This Stupid Saint Laurent Babydoll Dress Costs $68,000
LatestBuried in this Style.com story about the new Saint Laurent boutique in SoHo (“the 4,000-square-foot space has the look and feel of an open-plan photo studio—all light and space and monitors displaying Slimane’s campaigns,” rinse, barf, repeat) is the revelation that the brand is selling a baby-doll dress that costs $68,000. $68,000. That’s it right there. Get a good look, front and back, on the runway and worn by Cara Delevingne in the current campaign. $68,000 is more than twice the starting price for most honest-to-God couture, and this is just a simple ready-to-wear floral frock. Critics savaged the Saint Laurent creative director Hedi Slimane’s last collection, calling it a cheap ripoff of grunge — “like bad Topshop!” as one put it at the time. Now we all know that it’s only cheap-looking. [Style.com, Oyster]
Christoph Waltz, Ben Whishaw, and Ezra Miller star in Prada’s new men’s wear campaign. [WWD]
• Buzzfeed has a story detailing the implications of the proposed legislation to extend labor protections for child actors and performers to child models. That bill is currently under consideration in New York, and would have a huge impact on the industry as a whole. Tyra Banks also voiced her support for the change, saying, “I look forward to seeing young models have rights my generation did not.” [Buzzfeed]
• Wal-Mart and Gap Inc. are still refusing to sign the international Bangladesh safety accord that would prevent future industrial disasters, like the Tazreen factory fire and the Rana Plaza building collapse. Forty-three brands, including H&M and Abercrombie & Fitch, have signed the agreement. The two companies also will not divulge any details of the alternative safety plan they say they are working on. [WWD]
• Almost 300 workers at a Nike factory in Cambodia have been fired for taking part in a strike. The garment workers are seeking a $14 monthly stipend to help cover their transportation costs to and from the factory, on top of their current monthly wage of $74. [HuffPo]
• H&M announced a new designer collaboration with Isabel Marant. The collection will hit stores on November 14. [WWD]
• John Galliano will tape an hour-long interview with Charlie Rose tomorrow, part of the disgraced designer’s ongoing attempt to demonstrate his rehabilitation. The air date of the show has not yet been set. [WWD]
• Cathy Horyn points out that high-profile industry figures have given Galliano a lot of help over the years — going back to his very first show, and including his residency in Oscar de la Renta’s studio this February. Horyn argues that for Galliano to truly redeem himself, he should do it on his own. [On The Runway]
• Lululemon C.E.O. Christine Day announced she is leaving the company. Day’s tenure was marked by the recall of Lululemon’s signature yoga pants, which cost the company an estimated $67 million in lost sales, but her departure was unexpected and the stock has plummeted by 15% since the announcement. [WWD]
• During the quarter just ended, Prada’s net profits rose 13.5%, year-on-year, to $181 million. [WWD]
• The Cut takes a closer look at the weird world of ex-models who reject the fashion industry and find fame as born-again Christian speakers and writers, often with a focus on female “modesty.” [The Cut]
• Ann Inc. has endowed a scholarship at the Fashion Institute of Technology for a student interested in designing women’s wear. [WWD]