It is my duty to keep you informed on the latest collections, so let me indulge once more. We've just received Rebecca Minkoff's Holiday '08 look book, and yes, it's a goodie.
How cute is Juliette Lewis standing amongst a leaning tower of Minkoff's delectable offerings? I'm wondering how she got Lewis to pose for her look book. They must be buds. OK, back to the bags. I spy a cute green tote on the bottom, oh wait, check out that purple one on top! Sigh, there are so many to choose from . . .
Many years ago, Diane von Furstenberg and Andy Warhol hooked up at Studio 54. Not that type of hookup, silly! DVF posed for one of Warhol's iconic portraits (see below). Once again, the designer will be collaborating with the late artist, through The Andy Warhol Foundation, to create a 2008 Resort and 2009 pre-Spring swimwear collection featuring Warhol's prints.
“Andy’s Pop colors and iconic images feel glamorous and right for beach,” said von Furstenberg. The collection of beach-worthy items will use bright hues and big-leaf colors printed on bikinis, caftans, and one-piece suits. “Andy and I were contemporaries, so it feels right,” said von Furstenberg.
Can you blame Michael Kors for drawing inspiration from Balenciaga's Fall collection for his 2009 Resort line? I can't. Nicolas Ghesquière's collection, especially this particular black cut-out dress on Natasha Poly, was so cutting edge, heck, I would be inspired by it if I were a designer. While many of you may think it's weird for one designer to copy another so blatantly, it's completely acceptable in fashion. I mean, hello, there isn't a soul who hasn't copied Yves Saint Laurent's "Le Smoking" tuxedo suit! Kors made the dress, worn by model Vlada Roslyakova, his own by being more subtle with his cut-out shoulders, and by choosing a blue, abstract floral design. When it comes to fashion-forward designs, I say, the more the merrier.
While Stella McCartney brightened up her resort, Donna Karan lightened things up. The designer called her 2009 resort line, "Bonjour New York." Well, bonjour Donna! This time around, she served up lots of girlie but with understated sexiness. Step into Karan's boudoir and you'll find a gentle color palette; peony, rose, petal, nude, and champagne. With such soft colors, one would imagine a collection far too feminine, but such is not the case.
The irregular silhouettes and heavy fabrics balance out the whispering hues. Black cropped jackets and hefty ruching help ease the femininity, while bows, skirt suits, and feathers feed into it. It may sound complicated, but one look at the ethereal quality of the clothes and it all becomes clear: Donna Karan is injecting fun and flirtiness into resort-wear. And why not? Isn't resort the time to let your hair down?
To see more from Donna Karan's 2009 Resort collection, read more
Drew Barrymore recently heated up the desert in her asymmetrical Gucci Resort '08. She has a tendency to dress very laid-back, but when she gets dolled up, I fall in love all over again. There's one minor problem in this equation: The asymmetrical frock is way out of my budget. But wait . . . as always, there's a genius look for less!
To see the less expensive version of Drew's dress, read more
Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi seems to have fallen in with the right crowd: the Karl Lagerfeld crowd.
He dressed her in Chanel all through the awards season earlier this year after she was Oscar nominated for her role in Babel, and now he's photographed her for the Chanel Cruise Accessories campaign. Rinko looks beautiful, and mysterious, and the same goes for those handbags she's holding — what do you think?
Gucci's on a roll. First they come out with gorgeous fine jewelry ads with Drew Barrymore and now they hit us with a Cruise 2008 campaign featuring models Natasha Poly and Julien Ferre.
These ads stand out mainly due to the color scheme and the desert setting. The pristine turquoise sky looks beautiful next to the dry sand and rugged concrete. There's an air of desperation in the models' eyes, like they're dehydrated and on the run...yet they still manage to look utterly gorgeous. I especially love the collage style photography. What do you think?
To shop the collection, visit Bergdorf Goodman.
