WWD 100 Years, 100 Designers

If you're in the fashion biz, or just a fan of the apparel industry, you already read Women's Wear Daily.  It's the newspaper for this crazy business of fashion.  The publication is celebrating its 100th anniversary with a book honoring 100 top designers.

WWD: 100 Years, 100 Designers launched Thursday with an elegant party at Bergdorf Goodman's BG restaurant.  It was hosted by executive editor Bridget Foley and attended by many of today's top designers.  Vera Wang, Isaac Mizrahi and Francisco Costa mingled with muses like Bianca Jagger.  Everyone was in Manhattan chic (meaning lots of black, but exquisitely accessorized).

The book itself is gorgeously illustrated with photos of the best of fashion through the years.  If you missed your chance at Bergdorf Goodman's, WWD is holding another bash at Cipriani on November 2.  Otherwise, you can pre-order your copy on Amazon.com.
Photos courtesy of pmk.bnc

Read more →

Red Carpet Recessionistas

Remember when gawking at stars on the red carpet was about drooling over unattainable couture gowns?  I don’t know if it is the recession, the Obama effect, or the general democratization of style, but celebrities are flaunting bargain finds in front of paparazzi.

The early pioneer of the high-low red carpet look was Sharon Stone.  In 1996, she was the star to dress for the Academy Awards.  She made the best fashion press of the night when she declared she grabbed a Gap turtleneck from her closet for the evening.  (She failed to mention the Valentino skirt it was paired with).  As a result Gap was elevated to a serious fashion brand and even sponsored this year’s Met Costume Gala.

FLOTUS Michelle Obama is often seen mixing young designers with mass apparel brands like Talbot’s and J. Crew.  Elisabeth Moss of Mad Men struck a glamorous pose in a very attainable Topshop dress.  

One answer to this phenomenon would be the high end designer collaborations with mass market brands.  Edgy label Rodarte and Zac Posen recently created fabulous dresses for mega-retailer Target.  Natalie Portman was seen in a $40 Rodarte, Claire Danes sported the Zac Posen on the red carpet.  Gap has hired many a young designer like Prabal Garung and Thakoon for special projects.  Isaac Mizrahi has a special collection for Liz Claiborne, sold at J.C. Penney.

With funds no longer a problem, the rest of us plebeians have no excuse not to be red carpet ready.

Photos by Jason Kempin/Filmmagic,Steve Eichner,Marc Stamas/Getty Images

Read more →

Strut the Sidewalk Catwalk on Broadway

A lot of attention has been paid by the media in saving New York's Garment Center. Local Organizations like Save the Garment Center, the CFDA and Made In Midtown have been fighting to keep New York’s fashion industry intact with local manufacturers.

This week through the September 3rd, New York designers are taking this fight to the streets. The pedestrian-friendly parts of Broadway between 35th street and 42nd street will be home to the Sidewalk Catwalk.

Thirty top American designers and student teams have created original mannequins attired in a signature look. The lineup includes icons like Diane Von Furstenburg, Isaac Mizrahi and Donna Karan. New guard designers, Prabal Garung and Jason Wu are represented as well. Many of these designers, like Nanette Lepore manufacture their clothing in New York as a vital part of their business.

In addition to the exhibit, the original artwork for the mannequins is being auctioned to benefit Materials For the Arts. The organization donates supplies and support for arts programs in schools.

Care to take home a piece of garment center history? Bid here.

Sidewalk Catwalk

Click for Full Slideshow Photos by Adam Weinstein

Read more →

Fashion Through the Hollywood Lens

Women's Wear Daily just ran an article on Retro Fit: A Look Back on Fashion Films. The article listed vintage film fantasies that portrayed the fashion world. It compared the fashion credibility (Edith Head and Richard Avedon contributed to Audrey Hepburn's 1957 "Funny Face").

It lists the film’s most ridiculous lines (In “The Garment Jungle” 1957, buyer Lee Hacket comments on a dress, “Do notice the movement in the back. It really talks. Back talk is terribly important this season.””My favorite line of course is from “Funny Face” fashion editor Maggie Prescott (rumored to be based on Diana Vreeland). “You’re in the fashion world. We’re cold, artificial and without sentiment. How can you be in love?” It always gets the most laughs among the fashionista crowd.

What of modern films? There was Robert Altman’s Prêt-à-Porter (1994). Panned by critics, it received a lukewarm reception by the garment industry itself. A few designers like Jean-Paul Gaultier and Issey Miyake allowed the cameras in, but the general attitude was that outsiders never did the garment industry justice.

The Devil Wears Prada (2006) was a great showcase for Meryl Streep, but beside the great (but not realistic outfits) did anyone get a real sense of working at a fashion publication? The September Issue with the real Anna Wintour took care of that.

Isaac Mizrahi rocked the fashion world with his documentary film “Unzipped!” This was before reality shows and Project Runway. Mizrahi showed the angst, unglamorous details and diva attitudes that lead up to the fashion week show. That runway was the perfect metaphor for the movie. The audience saw all of the backstage action behind a transparent scrim. I myself was on the other side of that scrim, dressing the models. You can see a tiny confused face for a second in between Isaac and Linda Evangelista’s argument.

Low-brow spoof Bruno was probably the latest movie to earn the distaste of style makers. It showed that while many designers are happy for press, they ultimately need to control how they want to be seen.

So tell me darlings… Are you ready for your close-up?

Read more →