Skin Tight Drain Pipes

Classis Cover: UK VOGUE January 1990

2008-10-24T00:25:00.000-07:00

We are now in a time where the supermodel is making a come back, Naomi, Christy, and Linda are all back and in full effect. That is why I thought this would be a great cover to take a moment to look back on. This UK Vogue January 1990 issue was a stunner. It was shot by Peter Lindbergh. The cover features the Holy Trinity (Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista) along with Cindy Crawford and Tatjana Patitz.

Take a moment to see this cover for what it really is; these woman were the last batch of true supermodels. The actress and celebrity figure has taken over the industry and has pushed the model to the back burner. Appreciate and respect these woman and welcome them back; maybe they can slowly bring the model back to the covers of magazines.

Also, please look out for my feature on "The Return of the Supermodel" - it should be completed and posted soon.

INFLUENCE - Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen

2008-10-24T00:04:00.000-07:00

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen will be releasing their already popular book Influence on Tuesday, October 28. I can already tell you that the book is going to be fantastic; especially to anyone remotely interested in the fashion industry. Influence is a book of interviews with the world's most famous designers, photographers and artists alike. Influencer's John Galliano, Christian Louboutin, Terry Richardson and Karl Lagerfeld all are interviewed in the book along with many others.

I urge you to go out and pick this book up on Tuesday. The Olsens will be hosting book signings in New York & L.A.

Tuesday, October 28th in New York City:
12:30-1:30pm ET at Barnes and Noble in Union Square
33 E 17th Street, New York, NY 10003

Wednesday, November 12th in Los Angeles:
7:00-8:00pm PT at Borders in Westwood
1360 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90024

FYI, The book will be released with 2 different covers - one of Mary-Kate and one of Ashley.

Enjoy!

Victoria Beckham covers VOGUE INDIA

2008-10-23T23:53:00.000-07:00

Victoria Beckham is gracing the cover of VOGUE India's November issue. She is not only donning an unflattering wig but she is also wearing a traditional Indian Sari - which is usually only worn by Indian brides.

I would have to say that I am never happy with VOGUE India - nor their covers; and I feel the same about this issue. Victoria looks terrible, the headpiece is distracting and the wig is extremely stringy. Overall, it's just not a good look.

I appreciate VOGUE going into the Indian market, I just wish people with a bit more creative talent were employed at the publication.

Giselle lands DIOR!!!

2008-10-17T10:22:00.000-07:00

image is Spring 2004 Dior campaign

Gisele Bundchen will be the face of Christian Dior for Spring 2009. The last time Gisele was in a Dior ad was back in 2004 when she was booked for both Fall and Spring. Dior has not been doing so great in sales so I assume that is probably the reason they asked Gisele back - commercial faces bring BIG money to companies.

Madonna's secret weapon...

2008-10-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

Remember these shoes from the Resort 2009 Karl Lagerfeld collection? I hope so because they were the highlight of the show. Well, Madonna must have felt they were pretty sick, so of course she got her a pair and wore them to a screening of her film Filth and Wisdom Monday night in New York.

Apparently a British anti-violence group is in outrage with Madonna. They believe celebrities have a huge influence on today's youth and seeing that more and more young people are dying day to day; they believe Madonna should know better than to wear these. - What do you think?

Honestly, I am all for non-violence but I don't find anything wrong with Madonna wearing the shoes. They are just that ----- shoes! Madonna feels they are fashionable so why not allow her to wear them? It's not like she had a gun in her waistband, they are obviously funky shoes and that's all. I don't feel there is an underlying message behind them that will make the youth go out and want to shoot people .

Vogue Paris November 2008 - Vanessa Paradis

2008-10-17T09:54:00.000-07:00

So is Vanessa Paradis shutting it down right now or what? The beauty shot of her on the cover of Vogue Paris' November issue is TO DIE! The Miu Miu cap, gap in the teeth, red nails and sultry eye all are just screaming AMAZING.

Vogue Paris rarely disappoints though, yet this comes from the person who thinks Carine Roitfeld is one of the Fashion Gods.

By the way, this image was shot by Mert + Marcus

Anna Wintour - Attends the Debate? - TO DIE!!!

2008-10-17T09:39:00.001-07:00

Okay so for those who know me, you know that I am a politics whore! My TV is tuned to CNN all day; every day. Apparently, Anna Wintour is into politics as well. On Wednesday night, Anna was spotted in the crowd at the final presidential debate of 2008 - How fabulous is that?

I really hope our community realizes that there is so much more to life than fashion, fierceness and fabulosity. It is important to be educated and aware of the world around us. It is important to indulge ourselves in stimulating environments and conversations. Simply put, it is important to be smart.

I don't believe Anna went to the debates to make a political statement, however, she has made one and hopefully it inspires other to get more involved and get out and VOTE!

Sidebar: Let me point out she was not sitting anywhere near the front row - and doesn't she seem super happy? She looks much more intimidating when she is sitting front row!

SPEARS + DEMARCHELIER = FEROSH!!

2008-10-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

If you have been paying attention to Ms. Spears lately, you have heard the rumor of her shooting with the great Patrick Demarchelier. For the longest time we were under the assumption that the photo shoot was for VOGUE. Well we were wrong. It turns out Ms. Spears will actually grace the January cover of GLAMOUR. This is PERFECT timing for the release of Circus - her new album; which is out on December 2. I think it's FABULOUS. Britney is back and about to take over again. I predict the issue is going to be the highest seller of 2009.

ANGELINA JOLIE COVERS W MAGAZINE

2008-10-09T13:21:00.001-07:00

Angelina Jolie will grace the cover of the November Issue of W Magazine. - Let me say now that it is FABULOUS!

This is going to FLY off the shelves. The issue contains a 21 page editorial with private images of Jolie. Some of which where she is partially nude with the kiddies and some where she is breast-feeding. The sales of this issue are going to be FEROSH!

Should be available nationwide by next week.

New Face of VUITTON; James BOND

2008-10-09T12:47:00.000-07:00

The original James Bond; Sean Connery is the latest celebrity to be featured in the Louis Vuitton “core values” campaign. The 78 year old iconic actor was shot by Annie Leibovitz on a beach near his home in the Bahamas. The campaign shoes him propped on a wooden dock next to a waterproof version of the Louis Vuitton Keepall bag.

Get this, the image that is used for the campaign was actually a lighting test shot by Leibovitz. This image was taken before he went into hair and make-up.

The ad is slated to appear in a range of daily newspapers and weekly magazines later this month, including The Financial Times, Le Figaro, The New Yorker and Le Nouvel Observateur.

I love it. I think Sean looks fantastic; at 78 years old he is very sexy man. The image is raw and fabulous. - To die!

Bergdorf Goodman + Gucci = EXCLUSIVE!

2008-10-09T12:14:00.000-07:00

For the people who are not familiar with Bergdorf Goodman; it is the most high-end department store in New York City. It is Located on 57th and 5th ave and the selection is always mind-blowing.

I am not a big department store person. I always asked myself, "If the brand I want has stand-alone store, why buy the brand from a department store?" Well, now I have a good reason. It was just reported that Bergdorf Goodman will be selling 15 one-of-kind Gucci handbags designed in it's signature lilac color. The Hysteria Jockey bag and the Indy bag start at $1,295. They will also come in an exotic skin version which will retail for $29,800. All of the hangbags will have a silver handtag that says "Gucci loves Bergdorf."

GALLIANO coming to the UNITED STATES...

2008-10-07T10:13:00.000-07:00

We are so excited about this news!

John Galliano will be the keynote speaker at this year's CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund event on November 17. YES! John Galliano is coming to the states! At the event he will be speaking about his career, some of his experiences and how he got to where he is today. This is spectacular news seeing that designer's like Galliano don't give these type of speeches; especially in the United States. The last time we was supposed to speak in the states - at the Savannah College of Art and Design; he mysteriously got sick and was unable to attend.

Alexander Mcqeen's new campaign...

2008-10-07T10:02:00.000-07:00

Check out the new Alexander McQueen ad campaign. It is so FABULOUS! The birds nest concept was brilliant! I am so excited to see these in print. The model is Alice Gibb and the photographer is Craig McDean

Just FYI, this is McQueen's first campaign since 2003.

Enjoy!!

Spring 09' Fashion Week - It's a Wrap!

2008-10-07T01:20:00.000-07:00

Over the past 4 weeks, we have been from New York to London to Milan and on to Paris; and as much as we all LIVE for this industry and as much as our life revolves around it - we are DRAINED! Do you all realize that over the course of this entire season we have seen more than 400 collections? Insanity right?

Moreover, the intriguing thing is how we manage to retain everything we have seen. If someone calls out a designer and asks us about their collection, we are able to go through our memory, open up that book of 400 shows and turn to the page of that specific designer and then give them a well thought out opinion on what we liked and what we disliked. We talk about the silhouettes, texture and color like we just walked out of the showroom 10 minutes ago. It's amazing how much our mind grows during these 4 weeks. It just proves that when you really love something and open your mind to it, you can retain a wealth of knowledge.

I would like to use this platform to thank all of the designers, the press officers, the press, the editors, the stylists, the fashionistas, the socialites and ANYONE else who was in anyway involved with S/S 09' Fashion Week. If you sat at home and watched the collections on Full Frontal Fashion; thank you. If you sat up for hours prowling through Style.com; thank you. Thank You to everyone for making this truly a great season.

I will be the first to admit that I am usually not a big fan of the spring collections; however, our 2009 March, April, May, June, July and August fashion magazines will be filled with spectacular collections by designers who really gave us something fresh and creative.

Again, I thank all of you! - To take a page from Condenast, FASHION really does ROCK!

MIU MIU S/S 09 - Ends Paris Fashion Week

2008-10-06T23:58:00.000-07:00

Miuccia Prada had the honor of closing Paris Fashion Week on Sunday night. She ended with none other than her ever-so-fabulous Miu Miu collection. While indeed it was an honor to end Paris Fashion Week, imagine how stressful it was. She had to manage to keep the attention of hundreds of stressed out, over-worked editors and buyers. However, I was sure that Miuccia of all people could handle the pressure.

The show was a bit quirky and thought-provoking, thus managing to keep the attention of the stressed out crowd. Prada took a lot of her inspiration from the 1980's; however, unlike other designers who were also inspired by the 1980's she managed to get away from the glitz and glam and gave us something unexpected - graffiti art mixed with a hint of Japanese culture and pleats galore!

We saw really interesting layering techniques, if you really pay attention, you will notice that some of the layering and pleating techniques are quite similar to those of Rei Kawakubo of Comme des Garcons. Nonetheless, they managed to look original and unlike many of Kawakubo's designs, they managed to look ULTRA feminine.

We saw really interesting sheaths, which felt wretched and broken-down yet managed to come off polished and again, feminine. However, hands down the most captivating pieces were the rich Roman mosaic prints; they were AMAZING - TO DIE!

Miuccia finds great charm and beauty in the European history, so if you noticed she used some great glossy, satin-like prints that were very reminiscent of the European classical era. She also gave reverence to the aristocrats, noblewoman and patricians of European culture with this sort of spray-painted "graffitied" effect of lips and splashes of pink on some of the dresses; it was like old school street graffiti made modern. I thought it was brilliant and a splendid way to end the week.

2008 Victoria's Secret Fantasy Bra will be worn by....

2008-10-06T16:39:00.000-07:00

Adriana Lima!!!
TO DIE! I am so excited for her. It is about time!

More show details:
Record Date:November 15th, 2008
Location: Miami Beach, Florida
Theme:Glamour
Will air : Dec 3rd

Additional news:
1. It will take place on a 6-story stage - DIE!!!!

Jourdan, Eden & Rosie cover November Vogue UK

2008-10-06T16:08:00.000-07:00

Jourdan Dunn, Eden Clark and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley cover the soon to be released November issue of Vogue UK

The cover gave me a "not so much" moment - meaning I was not really feeling it. I know we are all happy to see Jourdan on the cover but I would have rather seen her on the cover alone. Besides that, the cover is extremely weighted on the right side and the red banner is very distracting. It is very important to note that the red banner was put there simple to hide the fact that the cover has too much weight on the right side - image without the banner, there would be a strange white space next to Jourdan and not next to Rosie. Very unbalanced.

Also, who thought of this combination? Like seriously Jourdan is great and Eden is good, I don't mind that pair, but Rosie? Seriously? She is most known for Victoria's Secret and by my knowledge her career is not booming right now. Besides them all being British; I don't see the logic behind the three-some.

However, as much as I would prefer not to see Rosie on the cover - you have to admit, the VS girls really can serve face. She looks the best on the cover hands down. Her lips are FEROSH!

Louis Vuitton s/s 09' - French Urban Chic!

2008-10-05T16:14:00.000-07:00

"Less is more", right? Not according to Mr. Marc Jacobs. With the Louis Vuitton s/s 09' collection, Marc decided to pull his inspiration from the high style of his second home city - Paris!

As fashion has become so minimalistic, Jacobs took a page from Asian and African culture (which has profoundly influenced French style) and piled on the accessories in this collection. This collection had tons of everything! Tons of feathers, tons of fabric mixes, tons of bangles, tons of textures, tons of handbags and tons of bells, whistles and beads on shoes.

We also saw more "real" clothes, clothes that the average woman may wear; jackets, skirts, sweaters, jersey dresses and even polka-dotted pajama pants. One thing that I can say is despite the depressing economic hardship we are going through, these clothes really make you feel good and eager to buy ---- certain pieces.

P. DIDDY covers L'uomo Vogue

2008-10-05T14:31:00.000-07:00

Cool issue. What do you think? I would love to see Will.I.Am or N.E.R.D. on the cover of L'uomo Vogue; they are in the current issue; check out the images below

Nicole Kidman covers NOVEMBER ELLE! - NOT SO MUCH

2008-10-05T14:17:00.000-07:00

What do we think? Nicole's face isn't so bad but the lime dress is horrid; there is literally not 1 worthy accessory and the brown text is a bit depressing (isn't that the pot calling the kettle black!). I am not impressed at all by this cover.

On a side note; I really appreciate Joe's (Creative Director of ELLE) effort in branding ELLE with this same cover layout from month to month. Yes, it is repetitive and very expected but I really like how it has become distinguishable amongst other publications. If the "ELLE" logo was not across the top you would still know that you are looking at an ELLE cover; which is great.

***UPDATE!!! - I seen the cover today and it is not as bad as suspected. The text is actually GOLD not Brown****

BEAR LAGERFELD? - TO DIE!

2008-10-04T19:55:00.000-07:00

I love Karl Lagerfeld. I have been fortunate enough not to only meet him but to go out to dinner and spend about 1 week of my life with him. He is truly an intriguing man and I am fascinated by him.

Moreover, on Friday a $1400 Karl Lagerfeld teddy bear was unveiled at Colette in Paris. There were only 2500 of the bears made and they all were numbered; of course Karl has the #1. The bears are ultra-sexy, they are dressed in the ever-so-famous Karl Lagerfeld "uniform" - jeans, jacket and tie from the K Karl Lagerfeld collection and his signature black sunglasses, from his eyewear line.

CHANEL S/S 09 - Merci Beaucoup de la Collection Mise à Jour

2008-10-04T11:23:00.000-07:00

Lagerfeld decided to bring all invitees to an in-house viewing of the Chanel S/S 09' collection - well sort of. In this business it's all about an illusion. This season, that illusion was the Chanel runway; which was an exact replica of the ever-so-fabulous flagship Chanel boutique at 31, rue Cambon in Paris.

According to Lagerfeld the theme of the show was inspired by a grayish portrait by Marie Laurencin. Laurencin was a french painter who painted Coco Chanel in the 1920's.

If you follow the Chanel collection from season to season, you know that there are fundamentals that are always present in each collection - tweeds, bows, camellia flowers and indescribably pretty cocktailwear. The color palette is usually black, white and gray; however, there is some "wiggle-room" that allows the use of some color. This season Karl used eye-catching paint-like prints, metallics, sheer fabrics and a few lingerie techniques that really made the collection feel new. You could definitely tell it was a Chanel collection but something about felt unaccustomed; which was great to see.

We saw jumpsuits, ruffled skirts (which I loved), swimwear, and a update to the Chanel carrier bag which made it much more modern.

In the end, I have to say that my favorite update to the collection were the cropped bolero's. They just read so chic, modern and smart. I am very pleased with the collection overall. I got what I expected; plus more.

Runway:

Collection:

MAN DOWN!! - or shall I say WOMAN

2008-10-03T19:58:00.000-07:00

This is shocking news.

Today at the Alexander Mcqueen s/s 09' show; One model fainted as she exited the runway and had to be carried out. Who the model was still has not been confirmed; however, I have a strong feeling that it is model Abbey Lee. Just look at her in this image. She looks a bit "out of it".
*CONFIRMED* - It has been confirmed that the model was in deed Abbey Lee.

MOST POWERFUL VOGUE??

2008-10-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

“Which country has the most powerful VOGUE; Italy, France or the United States"? - I have been asked this question on numerous occasions. It is a very difficult question to answer because the definition of "power" could vary from person to person. However, I am up for the challenge. Let me start off by saying that the American Vogue was the original Vogue. It is the book that initiated the Vogue brand. After which, followed by Vogue Italia and then Vogue Paris.

Vogue Italia: Vogue Italia was launched in 1964 and was one of the first magazines in Italy to put the commercial aspect of fashion to the side and bring creative, avant-garde fashion journalism to the forefront. Since 1988, the Editor-In-Chief has been Franca Sozzani; who is credited with discovering the great Steven Miesel. Vogue Italia currently has a tiny circulation of around 145,000. I must point out that you should not let the small circulation fool you. Europeans traditionally do not buy magazines in the way that American’s do. While an American magazine’s circulation can be a couple of million, It is almost non-existent for a European magazine to have a similar circulation.

Moving on, Italian Vogue tends to make its statements through startling, provocative images rather then the written word. It has been said that it is the “Top fashion magazine in the world”. For some time now, it has been considered the most inspirational Vogue in the sense of creativity. However, over the past few years, many people (especially Italians) have started to get bored with the Italian Vogue and have instead started to go to the French Vogue for inspiration.

Vogue Paris: Vogue Paris (aka French Vogue; Vogue France) was launched in 1987. Unlike American magazines, it is unconcerned with making fashion wearable or accessible to its readers. It is not inclusive: There is no advice on how to dress if you’re shaped like a pear, apple or hourglass and they don’t care about how you are going to dress when you are about to turn 50. French Vogue does not give a damn. The Editor-In-Chief for the past 7 years is the great, ever so spectacular Carine Roitfeld; who by the way actually styles editorials for the magazine; which is FABULOUS but not common. One thing that is very interesting about Carine is how she prepares to style a fashion editorial. Traditionally, the majority of Fashion Editors and Stylists start with the clothes. They get inspired by a certain shape, color or theme within the clothing. However, Carine actually starts with the model. She looks at a model and then comes up with a story that she feels is suitable to the girl. She sort of makes a movie in her mind and continues to ask herself “Who is this girl”?

Vogue Paris currently has a SMALLER circulation than Vogue Italia; with only 133,000 copies sold monthly. However, as I said before Vogue Paris has really began to be the “go-to” publication for inspiration. Many Fashion Editors tend to find Vogue Paris the perfect blend of American Vogue and Italian Vogue; which ironically is a great blend. Italian Vogue is very creative, while American Vogue knows how to sell the “it” dress, the “it” shoe and the “it” bag. We all want magazines to be creative and to inspire us but magazines MUST also help designers sell merchandise in order to keep advertisements and in order to make money. So being somewhere in the middle of creative and commercial is great.

Vogue U.S : American Vogue was founded in 1892 and started as a bimonthly publication. It has for some time been considered the “Fashion Bible” and is either LOVED or HATED. It is EXTREMELY commercial and has received some criticism from readers on that issue. Many people feel that American Vogue demands that it reader must buy, buy, buy in order to be “in fashion”. Regardless of all, American Vogue boasts a circulation of 1. 3 million. So obviously, they are doing something right. The current Editor-In-Chief is Anna Wintour; who has been in power since 1988. Since taking over, Wintour has become what some call “The most powerful person in the Fashion industry”. She has become famous for her signature bob and her act of wearing sunglasses inside.

While American Vogue is the most powerful magazine in the United States, it tends to be only relative here in the states and not really as important in Europe.

So which is most powerful?
We have Italian Vogue, which has actually been called the “Top Fashion Magazine in the World, French Vogue, which is a perfect blend of creative and commercial fashion and then we have American Vogue, which makes the most money.

In my opinion, I believe French Vogue is the most powerful right now. Paris houses the best designers so ultimately, French Vogue get's first dibs on Dior, Chanel, YSL, Balenciaga, Commes de Garcons, etc. Also, I find it relative to all people who are interested in fashion because it has such a great balance of creative juices and commercial viability. The creative person can look at it and get inspired along with the typical consumer/shopper who can look at it specifically to buy. I love American Vogue and as many of you know Grace Coddington (Creative Director of American Vogue) tremendously inspires me. I also love Italian Vogue, but for me the French Vogue takes the cake.

EXCLUSIVE - Drew Barrymore covers November issue of HARPER'S BAZAAR

2008-10-02T15:06:00.000-07:00

Drew Barrymore will be the next Bazaar covergirl. The 33 year-old actress has secured the cover of the Novermber issue of US Harper's Bazaar. I am not a big fan of it. I don't mind the election theme, I actually think it was a great idea but the image of Drew is not at all pleasing to the eye. She looks frozen and her jawline is ironically large.

On a side note, can the US majors (Vogue, Elle, Bazaar) please stop recycling the same cover girls? If I see Drew or Keira one more time, I am going to scream.

Viktor & Rolf Spring 2009 - SCREW THE MAYHEM!!

2008-10-02T02:12:00.000-07:00

No invitations! No seating charts! No traffic jams! No endless waiting! Don't you wonder why? Well of course, I will tell you.

This season Viktor & Rolf decided not to have an actual runway presentation. They opted to do a web-show. Which actually was VERY cool. The coolest thing you will notice is that when you watch the show; there is only 1 model! Yep, the great Shalom Harlow was the only model in the Viktor & Rolf show. I bet you are so confused. Well remember in the world of digital technology, anything is possible.

It took two-and-a-half days to shoot Shalom Harlow and a team of 57 to insert her along with her clones along the virtual runway. At the finale, the "models" stood in array clapping before dissolving into so many pixels and evaporating into the digital air.

Overall, the concept overshadowed the looks. There were only 21 looks in the collection and while there were some great pieces, overall none of them delivered a real WOW factor.

You can view the 1-woman runway show here: Viktor & Rolf s/s 09' show

Enjoy!

Dries Van Noten S/S 09' - Toned down & Fabulous!

2008-10-01T15:06:00.000-07:00

If you are familiar with Dries Van Noten, you were probably expecting a bright, colorful, printed collection this season, right? Well, let me be the first to tell you that your expectations were wrong. Yesterday as he gave his inspiration thoughts to the press, Dries stated, “I thought what emotion a black stripe could give.” With that thought Dries decided to design a modernist collection of mostly black and white; while still keeping the "Driesness" by being very pleasing to the eye.

The result was spectacular in a very quiet and mute way. We saw boxes, grids and graphs replace the bright florals that we have become accustomed to. Also, he gave us a show where literally the clothes are all wearable by the consumer and do not have the need to be broken down. You can sort of buy directly from the runway. Genius.

Let's talk about sportswear, I usually find sportswear totally out of my element as far as style. I prefer a bit more chic, polished and sophisticated. However, in a very smart way, Van Noten made his sportswear quite chic. He started the show with a patterned shirt, a black sweater and white pants. From start to finish the looks pretty much remained quite simple. We did see a few pairings of interesting prints and a splash of color towards the middle of the show but again, things remained quite simple. However there was 1 dress that had 50 shades of blue. I didn't even know there were 50 shades of blue, but nonetheless, it was beautiful.

In conclusion, the show was still strong, without being overbearing. I really enjoyed it.

Karl Lagerfeld S/S 09' - Rock out!

2008-10-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

We all know that Karl Lagerfeld is the designer behind Fendi and Chanel right? Well, I find it strange that in the United States people tend to not realize that Karl Lagerfeld also designs for another line. The line of "Karl Lagerfeld". Yes, it's true. It's so weird because I never see Karl Lagerfeld's collection used in editorials and it's always quite interesting. I always enjoy this collection because it is true Karl Lagerfeld style. The girls are usually rocked out and the collection is always really cool and funky.

Today Karl debuted his S/S 09' collection and of course, it did not disappoint. There was a consistent use of these really innovative patent leather corsets/belts that were to die for. The punk-rock styling which is consistent with the collection, some how felt new. I don't understand how he does it but he can continue to make the same thing look and feel new (ie: Chanel box cut blazer). He primarily used black, white and silver but we sporadically saw a few prints, the use of navy and in one occasion a really beautiful soft rose color.

Interesting necklines are always a Karl speciality and some of them in this collection were quite eye-pleasing. The shapes were familiar, sometimes innovative in the end but overall, they have been seen before. One thing that I found rather fabulous was the handbag with the image of Lagerfeld on it. Angela Lindvall came out, bag up to her face and eyes peeping through. At first I admit it looked rather silly but in the end Lagerfeld is such an icon, the bag is going to sell. Just hopefully, the person who buys it does not feel the need to walk around the streets with her eyes peeping through the bag.

October 08' Vogue Covers!!!

2008-10-01T08:57:00.000-07:00

It is now October! Do you realize in 3 months we will celebrating another year of the past? Wow! This year really flew past.

Moving on, I thought it would be interesting to show you all the majority of the International VOGUE covers for the month. Some are great, some are okay and one is just plain bad.

Obviously, my favorite is the German Vogue to the right, something about it is so beautiful!

Please note the order & cover details
Vogue Germany - Magdalena Frackowiak in Dior. (Main Image - above)
Vogue Italia - Anna Maria Jagodzinska in Prada.
Vogue Paris - Christy Turlington in D&G
Vogue China - Du Juan in Gucci
Vogue America - Rachel Weisz in Rodarte.
Vogue UK - Kate Moss in Atelier Versace and Haute parka.
Vogue Russia - Raquel Zimmermann in Balmain.
Vogue Australia - Natasha Poly in Bottega
Vogue Nippon - Lily Donaldson in Dolce & Gabbana.
Vogue Espana - Malgosia Bela in Lanvin
Vogue Korea - Carla Bruni in Dior Spring 08′
Vogue India - Aishwarya Rai in Dior couture

Enjoy!!!

Top Model Lily Cole covers PLAYBOY!!!!

2008-09-30T23:13:00.000-07:00

Top Model Lily Cole covers French PLAYBOY Magazine; she also has a 14 page editorial inside of the issue. The theme of the shoot and article – called "Sweet Lily"was the Sixties. The cover shows Lily with ponytails, wearing nothing but white socks and holding a teddy bear. While this is not an expected cover of a top model who is of Lily's caliber. I have to say that I like it. Apparently, the images on the inside are very tasteful and I think Lily still comes off as a model. I am not a big fan of the idea of her looking like a 16 year old child, but I have to admit, I like the cover.

Just FYI, it was shot by Xevi Muntane and Lily is interviewed inside by Jean-Paul Gaultier; which is FABULOUS!

Thoughts?

DEMEULEMEESTER S/S 09'

2008-09-30T22:42:00.000-07:00

I have pondered for the last few days if Demeulemeester would give us a more refined girl this season, just as we received from Rick Owens and Yohji Yamamoto. As expected, she did. While her signature unconstructed jacket was very apparent in the collection, this season she paired it with draped blouses and skinny cropped pants.

We then began to see these really simple but interesting short cotton-jersey T-shirt dresses, which were reminiscent of toga's. One thing that was interesting was the face that she did not compromise on her use of crystals as we saw them sporadically placed on the majority of the looks. She used some embroidery techniques to give us a new and fresh take on her use of crystals, which was actually eye-pleasing.

While I am happy we see this refined girl that I have raving about, I am not so excited about the collection. I don't think it is bad but it's just not inspiring to me. There are a few great pieces, here and there but overall the collection can be easily forgotten.

Comme des Garcons S/S 09 - I'm going to die!!!

2008-09-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

True CREATIVITY at it's best. Comme des Garcons S/S 09 collection was beyond AMAZING! Seriously, i'm going to die! Finally we see the TRUE creativity that Paris is known for.

Rei Kawakubo; the designer behind Comme des Garcons titled this show "Tomorrow's Black". The girls came out in, as the title suggests, a majority of black ensembles which were amazing. The Marie Antoinette inspired hair was pulled ultra high and added some obscurity to the faces of the models.

If you are at all familiar with Comme des Garcons, you know that we typically see great color used by Kawakubo, but now she is back to black. I saw her inspiration as something mathematical. We saw geometic volumes and AMAZING hexagonal cutting. I LOVE designers who cut well, it shows that a designer has an eye for femininity. It takes a certain skill to cut fabric in such interesting ways. What is perculiar about Rei is that she designs such avant-garde pieces and still uses this very feminine way of cutting her fabrics. I think it's genius.

In the show we saw poufy geometric tops and skirts which reminded me very much of cocoons. She used vinyl leathers and she showed her patchwork skills by patching together some really cool "mini-hoodies". Towards the end things got a bit more feminine and organic. We saw her use tattered chiffon and petaled tufts (fyi, a tuft is a bunch of feathers, hair or yarn). Then we saw whole dresses constructed in a way that reminded me of the late film "Edward Scissorhands". It seemed as if massive scissors lightly ran across the fabric and created beautiful shapes and beautiful lines.

I am always eager to see what Kawakubo does each season. She is one who always leaves me panting and wanting more.

Comme des Garcons for H&M??

2008-09-30T20:59:00.000-07:00

So I just received images of the Comme des Garcons collection for H&M and I have to say I am a bit UNDERWHELMED! I expected so much more.

Some of the pieces are FEROSH! but overall it is not what I expected.

Thoughts?

Woman's

Men's

Giuseppe Zanotti/Vicini Showroom Visit...

2008-09-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

This morning I had an appointment at Giuseppe Zanotti. If you know me, you know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE Zanotti. I have to say that I am already in LOVE with this collection. I am so eager to shoot many of the shoes from it. In all honesty, I thought it would be next to impossible to top the S/S 08' collection but I have to say that this collection takes the cake.

My assistant took a few images of some of my favorites and now I am showing them to you. Enjoy...

Balenciaga? - Not so much....

2008-09-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

Ghesquiere has been showing us his idea of futurism for the past few seasons. It started for Spring 08′ with the ever so popular, structured, multi-colored floral print concoctions; and has continued to be seen in every collection.

This collection started with flat neutral colors but the bulk of it was full of glitz and shine— metallics, sequins and foil-like material.

I felt, the most interesting thing of the entire show was how the gloves are sewn onto the jackets and the tights are pulled over the shoes. I am curious as to how the shoes will be sold? It may be sort of cool if the tights came with them. No?

I understand that it is very hard for Nicholas Ghesquiere to continue to give us fresh, new ideas without everything starting to look the same. However, I have to say that I do not like this collection at all. AT ALL. I think Nicholas is probably one of the most talented designers in the industry right now and I have to say, I expected so much more. I am slightly disappointed.

Karlie Kloss - FIERRECCCEE!!!

2008-09-30T11:27:00.000-07:00

Remember the model who Tyra Banks mocked because of her walk at the Jill Stuart show a few seasons back. Her name was Karlie Kloss. She is 5'11", 16 years old and the girl is FIERCE!

If you've not seen her walk, the Kloss walk features a kind of stoned death stare; she moves in slowwww motion, swaying her head and arms from side to side in such a way that you feel if she looks at you, you will be struck down to your death.

I want you all to take note of her because while she is already pretty big, she can only get bigger.

....anddddd apparently her and I have something in common. Her favorite model is COCO ROCHA!

MARGIELA S/S 09 - SPEAKS FOR ITSELF!

2008-09-30T10:54:00.000-07:00

Martin Margiela showed his S/S 09' collection yesterday in Paris and I have to say it was true eye-candy. I love when designers make us wonder, "How did they think of that". As a creative person, it is a great feeling when my creativity is challenged. The first thing I should point out is how Margiela covered the faces of all the models in the show. For the 20th anniversary collection, he decided to let the looks speak for themselves. I thought it was brilliant. So many times we fall in love with a look because of what a particular model brings to that look. No faces = No distractions.

For this season, Margiela really took us on a joy-ride. He pulled inspiration from some of his most ground-breaking looks of his previous collections. For instance, he started with a slightly puffed Edwardian-shouldered jacket that dates from his first Spring collection, designed in 1988. Ironically, the jacket can still be worn today and would not come off at all as vintage. He also showed us the pointed shoulder pads of 2006 and the circular-cut leather of 2005.

Just about every look had a feel of familiarity about it, and all of it was carried off without Margiela having to compromise his previous looks to make them relatable to today's market. As usual, the show ended without anyone coming out to give a bow or to take credit for the collection. It would have been great to finally see Margiela come out after 20 years, but I assume he was backstage, basking in his glory as the crowd roared and cheered after the show.

Yohji Yamamoto S/S 09'

2008-09-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

If you read my review on Rick Owens' S/S 09' collection, you know that I ended it with...

"I am curious as to what Demeulemeester and Yamamoto will show? Will we see this more refined girl or should we expect that signature girl who is a bit grungy and gothic?"

Well the verdict is in, as expected Yohji Yamamoto's S/S 09' collection was much more refined than usual. The show did not necassirly give use anything new in regards to silhouette but something about it was calm, peaceful and refreshing. There was almost a meditative feel to it. Yohji = Yoga?

The show started with interesting black asymmetrical suits; while the asymmetry has become a Yamamoto signature, this season he managed to add some eye-pleasing aspects to it. Really interesting sleeves, lapels and tails really added a fresh touch to the collection. The jackets were paired with either slim silhouette pants or the classic Yamamoto full skirt. Next, Yamamoto showed a few ivory dresses, which surprisingly managed to remain edgy while still being quite feminine. The dresses were actually constructed by piecing together white & cream fabric swatches; which I found incredibly interesting. He then took us into a more casual phase, with great white over-sized shirts, irregular shaped vests and pants that were made of ultra-light and sometimes sheer fabrics.

It was refreshing to see Yamamoto give us something that was so wearable. Again, I am really enjoying seeing this more refined girl. She tends to still take risks but knows how to remain polished through it all. I have a feeling that Demeulemeester will be quite similar in regards to the refinement of her girl.

Margiela bows out to Raf?

2008-09-29T08:54:00.000-07:00

Tonight Martin Margiela will present his "20th anniversary" spring 2009 collection during Paris Fashion Week. The buzz around Paris is that Margiela is looking for his successor. The 51-year-old designer met with fellow Belgian designer Raf Simons (who we LOVE) earlier this year, when Simons was renegotiating his contract with Jil Sander. I believe Raf Simons would be an extremely competant successor to Martin Margiela. Will it happen? We will have to wait and find out.

Just FYI, Simons has since signed to stay on at Jil Sander for another three years; this does not mean he can not sign on to Margiela as well.

ACCESS DENIED!!

2008-09-29T08:16:00.000-07:00

I just confirmed a story from one of my friends; who is a Fashion Editor at Vogue Italia.

The security guards at the Rick Owens show closed the doors SUPER early and ended up turning away Emmanuelle Alt, Kate Lanphear, and Diane Pernet; just to name a few.

After the Bruno Pieters show, many of the attendees piled into the Fashion Week transportation bus and began to head over to Rick Owens. When they arrived, they were told by security guards that the doors were closed and they were not allowing anyone else into the show. Someone on the bus ended up calling one of the PR reps and informing them that they were all not being allowed into the show. Get this, the PR rep then comes out to let them in and the security guards tell the him that he is not allowed back in! CRAZINESS!

Standing room guests who did not make it in were so disgusted that they began to throw their invitations at the entrance doors.

Seriouslly, how do you turn away the Fashion Director of Vogue Paris?

GARETH PUGH S/S 09' - FABULOUS!!!!!

2008-09-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

One of our favorite Englishmen, Gareth Pugh showed his collection this season for the first time in PARIS! The London based designer has some of the most avant-garde pieces London has ever seen, so quite naturally the opportunity to show in Paris was inevitable.

Some of you may not be familiar with Pugh, his line is not as popular in the United States as it should be. Pugh won the 2008 ANDAM award; which gave him a 150,000 Euro package which enabled him to develop his label and show in Paris. The Central Saint Martin's graduate has shown on-schedule at London Fashion Week five times. Gareth was named Designer of the Year 2007 at the Elle Style awards and was featured in the acclaimed exhibition Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Moving on to the show. BEYOND AMAZING! The first thing you will notice is that each look was black and white. If you look closer, you will realize that each look, from the shoes to the hose to the clothes, was white in front and black in back. Pugh said he had the idea of focusing on emerging from darkness. FABULOUS! right? He played romance against aggressive futurism with exaggerated ruffles which were masterfully tailored into collars, vests and skirts on the first looks; sculpted dresses and suits peaked at the shoulders and ridged up and down the thighs, some done in plastic coated EEL, that with the slicked hair, made for a wet look, think "Lady of the Lake". Pugh is a true showman and I am so proud that he got to experience the dream of showing your collection in Paris

Amen, Rick Owens!

2008-09-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

Rick Owens' S/S 09' collection was themed "Priestesses of Longing". I found it to be very interesting. I have a love for eastern designers who pull inspiration from the west; in this case, western religion. For the first time, I feel Owens gave us a collection that is extremely wearable. I would actually go on the limb of saying the very high majority of the collection is wearable. While the nun headpieces and the slouchy footwear seem quite dramatic, the actual garments are a bit more refined.

The color palette was simple, either all black or all gray. However, there seemed to be an overall lightness to the collection. Typically when designers use all-black for a collection, they tend to lose the chic and read a bit gothic. This did not. It was sexy, sophisticated street that segued into a more covered-up moment; which still had an overall chicness.

I am curious as to what Demeulemeester and Yamamoto will show? Will we see this more reformed girl or should we expect that signature girl who is a bit grungy and gothic?

MILANO falls short YET AGAIN on DIVERSITY...

2008-09-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

We all remember the all-black Vogue Italia published a few months back. I would have thought this would have opened the doors allowing more black models to walk in the Milano shows. I was wrong.

The Milano shows continue to be the most undiverse of all major fashion capitals. I know it sounds weird because everytime you hear of a black model "breaking barriers" it seems to take place in Milano; Chanel Iman in Gucci and Jourdan Dunn in Versace and Prada. However, these are only 2 black models who are working major shows; in the country that just gave us an all-black Vogue. Interesting, no?

I will go on record and state, I am not one who believes that black girls should rule the runway and take over the modeling industry. To be honest, I believe designers have the right to choose who they want in their shows. As a black person, if you are offended by the designers choices, you have the right to not support that designer by not purchasing his/her merchandise. I find it very ironic that black people complain about shows like Gucci not using black girls yet, if you walk into the NYC Gucci Flagship, the majority of the consumers are black. I believe if you want something to change you must stand up for the cause. I know Gucci makes some amazing handbags, but don't give hundreds and thousands of dollars to a brand and then turn around and complain that the designers are racist.

Moving on....I just want to point out a few statistics from a few of the Milano shows.

Kudos to Bottega Veneta who really stands out in a positive way; they used 4 black models and 1 Asian model in their S/S 09 show. Gucci Prada, Fendi, Missoni and Versace all had only 1 black model; while Giorgio Armani, Marni and Jil Sander had no Black or Asian models at all.

Hopefully, things turn around in Paris.

BREAKING NEWS!! Project Runway says "Auf Wiedersehen" to ELLE

2008-09-26T14:27:00.000-07:00

It's official!! No more ELLE! Marie Claire will be the new sponsor of Project Runway once it moves to Los Angeles and Lifetime next season. While this is breaking news, it really does not come as a suprise because just recently Nina Garcia (who we knew would remain a judge) was named Fashion Director at Marie Claire.

HIGH TOP FADES = HIGH FASHION? LOVE!!!

2008-09-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

So I recently seen these images on another blog. I think the hair is FABULOUS!!!! It is absolutely to DIE! The shoot is from the great Australian magazine; Oyster.

Kudos to the Hairstylist Benjamin Pinon for serving us something new and edgy!

Photography By Christopher Katke
Styling - Michael Angel

Thoughts?

ACCESSORIES ROOM? BRILLIANT!

2008-09-26T10:25:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow, Bergdorf Goodman will unveil what has been 18 months in the making; a new 3000 square-foot Accessories Room. The room will be located on the main floor of the 57th street side of the building. Under the supervision of Linda Fargo (Senior VP of Fashion Office & Store presentation) the new room will be ultra modern. Swarvoski crystal chandeliers, black detailing on glass cases and more cutting edge designers such as Balenciaga, Lanvin and Azzedine Alaia will really make this room an "Accessory Wonderland"

All accessory categories from a particular designer will be displayed in the new room. That means no more running from floor to floor to pick out accessories. The high majority of a designers bags, belts, jewelry and eyewear will be in this one room!

The room will also feature Alexander McQueen, Chrome Hearts, YSL, Jimmy Choo and Pierre Hardy along with a few others.

I am sure we are going to LOVE it!

V MAGAZINE - 14 COVERS! - TO DIE!

2008-09-26T09:38:00.000-07:00

V Magazine is NOTORIOUS for printing more than 1 cover on their seasonal issues; but for the new Fall issue they decided to print 14 covers. This is even a stretch for V, but I have to say I think it is SPECTACULAR!

Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Agyness Deyn, Anja Rubik, Natasha Poly, Daria Werbowy, Eniko Mihalik, Malgosia Bela, Anna Selezneva, Daria Werbowy, Frankie Rayder, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Sunniva Stordahl, Lara Stone and Eva Herzigova are all featured on a cover of the issue. Check them out...

Thoughts?

JOURDAN DUNN - BREAKS MORE BARRIERS!!

2008-09-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

Last season it was Prada; this season it is Versace. That's right our girl Jourdan Dunn became the first black girl to walk for the house in 5 years. The last was the great Liya back in Spring 2004.

The black girl is slowly making a come back. Congrats!

MATTHEW WILLIAMSON'S FINAL PUCCI BOW

2008-09-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

Matthew Williamson took his last bow as artistic director of Emilio Pucci earlier today. He will be replaced by Peter Dundas on October 1st. We have known about Williamson's decision to leave Pucci for a while now. It has been said that he was leaving the brand to work on the expansion of his own self-titled label "Matthew Williamson". While i believe this is true, I always knew there was more to the story.

For the past couple of seasons there have been some criticisims that the Pucci line and the Matthew Williamson line look VERY similar. Besides the obvious Pucci print, there has not been anything distinctive that seperated Pucci from Matthew Williamson. Now, I do not believe Williamson was terminated from Pucci, however, I do believe that it was a mutual decision for him to leave the brand.

Karl Lagerfeld, Marc Jacobs and John Galliano along with multiple other designers all work on more than 1 line per season. Somehow they manage to keep the lines pretty distinctive. When looking at Fendi and Chanel, it is not obvious that the same man (Lagerfeld) designed both of them.

Check out the images below of Matthew Wiliamson's S/S 09 Collection alongside Pucci's S/S 09' collection. You will notice the similarities
(Pucci on left; Matthew Williamson on right)

Spring Hair? Really?

2008-09-25T16:51:00.000-07:00

Is this the hair we have to look forward to for spring? According to Mr. Lagerfeld it is. The Fendi S/S 09' collection was shown with the models wearing this BEYOND bedhead hair style. I actually find it quite fabulous but it's very European and probably won't translate too well in the states.

Thoughts?

Dolce & Gabbana S/S 09' - Bellissima!!

2008-09-25T16:42:00.000-07:00

Domenico Dolce & Stefano Gabbana gave us "Pajama Baroque" for their S/S 09' collection. The collection represents a young girl who falls asleep in her boyfriend's pajamas and begins to dream of her true fashion fantasy. Extreme volume, interesting shapes and an abundance of flowers were all apart of her dream. This was a true fantasy!

I have to say when I first saw the collection, I thought it looked familiar. I couldn't quite place it until I had my second run-through, when I realized the collection reminded me tremendously of a mixture between Prada, Vuitton and Alexander McQueen. Usually this would turn one off and leave them sort of OVER the collection. However, this collection did not bore me at all. I enjoyed following this girl through what appeared to be a magical moment for her. She was finally getting to really live out her fantasy as it relates to fashion. We all live for that moment.

So instead of being uninspired, the collection actually inspired me. It inspires you to live and enjoy fashion for what it truly is. It's no secret, in the United States we are going through an economic crisis and while this can certainly bring down the spirits; this collection tells you to continue to dream. Continue to fantasize and continue to flex your creativity and I think that message is beautiful.

At the end of the show, we saw an extreme use of flowers on a mesh-like material, which to me symbolizes that no matter how hard or difficult times may be; we can still blossom and still grow as individuals.

Comme des Garcons @ H&M November 13

2008-09-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

Comme des Garcons, the avant-guard french label will be debuting its H&M collection in select stores starting November 13th. There is a lot of buzz around the campaign dress that will retail for $350US. Yes, this a nice chunk of change but this is a QUALITY Comme des Garcons. Unlike Stella and Vicktor & Rolf, this collection is not bogged down with H&M quality pieces. The pieces are TRULY Comme des Garcons to it's roots and the creativity of the pieces have not at all been compromised. My bet's are on this being the best H&M designer collection thus far!

Vogue going down? Anna out? NO WAY!!

2008-09-25T11:33:00.000-07:00

My blackberry has been buzzing for days with bits and pieces of information regarding Vogue and it's Editor-In-Chief; Anna Wintour.

First, I heard about a New York Post report which said that S.I. Newhouse (CEO of Advance Publications, which owns CondeNast and Vogue) was not very happy that the October issue of the American ELLE has 66 more advertisements than the American Vogue. While I understand why Newhouse would be upset, my take on the matter is slightly different.

Yes, it is rare that any other fashion magazine will have more advertisements than American Vogue; however I must point out that the ELLE reader is much more frugule than the Vogue reader. Why is this important? It is important because this allows ELLE to open it's pages to more mid to low priced vendors than Vogue. So, while ELLE can go after advertisements for let's say "Century 21"; Vogue can not. Therefore I really don't think it's that big a deal. All in all, ELLE has a larger target market than VOGUE; so realisitcally they should probably have more advertisements. No?

Moving right along, get this; at the Russian GQ party earlier this week, the event's announcer introduced Russian Vogue's Editor-In-Chief Aliona Doletskaya as "The NEXT Editor-In-Chief of AMERICAN Vogue" Was this a clue that Anna is headed out? I doubt it. I don't believe the announcer wanted to be taken so literally. My thoughts are he believes that Aliona is an extremely talented E.I.C. who has the talent to oversee the "Fashion Bible" known as American Vogue. So he was sort of giving her a facetious form of praise. Again, I don't think this is something we should be concerned about.

Basso & Brooke put Berlin Fashion Week on the map!

2008-09-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

New York, London, Milan and Paris; the fashion capitals of the world. This has been drilled in our heads for years and unfortunately it has caused many of great talents to be over-looked. Do we really believe that relevant talent only exists in the Fab Four? Of course not! Where is the press on the fashion weeks of South Africa, Dubai, Madrid and Berlin? Are they not relevant? I would have to disagree.

Something you may have missed....

Bruno Basso & Chris Brooke of the design house Basso & Brooke, who usually show their collection in London; actually teamed up over the summer to create an amazing collection for Berlin Fashion Week. The collection was STUNNING! I would describe it as "Extreme maxi-maximalism with a tribal feel".

This collection needs to be seen by ALL. It will open the eyes of many people and prove that relavant fashion does exist in other countries; which in turn will expose us to more talent and different perspectives on fashion. All in all strengthening our talent and outlook on the world.

Luca Luca Sample Sale - starts today!

2008-09-25T08:50:00.000-07:00

Luca Luca is starting their sample sale today! A source tells me they are knocking 90% off the price of some of the dresses. This is definitely worth stopping by to check out the festivities!

19 West 36th St, 4th Floor, 212.755.2444

Today and tomorrow, 8:30am - 6:30pm

Saturday and Sunday, 11am - 6pm

Chanel Iman - BREAKING BARRIERS!

2008-09-25T00:45:00.000-07:00

We all know Jourdan Dunn's story from last season. She broke barriers by becoming the first black model to walk in a Prada show in ten years. Well, this season our girl Chanel Iman has broken some barriers as well. It turns out that Chanel is the first black model to walk in a Gucci show since Tom Ford left the brand and was replaced by Frida Giannini. Congratulations to Chanel and Kudos to Gucci!

TOP SHOP NYC - store opening delayed until Spring 09'

2008-09-24T21:03:00.000-07:00

Well, we know the address will be 478 Broadway but the opening of the first United States "Top Shop" has been pushed back from this Fall until next Spring.

The cheap, chic, clothing chain, which enjoys a near cult following in its native Great Britain has finally decided to open a NYC store. This is huge not only because Top Shop is the most popular store in the UK and has hundreds of American's flocking to the country just to shop there but because Top Shop executives have been talking about this for years and now the time is finally here (well, almost here)

If you are familiar with Top Shop you know their style sensibility has a very London street style feel to it; which is becoming more and more apparent in New York street style. (i.e. Fedoras) If you are not familiar with the British retailer please visit their website at www.topshop.com

I am very excited about this and will continue to update you with information about the opening as it rolls in!

BOTTEGA VENETA S/S09' - TO DIE!

2008-09-24T20:13:00.000-07:00

This will be a quick posting, I just want to point out the fabulousity of the S/S 09' Bottega Veneta collection. Tomas Maier (designer behind Bottega) really designed this collection for the high-achievers of the world. Finally the office woman can be just as chic, sexy and fashion forward as us creative people of the world. Maier is dead-on when he says the modern woman is no longer interested in buying for the season. Now women are looking to buy clothes they can collect and wear for years. The new spring collection truly delivers. The use of leather was TO DIE FOR and the overall chicness of the collection is something that will NEVER go out of style. This is a new take on "classic" and I think it's EXTRAORDINARY. This is definetaly one of my favorite collections thus far!

FEROSH!!!

S/S 09' Trend - "SHEER GENIUS"

2008-09-24T19:43:00.000-07:00

This trend has really caught my eye so I thought I should let you all know about it. The use of layered sheer fabrics is going to be huge for Spring. We have seen this technique used in New York, London and Milan and I am sure Paris is going to follow suit. I think it's a great look for where fashion is going today. Things are becoming more simple while still making bold statements and I think this a great trend that will be picked up in some way by the masses. Now of course everyone will not walk around in sheer tops (HOPEFULLY!) but as you will see in some of the images below, designers have put forward very interesting ways one could take this trend and make it their own.

(Image to the right is Charles Anastase)

Antonio Marras

Armand Basi

Charles Anastase
Chris Kane
Jeremy Laing
Jill Stuart
Marni
Preen
Thakoon
Vera Wang

JOHN MCCAIN SUSPENDS CAMPAIGN!!!

2008-09-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

John McCain suspends campaign - says he is going back to Washington to work on the bank bail-out crisis. McCain wants to cancel Friday's debate. Obama says the debate is still on. I have to agree with Barack. This is the BEST time to hear what the next president has to say about his plans for the economy. My vote is to keep the debate on!

John McCain Suspends Presidential Campaign To Focus On Economy

Republican nominee also suggests postponing Friday's debate.

By Gil Kaufman

In a stunning move, Republican Senator John McCain announced Wednesday afternoon (September 24) that he is suspending his campaign to focus on the troubled economy. He also asked that Friday's first presidential debate be postponed so that he and Democratic rival Senator Barack Obama can return to Washington and help hammer out a relief bill to deal with what he called the "historic" crisis facing the slumping U.S. economy. McCain also called on Obama to suspend his campaign and agree to delay the debate so that both of them can get back to Congress and work on the bill.

"If we do not act, every corner of our country will be impacted," a somber McCain warned. "We cannot allow this to happen."

McCain said he met with a group of economic advisers on Wednesday morning to discuss the steps that need to be taken to deal with the crisis and the $700 billion proposal currently on the table.

"I am calling on the president to convene a meeting with the leadership from both houses of Congress, including Senator Obama and myself," McCain told reporters while in New York, where he and running mate Sarah Palin were meeting with world leaders at the United Nations. "It is time for both parties to come together to solve this problem." The White House said in a statement that it appreciates McCain's suggestion.

"It's time for both parties to come together to solve this problem," McCain said. "We must meet as Americans, not as Democrats and Republicans, and we must meet until this crisis is resolved." According to Fox News, McCain has also suspended the airing of all campaign ads as he works on the crisis.

According to CNN, the surprise move by McCain came just hours after the Obama campaign reached out to McCain's camp Wednesday morning to suggest that the candidates release a joint statement on the principles they think are important to incorporate in any bailout bill. The statement would also stress that it is important for Congress to work together on this bill. At 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, McCain returned the call and agreed to work together on some language for a joint statement. That statement was expected by the end of the day, along with comments from Obama on the McCain's suspension and the bailout bill.

Sources reportedly told CNN that Obama would not be suspending his campaign and saw no reason to cancel Friday's debate. At press time, the Obama camp had not yet issued a statement.

Congress and the Bush administration are in the middle of intense negotiations on the details of a potentially $700 billion economic recovery bill that would help bail out the troubled mortgage and lending markets. While many Democrats in Congress have expressed support for such a bill — though they are adamantly asking for strong oversight on it and provisions that would include limits on executive compensation — Bush has faced unusually strong pushback from conservative Republicans on the measure, some of whom have likened the effort to government-sanctioned socialism. President Bush has scheduled a prime-time address for Wednesday night to discuss the economic crisis.

McCain said after that meeting with members of Congress, "it has become clear that no consensus has developed to support the administration's proposal. I do not believe the proposal on the table would pass as it currently stands, and we are running out of time."

Gucci S/S 09 -MORE PANTS!

2008-09-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

Frida Giannini, the designer behind the Gucci label offered three key ideas for the brand's Spring/Summer 2009 collection: lean, snappy suits with low-slung pants, fedoras adding that certain je ne sais gangster; lively, leggy micro caftans in bold prints and tricked-out safari looks. Except for the last category, everything came in vivid color — turquoise, purple, bright green. So, too, did the eveningwear, floating visions in silk jersey and chiffon, some of which seemed to be having an identity crisis.

Next, the accessories; Gucci’s roots are in accessories, as are those of its designer, and neither fact could have been more apparent. Giannini piled on the merch with gusto, piece after piece that shouted, “Buy me!”: hats; the New Jackie bags, bigger, softer with giant whipstitching; python backpacks; chokers, long chains, and terrific, earthy jewelry flashing multiple big, flat-cut agate and amethyst stones.

I feel that the collection was expected. Maybe some of the prints were unexpected but overall, you sort of knew what you are going to get from Giannini. She is very predictable, however Giannini knows how to make money. She has taken the Gucci brand from the upper echelons of luxury fashion and moved it to more of a commercial brand that is able to be replicated or copied quite easily. If you really pay attention to Zara's Fall 08 collection, you will see it is a knock-off of The Fall 08 collection of Gucci. Now, this is on one-hand a smart idea of Giannini because it exposes the masses to the Gucci label. On the other hand to some she is not really representing the true Gucci brand that Tom Ford really set out to have. One thing about Tom Ford is his designs for Gucci were quite Italian and Gucci sold very well in Italy and Europe in general. Now, Gucci is selling more and more in the United States because the collection has become much more American. Many Europeans who I know feel that Gucci has become so American, it doesn't relate to Europeans any longer.

Thoughts?
(courtesy of WWD)

HERMES SAMPLE SALE STARTS TODAY!!!

2008-09-24T10:59:00.000-07:00

New Yorkers, The HERMES Sample Sale started this morning. It is taking place on the 4th floor of the Metropolitan Pavillion (123 West 18th Street)

Hours:
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm
Thursday: 10am - 8pm
Friday: 10am - 6pm
Saturday: 10am - 6pm
and Sun, 10am - 6pm.

Please no fighting!
I am sure they will NOT have Pharell's over-sized purple Birken!

ENJOY!

I just received an email from Michelle Obama!! - PLEASE WATCH THE DEBATE

2008-09-24T10:46:00.000-07:00

I received an email from the one and only Michelle Obama. My message to EVERYONE is to please tune in to watch the Presidential debate on Friday, September 26th 2008 at 9:00pm Eastern time.

If you have not made up your mind on who you are voting for, please tune in, as this debate will help you get a step closer in making your decision. If you have made up your mind on who you are going to vote for please tune in as this will strengthen your knowledge of your candidate.

This is a history making debate and also the first of this election. Please be apart of history. Watch the debate on Friday, Septermber 26th 2008

This is Michelle's message to you:

GUCCI'S NEW SPRING SHOE - DO WE LOVE?

2008-09-24T10:32:00.000-07:00

This show just stepped off the runway less than 1 hour ago and I adore it!! I always can tell what will be the campaign shoe and this for sure will be the campaign shoe for the S/S 09 Advertisements

Thoughts?

When COCO speaks....WE LISTEN!

2008-09-24T10:23:00.000-07:00

Coco Rocha is speaking... shhhhhh!!!!
video courtesy of Style.com

Anne Hathaway is FEROSH!! in the Oct. issue of W

2008-09-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

Anne Hathaway serves fashion yet again in the October issue of W Magazine. Check out the article below which is accompanied by an editorial featuring Ms. Hathaway.

Camilla Nickerson is OF COURSE the stylist behind the cover and the editorial. Amazing work Camilla!

Article courtesy of: W Magazine

Queen Anne
Despite her highly publicized personal trials, Anne Hathaway is emerging with more confidence both in her roles and in her life.

Though our interview has been planned for weeks and confirmed repeatedly by her publicist, it’s still something of a surprise when Anne Hathaway walks through the doors of the rustic New York cafe she’s chosen as our meeting place. It is less than a month since her highly publicized breakup with her boyfriend of four years—the man with whom she’d been house hunting, whom she seemed to think she’d marry—30-year-old Italian businessman Raffaello Follieri. And it’s less than three weeks since Follieri was arrested for allegedly scamming his investors by falsely claiming ties to the Vatican and placed in prison with a $21 million bail on charges that could result in a life sentence.

Meanwhile, the press is having a field day. Headlines like THE PRINCESS AND THE CON MAN, blinded by love and burned by a loser coat the newsstands. The New York Post publishes regular reports from “friends” of Follieri about how Hathaway sold him out to the Feds. Even the ever sensitive Donald Trump has issued a statement to ABC News criticizing the actress for failing to stand by her man; he then appeared on Access Hollywood, sneering: “So when he had plenty of money, she liked him, but after that, not as good, right?” Perhaps the worst zinger came from Newsweek, of all places, which titled its report WHAT SHOULD HAVE TIPPED ANNE HATHAWAY THAT HER EX-BOYFRIEND WAS BIG TROUBLE? A—CROOKED DAD. B—BAD CHECKS. C—ALLEGED POPE SCAM. D—ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Ditching an interview in favor of hiding under her covers would not have been the most unreasonable of actions. Nevertheless, when Hathaway appears, precisely on time, she immediately launches into peppy and charming small talk about the New York Times crossword puzzle under her arm and the bulky, antiquated tape recorder I’ve placed on the table. “Oh, hello, 1992!” she chuckles delightedly.

But all the cheerful banter in the world could not obscure Hathaway’s tired eyes and drawn face, which she has not attempted to mask with makeup. Her hair is pulled back, and her figure, which for several weeks has appeared on the big screen in Get Smart in all its solid, curvaceous glory, is now more slender than ever, resembling something closer to a ballerina’s form than that of an ***-kicking secret agent. She is dressed in jeans and a short-sleeve plaid blouse, and around her neck she wears a pendant containing an antique lottery ticket. “I figure if it was a winning ticket, it would not have been discarded,” she says, “so essentially I walk around with an unlucky lottery ticket around my neck.” The overall effect is, well, heartbreaking. But there is also something very beautiful about Hathaway in this state, a delicateness not normally associated with the 25-year-old actress. On film, her face, with its prominent features—dark eyebrows, bulbous lips—can veer between the gorgeous and the awkward. Today, her features look almost tiny, mousy. Even her mouth, often compared to Julia Roberts’s when it breaks into a broad smile, looks dainty, perhaps because the broad smiles are in short supply.

for the rest of the article, i suggest you pick up the October issue of W magazine

Kate Moss Les Arts Décoratifs

2008-09-24T09:26:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been flipping through Vogue, Elle, Bazaar or any of your favorite high-end magazines and noticed that more than 5 of the advertisements featured the same girl? That girl was more than likely the legendary, street style icon, Kate Moss!

It has been confirmed by Les Arts Décoratifs (a very popular french museum)
that Kate Moss will be the subject of a career retrospective in the Paris museum. The debut will take place next year and run for several months.

NET-A-PORTER.COM gets a PORTER!

2008-09-24T09:10:00.000-07:00

Do any of you shop on Net-a-Porter.com? If so, you know that when you order from them your package arrives in a beautiful beribboned black box. Well check this out, New York City's Net-a-Porter branch has been upgraded.

For the longest time now the London branch has offered it's same-day delivery service in special Net-a-Porter vans, while the New York branch has been using unmarked vans or messenger services. New York has stepped it up, and now has Net-a-Porter delivery vans.

The vans will debut this week and I think they are really cool. Yes, they are only Dodge vans but look how FABULOUS they are in black, with our favorite designer names printed all over them! Imagine this van pulling up to your front door with a package for you!

FEROSH!!!

MARNI ROCKS!!! S/S 09'

2008-09-24T08:39:00.000-07:00

Marni’s designer, Consuelo Castiglione, worked on the theory of the attraction of opposites in her upbeat spring/summer collection in Milan this morning. She used non-traditional textured fabrics and exaggerated layers for the collection.

Light and shade, opaque and transparent, pale and dark, geometric and floral; all the seemingly contrasting elements were delightfully absorbed into pieces with the signature eccentric Marni aesthetic and a new emphasis on Pop Art.

Differently textured fabrics and yarns such as jacquard and organza, embroidered lace and net, or fine cashmere and cotton, met and mingled in a chic and unexpected interplay.

I LOVE this collection; but I always love Marni collections. It is very Italian, and it very much matches my style sensibility. The overall cookyness of the collection blended with the always chic style of Castiglione is a hit in my opinion.

Check out a few looks below:

THESE SHOES COULD KILL...

2008-09-23T22:07:00.000-07:00

I HAVE THEM!!! (Well not literally..just pictures of them)

The already infamous S/S 09 Prada shoes that "tripped" up many models and caused the majority to stop and take them off before they could continue.

I believe the silk peds are what caused the trips, not the shoe itself.

Check them out:

OBAMA cover MEN'S VOGUE!

2008-09-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

Barack Obama graces the cover of Men's Vogue - October 2008 Issue. This is Obama's 2nd Men's Vogue Cover. Congrats!
Do we love it?

JUMPSUITS - STILL THE TREND?

2008-09-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

Apparently, jumpsuits are going to be all the rage in New York for S/S 09. What do we think?

Thakoon

Adam

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Proenza

BCBG

Derek Lam

DKNY

Malandrino

Christy Turlington covers PARIS VOGUE! - Do we love?

2008-09-23T19:32:00.000-07:00

The legendary supermodel Christy T. covers the October 2008 issue of Paris Vogue. It looks very 1990's to me, yet still nice. I love Christy Turlington, I love the argyle cardigan and the gold necklace yet if this was an ELLE or BAZAAR cover, I don't think we would love it...

PRADA S/S 2008

2008-09-23T18:52:00.000-07:00

“The idea was to move away from all the fussy, couture-derived fashion that I think has become too heavy and overexploited,” Miuccia Prada said before her S/S 2009 collection debuted.

The idea behind the collection was primitive and archaic, yet sophisticated. While the collection was not at all GREAT, Miuccia really knows how to translate her vision. If you recall the S/S 08 collection with the incredible artwork that so many people hated; and the A/W 08 collection with the use of a tremendous amount of lace, you will understand that when Miuccia is inspired by something she knows how to move the idea from her mind onto the runway.

One thing that I found interesting is how she de-ladified the Prada woman. Last season was all about a chic, sophisitacted woman with a hint of romance while this season we saw bra, after bra being exposed. This is the one piece of the show that I actually loved. I always love her idea of what she believes the modern woman is willing to wear and how she consistantly reinvents the Prada woman.

Moving on to the shoes in the collection, which as you know caused a few trips and falls on the runway. The mile-high platforms strapped on over what appeared to be Prada’s take on Peds might have been impressive if the models could actually walk in them. I love a great scultural chunky and clunky shoe but it is very important for the girl to be able to walk in it. What does it say to have girls who are paid to walk in the shoes, unable to do so?

American Vogue October 2008 - Marie-Amerlie Suave

2008-09-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

If you know me you know I adore Grace Coddington (Creative Director of American Vogue) and usually rant and rave about her editorials. However, after reading the October issue of Vogue, I would like to give a great deal of praise to Marie-Amerlie Suave. Her editorial "Natural High" with Steven Meisel is hand's down the best editorial in the issue. I am an avid reader of Vogue and I would have to say that this is one of the best editorials Sauve has styled for Vogue.

Check it out below:

Vogue Paris October 2008

2008-09-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

Carine Roitfeld (Editor-In-Chief) over at Vogue Paris is a BEAST! She styled this really cool urban mix & match story for their October Issue. I think the story is crazy amazing. Yasmin and Lakshmi look SPECTACULAR!

Kudos to Mario Testino for shooting this. NOBODY! does a white background like French Vogue!

Check it out!!

MIUCCIA GIRL'S TOPPLE!!!

2008-09-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

Even though, I will not be reviewing the Prada S/S 09 Collection until tomorrow, I had to post this today. The Prada show was very interesting as many of the models exited the runway with shoes in hand. Apparently no one knows if the shoes were the issue or if the runway caused the topples. However, I will say that it takes more than a slick runway to topple Jessica Stam. My money is on the shoes.

BAREFEET WITH A HEEL!

2008-09-23T15:09:00.000-07:00

London design duo Maki Aminaka & Marcus Wilmont of the design house Aminaka Wilmont took an interesting approach to the spring sandal with this CRAZY design. While this shoe is VERY editorial, I am not sure it is a good match for the filth on the streets of New York nor London.

MOVE OVER GISELLE BUNDCHEN???

2008-09-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

Isadora di Domenico is a new Brazilian model signed to IMG NY and get this....she is only 15 years old and is already said to be the Next Top Brazilian model who will push Giselle into retirement.

When I heard this I laughed, not because I do not believe that this girl is beautiful because she is, but because I think it's unfortunate that in life many of us are taught we must push someone out just to get ourselves in. I really hope this young girl does not believe that in order to be a success; she needs to compete with Giselle Bundchen.

I LOVE COCO (not Puffs) but ROCHA!!

2008-09-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not know her, allow me to introduce you to:

MY FAVORITE MODEL
"Coco Rocha"

Name: Coco Rocha

Agency: Elite Model Management

GIANFRANCO FERRE S/S 09 - TO DIE FOR!!

2008-09-23T13:29:00.000-07:00

If you were not aware, Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi of 6267 are the new designers behind the Gianfranco Ferre brand.

I have to start off by saying, in my opinion, this is the best Ferre collection in many years, if not the best ever. The collection was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!

The use of structure and really fresh and interesting new shapes was so exhilarating! Tommaso and Roberto really know how to design for the modern woman. They kept the true essence and sophistication of Ferre yet gave it the updating that it needed.

Many times, when designers do extremely structured collections, the collection tends to read a bit masculine. This collection really proved that extreme structure and shape could remain quite feminine.

As of now, this is one of the most beautifully designed collections of New York, London and Milan fashion week. Let's see how it holds up to my TREMENDOUS THREE - Dolce, Dior and Vuitton

D&G Spring 2009

2008-09-23T13:02:00.000-07:00

The D&G Spring/Summer 2009 Collection frightened me. Not because it was bad but because I usually can look at a collection and easily understand the inspiration or thought process behind it. This collection was very different.

Immediately I noticed the obvious sailor girl feel that the collection has, however, I also noticed some sportswear, metallics, and silhouettes that did not translate as "sailor". While others may say that this means the collection was not cohesive, I would in this instance have to disagree.

The D&G brand has grown tremendously over the past few seasons and the D&G girl is not a one-note character. She is a chamillion, she is ecletic, edgy, creative, sexy and most importantly she likes to have fun. This collection proves just that.

Now of course, this was not AT ALL the best D&G collection ever; there were a few looks that were a bit BLAH! and other's that made me saw AHHH! Once the collection is broken down piece by piece, I feel the true potential of it will shine.

COMING SOON!

2008-09-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

A bit about me...

James Knox was still studying in New York City when he landed an internship at Z!NK Magazine, where he remained an assistant for one year. He began contributing to ELLE Italia in 2007 after finally making the bold move to being completely freelance.

Since then James has become a trusted and sought-after stylist. Magazine editors often request his time and as a result he has contributed to Italian Elle, Glamour, Vogue Nippon, 10 Men, Florida International, Z!nk, Chic Today, Vanidades, S Magazine and ZooZoom.

Among the many noted photographers with whom James has collaborated are Patric Shaw, Robert Erdmann, Keith Major and Walter Chin.

James has passion and is determined to become Creative Director of an international publication. Always patient, positive and creative, James possesses the ideal qualities required to work within the publishing industry.

Inspired by the world, artists such as Grace Coddington and Edward Enninful, and his own roots, James’ style can be described as polished and modern.
James Knox is currently based in New York City