We published an interview with graduate designer Kim Foley today on the magazine side. The buzz around her is noteworthy. Having worked under Alexander McQueen and Carolina Herrera, Foley is poised to do some amazing things. We first saw her line at the Caravan fashion show this past New York fashion week. She shot some pieces from her line with her equally talented cousin slash photographer Jennifer Foley (who incidentally also graduated from FIT). Here’s an excerpt from the photo story slash interview:

PD: Through all the adversity, have you ever felt like you wanted to give up?

Although it hasn’t always gone as I had hoped, I never felt like just giving up. Being a positive person, I would just try a new route. The fashion industry is in my blood and I feel that I have the energy and talent to make a contribution. Creating the garments, working with the models, the photographers and seeing my work in a magazine is so satisfying and fun. There have been some times when I become frustrated because I couldn’t continue in the way that I wanted, but it has actually opened some new doors for opportunity and growth. One thing I have learned over the years is to accept new experiences. Although these new challenges may not appear exciting at first, try and make the best out of it, you might end up really enjoying it.

You can view the full photo story and interview entitled In the Box here.

Tim Blanks of Style.com had this to say about Kris Van Assche’s Spring 2007 showing in Paris:

After a few earnest but flawed seasons in the menswear arena, Kris Van Assche just might be proving that womenswear—his original ambition, as it turns out—is what serves his talents best…

…the collection could be read, simply, as a contemporary take on slouchy ease. Case in point: Van Assche likes to put pockets in everything, even the most billowing skirt, so hands always have a place to hide

The full review can be read here.

While I wouldn’t put Van Assche in the same category, city or region as a Raf Simons, when it comes to menswear I’d be hard pressed to say that his past men’s collections were flawed. In 2006, Van Assche’s voluminous trousers were a nice touch; while also exploring a steady design direction. The past collections didn’t have the commercial feel of say a Harmon or other contemporaries and that’s a good thing. While Van Assche’s collection for women is indeed interesting, I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it is better or worse than his men’s collection. It’s merely different for obvious reasons and as a cop out, not so obvious reasons (like adding the multiple pockets in long flowing dresses).

This time last week I was remarking how Michael Vobracht really came into his own at Bill Blass creating a resurgence of sort in the line’s fortunes. I lamented his departure to walk the earth and find himself. His reasoning for leaving was that he wanted to create art and pursue his own work. That was Bill Blass’ loss at the time. The rumblings were going on for awhile now as to who would replace him and the who became Peter Som for the women’s line and Michael Bastion for the men’s line. Vogue UK reported that Peter Som has officially been tapped to head the design efforts at the company.

For his own imprint this Fall, Som showed that he was adept at layering and creating texture while at the same time moving away from the sugary sweet looks that dominated past collections. There is a distinct difference between what you see from Volbracht and Som. I expect this difference to show up at fashion week, quoted from the same Vogue article Som states that

“…My current focus is to evolve and modernise the brand by incorporating my own aesthetic, while staying true to Mr Blass’ vision and legacy.”

Vollbracht seemed less worried about staying in tune with Blass is vision and more with laying a different direction.

Here’s a link to Peter Som’s fall line at Style.com. This could theoretically be a preview of what’s to come at Bill Blass.

Went to the Francois and Marithe’ Girbaud Le Jean debut party last week and still trying to wrangle an interview (should be coming soon…I hope). There were a smattering of great pieces here and there. All in all it was pretty uneventful not because of the designs, they were different. Mostly because of the crowd, and I’ll get into that. The news was basically that Girbaud is moving away from hip-hop and is trying to embrace a wider audience (or he was embracing the wider audience and hip-hop just naturally fell in). You couldn’t tell that completely from seeing the line, but there is definitely a move away from the baggy, pocket-low jeans that you’re used to seeing. Now keep in mind that I said the event was… uneventful.

Until…

David Foxley of The New York Observer posted something on their blog a couple of days later that was DEAD ON. His jist was primarily that although Girbaud is moving away from the hip-hop crowd, he still had a decidely hip-hop audience. It also didn’t help matters that the DJ at the event was spinning…hip-hop.

I can understand his point. There’s nothing wrong with the genre except that when it comes to fashion (and everything else for that matter) they are particularly fickle. Today you’re in, and tomorrow you’re 50 cent. I digress. In this instance, I am inclined to say that Girbaud doth protests too much. If he’s not catering to the crowd, then the crowd would not have shown up. It really was a decidedly hip-hop audience. Well dressed, edgy, in the know hip-hop youth were everywhere. So what did Girbaud tell the Observer? Here’s a quote:

“To be just connected in the hip-hop stuff is other brand; there is people like Russell Simmons or Damon Dash or Puff Daddy or all this kind. I’m not the rap people. Sure, we introduced the baggy jeans, we introduced stonewashed and all this stuff in the 60’s or 70’s, I never target just to be ethnic. It’s stupid.”

-Damn

You can read the full article here.

Than watched Posh Spice’s new show. Ok, I’m using hyperbole.

According to CNN, Victoria Beckham’s show about her fabulous life, fashion and the arduous move to Los Angeles had approximately 4.9 million people watching. This is against a wife swap rerun on ABC, reruns on CBS and whatever’s on at Fox. The CNN article quotes a New York Times writer who says that Beckham’s show is a type of reality series that

“rely on a fish-out-of-water conceit but in Beverly Hills she is a fish-in-Evian, one rich, blonde, spray tanned wife-of among many.”

ouch.

A writer from the New York Post is a bit more restrained in her criticism, but not by much. She writes:

Beckham, who is bizarrely constantly posing even in her own home, offers insights about how major a certain purse is or how her new phone has changed her life.”

We can take or leave her line of jeans, sunglasses and perfumes and if her show is any indication, the world at large might feel the same way.

Full article here.