Saturday, February 28, 2015
Agnona: Baby Steps Forward
With a spanking new Milan premises and a full collection of clothes, shoes, and bags, Agnona is moving forward as a little cousin of the vast Zegna menswear company.
Designer Stefano Pilati is striding forward to build a collection that includes fine winter coats, capes with fringing, and double-face cashmere. And that’s not including a wide range of dresses from draped shapes to slick satin
But Pilati is still waiting to show the women’s clothes on the runway, after successfully creating Zegna’s menswear.
I asked him why no fashion shows and when things might change. “With a fashion show, you miss the glory of it,” he said. “But now I have started to really enjoy and appreciate the fact that I have the luxury of taking my time, to construct the structure around it, to bring a great team in, and then when I feel ready, which may be soon, to do a fashion show.” But, he continued, “I will also question how the fashion show will be, because maybe I will find a new format for it. Apparently people like very much to touch the clothes, and to have this kind of proximity.”
I asked him why no fashion shows and when things might change. “With a fashion show, you miss the glory of it,” he said. “But now I have started to really enjoy and appreciate the fact that I have the luxury of taking my time, to construct the structure around it, to bring a great team in, and then when I feel ready, which may be soon, to do a fashion show.” But, he continued, “I will also question how the fashion show will be, because maybe I will find a new format for it. Apparently people like very much to touch the clothes, and to have this kind of proximity.”
“The reality is that the kind of fashion that I love is to see clothes in movement. I don’t work with themes or anything; it is more about the research on cuts and also the allure. That is what I miss and why I will probably think of a way to show it.”
Zegna CEO Gildo Zegna has been exceptionally patient in allowing Pilati’s slow steps forward, but he believes that the investment in a new Agnona headquarters, while using the Zegna mill for woollen products, is the path for the future. The executive also plans for an expansion of wholly-owned stores while keeping the mainly wholesale business.
Would he like to see Agnona on the runway? “This is already an enormous step,” Gildo says, “and a show is food for thought.”
Fashion and Oscars Go Hand in Hand Like Never Before
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| From left, Julianne Moore; her husband, the director Bart Freundlich; and Kristen Stewart at a pre-Oscars party in Beverly Hills hosted by Chanel and Charles Finch. Emily Berl for The New York Times Los Angeles — It was 6:30 on the Friday before Oscars Sunday, and the W editor, Stefano Tonchi, was craving a little quiet time. He was standing in the fortresslike Milk Studios in Hollywood, which was the site of that evening’s Tom Ford fashion show. He had gotten off a flight that afternoon. “I got my hotel room at the last minute,” he said, vodka tonic in hand. “I wanted to have a cup of coffee and eat some French fries and sit down and make a phone call.” So he headed off to the Sunset Tower’s bar to unwind. That didn’t happen. “There wasn’t one person I didn’t know,” he said, recalling the scene. There was a Burberry executive; a Harper’s Bazaar editor; Rachel Zoe’s husband, Rodger Berman; the fashion habitué Derek Blasberg; and the son of the owner of Tod’s. The cocktail hour surrounding Mr. Tonchi at Milk Studios was no different: there was John Demsey, the group president of Estée Lauder Companies; Leonard Lauder himself; Anna Wintour; the Cosmopolitan editor, Joanna Coles; and the Lucky editor, Eva Chen. Not to mention the ridiculous number of A-list stars all around, a front row that included Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson, Beyoncé, Jay Z, Miley Cyrus, Julianne Moore and Jennifer Lopez |
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| Tom Ford at his show in Los Angeles. Despite a scheduling conflict with London’s shows, it drew a strong turnout from the fashion set. Elizabeth Lippman for The New York Times Fashion and the Oscars have gone hand in hand for decades, but it’s never been like this. The Oscars weekend this year wasn’t just the usual smattering of editors grading the red carpet or the spare designer in town to do a fitting. A significant chunk of the New York fashion world (and the fashion world at large) came here to attend Mr. Ford’s show and absorb the craziness of the rest of Oscars weekend. Mr. Ford skipped out on showing in London this year, and these folks, in turn, did exactly the same. |
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| Elizabeth Lippman for The New York Times “The second I heard it,” Ms. Wintour said, when asked when she knew she’d forgo London in favor of Los Angeles to see Mr. Ford. “Tom Ford’s a huge draw. He’s showing here for the first time, and it was a brilliant move on his part.” The Oscars usually conflicts with the European collections (two years ago, it was Milan; last year, it was Paris; this year, London), but this was the first time Ms. Wintour would attend the Academy Awards (she attended the Vanity Fair Oscars party once before). “You’ll be sick of seeing me,” she added, as she made her way into the show. Hollywood may be a one-industry town, but it was more than accommodating of the endless amount of fashion parties, lunches and dinners this year. “I’ve been living out here for 22 years, working in this business off and on that whole time, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Crystal Lourd, the Los Angeles socialite who has worked as a celebrity wrangler for labels like Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren. “I think people realize that it’s a profitable thing for their business to get the exposure.” Ms. Lourd was speaking from an event earlier on Feb. 20, a luncheon that Net-a-Porter was hosting for the makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury. But there was something distinct about this lunch: Ms. Tilbury is a Briton, and there were a whole lot of British accents in this courtyard at the restaurant A.O.C. in Beverly Hills. Shouldn’t these turncoats be in London? “It’s all about the red carpet,” Ms. Tilbury said. “Who can ignore the red carpet?”This was a convenient answer: Ms. Tilbury’s new makeup, Goddess Skin Clay Mask, includes the tag line “The new red carpet beauty secret of the stars.” “The heat is in L.A. this weekend,” said Lucy Yeomans, the Net-a-Porter and Porter magazine editor, sounding resigned. The model and socialite Poppy Delevingne, who calls London her hometown, was less forgiving. “We’re sorry, but the sunshine is too tempting,” she said. “To be honest, I’m out here for pilot season. But there are just so many great things going on. This lunch for Charlotte, the Diane von Furstenberg picnic tomorrow, the Chanel dinner tomorrow and Vanity Fair on Sunday. It’s like fashion week out here.” Rachel Zoe, the Los Angeles-based stylist, was just a few feet away, and delighted by this.
“This makes me happy,” she said. “The fashion world has migrated to L.A. in a way that I haven’t seen in I don’t think ever.”
At Mr. Ford’s show that night, the mood was relaxed, unlike the normal get-in-and-get-out spirit of most fashion shows.
People arrived for cocktails close to the appointed hour, 6 p.m., and relaxed over vodka and champagne. Ms. Paltrow stood at the bar with three friends for almost 40 minutes before everyone was summoned a little after 7. (Even Ms. Wintour, notorious for bursting out of her seat the second a show ends, mingled after the show.)
“Like we didn’t have enough to do already,” Ms. Paltrow said, laughing. “But you know what? I love the fact that Tom’s saying there aren’t rules in fashion anymore, that there aren’t seasons.”
Just don’t tell that to the British designers.
Mr. Ford said he knew he would have no problems filling this room, either with celebrities or big-time editors. He knew in his heart the attraction of Oscars week.
“My agent’s at C.A.A., and the C.A.A. party is right after this,” he said, after the show, referring to the pre-Oscars party hosted by the Creative Artists Agency. “I go every year and know people get dressed up on Friday night. I used to have an Oscars party on Thursday night. It started with 70 people, and it went up to about 250 people. I had people offering to buy my Oscar party slot on Thursday night because they knew I swept up a lot of people.”
He hasn’t held the party in a few years, he said, but he learned a valuable lesson: “I knew these people were in town, they were all friends and hopefully they had to come.”
Like Ms. Johansson.
“It’s unexpected to see an event like this in L.A. more than anything,” she said from her front-row seat. “I remember Fashion Week in L.A., which feels like a relic from the past.”
If Fashion Week in Los Angeles isn’t making a roaring comeback, then the fashion world has conceded it has to have a permanent place out here, at least for this weekend.
The Italian label Armani is no stranger to dressing celebrities, but it has finally ritualized an event: a pre-Oscars cocktail party, which began last year.
“My uncle invented a business that didn’t exist before,” said Roberta Armani, from the terrace of the Armani store on North Rodeo Drive. “In the ’80s, he dressed celebrities when no one did it.”
Armani held a couture show here eight years ago, the weekend before the Oscars, which was similarly star-studded. Ms. Armani said that it was time to put something more permanent on the schedule by hosting this party, which included Cate Blanchett and Chris Pine.
Later Saturday evening, Ms. Wintour and the designer Tommy Hilfiger went to a Harvey Weinstein dinner, and Chanel, along with Charles Finch, held a dinner of its own at Madeo, which included Jessica Chastain, Kristen Stewart and Keira Knightley.
Earlier that day, Ms. von Furstenberg and Barry Diller held their annual pre-Oscars picnic for a crowd of a little more than 400 at their estate in Beverly Hills. Among the media moguls (Les Moonves, Jeff Bezos, Rupert Murdoch), there were a bunch of models who stood out conspicuously among the picnic blankets. Ms. Wintour sat at a picnic table and ate lunch with Mr. Ford’s husband, Richard Buckley.
One night later, at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party, no one was working the room harder than the Valentino public relations chief, Carlos Souza.
“Julianne!” he screamed at Ms. Moore, who was racing out of the party with her Oscar in hand. “Carlos from Valentino.”
She stopped and they hugged. He examined her Oscar.
It may as well have been a Valentino event. There were models galore (Joan Smalls, Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid) and designers, including the Calvin Klein creative director, Francisco Costa, and Mr. Hilfiger. Mr. Costa dressed Lupita Nyong’o in a dress that featured 6,000 pearls (and was stolen from her hotel room).
“I flew out to L.A. on Friday morning right after my show,” Mr. Costa wrote by email, after the party. “It’s really critical for me to be there for the final fittings as that’s where the magic happens.”
Mr. Hilfiger said that he had been coming out here for about six years.
“There’s always some sort of business benefit to this,” he said. “I also went out because my daughter recently had a baby, I came to visit my grandchild, and my son Richard is dating Rita Ora. She performed at Harvey’s event and the Oscars.”
At the Vanity Fair party, when Jason Wu wanted his picture taken with another guest, he turned and asked the designer Zac Posen, who was just a foot away, to do it. Mr. Wu spent the rest of his night with the actress and fashion fixture Diane Kruger.
“At some point, I turned around, and said to Diane, ‘Are we at an Oscars party or a fashion party?’ ” he said. “You turn around, there’s Karlie, there’s Joan, there’s Anna. It’s a New York story happening in Los Angeles.”
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Spring Fashion’s ’70s Look Is Not So Far Out (MEN)
In what may be menswear’s biggest throwback to the 1970s' in 20 years, there's not a bell-bottom, frill or platform boot in sight
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| Caruso jacket, pocket square and scarf, price upon request, all carusomenswear.com; Lou Dalton trousers, £280, loudalton.com; Fendi sweater, £400, fendi.com PHOTO: FOR ALL PICTURES, PHOTOGRAPHER: CAMERON MCNEE AT ONE REPRESENTS; STYLIST: MARCUS LOVE AT ONE REPRESENTS; GROOMING: JOHN MULLAN AT THE LONDON STYLE AGENCY USING KAPELLO; MODEL: JAMES ROUSSEAU AT SELECT MODEL MANAGEMENT; RETOUCH: THE LAUNDRY ROOM LONDON; PRODUCTION: ROSIE AT ONE |
BELL-BOTTOMS, SHIRT FRILLS and platform boots. For a season that’s shaping up to be menswear’s big throwback to the 1970s, the decade’s most recognizable hallmarks are conspicuously absent—but it’s far from an oversight. Unlike some of fashion’s previous forays into the disco era, the new ’70s nostalgia is more reality than retro.
Take that trademark brown suede coat, reinterpreted at Louis Vuitton: Its pointed lapels were left intact, but it was otherwise stripped down and simplified, with no hint of the pimp. Likewise, the signature ’70s safari jacket came back to life at Berluti—roomier in cut and with more restrained pocket details, but with the slimming attributes of a belted waist. At Saint Laurent, prairie boots with raised heels, worn with snug jeans and a denim jacket, looked modern, relevant and wearable—but with the edge that comes with a glance in the rearview mirror.
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| Berluti jacket, £2,277, berluti.com; Paul Smith trousers, £685, and belt, £85, both paulsmith.co.uk; Caruso shirt, price upon request, carusomenswear.com; Pantherella socks, £15, pantherella.com; Louis Leeman shoes, £800, LouisLeemanParis.com; Bremont watch,£3,595, bremont.com PHOTO:PHOTOGRAPHER: CAMERON MCNEE |
The ’70s have presented a point of fascination and a challenge in menswear ever since designers started revisiting the decade in the mid-to-late ’90s. Tom Ford, newly crowned as creative director of Gucci in 1994, was responsible for a wave of flared jeans and silky shirts that eventually became trend gospel around the turn of the millennium. But the look flooded the fashion landscape to the point of saturation, and most offerings that followed never really caught on.
Yet the era stands for a mode of dressing that shouldn’t be lightly written off, according to Ben Cobb, editor of Another Man magazine, and one of the most dapper adherents of the decade. “Seventies men’s style represents masculinity, elegance and a certain loucheness—the holy trinity for any stylish man,” he says. “It’s an opportunity to show a little flamboyance, a chance to be more playful with menswear and experiment with exciting elements like fur, silk and maybe even heels.”
In a world that’s still in financial recovery, and whose hardships over the past decade have been reflected in the rigidness of trends such as normcore—the recent craze for anonymous down-dressing—the more glamorous elements of ’70s menswear may feel like a shock to the system. But as it turns out, we have more in common with the era Tom Wolfe dubbed “the ‘Me’ decade” than you might expect.
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| Saint Laurent suede jacket, £1,997, shirt, £482, and scarf, £145, all ysl.com; Louis Vuitton trench coat, £7,500, louisvuitton.com; Dita sun-glasses, £300, selfridges.com PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHER: CAMERON MCNEE |
“We now look back nostalgically to the ’70s as a lost world of the real, where everything is as weird as the Jurassic,” says Andy Martin, cultural commentator and philosophy lecturer at Cambridge University. “But [it] at least represents an escape from the virtual, and the chatter of ceaseless communication.”
The period, Mr. Martin adds, was a revolt against the dreaminess and revolution of the 1960s, where everything was mutable. “The ’70s reaffirms the resistance of the real,” he says. “Flower Power terminated, bodybuilding is expanding; masculinity is exaggerated, inflated, bulked-up—similarly, lapels and mustaches.”
No decade did casual quite like the ’70s, and spring’s modern take is just as rich on options, in the expected earthy tones and luxe finishes. But you won’t look like John Travolta’s Tony Manero in these duds—though walking down the street in a Saint Laurent printed brown suede jacket or Burberry Prorsum’s velvet trousers in a contemporary cut might give you his swagger.
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| Louis Vuitton suit, £2,210, louisvuitton.co; Caruso shirt, price upon request, carusomenswear.com; Paul Smith tie, £85, paulsmith.co.uk ; Bremont watch, £4,495, bremont.com; Ede & Ravenscroft pocket square, £45, edeandravenscroft.com; Mr Hare boots, £499, mrhare.com; Tusting leather briefcase, £470, and computer folio, £269, both tusting.co.uk PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHER: CAMERON MCNEE |
The season’s formal look, hinged around a tailored three-piece evening suit with the rounded shawl lapel, is equally appealing and achievable—think a young Robert Redford by night. And at both ends of the spectrum, are the Alpha and Omega of a modern ’70s look: accessories. Add a braided belt, a casually tied silk scarf, aviators or perhaps a standout briefcase for day. At night, try more discreetly opulent elements like suede evening loafers—preferably with a crest—and classy gold cuff links at night.
Another Man’s Mr. Cobb says spring’s modern update of these period references is rooted in the same realistic but adventurous freedom that reigned supreme in the Seventies. “The ’70s was a decade of political and economic uncertainty—especially in Europe—and saw the appearance of a more skeptical, grown-up attitude after the blind, childlike optimism of the ’60s,” he says. “That sense was reflected in ’70s fashion and definitely chimes with the world today.”
But the decade’s influences coming through in menswear today aren’t all down to the economic zeitgeist. Even before the suave Don Draper gets his groomed, manly hands on a Seventies suit in the concluding installments of “Mad Men” later this year, cultural tastemakers abound.
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| Louis Vuitton jacket, £3,230, louisvuitton.com; Caruso linen shirt, price upon request, carusomenswear.com; John Varvatos jeans, £145, johnvarvatos.com; Paul Smith belt, £99, paulsmith.co.uk ; Saint Laurent boots, £2,594, ysl.com; Pantherella socks, £15, pantherella.com; Larsson & Jennings watch, £345, larssonandjennings.com PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHER: CAMERON MCNEE |
The V&A’s David Bowie exhibition, a major hit in 2013, reopens at the new Philharmonie de Paris on March 3. And movies such as “American Hustle” and “Anchorman 2,” both released in 2013, have revisited the period, taking it beyond the cheap frills and disco clichés of Studio 54 and ABBA, and providing a more masculine take on the fashions of the era that appeals to regular guys.
“Watching ‘Anchorman,’ I fell in love with the suits and ties,” says Stanley Leeson, a 30-year-old soccer-recruitment consultant from London, referring to the first film in the franchise. “I think the sense of fun and flamboyance you got from the actors wearing those outfits is an indication of the mind-set of revisiting ’70s menswear: ‘Did they really get away with that?’ Yet a lot of those styles look amazing now.”
Mr. Leeson has been a devotee since he discovered ’70s clothing as a teenager scouring vintage shops. It was down, he says, to “lots of experimentation. I ended up favoring the colors, cuts and styles.”
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| Saint Laurent suede jacket, £1,997, and shirt, £482, both ysl.com PHOTO: PHOTOGRAPHER: CAMERON MCNEE |
Above all, he likes the smartness of the look. “ ‘A vision in brown’ is a joke I make to my friends,” Mr. Leeson notes, stressing that he doesn’t do bell-bottoms. His style is defined—like this season’s looks—by more formal garments in skinny cuts, with patterned shirts. “The ’70s look has a timeless throwback quality to it that makes me feel part of something bigger,” he says. “The references are more subtle than the latest high street trend...but it remains identifiable and different. There’s a tremendous freedom to that.”
It’s a freedom that’s reflected in the heart of Seventies culture—“a refusal to conform,” Mr. Leeson says, “not just for the sake of it, but to experiment and try something out of the ordinary.”
Something to keep in mind next time you’re online or in the store.
Versace Embraces Greece and the Hashtag
It was high tech and high drama at Versace as the Greek key, which has long been one of the company’s signatures, appeared on a giant metallic structure at the back of the runway and as a pattern on sweaters, bags, shoes – and the Internet.
The key motif – make that #greek for a hashtag – was embedded in the quilted suede bags that Donatella Versace was showing off backstage. The symbol was also worked into the Perspex heels of boots that climbed up and away in patent leather and suede until they reached thigh high, under brief dresses.
There are people who might consider it discomforting to build a collection around a reference to a country that is currently in the news more for its debt problems than its ancient history, but this Greek key has long been a Versace symbol. And why would Donatella let a pan-European financial crisis change her fashion plans?
Instead of slashing debt, her eyes were on slashing dresses, which were split up the side and set at an angle as if in a geometry lesson. In vivid primary shades of scarlet, grass green, and sunshine yellow, leather popped out on the runway, while the few quieter pieces included a compass-drawn cape or a rounded fur.
Since Donatella took her bow in a super-skinny pants suit, narrow trousers were also part of the collection.
The game of keys was mildly challenged by a play on words: ‘Versace’ broken into a mix of letters, which is something I remember from Gianni’s ‘Circus’ collection from so many moons ago
The game of keys was mildly challenged by a play on words: ‘Versace’ broken into a mix of letters, which is something I remember from Gianni’s ‘Circus’ collection from so many moons ago
Donatella did not have much new to say, but the collection was presented con brio. She herself seemed unsure as to what the Greek key hashtag would do or whether it was actually an emoji that could be added on to texts and messages to express yourself. I am tempted to say that it was all Greek to her.
Donatella was adamant about the advantage to Versace of the new digital adventure, however. “I know in my mind and my heart that with the archive – I do not want to look at it any more,” she said. “Thank God for the archive. But now it is time to forget, let go, and think of the future.”
suzy menkes - vogue paris
Milan Fashion Week: Gucci's smart revamp ensures brain over brawn
Alessandro Michele, the brand’s new creative director, begins work by discarding traditional glitz with a pared back, philosophically influenced women's wear show
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| Models parade at the end of the Gucci’s first womenswear show under Alessandro Michele at Milan fashion week on Wednesday. Photograph: Alessandro Bianchi/Reuters |
They say that the geeks are taking over the world. But did anyone ever imagine that intellectuals would commandeer that most glitzy of fashion houses, Gucci?
That was the story at Milan fashion week on Wednesday, as the luxury brand’s new creative director, Alessandro Michele, presented his first womenswear collection. Traditionally, Gucci shows are full of clear references to the jet-setter’s lifestyle – bling-encrusted red carpet gowns or nautical blazers perfect for super yachts. On Wednesday, even before the models took to the catwalk, it was clear that this would be different.
Gone were the plush pale carpets, glittering chandeliers and trays of champagne that traditionally greet Gucci’s guests. Instead, the venue was pared back. The walls, floors and ceilings were painted black. Show notes referenced philosophers Giorgio Agamben and Roland Barthes (“the contemporary is the untimely”). In lieu of the usual amphitheatre seating – where guests used to gossip and celebrity spot while facing each other across the catwalk – seats were arranged to face the edges of the room, providing an altogether more introspective experience.
Rather than the usual supermodels in sweeping gowns, the models were slight and long-haired, both male and female, cast and styled so their gender was obscured. Clothes were not brazenly sexy – this was librarian chic, with most looks styled with glasses.
There were midi skirts, tank tops, brightly coloured fur coats and huge furry shoes akin to those produced by rival brand Céline. Flowers are a major part of Gucci’s heritage – the brand’s Flora design was famously created for Grace Kelly in the 1960s – and they were in evidence here, though in subversive ways. Men wore stems in their hair; floral fabric was used to beautiful effect on pleated transparent dresses and boxy suits for both genders. Fur-cuffed military coats brought to mind the outerwear in Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel while pussybow blouses recalled the edgy designs of JW Anderson.
There were jaunty artist’s berets (Salma Hayek, whose husband Francois-Henri Pinault is CEO of Gucci parent company Kering, wore a turquoise one in the front row) and tight bobble hats that recalled another famous Wes Anderson costume: Bill Murray’s beanie in The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The only hint of the Gucci logo itself was seen, occasionally and subtly, on belt buckles and on the two bags that appeared in the show. It was a restrained move for a house so associated with leather goods.
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| Salma Hayek arrives at the Gucci show on Wednesday. Photograph: Jacopo Raule/Getty Images |
Michele’s debut came after a tough few months for Gucci. In December, it announced that chief executive Patrizio di Marco and creative director Frida Giannini, one of fashion’s most famous power couples, were to leave after 11 years. Their departure was linked with falling sales, with Gucci’s lacklustre results comparing unfavourably to those of the revitalised Kering stablemate Saint Laurent.
Gucci, the analysts said, was failing the increasingly sophisticated luxury consumer, who is tired of obvious bling and hungry for something more unique. In this respect, Gucci was losing out to under-the-radar brands like Bottega Veneta and Céline.
Who could solve this problem? Rumours swirled about the identity of Giannini’s replacement, with most assuming a name to match the star power of Nicolas Ghesquière at Louis Vuitton. In January, however, it emerged that Giannini had left the company early – five days before the presentation of the brand’s menswear collection – and head accessories designer Michele was to take over.
Despite his relative anonymity, Michele’s dramatically different aesthetic, also in evidence in January’s rushed-together menswear show, won headlines. Still, difficulties within the company were underlined even on the morning of Wednesday’s show, when a letter from former CEO Di Marco found its way to the New York Times. In it, he suggested he had been forced out of the company, saying: “against my will, I leave my cathedral uncompleted.”
Backstage, Michele said he knew the Gucci archive “so well – better than my own flat” but that he had to design in his own way. He seemed almost eerily relaxed, looking like the archetypal hippie with long hair and a full beard, wearing a shell necklace and stacks of silver rings. “This is my language,” he said. “I can’t speak another language.”
And he was smiling as cheers came from the crowd and from the models. In the crush backstage, champagne was finally poured.
the guardian
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