4 posts tagged "River Island"
Tao Okamoto Trades the Catwalk for the Silver Screen
Although she starred in the recent Mario Sorrenti-lensed Rihanna for River Island campaign (above), Japanese model Tao Okamoto has largely been missing from the catwalk. And now, our suspicions as to why have been confirmed. The trailer for the new X-Men film, The Wolverine (out this summer), was released today, and guess who plays Wolverine’s (i.e., Hugh Jackman’s) love interest, Mariko Yashida? Sure, we know the stigma surrounding the “model-slash-actress” title, but perhaps Okamoto will follow in the footsteps of peers like Milla Jovovich and Amber Valletta to make her mark. Take a peek at Okamoto’s acting debut in the film’s trailer, below.
Rihanna and River Island Take London Fashion Week
Before you read any further, it’s important to note that you will never look like Rihanna. It’s just not going to happen. But thanks to British high street retailer River Island, you can now dress like Rihanna. Last night in London, the superstar presented her Spring ’13 Rihanna for River Island collection, which she co-designed with Adam Selman; some of the looks that are about to fly straight off shelves included doubled-up baggy jeans, overall-shaped maxi dresses, narrow skirts slit to the thigh, and a wide array of crop tops, gossamer blouses, and T-shirt dresses. It was all a bit nineties grunge with a hip-hop twist, which is to say, the collection did a pretty nice job of capturing Riri’s house style. The clothes will be sold by Opening Ceremony in the United States.Naturally, this wasn’t your typical London fashion week presentation: There was no catwalk, the models appeared on a giant scaffolding-like structure, and about a million people were there, including Cara Delevingne and her pal Jourdan Dunn, who will be starring in the Rihanna for River Island campaign. You could see both of them jamming to the A$AP Rocky tune that soundtracked much of the show. As the last look appeared, so did Rihanna, who graciously shared the designers’ bow with her collaborator, Selman. She looked positively breathtaking in person. And no matter what you do, you will never, never look like her.
H&M: From the High Street to the Runway
This season, H&M—the Swedish high-street retailer best known for its high-low fashion collaborations with the likes of Karl Lagerfeld, Comme des Garçons, Versace, and, most recently, Maison Martin Margiela, will show its Fall ’13 collection on February 27, during Paris fashion week. This marks the first time the retailer has presented its collection via a fashion show since 2005 (unless, as WWD notes, you count the events for the limited-edition designer collaborations, or the 2010 Lanvin for H&M “couture” show that featured Dree Hemingway and Pixie Geldof, pictured left).
H&M joins retailers like Topshop (whose Unique show has been one of the hottest tickets at London fashion week since it began in 2005), J.Crew (the brand made its official New York fashion week debut in 2011), and now, thanks to its collaboration with Rihanna, River Island (Fall ’13 marks the fast-fashion retailer’s first time on the London fashion week calendar) in revealing its collection on fashion’s international stage. This is a smart move for H&M, one that is perhaps indicative of consumers’ high-low styling tendencies (à la Michelle Obama at the inauguration, with her now infamous J.Crew belt and custom Thom Browne coat). Fashion-savvy men and women have been mixing H&M’s affordable wares with pieces by luxury labels for years now, so why not show both fashion varieties in the same context?
Been There, Dunn That
“Everybody, including myself, thought it was a bit random,” said Jourdan Dunn of her new cooking show, Well Dunn With Jourdan Dunn, which debuted on Jay-Z’s Life + Times YouTube channel last week. “But that’s what I liked about the project to begin with. Nobody saw it coming.”
After the first episode, 60,000 viewers (and counting) immediately understood that the show was less about Dunn’s culinary skills and more about showcasing the 22-year-old model’s feisty, laugh-a-minute personality. While preparing a jerk pork belly dish inspired by her Jamaican roots, Dunn had garlic cloves flying around the kitchen. Her hair was in her face, and she even sliced one of her nails. “Before signing on to do [the show], my mom was like, ‘Are you ready for the whole world to know that you’re basically an idiot?’ And I thought, ‘Well yeah, I am ready,” she laughed. “The show was a way to share myself with my fans while doing something that I love: cooking.”
Dunn explained that the series will feature meals she regularly serves at home. Sweet and sour spare ribs, buffalo wings, a spicy Thai beef salad, and baked fish with Indian spices and tomatoes will all make appearances. The model, however, is hesitant to reveal the recipe for her 3-year-old son Riley’s favorite dish: macaroni and cheese. “My mac and cheese is kind of special and I wasn’t sure that I wanted everybody to know how to make it. We’re talking about a second season of Well Dunn [which would potentially include model friends like Karlie Kloss and Cara Delevingne], and maybe I’ll let the secret out then.” She did give us one hint: “Most people only use one kind of cheese but I make it with about five different ones, so it’s really cheesy.”
All in all, it’s been an even busier year than usual for Dunn, who recently made her Victoria’s Secret debut and shot the ad campaign for Rihanna’s forthcoming River Island clothing line. “Rihanna was really cool. During the shoot, she said, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe you have a son.’ I was thinking, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe you know that I have a son or even know who I am!’ ” Between cooking on Jay-Z’s channel and modeling for Rihanna, we’d say Dunn is officially part of the Def Jam family. So what’s next? “I was thinking about rapping,” Dunn mused. While you’re waiting for her potential lyrical debut, you can catch the second episode of Well Dunn With Jourdan Dunn on Life + Times on Monday.