Here's what French shoe designer Christian Louboutin told Footwear News he vowed to do in the new year ...
“To brush my teeth three times a day, to not accept for one year to be a godfather — except for Barbie — and to not buy any real estate.”
Can you imagine Christian Louboutin as your godfather?
Then shoe designer Stuart Weitzman wants to meet you. Apparently, he really loves a good game of ping pong. So much so that he's launched a contest to find his ultimate ping pong match.
It's actually an online video contest. The winner gets to challenge Weitzman to a ping-pong duel at his New York City showroom in February.
See what you would be up against here.
And find out how you can enter at www.stuartweitzman.com.
Vera Wang is the first major designer to say so long to the Bryant Park tents for the upcoming New York Fashion Week in February, according to an article in Women's Wear Daily.
Instead, she's going to do a more intimate show at her Mercer Street store on Feb. 19.
“It seems relevant today. I don’t want to seem irrelevant or unaware of what’s going on in the rest of the world — not just the fashion world,” Wang told WWD on Tuesday. “I finally made the decision last night based on many, many things. The intimacy of a smaller show feels much more appropriate for these times. I say that as a business owner, as a designer and as a person.”
Wang went on to say she'll use about 14-15 models and the invite list will only include about 150 people — a far cry from the typically mobbed show she puts on each season at the tents
It's definitely an interesting sign about where the industry is and where it's headed given all the economic woes that are hurting retailers and designers.
Oscar? Monique Lhuillier? Peter Som?
They've all come up with ideas. And they're oh-so pretty. See their visions for Michelle.
Guess who's going to debut his first line of shoes and handbags at New York Fashion Week in February?
Yep. Christian!
British designer Matthew Williamson (loved by Gwyneth Paltrow, Keira Knightley, Kate Hudson, Sienna Miller and Mischa Barton) will join the ranks of Karl Lagerfeld and Roberto Cavalli with a new exclusive line for H&M.
The collection should hit select H&M stores April 23. Then in mid-May, the entire men's and women's collection will be at all H&M stores.
While Williamson's colorful, contemporary London style will soon be available to the masses, it still won't be an easy buy for those of us in North Carolina. Road trip, anyone?
It looks like fashion designer Swaim Hutson, the Durham native and graduate of Appalachian State University who founded the clothing line Obedient Sons & Daughters, lost out Monday night to designer Alexander Wang as the winner of the fifth CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award.
Wang won $200,000 and a year's worth of mentoring, two of the perks of taking home the prestigious award.
The runners-up were Vena Cava's Lisa Mayock and Sophia Buhai and Albertus Q. Swanepoel of Albertus Quartus. They each get $50,000 and a business mentor.
While Hutson didn't win, being a finalist is still a huge deal, giving his small line, which is sold around the world at higher-end stores such as Barneys and Odin in New York, some serious credibility among the fashion industry and press. Other finalists included Richard Chai, Irene Neuwirth and Organic.
Hutson runs the line with his wife Christina (that's the Hutson family above).
WWD is expected to have a story Wednesday about Target's new Designer Collaborations, a program that uses established designers to create new collections that will be sold at a Target price (different from the Go International prgram, which highlights young or emerging designers). And the first collaboration is with Alexander McQueen, who will do a version of his McQ line for Target. The line is expected to have a rocker influence with tattoo-printed fabrics and studs. Look for the line in March.
It was more than refreshing to see designer Swaim Hutson, a graduate of Durham's Northern High School and Appalachian State University, as one of the finalists for the prestigious CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award. (Page 314 in Vogue's Nov. issue)
Hutson, 39, as many of you may know, started Obedient Sons & Daughters six years ago in California and later moved it to New York and partnered with Green Day bassist Mike Dirnt on the line. He now works with wife Christina on the brand to keep the looks fresh with that ever-present edgy spin on preppy.
The couple is in good company. Other finalists include jeweler Irene Neuwirth, the design duo of Vena Cava, hip designer Alexander Wang and Richard Chai, who's already teamed up for a collection at Target.
It's a big deal to win. There's a cash prize of $200,000. But money can't buy the recognition that comes with the award from the design and fashion community.
The winner will be announced Nov. 17.
Sure, Phoebe Couture is cute stuff.
But the real reason to love the line is because of why Kay Unger created it. She wanted the line to make younger shoppers feel good about their shape — any shape.
While so many of her competitors chase young women with clothes made only for pencil-thin frames, her Phoebe dresses are made for younger women with curves, all the way to size 18. And if she's not curvy, that's fine. Kay's taken the line down to size 0.
"The dresses aren't cut any differently from Kay Unger dresses," she said during a phone interview Monday morning. "We believe that younger girls should eat and we promote this."
What is different is the look and price of the Phoebe line. Dresses, naturally, have a younger attitude than the traditional Unger line. And they're priced lower from $290 to $320.
You can find Phoebe Couture at Uniquities in Cameron Village. It's also sold at Saks Fifth Avenue and online at Nordstrom.
