Christian Lacroix haute couture AW09
“Christian Lacroix Forever”. Badges and banners say it all. It could be the last couture show in his career, but it won’t be his eternal finale. At least I hope not, especially after such sublimely modern collection, which dare I say it loud, is the best, far better than some of his peers this season. The show was pulled together by a wealth of labor of love: models worked for €50; embroderiers and millier contributed for free; cafe from his neighbourhood supplied the buffet. Approved by Diego Della Valle, Inès de la Fressange and Bruno Frisoni sponsored the Vivier heels. Supporters, fans, press friends and loyal customers applauded for each exit. Also in presence, LVMH President Yves Carcelle was there “to support”, ignited some rumors on the possibility of buying back.
“I want to continue, maybe in a different way, with a small atelier. What I really care about is the women who do this work.” Lacroix reveals. That’s the way to go. Run it like Alaïa. God bless him.
Read on for all related coverage, especially the one from Vogue Daily, Hamish Bowles exclusively tells all on Lacroix’s tragedy, which we know was largely caused by the ignorant consumerism on handbag: Style, Telegraph UK, Fashionologie, NY Times,Vogue Daily, IHT.
KAPOK fall 2009 update
It’s always a great pleasure to meet up with my dear friend M. Arnault Castel, owner / retailer of select shop Kapok this afternoon. He’s, I dare say, one of the very few in town who listens to his heart and buys according to personal taste, and the shop reflects utterly that and just that. Away from mainstream highstreet and located at upcoming cool area, we talked about the ever evolving niche market and the current customer’s shopping habit. It was also nice to find out what’s moving in the first six months and looking forward – what’s coming in the 2nd half of 2009. Other than the ever sought-after unique assortment of candles and fragrances from Astier de Villatte, Heeley and Diptyque, the wool felt tote icon Carga, well fit Thomsen Paris shirt, Feiyue – plimsoll Chinoise de riguere and Max & Unicorn anorexic wallet are all best sellers. Nevertheless, even the new items such as French classic Saint James Breton tees and Void watches are both selling like hotcakes.
Further to the above, I had the luck to get a preview on freshly unpacked arrivals of Saint James (I saw more COLOURS!) and Commune de Paris, 1871 (below). I can only expose a tiny bit more that Kapok will have more offers for girls for sure, and they’ll have a small selection from a NYC upcoming menswear designer this coming fall. Watch out.
POV headlines | Delhomme’s blog. Jacket Defence. Schiaparelli Auction. 10yrs of Teller
- Illustrative blogging | Do you like Jean-Philippe Delhomme? Check his blog for an artist’s journey.
- That Balenciaga Jacket | I fully support Susannah Frankel’s strong defence on Ghesquière’s creativity.
- Schiaparelli Lives On | Like he did for Poiret, Alaïa hosted a Schiaaparelli auction preview at his HQ, in which the selected few took a final glimpse before the sale, he even bathed all of the looks in shocking pink lights.
- 10yrs MJxJT | Up for grab also is a collective coffee table book of Marc Jacobs campaign. Published by Steidl, documented chronologically from the first campaign for spring/summer 1998 to the present day done by Juergen Teller.
New Gen on the rise (I)
When the economy downturn first hit the world last year, many thought it could/ will be a narrow escape for creativity to maybe grow a little again, a chance to nurture newcomers, when cleansing the dirts and bruises are also on hand missions etc. Proven by some recent events, I believe it’s taking effect already.
BLOGGING PROS | It’s easy to blame everything on recession, but looking back the last two weeks, we see changes. Normally, fashion lovers around the world observe the fashion week, be it men’s or women’s, from far by sitting in front of the computer, browsing online show by show, following tightly for the new creations. The ordinary sources are fashion websites such as style.com, catwalking, Coutorture and WWD etc. People and oohhs ‘n wows at home alone, react freely according to his/her own judgement and would express at their own little blogsphere platform. As time goes by, opinionated bloggers prove their status and attract followers, thus the reputation grew.
Remember how bloggers were dissed by professional media at one point about the lack of journalism training? By 2010 mens fashion week, we don’t only follow the common media sources for reportage, bloggers like 00o00 and Bryan Boy were invited to attend to shows in Milan. Big houses like Burberry, Dolce & Gabbana etc embrace and recognize their work. They appeared as a professional blogger or VIP guest maybe, I don’t know, but they exist and witness up-close and personal, and it’s beneficial to both parties.
*Elder* bloggers such as theSartorialist, JD, Jak&Jil or Susie Bubble have been going to shows for a while. However, the difference is fatal this time. You see 00o00 acted and was treated like a professional press, interviews were arranged, he posts pictures from backstage and front row direct from all angles in nanosecond; recording/reporting whatever triggers his interests – the job! When over there not faraway, Bryan Boy busied himself like Andre Leon Tally, got interviewed by DG’s blogsite – ‘Swide‘, when rubbing shoulders with Christopher Bailey and Stefano Gabbana backstage. I mean you normally get this as journalists/press bloggers. Okay, BB is a celebrity, but my point is, brands are taking them seriously, they’re aware of the importance of blogsphere and make good use of it. We know they have less press from Asia Pacific this fashion week due to the budget cutting, why not explore the playform with no boundaries; maybe they’re desperate and take ‘em purely as marketing tacts, who knows? But it’s surely working 200% and mission has been completed.
Does the picture (on the right) represent an emerging creative force? You get a stylist, a fashion director, a celebrity/blogger and an aspiring designer there. Maybe it’s just the matter of time, all these could have happened anyway, but recession has pushed it forward.
New Gen on the rise (II)
POWER GAME | The same applied to socialites.
When I read that Chanel will use five ‘It girls’ to become their beauty ambassadors, I first thought it’s such a cliché- until I see the list (right): Jen Brill, Poppy Delevigne, Vanessa Traina, Leigh Lezark and Caroline Sieber. These are the new glossy riches or/and hippest mid-town girls possible. They’re, to me, more new gen socialites than ‘It’ girls, which is actually a better term. I mean, when Chloë Sevigny has been ‘It’ for such long period of time, who else wants to be ‘It’ really?
This group of socialites are high profile and well-/high-heeled. Most importantly, they’ve been looked up by fashion insiders. Their emergence formed within the last 3-4years, mainly in the States(except Mlle Delevigne). They’re transatlanticas with party-hopping lifetsyle that many people envy; not to forget their glossier wardrobe – loaned, given or purchased with their family’s old money or own wealth. Most crucially, they’re not stars.
Like many things fashion, it starts from small and unknown. Big brands like Chanel cannot use stylish editors due to the conflict of interests. But they quickly noticed in order to have the help or interests from fashionista/o, you’d need to know how to sell to them first. And most fashion connoisseurs do not buy marketing gimmicks created by pop idols like Lauren Conrad, Whitney Port, nor Blake Lively. They like real style, authentic taste, and better still, all archived effortlessly with personal brushstroke.
These five girls are stylish ones, they make it to <Vogue> often and early. I learned about them before the aforementioned idols. Never lack of poise and grace, they’re naughtier, funkier, less serious, in a sense- approachable. To conclude, a far cry from their mother. Above all, they love fashion, and designers love’em back. Too bad if general public don’t know who they’re, but it doesn’t really matter, they’re pretty and real and good to look at anyway, a bit like the Gap ads; whereas I see Nicole Kidman a witchy looking red-carpet actress and just that. To Chanel, their ‘It’ rates would surely be cheaper than any actresses, plus they’d appreciate the deal and probably eager to be a Chanel girl once in a life time. I look forward to see the result, as the standard Chanel beauty ads are utterly boring. See if they could make it more interesting.
‘It’ girls endorsement as marketing tools has been around for long time. Before British socialite Jemima Khan’s capsule collection, heiress Eugenie Niarchos helped put together accessories at Azzaro alongside in-house designer Vanessa Seward. Prior to that, Niarchos helped childhood friend Gaia Repossi (another heiress) to co-design the ‘Czarina’ collection for Monacan jeweler Repossi. And look not further, you have the latest editorial featuring U.S. < Vogue> regular and leading socialites of all Lauren Santo Domingo (left) who models haute bijoux for <VogueParis> this issue. Would Chanel have this move anyway? Probably, but there’s an equal chance for them to use Audrey Tautou or Anna Mouglalis instead also, huh?
Old News | Sigrid de l’Epine at Chanel Couture
MISS MOVES: Sigrid de l’Epine — long associated with Balenciaga — is switching luxury camps and heading to Chanel. The leggy, lethally chic de l’Epine will be in charge of public relations for Chanel couture, a new post reporting to Bruno Pavlovsky, president of Chanel’s fashion division. She starts this week. At Balenciaga, she had been responsible for public relations and patrimony. (*original text from WWD on 8 oct 08)
Check this clip. At first, I thought I’d mistaken her, but when looked carefully, it’s her. Sigrid de l’Epine, one of ‘those’ stylish Parisian women and the (ex) PR director at Balenciaga for years. Apparently she jumped ship to Chanel since October 08. It’s an old news, but still …
“Style is more about who the person is inside,” she told T magazine. Her get-ups are “chic with a twist, somewhere between strong and relaxed.” Having worked at Balenciaga from the start of Nicolas Ghesquière’s reign, she even named her son Cristobal. Now that’s keeping the faith. She was the patrimony for the house back then, and doing the same for Chanel couture now. Is that mean we’ll see the two houses sharing celebs like Amira Casar or Maggie Cheung? One of Balenciaga’s groupies Joana Preiss has already been to Chanel’s event recently. And if Kanye West can’t get into the Chanel couture show, you know why. BTW, has she nicknamed CoCo or Gab?
The September Issue
‘Anyone coming to this run-through except for me?’
Can’t wait. Don’t think we’ll have the opportunity to see this at cinema in Hong Kong. Let’s hope the DVD would come sooner than never. Did you notice the Nicolas Ghesquière portrait by the window?
Busy Tisci
New York’s fashion director Harriet Mays Powell sat down with Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci, the youngest couturier in history (he’s 33) to talk about couture and his recent resort collection, which was based on Morocco and David Bowie. And couture, that decadently fabulous season (fall 2009 kicks off next week) is still going strong. “Women buy couture because it’s very exclusive,” he says. “When you sell a dress you can sell it once. So you are the only one person owning this dress in the entire world.” Check out the spring 2009 dress that took seamstresses two and a half weeks to sew by hand (and costs 18,000 euros). (*original text from The Cut, NY Mag)
Love what he does at Givenchy, but Tisci is most certainly NOT the youngest couturier in the history. Yves Saint Laurent was named chief designer/couturier at the age of 21 at Christian Dior. And McQueen also took over Givenchy at 27 too, so …
Anyway, at SS10 Givenchy podium show review on style.com, Tim Blanks started the article reviewing the original plans for Riccardo Tisci to design Michael Jackson’s upcoming O2 Centre tour. The icon found out about the Italian designer through the pieces of Givenchy’s womenswear he’d been wearing and was about to have a meeting on 29 Jun 09, which, of course, never took place in the end. MJ aside, English-Irish singer-songwriter Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons is another musician that Tisci has recently designed for. This made him to be the second ’star’ project that Tisci has had after Madonna’s Sticky & Sweet’ tour.
