Fashion Week spring 2010: Elie Tahari
Elie Tahair spring 2010 runway show in New York.(AP PHOTO)
Here’s a Fashion Wire Daily report on the Elie Tahari spring 2010 show.
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If you really want to get a handle on what American women might be wearing next spring then a good place to start is with Elie Tahari, whose latest crisp and clean collection suggested that practical elegance will be a fashion buzz term of 2010.
Tahari has never been a super directional designer, but when it comes to interpreting affordable chic, he has an extremely good track record. His latest ideas were largely inspired by North Africa, so Saharan hues dominated in this collection, presented in his mid town Manhattan headquarters on Thursday, the first official day of the eight-day New York runway season.
“I was seeing Morocco, its desert colors, its romance,” Tahari explained to FWD as a swarm of retailers and editors swung by to see the presentation. Unveiled on a sandy colored catwalk, the collection was all about natty American sportswear, with lots of cool, clever and approachable looks that did not demand too much nerve for women to wear.
His best ideas were low-slung trousers, cut with forgiving curves but never too much attitude, great little linen shorts paired with super light boucle bolero jackets, and jodhpur style pants with fabric belts, shown with crisp cotton tanks. Finished with lots of gold, in liquid looking tunics or splashed on to T-shirts and ruffle shirts, and complimented with cork high heels and purses, this was a smooth statement of plausible style.
Elie Tahari spring runway show in New York. (AP PHOTO)
Tahari also showed men’s looks in this collection, and though not as strong as his women’s ideas, there were plenty of hip new looks. Men’s wear designers have been conjuring up sporty nylon bomber jackets with semi-transparent fabrics for q couple of seasons without, however, really convincing that many men to actual wear them. Tahari, however, sent out a series of off-on-a-date and on-to-the-nightclub looks that will win plenty of fans among downtown gents.
“We’ve been working hard to respond to the market, either by reducing our price points or creating clothes in colors like sand and beige that will be longer wearing,” added Tahari, who expects this collection to retail in 300 locations.
Giving the people what they want is sometimes derided in fashion circles as being predictable, but in the current climate it seems to make lots of sense, especially, as was the case in this show, the clothes flatter and fall with an admirably jaunty aplomb.
Elie Tahari spring runway show in New York. (AP PHOTO)
Elie Tahari spring runway show in New York. (AP PHOTO)
Elie Tahari spring runway show in New York. (AP PHOTO)Elie Tahari spring runway show in New York. (AP PHOTO)
Elie Tahari spring runway show in New York. (AP PHOTO)
Fashion Week spring 2010: John Bartlett
Claiborne by John Bartlett for spring 2010.
Guys, get read to show some color for spring. John Bartlett dipped into his box of crayons and came up with oranges, blues, pinksand greens for his Claiborne by John Bartlett collection.
Claiborne by John Bartlett for spring 2010.
Claiborne by John Bartlett for spring 2010.
Claiborne by John Bartlett for spring 2010.
Shoe designer Donald Pliner coming to Dillard’s
Donald J. Pliner, footwear and handbag designer
Mark your calendar. Shoe and handbag designer Donald Pliner is coming to Dillard’s, Penn Square, on Oct. 30. This is big news. The store is buzzing.
I interviewd Pliner more than 10 years ago when he made a personal appearance at Balliet’s. I’m looking forward to interviewing him again. Even better, I’ve been invited to have dinner with him.
Tulsa native and supermodel Amber Valletta to launch clothing line
Supermodel Amber Valletta
Supermodel Amber Valletta, who grew up in Tulsa, will launch her own clothing line in November.
She’s collaborating with Los Angeles contemporary label Monrow. Called Amber Valleta for Monrow, the first collection will include thin layering T-shirts and tanks, day dressses, tailored blazers and a fringed cape in a navy, cream, black, light gray and pale blush palette, Women’s Wear Daily reports.
“I’m not interested in making clothes that are not accessible … I really believe that the more expensive things should be gems that you keep in your closet, not trends,”Valletta told WWD.
Retail prices aren’t available yet; wholesale prices are from $65 to $80.
While Valletta will be adding designer to her resume, she’s staying busy as an actress, too. Her next film, “The Spy Next Door” with Jackie Chan, George Lopez and Billy Ray Cyrus, opens in January 2010.
John Galliano for Dior … inspiring collection
John Galliano for Dior's haute couture fall 2009 fashion collection, presented in Paris.
John Galliano, designer for Christian Dior, got a lot of help with his haute couture fall show in Paris. His inspiration was photos of an earlier generation of models. He happened upon archive photos featuring Monsieur Dior with a group of his favorite models in various sages of undress, according to The Daily Fix.
“We even discovered an image of Marlene Dietrich in a tuxedo with suspender straps attached to the bottom, the better to keep the jacket perfectly tight. Once I saw that, I was flying,” laughed Galliano, dressed in dark Brioni three-piece suit.
The result was a spectacular show staged in the upstairs salon of Dior’s classic headquarters on avenue Montaigne, where half the models appeared in tights with underwear, knickers, panties, straps or corsets in flesh tones or polkadots. Worn with a series of boleros, trench-dresses and reefer jackets, the overall look was sinfully racy, said The Daily Fix.
Galliano also enjoyed a great assist from hatter Stephen Jones, who created enormous bow-tie hats and feathered numbers.
Read the entire story from The Daily Fix here.
From John Galliano for Dior's haute couture fall 2009 show.AP PHOTO
John Galliano for Dior's haute couture fall 2009. AP PHOTO
John Galliano for Dior haute couture fall 2009. AP PHOTO
John Galliano for Dior haute couture fall 2009. AP PHOTO
Paris fashion designer Christian Lacroix files for bankruptcy
French fashion designer Christian Lacroix.
Hard times continue to impact high-end fashion businesses. Designer Christian Lacroix has filed for bankruptcy protection. Here’s the story from Fashion Week Daily.
(NEW YORK) Christian Lacroix has filed for court protection from creditors, equivalent to a voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing in the U.S. The company, a former LVMH brand founded in 1987 by Lacroix and Bernard Arnault, was sold in 1995 to the Florida-based Falic Group, owners of duty free chain Duty Free Americas. “We think it’s very well positioned,” chairman Simon Falic told WWD at the time of the acquisition. “So much money has been invested in this brand, and Mr Lacroix is such a highly-regarded talent in the fashion industry. I honestly believe we can double the sales volume in five years, maybe sooner.”
Lacroix’s reputation as one of Paris’ most relevant couturiers led the company to focus directly on the luxury market, a move that offers little for customers looking increasingly towards bridge collections. “Since the acquisition of Christian Lacroix SNC, we have been committed to the brand and to its high-end development,” said Lacroix CEO Nicolas Topiol in a statement released today. “We will continue to do so but the sharp downturn of the luxury market has significantly hurt our revenues.”
The company has pledged to continue producing both couture and ready-to-wear collections, even promising to show a small couture collection during July’s couture season, but the future of the Lacroix is in limbo. Ready-to-wear sales for the Fall 2009 season were down 35 percent, with 2008 losses of $14 million on overall revenues of approximately $42 million. Plans to strengthen the company by way of financial partners and investors have been put on hold. Topiol’s statement continued, “this process, which was in its final phase, was directly hit by the conditions of the financial markets and could not be finalized prior to the filing.”
In addition to Christian Lacroix’s fashion business, the brand has branched out into other projects, from decor for the French TGV to hotel interiors and uniforms for Air France. It is unknown whether the company will continue to participate in these other projects.
Anna Sui limited-edition collection comes to Target
Anna Sui at Target? If you’re thinking only in your dreams, wake up. Anna Sui is coming to Target.
Target reeled in Anna Sui in the second series of Designer Collaborations, an initiative that features well-established designers who draw inspiration from a collaborative partner, muse or creative element. The Anna Sui for Target collection is inspired from the female characters on televison’s wildly popular series “Gossip Girl.”
The collection will launch at 500 Target stores nationwide and on target.com on Sept. 13, and will be in stores through Oct. 17.
The first Designer Collaboration was with Alexander McQueen.
Designers look at ways to control their brand, prices, discounts
Sales have been rampant for months and months. Deep discounts since before Christmas. Even now new merchandise comes into the stores and is immediately marked down. Shoppers are getting used to not paying full price, but some designers have had enough. Here’s an interesting read in the Wall Street Journal about how some designers are trying to take back control of their products and their prices.
Carmen Marc Valvo Home to launch on QVC on April 18
Carmen Marc Valvo Home collection will launch April 18 on QVC.
Fashion designer Carmen Marc Valvo will launch his new home decor collection on QVC on April 18.
Carmen Marc Valvo Home , created exclusively for the QVC, will debut at 10 a.m. with an eclectic assortment of tablewear, serving pieces and decorative accents with prices ranging from $20 to $150.
Much of the colleciton was inspired by Valvo’s own Hamptons beach house, which has been featured in several magazines.
“I believe that the home, like fashion, is an extension of a person’s personality,” he said. “My collection was designed to work with the natural aesthetic of the living space while allowing for the homeowner’s individual style to shine through.”
Signature pieces include a decorative beaded mosaic pillow, set of two cottonwood nesting bowls and four-piece stackable glass vase set.
For more information, go online to www.qvc.com.
Listen up — designer Isaac Mizrahi lands on the radio
Designer Isaac Mizrahi
Designer Isaac Mizrahi, Target’s one-time boy wonder and now the guy everyone hopes will breathe new life into Liz Claiborne, is going to do a stint on the radio. He’ll host Isaac Mizrahi: Tell Me Everything, an exclusive five-week series of live call-in shows on Martha Stewart Living Radio.
The radio show will kick from 6 to 7 p.m. April 6 through May 14, exclusively on Martha Stewart Living Radio, SIRIUS channel 112 and XM channel 157 as part of “The Best of SIRIUS” package. Mizrahi will host the show from SIRIUS XM Radio’s studios in New York City. SIRIUS XM listeners are encouraged to call in and ask him questions during the live broadcasts at (866) 675-6675. Mizrahi will help readers embrace their personal style and solve fashion dilemmas.