Sharp lines on classic silhouettes—get spring's stark black and white look with these bold new arrivals online at Net-a-Porter and Kirna Zabete. From Alexander Wang, Givenchy, Proenza Schouler, Miu Miu, and Carven; it's all about everyday sportswear with a graphic twist.
More is more for Nicholas Kunz this season. Oversized tee shirts, gauzy scarves, drop crotch trousers, vegetable-dyed leather jackets, and grunge-influenced plaid dresses give her urban warriors a disheveled, nomadic look for fall. Abstract prints and sun-bleached solids are paired with coal-rimmed eyes and cuffed ankle boots for her, while he's decked in fur-trimmed hoodies, boxing robes, and combat boots. More looks in the gallery below.
>> For two consecutive seasons, Pierre-Yves Roussel, CEO of LVMH's fashion division, has been front row at Rodarte's show. But according to Fashion Week Daily, LVMH may have lost out on being the first to employ Laura and Kate Mulleavy.
The sisters are reportedly in contract negotiations with French furrier Revillon, which Peter Dundas last designed for; the company opted not to show during the most recent Paris Fashion Week due to lack of a designer. The Mulleavys' first collection for Revillon will apparently be shown in July alongside Paris couture. "It's still a huge secret," The Daily's source said. "But the higher-ups at Revillon started pitching it to retailers during Paris Fashion Week."
Brian Phillips, Rodarte's spokesman, denies the reports. "Rodarte is not designing for Revillon."
>> Theory's Andrew Rosen to Invest in Proenza Schouler? —Early on this month, reports came that Permira, which owns a minority stake in Proenza Schouler, was shopping its interest in the label around. Now, Fashionista's sources report that a day after the news broke, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez met with Andrew Rosen, CEO of Theory, who is an investor in labels like Rag & Bone and Alice + Olivia. There's no confirmation, but the timing suggests that perhaps Rosen is considering an investment in the brand. [Fashionista]
Irina Lazareanu is working on her first fashion collection with Japanese retailer Seibu.
The Mulleavy sisters could be the next designers for Revillon, a position vacant since Peter Dundas left earlier this month.
Jean Paul Gaultier will receive an Inspiration Award for his lifetime contribution to men's fashion and the fight against Aids.
Despite yesterday's reports, Asim Abdullah, owner of Emanuel Ungaro, says the company is not for sale.
Tom Ford launches a beauty business with his Private Blend Lip Color collection. “This is my take on 12 classic lip colors,” Ford told WWD. “I took the most universally flattering colors that a woman can wear, and then I reimagined them in a modern and authoritative way."
Tom Ford is also quietly ramping up his womenswear team with new hires from Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, and shoe designer Michael Lewis.
>> Nicola Formichetti has made quite a name for himself as creative director of Dazed & Confused, and more recently, as Lady Gaga's stylist. But when he was first starting out, as he told French quarterly magazine WAD in the new Spring 2010 issue, his titles were more humble . . . that of fashion thief and "stalker":
I was the biggest Vivienne Westwood fan. So I started working at her store. I used to steal a lot of things there. One day, the manager told me, 'People have been stealing. We now have to check everyone before the leave the store.' That day, I had a bag full of accessories. So I threw it into the bin. My plan was to wait for the cleaning lady to throw the bins outside, and then to retrieve the bag. She came 30 minutes after closing. And just when I was ransacking the bins, I saw my manager watching me. He started yelling: 'You will never work here again.' [Laughs]
>> Owner: Ungaro Not for Sale— Despite reports yesterday that Asim Abdullah, owner of Emanuel Ungaro, is looking for a buyer, Abdullah says not so. “It’s absolutely not true. The company is not for sale. We are not entertaining any conversations with anyone about the sale of the company." The brand recently terminated its lease on its Madison Avenue store in New York, trading for a smaller boutique to open next month. Abdullah acknowledged that his goal is to make the brand "sustainable" by 2011. [WWD]
>> It was hinted earlier this month that Tom Ford was actively recruiting for his womenswear design team; now comes word that he has hired Caroline Tixier, a women’s ready-to-wear designer at Givenchy, and Pablo Coppola, an accessories designer at Alexander McQueen, although neither a Tom Ford spokeswoman or Ford's business partner Domenico De Sole would comment to confirm.
Speculation out of Europe sets Ford's return to womenswear for just less than a year from now during the Fall 2011 season. The designer is said to be thinking of starting up again with a presentation instead of a runway show, set in either New York or Milan. He's also reportedly in the process of squaring away launch exclusives with top retail partners.
UPDATE: Word is Ford has also hired shoe designer Michael Lewis, who has collaborated with Ford at Gucci, Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton, and Christopher Bailey at Burberry. [Fashionista]
