Showing posts with label Proenza Schouler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Proenza Schouler. Show all posts

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK AW12: HIGHLIGHTS FROM TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY RODARTE! PROENZA SCHOULER!

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

New York is over for another season, save a few presentations taking place today. Here at FEAL, we're gearing up for the first day of London Fashion Week tomorrow. In the mean time, here are some of our favourites looks from the final few days in NY.

RODARTE

The Mulleavy sisters adopted the mid-century silhouette which has been prevalent for SS12. There were plenty of thick wools and knits alongside pretty prints and delicate frilled evening gowns. The show's first section had a Little House of the Prairie feel, but this gradually toughened up to include shearling and leather on more structured silhouettes. The show ended with two hand print full length chiffon dresses which are as beautiful as they are unnerving.





RODARTE FRONT ROW...
Tavi with roses in her hair

Dakota Fanning, who apparently put on dark
 glasses  a la Wintour to watch the show.

Beautiful loose up- dos backstage

MARC BY MARC JACOBS

Marc by Marc Jacobs was trussed up geek chic, with the addition of f**k of studded bags, satin prom dresses, thick black frame glasses and...



...big, bright red lips
Xiao Wen gets her lips done...
NARCISO RODRIGUEZ

The Rodriguez show was mostly an experiment in colour block dresses in hot tangerine, oxblood and sage green. However, my personal favourite look is this two tone drop waist coat- the collar bone exposing v-neck is very chic, either bare or with a polo neck. Plus, I'm developing something of an obsession with mid-calf boots.


REED KRAKOFF

This show began in black and ended in a series of creamy white looks, via orange and maroon. The play with layers and slightly varying tones ups the appeal here. Light, bright runway looks are lovely but whether they translate to the pavement is another question.



PROENZA SCHOULER

Another show inspired by Asian art and embroidery (also see Jason Wu), specifically the fabrics which the designers picked up on a trip to Nepal. Highlights include the quilted bird jackets and panelled skirts and dresses. Amongst those eastern influences were big, cosy leather coats which have winter in NYC written all over them.




Backstage at Proenza Schouler...




Acid trip meets Hindu make-up at Jeremy Scott
hi-top wedges
Jeremy Scott in the new novelty jumper- Bart print.
All catwalk images from catwalking.com. All other images from our favourite NYFW tweeters

THE WEEK IN FASHION: 24TH- 28TH OCT

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Hello Friday Fashion lovers. Welcome once again to your end of week fashion news round-up...

 First up, our immaculately placed sources tell us  that Marc Jacobs will CATEGORICALLY not be taking the vacant role at Dior, despite all the hype pointing to his imminent appointment. I'm afraid we can't shed much light on who it will be but the FashEd is thinking that it may end up being a complete surprise, somebody we've hardly heard of before. Quite frankly, I wish they'd just hurry up and tell us- the suspense is too much.
Marc with Kate Moss after Louis Vuitton SS12 (Image from Vogue.fr)
In other Marc related news, this week he has been appointed a member of the CFDA board- the panel which represents the American fashion industry and exerts influence in all areas of the fashion world. It seems baffling that after many years at the top of his game, designing for his two eponymous labels as well as Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs has only just been admitted onto the panel. Proenza Schouler duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez also took up their places.
The Proenza boys (Image from www.thegloss.com)
Golly jeeps, I'll stop going on about anything Marc related in a mo, I promise. However our third bit of news is the rumoured development of Louis Vuitton's first perfume. WWD reported that Jacques Cavallier- Belletrud, whose family are long time perfumers from Grasse, the home of fragrance making, will begin concocting something in January. That's all we know at the moment. Many of the world's biggest design houses are summed up by their perfumes; Chanel No.5 and YSL Rive Gauche are just two which spring to mind. Thus if this perfume comes off, it will be an echo of Louis Vuitton's identity, rather than part of it.
Sacks of rose petals used to make Chanel No.5, in Grasse (Image from graziadaily.co.uk)
 My Monday was greatly brightened by the news that King Karl Lagerfeld is launching a new and very affordable line of clothing. Prices will start at just 60 euros in the 100 piece collection which will be available from 25th January at Net-a-Porter. According to those in the know, Saskia de Brauw stars in the lookbook; highlights include a backless black dress and silver jeans as well as Karl's own personal favourite fingerless gloves.It seems the venture is mostly down to Pier Paolo Righi who heads up the Karl Lagerfeld brand. His philosophy? It would be stupid not to build on the 100 million euro plus which Lagerfeld already generates. Business sense for them, fashion joy for us!
Karl Lagerfeld with Pier Paolo Righi
After her wedding dress was heavily referenced by the Duchess of Cambridge back in April, my obsession with Princess Grace of Monaco A.K.A Grace Kelly hit an all time high. Wonderful timing then for a film about a six month period of her life with Prince Rainier of Monaco when she played a central role is abating tensions with France. After much wrangling, the script by Arah Amelhaving will now be produced by Pierre Ange Le Pogam. I should imagine that Princess Grace would be a dream character to play for any actress. My personal picks would be January Jones, whose Mad Men character Betty Draper has consistently been compared to Princess Grace, or Rosamund Pike who can flit between icy and warm with immense talent. Both have the look to do justice to a woman who is oft called one of the most beautiful ever. Now, who will design the costumes?
Grace Kelly (image from easyart.com)

 
January Jones as Betty Draper in Mad Men, with Don (Image from confessionsofahighbrow.com)
In an interview with WWD today, Raf Simons explains how he took the Jil Sander brand  and made it his own by going beyond the parameters which the label had previously worked within:

'I started with the idea of being inspired by everything that I thought was not allowed in the brand Jil Sander — other cultures, another time, another moment in history,” Simons recalled. “It was very naked, very exposed — at least for the Jil Sander brand. That [2009] show was very well received. When I saw that it started to work, and the followers of the brand were open to it and we also got a new customer in, I thought it was the moment to start exploring a new form of language.'
A 20s inspired dress from Simons' Spring 2009 collection for Jil Sander (Image from catwalking.com)
These comments are fascinating in the context of all the SS12 geeking that the FashEd and I have been doing. We've noticed that some our favourite collections have taken reference from a bygone era but made that reference look incredibly modern and right for now. Take a look at the drop waist dresses at Theysken's Theory or Preen's Virginia Woolf influences (which I blogged about during LFW) to see what I mean. 
Raf Simons (from culturesinbetween.net)
Finally, this film from Nowness.com is such a treat for anybody who loves fashion- so I assume that's all of you! Cathy Horyn from the New York Times talks to Alexander McQueen Creative Director Sarah Burton. We hear about the fashion industry from their perspective and how McQueen faithfully retains its aesthetic from season to season, apparently eschewing trends, or a desire to set them. I remember watching Sarah Burton explain the royal wedding dress and I could listen to her going through intricate details and elements of artisanship for hours on end such is the depth of her knowledge and the passion with which she narrates it.The film itself also zooms through pieces from the SS12 collection so you can sort of say you've been inside a McQueen gown. If I haven't sold it to you by now then please just watch it!


Diving for McQueen on Nowness.com.

SS12 EARLY WARNING- THE ABS ARE OUT + KINGA IS OUR PIN-UP

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Kinga Rajzak walking for Proenza Schouler SS12 (catwalking.com)
The Milan shows have only confirmed what London and New York majorly hinted at: if you want to be on trend next Summer, you're going to have to get your abs out. And for that you need to be at the very least fat free, or at the most ripped.  Our abs poster girl is Kinga Rajzak, who stole the show at Proenza Schouler with her aspirational midriff flashing and have you seen her muscle tone? Kinga's agent informs us that, contrary to appearences, the ab queen doesn't moonlight as an olympic athlete but is a gym bunny and yoga lover.

Dolce Gabbana SS12 (catwalking.com)

Dolce Gabbana SS12 (catwalking.com) 

Antonio Marras SS12 (catwalking.com)

In my own personal pursuit of midriff perfection, I have become a devotee of 8-minute abs. The video below is surely the secret weapon of fashion editors the world over. And judging by the number of views of the video in its various guises, as much as 10 million in one version, there is a kind of secret abs cult which can only grow as next year's abs reveal grows closer. Yes, it's super cheesy but if it works do we care? I guarantee you will feel completely ripped the next day and, if you manage to avoid all salt, sugar, wheat etc. then you MAY have Kinga abs by Spring.

THE AW11 CAMPAIGNS WE LOVE

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

The arrival of the BIG September issues has finally brought together the slow trickle of campaign images which have been released throughout the Summer. The excitement these ads create is a sensation in itself, especially if they feature a notably young/ famous/ odd person (delete as appropriate). They also bring the brand's new fashion message to the masses. Basically, they're kinda significant, but you knew that already, right? But which ones are actually doing their job and drawing us in?
Here are our top picks....
1. MIU MIU
Miu Miu's decision to use fourteen year-old Hailee Steinfeld provoked rather a lot of debate when it was announced. Although using very young models or actresses is by no means confined to Miu Miu, we were interested to see the direction they would take with the pictures - would they try to make her look like an adult? Or, would the brand play it charmingly tongue-in-cheek and show Hailee simply enjoying the best game of dressing- up EVER? Judging by the latest Bruce Weber shots to be released, they went for the utterly charming approach...

Miu Miu sequins- just what every young girl wears to pop out for a pizza. 
Awwww. Not so much a snow angel, as a shoe angel

This is rather sad. Like nobody will play any more.
I am no photography expert, but to my amateur eye these images look just a touch soft at the edges, which gives them an even more innocent allure. It's almost as if they were taken spontaneously to capture a precious moment of a little girl growing up, by a parent or relative. In reality, they are the result of careful styling, will create millions in revenue and appear in some of the most expensive advertising spaces on the planet. So, I am taking my proverbial fedora off to Miu Miu for creating this adorable effect.

2. MULBERRY
Mulberry continues the slightly whimsical, childish theme with its Fantastic Mr Fox themed campaign. This is unmistakably the work of Tim Walker, tricking the eye as the page is turned to reveal bemused models and their Mulberries dwarfed by giant foxes and owls and other woodland curiosities. To recreate this effect for yourself, simply get you and your favourite bag down to the Southbank Centre where the supersized straw fox will provide the perfect prop!

A Taylor bag - seen above in large and small versions - and a pretty pleat is all you need for Mulberry themed country high jinks
3. PROENZA SCHOULER 
Proenza Schouler have chosen to underline their particular take on the print story which continues into this season by framing Zuzanna Bijoch's poses for Willy Vanderperre with graphic, simplified echoes of the patterns on the clothes. I love that this campaign is really just all about the clothes and the ideas behind them. Pared back and stark.

An exquisite autumnal palette
4. BALENCIAGA
Balenciaga, shot by Steven Meisel, gives us the juxtaposition of old and new- Nicholas Ghesquiere's sharp, modern pieces are worn in a convent- like setting, and then in a super futuristic, pristine cube. We are particularly seduced by the smokey surrounds and sharp architecture of the 'old' images. Balenciaga's subliminal message seems to be 'these clothes can worn anywhere, as long as it's as chic as they are'.
Balenciaga looking sharp
5. CHANEL
How could we not include these mega-cute Chanel images- a collaboration between a trio of the most-wanted people in fashion, Carine Roitfeld, Freja Beha Erichssen and King Karl himself (who took the photos). The FashEd is particularly enamoured by the shot of Freja looking a little dishevelled with a message scribbled in eyeliner across her forehead. My favourite is the extremely feline whisker and flowers-for-ears combination. Again you can recreate the look for yourself by popping to your local photobooth armed with eyeliner and/or some cat ears, easy!


6. GIVENCHY
While Mulberry takes us on a woodland romp, Givenchy prefers a more exotic rainforest-esque setting. Mariacarla Boscono is cast as a kooky bird of paradise, holding court in her den of sumptuous print and colour.
Givenchy shot by Mert and Marcus
7. MARC JACOBS
This post would not be complete without a mention of our unmitigated delight at Helena Bonham Carter's teaming up with Marc Jacobs and his long-time collaborator Juergen Teller. An absolute stellar choice of ambassador for Marc's AW dottiness. 


A lesson from Helena- You don't have to be a 14 year-old to make fashion fun.

And last but not least, we love this slightly skinny, suitably stubbly indie boy, with his luscious mop of hair, hanging out in his Diesel pants.


 Images courtesy of FashionGoneRogue.com, Diesel.

MET BALL 2010

Posted by fashion Editor at Large


Sienna Miller wearing Emilio Pucci and Jude Law at last nights Met Ball in New York.

When I first started working at Grazia, Sienna Miller and Jude Law were in the heat of their first love affair. I think media pressure broke them up. So I got an unexpected thrill of pleasure this morning when I saw they had made their first public engagement as a couple the second time around at last nights Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit to celebrate the opening of the exhibition “American Woman: Fashioning a National Identity” aka (for obvious reasons) The Met Ball. The event was sponsored by Gap, with US Vogue, so a huge night for my friend Anita at the Gap, who has been working closely with Anna Wintour for weeks to ensure the night went smoothly. ANYWAY. Back to Jude and Sienna I do hope this time it is for keeps.  And don't they make just the most gorgeous couple. For some reason, I just love these two being back together.
MY TOP TEN MET BALLERS

How impossibly cool do Sasha, Sean & Kemp look in Marni?
 
Chanel Iman in Michael Kors
Alexa in Phillip Lim tuxedo with Phillip Lim
Princess Anne Hathaway in Valentino
Lily Donaldson missed the show season, and gained some good-looking curves. She is wearing Marc Jacobs
The lovely Lauren Santo Domingo in Proenza Schouler
Carey Mulligan looking cute in Miu Miu
Kirsten Dunst with Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte. KD is wearing Rodarte for Gap. Wonder when (or rather if) that dress is coming in store????
Ms Bosworth never disapppoints. The Valentino dress is ravishing.

Images: style.com, emilio pucci, valentino, marni, grazia daily