Provocative adverts and the fashion industry often go hand in hand. Unfortunately however, American Apparel appears to have crossed the line of what is accepted, in it's new advertisements for fleeced hooded tops which, see the model dressed in a fleece and shorts. The six photos in the series get progressively more 'risque' with the final shot showing the model's nipple partially exposed.
Due to a complaint from a reader who had seen the advert on the back cover of Vice Magazine, the Advertising Standard Authority has ruled that the advert was inappropriate as the model appeared to be under the age of 16 and "the photographs suggested that she was stripping off for an amateur-style photo shoot... because the ad could be seen to sexualise a model who appeared to be a child". The ASA concluded that the ad was "inappropriate and could cause serious offence to some readers".
American Apparel have released a statement confirming that the model was in fact 23 years old and that the images were not intended to cause offence but instead to show the varying ways the fleece could be worn.
October is the month to invest in a copy of Wallpaper Magazine, if you are not already a fan. Not only has the magazine enlisted the help of Philippe Starck and Karl Lagerfeld to create and edit the cover and editorial for the October 2009 Issue, but Lagerfeld has once again selected his muse of the moment, Baptiste Giabiconi to star on the cover and in the 27 page editorial inside the magazine.
The cover shot, to the naked eye, sees Giabiconi dressed in Dior-Homme however, the creative duo have cunningly added an extra layer of paper over the magazine which, when peeled off, reveals a naked Giabiconi. The rest of the editorial is not quite as scandalous as the cover though, as it sees Giabiconi in a number of varying settings including the Queen's Theatre in Versailles.
Louis Vuitton’s in-house jewellery designer, the impossibly chic Camille Miceli, who was the brains behind the plastic paper-chain necklaces on Louis Vuitton’s A/W 09 show, has been named Artistic Director of Christian Dior’s Costume Jewellery and Artistic Advisor to the Management for Several Leather Goods Lines, as revealed by Fashion and Runway.
“My years at Louis Vuitton were a turning point in my life. Marc Jacobs gave me the opportunity to express my creativity through jewels and accessories. I have always had a profound admiration and attraction for the house of Dior, whose history, creativity and modernity are symbols of elegance. I am very eager to express my own sensibilities through the house’s codes,” Miceli said.
Miceli will be making the move over to Dior in October this year, joining the likes of John Galliano, Kris Van Assche, and Victoire de Castellane. We look forward to seeing what she creates this S/S10.
As we reported this week,is th Victoria Beckham is the cover girl for ELLE's 'Personal Style' October issue, instead of American Vogue as was previously reported. In the interview Victoria talks about everything from her insecurities to her new look.
On being perceived as a cold person: “People think I’m a moody bitch. I do have my insecurities. Maybe that is why I look a little bit serious. The kind of person who’s going to stand on the red carpet and love the attention and have the big grin—I’m just not like that. I want to get in there, do what I’ve got to do, and get home to my kids.”
Contrary to recent reports Jourdan Dunn, who is about 5 months pregnant, will not walk the runway during fashion week.
Rumours started after her comp card was added in her agency's show package. However, The Cut confirmed that a representative from Women agency in New York confirmed the she will sit this season out.
Kim Kardashian's star has grown brighter and brighter over the last few years and is set to shine even brighter, since she landed the role of Contributing Beauty Editor at OK! Magazine.Already established as a boutique owner, tv personality, perfumier and overall business mogul in the making, becoming a beauty editor is a new project that is bound to further raise her profile.
In her new role, she will be sharing up to the minute beauty tips and information with readers and will embark on the venture during New York Fashion Week in Spring 2010- bringing readers 'all access' backstage interviews and videos. Watch this space.
Thom Browne; Marcus Wainwright and David Neville of rag & bone
Thom Browne, best known for his shrunken suits, is expanding his brand with two lower-priced lines. Perhaps that's more economical, since his normal slim-cut trousers retail for about $2,000. Changes really are in the wind for Browne, who has sold a minority stake in his company and hired Josh Sparks to replace his former CEO, who left in May without much notice.
Expect prices to be 30 to 40 percent cheaper than Browne's normal rates with the new lines, informally called "classics" and "red/white/blue". (Real line names haven't been released.) Browne tells WWD his lower-priced clothes "will still be for that Thom Browne guy, but now that guy will have things to wear every day for every occasion".
On a similar note, rag & bone's Marcus Wainwright and David Neville are branching out. They've opened a new store - their biggest - in New York's Mercer Street, and insiders reveal the line drew in $20 million wholesale for women's wear, compared to an expected $10 million, for the past year. A new rag & bone/JEAN line and rag & bone/SHIRT line will launch for spring, with prices set at $70 to $80.
The latest issue of i-D features four models of colour (Chanel Iman, Arlenis Sosa, Jourdan Dunn and Sessilee Lopez), and Bethann Hardison says that's a step in the right direction. This week, the model agent hosted Paradigm Shift, an informal meet-and-greet for models and casting directors to discuss how to make that more of a norm.
“It was important that we set the wheels in motion in the spirit of things,” Hardison told Modelinia. “Paradigm shifts are about taking a leap and making change. And making permanent change, but you have to work at it.”
Models like Tyson Beckford and Damaris Lewis showed up to the event, along with casting directors including Anita Bitton and James Scully. Hardison must have gotten really wrapped up - she even broke her fast for Ramadan that night.
After leaving Bill Blass, is Peter Som headed to Tommy Hilfiger? Maybe, although details are pretty cloudy now. Hilfiger reportedly is it talks with the designer to bring him on as a part-time creative consultant. TH has been looking for a creative director since 2007, according to WWD.
Som left Blass, where he served as women's wear creative director, last year - and also cut ties with his then-backer, a Lord & Taylor subsidiary called Creative Design Studios. Currently, he has a licensing deal with Milan clothing manufacturer Margon and ADC, a New York-based multiline showroom.
