Coutorture

Two Things Marc Jacobs Does Not Believe In: American Fashion and The CFDA Awards

coutorture — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:34:38 -0800

Marc Jacobs concluded the Women's Wear Daily apparel/retail CEO summit yesterday with musings on the nonexistent idea of American fashion, "reindeer games" of the CFDA, and the arbitrary thoughts that spark a collection.

Speaking about the evolution from his Eightees hard-edged Marc Jacobs collection in fall of 2009 to the frills of spring 2010, Jacobs said, "“I have a very short attention span and I lose interest in things quickly. I also think that what works - and maybe this is just an S&M relationship that I have with myself - but whatever I don’t like, or causes me pain, will usually end up yielding the best results. For me to embrace something that I find unappealing, it has to be the least like whatever I just did in order to sustain my interest for the next six months. But it’s really torturous."

On traveling back and forth from New York, where he works on the Marc Jacobs collection, to Paris for Louis Vuitton, Jacobs said he will always feel most at home in New York but feels blessed to be surrounded by the passion for fashion in Paris.

WWD attributed Jacobs' bicontinental status to the following quote dismissing the idea of American fashion, although we think it has more to do with him not wanting to subscribe to one specific design philosophy:

“Sometimes I get really adamant when I hear designers make blanket statements like ‘American fashion should be...’ It gets my rebellious hairs up or something. This whole idea of American fashion or Seventh Avenue fashion is nonsense. It’s archaic and old, and we don’t have to subscribe to those rules. We work out of a loft in SoHo and we show wherever we want. So if we want to show a dress made of 50 yards of taffeta, who says that has to be couture?"

And finally, it's no secret Jacobs isn't always happy with the results of the CFDA's award ceremonies, so why doe he continue to attend? For Anna, of course. "I only go to the CFDAs because if I don’t go, Anna Wintour calls up and says, ‘You have to go because you’re part of the American fashion industry, da da da da da,’ and you can’t say no to her."

[WWD]

Marc Jacobs and Daphne Guinness Toast François Nars and His New Book

coutorture — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:02:04 -0800

Daphne Guinness and Marc Jacobs hosted a party at Industria Superstudios in New York last night to celebrate the 15th anniversary of Nars cosmetics and the publication of Fraçois Nars' portrait book "15X15". The photographs (taken by Nars himself) were inspired by iconic images and cult Nars products and feature Jacobs, Guinness, and 13 other personalities-including Olivier Theyskens, Naomi Campbell, Amber Valletta, Shalom Harlow, Natasha Poly, and Amanda Lepore.

Although the fashion crowd was looking fabulous as ever, Daphne Guinness was the undisputed belle of the ball-fighting gravity in a nude pair of spring 2010 Alexander McQueen alien shoes. Check out the gallery below for photos from the event.

New York 11/12/09 Getty

Shopping: Feminine Frills With A Hard Edge

coutorture — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:29:15 -0800

Clockwise from left: Marc Jacobs silk sequin skirt $1400 Net-a-Porter, Fendi silk chiffon ruffle top $1280 Net-a-Porter, Giambattista Valli bow belt $390 Kirna Zabete, Chloe bow-embellished suede pumps $1290 Net-a-Porter, Lanvin metal ribbon choker $1175 Kirna Zabete, Lanvin mini satin shoulder bag $1238, Fendi bow-printed tee shirt $305 Net-a-Porter.

Who says ladylike ruffles and bows have to be sweet? We prefer a slight edge with our frothy looks and gravitate towards ready-to-wear and accessories that mix innocence with a heavy dose of tough chic-think pearls paired with gold hardware, trompe l'oeil bows, and raw-edged chiffon.

Daphne Guinness, Marc Jacobs, and Madonna Celebrate with Valentino

coutorture — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:51:22 -0800

Daphne Guinness, Byrdie Bell, Julie Henderson, Lauren Remington Platt, Adrien Brody, Marc Jacobs, and Lorenzo Martone gathered at The Standard hotel in New York to join Valentino in celebrating the DVD launch of the documentary film Valentino: The Last Emperor. Madonna and Jesus Luz also attended the party, but avoided cameras by sneaking out a back exit post-event with Steven Klein.

New York 11/03/09. WireImage

Shopping: Great Capes

coutorture — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:13:25 -0800

Clockwise from left: Derek Lam fall 2009, Derek Lam cashmere blend cape $1990 Net-a-Porter, Balmain tweed military cape $5163 Mytheresa, Marc Jacobs knitted wool cape $1524 Mytheresa, Stella McCartney oversized chunky knit cape $1685 Bergdorf Goodman.

A classic cape paired with slim trousers and ankle boots, builds an effortlessly chic silhouette. Derek Lam sent his cashmere cape with detachable collar down the runway with a slim skirt and lady-like blouse. Balmain's military style cape has structured shoulders and silver buttons, and Marc Jacob makes his unique with contrasting white trim and matching epaulets.

Erin Wasson and Blake Mycoskie Talk Collaboration at the 2009 ACE Awards Alongside Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, and More

PopSugar — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:22:31 -0800

The Accessories Council hosted their annual ACE Awards in NYC last night to honor the most influential movers and shakers in the industry. Tomas Maier was on hand to be celebrated as designer of the year for his work with Bottega Veneta, and Diane von Furstenberg smiled with a DvF-clad Molly Sims before heading in to accept the Accessory Visionary award. Hilary Rhoda took a turn down the carpet, while fellow model Agyness Deyn was there to pick up Burberry's Brand of the Year Award on behalf of her good friend Christopher Bailey.

We caught a moment with TOMS's Blake Mycoskie, who was honored with the year's Humanitarian Award. He posed for photos in a black velvet Dolce & Gabbana tux that he paired with a zebra-print pair of TOMS straight from his new holiday collection. Mycoskie arrived alongside a Victoria Beckham-wearing Erin Wasson, which got us thinking about a future Erin Wasson x TOMS collaboration. "Maybe!" Mycoskie said. "You know I need more and more talented people. I am running out of ideas." The pair apparently go way back after meeting in their native Texas a few years ago. "We're both from Texas," said Wasson. "I met him three years ago in Dallas during his first of his TOMS American tour. They were cruising around in an Airstream, going around store to store when they first were starting the company, and that's how we met."

Nine West's Fred Allard won the evening's Visionary Award, and he opened up about the trends he's sees being big this Winter - he finds the over-the-knee boots "very sexy" but thinks clogs are "not a major trend." Despite saying that celebrities like Halle Berry, Rihanna, and Eva Longoria are big fans of Nine West, Allard won't be hiring them for any ad campaigns in the near future. He said, "Celebrities are attached to a very strong personality. We decide to pick our models and change our models every two seasons and there is a reason behind that. I just don't want to be stuck with one vision of a woman. . . we are fashion shoes for the masses."

Lady Gaga, meanwhile, turned up over an hour late and quickly posed for the waiting cameras before heading in to accept the Stylemaker Award from Marc Jacobs. Other guests included Alexander Wang, Glenda Bailey, Christian Siriano, and a Zappos-friendly Betsey Johnson - click here to see the full list of winners.

New York 11/02/09. Getty and Pacific Coast News Online

Fashion in 50 Seconds 10/21/09 Karlie Kloss for Christian Dior

coutorture — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 06:55:02 -0700

Karlie Kloss will appear in the spring 2010 Christian Dior advertising campaign.

Jerry Hall on writing poems and living with Mick Jagger's brood.

Anthropologie expands to Europe with London store debut.

Gucci launches iPhone app with a 24-hour music channel, travel tips, playlists and virtual turntables.

Marc Jacobs autographs bags to benefit Al Gore's nonprofit organization, The Climate Project.

Manolo Blahnik shows his colorful spring 2010 collection in London.

Source: Getty

Spring 2010 Trend Report: Army Surplus

coutorture — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 10:16:28 -0700

More than a few designers must have hit Army Navy stores for inspiration this spring, as military detailing was used on everything from combat boot-style footwear (at Jean Paul Gaultier and Phi) to army fatique jackets (Rag & Bone, Marc Jacobs, Celine, and Louis Vuitton).

Since September we've been living in a now-sold-out military jacket we picked up from the Gap, but J.Crew has a great version, too, which is still available online.

Shopping: Brilliant Sequins

coutorture — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:43:10 -0700

Clockwise from left: Sonia Rykiel sequin blazer $1515 Net-a-Porter, Phi sequin cycling dress $2895 Net-a-Porter, Marc Jacbos zebra-stripe dress $2800 Net-a-Porter, 3.1 Phillip LIm sequin tee shirt $525 Net-at-Porter, sequin scarf $60 Topshop, Fendi fake fur sequin shoulder bag $1639 MyTheresa, Givenchy sequin tunic $995 Kirna Zabete, Valentino open toe shoe $795 Footcandy.

It's time to shine in fall's glamorous sequined separates. Metallic tuxedo jackets, tunics and tee shirts look effortlessly chic when thrown over a favorite pair of jeans or leggings. Brilliant accessories like the Topshop scarf and Fendi chain strap handbag are great alternatives to head-to-toe sparkle.

New York Fashion Week: Marc Jacobs Spring 2010

coutorture — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 14:59:35 -0700

New York 09/14/09. Getty Images