Did Geopolitics Make Chanel Blink?:
"This year Chanel had planned to take the line of luxury fashion items to Moscow but today it announced that due to problems securing a venue in the Russian capital it would now take place in Paris . . . Chanel have disputed that the change is related to recent political events in Georgia claiming that the decision had been made previous to that."
Since when has a major luxury house ever had problems in securing a venue? If Fendi could talk the Chinese into allowing them to use the Great Wall as a catwalk, then Chanel's protestations ring a little hollow. If Russia resumes its Cold War era posturing, what does that mean for the expansion plans of Western designers? A video clip of the Fendi in China show below:
Former Chloe Designer Takes Charge at Celine:
"LVMH today confirmed to Women's Wear Daily that Phoebe Philo will be heading to Celine as the label's new Creative Director . . . Philo was Stella McCartney's number two at Chloe before taking over in 2001, when Stella left to set up her own label with the Gucci group."
Philo left Chloe two years ago, and the label has floundered since her departure, which says a lot about how instrumental Philo was in the success of Chloe (there's been speculation that Philo was the greater creative drive behind Chloe than Stella McCartney ever was, with the tepid response to Stella's eponymous label serving to support this line of chatter).
Jil Sander Label Trades Hands, Gets a Cash Injection:
"Japanese apparel maker Onward Holdings Co. yesterday agreed to buy Jil Sander from Change Capital for 167 million euros ($244 million). That's more than triple the 50 million euros the London-based buyout firm paid Prada Holding NV for the company in 2006 . . . Onward (Holdings) will support Asian expansion and capitalize on Japanese affinity for the brand's accessories . . . Jil Sander's X-Large Patent Tote retails for $1,445 on the Web site of U.S. luxury department store Barneys." Jil Sander's Fall/Winter 2008/2009 collection below:
Not Everyone Thinks Tom Ford is the Greatest Thing Since Reruns:
"Yves Saint Laurent head designer Stefano Pilati said Ford was nothing compared to the late great Yves Saint Laurent himself . . . 'Tom had a very precise vision of the company that didn't challenge women. Tom is talented but not gifted.'" Reowr! Gay designer claws are the meanest . . . expect Ford to hit back soon.
UPDATE: to illustrate the absurdist lens through which fashion designers view the world, Stefano Pilati dropped this little howler of a gem when asked why tantrum-throwing, rage-queen Naomi Campbell was selected as the face for the YSL Fall 2008 campaign: "Everything is symbolism," said Pilati. "Naomi represents the new world--in my mind, she is a mix of Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton." Uh, come again? An arrogant, spoiled supermodel who spits on policemen and hurls cellphones at her assistants is like Obama and Clinton? Call me crazy, but I'm not certain that Obama or Clinton would feel the least bit flattered at the comparison.
My Clothes Can Wash Themselves:
"Germany-based lifestyle brand Daniel Hechter has launched a 'lotus flower' coat that causes water and dirt to drip off from a specially structured fabric surface. The dirt repellent coating uses the 'lotus effect,' whereby water beads and runs off the surface of lotus leaves as a result of wax pyramids which coat them . . . The key ingredient is a product marketed by Nano-Tex as 'Nano-Tex Resists Spills' - a treatment that repels liquids ranging from coffee and red wine to chocolate syrup and salad dressings while allowing the fabric to breathe."
There's also a new Shower Clean suit made from wool and polyester fibers. You can wash it in the shower, hang it to dry and it's ready to go, with no need for dry-cleaning or ironing -- "the final finish applied to the suits contains L-cysteine, an amino acid that occurs naturally in hair, nails and skin." That sounds pretty awesome, no?
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