Bye Bye Blass

I'm SO sad to see you go.

The news that legendary American design house, Bill Blass Couture will be closing is so utterly depressing. Known for his impeccably tailored garments and richly luxurious textiles, Blass hit the scene as a force to be reckoned with back in the 70s, oozing style and sophistication into the realm of American sportswear. Since then, the design house has produced and endless number of timeless classics- and was one of the major players in bringing worldwide respect to the talents of existing and burgeoning U.S. designers.

In its more recent history, Bill Blass Couture served as a maison that really payed homage to its roots. Under the creative direction of Peter Som, the company flourished, creating beautiful, charming, and wonderfully wearable garments that embraced the rules of modernity and contemporary clothing while still championing the vintage glamor of yore. In short, it was one of those few design houses than never seemed to dissappoint.

Whether or not you are a tried and true "Blass woman," there is just something about his clothing that appeals to your sensibilities. Its hard not to appreciate the intricate craftsmanship, the beautiful tailoring, the clean lines or the feminine, lady-like silhouettes. I had high hopes for the future of the line, especially with Som at its helm, so it's with much sadness that I say goodbye to this truly legendary design house. I can only hope that someone with some insight swoops it up and relaunches it- because it's truly a shame to let it die.

too funny not to mention

who ever said fashion and politics don't mix wasn't living in the Palin- era...

little miss sarah is at it again, and the blunders never really seem to get old

read up on palin's designer duds on nymag, here

she's also dragging the kiddies down with her...

what is our world coming to? two weeks can't pass fast enough!

wtf, is she forreal?

how the hell does someone like this get famous? i'd really like to know

i've been meaning to mention

have y'all seen the craziness that fendi unveiled not too long ago?

yes, you guessed right. thats a 24karat gold persian lamb fur coat you're looking at. apparently the technology behind it has been in the works in fendi's furrier atelier for about 20 years or some crazy amount of time like that. too bad they released it in one of the worst global economies of our time. i wonder who we'll spot doling out the precious cash necessary to get their fashion-addict paws on this little darling... oh, the irony.

Subject: Geisha Look For Jillian!

Image courtesy of Eyes Lips Face.

That was the subject of an email that I received from Eyes Lips Face. After Tala's post about Gwen Stefani, I've really been thinking about cultural appropriation in the beauty and fashion industries and the idea of "consuming the other".

Hello academia! Oh, how I've apparently missed you. While I haven't produced a serious thesis point, certainly not one strong enough to contend with the impressive literature that's out there already, all I can say is that this type of advertisement makes me uncomfortable. This ad in particular makes me uncomfortable for a lot of reasons but to start, I'll say the fascination that Americans have with Geisha and the level of misunderstanding surrounding Japanese culture has a lot to do with it.

And that's not to say that in a world of increasingly blurred boundaries and cross cultural interactions, we cannot share inspiration...but there has to be a better way, right?

this shit IS bananas

Gwen Stefani has gone too far.

This morning as I was perusing the pages of my copy of ELLE, a quiet rage erupted as a read a short little blurb tucked away in the Beauty News section of the glossy. According to the brief article, Gwen Stefani's newest "genius" and "innovative" idea is to bottle up her exotification and cultural appropriation into cute little Harajuku girl perfumes, modeled after her hand-picked Japanese posse. The series of fragrances, appropriately named Harajuku Lovers, come in the form of ever-so-cute and oh-so-offensive plastic figurines- aimed at further objectifying and dehumanizing these interesting creatures. Now, I don't know about you, but I had a serious WTF!?!?! moment. And so I ask, how is this ok?

In a world where capitalism rules supreme, I guess I shouldn't have been so shocked by this bit of news. I mean, it's not like Gwen's really done anything to redeem herself or make up for her cultural appropriating ways. Don't get me wrong, I ultimately do like Gwen- and think she's made important and interesting contributions to fashion- but her days as a true innovator have long since faded away. But back to my original question, why do we let people, especially celebrities get away with things like this. Why is it ok to steal another person/peoples culture, repackage it, and claim it as our own innovation? Am I the only one who finds fault in this trend? I think it's perfectly respectable to be inspired by others, to share ideas and foster collective creativity- but this just strikes me as cold hard capitalism, rooted in histories of colonialism and imperialism.

So far, all the articles I've read have failed to mention any tinge of discomfort at the idea of these fragrances. They are set to debut this September in Macy's all around the country. I wonder how they'll fare...

et tu, JTimberlake?

In case you don't get the weekly N'sync newsletter anymore, I'd like to remind you that my boo- JTimberlake and his bff Trace Ayala have their own clothing line called William Rast. We couldn't be more over the celeb-designer trend but I have to admit, I'm intrigued by their marketing strategy. Although JT was hesitant to make himself the face of the company, considering the products they've produced thus far, I think Justin's pretty mug is just about all they have going for them.

Photo of Trace Ayala and Justin Timberlake courtesy of InStyle

JT and Trace have a lot in common with Lauren Conrad- they've managed to produce a whole line overpriced and underinspired clothing. This pair of denim jeans, which you could easily cop from Levi's, would set you back $220 if you wanted the William Rast label sewn on the inside. As someone who spent an exorbitant amount of money on her teenybopper phase, I could kind of imagine some girl-ladies running out and buying these clothes just so that they could have a little piece of Justin but are dudes really going to rush out to buy them jeans?

Yes. Probably. Most Likely. If you're in the market for $200 jeans, you want to buy the $200 jeans that are endorsed by an international sex symbol, don't you? Sure. And in case you were wondering about JT's relevance (it's been a minute since we had a new single or a collabo with Timberland), he's been peddling his good looks to any fashion mag that's interested and is the face of Givenchy's new fragrance. Oh, and he's slated to host the Oscar's next year. So you see, he's still hot.


And if that wasn't enough, JT and Trace have promised us a series of dramatic William Rast webisodes. These short movies will chronicle the rebellious William Rast and his gal pal Birdie (played by Erin Wasson) as they don William Rast duds and run from the law. And make-out. You might remember hearing about Erin being injured while working- yeah, well, apparently these videos are going be super intense and in case you didn't catch the drift, JTimberlake was "cast" in the role of William Rast. I can picture rich Duuudes everywhere, "secretly" watching the videos on youtube and developing some disturbing Bonnie and Clyde fantasy that can only be satisfied by rushing out and buying those $200 jeans.


If Justin and Trace want to capitalize on JT's revitalized celebrity status, they need to act fast and release these webisodes. NYMag is reporting that Lydia Hearst is starring in a film for Bebe that sounds suspiciously like the William Rast videos which sound suspiciously like a thousand other stories. All I know is, I was promised these videos weeks ago and they have yet to deliver and until I'm absolutely wowed by JT's acting skills, I'll be keeping my $200.


P.S. Justin, honey, if you're reading this- please stop the squinting thing you've been doing in all your recent photographs. It's not that cute and it makes you look a little constipated. NSYNC 4 LYFE!

P.P.S. I forgot to mention that JT is also building an eco-friendly golf course in Memphis. So he's got the southern country club set on lock too.

what next?

As you all have probably noticed, both Jillian and I have frequently expressed our concern with the terrible trend that's been running rampant throughout the land as of late... the delebrity or celebrity-turned-designer. While some celebrities do have style, most have stylists- and just because you know how to dress (or know how to hire someone who knows how to dress) does not mean that you should take it upon yourself to spread your "wisdom" to the rest of us (or rather, pollute stores with tacky and tasteless designs...)

The most recent addition to the monstrous list of delebrities is none other than Fergie. Luckily, Fergie won't be dressing us- but she definitely wants us to be spending some time in her shoes. According to this article on New York Magazine's blog The Cut, Fergie launched her new line of shoes yesterday in Las Vegas. The line is a product of a collaboration with Brown Shoe and is set to launch in Spring 2009. 

After a little google searching, I found a few photos that give a tiny glimpse into the line. All I know is, I'm not impressed.  What do you think?

wtf!

Apollo Braun is the worst.

I first heard about his foolishness when he produced an "Obama is my slave" shirt. Wrong on so many levels. But when I looked at his website and saw the mess below, I had a hissy fit. This dude and his entourage are trying to be provocative/controversial but all they have managed to do is spread hate. You don't have to vote for Obama, you don't even have to like Obama but...come on, this is crossing so many lines! I wish I could formulate a more coherent and extensive analysis but I'm just so angry right now. Wow.


"I am a true anti-Obama New York Jew. The word on the street is that New York Jews will vote for McCain anyhow. The majority of the Jews – at least the ones that are proud of their religion and practice it – like me, don't want to see Obama – a man who's middle name is Hussein, and his family from his Kenyan father's side is Muslim, as the leader of this great country". Source: Gothamist.

extremely poor taste

It's officially time for "celebrities" to stop designing clothing. The results are rarely any good and I find that to be rather sad. If I had millions of dollars and endless resources available to me, I'd like to think that I could pump out a decent product.

The latest celebrity to offend me is Aubrey O'Day and her line, Heart On My Sleeve. Not only are her designs uninspired, they're down right tacky. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised, considering O'Day gained her "fame" as a part of Diddy's girl group, Danity Kane, and is notorious for her hot mess fashion faux pas. I know I've been wrong in the past- Lindsay's sold out leggings being the latest example- but I really hope that these clothes go unsold. And yet, I can already think of a few people who would love O'Day's raunch-a-wear.

wasn't she on America's Net Top Model? if so, this is sad.

hate is the new love? yikes. bad headbands + weird charms = big mess

just, no. absolutely not.

animal cruelty.

it says "bad boys make my panties drop"....

Someone please explain why any of the items above are being sold on the same page as baby clothes. Really weird, kind of extra creepy, baby clothes.

Photos courtesy of Hollywood Headache and Heart On My Sleeve.

sweatshop labor

I regularly hate on the prices at American Apparel but I definitely understand why those with the right kind of cash flow buy their gear there. Well, the ones who do it for the sweat shop free labor anyway- although it's common knowledge that things aren't all good at AA.

The New York State Department of Labor just shut down Jin Shun Inc., a garment contractor that manufactures clothes for Coldwater Creek, Gap Inc. (owner of Gap and Banana Republic), and Limited Brands (owner of Express, The Limited, and Victoria's Secret). The company was allegedly running a sweatshop in Queens that overworked/underpaid it's mostly immigrant staff. The allegation is that Jin Shun Inc. cheated more than 100 workers out of $3mil in minimum wage and overtime since 2005.

Absolutely obscene...

Source/More Info: CNN.
Image courtesy of American Apparel.

oldies but goodies

Naomi Campbell as the face of Yves Saint Laurent, fall 2008.
Photographed by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin.

Physically assaulting people isn't the only way that Naomi Campbell knows how to stir up trouble. In a recent interview with The Daily Mirror, a tabloid from the UK, Campbell professed that the golden age of the supermodel is over and that the future is looking rather bleak. In her opinion, the term 'supermodel' is used too loosely and Gisele Bundchen is the youngest lady deserving the title. Campbell notably called out the current "It Girls", Agyness Deyn and Lily Cole, by name and suggested that they have a lot to prove if they wished to be compared to the greats.

I'm sure there are a lot of people ready to defend Agyness Deyn because she has dazzled the industry on the runway and with her personal style as well. Deyn has modeled for a laundry list of companies, including: Anna Sui, Blugirl, Burberry, Cacharel, Gianfranco FeFerrè, Giorgio Armani, Jean Paul Gautier, Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood, and on and on. She's also been gaining lots of gossip-press for her romance with Albert Hammond Jr. (formerly?) of The Strokes.

While I recognize that she has accomplished quite a lot and has worked with incredible talents within the fashion industry, I'm taking Naomi's side on this one. In my opinion, Agyness Deyn is no supermodel at least not in the way that old-school models like Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista were.

So what, besides lots of gigs, makes a model super?
Longevity.

Deyn is a Supreme-Fashionista, no one can take that away from her, but she's still relatively new to the industry-- her career didn't really pick up until '07, '06 if we're feeling generous and taking into account the impact of her social life on her publicity. If Deyn can keep getting covers and walking the runway for many more years then she just might earn the title of supermodel. But until then, I'd like to suggest that we reserve that word for the grown folk. These ladies have truly paid their dues and I can only hope to look half as good when I'm in my 40s.

Claudia Schiffer on the cover of German Vogue, June 2008.

Photographed by Mario Testino.

Cindy Crawford in an Italian GQ editorial, January 2008.

Photographed by Vincent Peters.

Christy Turlington in a W magazine editorial, August 2008.

Photographed by Michael Thompson.

Linda Evangelista on the cover of Italian Vogue, June 2008.

Photographed by Steven Meisel.

All photos courtesy of NYMAG.

i don't wanna grow up

Yesterday, the real world caught up with me. There I was, shifting through the sale racks at Old Navy looking for a hidden gem when my sister- my older sister who has a doctorate degree- starts talking to me about work clothes and the importance of having the right basics. I was listening, honestly I was, but in the back of my mind all I could think was:
But I know all about clothes. I LOVE clothes.



So why don't have any work appropriate clothing?

Perhaps in response to years at a prep school with an unforgiving dress code, I spent my college years turning my closet into a collection of quirky thrift store finds and rejoicing over finally being able to wear t-shirts and jeans without ever stopping to think about the long term effects. Listening to my sister talk, I was beginning to suspect that even my intern outfits might be a little too "creative" for my new mature-young-adult-office life.

I felt a panic attack coming on. Normally the idea of shopping for lots of new clothes would make me happy but I was somewhere on the other side of the emotional spectrum- I was feeling dread. A subsequent trip to Forever 21 only worsened the whole ordeal. So many prints and slip dresses, I wanted to buy them all but sadly I knew there was no place for them in my new life of "basics".

I finally realized that I was being dramatic, but only a little, and consoled myself by spending a long time looking at Melissa Coker's designs for her clothing line, Wren.

Coker was once an intern at Helmut Lang, Vogue and W, and also worked at Abercrombie & Fitch. I'm inclined to put my faith in her style and who knows, maybe I'll find a way to retain a shred of my youthful passion for fashion as I enter the workforce.

-dramatic sigh-

buyer beware

It seems like anyone who is enjoying 15 minutes of fame can design handbags or come out with a fragrance. Paris Hilton, for example, has done both. So when you find out that a "celebrity" has released a line of fragrances that may cause cancer, you probably suspect the culprit is a sneaky D-lister, right? My money would have been on that evil Lauren Conrad.

I certainly never suspected MK&A, America's favorite twins.
They look so honest!

According to the Environmental Working Group, some of the beauty products that the Olsens peddle contain known carcinogens. I'm curious to see how they explain this Walmart, although I'd be willing to believe the mega-corporation knew all along. Lawsuits and massive refunds are sure to follow as this story gains press.

Shameful.

EDIT: NY Magizine is reporting that beauty giant, L'Oréal is being sued for knowingly selling products containing carcinogens in Europe and South America. The dirt came from a former employee who claims he was fired after voicing concern about the company's illegal practices. Very disturbing. If you buy their products, you should definitely take a couple of minutes to read the article.

Image courtesy of Celebrity Free Pics.

put your money where your...

VOTE is, that's what Anna Wintour and André Leon Talley are doing. The fab fashion duo are just a few of the big names dropping some major ca$$$$h for our shining hope, Barack Obama. According to New York Magazine's blog, The Cut, they are trying to raise between $100,000-$200,000 in support of the presidential hopeful's campaign, with contributions from designers like Calvin Klein, Zac Posen, Tory Burch and Catherine Malandrino, to name a few. I mean, I always knew fashion was great, but who knew it could be this great?




p.s. What the hell is up with the New Yorker "satire" cover of Barack and Michelle Obama? It's absolutely offensive and inexcusable. Tell me, how is that supposed to dispel any misconception?