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First Looks

4/14/08

5:30 PM

What's Wrong With This Month's ‘Vogue’ Cover

With a new issue out, the controversial Vogue cover with LeBron James and Gisele Bündchen is finally behind the magazine. Though the magazine's returned to its standard SWF (safe white female) format, this month's cover has its own slew of problems. Allow us to enumerate:

1. The headline "When Good Work Goes Bad" is all too reminiscent of the racial brouhaha that erupted last month.

2. Gwyneth Paltrow's eyebrows do not look like Gwyneth Paltrow's eyebrows. Her mouth also looks really weird.

3. Gwyneth appears to have inexplicably stolen a member of Daft Punk's helmet to use as an armrest.

4. Paltrow looks like the Tin Man's wife with those metal cuffs on both wrists.

5. Paltrow has the worst case of helmet hair we have ever seen.

Please do tell us what we missed.

More: gwyneth paltrow, magazine covers, vogue

First Looks

4/11/08

6:15 PM

Behold: Christian Louboutin and His Magical Shoe Powers

Behold!Photo: Courtesy of Barneys

On May 1 Christian Louboutin himself will stop by Barneys to sign spring shoes, and, in honor of the visit, Barneys will devote their windows to him with a blown-up portrait. When we heard that the Loub would overlook Madison Avenue, we just had to get a sneak preview. So here you go — we couldn't think of anything better to leave you with as we head into the weekend. Our parting thoughts on the image:

Everett: Do you think they used magic or fishing line for that one?
Amy: Magic, obviously.

More: barneys, christian louboutin, shoes

First Looks

4/ 9/08

12:00 PM

Whitney Port's Clothing Line Sounds Very L.A.

It's not a Magic Eye — it's a look from Eve and A!Photo: wwd.com

It's been days since a C-lister launched a clothing line, so we'll revisit Whitney Port's forthcoming "contemporary" collection, Eve and A. We learn in WWD the name came from Port's middle name (Eve!) and her co-creative director Adrienne Baravetto's first name (and A!). The line launches for fall with twenty pieces ranging from $50 to $220. Apparently many will be adjustable:

[A] hood and giant gold zipper help transform a $195 wool jacket into six shapes, ranging from a double-breasted top with a sailor flap in the back to one with a poufy shawl collar.
Another multifunctional item is a $50 slip whose fit can be finessed with adjustable straps and a corset-style tie in the back. The single body, available in hot pink, gunmetal gray, navy and beige, features a ruffled hem that allows the slip to be worn alone or layered under another top or dress. In addition, a $100 wool skirt is constructed with pins that the wearer can adjust to be a mini or float above the knee.

We were kind of excited about Whitney doing a line because the girl really does dress well and is so pleasant and eating-disorder-free. But judging from this description and the above photo of one of the line's pieces, this collection won't inspire us to make a special trip to Kitson or any of the other L.A. retailers who actually bought it. Because no New York store wanted the collection, which is all you really need to know.

Whitney Port of 'The Hills' Jumps Into Contemporary [WWD]

More: hills, whitney port

First Looks

4/ 2/08

5:40 PM

Louis Vuitton's ‘Monogramoflauge’ Revealed!

Photo: Courtesy of Fashion Week Daily

Behold! The much-fussed-about "monogramoflauge" design by Marc Jacobs and Takashi Murakami is making its grand debut at the Brooklyn Museum tomorrow. Apparently that "oflauge" part was literal. Fashion Week Daily reports that leather Louis Vuitton goods in the new pattern will come in three shades of green and be sold at the pop-up Vuitton shop in the Brooklyn Museum (part of the Murakami retrospective kicking off tomorrow) before hitting LV shops worldwide. The 'flauge is a quaint way to bring high fashion to the outer boroughs, but after all the hype, we kinda expected something a little zanier, ya know? Anyhow, it will be interesting to see who buys these bags. Maybe hipsters will start flaunting all that money we know they have.

Mucho Monogramo [Fashion Week Daily]
MURAKAMI: Brooklyn Museum Photo Gallery [Gothamist]

More: brooklyn, louis vuitton, marc jacobs, takashi murakami

First Looks

3/27/08

4:52 PM

Sneak Peek: PPQ's Line for Ben Sherman

60s Mod.Photo: Courtesy of Ben Sherman

London-based label PPQ designed five dresses for Ben Sherman, which will hit stores in two weeks. The dresses will retail for $300 and the only place you'll find them in this city is at the Ben Sherman Store at 96 Spring Street. Each dress was inspired by the music of a different era: sixties mod, seventies rock, eighties ska, nineties Britpop, and this decade's indie.

Quickie primer on PPQ: It's kind of like the British version of Heatherette. Whereas the latter has had Paris Hilton model in their shows, PPQ puts British party girl Peaches Geldoff on the catwalk. That sort of thing. After the jump, the full collection gets its big reveal.

More: ben sherman, diffusion lines, ppq

First Looks

3/21/08

6:27 PM

Video: Inside Shane&Shawn, Nolita's Newest Shoe Store

Mulberry Street has a shiny new shoe boutique: Shane&Shawn, owned by twin brothers Shane and Shawn Ward. This marks the duo's first store for their eponymous line of men's and women's shoes, and they designed the place to resemble a slick bachelor pad that even the ladies would love. If their tricked-out stilettos — which are designed to handle even Manhattan's most dangerous cobblestones — are as comfy as the Ward boys say they are, then maybe we would love hanging out in their "bachelor pad" after all. Watch and decide.

More: shane&shawn, shoes, videos

First Looks

3/21/08

2:46 PM

Slimane Shoots Sasha for French ‘Vogue’

Ahh, the Slimane magic.Source: The Fashion Spot

French Vogue’s upcoming April issue includes some pretty major fashion heavyweights. Kate Moss snagged the cover in a cropped black jacket. Daria Werbowy leaps around in long, colorful dresses inside. But the most amazing thing in the mag? The photos of Sasha Pivovarova. It's not just that they're totally gorgeous pictures. It's that they were shot by Hedi Slimane. Yes, our man-crush is back! We were going through massive Slimane withdrawal. So we don't get to actually see him, but Sasha, who was styled by Emmanuel Alt, looks superb with her messy hair and ornate cocktail dresses. —Kendall Herbst

The Fashion Spot

More: daria werbowy, french vogue, hedi slimane, kate moss, sasha pivovarova

First Looks

3/20/08

2:00 PM

A Chloë-Chloé Monopoly on ‘Nylon’

Photo: Courtesy of Nylon

Chloë Sevigny continues to toe the blurry line between serious actress and controversial fashion icon, but for today's purposes, we'll focus on the fashion end of things. Nylon’s beauty issue hits stands next week, and Sevigny graces the cover, flanked by Anja Rubik and Clémence Poésy. These three blonde beauties also happen to be the spring faces of Chloé perfume. And if that's not enough Chloë-Chloé synergy for you, take note that the girls all happen to be wearing the label's garments as well. So, just to recap, that's Chloë for Chloé, with the other Chloé girls, all wearing Chloé. Try saying that five times fast. —Kendall Herbst

Nylonmag.com

More: anja rubik, chloe, chloe sevigny, clemence poesy, nylon

First Looks

3/14/08

12:10 PM

Kate Moss Spring Line: Not Great

Next up: the sales rackPhoto: Courtesy of Topshop

When Topshop posted a preview of Kate Moss’s spring collection, we couldn’t help but get our hopes up. We love Topshop and still cling to memories of Moss circa her Johnny Depp years (all Pete Doherty images have been wiped from our brains). Since the collaboration hasn’t exactly been flying off the shelves or receiving the best reviews, we assumed the design team would step it up for summer. How hard could it be to make pretty, breezy summer clothes? Judging by the preview — very. The full line will be available on March 18. Fingers crossed there’ll be more than just puffy embroidered blouses and oddly clashing prints. —Kendall Herbst

More: kate moss, retail, topshop

First Looks

3/14/08

11:27 AM

BEHOLD: The Glory of Soho's Mock Cotton Field

You can pick your friends, and you can pick your cotton...Photo: Melissa Hom

Here's a first look at the much-heralded cotton field on Houston, creatively installed to promote Supima's pop-up cotton apparel shop. It's a little less faux than we expected — we mean, that's real soil and everything. Very impressive! If you feel like pickin', you can do so just today and tomorrow at Lafayette and Houston (yes, Lafayette, not Broadway, as previously reported — their press release led us astray, but we still managed to find this sucker). Hurry, it's a once-in-a-lifetime promotional opportunity! Eh, who are we kidding: Some other natural-fiber company will be all over this shit in no time.

Earlier: Mock-Cotton-Field Weekend Begins With ‘White’ Party
Supima Cotton Gives NYC Its Own Cotton Field

More: people are insane, retail, soho, supima