Amy Winehouse's Fashion Line Now "On Hold"
LatestFred Perry says its collaboration with Amy Winehouse is “on hold” following her death. Last year, in an interview Harper’s Bazaar described as mostly incoherent, Winehouse claimed of the clothing line, “We’ve pretty much done like up to autumn/winter 2012, and I’m like, ‘Have we?’ Yeah!” [Fashionista]
Fashion columnist Robin Givhan on the relationship between Amy Winehouse and the fashion industry: “The industry has some experience with addiction and 12-step programs; that it would be empathetic of Winehouse and drawn to her music is no surprise…Yet there was something weirdly defiant, admiring, and perhaps even envious in the way the fashion industry went agog over Winehouse…What made Winehouse intoxicating was that she blended vintage style with the fashion industry’s love for destruction, for fetishizing imperfections, and for elevating broken-down beauty…there’s nothing more old-fashioned than treating high designs, expensive clothes, or rare jewels as something precious. Modern style dictates the need for imperfection. Take a luxury garment and wreck it in some way. Pair a fancy evening gown with bed head. Being too polished, too perfect, reads as fake. Authentic beauty comes when something precious is treated with nonchalance — even disrespect, perhaps even a bit of abuse. The idea is to show how little you care.” Just a few years ago, Karl Lagerfeld was pronouncing Winehouse a “muse” to him and a “genius”; following her death, the only fashion house to respond to Women’s Wear Daily‘s request for comment was Fendi, which delivered a tactfully worded statement via a spokesperson. [TDB]
Stella McCartney’s fall ads, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, feature Natalia Vodianova. And a shrubbery. [WWD]
Han Jin is on the cover of Vogue Korea’s 15th anniversary issue. [DS]
Here are the first photos of Balmain’s soon-to-be-launched secondary line. The goods will be sold under the brand name “Pierre Balmain,” and rather than selling $1625 t-shirts like the real Balmain, Pierre Balmain t-shirts will only set you back $172. [WWD]
Twilight star Kellan Lutz and model Anne Vyalitsyna star in new ads for Dylan George, the denim label run by Danny Guez. Lutz and Guez collaborated on a 25-piece collection to be called Abbot + Main, which launches this fall. [NYDN]
Italian mobsters can no longer wear their bespoke suits while serving their prison sentences in Sicily. Newly banned labels at Ucciardone prison in Palermo include Prada, Gucci, Valentino, Versace, Louis Vuitton, Armani, and — subject to the guards’ whims — Trussardi. “My husband will be left naked,” said the wife of one inmate. “He only has designer clothes, and that’s not because he’s flashy but because they last much longer and are better quality. Why humiliate him? Why force us to buy clothes at street markets?” Why indeed. [Guardian]
- David Beckham, on dressing: “[Victoria] lets me wear whatever I want to, but I definitely ask her for tips because it’s what she does. She’s great at dressing people. She loves her fashion.” [Vogue UK]
- Leighton Meester, on shopping: “I love sample sales! Proenza [Schouler] always has the good ones, and is one of my favorite designers. Most of the Proenzas in my closet are from sample sales.” [People]
- Televisual bobblehead Giuliana Rancic is preparing to launch a clothing line on HSN, which she dreams Gwyneth Paltrow might wear. [WWD]
- New York City doesn’t have a permanent bike-sharing program — which didn’t use to be such a big deal, back in, say, 2006, when the only person who would talk about bike-sharing programs was your annoying friend-of-a-friend who spent a semester in Paris and evermore said things like, “Oh, in Paris getting around was so easy; I would just use le Vélib,” but has become increasingly embarrassing in the intervening years. For goodness sake, even D.C. has one now. And what’s the point of paying New York City rent if you can’t even feel superior to D.C.? But for a limited time this fall, New Yorkers will be able to borrow designer bicycles, which is maybe even cooler? During fashion week, bikes decorated by the likes of Diane von Furstenberg, Isaac Mizrahi, Elie Tahari, Nanette Lepore and Rebecca Taylor will be available to borrow at designated stations in the Garment District. [WWD]
- Profits at Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy, the world’s largest luxury conglomerate, are up 25% on last year during the first six months. And so LVMH bought another sliver of Hermès to celebrate: the company revealed it now owns 21.4% of the family-run firm, which has noisily protested LVMH’s investment, up from 20.2% in December. Christian Dior’s financial performance has apparently not been harmed by longtime creative director John Galliano’s racist outburst and firing this February and March. Net profit at Dior increased 29.5%, to €1.44 billion, and sales of Dior goods were up by 27% in the same period. [WWD]
- Jill Bumby: “it used to be all about the person’s inner light for me, but this year’s theme is that it’s your goddamn responsibility to make an effort when you go out in public. It’s like, life is just aesthetics, and the way you present yourself to the world is fucking important. Most people don’t make that effort. Especially men — there’s only so many khakis and blue oxford shirts that we can stomach before we want to just get up and leave.” [The Cut]