Back in May, Zac Posen managed to perhaps inadvertently upset his American fans (particularly those loyal New Yorkers) by declaring that he would like to show in Paris this following season, where he feels his clothes are better understood. So while this season will be the first for Posen to show in the French Capital - "I always thought this was the city I was meant to work in after graduating from Central St Martins," he tells British Vogue - the young designer will still be around at New York Fashion Week, with his lower-priced line, Z-Spoke.
The move makes sense, seeing as Z-Spoke is stocked in Saks Fifth Avenue, and so he will show on the Saturday evening at the Stage in Lincoln Centre. It doesn't seem like his show in New York is to soften the blow to his fans in the US, however, as he recently added, "Z Spoke is about creating a new American look which is effortlessly fun and playful. Collection is emotional - all about textures, construction and techniques which are true to the legacy of French fashion."
After winning the ANDAM award Giles Deacon jumped ship and moved over to Paris to show his signature line. We've all missed him over the last few seasons but this may come to an end because he will allegedly return to London in September to show his S/S11 collection.
The speculation began after Hilary Alexander discussed the possibility on her Twitter account. "Giles Deacon may return to show his own collection at London fashion week in September as he shows his 1st collection for Ungaro in Paris," he said.
It's fair to say that young designer Zac Posen (who some have even nicknamed the boy wonder) has been given a fairly hard time in New York of late. The Times claimed recently that his only talent was designing dresses flattering to many women's bodies, branding Posen "a showman trying to project a sense of grandness", whilst the Wall Street Journal asked his own mother - and chairman to his company - if she believed her boy had grown up, to which she replied "Of he feels that way".
To add insult to injury, not only is Posen struggling to get the slot he wants for New York Fashion Week, but much of his Z Spoke line can be found taking up most of the sale rails at Saks. Hardly surprising, then, that the New York based designer wants to give Paris a try, as he was overheard telling a visitor to his showroom this week "the understand my clothes".
Last Milan Fashion Week, officials found themselves piled under with a frenzy of telephone calls and emails from Italian houses, desperately trying to reschedule their catwalk shows after Anna Wintour made the shock announcement that she planned on staying for only three days of the proposed seven day schedule. For the SS11 shows, however, the biggest names in Italian fashion - including Prada, Armani and other "unmissables" - are joining forces, agreeing to show evenly over the week, so that press, buyers and even the queen of Vogue herself will have to stay for the full seven days.
"The agreement by the major designers, which protects the emerging ones as well, has been reached with the mediation of Camera della Moda and demonstrates that we Italians, if we really want it, are perfectly able to assert ourselves without fear in order to enhance what the world acknowledges to be a rich and inimitable creative heritage" Giorgio Armani tells Vogue, whilst Patrizio Bertelli, chief executive of Prada adds, "Milan Fashion Week is of fundamental importance. Today we have made a significant step forward which goes in the right direction: in fact, it underlines a sense of belonging we have been afraid of losing because of recent controversies."
Damrosch Park, the new location for New York Fashion Week. Image courtesy of The Cut
Whilst many of us have barely recovered from the long days of the AW10 fashion weeks, the CFDA are planning ahead with their new standards for the coming SS11 shows. Come September, New York Fashion Week is set to coincide with Jewish holiday Rosh Hashanah (the holiday that celebrates a new year in the Jewish calendar), and so the council has sent out a memo, promising to be sensitive to Jewish designers who may not want to show over the two-day event.
Alongside the pledge to take Rosh Hashana into account, the CFDA has also requested that all designers stick firmly to their time allocated, as the swapping and changing of one show affects a multitude of others. Should this work, it will save showgoers running all over town in the frantic fashion we are used to, and so along with the suggestion that designers should make use of off-site venues close to the Lincoln Centre, our tired and heel clad feet should have less aches and pains come when arriving for London Fashion Week.
Just four days after announcing that both Michael Herz and Graeme Fidler had resigned from British heritage label Aquascutum to 'focus on new projects', rumours are arife with the news that the pair may take over creative directorship at Bally. The rumours coincide with the announcement that Brian Atwood - the previous creative director for Bally - had shown his last collection as Fashion Week Dailyreports that the label wants to put more focus into their ready-to-wear collection.
Although a representative for Bally refused to comment on the news, it is said that Atwood's ready-to-wear designs hadn't been having the same success that his accessories at the brand had, and so it seems logical for the label to bring in Herz and Fidler at this time, who were responsible for helping Aquascutum regain some energy recently. The duo are said to present their first collection for Bally for SS11, in Milan.
We've seen a recent boom in the trend of 'actress-turned-designer' of late, some working out better than others (we need mention no names). However, actresses, step aside. It might be time for the 'model-turned-designer' status to become the latest thing. Both Agnyess Deyn and Jessica Stam have signed up to design small collections, though unlike their actress counterparts, both models are set only to do one-off collections, meaning that we needn't worry so much.
Deyn has signed up to create a collection of 11 items, including dresses, knit, scarves, t-shirts and leggings, with a price range from $212 to $307, in collaboration with Barney's Japan. The range will be available from March 13 at the Kobe and Shinjuku Barney's stores in Japan, and is part of Barney's environmental campaign Go Green Go. Stam, on the other hand, has signed up to design a capsule collection consisting of a jean, cardigan and handbag for Rachel Rachel Roy. Her collection will be unveiled at New York Fashion Week in September, and will be available from October - and the model is set to rely on Twitter and Facebook updates to promote the collection.
Although she won't reveal the name of her new line - "I can't even give you a clue, cause it's so good!" - Coco Rocha hopes to be showing her mysterious label at New York Fashion Week come September. Talking to The Daily at the third-annual Supima design competition, the Canadian beauty related to the design contestants and their pre-show nerves, and revealed that she'd like her collection to be aired as soon as the SS11 Fashion Week.
"Actually, we really can’t talk about the line’s name because it’s still in the final, last-minute phase with lawyers putting things together. I’m hoping that in 2010 I will have my own presentation in September," Rocha explained. Wondering what the collection will look like? "I love the 1800s, costume-y, but elegant, Victorian-inspired clothes. When you wear that style out today, it’s definitely considered costume. I’m trying to take pieces and elements of that era and put it into a modern woman. I also believe 100% that we need affordable clothing. High fashion affordable—that is my big goal for this coming summer." We like the sound of that, Coco. Now, who can guess the name?
