Fashion's relationship with sports has been an ongoing one, especially in New York, but even more so over the last few season's in the run up to the Olympics. While that's true, that didn't make the announcement that the CFDA have decided to team up with the New York Met any easier to understand.
The partnership aims to celebrate their respective 50th anniversaries and yesterday the first images of the pieces were released. Not all of the members were involved in the project. According to The Cut, Yigal Azrouël, Shipley&Halmos, Loomstate and Billy Reid are the designers behind the Mets-themed clothing. All of the pieces are now available on Edition01.com with the proceeds benefiting both organisations.
The CFDA Awards took place a week ago but the non-profit organisation is still in the headlines. This morning Steven Kolb announced the 26 new members of the Council of Fashion Designers of America's board.
Joseph Altuzarra, Jean-Michel Cazabat and Yvan Mispelaere are three of the new additions along with Rachel Zoe. The move is a big one for Zoe. While she has long been recognised for her styling, the appointment signifies her position as a force to be recognised with her brand too.
Kolb also confirmed that Diane von Furstenberg's run as president, which she started back in 2009, has been extended for another two years. 'Diane has done an excellent job as CFDA president,' she said. 'The time and resources she gives and the vision she has created is a huge benefit for our organisation and industry.'
Lily Collins' red carpet looks tend to be a bit hit and miss but last night at the CFDA Awards, she was on top form.
The actress chose this white-and-gold embroidered brocade dress from the Fall 2012 Marchesa collection, which was as feminine as it was interesting and different.
The CFDA Awards are less than a week away and now the confirmations of those involved are coming in thick and fast. While we already know who some of the awards are going to - Johnny Depp is receiving the style icon award and the media award is going to Garance Dore and Scott Schuman - this years presenters have remained under wraps until now.
According to WWD, Jessica Chastain will present the women's wear award to Marc Jacobs, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen for The Row or Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler. The menswear award will be presented to either Billy Reid, Simon Spurr or Patrik Ervell by Matt Bomer and Jessica Paré will present for accessories.
On a different note, who else has a feeling that Kim Kardashian will attend this year's event to make a point after Met Gala-gate?
With Scott Schuman and Garance Doré gearing up to receive the media award at this year's CFDA Awards, the pair have been in the press a lot recently. This week Schuman spoke to GQ about everything from the problems created by sitting front row at that Dolce & Gabbana show to the failings of street style blogs today. In a joint interview with Style.com, the pair criticise the eagerness that showgoers have to be photographed and Schuman talks about how he feels when people criticise them.
On choosing not to shoot purely at the shows:
SS: Other people do this and they shoot very much at the shows—and that's great and that's very fashion. Where for me, that's an element of it, but also people on the street, people in different places. Still to this day, the most fun is just getting on my bike, going out, and shooting. Sometimes I don't get anything—yesterday I didn't get anything—but it's still that absolute search and challenge to go out and see someone.
GD: He really loves that. It's really his thing. I'm not like that. It's rough! You spend hours outside—it's like hunting. You're so frustrated. You don't like that comparison?
Janice Dickinson isn't the only person that's dubious about Vogue's new health initiative. Jezebel's Jena Sauers asked Cindy Crawford whether she had any thoughts on the issue, to which she responded, 'Honestly, not really.'
According to the model, society needs to change before the industry will. 'I think that the fashion industry is in the consumer's hands because if they buy into it, nothing will change,' she argued. 'If consumers don't like it that models are too skinny, or too young and they don't buy magazines, then believe me, the magazines will have to change.' While there may be truth in that, it seems only right that the industry takes a firm stance, even if doing so is only the starting point in realising real change.
Crawford doesn't seem convinced. 'If you make too many rules - like, 'You can't work this many hours' — it doesn't work, because sometimes you have to. Sometimes you have to get up early or be prepared to do the job in the freezing cold. I think that, again though, models have to have a voice and speak up for themselves, every day, on the job ... People have to respect each other. And if you're working with someone who doesn't respect you, then leave.'
Last year we were lucky enough to have a video of Lady Gaga's acceptance speech at the CFDA Awards hit the net. Aside from the fact that Gaga told that hilarious story about Anna Wintour, the video was significant for another reason as it marked the first time that we were given access to the goings on in the annual event but now, the exclusivity is a thing of the past.
Today WWD confirmed that the ceremony will follow in the footsteps of the Met Gala and will be available for all to see. While this year's event will not be live like the Gala, it will be broadcast on Style.com on June 5, the day after it takes place and will show inside the awards as well as on the red carpet. Tim Blanks has been brought on board to host the broadcast and will be interviewing guests on the red carpet too.
The announcement of Simon Spurr's departure from his own brand last month was bizarre for several reasons. Firstly, it followed the announcement of the brand's nomination of a CFDA award and also, such fashion musical chairs doesn't commonly take place at young brands. The confusion wasn't helped by the fact that both Spurr and his co-partner Judd Nydes kept the reason for Spurr's departure close to their chest.
The pair have decided to speak out this week and dispel all of the speculation. Judd, who will remain at the company, told WWD, 'We regret Simon’s unfortunate decision to leave the company. The company plans to continue without Simon and is looking towards a bright future as its business continues to mature.' Spurr hinted that his decision to move was a result of disagreements which 'had been going on for a while now'. When asked about the next step he wasn't too forthcoming but said that he's 'looking forward with great hope and excitement toward my future within the industry as a men’s fashion designer.'
Last month rumours started circulating that CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund winner Jospeph Altuzarra is working on a capsule collection with J. Crew along with runners up Pamela Love and Creatures of the Wind. The news didn't come as surprise. Back in 2010, the high street retailer announced that they would work with the award recipients of that that year - who were Prabal Gurung, Eddie Borgo and Billy Reid - on capsule collections and today Altuzarra confirmed that the reports are true.
'So we worked on a collaboration which I think will be out in a few weeks,' he told Fashionista. 'It was a really interesting project because it was like a conflation of their language — or of their world — [and] of our world and putting it together.” As designer-high-street partnerships go, this is one I'm definitely looking forward to get my hands on. Are you?
Designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez are still affectionately referred to as the Proenza Schouler 'boys' by the fashion press but after 10 years in the business, they are far from boys. Their collections continue to be met with rave reviews and it was no surprise that their name popped up this month along with the likes of Marc Jacobs and Alexander Wang as nominees for this years CFDA Awards. Far from resting on their laurels, the pair have announced that 2012 will be a year of expansion.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times they confirmed that they will use their latest round of investment to help take the brand to the next level. That has a resulted in a Madison Avenue boutique, which is currently in the construction stage and is expected to open its doors later this year. 'For us, it's weird to go to stores and see a watered-down version of the collection," Hernandez told the paper about the brand's presence in department stores. "With our own store, we'll have the opportunity to show our whole expression of the brand." Alongside the working on the store, they have also revamped their website and made more pieces available to buy and in July, a new line of denim priced between $255 to $295 will hit stores.
