Fashion news 2011: Mad Men fashions land at Banana Republic: Devotees of the hit television series Mad Men - about a Sixties ad agency where the style is as important as the plot - will soon be able to tap into the characters' immaculate dress sense thanks to a collaboration between the show's costume designer and American-based retailer Banana Republic.
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Janie Bryant, the woman behind Joan Holloway's (played by Christina Hendricks) figure-hugging work dresses and Betty Francis's (immortalised by January Jones) prom-perfect gowns, has teamed up with the store to launch a range for men and women.
"Sixty years ago, there was a different code of what was presentable. There was no going out of the house without stockings, pantyhose, slips and garters, and long-line bras. Now you go out of the house in sweat pants," says Bryant.
But the Mad Men- branded range won't border on television costumes: the clothes are modern and suited to the world of work.
"It's about good tailoring - it's more buttoned up and polished," explains Simon Kneen, Banana Republic's creative director.
Gone is the enhanced hourglass created with bust darts and high waistline, while the favoured Sixties palette of acid green and mustard yellow have been updated in sophisticated shades of navys, reds and blacks. Fabrics have stretch and are more lightweight, making the designs altogether more comfortable.
"I have always loved dressing up," says Bryant, who has been nominated for an Emmy award for her Mad Men costumes. "It's exciting that people want to learn about that [era] again."
The new clothing line, which launches on Thursday, August 25, and features slim suits for men, also provides a temporary fix for Mad Men fans awaiting the show's return next year.
(telegraph fashion news)
Fashion news 2011: Vogue Italia accused of racism for 'Slave earrings' feature: The feature, published on the Vogue Italia website on August 5, was accompanied by product images of large, gold-hooped earrings and a short burst of copy by Vogue writer Anna Bassi describing the trend, dating from 2010.
"Jewellery has always flirted with circular shapes, especially for use in making earrings. The most classic models are the slave and creole styles in gold hoops. If the name brings to the mind the decorative traditions of the women of colour who were brought to the southern Unites [sic] States during the slave trade, the latest interpretation is pure freedom. Colored stones, symbolic pendants and multiple spheres. And the evolution goes on."
But within hours of being published, the feature faced stinging worldwide criticism, the strongest of which claimed Vogue Italia was guilty of a "disgraceful" attempt to "glamourise slavery".
One blogger called Chezney, wrote "There is absolutely nothing fashionable about the history of enslaved Africans."
Angry readers mounted a campaign where followers could tweet Italian Vogue to register their fury.
Demanding a full apology and the withdrawal of the feature it continued: "In this latest example by Vogue Magazine, we want the ad removed immediately and we want a specific apology to Black women because Black womens' supposed slave narratives were used in the promulgation of the ad."
Marianne Smith wrote: "Are you serious? I hope that you get truly humiliated for this worldwide vogue. This is disgraceful. You should be ashamed. Since when does an African design for earrings become a "slave" design. This will backfire on you badly and I'm going to make sure that happens."
Other angry posters put up the private email address of Vogue writer Anna Bassi.
The Telegraph contacted Vogue Italia's editor in chief Franca Sozzani, who also writes a blog for the vogue.it website. She told us: "We apologise for the inconvenience. It is a matter of really bad translation from Italian into English. The Italian word, which defines those kind of earrings, should instead be translated into "ethnical style earrings". Again, we are sorry about this mistake which we have just amended in the website".
Sozzani is famed for tackling the controversial topics which orbit the fashion world head-on.
The July 2008 issue of the magazine was entirely dedicated to black girls and their website hosts a 'V Black' section dedicated to black models, celebrities and bloggers; alongside 'V Curvy' aimed at plus-size women.
Sozzani also fronts an online campaign 'Vogue.it Against Pro-Anorexia Websites' which petitions to shut down sites offering advice and encouragement to girls who want to stop eating. The campaign already has 9,424 signatures.
In a recent Vogue.it blog post, Sozzani tackled the issue of racism in the fashion industry.
"It is true that there are very few black models around," she wrote pointing out that there is however "a new generation of models coming from Tunisia and Morocco. Northern Africa. Their skin is amber-colored and not precisely black."
"There are many black beauties around and there would be even more if agencies would choose to scout in those countries. Instead, all agencies go to Eastern Europe, as if it were the only breeding ground for models."
"Involving racism is totally inappropriate and also an easy choice. Finding real solutions is more challenging and burdensome. We try to do our best through Vogue Italia and the website, with a dedicated channel, so why can't others do the same instead of complaining or, worse, condemning?"
She ends by pointing out that the present issue of Vogue Italia's sister publication, L'Uomo Vogue, featured Beyoncé on the cover, following cover turns by Jay-Z, Puff Daddy, Snoop Dogg.
The fashion world may have to rethink other accepted terminology. Bracelets worn on the upper arm are traditionally referred to as 'slave bangles', while America's First Lady, Michelle Obama, inadvertently kicked off a race row last year after a fashion pundit from Associated Press referred to her Naeem Khan dress as a 'nude strapless gown'.
The news agency was compelled to revise its reference to the dress colour from "flesh" to "champagne" after one fashion editor objected, asking: "Whose flesh? Not hers."
(telegraph fashion news)
Fashion news 2911: luxury fashion by the Olsen twins: When she was starting college, Ashley Olsen did something many fashion-conscious teenagers do: she set out on a quest for the perfect T-shirt.
But Ashley had more resources than most students, so she employed a factory in Los Angeles to work with her and create what she had in mind.
It took a year and a half, on and off, but eventually she and her twin sister, Mary-Kate, got something they felt was right not only for their petite frames, but also on all the other women of various ages and sizes they tried it on.
The secret, they say, is the French seam running down the back. 'It's cut from one piece of fabric,' explains Ashley, who is the older by a few minutes, and tends to take the lead when discussing business. 'It's about the drape and the fabric. And finding the balance between the two.'
'It's made on a lingerie machine,' adds Mary-Kate, fingering the silky, diaphanous sample that is hanging on a rail behind us. 'A lot of thought has to go into it.'
Having put in so much effort, they decided to try to sell this T-shirt, and came up with the concept of The Row, a high-end, luxury clothing label based in New York, manufactured mainly in America but also in Italy, and named to evoke the kind of quality tailoring and fit synonymous with London's Savile Row.
'I did feel there was a need for luxurious basics, to wear with couture,' explains Ashley, who at just over 5ft 1in is slightly taller than her sister. 'When you're small like I am, you need things to break it up, or not look like you're in the full look. So it started with that concept, and just kind of grew from there. It's pieces that we feel are missing, or that we want. We make the best quality, things that we would shop for, that we appreciate and find beautiful.'
On paper, the past few years haven't been the best time to launch a luxury label. But despite the high-end prices - that basic T-shirt sells for £195 on Net-a-Porter, a camel wool coat is nearly £2,000, with a pretty lace shirt at £995 and dresses for £1,500 and upwards - since its launch in 2006 The Row has grown quietly, organically, into a force to be reckoned with.
Last month it was shortlisted for the New Talent award at America's prestigious CFDA Fashion Awards, and in April the label had a major feature in US Vogue and also received the endorsement of First Lady Michelle Obama, who wore its pleated skirt for an appearance on television.
The Row appeals to a clientele that is, on the whole, older than its 25-year-old designers: working women who are willing to spend money on quality, but don't necessarily want to shout about it with loud logos. With understated, classic pieces that fit beautifully, feel good against the skin and won't look dated after one season's wear, it has thrived through the recession, building a loyal following of repeat customers.
Photos in luxury fashion by the Olsen twins 2011
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(telegraph fashion news)
Women's Footwear 2011: Jason Wu Footwear For Fall-Winter Fashion 2011-2012 Collection: Jason Wu footwear collection for Fall/Winter 2011/2012 is a nice and polished combination of a few Fall/Winter 2011 trends that resulted in a laconic yet modern and elegant footwear that catches the eye but is still wearable and classy.
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Jason Wu footwear collection for Fall/Winter 2011/2012 is gorgeous. Sleek and elegant designs make it perfect for evening wear yet there are some eye catchy details that won’t make these shoes go unnoticed. Made from satin, calfskin or lacquered leather they all have something else to show off like a spike sleek heel or a metallic detail on that spot where the heel gets scratched most of all. As opposed to Jason Wu‘s Spring/Summer 2011 futuristic footwear collection of mostly heeled platform shoes the Fall/Winter 2011/2012 collection looks classy and tamed down, yet it’s not plain.
The Fall/Winter 2011/2012 styles that Jason Wu offers us come in classic black but also in an array of bold satin hues as well as gold foil finish. There are sandals, pumps, and ankle booties that come with heel or strap details. Abby ankle boots though come with jewelry detail at the hem and same metallic detail on the heel.
The satin range Frida comes in an extensive color palette. There are classic black and nude, but also mustard, deep red, electric blue and turquoise. A nice addition to this classic evening footwear is that it comes with metal spike heels. Shoes in golden foil finish come in pump and sandal styles in Heloise and Catherine series. If you like the calfskin finish there is a pair of black pumps in Heloise range and ankle booties in Abby in deep red hue. Lacquered finish can be found in Catherine and Heloise ranges in pointed deep red sandal with a black spike heel and deep red pump (first picture above) with black heel detail.
There are quite a few trends in Jason Wu Fall/Winter 2011/2012 collection. Spike heels are definitely on trend the upcoming season as well as satin and calfskin. The models at Jason Wu Fall 2011 RTW fashion show have worn these shoes with dotted pantyhose or bare feet with such outfits as classic creased trousers, midi A-line and full skirts, cocktail and evening maxi dresses.
Photos of Women's Footwear 2011 of Jason Wu:
Celebrity shoes News 2011: Celebrity shoe auction donors revealed: Snap up a pair of designer shoes owned by the likes of Sienna Miller and Rachel Weisz while doing your bit for charity.
Sienna Miller with her signed Calvin Klein shoes 2011
Have you ever thought of putting yourself in somebody else's shoes? How about if those shoes belonged to Colin Firth, Sarah Jessica Parker or Vivienne Westwood? Well now you have the chance to do just that with the Celebrity Shoe Auction.
Small Steps Project, a charity founded in 2008, which aims to support children living on rubbish dumps around the world, has unveiled the list of celebrities who have donated to their shoes to the auction. Stars include Sienna Miller, Julie Walters, Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz and Jamie Oliver, who are offering up their favourite shoes from brands such as Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin and Gucci.
The fashionable footwear will be sold off at the Royal Society of Medicine on October 12th, with many stars acting as the auctioneer for their own shoes. There will also be an online auction for those who are unable to make the event.
Donated shoes are pouring in thick and fast and the list of charitable celebs is growing longer by the day. For your chance to step into a celebrity's shoes visit Small Steps Project for tickets and more information.
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Ricky Gervais, who was the first to donate shoes to the auction. Photo: Small Steps Project
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Sharleen Spiteri and her Gucci heels which she has donated 2011
Gold sandals which have been donated by Joanna Lumley 2011
(telegraph fashion news)
Fashion news 2011: Coco Chanel spied for Nazis, claims new book: French designer Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel spied for the Nazis during the German occupation of France in World War II, according to a new book, Sleeping with the Enemy: Coco Chanel's Secret War , by Hal Vaughan.
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Vaughan expands on long-standing evidence that the iconic designer had a double life and was the lover of a spy, Baron Hans Gunther von Dincklage.
" Sleeping with the Enemy pieces together how Coco Chanel became a German Intelligence operative; how and why she was enlisted in a number of spy missions; how she escaped arrest in France after the war," New York publishers Knopf said in a statement.
Vaughan's book reveals that not only was Chanel recruited to the Abwehr military intelligence organization, but that von Dincklage was himself a "Nazi master spy."
He "ran a spy ring in the Mediterranean and in Paris and reported directly to Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels, right hand of Hitler."
Bolstering the claim that Günther von Dincklage was a Nazi spy is biographer Lisa Chaney, whose book, Coco Chanel: An Intimate Life , is due out later this year. Chaney had access to to documents in the Swiss Federal Archives which proved that the German was a spy during World War II.
Chanel was also "fiercely" anti-Semitic, the book says, although at the time she would not have stood out among numerous other high-profile compatriots later seen as having collaborated during the 1940-44 occupation.
Chanel, an orphan who became a revolutionary designer, moved to Switzerland after the war before returning to Paris to take up her career in fashion. She was never charged with any wrongdoing and died in 1971.
(telegraph fashion news)
Fashion news 2011: Lady Gaga with new wear style 2011 looked very muse: When Lady Gaga professed back in June that she was only going to wear Versace for two months, first we rolled our eyes and yawned, then went back to gawping at the usual roster of ridiculum that Gaga perpetually purveys.
Here's Gaga dressed in a specially adapted set of Siegfried and Roy's leopard print nylon bed sheets to attend a business meeting. Witness Gaga, a vision in powder blue (head to toe natch) 'expressing her feelings about Amy Winehouse's death'. Here's Gaga again, this time in Leigh Bowery mode dropping by a radio station in a floor length clear plastic gown replete with a lace face and jazzy fan (actually, this look is quite fun to be honest). And finally, the pièce de résistance: Gaga in a hat-to-hoof jumbo hounds-tooth print ensemble finished with - what else - woolen houndstooth lens sunglasses!
So far so predictable, but then the Versace manifesto kicked back in, and overnight a new incarnation of LG was born -Gagatella Versace.
Gone the outlandish crazy-colour hair pieces, replaced with a sleek platinum side-swept mane which owes more to Versace's vice-president and chief designer Donatella, than her default style icons: the Muppets (forgetting for one moment DV's uncanny resemblance to Janice, the lead guitar player in The Muppet Show band Electric Mayhem ).
The past week has seen an altogether more… together version of the pop icon, and frankly, I'm feeling it. From the floor length black gown split to the thigh, to the printed black shift and yellow snakeskin dress, both from Versace's autumn/winter 2011 collection, the polished look is working.
It's surely only a matter of time before she troops out in a dress made of fireworks or a hat carved from cheese, so let's lap this up and enjoy Gaga's moment as a lady in the fashionable sense of the word.
(telegraph fashion news)
Fashion news 2011: Latest Dress Style of Zoe Saldana 2011: If you're looking for inspiration on how to do summer in the city, search no longer. Actress Zoe Saldana - star of Avatar and recently cast in the new Star Trek film - is the perfect embodiment of urban casual in this little concoction of garments.
Zoe Saldana out and about, Los Angeles 2011
Keeping to a neutral and shades-of-grey colour palette, the mix of her sportswear-feel skirt and soft, cotton shirt is a nice variation on the more formal skirt-and-a-shirt look that has been so popular this season. The fabric choices are key: tactile, luxey. The small across-the-body bag and loosely knotted linen scarf are dead-on for that yeah-I-look-hot-but-I'm-just-running-to-the-cashpoint-actually effect.
This nonchalant styling is helped of course by the fact that Saldana has the body of a goddess and is groomed to the highest echelons of the Hollywood beauty standard with limbs oiled, hair glossy and a perfect pinky red lipstick that defiantly does not match her dark brown toes and finger nails.
So, yes, I realise this wouldn't work quite so well with untoned legs in need of a wax on a rainy day in Leicester. But we can deal with that. We're not prejudiced.
(telegraph fashion news)
Fashion news 2011: Kate Moss on her Galliano wedding gown: The British supermodel allowed US Vogue into her wedding ceremony and explains why the hit TV show Big Fat Gypsy Weddings inspired her to get married.
Kate Moss and Jamie Hince wedding special shoot photographed by Mario Testino for US Vogue's September Issue.
"I wanted it to be kind of dreamy and 1920s, when everything is soft-focus," explains Kate Moss about the theme of her wedding to guitarist Jamie Hince, 42, which took place in July.
"The Great Gatsby. The code name was GG for a while. That light and that kind of fun decadence. It's rock-'n'-roll Great Gatsby!" says the 37-year-old.
Moss called upon her close friend and recently disgraced ex-Christian Dior creative director John Galliano for her enchanting wedding dress. She reveals how she wanted "a classic Galliano, those chiffon thirties kind. I've lived in his dresses for years, and they just make me feel so comfortable. But it's so much more couture, couture, couture. Oh, my God, the work that's going into the dress!"
They brainstormed the dress over the phone, and after Galliano had left rehab, the hands-on style icon then met him with "bags full of bits, and pulled tulle and sequins and veils and flowers out. And then we just kind of pinned things together, like the old days, you know?"
Galliano says tells Vogue writer Hamish Bowles that the bride was "very professional and very demanding." Firmly in tune with the Great Gatsby theme - the novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald - he took inspiration from the author's wife, novelist Zelda Fitzgerald, whose Thirties style Moss is said to be captivated by, so much so, that husband Jamie tracked down an engagement ring that was the exact replica of Fitzgerald's.
But while the wedding held all the glamour and decadence from one of Fitzgerald's works, it was the hit TV series Big Fat Gypsy Weddings which inspired Moss to actually tie the knot. "I am so romantic about gypsies," she says.
"They're not allowed to do anything until they get married. So they all get married really young, at sixteen. You can't believe the dresses. They're like blinging butterflies times ten; they can't move down the aisle! It's so genius. I was just watching Jamie, so cute, and I was like, these girls, they just spend their whole life waiting for that day - let's do it!"
Making Moss's wedding gown (which was a much more elegant affair than the meringues displayed on BFGW ) appears to have provided a cathartic experience for Galliano. "She dared me to be John Galliano again. I couldn't pick up a pencil. It's been my creative rehab." When Kate's father Pete, thanked Galliano for "the beautiful dress" during his speech, the guests - which included fellow designers Stella McCartney, Dame Vivienne Westwood and Stefano Pilati - gave Galliano a standing ovation while he simply welled up.
One of the guests, Bella Freud, described a wedding-gown clad Moss as "the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life, like she just walked through some fairy garden and came out clad in that. It's exquisite."
A 'Second Looks Tent' at the reception which ensued - a Hollywood boudoir-esque space where guests could get changed - allowed Moss to showcase several dresses during the course of the celebrations: a georgette evening gown for her first dance, which was later swapped for a backless, gold minidress to tear up the dance floor, both by Stella McCartney.
Finally, Bowles describes Moss 'looking like a Pre-Raphaelite wood sprite' in a sheer, vintage 1930s wedding dress, emerging at 4.45am...
(telegraph fashion news)
Fashion news 2011: Lindsay Lohan's sister Ali scores a modelling contract: These days, the fashion world is not so much about who you know, as who are you related to. Following on from the Dellal and the Delevingne sisters, the latest sibling muscling in on their sister's territory is 17-year-old Ali Lohan - of Lindsay 'Linsanity' Lohan fame.
Ali Lohan modelling her big sister Linday's designs
Ali has scored herself a major modelling contract with global agency NEXT Models - who also represent the likes of Miranda Kerr, Abbey Lee Kershaw and Karlie Kloss - and is being touted as the "future face of fashion".
"In fashion, Ali will set herself apart as a bona fide icon," Alexis Borges, Director, Next Los Angeles told RadarOnline.com.
"One that fashion fans will follow not because of her famous last name, but because of the beautiful images and fashion trends she is helping create."
"[She] will be a photographer's dream with her chameleon-like beauty," Borges added.
Followers of Lindsay Lohan's 6126 fashion label will recognise Ali from her modelling stints for the brand. Let's just hope this Lohan has more sticking power than her sister, whose foray into the world of high fashion - with a stint as creative adviser to French fashion house Emanuel Ungaro - lasted just one season.
(telegraph fashion news)
Fashion news 2011: Christian Louboutin loses round one of red sole battle with Yves Saint Laurent: New York judge rules against Christian Louboutin's request that Yves Saint Laurent cease selling red soled shoes from their 2011 resort collection.
Actress Kate Bosworth in a pair of Christian Louboutin heels 2011
It's round one to Yves Saint Laurent in the trademark infringement lawsuit which has been playing out in the New York courts.
Federal judge, Victor Marrero, has today denied Christian Louboutin's request that what they perceive as 'copycat' red soled shoes from YSL's 2011 resort collection, are blocked from sale for the duration of court proceedings.
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Refusing Louboutin's request for a preliminary injunction, Marrero wrote in his ruling:
'Because in the fashion industry colour serves ornamental and aesthetic functions vital to robust competition, the court finds that Louboutin is unlikely to be able to prove that its red outsole brand is entitled to trademark protection, even if it has gained enough public recognition in the market to have acquired secondary meaning.'
Christian Louboutin, whose luxury, red-soled shoes are worn by celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss and Sarah Jessica Parker, started legal proceedings against Yves Saint Laurent America Inc. in April, alleging it was selling shoes with red soles that are "virtually identical" to its own.
Mr Louboutin is seeking more than $1million damages for alleged infringement of his 'Red Sole' trademark, claiming that he was the first designer to develop the idea of having red soles on women's shoes.
YSL hit back, with their court papers stating 'Red outsoles are a commonly used ornamental design feature in footwear, dating as far back as the red shoes worn by King Louis XIV in the 1600s and the ruby red shoes that carried Dorothy home in The Wizard of Oz.'
YSL also allege that Mr Louboutin was fraudulent in his trademark application claim that he had 'exclusive' use of the red sole.
'As an industry leader who has devoted his entire professional life to women's footwear, Mr Louboutin either knew or should have known about some or all of the dozens of footwear models that rendered his sworn statement false.'
After today's ruling, Louboutin's lawyer, Harley Lewin of McCarter & English LLP, told The Cut:
'We are profoundly disappointed in Judge Marrero's decision. Although we are still studying it, it appears he has decided that in the fashion industry, one colour should not serve as a trademark. While he acknowledges the fashion industry at large has recognised the Louboutin Red Sole as a trademark source indicator, he has concluded that the fashion industry needs to use colours on outsoles without restriction and this, despite a mountain of evidence to the contrary, including a recent decision by the 2nd Panel of Appeal at OAMI in the EU that concluded exactly the opposite, calling Mr. Louboutin's adoption of the bright red outsole brilliant. We will evaluate all the alternatives available in the days to come.'
Meanwhile, YSL's lawyer, David Bernstein of Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, said in a statement:
'We're gratified that Judge Marrero has agreed with YSL that no designer should be allowed to monopolise a single colour for an article of apparel. As Judge Marrero indicated, YSL designers are artists and, like other artists, they should have the right to use the full palette of colours in designing their fashions for each season.
As YSL has noted from the start, this is a trademark registration that never should have issued, and we are pleased that Judge Marrero has agreed that the registration likely should be cancelled.'
However, it's not over yet. While Judge Marrero has ruled the sale of YSL's shoes can go ahead in the short term, he has asked for more time to consider a verdict, ordering both parties back to court next week.
(telegraph fashion news)
Fashion news 2011: New e-store for all Armani collections launches: Less than a month after announcing its partnership with Italian designers Dolce & Gabbana, e-tailer Yoox has said it is readying an online destination to shop all of Armani's ranges under one virtual roof.
According to a statement, the newly launched Armani.com will be "the biggest online store Yoox will operate," carrying Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Armani Jr., Armani Jeans and EA7as well as Emporio Armani.
The deal between the two companies has been signed to last through August 2016.
A month of fashion e-commerce news has seen new launches by Salvatore Ferragamo, Stella McCartney, Balenciaga, and Jean Paul Gaultier. http://armani.com
(Yahoo fashion news)
Fashion news 2011: Heidi Klum replaced for 'Project Runway All Stars': The German supermodel will not host the upcoming all-star installment of the popular fashion reality TV show Project Runway. American model and actress Angela Lindvall is rumored to be taking the helm.
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According to gossip site RumorFix, "a new supermodel has been hired to replace her... Heidi and the production company couldn't come to terms on money."
Model blog Modelinia is hearing similar stories and reports: "In the middle of July, Angela wrote on her blog, 'Here I am in New York City! I landed a huge opportunity that will have me here for a month. Have to keep it top secret for now...'"
Project Runway so far only confirmed that for its All Stars series, "there will be a new host and there will be new judges," while Klum as well as her co-judges, designer Michael Kors and fashion editor Nina Garcia, are staying on for the upcoming Project Runway seasons.
The reality show, which casts aspiring fashion designers, will bring back fans' favorites from past seasons for a second chance, due to air in the US later this year.
(Yahoo fashion news)
Fashion news 2011: Alexander McQueen show shuts in NY after record attendance: An exhibit in New York of the works of British fashion designer Alexander McQueen, who committed suicide last year, has closed this weekend at the Metropolitan Museum of Art after a smash-success run.
"Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty" -- highlighting the Victorian romance and dark melancholy that inspired the designer's work -- was set to run until July 31, but organizers extended the show by a week to accommodate record crowds.
"From opening on May 4, we have had more than 625,000 visitors," museum press officer Nancy Chilton told AFP, adding that the show had already seen the highest attendance of any exhibition staged by the Met's Costume Institute.
"It is among the Museums top 20 blockbusters."
The Met organized special Monday viewings of the popular exhibition when the museum is otherwise closed to the public, at a cost of $50 per visitor. The McQueen show will stay open until midnight on Saturday and Sunday.
McQueen died February 11 last year at the age of 40 after a career that spanned nearly half his life and consistently amazed the fashion world with his impeccable tailoring skills learned on Savile Row and lavish creativity.
Fashion news 2011: The fashion style rules for autumn 2011: Hands up who feels like splurging on a new autumn wardrobe? I thought not. Few things are less becoming to a fashion journalist than exhorting people to buy things at the best of times, but in a week when we're staring into another financial abyss - or sticking our heads in the sand of whatever beach we happen to be on - I'm going to risk my neck and talk about how clothes might play a part in making the next few months feel more bearable. Note that I didn't say "buying clothes".
I've never been keen on spending before thorough investigation of long-term value. Cutbacks notwithstanding, I'm a believer that changes can be wrought by first studying what designers have been suggesting, and then revising what you already own to come up with an interpretation that reflects your style.
Conveniently, we've reached a pass where nothing is less fashionable than being seen in an identifiable runway piece. The ideal now is to achieve that serene state in which your ineffably spot-on taste appears to have arisen naturally. The knack is to bend slightly towards the way things are going, while never compromising the core of who you are. If it doesn't make you feel happier and more like yourself, it's a mistake.
Happily, a lot of stuff that's coming up this autumn - pencil skirts, skinny pants, padded shoulders and pointy shoes, for instance - might already be in your wardrobe, or stuffed away in storage. Clocking the slight re-alignments will make them look new - see my assessment of those shifts belows.
As for me? I'm disciplining myself only to buy if something genuinely bridges a gap in a modernising way, and is going to be useful in multiple circumstances - or if it just cries out to me, madly. Either way, I'm bringing in a cooling-off period. In my experience, the true test of whether a piece of clothing or jewellery is going to add something to your life is if you're still thinking about it a week after you tried it on. Then, no regrets.
Think colour
If you're going to buy something this autumn, don't choose black. All those bright colours that we've got into this summer were a harbinger of a fundamental aesthetic shift. It's given that we already have wardrobes full of black tailoring and coats accumulated over the past decade, but now they need sparking up. There's always the worry that a coloured coat or jacket could become boring - but, then again, what's more boring than all-black? A long-term hedge would be an "almost-black" such as bottle green, burgundy, brown or the always-chic navy, hues that go well with black.
There will be sleeves
Bad news for Mrs Obama: sleeveless is out, and blouses and dresses with long sleeves are in. The function of sleeves is not just to make things look more covered-up and retro-prim; they can also operate as proportion-creators, making the shoulders and top half seem larger, thus visually slimming what's below. That, of course, is a classic Forties trick, played again by Miu Miu for autumn, and it gives permission for us to pull out our vintage blouses and dresses again. As for those now-redundant sleeveless shifts you own, add sleeves by treating them as pinafores, with a shirt or blouse underneath for an instant update.
Make it a midi
Let down hems. It's worth pulling out your skirts and dresses and seeing whether they can be made to reach a point below your knee which flatters the shape of your legs. Both pencil skirts and more fluid A-line shapes are in the offing, but I don't think it's worth committing to a purchase before you've worked through what it's going to go with (see below).
Single out a sweater
A plain, oversized, sporty or boyish top looks amazing contradicted with a fancy new-length skirt. That masculine/feminine and sporty/formal contradiction is one of the low-key "knacks" which turns out to be a super-effective marker of the season, and an easy, low-cost thing to arrange. Even a classic grey men's sweatshirt from Uniqlo with a black pencil skirt can look great, if you dress up the sweatshirt with flashy jewellery. Something about your person should fly in the face of dour times.
Opt for opulence
It could be a brocade jacket, or something lamé, shot with gold or silver, or smothered with embroidery or sequins. Wear it in the day as a tonic to gloom. One piece of something decorative and over-the-top - it could be jewellery, your stash of chandelier earrings, belts and brooches, for example - worn with plain stuff is an instant filip.
Skinny trousers just work
There's nothing wrong with the wide-legged trousers you might have bought last season, it's just that you should be pulling out your skinny ones again, too. They're the coordinate you'll need when trying one of the new tunic shapes, and also look great with oversized men's jackets and big sweaters.
Pointy shoes are It
If you're going to choose a new pair of heels, make it pointy court shoes on a spindly heel; they look right with midi-dresses, pencil skirts and narrow pants. Retire the gigantic platforms, and see the difference.
A loud print could be pleasing
Every season, there has to be something counter-intuitively crazy which sets fashion on a new track. This autumn, I'm betting it's going to be revival of big splashy florals, paisley, and the kind of baroque patterns seen on Versace shirts in the Eighties. Obviously, this is a frivolity you wouldn't want to rush out and invest in now, but should your personal archive stretch to jarring prints of the Sixties, Seventies or Eighties, be pleased - their time could be nigh.
(telegraph fashion news)
New fashion e-commerce 2011: Zara to the US, J Crew to the UK, Ferragamo debuts:Some long-awaited web shopping news items have been announced this week.
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Style blog Fashionista reports that Spanish fast fashion chain Zara -- which, just like competitor H&M, has been surprisingly slow in developing its e-commerce, only having launched in Europe last year -- has confirmed it will bring its e-shop stateside September 7.
In return, the über-popular US label J Crew, which stocks everything from basics to bridal wear, will bring its clothes to the UK -- and thus to a lot of other European countries thanks to cheaper shipping costs -- via a new digital store by the end of this month.
With few exceptions, the fashion industry is a notoriously late adapter to new technologies. One of the very last prominent houses to launch e-commerce is Salvatore Ferragamo: having previously run an accessories-only e-shop, the brand's ready-to-wear will become available online August 5.
Fashion news 2011: Warm up for Fashion's Night Out: A new video teases the global shopping event Fashion's Night Out, initiated by Vogue's Anna Wintour in 2009, which will take place on September 8 this year.
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In the US alone, more than 100 cities will be participating, while Australia, China, the UK, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain, South Korea, Taiwan, and Turkey will all organize their own editions.
For the first time, online retailers will also stage special shopping events to involve those who aren't close to any of the participating locations.
"We've come a long way in three years," Wintour -- who launched the initiative in order to boost spending through after-hours shopping, parties, and special deals -- said in a statement, "and thankfully, the fashion industry is much healthier than when we started in 2009, but it could always be better...we are eager to see the kinds of events retailers will create to turn all that wonderful enthusiasm into even greater sales this year."
With the event, the Fashion's Night Out collection is also growing bigger, this year including long- and short-sleeved T-shirts, baseball caps, and tote bags.
Watch the video at http://dai.ly/qp8bKQ.
http://www.fashionsnightout.com
Fashion agenda 2011: Stockholm fashion week: Scandinavian fashion weeks
August 8-14
Stockholm, Sweden; Oslo, Norway
While August is a calm month for fashion in general, the Scandinavian countries are using the gap in between seasons to build an alternative scene that attracts more and more visitors each year and that has local designers return from big international fashion cities to show in their home countries.
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Camilla-Norrback-SS2011-Stockholm-fashion-week
Stockholm: August 8-14 (Mercedes Benz Fashion Week: August 9-11), http://www.stockholmfashionweek.com
Oslo: August 8-14, http://www.oslofashionweek.com
Lakme Fashion Week
August 16-21
Mumbai, India
With the help of Mercedes Benz, which also sponsors fashion weeks in New York, Sydney, and Berlin, for example, Lakme fashion week has developed into India's most prestigious fashion event.
http://www.lakmefashionweek.co.in
Sydney Fashion Festival
August 23-27
Sydney, Australia
The Sydney Fashion Festival features ticketed fashion events for the public, showcasing Australia's leading designer brands and retailers as their Spring/Summer collections arrive in stores throughout the city. The main fashion shows are held in the Sydney Town Hall and are accompanied by a satellite schedule of fashion and lifestyle events that span the city. The Rosemount Australian Fashion Week is Australia's most globally-followed fashion event but, like the L'Oreal Melbourne Fashion Festival, the Mercedes-Benz Sydney Festival is popular with the locals as it is open to the public.
http://mbffsydney.com.au/homepage
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Semana Internacional de la Moda (SIMM)
September 1-3
Madrid, Spain
The country's most important fashion week showcases the collections of local as well as international designers. The inclusive event attracts buyers from all over the world looking for everything from vanguard fashion to everyday wear, sportswear, underwear, plus-size and teen fashion.
http://www.ifema.es/web/ferias/simm/default.html
Istanbul Fashion Week
September 7-10
Istanbul, Turkey
One of the youngest fashion weeks of the world, the event has already gained a high-profile following thanks to designers such as Dice Kayek or Hakaan.
http://www.ifw.com.tr
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New York Fashion Week
September 8-15
New York, NY, USA
The biggest American designers, such as Tommy Hilfiger or Ralph Lauren, will show alongside fresh talents, including Prabal Gurung and Alexander Wang, when the Big Apple kicks off fall's fashion month.
http://www.mbfashionweek.com
London Fashion Week
September 16-20
London, UK
Just one day after the end of the shows in New York, the London Fashion Week begins. House of Holland, Julian Macdonald, Matthew Williamson, Acne, Peter Pilotto, Erdem and Burberry Prorsum are some of the brands showing their Spring/Summer collections in London, considered the most avant-garde of the four big fashion weeks.
http://www.londonfashionweek.co.uk
Milan Fashion Week
September 21-27
Milan, Italy
After London and before Paris, the fashion crowd moves to Milan to look at the women's Spring/Summer 2011 collections. Expect great shows from the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Fendi, Gucci and Prada.
http://www.cameramoda.it
Paris Fashion Week
September 27 - October 5
Paris, France
The season of Spring/Summer ready-to-wear shows ends in Paris with legendary houses like Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent, Sonia Rykiel, Maison Martin Margiela, Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior.
http://www.modeaparis.com
Fashion news 2011: Olivia Wilde and Leslie Mann: Dueling Dresses at "The Change-Up" Premiere: Despite the fact that the men are the main stars of the new movie "The Change-Up," it was the women who wowed at the film's premiere in Westwood on Monday, Aug. 1.
Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman are the two guys who trade bodies in the comedy penned by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, the minds behind "The Hangover"; and all four guys rode the positive buzz down the red carpet at the Village Theatre as hordes of fans jostled for a view. But what really ignited the fans were their beautiful co-stars, Olivia Wilde and Leslie Mann, who turned heads in their form-fitting sheaths. Mann's embellished white Marchesa and Wilde's fire-engine red Antonio Berardi both showed just how fit and fabulous both the actresses are.
Wilde especially has to stay fit and strong, for she's been riding a rocket ship to the top of the Hollywood A-list in the last year. After making a name for herself starring in "House," the gorgeous thespian has jumped into feature films full force. She's already being seen in theaters this summer as a key player in "Cowboys & Aliens" and will join Justin Timberlake in the science-fiction thriller "In Time" later this year. It's a ride that has Wilde just a bit bemused, but thankful.
"At this point I don't know what's going to happen next week because everything seems to change so quickly," Wilde said with a laugh at the press junket for "The Change-Up." "And I just can kind of count my blessings and feel really lucky at this point, continue working really hard, and learning from all the people I'm working with. Because that's the most kind of satisfying thing about all of this is that I've had the chance to experience these kind of master classes in acting. From people like Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, Jason Bateman, Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Mann, everybody. So it's been a good year."
And while the newly divorced Wilde came to the premiere solo, her also just-divorced co-star Reynolds had a special date to the show. Sandra Bullock, his friend and fellow actor in the 2009 hit comedy "The Proposal," arrived just in time to surprise him on the red carpet, and add fuel to the rumors that the pair has recently been stepping out together as more than friends.
Also on hand for the celebration and after party at the Hammer Museum down the street in Westwood was "The Change-Up" director David Dobkin, Jonah Hill, "Entourage" star Perrey Reeves and Mann's funnyman husband, writer-director Judd Apatow.
Fashion news 2011: Rachel Zoe launches collection online, answers your questions:Months after releasing the lookbook, the celebrity stylist is making her first collection available internationally on e-tailer Shopbop.com.
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For the August 1 launch at 12pm EST, there will be behind-the-scenes footage from the making of Zoe's own fashion line as well as a question-and-answer session on the site ("The chicest part? I will be chatting LIVE during the event with all of you. Way fun!"). Watch a teaser video at http://youtu.be/qhbGMAtj5JM.
While the line features some of Zoe's 1970s-inspired signature styles such as flared pants, frills, and maxi dresses, most of the items are less flamboyant than what she personally wears and became famous for. The launch has been described by some fashion media as the most eagerly awaited debut since Victoria Beckham's first collection in 2008.
In related news, see what designer fashions Zoe's baby son Skyler gets treated to in ABC TV program "Mommywood" from Wednesday evening, a program that also revealed that the stylist is currently working on a kids' range: an extract can be found at http://bit.ly/qNgmHu.
http://www.shopbop.com
Fashion news 2011: Olivia Palermo to launch travel and fashion blog in August: Fashion site Racked reports that the US reality TV star is working on her own website that will go live next month.
Speaking to the trade paper Women's Wear Daily at Tuesday's DKNY Sun Soiree in New York, she said she was "working on a blog coming out in August" and that the blog would be "travel-focused" with tips on everything from emerging designers to shopping and "everything that I love."
With oliviapalermo.com, the fashion it-girl will be joining a list of former The Hills or Hills spinoff The City stars who have turned to the web to build their brands: Whitney Port has a blog and e-commerce at WhitneyPort.com, for instance, and Lauren Conrad just launched TheBeautyDepartment.com.
Fashion news 2011: Zara Phillips's wedding: the fashion verdict: For a woman once dubbed a 'wild child', Zara Phillips looked wonderfully grown up at her wedding, in an ivory gown designed by her grandmother's favourite couturier, Stewart Parvin.
Zara Phillips's dress was designed by Stewart Parvin
The bridal dress was as modest and appropriate as you would expect from such a safe pair of hands: full-skirted in silk faille and duchess satin, with a chevron pleated corseted bodice, and a fine tulle veil.
Which is not to say it was boring: Parvin, who studied fashion at the Edinburgh College of Art, is an impeccable tailor who knows royal protocol inside out, combined with a flair for elegant understatement.
"He's been a bit of an unsung hero in British fashion until now," says Paula Reed, the style director of Grazia, "He can dress any body shape, and he's brilliant at sculpting fabric, so he's been able to come up with a design for Zara that works with her natural athleticism, while also having a fairy tale femininity."
The bride's splendid diamond tiara was lent by her mother, the Princess Royal (another nod to royal tradition), yet for all the jewels, the wedding at Canongate Kirk was a comparatively unshowy affair, with none of the pomp and pageantry of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's wedding.
The groom, Mike Tindall, was every inch the England rugby player in his bespoke morning suit (tailored by a company called Cad and the Dandy, though rather more restrained than the name might suggest), with his best man and ushers in matching outfits striding into the church like a British Ocean's 11.
But any possibility of the newly weds being upstaged by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was carefully avoided, not least because Kate was in a previously-seen outfit, a muted pale gold coat dress by Jane Troughton, already worn for the wedding of Laura Parker Bowles to Harry Lopes in 2006. (Surely no coincidence, then, that the Duchess of Cambridge also chose a recycled dress for the pre-wedding party on the royal yacht Britannia: her demure green knee-length frock by Diane von Furstenberg that had appeared on her tour of Los Angeles earlier this month).
Even Zara's cousins, the Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, looked reasonably uncontroversial; Beatrice in turquoise and a matching hat that was flamboyant, but nothing like as mad as her giant pretzel-shaped headgear for the previous royal nuptials; Eugenie in cream and chocolate brown with another rakishly angled hat (what is it with these peculiar sideways affairs? Is it code for saying, we may be royal, but we are still fun-loving chicks? Or is it a subliminal right-leaning message?).
The Queen, as always, was in a perfectly judged outfit: apricot pink by Stewart Parvin, with a matching hat that was firmly centred on her level head.
Parvin also dressed the Maid of Honour, Dolly Maude, in a dove grey knee length duchess satin dress, which did not draw attention to itself with quite the same vigour as Pippa Middleton's bridesmaid gown at Westminster Abbey.
As for the mother of the bride: Princess Anne dressed with her characteristic disregard for modern fashion in a pleated coral skirt and floral vintage-looking jacket, which was oddly cheering; as was Camilla's exuberantly sprouting floral and feathery headpiece.
All in all, an apparently jolly gathering of family and friends in the Scottish sunshine, that will do much to enhance this year's freshened appearance of the steady Royal firm.
Photos Zara Phillips's wedding 2011:
(telegraph fashion news)