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See the Diesel Tribute Capsule collection »

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Diesel Tribute Capsule Collection

Diesel Tribute Capsule Collection

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Diesel Reboot Flash T-Shirt

Diesel Reboot Flash T-Shirt

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Diesel Tribute Capsule Collection

Diesel Tribute Capsule Collection

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Diesel Tribute Capsule Collection

Diesel Tribute Capsule Collection

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Diesel Tribute Capsule Collection

Diesel Tribute Capsule Collection

When I arrive at Nicola Formichetti’s New York studio, located on a quiet street in the no man’s land between Tribeca and Chinatown, I’m greeted by a chaotic production scene and a whole lot of very stylish, very busy-looking Chinese people. Photographers are zigzagging around the space, women with clipboards are running after them, everyone’s iPhones are out and ablaze. Apparently, Chinese pop star Momo Wu (and her extensive entourage) is here filming a segment with Formichetti, whom I spot patiently posing for pictures while being shouted at in Mandarin. I’m quickly ushered into the metallic calm of a waiting elevator and whisked up to the designer’s fourth-floor loft.

When the elevator doors open, I find myself face to face with a different kind of frenzy. Compared to the clean-lined studio downstairs, which calls to mind a Tokyo gallery with its minimal decor and silver sculptures on display, Formichetti’s private space is an unexpected explosion of youthful exuberance and unadulterated kawaii. Seeing this wonderland of tropical plants, fuzzy shag rugs and colourful plush toys, I can’t help but smile, despite the sensory overload. I don’t know what I expected of the radical former Mugler designer’s New York pad (a sinister-looking crown on the mantel perhaps? A lace and latex settee?), but a rainbow-coloured cartoon fantasy was not it.

When Formichetti appears a few minutes later, he is equal parts bemused and bewildered. “It’s crazy down there!” he proclaims. “Did you see all those people? I must have had 10 cameras facing me!” Momo Wu has come to woo him, he explains as he collapses onto a pink and purple sofa upholstered in a whimsical Japanese fruit and flower print. He settles in between a stuffed Tarepanda doll and a Rilakkuma pillow. “She wants to work with me,” he shrugs. “Apparently, she’s
the Lady Gaga of China.”

Formichetti may be best known as the former stylist (and still bestie) of Lady Gaga, but these days he’s got more on his mind than meat gowns, feather headdresses and bubble-machine minis. As fashion director at Uniqlo and recently appointed artistic director at Diesel, it seems the boundary-pushing designer is going back to basics. “I’m very interested in the fantasy side of fashion, but at the same time I’ve always been into street culture,” he says. “Diesel is in between »

By Martina Stritesky

Merry Mint Martini
Ring in 2014 by serving the freshest-tasting ‘tini in town.

Muddle 2 oz.vodka, such as Grey Goose, with eight mint leaves in a shaker. Add 1 tsp. superfine sugar and 1 oz. lemon juice and continue to muddle. Fill with crushed ice and shake. Strain and pour into glass.

See the flat trend on the runway »

When red carpet renegade Kristen Stewart wore a pair of Converse Chuck Taylors with her Yigal Azrouël dress at the MTV Movie Awards in 2009 (or the sneakers she wore on any number of subsequent red carpet walks), she was essentially flipping fashion the bird. In this industry, comfort has historically been a four-letter word: f-l-a-t.

This season, there’s a more sophisticated way to save your soles.

After years of sending models teetering down runways in sky-high strappy sandals and stilettos, designers have become the new flat-vocates, endorsing everything from clunky lug soles and creepers to trim, slim loafers and sleek skimmers especially suited to holiday dressing.

Like so many other recent trends that can be traced back to Lanvin, it’s arguable that the house’s ubiquitous stretchy, girlish ballerina flat of 2002 was fashion’s gateway drug to comfort. Once you go flat, you never go back. This season, Lanvin creative director Alber Elbaz sent winter floral party dresses down the runway but grounded their feminine whimsy with more mannish oxfords in leather, velvet and glitter-encrusted versions. This new flat provides a balance to the proportions of fall’s revival of ’50s volume, from the new New Look of full dirndl skirts at Rochas to the boxy topcoats at Céline.

See the boudoir photo shoot »

Satins, slips, feathers and lace allow femininity and romance to have a not-so-secret affair. In this retro photo shoot from our Winter 2014 issue, Canadian model Lisa Cant stars as the glamorous mistress awaiting her paramour’s arrival. Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Dries Van Noten’s shared Fall 2013 boudoir focus is the perfect aphrodisiac.

Should you wear PJs to Work?

Absolutely not. However, like writer Olivia Stren, you should open your mind to lace-trimmed slip dresses and silky shirts with piped edges. In “While You Were Sleeping” (page 86), Stren took one of the season’s key looks—Louis Vuitton’s slip and coat—out on the town and, as is her way, has lots of amusing things to say about the experience.
Sleepwear beyond the boudoir is just one of the holiday trends we tackle in this issue, along with—you’ll be happy to hear—fancy flats. Nathalie Atkinson, long noted for her grounded taste in footwear, looks at the shift away (and down!) from heels even for night in “Sole Mates” (page 74). We also bring you several exclusive interviews in this issue.

ALWAYS IN FASHION
46 fashionmagazine.com
50 Letter from the editor
52 contributors
54 behind the scenes
56 Letters from our readers

FASHION
60 News: All the fashion news you need to know this month.
62 Flashpoint: Stylish women across Canada step out in plunging necklines and a graphic black-and-white palette.
64 Exclusive: Nicola Formichetti opens up about rebooting Diesel and how to start a denim revolution.
68 Jewellery: Jewellery designers are going to the dark side with a treasure trove of black-stone baubles.
72 Runway: Holiday plaids get the high-fashion treatment.
74 Flats: Sayonara stilettos! Flashy flats are the favoured footwear this fall.
80 Astrology: Sarah Nicole Prickett asks the fashion set, “What’s your sign?”
84 Profile: Footwear designer Deborah Castel has an empire state of mind.
86 Test Drive: Olivia Stren tries on the pyjama-dressing trend.
90 Dossier: Elsa Schiaparelli, queen of curious couture, returns to her throne.
92 Snapped: Street-style photographer Tommy Ton describes a favourite shot.
97 The list: Whether you’re hitting the slopes or the party circuit, we make holiday dressing a snap.

Scheduling a photo shoot around Courtney Love’s schedule is no easy feat. The music and fashion icon was in the thick of writing her upcoming autobiography, recording her next album and sketching a spring collection for her clothing line, Never The Bride, when FASHION asked her to pose for the Winter 2014 issue. Love’s flurry of activity is all part of an ongoing comeback plan—one that is clearly winning over a number of fashion houses who have named her a major inspiration.

After wrapping up her cover shoot at Canoe Studios, FASHION’s features editor Elio Iannacci was invited to Love’s home in the New York’s West village to talk about her 30-year-plus career and her next batch of projects. Chatting in front of the same fireplace Hedi Slimane photographed Love in front of for Saint Laurent’s current ad campaign, the pair were surrounded by neat piles of books ranging from classic literature, philosophy and chick lit—titles including The Devil Wears Prada and Valley of The Dolls. Here is a sneak peek of our cover story, which hits newsstands nationwide on November 11, 2013.