subscribe to style file blog via RSSRalph Lauren’s Glory Days
November 20, 2008
Patriotism is particularly in style these days—witness Michael Kors’ red, white, and blue Spring collection or Catherine Malandrino’s U.S. flag dress (and she’s not even a citizen). But it’s always been in fashion for Ralph Lauren. Back in 1998, at the request of then-First Lady Hillary Clinton, he made a $13 million donation to the Save America’s Treasures campaign that went to the restoration of Old Glory. Yesterday, the designer was honored at the Smithsonian’s Star-Spangled Banner dedication ceremony. “The flag has always been an inspiration, and I wanted to preserve it for our children and generations to come,” he said in a statement. David Lauren, in an occasion-appropriate red and blue striped tie, white shirt, and pinstriped double-breasted suit, attended in his father’s absence. Maybe Lauren père is waiting until January 20 to make a trip to D.C.
tags: Ralph Lauren, Smithsonian
Henrik Vibskov Unleashes His Inner Child
November 20, 2008
What do baby showers and four-on-the-floor techno have in common? Henrik Vibskov, naturally. Last night, the Danish designer fêted the stateside launch of his new line of kiddie goods made in collaboration with buggy specialists Quinny, and though the party represented Vibskov’s debut fashion event in New York, he’s hardly a stranger to the city. “The last time I was here I was playing a show,” he explained. “But I was on tour, so it was sort of a short trip.” The tour was with his band Trentemøller, for which Vibskov plays drums; asked to detail the group’s sound, he pithily summed it up as “rave-y.” That word also suffices to describe Vibskov’s hallucinogenic prints, which are splashed all over the Quinny-brand strollers, ponchos, and umbrellas he’s designed. Is Vibskov attempting to seduce a new generation onto the dance floor? Or merely tapping into the primal shambolics of childhood? “Well, kids like color,” he ceded, upon probing. “But I’m not sure my music had much of an influence on this stuff. I was probably just drawing on my own…” He trailed off, searching for the phrase. “Child inside?” he offered, at last. “I think I have a good connection to that part of me,” added Vibskov. “And anyway, I used to work at a kindergarten, too.”
tags: Henrik Vibskov
Japan’s Princess Girls? Thank Tinsley Mortimer
November 20, 2008
Madge and Guy have reportedly reached a divorce settlement. Make way for MaRodnna.
Paris Hilton is single. Guard your sweaty, unattractive, and very rich men.
Marc Jacobs has been fined a cool million for cajoling, sweet-talking, handbag plying, and otherwise bribing the (now former) Armory superintendent in return for a good booking during fashion week. The New York State Attorney General obviously doesn’t understand the importance of the RTW schedule.
Proenza Schouler’s contribution to the organic movement? Raising their own turkeys. Jack and Lazaro like their meat fresh and grass-fed.
Japan’s latest style denizens are “princess girls“: Think flouncy dresses, ringlets, ribbons, and lots of pink. While trends like these usually start in Tokyo and make their way West, we’re totally crediting Tinsley Mortimer with this one.
tags: Madonna, Marc Jacobs, Proenza Schouler, Tinsley Mortimer
Rykiel Exhibit Caps A Very Good Year
November 20, 2008
Sonia Rykiel is now wrapping up an event-studded 40th anniversary year that started with the opening of her new flagship in May and is now ending with her first-ever museum show at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. The event found her daughter Nathalie jubilant. “I am very happy [with this year] because I feel like we did everything we wanted to do,” she said. “My mother has never been featured in a museum, so this is like an apotheosis.” Over two floors, the show presents clothes of every, ahem, stripe, from the early years to the trompe l’oeil knits, strass and sequins, braless dresses, sweaters that range from sassy to serious, marabou jackets, and a poetic cluster of crepe and chiffon numbers. As Madame Rykiel posed for the cameras with photographer Dominique Issermann, guests jockeyed for space behind her to get a closer look at handwritten notes from friends like Carine Roitfeld, Pierre Bergé, Harold Koda, Guy Savoy, Ingrid Sischy, and Pierre Hermé. Nathalie Rykiel said that her favorite parts of the show are the pieces by 30 designers in homage to Sonia, which included Rodarte’s popular “Obama” sweater dress. “That so many great designers came together was incredible,” she said. “It says so much about creation, about fashion, and beyond that. If things in general could be done in the same way, the world would be a better place!” If you missed that feel-good fashion show, the Rykiel retrospective runs through April 19, 2009.
tags: Sonia Rykiel
Emma Thompson Talks Planes, Trains
November 20, 2008
The glow of stars Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson lit up last night’s Cinema Society screening of Last Chance Harvey, sponsored by Piaget, which drew other bright lights like Marc Jacobs, Ang Lee, Bebe Neuwirth, and Bart Freundlich. The romantic comedy, written and directed by Joel Hopkins, centers on the relationship between a down-and-out jingle writer (Hoffman) and a government survey-taker and aspiring novelist (Thompson) whose paths cross in the bar at London’s Heathrow Airport. Thompson, a veteran of the genre, insisted the film’s airport meet-cute was no rom-com contrivance. “Generally speaking, the folks in airport bars probably have enough to buy you a drink,” reasoned Thompson. “And they’re on their way to somewhere interesting.” Trains are perhaps a different matter. Take the stranger with whom Thompson shared a cabin during a trip to southern France as a teenager. “He took off all of his clothes and lay down, so I left the carriage for a minute,” recalls Thompson. “When I came back, my friend, who happened to have a hardback copy of Solzhenitsyn’s The Gulag Archipelago on her, hit him over the head with it and escaped. Thank God for those heavy books by Russians.” Was that the star’s way of saying that a Jane Austen novel only goes so far?
tags: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Marc Jacobs
Stepping Out With Rag & Bone
November 20, 2008
After years of It bags and It shoes and It hats and It what-have-you, the flailing economy has finally sent shoppers fleeing back to the basics. This is good news for Rag & Bone, which this spring debuts its footwear line with three no-fail styles for women—a tailored loafer, a slipper-esque oxford, and brogue-detailed ballerina flats. The shoes aren’t exactly cheap, but their $330 to $515 price range isn’t head-swivelingly outlandish. “These shoes are good value,” notes Tull Price, the ex-Royal Elastics impresario who is collaborating with Rag & Bone designers Marcus Wainwright and David Neville on the range. “We focused on classic silhouettes and used all-natural materials and custom lasts and made sure all the shoes are flexible and breathable,” Price continues. “In layman’s terms, that means they’re comfortable the first time you put them on.” Price also points out that the high-quality construction means that the shoes will stand up to inevitable wear and tear—particularly for the label’s local fans. “Marcus and David are both New Yorkers now,” he says. “They know people really walk in the city, so even as we add dressier styles, we’ll still be making shoes that are built to last.” At least there’s one sound investment to be made out there.
tags: Rag & Bone
String Theory On The Spring Runways
November 20, 2008
Wearing fringe to the Country Music Awards? That might not sound wildly original, but Nicole Kidman turned the cliché on its head when she showed up in this Jil Sander stunner last week. Ironic or not, the embellishment was easy to find on the Spring runways (click for slideshow). Undercover’s Jun Takahashi used it in tiers to liven up a T-shirt dress, while William Rast’s Johan and Marcella Lindeberg trimmed studded jackets with long suede strings. As a finishing touch on eveningwear, the effect was latter-day flapper (Alberta Ferretti) or Wild, Wild West (Alessandro Dell’Acqua). Either way, in times like these, a few shimmies in the stuff could warm your achy breaky heart. Here’s proof.
tags: Fringe, Undercover, William Rast
Surprise! The Times Hearts Oscar
November 19, 2008
The Times‘ Cintra Wilson visits the Oscar de la Renta boutique on Madison Avenue and deems the clothes there to be “the haberdashery equivalent of a Maserati.” Ladies, start your engines. Or call your driver.
Wish you could shop guilt-free? Sarah Mower suggests taking the wet-look leggings test to determine whether you can shop like a girl (no mortgage payments) or a woman (mortgage payments). As with all-important fiscal matters, look to your thighs for guidance.
Gadget-philes report that the iPhone hates accents, particularly British. That’s right, America—back on top!
tags: iPhone, leggings, Oscar de la Renta
Will McQueen Even Up The Scales Between Target And H&M?
November 19, 2008
“I’m not very fond of following the norm,” Alexander McQueen told WWD yesterday, explaining why he had chosen Target rather than a certain Swedish retailer for his upcoming fast-fashion collaboration. “I didn’t want to follow Stella [McCartney] at H&M or Karl Lagerfeld at H&M. I like to infiltrate an area that’s not aware of me, as such.” Target isn’t entirely new to this game, of course: It has been successful in getting people excited about its GO International program—particularly with Proenza Schouler and Rogan. But the McQueen line, officially titled McQ Alexander McQueen for Target, is the first in their new Designer Collaborations program and definitely feels like a more premeditated attempt to emulate the kind of worldwide chaos caused by Comme des Garçons last week for H&M. But what do you think? Will you line up for days to get your hands on some McQueen at Target?
tags: Alexander McQueen, Karl L, Stella McCartney
Net-A-Porter Gets (Even More) Organized
November 19, 2008
It always seems as if e-tailer Net-a-Porter is pretty nimble in staying a couple steps ahead of our online needs, helpfully aiding any laptop shopping ventures to function successfully with the least frustration. Today, the site launches another feature that will make getting a fix of Roland Mouret or Rick Owens even easier for NAP addicts the world over: seven boutiques organized by type. There’s the Essentials shop with those workhorse basics like black cardigans from Vince; a Vacation store that covers both snow and sand; a Salon with serious soigné fashion; and the Cutting Edge corner with seriously cool fashion. “We wanted to re-create the in-store shop floor experience by aligning relevant designers,” explains founder Natalie Massenet. “It personalizes the shopping experience and provides customers with an instant connection to the product as they immediately identify which boutique is relevant to them.” Still, there’s no rule decreeing that the Salon girl can’t click over to the Cutting Edge side, and vice versa.
tags: Natalie Massenet, Net-a-Porter.com, Rick Owens, Roland Mouret
ERROR:
websites: