First, Lady GaGa Came For Your Pants, And You Said Nothing
Latest- Women, gird your loins: Lady GaGa wants you to share her personal, pants-optional, control-top-hose-and-neon-and-sunglasses-at-night style of dress. Because in the future, everyone will have a clothing line. [Sassybella]
- Back in the realm of actual designers, Prabal Gurung (the other guy who used to design for Bill Blass) is presenting a self-funded 20-look collection at New York fashion week. He intends to grow the label slowly as a foil against the recession. “Controlled distribution is my mantra,” says Gurung. “I’m in no rush to be the next big thing.” Let’s hope we can somehow see Peter Som at fashion week as well. [WSJ]
- Don’t mind the layoffs, we’re Forbes! In the midst of the recession, the financial magazine has some sunny news: the rich will still shop. Also, a Saudi prince spent $13,000 on sunglasses this one time. So clearly all is well. [Forbes]
- Or, at least it’s well if you’re Polo: profit was much higher than expected last quarter, the company reported this morning. The company earned $1.05 per share, after analysts had expected only 86 cents. [Reuters]
- Freida Pinto is this award season’s “it” girl, if you can strike that mustard Lacroix sack from her record, that is. [WWD]
- The owner of a store called Forever Leather plies his wares on late-night television, only in this ad, he starts ranting about Hillary Clinton‘s presidential bid, Eliot Spitzer’s prostitution scandal, and the economy. “Tell you what, if I ran the state of New York, there’d be jobs in New York, and people would be happy, instead of strugglin’, and pissin’ and moanin’ about how bad things are all the time. Why dontcha do something?” Then he pulls out a cardboard cut-out of the senator and says, “Thanks for nothin’, Hillary Clinton.” You basically have to watch it. [AdAge]
- The hardest-working legal team in the Western hemisphere just got a new leader: American Apparel has announced that Glenn A. Weinman, former vice president general counsel and secretary for Guess, will take the same position at the California-based company, which as we all know continues to face numerous sexual-harassment lawsuits. Weinman’s baptism by fire begins on February 17. [WWD]
- California Select, American Apparel’s only vintage store, has closed down. (California Select, you might remember, is what the girls from Chictopia wear in their very special American Apparel ads.) The company’s expansion was the fastest in US retail history, so it’s no surprise there should be some blowback. [WWD]
- Isaac Mizrahi‘s first collection for Liz Claiborne is fully online, with prices and videos of Isaac getting excited about the clothes. [Liz Claiborne]
- This video claims to offer news of the “highly speculative” LVMH Coach buy-out, but I can’t stop thinking about the shockingly ugly portmanteau “handbagorexia” and what, if anything, it might mean. [The Street]
- Now that fashion week has entered its last year at the tents, WWD has a look back at the 16 years the event called Bryant Park home. [WWD]
- The Target micro-site for McQ Alexander McQueen for Target has launched — just 28 days before the clothes hit stores on March 4. You can only see three of the looks, though, so if you’re curious about the collection we covered it when the lookbook leaked. [Target]
- Michelle Obama had her hair done by a guy named Rahni on inauguration day. Rahni would like very much to tell you what that was like. Next up: the woman who did the first lady’s nails. [The Cut]
- Simon Doonan says: “Keeping your best clothes for parties is the same as leaving the plastic on your lampshades. There are limitations, though; nobody wants an invasive medical procedure performed by a doctor in a Cavalli sequined unitard.” Which is precisely why I’m writing this news roundup in a purple silk sheath dress, green vintage crocodile pumps, and an old Hermès scarf, cigarette holder in hand, while my ocelot, Mr. Snugglepuss, purrs on the divan to my right. It just feels so much better this way. [Times of London]
- Betsey Johnson may be cutting costs by holding a presentation instead of a runway show, but her invitations are in no way third-rate. How cute, a pot holder! [Fashionista]
- Meanwhile, Erin Fetherson has gone high-tech, forgoing paper invitations for a special Flash-animated website for RSVPs. [Style.com]
- Fresh after opening her first Paris store, Stella McCartney is expanding into the Middle East, and will have six stores in the region by the middle of this year. [WWD]
- More potentially terrible fashion news: a Badgley Mischka employee was reportedly overheard talking about a “massive fight” the lover/designers had and how it might lead to a split. After recently discounting their line, at that. The story was denied by the company’s representative. [New York Daily News]
- Are you a megamogul looking for a famous face to shill for your products more effectively than average? Market research brings you all the necessary appeal/awareness rankings for celebrities in need of endorsement contracts. [WWD]
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