Thierry Mugler Autumn/Winter 2011 show | Source: Youtube

At Mugler, Genius and Its Limits (NY Times)
“Mr. Formichetti’s show was not a work of genius, but it was a show about genius in the present moment — its limits, its futility. If Paris couture is about history, craft and masters, the new Mugler is about nonspecialists, quick communication and downgrading the role of technique and craft, at least in the heavy, earnest sense.”

Carine’s Next Step (Vogue UK)
“Carine Roitfeld has finally confirmed her next move post-French Vogue – the former editor is teaming up with Barneys to become the store’s guest editor and stylist for autumn/winter 2011-12. Roitfeld will style and edit the American store’s advertising campaign (photographed by Mario Sorrenti), catalogue, newsletters, as well as the Madison Avenue windows.”

Dolce and Gabbana May Face a Criminal Trial (NY Times)
“Accused of defrauding the Italian revenue agency and failing to pay taxes on more than $1 billion in income, they are expected to be told… whether prosecutors have gathered enough evidence to warrant a criminal trial. So far, the case has generated remarkably little fanfare in Italy, a country where tax evasion is regarded by many people, including some in the fashion world, as a national sport.”

A Tribute to Elizabeth Taylor: Fashion Icon (The Cut)
“When it came to style, Elizabeth Taylor was fearless. The diamonds, the hair, the cleavage: She rocked it out everywhere she went. In her younger days, she favored plunging necklines with straps poised to slip off her shoulders, her hair like a dark cloud around her thickly made-up eyes.”

F(AA)shion Dialogues (Dazed Digital)
“In this search for fresh approaches some fashion designers developed collaborations with architects… Trying to explore the new possibilities offered by fashion and architecture, the Architectural Association School launched the ‘F(AA)shion’ workshop, an intensive design-based programme of lectures.”

L-R Altuzarra, Alexander Wang, Prabal Gurung | Source: Style.com

Addicted to Love (IHT)
“New York Fashion Week seems to be ‘Addicted to Love,’ as the sound track puts it. But a new generation of twentysomething designers has a tougher, less hearts-and-flowers way of dealing with romance, and more fashion sense about practical needs for the autumn 2011 season after the current harsh winter.”

The ‘in’ crowd (FT)
“Forget dictating the trends, these days brands are throwing the ball into the consumer’s court. Crowdsourcing – allowing your audience to decide on your product via social media, forums, and high-tech web customising programs – has become the buzz phrase in fashion.”

Luxury retailers shine a spotlight on their artisans (Globe and Mail)
“In a post-recessionary retail landscape, this human touch – be it a stitch, a seal or a stamp – can go a long way toward suggesting and reinforcing value. And it’s a major attitudinal shift from the days when companies simply splashed bigger, bolder logos across a luxury good.”

Condé Nast Newsstand Tries Convergence of Technologies (NY Times)
“A newsstand set to open here next week will sell more than a dozen international editions of Vogue magazine, in languages including English, Russian and Chinese. Visitors will be able to browse through digital versions of these and other publications on iPads tethered to sleek plastic tables.”

The Future of Fashion, Part Seven: Carine Roitfeld (Style File)
“She has already exerted an unmistakable influence on fashion… first with the porno-chic aesthetic she co-authored in the nineties as a stylist for Mario Testino and Tom Ford, then… later, with her provocative, photo-driven, decade-long tenure at Vogue. Now everyone is speculating about her next act.”

Carine Roitfeld at Paris Fashion Week | Photo: Tommy Ton

Carine Roitfeld Resigns from French Vogue (Vogue.co.uk)
“French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld has resigned after ten years of service. She will leave the magazine at the end of January. Roitfeld has decided to concentrate on personal projects.”

Bonobos, a Web Retailer, Raises $18.5 Million (NY Times)
“On Thursday morning, Bonobos announced it had raised $18.5 million in a financing round, led by the venture capital firms Lightspeed Venture Partners and Accel Partners. Bonobos has 25 employees and a full menu of menswear, including fitted oxford dress shirts, wool cashmere suits and boat shoes.”

Luxury spending higher than pre-recession levels (Luxury Daily)
“Luxury retail spending has eclipsed pre-recession levels as affluent consumers continue to regain confidence, according to a study from American Express Business Insights.”

Stella McCartney launches iPad app (New Media Age)
“The free app, available from the Apple App Store today, features latest news on the brand, latest collections and video interviews. ”

A Few Boring Ways to Spend $300,000 (NY Times)
“Pocketing $300,000 from the CFDA/Vogue Fund in mid-November, Billy Reid did not consider (a) having a Paris runway show; (b) spitting out some dresses for the Oscars; or (3) inviting his friends over for beer and shrimp.”

Is a Runway Show Really Necessary? (IHT)
“In [the film's] bravura, its beauty and its possibility of going viral to hundreds of million of people… this grand slam in the virtual world poses a question that is increasingly being asked by both designers and executives: Is a fashion show really necessary?”

Imagining the Brioni Woman (WSJ)
“Mr. Dell’Acqua’s task is to inject his romantic, feminine-but-not-frilly aesthetic into a label whose womenswear has in the past seemed severe… The designer is taking a surprising approach for a brand associated with chairmen of the board.”

Louis Vuitton ramps up social media, mobile engagement efforts (Luxury Daily)
“Luxury icon Louis Vuitton is accelerating efforts to engage its legion of fans through social media such as Facebook and via streaming video on mobile phones.”

Paris fashion week faces a dilemma (Guardian)
“Paris fashion week… faces a dilemma: eestick with the minimalist aesthetic championed last season, and risk looking outdated. Or embrace the exuberant 1970s trend that has swept New York, London and Milan fashion weeks, and look derivative.”

Q. and A. With Carine Roitfeld (On the Runway)
“Vogue is a very specific world. You are Vogue, or not Vogue. There are some editors and writers who can be very good, and still not Vogue… It is, first, having the sense of luxury. It’s a sense of craziness, a bit. It’s a sense of beauty.”

PARIS, France — My favourite part of the recently released documentary on Carine Roitfeld is when the French Vogue editrix describes the level and degree of preparation for  a shoot with photographer Patrick Demarchelier. The shoot takes place in an agricultural show, contrasting haute couture with farm animals. As she explains, every shot had been imagined in her mind beforehand and everything had been meticulously planned to keep up with the photographer’s quick pace. And yet, they executed with a small team to achieve what Roitfeld calls a very French photograph.

In another segment, Marc Jacobs explains the thinking behind the low key approach to showing his signature collection this year, when he went without the elaborate sets and 2000 person mega event of New York Fashion Week. He says that it just didn’t feel right this time and so they put the money (and focus) into the clothes.

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