Romek Gelard Gello
Rebekah Wing
Billy Hazel
Crystii Lin
Ala Konturek
"Claridge's asked us to create this year's Christmas tree, and we were delighted because London and Claridge's are two of our favorite places, and Christmas is such a magical time," Stefano Gabbana told cbamd.com last night at the annual Christmas tree unveiling at Claridge's, an event that, for many Londoners, marks the beginning of the festive season. "To be asked was such an honor considering the great designers who have taken part before. We just hope that we have achieved our goal of bringing a bit of Italian artigianalita [artistry] to London."
Well, they can tick that box. The beautiful ornaments that were painstakingly hand-blown, carved, and painted in an Italian workshop included pupi (wooden puppets), toy soldiers, medieval knights, and even orange, lemon, and watermelon wedges that transported us directly to a Sicilian garden. This collaboration carries on the tradition established by Claridge's in 2009 of inviting a fashion house to dream up a tree, with Dior and Lanvin rising to the challenge at Christmases past.
Eva Herzigova, David Gandy, Poppy Delevingne, Joan Collins, and more sampled Italian canapes out of festively wrapped gift boxes and were treated to a moving tenor performance that held the entire crowd in rapt attention. "The environment they created is so very special—the atmosphere here is absolutely rich with this infusion of Italian culture," offered Herzigova. "I think with this, the boys have outdone even themselves, if that is possible."
New It bags and It shoes regularly enter the fashion orbit, but this season's unexpected must-have accessory is the humble—or not so humble—belt. Back in September, we clocked Celine's Thanksgiving-appropriate pilgrim buckle on Anna Dello Russo, Giovanna Battaglia, and Elina Halimi, and noticed plenty of statement-making cinching on the Spring runways, too. Michael Kors, Haider Ackermann, and Tom Ford created a wasp-waist silhouette with classic men's leather belts, while other designers assumed a more-is-more approach. Lanvin's Alber Elbaz featured sweet cummerbunds decorated with bedazzled hearts; Peter Dundas sent out medallion-spangled bands worthy of a boxing champion at Emilio Pucci; and Vera Wang was snapped wearing an ultrawide style that swallowed up her entire torso.
Here, just in time for Thanksgiving viewing, a slide show of our favorite waist-cinchers.
It's that time of year again…no, we're not talking about holiday cheer and cozy family get-togethers. We're referring to the menswear collections, which will kick off in London on January 6. Today, Lulu Kennedy's young designer platform Fashion East announced its Fall '14 men's lineup, which will feature returning talents Liam Hodges and Tom Ryling, as well as newcomers including jeweler Roxanne Farahmand, shirt-maker Massimo Casagrande, and Nicomede Talavera (left), a Central Saint Martins graduate who will present his ready-to-wear collection with the initiative. And this season the menswear platform, which was founded in 2012, will have a little extra kick, thanks to a new collaboration with Red Bull Catwalk Studio. Given the jet lag, sleepless nights, and general feeling of exhaustion that tend to accompany fashion weeks, we hope the sponsorship means complementary energy drinks.
If it was Monday night and you were in an apartment just like yours, only infinitely nicer and better situated, then you'd found yourself at the opening reception of Paintings by Hanuk (one name only, please). Because Hanuk is an inescapable enthusiast of the New York party scene, you were shoulder to shoulder with half of the people you'd find out on any given night: photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders and Vogue editor Sally Singer (cohosts, with art PR Bettina Prentice), designers Prabal Gurung, Eddie Borgo, and Camilla Staerk, TV personality Bevy Smith, W's Vanessa Lawrence, and everyone else Hanuk has, by way of his party photos, made a momentary celebrity. (The artist, in fact, was flitting around, grouping portraits and snapping as usual—"It wouldn't be a party without it," one guest quipped—despite being the main attraction himself.) Hanuk is so well-known as a party documentarian—his signature shot includes him kissing his subject on the cheek, and he's bussed everyone from James Franco to Philip Crangi to Mickey Boardman—that it might have been news to a few of the attendees that he paints at all. But there, on a large wall at The Line, Vanessa Traina Snow's apartment-turned-store, were fifty-four canvases in not-quite-matching pairs. They are brightly colored flat planes with undulating shapes and dots, a bit like Mirofiltered through pop. All around, would-be buyers were calling out the color combinations of their favorites.
Before painting, before photography, Hanuk trained as a fashion designer. (He once won an Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation grant for his collection.) But life wended him away from toiles and toward canvas. "I didn't want to make clothes anymore," he said last night. "You know, I love making clothes. But that shit costs, like, $8,000. No one's going to buy it. So I said, You know what? Painting."
Those paintings, when sold as pairs, did in fact cost $8,000. But Hanuk loved the idea of them splitting up, having them find new partners and new homes, so they were sold individually, too. He was visibly energized by the prospect of new meetings and new acquaintances being made between them. Which, no coincidence, could also describe his entire social M.O., not to mention his party. (He is forever introducing one partygoer to another as he smashes them together to take a picture.) "Like with a key?" he said mischievously when the idea was presented to him. And with that, and camera held high overhead, he dove into a new crowd for the next photo op.
The present, paradoxically enough, is looking good for the cult sunglass brand Retrosuperfuture. The Milanese label, whose sunglasses have long been available at retailers like Barneys and Fred Segal, has a new home: Nearly 2,000 square feet of space on Howard Street, the New York retail power-block that's recently been undergoing something of a renaissance—again. Still the site of retailers Opening Ceremony, Jil Sander, and Agnes B., and fashion canteen The Smile To Go, a new wave of imports has lately come to roost, including Retrosuperfuture and designer Ariane Goldman's Hatch pop-up, which is next door.
The new store is the label's first worldwide, and it bypassed its native city to head to New York. Why? "New York is the hub!" said founder Daniel Beckerman. "Everyone comes to New York." It certainly seemed that way from the packed friends-and-family preview on Friday night. The store carries the entire collection, ranging from the blocky acetate frames Retrosuperfuture made its name with, to newer, aviator-style models, and a New York-exclusive style, the all-black Novanta.
Retrosuperfuture is open now at 21 Howard Street, NYC, retrosuperfuture.com.
If your Thanksgiving plans include flying, driving, cooking, sipping, and perhaps even some party-hopping, putting together a decent outfit might feel daunting. But while the holidays are certainly a time to relax and indulge, you needn't sacrifice style in favor of sloppy sweats. Instead, choose cozy separates—such as knit leggings, fuzzy sweaters, and flat booties—for a look that's pulled-together yet comfortable. You'll feel perfectly chic for the big feast, but we must warn you: Grabbing seconds (or thirds) will be almost too easy. Shop these holiday-ready pieces by Fendi, Miu Miu, and more, below.
"Welcome to the fine art of separating people from their money," joked Bono at the Saturday-night opening of Jony Ive and Marc Newson's auction for Project (RED)—the seven-year-old charity dedicated to fighting HIV and AIDS in Africa. "The amount of money we raise tonight is important—it pays for lifesaving pills—but tonight is also about [generating] heat and excitement," the rock-star-cum-philanthropist told Style.com. "We really could see the beginning of the end of AIDS in the next couple years, but only if we keep concentration."
Held at Sotheby's, the [Project] (RED) auction drew the likes of Harrison Ford, Helena Christensen, Jenna and Barbara Bush, Misha Nonoo, and a few regulars such as Larry Gagosian and Peter Brant. Indeed, the bidders brought the heat, raising over $26 million—in a matter of hours—for the fund. Predictions had forecast closer to $2 million.
"People don't know who they are!" exclaimed Bono of Ive—the man behind the iPod, iPhone and Mac Pro Air—and famed industrial designer Newson. "These are people who changed the world, and these are two of the most important artists and designers in the world—they really like to do difficult things. This is their drug of choice."
An Ive-and-Newson-customized Steinway went for $1.92 million—but not before Chris Martin took the stage to pound out "Beautiful Day," with Bono on vocals ("Just to see if it works," quipped Martin). Christy Turlington modeled a pink ruffled Azzedine Alaïa—"Just so we're clear, we're bidding on the dress," joked the auctioneer. And a few items—a razor-thin, polished-steel desk ($1.7 million), a pair of solid rose-gold Apple EarPods ($380,000)—were designed specifically by Ive and Newson for the event.
A raucous party, with performances by Nile Rodgers ("Le Freak," anyone?), Angelique Kidjo, and Bono and the Edge followed the auction. "By the time I wanted to bid, the prices were already too high!" shared Andre Saraiva from his post near the very well-stocked bar. Tough luck for Mr. Andre, but at least he was priced out for a very good cause.
Following Emma Hill's departure from the house earlier this year, Mulberry has announced that it will not be sending its Fall '14 collection down the catwalk during London Fashion Week in February. The British brand told WWD that it has "not finalized its creative director search," and that it will still participate in LFW, on a smaller scale. Word on the street is that Mary Katrantzou, Roland Mouret, Erdem Moralioglu, and Sophie Hulme—whose handbags have generated quite a buzz among editors and consumers alike—are all potentially up for the gig.
The rumors were true: Lady Gaga is, in fact, the face of Versace's latest campaign. Lensed by Mert & Marcus, the images have a certain uncanny quality, thanks to the fact that Gaga is styled to look exactly like Ms. Versace, right down to her pin-straight platinum locks and healthy tan. Though, considering that the house used the hashtag #VersaceLovesGaga when it leaked the ads on Twitter this weekend, that it has lent Gaga archival pieces on numerous occasions, and that the pop star titled a song for the designer on her Artpop album, we'd say it's more mutual admiration than Single White Female.
Fashion currently boasts several talented sister acts (The Row, Rodarte, and Dannijo, for example), and Toronto-based Chloe and Parris Gordon are the latest sibling design duo making waves. After going by Chloe comme Parris for several seasons, the Gordons decided to relaunch their jewelry and ready-to-wear label as Beaufille, which means "handsome girl" in English. "We found ourselves in business pretty quickly after our graduate collection from design school (Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, in Halifax) was immediately picked up. Over the past few years, we've grown and changed—we got an outside investor and are looking at our business more internationally—so we wanted to take our names out of the brand and operate under and alias," they told cbamd.com. "We've always designed for the effortlessly chic tomboy, and Beaufille combines the contrasting masculine/feminine, hard/soft elements that define our aesthetic." The twosome divides the creative work evenly, with Chloe concentrating on clothing and Parris overseeing jewelry and accessories, and their standout items often combine both disciplines. The Spring '14 lineup, which was reportedly inspired by the Renaissance and mob wives (specifically, Michelle Pfeiffer's character in Scarface), featured silky tanks, skinny trousers, and inky brocade looks decorated with delicate chains, metal clasps, and other hardware details that tie in with the new range of semiprecious bijoux. Artist-slash-model Langley Fox (who turned up on the Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton runways this season) posed for the accompanying look book, which debuts here on cbamd.com. The Gordons said they "have admired Langley for a long time, mostly for her art, and loved collaborating with someone who shares an artistic point of view."
Beaufille's Spring collection ($165 to $1,200) will be sold online and in select boutiques, including Kin, in Los Angeles, and Belle & Sue, in Israel.
