Joe Zee

>> Alber Elbaz was in New York City today to show editors his leopard print-riddled Pre-Fall 2010 collection for Lanvin — but apparently it almost wasn't meant to be. Elle's Anne Slowey Tweeted, "Poor Alber! He had to cry to get his pre-fall collection out of US customs!!!"  But editors weren't the only interested parties in attendance at Milk Studios: An Education's Carey Mulligan showed up in jeans and rocker tee, according to Elle's Joe Zee, where she told Elbaz how much she loved her dress — cue the speculation that she might be wearing Lanvin to the Golden Globes.

Elbaz, for his part, was full of his usual witticisms. Of designing the Pre-Fall collection, he said: “Sometimes I feel like Carrie from Sex and the City. I sit in front of my computer and ask myself, ‘Does the daytime have to be boring and grey?’” And he stayed home over the holidays to sketch: "It was pajamas, CNN, and Style.com. It was great."

Last night Banana Republic opened its 18,000-square foot prototype store in New York's SoHo. Guests including ELLE's Joe Zee and Robbie Myers, Vogue's Meredith Melling Burke, and Vanity Fair's Alexis Bryan Morgan walked through the gigantic two-level store, which has been divided into smaller boutiques based on occasion (city weekend, evening out) and category (accessories, vintage). Down the street, the former men's Banana Republic store is turing into a Gap.

New York 11/11/09 Getty

>> To an audience of only 75, Peter Copping sent out his first runway show at Nina Ricci in the salon above the brand's Paris store.  Copping, who spent the past twelve years at Louis Vuitton, took Ricci to a much more feminine, commercial place than previous Ricci designer Olivier Theyskens. “I like wearable clothes,” he told WWD. “I’m not necessarily into being too avant-garde . . . whenever we did more feminine-based collections [at Vuitton], the sales were always incredible in the stores as opposed to the more austere or hard-edged things."

The Spring 2010 show was about all about the house’s “signature codes”  — bows, lingerie, lace — Copping said, and he's keen to add capsule lines of lingerie and wedding dresses soon. So what's his verdict? Hilary Alexander called the collection "charming," T staffers were fans — Anne Christensen deemed it "very pretty" and Armand Limnander "lovely" — and Elle's Joe Zee, too, was won over: "I'm not usually a fan of romance (clothes that is) but Peter Copping's Ricci debut was a slamdunk in romance. Sweet but not saccharin."

Some, however, seemed more hung up on the switch to commerciality: Los Angeles Times's Booth Moore noted, "Olivier Theyskens' Nina Ricci was all vision; Peter Copping's is all saleable product."  Suzy Menkes commented: "[It] is not necessarily a bad thing for a house [to be very commercial] . . . but Mr. Copping, having staked out his pretty girl territory, needs to take her to a newer place." And Style.com's Sarah Mower is holding judgment: "At first sight Ricci is now in a safe pair of hands but the jury's still out till next season."

>> Of all the shows this week, Jack McCollough's and Lazaro Hernandez's Proenza Schouler presentation had the most excitement and energy about it; Joe Zee agreed, calling it "one of the best this week."  We didn't know it at the time, but a piece from the collection actually debuted on Dasha Zhukova during the POP dinner last Friday.

Tonight, the lights above flickered back and forth on the bottom floor of Milk Studios, and with three Trainas in the front row — Victoria, Vanessa, and Samantha — we got to see the full urban scuba collection, which seemed to be a continuation of their Tahiti-inspired resort 2010 collection. Neon printed minidresses mirrored the backs of tropical fish, cateye sunglasses had lifeguard-style reflective lenses, neon tops resembled long sleeve Under Armor, and tinsel and feathers fringed dresses.  One girl sported beachy green-tinged hair, another purple.  And of course the boys, known for their knack with accessories, didn't disappoint with rainbow-linked minibags and strappy toggle wedges.

Afterward, they told Fashion TV's Jeanne Baker they wanted to indulge in color this season, and edited out about half their potential looks from the show to leave people wanting more.

>> Just as editors privy to a preview hinted yesterday, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli's second couture outing — for Fall 2009 — was heavy on the black, lace, feathers, and gothic look — "radical," in a word, for Valentino.  As Elle's Joe Zee put it, "Not one piece of red in sight. It's a new day at Valentino. Hell, there was barely any long. Just wisps of fabric with bows and frills." 

The show took place in an old convent, with the runway featuring moving images of smoke projected on screens. Philip Treacy contributed shredded veils especially for the collection, and though reception to the designers has been tepid in the past, initial reaction seems positive.  Says Style.com's Derek Blasberg: "Ok, it was good. But so black! . . . Methinks [Valentino] would be proud."  And Joe Zee: "Attention Hollywood starlets: Please wear short to your next red carpet. And please call Valentino for it. Short has never looked so chic."