Fashion Clothes: September 2010

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Q. and A. With Carine Roitfeld

By Eric Wilson for The New York Times:

The 90th-anniversary issue of Vogue Paris hit newsstands here this week, just in time for the Paris collections and an elaborate masked ball that Carine Roitfeld, the editor, is planning on Thursday night in a hotel particulier. The theme of the party is “Eyes Wide Shut,” and Ms. Roitfeld expects everyone to look as good as her October cover model, Lara Stone, who appears in a lace mask by Philip Treacy.

Ms. Roitfeld’s new issue set a record for the publication with 620 pages, many of them advertisements created specially for the anniversary, like one by Chanel that consists of a sketch by Karl Lagerfeld that shows the designer standing just behind Coco Chanel herself, her hands stuffed in her skirt pockets. For the magazine’s feature well, Ms. Roitfeld opened each photo portfolio with an archival image, followed by a contemporary take on fashion inspired by the same story. For example, a Horst P. Horst image of a masked ball from 1934 leads into a an erotic fantasy of masked models by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot. Mario Sorrenti, David Sims, Steven Klein and Hedi Slimane also contributed to the issue.

Perhaps the most controversial story will be Terry Richardson’s images of Crystal Renn, the (not quite) plus-size model who has become a vocal advocate for incorporating different sizes in fashion magazines. Here, she is shown gorging on an endless feast, about to stuff an entire squid into her mouth in one picture, gnawing on beef, sausage and poultry in others. It’s a statement.

Ms. Roitfeld, when I met her in her office, said the shoot was actually inspired by the 1973 movie “La Grande Bouffe,” the dark Marco Ferreri film about a group of men who retire to a villa to eat themselves to death. Ms. Roitfeld said she realized, while looking at the provocative — and sometimes shocking — imagery from Vogue’s past, that it is the job of fashion magazines to continue to push boundaries and provoke, even in the face of attacks on their judgment.

Here are some excerpts from our conversation:

How do you feel about the magazine at 90?

In 90 years, we haven’t changed the mood of the magazine. It’s still very audacious. It’s still about beauty. It’s still about excess. It’s still very avant-garde. When we started to do the research, we discovered the same mood in the past, so we are very happy to feel that we are still looking like the iconic Vogue of Newton and Guy Bourdin. We try to be sophisticated, while a little on the edge all the time. But what I can see is that now, the censoring is bigger than it was 20, 30 or 40 years ago. I think we have less freedom. Today some pictures would not even be publishable. It’s not just about the nudity, but when you talk about things politically, the military, kids, it would all be politically incorrect and not publishable today.

How does that make you feel as an editor?

That we have to fight to keep this un-politically correct attitude of French Vogue, but it’s more and more difficult to be able do that. You cannot smoke, you cannot show arms, you cannot show little girls, because everyone now is very anxious not to have problems with the law. Everything we do now is like walking in high heels on the ice, but we keep trying to do it.

When you explain your philosophy about fashion to anyone who wants to contribute to French Vogue, what is it that you tell them?

Vogue is a very specific world. You are Vogue, or not Vogue. There are some editors and writers who can be very good, and still not Vogue. How can I describe it? It is, first, having the sense of luxury. It’s a sense of craziness, a bit. It’s a sense of beauty, because the images we are printing, most of them are going to be in a museum. It has to be cultural, because I think the French woman is not just interested in fashion. She is interested in painting, reading, movies and art, so it is a lot of things, altogether, to be a Vogue photographer, writer or stylist. And a Vogue reader.

What are you most proud of that you have brought to this magazine in the last 10 years?

When I see this anniversary issue, I think it is the best coffee-table book. I think it is good when something can stay interesting for a long time. It’s not just a trend for one month. What we did in this issue, I hope, in 10 years, will not be démodé, because now everyone can see fashion on the Internet. You can go on Style.com and see everything, but not how to wear it. This is what we try to give to the readers of Vogue.

How do you remain personally engaged with fashion when everyone else can see it online?

It’s still exciting to me, because when I am going to a fashion show, I’m not just looking at the clothes. I’m looking at the mood, I’m listening to the music, so sometimes, I can be a bit disappointed in one, two or three shows, and then I see a great one and my energy goes up again. There were some big fashion moments last week in Italy, like when you go to Prada, and wonder what’s she going to do this time, or at Dolce & Gabbana, and you are almost ready to cry. Maybe I still like the clothes. I don’t see them just to wear them, I see them as a piece of art sometimes.

With all the new designers hoping to be discovered, how do you know when someone really has it?

It is difficult. First, we have to find a moment to look at these young stylists, because we are overbooked with shows, overbooked with appointments and work like everyone else. But we try to find the time, because they are the future of tomorrow. When you talk to them, you know almost instantly. It’s like an instinct when you see a young painter or photographer. Because we have a big power, we have to use it to give an opportunity to some young kids, designers, makeup artists, photographers and models. It’s good that Anna Wintour was the one who needed to kick our butt, in a way, to do something. She did a lot in America, but in Paris, we were a bit slow. Now we understand, and we’ve seen so much return that we are going to be more and more aware to help.

Who do you think among the younger generation has the potential to become big?

I am very surprised by someone like Alexander Wang. I am amazed how he is good with fashion, with business, with public relations himself, with an attitude in his clothes that is spoken immediately. And I think a young guy called Joseph Altuzarra, who went to New York, is the next one to be big. The clothes he makes are very beautiful, and they are very wearable.

What bothers you about fashion today?

Sometimes I think, Why do I have to go to a show? Half an hour driving, half an hour waiting, seeing the show, then half an hour back. And when I get back, I see the show on the Internet. Sometimes it goes too quick sometimes. I like the idea of what Tom Ford did in New York. No one saw one outfit, except the 100 people who were guests. It was smart, because it makes envy. It’s too easy that Prada makes a collection and two hours later its on the Net and everyone can copy it. It’s too quick now, but I don’t think we can do anything about that. It’s just the time.

What’s next for you?

I’m full of ideas, and I want to have more parties and shows for the public. I want to make fashion more festive in Paris. This week we have the Vogue bar at the Crillon, where we changed the décor, the cocktail list, the pictures on the wall. The drinks are named after people. My drink is a Testarossa. It’s Campari and vodka, to fly very high, very far, very quick. We have the dirty martini of Stephen Gan — it’s delicious — and the apple martini of Tom Ford. I have a new job now: bartender. That is my dream, and also to open a karaoke.

What would be your song?

“You’re So Vain.” I think in this business, it’s a good song. It’s dedicated to a lot of people.

Vogue.com: Beauty Moment: Britt Maren's Model Makeover

Written by Christina Han, for vogue.com:

Model Britt Maren’s first taste of her first Fashion Week was as the opener for Alexander Wang’s highly anticipated, celebrity-jammed spring show in New York—not bad for a beginner. A flurry of bookings for the Sweden-born, Texas-bred cat-walker followed—Fendi and Roberto Cavalli in Milan; Balmain, Lanvin, Givenchy, and Chanel in Paris—and this week, she was among a handful of faces chosen for a radical pre-Balenciaga transformation. “I didn’t know what they were going to do entirely; I knew that they were going to cut it short—but then there was the bleach,” Maren said backstage at Balmain, hours after debuting her new look at Balenciaga this morning. “Cut it short” is an understatement, though, with backstage guru Guido Palau chopping off nearly eight inches of Maren’s light brown hair and dying it Debbie Harry–platinum yesterday in the secret confines of the Balenciaga showroom. The finished look: eye-grazing and meant-to-be-mussed in the front, with a shorter-than-short shaved neck in the back. “It’s really different, but I like it!” Maren said. “It’s sexier and cooler, and when I wake up in the morning it’s kind of messy.”

Balenciaga Spring 2011 Show Video

Balenciaga Spring 2011 Show
Time: September 30, 2010 at 10:00 am
Designer: Nicolas Ghesquière
Casting Director: Ashley Brokaw
Stylist: Marie-Amélie Sauvé
Makeup: Pat McGrath
Hair: Guido Palau
Models: Eliza Cummings, Britt Maren, Jamie Bochert, Kasia Struss, Daria Strokous,and Mirte Maas

Show Video can also be seen at: Balenciaga.com

October Italian Vogue editorial - Dorothea Barth Jorgensen, ph: Craig McDean, stylist: Edward Enninful

Craig McDean photographed Dorothea Barth Jorgensen for Italian Vogue in New York on June 6, 2010 with stylist Edward Enninful.

Italian Vogue October 2010 Issue
Model: Dorothea Barth Jorgensen
Photographer: Craig McDean
Stylist: Edward Enninful
Hair: Eugene Souleiman
Makeup: Diane Kendal

Balenciaga Spring 2011 Show

Britt Maren

Jamie Bochert

Kasia Struss

Daria Strokous

Mirte Maas

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Roberto Cavalli 40th Anniversary Book - making of video with Mariacarla Boscono & Angela Lindvall

Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott photographed Mariacarla Boscono and Angela Lindvall for Roberto Cavalli's 40th Anniversary Book in Los Angeles on April 15-16, 2010 with stylist Marie Amelie Sauve.

Roberto Cavalli's 40th Anniversary Book
Models: Mariacarla Boscono and Angela Lindvall
Photographer: Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott
Stylist: Marie Amelie Sauve
Art Director: Fabien Baron
Hair: Paul Hanlon
Makeup: Charlotte Tilbury

Other models shot for this book are: Cameron Russell, Natasha Poly, and Mirte Maas.

All proceeds from the sale of this book will go to amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.

Hakaan Spring 2011 Show

Hakaan Spring 2011 Show
Time: September 29, 2010
Designer: Hakaan Tildirim
Casting Director: Rami Fernandez
Models: Christina Kruse, Iris Strubegger, Isabeli Fontana, Fei Fei Sun, Aline Weber, Jourdan Dunn, Mariacarla Boscono (closed)

Christina Kruse

Iris Strubegger

Isabeli Fontana

Fei Fei Sun

Aline Weber

Jourdan Dunn

Mariacarla Boscono (closed)

October 2010 Italian Vogue Cover Preview - Mariacarla Boscono, Photo: Steven Meisel, Stylist: Panos Yiapanis

Steven Meisel photographed Mariacarla Boscono for the October 2010 issue of Italian Vogue in NY on July 19-29, 2010 with stylist Panos Yiapanis.

October 2010 Italian Vogue Cover Preview
Model: Mariacarla Boscono
Photographer: Steven Meisel
Stylist: Panos Yiapanis
Hair: Guido Palau
Makeup: Pat McGrath
Scan Source: Vogue.it

Monday, September 27, 2010

Jil Sander Spring 2011 Show Video

Jil Sander Spring 2011 Show
Time: September 25, 2010, 3:00 & 4:00pm
Location: Via Luca Beltrami, 5
Designer: Raf Simons
Casting Director: Maida Gregori Boina
Models: Alla Kostromichova, Kasia Struss, Vlada Roslyakova, Yulia Kharlapanova, Daria Strokous, Kristina Romanova, Martha Streck, and Nimue Smit.

Jil Sander Spring 2011 Show

Jil Sander Spring 2011 Show
Time: September 25, 2010, 3:00 & 4:00pm
Location: Via Luca Beltrami, 5
Designer: Raf Simons
Casting Director: Maida Gregori Boina

Alla Kostromichova

Kasia Struss

Vlada Roslyakova

Yulia Kharlapanova

Daria Strokous

Kristina Romanova

Martha Streck

Nimue Smit

Alla Kostromichova

Kristina Romanova

Yulia Kharlapanova

Daria Strokous (closed)

"Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk" by David Sedaris

Today in New York City it is 67° degrees Farenheit, (19° Celcius) and rainy.

This morning I received my copy of David Sedaris' latest book, "Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk". David is the author brother of Amy Sedaris, star of "Strangers With Candy".

Book review from Entertainment Weekly by Leah Greenblatt:

Animals, they're just like us! Petty and foolish, prone to ugly prejudices, poor life choices, and generally calamitous idiocy. Such is the crow-black thesis of David Sedaris' seventh collection, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, in which the humorist, long a droll chronicler of human foibles, turns his absurdist wit and opposable thumbs to fables of the feathered and four-legged.

The entries in his lurid bestiary may be brief — few exceed a dozen or so large-font pages apiece, including Ian Falconer's witty illustrations — but they are clearly not meant for children. (Unless, perhaps, your child is a tiny, sadistic Quentin Tarantino in training.) Gooey viscera aside, Squirrel's anthropomorphized critters are adult in the most banal ways: They visit the hairdresser and go out for Chinese food, take their coffee black and attend 12-step meetings. In ''The Faithful Setter,'' an Irish hound endures his mutt wife's ill-bred insecurities; in ''The Parenting Storks,'' a monstrously self-absorbed bird makes Joan Crawford look like a model of sweet maternity. These louse-y, lousy creatures invariably meet bad ends, in ways far more graphic and grisly than anything Edward Gorey ever imagined for his young charges. Only the final story, ''The Grieving Owl,'' offers a hint of a happily-ever-after — and even that involves (no joke) a rabble of singing, anus-dwelling leeches.

Some Sedaris fans felt he had begun to exhaust his store of Homo sapiens-based anecdotes in 2008's When You Are Engulfed in Flames, and Squirrel does seem to free him creatively, while still indulging his singularly skewed worldview. (Who else would invent a strung-out mink selling his own pelt for booze?) And for the strong- stomached, these tales are toxic little treats, fun-size Snickers bars with a nougaty strychnine center. But at $21.99 for a scant 159 illustrated pages, Squirrel doesn't quite make a meal.

Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk is available from amazon.com

From amazon.com:
David Sedaris is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and Public Radio International's This American Life. He is the author of the books When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Naked, and Barrel Fever.

Giles Deacon Spring 2011 Show Video

Giles Deacon Spring 2011 Show
Time: September 20, 2010 at 7:30pm
Location: Farmiloe Building, 34-36 St. John Street
Stylist: Katie Grand
Casting Director: Michelle Lee/KCD
Models: Agyness Deyn, Cameron Russell, Mirte Maas, Natasa Vojnovic, Jessica Hart, Dorothea Barth Jorgensen, Kristy Kaurova, Behati Prinsloo, Madisyn Ritland, Anne Vyalitsyna, Vlada Roslyakova, Snejana Onopka, Rianne ten Haken, Kasia Struss, and Veruschka.

Veruschka von Lehndorff Is London’s Top Model

From New York Magazine:

London's runways are typically a launch pad for newbies. In seasons past, Kirsi Pyrhonen, Julia Nobis, and Tati Cotliar all made their catwalk breakthrough via the Big Smoke's innovative shows. This season proved to be another story.

New Jersey's Kirby Kenny had a strong showing, opening for Erdem and House of Holland and closing for Sass & Bide. Runway fixture Lisanne de Jong hit it big this week when she opened for Burberry, while Burberry Beauty face Nina Porter closed out the show in the most memorable way possible. Good ol' Aggy opened for Giles, but it was the show's closer, the legendary 71-year-old Veruschka von Lehndorff, who takes the crown. Giles Deacon has a habit of dragging out some of fashion's most iconic faces for his shows, but booking Veruschka was easily his most impressive casting coup to date.