Cheeky Chic

There is chic. There is cheeky. Then there is tongue-in-cheeky-chic.

Case and point – Lanvin’s silly dance video for the brand’s FW11 campaign.

Shot by Steven Meisel, the video features models Karen Elson, Raquel Zimmermann, Lowell Tautchin and Milo Spijkers,  dancing awkwardly to Pitbull.

No bull here – it is hilarious. And the clothes? No laughing matter – totally serious style from a designer who doesn’t take himself too seriously.

A new trend, perhaps?

Video still images by Steven Meisel, from TFS.

Savage Beauty to London?

Savage Beauty in Somerset?

Could be - Somerset House is one of the venues being tossed about for an encore showing of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty.

That’s right, the fashion exhibit that broke records (and many hearts) at The Met, will be going home to London – a story broken by Melanie Rickey, Editor-At-Large at Grazia mag – on her blog.

Gems from one of my favourite McQueen collections, FW09, masterfully displayed at the Met.

Ms. Rickey couldn’t detail her off-the-record convo with the House of McQueen, but offered up this official statement from them:

“Alexander McQueen appreciates the huge amount of interest the public has shown
towards the Savage Beauty exhibition. We have been in discussion with a number
of major venues in London for some time now however nothing has been finalised.
Please be assured that an official announcement will be made the moment we
confirm our plans for London.”

I didn’t get to New York for the exhibit, but there are things I just know in my heart when it comes to McQueen.

I knew I’d see Lee in London.

Here’s a virtual tour with The Met’s Andrew Bolton to tide you over until 2013 – when the exhibit is planned, to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Alexander McQueen label.

Read all my related posts about Savage Beauty.

With files from Melanie Rickey/Grazia, linked above. Image courtesy of The Met.

Found in Translation

Ms. Coppola became Mrs. Mars this weekend.

The born and bred Italian-American, was married in Bernalda, Italy - the birthplace of her ancestors - in a house recently renovated by her papa, Francis.

Proud papa at his daughter's wedding.

While papa did his best Gatsby in a white suit and rose-coloured shirt, Mrs. Mars looked out of this world in a gown especially designed for her by Monsieur Alaïa. (This also explains why she was in attendance at his recent couture show.)

The blushing bride, Sofia with famous bookends - her hubby and daddy.

The floaty lilac dress was a perfect fit with her personality, and was a divine compliment to the lush summer landscape of the cozy countryside of bella Italia.

Is that Sof in a bit of a heel? Flat-out fabulous.

Word is, the designer did not attend the nuptials, but Mr. Depp and other enhancements to the scenery did.

Her hubby, Thomas Mars, kept things dark – as any French indie rocker worth his salt, should.

I’m guessing Johnny didn’t wear pink, either.

All photos by Bauer Griffin.

Bottled Over

What to do when a brand has lost its cult status?

To the Bat Cave!

Goth guy, Gareth guarantees his generation of garment-addicted girls and ghouls alike, will want a glass.

Absolut-ment!

Absolut Vodka get a gothentic Gareth treatment.

This certainly isn’t the first time Absolut has collaborated with fashion designers. Tom, Stella and countless other fashionists have created bottles for the brand, aussi.

A favourite Tom Ford ad - from my visual archives.

It seems designers and drinks, bevvies and beauties go hand in hand. Or hand in foot – in the case of Christian Louboutin’s collab with luxe bubble-makers Piper-Heidsieck, back in 1999.

Drinking out of a crystal, red-soled pump - the ultimate luxury.

Jean Paul Gaultier is also a member of the champagne set – he created two iconic bottles for the brand – the first, in 1999.

If you like your champagne, dressed.

He then increased his net worth with another Piper-Heidsieck bottle, launched during Cannes, earlier this year.

Fishnets and champers - two elements of French chic.

Monsieur Gaultier likes his French beverages – he also created a bottle for Evian – one that we happily drank up with our couture dreams during Fashion Night, one season.

Paul Smith and Lacroix have also dabbled in water bottle design for the original l’eau du choix.

Uncle Karl, who has a bit of a Coke addiction (as in Coca-Cola!), also created a bottle for his fave elixir: Karl Is It.

And if those examples don’t drive you to the drink, there is always the bottle dress from Alexis Mabille.

Santé, mes amis. Santé.

Déjà Vu: A Trace of Lace

There’s seeing double – and then there is seeing double.

Remember this August Vogue cover?

Claudia Schiffer by Miles Aldridge on the cover of Vogue Germany, August 2011.

Well now, there is this one with the same trace of lace and vampy grace.

I love them both.

Why rrreow when you can purrrr?

Anne Hathaway photographed by Mert & Marcus for Interview magazine, September 2011.

Images: TFS.

Seeing Double

There are special times in a girl’s life…

…when she gets her first pair of stilettos…

…when she finds her lipstick shade…

…when she picks up her first September issue for the year.

Elle US gets to be that first, this year – with a double dose of Gwyneth.

The goop scoop: Gwyneth, photographed by Carter Smith for the September, 2011 issue of Elle.

Mrs. Martin, channeling her inner rock star here, covers both sides of the mag.

Have I really been reading Elle for 25 years?

Must buy more goop for my face at once!

Images: JustJared.

The View From Here

It is with these eyes that I see

the reality of the dream you were to be

the reality of me.

Sometimes, a girl has to alter her perspective…

Bean There Done That. {Photo by Jyotika Malhotra.}

Sometimes, a girl has to look at new things in an old way.

Look what I found. Me. {Photo by Jyotika Malhotra.}

I found these brand new, vintage cat’s eye shades recently. To me, they are beyond purrrfect.

They, along with a few new panoramas, have given me perspective.

Hope you are enjoying these reflective last weeks of Summer as well, my dears. I’ll get back to my routine writing schedule, come September.

Buffed and Buckled

Never give the man wearing these, the boot, my dears.

He’s a keeper.

The men's slightly-higher-than-ankle boot, done here for Alexander McQueen.

It wouldn't have been the same without the third buckle - and the upturned toe.

Military details. We've always loved a man in uniform, no?

There is something about a man in a 3/4 boot.

There is something about a man in McQueen.

Images: AlexanderMcQueen.com.

Clouded

The Fall campaigns are hitting my consciousness, despite the sultry August heat.

It’s at this time of year – when the Fall looks we saw months ago actually begin to relate to our own fashion reality. You start to think about how that shade of green would look with your charcoal pants from last season, how the width of the new pants (which are really the old pants you loved) will work with your vintage cashmere cropped sweater…

As you sit amongst air conditioning and feed yourself frozen treats (my current obsession is freezing everything in sight), you can imagine wearing cozy things. You can imagine the surreality of Fall fashion – that far-fetched season only a chilled breeze or two away, really.

Never a brand to shy from the surreal, the FW11 campaign from Alexander McQueen, shot by David Sims plays on Magritte’s clouds, darkens them ever so and then adds the light of Sarah Burton’s designs for the season to illuminate just whom we might want to be in a few weeks time.

Raquel Zimmermann shouldered the tough conditions for the shoot. Note the rock solid heels.

A ray of sun amongst the rainbow clouds.

Little goth riding hood.

Sea of clouds. See clearly.

Looking in. From within.

I told you, all bets were off come August. I’ve started to fall…

Images courtesy of Alexander McQueen.

Booked!

Hold the presses. Kindly set down the Kindle. Transfer your eyes from your tablet.

These fab fashion mavens all have books brewing. Soonish.

Black, white and read. Grace Coddington photographed by Andreea Macri.

Ms. Coddington has just inked a $1.2 MM USD deal with Random House. Her memoirs will be co-written with ghost (and Vogue) writer, Michael Roberts. I cannot wait to hear the stories of her visual world of wizardry. Harry Potter who?

The new Mrs. Hince is being encouraged by her hubby to write her rockstar-life-story as well. However, given Kate’s passion for privacy (she doesn’t really do the interview thing, for one), this one is a juicy rumour. For now.

Even so, I had to include her on this list – because this picture was just too perfect – and spoke well beyond a thousand words.

(And yes, my darlings, I owe you Moss marriage snaps. Have them all saved for you!)

Kate Moss reading in Italian Vogue, 1995. Note the title of the book! Photo by Sante D'Orazio.

Ms. Guinness has been reborn after playing dead not once, but twice in recent months (not to mention the acting, the performance art, photography and numerous other projects). She is also busy working with Valerie Steele on her upcoming exhibition for the Museum at FIT. An accompanying book will be released in October. I’ll, of course, have more on all of the above because, well, she is my fairy goth-mother after all.

The cover of the book, due out in late October by Valerie Steele and Daphne Guinness as co-authors.

And of course, Carine’s book comes out in October aussi.

The glossy book that Mme Roitfeld has in the works.

(Now would be a good time to get a cup of soothing tea because I know you are panting with anticipation. Make sure the pants are at least FW11 crazy-wide. There’s more…)

I have some good news about one of our fave fashion journos. Hilary Alexander isn’t leaving the fashion industry. She announced earlier this year that she would be retiring from the Telegraph. (My heart sank. Did yours?) Although she has semi-retired from the paper, she will still be published there until next June. The fab news is that Ms. Alexander doesn’t feel she can ever truly retire from a world she loves so much. I, for one, am thankful because I’d have missed her point of view terribly.

Well, word on the runway is that she, too is working on an autobiography - due out next summer. And – she hasn’t ruled out a documentary or TV deal, as she told British Vogue recently. Hoorah!

Hilary, talking to her doppelgänger doll at her send-off, earlier this year.

When Hilary speaks...

...us dolls listen.

Another rumour (you saw it coming, didn’t you?) is that the other famous editor and newly minted web chic is supposedly working on her very own autobiography. It’s being denied by the Vogue camp, but I hope it’s true – I want to hear her stories in Ms. Wintour’s own words. That unauthorized bio a few years back was painful to get through, to say the least.

..and I told two friends, and they told two friends...and so on...and so on...and so on...

I know, I know – it all seems too long to wait. Well, I have a fashion snack for you until then. Re-releases of two books about the editor who started it all – Diana Vreeland - have recently hit virtual and actual bookshelves.

I found Diana Vreeland: An Illustrated Biography by Eleanor Dwight, in hardcover on a sale table a few years ago, but will have to pick up the paperback of DV – her autobiography.

Diana: double the fun.

Time to clean out your bookshelves and make room for the tasty tomes to come, my dears. The first of them will be ready and perfect for cozy reading this Fall. Better than cashmere, no?

Images: Grace Coddington photographed by Andreea Macri; Kate Moss photographed by Sante D’Orazio for Vogue Italia, 1995 via TFS; Daphne Guinness and Carine Roitfeld book covers courtesy of Amazon.ca; Hilary Alexander party pics courtesy of Vogue UK; Anna Wintour photo by Mario Testino courtesy of WSJ; Diana Vreeland book cover photo via Miss Omni Media.

Social Climbers

No need to climb your way to the top my dears.

These darlings will raise your social status on their own.

Vine and dine, anyone?

Thorny prospects are softened in suede at YSL SS11.

Porcelain prancers at Alexander McQueen - will have you climbing to new heel heights. Delicate, yet deadly.

Images: Elle.com and Alexander McQueen, respectively.