4 posts tagged "Keren Craig"
A Showstopping Sister Act
“I’m sad because three designers didn’t win,” said Giovanna Battaglia on Saturday evening at the Beverly Hills Hotel, where the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize Grand Final was taking place. She and her fellow judges, including Georgina Chapman, Keren Craig, Francisco Costa, Elizabeth Saltzman, and Derek Blasberg, evaluated four up-and-comers (Anndra Neen, Giulietta, Julian Louie, and Siki Im) based on one last fashion show, walked by America’s Next Top Model contestants.
As guests including Tracy Ross and Cameron Silver mingled in the Rodeo Ballroom, the panel deliberated for the mere 15 minutes allotted before announcing the winner, Anndra Neen, by the sister design duo Phoebe and Annette Stephens. The jewelry and accessories collection, inspired by their Mexican art world upbringing, is characterized by large, almost armor-evocative statement pieces in mixed metals, including skeletal corset belts. Sympathetic as Battaglia was to the designers of the other three lines, she voted for Anndra Neen. “I’ve loved them since the beginning,” she said. “I photographed their pieces years ago.” For Costa, the decision was a tricky one. “Ultimately, it was a question of longevity,” he said. “Anndra Neen seems to have a great business sense and of course, beautiful product.”
The New Kids On The Block: The Dorchester 2011 Semifinalists
To make a star, or perpetuate one? That was the question the judges of this year’s Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize asked themselves as they deliberated over a list of 77 contending designers at New York’s Le Bernardin on Wednesday afternoon. After two hours of discussion, this year’s panel of judges, which included Calvin Klein’s Francisco Costa (pictured, right), Thom Browne, Marchesa’s Keren Craig, Giovanna Battaglia, Elizabeth Saltzman Walker, Derek Blasberg, Shala Monroque, and Lauren Santo Domingo, had whittled the list down to five names in a miraculously seamless manner.
“Let me tell you, last year it was not that easy—there was definitely shouting,” said Bronwyn Cosgrave of the panel she assembled last year. (The group included the likes of Manolo Blahnik and Daphne Guinness, and gave the top prize to Thomas Tait.) “I’m excited by this year’s list because at the end of the day, I started this project to help young designers get their name out there and to support them.” That mission became a clear group initiative after judges repeatedly brought up familiar names like Cushnie et Ochs, Ohne Titel, and Jen Kao, and then eventually removed them from the running for the $40,000 prize and the opportunity to show during Paris Fashion Week. Instead, the group chose lesser-known names like jewelry label Anndra Neen, Sofia Sizzi’s womenswear line, Giulietta, Siki Im (pictured, left), and Setareh Mohtarez (an unknown who judges repeatedly mentioned for the beautiful sculptural work). The only debatable exception to the rule was the fifth finalist: Julian Louie. “He interned for me at Calvin and he’s extremely talented,” Costa said of the designer. In addition to working with Costa, he’s received guidance from Santo Domingo, and recently finished a shoe collaboration with Aldo. The winner will be announced in late October.
Rachel Zoe Piles It On
A-list celebrities and legions of QVC shoppers aren’t the only people who have been influenced by Rachel Zoe’s trademark style. At yesterday’s preview party for Zoe’s new QVC collection at the Gramercy Park Hotel, attendees included not only Zoe faves Prabal Gurung, Brian Atwood, and Marchesa designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig but Zoe’s mom, too. And as the stylist-to-the-stars gave a tour of her new duds, the materfamilias couldn’t help but chime in now and then. “I’m designing for everyone,” Zoe (left, with designer Mandy Coon) said, citing a shaggy faux-fur jacket and an oversize pashmina-style wrap. “That jacket’s for one girl—like, a Kate Hudson girl, fun, funky, easy. The wrap is more like for a classy Jennifer Garner girl. And then,” she added, “there’s me, and I just wear all of it. Throw it all on!” Mom, standing in the background, took the opportunity to jangle her Rachel Zoe for QVC jewelry. “Look!” she said. “I’m wearing a lot, too!” Apparently, maximalism runs in the family.
Established & Sons: Vanity Fair‘s New And Next
As much as we love lists, we also love predictions. Yesterday, Vanity Fair gave us both, releasing its annual New Establishment ranking along with an appendage of on-the-verge comers, the Next Establishment. Along with power elite in finance and technology, etc, there’s a sizeable fashion industry factor. On the first are obvious choices like Bernard Arnault (#10) and nemesis François-Henri Pinault (#20), while Ralph Lauren sits between them at a very respectable #13. Having had very good years are J. Crew’s Mickey Drexler, moving up from last year’s #52 spot to #37; Marc Jacobs, who rose from #78 to #54; Diego Della Valle, up from #76 to #50; and John Galliano, strutting from #83 to #56. While Miuccia Prada dropped from #30 to #44, she’s still Mrs. Prada. And fresh off a runway triumph, Alber Elbaz makes his first entry at #73.
As for who might be joining the Lanvin designer at the adults’ table for 2010, there’s Burberry’s Christopher Bailey and Bottega Veneta’s Tomas Maier—both lauded for being forward-thinking caretakers of iconic brands. There’s the face that launched a thousand (well, million) ballet flats, Tory Burch, and red-carpet rulers Marchesa’s Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig. However, the selection of younger Americans is somewhat curious. You could probably guess Rodarte’s Kate and Laura Mulleavy and Alexander Wang, but it’s surprising that Zac Posen and Band of Outsiders’ Scott Sternberg beat out seemingly recession-proof king of contemporary Phillip Lim and Proenza Schouler, the very first of New York’s younger set to win the CFDA’s Designer of the Year award. Also missing are MObama go-tos like Jason Wu and Thakoon Panichgul. Another surprise is MTV host and ubiquitous girl-about-town Alexa Chung. Though going from “who?” to Who’s Who in the course of less than a year is no mean feat.