Fashion News Roundup: Joanna Sykes talks Aquascutum, Hello Kitty Does Docs, Win an Alexander McQueen Designed Deckchair” y 11 mas

Fashion News Roundup: Joanna Sykes talks Aquascutum, Hello Kitty Does Docs, Win an Alexander McQueen Designed Deckchair
Don’t Worry, Barneys Isn’t Going Anywhere
Jake Davis Test Shots: Hayley Phelan
The Value of Vintage
Would You Rather…? The Everything’s Coming Up Roses Edition
Racked Dealfeed: Acne, Geren Ford, Opening Ceremony, & Tons of Denim
Whitney Art Party: Tame, Trendy, Terry-less?
Next Season’s NEWGEN Recipients Include David Koma, Holly Fulton, Mary Katrantzou
Breaking: Halle Berry Will Cover American Vogue’s All-Important September Issue
Label to Watch: We Are Handsome
Street Style: Rachel Rocks Sheer
Chris Benz Makes Tulle Look Like Tweed, and It’s Magical

Fashion News Roundup: Joanna Sykes talks Aquascutum, Hello Kitty Does Docs, Win an Alexander McQueen Designed Deckchair

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 09:37 AM PDT

Joanna Sykes Doesn’t Tolerate Fluff: As the new creative director of Aquascutum, Sykes plans to keep the label chic and wearable, minus what she describes as “fluff.” A force to be reckoned with, the three-time winner of the NEWGEN sponsorship also plans to continue work on her own label. {Vogue}

Hello Kitty Doc Martens World Premiere: Well, it was bound to happen sometime… the much-anticipated Hello Kitty/Doc Martens collaboration hits the street later this summer. Gimmicky? Of course. Lovable? Entirely. {NYLON}

Anna Wintour Names Megan Salt Head of Vogue PR: Patrick O’Connell is out, Megan Salt is in. Well, that was quick. {New York Magazine}

Rihanna Isn’t Following The Trend, She’s Just Dealing With Trauma: With Crayola-bright hair popping up all over Hollywood and the runways, we figured Rihanna was just going with the flow… but psychologists are saying it’s a cry for help. {New York Daily News}

This Alexander McQueen Deckchair Could Be Yours: The Daily Telegraph has one Alexander McQueen deckchair that’s up for grabs in memory of this revolutionary designer. Head on over and enter to win. {The Daily Telegraph}

Don’t Worry, Barneys Isn’t Going Anywhere

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 08:27 AM PDT

Our favorite struggling department store, Barneys New York, got more bad news this morning: Its parent company, Istithmar, is going to have to pump another undisclosed amount of cash into the debt-ridden retailer. (That’s according the the NY Post.)

Istithmar, a Dubai-based private equity firm, bought Barneys three years ago for way too much money–$942 million–and the value of the retailer has continued to decrease. While luxe department stores like Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman have been able to bounce back (even just a little) from the recession, Barneys continues to struggle.

And it’s not for lack of a great brand and great clothes. The problem still goes back to this: No one is running the business. Shareholder Ronald Burkle still wants to buy the company, but Istithmar won’t give up.

We really hope Burkle gets his hand on it sooner than later–he’ll do a great job–but even if Barneys is forced to file for bankruptcy, don’t fret. While smaller outlets across the country may close, Barneys itself will be around for a long time. It has too much future potential–someone is bound to bail it out.

Jake Davis Test Shots: Hayley Phelan

Posted: 11 Jun 2010 07:24 AM PDT

Jake Davis Test Shots: Hayley Phelan from Jake Davis on Vimeo.

This week, director Jake Davis filmed Hayley Phelan, former Fashionista intern and current Teen Vogue online editorial assistant. Obviously we adore Hayley, so this is a special treat. And she looks amazing!

Check back weekly for a new It girl. And for daily inspiration, you can visit Jake on Jakedavis.typepad.com, or follow him on Twitter @jakedavisfilms.

The Value of Vintage

Posted: 10 Jun 2010 04:00 PM PDT

I have this cute Charlotte Ronson sheer coral button-down with cream lace. When Lauren interviewed me for Fashionista, she asked if it was vintage. A few minutes later, I asked her if her sunglasses were vintage, and they turned out to be Karen Walker. Ha: I, too, have a pair of Karen Walker sunglasses that someone once thought were vintage.

I suddenly realized I have two relatively expensive designer items in my wardrobe that, apparently, every person I meet thinks is "vintage," which, for some reason, my brain has equated with "cheap." I felt a little annoyed. I wondered, is this a risk I'm taking every time I buy something vintage-inspired? And more importantly, is it really worth paying designer prices for something people presume to be vintage?

I wasn't actually that disappointed that my Charlotte Ronson blouse was mistaken for vintage (because I got it for $40 at a sample sale). However, my Karen Walkers were the first pair of sunglasses I spent more than $30 on and I couldn't help but feel disappointed (perhaps in myself for paying so much) when someone assumed that something I paid a lot of money for was some great (cheap) vintage find.

When comparing vintage-inspired to real vintage, there are definitely pros and cons to both. With real vintage, you take pride in the fact that you've found a cute little piece of history. Your '80s floral romper is actually from the early '80s, while everyone else's is from Opening Ceremony or Urban Outfitters. You also paid less than them and your piece is virtually one-of-a-kind, as opposed to instantly recognizable as ___ designer or ___ mass retailer.

However, sometimes that designer or mass retailer just happens to make the perfect vintage-inspired blouse that you've never been able to find at your local thrift store or vintage shop. You would have had to spend hours combing through smelly, disorganized racks, when the exact item you want is hanging neatly in a nice store, brand new, in your exact size. It’s so easy, but you have to admit, it’s not the real thing.

Ironically, if you were to compare it to the age-old luxury vs. knock off debate, it's almost like vintage is the luxury, while vintage-inspired designer is the knock off, even when the latter is often more expensive.

When it comes to buying vintage-inspired vs. real vintage, do you have a preference? Do you think it’s worth it to pay designer prices for something that looks vintage?

Would You Rather…? The Everything’s Coming Up Roses Edition

Posted: 10 Jun 2010 03:00 PM PDT

Readers with pollen allergies beware: Flowers are everywhere. Would you rather wear Stella McCartney’s floral dress from Resort 2011, Marni’s AW09 sky blue ensemble, or Balenciaga’s SS08 structural garden?

Racked Dealfeed: Acne, Geren Ford, Opening Ceremony, & Tons of Denim

Posted: 10 Jun 2010 02:30 PM PDT

Opening Ceremony
Deal:30% to 50% off names like Band of Outsiders, Jeremy Scott, Alexander Wang, Patrik Ervell, and Pendleton, plus of course the Opening Cermony in-house line
When/Where: Ongoing. Soho: Mon—Sat 11am—8pm, Sun noon—7pm, 35 Howard St between Broadway and Crosby St (212-219-2688.) Ace Hotel: Sun—Tues 10am—9pm, Weds 11am—7pm, Thurs—Sat 11am—10pm. 1190-1192 Broadway between 28th and 29th Sts, New York. (646-695-5680.)

Geren Ford
Deal: Bi-annual sample sale–nothing over $150, and lots of items for $10, $20, $30….
When/Where: Thurs 3–8pm, Fri 10–7pm, 990 Culver Blvd. Penthouse C, Culver City.

Acne
Deal: 40% off select spring/summer ‘10 stock
When/Where: Ongoing. Mon—Sat 11am—7pm, Sun noon—7pm. 10 Greene St between Grand and Canal Sts (212-625-2828)

7 for All Mankind, Rock & Republic, Citizens of Humanity, More
Deal: Markdowns on all sorts of contemporary brands including those listed above plus Cr8tive Recreation and Alife
When/Where: Through Sunday, June 20. Mon—Sat 11am—8pm, Sun noon—7pm. 286 Lafayette St between Prince and Houston Sts (no phone)

CO Bigelow
Deal: Enter code big20off at checkout to get $20 off any purchase over $100
Where: www.cobigelow.com

Whitney Art Party: Tame, Trendy, Terry-less?

Posted: 10 Jun 2010 02:01 PM PDT

Last night the Whitney Museum of American Art hosted a fête for its Independent Study Program. Taking place downtown, the Art Party promises big names and crazy times. The rainstorm outside delayed our arrival, but upon getting there we were immersed in a world of fashion’s finest, immediately spotting Natalie Joos looking divine as always.

And while everyone looked great, this wasn’t the wildest of nights. No table dancing or drunk stumbling here. It was as classy as Derek Blasberg’s mandals. Kate Lanphear perused the art and Prabal Gurung chatted with friends. Someone did come as Tony the Tiger, however, and while not classy–it certainly was great.

As the night progressed, we scouted the crowd for our favorite photog/man-about-town, Mr. Terry Richardson, but he was nowhere to be found. Today, however, he posted a photo of Arden Wohl at the party on his blog, leading us to believe we’d missed him by a second.

We did see everyone from Alek Wek to Rachel Zoe, so click through to see the photos!

Next Season’s NEWGEN Recipients Include David Koma, Holly Fulton, Mary Katrantzou

Posted: 10 Jun 2010 01:29 PM PDT

Underwritten by Topshop, the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN scholarship endows four emerging designers each season to put on a runway show. Spring/Summer 2011’s recipients were announced today, and included David Koma, Holly Fulton, Mary Katrantzou, Michael van der Ham and Peter Pilotto. Craig Lawrence and Louise Grey will each hold a presentation.

Along with £5,000 – £10,000 towards their show costs, the winners receive free exhibition space, usage of the BFC catwalk and mentoring.

I had the opportunity to get up close and personal with several of these designers–and their clothes–this past March, so it’s great to hear that they’ll have a place to show off their work at London Fashion Week this fall.

Breaking: Halle Berry Will Cover American Vogue’s All-Important September Issue

Posted: 10 Jun 2010 12:19 PM PDT

Halle Berry, not Gwyneth Paltrow, will grace the cover of Vogue's infamous September issue, according to sources inside the company. We are about 95% positive that this issue marks the first time an African-American will cover September since Naomi Campbell in 1989.

While we laud Vogue for diversifying a bit, Halle seems like a safe choice. Other than custody battles with ex Gabriel Aubry, she hasn't had much going on lately. (To be fair, she does have a scent coming out in August–called Reveal–and her indie flick Frankie and Alice is set to hit theaters this fall.) It would be more exciting to see an icon like Iman, who was recently honored at the CFDAs, on the cover.

There have been a few black cover stars over the years, including Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Jennifer Hudson and Berry herself in 2002, but none of them were September. In August 1974, Beverly Johnson was the first African-American ever to be on the cover.

How do you feel about this choice?

Label to Watch: We Are Handsome

Posted: 10 Jun 2010 11:30 AM PDT

If you often have trouble locating your friends at the beach, we suggest wearing one of We Are Handsome swimsuits. It’s easily one of the coolest swimwear lines we've seen in a long time.

The vintage-inspired collection is a collaboration between two Aussies: Indhra Chagoury of Oscar & Elvis swimwear and Jeremy J. Somers of product design firm People Like Us, which sells iPod and iPhone covers. The swimsuits feature unexpected bold, iconic images like James Dean, a roaring lion, a Miami sunset and pin-up girls, printed onto relatively timeless silhouettes. (Though, we have to admit, the scoop-back one piece featured throughout their look book reminds us of early '90s Baywatch.)

And while the model looks great posing and lounging around, we wonder how the thin, barely-there swimsuits would hold up through a few laps, or how they would hold certain other things up.

Considering the suits only come in extra-small, small and medium, it would seem that catering to a wide variety of body types is not the main concern. However, if the mission is to make attention-grabbing, statement-making pieces out of a relatively limiting category of apparel such as swimwear, We Are Handsome is definitely a contender.

Australia is currently moving into winter, but the people behind We Are Handsome have smartly made their wares, which range from $169-$225, available to those of us on the Northern hemisphere via Opening Ceremony (NY and LA), Modcloth.com and Yoox.com.

Street Style: Rachel Rocks Sheer

Posted: 10 Jun 2010 10:30 AM PDT

Name: Rachel

Age: 37

Occupation: Clothing designer for Paris 68.

Where are you from originally? London.

What is your favorite magazine? Self Service & Purple

What music are you currently listening to? Fiona Apple and Patti Smith.

What is your favorite food? Spinach.

If you were to get a tattoo right now, what would it be? It would say, “I will respect thy love until I die."

Who are your pants by? Norma Kamali.

Where is your belt from? It's vintage.

And your necklaces? I got these in the Amazon in Brazil.

**All photos by Ashley Jahncke.

Chris Benz Makes Tulle Look Like Tweed, and It’s Magical

Posted: 10 Jun 2010 09:30 AM PDT

I said this to Steff as we left the Chris Benz studio after his Resort 2011 preview: The reason I like Chris’ clothes so much is because they look like him. There’s no borrowing from others, something many designers rely on a bit too heavily these days. What’s more, “his sense of color is incredible,” Steff went on to say.

And we’re not just waxing on because Chris is part of the Fashionista family. This collection is seriously, seriously good.

The preview took place in Chris’ eBay-furnished studio, which made it even better. (We especially love the racks of old fabric flower molds in the conference room, which Chris’ business partner Ashley scooped up after one of the garment district flower companies closed. It could be likened to an apothecary for fashion people.)

There was a gorgeous star printed dress, some pale seafoam green high-waisted pleated chinos, and plenty of cute shifts. The skirt of a long cream dress was made from pieces of delicate tulle, which was made to look like tweed from afar. Steff loved the knit cardigans with a keyhole in the back that was closed with a Swarovski crystal. An interiors fanatic, Chris often likes to start a collection by thinking about the woman who would live in a favorite designer’s world. This time around, he started with the work of mid century sculptor Sascha Brastoff, whose decorative ceramics were used this morning to house snacks and refreshments.

We also really loved the shoes, which were Brian Atwood with, of course, a touch of Chris Benz. He added the rope. Brilliant.