loose threads

Escada’s Creative Director Out; Anna Sui Is Doing Well These Days

• Damiano Biella is no longer the creative director of Sarah Palin’s favorite label, Escada. The house’s director of brand management, Bettina Hammerl, will oversee the design team. [WWD]

Anna Sui’s weathering the downturn. Guy Trebay writes, “Ms. Sui is not the designer the press looks to for cues to the immediate future of style … Yet her fan base remains loyal, and that is partly why Sui’s career seems to represent the kind ardently sought by design school students and ‘Project Runway’ aspirants.” [NYT]

• Michael Ovitz’s daughter Kimberly produced a “grungy, equestrian”-inspired fashion line you can buy at Intermix. “I was finally confident enough to say, ‘This is my last name, I’m going to use it,’” she says. [NYP]

• Kate Winslet says dressing for the red carpet is “just about what’s comfortable” and relies on a stylist to help her sort options because “it wouldn’t be possible to figure it out otherwise.” [WWD]

• Victoria Beckham: “My best piece of advice is that women should always take into account their shape and personality — and cater for that rather than blindly following trends.” Think of that when you’re looking for spring jumpsuits. [British Vogue]

Escada’s Creative Director Out; Anna Sui Is Doing Well These Days