Category Archives for Uncategorized
Lanvin-apalooza
The Lanvin store on Madison Avenue has been open since July, but the French fashion house didn’t really pop the cork until Friday night, when Alber Elbaz threw a Halloween Extravaganza that had all three floors packed with costumed revelers. Not surprisingly, ghosts and witches took a backseat to Lagerfeld and Galliano lookalikes—Elbaz himself even had a bespectacled doppelgänger. Other outfits had more esoteric origins. Editor Mickey Boardman explained that his bespoke bat-eared lace headpiece was “influenced by Queen Victoria’s oldest daughter, and by a picture of Isabella Blow wearing a mask by Philip Treacy.” That’s one way to avoid the line at Ricky’s.
Boardman’s colleagues at Paper magazine’s party division created the festive surroundings: The path upstairs was strewn with confetti and multicolored balloons, waiters distributed macarons and cotton candy, and Silly String and charming masks made from Elbaz’s sketches were among the party favors. “Fashion’s fun, isn’t it? I feel like I’m in a fluorescent Champagne bubble,” said Anne Hathaway, who wore a leopard-print Lanvin jumper and managed to stay somewhat anonymous behind a long-nosed Venetian mask. Meanwhile, drag queens vamped about as Dolly Parton and Tina Turner on a stage designed to look like a giant Lanvin dress box.
But that was no Janet Jackson impersonator on the third floor with Elbaz—it was the real thing. As ever, the designer was quick to put the spotlight on others. “I worked with Geoffrey Beene for eight years and Halloween was his favorite holiday, so I’m kind of thinking about him tonight,” Elbaz said. “I think the last time I put on a costume, I was 10 years old. I usually dress other people.”
—Darrell Hartman Continue reading
Tish and Snooky Bellomo
—Celia Ellenberg Continue reading
Nicolas Ghesquière, Superstar
The theme of the Fashion Group International’s 27th annual Night of Stars was “The Globalists,” and appropriately, the evening’s big-name presenters and guests of honor seemed to have arrived at Cipriani Wall Street from all ends of the earth. And some of them have attempted to sell their wares to all ends of the earth, too. Pierre Cardin, for one, was taking an expansive view of his trade. “Clothes, shoes, leather goods, bags, luggage, jewelry, hair—it’s everything,” the designer declared.
Joseph Altuzarra, with his Asian roots, Parisian upbringing, New York headquarters, Italian production facilities, and worldwide sales, might seem the epitome of today’s designer, but elements of the global marketplace are still beyond him. “Every time I’ve been to London, fur is really looked down upon. And we sell so much fur in England. I don’t know what that’s about,” he confessed. Not too long ago, Michael Kors got a surprise in Singapore: “It was New Year’s Day, almost midnight, and the stores were open,” he recalled. “And I took a stroll on Orchard Road and the next thing I knew, I was surrounded by girls with shopping bags who were like, ‘Can I get your picture?’ I was blown away.”
Meanwhile, Superstar award winner Nicolas Ghesquière has been exploring the mysteries of the Arizona and Utah deserts. “The atmosphere is very special, so mineral—you’re surrounded by beautiful rocks and colors,” he said. “I will not say it’s an inspiration—it’s just, voilà. But it might be an inspiration.” His dinner companion was Jennifer Connelly, one of several notables in the room with an honorary place inside the fashion fold. Presenter Mayor Bloomberg just had a walk-on role on Project Runway, and Richard Gere mentioned during his introduction of Diego Della Valle that their lasting friendship began when the Tod’s founder gave him a pair of brown suede shoes. “I didn’t take them off for ten years,” the actor said. Sometimes, the most important things happen at ground level.
—Darrell Hartman Continue reading
Driving Force
Tod’s founder Diego Della Valle owns an accessories powerhouse, a soccer team, and a pair of mega-yachts, along with interests in a newspaper, a bank, and a film studio; as of last week, he’s the top shareholder at Saks Fifth Avenue. Also among his sizable holdings are numerous friends and admirers in the fashion industry, many of whom (including Maria Cornejo, Padma Lakshmi, and L’Wren Scott) were at Barneys last night to raise a glass to the high-flying mogul.
“He’s a powerhouse,” Mary Alice Stephenson said. “Mr. Della Valle talks, people listen. And every move he makes is studied by everyone in the business.” Recently, those moves have included re-signing creative director Derek Lam to a two-year contract and launching an ad campaign that uses to-the-manner-born society fixtures in lieu of models. “It’s really about capturing a life, not an image, so we wanted people who already have great personal style,” explained Amanda Brooks, who put India Hicks, Lauren Remington Platt, Jamie Johnson, and herself in front of Elliott Erwitt’s camera for the campaign, alongside some unusual co-stars. “There’s pigs, there’s horses, there’s croquet,” she said. “But there’s a sense of humor.” Platt, who was circulating with her King Charles puppy in one of the brand’s buttery leather totes, seemed to be on that wavelength.
Standing under a colorful, rigginglike installation of his iconic driving shoes, Della Valle said, “I feel like I’m at home.” Did he have a little Champagne celebration like this one after pulling off the big Saks buy? All Della Valle had to say about that: “I was in my jet.”
—Darrell Hartman Continue reading
Modern Family
Vera Wang hosted the CFDA new-members cocktail party last night at her Park Avenue duplex. “It’s a banquet hall,” she joked about the grandly proportioned but mostly unfurnished rooms, which will soon undergo renovation. (One of the not so secret attractions of this annual event is the opportunity to gawk at the impressive digs of the evening’s host, who is generally chosen from the upper reaches of the Council of Fashion Designers of America.)
The added elbow room was useful in accommodating the 26 designer-strong group of new inductees. “The more people you have in a family, the more interesting the conversation,” CFDA executive director Steven Kolb said, adding, “It’s a strong bunch, diverse not just in terms of talent but also of location and age.”
Take Karen Erickson of Erickson Beamon. She’s been hard at work with her partner, Vicki Beamon, on their jewelry collection for over two decades. “I don’t like to jump into anything,” she laughed, explaining that her daughter Mandie surprised her by filling out the application forms. Menswear designer Adam Kimmel has considerably fewer years under his designer belt, but he’s contemplating branching out. “Everyone’s pushing me to do women’s,” he said. “I think I’d start by creating more tailored versions of my men’s.” No word on whether his female customers will be asked to swim with sharks, as David Blaine does in the short film Kimmel is unveiling at PS1 this weekend.
L’Wren Scott, too, is busy diversifying. She had to skip out early to catch an overnight flight back to London. On Friday morning, she’s doing a PA at Selfridges for her new Lancôme beauty line. “The most fun for me was working in the lab, seeing all the different technicians,” she said. “My only disappointment: I didn’t get a white lab coat.” This week, Scott had to settle for seeing Michelle Obama in her ivory jacquard shift dress.
—Nicole Phelps Continue reading
Halloween Beauty Fright Fest!
—Celia Ellenberg Continue reading
Getting Gorgeous
Love was in the air last night, or more literally, on the walls. Longchamp’s Madison Avenue store hosted a cocktail fête celebrating Love magazine’s recent “The Gorgeous Issue,” and all eight covers (including Gisele Bündchen, Sienna Miller, Alessandra Ambrosio, Agyness Deyn, and Lauren Hutton) were on full display. The definition of cover-girl gorgeous? “It’s somebody that, when she walks into a room, everybody turns their heads to look,” Love editor Katie Grand told us. “Maybe Agyness is the only one that may not be obvious, but when I first met her, I remember her to be striking.”
It seemed that the ability to turn heads was handy if you wanted to snag an invite, too; there was certainly no shortage of models on the premises. Joan Smalls, Jeneil Williams, Missy Rayder, and Ana Beatriz Barros all stopped by to check out the limited Love edition of Longchamp’s Le Pliage bag. And don’t forget Uma Thurman. Grand, who’s no doubt styled them all for one thing or another, was pleased with the turnout, but like everybody else, she had Halloween on the brain. “I’m going to be in L.A. at Victoria Beckham’s on Sunday. I know she does all these pumpkins on her driveway, and when you go up, it’s really quite impressive.”
—Bee-Shyuan Chang Continue reading
Gallery Hopping
The Whitney put on its party hat last night for a fundraising benefit, and for good measure, the museum’s director, Adam D. Weinberg, put on a necktie that Akris creative director Albert Kriemler had made just for him. (The Swiss label co-sponsored with AOL and Saks Fifth Avenue.) Just another night of art and fashion—one that ended up raising a cool $2.65 million.
“I think the Whitney is the dark horse in the race of New York museums—it’s the artist’s museum,” offered New York art critic Jerry Saltz during cocktail hour, as Jeff Koons, Tom Sachs, and Chuck Close circulated. It looks like this horse will finally be getting out of the gate with regards to its new downtown site, which is expected to break ground in May 2011.
Upstairs at dinner, Bronson Van Wyck had created an elegant backdrop of milky Murano glass chandeliers and white gardenias and orchids for the algorithmic digital art by C.E.B. Reas. A performance by John Legend followed dinner, after which younger guests like Claire Danes joined the exodus for the after-party downstairs, where Yigal Azrouël was moving drink-less through the crowd. “I’m running the marathon in a week and a half,” he explained.
For Upper East Siders Kate and Andy Spade, who’d come from drinks at the Carlyle, it was just another night in the neighborhood. “We walked a block there and a block here,” Andy said, adding that having a major museum around has done wonders for his personal style. “People-watching at museums and galleries, that’s how I learn how to dress.” When the Whitney opens downtown, he’ll have a bit more distance to cover.
—Darrell Hartman Continue reading
Who Are You Tricking Yourself Out As?
—Brittany Adams Continue reading