FASHION Magazine

Kate Moss has some new hobbies. She’s into canning jams and chutneys. She’s also rumoured to be whipping up batches of homemade soap using blooms from her English garden, something she hopes to turn into a business venture. In light of all these domestic projects, it would seem a culinary arts and crafts coffee-table book, perhaps lensed by her long-time friend Mario Testino, can’t be far behind.

Her Madgesty pulled out all the vintage stops for her performance at last night’s Superbowl, including a flashback to every fashion’s gals favourite of her songs, “Vogue!” Complete with multiple covers of the magazine on screens, the Queen of Pop gave the ole monthly a good minute long plug, and according to The Cut, it […]

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We’re springing ahead with these Nine West pastel puppies. ($70, piperlime.com)

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Prior to the recent reports that Jil Sander creative director Raf Simons is the latest frontrunner to replace John Galliano at Dior, it was almost certain that Marc Jacobs would be the designer to succeed Galliano. However, after reports that money issues brought talks to an end, those rumours bit the dust. Throughout this whole ordeal, Jacobs has been quiet, leaving us all wondering if there was ever any truth to these reports.

Which brings us to today: Jacobs is finally setting the record straight about whether or not he was as serious about moving to Dior as we were all led to believe. In an interview with Vogue, he says that while he did talk about Dior, he didn’t have serious intentions of moving to the iconic French house. But not because of money: he’s just not that into… couture? “The idea of couture doesn’t hold that thing for me. It’s archaic—in my opinion. I mean, I am really interested in the craftsmanship behind couture. But I can explore all that in ready-to-wear.”

While Jacobs’ statement about couture is debatable (with good reason) at least the Dior rumour can finally be put to rest and we can all move on.

Love Carey Mulligan? Well, you can certainly see the rising star everywhere. In the exact same photograph. The cover shot, which first graced Vogue’s October 2010 issue, has now made its way onto the latest issues of Fresh Elle and German Glamour. Holy triple vision! While there a few slight (read: photoshopped) differences in the covers, its quite obviously the same image. And the same Chanel couture, mind you.

Photo sharing between magazines happens fairly often, when the image’s rights belong to the photographer rather than the magazine, or sometimes when shared between international issues of the same title. The image’s past though, should always be fully disclosed which leads us to wonder how this snafu happened in the first place? Did the magazines not realize where the image had originally been featured? Did they know, and choose to overlook it instead? We expect some damage control in the very near future.

Beloved for her wildly original style and joie de vivre, Diana Vreeland is right up there with fashion’s most legendary. The famed editrix’s career, spanning 50 years—from her first role in the fashion department at Harper’s Bazaar in 1936, to becoming editor in chief of Vogue in 1962, and moving on to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in 1970, after Vogue fired her for being too extravagant—mirrors some of the most important moments in pop culture and fashion; if it happened, she was there. Vreeland’s stamp is indelible indeed. With the release of Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel ($62, at Teatro Verde, 100 Yorkville Ave., 416-966-2227, teatroverde.com), her vision has once again come alive, as curated by the wife of her grandson-turned-most-ardent-admirer, Lisa Immordino Vreeland. Last month, Immordino Vreeland shared some of her favourite spreads, as well as insights about her would-be grandmother (the two never met) and now we share them with you!

Let’s explore! »

Word: Orientalism

Meaning: The falsely glam-ified depiction of Eastern people and culture by Western image makers.

Usage: “Orientalism tend fatally towards the systematic accumulation of human beings and territories.” — Edward Said, author of (ta-da!) Orientalism

For the past few weeks, we’ve been hearing little buzzes about Duchess Kate being featured in Vogue. The magazine’s been in hot pursuit of the young royal, and have reportedly been hoping that Mario Testino’s close relationship with the Royal family, having shot of the Duke and Duchess’s engagement photos, would help the connection.

Alas, the rumours can now be put to rest, as the Queen has made it clear that she is not for it. A palace aid has told various sources that the Queen “would definitely not be amused,” if Kate decided to model. All sources seem to say that Kate will stick to philanthropic projects that will make a larger difference in the lives of those in need. Take that, Anna.

But aren’t they going after the wrong Middleton? With Pippa hot on the scene as of late (she recently sat front row at Alice Temperley’s Spring 2012 show), she could be just the willing fashion icon the doctor ordered.

Barely a week after New York fashion week there’s already speculation that Fashion’s Night Out, the part shopping extravaganza, part charity event that kick starts NYFW every September won’t be returning next year.

Vogue, the mag that notoriously spearheaded the effort, says that it’s too much work to organize the event, which takes place during one of fashion’s busiest weeks of the year. Larger retailers who take part in FNO agree, saying they don’t generate enough revenue to cover the costs of participating in the event because people aren’t actually shopping during the night but looking for freebies and celeb sightings.

“You’re a smart girl. You don’t need to work in fashion.”

The white-haired retiree uttering those words to a wide-eyed MBA grad who expressed interest in the clothing industry was oblivious to the fact that I was reeling from his remark.

Nor did anyone else around the breakfast table at a friend’s cottage twig to the fact that I had just been insulted. At one time, I would have piped up and suggested he ask billionaire Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH, whether he thinks there is any upside to a brilliant business mind in fashion.

Word: Mole

Usage: “Mole! Bloody mole! We’re not supposed to talk about the bloody mole, but there’s a bloody mole winking me in the face!” —Austin Powers

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.