halston

It's been a while since we've seen Gisele Bündchen all dressed up, but last night the supermodel put on an all-black ensemble to celebrate Mario Testino's first-ever US exhibit in Boston. She wore a black one-shoulder Halston dress, topped with a black satin Tom Ford blazer. Classic black pointy pumps, a box clutch, and mega-shiny rhinestone earrings finished Gisele's red-carpet style. With the holidays fast approaching, consider mimicking Gisele's look by pairing your favorite little black dress with a shiny satin blazer for added pizazz. Shop similar pieces below to get started.

From Chanel's Resort 2013 show to all the romantic editorials that have been staged there, the Palace of Versailles is having a moment. And now, Le Grand Divertissement à Versailles — the 1973 fashion face-off between five American designers and five French couturiers — is the subject of the new film Versailles '73: American Runway Revolution.

The event was staged by Eleanor Lambert, creator of Vanity Fair's International Best Dressed List, who invited Halston, Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass, Anne Klein, and Stephen Burrows to represent America. The French team included Yves Saint Laurent, Dior's Marc Bohan, Hubert de Givenchy, Pierre Cardin, and Emanuel Ungaro.

Director Riley Draper said she created the film, which will premiere during New York Fashion Week in September, to remember an evening that had a profound impact on the American fashion and modeling industries.

Riley's research found that the American designers took their positions as underdogs very seriously. "When you look at the documents, they were like, 'We're going to war,'" she said. That may explain their groundbreaking decision to cast black models for their portion of the show.

"To actually have an exhibition with 12 African-American models at one time, in one show, in a palace in France, representing the United States and representing our fashion industry, is legendary — it's historical," said Riley.

The documentary features interviews with some of those models, including Pat Cleveland and Alva Chinn, as well as former Vogue editor Grace Mirabella and several fashion historians. Cameron Silver of the vintage store Decades narrates the film, which Riley screened at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. She'll also screen the film in Los Angeles and Atlanta before bringing it to New York City. A glimpse of the film in the trailer below.

>> Those stories and more in our daily news roundup.

• Alessandra Ambrosio reprised Demi Moore's famous naked and pregnant Vanity Fair cover in a new ad for Brazilian jewelry company Vivara. The Victoria's Secret Angel, who recently announced she's having a baby boy, accentuated her nude figure with statement earrings, a bangle, and a row of chunky rings. [Stylelist]
  

• From Karl Lagerfeld in a strappy black bathing suit to Andy Warhol and Halston, Antonio Lopez photographed a view of the fashion industry in the '70s that few had seen until now. Mauricio Padilha and Roger Padilha will publish a selection of those photos in The Antonio Lopez Book, set to debut this September. [Fashionista]
  

• Carey Mulligan is reported to have worn a custom Versace dress when she married Mumford & Sons lead singer Marcus Mumford this weekend. While no pictures of the dress have surfaced, it's been described as simple, backless, and ivory colored. [Grazia]
  

• Victoria Beckham's stint as creative design executive for Land Rover has yielded a limited-edition Range Rover Evoque. The car features rose-gold-plated metal finishings and mohair floor mats and is equipped with a four-piece luggage set. Only 200 will be produced, and Chinese consumers will be the first to have access to them. [Styleite]
  

• The Fashion Institute of Technology will live stream its graduate runway show for the first time this year. Those who don't have a seat for the show — invitees include Calvin Klein, Diane von Furstenberg, and Michael Kors, among others — can watch it online at FIT's Future of Fashion website or in 3D at the school's Katie Murphy Amphitheatre. [FIT]

Photo via Alessandra Ambrosio's Facebook

>> As suggested last week amongst all the upheaval at Halston, Ben Malka — who served as president of BCBG Max Azria Group since 2001 — has left to join Halston as chairman and CEO. With his appointment, Malka becomes a substantial stakeholder in Halston, and his arrival marks new funding for the brand in excess of $20 million, according to a spokeswoman.

Despite the fact that Marios Schwab has left the company, Halston still plans to deliver his Fall 2011 collection to stores. Malka has yet to decide whether Halston will produce a high-end line for Spring 2012, the spokeswoman added.

>> With Sarah Jessica Parker, Harvey Weinstein, Marios Schwab, and now board member Tamara Mellon no longer involved with Halston, and rumors of clashes between the remaining board members, brand owners Hilco Consumer Capital are looking for a strong figure to help rebuild the brand, which is now focusing solely on the contemporary Halston Heritage line.

Max Azria put in a bid for Halston when a sale or additional investment was being considered by Hilco, and although neither panned out, the dealings may have provided the leader Halston is looking for: Ben Malka, who has been president of BCBG Max Azria Group since 2001, is said to be close to joining the brand to head up the Heritage business — and he may be bringing Marie Mazelis, creative director of Herve Leger and Max Azria, with him. Mazelis has confirmed that she plans to leave BCBG Max Azria Group, but would not comment on her next move: “I haven’t made a final decision yet.” Malka, for his part, denied that he was joining Halston on Friday.

>> 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.

Harvey Weinstein is next to leave Halston, following on the heels of Sarah Jessica Parker who announced her departure Wednesday. Weinstein had an equity stake in the brand for many years, serving as a figurehead while it hasn't been able to regain its fashion status since its jumpsuit-fueled, disco '70s heyday. Adding fuel to the fire is speculation on Halston's creative designer, Marios Schwab, and where he stands in the middle of all the recent changes. According to WWD, Schwab's contract might not be renewed unless he relocates from London to New York, where Halston is based. More news on what's to happen with Halston is slated to be released in the next 10 days.

>> 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.

>> After reports yesterday that Sarah Jessica Parker is parting ways with Halston — WWD confirms that the two parties are in the midst of terminating their agreement — Harvey Weinstein, too, is said to be on the way out, according to WWD's sources.

A Halston statement could be coming as soon as today, although it's unclear whether it will address Weinstein's next move with regards to the label. The Weinstein Company acquired Halston with Hilco Consumer Capital in 2007.