THE WEEK IN FASHION 22nd-26th AUGUST

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

As August draws to a gloomy close, we have our usual round-up of the fashion news stories which have caught our eye this week, what better way to kick off the long weekend? Enjoy!

 Queen of the Statement necklace and bug-eyed spectacles, Iris Apfel has already (unsurprisingly) been the subject of a very successful exhibition, 2005's 'Rara Avis (Rare Bird)' at the Met. Now the 90 year-old style maven is to be filmed by Albert Maysles for a documentary.  Maysles seems to have a soft spot for the more eccentric members of New York's high society; he is the filmmaker behind  the 1975 documentary 'Grey Gardens' which charts the reclusive existence of Jackie O's aunt and cousin, Big and Little Edie Beale. While that is a heart wrenching story of dysfunctional relationships and social exclusion, we hope (and know) that Maysles' Apfel film will be more uplifting- how could it not be when it stars our favourite- in her own words- 'geriatric starlet.'

Iris Apfel is not scared of a chunky piece of jewellery (Image from fifka.pinger.pl)

After the incredible success of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at The Met in New York, speculation is building about how they can possibly follow it up. How long do they need to wait before doing another fashion exhibition without it just feeling like an anticlimax? Well it seems, that Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli might be the answer. Before reading this news story I had never drawn the comparison between the two designers but they are actually a remarkably apt pairing, especially given their talent for making a subversive statement in their collections.
As a P.S to that Savage Beauty reference, don't forget to sign our #bringmcqueenexhibitionhome petition and use the hashtag on Twitter. The FashEd will have an update next week on the impact which the campaign has had. You will want to tune into that!

Schiaparelli in the 1930s. Image from (LisaWallerRogers.blogspot.com)

Miuccia Prada (Image from guestofaguest.com)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Anna Wintour is the most powerful woman in fashion (isn't it?) but how about in the world? Well, according to Forbes she comes in at no.69, leaving the real superpower positions to the likes of German Chancellor Angela Merkel (no.1) and businesswoman and philanthropist Melinda Gates (no. 6). The world of fashion is still well represented with Gisele in 60th place, Andrea Jung, CEO at Avon, at 64, Diane Von Furstenberg at 91 and  Angela Ahrendts, CEO at Burberry at 58. Given that the fashion industry is one of the biggest employers of women around the world, we're glad to see some of the biggest players included in the power list.

Angela Ahrendts with Christopher Bailey. Under their supervision, Burberry became the first fashion company listed on the FTSE 100 (Image from thisislondon.co.uk)

The King of all collaborations will be unveiled on 22nd September with the Gala Opening of 'Ocean's Kingdom', a ballet composed by Sir Paul McCartney with costumes designed by Stella. Ballet is one of my favourite ways to pass an evening but the prospect of a production with music and costumes from two absolute heroes of their fields, neither of whom have ever forayed into ballet before, promises to be fresh and exciting and a must-see. Hopefully there'll be a big screen showing in London.

Paul with Stella and James on their farm, photographed by Linda McCartney (image from meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com)

Finally, Westfield Stratford City opens on 13th September, just in time for a pre-fashion week spree. Given that the space is in the heart of East London, it seems only right that the area's young talent and creativity is on show. Enter the Studio East panel which includes Roland Mouret and Erin O'Connor. They have chosen up-and-coming artists and designers to contribute to  creating a unique Westfield vibe. One of the winners is Julian J Smith who has designed glamorous uniforms for lucky Westfield staff- no dodgy fleeces or polyester monstrosities for them! Also look out for art installations and renewable energy initiatives from the Studio  East crew.

Julian J Smith's design for Westfield uniforms.

THE WEEK IN FASHION 8/8-12/8

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Happy Friday and welcome to our round-up of the week's fashion news. Our aim is to provide you with some relatively light relief from the horrid stories making the headlines this week.

First of all, can I remind you to support our campaign to #bringmcqueenexhibitionhome. Please sign the petition, comment on the blog about why you want to see Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty brought to London and use the hashtag to spread the word on Twitter.

    Petitions by iPetitions.com | Get Widget

Christian Louboutin have lost their case against YSL. The Judge decided that a colour cannot be monopolized as a trademark by a single brand, especially in an industry like fashion which depends on the freedom to use colour innovatively. Of course, most people who see a red-soled shoe now automatically associate this with the Louboutin brand. Thus we wonder if any designer now choosing to use a red sole will not confuse the customer anyway, or engender an immediate link with the Louboutin branding. Although you might expect to go a high street shop and buy red soled shoes to imitate the Louboutin look, what would be the motivation to buy a red soled YSL?

Balanciaga's red soles for men (Image from oo0oo.blogspot.com)

The fashion musical chairs saga continues. Now Marc Jacobs' name has been thrown in the hat as a possible contender for the Dior job. The mutterings began after Brazialian site Glamurama claimed that Jacobs has been in talks with Bernard Arnault for a while now and that he may be set to make a choice between his current position at Vuitton and the Dior job. Watch this space... (we wonder when we'll be able to stop saying that?!)

If he moves to Dior, he'll have to scrub that Louis body art right off! (Image from www.johnnyikon.com)

It was worth the wait. The pictures of Kate Moss' wedding are finally in and they are A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. If you haven't seen them for yourself yet then we suggest that you get a a cup of tea and set aside ten minutes to pore through the ultimate wedding album and read Hamish Bowles' report. According to the interview, it was watching 'My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding' which finally inspired Kate to say Yes to Jamie. We're hoping that the happy couple might make a cameo appearence in the next series!

Kate with her gaggle of flower girls. The new issue of American Vogue contains even more images

Kate and Jamie do Mick and Bianca (Images from Vogue.com)

The latest issue of LOVE magazine features an absolutely breathtaking shoot entitled 'What Lies Beneath', which is by far the highlight of the issue. The setting is a dark and eerie lake. The ensemble of models Lara Stone, Mariacarla Boscono, Saskia De Brauw, Kristen McMenamy, Paul Boche, Anais Pouliot, Jed Texas, Guinevere Van Seenus, Xiao Wen Ju and Angus Whitehead pose amphibiously in and around the water world styled by Katie Grand. It has come to our attention that the shoot bears more than a passing resemblance to art photograher Jeff Bark's WoodPecker series. While the LOVE shoot features more acid colours, the shoots share their use of cars and birds as props for their scantily clad models to entwine themselves around. Bark's photos feel more classical and ethereal but the similarities between the two shoots are undeniable. Not sure whether Katie, and the photographers Mert & Marcus intended it as an homage to Barks work, or not. As was asked on beautifully-invisible.com is this inspiration or plagiarism? We're plumping with the former.

LOVE magazine's editorial, shot by Mert and Marcus (Images from www.touchpuppet.com)

A shot from Jeff Bark's Woodpecker series. See more of his work at www.jeffbark.com (Image from dreamersofthedream.blogspot.com)

A car comparison-  the Mert and Marcus shot

Jeff Bark's use of the car/ woodland dichotomy (Image from spreadartculture.com)

Yesterday, the Fash Ed and I popped over to Soho to have a peek at Sarah and Lily Allen's new Lucy In Disguise shop on Lexington Street. Sarah and her Mum, Alison were working their socks off to get everything ready in time for today's opening. The shop has its own hair salon and private shopping area for a more exclusive vintage and Lucy In Disguise own-collection experience. We heartily recommend that you pop down for a browse. You can't miss it as the front is covered in gold sequins so shiny that you really don't need to be a magpie to be drawn in!

Sarah and Lily are embarking on a new era in their Lucy in Disguise project (Image from wardrobemag.wordpress.com)

 We have been highly entertained by the Twitter account @condeelevator this week which delivers delicious snippets from inside the offices of Conde Nast magazines, notably American Vogue. Highlights include-

'Vogue Asst &; AW in packed elevator. VA: Blah blah Duke & Duchess of Windsor-- AW: Cambridge. Duke & Duchess of CAMBRIDGE. VA: I'm sorry.'

'[silence] [silence] [silence] [silence] [silence] [silence] [silence] [silence] Summer Intern: "Was that...?" Intern #2: "Yeah" #annawintour'

[SILENCE] [SILENCE] [SILENCE]  (Image from www.matthewstasoff.com)

The account gained a whopping 66,400 followers after just 36 tweets and five days. However, we are devastated to report that the account is already no more. Despite the writer's clear amusement at the goings on in the Conde Nast New York elevator, the Tweeter still 'loves their job' and so decided to stop tweeting. Devastating yes, but understandable given that the powers at Conde Nast were on the hunt for -and closing in on - the culprit.

NEWS JUST IN: Kate Bosworth is starring in Vanessa Bruno's beautiful new campaign video. I'm not sure whether Kate, the clothes or the horses are more stunning. The FashEd is a big fan of director Stefanie di Gusto.

LØV from Vanessa Bruno on Vimeo.

Have wonderful weekends and don't forget to spread the word about Fashion Editor at Large's campaign to #bringmcqueenexhibitionhome.

Share the petition on your own websites, and pass it on.

CHECKING IN WITH ANNA AND GRACE

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

One is a creative romantic. The other a pragmatic and powerful businesswoman at the very top of her game. Together they are an inspiration for how far anyone in my line of business can take their career, if they want to. I just felt the urge to share two items of new information on Grace Coddington and Anna Wintour. Anna even - shock horror - uses the word "blog."

GRACE

Good news! Grace Coddington has confirmed she is to pen an autobiography with the help of her friend and collaborator Jay Fielden who also worked with her on her giant orange tome Grace: 30 Years of fashion at Vogue.

“We’re just starting, and I think it’s going to be a really fun project,” Grace told WWD. In typically self-deprecating style she also added: “I’m hoping it’s going to be very rich in fashion history. It’s more than just about me.


ANNA

On his Opening Ceremony.us website today Humberto Leon interviews Anna Wintour about Fashions Night Out. Here are my favourite bits of the interview.

Humberto Leon: "We were surprised to find ourselves geeking out with Anna on 'Like a Prayer'-era Madonna, her iPad, lost Soho oculists, and what prompted her to put a pair of jeans on the cover of Vogue in 1988. Of course, the order of the day was Fashion's Night Out, the event she developed last year to jumpstart global retail.

Humberto: What's new for Fashion's Night Out (FNO) this year?
Anna Wintour: This year we have a CBS documentary on the making of the event, and we’re staging the largest public fashion show in New York’s history with some of the world’s top models. It will be a carnival-style celebration like last year, only bigger and better, with more cities and retailers participating.

Traditionally, shows are industry events, so this is unique as we’re staging it for the consumer. Not only will shoppers preview the best trends for fall on many of the world’s most recognized models, but they will also have the opportunity to purchase those trends on Fashion’s Night Out. No matter their style or budget, anyone can translate the latest trends to suit their tastes and wardrobe.

HL: What is a change you've seen in the fashion industry since the first FNO?
AW: I believe consumer confidence is being restored. People are out there shopping again without the level of guilt or concern of the previous year. Also, it’s built community amongst designers and retailers, both competitors and otherwise, and brought together all aspects of American culture and arts, which is an exciting aspect in and of itself. It’s a time of the year when fashion cities around the world are united in a cause, which is wonderful.

HL: Do you read fashion blogs, and if so, which ones are your favorites?
AW: Yes, of course. We’ve featured many bloggers in Vogue. Hanneli Mustaparta and Rachel Chandler are regular contributors to Vogue.com.

HL: How do you think fashion blogs have affected magazine content?
AW: Like any evolution in the industry, they force you to become better at what you do. Vogue’s in-depth articles and beautiful fashion stories, along with coverage of the arts within a fashion context, is not something that exists in the same way on blogs. They force us to dig deeper for stories, but we’re not competitors; we serve different markets.

http://www.industriemagazine.com/
http://www.openingceremony.us/
http://www.wwd.com/
http://www.vogue.com/

IT'S ALL ABOUT FASHION ILLUSTRATION

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Business of Fashion ran a story on Marco Santaniello recently - a t-shirt designing blogger for MaxMara, who creates Rubik's Cube inspired illustrations of fashion industry figures. His pictures are really putting a sunshiny spin on my grey Monday.

BryanBoy

Susie Bubble

Agyness Deyn

Anna Wintour

Become a fan of Marco on Facebook until his website gets up and running. Hmmmm.I wonder if he accepts commissions?

After going on about this or that fashion illustrator over the past few months I've finally decided to try it myself. I'm sure you've heard by now that the wonderful Sketchbook Magazine are throwing open the doors of their pop-up shop for a launch party tomorrow evening. Expect a multitude of talks and workshops from 31st - 19th April all held at number 10 Newburgh Street (W1). I've signed up for several events including a fashion illustration workshop taught by Gabriela Mot this Saturday at 12pm. Can't wait!

New issue of Sketchbook Mag

Click here for a list of all the goings on at the Sketchbook pop-up shop over the next few weeks, and be sure to reserve your place by emailing the team at rsvp@sketchbookmagazine.com. 

Pic credits: Marco Santaniello courtesy of businessoffashion.com

BRYANBOY BLOGS HIS WAY INTO US VOGUE?

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

If ever there was a fashion blogger living the dream it's Bryan Boy. He's friends with Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Marc Jacobs named a bag after him, and now the twittersphere is alight with speculation that the boy wonder might be joining team (US) Vogue. Possibly as part of the soon to be re-launched Vogue.com.

Whilst I was trying to get to the bottom of all the gossip following his visit to Conde Nast last week I came across BB's CV circa 2007:

Bryan, who was 25 at the time, explained that this was the first resume he had ever written: 'I've never submitted a resume to anyone, never been on a job interview, never had a company ID, and never dealt with an icky department called human resources'. Well what a first attempt!

Career Objective: I want a job where I'm surrounded by lots of clothes, accessories and cute guys. Also, I want a fantastic blonde female co-worker who will be my ultimate fag hag and we'll play dress-up and drink champagne whenever our boss is gone. (Ya gotta admire his honesty!)

Work Experience: N/A (Love it! - Work experience? Pa! Who the hell needs it)

Hobbies and Interests: Fashion, travel, entertainment, celebrities, models, weight-loss (I like the last two best)

Please tell me this is the resume you sent to Anna Wintour Bryan!

Seriously though, he's come a hell of a long way and we have our fingers crossed for him. It would be a victory for bloggers everywhere.

Images: Bryanboy.com

MY NEW CROWN PRINCE OF STREET STYLE BLOGGING

Tommy Ton of Jakandjil.com photographing Sally Singer of US Vogue in Paris

I have always been a street style watcher. A fashion stalker. A lot of my trend ideas come from seeing what people choose to wear, how they wear it and where they are when they're wearing it. It is a language all on its own. I was checking into The Sartorialist long before it became a cult blog, providing pithy captions for his subjects in my head, and then whenever I saw the man himself, Scott, at the shows or outside the Paris hotel he and I used to stay in (not together) I loved to watch how he blatantly sized men and women up on the street. He got away with it because he had a camera around his neck. Lucky.

Recently, I have added another fashion-stalker street-snapper to my love list. It's Tommy Ton from Jak & Jil  who has an eye for a picture that makes me think he is a beauty editor, accessories editor, fashion editor and art director all rolled into one. He loves an amazing shoe and bag, and has an eye for the more unusual composition that I find stimulating in my fashion head.  

This week in my mothership publication, the wonderful Grazia, I did a piece on Tommy Ton with a selection of pictures, but we could only fit in one. Because Tommy so kindly gave us several pictures to use, I thought it would be a shame to waste them, so I am showcasing them here.

What I like is that Tommy is capturing this Dior show as we journalists see it from the front row, complete with photographers, standing people, PR's, show producer's, discerning couture clients and of course the beautiful model in her Christian Dior Couture finery, in view.

When I tracked him down for Grazia I spent ten minutes outside the Chanel couture show on Rue Cambon asking hooded figures with cameras around their neck, are you Tommy Ton? Finally the real Tommy revealed himself.  And here is Tommy! How cute?

Tommy is wearing Alexander Wang boots

Later that day I interviewed him on the phone while he was trying to tap into some free wi-fi on the streets of Paris so he could send his pictures from the day to his blog. And he told me his story. He is 25 years old, and lives in a suburb of Toronto called Oakville with his Vietmamese parents. He started Jak & Jil four years ago, documenting the “not very glamorous” local Toronto nightlife because he was bored. "There wasn't much going on in Toronto." So he decided to spread his wings; "I wanted to take photos in the fashion capitals at their fashion weeks," he says. So that's what he did. I remember him in Paris a few years ago asking all us fashion editors if he could photograph our shoes. (He has a shoe fetish, how perfect and shiny are his Wang boots above?).  His perseverence has paid off; his talent has been spotted and he has been adopted by none other than Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld who has given him a page in this month's Paris Vogue. Not only Carine, in fact, but Anna Wintour too who is tapping him for the relaunch of Vogue.com later this spring. “At the Dior show I was sat behind Anna Wintour, and she turned to say “Hi” to me,” he says in amazement. He deserves the recognition. His pictures are beautifully composed, yet surprisingly he is not a trained photographer. “I just click away and hope...” he says, being modest. He definitely has the fashion eye; and he is in love with with fashion. “Fashion is everything to me; it’s all I care about” he says. Aaah.

I am anti-fur by trade, but even I have to admit that coat with those shoes on that bike with those glasses and the turban looks amazing.

THANKYOU SO MUCH TOMMY!
Melanie xx
Photos (not of Tommy Ton) are by Tommy Ton for http://www.jakandjil.com/
Tommy Ton photos by an as yet unnamed friend....