The British Fashion Council crossed the pond for its London Show Rooms opening in LA — and were met with a crowd of Hollywood's A-listers and trendsetters to celebrate. Stars hit the red carpet clad in British labels represented in the showroom. Selena Gomez picked a little black dress by Marios Schwab, while Julianne Hough stood out in her colorful Peter Pilotto number. Head inside to see who else attended last night's party — and get all the details on what they wore.
We always look forward to a red carpet appearance from Emma Stone. She continues to push the envelope with her style, and this time she offered inspiration on how to make our cocktail dresses more casual — by layering a simple tee underneath! Emma stepped out in Lanvin for the NY premiere of The Croods, where she was joined by her costars and Blake Lively, who was in attendance to support her husband, Ryan Reynolds. Watch on for the scoop! On Allison McNamara: Club Monaco blazer and top.
The Croods cast just kicked off their promotional tour, and so far, it's looking like a stylish one thanks to Emma Stone and an appearance from Blake Lively. Emma hit the red carpet in NYC wearing a strapless black dress from Lanvin's Pre-Fall 2013 collection. We love how the oversize bow detail adds a whimsical touch to her look — she earned extra points for styling her dress with a chic white tee and floral statement necklace. Meanwhile, Blake showed support for Ryan Reynolds in a futuristic, formfitting burgundy dress — fresh off Marios Schwab’s Fall 2013 runway — featuring a structured plastic bodice. For her finishing touch, Lively accessorized with a pair of bright white Bottega Veneta pumps and a loose ponytail. Now, it's your turn to weigh in: out of the two stunning, leg-baring looks, which blond beauty gets your best-dressed vote?
If the tough leather harnesses, aggressively tailored dresses, and sporty black under-eye makeup the models wore during Marios Schwab's Spring 2013 made the designer look as though he's sending women into battle, it's because he is.
"We are warriors at the end of the day, all of us," Schwab said backstage after the show, explaining that this season is for him a reaction to the turmoil that surrounds the women who wear his clothing. And when could those women need shields more than now, with the Eurozone seeking a solution to its economic crisis and political unrest bubbling all over the world?
So to protect his customers, Schwab made pleated dresses that fit close to the body in shapes that resembled plates of armor and embellished shirts and other dresses with a metallic fringe that evoked the feeling of a tribal warrior. His shoes, fringed black leather affairs made in collaboration with Ancient Greek Sandals, helped carry that feeling to the ankle. Lace elements and crystal embellishments added a touch of femininity, but on long shorts that poked out from underneath dresses and skirts, even the sparkle looked like an extra layer of defense.
We were hoping Zoe Saldana would make an Oscar-night appearance — and we just got what we wished for. Equal parts vampy and vintage-inspired, Zoe opted for a Marios Schwab sheer-skirted black satin gown that gets a dose of sweetness via a jeweled collar and a hint of sexy via see-through insets. Red lips and a bold croc clutch complete her awards-night style. Do you love it?
Vote on all of our Oscar polls here!
It's officially awards season — the Palm Springs Film Festival started yesterday evening, and Emily Blunt arrived in a pretty pink Marios Schwab dress. She edged up her ladylike frock with tough accessories, including a studded clutch and textured silver shoes, and finished off her red-carpet ensemble with berry-pink lips and Dana Rebecca Designs diamond stud earrings. Take a look at Emily's look in today's FabFlash.
We caught up with a bevy of British designers at the London Show Rooms closing cocktail event in LA last week. Standout shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood and Marios Schwab tell us their go-to style tips. Fenton Fallon designer Dana Lorenz and Erdem Moralioglu reveal the items every girl needs to have in her wardrobe. It's all in today's Fab Flash. On Allison: H&M jacket, necklace from CharmandChain.com
>> Marios Schwab's fate at Halston didn't sound promising yesterday, and now it's been determined: his contract, which expired, will not be renewed. It sounds like the Halston designer collection, too, is no longer: The brand will reportedly not produce a Spring 2012 collection, and it sounds like it's unclear as to whether the Fall 2011 collection will be delivered to stores.
Harvey Weinstein, who has had an equity stake in Halston for the past couple of years, has also officially split from the brand. As WWD notes, he brought high-profile attention to the brand with his name attached, but: "His role was essentially that of a figurehead with little or no operational responsibility."
Despite all the departures, Halston is still said to have full confidence from parent company Hilco Consumer Capital, which recently invested $7.5 million in the brand more after seeing recent growth at retail. The focus going forward is said to be on the secondary Halston Heritage line.
>> On the heels of news that Sarah Jessica Parker and Harvey Weinstein are both on their way out from Halston, the next logical question is: What about Halston creative director Marios Schwab?
According to WWD, there's recently been speculation that Schwab's contract may not be renewed unless he relocates from London, where he designs his eponymous collection, to New York, where Halston is based. Adding fuel to that fire is the fact that Halston owners Hilco Consumer Capital currently seem to be interested in pursuing a licensing model over selling the brand or seeking additional investment to support Schwab.
But where did it go wrong with Parker? WWD points out: "Unlike Victoria Beckham and Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who have made successful transitions into fashion, Parker never put her entertainment projects on the back burner to focus exclusively on Halston and instead spent months on movie sets when she might have been a fixture in Halston’s showroom . . . In the early days, Parker was very involved in the Halston Heritage design process and, on occasion, sported the label in her public outings. Over time, however, the actress is said to have used her role at the firm to demand the kinds of clothes she wanted for herself, which were often at odds with the positioning of the contemporary Heritage collection and the overall DNA of Halston."
Under Parker's current agreement with Hilco, which is in the process of being terminated, she is said to be entitled to roughly $13 million over the next four years.
>> Halston, which was acquired by Hilco Consumer Capital and Harvey Weinstein's The Weinstein Company in 2007, is said to be looking for some more funds these days. According to a source familiar with the situation, WWD reports, the brand has hired an investment bank to explore its options, which could range from a cash infusion to a sale of the whole company.
The contemporary Halston Heritage label, of which Sarah Jessica Parker is president and chief creative officer, has been gaining traction since its launch a year ago. It “was definitely a viable business,” says the source, but the company needs more growth capital and the investors don't want to put more money in after four years. It could be tough to do a deal, however, the source warns: “It’s a very complicated structure and dynamic at the board level."
Richard Kaye, EVP and chief marketing officer at Hilco Trading, Hilco Consumer Capital's parent company, had no comment on any future plans for Halston.
