Sarah Rutson

>> Sarah Rutson, the Hong Kong-based fashion director of department store Lane Crawford (who was recently rumored to be under consideration for the Barneys fashion director position), has hit the streets of Manhattan running for New York Fashion Week, bringing her disarming wit and covetable wardrobe with her.

This New York Fashion Week, she's graciously agreed to give us a window into her thoughts as she zips across town from show to show, making us privy to the workings of not only an influential international buyer, but well-loved streetstyle star. (Speaking of: in the pipeline, we've got details on the makings of her Fashion Week wardrobe.)

But before we serve up the goods, get to know Sarah a little better — both professionally and personally. Her thoughts:

On the shows: "People always see me [at the shows] on my own but they don’t realize — obviously we’ve got a big team [at Lane Crawford]. Normally [my team] comes in a lot later. I have to do the shows, but that’s because someone has to represent the company. Shows are important, of course, but the most important thing is the showroom."

On her job: "It’s a brutal schedule to do work like this. I was at one stage traveling six months a year, but that was when we were in the rebranding stage, so I had to make sure everything was consistent across the board."

"I’m not a really uptight person, I’m a really laidback person, actually. At the end of the day, I’ve got a f*cking great job. I love what I do, I’m really good at what I do. Great people in different cities . . . the best cities in the world . . . what’s there to be miserable about? So I’m not going to start griping."

On becoming a streetstyle icon: "I don’t feel I’m on show for my job; I’m doing my job. People take pictures and all the rest of it, but I’ve been doing this for 20-odd years before then, when no one knew who I was."

On how the streetstyle attention came about: "The streetstyle bloggers, and then everyone’s into reality and in a way, it was like we are the reality stars. I think what was interesting — where I was lucky — is so few retailers other than [Net-a-Porter’s] Holli [Rogers] and Natalie [Massenet are photographed]. As a retailer, I was always put in with the editors. Like when you flip through all the Japanese magazines, there were all the editors, and then there was . . . me! And I think that’s really interesting, the majority of people that work in fashion for the stores who are buying it for the general public never hit the list."

Her Fashion Week essentials: "Absolutely I will not live without my single-breasted blazer. I cannot live without Crème de la Mer — that holds me, a big dried prune, together. My BlackBerry — it’s not so much to be constantly [connected], but it’s all the pictures of my daughter and my animals. It’s my walking picture of home."

On life beyond fashion: "I just don’t want people to think it’s only about fashion. I think if there’s anything that I can say to anyone — whether it’s a woman or a man — going into any industry, let alone the fashion industry, that takes you away from home so much for travel, [it's] do make sure you have the balance. [Otherwise] you won’t be as creative, and you won’t be as fresh, and you won’t be as open. You get jaded. I’m not jaded. I come out really excited every season, because I’ve got the balance."

>> There's been plenty of speculation on who might replace Julie Gilhart as Barneys's new fashion director — Virginia Smith and Sarah Rutson's names were both mentioned, and most recently, Taylor Tomasi Hill was fingered as a possibility.

Although the first two have said they're not taking the job — Tomasi Hill has not commented thus far — Barneys has not addressed any of the rumors, until this evening, when the retailer released the following statement: "As announced by Barneys New York on November 29th, the search for a new fashion director was launched by Daniella Vitale, chief merchant and executive vice president, who joined the company on December 1st. Contrary to recent speculative reports, no employment offer has been made as of this date to any person for the fashion director position."

• Vogue's Virginia Smith turned down the Barneys fashion director position last week, and now the other front-runner, Lane Crawford fashion director Sarah Rutson, has too. “I have no intention or plans to leave Lane Crawford,” Rutson said over the weekend [WWD]
• Tomorrow's British Fashion Awards will honor Alexander McQueen posthumously for Outstanding Achievement; McQueen's frequent collaborator Nick Knight made a short film of the designer's archives for the occasion, scored by Bjork: “It is being styled by Edward Enninful and will feature black models only” [Style File]
• The first image of Dolce & Gabbana's Spring 2011 campaign, which features Izabel Goulart, Alessandra Ambrosio, Maryna Linchuk, and Isabeli Fontana captured by Steven Klein, has leaked (pictured) [TFS]

• Giorgio Armani and Lady Gaga, who have a multimillion dollar partnership, finally met for the first time last night; Anna Dello Russo also met Gaga and brought her a doll [Styleite]
• See the Ann Taylor-inspired looks the 2010 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalists created as part of this year's competition [Fashionista]
• Hairstylist Didier Malige on Terry Richardson's childhood: "Now I see Terry as an adult, and at the time I knew him as three or four years old. His upbringing was totally liberal compared to a French kid of his age. They had a Fiat 500, which is a tiny little car, and he always had to share it with a huge poodle, like a royal poodle. And he always had to sit in the back with the poodle." [Into The Gloss]
• Juicy Couture co-founders Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor, who favor vintage pieces, furry vests, black leather pants, and vertiginous heels, plan to launch a new label next year, and they're dropping hints: “It will reflect the way we dress now. We have outgrown our track suits and grown up” [WWD]
• Sasha Pivovarova, who likes to make dolls, opens up her Brooklyn loft for T's cameras [T]
• Watch the music video for a young Jean Paul Gaultier's 1988 single, "How To Do That," featuring Naomi Campbell [Jezebel]
• 23-year-old Central St Martins graduate Thomas Tait only does private orders so far, but he's already got fans in Giles Deacon, Daphne Guinness, Stephen Jones, and Manolo Blahnik [T]
• Intermission Magazine's website just launched, featuring interviews with the likes of Gaia Repossi and Hanne-Gaby Odiele [Intermission]

• Alexander McQueen will receive a posthumous Outstanding Achievement award at tomorrow night's British Fashion Awards — Vogue UK
• The body and soul of Chrissy Teigen and John Legend — Modelinia
• Sarah Rutson doesn't want to be the new fashion director at Barneys, either — The Cut
• Look of the day: Carey Mulligan — Stylelist
• Model Lily Aldridge has design aspirations — Fashionologie
• Michelle Williams in Erdem at the Blue Valentine New York screening — Red Carpet Fashion Awards
• Alexander Wang's Angela pochette — The Bag Snob
• Top three sales happening today — Lucky
• Lust list: evening bags to drool over — Refinery29
• The hip girl's holiday wish list — The Inside Source
• Put a ring on it: Gaia Repossi and Alexander Wang finger-length rings — Vogue Daily
• Jimmy Choo fêtes 15 years with crystal shoe collection — People

>> Earlier today, it was thought that Lane Crawford's fashion director Sarah Rutson and Vogue's Virginia Smith were in the running to succeed Julie Gilhart as Barneys fashion director; however, it was also rumored that Smith turned down the job. Smith has now confirmed that she has no intention of leaving Vogue. As for Rutson, she declined to comment on whether she is a candidate. [WWD]

>> It sounds like Barneys is searching for a fashion director replacement for Julie Gilhart, after all. The two top contenders CEO Mark Lee is said to be eyeing? Sarah Rutson, Lane Crawford's fashion director in Hong Kong, or Vogue's fashion market/accessories director Virginia Smith.

Rutson could not be reached for comment, and Smith forwarded calls to Vogue's press office, which declined comment; although, word is going around that Smith has turned down the job. If Smith does end up taking the position, however, Fashionista's Lauren Sherman points out that she will follow in a line of departures from the top of Vogue's masthead after Sally Singer and Stephanie Winston Wolkoff: "More than anything, it’s another indication that Anna Wintour’s time as editor-in-chief might be coming to an end sooner than later. As one person told me, 'It’s like she’s strategically placing all of her top people so that they’re better off when she’s gone.'"

As for Barneys' take on the Smith and Rutson candidate reports, a spokeswoman replied: “The search has begun and is ongoing. We intend to meet many candidates but no decisions have been made.” And while Simon Doonan remains in place at the retailer, his current contract reportedly expires in May 2011; the spokeswoman declined comment on that.

>> Is fashion's minimalist revival going to be over come Spring? In the wake of Paris Fashion Week, a number of insiders seem to think so.

Marc Jacobs is on board with the idea — the campy Spring 2011 Louis Vuitton collection spurred Vogue.com's Sarah Mower to write: "The excitement of stylized, decadent fun, running rampant as a backlash against minimalism [is] an idea that fashion editors will take up." Style.com's Nicole Phelps, too, made note of Jacobs's about-face from last season: "Not unlike his seventies-inflected signature show back in New York more than three weeks ago, this was a flat-out refusal of the minimalism that was all over last season's runways, his own included."

The New York Times's Eric Wilson chimes in: "It was striking to see jarring pink-and-orange combos at a number of shows: Martin Grant, Yves Saint Laurent, Cacharel, Giles Deacon, Christopher Kane and Marc Jacobs. (Not buying it was Karl Lagerfeld, who, at the Chanel show, told Cathy Horyn of The Times: 'I really don’t think women want to go around looking like a Saint Laurent shopping bag.') Regardless, it made last fall’s foray into minimalism feel like just a blip on the fashion radar." Paper's Mickey Boardman adds: “After the Céline-ification of fashion, everything became about good taste and beige. I think we all hungered for hot pink.”

Retailers seem to be feeling similarly. Ed Burstell, managing director at Liberty of London, told WWD: “I think there’s going to be some boredom for minimalism [by Spring]. I’m not sure everyone’s willing to walk away from things that are a little more fun and sexy to [looks more suited to] a Connecticut soccer mom heading for lunch.” Lane Crawford's Sarah Rutson agrees: “The customer has had enough of neutrals from fall. We need to set the sales floor alive with color and print."