Second City Style Fashion Blog - Style, Luxury, Beauty & Shopping

Sex and the City Movie Preview

Even though the movie has been leaked, spoiled and already getting mediocre reviews, we still can't wait for it to open! How about you? It is going to be a fashionrama! Lift your cosmos and toast the "Fab Four."

sexandthecitymovie.com

Debate Season Turns to Fashion

Before we know it, the presidential primaries will come to a conclusion. Although it won't be necessary, Mike Huckabee will step down and announce his endorsement of John McCain, all the while receiving a round of applause for his persistency that stopped short of mattering back in January. On the other end of the spectrum, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama had one last brawl, a last gasp for air, after all this terribly safe and repetitive debating and one will be named the Democratic candidate.

Fortunately, McCain v. 'Fill in the Blank' isn't the only debate the public can look forward to, because it seems there are two other famous figures looming on the horizon of a different kind of debate. One that will focus on style and talent, as well as charisma and respect. I'm not talking about politicians, but two of the most powerful women in the fashion industry; Anna Wintour and Carine Roitfeld (and and the whole continent of Europe is backing the Parisian Editor).

A story that ran in New York Magaine in February quoted Roitfeld saying, "I will never be a business girl, but I will say, for Anna Wintour, that I respect successful people, I like things that are success. But this is really American." She also referred to the fashion editors across the pond as "slick". Around the same time, Wintour is reported to have sent letters to Italian designers requesting they show their collections over a shorter period of time due to the weakness of the American dollar compared to the euro. Wintour got her way, as Milan Fashion Week was indeed compressed into fewer day than past years. However, the tension was building and several Italian designers were blunt in expressing a certain distaste for the American Vogue editor. While standing right next to her during a press conference for the Costume Gala's "Superheroes"  exhibit, Georgio Armani expressed his indifference to the woman who once said that "the Armani era is over." Further more, Roberto Cavalli mentioned to reporters backstage before his Just Cavalli show that perhaps Italian designers should just pull their advertising from American magazines. The designer is reported to have also claimed, "I don't need her in my front row."

I wonder what the front row in Paris was like last week!? I bet you could have cut the tension with a knife!

—Emilie Furda

Images: google
Source: NYmag

Chicago Designers. Six Designers Chosen For the Chicago Fashion Incubator at Macy's on State Street

Six designers have been chosen for the inaugural year of The Chicago Fashion Incubator (CFI) at Macy's on State Street in Chicago. The designers will be given the opportunity to learn the economics, marketing and merchandising of fashion from industry experts as well as mentors from Macy's.

"We want to empower these six designers with the retail tools that they need to succeed in the business of fashion," said Ralph Hughes, Vice President of Corporate Communications of Macy's. "Macy's, in partnership with the City of Chicago, will provide a rich learning environment while simultaneously elevating the visibility and status of Chicago's fashion industry."

The designers will receive mentoring by Macy's Chicago-based merchant, marketing and store teams as well as other professionals in the fashion industry and business community at large.

The Designers in Residence:
· Glenn Mallory
· Kate Coxworth
· Agga Raya of AGGA B.
. Lidia Wachowska from Evil Kitty
. Yana German of YANA Collection
. Kristin  Rosynek Hassan of organiK Revolution

Congratulations!

Marc Jacobs and KCD Tied Up In Bribery Scandal

Marc Jacobs Image: nymag

Marc Jacobs, whose Fall 2008 collection is scheduled to show tomorrow at the Lexington Avenue Armory, has something other than garments to worry about. James Jackson, superintendent of the armory (where Jacobs has held his shows for almost a decade) was indicted last week on 31 felony counts, including extortion and bribery. Now, Jacobs' company is the subject of the ongoing criminal investigation to determine its involvement. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is investigating the case notes, "It's illegal to receive a bribe but it can also be illegal to pay a bribe." Apparently, Jackson has been providing armory space for events in return for illegal cash payoffs, home gym equipment and computers. He has been accused of shaking down Jacobs and others for more than $30,000 in cash and goods. Furthermore, KCD, the fashion-PR firm that handles the booking and design of Jacobs' and many other designer shows, is also under investigation by the AG's office. While they haven't been accused yet, KCD allegedly served as an intermediary for Jacobs' payoffs to Jackson.

—Emilie Furda

Source: nypost.com, nymag.com
Marc Jacobs Image: nymag

Designer House News. Calvin Klein Collection is Coming Home.

Calvin Klein Inc. (CKI) has shuttled its collection business like a world traveler,but  is finally doing the right thing...bringing the line back in-house. To help cover the costs, CKI owner Phillips-Van Heusen Corp. is getting $38.5 million from Warnaco Group Inc. for several new licenses, according to WWD.

CKI will take over Warnaco's shares of Calvin Klein Collection licensee Confezioni Moda Italia Srl, or CMI. Warnaco was due to begin producing Collection in 2008.

Instead, Warnaco will acquire the rights to operate Calvin Klein Jeans accessories stores in Europe, Asia and Latin America; ck Calvin Klein accessories boutiques in Europe and Latin America; Calvin Klein Jeans e-commerce for the Americas, Europe and Asia, and Calvin Klein Jeans accessories e-commerce for Europe, Asia and Latin America through 2044.

"Everyone understands that it's really best for a Collection business to be operated in-house. Most of our businesses fit the licensing model very well, and Collection is the most difficult to license for several reasons," said Tom Murry, president and chief operating officer of Calvin Klein Inc. Those challenges include the in-house presence of creative directors Francisco Costa (women's) and Italo Zucchelli (men's), versus external operations, as well as the pressures of maximizing profitability in a licensing arrangement.

Read "Calvin to Regain Collection Control"

Designers. The Low-Down on Louis Vuitton. The Truth Hurts. Second City Style Fashion Blog

A la folie ring, $225 @ Eluxury.com

Amber ankle strap sandal, $825 @ Eluxury.com

Fashion journalists beware. Even if you get the facts straight their undesirable implications can lead to some undesirable consequences. Apparently, Dana Thomas wasn't exaggerating her alleged "ban" from future LV shows, as reported by FashionWeekDaily. My thought-- don't kill the messenger. If the truth hurts then maybe it's time to either clarify the real deal or start behaving like a luxury brand.  Boo! -- Joanne Molina, Senior Editor

Should Barack Obama Wear A Flag Pin? From a Fashion Standpoint, This Is a No-Brainer. Second City Style Weblog

Everyone is making a big deal about whether Barack Obama, and other political candidates for that matter, should wear a flag lapel pin or not. Well, I'm sorry, I am as patriotic as the next person, support our troops, and love this country, but the easy answer is simply, "No way!"

If I were a stylist for one of these candidates, I would tell them that the flag pin is distracting, and totally ruins the line of the suit. (I know I don't even have to explain this to this audience.) But just imagine how a clothing designer would feel, seeing a flag pin on their suit!

Look at how these sleek John Varvatos suits look with a flag pin! It totally ruins the look!

Look - it competes with the pocket square! Where do you put the pin?
He goes from cool to carnival barker in an instant.

Can you Imagine what Damien Hirst would think?

You get my drift!

— Carol Calacci

Designer News. In Passing: Designer Gianfranco Ferre Dies at 62. Second City Style Fashion Blog

Gianfranco Ferre, the Italian fashion designer dubbed "the Frank Lloyd Wright of Italian fashion" and known for his years as stylistic director of the French firm Christian Dior, died Sunday in a Milan hospital at the age of 62.

In a statement from his family reported by the Associated Press, Ferre had a massive brain hemorrhage Friday and was taken to San Raffaele Hospital, where he died Sunday night.

Ferre created structured and stylized clothes marked by simple geometric shapes, precise tailoring and clearly defined lines. "The design of a dress, furniture, a house, a room, a street and a city are all the same process," he told a writer for Esquire magazine in 1988. "As an architect, I learned to think and express myself on flat forms, on paper, and to imagine the contour of the lines of a design."

Since the late 70's he had been dressing women with strong personalities including; Sharon Stone, Barbra Streisand, Elizabeth Taylor, Oprah Winfrey, the Queen of Jordan, Paloma Picasso, Bernadette Chirac, Claude Pompidou, Sophia Loren, Princess Diana, Princess Michael of Kent and Marie-Helene de Rothschild. Ferre said his collections were meant for a woman "who looked at tradition but was making her own choice."

In 1988, Ferre was named artistic director of the French house of Christian Dior, thus making him one of the first foreign-born designers to hold that position. It was a choice that did not go over well in France. Ferre's design style made designing a 'Dioresque' collection of ultra-feminine shapes and frills and the critics were not kind. However, he remained for 11 years.

Ferre studied architecture at Milan's Polytechnic Institute and upon graduating in the late 1960s, difficulty finding work. He briefly worked in interior design and then making jewelry.

In 1969, Italian Vogue featured his creations in a fashion layout. Word of his talent spread and soon he was designing scarves and other accessories for other designers including Karl Lagerfeld.

In the mid-1970s, Ferre joined forces with Franco Mattioli, a Bolognese clothing manufacturer, and produced a collection of silk dresses for Mattioli's Baila label.

Impressed by Ferre's originality, Mattioli agreed to back the designer's own label. With just $100,000 in capital investment, the two men started Gianfranco Ferre SpA, a holding company for his designs, in 1978.

Although his style remained consistent over the years, some fashion observers said his sense of stiffness and structure shifted in the early 80s to more fluid shapes  in seemingly lighter fabrics. During the 1980s, he expanded his lines, debuting menswear, fragrances, watches, eyewear, bath accessories, furs and a haute couture collection.

Upon leaving Dior in 1998, Ferre opened two London stores and a new headquarters in Milan the next year. In 2000, Ferre and Mattioli sold control of the company, and Ferre stayed on as creative director.

His spring-summer 2008 menswear collection is to be presented in Milan next week.

Source: LATimes & WWD Photos: Style.com

Delinquent Debt. How Far Does the Need to be Fashionable Go? Second City Style Fashion Blog

You know, I was wondering if this was happening. When I think back to my early 20's I had a major shopping problem addiction. Yet, clothes were a lot less expensive. I have been wondering how twenty-somethings could be affording $600 dresses. Now I know.

According to an expose in today's WWD, Debt burdens are influencing young adults' choices of colleges and careers, where they live and how they spend money, but it's not putting a cap on the group's purchases of apparel.

Young adults ages 18 to 24 spent $30.3 billion on clothing in the 12 months ended March 31 — 9% more they spent a year earlier, according to The NPD Group.

Keeping Up With the Jones'
"A wedge is being inserted between the affluent and the middle and working classes," generation expert Bill Strauss observed of today's college students and recent graduates. "The affluents often have no debt burden and can look to their family for support. The other two groups have significant levels of debt."

In fact, the median level of student debt among bachelor degree recipients in 2004 (the most recent College Board data) was $19,300. About one-quarter of graduates from private nonprofit colleges and 14% from public, four-year colleges graduated with loans of $30,000 or more to repay. "It is almost certain that debt levels have increased since 2003-2004 because neither family incomes nor grant aid has kept pace with increases in college charges," stated the College Board's newest student debt report, part of its "2006 Trends in Higher Education" series.

Nonetheless, Strauss expects the roughly 30 million Americans ages 18 to 24 to enjoy the time they'll spend shopping, in part because "it's the main street they've grown up with and they don't know anything else." The younger generation has reached to fashion to make a statement whether for their career, socially or for themselves.

Your a Rich Girl and It's Gone Too Far
Strong demand for designer apparel is seen coming from a group Strauss dubbed "trustifarians" — those from families with annual incomes in the top 5 to 10% of U.S. households, some of them with actual trust funds and others simply getting money from their parents on a regular basis.

"I see a lot of 'live for today,' extreme spending," trend analyst Kiwa Iyobe said of college students and recent grads. "Either they have wealthy parents or are putting it on their credit cards. "We live in a society where everything is branded — your college, your job, your fame. All these things say something about you," she said. The impact of prestigious credentials implied by a college's name is akin to the effects engendered by a must-have status bag: It breeds status anxiety, the trend analyst observed.

Interesting Statistics

• 18- to 24-year-olds spent $30.3 billion on clothing in the year ending March 31, a 9 percent increase from a year earlier, according to The NPD Group.

• About 25 percent of graduates of private nonprofit colleges and 14 percent of those from public, four-year schools graduate with loans of $30,000 or more in 2004, according to the latest College Board data.

• About half of 16- to 24-year-olds said they typically plan their apparel purchases in January, February or March, found Cotton Inc.'s Lifestyle Monitor.

• Cotton Inc. found that, in their shopping preferences, 57 percent favored clothes, 17 percent shoes and 10 percent home electronics.

• The median salary for 15- to 24-year-olds in 2005 was $28,770, said the Census Bureau.

• A third of college undergraduates had credit card debt of $2,000 or more in 2004, according to Nellie Mae.

Read more of "Apparel Spending Up Among Young Adults. So Is Debt" by  Valerie Seckler

Making Green on Green and I'm Seeing Red. Second City Style Fashion Blog

Marni Goat-Leather Shopping bag is $981!

I have bitten my tongue on this whole 'green game' for awhile now. I made it through Earth Day without making a peep. Then I read the article "Shoppers going green with reusable grocery bags by Stella McCartney, other fashion designers" SignOnSanDiego.com and now I'm seeing red.

In a nutshell, I think this whole 'think about the environment' when it comes to fashion is a scam. Instead of paying too much for a crappy shopping bag or an ugly shirt, I have a better idea. I know how we can save the environment and still look fashionable. Are you ready? BUY GOOD CLOTHES. I know it's not a new concept but think about it. Buy some investment pieces like a great suit and wear it to death. Think quality over quantity. If we stay out of the H & M's, Forever 21's and whoever else makes disposable clothing we will do tons to save the environment. Our insatiable appetite to wear something new at all times is leaving us wide open to be scammed. Read on...

A trip to the grocery store is becoming a lot more fashionable and expensive as consumers look to designer totes to bag their greens and express their style. Hermes, Stella McCartney and Consuelo Castiglioni of Marni are among the top designers now offering reusable shopping bags that are chic and pricey.


Stella McCartney Organic canvas Shopper for $485

The bags give shoppers an alternative to paper or plastic without sacrificing style.

The Silky Pop Hermes bag, which will go on sale in the U.S. this summer, has a price tag of $960. Made of hand-wrought silk, it collapses into a wallet-size pouch of calfskin. Castiglioni's foldable nylon bag retails for $843. The Stella McCartney organic canvas shopper sells for $495.

Reusable shopping bags – which have mostly been confined to farmers' markets and health food co-ops – have increased in popularity as cities consider banning the use of certain plastic bags and encourage shoppers to do more for the environment (like San Francisco).

Marni Shopping bag (looks like it's made from a sheet) for $325

While the designer bags are eye-catching, cheaper totes are also grabbing attention (thank God some people have a clue).

Trader Joe's sells a $1.99 bright blue-and-green print polypropylene sack. And the “I'm Not a Plastic Bag” by British handbag designer Anya Hindmarch goes for $15, though it has fetched 10 times that much on the eBay auction Web site.

This month's Vogue magazine urges fashionistas to become more bag-wise: “No loitering, girls,” says contributing editor Sarah Mower. “Today, let us go out and harness the power of fashion to change the way the nation shops.” Read: give us time to figure out more ways to get you to drop ridiculous amounts of money on grocery bags and the like. Wake up. If you spend your money on a Hermes shopping bag, you are a fool. You'd be better of spending it on a  an investment piece of clothing or handbag that you will carry over and over again. I swear I am going to laugh and think 'sucker' if I see someone carrying this at my local Whole Paycheck.