The Cannes Film Festival, which began today in the South of France, has always been more focused on artistic merit than the blockbusters of the Academy Awards; that makes for a much more interesting mise-en-scène in our view. The cool crowd has always gravitated to the Riviera for this annual cinematic happening, not to mention the chance to compete for those little gold palm fronds. Along with the Met Costume Institute Gala it's easily one of the year's most stylish events.
As Cannes enters its seventh decade, this seems like the perfect time for a slideshow of some of the most classic style moments in its vivid history, including this rouge carpet scene from 1998. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas was nominated for a Palme d'Or that year and its star Johnny Depp sported a midnight blue shawl-collared dinner jacket at the premiere. Meanwhile his co-star Benicio Del Toro (right) stuck to a classic tux, while Depp's date Kate Moss looked kind of like she'd been attacked by an angry emu -- but in a hot way. Click below for the full parade of stylish stars.
On the heels of Versace's newest palazzo project, fellow Italian fashion house Missoni is getting into the hotel act as well. The company, famed for its signature zigzag-striped knitwear (as modeled here by Kate Moss), is partnering with the Rezidor Hotel Group, owners of the Park Inn, Regent and Radisson SAS brands, on the project.
According to Rezidor, the 5-star Hotel Missoni will embody "a strong interest in design, an appreciation of detail, an understanding of food and wine, a belief in authenticity, a cognizance of culture from a contemporary point of view, and a strong and equitable set of social values." The first two branches are planned for Edinburgh in Scotland and Kuwait City, slated for opening in 2009.
Missoni creative director Rosita Missoni will spearhead the project in conjunction with fashionable Milan-based designers Matteo Thun & Partners. Thun has spec'd out a black, white and silver color scheme for the 129-room Edinburgh hotel, which is more business oriented, and "saturated" colors for the Kuwait City branch, which will be more leisure oriented. See the renderings below.
Just this past weekend a boutique opened in an upscale fashion neighborhood in London with an unlikely name: Oxfam. Most commonly recognized for slightly battered or worn vintage and retro secondhand clothing pieces, Oxfam is revamping their image and looking to become a more fashion-conscious name. They've hired Jane Shepherdson (formly of Topshop) and recruited students from the London College of Fashion along with several British designers to overhaul donated clothes into trendier more upscale items. This new boutique is just one of three planned total, with the other two scheduled to open later this summer.
London based fashion designer Matthew Williamson is known for his bold use of vibrant colors and patterns. His work is always fresh, often setting trends for seasons to come. This map print scarf is a pretty addition to any summer outfit. Made of a luxurious linen and silk blend, features include bead work and a tassel trim. With each scarf purchased a percentage goes straight to breast cancer research via the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer® Worldwide program. Available on net-a-porter.com for $925.
At the Metropolitan Museum's star-studded Costume Institute Gala in Manhattan the other night, all the best-dressed men wore tuxedos by Tom Ford. While some fellows got creative with their black tie and others simply looked boring in notched lapel numbers, those who sported Ford's threads -- including Gisele Bundchen's football star beau Tom Brady, actors Djimon Hounsou and Jimmy Fallon, and A-list shoe designer Christian Louboutin -- were the evening's standouts.
Ford himself (pictured here with actress Natasha Richardson) went with a classic double-breasted dinner jacket with grosgrain lapels. Brady, Fallon and Louboutin all wore Ford's signature single-breasted peak lapel style; Brady and Fallon went the extra mile with matching waistcoats. Hounsou wore a black three-piece wool and cashmere suit which was equally elegant, as you'll see in the gallery below. Ford's suits start at about $5,000.
British couturier Hardy Amies, whose Savile Row shop opened back in 1946, is launching its first line of women's handbags this month. The new line comprises four key styles "inspired by traditional English luggage and the secret lives of female spies in the second world war," British Voguereports. The theme is fitting since the dashing Sir Hardy himself, who died in 2003, was something of a real-life James Bond, serving as an officer in the British secret service during World War II. The bags, which start at about $1,600, each come with their own code name (and, we suspect, several hidden compartments).
Amies had an illustrious career as a couturier, designing clothes for everyone from Stanley Kubrick to the Queen of England. A self-described snob, he was a world authority on men's fashion, and his house carries on in high style. Among his many stylish epigrams, he once declared that "Luxury lies not in riches, but in the absence of vulgarity." Though he didn't live to see them, we think he probably would have approved of these bags bearing his name.
I'm a fan of the Go International limited edition designer partnerships and know that for some of the lines it is often a challenge getting them before they sell out in the stores. I'm not certain that I would go to Barneys to buy them but that's what will be happening with the new Go International collection from Rogan Gregory. The Rogan for Target line hits Target stores on May 18 but you can buy it at Barneys stores from May 9 to May 11. This is the first time Barneys has sold Target merchandise but fashionistas may jump at the chance to get the latest pieces from this designer for less. I wonder though if this move indicates that the Go International frenzy has run its course a bit. It also seems to defeat the purpose a bit, part of the lure of the Target Go International line is the fun of buying designer fashion at the same place you stock up on toilet paper and laundry detergent. This is not the first time Barneys has jumped into fast fashion, they also stocked the first line of Kate Moss clothes done for Topshop.
There is apparently a point at which some excessively rich individuals decide to do away with decent standards of dress altogether. They are literally so loaded they can afford to look homeless; their rags become a sort of reverse status symbol. In fact, as author Paul Fussell noted in Class: A Guide Through the American Status System, shabby clothes "advertise how much of conventional dignity [the upper classes] can afford to throw away. The wearing of clothes excessively new or excessively neat and clean suggests that your social circumstances are not entirely secure."
We'd like to think that's the reason behind the appearance of the celebs on Nerve's new list of the "Top 10 Rich People Who Look Poor." It would certainly seem to be for notoriously-underdressed billionaire Condé Nast owner Si Newhouse, who clocks in at # 7. But we think it's more than likely that the Olsen Twins (#6), Britney Spears (#3) and Amy Winehouse (#1), who's reportedly worth $20 million, are actually just slobs. Check out the full list here.
Daphne Guiness,socialite and couture collector, has decided to jump on the bandwagon and perform her own spring cleaning in her closet -- except she is auctioning her unused and unwanted items to support the Womankind charity which benefits women in developing countries. The auction of such pieces from Chanel, Versace and Alexander McQueen happens today at 2 pm with Kerry Taylor Auction House in London. For those of us who can't make the lightning-speed trip over the pond, you can also bid via eBay. A typical lot of shoes may include four or more styles from Jimmy Choo, Yves Saint Laurent or Prada and will range from $80 to $400. There are also Marni coats and a Lanvin shredded ribbon dress. Although you have to be a size 37 shoe (that's in UK sizing) you don't have to fit into the gorgeous handbags, hats or accessories.
In 1962, Esquire magazine sent photographer Jerry Schatzberg to Paris to cover the behind-the-scenes action at the Christian Dior and Yves Saint Laurent shows, at what promised to be an historic fashion moment. Indeed it was, and Schatzberg's shoot turned out brilliantly; the full results have finally been collected in book form, under the title Paris 1962: Yves Saint Laurent and Christian Dior, The Early Collections. Schatzberg was no mere paparazzo; a renowned fashion photographer and filmmaker, he's perhaps best known for the cover of Bob Dylan's 1966 album Blonde on Blonde. His journalistic, documentary style ran counter to the usual carefully-posed fashion shoots of the time, which gave the 1962 session added urgency. But first, a little background.
Famed designer Christian Dior had died five years earlier, in 1957. Yves Saint Laurent, only 22 years old at the time, had been named as his replacement, creating a stunning new collection in a matter of weeks. Laurent held the appointment for only a short time, however, as he was soon conscripted to serve in the French army during the Algerian War of Independence. The fragile fashionista lasted less than a month before a nervous breakdown saw him committed to a mental institution. Meanwhile, Marc Bohan had taken over at Dior, leading Saint Laurent to file for breach of contract.
As we mentioned in our Classicist column on Anderson & Sheppard last week, dapper Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter is a devoté of the bespoke British tailoring firm. He proved the worth of a well-made suit with the black three-piece Anderson & Sheppard number he wore to the Tribeca Film Festival fete that Carter co-hosted with Robert De Niro in Manhattan the other night.
Carter, pictured here with New York's billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg (one of the guests along with Sigourney Weaver, Harvey Keitel, David Bowie, Jerry Seinfeld and others) looked quite dashing and much more svelte than on some previous occasions -- a fact which we feel is attributable more to A&S' fine tailoring rather than any newfound abstemiousness on the editor's part. After all, he does own one of NYC's trendiest eateries, The Waverly Inn, and we highly doubt he's ever presented with a bill.
Brooks Brothers just made their high-end, high-style Black Fleece collection for Spring / Summer '08 available online, and it's certainly stimulating, if perhaps not to everyone's taste. The line, designed by controversial but undeniably au courant designer Thom Browne, features twisted takes on preppy classics with eyebrow-raising pricetags.
Highlights of the men's looks include a "Fun" red, green, yellow and blue patchwork seersucker jacket for $1,900 with matching pants for an additional $700; a suit of cotton madras plaid (jacket $1,500, pants $600); a $2,500 morning coat with grosgrain tipping meant to be worn with a top hat; and an Irish linen trench coat with grosgrain tipping for $2,000. For women, there's a patchwork seersucker shorts suit to match the men's model (jacket $1,900, pants $500) and a cotton piqué patch pocket jacket with grosgrain tipping and sterling silver buttons for $2,100.
While the classic influences are obvious, this isn't exactly the kind of thing one associates with the traditional wares of Brooks -- but that's exactly the point of Black Fleece. Whether you can a) afford it, and b) pull it off is another matter entirely.
Gallery: Brooks Bros. Black Fleece for Spring/Summer '08
While watching Oprah today I noticed environmentalist Sophie Uliano was wearing a cardigan by one of my favorite "green" designers. Deborah Lindquist has been the stylist to the stars for years, she has dressed everyone from Paris Hilton and Jessica Simpson to Gwen Stefani and Sharon Stone. Her signature line features the latest, most in demand fabrics like recycled cashmere, paired with today's hottest symbols like skulls and roses. Her style is nonchalant and relaxed, yet classically elegant. Her recycled cashmere cardigan is to die for, it features a skull applique and charming pearl buttons. Fabulous! This must have is available online for $286. Enjoy!
Celebrating five years, Keri Golf brings classy style and fantastic colors to women's golf. Whether you are in the market for a cart or stand bag, head covers or the ever essential tote, the Neapolitan color schemes and playful stripes or daisy patterns add a splash of fun to a often difficult sport. The golf bags run between $295 and $375, the totes are $115 and the club heads are $75 for a set of four. Give your game a colorful boost from Keri -- you won't be disappointed.
The world's top fashionistas spend their lives designing things for other people, but they often reserve their true talents for themselves. A glimpse into their personal lives - and not in the tabloid sense - often reveals more about their real sensibilities and style than their runway creations, which are often masked by more commercial concerns.
Marie Bariller's gorgeous new book, Dressing the Home: The Private Spaces of Top Fashion Designers affords a rare glimpse at the interior lives (so to speak) of some of the biggest names in fashion. Included are two houses owned by Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, who wrote the introduction to the book, and who describe their aesthetic as "luxury that combines romanticism with irony, always executed with care and professionalism."
We also get to see where style stars like Christian Louboutin, Gilles Mendel, Jacopo Etro, Catherine Malandrino, Patrick Cox, Betsey Johnson, and Diane von Furstenberg, among others, hang their hats. As you might expect, they're pretty talented at dressing their homes as well.
There is apparently a point at which some excessively rich individuals decide to do away with decent standards of dress altogether. They are literally so loaded they can afford to look homeless; their rags become a sort of reverse status symbol. In fact, as author 
Daphne Guiness,socialite and couture collector, has decided to jump on the bandwagon and perform her own spring cleaning in her closet -- except
As we mentioned in our Classicist 
The world's top fashionistas spend their lives designing things for other people, but they often reserve their true talents for themselves. A glimpse into their personal lives - and not in the tabloid sense - often reveals more about their real sensibilities and style than their runway creations, which are often masked by more commercial concerns. 
