Complaints about celebrities starting fashion lines are ever-present and extreme: although slighting annoying and definitely to blame for the lack of young American designers getting press celebrity designers really aren’t that bad. Some of them are actually really good, like the Olsen twins who were recently praised by Cathy Horyn, New York Magazine’s Fashion Critic. That said, Al Roker’s potential line of rainwear for Weatherproof seems to have absolutely no potential. He may be popular as a weather man, but I can’t think of any American who yields him as a fashion icon. The above mixture of a baseball cap and a suit is proof enough that the man lacks fashion sense. This seems like a collaboration failure to me.

SOURCE: Stylelist

You don’t need me to tell you that the recession is scary, but we’re in the middle of it and it’s not coming to an end anytime soon. While definitive answers about the economy and what is going to happen to it are nearly impossible to formulate, we all seem to make it through the day, riding the coattails of predictions, opinions and logical reasoning. As if worrying about retirement packages, college tuitions and simply putting food in your stomach weren’t enough, we’ve got the fashion world to fret over. Will designers die out? Will we resort to making our own clothes? Can we kiss trends goodbye? She’s certainly not God and her predictions are probably just as likely to occur as the next guy’s, but Cathy Horyn has some “answers” about the recession that seem pretty valid. Jezebel has the whole scoop, but according to Cathy, this is what us fashionistas can expect:

-In order for “luxury” to survive the recession, designers need to stop selling their image and start selling high quality, avant garde products again. 

-”History Minded” fashions will be a designer’s demise. It’s all about the future. 

-The fashion industry needs to weed out all of the filler fashions to save what is considered luxury. There is simply too much stuff on the market. 

-We fail. China and India will take a front seat in luxury. 

Thanks Jezebel!

‘The recession could turn out to make designers better designers.  Fashion houses, anticipating reduced orders, cut out the theatrics as they sought to appeal to a relatively new demand in luxury fashion: value.  By the end of the shows, retailers were praising the level of craft and fabric research — and complaining when it was obscured, as at Chanel, by French-maid ruffles. Out of necessity, a lot of designers put on smaller shows. It meant that they couldn’t flub a seam.” [NY Times]

LINKAGE: Fashionologie

We’re counting down the days until Barack Obama takes his presidential oath and brings about the “change” he promised our nation. Aside from politicians, economists and haughty businessmen, I am wondering if this notion of change will inspire the backbone behind Vogue magazine. 2008 was a tough year on Vogue with vicious rumors dancing about Anna Wintour and a 9.6% decline in advertisements. It is plain to see that if Vogue wants to mend it’s broken history, they need a new look, a new focus and a new vision. 

Cathy Horyn, fashion journalist and critic for The New York Times, hit the nail on the head when it comes to pinpointing reasons for Vogue’s failure: Editors don’t understand the digital age our world is now living in, the magazine itself hasn’t seen any sort of change in far too long, Vogue features the same old celebrities and the same old models and they fail to give mention to the socialites. 

I know times are hard, but Vogue has simply got to roll with them. Readers want to see fresh ideas and new faces. We want to live vicariously through socialites whose immaculate lives entertain us. We want to stay awake past page 5 for once. It might take a few attempts, but if Vogue is willing to change, I bet 99% of readers are willing to support them.

Fashion critic for The New York Times, Cathy Horyn, recently stumbled upon a photo of designer Karl Lagerfeld as a wee little lad! He’s got the tie, the lederhosen and the charming little smile. Some things never change! 

Thanks NY Mag! 

When it’s a planned marketing campaign to keep a designer hip.

The Marc Jacobs ads with their signature look and feel have been the subject of much debate as to their artablility (not a word, but work with me indies).  Cathy Horny (spelled wrong cause it’s funny) gets off of blogging about the runway to actually write a full piece on the unique relationship between photog Juergen Teller and Monsuir Midlife himself Marc Jacobs.  It’s not that good of an article, but some people do care about such trivial things like stories that were interesting 10 years ago and ads that border on boring home candids.  Personally, I don’t see the appeal, but I’ve always been a Richardson/Dov man myself and Teller’s work is just so, blah.

And before I get hate male from Jacob groupies let me make this statement, it’s not really art if you’re trying to make it art.  Plus, while the subjects have changed the artist doesn’t seem to evolve.  The older works are better cause Teller’s gotten into a boring little niche that allows him to shoot everyone in a very similar matter.

If you want to read the article, click here.