Sunday, July 31, 2011

A First Look at Balmain's More Affordable Line, Pierre Balmain










Balmain's new, more affordable line, Pierre Balmain, doesn't start hitting stores until early December, but a first look at the debut collection, for Spring 2012 — is in order.The new line covers everything from eveningwear to daywear, tailoring to jeans, and will be created by a separate design team from Olivier Rousteing, who is set to concentrate exclusively on the higher-end Balmain label. As Balmain chairman and CEO Alain Hivelin explains the dichotomy, Rousteing will make the “quintessentially Parisian” main collection “even more sophisticated and couture-like — without, of course, renouncing that ‘rock’ aesthetic that has been so important for us these the last few years." Whereas: "The Pierre Balmain collection translates the codes of Balmain in a more casual and relaxed manner ... We see Pierre Balmain as a new and distinct brand that is inspired by the successes and history of a great house, but offers a look and product that respond to the needs and desires of today’s marketplace.”

Prices for Pierre Balmain — in light of the Balmain mainline's infamously sky-high prices — are to range from 120 euros ($172) for T-shirts and 250 euros ($363) for jeans up to 900 euros ($1,291) for eveningwear.



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Nicola Formichetti Planning To Launch His Own Brand in 2012





Nicola Formichetti is starting to give Karl Lagerfeld a run for his money in the how-many-projects-can-I-simultaneously-take-on game. Formichetti, who currently acts as Lady Gaga's stylist, Mugler's creative director, and fashion director for both Uniqlo and Vogue Hommes Japan, recently revealed: "I’m launching my own brand next year." Formichetti, who is planning "Nicola's," a pop-up store in Manhattan to coincide with New York Fashion Week (located at 57 Walker Street from Sept. 8–21), promises that the store will showcase "a sneak preview of what’s coming up in the future" for his namesake brand.



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Proenza Schouler Stake Officially Sold To Theory Founder Andrew Rosen





As suggested, after more than a year of negotiations, Permira has finalized the sale of its stake in Proenza Schouler to a group of investors that include Theory founder Andrew Rosen and John Howard.

According to a statement from Proenza Schouler, the new partnership is a "recapitalization" of the label and will allow it "to enter a new phase of development.” Valentino Fashion Group (which is owned by Permira and bought the 45 percent stake in Proenza Schouler in 2007 for $3.7 million) will keep a minority share in the new partnership.

“We are thankful to VFG for giving us a start, and allowing us to get where we are today,” Jack McCollough, Lazaro Hernandez, and Proenza Schouler CEO Shirley Cook said in a joint statement. “There’s so much we’d like to accomplish and have found the perfect complement in John and Andrew to help us realize our dreams.”

Rosen and Howard, meanwhile, jointly commented: “When we look at the current state of American fashion, we see the next generation focused in the advanced contemporary space. We believe that the Proenza business is the future of American luxury, and uniquely poised to compete in a global marketplace, which is currently dominated by European designers. In infusing this brand with our resources and experience, we will position this business to achieve its full potential."

This is a personal investment for Rosen, who also hold similar investments in Alice + Olivia, Gryphon, and Rag & Bone.



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Friday, July 22, 2011

Vogue Tops Other Fashion Magazines in September Ad Pages, Has Plans for a New Website





Vogue's September 2011 issue will boast 584 ad pages, with an increase of 50 pages — or 9.3 percent — over its September 2010 issue (By comparison, Vogue had its all-time high — pre-recession — in 2007, with 727 ad pages.). Elle's September 2011 issue was down 6.8 percent to 350 ad pages; Harper's Bazaar came in at 308, a 2.2 percent gain; and W increased 3 percent to 255 pages. When announcing the magazine's numbers yesterday, Vogue publisher Susan Plagemann added that Vogue plans to roll out another website aside from Vogue.com in December, but she wouldn't give further details.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

LVMH Originally Approached Phoebe Philo To Design Her Own Label





Phoebe Philo was very adamant about coming back to fashion on her own terms — that includes working out of London rather than Paris, and having reasonable work hours, she tells The Independent: "I think that's a discipline I've taught myself. We're just organised. Everybody in this building knows when I arrive and when I leave and the important things are done within those hours. That's just the way it is. And it works." She continues: "I have a fantastic team and it's much easier having children, because that creates a natural limit. If I have a good time with them before they go to sleep, it's worth everything to me."
A few more quotes from the rare Philo interview, below.
On not allowing media backstage at her runway shows: "Once the show has happened there's no need to control any image, but I don't like the idea of people sending out images before we've even done it. We don't allow anyone to do that. I don't like all that 'model backstage standing around having her picture taken in a stupid pose.'"
On being interviewed: "I just feel it's really unnecessary ... I think that the clothes say it all much better than I can. I always find it strange after a show when everybody comes backstage and says: 'What was it all about'? It's like: 'You've just seen it. What do you mean?' My instinct is to say: 'What did you think? What did you get from it?' And yet they want you to fill in even more. To me, the show is quite a complete story. There's nothing more for me to say and, anyway, it doesn't matter what it was meant to say. It's out there. It can be whatever anyone watching it thought it was, surely."
On being approached by LVMH: "I was heavily pregnant with my second child and LVMH contacted me to find out what I was up to. I remember having this huge tummy. We agreed it wasn't the right time to go into details, but I said I was looking at going back to work at some point. So, I had my baby, and I think when he was four months old and I was ready, the conversation began again. We looked at a business model for [a completely new, eponymous brand for Philo]. We talked about the products I wanted to do and the vision I had for it. And then Celine came into the picture. LVMH seemed very happy to allow me to do everything I would have done for my own label there, basically giving me the same amount of control, and it just felt right. It's never been important to me that my name is above shop windows, and I get a lot of comfort out of having something I can stand behind. Let Celine be the name and the front of it, and I just quietly come to work every day and get on with it. It's nice. It fits."


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Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Jean Paul Gaultier Autumn/Winter 2012 Mens Haute Couture Collection.

For three decades now, Jean Paul Gaultier has strived to keep fun within fashion. Sometimes his quirky take on clothes has seen him sidelined in the grand scheme of things.

Thirty years later however he's still laughing and selling more clothes (and perfumes) than many of his contemporaries now long gone.
At his lavish show today in a salon near the Pompidou Centre, the designer who first proposed skirts for men in the 1980's was still being controversial - and playing on the androgyny theme. More than fifty per cent of clothes shown were menswear, a ploy to flag up the fact he was to launch a new menswear fragrance called Kokorico (the French way of saying cock a doodle do).

These included foppish dandy-ish capes and shiny black satin tail coats, worn over quilted skirts or jewel encrusted leggings.





















































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