Fashionista

What We Saw Today at New York Fashion Week, Day 1

Steff Yotka — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:03:49 +0000

It’s the first day of New York Fashion Week! We’re optimistic, wide-eyed, and really looking forward to the rest of the week, even though we know by Monday we’ll be grumpy and our feet will hurt.

Today, though, was a great kick-off to the AW12 season. With shows from Richard Chai to Creatures of the Wind, today was a day for great fashion, and we rubbed elbows with our favorite fashion friends like Leandra Medine and Giovanna Randall.

Take a look at NYFW from our perspective. We’ll be sharing our photos with you all week!

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Whoops! The Telegraph Retracts That Michelle Obama Agent Provocateur Shopping Spree Story You Didn’t Believe

Hayley Phelan — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:39:28 +0000

So turns out that hard-to-believe story in the Telegraph about Michelle Obama dropping $50,000 at an Agent Provocateur, (which the White House swiftly denied), wasn’t just false–it was pretty much completely made up, according to a recent item published the Telegraph.

The retraction reads:

Further to our article “First Lady’s luxury buys boost Agent Provocateur” (Jan 30), we would like to make clear that the “shopping spree” involving Her Highness Sheikha Moza and Michelle Obama that we referred to in fact never occurred, and that Her Highness has never been shopping with Mrs Obama, at Agent Provocateur or otherwise, and has never sought to have any part of New York closed off to enable her to shop undisturbed. We apologize for the distress and embarrassment this article caused.

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Our Top 5 Street Style Snaps from New York Fashion Week: Day 1

Cheryl Wischhover — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:16:27 +0000

New York fashion week is officially upon us, and that means lots and lots of inspirational street style. Check out our top 5 favorite girls from day 1. And check back here every afternoon to see more shots of the girls (and boys!) who pose for our camera. Today we snapped Becka Diamond, Hanneli Mustaparta, Vogue’s Preetma Singh and more.

Whose look do love today?

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How Fashion Week Gets Made With Casting Director Julia Samersova

Hayley Phelan — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:00:50 +0000

A lot goes into making fashion week happen. And despite the proliferation of fashion reality television shows, there is still a lot that you might not know about. So, we decided to ask some of our friends in the industry what their day to day life is like leading up to, during and following fashion week. From the perspective of a designer, a publicist, a show producer, a pit photographer, a makeup artist and more, keep reading to learn how fashion week gets made.

For this installment of “How Fashion Week Gets Made,” we interviewed Casting Director-extraordinaire Julia Samersova, who has worked in the industry for 20 years–first as a model agent, and now as casting director–and counts some of the biggest designers as clients. You may also recognize Julia from E!’s Scouted, where her seasoned wisdom is on full display as she, alongside Michael Flutie, Scott Lipps, and others, search for the next big thing.

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Ford Cops to Repping Underage Models This Season Despite CFDA Guidelines: Does This Mean New Rules Are Unrealistic?

Hayley Phelan — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:34:00 +0000

The CFDA’s new health initiative guidelines–which stipulate, among other things, that models be ID’d to show they are above 16 years of age–have been met, for the most part, with glowing support from the fashion industry. Or so it seems. Because despite the industry’s best intentions, actually following the new rules is a whole other ballgame.

Designers Tory Burch and Tommy Hilfiger both told the New York Times that models that are either too young or too thin are still being sent to them by casting agencies. Burch said she was concerned for some models who walked through her door during this season’s casting. “There is still an issue, and there is still a lot of work to be done,” she said. “There have been positive steps. But I see some girls coming in who are really emaciated. It is still a problem.”

Here’s the problem:

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Puppies in Bondage Take the Runway at a Former Strip Club for Vice

Dhani Mau — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:37:19 +0000

~~Dear PETA,~~ Last night, to kick off fashion week in the best way we could have possibly imagined, Vice, whom we love for their unconventional fashion coverage, threw a party/fashion show at strip club-turned fashion hotspot Westway to celebrate the launch of their fashion issue. But not just any party/fashion show. A leather-clad man walked actual puppies dressed in actual S&M outfits down a stripper stage in the middle of the dark, packed, smoky nightclub. We can’t make this stuff up.

After swigging down a couple of free budweisers and catching up with some of our fellow slutty dog fans, we snagged a perfect spot right at the end of the runway to watch the parade of leather-clad puppays.

Since there really are no words to describe what happened next, click through to see for yourself. We did feel kind of bad for the puppies, who looked pretty terrified, but look how adorable!

Photos: Danlly Domingo (T.K. Stuart-Deely)

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Parker Posey Can’t Keep Up with Fashion, Says She ‘Needs to Make More of an Effort’

Leah Chernikoff — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:40:53 +0000

Rachel Comey is not usually one of those shows that has a celeb packed front row. Or any celebs in the front row for that matter. Devoted editors, buyers and Brooklyn cool girls a plenty but celebs? Not so much. So imagine our delight when one of our favorite celebs, the Party Girl herself, Parker Posey, plunked herself down a few seats over from us at last night’s show (runway pix and review to come shortly, don’t worry).

While waiting to interview Comey backstage after her show, Posey joined the line of fashion editors. “So, is this where we line up?” Posey asked me. I resisted my urge to yell “Air Raid!” and seized on the opportunity to turn my recorder on the incredibly down-to-earth actress first. “OK,” she shrugged, jokingly. Only, somehow she ended up interviewing me instead.

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Rachel Comey Fall 2012: Streamlined ’60s Plus a New Sock Collaboration with Hansel from Basel

Leah Chernikoff — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:02:25 +0000

“I was just trying to make it feel lucid and bright and optimistic and vivid without relying on color,” Rachel Comey said of her fall 2012 collection. “I was really focusing on mood–I don’t have a specific narrative or a decade.” And it’s true she didn’t rely on color. Save for some bright bursts of poppy on a to-die-for funnel neck coat and a neon pink embroidered dress, the collection featured a lot of black, grey and white looks so the collection relied on texture to create variation. Some of the jackets and dresses seemed made in an almost trash bag-like material–not that the dresses looked trashy, of course, while others were in brocade or laser-cut leather.

Optimism for Comey looks streamlined and pared down: Basic boxy cropped tops in black leather over tailored trousers, sweaters belted over loose-fitting pencil skirts that came past the knee, luxe funnel neck sweaters, and soft watercolor prints on dresses with vaguely ’60s silhouettes. The streamlined silhouettes recalled those couture shapes we keep hearing about since Raf Simons presented that remarkable spring 2011 collection for Jil Sander.

The only thing I couldn’t figure out was what was going on with the models’ feet. Not their shoes, of course–Rachel Comey’s shoes are always awesome (and platform creepers are still happening). But at first I thought the models had little tattooed dots on the tops of their feet. And then I realized it was clear socks with dots. “Those socks are a collaboration that we did with Hansel from Basel and she works with this filament yarn that’s clear with a little shine,” Comey explained. “I think they came out cool.” Me too.

Photos: Imaxtree

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Lauren Moffatt Fall 2012: Mischievous School Girls

Dhani Mau — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:40:44 +0000

Lauren Moffatt‘s fall collection was right up our alley–almost literally, as it took place across the street from our former office (and only 3 blocks from our current one) on Mott St. at The Old School. We couldn’t imagine a more relaxed, unpretentious, and adorable start to to fashion week. From the perfect venue to the staging of the presentation to the clothes themselves, everything was an example of Moffatt’s unrelenting attention to detail. Moffatt, who is as lovely as her clothes, told us she has always loved the simultaneously buttoned up and undone look of school girls and the venue lent itself really well to the concept.

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Kate Moss Looks Dead in the Eyes on W‘s March Cover

Cheryl Wischhover — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 20:04:40 +0000

Kate Moss covers the March issue of W magazine, and it’s the most compelling cover we’ve seen in a long time. Shot by Steven Klein and styled by Edward Enniful, the theme is “Good vs. Bad.” Or as Will Self says in the profile of her (which you can read here) “Dark Moss and Light Moss. Bad Kate and Good Little Katie—simple dichotomizing is not what this dyad deserves.” Indeed.

Bad Kate, on the right, looks a little like Lady Gaga circa her face implant stage. Creepy. The white lacy looks (by Vera Wang, Jil Sander, Erdem, and hat–on the right–by Ashley Lloyd) all add to the eeriness.

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Fashion News Roundup: Kate Middleton Wore a Coat Dress from an Out-of-Business Brand, Andrej Pejic Models a Bandage Bathing Suit, and Liv Tyler Will Sing INXS for Givenchy

Jihan Forbes — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 19:15:08 +0000

Sex and the City Perfume Exists: And it is the fragrance most confiscated by customs officers. Of 138 commercial perfume shipments the Customs and Border Protection’s Intellectual Property Rights “National Targeting and Analysis Group” monitored in Los Angeles, 52 were busted for the phony SATC scent. Who knew? {WWD subscription required}

Andrej Pejic Was on a Roof in New York: The gorgeous model was spotted shooting with photographer Sebastien Micke for an unknown project. One of the outfits is a very skimpy bandage-style bathing suit. So stunning that it makes us want to stop complaining about having small boobs. {Telegraph UK}

Liv Tyler to Sing INXS Song for Givenchy: The actress will do a sultry rendition of ’80s rock band INXS’s “Need You Tonight,” for the launch of the Very Irrésistible Givenchy Electric Rose fragrance. {WWD subscription required}

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Barneys New York Still Struggling Financially, Prompts Bankruptcy Fears

Tyler McCall — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:30:08 +0000

Is Barneys on the brink? The quirky high-end retailer has been working for years to revamp its business model, including a management overhaul in 2010, and some highly publicized promotional events such as the Daphne Guinness window display and Lady Gaga’s Workshop this past Christmas. But behind-the-scenes things may be a bit less upbeat for the retailer.

Barneys just hired law firm Kirkland & Ellis LLP, WWD is reporting. The firm is being brought in to help renegotiate a $200 million revolving loan that will come due this September. This immediately fueled speculation and concern that the retailer would be closing stores or possibly even filing for bankruptcy.

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Our Outsider’s Guide to an Insider’s New York Fashion Week

Leah Chernikoff — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:44:36 +0000

New York Fashion Week is already underway and we can’t wait to see what designers have in store this season. Thanks to the fashion industry’s growing embrace of technology, you no longer have to wait for tomorrow’s WWD, or even until daily highlights of runway pictures and reviews are posted online tonight–all you have to do is tune into live video feeds, Twitter, Tumblr, etc., to get in on the action for yourself.

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Steven Alan Fall 2012: Inspired By Diego Rivera, Plus the Designer’s Dream Celeb Collaboration

Hayley Phelan — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:30:41 +0000

Steven Alan is a designer who knows who his customer is, what they want and how to give it to them: No frills, no bells-and-whistles, just well-designed, well-made clothes that regular and fashion folk alike can actually, you know, wear.

Needless to say, his Fall 2012 presentation, set in a low key space at Pier 59, was no different. There were sturdy wool dresses, pretty blouses, and menswear-inspired outerwear for girls, and, for the dudes, there were a wide array of cool suits and separates that would look just as at home on a stockbroker as they would on a LES hipster.

“The inspiration was Diego Rivera, the exhibit at the MOMA,” designer Steven Alan told us. “We went there–myself and my design team, and we just loved the whole thing–you know, the canvases, and the cement.”

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Kanye West for Topshop?

Dhani Mau — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:00:40 +0000

Just about every time Topshop CEO Sir Philip Green is in the same room as a famous person, he or she is suddenly rumored to be getting a Topshop line. In just the past year, it’s happened with John Galliano, Gwyneth Paltrow, Florence Welch–none of whom actually went on to design anything. So we’re naturally a bit skeptical about this latest report that rapper-turned-designer Kanye West, who has been preparing for his next Paris Fashion Week outing in London, is in talks with Green to create a Topshop range of his own.

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