Sex and the City premiere in London

So Sex and the City 2 is soon to be presented in our country, of course late! But anyways, I found this video from the premiere in London and also two small pictures of Carrie dressed AMAZING! For this occassion, she chose to wear Alexander McQueen and she said that it was a way of doing him a homage. ''There's only one person I could have worn tonight and that was Alexander McQueen. Lee, this is for you. I miss you very much,'' she said. She also wore an absurd headpiece designed by milliner Philip Treacy.

Kim Cattrall wore a vintage black gown by Thierry Mugler and Manolo Blahnik heels.

Cynthia Nixon wore Narciso Rodríguez and Christian Louboutin heels.
Kristin Davis in a vintage Norman Norell halterneck gown, paired with Jimmy Choo shoes and a Judith Leiber clutch.

Sarah Burton is McQueen's new creative director

Finally we got news on what's happening with the McQueen house! Sarah Burton, McQueen's right-hand, has been named creative director. She has been working with the fashion house for the past sixteen years, she was also the head of the womenswear design since 2000 and she was the one who completed the Fall/Winter 2010-2011 collection, after Lee committed suicide.

"The creation of modern, beautifully crafted clothes was at the heart of Lee's vision. I intend to stay true to his legacy," she said. Also the president and CEO for Alexander McQueen, Jonathan Akeroyd, made a great statement about this decision "We are delighted that Sarah has agreed to take on the role of creative director. Having worked alongside Lee McQueen for more than 14 years, she has a deep understanding of his vision, which will allow the company to stay true to its core values."

Of course taking McQueen's place is not something easy, she has a really hard job to do to keep what made this brand unique. Lee's point of view on fashion was one of a kind, was twisted, dark, modern, classic, avant-garde and in my opinion, sooooo flattering to women's body. Everything in a McQueen piece is perfect, details, finishings, fabric, etc. Hopefully she would do a good job, but like a friend said, she has BIG shoes to fill.

Here's something that Cathy Horyn said about Sarah: "She’s the only person really qualified for the job ... She was also responsible for translating Mr. McQueen’s runway collections into commercial pieces, translations which have become sharper in recent years. She is not a star, but she is very well known in the fashion world and, most important, has worked closely over the years with the pattern makers and other technical people, especially in Italy, who produce the McQueen line. In promoting the best-qualified person for the job, and not going outside the house for a name designer not intimately connected to the McQueen story, Gucci Group and McQueen executives have a very positive statement about the business."

Ultramegalore

I already confessed my obsession with Hannelore Knuts in a previous entry. And as always, spending hours in front of a computer and looking this everywhere I found a video and it says "Hannelore Knuts - Ultramegalore", so I had to look what it was about.

So I found out that this gorgeous belgian model made a partnership with the Mode Museum Hasselt in Belgium for an exhibition that started in March 27th, which displays works from international talents and of course, Hannelore Knuts. I

t shows her worked with the most famous fashion houses, best fashion photographers and also with artists from different fields. She, herself curated the exhibition which includes pieces from Jean Paul Gaultier, Prada, Rick Owens and great belgian designers like Haider Ackermann, A.F Vandevorst and Maison Martin Margiela. Complementing fashion, there will be works from Juergen Teller, Ronald Stoops, Miles Aldridge, Elizabeth Peyton, etc.

She said that this is not a homage to herself, that this is a homage to the work of many designer and artist envolved in the fashion industry plus, this is a great chance for a small museum like this in Hasselt, where she was born. Here are some photographs that are being exposed in the museum, plus the video.

Exclusivity or not?

Federico Martínez, a friend of mine and creator of Un proyecto llamado 365, ask me a question on Twitter and this gave me an idea for an entry. He was asking me what I think about designers going massive and selling low priced designs for Target, he asked me about Zac Posen's.

I remember when I first heard that Stella McCartney was doing a collection for H&M back in 2005. I didn't know much about collaborations, but I find out that Karl Lagerfeld had already made one and it was a huge hit. After that came other designers, collaborating not only for H&M, but also for Target and Adidas and some other brands. Some of them are: Rodarte, Comme des Garçons, Viktor & Rolf, Zac Posen, Alexander McQueen... And others, who are not designers like Madonna and Kylie Minogue. Soon Narciso Rodríguez will be designing an exclusive collection for Ebay.

But the thing here is how this makes designer clothes not exclusive, that's what Fede's wondering. I have a different point of view here. Designers have their brands and they give all for their own collections, the best materials, best finishings, luxe, exclusivity. Let's take McQueen's example. If you see his Spring 2010 collection who will see the amount of work in every piece, starting with the armadillo shoes and followed by other like the craftmanship in the dresses, where you can see the uniqueness of the print, the quality of the fabric and th embellishment. That's why a McQueen dress costs more than $3500. But McQ for Target was a whole different thing. It has the McQueen signature, but he didn't use brocades or silk, material were more like cotton and polyester.

I don't think that creating a low price collection for any of this brands affects the exclusivity of the designers work. We can compare them because they were designed by the same designer, but they are different. Like I said, materials change, the structure, cuts, embellishments, quantity, etc. This massive collections give the opportunity to fashion lovers to acquire things that if they were not from "McQueen for Target" or "Karl Lagerfeld for H&M", they could never have. It makes high end brands accesible for people who doesn't have $6000 dollars to spend on an ourfit. Has a lower tag price, but has the designer signatuire.

At the same time this collections give the designer an opportunity to sell his/her designs to a different market, in different locations and worldwide (in many cases). So I see it as a great marketing opportunity, people will know about the designer and it will create a new perspective on customers. It makes fashion more accesible and it also helps designers in this rough time that we are going through.

Hope I made myself clear, Fede...

Here I chose some pictures from designer with low price collections.

Rodarte for Target

Karl Lagerfeld for H&M


Zac Posen for Target


Alexander McQueen for Target


Comme des Garçons for H&M


Viktor & Rolf for H&M

Isabella Blow's wardrobe to be auctioned

Isabella Blow died in 2007 and she was the one who discovered Alexander McQueen, "she saw what was good so far ahead of the game" said Patricia Frost, director of fashion and textiles at Christie's London. This auction house is planning to sale Izzy's personal clothes collection on September 15th.

Sad, but most of her cloth is gonna be auctioned by Christie's incluiding 90 McQueen outfits, 50 pieces from milliner Philip Treacy plus her personal Manolo Blahnik collection. Izzy, a fashion icon always extreme and with her own signature for fashion was unique, not only for what she wear but for her unique vision on discovering new designers or models, and also for being a statement herself.

There's not much to write about this. She was one of a kind and one of the persons I've always wanted to meet. Her dead, same as McQueen's, left an empty space in fashion. Never will be someone like her, obsessed with red lips, headpieces and high heels. For those who don't know much about her, I'll try to make an entry on this gorgeous and extravagant woman who will always be remember as "the sad hatter".

Instead of being auctioned, this collection belongs in a museum. At least an exhibition has to be made before all the clothes are sold to strangers. Anna Piaggi had her exhibition, Izzy deserves that... and more.

R.I.P Izzy

Dior Cruise 2011 in Shanghai

Hmmm... Galliano has always new to show, a statement to make but... I think this is not the case. For Christian Dior's Cruise 2011 collection, he presented some pieces that for me looked very plain and boring. What I hate the most is the color palette, seems to me like a little cheesy. Too much pink, too much lavender and all from head to toes.

I understand that fashion is cyclical and that what we show in the 20's or 50's is going to be back at some point. But the power a designer has to reinvent and to reinterpret what we already saw is infinite. Not in this particular show. Presented in Shanghai, Galliano gave his audience a collection inspired by the Nouvelle Vague, a cinematic movement.

Karlie Kloss opened the show, followed by models in knitted frocks and bar jackets, and at the end, some dramatic gowns in silk and organza, that looked like taken from a Disney film. Galliano said that he didn't want to make a chinese inspired collection for his customers there, he wanted to present the "savoir-faire of France".

I don't hate the collection, the problem for me seems to be that it's just TOO literal. Every dress or trench coat here is something we have seen before, it's safe, it's cheesy and it's boring. I would love to see the old Galliano, always playing with volumes, shapes, drapes, fabrics, embellishments, etc... but not the safe Galliano. This collection might be pretty and wearable, but Dior/Galliano is known for more, not just a plain pink dress that looks like taken from a Brady Bunch episode.

I picked some of my favorites. And actually they are not my favorites at all, they are just acceptable. I miss the old Galliano and the absurd shows he used to make for his own brand and for Dior.

Interview... racist?

I found this amazing pictures from an Interview magazine editorial recently posted. The photoshoot features model Daria Werbowy plus Sedene Blake, Ajak Deng, Salieu Jalloh and Oraine Barrett appearing as background models.

This shoot is gorgeous! The colors, the lightning, the contrast, the clothes... But everyone's talking about it not because of its beauty, but because they're calling it racist! So I'm doing this entry so you can judge and make your own point of view about this. Since ages ago I haven't feel color discrimination in magazines or in fashion, you can see korean, black, japanese, chinese, latinamerican models... Models are from everywhere and they show an idealized image of women.

I really don't think this shoot is racist at all, there's a model more that is on the spotlight and that's Daria, but there's always a principal character in a shoot or movie or whatever, she's the center of attention, but at the same time, all the models collaborating in this shoot have a part in the photograph, they're not being mistreated or looking bad or insulted. But I guess that's always subjective.

I really loved them, that's all I can say...

NYC fashion exhibitions

Going through the internet I found this short video showing two of the latest exhibitions currently open in New York. One is from the Brooklyn Museum and the other one, from the Metropolitan Museum. Since I've posting about the Met Ball planning and the red carpet I though it would be nice to see some of the things that are being exhibited inside the museum, so we can at least create an idea of what's the exhibition about.

The Brooklyn Museum is showing some of his private collection of costumes, where they focused on presenting different kinds of arquetypes of the American women. The curator, Jan Reeder explained who they wanted to show American womenswear designers, emphasizing in sportswear which have always been a trademark from U.S creatives, plus some pieces designed by european designer for customers in the country, like Dior, YSL and Chanel.

The Metropolitan Museum, opened its exhibition "American Woman: Fashioning a national identity" last monday, curated by Andrew Bolton, it's focused on how the American women always had a taste for the "casual sportive", to modernism. Also, it takes the audience to important fashion phases of history, like the flappers and the bohemian from years ago.

Here's the video, with each curator explaining their work for each exhibition.

The Met's

So finally another red carpet, this time one of my favorites: the Costume Institute Gala. Celebration the opening of the exhibition "American Woman: Fashioning a national identity", which I think is not such an interesting theme like the ones they chose in the past years. But anyways, Vogue has that "love" for "americans".

There were some awesome dresses and... some fails as usual. But almost everyone looked good and proper for the occasion. I think there's not much to say on this entry, everyone can make their own opinion about how everyone dressed for this ball, I made mine and here it is. My favorites and the ones I hated.

Anna Wintour in a dress designed speacilly for her by Karl Lagerfeld/Chanel Haute Couture and Bee Shaffer in Balenciaga. I love the whole look on Anna, Bee's is simple, not very flattering but the fabric is amazing.


The Rodarte designers with Kirsten Dunst in Rodarte for Gap. I must confess I'm a Rodarte whore and must of their designs are lovely. Not an exception this time.


♥ M.I.A, Alexander Wang and Zoe Kravitz, all in Alexander Wang.


Riley Keough in Thakoon for Gap with the designer Thakoon Panichgul. This dress is gorgeous, I specially love the lenght and the texture created with the ruffles.

First of all, Eva looks sooooo tiny! Anyways... Keren Craig, Eva Longoria and Georgina Chapman all in Marchesa. The tail on Eva's dress makes it more dramatic, but again it's an interesting length.

Carey Mulligan in Miu Miu. Maybe it's not the right dress for this occasion, but the dress on its own it's a great piece, the fabric and the details it has... And she looks cute.

Jack McCollough, Chloe Sevigny and Lázaro Hernández. She's wearing Proenza Schouler.

Joy Briant in another gorgeous dress designed by Marchesa. The chiffon on top of the dress and also on the sleeves and skirt makes it look so soft and delicate, plus the roses on the fabric below the chiffon.

The Valentino designers with Anne Hathaway and Kate Bosworth. I loved the last two collections from Valentino Couture, but in this case I hate this dresses! I don't care if they're all covered in diamonds or Swarovski crystals, but they look so "princess" and that's like a signature look that Anne has. She's stuck on "The princess diaries"!


F*CK! So inappropiate! Wearing jeans and cowboy boots! But anyways, those tacky looks are a trademark and signature from Ralph Lauren.

Gwenie Gwen looking amazingly beautiful as always in a L.A.M.B dress with her husband Gavin Rossdale.


Marion Cotillard in a shinny beautiful dress by Dior.


Tom Ford in his own design. Best dressed as always!

Emma Watson and Burberry's Christopher Bailey both wearing Burberry. She's gorgeous!

Rachel Roy and Liya Kebede both wearing the designer's cloth.


OMFG! WTF! I don't get it! Chado Ralph Rucci is a great designer, with a minimal touch, great designs... but André Leon Talley and Whoopi Goldberg in those things... They look like a priest and a priestess!

Coco Rocha in Zac Posen. The colors are amazing, reminds me a little of McQueen's color pallete from Spring 2010.


♥.♥
Blake Lively looking HOT! She's perfect! And this Marchesa dress it's a plus to her body/beauty!


Cinderella!? OMG! Doutzen Kroes looks like a Disney Princess in this Zac Posen dress. It's too much!


Ugh! I don't like Kristen Stewart at all! She has a badittude and besides not even a Chanel Haute Couture dress is flattering for her. She looks like she had a dead bat on her boobs.


Katy Perry in Cute Circuit... Hmmm... No comments!


Diane von Furstenberg in her design and looking like a flag...


Lady Gaga in Armani's custom design and of course it's transparent.


Sarah Jessica Parker not in her best, but she looks OK. Dress by Halston Heritage.

Charlotte Gainsburg in Balenciaga with Nicholas Ghesquière and she's wearing THE shoes! ♥


Jennifer López in an amazing embellished dress by Zuhair Murad.

Loved this red carpet!