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Freaky or Fabulous: Barneys' Bloody Window Display

FabSugar — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 03:00:22 -0700

If you happened to walk by Barneys New York on Madison Avenue earlier this week, this is one of the gory window displays you would have seen. Both A.L.C.'s and Helmut Lang's windows, featuring dying mannequins and splattered fake blood, appalled most passersby. Creative director Simon Doonan is usually the one that approves window displays, but he says he was away overseeing advertising shoots when they were installed. The displays were ordered to come down as soon as Doonan heard. Do you think it's freaky or still fabulous?

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This Week's Fab Favorite: Stella McCartney

FabSugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 13:30:22 -0700

This week was a doozy with the Met Gala Monday night. But that didn't stop one fashion figure from plowing though the week in style. I have a fresh fondness for Stella after meeting her in SF, and I have since followed her pioneering footsteps. From her muses at the Met Gala to her trunk show at Barneys onto being honored by Time magazine, she stepped out in her own effortless, yet tailored, creations. And, don't forget, her capsule collection for Net-a-Porter launched this week. Let's call her Super Stella from now on . . . Source

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Good News Bears

FabSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 14:30:22 -0700

Finally, some good news. If you have a subscription to WWD, you probably wake up every day to another company reporting negative profits. After months and months, it's quite the downer. True, rock-hard luxury companies like Louis Vuitton are keeping afloat, but how is everyone else doing? WWD surveyed top designers and retail executives, and the outlook was overly optimistic. If you need a pick-me-up or just want to be enlightened, check out my favorite quotes from the article.

Michael Kors: “The good news is in this crazy, terrible economy, I think people’s taste is getting better. They have to think about what they buy and they’re getting a more discerning eye because of it. There are no more shoes you can’t walk in, bags you can’t carry, dresses you can’t sit in. All of that’s finished. It’s like the beginning of Gone With the Wind, ‘This is about a time long, long ago.’ The handbag that’s so heavy I can’t lift it, the shoe I can’t get out of a car in, the dress I have to lean in - those are memories from a time that’s gone with the wind."

Karl Lagerfeld: "You have to have something very quality and fashion at the same time, and the names are the guarantee of all that. That’s why big names are important. That’s why it might be more difficult for smaller companies. Also, Chanel is beautifully run as a company. There are no debts. There’s no healthier business than Chanel."

To read what Marc Jacobs, Rachel Roy, Givenchy's CEO, and more are happy about, read more

Marc Jacobs: “The weather is beautiful. I’m in love. I’m engaged to be married. I’m working on building a new home, and working in the studio with Steven Meisel and Madonna on the next [Louis Vuitton] campaign. Then, I have two days of shooting with Juergen [Teller]. The Met is [tonight], which I’m excited about. I’m receiving a FiFi Award. Then, we receive the International CFDA award for Louis Vuitton. So, I kind of have really great stuff on a daily basis. I can’t find anything to be unhappy about at the moment."

Fabrizio Malverdi, CEO, Givenchy: “I’m just back from the Middle East. I went to Kuwait, Bahrain, and Dubai, and it’s good to see that the atmosphere is not as depressing as in other countries. The energy is really positive. For Givenchy, we are opening new stores with the new concept we introduced a year ago [in Paris on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré]. The reaction to this new concept is really good, and we have an existing partner that wants to open stores based on it. Europe and Russia are suffering a lot, but in general, Givenchy’s women’s prêt-à-porter is going well. The sell-throughs are good. And if the customer has fun buying it, that’s the real success. We have to inject a bit of life, a bit of fun, and a bit of coolness in the market. That’s the reason why people are still buying.”

Stefano Gabbana: “First of all, we feel hypercreative, reactive, excited, and stimulated. Strangely enough, given the times, we feel good and feel the urge to experiment. I think this crisis has bought back many core values, and fashion has achieved a more human and traditional aspect, which we appreciate. Many superfluous elements have been wiped away and it’s OK if people buy less because they have too much of everything. It’s useless to have too much of everything. It’s like sitting down to a five-course meal when a plate of pasta will do just fine. This reevaluation to me is good news.”

Dries van Noten: “We just won the Fashion Institute of Technology’s 2009 Couture Council Award For Artistry of Fashion. I’m very proud of that. We opened the store in Tokyo at the end of March. It was a decision that was made at the end of October, so it’s not something most people think, ‘Oh, it was made before the crisis started.’ It’s still totally the right moment to do something like that, because it’s unexpected. Why not at this moment? It’s difficult maybe for a lot of people, but still, life continues. Shopping and buying fashion and fashion itself, are just parts of life."

Phillip Lim: “Good news - my plants in my garden are happy and about to bloom. My dog Oliver has recently learned to lay down - on command. I am more inspired, and my focus is clearer then ever! Life is good, as it’s really the simple things that I have come back to. It’s been a reawakening."

Karen Katz, president and chief executive officer, Neiman Marcus Stores: “The customer is still engaged. When we present her with the right trends, she is responding. For our storewide focus on a color, we settled on the color pink. Our customers are feminine. Pink has been perfect for her; she has definitely embraced pink. She’s also been buying anything with a feminine detail.

Diane von Furstenberg: “I think there was too much of everything, and I feel like the whole industry had to take a laxative. We just had too much s-t, and therefore there’s a cleansing thing that happens. All of a sudden it’s not so much about marketing as it is about product. We kept on saying, ‘Oh, it will sell, you know, it doesn’t matter,’ and now we’re not like that anymore. Now we’re just being much more careful."

Simon Doonan, creative director, Barneys New York: “Having been through a number of depressed periods, most notably the '70s, I find a lot of explosive creativity comes out of these periods. The punk movement in England came out of the terrible, terrible economic depression that hit England in the early '70s. A creative rage can come out of [hard times], which is an immensely productive thing and has a huge impact on fashion design and marketing.

Rachel Roy: “The good news is having the opportunity to create the secondary line [Rachel Rachel Roy] for this younger customer. It gets my mind off of designer woes and all the hardships of getting your designer clothes into specialty stores and department stores right now. It’s a fun project - it’s younger, it’s fun, it’s a bit edgy, and certain things could be a bit naughty that I can’t do in designer."

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Best of 2008: Fashion Trailblazers

FabSugar — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 13:00:22 -0800

This year a handful of ballsy designers, celebrities, and industry insiders broke free from their comfort zones and undertook revolutionary projects. Diane von Furstenberg created a Wonder Woman of a collection, Viktor & Rolf broke runway tradition, and Barneys New York's Simon Doonan tied the knot . . . with his boyfriend! But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Read on.

Viktor & Rolf sparked a new virtual runway trend.
Rihanna became the Gucci/UNICEF spokeswoman.
Vogue Italia published its first ever, all-black issue.
Simon Doonan married longtime beau Jonathan Adler.
Victoria Beckham did it all. She created a dress collection, judged Project Runway Season Four's finale, modeled for Marc Jacobs, and signed a deal with Emporio Armani underwear campaign.

To see more fashion trailblazing acts of 2008, read more

Diane von Furstenberg created a Wonder Woman collection, a comic book, launched her "Women We Can" campaign, and hosted a fabulous post-show dinner at New York Fashion Week where yours truly witnessed the action first hand.
Net-a-Porter sold Halston's comeback collection the day after the show, signed an exclusive deal with London house Preen, and created a limited-edition trend book.
Karl Lagerfeld staged another elaborate collection and created a Chanel mobile art pavilion.
Gwyneth Paltrow did a mini movie with Tod's and launched a lifestyle website, Goop.Cute!
The controversial April Vogue cover with Gisele Bundchen and LeBron James was accused of racially stereotyping.
The 2008 Costume Institute Gala went superhero on us.
CFDA made major strides. It announced its fashion award winners (Congrats Womenswear Designer of the Year Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein), backed the model health issue, gave Alexander Wang the 2008 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award, and threw two huge events: 2008 CFDA Awards in June, and 2008 CFDA Awards in November.

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FABTV: Fall Leather Tutorial by Simon Doonan and Julie Gilhart

FabSugar — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 15:00:22 -0700

Simon Doonan and Fashion Director and Senior VP of Barneys New York Julie Gilhart have paired up to advise us on how to wear Fall's most desirable fashions. One segment preaches that black makes you more intelligent, but this one is more useful because wearing leather can be tricky. We certainly don't want to channel '80s rock stars in the year 2008. We also learn leather is not limited only to jackets; it's translating onto pants, skirts, dresses, jewelry, and vests, so perfecting it is a lot harder than it seems. Watch first, live la vida leather after.

This Just In! Simon Doonan and Jonathan Adler Tie the Knot

FabSugar — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 17:06:31 -0700

Word on the SF street is Simon Doonan and partner Jonathan Adler just tied the knot! The stylish couple have been together 14 years and signed the official marriage documents in City Hall of San Francisco.

What did they wear? Doonan wore a Liberty shirt, Barneys Co-op jeans, Prada v-neck, Hogan shoes, and Thom Browne velvet jacket, while his interior designer lovah sported a pair of Barneys Co-op jeans, Fred Perry Co-op sweater, and Adidas sneakers.

"I turned off the ringer on my BlackBerry. That's very romantic; it's a big deal for me to do that," said Adler. Congrats!

Thor Swift Photography

Fab Flash: Coco Rocha Stars in a Barneys Tale

FabSugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:00:22 -0700

The quirky mastermind is at it again. Barneys New York Creative Director Simon Doonan has just enlisted Coco Rocha to play the main character in his tale, “Emma’s Dilemma,” in its Fall catalog.

So what's the dilemma? The entertaining scenario has Emma wanting everything - Christian Louboutin, Lanvin, Valentino, Manolo Blahnik, and the list goes on and on. A snippet from the story reads, "Making decisions has never been my strong point. When faced with a chocolate eclair or a macaroon, I dither and procrastinate and end up nibbling on both” says Emma.

“The theme is, ‘Oh just buy both.' Embedded in there is permission to be a little self-indulgent. It’s a bit of glamorous self-indulgence” said Doonan.

“I thought women could relate to this story" said Doonan. Yes, Simon, I concur.

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Do You Read Fashion Books?

FabSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 00:33:22 -0700

I'm just finishing up Simon Doonan's Eccentric Glamour . . .

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Roberto Cavalli Wooden Wedge Sandals: Love It or Hate It?

FabSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:00:22 -0700

Color me crazy, but I fancy these Roberto Cavalli Wooden Wedge Sandals ($1,850). The outrageously high heel reminds me of my favorite Disney character, Minnie Mouse, and the spur heels are fierce - eccentric glamour defined.

Take all of my Love It or Hate It Polls here! To post your selections go to the Love It or Hate It? group. And if you want to learn how to do a blog post click here.

Behind the Seams: Simon Doonan Barneys Book Signing

FabSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:00:22 -0700

Totals. Totally. Totes. Funny words from fashion's funny man, and Barneys creative director, Simon Doonan. Fab was lucky enough to catch Mr. Doonan on a sunshiny day promoting his new book Eccentric Glamour at the Barneys store in San Francisco. As you can see, he practices what he preaches wearing a Moschino jacket yelling the words "Good Taste Doesn't Exist" and a tie that whispers "Fashion is full of chic!" As Simon puts it, "These are all Franco Moschino-isms. He was a genius and a very innovative guy. Not bad for English as a second language." Enough said.

Simon was very calm, friendly, and, of course, witty, and was happy to spill some beans for yours truly. I left the store feeling super inspired to wear my wackiest things and throw all regularity to the wind. I guess Simon has that effect on people.

What jump started this book?

I was horrified by these two trends. One was the slut trend and one was the gun-shy celebrity. So between the super-conservative celebs, who were just wearing prom gowns, and the super-slutty woman, the regular gal on the street wasn't getting any inspiration. The answer is eccentricity. Glamour and eccentricity. It's about looking inside and not looking like everyone else. It's against conformity. If everyone else has it, you don't want it. When people tend to look the same, the It bag, the fake hair, the fake tan - it can make everyone look very similar. It's about working on your own look.

To read the rest of our exclusive interview with Simon and to see more behind the seams pics, read more.

Who are some designers you have your eye on?

I think Phillip Lim is incredibly talented. The Rodarte girls are great. They've gone from being very avant-garde to a place where they're making stuff people cannot just admire but wear. Alexander Wang, the usual suspects. I love Scott Sternberg who does Band of Outsiders - I wear a lot of his clothes myself.

My favorite book of yours is Wacky Chicks. If you were to do a sequel, are there any women you would add to your list?

I would love to do Wacky Chicks Two. That book is now over five years old and a lot of the women in it are median ages, in their 40s and 50s, so there's a whole new generation of wacksters. Amy Winehouse. I strongly disagree with her drug taking - I mean it's insane - but when I was that age I was a mess, too. I think she's triggering a whole movement of eccentricity where people don't want to look like everyone else. She says it's groovy to look completely different and insane; she pulled that beehive out of no where and has her own look. She should be applauded. Because everyone was getting the Kelly Clarkson makeover, everyone ended up looking like pop princesses. What's that about?

That wasn't what we were used to in music. We're used to Annie Lennox, Grace Jones, Siouxsie Sioux - provocative girls who all look different from each other.

Debbie Harry!

Yes! Hello?!

Was there anyone on the Oscars red carpet that stood out to you?

Tilda Swinton - she's interviewed in my book. Tilda's genius. I think it's sad that people can't step back and be like: well, that isn't my cup of tea. That whole idea of the fashion police has affected everybody, people have become hypercritical, it's very high school. Everyone's in a tissy about it, it's ridiculous. Instead of just saying, why not?

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