FASHION Magazine

It’s no surprise that Kanye West’s debut ready-to-wear collection in Paris on Saturday received mixed reviews. We’re also not surprised that the rapper-come-designer obnoxiously responded to his critics before any reviews of his show were actually published. It’s just his… thing, we guess.

Delivered to partygoers including Karlie Kloss, Lindsay Lohan, and Olivier Theyskens, West whined about the amount of hard labour he had put into his line, and how he’s “different” then other celebrity designers (different i.e. better?). To boot, he mentioned a hope that critics would be “easy” on him, considering it was his first shot out of the gate. “I took out motherf—ing loans to get the best models, to get the best designers, to get the best venue. I gave you everything that I had,” he reportedly added. Can we LOL now, or later?

Judging from the long line-ups at the Gelato stands I whizzed by today, Paris is doing Summer: Part Deux. While the temperatures continue to soar, the PFWers continue to get creative with the contents of their luggage in an attempt to beat the heat: Knits are paired with shorts and summer dresses with suede knee-high boots; open-toed flat sandals are back; hair has gone the way of the top knot and makeup is down to a slash of bright lipstick. Bags run the gamut from leather to straw to skins to canvas. And sunglasses? If you don’t have a pair that’s brightly coloured/aviator/dark and oversized/white, you might as well stay in your hotel room and catch up on the Jackson Trial. Luckily, I brought two pairs that fit the bill (David Yurman and Marc Jacobs) so I spent Saturday dodging French doggie doo on the streets in between shows and presentations. Here’s the highlight reel of my day:

Word: Provocateuse

Meaning: A female provocateur. What’s a provocateur? Oh, come on. It’s someone who provokes, who engenders controversy for controversy’s sake.

Usage: “Carine Roitfeld: Agent Provocateuse.” — Style.com

Word: Polymath

Meaning: A person whose knowledge and skills span numerous of subject areas. In more common terms, a Renaissance man or woman.

Yesterday we reported that Sarah Jessica Parker is no longer working with Halston Heritage. Well, where one celebrity fashion venture ends another begins. For months now, rumours have been circulating that Kanye West is designing a high-end clothing line. Grazia is taking said rumours a step further, reporting that according to “excellent sources” the rapper is planning on showing his debut collection at New York Fashion Week. In keeping with West’s earlier statements about wanting to study at the prestigious Central Saint Martins, he is apparently getting some help from the big guns: knitwear designer and CSM grad Louise Goldin and the school’s master’s director Louise Wilson.

Couture Week in Paris came to a close today with Azzedine Alaïa showing his first presentation in ages. As we’ve been reporting, the past few days have been marked with highs (Givenchy) and lows (Dior). Regardless, the overall messages of unabashed luxury and attention to detail, inherent to haute dressing, were unanimously heard loud and clear from the handful of couturiers who showed.

It was a success story at Valentino, where designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli made a solid argument for the relevance of couture. The collection was inspired by the flight of the Russian aristocracy after the breakout of revolution, but it sometimes felt more like a medieval fantasy. Sheer, light fabrics, gilded ornamentation, and house signatures such as vibrant red, bows, and lace felt youthful not stuffy, proving that haute couture can still be fresh and exciting when modernized.

At Alaïa, things were more secretive. Showing during an organized fashion week isn’t usually the designer’s style, and today’s presentation wasn’t an occasion to attract endless media attention. Images of the clothing have yet to be released, however Jeanne Beker described strict lines, croc coats, and some pieces in Mongolian lamb. If the move towards exclusivity sounds strange in today’s world of democratized fast fashion, it does make sense in terms of couture’s traditional exclusive nature, only being accessible to a select few. Despite the scant media coverage, big names like Kanye West, Donatella Versace, and Sofia Coppola were in attendance. You can bet there were no members of Vogue present as Alaïa’s feud with Anna Wintour rages on.

Rachel Bilson will be taking role as the style director of Sunglass Hut worldwide. [StyleCaster]

Models Iselin Steiro and Kinga Rajzak get snippy and cat fight for Lanvin’s Spring 2011 campaign video shot by Steven Meisel. Rawr! [Fashionista]

Though the annual CFDA Awards are meant to honour top-tier American designers, there’s no debate over who was the focus of last night’s ceremony. Everyone was Gaga for the Lady, with all eyes on her green wig, sky-high boots and custom Mugler spiked thong. Honoured with the night’s Fashion Icon Award (past recipients include Kate Moss, Iman and Nicole Kidman), Gaga turned fire (the good kind) on the night with her lighthearted antics and her unabashed speech. Upon her acceptance, Gaga shared that when she got news of her award from Anna Wintour, she confused the editor in chief of Vogue with a friend and responded with a “Yes, bitch. We did it!”

Want the rest of the details? Get the skinny on last night’s event in six points or less!

Rihanna is implicated in racist allegations against Gucci. [Telegraph UK]

After experimenting with one very high profile fast fashion collab, Lanvin is now branching out into clothes for tots & moms! [WWD]

The stylish set hit the desert this past weekend for Coachella, the three-day celebration of hot new bands in the California sun. In and amongst a huge crowd rocking out to the likes of Kanye West, Interpol, The Strokes and The Arcade Fire, Toronto gal Lauren Baker (owner and curator of one of the city’s most beloved designer consignment and vintage stores, LAB Consignment) was snapping photos of some of the cutest guys and gals, including a one Miss Alexa Chung.

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