Hands up who instantly fell in love with Carine Roitfeld's luxe silk khaki coloured shirt, which she wore during Paris Fashion Week in October? Thought as much. Well, good news. It turns out it's a preview of much more to come from Equipment, the luxury shirt company, founded by Christian Restoin, (long-term partner of Carine Roitfeld). Having founded the company in the late 1970s, Restoin went on to sell it off in 1998, but with a gap in the market for such an elegant yet laid-back shirt collection, Serge Azria, CEO and creative director of Joie and Current/Elliot has decided now is the time to relaunch the brand's signature item, a silk menswear-inspired shirt finished off with two front-flap pockets.
The 135 strong collection, which will be sold at Barneys as of spring 2010, will retain its heritage look and to ensure this, Azria has brought Restoin onboard for the relaunch, as creative consultant. The two gentlemen have known each other for some time and Azria told WWD in September that, "We always talk about shirts and fashion and, of course, being in fashion, so this was a natural decision for both of us." 135 gorgeous shirts to choose from, we can barely contain our excitement.
It goes without saying that there isn't an investment buy like a classic coat, especially one that will last you not only AW09, SS10, but years to come too. Without a doubt, the camel coat fits the description. If camel isn't your colour, stick to neutrals for a classic investment piece, and pick a shape to suit. This season there's been a fair share of the new cocoon shape, but we'll be going with the timeless trench - and how could we not after seeing so many global trench styles on the new Burberry Art of the Trench website?
Not long ago, the future of the luxury fashion house Celine looked far from bright, and it seemed as though the brand would fold. Fast forward a year and things are shaping up quite nicely. Since the label acquired the talented Phoebe Philo as its creative director, not only was her debut collection for the label at Paris Fashion Week last month met with much acclaim and is now available in stores worldwide, but also she has recently revealed her master plan for the company.
Phase one of the revamp has begun and has seen a number of Celine's standalone stores close down, as according to CEO Marco Gobetti, "There are certain stores that are not adapted to the way we see the brand today, the product today and the consumer who will aspire to it." Stores such as the Bruton Street branch in London and the Madison Avenue boutique in New York have already been shut down - but fear not, as the Celine team have already found a way around this.
Whilst promoting Givenchy's new lower-priced capsule collection in Barney's last week, Riccardo Tisci proved to be as endearing as ever, explaining that he wanted to "come here [to Barneys] to meet the clients, the women who end up wearing my clothes, to talk with them and really connect with them, but this is my only public appearance this week". The collection - which is lower-priced by 40 percent - revolves around Tisci's signature white shirts and studded garments, and though it might be lower-priced, when asked if he would consider a collaboration with a high street giant, Tisci replied "It's too early. I'm still building the brand, and we want to stay on image."
The designer also hinted at details of a new secret project, which involved him designing costumes for a show to be performed in 2011 - a "combination of music and opera, [it] will travel worldwide. A project like this has been my dream." Although he couldn't say much more about the new project, Tisci did reveal a model that he loves, and has yet to work with. "The girls I cast are the girls who when I was a student made me dream. Adriana Lima, Frankie Rayder, Ana Claudia Michels . . . The one who hasn't worked out yet is Kate Moss, but I hope to work with her in the future". Another lady that Riccardo would love to work with is Ciara, after dressing her for her Fashion Rocks Rio performance last week, "Yes, she is a muse. I had never met her before, but it was one of the most amazing moments of my life. We really clicked; I can respect her as an artist and a woman and she respects me as an artist and as a man. I look forward to working with her again soon." So it looks like there is a lot in store for both Riccardo and Givenchy in the near future. In the mean time, we're off to Barney's to bag ourselves some Givenchy goodies...
Oh how we love Alexander Wang. Not only because he designs eye-wateringly stunning clothes and accessories but also because he's never afraid to speak his mind. Having drawn inspiration from American football including the team uniforms for his upcoming collection, the 25 year old wonder boy of the moment admitted at his trunk show at Barneys a few days ago that, he was not much of a sportsman at school and that, "To be honest, I didn't even know they were in the World Series", speaking about the Yankees. As to the question of why he chose American football as his theme for the next collection, he explained "After coming off of a season that felt very structured and graphic, I wanted something that had a little bit more of a nostalgic feeling."
Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci, who has just returned from the Oi Fashion Rocks festivities in Rio de Janeiro earlier this week, popped in to Barneys in New York to oversee the heavily anticipated launch of the brand's capsule collection. The 20-odd piece collection, which is to become a twice-yearly collection, and which now see pieces being sold 40 percent cheaper than previously, will predominantly focus on two main themes: the Givenchy "Romantic White Blouse" and "Studs". Shoppers even will have the opportunity to purchase a revamped version of the Bettina blouse, first created in 1952 and complete with ruffles and ribbing, as well as a series of studded, pieces ranging from leather jackets and structured dresses to trousers and accessories.
Despite having only arrived back in the states a few days earlier and only having 24 hours notice of the appearance at Barneys, the Central St Martins graduate still managed to fit in a quick interview with Fashionologie, and we just couldn't resist sharing it with you.
If you do, then you'll want to take advantage of Fashion's Night Outon Sept. 10 in New York. The Vogue-promoted, citywide shopping celebration has scads of designers and retailers planning events to lure customers. Isaac Mizrahi, for example, will christen his new shop near Madison Avenue with wine between 7.30 and 8.30 p.m., then head to Bergdorf Goodman to perform in a cabaret act. Cocktails included, naturally.
You know the saying, "I wouldn't be caught dead in that"? Barneys New York tried to show customers clothes, by Helmut Lang and A.L.C., that they would want to be caught dead in, and the department store apparently got too literal for some people's tastes.
Barneys has removed this vestibule display that features mid-murder mannequins with "blood" spattered on the window. Creative director Simon Doonan says "this clearly crossed the line".
Is this display too extreme for your taste, or do you, in a strange way, simply think it illustrates a concept well?
