- ElleGirl
- Last weekend in Hollywood, The Trevor Project honored Lady Gaga with the Trevor Hero Award for increasing the visibility and understanding of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) community and being an inspiration to today’s teens. Celebrities—including Zac Efron, Miley Cyrus, LeAnn Rimes, Amber Heard, and the cast of Glee—turned out to support and celebrate the Project, a free and confidential 24-hour lifeline to LGBTQ teens.
- ElleGirl
- Elle.Stardoll
Look 4 from Thakoon's Pre-Fall 2012 Collection
Thakoon Panichgul’s pre-fall collection, “started off with fabric, pre-fall really brings to mind classic, quality textiles—something that’s inherently American,” he told us. With one look at this look, you can see just what he means. The ensemble’s monochromatic upper body gives way to a blush a-line skirt, basted with strips of dove-grey mongolian fur. Behind the yellow lipstick, it’s a thoroughly preppy look. As Panichgul said, “fall to me almost means back to school, so we took concepts like cable knit [seen on the shoes above] and reinterpreted them. It’s a youthful sensibility, but definitely has a tomboy side as well.” Click here to check out all of the pre-fall 2012 collections!
- Elle.Stardoll
- Elle.Stardoll
Photo: Kathy Wilson
Fashion, believe it or not, was Kathy Wilson’s Plan B. At the height of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Marine Corps sent her husband, Erik, to a military base in Japan. Wilson was relieved he wasn’t going to the heart of the war and the two moved onto the American Army base. At 33, she had a degree in fashion and had worked for the Australian designer Richard Tyler, but was afraid of losing her skills—and possibly her husband— while on the base, so she started to plant the seeds for what would become Kathy Wilson Atelier, the business Joe Zee tackles on tonight’s episode of All On the Line. “You never know what’s going to happen, what if I came back and there’s nothing for me?” she now says, with her soft-spoken husband (and business partner) safely by her side in New York City.
- Elle.Stardoll
- Elle.Stardoll
Look 2 from Jenni Kayne's Pre-Fall 2012 Collection
“To me, the collection is all about simplicity in a really chic and effortless way—mixing textures and colors with great 90′s moments,” Jenni Kayne said of her sophisticated, simple pre-fall collection. The monochromatic look above, comprised of a chemise tank paired with Kayne’s signature trouser and a giant fur topper, expresses this concept better than any of the collection’s preppy cool-girl looks—so no wonder it happens to be her favorite ensemble in the group. The outfit’s stunner—a fur jacket—is made of varying pelts, including coyote and rabbit with some wool thrown into the mix. ”I just felt that mixing the different textures felt new, it’s kind of hard to wear a huge fox or coyote jacket so this just makes it more wearable and fresh.” Click here to check out all of the pre-fall 2012 collections!
- Elle.Stardoll
- Elle.Stardoll
Kate Middleton in Mulberry. Photo: Getty Images
Mulberry’s love of all things quirky and whimsical doesn’t get in the way of their business savvy. The British powerhouse brand has just released its half year results; sales have tripled with total revenues jumping 62% to £72 million (about $112 million) and retail sales rising 47% in the half-year through September—talk about good news. Turns out being a bit off kilter isn’t a bad thing. This morning, chief executive Godfrey Davis told us, “Mulberry’s eccentricity is an essential part of its history and character. I mean, the English are bonkers really, aren’t they. And that happily is represented in our brand.” It’s been a phenomenal year for the storied British brand: they opened a swank new head office on Kensington Church Street, a flagship on Spring Street in New York, and are set to expand their Somerset factory (which will create 60 new jobs). The environmentally friendly space will include solar panels on the roof and a rainwater-harvesting tank to collect water. Also, as if to heighten their rep as the best loved employers in the UK, Mulberry will introduce a bus service to collect staff from their homes and bring them to work. To top things off, the Duchess of Cambridge has become quite a fan of the brand. She’s been carrying the navy Polly Pushlock for the past few months and wore a green silk dress to a press-filled cocktail party last week. Godfrey added, “It’s great to see someone that glamorous, someone who is loved internationally, choose pieces from Mulberry. We are also very pleased indeed that she is paying attention to British fashion.” With Kate Middleton attracting one sort of fan and Alexa Chung loyally courting the other, it’s no wonder Mulberry’s numbers keep climbing up and up. Godfrey, however, would like to thank someone else for the brand’s good fortune: “It was the sales drive, the expansion, plus this great team we have that all played a role.”
- Elle.Stardoll
- Elle.Stardoll
Photo: Getty Images
Fake ads are so yesterday. Today, the fashion blogosphere is all about big crazy rumors, like that Nichole Richie is going to be the new Creative Director of Halston, or celebrity face, or consultant, or that Nicole Richie will do something, anything with the crumbling house of Halston. The brand’s relationship with Hollywood hasn’t worked out so well, just one reason it’d be surprising if the investors thought, “Hey! You know what could work here? A really stylish, beautiful Hollywood star.” It didn’t work with Rachel Zoe, or Sarah Jessica Parker, or even Tamara Mellon who really actually does know how to run a business. If, for some reason, the house of Halston is incapable of functioning without a starlet, Richie would be a great choice. She’s one of the few celebrities who’s earned the right to drop “celebrity” before designer and both House of Harlow and Winter Kate are profitable, respected companies with loyal fans in and out of the fashion industry. To add fuel to the fire, Richie wore the sequined Halston dress at left to her last public appearance a couple of weeks ago. Think she’d be a good fit?
- Elle.Stardoll
- Elle.Stardoll
Photo: Repetto
Repetto’s enjoyed a resurgence in popularity over the past few years. The shoe company parlayed its classic dance roots into something a bit more high fashion, working on collaborations with brands like Opening Ceremony and Rodarte and celebrating their storied relationship with Brigitte Bardot with limited edition runs of the BB Ballet Flat in her favorite colors and prints. This year, their patent leather loafer (as seen on the runway at Honor) was a massive hit among the fashion pack. So now they’re launching a perfume. They’ve signed with Inter Parfums SA (they do scents for Burberry and Lanvin) to produce their first fragrance. After Repetto opens the 22 new stores they have planned for 2012, they’ll debut the scent in 2013, kicking off a 13-year partnership that should produce more than one signature scent. The CEO of Inter Parfums told WWD, “We believe that this universe offers real opportunities for creating a range of poetic, glamorous and ultra-feminine fragrance lines.” We smell a Fanning campaign in the making.
- Elle.Stardoll
- Elle.Stardoll
Photo: Getty Images
Clémence Poésy, the sweet-faced French it-girl, Harry Potter actress, and Chanel show staple, is the new face of G-Star. The announcement was made a the brand’s big store opening in LA last night. As they toasted their Rodeo Drive flagship, G-Star’s Brand Director, Shubhankar Ray, was thrilled to announce that the former Gossip Girl star is picking up where Elettra Wiedemann and Liv Tyler left off. Poesy’s campaign was shot by Anton Corbijn, the filmmaker behind G-Star’s past campaigns. The petite blonde looked camera ready last night; in place of pink cheeks and chain strap bags she wore black denim, a leather vest and some rocker ready eye makeup. Look for her ads this spring!
- Elle.Stardoll
- Elle.Stardoll
Photo: Getty Images
Prabal Gurung’s been appointed the new designer of International Concept Brand, or, ICB. The line, which has been designed by Michael Kors and Viktor and Rolf in the past, halted its US distribution in 2002, but will make an anticipated return with its first Gurung designed collection at New York Fashion Week this February. Gurung told WWD that he’s thrilled to have “the opportunity to experience the outstanding production and technology in Japan as well as the company-owned factories in Italy.” He also pointed out the benefits of working on a collection at a lower price point, “[It] provides a new perspective for me as a designer.” As for ICB, they’re thrilled to have snagged such a beloved name. “Gurung as a maverick international designer combined with our established business in Japan provides a solid foundation,” said the brand’s president. That, and everyone loves the guy. Will this be the hottest ticket come February?
- Elle.Stardoll