All posts under ‘They said/We said’

They said/We said: Why Katie Holmes might be ramping up her fashion career in the midst of her high-profile divorce

By | July 5th, 2012 | 5:00 pm

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Photography by James Devaney/WireImage

Whatever your opinion of Katie Holmes might be, you have to give it to her: she doesn’t waste time moping after a breakup. While most of us would have maybe made it to our fourth Ben & Jerry’s bucket and gotten halfway through season six of Sex and the City (“The Post-it Always Sticks Twice!”), since announcing her impending divorce last week the soon-to-be-former Mrs. Tom Cruise has already taped an episode for Project Runway, landed herself on the cover of Elle and finalized plans for the debut of her Holmes & Yang line (with stylist partner Jeanne Yang) at New York Fashion Week this September.

In fact, it seems like now more than ever, Holmes is really kicking her fashion career into high gear. It kind of has us wondering: was this all a strategic move on Holmes’ part? After having played the role of demure, loyal wife to the charismatic Tom Cruise for five years, could it be that Holmes had plans to break out on her own all along?

If her upcoming August feature with Elle is anything to go off, she may have been planning the divorce shocker for a while. The New York Post managed to cull a couple quotes from the feature, including this particularly telling reflection:

“I definitely feel much more comfortable in my own skin,” Holmes apparently said. “I feel sexier. I think in my 20s, it’s like you’re trying too hard to figure everything out . . . I’m starting to come into my own. It’s like a new phase.”

A new phase that will evidently leave everyone’s favourite couch jumper in the dust. Holmes also hinted that Cruise’s star power may have been more of a hindrance rather than a help for her own career, saying, if anything “you work a little bit harder when you’re in such visible circumstances.”

Strategic timing or not, the fashion crowd is notoriously tough to please, so the real fashion test for the soon-to-be-singleton will be at NYFW this September. Until then, we can all keep ourselves entertained with round-the-clock TomKat updates (our personal favourite rumour so far: that Holmes had to audition to be Cruise’s wife).
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They said/We said: The Russian fashion pack makes it big with Ulyana Sergeenko’s couture debut

By | July 4th, 2012 | 6:00 pm

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Photography by Lewis Mirrett

The Russian fashion elite (also known as the “Russian Fashion Pack”) are having a moment right now, one that may have culminated yesterday in street-style-star-turned-designer Ulyana Sergeenko’s debut couture collection.

Rolling out right in between Chanel and Armani Privé’s shows, the couture collector’s first-ever collection was an ode to her country’s folklore and heritage, complete with babushkas, hand-carved wooden shoes and fur-lined military coats. Grace Coddington and Carine Roitfeld sat front row, which if anything, is a testament to Sergeenko and the rest of the Russian Fashion Pack’s appeal right now.

“America has Jackie O, and the world has Audrey Hepburn, but Russia never had a fashion icon of the moment,” Anya Ziourova, the fashion director of the Russian version of Tatler, told the New York Times in a feature titled “The Czarinas Are Back.” “Maybe that is what is happening: the modern Russian icons are being born.”

If street style blogs are any indication of style, then the Russian fash-pack has it in spades. Something about their individually distinct aesthetics and sartorial risk-taking has caught heavy-hitting and influential photographers’ eyes, turning them into fashion stars overnight.

Take designer Vika Gazinskaya, for example: the Russian gamine quickly gained visibility online, thanks to heavily circulated photographs of her by Garance Doré, Scott Schuman and Tommy Ton across the blogosphere. In a strategic move, she wore her own designs to the fashion show circuit, and thanks to the blogosphere pics, the move worked out: her pieces are now carried at Colette in Paris and Fivestory in New York.

There’s also Miroslava (or Mira) Duma, the daughter of a Russian senator and the former editor of Russia’s Harper’s Bazaar, who has become as known (if not more so) for her quirky, colourful style as her popular fashion website Buro 24/7.

And then, of course, there’s Sergeenko, arguably the leader of the pack: like her couture collection on Tuesday, the former model’s signatures are full, ‘50s-esque skirts paired with tight wool sweaters, dramatic Russian touches like babushkas and stunning makeup that hearkens back to another time.

The leading ladies of the Russian Fashion Pack may have some deep pockets (Sergeenko’s husband is an insurance billionaire), but their inimitable style and work is what’s really distinguishing them among their peers.
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They said/We said: American Apparel shocks with an uncharacteristically older and…clothed model!

By | July 3rd, 2012 | 5:30 pm

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Photography via Facebook/American Apparel

Perhaps the most shocking part about American Apparel’s latest ad campaign is that it’s really not shocking at all, at least not for the reasons AA has become known: instead of high-rise thongs or bared breasts, a “senior” model serenely poses in AA garb, her silver hair flanking her shoulders. Though it wouldn’t be AA if there weren’t at least one gratuitous crotch shot, Jacky (whose last name or exact age hasn’t been released yet) still manages to keep it classy.

“There was something so compelling about Jacky’s look and energy when we first spotted her in a New York restaurant this winter, we introduced ourselves and pulled up a chair. During a long discussion that touched on everything from career choices and nutrition to insights on relationships, age and beauty, we asked if she would consider being photographed by us. We were thrilled when she agreed,” AA posted on their Facebook page, which also has an entire album devoted to the senior beauty’s campaign.

We have to admit that American Apparel’s latest campaigns have grabbed our attention for all the right reasons, which is a welcome departure from some of their tackier fare in earlier years. Take their last campaign, for example, which featured transgendered model Isis King of America’s Next Top Model fame sporting the label’s “Pride” tees and tanks. Instead of a 16-year-old waif who only a tiny fraction of the population can relate to, AA seems to be expanding their market and their demographic, making the brand more inclusive.

Though we’re normally wont to question the sometimes-shady brand’s motives, we’re all for timeless beauty and style, and this campaign and King’s are definitely a step in the right direction for making advertised fashion and beauty more relatable. What do you think about AA’s latest campaign: are they making positive strides in their latest batch of ads, or is this simply a ploy to change the public’s opinion about them?
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They said/We said: Dolce & Gabbana to launch couture label with an intimate limited-media presentation

By | June 28th, 2012 | 5:30 pm

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Photography by Peter Stigter

Designer duo Dolce & Gabbana has just confirmed reports that they’ll be showing their first-ever couture collection in a hush-hush presentation on July 9. Continuing their ode to Sicily (you might remember their Sicilian street casting for their latest menswear collection), the designers will be unveiling the collection in their home base instead of in Paris, where all other couture collections are shown.

Press is completely banned from the presentation with the exception of three news outlets, and instead of the fashion house’s usual high profile, celeb-packed front row, the couture presentation will be clients-only (in other words: big spenders).

The designers are said to have been mulling over a couture collection for a while, which doesn’t come as much of a surprise considering the well-received one-off pieces they’ve created for celebrities like Scarlett Johansson this past year. However, the designers said they are only using the pared-down presentation as a potential lead-in to couture, as opposed to diving into the couture world head-on.

After folding their less-expensive line D&G last year with their signature RTW line, it seems like the Italian pair have their sights set on a brand repositioning, turning their focus to the high-luxury side of the market instead of the lower end. It might be a wise move considering current consumers’ insatiable appetite for luxury goods.

Though income earners in the lower bracket were pinching pennies post-2008, those towards the top seemed drawn to luxury goods more than ever, helping conglomerate LVMH pull in profits far exceeding their forecasts last year. In fact, Dolce & Gabbana aren’t the only designers who seem to recognize the value in the luxury market either: Versace returned to the couture world after an eight-year hiatus last season.

Though we won’t hold our breath for any images of the collection thanks to the secrecy surrounding the Sicilian debut, we expect the Italian duo will pull off high-luxury with aplomb.
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They said/We said: Only Terry Richardson and Lindsay Lohan could create controversy over a photo without even really trying

By | June 27th, 2012 | 6:30 pm

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Photography by Terry Richardson

It’s a sign of something sad when we’re not shocked in the least to see these Terry Richardson–lensed images of Lindsay Lohan pointing a gun to her head. Richardson (or someone who knows better) evidently wasn’t crazy about them, because they’ve been stripped from his site just 24 hours after they were uploaded. Thanks to the wonders of the internet, we have one of the disturbing images for your viewing pleasure. Read more »

They said/We said: A recently released book discusses the dangers of fast fashion

By | June 26th, 2012 | 5:30 pm

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Photography by InfoMofo/Flickr

It’s hard to think we could ever have anything but unbridled excitement for a $20 Céline-esque find at the mall, but a recently released book is warning that fast fashion’s trend machine may have some serious repercussions.

In Elizabeth L. Cline’s Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion, she points a finger at fast fashion retailers like Zara, saying they may be churning out cheap wares at the cost of much more: namely, our planet, our market and our wallets (not to mention our groaning, filled-to-the-brim closets).

“In a very short period of time clothing has gone from something that we need to save up for and something that people valued and took care of, to something that is an impulse and disposal purchase,” she told Fashionista.

We see her point: most of us get a cheap retail fix at least once a week, which is an entirely different approach than generations past, when women used to save up and invest in clothing (what’s more, their clothes were usually custom-made). And we can’t argue with the fact that cheap fashion giants are our first stop when we want to try a brand new trend without the big financial investment.

According to Cline, the issue is that despite the fact that our clothes cost less, we’re consuming more of them. Cline says we’ve developed a toss-away attitude to passé trends, throwing away our month-old rayon or polyester wares only to immediately replace them with the latest week-old offering.

Not only is this bad for our bank accounts and our wardrobe, she says, but fast fashion companies either place pressure on or drive out niche companies. Many independent retailers are forced to drastically reduce their level of craftsmanship, while others simply can’t keep up with the competing rate of production and close up shop. Finally, Cline points out that the more we consume, the more strain we place on our natural fiber providers, meaning that more and more clothes will be created out of synthetic materials.

What do you think: does Cline have a point, or is she ignoring the fact that many of us dabble in both high and fast fashion, and that there’s a place for both?
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They said/We said: Is Dolce & Gabbana’s “real men” runway show the newest form of street style?

By | June 25th, 2012 | 5:30 pm

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Photography by Peter Stigter

When Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana said they were taking inspiration from Sicily for their Spring 2013 men’s collection, they meant it quite literally. Seventy boys and men from the island, where the label is originally from, were plucked from the streets and brought over to Milan to walk in the duo’s garbs.

The scene on the runway was an overt nod to retro Sicily: lean, olive-skinned boys and moustached men alike took to the runway in an array of belted, high-waisted shorts, soft three-piece suits, carnival-striped shirts and souvenir prints. Though the collection itself has received mostly positive reviews, the fleet of Sicilians was definitely the most standout aspect of the entire show, offering an “authentic emotional punch” that had most of the industry captivated.

It’s no big secret that the fashion industry is on a never-ending search for “the next big thing,” something to shake jaded fashion watchers out of their doldrums and inject excitement into their ennui. Several years ago, style bloggers and street style photographers seemed to offer something more raw and authentic than the traditional fashion circuit, but as the popularity of blogging rose, its “edge” seemed to slowly wear off. Though fashion blogging is still alive and well, its novelty has waned. With street style photography, what used to be an unfiltered take on what real people were wearing on the streets has exploded into a veritable zoo during fashion weeks and outside of fashion hot spots.
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They said/We said: More on yesterday’s Saint Laurent name change, including surprising approval from Pierre Bergé

By | June 22nd, 2012 | 2:00 pm

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Original Yves Saint Laurent muses Loulou De La Falaise and Betty Catroux with Pierre Bergé. Photography by George Pimentel/WireImage

Though yesterday’s news about Yves Saint Laurent’s name change was met with a torrent of outrage, one person is actually happy with the new direction of the legendary fashion house. Pierre Bergé, the late designer’s long-term business and life partner, is giving his blessing to newly appointed creative director Hedi Slimane’s brand revamp.

Bergé told WWD that Slimane called him several weeks before the announcement yesterday to give him a heads up about the name change from “Yves Saint Laurent” to “Saint Laurent Paris” (though to much of the fashion world’s relief, the YSL logo will remain the same).

“I’m very happy. Anything that makes the house more Saint Laurent is welcome,” he said. “I am happy that Stefano Pilati is gone, just as I was happy when Tom Ford left.”

As we reported yesterday, Slimane’s decision to change the name of the fashion house was an effort to recapture the original spirit of Saint Laurent’s first foray into ready-to-wear in 1966.

Bergé is even standing behind Slimane’s decision to move the quintessentially French line’s creative studio from Paris to Los Angeles, another move that has had some fashion folk foaming at the mouth.

“The creative studio is in a designer’s head, it resides within the person,” said Bergé. “Hedi lives in Los Angeles. He should be left to do fashion in a city he likes.”

While we had mixed feelings about Slimane’s decision to change YSL’s trademark moniker, a stamp of approval from someone who knew Saint Laurent better than anyone should count for something. Who knows—maybe this heralds a new era for the brand and will bring back some of the excitement of ’60s Saint Laurent.
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