5 posts tagged "Costume National"
Tip of the Hat
Thanks to European labels like Saint Laurent, Acne Studios, and Costume National, hats—mainly casual versions with wide brims—are a well-established Spring ’13 trend. But here in the USA, it’s National Hat Day. And while milliners across the pond (like Stephen Jones, Philip Treacy, Piers Atkinson, and Maison Michel) get lots of love from the fashion set, we’d like to use the holiday to tip our toppers to homegrown headgear talent. Take CFDA winner Eugenia Kim, for instance. Her sweet kitten-ear felt caps were a big hit this fall, and her bright feather-embellished fedoras can be worn with most anything. Satya Twena crafts everything from easy-to-wear fedoras to out-there studded fascinators, and Jason Wu included floppy feminine hats in his debut Miss Wu collection. On the more eccentric side, we have milliner Heather Huey, whose conceptual chapeaux (left)—which range from bejeweled bunny ears to sculpted, twisted takes on more traditional styles—have appeared in magazines such as Vogue, W, and Interview . Whether or not you deem yourself a “hat person,” National Hat Day is the perfect excuse to experiment with topping off your look. And, considering each of the designers above is based in New York, you won’t have to go too far to do so.
Spring’s Shady Ladies
The accessory of the season isn’t a shoe or a bag. Here at Style.com, we’re going with the wide-brimmed hat. Variations on the statement-making topper turned up at Victoria Beckham, Acne, and Costume National, but, in our view, the brims to beat are Hedi Slimane’s at Saint Laurent. Since the Spring shows, floppy felt chapeaux have all but replaced fedoras on the street. Recently, we’ve spotted models Miranda Kerr, Tilda Lindstam, and Daiane Conterato wearing them. Elizabeth Olsen is in the fan club, too.
CLICK FOR A SLIDESHOW of Spring’s standout hats.
At Costume National, Bigger Is Better
Costume National has been a Soho mainstay for years, first on Wooster Street, then on Mercer. The brand recently made its third move within the neighborhood, to a sprawling 4,000-square-foot flagship on Greene Street. The new, larger space maintains the minimal decor of its predecessors, with freestanding plinths for display—according to a longtime employee, designer Ennio Capasa considers his footwear like miniature sculpture—and graphic white walls with flashes of black. A bit of news came along with the new location: A label rep revealed that the upcoming CN campaign will star punky model Eliza Cummings in a New Wave-inspired shoot.
Costume National is now open at 150 Greene St., NYC.
Marina Abramović On Her Own Life—And Death
It takes a particular kind of person to stage not only their life, but also their death. But performance artist Marina Abramović is that special kind. She had already created her biography twice—first staged by herself, ten years ago, then by theater director Michael Laub—but for the third iteration of The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic, the artist put herself entirely in the hands of another artist: avant-garde legend Bob Wilson. Wilson accepted, and his The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic debuted in Manchester last year. To add yet another level of scrutiny to the process, Wilson invited photographer Tim Hailand to photograph a day in the creation of the piece, now published as One Day in the Life of Robert Wilson’s The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic. The piece had grown to include an original score, performed by musician Antony of Antony and the Johnsons, and starred Abramović herself along with Antony and Willem Dafoe. Last night, Abramović’s longtime friend Ennio Capasa of Costume National hosted a party for the book and introduced a related film installation by Giada Colagrande. To celebrate the occasions, Style.com spoke with Abramović about the process.
Tell me a little bit about the creation of The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic. How did you and Bob Wilson come together? Had you collaborated in the past? How did you work together?
I met Bob Wilson for the first time in 1971 in Belgrade. At that moment, I didn’t meet him personally but saw his play. It left a very strong impression on me. During the late seventies, I met him personally and we became friends. For me, Bob Wilson invented a new language of theater, introducing a new sense of time, and this is very connected to my work. When I was having the idea of making The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic, I asked him to direct it. He was the only person I had in mind. Working together was an exercise in giving up control. I gave him all of my material and just became a tool for him to work with.
And Antony?
Antony, I met six years ago when I saw him sing at Rufus Wainwright’s Carnegie Hall Christmas concert. It was a mesmerizing experience, and he was the only person I wanted to create the new music for this piece.
Were there moments from your own life that you particularly wanted to revisit for the performance? Any that you considered but chose not to?
No, it was all Bob’s choice and all his editing.
How does fashion play a role in your performances?
Fashion plays a big part of my private life, not at all in my performance. I don’t use designer clothes for my work—I make them myself, or they’re just very simple. In my private life it’s different.
I’ve heard that you recently purchased a house in New York with Riccardo Tisci. Is this correct? Will you both be spending more time in the city? Will you be collaborating at any point in the future?
I don’t want to speak about Riccardo’s plans without his permission, but he is a close friend, and we have already collaborated on a piece together in Visionaire, called “The Contract.” I think we will continue to inspire one another creatively far into the future.
because patti smith performed
By Friday night, New York fashion week had reduced itself to a blur of rain, Champagne, and nude-colored clothing (at least I think that was a trend—at this point, I can no longer be sure). So what better way to cap off the week than with rain, Champagne, and naked emotion? Mother Nature, damn her, brought the rain; Costume National took care of the Champagne, hosting a party in honor of Steven Sebring’s film Patti Smith: Dream of Life. As for the naked emotion, Patti Smith herself saw to that. Along with clips from the film, the party promised a poetry reading by the icon—but Smith seized the mic for an impromptu performance of a few classic tunes, instead. “Damn,” murmured Danny Masterson, who along with Bijou Phillips found himself less than a foot away from the stage as Smith opened with the song “Grateful.” Thanks to the intimate environs of the soon-to-open Costume National store on Mercer Street, however, “Dancing Barefoot” and “Because the Night” managed to blow away even the last stragglers coming in the door, among them Loden Dager’s Alex Galan. “I’m so glad it’s over,” Galan said after the performance, referring not to Patti (of course), but to fashion week. “I’m totally exhausted.” Designer Camilla Stærk, also in attendance, seconded that motion. But then, she was already gathering inspiration for next season. “Patti Smith,” she mused. “Fall ’09, maybe?”