Must see of the moment: l’exposition "Madame Grès, la couture à l'oeuvre"

What is it that makes the setting of the exhibit "Madame Grès, la couture à l’œuvre" in the Bourdelle museum in Paris so perfect? Or what do Germaine Émilie Krebs and Antoine Bourdelle have in common? It is the fact that both Germaine Émilie Krebs and Antoine Bourdelle were sculpturors? One worked with stone, whereas the other one worked with fabrics.

 At first glance, it might be a challenge to depict similarities. Among the mighty statues of Antoine Bourdelle, Madame Grès' rather filigrane gowns appear very delicate and abstract. Yet, the formally trained sculptress, whose signature was the sensual austerity, felt that several analogies could be drawn between her haute couture designs and classic sculpturing.
“I wanted to be a sculptor. For me, it’s the same thing to work the fabric or the stone” she is famously quoted.

The retrospective dedicated to Germaine Émilie Krebs - Madame Grès and Alix Barton were her alias names - is showcasing 80 pieces, which make the spectator travel through 50 years of her life's work starting from 1934 (her "Alix" period) until her last gowns from 1989, which at that time had been commissioned by Hubert de Givenchy. To round off the mise-en-scène of the sculptures of fabric, a large number of drawings and original photographs of her garments have found its way in the exhibit and stress the unbelievable timelessness of her evening dresses.

All made of jersey, the elaborate robes endure through time without appearing anyhow outdated or old-fashioned. Quite the opposite even: Somehow, the draping and folding techniques complement the natural silhouette to an extend where the fluidity of the jersey merges with the movements of the body. None of the components is dominating the other - neither the dress nor its wearer is in the foreground - it is the blending of the body's characteristics with the natural properties of the jersey fabric that makes the overall appearance so coherent and everlasting.

Following a very modern approach for her times, Madame Grès refrained from the use of confining corsets and constricting materials. Instead, she created coats and dresses that followed natural shapes and worked out particular features and volumes through braiding, draping and billowing of the fabrics. Folding of cloth played a major part in her designs - the “pli Grès”, a folding technique that made upper parts of dresses fit like a glove and resulted in dozens of layers of fabric cascading into elegantly voluminous skirts. 

Daring cut-outs, assymetrical necklines, columnar evening gowns that are referencing Greek or Roman godesses and draped capes with hoodies; due to her immaculate draping skills, the perfect balance between exposing and covering of skin, every item in this exhibit is breathing and testifying elegance, savoir-faire, couture, precision, minimalism and sophistication. 

Her appointment as "Honorary President for Life of France’s Chambre Syndicale", the governing body of the French fashion industry shows the influence she had on French couture. Also, she had dressed important society ladies like the  Duchess of Windsor and Jacky Kennedy as well as actresses like Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo. Yet, despite being the no less reknown contemporary of Gabrielle Chanel Jeanne Lanvin, Madeleine Vionnet and Elsa Schiaparelli, Madame Grès' name has sadly faded in their comparison.

Madame Grès died in solitude 1993.Only one year later, her passing was announced in Le Monde. She had turned her back on the fashion industry after she had to sell her brand and name rights in the late 80ies.

The exhibit “L’exposition Madame Grès, la couture à l’œuvre" is a beautifully staged tribute to her talent, artistic contribution to the fashion industry and to her strikingly timeless designs, which deserve to be acknowledged way beyond her death.

“Madame Grès: Couture at Work”

Through July 24.

Musée Bourdelle

16 rue Antoine Bourdelle, 75015 Paris

xoxo
Glamazone


Sources: www.bourdelle.paris.fr, www.paris.fr 
Picture Sources: Sneha Meghe aka Yang Chen jun. (Merci, cherie!!!)
Special thanks: Merci for that beautiful day!!!

Newcomer to watch - Yiquing Yin

Yiquing Yin, French designer with Chinese descent knows how to design collections that dreams are made of. That is one reason that makes her one of the interesting emerging talents to have on the radar for the future.

The garments of the 25-year-old, who graduated of the École nationale supérieure des Arts Décoratifs in 2009, have the surreal appeal of dreams and feelings shaped into sculptures. They express both the designers technical skills as well as her personal fragility and inner emotional conflicts.

Yinquing Yin manages to instrumentalise movements of the body and combine them with the fluidity of fabrics to an ensemble of texture, volume, structure and proportion that is intricate, elaborate and yet possesses an incredible softness.

Yiquing Yin was one of ten young artists, who annually take part in the Festival International de Mode et de Photographie à Hyères, where the designer reached the finals with her S/S 2011 collection "Exile". The internationally reputed festival gathers once a year under the patronage of an international panel of experts of the likes of Raf Simons, Tim Blanks, Lazaro Hernandez & Jack McCollough, Cathy Horyn, Carla Sozzani (jury cast of 2011) to provide emerging designers with a platform and support.
Also, Yiquing Yin was awarded with the Grand Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris in the category upcoming designer.

As a special perk during Paris Fashion Week A/W 2011, she was amongst a selection of eight young Parisian designers, which were picked by French Vogue to showcase a selection of their most significant pieces at the first edition of  Petit Salon des Jeunes Créateurs at the Hôtel de Crillon. Selected pieces were also featured in the March issue of French Vogue and footage about the designers was featured on the Vogue website.

The garments Yiquing Yin has presented so far channel her past, which was characterised by her life as a child of refugees, who came to France when she was four years old. "Exile" translates her emotions, identity and self-perception that is dominated by her destiny as a refugee as well as her grief and puts it into the dreamy constructs that her garments are.
Cocoon-shapes and sophisticated flowy drapes accomodate her desire for protection and appear like a soft armour. While fabrics float and caress the silhouette,  the delicate materials enwrap the body like a second skin.

We are surely looking forward to seeing more of Yiquing Yin and very much hope she will be able to keep up the delicate sensuality of her garments and continue to transport her emotions in her collections.


xoxo
Glamazone

Source: www.villanoailles-hyeres.com, www.yiqingyin.com, vogue.fr
Picture Source: www.yiqingyin.com

Model of the moment: Arizona Muse

Fashion weeks are over, brands are fêting their praise of the industry (chez Prada, Alexander McQueen, Fendi, Haider Ackermann et al), are licking their wounds if their efforts have not been appreciated ( Maison Martin Margiela) or are busy resolving scandals and their effects (Dior).

Meanwhile there is plenty of time to take a closer look at the model that emerges on the top of the list after the fashion week marathon and whose name is on everyones' lips: Arizona Muse.
How can you not become famous with a name like that?!
Obviously, it does help if you have the abstract beauty, expressive wide-set eyes, strong eyebrows that make Muse's recognition value and being absolutely ubiquitous during New York and Paris Fashion Week does help to push a career as well.
The 20-year old American who was born in Arizona - hence her name - was discovered in 2008 already, as she had a baby break, she stopped modelling for 1.5 years, only to return to modelling in 2010 and take off after the A/W 2011 shows.

During her second season, the 5'10'' tall Arizona already scored all major designers and could be spotted during every big name's show. Galliano, Dior, Chanel, Prada, Louis Vuitton, YSL, Versace, Burberry...the list is endless. Despite the numerous catwalks the American beauty scored, she is also featured in two major campaigns this season: Prada's adorable colourful spring/summer campaign, which was photographed by Steven Meisel and which truly unfurls its full good-mood effect in its appendant campaign film.

Furthermore, Arizona Muse ran off Daria Werbowy as the face of YSL's current print campaign and was also selected for the spring/summer campaign film under the creative direction of Stefano Pilati, which was shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin in Marrakech.
Being a relative newcomer, it is quite remarkable that Arizona is ranked 23rd on models.com. Counting Vogue covers, a 60-pages fashion editorial as well as four different covers of the March issue of Dazed & Confused magazine, it is pretty obvious, that the fashion industry has found the face that we can expect to see a lot more of in the not so distant future.

xoxo
Glamazone

Source: models.com
Picture Source: style.com, models.com

Doing her mentor proud - Sarah Burton shines with her Alexander McQueen fall 2011 RTW collection

“The Ice Queen and Her Court” was the magical title of Alexander McQueen's fall 2011 collection and the show did not fall short of giving us every single ounce of drama we have been craving to see on the catwalks of this year's fashion weeks and instead got so plenty adjacent to them.

Sarah Burton combined the duality of Romanticism - the delicate, light and fragile world of beauty and innocence with the dark, twisted and dangerous side of mysticism.
The venue of the show was La Conciergerie, former royal palace - and prison of crowned heads like Marie Antoinette before her execution- whose gloomy medieval halls had already hosted one of Alexander McQueen's spectacular shows in 2002.

Classic McQueen silhouettes - which Sarah Burton called the "heritage silhouettes" of the brand dominated the collection, yet, their execution was exquisite and had plenty of nouveau elements.
Inuit influenced fur details in stone grey or black that were sewn along hems and cowls, numerous zippers that were carefully integrated into the structure of garments, or alternatively lacing that was enhancing both the cut as well as catering as eye catchers.
Flowy dresses paired with leather harnesses that reminded of a Viking goddess and various types of fur and feathers combined to a harmonious structure of a dress.

The real spectacle of the show however were the skillful honeycomb structures that had been carefully crafted of organza and silk, forming exquisite flouncy skirts and dresses. Another ravishing detail were the elaborate fitted bodices made of mosaic china fragments.

The intricate fabrics and  the blending of soft and hard textures - leather elements were combined with feathers or fur, chiffon was ornated with rivets and a stiff surface of china fragments was combined with the most fragile looking trail of tulle and silk.

The styling comprised of a mixture between Tilda Swinton's appearance as Jadis, the White Witch in the Chronicles of Narnia with her mythical and theatrical beauty and a modern day warrior, which was complemented by the up-does that looked like a helmet formed of barrettes.
Chokers, collars and over knee laced platform boots mitigated the delicate look and gave it some edge of the real world.
A collection that would be fit for a costume designer and one that convinced the last skeptic that Sarah Burton was an excellent choice to perpetuate the challenge in succeeding Alexander Lee McQueen's reign at his eponymous brand.

The exquisite garments with their dark romantic touch that would have done Hans Christian Andersen - author of the fairy tale "The Snow Queen" proud.


xoxo
Glamazone


Source: style.com, WWD.com
Picture Source: style.com, WWD.com

The Gaga Show - Nichola Formichetti's debut at Mugler

March 2nd 2011, from 9pm onwards, one could witness Nichola Formichetti's debut as creative director at Mugler via live stream on facebook.
The Mugler A/W 2011 RTW collection surely was one of the most anticipated events of Paris Fashion Week after Nichola Formichetti -  Lady Gaga's acclaimed stylist, fashion director of Vogue Japan, fashion director of Uniqlo and creative director of Dazed and Confused Magazine had been named creative director of  Mugler next to also newly appointed designer, Sebastien Peigné.

 After some additional Twitter frenzy over Lady Gaga walking Formichetti's show, quite a number of people logged on to facebook to watch the Mugler A/W 2011 RTW show live. Over 40 mins, one could peek behind the stage and watch numerous activities previous to the show from various camera angles. Admission, make-up, models, Lady Gaga, friend, muse and favorite pet of the stylist getting ready and practicing her last moves. Two of the titbits - may they have been spontaneous or rehearsed - were Lady Gaga announcing laconically that it would be even good press if she would vomit on stage and secondly that she just wants the public to say that she is a beautiful woman after the show (oh come on - still not over the polemic, are we?!).

The scenery for the runway was a mixture of an enchanted forest and a gothic cathedral, which set the stage for a show that ressembled a mixture between fashion, Lady Gaga self-promotion and a chaotic hide-and-seek game in dim flickering disco light. The models were half strutting, half stumbling on the platform wedges (the only one who mastered them effortlessly was Gaga) putting on a show that was composed of clutching along the pillars, lip synching a medley of Lady Gaga's latest album - featuring her "Born this Way" anthem- clenching their teeth, displaying their figurative claws and striking a vamp-y pose for the photographers. Check the official directors cut here.

Many of the garments of the show called “Anatomy of Change Femme – Mode Sans Frontiers,” featured Thierry Mugler's signature giant epaulettes, which had made the designer famous in the 80ies. Otherwise, the clothes featured a lot of sheer tops, or tops with sheer cut-outs revealing the bust or tiny synthetic bustiers. Skin tight membrane-looking clothes took turns with avant-gard garments which seemed futuristic and outlandish. Glossy elements were combined with natural textures - creating a look that made me think of the Borg of Starship enterprise - a fictive civilisation, which strives to be a superior race by sometimes brutally assimilating nature with technology. An association which might also be explicable by the fact that the Nichola Formichetti named Rick Genest aka "Zombie Boy"as his latest inspiration at the brand Mugler.

Nichola Formichetti, darling du jour of the industry surely gained some more momentum by this fabulous show and may just have promoted his vision of outlandish and eccentric beauty (I actually really think the time has come to pass the word gaga-esque as part of our vocabulary) a little more. Also, he managed to communicate his vision of the future of fashion brands, which is a seemless blending of showmanship, media communication, fashion, lifestyle and a sentiment, attitude and atmosphere at the same time.
The showmanship of the event was surely convincing and could live up to the hype. The limelight however was rather on Lady Gaga and the overall show elements than on the clothes. Also, the lighting, the labyrinthine scenery and extrovert posing and lip synching of the models was that much input that it took away attention from - what used to be- the actual core of the show: the collection.

All in all a successful publicity stunt that surely brought Lady Gaga, Nichola Formichetti and the label Mugler into many headlines. (One of the first headlines after the show being that Lady Gaga, already "bought" the entire collection ...surprised anybody?!)

xoxo
Glamazone

Souce: www.mugler.com
Picture Source: www.nicolaformichetti.com, WWD.com, style.com, fashionista.com

Filling a void - Dior's bird of paradise ousted

After John Galliano's rapid layoff at Dior on the eve of Paris Fashion Week following a line of unpardonable and allegations of racism and anti-Semitism, the fashion industry is holding its breath and standing as curious onlookers waiting to watch how a former golden child is falling from grace.
Luxury conglomerate LVMH rapidly executed its zero tolerance policy and suspended the couturier from his post as creative director at Dior on Friday, 25th of February 2011.

After cumulative accusations, which have peaked in the release of a rather shocking video on youtube, where the obviously intoxicated couturier is mumbling Nazi sympathatic remarks as well as anti-Semtitic abuses, he was finally let go of his position at Dior on February 28th.
Natalie Portman, newly crowned Academy Award winner, Dior ambassadress and new face for Miss Dior Cherie who in a strong official statement distanced herself instantly from John Galliano and declared that she "is proud to be Jewish" and "...shocked and disgusted..." by the designer's action and wishes to disassociate herself clearly from his persona.
How quickly the public distanced itself from designer extraordinaire was also reflected by how few celebrities sported the brand Dior on the red carpet of the Academy Awards this sunday - only Nicole Kidman and Sharon Stone adhered to their robes designed by John Galliano.

Finally today, Wednesday 2nd, John Galliano's much anticipated statement was released by law firm Harbottle & Lewis:

  
“I was subjected to verbal harassment and an unprovoked assault when an individual tried to hit me with a chair having taken violent exception to my look and my clothing. For these reasons I have commenced proceedings for defamation and the threats made against me,” Galliano said in the statement. “However, I fully accept that the accusations made against me have greatly shocked and upset people.”he also said that he''ll take full responsibility for the “circumstances in which I found myself and for allowing myself to be seen to be behaving in the worst possible light. I only have myself to blame and I know that I must face up to my own failures and that I must work hard to gain people's understanding and compassion." 
"I have fought my entire life against prejudice, intolerance and discrimination having been subjected to it myself,” he further stated. “In all my work my inspiration has been to unite people of every race, creed, religion and sexuality by celebrating their cultural and ethnic diversity through fashion. That remains my guiding light.”

Fellow couturier icon Karl Lagerfeld added fuel to the facts of the case stating the following to WWD: "I’m furious that it could happen, because the question is no longer even whether he really said it. The image has gone around the world. It’s a horrible image for fashion...". Also, Lagerfeld pointed out that fashion is "...a business world where, especially today, with the Internet, one has to be more careful than ever....". He ranted on to be furious with Galliano for being ungrateful and having seriously harmed CEO Bernard Arnault's pet label of conglomerate LVMH.

Irrespective of the negative short term ramifications this incident and subsequent media pandemonium will have on Dior, the long term impact of Galliano's departure on the legacy of couture house Dior remains to be seen.
Having been in charge of Dior since 1996, John Galliano unmistakably left his signature fingerprint and fused his creative genius and showmanship with the brand. The fashion world is already starting to speculate who might be capable of stepping into John Galliano's larger-than-life creative footprints at Dior who bestowed some of the most dramatic, memorable and remarkable couture moments on us during his 14 years of creative reign at Dior.


xoxo
Glamazone


Source: www.WWD.com, www.fashionologie.com, runway.blogs.nytimes.com,
Picture Source: spiegel.de, style.com, modeview.com

Reminiscent yet modern - Versace A/W RTW 2011

The venue that was selected to host the Versace catwalk show - Via Gesu Milan, the couryard of her deceased brother Gianni's Milan mansion - already suggested that Donatella Versace would be walking down memory lane with her current collection.

Apparently, Donatella had grappled with the maison's history and archive recently and processed this in her garments, which seemed more to the point than usual and less flashy at the same time.
The ubiquous sexiness that is the predominant streak in every Versace collection was pleasantly reticent and consequently more appealing. A signature baroque Versace curlicue was rediscovered and echoed in bold colourful snaky details that meandered around the otherwise plane and sleek garments. The colour palette comprehended a lot of black and white and was spiced up with purple and petrol shades as well as the occasional canary yellow. Quite startling that in a season where most big Italian brands went fur and exotic skin galore that of all things Versace went a little more low key than usual and won us over with a sleek sexiness that was less brash and in-your-face.

Versace blended feminine cuts with military style and created beautiful jackets that convinced with their sharp cuts and simple bold details like gold buttons with the Medusa signature emblem and golden belt buckles. The angular sharply tailored assymetric dresses with the sexy side slits and smart back cut-outs were as simple as they were effortlessly stylish. The balancing act between sleek restraint and sexy decadence  - reflected in particular by the leather outfits which comprised black pleated glazed leather skirts -was nicely managed and spiced up with beautiful peep toe boots in various executions - ranging from laced glazed leather boots to patent leather ones - as well as desirable hobo bags. The usage of furs and exotic skins seemed rather dosed compared to other collections during Milan fashion week - who would have thought that this is something you might ever write about Versace?! Also, observable was that this collection paid significantly less attention to the eveningwear than usual but the few pieces shown were a direct hit.


The combination of simple yet sharp cuts and bold Versace signature details made the collection striking and powerful.


xoxo
Glamazone

Source: style.com, WWD.com
Picture Source: www.style.com, www.WWD.com

Blending Boho - Matthew Williamson A/W RTW 2011

British Designer Matthew Williamson's inspiration this year was one of Russia's premier avant-garde artists: Francisco Infante-Arana, who made himself a reputation by blending mirror installations into nature to evoke a visual fusion of nature and modern materials.

The contrast of textures, the antagonism of surfaces was mirrored in Williamson's collection, which seemed to be an artsy approach to his grown up bohemian girl.
Like the artist Infante-Arana, Matthew Williamson indulged in a mix of textures, reflections, graphic prints, which echoed in a toned-down way in the wool and leather outerwear.

The recognition effect of Williamson's sophisticated hippie woman, which reflected in Mongolian vests, embroidered dresses and woolen outerwear was combined with leather biker trousers and skirts as well as some sheer synthetic blouses. The weak points in the show were the combinations of plain cut trousers in graphic prints with semi-translucent blouses as well as the assymetrical wrap skirts, which did not transport the otherwise light effortless feeling of the collection. At the same time, some of the coats with fur lining, graphic prints and embellishments seemed too forced.

A collection with interesting silhouettes, sophisticated combinations of textures and materials which left room for lightness and glamour at the same time.

xoxo
Glamazone

Source: WWD.com, style.com
Picture Source: WWD.com, style.com, todayandtomorrow.net, ilikethisblog.net

Fortress of Luxury - Hermès securing its assets

Following the riveting conflict of LVMH taking over 17.1% of Hermès' shares in October 2010, the founding family is bracing itself to preserve its precious heritage.

The extended family of Hermès International - which owns 73.4 of the company - reportedly pooled more than 50 percent of the shares in a holding company. This defence mechanism now depends on regulatory assent.
Within the holding company, a certain part of the future dividends will be put aside and locked up as a security to buy out family members who might want to sell their shares to LVMH.
Despite the fact that none of the family owns more than 5% of the shares - which equals about 0.8 billion euros at current market rates- the clan has profited quite nicely from the LVMH coup.

The market instantly reacted to those precautions: the price of Hermès shares fell by 3.15 percent and settled down at 148.90 euros that very day.
As a result of the common believe after the LVMH buy-in was that Bernard Arnault - CEO of luxury conglomerate LVMH and richest man in France - was about to seize control of Hermès, the artisan brand's shares had risen over 200€ in October 2010.

Bertrand Puech, direct descendant of Thierry Hermès and chair of the management family board at Hermès once more stressed that "LVMH will not be able to take control of the group" and announced that the creation of the holding company was another "demonstration to all those who do not want to believe us. We are a united family, driven by the same spirit of transmitting to our descendants the unique jewel which we have received from our parents."

Let's hope the new fortress wipes away the bitter aftertaste of insecurity and disaccord within the family which might have been stirred up by the peculiar events. And let's also hope that the family members of the Hermès clan did not pull the Trojan horse within its walls.

xoxo
Glamazone


Source: reuters.com, fashionmag.com, ftd.com

Model of the Moment: Freja Beha Erichsen

Freja Beha Erichsen is absolutely no newcomer - but you simply have to love her style. With her unobtrusive beauty, her rockstar looks and locks, the 23-year old Dane is currently one of the most requested models in the business.

Freja Beha made her debut in 2005 and has not missed out on many of the major catwalk shows these last few seasons.
Chanel, Pucci, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Valentino, Yves Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Chloé, Lanvin, Stella McCartney, Celine, Bottega Veneta,... you name it, she walked it.

You have certainly seen her face numerous times, as this Danish beauty is featured in so many editorials and ad campaigns at the moment that you cannot manage to flip through a magazine without spotting her: Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, Valentino, Max Mara, Roberto Cavalli, as Balenciaga, Jil Sander, Gucci, Hugo Boss,Tom Ford eyewear, CK, Gucci & H&M...

Also, she is one of the faces of the fragrance Gucci by Gucci along side Natasha Poly and Raquel Zimmermann.
A tad bad girl, a tad hippie a lot of rock'n roll (she notably has 16 tatoos), she definitely has one of those versatile faces and the kind of charisma you cannot get enough of.

Being ranked No.2 at models.com, hardly any other model seems to represent the 2010 zeitgeist as much as Freja Beha Erichsen.

xoxo
Glamazone

Source: www.frejabeha.com
Picture Source: style.com, tomford.com, chanel.com,

Hermès takes a plunge with a new flagship store

Hermès International has opened another flagship store in Paris, Thursday, 18th November 2010. The brand's 134th store comprehends the second biggest sales floor to date and is located on Paris' Rive Gauche on Rue De Sèvres. After 173 years of fidelity to the Rive Droite, the artisanry brand opened its first boutique on the left side of the Seine bank.

The former Lutetia Hotel’s indoor swimming pool, which is offering 15, 800 sq.ft (1467.868 m²), dispersed over three floors, has been converted to a luxurious space displaying Hermès' precious lines of products.

As the opening of the Rue de Sèvres flagship coincided with the launch of Hermès' interior line, nearly half of the space is dedicated to the new home range. The mega boutique showcases furnishings, fabrics, carpets and the new furniture re-editions by Jean-Michel Frank.
Also, the boutique houses three nearly 30-foot-tall huts carved from latticed ashwood, designed by architect Denis Montel of RDA, its own florist, stocked with flora rarities, a book store (Chaîne d’Encre - a little worldplay with Hermès' signature Chaîne d'Ancre) and a salon de thé with the apt name Le Plongeoir (The diving board) situated on its balcony.

As newsworthy as the spectacular interior of the new flagship was the appearance of one special guest amongst the numerous felicitators: Salma Hayek-Pinault, wife of PPR's François-Henri Pinault paid a visit to congratulate on the new retail space extraordinaire. A very political appearance given the recent public conflict between Hermès and PPR's main competitor LVMH. 

Never underestimate the effects of a common concept of the enemy.


xoxo
Glamazone

Source: style.com, rositakerdlarppol.blogspot.com,
Picture Source: style.com, rositakerdlarppol.blogspot.com

Lanvin goes Mainstream IV - Fashion Show Fabulous

Yesterday, 18th November 2010, we got another milestone closer to the actual launch of the Lanvin ♥ H&M collection, which will finally hit stores this saturday. With a bright, sparkly, kitsch-fabulous major shabang, Alber Elbaz presented his collection to a select fashion crowd at the Pierre hotel in New York. Fashion editors, bloggerati, fellow designers and industry crowd as well as celebrities were witnessing a show that felt like the most excessive, exuberant yet fun and relaxed fashion show seen for a long while.


The models were "making love to the camera" like back in the days and the usually rather reserved "been-there-done-that" audience raved about the latest high fashion meets high street fusion. Also a major highlight was a picturesque Anna Dello Russo strutting down the catwalk in a pink one-shoulder dress, with a grey poodle on a leash.
The collection presented yesterday was a special edition that was modified from the pieces, which will be available in select H&M stores worldwide. The uniquely customized high-end items of the show (24 pieces) plus five signed Alber Elbaz sketches are auctioned for the benefit of UNICEF on 26th November 2010. Bidding closes at 11.59 CET. 


 xoxo
Glamazone


Source: style.com, WWD.com, fashionista.com
Picture Source: style.com, fashionista.com

Outlook Pitti Uomo #79

Details about the 79th edition of Pitti Immagine Uomo that will take place in its usual spot at Fortezza da Basso in Florence, Italy on January 11 - 14 2011 have been made known to the public. As Raffaello Napoleone, Pitti Immagine’s CEO, announced beginning of this week, the trade fair organiser will launch two online trade fairs in January to complement Pitti Uomo and Pitti Bimbo.

As this year's special guest designer for Pitti W, the woman's pre-collection exhibition that is held parallel to Pitti Uomo, British designer Gareth Pugh has been selected. As a special events director leaked, he will be showcasing his collection in a rather unusual location - one that had never before hosted a fashion show.

"Gareth Pugh was already one of the leaders of the generation of young British fashion designers who helped to make that evening so exciting.  We have followed his work in London and Paris, seen his style evolve – from the Gothic atmospheres of the early days to today’s decidedly flamboyant effects – as well as the way he presents his collections: the video screened at the last Paris fashion week brought new energy to the discussion on the use of multimedia technologies in fashion. So we had all the right reasons for inviting Gareth Pugh to Florence and Pitti, where there is plenty of space for fashion experiments which can dialogue with the city’s unique historical and artistic venues. We are very happy that Gareth Pugh responded to our invitation with such enthusiasm." Pitti Immagine Press Release

Also, a special role at the 79th edition of Pitti Uomo will be held by the Trussardi Group.  To herald its centennial next year, Trussardi will host a multi-part event, which will include fashion, art, design and food showcases.

Pitti Uomo has a very special position in its function as Europe's biggest trade fair for male fashion. As the fair runs just before Milan fashion week, Pitti Uomo holds a reputation as a pioneer trade platforms as it allows the companies at to showcase their products very early in the annual fashion cycle. Strategically speaking, the brands can capitalize on capturing the attention of the buyers and the share of the buyers’ budgets before everybody else does. Also, Pitti Uomo has the reputation of being extremely contemporary and men's fashion brands frequently showcase new trends here first.

The summer edition of Pitti Uomo - #78 had attracted a total of 32 000 visitors out of which 19,200 were buyers. The special guest for Pitti W was Haider Ackermann, who bedazzled with his beautiful atmospheric show and his first tentative steps into men's wear. Special guest brand in summer was Jil Sander, who had menswear designer Raf Simons bring lots of colour to the topiary gardens of Villa Gamberaia.

Let's see what Pitti Uomo #79 has in store for us.

 xoxo
Glamazone

Source: style.com, WWD.com, pittiimmagine.com

Hermès throws down the gauntlet to LVMH

What a sight for sore eyes in today's Le Figaro business section: "Hermès repousse LVMH" - Hermès fights back.

Ten days after the rather surprising and sudden announcement that LVMH had at last managed to buy its way in on his competitor, French artisanry maison Hermès, the gloves between the two competitors - or the shock waves that shook the industry- are off.

Despite a statement of Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy that there are no current intentions of making an official offer or taking over the Hermès Group though to become a long-term investor, the article published today suggests that this coup was not as amicable and friendly as it was presented at first glance.

Heir Betrand Puech - direct descendant of the founder Thierry Hermès, who in 1837 established Hermès, and CEO Patrick Thomas insist in today's in Le Figaro that the purchase of 17.1% of Hermès shares was an unwanted, undesired and stealth action of Monsieur Bernard Arnault and his conglomerate. 72% of the remaining shares are dispersed within the family.
The duo also point out that the maison clearly was not in need of any capital support, mentoring, guidance or whatsoever from LVMH, as its financial performance has been showing a steady healthy growth since 1993. Hermès' performance was particularly strong during the last year, where many high-end fashion and luxury companies struggled significantly. In the interview, Patrick Thomas goes to such lenghts as to publicly doubt the correctness of the incident and calls the business transactions that have happened end of October 2010 more than just a little strange and even dubious - refering to LVMH business branches in Panama that were involved in the hostile buy into the company.

According to WWD, the French market regulator (AMF) is currently examining the circumstances purchase of the 17.1% shares

To the declaration that the buy-in was of amicable nature, Patrick Thomas and Bertrand Puech reacted indignantly with the response: "If you want to be amicable, Monsieur Arnault, you have to withdraw." - for the sake of completeness, one has to mention at this point that in a phone conversation following the buy-in, Monsieur Arnault had even stated that he does not even claim a seat on the board of Hermès International.

A conspicuous uproar of the last insurgent standing up against being locked in the golden cage of LVMH - after all, "'C'est n'est pas un combat financier, c'est un combat de cultures." Seems like front men Patrick Thomas and Betrand Puech will stop at nothing to impede Hermès International becoming the Koh-i-Noor in Monsieur Arnault's LVMH crown jewels.


xoxo
Glamazone



Source: lefigaro.com, WWD.com
Picture Source: magazine.wsj.com, lefigaro.fr

Lanvin goes Mainstream III - Official Footage

Et voilà, the official footage revealing the complete Lanvin ♥ H&M collection, which will hit the stores on 23rd of November 2010.
The four-and-a-half-minute short film directed by Mike Figgis is a Alice-in-Wonderland meets Kafka curiosity, which accentuates some of the ideas Alber Elbaz is voicing in the trailers explaining the odd collaboration of haute couture house Lanvin and mass retailer H&M.





The bizzare, quirky film portrays an motley excerpt of a nightmarish dream of the young Alber, displaying his influences and thoughts in a creative-chaotic mélange of strands of plots in the most fashionable hotel ever known to mankind. With the likes of Natasha Poly and Hannelore Knuts modelling Alber's beautiful collection, the short film promises printed shirts, diverse skirts, a zebra trenchcoat, a faux-fur jacket, funky accessories and a variety of assymetric ruffled dresses in colours ranging from moutarde to geranium red, black or floral prints as the key items to the collection.

In one of his trailers, Alber Elbaz expresses his bemusement about that fact that couture is interchangeable between three generations -  daughter, mother and grandmother could wear the same dress and interchange it- a theme that has been taken up in his short film as well.

"A happy collection for happy people" , which will be visible online at hm.com on the 4th of November


xoxo
Glamazone

Source: lanvin.com, hm.com
Picture Source: fabsugar.com

Lanvin goes Mainstream II - Preview

After Alber Elbaz nailed the Lanvin spring/summer '11 collection on the catwalk, the desirability of the affordable luxury collection Lanvin ♥ H&M has been increased even further and has created a major buzz within the industry.

As the collection is about to hit the stores on 23rd November 2010, the pictures and footage of the complete collection will be officially published on 2nd November 2010. To ease the countdown, the first two pictures for the much-anticipated collection have been published in addition to the teasers featuring Alber Elbaz.

According to the pictures, the collection promises to contain Lanvin's signature assymetrical necklines, puff sleeved dresses, feminine silhouettes and ruffle details.
Prices are quoted to range from £14.99 for sunglasses, £24.99 for bracelets and clutches, £34.99 for skirts and £99.99 for the asymetrical dresses. Loving the black one shoulder dress!

All I can say is: Who is going camping with me???

Glamazone ♥ Lanvin!!!

xoxo
Glamazone


Source: vogue.co.uk
Picture Source: vogue.co.uk

Stepping Up: YSL Spring/Summer 11

This season, Stefano Pilati deviated from a few of his habitual patterns - and it seems it paid off. Instead of showing the défilé of his Yves Saint Laurent spring/summer '11 collection in the Grand Palais where he had been showing in previous seasons, Stefano Pilati decided to have the show in the more intimate setting of a Rothschild townhouse, the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild in Paris' eigth arrondissment. 

Also, this season, Stefano Pilati had two trends in favour of the YSL look - the interplay between femininity and masculinity and the homage that several designers had paid to the heritage of their brands.
The Yves Saint Laurent retrospective, which had been exhibited in the Grand Palais from March until September 2010 might have just been the inspiration - the one missing component- that put the Milanese designer at ease with the challenging heritage of the brand.
It seemed as if a heavy weight had finally been lifted of his shoulders as he managed to present a collection that was so classic Yves Saint Laurent, yet felt so contemporary and coherent at the same time.

The duality between strict, sharply cut jackets, bourgeouis pantsuits, timeless trenchcoats and romantic paysanne ruffles, gypsy dresses, semi-translucent pussy bow blouses, lantern-sleeve tops was executed perfectly and reflected the maison's bourgeouis spirit.The through and through elegant and sophisticated collection combined softness and feminity effortlessly with sharp masculine smoking jackets, trenchcoats and glamorous jumpsuits.

A colour palette ranging from classic black, white and navy to sophisticated taupe was spiced up by the mesmerizing tangerine blouses and dashes of turqouise and blue.
Beautifully cut dresses, subtle displays of just enough skin, great cross-shaped collars, cinched waistlines, elongated 40ies lines - the Yves Saint Laurent spring/summer collection '11 was an impeccable display of subtle elegance and sophistication. The styling of the models featured sleek braided updos with centre parting  that brought out the elaborate neckline of the dresses and blouses even better. The make-up consisted of a flawless porcelaine complexion, bleached brows and timelessly chic rouge noir lips and fingernails that were just the icing on the cake.

With subtle eroticism, powerful YSL signature looks, fine details and effortless sophistication, Stefano Pilati finally delivered the collection the industry had been waiting for so impatiently. To check video footage of the show, go to ysl.com.

xoxo
Glamazone

Source: style.com, WWD.com, ysl.com
Picture Source: style.com, WWD.com, breaktherules.com

Jean Paul Gaultier's fulminant farewell

An era has come to an end, Jean Paul Gaultier presented his last collection for French traditional house Hermès on October 6th 2010.

It was not a silent goodbye - it was a swan song with stomping, clapping and attitude. The flamenco sounds thudding out of the speakers were accompanied by appreciative applause of the audience, which had gathered to witness the last extravaganza the designer had created for Hermès' womenswear.

Working with Hermès' best colours, black, chocolat, gold, etoupe, crème, Rouge Hermès and a dash of the signature orange that Hermès uses for all its packaging, Jean Paul Gaultier presented a collection reflective of Spanish dressage look. A whiff of flamenco, a dash of gaucho and a lot of classic noble Hermès equestrian style inclusive of riding crops and harnesses.
The former enfant terrible of French fashion, managed to combine austere elegance, soigné artisanry and signature craftsmanship with a hint of eroticism and his characteristical mischievous wink.

Beautiful tailoring, the savoir-faire of handling the most precious leathers (an exceptional translucent crocodile leather jacket!), Jean Paul Gaultier delivered Hermès chic with the likes of classic pantsuits, ultra-high-waisted pants, leather skirts in various lengths, jodhpur influended pants and elegant mousseline capes. The actual tone of the collection however was set by the fetish-looking, body conscious leather bustiers and torsolettes as well as the elegant blouses endorsed with harnesses. What was it with the harnesses this season? We saw them everywhere (Lanvin, Rag & Bone...).
Naturally, there were also plenty of splendid Hermès accessories (the to-die-for leather bracelets (!) and gloves) and playful modifications of the maison's signature bags (miniature Birkins, miniature Birkins inside semi-translucent Kelly bags, a wicker Kelly...).

A majestic goodbye for Jean Paul Gaultier. We shall see where Christophe Lemaire is leading Hermès' reins to in future collections.

xoxo
Glamazone


Sources: WWD.com, style.com, thebaghagdiaries.com
Picture Sources: WWD.com

The Future is...

...contrast.

This season, British designer Gareth Pugh - famous for his preference of goth-influenced looks - made a statement by completely relinquishing to have a catwalk show for his spring/summer '11 collection. He replaced his live show with a 11-minute film that was shown yesterday, 29th September 2010 in Paris. Let me rephrase that - "film" does not quite do it justice. We are talking about an artistic masterpiece displaying his collection in a virtual framework that would put a considerable number of sci-fi films and music videos into place.

Director Ruth Hobgen, who, as part of Nick Knight's SHOWstudio - also in charge of imagery of Lady Gaga's Monster Ball World Tour - created this stimulating short film, featuring supermodel Kristen McMenamy and male dancer Jonathan Baker.

The film conveys the emotion and the vision of Gareth Pugh, which is habitually sinister and slightly outlandish. The captivating piece of virtual artistry, which was created in collaboration with ingenious SHOWstudio was projected on a gargantuan screen in the Parc de Bercy sports stadium in Paris instead of a classic runway show.
By abandoning the catwalk for a virtual spectacle instead of merely complementing his show by film material, Gareth Pugh is taking the virtual marketing efforts of fellow designers and fashion brands one step further. Clearly taking sides of advocates for immediacy and overall accessability of fashion, the video was simultaneously accessible on the SHOWstudio website and youtube for thousands of aficionados worldwide.

The elaborate black and white video displayed an alienating yet beautiful composition of Japanese-inspired sharply tailored clothing, some androgynous futuristic shapes as well as some rather unexpected soft and delicate flowing garments. Also, the shades of this season were dominated by silver, grey and white, some monochrome graphic prints but still featured some of the designer's signature dark goth/fetish-inspired looks. 

Following - of what feels to be - the footprints of Alexander McQueen, who smoothed out the way with his cross over show "Plato's Atlantis" on year ago in his last show for spring/summer '10, Gareth Pugh took over the sceptre of virtual fashion showmanship. Certainly as resource consuming as any fashion show, the designer took full control of the representations of his designs.

It feels like this season, we are clearly witnessing a shift towards both ends of the spectrum.
Fashion accessibility, immediacy and ubiquity versus intimacy, luxury and elitism.

xoxo
Glamazone

Sources: showstudio.com
Picture Sources: style.com

Happy 25th career anniversary Naomi

It is commonly known that supermodel Naomi Campbell and Dolce & Gabbana are very close.
So it is not surprising that to celebrate her 25th career anniversary her extended Italian family is throwing not only one massive VIP studded party for her - but eight. And what kind of a present do you give to somebody who supposedly has everything? Well, if you are a world reknown designer brand, what's could be nicer than to dedicate something to her.
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are celebrating their close friend - and one of their favorite models & muses - with an exclusive collection of limited t-shirts.

The t-shirt collection features 14 iconic pictures of the supermodel that were taken throughout her 25 year long career by the world's most esteemed fashion photographers such as Mario Testino, Steven Meisel, Steven Klein, Peter Lindbergh, Patrick Demarchelier, Ellen von Unwerth.
The limited collection is available at eight exclusive events around the globe (NYC, London, Paris, Milano, Moscow...), where Naomi will be making appearances and signing them.

The 25th Anniversary t-shirt collection's proceeds will support the charity Fashion for Relief, which was founded by Naomi Campbell in 2005 to raise funds in the fashion world.
The charity has raised over $1 million for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and is also providing financial support to Russian orphans and the numerous Haitian earthquake victims.

At yesterday's party at the D&G boutique on Old Bond street, celebrities like Didier Drogba, Lilly Allen and Alexandra Burke chatted away with fashion notables like Mario Testino, David Gandy, Claudia Schiffer, Erin O'Connor and Janice Dickinson -just to name a few- who had all did Naomi's hometown event the honour of stopping by. While sipping delicious berry cocktails with Martini Gold ( Dolce & Gabbana's latest collaboration with Martini) out of elegant heavy crystal goblets, everybody discussed the Burberry show they had attended earlier during the day and of course which of the fourteen Naomi motives was their favorite one.

xoxo
Glamazone


Sources: dolcegabbana.com, naomicampbell.com