Stella McCartney will show at London Fashion Week for the first time in 2012.
The British designer will showcase a “one off special fashion presentation” on February 18 ahead of an assault on the British capital which will see her launch a ‘World of Stella’ exhibition of Selfridges, a new fragrance launch, and the opening of a second store.
However, she will then present her new collection in Paris, France as she has done for the past decade.
Meanwhile, dates for the ‘Louis Vuitton Marc Jacobs’ exhibition at Les Arts Decoratifs in Paris have been announced.
The celebration of the long-running collaboration between the designer and the French leather goods firm will begin on March 6, the day before Paris Fashion Week wraps up and is set to run until September 16.
Despite being linked with a move to Christian Dior to take over from disgraced designer John Galliano, Marc recently revealed he has no plans to leave Louis Vuitton because he enjoys considerable freedom with the company.
He explained: “I could never do this anywhere else. It’s not just a Paris thing – Vuitton allows me. It’s really, really something I feel particularly proud of and am grateful to the team for. We’ve all worked really hard and gone through a lot to get this to where it is now and we’re starting to see results.”
It is full-steam ahead with season six for Project Runway. Despite moving to a whole new network, the designer reality TV show is back for another round with Heidi Klum at the helm. Mentor Tim Gunn, and judges Nina Garcia, and Michael Kors are also back, as well as whole host of celebrity guest judges.
From Catwalk Queen: Haute Couture Week is well underway in Paris, and yesterday it was the always-colourful John Galliano who unveiled his autumn/winter 2009 collection for Christian Dior. Moving his show to upstairs at the Dior flagship store, Galliano kindly reminded his models, including Chanel Iman, that “Mr Dior is watching” as they manoeuvred their way through the salons.
Elegant tailored suits, were mixed with bright Stephen Jones’s hats, tulle ball gowns and loads of sheer bottoms which Carine Roitfeld previously featured in a shoot as part of her New Look revival in June’s French Vogue. Bold shapes were also on the menu in strapless frocks, with the occasional corset and sexy suspender belt thrown in.
As I mentioned yesterday, rat-face Spencer Pratt has admitted to lying to Lauren Conrad in order to get her to come to his wedding to Heidi Montag. Nevertheless, as we all know L.C. did attend the wedding, filmed (and likely paid for) by MTV for Sunday’s episode of The Hills. Here is a sneak peek of what went on inside the church for the couple’s big day. My favourite part has to be the appalled look on L.C.’s face when her old rival and new replacementKirsten Cavallari unexpectedly shows up. I honestly couldn’t have scripted it better myself. Click play on video above to watch.
First Vivienne Westwood and now Richie Rich. Pamela Anderson burst out onto the runway for the finale of the Richie Rich show on Wednesday at the Waldorf-Astoria. Sprayed from head-to-toe in glitter, the former Baywatch babe left little to the imagination in a one-piece gold thong swimsuit, decorated in plastic coins. The audience cheered her on, as the 41-year-old joined ex-Heatherette designer, Richie Rich, to close his star-studded show. Other highlights included a performance by Kat de Luna, a troupe of topless men and catwalk appearances by Aubrey O’Day and Tinsley Mortimer. Party central!
Things were of a very sharp, sartorial nature at the Narciso Rodriguez fall ’09 show on Tuesday evening. Dipping into the future (like so many designers this season) his models took to the catwalk in robot-style peek-a-boo headwear. Body-con dresses in acid yellow, shocking pink and neon purple offered a hint of skin in sliced sections. They were thrown alongside more tailored, conservative looks in camel coats and tweed skirt suits. Jackets also ranged from jaquard to mohair with full-length zips. Besides a hint of Gothic lace and a shiny corset here and there, the most daring was left to a camouflage black-and-white print worked into dresses, trousers, boots and just about everything else. Click play on video below to watch.
Many were thanking Matthew Williamson today who, besides Marc Jacobs, gave us a break from the safeness of black and clumpy clothes with a burst of multi-color print and texture. As part of Team British Invasion, Williamson dazzled crowds with a mixture of shimmery beads, zigzag knits, ruffled cocktail dresses, skinny leather trousers, fur-trimmed shaped coats and sequinned gowns. A nod to his Pucci days came in the form of geometric-shaped prints, which featured in everything from column dresses to shiny suits, and worn with zebra cut-out ankle sandals. Although he did get a little carried away at times, overall I can see how many (especially New Yorkers) might flock to this collection for a touch of uptown society style.
Are we seeing a theme here? Everywhere I turn it’s a tribute to the Eighties for fall 2009… and I like it! Marc Jacobs wasn’t exempting himself from this nod to the neon era, but added a futuristic twist. There wasn’t a kilt in sight, just loads of bright hues, pleated trousers, sculptured cocktail dresses, colorful ponchos, printed leggings, thigh-high boots, all worn over black tights and topped with coiffed hair. Throw in some serious ’80s block shades, padded clutch bags, and long leather gloves and it was clear that Steven Sprouse for Louis Vuitton was still very much on Jacobs’s mind. Overall, it was daring, exciting but above all, fun. That said, I’m sure many will struggle to transfer these looks into wearable pieces, let alone afford to buy them. And sadly, at a time like this, that’s a worry.
Shoulders. Shoulders, shoulders, shoulders. We’re only a couple of days into fashion week, but already there’s a big trend emerging. We say ‘emerging’, we’ve known about the return of the shoulder for ages, but it’s really showing itself in the collections in New York. Following a much softer silhouette last season, Jonathan Saunders has delivered a much stricter, more powerful collection for Autumn / Winter, with shoulders at the forefront. They were chunky and square, round and bubbled, or accentuated with sashes of bright colour. The main inspiration was birds, with bright colours cutting through a black background, and touches like rich brocades, bold prints and skyline-effect belts cut through to add interest. As usual, Saunders was on top form, bringing together all kinds of ideas but somehow delivering them cohesively.
How do you update the bandage dress season after season? That’s the challenge Max Azria and his wife face with Hervé Léger. So long as celebs want to strut their stuff in the tiny body-con numbers, they won’t be changing much, though this season the Azrias did add a bit of change with some a-line skirts, intricate strapwork and even more embellishment than ever before. This is not life-changing, artsy fashion. This is stuff that will fly off the racks as the starlet clamor to wear it on the red carpet. They should probably pick more sensible shoes though. Watch the video for NY’s first model tumble…
Diane Von Furstenberg’s flower children have definitely grown up for Fall 2009. Picking rich, sumptuous fabrics, glam prints and beautiful brocades, the collection was a touch of subtle glamour for a season that’s driven mainly by the recession. Huge cocoon coats and slouchy draped cardigans concealed layered looks in clashing prints like leopard, Prince of Wales check and geometric swirls. The usual wrap dresses, chic knits and wearable shaped were teamed with leggings, huge pom-pom hats and chunky jewellery for a youthful edge. By night, it got more glam with bacofoil dresses, animal print sheaths and sequin shifts. [all images courtesy of Coutorture.com]
Guess what? Body-con ain’t going anywhere according to the folks at Preen. Their fall 2009-10 collection was choc-full of sliced body-con frocks offering just a glimpse of skin here and there. Add to that oversized houndstooth coats, fluffed up with Mongolian wool in black and white, skinny shiny trousers, and mini mod dresses in check. There was an interesting use of leather in one tight-fitting dress, modelled by Catherine McNeil, which featured a knot in the middle and cut-outs all over. Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi’s continual pushing of the envelope was even enough to bring Kanye West and his entourage to the front row. Yes, really.
It’s always worth watching the Betsey Johnson show rather than just looking at the pictures, not just for the designer’s trademark cartwheel at the end of the show (no joke!) but also for the fun poses the models pull as they hit the end of the runway. Betsey’s shows are always about girlie, feminine fun, and this season’s offering doesn’t disappoint. I dare you not to smile!
Stella McCartney will show at London Fashion Week for the first time in 2012.
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