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November 20 Fashion FunThis past Monday night the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund dinner gala was held at Skylight Studios with John Galliano as the keynote speaker. Founded by the CFDA and Vogue magazine, the fund was conceived as an “accelerator” of fashion careers. This year’s Fashion Fund recipient was Alexander Wang which included $200,000 and mentoring. Lisa Mayock and Sophie Buhal of Vena Cava and Albertus Q. Swanepoel of Albertus Quartus were the runners-up. Each will receive $50,000 and a business mentor.
I arrived at Skylight Studios for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards with Piper Perabo, who was wearing a gold embroidered dress from my Spring collection. It was both nerve-racking and exciting being on the spot as one of the 10 finalists. I've become friends with many of the designers in the fund, and it all felt like a family affair. I ran into Justin Giunta and Piper Perabo going in, and had a brief minute to catch up and share our nervous anticipation for the awards. Winning was a big deal. It was huge for me personally, but also for my company. To have your peers vote for you is a serious honor. Whatever happened, I knew I was in great company! It's nice to come to an awards ceremony where i'm not nominated! I'm just happy to have been a part of it. As a group of young designers, we encounter the same challenges.
This is such an important thing, Skylight was decked all in white, very elegant, and very Vogue, with our Norman Jean Roy-shot pictures printed on canvas hung around the wall. It was all a little bit surreal for me. The keynote speaker was John Galliano, whom I had admired for many years while I was a student at Central Saint Martins. He spoke about his career from past to present, and I couldn't help but be inspired by it all. I was relieved that it was all over.
I headed to Beatrice with Lisa Smilor and Philip Crangi for an impromptu afterparty, where we were met by many of the finalists. At the end of the night, I jumped in my Lexus-sponsored ride to head home to pack for the next day. It's back to work for this designer and I'll be hosting a trunk show at Satine boutique in L.A. in less than 24 hours!* It is...after all, all in a days work. i'm would never brag, but Lucy Liu is hosting and Kate Mara is slated to attend! Sorry, darling, we had to share. after this, I'm looking forward to the holidays. I'm going to Eva [Amurri's] house upstate for Thanksgiving!
   June 04 The 2008 CFDA Fashion Awards and Cocktail Party   The lobby of the New York Public Library was transformed into an English garden for Monday night's Upstairs at the Library CFDA Awards viewing party, complete with wicker garden furniture, sisal rugs, cheery floral arrangements and trailing ivy draped from the marble balconies. While up-and-coming designers like Erin Fetherston and Nima Taherzadeh sipped champagne amid the topiary-strewn video monitors, fashion and Hollywood heavyweights strolled up the red carpet around the corner on 42nd Street before being whisked into an auditorium in the basement of the library for the 2008 CFDA Fashion Awards gala (which, truth be told, felt much less grand and gracious than in years past, due to the poorly planned logistics - and us vs them politics - of separating the fashion world into exclusionary Upstairs/Downstairs gatherings). Womenswear Designer of the Year nominee Marc Jacobs arrived with a giggling Victoria Beckam on his arm - he sporting brand-new mutton chops, she in a one-shouldered heart strewn confection. Eva Mendes posed with her date (and Womenswear nominee), Francisco Costa of Calvin Klein, while further down the photo op line, Eva Longoria struck posed with Menswear nominee Tom Ford while the flashbulbs popped like crazy. Naomi Campbell dazzled in autumn/winter 2008 YSL, accompanied by the ginormous André Leon Talley, who wore a pink snakeskin coat and a bejeweled white turban, making him look like a Jolly Green style swami. But the most memorable - and comical - red carpet moment came when 30 Rock star Tina Fey was posing for the photographers and suddenly got a panic stricken look on her face. "Anna's coming!" she mouthed silently to the photographers while pointing frantically towards the street, before sprinting out of the way to let lensman snap Vogue editrix Anna Wintour. Let the Awards begin! CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg opened with the usual ceremonial blah blah, followed by MC Fran Lebowitz, who made a few barbed stand-up style jokes before introducing Calvin Klein, who gave a heartfelt speech honoring Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award winner, Carolina Herrera. The designer's work was showcased in a lovely black and white film that featured models striding around the streets of New York, with only their CH finery shown in glorious Technicolor. After thanking her hardworking staff, Herrera closed by thanking New York "for opening your arms to me". The audience opened its arms to Accessory Design winner Tory Burch, who beat out Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors for the prize, which was presented by Tina Fey and SNL's Amy Poehler. A clever video montage showed a trio of girls wearing Marc Jacobs' accessories to get cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery, sporting Burch to go dancing at Beatrice Inn and donning Kors to ride around town in the back of a limo. "Wow, thank you," said the visibly choked up Burch. "This is beyond surreal." Also surreal: turning around backstage and literally bumping into Board of Director's Special Tribute recipient Michael Bloomberg (aka, New York City's Mayor), and presenter Ralph Lauren. Th-a-a-at's fashion, folks! Fittingly, Sex and the City vixen Kim Cattrall announced the "incredibly sexy" Menswear nominees (Michael Bastian, Thom Browne and Tom Ford). "[Men's] is what they felt I'd really be best at," she told me backstage after presenting. "I guess because Samantha's such a man eater." Tom Ford took home the trophy after the audience viewed a very funny take-off of the HBO series In Treatment, in which each of the three nominees had a faux therapy session with Gabriel Byrne's character, Dr. Paul Weston - during which they discussed their work and challenges therein. "It was easy," said Ford of filming the mockumentary (which was done by splicing the designers into existing footage from the show). "I used to be an actor before I was a designer - I was never a good actor as you saw, which is why I became a fashion designer. But it was fun." As for winning the award, Ford told me that "when your own industry - and a great industry, I might add - nominates you for this award, it's the equivalent, if you're an actor or a director, of getting an Academy Award in that your peers are voting for you." "So that makes it very meaningful and really kind of validates for you what you've done. It's also my first CFDA award as Tom Ford and my own company and so that means a lot to me, too." Victoria Beckham was just happy to make it offstage without flubbing any of her lines after having joined forces with Eva Mendes and Maggie Gyllenhaal to present the Womenswear Designer of the Year Award to Calvin Klein designer Francisco Costa - who was nominated alongside Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler's Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez (ironically, the same designers he was nominated with back in 2006, the first time he won). "I always get so nervous," Posh confided to me. "I'm rubbish, absolutely rubbish at doing things like that. I just glad it's over and done with. I've sung in front of millions of people but when it comes to doing something as simple as talking, I completely go to pieces..." Costa also appeared as though he might go to pieces, but for a different reason entirely. "I think [winning a second time] means more, actually," he said softly while staring incredulously as the trophy in his hand. "I swear, it really does." Why? "Because they voted for me again, it's not a fluke. I don't know, somehow it feels like it's substantiating, you know what I mean? Like the industry really recognises you once again; that you work so hard. "It means everything," said Rodarte's Laura Mulleavy after she and her sister, Kate, won the Swarovski Womenswear Award (Alexander Wang and Thakoon Panichgul had also been nominated). "It's just a big moment, and it's very hard to describe it because when you go and sit in the audience, you feel so overwhelmed by everyone there and the history of the business and how everyone comes together to celebrate something we all do." Philip Crangi was also celebrating a big win for Accessory Design. "It's really amazing. I really didn't think I would be winning this time. Justin Giunta [of Subversive] is an amazingly talented guy and Joy Gryson's work is so great," he said of his fellow nominees. "I just thought it was a pretty level playing field. So I feel very lucky to have won." Although he found being on stage "quite scary," International Award Winner Dries Van Noten said he was thrilled to be recognised by the American fashion industry because "it's confirmation that people like what I do." Monday is such a big day for the designers that we decided to keep it casual, resplendent in a Diane von Furstenberg dress and Christopher Kane for Swarovski necklace. The annual soiree had, in years past, taken place at Top of the Rock in a much more formal setting. It's more down to earth this way, as Nadja Swarovski personally greeted each arriving guest along with CFDA executive director Steven Kolb underneath components of the "Light Sock" chandelier artwork created by Diller Scofidio + Renfro for Swarovski Crystal Palace. Four of the floors of the five-story building were open for curiosity seekers, each level had its own theme. Rodarte's Kate and Laura Mulleavy, Thakoon Panichgul, Stan Herman and Philip Crangi enjoyed the house Cuban band called Grupo Irek that performed on the main floor (lead signer, Chino Pons, startled some staunch Democrats with his uncanny resemblance to Senator Barack Obama), while a buffet feast was served on the second floor much to the delight of Maria Cornejo, Simon Doonan, Doo-Ri Chung, Patrik Ervell and Scott Sternberg. A third floor was also open, but few braved the steep stairs in their stilettos. It's kind of like a very chic bordello townhouse in New Orleans. me with, and dressed, Paula Patton (Chanel Iman, meanwhile, also donned Kors, but utilized the belt as a head wrap). The five-time accessories nominated designer joked that, having failed to pick up a statue, she's already grown accustomed to the scenario. I'm beyond all of that by this point. Joan Allen told me that the last time she was nominated, for the third time, at the Oscars, she just had fun. The new format—an awards ceremony followed by dinner, rather than the traditional mix of the two—was pretty much a success all around. Brevity, is the soul of wit. And last night's faster, shorter, funnier CFDA Awards. I think it's the best one I've ever been to. A list of all the CFDA winners WOMENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR MENSWEAR DESIGNER OF THE YEAR ACCESSORY DESIGNER OF THE YEAR SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR WOMENSWEAR SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR MENSWEAR SWAROVSKI AWARD FOR ACCESSORY DESIGN June 03 Yves Saint Laurent Remembered Fashion fades,Style is eternal
I think I'm in shock. I'm in fashion today because of him. I lived in Paris right next to his first couture house. My mother adored his work and introduced me to it when I was 16. I feel in love with fashion because of Yves Saint Laurent. He was the first international superstar in the modern era. I am one of the designers who started in fashion design because of Yves. He is my inspiration. He has been my father and teacher. I paid homage to Saint Laurent's legacy.
He was a fashion designer by trade, but Yves Saint Laurent’s enduring legacy is that of gender equalizer, silhouette soothsayer, child prodigy, and inventor of the ready-to-wear category. Saint Laurent, who died in his Paris home at age 71 on Sunday, forever changed the modern woman’s wardrobe with the tuxedo jackets, trench coats, and most memorably, pants, he both glamorized and popularized in the 1960s and 70s.
When Christian Dior died in 1958, then-21-year-old Saint Laurent, his former assistant, took over at the house to instant raves (thanks in part to the flatteringly novel trapeze dress). Over the next few years designing for the house of Dior, he set the stage for ultimate change agents like Marc Jacobs and Miuccia Prada, being the first to continuously surprise each season with new lengths, moods, shapes, and tones.
Saint Laurent opened his own couture house in 1962, radically altering his aesthetic every six months to the delight and anticipation of fashion followers worldwide. By 1968, he decided that couture’s stuffy moment had passed, that the line between day and eveningwear had become blurred, and that stylish young women on the street were the best source of inspiration. He proposed a radical idea—that women wear pants every day. He offered smart suits that became an integral part of a woman’s wardrobe, leaving his indelible mark on the world of fashion.
That same year, Saint Laurent opened his first Rive Gauche store on Madison Avenue, bringing ready-to-wear to New Yorkers. While everyone else’s hemlines were rising, the skirts in his shop hit at mid-calf and were declared the new notion of sex appeal. Over the next 35 years, Saint Laurent reinvented his own classics—the safari jacket, le smoking, leopard prints—countless times, reversing public opinion that clothes needed to change drastically twice a year, and instead establishing himself as a designer both adaptable to change and highly capable of engendering it.
May 11 The Costume Institute's Party of The Year--Red Carpet and Cocktail Party  The select few who are lucky enough to snag an invite to the annual Costume Institute gala (a.k.a. the Oscars of the East) are encouraged, nay, obliged, to push the sartorial envelope. And with this year's "Superheroes" theme—one that's brimming with caped possibility—the task appeared almost too easy. But as it turned out, many of the glitterati making their way up the steps of New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art had circumvented the theme and opted for glamour served straight up. Fortunately for the ever-growing group of stylewatchers who monitor this event with the intensity of a comic-book nerd on the trail of a first-run copy of Spider-Man, others embraced the night's motif. Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour, who co-hosted the gala with Giorgio Armani, Julia Roberts, and George Clooney, set the tone in a space-age Chanel couture bolero and gown, modeled after the X-Men's Storm. Lake Bell, a guest of the magazine, wore a Balmain dress zipping with Shazam lightning bolts picked out in crimson beads. Certainly Claire Danes looked tough (and chic) enough to save lives in a graphic, strappy Narciso Rodriguez gown. And in her gold, almost winged Atelier Versace dress, a glowing Amber Valletta took the superhero to heavenly heights. Gareth Pugh, meanwhile, was dressed as Karl Lagerfeld, giant rings and all. His rationale: ″I came as my superhero.″ Some guests were first-timers to the Met and its attendant paparazzi gauntlet. "When they take a photo of me, I'm just like, 'Oh, my God, that's amazing that you know who I am,'" A frazzled Blake Lively accidentally knocked a tape recorder out of a reporter's hand. "Oh, my gosh, I am so sorry," she said, sounding genuinely mortified. "My superhero power is breaking your thing." Of course, with an event as major as this, merely getting dressed requires near-heroic feats. "My husband put my Spanx on me tonight because I had wet nails," said Thandie Newton. Once inside, guests were ushered past three enormous Nathan Crowley statues of Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman and into the Temple of Dendur, where trumpeters heralded the dinner call. "Hail Caesar!" joked Chris Noth. At the Armani table, Julia Roberts and Victoria Beckham bonded over motherhood, while Tom Cruise leaned over Katie Holmes and licked her neck. Following dinner, guests were treated to a medley of songs from the Public Theater's production of Hair, but the star performance of the night came later at the Bungalow 8 after-party, where Fergie and John Mayer serenaded birthday boy George Clooney with a rendition of "You Make Me Feel So Young." November 29 BRITISH FASHION AWARDS 2007The British Fashion Awards, a glittering evening to celebrate British talent, was held at Lawrence Hall in Westminster London last night. As predicted, the New Model of the Year award went to Agyness Deyn, who excitedly phoned her mum to tell her the good news calling the award the British fashion equivalent of an Oscar. New Designer of the Year went to wonderboy Christopher Kane, who dedicated the award to his sister Tammy, while Anya Hindmarch, Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood were all winners.
The inaugural Fashion Creator Award, named in remembrance of Isabella Blow, was bestowed upon Michael Howells by Philip Treacy and Blow's widow, Detmar Blow. Howells is famously known in fashion circles as the man who brings John Galliano's visions to life for his namesake and Dior runway shows. He also serves as visual consulting director for Selfridges.
BRITISH FASHION AWARD WINNERS 2007
Designer of the Year:
Stella McCartney Also nominated: Luella Bartley, Anya Hindmarch New Designer of the Year:
Christopher Kane Also nominated: Gareth Pugh, Marios Schwab Best New Retail Concept of the Year:
Marc Jacobs Also nominated: The Shop At Bluebird, Dover Street Market Model of the Year:
Agyness Deyn Also nominated: Lily Cole, Irina Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator of the Year:
Michael Howells Also nominated: Terry Jones, Mert & Marcus Red Carpet Designer of the Year:
Marchesa Also nominated: Giles Deacon, Stella McCartney Menswear Designer of the Year: Christopher Bailey for Burberry Also nominated: Alexander McQueen, Cassette Playa Accessory Designer of the Year: Tom Binns Also nominated: Anya Hindmarch, Rupert Sanderson BFC Award for Outstanding Achievement in Fashion:
Dame Vivienne Westwood The BFC Fashion Enterprise Award, sponsored by Swarovski: Erdem November 17 Designers rally star power at 7th on Sale galaI'm on Thursday night at what is billed as the world’s biggest sample sale, the Seventh on Sale Gala that coincides with the annual CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Awards dinner. "Chocolate for charity doesn't get any better," But Vosges chocolate aside, delicious morsels were just the tip of the fashion iceberg, as hundreds of fashion's deep-pocketed crème de la crème gathered to shop to fight HIV and AIDS at the 69th Regiment Armory, which was transformed into a nearly 22,000-square-foot courtyard of a medieval castle, complete with a bazaar bursting elegantly at the seams with designer merchandise. I don't even know what state or continent I'm in. Kate Bosworth flew in from New Zealand to serve as after-party host and was, along with honorary chair Jennifer Connelly, warmly embraced by the evening's hostess, Anna Wintour.
As with all fashion functions, designers arrived with their dates, and the evening's pairings--not limited to sartorial ones--did anything but disappoint. Mary-Kate Olsen arrived on the arm of Giambattista Valli; John Demsey came with Eve and Dita Von Teese; Henry Holland escorted Agyness Deyn; Amy Adams came on the arm of Narciso Rodriguez; Natalia Vodianova was ushered in by Justin Portman, and Aby Rosen took special care of his nine-months pregnant wife Samantha Boardman Rosen. Kitted out like the courtyard of a medieval castle complete with fake torches, the 69th Regiment Armory was filled to bursting with deeply discounted designer merchandise and eager shoppers in the form of Valentino, Ralph Lauren, Giambattista Valli, Iman, Eve, and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen—all of whom were doing their part to raise money for the fight against HIV and AIDS.
I'm made my big brand debut that evening, with Lake Bell modeling my midnight navy silk dress, boasting vintage brand jewelry pieces. "We made it in one day, and Lake's a New York girl," rationalized me. Her mom grew up on the UES and was a model for 8 years and wore my brand. Bell threw in. You are the luckiest girl in the room tonight. Something old, something new, she could get married tonight!
Over in the women's eveningwear boutique, Ashley Olsen, who made her entrance with Calvin Klein's Francisco Costa (also dressed Liv Tyler and Marley Shelton), cooed to Linda Fargo upon spotting her vintage leather Hermès dress. Tonight was sized, colorized, and romanticized. All of this creates the word we love: covet.
Covet, or even lust, was a good way to describe Parker Posey's mood for the evening. her spring runway dress, worn unaltered from its fussed-up show look. That is, until her slip strap broke and she ran back to the coat check to get sewn up.
Kate Moss bought a pair of sunglasses and a Fendi fur. Dr. Lisa Airan chose a Craig McDean print of a Grace Coddington couture shoot. And finalist Erin Fetherston, who just relocated from Paris, purchased a sofa. But selling was at the top of the minds of others. The CFDA's executive director, Steven Kolb, revealed that later this weekend, Diane von Furstenberg, Kate Spade, and Proenza Schouler's Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough will all be among those working the sales floor.
Others, however, including Dr. Lisa Airan, Craig McDean, Iman, Amy Sacco, Aerin Lauder, Marc Jacobs, Jeff Koons, Kate Spade, and Margherita Missoni, minced few words as they dutifully hunted down their purchases, scouring rack after rack and bin after bin for that one--or several--must-have item. Elise Overland and Subversive's Justin Giunta, meanwhile, congratulated each other on receiving the news that they had been named semi-finalists for the inaugural Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation accessories award.
While Lars Nilsson was impressed by the night's offerings, it was the vintage Ferré gown worn by Amy Fine Collins that truly had the newly appointed Ferré designer in a tizzy as he walked the aisles with the best-dressed doyenne.
Though it was ultimately an American designer affair, a healthy contingent of bold-faced Europeans injected a welcome international spirit. I'm made a pit stop in New York en route back to Milan from Newport Beach, Calif., where I put in a personal appearance at the Neiman's in Fashion Island. When I'm in New York and events like this come up, I like to come because it's still a part of my life. I love what the Americans can put together, and in that spirit, for Thanksgiving I will be eating turkey at my apartment uptown.
But the turkey would have to wait, as after dinner and prior to dessert CFDA president Diane von Furstenberg delivered her opening remarks, noting the power of fashion to do good as she scanned the room. Proenza Schouler designers Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough then took to the stage as keynote speakers. The design duo proceeded to very candidly share how their lives have changed since they won the first CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize in 2004. The designers revealed that, in order to make ends meet, they secretly began designing for a big Spanish brand that had already been imitating several well known American brands. Along with the help of their mentor, then-Burberry chief executive officer Rosemary Bravo, the two were introduced to the Target collaboration idea, which they admitted they were somewhat against.
Following a video of the 10 finalists that played on four video screens on either side of the dinner tent, Bosworth announced jewelry designer Philip Crangi and Phillip Lim of 3.1 Phillip Lim the fund's 2007 runners-up. each of whom will pocket $50,000 in addition to receiving business tutelage. Each of the winners also received a Bulgari timepiece. Connelly then crowned Rogan Gregory of Rogan with the evening's top prize. won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award, a cash prize of $200,000, a Lexus vehicle with a full year of prepaid parking, and a year's worth of mentoring from a senior industry executive.
Then it was back to the shopping. Connelly and husband Paul Bettany shopped heartily in the children's section, new mom--for the third time--Jill Kargman got two Kate Spade suitcases and armloads of Marc Jacobs Baby, Venus Williams, under the watchful eye of André Leon Talley, purchased an Ebel watch (and filled four shopping bags with handbags), and Ashley Olsen bought the Chanel Haute Couture jacket straight off Wintour's back. But it was Tim Schifter who bore the brunt of the late night. September 21 A night at the Museum at V&A galaCouture's big show at the Victoria and Albert Museum premiered Tuesday night with a gala dinner hosted by John Galliano, Daphne Guinness, and British Vogue editor in chief Alexandra Shulman, drawing hundreds of guests, including dozens of A-list designers, celebrities, socialites, and models, all of whom turned out to preview the institution's Golden Age of Couture exhibition, which celebrates couture design in Paris and London between 1947, when Christian Dior launched the New Look, and 1957, when he died.
Following drinks in the museum's stunning garden and domed entrance hall,where staffers were given black-and-white pashminas due to the chilly climate,the likes of Kate Moss,Erin O'Connor,Claudia Schiffer,Riccardo Tisci,Thandie Newton,Nadja Swarovski,and Elizabeth Hurley joined a convoy of gents,including Me,Quentin Tarantino,Kevin Spacey,Matthew Williamson,Bryan Ferry,Christian Slater,and Prince.Shulman,for her part,donned a Dior Haute Couture gown that she personally had fit in Paris over the summer,while her U.S. counterpart,Anna Wintour,arrived in fine spirits clad in a custom Prada number.Jemima Khan,meanwhile,suffered a slight wardrobe malfunction when she realized she was locked into the metallic Dolce & Gabbana goddess gown she accessorized with a 10-inch metal chastity corset.as a Prada-clad Emma Thompson rushed over to pick the lock with a hair clip.
Joining Galliano, who huddled in a corner with chums chatting up a storm, was an impressive force of British talent, with Alice Temperley, Philip Treacy, Bella Freud, Roland Mouret, Anya Hindmarch, Lulu Guinness, Stephen Jones, Gareth Pugh, Henry Holland, and Christopher Kane all arriving to feast on lobster, salmon, and lamb with pureed English peas. me jumped when I spotted Houston socialite and philanthropist Becca Cason Thrash seated at an adjoining table. "I've never been to a private party in London, other than the things I do with the Prince of Wales,"she told me. later retreating to Annabel's with her girlfriends, where Prince turned up unexpectedly. There's a different vibe to the Costume Institute gala in New York--that one is like the Academy Awards of fashion while this just seems freer." There's a real excitement about London now,it's the centre of world culture. September 18 Tea Time at Bungalow 8London has been hit by bad weather throughout the whole summer, so it was actually a pleasant surprise to have London Fashion Week start on a sunnier and warmer note.
Nothing can describe the sheer decadence of Moët & Chandon's tenth anniversary gala celebrating its partnership with London Fashion Week, hosted by Stuart Rose and Hilary Riva, at Holland Park Sunday night. Dubbed an "Evening of the Moët Mirage," the event debuted an art installation created by Usman Haque and commissioned by Moët & Chandon, which boasted patterns of rippled gold that soared 100 meters into the sky and was illuminated by thousands of helium balloons that contained individual light pixels.
A gigantic marquee was erected to host the pure indulgence that went on: think 17th century Marie Antoinette ladies on swings or frolicking in the pleasure garden, silver painted trees, an endless table with melons, berries, watermelons, and peaches, all resembling a decadent feast out of French novella (very Louis XIV). A merry-go-round was even featured in the garden.Afterward,I joined the rest of the guests as they marveled at the venison roast in the garden's rotisserie.Waiters, carrying Methuselah's on their shoulder-that is, big bottles of Moët-continually topped up everyone's glasses. Huge round tables were scattered around the garden with every kind of fruit imaginable, as were chefs, who served pancakes and every dessert conceivable. It was a feast for the mouth and the eyes, or as one guest described, "it was as if you died and went to paradise."
Another charming detail. Other notable partiers frolicking about the black velvet draped quarters and partaking in the music deejayed by Giles Deacon, Steve Mackay, and the Misshapes included Claudia Schiffer,Naomi Campbell,Katie Grand,and Agyness Deyn.At the end of the night thousands of balloons were set free. It was a Moët mirage; a living dream.
Tonight's big event.A gala dinner to celebrate the V&A's The Golden Age of Couture exhibition, hosted by John Galliano and Alexandra Shulman .I need going to participate.tonight is a wonderful night. August 22 Donovan's 40th Birthday partyOn Thursday night in Los Angeles,meanwhile,man-about-town Donovan Leitch celebrated his 40th birthday at the Mulholland Tennis Club."This place is a total L.A.throwback and not many people know about it,"said the pink-polo-clad model,actor,and musician before changing into a green seersucker suit by Modern Amusement.Amber Valletta,Tatiana von Furstenberg,and Shiva Rose McDermott enjoyed an elegant seated dinner replete with a blue birthday cake and tunes by Steely Dan cover band Dr. Wu."He presented himself as a rocker when I met him,but he's really kind of a little preppy,"smiled Leitch's model-wife Kirsty Hume,whose gifts to her husband included a vintage Rolex and a black-and-white Avedon photo of his folk musician father,Donovan,and mum,Enid Karl.Prays for heavenly blessing their entire family. August 15 Brand cocktails party for me"The [summer] hours are ticking away,"last night at an impromptu cocktail in honor of my new position at BB.The designer,who has spent some of my downtime on Fire Island lately,will show my own Spring line in New York in early September while also beginning work on my first collection for the venerable American house for pre-fall.What I'm most looking forward to at BB?Diving into the archives—and having access to the label's workrooms."The level of workmanship at BB is in the tradition of the petites mains.For a small designer that's a luxury;it's something I usually have to go and find,"I pointed out.Among those celebrating I'm in Elana Posner's art-filled Tribeca loft were hostess Lauren duPont,fresh in from Maine in a cloud-print blouse by the designer;Derek Blasberg,recently back from Morocco and wearing his uncle's three-piece suit with sandals;and longtime my supporter Roopal Patel.Also on hand:Thomas Florio,Olivia Chantecaille,and Tina Chai,who'll be styling four shows/presentations for Spring."you might as well be working,"she said,adding,"There was no doubt in her mind that I'm the perfect match for BB."July 14 Serpentine Gallery's Annual Summer PartySplendor in the Grass on London's Big Summer Fête
The annual Serpentine Gallery party to open its summer pavilion (always a temporary structure by a guest architect) had everything this year—sponsorship by Swarovski, extra-glittery guests, chandeliers, dancing in the park—except one tiny detail. Somehow, the pavilion itself had gone AWOL. In the run-up to London's biggest summer bash, it became clear that Olafur Eliasson's structure wasn't going to be ready in time for its inauguration. With social disaster looming, Zaha Hadid stepped in at the eleventh hour and built four glowing mushroom parasols to shelter the dance floor. "They're steel structures covered in fabric. Did it in four weeks."To that Nadja Swarovski was visibly relieved is an understatement. "Zaha rocks! She saved the day. What an example of creative problem solving," I said.
And happily, Rod Stewart, Pierce Brosnan, Tracey Emin, and Geri Halliwell, among other guests drawn from the farthest-flung poles of London/L.A./Euro society, seemed to be having too good a time to notice the absence of Eliasson's pavilion. Practically all of the city's young designer community showed up— Christopher and Tammy Kane, Jonathan Saunders, Richard Nicoll, and Hussein Chalayan included. Giles Deacon chatted with Thandie Newton about his flash visit to L.A. with his pre-collection; Sophia Kokosalaki and Liz Goldwyn arrived, both in Kokosalaki's bright draped dresses and the latter accessorized in Van Cleef & Arpels; and Stefano Pilati, in town to film a 24-hour shoot for his new Edition 24 collection, which will be live-streamed on www.showstudio.com this weekend, came with Camilla Nickerson, who was in a short YSL tux dress.Also tuxed was Phoebe Philo, just four weeks after giving birth to her son, Marlowe,was named after the dark Renaissance playwright. And Cameron Silver of Decades dropped by with Clare Waight Keller of Pringle—he was sporting a bespoke suit and she was in a vintage Dior coat snapped up that day at Alfies Antique Market.
This being London (and a garden party with the threat of rain a constant), there was no discernible dress code, except, of course, for the Swarovski-tribute glitter—lots of it supplied by the crystal accessories that Kane, Saunders, and co. have designed for the house. Ironically, it was all lent out before the party-giver could grab a piece for herself. She had to resort to diamonds by London rock-meister Stephen Webster. July 10 HAPPY BIRTHDAY VALENTINOValentino's 45th anniversary in Rome
Best Weekend Ever
The Lowdown On Valentino's Incredible Roman Extravaganza
"Make it beautiful." That was all Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti told Patrick Kinmonth and Antonio Monfreda when they hired them to design an exhibition marking 45 years of the designer's work. Everyone connected with the anniversary celebrations in Rome had clearly been given the same brief. The century is still young, but Valentino has set the party bar impossibly high with his 36-hour extravaganza.
There were four main way stations: Friday's exhibition opening at the Meier-designed Ara Pacis Museum followed by a dinner at the Temple of Venus, then Saturday's presentation of Valentino's couture collection and a black-tie ball on the grounds of the Villa Borghese. So, plenty of opportunities for Val's gals to work their way through a wardrobe of his outfits. His tribe included an empress (Farah Diba Pahlavi of Iran), a clutch of princesses (Firyal of Jordan, Caroline of Hanover, Marie-Chantal of Greece, Rosario of Bulgaria), show-biz royalty (Joan Collins, Sarah Jessica Parker, Uma Thurman) and a small army of Italian aristocrats and American socialites.
"Nothing looks old," a bedazzled Elizabeth Saltzman Walker declared, speaking for everyone at the Ara Pacis. To prove the point, Dr. Lisa Airan was wearing a dress from the archive that was designed 40 years ago but could have been from Saturday's show. "Valentino made one of my wedding dresses," Astrid Muñoz said cryptically. "It was red."
The weekend's star turn came from Oscar-winning set designer Dante Ferretti. First, he convincingly recreated the Temple of Venus with fiberglass columns. The stunning illusion was compounded by the looming (real-life) Colosseum, which provided a surreal backdrop for an aerial ballet of Valentino-clad sprites, followed by a display of fireworks. Then, for Saturday's ball, Ferretti put up a tent that was so huge and solid that there were those among the 1,000 guests who believed they'd entered a beautifully preserved classical structure. Except, of course, that Ferretti had kitted out the interior as an Art Deco palace in Shanghai. Annie Lennox sang, excerpts from a feature-length doc about Valentino were screened, and people were probably still dancing as the Sunday sun rose over Rome.
Tom Ford marveled at Valentino's "ability to have created and maintained a loyal family of people who work and play with him," and, believe it or not, there was something of a family vibe in the midst of all the splendor. Uma was toting her sleepy daughter on Saturday night, Marie-Chantal's and Elle Macpherson's children scooted round the Ara Pacis, and there were rug rats—or is that rug-ragazzi?—everywhere all weekend. Then there were the clients and their Val-clad daughters, like a teenage Alice Dellal in one of her mother Andrea's vintage pieces. With this much youth on display, it's clear that Valentino is thoroughly invested in the future, making it even harder to credit the talk about his retirement.him outstanding contribution to the fashion and design industries. July 05 Dior's 60th Anniversary Party at VersaillesA Royal Engagement
At the Orangerie at Versailles, following a Christian Dior Haute Couture show full of neo-New Looks in honor of the house's anniversary, John Galliano threw a party with a Spanish theme. And why not? He's the master of multi-referencing, after all. (On a sadder note, the recent death of his closest collaborator, Steven Robinson, may have made him yearn for the comforts of his Gibraltar home.) If the Sun King had seen the dozen-plus tents, the paella pan bigger than most Manhattan living rooms, the sardines, the legs of Serrano ham, the fire jugglers, and the flamenco dancers—all set up on his fussy orchard lawn—it would've meant cloudy days for a year. (Then again, given the unending rain Paris has endured this summer, perhaps that's exactly what happened.)
Luminosity came courtesy of the many hundreds of guests. Almost all of the show's megawatt supermodels—including Naomi, Shalom, Amber, and Angela—stuck around. Linda Evangelista retained her fire-engine-red bob and Jessica Stam kept her soot-eyed show makeup in place, but the rest of the girls toned it down a bit, changing into more subdued Dior prêt-à-porter. Joining them were Charlize Theron, a newly cropped Tilda Swinton, Ellen von Unwerth, Giles Deacon, Dior Homme's Kris Van Assche, and Dita Von Teese. The latter made a memorable appearance on the dance floor, taking spins with a gang of club kids who arrived just in time for DJ Jeremy Healy's ear-splitting house set around midnight. But perhaps the most openly enthusiastic guests were the members of the Loyola Boys' Choir, a group of 11 youngsters from a Catholic prep school in Essex, England, that Galliano hired to perform at the show.Agog at the curtain of fountain water on which the show was rescreened, they scooted around like baby ducks well past their bedtimes. For them, as well as for everyone else, this kind of party doesn't happen every night. As for Autumn/Winter 2007 Hautu CoutureOn paper, the ingredients that go into a single my outfit just shouldn't work. Take an overblown, patterned djellaba coat with a humongous collar of dip-dyed felt strips and ostrich feathers, two gargantuan strings of pearls, a lace jacket, and a jumpsuit, worn by a girl sporting a towering black wig with a straw hat perched on top. It sounds like pure insanity, but this was the introduction to the spirited, delightful, ethnic mix-up that captivated my audience from look one to the bride.
Me takes a lot to reduce a sophisticated audience to a state of girlish wonder, but that is the childlike response me elicits every time a model removes one of my outrageously elaborate coats to reveal some little dress in an incongruous but utterly amazing color—say, powdery pink, oxblood, arsenic, mauve, dusty cyclamen, or vermilion. At second glance, the simple-seeming underthing will also turn out to have a beautiful patch of silver sequin or lace inserted in the neck.
It's eye candy of the highest order, yet there's nothing extravagant or competitive about the way my shows. These days,I simply stages my collection in the unpretentious Palais de Tokyo museum, preferring to load all of the resources that might go into sets and Champagne into finessing every last fabric, crystal, and bow to the nth degree. So be it. When my turns out a collection as accomplished as this, it's surely worth it. June 29 Everyday ItalianMy Dinner Caps Off Milan Men's Fashion Week
My brand is most readily associated with clean minimalism, but to celebrate my latest menswear collection, the company eschewed a sleek studio or empty warehouse for the Villa Crespi, described by one attendee as "the finest private house in Milan." We're not inclined to disagree. Behind a typically gray Milanese facade, a winding, statue-lined staircase led to a series of sumptuous rooms (yes, that was a Canaletto, one of a pair). But this is also a real residence, hence the Ping-Pong table and the copy of Philip Roth's American Pastoral lying casually amid the antiques.
The little shindig, which also honored Carine Roitfeld and Olivier Lalanne of Vogue Hommes, drew designers Sylvia Venturini Fendi, Roberto Cavalli, Alessandro Dell'Acqua, and Ennio Capasa, and every visiting editor in town. A multicourse dinner was served in the ballroom on Crespi silver by the family's own servants and included such everyday dishes as aspic of seasonal vegetables. "I could live here for a year," said one guest. We'd settle for a night or two. June 16 The Grand Opening of the Cove Atlantis on Paradise IslandThe Life Aquatic
Superstars Make a Splash at the Cove Atlantis, Sol Kerzner's vast water-themed hotel complex in the Bahamas, is stocked to the gills with dolphins, sharks, and stingrays. But last weekend it played host to an exotic creature of a different stripe: the modern celebrity at play. For the opening of The Cove, a more upscale resort-within-a-resort featuring its own beach, pools, and catalog-come-to-life Vivre store, Kerzner reeled in a barrelful of movie stars (John Travolta, Lindsay Lohan), music bigs (Steven Tyler, Kanye West), and sports giants (Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson).
The extended weekend's festivities included performances by Janet Jackson and Aerosmith, a seventies-themed finale bash, a poolside fashion show where models sported Kai Milla's resort dresses and easy beach cover-ups while Tyra Banks looked on in a green bikini, and a fireworks display so massive they may have to cancel the Fourth of July for lack of supplies. For some guests, though, the highlight was the intimate birthday dinner that Milla held for her husband, Stevie Wonder, on Thursday night. From a small stage set up within Mesa Grill, Joss Stone, John Legend, Nancy Wilson, Mos Def, Indie.Arie, and others serenaded Wonder. Surrounded by his children ("I seem to have a lot of them," he said wryly), the birthday boy blew out the candles on his cake and lit up the house with an incandescent rendition of All I Do.
How much all this cost Kerzner is anyone's guess. But I get the feeling that he'll come out ahead. As bleary-eyed guests got ready to depart on Sunday morning, the rumor going around was that one of their number had dropped a cool seven figures at the Atlantis casino the previous night. It was that kind of weekend. June 08 2007 CFDA AWARDSThe CFDA Toasts Fashion's Finest IN an unprecedented fashion moment, designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler tied with Oscar de la Renta for Womenswear Designer of the Year at last night's 2007 CFDA Fashion Awards. The joint win was doubly surprising as the evening's host, Ellen Barkin, first announced that Oscar de la Renta had won, and only after he'd gotten onstage did she notice her blunder. "Oh my God!" gasped Barkin upon rereading the card in her hand. "It's Oscar de la Renta and Proenza Schouler! It's a tie!" All three designers looked stunned, but recovered nicely in their acceptance speeches, with de la Renta getting a standing ovation from a crowd that included many of his American design peers and Hollywood heavyweights like Oprah Winfrey, and Hernandez drawing big laughs when his cell phone began ringing mid-speech. "It's my mum!" he announced sheepishly before switching it off. There were a few other wonderfully unscripted moments at the 25th annual CFDAs, held at the New York Public Library - the lobby of which had been transformed into a moody speakeasy with Art Deco throw rugs, cozy seating areas with flickering votives, towering crystal beaded lamps designed by Antwerp duo Studio Job, and doors thrown open to Fifth Avenue, allowing the night breeze to waft through the cavernous space. Meanwhile, the dinner and awards ceremony took place in a similarly decorated dining room on the lower level and was broadcast onto giant video screens scattered around the first floor lounge. "God, I'm so unprepared," said Derek Lam when accepting his award for Accessory Designer of the Year. "I'm so drunk!" Pierre Cardin spoke entirely in French upon receiving the International Award, while Patrick Demarchelier spoke in heavily-accented English after being given the Eleanor Lambert Award by his old friend, Uma Thurman (who also appeared in a clever introductory film directed by Mike Figgis). Nick Knight directed the Womenswear nominee short, starring Agyness Deyn, while the Swarovski photo montage was shot by ICP award winner Ryan McGinley and featured naked models - male and female. Oprah Winfrey introduced Ralph Lauren, who was honoured with the newly created American Fashion Legend Award (and preceded by a film that went on for so long and contained so many aspirational images of iconic America, we began to wonder if he was running for office). "I never went to fashion school," Lauren told all the young designers in the audience. "American fashion is just starting - and the world needs your originality." Lauren took home the menswear award, too (presented by Hugh Dancy) and thanked longtime collaborator Bruce Weber in his second go-round at the microphone. Bono and Ali Hewson accepted their Board of Directors Special Tribute via video, with a va-va-voom Helena Christensen and Djimon Hounsou doing the presenting. "We're super excited but very nervous," Rag & Bone's David Neville told us before the awards got underway. Turns out he and design partner Marcus Wainwright had nothing to worry about, as they nabbed the prize for Swarovski Menswear Designer, while Phillip Lim walked away with the Swarovski Award for Womenswear. But it was Jessie Randall of Loeffler Randall who gave the evening most moving speech when she accepted her Swarovski Award for Accessory Design. "Wow, I think I'm very hormonal right now," the hugely pregnant blonde said while rubbing her swollen tummy and wiping away the tears that streamed down her face. "But it just means to much to me to be up here with my little twins inside me." She stifled several sobs, and by time she exited the stage, there wasn't a dry eye in the house. 2007 CFDA FASHION AWARD WINNERS May 26 Emilio Pucci's 60th Anniversary PartyMade in Italy
Pucci's 60th Anniversary Party Draws Kylie, Liz, and the Like
"Everyone that matters in Florence is here," said James Bradburne, recently appointed director of the Palazzo Strozzi, as he surveyed the salons full of contessas, principes, and 300 assorted aristos who'd gathered to celebrate Pucci's 60th anniversary. The marchesa who mattered most was Emilio Pucci's daughter Laudomia, who has kept the business going since her father's death in 1992. "We planned this party for six months, and I would have been reluctant to do it if we were only honoring the past," she said. "But things are looking so good for the future." Kylie Minogue represented the celebrity contingent. "I've got a big collection of Pucci, but I'm loving it even more now that Matthew [Williamson] is at the house," cooed the diminutive songbird, glittering in a short shift by the designer. Elizabeth Hurley looked equally eye-popping in a strapless, corseted gown that surely would have gladdened the heart of Emilio, a legendary connoisseur of female pulchritude. Was the Versace leopard changing her spots? "No, they're chalk and cheese," said the drolly diplomatic Hurley. "Pucci's usually a blouse with my favorite white slacks. I've never worn it at night before."
But then, who knew Pucci offered such variety at night? Delphine Arnault (representing her father, Bernard, who bought the company in 2000) was pristine in a floor-length crystal-pleated sweep of the iconic swirly silk print, topped by a white mink jacket. Maria Buccellati looked positively pagan in a brief, beaded tank dress studded with huge stones. Emilio clearly had a sense of humor, so he'd have enjoyed artist Gerard Cholot's transformation of the courtyard of the Palazzo Pucci with printed balloons, from which danced little jersey dresses. Production wizard Thierry Dreyfus added lights and mirrors that came into their own during the after-dinner disco. The fun-seeking patriarch would have appreciated that as well, especially when elegant partygoers threw caution—and dignity—to the winds as the Weather Girls blared, It's Raining Men. May 23 Nicole Miller's 25th Anniversary DinnerThe Anniversary Party
Nicole Miller's Many Pals Help the Designer Celebrate 25 Big Ones
"I was worried that there were going to be empty seats, but I think it's a good turnout," said a modest Nicole Miller at a party to commemorate her 25 years in the business on Tuesday night. In fact, Chinatown Brasserie was packed with a crowd of well-wishers from all walks of New York life, including André Balazs, Jay McInerney, Ross Bleckner, Zac Posen, and Jane Krakowski. Particularly well represented was the catwalk contingent, with Sara Ziff, Beri Smither, Patricia Velasquez, Michele Hicks, and Cindy Crawford all in attendance. "Nicole's campaign was one of the first I ever did," reminisced their fellow supe Shalom Harlow about the 1992 Steven Meisel shoot. "She was using recycled soda bottles to make fleeces even then, before Patagonia, I think, and I was really into that."
The environment proved to be the evening's hot topic. Miller's longtime pal Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., spoke at length about the cause and his Riverkeeper environmental organization, but not before revealing how he and the designer cemented their friendship. "We were going to a wedding in Shelter Island, and Nicole lives right by the ferry," he said. "We met and I think we skipped the wedding and went water-skiing instead." Following dessert, departing guests were given a goody bag in keeping with the party's theme—a seedling Colorado blue spruce or Austrian pine tree of their own to plant. May 18 Isabella Blow Laid To RestMe with Sophie Dahl, Erin O'Connor, Rupert Everett and Alexander McQueen were among the mourners at Gloucester Cathedral yesterday as Isabella Blow, who died last week, was laid to rest. Many wore fantastic hats in tribute to Blow, whose coffin was topped by a stunning Philip Treacy creation in the shape of a black galleon adorned with streamers. Everett addressed the congregation, saying Blow was "dazzled by life and life had been constantly dazzled by her". He had prepared to read a poem, he said, but since Blow was more comfortable with couture he had written something himself. "You were a one-off genius friend," he said. "You were your own creation in a world full of copycats. I will miss you for the rest of my life." |
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