If the Mulberry and Cutler & Gross pairing didn't do it for you, good news: Kris Van Assche and Oliver Peoples have also teamed up on a new line of shades. The line debuted today at the former's Paris runway show and will be available this summer for 500 bucks a pop. Hope you like the frames—they only come in one style for now, but at least the lenses are interchangeable.
Like what you see here? Then you'll be pleased to know that starting today you can stop by the first-ever gallery show from the Sartorialist (a.k.a. Scott Schuman).
The Sartorialist,today through Feb. 23, Danziger Projects, 521 W. 26th St., NYC, (212) 629-6778, danzigerprojects.com
After much delay, it looks like Gordon Ramsay's first Paris restaurant is finally set to open this weekend. Well, kind of—La Veranda, his "casual" brasserie at the new Trianon Palace and Spa at Versailles, will begin serving customers Monday, but palace diners will have to wait until March for his full-blown eponymous restaurant. He'd better get a move on: His next project is a new eatery at the soon-to-debut London Hotel in West Hollywood.
La Veranda at the Trianon Palace & Spa, 1 Blvd. de la Reine, Versailles, France,
(33) 1-3084-5000, westin.com/trianon
Yesterday's Number (N)ine show took place in an old car garage and was (surprise, surprise) cold and damp. Fortunately for us, the label left out big Pendleton blankets, though it was unclear whether we could keep them. I tried and was asked to return it, but apparently not everyone was so unlucky: Later we saw a British editor wearing one as a cape.
With all due respect to Cashmere Mafia, we are starved for a decent new television show. This could be it: Breaking Bad debuts Sunday on AMC, the network behind last year's best new series, Mad Men. It centers on a terminally ill high school chemistry teacher who starts selling meth—that old trick—and is played by Bryan Cranston, the dad from Malcolm in the Middle. (Happily, Frankie Muniz is nowhere to be found.) Sartorially, he's no Jon Hamm—hey, who is?—but who needs a gray suit when you've got a kickass 'stache?
While Yohji Yamamoto's new line betrays a newfound fondness for bad puns—it's called Coming Soon, get it?—it also marks a welcome departure for the Japanese designer. The sizes are bigger, and the price tags are not. (Well, relatively speaking—Yohji's budget Big and Tall collection this ain't.) The 350 pieces include pinstriped sweaters, unlined blazers, and (of course) sneakers, all in a low-key color palette and priced between $115 and $800. The brand already has a Meatpacking District store in the works, and, as the name implies, it's headed stateside this July.
If you've ever wanted to ogle naked girls while listening to Sonic Youth, you're in luck: Thurston Moore has just recorded an original score for Extra Action (and Extra Hardcore), an upcoming DVD of videos by filmmaker/photographer Richard Kern. (The movie's mildly NSFW Web site promises "60 amateur women—unpretentious, unadorned, and undressed.") We bet Kim Gordon is thrilled.
Sure, the J.J. Abrams-produced Godzilla/ 9/11 mashup Cloverfield has the hype, but we recommend skipping it for a different kind of scary movie. (And, no, we don't mean Woody Allen's latest misfire, Cassandra's Dream.) Teeth concerns an abstinence-advocating teen with a condition called vagina dentata, which is exactly what you think it is. The film is surprisingly hilarious (if a little frightening)—and come to think of it, sounds a bit like what would happen if Woody and J.J. ever teamed up.
The department store is opening its Strip-side location today inside the new Palazzo Resort & Casino, and the decor is drastically changed from the Madison Avenue flagship's reserved, forties France aesthetic. Instead, expect a "super-groovy, hedonistic Italianate style like you'd find in a hotel in Capri in the 1950s," says creative director Simon Doonan. Translation: The third-floor men's department has an enormous horse made of silver hangers, coffered ceilings and glass walls etched with gaming iconography by John-Paul Philippe, and Bertoia chairs wrapped in brocaded neck ties. The clothes are Sin City-friendlier, too: Exclusives include shiny Lanvin suits, Rod Keenan hats, and Berluti boots.
Barneys New York opens tomorrow at The Shoppes at the Palazzo, 3325 Las Vegas Blvd. S., Las Vegas, (702) 629-4200, barneys.com
Another designer is getting the documentary treatment: Valentino. Vanity Fair scribe Matt Tyrnauer has completed work on Valentino: The Last Emperor—humble title, that—which is compiled from more than 250 hours of footage of the recently retired designer. The film will premiere at Cannes in May.
[Vogue UK]
Coming this spring to the already crowded field of sunglass makers: A five-pair collection from Mulberry and British vintage brand Cutler & Gross. The line (including a set of aviators, naturally) is said to be inspired by the latter company's archival frames and will set you back around $440 a pair. And if you need something to carry them in, Bob Geldof has an idea for you.
[WWD]
PLUS: For more sunglass options, check out our aviators Hotlist.
He shot fashion spreads for Vogue, and some of the last century's classiest celebs (Coco Chanel, Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich). But Horst P. Horst remains beloved today—Tom Ford is a fan—thanks to his work's subversive sexuality. It's on full display in Horst Platinum, a new show with 50 of the photographer's prints (including Mainbocher Corset, pictured). "You see the pictures and you can't believe they're from 1939," says Juan Carlos Arcila-Duque, curator. "Some of them look like they could have been shot by Mapplethorpe." Take Electric Beauty, which has a model, a bucket of water, and a bondage mask. Technically it's SFW, but the effect sure isn't.
Horst Platinum, today through March 15, The Forbes Galleries, 60 Fifth Ave., NYC, (212) 206-5548, forbesgalleries.com
From the DVD cover for Ladrón Que Roba a Ladrón comes one of our favorite movie blurbs ever (courtesy of the Miami Herald, no less): "a heist movie on par with Rush Hour 3." That good, huh? No word, meanwhile, on whether it's by a director as talented as Brett Ratner.
Let's be honest, the season's best fashion photography isn't (always) in a glossy magazine spread—sometimes it's in a glossy magazine ad. In that spirit, we present the best of the spring campaigns—yes, including Becks for Armani.
Click here for our slideshow >
Louis Vuitton money clips like this one, used as invites to the Fall 2008 show. (And for the record, I'm keeping mine.)
The store is quietly opening its new Manhattan location this weekend. The 3,000-square-foot space will carry much of the same stuff, alongside some bigger-ticket lines like Harmon. "That is one thing we're excited about," says co-owner Jeff Madalena (left, with business partner Louis Terline). "It's more difficult to sell expensive stuff in Brooklyn." The new spot will "retain the same concept that we have, mixing high-end and low-end," he says. "We never wanted to be that store that sells just stuff that you're supposed to sell." So what will happen to the old Park Slope and Williamsburg outposts? They both get a tune-up, with the former becoming a shoe store this week.
Oak, 28 Bond St., (212) 260-7536, oaknyc.com
Researchers at New York's Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have discovered what's being called the "darkest substance ever" (after Dick Cheney's heart, presumably). The material is made from carbon nanotubes and is supposedly the closest thing yet to ideal black—meaning that it absorbs all light, regardless of its angle or wavelength. Something tells us we'll be seeing it on the runways this fall.
[BBC]
Though we first saw it last spring at BaselWorld, British watchmaker Bremont is only now arriving stateside. Starting this month, Barneys will carry all six offerings from the brand, which was started last year by brothers Nick and Giles English and named for a famed WWII pilot. Our favorite: the ALT1-C seen here, which boasts a stainless-steel bezel and an automatic movement. Interested? Act fast: Only 1,000 of each is made.
Bremont ALT1-C, $4,950, available at Barneys, (800) 926-5393, barneys.com
That's what GQ UK editor Charlie Porter says men should ask themselves before trying out the jumpsuit, which seems to be experiencing an unlikely comeback. We're not sure it's for us, but for those about to, uh, jump into one, read the rest of his advice here. (Tom Ford cameo included.)
When Steve Jobs introduced the MacBook Air the other day, he pulled it out of a manila envelope. Where we saw the Apple founder's usual gimmickry, Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans saw a potential moneymaker: They've created AirMail, a handmade manila-envelope-styled bag created especially for the notebook. Available now for 30 bucks.
[Engadget]
Prada is shuttering the label, according to a report in WWD. The Spring '08 collection will be the last made and sold by the brand. Your girlfriend can rest assured, though—the women's line will soldier on.
And another thing you won't be able to buy from Prada, at least not yet: stock. The company just denied a Wall Street Journal report saying the IPO would be listed in June. That should give you a little extra time to save up: The brand is expected to be valued at around six and seven billion dollars.
[WWD]
The newest coffee-table fodder from the high-brow horndogs at Taschen: Gil Elvgren, a 272-page compilation of the legendary pinup artist's best paintings. Dubbed "The Norman Rockwell of cheesecake"—take that, Vargas—his most appreciative audience consisted of G.I.s during WWII. And while today's troops have a more (ahem) sophisticated array of options, the images inside are still plenty compelling in their own right.
Both have a photoblog. The Library of Congress just put up 3,000 pictures on Flickr, and it shouldn't be hard to lose an afternoon exploring them. (This shot, labeled "woman aircraft worker," is from the group "1930s-40s in Color.") The long-term goal is to get visitors to add identifying details, but there's still a long ways to go: The library's archives include about 14 million prints.
[LoC via BoingBoing]
Though it's long been a ratings sensation, ultimate fighting has yet to replace boxing as the thinking man's blood sport of choice. But that could be about to change: Kevin Lynch's new Octagon is not only luxurious—the limited-edition coffee-table book comes covered in cloth and retails for $2,500—it includes a foreword by David Mamet. (Not to mention intimate portraits of brawlers like Randy Couture, Ken Shamrock and Chuck Liddell.)
Just as brutal is The Bush Tragedy by Jacob Weisberg. The Slate editor uses the Oedipus myth to illustrate his point, which, perhaps, gives his subject more credit than he's due.
Looks like Tom Ford is finally showing some sensitivity to the customer not inclined to pay upwards of fifteen hundred bucks for a pair of off-the-rack shoes. By cutting his prices? Uh, not quite. No, come June, Ford will unveil a made-to-measure shoe service, launching at the designer's shops in Milan and New York. In true Tom fashion, understatement is strictly optional: Customers will be able to stamp their signature into each pair, and a double-monk-strap shoe (pictured) manages to be both elegant and borderline showy—the footwear equivalent of his wide-lapel suits. Expect prices, which aren't yet set, to make Berlutis look like a bargain.
It appears so: Keith Richards is rumored to be following on the former Soviet leader's well-clad heels by starring in Louis Vuitton's next ad campaign. Frankly, we haven't been this interested in a Rolling Stone's solo project in a long time. (Sorry, Mick.)
[WWD]
An unintended consequence of this weekend's big society wedding between Lauren Davis and Andres Santo Domingo: a white dinner jacket shortage. Invitees are begging fashion PR on both coasts for lenders—Band of Outsiders (pictured) has had more than three requests, and the fashion closet at Armani has been completely ransacked. One burly better half of a trendy Manhattan couple has even threatened violence. "I'm going to Mr. Chow's and beating up a waiter and stealing their jacket," he says. "Or maybe Cipriani's."
A perhaps inevitable trend at the Detroit Auto Show: Two automakers updated their high-performance models with new, eco-friendlier engines. (A third went the other direction, but more on that in a minute.) And while neither should be confused with a Prius in terms of efficiency, happily neither will be confused with one in terms of looks either.
Audi R8 V12 TDI
Audi gave its R8, above, a new V12 TDI diesel engine, similar to what was used in the R10 Le Mans competition car. It tops the original with an impressive 500 hp and 738 lb.-ft. of torque, and even manages a decent 23 mpg. (Check out Autoblog's in-depth breakdown of the engine here.) Unfortunately it's only a concept, though the company expects to produce it in 2010.
The former Prada designer has announced that he's opening his first American store later this year in L.A. (We wonder how "tuxedo ski" will go over there.) This is shaping up to be a big year for Neil: He's also planning a Tokyo store for August and launching an accessories line as well. No specifics are available on that last bit, but we'll keep you posted.
[DNR]
South Beach's new members-only Sex & … —ellipsis theirs—is the Soho House of sex clubs, right down to the questionably low annual fee ($100). For that, patrons get fingerprint-recognition entry to the mirror-heavy, black-walled location. It sounds very Eyes Wide Shut, but the store only sells things to help you get it on elsewhere. Each of the 11 rooms is assigned one specialty (like lingerie or booze), and the place even offers female-only "seduction training" (striptease, pole-dancing lessons). Think of enrolling as a last-minute Valentine's Day gift—to yourself.
Sex &, 743 Washington Ave., South Beach, Miami, (305) 604-0119
The Moncler Fall presentation was hot. Literally. I can't imagine these guys were having much fun (after all, those aren't just down parkas—they're down parkas lined with wool).
To add context to Daiki Suzuki's third collection for the brand, Woolrich Woolen Mills used his presentation to double as an exhibit of Bill Owens' mid-century photography. In turn, that effect was augmented by the editors in attendance—at least five guys, including the human (not the mannequin) pictured, wore buffalo check coats to the show. I've never seen that much lumberjack plaid in my life—even the people in head-to-toe black had a scarf on. It was wild.
It's no surprise that in Milan, Armani and Dolce stores abound, all with slick, shiny, and sometimes abstract mannequins. What did surprise me were the windows of a store called Larusmiani. Actually, they scared the shit out of me. The eerily lifelike display was almost Avedon-esque in its implied tension. Is it intentional? Probably not, but it's still a sort of creepy genius. The clothes themselves were standard Italian fare, but those Chucky-like eyes threatened to show up in my nightmares.
As we expected, Steve Jobs unveiled a new $1,800 MacBook today. And while much of the hype concerns the minuscule size—the three-pound laptop is just .76 inches deep at its thickest—we think the fanboys might be overlooking a fatal flaw: It boasts only five hours of battery life, which barely registers next to the roughly 12 hours you'll get from the 2.6-pound Sony Vaio TZ185N/WC (which, granted, will set you back an extra grand). Cool looking? Yes. Revolutionary? Hardly.
Soon you'll get your chance. To coincide with Paris fashion week (which starts Thursday), hipster boutique Colette is installing a pop-up shop of the Fiat heir's product line, d'Italia Independent—complete with bags, sunglasses, and a smoking jacket. (Too bad about the ban, non?) The store will also have one exclusive: This flower pot, designed by NYC artist Datrumpf. To be polite, let's just say we can endorse anything that might counteract Parisians' notorious bathing habits.
$188, Colette, 213 rue Saint-Honoré, Paris, colette.fr
Manhattan menswear shop Atelier is leaving its five-year-old Crosby Street location for a spot on Hudson Street just north of Canal. Founder Karlo Steel told us that, at 9,000 square feet, the new store will be three times the size of the old—which means plenty of space for offerings from the likes of Ann Demeulemeester and Raf Simons. It will be designed by Fernando Santangelo, who also worked on the Maritime and Chateau Marmont hotels. The exact address is still under wraps because the lease hasn't been signed, but expect the new place to open in April.
On January 25, Passionata--the slightly edgy line from French underthings staple Chantelle--will present its new collection online. The show will be broadcast live from the city's Crazy Horse cabaret, and at a convenient time for (shall we say) eager desk jockeys: noon eastern. Caveat emptor: You have to register in advance, but that seems like a small price to pay, as you can see in the (mostly SFW) preview below.
Our friends at Wired report that Apple is set to announce an ultra-portable PC today at MacWorld. Rumored to be called the MacBook Air, it's said to combine an ultra-slim, teardrop-shaped profile with a full keyboard and (you guessed it) a touchscreen.
Chris Bridges, the rapper/actor better known as Ludacris, is in Milan for today's Giorgio Armani show, and we broke bread with him last night at Le Langhe. Bridges has been crisscrossing the globe lately, from London (where he shot Guy Ritchie's new movie) to New Mexico (where he's been working on a sci-fi thriller) and back to his home base in Atlanta (where between recording sessions for his new album he's launching a Thai restaurant and a Web site called wemix.com, which he described as "MySpace for music people"). This was Bridges' first trip to Italy, though, and at least one of the local mores gave him pause. When someone at the table claimed the average age that Italians first move out of the parental home is 38, Bridges gave it a moment's thought. "That's crazy," he said. "Where do you go to have sex?"
Remember the planned Trovata shop at Earnest Sewn? Well, here it is. We can't find any evidence of the "houseboat" theme—maybe the floors?—but the clothes are there, and that's what counts. The space officially opens tomorrow night.
The rapper has just announced a collaboration with Zoo York on a skateboard (and, of course, the requisite T-shirt). The deck pays homage to the Wu-Tang Clan rapper's prior occupation (we'll let you figure it out), and only 500 will be available when it's released in February. If you miss out, you can always console yourself with this creepy doll.
Two of the best have new albums out: Stephin Merritt (better known as Magnetic Fields) drops the heavy-concept shtick of his last few records for the relatively straightforward Distortion. (How straightforward? The title helpfully sums up the sound.) Meanwhile, Meet the Eels compiles ten years of E's best tunes (including, yes, "Novocaine for the Soul"). It also adds a previously unreleased cover of Missy Elliott's "Get Ur Freak On," which only reminds you how good a songwriter he is.
Next week Stefano Pilati will forgo a runway show for a seven-minute video that will showcase his fall collection on British actor Simon Woods. (That's right: no models either.) "Stefano Pilati's idea was to make the experience of seeing a collection more intimate, to reduce the distance between viewer and product," a YSL spokesperson said. "He wanted to change things up this season." The film, created in collaboration with London-based production company Colonel Blimp, will debut at a dinner next Wednesday night for his friends and VIP fashion folk, and will then be distributed online the next day. We can't wait to see what kind of "video responses" it gets on YouTube.
Check back for Tim Blanks' review of the collection at the end of next week.
Fisker has unveiled its long-delayed first production vehicle at this week's Detroit Auto Show. Bearing the unfortunate name Karma, the hybrid will go 50 miles on an electric charge before a small engine kicks in. But that's old news. Autoblog reports that this thing has some decent power: roughly the same as a V-8-powered sports sedan, going from 0 to 60 in 5.8 seconds and hitting 125 mph "consistently." Of course, we'll believe it when we drive it—which won't happen until it's delivered in late 2009.
Speaking of dubious info, Cadillac has a creative story behind its newly introduced CTS coupe concept. It was supposedly created when the company's design team started doodling "for fun" after finishing work on the CTS sedan (which won Motor Trend's Car of the Year honors last year). Sure, guys. The important stuff—price, power train, whether it will actually go into production—remains under wraps.
[Autoblog]
In some corners of Milan, bigger is better this season. We've seen shaggy shearlings at Dolce & Gabbana, baggy jeans at Bottega Veneta, and loosely cut jackets at Missoni. But for designer Angela Missoni, the inspiration was personal: Her longtime boyfriend, Bruno Ragazzi, a man of unforced charm and elegance, always insists that his tailor cut his suits one size too big. The tailoring outfit in question is the world-famous Caraceni, and it's natural to assume that Ragazzi must have encountered some resistance to this unusual request. "At first they weren't too happy," he admitted at the post-show drinks the Missoni family hosted in their groovy Milan crash pad. "But then other customers started asking for the same thing." "Yes," added Angela, "now they call it the Ragazzi cut."
Costume National started Milan fashion week with Radiohead on the soundtrack, and Alexander McQueen brought a nostalgic smile to some editors' faces with Echo and the Bunnymen, but by common consensus the best music was at Neil Barrett's after-party. The men of the hour: the Iranian DJ duo known as Deep Dish. The highlight: a remix of "Roxanne" that was almost good enough to make you forget the version Sting was pedaling during the Police reunion tour.
Among the guests at the dinner Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana threw at their restaurant, Gold, after their fall menswear show on Saturday: Italian ex-prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. "Oh, they go way back," a guest helpfully informed us. Of course they do. No word, meanwhile, on whether to expect George W. Bush at Dsquared tomorrow.
The good news: The LG Prada has somehow become even better-looking, thanks to a new silver-coated edition. (The function's improved, too, as the touchscreen has been updated to include a proper on-screen QWERTY keyboard.) The bad news: It still ain't available here.
MORE: Check out our look at the best-looking new gadgets from CES.
Victoria's Secret is returning as an advertiser after a nine-year absence. (We suspect it's the Gisele-Tom Brady connection.) The spot will air late in the third quarter or early in the fourth, and will feature a lovely, scantily clad woman by the name of Adriana Lima. And if for some reason you miss it, it will go up on its Web site shortly thereafter.
[WWD]
Maybe it was something John Whitledge said: Just a few weeks after bringing Trovata out east, Earnest Sewn has announced it will open a second L.A. location in June. DNR reports that the 6,000-square-foot space—housed in a former car-repair shop, of course—will be their biggest yet.
On the other side of the pond, Zegna has opened a ginormous new HQ in Milan. The building has three stories, 86,000 square feet, and room for four showrooms, and it is made from glass, steel, and stone. Presumably, the former should discourage occupants from throwing the latter.
[DNR]
