So this whole shebang is getting all kinds of complicated so here’s a quick run-down:

New York, London, Milan and Paris had agreed — at least in the minds of New York and London — to always and forever start the fashion show calendar on the second Thursday of February and September way back in 2008. Milan and Paris claimed they had agreed to no such thing.

In accordance with this — the “second Thursday rule” — NYFW would start on September 13, thus moving everyone else back one week. Milan said, “Not cool, bro” and threatened to decide its own dates and Condé Nast threatened a boycott by all Vogue editors.

Milan said “Screw you guys, bring it on,” by deciding to keep their original dates, September 19-25, thus conflicting with both New York and London, prompting DVF to ask, “Can’t we all just get along?”

Then New York said, “Fine, you win” and offered to move the dates of the September 2012 shows, to Septembr 6 (the first Thursday) through September 13.

Milan said, “Damn right we win,” then decided to throw its weight around by stipulating that New York had to cut out the September 13 date to accommodate London’s men’s collections. And New York said, “Fuggedaboutit.”

Which more or less brings us up to speed. So the CFDA is waiting to hear if the Camera Nazionale accepts this latest development. As for the second Thursday rule, the CFDA proposed revisiting it after three years and meeting with the Camera in 2013 to discuss the 2014 show dates.

Still confused? Don’t blame you. Which is why they should just settle this with a good old-fashioned walk-off like civilized people. [WWD]

The troops storm the runway

The Camera will agree to start the fashion week calendar on the second Thursday of September, beginning in 2013, but only if: a.) New York cuts the last day of its fashion week so as to give London an extra day for their men’s wear collections, and b.) Paris agrees to the schedule.

Paris Fashion Week, in a prime example of saving the best for last, always follows Milan Fashion Week – but by adhering to the second Thursday rule the dates of the former will be pushed even later, to the beginning of October. Meanwhile, Didier Grumbach, the president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, said on Wednesday that “nothing has changed for 2012″ for Paris and that the Chambre will meet in December to discuss PFW’s 2013 and 2014 show dates.

So it seems the final decision lays with Paris as Milan is ready to walk away from the table if their conditions aren’t met. Diane von Furstenberg, Steven Kolb and the rest of the CFDA are currently considering Milan’s plan, giving hope that maybe everyone can get this whole shebang sorted out before New Year’s.

And if that fails, DVF is not above boarding a tank and blowing the heel right off that boot-shaped country. [WWD]

The CFDA has agreed to move New York Fashion Week back one week next September to accommodate Milan, but the catch is that Milan and Paris have to agree to abide by the second-Thursday rule from here on out. If Milan accepts the proposal, New York Fashion Week will be held from September 6 to 13 and London Fashion Week would run from September 14 to 18.

Boselli will have a meeting with the Camera on November 30 to discuss the matter. [WWD]

Karachi Fashion Week

One must also consider the undeniable impact of the internet and blogs, bringing the latest and greatest in fashion to anyone with a decent internet connection. Now a teenager in Ohio can gasp at the fantastical creations from Beijing Fashion Week as a blogger in Thailand livestreams the latest Marc Jacobs runway show. But with this democratization of the fashion industry comes its inevitable oversaturation. “Every other city is doing a fashion week. I think there can be only one market in the U.S., and that’s New York,” Kolb opines. So fashion weeks in Moscow, Karachi, Berlin, Zurich, Huston, Dubai, Portland, Rochester, Islamabad and Tel Aviv won’t garner the kind of respect or attention paid to London and Paris; clothes from its runways won’t land in Elle or W – nor might they ever be worn outside of their respective countries. However, Glenda Bailey’s or Anna Wintour‘s is not the only eye foreign designers hope to capture.

For participants in Islamabad Fashion Week, fashion is a new form of expression that further immerses them in the global culture of the 21st century. When filming Fashion Week Internationale for Vice.com, hostess Charlet Duboc was surprised at the presence of women in full Burkas volunteering backstage:  “I couldn’t quite believe it. How does that work? How can you look at that and admire it and yet know you can’t wear it? But they were there, they were appreciating it and it didn’t feel like there was a divide. Like, ‘You do your thing, I do my thing’ and everyone got along.” Fashion transcends more than just clothing to become a force for cultural change. And a force for economic change. Speaking with the Wall Street Journal, Zurain Imam observed,  ”Fashion in Pakistan for a long time has been an entertainment sport; at [Karachi Fashion Week], we are trying to really make it about the business of fashion.”

While Kolb concedes that smaller fashion weeks can be good training ground for prospective designers, some bigger names are flocking abroad to show their collections. There probably is no hotter designer in America than Singapore-born, Nepalese-raised Prabal Gurung, whose last two presentations at New York Fashion Week met with near universal acclaim. Even he is considering showing his wares abroad in Moscow, Turkey, London and his native Singapore, saying, “There are so many emerging markets that we want to in some way be a part of, and I would love to showcase my collection in a more global way.” With a crowded and contentious calendar, Glenda Bailey won’t likely end up in Richmond, VA, but who’s to say that she won’t be stomping through a Singaporean jungle for the latest in spring ready-to-wear?

New York Fashion Week will take place Sept. 13th-20th, followed directly by London from Sept. 21st-25th with Milan squeezed in between from Sept. 19th-25th.  “Italian designers unanimously agreed on the schedule,” continued Boselli, “from the smallest brand to the biggest. They showed great solidarity and Italian pride.”

To me that sounds like one big “Suck it.” The four fashion capitals have been at each others’ heavily bejeweled throats over their respective fashion week dates — well, three of them have. HBIC Paris is too busy shutting. It. Down to care. [WWD]

Photo: Trendland

Italian designers are forming a united front to decide on their own dates, out of the three following options: 1.) move to July; 2.) show before New York in September; or 3.) leave things the way they are, which could mean an overlap between Milan and London.

Condé Nast, for its part, is not having any of this. In a letter to Mario Boselli, head of the Italian Chamber of Fashion ”obtained”  – *cough* stolen *cough*– by WWD, CEO Jonathan Newhouse writes that Vogue editors “like the schedule the way it is presently organized. We at Condé Nast do not want the schedule to be changed. We very much oppose moving the Milan shows earlier so that they overlap or conflict with the London fashion shows — or with the New York fashion shows or those of any market.”

Newhouse then goes on to basically threaten a boycott by all Vogue editors — American, British, French and Italian — of Milan shows, stating matter-of-factly that “they will not under any circumstances abandon the London or New York shows if the Milan shows are moved earlier.”

The root of the conflict stems from a pact in 2008 when all four cities agreed to kick-off the fashion weeks on the second Thursday of February and September. Boselli claims that the agreement was only for three years while the CFDA‘s Steven Kolb and the British Fashion Council‘s Caroline Rush contend that it was indeed a permanent arrangement.

As for the fromage standing alone, Paris is expected to side with Milan. However, Didier Grumbach, head of the Chambre Syndicale, would rather come to a compromise and wants everyone to just chill the eff out: “When planning our schedules we have to factor in the time constraints of houses such as Jean Paul Gaultier or Givenchy that deliver couture, men’s and women’s shows with one designer. In any case, these things can’t be improvised. We have our locations. To move dates on venues like the Grand Palais cannot be improvised. Those dates are decided months and months in advance. If [anyone wants to] move dates for 2013, why not, we have the time to talk about it, to arrange it.”

Frankly, it’s a little odd that London is siding with New York considering the hubbub over model castings earlier this season, with London designers blaming New York for hogging all the best girls and the general feeling that LFW was being squeezed out. Now it seems Milan is feeling the crunch and are going to have to come to a decision soon or face the wrath of Wintour. [WWD, sub req'd]

- The always pragmatic Rachel Zoe came to Paris Fashion Week with 11 suitcases. Because those caftans and block wedges aren’t going to fly transatlantic by themselves. [Fashionista]

- Tom Ford, in a position to which he has grown suspiciously accustomed, for Russian GQ. [Image Amplified]

- An Irish farmer kicked a scantily-clad Rihanna off his land, hoping RiRi and her friends “acquaint themselves with a greater God,” i.e. Beyoncé. [BBC]

- Crystal Renn was accused of being too skinny by a plus-sized designer; there have been worse insults. [Fashionista]

- Natasha Poly, 52 years after entering the game (in model time) , is the hardest working model of Milan Fashion Week. [The Cut]

“I am disgusted. I have no other words. I am disgusted and embarrassed: How can Italy tolerate Silvio Berlusconi and his bevy of girls?” Wintour admonished before going on to call Berlusconi a dictator and hoping that women protest against him during Milan Fashion Week.

Anna Wintour, revolutionary. Next thing you know, she and Franca Sozzani will get all Fidel Castro and Che Guevara — respectively — on Berlusconi and overthrow the Italian government themselves, appointing Miuccia Prada as their titular figurehead.

Vogue‘s HBIC also lauded Italy’s incomparable craftsmanship while criticizing its “compromised” political climate and wondering how people can “tolerate all this?” Well, it’s amazing what people can put up with under the iron thumb of a “dictator.” Just ask any Vogue staffer. [WWD]

Models on Todd Lynn's Spring 2012 runway / Style.com

According to Carole White, founder of Premier Model Management and not the biggest Naomi Campbell fan, ”We’re not just talking about one or two big girls. Jacobs had numerous models holding on options right up until the day of his show meaning they all stayed in New York just in case they got cast.”

White goes on to say, ”Gucci demanded that girls fly to Milan on Saturday to meet Frida to see if she would consider them for her show, which meant Saturday got trashed. Then the girls were expected to fly straight back to London, and if Gucci were interested, fly back to Milan again on Sunday for another round of casting, then for fittings on Monday. Only a tiny fraction of them realistically have a shot at being in that show — we all know it will be full of mega girls. I find it insulting that a designer like Frida thinks London is so insignificant that she would do that.”

For agents and models alike, Gucci and Jacobs are major gets, but that leaves the already packed London schedule of designers feeling like fashion’s bastard step-children. A source at Todd Lynn claims to have “lost 10 out of 19 girls,” with agents calling them in the middle of the night to pull their girls and some models not even showing up for fittings because they’ve flown off to Milan.

Also not helping matters is LOVE magazine editor Katie Grand — damn you Katie Grand — who styled for Jacobs and also styled for the London-based designer Giles Deacon. Grand demanded a five-hour call time — which one “fashion insider” calls ”unnecessary, absurd, selfish and wrong,” citing Paris’ strict two-hour limit — thus monopolizing any girls left in town after Burberry.

Amidst fears that London Fashion Week may be squeezed out all together, the British Fashion Council is beginning to feel the heat. The BFC is being accused of mismanaging the show calendar and for not standing up to the organizers behind the  New York and Milan fashion weeks.

Meanwhile, CEO of the BFC, Caroline Rush, insists that something is being done. She’s not particularly clear what that something is, but the Council has “invested time in developing direct relationships with model agencies to better understand their challenges and encourage them to send more internationally-recognised catwalk models to London. This season, the models at designers such as Jonathan Saunders, Erdem, Christopher Kane and Tom Ford have been of a global standard.”

Well, for those handful of shows, good for you. But for everyone else suffering at the model-grabbing claws of New York and Milan: damn you, Caroline Rush. [Telegraph]

ABOUT 10 -13 YEARS AGO WHEN I FIRST FELL IN LOVE WITH FASHION, TWO ENGLISH DESIGNERS HAD TAKEN PARIS AND THE FASHION WORLD BY STORM WITH THEIR INNOVATIVE AND THEATRICAL PRESENTATIONS. THE ART OF THE FASHION SHOW HAD RISEN TO NEW HEIGHTS WITH JOHN GALLIANO AT THE HELM OF CHRISTIAN DIOR AND ALEXANDER MCQUEEN AT GIVENCHY. WITH EVERY PRESENTATION, THEY KEPT THE FASHION WORLD ON ITS FEET WANTING MORE AND MORE AND AS A TEENAGER GROWING UP OBSESSING ABOUT FASHION, I COULD ONLY HOPE THAT ONE DAY I WOULD HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO EXPERIENCE THE ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY OF ATTENDING ONE OF ALEXANDER MCQUEEN’S OR JOHN GALLIANO’S THEATRICAL PRESENTATIONS. TEN YEARS LATER, IT’S UNFORTUNATE THAT FASHION SHOWS THAT WERE AS CREATIVE AS MCQUEEN’S OR AS CEREBRAL AS HUSSEIN CHALAYAN’S NO LONGER EXIST. IT’S A LOST ART THAT MOST DESIGNERS HAVE FORGOTTEN ABOUT. IN THE SHORT PERIOD THAT HE’S BEEN PRESENTING HIS MENSWEAR COLLECTIONS, I FEEL THAT THOM BROWNE UNDOUBTEDLY HAS BROUGHT BACK THAT LOST ART AND THAT HE HAS PUT ON SOME OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS THE FASHION WORLD HAS SEEN THIS PAST DECADE. HIS CLEVERLY ORCHESTRATED PRESENTATIONS ARE INJECTED WITH WIT AND HUMOR AND ARE REFRESHING TO THE JADED FASHION CRITIC WHO CLAIMS TO HAVE SEEN IT ALL. HIS MOST RECENT SHOW FOR MONCLER GAMME BLEU WAS NO EXCEPTION AND A TOUR DE FORCE. IT’S SHOWS LIKE HIS THAT REMIND YOU WHY YOU LOVE AND CELEBRATE FASHION.

LINK LOVE:HIGHLIGHTS OF MEN’S FASHION MONTH: MONCLER GAMME BLEU//

Frankie Morello – Milan, June 19, 2010. Designer: Maurizio Modica & Pier Francesco Giliotti

click to enlarge // watch full show below

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Tags: Arthur Sales, CAMPAIGNS, Fashion Shows, Frankie Morello, Milan Fashion Week, River Viiperi, Simon Nessman, ss2011, swimwear, videos

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LINK LOVE:FRANKIE MORELLO SPRING SUMMER 2011 FASHION SHOW

Loving this hair style seen during Milan Fashion Show on the catwalk of Emporio Armani. A great updated version of the pixie, which def draws at ton of attention to the face.

LINK LOVE: Cyana TrendLand

Rachel looks great, her hair looks healthier then ever, she’s well put together and the multi-tiered necklaces make a strong statement.

Image via ELLE

Victoria’s Secret angels Alessandra Ambrosio and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley launched the new ‘Body by Victoria Collection’ at the Victoria’s Secret store on 58th St in New York City last night.

The new “Body by Victoria” bras are available in stores today, in three new styles: multi-way, push-up and racerback (my fave). Prices range from $36-$48.

Alessandra had this to say about her fave bra: “I love my body when I am comfortable and know I look great! Body by Victoria is my favorite bra because it is the perfect fit for my body and supports me whether I am running around to keep up with my daughter during the day or dancing with girlfriends at night!.” She also walked in the Prada Show last week during Milan Fashion Week.

Rosie commented on her fave hairstyle: “I love my body when I am feeling self-confident and a personal tip is great haircut. There’s nothing sexier than tousled bedroom hair…Nothing too neat.” Totally agree.

Perfect for an Aspen snow bunny, this is def my favorite collection from what I’ve seen this season. I love the pairing of silk shorts with cable knit, the fur shorts are to die for, and I’m not even going to mention the fair Isle onsies (oops I just did). Perfect in every way possible, Dominico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are genius!

Gallery here.

LINK LOVE: Jezebel

As Fashion Week continues to travel the globe, I continue to be impressed with all of the fashionable people worldwide. I must have some over the knee/thigh high boots now!!

LINK LOVE: Rogue Fashion Trends

Seems like the Parisians are also feeling the loss. Paul Smith danced down the catwalk to Thriller yesterday as a little tribute to Michael Jackson. Expect much, much more of this and a couple of Michael Jackson “inspired” fashion collections to be hitting to runway hags everywhere come next season.

QUICKLINK: LDNfashion: Apparently, MJ’s absence is being felt in Paris, too. Paul Smith danced down the catwalk to Thriller to take his bow this afternoon…

Love the sash as a cumberbun look…

LINK: Jak & Jil

Whoever said black and blue don’t go together is royaly fucked on this one. Missoni has pieced together an amazing Fall 2009 collection, that is all about grey, black and blue knits in all sorts of great patterns. The collection has a great color palate for those cold, miserable days spent walking around Manhattan. Could we be seeing a reinvention of army green as well? Make it shimer and you almost have a completely different color. Big fan of this collection.

Gallery:  RUNWAY RUNDOWN: Missoni Fall 2009 Collection

Courtesy of: The Fashionisto

Not to be mistaken for a diesel car, I’m talking about THE Diesel car. That’s right, Diesel has launched a car, although it doesn’t run on diesel fuel, nor is it fuel officiant, nor is it really cool looking.

“Launched at a star-studded party at Milan Fashion Week, the car, the new Fiat 500, has been designed in a partnership between the two iconic Italian brands as an ‘urban survival vehicle’. The hubcaps feature the brand’s mohican logo, the bumpers sport rivet detailing and the seats and steering wheel have been stitched with yellow thread to mirror the jeans that Diesel is so famous for,” as seen in ElleUK.

The limited edition car – only 10,000 are set to be produced – will go on sale on November 9th. Add it to your Hanukah wish list now…

Katy Perry must be kissing more than girls lately seeing as though she landed herself in the spotlight of Milan Fashion Week with Dolce & Gabbana. Apparently she is too good for Mercedes Fashion Week and Fashion Indie Week Brooklyn seeing as though she won’t be participating. She totally sold out on Fashion Indie and her friends at New York Couture by not performing at, what may be the largest event during Fashion Week, the New York Couture fashion show at Mansion! Now since we heard she flaked out on us, we have decided to replace her with a ton of other performers that you won’t want to miss so be sure to come. Until then can we please try to de-throne Katy from the number one song on the charts, lets be honest we’re all over that song. 

This season, we’ve seen some of the most surprising male models hit the runways. First, Vivienne Westwood sends out beef cake bodyguards, then DSquared showcased an almost all ethnic cast, now Yohji Yamamoto sent out several gray-haired models who were over 60, one of whom happened to be artist-turned-filmmaker Steve McQueen, who just won a prize at the Cannes Film Festival. “The situation is, I’m not a skinny white boy, I’m the complete opposite,” McQueen told the AP. “I heard the audience gasp a bit when I came in.”

Is this the designers way of saying that clothes can be worn by anyone, whether hot male model or old guy? I guess it works, but that really defeats the purpose of having hotties on the catwalk!

Source: NY Mag

Calvin Klein: one word neon. Bright, bold, and requiring sunglasses

Ermenegildo Zegna: classic tailoring in classic neutral summer shades – oh and two pink suits.

Belstaff: Lots of shiny patent macs and plenty of colour to end Milan men’s fashion week.

Trends off the catwalk

THE GOOD

Bow ties – and not a dinner jacket in sight. A little ridiculous but harmless. This is men’s fashion week, let them have their fun.

THE BAD

Orange espadrilles – keep them to the beach love.

THE UGLY

Is a Versace Lamborghini too much? Possibly, but it might just have been the best looking fashion accessory of the week.

People

Armani pulled the big shots in again – this time for his mainline collection, Giorgio Armani. Clive Owen and Adrien Brody graced the front row. Full marks for the biggest A list attendees.

Source: TimesOnline

Images: NY Mag

Duckie Brown was all about the lack of music with their recent Fall 2008 show, but Hedi Slimane’s 99 collection for YSL followed the no sound route way before.  In the vintage vid we get to meet the designer and his collection but the lack of music makes me feel disconnected to the collection and more aware of the snapping and coughs coming from the crowd. Fortunately there was no cellular chatter in this round of show.

Hedi being thrown out at the end. Priceless