ERROR:
subscribe to style file blog via RSSIn Paris, Hermès Puts Its Best Foot Forward
May 15, 2012 9:41 am
Not only did the sun finally make an appearance, Paris got a shot of orange yesterday morning—Hermès orange, to be precise. On Monday, the French house unveiled its summer pop-up store (8 rue des Sèvres, Paris), where the story is all about women’s shoes. The full range of summer footwear by Pierre Hardy, including Oran sandals in hot pink, navy, and orange neoprene (all exclusive to this location, €390), flank one side of the space, and a preview of the Fall shoes and boots (déjà!) lines the opposite.
“The concept is really simple, but it seemed obvious to me to play on the Hermès box,” says interior decorator Stéphane Parmentier. “It’s radical and graphic, but also warm.” A pair of “monochromes in movement,” portals of slowly rotating dry pigments by artist Manuel Merida, echo the ones now featured at the Right Bank flagship, and Walking Distance, a video by Rosario Romagnosi, brings movement to the space, which sits on the angle of the rue de Sèvres and the rue des Saints-Pères like the prow of a ship.
For Hermès, this is but a first act—the shop will close on July 19 to make way for a space dedicated to its Chinese contemporary lifestyle brand Shang Xia, which is slated to open at the end of the year. And for Parmentier, the project marks a first return to fashion since shuttering his signature label over a decade ago. “I wanted to really bring people into an Hermès experience, so it has this feeling of being backstage, or in a stockroom,” he admits. A hint of things to come? Parmentier earned his stripes with Lanvin, Givenchy, and Karl Lagerfeld—it’s a fair bet he hasn’t said his last
word.
tags: Hermes, Pierre Hardy, Rosario Romagnosi, Shang Xia
On Our Radar: Soludos x Mara Hoffman
May 14, 2012 9:00 am
The weather has at last warmed up and it looks like sandal season is here to stay. But sometimes sandals just don’t make the cut for beach excursions or those sweltering days in the city. Introducing designer Mara Hoffman’s shoe collaboration for Soludos. Hoffman’s signature, boho prints, in four different vibrant styles, offer a fresh take on the classic espadrille. Style.com has an exclusive first look at the collection ($45), above. Soludos x Mara Hoffman is available at Marahofffman.com and Soludos.com on May 21.
tags: Mara Hoffman, Soludos
Love You, Mom
May 11, 2012 2:47 pm
Mother’s Day is this Sunday. In honor of the occasion, Style.com’s editors are sharing what they’re planning to give—and hoping to get—this year.
“I’ve always been drawn to Alyssa Norton’s pieces; it must be the former friendship bracelet-maker in me. And my four-year-old Nikolas would approve of the pretty colors in this one ($715, www.barneys.com)—purple is his favorite.” —Nicole Phelps, executive editor
“My list is always endless. Being in the market and seeing new pieces on a daily basis just makes my imaginary wish list longer everyday. I moved recently and I’m still organizing my house, so some Joe Cariati decanters ($385, www.joecariati.com) would be a dream. And, I still haven’t put my hands on any neon jewelry and now with the summer approaching I’m craving a Tom Binns neon necklace ($1,285, www.forwardforward.com). Truth is, I’ll end up getting none of the above. My husband always forget it’s Mother’s Day and my daughter, at 3, is too young to remind him!” —Marina Larroude, market director Read the rest of this entry >
tags: Alyssa Norton, Christian Louboutin, International Orange, Isabel Marant, Joe Cariati, Laduree, Physique 57, Tom Binns
His Range Is Rio
May 9, 2012 6:31 pm
With the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics (just 1,548 days away for those of you who are counting) on the horizon, Brazil is hotter than ever. Macy’s is celebrating the vibrant country with its latest campaign, A Magical Journey to Brasil. Enter Francisco Costa for a collaborative capsule collection. “I felt so honored when Macy’s approached me because it is a tribute to my home country,” Costa, who is originally from Guarani, Brazil, said this morning at a preview of the new range. He went on to explain that he drew inspiration from a snapshot of sunshine hitting the pavement—inspiration that comes through in the palette of warm neutrals. Ever the minimalist, Costa’s designs for Macy’s have streamlined silhouettes and modern silver hardware accents that are characteristic of his looks for Calvin Klein Collection, rather than his native country’s more Carnaval-friendly fare. Of course, these pieces come at a fraction of the price. The new line ($135-$180) is Costa’s first foray into fast fashion; it will hit stores later this month.
tags: 2014 World Cup, 2016 Summer Olympics, A Magical Journey to Brasil, Calvin Klein Collection, Francisco Costa
Deer In The Spotlights
May 9, 2012 3:11 pm
Long regarded as the go-to shopping destination for a certain discerning set of Angelenos, Des Kohan ’s namesake store holds a reliable, oft exclusive stock of merchandise from designers local (Juan Carlos Obando) and abroad (Alaïa). But it’s that energy of exclusives that has kept Kohan’s shop on the map despite its off-the-beaten-path location on South Cloverdale Avenue. The shop owner’s latest endeavor, debuting today, is DEER, a 20-piece accessory collection conceived alongside L.A.-based jewelry designer Annie Costello Brown. “We couldn’t find pieces that we wanted in our wardrobe, so we wanted to create something that wasn’t about following trends but about setting standards for style,” Kohan tells Style.com of the collection ($125 to $798). Composed of uniquely paired mixed metals and media to convey a “raw, earthy look,” DEER relies on a multitude of styling options that have, in turn, elevated each piece’s functionality. “We used the materials in a new way and brought the multifaceted styling element to it,” Costello explained of the colored leather, shells, vintage brass beads, and chains she sources from around the world, then designs and assembles in Los Angeles.
In a true partnership, Kohan offers personal styling to complete the looks that Costello Brown accessorizes. “Because we’re just one store, we’re able to create editorial pieces (ranging from a mixed-metal draped trio necklace to a snake belt) instead of trying to please the masses.” It’s an ongoing—and unbridled—partnership that is set to produce new designs on a monthly basis.
DEER is now available at Des Kohan, 671 South Cloverdale Ave., L.A., (323) 857-0200.
tags: Annie Costello Brown, Azzedine Alaia, DEER, Des Kohan, Juan Carlos Obando
Ghosts Of Prada Past Return For One More Turn On The Shelf
May 4, 2012 4:39 pm
The upcoming Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations exhibition isn’t the only place you’ll see Prada creations of years gone by anew: They’ll be on sale at Prada stores, too. In celebration of the Costume Institute’s exhibit, the label is reissuing limited quantities of classic bags dating back more than 20 years, from a satin bag from 1991 (above left, $995) and the original Prada doctor’s bag from Fall 2000 ($2,350 to $2,895) to a printed canvas clutch from Fall 2003 (above right, $1,895) and a printed nylon frame bag with lace detail from Fall 2005 ($2,350). They’re all on sale now at New York Prada stores.
tags: Prada
The Fruit Of Her Labors
May 3, 2012 12:56 pm
Leslie Fremar is routinely voted one of the most powerful stylists in Hollywood—powerful enough, it seems, to get even star clients like Reese Witherspoon and Charlize Theron to wear Fruit of the Loom. The trick: She designed it herself. The new collection of Fremar’s line of French-seamed tees, sinuous tanks, long cardigans, and more launched yesterday at New York’s Beauty & Essex. The rationale for the line is simple: “There were cheap T-shirts, and then there were really expensive T-shirts, $200 T-shirts, $300 T-shirts,” she says. “I wanted to have the luxury of really soft cotton with a perfect fit that’s affordable”—but the possibilities are many. “I always like some casual element in whatever I’m wearing,” Fremar explains, “because I like to be comfortable.” Even at the most rarified of events? “Fruit of the Loom on the red carpet?” She pauses. “That’s great. If you want to wear a T-shirt with a ball skirt, I won’t say no.”
Leslie Fremar for Fruit of the Loom is now available at Bloomingdales, www.bloomingdales.com.
tags: Charlize Theron, Fruit of the Loom, Leslie Fremar, Reese Witherspoon
Nicholas Kirkwood’s New Digs: 1,500 Square Feet Of Shoes And A Garden To Boot
May 2, 2012 3:38 pm
Two days before the opening of his New York store—his first on U.S. soil—Nicholas Kirkwood is talking by phone from the space, which, from the sound of it, is still very much a construction site. The 1,500-square-foot store, with its white, gray, and beige palette and minimal decor, will have, he says, “a charming feeling. It’s all very easy on the eye. It’s hopefully a relaxing kind of shopping experience.” Behind him, a very loud horn blares. “A boat?” he wonders with a laugh. (The Hudson River is a block away.)
If he isn’t able to relax just yet, it’s easy to believe relief is coming soon. Kirkwood is arguably the most exciting new footwear designer of the last few years, and his New York location is poised to be a major new outpost for his brand. The store is designed to emphasize space: “I like the idea of doing something else that you can kind of walk around and explore it,” he says. “It kind of has a gallery-esque feeling, without being quite as cold as a gallery.” (The reference is apt; the new, downtown site of the Whitney Museum will be just across the street when it opens. “That’s going to be absolutely fantastic,” he says.)
The store will sell the full Kirkwood collection, as well as a selection of collaborations with other designers, including Peter Pilotto, Erdem, and Paco Rabanne, at the opening; other collaborations, like the shoes he makes for Prabal Gurung, will eventually arrive. Just outside, and visible through the back windows, is a garden. “The luxury of having a garden in New York is quite special,” he says. For the opening, Cecilia Dean and Anne Christensen will host a private tea party; customer events will likely follow.
The store debuts with an opening party on Friday night, once every tile and display is in place. Is Kirkwood swinging a hammer himself, a reporter wonders? “I might do,” Kirkwood deadpans, “if they don’t hurry up.”
Nicholas Kirkwood opens Friday, May 4, at 807 Washington St., NYC, www.nicholaskirkwood.com.
tags: Anne Christensen, Cecilia Dean, Erdem, Nicholas Kirkwood, Peter Pilotto, Prabal Gurung
On Our Radar: Mitchel Primrose
May 1, 2012 1:09 pm
Crocodile was everywhere on the Fall runways. No great surprise, then, to find that the forward-thinking types attending Sydney fashion week are early adopters; Tommy Ton spotted Christine Centenera, for example, wearing a croc choker.
It reminded me of several similar pieces from the latest Mitchel Primrose accessory collection. The Los Angeles-based designer launched his line in 2010, but it was only during Spring 2012, when he introduced exotic skins, that the collection ($163 to $995) really took off. The exotic-skin cuffs and chokers with 24 karat gold plated brass all caught my eye, especially in alligator. They’ll be at Code C in Sunset Plaza, Calif., this fall.
Code C, 8641 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood.
tags: Christine Centenera, Mitchel Primrose, Sydney fashion week, Tommy Ton
Season Of The Panda
May 1, 2012 11:31 am
As plans for world domination go, Nicola Formichetti’s isn’t bad: Pitch your tent in some of the biggest fashion cities in the world, and bring gifts. After debuting Nicola’s, his temporary pop-up store, in New York last New York fashion week, he’s bringing his show to China, where Nicola’s is popping up at Lane Crawford in Hong Kong and Beijing, beginning today. In Hong Kong, architect Mark Gage of Gage/Clemenceau created a space paying homage to Formichetti’s animal spirit of choice, the panda. More than 100 pandas decorate the shop-in-shop, nodding both at Formichetti’s nickname, NicoPanda (he even has his panda avatar tattooed on his arm), and a new, limited-edition collection of NicoPanda x Lane Crawford merchandise created especially for the event. Tees, iPhone and iPad cases, Moleskin notebooks, toys, and even mah-jongg sets (the game is huge in China) are emblazoned with the “MangAvatar,” and all products are available for purchase worldwide at www.lanecrawford.com/nicopanda. But it’ll take a trip to Hong Kong to check out the archive of costumes Formichetti created or selected for Lady Gaga as her fashion director, including pieces by Lacroix and Mugler, where he is also creative director. The store and microsite run through May 31.
tags: Lane Crawford, Nicola Formichetti, Nicola's
