DVF Apologizes For Having An Underaged Model In Her Show
Latest- When you’re the president of an organization — the Council of Fashion Designers of America — tasked with asking its members not to hire girls under the age of 16 as runway models, it’s pretty embarrassing when a 15-year-old turns up in your own fashion show. (Even if she allegedly turns 16 next month!) But that’s exactly what just happened to Diane von Furstenberg — “in spite,” the designer says, of having stressed the importance of only hiring models of a slightly more appropriate age, “to my production and casting people.” Von Furstenberg has apologized, and recommends that models have to show ID at castings. Models generally begin their careers at 13 or 14, and there are many reasons why fashion shows are not the healthiest working environment for a young teenager. A lack of privacy while changing, 12-hour workdays, and the presence and normalized consumption of alcohol (and sometimes drugs) are among them. [WWD]
- Oh, great! They’re closing East Village institution/dive Mars Bar to build some more fucking much-needed condominiums, but not before Kelly Osbourne and Lourdes Leon had the chance to hang out there and pretend to be BFFs while they shot the new campaign for Madonna‘s tween Macy’s line. [WWD]
- It was first reported months ago that Michelle Obama was no longer working with the Chicago boutique owner Ikram Goldman to dress herself, but only now, after untold hours of reporting, does the Washington Post feel confident in revealing the name of the First Lady’s new de facto stylist: 29-year-old Meredith Koop, a personal assistant to Obama and a former employee of Goldman. [WaPo]
- Helena Bonham Carter: “I don’t care what anyone else thinks. I dress the way I want to, not for anyone else.” Just in case you were under the impression that she cared what you thought of her, or her purposefully-mismatched shoes! “But I do put a lot of thought into it, especially for red carpets. I don’t just throw any old thing on.” [Daily Mail]
- “I don’t want to be reviewed,” says Tom Ford, who recently held a London Fashion Week presentation at which even the handful of attendees were made to sign non-disclosure agreements before entry. “I’m not an artist with an opening; this is not a film. I’m just trying to make pretty clothes. And beautiful clothes make beautiful women, but sometimes they don’t make fashion news. I don’t want to be pushed to think about what we have that’s new when we don’t need anything new except another version of what we did last year that still looks good to me.” [LATimes]
- “The glamorous blonde taking the catwalks by storm — who’s actually a GUY!” Oh dear. The Daily Mail has noticed Andrej Pejic. [Daily Mail]
- Olivier Zahm thinks the Internet “is why the industry is going in a vulgar, common, bad direction.” This, from a man who blogs pictures of boobies for a living. [WWD]
- Lauren Conrad‘s new line, Paper Crown, will retail for $69-$400. [Fashionista]
- Hint is reporting on the rumor that Hedi Slimane is set to replace Stefano Pilati at Yves Saint Laurent as though it were a done deal. Wrap your head around that one for a minute. Hedi fucking Slimane. The guy who can with a single fucking dart placement make us mere mortals (who loved Dior Homme until July, 2007) go weak in the knees. Stopping with that photography nonsense and getting back to his true talent. Sounds too good to be true by half. [Hint]
- Meanwhile, today in dilettantism: David Gandy is considering launching a fashion line. “I’ve been thinking about it,” he says, inevitably. “People have asked me to do it and it is something I’m considering for the future. I designed my own suit for a party this week and I never got so many compliments on an outfit. But there is a big difference between designing one suit or an entire collection. I see how Dolce & Gabbana do it, they just produce season after season and they never get a break. I’m not ready yet to do that just yet, but never say never.” [Vogue UK]
- A major investor advisory firm has recommended that shareholders vote down J. Crew‘s proposal to go private in a $3 billion leveraged buy-out. The firm says there is a “less-than-compelling strategic rationale to sell the company at a lower-than-prevalent market premium.” And what it regards as “serious issues in the sales process that gave [investment bank] TPG a significant advantage.” In fact, J. Crew’s allegedly preferential treatment of TPG during the decision-making process has already been the subject of a shareholder lawsuit. J. Crew says the “unfortunate” report is “based on flawed analyses.” [WWD]
- To close out London Fashion Week, Kate Moss went out, got drunk, took off the dress she’d left the house in, wandered around in her tights, leotard, and blazer, and went to eat a kebab. God, Kate Moss is just like us! [Daily Mail]
- Watching Elle editor Joe Zee “ski” in a moon suit has its pleasures. [Elle]
- As expected, rather than allow the troubled company to go bankrupt, American Apparel‘s key lender has amended the terms of its loan. American Apparel currently owes about $133 million in debt, and lost $9.5 million in the last quarter as sales fell by another 11%. This is the fifth time that American Apparel has, finding itself unable to meet the terms of its loans, had to renegotiate its way out of a default. [LABJ]
- Versace is now back in control of its lower-priced line, Versus. [Vogue UK]
- Roberto Cavalli, which was left reeling early in the recession after its main licensee went bust, taking the Just Cavalli line with it (temporarily), is now back in the black. [WWD]
- Are you an unemployed leather worker? Today’s your lucky day: Louis Vuitton is looking to make around 700 new hires to deal with rising demand for its leather goods. [Vogue UK]
- Fourth quarter net income at Dillard’s rose by 38% over last year. [WWD]
- Macy’s C.E.O. and president says: “I think the consumer is prepared to spend as long as they believe they are getting great value, and value is determined differently by different customers. Some might feel the lowest price possible is their definition; others might describe it as the highest possible quality and fashion for a reasonable price. That’s the Macy’s consumer.” Macy’s net earnings rose 50% during the quarter just ended. [WWD]
- Brad Goreski, who apparently used to assist a woman who plays a stylist on TV, “designed” a toothbrush with Reach. Christian Siriano Starbucks Card, Cynthia Rowley Diapers, and Christian Siriano Kitchen Sponge: meet your new tchotchke in the Random Household Shit That Fashion Designers Take It Upon Themselves To Slap Their Names On hall-of-fame. [StyleCaster]
- Here is an ad for satellite television in which Gisele Bündchen gets down on her knees to scrub floors, while singing to herself. [Racked]
0 Comments