A salute to Nan Kempner

Nan Kempner, the grande dame of fashion, passed away last Sunday at age 74 having suffered from emphysema. Hearing the news, I was shocked. Ever since I can remember being interested in fashion and couture, Nan Kempner has kept popping up on my style radar as the ultimate arbiter of fashion.

Kempner was smart about fashion. She loved couture and was an avid client of houses such as Christian Lacroix, Valentino, Ungaro, Oscar de la Renta, Tom Ford and Jean Paul Gaultier. She revealed that her father had once told her: "You'll never make it on your face, so you'd better be interesting." Harsh words but Kempner was realistic enough to take them to heart. She has been known to say that her intellect was not her forte and that she appealed to intellectuals only because she had so much to learn from them.

"At first, clothes were a façade, but as my personality evolved, there was a merger," she said in 1977. "I'm a plain-looking female, so it's comfortable for me to dress well and present my best side. That doesn't mean I'm competitive. I love looking at beautiful, well-dressed women."

Kempner was a firm believer in fashion rules. A few of her favourites and some to live by: "Spend the money", "Dress for lunch" and "Make an Effort". These are universal truths, the first of two of which should be interpreted according to your lifestyle, but making an effort should apply to all of us.

Survived by her husband of 53 years, banker Thomas L Kempner, two sons, a daughter and six grandchildren, Kempner is remembered fondly by fashion designers. Pierre Berge told WWD: "She was a true friend and very faithful. She was very elegant and generous. She belonged to an era that no longer exists. An era of the café society and women who went back and forth from St. Moritz to Nassau. She had a free spirit. And she was always a great champion of creativity. Yves and I are both very sad." Ungaro said: "There are few women like that anymore."

6 July 2005

Roksanda's moving on up

Model-turned-designer Roksanda Ilincic will be showing at London Fashion Week for the first time, thanks to a New Generation Sponsorship. Roksanda graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2000. She launched her own label successfully two years later. Her designs are now worn by the fashionable babes like Liberty Ross, Erin O'Connor and Bjork. Roksanda has quickly become one of London's cult labels, with unique, voluminous designs.

After a successful run selling her pieces at bStore on Conduit Street for the past seven seasons, Roksanda will start selling her designs at LVMH's members-only club in Tokyo, Celux, this fall. She will be joining the ranks of Christian Dior, Fendi and Louis Vuitton.

4 July 2005

Cavalli To Dress Playboy Bunny

Sex appeal is an understatement for a Playboy bunny. Perhaps that is why the ubiquitous company struck a deal with Italian designer Roberto Cavalli to redesign the iconic bunny costume. According to WWD, it will be the first update of the outfit in more than 25 years, and the first association between a fashion designer and Playboy, which has been trying to up its fashion quotient with a new clothing range and freestanding stores.

The designer is likely to create a concept for the interiors of the new Playboy Club at the Palms Casino Resort, scheduled to open in Las Vegas in early 2006. The new tower of the resort will include a boutique casino and lounge, a nightclub, a store and a two-story Hugh Hefner sky villa.

Cavalli announced the project on Wednesday during Men's Fashion Week. The bunnies were slated to make an appearance at the Roberto Cavalli presentation Wednesday evening, which was all too fitting - the designer said his latest men's collection was inspired by a Sixties Italian playboy.
"I enjoyed the idea of toying with such a classic iconography and ironic reference to femininity," said Cavalli of the linkup with Playboy. "I'll keep the tail, but it might be animalier or spotted," said the designer, still in the early design phases.

"The bunny costume has undergone only modest changes over the years, so as to maintain its identity and special character," said Christie Hefner, Playboy's chairman and chief executive officer, in a statement.

"Roberto Cavalli is the perfect designer to reinterpret the magic of original design as he, too, embraces the good life, inspires an aspirational lifestyle for a jet-set crowd and, of course, celebrates beautiful women."

The costume may have spurred both feminist ire and male fantasies, but it's actually a service uniform registered by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. It was introduced with the first Playboy Club in Chicago in 1960: a one-piece swimsuit, collar, cuffs, rabbit ears and cottontail. A rosette with the bunny's name was added later. The costume is displayed in the permanent collections of both the Chicago Historical Society and The Smithsonian.

30 June 2005

Designer Tea

London's very chic Berkely Hotel in Knightsbridge is offering a Pret-a-Portea menu, which includes delicasies designed by a number of top designers. Clements Ribeiro designed an opera cake, Anya Hindmarch did what she does best and designed a handbag yummy and Alice Temperley came out with a shot glass mousse with Manolo Blahnik tulle. Meanwhile Ungaro offered a coconut shimmer meringue and you can even nibble on a Gucci bikini biscuit. Lucky for fashionista's, the items are bite-sized and therefore won't feel over-indulgent.

The goodies are served on bespoke Paul Smith fine bone China, with a glass of Moet in coloured Baccaret crystal champagne flutes. For GBP 42 per tea, you can enjoy these little luxurious every day between 3 and 6 pm.

www.the-berkeley.co.uk
22 June 2005

Yamamoto launches new men's collection

Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto is launching a new menswear collection in Italy next month. The new collection, Y, will be unveiled in Florence, during Pitti, the world's most important men's fashion trade fair, which is next scheduled for 22-25 June. The first Spring/Summer 2006 collection can be viewed in the Costruzione Lorenes, Pitti's independent pavilion.

In a statement the fashion house said that the new line would be "a fully tailored line with a modern and design taste for business that combines the unique cut and the creative individuality of Yohji Yamamoto, and the distinction of being 'Made in Italy'."

Yohji Yamamoto has two existing men's lines, the signature Yohji Yamamoto pour Homme and the progressive diffusion collection Y's for men. The designer has also designed the successful Y-3 collection, which is a joint venture with German sportswear retailer Adidas.

The new Y collection will be produced entirely in Italy. It will include suits, jackets, trousers, coats, shirts ties, shoes and belts. This is Yamamoto's first collection to be produced outside Japan, with the exception of some knitwear. In order to set this collection apart from the rest, Yamamoto will develop special fabrics with his preferred Italian mills. Prices for a summer Spring/Summer suit will range between €1,300 and €1,600 and between €1,600 and €2,200 for an Autumn/Winter suit. Price-wise the Y collection finds itself between the signature collection and the Y's line.

Following the unveiling at Pitti, the collection will be presented in Milan, Berlin and New York.

www.yohjiyamamoto.co.jp
2 June 2005

Designer Super Sale

Run as fast as your Manolos will allow you to Net-A-Porter.Com's super sale. All the most delectable items from the biggest design names, including Chloe, Marc Jacobs and Jimmy Choo, will be available for prices as low as GBP10 this week.

The sale takes place this Friday and Saturday, the 7th and 8th May, at the Rainbow Wave Showroom, 25 Longford Street, London, NW1. Admission costs GBP3.

www.net-a-porter.com
4 May 2005

Pretty Poiret

The property of French fashion designer Paul Poiret, who enjoyed fame and fortune over sixty years ago, is to be auctioned by Richelieu-Drouot in Paris on 10 and 11 May. Last week the collection was opened for public viewing at the fashion house of Azzedine Alaia on the rue de la Verrerie. Items include clothes, accessories, furniture, perfume bottles and wallpaper by the designer.

Poiret, who was born in 1879, became famous during the women's liberation movement for abandoning brassiers and corsets in favour of fluid shift dresses. Later on, he created the so-called "hobble skirt", which was loose at the waist but tight at the ankle, so that the wearer was forced to take tiny steps.

The designer died bankrupt, having suffered a loss of popularity when Coco Chanel won over the public with her more structured designs and tailored suits. The viewing of the Poiret collection will be moved to the show rooms of Richelieu-Drouot on 9 May before the auction takes place on the subsequent two days.

25 April 2005

Margaret's Moment

Margaret Howell is renowed for her timeless and relaxed style, yet the London-based designer makes the everyday chic seem effortless. Howell's catwalk collections have been heralded by the press in the past three seasons as her clothes are not only fabulously wearable, they are also modern, contemporary and beautifully executed. Howell favours fabrics such as tweed, cotton, linen and other natural fibres, and her bespoke Britishness has paid of lucratively in Japan, where she is regarded with as much fervour as designer colleague Paul Smith.

Howell recently collaborated with Edwin Jeans, the Japanese denim company, to produce a mainline denim label based around natural workwear, leisurewear and utility-inspired clothes. The Margaret Howell store, which also houses her glorious homeware collection, is on Wigmore Street in London. The complete mens and womenswear ranges are displayed next to regular exhibitions of mid to late twentieth century design.

A project with British furniture maked Ercol has led to the reissue of five of their most famous designs originally produced in the late 1950s, the butterfly and stacking chairs, plank table, love seat and trio, a nest of tables. Margaret Howell, 34 Wigmore Street, London, W1U 2RS, 020 7009 9003

30 April 2005

Tatty Devine

Harriet Vine and Rosie Wolfenden are best known as the too-cute and in-tune duo behind Tatty Devine. As the first UK boutiue to stock designs from fashionable rockers Chicks on Speed, Tatty Devine's Brick Lane shop quickly became the spot to find unique accessories gushing with personality.

Try their bestselling, head-turning stiletto earrings, now also available at a second Tatty Devine shop in Soho, London. Fashioned out of silver and enamel (the accessory material of the moment), the earrings and matching pendants are available in pale pink, turquoise, and glow-in-the-dark yellow. Tatty Devine, 57B Brewer Street, London or go to www.tattydevine.com

3 March 2005

Kim Jones meets Mulberry

Trendy British menswear designer Kim Jones has hooked up with Mulberry to create a super collection of bags, which goes on sale this July. Officially launched during last month's Paris menswear shows, the extremely sleek sacks include weekend bags, dinky bum-bag-like shapes and a lunchbox bag fashioned to hold a laptop or your sandwiches.

At last the fashion boys can compete with their female counterparts, who have been flashing their Roxanne bags like nobody's business. Jones has been praised for his fresh approach since he launched his own label in 2001, while his ranges for Topman and Umbro were also hits. Stockist enquiries: 020 7491 3900

21 February 2005

The Midas Touch

Super diva Jennifer Lopez was able to add yet another feather to her cap when her first runway show received a standing ovation last Saturday at Bryant Park in New York. "Hippy chic meets bling bling. Fantastic. She's very talented as a designer," Tommy Hilfiger summed up the Sweetface collection.

On a black runway covered in glitter, models paraded in a wide range of creations that included a lot of real fur - a true J.Lo indulgence - tight cropped denim, baby doll dresses, floppy hats like the ones J.Lo favours herself, tons of midrif, delicious sweaters and chunky scarves, and silk jumpsuits reminiscent of Studio 54.

The backdrop consisted of flashing images of a fire escape - harking back to J.Lo's Bronx roots - a stretch limousine and record player, all alluding to different parts of the star's life. And so did the clothes. Denim shorts alternated fur-lined dresses and baby doll dresses over jeans contrasted greatly with creations like a glamourous white jumpsuit with a plunging neckline.

According to Reuters the collection "played into a specific niche audience - urban girls or wanna-bes desperate for the spotlight, wild club hopping action and Cristal by the case - brilliantly." The collection was all things to all women: girly, womanly sexy, flirty, comfortable and outrageous. La Lopez herself walked down the runway, triumphant and accompanied by screams of approval, with a joyful smile on her face. Jenny from the block appears to have struck gold again.

14 February 2005

The law against skinny

The Christmas season is over and most of us are trying our utmost to lose those holiday pounds. After all, fashion dictates that looking good and being thin go hand in hand. Designers spend most of their time and funds designing for androgynous model types, with whom us mere mortal need hardly compete. In Israel, however, things appear to be changing. There is a new law in the pipeline that aims to combat eating disorders that have reached epidemic proportions in the Land of Milk and Honey.

The famous Israeli fashion photographer and owner of the Barkan Modeling Agency in Tel Aviv, Adi Barkan and Knesset member Inbal Gavriely are trying to push through a bill which requires models to undergo health exams and have their BMI (Body Mass Index) rates checked before turning professional. This law is intended to control the eating disorders, especially among teenage girls.

By pushing this bill, Barkan hopes to end the 'skinny' culture that has seeped through Israeli culture. "Up until now, anorexia and bulimia have been the modeling world's dirty little secret," Barkan told Israeli reporters. Barkan himself used to be part of the problem, adhering to the "skinnier the better" philosophy. "Obviously I'm part of it," he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency not too long ago. "But those were the days when Calvin Klein extended the contract of super-skinny model Kate Moss and everyone was following the so-called heroin-chic style."

Barkan estimates that as many as 60% of Israeli models suffer from an eating disorder. For the past two years he has been working on the bill and has persuaded many Israeli companies not to hire models who have a BMI lower than 19. The Israeli Health Ministry has given the campaign its blessing, as have the principals of schools, who have asked Barkan to address their students regarding this problem. An estimated 7% of teenage girls show signs of eating disorders.

Further to this, a commercial featuring four skinny models has been shot. Each model is thinner than the next, and the last girl is obviously suffering from anorexia. The voice overs indicate that each girl is unhappy with her weight. The terrifying images our meant to scare all teens to their senses. "We need to hold a mirror up to these teenage girls so that they can see the damage they are doing to themselves," said Knesset member Gavrieli. "That mirror starts with this television campaign, but continues with positive body images reflected in magazines, on billboards and on runways."

18 January 2005

New designers alert

Not only is Heidi Klum seriously gorgeous, but the German supermodel also happens to be thoughtful and commercially-minded at the same time. Having shot to fame thanks to a German modeling contest, she is now hosting and producing a new TV series in the US called "Project Runway" which has been created to find the next hot fashion designer.
Klum confessed that she wanted to give someone a chance that might not otherwise have had the opportunity to display his or her design talents. With her considerable experience in the fashion business, she knows that it is not always fair. "Look at Zac Posen," she said, "He had a huge break because he knew some people to get in. He's so talented, and he thinks so innovatively, but there probably are a lot of Zac Posens around."

The show follows 12 contestants as they face a multitude of challenges in the world of fashion. Klum points out that the show is more a documentary than a reality show. Most of the episodes were shot in advance, but the three finalists will have to compete for first place on the runway of New York Fashion Week in February.

The show's judges include designer Michael Kors, Nina Garcia and Anne Slowey of ELLE magazine, Constance White, the style director for eBay and Klum herself. To win over the judges the contestants have find a balance of creativity, quality and stability within the bounds of limited time and resources.

One of the contestants, 32-year-old Daniel Franco, said that whether he wins or loses is secondary. The main thing is that having his designs aired on TV is the best marketing tool he could have wished for, "even better than the hallowed pages of Vogue, Harper's, Bazaar or Elle." Not that Franco or the other contestants are amateurs. Franco as the fashion expert on Jan Pauley's talk show twice, however he and the others are looking for that one "big break".

The winner of the contest will have his or her designs photographed for Elle by Gilles Bensimon, will receive $100,000 (GBP 54,000) and a mentorship from Banana Republic.

20 December 2004

Who's your Daddy?

Design duo Nathan Collins and Nin Bose became designers of ultra-hip menswear label Daddy purely by accident. The original idea had been to establish a creative consultancy upon graduation from Middlesex University eleven years ago. However, their meagre budget didn't allow for a brochure so they printed their logo on 150 khaki t-shirts, gave them to all their friends, and the rest, as they say, is history. They renamed their company Bose Collins and named the brand "Daddy".

Currently based in London the pair designs collections that answer to a particular (rock) theme each season. This season saw an ode to a celebrity cemetery for the likes of James Dean, Elvis and John Belushi, "brilliant but flawed individuals, each prisoners of their own infamy." Previous collections included a commissioned range by Harvey Nichols in 2003 with the caption "War on heroism", which was a tongue in cheek reference to Bush's war on terrorism. Another collection was dedicated to misfits and social outcasts, specifically pirates.

The duo plans now plans to open a shop and take the label overseas during the next year.

www.daddydesignlondon.co.uk
7 December 2004

Talented De la Renta jr.

Designer Oscar de la Renta's son Moises appears to have inherited his father's designer genes. And with this talent he is designing a whole new line of them - jeans, that is. He has already designed a line of t-shirts that debuted during his father's show on the catwalk this past September and are available for $150 at the Oscar de la Renta store on Madison Avenue.

Now, 20-year old Moises is venturing into the realm of jeanswear. He is currently in talks with actor/artist Mums to produce a line of limited-edition jeans. The jeans will cost $250 per pair. Moises plans on using the same jeans manufacturer as Diesel and Ralph Lauren, but will differentiate himself from the rest with the hand-painted poetry by Mums adorning the jeans. Moises hopes to show his new designs during his father's fashion show next February.

23 November 2004

Pilati suffers reviews

YSL Rive Gauche's new designer, Stephano Pilati, suffered negative reviews after his first show for the couture house. Reporters from Women's Wear Daily and The New York Times criticized his awkward eighties designs, claiming he had got stuck in the YSL archives. Fashion journalist Cathy Horyn of The New York Times could even trace the look back to the sixties' designs of Norman Norell.

Fashion darling Marc Jacobs sympathised with Pilati, stating that the first collection for an established couture house did not really count. That is simply the time when a new designer is trying to settle in. In fact, it is the second collection that really shows what the designer is made of. Watch this space.

19 October 2004

Beirendonck designs for Eastpak

The Belgian designer has joined forces with Eastpak to launch his own limited edition range this week. Walter van Beirendonck, known for his extreme designs, has turned the Eastpak Padded Pak'r bag into a monster - literally. Available in black, blue, yellow, paprika or silver, the backpack has been transformed into the hook-nosed, evil-eyed face of a mythic creature, akin to the goblins in the Lord of the Rings.
2000 bags are available across Europe, with only 200 being sold in the UK. Each bag is individually numbered and signed by van Beirendonck. With a modest price tag of GBP 45, this creature-creation is an affordable way of owning a designer piece.

The backpacks will be sold exclusively at Selfridges and American Retro in London.

www.eastpak.com
5 October 2004

Fat Face Designers Up For GBP35m

Former skiers Tim Slade and Jules Leaver's were impoverished 20-something lads who turned their love of winter sports into a fashion brand. The business tycoons are now poised to earn GBP35m. The company - which is called Fat Face - is now a highly successful outdoor clothing brand with 87 outlets in Britain, three in France, and sales of GBP45m. The idea borne out of buying up small consignments of t-shirts and selling them on to their fellow skiers for a modest profit.

Profits are growing at 50 per cent a year and reached more than GBP4m last year. This week, City analysts began measuring the company up for a stock market flotation. Slade and Leaver still own more than 50 per cent of the company and early estimates suggest this would value their shareholding at between GBP25m and GBP35m. A flotation is expected by 2006.

It all started when they ordered a small batch of shirts printed with the words 'Meribel 88' across the back, which they carried around the slopes in their rucksacks. Leaver recalled: 'We printed some T-shirts and sweatshirts with messages pertinent to certain resorts and sports and it took off. We didn't have any grand plan that in a few years' time we would be running a hugely successful company.'

But the popularity of the T-shirts was such that the pair decided to expand the venture. While business graduate Leaver stayed in the resort to sell the clothes, Slade, a former policeman, travelled to and from England transporting the merchandise.

2 September 2004

Jean-Paul Gaultier In The Mix

French avant-garde fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier has designed a dress made of bread with French bakers for an exhibition at the Cartier Fondation in Paris. The exhibition will run from June 6 to October 10

7 June 2004

Christopher Bailey To Speak At GFW

Burberry designer Christopher Bailey will speak at an event hosted by Graduate Fashion week. Bailey will talk about his work at Burberry with Colin McDowell, senior fashion writer from The Sunday times Style magazine, on June 9 at 1pm at the GFW venue.

GFW takes place on June 7-10 at The Battersea Park Arena. Tickets to "an audience with Burberry designer Christopher Bailey" are GBP15 plus GBP2 booking fee, available from 01903 885 748.

21 May 2004

Madeleine Press Ends Geeson Contract

British Designer Madeleine Press is to concentrate on her own label and store and has ended her consultancy with Geeson, the knitwear company.

Press has been getting much attention lately due to her fine tailoring skills and consecutively producing very strong spring/summer and autumn/winter collections.

Madeleine Press is located on Marylebone High Street and will also be available from Selfridges next season.

17 March 2004

Giles Deacon Rising Star

Move over McQueen and Mathew Williamson, the new rising star of British fashion is Giles Deacon. In his first-ever catwalk collection, the Gucci and Bottega Veneta ex-designer showed the industry his sparkling and artistic collection.

Highlights included a glittering cape decorated with crystals as well as revealing chiffon and a strapless leaf-motif dress. With his precise cutting and imaginative prints, Deacon should have a successful career ahead of him.

19 February 2004

George Rides Into Spring With Western Theme

George at Asda picks up on the western trend for men this spring. Narrow-fitting cowboy shirts are paired with flat fronted, fitted trousers. Elsewhere, the range has a lightweight, military-inspired jacket with patch pockets and epaulettes. White suit and cowboy hat optional.

5 February 2004

Katharine Hamnett For Life On Earth

Designer Katharine Hamnett is aiming to relaunch her business for spring 05 with an ethical fashion line, possibly to be called Katharine Hamnett for Life on Earth.

She is determined the range of fashion basics will not look like typical "green" clothes, although they will be made using organic cottons, ecologically-safe washes, chrome-free vegetable-dyed leather, low-impact dyes and so on. The garments will be fully authenticated by bodies such as The Soil Association.

"The companies at these fairs are generally OK, but there's too much (of the clothing business) that isn't. If the industry thinks that people don't care how their clothes are made, then they are misreading the consumer. They will prefer to buy ecologically-manufactured fashion if it is the same price as regular fashion, and mine will be."

To be made in Italy, Hamnett is expecting to retail the jeans between GBP100 and 120. She is planning a test launch in a friend's shop in Saint Tropez in June because "a lot of the fashion industry goes there."

28 January 2004

Jimmy Choo Unveils Store Design

Jimmy Choo has opened a new concept boutique on New Bond Street in London. The store was designed by consultants Vudafiere Partners and Deuxl. The dressing room-style store features velvet quilted sofas and suede covered walls.

Jimmy Choo has 15 stores worldwide.

13 January 2004

Dutch By Design

When you think of Amsterdam it is not normally images of fashion talent and well-dressed city-folk that spring to mind. Neither does one associate the easy-going capitol as being a Dutch centre of fashion in the same way that Antwerp has made its mark as a Belgian haven for creativity. In cities close by proximity, their sense of style, have, for a long time, been worlds apart.

All this is set to change, it seems, as Dutch design is enjoying more international success and prestige in recent years. Building on its reputation for being one of the most intelligent markets for design, fashion is starting to follow in the same footsteps as some of its contemporaries. Established designers like Viktor & Rolf have shown that Dutch design need not only be conceptual and difficult, but that it can also be marketable and commercial. The darlings of the Paris fashion scene have elevated the status of their contemporaries and the time is right for young designers to branch out and think on global terms.

One such designer, Analik, who's store in Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful independent boutiques in the city, is all set to conquer the UK. A collection that sways between Ann Demeulemeester and Marni, her signature has the potential to be highly successful in the UK and other parts of Europe. Same goes for denim brand Blue Blood, which has recently been picked up by Selfridges and Jones in London. All set to be the new Evisu, their splendid washes and cuts are geared up for yet another revolution in the jeans market.

There have been whispers of Dutch distribution group Moshi Moshi Europe organizing Amsterdam Fashion Week, where young designers will have a chance to showcase their work to buyers and press on an international level. Perhaps in a few years time we will see well-dressed city folk after all, and hail the fashion talent the same as we do in London.

Don-Alvin Adegeest
17 December 2003

Selina Blow In Retail Collaboration

Women's tailoring designer Selina Blow is opening a store in Ellis Street, off Sloane Street in London, in conjunction with London Fashion Week designer Ann Louise Roswalk and accessories brand The Jacksons. The shop is scheduled to open this Wednesday, September 24th.

The collaboration will enable each designer to showcase their entire collection to the public.

22 September 2003

Your Tailor is Rich Designer Dies at 33

Alf Martin Lopez, the Spanish designer of the men's fashion label Your Tailor Is rich, has died aged 33 after falling from a hotel window.

His label was stocked by the likes of Cruise, Selfridges and Colette in Paris. Lopez, who was based in Biarritz, France, worked in the UK with Hardy Blechman at Maharishi.

28 August 2003

Front Cover Seeks Young Designers

New Exhibition London Front Cover is inviting young designers to apply for space in an emerging talent area.

Interested designers should send a synopsis of their company and recent collections.

e-mail: info@londonedge.com

5 August 2003

Mandarina Duck Signs Art Director

Marcello Salvini has taken the role of art director at luxury clothing and accessories brand Mandarina Duck.

Salvini was the brand's apparel project director between 1996 and 2000 before joining Belfe.

29 July 2003

Ossie Clark at V&A

A retrospective of influential British designer Ossie Clark will be held at the V&A from July 15th until May 2nd 2004.

From the maxi skirt to the trouser suit, Clark's designs continue to influence today's contemporary fashion designers. The exhibition will cover his work from 1965-74 when he helped define the high style of 60s London. Drawings and photographs will also be on display.

Entry to this exhibition if free.

2 July 2003

Diane von Furstenberg Opens in UK

Diane von Furstenberg, the US designer brand with a large Hollywood following, is to open its first UK store in London.

Design emporium Matches is going to take charge of the Furstenberg retail operations. Matches currently has stores in Notting Hill, Ledbury Road and Wimbledon, and stocks Prada, Missoni and Moncler amongst their designer collections.

June 10, 2003

McQueen Designer of the Year

Alexander McQueen is more than thrilled after being named International Designer of the Year by the Council of Fashion Designers of America on Monday night. McQueen, who attended the event in The New York Public Library, was first choice for the majority of 450 fashion designers, press, retailers and stylists who voted for the honourees. The prize, previously won by Dior Homme designer Hedi Slimane, was presented to McQueen by R&B star Eve who was resplendent in a white beaded chiffon empire line dress from his autumn/winter 2003 collection accessorised with Mikimoto diamond and pearl jewellery.

6 june 2003

Boateng Time

Ozwald Boateng is ready to storm the international fashion scene. The Ghanaian-born designer will launch his casual menswear range in July and will become the first Savile Row designer to open an American store when he throws open the doors of his Madison Avenue boutique in the autumn. "I'm really ready for large-scale retail expansion," the 36 year-old tailor told the Evening Standard.

Next up will be a huge retail emporium in Moscow which Boateng plans to open early next year, followed by his first womenswear collection and debut fragrance. "I've been working really hard for 20 years to build up the business and I think that it is my time," says Boateng. With a loyal celebrity clientlist and the cast of The Matrix Reloaded wearing his suits for the premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, it is difficult not to agree.

3 June 2003

www.FashionUnited.co.uk ____Britains Fashion Platform

Adler into interior design

Jonathan Adler whose artwork appears on the sets of well know television shows like "The Today Show" and "Will & Grace" is looking to broaden his territory. Adler would like to reach a larger consumer base by branding his name into a licensed line of goods for the home, with an emphasis on home textiles.

Under his new Jonathan Adler Happy Home brand, the artist is licensing some of his designs to home textiles suppliers and collaborating with them to market the collections in department and specialty stores.

Elrene Home Fashions is the most recent licensee for table linens and kitchen textiles. Keeco has exclusive rights to the Adler designs for bedding.

Elrene is hoping to launch products for the March/April New York Home Textiles Market, with shipments tentatively slated for fall 2003.

December 20, 2002
www.JonathanAdler.com

Bartlett calls it quits

Talented designer John Bartlett has announced he is closing his business. His departure this week from the American menswear market is an enormous disappointment, not because he catered to a vast clientele -- he did not -- but because his personal vision was exquisitely creative and forever thoughtful.

Bartlett launched his menswear business in 1992 and several years later added a womenswear line. The women's collection faltered after only a few seasons. Bartlett's great strength was the possibilities he saw in men's fashion. Most recently, Bartlett's spring 2003 collection was inspired by surfers.

Like most independent designers Bartlett had to contend with the usual list of frustrations: retailer demands, manufacturing concerns and unpredictable cash flow. He could have hung on, he said, but given the troubled economy, he knew that his task would only become more difficult.

Except for a month-long trip to Thailand, Bartlett is not sure what he will do next.

November 22, 2002