The
DONNA
Factor
MY FAVORITE
Martin
Island Dreams
ANTONIO
MARRAS
Plus
MICHAEL KORS’
Luxe Layers
ZOOLANDER CREW
RETAIL PICKS
COPPING AT OSCAR
MARGOT MANIA
MOURNING GLORY
TAIT IN THE DARK
THE NEW FRONT ROW
GOODBYE, TENTS
THE AMERICAN MOMENT
EQUI PERIVENTEM POSSUPIO ETVIS AUDEMNE NERUM CSATUS IA REBEFAC MJN.
$10.00 DISPLAY UNTIL AUGUST 3, 2015
800.929.Dior (3467) Dior.com
FALL 2015
Backstage at
Tommy Hilfiger.
CONTENTS
WHAT’S THE STORY
18 VALENTINO’S “BLUE STEEL”
The Zoolander stars were the talk of Paris.
19 LANVIN’S ETERNAL FLAME
A Jeanne Lanvin retrospective in Paris is a
continuation of the house’s 125th anniversary.
19 LATIN LOVERS
The rise of the Chola vibe.
20 MARGOT MANIA
Tenenbaums style was all over the runways.
20 LIGHTS OUT
Thomas Tait’s show was mostly in the dark.
21 A VERY VREELAND MOMENT
Diana’s melody lingers on.
21 PAY TO PLAY
ROI for the beauty set.
22 GLOVE LOVE
Amal Clooney’s first fashion impact has
designers in up to their elbows.
22 THE NEW FRONT ROW
A few of the latest Pretty Young Things
with ringside seats.
24 MOST POPULAR GIRL
Brazilian model Waleska Gorczevski walked
a staggering 75 shows this season.
24 TEAM EFFORT
ON THE COVER
Michael Kors photographed
by Giovanni Giannoni.
WWD IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF FAIRCHILD PUBLISHING, LLC. COPYRIGHT ©2015 FAIRCHILD PUBLISHING, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. VOLUME 209, NO. 74. Sunday, April 12, 2015. WWD (ISSN 0149-5380) is published daily (except Saturdays, Sundays and holidays,
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PHOTO BY KYLE ERICKSEN
The key to making it as a model is
a robust Instagram account.
ARMANI.COM/ATRIBUTE
FALL 2015
CONTENTS
FEATURES
26 STATE YOUR CASE
WWD asked international retailers to select their
single favorite collection of fall and tell why.
28 THE DONNA FACTOR
At a critical juncture for the iconic brand she
launched 31 years ago, Donna Karan turned out
a fabulous collection. She discusses her show,
her ceo and herself.
34 THE ISLAND OF DR. MARRAS
Milanese designer Antonio Marras lives an
unassuming life on Sardinia, outside the
typical trappings of fashion. And he’s just fine
with that.
36 MY FAVORITE MARTIN
THE SXX FXCTXR
Fxshixn in the mxxd.
A pack of designers flourishing today owe
much of their success to having studied at the
altar of Margiela.
38 FRESH PERSPECTIVE
Peter Copping treads delicately to honor house
codes, please existing clients, cultivate new
ones and advance the fashion of the legendary
Oscar de la Renta.
39 GODDARD’S PLAN
Everything’s coming up Molly for this young Brit,
whose collection might be child-inspired but
comes with grown-up aspirations.
IMAGE
38 JUST ONE SHOT
Out of thousands of snaps, WWD photographers
choose one favorite image of fall.
FASHION
42 BRIDGET FOLEY’S DIARY:
THE AMERICAN MOMENT
From Joseph Altuzarra’s provocative glam
to Ralph Lauren’s chic warmth, many of the
season’s most memorable collections were
shown Stateside.
46 REALITY SHOW
Controlled bravado expressed in cut, texture
and detail marked some of fall’s best clothes.
60 MOURNING BECOMES ELECTRIC
An elegiac allure emerged as designers
explored the dark side of beauty.
The hottest bags, shoes, jewelry and
other accessories of fall.
FINALE
76 THE GYPSY LIFE
New York Fashion Week is packing up again.
Comme des Garçons
For more on the fall 2015 collections,
see WWD.com/fashion-news.
PHOTO BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI
72 ACCESSORIES
STUARTWEITZMAN.COM
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|
What’s the Story?
A MARGOT MOMENT, VA-VA-VREELAND, TAIT’S SHOT IN THE DARK, TOP MODEL.
Valentino’s “Blue Steel”
The Zoolander stars were the talk of Paris. BY JOELLE DIDERICH
T
hey’re back.
Among the highlights of
Paris Fashion Week was the
surprise appearance of Ben Stiller
and Owen Wilson, in character as
witless male models Derek Zoolander
and Hansel McDonald. The pair
crashed the Valentino runway by way
of announcing they would shortly
begin filming on the sequel to the cult
comedy Zoolander.
They emerged at the end of the
critically acclaimed show to the strains
of The Human League’s “Don’t You
Want Me,” throwing the signature “Blue
Steel” look at cameras and prompting
loud cheers from editors and celebrity
guests including Kate Mara, Olivia
Palermo and Nicky Hilton.
On his way back, Stiller grabbed
a cell phone from Vine celeb Jerome
Jarre, who had been planted in the
front row, and filmed himself as he
walked off. The actors made a quick
exit after the show, but later turned up
alongside Jarre in front of the Eiffel
Tower, where the social media star
called for fans to join them.
The runway stunt was the talk of
the shows and instantly went viral—
with more than 100,000 comments
on Instagram within an hour,
Valentino officials confirmed. Hilton
called it “genius marketing.”
“Paris [her sister] was actually in
Zoolander 1,” she pointed out. “Ben
[Stiller] was so ahead of his time.
He knew who Paris was before she
became Paris Hilton.”
Later in the evening, Stiller and
Wilson showed up at the Valentino
after party, where they joined creative
directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and
Pierpaolo Piccioli for a jumping
portrait, spoofing a scene from the
original movie.
Chiuri said the actors came
up with the idea for the runway
appearance. “We met them, there
was a good relationship,” she said.
“We said, ‘Why not?’”
According to Piccioli, it was all in
good fun. “We love fashion. We think
that we have to have fun. I mean, that’s
what fashion is for,” he said. “We work
seriously, but we don’t take everything
so seriously. It’s something different.”
Stiller told WWD that filming was to
start in Rome this month, and that the
seven-year-old Valentino documentary,
The Last Emperor, inspired him to
shoot the sequel in the Eternal City.
“Rome is the most cinematic
environment,” the actor said.
As for Stiller, how has male
modeling advanced since the original
2001 movie? “There’s been 15 years
of practicing,” he said, noting that the
posture is “stretched out a little bit.”
Paramount Pictures revealed the
film would be released February 12,
2016. Stiller is set to direct from a
script written by Justin Theroux,
and Will Ferrell will apparently
reprise his role as nefarious fashion
designer Mugatu.
Stiller declined to say if any real
fashion people might make cameos
in the new movie, as the likes of
Karl Lagerfeld, Tom Ford, Donatella
Versace and Tommy Hilfiger did in the
original. Don’t expect to see Lagerfeld,
but Anna Wintour, who posed with
the duo backstage at Valentino,
was among those solicited to make
appearances—and Stiller last fall was
overheard talking with Ralph Lauren
about potentially making a cameo.
And it looks like fashion’s most
ubiquitous couple, Kanye West and
Kim Kardashian, will be in it too. You
can’t get more true to life than that.
WWD COLLECTIONS
PHOTO BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI
Ben Stiller as
Derek Zoolander
and Owen Wilson as
Hansel McDonald
give the “Blue Steel”
look at Valentino.
|
19
Lanvin’s Eternal Flame
W
A look at the
Jeanne Lanvin
retrospective.
LANVIN PHOTO BY FRANÇOIS GOIZE; RUNWAY BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI
B
hen preparing the Jeanne Lanvin
retrospective at the Palais Galliera,
Alber Elbaz had the pleasure to discover
the Paris museum’s treasure trove of her dresses,
many from the Twenties and Thirties, all of them
painstakingly stored in drawers or boxes.
“I didn’t see dresses. I saw women sleeping,” the
designer mused, revealing both the key novelty of the
exhibition—the flat display of dresses in mirrored
cases—and the linchpin quality of Lanvin designs:
exalting, yet never overpowering the wearer.
The showcase, on through August 23, is a
carryover of the house’s 125th anniversary, celebrated
in 2014, and was the focus of back-to-back opening
parties during Paris Fashion Week attended by the
likes of Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and
Pierpaolo Piccioli. “The story’s beautiful because it’s
about a woman who made dresses for her daughter,”
Chiuri enthused. “It’s very romantic.”
Elbaz, who joined Lanvin as artistic director in
2001, gave over the entire exhibition to the founder’s
designs, whose dignity, relatively spare decoration and
ease informed his rejuvenation of the house, founded
in 1889 and often overlooked as key torchbearer for
French elegance in the early 20th century.
Latin Lovers
ackstage after Givenchy’s
fall women’s wear show—an
exhilarating blur of tailcoats,
devoré velvet, crazy kiss curls and fierce
face jewelry—journalists swarmed
around designer Riccardo Tisci to get
the lowdown on his inspiration.
The Victoriana was plain, but
another reference the Italian designer
threw out—Chola girls—was met
with quizzical expressions among
the European press. Afterward, an
American scribe familiar with the
underground style tribe explained,
describing it as popular on the east side
of Los Angeles, though glossing over its
association with Latino gang culture.
In his show notes, Tisci said he
juxtaposed the “dark and poetic
spirit” of the Victorians against
“the aesthetics of Cholas from the
South American gang known for its
aggressive aesthetics.”
The hair and makeup—hinged on
dark lips and fine hairs gelled into
designs on forehead and cheeks—was
WWD COLLECTIONS
Givenchy’s most obvious sign of the socalled Chola look, recently popularized
by recording artist FKA Twigs.
To be sure, it’s a style loaded
with possible land mines, given its
association with marginalized groups
and violence. But fashion has a knack
for embracing things for their aesthetic
qualities only, while also shedding
light on a phenomenon so far from the
mainstream, even designers are not
entirely sure of the interconnections.
“My collection was not so much
influenced by the Cholas who are based
in Miami, but the Cholombians living in
Monterrey [Mexico]. Though I believe
the two are connected—I just don’t
know how,” said Jean-Paul Lespagnard,
whose fall offer featured Chola
signatures: oversize cuts, distinctive
check prints and cotton fabrics.
The designer described them as
“a group of young people who like to
listen to cumbia—a mix of electronic
music and traditional Mexican
rhythms. They have a very specific
“There is a reason why Jeanne Lanvin had a
thriving business. She was hugely popular with
customers who didn’t want to wear creations that
were too bold or out there, and that is no discredit
to her designs,” explained curator Olivier Saillard,
director of the Galliera Museum. “They are truly
understated. Ultimately, it becomes a trademark and
signature of the brand….I consider Jeanne Lanvin’s
dresses from the Thirties among the most beautiful in
the history of fashion.”
And that legacy might be up for a change in
ownership. Last month, speculation surfaced that
Lanvin’s majority owner Shaw-Lan Wang could
be mulling a sale of the house, which she bought
from L’Oréal in 2001, giving Elbaz carte blanche to
reinvigorate the business.
Elbaz, oohing and aahing as he toured the
museum’s domed spaces, remarked on how many of
the clothes could easily be worn today.
“It’s just a satin dress, but look at the quality and
look at the modernity of using squares,” he exclaimed
as he alighted on a 1933 design propped in front of
a triptych mirror. “You see the refinement. When a
woman wears this, you will see only the woman.”
—MILES SOCHA
style: half rap-inspired, half traditional
Mexican outfits, which is also very
urban. What appealed to me was that
it is typically Mexican and yet very few
people outside the country know about
it. Also, I feel they bring something
new into the Mexican tradition—I find
them very progressive.”
London-based Caitlin Price also
painted with the Chola brush, though
she said she was mainly referencing
casualwear in nightclub photos from
the late Nineties/early Aughts.
“There are references to
Nineties garage looks in the
styling and the tracksuit
shapes. It’s a mix I’ve
grown up with and worn
myself,” Price said.
As for the hairstyles, the
science fiction film Dune
was a reference—a twisted
knot like the character
Princess Irulan wears, with
the curling baby hairs meant
to resemble a breathing
apparatus. Who knew?
—PAULINA SZMYDKE
AND M.S.
From left: Jean-Paul
Lespagnard, Givenchy.
| WHAT’S THE STORY?
Margot Mania
Tenenbaums style was all over the runways.
BY KRISTI GARCED
I t’s been 14 years since Wes
Anderson’s highly stylized cult
film The Royal Tenenbaums hit
screens, but the cast’s Seventiesmeets-boarding-school wardrobe,
conceived by costume designer Karen
Patch, continues to resonate—a quick
glimpse around a Halloween party
any given year confirms that.
And yet nowhere was the
Tenenbaums revival more apparent
than on the fall runways, where
Margot Mania was in full effect. City
to city, the character famously brought
to life by Gwyneth Paltrow emerged as
the unofficial muse of the season.
For those in need of a refresher,
Margot Tenenbaum—the evercomplex playwright and adopted
daughter—was known for her
signature look: a mix of edgy bad
girl and bourgeois literary snob. The
T
Thomas Tait’s
shot in the dark.
kohl-rimmed eyes,
blunt blonde bob parted
slightly to the side with a
barrette, and a cigarette
dangling from her mouth
in perpetuity (film
fanatics will recall that the
character started smoking
at age 12) have become
unmistakably Margot.
Her attitude? A mélange
of precocious
intelligence and
sophistication,
surliness, secrecy,
sexual promiscuity
and apathy. For
example, when asked why
she never got her
From top:
finger reattached—it
Gucci,
was partially severed Lacoste,
Bally.
during a childhood
wood-chopping
accident, and
she wore
a wooden
prosthetic—
Margot coolly replied,
“It wasn’t worth it.”
Finally, her outfit of
choice: striped tennis dress;
oversize, camel-colored
mink; Hermès Birkin bag; Bass
loafers, nude negligee.
Designers across New York,
Paris and Milan seemed to be
feeling the Tenenbaums nostalgia
in unison. Veronica Etro told
WWD she referenced Anderson’s
aesthetic for fall, as evidenced
in her oversize, patterned furs
and the eclectic tapestry
Lights Out
here’s no business like show business, and Thomas Tait
knows that better than many on the London scene.
Last season, the 27-year-old winner of the inaugural
LVMH Prize showed in a space that, while atmospheric, also looked
ready to be condemned, with exposed electrical wiring and bits of
rubble swept into the corners. This season’s venue, cavernous and
warehouse-y, was in far better shape—although the show took place
mostly in the dark.
Models walked on small, moving rectangles of light, and their
clothes were barely visible—even from the front row. There was no
flash photography permitted, so snappers shot the models backstage
just moments before they stepped onto the cement floor.
Tait’s reasons for choosing such an unusual—some would argue
difficult—environment to showcase the collection are many. He
was inspired by the work of lighting artist Michael Hulls, who’s
known for creating 3-D environments on the stage, especially for
dance performances. Tait had recently seen Hulls’ work during
a ballet at London’s Royal Opera House, where only bits of the
dancer’s body were illuminated. He also wanted to fragment and
break up the notion of a traditional runway show “to slow things
down” and force his audience to pay more attention.
Indeed, in a world increasingly dominated by social media,
Tait wanted his guests to drop their smartphones and live the
motifs throughout
the collection. A
bohemian, librarianchic vibe also pulsed
through Alessandro
Michele’s romantic
Gwyneth debut collection
Paltrow as for Gucci, which
Margot featured a mink coat
Tenenbaum.
that appeared to
be straight out of Margot’s closet.
Elsewhere, at Lacoste, Felipe Oliveira
Baptista took the Tenenbaums trend
a sportier step further, with some
looks accessorized with athletic
headbands, while Pablo Coppola
channeled Margot with a weaselfur coat at Bally. And even the fall
looks from contemporary lines See
by Chloé and Derek Lam 10 Crosby
seemed fit for modern-day Margots,
with their earthy, Seventies palettes
and oversize outerwear.
With the Seventies revival on
the runways still in full swing, why
not add a dose of that distinctly
Tenenbaums quirk? As Margot said
in the film: “I couldn’t begin to even
think about knowing how to answer
that question.”
moment. He said he watched a friend’s show during London
Fashion Week and realized, at the finale, “no one was clapping
because they were all taking photos. Social media is great, and it
plays a very valuable role in getting the word out about a brand.
But there’s just something about a live event; it’s such a shame
for people not to be involved.”
Tait said he liked the idea of dipping people into his point of
view, and offering them the chance to walk out of the show with
something “less tangible, more atmospheric and emotional.”
The Canadian-born Tait, who at 24 was the youngest student to
complete the Central Saint Martins women’s wear M.A., is acutely
aware of the risks he can still take as a young talent.
“I still feel like I’m in a sweet spot with my brand,” he said. “I don’t
have the immediate commercial pressures of having to spoon-feed
information to legions of fans and consumers. The show was a really
nice opportunity for me to enjoy that moment, and be in a position
where I can do something that feels more intimate—and special.”
Although the show didn’t come off exactly as planned—the
space was darker than he’d originally intended because the light
test had been delayed and it was too late to make any changes—
something about it worked: The designer said he’s doubled his
number of stockists this season, adding edgy stores such as The
Broken Arm in Paris’ Marais neighborhood to a roster that already
includes Jeffrey, Dover Street Market, Le Bon Marché, The Room
and Matchesfashion.com.
—SAMANTHA CONTI
WWD COLLECTIONS
TAIT PHOTO BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI; GUCCI BY DAVIDE MAESTRI; LACOSTE BY GEORGE CHINSEE; PALTROW BY BUENA VISTA PICTURES/COURTESY OF EVERETT COLLECTION
20
Marc Jacobs commissioned
Stefan Beckman to design a
backdrop inspired by Diana
Vreeland’s famous living room.
A Very Vreeland Moment
Diana’s melody lingers on.
BY KRISTI GARCED
JACOBS PHOTO BY STEVE EICHNER; MINKOFF BY ROBERT MITRA; RODRIGUEZ BY KYLE ERICKSEN
I n our industry, we have very few
heroes,” said Alexander Vreeland,
luxury fashion veteran and
grandson of the late Diana Vreeland.
He was speaking to the enduring
relevance of his grandmother in the
world of fashion and beyond.
“We have very few icons,” he
continued. “We have very few
idols. And that’s why, when you
have one, it’s a remarkable thing.
My grandmother was one.”
Diana—editor, columnist,
consultant, tastemaker,
visionary—has enjoyed
Daringly
a steady moment in
Different is
the fashion spotlight in
launching
recent years. One would
in May.
be hard-pressed to
pinpoint the beginning
of that “moment.” The
legacy of the woman
whose zingers include
“Unshined shoes are
the end of civilization”
and “A little bad taste
is like a nice splash of
paprika”—and who once
WWD COLLECTIONS
fired a Vogue staffer for making too
much noise when she walked (“I can’t
stand the vulgarity of a woman who
makes a noise when she walks”)—is
certainly etched into fashion history.
But perhaps the recent iteration of
this moment started with the
2012 release of The Eye Has to
Travel, the documentary directed
by Bent-Jorgen Perlmutt,
Frédéric Tcheng and Alexander’s
wife, Lisa Immordino Vreeland,
and then continued in 2013
with a slew of devoted
books, including Diana
Vreeland Memos: The
Vogue Years (edited by
Alexander) and Empress
of Fashion: A Life of Diana
Vreeland by Amanda
Mackenzie Stuart.
Last fall, Alexander
launched Diana
Vreeland Parfums, a
five-scent collection
that also includes body
creams, candles and
travel sprays, available
at Dianavreeland.com,
Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman
Marcus and Colette,
among other locations. In
February, he introduced
a new scent to the mix,
Smashingly Brilliant,
inspired by Diana’s love of
the island of Capri, and this
May comes the debut of
Daringly Different, which
balances floral notes with
smoky facets of oud. And
during the 2015 Academy
Awards in February,
fashion illustrator Donald
Robertson—perhaps better
known by his Instagram
handle, @drawbertson—
brought Vreeland to life
in a series of drawings for
Harper’s Bazaar, wherein
he reimagined Diana at
the present-day Oscars
ceremony, mingling with A-listers.
During the fall collections,
Vreeland’s legacy was once again
thrust into the spotlight at Marc
Jacobs’ show at the Park Avenue
Armory in New York. The designer
tapped Stefan Beckman to design a
backdrop for the walls, which were
draped in floor-to-ceiling handpainted canvases inspired by Jeremiah
Goodman’s watercolor painting of
Diana Vreeland’s famous living room:
what she dubbed her “garden in hell.”
“I thought that’s exactly what fashion
is; this paradise that is sort of hellish
in a way,” Jacobs told WWD. “You pay
for your sins and then you sin all over
again. You love it until you hate it; you
hate it until you love it. That obsession,
compulsion, pleasure, pain principle.”
Jacobs described one look in
particular—a black sweater with black
pants and crocodile boot—that was a
pastiche to Diana herself. But he said
overall, it was the collection’s “polish,
the finish, the fastidiousness” that was
most Vreeland-esque.
“I think people have their own
personal relationships with my
grandmother and what parts of
her life and work inspires them,”
Alexander said. “Not only designers,
but also photographers, advertising
executives, people in creative worlds.
She speaks to them.”
TRESemmé was used
by Rebecca Minkoff,
among others.
Pay to Play
Being part of fashion week doesn’t come
cheap. But with the bulk of beauty brands
paying designers for show sponsorships
anywhere from $5,000 for a lesserknown fashion label to $50,000 for a
more established one—plus supplying the
products—the question is: Do the beauty
companies reap rewards?
The answer is a resounding “yes.”
“From our research at Unilever, we
know that the content we develop around
fashion week has a really strong ROI,”
said Jen Daly, marketing director of saloninspired hair-care brands at Unilever, who
noted that since 2013, when TRESemmé
concentrated its efforts in New York as
the official hair-care sponsor of fashion
week, the brand has seen the growth rate
of its styling business increase five times.
“[For our consumer], the hair resonates
more than the designer.”
According to Tribe Dynamics, a digital
marketer that tracks overall earned
media performance—the dollar value of
social influence, based on number of
impressions, engagement with the content,
quality of the publisher and audience size
in traditional and new media—TRESemmé
outperformed all other brands in earned
media value with a total of
$1,336,751 throughout
fashion month.
In terms of makeup,
Dior saw an upswing
in sales following its
September spring runway
show. Makeup artist Peter
Philips used Dior Crayon
Khôl in white on the
models’ eyelids and the
company saw a 25 percent
increase in sales in October
compared with September.
Even the niche
brands like Oribe find
being backstage
beneficial. Daniel
Kaner, cofounder
and president of
Oribe, noted, “It
helps incubate that
cult sensibility for
Narciso
our product and it
Rodriguez
trickles into sales
used Oribe
at some point in
hair care.
prestige and [brand
awareness].”
—JAYME CYK
WWD COLLECTIONS21
| WHAT’S THE STORY?
Glove Love
Designers are in up to their elbows.
BY LAUREN MCCARTHY
C
all it the Amal effect—gloves are in.
At January’s Golden Globes Awards,
the newly minted Mrs. Clooney made
her first major red-carpet appearance wearing
a pair of elbow-length evening gloves with her
Dior Haute Couture gown, and the reaction was
immediate. Following the event, the term “opera
glove” saw an increase of $104,770 in earned media
performance—the dollar value of social influence,
based on number of impressions, engagement
with content, quality of the publisher and audience
size—according to digital marketer Tribe Dynamics.
And whether coincidence or not, designers quickly
jumped on the lucrative trend, with elbow-length
gloves appearing at some of this season’s biggest
The New
Front Row
SOFIA RICHIE
WHO: The model recently
signed with Select Model
Management, though
she kept quiet on her
upcoming projects. “It’s
too early right now, but
soon,” she promised.
AGE: 16
FAMILY MATTERS:
She is the daughter
of Lionel and younger
sister to Nicole.
WHERE: Carven, Marc
by Marc Jacobs, Jeremy
Scott, Tommy Hilfiger.
ODEYA RUSH
shows, including Balenciaga, Prada, Marc Jacobs,
Fendi, Oscar de la Renta and Moschino.
But while the dramatic accessory looks at home
on red carpet and runway, will it translate to the
everyday consumer?
“The glove has been creeping up for two seasons,”
said Claire Distenfeld, owner of Fivestory in New York.
“It was brought to the saturation point this season and
we’re going to pick up a bunch.”
Among buyers’ favorite glove offerings: Lanvin,
Sonia Rykiel, Ralph Lauren and Dries Van Noten.
“They make a great dramatic statement on the
runway…[and] you’ll always have that woman
who wants to have her own red-carpet moment or
translate the runway to her closet,” said Neiman
Marcus’ fashion director Ken Downing. But
while gloves are undeniably statement-making,
practicality may be another issue.
“Gloves and iPhones don’t always translate to real
life,” Downing added. “We all need our fingertips.”
Paging Apple—may we suggest the iGlove?
Lanvin
Prada
For Pretty Young Things on the brink of stardom, fashion week is a chance to show face
with the right crowd. Strategically sitting at a handful shows, these girls know the power
of brand alliances. Here, the ones to watch from fall’s front row. BY ALLY BETKER, WITH
CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PAULINA SZMYDKE AND JOELLE DIDERICH
WHO: The actress just
finished Hunter’s Prayer
with Sam Worthington,
for which she learned
how to shoot a gun and
drive a stick shift. “It’s
a lot of action, but it’s
really gritty and dark,
not cheesy at all,” she
said. “It’s all things that a
17-year-old girl can do.”
AGE: 17
UP NEXT: See You in
Valhalla, out April 24.
WHERE: Miu Miu, Coach,
Etam party.
HÉLOÏSE LETISSIER JEANNE DAMAS
WHO: The singer, better
known as Christine and
The Queens, arrived at
Paris Fashion Week fresh
off her awards for Best
Female Artist and Best
Video at Les Victoires
de la Musique (France’s
Grammys).
AGE: 26
UP NEXT: Letissier will
release her EP Saint
Claude in the U.S. in April
before playing some live
dates there.
WHERE: Chloé.
WHO: The model and
blogger chronicled
fashion week for her
Tumblr, and recently
signed on as a brand
ambassador for Gucci.
AGE: 23
UP NEXT: The
lingerie campaign for
Yasmine Eslami shot by
Olivier Zahm.
WHERE: Valentino, Stella
McCartney, Mugler,
Carven, Courrèges and
Estée Lauder dinner,
Prada “The Iconoclast”
cocktail party.
CAROLINE
VREELAND
WHO: During New York
Fashion Week, the
musician also met with
record labels to shop her
debut album.
AGE: 27
FAMILY MATTERS: Diana
Vreeland was her greatgrandmother. “For me it’s
just exciting as a singer…
for the designers to let me
wear the clothes. All of it is
great press for my music.”
WHERE: Christian Dior,
Marc Jacobs, J.Mendel,
Diane von Furstenberg.
BELLA HADID
WHO: The model spent
her first New York
Fashion Week taking it all
in. (“Everything right now
is really fresh and cool,”
she said), but made her
runway debut at Tom
Ford’s Los Angeles show.
AGE: 18
FAMILY MATTERS: Sister
Gigi is a model who walked
many runways for fall,
including Michael Kors.
WHERE: Baja East, Polo
Ralph Lauren, DKNY,
V Magazine party.
caption
WWD COLLECTIONS
LANVIN PHOTO BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI; PRADA BY DAVIDE MAESTRI; RICHIE AND HADID BY STEVE EICHNER; RUSH BY PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN/GETTY IMAGES FOR MIU MIU;
LETISSIER BY DOMINIQUE CHARRIAU/WIREIMAGE; DAMAS BY PASCAL LE SEGRETAIN/GETTY IMAGES; VREELAND BY ROBERT MITRA
22
wolford.com
| WHAT’S THE STORY?
Most Popular Girl
Brazilian model Waleska Gorczevski earned top honors this
season, walking in 75 shows. Here, she comes up for air.
BY KRISTI GARCED
WWD: How does it feel to know
that you’ve walked the most shows
this season?
Waleska Gorczevski: It’s amazing
looking back on it all, as I honestly
didn’t realize that I walked so many
shows. I don’t feel so tired right now,
but I’m sure it’ll catch up to me soon.
What were some standout
moments?
W.G.: I really loved just being
immersed in the middle of all
the show craziness. I love the big
productions of shows like Chanel,
the grandeur of it all, and the big
emotions from all the people working
to put it all into place. I’m just really
grateful to be a part of it all.
What were some of the most
stressful moments?
W.G.: I think every model can attest
to this one: The fittings at night. At
the end of the day, you really long for
your bed after a full day of shows and
fittings in between. It’s really what
we dream about all day.
What are your tricks for staying
focused?
W.G.: I try to step away from being
a model and take an outsider’s
perspective and think, “What would
I be doing if I weren’t modeling
and following my dreams?” I’m so
grateful to have this opportunity and
think that is what keeps me focused.
Do you have any funny memories
from the shows?
W.G.: The Chanel show in particular
was such a fun experience. My date
at the brasserie was one of my good
friends, so we were drinking tea and
talking and just had so much fun
acting. I thought it was really funny.
What was your favorite hair-andmakeup look?
W.G.: I tend to adore simple and
classically beautiful looks for hair
and makeup, but you can’t ignore
the amazing art creations of Pat
McGrath and Luigi Murenu at a
show like Givenchy.
What do you carry with you at all
times during fashion week?
W.G.: Vitamins, bandages, a fruit/
cereal bar, a book to read and my iPod.
What do you do backstage to pass
the time?
W.G.: I don’t usually have too much
time to relax backstage as you really
WALESKA GORCZEVSKI
AGE: 17
HEIGHT: 5 feet, 11 inches
INSTAGRAM: @
waleskagorczevski
AGENCY: DNA Model
Management
HOMETOWN: Florianópolis,
Brazil
Dries
Van Noten
@karliekloss
Hermès
go straight into hair and makeup,
but if there is any downtime, I will
catch up with other model friends,
listen to music, read a book or grab
a bite to eat.
What did you do after the shows
every night?
W.G.: After a warm shower, I touch
base with my family and attempt a
good night’s rest.
Any good celebrity sightings?
W.G.: I saw Lorde at a show
backstage. I think that was one of
my favorite celebrity sightings this
season, as I love her music.
Team Effort
I Christian
Dior
t’s no secret that if you want to make it as a model, you’ve
got to have a robust Instagram account. These days,
instead of flipping through a model’s book, prospective
clients often just scroll the girl’s recent ’grams. There are the
on-set snaps from the latest Patrick Demarchelier shoot; a
pic of the model inhaling a slice of pizza (how relatable!),
etc. Instagram has changed the modeling game, providing
an easy way—pixilated, numerical and at your fingertips—to
assess a girl’s personality, look and reach.
The fall collections season saw a clique of models—a tidy
quartet of Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Cara
Delevingne at the nucleus with various offshoots (Devon
Windsor, Joan Smalls, et al.)—who realized the power of the
cool-by-association factor. This ostensibly close-knit crew
Christopher
Kane
Givenchy
Chanel
Alexander
McQueen
Marc
Jacobs
What would be your advice to a
model walking the runway for
the first time?
W.G.: Relax. Don’t forget to breathe,
be calm and just imagine it’s you
alone and the music.…And strut
your stuff.
What lessons have you learned
about fashion week since you first
started walking in the shows?
W.G.: I’ve learned to handle the
emotional ups and downs of the
shows. You really can’t take things
personally in this business as a
model. You just do the best you can
at your job, and enjoy it.
became the “It” girls of the moment by joining forces and
flaunting their BFF status all over social media. Hadid alone
garners only so many “likes.” Give the people Hadid plus
Kloss, and it packs twice the punch.
The play—along with a Kardashian association here and
there—has elevated each girl’s status, differentiating her
from a faceless runway ubiquitor, only known in industry
circles, to a household name. Household names that land
lucrative luxury brand campaigns. Household names that
land six- and seven-figure beauty contracts. Household
names that can have a career after modeling (a swimwear
line, an acting career, etc.).
Well played, ladies. Well played.
—TAYLOR HARRIS
Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss
WWD COLLECTIONS
MARC JACOBS PHOTO BY GEORGE CHINSEE; ALL OTHER RUNWAY BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI
24
www.porsche-design.com
|
Feature | RETAIL
State Your Case
WWD asks a global array of retailers to single out their favorite
collection of Fall 2015 and tell why. This season, Valentino
scored the most “favorites.” BY SHARON EDELSON
Ken Downing, senior vice president and
fashion director, Neiman Marcus: “When
you’re hot, you’re hot—and Riccardo Tisci
is on fire with his sensational, sizzling fall
collection of Victorian dark romance-meetssmoldering Latina lovers for Givenchy. The
masculine/feminine tension of flirty ruffles
and flounces juxtaposed with strict, tailored
jackets with built-in corsets and models
sporting jet-bead moustachioed nose rings
perfectly balanced the ongoing androgyny
that flourished on many runways. A fortuneteller’s tale of ruby reds, Bordeaux and
claret heightened the mystery of black velvet
devoré and chiffon. Peacock feather prints,
the symbol of immortality, only added to the
mystical magic of the collection.”
Nicole Fischelis, group vice president and
fashion director, Macy’s: “Ralph Lauren’s
collection was brimming with modernity
and elegance and still in keeping with his
brand identity. He took us from sporty to
active to urban to evening and
all the key moods of the
season, in a palette that
went from winter white to neutrals to black.
There were the urban sophisticate, refined
country with fringes on knitwear, ponchos
and capes, Seventies with the new flared
pants and lots of suede…amazing craft
embellishment and embroidery and a tuxedo
story with great black leather looks…great
accessories—booties, wide belts, one-handle
fur handbags, big, bold statement necklaces
and crossover bags.”
Averyl Oates, commercial director,
Galeries Lafayette: “Valentino was
most memorable, with a powerful and
sophisticated collection and a show to
make customers dream. Signature dresses
were renewed in the most feminine and
romantic ways with minute detail to
craftsmanship. Like many shows, there
was an unexpected mix of elements and
contrasting aesthetics, from bold, optic
black-and-white geometry to oversize wool
sweaters mixed with midiskirts, making a
cool yet elegant and modern, easyto-wear silhouette. There was a
strong sense of the woman in
control of her individual self-expression
this season, and Valentino gave a plethora
of great ideas and items to capitalize on
this. The gold fox fur coats and quilted
velvet coats bordered on couture pieces
and made for a sumptuous end—proof
that Pierpaolo [Piccioli] and Maria Grazia
[Chiuri] are the best to bring grace on
every single piece they create.”
Suzanne Timmins, senior vice president
and fashion director, Hudson Bay and
Lord & Taylor: “Lanvin was absolutely
beautiful and evocative of a woman
whose sense of chic is deeply real. It was
seemingly a very personal collection with
multilayered references to Jeanne Lanvin’s
archives and Alber [Elbaz’s] Moroccan roots
added a nod to his time spent at the helm
of YSL. Historical connotations aside, these
are desirable clothes for a modern nomad.”
Colleen Sherin, vice president, fashion
director, Saks Fifth Avenue: “Miuccia
Prada showed one of her strongest
collections in recent memory, reflecting a
sweet Sixties spirit with a complete headto-toe look—the brooches in the hair, the
long leather opera gloves, the shoes, the
handbags—every piece was important.
While the show was stellar, seeing the
collection in the showroom took it to yet
another level. Some of the embroideries
and appliqués required 60 hours of
work. The slightly ‘off’ color palette was
sensational. I loved the cut of the trousers
and the rich mix of materials, like textured
tweeds and Glen plaids. From the opening
statement of slim cropped pantsuits
to the tunic-and-pants ensembles to the
snappy Sixties coats, this collection was
a hit. The final pastel cocktail dresses
with jewel embellishments are sure to be
collectors’ items.”
Charlotte Tasset, general merchandise
manager, Printemps: “As always, Givenchy, for
the infinite elegance and style of its poisonous
and dark looks. What an amazing work!”
Sarah Andelman, creative director and
purchasing manager, Colette: “Junya
Watanabe for the incredible honeycomb
pleats, his brilliant technical skills and ohso-wearable and beautiful designs.”
Miyako Sekimoto, fashion director,
Matsuya: “Stella McCartney’s basic items
with modern details.”
Kazuyoshi Minamimagoe, senior creative
director, Beams: “Undercover’s was the
most elegant of all their past collections…
even in casual styles. It was a marvelous
collection that finely represents Tokyo-mode,
rooted in streetwear while attaining superb
elegance, matching that of luxury brands.”
Ed Burstell, managing director, Liberty
of London: “In a time when all the
attention is paid to the ridiculousness that
has become the front row—rather than the
clothes—you can rely on Karl [Lagerfeld].
His collection for Chanel was a master
class. Textural tweeds, paper-thin leathers,
amazing separates all designed to be
current and yet stand the test
Céline
Givenchy
Stella McCartney
Prada
Dries Van Noten
Lanvin
Junya Watanabe
PRADA PHOTO BY DAVIDE MAESTRI; ALL OTHER RUNWAY BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI EXCEPT ROSETTA GETTY
26
n|
of time. It is his consistent vision that makes
him the most important living designer. You
were looking at the clothes—nothing else.”
Keiko Nobe, women’s buyer, Sogo
& Seibu Co. Ltd., Tokyo: “Christian
Dior. Even while maintaining the pretty
silhouettes that he has used up to now,
[Raf Simons] incorporated new materials
and details for a collection that was always
fresh and with none of the staleness that
well-established brands often have.”
Brooke Jaffe, operating vice president
and fashion director, women’s rtw,
Bloomingdale’s: “Prada, for many reasons:
the delicious macaroon color palette, the
little dresses with embellished ribbons
running down the front, the new cropped
pantsuits in tweeds with beautiful matching
jackets—it was true Miuccia magic! I loved
the way she sectioned the space into little
intimate salons. The debutante hair coupled
with opera gloves…no one accessorizes like
Miuccia. It made me want to go for a retro
updo and look for a brooch. It felt like a fresh
take on fall, yet utterly Prada to the core.”
Barbara Atkin, vice president of fashion
direction, Holt Renfrew: “Valentino
expressed fall’s fashion message—the
strength of women balanced with
femininity and sensuality. It spoke to
the quest for individualism and selfexpression. Patchwork made the beautiful
and sumptuous fabrics special, while
evening wear was literally
embroidered. There was
also the simplicity of an
unadorned white blouse worn with culottes.
These are collectible pieces. It was a
breathtaking collection. Then there was the
unexpected Zoolander moment. The clothes
were such a wow, then out comes Owen
Wilson and brought down the house. ”
Kelly Golden, owner, Neapolitan
Collection: “Never one to follow trends,
Erdem did what he does best...and then
some. His reversed jacquards, guipure
lace, metallic patterned silks and needlepunching techniques resulted in an
absolutely breathtaking collection. Working
in frayed edges and rough-hewn tweed
finishes, Erdem made sure his woman
wasn’t completely flawless, making for one
of his finest collections to date.”
Jeffrey Kalinsky, executive vice president
of design merchandising, Nordstrom:
“Christian Dior was modern, happy, real
clothing that I could imagine customers
wearing. I loved the prints, suitings and
dresses. I loved the setting. I couldn’t be
more excited for this marriage between
Raf Simons and an iconic luxury brand like
Dior. It seems like all the stars were aligned.
I’ve loved every collection he’s done. This
was one of the most pared down, but at the
same time, the most exciting.”
Sebla Devidas, women’s buying director,
Beymen, Istanbul: “Céline. I look into the
complete picture [of a line]: pre-collection,
the different categories and the fashion
collection. Céline’s pre-fall was very
strong in shapes and textures.
Outerwear was perfectly combined
with knitwear, silk shirts and dresses.…
Handbags and shoes were nicely developed
with novelties and classic items. Céline was
innovative with textures, new colorblocking
and beautiful animal sketches. The knitwear
layering will also be a commercial success.
It was down-to-earth, dramatic and playful
at the same time.”
Tomoko Ogura, senior fashion director,
Barneys New York: “Valentino was a
beautiful lineup presenting the breadth of
the designers’ vision from day to evening.
Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli
continue to carry us forward into their
elegant aesthetic with a precision and
craftsmanship that is especially inspiring
up close. And the finale with Ben Stiller and
Owen Wilson was a fun surprise.”
Beth Buccini, cofounder, Kirna Zabete:
“Hands down, Valentino. The show is always
a Paris highlight, and this season was
no different. The clothes were absolutely
breathtaking. But to see Zoolander and
Hansel on the runway after that exquisite
show was epic. Fashion should be fun, and
boy, did we all get the magic of Valentino,
plus an unforgettable laugh. I don’t know if
another fashion show can ever top this one.”
Claire Distenfeld, owner, Fivestory:
“Rosetta Getty. I’m really buying into this
idea of specialized staples and crossdressing, as in high-low, casual-fancy and
masculine-feminine. Rosetta’s collection
was all timeless staples that one can
layer up or strip down. The two key
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pieces: the lamé patchwork sweater with
gold thread that could be worn with jeans
or with the gold lamé turtleneck dress, as
well as the laser-cut lace wide-leg pants
with an elastic waistband...I mean, can you
get more genius than that?”
Laura Vinroot Poole, owner, Capitol;
cofounder, House Account: “Dries Van
Noten’s beautiful luxury bohemians, decked
from embroidered toe to feather-flowered
neck in glorious brocades, jacquards and
palettes, [which were] balanced by crisp
khakis, voiles and canvas. The way he
celebrates women’s strength and beauty,
as well as the realities of their lives, is
unparalleled. The briskness with which his
collections sell speaks to the power of that.”
Linda Fargo, senior vice president,
fashion, Bergdorf Goodman: “After seeing
119 shows in four cities, the one collection
that burned itself into my fashion heart was
Valentino. It was unpredictable, layered and
kept us on the edge of our seats with one
look more exquisite than the last. It was
clean and sharp, highly romantic, modern,
historically referential. The patchworks,
intarsia, unusual color mix. The most perfect
cape and shirtdresses of the season.
The couture-level craftsmanship in the
showroom was at new heights for rtw.”
Cindy Ho, fashion director, 360 Style:
“Dries Van Noten. He makes a woman
look beautiful, elegant and sophisticated
with his use of mix-and-match fabrics in
his inimitable style.”
Valentino
Chanel
Undercover
Erdem
Ralph Lauren
Christian Dior
Rosetta Getty
On the runway: A golden glow.
THE DONNA
At a critical juncture for the iconic brand she launched 31 years ago, Donna Karan turned out a
FACTOR
fabulous collection. She discusses her show, her ceo and herself.
BY BRIDGET FOLEY
Photos by Giovanni Giannoni
A
conversation with Donna
Karan takes off. Lead with her
fabulous fall fashion show—
the stated topic for a conversation
over lunch at the Stephan Weiss
studio—and she’s recounting spring
break with Gabby and the grandkids
in Costa Rica; appreciate the salmon
and she’s opening a restaurant.
Ask about Urban Zen’s recent turn
toward wholesale, and she wends
back not only to a prelaunch meeting
circa 2006 with Yves Carcelle
(included here) but to Anne Kleinera exchanges with Frank Mori and
Tomio Taki (interesting but too offtopic for the space allotted).
While Karan’s antilinear thought
process makes for circuitous banter
that can exasperate the journalist, it
engages the lunch companion. And
it’s never about evasion. Asked about
that exquisite fall collection, her new
chief executive officer and fashion
group president, her future and
the rumor mill, she answers it all—
eventually.
WWD: The show was amazing.
Donna Karan: After runway, I had
to go to Italy, then Paris. I just came
back from Costa Rica. Costa Rica was
my first shot of saying, “Maybe there
is hope.” It’s not all commercialized.
It was pure. The people were pure,
the restaurants were pure. It was the
opportunity for me to be with the
family. Gabby’s kids were off on school
break…
WWD: After New York and before
Costa Rica, to Italy?
D.K.: Yes, to do Urban Zen. That’s
why I went to Paris. We showed the
Urban Zen collection. We don’t show
it, we sell it.
WWD: You began wholesaling Urban
Zen a year ago. How’s it going?
D.K.: I’m having a fight with myself.
WWD: In what way?
D.K.: I want to do it, I don’t want to
do it; I want to do it, I don’t want to
do it. People come in and they love the
collection. There’s uniqueness to it. It’s
seasonless, timeless. There’s definitely
a customer for it out there. She’s not
[wanting only] what’s new, what’s
new, what’s new, what’s new, what’s
new. It’s the opposing opposites. So
I’m living in both worlds. Collection is
what’s new and Urban Zen is how you
find the calm in the chaos in fashion.
30
A fine structure.
I find that balance between the two,
I like. I don’t think I can do either-or.
It’s really a question of “and” for me.
From the creative standpoint.
WWD: Why wholesale Urban Zen,
which launched as a retail-only
project?
D.K.: It’s not wholesale as you know
it. It’s very particular people. Like
A’maree’s in California. They only go
to Paris, so for them, [writing the line
there is] easier. Trudie Goetz [owner
of Trois Pommes] in Switzerland.
There are people who see Urban Zen
as a staple. They love the store. So I’m
doing it very, very, very, strategically.
WWD: Why wholesale it now?
D.K.: People came in. They said,
“Donna, we love the clothes, we really
want to carry it.” I said, “If it’s the
right partnership and you understand
the philosophy of the brand—you’re
not going to have resort and you’re
not going to have spring when you
have spring. I’m not changing that. If
that’s something you believe in, let’s
give it a try.”
WWD: The decision wasn’t a
hedge against possible changes
upcoming at Donna Karan, or your
position with LVMH?
D.K.: Oh hell no. If anything, it would
be the opposite.
WWD: What do you mean?
D.K.: When I met with Yves Carcelle
[about launching Urban Zen], I was
very clear about what I wanted to do.
I very rarely say it, but the truth is, I
had a vision. I can explain it verbatim
in terms of how I saw Urban Zen.
Stephan was still alive at the time and
I even asked him, “Can I have your
studio, please?” because I saw it as a
studio. I saw it as a restaurant; I saw
it as a living center. I saw it as a center
for change.
That was what I wanted to curate. I
said to Yves, “I’ve done Donna Karan;
I’ve done DKNY, I feel this is the next
dimension.” And he said very clearly,
“Why don’t you keep Urban Zen for
you? We’ll keep Donna Karan and
DKNY. You’ll still do them. But it’s
your baby.”
WWD: “You keep Urban Zen,
we’ll keep Donna Karan and
DKNY.” So you have perhaps not
a different level of emotional
or psychological interest, but
a different level of financial
interest. And therefore, a
different level of control.
D.K.: As interesting as that may be,
and I have to go back to Anne Klein,
whether I owned it or not, it was
mine. When you have a child and you
adopt a child, whether you had the
child or you didn’t have the child, that
child becomes your child.
WWD: But take the baby out of it.
Donna Karan isn’t only yours.
D.K.: Donna Karan will always be
mine.
WWD: Let’s talk about the show.
What was your aim?
D.K.: I wanted to say with this
collection that it was about the
elegance, about the craft. Fabrications
are incredible right now. Fabric
always talks to me. It tells me, “Hi,
I love you.” For me, it is and always
will be about the fabric. The fabric
and the body. The fabric tells me one
thing and the body tells me another.
If I look back at all of the collections
I’ve done, I know when I go this route
and I know when I don’t go this route.
It’s very simple. I put the shoes on the
floor and I go, “Am I showing flats, am
I showing heels, am I showing boots?”
It’s all really defined.
WWD: This collection…
D.K.: It was a romance—in
modernity, the two worlds coming
together, a modern romance. It had
geometry and it had softness. It had
power and it had calm. It had all of
the conflicting opposites. Originally
we were going to put white in the
collection for a real black-and-white,
opposites-attract kind of feeling. But I
felt the silhouettes really said it all and
the white would detract.
WWD: It was modern and
romantic, powerful and calm. And
it was gorgeous.
D.K.: I got nervous. I thought, either
people would love it or I’m going to
get whacked completely.
WWD: This salmon is delicious.
D.K.: My daughter wants to open a
restaurant here. Have you been to her
restaurant yet?
WWD: I have not.
D.K.: That’s where I really wanted to
do this interview, but she doesn’t do
lunches. She took Stephan’s artwork
WWD COLLECTIONS
and put it in the restaurant, she
empties out my space and I go, “Where
can I find my vase?” and I look in the
restaurant and the vase is there. I was
in India and she goes, “Oh Mom, you
don’t need them, those hand-painted
pillows, you don’t need them.”
She did it all by herself. I did
nothing. The only thing I did was the
biggest mistake in the restaurant, but
people like it so I’m not going to say
a word.
WWD: What did you do?
D.K.: The grout.
WWD: People say they like the
grout?
D.K.: No, it’s a tile. I said, “Gabby,
the whole restaurant is gray gray gray
gray gray gray.” She steals my table by
the way, from my house. That’s the
communal table at the center of the
restaurant. People love to hang out.
WWD: It sounds wonderful.
D.K.: I’m so proud. She has all of
the Haiti product there and all of my
husband’s product there. She’s just…I
do see a mini-me.
…The salmon [on her plate; not
Gabby’s] is delicious. I should open a
restaurant here. I want to do a healthy
restaurant. And I don’t mean healthy
like organic, just good, healthy food.
So that is my next step.
WWD: Do you ever just want to—
D.K.: Not do anything?
WWD: Think you’re doing too much?
D.K.: No, there’s too much to be
done. I feel like I’ve been gifted. God
gave me a gift and I have to use it. My
truth is that I think it would be very
spoiled of me to be given a gift and not
use it. Dressing people and helping
them, it’s just part of who I am.…It’s
never about me; it’s about the we. My
relationship with Peter [Speliopoulos,
senior vice president of design],
my relationship with Jane [Chung,
executive vice president of design at
DKNY], my relationship with Patti
[Cohen, redheaded right hand]. It’s
been so many years. This goes back to
Anne Klein, that’s the weird part about
the whole thing. Jane has been with
me since she was in Parsons School of
Design and she didn’t get my award.
WWD: Who got your award
that year?
D.K.: Oh my God, Isaac Mizrahi.
WWD COLLECTIONS
WWD: Isaac! But back to the
show. Do you find it difficult to
stay focused on a collection?
D.K.: Me? Why would you say that?
WWD: I’m serious. There are some
rumors flying around.
D.K.: OK. My situation is a very clear
one. When I’m on, I’m on. When I’m
off, I’m off.
WWD: That’s direct.
D.K.: When I’m thinking Donna
Karan, I know exactly what I have to
do there. I’m in the zone. Otherwise I
couldn’t have done DKNY and Donna
Karan with two completely different
philosophies and kept them both
alive. Most designers just don’t do one
thing now, do they?
WWD: Increasingly, employee
designers tend to do one
thing now. Not all, but most.
Karl Lagerfeld is an extreme
exception.
D.K.: But I’m not an employee.
WWD: You are in a demanding
partnership.
D.K.: When I go to Donna Karan,
I am Donna Karan. When it comes
to Urban Zen, I’m Urban Zen. It’s
like I have eight grandchildren. I
keep saying to Gabby, “Can you get
pregnant again, please?” I need a little
one; they’ve gotten too big for me. I
want to get them before they hit the
computer.
WWD: Donna, let’s get back...
D.K.: Yes, here we are.
WWD: Talk about your early
insecurity through the design
process.
D.K.: I did not love this collection.
WWD: Why?
D.K.: I wish I could explain this
one. I loved the leathers and suedes;
I got very, very excited about those
when I was in Italy. We were having
a problem with the length. I wanted
a pant collection, I was feeling very,
very strongly for pants, and skirts
were a problem. Dresses were the
biggest problem.
WWD: Why?
D.K.: Because when you’re not feeling
drape, you’re feeling structure. In a
structure collection, you’re structured,
and there’s not that many places you
31
can go that you haven’t gone to before.
Been there, seen it, done it.
it. From here, everything else fell into
place. That defined the collection.
WWD: Why were you feeling for
structure?
D.K.: Because the fabrics talked
structure. I flipped for them. When
you see the fabric you think, “Oh my
God, what I can do with this, what I
can do with that....” I wasn’t feeling
liquid. That was a struggle for me, like
saying, “You can’t wear flats.”
There’s a crossover between last
season and this collection. I was
evolving it, and that’s when I get
nervous. I was taking it to the next
dimension. Then, I started doing the
skirts, then I fell in love.
WWD: Was there an “aha”
moment?
D.K.: Once we got the angles, then
came the sheer. But it’s not a fluid
collection. It’s a very strong, direct
statement of power. It was very
defined. My husband was a sculptor.
It reminded me of Stephan. You
know, it was all of that when I got into
structure.
WWD: What changed?
D.K.: That was the last part of the
equation. And the evening. I said, “OK,
we’re not going liquid.” It was that
constant balance between liquid and
structure, liquid and structure. Once
you get into structure, it kind of puts
you into a structure. I’m not the most,
how do you say, structured? How do
you stay within a structure? The yogi
in me [loves liquid] and the mobility,
but I wasn’t feeling it. So I couldn’t go
there even if I wanted to. I was loving
jackets, I was loving tailored, I was
loving that whole thing. But this little
voice in my head kept going, “Donna,
where’s the draping?” I knew that’s
what the retailers would say to me:
“Where’re my jersey dresses?”
WWD: The structured tiers—so
beautiful. Your strapless dresses
were interesting.
D.K.: It all started with the element
of the cummerbund. The Asian
influence, definitely that feeling of
geometry. The first piece that came
out, the strapless piece that was all
done in sections. That, for me, defined
the show, once we got the fabric to
wrap the body in a geometric form.
What I wanted to say was
New York—which you saw in the
background, the lights of New York.
I’d traveled all over the world; I’d
taken people on journeys and taken
them to the body. Last season, last fall
was the movement of the body; this
was about the structure of the city.
WWD: It’s quite a process.
D.K.: How can I explain what talks
to me and what doesn’t? But that’s
how it happens. And then, when you
put the brocades and the layering on
32
WWD: Was it a more emotional
collection for you than usual? Or
are they all emotional?
D.K.: I knew it was good. Let’s say
that. I knew it was really, really good.
But I didn’t know what the response
would be to it. I’ve never showed a
bad collection. I always expect to be
D.K.: I like her as a woman; I think
her strength is there. She’s a strong
businesswoman. She has a strong
point of view. I think she’ll look at
something with a fresh eye and I
appreciate that. Do I see what I see?
Yes I do. There’s no question I have a
vision of what I see for the company.
WWD: Do you think you share a
vision?
D.K.: It’s interesting. We’re dating.
It’s a getting-to-know-each-other. As
a woman, I think she’s really nice. I
like dressing her. It’s nice to have…
I feel more like an equal. Woman to
woman. A real woman-to-woman
discussion about reality.
WWD: LVMH is quite proactive with
its American brands these days.
D.K.: Coming into the picture,
WHEN I LOOK AT MY FUTURE, I’M SAYING,
“HERE I AM, DONNA KARAN.” DO I STILL WANT TO
DESIGN? I LOVE DESIGNING. I LOVE FABRICS. I’M A
DESIGNER. YOU CAN’T WALK AWAY FROM THAT.
at a certain level. I think maybe it’s
experience, the understanding of
draping, the understanding of the
body. There is something to be said
for experience.
WWD: Can you define for me
where you are right now as a
designer?
D.K.: I can. Reflective and moving
forward.
WWD: Where are you as a
company principal?
D.K.: As a company principal,
somebody who is passionate from
the past to the future. I think the new
people aboard are great, I’m very
exited about Caroline [Brown, ceo,
Donna Karan International] and
Pierre-Yves [Roussel, chairman and
ceo of LVMH Fashion Group].
WWD: What is your relationship
with Pierre-Yves?
D.K.: Very good. I feel that they’ve
embraced me...Now, I feel more
integrated. I like Caroline. Partners in
crime are great to have.
WWD: Do you feel you connect
with her?
Caroline has a fresh eye; I think
Pierre-Yves has a fresh eye. They’re
young, they’re energized, they’re
excited. They love the brand, which I
find very exciting. Pierre-Yves respects
design, which is unusual.
WWD: It shouldn’t be.
D.K.: It’s beyond the respect. I think
it’s innate in his DNA, so to speak.
Do I have my vision? Without a
doubt. I’ve never sat here and said
that I don’t see what I see for the
future of this company. And it’s been
frustrating for me, beyond belief.
WWD: Go on.
D.K.: It’s been frustrating to see the
potential of a company [and to] not
reach its potential.
WWD: What were the issues?
D.K.: It’s hard to say, “the issues.”
It was the whole strategy of the
company…
The concern was obviously DKNY,
DKNY, DKNY, because the scope
of it, the intensity of it…You have
to build a company here and here.
[She indicates high and low with her
hands.] You have to grow the high
end, you have to grow the bottom.
WWD: There’s considerable
musing about changes at DKNY.
D.K.: You know what? I hope there’s
big change for the future because
what’s happened there, respectfully, I
have not been a fan of.
WWD: Really?
D.K.: Listen, I think DKNY has a
mark that’s strong and unique. My
vision for DKNY has always been
the street scene of New York City.
It has never changed. I want the
mother, I want the father, I want the
daughter, I want the baby, I want
the child. I want it as her lifestyle.
The lifestyle is my dream of DKNY.
It was about being on the streets of
New York City. When that poster
came down, I was devastated. You
know the big DKNY poster. I mean,
it was iconic to New York.
[A huge mural of a view of
Manhattan through the cutout letters
DKNY, the Statue of Liberty in the
foreground of the K, graced the
corner of Broadway and Houston
from 1992 until 2009.]
I think Jane Chung is a genius. I
love her to death. She’s my family;
she’s a part of me. She’s my other side.
She is somebody I started a brand
with, birthed the brand...
WWD: Is there a search on for a
new creative director for DKNY?
D.K.: Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve
heard a lot of rumors. Who’s taking
my place?
If I could think of a designer to take
my place, there are two: Rick Owens
and Alber Elbaz.
WWD: You’ve had a series of
ceo’s, yet not much happened.
What’s different now?
D.K.: I think a reality hit and
somebody said, “You know what? This
was a good investment. The Donna
Karan Company, Donna Karan New
York. I think it has a position.” We’ve
kept to our brand [identity]—I
don’t think we’ve disappointed from
a design point of view. Did it grow
where I wanted it to grow? No. I think
when you’re with a partner, an owner,
there’s vision.
WWD: Are you prepared to do
things differently?
D.K.: This is a very hard discussion for
me right now because we’re right in
the birthing stage where everything is
happening. New people. New everything.
WWD COLLECTIONS
WWD: The next lifetime—another
interview.
D.K.: I haven’t seen enough of the
world yet. I’m affected by the world
and there are a lot of places I want to
go. I really want to continue that work.
Can I do it and do my job at Donna
Karan? I think the beauty of what I’m
able to do, and similar to that of Karl,
I can multitask. Do I have to be there
24/7? I don’t think so. Because of the
way the schedule works, I’m able to
do my work and able to live. If it was
at the point where I had to be at that
office 24/7, no I couldn’t do it. Do I
love Urban Zen? Absolutely; it’s a very
important thing for me.
Do I love my company? Absolutely,
I adore my company and I want
the best for it. Are there designers I
think are just absolutely fantastic out
there? [Yes, but] I worry about the
representation of a name, a label, a
company that I hold close to my heart.
I want to be able to be proud of it for
the rest of my life.
WWD: You’re in the birthing
stage, but you’re 30 years into it.
D.K.: Oy vey, I’m exhausted. Can you
imagine—68 and having a baby?
WWD: Do you want to continue
designing?
D.K.: When I look at my future, I’m
saying, “Here I am, Donna Karan.” Do
I still want to design? I love designing.
I love fabrics. I’m a designer. You can’t
walk away from that.
WWD: What if Caroline and PierreYves came to you and said, “You
have so much going on, we want
to bring in a designer. You can do
Haiti, you can do Urban Zen, you
can consult here and represent
the house as its founder,
inspiration and guiding force.”
What would you say?
D.K.: Probably not. I don’t know
what I would say. I think they really
like me. It’s hard for me to say that.
I think they really respect me, as a
designer…
We’re romancing each other; we’re
getting to know each other. They’re
getting to know me; I’m getting to
know them. I like them, I really do.
I have a tremendous respect for
them; I think they’ll take care of the
company, which I care about.
WWD: You’ve had a series of
ceo’s who didn’t leave significant
imprints. With Caroline, and
Pierre-Yves in his role as
president of fashion brands, that
seems sure to change.
D.K.: There’s no question about it, I
think change for the better. I think
we all have to agree on something.
As I said, we’re dating. I’m married
to my company; I’ll be married to
my company whether I’m there or
not there. I love the company, it’s
my baby. Am I still going to design
there? I assume so. I’m working on
resort right now; I’m working on
next spring. Resort is coming in June
and we’ll be saying, “What do you
think of the collection?” It’s pretty,
you’ll like it.
WWD: You’ve always had a strong
point of view. What would you
tweak if you could?
D.K.: Do I believe in a closet that
is holistic? Absolutely. Today, if I
could do it all over again, would
I put DKNY and Donna Karan
together? Probably.
WWD COLLECTIONS
Karan takes
her bow.
WWD: That’s being done
elsewhere within LVMH.
D.K.: I think it’s great. I think Marc
[Jacobs] has a great opportunity. It’s
refreshing and exciting.
WWD: Would it work here?
D.K.: Jane and I have talked about this so
many times, about if we could, we would.
From a business point of view, the way
Donna Karan and DKNY are set up, I
don’t think it could be done at the moment.
I think DKNY has such an established
market place. I would love to do a store that
mixes DKNY and Donna Karan. But it
would be a different store than DKNY
and Donna Karan because that’s what’s
in my closet. I’d call it My Closet.
That’s where I started. I needed a
pair of jeans, I needed outerwear, I
need my T-shirts. Of course I think
it can be combined. Ralph does a
magnificent job at it, brilliant. If
there’s anybody out there that I can
say hit the nail on the head, it’s Ralph
Lauren. What that man has done.
WWD: Remarkable. His favorite
line is “I do what I do.” He’s
stuck to his vision, expanded and
deepened it.
D.K.: Ralph continues to be relevant.
The new [Polo] store on Fifth
Avenue—it’s evolved. It’s clean and
fresh and has a purpose.
WWD: What’s next for Donna
Karan, the designer, the person,
the company? Donna Karan the
designer first.
D.K.: I will always design. I will
always be inspired. My dream is a
motorcycle diary. I want to get on
the back of a motorcycle and create
in Third World countries. That’s my
dream. I’m 60-how-old?
WWD: You’re young at heart.
D.K.: I say, OK, my clock is ticking.
How do I get done what I want to
get done? Is this going to be a dream
in this lifetime or a dream in the
next lifetime?
WWD: Donna, I asked you what’s
next for Donna Karan the person
and the designer, and you said
you’d like to get on a motorcycle
and do design projects in
Third World countries. Can
you see how those whose
primary interest is growing the
company—Pierre-Yves Roussel,
Bernard Arnault— might—
D.K.: They’ll get a little bit nervous?
But I’ve been doing it. I’m doing it
right now. I did deliver a collection
that you loved. I’m saying that I
can do both worlds. I don’t have to
live in this singularity of the world.
I’m established enough as an eye, a
draper, a critic, as a designer, that
I’m multifaceted. I’m able to do it.
WWD: You said earlier that it’s
“about the we.” Do you feel
confident that you can work with
the business-side “we”?
D.K.: I really do like Caroline and
Pierre-Yves. It’s a mutual respect, which
I think is unique. Has it been there
before? Not necessarily. Is it there now?
I do believe it is. I care about what
happens here. I think the mark that
Donna Karan has made is something
that can live on for many years.
WWD: And you’re as passionate
about your involvement as ever?
D.K.: That is my name that sits on
that door. It always will be.
33
Antonio Marras
F
THE ISLAND OF
DR. MARRAS
Antonio Marras
plays outside
fashion’s traditional
lines—and that’s just
the way he likes it.
BY LUISA ZARGANI
PORTRAIT BY PAOLA PANSINI
or anyone who has marveled
at his shows, the personal
tales behind his carefully
detailed collections, or his fanciful
and imaginative sets, it’s hard
to think of Antonio Marras as a
bean counter.
Yet at the beginning of his work
life, the designer gravitated toward
finance—a professional life behind a
bank teller’s window.
“I’m sure I would have made lots
of clients happy, handing them
the wrong change, giving them
more money than I was meant to,”
Marras chuckles, his self-effacing
manner a rare trait in the ego-rich
fashion industry.
His father, Efisio, had hoped his son
would go into accounting, but that plan
changed when he took over the family’s
textile shop in Alghero, Sardinia,
after Efisio died in the Seventies.
Marras, 54, is even more surprised
at his easy relationship with money
when he recalls his early days at the
store, which he later transformed
into a fashion boutique. “What
budgets? I followed my instinct and
I would just buy what I liked—racks
of Moschino or Jean Paul Gaultier.”
But make no mistake: Despite
his claims of being a “terrone,” a
colloquial term for someone from
the south of Italy, superstitious and
a fatalist, Marras has an almost
Calvinist approach to his work.
“My Laboratorio collection, all
sewn and embroidered in Sardinia,
is a procedure and a method that
only a madman would take on,”
says the designer, showing a short
dress embroidered with a dazzling
number of beads and crystals that
are comparable to haute couture.
In fact, Marras was invited to
show a couture collection in Rome in
1996 and, to that end, he took apart
his uncle’s wardrobe, re-creating
striking gowns from men’s suits,
cutting and stitching together scraps
from different looks.
Today, in his Circolo Marras
showroom in Milan, surrounded
by flea-market mirrors and rugs he
designs in an artisanal style typical
of Sardinia, sitting on a Paola Lenti
chaise lounge he upholstered—
interiors being one of his passions—
Marras muses on his wish to return to
WWD COLLECTIONS
PEOPLE |
CABINET PHOTO BY DANIELA ZEDDA; RUNWAY BY DAVIDE MAESTRI
A curio cabinet is full of classic toys at Marras’ home in Sardinia.
couture. At the same time, he’s mulling
taking on a financial partner.
“Until now, I wasn’t even willing to
listen to any proposal, I was entirely
closed to the idea. Patrizia [his wife,
who is chief executive officer] and I
decide on everything, but this has a cost,
it requires economic commitment and
sacrifice. I’m starting to think that I’d
like to be unburdened by bureaucratic
and financial tasks. I’m now ready to
evaluate the possibility of a partner.”
Marras says he realizes his designs
must be “more visible and available. A
dress is not an end in itself, otherwise
it’s just an object. I am interested
clothes that are worn, they must live.”
The designer segues, expressing
his distaste for pigeonholing. “Niche
is limiting, I don’t like the concept, I
never understood it. I believe there is
a larger number of people who could
appreciate the work I do. It’s easier to
dub someone or something ethical or
minimal, but I don’t believe in that.
I was born minimal but I just can’t
do it. I like simple lines, but I adore
interventions, contrasts, going beyond
limits, and cross-pollination. I like
to see the transformation, to change
things so that they become different.”
Enter his self-described “mania”
with fabrics, washed and treated in
different ways—and mistakes that can
be fixed. “Beauty can come from ugly
things. This intrigues me, and gives me
the most satisfaction.”
Marras is something of a fashion
outsider, “an anomaly in the system,”
as he puts it. He spends about a
week a month in Milan, where he
has staff manning the showroom,
but continues to live and work in his
hometown of Alghero, “an island
on the island,” he says, where locals
speak Catalan. He points to the
“cultural stratification and strategic
WWD COLLECTIONS
position” of Sardinia, conquered
through centuries by the Romans, the
French the Spaniards, and others. He
admits to being strongly influenced by
this mix of cultures and traditions in a
region with a deep textile and jewelry
heritage, as well as his childhood
spent by the sea. “Those who are born
on an island know their boundaries.
The sea is a limit, but also makes you
want to travel, to escape, to discover…
and there is always that wish to
return. I would never think to move.”
Three Efisio Marras boutiques
still stand in Alghero, from the first
single textile shop, which Marras
revolutionized with a mix of “luck
and recklessness.” He pointed out, for
example, that he was the first to bring
Fiorucci to Sardinia. Now they sell
Antonio Marras and other lines.
“One of my suppliers kept prodding
me to design a fashion collection. I
thought he was crazy,” says Marras.
At the insistence of his wife, Marras
launched a line in 1987 under the Piano
Piano Dolce Carlotta label, a translation
of the title of the 1964 Bette Davis film
Hush…Hush, Sweet Charlotte—movies
being another passion.
The line was unveiled at trade show
Milano Vende Moda (now Mipap). “But
boredom is my personal monster,” he
says, and “the collection had become a
shopping list of garments.” The designer
recalls he almost quit the fashion
business, until he received the invitation
from Rome’s couture organizing body.
That 1996 collection sparked curiosity.
“Industrialists started to call me,
they were curious but perhaps also
terrified—‘How could we do a coat with
25 different swatches of fabrics?’” he
says in mock-astonishment.
His signature collection, previously
produced by BVM SpA, for which he
designed Les Copains and Gibò, is
Feature |
35
through Iran and Afghanistan at the
currently manufactured by Castor.
onset of World War II.
In 2007, he launched I’m Isola
Last February, Italian model and
Marras, first produced by Interfashion,
actress Benedetta Barzini, now in
owned by Stefanel Group. The line
her 70s, was his muse for fall. Marras
is now manufactured by Loma and
wrote a love letter in the show notes,
costs about 40 percent less than the
and Barzini was the final exit. (She
signature collection.
also walked the designer’s first show
Global sales are about $11 million for
in 1999, in a room he filled with trees
the company, which counts five stores:
and wooden planks.) The fall venue
two in Russia, in a deal with Bosco di
was the latest spectacular set, as Marras
Ciliegi; one in Kuwait with Al Ostoura,
transformed a Milan garage into a
and one each in Milan and Alghero.
Trianon-Versailles-like salon, brimming
The signature line is carried at around
with paintings, rugs and chandeliers.
140 multibrand stores, while I’m Isola
“The show is a topical moment,
Marras is available at around 300 doors.
He also sells men’s wear, bags and shoes, where I harmonize all that I like,
from art to music and cinema, which
and has collaborated with home goods
help visualize my vision,” says Marras,
firms for wallpaper and upholstery
asked for his thoughts on
fabrics. Marras aims to expand in the
runway shows at a time
U.S. and China, and e-commerce began
when many question
on his Web site about a year ago.
their relevance. “It’s
Marras, who was also artistic
not calculated. It’s an
director of Kenzo from 2003 to
important element to
2011, confesses he never longed to
tell a story.”
become a designer, much less the
aforementioned banker. “Rather, I
wanted to go to art school and work
with my hands.” Although he never
went to fashion school or art school, he
received an honorary degree from the
Brera Academy of Art in 2013.
Art remains a strong draw and
inspiration for Marras. “During my
first trip to Milan, when I was 14 years
old, I saw Lucio Fontana’s [cut
canvas] and I was enchanted. How
could one strong incision touch
me so and leave such a mark on
me? I was amazed. That was the
beginning of my curiosity for art,”
says Marras, who sketches as he
speaks, and enjoys painting.
His store, Nonostante Marras,
holds frequent art shows, curated
by art critic and writer Francesca The house Looks
in Alghero,from fall.
Alfano Miglietti. Until last
Sardinia.
month, for example, there
was a show on Italian painter
Carol Rama, to whom Marras
dedicated his spring line.
Literature is also a major
inspiration; his 2015 resort
collection was inspired by the
Nobel Prize–winning Chilean
poet Pablo Neruda. And Marras’
first namesake collection in 1999
was dedicated to Swiss writer
and photographer Annemarie
Schwarzenbach, who
recorded her drive to India
36
|
Feature | PEOPLE
Sébastien
Meunier
My Favorite Martin
A pack of designers flourishing today owe much of their success
to having studied at the altar of Margiela.
BY MILES SOCHA
very strict, serious in its approach—
knowing that you won’t be designing
a lot of things and then editing, but
instead really thinking before you
draw something,” he says.
Margiela dispensed with seasonal
themes and inspirations, preferring
his deputies to use clothes as the
starting point—reworking them and
adding a conceptual layer.
“You focus a lot on the clothes and
how it’s made, and even the question,
‘Would I wear this?’” Helbers
explains. “This commitment to strong
research and creativity combined
with a healthy dose of reality is a good
springboard.”
Helbers recalls that Margiela’s
heydays were in the pre-Insta era,
when his shows were staged in subway
stations or rundown buildings. “It
was a time when things were more
mystical. That contributed a lot to the
force,” he says.
Currently creative director of the
Milan-based leisure brand Callens,
Helbers is preparing to launch a
signature collection in early 2017,
starting with men’s wear and
accessories with an “industrialized
artisanal approach.”
Meunier, who had been in charge
of Margiela’s line 6 and men’s
wear following Helber’s departure,
described the house, located in a
former school, as “very studious, very
quiet and concentrated.
“Everything was about work,
garment concepts and how to enjoy
it,” he enthuses. “Classic garments
were the basis of everything. They
were a good support to give credibility
to all the concepts we were working
on. Our goal was to transform them
in an unexpected way, and to change
radically the perception of them.”
In Meunier’s view, “the way
[Margiela] reversed many codes in such
a personal way, no one can forget it.”
Nadège Vanhee-Cybulski
PHOTO CREDITS TEEKAY
T
here’s definitely something
about Martin.
Although fashion’s invisible
man, Martin Margiela, made his final
disappearing act back in 2009, the
Belgian fashion maverick’s influence
lives on, perpetuated by scores of
alumni from the Paris-based house
now scattered across the industry.
Several of these made a splash during
the fall shows in Paris, with Nadège
Vanhee-Cybulski making her debut
as women’s ready-to-wear designer at
Hermès, Sébastien Meunier steering the
Ann Demeulemeester brand in a more
sultry direction, and Demna Gvasalia
bringing a jolt of underground fashion
thrills with his Vetements show, staged
in a notorious gay sex club.
“Probably the best education that
these brilliant designers retain is to not
think of fashion, but to think beyond
that. There is something philosophical
and sociological about what these
talented Margiela graduates have to
offer,” muses Paris-based headhunter
Agnès Barret, who in 2006 founded
her firm, Agent Secret, after working
beside Margiela as his collection
director, ultimately recruiting
design directors for each of the lines
demarcated by number on ghostly
labels with their telltale white stitches.
“Martin was like an artist who
provided the outline sketch and asked
everyone to contribute their vision to
make it a masterpiece—something
which is undoubtedly a very rare
quality among designers of his level,”
Barret recalls. “He was a guide, very
inspiring, very charismatic and clear.
The designers were in harmony with
him straight away, and very naturally.”
Paul Helbers, perhaps best known
for his five-year stint as men’s designer
at Louis Vuitton under then-artistic
director Marc Jacobs, said his years at
Margiela left a lasting imprint.
“For me it was a great school,
WWD COLLECTIONS
PEOPLE | 37
MEUNIER PHOTO BY NICHOLAS WAGNER; VANHEE-CYBULSKI AND ALL RUNWAY BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI
Vetements
John Galliano is now creative
director of Maison Margiela, and
only a few employees, mainly in sales,
remain from the founder’s time.
“Everyone has grown and taken off on
generally very successful paths,” says
Barret, citing as an example David
Tourniaire, now artistic director of
footwear at Salvatore Ferragamo.
Meunier also points to Gregory
Brooks, now in women’s rtw at
Louis Vuitton; Filippo Grazioli, a
women’s wear designer at Hermès
under Vanhee-Cybulski; and Ingrid
Guttormsen, a men’s wear designer at
Alexander Wang.
Although he worked at Maison
Margiela in the post-Martin period,
Barret calls Gvasalia the founder’s
“spiritual son,” offering a vision that
“goes beyond the notion of fashion.”
Interviewed at his modest
headquarters in the 9th arrondissement
of Paris, appointed with a beat-up
sofa and many white tables, Gvasalia
says the focus on individual garments
was drilled into him at Margiela,
and is something he carries over into
Vetements, one of eight finalists for the
LVMH Prize. “We had to open up the
garments and play with them to achieve
the new result,” he explains, a tactic he
now applies to hoodies, bomber jackets
and military clothes, items that today’s
generation can relate to.
“It’s also a certain idea of rebellion
that today feels also relevant,
and needed,” he says, lamenting
that fashion has recently become
“predictable, almost.”
Linda Loppa, dean of Polimoda in
Florence known for her stint teaching
at Antwerp’s famous Royal Academy,
notes Margiela’s deconstruction of
garments was a “wake-up call for
a system in the Eighties that was
becoming too frivolous or theatrical.
The wake-up call Vetements is creating
could be understood as, ‘Let’s go
underground again!’ They did this
with their latest show, and that’s the
part I liked and appreciated.”
In Loppa’s view, being true to the
Margiela legacy means “positioning
as an outsider brand respecting all
the rules of the fashion system….This
is a typical Antwerp phenomenon,”
she says, citing Dries Van Noten as an
example. “Designers should learn this
from a label such as Maison Margiela.”
WWD COLLECTIONS
Hermès
Ann Demeulemeester
Demna
Gvasalia
Ann Demeulemeester
|
Feature | PEOPLE
Fresh Perspective
Peter Copping treads delicately to honor house codes, please
existing clients, cultivate new ones and advance the fashion of
a legendary label. BY JESSICA IREDALE
C
Peter Copping; the
fall collection for
Oscar de la Renta.
hangeover of creative
leadership is as
commonplace as a fashion
show at 8 on a Saturday night, yet
the circumstances of Peter Copping’s
first collection for Oscar de la Renta
for fall were rare and challenging.
The intended gradual succession,
with Copping working alongside de
la Renta for a season, did not happen
due to de la Renta’s death in October,
which left Copping doing creative,
professional and personal acrobatics
through an emotionally charged, highstakes situation for the fall collection.
“That was definitely the one that
I had to get under my belt,” says
Copping. He handled it gracefully,
with sensitivity toward
de la Renta’s family,
which owns and is very
active in the business,
and existing clientele.
Though he didn’t want
to produce an overt
tribute, Oscar’s influence
was obvious within the
lineup. Perhaps more
so than one would have
anticipated in light
of Copping’s work at
Nina Ricci.
A month after
the show, Copping
had time to gain
perspective on how
his debut landed and
the course he sees
going forward.
Asked if he felt
that he played
it safe on the
first run, he
says no.
“Fashion is so fast now, so it couldn’t
just be an homage to Oscar because
you have to state from the word ‘go’
what you see for the brand,” he says.
Critically and at market, the collection
was well-received. Copping reports
sales had increased in the doubledigits with one of his new propositions
for the label—a simply cut, fitted
dress in a stretch wool polyester with
decoration around the shoulders—
as the best-selling cocktail dress.
Longtime Oscar client Mercedes Bass
came backstage after the show to
point out the pieces she wanted, and
a recent client trip to Savannah, Ga.,
yielded affirmative feedback.
“It seems like people here are
wanting a little bit of newness, as
well, even the more traditional
clients,” says the designer, who sees
great opportunity to work with
color, lighter fabrics and modified
silhouettes, all refined and within
the world of Oscar, but also sprung
from Copping’s tastes.
He has experience taking over
a venerable house, having helped
establish Nina Ricci as a prominent
force in the designer women’s
sphere during his five-year tenure
there. There are big differences
between Ricci, which was primarily
a fragrance house with a founder
so long deceased that only serious
“fashionphiles” are familiar with
her work, and de la Renta, who was
vibrant, beloved and very present.
“It’s not a sleeping beauty,” says
Copping of the house of de la Renta.
“It’s never gone to sleep. That’s
something very positive. But I’m
very aware that I have to keep the
momentum going.”
There is much business to attend
to, including campaigns, children’s
lines, accessories, fragrances and
home. Getting the atelier in order
with key hires is a priority, as is oldfashioned business analysis of what’s
working and what could be done
better. Copping brings two decades of
experience to the table, and there are
differences between his practices and
those long established at the house.
De la Renta had a preference for
lengthy runway shows in which up to
70 looks was not unusual (Copping
showed 55 for fall).
“I know Oscar said, ‘big collection,
big business,’” Copping says. “But
sometimes that can just end up as
a lot of development costs to quite
small quantities at the end. You have
to ask, when is it better to just bite
the bullet and not do certain things?”
Copping is also pouring energy
into the clothes’ construction, inside
and out. “Oscar is an expensive
product, so I think everything
really has to be considered to look
as beautiful as it can be,” he notes.
“There is a lot to do. But I thought,
let’s start working on the outside
initially, then we can address how the
lining’s finished.”
WWD COLLECTIONS
PORTRAIT BY SEBASTIAN KIM; RUNWAY BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI
38
|
39
Molly
Goddard
Goddard’s Plan
Everything’s coming up Molly for this young Brit, whose collection
might be child-inspired but comes with grown-up aspirations.
BY SAMANTHA CONTI
PORTRAIT BY TIM JENKINS
L ife is galloping faster than
Molly Goddard ever expected:
Having shown her first
collection off-schedule in London
last September—with 20 girlfriends
wearing her handmade, off-kilter party
dresses in a church hall—Goddard is
now supplying stores including Dover
Street Market, whipping up a personal
order from Björk and looking for more
studio space.
She left her M.A. course at Central
Saint Martins, where she’d studied
under the late professor Louise
Wilson, a year early to focus on putting
together the spring 2015 collection.
Her hope was that it would help her
get a job. While she always wanted to
have her own label, she assumed she’d
work for someone else first.
“There was no budget, basically,”
says Goddard in an interview at Rose
Bakery, on the top floor of London’s
Dover Street Market, of her September
outing. “I never thought it was going to
be a collection I would end up selling.
To sell, I thought you had to have a
show, or do a proper presentation—and
this was a party, really.”
Her showstopping designs,
exaggerated takes on children’s
clothing and the stuff of little girls’
dress-up boxes, are now stocked
in Dover Street Market in London
WWD COLLECTIONS
and New York, I.T in Hong Kong
and Comme des Garçons Trading
Museum in Tokyo. In December,
Goddard won sponsorship from
NewGen, a longstanding British
Fashion Council scheme sponsored
by Topshop and aimed at building the
high-end fashion brands of the future.
The 26-year-old, a striking figure
with blue eyes and strawberry
blonde hair chopped into short
bangs at the front, was raised
in West London. She holds a
B.A. in knitwear from Central
Saint Martins, and makes her
collections by hand.
Inspired by the gingham
and frilly outfits her mother
and grandmother made for
her as a child, Goddard gets
her ideas poring over old family
photographs and children’s
knitwear patterns, and
visiting Portobello Market,
Alfies Antiques and the
Retro Clothing Exchange
in Notting Hill Gate.
“Maybe it’s a bit weird,
but I still sometimes go into
Baby Gap and look at the
clothes—they are so good,”
observes Goddard, who’s
dressed in a denim patchwork
DKNY skirt and a vintage,
multicolored crocheted sweater. Even
the burnished gold rings on her fingers
are secondhand, from Portobello.
Her fall presentation, which took
place on-schedule during London
Fashion Week, was a life drawing class
with an older, naked model named
George. (Goddard admits her boyfriend
was on standby with a pair of Speedos
in case George didn’t show up.)
Models wore big tulle dresses
mixed with knits, with voluminous
ruffles and pleating galore.
Such is her love of texture that she
opted to study knitwear rather than
textile design. She’s always loved the
idea of creating textures and then
wrapping them around the body. “I
like gathering fabrics and seeing what
shapes I can make. It’s kind of like
fabric manipulation, I suppose,” she
says. Her designs feature crocheting,
pleating and smocking, which she does
herself with a machine known as a
Sally Stanley Smocking Pleater.
The handwork is one reason Dover
Street was so attracted to her. “Molly’s
designs are fresh and vibrant with an
elegant innocence—and the fact that
they are made by hand makes them all
the more special,” says Dickon Bowden,
vice president of Dover Street Market.
Children’s haphazard way of
putting on clothes is also an ongoing
source of fascination for Goddard.
“At that age, you don’t even care
Looks
from fall.
what you’re wearing—and that’s
quite a nice thing,” she says. “You’re
wearing a big dress, then you put on
your mum’s shoes and then you put
your favorite T-shirt on top. When
my sister was born—she’s three years
younger than me—I used to wear
all her clothes. When I was three, or
older, I was wearing these tiny little
dresses with my entire bum slipping
out the bottom. I was just obsessed.”
For a designer so enchanted with
childhood, Goddard is being forced to
grow up quickly. As orders increase,
she’s toying with moving some of her
production to factories, but doesn’t
like that idea. “Finding factories that
do justice to the techniques and how
the clothes are made is going to be
long and quite hard work. And having
worked with factories with other
designers before, I know how much
goes wrong.”
Goddard’s prices are at the advanced
contemporary level, from 400 to 1,200
pounds (about $600 to $1,800).
“I want prices to be quite accessible
at any age. I don’t want to sell dresses
that cost 2,000 pounds. You have to
do things that people can actually
wear,” says Goddard, who’s still
coming to grips with her aspirations.
“I think I’d like to be very big, but keep
the integrity. I mean, I’d love my own
shop one day, but I’d also like to just
stop and enjoy what’s happened so far.”
40
|
Image
Just One Shot
Out of thousands of snaps during fashion season, WWD
photographers choose one favorite frame.
THOMAS
IANNACCONE
“Hollywood glam
meets fashion icon
at Calvin Klein.”
STEVE EICHNER
KUBA
DABROWSKI
“Louis Vuitton
shows are now
hosted in the new
LV foundation
building in Bois de
Boulogne forest
in the outskirts of
Paris. It takes a
while to get there,
but it absolutely
is worth it. Frank
Gehry’s architecture
is a spectacular
work of art. Another
thing are the
woods surrounding
it. There’s no
asphalt, there’s
no pavement, just
paths between the
trees. Some of the
show guests have
to walk through the
forest and it looks
surreal. Like a scene
from Twin Peaks—
and I really like Twin
Peaks. This is a
picture of an Italian
blogger, Eleonora
Carisi.”
SCOTT RUDD
“Rihanna backstage
at Zac Posen.”
PHOTO CREDITS TEEKAY
“This beautiful vintage dress was eerily floating above the spiral staircase
vortex at the Miu Miu screening party.”
ROBERT MITRA
“Tommy Hilfiger transformed
the Park Avenue Armory into
a football stadium. Fashion
plays as models walk the
AstroTurf runway.”
AMBER DE VOS
“I particularly like this shot because of both the delicate and aggressive nature of these stilettos and
the awkward pose of the wearer. They’re shoes that look like they could either take over the world
or topple over at any time. Kind of like a microcosm of fashion week—this brief period of time that is
filled with both domination and submission, action and passive observance, ultimate power and the
possibility of utter failure.”
STEPHEN SULLIVAN “Katie Holmes backstage at Zac Posen.”
STÉPHANE FEUGÈRE
PHOTO CREDITS TEEKAY
“Kate Moss and Lady
Gaga backstage after the
Balenciaga show in Paris. I
like this picture because it
is the meeting of two great
figures of entertainment.
And what’s great is that
unlike smaller stars, they
are not surrounded by
thousands of publicists and
have a sense of the image.
It was a great moment with
two great personalities.”
JOHN AQUINO
“Rodarte does it with smoke and mirrors.”
WWD COLLECTIONS
AMERICAN
MOMENT
THE
From Joseph Altuzarra’s provocative glam to Ralph
Lauren’s chic warmth, many of the season’s most
memorable collections were shown Stateside.
BY BRIDGET FOLEY
PHOTOS BY STEVE EICHNER
Joseph
Altuzarra
44
| BRIDGET FOLEY’S DIARY
The American Moment
W
shows. Except for Ralph Lauren—he
as it just a quirk of the
had two. At Polo, 62 models assembled
season or is American
for a spirited display of power wrapped
fashion experiencing a
in youthful charm and diverse fashion
Golden Age?
intended to debunk a common old
A whole lot of fabulous paraded
misconception.
across the runways of New York (and
“I get stereotyped,” Lauren said. “It’s
one distant L.A. outpost), clothes not
not all preppy.” For his own line, he
only engaging in the moment, but
spun a glorious sweater story (with a
with hindsight, an impressive feat
dash of Robert Altman’s Southwest)
at the end of another endless run of
from luxed-up materials, often playing
shows. To wit, many of the season’s
fanciful against plain.
best happened Stateside.
Then there were the LVMH
That’s on the brand level. On the
Americans—fashion is global, non?
consumer level, the American market,
With her house in transition in
only recently considered a frumpy,
terms of structure and reporting
mature second-best doyenne to those
channels, Donna Karan
exciting glamoramas of
showed a blockbuster, her
developing capitalism, has
best collection in years:
regained its stature. Now,
an urbane, elegant lineup
the great European luxury
in black and gold that
houses are again enamored
celebrated NYC while
with the U.S., and happily
pushing forward with
demonstrative with
sartorial panache. Marc
their affections. They’re
Jacobs, his house also in
upgrading stores and
making client connections.
BRIDGET FOLEY’S change’s throes under new
chief executive Sebastian
By next month, the tony
DIARY
Suhl, did what he loves—
itinerants will have come
unapologetic fashion, replete with
calling thrice in 16 months: Chanel
sweeping, moody silhouettes, lavish
with its 2013 Métiers d’Art show
adornments and a point to prove.
in Dallas and its recent redo of the
“We’ve been criticized for flipping
collection’s Salzburg show at the Park
180 degrees,” Jacobs said, referring
Avenue Armory in New York; in May,
to the shift from his undone, cartoon
Louis Vuitton will show cruise in Palm
Springs, Calif., a fashion honor even for military motif of spring. “But in
the manner of the late, great, Mrs.
a second-choice port of call (Vuitton
Vreeland [the set featured painted
scrapped plans for Seoul, perhaps
renderings of her famous red living
rather than follow Chanel, which got
room], that’s what fashion is: You love
on that city’s calendar first), and even
it till you hate it; you hate it till you
if Dior, its LVMH sister powerhouse,
love it.” A good line, though it’s tough
scrapped long-standing plans for Los
to imagine ever hating the mannish,
Angeles in favor of Saint Moritz.
jewel-adorned coats, staid sheaths
In her own outward display of
shushed up with sequined stripes or
affection, Miuccia Prada chose New
the fur drapes, faced in deep-hued,
York as one of three locations for the
embroidered brocades.
latest installment of her Iconoclasts
Michael Kors went lavish to more
series, featuring the fanciful work of
pragmatic effect.
Michael Wilkinson and Tim Martin
“How do you wear opulent on a
in her SoHo flagship.
Back to the runway: In an accidental regular basis?” he mused. He figured
it out, working the oxymoron of
expression of chic consistency, most
opulent restraint into a symphony of
of the American majors—both
style: sweaters with deep fur cuffs,
established and new—had stellar
dandies, showing froth and
flannel in concert and with
kinky boots in a gorgeous
exploration of sensuality and
“the performative aspects
of dressing.”
Then there were the cool
contemporizes—the guys
of Rag & Bone and Public
School; the guy and girl of
Opening Ceremony; Hood by
Air’s Shayne Oliver. One can
argue reasonably that they’re
cooler than their clothes, but
all in their way have struck
a resonant chord that is
impacting fashion significantly,
and drawing attention to this
American moment.
Punctuating the week,
American fashion’s most
glamorous expat, Tom Ford,
returned home determined
to trump the Oscars in their
Sunday/Monday media
monopoly. Two nights before
the awards, he showed a sitespecific, L.A. boho collection,
inspired by his friend Lisa Eisner
“although a lot of Carine, as well.”
Whether, given his London
base, Ford can be really considered
a part of American fashion—a
technicality, and who cares? His
sojourn west—in front of the season’s
most undeniably glamorous crowd
including Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer
Lopez, Beyoncé, Jay Z, Miley Cyrus,
Gwyneth Paltrow and nominees
Reese Witherspoon and eventual
winner Julianne Moore—points to
the growing credibility of Los Angeles
as a burgeoning fashion mecca of
international interest.
In aggregate, American fashion
is on a role. Michael Kors remains
a model of long-term, nose-tothe-grindstone mega success.
Kering’s investment in Altuzarra
and employment of Alex Wang at
Balenciaga (for which, in my opinion,
he presented a far better show than
many credited him with) indicates
the international appeal of young
U.S.-based talent. Most importantly,
there’s this quite special fashion
season, when so many of the major
names performed at their peak,
resulting in a dazzling American
fashion moment. May it continue.
Narciso
Rodriguez
mixed men’s wear tweeds under lush
stoles, jewel-encrusted pajamas.
Inspired by abstract expressionism,
Lazaro Hernandez and Jack
McCollough’s Proenza Schouler
escalated quickly from relative
simplicity into an intense, fiercely
decorated tribal reverie. Conversely,
Narciso Rodriguez distilled an unlikely
inspiration—Maharajah adornment—
into his minimalist vision.
Vera Wang and Alexander Wang
(no relation, though she often jokes
that she’s his fashion aunt) showed
two sides of darkness: hers, beautifully
severe and tinged with grown-up Goth
and references from street, sport,
boudoir and Eighties Japanese; his,
sophisticated cuts delivered with heavy
metal attitude. Thom Browne was
perhaps darkest of all, and suffice to
say death became her. His signature
theatricality becomes him, inserting a
weird, well-produced presentation into
the New York calendar.
Among the new majors, in addition
to Wang, Jason Wu displayed
increasing comfort with the mantle
he has assumed, consciously or
otherwise, that of smart American
sportswear. Joseph Altuzarra evoked
Swans (Truman Capote’s kind) and
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R ALPH L AUREN
Collection
v i e w
t h e
f a l l
2 0 15
r u n w a y
s h o w
a n d
g o
b e h i n d
t h e
s c e n e s
a t
r a l p h l a u r e n c o l l e c t i o n . c o m
Reality
SHOW
CONTROLLED BRAVADO EXPRESSED IN CUT, TEXTURE AND DETAIL
MARKED SOME OF FALL’S BEST CLOTHES. BY MAYTE ALLENDE
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Dries Van Noten
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Photo by Giovanni Giannoni
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Ralph
Lauren
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Photo by Kyle Ericksen
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Photo by Steve Eichner
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Jason Wu
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Chanel
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Photo by Stéphane Feugère
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Photo by Giovanni Giannoni
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Stella McCartney
Versace
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Photo by Delphine Achard
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Photo by
Giovanni Giannoni
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Céline
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Photo by Giovanni Giannoni
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PHOTO CREDITS TEEKAY
Christian Dior
Photo by Dominique Maître
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Prada
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Carolina Herrera
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Photo by George Chinsee
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Lanvin
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Photo by Stéphane Feugère
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Gucci
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Photo by Dominique Maître
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Proenza Schouler
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Louis Vuitton
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Giovanni Giannoni
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Photo by Lexie Moreland
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Delpozo
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MOURNING BECOMES
An elegiac allure emerged as designers explored the dark side of beauty. BY MAYTE ALLENDE
Here,
Marc Jacobs.
Opposite,
Thom Browne.
Jacobs photo by
Steve Eichner
Browne photo by
Stephen Sullivan
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Alexander McQueen
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Photo by Delphine Achard
Photo by Kyle Ericksen
Vera Wang
Saint Laurent
Photo by Stéphane Feugère
Photo by Giovanni Giannoni
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Simone Rocha
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Givenchy
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Valentino
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Anrealage
Photo by
Giovanni
Giannoni
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Alexander Wang
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ACCESSORIES
BAGS
Roger Vivier
Tory Burch
Miu Miu
Prada
Delvaux
Chloé
Chanel
Jil Sander
Balenciaga
Go Bold or
That was the season’s battle cry for arresting accessories.
BY ROXANNE ROBINSON
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Charlotte Olympia
Burberry
Go Home
The Row
BALENCIAGA RUNWAY PHOTO BY GIOVANNI GIANNONI;
FENDI RUNWAY BY DAVIDE MAESTRI; CÉLINE, CHANEL,
CHLOÉ, LOUIS VUITTON AND LOEWE BY XAVIER GRANET;
JIL SANDER BY ANDREA DELBÓ
Edie Parker
Loewe
Louis Vuitton
Coach
J.W. Anderson
Tod’s
Céline
Fendi
Thakoon
Givenchy
ACCESSORIES
3.1 Phillip Lim
SHOES
Salvatore Ferragamo
Christian Louboutin
MSGM
Brian Atwood
Alexander Wang
Balenciaga
Oscar de la Renta
Tom Ford
Jimmy Choo
Giles
Giannico
Manolo Blahnik
Prabal Gurung
Narciso Rodriguez
Bottega Veneta
Stuart Weitzman
Anna Sui by Erickson Beamon
NARCISO RODRIGUEZ RUNWAY PHOTO BY STEVE EICHNER; PORSCHE DESIGN RUNWAY BY ROBERT MITRA; WANG, RUSSO AND DIOR BY XAVIER GRANET; BOTTEGA VENETA AND FERRAGAMO BY DAVIDE MAESTRI; BLAHNIK BY GEORGE CHINSEE; FORD BY AC COOPER LTD.
Atelier Swarovski by Shaun Leane
Giambattista Valli
Lanvin
Marni
Kate Spade
Eddie Borgo
Marc by Marc Jacobs
Emilio Pucci
Marco De Vincenzo
Porsche Design
Aurélie Bidermann
Sonia Rykiel
Balmain
Dior
Jason Wu
ACCESSORIES
ETCETERA
76
| FINALE
Goodbye, Lincoln Center tents…
The Gypsy Life
New York Fashion Week is packing up the tents
once again, in search of a new show hub.
BY LISA LOCKWOOD
be Skylight at Moynihan Station
in the post office at 360 West 33rd
Street; Skylight Clarkson Sq, a
70,000-square-foot ground-level space
at 550 Washington Street in west
SoHo, or a third option of erecting a
tent on a pier in TriBeCa, sources said.
WME/IMG, which recently
acquired its chief rival, Made
Fashion Week, was still mum
at press time. The group noted
Mercedes-Benz has pulled
out as the title sponsor of
New York Fashion Week.
Ultimately, the New York
shows are expected to move
to the Culture Shed, which
is part of the Hudson Yards
Redevelopment Project.
While the completion date
was initially projected around
2017, informed sources
indicated that’s way off and
it will take much longer—
possibly till 2019 or later—to
finish the project.
Still, the city remains
committed to the industry. On
the eve of fashion week, Mayor
…maybe hello
to Skylight
at Moynihan
Station…
…or Skylight
Clarkson Sq.
Bill de Blasio said the government
would triple its current investment
to $15 million from $5 million. He
outlined new and enhanced programs
that are expected to directly support
and spotlight manufacturers, emerging
designers and students in the city.
“Fashion week has become
something extraordinary for the energy,
the artistry, the glitz and glamour. This
industry is more vital than ever and
employs 180,000 people. That,” the
mayor told the crowd at Milk Studios,
“is a lot of people. It pays $11 billion in
wages and generates $2 billion in tax
revenue annually. We say thank you.
Fashion week attracts people from all
over the world, and makes us even more
of a capital and generates over $900
million for the city.”
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LINCOLN CENTER PHOTO BY ANDREW H. WALKER/GETTY IMAGES
FOR MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK
E
ast Side, West Side, all around
the town—where New York’s
fashion week will end up is
still a mystery.
Showgoers bid adieu to Lincoln
Center in February, as the West Side
space wrapped up five years as the
home of Mercedes-Benz Fashion
Week. But even before show organizer
WME/IMG’s contract with the venue
wasn’t renewed, many designers had
become disenchanted with the tents’
commercially overheated atmosphere
and had already decamped to other
locations. Spring Studios, Park
Avenue Armory, ArtBeam, Vanderbilt
Hall at Grand Central Terminal,
Skylight Modern and even the Duggal
Greenhouse at the Brooklyn Navy
Yard were among this season’s venues.
Before Lincoln Center, the shows were
centralized in Bryant Park for 17 years.
This season, showgoers found
themselves traipsing all over town
and between boroughs, often
spending more time stuck in traffic
than at actual shows.
So where to next? Though as yet
undecided, top choices appear to
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