny Gucci, the British ex-wife of late Gucci designer Paolo Gucci, and her daughter Gemma had their attempt to open a Gucci Gelato shop foiled by a Manhattan judge recently.

Gucci American sued the duo for copyright infringement, and rightly so- having the name doesn´t entitle you to it´s use after all (or at least in this case...silly Brits!).

We´re sure it wouldn´t have been as good as District L favorite Grom . But not the Manhattan one, that one sucks. We´re talking 100% Fiorentina here.

Fashion Update

On September 17, WWD will be holding a one-day forum called "Luxury Redefined," offering strategies for success in the new economy.

Bebe will be launching a signature scent on August 20. It is expected to contain top notes of hooker and boxed wine with hints of polyester.

Apparel retailers cut 15,000 jobs in July.

Ferre' managed to get on an entire soccer team. Ferre' has designed the official off-field uniform for Italian soccer team SS Lazio.

Pop!

Seven For All Mankind has been taking advantage of empty retail spaces worldwide by opening denim pop-up shops. Boston's Newbury Street is the next location to be endowed with premium denim on August 15. It will be operating for six months, focusing 80% of its assortment on denim.

Quotable

"My belief is that every single major magazine is retouched. I don't know how they couldn't be." -Scott Kelby, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals

Helmut Lang: Women Only?

"It doesn't make sense anymore to make men's for Helmut," says one inside source to Fashion Week Daily. While women's wear has always been the focus, Helmut Lang had debuted its menswear back in 1987.

The rumors have been milling around company headquarters for awhile now. Could it be true? Is Helmut Lang giving up menswear?

This is bad.

Miley Cyrus. And BCBG. For Walmart. @%^$!

Tom Ford, Designer and Filmmaker

Tom Ford's production company, Fade to Black, will introduce A Single Man at the Venice Film Festival on September 11. The film, starring Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode, and Nicholas Hoult, is a romantic story based on the novel of the same name.

Sephora Opens a Concept-Testing Store

On Friday, Sephora opened a concept-testing store, which according to WWD, "aims to serve as an incubator for new ideas." Unfortunately, District L wont be stopping by the new idea lab anytime soon because it is located in Times Square.

No offense Sephora, but Times Square would be the last place in New York I would consider to place my "idea incubator." If your looking for the best place for window shopping crowds and a loss-prevention boot camp location, you've picked the right spot. When we go to pick up our GoSmile and Frederik Fekkai, we'll head to 5th and 19th.

 

Back-track Balenciaga

Creations by Cristobal Balenciaga will soon be hand selected and sold exclusively at Le Bon Marche' in Paris. From September 11 to October 15, fashion purists will be able to buy Balenciaga's gowns from the 40s and high-waisted coats from the 50s.

So will you be booking the next flight to Paris before all 19 pieces are gone?

Got Milk?

Remember when I told you about the IMG vs. M.A.C. Cosmetics controversy? Well, turns out M.A.C. Cosmetics and Milk Studios have been brewing some more ideas, including M.A.C. and Milk Fashion Week. M.A.C. and Milk Fashion Week will debut on September 10. The Meatpacking District location is expected to put on about 30 runway shows.

This culminates many questions: Will the venue's location cause too much of a time conflict with Bryant Park shows? Fashion Week shows are already known to start 30 - 45 minutes late. Will editors and buyers want to bounce back and forth between locations?

Only time will tell. Till then, we'll be searching for that M.A.C and Milk Fashion Week site.