according to WWD:
Sources in Paris said the furrier was considering the former Emanuel Ungaro designer to energize its collections. A spokesman for Revillon said the company was contemplating several names and that a decision had yet to be made. Designer Rick Owens left Revillon after Yves Salomon acquired it just over a year ago.
Dai Fujiwara a été nommé directeur créatif des lignes Issey Miyake. Comme prévu, le remplaçant de Naoki Takizawa, qui a quitté le groupe pour fonder sa propre marque, est issu du sérail. Fujiwara a intégré le "Miyake Design Studio" en 1995. En 1998, il a été nommé codirecteur du projet A-POC, A Piece of Cloth. Ses créations lui ont valu en 2003 le prix du Mainichi Design Award. Dai Fujiwara et sa nouvelle équipe présenteront leurs premières collections pour les lignes Issey Miyake homme et femme à Paris en janvier et en mars prochains.
Yvan Mispelaere's is said to be joining Gucci as design director, working under creative director Frida Giannini. Mispelaere was until a few days ago part of the Chloé design team that gained fame under Phoebe Philo and continued without the designer when she resigned in January. He designed the last collection S/S 2007 together with colleagues Blue Farrier and Adrian Appiolazza- then bade them farewell, leaving the city of light for the tuscan countryside (also know as Gucci epicenter).
Yvan Mispelaere will be replaced by Paolo Melin Anderson, one of Marni's hidden talents
.
Chloé sales more than doubled last year, trending at 90% for the April period, under creative direction of Philo. Despite her departure, growth at the fashion house continued “beyond expectations,” said parent company Richemont. Mispelaere has previously worked for Prada in Milan and Valentino in Rome and was creative director of Louis Féraud.
October 5th 2006 S/S 2007 by Stefano Pilati
Collection inspired by violets, which to the Greeks symbolized modesty, humility, and virginity- violets that were trampled by runway models...
M.Pilati has a sense of humour.
M. Yves Saint Laurent
Career make or break collection 1962 (in french)
Betty Catroux talks about life with Yves Saint Laurent. Black leather, cocaine, sex, and poetry in the 1970s!.. la poésie du "louche". (interview in french)
The french have their famous boisterous "cocorico"! , in Australia we have a more low key, yet meaningful "good-on-ya, mate"!
According to the Sydney Morning Herald:
I'm glad I am not the only one that remembers those silly smiley patches. Although late teen flash-backs put aside, they really never have left us.
Wunderkind designer ora-ïto launched the vidéo of his feel good fragrance SMILEY at his galery yesterday. This Rubick's Cube inspired spot portrays himself and partner, actress Vahina Giocante. It was directed by - himself of course!
This late 80's flashback perfume is made up of (not entirely) psychostimulants -Theobromine and Phenylethylamine - barbaric names for things found in chocolate.
See "Smiley" VIDEO
MUNICH, Germany (AFP) - Escada, the German maker of luxury ready-to-wear women's clothes, said it has appointed Damiano Biella, design director with the Italian fashion brand Valentino, as its new creative director.
Biella, 35, will be Escada's new creative head from October 1, the fashion house said in a statement.
He has been Valentino's design director since 2003 after serving as creative director at Carolina Herrera for five years. He has also worked for Celine and Gucci.
During his tenure at Valentino, Biella had been tipped by insiders as a potential successor to the Roman couturier.
He was credited with bringing strong merchandising skills to the fashion house and successfully expanding its diffusion lines.
At Escada, Biella will take over from Brian Rennie, 43, who was responsible for the development of collections since 1994.
"With Damiano Biella, we want to open a new era in the design of the Escada brand," said chief executive Frank Rheinboldt
Suedish designer Lars Nilsson resigned last tuesday from the Nina Ricci (Puig). M. Nilsson had turned the aging french fashion brand around, bring a sophisticated, elegant and optimistic vision to the youngest of the pre-WWII couture houses .
Founded in 1932 by Italian born Marie Adélaïde Ricci (née Nielli) and her son Robert, Nina Ricci couture house discreetly thrived and launched several perfumes including best seller "L'air du Temps".
The fashion house was bought from the Fuchs family, the de Kousmine family and Sanofi in 1998 by spanish cosmetics firm Puig Prestige Beauté.
Unfortunately Nina Ricci will be absent from the Paris spring/summer 07 fashion shows, but available at the showrooms. John Galliano's and Christian Lacroix's ex-assistant mentioned that his resignation was based on personal motifs and he would like to take some time off. He also confided that since 2003 Nina Ricci "has been a fabulous experience, but I would like to do something else".
His successor should be named in the next week. Perhaps Olivier Theyskens?
Nina Ricci
Confusing scent strategies by Procter and Gamble.
ROCHAS fell into the hands of P&G following the takeover of German company Wella in 2003.
The gruelling announcement was made on the 19th of july 2006. They will be killing off the longstanding fashion house. A suitable buyer had not be found. By suitable buyer they meant one who would accept to only acquire the apparel side of the brand. P&G are not letting go of the lucrative Rochas Perfumes. The fabulous Pret à Porter collections reinterpreted by wonderchild Olivier Theyskens will no longer be. Bye Bye Rochas.
Holding onto Rochas perfumes on one hand, and on the other wishing to part with "4711". The world's oldest fragrance still on the market. In absorbing Wella, P&G also inherited the whole catalogue of Koln's Muelhens-Gruppe including "Tosca" another scent created in the 1920's. All is for sale. All but the manufacturing side of the business.
According to a P&G spokeswoman in germany Petra Popall, P&G is a "global brand and wishes to concentrate on brands with global potential".
Nicely said for a suds salesman. Although if you really think about it - "4711" is known even in the highlands of the Thai golden triangle (personal experience), whereas Rochas is a luxury brand -therefore more confidential - and high maintenance.
Why sell "4711" when it answers perfectly to their mainstream soap markets globally?
How is P&G going to be able to uphold the prestige of Rochas globally, without promoting it's image through high profile catwalk collections? Ok, they admit to not owning other luxury fashion brands and therefore have no desire to invest in a first experience without an existing infrastructure. So what is their brand strategy?
If anyone can explain this.... feel free.
As for Olivier Theyskens... I guess he still has a couple of surprises in store for us yet.
New York Times Oliver Theyskens
Private equity fund Matlin Patterson Global Advisors announced it's buyout of Cerruti - all activities (Fin.Part) on the 1st of August 2006 (Agence France Presse - Paris). No figures where mentioned.
Names where dropped however. New PDG Philippe Cleach and Artistic Director Nicolas Andreas Taralis (x Heidi Slimane and Helmut Lang assistant).
I can't wait to see what this urban warrior inspired designer will do to the overly classic Cerruti image.
Nicolas Andreas Taralis
One of the first fashion houses I started working for in '93 was Jil Sander. It was a fabulous experience and probably the reason why I continued in this line of work.
Jil Sander's Avenue Montaigne store was located in the former "hotel particulier" of pioneer fashion designer Madeleine Vionnet (50, ave Montaigne). Jil Sander whispered that the location wasn't a coincidence, she shared Ms Vionnet's vision of elegance and cut. Just after inaugurating the store a very discreet grayhaired lady timidly entered and asked if she could visit. "I used to work here" she announced proudly, then she started to show us where the atelier had been, where the Hispano Suizas parked. She had been a "petite main" in Madeleine Vionnet's workshop. Sometimes whilst working in the upper storeys I could still feel the presence of this grande dame of couture.
The early 1900's symbolised the beginning of feminism. Women began to make it. In the fashion world there were Jeanne Lanvin (single mum and entrepeneur) and Madeleine Vionnet. Ms Vionnet created her fashion house in 1912, although success arrived after the first World War. Her simple elegant styles made all ornementation on garments previously favoured by contemporary Poiret, obsolete. Her invention of the "bias" (or cross) cut and the drapé reinvented couture completely. Her abolition of the corset liberated women. All in all she was a feisty lady, capable of leaving man and house to start over in another country. Well ahead of her times she had a deep social integrity ( her employees had advantages unheard of in those times - day care, health care and payed holidays). As a visionary business woman she quasi invented a system of copyright (her creations had serial numbers and were orned with her digital prints) and was one of the first to distribute Pret à Porter collections derived from haute couture.
Her last collection was in 1939. Her fashion house was up for sale at Druot in 1940. She spent the next and last 3 decades of her life on her other passions: nature and culture.
Of Madeleine Vionnet I will remember this quote:
"Il faut toujours se dépasser pour s'atteindre... Toujours lutter au fond, c'est passionnant"
The Vionnet trademark was bought in 1988 by the de Lummen family who have since been distributing it's frangrances (Madeleine Vionnet SA / Parfums Aubusson). Although there had been suggestions of bringing back the pret à porter in the 90's, my guess is that there hasn't been the oppertunity to enrole a designer who shared the same vision.
Now Vionnet is back on the fashion scene. Arnaud de Lummen, General Manager of the ressucitated fashion house announced this month (july 2006) the arrival of Sophia Kokosalaki as artistic director.
« Notre retour sur la scène de la mode ne sera pas une rétrospective du passé mais marquera notre volonté de perpétuer l’esprit visionnaire de Vionnet. Sophia, reconnue pour son travail sur la coupe et les matières, est sans doute l’unique créatrice contemporaine en parfaite symbiose avec l’héritage de la Maison et pleinement capable d’inventer son futur.»
(10 July 2006 Vogue)
Innovation and technical perfection are the main factors why there is a coherence between the artistic styles of these two women. I really am looking forward to Madeleine's revival. RdV spring/summer 2007 season.
Vionnet
Sophia Kokosalaki
A couple of days off in summer? Why not zip around the corner or use these exhibitions as an excuse for a long week end.
Fashion, design and art, three disciplines which tickle our sense of créativity. Knowing our history helps us acquire the basics for the future. For those of you who are neophites, just enjoy the innovations of those times when one adressed designers as "Monsieur".
Paris, France
Exposition "Christian Dior et le Monde"
jusqu’au 24 septembre au Musée Christian Dior à Granville
lvmh
Musée Dior
Exposition “Balenciaga Paris” , du 6 juillet 2006 au 28 janvier 2007, Les Arts Décoratifs, Musée de la Mode et du Textile, 107, Rue de Rivoli, 75001 PARIS.
Balenciaga Exhibition
Lyon, France
Exposition "Leonard - Impressions de Mode", du 7 avril au 8 Octobre 2006 Musée des Tissus et des Arts Décoratifs de LYON.
Musee des tissus
Marseille, France
Exposition "Dress Code: Tenue de Cocktail", au musée de la mode de Marseille jusqu'au 10 septembre 2006
Mairie de Marseille
Anvers, Belgique
3ème épisode d’une série d’expositions consacrée au couturier japonais Yohji Yamamoto, jusqu'au 13 août 2006 au Musée de la Mode de la Province d’Anvers (MoMU)
MoMu
Brescia, Italie
Exposition ″Versace : Un Homme, Un Génie de la Mode et des Arts″, au Musée de la mode et du Costume Mazzucchelli de Ciliverghe de Mazzano, Brescia. Les relations proches entre Gianni Versace et l’art, jusqu'au 29 octobre 2006.
Musei Mazzucchelli
For more information on other happenings throughout europe:
Culture et loisirs France2
