subscribe to style file blog via RSSDelfina Delettrez Fendi Isn’t Afraid Of The Dark
November 20, 2009 4:21 pm
Remember the silver finger ring and nail polish set we reported on earlier this month? Its designer, Delfina Delettrez Fendi, was at Opening Ceremony last night showing it off, along with other creepy-chic creations like bejeweled skulls, frogs, spiders, and eyeballs. It’s not as dark as it sounds: “I don’t take it too seriously. See my skulls, they’re smiling,” the young designer explained. “I rather think that the pieces are ironic.” Opening Ceremony’s Humberto Leon was apt to agree. “She has a sense of humor about things that’s refreshing,” he said. While the presentation was her first stateside, the 22-year-old already has a strong fan base. Amy Greenspon, Mickalene Thomas, and Amy Phelan stopped by to check out her new Anatomik collection; Jen Brill showed up bedecked in her pieces; and afterward, The New York Times‘ Stefano Tonchi hosted a private dinner at his place for the jewelry designer. But with her famous last name—mom is Silvia Venturini Fendi—is she content to stick with jewelry? “Well, for now I’m growing the line, but I would love to do clothing as well,” Delettrez Fendi said. “Oh, but I would do bags first. I think always bags before clothing.” Mama must be proud.
tags: Amy Greenspon, Amy Phelan, Delfina Delettrez Fendi, Jen Brill, Mickalene Thomas, Opening Ceremony
Choo-sing Wisely At H&M
November 16, 2009 3:03 pm
While most H&M collab launches are early-morning affairs, for its much-hyped Jimmy Choo collection, the retailer threw open the doors of its Fifth Avenue flagship—newly redesigned and renovated, by the way—to an invite-only crowd on Friday night. Not, mind you, that any evening manners were in evidence. At 7 p.m. sharp, throngs of young women (accompanied by a few shell-shocked men) descended on the clothes, grabbing wildly at the sequined and beaded tanks, tunics, and jackets. Less popular were the suede offerings: a minidress with more than a foot of fringed trim went mostly untouched.
As expected, the real madness was in the “shoe department,” a sectioned-off corner (with “Choo blue”-painted police barriers) in the rear of the store. Once you gained access—burly security guards shut down the area multiple times—the most covetable items were any of the sky-high stilettos, particularly those in patent leather or zebra print. Among the other accessories, many shoppers were adding the bright pink plastic minaudière to their haul, while a wide studded belt, of which there were seemingly only a few, proved to be the most elusive prize. Those hoping for a few prizes of their own had better make tracks: The Fifth Avenue store still has stock at the moment, but once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.
tags: Jimmy Choo
Wang’s Win, Daphne’s Shoes, and More…
November 13, 2009 1:02 pm
Alexander Wang can’t stop winning. The 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner
scooped up this year’s Swiss Textiles Award, beating out five other
finalists including Thakoon and Ohne Titel. We guess sexy American sportswear translates everywhere.
[WWD]
Daphne Guinness gets the shoes. The pint-size muse showed up in Alexander McQueen’s fang feet at last night’s party for François Nars, and, of course, totally pulled it off. [British Vogue]
International modeling phenom Karlie Kloss made her mom cupcakes for her birthday. And she’s founding a charity to help underprivileged youth. And she’s 17. [WWD]
Lynn Hirschberg deconstructs Megan Fox. Is her sexed-up image all an act? Unclear, but the actress does use those chicken-cutlet boob enhancements. That’s kind of a relief, right? [NYT]
Costco’s made it to Manhattan. The mammoth food-clothing-electronics-and-everything-else emporium opened its doors today on 116th Street. Go there for a wall of Uggs ($124.99), Chanel
handbags ($1,999.99), and Louis Vuitton duffels ($589.99). No one has to
know where it came from. [NY Post]
tags: Alexander McQueen, Alexander Wang, Alison Baenen, Costco, Daphne Guinness, Karlie Kloss, Megan Fox, Ohne Titel, Thakoon
Narciso Rodriguez, Vacation Planner
November 10, 2009 1:58 pm
Fashion is a game of give and take, and today Narciso Rodriguez will be doing a lot of the former when he presents a retrospective show of his work at the Caribe Hilton in San Juan to benefit the nonprofit Alas a la Mujer, which provides financial support to women in need for education and business development. That doesn’t mean he won’t find a little time for fun, too. (After all, he’s earned it.) Below, Rodriguez’ guide to enjoying the best PR has to offer—just in time for planning holiday travel—exclusively on Style.com.
What are your impressions of the street style in Puerto Rico?
Style in Puerto Rico is fairly relaxed, but the women definitely love fashion, especially dressing for formal evenings. They adore shoes, the more extravagant and the higher the heel the better—especially poolside.
Do you have a favorite destination?
My favorite neighborhood in Puerto Rico is Old San Juan. It is the epitome of pure, classical colonial beauty—from El Convento, a hotel that has been converted from a convent, to El Morro, the Spanish fort. Merely wandering the narrow streets, one can discover so many architectural treasures. Old San Juan is truly inspiring.
I know you’re a frequent visitor to PR—I’m sure you’ve got some great recommendations to share. What’s your favorite…
…place to eat?
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tags: Narciso Rodriguez
Spring Rolls With Warhol, And More From Indochine
October 29, 2009 1:40 pm
The first time Jean-Marc Houmard waited on Andy Warhol at Indochine, he accidentally brushed his hand while serving a pot of tea. This anecdote, one of many included in the new book Indochine: Stories, Shaken and Stirred (Rizzoli), edited by Houmard and Maer Roshan, sums up the place’s enduring appeal: glamorous enough that the famous go there to rub shoulders, mellow enough that they do so over tea. (And spring rolls, usually.)
Houmard co-owns the restaurant now, and has kept it as congenial to boldfaced names and bohemians as it’s always been. There’s certainly a healthy mix of them among the book’s contributors, from Salman Rushdie and Susanne Bartsch, who contributed reminiscences to the oral history, to artists Kenny Scharf, Ruben Toledo, and Ross Bleckner, who chipped in new work inspired by the restaurant. Indochine comes out next month; tonight, it will be fêted at Bergdorf Goodman at an event co-hosted by Linda Fargo, Richard Johnson, Narciso Rodriguez, and Veronica Webb. Here, Houmard talks to Style.com about Indochine’s quarter-century as a hot joint in town.
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tags: Andy Warhol, Bergdorf Goodman, Linda Fargo, Narciso Rodriguez, Richard Johnson, Salman Rushdie, Suzanne Bartsch, Veronica Webb
Ruffian Gets Guy-Friendly
October 28, 2009 12:43 pm
Ruffian’s Brian Wolk and Claude Morais have been busy lately—designing both their ready-to-wear collection and Mise en Scene, their secondary fashion and housewares line for Anthropologie—but the duo is adding yet another line to their mix: this one for the boys. “All our friends who are boys had been asking for it, and all our women who are clients are always asking for their husbands,” Wolk says. Well, guys, ask and you shall receive. When Macy’s came knocking with a proposal, Wolk and Morais jumped at the chance. Threads & Heirs, their first men’s line since their small collection of ties in the early aughts, will hit Macy’s locations nationwide for Spring 2010. We rang Wolk and Morais at their studio to chat about the looks, the influences, and their belief that the department store’s founder, R.H. Macy, was a tattooed hipster.
Tell us a little bit about your entry into menswear.
When we first started, we started with men’s, which not too many people know. We did ties using only women’s couture textiles and sold them to Barneys. It’s kind of funny how we came full circle and are doing men’s again. We’re really excited.
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tags: Ruffian
Devi Kroell’s Madison Avenue Dream Comes True
October 28, 2009 11:40 am
Devi Kroell made her first metallic python hobo bag five years ago. It wound up on the arm of Lindsay Lohan, Jessica Simpson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and just about every fashion editor in town, and Kroell hasn’t looked back since. The Austrian-born, New York-based designer introduced footwear, including a very early take on the now omnipresent over-the-knee boot, in 2006, and her Swarovski Award for Accessories Design came that same year. A ready-to-wear collection followed in 2008. Today, Kroell is still in her early thirties and opening a 3,000-square-foot, two-floor boutique in a landmark building at 717 Madison Avenue designed by Space 4 Architecture, the same firm that worked on the Jil Sander store on Crosby Street. Jewelry and sunglasses are in the works; beauty and fragrance may not be far behind. We sat down with Kroell in her new boutique to discuss the virtues of Las Vegas, working with men, and the power of python.
How does it feel to be celebrating your fifth year as a brand?
Opening this store is exactly what I wanted; it’s a dream come true. And having made it this far in times like this is a big feat, I think. So I’m very proud of that.
It must be a difficult time to be opening a store. How are you responding to the challenges of the new economy?
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tags: Catherine Zeta-Jones, Devi Kroell, Jessica Simpson, Jimmy Choo, Lindsay Lohan
Blasblog: The Story of Mrs. O
October 26, 2009 9:26 am
Even before Michelle Obama moved into the White House, publishers were scrambling to meet with the public’s demand for books on the new First Family. But while some of those books now seem slapdash or rushed, next month will see the release of Mrs. O, a colorful hardback written by blogger Mary Tomer, dedicated to Mrs. Obama’s style from her early days as a student to her role as the first African-American First Lady in the nation’s history. Tomer explains her project as a labor of love, one that began when she first clocked Mrs. Obama at the Democratic National Convention in 2004, joining the president on stage after the speech that vaulted him into the collective consciousness.
When the couple began to campaign, Tomer became so enamored with Mrs. Obama’s wardrobe that she started a Web site called Mrs-O.org, chronicling everything from the Donna Ricco dress she wore on The View to the Thakoon and J.Crew pieces we’re now so familiar with. Mrs-O.org laid the groundwork for Tomer’s book, which boasts not only the back story behind many of her famous appearances, but also interviews with some of the designers and fashion personalities that have become synonymous with the First Lady’s style, including André Leon Talley, Isabel Toledo, Jason Wu, and Michael Kors. Here, we talk to Tomer about whether Mrs. O is like Jackie O, what she’d do if she ever met the First Lady, and just how she scored all those interviews.
Is there a power to Mrs. Obama’s wardrobe that might not have been recognized in a First Lady of years past?
Dress is a means of visual communication, and I think it’s a language that Mrs. Obama speaks well. When the First Lady of the United States wears a dress from Target or cardigan from J.Crew, real women from around the country relate to her. When she wears ensembles from Rodarte or Thakoon on an international stage, she elevates the perception of American culture and sophistication. Certain looks can even convey different moods. When Mrs. Obama chose the lemongrass Isabel Toledo dress and coat worn for the inauguration, she projected a definite sense of optimism to the American people. Certainly, style has become a powerful, positive part of Michelle Obama’s image. I think it’s an asset that shouldn’t be overlooked or undervalued.
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tags: Mary Tomer, Michelle Obama, Mrs. O
Rags Time: Marc Levin On HBO Doc Schmatta
October 19, 2009 3:41 pm
Schmatta: Rags to Riches to Rags, Marc Levin’s history of the Garment District, airs tonight on HBO. After tracing the origins of the New York City rag trade back to immigrant-staffed sweatshops like the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, Levin proceeds to track the rise of the Garment District—those mid-century decades when approximately 95 percent of the clothing sold in the United States was made domestically, making it the number one employer in New York City. Times, needless to say, have changed. Today, close to 95 percent of the clothing sold in the United States is made abroad, making the Garment District so much a shadow of its former self that a fight to save it from extinction is currently being waged. Schmatta tracks that devolution, as well. In so doing, the film raises important questions about how the fashion industry infrastructure we currently take for granted will be forced to adapt in the post-recession, post-Inconvenient Truth era. Here, Levin talks to Style.com about fashion as microcosm, his own rag trade genealogy, and the fact that he’s not trying to be Michael Moore.
You’ve got a lengthy filmmaking résumé, and nothing on it indicates an interest in fashion. What made you want to tell this story?
It was a curveball, actually. I went to Sheila Nevins at HBO with an idea for a documentary about hedge funds, and while we were sitting there, brainstorming, she brought up the fact that her blouse was made in China, her pants in Bangladesh, and so on. She thought there was a story there, and she suggested I go check out the Garment Center. I said, “You want me to do something on the schmatta business?” And she said, “Schmatta. Great title.” That’s how things get done, sometimes. Read the rest of this entry >
tags: Anna Sui, HBO, Marc Levin, Schmatta: Rags To Riches To Rags
Talking Bourdin and Film With Shelly Verthime
October 12, 2009 6:10 pm
Legendary Paris department store Le Bon Marché Rive Gauche is currently playing host to Guy Bourdin, Ses Films, an installation of 15 clips from films Bourdin shot from the 1960’s through the 1980’s. According to Shelly Verthime, who curated the show with Bourdin’s son Samuel, the films operate as both a time capsule and a window onto Bourdin’s creative process. “Making these films, I believe, was part of his obsessive search for the perfect image,” Verthime explains. “You see him experimenting with different angles, different lighting. What we see in those famous photos is the end result of this process, involving so many tiny adjustments.”
Verthime worked with Le Bon Marché to make sure that visitors to Ses Films felt that they were entering Bourdin’s world. The exhibition, which runs through October 29, is housed in a discrete area within the store. Visitors pass through a series of immersive spaces, catching glimpses of video on mirrors, or finding their own shadows reflected on the screen. That experience will surely whet fans’ appetite for the upcoming documentary on Bourdin that Verthime is working with the photographer’s estate to produce. The release date on that film is undecided, but in the meantime, Verthime tells Style.com about entering the mind of fashion’s surrealist master.
One of the things you always hear about Guy Bourdin is that his work is “cinematic.” Even when he was shooting an ad campaign, like Charles Jourdan, his photos seemed like stills from a strange movie. There is an implied narrative that you can’t quite figure out. It’s interesting to discover that Bourdin actually shot film as well, but, interestingly, he didn’t seem to use that medium for telling a story.
No, not at all. He wasn’t a “filmmaker,” per se. There’s no artistic ambition. What he liked to do was use the film as a kind of visual notebook. We have two kinds of video in the show: footage he shot on the set, and footage he shot on his journeys, in Martinique, going from London to Brighton, and so on. On the set, you see him taking stills, adjusting the backdrops, working with the models. It’s very intimate. The traveling footage is closer in spirit to what he would do with Polaroids. You see croppings of landscapes, people shot from the legs down. All these angles and compositions he used later.
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tags: Guy Bourdin, Shelly Verthime
