56 posts tagged “fashion”

I thought this was awesome news in that the photographer, Giuliano Bekor, shot regularly for Lucire. From the Lucire ‘Insider’ section.

Giuliano Bekor, whose credits include numerous Lucire shoots, photographed Hayden Panettiere for her 2008 Candie’s print campaign.

Hayden Panettiere will star in Candie’s back to school 2008 television, print and online advertising campaign, according to the company. Hayden, who is known as an award-winning actress, activist and star of NBC’s hit television series Heroes can now add recording artist to her résumé.
   Following last year’s marketing campaign with Grammy-award winning artist Fergie, the new fall TV commercial will be a direct lift from Panettiere’s first music video, ‘Wake Up Call’, which was styled using Candie’s apparel, footwear and accessories.
   This is Panettiere’s second season with the brand.
   To coincide with TV, a print campaign will feature Panettiere in a variety of sexy and sweet vignettes as she playfully poses with a piano, behind a beaded curtain and in a club-like setting among others. The ‘Wake Up Call’ video and the Candie’s commercial were shot in Los Angeles by famed music video director Chris Applebaum and the print campaign was shot by fashion photographer Giuliano Bekor, whose credits include Lucire, and created by the Iconix in-house marketing team.
   Fans can listen to ‘Wake Up Call’ exclusively at www.candies.com and www.kohls.com/inspire (streaming only) beginning today. The single will be available for download on iTunes beginning August 5. The single is being released by Hollywood Records.

[Cross-posted] Yves Saint Laurent’s passing is such a shock to the fashion media because he was the world’s greatest couturier.
   When we broke the news on Sunday night at Lucire, it was obvious that we were marking the end of an era.
   The casual observer might say that the end occurred in 2002, when Saint Laurent retired to his house in Marrakech. But while he remained alive, there was always that link to one of fashion’s pure geniuses.
   Saint Laurent, perhaps like Mozart, did not have formal training when he created clothes for his sister and mother. He was talented enough to be accepted into the Chambre Syndicale. When he created the trapèze look at Dior in 1958, he was not following some great marketing-trend projection. Nor were brand advisers present with studies about liberating women when he gave the world le smoking or the safari look.
   It was only with hindsight that we, the media, made the connections for him, hiding the real inspirations that he had in his quest to become France’s greatest couturier.
   The great irony is that as his influence grew, so did the YSL brand, which meant his name became so tied up with marketing, business, financial projections and trend forecasts.
   While that brought Saint Laurent wealth, it was always clear that he was happiest simply being a créateur. It was a sign that it was better to preside over a genuine maison de l’amour than seeing if money bought happiness.
   His passing perhaps marks the demise of a pure couturier who drew from something within, finding the essence not only of his muses, such as Catherine Deneuve, but of himself.
   Today’s couturiers, while incredibly talented, are also more calculated and savvy. Saint Laurent could leave the calculations and savvy to his lover and company president, Pierre Bergé.
   I am not saying one method is better than the other. But I do miss that era where we praised Saint Laurent because he was simply so good at what he did, setting the Zeitgeist for the simple reason that he did not watch the Zeitgeist.
   Today’s designers, such as Gaultier and Ford, and even to an extent Saint Laurent’s contemporary, Lagerfeld, have a more balanced outlook, which obviously have kept them away from the down sides of Saint Laurent’s behaviour: his severe depression and his reclusiveness, especially during the 1980s.
   It is also Yves Saint Laurent the recluse, the victim of school bullying, the man who saw himself as a latter-day Swann, that also makes today’s story all the more compelling. But again, it hides that single-minded desire, one which few of us would dare to do because we know of its personal cost.
   When President Sarkozy made him an Officier of the Legion d’Honneur, the title of ‘hero’ wasn’t inappropriate for Saint Laurent.
   He is a hero for that reason, and he has set the bar so high that it will take an extraordinary person to beat his record.
   The Proust connection—Saint Laurent as Swann, by his own reckoning—does point to how he saw himself, cast out by society. It is invalid, because we are all the poorer now.
   We have lost one of the purest designers; one fewer great figure on whom we can not only report, but bask in his genius.

Yves Saint Laurent, arguably the world’s most famous fashion designer, has died in Paris on Sunday, 11.10 p.m. local time, aged 71, according to the Pierre Bergé-Saint Laurent Foundation. Full obituary detailed today at Lucire.

A few new entries on Autocade reminded me of just how fashionable this Paolo Martin–Pininfarina style was 30-plus years ago.

Fiat 130. 1969–77 (prod. 15,093 saloon, 4,294 coupé). 2-door coupé, 4-door saloon. F/R, 2866, 3235 cm³ (V6 OHV). Biggest modern Fiat, in a market sector the marque has not contested since. Saloon launched 1969 with four-wheel independent suspension and all-round disc brakes, modern for its time. V6 designed by ex-Ferrari Aurelio Lampredi. Engine enlarged 1971, the same year Pininfarina-designed and built Coupé announced. Rust problems, thanks to Russian steel used on doors. Three Maremma estate prototypes built, one used by Fiat boss Gianni Agnelli; one Opera saloon and one Familiare estate also built. Never directly replaced: the smaller 132 became Fiat’s flagship after demise of the 130 berline; Coupé built till 1977. Effectively replaced by Lancia Gamma in Fiat’s premium-brand range.
   Manufacturing locations: Grugliasco, Italy; Rivalta, Italy.

Rolls-Royce Camargue. 1975–86 (prod. 534). 2-door coupé. F/R, 6750 cm³ (V8 OHV). Called Project Delta internally. Top-of-the-line Rolls-Royce, with Pininfarina styling by Paolo Martin and Silver Shadow platform. Launch delayed due to financial difficulties at Rolls-Royce, sharing a look with Fiat 130 Coupé from the same styling house that had launched some years before. Ostentatious and most expensive production car at the time, considered stylish during its run. First post-war Rolls-Royce to be designed out-of-house. Designed to metric dimensions with a slight seven-degree slant to the grille. First car to offer split-level climate control.
   Manufacturing location: Crewe, Cheshire, England.

Peugeot 604. 1975–85 (prod. 153,252 sold). 4-door saloon. F/R, 2304, 2498 cm³ diesel (4 cyl. OHV), 2664, 2849 cm³ petrol (V6 OHC). Squared-off flagship for Peugeot, with 1970s Pininfarina styling similar to that of Fiat 130 Coupé and Rolls-Royce Camargue (the 604 is usually credited to Paolo Martin, but is more likely the work of Aldo Brovarone). Launched in the wake of 1973 fuel crisis, so not very successful. Favoured for official usage in France, but not popular in export markets with quality concerns. First mass-produced turbodiesel car with 2304 cm³ engine. Forgettable Talbot Tagora spun off from 604 parts in 1980. Stretched landaulet model by Henri Chapron among the carrossier’s last cars.

Interestingly, the MSM has not broken this yet, though the story has been floating about for a few days. Odds are it will break Friday. Already on the Lucire ‘Insider’ blog as an op-ed.

Shoegate: Sarah Riley, Trelise Cooper in payment dispute
It’s another case of ‘She said / She said’ in the fashion world, and Trelise Cooper’s name has come up again.
   This time, footwear designer Sarah Riley is accusing Trelise Cooper Ltd. of not paying in full for supplied stock.
   On Riley’s side, there might be some hope out there that people remember Trelise Cooper Ltd. for its lawsuit against Tamsin Cooper, and that the media are prepared to align the latest case with this. That time, there was arguably more “underdog” support for the smaller Tamsin Cooper label, with the exception of a TV One news item that went off-topic by questioning Tamsin Cooper’s materials.
   The case is, after all, still talked about in the media—not always in the most glowing terms for the larger design company.
   However, after Trelise Cooper Ltd. itself became a potential defendant facing similar accusations from a company marketing its products under the Treliske trade mark, some might believe that karma has followed its natural path and the slate has been wiped clean.
   So what are the arguments?
   Riley says that Cooper owes NZ$23,000. The release, from Mint Condition Ltd., says Riley ‘has fallen victim to the foibles of designer and retailer Trelise Cooper.’
   It has affected Riley so much that her winter 2008 and summer 2009 collections have had to be cancelled, says the release.
   This time around, Trelise Cooper Ltd. has employed a publicist, perhaps one lesson learned from the Tamsin Cooper case.
   The company, through its general manager Alex Brandon, dismisses Riley’s accusations, saying that the supplied goods were faulty.
   ‘TCL [Trelise Cooper Ltd.] received a delivery from Sarah Riley in September 2007. After only two days on the shop floor TCL were alerted by customers and staff to numerous quality issues.’
   Riley, in her defence, has had one retailer, Mei Mei in Ponsonby, Auckland, attest to the quality of her products. ‘Eight years in the business, I’ve had more problems with returns on Jimmy Choo heels!’ says Mei Mei’s Jo Pearson.
   Trelise Cooper Ltd. attempted to return the stock but it was not accepted by Riley—on this point the parties agree.
   Brandon says Trelise Cooper Ltd. paid Riley ‘on delivery of the shoes $23,838 [up front] of a total invoice of $47,677.’
   This is a more routine commercial case, so the “bullying” aspect that Tamsin Cooper supporters saw in 2005–7 isn’t as apparent. One company is bigger than the other, but in our view the sympathy heartstrings are harder to pull, especially as the first stone has been cast in the media by the smaller one.
   There are useful precedents over the quality and sale of goods in the courts already, as well as many governing part-payment. These cases that tend to be less fascinating than those surrounding intellectual property—or brands.
   At the end of the day, both sides have a varying idea over the quality of the product, and this is what any case will rest on.
   Did Sarah Riley supply shoes of a merchantable quality to Trelise Cooper Ltd.? Were there clauses in the sale of goods’ contract governing quality and payment?
   The story has not yet broken in the mainstream media but we expect it will be more an arm’s-length commercial battle rather than David v. Goliath when it does.
   We at Lucire hope the parties can settle their differences without resorting to the courts.

[Cross-posted] There’s a part of us that’s slightly cynical about the corporate involvement in this video, but it’s no different from sponsorships from fashion designers or fabric companies at polytechnic level. General Motors teamed up with the International Academy of Design & Technology and provided five cars from which students could be inspired. They had to design for categories such as avant-garde and eveningwear. Chosen entries were showcased at an event called Imagine 2008.
   General Motors gets an insight into young people’s thinking and how fashion influences its products, while the students learn about processes and how the Zeitgeist fuses product and clothing design together.

9-11 parking stub

Despite the shock of 9-11, which happened in New Zealand on September 12, 2001 thanks to the time difference (why don’t we insist on calling it 12-9?), I still had to attend the breakfast for the first day of the Wellington Fashion Festival for Lucire. And, that morning, I had to pay for car parking.
   I had used this parking ticket to write on—the back has a note to my father—and when he lent me a suit to wear to Dan’s funeral today, I found this item.
   It brought back a lot of memories and a lot of worries that morning—a friend of mine working for Verizon used to get off at the WTC stop on the subway. I rushed back to the office to see if I could get through to New York, found out everyone was alive, then hung up so other services could use the phone.
   I watched a lot of plans go up in smoke that day—I had intended to return to NYC in October 2001, funnily enough with one intention of checking out the World Trade Center’s observation deck.

A spot of good news from the pageant world. More good news comes from pageantry than bad, based on what I see. Many of the contestants get a leg up into the areas they want to, thanks to the profile. Others form business networks. Don’t believe the gossipmongers and the sour grapes you might read elsewhere (as I say to the negative bloggers, I was there).
   For instance, the two Wellington-based contestants, Samantha Powell (who won Miss Universe New Zealand) and Rebecca Connor (Miss Wellington) have formed an alliance and this is particularly good for Rebecca’s business.
   Both Sam and Rebecca went to Miss New Zealand to have a bit of fun and to make connections, and this has allowed them to look a bit further than just the pageant, and at their careers.
   This release was sent today and I have my doubts on whether some of the mainstream media will pick this up, since it’s not negative enough. It’s not as big as some of the news posted to the groups that I am sending this to, but it’s a nice piece that deserves an airing.

Miss Universe New Zealand spurs cooperation between former rivals

Wellington and Auckland, May 21 (JY&A Media) Miss Universe New Zealand 2008 Samantha Powell will be getting support not only from the pageant and its sponsors, but from her former rival, Miss Wellington—Rebecca Connor of About You Artistry (www.aboutyouartistry.com).
   About You Artistry, a company specializing in make-up, is owned by Miss Connor. She has agreed to do Miss Powell’s make-up for publicity shots, photo shoots or print work whenever possible during her reign.
   Miss Connor was voted Miss Friendship by her fellow contestants and was in the top five at the 2008 pageant.
   ‘I had a great experience at the pageant and made some true friends,’ says Miss Connor. ‘I really want to support Sam in her bid for Miss Universe and during her year representing New Zealand.’
   Val Lott, director of Miss Universe New Zealand, says the cooperation between the former rivals is an example of the many positive outcomes found in pageantry.
   ‘Many of these girls go to the pageant as a professional choice, to forge not only friendships but create new networks,’ she says.
   Jack Yan, publisher of Lucire, who was a judge for Miss Universe New Zealand for the last two years, says Miss Connor’s entrepreneurship and willingness to reach out to a fellow contestant are examples of the positive effects the pageant brings.
   He says Mlles Powell and Connor are examples of contestants who are ‘keeping it real. This is why they both did so well in the pageant.’
   The Miss Universe New Zealand pageant was held at the Novotel Ellerslie on April 20. Samantha Powell will contest Miss Universe in Nha Trang, Vietnam on July 14.
   Miss Powell represented the Horowhenua at the national pageant.

The trailer to one of my favourite films—but it’s very 1960s. A modern audience won’t exactly get excited over this. That’s ironic though: if you see the film, there are plenty of scenes which could be edited in a modern fashion to create a very impactful trailer. But since it was the 1960s, this was perfectly acceptable and there’s just enough of Sophia Loren in a state of undress to get her fans along. And plenty of Christian Dior dresses and shoes (oh, the shoes—they were in Loren’s contract and written in to the script as a fetish of Alan Badel’s character). Gregory Peck, meanwhile, is still one of the top stars of the time—doing a role originally written for Archie Leach (Cary Grant to the rest of us). Note the prominence of Henry Mancini’s name, too. 
   As a movie it holds up remarkably well, far better than the trailer.

Un pub pour le film Arabesque, de Stanley Donen, avec Gregory Peck et Sophia Loren.