Balenciaga Is in Good Hands

BALENCIAGA From left, a swallowtail wool coat,
a crackled knit top, a textured knit jacket and skinny wool pants,
a draped crepe gown with a low back.

Alexander Wang showed on Thursday that he could design for a major house. His debut for Balenciaga was smart and graceful, and the streamlined clothes advanced the codes in a modern way. He may have played it safe but he also didn’t make mistakes.

Mr. Wang had his doubters, on both sides of the Atlantic, who questioned if a designer of moderate-priced clothes with attitude could make the Paris grade. But Balenciaga isn’t a cathedral, any more than Mr. Wang is strictly a T-shirt designer. Times change. The only way to preserve a house is to periodically examine its foundations and then figure out how to make the structure more livable for today.

That’s essentially what Mr. Wang did.

Sticking to a stark but elegant palette of black and white with a smidge of brown and dark green, he poked around in the Balenciaga archive. In the roundness of the opening jackets, in the gentle sweep of coats and in the cap sleeves and loose-back tops, there were allusions to Balenciaga’s 1950s modernity, as well as ’60s evening styles.

But Mr. Wang brought his street smarts to those couture volumes that are indelibly Balenciaga. He minimized them so that they look more realistic for today. In effect, he was offering a top and a pair of black pants, or thigh-high suede boots with small loopy silver bows. But the results were not boringly minimalist.

He was also clever with textures. Jackets and tops that appeared to be stiffened wool were in fact knits. Those crackled leather pieces that came out late in the show? Not leather at all but rather painted knits.

His predecessor, Nicolas Ghesquière, modernized Balenciaga, in part by using new materials that relate to hard, synthetic environments. Embroideries, no matter how exquisite, can look fuddy-duddy. So Mr. Wang did some nice fake-outs. Tops and dresses that looked as if they could have been injection-molded and then rolled in plastic sprinkles were actually embroidered. And some of the loveliest dresses were elongated drapes with hard bodices of tiny French knots.

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CATHY HORYN | February 28, 2013 | Read More. Article Link

Alexander Wang “Extremely Excited” About Balenciaga Debut

ALEXANDER WANG describes his appointment as creative director at Balenciaga as "a dream come true", and has said that he's "extremely excited" to unveil his first collection tomorrow. Speaking after the New York show for his eponymous label earlier this month, it's the first time that the designer has commented on his new role since it was announced that he'd be  succeeding Nicolas Ghesquière in November.

Understandably, the 29-year-old was a little nervous about accepting such a high-profile position.

"My first reaction was: 'I am so occupied, I give 110 per cent to my brand,'" he explained. "Then I thought of elevating my team and being given a chance to do all those things I had at the back of my mind. I am doing something quite different from what I do [at Alexander Wang]."

US Vogue editor Anna Wintour is believed to have been instrumental in persuading the designer to accept the job.  And now the time has come to see the first results.

"I am extremely excited. I am high on life. It's a dream come true," Wang told Suzy Menkes. "It was a surreal experience to look at the whole archive that they had just redone. It was such an incredible tradition. I was taking things out of the box and there were a lot of personal collectibles from Cristobal, personal gifts from Vionnet. I didn't have time to go through everything."

Nicolas Ghesquière helmed the brand for 15 years, and announced that he was stepping down at the beginning of November last year. Wang was confirmed as his successor less than a month later.

"There is such an austerity to [Balenciaga] that is so integral to the house and part of its DNA," said Wang. "I was watching all the videos. Those shows would go on all day! It was such a different world, how they are all dressed and the gowns they would wear on a daily basis just to go to dinner. [Cristobal Balenciaga] was always such a mystery. He managed to give the perception that he might be very private. The great thing about that is that there is a whole unknown side of yourself. I know about me - but I save myself for my friends."

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SARAH KARMALI | February 27, 2013 | Article Link

Third Floor, Bombshells

WHAT WOULD Marilyn Monroe wear today if she were out for a night in the meatpacking district?

Designers have actually asked this question in preparation for a new collection arriving at Macy’s in March, one that, in the words of Macy’s, “reimagines the style of the greatest icon of the 20th century for the 21st-century fashionista.”

It’s big news in the world of fashion licensing, bigger than the Postal Service lending its motto to a “Rain Heat & Snow” collection, when a celebrity who died 50 years ago suddenly starts a clothing label. Macy’s plans to carry Marilyn Monroe designs in 150 stores, targeting younger shoppers with updated styles for modern blond bombshells. Not to sound prudish, but this means shorter, racier, Kardashianer.

Take a very little red dress for $59.50, a preview of what is to come, sold at Macy’s this month to benefit the American Heart Association. It evokes several famous Monroe looks, only she typically wore her dresses below the knee, as opposed to below the nothing. Denim shorts, $39.50, are cut short enough to see pockets.

While Norma Jeane jeans may sound peculiar in a competitive market dominated by living celebrity designers, like Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson and now Rihanna, Macy’s has done its homework. Monroe’s name still resonates strongly among millennial shoppers, roughly ages 13 to 30.

“If you hear them speak and what they like,” said Martine Reardon, the chief marketing officer of Macy’s, “they are very vocal about how short they want it, how baggy they want it and how ripped they want it.”

Two years ago, the Monroe estate was acquired by Authentic Brands Group, which plans to use her likeness to sell lingerie, jewelry, shoes. Last year, a Marilyn Monroe Cafe opened in Canada, and MAC offered cosmetics under her name. As a designer, she evidently has a lot to offer.

“Many celebrities of today, and I say that with air quotes, are one D.U.I. away from a disaster,” said Nick Woodhouse, a president of Authentic Brands. “With Marilyn, all of her dirty laundry has already been aired.”

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ERIC WILSON | FEBRUARY 27, 2013 | Article Link

Iconic Diana Princess Of Wales Dresses For Sale

TEN of Diana, Princess of Wales' most iconic dresses will go up for auction on March 19. The collection was originally bought at a charity sale held in New York in June 1997, arranged by the Princess a few months before her death in August that year.

The upcoming Kerry Taylor Auction will feature gowns by designers including Zandra Rhodes, Catherine Walker and Bruce Oldfield. Highlights include the midnight blue velvet Victor Edelstein gown that Diana wore when she danced with John Travolta at a State dinner given by the White House in November, 1985, an experience Travolta later described as being "like a fairytale".

A dark green velvet dress features a small hand print that could have been the mark of one of the late Princess' then-young sons. Many of the creations appeared in portraits taken by legendary photographers such as Lord Snowdon and Mario Testino. Estimates range from £20,000 to £200,000.

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ELLA ALEXANDER | FEBRUARY 21, 2013 | Article Link

Alessandra Facchinetti Named Tod’s Creative Director

ALESSANDRA FACCHINETTI is the new creative director of Tod's women's collections. The former Gucci, Valentino and Uniqueness designer will start her role next month.

"Alessandra Facchinetti is a very talented woman," said Tod's Group president Diego Della Valle. "Her passion for detail and her dedication to the research of materials and manufacturing make her perfect for our brand, which has always been very attentive to quality and Made in Italy."

Facchinetti announced that she was leaving Uniqueness yesterday, the brand that she founded in collaboration with Italian label Pinko in 2011. She will unveil her first collection for Tod's during Milan Fashion Week in September.

Alessandra Facchinetti added: "As an Italian designer, I feel very honored to take up such an important role for a brand that - with the highest quality and refinement - helps to keep up the prestige of Made in Italy in the world."

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ELLA ALEXANDER | FEBRUARY 21, 2013 | Article Link

Alessandra Facchinetti Departs Uniqueness

ALESSANDRA FACCHINETTI has stepped down from her position of creative director at Uniqueness. The designer - who formerly helmed both Gucci and Valentino - launched the brand in collaboration with Italian label Pinko in 2011.

"Pinko and Alessandra Facchinetti, who jointly created the Uniqueness label, have today announced the end of their partnership," read a statement released this morning. "The president, Pietro Negra, thanks Alessandra for her creative vision which contributed to the brand's international success, embracing a new digital audience."

Facchinetti in turn thanked Negra for giving her "the opportunity to spearhead such an innovative project crossing the paths of fashion and visual art".

It's not yet been confirmed what the designer's next move will be. A successor will be announced shortly.

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SARAH KARMALI | FEBRUARY 20, 2013 | Article Link

Brits 2013 Winners

VOGUE cover girls Lana Del Rey and Adele both had a successful evening at last night's Brit Awards. Although Adele couldn't be there in person (she is busy in Los Angeles rehearsing for her Oscars performance on Sunday), she took home Best Single for Skyfall, while Del Rey won Best International Solo Artist - thanking her record label and friends for helping make her life "a work of art".

Emeli Sandé was the night's big winner, receiving the statues for Best British Female Solo Artist and British Album Of The Year. One Direction was awarded the Global Success accolade, a new honour. Tom Odell - who performed at the Burberry show on Monday - was chosen for the Critics Choice prize.

Mumford & Sons won Best British Group; Coldplay beat The Rolling Stones for Best British Live Act; and The Black Keys topped the International Group category. Frank Ocean was given the International Male Solo Artist honour. Ben Howard was named best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act, fending off competition from alt-J, Jake Bugg, Jessie Ware and Rita Ora. 

VogueTV went behind the scenes at the event to meet the music world's biggest stars - from Lana Del Rey to One Direction. Find out how Harry Styles creates that famous quiff, how Alexa Chung decided what to wear and why Lana Del Rey's red carpet outfit was love at first sight in our exclusive film.

BRIT AWARDS 2013: NOMINEES AND WINNERS

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ELLA ALEXANDER | FEBRUARY 21, 2013 | Article Link