FASHION Magazine

I am just back from another showroom visit, this time at Lanvin. I am still reeling from the beauty and all-out luxe. Here’s what I learned in four points:

Get up close and personal »

1.   The shapely jewel-tone dresses that came down the runway three evenings ago—surprise surprise!—turned out to made from bra padding, giving them a soft but substantial sculptural quality.

Walking past the Meurice Hotel this afternoon, I passed a cluster of girls around the front door. Something told me they were waiting for someone famous who would be headed across the street to the Tuileries and the tent where the Viktor & Rolf show was being held. A short while later, as I sat in my seat, Katy Perry breezed past me in a blue coat and blue updo, settling in just metres away. And the paparazzi went wild.

Alber Elbaz wants us to take off our black leather 17-zipper garms (because we all have ’em) and other complex modern clothing. The Lanvin designer is not digging our current attire. In an interview with WWD, he advises on how to look “beautiful, emotional, and comfortable.” Hmm, we just wish it contained a hint on […]

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Christopher Kane at Christian Dior? The prince of neon was placed into the Galliano-replacement ring earlier this week by Suzy Menkes, who claimed, in her International Herald Tribune column, that the 29-year-old designer was set to take a seat on the dizzying designer merry-go-round—but alas, he’s already put the rumour to rest. Kane says, “I […]

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November has not been Marc Jacobs’ month. After the Spring 2012 samples from his own line in London and now Louis Vuitton merchandise stolen in Paris, it’s being reported that he is not going to replace John Galliano at Dior after all those rumours. Earlier this month it was speculated that talks between Jacobs and Dior had come to a halt because of Jacobs and business partner Robert Duffy’s unreasonable demands. Now, a source close to the situation, who has remained anonymous, has confirmed with Fashionista that negotiations had stopped by mid-November due to money issues and due to Jacobs’ wanting to transfer his team and aesthetic over to Dior.

And the plot thickens. WWD is reporting a breakdown in the rumoured talks between Dior and Marc Jacobs. Quelle surprise! Well, not really, if you ask us. Since talks began in late August, there have been reports of exorbitant demands made by Jacobs as well as his business partner Robert Duffy, which lead us to believe that perhaps the designer never wanted to leave Louis Vuitton at all?

Meanwhile, with rumours of Dior approaching everyone under the sun to take the helm, from couture master Riccardo Tisci to street maven (and totally inappropriate for the role in our minds) Alexander Wang, it seems that the designer carousel won’t be stopping anytime soon.

So, what do you think? Who would you most like to see at the helm of the legendary brand?

Vote after the jump! »

Following the recent conviction of John Galliano, the buzz around Marc Jacobs replacing him at Dior intensifies. The latest rumour is that Jacobs and business partner Robert Duffy are in negotiations and asking for a salary package of $10 million.

If Jacobs cashes in on the deal, he’ll be one of the highest-paid designers in the world. The new position of creative director also means more work for Jacobs, adding Dior’s two couture shows on top of his existing workload.

Now that it’s looking more and more likely that Jacobs will say goodbye to Louis Vuitton, the people at Vuitton seem to be scrambling to find a replacement. Apparently they’ve approached many of fashion’s heavyweights including Alber Elbaz, the Proenza Schouler boys, Nicolas Ghesquiere, Sarah Burton, and Hedi Slimane. So far, Elbaz, Ghesquiere and Burton have declined.

Two words you never thought you’d hear in the same sentence: Lanvin and Pitbull (like the singer, not the dog). Well, friends, think again. The label’s fall campaign video features Karen Elson, Raquel Zimmermann, two studly male models/dancers, and Alber Elbaz himself (!!!) dancing through the new collection to the rapper’s timeless classic, “I Know […]

The post Apparently we want it: Watch Karen Elson, Raquel Zimmermann, and Alber Elbaz dance to Pitbull in Lanvin’s new campaign video! appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Rumours surrounding who would take charge at Dior began almost immediately following John Galliano’s dismissal back in February. While former Galliano aid Bill Gaytten had stepped into the role of creative director during Paris Couture Week back in April, we’d assume a megawatter is what LVMH is seeking for the permanent position (especially after Gaytten’s poorly received collection). To date, Ricardo Tisci, Alber Elbaz, and Haider Ackermann have been named as a few of the possible contenders, and now the latest rumours circulating are that LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault wants Marc Jacobs for the job.

Alexis Roche, Galliano‘s partner of many years, has reportedly not been seen in the Dior offices for nearly two weeks — around the same time that Galliano was initially suspended from his post.

As is the case with virtually any news story these days, the developments in the John Galliano story⎯the designer being accused of hurling anti-Semitic insults at an (incidentally non-Jewish) couple while drinking at the Paris café, Le Perle⎯can be measured in tweets, quotes and snippets. Given the proliferated speed at which these bits are published and publicized, it’s amazing to witness how quickly the industry’s reaction has gone from appalled to forgiving to looking forward to the designer’s imminent replacement at Dior. Given the industry’s propensity for forgetfulness⎯history has made fools of those who once condemned Coco Chanel for her involvement with the Nazis or Kate Moss for being caught with cocaine⎯we have no doubt that Galliano will be back at the top in no time. All references to the frankly horrifying severity of his remarks will vanish and whereas Chanel’s and Moss’s actions took years to do the same, Galliano’s have almost done so in a matter of 14 days. Meanwhile, as rumours swirl for a possible replacement by Riccardo Tisci, Alber Elbaz and Marc Jacobs, we take a look back at the quickest judgment turnarounds in fashion history.

Sometimes you look and something coming down the runway and just think, “Huh?”

That happened last night at Lanvin when a black and white floral pouf dress appeared at Alber Elbaz’s fall 2011 show. As I watched the booted mini pass by, my next thought was “‘80s Wayne Clark”. Then, I noticed that the outfit was on Freja Beha Erichsen, and since designers tend to put their most important outfits on the better-known models, I wondered: should we to take this look as directional? Will we be seeing more poufy, oversized florals on the spring 2012 runway? Hmmm….