Another week has whizzed by and there are plenty of developments to catch up on before the weekend...
Yves Saint Laurent outside the original store Saint Laurent (image from YSL twitter)
The news that rocked the (fashion) world so much that it was trending on Twitter on all day yesterday and this morning is Hedi Slimane's decision to change the hugely iconic YSL logo and Yves Saint Laurent moniker to SLP (i.e. Saint Laurent Paris). This isn't the first big change Slimane has brought about having already moved the brand's creative studio from Paris to LA. The outcry from the industry has been unmitigated. Here is a good example of the tone of tweet appearing on our timelines yesterday:
#YSL rebranding to 'SaintLaurentParis' sounds like a chain of downmarket budgets hotels. Why mess with something so iconic? thoughts?
However, Pierre Bergé, Saint Laurent's partner and the person who probably has the closest emotional ties to the house, is not so worried. In an interview with L'Express he declared that the name change is "an excellent idea". Furthermore, Bergé states his confidence that Slimane can take Saint Laurent back to being "a house of creation" and to the "prestige which is at it's heart". It's interesting to note that Saint Laurent Paris was the original name the house worked under and so it is really a revisiting as opposed to a complete novelty.
Raf Simons' new menswear ads (images from dailymail.co.uk)
Paris' other newly instated big name designer is, of course, Raf Simons at Dior. There have been no shocking Dior announcements from him thus far however images of his eponymous menswear line's ad campaign were released this week and show that Raf is perhaps indulging any temptations to shock via this outlet. The imagery shows deconstructed bodies in a collage-like style. Many have called the campaign, entitled Run Fall Run, weird but I think it's quite beautiful and just what we have come to expect from Raf. Now bring on the new Dior!
Givenchy AW12 ads with Stella Tennant (image from fashiongonerogue.com)
More Autumn/ Winter campaigns are being released every day. We reported earlier in the week on Prada's look of the season and today I'd like to bring Givenchy's to your attention. Tisci favourites Stella Tennant and Joan Smalls are among those who feature in the shots inspired by "the energy of a rave". Mert and Marcus were behind the camera and Carine Roitfeld was styling- fashion dream team.
Gary Richardson, legendary hair colourist from Daniel Hersheson, very sadly passed away last week. LOVE magazine, with whom he had a close relationship, posted some great images of his work which we'd love to re-share...
Images from www.thelovemagazine.co.uk
As guest designers at this year's Pitti W event, taking place this week in Florence, Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos were bound to pull something special out of the bag. The images from their presentation in a Florentine palazzo confirm those suspicions. The pair, who are already famed for their complex and form enhancing prints, installed a "digital kaleidoscope" at the venue which projected the prints- inspired by medieval manuscripts- onto surfaces all around. The result is an "old-meets-new celebration"which is depicted not only in the setting but in the garments themselves.
Peter Pilotto at Pitti W (image from Vogue.com/ Peter Pilotto)
Pilotto's prints on the walls of the palazzo (image from vogue.com/ Peter Pilotto)
Here's an up-close look at one of the pair's new tailored pieces at their London resort press day this week.
You know by now that we're suckers for little snippets of King Karl news so I loved these pictures The Telegraph found this week of what appeared to be the Chanel designer in a fishing boat in rough waters. Cue daydreams of Chanel SS13 being comprised of macintoshes, galoshes and gold spun fisherman beards. No such luck though as it's actually Karl impersonator Jörg Knör who regularly dresses up as Mr Lagerfeld. Oh well.
Karl at sea images from www.telegraph.co.uk
I was sad to miss G-Shock's Maarten van der Horst vs. Sibling party last night to celebrate the launch of the watchmaker's new collaboration with the Fashion East designers. Sadder still that I can't possibly choose a favourite between Maarten's surfer florals and Sibling's colourful animal designs. Lulu Kennedy, Fashion East founder and LOVE Editor at Large, sums it up when she says the designs "are perfect for summer" and "represent the fun spirit of Fashion East". You can get one at G-Shock's store at the Truman Brewery.
The reason I couldn't make it to G-Shock last night was because I went along to hear Melanie speak on My Daily's panel discussing the future of fashion in the digital world. She was joined by the brilliant Mary Katrantzou, LOVE Editor Alex Fury and Sasha Wilkins of LLG. It was a fascinating chat to listen in on and I learnt many things, including the fact that designers plan their catwalk looks according to Style.com's layouts so that when the pictures are up the looks are grouped together in rows of six- observe the colour coordination in this screen shot of Prada AW12.
Left tonight: My Daily editor Libby, Sasha, Alex, Melanie and Mary (image from mydaily.co.uk)
Finally, I know we're almost a week late on this but if you're NOT one of the 4 million people who's already seen Abercrombie and Fitch models dancing to Carly Rae Jepsen's Call Me Maybe" then get to it. Perfect Friday night getting ready to go out entertainment. Just beware the cheese factor is off the scale... Happy Weekend!
Peter Lindberh's supermodels in white shirts (image from thefashionbloggers.blogspot.com)
Pretty much every "grown-up" lady I know has a perfect white shirt. It's a staple element of the wardrobe of most modern women. Until now, the white shirt has either been buttoned up with a suit for business meetings or worn loose and mannish as in Peter Lindbergh's supermodels portrait above. However of late, it's started to inch into actual fashion territory too. By that I mean that it's been used as key styling tool on the catwalks and, most importantly, is Alexa Chung's new favourite thing to wear to big events.
Alexa in Christopher Kane at the Scottish Fashion Awards
In our day-to-day work, the FashEd and I are constantly hearing about how consumers are trying to save their pennies and are reluctant to invest in whole new looks. This makes the white shirt's new lease of life even more exciting for those of you out there who want to look of the moment with out breaking the bank. Step forward our new formula-
1. Take a blingy party dress from your wardrobe.
2. Wear with white shirt.
Ta da! Ok, so it's pretty simple but the basic principle is that you can revive old skirts and dresses just by wearing them a new and now way, namely by priming them up with a crisp shirt rather than baring flesh or using a cardigan to cover up. Take it a step further by adding gems to the cuff or a ribbon round the collar. It is imperative that the shirt is taken far, far away from corporate connotations to achieve the right level of nowness- Kristen Stewart wore a Stella white shirt get-up recently which would have been rather fab had it not been for the overly staid jacket that got plonked on top.
Kristen Stewart in Stella (image from mydaily.co.uk)
Alexa in Marc Jacobs plus shirt at the Met Gala (image from mydaily.co.uk)
It wasn't actually Alexa who started this trend- though she's it earliest real life adopter. On the AW12 catwalks, there were white shirts sprinkled into many of the major shows. Giles' show notes even thanked Gap for the provision of white shirts throughout. Roksanda Ilincic kept the shirt within its menswear roots but added fur and sporty cuffs. Simone Rocha put huge knitted panels on hers while Stella's were embroidered in cobalt blue rococo patterns.
Giles AW12 (image from catwalking.com)
Roksanda Ilincic AW12 (image from catwalking.com)
Here are our favourite white shirt picks, just keep it well away from a suit jacket, unless you work in a law firm...
The English summer is punctuated with social occasions ostensibly centered around sport- Wimbledon, Henley and, of course Royal Ascot to name but a few. Today, I was very happy to be invited to join Harrods on the second day of this year's Ascot event. As an avid people watcher and fashion enthusiast (obviously) an event like Ascot is a treat to attend. If any of you have been watching and enjoying Grayson Perry's brilliant series 'In the Best Possible Taste' then you'd have loved the opportunity I had today to see how everyone from a Jordanian Princess to a Spearmint Rhino loving lad approaches a day at Royal Ascot. As one woman I overheard on my way home stated, "It's not really about the horses is it? I spent all day looking at the fashion".
Despite plenty of publicity surrounding Royal Ascot's new fashion police and strict dress code policy, it seems to me that there's still plenty of room for guests to express their version of occasion dressing. There were horsey upper class ladies in the paddock discussing the muscle tone in number 7's right leg who looked like they'd had their housekeeper run up their outfit from the old curtains. There were terribly chic older women in loose dress coats and just-dramatic-enough hats. There was also every kind of interpretation of 'fashion' from rebel girls in studded biker boots and vintage fedoras to TOWIE disciples in mega short body con and a layer or ten of fake tan. Interestingly, the further down the stand you went, the more 'trashion' it got. The Queen has been attending Royal Ascot her whole life and it's safe to say she has been witness to big changes in the attire of those who attend. If she's half the people watcher I am- she's probably not, as she's famously much more interested in animals than people- then the 2012 version is all the more interesting for the microcosm it shows of how we dress now.
So a huge thanks to Harrods for a delightful day out and for providing a conventional catwalk show of some great British designers to go alongside the all-day parade of what British women wear now.
What I wore today... Including a lovely hat from Mich Dulce- a Filipino milliner who makes hats with a bit of humour but not so much that you can't be taken seriously at an event like Royal Ascot, and in my opinion much chicer than a few feathers glued to a hairband.
A bit of a pap shot I'm afraid, but I think this must be Marie Mercie, who is well known for cat hats. This is the first time I've seen a summer style and I like very, very much.
Lace was definitely the biggest trend of the day. This navy lace was EVERYWHERE. It's from Next and is based on the Erdem style Duchess Kate wore in Canada last year.
From Prada guipure coats to this... That's the span of Royal Ascot fashion.
The horses were invariably handsome and groomed to perfection
This weekend, London got its first ever dedicated menswear shows. Prince Charles, Tinie Tempah and David Gandy among others were out to show that British menswear is as exciting and as relevant as ever. What other city can you think of where traditional tailored attire seems just as linked to its history and culture as mad, experimental and verging on the unwearable looks?
We've picked the three shows from the weekend's line-up which we not only adored but also show the huge variety coming out of London's menswear scene....
#1 J.W ANDERSON
Mr Anderson is a hands down LFW fave - there were queues round the block at 7am on the day of his show in February, many hours before it was due to start, and the same was true this Sunday morning for his 9am show. This collection with its lace tops and suits, cartoon tees and oversized pink Samurai coat was squarely aimed at the directionally- minded fashionisto, but delve a bit deeper and the perfect white shirt, cool and quirky prints and a fine selection of neat trousers are in place. Something for every man actually, styled in J Dubs's particular brand of avant garde cool.
Images from Catwalking.com
#2 MR START
Mr Start, the menswear label from East London's favourite designer store Start, designed by the stores owner/founder, the multi-talented Philip Start, showed a slick collection which gave a modern twist to the Savile Row look so entrenched in London's menswear history. It takes the fuddy duddy out of of that tradition while keeping the sleek lines and formal lines which would make any man look irresistible. These are the clothes I'd like to see my boyfriend in.
Mr Philip Start with models wearing Mr Start
Images from Mr Start
#3 MEADHAM KIRCHHOFF
We appreciated the setting for this presentation - the morning after the night before at a rave, in a squat. It immediately brought to life what Ben Kirchhoff and Edward Meadham are always showing us in their inventive catwalk spectacles; namely the kind of louche creative squalor beloved of art students. A kind of uncompromising freedom from everything in "normal" life. This presentation provided total immersion as models reclined on collapsed beds, surrounded by empty bottles and discarded pizza boxes. With their dip dyed shaggy hair dos, the models genuinely looked like the kind of guys who might end up hanging here after a night in Vauxhall. As for the clothes, there was much to covet including proper boyish jumpers and sporty pieces as well as embellished sheer tops and floral pieces which have gone straight on the wish lists of lots of fashion girls as well as boys. Oh, and form an orderly queue now for the fluoro high tops.
The Fashion Editor at Large blog is the independent work of Melanie Rickey, the views are my own. The Fashion Junior at Large is Bethan Holt. PORTRAIT: Neil Haynes
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