Christian Louboutin in an interview with French newspaper Libération (translation via Vogue UK) laid out his case against YSL for designing a shoe featuring a red sole:
“….it is a red in a specific context [in the way that], there is Ferrari red [and] Hermès orange. Even in the food industry, Cadbury recently won a lawsuit against Nestlé for using purple packaging. All this proves that the colours play a part in a brand’s identity. I’m not saying that red usually belongs to me – I repeat that this is about a precise red, used in a precise location.”
He also shed some light on his own relationship with PPR, a publically-traded company, which owns YSL and has made numerous offers to buy Christian Louboutin, all of which Louboutin has turned down. He then flips from business to personal, going in on YSL’s decision to design shoes with red soles:
“I find it most incredible that a group like PPR would take the risk of defending itself as a plagiarist. They claim to fight against counterfeiting and plagiarism of which they are victims and yet behave like this.”
What a distraction this must be for Louboutin. I wonder sometimes if he doesn’t think, why did we even bother with this in the first place. After all, even though he isn’t the first to do red soles, among people in the know, that design element is metaphorically owned by him. But something in his gut must be telling him to fight another day so in the end we just hope he has his way for reasons we posted here. If he does not, it will be intriguing to see what the fall out will be.
Need an Obama tee-shirt refesh? Vogue editor Anna Wintour came up with the clever plan to raise money for Barack Obama’s presidential campaign by asking her designer pals to come up with a lower-than-normally-priced tee-shirt (or tote bag, or scarf) to be sold on a sub-section of Obama’s campaign site, called Runway To Win. And they all come in a full range of sizes….imagine that, a Marc Jacobs tee in XXXL!
Featured designers include Marc Jacobs, Joseph Altuzurra, Tory Burch, Diane Von Furstenberg, Prabal Gurung, Joseph Altuzarra, Prabal Grunung, Tracy Reese (above), and others, with Alexander Wang’s ”coming soon.”
Have a look at DVF’s Manhattan penthouse, courtesy of AD. Always find it fascinating how these celebrity homes often feature walls hung with portraits and photos of the owner. Diane is no exception with the interior images showing two portraits. Would you hang multiple portraits of yourself in your home? Would it matter if it were done an admired artist? Via Curbed.
A peek at Posh’s soon-to-be-launched, slightly-lower-priced line called Victoria, Victoria Beckham. Priced from $450-$1250 it will be available at Bergdorf’s and Net-a-Porter.
Christian Louboutin is asked five questions by New York boutique department store Bergdorf Goodman and charms with his easy manner and just-so French accent. Below are the questions along with snippets from his responses.
What’s your most cherished NYC secret?: The restaurant Quality Meats: “….I’m a meat lover……” Whose closet would you like to raid?: Loulou de la Falaise: “…She’s been having 30 years of fashion history and so many colors and so many accessories….” What must have can’t you live without? I-phone: ”….It’s difficult because I feel like it’s like an addiction, but it’s definitely, it’s the only addiction that I have so I think I’m fine with it.” What is the one style you never want to see make a comeback? Clogs: “…for one reason, I love shoes and there’s a thing I love about shoes and it’s the sound of shoes……hearing the sound of a clog is really not nice, not pretty, it’s an ugly sound….” What is your worst childhood fashion memory: A ski suit: “….I had this incredibly puffy, bright red, ski outfit….”
If you’re a fan, he will be making an appearance at Bergdorf’s on January 31st on the second floor. Click here for details.
A great interview with Rachel Roy, who has become one to watch in the fashion industry and deserves kudos for the buzz she has built around her name and projects. And did you know she’s six-feet tall?? I didn’t either. Darn woman, no wonder you enjoy rubbing shoulders with Amar’e!
That said the sensational and not-even true headline, “Women Should Give Up Dressing Like Kate Moss,” is bugging me, I guess especially since it’s from Forbes–a “serious” pub. It’s one of those ones that if you’re the writer and you didn’t pen it, you’re kind of fuming. Yes, it’s catchy and will translate to page views, but it conveys the opposite of what Rachel Roy was trying to say in the q&a, which was that women should figure out what works for them and not blindly follow people like Kate Moss just because their fashion choices are high profile.
Here are a couple of excerpts:
Forbes: What are five items you think every woman needs?
RR: Definitely a trench coat. I wear them as dresses, and they instantly make me look thinner, pulled together, sharp. Think Diane Sawyer. A great pair of flats, though I’m not a believer in toe cleavage. A men’s blouse. Like what Sharon Stone wore to the Oscars [in 1999]. I have one from Jones Apparel that I wear all of the time. It doesn’t wrinkle. Buy one in a smaller size than you would normally wear. Cardigans. I button mine all of the way up and wear them backwards channeling Marilyn Monroe in the 1950s, and pair it with a pencil skirt. And a turtleneck, which you can wear year round. Wear it with a strapless dress or a wispy spring dress right now.
Forbes: What are the worst fashion mistakes that women make?
RR: When I was younger, I always wanted to be trendy. I always wanted to have the correct trend that Kate Moss was telling us to wear in a magazine. But if she’s saying skinny pants are in, and I know they are going to make my hips stick out, now I know better than to wear them. Instead I’ll go for high-waisted pants, and channel Katharine Hepburn. It’s all about trend editing yourself.
In an issue dedicated to celebrating the intersection of music and fashion, V magazine’s editorial “The Queen Of Hip Hop” includes a top, skirt and shoes by none other than Kanye West. Looks fab, still adoring the shoes.
Other designers shown in this super fun shoot include Patricia Field, Prada, Reed Krakoff, Billionaire Boys Club, Versace, Manolo Blahnik, Calvin Klein and House of Dereon. Via Thecut via Models.
We caught up with designer Leah McSweeney recently to find out the latest developments with her Married to the MOB label. A pioneer on the streetwear scene when she started up MOB seven years ago, the label has had it twists and turns, including the recent conclusion of a partnership with an investor and is getting back to its roots, albeit with a second-act heaping does of wisdom. McSweeney = MOB so it’s no surprise that many of the bumps, bruises and joys experienced by the brand over the past few years found a parallel in the young designer’s own life. Compelling, frank, more than slightly intense, not to mention a bit of a lightening rod, this is one female whose next moves we will always look out for and cheer.
HS: A lot has happened in the past year. Can you catch everyone up on Married to the Mob and what happened to your brand? You had investors and now you are no longer partnered with them.
Leah: Legally I can’t get into details. In the long run, the only thing that matters is I got my company back. I have nothing but gratitude toward my ex-partners, they believed in me but we’re two different animals. They’re amazing at what they do with men’s brands and I will say the three years I had funding, it was the best education on the business. I worked side by side with super smart, successful people, but more importantly I learned how to make a garment, and I learned about fabric, production and design. I started out making tee shirts and I didn’t have any experience. When I went into the partnership I was 25 and on top of the world, thinking, this is the easiest thing getting this brand to blow up. I thought it was the be all end all and it was just the beginning.
In the Q&A continued on the next page, find out aobut MOB’s second act, McSweeney’s road to sobriety, favorite collabos, what she has to say about streetwear, the future of “bitch” in MOB designs, and the start of a new label.
The CFDA in partnership with Vogue awarded Joseph Altuzurra, the winner of its fund prize last week and lots of fashion folks turned out for the event. Above in a study of contrasts is actress Rooney Mara and CFDA presidente, Diane Von Furstenberg.
After the flip see additional images of Vera Wang, Tory Burch, Zac Posen, Rachel Roy, Francisco Costa, Olivier Theyskens, Alexander Wang, Billy Reid, Jason Wu, Kate & Laura Mulleavy, Brooklyn Decker, Liya Kebede, Zoe Kravitz, Anna Wintour and tons more.
In an era in which mega-brands and retailers seem to be growing more dominant than ever, designer Ce Ce Chin of shoe brand 80%20 has always been welcome fresh air. Starting as a llifestyle sneaker company in 2005 with her first retail customers lower-Manhattan boutiques, she’s continued to grow, evolve and remain distinct because of a future-seeing design aesthetic that combines edge with ease and packs all that punch at prices the Downtwon trendsetters who adore her can afford. Case in point, the “hidden wedge,” now a popular design element, but truth be told it was Chin’s first. That ability to offer a new design twist on a shoe (like for Spring the open-toe loafer #straightfire above)you can still wear all day is really what defines 80%20 and makes it special.
Chin was in touch with us recently to let us know about an event at the great Shoe Market in Brooklyn, on November10th (a glass of wine AND 15% off all Holiday 2011 80%20 styles), and we asked if she couldn’t answer some quick questions on trends and what she sees coming up for Spring 2012. Here’s what she had to say:
Q: What’s been your overall most popular style for Autumn 2011?
Chin: We have a new style called the Rina (see image on next page), which is a bit like Chelsea boot, but has an 1.5-inch heel and a 2-inch hidden wedge inside. We’re taking the hidden wedge concept further along… It’s so concealed that some people don’t even realize it’s there!
Q: It looks like we’re seeing the return of women wearing sneakers as a lifestyle item with celebs being spotted in brands like Supra and Isabel Marant sneakers. What’s your take on the trend and do you see your brand addressing it?
See Chin’s response on the next page, along with Holiday 2011 and Spring 2012 shoe images.
