This is without a doubt the most extravagant men's item we've come across for fall (or any other season, for that matter): a $150,000 peacoat from Hermès made entirely of crocodile skin. The ultra-luxe interpretation of a menswear classic, which originated with European navies some 250 years ago, was produced by Hermès men's designer Véronique Nichanian for the famed fashion house's Fall / Winter 2008-09 collection. The Hermès flagship store on Manhattan's Upper East Side just received two of them, in navy blue; other colors may be special ordered for delivery in 3-4 months.
Earlier in the year, rumors swirled about a potential Prada IPO, divesting the company of a third of its shares and forcing the Prada family to reduce drastically its 95% stake. It's not news that the design house needs cash -- experts have criticized the house for neglecting to stake a claim in burgeoning Asian markets, and the house is in debt after a 1999 shopping spree that included Jil Sander and Helmut Lang. Enterprising CEO Patrizio Bertelli (husband to design brainiac Miuccia Prada) noted after the New Year that Prada might hit the chopping block in Milan by year's end.
On the heels of Kate Moss' already impressive fall ad campaign successes comes news of more coups scored by the eternally gorgeous supermodel: two more major contracts and some serious magazine exposure. On the ad campaign front, her latest big bucks gigs come courtesy of Yves Saint Laurent's beauty line (above) and renowned jeweler Bulgari, both shot in classic black-and-white.
In addition, she appears on the covers of the latest issues of both Vogue and Interview; in the latter she poses totally nude, and she also appears topless (yet again) in a stunning spread for the September issue of W magazine. All this comes as she launches her new clothing line for British retailer Topshop, to great fanfare. We predict the Kate Moss brand will develop into an extremely profitable luxury goods enterprise, with many more product lines to come.
On Oct. 30, Christie's in London will auction off the world's finest collection of 20th Century fashion in private hands. The Resurrection: Avant-Garde Fashion sale features seminal designs from the past 50 years, from "Pop Art and the Space Age of the 1960s through the iconoclasm of the 1970s and the revival of architectural couture of the 1980s and 1990s."
The 250 lots include a carefully curated assemblage of garments, headwear and jewelry from designers including Pierre Cardin, Paco Rabanne, Vivienne Westwood, Azzedine Alaia, Gianni Versace and Issey Miyake, among others. The top-priced lot is this full length wedding dress made from plates of white leather linked by metal rings by Paco Rabanne in 1967, est. about $12,000 - $16,000.
The limited-edition, vintage-esque pieces, inspired by old Hollywood glamour with a touch of Bettie Page, come in three lines dubbed Multi-Teese, Spot-Teese and Satin-Teese, and also include panties and garter belts. Some of the bras feature an innovation of Dita's own devising: quick-release clasps so they're easier to remove than conventional models.
"Lingerie shouldn't be something you just put on for your lover; you should do it for you," Dita said in a statement announcing the collection. "It's not about seducing men, it's about embracing womanhood."
Philip Treacy's latest creation -- a bright pink abstraction of the breast cancer ribbon -- will be sold exclusively at Selfridges with all proceeds going to Breast Cancer Care. Of course Treacy is the milliner behind the boldest fashion statements from the likes of Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Moss. He was also the genius who designed Camilla Parker Bowles's matrimonial millinery. Each one of the special "Pink Knot Hats" will be made to order. Contact Selfridges for more information and see philiptreacy.co.uk for his latest ready-to-wear collection.
Following early speculation about what exactly Commes des Garcons would come up with for its collaboration with H&M, a couple of photos have surfaced of the new line, which will hit stores for, oh, about 30 seconds in early November. The collection draws on designer Rei Kawakubo's trademark deconstructed jackets and cropped pants, mostly in black with the occasional polka dot. You can see for yourself in the September issue of W (on newsstands today).
As summer is wrapping up and autumn is blowing in new seasonal lines will be coming out. Martin Margiela's new fall/winter fashion line may surprise you with its wild themes of animal photo prints on leather sneakers, boots, and wallets. The accessories launched with the line include a lot of leather and silver jewelry and even a couple of rugged messenger bags. Their site seems to be under construction but it won't be long before you can get your hands on these unique animalistic designs.
A few months ago, British socialite Daphne Guinness auctioned off some of her couture possessions for a good cause. Now willowy British model Erin O'Connor has followed suit. She has consigned thirty items of designer clothing and accessories to be sold at auction through Christie's, South Kensington. The proceeds go directly to the British Fashion Council which nurtures young designers and models at the start of their careers. Her items include dresses, jackets and shoes by top names such as Marc Jacobs, Chanel and Alexander McQueen.
O'Connor has an abiding interest in young fashionistas, last year she began The Model Sanctuary, a retreat and area for models to find health advice during the hectic tumult of London Fashion Week.
Polo Ralph Lauren will soon be offering American shoppers the ability to shop for goods via mobile phone. The technology itself is only about a year away (something about integrating codes for download) but the company expects Americans to warm up to the idea only very slowly after that. Although foreign consumers like the Japanese have been using similar technology for years, Americans are thought to be a little less comfortable with cutting edge shopping methods.
Do you think that's really the problem? Couldn't it be that we just have too much fun shopping to reduce the whole experience down to a tiny cellphone screen?
Hm, maybe that's just me. If you're interested look for the service to appear soon on a cell phone screen near you.
The Beckhams have a knack for getting themselves into the spotlight, so it seems a little out of character that Victoria Beckham's debut as fashion designer will be happening in a very quiet and private way. Instead of showing off her new upscale dress designs via the catwalk at New York Fashion Week she will instead be showing them by appointment only over a period of several days.
Why she's going with such a quiet launch isn't clear, although if the dresses are successful I'm sure we'll all get to see them soon enough. Expect price tags for the collection to be upwards of $1200.
Luxe British lingerie brand Agent Provocateur, known for its sexy ad campaigns featuring Kate Moss (right), is expanding rapidly following its $120 million acquisition by a private equity firm last year.
The label, designed by Vivienne Westwood's son Joe Corre, already has 40 boutiques worldwide including eight in the U.S., with new locations planned for Boston and Chicago this fall, in addition to others around the globe.
"I just opened a boutique in Bahrain [in July], as well as Geneva and Puerto Barres in Spain," Corre tellsWWD. "There also are more openings [planned] in Madrid, St. Petersburg and Germany." The brand, which was founded in 1996, plans to unveil its latest round of racy adverts next month.
The traditional "suit of lights" that bullfighter's wear will this time appear in Armani's signature shade of greyish beige and will feature sequins, crystals, and silver thread embroidery.
An interesting note: Rivera apparently comes from a long line of bullfighters and his grandfather, Antonio Ordonez, had a suit designed for the same event about 50 years ago by Pablo Picasso.
In the latest addition to Dubai's burgeoning fashion scene, hip Danish eco-luxury label Noir plans to open its very first standalone store there rather than Denmark, Paris, London or New York.
Founded in 2005 by designer Peter Ingwersen with the intention of creating "meaningfulness in the luxury segment," the line focuses on ethical, environmentally friendly sources for its materials and supports ecologically sound principles and developing nations.
Ingwersen has also produced a collection of organic cottons in Uganda, and recently announced plans for a diffusion line. "We decided to go international with the first [store]," Ingwersen toldWWD about debuting in Dubai. "It's brand heaven there."
As we reported previously, Donatella Versace and Karl Lagerfeld are among the designers with Dubai projects up their sleeves.
$80 billion private equity firm The Carlyle Group just announced plans to acquire a 48% stake in Moncler, the French luxury sport label founded in 1952 famed for its stylish down jackets. In fact, Moncler claims credit for inventing the down-filled ski jacket, which it has supplied to French Olympic teams for the winter games since the 1960s. The jackets have become extremely fashionable and can be seen on the slopes from Aspen to Gstaad. The company has collaborated with the likes of Balenciaga, Yohji Yamamoto and Fendi. It's high-end Gamme Rouge line is designed by Italian fashionista Giambattista Valli. "Moncler is a historic sport luxury garment brand that has returned to play a relevant and prestigious role in the market," Carlyle Group managing director Marco De Benedetti said in a statement, noting plans for expanding the company globally.
This is without a doubt the most extravagant men's item we've come across for fall (or any other season, for that matter): a $150,000 peacoat from Hermès made entirely of crocodile skin. The ultra-luxe interpretation of a menswear classic, which originated with European navies some 250 years ago, was produced by Hermès men's designer Véronique Nichanian for the famed fashion house's Fall / Winter 2008-09 collection. The Hermès flagship store on Manhattan's Upper East Side just received two of them, in navy blue; other colors may be special ordered for delivery in 3-4 months. .jpg)
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