Thursday, March 30, 2017

Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week

From 25th to 28th April, 25 prestigious firms will put the spotlight on the art and creativity of bridal fashion designers.

The Fashion Shows at Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week will provide the venue for discovering the most evocative new designs for the coming season.

2017 FASHION SHOWS PROGRAMME

Tuesday 25th

18.00 Rosa Clará

Wednesday 26th

10.00 Studio St. Patrick - Pronovias Fashion Group
12.00 Jesús Peiró
13.30 Cristina Tamborero
Sophie et Voilà Collection
16.00 YolanCris
17.30 Isabel Sanchis
19.00 Inmaculada Garcia
21.00 Angel Sanchez - Barcelona Bridal Night

Thursday 27th

10.30 Marylise & Rembo Styling
12.00 Isabel Zapardiez
Ana Torres
13.30 Raimon Bundó
15.30 Jordi Dalmau Novias
Matilde Cano
17.00 Marco & Maria
18.30 Patricia Avendaño
20.00 Galia Lahav

Friday 28th

10.30 Cymbeline
11.30 Ramon Sanjurjo
12.30 Morilee Madeline Gardner
14.00 Carla Ruiz
16.00 Sonia Peña
17.30 Demetrios
20.30 Pronovias


FIRST-HAND LOOK AT THE NEW COLLECTIONS & TRENDS FOR THE  2018 SEASON

The 2018 collections of 300 brands presenting their wedding dresses, groom's suits, evening wear and extensive ranges of accessories. Design, quality, and cutting-edge innovation will be the watchwords at the international benchmark event in bridal fashion.

18.000  Professionals

+300  Brands

+650  Key Buyers

+20.000  Bridal Gowns

WHY VISIT

The premiere of all the 2018 collections.

Meticulous selection of the brands taking part in the Professional Trade Fair. BBFW puts a premium on the quality and design of dresses.

300 brands in a single space.

An offering of 17,000 wedding dresses and 3,000 ceremony dresses.

Barcelona, the European benchmark in design and fashion, is transformed into the world's bridal capital for the week.

One in every ten brides chooses a "Made in Spain" wedding dress.

Fernanda Ly Reveals On-Set Harassment

Model Fernanda Ly has spoken out about an encounter with a stylist during a photoshoot, during which she says the man in question exploited the vulnerable position she found herself in while getting changed to "feel my body up much more than necessary".

"There are too many who take advantage of a model’s young age and use this to their self satisfaction," said Ly. "A regular, normal-minded human should not be attempting to prey on a girl who is there to work and is afraid of speaking up (as being someone ‘hard to work with’ may cost you a job). I was once shooting a lookbook where the stylist, helping me dress, used this chance to feel my body up much more than necessary and continued to do so throughout the entire shoot. Countless times have I had to undress in undesirable public situations, but even now I can remember the disgusting feel of this man’s hands tracing my body."

Her comments have been published as a part of an editorial survey on Models.com, for which 22 models were asked to answer the question: "How do you, the model, want to be treated?" Out of the 22, 13 preferred to make their contribution anonymously, presumably wary of possible repurcussions. Ly was joined by Jay Wright, Emily Butcher, Ekaterina Ozhiganova, Margherita Tondelli, Cailin Hill Araki, Sidney Gaston, Petra Zatkova and Wyomi in allowing their name to be published alongside their comments.

In addition to her revelation about how she was mistreated, Ly also gave an articulate account of the reality that a lot of young models find themselves in when their dreams of becoming the next big supermodel don't come to fruition.


"Success arrives exponentially as a model, however once your time is up, you are thrown away like used goods as another model comes to take your place instantly," she said. "There are models who are trapped in very long, slave-like contract periods with very little to show for it. I personally know of many who receive almost no money after tax, agency commission, and conversion rates: These girls were fed dreams that instead became nightmares as agency debt piled up; who else is to pay for constant travel, accommodation, food, language classes, comp cards building up, but the model? These girls that I know of have, not surprisingly, disappeared from the industry only to return to their remote village without their promised success."

The survey comes shortly after one of the most controversial issues to hit Fashion Week in years happened in February, when model casting agent James Scully elected to name and shame brands and individuals accused of mistreating models, specifically - allegedly - at a Balenciaga casting. One of the models who spoke with Models.com - but who opted for anonymity - revealed that she was present at the controversial casting.

"I was at that Balenciaga casting that has brought up the recent conversations, and it definitely wasn’t nice, but I didn’t think it was that exceptionally bad because it’s a fact that it’s pretty normal to wait for a very long time for bigger brands. For the first big show I walked, I waited about 17 hours for the fitting."

Khloe's "Anxiety" Over Competing With Kylie

Khloe Kardashian has spoken about the "anxiety" that she feels as she tries to make her denim label, Good American, live up to the successes of little sister Kylie Jenner’s beauty business, Kylie Cosmetics.

“I feel so nervous. Kylie sells hundreds of thousands of units in like, what? Three minutes?” Kardashian told her older sister Kourtney in a clip from a forthcoming episode of Keeping Up With The Kardashians. “I know we’re not necessarily competing against each other, but still, I have always been known as the fat sister and now that I’m over that, I don’t want to be known as the failing sister. I’m nervous that I’m not going to make my investors and my business partner happy.”


Not much chance of that, it transpires, since the show was filmed before the collection launched and sold out in the first day to the tune of $1 million-worth of denim.Kylie Jenner's Lip Hit

“We’d put a lot of work into the product and the launch but even we were surprised that we could have a launch like we did,” Kardashian told us exclusively last week.

Introducing Arket: H&M's New Label

H&M has seen lucrative success with its additional brands, including Cos, & Other Stories, Monki, Weekday and Cheap Monday, and it will be hoping that the new name in its portfolio, Arket, will do the same.

The brand - which will launch online in early autumn to coincide with the opening of its first flagship on London's Regent Street (conveniently sandwiched in between H&M and Cos) - "will offer a broad yet selected range of essentials for men, women and children, as well as a smaller, curated assortment for the home", CEO Karl-Johan Persson explains in H&M's three-month financial report, which was released today.

"The overall direction and focus is quality in simple, timeless and functional designs," he continued. "There will be products in a broad price range, however in a slightly higher price segment than H&M with emphasis on materials, function and fit."


Adding that the in-house collections would be supported by "a selection of external brands", Persson revealed that Arket - which means "sheet of paper" in Swedish and relates to the brand's fresh start with the new label - is opting for more of a lifestyle approach than we have seen from other H&M brands, with Arket stores including a café where space permits.

"The café will be based on the New Nordic Kitchen and its vision of quality ingredients and healthy living," he explained. Following the launch in the capital (in the space formerly occupied by Banana Republic), stores will open in Brussels, Copenhagen and Munich.

"Starting this project, a little bit over two years ago, we did quite extensive research and what we clearly saw was a broad customer base out there who are looking for classic, quality products in an environment that should be both simple and inspiring, but also putting our own fantastic design together with complementary brands," Lars Axelsson, Arket’s managing director, told BoF this morning. "Today the customer is very busy. They are looking for convenience, but also a place that they can really enjoy."

Wilhelmina Models Signs Minaj

She may already be a familiar face on the fashion scene, but Nicki Minaj has added to her credentials by signing a contract with Wilhelmina Models.

“I love the synergy between my music and how it inspires my fashion. My message is always celebrating your own style,” she told American Vogue about her deal last night. “I’m thrilled and honoured to have signed with Wilhelmina - they get me.”


Founded in 1967 by model Wilhelmina Cooper, Wilhelmina Models has been responsible for aiding the careers of models from Iman to Cindy Bruna. Minaj joins the agency's celebrity division, where her model card will sit alongside actors and singers, including Nick Jonas and Demi Lovato.

The rapper's most recent dalliance with fashion came as she attended Paris Fashion Week earlier this month, drawing attention at the Haider Ackermann show wearing a blazer exposing her breast. Her first official job under her new contract remains to be seen.

BFC Launches Called-For Database

The British Fashion Council has announced that it has launched a database of audited UK-based manufacturers - The British High-End Manufacturers Database - to make it easier for designers to form strong supply chains and fulfil their production units.

The free-to-use database is a result of the 2015 High-end and Designer Manufacturing Report, which the BFC commissioned in 2015 in collaboration with Marks & Spencer, UKFT, Creative Skillset, The Alliance Project and Centre for Fashion Enterprise, and will form a part of the BFC Designer Fact File, a learning platform "providing insights and training across a wide spectrum of topics".


The launch of the database coincides with the triggering of Article 50 by prime minister Theresa May today and will no doubt prove to be an invaluable tool should predicted currency fluctuations between the British pound and the euro in Europe (where many UK brands currently produce their collections) be realised. The BFC said today in a statement that through its Positive Fashion initiative it is looking "to celebrate Positive Fashion best practice in the industry by direct example and through facilitating processes for change".

Bar Refaeli Pregnant With Her Second Child

Model Bar Refaeli is pregnant with her second child, just seven months after the birth of her daughter. She revealed the happy news in the same way that she announced she was expecting her daughter, with an Instagram post (although last time she shared her pregnancy test with her fans).


The Israeli model and husband Adi Ezra welcomed daughter Liv in August last year, following their wedding in September 2015. One of four children, Refaeli has made no secret of her desire to have a big family – and it looks like she’s wasting no time in getting started.

Molly And Nabil Make LVMH Final

British designers Molly Goddard and Nabil el Nayal have made the LVMH Prize finalist line-up with their eponymous labels, the conglomerate announced this morning, joining six other young designers from around the world to battle it out for the fourth annual award of €300,000 and year-long mentorship.

The designers are joined by Ambush by Yoon Ahn; Atlein by Antonin Tron; Cecilie Bahnsen by Cecilie Rosted Bahnsen (the first Danish designer to make the final); Jahnkoy by Maria Kazakova; Kozaburo by Kozaburo Akasaka; and Marine Serre by Marine Serre.

"This year's selection clearly illustrates the existence of a truly international fashion, beyond borders," said Delphine Arnault, vice president at LVMH. "I wish all the finalists good luck: it will be hard for the jury to decide between them during the final on June 16. I also wish to congratulate the semi-finalists for their involvement and their genuine enthusiasm."


The final winner will be selected by a jury made up of the most elite names in fashion: JW Anderson; Maria Grazia Chiuri; Nicolas Ghesquière; Marc Jacobs; Karl Lagerfeld; Humberto Leon; Carol Lim; Phoebe Philo; Riccardo Tisci; Jean Paul Claverie; Pierre-Yves Roussel; and Arnault herself. They will be assisted in their final decision by an expert panel made up of influencers, models, journalists, hair and make-up artists and editors - the most recent addition to which is model Kendall Jenner.

This year's winner will follow in the footsteps of 2016 winner Grace Wales Bonner, 2015 winner Marques Almeida, and 2014 winner Thomas Tait.

Tory Burch Apologises For Delevingne Video

Tory Burch has apologised after her brand faced accusations this week of cultural appropriation regarding an ad starring Poppy Delevingne.

The campaign video, titled Tory Story: An American Road Trip, advertising the brand's spring/summer 2017 collection was directed by Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert and features Delevingne, alongside two other models, dancing to Zay Hilfigerrr & Zayion McCall's Juju On That Beat. Since its release on Tuesday it has drawn some criticism on social media for using only white models when the song and viral dance were created by black artists.

“The video was intended to celebrate music that we love with our spring collection," Burch told us in a statement this morning. "It was never meant to be insensitive in any way. We have removed the video from our channels. I personally feel very badly if this hurt anyone and I am truly sorry."


The video was posted on Elle Malaysia earlier this week accompanied by an interview with Battaglia Engelbert and Delevingne. However, the publication has since updated the story saying that the brand has requested for the video to be removed from all channels.

In the interview, the director revealed the reason behind her song choice, saying: "I wanted the video to be playful and as chic as possible and to put you in a very good mood. Juju On That Beat is a happy song; I like the fact that it is a very easy song, too. The girls learned the moves very quickly and they had fun. The best part was watching them rehearsing and doing the song because they enjoyed themselves for real, which made this whole process very fun."

Neither Battaglia Engelbert or Delevingne have alluded to the situation on social media.

Choupette Falls Victim To Instagram Hacking

Has the phrase cat burglar ever been so apt? The latest famous face to fall victim of a hacking attempt is none other than Choupette, the fashionable feline belonging to Karl Lagerfeld.

Ashley Tschudin, who manages Choupette's Instagram and Twitter accounts (which have 96,000 followers and 51,000 followers respectively), raised the alarm, tweeting: "ATTENTION! Somebody hacked my Instagram and changed the password. Anyone have a contact at Instagram to send moi? Merci!" reports WWD. The tweet was later removed, after the account was safely back in the pampered pet's paws. "All is well that ends well dahhhlings!" is the most recent message on the page, complete with a kissing cat emoji.


While the hacker doesn't seem to have done too much damage - nothing was posted during the time that it was out of Tschudin's control - the impact was still felt by the account's owner.

2017 CFDA Award Nominees Named

The 2017 CFDA Fashion Awards nominations have been announced, and Demna Gvasalia, Gloria Steinem and Franca Sozzani are among the names honoured.

While the majority of the winners won’t be revealed until June 5, some have already been announced. Rick Owens has been awarded the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award; Pat McGrath will receive the Founder’s Award; Demna Gvasalia will be honoured with the International Award, for his work at Balenciaga and Vetements; while Gloria Steinem, Janelle Monáe and Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards will be awarded with the Board of Directors’ Tribute for their work for women’s rights. The late Franca Sozzani, who passed away just before Christmas, will also be honored posthumously with the Fashion Icon Award.


As well as combining the Swarovski Awards for accessory design, menswear and womenwear into one single award this year, a new accolade has been introduced: the Swarovski Award for Positive Change. As the name implies, it honours an individual in the American fashion industry for their “positive impact” on local communities and “improving the welfare of others”. Kenneth Cole will be the first to receive this title. See the full list of nominees below.

Womenswear Designer of the Year 

Joseph Altuzarra
Raf Simons for Calvin Klein
Marc Jacobs
Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler

Menswear Designer of the Year

Raf Simons for Calvin Klein
Robert Geller
Thom Browne
Tim Coppens
Todd Snyder

Accessory Designer of the Year

Stuart Vevers for Coach
Irene Neuwirth
Rachel Mansur and Floriana Gavriel for Mansur Gavriel
Paul Andrew
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for The Row

The Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent

Laura Vassar and Kristopher Brock for Brock Collection
Gabriela Hearst
Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia for Monse
Virgil Abloh for Off-White
Sander Lak for Sies Marjan

Friday, March 24, 2017

Hermès Reveals "Exceptional Year"

In the words of Hermès CEO Axel Dumas, the stars aligned in 2016 for the storied French fashion house, as its profit margins hit an all-time high.

Year-on-year sales at the company increased 7.5 per cent, taking the company over the $5 billion mark for the first time, and has been attributed - among other things - to booming business in the UK following Brexit.

"Once again a strong year from Hermès," Dumas told the Financial Times. "It's keeping its galloping moment... 2016 was an exceptional year because the stars were aligned for us: currency, growth and the collections did well."


The brand's creative director, Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski, has sustained praise for her collections since she came on board at the brand in 2014. As a part of this week's results, Dumas revealed that "the only constraint was the capacity of production".

Hermès is not the only luxury house enjoying buoyed results at the moment. Kering revealed last month that both Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci "posted exceptional comparable growth - 25.5 per cent and 12.7 per cent, respectively".

Thursday, March 23, 2017

How Retailers Choose the Brands They Carry

When Raf Simons was at the helm of Jil Sander and his eponymous label, just months before taking the reins at Dior, the Belgian designer drew this telling illustration: “Fashion is such an octopus. You’re connected to so many people: suppliers, pattern makers, production teams, marketing teams, vendors.”

As it currently stands, the global apparel industry is valued at an astounding $3 trillion USD. For perspective, that’s an octopus worth more than the UK’s GDP and about 2% of the world’s total GDP.

These numbers, though merely quantitative, help illuminate the notion that fashion is both an art and a formidable science. But behind the hard data and complex mechanics lies a slightly less acknowledged variable of human cooperation. And as with most human relationships, those involved in the fashion industry require a good amount of courting and matchmaking.

Many established fashion brand names have come out on top by virtue of their own artistic vision and entrepreneurship. But in today’s increasingly open and fast-paced digital age, a superabundance of supply and a saturated market has not only made it more difficult for emerging brands to stand out, but has also encumbered consumers with a burden of overchoice and an increased appetite for curated, narrowed-down selections.


For both cases, a retailer fills this void. On the consumer side, many individuals appreciate the convenience of a one-stop shop; others value the stamp of approval; and some treat it as a channel of discovery. For emerging brands, getting a reputable retailer to stock your product is essentially earning membership to a club, whereupon you have access to a host of benefits such as exposure, collaboration and endorsement.

Yet the task of finessing one’s way into the retailer big league entails a complex process that involves foresight, tenacity and a little bit of romancing. With remarkably high rejection rates.“For every 300 brands that are pitched, we may select one or two,” says Boston-based boutique Bodega, the endeavor can seem daunting at the least and impossible at the most.

To shed light on the often impenetrable process of how stockists choose the brands they carry, we sat down with the people behind leading menswear retailers Bodega, Goodhood and Concepts, to pick their brains on how to secure a successful retailer-brand partnership.

Here are five tips that will help fledgling brands succeed in the fashion world’s ultimate courting game.

1. Look Beyond What’s Trending Now



Different retailers look for different styles and trends, but if your brand is only stuck on what’s trending now, it won’t last. Sneaker boutique Concepts found its beginning in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1996, years ahead of today’s streetwear-meets-high-fashion boom. “We were one of the first stores to position brands like Balenciaga next to Nike SB, and have kept our buys under that voice since,” Creative Director Deon Point tells us. Today, Concepts International has expanded their eye for streetwear to a global scale, setting up shops in NYC and Dubai.

When buying, the first thing they consider is longevity. “Part of the buying process is evaluating what brands have staying power. Often times they rely on trends without considering the bottom will eventually fall out.” To demonstrate a foresight for long-term shelf life, Point advises to “analyze the market thoroughly before jumping in. You can’t add to what exists by recreating what’s already there.”

For cult-favorite streetwear boutique Bodega, having industry foresight is all about knowing what’s up and coming. “As a buyer, you want to predict the future, be inside your customer’s collective consciousness, anticipate changes in the market, and do endless hours of analysis of how the brands you’re already carrying are performing.” While copious amounts of homework and collecting data are surefire tactics, the people at Bodega also admit that intuition and prophesying, if you have the knack for it, will do the trick. “Nostradamus or Miss Cleo would’ve made great buyers since you need a vision 6-12 months out of what will be relevant,” the team adds, half-jokingly.

London menswear and lifestyle retailer Goodhood has established itself as a cultural authority with its well-curated and vast range of products. Founder Kyle Stewart’s advice is at once straightforward (“above all make good product”) and exacting (“do your homework and offer something different while being aware of the market”), which brings us to our second point.

2. Stay True to Your Brand Identity



Understanding your brand’s identity will help locate it within the larger market. According to Stewart, Goodhood’s main mission is a matter of enriching its brand’s style. “We look at what will work for us and our customers,” says Stewart, who describes Goodhood’s style as a mix of casual, indie and modern classics. “Aesthetically it needs to fit into our look and feel, we don’t particularly care for what’s trending. In fact, if something is just too hype and gets distributed through channels we don’t align with, we will disregard the label.”

Similarly, Concepts also seeks an aesthetic match in the brands they stock. “We try to stay true to the aesthetic and brand voice at all times,” Deon Point adds. “More often than not, brands themselves will reach out, so it’s just a matter of evaluating if they fit into our vision.”

But finding a compatibility in brand identity doesn’t necessarily mean similar style. Retailers such as Bodega thrive on an interest-based buying philosophy. “We explore the intersection of contemporary fashion, counterculture, design, art and sport. If you were to look at those fields as a Venn diagram, our aim is the overlap of two or more of those circles at a time.” Under this framework, aesthetically different brands such as Hender Scheme and Human Made both fit in at Bodega.

3. The Fashion Business is Built on Human Relationships



Behind every business are individuals who respond to human sentiments. Basic principles of respect and trust will foster loyal partnerships that will carry you far in the industry. In Kyle Stewart’s words, it’s a simple philosophy: “We will try and support our friends and like to help good people.”

But the results are manifold. For retailers like Bodega, once a new line is taken in, it’s an alliance that will last through thick and thin. “If a brand has a bad season, we can ride it out together.” Reassuringly, Goodhood’s team echoes the same opinion: “We will normally stick it out with them and try and help them get back on track.”

On top of creating a safety net, strong networking can also open up channels. “This industry has a lot of crossover, so a buyer may transition to brand side or an individual may end up high on the totem pole at another brand,” comments Bodega, ”If you maintain professional standards across all relationships, you’ll prosper.”

“A sneaky way to the buyer is through the sales staff… convince the sales staff that a brand is a must have, that signal will get to the buyer.”

While good etiquette has long-term benefits, tactful networking can also find shortcuts for instant results. “A sneaky way to the buyer is through the sales staff,” reveals the Bodega team. “If you can convince the sales staff that a brand is a must have, that signal will get to the buyer. You’ll be sending PR, line sheets, PDFs via email and trying to get an appointment to pitch the brand to the buyer. If they have heard of the brand through a word of mouth recommendation, they’re 10 times more likely to give you some valuable time.”

Ultimately, in-person cooperation cannot be avoided in the process establishing a retailer-brand partnership. “If you don’t have a relationship established, you’ll need an introduction and a face to face meeting,” Bodega asserts. “It’s important for us to be able to shake hands and work with people we like,” concurs Goodhood. “Oh, and if you don’t have the social skills to sell your product (and there’s nothing wrong with being honest about this), get someone that can.”

4. Understand How a Brand Will Perform Online Versus in Brick & Mortar Stores



Concept’s Deon Point emphasizes that different brands require different attention. “From E-commerce, we can get instant feedback on brands we carry and introduce them to our entire audience; the brick and mortar is a more hyper-local experience. That being said, some brands like A Bathing Ape can only be sold in-store, which provides more customer engagement and makes the store a destination. You can also see things in hand and try them on in-person. We aren’t taking returns on $1,000 USD visvim denim jackets, so it’s beneficial to have a physical location for people to try them on and make sure it’s perfect.”

For Bodega, IRL stores are much more than about selling a product. “Brick and mortar retail has an enormous possibility to connect with an audience in more dimensions than a photograph or screen. The greatest thing we accomplished early on is the fact that everyone who comes in our store feels something. Vibes they say.”

On the other hand, Stewart points out the obstacles that B&M shops face. ”Ironically, having a store can sometimes count against us being able to stock a brand [because] the geographical location of our store can mean brands will not sell to us because of proximity to other stores.” According to Stewart, the future of retail is a fusion of both platforms. “Technology is crossing over into the physical retail space and I find this an interesting development especially for the long term. I don’t think it’s as simple as a solely digital solution but the crossover of digital and physical is particularly interesting.” Eventually, we hope to see the efficiency and accessibility of e-commerce and the accuracy and experience of B&M will come together for the future of retail.

5. Trade Shows Are Still Important



While sharing an image of your product is a quick and dirty way to get the word out, nothing compares to the spectacle of trade shows. Events such as ComplexCon, Pitti Uomo, and Capsule are huge networking platforms that give growing brands a chance to communicate their vision and products in a holistic and fully-immersive way. More importantly (and pragmatically), these events are where most deals and partnerships are made between retailer and brand.

When your brand is ready to present, the first step, according to Bodega, is to get on the sales calendar. “Buyers operate on seasonal budgets and are trying to fill their stores with product at certain times during the year. Get your production in lockstep with the trade show seasons and plan your order deadlines accordingly. These two statements may seem obvious, but most new brands that approach us do not know this.”

The second step is to make the most out of trade shows. Bodega’s team advises to prepare a business plan and ask questions such as: “What brands would your line make sense to merchandise next to? Who sells those brands? Does this type of product already exist in the market?” Along the same lines, Goodhood’s team recommends to “be aware of the pricing structure of products and the margins retailers would look for.”


For brands that don’t have trade shows at their disposal, there is still a wealth of channels through which your brand can gain traction. “We get recommendations from staff, clients, stylists and other buyers,” says Bodega. “We read the trade publications (including Hyper Beast). We travel and see what energy is in the street globally. We follow our muses through social media, and take influences from the worlds of art, design, sport and music.”

In the end, if you’ve milked all of these tips to no avail, Deon Point says: “Get someone famous to wear it and make the most of your 15 minutes.”

"Model Mom" Hadid Lands TV Show

As mother to three of the most successful models of the moment, Yolanda Hadid is well placed to share her wisdom when it comes to nurturing catwalk talent - and it appears American cable channel Lifetime thinks so too. The network confirmed yesterday that it has offered Hadid the lead in a new unscripted reality-TV show, tentatively called Model Moms.

The series will follow the mother of Gigi, Bella and Anwar, as she coaches aspiring teen models "to succeed on and off the catwalk" alongside a team of experts, reports Entertainment Tonight. Hadid will be mentoring the wannabe-models and their "momagers" through an eight-week training programme, which will focus "on the physical, mental and emotional wellness that it takes to build a brand".


Whoever emerges as the winner of the series, will be awarded a $5,000 weekly prize which is aimed to help them when they embark on their careers, a management contract with Hadid's company, and the chance to be repped by industry stalwart IMG - the agency which looks after the careers and contracts of Hadid's three children.

While this is the first time that Hadid will take the lead in a television show, she has plenty of experience of being in front of the cameras from her time on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. As for her credentials as a model coach, the sustained success of her children's careers is more than testament.

A Vogue Union Confirmed

Anna Wintour´s daughter, Bee Shaffer, has become engaged to Francesco Carrozzini, son of the late Franca Sozzani, a spokesperson for American Vogue has confirmed to People, joining two families that have been friends for decades.

The union is a particularly poignant one, given the 30-year friendship between Shaffer and Carrozzini's mothers, the long-term editors of American Vogue and Vogue Italia respectively. In a touching tribute to Sozzani when she passed away last December, Wintour revealed that the pair often spoke of the "miraculous" love affair between their children and that she promised she would pass a little watch that Sozzani had given her to Carrozzini's first-born daughter, "in celebration of our friendship".


No further details are known regarding the diary date or the dress, and nor have Shaffer - a segment producer for Late Night with Seth Meyers - or Carrozzini - a film and music-video director - made any public comment on the nuptials, but bets can be placed that they will be beautiful.

Hermès And Apple's Bright New Addition

High style and tech smarts proved to be a successful marriage when Appleand Hermès launched their collection of Apple Watches back in 2015. Today that union is renewed with news of a fresh (and bright) lineup of new band colours.

The double tour returns in bleu zéphyr Epsom leather, while the double buckle cuff appears in fauve Barenia leather. Single tour styles too are given a vibrant twist with striking shades of lime Epsom and colvert Swift leather.

True to style, each strap is handcrafted in Paris, and each watch engraved with the Hermès signature. The watch typeface too can be customised to reference the French maison’s famous style.

"Apple and Hermès make very different products,” said Apple's chief design officer Jonathan Ive of the launch when it first appeared on the market, “but they reflect the deep appreciation of quality design. Both companies are motivated by a sincere pursuit of excellence and the desire to create something that is not compromised. Apple Watch Hermès is a true testament to that belief.”


Joining the Hermès additions are novel colour ways for the woven nylon straps - ranging from pebble to midnight blue - as well as all new Nike Sport Bands, designed with high performance athletes in mind.

All will be available to buy as of today, March 21, via the Apple and Hermès websites, with prices starting from £1,199 for the single tour strap, £1,299 for the double tour strap and £1,549 for the double buckle cuff.

Penelope Cruz Fills Lady Gaga's Shoes

While many thought that Lady Gaga was the perfect choice to play Donatella Versace in the forthcoming Versace: American Crime Story, her reported replacement is no consolation prize. According to The Cut, Oscar winner Penelope Cruz has been lined up by director Ryan Murphy to play the Italian designer.

The third series of American Crime Story (which first came to our attention last year with the story of the 1995 OJ Simpson murder trial) is set to focus on the 1997 murder of Versace's brother, Gianni, and has already signed up Edgar Ramirez to play the late designer, as well as Darren Criss, who will play his murderer, Andrew Cunanan. The news that Cruz will be playing the dynamic Donatella, not only adds serious star power to the plotline, but also marks the Spanish actress's first regular TV role.


Creator Murphy has enjoyed considerable success with the franchise to date - so much so that season four is already in initial planning stages, and is said to concentrate on the Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton scandal. The second season will focus on Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath of its devastation in New Orleans.

How Tissa Fontaneda Is Reinventing The Handbag

Descended from a long line of Austrian craftsmen with a background in leather, it’s no wonder that Tissa Fontaneda is making a splash in the accessories world. Vogue gets to grips with her expertly crafted “Nappa Bubble” bags in partnership with Tissa Fontaneda.

We all know that clichéd phrase “style over substance”. Here at Vogue House, we value style that has substance and quality to boot – which is precisely why Tissa Fontaneda jumped out at us when information about the independent Spanish brand landed on our desks. The Munich-born designer launched her eponymous line of expertly crafted handbags, necklaces, belts and cuffs in 2005, on a mission to become the go-to independent luxury brand for women (and, indeed, men) who like to sport a bag of the softest leather around, while retaining a unique aesthetic.

Not only does she have an impressive CV – including stints at LVMH, Loewe and Narciso Rodriguez – Tissa Fontaneda is also committed to supporting the traditional European artisan trade and has a network of the finest Spanish and Italian manufacturers who undertake the painstaking, complex task of producing her most notable collection: the Nappa Bubble bags. This incredible feat of leather engineering has fast become the signature for the brand, and a conversation piece for her customers.


Handmade using the finest, most butter-soft Spanish nappa leather available, the unique texture of each bag is achievable only through a lengthy and technical steaming process that brings the bubbles into being. Every section of leather which is eventually moulded to become one of the various styles of Nappa Bubble bag that Tissa Fontaneda offers is treated separately, meaning no two bags are ever truly the same. You will not find a copy of a Nappa Bubble anywhere, because only the brand has the artisan knowledge to create such pieces. And the result? A tactile and elegant bag available in any style you could desire.

The attention to detail is evident in the luxury feel of Tissa Fontaneda’s uniquely striking Nappa Bubble bags, and it’s little wonder she’s garnered a following from Spanish royalty to socialites, not to mention British politicians. And Apple chose her to partner up in an exclusive collaboration. If accolades like these impress you as much as they do us, visit tissafontaneda.com to discover for yourself the true quality of the brand.

Bailey Hires Burberry Design Director From Dior

Christopher Bailey is well aware of Burberry’s strengths – with almost 40 per cent of its revenue coming from accessories – and so, ahead of a summer of executive movement, he’s shoring up that area; hiring an accessories specialist from the Dior fold. Sabrina Bonesi will become design director of leather goods and shoes - a new role, WWD reports – and will oversee the bags, shoes and accessories for both the men’s and women’s collections.

Bonesi is not the only new girl in team Burberry this year; just over a month ago the company recruited one of Net-a-Porter’s co-founders, Claudia Plant, also in to a newly created role. Plant will serve as senior vice president, brand experience: a role that will see her work to “bring fashion and products to life for customers, and help to establish a strong editorial voice that will support brand and product initiatives”.


Bailey, who is currently both CEO and chief creative officer of the British house, will welcome new CEO Marco Gobbetti in July. Bailey will then become president, as well as retaining his chief creative officer role overseeing his new hires alongside the existing team – a set-up that he is convinced will work well for the brand.

“I will focus more specifically on design, the products, creativity, architecture, marketing, communication, experiences,” Bailey said when Gobbetti’s accession was announced. “He will focus more on the operational side, finance, retail and merchandising. I see this really as two pieces working together. We will jointly lead all the strategies and people.”

Coachella Takes Legal Action Against Urban Outfitters

Coachella has launched legal proceedings against Urban Outfitters for allegedly trying to capitalise on the fame of the music festival by selling branded items of clothing bearing the event's name.

The festival claims that by the American high-street store selling items called the “Coachella Boot", “Coachella Mini Dress", “Coachella Pocket Tank” and “Coachella Valley Tunic” through its in-house brand, Free People, it is “trading on the goodwill and fame” of the annual music extravaganza's trademarks to make a profit, reports WWD. It also claims that Urban Outfitters' "unauthorised apparel" is illegally infringing on legally sponsored items sold by H&M and Pandora AS (both of which have official deals with the festival) and is causing confusion for consumers struggling to differentiate between authorised and unauthorised products.


Coachella states in the filed lawsuit that the chain "ignored Plaintiff’s demands to cease their unlawful conduct", and in turn has left them with no choice but to pursue legal proceedings to “protect the famous Coachella marks and to protect the public". It is asking that Urban Outfitters "remove from sale any infringing items" as well as issue "corrective advertising" to inform consumers that the festival is not affiliated with the store or the label.

The countdown is on to this year's festival, which takes place over two weekends in April, with Lady Gaga filling Beyoncé's slot after the Lemonade singer - who is pregnant with twins - pulled out of her headline appearance after taking "advice from doctors". Radiohead and Kendrick Lamar are also confirmed to be performing at the festival. Urban Outfitters has been contacted for comment this morning.

Brioni Appoints CEO

Brioni has confirmed the appointment of Fabrizio Malverdi this morning, replacing Gianluca Flore who departed the Italian fashion house last month.

"As CEO of Brioni, his mission will be to accelerate the international expansion of one of the most prestigious houses in the high-end menswear market, which follows in the long tradition of Italian tailors," read a statement from the house.


Malverdi has been rising through the fashion ranks since the Nineties when he was appointed director of Staff International, overseeing the global licences of Vivienne Westwood and Maison Martin Margiela. Stints as managing director of Calvin Klein Collection, CEO of Mila Schon Group and CEO of John Galliano followed, and in 2008 he became CEO of Givenchy. In 2011, he was appointed managing director of Dior Homme, and since last year was CEO of Agent Provocateur - which was sold earlier this month.

Kering-owned Brioni will be looking to Malverdi to create stability within the company - especially within the design team following creative director Justin O'Shea's high-profile appointment and subsequent departure from the brand last October after seven months in the role.

Thursday, March 16, 2017

The Ultimate Photoshoot

Scouring the next generation of digital image-makers for one winning image, Huawei has been looking through a co-engineered Leica Dual Lens camera for just one winning shot in partnership with Huawei.

In celebration of the Huawei P9 smartphone, last year Huawei launched the ultimate photoshoot competition - Don’t Just Snap - casting its net across Europe to find the continent’s most talented smartphone photographers. Submitting entries via Instagram and Facebook using the #dontsnapshoot hashtag, over 100,000 entrants from nine countries were filtered down to just nine national finalists who were offered a once-a-lifetime trip to China, visiting Shenzhen and Beijing to capture their ultimate shot.

Each of them armed with a Huawei P9 – featuring the groundbreaking Dual Lens camera, engineered in partnership with photography giant Leica – the finalists spent 10 days in search of just one picture that would capture the unanimous praise of the jury. The judges – Vogue’s Abigail Volks, Alberto Moreno of GQ and Leica’s art director Karin Kaufmann – tasked the group with taking an image showing both artistic depth and clarity of vision.


The winner – earning plaudits from all three judges – was Alexandra Andreeva, a German medical student, who triumphed with this powerful shot taken on the streets of Beijing. “I tried to imagine how it would be to actually live there,” Andreeva explains, “as I’ve never felt as foreign as I did in China.”“The image has a big interest factor. There’s so much going on and yet there’s a subtlety to it.”

The image was praised by the jury for its careful composition and multiple facets, which perfectly showcase the full depth and breadth of the Leica Dual Lens camera. Andreeva is now faced with the prospect of pursuing a new path: “I don’t consider myself a photographer yet… but maybe it’s time to think about it.”

Huawei is itself pursuing the ultimate in smartphone camera sophistication with the launch of the new P10 and P10 Plus, both of which feature a Leica Dual Lens Camera 2.0. Expanding the capability to capture intense colours as well as introducing sophisticated facial- and light-recognition technology, the phone is set to make yet more of us able to create our own masterpieces at a tap.

Tom Ford Stops See-Now, Buy-Now Model

Tom Ford has announced his decision to abandon the see-now, buy-now model he adopted with his eponymous fashion house last February, confirming that he will return to New York Fashion Week this September to show his spring/summer 2018 collection on the official schedule.

The designer, one of many who decided to try out the new format with the view to shorten the timespan between clothes being shown on the catwalk and being available to purchase, explained that while he had been optimistic about the new structure, ultimately "the store shipping schedule doesn’t align with the fashion show schedule", reports WWD. He added that last September (his first outing as a see-now, buy-now brand) he "lost a month of selling" because he held back on putting the autumn/winter 2016 collection on the shop floor until after it had been seen on the catwalk (it had been ready since mid-August).

He also revealed that while "business boomed" immediately after the show (as is the intention with see-now, buy-now brands), the initial buzz did not make up for the coverage he lost from long-lead press.


The news comes in the same week that fellow see-now, buy-now business Thakoon announced that it was abandoning the model, although in that case operations are halting entirely for the time being. A spokesperson for the brand mirrored Ford's reasoning, saying that the label had "recognised that the business model is ahead of the current retail environment", confirming that it is "taking a pause and an eventual restructure".

With two major advocates of the model now calling it quits, questions will be asked about how sustainable the model - which caused ructions around the industry, as well as much comment and speculation - is.

Clare Waight Keller Confirmed At Givenchy

Givenchy has announced Clare Waight Keller as its new artistic director, effective from May 2. Waight Keller, who departed her creative director position role at Chloé earlier this month, replaces Riccardo Tisci who announced his departure in January.

The brand announced the news this afternoon on its Instagram account accompanied by an image of Waight Keller shot by Steven Meisel, prior to which it posted a quote which read: “True elegance comes with a natural gesture, an attitude in simplicity”, as well as an image of the brand's founder, Hubert de Givenchy. In her new role, Waight Keller will be responsible for the house's women's and men's ready-to-wear and accessories collections, as well as haute couture.

"Hubert de Givenchy's confident style has always been an inspiration and I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this legendary house’s history," said Waight Keller today. "I look forward to working with the teams and writing a new chapter in this beautiful story."

Waight Keller is the second high-profile female hire for the LVMH group in the last year, following the appointment of Maria Grazia Chiuri at Dior. Today, the conglomerate's chairman and CEO, Bernard Arnault, revealed that he is very happy that she has joined the ranks.

"I believe her widespread expertise and vision will allow Givenchy to enter the next phase of its unique path," he said. "I am very much looking forward to her contribution to the maison’s continued success."


His sentiments were echoed by Philippe Fortunato, CEO of Givenchy, who said: "The teams join me in warmly welcoming Clare Waight Keller into the Givenchy family. I am very excited to see Clare bring her singular sense of elegance and modernity to Givenchy. By exploring our Maison’s 65-year heritage and the outstanding savoir-faire of its ateliers, I am convinced Clare will help Givenchy reach its full potential."

Speculation has been rife as to who would take up the reins at the house founded in 1952, with Off/White's Virgil Abloh the favourite to have been tapped for the role. Rumour also had it that Waight Keller would return to her native England, rather than take up a role at another French fashion house.

The industry will be eager to see the vision that Waight Keller, who is known for her feminine bohemian-inspired designs, materialises at Givenchy, a brand that Tisci took in an edgy and darkly romantic direction during his 12-year tenure. Tisci, meanwhile, is mooted for a role at Versace, alongside Donatella Versace, although nothing has been confirmed at this point.

How Harper Has Inspired Victoria's New Line

Many designers look close to home for inspiration when it comes to their designs and Victoria Beckham is no different: the designer took her style cue from her daughter, five-year-old Harper, when it came to creating her mother-and-child collection for US brand Target, she has revealed.

“It was about celebrating my relationship with Harper," Beckham (who is also mother to Brooklyn 18; Romeo, 14; and Cruz, 12) told WWD, adding that she looked to things the pair like to do together, like pressing flowers, for design ideas. “I know what Harper likes to wear; kids want to be comfortable," she continued. "I’ve taken everything I learned as a mum and put it into the collection.”


The 200-strong collection - which will see adult and child styles sold together for a "mini-me" effect - launches online and in store on April 9, priced between $20 and $70 for adult sizes, and $6 and $30 for children, toddlers and babies.

Valentino: Praise For Piccioli But No IPO

Valentino CEO Stefano Sassi has heaped praise on creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, but has ruled out an IPO this year, reports WWD, due to "market conditions".

“An IPO in 2017 is not on the table and we’ll see what happens in 2018,” said Sassi. “We’ve shelved it because of market conditions. If things change, we’ll review the project. We are not talking about it internally at the moment.”

Far from the decision being a negative, however, the executive said that Mayhoola Group - which acquired a major stake in the brand in 2012 - is not looking to offload the label and instead "wants to keep it, with ambitious plans to do even more."


Also on a positive note, the CEO revealed that Piccioli is surpassing the brand's expectations as sole creative director, following his co-designer of 25 years, Maria Grazia Chiuri, departing for Dior last year. Sassi expressed “great satisfaction" at the solo shows the designer has presented so far, which he said proved "Pierpaolo’s very strong creative leadership and the correct stylistic statement - that of an evolving Valentino.”

Khloe's Sculpting Denim Hits London

Khloe Kardashian´s denim label, Good American, launched last year, producing sales that the world's biggest brands would envy. The first day it launched - buoyed by social-media support from her famous friends and sisters - the label sold $1 million-worth of jeans, and the growth doesn't stop there. Today, it arrives in London's Selfridges, a luxury partner that Kardashian lauds for being brave enough to stock the entire size range - 00 to 24. Vogue caught up with Kardashian and co-founder Emma Grede - a Londoner and former fashion partnerships specialist - to find out what's so special about their Insta-perfect, bottom-sculpting jeans.


Tell us why you specifically launched the brand – what were the problems in other jeans that you knew you could find a way to solve?

Khloe: I’ve been bigger and smaller than I am today, and when I was bigger shopping for denim was really hard, I’d ask for my size and be told there was nothing for me. I would literally be denim shamed while shopping for jeans with my sisters. Which is crazy! When Emma approached me with the idea to start Good American with an inclusive size range, I knew it was something I wanted to be involved with. Plus I live in denim.

Emma: I’m a big buyer of premium denim and I’m always making alterations. I knew if I was doing that after spending £200, it meant other women would be too and so I wanted to make a perfect pair of jeans made to really fit a woman’s body.

Tell us about the name, where did it come from and what does it mean to you?

Emma: Good American was a play on words. I think any woman who is fearless in showing her sexuality can be quickly judged, but that doesn’t mean that you’re not good, or out in the world doing good. We also wanted our company to behave as a “Good American,” or rather, be a good corporate citizen. That’s why we manufacture in LA, pay fair living wages and it’s the way we run our business through and through.

Khloe: Plus, once we realised the name Good American was something we could actually own, we grabbed it!

The launch of the collection went phenomenally – sold out to the tune of $1 million on the first day – did you expect the reaction you got?

Khloe: Yes and no, we’d put a lot of work into the product and the launch but even we were surprised that we could have a launch like we did.

Emma: And more importantly the ongoing reaction is what’s so impressive, if you have a good product it will sell, but it's those customers coming back for their second, third and fourth pair, that’s when you know you’re on to something really good.

What are the components of the jeans that make them work so well on all body shapes?

Emma: There’s a big technical difference in our jeans, first it’s the fabrics, we use the best premium fabric available and that gives the jeans great recovery. Then we created an amazing gap-proof waistband and that’s what stops you from having any gap at the back, if your waist is smaller than your hips or bum, as is the case for most women.

Khloe: What’s amazing is that the jeans work on all girls, we have Bella and Gigi Hadid, Chrissy Teigen, Giovanna Battaglia and Jennifer Jopez all wearing Good American.

You’ve spoken out for size diversity in the industry – asserting that all sizes should be represented and shown as beautiful in the media – why do you think it’s so important for everyone to see a beauty they can relate to?

Khloe: I think it’s important that the media shows a fair representation of all women regardless of race, ethnicity and size. All women want to feel beautiful and confident. Having diversity as we do in our campaigns and showing the jeans on multiple sizes is a must in this day and age.

Emma: I think size really is the last taboo in fashion, a couple of girls walking NYFW shows isn’t progress, it just shows how backwards the industry actually is. We live in a world where most women would be considered plus size if we allowed the fashion industry to keep their out-of-date labels. That’s madness. We as women demand choice in every area of our lives and fashion should be no different.

Selfridges have taken the range in all sizes from 00 to 24 – what does this mean to you?

Khloe: Everything, Emma and I made a decision early on to only work with retailers that will carry the full size range.

Emma: Indeed it’s non negotiable for us and we love Selfridges for being brave enough to do it.

Which sizes sell best? You have created a collection for women with curves, so many would assume that the larger sizes sell better, but this may not be the case?

Emma: Our best-selling styles are 0 and 18! Not what we expected.

Khloe: This will change over time too, we’re a new brand and we don’t market as plus or having petit sizes so as people discover Good American that will shift.

Tell us about the styles you provide – the rise, the washes, etc – will these change every season or will there be some constants for fans?

Khloe: We have three styles right now: Good Legs, a classic skinny jean; Good Waist, which is super high-waisted and our best seller; and Good Cuts, a really flattering boyfriend jean.

Who are your denim idols – who wears jeans well, then and now?

Emma: Oh I love Rihanna in a denim-on-denim situation.

Khloe: I think Kendall and Kylie Jenner look great in denim and Ashley Graham looks hot in Good American.

Emma: I don’t think you can beat Kate Moss in jeans back in the day. Those old Calvin campaigns were everything.

What is the next step for the brand? What areas are first in your plan to expand?

Khloe: We’re really working on perfecting the denim, we have new styles launching and skirts and shorts for the summer. But we won't launch anything until we’re both really happy to wear it ourselves.

John Lewis Looks To LA For First Lifestyle Brand

John Lewis is launching its first ever in-house lifestyle brand called And/ Or, we can exclusively reveal, and the verdict? A smart move from the high-street department store, with excellent credentials to boot.

Created in collaboration with American denim experts Calvin Rucker, the 90-piece collection specialises in jeans but also has an extensive clothing, footwear and accessories offering and is made exclusively in LA - that's designed, cut, washed, sewn and finished, according to the brand. As a result, it has that laid-back West Coast feel that is, crucially, authentic. Authenticity, however, often comes with a price tag that prices out traditional high-street shoppers, but not so here: jeans (which are available in a 26 to 34 inch waist) cost between £85 and £120, and the womenswear (available in size 6 to 18) ranges from £22 for a T-shirt to £250 for a leather jacket.

"We have worked hard to build a portfolio of own-brand labels over the past few years for our customers, providing them with brands they can't find anywhere else," Iain Ewing, head of design, womenswear and accessories, told us. "Last year saw the launch of Modern Rarity, our first luxury label, which has been such a success. We're so pleased with the feedback we have received from our customers. Yet we felt there was something missing when it came to speaking to a more contemporary woman.

So, the famous British brand (which welcomed its first female managing director Paula Nickolds last year) looked Stateside, the original purveyor of denim, to create a collection that it hopes will provide the foundation pieces for their customers' closets.


"Denim is a staple of every woman's wardrobe and spans generations," continued Ewing. "It's a constant in an ever-changing fashion world, and now a part of our everyday. A great pair of jeans are incredibly versatile - you can dress them up or down. It's the ease of throwing on a pair of jeans, picking up the kids from school, going to work or wearing them out to a bar in the evening."

The plan for the collection is to create four signature mid-rise fits each season - a skinny, a straight-leg, a boyfriend and an ankle-grazer – which will come in different colour-ways and washes. These will then be complemented by season-specific additions, so for spring/summer 2017 there are cropped and wide-leg silhouettes, as well as a striped boyfriend style. When it comes to the clothing, it's a case of well-cut basics and separates, peppered with statement pieces (like the already-covetable tiered asymmetric dress and embroidered parka): items that are easy, informal, and - according to Ewing - ageless.

"It's much more about a sense of style rather than age," he explained. "And/ Or is influenced by the relaxed, upbeat, sunny attitude of the LA lifestyle. We treat all of our own-label collections - Kin by John Lewis, Modern Rarity and And/ Or - as we would for any brand at John Lewis: they have their own personalities, combined with separate design and buying teams so ensure they stay true to their individual brand values and appeal to different customer styles." And/ Or launches on Wednesday, March 22 in 15 stores and online at Johnlewis.com.

Jil Sander's Creative Director Departs

Jil Sander creative director Rodolfo Paglialunga has exited his position, the brand has confirmed this morning. Paglialunga had been at the helm of the fashion house for three years and showed his last collection for the house at Milan Fashion Week last month.

"We decided to terminate our professional journey with Rodolfo Paglialunga together with the designer himself," said CEO Alessandra Bettari. "We want to deeply thank Paglialunga for his great job at Jil Sander and the respect he paid to the brand's DNA".


Paglialunga took over the reins from the label's eponymous founder herself in 2014, who had returned to the label after a nine-year hiatus in 2012 (during which time Raf Simons enjoyed nearly a decade of success in the creative director chair). After only a year in the role, she departed the brand for the third time in 2013, leaving the position unfilled until Paglialunga - formerly womenswear design director at Prada and creative director at Vionnet - made his debut for spring/summer 2015.

Paglialunga - whose next move is unknown, but will no doubt be the subject of speculation given the number of top positions yet to be filled at houses including Roberto Cavalli and Givenchy - said this morning: "It was a great pleasure to collaborate with everyone in Jil Sander and to give my contribution in the brand's history and legacy."

Thakoon Puts Business On Hold

Thakoon Panichgul has revealed that his eponymous fashion label is being put on hold while he and his investors strategise "the next evolution of Thakoon".

The reason behind the decision is said to have been taken by Bright Fame Fashion - headed up by Vivian Chou, daughter of Hong Kong tycoon Silas Chou - which acquired a controlling stake in the house in 2015 and quickly embarked on adopting the see-now, buy-now model. Two years down the line, however, and a spokesperson for the brand has revealed that it has "recognised that the business model is ahead of the current retail environment. Therefore, we are taking a pause and an eventual restructure."

“I still believe in Thakoon’s tremendous design talent and the brand as well as the strong management team behind this project," said Silas Chou yesterday, reports WWD.


The reasoning behind the announcement will come as warning sign to other small businesses which have gone down the see-now, buy-now route and also to houses which have reserved judgement on the model until they see how it pans out for their peers. While larger houses which own their production and retail infrastructure are able to absorb the restructuring costs and risks that adopting a new model brings, the concern has always been that smaller houses, which don't have the same safety net, are left in limbo.

Panichgul, who showed two collections in the new format, struck a philosophical note about the decision to press pause, saying: "It was time for my brand to explore a new business model and this opportunity allowed us to do so. We can now take the learnings from this to apply to the next evolution of Thakoon."

Lindsay Lohan Turns Designer Again

She used to be the artistic advisor of French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro (no, honestly, she did - it's right here), and now Lindsay Lohan is turning her hand to design again. The actress revealed the new project in an Instagram post this weekend, which didn't tell us much about the project, but gave us a hint.

Ungaro wasn't Lohan's first (or last) fashion foray. She launched a clothing line called 6126 in 2008, specialising in leggings, but it's entirely possible that this new creative outing will be considerably more demure.


The star has been photographed wearing a headscarf recently - even revealing via social media her dismay at being asked to remove it while passing through US customs - and the picture she used to accompany her announcement depicts her in a jewelled hijab. Whether her collection will feature her new more modest taste remains to be seen.

Chloé Confirms Ramsay-Levi Appointment

After months of speculation but no word from the house, Chloé has confirmed this morning that it has appointed Natacha Ramsay-Levi to succeed Clare Waight Keller as creative director, effective from April 3. Ramsay-Levi joins the label from Louis Vuitton, where she has worked under Nicolas Ghesquière for years as creative director of womenswear, prior to which she worked with him at Balenciaga.

“I am very proud to join a house founded by a woman to dress women," said Ramsay-Levi today. "I want to create fashion that enhances the personality of the woman who wears it, fashion that creates a character and an attitude, without ever imposing a ‘look’.”

Her first collection for the house will be shown in September during the spring/summer 2018 Paris Fashion Week showcase. "In her new role, Natacha will embody the spirit of Chloé, a maison founded in 1952 by Gaby Aghion whose vision was to give women the freedom to dare to be themselves," read a statement from the house.


"I am particularly happy to welcome Natacha to Chloé," said the brand's president Geoffroy de la Bourdonnaye. "Her extensive experience at two prestigious fashion houses and her creative energy will further expand the Maison in Gaby’s vision at the intersection of Parisian couture savoir-faire and the youthful attitude of the Chloé girl.”

Waight Keller's final collection for Chloé showed at Paris Fashion Week two weeks ago and the emotional swansong was met by praise.

“After six extraordinary years at Chloé I would like to thank Geoffroy and all my colleagues for their enormous efforts over the past years,” Waight Keller, who took the Chloé reins in May 2011 from Hannah MacGibbon, who had been artistic director since 2008, said when her departure was confirmed last month. “Working for this maison has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. Chloé is a brand with values close to my heart and I have truly enjoyed working with some of the best talents in the industry. I feel privileged to have worked for a maison with such a heritage and I am very proud of all that has been achieved.”

Friday, March 10, 2017

Sibling Confirms Hiatus

London based fashion house Sibling has announced that it is winding down the business. Established in 2008 by Joe Bates, Sid Bryan and Cozette McCreery, the brand had established itself over the last nine years as a favourite on the London Fashion Week calendar, thanks to its joyful knitwear and cool-girl aesthetic.

"Sibling is now on hiatus and liquidators have been appointed voluntarily to assist in winding down the business and studio," a representative for the brand told us this afternoon. "Cozette and Sid thank everyone who has been a part of Sibling and the joyful Sibling squad over the years”.


Bryan and McCreery have been solely in charge of the creative direction of the label since Bates passed away in August 2015. The last show for the house took place in January during London Fashion Week Mens.

The Olsens Intern Lawsuit Settled

The Olsens – designers Mary-Kate and Ashley – have settled the lawsuit brought by a group of disgruntled former interns who worked at their New York label, The Row. The duo have reportedly paid $140,000 to a group of 185 interns, Page Six claims, which amounts to just over $500 per intern after lawyers fees are accounted for.

The twins’ company, Dualstar, vehemently denied any claims of mistreatment when the story initially broke in August 2015, asserting: “The allegations in the complaint filed against Dualstar are groundless, and Dualstar will vigorously defend itself against plaintiff's claims in court, not before the media. Dualstar is confident that once the true facts of this case are revealed, the lawsuit will be dismissed in its entirety."


The intern who initially brought the class-action lawsuit, Shahista Lalani, had claimed that she worked for up to 50 hours a week for several months without pay – as well as complaining that conditions and breaks were also inadequate. The company brought its own rebuttal lawsuit in September 2015.

The settlement brings the matter to a close, but does not require the company to concede wrongdoing. A legal statement for the Olsens’ brand said the settlement was reached in order to “avoid the uncertainties of litigation,” according to a recent Manhattan Supreme Court filing by their attorney.

LVMH's Double Whammy

It is proving to be a big week for French conglomerate LVMH, which yesterday announced its plans to open a new art museum on the outskirts of Paris (building on the success of the Fondation Louis Vuitton), coinciding with reports that it would be launching its own e-commerce platform under the mantle of Bon Marché - the multi-brand French department store it has owned since 1984.

Regarding the first announcement, LVMH owner Bernard Arnault revealed the plans to renovate the Musee National des Arts et Traditions Populaires in Paris in the presence of French president Francois Hollande, mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo, French ecology minister Segolene Royal, and architect Frank Gehry, who designed the Fondation Louis Vuitton and has been employed to mastermind the new cultural landmark. The new space will have "an arts and crafts focus, featuring a concert hall and workshops for a 50-year concession granted to Arnault by the City of Paris", reports the BoF, and is slated to cost €158 million.


Concerning its first foray into the multi-brand e-commerce landscape, the Bon Marché site - which will launch in May - will not only sell products from all 70 LVMH-owned brands, but products from additional labels that don't belong in its stable, reports The Financial Times. It is the first major digital initiative to come from the brand since its chief digital officer, Ian Rogers, arrived from Apple in 2015.

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Matty Bovan Reveals Barbie Collaboration

Fresh from the Fashion East catwalk at London Fashion Week, its onwards and upwards for one of the capital's brightest (quite literally) emerging designers, Matty Bovan. The York-born fashion designer has teamed up with another famous figure known for her penchant for fluro hues this week: Barbie.

As well as limited-edition merchandise - T-shirts, badges and stickers - inspired by the forever-young fashion muse to mark her 58th birthday (which he will personally launch at Selfridges, London this Friday in The Fashion East Store in the Designer Studios between six and eight pm), Bovan has gone one step further and created a series of exclusive Barbie dolls, dressed in his spring/summer 2017 collection, which will also be on sale at the store.

"Barbie for me, as a child growing up, allowed me to explore my creativity from a very young age," Bovan told us about his own connection with the American doll. "I was always changing her hair colour and style, always mixing up different outfits and making my own. It gave me a way to channel my own very early creativity, so Barbie to me represents a sort of freedom - you can explore your own identity through her."

"Barbie is my dream Designer Studio customer," Ruth Hickman, designer studio buyer at Selfridges, said of the edit. "I'm thrilled that we can celebrate her birthday by exclusively showcasing Matty's merchandise in the Fashion East Store - the perfect home for this genius collaboration."


Few adults would be numb to the nostalgia Barbie evokes. As a self-proclaimed "canvas for creativity", the imagination and creativity it encourages is now attracting a whole new generation now with its new collections, which feature tall, curvy and petite silhouettes.

"Barbie allows both young boys and girls to unlock their imagination of what woman can be - what they do for a career, what they wear, how they act - with Barbie's new dolls it allows children to find the Barbie that best represents who they are and how the feel," Bovan elaborated. "There is endless possibilities with Barbie and she carries a kind of timeless quality which is why she still has a huge appeal to both adults and children today."

Far from being limited to this collaboration, Bovan's interest in the female form - specifically challenging pre-conceived identities and ideas of beauty - is something that is palpable at his shows.

"Strong female identity is something I grew up surrounded by and something that I found very inspirational - it extends naturally within my own work and practice," he added. "I design for myself, but also the female version of me - it's all part of my whole identity. I am interested in pushing what beauty and identity is in my work and what is considered beautiful, questioning how the feminine is portrayed within fashion. I am really trying to showcase how these are relevant in 2017 within my own fashion collections and collaborations."

France Gets Its First Permanent Fashion Museum

While the City of Light has played host to many a famous fashion showcase and soirée, it has never had a permanent museum exhibition dedicated to fashion - until now. The Palais Galliera, which is revered by many as Paris's unofficial fashion destination thanks to its many high-profile events in the past, will open the Gabrielle Chanel Rooms in 2019 in a move that has been made possible by sponsorship from Chanel.

"These new spaces will be devoted to the history of fashion from the 18th century to the present day, and the museum's permanent collections, which comprise some 200,000 garments, accessories and documents," read a statement from the French fashion house, which will no doubt feature prominently in the space, given the impact Chanel has had on the international fashion landscape.


"I would like to thank the house of Chanel for its valued support of the Palais Galliera," said Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris. "Thanks to this prestigious sponsorship, our capital will soon have the first permanent fashion museum in France. The city of Paris is proud to be able to open this exceptional space to Parisians and visitors from all over the world."

"This initiative represents a lasting commitment to creation and to the strength of Paris, which are at the heart of Chanel’s business," said Chanel's president of fashion, Bruno Pavlovsky. "Supporting an institution like the Palais Galliera is part of our mission to bring fashion history to life."

The Details You May Have Missed From The Chanel Show

Still think “Paris is no longer Paris”, President Trump? Meet Launchpad No5, the intergalactic-themed set for Chanel’s latest mission: autumn/winter 2017. On the day that Trump signed an executive order blocking citizens of six predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States, the visual potency of Chanel’s glittering paean to interstellar travel was hard to ignore. Ground Control to Major Donald: when it comes to demonstrations of Parisian savoir-faire, Chanel will not be beaten. Here are nine instant take-aways from Chanel’s autumn/winter 2017 show.


The Intergalactic Boots

Sparkly celestial knee-high boots are the only way to dress your legs next winter. Saint Laurent sent them out in slouchy iterations last week; Chanel’s intergalactic version were more ladylike, sporting the customary double-C toe cap.


The Space Blankets

Space blankets have been cleared for re-entry and will replace your winter scarf.


The New Neckline

Meet your new neckline: the spacesuit collar, slightly raised from the collarbone, Fifties-style, leaving room to sport asteroid-sized pearls underneath, should you so desire.


The Failsafe Fabric

You don’t think there’s an occasion for tweed in space? You thought wrong. In the solar system of fabrics it’s as vital as the sun – and next season it’s slimline and gently fluted.


The New Muse

Barbarella is your autumn muse – think Queen of the Galaxy silver leather and don't forget the Jane Fonda Sixties bouffant.


The Crab Nebula Hue

The hue for autumn? The purple that comprised the famous Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant which lies about 6,500 light-years from Earth.


The Halo Hairband

Earring-watch shifts focus: now, we’re wearing chunky crystal headbands like halos, rather than decorating our ears.


The Sputnik Suit

You don’t have to be a rocket scientist to recognise the potential of the luxury childrenswear market. Lagerfeld’s solution for human sputniks was mini-me versions of the double-breasted white suits he sent out for men.


The Rocket Bag

Meet the minaudière that will give your evening look lift-off: the little rocket dangling from a chain.