>> THE MODELIZER —Iekeliene Stange is still taking that photography hobby of hers seriously — and having a photographer boyfriend probably doesn't help. Her camera is so attached to her hand backstage at shows, "Somebody would always holler, ‘You’re not going to take that down the runway with you,’” she says. Ike mostly shoots fellow models backstage (left) or a self-portrait before she heads down the runway, but after Paris Fashion Week, she's headed to Nepal to capture some new scenery — with hopes that she'll stage her first gallery opening in London in the Spring. [WWD]
>> THE MODELIZER —Iekeliene Stange had a stalker at New York Fashion Week: "After the 3.1 Phillip Lim show . . . [Iekeliene] was mobbed by sweaty paparazzi, Japanese tourists, and this older guy who had a Ziploc bag of photos of her with hand-drawn hearts around her. He was hyperventilating and giggling to himself calling her 'my angel.' Yikes!" [Refinery29]
Phillip Lim Sews Up Another Crowd Pleaser for Spring 2009
>> Phillip Lim created the mascot skirt of Fashion Week earlier this year — not kidding, I've seen it on at least one person every day this week — and if the attendance to his newest collection's presentation is any indication, Spring 2009 will be smooth sailing for 3.1 Phillip Lim — the Tent was packed to the gills with fans, including friends Richard Chai and Irina Lazareanu, both sitting front row.
Christian Louboutin designed ruffled heels for the collection, eliciting covetousness in many — in fact, the whole Spring 2009 season is about ruffles for Phillip. The treatment in some of the dresses and skirts reminded me of a tamed version of Marc Jacobs's Spring 2007 ruffles, but among the hazy smoke that hovered on the runway, the real standouts emerged — the stiff, open-edged zipper pieces, and the jewelry Eddie Borgo made for the occasion.
*image: source
Louis Vuitton Patchwork Bag: Still Taking the Cake
»The Louis Vuitton Tribute Patchwork Bag, in cake form [Fashionista]
»Emma Summerton is "coming to a major league American magazine very very soon" [TI]
»Iekeliene Stange is in Berlin to walk Hugo Boss at Berlin fashion week [Style File]
»Ecco Domini Fashion Foundation, now awarding for sustainable design [FWD]
»Originally, Narciso Rodriguez was being eyed for Halston before Marco Zanini was chosen [WWD Blog]
»Spotted: Lisa Cant, Lily Donaldson shopping at Chanel [Fashionista]
Frida Giannini Taps Into the Rachel Zoe Style Rules for Gucci Resort 2009
>> If Frida Giannini is aiming for her Gucci customer to be one Rachel Zoe, nothing says it stronger than the flowy printed maxi dresses and one-shouldered bohemian blouses that she sent out as Gucci's Resort 2009 collection.
Shown in Rome to celebrate the brand's 70th anniversary and a re-opening flagship, the collection will surely please those who hanker for a Hermes scarf-like minidress or a pair of fringed espadrille wedges. Guests who were left waiting for their rides to the show venue, however, were less impressed, remarking that if Tom Ford were still at Gucci, the cars wouldn't have been late, and the drivers would have been handsome and topless . . .
A video of the show can be seen here.
*image: source, source
Live from Rome: Snejana Onopka Makes a Runway Return at Gucci Resort 2009
>> If you missed the live feed of the Gucci Resort 2009 presentation earlier today, fret no more: it's waiting for you to watch below. The video starts out with a little backstage coverage — Mariacarla Boscono sneaking a cig while her hair is curled, Iekeliene Stange iPoding it up — and then, when it hits 2:48, the good stuff. Natasha Poly opens, Lily Donaldson closes, and for all you Snejana Onopka fans who were fretting after couture . . . she's back!
>> A LITTLE TURN ON THE CATWALK —Don't forget, if you're so inclined, Gucci is streaming their Resort 2009 presentation live from Rome — it should start shortly, but in the meantime, you can catch live video from backstage, the red carpet, and the mingling on the runway . . . I just saw Sasha Pivovarova, Mariacarla Boscono, and Iekeliene Stange getting their hair done. [Gucci.com]
Karl Lagerfeld Goes Organ-ic for Chanel Fall 2008 Couture
>> Seeing a Chanel couture collection is a thrill, but the clothes are always rivaled by what new, huge installation Karl Lagerfeld has plopped in the center of le Grand Palais for the models to stream out of. In recent seasons, there's been a giant tweed jacket and a larger-than-life carousel; This time around, it was a gigantic set of organ pipes.
The show started with a fugue of ominous organ music, and together with the central pipe installation and the tube-like detailing on many of the intricate dresses, reflected the inspiration which had come to Karl during a concert.
Enjoy the big production while it lasts, folks — word is Karl is talking about reducing the Chanel shows to be more intimate experiences in the future.
*image: source
John Galliano Plays Peekaboo with Fall 2008 Dior Couture
>> Transparency is still the word, in John Galliano's mind. The beanie-sporting designer had Lisa Fonssagrives, wife to Irving Penn and oft-credited as the first supermodel, in mind when producing his typical voluminous dresses, but with layers of light chiffon, rather than the heavier, stiffer fabrics Christian Dior couture has boasted in recent seasons.
Frequent collaborator Stephen Jones, meanwhile, looked to Eduardo Garcia Benito, famous for his '20s Vogue cover illustrations of women in cloches, when creating the accompanying skull cap-cum-cloches.
Peplums were aplenty and Galliano couldn't help himself, sneaking a little leopard print into the bunch. But the unifying thought with this collection seems to be: What will we see on newfound Dior client Carla Bruni-Sarkozy first?
*image: source, source
Lollipops, Picnic Blankets, and Minidresses Make the Rounds at Stella McCartney's Spring 2009 Presentation
Amongst the salmon-colored sheaths and boyfriend blazers, Iekeliene Stange carried a bag full of rubber ducks, Jourdan Dunn and Chanel Iman chatted the gig away, a brass band provided music, and a hot dog cart supplied provisions, setting the mood for a carefree collection.
To see how many models can fit on one park bench (and more of the collection, too) check out the gallery below.
*images: source, source




