“This whole crisis is like a big spring housecleaning — both moral and physical. There is no creative evolution if you don’t have dramatic moments like this. Bling is over. Red carpety covered with rhinestones is out. I call it ‘the new modesty.’”
- Karl Lagerfeld voicing what many of us have been thinking in The New York Times. Because, honestly, those shoe and It bag prices couldn’t go any higher. Something had to give.
Quote of the day
Categorised as: fashion
A soda bottle that is better dressed than you
Sonia Rykiel’s daughter Nathalie is the latest to design a limited edition Coca-Cola bottle. (Team Roberto Cavalli swathed it in a leopard and zebra print creation two seasons ago.) The Parisian’s version features stripes in a very Rykiel-like color palette of crimson, saffron, pink and gold. It hits stores worldwide this month.
Categorised as: fashion
Katie’s deeper side
Photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot managed to strip Katie Holmes of all Stepford Wife qualities for Miu Miu’s spring-summer 2009 campaign. The ad “speaks to the deeper complexity of the Miu Miu woman” according to a press release from the brand.
Categorised as: fashion
Unexpected cures for winter skin
Rachel Weisz has nary a winter-time patch of dry skin in sight thanks to Dr. David Colbert.
Hard times and harsh weather do not a clear complexion make. To save you from three cold months of chafed noses and crusty eyebrows, we enlisted celebrity dermatologist Dr. David Colbert and makeup artist Talia Shobrook to address a list of winter skin ills with budget-friendly tips.
It’s one thing to have a constant runny nose in elementary school, another as a working adult. Those crusty flakes of skin around your nose won’t exactly impress on a job interview. “The problem is that when you constantly blow your nose, the friction irritates the skin. The trick is to coat your nose with a thin layer of Vaseline to form a protective shield from the tissue,” says Colbert who helps loyal clients including Cate Blanchett, Naomi Campbell and Rachel Weisz look spot-free. “I would also use an eye cream on the nose at night before bed,” adds Shobrook whose clients include Kate Bosworth, Sarah Jessica Parker and Mischa Barton.
The idea of dry flakey skin around the eyes and eyebrows sounds weird (and gross), but it’s a more common occurrence than you think. Example: you have acne-prone skin and the cold weather and nightly Retin-A applications have caused flakes in sensitive areas. “The cure for ‘eye dandruff’ is a really good eye cream or gel. A cream is good for people who generally have dry skin around the eye area. Eyecon by Benefit cosmetics will smooth the delicate skin around the eye,” says Shobrook.
Scaly face
“People don’t realize that sugar is really bad for maintaining moisture in the skin,” says Colbert before going on to explain that the body uses more water to metabolize a pack of M&M’s than an apple. So basically, a diet loaded with refined sugars = accelerated aging. “You are what you eat,” adds Colbert. The solution? A Metamucil tablet a day (seriously.) “I tell my patients to take a tablet a day because it helps get the digestive tract moving the way it needs to and helps the body hold water. When your digestive tract is working properly, your skin retains more moisture. And when that happens, the aging process slows down.”
Those cold and flu-induced dry nose patches
It’s one thing to have a constant runny nose in elementary school, another as a working adult. Those crusty flakes of skin around your nose won’t exactly impress on a job interview. “The problem is that when you constantly blow your nose, the friction irritates the skin. The trick is to coat your nose with a thin layer of Vaseline to form a protective shield from the tissue,” says Colbert who helps loyal clients including Cate Blanchett, Naomi Campbell and Rachel Weisz look spot-free. “I would also use an eye cream on the nose at night before bed,” adds Shobrook whose clients include Kate Bosworth, Sarah Jessica Parker and Mischa Barton.
Eye dandruff
The idea of dry flakey skin around the eyes and eyebrows sounds weird (and gross), but it’s a more common occurrence than you think. Example: you have acne-prone skin and the cold weather and nightly Retin-A applications have caused flakes in sensitive areas. “The cure for ‘eye dandruff’ is a really good eye cream or gel. A cream is good for people who generally have dry skin around the eye area. Eyecon by Benefit cosmetics will smooth the delicate skin around the eye,” says Shobrook.
Scaly face
“People don’t realize that sugar is really bad for maintaining moisture in the skin,” says Colbert before going on to explain that the body uses more water to metabolize a pack of M&M’s than an apple. So basically, a diet loaded with refined sugars = accelerated aging. “You are what you eat,” adds Colbert. The solution? A Metamucil tablet a day (seriously.) “I tell my patients to take a tablet a day because it helps get the digestive tract moving the way it needs to and helps the body hold water. When your digestive tract is working properly, your skin retains more moisture. And when that happens, the aging process slows down.”
Categorised as: fashion
London Fashion Week loses a day, gains a show
It’s comforting to know that not every fashion brand is canceling its autumn winter 2009 show. Sienna and Savannah Miller will put on their first catwalk show ever for their line Twenty8Twelve by s. miller during London Fashion Week. That’s a good thing for Britain’s style scene, which suffered a blow when its Fashion Week was trimmed to four measly days. Expect their usual brand of effortlessly cool and very English-looking dresses, separates and coats.
Categorised as: fashion
Sprouse mania
Between Louis Vuitton’s tribute series of handbags featuring his prints and an upcoming art exhibit at the New York gallery Deitch Projects, Stephen Sprouse — the late designer who earned cool cred in the ’80s for his Day-Glo graffiti-print women’s wear — is having a major pop culture moment. “Rock On Mars,” an art show created in collaboration with Louis Vuitton opens at Deitch on Friday and runs through February 28. For those who can’t make the exhibit, get your Sprouse fix at www.welovesprouse.com which features a virtual tour of his life and work complete with a preview of the handbags that hit stores this week. Added bonus: a video interview with Marc Jacobs.
Categorised as: fashion
The most memorable fashion moments of 2008
From luxury department stores having major markdowns on YSL, Prada and Givenchy to traditionally blonde-haired-blue-eyed dominated runway shows opening its call sheets to models of color, the year in fashion experienced a when-pigs-fly level of change.
1) The economy brought the fashion world down to earth
High-end fashion has long sailed in the winds of fantasy. And fantasy and budgets have never exactly mixed–until now. Watching Chanel cancel its elaborate mobile art tour and Marc Jacobs nix his annual Christmas party (not to mention those persistent Internet rumors that luxury emporium Saks Fifth Avenue is in financial trouble) made it painfully clear that the industry’s biggest brands are not immune from the downturn.
2) But we got to score some major bargains as a result
Here are just a few of the deals we’ve encountered in recent weeks: A) A Prada tote marked down 70% — from $1, 595 to $479, people — at Barneys New York. B) An autumn/ winter ‘08 Maison Martin Margiela dress marked down to $130 on Saks Fifth Avenue’s e-commerce site. And C) Yves Saint Laurent platform heels marked down to $299 on its online home. Enough said.
3) Sarah Palin made a very expensive wardrobe look not-so-expensive
It was bad enough that the Republican National Committee spent roughly $150,000 on the Vice Presidential candidate during a major financial crises. But to make matters worse, she didn’t even make the pricey clothes look especially exciting or unique. Fashion critics, television pundits and bloggers alike agreed that she could have easily gotten the conservative looks from Ann Taylor or Gap. And worst of all, Michelle Obama outdressed her a week after wardrobe-gate in a totally wallet-friendly ensemble from J.Crew. Two snaps and a twin set.
4) Black made a comeback…
Model manager and activist Bethann Hardison created public awareness of the dearth of black models in fashion shows and imagery through her panel discussions. Vogue Italia kept the momentum going with its Steven Meisel-shot black edition. And the appearance of black models in major ad campaigns for Topshop, Lanvin and Yves Saint Laurent and on the runways in Paris, New York and London proved the power of meaningful public dialogue. The Milan runways, which still looked pretty homogenous with the exception of a few Jourdan Dunn sightings, were another story. Baby steps.
5) …and supermodels did too
Between the sudden interest in up-and-coming black models to the super’s return to magazine covers and ad campaigns, 2008 could have also been called, “The Year of the Model.” The major girls not only gave magazine covers a bit of fabulosity (Stephanie Seymour for Harper’s Bazaar and Christy Turlington’s W and French Vogue covers), they brought the wow factor to ad campaigns as well (Naomi Campbell’s YSL photos, Claudia Schiffer’s stints with Chanel and Dolce & Gabbana and Linda Evangelista’s Prada ads.) It’s enough to make one want to YouTube old George Michael videos.
Categorised as: fashion
A Model’s Wish List
In the fashion world, Sessilee Lopez, Siri Tollerød and Lakshmi Menon
may be three of the year’s most talked-about new faces, but off the runway –
and in their homes for the holidays — it’s less about photo opportunities
and more about apartment decorating, family visits — and julegøgg. They
reveal the gifts they crave.
Siri Tollerød, 20
Where you’ve seen her: On the runway at Lanvin, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, John
Galliano, and Chanel (to name a few) and in advertising campaigns for Gwen
Stefani’s L.A.M.B. and Alberta Ferretti.
Favorite holiday traditions: “For Christmas I am going home to Norway to be
with my family and just relax. We always decorate the tree in the afternoon
on the December 23rd and then we sit down with holiday cookies and julegøgg
(a holiday drink). On Christmas Eve, we all wake up and watch the morning
shows on television, especially one that we never miss called ‘Three Nuts
for Cinderella.’ It’s a very old program and we look forward to it the whole
year.”
On her wish list:
- A vintage Yves Saint Laurent fur coat
- A Christian Louboutin Kyeops clutch
- The book “But Not When it Comes to Your Daughter” by Jan Guillou
- A new television
Sessilee Lopez, 19
Where you’ve seen her: A new addition to the Victoria’s Secret arsenal of
angels, Lopez made waves when Steven Meisel shot her for the cover of Vogue
Italia’s black edition. She went on to walk in major runway shows including
Marc Jacobs and star in department store Bergdorf Goodman’s latest campaign.
On her holiday to-do list: “I just moved into a new apartment that is
completely empty so I just want to get around to having a housewarming party
and relax. This year has been completely crazy. To have so many shows in so
many cities — going from New York to London to Paris to Milan was hot.”
On her wish list:
- A tool set
- Makeup
- Essential oils
- Karl by Karl Lagerfeld tattoo arm jewelry
Lakshmi Menon, 26
Where you’ve seen her: In advertising campaigns for H&M, Givenchy and
Hermes, on the pages of American Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar and on the cover of
ELLE India.
Holiday travel plans: “I live in Goa, one of the most beautiful holiday
destinations in the world. So being home is the best holiday. And this is
the best time because friends and family from all over visit so it doubles
as a reunion. So at the top of my list is a speedboat to get me quickly
along the coast to my favorite places and a little beach house.”
On her wish list:
- Organic skin products from Mon Soin du Visage
- The book “Wasted Vigil” by Nadeem Aslam
- The album “The Bootleg Series” by Bob Dylan
- A Savio Jon sundress
Categorised as: fashion
The house that Sonia Rykiel built
“Having a fashion business requires attention to every small
detail in every step of the process. Anything that requires micro-management
can never be 100% creative,” says Rykiel.
Shrunken sweaters? Sonia Rykiel did them before anyone else. Words scrawled across shirts and raw, no-hem pieces? Everyone does it now, but it was Rykiel’s trademark first. She is one of France’s most iconic designers, known for giving women’s wear a rebellious, independent edge. She celebrates her 40th anniversary this year. From an exhibition at France’s Musee des Arts Decoratifs featuring over 200 garments from her decades-long career to a star-studded show and party during Paris fashion week that attracted designers such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacroix and actresses including Emma Watson and Kate Bosworth, the past few months have been one big nonstop celebration. And considering that her company is 100% family owned and operated, one can’t blame her. The woman who revolutionized knitwear and put Paris’ now famous area St. Germain des Pres on the fashion map takes time with her daughter Nathalie to open up.
In the 40 years since you founded your fashion house, what has been the biggest change that you have noticed in the fashion world at large?
Sonia: The pace gets faster and faster. In the beginning there were two seasons per year, now there are six. It’s amazing that women want to buy so many new things throughout a season!
When you set out to create this exhibit, what was your starting point?
Nathalie: We worked together with Olivier Saillard, the exhibition curator, and he approached it through the eyes of a Sonia Rykiel fan
(that’s what he says).
I really wanted my mother and her work to get what she deserves, as she
never had something like this before. For me, it’s quite a natural thing
for this brand, for the vision she has maintained and things she has
created, that such an exhibition exists. And I am very proud of it.
As your business has evolved, has the way you approach creating clothing changed? If so, how?
Sonia: The approach still remains the same, although I now work collaboratively with a creative team. Their youth and individual personalities inspire me. I love hearing the music they listen to, reading the books they read, seeing art they love, going to the places they find amusing.
Who do you envision the Sonia Rykiel client as being? And how has she changed over time?
Nathalie: It’s quite the same women, but she is older. Now her daughter and granddaughter wear Sonia Rykiel! The Rykiel style has evolved over time for a younger customer, yet maintains the same sense of self.
What have been the biggest challenges of achieving longevity?
Sonia: We remain family owned and operated, so visibility remains a challenge when the big conglomerates spend millions alone in advertising and marketing.
Your anniversary show and party attracted an all-star roster of designers, editors and fashion personalities during Paris fashion week.
Sonia: I was so amazed by what Nathalie did, people from every field–fashion designers, politicians, actors. In politics everybody fight, and here she gathered everyone, that’s great !
Nathalie : My mother is a very inspiring woman who remains her own person after 40 years in this business. It is a very strong image for women in France, in the world. She created St. Germain des Près!
Categorised as: fashion
