I was amongst the large number of people disappointed to see Alistair CarrleavePringle of Scotland. Despite a rocky start, his last season at the brand was promising and he seemed to be finding his feet. When the news was announced, not much was said about the reason behind the decision and where he would go but now the news is out. Carr will serve as the new head of design at McQ.
The news is a big deal. Last week the brand opened their first stand alone store on London's Dover Street and of course, January will see them show their menswear collection in London for the first time during London Collections. It's safe to say, then, that, what with all of the changes, all eyes will be on Carr in the coming months. The first clue we will see about what to expect from the label under his direction will be their pre-fall 2013/14 collection.
Today, partnerships between retailers and designers on diffusion collections is the norm. With Topshop continuing to collaborate with their NEWGEN designers and Whistles teaming up with Roksanda Ilincic, it's easy to forget that Debenhams spearheaded this all. The department store is known for teaming up with British heavyweights like John Rocha and Julien Macdonald and now, they've just snapped up Marios Schwab to design four collections under their Edition concept.
The premise of Edition is simple. It allows less established designers to introduce customers to their brand at purse-friendly prices. The news comes just two days after Schwab showed his spring/summer 2012 collection at London Fashion Week to critical success and the move means that he's joining an impressive line-up. Ilincic and Jonathan Saunders have designed collections for the department store.
'It has been a great experience to introduce elements of the DNA of my lavel to a wider range of women, taking inspirations from signature pieces of my collections and adapting them into a product for a customer who is confident and knows exactly what she is looking for in her wardrobe,' the designer said in a statement. 'I wanted to introduce her and challenge her with a capsule range that incorporates my vision for the perfect dresses for all occasions.'
Gucci and Florench Welch have a great relationship. Last year the brand's creative director Frida Giannini booked the singer to front their campaign and it wasn't really a surprise. After all, Welch does look beautiful in their clothes so much so that this week, Gucci confirmed that they have teamed up with her for the second time to design the costumes for the next Florence + the Machines tour.
'Seeing Florence evolve as an artist since her last tour has been truly inspiring, and I was delighted to work with her on this new wardrobe,' Frida Giannini said in a statement. 'For her on-stage style, we wanted to create a romantic yet modern aesthetic for Florence to interpret with her dark glamour and dramatic sensuality.'
Uggs can be as chic as heels for women. Uggs are comfort shoes and it's important to have a shoe that gives you a sense of comfort. I have about 15 pair of Uggs — the same shoe, the same color. And I also have the bedroom slippers. It's my shoe of choice at this moment of 2012 — it has been my shoe of choice. I love that you noticed I'm wearing Uggs. And this is a Tom Ford bag.
Fashion week is never with a dull moment and that applies off the catwalk as it does about the clothes. This season's drama took place at the Zac Posen show. As you've probably heard, Jalouse editor Jennifer Eymere slapped the designer's PR, Lynn Tesoro, at the show after things escalated when the editor was asked to stand and far from denying the allegation, Eyemere admitted it pretty frankly to WWD. Fast forward 72 hours, though, and Tesoro was in court filing a claim against her
According to court reports, the PR filed a $1 million lawsuit in the Manhattan Supreme Court claiming 'assault, battery, emotional distress, slander and/or libel.' Eymere has since defended her actions saying that she wasn't trying to hurt Ms Tesoro (sure, because slapping someone across the face isn't intended to hurt them!), instead her aim was to humiliate her. Either way, if there's anything you can take away from this, it's think twice before messing with a fashion PR. It could prove pricey.
Diane von Furstenberg is on a high. The brand couldn't be performing any better and rumours abound that an IPO might be on the cards and it's because of this success that makes the news its creative director's departure such a surprise. Yvan Mispelaere, who joined the brand in April 2010, confirmed that he is leaving the role just two days after show the brand's S/S13 collection
'I came to DVF to help further the brand's mission and create a world-class design team. I am confident we have been able to achieve that during my time with the company,' he said in a statement. 'I can't thank Diane enough for the opportunity to work with her and such talented people. The group is now well-positioned for even greater success, and I am eager to take on my next challenge.'
I'll admit it. I'm a big sucker for Covetique. Launched last year, the website delivers a finely tuned assortment of pre-owned pieces from your favourite brands (think Stella McCartney and Isabel Marant for purse-friendly prices) and with that in mind, I come baring good news.
If you were wondering where I've been over the last few days, this is it. As of this season The Fash Pack is teaming up with Covetique to serve as their first official fashion week insider. I'll be reporting backstage and front of house at all of the big shows in London and Paris on the Covetique blog and on their Twitter and Instgram (covetiquefashion) accounts too.
You can always expect a bit of a spectacle at a Zac Posen show; after all, the pieces are made for the red carpet, but this season the spectacle wasn't just about the clothes. Naomi Campbell made a surprise appearance on the runway to open the show joined by Coco Rocha and Karolina Kurkova.
Rocha is a firm fixture on the Posen model line-up but her appearance came as a surprise as it was only last week that she said that she was taking this season off to focus on filming The Face. The fact that all three model judges walked in the show suggests that Posen may be involved in some way.
Are you excited for The Face to air and will you tune in?
New York Fashion Week is officially in full swing. During fashion month it's easy to forget that there is life outside the shows but just like fashion, Hollywood doesn't stop and this morning we're all waking up to a big story. According to People magazine, fashion favourite Blake Lively tied the knot with Ryan Reynolds in a secret wedding over the weekend.
A source confirmed to the title that the couple got married last night just outside of Charleston. According to the source, Florence Welch, who Lively met on the set of 'Gossip Girl', performed three songs at the event. As yet there's still no word about who designed her wedding dress but it's pretty safe to say that it's either Frida Giannini at Gucci or Karl Lagerfeld.
Earlier on this week it was confirmed that Savannah Miller would make a return to fashion after stepping down from the label she created with younger sister Sienna Miller back in January. Reports alleged that the new line would be unveiled during London Fashion Week but it actually took place yesterday morning and by the sounds of it, Twenty8Twelve fans have everything to be excited about.
The clothes don't seem to be a huge departure from what she did at Twenty8Twelve but unlike that brand, the pieces are a lot more affordable but great quality. Expect 'contemporary global travller' inspired knitwear jumpers priced at £40 and a good dose of outerwear for no more than £175. While the pieces are nothing different from what's already out there right now, there's no denying that the line features easy accessibly-priced pieces are worth adding to your wardrobe.
The line will be available soon exclusively on Nelly.com
