7 posts tagged "Josephine de la Baume"
The Recent Rush of Plush Velvet
Nothing adds a royal touch quite like velvet, and we’ve noticed plenty of it in the recent pre-fall, Haute Couture, and even menswear collections. At Alexander McQueen, Sarah Burton whipped up an ecclesiastical draped robe in cardinal red, while Stella McCartney, Rochas’ Marco Zanini, and Peter Copping at Nina Ricci were among the designers who incorporated the fabric into eveningwear. Christopher Kane, for his part, took the material in a more casual direction with a cool biker jacket. Velvet is getting play in the real world, too. Jessica Alba turned up to the Dior Haute Couture show this week wearing a sumptuous black topcoat, while Joséphine de la Baume gave off a witchy vibe in a crushed-velvet number at the Amy Winehouse Foundation Ball.
CLICK FOR A SLIDESHOW of our favorite velvet looks.
Maiyet’s Movies
The Geoff Dyer novel Jeff in Venice, Death in Varanasi is made up of two not exactly connected halves. In the first part, the titular Jeff performs his quasi-professional duties as an art writer making the rounds at the Venice Biennale, i.e., party-going, swilling free drinks, and mingling with the beautiful and fabulous. The novel’s second half, meanwhile, follows an unnamed protagonist, Jeff perhaps, as he wanders, mostly on his own, through the ancient Indian city of Varanasi. Last night’s party in London for Maiyet weirdly merged the two halves of Dyer’s novel. On the one hand, the NOWNESS-hosted shindig had everything a scene-maker could ask for, what with free Champagne (and food, to boot), a performance by Josephine and Alexandre de la Baume’s band, Singtank, and name-drop-worthy attendees like Felicity Jones and Tallulah Harlech. And the Varanasi of it all was amply represented by Maiyet founders Paul van Zyl and Kristy Caylor, who spoke to the assembled crowd about their company’s mission to incorporate rare artisanal skills into their clothes, and specifically about their jacquard production based in…Varanasi. “It’s one of those places that changes you,” Caylor noted, affirming Dyer’s read on the city. “I almost don’t even know how to describe it.”
Varanasi isn’t the only place Maiyet has laid down roots. The brand also has a presence in Kenya, which provided the setting for the series of short films director Cary Fukunaga (who also directed Jane Eyre) made for its Resort 2013 collection. The debut of a re-edited version of the vignettes, which combine them into one short film, served as the occasion for last night’s festivities. “We really just love to work with creative people,” Caylor said when asked if she and van Zyl were planning any future film productions. “That could be a weaver in a small town somewhere, or it can be someone like Cary. I think our next collaboration could be a piece of music, or anything really. It could take any form.”
A Shoe-In: Charlotte Olympia X Agent Provocateur
Agent Provocateur seems to have found its go-to girl in Charlotte Dellal. Just last year, the shoe designer lent her fashionable hand to the luxury lingerie label’s ad campaign, starring Josephine de la Baume, and now she’s done a sexy Charlotte Olympia shoe collaboration for AP’s premium Soiree line. Two styles of sky-high heels (pictured), the Candice, a modern take on a classic boudoir slipper, and the Bellatrix, a black patent leather stiletto with zipper detail, will make their debut tonight at Seven Bar Foundation’s Lingerie London Fashion Show and Gala. But those who are itching to get their hands on a pair right away are in luck. Both variations ($1,190) are available on Net-a-porter.com starting today.
Zac Posen On The Wedding Dress He’s Designing For Fashion Royalty
“I am a New Yorker through and through, so brunch is genetically engineered in me,” Zac Posen said. So much so that he even managed to host one on a Wednesday—not usual brunching time. But that didn’t stop friends like Leigh Lezark (left), Charlotte di Calypso, Anna Cleveland, and Genevieve Jones from dropping into Le Caprice, and taking down a few Belevedere Bloody Marys in the middle of the work day.
This is only the most recent Posen brunch; just last week, he was throwing one for Londoners, from who, the designer says, New York girls can take a tip or two. “Because of that security with their history, they can take the piss out of themselves,” said Posen, who holds a degree from London’s Central Saint Martins. “They have a good sense of humor, even in dress and style, and that’s something us New Yorkers can learn from.”
As the world eagerly awaits one of England’s most historic style moments, the debut of Kate Middleton’s wedding gown, the self-confessed history buff admits he is preoccupied with the dress of another princess bride: Josephine de la Baume, Mark Ronson’s fiancée. Baume is only the latest model to walk the aisle in Posen; Coco Rocha also tied the knot in one of his creations. “We are making laces, working with different embroidery houses all around the world for Josephine,” he said. “That’s the wedding that I am focused on, that’s my rock-royal wedding.”
“In France We’re Pretty Naughty—We’re Not A Prude Population”
Talk about an eye-catching window display. Last night, at the opening party for Agent Provocateur’s new Madison Avenue boutique, lingerie-clad models were gyrating wildly and working their way up and down a stripper pole. More than a few passersby stopped to watch and take photos. We even spotted a school bus slowing down.
“Today, when we were rehearsing, we had traffic stopped on Madison. We had police cars outside,” said the brand’s creative director, Sarah Shotton. Turns out New York’s Finest was just doing a friendly check-in. “They came in and shook the doorman’s hand. They said he had the best job in the world. So I think they’ll be looking after us,” Shotton concluded.
The brand will be hoping for the same warm welcome in Los Angeles, where it opens a store on Rodeo Drive store on Thursday. That means more eyes on the racy new film the brand shot with Josephine de la Baume, which features the French beauty enticing an unseen voyeur in bra and panties.
“It made me think of Rear Window, and there’s something very French New Wave about it,” explained de la Baume, who was circulating in a sheer tulle dress from the label’s Soirée collection. “In France we’re pretty naughty—we’re not a prude population.” Meanwhile, around her, dancers in cowboy leather swung their nipple tassels and pulled bananas out of their holsters.