Tuesday, October 06, 2015

Gant Creative Director Christopher Bastin Steps Down

Gant Creative Director Christopher Bastin Steps Down:

Christopher Bastin. Photo: Gant
Christopher Bastin. Photo: Gant
Just a few weeks after showing its biggest New York Fashion Week presentation yet, Gant announced Thursday morning that the brand's creative director, Christopher Bastin, has stepped down. Bastin joined the Swedish fashion company in 2004 as lead designer for men's shirts. He was later promoted to head of design for Gant Rugger, which he relaunched in 2010, and has served as creative director since 2012.

Bastin is credited with rebranding Gant, a company founded in 1949 that offers American sportswear through European design. For nine seasons, he had some help from Michael Bastian through a fruitful collaboration that ended last fall. For spring 2016, Bastin presented Gant's stylistically distinct sub-labels — Gant Originals, Gant Rugger and the newly launched Gant Diamond G — as a "House of Gant" whole. According to a press release, Gant aims to become a global lifestyle brand by 2020.

"Christopher leaves a great footprint and will be missed. I would like to thank him for his passion and contribution. For years he spearheaded our design and has been integral in forming the GANT brand to what it is today," stated Gant CEO Patrik Nilsson, who expects the position to be filled before the end of the year.

Learn How Designers Take Their Lines to the Next Level at Our New York Conference

Learn How Designers Take Their Lines to the Next Level at Our New York Conference:

Tanya Taylor at her fall 2015 show. Photo: Fernando Leon/Getty Images
Tanya Taylor at her fall 2015 show. Photo: Fernando Leon/Getty Images
We write about a lot of new labels on Fashionista, never knowing for sure whether they'll "make it" as a successful business or not. Doing so requires the right mix of funding, sales, press and other factors a few of New York's buzziest emerging designers will discuss onstage at our New York "How to Make It in Fashion" conference on Oct. 23.

During the panel "Taking Your Label to the Next Level," Jonathan Simkhai, Tanya Taylor, Oak's Louis Terline and Jeff Madalena and Cooper and Ella's Kara Mendelsohn will discuss what it's required for them to continue to grow their fashion brands after the three-year mark.

Taylor has won the 2015 U.S. Woolmark Prize, been nominated for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, and dressed numerous celebrities including Beyoncé and Michelle Obama. Simkhai is a nominee for the Fund this year, and his clothes are beloved by editors, models and starlets alike. Cooper and Ella is sold everywhere from Nordstrom to Bloomingdale's, and Oak operates hip stores in New York and LA in addition to an in-house line.

Of course, such milestones don't mean these brands aren't immune to challenges. To find out how they've tackled them, grab tickets to our all-day conference, scheduled for Friday, Oct. 23, before they sell out. You can do that — and find out more about the day's events — right here.

Cool Leather Jackets Abound on the Streets of Paris

Cool Leather Jackets Abound on the Streets of Paris:

Jacket spotting outside the shows in Paris. Photos: Imaxtree, Emily Malan/Fashionista, Imaxtree
Jacket spotting outside the shows in Paris. Photos: Imaxtree, Emily Malan/Fashionista, Imaxtree
Cool weather calls for cooler jackets, and the fashionable show-goers in Paris answered the call in a variety of styles, but favored leather ones with distinctive colors, patterns, graphic logos and embellishment. Other popular options included patterned cocoon coats and long, sleek dusters over statement-making dresses — including yet another appearance by the Vetements dress heard 'round the (fashion week) world.

See our favorite street style from day two of Paris Fashion Week below and check out more looks from the month here. 

Olivier Rousteing Showed a Very Kardashian-Friendly Spring Collection for Balmain

Olivier Rousteing Showed a Very Kardashian-Friendly Spring Collection for Balmain:

Photo: Imaxtree
Photo: Imaxtree
Olivier Rousteing, creative director of Balmain, certainly knows his audience: Namely, the 1.3 million international fans who follow his exclusive (and expensive) adventures on Instagram, the editors who want to sex up a fashion shoot or a magazine cover with his work and the seemingly endless list of pretty young things — models, socialites, DJs, actresses and the like, known as his "Balmain Army" — who frequently wear his body-con, blinged-out designs for the French house.

However, we would be remiss to not include his most famous customers: the Kardashians, especially Kim, who's not only one of Rousteing's dearest friends, but also his muse. The family has undoubtedly helped Balmain to become a pop cultural phenomenon — Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, and Kendall and Kylie Jenner have all appeared in the brand's ad campaigns. And when it came to the spring 2016 collection, it certainly seemed that he had the family in mind, considering almost every look could theoretically have been straight from a Kardashian's closet.

Showing off the body was the name of the game, either by cinching the models' waists with thick, tight belts, or through peek-a-boo crocheted dresses, netted separates, side cutouts and criss-cross tops that displayed plenty of skin. Much of the collection was done in soft, buttery suede in neutral tones — not unlike Mrs. Kardashian West's latest uniform of choice — in structural silhouettes that would be less limited to a night out partying. There was also a fair amount of sparkle, with jewels adorning everything from long-sleeved minidresses to open knit skirts. A ruffle motif throughout the collection was a bit awkward and over the top in many instances and we doubt they'd work on many body types outside of Rousting's crew of model-tall friends.

The casting, as usual, was a huge power play, demonstrating Rousteing's pull and popularity among the industry's top girls. Big-name vets like Doutzen Kroes, Alessandra Ambrosio, Isabeli Fontana, Lily Aldridge, Joan Smalls and Lily Donaldson appeared alongside the newest crop of "It" models, including Taylor Hill, Bella Hadid, Stella Maxwell and Lineisy Montero.

Balmain's specific brand of glamour doesn't change much from season to season, but that likely won't stop its dedicated following from paying attention — and from lining up when the brand's collaboration with H&M hits stores in November.

Courrèges Returns to Paris Fashion Week

Courrèges Returns to Paris Fashion Week:

Three looks from Courrèges's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Courrèges
Three looks from Courrèges's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Courrèges
It was 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning when members of the fashion industry settled into their seats in a circular auditorium at the Opéra Bastille, awaiting what would officially mark the revival of one of Paris's most famous fashion houses, 54-year-old Courrèges. (The company was acquired by former ad execs Jacques Bungert and Frédéric Torloting in 2011, and earlier this year the pair hired Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant, the 20-something designers behind the buzzy label Coperni, to design its first runway collection post-takeover.)

Before the first model walked out, Meyer and Vaillant took to the stage to introduce themselves. Shy and charming, they briefly outlined their approach for the first Courrèges collection: that it should be "playful," that, as ready-to-wear, it should "express the spirit of ready-to-live," and that it only consisted of 15 designs, in 15 materials and colors, as a way of establishing new foundations for the brand. "In time, we hope these building blocks will become a full story, one that is still being written," they said before exiting the stage.

Rather than styling full looks together, Meyer and Vaillant dressed each model in a white ribbed knit bodysuit so that the focus was on a single item of clothing and the shoes (primarily short boots). The first set of models walked out in a series of leather biker jackets, and a set of soft-shouldered, bomber-style jackets with pockets on the front and the back. They were done in bright, cheerful colors like red, yellow, silver and sky blue, some with simple geometric prints and embellishments. Next came miniskirts — which Courrèges, along with Mary Quant, is credited with inventing — cut simply in those same materials, or with rounded, contrasting panels that buttoned up the sides. Pants came with diagonal belt hoops, and others with diagonal side-seams that buttoned up the sides. Tops ranged from rounded, armor-like shells buttoned at the edges to camisoles slashed under one breast. There were also A-line minidresses, sleeveless or short-sleeved, which were intersected by pockets, zippers and rows of buttons. The show closed with a series of cotton slip dresses buttoned diagonally across the bust and hips, some styled over T-shirts that read "wild insolent forever."

It was all very simple, and though the collection referenced '60s silhouettes, it did not feel dated or even retro — partly because A-line dresses and miniskirts still look contemporary, and partly because Vaillant and Meyer chose colors and materials that looked punchy and modern. The collection wasn't groundbreaking by any means and, with so few looks, it was better suited for a presentation than a runway format, but these clothes looked just right for Opening Ceremony and Dover Street Market — and that's a good place to start.

From Lemaire to Off-White, here were some other highlights from day two of Paris Fashion Week.

Lemaire's effortless chic

Three looks from Lemaire's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Three looks from Lemaire's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
There is no designer in Paris doing the French "effortless chic" thing better than Lemaire right now. Fresh off a collaboration with Uniqlo — which will debut at parties in several major capitols on Thursday — and a minority stake investment from BPIFrance, former Hermès creative director Christophe Lemaire and his partner, Sarah-Linh Tran, on Wednesday showed a collection that added a bit more volume than usual to their clean, relaxed clothes. We were particularly taken with the crisp, papery quality of an oversized smock dress (the opening look) and an off-the-shoulder blouse cut wide at the elbows; as well as a loose black pantsuit, its jacket belt hung askew; and the billowing cut of tawny, high-waisted pants with sweeping side seams. The models moved with such enviable nonchalance — the kind that makes you want to rethink your whole approach to getting dressed in the morning.

Maison Margiela's mad, tattered beauty

Three looks from Maison Margiela's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Three looks from Maison Margiela's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Though the clothes John Galliano showed for Maison Margiela Wednesday were labeled ready-to-wear, they could have passed for couture — and they certainly offered a commentary on, if not a downright parody of, that craft. You can read our full review here.

Dries van Noten's brocaded sirens

Three looks from Dries van Noten's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Three looks from Dries van Noten's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Dries van Noten is frequently described as the master of prints — and with good reason. His spring 2016 show was a rich riot of color, print and tulle, with more than a few passing references to the silver-screen sirens of the '40s. You can read our full review here.

Off-White's elevated streetwear

Three looks from Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh
Three looks from Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh
Virgil Abloh is best known as Kanye West's creative director — but the fashion world began to take him a little more seriously when his label, Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh, was included among this year's LVMH Prize finalists. (The final prize went to London-based Thomas Tait, with Paris's Simon Porte Jacquemus securing the special jury award.) At a series of small presentations on Wednesday, models — walking very, very slowly — showed a range of hits and misses. A full maxi skirt in tiers of frayed denim was a definite hit, as was a sleeveless white coat with an open back and side pleats. But the jeans — Levi's that were cut-up and re-sewn, sometimes with zippers or patches of darker denim — were uninventive and often fit badly; ditto a grid-print dress hanging off one shoulder and slit up the middle, and a jumpsuit in the same print with ties around the ankles. That there were a few bad pieces hardly matters; where Abloh excels is branding, and the pieces that appear to be his best sellers are the ones that carry his logo. This season, that logo and Off-White's signature diagonal lines were carried onto leather bags; every time I saw those same lines crossing a street in Paris, I thought of Off-White. How smart.

For more Paris Fashion Week coverage, click here.

Courrèges Returns to Paris Fashion Week

Courrèges Returns to Paris Fashion Week:

Three looks from Courrèges's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Courrèges
Three looks from Courrèges's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Courrèges
It was 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning when members of the fashion industry settled into their seats in a circular auditorium at the Opéra Bastille, awaiting what would officially mark the revival of one of Paris's most famous fashion houses, 54-year-old Courrèges. (The company was acquired by former ad execs Jacques Bungert and Frédéric Torloting in 2011, and earlier this year the pair hired Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant, the 20-something designers behind the buzzy label Coperni, to design its first runway collection post-takeover.)

Before the first model walked out, Meyer and Vaillant took to the stage to introduce themselves. Shy and charming, they briefly outlined their approach for the first Courrèges collection: that it should be "playful," that, as ready-to-wear, it should "express the spirit of ready-to-live," and that it only consisted of 15 designs, in 15 materials and colors, as a way of establishing new foundations for the brand. "In time, we hope these building blocks will become a full story, one that is still being written," they said before exiting the stage.

Rather than styling full looks together, Meyer and Vaillant dressed each model in a white ribbed knit bodysuit so that the focus was on a single item of clothing and the shoes (primarily short boots). The first set of models walked out in a series of leather biker jackets, and a set of soft-shouldered, bomber-style jackets with pockets on the front and the back. They were done in bright, cheerful colors like red, yellow, silver and sky blue, some with simple geometric prints and embellishments. Next came miniskirts — which Courrèges, along with Mary Quant, is credited with inventing — cut simply in those same materials, or with rounded, contrasting panels that buttoned up the sides. Pants came with diagonal belt hoops, and others with diagonal side-seams that buttoned up the sides. Tops ranged from rounded, armor-like shells buttoned at the edges to camisoles slashed under one breast. There were also A-line minidresses, sleeveless or short-sleeved, which were intersected by pockets, zippers and rows of buttons. The show closed with a series of cotton slip dresses buttoned diagonally across the bust and hips, some styled over T-shirts that read "wild insolent forever."

It was all very simple, and though the collection referenced '60s silhouettes, it did not feel dated or even retro — partly because A-line dresses and miniskirts still look contemporary, and partly because Vaillant and Meyer chose colors and materials that looked punchy and modern. The collection wasn't groundbreaking by any means and, with so few looks, it was better suited for a presentation than a runway format, but these clothes looked just right for Opening Ceremony and Dover Street Market — and that's a good place to start.

From Lemaire to Off-White, here were some other highlights from day two of Paris Fashion Week.

Lemaire's effortless chic

Three looks from Lemaire's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Three looks from Lemaire's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
There is no designer in Paris doing the French "effortless chic" thing better than Lemaire right now. Fresh off a collaboration with Uniqlo — which will debut at parties in several major capitols on Thursday — and a minority stake investment from BPIFrance, former Hermès creative director Christophe Lemaire and his partner, Sarah-Linh Tran, on Wednesday showed a collection that added a bit more volume than usual to their clean, relaxed clothes. We were particularly taken with the crisp, papery quality of an oversized smock dress (the opening look) and an off-the-shoulder blouse cut wide at the elbows; as well as a loose black pantsuit, its jacket belt hung askew; and the billowing cut of tawny, high-waisted pants with sweeping side seams. The models moved with such enviable nonchalance — the kind that makes you want to rethink your whole approach to getting dressed in the morning.

Maison Margiela's mad, tattered beauty

Three looks from Maison Margiela's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Three looks from Maison Margiela's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Though the clothes John Galliano showed for Maison Margiela Wednesday were labeled ready-to-wear, they could have passed for couture — and they certainly offered a commentary on, if not a downright parody of, that craft. You can read our full review here.

Dries van Noten's brocaded sirens

Three looks from Dries van Noten's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Three looks from Dries van Noten's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Dries van Noten is frequently described as the master of prints — and with good reason. His spring 2016 show was a rich riot of color, print and tulle, with more than a few passing references to the silver-screen sirens of the '40s. You can read our full review here.

Off-White's elevated streetwear

Three looks from Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh
Three looks from Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh
Virgil Abloh is best known as Kanye West's creative director — but the fashion world began to take him a little more seriously when his label, Off-White c/o Virgil Abloh, was included among this year's LVMH Prize finalists. (The final prize went to London-based Thomas Tait, with Paris's Simon Porte Jacquemus securing the special jury award.) At a series of small presentations on Wednesday, models — walking very, very slowly — showed a range of hits and misses. A full maxi skirt in tiers of frayed denim was a definite hit, as was a sleeveless white coat with an open back and side pleats. But the jeans — Levi's that were cut-up and re-sewn, sometimes with zippers or patches of darker denim — were uninventive and often fit badly; ditto a grid-print dress hanging off one shoulder and slit up the middle, and a jumpsuit in the same print with ties around the ankles. That there were a few bad pieces hardly matters; where Abloh excels is branding, and the pieces that appear to be his best sellers are the ones that carry his logo. This season, that logo and Off-White's signature diagonal lines were carried onto leather bags; every time I saw those same lines crossing a street in Paris, I thought of Off-White. How smart.

For more Paris Fashion Week coverage, click here.

WOW Bella Hadid Is a 2016 Olympic Games Hopeful, Tim Gunn Calls Anna Wintour a 'History Revisionist'

Must Read: Bella Hadid Is a 2016 Olympic Games Hopeful, Tim Gunn Calls Anna Wintour a 'History Revisionist':

Bella Hadid at Philipp Plein's spring 2016 runway. Photo: Imaxtree
Bella Hadid at Philipp Plein's spring 2016 runway. Photo: Imaxtree
These are the stories making headlines this Thursday.

Bella Hadid talks about her passion for horses.

Besides being one of the most sought out models in the industry, Bella Hadid is also an award-winning, nationally ranked horsewoman and a 2016 Olympic Games hopeful. We kid you not. In her latest interview with Porter, the model professed her love for horses stating: "My devotion stemmed from my mom's love of horses. I have been riding since I could walk." {Porter}

Tim Gunn calls Anna Wintour a "history revisionist."

Not a lot of people in the fashion industry would stand their ground against Anna Wintour. Except for Tim Gunn, that is. On the "Meredith Vieira Show," Gunn went over the reason for their feud and even called Wintour a "history revisionist" for wanting him to issue a retraction for a statement he'd made about her being carried down a flight of stairs after a runway show. The "Project Runway" mentor also stated: "I'm happy to have a bad relationship with [Vogue] because I wouldn't want to have a good one." {Meredith Vieira Show}

Who will take the reigns at Balenciaga?

Rumors are swirling as to whether Balenciaga will appoint someone from in-house or a more established designer to replace Alexander Wang as creative director. While nothing has been confirmed, possible contenders (by popular opinion) include Chitose Abe of Sacai, Julien Dossena of Paco Rabanne and Bouchra Jarrar. {The New York Times}

Dazed Digital teams up with Rick Owens for a Tumblr "Answer Time."

For one hour only, designer Rick Owens will take over Dazed Digital's Tumblr page on Friday at 11 a.m. ET to answer fan's questions about anything. You can submit questions here. {Fashionista Inbox}

Yahoo Style expands coverage to include interior design.
Decor on Yahoo Style, which lives within Yahoo Style, will include contributions from interior designers, behind-the-scenes looks inside celebrities' houses and practical home-related tips. {Yahoo Decor}

Karl Lagerfeld photographs Jemima Kirke for Maison Michel.

French milliner Maison Michel has tapped "Girls" actress Jemima Kirke as the face of its 2016 ad campaign. The brand is owned by Chanel, and the campaign was photographed by — you guessed it — Karl Lagerfeld. {WWD}

See Humberto Leon and Peter Copping's designs for the New York City Ballet.

Thanks to connections facilitated by Sarah Jessica Parker, the New York City Ballet enlisted the help of designers Humberto Leon, Marques'Almeida, Zuhair Muhad, Hanako Maeda and Peter Copping to design costumes for new works. The designers reveal and discuss the designs at The Cut. {The Cut}

Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid Give 'Girls' Night Out' a Whole New Meaning in Balmain

Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid Give 'Girls' Night Out' a Whole New Meaning in Balmain:

Kendall Jenner, Olivier Rousteing and Gigi Hadid arrive at Vogue's Instagram dinner during Paris Fashion Week. Photo: Marc Piasecki/Getty Images
Kendall Jenner, Olivier Rousteing and Gigi Hadid arrive at Vogue's Instagram dinner during Paris Fashion Week. Photo: Marc Piasecki/Getty Images
These days, it's not a proper Fashion Week if there aren't a slew of ritzy, well-documented dinner parties mixed in with the runway shows. While no two A-list soirées are the same, they do have at least one quality in common: a guest list loaded with beautiful, social media-famous "It" girls who, upon their arrival, post alluring (and at times, champagne-tinted) images for their massive followings to enjoy. In the case of Vogue and Instagram's Paris Fashion Week banquet on Wednesday night, two of the social media platform's most-followed faces — Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid — unsurprisingly showed up with Balmain's creative director, Olivier Rousteing.

For the occasion, Rousteing dressed two of his muses (and stars of Balmain for H&M's just-released ad campaign) in looks from the French fashion house's spring 2016 collection — which didn't hit the runway until the next day. Hadid stepped out in an emerald, lace-up and dangerously crotch-length minidress that she accessorized with a layer of dark, nearly black lipstick; Jenner went for something that was both darker and floatier, though her pants were almost entirely sheer, giving onlookers a full view of her derrière (as seen below). Leave it to Rousteing to find a new, creative way to show off skin.

Fashion Stylist Lexyrose Boiardo Is Looking For Interns To Start Immediately (NYC)

Fashion Stylist Lexyrose Boiardo Is Looking For Interns To Start Immediately (NYC):

Photographed by Michael Donovan, Styled by Lexyrose Boiardo
Photographed by Michael Donovan, Styled by Lexyrose Boiardo
Fashion stylist Lexyrose Boiardo, is looking for three new interns to join our team ASAP. We are looking for a graphic design intern, digital media intern, and a styling intern. Full time is preferred if possible, however, we’re open to part-time candidates! Qualified candidates must have a sincere desire to learn the ropes of styling and a passion for creating beautiful imagery and outfits (from the beginning of the process to the final outcome).These candidates must be interested in fashion, public relations and must be highly detail oriented, organized, positive, and hard working. The environment is fast-paced and position is very hands on. For the right person this will be a great learning experience.

Qualifications:

  • Candidates must be in school or recently graduated
  • Writing skills and computer literacy are imperative (MAC users is a plus)
  • Knowledge of NYC is very helpful
  • Interest in the fashion industry
  • Your major does not have to be Fashion- but should be relevant to the aforementioned duties (i.e. Marketing/PR, Communications, General Business, Graphic Design)
  • Photoshop/InDesign/Excel is a plus
  • Positive energy
  • Eager to learn
Responsibilities

  • Assist in the preparation of shoots and actual date of shoot
  • Assist with press outreach
  • Research PR contacts and clothing/accessory/jewelry contacts
  • Keeping track of samples
  • Returning samples
  • Updating address book
  • Organizing and maintaining closet as well as keeping track of all borrowed samples
  • Organizing and maintaining inspiration images as well as stylists images
  • Scheduling
  • Update and maintain media databases
  • Assist with clothing pulls for fashion shoots
  • Work on mood boards and help come up with concepts for shoots
Only serious candidates please apply.

This internship is located in Manhattan.

This is an unpaid internship that can be used for experience or school credit.

Please send an email to Careers.lexyrosestyling@gmail.com with the header INTERNSHIP 2015 including the following:

  • Cover letter
  • Resumé
  • Your start date, and days available
Those who are not in school are candidates to becoming a full time paid assistant if the work, dedication, and passion is shown.

Brooklyn Beckham, Model on the Rise, Stars in a Music Video for The Vamps

Brooklyn Beckham, Model on the Rise, Stars in a Music Video for The Vamps:

Having appeared on the covers of both Miss Vogue and Rollacoaster and shot a campaign for the Polish clothing brand Reserved, 16-year-old British pop culture scion Brooklyn Beckham has now hit a milestone familiar to all up-and-coming models and people-about-places. He's in a music video.

The single at hand is "Wake Up" by The Vamps, a boy band comprising four British guys who are roughly the same age as the One Direction lads and have roughly the same sound, but are not One Direction. Beckham runs around with the band, shooting V-shaped pyrotechnics into the sky and helping them put on a heart-pounding show atop a satellite (?) tower. Other youths spray paint the band's logo around the city. So essentially Beckham is playing a glorified street teamer, or an unpaid intern. However, he looks very cute.

Check out the full video below. But be warned, the song itself is just a chorus set in the key of EPIC and played on a loop.

Meet the Saint Laurent 'Grunge Tiara' that Debuted on the Spring Runway

Meet the Saint Laurent 'Grunge Tiara' that Debuted on the Spring Runway:

Agyness Deyn (!) for Saint Laurent. Photo: Hedi Slimane
Agyness Deyn (!) for Saint Laurent. Photo: Hedi Slimane
Instead of live-streaming its spring 2016 runway show on Monday evening in Paris, Saint Laurent apparently decided to live-tweet it instead, posting real-time information about the looks and accessories that made up the typically grunge-inspired collection. Hedi Slimane seemed to be all about the punk rock prom queen this season — perhaps one who went to Glastonbury on her summer holiday, since wellies made up the majority of the show's footwear and were paired with everything from sequined slips and short denim overalls to plush furs and leather jackets.

But the piece that really caught our attention — and that we think might immediately set off a chain reaction of copycats — is what Saint Laurent is calling a "grunge tiara." According to the brand's Twitter, it's meant to be "worn with everything," which is fitting, considering that the sparkly headgear accented nearly every look in the collection, save for the silk evening dresses in the finale. Models like Agyness Deyn (who made a very rare runway appearance), Staz Lindes and Ruth Bell may have mean-mugged as they walked, but how tough can you possibly look while wearing a glittering tiara?

This is not the first time Slimane has toyed with the crown idea: Courtney Love wore a version in a Saint Laurent campaign in 2013, and his runway headgear has launched dozens of copycats before, namely the witchy hats he showed for spring 2013. So, if you've long dreamed of living out your Disney Princess fantasies, Saint Laurent has your back for spring.

The original grunge queen, Courtney Love.
The original grunge queen, Courtney Love.

Saint Laurent's Grungy Spring 2016 Collection Gave the High Street Plenty to Copy

Saint Laurent's Grungy Spring 2016 Collection Gave the High Street Plenty to Copy:

A look from Saint Laurent's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
A look from Saint Laurent's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Hunter's runway endeavors in London haven't done much to elevate the Wellington boot, but perhaps Hedi Slimane can. At Saint Laurent's spring 2016 show in Paris on Monday night, the LA-based designer brought Glastonbury to the runway, spinning a song composed by John Dwyer just for the occasion and pairing almost every look with bedazzled and embroidered wellies, as well as toy tiaras — replicas of which are surely already in production over at Zara and Forever21 headquarters.

But what was perhaps most remarkable about the show was how everyday some of the clothes were: Slimane showed a white cotton camisole with low-rise blue jeans, black wellies and a trench coat, and the same ensemble with a quilted biker jacket instead. There was a pair of blue denim short overalls with a white tank and soft embroidered jacket, too, which drew to mind clothes we're used to seeing on a grocery run, not a runway. But perhaps this was Slimane's way of acknowledging how his customer wears his beloved jackets; or perhaps, just as he's done time and again with couture, he was subverting all our expectations about what should appear on the runway of a ready-to-wear show.

Between the more casual fare, there were silky, glittery and lacy little slips of dresses, plenty of slim suiting, and lots and lots of outerwear, ranging from trench coats in classic canvas and black leather; biker jackets in leather that was alternatively shruken, enlarged, studded or distressed; chubby furs; and still more jackets in oversized and patchworked denim, camo, leopard print, and black and gold sequins. Saint Laurent is a big — if selective — red carpet player these days, and though Slimane often dresses the house's favorite celebrities in evening suits, they'll also have lovely patchworked silk slip dresses in black and rosy golds to choose from, and another striking floor-length number with a high center-slit in grey.

As usual, Pierre Bergé, Catherine Deneuve and Betty Catroux sat front row, and on the runway Agyness Deyn (whose hair is long and brown these days) made a rare appearance. It was an awfully good way to spend a Monday night in Paris.

Homepage photo: Imaxtree

Hermès Does the Ultimate in Casual Luxury for 2016 Spring

Hermès Does the Ultimate in Casual Luxury for Spring 2016:

A look from Hermès's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
A look from Hermès's spring 2016 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski made her debut as the artistic director at Hermès for fall 2015, and in her first spring range for the French heritage brand, she showed a collection that took classic cues from the house — silk scarf-inspired dresses, thoughtfully tailored leather separates and rich-looking neutral tones — while adding modern, casual touches. Many looks were paired with athletic trainers in matching shades; oversized geode-like stones were turned into necklaces, belt buckles, cuffs and brooches; a simple plaid silk was fashioned into feminine rompers, loose trousers and shirt dresses that are both youthful and sophisticated; and striping and color blocking with vibrant pops of red and royal blue packed a punch.

For shoppers who are looking for more than just chic things to wear on their off-duty days, there was no shortage of tailored suiting, dresses and outerwear, too. But it was the pieces with shorter hemlines in easy fabrics that caught our attention for their fresh, girlie vibe. Enlarge the gallery below to see every look from the Hermès spring 2016 show.

Giambattista Valli Shows Glamorous Hippies for Spring 2016

Giambattista Valli Shows Glamorous Hippies for Spring 2016:

Whoa. Photo: Imaxtree
Whoa. Photo: Imaxtree
Giambattista Valli is not one of those designers who seeks to reinvent the wheel or change the fashion conversation each season. Rather, he aims to create pretty, feminine clothes with the smart use of color, florals and embellishment. And that's exactly what he did for spring 2016.

There was a glamorous, '70s hippie feel to the collection, seen not only in the knee-high gladiator sandals he styled with every single look but also in colorful daisy prints, minidresses with high, embellished necklines, and gowns with billowing ruffles and very low necklines — one worn particularly well by Gigi Hadid, who closed the show. She, and the rest of the models with hair that allowed for it, wore their locks long and wavy, with a center part.

On the more sophisticated end of things were a number of sweet miniskirt and jacket combos. There were also, of course, a few iterations of Valli's favored dresses-over-pants — a look that we're almost as tired of seeing as gladiator sandals and ruffles. At least the latter trends are ones that women will likely still want to wear come spring. (Dresses over pants can be a hard sell, and difficult to pull off.) Still, there was a wave-like motif down the center of sleeveless tops that felt inventive and sexy in a modern way. The same can be said about a shoulder-bearing dress with a sparkly choker neckline. Let's hope for more of that newness next season.

See Every Look from Chanel's Airport-Themed Spring 2016 Show

See Every Look from Chanel's Airport-Themed Spring 2016 Show:

Photo: Imaxtree
Photo: Imaxtree
We doubt Karl Lagerfeld has flown commercial anytime in the last few decades — or that he finds airport fashion particularly chic, as a man who's publicly announced his hatred of sweatpants — but he took his guests to the "Chanel Airlines" terminal (complete with a ticketing booth and rows of attached chairs at the gate) for the French label's spring 2016 show in Paris Tuesday morning. Lagerfeld has run with an aviation theme before — specifically for his cruise 2008 show which featured branded jumbo jets and took place at a hangar Santa Monica, and his spring 2012 couture show, which was staged inside a fancy, makeshift plane.

This time, the Chanel girls were clearly off to a myriad of destinations: Some were decked out in full tweed dresses and separates ideal for a business trip; some donned the Chanel version of sweats, which were essentially colorful knits and loose silk pieces in clashing patterns; some wore a vivid floral motif that looked ideal for a warm-weather getaway; plenty donned updated, modern denim in interesting silhouettes, while others — in true Chanel fashion — opted for the most wild, heavily adorned gowns they could find. Although, in the real world, we aren't sure the latter would make it through the security checkpoint without alarm.

Because this was a Chanel show, after all, Lagerfeld had only the most handsome baggage handlers, like Baptiste Giabiconi and Brad Kroening. Now this is an airline we'd like to fly, stat.

Photo: Imaxtree
Photo: Imaxtree
Our full review will be posted shortly, but you can see every look from Chanel's spring 2016 show in the gallery below.

What It's Like To Be Married To A Mega-Popular Beauty Vlogger

What It's Like To Be Married To A Mega-Popular Beauty Vlogger:

Desi and Steven Perkins at the Generation Beauty conference in NYC. Photo: Cheryl Wischhover's iPhone/Fashionista
Desi and Steven Perkins at the Generation Beauty conference in NYC. Photo: Cheryl Wischhover's iPhone/Fashionista
While mainstream, traditional beauty institutions such as Allure and its recently-released "Best of Beauty" list still matter, the real influencers these days are the young women who toil away on YouTube making videos that demystify contouring and provide the frank truth about which beauty products suck. Desi Perkins, a former freelance makeup artist, is one such vlogger.

Perkins currently has 1.4 million YouTube subscribers. Her most popular video, an eyebrow tutorial, has almost 9 million views. Prior to starting a YouTube channel, though, she posted makeup pictures on Instagram, where she gained a following quickly. She currently has 1.9 million followers on the channel. (To put this into perspective, OG internet makeup guru Michelle Phan has 2 million followers; makeup artist Pat McGrath has 501,000.)

 I caught up with Perkins this past weekend in New York City at Ipsy's "Generation Beauty" event, where she acted as one of the brand's so-called "stylists." (Ipsy is the subscription beauty sampling service founded by Phan a few years ago. More on what she's up to later this week.) Perkins was greeting fans at the event with her husband Steven in tow.

As is the case for personal style bloggers, successful beauty vloggers often have supportive significant others who work on their behalf behind the scenes.  The Perkins have been married for three years, and Steven shot videos and photographed Desi for a year before she landed the Ipsy gig, which comes with the perks of a studio and a dedicated cameraman. He obviously adores her and is completely dedicated, as this video of him putting makeup on her attests. I sat down with the two of them to find out what it's like to be married to someone who regularly has young women running up to them squealing in excitement, which I saw play out several times at Generation Beauty.

Steven, did you know much about beauty before you started filming Desi?

Steven: Desi’s always been into makeup. We’d always do runs to the MAC.store or Sephora. I ran my own graphic design business and Desi was in school at the time. I’d work all day and Desi would stay home and do her makeup when she wasn’t at school, and she’d be taking photos for Instagram, like close-ups of her eye makeup. I’d take photos of her when I’d get home from work. I’ve always had cameras around and I’ve always been good on Photoshop and graphic design programs. I was always the technical side of things and Desi was the creative. I still run a graphic design business, but it’s probably 20 percent graphic design now and 80 percent with Desi just because it’s really taken off and it’s really beneficial for both of us.

What’s it like living in a house full of beauty products?

Steven: I’m used to it. We just moved to a bigger house. When we were in a smaller two-bedroom house we would get boxes of beauty from every company. The UPS man basically knew us.

I know you show up on videos and her followers know you. Is it weird to you to be known?

Steven: It’s something you have to get used to. I never knew that it would be this big. We walk around and get mobbed by hundreds of people.

Desi: It's weird when he goes to places by himself and he comes home and he says people ask to take pictures of him.

Steven: Yeah, I was in New York city for the first time about three months ago. I was walking around for my other job — I was at a convention — and people were coming up to me and recognizing me as 'Desi Makeup’s' husband. And she wasn’t even with me. It was a very weird realization, like Wow, I’m across the country and she’s in California and people are recognizing me.

Desi: There was also a time where he lost his ID once, and someone reached out to me on social media. They had found it at a bar and they left me a comment. So I called him and I said, 'Hey where’s your driver's license?' And he said, 'How did you know I lost it?'  He went back and they gave it to him.

Steven: Luckily I had a different address on my ID!

Steven, you’ve done her makeup on video.  How did you learn?

Steven: When we first started I would film Desi doing her makeup. I’d watch her do her hour or hour and a half makeup routine and I was picking it up. I’m a very visual learner.

Have you done makeup on yourself?

Desi: I told him I probably wouldn't put him through that, but we’ll see!

What is the hardest technique?

Steven: The eyeliner is definitely hardest. She gets the perfect point on her eyeliner and that’s one thing that I don’t think I could ever achieve.

I will say one of the best benefits of having Desi as a wife is when it comes to Halloween because I don’t have to worry about a costume. All I have to do is sit in a chair and she’ll put something on my face. Last year we did a scarecrow. She's done a skull and I did a zipper face one year — that was one of the most amazing.

Desi: That was one of the first things I ever did and I did it in 15 minutes because we were running late. It ended up one of my most-liked makeup [pictures].

Have you ever had a disconcerting experience where fans get too personal or you get unwanted attention from guys?

Steven: Her demographic is 97% female, so we don’t really run into the creepy guys.

Desi: Snapchat sends the occasional [dick pic] but he blocks them, so we’re good. And somebody did Snapchat the outside of my house once and I got really freaked out. Also, I accidentally once Snapchatted my GPS when I was in my car, but it was actually my old address, and I had just moved. I was so thankful because in two seconds everyone was like, “Oh, you just leaked your address.” You have to be so careful with things like that.

Steven: And there was one time where we tweeted we were going to go to a restaurant. Then we showed up and there were three people waiting for us at the restaurant.

Desi: But we didn't say which restaurant, like where or what city. Nothing.

Steven: We asked them, "How did you know we were coming to this one?" And they were like, "Oh, we’ve seen Steven at the grocery store around the corner." Things like that get a little weird sometimes.

Kanye West Explains Why Fashion is the Highest Art Form Right Now

Kanye West Explains Why Fashion is the Highest Art Form Right Now:

West at Vogue Paris's 95th anniversary party. Photo: Victor Boyko/Getty Images
West at Vogue Paris's 95th anniversary party. Photo: Victor Boyko/Getty Images
While Tuesday morning brought us Paris Fashion Week's most hotly anticipated show, Chanel, it also delivered to us an interview with one of New York's buzziest designers. I'm talking, of course, about Kanye West, who joined the SHOWStudio team for a live-streamed discussion to answer questions from fans — both non-famous and big-name, like Anna Wintour and Carine Roitfeld.

As would be reasonable coming from anyone, West expressed both a great deal of admiration for the fashion industry and frustration with it. The latter stems from a number of places: the fact that people in the fashion world haven't taken him seriously as a designer because he's a celebrity, the assumption that he can't make clothes because he's a musician and the fact that it's a much harder road to make it in the business as a black man. West recalled an instance in which a stylist came up to him and Virgil Abloh, his creative director and the designer of the label Off-White, and made a comment about how Abloh was coming up to take his spot in fashion.

"Oh," West said to SHOWStudio's Lou Stoppard. "The one spot at the dinner table for the black guy?"

Still, West said, if you're born black and make it to the Met Ball or the Grammys, the odds are you've done 10 times as much as everyone else in order to get there.

But while West feels the industry hasn't yet acknowledged him fully as a designer, he had a lot of good to say about fashion. In fact, he considers it to be the highest art form at the moment — despite the fact that he thinks people in the fine art world look down on fashion designers.

Catch the full interview, below.

Rihanna Tells 'Vanity Fair' She's Over the Naked Dressing Trend

Rihanna Tells 'Vanity Fair' She's Over the Naked Dressing Trend:

Photo: Annie Leibovitz for 'Vanity Fair'
Photo: Annie Leibovitz for 'Vanity Fair'
Vanity Fair presented its November 2015 cover, starring Rihanna in a Valentino couture jumpsuit, on Tuesday. And while her Havana, Cuba-based photo shoot by Annie Leibovitz shows the songstress bare-bottomed on a bed wearing nothing but Manolo Blahnik leopard-print mules, Riri told contributing editor Lisa Robinson that she’s done with dressing next-to-naked for her public appearances.

One of the more memorable of said appearances includes the 2014 CFDA Awards. Dressed in a custom, crystal-embellished gown by American designer Adam Selman, Rihanna bared it all — breasts and bum included — save for a fur stole and nude thong as she accepted her Fashion Icon award from Anna Wintour. “I wanted to wear something that looked like it was floating on me,” she told Robinson. “But after that, I thought, O.K., we can’t do this again for a while. No nipples, no sexy shit, or it’s going to be like a gimmick. That night [at the CFDA awards] was like a last hurrah; I decided to take a little break from that and wear clothes.” So far, she's making good on that statement: she recently out-dressed everyone at the Dior show during Paris Fashion Week in a regal cape coat.

Speaking of clothes, Rihanna — who now has a home in both downtown New York and Los Angeles — said part of the criteria for her West Coast pad was that it had to have "enough bedrooms to turn into closets for her ever expanding wardrobe." (Must be nice.) As a mega-successful pop star, the face of Dior, a creative director at Puma and a regular on Vanity Fair’s annual best dressed list, we’re certain Rihanna’s wardrobe will need plenty of room — especially for that 55-pound dress by Guo Pei she wore to this year’s Met Gala.

Click on over to Vanity Fair’s website to read the full story and see the photo shoot styled by fashion and style director Jessica Diehl.

Luxury Brand, BreeLayne, Is Hiring A Sales Manager In Los Angeles

Luxury Brand, BreeLayne, Is Hiring A Sales Manager In Los Angeles:

Image from BreeLayne
Image from BreeLayne
Sustainable, luxury brand, BreeLayne, is looking for the ideal sales candidate to join their corporate headquarters in Los Angeles, California. The ideal candidate will understand how to maximize sales with retail partners, create and leverage business development opportunities throughout all international markets.

The candidate will launch the BreeLayne brand from inception by opening retail doors and identifying potential Distribution partners. He/She must bring excellent organizational skills with the ability to understand the needs of the retail partners and develop appropriate strategies that meet those needs.

The ideal candidate will bring a balanced combination of leadership skills, emotional literacy and business acumen. A strong understanding of different cultures and lifestyles is required.

The successful candidate must bring the seniority and the gravitas required for dealing with a VP, GMM and DMM level people in existing accounts and prospective accounts &/or future distribution partners.

The candidate must be a successful sales leader who knows what works and is strong at formulating strategy. He/She must be an “idea” generator, stimulator, seller, team builder and manager.

Candidate must have developed and executed strategies in previous roles. The candidate needs to know the brand message and the needs of retail partners.

Responsibilities Include

Strategy:

  • Develop clear strategy for the business in each market.
  • Develop the distribution strategy to meet the brand’s sales plan.
  • Implement a distribution strategy focused on achieving and maintaining the highest levels of brand recognition.
  • Deliver annual sales and gross margin targets and be fully responsible for the International Sales Department Budget.
  • The candidates will report weekly sell-throughs to upper management of BreeLayne.
Management:

  • Manage all US and International markets.
  • Successfully partner with the company’s team: (Design, Merchandising, Production, Finance, PR/Marketing, Accounting…)
Relationship Management:

  • Partner with wholesale customers to consistently implement strategy and drive full-price sell throughs.
  • Develop and maintain relationships with all wholesale accounts and Distribution partners and ensure that the team can be responsive to the account’s needs while maximizing sales.
  • Provide merchandising feedback and communicate market specific needs in order to ensure the product offering is in line with market requirements.

Desired Skills and Experience:

  • Ability to travel (on an as needed basis).
  • Broad understanding of national and international sales and wholesale business model.
  • Ability to work in a fast paced environment and adjust to ever-changing needs that may arise.
  • Strategic thinker.
  • ***MUST have at least 5 experience as a LUXURY wholesale representative
To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter to careers@BreeLayne.com.

About BreeLayne:

BreeLayne combines leather and luxury recycled fabrics with an exacting focus on detail in its debut collection of limited-edition pieces. BreeLayne embodies undeniable charisma, wisdom and inner confidence reflected through bold, yet pliable fabrics to flatter every body type. Our vision prizes quality above quantity and a level of thoughtfulness as every item purchased will, in turn, have a tree planted.

See Every Look from Valentino's Spring 2016 Runway

See Every Look from Valentino's Spring 2016 Runway:

A look from Valentino's spring 2016 runway. Photo: Imaxtree
A look from Valentino's spring 2016 runway. Photo: Imaxtree
Our full review will be posted shortly, but you can see every look from Valentino's African-inspired spring 2016 show in the gallery below.

Homepage Photo: Imaxtree