The Fashion Industry

Image: Reuters UK

Mr. Blackwell, the fashion maven who has been issuing his annual “Worst-Dressed” list for 48 years, is in a coma after falling at his home, his partner and manager said on Thursday. Richard Blackwell, 85, has been at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles since Saturday.

Blackwell has issued his “Worst-Dressed” list for 48 years, and it has become watched around the world as much for his quips about the stars’ fashion as for who made the list. Last year Blackwell, often considered the bane of Hollywood celebrities, named Spice Girl Victoria “Posh” Beckham the worst-dressed star and said: “in one skinny-mini monstrosity after another, pouty ‘Posh’ Beckham can really wreck-em.”

In the No. 2 spot was soul singer Amy Winehouse and just behind was diminutive actress Mary-Kate Olsen who, he said, “resembles a tattered toothpick trapped in a hurricane.”

Blackwell had his own clothing line for 35 years and was a costume designer who worked with Hollywood stars such as Jayne Mansfield and Jane Russell.

Source: Reuters UK

Image: WWD

Christian Francis Roth, a fashion designer of the early 90s is back. Roth plans to make his return with a contemporary spring collection called Francis by Christian Francis Roth, inspired by those dreaded high school cliques.

Once called “Seventh Avenue’s latest wonder boy” by WWD, the designer is back with his spring collection. Roth calls his new inspirations “Gangs of New York,” and has divided it into high school cliques. The “Afterschool special” category features print dresses and plaid patchwork, while “Twill Seekers” represent Upper East Side prepsters with their logoed polos.

Source: WWD

Image: unleashingideas.org

After her clothing line was pulled yanked from the Los Angeles’ Kitson stores, “The Hills” star Lauren Conrad is going to get a second chance to show us her fashion design skills. The 22-year-old has been chosen to design a couture gown for the 60th Primetime Emmy Awards trophy girls who hand out U.S. television’s top awards.

“When the show approached me, I was so excited,” Conrad said in an email to Reuters. “I love designing dresses and I can’t wait to see my own designs on the Primetime Emmy Awards. The dress will be elegant yet simple with a Lauren Conrad Collection vibe.”

A newcomer to the fashion scene, Conrad’s clothing line received less than favorable reviews at this year’s L.A. Fashion Week. Fraser Ross owner of the Kitson boutiques even described sales of Conrad’s line as “lackluster” to New York magazine.

The choice of Conrad appears to be a statigic move by the Emmy producers in an attempt to capitalize on her celebrity status. “The Hills” is MTV’s highest-rated show, and Conrad appears regularly on the front pages of celebrity gossip magazines.

When asked what the gowns will look like, she wrote: “You’ll just have to wait until Sept. 21 for the finished product.” The Emmys will be given out during a nationally televised ceremony in L.A. on Sept. 21.

Source: Fan Fare

Image: Pamoyo

A German fashion label has come up with a unique idea to make its designs and patterns available for free on the internet. Pamoyo, based in Berlin, are publishing their designs on their website under a Creative Commons license. This is a a major departure for the fashion industry, where companies usually keep their designs closely guarded with patents.

The Pamoyo website allows users to download A4-sized PDF files of the raw designs, to create and alter in any way they see fit.

According to Cecilia Palmer, one of the company’s chief designers:

“Everybody’s free to use [the designs], as long as they attribute us as the source,” “If they make new works based on this, they must publish them under the same Creative Commons license. People can also contribute their own ideas to the designs, potentially being able to sell clothes they have designed through the company.

“Part of our philosophy is not to be a one-man band, but to involve the creativity of other designers into the label. I would really love it if one of our designs gets worked into something completely new and comes back to be part of our collection.”

Their first pattern, a shirt from the Styled With Heart collection is available on their site now. It’s going to be interesting to see where this goes. You can check it out here.

Source: BBC

Image: Pocket Picks

Two major brands will be coming onto the designer lingerie scene this spring. Donna Karan Intimates will be relaunching its lounge, play and sleep wear and Emporio Armani Underwear is coming to the U.S. for the first time with its collection of intimates.

The spring-summer 2009 collection is aimed at major stores such as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, and will also be sold at 12 Emporio Armani boutiques in the U.S.

The women’s intimates line features four groups, all named after flowers: Gardenia, which is based on feminine, everyday comfort; Camelia, offering basic colors and fashion shades linked to the ready-to-wear collections; Tulipano, a contemporary group in basic styles and fashion colors, and Lila, featuring an eclectic range of colors and prints. Anchored in lightweight and intricately designed lace and double-ply stretch mesh and tulle, special treatments include allover printed Emporio Armani logos, double strap treatments with minibows and hardware like the Giorgio Armani flying eagle logo.

“I am very pleased to finally offer the American woman the opportunity to wear my underwear designs,” said Giorgio Armani. “While researching this market, my main goal was to satisfy the specific needs of the American woman: comfort, fit, quality and, above all, great design and functionality.”

Source: WWD

Image: WWD

Despite efforts by Coty’s TV censors in the U.S. have refused to let the company air the steamy ad for its new Calvin Klein Secret Obsession women’s scent. So they’re doing the next best thing, or maybe even one better. They’re taking it to the Internet. Coty has gone live at it’s new site, secretobsessioncalvinklein.com, with the risqué TV spot featuring Eva Mendes.

I’m guessing the reason the censors are getting their shorts all in a bunch is due to the fact that there are a couple of scenes that show an exposed nipple. So maybe it’s not appropriate for day time TV but seriously, isn’t it about time some people got past these hang ups over showing a little skin?

Source: WWD

Image: Telegraph.co.uk

Betsey Johnson and her business partner Chantal Bacon celebrated the 30th anniversary of their business yesterday at Betsey Johnson’s Soho store in New York. Johnson and Bacon met in 1975 and launched the Betsey Johnson brand in 1978.

Johnson’s collection, known for its girlishness, became an instant hit in the 80s, with ruffled miniskirts, tutu dresses and wildly printed bodysuits. They were so popular that she plans to launch the Betsey Johnson Vintage Collection this fall, bringing back some of her most loved designs.

Source: FWD

Image: heels.com

Paris Hilton was showing off her new fall shoe collection at the Las Vegas Macy’s Fashion Show earlier this week. The collection features a variety of footwear, from platform stilettos, pumps and  flats, to boots.

Paris was reportedly inspired by the major fashion runways of New York, London, Paris and Milan.

The first 300 people that purchased the celebrity designer shoes between July 19 and July 29 at the  show had the opportunity to meet the star and receive a signed photo when she appeared in person this past Tuesday.

Paris Hilton Footwear is sold at Macy’s, Kitson, Bakers, as well as online at Zappos.com and Endless.com.  Prices range from $59 to $195.

Source: film.com

Image: WWD

Brazilian footwear brand Melissa, known for its plastic shoes, commissioned Architect Zaha Hadid to create limited edition styles from synthetic materials. The shoe is said to evoke Hadid’s buildings with their fluid lines and rounded toe.

Hadid said of his experience, “The project with Melissa is about creating something fun and new — something that feels good. The design engages with the fluid organic contours of the body and the asymmetric quality conveys an inherent sense of movement, evoking a continuous transformation. We designed the shoes to emerge from the ground and climb up the foot and leg with a soft elegant movement. There is an implicit sense of lightness that blurs the boundary between body and object.”

Despite all of Mr Hadid’s self glorifying art-speak, these shoes are hidious. I don’t know about evoking images of buildings. More like images of red rubber galoshes (remember those?). These probably would be good in the rain for that matter, but I think Mr Hadid should stick to designing buildings.

How much will these beauties set you back? About $350.

Source: WWD

Image: Popcrunch

After an absence of nearly a decade, Calvin Klein will return to New York runways with its fall 2009 men’s collection and leave behind the Italian fashion capital of Milan. Calvin Klein’s Fall 2009 men’s collection will be presented in Manhattan next February during New York’s Fashion Week.

In a press release the company insists that they plans to return to Milan for future shows but no date was given. Some are seeing the move as a strategic move in a time of a distressed economy and rapidly rising cost of travel to Europe.

The Calvin Klein men’s show will be held in the ground floor space at the company’s New York headquarters, the same site where the label’s women’s shows have been staged for the past several years.

Source: Fashion Wire Daily