Stripping it back to basics, the Spring 2010 Prada campaign won't be featuring multiple models, or any high profile faces unlike the past two seasons, according to Art + Commerce - instead, Lithuanian beauty Rasa Zukauskaite will be starring in the campaign. Aged just eighteen, the up-and-coming model had walked the Prada SS10 show, as well as Alberta Ferreti, Aquilano.Rimondi, Missoni and Moschino. Add to that a Balenciaga show, it's easy to see why the fresh-faced teen is definitely one to keep a look out for.
Jimmy Choo Black Suede 'Hilde' Thigh High Boots $956
Perforated Thigh High Boots Stella McCartney £715
Thigh-high boots may have been the most unexpected trend to stick around throughout AW09, but after being flaunted by the likes of Rihanna, Madonna, Blake Lively and even Stella McCartney herself, we’re sure the warming winter boots are here to stay.
Wear with a cosy sweater dress, underneath a chic black coat a la Carine, or vamp it up with a rocky biker jacket and short shorts to get the Alice Dellal effect. There’s the classic options – thigh high, leather and heeled, or comfy suede flats – or if you’re feeling fierce like Rihanna, try the perforated Stella McCartney’s (faux leather, naturally), Hussein Chalayan's strapped pair or Topshop’s very own lace up, hiker style boots.
The catwalks of SS10 focussed entirely on the legs, with enough thigh-skimming hemlines to scare any hibernating pins, so although Spring may seem the time to dust off those legs in preparation for Summer – weather permitting – we feel it might be somewhat more sensible to invest in a good pair of thigh highs to keep those legs warm come next year.
Oh how we love Prada. The luxury brand, that has brought us some serious 'It' accessories and RTW over the past 30 years, has now created a 708 page coffee table book, 'PRADA', documenting its achievements over the past three decades.
As the brainchild of Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli, the book has been edited by both in collaboration with Michael Rock and Sung Joong, the design duo of New York based design firm 2x4, and has subconsciously been split into three parts (Inside, Outside and Middle). The Inside section documents Prada's history including the design and production process, as well as serving as a catalogue of the products and runway looks introduced to the label since Miuccia Prada's take over of the company. The Outside section on the other hand, focuses on Prada's workings in commerce, art, architecture and film whilst the rest of the tome shows a chronology of Prada ad campaigns including images from every womenswear and menswear campaign from 1987 to present. "For Prada, fashion, luxury and style go beyond producing an infinity of clothes and shoes, so the book wants to illustrate the various aspects through which Prada expresses itself,' explained Bertelli, the CEO of the label.
The book is available worldwide in Prada stores, in select bookstores and online at prada.com, priced at $150.
Model of the moment Gemma Ward has been M.I.A. for the past few months. Counting the likes of Chanel, Gucci,Valentino, Calvin Klein, Prada and Christian Dior, to name but a few, as previous clients, we were a bit surprised when the model and actress unexpectedly 'fell off the fashion radar'. That was, however, until today, when the 22-year-old model came out of hibernation to celebrate her birthday, which she shares with none other than Anna Wintour. Ward was photographed in New York's East Village with a couple of friends dressed in navy high-waisted shorts and a striped, nautical-inspired top, teamed with an on-trend leopard-print coat. We just wonder what a supermodel who ranked tenth in Forbes' 2007 list of the World's 15 Top-Earning Models will be getting for her birthday? Jealous?
Steven Meisel is an American photographer most noted for his work for Vogue US and Italia, having shot every cover of Italia since 1988. Other famous collaborations include Madonna’s album covers for ‘Like a Virgin’ and her greatest hits album GHV2, as well as shooting her for the Louis Vuitton Spring 2009 campaign. More recently he has shot fall 09 campaigns for Mulberry, Prada and Balenciaga to name a few. His images often draw upon current cultural events, art and film and have occasionally caused controversy. One such editorial was featured in Vogue Italia September 2006, which examined restricted liberties in post 9/11 America. The shoot (top left) featured models posing as terrorists, and police snipers. However despite this he is admired as being one of the most influential and forward thinking photographers of today, with models desperate to appear in his masterpieces.
Diane Kruger, Eva Mendes and Lily Collins were just a few of the fashion beauties that came out on Friday to celebrate the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalists. The afternoon consisted of tea and a fashion show held by Frederic Fekkai, with flashes of Dior, Prada and D&G dresses, the party couldn't have been prettier. The finalists were given a lot of support, with Eva Mendes admitting that she found the 'designers so inspiring', and Tracee Ellis Ross admitting that 'it's like we're looking at the future of fashion'. After studying the crowd, stylist Jeanne Yang admitted 'This is the best looking party I have ever been to', and we couldn't agree more. Anyone else simply love Diane Kruger's velvet playsuit? We're certainly lusting after it.
With so many international designer brands showing their Spring/Summer 2010 offerings at the various fashion weeks this season, we would be hard pressed to decide who to award the title of 'hottest international designer brand'. Luckiliy, we didn't have to as The Senken newspaper has just published its findings of its seasonal survey of Japanese retailers. Alexander Wang, who only launched his first full womens collection in 2007 and is currently working on his first menswear range, pipped Givenchy to the top spot having secured twice as many votes as the luxury Parisienne label. In third place was Balmain, followed by Undercover. Prada scooped 5th place ahead of Dries Van Noten, whilst 3.1 Phillip Lim, Comme des Garcons and Yves Saint Laurent came 7th, 8th and 9th respectively.
When Esteban Cortarzar left Ungaro earlier this year after producing only three collectionsonly, we wondered what would become of the label which, in the past was famed for its Parisienne chic lines and bold colours and prints. Then came Estrella Archs, a Central Saint Martins graduate with seriously impressive credentials including working at luxury fashion houses such as Prada, Emilio Pucci,Nina Ricci and Cacherel, to name but a few, as well as launching her own small signature collection in Paris in 2007.
