»designer«

I can't remember if I've already written something about Balenciaga's latest fall collection. If not, then now. A lot of people know that I totally adore Audrey Hepburn, especially her costumes in her 60s movies. Back then she was the muse of Hubert de Givenchy. He himself designed those wonderful outfits to be seen in "Breakfast at Tiffany's", "How to steal a Million" or "Funny Face". I found a text he wrote about this connection, how it was meeting her and working with her and also with - tada! - Christobal Balenciaga. What an incident?!

Besides this I tried to work on a piece about the so-called indieuniform. Cause a lot of people look the same every year. But actually the kind of style has changed over the last 5 years. Back in 2002 when we did our first documentary for the Festival all the indie kids wore flared jeans, track jackets and into-the-face-combed-hair. But this year - and it already kind of started last year - a new style has risen: Main color is black. Sure. With hair, too. Also boys dye their hair. Kind of messy hair style for some or - en contraire - really exact cuts (have a look at Karen O.'s current haircut). Skinny, slim pants. Really tight. Mainly black. Combined with black sweater of any kind, fitted. Or a striped shirt as well. On top a black leather jacket - blouson or biker-style. And shoes: hi-top chucks - any color, vans slip-ons or as a *special*: pointed black bootees, quite tight, for guys and more loose bootees with reaped bootlegs merely in white - altogether very 80s.

Coolchic Blog wrote:
Forget all rumours about Prada... Yesterday's press release from H&M announced that Viktor and Rolf are the next designers in line of the third exclusive designer range for H&M. Considering the duo?s specific love for couture, this collaboration is by far the most exciting one H&M are about to embark. Previously we've seen the opening of Stella McCartney and Karl Lagerfeld sell out in less than minutes. H&M, available in High Streets in Europe, North America and soon the Middle East, are delighted about the announcement. ?We really admire Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren and are fascinated by their unique way of working with design, combining their artistic talent with great craftsmanship," says H&M's head of design, Margareta van den Bosch. "We look forward to offering our customers a collection by these extraordinary designers."

Yahoo News wrote:
[...] Viktor & Rolf will design a collection of women's and men's wear for the autumn 2006 season to be produced and distributed by H&M.
Famed for their high-concept fashion shows and eccentric take on classical tailoring, Viktor & Rolf will give a further twist to H&M?s partnerships with leading fashion
[...] "If haute couture is the most sublime form of fashion, then H&M is fashion at its most democratic. Our roots are based in couture. It's the heart and soul of our work. But we also love to play with opposites: transformation is a key element of our signature style. For us, fashion is an antidote to reality. It's a great opportunity to communicate our vision with such a large audience of H&M devotees," Horsting and Snoeren said in a statement.
[...] "We really admire both Viktor and Rolf and are fascinated by their unique way of working with design, combining their artistic talent with great craftsmanship. We look forward to offering our customers a collection by these extraordinary designers," says H&M's head of design Margareta van den Bosch.
H&M has more than 50,000 employees and around 1,200 stores in 22 countries, i.e. in fashion terms, it's a behemoth.

Everything about the so called "peep-toes". Today. Once upon a time the peep-toe was a weapon. Hollywood divas back in the 30s like Rita Hayworth and Greta Garbo cut out their normal pumps. They created a sexy foot décolleté to presented their toes. Back then this was a huge scandal.

Todays perfectionist of the peep-toe is Christian Louboutin. Forget Manolos. Here are Louboutins. His shoes are art. And there is only one shoe designer whose footwear is instantly recognisable just from the soles. What makes Christian Louboutin's shoes stand out at first is the glossy nail-varnish red sole that has become his trademark. Right now he is the most famous shoe designer in the world. Everyone wants a pair of his creations. Stars like Nicole Kidman, Gisele Bündchen, Victoria Beckham or Nicole Ritchie are already wearing shoes of the 43-years-old designer from Paris.
"I want to make shoes that are like jewels," Louboutin explains. "Shoes are more than just an accessory; they are an extension of a woman."
All his shoes have the same specific items: they are incredibly sexy and luxurious; fine craftsmanship, quirky designs, with killer high heels.

His peep-toe "Very Privé" for example is like magic for every woman's legs: it makes them longer, it turns them into gazelle-like legs. They will be optically lengthened by 5cm. But the question is: Is it possible that a 12cm high heel is still comfortable to wear. Louboutin answers: "Of course, the heel has to be right in the middle and the foot bed has to be really soft. I got some hints from revue dancers."
www.christianlouboutin.fr

Of course these shoes are nearly unaffordable, especially with our small wallet. But I found a cheaper version which is on top a Louboutin-lookalike, including even the red sole. They are produced by the "Oh Deer! inc." and you can easily purchase a pair for let's say 100 euro instead of the Louboutin price of at least 500 euro.
"oh?DEER! Styles include peep toe pumps, sling backs, wingtip ankle boots, knee-high boots and more in a variety of four-inch cork heels and stacked wooden platforms. All possess the ever-popular red soles. Donna Reed meets ?Desperate Housewives? for a vampy vixen yet demure diva look. Named after Hollywood starlets and characters of yesterday and today, gals can walk in the footsteps of Marilyn and Audrey or experience the feud between Jennifer and Angelina (minus the love affair with Brad Pitt)."
ohdeershoes.com


Purchase at:
urbanoutfitters.com
zappos.com
fashionbliss.com

Stella McCartneys Fall 2006 collection is a blast again. I've never thought that it's actually possible to fall in love with materials. But it happened. All the jumpers and jacket just invite me to hug them, to be loved by them.



But thinking of it - in the end - it's definitely not better than last fall's collection. That was more sixties, more boots, more sex.

To remember:

First there was Karl, then there was Stella and now I just read that there will be Miuccia following - eventually. That means: PRADA for all of us.

Update 31.03.06:
I've just started to google the web for some further information. On "Manolo's Prada Blog!" I found some hints: Though unconfirmed, word came late Wednesday (which already was mid feb) that H&M and Prada are said to have had initial discussions about the possibility of collaborating on a capsule collection of clothing and accessories. A Prada spokesperson had no comment on the matter. [...] According to company sources, Prada is undergoing several internal corporate changes. The company recently announced that it would be moving its Miu Miu show from Milan to Paris, perhaps in a strategic attempt to distinguish it from the Prada collection, but also to afford itself a path should a possible partnership with H&M solidify.
read full article on fashionweekdaily.com

In an interview on vogue.co.uk Miuccia Prada answered an interesting question:
Q: Would you ever consider doing a line for H&M in the same way as Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney have?
A: "I have talked about it as they did ask me. I think it is an interesting concept and I would love to work on an entire collection using inexpensive materials. What I don't like is the idea of copying the main collection straight out. I think it should be treated as a whole new innovation."

That would not only be terribly exciting, but also and more importantly, one more milestones in the continuing democratization of the fashion.

Bad news first: it looks like that the rumors about miuccia prada doing a collection in collaboration with H&M went down for nothing in the end. That sucks.
In an interview with the New York Magazine she answered the question:

What about all these rumors about your working with H&M?
They’ve asked me. I always said no, not because I don’t like the idea, I just don’t like the idea of doing bad copies of what I’m doing. And I don’t have the time, and maybe even the ability, to do a collection with them. If you want to do a collection that costs less, you have to do it with different materials and different ideas.
Why do other people do it?
I don’t know. Because of course they’re attracted by the fame you can get. Just because you want to do something new that people talk about. I don’t know how much real interest there is in doing fashion that is not expensive but is creative.

Well. That's a pitty, isn't it? But maybe there's also a good point in it. I think, we have to respect that she doesn't want to trade quality for affordability. But... you know.

The good news: From April 19 till May 31 there will an exhibition at her Soho-Store in NYC.
"Waist Down - Skirts by Miuccia Prada"
It's more an installation and it tries to draw on the thin line between fashion and art. Which is good. I like that. And I wish I could see it.
The installation was highly successful when it showed last year in Tokyo and Shanghai. It features more than 200 skirts by Miuccia Prada... animated. In the Tokyo exhibition, skirts twirled, glowed, cast funny shadows, spread open like giant jellyfish. The Soho show will be similar, with some new displays. (Source: fashionologie.com)
If you're interessted in further information you should read this article in WWD which is about her exhibition in Shanghai.

vogue.co.uk wrote on March 30th:
MIUCCIA PRADA for H & M? Oh please let it be true. The rumour that the Italian fashion house is to follow Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney's hugely successful collaborations with the Swedish store has surfaced again, but still they're saying nothing. "We don't know anything yet and we're not expecting to know for some months," a spokeswoman for H&M, which yesterday announced a 21 per cent rise in profits for the first fiscal quarter of 2006 to £134 million, said. Asked last year whether she would consider the idea of working with H&M, Miuccia told VOGUE.COM that she wasn't anti it. "I have talked about it as they did ask me," she said. "I think it is an interesting concept and I would love to work on an entire collection using inexpensive materials." Her only reservation is that she would be opposed to "the idea of copying the main collection straight out", stipulating that it should "be treated as a whole new collection". H&M's company’s design chief, Margareta van den Bosch, has indicated that Muiccia Prada is one of her favourite designers, and that she is keen to recruit a designer who can also do menswear (Have you seen Prada's star print men's shirts, Marg?). Fervent fashion followers caused chaos at the launch of Stella MacCartney's line at H & M's Oxford Circus flagship store last November, with crowds gathering outside in the early hours of the morning and fighting to get their hands on the fashion gold dust. The chance of an affordable piece of Prada will no doubt see the scenes repeated.
Stephen Doig

I waited for so long, but now I finally got it. My beloved Fendi Spy Bag. It's gorgeous. It's huge.
Mine is a bit different. The brown nappa leather is combined with a kind of snake leather, which is - ACHTUNG: p.c.!! - nappa leather which looks like snake skin. Originally I wanted it the plain brown nappa leather way - but now, you know: in Germany we say: Don't look a gift horse in the mouth (Einem geschenkten Gaul schaut man nicht ins Maul).

Phoebe Philo hat ja nun endgültig Chloé verlassen. Deswegen arbeite ich gerade an einer kleinen "Sache" über ihr Werk. Die nächsten Tage...