Simon Doonan Muses on Style Icons
Simon Doonan has been called many things in his life. “The fox-crazy impresario of Barneys’ notorious windows”? True. Gay? Definitely. Style Icon? Yes, but he’s not quite sure that’s accurate. ”I read a column once where they called me a style icon and thought they were out of their minds thinking no one wants to look like me. I think there are several types of style icons.” Please allow Mr. Doonan to explain:
MALE MODEL HUMPDAY: Fashion for Men #1
Jack of all fashionable trades and modern-day Renaissance man Milan Vukmirovic describes his new bi-annual magazine, Fashion for Men, as “very elegant, simple, modern and,” above all, “masculine.” Truly, its 620 pages are dripping in testosterone with collaborations from guest of honor Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci (hence the snarling rottweiler on the cover) and streetstyle auteur Tommy Ton and the manliest of them all, Anna Dello Russo – the only (alleged) woman in the mag . This Male Model Humpday, we take a look inside the mega-tome’s premier issue with three strapping spreads starring Chris Moore, Eric Puzio, Ian Mellencamp and one of our fave gents, Travis Cannata.
4 Eye Creams With a Technical Touch
We stay out late, we drink a lot and basically put our skin through the ringer. Mornings become filled with de-puffing and dark-circle combating. But with the latest and greatest in scientific skin care, we can have our martinis and look good too. These 4 eye care creams not only make us look wide-eyed and gorgeous day-to-day, but their technical ingredients deliver the anti-aging results we (will) all crave.
Spratters & Jayne: Woolen Warmth Handmade in Peru
In this balmiest of winters, my main source of mild chill-shielding has come from scarves. Go ‘head girl, wear your lighter fall jacket clear through to March (goodness knows I’ll be wearing my vintage mohair Oscar de la Renta as long as humanly possible), just wrap up in a good scarf for the iffy elements. Which brings me to the new brand Spratters & Jayne – they’re working with a Peruvian co-op that handmakes luscious wool scarves in radical shapes. Spratters & Jayne experiment with chain link, loose net, multi-wrap scarves, and now they want you to play and keep warm in them. There’s a special FashionIndie discount – we’ll tell you all about it after the jump!
Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen Style TEXTILE Elizabeth & James Spring 2012 Lookbook
The dynamic duo of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen rolled up their dolman sleeves and got down to the serious business of styling the lookbook for TEXTILE Elizabeth & James‘ spring 2012 collection — the contempo casual leg of the ladies’ Elizabeth and James line. Featuring newcomer Abby Brothers — last seen in Equinox‘s controversial ads by Terry Richardson — the lookbook is stamped with the Olsens’ effortless chic and relaxed cool.
Designer Daily: I.D. Sarrieri
Luxurious, sexy, undeniably covetable – these are only three ways to describe Romanian lingerie brand I.D. Sarrieri, turning out lavish collections since 2002. Designer Iulia Dobrin doesn’t care much for solely functional lingerie. She created the brand with a sophisticated, stylish woman in mind, a woman who not only needed practical underpinnings but wanted all the bells and whistles to go along with them. The result is feminine lingerie with a vintage feel and opulent details that has garnered the attention of stars like Nicole Kidman, Katie Holmes, Julianne Moore, Halle Berry, Cindy Crawford and Cameron Diaz. Click through for the lookbook, and prepare to be impressed.
Recreating the Justin Bieber V Magazine Experience
Bieber Fever has rendered the FashionIndie office completely incapacitated on several occasions since the mop-topped pop tot two-stepped his way into the cultural zeitgeist. Another such attack overtook us yesterday and the result was a shot-for-shot recreation of Justin Bieber‘s V Magazine shoot by celebrated lens duo, Inez and Vinoodh – starring yours truly as the model in question. ‘Twas a success, though my body still feels ravaged by the effects of the Fever and I’ll need a conspicuously inappropriate shopping trip with Mariah Carey just to recover. Photos after the jump!
My Life In Fashion: Ingenue's Founder, Mena Ryan
Ingenue's dresses are one of the fashion desk's best kept secret (until now) - we meet the woman behind the fabulous frocks, Mena Ryan.
How was Ingenue London born?
Having worked as a buyer in retail for over 8 years, I saw a niche in the market for feminine wearable dresses, coupled with my love of colour and prints.
What's your advice to someone trying to make it as a designer?
It's important to always think about who is going to wear your label and if it'll suit their lifestyle. Fashion has evolved so much in the last couple of decades, we do love high fashion escapism, but for our real lives we want clothes that work for us.
The Fashion Desk's 1-2-1 With Holly Willoughby
The fashion desk meets the nation's TV darling, Holly Willoughby - cue girly stories about being a size 12, bad 80s clothing and those magic undies from her Very.co.uk range. Yes, we've got a new girl crush.
What's the best piece of fashion advice your mum ever gave you?
Wear clothes that fit. It's the most important thing. Don't just see something you like and automatically pick up a size 12 because that's what you think you are. Try on the sizes bigger and smaller than what you expect to be, and buy what genuinely fits and feels most comfortable.
What did you and your friends like to wear when you were growing up?
We went through a real grunge phase, during that whole Nirvana era, so we were in our cherry red Doc Martens with black skirts, leather-look T-shirts, and very unwashed hair. It was not a good look, if I'm honest!
INDIE NEWSROOM: Lindsay Lohan for Philipp Plein…Brandy & Monica Continue to Discuss If “The Boy Is Mine”…Facebook for Zombies
- Lindsay Lohan‘s sultry ads for German designer Philipp Plein have hit the interwebs, proving that despite being virtually unemployable and not knowing where her next prison sentence is coming from, girl can turn it out at the drop of a dime. Or at least a dime bag. [Accidental Sexiness]
Music Muse: 10 Reasons We Love Robyn
Robyn has been killing it since the mid nineties. Her love from the gays has been ever strong and present, while love from the rest of the population is always on the slow and steady rise. Her style is wonderfully wacky and way more wearable than that of Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga. She dances on her own and you can bet it’s to her own damn beat. Now see 10 (of the many) reasons we love Robyn.
Katy Perry, Britney Spears, Ke$ha & Drake Show Off Their Mobile Families
Ever wonder how your favorite singer or rapper keeps everything together? Well they usually have awesome teams. In the latest issue of V Magazine, Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, and Drake show off their support systems.
Alexander Wang Loves a Working Girl for Pre-Fall 2012
Unlike his cool and sporty Spring collection, Alexander Wang had something much more tailored in mind for Pre-Fall 2012. Sharp leather pieces worn over sheer plaid and houndstooth prints injected a structured, menswear feel to a collection that keeps the New York City working girl so obviously in mind. There is burnout, there is smokey color blocking, there is an oversized sunglasses case worn as a clutch – really, what’s not love? We obsess over this gallery just a little more every time we see it.
5 Dresses You Need 3D Glasses to See
3D jumped off of movie screens long ago, and made their way to the Norma Kamali show back in September, and Nicola Formichetti‘s BOFFO pop up shop with a 7-foot three-dimensional Zombie Boy in front. Now designers are sending dresses to the 3rd dimension with screen prints that require 3D glasses to see clearly. Check them out and get those eyes popping.
Designer Daily: AND/OR
If you’re looking for a slouchy silk jumpsuit and/or a lace crop top and/or a cheeky polka dot dress and/or a sparkling badass LBD, you should start looking into and/or. A collective of friends in London decided to make clothing for cool and/or fashionable girls (and/or boys) like themselves. We found them on Lookk, and you can look at their lookbook here.
Set Phasers on Stunning: The 10 Hottest Robots of All-Time
It’s officially the future, but color us disappointed. We’ve got a black president, handheld computers and weapons of mass destruction, but what about what else was promised to us by sci-fi films and Saturday morning cartoons. We see nary a flying car. But more importantly, where are the robots, the androids and the bionic men and women? On the one hand, they’re the harbingers of humankind’s downfall. But on the other, they’re the sexy, sentient superbeings here to fulfill our every desire. A good idea in theory, but amazingly creepy in practice. These robots, however, keep our hope of a future rife with robosexual adventure alive and mechanically kicking.
Black Obsessions: Theyskens’ Twisted Pre-Fall 2012 Collection
Olivier Theyskens‘ pre-fall 2012 collection consists of a whole lot of noir to choose from, it’s insane, compared to his Spring collection. In the swoo of all the grunge and casual twists to this very rebellious look, you almost just want to live in this. With the options of t-shirts, sparkle tights, and some leather lovin’ how can you not have a borderline fetish/obsession with this pre-fall 2012 look? Black and white perfection!
How To Master the Tousled Ponytail
We all have days when we look in the mirror and realized a haircut is long overdue. Rather than spending hours working to get your hair up into a fancy updo of yore, wouldn’t you like a style both easy and on trend to have in your back pocket? Enter the tousled ponytail, a casually chic look seen on the red carpet from Blake Lively to Emma Roberts and beyond. Click through to see how you can master this look yourself in just four simple steps. Guaranteed, you’ll want to wear it even when that mane is in tip-top shape.
BROADCAST: Interview with Hot Designer David Lerner
David Lerner is made in New York City, everything from the man to the clothing. And the designer is as stunning as the clothing itself. His philosophy is to make women feel confident and sexy whether she’s at work or working out, pregnant or on the prowl. He’s got the New York color palette and boho vibes, and fuses a 1920s inspiration to his work, as that is the time when women became so empowered in the modern world. We picked his brain about design and his company.
The First Looks of Jason Wu For Target
It’s always a promising moment when finding out one of the best designers out there has designed a line that you can actually buy as a whole to sit pretty in your closet. Last October it was announced that Target’s next designer collaboration would be with the one and only Jason Wu, now we’ve reached the moment we’ve all been waiting for the complete peaks of the collection! Now to wait till February 5th when this the 53-piece collection that ranges in price from $19 to $60. From bow ties to button ups, life doesn’t get any sweeter.
City Air: Meet The Derek Lam Pre-Fall 2012 Collection
The mix that makes up Derek Lam’s pre-fall 2012 collection is really quite bizarre in a silent way. A line up of low waisted pants, to a new blend of floor sweeping skirts. The colors that mostly consist of olive greens, mustard yellow, some red, blues, and some pretty solid prints, are a plate of borderline fall ready but not quite there sort of feel, which can be considered perfection for any fashion baby whose almost ready to take on the fall.
SHOE MEN-VY: Shoelab “Jupiter” Mid-Cut Boot
I like to picture Jesus in a tuxedo T-Shirt because it says I want to be formal, but I’m here to party. That’s kind of how we feel about this fresh sneaker-boot from the style scientists over at Shoelab. The sharp structure and handsome colors mean business while the rubber sole is all fun. Just don’t wear them on the red carpet, please.
Stella McCartney Pre-Fall 2012 British Invasion
The British are coming! The British are coming! One If By Land, Two If By Sea in the West Village last night housed Stella McCartney fªte to her Pre-Fall 2012 collection; a British Invasion of grown up English prep school. Stella is celebrating 10 years of business, and her mates Liv Tyler and Naomi Watts were there to raise a glass.
Did Lady Gaga Get A Boob Job?
Lady Gaga graces the cover of L’uomo Vogue styled (as per usual) by best friend, stylist, and creative collaborator Nicola Formichetti. In their typical statement making style, she goes topless in one of the shots, with a nice yet noticeably large rack. Naturally this has led to a string of internet rumors of whether the lady got her gagas enlarged through plastic surgery. Click through to check it out & let us know what you think. (We would say this is NSFW but you really only see her right side boob and her left boob is covered by a nipple tassle).
2 Weeks Until Hermes Price Increases Worldwide
The already uber-expensive French luxury brand Hermes is planning to announce an overall company price hike sometime within the next 10 days. If you’ve been planning on saving up (or buttering a sugar mama/daddy) for that Birkin or Kelly, now is the time to buy. With the bags already shooting into the price range hundreds of thousands what on earth could be justifying a price hike and how much could the rise be?…
Dolled Up: Kim Kardashian Steps into Barbie’s Impossibly Small Shoes
On the heels of the announcement that Kim Kardashian and her secondary sisters will be “immortalized” as Barbie dolls, we came up with these possible plastic incarnations. May we introduce you to the many (read: three) faces of Barbdashian.
Fresh Fashion Labels To Know from Intermezzo Trade Show
Intermezzo: [noun] 1. A delightful scoop of spiked sorbet that is served between the appetizer and main course of a super formal dinner 2. The international trade show that’s happening now at Pier 92/94 in New York.
We scooped up some of the scene yesterday and met some cool brands you ought to know about. Enjoy the palette cleansing styles.
Baby Blue Ivy Carter is a Star! Already Featured in New Jay-Z Song, Glory
Glory! Jay-Z serenades his baby Blue Ivy for all of us to hear. And she serenades us back! Her first cries have been immortalized in this song that Hova whipped up and had produced by Pharrell. Lyrics like “Baby I paint the sky blue, my greatest creation was you,” and “You're the child of destiny, you're the child of my destiny, you're my child with the child from Destiny's Child. That’s a hell of a recipe,” kind of make melt my heart.
INDIE NEWSROOM: Roberto Cavalli’s Spring Campaign Crammed with Supers…Barbie Kardashian and her Dream Sham Wedding…Blue Ivy Carter Supposedly Not the Only Baby Born This Weekend
- Daphne Groeneveld is stomping with the big girls now. The 17-year-old holds her own with superstar supermodels Naomi Campbell, Kristen McMenamy and Karen Elson – who are collectively 1,245 years old — for Roberto Cavalli‘s spring 2012 campaign, shot by Steven Meisel. [Vogue UK]
Guys Guide On How To Wear Scarves
On of the biggest question we’ve gotten from guys this season is which scarves to buy and how to wear them. To satisfy your curiosity, we’ve found some real guys to help you style your scarf.
Simon Doonan: Gay Men Don’t Get Fat
If you’re fashion savvy on any level, you know who Simon Doonan is. The visual charisma he brings to the windows at Barney's resonates for every style maven from the posh women uptown to the wild experimentalists downtown. Like many icons and influencers tend to do, he started sharing his views with the world through books. His sixth literary installment Gay Men Don't Get Fat launched this past weekend, and Simon held several speaking engagements (including a very chic breakfast with moi) where he divulged the secret world of the stereotypically stylish gays to audiences young and old. The book’s 60,000 perfect words diffuse and dive into achetypes of all sorts – from the gays to the straight men to the French women – and leave you laughing out loud…in my case embarrassingly so whilst alone in the Grey Dog Caf©. Here are some insights he shared, preparing us for what was to come in the book.
Designer Daily: Munsoo Kwon
I feel new talent rising. With proportions that reform the body, Munsoo Kwon‘s menswear has a sense of humor with strict attention to detail. These are basics that will change the look of an entire outfit without overpowering. He has apprenticed under Helmut Lang, Robert Geller and Thom Browne, and his philosophy aligns. Now after 5 years of designing for Andrew Buckler, Munsoo Kwon is stepping into the light. His Fall 2012 collection is upon us already, getting a jump on the season. See his film and lookbook here.
BOOKCLUBBIN’ : Tim Gunn’s A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style
For Christmas this year, Santa slipped down my chimney Tim Gunn‘s handy dandy tome on all things classy, A Guide to Quality, Taste & Style. Perhaps the big man was trying to tell me something, but I nonetheless was eager to explore what words of dry wit and wisdom Ms. Gunn had to share with me. Taking a break from making his usual acerbic asides and berating the brash hopefuls of Project Runway – with a little help from Parsons colleague and co-writer Kate Moloney – Gunn tells you how to get the most out of your wardrobe and, of course, how to “make it work.”
We All Stick Together, Plaid is Forever
Ever thrown the plaid gang sign up to get you out of a pickle? Chances are, neither has Michael Krivicka, but his plaid shirts sure do make him look fly. So fly, he wrote a rap song about them and laid it down all over NYC. Video after the jump.
Justin Bieber Is A Pretty Princess For V Magazine
V Magazine crowns Justin Bieber as pop’s crown princess prince on the cover of their latest cover shot by Inez & Vinoodh & styled by Nicola Foremichetti.
Extreme Beauty: Colossal Beehives
The beehive - just about as much fun you can have with a hairstyle since the days of Marie Antoinette. From the women of Mad Men to the late, great Amy Winehouse, this up-do is certainly a tall order… and we could never get enough. Today’s extreme beauty is a tribute to those larger-than-life beehives – the square, the braided, the striped and everything in between.
Under a Cool $25: iPhone Cassette Tape
So turns out all you can get these days for $25 or under is a cassette tape. Or a free FashionIndie mixtape. Luckily your headphones and/or speakers will suffice as the playing mechanisms, because goodness knows a good cassette player is getting harder and harder to come by. These iPhone covers are a conversation starter not just because you will literally be making calls on it, but because people in your vicinity will see it and immediately want to talk to you. Kind of like the Pop Phone.
SHOE ENVY: Tabitha Simmons Farah Bootie
What about this for an arts and crafts project: grab an exotic, peep-toe bootie, get your paints and paint brush and go to town. Tabitha Simmons is aware of snakeskin’s innate beauty and the wonders a little red and turquoise paint can do when used properly. The result: a beautiful thing called Farah with an exotic figure and 120mm heel. Is there a more perfect shoe for jeans and cocktail dresses alike?
Next Models Signs Solange Knowles
Whether in a fuchsia lip, a dookie braid, a say-something turban, or an understated pilgrim collar, Solange Knowles has successfully stepped out of big sister Beyonc©‘s sartorial shadow. So in the next logical step of her hero’s journey to style icon status, the singer cum baby mama cum DJ has signed with Next Models.
Anna Wintour Throws Designers’ Support Behind Obama for Runway to Win
While the Republicans scramble to choose a nominee from their clown car of potential candidates, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have already laid down the groundwork for their 2012 campaign. The Obama-Biden ticket has recently partnered with 22 fashion designers for Runway to Win, an initiative to create T-shirts, tote bags, scarves and wristlets benefiting the Obama Victory Fund. And the driving force behind it is none other than Vogue‘s very own iron lady, Anna Wintour.
