#1119 Ella Drake gets her Gucci exclusive

Photo: wwd

GO THE KIWIS! Predictions were correct - just four hours ago, New Zealand model Ella Drake walked in the Gucci Fall/Winter 2010/2011 show at Milan Fashion Week. Photos have just emerged from the runway, and the entire show clip is up on Youtube and can be viewed here and here (screengrab from the show below). Ella walked once, coming out as girl number 27 amongst a lineup of some of the biggest names in the business - Natasha Poly, Freja Beha (opened the show), Anja Rubik (closed the show), Karlie Kloss, Abbey Lee, Chanel Iman, Vlada and Kasia Struss. Not a bad wee coup for a girl who's been in the business more than five years. If I'm not mistaken, Ella is the first New Zealander - male or female - to ever book a Gucci show exclusive. Note to aspiring models - never turn down a fit model job. Nice work Ella, can't wait to see what you do in Paris, and good luck for the campaign!

Updated with backstage photos below.



Backstage photos: The Love Magazine Blog

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#1118 John Key - wears New Zealand made, on hand to answer queries

I bought my first dictaphone a little over a year ago. It was my new toy and I spent many a happy day ringing different people for comments about this or that. One of the first calls I made was to the Prime Minister's office. Somebody had told me that John Key wore non New Zealand made suits and, as a serious and responsible fashion blogger, I was determined to get to the bottom of this vicious and dirty rumour.

It took me about 90 seconds to track down the phone number, five to dial it, six to get connected, and 10 or so to speak the following words:

"Hi, my name is Isaac Hindin Miller and I'm a fashion blogger. I was just wondering if I could please talk to John Key's stylist."

The lady on the other end of the line sounded confused.

"His stylist? I don't think Mr Key has a stylist."

I pressed on.

"Um, ok, listen I just want to talk to the person who buys his suits."

Still confused.

"I don't quite understand what you mean. Mr Key buys his own suits."

I persevered.

"Right. In that case, can you please ask Mr Key where he buys his suits? I've heard a rumour that he wears non New Zealand made suits and I'd like to know if it's true or not. And, if so, why he doesn't support local designers and manufacturers?"

Confusion turned to exasperation.

"Really? Riiiight. Okay, hold the line please."

She put the phone down and I could faintly hear her yelling out across the office.

"John! There's a guy on the phone who wants to know where you get your suits from!"

Moments later, she was back.

"Are you there? Yeah, he said he gets them from various New Zealand companies including RJB and a few ties from Hallensteins. Does that solve your mystery?"

I laughed.

"Yes, yes it does. Thank you for your time."

There's nothing quite like living in a country where the Prime Minister is, literally, one call away.

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#1117 Happy Karl/Sad Karl

Photos: Steve Wood

Karl Lagerfeld backstage at Fendi Fall 2010.

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#1116 Terry Richardson meets Jersey Shore

Photo: Terry Richardson's Diary

Terry Richardson shooting the full male cast of Jersey Shore - The Situation, Vinny, Ronnie and DJ Pauly D. It's like all my favourite guys in one room. BEAT THE BEAT! Somebody pass me the gel. Does it get any better than this?

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#1115 Ever wanted to beat up a male model?

Screengrab: Wrangler

Well now you can. Wrangler's new Blue Bell ad campaign is both multimedia and interactive - and about to go seriously viral. Basically it's a video of a male model dressed in Wrangler clothes, and you can click on different parts of him and do different things to him, like... rip his shirt off, throw him around a room or haul his ass off a chair. And make sure you turn your speakers right up - it comes equipped with a vaguely porno sounding backing track. Sound like fun? In a word, yes. It lagged on me a little bit, but I spent a happy 45 seconds or so throwing him one way, then another, then back, then forwards, trying to get the most dramatic looking screengrab. Though to be perfectly honest, I wasn't really loooking at the clothes.

This is exactly the sort of ad campaign fashion companies should be doing right now. Online, interactive, fun, controversial and a great talking point. I'll be amazed if this Wrangler ad doesn't go absolutely everywhere. Nice to see a company getting it - and tapping into the power of social media.

Now we just have to wait and see what they do with the girls' campaign - because no doubt there'll be some serious and loud protests of violence-towards-women if viewers are able to throw the model around or rip her clothes off. And despite my affection for Oscar Wilde's words ("There's only one thing worse than being talked about and that's not being talked about"), there is such a thing as the wrong kind of publicity.

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#1114 Hedi Slimane on his own cultural significance

Photo: style.com

Hedi Slimane has just given his first interview in three years. It covers plenty of topics, from social media and its impact on the fashion world, to his favourite band du jour. First off, let me say that I'm a huge fan of Hedi Slimane's work. Dior Homme's Spring/Summer 06 collection was the first collection I ever looked at and thought, 'Jesus. Who knew clothes could look this good?' and his photographs are works of art in their own right. The guy has probably the purest aesthetic in the world, and a knack for - I was going to say - capturing the zeitgeist, but dictating the zeitgeist is probably more appropriate. In the past I've had a rant about Slimane's glamourisation of Pete Doherty, and I still probably agree with what I said back then, but I'm not going to argue his cultural relevance or significance.

Neither is he.

In the style.com interview just posted today, he responds to a question about the silhouette he created, saying:

"I started to work on my silhouette since the end of my Saint Laurent years, when I had the option to pursue my own style. I also started it because it was the only thing that would fit me, to be totally honest. I became very repetitive with it over the years, as I was trying to define it accurately. I always thought it was all about repetition, and I became extremely stubborn despite my opponents and the natural aim of the fashion industry to look for something new each season. I never wanted to please, as long as I could follow my beliefs. I always and only thought about my own time and the birth of an entire generation. I heard so much about my proportions, and how absurd and unsuccessful, for instance, my skinny jeans and silhouette would be. I also heard about my lack of definition in masculinity, as I was aiming to try another definition."

Then,

"So that it was never a “fashion comment,” as I was interacting directly, and still do on my own, with unknown musicians, artists, street casting for my shows. It was not about doing punk rock or metal when punk rock or metal had no relevance to the moment. My fashion and my style were like a random and sometimes intimate diary. Living in Berlin, I interacted with the music scene at a time when Berlin was aiming to set up an abstract and ethereal digital tone; my years in London happened to be the time when a new indie scene emerged among my friends. There were no clothes available around, so I designed them for the rest of us. These are the clothes we wanted to wear, and these are the clothes, allure, and style that ended up my own. The rest might by now be common knowledge. With Berlin becoming suddenly popular and the global indie scene explosion a few years after, my style spread accordingly. Funnily enough, when I decided to put design on hold for a minute, it was all about how skinny was dead and how men would suddenly flip in the other direction. It ended up the contrary."

And,

"Now, from the streets to fashion week: I still have loyal assistants at Dior. I guess my shows had a specific atmosphere. Despite the necessary press rhetoric, the silhouette is still there, but more so my style and semiotic, used as an open-source commodity. It is quite convenient for me, as I don’t have to be in the kitchen anymore."

What interests me about Hedi Slimane's words is that he - though quite modestly - is admitting to his ubiquitous influence. It reminds me of somebody else who, on the flip side, without much (or any) prompting, also admits to his own: Kanye West. The difference being, that when Kanye West talks about himself, it's usually in capital letters. Hedi Slimane both intellectualises it, and buries it at the end of a very long answer about where his inspiration came from, saying, "[T]he silhouette is still there, but more so my style and semiotic, used as an open-source commodity."

I wonder what the reaction would be to Kanye West if he took a similar approach?

#1113 NZer Aaron De Mey is Purple Magazine's favourite makeup artist

Photo: Purple Diary

So says Olivier Zahm on Purple Diary today. I must confess to ignorance - before the Dior Homme show in Paris in January I had never heard of Aaron De Mey. Michael Whittaker and I met him backstage at the show and we all had a good laugh listening to our three accents combined. But since that day, I've seen his name everywhere. Everywhere! Magazines, newspapers, on a 1996 New Zealand fashion awards video tape, and now, today, on the Purple Magazine blog. Talented, in high demand and a nice guy to boot. Go the Kiwis!

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#1112 Wise words from the best dressed

For the past couple of months I've been working on the Working Style Best Dressed Businessman Awards for 2010. Alongside being a judge, one of my duties involves meeting the nominees and interviewing them about their wardrobes, their stylistic quirks, their sartorial preferences and all that other good stuff. I've met CEOs and surgeons, architects and crime reporters, men from all different industries and walks of life. But one thing that has remained constant throughout is the importance of clothing in creating trust between them and their clients.

From the surgeon: "Would you want open heart surgery performed on you by a guy in jeans?"

From the CEO: "If you want to be successful in business, dress well for business. You can never go wrong with classic lines, and you'll never be taken seriously if you get it wrong."

From the architect: "When you're dealing with people spending the most money they'll ever spend in their lives, you have to project a clear image that you're up to the task."

From the crime reporter: "It's imperative for me to appear authoritative, credible and immaculately turned out, without any distractions to detract from the story at hand."

But the most interesting nominee that I've encountered so far is a guy whose body is about 80% covered in tattoos. They're invisible under his suits, but he told me that he'll regularly be walking down the street in shorts and a tee shirt on his days off, and co-workers will pass him without any flicker of recognition.

What they say is true; clothes maketh the man.

Click here to nominate somebody for the awards.

#1111 Technical meltdowns... bear with me

Hey so somebody in my house (who knows, it might have been me), has gone way over our 20 gig per month bandwidth allotment and my internet is going so frustratingly slowly that all I want to do is close the curtains in my room, lie on my bed and listen to My Chemical Romance with a blunt knife in my hand. As you can imagine, it's a good time. I've bought another 10 gigs, but it won't kick in until tomorrow so I think I'm going to take the day off because uploading photos at a rate of one every 17 minutes is a little too much for me to handle. If something extraordinary happens I'll be back on but otherwise, see you tomorrow. Bright and early. With something exciting. I hope. In the meantime, you can amuse yourself with the hilarity that is Isaac Likes Diary. Yes, Lyle Lovett and I were separated at birth.

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#1110 Behind the scenes at Crane Brothers' first ever campaign shoot

Photo: Olly Rose

Crane Brothers shot their first ever campaign today. I went along with Olly Rose to interview all the protagonists and shoot a little behind the scenes film. The campaign is named Black Sheep and features two boys who share a lot, but not in personality or aesthetic. All will be revealed next week.

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#1109 Ella Drake on Gucci F/W 2010 show exclusive?

Photo: models.com

If I'm not mistaken, New Zealand model (and Gucci fit-model) Ella Drake appears to be on a Gucci show exclusive for Milan Fashion Week. This just showed up on models.com overnight: "Blonde, blue eyed, and signed to Next worldwide, New Zealander newcomer Ella is on a certain show exclusive in Milan, something that always signals to us that a girl is going places. Clients are obviously finding Ella to be molto bella!" If it is indeed a Gucci exclusive that Ella's on, then look out world. Gucci show exclusives often beget Gucci campaigns, and Gucci campaigns often beget entire careers.

Speaking of careers, Ella's has been curious to date. Starting off in Auckland, she spent a couple of years doing the odd job here and there before moving to Sydney to try her luck in a bigger market. There she flourished, building a good book and working pretty much full time, before making the move overseas to Milan. Most models go to Milan for as short a time as possible, but not Ella. Ella went to Milan and stayed in Milan. And it paid off. She won a lucrative contract as a fit model for Gucci in Rome, where she flies regularly in the lead up to the new collections.

And look where it's gotten her. Sometimes, even in modelling, slow and steady wins the race. Good luck for the show!

Thanks to Sam for the tip.

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#1108 - Layers, patch pockets, tortured artists and the colour green - my picks of the week from New York

Rag and Bone - What better way to keep warm than wearing your entire winter wardrobe in one go?


Timo Weiland - If you're only going to buy one heavy green suit this winter...


Richard Chai - Because sometimes you just want to dress like a mechanic from the Bronx, but in really, really luxurious fabrics.


Patrik Ervell - Like I said, blazers that button all the way up are my new obsession. Leave the top and bottom buttons undone and you're good to go. And three cheers for the patch pocket - jets are for sissies.




Marc by Marc Jacobs - Nothing screams 'tortured artist' like overcoats, full-volume pants, delicate knitwear and Shakespeare-era hair.


J Sabatino - Denim pants, check. Suspenders, check. German expressionist sunglasses, check check check.


Generra - I want to say it's the green, or the pyjama-chic shirt and cardigan twin set, but really, I just like it how his hat kinda looks like a condom.


Duckie Brown - Chanel made a killing flogging boucle suits to wealthy ladies, why can't the same principle work for menswear? Only in mismatched colours and teddy-boy shapes.


Thom Browne - Who needs models when you look this good in your own clothes?

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#1107 Alexander McQueen taken off schedule at Paris Fashion Week

Screengrab: Federation Francaise de la Couture

Despite assurances last Thursday from Gucci Group's CEO Robert Polet that Alexander McQueen's Fall 2010 collection show - scheduled for 9 March at Paris Fashion Week - would go ahead, the Chambre Syndicale (French fashion's governing body) has taken McQueen's name off the timetable. Polet spoke to media last week, telling them that McQueen's final collection would be presented in two invitation-only, private salon shows on Tuesday 9 March and Wednesday 10 March. If that's the case, why has Alexander McQueen's show been taken off the schedule? It's fairly common for high profile shows to be printed on the schedule with the words 'voir invitation' (see invitation) replacing an address - presumably to stop non-invitees from attending - but to remove a show altogether, and especially this show, seems like an unusual move.

#1106 New Zealand's Next Top Model coming back in 2010

Photo: Andy Pickering

First, New Zealand's Next Top Model had been scrapped, then a return to screens was a 'distinct possibility', then an exciting announcement was hyped on the show's Facebook fan page. The latter was a surprise to TV3's group publicist Nicole Wood, who told me that if there was an announcement to be made, she would be the one making it - and she hadn't. Unusual, seeing as the Facebook page is controlled by TV3 - perhaps some overzealous minion got trigger happy before the self-imposed embargo was lifted. No update has been made on the fan page since, but TV3's own website has begun calls for pre-applications.

The New Zealand Herald broke the story on Friday, reporting that New Zealand's Next Top Model will return to screens later this year, and will once again feature season one's judging panel - superagent Sara Tetro, model Colin Mathura-Jeffree and photographer Chris Sisarich.

UPDATE: The below statement (in italics) that Christobelle is not signed with Next is incorrect. This from 62 Models: "Christobelle is signed with Next, but they don't have her up on their website because she doesn't have the necessary US Work Visas." Apologies for the mistake.

One little mistake that must be pointed out in the Herald's article though, is the information given about season one winner Christobelle Grierson-Ryrie. The Herald wrote that after winning the competition, Christobelle went on to be signed by Sydney agency Chic and New York agency Next. While Christobelle is listed as a model on Chic's website, a thorough search on Next's proved fruitless. One would assume that had she been signed by Next, she'd be listed on their site. Pity, because the Chic/Next relationship is one of the most symbiotic in the modelling world - producing stars such as Abbey Lee, Catherine McNeil and Myf Shepherd.

Besides a few test shoots and one ad for Christian Audigier featuring Michael Whittaker and other NZNTM alumni Hosanna Horsfall, Christobelle's workload looks to have been particularly light since winning the competition. I hate to be cynical - and I hope to be proved wrong - but it would seem she has met the fate of almost every other winner of a Top Model competition worldwide; a blast of fame, before fading into relative fashion obscurity - not quite the career trajectory of a top model.

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#1105 ANTM judges scored lots of free swag in NZ

"[Jay Manuel] added that while they were filming in New Zealand, André would visit showrooms of young designers and bring him back presents. 'He’d be out there and say, 'Oh, these glasses are so Jay Manuel, he’s gotta have them.' And I’d come back and they’d be in my trailer and I’d be like ‘André!’' Jay raved." - The Cut

The above is something I meant to talk about at the time that America's Next Top Model was filming here in New Zealand, but it must have slipped my mind.

Having worked in the fashion industry in Auckland for seven or eight years now, I know most of the local protagonists - the designers, the PR agents and the retail staff. If there's one thing that unites New Zealand labels, it's how different their operating practices are. This manifests itself in plenty of ways, from the obvious - the look and feel of the stores; to the obscure - the way in which a press release in written. But there does seem to be one area where they largely agree, and that's the gifting of product.

Not to say that designers in New Zealand are stingy - nor that I myself have never been the recipient of swag - but by and large, New Zealand designers don't just go around willy nilly giving product away. However. This policy seemed to fly out the window when the America's Next Top Model judges were in town.

Stores with a no-gift policy suddenly fell all over themselves to try and get their product on the backs of the judges. Every time Andre Leon Talley and Miss Jay walked through a door, they'd walk out with hordes of free stuff.

I gave Murray Bevan of Showroom 22 (in the interests of disclosure, Murray is my flatmate) a call, to ask about his experience with the judges, and his opinion on gifting product.

He told me that of the 25 or so companies he represents, "Very, very few give away free product, and if it does happen, it's extremely targeted. As soon as you give something to somebody it immediately devalues it unless you can see that they're dying to have it."

When Andre Leon Talley visited Showroom 22 to borrow clothes for a show (presumably the ANTM finale runway challenge), Murray tells me he made a beeline for the eyewear. "He tried on a few pairs, I said they looked good on him and asked if he'd like to keep them. He took eight pairs in total, some Ksubi and some Karen Walker, for himself, Tyra Banks, Miss Jay and Jay Manuel. When we saw Miss Jay the next day, he'd been wearing his glasses all day walking around town. The proof is in the pudding."

Okay so that makes sense to me.

Another story I heard, however, didn't. A retail assistant friend of mine (who prefers to be unnamed) was instructed by his boss to gift a pair of imported boots to one of the judges. These were boots that would be available at probably 50 different stores around the world, so, even if the judge was photographed in them, couldn't possibly be linked back to the Auckland store.

Then there was Karen Walker. Tyra Banks went to her store and bought a beige trench coat. Apparently, no discount was given. That's one way to ensure the piece will be worn.

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#1104 Michael Whittaker immortalised in print - New York Times

"Idling in a nearby corner, his mouth stretched in the kind of broad yawn one associates with bored boys and hounds, Michael Whittaker, a 19-year-old model from New Zealand, rubbed his hand along the arm of his garment and said, 'Feel this.' What looked to be an ordinary V-neck woolen tennis sweater was, in fact, hand-knit from mink. A carved banner above Mr. Whittaker’s head read Pro Patria et Gloria (For Country and Glory), a motto for valiant roughnecks of the 107th Infantry during World War I — immortalized on a monument in Central Park near East 66th Street. 'It’s kind of insane,' Mr. Whittaker said — of the sweater, I think, but possibly also the whole scenario. Perhaps, in a way, it was." - NY Times

Isn't it funny how words can capture a moment so much better than a photograph sometimes?

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#1103 Karen Walker's Salzburg Sweater

Photo: Fashionista

This is the sweatshirt I wrote about on Sunday, as far as I'm aware, the first one Karen Walker's made in the past six or so seasons. It's like a gym sweatshirt from a small town high school somewhere in the middle of America. I'm so into it. Here's hoping she makes some for the boys.

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#1102 Marcel Castenmiller thinks about beer on the runway

The Cut gave Canadian model Marcel Castenmiller a camera to film his New York Fashion Week shenanigans. He plays table tennis (at Fat Cat?), rides the overground train and hangs out with Mark Cox, Cole Mohr, Bastiaan Ninaber, Charlie Westerberg, Tomek S and Matthew Hitt. They sit around waiting, eat and hang out at bars. It's a pretty accurate depiction of male models. But my favourite bit is when he goes to film a piece of paper, then changes his mind. It's all in the editing.

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#1101 Tavi Gevinson on hater comments

“I read my own comments because I rarely get a negative commenter on my blog. I don’t read comments on other sites when other people have written about me and I generally don’t read the article. I have to be with myself all the time, and I don’t really want to read about myself. If somebody doesn’t like me, it’s probably somebody I’m never going to meet. It’s just part of the game.” - The Cut

Like I said yesterday, anybody - especially any adult - who would hate on any 13 year old kid is messed up in the head. But to hate on a 13 year old as clever, creative and cool as Tavi Gevinson is just nuts. It doesn't make any sense to me. As my good friend Dayne Johnston would say, 'Don't hate it cos you ain't it!'

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#1100 NZers at NYFW - Michael Whittaker and Karla Devine

Billy Reid

There's nothing I love more than seeing New Zealand models doing well on the international circuit. Let's face it - it's not the most common occurrence. Nevertheless, Michael Whittaker's having a good week so far in New York, having already walked for Billy Reid, Tim Hamilton, Richard Chai, Duckie Brown and Thom Browne, with more to come. And (thanks to Joseph at Chadwick) I managed to spy Karla Devine on the catwalk at Betsey Johnston. Interesting to note that both Michael and Karla come from Auckland's Clyne Management - as far as I know the only agency to have models doing the shows in New York right now.

All the catwalk photos below.

Tim Hamilton

Richard Chai

Duckie Brown

Thom Browne

Betsey Johnston

Betsey Johnston

Photos: The Fashionisto, GQ, Frllr, style.com

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#1099 Tavi Gevinson - child blogger, conscript?

Tavi Gevinson backstage at Marc Jacobs - Photos: Steve Wood

She might be the wunderkind of the fashion blog community, but now, it would seem, even the US Army wants a piece of the Tavi Gevinson action. I kid. But this is why I love Steve Wood - that guy always gets the good shot.

More of Tavi below, including one with Bryanboy.





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#1098 Peaches Geldof to Karen Walker - "You were strutting it like Claudia Schiffer"

Here's a little Karen Walker backstage and show highlights package presented by Peaches Geldof for NYLON TV. It showed up on Youtube yesterday (thanks Sassybella). Alongside a couple of shots backstage and a 90 second clip from the show, Peaches Geldof does a mini interview with the lady of the moment, where they discuss the inspiration - "Sound of Music meets Bob Dylan... Freewheelin', that whole period." And Karen's finale bow - "You were strutting it like Claudia Schiffer, like Naomi Campbell and the greats. Did you practice that walk?" Watch the video to see Karen Walker's response.

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#1097 Mark Cox is a P.I.M.P.

Photo: Fashionista

Just saw this photo of Mark Cox backstage at the Robert Geller show. How's his Snoop Dogg in Starsky and Hutch fur coat and bowler? Big pimpin'.

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#1096 Being (in the company of) John Malkovich

Photo: Steve Wood

Hamish Bowles with John Malkovich front row and centre at the Michael Bastian show yesterday, New York Fashion Week.

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#1095 Lindsay Wixson's walking contradiction

Lindsay Wixson - Photo: NYMag

Just 10 days ago The Cut reported that 15 year old model Lindsay Wixson had requested a flesh coloured bra on the set of a recent W editorial because her top was see-through. In her words, "I'm 15 and even though I freaked a little, I know for a fact that my mom would freak ten times as much. I just couldn't be flashing everyone out there." I was impressed - not every 15 year old would have the confidence to make such a request; and not every magazine would allow it. So I was very surprised to see Lindsay Wixson (above) in the Lacoste show today, wearing a see-through top. Did her attitude change in the last fortnight or did the Lacoste stylists not allow her to wear a cover-up?

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#1094 Blazers that button ALL the way up

Patrik Ervell Fall 2010 - Photos: The Fashionisto

It's good to have obsessions. They help keep your mind off things like heartbreak or hunger or homework. I have this friend Anna Beath who once told me that she often day dreams about winning first division Lotto, and what she'd do with the money. It got me started. The possibilities were endless, as was the amount of time spent thinking about it - and if time is the most precious commodity, then surely time well wasted trumps time poorly spent. I already have sweaters and beige pants and religion and relationships to obsess over, plus more recently boiled wool and bottle green, but I can now add blazers that button all the way up.


I know I had a go at the Trelise Cooper Air New Zealand blazers that did a similar thing, but those were different. They just buttoned high with a tiny lapel, rather than buttoning all the way up with a flipped lapel. And I've recently learned that those blazers aren't even making their way into production anyway. The blazers that button all the way up obsession began in Milan I believe (though I can't remember at which show), but was cemented at Patrik Ervell on Saturday.


I think it looks best with the top and bottom button undone, like our old mate Matvey Lykov is wearing in the top photo. And imagine it in bottle green. Obsessed!

Photo: NYMag

And there it is at Lacoste. A bit more kelly than bottle, but I'll take it.

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#1093 The Pause vs The Stop - a beginner's catwalk tutorial for the pros at Duckie Brown

The Cut writes - "Most of Duckie Brown's models this year had never worked a show before, so Lynne O'Neill had to get back to basics during her training session." Hmmm really? Duckie Brown's lineup included models.com top 50 listers Yuri Pleskun and Tyler Riggs, alongside regular show boys Charlie Westerberg, Taras Koltun, Clinton Weber, Isaac Carew and our own Michael Whittaker. No doubt some of them might be a bit miffed at the aforementioned description. My favourite bit in the video though, is watching Michael Whittaker being given instruction. He's the first guy in line at the end of the catwalk, you start seeing him around the 50 second mark. He don't look too happy.

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#1092 Happy Valentine's Day!

Photo: James K Lowe

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#1091 Karen Walker Fall 10/11 - The hills are alive...

All photos: WWD

Karen Walker made a full departure from all things nautical this season, with a collection inspired by two quite disparate (but equally influential) musical hits of the 1960s - Bob Dylan and The Sound of Music. The Bob Dylan references were immediately apparent - a sheepskin lined jacket, navy woolen parka and a massively over sized cable knit scarf. Printed cloths are always a motif in Karen Walker's collections, and this season they took their cue from Maria's resourcefulness in The Sound of Music - reused curtains in kitsch florals and hippie woodland scenes. For those who can't stomach a head to toe pattern on pattern look, there were plenty of Walker's masculine blazers and tailored pants to choose from, in everything from grey, navy and rust-orange wools and velvets to forest green suiting (see above). The most exciting thing for me though - Karen Walker's first printed sweatshirt in something like six seasons. It showed up in dropped shouldered grey marle, alas the full print was hidden behind one of those chunky scarves. My first foray into Karen Walker menswear came in multiple purchases of her printed tees and sweatshirts - I used to buy them in every colour option. Here's hoping she'll do a few more for the boys.

All the looks below.


































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