The launch of Carine Roitfeld's new magazine, CR Fashion Book, hasn't been without its controversies. As you will know, Condé Nast reportedly banned several photographers, models and stylists from collaborating with the former Vogue Paris editor but despite all of that, Roitfeld is flying high. The preview of the issue has gone down well and this weekend, just about everyone turned up to congratulate her at the party she hosted to celebrate the debut issue.
'It's very different from my last party,' she told The Cut, having a look at the guests in the marble-floored atrium of the Frick Museum. Around the same time last year Roitfeld through a karaoke party to celebrate her Barneys campaign at a strip club on the West Side Highway so basically the polar opposite of this year's swanky 'do. 'I want to do something different, more classic,' she said about the formal Mercedez Benz-sponsored black tie event. 'After all, I am a grandma now.'
To say that the launch of Carine Roitfeld's new magazine CR Fashion Book has been highly anticipated would be a serious understatement. The last few months have been full of speculation about what we can expect along with controversy surrounding those reports about Condé Nast banning their stylists and photographers from contributing to the publication. Now the wait is over because the cover has been revealed and the issue is set to drop on September 13.
Kate Upton was shot by Bruce Weber for the cover carrying five chicks, in line with the issue's rebirth theme, and her appearance doesn't come as a surprise. Back in June reports began to emerge that Roitfeld had snapped her up particularly after she booked the Sports Illustrated model to walk in that amfAR fashion show in Cannes. And besides, we know that Carine likes models a good curvy blonde (hello Lara Stone) and Upton is just that.
'Maybe people will be surprised that she was my first cover, but you know, I always like to surprise people,' she told The Daily Beast. 'I wanted someone with a sensual body, someone who could be a mother of all these babies. Honestly, from the first time I worked with her - I saw in Sports Illustrated some pictures she did with Terry Richards. I would not say she's a controversial model, but she's not a classic model, and I like that.'
There's no doubt about it; Iris Apfel is quite the style icon. Aside from her jewellery, eyewear and make-up collection for MAC, Apfel recently donated 600 items from her wardrobe to showcase in an exhibition in her honour and during this year's Met Gala, industry figures like Jenna Lyons said that she would be the perfect person to take the reigns at Schiapparelli.
While the latter remains very unlikely, what we do know it that that much anticipated documentary is complete and about to launch. Last week the trailer dropped and if you were not already excited about it, you definitely will after watching it. Anyone that's followed her over the years will know that, like Karl Lagerfeld, she does give a good one liner so expect lots of those along with special cameos from Bruce Weber and Duro Oluwu and an interesting glimpse into her home and relationship with husband Carl Apfel.
2012 is proving to be a big year for Opening Ceremony. This year marks their 10th anniversary, recently we reported that the store is coming to London this summer and today WWD confirmed that it will launch a fashion and culture magazine this August.
'As magazine fanatics, O.C. founder Humberto Leon and myself are aiming to create a collectible publication for a new generation, something beautiful and special n the vein of Benetton’s ‘Colors,’ Comme des Garçons’ ‘Six’ and Joe McKenna’s ‘Joe',' co-founder Carol Lim said in an internal memo. 'We want to make a magazine that will appeal to kids in Nebraska as much as industry people.' The magazine will be called OC and each issue will be based around a theme, the first of which is a tribute to the Olympics. Leading photographers like Tim Barber and Bruce Weber have already signed up to contribute.
When Miuccia Prada cast 14 year-old Hailee Steinfeld as the face, many criticised that the actress was too young evoking the whole young-models-and-stars-dominating-fashion-ads debate that never seems to go away.
But the brand decided to go in a different direction for their fall 2011 campaign by casting 34 year-old Guinevere Van Seenus. Shot by David Sims, the campaign moved away from the 40s feeling of the Bruce Weber S/S12 ad in favour of a stark look shot in a studio. Is the move surprising? Well, not really. It's no secret that older women, especially during this trying economic times, are the ones with the largest disposable income so whilst the Steinfeld campaign was beautiful, casting Van Seenus is clearly a smart business move.
If, like us, you fell in love with Miuccia Prada's collection for Miu Miu this season not to mention Hailee Steinfeld's campaign for the brand shot by Bruce Weber, you'll definitely like the brand's eyewear offerings for fall.
The collection draws on the 1940's film noir reference from the campaign featuring acetate thick framed cat-eye shapes that will hit stores in September.
Since Emmanuelle Alt was appointed editor of Vogue Paris, we've all been wondering what direction that magazine will taker under her direction. During the couture shows, she told Hilary Alexander that the magazine will be "the same but different", while back in January, Fabien Baron (Vogue Paris' creative director until just two years ago) predicted that the publication will become more commercial and accessible than under Carine Roitfeld's reign.
The editor recently revealed more on her plans to Vogue's Mark Holgate. “I want to keep the quality, the photographers we work with — David [Sims], Mert and Marcus, Mario [Testino], and Bruce Weber," she explained. "I don’t think there should be radical changes. The magazine should still be chic and sophisticated. It’s a bit like buying an apartment: Before you move in, you have all these plans of what you are going to do, but then you get there, and you realize it is better to spend time living in it, and transforming it over time. I’d like there to be more beauty trends; there was so much of that in Vogue back in the eighties. More French girls, more French lifestyle. And I am going to keep shooting for the magazine — hopefully a story every issue."
We're big fans of Bottega Veneta...really big fans. So you can imagine our delight when the brand announced that they're venturing into the fragrance world yesterday.
Nine d'Urso - daughter of Karl Lagerfeld's muse Inés de la Fressange - will front the scent's campaign, set to be shot by Bruce Weber. "I chose Nine to introduce this fragrance because there is something classically elegant about her, yet she is totally modern," Tomas Maier, the brand's creative director. "She conveys a sense of heritage worn lightly but with respect."
French ELLE were amongt the first to do it, and now other magazines seem to be following suit on the unretouched bandwagon. The latest cover of Vanity Fair Italy sees a completely unretouched Marion Cotillard shot by Bruce Weber.
