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Hippity hop.Photo: Getty Images
Alexander McQueen's spring 2009 show in Paris ended a few hours ago. And McQueen took his bow in a bunny suit with some animal friends looking on in a fabulous Museum of Natural History–meets–high fashion setup we thought only existed in our wildest (zing!) dreams. (No, seriously — we love that museum.)
On a more somber note, however, the show wasn't all as fun as a trip to the museum. One model fainted as she exited the runway and had to be carried out.
It's time to talk about Twitter. We had to eventually. We just discovered French Vogue's Fashion Week feed. And it's amazing. Yes, it's all in French, but even if you don't know any French, you can probably figure out the gist of things. Plus, they're on top of the Bruno runway invasions like the bouffant on Sarah Palin's head. A taste: "Tentative d intrusion. Borat en marin a jeté l'ancre chez vanessa bruno mais essuie un refus." Nous adorons! [Fashion Week Live/Twitter]
Halle Berry
FRAGRANCE
• Halle Berry is launching a fragrance with Coty Inc., which she calls "uniquely expressive of who I am." How might that smell? Like figs and mimosas, duh. [WWD]
• Avon is making a scent inspired by the Ironman Triathlon. American winner Matt Miller will be the face of the fragrance. Because nothing says "Don't you want to smell like me?" like an Ironman. [WWD]
• Estée Lauder is launching a fragrance at Wal-Mart called C-Thru, marketed to 15- to 24-year-olds. Something about a C-Thru fragrance being marketed to teens makes us uneasy. [WWD]
MAKEUP
• Estée Lauder also created pink-packaged lipstick and pins for Breast Cancer Awareness Month and will donate $500,000 to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. If you're going to wear pink makeup, this is the month to do it. [Beauty Snob]
HAIR
• Pete Wentz on his hair: "I think most people think that I have Lego hair, like I can just take it on and off in one piece, and that’s not quite the case — although pretty close." [Off the Rack/People]
Molly Sims just announced she's launching a lingerie line for spring 2010. Ex-models doing lingerie is hardly unique, but she's said she wouldn't put things like tassels or leopard print on her pieces. “I want it be what you wear, not what you wish you could wear,” she said. "It’s going to be feminine. It’s like undone-done, so it’s like a reveal-conceal." We love it when designers, ahem, describe things in ways we can clearly picture. [Off the Rack/People]
Meh.Photo: Courtesy of peta2.com
If you don't have a Halloween costume picked out just yet, PETA has some suggestions for you. It's part of their latest crusade against the Olsen twins, whom PETA calls "Hairy-Kate and Trashley Trollsen." "After all, only someone as heartless as a troll would wear the skins of dead animals," PETA trumpets. (To hammer their point home in their special PETA way, they've created an interactive feature that allows you to dress up Hairy-Kate and Trashley in dead animals dripping with blood. It's legitimately scary.) They're offering to send free Trollsen masks (pictured above) to anyone who places an order before October 12. Or if you can't wait to get your costume on, you can print out the masks here. You know, PETA, it's a commendable effort, but their hair usually looks way more mussed than that. And Trashley on the left there wouldn't wear red lipstick. When we dress up, we like to be accurate, thank you very much. (That reminds us — holler if you know where we can get Sarah Palin's Alaska earrings.)
Why Not Be a Troll This Halloween? [PETA2.com via MollyGood]
Peaches Geldof apparently isn't very charming. The British socialite and new Nylon editor is working with MTV on a documentary about her role at the magazine. The Sun reports MTV was forced to "heavily edit" the footage after showing it to Peaches's father, Sir Bob, a founder of the production company. Heather Jones, MTV’s U.K. managing director for content and creativity, said, "[S]he’s a monster! Everything that comes out of her mouth is horrendous and that will still show through.” Oh. We are so surprised. [Sun UK via Gawker]
Artist Jeremy Kost perseveres backstage at Paris Fashion Week with his video camera. When the models exit Jeremy Scott's runway, they can't resist sticking their faces in Kost's lens. They also seem eager to get their jewelry and giant wigs off.
Watch out for cow patties!Photo: Photo-illustration: Everett Bogue; Photos: Getty Images
We shit you not. Karl Lagerfeld told reporters backstage at the Chanel show in Paris today that he bought a six-bedroom "landmark building" dating back to 1840 on Lake Champlain in Vermont. May as well strike while the dollar's down! “I love it. It’s very much Emily Dickinson,” the Kaiser told WWD, adding that it reminds him of northern Europe. Karl also said he'll start shooting the Chanel campaigns there. And, we imagine, fly-fishing.
So … is country the new chic? Do we need to summer in Vermont instead of the Hamptons? Karl — is your house a SHARE? Because we are so in. Ben & Jerry's, here we come!
So Sarah Palin dodged questions at the debate last night, Joe Biden didn't connect with the camera blah blah, issues, blah. That's not our terrain on the Cut. But hair is! The Huffington Post pointed out something that kind of bothered us last night: Sarah Palin's half-French braid was "folksy" and unstylish. They've even assembled a slideshow of bad French braids. But before you judge too hastily remember — Biden might have butt hair on his head. [HuffPo via Racked]
How is she keeping a straight face?Photo: Benoit Tessier/Reuters
Does Paris have a greater sense of humor than Milan? Because it doesn't seem like Sacha Baron Cohen — who's running around posing as Bruno the gay, Austrian, fashion-obsessed journalist — has encountered much resistance at Paris Fashion Week as he films his new movie. Yesterday he sucked tampons on the second row at Stella McCartney, and today he penetrated Jean Charles de Castelbajac's show. Grazia reports:
[H]e whipped out a fold out chair, placed it in front of the front rowers and started writing love letters to girls in the audience. Then he jumped on stage shouting into his mobile phone and walked down the catwalk with the last model.
Above you see Bruno trying to pass a note to one of the models. For video of the incident, click onward!
Artist Jeremy Kost keeps infiltrating Paris shows with his video camera in hand. Backstage at Hussein Chalayan he spotted model Chanel Iman and got one of our favorite girls to show us her top poses. So many different looks in so little time.
Christian Lacroix, spring 2009Photo: Imaxtree
Paris Fashion Week is heading into its final weekend. We can hardly believe the spring 2009 shows are almost over. Sniff. (That is, assuming you don't count L.A. Fashion Week.) So drink in the final days of new runway slideshows with us! Starting with luscious Lacroix pictured here.
Christian Lacroix
Stella McCartney
Leonard
Sonia Rykiel
Celine
Bernhard Willhelm
Barbara Bui
Givenchy
Hussein Chalayan
Alessandra FacchinettiPhoto: Getty Images
And the rumors were true. WWD just reported that Alessandra Facchinetti is finished at Valentino. Sources tell WWD that longtime Valentino accessories designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli will replace her as head of design. Her spring 2009 show for the house just walked in Paris, backstage at which Valentino CEO Stefano Sassi said, "We will make the situation clear very shortly."
Before Valentino, Facchinetti helmed design at Gucci, where she reportedly disagreed with management over aesthetics and production costs. Speculation about Facchinetti's successor has focused on Giambattista Valli, who presented a much-lauded collection yesterday. Was it all for naught? Valentino's new appointments are reportedly subject to board approval so stand by.
Facchinetti Exiting Valentino [WWD]
Earlier: Giambattista Valli Channels Valentino
Alessandra Facchinetti Almost Out at Valentino?
Givenchy, spring 2009Photo: Imaxtree
• Robin Givhan on the American West–inspired Givenchy collection: "What came down the runway for spring was alarming, not because it was poorly constructed but because it was ugly … How could a designer — and those arbiters of good taste with whom he surrounds himself — not see how unflattering much of the collection was?" [WP]
• You know how bad things are economically over here? Well, in Japan, Uniqlo's sales jumped 20.8 percent. [WWD]
• Rumor has it Naomi Campbell will walk the Hermès show tomorrow. [Fashionologie]
• Irina Lazareanu claims that after Sonia Rykiel's 40th-anniversary show, she's "retired from shows for good," but she's said this kind of thing before. [Style File]
• Angela Buttolph, author of Inside the World's Most Famous Wardrobe: Kate Moss Style, reveals Kate Moss has size 3 feet and doesn't ever wear underwear. Ew. [Grazia]
Yep, that looks expensive.Photo: Getty Images
Alessandra Facchinetti shows her spring 2009 collection for Valentino today. But rumors are swirling that Valentino's about to fire her and bring Giambattista Valli onboard as head designer. Valli's collection walked yesterday, and Hilary Alexander couldn't help but notice it felt very Valentino. Valli didn't do much to dispel said rumors, saying, “I have no comment to make on that. I wish Alessandra the best of luck with her show tomorrow. I think she is doing a wonderful job.” But his collection was inspired by Roman frescoes, and photos of Roman statues populated his mood board. You know whose headquarters are in Rome? Valentino's. Valli's front row included Emma Watson, Natalie Portman, and Margherita Missoni — star power that would appeal to a house like (you guessed it!) Valentino. The ball-gown finale earned "tumultuous applause":
The vast skirts, ending in long trains, in lilac, cream and beige, could have stepped out of an Italian Old Master painting. They were composed of literally thousands of minute, silk chiffon “rosettes” or else a cascade of fingertip-pleated ruffles.
The gowns could fetch about $124,000 to $177,000 at Harrods. But one of the store's fashion directors says she expects them to sell easily. So Valli's inspired by Rome, adored by starlets, and easily moves $150,000 dresses, while many critics doubt Facchinetti's consistency. Stay tuned.
Giambattista Valli at Paris Fashion Week [Telegraph]
Related: Alessandra Facchinetti Almost Out at Valentino?
EVENTS
• Giorgio Armani and the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a museum focusing on racism in America and the history of the Holocaust, have teamed up for two national shopping days. Ten percent of all proceeds purchased at any four of Armani's New York boutiques will be donated to the organization. Just mention the Simon Wiesenthal Center at time of purchase. Giorgio Armani, 760 Madison Ave., nr. 65th St. (212-988-9191), 10–6; Armani Casa, 97 Greene St., nr. Spring St. (212-334-1271), 11–7; Emporio Armani, 601 Madison Ave., nr. 57th St. (212-317-0800), 10–7; Emporio Armani, 410 W. Broadway, nr. Spring St., (646-613-8099), 11–7.
• View the fall 2008 Marni collection as it debuts today at Saks. Saks Fifth Avenue, 611 Fifth Ave., at 49th St., third fl. (212-940-1361); 1–4.
SALES
STARTING TODAY
• Enjoy up to 85 percent off select dresses, tops, and jackets by Mischen. Through 10/4. 255 W. 36th St., nr. Seventh Ave., Ste. 1106 (212-827-0854); 9–8.
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