THE WEEK IN FASHION: OCTOBER 29th- NOVEMBER 2nd

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

It's been a funny old week in fashion, with most of the stories coming out of the US either halting or being mostly revolved around how NY's fashion community was coping with the Sandy crisis. There's still plenty of updates to get through before we light our sparklers for Bonfire Night.

"I had to be the first one to have an idea" is perhaps my favourite quote from The Guardian's interview with Miuccia Prada. A great read anyway, but especially if you want to better understand Mrs Prada's sensibilities, background and the secret to her brand's huge influence on the global fashion market. It's also a reminder, should you need one, that being intellectual and interested in fashion are not mutually exclusive traits.

Prada's Luna Rossa (Red Moon) Image via vogue.co.uk

In other Prada news, Miucca and her husband Patrizio Bertelli this week launched their £32million super yacht Luna Rossa. The lovely boat is not just for island-hopping and showing off about the fact you're in the Prada clan. Oh no. Luna Rossa is on a mission to compete in the America's Cup for 2013. In typically prda-ish fashion however, Bertelli had this to say "It's an industrial artefact that happens to sail on the ocean." Rather than being, you know, an actual boat. It's quite likely that Miuccia and Patrizio will be trying her out for themselves as sailing is one of their great hobbies.

Kate Moss opens up (image via vanityfair.com)

We are used to Kate Moss being  a "seen and not heard" kind of girl. So her wide-ranging interview with Vanity Fair is something of a surprise. However it shed light on numerous periods in Moss's life which have long been speculated on. She speaks about being exploited as a young model and suffering a breakdown; "I felt really bad about straddling this buff guy. I didn’t like it. I couldn’t get out of bed for two weeks. I thought I was going to die." She also describes the aftermath of break-up from Johnny Depp -"Years and years of crying. Oh, the tears!” This month's Vanity Fair is a must-read for Moss aficionados. This is also a great piece focussing on her comments on starting out as a model.

Jane Shepherdson talks shop (via businessoffashion.com/ Whistles)

Jane Shepherdson, CEO of Whistles, gave one of the most honest and insightful interviews I've ever  read from a fashion insider this week. Speaking to Business of Fashion, she spoke about how she took on transforming Whistles from a "lightly boho, pretty, slightly girly-frilly brand" to the on-trend but workable go-to which it represents today. She also quashed all over the top claims that Duchess Kate has brought millions of pounds into the coffers of the labels she chooses to wear. BoF Editor Imran Ahmed also asked Shepherdson about expansion plans, sales and the dangers of convention wisdom.

Coach was this week awarded a rather symbolic £160 million after a court found in the handbag maker's favour. Hundreds of websites selling fake Coach handbags will now be shut down. It will be impossible, however, for Coach to recoup their compensation as the proprietors of the websites cannot be traced. All they will receive is the remaining funds in the PayPal and Western Union accounts. Even when the law comes down in your favour, practicalities remain a barrier.

Marni's polka perfume (image via elleuk.com)

Two exciting fragrance launches announced this week. First up is Marni which unveiled the spotted, cylindrical bottle which will be home to its first ever perfume. The new venture will be available sometime next year and is being produced in conjunction with Estee Lauder. We can expect it to be "sophisticated" but "eccentric". In the next installment of "What Carine Did Next", romours abound that a fragrance is on the cards. Fashionologie.com has come up with possibilities on the name front. Perhaps "Forgive Me" which Roitfeld patented earlier this year, or the simple "Carine Roitfeld" which is also protected. Any further ideas on a postcard, please.

Anna, Grace and Carine ousted by Sandy (image from andreeamacri.com)

In "What Carine Did This Week" we can report that she stayed in a swanky uptown NY hotel with Anna Wintour. No, not for a girly getaway but as a refuge during hurricane Sandy. They reportedly bunked in at The Mark with Helena Christensen and Marc Jacobs. One can only imagine the slumber parties. Meanwhile, just around the corner at The Carlyle Grace Coddington moved in along with Karlie Kloss and Derek Blasberg. Now you know.

Lana Del Rey is one versatile brand ambassador. First came her campaign for H&M, then the bag bestowed with her name at Mulberry. Now, rumour has it that Versace have snapped her up as their latest star model. There are photos circulating among Ms. Del Rey's fans on Twitter which apparently confirm the news...

Both are from fan site @LanaDReyOnline. The love/ hate breakout music star of the past 18 months was apparently spotted in LA for the shoot. We await official news from Versace and Lana.

The rise and rise of Kate Upton continues with her first Vogue cover. The former Sports Illustrated star was shot by Steven Meisel (nath) for the Vogue Italia story, entitled Seductive. Find out more at the magazine's website, and see the video.

Kate Upton does the  vampy bombshell Italiana look for Vogue Italia (image from huffingtonpost.com)

Marion Cotillard is doing Raf's new Dior proud. I adore her in this navy and black (such a brilliant colour combination) strapless tulle gown from his SS13. Note the white heels.

Marion Cotillard in Raf Simons' Dior (image from NYmag.com)

I'm sick of the halloween talk, but there is time for a quick mention of Lady Gaga and Rihanna's matching All Hallow's Eve costumes. Something of a green, weedy theme... Naughty!

Gaga and Rihanna do green halloween (image from fashionista.com)

Finally, video of the week is fashion film debut of my friend William McGregor who has already won many plaudits for his work, including brilliant short film Who's Afraid of the Water Sprite? Will created this slivering, snakey denim video for Italian label Freddy and seems to perfectly replicate how we would all like to feel our legs slipping easily into our jeans with out the struggling and pulling it oft involves.

FREDDY 'SNAKE' from William McGregor on Vimeo.

WORK OUT LIFE: YOGA IN STYLE

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Rebecca and Tamal from Work Out Life

Some people just seem to have it all sorted don't they? Rebecca Quade, founder of hot new lifestyle brand, Work Out Life, has an exciting, ever expanding business, a new baby and is also a super-fit, qualified yoga instructor. She could be held up as one of those have-it-all girls but when you speak to her, it's clear that it's not quite that simple. Quade has come a long way to get to where she is when I meet her at the yoga class she is hosting to show off Work Out Life's great range of exercise gear at Shoreditch House. She's flown in from LA which, yes, is a long way but what I really mean is that she has been on that journey from mega busy life running her own advertising company in Sydney to a kind of zen happy medium which involved yoga teacher training and this, her new venture. It's not like that huge change was really such a surprise though. Quade tells me "All through my twenties I was doing yoga and my friends were out partying, now all of a sudden they're interested in getting into yoga."

Rebecca helping out during the class

Tamal's head stand

Rebecca brought yoga teacher Tamal Dodge- whose training course she completed after arriving in LA- along with her for the Work Out Life class. Tamal took us through a 45 minute Vinyasa Flow class which ended with a few minutes of enormously relaxing down time with Tamal singing to us and playing his guitar. Work Out Life put on some yummy health drinks and kitted us all out in our own Work Out Life gear. The afternoon summed up rather neatly the brand philosophy which is to try and make busy lives and exercise an easier blend to achieve. There is a big focus on the fashion element; the range is designed by Ebru Ercon, previously from Stella McCartney for Adidas. Quade tells me that she didn't want people to think her concept was about "some girl who thought she knew about designing clothes". The collection is split into three moods- the "work" which focuses on hard-working gym clothes for high impact sport, "life" which should take you from yoga class to coffee and "out" which is targeted at easy pieces for down time and travelling. It all fits nicely into Quade's own lifestyle which involves plenty of travel, exercise and general multitasking.

Yummy drinks courtesy of Nina Curtis

Oh dear, really need to work on my 90 degree leg bend in Warrior pose!

Highlights from Work Out Life include super comfortable and flattering floral printed leggings which I tested in the class as well as for my flight to NY last week. I also love the all-in-one hot yoga suit (which I think would also be a great going out outfit too, if you're brave enough) and am told that the running shorts are some of the best around. I also got one of the sliced out shoulder tops which I would happily wear every day, not just for exercising. Ebru and Rebecca have also created some awesome jackets, highlights are the boxy wool style and the shiny bomber.

There's a longer term vision beyond the clothes range, although the site is already full of healthy living advice and tips. "I'd love one day for people to be able to check in to Work Out Life at whichever hotel they are staying in and do a yoga class we provide" Quade explains. Obviously it's a certain kind of woman who really lives the lifestyle which Work Out Life is kitting out. However it's part of something bigger which we can all get on board with. "Ten years ago you would never have got all these twenty-somethings into a yoga class" Quade observes, looking around at the assembled journalists and bloggers. "I think there's an undercurrent of knowing we need to be healthier" she adds. As a twenty something who takes my running and yoga quite seriously, I can totally identify with this. And stylish clothes to do it in make it all the more appealing.

GET INSPIRED WITH TAMAL

ALL A-BUZZ FOR MCQUEEN SS13

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Today began with a sweet pot of fashion honey at the Alexander McQueen press day. Everything from jewellery to handbags to cute, little shorts straight out of the hive, constructed from wearable clever honeycomb and amber gem bees. It puts a whole new spin on the term "bee keeper". Oh, to be stung by a McQueen bee...

HURRICANE SANDY'S HERE, LET'S SHOP?

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

When you hear news that a hurricane the likes of which your country has not seen for a long, long time is about to hit your shores with a very real possibility of widespread devastation, what do you do? Head to the supermarket to stock up on essentials and non-perishable foods, maybe? Or perhaps you make an escape plan and check in with your friends and family? It would probably be along those lines. Unless, of course, you're in charge of Gap's social media where it seems your thought process might go more like this, "Hmmm, everyone's going to be stuck at home today... Let's tell them to do loads of shopping with us to pass the time". 

Via @TheMediaTweets

Gap was one of the US retailers, along with Urban Outfitters and American Apparel which decided to use the "opportunity" of massive numbers of people being stuck indoors to incentivise them to make some purchases to pass the time. Never mind that power outages were expected and people were filling their baths with water in case the supply failed. American Apparel even included a very helpful map with their e-mail to show shoppers the red danger zone where the storm was expected to hit. What's perhaps worse is that these offers are hardly special- I get Free Shipping and % off e-mails through all the time and for the likes of AA they don't really cost them that much if it means they shift more stock. 

via @MirlahThornley

Via @nagoul1

There has been plenty of disgust directed at these ploys via Twitter last night and this morning. The comments on Urban Outfitters' Instagram post fall into two camps. There are the horrified ones...

"This is disgusting, talk about being morally corrupt"

"This isn't cool"

But there are some too who don't see what the problem is....

"OMG just embrace free shipping people"

"I am now just ignoring the hurricane outside! Time to shop" (maybe that one's ironic?)

I suppose the difference is that where Gap used Sandy as an awkward, inappropriately timed conversation starter, thinly veiled as a push to purchase, Urban Outfitters and American Apparel showed mild levels of humour and compassion by giving their customers something- though free shipping is quite hilarious given that those most-affected by the storm (and therefore, most deserving of the offer?) will probably not receive their orders for days.  

In times of crisis, should brands just steer clear of trying to tie in the trouble with their marketing strategy? Or do you appreciate these gestures?