37 posts tagged "Chloe"
The Kids Are Alright
London’s latest fashion week was really only two days—presumably so the models could get back to their naps and their homework. Yes, this week, London hosted the inaugural Global Kids Fashion Week (GKFW), sponsored by the children’s e-tail powerhouse AlexandAlexa (think Net-a-porter for kids).
At Tuesday afternoon’s big launch event, held in the Freemasons hall in Convent Garden, Amber Le Bon spun the tunes, whilst Jodie and Jemma Kidd, Portia Freeman, Charlotte Tilbury, and more came out with their kids to check out models cartwheeling, skipping, and crying their waydown the catwalk. Meanwhile, front row yummy mummies tried to restrain their toddlers from clambering onto the runway (with limited success). It was an exuberant, carnival-like, laughter filled affair complete with a giant bubble machine, popcorn, and temper tantrums backstage. (“So”, remarked one harried hairstylist as her model screamed out while having her hair teased, “not that different from the grown-up shows, then.”)
Participants in GKFW included Chloé, Little Marc Jacobs, John Galliano, Kenzo, Fendi, Missoni, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli, Little Paul & Joe, Kenzo, Marni, and many more, with ticket proceeds of the sold out event going to Gwyneth Paltrow’s favorite charity, the Kids Company. Consumer and fashion overload? Perhaps. But there’s no denying the fiscal strength of the high-end children’s clothing market. And by the end, most cynicism was brushed aside. As one fierce seven-year-old stomped down the catwalk in a quilted, structured plaid dress from Junior Gaultier, our fashion instinct clicked in. Hmm. Wonder if we fit into the kids’ size twelve.
Calm, Cool, Collected
After covering 400-something collections over the past month and a half, we’re finally settling back into our office chairs and putting together the season’s big themes. Reflecting on our favorite moments from the Fall shows, there’s a consensus here at Style.com that the season’s sparest, simplest looks were the strongest. Derek Lam, Chloé’s Clare Waight Keller, and Christophe Lemaire at Hermès were among those who rose above the notion of trends to turn out classic suits, clean blouses, and crisp trousers. Their clothes had the direct, no-fuss appeal of uniforms.
Perhaps designers’ pared-down proposals were a playful jab at flashy street-style scenesters. Are those girls starting to resemble characters out of a comic book, or what? Maybe, just maybe a few of the oft-photographed types outside of Lincoln Center and in the Tuileries will take a back-to-basics approach next time around. A girl can dream, right?
CLICK FOR A SLIDESHOW of Fall’s best anti-fashion fashion.
In Paris, Superstars and Fresh Faces Made Model Magic
Fashion saves the best for last, and Paris is usually where the magic happens—both in terms of creative collections and memorable modeling moments. This season, the city definitely delivered. Case in point: Kate Moss closing Louis Vuitton on the final day of shows. She’s done it before, and she’ll probably do it again, but a Moss runway appearance is always major. The rest of the Vuitton cast didn’t disappoint, either. Edita Vilkeviciute, Eliza Cummings, Georgia May Jagger, Isabeli Fontana, Jessica Hart, and Maryna Linchuk were a few of the other familiar faces on Jacobs’ catwalk. Earlier in the week, Riccardo Tisci brought in some of his favorite ladies, including Natalia Vodianova, Mariacarla Boscono, and Erin Wasson, to parade his electrifying lineup for Givenchy. Fall ’13′s freshman class of models also ended the month with a bang. Forget New York, London, and Milan. For newcomers looking to make an impression (read: land ad campaigns), Paris is the one city that really counts. Many of the girls we’ve had our eye on since the beginning kept the momentum going in France. Sam Rollinson finished out with sixty-two shows; Sasha Luss (lower left) ended with fifty-seven; Chiharu Okunugi totaled fifty-four; and Katya Riabinkina (upper left) did forty-seven. Amanda Murphy, who bookended Prada, turned it up a notch this week, too, walking nine top-tier shows, including Dries Van Noten, Lanvin, Dior, Stella McCartney, and Chanel. Meanwhile, we’ve also got our eye on Elise Smidt (upper right), who opened Chloé and Sacai and turned up at Valentino, Vuitton, and Miu Miu; and Elisabeth Erm (lower right), who started out relatively slow in New York but made all the right moves toward the end (Balenciaga, Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, Giambattista Valli, and Valentino). Keep an eye out for these faces in the coming months’ editorials. We have a feeling they’ll appear on more than a few pages.
One Is Better Than Two
The Fall ’13 shows wrapped in Paris yesterday, and one of the many trends that stuck out this season was the single earring. Models at Dries Van Noten donned fractured crystals on their right ears, which lent a retro-futuristic glamour to the designer’s smart, feminine wares. Over at Thakoon, we spotted leafy, silver, pearl-embellished ear cuffs. Naturally, Versace offered a punk play on the trend, piercing models’ lobes with a giant spike, and chez Kenzo, it was all about structured, squiggly, dangling versions. At Chloé, Clare Waight Keller kept it simple, showing small gold pieces at the top of the ear. And the look has even taken to the street, as model Aymeline Valade was seen backstage at quite a few shows wearing a sole silver piercing. Needless to say, when it comes to earrings, one is no longer the loneliest number.
Chloé’s Downtown Digs
Considering Chloé’s wares serve as a second skin for many of New York’s downtown darlings, it’s about time the 60-year-old French house opened a store in Soho. Today, the brand christens its new 2,100-square-foot boutique, which, posted on Greene Street, is Chloé’s second New York location (the first is on Madison). Bright and neutral with a Deco edge, the shop will house jewelry, accessories, ready-to-wear, and handbags. It will also be the only store to offer the brand’s new ostrich-leg and calfskin Amelia handbag (which retails for a cool $4,400) in Chianti red and “delicious” brown. Furnished with a range of enviable collectibles (like Bibendum chairs by Eileen Fray from the twenties and vintage pendant lighting by Curtis Jere) that are, unfortunately, not for sale, as well as that classic Chloé horse statuette, the boutique is intended to evoke a shopping experience that’s like “a fun day out with friends.” Seeing as it’s stationed mere blocks away from brunch spots like the Mercer Kitchen, Fanelli Cafe, and Balthazar, not to mention a gaggle of other tempting boutiques, we have a feeling lots of fun-filled downtown days will lead to Chloé.
Chloé’s new boutique is located at 93 Greene Street, NYC, (646) 350-1770.