Jezebel: sean john

David Revealed; Supermodel To Design Spring Line

TatianaTheAnonymousModel — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:30:00 EDT

Before digesting the latest round of layoffs, garment worker intimidation, stupidly expensive luxury crap, and magazine turmoil, say a hearty Good mornin' to David Beckham in his fancy new Armani underwear ad. Hello David. [People]

Fans crowded Oxford St. in London to get a glimpse of Beckham. He was making a promotional appearance at Selfridges to unveil a billboard of the new ad. [Sky]
Glenn O'Brien, who recently left the troubled Interview magazine, says he just couldn't take it anymore. "It's like a Greek tragedy. Like watching a company going insane, instead of a person," said the media veteran. He also admitted he's not even on speaking terms with his former editorial co-director, Fabien Baron. When Baron was fired five months ago, O'Brien took over his job. And now that O'Brien is gone, Baron is back in. Meanwhile, Brant Publications owes freelancers and photographers (including such names as Inez & Vinoodh) for work dating back to last August. [FWD]
Unions say the economy is making conditions worse for garment workers worldwide. Workers face unfair dismissal, the threat of relocation, abuse, long hours, and even worse pay. In the countries with the largest apparel industries, like China and Bangladesh, workers do not have the right to unionize or strike for better conditions. Seventy-six trade unionists were killed around the world last year, and 49 of those were in Columbia. [WWD]
Lauren Bush has a new "FEED" bag in aid of the UN's World Food Program. This one is hand-beaded over the course of a day and a half by women from a Kenyan school for the deaf. In exchange, $100 of the $195 purchase price goes to feed two Kenyan school children for a year. [WWD]
In other expensive bag news, Takashi Murakami released an updated version of his 2003 Louis Vuitton ad. The little girl he animated back then is all grown up, and, get this, still loves Louis Vuitton! [Racked]
For the 2009 Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards on Monday, host Tracey Ullman will wear: a dress by Claire McCardell, a dress by Donna Karan (whom she recently lampooned), and a dress by Doo-Ri Chung, who wrote her Parsons thesis on McCardell. And the ouroboros of fashion is complete. [WWD]
Natalia Vodianova will be the guest designer for Lutz & Patmos' pre-Spring line. [WWD]
Ben Sherman is discontinuing its children's line, because, said chairman J. Hicks Lanier, "In this environment, we didn't have the luxury of ‘fun and cute' without the financial reward." It's a cold, cold economic reality that separates a child from his stripy t-shirt and mini suspenders. Also gone will be the men's and women's footwear lines. [WWD]
Remember how Sean John went online looking for regular guys to model in its fall campaign? They found two hot dudes, and bookended them around a male model anyway. [WWD]
Some luxury companies are pulling out all the stops to reach that tiny slice of the population that can still afford their wares. Hermès, whose overall sales rose 3.2%, to $603 million, and whose leather goods division grew 21.7% in the first quarter of this year, is increasing its annual marketing budget by nearly 10%, but two thirds of that $141 million will not be spent on advertising. Instead, the brand is pushing marketing events that garner publicity and make its best customers feel special — like extra trunk shows and store opening parties. Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy says its putting more of its marketing budget online, which explains the online-only Marion Cotillard series of film clips for Dior. [Reuters]
The above moves aside, most experts are not expecting the high-end retail market to make its recovery any time soon. May same-store sales were typically dismal across most stores — Saks Fifth Avenue was down 26.2%, Nordstrom fell 13.1% — and luxury spending is falling faster than other retail spending. Some analysts say a full recovery may not happen until 2012. [TS]
The C.E.O. of Liz Claiborne said the words "the new normal." [Reuters]
Frederick's of Hollywood isn't doing so well, either. Maybe offerings like this are part of the problem? [WWD]
Gap is also investing in online retail — it's adding 50 labels to Piperlime. Fifty Old Navy stores across the country are also due for a redesign, presumably to make them less like dingy warehouses. Old Navy has seen an increase in custom because of the recession. Its same-store sales for the first quarter of this year were only down 3%, compared with 18% a year ago. Still a ways to go, then. [TS]
The judge overseeing the Filene's Basement bankruptcy has ordered that the auction for the company be re-opened. An affiliate of Men's Wearhouse won the nine-hour auction, bidding $67 million for Filene's trading name, inventory, 17-20 stores, and an all-important super-cheap 15-year lease for its downtown Boston flagship — but two other bidders complained that the proceedings were "a sham" because Men's Wearhouse didn't follow court-ordered auction procedures. The judge agreed, and there is to be a new auction today. [BH]

Kim Kardashian: Not Full-Figured; A Little Offended

TatianaTheAnonymousModel — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:30:00 EDT

Kim Kardashian is ticked Us used a picture of her alongside a story about Forever 21's just-launched plus-size line. "I love my curves, but curvy and plus-sized are two very different things," Kardashian protested. [PerezHilton]

Kanye West's shoot with Amber Rose, the buzzcut model he was frequently seen with at the fall/winter collections, was not a campaign for his Louis Vuitton sneakers, after all. The Cut offers their take: "So to answer the question we all asked when we first saw these images, no, Louis Vuitton is not out of its mind. We're still not sure what the shots are for. We're guessing some kind of urban magazine like Giant." Because an urban magazine would be the only venue low-class enough to value shots of Amber Rose's ass? Oh, I forgot myself for a minute there! Obviously when someone with Iekeliene Stange's complexion goes entirely nude for six pages in Velvet, that's fashion. When a woman of color does it, that's crass and tacky. But of potential interest to urban readers. [The Cut]
In some real Louis Vuitton news, tomorrow, for Earth Day, the company will donate 15% of all its US online sales to The Climate Project, Al Gore's non-profit. [WWD]
Speaking of campaigns, Alexander Wang says he won't be doing one, because his lookbooks are so beautiful already. Is that canny or what? Lookbooks get picked up by blogs like this one nowadays; and what's more you can pay the creative team — model, photographer, stylist, art director, etc — relatively little to shoot a "lookbook" as compared with the cost if one were to call it a "campaign." [Style.com]
Nicole Richie modeled for the lookbook for her line of costume jewelry, House of Harlow 1960. Of course she did: the whole point is to sell the stuff by associating it with her image. [Fabsugar]
Tracey Ullman added Donna Karan and Miuccia Prada to her compendium of impersonations on her show this week. [WWD]
Barbara Hulanicki, the legendary designer and illustrator of 1960s London, has descriptions but no pictures of her line for Topshop, which goes on sale on April 27. There will be shoulderpads, chiffon, grey suede, bloomers, and leopard print. Crazy like a fox? [UK Elle]
Wait, Fashionista's got the lookbook! Definitely foxy. [Fashionista]
Jefferson Hack, the founder of Dazed & Confused and Another Magazine — and erstwhile boyfriend of one Kate Moss — says things we wish other magazine editors would think, like, "Our readers' love of fashion shouldn't exclude an interest in the world around them." One of his favorite selections from the new Another Magazine photography book? The spread where Moss was shot at the back of the Hollywood sign. Reminisces Hack, "And then she climbed up and hung off the back of the 'O,' in this long McQueen dress. The dress is kind of metallic, but it's shredded, too, and to me, that image works as a symbol of a shredded optimism. A shredding of values. The Iraq war had just started when we ran that photo, and the Patriot Act was going through, and there was that whole ramping up of Bush's, you know, anti-democratic leadership. We were referencing those events in more direct ways in the rest of the magazine — in interviews and so on — but we also echoed it in some of the fashion imagery. And so for me, you know, that image encapsulates that moment." [Style.com]
Meanwhile in London, Ms. Moss scooped up a beauty industry award for her fragrance, Velvet Hour. [News.uk.msn]
American Apparel has a new argument about why it should get to talk about Woody Allen's relationship with Soon-Yi Previn in defending a lawsuit about using the film-maker's image in its advertising without authorization: because they talk about the company amongst themselves, sometimes! I think this is the moment on Law and Order where one lawyer says, "She opened the door," and the other one says, "Spousal privilege!" and then the judge calls them into the chambers. [Racked]
Burberry's same-store sales fell slightly less than expected in the second half; it was partly because the weakening of the pound made their offerings more attractive. [WSJ]
Coach's profit fell 29.3% in the third quarter. [Crain's]
Fancy yourself a Sean John men's wear model? The company's doing an online search for its fall campaign. [WWD]
And John Varvatos and Island Records are holding a battle of the bands. [WWD]

Michael Kors Is A Gossip Girl

Sadie — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 11:30:00 EDT

Between expanding his "empire," hosting Mad Men parties, judging Project Runway, and, presumably, tanning, Michael Kors is guesting on Gossip Girl. "I love the clothes, everyone is good-looking, the plot line is a riot," Kors says. "I love the show. They called and said, 'You are very Gossip Girl.' I thought, 'Finally, I am a teenager.'" Question: When does this guy have time to actually design? [WWD]
Perennial fashion critic Mr. Blackwell hospitalized! [AP]
Just try and get rid of Heatherette! Rumors to the contrary, the glitzy design duo ain't going anywhere. [The Cut]
NYC Boutique Opening Ceremony staying open for a marathon 72 hours. Cause that's what Olympic athletes would want them to do. [New York Times]

July was a rough one for retailers; even Wal-Mart tanked. [WWD]
Tyra/Michelle may have a lock on Bazaar, but Cindy McCain's got mag connections too, albeit crummy ones: "News of Tyra Banks' homage to Michelle Obama in the September issue of Harper's Bazaar broke Tuesday, but that didn't stop Cindy McCain from stopping by the Hearst Tower that afternoon to have lunch with Hearst Magazines president Cathie Black, Cosmopolitan's Kate White, Joanna Coles of Marie Claire and Rosemary Ellis of Good Housekeeping. During the lunch, McCain's daughter, Bridget, sent her mother a picture via BlackBerry of a new dress, seeking approval before leaving the house. The potential first lady approved." [WWD]
The battle 0f the vibrating mascaras! [New York Times]
The "work to flirt" dress: slutty for both day and evening! [Telegraph]
Tara Subkoff capitalizes on the perennial power of faux lesbianism to sell clothes. Also, looks silly in today's GBU. [The Cut]
The Nike equestrian boot is controversial. "One rider opined on a Web site that it looks like "the stripper boot of the horse world." U.S. Olympic rider Gina Miles wonders if wearing a swoosh might lead to lower scores in a sport that prides itself on centuries-old traditions. And Nike archrival Adidas, which is also creating new shoes for the Games, said no to riding boots. "We didn't feel we could come in with some meaningful innovation," says James Carnes, Adidas' creative director." [Business Week]
More immediate, community-fostering webzines giving fashion mags a run for their big money. [New York Times]
Behind-the-scenes vid of Nelly for Sean John undies. NSFW, obvs. [The Life Files]
So that's why he looks like a shorn lamb: Justin Timberlake cuts his own hair. "I don’t require hair or nail appointments. I actually cut my own hair — that’s why it’s all the same length." [The Sun]
Nine companies fined for non-disclosure of "inappropriate drawstrings" on children's clothing. [CNN]
Is Wilhelmina modeling agency going public? [New YorkTimes]
New fashion director appointed to Out mag. Grant Woolhead "is joining Out, recently acquired by Regent Media, as it publishes its September fashion issue. The issue, due to hit Aug. 12, features Neil Patrick Harris on the cover and has188 ad pages, up from 172 last year, according to Aaron Hicklin, Out's editor in chief." [WWD]
Ancient lensman Bill Cunningham on summer scarves. [New York Times]
File under: we should all have such troubles. The agony of care labels on expensive clothes. [The Cut]
Teen retailers, including - if you can believe it - HotTopic - are feeling the pinch. [Wall Street Journal]
Somehow grossly-named luxury retailer Aquascutum expanding. Prices are very reasonable. "The Aquascutum London line will feature blouses, wool skirts, and silk graphic dresses with pricing around $780. The vintage collection will include designs inspired by Aquascutum’s archives, such as a hot pink wool swing coat priced at $3,940." [Fabsugar]
Yuck. Thanks to the Olsen Twins (and yeah yeah I know they don't wanna be called that), "glossy leggings" are a must for fall. [ElleUK]
Paging summer '03! Band-Aids as "fashion accessories." [New York Times]
Protect your investment: "A perk that comes with the purchase of a pricey status handbag is that most makers will fix broken straps and zippers, missing rivets and torn linings — often free of charge, if the fixes are simple." [Wall Street Journal]
"Christian Francis Roth is back. A fashion darling of the early Nineties, Roth is trying to make his mark again with a contemporary spring collection called Francis by Christian Francis Roth, inspired by high school cliques." It's apparently the clique who wore really, really, really ugly clothes. [WWD]

Is Marc Jacobs Married Or Not!!!???

Sadie — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 11:30:00 EDT

Whom to believe?! Page Six? "Marc Jacobs is a newlywed. The designer and his hot Brazilian love, Lorenzo Martone, were married in a civil solidarity pact Sunday in France. "He's totally excited," said an insider. "He said he's head-over-heels in love with Lorenzo. His life is coming together now." Civil solidarity pacts were instituted in France in 1999, but they are not legally binding. Jacobs isn't taking his honeymoon yet - he's busy with his show for New York Fashion Week in September." [Page Six]
...or Perez Hilton?! "Despite erroneous reports to the contrary…Sources reveal exclusively to PerezHilton.com that design god Marc Jacobs and his hot new Brazilian boyfriend did not get married in Paris on Sunday. However, insiders close to the couple tell us that M.J. and Lorenzo Martone (pictured above) are "very happy" together." They're both such infallible sources! [Perez Hilton]
Model Jodie Kidd on being busted for drugs by the tabloids: "I was just someone minding their own business, plodding on in life. They had no need to do it because I'm not a bad person. I was very shocked. It was totally out of the blue," [Telegraph]

Legendary model Lauren Hutton for Brit chain Mango. [ElleUK]
Nelly is the new face — body? — of Sean John undies. Says Diddy, "To me, Nelly is the quintessential definition of the Sean John man. He has the attitude, the swagger, and most of all the physique that our customers can both aspire and relate to. And let’s be honest, all of the ladies out there are going to be thanking us for this campaign. The images are so strong; they speak for themselves. We are truly excited to welcome Nelly into the Sean John family.” [Concrete Loop]
Apparently eager to break into the hideous shoe/sneaker hybrid market, Nine West and New Balance are teaming up. [Wall Street Journal]
Ralph Lauren's Olympics uniforms? Exactly how you'd imagine 'em done by the king of fake-prep: "The opening-ceremony look consists of classy navy blazers with white driving hats and canvas walking shoes; for the closing ceremonies, it's classic polos and sleeveless sweaters." [The Cut]
And they're apparently a good co to invest in. You know, if you have spare money. [The Street]
Perfumers Society honors Bath and Body Works pres as "a living legend." [WWD]
Stila knows what young women care about: lipstick! Voting? Not so much. But if you buy this Rock the Vote Red lipstick! a portion of your purchase goes to Rock the Vote, which got exactly no one to vote last time around. [Allure]
Roberto Cavalli is waffling on whether to sell shares of his company. [Portfolio]
Architect Zaha Hadid is collaborating with green Brazilian footwear brand Melissa. "The curvature of the limited-edition shoe is familiar from many recent projects by Zaha Hadid Architects, including the new London Aquatic Centre. "The fluidity of our design combined perfectly with the technology of Melissa's plastic, injecting pieces without closures or seals," says Hadid. " [Dazed Digital]
Coach profits climb, defying recession. [WWD]
Calvin Klein and Donna Karan are in Africa. The end. [Fashion Week Daily]
So, because we're in a recession, we should be dressing like 1930s newsies. My finance friend says that this is actually far more like the recession of the 1970s, economically speaking, so I'm sticking with my maxis. [Newsbusters]
Retailers struggling with "toughest selling season." [WWD]
Artist Damien Hirst buys 80,000 pounds' worth of fake punk clothing online. Caveat emptor! [VogueUK]

P. Diddy's Speech Is More Creative Than His Fashion

Tracie — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EDT

Did you happen to catch If I Were King on MTV the other night? If you didn't, you missed out. If I Were King a documentary about P. Diddy designing his fall collection for Sean John to show at Fashion Week, and it's sort of amazing how dramatic it is — although "operatic" is more like it. P. Diddy takes himself extremely seriously, though it's hard for anyone else to do the same, since he uses the word "fabrication" when talking about the fabrics that he wants to use. Above, a clip of the best shit he said.

Diddy Is "The Only Reason" Roberto Cavalli Came To Fashion Week

Jennifer — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 11:30:00 EST

Who knew Roberto Cavalli was such a big Diddy fan? Said the Italian designer at the Sean John show: "The only reason I'm still in New York is for Puffy. He is an artist and always puts on a real show. Maybe someday he will come to my show." [WWD, 7th item]
The British Fashion Council's demand that all models walking London Fashion Week show up with a "certificate of health" may lead to a model boycott because, duh, models do not get paid to be healthy. [Telegraph]
Rachel Zoe threw a total shitfit upon being denied entrance to the fashionably punctual Marc Jacobs show Friday night. There is justice in the world! [NY Mag]

"I'm tempted, but no one else is drinking. I don't want to be the tacky one." Gretchen Mol on the champagne bottles that greeted front row attendees at the Marc Jacobs show on Friday night. But Gretchen, once you've got a snifter or two on an empty Fashion Week stomach, one is pretty blissfully unaware to whoever is being the "tacky one." [WWD, 1st item]
"I'm kind of inspired by Ralph [Lauren]," says Sheryl Crow, who has her very own denim line in the works. And we all know "inspired by" means "steal my ideas from." [WWD, 13th item]
Gucci's new "Gucci [Hearts] NY" campaign? Uh, didn't exactly clear it with the folks who own the trademark on "I [Heart] NY." [UPI]
Designer Lars Nilsson has left the house of Gianfranco Ferre after only a five month-long tenure. Awkward. [Fashion Week Daily]
Diane von Furstenberg will be starring in an American Express commercial directed by Capote director Bennett Miller, set to air on Oscar night. Which is mildly ironic since von Furstenberg has canceled her own Oscar party out of respect for the WGA strike. [Fashion Week Daily]
What Rihanna learned at Fashion Week: "I know that prints are really in and I love how they pair the prints with a bold jacket." [Chic Report]
Zac Posen's dad is just happy to see his kids playing nicely together: "I'm thrilled that [Zac] brought his sister Alexandra (his creative director) out with him at the end—seeing them both up there together was wonderful." [Chic Report]

Loose Lips

Jessica — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 11:45:00 EST

Halle Berry's new short haircut: becoming or totally-busted? • David Beckham has the biggest carbon footprint ever, according to a British environmental group called Carbon Trust. Becks alone is responsible for 163 tons of carbon dioxide a year. You know what they say about a guy with a huge carbon footprint... • The newly monikered Sean John is allegedly taping an Apprentice-style search for a new personal assistant. • Mary Kate Olsen was dating Heath Ledger at the time of his death? MK's security guard told cops the pair were together, but her reps say they were just friends. [Us, Dlisted, Perez, NYDN]

Amy Winehouse's Dad Steps In: Is She Grounded?

dodai — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 09:00:00 EST

Amy Winehouse may be placed under 24-hour surveillance, if her family has its way. Her dad wants to hire someone to watch her around the clock. Good idea? [The Sun]
In fact, Amy's dad, Mitch, is going to move in with her. Good luck, Mr. Winehouse! [Daily Mail]
Boy George says Amy Winehouse "reminds me of myself in the early days of Culture Club." He seems to mean the voice and not the drugs but hey, whatevs. [Telegraph]
Joel Madden: "I had no idea what love even was until Harlow came along." Aww, someone's gonna grow up spoiled! [People]
Reports say that Jake Gyllenhaal is in New Mexico, shooting a movie called Brothers. He's very upset about the death of his close friend Heath Ledger, and the set has been closed to non-crew members and extra security has been hired. Jake is Matilda Ledger's godfather. [TMZ]

Matilda and her mother, Michelle Williams, arrived in New York yesterday — Michelle had been filming in Sweden but left the set upon hearing of Heath's death. [People]
Detailed reports about Heath Ledger's dire insomnia abound; he would take long walks or party. [People]
Preggers Jessica Alba has been having baby dreams, including one about breastfeeding, which, she says, "is the only thing I'm paranoid about." [People]
Kristin Cavallari is getting her NZ tattoo removed — she broke up with Nick Zano in December 2007 and "wants the thing off." The surgeon she's seeing? The same one who did Heidi Montag's boob and nose jobs. Ah, The Hills, keeping it real. [E!]
New York's "drug dealer to the stars" is trying to sell his story, but so far no one's buying. The only name he's dropped is Lindsay Lohan's... Wonder who else has the dude on speed dial? [Gatecrasher]
Blind item! "Which TV star and his (female) publicist's nicknames for each other are 'old velvet nose' and 'the baldheaded champ'? I can't decide - is that sweet or not?" [Gatecrasher]
Britney Spears showed up at the courthouse yesterday but changed her mind and left before the closed-door hearing started. Meanwhile, the American Psychoanalytic Association is begging people to stop trying to diagnose the pop star, saying you can't determine what's wrong with her if you've never met her. [Rush & Molloy]
And yet! Britney is a hot topic for shrinks; all the magazines get quotes of speculative armchair diagnoses. [Showbuzz]
Big bust for a lil rapper: Lil Wayne was arrested in Arizona on Tuesday after drug-sniffing dogs found 105 grams of marijuana, almost 29 grams of cocaine and 41 grams of Ecstasy on his tour bus. Was that for the whole tour or just one night? [Rush & Molloy]
Steve Carell was picked for jury duty? Well, with the writers' strike, it's not like he'll be missing work. [TMZ]
Desperate Housewives star Marcia Cross is lobbying Congress to end "drive through" mastectomies — in which women are forced to leave the hospital mere hours after surgery. Sounds like a good cause to uh, support. [USA Today]
L.A. city officials have asked a judge to ban members of a street gang and Death Row Records co-founder Suge Knight was included in the injunction. Knight says, "I'm a 42-year-old businessman, not a gang member. I don't even live in Compton anymore." Poor city officials, so old skool. [Yahoo News]
Diddy says he wants to be known as Sean John now. Noted! [Perez Hilton]
Courteney Cox, launching her own line of furniture? Yawn. [Perez Hilton]
Perez Hilton will get $85,000 to pay his legal costs in a defamation lawsuit Samantha Ronson filed against him (and lost). That cash will buy a whole lot of coke scribbles on paparazzi pix. [USA Today]
Sylvester Stallone took human growth hormone for the new Rambo movie and has no regrets: "Anyone who calls it a steroid is grossly misinformed," he says. "Testosterone to me is so important for a sense of well-being when you get older." Why are we so grossed out? [Page Six]
Lily Allen made an appearance at a London restaurant frequented by celebs; her first evening out since the miscarriage. Couldn't have been easy. [Daily Mail]

Ralph Lauren Is Really F'ing Rich, And Not Particularly Embarrassed About It!

Jennifer — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 10:00:00 EDT

Everyone's favorite self-hating Jew, Ralph Lifshitz, is the highest-paid "vendor" (what they call "manufacturers" that don't really manufacture) in apparel. No really, it's not just a fantasy image he uses to get you to buy those horrid Big Pony shirts: dude is loaded. [WWD, sub req'd]
Reese Witherspoon is the new face of Avon. Oooooh, edgy! We eagerly await the Jake Gyllenhaal guyliner line. [WWD, 1st item]
True Religion denim is making the grand, yet inevitable, business model leap into the world of fragrance. Which reminds us of someone who once told us that it's time to wash your jeans when you can smell your own crotch. Now you can just take advantage of lifestyle brand synergy! [WWD, 3rd item]

Memo to Derek Lam: Starting your tenure at troubled Bill Blass with a fur line? And guaranteeing the wrath of PETA? Uh, that's a choice. [WWD, sub req'd]
P. Diddy is making Sean John for the ladies. As if it wasn't for the ladies all along. [WWD, sub req'd]
Reversing the trend of English designers returning to their mother country for London Fashion Week after long histories showing in New York and Milan/Paris, English label Preen is leaving home and headed to New York, where magazine editors will actually see its clothes. [Vogue UK]
We read about London department store Harvey Nichols installing scratch-and-sniff windows for the launch of the new Marc Jacobs fragrance Daisy... and all we could think is of the number of unsanitized hands touching the same surface and the potential number of HPV cases spread. [Vogue UK]
Model Daisy Lowe, the bastard child (literally) of textiles designer Daisy Lowe and Mr. Gwen Stefani Gavin Rossdale, is the new face of Burberry. [Vogue UK]