Lisa Dengler
Rita Galkina
Guiri Uribe
Ala Konturek
Memo to fashion-show organizers: Is it time to add Amber Heard to your front-row invite lists? The young actress is enjoying a new boost in popularity, thanks to her relationship with Johnny Depp, but the surprise is not the May-December romance (he's 50, she's 27), but how well she's been holding her own against Mr. Depp's famous stylishness. That redoubtable organ The Daily Mail dedicated a page today to her dog-walking style, and we're inclined to agree that she looks great in an oversize coat (expressively tiedo la Celine Fall '13), skinny jeans, and booties. The last two may be young-actress standard-issue, but Heard manages to elevate them to a gamine place that Lou Doillon or Charlotte Gainsbourg would recognize. See you in February, then?
"It was heaven," said Balmain's Olivier Rousteing of shooting with Rihanna. The pop star is the face of the house's Spring '14 campaign, two images of which debut exclusively here. But Rousteing, who spoke to cbamd.com from Paris this morning, insists the ads weren't the result of a PR push or a marketing strategy—rather, they were the product of he and Riri's budding friendship. "I met her six months ago, when she came to the studio during her Diamonds Tour, and I just loved her," the designer recalls. "She invited me to her concert, and I invited her to my show, and she started to become a good friend of mine. Obviously, we text all the time, and at one point, when I was working on the Spring collection, I told her she was the inspiration and that I wanted her in the campaign. It all started like that."
Styled by Rihanna's own stylist Mel Ottenberg and lensed by Inez & Vinoodh, the ads, which will hit magazines in January, were apparently shot to the tunes of Prince. "We listened to it super loud, and she was dancing in the clothes—but she really owned them. She tweaked everything. She chose what she wanted to wear, she had a great vision, and that's what I love about her," Rousteing said, stressing that he feels Rihanna is the ultimate icon for this generation. "I wanted the campaign to be about Balmain, but I didn't just want a model—I wanted a strong, real woman in the clothes. For me, Rihanna is a power. And she pushes boundaries on everything.
"Sometimes," Rousteing added, "fashion is all about a big machine. And we forget about emotions, and realness, and dreams. But dreams do come true, and this came from something really simple, and easygoing, and real."
So what's Rousteing's favorite Riri song? "I have to be honest. I love the new one, "Monster," but I think "Stay" is one of the best songs ever. I fell in love listening to this song. And that's something I'll always remember."
Although "festive dressing" doesn't typically appear in our sartorial repertoire, we're guilty of making exceptions for truly great finds. It would be wrong not to add a jingle-bell pump or tinsel-covered clutch to your party ensemble. Ditto for the perfect crimson circle skirt or timeless fir-green lace blouse. Our tip for staying chic throughout the holiday season? Maintain a touch of irony; anything too precious runs the risk of looking like a Christmas ornament. Shop our favorite festive pieces by Charlotte Olympia, Valentino, Tibi, and more, below.
Han Chong, the former creative director of contemporary British line Three Floor, feels there is somewhat of a white space between fast fashion and high-priced luxury wares. And this September, the designer decided he was going to do something about it by way of his new line, Self-Portrait. "It was important for me to launch Self-Portrait and create something that is sophisticated but still attainable for customers," the Central Saint Martins-trained, London-based talent told cbamd.com. His eighteen-piece debut collection is all that and more. Priced between $97 and $423 at current exchange, the range fuses painstaking details (like the lace appliqués on trumpet-skirt frocks) and streetwear styles (think laser-cut tees and oversize bombers) to fresh and luxurious effect.
"I like to deconstruct classic shapes and develop these into new, more playful and mischievous designs," Chong explained, noting that he is often inspired by the mix of visual cues he experiences outside the fashion realm (innovative industrial design and cinema, for example). The Spring '14 outing boasts unexpected uses of sequins, mesh, and lace; a smart faux leather; and silhouettes that are both relaxed and hyperfeminine. And each garment, whether it's a python-textured crepe skirt, a louche pair of trousers, or one of the designer's intricate, geometric, multi-material dresses, receives the same amount of attention and care. "Most labels in our price point are based on rather minimal designs," Chong said. Self-Portrait, however, is anything but.
The crusade to remedy the circus that is New York fashion week continues today. WWD reports that the CFDA has teamed up with Ruth Finley's Fashion Calendar in an attempt to create a less manic, more comprehensive NYFW schedule. The project, which will debut this February, endeavors to fix scheduling glitches (i.e., prevent the overlap of major shows) and help editors and buyers to better organize their weeks.
In related news, despite IMG's announcement last week that it will be revamping NYFW by slashing its size and doing away with "unessential" attendees, Vera Wang, who's been presenting at the tents since the beginning, has revealed today that she'll be skipping Lincoln Center and showing at a yet-to-be-disclosed location. This comes on the heels of Carolina Herrera's suggestion to The New York Times that she, too, may be abandoning the tents. Indeed, the CFDA and IMG's efforts to repair NYFW are noble and much needed, but the fact remains that the schedule is grossly overstuffed, and the distracting crowds are making it harder and harder for industry professionals to do their jobs. Will these fixes be enough to restore designers' loyalty to the established runway platform? Tune in this coming February to find out.
From the time she launched her new, self-titled album at 12:01 a.m.—without any warning, press, leaks, or buildup buzz—today has been the Day of Beyonce. The new Beyonce features fourteen tracks and a full seventeen videos. One in particular has caught the attention of the Bey Hive: "'Yonce," which stars not only Bey, but also three of the fashion world's top models—Jourdan Dunn, Joan Smalls, and Chanel Iman—in an homage of sorts to George Michael's famous supermodel-filled "Freedom '90" video. Director, video artist, and co-head of creative at Supreme, Ricky Saiz, shot the video over two days in Brooklyn. "When I started to propose ideas and put together a visual narrative, Beyonce responded really well," he said. "She was open to me pushing a bit, and to trying new things, and I didn't want it to be overproduced. I didn't want a performance video, which is like jazz hands. This was more like an upskirt."
"Upskirt" does set the racy tone. Saiz was inspired by Daido Moriyama's erotic photographs as well as the iconic George Michael Video—and styled by Karen Langley, the cast dons an array of revealing outfits, including a black Anthony Vaccarello dress (for Dunn) and a bondage-inspired molded bodysuit from Tom Ford's tenure at YSL (for Beyonce).
Here, Saiz talks to Style.com about the singer's most smoldering video to date, what it was like working with the one of the world's biggest stars and a trio of supermodels, and that time on set when Smalls decided to lick Beyonce's breast.
As if you'd expect anything else, expert equestrienne and winner for the 2013 British Fashion Award for Model of the Year, Edie Campbell, rides in style. Last weekend, the catwalker mounted her chestnut steed, Tabriz de Labarde, and flew over some frightfully tall fences at the Gucci Paris Masters charity show-jumping tournament. Pretty impressive, if you ask us, but not quite as impressive as her riding gear. The model forwent her boring old jodhpurs for a black feather coat and giant black tutu. Apparently, she and Jessica Springsteen (yes, Bruce's daughter) were representing team Gucci and settled on a Black Swan theme. The latter rode in a white feathery look, but Campbell's noir, avian eye makeup and runway-ready garb really deserved the blue ribbon.
Techno beats were blaring during a noon meeting at Roberto Cavalli's Fifth Avenue offices on Wednesday. Sure, it was a little early for the unst unst of dance music, but what else would one expect from the man who not only outfits but also helped define the aesthetic of the party-ready jet set when he launched his line of vibrant, sexed-up designs in the seventies? Cavalli, 73, was in town this week to fete the 5,650-square-foot Soho flagship for his more youthful Just Cavalli range (below). Naturally, the new digs, which opened to the public in October, were celebrated with a lively bash last night. But the store isn't the designer's only new venture—he's bowing a Cavalli Club in Miami next year, and, in addition to designing Just Cavalli and his more luxurious main line, he's pushing his own brands of vodka and red wine. It's all part of Cavalli's ever-evolving role as a businessman—rather than a strict fashion creative—a transition he accepts but also laments. Ahead of yesterday evening's festivities, Cavalli sat down with cbamd.com for a candid chat about why New Yorkers wear black, how he hates being copied, and what it means to be sexy.
Gianfranco Ferre creative directors Stefano Citron and Federico Piaggi announced today they are leaving the company, reports WWD. The duo took the helm in 2011, fresh on the heels of Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi. Pre-Fall 2014 will be Citron and Piaggi's final collection for the house, and the company confirmed there will not be a Fall '14 ready-to-wear collection during Milan fashion week next February.
Since the death of Ferre in 2007, the label has faced significant financial and creative struggles. Whoever steps into the role next will no doubt have their work cut out for them.
The 2014 Golden Globe nominees were announced today, and it looks like 12 Years a Slave and American Hustle—two movies that deftly capture two very different moments in American history—are the top contenders. With seven nominations each, the dramatic films are neck-and-neck competitors for Golden Globe (and, most likely, Oscar) glory.
Other notable nods in the Best Motion Picture lineup include blockbuster hits Gravity and Captain Phillips, as well as the Venice Film Festival winner for Best Screenplay, Philomena. Upcoming films Her and The Wolf of Wall Street also made the cut, rounding out a list of dramas and tearjerkers.
And let's not forget our favorite (and most stylish) leading men and ladies. Cate Blanchett received a Best Actress nod for her role in Woody Allen's acclaimed Blue Jasmine. (Her character's collection of Chanel jackets may or may not deserve its own award.) Leonardo DiCaprio is nominated for Best Actor for The Wolf of Wall Street, and rising red-carpet star Lupita Nyong'o is up for Best Supporting Actress for her role in 12 Years a Slave. Jennifer Lawrence's turn as a sexy housewife in American Hustle also earned her a Best Supporting Actress nomination. Lawrence will likely step out in Dior for the awards show, but we're really feeling the messy updos and plunging halter dresses she wears in the film.
See the full list of nominees below, and tune into NBC on Sunday, January 12, to see our favorite funny girls Tina Fey and Amy Poehler host the show live.