Although it’s easy to be underwhelmed by any dresses coming before the Oscars, there are some ladies who really turned it out last night. We put our top 10 at the beginning of the gallery for your viewing pleasure. All photos from Huffington Post Style.

Via Fashion Gone Rogue

Leather Jackets by Balmain
Boots by Chrissie Morris

Clockwise from top left (click photo above to purchase):

Chrissie Morris Dakota Bootie, $496

Belle Noel by Kim Kardashian Textured Slice Bangle Set, $64

Oscar de la Renta 24-karat Gold-Plated Geometric Link Clip Earrings, $185

Incase Chrome Slider iPhone 4S Case, $34.99

3.1 Phillip Lim Metallic Woven Trousers, $665

Balenciaga Montre Acier Silver Watch, $1,795

Pierre Balmain Metallic Leather Baseball Jacket, $1,335

The knighthood, bestowed by president Nicolas Sarkozy, recognizes Hayek for her “services to the French Republic,” notably, her work as ”director and producer (and) active member of charitable foundations for 23 years.” The fact that Hayek’s old man is Francois-Henri Pinault, a close friend of Sarkozy and the head of PPR thus the owner of pretty much everything including Gucci, Balenciaga and Yves Saint Laurent, I’m sure had nothing to do with it. Nor does the fact that Hayek’s father-in-law, Francois Pinault is simultaneously being named a Grand Officer of the Legion of Honour.

But the French are croaking their disapproval nonetheless, calling Hayek’s appointment a joke, “an insult to France” and as a result Napoleon Bonaparte, who instituted the honor in 1802 in an attempt to replace the nobility, is “turning in his grave.” One honoree has even refused to accept the award. Henri Torre, the crotchety 78-year-old  former minister and member of Sarkozy’s ruling party sassed, “Too many people have been nominated who do not deserve to be honoured” and claimed that the award had been tainted with “croneyism” by “naming any old people.”

It’s one thing to say that the Mexican actress is undeserving of being made a French knight, but calling her old is really stepping over the line, France. [Telegraph,Vogue UK]

Get them for $1,665 at Balenciaga.com.

Through the concrete and brick columned hall of the CFDA Incubator, past glass doors with names like Bibhu Mohapatra, House of Waris and Prabal Gurung etched upon them, sits a room on the end that houses the studio of a French expat with a beautiful concept. Alice Ritter works seemingly solitary in a tidy, brightly lit room with a towering cubic bookshelf, a sewing machine and inspiration all around. Her style rings from the authenticity of growing up in the late 70s in France, where Yves Saint Laurent was god and high power glossies were sacred. Having studied economics, she created a fashion lab within her home with her Brooklynite husband to pursue her true art of design. Poring over books and dissecting vintage clothing lead to her creating an aesthetic that is uniquely hers. 

What are your three fashion books you recommend to an aspiring fashion designer?

Oh! This Madeleine Vionnet book I’ve had for a long time, I know it by heart.  Madeleine Vionnet is such an inspiration. It was just so modern what she did, and she invented a new way to drape fabric and to drape the woman’s body. She not as famous as Gabrielle Chanel or Christian Dior. I mean she’s famous amongst fashion people and she’s more influential for me.

This Balenciaga book is beautiful not just because I’m fascinated with Balenciaga, but the book its self is just a beautiful object, the way its printed, paper. Its really good. He was very forward thinking  He was like a sculptor almost.

Fashion Design 1850-1895 is a good one. It’s a classic. It’s a very well curated collection of clothes, and their details. It’s an endless source of inspiration. And a really good way to learn about costume and this sort of fashion.

To read the rest of the interview, click on over to LOOKBOOKS.com!

Photos: Models.com

The caveat that broke the camel’s back was Jacobs’ insistence on taking his Louis Vuitton team with him to Dior, leaving Vuitton — LVMH’s cash cow — without a heel to stand on. To make matters worse, Arnault had wanted Céline‘s Phoebe Philo to replace Marc at Vuitton should he move to Dior, but Philo is happy where she is — outfitting Kanye West in billowy blouses.

So with Jacobs more or less off the table, LVMH has reportedly approached Alexander Wang, Jason Wu and Jil Sander‘s Raf Simons; though out of the three Simons would seem the most likely choice, that is unless Dior plans on eschewing breathtaking gowns and impeccably-crafted ladysuits for sweatpants and cocktail dresses.

Then there is Givenchy‘s Riccardo Tisci, whose name has been bandied about since Gallianogate got into full swing. But he — along with Lanvin‘s Alber Elbaz, Alexander McQueen‘s Sarah Burton and Balenciaga‘s Nicolas Ghesquière – has turned down the Dior deal, citing brand loyalty.

So the question still remains — and frankly, the question is getting really tiresome — who will take the reins at Christian Dior? However, by the time someone is announced, the question might be, who the hell cares? [WWD]

Cover girl Lucas plays the fair-haired, fair-skinned outsider, finding sophistication in the wilderness with looks from Bottega Veneta, Marni, Tommy Hilfiger, Miu Miu, Chanel and Louis Vuitton. Meanwhile Fogarty is immersed in tribal prints and the occasional headwrap from the runways of Burberry, Balenciaga, Pucci, Diane von Furstenberg, Giorgio Armani and Maison Martin Margiela.

Photos: Image Amplified and Fashion Gone Rogue

Mark Cramer and Coy Barton; “I’m in Steve Madden, he’s in Chinese Laundry,” said Mr. Barton of their shoes.

“I wish society was more acceptable of men wearing heels,” laments Jeff Paice, one of the queens interviewed by the Times, while in a black button down, black trousers and a pair of wedged sandals. Once upon a time, however, men could wear heels without stigma.

In 18th century France, Louis XIV often wore five-inch heels depicting miniature battle scenes. The Sun King decreed that only nobility were allowed to wear heels in red — how’s that for trademark infringement Christian Louboutin — and that no one could have heels higher than his own. Diva. Then in 1791, following the French Revolution, noted lilliputian Napoleon Bonaparte banned high heels to show equality.

Louis XIV in a sensible heel

For Paice, though, the options for a pump-lovin’ man leaves much to be desired. His cohorts, Coy Barton and Mark Cramer, allegedly 24 and 25, couldn’t agree more. ”I literally look at girls and think, you have so many options. You have jumpers, you have skirts, you have dresses, you have pants, you have shorts. Boys have pants and shorts. Or suits and a shirt,” Barton says, both he and Cramer dressed similarly in grey slacks, white dress shirt and tranny heel. But Barton, in his $115 Steve Maddens and Cramer in his $170 Chinese Laundry booties, don’t consider this a form of drag.

To them and to Sean Wagner, the heels are not about creating an illusion, they’re about having fun. “As far as we’re concerned, this is just bringing a look to a club — which is what you are supposed to do,” explains a bearded and bespectacled Wagner, in an eight-inch neon green pair of lace-up ankle boots — or as he refers to them, “my usual hiking shoes.” The 6’2″ Wagner is also a fan of the height the shoes give him. “I’ve bought Louis Vuitton. I’ve bought Gucci. But a lot of designers don’t go high enough for me. I found a company in Arizona that will do 15-inch heels for $3,000.” Let’s see 6’2″ plus 15″ equals…a towering tranny inferno.

Also taking the designer high-heeled road is Gregory Alexander, whose six-inch Balenciaga wooden wedges retail for $2000. That, however, is not the only price he’s paid for his shoe fetish. Last summer, while trying to jump a fence to get into a party, Alexander broke his ankle and was in a cast for four months. ”They told me I should never wear heels again, obviously,” he recounts.

But a broken ankle never keeps a lady down and by the time the NYT caught up with him, Alexander was in his Yves Saint Laurent Imperiale platform stiletto ankle boot — these L.A. gals do love an ankle boot —  skinny black jeans, a shirt and skinny tie and, of course, a motorcycle jacket, Because you gotta keep it butch. [NYT, Random History]

Photo: NYT

According to Style File: “The Traina sisters reportedly jumped when they heard the first crack, others found themselves flat on the floor after the benches, supporting the likes of Mario Testino, Catherine Deneuve, Carine Roitfeld, and Style.com’s Nicole Phelps, broke.”

Everyone stood their ground, however — note Vogue‘s Hamish Bowles, Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington dutifully in the front row — and the reaction was favorable with Anna Dello Russo remarking via Twitter that it was an “amazing” show and likening the experience to church.

Amen, fashion. [Style File]

Izabel Goulart, a Brazilian model whom Carine discovered at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show, turns it in a Mugler top.

For a cut-out zig, zag into this ribboned and mesh-topped tunic from Topshop for $66.

For the zag on a long sleeve shirt, check out what Karl Lagerfeld did for Macy’s for $99. Pair it with Tom Ford sunglasses for a killer downtown look.

Click through all the pages to see our Labor Day getaway essentials, and your weekender will be light as air.

Designer round up, left to right:

Aquilano e Rimondi, Jil Sander, Alexandre Herchcovitch, Jason Wu, Paul Costelloe, Kimberly Ovitz

Want acidic sunflower in your closet? Check out these subtly singeing pieces.

See them paired with fantastic LBDs to add to your collection.

Let your balls hang out.

Ball and chain handbag: Nina Ricci $1,650 at Edit New York
Body-con cutout mini knit dress: Mark Fast was $3,032 now $1,516 at Farfetch

Dior has been without a creative director since that little incident with John Galliano — you know, the anti-Semitism and the firing and the rehab and the court case — since March.

Arnault, chairman of LVMH — which also owns Marc Jacobs International — had initially planned on hiring Jacobs for Dior back in the 90s, but that idea was vetoed by Dior’s then president Francois Baufume. Instead, Galliano was hired from Givenchy to Dior and Jacobs signed on as Vuitton’s artistic director in 1997.

“Had I hired Marc Jacobs for Dior and John Galliano for Louis Vuitton, it would not have worked as well for both brands, even though both designers are geniuses of their own,” Arnault told WWD in 2003.

Meetings are scheduled for this week in Paris between Dior and Marc Jacobs’ legal representatives while the designer prepares for New York Fashion Week. Robert Duffy, Jacobs’ longtime business partner, is also reported to be integral to the deal, despite currently having legal troubles of his own.

Should Jacobs move to Dior, Phoebe Philo is said to be on tap to replace him at Louis Vuitton, while maintaining her current role at Céline.

Since March, Dior has approached a number of designers to replace Galliano including Lanvin‘s Alber Elbaz, Balenciaga‘s Nicolas Ghesquière, Alexander McQueen‘s Sarah Burton, Haider Ackermann and Hedi Slimane. Elbaz, Ghesquière and Burton have allegedly withdrawn themselves from the running due to their strong personal commitments to their respective brands, while talks with Ackermann and Slimane proved fruitless.

Then, of course, there is Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci whose name has been bandied about as frontrunner for months now and who is a favorite of Delphine Arnault, deputy managing director at Dior. Where Tisci stands in all this is uncertain, but do you think Marc Jacobs is what Christian Dior needs right now? [WWD]

- Vogue lopped off a few of Lila Grace Moss (Kate Moss‘ daughter)’s fingers in their September issue in a case of bad and badly observed Photoshop. I guess Anna is human after all. What a day of disappointments. [Styleite]

- In other Brit Kate news, Kate Winslet has joined forces with fellow Oscar winners, Emma Thompson and Rachel Weisz to form the “British Anti-Cosmetic Surgery League,” an informal group of acting superheroines fighting against Hollywood’s pressure to go under the knife. In other news, Demi Moore has formed the “Legion of the Evil and Ageless.”  [Telegraph]

“His look is an extremely conscious metaphor for his philosophy of fashion and life: Here, watch as I bring together the old, in my tall eighteenth-century collar and bizarre powdered hair, with the new, as seen in my ponytail and $2,500 Agatha leather pants, ‘the most expensive leather pants in the world,’ he declares, with a laugh exactly like Count Chocula’s in its length and ridiculousness.”

—on Karl Lagerfeld and how to craft a professional image
from Karl Lagerfeld, Boy Prince of Fashion, Vanessa Grigoriadis

 Who’s fault is it? Salma, I’m looking at you.

Pinault, chairman and CEO of PPR — the conglomerate behind Gucci, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Bottega Veneta and a slew of other brands — is one of the richest men in the world…and Evangelista is getting hers.

If the super gets her way — and when doesn’t she? — that 46K “would probably be the largest support order in the history of the Family Court,” says some professional legal dude.

While Pinault is busy making it rain for Valentina, his 3-year-old daughter with Hayek, there’s a draught when it comes to Evangelista’s 4-year-old son, Augustin James — meanwhile, you do the math — with Linda’s lawyer claiming, ”He’s just been sitting back, paying zero.”

Among the costs Evangelista is looking to gouge Pinault on are an $80,000/year nanny and private, gun-toting drivers at $175,000/yr. While the judge seemed sympathetic to those costs — after all, we’re talking about a star here — he immediately dismissed the $7500/month vacation expenses. Scrooge.

Evangelista, who’s worth some $8 million — “and she earned, last year, $1.8 million” — is still a working mother and boy was she working that day in court. When the judge asked her just how many hours she worked in a given week, Linda calmly responded:

“On days when I do not work, I am working on my image. I have to hit the gym. I have beauty appointments. I have to work toward my next job and maintaining my image, just like an athlete.”

And she’s running circles all over this case. In stilettos, too. Good luck, mama! [NY Post]

]]> http://fashionindie.com/linda-evangelista-doesnt-get-out-of-court-for-less-than-46000-a-month/feed/ 0 http://fashionindie.com/lane-crawfords-china-syndrome/ http://fashionindie.com/lane-crawfords-china-syndrome/#comments Wed, 03 Aug 2011 10:43:36 +0000 Lester Brathwaite http://fashionindie.com/?p=204113 Five of China’s top models, Fei Fei Sun, Liu Wen, Ming Xi, Shu Pei and Xiao Wen Ju, were photographed by prolific duo Mert and Marcus for Lane Crawford‘s fall campaign.

Featuring brands such as Alexander McQueen, Dries Van Noten, Balenciaga and Lanvin among others, the retailer’s ads will debut shortly in various September issues. [WWD]

“It’s important to be able to show things in movement,” Balenciaga creavtive director Nicolas Ghesquière said. “It’s almost like a daily magazine now: It has to be really alive. Like everyone, we want to have a good amount of traffic.”

And a good amount traffic they shall receive with features like short films produced by famous photographers, a heritage section with vintage photos of starlets such as Marlene Dietrich and Ingrid Bergman wearing the brand and a full-fledged e-commerce section shipping to France, the U.K. and United States.

Look for the new Balenciaga site launching this week. Photos from WWD.com.

Ghesquière will also release behind the scenes footage of the shoot for the first time, which will feature Steven Meisel snapping away at working girls Julia Nobis and Liisa Winkler, among others, in a studio in New York and a church in Harlem.   [WWD]

Along with its commercial peak, fashion shows have also reached their creative peaks – moving, visceral, dramatic productions that have elevated them into an art form. Alexander McQueen emerged as the true master of the genre, blending the disparate elements of entertainment and ideology while creating beautiful works of clothing that could stand on their own without the hype and hoopla with which he was so famously associated.

Below is a list of the 10 fashion shows that stand as the greatest achievements of the last decade, based on their technicality and theatricality, their influence on fashion and of course, the clothes themselves.

In the midst running off to the Hamptons from Memorial Day Weekend, FashionIndie editor McArthur Joseph grabbed my beach bag and dumped it out in the loft!  In prompt reporter style, he documented the mess before I hopped in a car and ran off for the weekend.  Here’s what he found, hope it helps you pack for your weekends away!

1. Beach reading – summer edition of V Magazine and the May copy of Paris Vogue

2. Belvedere citrus – personal size, for sipping by the pool

3. Vintage leather top handle bag – because the natural pretention a top handle bag brings is perfect for the Hamptons set

4. Gold studded Christian Louboutins – for the late nights at Hamptons hot spots SL East and South Pointe

5. Balenciaga sunglasses – nothing screams summer like white sunnies!

6. St Tropez Self Tanner and Bronze Enhancer – because the first weekend out means I don’t have a real tan yet

7. Victoria’s Secret “Summer” scent – it’s fresh, energizing, and brings out that summer Bombshell vibe

8. Prada‘s Minimal Baroque sunglasses – because we need multiple sunglass options, these ornate frames are the perfect statement accessory when lounging by the pool

9. LAMB tan platforms – we all need a good heel for the Day & Night brunch parties of Hamptons legend

10. FashionIndie mixtape – best music mix you’ll find all summer, it is the perfect CD to put on at a house party and it lasts an hour before having to worry about what comes on next

11. Crabtree & Evelyn citrus lip balm and body wash – I love feeling fresh and smelling citrusy after a long day in the sun

12. Marimekko Lokki beach towel – this organic cotton towel is HUGE and super soft, plus the cute wave design is fun by the pool

If you have any questions about the above products, tweet me @iamsamlim

Picture this: A regular 70 something degree  summer day. You’ve planned a great day of doing nothing besides walking around the city and random errands. A great stylish and casual outfit can consist of:  a J. Crew tee, Balenciaga cargo shorts, Levi’s plaid shirt (preferably open) Converse Hi-tops, and an A|X watch.

As the day comes to an end you realize that you have a few events and parties to go to in the evening. Instead of going in for a completely new outfit an appropriate amount of layering and accessorizes will completely change the look. Button up the shirt and add a skinny tie. Add more texture and prepare for a slightly chilly night by addding a leather jacket like this McQueen.

With just that your semi shelpy outfit has become fit enough to take on the night world by storm. Assuming that you’re going to some awesome event and not a black tie affair.

1. Walter Steiger: The most groundbreaking shoe in existence at this moment is the Walter Steiger Ishi, or as I like to call it – the inverse platform. Instead of the typically shaped heel that places all of the pressure of your body onto the ball of your foot, this downward slope places your weight mainly on the heel and arch, leaving your balls and toes just chillin’. That is until you roll forward and stand on point.

**The first time I saw these shoes they were drawn on a napkin. I found myself in an in depth conversation with someone at the Timo Weiland after party during Fashion Week in February about the state of shoes on the market. I had been searching tirelessly for a pair that didn’t exist. I explained to this person what I’d been looking for – a giant walk-through-puddles height platform that rolls forward at the toe, with solid ankle support. Excitedly, he reaches for napkin and pen and draws this. This person was Paul Steiger, Walter Steiger’s son. At the sample sale he invited me to that followed Fashion Week, I got these platforms and have since worn them to bits and pieces (they even survived a Bassnectar show, as they are now my favorite shoes to dance in). Then this morning, I went to the showroom and previewed the Fall collection where I got to try on dance in Spring’s #1:

2. Prada: Colorful striped elastic bands that hold your foot tight call for attention. The rubber sole gives you stability.

3. Alexander Wang: Zip it, flap it, lace it. You’re still showy in nude.

4. Rodarte: Engraved leather, whittled heel. That totem pole commands a look.

5. Modekungen: Black and white platform – a nod to Prabal and your dual personality.

6. Jeffrey Campbell: Arch support, who needs it? Just chop it off and leave a wooden cutout in its place.

7. Emilio Pucci: A Pucci print catches the eye, no matter what. These could make even a LBD psychedelic.

8. Julian Louie for Aldo: The ikat draws the eye and reminds of peaceful tribes.

9. Carmen Raffia: The color will blend in with your leg, thus transforming your platform incognito. Plus, the flat lean-to front sole begs the on-point stance.

10. Two Lips: The lime straps off the spine will stack you up jazzed.

11. Giuseppe Zanotti: Gold plated thick strapped flats can enhance your look without the height.

12. Balenciaga: The striped platform will hypnotize.

13. Opening Ceremony: Strapped salmon on a heel/platform that will make people wonder if you’re wearing it upside down.

14. Jeffrey Campbell: JC makes the list twice not only for its glorious affordability, but these are freaking mary janes sitting on a rainbow!! These have the capacity to alter your state of being entirely.

15. Alexander McQueen: These will actually alter your soul. The heel is a flutter of gold leaves from a coral reef deep in the sea of dreams.

16. Lanvin: Tanned fringe layered over a wooden wedge burns in the spotlight.

17. Opening Ceremony: The brightest cheetah is the boldest, and his bootie is tied with leopard chiffon. Two cats are better than one.

18. Opening Ceremony: OC is back with the  most bizarre loafer I’ve seen in my life. Made purely of woven leather strands, they are one of the few flat conversation starters.

19. Fendi: Tri-sole platform makes a new covetable shape.

20. Pierre Hardy: A red patent strip in the back makes passersby do a double take.

Find shoes that will start the conversation and you’ll stand taller. The flashier shoes you have, the more you’ll be able to repeat your fabulous layering basics.

Which shoes have transformed you?

1. Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy

2. Olivier Theyskens of Theory

3. Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler

Though Jack looks super fun as he drunkenly tongues Thakoon (#10)

4. Nicolas Ghesquière of Balenciaga

5. Olivier Rousteing of Balmain

6. Joseph Altuzarra of Altuzarra

7. Thom Brown of Thom Browne/Moncler Gamme Bleu

8. Nicola Formichetti of Mugler

Nicola Formichetti, YEAH! Terry Richardson...not so much

9. Prabal Gurung (of Prabal Gurung)

10. Thakoon Panichgul of Thakoon

Humpable Hall of Fame: Tom Ford

and

Marc Jacobs

Step 1: Dilute your brand far past the point of recognition and/or respectability, i.e. Pierre Cardin toilets, strollers and heating units.

Step 2: Stage a “rambling” runway show during Paris Fashion Week that no top editors or buyers bother to show up for.

Step 3: Pull a wildly exorbitant asking price tag seemingly out of nowhere then justify it thusly:

“Asked how he came up with the billion-euro valuation, he takes out an old greeting card and, scribbling, says, ‘If I ask €10 million per product, which is nothing at all, per country, multiplied by 1,000, that makes one, two, three….’ Dismissing the profusion of zeroes, he concludes, ‘One thousand products, 100 countries, that’s how it calculates. It’s nothing.’”

Easy, peasy, right? Using a similar method, I valued my company, Werqing Gurl Ltd., at $450 million because that’s asking roughly $100 million for every second it’s been in existence. [WSJ]

@fashionindie: So, first things first, what are you wearing?

@marian_kihogo: today I like to call my look ‘car mechanic by way of the 70′s’ I’m in vintage jumpsuit-vintage headwrap-vintage accessories

@fashionindie: You’re speaking my language, lady. I knew I wanted you to be my 1st Tweet-à-Tête interview b/c of your incredible style.

@marian_kihogo: total honour for me, seeing that it’s fashion indie and it’s your first!

here is a pic of what I’m in today

@fashionindie: I’m living for that scarf. Where’d you get it?

@marian_kihogo: the scarf is actually the product of a long story.To cut it short,I bought it off a lovely elderly lady She had it on her bag!

I paid her in bangle. We did a swap on a bus. Hilarious story, told you it was long

@fashionindie: I remember when I first saw you at NYFW. 12 ft tall, stunning, black head2toe, black fur coat, FUCHSIA LIP. #dead

It was like you were the walking embodiment of fierce. What inspires your style?

@marian_kihogo: thank you so much. Over the winter it was all about the faux fur and fuchsia lip. Something so rock’n'roll glam about it

my style has always been directed by the emotive plus a love of the 70′s,sharp tailoring & a need to express a present moment

I’m inspired by everything and nothing; a film, a moment, a woman on the street, a song, a place, inspiration is all around

@fashionindie: I’m all about the 70s. It’s funny you’re werqing a 70s car mechanic look, I was going for 70s college art prof.

@marian_kihogo: I love that ’70s college art prof’ I might have to try that tonight for a clients party

@fashionindie: Feel free, it’s all about a cardigan.

@fashionindie: When I actually spoke to you, I wasn’t at all surprised you were British. The Br. fashion scene’s always been so cutting edge

@marian_kihogo: I think it is because the UK has always been known for experimentation, that certain spirit of fearless willingness to create

the fashion scene here is such a mix. The slick established luxury – eg Burberry to the clever wit – Giles etc

we are fashion’s ‘enfant terrible’ but it has birthed incredible talent

@fashionindie: I agree. In NY it feels like you can always wear anything or try anything, but there’s no sense of rebellion. Are u a rebel?

@marian_kihogo: Im most defo a rebel in a sense.I’ve always lived by the ideal that the mass market is myself.what I want to wear for me goes

but I think that rebel is in every creative,a need to create a new path, to dress to pls self. No real creative can be a clone

@fashionindie: Rebel w/ a cause. Do u have any labels you absolutely can’t live w/o? Or are u more of an eclectic anything goes kind of gal?

@marian_kihogo: wow I’m more of a ‘does it move marian?’ kind of girl

so if it moves me it is a done deal. All I ever bought fashion wise challenged me mentally/emotionally.style is emotive

so designers like. Ana Šekularac, Jean Pierre Braganza, McQueen, Balenciaga, Halston, Prada (maria francesca pepe)@MFPepe

have become faves over time because I resonate with their vision, aesthetic and journey as creatives

@fashionindie: I’m looking over some preview images from the #McQueen #Met retrospective. It’s breathtaking.

@marian_kihogo: there will never be another McQueen; the fearlessness, the vision, the technical ability, the ability to weave a story

@fashionindie: So true. Though I love what Sarah Burton‘s been doing with the house. Are you interested at all in the #RoyalWedding ?

@marian_kihogo: ha I knew a question about the #RoyalWedding was coming! I’m actually interested in the gown. hoping for contemporary

@fashionindie: It’s all I hear about! Americans haven’t been this Anglophilic since the Spice Girls. I think we all love a giant spectacle.

@marian_kihogo: well hold your prada clutches and Dolce corset dresses as something tells me it is going to be huge

@fashionindie: But as a Brit, does it mean anything to you besides the gown? #stillhoping4McQ Is there a patriotic pride attached?

@marian_kihogo: there is patriotic pride attached as I think the Royal family is a beautiful thing. So for me, a new princess is exciting

there is a feeling of being all part of an extended bridal party as it were. Like one big party celebrating with them

@fashionindie: It seems to really bring the country together.

@marian_kihogo: Well put!

@fashionindie: I know here, our 1st Lady has a tremendous influence on fashion. Will it be the same for Kate?

@marian_kihogo: I think Kate will have an influence on fashion. Whether she will have as much effect as Princess Diana remains to be seen

I know a few people who are already tipping her as icon, there are those who went out and bought the Issa engagement dress

@fashionindie:  That dress was cute and all but Di’s a huge legacy 2 live up 2. So tell me about your blog? How’d you get started?

@marian_kihogo: my blog was actually the internet version of a scrapbook I’d compiled over yrs. It had fabric scraps,images, quotes etc

if I found something thought provoking/inspiring, it went into that tattered book. When I moved and lost it, the blog was born

@fashionindie: That’s brilliant! And you’ll never lose it, unless the internet disappears. #knockonwood And how did you get into styling?

@marian_kihogo: I started styling at 14,my friends mother looked a mess for dinner. I cut up her designer dress. She became my 1st client.

@fashionindie: “my friends mother looked a mess for dinner.” I hope you’re as honest with your other clients!

@marian_kihogo: oh honesty(with tact no doubt!:) is an important policy and most people value and respect it.

@fashionindie:  What’s a typical styling gig?

@marian_kihogo: there is no typical styling gig! That’s why I love it.

Everything from pre-styling someone for an alps winter get-a-away for month to a red carpet function.Its fun-hectic-constant

@fashionindie: When dressing a client, do you buy what you think THEY would like or what YOU would want to see them in?

@marian_kihogo: that’s a great question. It is always about what they like, what image they want to have the public see.

with clients we work to suit an image they want to create-develop-maintain.I offer tips/ideas but they must be happy

so it is a very symbiotic relationship. They provide the desired dream image and style icons, I bring the fuel with ideas

@fashionindie: Okay, for my final question. Music and fashion always go hand in hand for me. What are you listening to these days?

@marian_kihogo: love your last question! Rihanna‘s Loud album is fantastic, Notorious Big(brilliant), Nina Simone, Joni Mitchell, Jimi Hendrix

I am a huge music fan both new and old. Music and fashion go hand in hand.Thanks for the tweet-interview. Glam kisses, Marian

LINK LOVE: Fashion Copious

The ethereally beautiful Wasikowska goes through Balenciaga and Nina Ricci but wears the McQueen finale gown from Spring 2011 to greatest effect as she thrusts and parries with a shirtless Fassbender. Admittedly, I had a minor gasp when I came across this photo…for several reasons.

Speaking of which, Fassbender, didn’t know if you noticed…kind of insanely hot. I can’t wait to see the two brood all over the screen in Charlotte Brontë‘s classic tale of forbidden and love and crazy bitches in attics.

Photos: W Mag

On her tenure at Vogue Paris:

It took a little time, because when I came to Vogue ten years ago, it was not the Vogue it is today. Joan Juliet Buck, who I was working for as a freelancer, was more a journalist editor than a fashion editor, so it was focused more on the text and writers and not so much on fashion. And me, I come with all my fashion ideas, but it was very difficult at the beginning, because a lot of photographers, it’s easy to forget, didn’t want to work for the magazine…Each time we try to be better and better, and it takes almost ten years to be a team, and now I think the best team is there. It’s very sad to leave your family after ten years…But I think the times are changing, too. I said to Jonathan [Newhouse, chairman of Condé Nast International], when I can make it ten, it will be great for me. And I think in the last [period] that maybe I got less freedom than I got before, so I think it was just the right time for me to leave, because I want to enjoy and do everything that I want to do. And Jonathan was an amazing boss, because he let me do such crazy things. To put a black transsexual with a beard and high heels on the cover? I don’t think a lot of presidents will let you do that. I think it was fun to look at French Vogue. Each month was a new happening. But I think now they want to change a bit. Even the French president [Xavier Romatet, of Condé Nast France] now wants something a bit [pauses]…sweeter I would say, and if I cannot have a lot of fun, then I prefer to do something else.

…I think the French president—maybe not Jonathan—but the French president thinks he wants something more [pauses]…I won’t say I’m too provocative; it’s my way of expressing myself, you know. They won’t change everything, because when something has been so [successful], it would be stupid to change it. Maybe they want [things] a bit more easy for everyone. It’s true, I’m always pushing. I like that. I’ve always been provocative, but what I’m going to do next is a new way of provocation. I did for many years porno chic. I was the queen of porno chic. And I will do something totally different now.

On being “fired” because of the Tom Ford issue:

No, that’s wrong…I think it was a controversial issue, but they were all controversial issues. I told you, at the end of this decade, I could see that the new president in France wanted to change the direction of the magazine. I’m sure the Tom Ford issue is not the way they’re heading in the next few years, but it was not because of the Tom Ford issue. I was not fired, because if I was fired, it would not be a very nice ending. It was a discussion between Jonathan and myself, and he never fired me…I know I did a good job. I know the March issue is a record in terms of advertising. So I’m not leaving a sad magazine, an empty magazine. I’m leaving a magazine that has an epic stop. I’m very happy about that…I think it’s sad because when I did this Tom Ford issue…we put a lot of little girls with makeup, a lot of jewelry. It was for Christmas and it’s nothing compared to what Guy Bourdin did 20 years ago or what I saw in all the magazines ten years ago…but when you put kids, you always know it’s going to be a problem. There was no nudity, it was always a T-shirt under the evening dress, but you know, people see what they want…These are the risques du métier.

On the “Tom Ford” issue:

I’m not going to work with Tom. That was ten years ago. If I look back at my CV, when I was freelance, I worked mostly ten years with Tom Ford at Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent. And after [that] I stopped and it was ten years at French Vogue. Now it’s a new decade and I don’t want to be doing what I was doing ten years ago. Of course, Tom is my friend and if he asks me what I think, I will answer. But I will not go and stay one week before the show and work with him.

On modeling in Tom’s next show:

He didn’t ask me.

On the Balenciaga controversy:

Oh, there are a lot of designers I admire. There’s a long list. In the young generation, of course I love Nicolas Ghesquière. There were these problems with Balenciaga last season, but I know him since the beginning. I was one of the biggest supporters of Nicolas, and I just saw him for a cup of tea and now everything is fine again between Nicolas and me.

…Sometimes people like to put oil on the fire, to make something bigger, and afterwards with blogs and the Internet, things [get out of] proportion. But now it’s gone back like before and I’m very happy because I think he’s full of talent.

On her relationship with Emmanuelle Alt:

It’s true that we are in not in the best relations, [but] I don’t want to talk about it, to be honest.

On the public’s perception of her:

People sometimes think I’m very cold, but I’m not. I’m a very shy person. When people know me, I’m not cold; I’m quite a nice person. It’s difficult as the editor of a magazine to be totally yourself because you’re a bit frightened. Now I think I go back where I was ten years ago, so I get younger, which is always good. Younger with dreams and younger with energy. Younger with risk, because now it will be my own risk; it won’t be Vogue’s risk. Always I will be a risky woman. I will keep this legend.

Link Love: Style.com

If your looking for unique cocktail dresses and gowns, you’ll find yourself in one next fall with GUiSHEM’s collection. The GUiSHEM Fall 2011 garments were structured and form-fitting, hugging the female figure just right. Patterns focused on the torso and hips by making exaggerated cross patterns to bring the eye right towards the curves of a woman’s body. These cross patterns were detailed, made of leather and added hints of color like purple and gold to mostly black dresses. Not only were the dresses structured, but the shoes were also. Chunky heels were more like blocks, wedge heels that were missing the back of the heel. They reminded me of Balenciaga’s Fall 2010 lego-like colorful shoes.

GUiSHEM’s fall collection is nothing but fashion-forward. When walking into the presentation, 80s Michael Jackson was blasting and you got a feel for 80s punk goth, but it goes way beyond that. It’s sort of futuristic in a science fiction type of way. These pieces are for bold ladies that aren’t intimidated to look fashion-forward and are willing to take a leap.

Photo Credits: Flypaper

Conceived by the Chairman of the Institute’s Board of Directors, Oscar de la Renta and curated by Vogue‘s own Hamish Bowles, Balenciaga: Spanish Master is the the first collection “to consider the impact of Spain’s culture, history and art” on the career and artistry of Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895-1972).

Portrait of the artist as a young fox

Balenciaga forever changed the way women dressed and introduced dramatically different silhouettes into a woman’s sartorial lexicon. Spanish Master showcases some of the designer’s brilliant, beautiful and very often groundbreaking work in millinery, evening gowns, cocktail dresses and daywear, particularly highlighting his expert construction and tailoring.

Photo: GDK is the new black.

Featuring over 70 pieces from the Balenciaga archives, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, The Hispanic Society of America, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Museum of the City of New York, and the Texas Fashion Collection, the collection also benefited from loans from the private collections of Sandy Schreier and Bowles himself.

Photo: Sandi in the City

The exhibit also ”considers the influences on [Balenciaga's] designs of the country’s great artists, from Zurbarán and Goya to Picasso, Sorolla and Miró, and of Spain’s religious dress and ceremony, its royal history, its rich regional costume, its dance traditions, and the power and splendor of the bullfight. “

Photo: GDK is the new black.

I was in raptures pouring over Spanish Master‘s two floors and was especially surprised by Balenciaga’s continued experimentation and ingenuity well into old age and until his retirement in 1968. One could easily see the rich history from which Nicolas Ghesquière regularly culls and reinterprets through the house’s current collections.

Photos: Blend/Koko Royale

Balenciaga: Spanish Master is an experience that any lover of fashion or art or Spanish history should not miss. The exhibition will be on display at the Queen Sofía Spanish Institute through February 19th and is $15 for adults and $10 for students, seniors, and Institute members.

Queen Sofía Spanish Institute  - 684 Park Ave

Like Cristobal Balenciaga, artist Francesco Vezzoli was inspired by religion for his latest exhibition Sacrilegio. He has reimagined 15th- and 16th-century Madonna and Child paintings by Giovanni Bellini, Leonardo da Vinci, Sandro Botticelli utilizing 80s/90s supermodels including Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, Christie Brinkley, Tatjana Patitz, Claudia Schiffer, Stephanie Seymour and Kim Alexis.

Kim Alexis

The exhibit purports to examine “the societal worship of figures from the fashion and celebrity industries” by combining supermodels with historical religious icons.

Cindy Crawford

Vezzoli adorned each painting with “makeup, tattoos and large oblong tears rendered in needlepoint” and the gallery itself has been transformed into a Renaissance chapel. Some of the works also feature an FV with “a needle and thread forming part of the initials.”

Christie Brinkley

The exhibit was interesting and wholly entertaining — I mean, Christie Brinkley crying a giant needlepoint Liza Minnelli tear! I’m surprised I didn’t collapse from the amount of awesome being thrown my way.

Whether you subscribe to the artist’s idea of using these supers to “reflect a reality that has a huge power over our lives” or are just tickled by Naomi Campbell as a holy figure, Sacrilegio is definitely worth seeing. Sacrilegio will be on display at the Gagosian through March 12.

Gagosian Gallery - 522 W 21st St

Photo: Fashionista.com

If you’ve been succumbing to your body’s innate, and frankly annoying, compulsion to fatten itself up to combat the ravages of winter, then a giant sack is no doubt your best friend. An oversized T-shirt is versatile, simple and even better, cheap. American Apparel has great T-shirt dresses for $45, or you can probably get a pack of Hanes undershirts for a third of that price.

Photo: American Apparel

It was hard to pick just one thing from Givenchy‘s excellent Fall 2011 men’s collection, but these lace-up boots are perfect for stomping through the slush still prevalent on New York’s sidewalks.

Photo: GQ

Perhaps the most important accessory during Fashion Week is a good bag. One that can hold your laptop, a notebook, a change of shoes, a bottle of booze and a concealed weapon should any would-be fashionistas try to cut you in line. With Balenciaga‘s Arena Giant Feed Sac, you can carry your life and perhaps a dead body, from show to show.

Photo: Barneys

I’ve been all about volume as of late and The Row‘s Apleton Cape gives it in spades…then belts it at the waist. You’ll be able to keep warm in the cold February air and should a strong breeze kick up, you can just unbelt the cape and float on over to the next collection.

Photo: Barneys

After working hard, you’re going to need to play hard and luckily fashion people LOVE to play. For the plethora of after parties, you’re going to need a good evening look, including a proper heel in which to dance the night away. Twirl it, shake it, don’t break it, kick it and drop it like it’s hot in Miu Miu‘s graphic Spring 2011 pumps. (Jazz hand finish)

Photo: Style.com

And to keep the party going, you’re going to need the perfect party dress; something short and flirty that comes off easily and looks great crumpled in the corner, should you be so lucky to find the one heterosexual man lurking about. Gucci‘s Spring 2011 cocktail dresses fit the bill, managing to be both sexy and sassy.

Photo: Style.com

]]> http://fashionindie.com/a-guide-to-your-fashion-week-wardrobe/feed/ 0 http://fashionindie.com/cuckoo-for-couture/ http://fashionindie.com/cuckoo-for-couture/#comments Mon, 24 Jan 2011 17:29:32 +0000 Lester Brathwaite http://fashionindie.com/?p=182625 Ready-to-Wear may be the bread and butter of the fashion industry, but Haute Couture is the impossibly expensive Foie gras used as a garnish. Couture week is the only part of fashion that consistently excites me, as it all but guarantees incomparable beauty, a larger than life fantasy and impeccable craftsmanship. In short, couture is why I love fashion. There are only a few true couture houses — Chanel, Dior, Armani Privé, Givenchy, Gaultier, Valentino and a handful of others. It’s an exclusive club, but (incredibly hot) 26-year-old Maxime Simoëns is throwing his chapeau into the ring.

At an age when many of us can’t even afford a couture gown let alone make one, Maxime Simoëns has joined the official Couture calendar. What’s even more impressive, he’s the first designer to do so without ever having staged a runway.  But before sending out his first painfully constructed garment down the Parisian runway this week, the young couturier shared his inspirations and insights with Style.com.

Your first interest was film. Why did you abandon it for fashion?

Starting from the age of five or six I was totally taken by James Dean, Charlie Chaplin, and Marilyn Monroe. Then I got to film school and found it too technical and scientific—all physics, math, chemistry. I wanted to express myself more concretely; I was thinking less about science and more about the narration of a heroine. Then came Madonna’s “Drowned” World Tour and I took one look at the costumes and silhouettes—and of course the corsets—by Jean Paul Gaultier, and I knew. I went home and started to draw. It totally threw my parents off because after ten years of talking about film I turned around and told them it was going to be fashion.

What happened once you arrived in Paris?

I attended the Chambre Syndicale, and I figured that since Gaultier was my inspiration my first internship should be there. It’s very complicated to get an internship there, so I knocked on all the doors I could, and then I hand-embroidered a letter on a corset that I made out of python and painted. It took my whole summer vacation—the corset, the packaging, everything. Mr. Gaultier never saw it, but his assistants did. It made the rounds in-house and that’s how I got my internship in the accessories department.

You also interned at Christian Dior and Balenciaga. What were the takeaways there?

I was an assistant stylist in the embroidery atelier at Dior. So much happens at the last minute that it was a lesson in working on a tight deadline. As an assistant stylist at Balenciaga I worked on inspirations and embroidery, especially prints. Once, two weeks before the show, we changed everything. It was sort of a liturgical theme, and then it was flowers. Working with Nicolas [Ghesquière] is great because he pushes everything to the limit.

How did the annual fashion and photography festival at Hyères become your launching pad?

Hyères is usually about a concept, but some journalists told me that my mini-collection of seven pieces had commercial potential. We presented at Hyères and found ourselves with orders for 600 pieces, which was enormous. I couldn’t work out of my apartment anymore; we had to really set up a house. Then, unexpectedly, the numbers doubled with the second collection. At the same time, Gossip Girl stylist Eric Daman was scouting for the Paris shoot and he liked the collection. It gave us great exposure, and we [Gossip Girl stars Blake Lively and Leighton Meester] hit it off.

Is that how the couture connection came about?

Didier Grumbach [president of the Fédération Française de la Couture] had encouraged me to participate in Couture week, but I wasn’t sure at first because couture seemed to me a bit old-fashioned. In the end I decided to do it because it wasn’t about aligning with an old image, it was about a new vision of couture. The timing is perfect because ready-to-wear arrives in stores a week later.

What is your take on couture?

For me it’s not about made-to-measure. It’s more about normalized sizing with French creativity and quality. There’s a whole French generation emerging that’s interested in preserving that tradition. Since we took over Lacroix’s old atelier, we have artisanal know-how to back us up and the capacity to deliver quickly. Those two factors make [creating couture] feasible. The idea with our atelier is to support the young coalition and help consolidate the new generation of French couture.

Who are this season’s heroines?

There’s a Sofia Coppola inspiration for both parts of the collection. The first, which I call “Cherry Blossom Girl,” is dedicated to sacrificial heroines like the teenage ones in Virgin Suicides, but with glamour, geometry, and elegance. The second part is called “This, Madame, Is Paris,” which is inspired by Marie Antoinette. For my first Couture show I wanted a theme that was very French, so I chose the absolute icon.

How do you render an icon of excess in neo-minimalist times?

Instead of panniers and frills I worked a lot on fabric, in mille-feuilles and prints. One print is black marble; another is lace transformed into jacquard that is slightly industrial; and another is a pixelated version of a painting the Queen commissioned for the Petit Trianon. Then you get to a heavier jacquard that I created from droplets of blood Photoshopped and reworked in color, thread by thread. But even if her end was somber, we focused on the lighter, iconic side of things—handmade flowers in leather, white gowns embroidered with stones. And there’s a chain theme to invoke the idea of being chained to one’s destiny.

Has Sofia Coppola seen the collection?

No, but she’s invited!

Link Love: Style.com

1. They’re good for your sole. Believe it or not, a platform only helps ease the pain of wearing high heels by providing an extra layer of comfort. So when you’re stepping on the carcasses of anyone who dared stand in your way  on the ladder to the top, you’re arches will be fully supported.

2. You’ll tower above the competition. A platform also adds an extra inch or two to an already spiky heel, giving you the extra height needed to grab for that last sequined Dolce clutch or to slap away the French-tipped fingers of the trash jostling for it next to you.

3. Is that a stripper pole? Sign me up! Slip on those Lucite heels and pop in that Carmen Electra stripperobics DVD, it’s time to get sassy. Platform heels are great to dance in and make you feel all kinds of sexy, even when you’re grinding your junk all over a greased up pole. Or one of these.

4. Beauty is on the foot of the beholder. The best platform heels — we’re talking Balenciaga‘s architectural arches, Prada‘s fun and funky wedges and YSL‘s hairy-heeled stilettos — are works of art that require a public viewing.

5. Flats are the devil’s footwear. Plain and simple, flats are bringing about the downfall of civilization. Just think about it. Flats are easy and suddenly life’s so easy everyone becomes complacent, then complacence breeds laziness and laziness breeds stupidity, next thing you know we’re all picking our noses and staring blankly into space while listening to President Palin’s State of the Union Address. It all adds up.

Photo: Style.com

Spring explodes in a riot of color and pattern.  From floral and leopard to houndstooth and psychedelic, supermodel Natasha Poly wears the prints.  They never wear her.

The love the balance of black and white and colored photographs featured in this spread. The amazing clothing used includes spring 2011 looks by Versace, Christopher Kane, Celine, Jil Sander, Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere, Miu Miu, Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci, Prada and Giorgio Armani.

LINK LOVE: V Magazine

For the sake of tradition, I’ll just recount all my gifts in order of quantity, from more to less (you can set it to the tune of “The 12 Days of Christmas” if you are so inclined:

12 Chanel hair-bows

11 Prada clogs

10 Marc Jacobs trousers

9 Balenciaga platform heels

8 Tom Ford gropings

7 Terry Richardson gropings

6  Nude male models (being groped by Tom Ford and Terry Richardson)

5 André Leon Talley capes

4 Dior couture gowns

3 Anna Wintour bobs

2 McQueen armadillo heels

And a Prius driven by Oprah and Gayle

What can I say, I’m a lucky girl.

Photo: Today’s Inspiration

Yuri Plesken joins in on the action adorned by Pat McGrath‘s dramatic face paint…and little else. How do we feel about this? And is it me or does the image on the right look a bit Marc Jacobs/Juergen Teller-y?

Still I love to see Gisele as Tom Brady sees her: wearing the pants.

Photo: MDC

Racked‘s “very well-placed” sources, claim:

[T]he magazine’s parent company was unhappy with all the bad press surrounding Roitfeld’s alleged pay-for-play scandals…demanding huge sums of money for extracurricular consulting gigs and the enormous, public embarrassment of being banned from Balenciaga last season for abusing her position at Vogue. In the latter case, Roitfeld allegedly borrowed Balenciaga preview pieces and sent them to her client, Max Mara, to copy…”

Then there’s that other scandal with ANDAM winner Hakaan:

“An angry anonymous letter, which was circulated among French media this week, asked “how a Turkish designer out of nowhere books Natalia Vodianova, Maria Carla Boscono, Lara Stone or Natasha Poly for his show—models asking €15.000 min per show, and who aren’t really famous for their charity!”

Roitfeld also made an unprecedented move by showing up to Hakaan’s first show with Kate Moss in tow. And then there’s that other scandal involving LVMH Chairman and CEO Bernard Arnault, who “allegedly threatened Conde Nast International Chairman Jonathan Newhouse with the removal of all LVMH ads from the next issue of” French Vogue after the last issue (edited by Tom Ford) apparently didn’t contain enough LVMH ad credits and exercised “poor taste” in this editorial.

As for rumors that Carine will be working with Ford on his new womenswear line, Ford recently told the New York Times Cathy Horyn:

“Carine and I have no plans to work together at the moment, and it is nothing that we have even discussed, but of course I think she is brilliant and we are close friends so who knows about the future.”

Well, I guess Heidi Klum‘s been right all along. In fashion one day you’re Anna Wintour and the next, you’re …Carine Roitfeld. It will be interesting to see how this story unfolds, who will succeed Carine (Emmanuelle Alt is apparently not an option) and where Carine lands, besides inevitably on her stilettoed feet.

LINK LOVE: Racked

The New World Order is known for its remarkable window displays and meticulously styled mannequins.

Just in case any of you are wondering what to get me for Christmas, here are my favorite pieces from the store:

Balenciaga floral neoprene cropped jacket - $2,000

Vintage bat wing dip dye mink coat - $1,700

Archee black and gold cocktail dress - $980

Giorgio Armani large pendant necklace - $895

Sonia Rykiel clear belt bag - $465

Roberto Cavalli teal leather jacket - $700

George Halley light green dress - $1,200 | Louis Vuitton belt - $330

I’m also obsessed with this necklace – there is a ponytail hanging from it! You can visit The New World Order online here.

Yesterday we learned that …

Roberto Cavalli Dreams of Motherhood.

Ralph Lauren Kids is Gearing Up for the Winter Holidays.

Condom Brand LifeStyles  Are Sponsoring Snooki’s Birthday Party.

Balenciaga’s History is Quite Interesting.

Ke$ha has a Real Reason for the $ in Her Name.

We asked the legendary designer and the Vogue editor a couple questions about this gorgeous exhibit, and here’s what they had to say…

Mr. Bowles, you’re known to have an extensive personal collection of couture. Are there any pieces from your personal archives?

Yes actually.  A couple of the boleros and black gowns are mine.  You’ll have to read the information on the displays to find out which were mine.

Mr. de la Renta, everyone’s been buzzing today about Kate Middleton and Prince William’s engagement. Since you’re such an established couture designer, would you be interested in dressing Kate Middleton?

I think Ms. Middleton will be choosing an English designer for her wedding.

Here’s a preview of looks from the Balenciaga Exhibit: