THE WEEK IN FASHION: 30th APRIL- 4th MAY

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

It's been another busy week in the fashion world, so before we head off to enjoy our three day Bank Holiday weekend, here's the round-up of all the need to know news from the past seven days...

It's the start of the month which means a flurry of new covers are coming in ready for our enjoyment. Kate Moss (who was apparently drinking at The Groucho until 7am this morning-what a woman) is the incarnation of Versace's modern mermaid on the cover of British Vogue's Gold issue. She was shot by Mert and Marcus, complete with very fat rope (previously seen in a Beckham shot) and underwater-esque background. It's the stuff fashion dreams are made of.

Kate Moss on the cover of June's Vogue (image from Vogue.co.uk)

Meanwhile, iD have two particularly genius covers amongst the eight on offer for the Summer 'Lights, Camera, Action' issue. Julia Restoin Roitfeld is not the first woman to show her bump on a magazine cover but this interpretation of the genre is rather kookier than usual- with Julia clutching a teddy and wearing sexy lingerie in a sumptuous boudoir.

Another cover shows newly appointed Dior designer Raf Simons sheltering from the camera beneath a selection of flowers. The image seems just right for the moment, the flowers symbolising Dior prettiness while the grey and Raf's slightly hidden face hint at the newness and rethinking which is surely to come at the label. There's an accompanying interview where Raf talks about his final Jil Sander collection and what motivates him as a designer. The issue is available next week on the iD site and at shops soon after.

Helena Bonham Carter is having a bit of a moment this month. She has modelled some totally beautiful McQueen and Westwood gowns for Harper's Bazaar's June issue... Here's a Behind the Scenes video from the shoot...


Daniel Radcliffe, with whom Bonham-Carter worked on the Harry Potter films, has interviewed her for, er, Interview. Well it's more of a conversation really, with insights into the lives of both actors. They cover everything from the pressure of having an amazing family to Helena having to audition to be in her quasi-husband (they're only not married because of 'laziness' she says) Tim Burton's Sweeney Todd musical to wearing odd shoes to the Golden Globes. My girl crush on Helena Bonham Carter continues.

Helena Bonham Carter styled by Katie Grand, photographed by
 Peter Lindbergh (from  www.interviewmagazine.com)

All 19 Vogue International editors came together this week to launch their new Health Initiative which will mean that they endeavor to only use healthy models (i.e ones who aren't suffering from an eating disorder) who are over the age of 16 on their pages. Alex Shulman writes in her Editor's Letter that 'as one of the fashion industry's most powerful voices, Vogue has a unique opportunity to engage with relevant issues where we feel we can make a difference'. As the FashEd pointed out in a tweet yesterday, we really hope this excellent policy extends to celebrities as well as models. I wrote more about this issue a few weeks ago. Bravo to Vogue for taking a stand. 

Excitement is building for Monday night's Met Gala which will open the much anticipated 'Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations' exhibition. Of course, US Vogue is leading the build-up by looking back at galas in years gone by. First up, Andre Leon Talley, the magazine's rather awesome Editor-at-Large, has chosen his top 10 outfits. He seems to have a predilection for black taffeta and frou frou fairytale given his choices. We're excited to see how Miuccia Prada will play the red carpet celebrity dressing next week. Her AW12 collections showed a serious trouser moment so maybe Mr Leon Talley will be disappointed on the big ballgown front.

Andre's favourites: Rihanna in Dolce and Gabbana in 2009

Andre's favourites: Doutzen Kroes in Zac Posen in 2010 (images from vogue.com)

And in case you haven't been invited, Vogue has given us a peek of how our invite would look if we were on the list. For this year's exhibition, they've nodded to Schiaparelli's association with Surrealism with a lip design. I love the image used on the invite for 2010's 'American Woman'.

Will we get in if we print this out and put on some Prada? (image from vogue.com)

The invite to 2010's 'American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity' (image from Vogue.com)

Australian Fashion Week has been taking place in Sydney this week. We've been enjoying Susie Bubble's posts which are a brilliant mixture of catwalk reports and snippets for getting to know the Australian fashion scene. A We Are Handsome swimming costume is top of my summer shopping list so I was very pleased when this image from their show pinged into my inbox.

We Are Handsome AW12

Romance Was Born AW12 from stylebubble.co.uk

 Speaking of fashion weeks, street style favourite Anna Dello Russo has become the latest H&M collaborator. Fans of the Vogue Nippon editor will get the chance to emulate her style with a selection of blingtastic accessories.  There'll be more on this next week on the blog but it's rather fascinating that it was a stylist/ editor whose look seemed the most relevant to H&M to bring to the masses, rather than another big name designer. The range is out on October 4th, just after fashion month ends

Anna Dello Russo modelling some pieces from her collection (image from telegraph.co.uk)

There was a glimmer of hope in the continuing race to save Aquascutum this week as it emerged that exclusive talks were underway to sell the business to Hong Kong based YGM Trading. Unfortunately this doesn't provide much hope for those who were left out of work after the Corby factory was shut. There are separate talks being held to sell that asset. If the brand loses its Made in Britain element, it will be a great shame.

Last night there was a party in Paris to celebrate 30 years of Guess. Those who worked together to create some of the brand's most iconic images were there...

Ellen Von Unwerth and Claudia Schiffer at Guess's 30th Birthday bash (image from THE LOVE magazine's twitter)

The Sunday Times' annual Rich List was released last weekend. It helps confirm what we already know from the trickle of news and figures which we see each week... luxury is still booming but retail is a hard environment. Mulberry owner Christina Ong rose 53 places to 61, but Britain's biggest retail magnate, Phillip Green lost £900 million of his fortune last year, ouch.

Karl Lagerfeld has been brought in to redesign the exterior of the Hotel Metropole in Monte Carlo. Reaffirming that he is a man of many talents, in case there was any doubt. To whet our appetite for the unveiling of the first phase in July, Lagerfeld has released some frescos starring his favourite male model Baptiste Giabconi...

Inspiration for the new Hotel Metropole (image from telegraph.co.uk)

Manish Arora has mysteriously ended his thus far successful tenure at Paco Rabanne it was revealed today.  The label had become relevant trend wise as well as gaining attention thanks to Lady Gaga wearing some pieces at the MTV awards in 2011.'Revisiting the Paco Rabanne fashion was a very enriching experience and an exceptional artistic and human adventure. I am, today, happy to have accomplished the mission I was trusted with in order to cast this iconic brand back into the spotlight', Arora told WWD.

We leave you with a gorgeous backstage video from Alexander McQueen's AW12 show... Happy Weekend!

JEAN PAUL GAULTIER FOR DIET COKE (and me)

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

One of the more intriguing commissions to come my way recently, came from probably the first person to fully utilise all the various strands of my work these days.  His name is Nik Thakkar and he is a young, gifted and driven account director at Exposure, a creative and publicity agency in London. He is also an avid blogger and tweeter; his blog Karl is My Unkle is fun to check into every day for its fashion and media observations.

Way back before Christmas Nik asked me to sign an NDA before telling me that one of my all time fashion heros, designer Jean Paul Gaultier (it was those cone bras worn by Madonna circa 1990 that got me started) had signed up to be the creative director of Diet Coke for 2012.

Would I be interested, Nik asked, in hanging out with and interviewing him in Paris to power the media story behind his collaboration across Europe? Uh, yeah! The first time I've been able to talk/write about this story is today. I was also able to develop my own story with Jean Paul in Grazia. The mid-April edition of Grazia will have that something special. Jean Paul is an under appreciated visionary who has given more to the contemporary fashion and style landscape than people realise.

Me and JPG. You can tell I'm having a "I can't believe it" moment. 

In the meantime, below is an insight into what Jean Paul has been up to with Diet Coke and how he has approached the work. I mean, how DO you go from Hermes to Diet Coke?

His is a totally different connection than the one Karl Lagerfeld had two years ago when he worked with the brand. Jean Paul's involvement is more hands on; the fit between designer and brand is better too. JPG and DC are perfect fashion companions; we fell on the mini can of DC placed on our seats at his fashion show in Paris last Saturday like crazed hungry people, (it had been a long day).

I'll start off with this very cute portrait of the designer who I cannot believe will turn 60 next month. Everything about him from the way he scampers down the catwalk at the end of his shows, to his joyful, youthful approach to life and work says this isn't so.

Jean Paul Gaultier photographed in Paris by Stephane Sedanoui

Me: How did the collaboration come about? 

JPG: Well, when they contacted me I was like ‘ooooo’. I was very pleased that they approached me. It was a pleasure to say yes. I see the Coca-Cola writing and graphically it is so beautiful. I see it in red. It’s been part of my life since I was a young boy.

What did they ask you to do first? 

I have made some films [see below for the first one], designed clothes for the puppets in the films and lots more still to come. I approached it in the same way as I do my perfume bottles - all in my spirit.

When you are your rules for working with brands? 

In general, for every special project I have to use their code, respect their code but also be myself at the same time. So you need to get the right balance and that’s what I try to do on the bottles, glasses and dresses. I tried to see things in the Gaultier wardrobe and adapt and change them to treat them like couture in some way - it was like a game. So is all my work. At the end of the day, I am the lucky one because I am doing what I love. So like with Hermes, I looked at the codes of Coca-Cola.

Now you’re no longer ‘enfant terrible’, who’s taking over from you? 

Enfant Terrible means someone who is not completely correct and who is a little rebellious. Who is rebellious now?! Maybe Gareth Pugh?

Coca-Cola is the fashion industry’s preferred soft drink. Over the last 30 years have you seen any other fashion drinks? 

Coca light is definitely the fashion drink. You go to bars that don’t even have that much to do with fashion and it’s what everybody wants to drink. In ’92, when I was working with Madonna, I remember very well that it was Perrier. But on the radio they were saying that they’d found something toxic in Perrier. And so everyone stopped drinking it.  At one moment, it very fashionable in France (I don’t know about elsewhere) to drink Irish coffee. I stopped drinking it when somebody told me about a guy who died because he drank Irish coffee and then this lemonade/ tonic drink and he died because of some kind of chemical reaction- frightening! You can imagine it going solid inside you, no?!

Would you ever bring back Junior Gaultier [his cult diffusion line, which is much in demand on eBay] or work with H & M? 

Yes of course. I already did Target in the US. I always do couture but I like to touch people who don’t have as much money, so they can buy my clothes. When I did Junior Gaultier, it wasn’t just about doing a second line but it was to make something complementary that was just the price of a t-shirt, but with my shape and my print.

What excites you now?

I go at least once a week to the theatre. I like to see shows and concerts. I saw Amy Winehouse; I was so amazed at her voice even though I knew she was in such a bad state. Her look was incredible- 80s in a modern way. She was so me! I was so shy to go and see her because I admired her so much. I didn’t want that feeling of meeting someone you love and them hating you. Her talent was phenomenal and unique. She’s like an Edith Piaf for me in a way, the way she gave herself when she sings.

Check out these two cute little film with JPG as "The Serial Designer" 

THE WEEK IN FASHION: FEBRUARY 6th-10th

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large, with assistance from Joshua Drew

New York Fashion Week is well and truly under way, but there's plenty of news from all corners of the fashion world keeping us entertained this week....

The Queen by Karl (image www.metro.us)

Editor-in-chief was the new title given to Karl Largerfeld last week. The creative director of luxury French house Chanel turned his cutoff leather gloves to editing one of France’s biggest national newspapers, Metro, demonstrating once again his infamous superhuman abilities.

Karl's sketch commenting on the troubles in Syria (image www.metro.us)

After recently promoting his KARL by Karl Lagerfeld collection for Net-A-Porter (in a unique interview in which Karl interviews himself) we were glad to see the German designer being interviewed by a third party once more. Among Karl's list of favourite places to shop and eat were controversial comments about Adele, which proved a hot water topic amongst tweeters worldwide as Lagerfeld described the singer as "too fat." Another controversial Karl comment (JD) We hasten to add that Mr Lagerfeld has since apologised!

Miu Miu's London bags (image from graziadaily.co.uk)

 All the major fashion cities- New York, London, Milan and Paris- went head to head this week as Miu Miu spoiled us with more of their fab accessories, just in time for fashion weeks. The collection comprises 46 styles in everything from ostrich  and python skin to brocade and glitter. Very nice, but naughty with pieces starting £1,295 (JD)

New York bags from Miu Miu (image from graziadaily.co.uk)

Talking of amazing accessories, YSL's Cruise video is a delectable three minutes of fashion and accessory p*rn...

You're safe with LV (image from telegraph.co.uk)

Louis Vuitton is getting sexy. With the release of the most exclusive contraceptive to date, the LV condom is taking the brand's sexy kudos even higher heights than THAT AW11 fetish show. Would you take Vuitton to bed?

Another batch of magazine covers for us to mull over. We're mostly loving Victoria Beckham on iD, a completely unexpected match made in editorial heaven....

image from telegraph.co.uk

 Fabulous Kate Moss in Erdem on W

image from telegraph.co.uk

 Despite the dodgy reviews of his debut SS12 show, Kanye West confirmed that he'll be back at Paris in a few weeks to show his second collection. On top of that, it looks like the rapper turned designer might be ready for a diffusion range. he was apparently spotted having lunch with Phillip Green this week. Naturally, this has fuelled rumours of a Topshop collaboration.

Kanye West SS12 (image from catwalking.com)

While everyone on Twitter was complaining about the number of English people who are now willing to stay up for Super Bowl, my theory (from the evidence of my twitter feed, so biased perhaps) is that everyone was staying up for Madonna's half time show. She didn't disappoint with her Givenchy costume. The performance was pretty awesome too.

Riccardo Tisci's sketches for Madonna's costume (www.vogue.co.uk)

All Madonna images from dailymail.co.uk

And one of our favourite looks for NYFW yesterday comes from label to watch, Creatures of the Wind. Happy Weekend!

Creatures of the Wind AW12 from cat walking.com

ADVENT DAY SEVEN: CHRISTMAS CHEZ CHANEL

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Chanel skis £2480 (call 0207 493 5040)

I would love to tell you that in a couple of weeks, these skis and I will be off to spend days attached to one another, speeding through fresh snow and 'earning' copious amounts of mulled wine and hot chocolate. But that is mere fantasy. A girl can dream and Chanel skis are not such a bad place to begin. Although perhaps an actual skiing lesson would be more appropriate. I get the feeling that for those who do take to the pistes, it is just as much about the chic-ness of the attire as it is about the mastery of the black run. And I know that with these powering me along, I would be far more inclined to put in the necessary graft.

I do wish that Mr Lagerfeld would make a ski film- the Chanel monchromes couldn't ask for a more perfect setting than a pristine mountain top. However, he did make 'The Tale of a Fairy' to showcase the label's 2012 Cruise offering which is in store now. The short film stars many Lagerfeld (and FEAL) favourites including Amanda Harlech, Kristen McMenamy and Freja. The Cruise collection's traditional function, to provide the winter holidaying rich with an appropriate wardrobe, could easily be turned on its head to encompass the ultimate skiwear, and apres-ski, pieces couldn't it Karl? Maybe next year?

'If  you've never seen an elephant ski, you've never 

been on acid' Eddie Izzard

SS12: UNDER THE SEA

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

JW Waterhouse's The Mermaid. This season's collections are moving the image on

As one might expect from Spring/Summer collections, we have seen a myriad of references to all things seaside related during this fashion season; Mulberry took us on a seventies day out at the British beach, Daks (amongst others) was all fifties riviera, Craig Lawrence used sand as his starting point and Jonathan Saunders was all about Miami. But in Milan and Paris, some of the key collections have left the familiarity of the waterside and plunged to the mythical depths of the ocean to draw inspiration from sea creatures, shells and mermaids. 

Givenchy SS12

At Givenchy, Riccardo Tisci served up a streetwise version of mermaid-ness. There was the irridescence of a pearl scattered seabed and a scaled effect which echoed a translucent ocean dweller but the addition of a blazer and flash of leg meant these did not descend into being unwearable back on dry land.

Givenchy SS12

At Versace, Donatella referenced her brother's signature baroque prints and presented a sexed up modern mermaid,who looks like she might be off to the Marine Bar to sit on a shell and scout out the sea horse talent.

Versace SS12

Versace SS12

Versace SS12

At Alexander McQueen, it was all about drawing comparison to the textures of coral and pearl for Sarah Burton. Padded hips and fishtails, not unfamiliar features of a McQueen collection, leant themselves to the creation of  a mermaid silhoutte. The lace caps, called fetishistic by some, emphasise the other worldly, sea bed effect.

Alexander McQueen SS12

Alexander McQueen SS12

Alexander McQueen SS12- This looks like it's slicked in sea water

Finally, at Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld drew on one of the house's most important symbols, the pearl, and paid homage to its oceanic origins not only in the clothes but also on the pure white, ocean floor set. The pièce de résistance was Florence Welch, singing from inside a giant clam shell, 2012's incarnation of the Mermaid fantasy. 

Chanel SS12

Chanel's ocean floor set at the Grand Palais

Florence serenades the audience from her shell stage as the models encircle the set, spines encrusted with pearls.

All images, aside from The Mermaid (from JWWaterhouse.com), from Catwalking.com

THE WEEK IN FASHION 1/8-5/8

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large.

Back from our summer sojourn, here is a round-up of the week's fashion news. Enjoy!

Karl Lagerfeld has been spotted in St. Tropez sans sunnies, we kid you not! The man behind the mask is revealed.

Model Laura Bailey is the BFC's new cultural ambassador. You can follow Laura's fabulous fashion life and her work as a BFC ambassador over at her Vogue blog.

Laura in Stella sunnies (image from her Vogue blog)

Just to rub further salt in the wound of English fashion- lovers who are unlikely to see the ridiculously successful McQueen 'Savage Beauty' exhibition, Daphne Guinness' vast collection is now to go on show in New York. If you are lucky enough to be in NY then the Met will open until midnight this Saturday and Sunday to allow as many people as possible to see the McQueen exhibition before it closes. So there's really no excuse to miss out! The Met's exhibition REALLY needs to come to London.

The exhibition will feature pieces from Isabella Blow's archives which Daphne owns. Left to right- Amanda Harlech, Phillip Treacy, Daphne Guiness and Isabella Blow (Image courtesy of fuckyeahisabellablow tumblr)

Congratulations to Jaime Perlman who is jumping up from the position of Art Director of British Vogue taking over from former Creative Director, Robin Derrick. We also hear that Fran Burns is to take up a new Fashion Editor role at the title in September, amazing news! 

Jaime Perlman

Looking good Frannie!



Vanity Fair has released its annual Best Dressed list, and the criteria seems to be erring towards judging somewhat classic dressers. Unsurprisingly, most of the coverage has focused upon miss MOR herself Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and her third place entry. But we would like to draw your attention to the extreme chic of the glamorous wife of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikha Mozah bint Nasser Al Missned. Sheikha Mozah's family own Harrods, which we are sure makes her very happy in terms of fulfilling her prodigious shopping habits. She is known to have the largest collection of Christian Louboutin shoes in the Middle East, and harbours a passion for pearls. Here is a woman who makes wearing a turban aspirational.

She looks almost normal here 

But not here, with Prince Charles. (Image from Zimbio.com)

With Carla Bruni, who topped the list. Image from GraziaDaily.co.uk

The FashEd recently blogged about her involvement with Vauxhall Fashion Scout.This week the initiative announced its new 'One to Watch' picks. They all look very similar to one another, don't you think?

The work of Phoebe English (from anothermag.com)

Jessie-J wearing Shao Yen (image from his site)

One of the looks from Malene Oddeshade Bach's Middlesex BA show (image courtesy of catwalking.com)

Knitwear from Alice Lee (Image courtesy of Vogue.co.uk)

 Strictly speaking, this is last week's news but we just wanted to re-share the excitement of learning that Grace Coddington is to write a book! Many may be expecting that her memoirs  will re-ignite the Grace vs. Anna debate which was sparked by The September Issue, which they both starred in. However, we're also fascinated to hear about Grace's long and illustrious career taking her from Welsh school girl to being a fashion industry superheroine. This should be a fashion history lesson as well as insight into the mind of a very creative and somewhat shy woman.

Grace on the cover of Vogue in August 1962 (Image from Styleite.com)

A more recent shot of a heavenly Grace (from businessoffashion.com)

Finally, we are adoring these shots of wonderwomen Beyonce Knowles and Jane Fonda posing for W magazine and Harper's Bazaar US respectively. They both model key pieces from the AW11 collections and boy, do they wear them well. There are no more words...

Beyonce in Dolce and Gabbana (Image from swide.tumblr.com)

How amazing does Jane Fonda look in Stella McCartney's AW11 dress? (Image from Dailymail.co.uk)

  

With thanks to:
Fashionologie.com.
fashion.telegraph.co.uk
vogue.co.uk
theindependent.co.uk,
nymag.com/daily/fashion
vanityfair.com