Philippe Starck has designed yachts, hotels and countless household items but his latest challenge might just be his greatest. Starck is helping to design the accouterments of France's turn at the European presidency. France is famous for style and wants to carry that into this new regime and so the foreign minister, Bernard Kouchner hired Starck as an artistic director: Philippe Starck. As Starck, who is not known for his modesty, explains it to the AFP, there are a lot of things that are given to journalists, ministers, delegates and now "for the first time in the history of the EU, everything produced will be of high quality."
Items produced so far include pens, notebooks and a goodie bag sent to all French MPs that included stationery and a pale gray tie. Some of the women MPs, who all received the ties weren't too thrilled with the gift. Starck has also designed a special two euro coin.
Los Angeles jewelry store Kaviar & Kind has long been known for its unique selection and excellent service. Now one of the former owners of the store, Katherine Azami-Rose and her husband Rick Rose have opened Roseark a new expanded jewelry store and website. The West Hollywood store now includes a 1,000 square foot gallery filled with fine art, tranquil outdoor garden space and selected clothing lines for both men and women. The big draw is still the jewelry though with pieces by designers including Jennifer Meyer, Anita Ko, Carole Wallace, Wendy Brandes, and store co-owner Katherine Azarmi Rose.
Roseark also has a Jewelry of the Month club for those more money than time to shop. Selected pieces from designers carried at Roseark can arrive at your door either four times a year ($4,000) or once a month ($12,000).
Lebanese designer Elie Saab, known for his red-carpet gowns, will become the next designer to have a luxury hotel. Saab will be creating a boutique style hotel at the Tiger Woods Dubai resort, which is expected to open in September 2009. The complex will include 14 bungalows, 89 suites and easy access to a golf course designed by Tiger Woods himself. The Tiger Woods Dubai is a golf community located in the massive Dubailand project that also includes a golf academy, a 60,000-square-foot clubhouse, a retail area and villas and mansions for sale.
There are a wide variety of designers from the fashion and jewelry worlds who have lent their name to hotel designs and brands, below are just a few.
Famous French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent died Sunday in Paris at the age of 71. Laurent will be remembered best perhaps for making menswear sexy for women. His Le Smoking tuxedo for women was considered shocking when it was created in 1966. He was also known for dressing Catherine Deneuve in smart skirts and coats in her turn as a lady of the evening in "Belle de Jour." Laurent retired from designing in 2002 and Gucci bought the YSL brand in 1999. As my colleague Jared Paul Stern mentioned last week, and exhibit of Yves St. Laurent's work is currently on display in Montreal (also see his recent column on Laurent's famed 1962 fashion show). He was also a man of great personal taste as his former New York apartment shows, he will be much missed in a world that often seems short of men of style.
With categories like "I want to be adorned," "I want to be loved," "I want to be envied," and "I want to be worshipped" to choose from it seems jewelry designer Lana Fertelmeister has a real knack for recognizing the many moods of women. Comprised of various tones of gold with hints of diamonds glittering from here and there, Lana Unlimited Jewelry is a small enterprise based in Chicago that has been spotted on big name celebrities like Cameron Diaz, Kate Hudson, and Sandra Bullock. It doesn't sound like it will be small for long, though, based on both popularity and Lana's big dreams for expansion into accessories, clothing, and a whole enterprise she might someday refer to as "The House of Lana."
Not even 30 years old and already making a huge name for himself in fashion, Australian designer Angelo Katsapis is one to start paying attention to if you haven't already. His much anticipated signature line (called Angelokatsapis) was in the works during the years he spent in Milan as a senior designer for Giorgio Armani, once launched it immediately became a favorite among fashions toughest critics. Sold at the finest boutiques including Harvey Nichols you can also purchase select pieces from the collection online. The quality and unsurpassed design is reflected in the prices, dresses range from $1300 up to $10,000.
At the start of Milan's Furniture Salon fair, Versace returned to home turf showing their new furniture collection at the the Italian designer's show apartment in a 15th century palazzo. Reuters reports that the apartment was divided into theme rooms devoted to cities such as Tokyo, Rome and Los Angeles. They've even stretched away from the classic Versace black and white with silver or gold accents by adding other colors to the collections. The Versace Medusa's head logo is still integrated into many of the designs. The new Versace Home boutique opened in Milan on Wednesday. The gallery below features a couple pictures from the Gianni Versace Cocktail and Boutique Opening including what just might be my favorite picture of Donatella Versace ever.
Donna Karan is doing a little spring cleaning, which means a huge warehouse sale of all kinds of things she's been hoarding over the years. The sale will take place on March 13th and 14th in New York City at the Stephen Weiss Studio, and profits from the 2,000+ items will support different charities through Donna Karan's Urban Zen program.
In addition to all kinds of shoes, handbags, jewelry, and couture gowns Karan has decided to sell a black and white gown worn by Barbara Streisand, several vintage pieces she found inspiring, and a few creations from her first collection. She was quoted as saying things were "out of control" and that she plans to clear some things out on a yearly basis from now on.
The rising euro and the falling dollar have had a wide variety of effects in the world of luxury goods. For the holiday shopping season, Europeans headed to the U.S. to take advantage of the lower prices. An AP article brings up the fact that the prized "Made in Italy" label on luxury goods may cost us even more in the coming year. Italian brands such as Gucci, Armani, Fendi and Versace are finding that it is becoming more expensive to produce goods in their native land. In the article Diego Della Valle, founder of Tods leather goods, says that those who produce in Italy are at a disadvantage because it will cost them more to produce the same goods. Currently, most designers are absorbing the increased production costs, especially since consumers in the U.S. seem to be cutting back on their consumption of many luxury goods.
The question for the long run is whether or not consumers will be willing to pay more for something that is made in certain place. Currently makers of goods created in both the U.S. and Europe are at a disadvantage compared to those who produce their items in China and other places where costs are lower. But the recent recalls of toys and other products made in China has made some consumers more aware. For the last few years, the designer name has been enough of a reassurance of quality for consumers no matter where the products is made. I think, however, that we are at the start of a trend where all consumers and particularly those at the higher end of the spending spectrum will be paying more attention to where products are produced. If not, that "made in Italy" label might end up becoming a bit of a rarity as costs force designers to chose economy over tradition.
If you are still looking for a stocking stuffer, Women's Wear Daily has the auction for you and the designer stocking is included. The industry magazine will put six customized designer stockings on eBay for an auction that starts on December 20 and ends on Christmas Day. Each one is filled with special treats that match the designer such as , Vera Wang's Broadway tickets to Grey Gardens, Rodarte's Tender is the Night, Marc Jacobs' ribbon watch, Tuleh's ostrich clutch, Alexander McQueen's skeleton key chain and Heatherette's bubblegum tank top. All proceeds benefit Citymeals-on-Wheels which offers nutritious food and human company to homebound elderly New Yorkers in need.
From what I know of the nouveau-skinny fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, he doesn't eat a lot. Sure he used to in indulge back in his zafitg fan-flapping days but that was before he fell in love with Hedi Slimane's clothes and dieted himself down to fit them. So you can understand my surprise at the news that Lagerfeld had designed a cake. But lo and behold, he has collaborated with Parisian baker Lenôtre to create a unique Buche de Noel. The holiday log is made of gingerbread with almonds and hazelnuts filled with a compote of sweet orange and apricot and a chocolate coulis. It comes in a mirrored box with a tiny ax made of hard sugar.
It's a match made in commerce heaven: Russians on the quest for the latest in expensive goods and a man who lives to provide old-fashioned luxury updated with modern kinks. Tom Ford, the designer who sexed up Gucci and then moved on to his own line of luxury goods for men, is planning to open two new stores in Moscow next year. Bloomberg reports that Ford and franchisee Mercury Group plan to offer Ford's line of $5,000 custom- made men's suits as well as items for the local market such as sable hats. The stores will be located in Tretyakovsky Passage, a city-center lane of boutiques, and Barvikha Village on the capital's fringe. The Bloomberg article contains some classic Tom quotes including his assertion that Russians have been denied nice things for years. Only Tom Ford could make selling high-priced luxury goods sound like an altruistic gesture.
Using her own original silk fabric designs, Stephanie Waddell has created a lovely line of handbags that speak to my own love of color and pattern. This simply styled bowler is gorgeous in a blue and brown Lotus print trimmed in Italian leather. With such a striking print, there is little need for flashy hardware and the small touches of matte gold are just right. Inside, the bag is lined in suede and features and interior zipper pocket. The bowler is available in three other elegant prints and sells for $368.
At the Frankfurt Motor Show these past few days, the folks at the Audi stand have quite the uniform. The dress is tasteful black suits covering pressed white shirts or blouses -- but these are anything but your run-of-the-mill duds.
Audi has signed Michael Michalsky on to design its own Corporate Fashion Line for employees working auto shows, the Audi Forum and in dealerships. In the forefront of the fashion design world, Michalsky will also serve as an Audi brand ambassador.
The effort marks Audi's foray into the world of fashion, a role played by sibling brand Volkswagen several months ago when it launched high-end garments such as cashmere scarves to accompany the launch of its Jetta-based Eos convertible.
Check out Audi's full press release after the jump.
've seen high-priced books from Gucci and Chanel recently and now Valentino gets the deluxe treatment. Una Grande Storia Italiana - Valentino Garavani is a new book from Taschen. The book comes in a silk-covered clamshell box that is tinted in Valentino red. Inside, the 738-page book includes drawings, magazine shoots, advertisements, portraits of Valentino, and documentary photographs. The text includes Vanity Fair writer Matt Tyrnauer's interviews with twenty of Valentino's collaborators and friends and a tribute to Valentino by fashion writer Suzy Menkes. The Collector's Edition is limited to 2,000 individually numbered copies, each signed by Valentino and sells for $1,000.
Donna Karan is doing a little spring cleaning, which means 
At the Frankfurt Motor Show these past few days, the folks at the Audi stand have quite the uniform. The dress is tasteful black suits covering pressed white shirts or blouses -- but these are anything but your run-of-the-mill duds.
