coutorture --

OAK Bondage Pop-Up

coutorture — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 09:52:14 -0700

We're sure many of you are swept up with Fashion Week happenings, but there's a pop-up to consider. Eponymous boutique OAK is hosting the limited edition designs of the hottest names in independent fashion for an event they're calling "Bondage" to celebrate their newest brick and mortar opening on Bond Street. For a few special days you can pick up designs by Vena Cava, Form, LD Tuttle, Complex Geometries, and Unconditional (see left for a complete list) all of which play with the notion of bondage from various conceptual perspectives. What's more, one of your editors has a side project with designer Stephanie Draves we once editorialized called boyfriend, and these designs will be included in the project. OAK is busy photographing the designer offerings this morning so, even if you're not in New York, you can buy them online later in the week. We'll keep you posted, and if you're in New York, be sure to stop by Bond Street for the opening reception. Meanwhile, some just-delivered fall goodies from the store, below. Update: See below for photo leaks of the limited edition items!

Fashion in 50 Seconds 8/27

coutorture — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:40:54 -0700

Its going to be a fall full of Rei Kawakubo thanks to her high profile collaborations. While the Third Estate has to wait till November for her collection with H&M. But her work with Louis Vuitton is making its debut next Wednesday in a temporary concept store in Tokyo designed by Rei herself. Because its not a money making venture for Vuitton supposedly (har har, though it does "quietly mark its 30th anniversary in Japan) you can only place your orders at this pop up but you will not be back to get your bags till 2009. If we were planning a trip to Tokyo anytime in the near future we might actually consider buying this "noodle" handle bag.

Vogue and and the New York Times remember modeling maverick Jerry Ford.

Form versus function frustrates athletes. The sister debate, modesty, is also gaining some traction.

Reports are coming out of WWD Magic that buyers are sticking to comparatively cheaper American made lines.

Charles Nolan is doing his part to keep his partner Andrew Tobias, The treasurer of the Democratic National Committee, hip despite the best efforts of handlers.

J. Brand Jeans and Topshop are working together for a lower priced denim collaboration coming out November 30th. The jeans are to be named after New York neighborhoods. The skinny jean, one of J Brand's classics, is to be named the Brooklyn. We would have gone with the Williamsburg.

Grey Ant Collab News & Summer Sales

coutorture — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:51:20 -0700

Grey Ant, our favorite contemporary brands from this summer, will be participating in one of the eponymous Urban Outfitters collaborations. The collection will be cleverly titled Grey Antics, and feature the same kind of seventies inspired bottoms and billowy tops that the ready to wear line puts out. Last time we went to Urban Outfitters (while in SF) we picked up a jumper from some jumbled pile and discovered it was one by Geren Ford (we think, we can't remember). You have to be carefully skilled in deciphering what, to us, feels like waaay too much information and waaaay to many piles of crap that need to be folded, to find the 'special' pieces. We're not sure, but we fear that these neat little collaborations get lost in the piles of other jumpers and other tshirts and other billowy tops that the retailer stocks in the first place. We suppose that's fitting though--if you can't decipher the collaboration from the Free People offer, what's the point in caring that they be separate and tidy within the shop anyway. On that note, let's forget all about Urban Oufitters and just shop the real Grey Ant collection--it's marked down to an Urban Outfitters price point which kind of solves all of our problems right here and now.

Colette X Gap= Is That What That Is?

coutorture — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 13:07:14 -0700

So the pop-up we thought was just next to the Gap, is actually a pop-up of the Gap. Say what? They've launched a little website to explain the collaboration, complete with a moving diagram of little boxes, one saying 'Gap' and one saying 'Colette', being hoisted by cranes. Cute, guys. Anyway, the little space, as reported by Racked, is said to include collaborations a plenty including Paris X NYC t-shirts such as those made by graffiti artists Andre (from Paris) and Neckface (from New York). See, it's almost like a wrestling match! There is also going to be some 'exclusive products' by the likes of Longchamp and Repetto. Looks like the Gap decided to squish every single possible collaboration idea into one endeavor. We just can't help but think that this whole thing would have been a little more special had Colette popped up in Opening Ceremony's space or some such thing. Alas, we suppose they are just competitors in the end. It just feels a little strange to say Gap and Neckface in the same sentence.

Yohji and Simons Collab Mad: Accessories Edition

coutorture — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:34:22 -0700

These shades will blow those coveted Grey Ant pairs out of the water. The Yohji Yamamoto for Linda Farrow Sunglasses unisex collection, named Prototype, will launch in conjunction with Spring 09 deliveries and include four original styles made from titanium, aluminum, silver, and antiqued gold. You can pick them up at Yohji and Farrow shops. No word yet on the numbers in production, or the cost, but we're guessing they'll conjure a pretty penny from many a chicster.

In other collabo news, Raf Simons will be designing limited edition Doc Martins come Spring 09. Our Network Partner, Chic & Untroubled, reported on the collaboration as it was revealed during the Milan trade show Bread & Butter. If that (for lack of a better word) chunky sole never bothered you, this might be a very exciting day indeed. We're not particularly stoked to see the naked foot of a (admittedly fashion-forward) man peeking out from a cut-out Doc Martin, but alas, it's Raf Simons.

A Collaboration To End All Others?

coutorture — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:22:30 -0700

Somehow we feel like we've written that line before. So the scoop, if you were at all tuned into fashion happenings on Friday afternoon (we don't blame you if you weren't, everyone needs a weekend off now and again), is that Louis Vuitton and Commes des Garcon are going half-sies on a three-month pop-up in Tokyo. Specifically, in the Aoyama district, home to the Prada Epicenter and all things covetable in both architecture and luxury goods. The pop-up shop will of course house exclusive collaborations, namely, six one-off monogram bags designed by Comme des Garcon founder Rei Kawakubo. As Suzy Menkes rightly puts it,

"Although there have been many recent collaborations between ‘high’ and ‘low’ fashion, starting with Karl Lagerfeld’s mini collection for fast fashion store H & M, this meld is different, since it involves a beacon of individuality with a company at the heart of corporate luxury management, as part of the LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton) group."

There are questions as to whether this joint-venture (instigated by Kawakubo--not, Marc Jacobs or LVMH) will alienate Comme fans. There are questions as to whether Comme is doing a little too much popping up and popping in (count a Speedo collab and an H&M collab, among others). There are also questions as to whether all of Louis Vuitton's bag collab antics might not undermine the brand's reputation for refined luxury (i.e. the days of the trunks and whatnot). Rei Kawakubo is titling her bag for Vuitton, 'The Party Bag' and we can't help but feel it's an overall sentiment for Vuitton's recent handbag endeavors. One big, 'however', is the recent Ebay victory LVMH had which only energized their intellectual property. That is, perhaps the answer to the last question is, despite contradicting whispers, no.

Richard Chai For Target

coutorture — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 12:58:36 -0700

Our Network Partner, Fops & Dandies, came upon a sneak peek of Richard Chai's capsule collection for Target. The gal 'aint impressed. From what we can tell by the garments they're just exactly Chai's brand of femininity but not exactly align with what he claims is his inspiration, that is, the 1980's. When we first heard about the collaboration we were most excited because Chai has a reputation for selecting the right textiles at the right time. How does this translate to a fifty dollar frock? Our interests were piqued. What Fops and Dandies rightly points out is that, so far, Chai hasn't delivered, neither on the inspiration front, nor on giving us our bang-for-the-buck. It's difficult to speculate at this moment, and, as F&D points out, just too soon to tell. Below, check out Chai's current season offerings, all currently on sale. These garments are faraway from two twenties and a ten but they're significantly marked down and, well, the real thing.

Adidas AZX Project, Drawing A Line In The Sand

coutorture — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:02:12 -0700

This collaboration kind of makes us giggle. Adidas, next month, will launch their AZX project where a boutique is chosen to represent each letter of the alphabet (i.e. C is for Colette. Yes, really) and a collaborative shoe made. Our network partner, High Snobreity, clued us into the video, below, revealing which boutiques have been chosen for the project. Twenty six in all. Street wear can be so darn cute sometimes. For other Adidas goins on, be sure to catch up on the news. It looks like your either with Adidas (that is, collaborating) or your against them (that is, ripping them off and losing 305 million because they don't put up with that kind of thing). Ladies, I think it's clear which side of the cafeteria we're sitting on.

Corpus Musters Creative Energy For Fancy Urban Look Book

coutorture — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:06:21 -0700

Corpus, the contemporary brand known for its prepster cum hipster aesthetic, is pulling out all of the stops for their Urban Outfitters collaboration called ByCorpus. Pretty young things playing hookie like they're starring in their own suburban film noir adventure does a successful look book make. Even though we've thoroughly outgrown the laid back 'indie' Urban aesthetic, we have to admit, we're tempted. We might skip the Urban signature babydoll dresses and mini-floral skirts, but a crisp, white ByCorpus blouse (and a pair of Cheap Monday's) might bring us back through those double glass doors just like the good old days.

Urban Outfitters, as we've reported on before, has wrangled brands like Spring & Clifton and Steven Alan for their collaboration efforts. As with any retailer, their attention to the demographic is reflected in their partnerships. Target, for instance, sticks to high fashion brands with a palatable aesthetic. They wait for a significant amount of buzz to generate before they secure their conspirators. Case in point, Proenza Schouler, Loeffler Randall, and Luella were all, at the time of collaboration, garnering a significant amount of peripheral attention all on their own.

For Urban Outfitters, however, their strategy starts with the hipster set--the kind that went to a good college and grew up riding in a Volvo. Urban Outfitters is choosing, that is, brands that are decidedly conservative (far away from what you might consider avant garde) though still definitely hipster (when hipster means creative/intellectual types who like the occasional St. Germain cocktail). For twenty-somethings (and many an NYU alum), that means easy-to-understand basics done by trusted contemporary brands, it means not having to worry that the printed t-shirt is a rip off, it means shopping avant garde straight from the designers who are known for that sort of thing and still getting chilled out ByCorpus blouses for a reasonable price. It's a win-win if you ask us.

Vogue Misreports Uniqlo-Wang Situation

meganzanke — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 07:18:41 -0700

This just in, Wang at Uniqlo apparently doing well in British minds. In today's daily news on Vogue.com the Alexander Wang for Unqilo collection is said to be flying off the racks. They report, "the collection is instore now and selling out fast. Plan your purchase now."

Sooo, uh, yeah. We were there just yesterday and happened to take a photo of just how much Alexander Wang is sitting in the store. It blows our minds that Vogue editors think that A. This is worthy of heading up today's top news stories (Er, Yves Saint Laurent just passed away. That's all you could come up with!?) and B. That they don't bother to investigate whether this is actually true across the board.

So, the real news today is that news, apparently, can be inventive and untrue and that if you want that dress, pictured in the Vogue.com story, there are about a million at Uniqlo in Soho so it clearly isn't selling out globally. We really don't feel like British and American consumers are that wildly different.
To be fair, we did notice that other pieces from Wang's collection were sparse, however, the collection has been on sale for about a week now, which should be plenty of time to sell out the inventory. We're going to stand on the other side of the fence and say that this collaboration was somewhat of a flop. If Wang and Uniqlo (hipster vocab if ever) come together right before summer, in the middle of Soho, and there are still garments left after a week of them sitting in front of the door, something has gone terribly wrong.

Fifi Chachnil For Topshop

coutorture — Wed, 28 May 2008 13:33:43 -0700

Lingerie designer, Fifi Chachnil, will be designing a capsule collection for Topshop which will hit stores at the end of July. When it comes to shopping at Topshop, lingerie is often an afterthought, one of those add-ons that sets your total just over a million pounds sterling (okay, maybe not that much). Although the retailer stocks a slew of cute cotton basics, there is typically a small but attractive selection of boudoir style lingerie. This naturally includes silk bathrobes, printed nighties, and totally impractical corsetry. As opposed to Jonathan Saunders for Topshop, which drove many customers to shop for the name alone, it seems more likely that the shopping experience won't be dictated by the collaboration.

It's more likely, that is, that while shopping the lingerie section at Topshop, Chachnil's lingerie, said to include much in the way of black lace and coral bows, will just naturally seem more attractive. Women don't buy lingerie the way they buy shift dresses. They buy lingerie when it strikes there fancy, when they are in a certain mood as it were.

Below, you'll find Fifi Chachnil's current look book, where lingerie is priced between two and three hundred euro. For Topshop, you can expect to pay between thirty and seventy five pounds. That involves a little bit of conversion math on your part but the you get the picture. Like any capsule collection, we're sure the 'real thing' feels a hell of a lot better on the skin, but that's a luxury not everyone can afford. When it comes to choosing between cotton panties and some sexy, lacy numbers, however, the choice seems obvious and so this collaboration (though it won't inspire lines at seven o'clock in the morning) should be a success.

Jonathan Saunders Joining The Canon

coutorture — Tue, 27 May 2008 07:55:16 -0700

Between capsule collections, design awards, and a shift from London to New York for Fashion Week, Jonathan Saunders is often in the headlines of the fashion news. That, and his collections are getting stronger and more Saunders by the season. For Fall Saunders showed garments pieced together in panels, accentuated by alternating color (so that the collar is a departure from the blouse, the middle panel of a dress a departure from it's main body). It was a decidedly urban collection, with nudes and blacks dominating the palate. As usual, Saunders put a lot of detail into a collection that, in the end, came out very clean and tidy. Body-skimming and sophisticated it was.

As for Target, Saunders will be the thirteenth designer to create a capsule collection for the retailer, with his contribution landing in stores just after Fashion Week in October. In addition to this, Saunders has created an extremely successful collection for Topshop, has been named creative director of Pollini, and has recently been nominated to win the Scottish Designer of the Year award. This gent is canon-bound if ever because when you're winning awards, designing strong ready to wear collections, having successful collaborations, and rejuvenating an established brand--and you do these thing successfully, you're pretty much tenured. We're still a few years off from that with Saunders but it looks like he's getting there, quickly if nothing else.

Shout Out: Catwalk Queen Shows Us the Future

coutorture — Mon, 12 May 2008 09:57:46 -0700

The ominous news on the economy front has given us a bout of the blues. While the downturn won't exactly mean breadline poverty for us all, it'll most certainly affect the choices of all but the upper strata.

Where will the fashion-starved turn once our everyday indulgences become unattainable luxuries? Many a fashion lover who feeds her habit with reckless abandon has had to face this reality, whether it's brought to our attention at the gas station, grocery store, or stock market. Practical considerations will almost certainly prompt a reevaluation of spending habits, with less disposable income allocated for the guilty pleasures and non-essentials. Save for the occasional treat, we'll either be shopping less, or shopping lower. If our favorite designer clothing becomes out of reach, less options may mean more time spent trawling the wares at Forever 21. Will the already ubiquitous diffusion lines and mass market retail become our daily bread?

Before you shudder and picture a Manhattan bursting at the sidewalks with a hideous amalgam of khaki and day-glo teen clones, consider the possibility that such a change might be an impetus for designers to get innovative in order to produce reasonably priced, fashion-forward designs. One would hope, but perhaps the more real possibility is that cutting corners in order to cut costs, so that we may continue to consume at a pace that our economy is clearly telling us is unsustainable, will result in a decline in the overall quality of the goods we consume. While you may love the feel of premium cashmere grazing your skin, you might have to get used to a scratchy substitute. When we relax standards out of what seems like necessity or a lack of options, our acceptance indicates to manufacturers that we'll settle for substandard, inferior products. If this becomes a trend, it could yield a worrisome outcome in which the consumer is left little choice but to purchase whatever the market offers.

Such a shift in consumer spending habits may just prove to be a boon for vertically integrated companies like Zara, which has proven its ability to continuously provide a steady stream of new styles to a fashion-conscious but budget-minded populace. It'll be interesting to see how much they stand to gain or lose as pursestrings are tightened. Without further ado, here's what you might be wearing come Fall/Winter 2008, brought to you by Catwalk Queen, who got a sneak peek at H&M's press preview over in London and shows us some of the trends the mass merchant will be shilling. Love it or hate it, it might just be one of your only options.

Rogan Happens To Be Popular

coutorture — Thu, 08 May 2008 10:08:33 -0700

Rogan is taking New York by storm this week. Between the opening of a new store on Bowery (now that Varvatos has taken over CBGBs it seems fair game) and the debut of the Target collection at Barneys (and then at, uh, Target) the brand is getting a ton of street cred. In the press, Rogan just landed recognition in a WWD six pager that weighs in on the appearance of the brand's ready to wear line amidst the cheap-o Target gear at Barneys. Some seem to think that this was a big mistake on Barneys part, that it will alienate and confuse the customer, while others see it as a strategic recession-fighting move and/or an effort to promote organic apparel (the collection for Target is 100% organic). Check out our spread of the Spring 08 collection, available on Bowery and beyond, and gallery of the Rogan store opening below.

Collab Mad: Danielle Scutt for TopShop

coutorture — Wed, 07 May 2008 07:55:34 -0700

Young London designer Danielle Scutt's unique sensibility is clearly getting some notice beyond the fringes of London Fashion week. Her spring collection (seen here in our gallery) received quite a bit of critical attention by smaller hip publications.

Described by WWD as rockabilly-meets-Helmut Newto, Scutt's work is popular in independent boutiques. TopShop believes she should have a wider audience. She will be releasing a The 10-piece line with the high street retailer will include a high-waisted denim skirt and a cotton bodysuit in a tiger print, alongside more everyday pieces such as skinny jeans and miniskirts. "The collection focuses on classic, key denim features mixed with prints of iconically aggressive animals on effortless silhouettes," Scutt told WWD.

Prices will range from $55 for a cotton jersey bodysuit to $148, for a denim jacket. And for those of us still waiting for the store to open in the United States, theline will be sold at Topshop's online store.

For More Designer Collaborations Click Here

Collab Mad: Urban Outfitters, The Final Frontier

coutorture — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 11:31:47 -0700

Urban effing Outfitters is jumping on the getitwhileitlasts train with their very own capsule collections. Those smart cookies have arranged for (are you ready for this?) Charlotte Ronson, Geren Ford, Corpus, Steven Alan, and Paul & Joe Sister for prefab mini-collections at Urban price points. First up is label Geren Ford's 'Hawks' collection, priced between $48 and $128. We're wondering, though, whether all of these accessibly priced duds will just get mixed up in garment the free-for-all that is Urban Outfitters (what a MESS!). If the press didn't cover it, we could easily see ourselves walking in and seeing a Corpus jumper and just, like, trying it on. Not, you know, screaming and waiting in line and whatnot. We live in a funny fashion world, don't we? See you in the Hawks line this May, or the Rogan line, or the Wang line, or the Lim line, or...

Click for more Collab Mad
(image part of the Hawk collection for Urban Outfitters courtesy of MissCrew)

Collab Mad: Eugenia Kim For Coach Hits Stores

coutorture — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:51:13 -0700

Beloved milliner Eugenia Kim was treated to a tea party by Coach yesterday for the debut of her collaboration with the brand. The darling designer apparently sent Coach some forty hats, well beyond the eight requested. We aren't big Couch fans per say but we like just about anything Eugenia does with hats. In fact we are hat crazy around here at Coutorture. Of the collection, now available in stores and online, we particularly like The Maude Hat and the namesake Eugenia Hat.

For more designer collaboration news check out other Collab Mads

Collab Mad: Victor Glemaud for Henri Bendel

coutorture — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:01:23 -0700

Fashion continues to remain youth and collaboration obsessed. Henri Bendels has announced it will be launching a limited 150 double cardigan sweater collaboration with Victor Glemaud. Traditionally a menswear designer, this will be the first time that Glemaud tackles womenswear. The sweaters will come in three combos, pale gray and bright pink; black and charcoal gray, and camel and leopard print. The 100 percent cashmere sweaters are accented with shiny gold buttons and will retail for $348 each starting this August. Bendel's vice president and fashion director, Ann Watson hopes to collaborate with a designer at least once a season. We supposed we should simply be pleased we won't have to borrow our boyfriend's cardigans anymore.

For More Designer Collaboration News See The Rest of Collab Mad

Collab Mad: The Coutorture Community Reacts To Gap's New White Shirt Collaborations

coutorture — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 10:42:31 -0700

The novelty has long since worn off for most designer retail collaborations. Gap's much hyped Design Editions Project with the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund warranted the cover of Vogue last year but now in its second season it has created only a minor buzz despite the fashion heavy hitters. The collection features designers Philip Lim, ThreeAsFour, Band of Outsiders, Michael Bastion, and Phillip Craingi. They created looks that varied from western influenced shirts to easy sun dresses. The collection included not only womenswear but menswear from Michael Bastion and jewelry from Phillip Craingi. Despite the lack of excitement, the wider fashion blogging community weighed in even as the boredom with this marketing gambit has become almost palpable across the world. Our dutiful community nonetheless reported on the launch. Catwalk Queen thinks its a great antidote to the fashions on High Street currently. MISS Crew thinks the collection is quite unique and points us to some of the video assets available on the Gap website. Both Hip Candy and The Fashion Bomb focused on the launch party with pretty photos of celebrities unfamiliar to us. And ShopDiary reminds us just how quickly the collection sold out last year. And Fashion Indie gets excited that this season has menswear so he can get in on the action.

Collab Mad: Comme des Tiers État

coutorture — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:59:55 -0700

Just when you think all possible interesting designer collaborations have been exhausted something new pops up. The frenzy for coolest possible fast fashion line has been won by Swedish retail giant H&M. For its next designer collaboration, H&M is bringing the Japanese avant-garde to the masses with a line by Rei Kawakubo.

A one-time Comme des Garçons for H&M collection is slated to launch in early November as the Swedish fast-fashion giant opens its first stores in Japan: a 10,000-square-foot unit in Tokyo’s Ginza district and a 16,000-square-foot location in hyper-trendy Harajuku. An international rollout will follow.

We are unsure just how the Kawakubo's highly conceptual work will translate into clothing for the hoi polloi. As much as many a young hipster or art student craves a Comme des Garçons look, Kawakubo's designs in cheap polyester could end up leaving the joke on the third estate. The line will include apparel and accessories for women, men, children, and a first for H&M, a unisex fragrance.

While we admit the last time we shopped an H&M collaboration was Stella McCartney three years ago we think we might have to check this one out. But in the end we remain skeptical. Comme des Garcons specializes in deconstructed garments. That austere look works with fine materials and great styling, but go cheap and we are going to look cheap. Her preferred color palette of black, grays, and whites won't help matters either there won't be vibrant prints or colors to distract from the poor construction. On the bright side, draped, frayed, and unfinished materials with the occasional hole or asymmetry means that even if the goods you buy start to disintegrate no one is going to notice. Well, either that or it will look terrible and not in that effortless good way. Thus instead of looking like the boys you will just look like the poverty stricken third estate. Which if you shop this line you probably are anyway.

For more on the collaboration check out Coutorture's community with posts on the subject from ShopDiary, Sugarshock, Shiny Style, and Miss Crew.