For A Certain World

Be mine

2012-02-14T11:52:00.000-08:00

Stunning Lara Stone attended the unveiling of the new Mercedes-Benz SL Roadster at Lincoln Center, as part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York, wearing a gorgeous rose colored dress from Calvin Klein Collection's 2012 resort line. I thought the color - and the shape! - was just right for Valentine's Day. Wishing you love! xoxo

Call time

2012-02-12T16:11:00.000-08:00

Hair + Makeup, led by Orlando Pita and Estee Lauder's Tom Pecheux

Julia Nobis & Alana Zimmer have a moment to chill

The girls!

Derek Lam designers Shinhye Suk & Lislie Yeung

Anna shares a laugh with Derek Lam CEO Jan Schlottman

Derek shows Anna the evening gowns

Derek interviewed before the show

Karmen Pedaru during rehearsals

Run through!

Tati Cotliar given a tour of the new runway

Liu Wen gets the finishing touches

Backstage before Derek Lam's Fall/Winter 2012 show, inspired by the Library.

All packed up

2012-02-12T05:52:00.000-08:00

All packed up and ready to go for Derek Lam's library-inspired fall 2012 show, today at noon. Check back here for more behind the scenes action and my faves from the collection.

Supermodel attire

2012-02-10T09:26:00.000-08:00

When you're Liya Kebede, this is black tie - and couldn't be better!

in Lanvin at the amfAR NY Gala Wednesday night, via Style.com

Rich hooker

2012-02-10T08:12:00.000-08:00

I call this multicolor fur look fresh off the Peter Som runway at Milk Studios the Rich Hooker Coat, and I love it!

New girl

2012-02-10T08:10:00.000-08:00

I fell in love with Romee Strijd from DNA Models this week at fittings for Peter Som. She's got that straightforward va-va-voom beauty that will be a hit crossover from high fashion to commercial campaigns to mainstream straight guy drool material.

Apropos of nothing

2012-02-10T07:47:00.001-08:00

But MY GOD.

image People.com

NYFW: Girl Panic!

2012-02-07T21:20:00.000-08:00

Katlin, Peter Som

Mirte Maas, Derek Lam

Kinga, Derek Lam

Jourdan Dunn, Derek Lam

Joan Smalls, Jason Wu

Jasmine Tookes, Jason Wu

Alana Zimmer, Marc Jacobs

Arizona Muse, Michael Kors

Daphne Groeneveld, Marc Jacobs

Emily Baker, Alexander Wang

Fei Fei Sun, 3.1 Philip Lim

Hanne Gaby Odiele, Alexander Wang

Jacquelyn Jablonski, Proenza Schouler

Karmen Pedaru, Derek Lam

Liu Wen, rag & bone

Julia Nobis, Michael Kors

Patricia van der Vliet, 3.1 Philip Lim

Aline Weber, Altuzarra

Aymeline Vilade, Alexander Wang

Caroline Brasch Nielsen, Alexander Wang

Erjona, Prabal Gurung

Jac, Alexander Wang

Nyasha Matonhodze, Prabal Gurung

Saskia de Brauw, Altuzarra

Shu Pei Qin, Prabal Gurung

Zuzanna, Prabal Gurung

This is my slightly unscientific analysis of the current crop of catwalk go-to girls wearing last season's coolest New York clothes. Some of them are new-new (Erjona, Zuzanna, Jasmine), some of them are basically old veterans by now in model standards (Hanne, Jourdan, Karmen), but all of them are hot-hot right now and likely to be seen in abundance over the next month or so, if perhaps not next season.

I've only included girls that I like, and I've purposely excluded most of those whose super status is so firmly in place - or those whom fashion's cruel, wandering eye has left behind.

Best week ever

2012-02-07T14:31:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not talking about NY Fashion Week. Anna Wintour is having the best week ever!

First, she sat courtside at MSG last Thursday to root on her hometown Knicks, dressed in an adorable team-orange sweater and knee high boots. Then she was all smiles at the Human Rights Campaign's New York gala, wearing a Valentino dress and a McQueen knuckle duster clutch (!) to receive the much-deserved Ally for Equality award. Finally, there was Madonna's (Givenchy Couture) Super Bowl halftime show, featuring a massive screen-laden stage of animated Vogue covers during her performance of her iconic hit "Vogue."

A happy Anna is a happy considerable number of people, I'm sure.

Valentine girls

2012-02-03T08:17:00.000-08:00

I'll definitely be buying the new issue of VMan, out February 14 and featuring a bonus pinup calendar starring the most beautiful women in the world, including Joan Smalls, Doutzen Kroes and Lily Donaldson above, styled by THE Carine Roitfeld.

The easy sophisticate

2012-01-13T12:03:00.000-08:00

Derek Lam Pre-Fall 2012, dead chic.

The gift and the curse

2012-01-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

Like every other person on the planet, I'm obsessed with Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci. The problem with the label under Tisci's game-changing direction, though, is that everyone so flips over those particular motifs and statement pieces - the Rottweiler T (f/w11), the gorgeous iris & black panther prints (f/w11, above), the bird of paradise everything (s/s12) - that they become almost cliché by the time the collection lands in stores.

It's an over-saturation: the initial runway show coverage; the lucky, well-photographed fashionistas wearing the collection almost immediately off the models' backs; the lavish editorials; the fabulous, star-studded ad campaigns. The pieces become so recognizable, so this-season-Givenchy, so overly, overtly of the moment that it feels gauche - cheesy, even - to wear them by the time they hit stores; it feels like logomania.

But then there are the pieces that just look like distinctive perfection. Recognizably Givenchy, yes, to the well-trained eye--but subtle, well-cut, a new idea. There were some true stunners in Tisci's pre-fall collection: I see it in the lines and uber-luxe colorblocking on the coat in the top photo; in the cut of the skirt and the gorgeous juxtaposition of gorgeous prints in the photo below; the boot in both shots.

It's not just trends Mssr. Tisci is dealing in, but also focused thinking.

Proenza Pre-Fall

2012-01-10T19:42:00.000-08:00

A standout collection, opened and closed, as it were, by my girl Julia N.

Window shopping

2012-01-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

If I were a woman and had to think carefully about the designer items upon which to bestow my limited fashionable income (the horror!), I'd likely be investing in things like this sleek, smart, statement pant from Riccardo Tisci's homerun pre-fall collection for Givenchy. It's surely at least $1,000, but it feels both new and basic.

And everyone is just dying for the boot, of course. Model Caroline Trentini.

Prim and rocker

2011-12-30T16:00:00.000-08:00

The stunning Nyasha Matonhodze shows off Versace's pre-fall looks perfectly suited for the seriously luxe student heading back to the school of rock.

A better view

2011-12-22T14:11:00.000-08:00

The spring ads are trickling in, and I love Chanel's, featuring Joan Smalls and Saskia de Brauw and styled by the one and only Carine.

Wishing you style and joy

2011-12-20T17:39:00.000-08:00

Vogue.com is featuring an adorable series of designer-drawn holiday cards, and these are my favorites. From above, Altuzarra, Mary Katrantzou, Rodarte and milliner Stephen Jones, featuring cheeky cartoons of himself, Mme. Wintour and Mme. Coddington. The holidays are a wonderful opportunity to live your style - be it the cocktail party outfits you wear, the decorations you put up in your home, the gifts you give, the charitable contributions you make, the activities you seek to get you in a joyous mood.

I like to wear slim pants and festive shirtsleeves; buy poinsettias and burn pine-scented candles by Elton John for NEST; give interesting books and clever clothing items I know my family won't buy themselves; donate to the Whitman-Walker Clinic, GHMC, and Malaria No More; and go to Bergdorf for lunch and Pete's Tavern for drinks. All, of course, while listening to Mariah's "Oh Santa!" or Judy Garland's "Have Yourself a Merry..."

Here's wishing you and yours a very happy holiday season and a fabulous new year!

Doll House

2011-12-16T09:56:00.000-08:00

Courtney Love gave xoJane.com a tour of the West Village townhouse where she is currently residing. She wore Chanel for their visit and showed off her impressive collection of modern art (including a Francis Bacon triptych and a Damien Hirst butterfly piece), antiques, and personal photos, including those of Kurt Cobain, her daughter Frances, and friends such as Donatella Versace, the late Elizabeth Taylor, Stevie Nicks, and Woody Harrelson.

One Look: Calvin Klein Collection

2011-12-16T08:25:00.000-08:00

I'm in love with this look from Francisco Costa's pre-fall collection for Calvin Klein. So clean and yet so intricate. Costa has a way with making clothes that present a trim simplicity while displaying technical wizardry.

Taj Pre-Fall

2011-12-16T08:12:00.000-08:00

Anja

Caroline Brasch

Julia N.

Lakshmi

Kelly Gale

Chanel Pre-Fall 2012

Always in Vogue

2011-12-14T07:01:00.000-08:00

There's little chicer in my mind than standing up for worthy causes, women's rights always chief among them. January Vogue features the incomparable Meryl Streep on the cover and includes the story of her work as the chief spokesperson for the effort to create a National Women's History Museum in Washington, D.C. Annie Liebovitz captured the core committee of powerhouse American women behind the effort in inspiring images taken in front of the U.S. Capitol. You really must click to enlarge!

Included are, above from left, NWHM president Joan Wages, Secretary Madeleine Albright (the nation's first female Secretary of State), U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Barbara Bush, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney, Patricia Nixon Cox, Dr. Maya Angelou, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, and Streep.

Who's cooler than Sally Singer?

2011-12-07T11:08:00.000-08:00

The particular circus around the shows is, to me, a bit of a comic mess at this point. I see people who I know have borrowed clothes, who are purposely dressing in ways to get photographed, but are not expressive of themselves or of the season or of anything. It’s the same drive that has people doing reality TV, kind of personal branding, you know? And a desperate attempt for sort of quasi-celebrity. And I think it’s adorable when it’s really young people because I think, why not? ...And I adore it when they’ve made the things themselves and it’s clearly their own little concoction. You know, driven in from God knows where or taken the subway in — I love that, I really love that. I think that’s the dream that keeps fashion going, that’s the whole point of it. But, I feel that when we’re at the shows, we’re there to work, and at a certain point, you should be true to your style, and if your style is recorded, great. But people know when they’ve been photographed. And I totally see why it’s fascinating for people to look at how people in fashion dress. I just think people should, as much as possible, wear their own clothes, not borrow clothes to do it, and keep the truth of it somehow intact.

This interview with T Editor in Chief Sally Singer is a must-read. And for more Selby photos of her fabulous home at the Hotel Chelsea, click here.

The Muse

2011-12-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

Many thanks to Mlle. Shala Monroque for this incredible photo of Miu Miu's most recent "Musings," this time in Moscow, featuring Dasha Zhukova, Monroque and the Muse himself, Mr. André Leon Talley, among others. It feels like a renaissance tableau.

Marigold

2011-12-06T19:36:00.000-08:00

These Fendi resort 2012 ads starring Natasha Poly are my favorites of the season. The blast of yellow and the fun, frisky, ultra luxe duds to rock during your month in Antibes this winter.

Nude

2011-12-03T14:36:00.000-08:00

A painting by the late Jack Meanwell and an old V Man photograph of gorgeous Doutzen Kroes.

Unbroken

2011-12-03T14:00:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of Demi Lovato, the former star of Disney's hit Camp Rock franchise. She has broken through the Disney moneymaker machine, dealt bravely and publicly with teenage fame, self-cutting and bulimia, and has become a mature and beautiful talent - a singer above all else. Her latest album, Unbroken, is a powerful punch of catchy love songs, raucous dance floor gems (a standout track is produced by Timbaland), and heartrending ballads wrestling with her recent struggles. She is one to watch. The above shot is from this month's Glamour.

Urban wookie

2011-12-02T14:34:00.001-08:00

Hanne in Michael Kors pre-fall

I've got that Boom Boom that you want

2011-11-30T18:05:00.000-08:00

James Blake, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Lykke Li

Toni Garrn, Leelee Sobieski, Solange Knowles et al

Santigold, Spank Rock, Rinko Kikuchi et al

Bazaar takes some fine young things - stunning models and sceney New Yorkers and the like - out on the town for a night at the top of the Standard.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

This Thanksgiving, I'm thankful for my family of friends and the friends in my family. And for decent work and a safe home filled with some fabulous clothing in New York City. Last night I had some post-Priscilla Queen of the Desert Brooklyn Lagers with my dear friend Maeve at the original P.J. Clarke's on 55th Street. Clarke's is a true classic of a bar that, while often packed with obnoxious people, is manned by true gentlemen who play Motown and classic rock and remember your drink order and place your mobile phone in napkin-lined glasses to protect them from the bar's spillage.

I'm thankful for charming places to imbibe with my friends, that is for sure. Happy Thanksgiving!

It-Shot

2011-11-23T10:17:00.000-08:00

I find the whole thing of Ryan McGinley to be a little annoying sometimes: the Levi's ads plastered all over New York City, the aloof interviews, the ubiquity. But he does create some magical pieces of photography, and I was quite enamored of this recent work, Purple Beacon, now on view at his current London show Wandering Comma.

de la Mode

2011-11-22T10:22:00.000-08:00

Tilda Swinton, in Haider Ackermann, and Haider Ackermann were both recipients of Marie Claire's Prix de la Mode awards at the French Embassy in Madrid last week. Tilda was one of the first in the public eye to wear Haider, and she wears it well.

Madame Secretary

2011-11-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton aboard the USS Fitzgerald in Manila, Philippines.

Fur ball

2011-11-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

The stunning Constance Jablonski in Vogue Italia

Overload

2011-11-11T10:17:00.001-08:00

Vacay

2011-11-05T10:11:00.000-07:00

Two of the four covers of V Magazine's new November "Model Issue" covering the resort collections - Candice Swanepoel and Joan Smalls rocking Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere and Daphne Groeneveld and Saskia De Brauw rocking Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci.

Flawless

2011-11-04T15:35:00.001-07:00

Referring to Harper Beckham, of course.

The night before

2011-11-02T08:38:00.000-07:00

Saturday night at 10 Crosby Street, New York Fashion Week spring/summer 2012 collections.

Winter white

2011-10-23T16:31:00.001-07:00

Fei Fei Sun in Vogue China November 2011

Valley of the dolls

2011-10-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

Alana Zimmer and Hannah Holman in W's November resort collection story, Reverse Commute, styled by Giovanna Battaglia.

Otherworldly

2011-10-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

Is there anyone on Planet Earth more gorgeous than Liu Wen?

Número China via Fashion Gone Rogue

This is our time

2011-10-22T08:50:00.000-07:00

J. Crew Aberdeen Fair Isle Sweater, $98

Levi's moonbeam corduroys, $58

Diemme Roccia Vet leather boots, $395

I feel like autumn (what little autumn there actually is in New York City) is the time that those who love getting dressed can really shine. Chilly enough to actually have some clothes on, but warm enough that we needn't be buried under layers of blankets and puff. This is the perfect outfit for a stroll through Greenwich Village on a sunny-chilly Saturday.

S/S'12 Favorite: Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci

2011-10-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

Erin Wasson

Tilda Lindstam

Nyasha

Joan Smalls

Aline

Aside from a series of vaginal garments in the middle of the show, I adored Givenchy's spring collection. Airy, tough and gorgeous!

Nothing to prove

2011-10-04T22:12:00.000-07:00

Sarah Burton, fresh off her global smash success as the Duchess's Designer, created a spring collection for Alexander McQueen that defies description and inspires fantasy - a frothy whirlwind of genius. I'm speechless!

S/S'12 Favorites: Yves Saint Laurent

2011-10-03T21:51:00.000-07:00

I cannot get over YSL!

S/S'12 Favorites: Lanvin

2011-10-03T19:34:00.000-07:00

Freja

Daphne

Karmen

Jac

Nyasha

Miranda

Nana

Slinky, sexy, cool. It's becoming almost cliché to like Alber's work every damn micro-season, but you can't knock the hustle. Not to mention some of the best casting in the game.

One look: Hermes

2011-10-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

Fatima Siad

As though you could survive next summer without a million-dollar tangerine suede gym short.

Preparations

2011-09-30T12:29:00.000-07:00

I hope @OscarPRGirl won't mind my re-posting these gorgeous photos of the preparation leading up to Oscar de la Renta's fantastic spring runway show. Above is the showroom the day before the show, and below are the first few walkers getting their final touch-ups from masters Orlando Pita (hair) and Gucci Westman (makeup). L-R: Arizona Muse, Liu Wen, Chantal Stafford-Abbott and opener Emily Baker.

photo William Yan via Oscar PR Girl

S/S'12 Favorites: Rick Owens

2011-09-30T10:55:00.000-07:00

It is rare that you can call a clothing designer original, but this is Rick Owens.

One look: Balmain

2011-09-29T21:49:00.000-07:00

I'm no longer excited by Balmain, but I liked this look on Jasmine Tookes.

SS'12 Standout: Damir Doma

2011-09-29T05:19:00.000-07:00

I remember attending a presentation for Damir Doma menswear at the Soho Grand Hotel nearly two years ago, a series of dark monastic pajamas adorning mannequins in a small space off of the Club Room. Some Misshapes were there, of course. I enjoyed the clothes, but it seemed like Damir Doma would be one of those small, cult labels adored by those who don't blink at a $600 t-shirt and wear their chic goth Rick Owens blankets in the heat of a New York City August. But it's clear that Damir Doma is ready for the big time, and this collection is one of my favorites of the season.

Closer

2011-09-29T05:05:00.000-07:00

Zuzanna, Rochas

SS'12 Favorites: Jil Sander

2011-09-29T05:04:00.000-07:00

The front row

2011-09-26T20:30:00.000-07:00

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen were the picture of sleek, chic perfection in the front row at J. Mendel's spring 2012 collection in New York. This is too good!

photo Olsens Anonymous

Top model

2011-09-26T20:20:00.000-07:00

Sally Singer's T Magazine has become one of the best and smartest fashion books in the game, and this spread and story of Joan Smalls from the September Women's Style issue, styled by David Vanderwal and shot by Boo George, is a great example why.

I adore Joan - she's the type of person about whom the word "fierce" doesn't sound so trite and annoying, but rather dead on. She's gorgeous and strong, at the top of the industry, and polite and friendly to top it off.

On the cheap

2011-09-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

There are few chicer accessories than a copy of the New York Times or a similarly worthwhile newspaper - I hate it when fashion people haven't a clue what's going on in the world. Throw in the newly designed can of Diet Coke and you're good to go, for just $3.00 USD!

S/S'12 Favorites: Mary Katrantzou

2011-09-22T07:56:00.000-07:00

I think Mary Katrantzou is one of the most interesting designers working today, and her spring collection was magical. There is a whole 3-D world of fantasy within her garments. Trompe l'oeil doesn't even begin!

S/S'12 Favorites: Derek Lam

2011-09-18T18:28:00.000-07:00

Kinga

Emily Baker

Daphne Groeneveld

Arizona Muse

Kate King

Fei Fei Sun

Anais Mali

Shu Pei Qin

Mirte Maas

Liu Wen

Bette Franke

Gertrud

Karmen Pedaru

Let's take a fabulous trip. Somewhere with sunshine and a cool nighttime breeze, laidback but sophisticated, luxe accommodations... glamorous, very glamorous. Dress accordingly.

Crewneck couture

2011-09-17T16:33:00.000-07:00

There's nothing like a rich sweatshirt, and nobody does it better than Mr. Marc Jacobs.

One look: The Row

2011-09-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

Serenity chic.

Some girls

2011-09-17T15:34:00.000-07:00

A lot of the Fashion Week party scene is a little silly, but I'd die to witness a moment like this. Courtney Love Cobain and Mick Jagger shared a laugh at the Electric Room to celebrate the spring collection of L'Wren Scott, Mick's girlfriend.

Julia N.

2011-09-17T15:19:00.000-07:00

Calvin Klein Collection

Derek Lam

Reed Krakoff

Theyskens Theory

Vera Wang

Marc Jacobs

When I first saw a Polaroid of Julia Nobis during fittings at Peter Som, I have to admit that I was confused as to how she may have been discovered and casted. The more I saw of her - and there were quite a few New York shows in which to do so - the more I liked. She has an effortless cool that she carries with adaptability in collections ranging from grunge-y to glamorous. She has a soft, subtle beauty that comes across with ease and little fanfare. And she really knows how to model.

All that's fit to print

2011-09-16T13:56:00.000-07:00

Jonathan Cohen, one of New York's most promising young designers, showed his eponymous spring collection in a hotel suite in the Meatpacking District, and I was fortunate enough to get a private showing (doesn't hurt to be friends with him!). All of Jonathan's prints are originals, adorning top quality fabrics and constructed with the lightest, luxe-est touch. He turns images most of us would pass without notice - oft of debris and decay - into tantalizing, gorgeous garments (one in hand-painted leather!). This season his eye was caught by a rusted bike chain, an ivy covered school locker, a weather-worn chair - all magically transformed into the kind of beauty we should look for more often.

Toxic

2011-09-15T14:28:00.000-07:00

Jourdan

Nyasha

Jac

My grade school art teacher, Mrs. Applegate, used to refer to a certain shade of bright yellow-green as "toxic waste green" - it always cracked me up, and I've always loved the color. Oscar de la Renta's spring collection was gorgeous and playful, and he showed some fabulous neon looks in what I hope he wouldn't mind me calling toxic waste green.

S/S'12 Favorites: Narciso Rodriguez

2011-09-15T11:20:00.000-07:00

Milou

Julia Nobis

Caroline Brasch Nielsen

Zuzanna

Kinga

Whereas many New York designers have splashy, shitshow-chic parties and create buzzy accessories for skinny "downtown" girls with too much money, Narciso is one of the designers who provides the creative lifeblood and original thinking of New York Fashion Week.

He's always one to watch, even if he's not getting you drunk on sponsored vodka.

One look: Vera Wang

2011-09-14T06:48:00.000-07:00

An ethereal Daphne Groeneveld floated down the runway in a sheer, perforated look that made me smile, Cathy Horyn's dismissal aside.

New day

2011-09-13T07:56:00.000-07:00

Julia Nobis, Hanne Gaby & Jac

Karmen Pedaru

Alana Zimmer & Ginta Lapina

Michel Gaubert created a perfect musical complement to Derek Lam's sunny, polished spring'12 collection shown Sunday, September 11 at Lincoln Center. Above are a few fun snapshots from backstage.

I do not like this!

2011-09-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

Lindsay Lohan is back in New York for Fashion Week - having first caused a surprise ruckus in the front row at Cynthia Rowley - and it's not looking good, ladies and gentlemen. We've been through this before. Above, Lindsay and her frosty white weave are pictured at Purple's party at the Mark. I assume it will not be the only party they attend.

New chick

2011-09-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite new models is Anais Mali, and my very favorite part of August's U.S. Vogue (I know, I'm behind) is the accessories spread starring her, styled by Elissa Santisi and photographed by Raymond Meier. I hope to see Anais on many a spring'12 runway.

Clean and clear

2011-09-01T10:46:00.000-07:00

The fall 2011 Calvin Klein Collection ads, featuring the ubiquitous Lara Stone and shot by Mert & Marcus, are clean-cut perfection.

Friendship

2011-09-01T08:30:00.000-07:00

John Galliano and Kate Moss

It may not be all that popular to write anything in much support of John Galliano, the sadly disgraced former Creative Director of Christian Dior. Mr. Galliano was dismissed from the role at Dior after a videotape surfaced last February of him making drunken, nonsensical comments in support of Hitler while drinking alone at a Paris bar. But I have friends who face similar demons, tortured pasts and substance abuse addictions, and I don't cut them out of my life - least of all when the demons show their faces on the faces of my friends.

Kate Moss, a longtime friend and collaborator of Galliano's, asked him to design her wedding dress, and I think it turned out beautifully, as garments made by Galliano usually do. Kate has made no comment on the Galliano scandal that I know of, but we know that actions speak louder than words, and the above photo warms my heart at a moment when hope for my own troubled friend is a difficult thing to hold onto.

photo Mario Testino for Vogue

Carine's world

2011-08-31T06:46:00.000-07:00

Carine Roitfeld in Rick Owens

China Machado in Derek Lam

Fei Fei Sun in Bottega Veneta

Joan Smalls in Commes des Garcons & Gianvito Rossi

Julia Restoin Roitfeld in Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci

Theodora Richards in Rodarte

Victoire de Castellane in Alaia

Mary Frey in Stella McCartney

For one of her first high profile post-Vogue gigs, Carine Roitfeld was hired by Barneys New York to "style" their big fall catalogue, corralling her signature edgy-chic amalgam of models and style stars (her own children included) to be photographed by Mario Sorrenti wearing some of the store's finest offerings and presenting a perfect visual manifestation of Barneys' new creative strategy outlined in New York's fall fashion issue - that is, to make shopping at Barneys, whether online or in store, a coveted, high-end experience edited by and for those who love fashion and not just clothes.

I am not the only one, of course, looking forward to the upcoming coffee table book surveying her career thus far, Irreverent, out with Rizzoli on October 18 and benefiting amfAR.

Up with olives

2011-08-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite New York City experiences is to sit at the brushed stainless steel bar at Schiller's Liquor Bar in my neighborhood on the Lower East Side and have a Tanqueray martini or two - on the dry side, up with olives. When I am with my friend Lindsay, we always share a medium rare cheeseburger (one of the best in the city) and some pommes frites. The bartenders are chic and friendly, the lighting is just how I like it (low), and the music is pitch perfect. It can be tough to find a bar stool and on busier nights the crowd can run a little finance frat for my taste, but it is just right to wind down on a Sunday or Tuesday night.

I love the latest Tanqueray ad campaign, "Tonight We Tanqueray," featuring Karen Elson (above), Aloe Blacc and others - sounds like a plan to me!

Woman on the verge

2011-08-26T11:11:00.000-07:00

V Spain's latest issue is dedicated to genius filmmaker and Spanish national treasure Pedro Almodovar, with superstar Naomi Campbell on the cover shot by Sebastian Faena in a nod to Almodovar's film "Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!"

Karmen by Hedi

2011-08-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

Karmen Pedaru is one of my very favorite models, and these shots by Hedi Slimane for Vogue China give you a good idea why.

Bull market

2011-08-25T13:02:00.000-07:00

Alexander McQueen

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci

Rick Owens

Bottega Veneta

Lanvin

Mulberry

Were money and space no object, as previously mentioned, I wouldn't mind owning the above items for my fall wardrobe. If anyone has a spare $7-8,000, you can find them all on Mr. Porter - send me a Tweet for my shipping address. Many thanks!

Perf walk

2011-08-19T09:39:00.000-07:00

This young woman had it just right strutting up Broadway after some late summer rainfall.

Investment advice

2011-08-18T19:34:00.000-07:00

Ludicrous stock market ups and downs aside, I'm trying not to over-shop this autumn. I really have more than my various closets and under-bed containers can bear as it is, and I've been thinking about exploring this idea of "investment buying" I keep reading about - one usually espoused by those for whom "investments" are a nice half-dozen multi-thousand dollar items per season. I am not one of those people, but I can probably spring for the above, both of which will compliment the million t-shirts, 300 coats and 8,000 pairs of jeans I already own quite nicely.

The first is the lightweight wool Masai print scarf that Thakoon just released to benefit the tragic, outrageous East African famine (100% of net proceeds will go to various charities). I've been wanting to make a decently sized donation toward the famine relief efforts, and I figure at least $150 of the price must go toward them - in addition to the fact that the Thakoon scarf is probably the cheapest and closest I'll get to a piece of Kim Jones's first (Masai-inspired) collection for Louis Vuitton menswear. Get yours today! The second item is the essential pair of perfect Gucci Chelsea boots, for $595 on my new favourite shopping site Mr. Porter, with which I will wear everything. These two items, paired with some Rick Owens basics and crisp Levi's denim, should get me through NYFW with aplomb.

What do you plan to purchase this season?

Speaking of Givenchy...

2011-08-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

I couldn't resist posting these shots from Givenchy's fall 2011 womenswear ad campaign, starring from above, Kristen McMenamy, Mariacarla Boscono, Naomi Campbell & Natalia Vodianova. Styled by Carine Roitfeld and photographed by Mert & Marcus.

Culture Kings & Queens

2011-08-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

Watch The Throne album cover, in molded cardboard, by Riccardo Tisci

I was paging through Gwyneth Paltrow's delightful new cookbook, My Father's Daughter, at my mother's recently, and couldn't help but laugh at the dedication, in which she thanks her closest friends for being the reason for a good dinner party. Among the not-so-subtly dropped names are Bulgarian royalty, Stella McCartney, and "the Carters" - aka Beyoncé Knowles Carter and her husband Shawn.

These are the kings and queens of high mass culture, a notion made ever the more clear by the release of Jay-Z's much-anticipated joint album with Kanye West, Watch The Throne, and the various promotion of Beyoncé's 4. Watch The Throne's physical album is a piece of commercial fashion, a gold nugget, created by Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci, who designed all the album's artwork and is listed as its Creative Director.

Riccardo is the king of the cool kids these days, as well as a hugely influential arbiter and salesman of popular high culture himself. Beyoncé wore a brand new Givenchy Haute Couture gown while yanking the chains of attack dogs in her very fashion video for "Run the World (Girls)," and rocked the hell out of some fall'11 feline Givenchy in the pages of W's Music + Style Issue. Kanye has been attending Riccardo's shows and wearing his menswear for a few years now. Givenchy's last two men's collections permeate the various artwork for Watch The Throne, from the Rottweiler bandana motif (fall'11) on the "H.A.M." single to the bird of paradise print (spring'12) in the full album's insert.

Kanye and Jay-Z celebrated the release of their album amidst a tornado of ultra-cool marketing, from the chic listening party at NYC's American Museum of Natural History to the hip-hop hipster NoLIta "pop-up shop" selling the CD, complete with the tricked out Maybach from the Spike Jonze-helmed "Otis" video (now on auction to benefit the East African famine) and a Friday night party attended by Jay, 'Ye, and Beyoncé. For her part, Beyoncé's 4 debuted at #1, and she's currently in the middle of a 4-night run at New York's Roseland Ballroom that sold out in 22 seconds online.

The Watch The Throne pop-up at 201 Mulberry Street in New York City

Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci in "Run the World (Girls)" video

Album insert artwork by Riccardo Tisci

Watch The Throne album artwork

"H.A.M." single cover by Riccardo Tisci

Kanye West in a Rottweiler T from Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci, with the designer

Beyoncé Knowles Carter in Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci in W Magazine

Beyoncé in Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci in W

Is your head spinning? Welcome to New York.

Child of a certain world

2011-08-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

Frances Bean Cobain shot by her mother's friend Hedi Slimane. Makes me wonder if Courtney and FB are speaking again. I hope so. She bears a striking resemblance, looks gorgeous (if a little thin), and has certainly learned from mommy dearest how to work a cigarette. Wish you well, Bean.

photo Hedi Slimane Diary

Thursday morning

2011-07-22T12:07:00.000-07:00

gimme! coffee Iced Red Eye and a moment in NoLIta with First Lady Michelle Obama.

Rest

2011-07-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

Benefits Supervisor Sleeping by Lucian Freud

Lucian Freud, 1922 - 20 July 2011

Taste makers

2011-07-22T08:25:00.000-07:00

American Vogue's legendary Creative Director Grace Coddington with iconic former Paris Vogue Editor in Chief Carine Roitfeld at Natalia Vodianova's White Fairy Tale Love Ball, which took place at Valentino's Cheateau de Wideville outside Paris following the couture shows.

photo Purple Diary

Silver skies

2011-07-20T07:09:00.001-07:00

I.M Pei's Silver Towers at New York University.

The real new thing

2011-07-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

"Welcome to Concrete Beach" says the lookbook for my friend Jonathan Cohen's 2012 resort collection, his best yet. His breezy and refined downtown-luxe looks ("concrete wall splatter print" on silk satin) are what he imagines his chic girlfriends wearing as they frolic the LES rooftops and high-end hotel terraces of a New York City summer. I'd like to imagine the same.

Keep your eye out for Jonathan Cohen Collection - it's the real "new thing." Bravo, J!

In sync

2011-07-14T09:40:00.000-07:00

The Missoni clique looked like a Missoni stripe print with their bold, bright colors and in-step walk, shot at couture by Tommy Ton.

Heat wave

2011-07-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, who just launched their ultraluxe new handbag line with a soiree tonight at Barneys New York, somehow manage to keep their chic cool in the heat of a New York City summer. With a mix of their signature can't-be-bothered ease and some very fashion items--like Ashley's coveted Prada sunnies and huge croc bag or MK's color-blocked Celine shirt--they look right on point as per usual.

photos via Olsens Anonymous as per usual

Master craft

2011-07-13T14:26:00.000-07:00

Azzedine Alaia had a rare, exclusive showing of his latest collection during the Paris couture shows last week, and as you can see, he killed it.

Rehearsal

2011-07-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

A very handsome Jamie Hince and his bride, Kate Moss (have you heard of her?), on the evening before their wedding.

via People

Independence

2011-06-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

Have a safe & fabulous weekend, wherever you may be, to celebrate this glamorous mess of a country I call home!

Art star

2011-06-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

My favourite architect, Zaha Hadid, looking appropriately architectural - and chic! - at Burberry's party for the storied Serpentine Gallery in London.

Roar

2011-06-29T09:57:00.000-07:00

Naomi Campbell & Rob Evans star in the new fall/winter ads for Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci

Must have

2011-06-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

Those green boots are looking so right. As is pretty much everything from Theyskens Theory, resort'12

via The Moment

Coast trotter

2011-06-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

Derek Lam resort'12, looking fresh. This is the right look for anything from some Habana shrimp tacos in Malibu to a Dark & Stormy at a friend's East Coast yacht club.

Memorial Day

2011-05-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

Wishing you a Technicolor bubblegum dream of a weekend in a certain world! And please note Nicki's serious Versace shoe.

Post-show

2011-05-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

Courtney Love in a men's Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci t-shirt, with the designer, after performing at amfAR's Cinema Against AIDS Gala in Cannes wearing a Givenchy Couture gown.

A start

2011-05-27T09:24:00.001-07:00

Lindsay Lohan by Richard Phillips, courtesy Gagosian Gallery

Warrior

2011-05-26T09:49:00.000-07:00

amfAR, one of my favorite charities, has always had a knack for fighting the horror of AIDS with the glamour of fashion and celebrity. Case in point: Gwen Stefani, looking spot on at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc for the 2011 amfAR Cannes fundraiser, which brought in $10 million for amfAR's wonderful work.

The Met Gala's Chicest

2011-05-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Constance Jablonski & Liu Wen, both in Alexander McQueen

L'Wren Scott (with Mick Jagger), in L'Wren Scott

Swizz Beatz (with Alicia Keys) in Givenchy

Bossy

2011-04-19T20:59:00.000-07:00

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton deplanes.