Fashion + Tennis Anyone?

The aristocratic soul of Wimbledon makes fashion statements ever the norm, but moreso the case this year apparently. Everyone from Nadal to Serena to Federer walked a court that seemed more runway inspired than tennis inspired. Oh sure, they could play tennis in what they were wearing, but the multiple ways to cover Wimbledon from a journalistic perspective included glossing over what the athletes were wearing. Sometimes that coverage came at the expense of covering what everyone was there for in the first place: the actual competition.

But that’s not a complaint anyone on this side would have because, hey, we’re a fashion blog and we like it that way. So who was talking about the fashion at Wimbledon? The better question would be, who wasn’t? The LA Times went there late last week. The Independent went on a bit of a sexist bent. Finally the guardian chimes in with what it calls, fashion wars.

Tags: fashion, tennis, Wimbledon

Recession? Smecession says Vera Wang

Vera Wang is apparently not as worried as the folks at Bill Blass this morning. She acknowledges though times may be rough, for fashion designers, the sky is not necessarily falling. In an interview with Marketwatch Wang says:

“Fashion is an expendable commodity, but it also brings such joy and fantasy and fun to women’s lives. For that reason, fashion will prevail ultimately.”

This optimistic view of the industry may be because Wang is viewing the future through rose colored glasses. Her company is thriving in high end places like Saks and Nordstrom’s and also doing well on the lower end of the spectrum in big box places like Kohl’s. She be the farm everywhere and did well as a result. She’s also looking at opening Vera Wang stores at a location near you adding

“There’s no question that many people in fashion have felt the repercussions of the recession. I’m fairly thorough about looking at the sell- through. I feel fairly optimistic that by the time they get done, hopefully the economy will be on the rebound.”

Is Wang right or are we going to watch the fashion industry go into a collective tailspin with few surviving what is looking like a lengthier economic downturn than originally predicted? Survey says: Wang is right. Economic downturns rarely affect luxury fashion designers and the high end folks because…rich people are rich. So when an economic downturn usually occurs the folks that scale back on their spending end up not buying that pair of heels on discount. But Vera Wang rarely sells discount (unless you count Kohl’s) and even then the designer with the vowel at the end of their name crowd feels a recession as much as an elephant feels a mosquito bite.

online: VeraWang.com

Tags: Designer Recession, Fashion Design, Vera Wang, Vera Wang Bridal, Vera Wang Kohl's

Day 6: What they are saying about Marc Jacobs

2 hour late show notwithstanding, we decided to key in on what others were saying about the Marc Jacobs show:

Renata Espinosa of Fashion Wire Daily Says:

“But it was really what the clothes revealed underneath that was the focus of the collection - the foundation garments. This was Jacobs’ take on sex for the highbrow, nerdy set; a witty way of exploring sensuality that avoided the typical feminine stereotypes, or so he said. Satin tap “pan-tease” and bras in nude and black, sheer corsets that revealed their construction and a variety of negligees…

…So, in the end, perhaps designing a collection around undergarments was just a case of the Emperor’s New Clothes. Will people rave about it? Of course. And will people buy it? In droves.”

Tanika White of the Baltimore Sun said:
In just about all of Jacobs’ shows, I leave with the distinct feeling that the Emperor has no clothes – and no one wants to tell him. In this case, the Emperor had only baffling parts of clothes. And I wonder if any of the glossy fashion mags and big-time critics will say so.

Kellie Hush of the Syndey Morning Herald said:

The collection itself wasn’t groundbreaking. Jacobs stuck with the feminine silhouette he presented for autumn/winter 2007. Long pencil skirts, short trapeze dresses and flowing floral maxi-dresses in purple, peach, emerald green, red and black were on display.

What do I say? I didn’t really get where he was going this season. It was stringy, sparse pieces over underwear. Maybe his genius and ability to think is so beyond mine that I’m going to catch up a couple of months from now. I place doubt on my previous statement. It wasn’t what we’re used to expecting from Jacobs in terms of design and the “MJ” aesthetic and a whole two hours late it left a lot to be desired. I’ll pass.

Day 4: What They’re Saying about Rodarte

Here is two excepts from different reviews on Kate and Laura Mulleavy’s Rodarte collection:

Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune writes:

Rodarte’s reputation has been built on a belief in romantic beauty, but this season the design duo behind the label moved the show away from the fey and towards a romantic reality. That meant gauzy fabrics used as suits, their skirts in pleats like corrugated paper gleaming bronze or golden, yet still recognizably a garment that could be used for more than poetry reading on a chaise longue.

Laird Borrelli-Persson of Style.com writes:

The show came to a dramatic end when two young men in suits appeared on the runway and opened a freight elevator to reveal a trio of models in goddess gowns. These were as lovely as any Rodarte has shown, but they weren’t news. What was, was the sisters’ intriguing effort to expand their oeuvre.

Day 4: What Others are Saying…(part 3)

Three divergent views on Josh Goot:

Retailer Ann Watson of Henri Bendel (from the New York Magazine ask a retailer series) :
Nothing is more exciting than seeing a young designer stretch beyond his comfort zone. Josh showed his great signature body-conscious scuba dresses, which looked terrific, but he also debuted new silhouettes that were looser and more fluid. His standout pieces were either color-blocked or printed. The water-print tank in black and white, the color-blocked long-sleeved chemise, and his finale, a multicolored tiered jersey dress, were all perfect for spring.

Editor Kelly Quan of ZOOZOOM Magazine:
This Well crafted collection bodes well for the coming Spring season. Mr. Goot dared us to be a bit bolder, to look beyond the usual. To embrace our sensuality. And while he might be seen to be shaking the same tree, from my view, he’s exercising his finer points.

Editor Gemma Cartwright of Shiny Media’s Catwalk Queen:
This was not a bad collection, it was just instantly forgettable. With as many misses as hits - there were a few nasty tie-dye effect tops towards the end that cancelled out the pretty colour block pieces - it won’t go down in history as a classic show. But no doubt it will sell!