Style news from Metronews.ca

Trend of the week: White vs. floral brights

Kenya Hunt, Metro World News — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 20:48:53 -0400

Forget about the magazines for a second, and let’s talk about the trends that women are actually wearing.

When it comes to updating your wardrobe for spring, there seems to be two schools of thought emerging on the street.

In the right corner: Team White. This is a look that is painfully easy to pull off (hurrah) and reliably chic.

A win-win, no? The trick is to wear it head-to-toe — like, ivory trousers and a matching blazer as a fashion forward update on the work suit or white shorts and a coordinating button-down as a light way to ease into spring. Just don’t eat any condiments with your lunch that day.

And in the left: Team Floral Brights — a look that was adopted by practically every fashion editor during last month’s ready-to-wear shows. You can take the whole-hog approach by mixing them in different colour ways and layering them on generously or just dip one toe into the trend pool by limiting the print to a single pair of jeans or a skirt—the bolder the colour, the better.

‘It’s about an era of lounging poolside’

Kenya Hunt, Metro World News — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:11:25 -0400

The new season of Mad Men has been shrouded in CIA-like secrecy. As the premiere date draws closer, we try our best to extract a few clues about what to expect from costume designer Janie Bryant.

Now that we’re just days away from the season premiere and the cast photos have been released, what can you reveal about the look of the characters? How has their wardrobe evolved since last season?

Honestly, I’m sworn to secrecy until the premiere on March 25. You’ll have to wait and see!

OK, how does the new Mad Men collection for Banana Republic reflect the look of Season 5?

Our second collection was inspired by the characters while at the club because of the fun contrast to the home and office settings. It’s about an era of lounging poolside or attending a 4th of July barbecue in a crisp blue polo shirt and stunning the crowd in a lush ivory dress.

When creating the collection, were you obligated to design it in such a way that wouldn’t give away too many details about the actual show?

For this collection, [Banana Republic creative director Simon Kneen] and I talked a lot about the characters and scenes that inspired us, the roles they were playing, the emotions they’re going through, and worked to translate all that context into beautiful design. We stayed with the traditional Mad Men look that viewers have come to love.

The new collection manages to feel both vintage and very 2012.

It was about taking a vintage look and updating it with a modern twist. We took some of our favourite trending colours and prints, like the bright pinks and large florals in some of the women’s pieces, and fit them on a ’60s silhouette, like a capri pant or nip-waist dress.

The first four seasons of Mad Men helped spark a global obsession with the mid-century way of dressing, influencing an entire season of ready-to-wear collections. Do you think Season 5 will do the same thing for late ’60s dressing?

People identify with the costume design of the characters and there has already been a clear resurgence of 1960s trends on runways this spring. Beautiful, dressed-up tailoring with emphasis on the waist; bright colours for ladies; and tailored, slim-cut apparel for men are all making a comeback. But as far as Season 5 goes I really can’t comment!

Red carpet makeup

Metro Canada — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 22:09:44 -0400

Professional makeup artist Mariam Jensen — who has styled celebrities from Rihanna to Richard Branson — breaks down what the stars will be doing to wow on the red carpet this year.

1. Strong lips in bold orange and red shades are trending on the red carpet, as seen on stars such as Christina Hendricks at this year’s BAFTAS. Orange and red are actually quite wearable, yet many women shy away from trying them. Red lipstick dresses up an outfit — I often tease my clients that red lips are like heels minus the pain! Some gorgeous, wearable reds to try are MAC Lady Danger, Tom Ford Cherry Lush, and for the first-timers try JK Jemma Kidd Air Kiss Shine Lip Gloss in Dress 2 Impress.

2. False eyelashes are huge on the red carpet. At the Grammys, we saw Carrie Underwood, Kelly Rowland and Jessie J rocking long, thick, doll-like lashes. I am a huge fan of Shu Uemura Smokey Layers, which add the length, volume and drama to the eyes, yet are much more user-friendly than some of the versions the celebs are wearing.

If you’re not ready to have super-obvious false eyelashes, try another huge celeb secret: mink eyelashes. I love Velour Lashes are soft, cruelty-free and look very natural on the eyes.

3. Flawless skin is another huge trend we are seeing on the red carpet. Gone are the days of sheer tints, as celebs are strutting the red carpet with mannequin skin. To get a perfect, flawless finish, try products like My Face Cosmetics My Mix Foundation, which provides a gorgeous light-weight finish. For those that need more coverage, I am a huge fan of Cover Fx Total Coverage Cream Foundation, which covers every imperfection under the sun with little effort. This miracle product covers acne, pigmentation, rosacea and even tattoos. (Angelina Jolie apparently is a huge fan.)

Burgundy runs the runway this season

kenya hunt, Metro Canada — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:34:41 -0400

As far as colours go, burgundy is a pretty lackluster follow-up to all the pops of yellow we saw for spring.

That age-old mix of red and brown brings to mind ’80s corduroy, Avon lipstick and micro-suede couches sold at a deep discount in suburban furniture warehouses. Hardly something women would clamour to wear.

Simply put, the maroon parade that marched its way through New York was kind of a let down.
Then the London shows came along and things started to change.

In Christopher Kane’s hands, the shade became sexually charged, Gothic and a little dangerous on his leather-trimmed dresses, padded coats and cigarette trousers.

Kane used a shade that more so resembled freshly drawn blood than living room curtains with a techie, moiré fabric that changed tones as the models moved. And that’s exactly what made it so memorable.

The costume designers for True Blood should take note. Vampire Pam’s closet could use an update.
Acne, meanwhile, gave burgundy a futuristic sheen in glossy leather pieces such as sleek trousers, a belted sculptural coat and full skirt.

They looked subversive and directional — and yet timeless. You could wear these without looking like you’ve succumbed to the trend of the season and pull them out a few years later and still look modern.

Most memorable, though, were Sarah Burton’s sublime plays on texture at McQ.

Burgundy looks best when done in rich, plush, touchable things and Burton exploited this to maximum effect.

Take her V-neck dress made out of shaved mink on top and embroidered velvet on the bottom, accessorized with leather elbow-length gloves. It looked glamourous without reading old; it was romantic while still maintaining an edge — a world away from the suburban living room.

Jason Wu's designs hit Target

kenya hunt, Metro Canada — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:16:00 -0400

With financial headlines worsening by the week, fashion’s ongoing obsession with collaborations between chain stores and high-end designers couldn’t feel more right.

From Karl Lagerfeld’s upcoming affordably priced KARL collection to H&M’s Versace partnership, there has never been a better time to dress fashionably for less.

Our latest favourite in the rotation: Jason Wu’s painfully adorable collection for the American chain Target.

The collection, frankly one of the best looking we’ve seen yet, marries the designer’s trademark off-kilter femininity with bold, spring-like colours in a series of upbeat dresses, separates, handbags and scarves — all for an easy-on-the-wallet price range of $10 to $45.

Wes Gordon is beyond his years in almost every way

Tina Chadha, Metro Canada — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 23:23:06 -0400

Wes Gordon’s career might give even the most accomplished person a complex.

At only 25, the Central Saint Martins grad has worked under Tom Ford and Oscar de la Renta, garners rave reviews from editors and buyers for his successful namesake label, collaborated with Manolo Blahnik for his spring 2011 show, designed an upcoming capsule collection with Jones New York, and just nabbed the prestigious Fashion Group International Rising Star Award for his sophisticated designs and sharp tailoring.

Congrats on the win. You’re on everyone’s one-to-watch list lately. How do you stay so poised?
Well, now I’m scared. I was fine until you said that. [Laughs] There’s not time to think about anything except your to-do list for the next hour. It’s just crazy busyness. I’m rapidly getting grey hair.

Your clothes have a mature sensibility to them. Have you always been more sophisticated than your peers?
I’ve always been an old soul. When I was in preschool, I used to insist on wearing suspenders and ties to school. I definitely have an aesthetic emerging.

What are you loving seeing women wear these days? What are you over?
I’m very much a tailored person. We made a beautiful wide-leg pant last season that did really well, and these long, really Katharine Hepburn-y silhouettes of sharp tailoring. That’s, like, the chicest thing to me, especially in winter. I’m really not into all-over sequins.

Karl Lagerfeld addresses Adele controversy

Kenya Hunt, Metro World News — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 12:08:46 -0400

Karl Lagerfeld has responded to the frenzy surrounding his recent comments about British singer Adele’s weight — exclusively to Metro International.

Lagerfeld, who served as the global guest editor of this newspaper on Tuesday, told us: “I’d like to say to Adele that I am your biggest admirer. Sometimes when you take a sentence out of the article it changes the meaning of the thought. What I said was in relation to Lana Del Rey and the sentence has since been taken out of context from how it was originally published. I actually prefer Adele, she is my favourite singer and I am a great admirer of her. I lost over 30 kilos over 10 years ago and have kept it off. I know how it feels when the press is mean to you in regards to your appearance. Adele is a beautiful girl. She is the best. And I can’t wait for her next CD.”

Lagerfeld was quoted as calling the singer “a little bit fat” in response to a question about singer Lana Del Rey. The controversial statement made headlines worldwide.

Welcome to Karl's World

Kenya Hunt, Metro World News — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 05:00:00 -0400

It’s 5 p.m. and Karl Lagerfeld was due to arrive at 3:30 p.m. So his press team and I, sitting in his private office on Paris’ Left Bank, munch on Magnum Ice Cream bars, a brand for which he’s directed commercials. I try not to drip chocolate as I carefully leaf through biographies on Chagall, Duchamp and Dalí, just a few of the titles that make up four white walls of pristinely organized books.

A staffer offers me a pink bottle of Diet Coke emblazoned with a miniature ponytailed Lagerfeld, designed by the man himself. I pour the soda into a sleek, cube-shaped Orrefors glass created by, you guessed it, and then sip my drink underneath a giant crystal antique chandelier.

Finally, Lagerfeld arrives looking impenetrable in dark glasses and leather, but he has the sniffles.

Welcome to Karl’s World, a contradictory mixture of the old-fashioned and thoroughly modern, the rarefied and the mass market, the untouchable and surprisingly vulnerable.

Nice to see you again. Have you read all of these books?
Yes, but you know most of the books are books you look at. This is not a library with reading books. My reading books are somewhere else. I haven’t looked at every book. I don’t buy them by the metre to make a wallpaper, hmm? But you can spend hours looking at these. So when I’m late, I think people have so much to look at, to learn, that I don’t feel too guilty. But you know, it’s not my fault because when the first appointment is late, you’re late after all the time. I had an appointment at 11, they arrived at half past 12. What can you do, huh?

It’s good to know that you’re human.
I look the part. But I’m not that human, hmm? But more down to earth than me you will never find. You cannot be more down to earth.

You’re about to re-launch your Karl Lagerfeld brand as two collections, both of which will be sold online and one of which is very affordable. Why now?
These days, it’s much easier to use decent fabrics for not so much money. Really great. When I did H&M, which was already seven years ago —I cannot believe it—I had a kind of appeal for people who buy inexpensive. I don’t say cheap because people are cheap, but clothes are not supposed to be cheap—they are supposed to be well designed and not expensive. There’s a very big difference, ah? So [the Karl Lagerfeld launch] has the top and the top of the inexpensive. I don’t say low because there is nothing low.

When I did H&M, everyone said don’t do it. And it worked. When I took over Chanel, everyone said to me, "Don’t do it, it’s dead, it doesn’t work." It worked beyond. So I better not listen to people and follow only my instincts.

Do you spend a lot of time on the Internet?
Yes. I spend a lot of time —no, time passes so quickly that nothing is ever a lot of time.

Do you ever shop online?
Not personally, I don’t do it because I don’t have the Internet, you know. I don’t do the Internet myself but everyone around me does it for me. And if I want to buy, I buy things from the Internet but it’s not me personally. I don’t give the number of my credit card and all those things.

Excuse me one second. Why do we have a visitor? I didn’t know we were going to have a visitor. [Speaks in French]

This is why I’m late you know, because people come who don’t have an appointment and say they had an appointment.

Life with Karl Lagerfeld.
Yeah, but it shouldn’t be, you know? [Laughs] I don’t make meetings, it bores me to death. I never make meetings. You know what I call meetings?

No, what?
Salary justification. That’s why people meet for hours. Whenever they want to talk to me, they meet for hours.

What is your response, to people who say you do too many collaborations?
I couldn’t care less. It depends if I know the people. If unknown people say this, they should send me a note and explain why. The limit is up to me to decide.

You’re known for constantly moving forward and really capturing the now. But are there any moments from the past that you hold especially dear?
I’m not a vintage specialist. For nothing. Not for my life, not for my work, for nothing. I have no archives. Maybe the houses keep archives. I have nothing. I’m not interested in what I did. I’m just interested in what I’m doing, what can be inspired.

You’ve influenced many people. Who has influenced you?
You know, don’t put influence into words. Influence has another name and that’s called copying. You see? It’s in the air, I don’t know. I’m like a TV antenna.

Do you watch a lot of television?
I like to be on TV but I don’t watch TV. I have no time for that. You know, that’s another thing. When I’m at home alone, I hate voices. I like music or singing, but I hate voices and stories. It has the feeling that they enter my life. I love to be alone to read to sketch with music but I don’t like ready-made images. I prefer to live on my imagination.

You live in six different places — where are those six places?
I have one where I live and sketch, here is my private office, then I have a townhouse for entertaining, my photo studio and I have all of this on the corner here and then I have two apartments that are guests’ houses, because I don’t want people in my house. I don’t care so much, but they have to go home. I don’t want any promiscuity, I’m not into that.

Speaking of promiscuity, do you have much of a sex drive?
Huh? I want you to repeat that.

Do you have much of a sex drive?
No, I’m not very much interested in that. But it’s not a question of time, people can make quickies you know[laughs]. If you ask this kind of question, you get this kind of answer [laughs].

Quickies can be fun.
Good, good, good! I find you talk like Europeans [laughs]. I think sex is an overrated subject.

But it’s the French way, though.
You know, I’m not French. I’m a bloody German.

When was the last time you were in love?
I don’t know. I like freedom.

Do you find relationships too constricting?
Relationships happen for everybody, it can never be a problem. But it’s not really my main thing.

If you had a child or a pupil or someone who you had to pass down words to live by, what would you pass down?
That’s why I don’t have children, mmm? There’s nothing to pass down because everybody has to invent his own thing. I don’t believe very much in this because what I learned, saw, and all that happened in other periods and the world is different now. I have a godson, who is small, three-and-a-half years old, genius. He’s got real personality and his parents have no authority. He loves clothes. He wants everything like me. He sleeps with his gloves and goes to school with black glasses on. It’s so funny.

But I believe you have to find your own way. What I hate about children is that they put you in a generation mode. I don’t want to be anyone’s father generation, grandfather generation, I’m of no generation. I’m from every generation.

Have you ever had a pet?
Yes, but they die so I don’t like them. The drama is I had two I really liked and after they died I don’t want another one. That’s too depressing.

Are you afraid of death?
I couldn’t care less. [Percy Bysshe] Shelley said, "Death may be a waking up from the dream of life." But if you ask me, I think it’s like a sleep where you don’t wake up. You don’t remember before, you don’t remember after. The only thing is I don’t want to be seen dead, huh? So anyway, over, over. The battery is finished, huh, puft.

Three decades of Fendi and Karl

Kenya Hunt, Metro World News — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0400

Karl Lagerfeld began working with Fendi in 1972. Here, Accessories Director Silvia Venturini reveals some favourite moments with her creative partner. “When he’d come visit, I’d always dress up,” she says. “Today, it’s still the same.”

Joining the family
I was only four years old when I met Karl. At the time, Fendi was family-owned, so work and family were all mixed. It was in the atelier and when I saw him, I thought he was a painter. He was always sketching and usually had a big package of white paper. To me, his drawings were like cartoons. They had these bright colours and strong silhouettes. When I got older, people would always ask me, ‘What is he like?’ as if he’s this scary man. But when I was a baby, he was always very nice to me. When you know him, you feel you are important to him. We are not the kind of people who are always kissing and hugging and saying, ‘I love you.’ But we both know what we mean to each other.

Karl is coming, Karl is coming
There was always this excitement around him. I could tell when he was about to come to Rome because my mother would get on the phone and ask all of these questions: ‘Is this ready?’ ‘Did you do this?’ ‘Did you do that?’ When he came it was a big event, and it still is to this day. Sometimes he comes once a week, sometimes it’s less. But he always brings these big bags. And he’s always late. If he tells you he’ll be there at 3 p.m., you already know that it’s going to be 8. But he’s always worth the wait.

What to wear
When I was a teenager, I always wanted to surprise him. So when he’d come visit, I’d always dress up a bit more, in a more interesting way, to grab his interest. And today, it’s still the same. I dress up a bit more, but I also want to surprise him with ideas. I still want to feel like he’s curious about what I’m doing. Each time he comes, he has to be surprised.

The creative process
Our collections usually begin with a swatch or an idea. Every time it’s different. Once Karl was on the plane coming to Rome and took these photos from the window of the land below. From his photos of these harvests we built an entire collection. And that’s how we decided to start shaving mink to imitate the movement we saw in these fields. We were the first to do that with fur.

Working together
We’ve never had any kind of disagreements. Even if there is something he doesn’t like, he’s still very nice about it. He’s like, ‘Let’s wait and see.’ Rather than, ‘I don’t like this.’ I understand what he means by his eyes.

Is Haider Ackermann the future Karl?

Kenya Hunt, Metro World News — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0400

“I don’t know what his purpose was, but I think it was to say, ‘Guys perhaps you should have a look at this dude,” Haider Ackermann says. “It was a way to put me out there. At least that’s how I like to see it.”

He’s talking about the moment he went from being a cult favorite of Tilda Swinton and a host of fashion and art world insiders to an outright media sensation. It was the fall of 2010 and the pertinent events unfolded like this: In an interview with Numéro magazine, Karl Lagerfeld named Haider Ackermann as the guy he’d like to succeed him at Chanel. Days of retweets and months of “Who is Haider Ackermann?” blog coverage ensued, followed by a pivotal bombshell runway show in March 2011 that literally moved editors to tears.

Then came an American Vogue cover, a big story in Newsweek and a slew of gushing magazine articles in which journalists wrote about him with highly poetic language. They called him The New Romantic. His role as the fashion world’s new crown prince was sealed. It’s a high that Ackermann is still floating on.

“Certain things happen and you realize just how much power a single person can have. To have people you’ve admired your whole life notice you…” he says. I can literally hear the smile in his voice, which is a surprise because at first glance, Ackermann appears to be a very serious, brooding, enigmatic man.

His clothes reveal a similar mysteriousness and intelligence. This isn’t fashion for the Kardashians of the world. He’s more revered by the most ardent, hardcore fashion lovers.

“I’m not so much attracted to the woman who wants to be the centre of attention. She’s not my kind of person. It’s violent how people put themselves out there on reality TV, leaving nothing to imagine or question,” he says.

His silk skirts, dresses and jackets wrap around the body like sinuous bands of smoke (there’s that poetic language again) and his flair for rich, jewel and desert tones conjures up images of moody vistas in places like Morocco, Ethiopia or India. Ackermann calls it “drawing up his past.”

Born in Colombia, he was raised by French parents in various parts of Africa and Europe. “The first thing I was drawn to as a kid in Africa was the idea of one piece of fabric that women would wrap around themselves. The fabric was always blowing in the wind and you’d see these women running through the medina like ghosts. It touched me. And ever since, a wardrobe has only ever been interesting to me when it’s moving,” he says.

Lately, though, he’s been looking back much less. “You can only draw what you are made of. But now that so many things are happening, I’m looking much more toward my future in my work,” he admits, alluding to the near constant-state of buzzing excitement around him.

He gets particularly animated when remembering a meeting he had with his hero, Martin Margiela, one of the fashion world’s most recondite and revered talents. “He wanted to meet me,” Ackermann says incredulously. “I used to have all these doubts and insecurities in my head. But if this man could take me seriously, I had to face it and take myself seriously.”

Ackermann is quick to dismiss any notion that he might be an overnight hit, though. “I’ve never been attracted to the person of the moment. The idea of being a passing moment always kind of scared me. I showed my first collection in 2003 and could not have gotten to this place without all of the building I did before.”