26 posts tagged "Sarah Burton"
Seeing a Pattern
On February 15, Phaidon Press will release Pattern, a book that highlights one hundred compelling fashion designers on the rise. Phaidon handed over the book’s curatorial duties to a group of ten designers and industry insiders (including stylist Keegan Singh, Preen’s Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi, the SHOWstudio team, and Business of Fashion‘s founder Imran Amed, just to name a few), each of whom chose ten talents to fill Pattern‘s pages.
The book (which is a follow-up to the 2005 fashion tome SAMPLE) features established designers (Phillip Lim, Alexander Wang, Christopher Kane, Sarah Burton), well-known emerging labels (Eddie Borgo, Thomas Tait, Creatures of the Wind, Mary Katrantzou, whose work is pictured above), and proper newbies (Simone Rocha, Marques’ Almeida, Phoebe English, Maarten van der Horst). The designers’ diverse aesthetics, techniques and outlooks are presented via detailed introductions, backstage, campaign and editorial photographs, and never-before-seen sketches, all of which serve to give readers an in-depth understanding of their work. “For me, seeing that the designers had a consistent point of view that’s true to their style was important,” said Singh, whose picks include Cushnie et Ochs (left), Olivier Rousteing of Balmain, Tabitha Simmons, Dominic Jones, and Gianvito Rossi, among others. “You know, it’s like Azzedine Alaïa. He has his thing, and he always sticks to it,” he added. So does Singh think the next Alaïa is somewhere between Pattern‘s covers? “It’s a possibility!” he laughed. At the very least, he notes, “the book gives the young designers a chance to reach broader audiences; it exposes them to a whole new group of people.”
Pattern: 100 Fashion Designers, 10 Curators will be available on February 15, on phaidon.com.
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.
Sarah Burton, OBE
Keeping the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding gown hidden from London’s notoriously crafty paparazzi is deserving of accolades in and of itself. But today at Buckingham Palace, Alexander McQueen creative director Sarah Burton was awarded an OBE for her contributions to British fashion. The honor, which stands for Order of the British Empire, has, in the past, been bestowed upon such fashion forces as Professor Louise Wilson of Central Saint Martins (who actually taught Burton) and Stephen Jones, among others.
After Prince Charles presented Burton with her award, The Telegraph asked the designer—who is currently pregnant with twins herself—if she would be making maternity clothes for Kate Middleton. Burton reportedly laughed and said, “I hope I will be.” To be honest, though, we’re more excited to see what she’ll show for McQueen’s upcoming pre-fall collection.
A Wild Night In London, When Fashion’s Finest Party At The Zoo
While Americans were talking turkey over the weekend, the Brits had other animals in mind—like cheetahs, for example. They were among the guests (albeit caged) at a dinner and auction at one of the city’s more unusual party venues: the London Zoo. Proceeds from the evening, cohosted by sprinter Usain Bolt and PPR’s Jochen Zeitz, went to the Zoological Society of London and Zeitz’s own foundation.
In his off hours, Zeitz, the Swahili-speaking, monastery-dwelling CEO of PPR’s Sport & Lifestyle division, devotes his time—and funds—to conservation and community-building efforts, racking up accolades like the FT‘s Strategist of the Year and Germany’s Federal Cross of Merit along the way. If Bolt—the Zeitz Foundation’s ambassador for culture—is the world’s fastest man, Zeitz may be the greenest.
Friends from the office, so to speak—the likes of Stella McCartney, with husband Alasdhair Willis (above, with Zeitz and Bolt), Suzy Menkes, and Ozwald Boateng—came by to show their support, and several PPR brands had contributed auction items. Among them were a dress from Sarah Burton’s first McQueen collection, a pair of Bolt’s running shoes (he is sponsored by Puma), and a gown from a fellow environmentalist, Vivienne Westwood. A surprise lot from Sir Richard Branson was announced to the cheers of the crowd: a flight to Branson’s Necker Island to run 100 meters against Sir Richard himself. It went for £30,000 to an anonymous bidder. Racing Bolt, on the other hand, still requires passing Olympic trials.
A McQueen Homecoming On Savile Row
Yesterday’s headlines screamed that the U.K. was finally out of a double-dip recession, and, as if on cue, Alexander McQueen opened up its flagship menswear shop on Savile Row, offering the largest selection of RTW and menswear from within the brand. It was a poignant return to the street. As Alexander McQueen’s creative director, Sarah Burton (pictured, right), pointed out, “Lee used to apprentice here on Savile Row, so it is a bit of a homecoming, and since tailoring is part of our backbone, it makes sense to be in an area that is steeped in the codes of the house.”
Guests taking it all in included Dominic Cooper, Kristen McMenamy (pictured, left), Luke Evans, and of course Sarah Burton, who all respectfully looked through the shop with the gravitas required of the occasion. Not that fun wasn’t on the menu—as Kristen McMenamy told Style.com, “I had a lovely evening—the pretty boys finally outnumbered the girls!” But one of those girls especially deserved some praise. As she stood in a room that mimicked a banquet hall, but surrounded by gold skulls, the model added, “Sarah is so humble and brilliant—I just love what she is doing at the moment.”