It's almost the weekend people, and I've managed to emerge from analysing Resort and Couture to bring you our news round-up before the week is up...
Chloe Sevigny for Miu Miu AW12, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott (image from Miu MIu)
We might be onto Spring thinking with Resort but we're still reminded of the looks which will be hitting stores in a month or two with the steady stream of new ad campaigns being revealed. Miu Miu revealed Chloe Sevigny as their face for AW12. The New York IT girl first modelled for the brand in 1996. Their long-lasting relationship meant that Miu Miu let Sevigny put her feet up for the shoot so she is photographed (by Mert and Marcus) curled up in an armchair with a cup of tea, bless!
Chloe in her first Miu Miu ads, shot by Juergen Teller, in 1996 (image from popculturedujour.com)
Hedi Slimane revealed his first collection for Yves Saint Laurent this week. In a marked contrast to the hype surrounding Raf Simons' debut, Slimane only showed the collection to a small group of buyers. Anyone else eager to see what Slimane will do, having already renamed the brand SLP, must wait until October/ November when the pieces hit stores. The Saint Laurent twitter page denied that sketches published in WWD bore any resemblance to the designs:
The sketches released in WWD dated July 4, 2012, do not represent YSL Cruise 13 Collection and obviously were not designed by Hedi Slimane.
Some of the sketches, by Steven Stipelman, which appeared on WWD (see more here)
However, some of the buyers did describe what they saw. One told the FT that there were "silk dresses with bias-cut mini-skirts covered in dots" and the slim tailoring for which Slimane became so known during his Dior Homme days. Another told WWD that “It’s very black and white, with a strong Eighties influence. There were new constructions and cuts for suits, with a focus on the three-button jacket, and new shirt shapes with lots of special details, such as new collars and cuffs.”
Hedi is said to have taken inspiration from Helmut Newton's iconic1975 image of the YSL tuxedo suit (image from Karl.com)
Choupette, Karl Lagerfeld's cat, has touched the hearts of many with her irreverent tweets (e.g. Well guess what Suzy Menkes, I find YOU dull. Hurts doesn't it?!) and now Lagerfeld has named a Chanel bag after his beloved pet. The soft, squishy clutch design was unveiled in the couture show on Tuesday. The name was revealed by Cathy Horyn of the New York Times after she tweeted that she'd just seen the bag in the Chanel showroom. We'll have to wait and see whether Karl decides to design a "kitty-friendly" version which could perhaps be worn around the collar.
King Karl with Choupette (image from ldnfashion.com)
This COULD be the Choupette bag (image from lipsticksandcopsticks.tumblr.com)
Ever since his dramatic and traumatic exit from Dior last year, little has been seen of John Galliano aside from the occasional rumour or 'spot' here and there. This week, one of the surest signs yet that he may be preparing for a new role of some kind came when he was seen having dinner at The Ritz with Anna Wintour. Rather bizarrely the meeting took place on the same day as Raf Simons' first couture show at Dior. Unusually for Wintour, onlookers reported that she was excited and animated. Sadly, nobody got close enough to hear what the two were discussing.
Blurred instagram pictures show Galliano and Anna Wintour meeting at The Ritz (image from Albert Pang/ Instagram via telegraph.co.uk)
The FashEd and I met the fab jewellery designer Pamela Love in Paris back in February so we were very happy to see that she has done a brilliant job of continuing this summer's trend for boho weddings. US Vogue covered the ceremony and very appropriately called the feature "Flower Child". Love's marriage to illustrator Matthew Nelson in Montauk was all about 'being in a natural, wild environment—which is kind of what love is' she said. Pamela is not the first bride to opt for the hippy mood this Summer. First, was Margarita Missoni with her flowing hair and amazingly embroidered dress. Then, last weekend one of the original purveyors of boho, Jade Jagger, gathered all her mates and family including Kate Moss, Jerry Hall and Dad Mick and for her marriage to Adrian Fillary. One guest who didn't comply with the boho dress code was Jade's Mum, Bianca whose black suit looked a little funereal among the flippy dresses and mad colours worn by most of the guests.
Images from Pamela and Matthew's wedding- to see the whole slideshow go to Vogue.com
Carine Roitfeld may have resigned from French Vogue several months ago, but I still seem to find something to say about her every week in this piece. Not only has she been rocking some awesome looks during couture but she has styled three covers for the latest issue of V magazine. Roitfeld has used some of the boldest pieces from the AW12 collections including those hugely oversized and colourful Comme des Garcons coats and the sci-fi sweaters everyone wants from Balenciaga.
Carine rocks a Givenchy sequin pencil at Dior on Monday (image from iwanttobearoitfeld.com)
V magazine's Youth Quake issue covers, styled by Carine Roitfeld (images from fashionologie.com)
Finally, if you feel like you've heard everyone's opinion on Raf's Dior debut then here's a chance to hear Mr Simons' own point of view on how he is approaching his new role...
The grounds of Port Eliot House where the festival takes place
It's starting to feel like Summer is properly kicking in. I haven't worn a coat for a few days at least and all the things I've planned for "Summer" are starting to happen. One of those is my first Port Eliot festival, which I'll be heading to Cornwall for two weeks from now. I booked almost as soon as tickets were released as I couldn't bear another year of tweets, articles and blog posts from the festival turning me into the green-eyed monster for not being there. I'm going with two friends- one's a foodie, the other a music and drama lover- so I'm hoping we'll force one another to broaden our horizons. However, the fashion line-up looks so awesome that I could probably spend the entire weekend getting made up by Louise Gray and hair stencilled by Alex Brownsell from Bleach, and being dressed up in the blindfold styling booth by Piers Atkinson and Fred Butler. Every girl's dressing up dream team, basically.
The Fashion Dolls' Tea Party, which Sarah Mower is organising with LOVE's Alex Fury, is written in indelible ink on my itinerary. Melanie is receiving regular updates from Sarah as the dolls arrive ready for their journey west. I don't want to spoil the surprise but one of our favourite designers has sent his Barbies to be part of the fun. Among the designers whose childhood dollies have also RSVP'd are Donatella Versace, Alber Elbaz and Roksanda Ilincic. Alice in Wonderland, eat your heart out.
Cathy St Germans, organiser of Port Eliot, tweeted this photo of some of the dolls arriving for the Doll's Party
The traditional line to tow on eco fashion is that it is hippy-ish, frumpy and extremely unappealing to anyone who wants to look like they have one iota of style. I do think that's changed a lot of late; H&M's Conscious collection showed that you can do eco and stylish on a mass level while LFW's Estethica exhibition showcases lots of brands doing ethical design in a way that would appeal even to fashionistas who don't worry/ care about where their clothes come from.
Livia Firth in Beulah yesterday
Livia Firth is one of eco fashion's most prolific supporters; through her Green Carpet Challenge she has worked with major designers including Gucci, Prada and Tom Ford to create ethically conscious outfits for the premieres and awards ceremonies she attends with Mr Firth. She also heads up eco-age, an online hub for ethical fashion. Yesterday, Livia unveiled her curation for Yooxygen, the ethical arm of Yoox.com.
Some of Livia's picks for Yoox
There are a few accessories which she has personally designed including a scarf and necklace which reference her favourite animal, the butterfly. There are feather trimmed cloche hats from the world's only fair trade certified milliner, Pachacuti. Livia has also designed her version of the LBD. "I looked at Audrey Hepburn and her little back dress. It looked cute in the day so I gave my design the option of bows on the shoulders. And then we did the leather belt so you can put it on and be a vixen for the evening". Livia has used factories she trusts in India, Germany, France and the UK to manufacture the designs.
Hat by Pachacuti
Then there are pieces from Livia's favourite labels, all of whom she has built up close personal relationships with over the years. "I hate trends and never look at them" she told me, "none of these pieces are about being trendy. It's about something that is so beautiful you can wear it for years". She's picked coats from Henrietta Ludgate and dresses from Beulah (a Duchess Kate favourite) as well as properly beautiful underwear from Sri Lankan brand Charini. My personal favourite is the clutch by Sofia Retro Bazaar, an Italian brand which uses vintage silks to make one-of-a-kind pieces.
Clutch by Sofia Retro Bazaar
Lingerie by Charini
Livia's motivations for her eco crusade are not just rooted in the usual green concerns. Her Italian roots have played a big role in how she think about clothes. "Italian women wear their clothes for years. They buy good quality pieces which will last" she explains. Livia Firth's buying philosophy is to "never buy anything unless you know you'll still wear it in ten years time". Her manifesto extends to how we see our clothes too. It shouldn't just be about how they look but also what you know about them; "I love the stories of clothes, I like to have a relationship with the story- where it's come from and how it's been made. And then you wear that story". It's a sobering thought for fast-fashion junkies.
Livia Firth's collection and ethical label selection will be available at Yoox.com in September
Had one of those mornings that was all invoices, accounts, receipts and procedure. So to add some light to an otherwise dark day, I wanted to share one of the trends to emerge from the recent Resort 2013 collections. Stripes aren't exactly the most original of fashion motifs, but I'm totally sold on the way all the designers' I've highlighted here have treated them for their Resort 2013 ranges, especially Balmain and Preen who combined painterly floral motifs with graphic stripes, creating something beautifully fresh. Stripes are, as I've been told time and again by retailer friends, always best-sellers, so going by that factoid alone I expect this won't be the last time we see this little lot.
I'm pregnant enough to make getting out of a car a three point manoeuvre so decided not to go to Paris for the Haute Couture shows this time (the most sensible I have been in my life). And so, following in the footsteps of colleagues who have walked this way before me, I'm watching the latest fashion proceedings in Paris from the comfort of my swivel chair and a window on the world through my Mac. The view is, in fact, rather brilliant proving almost as insightful as actually being there.
The Dior live stream for Raf Simon's debut show – OMG!! Cue Raf mania etc. - for the house was in full working order - we watched it on Dior.com complete with the actual show music, Windowlicker by Aphex Twin, pumping through (with Elle.fr and Dior's Facebook page as back-ups).
Witnessing the build up to the show on Twitter/Instagram was bordering on hysterical – one editor wrote, “So excited its like Christmas day when you are five years old.” When you think that basically, said editor (and indeed all of us to an extent) is excited about clothing designed for the newly minted society ladies from BRIC nations, created by a rave music loving Belgian modernist, for France’s most storied and bourgeois fashion house, in the midst of a first world recession, it seems smart to remain clear-eyed in the eye of fashion beauty. Especially when considering the fate of the previous Dior creative director John Galliano who infamously unravelled under the pressure of his role. Being caught up in fashion raptures seems somehow inappropriate to me now, but it's hard when confronted with the most perfect outfit I've ever seen (below).
(via @franburnslondon) My favourite
So, I’m going to try to be clear eyed. The heart and the head are saying two different
things… While this did feel like the most anticipated fashion debut in my living
memory, and the flower filled venue and clothes were incredibly beautiful, the show and
collection itself was exactly what I expected - even down to the slim-leg trousers topped
with modern ballgown tops that were a lyrical rendition of the so-called “mullet” dresses
most young London women are wearing - nothing more. I'm not sure if that is a bad thing
or a good thing. Probably good.
It was certainly clear by look two that Raf Simons knew he had the Dior job back in February
when he presented his final collection for Jil Sander, so similar was the look and feel of the
clothes. In fact maybe his last Jil Sander show was actually his first unofficial Christian Dior
show – even the hair and make-up was the same.
In a nutshell this felt like a spot-on continuation and evolution to the Raf Simons body of
work, while it also respected the elegant codes of the Dior DNA. My gut feeling is, let's
wait and see what he does for his Dior ready-to-wear – I sense he will be redefining and
modernising the end-use customer in Dior's off-the-peg collection far more intensively
that he can with a Haute Couture show. A society lady is what she is, after all, and she
will be hammering down the door of the Dior atelier on Rue Francois Premier....right
The Fashion Editor at Large blog is the independent work of Melanie Rickey, the views are my own. The Fashion Junior at Large is Bethan Holt. PORTRAIT: Neil Haynes
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