Photo: WWD

“It is with tremendous emotion that I return to the Ritz where I shared so many special moments with my brother,” Donatella Versace said. “The closing of the Ritz Paris for two years represents the end of an era but also the beginning of a new one, so to be able to show Atelier Versace there one last time will be a memorable milestone.”

Between 1990 and 2004, the Ritz saw many an Atelier show, though last year was the first in several that Atelier Versace returned to the couture calendar.  It’s presentation at the Quai Malaquais, however, raised a few eyebrows.

Okay, raised Cathy Horyn‘s eyebrow.

In her not particularly flattering review of the spring 2012 haute couture collection, Horyn harped on the collection’s awkward staging, describing a tense and unwelcoming atmosphere that “might have been eliminated had Ms. Versace just staged a normal show.”

Well,  Cath, you’re getting your wish. Donatella and co. will go back to the runway in the hotel’s Salon Vandome on July 1, hosting not one but two shows. [Vogue UK]

- Beyoncé posted a super sweet letter she wrote — by hand, no less —  to fellow HBIC Michelle Obama on her Tumblr in which she praised the FLOTUS for her grace, humility and sincerity. And she ended it with a smiley face period, just like Barack Obama does in his letters to Congress. [Refinery29]

- The Twitter accounts of several models, including Joan Smalls, Lily Donaldson and Jourdan Dunn were hacked yesterday when they apparently started hawking diet pills. Like models ever admit to taking diet pills. [Fashionista]

- Another one of the hacked models was Toni Garrn, but on the bright side, she’s now officially a Victoria’s Secret Angel. So she might actually need those diet pills since those ladies get cray cray around show time. [Modelinia]

- Noted crybaby bad boy Axl Rose tried to refuse his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with his fellow Guns & Roses but the Hall of Fame really doesn’t give a fuck. [Paper]

- Unsurprisingly, everyone and their mother has something to say about Raf Simons’ appointment to Dior. But it’s mostly positive — even from professional curmudgeon Cathy Horyn — which is actually surprising. [The Cut]

The story goes something like this:

According to McCartney, Tom Ford tried to persuade her — over her protests that she didn’t work with fur and leather — to take the creative-director job at Gucci while he designed Yves Saint Laurent, which Gucci Group had recently acquired. “He said: ‘Just come to my studio and look at everything. Maybe you’ll do it,’ ” she recalled, shaking her head. “As if all those exotic skins and corduroy hamster fur were going to turn me on and make me change my entire ethic.”

But when Horyn brings this up to Ford, he sings an all-together different tune:

“It was never a conversation about taking over at Gucci. I think she might have interpreted that at a certain point.” He said he was aware of previous statements she made in the press, but “I just never corrected her.”

And Stella, being full of British cheek and verve, responded like the friggin’ lady she is:

“Oh, he’s a lying, cheating . . . what?” McCartney exclaimed, when I repeated his comment. “That’s the weirdest thing. Why would he take me into an office and show me every dead animal? Oops!” She laughed and, frowning, said to me: “How are you going to handle that? ‘Stella says she got offered Gucci but she didn’t . . . LOSER!’ ” She continued to chuckle.

As we all know, Tom Ford can take himself too seriously at times, something Stella could rarely be accused of doing. But honestly, so much of Gucci’s aesthetic is wrapped up in luxe furs and opulence for opulence sakes, thanks to Ford, that Stella would’ve been an odd fit anyway.

Anyway, the moral of this story, kids, is that Cathy Horyn will blow up your spot so you better get your facts straight. #TheMoreYouKnow. [The Cut via NYT]

- Cindy Crawford‘s 10 year old daughter won’t be seen on any runways for at least another 7 years. That is, unless Marc Jacobs gets his hands on her. [Styleite]

- A woman streaked at Lincoln Center on the last day of New York Fashion Week. Cathy Horyn praised the show, calling it revelatory. [Refinery29]

- Whitney Houston‘s funeral, befitting the passing of a legend, will be live-streamed and will include performances by Aretha Franklin and Stevie Wonder. [Vanity Fair]

- Meanwhile, Houston’s final movie, a remake of Sparkle, will hit theaters this year and reportedly would have marked a major comeback for the singer. [Vanity Fair]

- Nicki Minaj explains her “controversial” Grammys performance as a preview for a film she’s working on, tentatively titled, Really Bad Idea. [Huff Po]

- Oh, Anna Wintour. You’re such a card. During NYFW, you were as icy as ever, but even an intimidating revolving door won’t stop you from throwing shade all over the world. Go. Head. Girl. Friend. [The Cut]

- Stella McCartney has a new video for PETA that Cathy Horyn thinks is worth watching. Let me know, will ya. [NYT]

- Much like every diffusion line worth its salt, Jason Wu for Target sold out in, like, a day. [Racked]

- But this isn’t Target’s first time at the rodeo and the retailer is restocking their online shelves later this week. [InStyle]

- During the final three minutes of the Super Bowl there was an average of 10,000 tweets per second. That’s a lot of hashtalk. [TechCrunch]

- Vogue and Anna Wintour let Madonna have their logo free of charge for her half time show and as a result had the biggest bang for the smallest advertising buck of any of the big game’s blockbuster commercials. [WWD]

- Gisele can drop as many effing F-bombs as she effin’ likes since she’s the highest effing paid supermodel in the effing world. Dammit. [Modelinia]

- It’s no “The Boy Is Mine” but Brandy and Monica‘s new duet, “It All Belongs to Me,” is here. Sadly there’s no lyrical weave-snatching this time around. [Rap Up]

Diving for McQueen on Nowness.com.

The two ladies wax rhapsodic over McQueen’s legacy, the intricacy of the garments’ construction and staying true to the McQueen woman in Diving for McQueen, Dustin Lynn‘s  short film for Nowness.com. Lynn’s exploration of the diaphanous dresses through extreme close-up evokes a couture Cousteau while offering a rare glimpse into one of fashion’s greatest wonderlands. [Nowness]

On Monday, Andy Capper, editor of Vice UK, will debut the mag’s new feature, “Fashion Week Internationale” at Vice‘s office in Williamsburg — the birthplace and subsequent burial ground of post-ironic irony. The series will cover oft-neglected fashion weeks in politically and economically unstable countries such as Columbia, Islamabad and Russia. They’ve also got a new book out, Fashion Cats, featuring two cats in the latest Japanese fashion — which basically has New York Times bestseller written all over it. Anticipating the feline fashion frenzy, Urban Outfitters put in an order for 10,000 copies, but it’s available wherever books are sold…i.e. not Borders. #sad

As for Elektra’s future as a fashion critic…well, let’s just say Cathy Horyn she is not. Her observations went along the lines of ”I’m intensely tripping my shit” and ”I was too overwhelmed by the music and the people. I didn’t even really look at the clothes.” Then there was a run-in with Naomi Campbell that left the poor girl “in a very bad place” — “I got really bad vibes off of her. I don’t feel very well now. I thought she was going to hit me.”

And now Elektra knows what it’s like working for Naomi Campbell. This was a valuable learning experience after all![WWD]

From Le Figaro via The Cut:

From the first model on the runway, we are struck by what resembles an out-of-style Gucci collection from ten years ago. The fussy complications of the cuts (drawstrings, shirring, high-waisted skirts, leg-of-lamb sleeves), the disheveled hairstyle of a girl barely back from happy hour, and the overdone makeup… Overload is the key word of the show… The laced shoe? An ersatz model of an Alaïa. The jogging shorts in black leather? Already seen last year in Céline‘s cruise collection, as were the sandals with bracelet straps (here, encrusted with rhinestones). The coat bristling with raffia? A pale version of those in Yves Saint Laurent‘s spring 1967 collection.

And then shit gets personal:

At the end of this inventory suited to Kim Kardashian, Tom Ford appears. He advances. And he remains there, in the central area, asking people to stand up. Perhaps [people would do so] out of distress, or sympathy, or because all of this is supposed to be festive after all. But everybody just looks at their feet. The music does not stop. Ford tries to speak above the noise, louder. We can’t hear a thing. We just see this baby-faced man trying desperately to clear the air. He throw[s] himself upon his companion, Richard Buckley, and hugs him (Ralph Lauren often hugs his companion Ricky at the end of his shows, but then he returns backstage). But here everyone stays put. So Tom Ford retreats toward Anna Wintour and now it’s she whom he decides to embrace. Troubling.

A.) That comparison to Kim Kardashian is verging on out-of-line. B.) I’m pretty sure Mouzat called Ford fat with that “baby-faced” comment. And  C.) I think the most “troubling” part is that he reportedly had the cajones to publicly embrace Anna Wintour. People have died for less.

This isn’t the first time Ford has weathered bad press as noted sassbag Cathy Horyn referred to Ford’s spring 2001 Gucci show as “not just truly ugly, but also…completely at odds with his reputation as a designer who loves women.” And then there was that reporter at the Guardian, Jess Cartner-Morley, who also had some choice words for Ford’s latest collection.

So, is it a case of sour grapes, or has Tom Ford simply made an unfashionable misstep? Well, you’ll have to wait to form your own opinions when the photos come out, but everyone’s allowed a mistake every now and then. Hell, we keep Jean Paul Gaultier around and when’s the last time he did anything passably good? Oh, right. [The Cut]

Sam‘s Faves

Prabal/Style.com

- Ralph Lauren: “For the ostrich feather boas.”

- Diane von Furstenberg: For handing out little American flags in honor of 9/11 and for making an outfit that anyone could wear.

- Prabal Gurung: “For using one print 100 ways, and also for clever cutouts.”

- 3.1 Phillip Lim: ”For his tasty sherbert color palette.”

- The Row: “For dressing the old ladies that the Olsen twins were born to be.”

Diane von Furstenberg: ”That’s her opinion. She is entitled. She has a voice, she uses her voice. I have a voice. All I will say is that I work very hard, and I do the best I can. I hope she comes to the show and I hope she likes the show.”

Michael Kors: ”People can make their decision as to what turns them on and what thrills them, and what doesn’t. It’s like shopping.”

Oscar de la Renta: ”It bothers me because I love my industry, and I love fashion. I think fashion is something of beauty and it really makes me mad when someone writes about fashion in a bitter way.”

Vera Wang: ”We actually employ a lot of people, and we try to support our industry, and we do pay for things. We’re doing our best to be honorable and support our industry. If those things don’t stand for something, I don’t really know what does.” [WWD]

In a week, I told myself, Lady Gaga’s vintage Versace studs…will be history. If that. “Never be afraid to dream,” she tweeted to her followers, but I had already unfollowed, like a skiff breaking from its moorings. Goodbye!

Now Gaga returns the favor in her latest column for V Magazine.

Let’s talk about…reading

“In the age of the Internet, when collections and performances are so accessible to the public and anyone can post a review on Facebook or Twitter, shouldn’t columnists and reviewers, such as Cathy Horyn, employ a more modern and forward approach to criticism, one that separates them from the average individual at home on their laptop?” Gaga muses.

The Lady then goes on to refer to Tavi Gevinson and her “prodigious and well-written blog”as the future of journalism, at which point I threw up in my mouth. But she makes an interesting point, particularly with Fashion Week literally around the corner and bloggers the world over preparing to descend on New York en masse.

Every one has an opinion and can freely express it, so — Gaga wonders — “Why have we decided that one person’s opinion matters more than anyone else’s?”

Well, simply because not every opinion matters. Do I care what some 15-year old blogger in granny socks has to say about anything? Of course not. Does Cathy Horyn care what I have to say about anything? Of course not. And does Gaga care that Cathy Horyn unfollowed her on Twitter? Maybe.

But opinions are subjective. I value Cathy Horyn’s opinions, not because she’s a curmudgeon and hates everything/everyone — though that certainly helps — but because she’s a great journalist who’s not afraid to say what she believes in. And to then back it up.

At the end of the day, some opinions are valued more than others simply because when there are too many opinions, the subject being opined upon gets diluted. Rather, it becomes more important who’s giving the opinion than what the opinion is being given about.

Anyhoo, you can read the latest “From the Desk of Lady Gaga” when its posted on vmagazine.com today or when the issue hits newsstands September 8th. [WWD]

- Naomi Campbell‘s BFF (thank you), Nelson Mandela is following in her graceful, catwalk strides by starting his own fashion line called 46664, his prison number from those 27 years he was incarcerated. [Styleite]

-  Let’s just hope you wipe this down before sticking it in your USB drive. Or your computer. [Refinery29]

- Images from Carine Roitfeld‘s Barneys fall 2011 campaign starring Crystal Renn and Fei Fei Sun are out. [Fashionista]

- Cathy Horyn is over Fashion’s Night Out…and pretty much everything. [NYT]

- Beyoncé, being the altruistic diva she is, showed her support for Nicola Formichetti by dropping a cool $2100 on some Mugler pony hair platform heels when she paid a surprise visit to Curve butique on Tuesday. [Page Six]

- Meanwhile, I have a new hero. Crashing a car while “admittedly drunk” and sexing in the backseat. That’s going above and beyond the call of duty. [Gawker]

Sophia Coppola, Kanye West and Donatella Versace – who, it seems, invited herself – were among those lucky and not-Anna-Wintour enough to reside front row during Alaïa’s show. They got to see, up close and personal, the wool — being couture it was no less than Mongolian lamb —  the knitwear —  a “miracle” according to Style.com‘s Tim Blanks —  the cinched waists and full skirts — an ode to the designer’s trademark body-consciousness — and my favorite ladies wear staple — the coat-dresses — that made up the collection’s 25 looks.

Whatever caused the riff between Azzedine and Anna — there was a snub at the Met Gala a few years back causing longtime muse Naomi Campbell and her super friends to boycott, but methinks it goes back even further than that — readers of Vogue are the ones truly suffering. They’ll never see these gorgeous creations within those hallowed pages as long as one of them lives. And I think we all know, as per an agreement signed in blood eons ago, Anna’s not going anywhere for the next few hundred years.

But feel free to peruse some of the best looks from Alaïa Fall 2011 couture and take comfort in imagining what magic Grace Coddington could conjure up if she were given the chance.

- Hussein Chalayan was “devastated” when Tom Ford passed him over in 2001 for being “too avant-garde.” I guess birthing eggs weren’t what Gucci was looking for back then. [Vogue UK]

- Vogue‘s coveted September cover will go to Kate Moss and her wedding, shot by go-to Wintour lensman, Mario Testino. And Vanity Fair is going decidedly classy by shooting Lindsay Lohan while under house arrest for their September issue. [Page Six]

- Apparently, Princess Beatrice has been listening to the haters and has hired full-blown fashionista Emma Watson‘s stylist for $2400/day. Meanwhile, throw that glorified basketball hoop of a Philip Treacy hat back on and stop boring me. [Styleite]

- Ice queen Johnny Weir will be the face of MAC Cosmetics‘ holiday collection, “Glitter and Ice.” [Page Six]

- And if that isn’t gay enough for you, check out the windows of Michael Kors Bleecker Street  location in celebration of the recently passed same-sex marriage bill. Those brides are actually drag queens, FYI. [Racked]

Photo: NYT

Horyn, in her usual straight-shooter fashion, posits that Galliano’s very public unraveling could have been avoided had Bernard Arnault and Dior chief exectuive Sidney Toledano “sufficiently addressed” his problems:

“Nothing about this affair has ever felt right — not his abusive comments, not his self-destructive behavior, not the way he was dismissed….His personality and showmanship were definitely part of Dior’s success, and maybe there was a fear of meddling with it.”

Speaking on the condition of anonymity, an executive at LVMH told Horyn there had been “casual discussions” about Galliano returning to his eponymous label. Both this and another executive seemed to think that the media and public would accept the return and resurgence of John Galliano.

Horyn thinks, and I certainly agree, that John Galliano deserves a second chance, but what do you think, dear readers? Is it too late to save his once-brilliant career or does time — and rehab — heal all wounds? [NYT]

- Fellow lady journalist, Lady Gaga, is skyrocketing up the publishing ladder with her latest gig as guest global editor-in-chief of Metro, you know that free mag someone’s always trying to shove in your face as you rush for the subway in the morning? Gags will take over for one day May 17th, a day before her album drops. Baby, she was born to market. [Styleite]

- Andrew Lloyd Webber thinks Madonna would be the perfect Norma Desmond in the film version of his musical based on the film (meta), Sunset Boulevard, saying: “She’s the right age. I’ve not got through to her. She hasn’t taken my call this time.” Andy, maybe it’s because you’re basically calling her a crazy, over-the-hill, man-chasing, delusional diva. Some people just can’t handle the truth. [Playbill]

- Diane Von Furstenberg‘s first fragrance will launch this October in Europe, North America and the Middle East. I bet it smells like a bitch slap, sun tan lotion and money. [WWD]

- The Daily Beast compiled a list of the most expensive royal weddings. Charles and Di‘s legendary fête cost $4.7 million. Security: $600,000; 5-ft tall cake: $40,000; flowers and decorations: $100,000; marital bliss: …I think they lost that receipt. William and Kate‘s wedding is expected to cost $16 million, so I expect a 15-ft tall cake, thank you. [Daily Beast]

Photo: Huff Po

- Carine Roitfeld is coming out with a 400-page book entitled Irreverent! (I love when an “!” is included in the name) that lists among its contributors, Olivier Zahm, Cathy Horyn and (brace yourself) Anna Wintour. [Styleite]

- Nylon asks if the onepiece, a “high fashion Snuggie” is a good idea or bad idea. I ask why I’m not wearing one right now. [Nylon]

- Givenchy Couture‘s new CEO, Susan Whiteley is Alexander McQueen‘s old CEO; and Givenchy Couture’s old CEO, Fabrizio Malverdi, is now running Dior Homme. And in this game of fashion musical chairs, Riccardo Tisci is still circling around Dior Couture‘s creative director’s seat. [Fashionista]

- The New York Times compares Lindsay Lohan‘s court-room walk of shame to a catwalk and the red carpet, both things that Lindsay hasn’t been invited near in years. [NYT]

- NBC is working on a new reality competition fashion show in the same vein as The Fashion Show and Project Runway, ingeniously titled, The Fashion Project. As usual, NBC on the forefront of innovation. [The Cut]

- Apparently Rihanna, whose Vogue cover has been compared to the little mermaid can’t hold a candle to Ariel. We could also compare their singing, but Ariel would win that, too —  fins down. [The Hollywood Gossip]

- On a sad note, noted rap singer Nate Dogg has died at 41. In honor of him, my favorite quote from his classic duet with Warren G, “Regulate”: “If you know like I know then you don’t want to step to this’ It’s the G-Funk era, funked out with a gangsta twist/ If you smoke like I smoke then you’re high like everyday/ And if your ass is a buster, 213 will regulate.” Good night, sweet prince. [All Music Blog]

Photo: Huff Po

Horyn already expressed her approval of the gown, stating that it “recalled some of the opulent state dinners of the Reagan era” and trumpeted the gown’s approapriate level of “pomp”.  She also understands the subsequent fallout that has occurred, led by Oscar “The Grouch” de la Renta, over choosing a foreign designer for such an important occasion:

“His [de la Renta's] business is based in the garment district, and by using local factories for most of his production, he contributes to its prosperity. This is an important issue to him.”

She is less sympathetic, however, to the CFDA, whom she sees as being more than just a bit hypocritical in their condemnation and are simply trying to “goad” Mrs. O into wearing American designers:

“The truth is many of its members, including its president, Diane Von Furstenberg, manufacture a significant portion of their clothes outside the United States, mainly in Asia.”

But given the heated rhetoric over one gown chosen for one event over one week ago, Horyn thinks — and rightfully so —  that attention is being taken away from Mobama’s substantial accomplishments.

“I want her to be known for something other than her fashion. I want her to be a great first lady who truly cares about the lives of Americans at the time when many need help. I want her to be far more than “prime placement” for a dress label — whatever the country of origin. She supports a number of causes, notably healthful eating habits, but these deeds are being overshadowed by what she wears.”

Horyn goes on to cite an article in The Economist that expressed the hope “to hear more about what Mrs Obama thinks and a lot less about what she wears.”

That article, published during the first months of Barack Obama‘s administration, cited Michelle Obama’s impressive background  — she graduated cum laude from Princeton and earned her law degree from Harvard before embarking on a successful career in the public and private sector — and credited her hands-on approach during the 2008 election, traveling around the country giving “intelligent, substantive and well-delivered” speeches in support of her husband.

Ever since that election the White House, according to the article, has tamed down this image, trying “its best to turn the first lady into a celebrity mother-cum-clothes-horse,” in reaction to Hillary Clinton‘s  forthrightness during the first years of the Clinton administration.

“Hillary Clinton’s determination to act as a virtual co-president back in 1993 helped to create a backlash against her husband’s administration. It also raised uncomfortable questions about power and accountability. Given America’s continued neuroses about race, an outspoken black first lady might prove to be even more divisive than an outspoken white one.”

Not only would an “outspoken black first lady be divisive,” it would be downright alienating.  It’s true that Mrs. O has taken a back seat to her husband — his position practically calls for it — but that has not reduced her own merits. It’s really America’s perception of the Obamas and who Americans want them to be and want them to represent that has dictated this fanatic fascination with her sense of style.

At the onset of the Obama administration, there was an excitement that everything would be different, better. A sort of optimism that was frequently compared to John F. Kennedy‘s election some 50 years prior. And  with this new, black Camelot came — as The Economist put it — the “Jackiefication” of Michelle Obama.

Couple that with the fact that the Obamas were younger, more attractive and more accessible than any first family since the Kennedys and the American public couldn’t help but slip Michelle into Jackie Kennedy‘s iconic pillbox hat. It was all part of the optimism, but with this comparison we lost or forgot or chose to forget the Michelle Obama of the campaign trail; the passionate, articulate Ivy-league educated attorney who stood beside her husband rather than behind him.

It’s easy to forget that despite her flirtations with couture and high society, Jackie Kennedy was also a well-educated woman with her own opinions who later in life had a successful career as a book editor.  Hillary Clinton simply reinvented what a First Lady could do and hers is a large pantsuit to fill.

Horyn believes that the only person who can change the perception of Michelle Obama is Michelle Obama. But it’s all part of a great balancing act. After all, Michelle Obama represents so many things to so many people.  As an African American, she is an inspiration for all minorities; as a successful woman, she is an inspiration for other women; as first Lady of the United States, she is the face of America and a champion for civil causes; but at the end of the day she is a woman and like most women her clothes are an extension of her.

It’s impossible to please everyone, particularly when everyone has an opinion about what you say, where you go and what you wear. No doubt it would behoove the press to focus on the causes Mo champions, but let’s be real, that shit doesn’t sell. And if there’s one thing Americans respond to it’s celebrity culture. There are no bigger celebrities in the world than the Obamas and like all celebrities, we as a culture love to build them up and tear them down, only to build them up back again.

This dress controversy will blow over, but how will history remember Michelle Obama? Will she be proactive like Hilary? A style icon like Jackie? A lush like Betty? Sure Mo has a hand in her legacy, but America will remember what it chooses to remember. Thats the way history works. It’s written selectively by the winners, so for all her degrees and her speeches and her social work, will she only be remembered for a few great dresses?

We’ll have to wait to see how the rest of her husband’s presidency goes before we can even begin to answer that.

Link Love: New York Times

Photo: Huffington Post

According to WWD:

“My understanding…is that the visit was to promote American-Chinese trade — American products in China and Chinese products in America. Why do you wear European clothes?…I’m not talking about my clothes, my business. I’m old, and I don’t need it. But there are a lot of young people, very talented people here who do.”

Barring the fact that de la Renta has been outfitting First Ladies since before Betty Ford had her clinic, Mo has a well-documented reputation of wearing and supporting lesser known American designers.

Bitter, much?

Robin Givhan, however, felt — rather intensely — that the nationality of the designer had less to do with her choice than what the gown meant as a statement:

“The red petal print, silk organza gown wasn’t so much an act of diplomacy as a broad statement about the new realities of the fashion industry. In choosing a dress from Alexander McQueen, Mrs. Obama championed the cause of artisan design, the legacy of bespoke tailoring, and the staggering creativity that can be nurtured in the frock trade when it is at its best.”

Or she thought, “Hey, it’s China, they’re communists, right? Give me that McQueen number, hack off the sleeves and sweep my hair up in a regal crown, I’m reading to orphan children right now.”

I’m sure there was more than that to Mo’s decision, but the extent of Givhan’s analysis might be a little over the top. Still she makes an incredibly incisive and enlightening point:

“In wearing the gown to honor China, a country that many view with disdain for its abundance of cheap labor, counterfeit products, and poor labor practices, Mrs. Obama seemed to be recognizing the country’s inevitable place in the fashion cycle and giving it its due. Indeed, Chinese consumers represent a vast new marketplace for designer companies, and the production quality of its factories continues to improve. In short, Mrs. Obama’s choice was an optimistic celebration of all that fashion can be and it seemed to suggest that China was welcome to be a part of that vision.”

I’m going to say it once, if you like it you should throw a goddamn Pulitzer at it. Again.

Link Love: NY Mag

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 Wall Street Journal will start to look more like its mainstream rival The New York Times on Dec. 4 when it puts out the first issue of WSJ., its weekend lifestyle magazine supplement, edited by Deborah Needleman.

WSJ. has covered the intersection of fashion and business since it launched two years ago. But the first issue of Needleman, the former chief editor of Domino who also heads up Off Duty, the Journal’s new weekend lifestyle section, broadens the fashion coverage to help deepen the magazine’s appeal with female readers and fashion advertisers.

“Part of what we’re doing is creating a woman-friendly place,” Needleman explained. “What I’m trying to do in every issue is a women’s fashion story and a men’s fashion story, and I want to try to do a couple’s fashion story. This reader is not buying fashion magazines. So I feel like there’s a real opportunity here.”

It could be a risky move, given the female Journal reader isn’t fashion-obsessed. And fashion advertisers already have a glut of glossies to run in. (credit: mediaweek.com)

On Alexander Wang:

Mr. Wang is not a great designer, though he probably would be happy to accept any laurels that people want to toss him, but he is clearly a shrewd guy . . . The designs were cool, but they didn’t have to stand up to much scrutiny – hey, didn’t Marni do those pants last season? – so long as the stuff was widely and easily available. Mr. Wang doesn’t really have courage in the traditional sense of trying something new and difficult, but he does have China. Nearly all of his clothing is now produced there.

With Alexander, he’s a smart kid, I admire the business that he’s built, but you have to be critical of what he’s done. You can’t just say ‘Oh well, he’s young and he’s working hard, he’s putting a product on the runway.’ I found that show boring. I may not have found other shows boring, but I found that one boring.

On Fashion Night Out:

I hope it doesn’t go on. I don’t want it to continue . . . You know, we’re a nation of shoppers. That’s how people spend their time, shopping online, shopping in stores, acquiring. And I feel like we perpetuate that with Fashion’s Night Out. What are you really celebrating? Not art or great books. You’re celebrating shopping.

On Her Critical Approach:

[I] want people to be better. [I] have standards. [I] want people to be not just good but very good. And I can be tough on people, sometimes too tough, especially with the most creative. I once called one of Tom Ford’s collections freakish and ugly.

These comments were part of a larger article written by The Daily Beast. In the story, the Beast writer tries to find people willing to talk about Horyn. No one wanted to open up.

She did get a comment from Karl Lagerfeld:

I prefer to look at beautiful pictures in magazines like American Vogue and French Vogue by editors like Anna Wintour and Carine Roitfeld. (My guess is he’s too old to read…)

And Carolina Herrera:

I don’t think reviews really matter anymore.

And Donna Karen who said that getting swiped by Horyn “still hurts. You can agree or disagree with her, but it’s definitely passionate. She’s not neutered, let’s put it that way.”

Not neutered is correct, Cathy Horyn is one bad ass bitch mothafuckahs!!! Check out her runway reviews on NY Times

Succeeding Mr. McQueen is a difficult undertaking. Yet Ms. Burton showed two valuable qualities. She was modest about what she chose to take on; some references to the McQueen craft and drama are necessarily, but her choices reflected a gradual transition. And she obviously knows how to make light clothes. Over the next few seasons, she should feel more confident to bring out her own ideas. Craft is important but so is a mood or an emotion. But, all in all, she did an excellent job, and I thought the response in the room was enthusiastic.
On The Runway: Sarah Burton’s First Collection for McQueen

We couldn’t agree more with Cathy. I loved how this collection felt like McQueen, but a more wearable, more ready to wear version of his designs. There was still grandeur, but more of the pieces seemed ready for a normal female rather than just ready for Gaga.

Cathy Horyn has been quite vocal about her dislike of designer Alexander Wang. She recently said this about his collection: “the collection downloaded the ideas of designers like Ann Demeulemeester and Issey Miyake — naturally, without their sense of energy and intuition.”

Read more from Cathy here.

LINK LOVE: On the Runway/NYT

Of the many tributes to Alexander McQueen since his demise this February, I regret to report few have really resonated within me. His tremendous contributions to the fashion world and his artistic integrity are nothing new to those of us who follow fashion. Yet for all of our apprecition and adulation, few people have really addressed Alexander McQueen, the man. He was, and remains, an enigma.

Earlier this week, fashion critic for the New York Times Cathy Horyn wrote a two-part series which elucidates much of the shroud of mystery surrounding the designer. In it, she presents a picture of McQueen as painted by those closest to him. Their perspective offers an insight into his complexities, his unique artistic vision, and perhaps most vital, the teeming mess of emotions that drove the designer to produce some of the most extraordinary pieces of the past decade.

“Between Miuccia Prada in Milan and Marc Jacobs at Vuitton we saw the return of the lush, full-hipped woman, her breasts served up like ripe fruit.”

Joe Zee and Rachel Zoe watch your backs, Cathy Horyn is the latest fashionista to join the twitterati. She’ll be tweeting her exploits as she hops from show to show. The New York Times made their announcement via Twitter with this tweet: “In news that should send shivers down the backs of designers: Cathy Horyn is finally going to start tweeting this season.” We can’t wait!!!

LINK LOVE: http://twitter.com/themoment/status/7761013975

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

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! 

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.