Yesterday Calvin Klein Collection took over Cannes yesterday to celebrate women in film with the Independent Filmmaker Project. The event, which took place in a private villa in Cannes, celebrated actresses ranging from Shailene Woodley to Jessica Chastain and guests included loyal fans of the brand like Diane Kruger and Naomi Watts.
The event was also special because came alongside the announcement that Lara Stone will continue to serve as the face of all their global advertising campaigns including their Euphoria ad, which is set to drop worldwide in October.
Minimalism has been the buzz word over the last few seasons but in the S/S12 shows editors, particularly Giovanna Battaglia, expressed their delight at seeing a movement away from the aesthetic in favour of prints and colour. Calvin Klein Collection will always be about modernity and minimalism but what Italo Zucchelli has managed to do so well is to ensure that all of these signatures are there, whilst still moving with the times as Phoebe Philo has also mastered at Celine.
As always the collection was deceivingly simple. The usual camels were there on oversized double breasted coats and tailored trousers. A generous helping of grey flannel appeared on suits in the middle and classic oversized ponchos and cashmere and mohair knitwear also featured throughout. In that respect, it was business as usual but where it got interesting was in Zucchelli's use of fabrics. The use of black alligator skin on trousers, the sleeves of jackets and mixed with cotton on simple long sleeved tops showed that minimalism can paradoxically have a maximalist feeling through the use of luxurious fabrics. The transparent nylon overlay used on a parka was evidence of the designer's ability to rework the classics in a way that is experimental but always very masculine.
The collection had an urban feeling, created by the hooded jackets, parkas and bomber jackets that all came styled with cotton white shirts. Each piece is something that you can imagine men wearing now, a feeling very much in the present compared to the designer's penchant to look to the future.
Gwyneth Paltrow looked absolutely stunning in this gold dress from Calvin Klein Collection. After the success of her performance at the Grammys last month, the actress took to the stage to pefrom again last ight, singing 'Coming Home' from her latest movie 'Country Strong.
Francisco Costa's latest show got us excited for two reasons: Minimalism is back and has now been interpreted by the designer who does it best, and in the process, the man brought Lara Stone to the runway. The latter point isn't exactly shocking, as the Dutch model is the face of three Calvin Klein campaigns, but give us a break - we were pleased. Calvin Klein Collection's spring offerings are perfectly pared-down, with emphasis on Spring's big "colour," white, and each piece had all the nuances that prevented minimalistic from feeling bare.
The lines were simple, the fit was impeccable, and the sexiness was still there. (We challenge anyone to wear a black dress with a near J.Lo-plunge at the neckline and not turn a few heads.) Pops of interest were added with a few pieces in navy blue and blood orange, with the palette otherwise sticking to white, cream and black. Sheer panels inserted at the neck in a few instances confirmed that the sheer trend isn't gone just yet...but as with everything else, Costa did it his way.
Sienna Miller graced the cover of American Vogue's July issue, which has just hit newsstands, in this red Calvin Klein Collection asymmetric red dress.
On never being on a real date: "I've actually never been taken on a date in my whole life. I have never had a one-night stand. I'm a real relationship person — contrary to public perception…I get kind of emotionally involved very quickly, and I'm not going to spend time with someone unless I love them. But it's not hard for me to fall in love."
On watching herself in The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, which she filmed in 2006: "I don't think I feel comfortable getting naked now. I can see where I made the decision to make that film three years ago, but then you grow up and evolve and your tastes change. I was in this period where I was making movies back-to-back because I didn't want to be at home. Anything to not be in London. I was running away (from the Jude Law situation). Seeing that film felt like a few steps back."
