She might not have the eerie, ghostlike look of Tanya Dziahileva or the the deer-face of Gemma Ward, but Emma Maclaren, the blonde hair, blue eyed babe isn’t just any girl. For starters, this 17-year-old British model has more agencies than the typical top model. With bookers in London, New York, Paris and Milan, Maclaren’s career has skyrocketed, especially during 2008’s New York Fashion Week. Maclaren made her runway debut walking for designers like Marc Jacobs, Jill Sander and Givenchy and will be featured in November’s British Glamour and on the cover for December’s issue of L’Officiel. People might call her “generic-looking,” but this girl has got something that the other slender, blonde giants don’t have! 

Thanks NY Mag and The Fashion Spot!

While giving a speech in Philadelphia on Thur, Talley gave the audience a few tips for success:

Tip One: “Remember where you came from and how important that is, and that will sustain you,” he said. He was raised in North Carolina by his grandmother, who worked as a maid at nearby Duke University, but always dressed to the nines for church. “She didn’t have a lot, but she had remarkable style,” he added. “When I was 13, an uncle asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I said, ‘A fashion editor.’ I had been reading Vogue for some time by then. My uncle said, ‘What is a fashion editor?’ My grandmother defended my decision. She always encouraged me.”

Tip Two: “Always be curious and do your research.” While he was working for Vreeland at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1975, she handed him a dress Claudette Colbert wore in Cecil B. DeMille’s 1934 screen version of “Cleopatra” and asked him to style the mannequin appropriately. He went to the library and decided that Cleopatra should be sunkissed and got special permission to have his model painted gold. “It matched the dress,” he added. “Mrs. Vreeland loved it.”

Tip Three: Travel and find beauty and style where you go.

Tip Four: Practice good manners. “I once had to follow a woman from Philadelphia named Mrs. T. Charlton Henry to Paris for her couture appointments at Givenchy,” Talley said. “It was an assignment for WWD. She wrote me a note after and said, ‘The best thing about you is your wonderful manners.’ I saved the note.”

Tip Five: Fetch coffee if you have to. “When you are lucky enough to land an internship or get your first job, do not be offended when someone asks you to make a Starbucks run,” he noted. “At my first job working for Andy Warhol, I answered phones, ran the stamp machine to the post office, made $50 a week and had to live at the YMCA. But I was literally introduced to the world through that job. Mr. Warhol encouraged me with enthusiasm. He thought everything you did was great.”

Tip Six: Find a mentor. Vreeland, he said, was his most important. “She taught me everything. Anna Wintour is now my mentor. She is not that person in ‘The Devil Wears Prada.’ She is like Catherine the Great of Russia. She has kept that magazine on top, raised money for the Met and for the Democratic party.”
Read entire story on WWD

Just because it’s Halloween doesn’t mean you have to wear a trashy witch costume, drench your body in fake blood or rekindle your youth by dressing like a baby. Now it’s all about the gothic spooky chic! No need for skanky pleather, chains and piercings galore, several designers for their Fall 2008/Spring 2009 collections have got soft gothic spooky chic down pat:

Givenchy

Yves Saint Laurent

Chanel

Viktor & Rolf

Roksanda Ilincic

Giles

Rodarte

Thanks Vogue!

Madonna’s Chanel pumps. Lindsay’s Balenciaga gladiators. Mary-Kate’s Givenchy sandals. What do all of these have in common? I want them, in my closet, right now. Shoe whores love ridiculous, over-the-top teeter-totter heels that we have to train ourselves to walk in. I am always on the look out for the most outrageous shoes, and these ladies have impressed me greatly. Now if only I could get my hands on some in time for the holidays…

Here are the upcoming Spring collections from the big names in fashion.
Thanks to The Fashionisto for the images

Clicking through “The Top 10 Oscar Looks” on People.com, it was obvious which dress was going to be my favorite. Audrey Hepburn’s 1954 Oscar dress is truly a timeless design. The belted floral Givenchy design was feminine enough to show off Hepburn’s delicate figure and bold enough to make a lasting impression.

For the first time, nearly all of the Costume Institute’s large collection of clothing has been translated into an online database. View original works from Ungaro, Schiaparelli, Givenchy,  and many more.

The project was started in 2000, and since then the department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art has worked on formatting and digitizing information on 29,432 objects from the 31,000-piece collection. It is available to view through the museum’s Web site under Collection Database. The move is part of the museum’s initiative to showcase its entire holdings online.

Riccardo Tisci was recently tapped by A Magazine to play “curator” (also see unpaid editor, score one for free labor) for their upcoming issue. The Creative Director of Givenchy presents a series of photo essays and articles that speak on our ideals of sensuality.  Basically, it looks like someone really, really, really wants to be Hedi Slimane.

Actually, the stuff isn’t bad. I’m just getting tired with the whole “black and white photo of a model in some sort of angst while wearing bunny ears” thing.  That’s so last season. 

Every season, there are about a dozen fashion campaigns that make me kick myself for not going into the advertising field. Thanks, Givenchy, for making me second-guess my career choice. I am in love with the monochromatic, delicious goodness that is the fall ‘08 ad campaign. The ruffles, lace and chains are worn well with the models’ unconcerned mannerisms and expressions. Maybe I’m just a sucker for black and white photographs, but these have unquestionably made the season’s top 12 for me.

Photos: Dimonolo.com, Handbag.com

Just because the Summer is just about over (thank God!), this doesn’t mean that it’s time to put your shorts away yet. First seen in the Givenchy show awhile back, the shorts and leggings look for men is coming to be more and more popular. Duckie Brown seemed to be pushing the look pretty hard, featuring it up and down the runway this Fashion Week, not to mention the street sightings that have been popping in up. This is an amazing look, that when teamed with some boots, can be a look that could keep your shorts in your dresser drawers until Winter (for all you west coasters this could be a year round look). My only word to the warning is take precaution on your legging choice and fit, you don’t want to look like you’re rocking those weird Under Armour pants.

These amazing legging-esque track-pant by Chronicles Of Never (available at Pitbull Mansion) are exactly what I’m going to be gunning for this Fall. As soon as the temperature drops a little more I’ll be sure to snap a few of me rocking this look full out, I hope to see some of my indie friends doing the same!

Touche We Are The Market for beating me to the punch on this one.

Thanks to the following for the pictures:

The Fashion Spot

Mens.Style.com

Pitbull Mansion Boutique

People find disappointment all over Fashion Week… your fav model hardly walks; your design heroes fail to make their new clothing stand out; the after parties lack substantial snacks; or you’re simply not invited. 

I freak out when Mary-Kate Olsen lets me down.  I make my love for her no secret.  This Spring she did incredibly well!  (left, at Giambattista Valli in Paris in February) The Michael Jackson-inspired gold-studded leather Givenchy jacket, the crazy Chanel half-shades… it just seemed more offbeat, absurd, and inspired.  Her outfits at her appearances this past week have been drab and repetitive. (right, at a Diane von Furstenberg dinner this week) 

If you give me those crazy boots, though, MK, I may be willing to compromise.

This past year, ombre has been prevalent in women’s clothing, specifically dresses. Lately, a new trend has come to the forefront: male ombre. The trend has transitioned into a unisex style. While, I didn’t think I would like male ombre, the Alexander McQueen blazer is gorgeous. Yet, I also think this trend can go terribly wrong. What do you think Indies? Pretty boy or pansy?

Thanks to Fashionista for the pic!

Boots have always been in style. However, this fall will see a recreation of the simple boot. Slouchy and scrunchy boots have hit the runway. From Balenciaga to Givenchy, this trend is evident. It has a relaxed street chic element yet maintains a refined quality. These boots would pair perfectly with a dress or fall peacoat. If you want to make a statement, pick up a pair! 

Thanks to The Fashion Spot for the pics!  

Givenchy’s Spring/Summer 09 collection uses color detail to excentuate the use of various fabrics. The fabrics are used to create texture on various leggings and shirts, which are manipulated together into interesting  combinations to achieve a certain look. The colors across the board are bold and never fail to surprise the folks watching in awe of the runway. Givenchy paints a specific look for each model in which the  clothing combinations come together to achieve an applauded  result.

John Galliano

Fendi Wedge

Alexander McQeen Man-Kini

Prada Men’s Skort

Givenchy Pepto Pink

Miharayasuhio Leopard Prink

Ann Demeulemeester Old Men

Here is your sneak peek at Justin as the new face for Givenchy’s latest men’s fragrance, Play!

Very original to put Justin in a recording studio…and in headphones!

Here are some great scans of an editorial from Vogue in the late 60’s. Showing the latest fashions from Balenciaga and Givenchy from 1967. Wow Vogue used to be good!

Natalie Portman goes glam wearing Givenchy in Cannes. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Only wish that she, out of all people, would wear a really great indie designer dress, being an indie designer herself!