Posts for May 14, 2008 -- The Cut: New York Magazine's Fashion Blog

May 14, 2008

Party Lines

5/14/08

6:15 PM

Chloë Sevigny Doesn't Want to Call Herself an Eco-Nazi, But...

Glasses!Photo: WireImage

After missing her Nylon party in April, we were worried Chloë Sevigny might not show to Women's Health magazine's "Down to Earth" party last night. But this time, she showed! The green-themed evening was ripe with canvas-bag-toting, eco-talking partygoers so we felt obliged to ask our hostess about keeping it green since, well, we didn't bring a Feed Bag and wanted to show we care. "I'm really green, yeah. I annoy everybody, all my friends. Well, I have some friends that are really green, but most of them — I don't want to use the term Nazi, but I'm very extreme," Sevigny said. "I don't ever use plastic bags. Um, I always bring my own to the grocery store. Even when I go to my local bodega, they're like, 'No bag, right?' They always make jokes about me." Wow, way to keep it real, girlfriend. But wait, there's more! "I try to take smaller baths, I try to eat less meat, I try to only buy organic, and I don't dry my clothes in the dryer — I hand-dry them." She "hand-dries" all of her clothes?! "Sometimes I'll put them in the dryer for five minutes just to soften it up," she confessed. But what if she wants to wear something last minute? "I don't," she said. "Ever."

Yes, we talk about polygamist fashion. »

More: Party Lines »big love, chloe sevigny, opening ceremony, parties, television

Loose Threads

5/14/08

5:10 PM

Christian Dior Resort Images Are Up! Naomi Campbell to Walk for Lagerfeld?

The Dior resort show. The runway was supposed to be a pool. Neat, huh?Photo: imaxtree

• Images from the Christian Dior resort show are up! Skip that afternoon cookie and take a gander. Trust us — they're just as satisfying. [Christian Dior Resort/NYM]

• Naomi Campbell might walk in Karl Lagerfeld's resort collection show for Chanel in Miami tomorrow. If she's flying we really hope she makes it. (You knew that was coming.) [Fashion Week Daily]

• Here's a peek at Christian Siriano's collection for Bluefly. By peek we mean there's a photo of his sketches and another one of him sitting next to some fabric swatches. [Flypaper]

• Tori Spelling is the new face of Skechers. It's all part of their plan to target the family market. Admit it, somewhere deep down Tori gives you the warm fuzzies. [Sassybella]

• Cate Blanchett will wear only Armani during the Cannes Film Festival. [Fashionologie]

• The leggings in Lindsay Lohan's new line have built-in knee pads. Also, it appears she used a blonde model in her promotional event in L.A. Will she go against her casting call and use her in the ad campaign? Suspense! [Hollywood Crap]

More: Loose Threads »bluefly, cannes film festival, cate blanchett, chanel, christian dior, christian siriano, karl lagerfeld, leggings, lindsay lohan, models, naomi campbell, project runway, skechers, tori spelling

Cult of Personality

5/14/08

4:30 PM

Howard Socol's Job at Barneys Is Very Special

Howard Socol with Donatella Versace and Anna Wintour.Photo: Getty Images

Yesterday Howard Socol resigned from his job as CEO of Barneys. Now the retailer has the enormous task of replacing him, which they'll do with the help of a search firm. His successor has veritably clown-size shoes to fill: Socol brought the company from bankruptcy to profitability and opened 21 stores in his roughly seven-year tenure. Also, running a luxury company like Barneys is a toughie not made easier by These Economic Times. Though everyone speculates Socol is departing because he disagrees with Barneys' new owner Istithmar's plans for global expansion, he told WWD that really, he just wants a little "me" time. Though it sounds like he will miss this very special job:

"This is a full-time, seven-day-a-week job. There are a lot of things I love to do. I plan to enjoy life, travel a lot, and expand my mental and physical capacities. There is a lot on my "'I want' list." Taking another job in retailing, said the 62-year-old Socol, is not on the list. "I have no inclination to do that."
…"This is a very special job," Socol continued. "It's all about creativity, energy, fashion. It's not about price. It's not about promotion. It's about the things that get a lot of retailers' juices going." Barneys is not so big so you can still be a merchant, Socol noted. "On this job, you can be a merchant, and a businessman. You can touch and feel the merchandise. You can touch and feel the people," he said.

No wonder everyone loves shopping there so much.

Finding the Right Fit: Barneys' Socol Quits, No Clear Successor [WWD]
Related: Breaking: Howard Socol Resigns From Barneys

More: Cult of Personality »barneys, economy, howard socol, istithmar, retail

Beauty Marks

5/14/08

4:00 PM

Josh Hartnett Mugs for Armani's Diamonds for Men

We're guessing he'll get a shave and a haircut before
the shoot.Photo: WireImage

FRAGRANCE
• Josh Hartnett is the new face of Armani's Diamonds for Men scent. (You may recall Beyoncé fronted Diamonds for Women last year.) The company promises “a memorable print and TV campaign.” Golly, we hope that means a naked Josh with strategically placed paste-on diamonds. [WWD]

• The first-ever Perfume Expo America closes today in New York. Oh, you didn’t hear about it? Sounds about right. Vendors are complaining about the low turnout. [Cosmetic News]

MAKEUP
• Christian Dior will launch the Dior Beauty Institute with the Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris this September. It’s going to be the only one of its kind — featuring skin-care and beauty treatments. Can we go? [Cosmetic News]

• Beauty rules from Bobbi Brown: Don't keep mascara more than six months; don’t use a pencil for brows because it never looks natural — opt for a shadow instead; finally, test your lipsticks without any other makeup on — that’s how you find a keeper. [Makeup Divas]

• The eye shadows in M.A.C's new Electroflash line look like potted planets. Love. [Temptalia]

More: Beauty Marks »armani, beauty, bobbi brown, fragrance, josh hartnett, mac, makeup

First Looks

5/14/08

3:00 PM

Why We're Embarrassed for ‘Elle,’ Anne Slowey, and ‘Stylista’

Last night we went to the CW upfront party, which was super fun and exciting, not only because we saw the Gossip Girl cast, but also because we got a sneak preview of the sure-to-be awesomely-bad new iteration of 90210. It's going to be a great year for the network in '08–'09. But one thing that didn't look so hot was their much-hyped new show Stylista, a clip from which we've shared above. As you may know, the show follows a group of desperate young fashionistas as they vie for the coveted position of assistant to Anne Slowey, fashion news director of Elle magazine. The concept isn't a great one for the cast members, and it just might be even worse for Slowey herself.

More: First Looks »anne slowey, elle, marie claire, nina garcia, reality tv, stylista

Run Through

5/14/08

2:30 PM

Marc Jacobs: Powerful Person in New York Real Estate?

Photo: WireImage

Marc Jacobs is many things. Adored designer, aspiring reality-TV star, muscle man, limelight lover, SpongeBob aficionado. But what might not have come to mind is "real-estate powerhouse." According to the New York Observer, however, that's exactly what he is. Well, smack us upside the head and call us Karl Lagerfeld! On the paper's list of the 100 most powerful people in New York real estate, he's number 63:

#63 Marc Jacobs Co-founder and Designer at Marc Jacobs International Marc Jacobs didn’t invent the West Village, but his five stores there have made it into a precious, pricey, overpopulated, well-corduroyed, bubble-skirted dreamland. There’s a store for men, one for women, two for accessories and one for noun-named children.

Okay, we love Marc, and though his West Village stores have probably influenced the neighborhood, he just seems a little out of place on this list. We appreciate that the Observer folk wanted to be creative with the list and give him a shout-out, but the dude is no Barbara Corcoran. We mean, he's sandwiched between hotelier André Balazs (number 62) and Richard LeFrak (number 64), who owns 5,000 apartments in the city. No harm in asking "Which of these is not like the other?" from time to time.

The 100 Most Powerful People in New York Real Estate [NYO]

More: Run Through »marc jacobs, real estate, west village

New York Fugging City

5/14/08

1:45 PM

Fug Girls Handicap the Winner of ‘America's Next Top Model’

We're down to the wheat, if that's what you want to call it.Photo: Courtesy of CW

As tonight’s finale of America's Next Top Model looms — at stake for the "lucky" winner: a year of being relegated to terrible TV spots, traveling to CoverGirl factories, and getting almost no other work — we find ourselves struggling to decide which of the three remaining model wannabes is most likely to bring it home. There's Whitney, the first plus-size girl to make it this far; Fatima, an occasionally bitchy Somalian beauty with a heartbreaking backstory; and Anya, who gamely allowed the ANTM crew to wash her hair with peroxide, talks like a Russian surfer chick with an adenoid problem, and somehow manages to win a lot of challenges.

It's a tight contest — even resident horndog Nigel Barker doesn't seem to be batting his bedroom eyes at anyone in particular — but that won't stop us from making predictions about the contestants' chances.

More: New York Fugging City »america's next top model, fug girls, janice dickinson, nigel barker, tyra banks

Run Through

5/14/08

1:00 PM

Lindsay Lohan Lands an Ad Campaign

"Irreverent sampling."Photo illustration: Getty Images, Courtesy of Fornari

Yes, Miss Lohan has at last landed a new ad campaign after being dumped by Jill Stuart. She'll mug for Italian lifestyle brand Fornarina, which plans to open a flagship store in New York later this year. Sadly we'll have to wait until the spring of next year for Lohan's ads to debut. A brand rep told WWD, "[Lindsay] is that very self-confident, dynamic woman, she's got a lot of attitude. That's what we're hoping our customer will aspire to." She does seem to have all her ducks in a row right now, with a new movie role starting soon and her leggings line launching.

We checked out the Fornari corporate Website (which owns Fornarina) to determine if this is indeed a good match. Here's how the brand describes itself:

Magenta-tinted vitality. Irreverent sampling. Mischievous style surfing. Fornarina is all about experimentation, with an unmistakable twist: a merry blend of femininity and irony. The Fornarina world is never gray or dead serious. Au contraire: vivacious and smart, always.

A match made in a brightly hued heaven or what?

Fornarina Forms Tie With Lohan [WWD]

More: Run Through »advertising, fornari, fornarina, lindsay lohan

Run Through

5/14/08

12:25 PM

Breaking: Nina Garcia Accepts Position at ‘Marie Claire’

Hooray! She's got a new job!Photo: Getty Images

Ladies and gentlemen, the Nina has landed. Project Runway judge and former Elle fashion director Nina Garcia has accepted a position as fashion director of Marie Claire, according to Fashion Week Daily. However, she won't start until September, when she'll hit up the Fashion Weeks with her new team. So what will she do with all that time in between? She could disappear into the Hamptons with a good book, her new baby, and a fabulous bikini to rest up before her new gig starts. Or she could take that contributing editorship at Elle so she can stay on as a judge on Project Runway for season five, which starts filming later this summer. So many choices, so little summer.

The Weinstein Co. reaffirmed the season-six magazine sponsor for the show hasn't been decided, and that Elle is signed on for season five, the show's last on Bravo before its move to Lifetime. So a lot is still up in the air, but at least one piece of the whole Nina Garcia–Project Runway puzzle is in place. Now if everyone else can get those million other little pieces figured out, we'd be much obliged.

EXCLUSIVE! Nina Garcia: In at Marie Claire [Fashion Week Daily]

More: Run Through »elle, marie claire, nina garcia, project runway, reality tv, weinstein co.

Cult of Personality

5/14/08

11:15 AM

Martha Stewart Commits Heinous Shoe Crime

She's coloring the shoe!Photo: Marthastewart.com

Homemaking and gardening are not exactly our things, but we still appreciate Martha Stewart. We could never organize a fabric collection the way she does or grow "purple passion" asparagus that were worthy of serving or make stuffed animals out of socks and gloves. But while we'd let her have at our closet, kitchen, or potted plants, we'd never let her near our shoes. See, she writes on her blog about a luncheon she attended last week honoring Frederick Law Olmsted, the famous landscape architect who designed Central Park. Before her numerous dazzling photos of hats* worn to the luncheon (so very "now," with Sarah Jessica Parker and all), she posts a photo of a woman holding a marker to a red-soled shoe. Could it be? we thought, our palms moistening, our fingers trembling. We scrolled back up, and the caption on the photo proved our darkest fears:

Karena, my wardrobe mistress, painting the soles of my [Christian] Louboutins black - I am not a fan of the signature red soles and always change the red to black - this is easy if you use a broad sharpie.

A "broad sharpie," Martha? We would die for those red soles, and there you are coloring them as you might a dress for one of your sock animals. Saint Peter won't forget about this one, lady.

*The hats are worth taking a look at, once you recover from this.

Come see hats, hats, and more great hats!! Please comment and let me know your favorite [Martha Blog]

More: Cult of Personality »christian louboutin, hats, martha stewart, shoes

Loose Threads

5/14/08

11:10 AM

Vanessa Paradis Nabs Miu Miu; ‘Stylista’ Anticipation Begins

Vanessa ParadisPhoto: Getty Images

• Vanessa Paradis is the new face of Miu Miu. So long, Kirsten Dunst. [WWD]

• America's Next Top Model got picked up for another season (we refuse to call it a "cycle") at upfronts week. It'll air Wednesdays followed by Tyra Banks's new fashion-assistant survivor reality show with Elle magazine, Stylista. At least we all know what it's really called now. [WP]

• Uggs hired L.A.-based designer Rozae Nichols to design its outerwear collection, which will include a $595 suede hooded pullover and $2,300 long shearling coat. We've always wanted to wear the Uggs we never owned as, um, coats. [WWD]

• Tommy Hilfiger will marry Dee Ocleppo in the Plaza Hotel this fall. Eloping is so passé. [NYP]

• The fashion flock packed up their fabulous and trucked (or yachted) it to Cannes for the film festival. Roberto Cavalli needed an extra room on his hotel suite for the 150 dresses he hopes starlets will wear. [WWD]

• L.A. boutique Kitson owner Fraser Ross is worried about the economy. Finally someone in the fashion business admits it! [WWD]

More: Loose Threads »america's next top model, drinking, jessica stam, kirsten dunst, lauren conrad, lydia hearst, miu miu, models, outerwear, ramona singer, real housewives of new york, reality tv, roberto cavalli, sean combs, shoes, stylista, tommy hilfiger, tyra banks, uggs, vanessa paradis, weddings

Body Issues

5/14/08

9:50 AM

Model Ali Michael on ‘Today:’ ‘I Hadn't Had My Period in Over a Year’

New York loves Ali's legs: She walks Ruffian fall
2008.Photo: Imaxtree

Model Ali Michael was on the Today show this morning, talking about her experience at the Paris shows this past February, where she was told that her legs were too fat for the runways. This was a girl who, mind you, just last year opened Lanvin and walked Lagerfeld, Lacroix, Chanel, Galliano, Dior … you get the idea. So what happened? You know the story. As Ali explained it, when she was discovered in Texas, she was five-foot-nine and 130 pounds. Her agent told her to tone up a bit, and she eventually got down to 102 pounds. Sometime during this 28-pound drop, she found major runway success, but she described a wake-up call:

I was on a plane from Paris to Texas, and I ran my fingers through my hair, and when I took my hand away there was a dry brittle clump of hair in my hand. And that's kind of when I realized that this wasn't worth it anymore, and it had completely taken over.

But it's not like Ali was the only one with issues. She explained that plenty of models similarly suffer. When Ann Curry asked if other models were sick, Ali's answer didn't leave a lot of room for interpretation:

More: Body Issues »ali michael, amy astley, eating disorders, fall 2008, models, skinny models, teen vogue

Fashion Calendar

5/14/08

9:00 AM

Sales: 70 Percent Off Yigal Azrouël and 60 Percent Off Helmut Lang

STARTING TODAY
• Lela Rose’s feminine cocktail dresses, taffeta anoraks, and satin button dresses are 50 to 70 percent off. Through 5/16. 224 W. 30th St., nr. Seventh Ave., thirteenth fl. (212-947-9204); Wed.–Fri. (10–6).

• Men’s and women’s Helmut Lang and Rag & Bone clothes are 60 percent off. Through 5/16. 261 W. 36th St., nr. Eighth Ave., second fl. (212-947-8748); Wed. and Fri. (10–6); Thurs. (10–7).

• The Julie Haus sample sale has cute cocktail dresses for up to 80 percent off. Through 5/15. 545 W. 34th St., nr. Tenth Ave., Ste. 5C (212-239-4100); Wed. (10–8); Thurs. (10–6).

More: Fashion Calendar »sales, shopping