14 posts tagged "Saks Fifth Avenue"
KBL’s Beach-Ready Frames
“Design starts from pencil to paper—we aren’t interested in vintage frame copies,” Kara Mendelsohn of KBL Eyewear explains. “We want to do something that is present and based on what’s happening now.”
That has been the mantra of the KBL founders, (Mendelsohn, her husband Adam, and Dave Barton—all with backgrounds at labels like Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Thakoon, and Oliver Peoples), since they started the innovative eyewear label in 2009. Since launching with wire-frame sunglasses, KBL has added plastic frames, optical, and hand-finished matte patina, (picking up a host of celebrity fans along the way, including Emma Stone, Julianne Moore, and Blake Lively). Today, they rolled out their Janette Beckman-lensed campaign, featuring their six latest styles, on their newly revamped Web site www.kbleyewear.com.
“The color inspiration mainly came from the beach and sea glass,” Mendelsohn tells Style.com of their Spring 2012 collection, made up of bicolored stainless steel and hand-finished matte patina and acetate frames in crystal, gray, beige, and emerald. “We also are introducing a new technique on some frames, sanding them by hand to give it the authentic look of driftwood.” One of our favorite frames is the rounded Higher Incentive in matte driftwood. KBL’s affordable shades (around $175 for sunglasses and $200 for optical) are available at Barneys, Saks Fifth Avenue, Kirna Zabëte, and their Spring ’12 collection is for sale on their site now. Coming up next from KBL, expect a collection made with materials that “have never been used that will enable us to continue to do unique shapes.”
Window Watching
The crowd at Saks Fifth Avenue’s holiday window unveiling last night was, for the most, the Champagne-swilling uptowners and socials you’d expect, but this time, the drink was hot chocolate, the hors d’oeuvres were iced cookies, and the plus-ones were under-10s. “When I was a little kid, that was my holiday treat, to go see all the windows,” Brooke Shields (left, with daughter Rowan) remembered before the big reveal. “Now that we have two daughters, we take them, too. It’s tradition.” The family-minded affair shut down Fifth Avenue briefly and included a soulful (naturally) rendition of “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” by Patti LaBelle, as well as fashion’s current fascination: a light show on the storied flagship’s Fifth Avenue facade.
As for the windows, they each had the fixings of a storybook scene, but the featured dresses—ten one-of-a-kind frocks by Alexander McQueen, Calvin Klein, Jason Wu, Kaufman Franco, Marc Jacobs, Marchesa, Sophie Theallet, Nina Ricci, Oscar de la Renta, and Proenza Schouler—were decidedly adult. “They told me my window was inspired by the sea, so my dress is an homage to Jacques Cousteau,” Théallet explained of her light turquoise draped one-shoulder creation.”It’s his 100th anniversary, but we’re also related. I’m his niece.”
Shields, too, had extended family on the mind: The actress is flying to Florida for the holiday weekend to see hers. “Since my dad passed away, we all try to make sure we get together. My stepmom is having a big birthday and my half-sisters and sisters and I are all heading down there,” she said. “She’s trying to get us not to get her presents, but that’s not going to happen. We’re going to get her presents!”
The Once And Future Stella
Fashion is having a love affair with the nineties, and the tryst isn’t only in design. Everywhere you look—in editorials, luxury campaigns, and on the runways—familiar faces abound: There’s Kristen McMenamy, Naomi Campbell, and, taking hosting duties last night at Saks, Stella Tennant. “I’m definitely busier now than I was,” Tennant admitted at the celebratory cocktail fête to launch Krakoff’s collection at the store. “It’s worked out better, actually. My kids are that much older and I feel like I can be away from them a bit more,” the mother of four said.
Admittedly, the 39-year-old has had a steady career of campaign hits, even posing for Burberry while seven months pregnant. But she’s been on a hot streak as of late, and Krakoff in particular has been a big supporter: He tapped Tennant to open his Spring ’11 show. “It’s nice that we’re representing people hitting their forties,” Tennant went on. “I like that fashion would be eclectic with age, or with ethnicity, style, and shape.” (Though, for the record, she’s still whippet-thin.) The balanced viewpoint wasn’t lost on Krakoff, who chose the Scottish stunner for his Fall 2010 lookbook shoot, too. “I like the idea of a woman who has a family, traveled, had a real life,” the designer explained. “I really identify with that.”
Elie Tahari Lives Large, Menswear Bulks Up, Ladies Shop Online, And More…
It’s a big day, quite literally, for Elie Tahari: The designer opened a new 2,250-square-foot shop in Saks Fifth Avenue, the largest on the retailer’s fourth floor. “I thought Ron [Frasch, Saks’ president and CMO] was going to give me my own zip code,” Tahari said. [WWD]
And it’s about to be a big week for menswear. According to a rough count, there are 42 men’s presentations and shows scheduled for New York fashion week (not counting coed presentations), making this season the largest for menswear in memory. [WWD]
What do girls want? To shop online for designer clothes. Nothing too strange about that. What is strange is that designers and their reps don’t seem to understand why. [NYT]
Racked applies itself to some heavy-hitting investigative journalism and discovers that the mysterious @FashionWeekNYC Twitterer is…some guy named Nathan Stobezki. Case closed, probably. [Racked]
Good news from fashion’s revolving doors: Vogue‘s Ethel Park has been named T‘s new senior fashion director. [NYT]
Bad news from fashion’s revolving doors: Chloé CEO Ralph Toledano has left the company; designer Hannah MacGibbon is said to be “devastated.” ]Fashionologie]
Rebecca Minkoff Goes For The (Rose) Gold
Rebecca Minkoff is trading up. At Saks Fifth Avenue’s request, the New York accessory and ready-to-wear designer is launching a new line of more expensive Rebecca Minkoff Collection bags at the department store this week. For the many fans who helped her complete 200,000 sales since launching her company five years ago, it might take some getting used to the new zero on the price tag (the new line ranges from about $550 to $2,000), but Minkoff says the new details are worth it. “I get to play in an area I couldn’t justify before,” she told us. “There’s real gold in the rose gold hardware, and I’m using these amazing, beautiful calfskins and upper-tier materials that a Prada would use.” Experiencing firsthand how the other half designs has opened Minkoff up to the possibility of a more full-blown higher-end range, but for now she’s really getting behind the Saks project, visiting eight of the chain’s stores across the country in less than two and a half weeks. First up is Saks’ Beverly Hills location on April 22. “I’m autographing bags now,” she said. “When customers ask, I’m always like, ‘Are you sure you want me to do that?’ ” You can keep up with Minkoff’s bag tour on her blog, www.minkette.com.