Friday, June 3, 2011

THIS WEEK IN FASHION 30 MAY- 3 JUNE

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large assisted by Bethan Holt.

Every Friday I'm going to share a digest of the fashiony stories and happennings that caught my attention during the week.  This week an historic appointment at the New York Times, big girls on the cover of Italian Vogue, Freja and Carine for Chanel and a revealing out-take from my Haider Ackermann interview for POP from last Spring... Oh and what has the International Herald Tribune writer Ruth La Ferla got against Marc Jacobs?
1. Vogue Italia uses THREE plus-size models on front cover....
Tara Lynn, Candice Huffine and Robyn Lawley

2. Tom Ford makes a documentary... And tells the story of Yves Saint Laurent's reaction to his collection for the label...(via the Huffingtonpost)

"When I started to get great press and business [at YSL] started to become successful, Yves became really quite hostile," recalled Ford, "and we had a little bit different taste. I have letters that he wrote to me about it, you know: 'In 13 minutes on the runway you have destroyed 40 years of my career.'"

3. Speaking of YSL, Pilati's Resort 2012 collection revives this delicious print from 1971. Divine...


The Poppy Print revived for 2011/12

4. The New York Times appoints its first ever female editor...   Jill Abramson, I salute you and look forward to your New York Times.
Jill Abramson is applauded by her new her team. I love this picture

5. Karl Lagerfeld wins Gordon Park Foundation creativity award and discusses the leaked pictures of his collaboration with Carine Roitfeld... Sexy!
Freja Beha Erichsen stars in the campaign, styled by Carine Roitfeld

The setting... A photo booth!

Chanel branches into masks?
6. Fascinating " interview " in the International Herald Tribune by Ruth La Ferla with Marc Jacobs ahead of his Lifetime Achievement Award at CFDAs on Monday...

Marc in  make-up from Francois Nars portrait book.

While Marc is smarting that his should be "a half-life time achievement award" there seems to be a darker force at work in her piece. In it La Ferla seems to be suggesting that Marc Jacobs has lost it. She alludes to store buyers from Bloomingdale's, Barneys New York and Nordstrom who "declined to comment on the designer's performance". She also quotes a blogger who says that overall the message of his clothes is "pretty banal". She also spoke to stylist Ms Tracy L Cox who works for SJP among others. Cox tells La Ferla that Marc's "clothes don't neccessarily translate on the red carpet." The pull quote of the article, published today, says "In a survey in 2009, his label was ranked 11th in perceived value and prestige. It plummeted to 25th last year."

7. Haider Ackermann adds even more intrigue to Dior rumours according to the LA Times...
"No announcement has come yet, but Ackermann, who is visiting Los Angeles for the first time this week for a special event with Saks Fifth Avenue, hinted that he is ready for a new challenge. "It would excite me," he said over green tea in the garden at the Chateau Marmont. "Sometimes you're drawing a collection, and something doesn't fit. I have more things to say and another house might help me with this."

We shared a glance at a long table of proper-looking ladies Champagne brunching under the porch, with their elegant handbags close at hand.

"I might dream of a woman more elegant and pure," Ackermann said. "Like those women over there?" I asked. He laughed. "Different, but yes."


Could Ackermann rival Galliano's finale outfits?

When I interviewed Ackermann 18 months ago for POP (SS11 edition, read here),  I asked him if - after turning down the job offer to be Creative Director of Maison Martin Margiela - he might consider working for another house in the future. His answer to me was "My tree is too young still. I need to have strong roots for me to be able to divide myself. Step by step. It took me 6.5 years to be standing here and that is good. Lets not rush into things. I don’t want to be at a house just for three years. If I do something I want longevity. I like longevity. I like intimacy." Hmm. So if he takes on a Dior or a Givenchy shaped job he will be doing it for the very long term....

8. Stefano Pilati tells Womens Wear Daily that he is scared of bloggers... oh and on another note I had no idea Kate Moss and Stefano were such great mates....surely with John Galliano in recovery he is a shoo-in to design her wedding gown? Or maybe her dress IS what Galliano is doing in recovery?
Kate and Stefano at the Etam fashion show in January. These two are always hanging out. (image from Zimbio.com)

“I pay attention to all of them and I’m very scared,” Pilati told WWD. “Because who are these people? I would like to sit with them and ask them where they come from. because it’s very easy to judge from your bed. At the same time, I’m fascinated. I’m fascinated by this era and this medium. If people are thirsty about fashion, I like to have a dialogue, but now it’s not a two-way dialogue: it’s a one-way dialogue.”

9. Can't wait to read American Vogue European Editor-at-Large Hamish Bowles' autobiography... (via avenueinsider.com)
Bowles looking dapper in McQueen
10. Gisele is gearing up to be the first supermodel to become a US Dollar  billionaire... according to Forbes magazine Gisele Bundchen, 30, the model from Horizontina in Southern Brazil is a money machine. Last year alone she sold 250 million flip-flops in Brazil earning her in the region of £150 million, thats before we look at her beauty business (currently for sale), her growing property portfolio and various other product deals.


by Mario Testino

11. ASOS announces massive profits... crazy to think that in ten years ASOS has gone from being worth £12.3 million (October 2001) to £1.6 billion (June 2011) (Source: Ft.com.)

12. Erdem (who looked as dapper as ever at last nights Royal College of Art fashion show) has produced a stunning resort collection for 2012 inspired by Hitchcock and Romy Schneider... I would wear this look in a heartbeat.

Erdem continues to work with lace and beautiful prints in this new offering

13. Alexa Chung unveils yet another fashion collaboration... am I alone in thinking Alexa has got her fingers in one too many fashion pies?

14. Alistair Guy's new portraits of some of fashion's most influential people includes this one by one of my best friends, Yasmin Sewell. She look beautiful, as always.


Yasmin Sewell
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
http://www.fashionologie.com/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/
http://www.nymag.com/
http://www.latimes.com/
http://www.fashionista.com/
http://www.vogue.co.uk/
http://www.howtozipyourfly.com/