Luxist

The Fashion Statement: The Obama Effect

Kristin Young — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

Michelle Obama seems to be single-handedly thrusting unknown designers into the fashion stratosphere. First, there was Jason Wu who, before the now infamous Inaugural Gown, was known only in fashion circles.

Sophie Théallet is the latest no-name to get noticed arguably from being a favorite of today's jackpot when it comes to celebrity endorsements, the First Lady. Earlier this week the French-born designer, who specializes in boho-luxe designs (read: very expensive and pretty hippie-like dresses), won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund which gives $200,000 to deserving upstart designers. While the honor is voted upon by members of the CFDA, it certainly didn't hurt that only months before, Michelle Obama wore Théallet's dresses to a number of events including Senator Edward Kennedy's funeral.

So who is Sophie Théallet? Turns out, she's one of those behind-the-scenes stars of the design world. According to her bio, she was tapped by Parisian department store Le Printemps to design her own collection right out of design school. After that, she paid her dues as an assistant designer to Jean-Paul Gaultier and Azzedine Alaïa where she was dubbed his right hand woman.

Three years ago, she moved to New York and started freelancing for various fashion brands. In 2005, she launched resort line Motu Tane with beauty guru Francois Nars.

Gallery: Sophie Theallet Fashion Statement

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The Fashion Statement: Top 5 Looks for Holiday Dressing

Kristin Young — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

The packed social calendar around the holidays can confound even the most organized shopper. Dress codes can range from casual low-key family gatherings to business attire for company parties and all-out black-tie New Year's Eve soirees. It's enough to make the most seasoned glamazon reach for a glass of Veuve Cliquot. The bleak economy notwithstanding (or precisely because our spirits desperately need lifting), fashion designers have given us plenty of ways to ring in the new decade. Here are five hot looks for the holidays.

DRAPING: Draping has come a long way from the time of Madam Gres, the haute couturier who introduced the Grecian gown to French society in the 1930s. Today's pleats range from subtle to on-steroids. Donna Karan placed so many pleats in one of her evening gowns, it drenched the model liquid metal. Balenciaga's draped skirts have a strength and structure that bring to mind the Statue of Liberty. And Los Angeles designer Juan Carlos Obando's draped white gown is pure Hollywood screen siren.

ORIGAMI: The Japanese art of paper folding begins with a square that folds and creases into geometric patterns. In fashion, pleats and folds create texture on everything from bodices on Donna Karan gowns to stiff structure at the necklines on an emerald cocktail number by RM Rouland Mouret and kick up the waist of a Christian Dior frock. The look is sculptural and artistic.

WHITE: Perhaps inspired by Michelle Obama's wedding-white inauguration gown by Jason Wu, white gowns are everywhere for the holidays. Polo Ralph Lauren offered a one-shoulder white silk bombshell and ingeniously uses a boyfriend's blazer to tone down the white sugary froth of ruffles and frills (pictured above). Givenchy went a little bit Halston with a jersey gown tied at the waist.

VELVET: This was the year velvet came out of mothballs. As I reported earlier this year, Gianfranco Ferre, Lanvin and Elie Saab blew fashion watchers away with their long, black velvet gowns with structured cap sleeves a la the '40s. And Aquilano.Rimondi came out with a bright red velvet belted cocoon coat that Neiman Marcus The Christmas Book calls the stuff of fairy tales.

SHINE ON: Whether it's jeweled-colored beads on embroidery at Marchesa or a gold metallic Grecian dress at Tadashi Soji, shine always works for the holidays. If you don't want to go head-to-toe, do an accent or two. Gunmetal and copper sequined skirts and leggings will have you giving the Christmas tree a run for its money.

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The Fashion Statement: Top 5 Looks for Holiday Dressing originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: Cruise into 2010

Kristin Young — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST

There was once a time when the resort/cruise collections were made for the rarefied woman who could afford to escape the winter by heading to the tropics (she needed swimwear and a caftan, did she not?). Not anymore. While still a David to the Goliath fall and spring collections, resort is catching the attention of more and more people.

Like air travel and cell phones, is resort bound for the masses?

Collections are just now beginning to hit stores and, for a season that's ostensibly all about lounging around on the beach or the deck of a boat, there's a lot of fashion news to digest: optical motifs, exotic locales like Marrakesh, sheer, leathers for day, aquatic, scuba, old-world charm, draping and, of course, nautical.

The media is doing their part. Fashion magazines are pointing out 'It items' like the floral ribbon-laced sandal from Prada, a bright green croc tote from Roberto Cavalli and pretty much everything in Chanel's stunning parade of black and white caftans and graphics (above).

Fashion insiders have long contended resort/cruise is either an evolution of fall or a preview of spring. That's not necessarily the case today, says style and beauty expert Mary Alice Stephenson. Stephenson explained to me this week that fashion has become like fast food and designers are compelled to feed the hungry. In other words, a resort collection must stand on its own.

"People want whatever's new," she says. "And designers like to keep customers surprised with their unique point of view. Shoppers are putting more thought into their splurges. So designers have to seduce the buyer with making the pieces usable in every aspect of their lives."

Others tell me resort/cruise is the one time designers get to cut loose and get creative. Saleability is less of an issue for a season that lasts, at most, two months. Of course, some designers go overboard. Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa caught hell from my former employer Women's Wear Daily for his lineup of transparent dresses: "A long-standing argument against such [formal runway] presentations for resort is that inevitably some designers will crossover to the too-editorial side." Too-editorial means that those dress will have nothing whatsoever with how you and I dress in reality.

Still, as buyers we are demanding uniqueness, a slice of our favorite label. We want pieces to seamlessly integrate into our wardrobes. We want reality. And we want season-less items to wear far into next year.

We want it all, don't we?

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The Fashion Statement: In Goth We Trust

Kristin Young — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

I was at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul, Turkey, last week soaking it all in. This was the site where the sultans displayed decapitated heads on stakes to discourage bad behavior among their subjects. Probably the most famous of these heads was Dracula's (Vlad, the Impaler) which had been preserved in honey. Not a bad piece of ghoulish history to come across to get in the spirit of Halloween.

Probably the closest thing you can get to horror in the fashion world is goth. At its worst, goth is all about death, rot and decay. At its best, goth is erotic even a romantic period style of dress. Typically, goth is all about dark colors-blacked out eyes, whitened skin, black hair and a plethora of body piercings.

Most people think goth fashion came out the post punk scene that rose up out of the United Kingdom in the '80s. In fact, goth origins are ancient and appears to be the result of a combination of influences from random events that occurred over the centuries.

One of the best books I've ever come across on the subject is Gothic: Dark Glamour by Valerie Steele. The stunning coffee table book, first published a year ago, traces goth from its Eastern Germanic tribal roots to modern-day black-clad teenagers and sexually-charged vampire fiction.

Steele, chief curator at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, takes the magnifying glass to haute goth as seen through the eyes of designers John Galliano, Rick Owens and Alexander McQueen. It's a fascinating, visual journey through the aesthetics of the macabre.

Some of you might recall, the original Goths were warmongers who tried to take down the Roman Empire in Istanbul, thousands of years before Dracula lost his head to the sultans. I find it particularly interesting that today's goths have nominated Dracula as their token villain. At least at Topkapi Palace, there's a connection. A column commemorates the Roman victory over the Goths.

In fashion, goth is still one of the most effective ways to communicate rebellion and subculture. It's shocking. Unsettling. The fashion equivalent of a good scare on Halloween. Just the kind of buttons, designers like to push. Take London designer Gareth Pugh's spring 2010 collection, pictured above.

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The Fashion Statement: The Little Black Dress

Kristin Young — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

"Fashion fades, only style remains the same." That's probably one of my favorite quotes from Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel.

So this post is in honor of the designer, the inspiration of Coco Before Chanel (Audrey Tatou pictured above) and a timeless and ageless look she pioneered--the little black dress, or LBD.

I'm particularly struck by the LBD because, as I write this post, I am vacationing in Istanbul, Turkey. All around me, women are wearing black dresses for a variety of reasons. Some are wearing traditional Muslim dress, head-to-toe black, with black veils. European women are wearing knee-grazing black dresses with high heels for an out-on-the-town look. And the ancient city's Christian roots portray nuns in black habits (strikingly similar to how some Muslim women dress today).

With so many cultural influences coming from all directions how, then, did the LBD become a staple of a woman's wardrobe in the U.S.? In Western countries the little black dress has its origins in death. At the beginning and middle of the 20th century, women wore black dresses to mourn the loss of a husband, a son or a brother... sometimes for several years at a time. Chanel, ever the independent woman to challenge what women could and could not wear, put on trousers, wore sailor blouses and proclaimed this dour look chic in 1926 when one of her short black dresses was published in Vogue. Later, particularly during WWI and WWII when women seemed to be wearing little black dresses on a regular basis, the eye had adapted and the LBD, however controversial, caught on.

Today, of course, the LBD is a classic akin to the trench coat, the pea coat and the perfect white shirt--a flexible garment that can be dressed up and dressed down. Lanvin, Jil Sander and Donna Karan have wonderful versions of the LBD gearing up to make their rounds during this year's holiday party circuit.

But it is worth remembering that Coco--said to have been a pre-feminist, a woman who liberated women from corsets, frilly gowns and gave them hands-free shoulder bags--was determined to live her life independently from men, financially or otherwise. To love men, but not to rely on them, is a noble aspiration to this day. If the LBD is not a direct statement on women and their independence, it is representative of a questioning and rebellious spirit that is always the hallmark of style.

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The Fashion Statement: The Little Black Dress originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: Who are the Greenest Designers?

Kristin Young — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Green. Sustainable. Recyclable. Not exactly the first words you use to describe luxury fashion, right? At the same time, numerous clothing companies have been founded on the principal of being eco-friendly.

I'll admit, the skeptic in me began to worry when giant brands like Guess, Inc. started producing lines purporting to be green. Green's big business and it made for great advertising and public relations. But how can you tell whether a line that claims to be green is really green?

I posed the question to Emma Grady, a contributing fashion writer at TreeHugger.com (a division of the Discovery Channel) who helps sort this out for consumers. "We do this by asking lots of questions to understand a garment's life cycle," she says. "Where are the fabrics sourced? How are they produced? How far does the product travel (shipping is a major source of pollution)? Is the cotton grown in Africa, weaved in India, then shipped to a store in California? What dyes are used in the process?"

Grady and her team at TreeHugger.com a number of designers' sustainable practices are the real deal. It's worth listing a few of them here. Not surprising, Stella McCartney is one. McCartney is well-known vegan and has long produced pleather shoes, belts and handbags to avoid the environmentally taxing tanning process.

Linda Loudermilk, a designer from Los Angeles, is another to watch. I interviewed Loudermilk a few years ago and she told me she spends countless hours researching and developing textiles that are not only made from certified eco-conscious materials, but suited for high design. I found this particularly impressive because the fashion design process is already grueling. And, no doubt, these steps added a lot of expense to production costs.

EDUN, founded in 2005 by Ali Hewson and Bono, promotes sustainable employment in developing countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, reads its mission statement. The line's primary focus is trade but it's also working to use more organic materials in the collection.

Even small things like recycling zippers and buttons can make a big difference, says Grady. Props to Yves Saint Laurent for earlier this year unveiling an eco-friendly capsule collection called "New Vintage." The idea was to create classic YSL styles using fabrics from past collections.

If designers can't be innovative, who can?

The Fashion Statement: Who are the Greenest Designers? originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: Paris Celebrates Halloween Early?

Kristin Young — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Far be it from me to criticize designers when they get creative, try something new or push the envelope. That's fashion.

But, is it me, or are designers presenting collections in Paris this week getting downright costume-y? More than a few of them have gone from subtle references in their collections to frighteningly literal representations of sea creatures, Roman gladiators or whatever else inspires them.

Take Louis Vuitton's show yesterday. Marc Jacobs used giant Afro wigs-the kind you'd pick up on the Halloween aisle-in his presentation. Disappointingly, the Afros were the only things unifying the collection comprised of everything but the kitchen sink (Davy Crockett fur, American Indian accessories, military looks, hippie, club kid, etc.).

Alexander McQueen called his show Plato's Atlantis. With hair sculpted into reptilian fins, models walked by in oversize platformed shoes that looked like heads-scary in more ways than one (you could probably break an ankle in those things). Reptilian patterns, scales and otherworldly silhouettes brought home the idea that we all came from ancient creatures of the deep.

It was a chainsaw massacre at Viktor & Rolf. Paying homage to the economy, the duo took a chainsaw to tulle gowns, cocktail gowns and jackets. To be fair, you expect this sort of thing from these fashion pranksters. These guys have been poking fun at the industry for years (and laughing all the way to the bank).

Gallery: The Fashion Statement 10/08/09

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The Fashion Statement: For Sex or Abstinence?

Kristin Young — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Designers are in the midst of a heated argument at Milan fashion week-whether one should dress for sex or dress for abstinence in a global recession. Seems a fitting debate in a country where the famously womanizing Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Pope Benedict XVI are its two most powerful leaders

On the celibate team sits Miuccia Prada, who practices restraint on a regular basis (well, by Italian standards). She further reigned in her collection (well, by Prada standards) to include charcoal knee-length walking shorts, Fifties-style swimwear and demure day dresses. The ever quirky Marni showed knee-length shorts and paired them with thick-strapped shoes with thick soles worn with beige ankle socks (I can hear my boyfriend's protests now). Roberto Cavalli went AWOL from his I'm-too-sexy position in the marketplace, putting out modest peasant dresses with hems stopping mid-calf.

Then again, sex sells. Versace stayed true to form. Sex, sex and more sex with Donatella's brand of cigarettes afterward, thank you. Slits cut up to there. Necklines cut down to there. Cut-outs revealing erogenous zones. Towering stilettos. Short, short, short. (Definitely more my boyfriend's speed, I'm guessing.)

Gallery: The Fashion Statement, 10/01/09

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The Fashion Statement: Are OTKs a TKO?

Kristin Young — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

What are OTKs, you ask? Over-the-knee boots. And if you follow fashion even a little, you know that OTKs, or thigh high boots, are having a moment.

This is no small trend. Shop for OTKs online and not just designer shoe companies pop up (Christian Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Sigerson Morrison, Stuart Weitzman and Sergio Rossi have some of the best versions). More than 300 brands have gotten in on the action, including denim labels like 7 For All Mankind and Lucky Brand Jeans.

Clearly, designers are ready to cash on what they're betting will be a big, big trend this fall. But this week, I talked wto noted trend expert Tom Julian who's currently flying around the country promoting his book Nordstrom Guide to Men's Style. He's been speaking to random shoppers-both men and women-and all say they will buy items that have a longer lifespan than just one season. Whether or not OTKs fit the bill remains to be seen.

OTKs present another problem, too. Because of their close association with the world's oldest profession, pulling the look off can be downright, ahem, tricky.

Here's how the designers think you should do it: Miuccia Prada paired high-high leather waders with tweed short shorts and heavy sweaters. Hussein Chalayan added garters (pictured above) to his high-heeled versions, then presented them with short dresses and tailored boyfriend jackets. Louis Vuitton balanced his tough-girl versions with nothing but flounce-ruffles, balloon dresses and draped skirts.

At New York fashion week, several trendsetters took their shiny new OTKs out for a spin. Most, like Halle Berry on Jay Leno a few nights ago, chose to pair the boots with a super short dress. It was sexy, but was it chic? What do you think?

Here's my take: As long as you meet head-on the sexiness of an OTK with something NOT sexy, you'll wipe out even the tiniest whiff of stripper. For example, the sexier the dress, the flatter the boot should be. Got a killer pair of OTKs with a stilleto heel? Rock the look with a boxy boyfriend blazer or slouchy sweater. Julian says that when it comes to knitwear, the cardigan is the new layering sweater and works best in luxe fabrics like merino wool and fine gauge cashmere. Works for me.

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The Fashion Statement: Are OTKs a TKO? originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: New York Fashion Week Wraps Up

Kristin Young — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:01:00 EST

How many countless man hours of work goes into New York fashion week? It's particularly impressive that publicists can check in hundreds of people in less than 30 minutes and all the while weed out gate crashers, deal with seat stealers and accommodate divas.

There are certainly more difficult tasks then sitting in the audience. Still, being shuttled through show after show-and trying to retain what you've seen-is exhausting. Today, it all comes to an end.

So what's the best thing about fashion week?

"For me? When it's over!" quipped Fern Mallis, Senior VP IMG Fashion, who organizes Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. "It's such an exciting week. It's like school reunion twice a year."

"Renewal," answered Linda Fargo, Bergdorf Goodman's Senior VP of Fashion.

"People watching for me," said Genlux magazine's creative director Stephen Kamifuji.

And my favorite answer came from André Leon Talley, Editor at Large, at Vogue. "My bed!"

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The Fashion Statement: New York Fashion Week Wraps Up originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: Overalls are Back

Kristin Young — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:04:00 EST

I know. Call me insane, but I've been waiting for this day to come. Overalls have returned.

Ralph Lauren, in his infinite wisdom, has declared this über comfortable piece of clothing fashionable again as evidenced by his Spring show held earlier today.

"I am inspired by the character of the worker, the farmer, the cowboy, the pioneer women of the prairies living authentically through challenging times," he said in his program notes. "I have always admired the honesty of their work wear-the weathered jean, the sturdy overall, the jean jacket, the faded blue work shirt, the naive print of a floral dress."

With the sounds of trains, banjos and Bob Dylan blaring in the background, Lauren sent models out in ripped, stitched and patched RRL denim overalls. One he paired with a metallic pale blue lame blouse and a crystal-encrusted shoe more appropriate for the evening. Another, he topped with an indigo striped jacket. Finally, he created a carpenter pant out of faded blue ombre charmeuse.

The overall certainly fits the baggy, low-crotch pant silhouette of the moment. Genius. Do you agree?

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The Fashion Statement: Slam it in Neutral

Kristin Young — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:03:00 EST

Move aside, paint splats, watercolor prints and all manner of brights. Spring collections like Catherine Malandrino's (pictured above) are also putting it into neutral. Neutrals have traditionally been the stalwart of spring, but these neutrals have, for lack of a better word, umph. There's something urban about them.

Rich khakis are everywhere (Alexander Wang, Vena Cava). Gray matters, particularly darker shades ranging from slate gray to dark charcoal (Narciso Rodriguez, Milly by Michelle Smith). Pale, oh-so-pale-it's-barely-there ice blue looks just perfect right now (Michael Kors, Marc Jacobs). And flesh tones like beige, milky ivory and taupe are so delicate I did a double take because I wasn't sure those models were clothed (Max Azria, Donna Karan).

Of course, there's a method to the madness. Designers are hyper aware that the shopper is going to go for basic pieces that complement what's already in their closet. Neutrals do the trick. And you can always change it up with a colorful bag, scarf or shoe.

Switzerland has nothing on Spring 2010.

Gallery: The Fashion Statement: Neutral Territory

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The Fashion Statement: Orange You Glad...?

Kristin Young — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EST

Who can forget the scene in The Devil Wears Prada in which Miranda (Meryl Streep) lectures Andy (Anne Hathaway) on cerulean blue?

...I think it was Yves St Laurent, wasn't it, who showed cerulean military jackets? Cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. Then it filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic casual corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin.

The rant is memorable no only because it was snarky, but also because it was informative. That's exactly how it happens. Silhouettes and colors take on lives of their own and, before you know it, you have a full-fledged trend.

Halfway through New York fashion week, there's indication orange could be the next cerulean blue, in a manner of speaking (purple and red have been in the limelight recently).

Designers presented several orange "groups" -- three or four looks in one color scheme -- in their collections. Donna Karan's orange gowns and dresses were striking against a mostly pale palette of grays, silver and white. At Carolina Herrera (pictured above), orange gowns and dresses played beautifully off of an array of purple gowns. Carlos Miele showed a killer short cocktail dress with a racer back, one of the highlights of his show.

If that's the color of spring, thank goodness it's flattering. Orange you glad we aren't talking about mustard green?

Gallery: The Fashion Statement: Orange You Glad...?

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The Fashion Statement: Bryant Park Tents, the Spectacle

Kristin Young — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:01:00 EST

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On any given minute of any given day, rain or shine, lookie loos crowd the entrance to the Bryant Park tents during fashion week. Who are they hoping to see? Do they see them? And how much time do they spend hanging out?

Here's what a few said as the Max Azria show let out this afternoon:

"I read my fashion magazines and I find it quite fascinating--the whole excitement around it," said Clare Payn, an investment banker and photographer from London.

"I don't know what's really going on, but it's exciting. I just saw [a pair of] super heels." said Jenni Lanfear, a personal assistant in Australia. "New York fashion week is huge...especially coming from Australia.

"I'm hoping to see Anna Wintour [Editor in Chief of Vogue]," said another Aussie Jimmy Mouzakiotis, buyer for a supermarket chain. Mouzakiotis had already seen The September Issue (which, BTW, is more than I can say).

And, finally, I approached Noreen Young, a makeup artist brandishing a camera. "Wait. Wait. I'm trying to get Linda Wells [Editor in Chief of Allure magazine]." She got her shot as well as that of InStyle's Fashion Director Hal Rubenstein. "He was just kissing somebody," she beamed.

Average hanging-around time, according to my informal poll? 10 minutes.

Great sightings like Mickey Rourke and Lucy Liu were at the show, but publicists make a point of letting celebs know how to slip out the back way.

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The Fashion Statement: Bryant Park Tents, the Spectacle originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: Shop Like Europeans

Kristin Young — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:01:00 EST

At New York fashion week, you have access to throngs of fashion journalists, stylists, celebrity stylists and buyers. I was dying to ask these stylish people how they have navigated shopping in a downturn. Are they shopping? Are they cutting back? Have their buying habits changed?

Yes, yes and yes (except one self-proclaimed shopaholic who said if she allowed herself to buy one thing, she'd fall off the wagon).

Answers like this came back unanimously: "I used to buy cheap and volume and now I buy fewer things that are better quality and I take care of them."

Timeless pieces top people's lists for fall. A midnight wool coat. A pair of black pumps. The perfect white shirt. An LBD, of course. And all are planning to make these purchases from well-established designers.

There's little talk of wear-'em-once pieces like plaid trousers, It handbags or look-at-me shoes. If buying more of a statement piece, like the one pictured above from Tuleh (Spring, 2010), they'll wear it a million different ways. In other words, they're shopping like Europeans, not Americans.

"I'm focusing in on what I need and I need a black dress. " said Jennifer Lee Rosth, a fashion editor based in Austin, Texas. "I've been shopping my closet for two years. I was so glad that I had been an American before because I had 15 black dresses. But, now, I'll be more choosy."

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The Fashion Statement: Shop Like Europeans originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: The Crop of the Season

Kristin Young — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:01:00 EST

There are so many eye-arresting Spring looks marching down the runways this week, it's easy to overlook what's going on up top. But the look that caught our eye shouldn't be getting short shrift. Short hair.

A few models have already succumbed to the shears. Bangs are brushed forward and cut to frame the face. The back is rounded and tapers in at the nape of the neck. Think Peggy Moffitt in the topless Rudi Gernreich bathing suit. Very simple, very '60s mod and very edgy next to the sea of mostly curly, long tresses.

The timing couldn't be better. Look around and note who's wearing short hair. I bet your list is very, ahem, short. It's time for a change and, if fashion week is any predictor of things to come, change is on its way. Besides, most of us are already eschewing other purchases for one great haircut.

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The Fashion Statement: The Crop of the Season originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: Crotch Watching

Kristin Young — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:02:00 EST

To all the harem pants haters out there, I have some bad news for you. It's only halfway through New York fashion week and already one trend is crystal clear. Trouser drop-crotches are continuing their trajectory south with some now hovering around the knees. Crotches have been getting longer for a while now, but some are so low they almost look like skirts.

Yigal Azrouël showed a white pair of pleated dropped-crotch trousers with a very high waist. Ports 1961 widened the waist, then wrapped it back on itself for a draping effect. ADAM showed the look in the form of a khaki suit. Even shorts scattered throughout several collections got in on the action.

Roomy pants are a reaction to the skinny pants that we've all been looking at for years. We couldn't get any skinnier. So there was only way to go. Look at it this way: At least you'll be comfortable.

Gallery: The Fashion Statement, 09/16/09

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The Fashion Statement: What is One Luxury You Won't Give Up?

Kristin Young — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:01:00 EST

Here at the spring shows in Bryant Park, there's a lot of waiting. Waiting in lines to get in. Waiting for shows to start. Waiting to exit.

We decided to put all that waiting to good use and ask fashion show attendees what is the one luxury they won't do without, even in tough times. What came back was answers more varied than the colors of spring, ranging from a BMW to a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

The majority chose little luxuries that had to with their person: manicures and pedicures, hair cuts, hair highlights, makeup and massages.

"Teeth bleaching!" offered Wendy Evankovitch, a pediatric dental assistant. "Chiropractor," said makeup artist Szilvia Varrs.

But there were some random answers, too. Nancy Mammana, who owns Rock Media Entertainment, won't do without dance lessons. Zachary Weiss, an intern for publicist Lizzie Grubman, said it was his needlepoint belt by Tucker Blair he splurged on recently. He was wearing it today.

Sadly, clothing was not the first word rolling off tongues, an indication of how difficult a time the industry has had lately. Accessories have had it a little easier.

Violet Xie, a fashion student, said vintage jewelry is her one shopping allowance because it can pump up a simple ensemble.

"I love handbags," said Jordan Brodsky, a college grad looking for a job in fashion, sporting a bright blue number from Michael Kors. "No matter how much weight you gain, they'll always fit you."

What about you? What is the one luxury you won't give up?

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The Fashion Statement: What is One Luxury You Won't Give Up? originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: Vivienne Tam's Digital Designs

Kristin Young — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 20:03:00 EST

Vivienne Tam is one of the few designers who deigns to go near technology.

Tam unveiled the new design of the HP "Digital Clutch," a small purse-size notebook computer aimed at style conscious women. The machine, which costs about $700, will be available next spring.

Backstage before her show last night, Tam told me the print--a red butterfly on Champagne gold background--was inspired by the famous Chinese opera "Butterfly Lovers." The same print showed up in the designer's spring line which was all about ethereal printed caftans, origami shifts and hippie silhouettes. "It's a symbol of happiness, freedom and optimism," she said. All good.

But here's the thing: The Vivienne Tam notebook computer is pretty much your average HP notebook computer with a pretty design on the lid. Will there ever come a time when fashion designers actually design computers? Are we forever bound to squares and rectangles?

If Tam has anything to do with it, the answer is no. "I would love to learn that!" she said. Hear that, HP?

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The Fashion Statement: Custo Barcelona's Expansion

Kristin Young — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:01:00 EST

Bold, graphic prints are certainly having their day in the sun. Spring 2010 is picking up where fall left off with lines such as BCBG Max Azria and Twinkle showing runny watercolor prints, Jackson Pollock-esque paint splats and all kinds of print mash ups during New York fashion week.

Designer Custo Dalmau of Custo Barcelona (pictured above) seems to be dovetailing nicely with the current look. But, since he started out in the business designing T-shirts in the '80s, he has always been obsessed with vibrant, colorful prints. A sneak peak of his line, slated to be unveiled tomorrow night, is a cocktail of peacock feathers, fringe, a bright lipstick print and a whimsical dressing table print (perfume bottles, mirrors).

"What would we be without prints?" Dalmau tells me. "We'd be jobless. To use color in fashion is kind of taboo. Prints are life. Life is in color."

Custo is also one of the few designers is this economic climate who is moving to a larger venue, rather than downsizing. Some 2,500 RSVPs are logged for tomorrow night's show.

What gives? Dalmau says the company has cut production costs to lower the retail price for customers. Changing the weight of yarn, choosing lighter materials and saving money on finishing the goods has made the difference. We can't independently confirm the private company's financial health but we do know Custo Barcelona is expanding to include childrenswear early next year.

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The Fashion Statement: Custo Barcelona's Expansion originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: A Subdued Fashion Week?

Kristin Young — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:01:00 EST

Day two at New York fashion week and, already, the trends we'll be wearing next spring are starting to emerge. But the recession continues to cast a bigger cloud over Bryant Park than the pouring rain outside.

There are fewer shows-about 10 fewer than in February-because designers have moved to less expensive venues or have chosen not to show at all. Other designers pooled their funds (and models) and showed together on one runway.

"It's not as wild as I thought it was going to be," said Damon Webster, a commercial producer who was at the shows for the first time. "It's fairly tame."

Elizabeth Fisch, an intern at Vogue, said the decor of the lobby looks like it's been toned down and there is less intense promotion by sponsors.

Most surprisingly, though, some attendees insist they've seen fewer celebrities. Russell Simmons, Monet Mazur and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have all been spotted as well as an endless supply of TV reality show stars. But without a parade of A-listers, fashion week is not the media circus it's been in the past.

"There was a big line to get a glimpse of Kid Cudi last night," said Webster. Who's Kid Cudi? "Exactly!" Kid Cudi is a well-known hip-hop artist, but you get the point-not exactly a household name.

Then again celeb gawkers would have been very pleased with Fashion's Night Out (a shopping event) on Thursday night, where bumping into big names (Charlize Theron, Hate Hudson, Gwen Stefani, Victoria Beckham) was about as common as running into freaky dressers at the tents.

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The Fashion Statement: A Subdued Fashion Week? originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: Hoof It

Kristin Young — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Among those of us who've lived through harem pants back in the Eighties, some just can't go there again. We get it.

Thankfully, there's an alternative: jodhpurs. Much like harem pants, crotches on jodhpurs hang low, hips are full and pants are slim from knee to ankle-this is the pant silhouette for fall and is showing up on traditional trousers albeit to a lesser extreme-with the added bonus that you don't hear You Can't Touch This ringing in your head. Instead, enter images of Jackie O.

Belgian husband-and-wife team An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx of A.F. Vandevorst got all horsey on us. Like modern day centaurs, models trotted out in jodhpurs sporting platform boots that looked like hooves. The line includes horse-blanket striped blouses and body jewelry that resembles bridles (see above).

Brit bad boy Alexander McQueen was all about jodhpurs and riding jackets ripped straight from the English countryside in his pre-fall collection. He showed the looks with small top-hats and riding crops which, to the delight of McQueen fans, had a slight S&M effect.

Coming off a Middle Eastern theme last spring, Polo Ralph Lauren went back to its WASP-y, to-the-manor-born roots presenting velvet and tweed jodhpurs topped with proper vests (the label's classic trousers looked like something out of Horse and Hound). Or did it?

Gallery: The Fashion Statement: 09/10/09

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The Fashion Statement: Body Armor

Kristin Young — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 09:00:00 EST

Do away with dainty chains, saccharine hearts and sugary baubles. There's nothing remotely nice about jewelry this fall.

It seems there was only one direction designers were headed coming off of last year's rash of chunky necklaces, body chains and bold cuffs: bigger, bolder and badder. Jewelry resembles body armor and the look is strong enough to stop a speeding bullet.

Italian designer Francesco Scognamiglio took a defensive posture by showing naked models in waist-to-neck body braces peeking out from under military-style coats. Riccardo Tisci for Givenchy presented brass knuckle-like rings and stacks of spiked cuffs that you wouldn't want to contend with in a back alley (shown above). And Alexander McQueen was certainly up to no good with those hubcaps and mufflers he used as hats and earrings in his défilé (I swear I also saw chicken claws, a lamp shade and a car filter).

It stands to reason: With all the financial uncertainties of this year, the outbreak of swine flu and any number of other evils lurking about, there's a palpable need for security. At times, though, designers seemed to verge on blood thirst. Some pieces resembled ancient torture devices, chains used for restraint or something out of a bizarre Gothic ritual.

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The Fashion Statement: Why is How People Dress Such a Big Deal?

Kristin Young — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST

The chatter about Michelle Obama's shorts last week was deafening. Google the subject and 9 million entries pop up. Well, make that 9 million and one, including this post. It blew away President Obama's mom jeans episode last month documented by only 1 million entries.

People care deeply about the way people dress. But it's a mystery why. Why the hell do we care? I mean, it's kind of embarrassing that we paid so much attention to a lousy pair of shorts. And modest ones at that.

Something in our primitive dinosaur brains kicked in when we saw Michelle Obama step off Air Force One. We weren't sure if it was okay. Eventually, the media asked us to weigh in and, after thinking about it with our evolved brains, 80 percent of us said it was fine.

Catch Madonna in a pair of shorts and even our dinosaur brains would be nonplussed. Style and cut would be debated, sure, but impropriety would never come up.

Why? Because clothes are inextricably linked to identity. Rationally, how can we whine that Michelle Obama wears shorts when most of us wear shorts? But, deep down, we don't want her to be like us. We want to see an aspirational image of the First Lady descending from the most exclusive airplane in the world. We want Jackie O. Or at least a business-like version...which Michelle Obama is most of the time.

Maybe not in a skinny pair True Religions, but we'd kinda like to see President Obama in a slimmer pair of jeans, say from Lucky Brand Jeans. That dovetails with our image of him as a hip, modern guy. Mom jeans don't fit, both figuratively and literally.

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The Fashion Statement: Why is How People Dress Such a Big Deal? originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: Are Celebrity Labels Compromising the Craft of Fashion Design?

Kristin Young — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST

A celebrity launching a fashion line? It seems this is one trend that will never end.

There it was earlier this week, the big bulletin that Katie Holmes is hooking up with her stylist Jeanne Yang to produce Holmes & Yang, a women's line slated to debut at the Maxfield boutique in Los Angeles this fall.

The list of celebs-cum-designers must be a mile long now: Jessica Simpson, Gwen Stefani, Sarah Jessica Parker, Justin Timberlake, Milla Jovovich, Sienna Miller, Mary Kate and Ashley Oslen, Chloë Sevigny, Pamela Anderson, Victoria Beckham, Gwen Stefani, Beyoncé, Fergie and, of course, Paris Hilton just to rattle off a few.

Celebrities with fashion labels is so commonplace (even Ryan Seacrest went there), Perez Hilton recently started www.cocoperez.com to document all the goings-on of the modern day deities turned taste makers.

The whole celebrity/fashion setup can't help but reek of making-a-buck. Very few of the glitterati, if even one, will ever pick up a needle and thread. We all know how challenging it is to make a garment (thank you, Project Runway). And then there's that unexplainable sixth sense fashion designers seem to have. Stylists exist because celebrities are more often than not a fashion hazard waiting to happen. Demi Moore's biker shorts at the Oscars, anyone? A good stylist will steer a celeb away from a career-debilitating swan dress. So why should anyone trust good taste to the latter?

"I can honestly say I'm not a big fan of celebrities as clothing designers," says celebrity stylist Monica Schweiger. "I mean in most cases, the celebrity designer more than likely has no actual design training and may not even have a unique style opinion-other than their stylist. It's kind of like taking the celebrity poster girl ad concept one step further-instead of putting the face on the ads lets just put their name on the brand."

Gallery: The Fashion Statement, 08/20/09

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The Fashion Statement: Are Celebrity Labels Compromising the Craft of Fashion Design? originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: Everything That's Fit to Print

Kristin Young — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST

Sadly, the only media going to print in big numbers this fall is fashion.

Patchwork, zebra, leopard, floral, tweeds, plaids, psychedelic and Deco graphics, watercolors and paint-splattered fabrics all made a huge statement on the runways. Fait attention! This is the season to forget every rule you've learned about wearing prints. It's time to go Wild and Crazy Guys, not head-to-toe Pucci.

In other words, designers made an eye-popping show of mixing and matching multiple prints on one look. Much like Dan Aykroyd and Steve Martin's comedic get-ups on Saturday Night Live back in the late '70s, floral prints were shown with plaids. But then we saw tweeds hooking up with cougars (there must be a joke in there somewhere), leopards pairing up with stripes and stripes in primary colors working well with rich paisleys.

The Mulleavy sisters, designers of Rodarte, are perfect examples of the newest generation of print maestros. Their California-based label had catwalk models in big-cat prints, metallic and watercolor-like fabrics all pieced together on ethereal cocktail dresses (pictured above).

Gallery: The Fashion Statement 08/13/09

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The Fashion Statement: Everything That's Fit to Print originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: A Forties Revival

Kristin Young — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST

In a few weeks, the official word will be out. That's when September fashion issues hit the newsstands and editors have their final say on trends after months of cataloging and analyzing thousands of collections.

Much will be said about the '40s, one of the strongest themes of the season. There will be talk of Hollywood-like glamorous gowns, somber tweeds, fur stoles, strong shoulders and the exaggerated hip-to-waist ratio. You might see aviation goggles and pilot gear à la the era of Amelia Earhart and Beryl Markham. Models could be channeling Katherine Hepburn or Joan Crawford.

It seems to be a universal truth: It takes about 20 years for a trend to circle back around again. Looks we embraced 10 years ago are hideous now. Anybody up for a squared-toed, two-inch heel from Gucci, circa 1999? See what I mean? But 20 years ago is a different story. Look around, '80s references are mainstream: skinny jeans, flats and leggings everywhere.

But what's going on when a decade from the last century pops up? Big shoulder pads on a jacket with a nipped-in waist suddenly looks and feels right. And everybody thinks so. The list of '40s proponents is a mile long with heavy hitters like Lanvin, Prada, Bottega Veneta, Dolce & Gabbana, Elie Saab, Aquilano.Rimondi and Hermès leading the way.

Gallery: The Fashion Statement 08/06/09

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The Fashion Statement: A Forties Revival originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 06 Aug 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: A Velvet Revolution

Kristin Young — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST

Velvet usually comes out of mothballs about once a year: the holidays. Other than that, the fabric that has always stood for wealth and luxury tends to spend more time on settees and chaises than on warm bodies. That is, until now.

Velvet's not so underground anymore thanks to European and American designers who used bolt after bolt of it in the fall 2009 collections. And each one has manipulated the short dense pile into much more than just eveningwear.

Ralph Lauren, Fendi and Bottega Veneta created velvet rose-colored cap-sleeved frocks, neutral strapless cocktail dresses and burnt-orange slouchy day dresses, respectively. Chloé, Sonia Rykiel and Ralph Lauren went for velvet harem pants, mostly in dark green and black. Gianfranco Ferré, Lanvin and Elie Saab blew fashion watchers away with their long black velvet gowns with structured cap sleeves à la the '40s.

Aquilano.Rimondi-a new talented design duo from Italy-draped, cut and sewed bright red velvet into a belted cocoon coat-dress that hits just above the knee. Superb.

But if two designers can turn velvet into a full-blown trend of the season, it's Miuccia Prada and Marc Jacobs. Interestingly enough, both fashion forces took some yellow with their velvet.

Jacobs ran with the '80s-the decade he first hit the fashion scene- with neon yellow cocktail dresses like the one pictured above. Another yellow cocktail dress wraps its wearer like a mummy in wide-bands of velvet. (Fergie took this look out for a spin on the red carpet recently, only in electric blue.)

Prada reached back to a darker mood in the '40s and came up with a more toxic shade of yellow. This disconcerting yellow hovering somewhere between poison and putrid was made into a deep V-neck and stitched to a tweed skirt. Burned-out velvet made appearances on double-breasted coats and V-neck dresses (sometimes awkwardly topped with fur).

Gallery: The Fashion Statement, 07/30/09

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The Fashion Statement: Stripes Have a Checkered Past

Kristin Young — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:01:00 EST

Several years ago, designer Andrae Gonzalo (of Project Runway fame) sent me a terrific little book on the history of stripes called The Devil's Cloth. I fished out the book recently and inside the jacket found Gonzalo's personal note: "From one zebra to another. Now you're really ready for spring 2002!" Back then, I was reporting for Women's Wear Daily and I had been talking to Gonzalo-at that time a buyer for the American Rag boutique in Los Angeles-about the chicest look of the season: stripes.

Cut to fall 2009. Little has changed. From Christian Dior Haute Couture in Paris to New York It boy Prabal Gurung, designers continue to send stripes down the runway. Whether zebra or nautical, it seems there's always demand for the clean and crisp, yin-yang pattern. A classic.

So it might shock you, as it did me, to learn that striped cloth was once a controversial religious garment not unlike the burqa today. According to the book, a few striped-clad monks called the Carmelites moved from Palestine to Paris where they were ridiculed and jeered. They were accused of greed, hypocrisy and treachery and even seen as the henchmen for the devil and the Antichrist. All because of their stripes.

The scandal got so out of hand, a Pope stepped in to ban all monks from wearing striped habits. Here's the kicker: Some 19th Century scholars believe Western Europeans had such a fit because the cloaks-probably resembling something like striped djellabas-had Asian or Middle Eastern origins.

Gallery: The Fashion Statement: Stripes

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The Fashion Statement: Stripes Have a Checkered Past originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 23 Jul 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Middle Eastern-inspired Fashion Pushes Buttons

Kristin Young — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST

Even as the great veil debate raged on this month in France - President Nicolas Sarkozy supports a ban on Muslim women wearing them in public- Paris couturiers paraded all manner of burqas, abayas and niqabs. Now that the shows have ended, we're left with more questions than answers.

Were designers stating they were for or against the ban? Do they endorse freedom of religious expression or were they speaking out against the oppression of women? Besotted with so many images of the controversial garment in the news recently, perhaps they were simply inspired to put a piece or two on the catwalks. Or, were they out to get press?

"When I ask designers questions like these, they always look confused," says David Wolfe, creative director of The Doneger Group, whose job is to predict trends for fashion professionals. "They operate so much from their gut. Whatever the media focuses on, the sensitive designers pick up the vibe, whether consciously or subconsciously. Fashion is an endless drug and designers look for the new high-anything that hasn't been seen or worked to death."

Givenchy, in particular, took the Middle Eastern route sending out models elbow-deep in gold cuffs and weighed down in heavy veils of ornate gold jewelry. The collection also featured billowing harem pants paired with sharp-shouldered blazers. Evening gowns were embroidered and topped with crowns of metal thorns, hard to miss the religious commentary there.

Gallery: Middle Eastern-inspired Fashion

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Middle Eastern-inspired Fashion Pushes Buttons originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 16 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Fashion Statement: What is Luxury Now?

Kristin Young — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST

As designers march their winter haute couture collections down runways in Paris this week, one has the feeling we're witnessing the end of an era. Only a handful of women in the world can afford this level of craftsmanship and, in the throws of the most diabolical recession we've ever seen, even they are pulling in their gilded belts. More's the pity.

As a result, this may be the last of Christian Lacroix. A few days ago, the designer showed a jaw-dropping collection every bit worthy of his couturier status. But his house is in such a financial mess, it needs a buyer to survive.

Lacroix is not alone, of course. Earlier this year, I asked a CEO of a high-end Italian fabric company how he was planning to celebrate the company's anniversary. "We'll barely be able to afford a birthday cake!" he joked.

Meanwhile, New York's famed specialty store Henri Bendel has stopped selling designer clothes altogether. Beginning this fall, the store will focus exclusively on selling smaller ticket items like jewelry, handbags, fragrance and gifts. It's a well-known fact that accessories sales are the bread-and-butter of retailers and fashion houses. Runway looks, especially haute couture, are more about creating publicity and brand image. But learning that H. Bendel will no longer be selling designer clothing is a little like discovering the coolest kid at school is into Dungeons & Dragons. It's just sad.

The luxury segment-particularly fashion and jewelry-has skirted trouble for years. In Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster out a few years ago, reporter Dana Thomas chronicled how the then $157 billion luxury goods industry eschewed exclusivity-a key characteristic of luxury-in order to rack up mass sales.

Still, few predicted the floor would drop out quite like this. "You can't justify premiums these days with the same old stuff," says Milton Pedreza, CEO of the Luxury Institute, noting luxury companies will be forced to reinvent themselves to stay relevant. "Many people feel like luxury has duped them into buying ubiquitous products. The main principles-great design, superior quality, heritage and service-need to be upped quite a bit."

Gallery: Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture

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The Fashion Statement: What is Luxury Now? originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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