azzedine alaia

• Style.com's reality show North of Madison is rumored to run on the web only, rather than on television as previously thought [Fashionista]
• Steven Meisel photographed Gisele Bundchen for Vogue Italia's December 2010 cover [Models.com]
• The ruffle-filled Valentino for Gap collection — which was thought to be only available in Milan, London, Paris — can be ordered online through Colette [Nylon]
• Alexander Wang has appointed Rodrigo Bazan, who was VP and general manager of Europe, Middle East, and India at Marc Jacobs, president of his company. Bazan joins the designer's brother and sister-in-law Dennis and Aimie Wang, who will remain chief principal officer and chief executive officer, respectively [WWD]
• Miuccia Prada is rumored to be bringing former marathon Prada campaign face Sasha Pivovarova back, except this time she's said to be in the Spring 2011 Miu Miu campaign, alongside Querelle Jansen and Kasia Struss [TFS]
• Crystal Renn wore prosthetic cheeks and lips for the plastic surgery-themed Vogue Paris shoot she worked on with Tom Ford; she also had Ford sign the gauze mask she wore: "It sits in my living room as we speak" [Fashionista]
• Alexa Chung gives a video tour of her favorite Williamsburg haunts, proclaiming: "Williamsburg is sort of like my lover, whereas London is more like my husband. I love my husband, and I'll always be with him, but Williamsburg is so exciting." [Style.com]
• Sophie Theallet, on her training under Azzedine Alaia: "All this time in NYC, still can't get around 2 think in INCHES -Mr.Alaia formed my eye on Millimeters-how 2 explain take 2 mm off in INCHES?" [@sophietheallet]
• Hilary Swank said to be developing a fashion-themed game show, in which contestants will be tested on their fashion knowledge, for the CW [Vulture]

• Georgia May Jagger will launch her first fashion collection via a collaboration with Hudson — Vogue UK
• 16-year-old Lindsey Wixson stars in Versace fragrance campaign — The Cut
• Terry Richardson, Laetitia Casta, and Olivier Zahm invade Azzedine Alaia's studio for dinner — Fashionologie
• Model wall: Suvi Koponen — Vogue Daily
• Kinder Aggugini kicks off Macy's designer series with capsule collection — People
• Emma Roberts in Escada — Red Carpet Fashion Awards
• Calvin Klein jean ads are banned — Stylelist
• 15 fierce and fabulous shoes under $75 — The Budget Fashionista
• Five minutes with Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana — W Blog
• Fashion Week handbags: Roger Vivier Spring '11 — Purse Blog

>> Cathy Horyn is known for her acerbic take on fashion — in her review of Alexander Wang's Spring 2011 collection, she set tongues wagging after pronouncing: "Mr. Wang is not a great designer, though he probably would be happy to accept any laurels that people want to toss him, but he is clearly a shrewd guy . . . The designs were cool, but they didn’t have to stand up to much scrutiny — hey, didn’t Marni do those pants last season? — so long as the stuff was widely and easily available. Mr. Wang doesn’t really have courage in the traditional sense of trying something new and difficult, but he does have China. Nearly all of his clothing is now produced there."

Horyn more recently spent time at Azzedine Alaia's boutique during Paris Fashion Week — Wang also happened to be there, although no word on whether there was any interaction — and she explained to The Daily Beast that her goal is to bring a critical eye to those admired uncritically: "With Alexander, he's a smart kid, I admire the business that he's built, but you have to be critical of what he's done. You can't just say 'Oh well, he's young and he's working hard, he's putting a product on the runway.' I found that show boring. I may not have found other shows boring, but I found that one boring."

She's also critical of Fashion's Night Out: "I hope it doesn't go on. I don't want it to continue . . . You know, we're a nation of shoppers. That's how people spend their time, shopping online, shopping in stores, acquiring. And I feel like we perpetuate that with Fashion's Night Out. What are you really celebrating? Not art or great books. You're celebrating shopping."

Horyn sums up her critical approach as thus: "[I] want people to be better. [I] have standards. [I] want people to be not just good but very good. And I can be tough on people, sometimes too tough, especially with the most creative. I once called one of Tom Ford's collections freakish and ugly."

For all of Horyn's words logged on designers, however, The Daily Beast had trouble getting anyone to speak about Horyn: "During Fashion Week, I went from show to show, and party to party, asking about Horyn. Almost everyone declined comment or claimed that they don't actually read her reviews." A few did speak, however. "I prefer to look at beautiful pictures in magazines like American Vogue and French Vogue by editors like Anna Wintour and Carine Roitfeld," Karl Lagerfeld said. "I don't think reviews really matter anymore," Carolina Herrera said. Donna Karan admitted, meanwhile, that getting swiped by Horyn "still hurts. You can agree or disagree with her, but it's definitely passionate. She's not neutered, let's put it that way."

>> Azzedine Alaia Blames Lack of "Freshness" in Fashion on Designer Fatigue —In the new issue of Flaunt, Azzedine Alaia speaks out against the current fashion system: “There’s a fatigue in fashion, I think. Designer fashion is different now. Designers cannot create so many collections — cruise and pre-fall, accessories — when normally two-a-year is more than sufficient. A designer simply cannot invent something new every two months or so. It takes six months of research and work to build a new silhouette. I work until very late every morning since I do many things by myself. Personally, I know it’s not possible. That’s the reason why fashion today does not change very much. There is no time to think, to invent something new. You can no longer be excited or surprised. Rarely is there any freshness.” [Fashionista]

>> At 9 pm on the final day of Paris Fashion Week last week, Azzedine Alaia gathered weary editors, buyers, and even Jessica Stam to his studio in the Marais for an impromptu Fall 2010 presentation, complete with drinks and dinner.

The latest issue of LOVE features an interview with Alaia in that same studio, in which one of the designer's longtime assistants tries to explain the Alaia design process: "As his assistants we have never been asked to collect any documentation or anything like that. It is just his hands, the girl, the fabric and the pins. And he does not draw either. There might be a couple of notes to remember how something is tied, but never a drawing of a silhouette. So we do not know where it comes from." Alaia chimes in: "Oui. Oui-oui-oui. There are no moodboards and none of that.
I do not think about the clothes or about 'trends.' I just pick up the fabric and go to the girl and the ideas come." In addition to formulating his silhouettes, Alaia also does all of his pattern-cutting, leather work, embroidery, draping, pleating, and the invention of new fabrications himself.

And he watches TV while he works »

I have always loved Alaia's eyelet design; it's so delicate compared to the house's otherwise strong shoe silhouettes. I've had my eye on these Azzedine Alaia Eyelet Lace-Up Booties ($888) for quite some time now. The lace-up style is nothing new, but the perforations make it so unique. Now if only I had a wad of cash sitting around.

To see the look for less, read more

Brace yourselves — Alaïa's lusty footwear is available at theOutnet.com starting today, and it's all half off. Which means the designer's heaven-sent heels, like these lace-decorated pumps ($308, originally $615), are finally within reach. The sale spans all kinds of Alaïa footwear, so you're sure to find something totally chic — whether it's a dreamy Indian Summer sandal or maybe an over-the-knee boot that's ready to walk all over Fall.

For more great deals, check out SaleHabit.com!