Thursday, April 30, 2015

Want To Work At Second Time Around or Supra? Check Out Our Careers Page

Want To Work At Second Time Around or Supra? Check Out Our Careers Page:

Photo: Imaxtree.
Photo: Imaxtree.
Considering a career in fashion? Check out our careers page. We update it daily with new job and internship listings across the industry, with opportunities in every area — from public relations and sales to design and editorial.

Mastered the art of the Facebook status? Supra is looking for a social media manager in Fountain Valley, CA. Over on the sales side of things, Second Time Around is looking for sales associates and a sales manager. Meanwhile, the lingerie store La Petite Coquette is looking for an associate women's buyer in New York.

So head on over to our careers page today and take a browse — we've definitely got something for you.

How Model Alliance Founder Sara Ziff Became One of the Leading Advocates for Models' Rights

How Model Alliance Founder Sara Ziff Became One of the Leading Advocates for Models' Rights:

Sara Ziff. Photo: Marilyn Agency
Sara Ziff. Photo: Marilyn Agency
In 2012, a model by the name of Sara Ziff started making headlines for an organization she'd started called the Model Alliance, which aimed to serve as a sort of union for working models.

The 32-year-old is certainly familiar with the experience of being a working model: She was scouted at just 14 years old here in New York, and has been working ever since. But after scoring campaigns with the likes of Gap and Tommy Hilfiger, she decided to take a step back from the industry and attend Columbia University.

It was during her time studying, and working on her first documentary — 2009's "Picture Me" — that the idea of the Model Alliance began to form. "The Model Alliance started as a paper as an independent study in college," Ziff tells Fashionista. "It was something we were all sort of thinking about during the editing [of "Picture Me"] as well, but the film really gave me this platform to form the Model Alliance."

And while Ziff is quick to point out that the Model Alliance is a group effort — "I'm very lucky to work with a whip-smart, fun and dedicated team of ladies who help to make it all possible," she says — there's no question this is Ziff's baby. The organization has already brought about considerable action, mostly notably changing New York state law to extend child performer rights to underage models. It's no small feat — and beyond having a great support system, this is how she's getting it all done while still modeling and filming a second documentary.

Why did you decide to step back from your modeling career to attend Columbia University?

I always planned to go to school. My dad is a professor at NYU, he’s a neuroscientist, my mom works as a lawyer — I came from a background where it was assumed I would go to college. Then I didn’t and started modeling full time. My parents were really upset with me. It was a little lonely at first because all of my friends were at school and I was working, but I felt like I had this narrow opportunity to make the most out of it because our careers tend to have a bit of a shelf life — which is changing — but I really felt that strongly at the time.

I was lucky enough to get booked on campaigns for the Gap, Abercrombie [& Fitch] and Tommy Hilfiger shortly after I finished high school, and then I was doing all of the shows and living out of a suitcase. But every year that went by after graduating high school, I felt more and more like I was getting away from my roots and from my expectations for myself of furthering my education. When I was still working, pretty successfully, I applied to school and ended up going to Columbia, and that was like the best decision I ever made. I really enjoyed it.

Did you keep modeling while you were at Columbia at all?

Yeah, it took me five years instead of four because I was working the whole time. But I was also very strict — I don’t think I missed a single class while I was there, just because when you’re paying for yourself and you are an older student you really appreciate it.

I’m curious if there was a point when you were modeling where you thought, “Okay, something is not right here.” 

There was only one moment like that? [laughs]. When you’re working at 14 you’re such an opportunist! You’re not thinking about the long term and what you want and need. So, was there a particular moment? I don’t know. I had this sense for a long time that was gnawing at me that I needed to be in a different environment where I wasn’t just being asked about myself all the time — my horoscope or hair color. That can be fun, but if that is all you are talking about with people it can be a little mind-numbing.

When I went to school... I didn’t tell anyone I worked as a model or that I came from the fashion industry, and in a way I was overly conscious; I was worried I wouldn’t be taken so seriously. But it was fun, I went to school with people who were interested in so many things and around professors who exposed me to things like the history of the labor movement that I hadn’t considered before, and I think it gave me a better world view and it made me more confident.

When did the idea of the Model Alliance start to form?

["Picture Me"] was on the festival circuit in 2009, and it was really at Q&A discussions for the film that we started talking about the need for a union, like the equivalent of the Screen Actors' Guild, which is now SAG-AFTRA, for models. Models would come to these screenings and get really emotional talking about bad experiences they’ve had, and the film became this organizing tool to raise awareness publicly, but also within the industry. We wanted an existing union to extend membership to models, but when it became clear that that wasn't possible, I was crazy enough to take it upon myself and start up from scratch, which people warned me not to do, but I also was studying labor and organizing in college.

And you pretty immediately got some big people on board supporting you, like Coco Rocha. How did that happen?

It feels like a long time ago, and honestly, I can’t remember; I was just so singularly focused on that work. A lot of it really came out of relationships that I’d developed just working in the industry.

What was your first project with the Model Alliance? 

The very first thing we did was partner with two unions: Actors Equity and AGMA, the American Guild of Musical Artists. With them, we set up this grievance reporting service because we knew we ourselves and other models had all this sexual harassment and abuse that we’d experienced, or one-sided contracts with our agencies, or difficulty getting paid the money that we were owed, but there wasn’t really a safe place to air those grievances. So that was, I think, the very first thing that we did.

We also met with editors at American Vogue and talked about this connection between the extreme youth of models on the runway and the body image concerns, and shortly thereafter they introduced the Vogue initiative. We also pushed for backstage privacy during fashion week.

Those were our three primary things, and we did that knowing the industry is resistant to change, but things like backstage privacy, or creating a policy of not hiring models under the age of 16, there’s no expense involved. It’s just about rallying different stakeholders together to agree that it’s the right thing to do.

Is there a moment where you thought people were catching on?

Extending child labor laws to models who are underaged was definitely the biggest boon for us. I do think that people looked at our organization differently and took it and the Alliance more seriously after that. To be able to say [we got the legislation passed in] just a year is pretty amazing, because there are plenty of people who push legislative efforts that take years and who don’t have the success that we have. I think when you’re working in an industry that is so visible, you are lucky enough to get press and that helps you with legislation. And also, this was a child protection law, so I think it was difficult to be against it. Everyone came out looking good and making a change that was really needed in the industry — that’s not to say that it solved every problem, but it was a very important step.

What are the day-to-day operations of the Model Alliance like?

We have this grievance reporting service so we hear pretty regularly from models who have questions about their agency contracts — there are a lot of models who have difficulty getting paid the money they’re owed. Just yesterday, I was dealing with a model and her mother who were dealing with a bogus agent who was posing as a legitimate agent, and who was trying to get her to send photos and measurements to someone who was, I think, clearly unprofessional and kind of dangerous. There are so many scams in this industry, even at a high level. It’s more than any one organization working on a volunteer basis can handle, and that’s why we’ve looked at what we can do with legislation to save our models in the industry.

How do you guys get volunteers? Are they all from the industry? 

It’s a mix of people. Alexandra Simmerson, she was my first intern as a law school student, and now she works really closely with me and she was really key to helping us champion this child labor law. It’s been fun working as a mentor to people and collaborating with younger women who are interested in this stuff and helping them make their own mark.

Who do you guys work with legally?

On legal issues, it depends. Sometimes we’ll have people on our board help out; our primary person is Alan Gordon, who is the executive director at the American Guild of Musical Artists, one of our guild partners, and then sometimes we’ll refer models to an outside lawyer. I also work with Fordham Law School's legal clinic, so law school students have done a lot of research for us.

Is this a 24/7 job for you?

I’m trying to lead a more balanced life because I don’t think it’s good or healthy or sustainable to be working the way I have for the past few years. Outside of the Model Alliance I am working on my second documentary and I’m still modeling. I envy people who are able to block off an hour or two in the morning to respond to email and just focus on their work with no distractions. I’m going to try to start doing that. I don’t have a super structured day, I just respond as things come up.

What do you feel the next steps are for the Model Alliance?

I think that models, not just in New York but nationally, should have basic child labor protections. There are really a list of issues — wage theft and sexual harassment are two of our main concerns. We like to work to improve financial transparency and to make sure that models have some recourse if they are harassed or sexually abused. If the organization could address those concerns, I’d feel like we accomplished most of what we set out to do.

Do you guys work closely with agencies? Do you stay in touch with people in the industry? 

We have people involved at the organization who are not just models. We just had a board meeting and I spoke at length with James Scully, who is a casting director, or Chris Gay, who is the president of The Society Management [agency]. I’d say we’re primarily in touch with our members and models' parents who want to see these changes or ask us for help.

You’ve been in this for almost 20 years. Are there things about the industry you still enjoy?

Oh, totally! I think sometimes people assume I’m down on the industry and I’m not. I’m down on the problems in the industry. This is the business I grew up in, most of my friends are still in the business.

I think I gravitated toward the industry, in part, especially so young, because when you’re growing up in New York as a girl, you realize that image is important. It affects how you’re treated and the opportunities you have, and so being able to have some control over that seemed really empowering. That was something that I felt really strongly when I was in my teens in a way that I don’t now in my early thirties. It just doesn’t seem so important. Maybe part of that is that maybe my appearance isn’t the first thing people respond to in the way that it was when I was 19 — and that’s a nice thing, actually. But maybe it is also having developed my interests and having accomplishments under my belt, so I’m less occupied with issues of appearance.

Do you have an end goal for the Model Alliance?

I’d like to see the Model Alliance work to address labor issues more broadly in the fashion industry, not just to help models, but looking at commonalities between models and other people who work in the industry — like makeup artists and hairdressers, and look even further down the supply chain, like garment workers, who, like models, are young women and girls — to think about novel approaches to organizing and how we can use our visibility on this side of the industry to promote better working conditions across the board.

Correction: A previous version of this story stated that Ziff's father got his masters at NYU; he is a professor at NYU and received his PhD from Princeton. It also stated that Ziff hadn't been aware of the labor movement before attending Columbia; she was aware of it, but was exposed to its history in college. The article also misspelled "SAG-AFTRA" as "SAG-AFSTRA" and "boon" as "boom." The previous version stated that sometimes the Model Alliance will refer models to a lawyer; they refer models to lawyers outside the organization, as Alan Gordon is also a lawyer. Ziff also clarified that she took it upon herself to start the Model Alliance only after seeing that existing unions wouldn't extend membership to models and that her intern's name (referred to as "Alexandra" in the original story) is Alexandra Simmerson.

Karlie Kloss and Frame Denim Draw a Crowd to 'Karlie's Diner'

Karlie Kloss and Frame Denim Draw a Crowd to 'Karlie's Diner':

Karlie Kloss at "Karlie's Diner." Photo: Benjamin Lozovsky/BFA.com
Karlie Kloss at "Karlie's Diner." Photo: Benjamin Lozovsky/BFA.com
The fashion industry doesn't often throw a party on a Friday, fashion week excepted. But Frame Denim and Karlie Kloss had no trouble drawing a crowd to Empire Diner in Chelsea last Friday evening, less than a dozen blocks north of the new Whitney Museum, where a party was also taking place.

The nearly 70-year-old diner — which was renovated last year, but still boasts its original Art Moderne facade and a retro-flavored interior — was made over as "Karlie's Diner" for the evening. Signage was pasted to a mirror over the bar, and guests, crowded into booths or standing in tight clusters, munched on "Frame Fries" and sipped from orange-striped cups labeled "Karlie's Soda" and "Frame Pop." Occasionally, Kloss herself — in a fitted black tee and light-washed flares from her latest collaboration with Frame — picked up a tray and served guests, which included Grace Coddington, Wendi Murdoch, models Martha Hunt and Lily Donaldson, Teen Vogue's Amy Astley, Julia Restoin Roitfeld, Chelsea Leyland, Elin King, and photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.

Karlie Kloss serving burgers to guests. Photo: Benjamin Lozovsky/BFA.com
Karlie Kloss serving burgers to guests. Photo: Benjamin Lozovsky/BFA.com
The event was an after-party of sorts for an appearance Kloss had made earlier that day at Bergdorf Goodman to promote her pre-fall collection for Frame. Kloss has been collaborating with the label since 2013, helping to develop (and model) a line of jeans called "Forever Karlie" with a longer in-seam, for which she receives a cut of sales.

"It was a totally organic thing," Jens Grede, co-founder of the Saturday Group and Frame Denim, said of the formation of their partnership. "Karlie wanted to wear Frame but didn't fit in our jeans. So we started to cut jeans for her, and she said, 'There are more girls like me, you should make these.'" Grede and fellow co-founder Erik Torstensson shopped the collection around to Barneys and Net-a-Porter and they agreed to buy a small selection — "like 20 pairs," Grede recalled. But they sold out, and the partnership is going strong two years later. The diner was the perfect setting for the party because it fit with Frame's late '70s, New York-inspired aesthetic, Grede said.

Frame co-founders Jens Grede and Erik Torstensson with Karlie Kloss. Photo: Benjamin Lozovsky/BFA.com
Frame co-founders Jens Grede and Erik Torstensson with Karlie Kloss. Photo: Benjamin Lozovsky/BFA.com
These days, Frame is expanding into new categories, like cashmere and outerwear, and its products are now available for purchase in more than 1,000 locations. The company's Instagram feed is a testament to how popular the brand is with models, who are not paid to wear Frame goods, Grede insisted. A Frame store and e-commerce site are on the roadmap for this year, he added.

"I don't think the world needs more brands and the world certainly doesn't need more products, unless you have a reason to do it or do it really well," he remarked. Looking around a room full of attractively Frame-clad women, it's fair to say the brand is doing both.

Michelle Monaghan Shined at the White House Correspondents' Dinner

Michelle Monaghan Shined at the White House Correspondents' Dinner:

Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
Photo: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images
It's not often that the President and big-name journalists like Katie Couric find themselves mingling with the likes of Victoria's Secret models and A-list actresses in custom designer gowns, but that's part of what makes the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner, which gathered for the 101st time on Saturday, so magic.

One of the best looks of the night came from actress Michelle Monaghan, who opted for a sparkling red strapless gown by Prabal Gurung. As elegant as it was effortless, Monaghan accented the look with easy, undone waves, some simple cuffs and a clutch. When your clothing fits this well — and you're as beautiful as Monaghan — you don't need much flare to make a statement.

While Gurung likely got plenty of attention for the stunning look he created for Monaghan, he also spent the weekend raising awareness among the fashion crowd for the devastating earthquakes that hit his home country of Nepal the same day as the Correspondents' Dinner. You can find out more about his fundraising and relief efforts here.

On 'Game of Thrones,' Arya Finally Gets a New Dress

On 'Game of Thrones,' Arya Finally Gets a New Dress:

"Finally I am the Queen and no one died at my wedding. Hooray!" Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
"Finally I am the Queen and no one died at my wedding. Hooray!" Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
There were a lot of power exchanges — and clothing changes — on Sunday night's episode of "Game of Thrones." We also have a few weddings to talk about. (Oy, Sansa.) And breaking news: Arya got a new dress! Yes, for the first time since season one, Arya gets to wear something other than boys' rags. Also, while we didn't get to see Daenerys at all this episode, the cosplaying prostitute doppelganger was a nice touch. I'm predicting the bare butt version of her blue dress will be all the rage this Halloween, at least in some circles.

Arya Gets Some New Clothes

Don't give Needle away, Arya! Photo: Macall B. Polay/HBO
Don't give Needle away, Arya! Photo: Macall B. Polay/HBO
Maisie Williams must have been thrilled to finally shed the crusty costume she had to wear for the last three seasons and don this comfy-looking, if slightly Sister Wives-ish dress. I almost cried when she was contemplating what to do with Needle, though. Who knew you could get so attached to weapons?

Sun-In Streak?

Photo: Macall B. Polay/HBO
Photo: Macall B. Polay/HBO
Here we see Jaqen H'ghar without his hood on, only to reveal a classic '90s blond streak. Or maybe it's gray. Regardless, I think I had the same thing in 1998. Tutorial? Also I really like this grungy spa they're all hanging out in.

Another Westeros Wedding Dress

Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
I'm happy to see that Margaery did not re-wear her wedding dress from the infamous Purple Wedding. This one is looking nicely regal and more importantly, everyone made it through without dying.

Don't Tease Your Mother-In-Law

The "smirking whore from Highgarden." (Cersei's words, not mine.) Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO 
The "smirking whore from Highgarden." (Cersei's words, not mine.) Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO 
There's nothing like mocking your mother-in-law about her age and diminishing power with your perky, creamy cleavage hanging out.

New Strong Lady Character Alert

Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
Actress Rila Fukushima — a former model — is listed as "Red Priestess" on her IMDB page. I have no idea if she'll return again, but I hope so.  Her eyebrows tell me she's powerful.

Pod Undresses Brienne — Not In That Way

Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
These two are so sweet together that it's certainly inevitable they'll be killed off in some horrible manner. Brienne's sad story of the boys making fun of her is heartbreaking. Pod should ask her to his prom.

Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
Photo: Helen Sloan/HBO
Littlefinger and Sansa are pretty much wearing the exact same outfit here. I am really hoping that this new ass-kicking Sansa can handle that psychopath Ramsey Bolton and that she doesn't end up wearing her own flayed skin as a wedding gown. I have high hopes that Reek née Theon Greyjoy will come to his senses and help her.

Brand Assembly, a West Coast Trade Show, Is Expanding Its Retail Footprint

Brand Assembly, a West Coast Trade Show, Is Expanding Its Retail Footprint:

Hillary France in an envy-inducing corner office. Photo: Bridget Badore
Hillary France in an envy-inducing corner office. Photo: Bridget Badore
Unless you've spent a lot of time on the second floor of its Fifth Avenue flagship in the past year, you probably don't think of Lord & Taylor as a place to find the work of cool young designers. This is why retail veteran Stephanie Solomon, the vice president and fashion director of the almost 200-year-old chain, brought in Hillary France, founder of two-year-old Los Angeles trade show Brand Assembly.

When Solomon came out of retirement to join Lord & Taylor in the fall of 2013, following its acquisition by Hudson's Bay Company, she immediately began looking for ways to freshen up its offering and attract — you guessed it — millennials. "Our thinking was that there’s too much sameness in the experience for customers," Solomon tells Fashionista. "Millennials really aren’t that brand-conscious; they love the idea of telling someone, 'I’ve discovered this new label.' Young people were moving away from big brands in ready-to-wear and into discovery."

The challenge, then, was finding those up-and-coming, under-the-radar designers. Solomon's search brought her to Los Angeles, where she and her team found Brand Assembly, a local trade show. "I’m looking through her showroom in California and it’s all these unfamiliar, really good, up-and-coming emerging designers and I go, 'Whoa, it’s all here.'" So, Solomon approached France and her co-founder Alex Repola about bringing Brand Assembly to Lord & Taylor as an in-store concept shop — and the rest is history. Currently, you can find spring good from brands we love like Whit, Calla and Priory of Ten both in stores and online.

We sat down with France to learn more about how Brand Assembly came about, her background in sales (she launched Rachel Zoe's ready-to-wear line after working for almost three years at Diane von Furstenberg) and her genuine passion for mentoring young designers. (Solomon calls her a "rarity in this industry" for her "big heart.")

How did you get into fashion?

I graduated college with a visual arts and art history major, and then I ended up in Washington, D.C., and started to look for a job that I identified with. I was trying to get in the art world, and it just didn’t seem like the right fit, so I actually took a job in retail at Kate Spade in Georgetown and at the time there were only five Kate Spade stores, so the management was really involved in the launch of that store, so I really became involved in the business of it. I found the only fashion job in D.C. working for Hecht's department stores as an assistant buyer; eventually they got bought by Macy’s and that was kind of my push to move to New York and I started on the wholesale side and really grew my career there working for Diane von Fustenberg. I also launched the Rachel Zoe collection, and by doing that kind of saw how these struggling smaller designers needed assistance. [Using] what I’ve learned from bigger designers, I had the idea with my business partner to launch Brand Assembly.

What did you learn working for bigger brands like DVF and Rachel Zoe?

I learned a lot about the business, not just on the sales side but also more on the management and operations. Brand Assembly started because we wanted to help small, emerging designers with their logistics and operations and also finances, so we started doing that but then simultaneously we launched the trade show as well.

Brand Assembly's shop-in-shop at Lord & Taylor. Photo: Lord & Taylor
Brand Assembly's shop-in-shop at Lord & Taylor. Photo: Lord & Taylor
When was that?

May 2013 is when we officially launched Brand Assembly and June was our first official trade show. When I was working at Rachel Zoe, we were here in New York, but obviously Rachel’s from Los Angeles, so I said it would be great to have a sales outlet for Rachel Zoe out in Los Angeles, so at the time I was researching and thought, maybe we should open a showroom and what’s the most cost-effective way to do this. I was just talking to some of my friends at Tibi and Jay Godfrey got involved and we were like, let’s share a space out in Los Angeles, and we did it time after time.

I’m kind of type A so I wanted to organize [the space] myself, so I was arranging the furniture and kind of making it an environment. So when we launched Brand Assembly, I said, hey, I already have these three brands that became five brands, eight brands. I could probably launch this as a real trade show because there is really a need for these designers that are New York-based that are kind of feeling the waters out in Los Angeles. And it became a trade show! And we launched with, I think 20 brands for our first trade show and now we have up to 70 brands.

What goes into preparing a trade show? Is it a year-round job?

Yes, it's definitely a year-round job. We do four markets a year out in LA and right when one ends, we are starting to plan for the next one and sometimes there is a little overlap. It’s really about finding the right brands, making the buyers aware of the brands that are participating, doing some mailers in advance, the furniture coordination. It’s pretty much constant.

Are there many trade shows in LA?

Probably a handful. But, in the premiere, contemporary market, we’re really the only one. And that’s kind of where I saw the opportunity to do that. After the recession people were more conservative with their dollars. I was seeing that a lot of people were revisiting designers they saw in New York and making their final decisions out in Los Angeles. So it gave them the opportunity to really feel secure in their buying decisions, and I feel like that is where a lot of the conversion actually happens in purchasing [products from] these designers.

How did the partnership with Lord & Taylor come about?

I’ve had a longstanding relationship with Stephanie Solomon just from my sales [experience]. I was so surprised to see her in Los Angeles in March and she just got really excited about the brand offering that we had and the whole mission of promoting emerging designers. She had just started working for Lord & Taylor, who was looking to do something really innovative on the second floor. She said she really liked the curation of the brands we did and would we be interested in partnering up to do this. We said absolutely, our mission is to promote emerging designers, and to give them an outlet that is on a larger playing field is going to be perfect for them.

I imagine that not all of the brands you work with are right for Lord & Taylor, so how do you make that decision?

Yeah, definitely. Lord & Taylor has a deep-rooted DNA. The first season we definitely tried to understand who was buying what and what the Lord & Taylor customer is looking for and also trying to introduce new customers into the store with the brands. Now we kind of call [the aesthetic] quirky-feminine.  It’s not for everybody but to kind of balance that with the traditional, more printed, floral dresses and things like that with a pair of culottes.

Photo: Lord & Taylor
Photo: Lord & Taylor
Having worked with emerging designers for so long, what's the most common challenge they have that you come across?

It’s always a cash flow issue for them. Fashion is so interesting because you’re paying for things six months in advance before you actually get paid back for it, so there’s always that interesting space of managing cash. I always see a lot of designers overdevelop in the beginning thinking that they have to offer so much, but really honing in on what their DNA is and what they are known for instead of bringing this whole wide breadth is really the smartest thing for young designers to do.

So how you do actually find these young designers?

I’m an avid shopper so through my personal research I find what I gravitate to. I do a lot of prospecting on Instagram and other social outlets, looking at what bloggers are doing. I always keep my ear out for what people are talking about. Through the NYCEDC [New York City Economic Development Corporation], there’s mentorship programs, so I meet a lot of designers through there.

Have you actually bought into a designer you found on Instagram?

Nikki Chasin, who’s new for spring, I found through Instagram. A friend of a friend had posted this one shirt and I was like, oh I love that. It was a vintage-y grandma print but in a really feminine silhouette, so I reached out to her and said, first of all I wanted to buy it so I bought the top, but said, 'we’re also doing this shop-in-shop in Lord & Taylor' and she said she would love to.

How do you want to expand Brand Assembly?

Ideally this would be great to see grow within the Lord & Taylor brand; I’ve even had conversations with a buyer, like if we did regionals, to have local designers from each city be a part of it, so really promoting those emerging designers, not just here in New York. There’s so many in different cities that don’t have the resources to come here. That would be a long-term goal, to see that expand into other cities.

How have designers benefited from being a part of the Lord & Taylor shop, aside from getting sales?

It’s super rewarding to see someone like Michelle Kim who was here for fall was actually one of our top performers overall and she’s had people come to her just based on the success she’s had and the exposure that she’s had. To be able to grow her business... That’s the ultimate goal.

With New Financial Backers, Jitrois Plots Rapid U.S. Expansion

With New Financial Backers, Jitrois Plots Rapid U.S. Expansion:

The Madison Avenue flagship opened in April. Photo: Jitrois
The Madison Avenue flagship opened in April. Photo: Jitrois
Get ready for French designer Jean-Claude Jitrois, known for his luxurious stretch leather designs, to have a significant retail presence in the U.S. within the next few years, all thanks to two entrepreneurial women from outside the fashion world. The first location born from the partnership opened this month on Madison Avenue in New York.

About a year and a half ago, Jitrois met Dallas-based businesswoman Jodi Shelton, who has run her own communications company for over 20 years, through mutual friends in Europe. "We decided we would do something together and we started to look at the States," said Yann Patry, the brand's marketing director, when I met with him and Jitrois at the New York store. He said Shelton was already familiar with the brand through its pop-up in Aspen, which has been the only Jitrois store in the U.S. since a New York pop-up opened briefly in the summer of 2012. Shelton brought in another member of the same Aspen ski resort community, Annette Presley, to help provide financial backing. Presley is from New Zealand and just this year sold the telecommunications company she co-founded for $250 million.

Jean-Claude Jitrois, Jodi Shelton, Gilbert Maria and Yann Patry. Photo: Jitrois
Jean-Claude Jitrois, Jodi Shelton, Gilbert Maria and Yann Patry. Photo: Jitrois
Neither Shelton nor Presley has any fashion experience, but Patry says it doesn't matter."It's only about the finance, it's about the passion," he said. "To find partners that buy into your philosophy — the commitment, the finance, the passion and thanks to all of this we have the store."

Jitrois knew there was a demand in New York because he has been hosting trunk shows at private apartments in the city since the '80s. The 700-square-foot Madison Avenue boutique was designed by Christophe Pillet, a French designer, in accordance with the other locations overseas — featuring fully mirrored walls, lots of LED lights and columns of floor to ceiling acrylic rods. The goal, Jitrois said, is for all his stores to feel like Parisienne boudoirs where the customer can feel comfortable trying and buying his designs.

It's the ninth Jitrois location worldwide -- others include Beijing, Hong Kong and three in France. "We strongly believe in our partnership with Jodi," said Patry about Shelton, whose title is now CEO of Jitrois NYC. Jitrois has signed a contract with her to open stores in Las Vegas, Miami, Los Angeles and Dallas. He thinks Las Vegas will be the next to open, by the end of 2015, with a Miami store to follow soon after. They also want to renovate the Aspen store. "Its all going to go pretty quick — in terms of logistics, it all makes more economic sense to have fairly quickly more shops in the U.S.," said Jitrois, who spoke in French with Patry translating. "It's been more than 30 years that the brand keeps really fresh and has redefined itself," he continued.

Inside the Madison Avenue store. Photo: Jitrois
Inside the Madison Avenue store. Photo: Jitrois
Jitrois founded the brand in 1983 and quickly found success when his bright leather jackets and dresses were worn famously by Princess Stephanie of Monaco, Brooke Shields and other style icons of the decade. Then in 1995, he developed a technique to create stretch leather by bonding the material with cotton. It redefined his brand and formed the foundation of his sexy, body-con leather designs that are worn today by globe-traveling, high-wealth women and celebrities like Heidi Klum and Kim Kardashian. It is still independently owned by the designer and CEO Gilbert Maria, who together have navigated the brand's partnerships throughout its over 30-year run.

To describe the company's forthcoming rapid expansion, Jitrois says, "Exciter avec prudance."

"We are excited but cautious."

How to Wear Flares This Spring

How to Wear Flares This Spring:

Emilio Pucci spring 2015 and Paul & Joe spring 2015. Photos: Imaxtree
Emilio Pucci spring 2015 and Paul & Joe spring 2015. Photos: Imaxtree
No doubt about it, the '70s are back. And no, you don't just have Coachella to blame. From New York to Paris, the spring 2015 runways were filled with the decade's throwback signatures: caftans, fringe, and — the most quintessential '70s style of all — flared pants.

Don't get nervous. Change is good, especially when it comes to pants. We've been stuck in a skinny-leg fog for so long now, we've forgotten how great it feels to let a little extra fabric swish around the ankles. And, anyway, flared hems can be damn flattering: They balance out the curve of the hip, elongate the leg, and — maybe this is just my imagination — give anyone who wears them an unmistakable swagger.

At Derek Lam's show, for example, the flare-induced strut was unmistakable: the models wore low-slung trousers, wide format belts and straight-cut blazers for the ultimate power suit. Try something similar for the office, or, forget that and channel the laid-back "Dazed and Confused" vibe seen at Coach with exaggerated bell bottoms, a lanky band shirt, and a ball-chain choker. If you prefer a more jaunty holiday look, there's also the matchy-matchy high-waisted pants and a-line tank top sets spotted at Paul & Joe and Karen Walker. When accessorized with a fringed bag and a floppy hat, the look is very Saint Tropez.

From left to right: Karen Walker spring 2015, Louis Vuitton spring 2015, Emilio Pucci spring 2015, Derek Lam spring 2015. Photos: Imaxtree
From left to right: Karen Walker spring 2015, Louis Vuitton spring 2015, Emilio Pucci spring 2015, Derek Lam spring 2015. Photos: Imaxtree
Of course, you could always just wear your flares the classic way: as a great-fitting pair of jeans like those on the runway at Louis Vuitton. There are plenty of options. Rag & Bone has the Justine, a high-waisted style with a turned-down hem in an icy, rinsed-out hue; while Madewell has the Flea Market jean — also high-waisted — in a faded true-blue. For those that loathe the high-rise, there's MIH's Marrakesh, which has flattering welt pockets across the front and comes in an easy-to-wear deep black. There's also J Brand's 722 Love Story in a flattering, dark indigo.

The more adventurous among us can get a leg up on next season's elephant-legged trend (spotted all over the fall 2015 runways) with Topshop Moto's wide-legged Miller jeans. Worn with a gauzy, off-the-shoulder top or a slim-fitting crew neck t-shirt, any of the above styles are bound to look groovy. Whatever you choose, just be sure to have those bottoms hemmed: Mopey pants that drag on the ground a la Shaggy's from Scooby Doo are never a good look.

See below for trouser (slideshow no.1) and denim (slideshow no. 2) options.

Flared Trousers

Flared Jeans

The Biggest Beauty Icons in 9 Countries

The Biggest Beauty Icons in 9 Countries:

Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian's beauty crosses cultural and geographical divides. Photos: Jamie McCarthy & Mark Salgiocco/Getty Images
Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian's beauty crosses cultural and geographical divides. Photos: Jamie McCarthy & Mark Salgiocco/Getty Images
Last week, Marie Claire hosted its second annual Global Beauty Forum for a group of editors and beauty brand representatives, moderated by Erin Flaherty, Marie Claire's beauty director. Editors from the magazine's Mexico/Latin America and Arabian editions were on hand, as well as Peach & Lily founder Alicia Yoon and Beautified founder Hannah Bronfman. The conversation was lively and thought-provoking, and veered into the subject of  beauty standards, favorite products around the world, and the women who are considered beauty icons in each country and region.

I found this last bit to be really fascinating, and so I asked Marie Claire, which has over 30 international editions, to help me find out who those beauty icons are across the globe. Here are the selections from nine countries.

USA

Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian and Karlie Kloss. Photos: Jamie McCarthy & Mark Salgiocco/Getty Images
Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian and Karlie Kloss. Photos: Jamie McCarthy & Mark Salgiocco/Getty Images
"Because our country is so multi-cultured and diverse, it's impossible to choose just one woman," says Erin Flaherty, Beauty and Health Director of Marie Claire. "Right now, three stand out: Obviously, everyone across the world is obsessed with Beyoncé, but no more so than here in the U.S., where she is a homegrown talent and top beauty icon. Another distinctly American beauty is Karlie Kloss, who just seems so wholesome and girl-next-door compared to more austere supermodels of other eras. And in the age of the selfie, it goes without saying that Kim Kardashian's brand of extremely manicured beauty has probably helped cosmetic sales."

South Korea

Miranda Kerr. Photo: Axelle Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
Miranda Kerr. Photo: Axelle Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
Alicia Yoon, founder of Asian beauty site Peach & Lily, says that Miranda Kerr's "soft, baby features" make her a popular beauty icon in Korea. "I haven't yet seen her in any ads, but she certainly graces a lot of beauty magazines in Korea and does things like signings and throw[ing] the first pitch at baseball games."

Saudi Arabia

Kim Kardashian. Photo: Grant Lamox IV/Getty Images
Kim Kardashian. Photo: Grant Lamox IV/Getty Images
"The women here love Kim Kardashian," says Sara Rasheed, Fashion and Beauty Editor of Marie Claire Arabia. According to Rasheed, women in that part of the world also love a lot of makeup, so that could help explain the Kardashian admiration. MAC and Nars are favorite brands in the Middle East.

Mexico/Latin America 

Paulina Veg. Photo: Troy Rizzo/Getty Images
Paulina Veg. Photo: Troy Rizzo/Getty Images
"We are very proud of our Miss Universe! [Former Miss Colombia, Paulina Vega]," says Ariadne Grant, editor in chief of Marie Claire Mexico and Latin America. Grant also noted at the forum that women in her region of the world still love ombré hair, which they call "Californiana."

Australia

Gisele Bundchen. Photo: Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images
Gisele Bundchen. Photo: Fernanda Calfat/Getty Images
"With flowing, sun-kissed hair, an athletic physique, glowing limbs and healthy lifestyle, Gisele Bundchen is a beauty icon that Australian women find inspiring," says Alex Noonan, beauty director at Marie Claire Australia.

Spain

Penelope Cruz. Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images
Penelope Cruz. Photo: Carlos Alvarez/Getty Images
"I would have to say the beauty icon in Spain would be someone very similar to Penelope Cruz, because she has inspired many women in Spain to believe in their capabilities and make them aspire to anything they wish, knowing that if they work hard enough for it, they have a fair chance of reaching their goals, like she has done," says Susana Blazquez, beauty director at Marie Claire Spain. "Also, she is very beautiful and smart, and has the Mediterranean beauty we love.”

South Africa

Noni Gasa and Beyoncé. Photos: @envirizanacho_nachohairlove/Instagram and Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Noni Gasa and Beyoncé. Photos: @envirizanacho_nachohairlove/Instagram and Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
"South Africa is a country with an incredibly diverse and electric mix of people and nationalities, making it tricky to distinguish just one beauty icon," Kelly Fung, fashion & beauty editor at Marie Claire South Africa, explains. "Beyoncé comes out on top as the international star who women of all ages look to as a beauty icon. Her beauty shines through not only on the surface, but from the idea of her being a powerhouse woman, ready to take on challenges. She is cross-culturally beautiful, meaning all nationalities can relate to her look and feminine transformations. Locally, the consensus is Noni Gasa, one of the the country's most recognized and loved media personalities. She continues to be an integral part of changing the way South Africans see 'beauty', teaching women to embrace the features they were given. With her iconic freckles and often shaved head, she is an icon for stripped-down, bare-it-all beauty.”

Netherlands

Doutzen Kroes and Beyoncé. Photos: Michael Stewart/Getty Images and Anthony Harvey/Getty Images
Doutzen Kroes and Beyoncé. Photos: Michael Stewart/Getty Images and Anthony Harvey/Getty Images
"Actually it's two women for the Netherlands," says Dionne Poole, beauty director at Marie Claire Netherlands. "First of all, our own Doutzen Kroes. She's gorgeous, super-friendly, a hands-on mom and very down-to-earth. A real and a beautiful person inside and out, with or without makeup. Dutch women appreciate natural beauty. Then of course there is Beyoncé. Dutch women like her because she is super gorgeous and she has hips.”

China

Sophie Marceau. Photo: Dominique Charriau/Getty Images
Sophie Marceau. Photo: Dominique Charriau/Getty Images
"If I had to choose one beauty icon the women in my country find inspirational/aspirational, it would be Sophie Marceau," says Ling Jia, beauty director at Marie Claire China. "Of course Sophie is not a new generation actress, but her beauty and elegance are perfectly suitable for her age, which is the most inspirational for us. Also Chinese girls like stars such as Taylor Swift, Miranda Kerr, Keira Knightly, etc. who are really popular by now, but the beauty of Sophie is timeless and very unique."

Hermès Sales Are Off to a Strong Start This Year, Led by Japan

Hermès Sales Are Off to a Strong Start This Year, Led by Japan:

The brand's spring 2015 show. Photo: Imaxtree
The brand's spring 2015 show. Photo: Imaxtree
Though Christophe Lemaire is no longer with Hermès — his spring 2015 collection  for the house was his last — the former creative director's work is still doing good things for the brand. In the first quarter of 2015, which ran through the end of March, Hermès saw sales jump 19 percent to €1.12 billion (roughly $1.2 billion). Not a bad start to the year.

Although sales slipped somewhat in Asia — Hong Kong and Macao being challenging environments for luxury retailers on a whole at the moment — Hermès did pull off a 15 percent increase in Japan, its highest growth in any region for the quarter. (As a point of comparison, Japan brought in €142 million during that time period, while the rest of Asia totaled €417 million and America €195 million.)

As far as the product itself goes, perfumes barely managed to move the needle, while watch sales continued to decline, this time by 3 percent year-over-year. The leather goods the house is best known for saw the most momentum, however, followed by ready-to-wear and fashion accessories (shoes, gloves, hats). Hats off to Lemaire on that front.

For Alexander Wang, the Real Reviews Are the Sell-Throughs

For Alexander Wang, the Real Reviews Are the Sell-Throughs:

Ryan Korban, Kristina O'Neill and Alexander Wang. Photo: KregHolt.com/WSJ
Ryan Korban, Kristina O'Neill and Alexander Wang. Photo: KregHolt.com/WSJ
"I won’t lie, I read some [runway reviews]," Alexander Wang admitted before an audience of about 200 at the Museum of Modern Art on Tuesday evening, where he was joined by WSJ. Magazine Editor in Chief Kristina O'Neill and interior designer Ryan Korban in a conversation hosted by the Wall Street Journal. "But I’ve told my team now, 'Just don’t send me anything.' I feel like I want to be able to focus. I feel like the real reviews are the sell-throughs, to be honest."

Wang spoke at length about his experiences at Balenciaga, acknowledging that his work has been especially scrutinized because his name was already well-known in industry circles before he joined the house. "I always think about how it would have been different or how my collections would have been perceived had I not had a name, or if I was on the design team and the journalists didn’t know what to expect from me," he said. "I don’t know if I have an answer to that but every collection, I always have to feel like there has to be an element that ties back to Cristobal [Balenciaga]. His name is the one on the door and that is the one that I should honor."

Wang said he received no instructions from Kering CEO François-Henri Pinault about how to approach the job when he started. "Mr. Pinault — the great thing is that really when he believes in someone, he lets them drive the vehicle," said Wang. "He really didn’t give me any kind of directive, he just said 'I know you can do the job.' And that was it." Wang said that at Balenciaga he feels part of a larger team working to continue the legacy of the brand. "There was a pre-existing history before me and there will be one after me," he observed.

The word most often used to describe Wang's work is "cool," but Wang has an uneasy relationship with the label. "I like to not think about that word," he said. "I know it's the easy go-to word, but I like to try think about it in other types of contexts or strip it away a little more and say, 'Okay, what is it about the clothes or the environment or the ambiance that makes people think that?'" He used the fur hammock in his Soho flagship as an example of taking something comfortable and common and pushing it into a different context in an ironic, subversive way.

Alexander Wang, Ryan Korban and Kristina O'Neill. Photo: KregHolt.com/WSJ
Alexander Wang, Ryan Korban and Kristina O'Neill. Photo: KregHolt.com/WSJ
"It's daunting," said Korban, who met Wang while the pair were studying at Parsons and collaborated on the design of both Wang's flagship on Grand St. and a Balenciaga store a few blocks up on Mercer St. "It's something you do have to think about because a large part of his following is built off [the idea of "cool"]... I may joke about it, but you can’t really undermine that part of it because it's a huge part of his brand."

Speaking about retail, Wang says the store experience informs everything he does, and he doesn't think he's perfected it yet. "Even from the initial conception of thinking about a collection or thinking about a direction or an idea of what we're designing, I always think about what it's going to look like on a rack," he said. "The message it's going to convey, what's the hanger appeal, do we have the right e-commerce boxes to package them up or send them out." He and his team plan out how many times a sales associate should approach someone in the store and how to make the checkout process efficient.

"When I look at what luxury spaces have to offer and luxury brands and what I want to bring to it and how I look at it, I always like to take the pretentious aspect out of it," Wang said. "I don’t think we’ve perfected it yet but we're learning."

Maybe it was because he was sharing the stage with his long-time friend and collaborator, but at the end of the night Wang got emotional when an audience member asked what makes him happy. "Knowing that I can share the success with my friends and my family is something that really makes me feel like I have something worth celebrating." The audience gave him a round of applause and Korban joked, "How can I follow that?"

Meet the 10 Nominees for the U.S. Woolmark Prize

Meet the 10 Nominees for the U.S. Woolmark Prize:

Designer Kaelen Haworth of Kaelen. Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
Designer Kaelen Haworth of Kaelen. Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
Considering that the International Woolmark Prize's list of former winners includes names like Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent, you could say that it really is an honor just to be nominated. On Wednesday, the organization announced the competitors for its U.S. regional award — one of six localized prizes for up-and-coming talent that it gives out in addition to its global award.

On the women's side, the nominees are Chris Gelinas, Kaelen, Nellie Partow, Novis and Tanya Taylor. The competitors for the menswear prize, which Public School won last July in the award's inaugural year, are Cadet, David Hart, Lucio Castro, Siki Im and Thaddeus O'Neil.

What's in it for the winners? Aside from a lot of industry cred, they'll receive $40,100 to put toward their next collection and will move on to compete in the International Woolmark Prize. (Reward for that: $80,2000.) Last time around, Public School won the international menswear pool and M. Patmos nabbed the prize for womenswear, so we're cautiously optimistic about the U.S.'s odds.

The U.S. Woolmark Prize will hold its award ceremony on July 21, during which the designers will have sketches and one fully-produced outfit judged by industry big shots. Though the judges haven't been named yet, folks like the CFDA's Steven Kolb, Vanessa Friedman of the New York Times (then, the Financial Times) and Alexander Wang have come on board in the past. Tough crowd — but it's worth it.

Sarah Jessica Parker Was ‘Embarrassed’ by the Idea of Naming Her Shoe Line SJP

Sarah Jessica Parker Was ‘Embarrassed’ by the Idea of Naming Her Shoe Line SJP:

Sarah Jessica Parker at a SJP Collection event at Nordstrom in San Juan, Puerto Rico last month. Photo: GV Cruz/Stringer/Getty Images
Sarah Jessica Parker at a SJP Collection event at Nordstrom in San Juan, Puerto Rico last month. Photo: GV Cruz/Stringer/Getty Images
There are few celebrities as good at branding themselves as Sarah Jessica Parker, who has taken her "Sex and the City" fame — and fashion acumen — and spun it into a compelling, authentic relationship with her fans. If there’s anyone who feels "real" to her fleet of followers, it's Parker. She doesn’t front.

That’s why it was only a little surprising to hear that the actor isn’t thrilled by the name of her Italian-made shoe line, SJP, which debuted at Nordstrom in 2014. “I begged everybody [not to call it that], but Nordstrom thought it was the right thing to do,” Parker told InStyle Editorial Director Ariel Foxman at a dinner celebrating the top 50 women in brand marketing on Tuesday. “It embarrassed me. I actually didn’t like it, but they talked me into it.”

The reluctant style icon, speaking to an audience that included execs from Tiffany & Co., Marc Jacobs, Victoria’s Secret and Kenneth Cole, expounded on the process of creating the line, whose co-investor is Manolo Blahnik CEO George Malkemus. Just a little of a year into SJP’s life on the sales floor, “It’s 60 percent instinct, 40 percent trying to pay attention to the numbers,” Parker said. “There are misses, and it just kills you.”

The actor, whose single-camera comedy "Divorce" was just picked up by HBO, also spoke frankly with Foxman about missteps she’s made throughout her fashion career — including her ill-fated stint as chief creative officer of Halston Heritage, which she compared to a bad boyfriend. “When I would date a fellow when I was single, and my friends would say, ‘He’s horrible, he comes with all sorts of warning signs. There’s a forcefield around him,’ I would say, ‘I can fix him.’ That’s how I felt about the Halston brand,” she admitted. “I couldn’t imagine not being able to bring some peace and harmony and hopefully some success. But the truth of the matter was that there was a culture there that I just couldn’t... It’s like walking into a really old, foreign land and saying, ‘I’m going to teach you very quickly to behave just like me and it’s going to come very naturally to you.’”

While Parker said the end result was disappointing, “It was an education I could have never planned or hoped for or achieved in that amount of time. I’m grateful.”

Tuesday night's event, hosted by a professional group called Brand Innovators, drew a consortium of marketers that spent $11.1 billion on advertising in 2014. So it made sense that Time Inc., the publisher of InStyle, was happy to sponsor it for the second year in a row. While the industry is reeling from the Style.com news, InStyle experienced its own shakeup on Tuesday with the sudden departure of publisher Nina Lawrence. So, how does the glossy plan on powering through? "We’re listening to our reader — our user — and making sure that we’re meeting her wherever she goes,” Foxman said. "If that’s in print, it’s in print. If it’s where she’s shopping, we want to make sure we’re providing service and ease there.”

Homepage photo: Andrew Toth/Stringer/Getty Images

'Zoolander' Teases Justin Bieber Cameo, How Luxury Brands Use WeChat

'Zoolander' Teases Justin Bieber Cameo, How Luxury Brands Use WeChat:

For H&M's summer 2015 campaign, models Natasha Poly, Doutzen Kroes, Adriana Lima and Joan Smalls headed to Antigue to skydive, race cars down gravel roads and generally flaunt their bodies, all set to the tune of "Sun Is Shining" by Axwell Ingrosso. Jealous? {YouTube}

Ben Stiller uploaded an Instagram photo of himself with Justin Bieber captioned, "#Zoolander 2 @justinbieber." Between their squinted eyes, gelled hair and pouty lips, it looks like a pose-off to us. {Instagram}

Nearly half of China's population are active users of WeChat, a messaging, content publishing and payments platform, but there are comparatively fewer luxury brands using WeChat than use Weibo, a Twitter-like platform. What does this discrepancy mean? WeChat could very well be the next frontier for businesses looking to cater to the Chinese market. {Business of Fashion}

Homepage photo: @benstiller/Instagram