Tom Ford’s New Fragrance Ad
A couple of posts back, I mentioned that I first realized the greatness of Kate Moss when I saw her at a Dior show. I wrote “there are girls who can unbutton a coat, and there are girls who can unbutton a coat.”
Just to further illustrate that point, there are girls who can hold a perfume bottle, and there are girls who can hold a perfume bottle.
Check out this ad for Tom Ford’s new fragrance. Erykah Badu, my fabulous Philip Treacy hat is off to you!
Hooray for Anya!
It’s the news I’ve been waiting to hear! Adorable Anya from last season of America’s Next Top Model has been signed at Elite.
With the fall shows just weeks away, I guess we’ll find out soon enough if she’s going to be a real model or just a Top Model.
Lord and Taylor is Coming!
New York-based NRDC Equity Partners have purchased HBC and plan to give the retail chain a facelift. They also intend to convert fifteen existing Bay department stores into Lord and Taylor stores.
For anyone who has traveled to the USA (or anyone who has leafed through a fashion magazine in the past twenty years), this is welcome news. Lord and Taylor is a great store, carrying many brands that bridge the gap between Holt Renfrew and the Bay.
In cities that don’t have adequate representation of high-end retail brands in speciality boutiques, a great department store is a necessity. When you live in a rural community, having one truly fabulous store to shop in when you visit the city is a terrific convenience. Canada lost those stores when Eaton’s (and Woodward’s in the west) vacated the market a long time ago.
I’m excited to hear when and where Lord and Taylor will open first. I wonder if they’ll go to Alberta before they go to Ontario? It seems like there’s a lot of money out flowing out of the west lately. Even Lucinda McRuvy has been seen hanging around Cowtown lately.
Dorian Leigh
Dorian Leigh, supermegamodel and sister of Suzy Parker, died earlier this week. Dorian was a legend in the business, and a favorite of photographers, especially Richard Avedon.
Charles Revson was enamoured with Dorian and cast her in several advertising campaigns for Revlon, including Poison Apple, Fire and Ice, and Cherries in the Snow. I still get goosebumps when I hear those names!
My favorite stories about Dorian have to do with how much she liked to eat fried food. In her later years, she wrote cook books about pancakes and fritters. She was a regular Tyra Banks!
Speaking of Tyra, she ought to decorate the next Top Model house with shots like the one I posted. When she’s trying to explain the difference between fashion and men’s magazine, she can point to this photo of Dorian Leigh and say “Now that’s what I mean when I say fashion.”
Oh, Craig!
Well, I’ve thrown a couple of votes Craig’s way in the FASHION Magazine Reporter Search. Now I’m not so sure I want to vote for him. I was reading his bio and it almost seems like he’s complaining about men’s fashion prior to Hedi Slimane.
Oh, those poor skinny people. Fashion designers just don’t give them any choices. Boo hoo!
I don’t believe that Craig looks old enough to know what fashion was like before Dior Homme’s most recent incarnation. He wrote:
“Hedi Slimane’s work under Dior Homme completely challenged common perceptions of the male physique, making the slender man raw and edgy and sexy.”
I guess he isn’t familiar with Mick Jagger, David Bowie or Iggy Pop.
I like Craig, and I like his blog. However, one of the worst crimes a fashion writer can make is being oblivious to history. Open your eyes, kids!
Antifashion Week
Tase T. Lentil
Since every city on the planet has a Fashion Week (except Moose Jaw – and I’m working on that), I’ve decided that it would be appropriate to name the third week in August Antifashion Week.
Antifashion Week will be celebrated by billions of people worldwide as they eschew the designs of the Evil AntiZob a.k.a. Marc Jacobs. Although individuals are encouraged to express themselves in a manner which defines their own sense of style during Antifashion Week, participating in group activities is also recommended.
Why not build a beachside bonfire with your friends and fuel the flames with fake Louis Vuitton bags and copies of InStyle? Or instead of going “from daytime to evening” with your makeup, why don’t you show up at work on Monday morning gussied up like a Las Vegas cocktail waitress on New Year’s Eve? Perhaps you could plan to spend the weekend at the National Lentil Festival – quite possibly the most unglamorous civic pride event I’ve ever heard about.
Whatever you do, just try to have a good time. With the 2009 fashion shows looming on the horizon, it could be a lot of fun to forget about the stupidity of the fashion world for a while. Sure, there are going to be some great shows out there, but there are also going to be plenty of Rachel Bilsons and Steven Cojocarus and Adrian Mainellas and Rachel Zoes and Kimora Lees to deal with. Antifashion Week is the calm before the storm. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Reporter Search 2008 is Finally Here!
FASHION Magazine’s Reporter Search 2008 has finally launched. I was thrilled to read through the finalists’ blogs, and delighted to discover the regional nature of the contest. Finally, a contest that is truly national.
My favorite entry so far was from Edmonton’s Dolly. I was grinning from ear to ear to read the blog of an expecting mother who extols the virtues of caftans. I also loved the entries from Heather and Isabel in the Ontario region (who are competing against each other, unfortunately).
Since I’ve already voiced my displeasure with shopping blogs in general, I won’t get into that again. Even though some of the best entries in this contest are about shopping, they go beyond the usual where-to-find-it format of most shopping blogs. They exceed expectations by drawing the reader into the life of the blogger. I want to know more about Dolly and Isabel.
Heather’s blog, on the other hand. makes me believe that the girl can write copy in her sleep. Forget the contest; FASHION should just give her a job.
Good luck to everyone!
What does Bruna have on the designers?
I’m not the type of women who goes around starting rumors. At the moment, however, I can’t help myself. This is something you need to know.
I believe Bruna Tenorio is blackmailing the great fashion designers of the world. Every time I write a post about a fashion show, I have to resist using a photo of her.
Why is she always wearing the showstopper in every collection? Why do the designers seem to favor her? What does she have on them?
It’s something I need to investigate.
What to wear?
Auntie Fashion is going on TV in a couple of hours.
I’m no stranger to television. I get called upon to deliver my special brand of expert advice on a regular basis. Still, I’m always scrambling at the last minute, trying to decide if I’ve chosen the right outfit. This morning is no different; I still don’t have a clue what to wear.
I wish that the DVF Resort 2009 collection was already in the stores, because I’d love to share this red-hot number with the world. All those hours at the gym have paid off, and Auntie Fashion is looking fine.
Let that be a lesson to all of you out there. Every minute you spend working on your body adds immeasureable value to every dollar you spend on clothing. You need a figure to showcase fashion. The most practical way to achieve that figure is to make regular activity part of your beauty regime.
Looking good is a lifestyle. Stop smoking, get some sleep, eat a healthy diet, drink plenty of water, stay out of the sun and get to the gym. I know that sounds like old-fashioned advice, but before you know it, you’ll be wearing sheer caftans on TV, too.
I hope that Lucinda McRuvy is reading this. I’m worried about her.
Fashionable Songs
I normally don’t respond to emails where I’m tagged to reveal tidbits about myself. However, there was a comment on my blog today telling me that I was tagged by Rebekah at Stylist Stuff. Since I like her blog, I’ll play along — this time!
Rebekah was asked to name her seven spring songs. Because spring is over, she decided to name her seven summer songs. And because she exercised a little creative license, I’ve decided to do the same and name seven fashionable songs.
Off the top of my head, here’s a list of songs that make me think about fashionable things, like supermodels and fashion designers. If there are any more fashionable songs that I’ve forgotten, let me know. You can post them in the comments section. Tag — you’re it.
Deep in Vogue — Malcolm McLaren: “In my black tights, just throwing shade…”
Madame Butterfly — Malcolm McLaren: Nothing to do with fashion, but the whole video looks like one seriously fabulous photo shoot in W.
He’s the Greatest Dancer — Sister Sledge: “Halston, Gucci, Fiorucci…”
Freedom ‘90 — George Michael: Five of the most gorgeous models in the world in one video. I can’t think of the song without the video playing over and over in my head.
Too Funky — George Michael: Five of the most gorgeous models in the world in one video, and this time they’re wearing Theirry Mugler.
Got ‘Til It’s Gone — Janet Jackson: The best styling EVER in a music video. It makes me forgive every single fashion crime Janet Jackson and her entire family have committed.
Express Yourself — Madonna: One word: Gaultier.
