I firmly believe that Stefano Pilati is to Yves Saint Laurent what Karl Lagerfeld is to Chanel. Don't agree with me? Over the past few seasons, like Karl, Pilati has been able to take a classic powerhouse brand and continue to develop the classic elements but channel them in a modern way that is relevant. The recent success of the "New Vintage" collection for the brand is evidence of that. After being launched in Barneys this week, the collection completely sold out the same afternoon, and the brand continues to do well amongst a young generation. Still disagree with me?
One of my friends (no names) learned a quick lesson in designer-name pronunciation while working at a major American magazine. She called in a sample from a certain luxury brand headed by Marc Jacobs, then was corrected by a less than personable assistant for not sounding French enough when saying "Vuitton".
Here's your public service of the day: 15 more videos from Vancouver's Imperial Hotel Management College (random, we know) telling you just how to pronounce designer names. The sound bytes have been recorded by native speakers of French, Italian and so on, so you can officially sound like an Anna Wintour clone the next time you talk about Givenchy or Thierry Mugler.
Only a few of today's fashion designers have a near-universal following. Lagerfeld. Jacobs. Prada. In an industry known for dispassionately blowing off the masses in the constant search for "new" and "next", it takes both talent and personal star quality to make it for more than a few years.
Since 2001, when she took over Chloe from Stella McCartney, Phoebe Philo has had every fashion editor worth her car service hypnotised. Now, ladies and gents, the Barack Obama of fashion has come off a three-and-a-half-year hiatus with her debut collection for Celine.
When Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez weren't dealing with the media blitz from Kiefer Sutherland's infamous headbutt, apparently they were lining up artsy ways to display their resort collection in Italy. The new Proenza Schouler collection will be exhibited at the Pitti W pre-collection event in Florence on June 18, but instead of a runway, the designers will have three performance artists "interpreting" the looks.
One of the trio, Kalip Linzy, slotted Chloe Sevigny and Liya Kebede to star in a gender-bending video. Hint: it involves mega wigs.
Stars were out last night attending the AFI Lifetime Achievement Awards. The night was particularly special for Michael Douglas, who was the lucky actor this year to win the big award.
Camilla Alves looked naturally radiant with her curled hair and blue asymmetric draped dress, while Catherine Zeta Jones went all-out last night in support of her leading man.
Or at least that's what it seems from his watercolour-grid prints for Resort 2010. Jonathan Saunders has just expanded his product range (to include scarves, t-shirts and knitwear), and with style references from Jackie O to Carrie Bradshaw, we see quite a few people being impressed.
If there is one thing that Derek Lam is saying with his resort collection, it is to remain optimistic. It would be slightly presumptuous to assume that he is talking about the current economy, but nonetheless the collection was full of fun summer pieces that could even make Gordon Brown crack a smile.
