Jezebel: fashion heroes

Milan In The '80s: "It Was A Nonstop Party That Soon Became A Bloodbath"

Dodai — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:30:00 EDT

Vice has an interview with Renata Molho, who was a stylist and writer in Milan in the 1980s, a wild time known as Milano da bere or "drinking Milan." Ms. Molho describes an era in which the fashion industry was full of creative people and fresh ideas. Magazine editors didn't cave to the pressure of advertisers; they wrote about the designers, the styles, the fashions that they actually found exciting. "Just think about the power that press offices have today," Ms. Molho says. "They probably dictate 80 percent of what is written. It wasn't so in the '80s. Fashion magazines were made by individuals with taste, or lack of taste, but they expressed opinions."

Then, in the early 90s, it all came crashing down, due to corruption in the Italian parliament, bankruptcy in the cities, deaths from AIDS and a lack of money in general. But Ms. Molho maintains it was great while it lasted. And possibly the fashion magazines were a lot more fun. Plus! Ms. Mohlo has some great insights about working in the industry: "There was a time when quality paid off," she says.

On being a young, low-on-the-totem-pole stylist:

"I instantly learned that the difficult parts of this job are the small ones. When you have the amazing dress and the famous photographer, you don't really have to do any work."

On the vibe in Milan in the 80s:

Easy money, constant partying, and one out of two people in the street was a foreigner. It was a very superficial atmosphere, but it was vibrant. The fashion money funded the arts. Think about the Fiorucci store that was entirely painted by Keith Haring. There was a sensation that everything was possible."

On why no one should go to fashion school:

"These schools today are pretty useless. They are very theoretical. What do you need theory for? Nothing. What you need is experience, to have lived and seen and done other things in life. I taught for a while and I used to tell my students: 'Seeing one picture by Chagall is much more important than reading all the issues of Vogue ever published.'"

On Giorgio Armani, whose biography she penned:

"Studying him and talking to all the people in his life, I think I managed to understand the reasoning behind some of his actions. There's a telling episode in his life. When his life partner, Sergio Galeotti, died, the only daily that mentioned AIDS was Rome's Messaggero. Immediately after that, Armani canceled his advertising account with that paper. It became something of a media scandal. Researching him as a person, I see that as an act of love aimed at the preservation of a man's dignity rather than an act of spite."

On what happened after the magical '80s ended:

"Everything turned into a soulless homage to other things we had seen before. Think about the era of successive revivals that began after the 80s. For example, even today in most runway shows the music is nothing but a mix of 60s, 70s, and 80s music. It's a big empty hole. Nothing is exciting anymore, and most things are tremendously boring. Often, the best things are written by unknown editors and journalists, while the big names seem to sign things off with their left hand. Haven't you noticed that nobody expresses an opinion anymore?"

Here's an opinion: If the pendulum would only swing back the other way, fashion (designers, magazines, ads, models) would be a whole lot less boring.

Drinking Milan [Vice]

More Notable Quotables From Simon Doonan

Jennifer — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 15:30:00 EDT

"No one respects an upward trajectory any more — transcending the grittiness of your home-town and heading for the spangly corsets of the big city. For me there's nothing wrong with being nouveau riche. It's about clawing your way to the top and not clambering down through the sewer. The American dream story is a bit of an old chestnut, but I cling to it." Ah, Simon Doonan: We hear ya. The creative director of Barneys New York spoke with Telegraph's Christopher Turner, and, as usual, he's just rife with musings on everything from his career ("Every motherfucker on earth sees my windows — even homeless people, which appeals to the populist in me") to his childhood ("Being around psychotics definitely influenced my creative sensibility") and the mantra he wishes all women would adapt ("BRUNCH - belligerent, resilient, uninhibited, naughty, creative and hilarious"). More bon mots from our favorite window-dresser and bon vivant, after the jump.

On why he thinks of himself and Kate Moss as kindred spirits:

We're both working-class slags from crap towns.

On how he thinks of his own work:

Hokey street theatre...I think I invented disgustingly messy windows

On being raised by a mother with oft-missing dentures, a parsnip-wine brewing father, a lobotomized grandmother, schizophrenic uncle and blind aunt:

They were self-invented, unconventional, and had no preconceived ideas about parenting [and] a stratospherically high tolerance for unconventional behaviour.

On fellow window-dressers who fancy themselves artists:

[They] should be taken off to internment camps and forced to become artists to see what a drag it is... artists agonise over their line quality and window-dressers agonise over their fashion accessories.

On the modern American celebrity:

Most celebrities are as boring as shit. The way they look, the way they cavort themselves - they look like a bunch of dreary Republican wives going to the country club.

Simon Doonan: All In The Worst Possible Taste [Telegraph]

Earlier: Five Quirky Quips From Wonderfully Wacky Simon Doonan

Star Power Is Not (Yet) Enough To Make Liz Claiborne Stylish

Jennifer — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 16:00:00 EDT

Does anyone buy Liz Claiborne? In December 2006, following years of financial troubles, the company brought on William McComb, a swaggering CEO who knew nothing about the fashion industry but soon realized that a little makeover out of the pages of Management 101 were not going to be enough to revive the struggling brand. McComb's secret weapon, of course, was Project Runway's Tim Gunn, whom he hired as the brand's chief creative officer in March 2007. As the April issue of Fast Company reports, McComb loved Gunn's work in both reality TV and in academia and figured that if Gunn could salvage a paralyzed fashion design program and help create a hit show, surely he could figure out how to make women buy basics from Liz Claiborne again. Or not!

Just this past February, the company's stock fell 18% in a day, proving that Gunn's name was not enough to translate into action at the cash register. Even Gunn's attempts to up the company's fame factor — Isaac Mizrahi was hired to be creative director of the Claiborne womenswear line and John Bartlett hired to oversee menswear soon afterwards — haven't helped. (Sure, the day Mizrahi's new role at the company was announced the company's stock was up 25%, but "much of that evaporated within a few weeks.") It remains unclear on how this acquisition, helmed by Gunn, has done anything to get Claiborne out of the red and into the realm wildly popular. Says Gunn: "I honestly think that in the not-too-distant future, this company will establish new paradigms of operations, the likes of which I don't think this industry has ever seen. I think we're going to be a Harvard Business School case study." Sorry, Tim: I'm a major fan, and I know that your new starpower designers' stuff won't be seen until next spring, but I remain unsold on your products and verbiage, both.

Project Rehab [Fast Money]

Earlier: How Tim Gunn Is Connected To J. Edgar Hoover, And Other Surprises About Project Runway's Favorite Father-Hen

Personal Style: 10 Ladies Who've Got It!

Jennifer — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 14:30:00 EDT

To paraphrase esteemed former U.S. Senator Jesse Helms, personal style, like pornography, is one of those things that's hard to define, but we know it when we see it! After the jump, the Jezebel's Top 10 Style Icons: They aren't afraid to take risks, and they always look fresh, chic, modern and crazy sexy cool. We can't wait to share why we love these ladies and their looks with you!

Sarah Jessica Parker
SJP taught us to have fun with fashion. Why not wear a fanny pack with a peasant top and a mini-skirt with feathers coming out of the ass?

Paris Hilton
Class, taste, sophistication: Paris Hilton made a name for herself for doing nothing other than getting dressed and showing up! With a net worth over $5 million, clearly, the lady did something right.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
Everything boho was new again when the sisters Olsen piled on the layers and made looking homeless something to aspire too. What came first, the Lagerfeld or the Olsens? Ha!

Nicole Richie
Her Califorina cool style makes us want to throw a bandana around our heads, an easy denim mini around our waists, and get to the beach (and the bar!) ASAP! Baby Harlow optional. ;)

Lindsay Lohan
Girlfriend owns the leggings trend and how sweet it is!

Rachel Zoe
She is so thin. It is so awesome. Also, long flowy dresses are fun!

Miley Cyrus
The youngest style icon on the block, Miley manages to do the near-impossible, creating looks both age-appropriate and aspirational.

Victoria Beckham
A busy mama-of-three, she manages to look polished all the time. This soccer game-watching outfit proves that Posh is always dressed for success!

Lauren Conrad
Jersey dressing was never so easy until Lauren Conrad taught us how!

Amy Winehouse
When she told us to go back to black, we did...and how! Beehives away!

[Images via Bauer-Griffin.]