Venerated old houses like Givenchy shouldn't do diffusion lines. Leave that to the young designers that need the money.
Also, I posed this in groupthink, but it disappeared: a facebook friend (high school classmate I haven't seen in years) posted that she's hosting a "Knock-Off Party with fake Prada, Louis Vuitton, Coach, and more" at her house. Is that legal? Should I be a debbie downer and tell her about child labor and such? #victoriabeckham
Ghosty girl here. Thank you for remembering me so fondly, if not my nationality.. Alas, after our photo shoot I had an epiphany: modeling bores me. To tears. I'm currently pursuing a Ph.D in comparative religion at Oxford, and generally being one happy ghost.
I adore Eric Ripert. I have never read anything about him that didn't indicate that he was an all around class act. There are times when I truly can't wrap my head around how he and Bourdain are such close friends. #victoriabeckham
Carine Roitfeld is the nastiest creature I have ever had the occasion to meet, and that beats out Anna and Nancy Reagan--who are both simply demanding and rightly so. Roitfeld's style has been the same for two decades--Tom Ford was marketing it in 1995--and what is interesting about being dressed completely in black, unless its Yohji or Issey circa 1983? Skinny trousers and high heels and a big overcoat is style? Then streetwalkers have it in spades.
I love both Carine and Anna. However, it bugs me that Anna gets so much flack for her less-than-charitable comments (e.g., many people in the Midwest are like "little houses") when Carine also regularly says things like "jeans are for assistants," "all the girl who work at French Vogue are very skinny and beautiful," and "You think this [trip] will be so glamorous ... and then you get there and the people in the hotel … There were lots of people who were so fat."
I also dislike when journalists pit these two women against each other by suggesting
Anna is old. Wintour is 60. Roitfeld is 55.
In any case, as much as I agree that American Vogue has been repetitive of late, I really don't want to see it become French Vogue. Anna's days at the helm may be dwindling, but I do think the woman deserves respect.
And for the record, I like the designer "whole looks" editorials that are Anna's signature.
@likepenguins: I heard that Andre's rivals tried to complain to Anna about the huge bills he was running up for imported bottled water. Ms. Wintour replied, "Find out what he's drinking and send a case to all my editors!"
I truly love Carine Roitfeld's style and look, even her racoon/vampire eye makeup. Would love to see her takeover American vogue. Imagine how she could change the way Americans look at fashion!
I do not, however, love how her daughter Julia interprets that style. Nothing will ever make me think that cut-off shorts, black tights, a sheer black top, and gladiator heels is a good look. Unless you send me back in time to 1991. Julia, IMO, did not get her mother's chic genes.
@Trilby O'Ferrall (a.k.a. lawschoolmakesmecrazy): I think she would be a positive influence on American Vogue, but I don't think it would change the way most Americans look at fashion. I don't think anything can change them seeing it as frivolous.
Not to mention, the second she tries to see a cover with a hint of nipple it will be put in a brown envelope. :P
@Trilby O'Ferrall (a.k.a. lawschoolmakesmecrazy): I adore Carine as well, and I adore Paris Vogue, but I do not want her to take over American Vogue. Carine's style is very French, and thus I believe it belongs within the pages of French Vogue.
At this point, I think that Anna Wintour's point of view has become stale and that American Vogue desperately needs a facelift. I just think a new editor should be someone who reflects American style (whatever that might be at this moment) and the perspectives of their readership. What works for French Vogue wouldn't necessarily fly in the US (exhibit A: Lily Donaldson as a negligent, smoking pregnant woman). Plus, much of Carine's creative license is connected to the fact that her magazine has a much smaller circulation than American Vogue, which must pander to a wider audience in order to be successful.
@Tchotchke: I don't think American Vogue needs to reflect American style, if anything, I think that would make it even more irrelevant. We live in a more "global society", and that should be reflected in the magazine. Using one type of style would get boring pretty quickly, but Vogue needs to figure out a way to feature designers from developing countries without sounding obnoxious. Also, what works in France but doesn't work here SHOULD work here. Feature stuff like that anyway. People who are "offended" by things like that probably aren't into fashion in the first place.
@greengrey: Lol@ the brown envelope. So true! I don't think she'll change the average American, but for people who are even slightly into fashion and want something "new" to play with, I think she could really be good.
@greengrey: Yes, but first of all, isn't the problem with American Vogue precisely that it does not reflect American culture as a whole? Under Anna Wintour, American Vogue has increasingly reverted back to promoting an antiquated American ideal: that of the Park Avenue WASP. That's why nearly every spread features a blonde-haired, blue-eyed, model jumping in a floral Carolina Herrera frock, alligator grin and all, and why every issue features articles about ridiculously named Upper East Side socialites.
You can have a magazine that is edgy, that features diverse models, artists and designers, and still reflects an American perspective. The plurality of perspectives and unique cultural influences are exactly what makes reading Italian Vogue, French Vogue, Russian Vogue, etc. so interesting. If the goal is to produce a magazine with a global voice, why not produce one universal Vogue each month? I suppose I just think fashion is better served by having multiple Vogues, each with its own voice and style. My gripe is that American Vogue is not reflective of American fashion or culture. Plus, it's boring. Really boring.
@Tchotchke: It's funny how different we see it. I've always considered "American style" to be that preppy/WASPy look. Ralph Lauren, Bill Blass, Perry Ellis, Lilly Pulitzer, etc. I've always thought that the (idealized) "all American look" was that blonde hair, blue eyed, willowy look. Which is antiquated, but I'm not sure what else would define American style, and NOT be boring.
Now this isn't American culture "as a whole", but it would really shock me if British/French/Italian Vogue represented their culture "as a whole". Fashion will usually be associated with the upper echelons of society, so each magazine will probably try to associate themselves with that.
I agree that having many different magazines serves them better, but I don't think they need (or should want to) associate themselves too much with the country they're printing in. I don't know too much about other countries and how they do things, but I think "Americanizing" American Vogue is just a bad idea. If Vogue tried to appeal to the average American, I think that'd be another nail in it's coffin.
@greengrey: Yeah, I agree that it is interesting that we see it differently, but I don't think we are that far off from one another.
I'm not saying that American Vogue should be Americanized or try to appeal to every American. My point is simply that a fashion magazine as widely read as American Vogue should be in some way influenced by the culture that creates it and at this point, blue-bloods aren't representative of American culture. For example, British, Italian, French and American Vogue can all attend the exact same shows in Paris or Milan and still present wildly different editorials--each reflective of their cultures and style.
I don't think American Vogue should be less rarefied. I guess what I am advocating is that the magazine hire new stylist, photographers, writers, etc. and change the material that it covers. Instead of an article on someone that they have covered a thousand times before, use a new up and coming artist, writer or designer. Cover some other American cities aside from NY, the Hamptons and LA. Use models of all ethnicities. In other words, you can be a magazine with a distinctly American flavor without becoming American-centric. To me, American Vogue is just completely out of touch with real American culture and is desperately clinging on to a relic from the past.
@Tchotchke: But what IS "real American culture"? I agree that they should go to other cities and not be so NY-centric. Chicago, Austin, SF, Boston, for example should have some coverage. I like what "Lucky" does where they'll have shopping sections for different cities, but they also focused on cities worldwide, not just in the US.
And I really agree that the magazine needs some new blood. I feel like it's the same cover models, models, writers, etc etc over and over. I feel like Wintour found something that "worked" and decided to stick with it. Problem is it's boring now and isn't working.
@greengrey: British Vogue definitely doesn't represent British society as a whole. It's very London and high society-centric, and not terribly avant-garde, and when it features supposedly new and up-and-coming artists, models, etc., they are often 'the son of Lady so-and-so' or the 'daughter of XYZ bigshot in the industry'. You'd be hard-pressed to figure out that there were any other towns in the UK just by reading Vogue.
10/29/09
And oh, Fergie. Did you mean to imply that every other modern scent is stinky? Yours is the only fresh one?
Ripert v. Cavalli: Roberto, you should have known better. Authentic French, 1; polyester rockstar, 0. #victoriabeckham
10/29/09
Also, I posed this in groupthink, but it disappeared: a facebook friend (high school classmate I haven't seen in years) posted that she's hosting a "Knock-Off Party with fake Prada, Louis Vuitton, Coach, and more" at her house. Is that legal? Should I be a debbie downer and tell her about child labor and such? #victoriabeckham
10/29/09
Ghosty girl here. Thank you for remembering me so fondly, if not my nationality.. Alas, after our photo shoot I had an epiphany: modeling bores me. To tears. I'm currently pursuing a Ph.D in comparative religion at Oxford, and generally being one happy ghost.
Happy Halloween!" #victoriabeckham
10/29/09
10/29/09
10/29/09
10/29/09
"I'd like my perfume to smell impressionistic, I really don't want it to smell sepia-toned or anything." #victoriabeckham
10/29/09
10/29/09
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10/29/09
08/26/09
08/26/09
08/26/09
I also dislike when journalists pit these two women against each other by suggesting
Anna is old. Wintour is 60. Roitfeld is 55.
In any case, as much as I agree that American Vogue has been repetitive of late, I really don't want to see it become French Vogue. Anna's days at the helm may be dwindling, but I do think the woman deserves respect.
And for the record, I like the designer "whole looks" editorials that are Anna's signature.
08/26/09
08/26/09
08/26/09
08/26/09
So I guess that would make him more like Grant.
08/26/09
I do not, however, love how her daughter Julia interprets that style. Nothing will ever make me think that cut-off shorts, black tights, a sheer black top, and gladiator heels is a good look. Unless you send me back in time to 1991. Julia, IMO, did not get her mother's chic genes.
08/26/09
Not to mention, the second she tries to see a cover with a hint of nipple it will be put in a brown envelope. :P
08/26/09
At this point, I think that Anna Wintour's point of view has become stale and that American Vogue desperately needs a facelift. I just think a new editor should be someone who reflects American style (whatever that might be at this moment) and the perspectives of their readership. What works for French Vogue wouldn't necessarily fly in the US (exhibit A: Lily Donaldson as a negligent, smoking pregnant woman). Plus, much of Carine's creative license is connected to the fact that her magazine has a much smaller circulation than American Vogue, which must pander to a wider audience in order to be successful.
08/26/09
08/26/09
08/26/09
You can have a magazine that is edgy, that features diverse models, artists and designers, and still reflects an American perspective. The plurality of perspectives and unique cultural influences are exactly what makes reading Italian Vogue, French Vogue, Russian Vogue, etc. so interesting. If the goal is to produce a magazine with a global voice, why not produce one universal Vogue each month? I suppose I just think fashion is better served by having multiple Vogues, each with its own voice and style. My gripe is that American Vogue is not reflective of American fashion or culture. Plus, it's boring. Really boring.
08/26/09
Now this isn't American culture "as a whole", but it would really shock me if British/French/Italian Vogue represented their culture "as a whole". Fashion will usually be associated with the upper echelons of society, so each magazine will probably try to associate themselves with that.
I agree that having many different magazines serves them better, but I don't think they need (or should want to) associate themselves too much with the country they're printing in. I don't know too much about other countries and how they do things, but I think "Americanizing" American Vogue is just a bad idea. If Vogue tried to appeal to the average American, I think that'd be another nail in it's coffin.
08/26/09
I'm not saying that American Vogue should be Americanized or try to appeal to every American. My point is simply that a fashion magazine as widely read as American Vogue should be in some way influenced by the culture that creates it and at this point, blue-bloods aren't representative of American culture. For example, British, Italian, French and American Vogue can all attend the exact same shows in Paris or Milan and still present wildly different editorials--each reflective of their cultures and style.
I don't think American Vogue should be less rarefied. I guess what I am advocating is that the magazine hire new stylist, photographers, writers, etc. and change the material that it covers. Instead of an article on someone that they have covered a thousand times before, use a new up and coming artist, writer or designer. Cover some other American cities aside from NY, the Hamptons and LA. Use models of all ethnicities. In other words, you can be a magazine with a distinctly American flavor without becoming American-centric. To me, American Vogue is just completely out of touch with real American culture and is desperately clinging on to a relic from the past.
08/26/09
And I really agree that the magazine needs some new blood. I feel like it's the same cover models, models, writers, etc etc over and over. I feel like Wintour found something that "worked" and decided to stick with it. Problem is it's boring now and isn't working.
08/26/09