This Spring 2010, designers will be using a variation of metals, beads, feathers, and futuristic silhouettes in order to provide a feminine and edgy look.  In terms of accessories, designers have used the recession to their advantage by applying and patching together different fabrics to create unique and one of a kind accessories. -Gabrielle

(WWD magazine) Clockwise, from far left: MCM’s python and leather bag. Glory Chens calfskin, canvas and wood shoe. Miriam Haskell’s gold- and silver-plated metal, glass and citrine necklace. Meredith Wendell’s leather, brass and glass clutch. Nancy Gonzalez’ whipsnake, crocodile and straw bag. Yestadt Millinery’s straw, vintage ostrich plume and mesh hat. Calvin Klein Collection’s metal and rope shoe. Monique Peán’s fossilized woolly mammoth, recycled 18-karat yellow gold, chrysoprase and aquamarine necklace. Dannijo’s vintage coral, turquoise, shell and Crystalized-Swarovski Elements necklace. Whiting & Davis’ brass and lambskin bag (behind, Dannijo necklace). Longchamp’s cotton canvas, calfskin and plastic bag. Bobae’s patent leather, lamb suede, Swarovski crystal and brass necklace. Iosselliani’s sterling silver, brass and Swarovski crystal necklace. Diesel Black Gold’s leather and cotton shoe. Alexis Bittar’s wood and gold-plated earrings. Rachel Leigh’s 14-karat antique gold-plated metal and grosgrain ribbon cuff. Diane von Furstenberg’s barkfish and leather bag. Austrian crystal and ostrich minaudière from Suneet Varma for Judith Leiber. Diego Dolcini’s patent leather, suede, lame, wood and Lucite shoe. A La Tete’s straw, feather and pyrite cocktail hat. Sang A’s leather and wool bag.

From Guest of a Guest, Elsa Peretti celebrates 35 years with Tiffany& Co. I will wear my open heart pendant (like the one pictured above) in her honour.

From The Cut, Yves Saint Laurent’s new old clothing collection.

From Women’s Wear Daily, a list of the memorable fashion and beauty industry types who passed away this year.

I just finished reading my copy of the WWD Collections issue and just like last year I’m going to comment on their top ten. However this year instead of commenting on their opinions, I’ve decided to create my own top seven from spring 2010.

Marc by Marc Jacobs

From the vibrant colors to the bright lips to the funky tie flat shoes, this show just screams summer fun. The big bows are my favorite part of the show, they add character and a little bit of sass. If a little girl’s imagination could create clothing for grown women, this would be the result.

Marc Jacobs

Part geisha, part Gaga. That pretty much sums up this collection. Also to note, it’s in my top three this season. To prevent myself from gushing too much, I’ll stop there.

Chanel

The fact that Lily Allen performed one of my favorite songs during this show basically sealed in my approval of this collection. A fun romp complete with a barn and a roll in the hay.

Christian Siriano

I remember clicking through this collection the night after it showed with my friend Erika. We deemed this his fire and ice collection. While sipping wine we oohed and aahed at his walking works of art. All I can say is that his sister is one lucky bride – and she better make headlines so I can see his take on bridals.

Dior

I really expected to hear “Smooth Criminal” play at the beginning of the show, but maybe it was a bit too soon for that. Either way the film noir throwback was well-received; I hope this attention-getting, over-the-top pageantry is here to stay. It reminds us that fashion is fun and playul. Plus, now I have a reason to buy ankle socks and pair them with my favorite pumps.

Alexander Wang

I pray for the day that my hair is once again long enough for the side braid. Wang created a true sportswear collection inspired by fencing and rugby – I wish I could have worn this in gym class! And it seems Wang wasn’t immune to the Lady’s  influence either as corset, bras and other undergarments are exposed in the 25-year-old’s collection.

Jason Wu

Master of the one shoulder dress, the second half of the collection was perfectly on key for the party set. Exposed zippers galore. Most of the pieces were perfectly polite while others had the teensiest hint of an edge to them.

Zac Posen

The futuristic use of color caught my eye and still hasn’t let go. This is what I imagine the high fashion Zenon would have worn.

Once again, Karl Lagerfeld has shot a calendar with two of his favourite subjects – actress and Chanel ambassador Anna Mouglalis and hunky model Baptiste Giabiconi – for the Italian version of Marie Claire

The shoot references the golden moments of Italian cinema, with nods to the likes of Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida and Marcello Mastroianni.

Thirty thousand copies of calendar hit Italian newsstands tomorrow.

[Source: WWD]

Online preview available here.

Dress from the Zara lookbook.

A Women’s Wear Daily news blurb got me thinking:

“Profits at Spain’s Inditex SA climbed 4.3 percent in the third quarter as the fast-fashion giant pushed deeper into Asia with its flagship Zara banner.”

Zara opened a new store in Shibuya Tokyo last month.  This is in addition to their store in Ginza which I have visited.  One of my most memorable nights out in Tokyo was dinner in Harajuku.  I asked one my dinner partners about her amazing shift dress and she admitted it was Zara.

I fell in love.  Consumerism is on the rise in Asia and it may be a sign of the spark fanning the flames of retail recovery world-wide as the ripples expand outward toward the rest of the global industry.  Whatever brings Zara directly into my neighborhood, sounds like a good thing to me.

WWD has reported today that Martin Margiela is officially no longer with the MMM and that the company’s creative direction will be forged ahead not by a single director, but a team.

Maison Martin Margiela, 1990

We still find ourselves almost 90 years later debating the reality of Marcel Duchamp’s readymades, whether they were in fact ready made or, as some scholars of have suggested, that Duchamp fabricated many of them himself. He understood conceptual art before the genre emerged and he understood the semantics of artmaking before anyone knew there was anything to understand. It’s this understanding of the system and defiant break from it that he shares with Martin Margiela, a dadaist fashion designer if there ever was one.

The Margiela mystique has become a fashion legend. Rumors were abound that the man didn’t even exist, and he easily could not have. No personal interviews, no photographs, no reception of applause at shows, no backstage, the man was a complete and total mystery. For most of his career his practice of severe self-inflicted privacy was unimaginable in an age where fashion designers moonlighted as celebrities. Margiela, eschewing the cult of personality, kept the attention on the clothes.

Now that every other Luxury brand is re-strategizing their designer’s creative roles and their public roles, the Maison finds itself yet again far ahead of the curve. The idea was always that the Maison was not defined by a single individual, and that allure turned out to be potent enough to evolve the brand into one the most covetable and highly respected. But in the face of Margiela’s departure, the base of the Maison — the principle that it is and always has been a collective — is disturbed.

Suzy Menkes surmises that Margiela’s new team centered approach (arrived at only after Raf Simons and Haider Ackermann turned down the job as creative directors) could forge a new direction on how large luxury brands are managed creatively. With the musical chairs of fashion there have been many interims between creative directors where a team was responsible for the company’s product. Some were successful, some less so, but there is a high plausibility that a brand could design this way and still maintain the standard in product as well as a focused image. The question is whether MMM will be the one to show the rest of industry how it’s done.

To insist MMM is a collective undermines Martin’s own talents and his contribution to the brand despite having never been a public spokesman. Doubt in the collective has been validated by the Maison’s most recent shows, the team designed collections have received mostly dismal reviews putting the label’s esteem as one of the premiere avant garde in grave danger. Diesel’s involvement in running MMM or its role in Margiela’s decision to exit the company is neither here nor there, but the fact that MMM’s design team must answer to Renzo Rosso’s buyers and merchandisers without a leader with clout to defend them further undermines the Maison’s integrity. All the while Diesel must mediate this publicly and ensure that Margiela’s legacy remains intact as they try to build it into a megabrand. It’s a tricky situation.

Designer labels, already entrenched in the codes and institutions of the luxury market, have easily lent themselves to market expansion and metamorphosis into a financial juggernaut. But MMM has always worked against these codes and institutions while increasingly finding relevance in the modern world. Margiela has always been about innovation and unique personalized problem solving, with this understanding the brand’s potential is infinite, but who will be keen enough to utilize it?

Went by my old stomping grounds, the WWD LA Fashion Closet today and had a little fun playing dress up with ultra fab Leila Baboi…

Feather and Lamb Fur Coats by Zac Posen, Shoes by John Galliano…

xxx.

Victoria Beckham has taken her denim and eyewear collection in-house, and has overhauled and renamed each,  according  to Women’s Wear Daily. The new styles will make their debut Wednesday on Net-a-porter.com and at a few select stores.

Industry sources estimate the Victoria Beckham dress, denim and sunglass business will ring up $7.5 million in sales next year. In an interview with the paper, Beckham opens up about her hectic schedule (she recently spent the day chaperoning 40 six-year-olds on a field trip), the competition and her drive to succeed.

On being a perfectionist: “It’s about doing things gradually and building the brand in a strategic way. It’s about finding the right time, the right team. With everything that I do, I will only do it after I’ve done all my homework. I really am a perfectionist, and I don’t want to rush anything. It’s not just about putting my name on a product and getting it out there. That’s not what is important to me.”

On her biggest competition: “I’m my competition. I want to do better next season than I did this season. And I’m sure the season after that I will want to beat myself again.”

On what helped shape her into the businesswoman she is today: “I’ve always been driven. I was mentally and physically bullied when I was at school and that gave me a very thick skin…The only reason for me bringing that up is I have always been a fighter. I have always had to work very, very hard with everything I do. That is just my work ethic…That’s my DNA.”

To read the full article and see the collection, click here.

Poor Kate Moss.

As much as I loathe the concept that thinness equates to beauty, her recent remark during an interview that ‘nothing tastes as good as skinny feels’ attracted more criticism than it deserved.

I don’t agree with her view – mince pies and mulled wine taste as good as being thin in my opinion – but if she wants to sacrifice foody pleasures for the sake of her figure then that’s her choice. She is not the first person to voice such an opinion, and she certainly won’t be the last. Who doesn’t want to be slim? I know very few people who are completely happy with their appearance.

Moss was condemned for sending out the wrong message to teenage girls – girls who may see her as a role model. Personally, I don’t tend to see cocaine-sniffers as role models, but clearly for some she is still a symbol of female success, albeit primarily for the way she looks. Her message may well resonate with teenage girls, but it is an unspoken message that we all receive by the bucket load anyway.

She was unfortunate in her choice of words, as the slogan is commonly found on pro-eating disorder websites, leading people to accuse Kate Moss of being pro-anorexic herself, and of causing anorexia in young girls.

I want to get one thing straight – Pro-eating disorder websites leave me cold with rage, and were Moss to have specifically recommended them to her fans then I would not be so forgiving. But she didn’t.

The suggestion that her comment could ’cause anorexia’ completely trivialises a serious mental health condition. It gives fuel to the notion that anorexics are just silly young girls attempting to look like celebrities – a point noted by Hadley Freeman in the Guardian this week.

Eating disorders are complex conditions. I won’t go into my own experiences in too much depth, but as an ex-sufferer it often frustrates me to see coverage of these illnesses in the press. They are often linked to ‘glamorous’ people – even though very few celebrities actually do suffer from eating disorders. They may be under intense pressure to look good; they may succumb to brutal exercise regimes enforced by sadistic, over-paid personal trainers; they may eat a lot of sushi, edamame and goji berries. But that does not make them anorexic – even if they are (annoyingly) a size zero.

I pity Kate Moss – not just because of the anger her comment un-deservedly attracted, but because such a statement reveals a pathetic insecurity in her own body, shared by so many of us.

So what should be be telling young women? While Kate Moss and her modelling colleagues may stick to their ‘thin-is-best’ mantra, the ‘fat pride’ community is flourishing in the USA, and recently made an appearance in the UK in the form of a protest outside the London Assembly. I sympathise with the overweight; I believe it when they claim to be victims of discrimination and that this needs to be tackled. But I also believe that their message is as unhealthy for young people to hear as pro-skinny statements. While I would love to debate the issue of fat acceptance, it is too complex to address here – and I will simply draw your attention to a fantastic article by Lionel Shriver, whose brother recently died from complications attributed to obesity.

I wish I could be a role model for young women. Okay – I’ve made some mistakes in the past – but I wish I could tell them that what I’ve been through just isn’t worth it. I want to scream from the roof tops that what Kate Moss said is ridiculous!!

I want to live in a world where women aren’t afraid to be an ‘average’ weight – where women can have their cake and eat it. It is possible to enjoy food – really enjoy it – and not be unhealthy or overweight. I am not overweight. My arms are a little on the flabby side, and my bottom is a bit big for my liking, but my BMI is normal and I have a lot of energy. I still have my ‘Kate Moss days’. I still get sucked into feeling like I’m fat, just because I’m a size 8 and not a size zero. But I’m gradually saying goodbye to those days – and ladies, I urge you to join me!

Now bring on Christmas, with all its guilty, tasty pleasures…

Visita WWD.com

So I’m kind of thinking that Kate Moss’ recent comment during her interview with Women’s Wear Daily is not a big deal. Actually, I’m taking it one step further and calling it (thin)inspirational. The rail thin, 5’ 6”, 105-pound model has come under fire for citing “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” as her personal motto. Critics and eating disorder counselors are deriding her comment because it’s been seen on several pro-ana (pro-anorexia) sites, encouraging its readers not to eat. Akin to refraining from believing that God is great because Malik Nadal Hassan and countless other terrorists shouted it out as they murdered their victims.

Remember when Weight Watchers’ campaign slogan was “Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels”? Where was the anti-zero lobby then? America is a morbidly obese country. According to the CDC, Colorado was the only state with an obesity rate under 20% in 2008. Thirty-two states had a prevalence equal to or greater than 25%; six of these states (Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia ) had a prevalence of obesity equal to or greater than 30%. Sick.

In this hedonistic culture we live in, it would do us well to sometimes think outside of the pleasures of the “now”. So, I’ll second Kate’s (and Weight Watchers’) slogan and add another: a moment on the lips, forever on the hips.

Posted by Elizabeth

Are we really having at go at Kate Moss, just for her saying something silly in an interview.

“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels,” that’s what she said in an interview with WWD- fashion news website. As a nation we feel the need to criticise her for it, if I’d said it no one would think anything. It’s all down to the fact that she’s a celebrity. Famous and so therefore we care and take on board what she says. If we didn’t have this ‘celebrity’ culture where would the problem be, she would just be another thin model.

I myself at a size 8 (UK sizing) have been told by a modelling agency that I am ‘too fat’ to get onto the catwalk. Modelling agencies as much as they say they will try, still tend to be using thin models. This is due to the fact that it is the sample size designers make clothes in. Kate can’t help that, yes I agree she should be more careful about what she says but if it’s what she believes then we can’t change her. Every magazine that I have ever picked up has pages on dieting and weight–loss. They contain adverts for plastic surgery, liposuction. We crave the perfect body but what is the perfect body? We all keep changing our minds, shouldn’t celebrities and the media be teaching us how to love our selves for who we are. Not telling us we need to lose weight or gain weight. That should stay in the doctor’s hands.

If your happy being a size 6 then so be it, if your happy being a size 16 then so be it. Just love yourself for who you are!

Eating disorders are not something to be pushed aside, they are serious and promoting them is not a good thing, but I really don’t think that it’s Kate’s fault. We’ve just jumped straight to the conclusion that she said it out of stupidity. We didn’t stop and think; hang on this girl may just be suffering under pressure to be thin, she may feel she needs to be this thin to be loved. How do we know what she feels deep down? Yes it is worrying that young girls who have her as an idol are going to read this and think that it is right, but isn’t that just undermining young females. What if they read it and see it for what it is, words? I’m a massive Kate Moss fan and when I read in the papers that they feel young girls are going to starve themselves because of it, I felt low; how could they think that? I saw it as a cry for help.

 We forget that we have the government adverts on TV telling us all how bad fat can be, when I first saw one it scared me and made me more conscious of what I eat. This may just be me but is that not promoting the same thing? That we need to be a thinner nation, at least that’s what I understood of it. I know young children who worry about what they eat; they won’t touch sweets because of the fat. We all worry far too much about what we put in out bodies.

Employees at Vogue are wearing new hats. Most recently, Danko Steiner, design director at Vogue, is leaving the magazine after four years to pursue photography. Following Steiner’s resignation, editor in chief Anna Wintour tapped Raúl Martinez, founder and chief creative officer of AR New York, a full-scale branding and advertising agency, as creative consultant to Vogue. Martinez will work with the magazine and vogue.com’s art, design and photography and offer input on Vogue’s overall image and brand.

Finally, Chicago is getting some attention!  Check out this awesome article about the recent Fashion Focus events!

WWD 11-17-2009

Brad and Angelina are the newest celebrities to try their hand at fashion design.

The couple has developed a limited-edition jewelry collection, named The Protector, for high-end jeweler Asprey.  All pieces are inspired by the snake, and prices start at $525.  The line is set to be unveiled in stores later this week.

Net proceeds from the jewelry will go to the charity that Angelina co-founded in 2006 – Education Partnership for Children in Conflict.

More:

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Design Jewelry for Asprey

Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie Debut Bling

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie Design a Line of Snake Jewelry – No Lines Forming Yet

1. Jason Wu will collab with Yue [Stylelist]

2. Save Luella! [Fashionista]

3. Emanuel Ungaro has dug his own grave. The label was just dropped by Neiman Marcus and Net-A-Porter. Outside of his own stores and Vivaldi, the label cannot be found. By this rate Ungaro will turn into a novelty item. [Style.com]

4. Rumor has it Ashley Simpson may be on Vogue. But, that’s not why she appears in retail news. She’s aiming high with preppy-punk designs brought to you by the ex-Melrose Place actress – sign of a girl with too much time on her hands. [Hollyscoop]

5. Despite losses in Q1 and Q2, Bulgari sees $10 million Q3 profits. Oh joy! [WWD]

6. Zero+Maria Cornejo will debut a full menswear collection for the spring. [Racked]

7. It’s time to rack up the flights to Finland. Trade in your Finnair airline frequent-flier miles for plastic surgery. Your eyes aren’t decieving you. We said plastic surgery. [Allure]

The TABOOXJUMP collection is available at select Saks Fifth Avenue locations in New York, Beverly Hills, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and Bala Cynwood.

If you would like to order a pair, please email info@jumpcorp.com.

Meet Taboo and the Black Eyed Peas tonight!!!

Courtesy of NARS Global Communications and the 15 x 15 Project.

François Nars founded the cosmetics company that bears his name in 1994, and with it, he introduced a new way of thinking about the identity of a color. The names of the shades of lipstick he created, including Funny Face, Jungle Red, and Heatwave, expressed a personality that went beyond the simple hue itself, and Nars’ innovation soon became standard practice in cosmetics companies everywhere.

In celebration of the company’s 15^th anniversary this year, NARS Cosmetics is releasing a limited-edition book of celebrity portraits inspired by NARS products. Purchase the book here beginning on Thursday, November 12 at 8:00 p.m. ET.

The book, 15 x 15, features a collection of playful images, captured by François Nars himself, of 15 fashion and entertainment icons, including Naomi Campbell, Isabella Rossellini, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Carla Gugino. Among the book’s highlights are Amber Valletta modeling “Belle de Jour” lipstick (in tribute to Catherine Deneuve in the movie Belle du Jour), and Marc Jacobs as China Machado in a photograph by Richard Avedon (inspired by Dovima nail polish).

Additionally, each of the celebrities was also asked to snap her own photographs of the NARS product behind their portrait.

Only 1,500 numbered copies of 15 x 15 will be produced and sold, at $80 apiece. Also available for purchase are the portraits taken by Nars (prices vary by size), and the Nars product photos taken by the celebrities ($150). All of the above go on sale Thursday, November 12 at 8:00 p.m. ET, and will remain on sale for 30 days, at www.15×15project.com.

Check the blog in the coming days for related fashion and beauty images from Women’s Wear Daily.

All images shown here courtesy NARS Global Communications.

NARS’ Anniversary at WWD.com

NARS at New York Times blog The Moment

1. Uniqlo restocked stores with their Jil Sander collab, +J. And to think all those people lined the blocks in the cold. [Sample Sally]

2. The Must-Have for this fall is the scarf+hood=snood. I have one. You should get one. Enough said. [WSJ]

3. Finally! Photos of Rodarte’s highly anticipated Target diffusion! The hype for this collection seems to rival the hype for James Cameron’s ‘Avatar.’ [Racked]

4. Luella Bartley closes its doors for good. Another label falls victim to the recession’s gun. [WWD]

5. Versace’s internal turmoil, namely Donatella Versace’s extravagant lifestyle, is crippling the brand. She’s a woman of tradition and pride – no matter the cost. [Newsweek]

6. Rumor spreads like wildfire and we’re not going to be responsible for putting it out. Thakoon may launch menswear in the next year. [WWD]

7. Nicole Richie’s ‘Winter Kate’ collection is unveiled. It’s not all that bad, although the level of excitement for the collection hasn’t elevated. [Nicole Richie/Celebuzz]

8. Surprisingly, there is an overwhelming market for unwearable shoes – namely McQueen is overwhelmed by calls demanding his S/S 2010 10-inch shoes. But too bad. They’re not for sale. Although rumor has it that they may be auctioned off. [Grazia]