JAC

Models.com named her their first "Top Ten Newcomer", and Style.com dubbed her their favorite of the faces to watch, she already has tear pages, and a cover of Jalouse Magazine, a Hermes campaign under her belt, and was just cast for Calvin Klein's Fall Campaign as an exclusive. From Poland, she's even caused people talk that modeling scouts would look to Poland for more girls like her. Are you surprised, though? Her body lines and face are both flawless and stunning. She had to sit out from Paris because she was too young, but she'll swipe things like Lanvin and Chanel (watch out Heidi Mount!) all in that perfect stride. What do you think?
xoxo,
KO

Rochas New Scent

Rochas has a treat coming our way new month: The Eau Sensuelle. The campaign features Emilie Caillon against what is arguably most beautiful background in the world: Paris. It is supposed to be a melody of "orange blossom, pink peppercorn and Sambac jasmine", with some "blood orange, bergamot and mango". Want some? It comes in 50- and 100-ml bottles, costing $43 and $59.

Japan Fashion Week at a Glance

Some of my favorite looks from Japan fashion week. Check out WWD for full coverage & let me know what you think!

Newly engaged Marc Jacobs is in Brazil, but we can't ever get enough of the designer. Here's a pic of Marc and Lorenzo Martone living it up in Brazil from Love magazine.

xoxo,
KO

Gucci Fall Campaign

Calvin Klein and YSL may be sticking with one girl only for fall, but Balenciaga, Prada, and now Gucci are most likely to have a bunch. The past few seasons, it's been a few- hovering around four, but word is now that Frida Giannini has cast nine models for the fall Gucci campaign. No names yet, but you know how quickly things get around...
xoxo,
KO

Campaigning

The economy's bad, yes, but this is not near enough to keep designers from trying to lure you int splurging on the clothes that make us drool anyways, just enough to get them to try even harder. So who will the lucky girls be? Kate, Gisele, Naomi, they all have an automatic in, because, well, you know the rule: when in doubt, stick with what you (and we) know best. The rumors that we know of so far? Well, Kate Moss has a YSL fragrance campaign, and they're saying that Christy Turlington has been chosen for the main collection campaign. Again, Balenciaga is not singling out one lucky girl, but a few. This time, though, it's celebrities that may be taking it. Previous campaigns have featured Jennifer Connelly and Charlotte Gainsbourg. The speculation is not a reprise of either of the two, since the look for the collection has changed for fall. Prada, who featured Linda Evangelista solo two seasons ago, and an array of four models for spring is also going with a group; no names have been named yet, though. Possibly the most exciting one, though, was the discovery that Francesco Costa had picked Jac, the ultimate newcomer of the season for an exclusive campaign for the main collection. What do you think?
xoxo,
KO

Scarlet Johansson Cover Vogue Paris

It's different than the one in the video Carine Roitfeld was holding, although that was what most people had presumed was the cover. Her love for curves is apparent here, as this is said to be the sexiest shot of the bunch...
Let me know what you think!
xoxo,
KO

McQueen's Numéro Homme Interview

Alexander McQueen has a reputation for being the ultimate bad boy of fashion, and it's a reputation he wants to keep in tact. So, when we can get an interview out of him, well, you know what to expect. Does it really come to any surprise what he said in a Numéro Homme interview:

There are designers that I admire, but I don't look up to them. I don't really look at what everybody else is doing. That's a studio mentality. There comes a time in your life when you focus solely on what you believe is right, regardless of what everybody else is doing."

Talking about his entry into fashion:
"I found a way round that by reading a book that showed other designers' routes into fashion: some had been tailors. That's what made me want to work on Savile Row. To learn how to technically make a piece of clothing."

Agyness Deyn, Albert Hammond Jr. Split

The relationship made in Brit indie heaven between Agyness Deyn and Albert Hammond Jr., that may have even involved an engagement, is over. The couple posed for a Valentines-themed spread in Vogue, but it was said that the relationship fell apart after that. So, want to know who dumped who? Sorry, no high drama here. The relationship was ended at a "mutual agreement" between the two, who were rumored to be living together in Aggie's Greenwich Village apartment last August. No hard feelings, though. It's been said that their love has now been turned into a friendship.

Ali Michael Poses for Racy Cover, Raises Questions

Ali Michael has had her fair share of fashion controversy so far: first the article that exposed her departure from Paris fashion week because she had gained 5 pounds, only walking one show. Then, when she couldn't hide it anymore, she confessed to Teen Vogue her issues with eating and taking laxitives. Now, her cover of Wallpaper Magazine has some people questioning the direction of her career, as well as the focus of it. What do you think?

Anna Wintour's Words to Nina Ricci and Oliver Theyskens

Fact: Anna Wintour has the power to make or break anyone in this industry. Now, she's using her power to do Oliver Theyskens good after his depart from Nina Ricci. In Vogue'e April 2009 Editor's letter, she writes:
"Talent is a serious business. At Vogue, we do not take for granted the miraculous emergence, development, and ascendance of great artists. We depend on them for our livelihood. Without . . . the smashing of the rules that their progress gloriously entails, there is no culture worth celebrating. Olivier Theyskens's recent departure from Nina Ricci suggests to me that the vital role of artistic talent has been obscured in the current economic climate. My staff and I were shocked to learn that Theyskens's contract would not be renewed; and I am very concerned that the business of fashion is undervaluing the most important asset our industry requires: creative visionaries. There's a reason we continue to see Theyskens's influence everywhere, from catwalks to the mall. He'll be back, but fashion must hold its nerve. This is the mission that we at Vogue happily shoulder."

Ouch. Any thoughts?
xoxo,
KO

Style.com's Top Ten Fall Collections

1. balenciaga
Nicolas Ghesquière swapped the robotic for the classic, reinterpreting Parisian chic via suits with draped peplum jackets and swagged satin "sari trousers." The result: a soft, feminine counterpoint to the season's prevailing androgynous mood.

2. bottega veneta
With buzzwords like "quiet luxury" suddenly spilling from the lips of the most flamboyant designers, Tomas Maier, the king of understatement, chose this moment to produce his most glamorous collection yet. Billowy goddess gowns were begging for a red carpet.

3. donna karan
A focused Karan went back to her roots, rethinking eighties uniform dressing for the oughties. Commanding jackets with bold shoulders marched down her runway with narrow, stretchy skirts. But she wasn't all business: A slip of skimmy, twisting silk jersey had the ease of a latter-day toga.

4. dries van noten
In a season when many defaulted to the safety of black, Van Noten proved once again that he is fashion's master colorist. His deceptively simple, vaguely 1940's clothes came in the strange yet beautiful hues of a Francis Bacon painting.

5. erdem
Reasons to party these days are few and far between, but among the best are Erdem Moralioglu's colorfully printed, brilliantly executed frocks. London's on fire with new talent, and he's one of the young designers blazing the way.

6. givenchy
Riccardo Tisci worked both sides of Fall's romantic/rough divide in a collection that asserted his range. On the one hand, there were fierce warrior woman getups in feather- and goat-hair-embroidered black tulle, and on the other, a trio of the season's most decadently glamorous all-white gowns.

7. haider ackermann
With draping taking center stage, the underexposed Ackermann's effortlessly elegant bias-cut skirts, worn with second-skin leather jackets or Edwardian satin tail coats, proved he can stand with the biggest names in Paris. He has a deft hand for mannish tailoring, too.

8. lanvin
More than ever, Alber Elbaz knows what women want: a timeless classic, but one that packs serious wow potential. That came courtesy of his signature internal drape and bias twists, not to mention a king's ransom of glinting crystal studs.

9. marc jacobs
Nobody did Fall's eighties trend better than Jacobs, who boogied his way through that decade at New York's long-gone, much-lamented nightclubs. His neon coats, bold-shouldered blazers, zip-up party dresses, and acid-wash high-waisted jeans are a guaranteed good time.

10. prada
In a satisfying bit of fashion irony, the countryside inspired a city-smart Prada collection that helped define some key trends: forties-inflected skirtsuits, coat-dresses, and kinky over-the-knee boots. Leave it to Miuccia to add her own perverse twist to the season's discussion about sex.

Chanel Iman Update

Chanel Iman's spot as host of MTV's new special, House of Style may be the start of a new part of her career. In an interview with fashionologie, Chanel says "I'm kind of slowing down on the modeling right now and I'm branching out to other experiences and interests that I have." She has an upcoming appearance on Gossip Girl, she says she wants to do TV and more acting. She did, however, just land the Balenciaga show in Paris, saying "Balenciaga has always been one of my favorite lines and one that I've always dreamed of walking."

xoxo,
KO

The Trend Report

The shows are done, which means the trend reports from so many various places on the internet. The most common trend reports? Well, there's the obvious ones, like an eighties revival, the dark-glam thing, and fur, in both detailing and all-out coats. Then, they get creative: shoulders were big, as sparkle and glitz were, as WWD cites. According to ELLE, the Cocoon Coat (it's actually quite accurate, and they're very chic- picture from elle.com below) was one of the biggest fads New York had to offer, and shoulders were on the list, too. There are plenty more to come, these are just the first to come, and quite frankly, they're completely raw and the pull-it-together quick sort. Still looking forward to style.com's reports, which won't be done for a little while, as we have seen from previous seasons.



xoxo,
KO

MARC JACOBS ENGAGED!

The beauty of rumors? There's always a hint of truth there. Yes, the resurfaced rumors of an engagement between Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone wasn't all hype; not at all actually. This is supposed to become public tomorrow, when the pair are scheduled to be in Brazil- Marc is meeting Lorenzo's mother there for the very first time. Best wishes on my part to the both of them! :)
xoxo,
KO

Valentino's Documentary Premieres, Causes Waves in Fashion

Face it- not many designers could draw fashion elite like the ones that turned out on the premiere of Valentino's documentary "Valentino: The Last Emperor," at the museum of modern art. Fashion's finest, as well as celebrities with names like Madonna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Hathaway and Claire Danes. "I'm so proud to share this moment with my friends," the so-called retired designer stated.
xoxo,
KO

Rodarte's First Ads

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Rodarte is quickly and promisingly growing, and supposedly LVMH is scouting them. Either way, it seems they're working on their commercial expansion now, and anyone seasoned to the customs of the fashion industry knows that the best way for more commercial audiences to see your brand's clothes and concept alike comes in the form of good old ad campaigns. So, they joined on the bandwagon. The first ever ad campaign ran in Anthem magazine (below), and now a spring ad appeared in the latest of V Magazine (top left). The first campaign was shot by Autumn de Wilde; the model is Karen Elson. Currently photographer and model are unknown for the spring campaign, but one thing's for sure- it could be a sign that, like Gareth Pugh, the movement is credited towards LVMH... what do you think?
xoxo,
KO

New Vogue Paris Cover: Scarlett Johansson

We may have to wait two whole more days until Carine Roitfeld's CNN Revealed special, but a new CNN clip puts the focus on something else: the new cover. Accredited for being the ideal of fashion magazines around the globe, it's not common for celebrities to grace the cover, especially since Scarlett does not have any new films coming out anytime soon that we know of, and if you do some detective work, you can see that the writing on the cover design says something about a spirit, and under that something about a castle...

xoxo,
KO

Nina Ricci: Oliver Theyskins is Officially Out

Oliver Theyskens contract for Nina Ricci was a complete time bomb- it was up in October, but the brand and designer clearly wanted to go their separate ways. It was believed that in October, Louis Vuitton designer Peter Copping, currently Marc Jacob's LV right hand, would replace him. Now, however, in a joint statement made today between the brand and Theyskens, apparently he's already gone. The statement said that Nina Ricci “wishes to re-orientate its development strategy for the years to come...Consequently, Nina Ricci and its artistic director Olivier Theyksens have decided by mutual agreement to cease their collaboration.” Theyskens is now looking to revive his signature collection, which he put on hold in 2003. His last collection was viewed as quite defiant from the usual look of the brand's clothes, swapping a more earthy tone for hard, goth-like looks that made the departure even more exciting.
xoxo,
KO

Carine Roitfeld Revealed Trailer

Carine Roitfeld and Anna Wintour do have one thing in common: they're both allowing cameras to follow them around fro TV profiles, Anna's on 60 Minutes, and Carine's on CNN's Revealed, which airs this Wednesday. Here's the first 30-second teaser of the interview that shows fashion elite such as Marc Jacobs and Karl Lagerfeld, among others, praising her work...

Fall 2009: That's A Wrap

As of Thursday, the Fall 2009 collections are a wrap. Saddening a bit, but as Oscar Wilde once said, "Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months," Partially true, but I certainly wouldn't call the crop of ultra-glam 80's revival frocks that we saw ugly. It was an interesting season, mostly because the circumstances presented a wonderful chance to prove the worth designers have been given. Among the most valuable? Stella McCartney, Ann Demeulemeester, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, but coming out on top again is Chanel. Really, though, does that surprise you?
Looking ahead in this retail market seems tough, but nothing stops the usual customers to once again indulging in what, due to the extremeness of it all, is really a guilty pleasure. The most shocking of all the prices I've seen so far? $50,000 for Balenciaga's long-sleeved beaded tops that opened the show. Other pricey ones include YSL (the pinstripe suit with the bustier? altogether estimated about $4,100) Stella McCartney's boots are going for around $1500, and you can own a pair of Balenciaga's flowy pants for about $8,000...
xoxo,
KO

BEGINNINGS

Welcome to the Fashion Chronicle. This blog is the musings of a girl obsessed with couture and avidly involved in the chicest online community: fashion blogging. This is my first independent blog, and I can't wait to share my candid yet informed views on the industry with you...
xoxo,
KO