Daphne Guinness looking tres chic, arriving for the Chanel couture show yesterday. On the next page Vogue Italia editor, Franca Sozzani, and model Ines de la Fressange, who’s shooting photos at the couture events for Madamefigaro. All images via Zimbio.
Fashion wonder Daphne Guiness was interviewed recently in Interview magazine. It’s a great interview, very much worthy of a read, but one line in particular stuck out. In speaking about fashion movements she says:
“There hasn’t been anything real since grunge. That was the last movement led by music or an art form.”
The grunge or prefer punk fashion movement was indeed a great one–stunning in the way it essentially took all that came before it, tore it down literally to shreds and reconstructed it into something brand new. Punk was so great that it’s achieved a sort of classic status in that designers from now to eternity are sure to reference it in a cyclical manner like they do all the great fashion eras.
Still, there most definitely have been fashion movements since “grunge,” or at least running concurrent with it–starting with hip-hop style, which is marked by its royal (as in African royalty, people) celebration of adornment and boldface style, including big fur, flashy jewellery, animal prints, body-conscious silhouettes, all of which is often mixed up with athletic looks (a tribute to the great successes of black athletes?) like track suits and sneakers. And then there’s the whole beauty supply world of nail art, false eye lashes, bold lip colors, hair extensions, etc!
Sure, there was over-the-top style before hiphop and rap came along (thank you disco and soul and funk) but who could deny that the movement didn’t put its own extremely special stamp on the look just like punk did rock ‘n’ roll and create a style who’s influence has been at least as huge as punk’s.
In another line, Guiness describes the current fashion movement as “corporate.” Agree somewhat but not entirely…but that is for another post entirely.
On the next page some more hiphop fashion looks from back in the day,a look that is still alive and evolving.
Fashion is at its best when it rubbing shoulders with the art world and such was the case at the Museum of FIT, which launched its Daphne Guinness exhibit last night at a super-fun event that nicely brought together the art world and the fashionistas with all sorts of crossover in between. Daphne Guinness graciously held camp in the museum throughout the event, chatting intently with whomever approached her–and she was very approachable.
And the fashion–wow! Her collection is eye-popping (lots of black, LOTS of McQueen–what a terrible loss that must have been for her) and you realize after viewing it all what an amazing gift Guinness is to the industry. Definitely a must-see exhibit, which you can find more info on here.
See many more images of attendees and the exhibit on the next page.
Kate Moss is on the cover of Vogue’s September issue and her wedding is a major focus. Above is one “never-before-seen” shot from her big day which shows her matrons of honor from left to right: Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, Jess Hallett, Kate Moss, Rosemary Ferguson, and in the bottom row, Sadie Frost and Lucie de la Falaise.
On the next page you’ll also see first-time images of Carine Roitfeld, Naomi Campbell (in Givenchy), Lara Stone, Daphne Guinness, Kelly Osbourne, Marc Jacobs, Christian Louboutin, Paul and Stella McCartney, plus a few more. Via Vogue.
Contra Mundum’s ”Against The World” gauntlet is made of 18K platinum and encrusted with 5000 pavé diamonds. This collaboration between jewellery whiz Shaun Leane and Daphne Guinness renders us speechless… Via Oyster.
Documentary filmmaker Brennan Stasiewicz infiltrates the cosseted world of Daphne Guinness in Daphne’s Window. Featuring intimate footage of the icon at her Fifth Avenue apartment, the short follows the eccentric fashion patron and socialite as she prepares for her recent installation in the windows of Barneys New York. The storefront showcased her collection of pieces by designer Lee Alexander McQueen and a selection from the archive of fashion editor Isabella Blow, which Guinness purchased in its entirety last year. The display culminated in a performance art piece in which Guinness dressed for the Met ball in one of the flagship’s windows, modeling a lilac feathered gown designed by McQueen’s Sarah Burton. “She appears to me as someone always in a window,” says Stasiewicz. “Someone you can approach and see, but you remain on the other side.” This year brings a multitude of projects for the heiress: her sculptural armored glove collaboration with jeweler Shaun Leane (pictured in today’s film) will be exhibited by Jay Jopling in a private viewing in London later this month; and in September a retrospective at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology will pay homage to her style. “Daphne is someone to take pleasure in, and in many ways, someone who incites moments of wonder,” says Stasiewicz.
I find the recent publicity moves made by Barney’s new regime to be quite interesting. The choice of Daphne Guinnesslive window dressing for the Met Gala, for example we definitely see as an attempt to add an avant garde edge to the well-loved New York department store. Can’t wait to see what the next moves will be…
Tom Ford relaunched his name as a woman’s wear designer with a Spring 2011 runway show featuring Beyonce, Julianne Moore, Lauren Hutton, Rita Wilson, Daphne Guinness, Farida Khelfa, as well as models Amber Valletta and Stella Tennant. According to Cathy Horyn of the NY Times, the show was held in Ford’s Madison Avenue men’s store and was limited to about 100 editors, who all must have been in heaven to be transported back to a world before the barbarians, i.e. bloggers, crossed the barriers. No images were released (the one on this page is Beyonce arriving), which in addition to protecting Ford’s ideas, certainly creates mystique, and though none will be released until January, one has to bet they will be leaked here and there as needed to create buzz. One more pic of Solange Knowles, wearing a leopard print turban, after the flip. UPDATE: A blurry image showing the shimmery top-half of Beyonce’s dress added.
Alexander McQueen’s funeral was held yesterday at Saint Paul’s Church in London. It was a private funeral, attended only by family and close friends, which included Naomi, Kate Moss, and Stella McCartney. According to the Daily News, “Members of the family wore McQueen tartan, which the designer draped across much of his 2006 ”Highland Rape” fashion show.” Very sad day for those who loved him.
Alexander McQueen’s funeral was held yesterday at Saint Paul’s Church in London. It was a private funeral, attended only by family and close friends, which included Naomi, Kate Moss, and Stella McCartney. According to the 
