This Will Be My Last Post For COQUETTE:)

Dear All:

I am working on a new project, Coquette Journal, and I've decided to close this blog. I simply put don't have the time for this blog.

Please for wonders, follow me on my Alice in Wonderland blog from now on. On Alice I will announce when my new project is alive and awake:)

For now I have my Tumblr: The Journal of Coquette

The portrait of me wearing Chanel is created by artist Polina Barskaya.

With Much Love

Alice

Hallelujah!!!

I can not Agree More here. Bridget Foley excerpts of her article in Women's Wear Daily " The Weighting Blame":

"....Despite the best intentions of industry educational initiatives concerning early warning signs, among the bounty of people with whom models come in contact during the course of their work — designers, photographers, stylists, editors, hair and makeup artists, agency executives and bookers, the assistants to all of the above and on and on — who are truly equipped to make sound judgments, at least before a case reaches the obvious-to-all crisis point? These people are not medical personnel, psychologists, social workers or hall wardens. Their primary job is, well, their primary job — getting the show staged or shoot completed as exquisitely as possible; expecting them to be confident, accurate monitors of whom among the skinny girls is too skinny is asking too much.

....Parents who are raising or have raised teenagers know it’s a challenge. That’s with your own kids, over whom you ostensibly have some control. To expect the fashion industry to function in loco parentis to legions of pretty, lanky adolescents who have been released by their parents into the care of twentysomething bookers, and who, once so released, can probably be trusted to act like teenagers, which is to say at least sometimes engage in behavior of which adults might not approve and might be dangerous — especially in such un-fun, nothing-to-do places as New York and Paris — is absurd. So, too, is the suggestion that the industry is primarily responsible when tragedy strikes."

A thought. A Thought that I agree on quite strongly. I love Madame Foley.

The whole article to be read HERE!

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alice

Fashionista's Today: Carine Roitfeld is to Leave French Vogue!!

Interview from WWD:

QUOTE: "In an interview with WWD, Roitfeld shared her sadness at leaving behind her team, but suggested her days at Condé Nast days may not be over.

WWD: Why have you decided to leave French Vogue?
Carine Roitfeld: In two months, it will be 10 years since I joined Vogue. When we published our 90th anniversary issue in October, it felt almost like a double anniversary for me. I knew I wasn’t really going to stay much longer. I think it’s good to get out while you’re ahead, and I think right now, Vogue is outstanding. I’m very proud of it. I have an exceptional team.

I have always been a freelancer, so when I was hired 10 years ago, I found it very difficult to have an office, an assistant, a schedule, fixed vacations. But at the same time, it was such a huge job that I said yes. It’s been an incredible adventure, but maybe in my heart and soul, I am more of a freelancer. I’m surprised I even stuck it out this long, but what made me stay is having a boss like Jonathan [Newhouse], who is an incredible man who gave me total freedom, and God knows I pushed the boundaries.

WWD: What have been some of your most memorable moments?
C.R.: Putting a transsexual bearded black man [Andre J.] on the cover in a shoot by Bruce Weber. Jonathan was very courageous to let that one through. Sophie Marceau smoking a cigarette on the cover. That did very, very well, so I mean, people expect it of us and that’s what they love about us. I’m not saying I don’t get letters from people who are unhappy, but you can’t please everyone, and we take risks.

Painting Lara Stone in black, for example. We were accused of being racist, which was totally untrue, since I once did an entire issue on a black model [Liya Kebede in May 2002]. We’ve done a lot of nudity. We’ve done everything in Vogue. It was very amusing when we did the anniversary issue, because my personal heroes in photography are people like Helmut Newton and Guy Bourdin, and when I saw their photographs [in our anniversary portfolio] alongside those we produced with people like David Sims, Inez [van Lamsweerde] and Vinoodh [Matadin], Mario Sorrenti, Mario Testino and others, I think we kept that rock ’n’ roll attitude. That was very important to me.

WWD: Indeed, when rumors started to swirl a few seasons ago that you were going to replace Anna Wintour as editor in chief of U.S. Vogue, some people said you would be too unconventional for that position.
CR: Those were nothing but rumors. I was never offered the job, and it’s true that I think I would be too rock ’n’ roll for American Vogue. I think Anna is doing a great job and they would be very wrong to replace her.

WWD: So what are your projects?
C.R.: I don’t really have any, because I have always done things on a whim. I have two issues to bring to print, February and March, and will get the ball rolling on April. So my first order of business is getting all this work done by the end of January or maybe early February. I’m not announcing that I am leaving for a new job with a magazine or as a consultant for a large luxury brand. For the moment, I am just taking it one step at a time and leaving behind me an exceptional team. That is what I am the most proud of, having put together this team and being able to come to work every day and being happy to see the people I work with. I have worked in other magazines, so I know this is extremely rare.

WWD: People say you have continued to work as a consultant on the side, so presumably you will be continuing that work?
C.R.: I don’t do any consulting work or advertising. I was the muse of Tom Ford and Gucci for years, but that was a long time ago. There have always been these false rumors. It’s like the talk about me going to U.S. Vogue — rumors travel fast. They are false rumors, and, of course, if I leave and I get interesting offers, I will do it. Why not, now that I can? But it is not even one of my priorities. It might not be the most fun thing for me to do. I consult for people every day, because people are always asking me who they should pick as the face of their next advertising campaign, which photographer. I go to view collections and shows because apparently I am a good-luck person. A lot of my friends are stylists, so I do consult for them, but I think that’s part of my role. But in a completely friendly way. It’s always fun when people ask you for advice. I find it entertaining and I have always done it, and that’s where you see the power of Vogue, which is that people listen to us.

WWD: Have these rumors been hurtful to you?
C.R.: Of course! People were saying we were a corrupt magazine. You just have to ignore rumors. I have learned to be serene. It used to shock me in the beginning. I don’t even look at these blogs. I have a fake Facebook page. I’m not on any social networking sites, so all of that is fake, and I don’t look at anything, but people always tell you about it anyway. You hear about it whether you want to or not. One day, I was talking about it to Anna Wintour, who told me, “Look, don’t listen to anyone. Go for it and do the best you can.” She was absolutely right. You have to just harden yourself, but it’s not all that serious, really.

WWD: Have you been asked to help pick your successor?
C.R.: Not at all. Nobody has said anything to me about it, so I don’t know anything at all. You would imagine it will be a woman. She will be very lucky because I have an exceptional team, so I hope she will be able to keep them, because that is what I am most proud of. They were all in my office this morning, and I have a rock-solid team. They used to call us the Dream Team, and the Dream Team exists. The Dream Team is here.

WWD: Had you told anyone about your plans?
C.R.: I was bound by a confidentiality agreement, so I kept my word. It was very difficult and I managed not to say anything, even to people who are very close to me at the magazine. The only person who knew about it was my husband, so the poor thing had to listen to me all the time, because you want to talk about it with somebody.

WWD: You’re on the cusp of a whole new life.
C.R.: For the moment, I can’t make any plans. I am completely committed to Vogue, completely. You want to leave on a high note, so of course I am putting a huge amount of pressure on myself. I am a true perfectionist."

Complete article HERE.

More images on my Alice in Wonderland.

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alice

Fashionista's Today!

Alexander McQueen has now full control of its baby McQ:) The designer Sarah Burton (Creative Director of McQueen) will be in charge of a team of designers for this diffusion line.

Bergdorf Goodman Always Has the Most Glorious Wonderland Windows:) This year the theme is "Wish You Were Here"! Wish I was in New York to see live.

and Google's move into fashion: BOUTIQUES.COM

The Spring 2011 look is McQ's!
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(All info from wonderful trade newspaper WWD)

Fashionista's Today!

Quote from WWD in regards to Alber Elbaz (of Lanvin) collaboration with H&M: " Elbaz is doing some gesturing of his own these days towards a more egalitarian audience. At the end of the month, his collaboration with H&M rolls out to stores; a film teaser, directed by Mike Figgis, will make its debut on the H&M Web site tomorrow. It’s a lower-priced step Elbaz once noted he would never take. So why now?

“All of a sudden, you see your designs everywhere in the world,” he explains. “Coco Chanel thought [being copied] was a compliment, and sometimes I think, ‘OK, she was right.’ But sometimes it’s painful.” So when the H&M brass approached him about a possible partnership, he eventually agreed. “It was an exercise for me to understand what is the relationship between high fashion and fast fashion.” Ultimately, he concluded that offering the latter does not cheapen the former. “Ninety-five percent of women cannot afford [Lanvin], so let them have a taste. It’s like if I was living in a palace and opened some doors and said, ‘Have tea with me, taste the food.’ It’s not about giving away something that belonged to someone else; it’s about sharing.”

The collection, named Lanvin [Hearts] H&M, will include women’s fashion, accessories, shoes, jewelry and even lipstick, as well as men’s wear. Elbaz had a hand in every possible detail from design to packaging, store window concept, and even “what is next to what” in the corporate showroom. Yet he insists this is not a test before launching a diffusion collection of his own. “No, the beauty of our business is that we can do things and then move on,” he replies. “This project with H&M was about being relevant to a moment. I have always said that we are not a cool brand. It’s not about being cool or not. We try to be relevant. I’m not going into the cool club. It’s not my address.”"

LVMH has started to acquire quite a LOT of stocks out of the house Hermes....!!! Curious Very Much So about this one.

Derek Lam is partnering up with Ebay for his next collection which is showing in February in New York. Shoppers can vote on Ebay for the most wanted looks and thereby decide which looks will actually be produced for this exclusive collection. Ohalala!!!

And My Fave Editor, Meredith Melling-Burke has gotten a promiton at Vogue.com. She is now Fashion Market Director while of course keeping her title at Vogue, that of Senior Market Editor.

Top image is of Alber Elbaz the other of Meredith Melling-Burke with her daughter Eloise.

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alice

Fashionista's Today!

What to get married in at the moment??? MARCHESA. Long or short, Pixie or Princess dream. You choose.

Jody Quon, W magazine's Creative Director has resigned after less than 6 months on the job. Quote from WWD about Stefano Tonichi's, W Magazine's Editor and the hirer of Ms. Quon, thoughts on this:

" "Very sad, very sad," said Tonchi in an interview on Friday afternoon, talking about his reaction to the news.

And why did she leave? "Very much that she didn't feel comfortable anymore and kind of agreed that it was maybe not the best match," he said, describing her reasons for leaving.

Tonchi said he was surprised by the decision but knew something was afoot when he returned from the fashion shows in Europe.

"I really came back 10 days ago and there was a lot of tension in the office, much more than before," he said."

Hm....Jody Quon is wonderful so I wonder Very Much what has happened behind the scenes...!!!

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alice

Fashionista's Today: Monsieur Pierre Cardin to show in Paris

Quote from WWD: WWD: What inspired you for your return to the Paris catwalk?

P.C.: Showing that the brand still exists as a creative force — that’s what drives me. And I notice that what I do early on becomes commercial some 15 or 20 years later. I’m always ahead of the curve.

WWD: Do you still have a lot of demand for couture?

P.C.: Our clients are very elegant and very faithful. The global clientele for haute couture has declined, but I must have around 100 customers a year who buy three, four, five or six dresses at a time. They are very discreet women who want to remain out of the spotlight. We don’t sell ready-to-wear here [at the flagship Paris boutique located at 27 Avenue de Marigny]. Everything you see in the windows is haute couture, and the dresses are made in our atelier here. I have some 80 seamstresses working for me, including around 50 in my factory in Châteaurenard, which acts as an extension of the atelier here because I don’t have enough space. Given my age, a lot of them have been with me for at least 30 years. I don’t produce seasonal collections, because as you can see, I sketch very quickly. I can do 100 sketches per hour!
WWD: You also plan to stage a show in New York in October. Why?

P.C.: My aim is to boost my sales in the U.S. and to raise my profile among young people. Since I don’t get a lot of press coverage, young people don’t know who I am. I want to show them I am still avant-garde and that I produce original designs, and I also want to help my licensees, who rely on my creativity, after all. Unfortunately, they produce very classic outfits for men. I wish they picked up my designs. Instead, they produce this fusty, bourgeois stuff. It drives me to desperation, because I bring them my original designs to copy. That is the purpose of their licenses. I don’t know why, they just won’t do it. We really need someone to drum up new licenses there. They could make a killing, because my designs are very youthful. All you see is these old Hart Schaffner Marx suits for old men. It makes me ashamed to even look at them. We haven’t made much of an effort there, I have to admit it’s partly my fault. Business is strong; it’s not a small country. I make a lot of money, but not as much as I should. It’s not about making money, of course, but about having a presence. I am ambitious, you understand.”


WWD: Have you ever considered hiring a young designer to revitalize your brand?

P.C.: No, because I have five people sketching for me who are very young. And I think the young designers of today are less avant-garde than I am. I’m still in good shape, I work every day."

He is 88 years old. How impressive is this. Truly an Inspiration to keep on being an artist.

xx
alice
(image and source WWD)

Alexander McQueen Memorial

Source WWD: LONDON — “Little white flowers will never awaken you, not where the dark coach of sorrow has taken you.”

The haunting voice of Icelandic singer Björk reverberated through St. Paul’s Cathedral here Monday at a grand memorial service for the late Lee Alexander McQueen, who took his own life last February at age 40.

Dressed in an otherworldly McQueen outfit — a top of thin, molded wood resembling angel wings and a long feathered skirt — Björk poured into song a sense of loss, and the demons that haunted the British designer.

“It was a life lived in the public gaze, but it was as vulnerable and retiring as it was glamorous,” the Reverend Canon Giles Fraser told the 1,200 guests, who included Sarah Jessica Parker, Daphne Guinness, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Karen Elson, Stella Tennant, Stella McCartney, Hussein Chalayan, Antonio Berardi, Roland Mouret, Philip Treacy and Shaun Leane. “Despite the dazzle of his world, he never forgot his East End roots and how much he owed to his loved ones,” said Fraser.

Others in the crowd that gathered under the gilded dome of Sir Christopher Wren’s Renaissance church included retailers Joe Boitano of Saks Fifth Avenue, Marigay McKee of Harrods, Selfridges’ Anne Pitcher, Brown’s owner Joan Burstein, Lane Crawford’s Jennifer Woo and Joyce president Andrew Keith."
....

"After the service, the congregation — some of them smiling, others wiping away tears — gathered in the sunshine to listen to the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland assembled on the cathedral steps. The musicians were dressed in black — with flourishes of red tartan — and the feathers on their tall, brimless hats fluttered in the breeze as they played.

Nyman, who played an acoustic piano solo during the memorial, remembered McQueen as a gracious man. “He commissioned a piece from me for the Paris collection where Kate Moss appeared as a hologram,” Nyman said after the service. “He never used it, and he called me to apologize, and asked me to go to the Bond Street store to pick something out for myself, which I never actually did. That was my only contact with him. It was a very moving experience to play today.”

“All of it was absolutely fitting, just beautiful, and typically Lee didn’t show up,” said Guinness with a smile from beneath her black veil, referring to the late designer’s tendency to cancel at the last minute, or pull a no-show. “I was like ‘Lee, where are you? You should be here.’”

“It was just beautiful and he would have loved it,” said Campbell, tottering on sky-high McQueen heels.

Like many female guests, Parker was decked out in McQueen. “This is new, this is fairly new,” she said, referring to her billowing cream dress and a rib-hugging black tuxedo jacket.

“It was perfect,” a rueful Parker said of the service. “I wouldn’t have missed this for anything in the world. It was just a wonderful way to remember him. It was just beautiful.”

Moss said she was moved by the service. “He would have loved it,” said the model, who was dressed in a black leather skirt and black jacket. She added that her abiding memory of McQueen was “his infectious laugh. We laughed together all the time.” "

I LOVED Mr. Alexander Lee McQueen. I will never get to see one of his shows which has been my dream since I was a teen since he was one of the designer (the only one??) whom could move me to tears. May he rest in peace.

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alice
(Images and text from WWD)

Fashionista's Today: Alexander McQueen Memorial in London

WWD: " - Stirring live performances by Bjork and a lone Scottish piper playing “Braveheart” loaned emotional weight to a memorial service here for Lee Alexander McQueen at St. Paul’s Cathedral.

Anna Wintour, Annabelle Nielson, Shaun Leane and Suzy Menkes were among those speaking at the grand 70-minute ceremony.

Family, friends and gathered under the soaring gold-tiled cupola of Sir Christopher Wren’s Renaissance style cathedral to hear prayers, remembrances and a gospel choir.

The Reverend Canon Giles Fraser opened the service with a tribute to the incendiary designer, who took his own life last February.

“It was a life lived in the public gaze, but it was as vulnerable and retiring as it was glamorous,” he said. “Despite the dazzle of his world, he never forgot his East End roots and how much he owed to his loved ones.”

Among those in attendance were Sarah Jessica Parker, Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Daphne Guinness, Stella McCartney, Philip Treacy and Hussein Chalayan, along with a host of retailers and members of the international press."

More about this tomorrow.

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alice

(Image from tfs and showing a Kate Moss attending the memorial in style. Source of information WWD)

More Fashionista Today: Sneak Peak of Tom Ford's Spring 2011 Stars:)

J'ADORE

Again, can't wait to see Terry Richardson's photos of the complete collection. Ohlalala hahaha Terry as an In House Photographer= LOVE.

Enjoy!!!

alice
(source of images Fashionista)

Fashionista's Today!

Maripol will be signing her book at Marc Jacobs new book store, Bookmarc on Friday. So whomever is in New York....should GO and buy this talented mademoiselles autobiography, Little Red Riding Hood! Just the name of it makes me Devour it even more.

Stella McCartney to launch kids wear!!! Out in Stella's stores plus online November 3rd. Her kid's wear collections for The Gap can not be forgotten so this is such wonderful news.

Tom Ford's Spring 2011 collection will be present Only in his own stores but stores like Bergdorf Goodman (my FAVE) and Neiman Marcus have already secured the Fall 2011 Collection...!!! Can't Believe I have not seen a single image of his Spring collection, those who wait though:)
Quote from WWD:" Ford plans to put the X (as in X, you’re out) back into the notion of exclusivity. Thus, while he has released a few stingy ambience photos, including the one seen here, that’s going to be it for months. Save for phone photos his guests may have gotten away with, he will remain in complete control of all images until he deems their release in the interests of the consumer.

Therefore:

• No full-look photos to run alongside fashion reviews. And, by the way, he no longer gives a hoot about fashion reviews.

• No complete run-of-show anywhere on the Internet.

• No magazine coverage until January issues, to whet the consumer appetite for February deliveries.

• No celebrities wearing the clothes until December.

“This fashion immediacy thing…if you can see them and press a button and they can be shipped to your house, I get fashion immediacy.…I don’t get the need for this immediacy. In fact, I think it’s bad.”"

WOW! I just Love Mr. Tom Ford. Brilliance in its Essence.

xx
alice

Fashionista's Today

Thierry Mugler taps Nicola Formichetti (famously mademoiselle Lady Gaga's stylist) as their new Creative Director of its women's wear and men's wear.

Tom Ford showed his new women's wear finally yesterday:) In a very small intimate setting with only a handful of the most important editors and from reading WWD, they all loved it. Can't wait to see images of the looks. There is only 1 Mr. Ford and he is as Always dashing. Inhouse photographer....Mr. Terry Richardson.

Tavi of Style Rookie has a publicist...she's 14:) I love it and Adore this special young cute, but most importantly talented, being.

The Olsen twins The Row's show has been cancelled in New York due to late arriving samples and will show during Paris fashion week instead. Looking forward to what they come up with this time.

Image 1 & 2 Lady Gaga as styled by Nicola Formachetti. Image 3 the darling Tavi:)

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alice

(info from WWD)

Fashionista's Today: Lanvin to links up with H&M

for another designer collaboration...Exciting News. Not confirmed yet though (so as of now, gossip)!

Lanvin + H&M= LOVE

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alice

(image is from Lanvin Fall 2010 show, style.com, news from WWD)

Fashionista's Today!

Grace Coddington is writing her Memoir:) She is the reason I wanted to become a Fashion Stylist so I can Not Wait for this one. She is working on it together with former Men's Vogue EIC, Jay Fielden. The book will cover Coddington's modeling days in London as well as her working as an Editor for British Vogue until Anna Wintour got her the job as Creative Director at Vogue US.

For those of you who want some candy up until then, go buy her book with tons of her work: GRACE CODDINGTON. It's an Amazing one. A Beautiful coffe table book.

Inspirational outfit for today is of this girl wearing cute dress with killer heels around Manhattan.

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alice
(all info plus image from WWD)

The RL Gang by Ralph Lauren

Ralph Lauren has created a virtual storybook which is called "The RL Gang" and it's supposed to give some rivalry to for ex. Dr. Seuss....it's narrated by Harry Connick JR. and will go Live online August 18th.

The story revolves around 8 babies and their experiences of the first day of school right from when they embark. With being online, children can click and buy the fall pieces worn by the charachters.

15% of the proceedings will go to Ellis Marsalis Center for Music.

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Alice
(images from WWD)

Erin Fetherston for Juicy Couture Holiday

A mix of 30s and 70s touches with clear Art Deco influences for the jewelry, was the way Erin went for Juicy Couture and its Holiday collection 2010.

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alice
(source: WWD)

Icons of American Fashion

Legends! Calvin Klein and Donna Karan. Strikingly Classsicly Beautiful looking at a dinner Anna Wintour hosted, to raise money for Team Obama whom also attended the dinner.

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alice

A Stunningly Beautiful Chelsea Clinton Married in Vera Wang

I wish Chelsea and Mark Mezvinsky all the best for their future.

Hope the whole family with friends had a glorious weekend.

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alice
(source: WWD and The Washington Post)

VACATION!!!!

my wonderful Step Father Hans, turns 60 on Wednesday the 19th of May:) We will all celebrate him in Spain. So I am flying out tomorrow!!!! HAAAAPY.

See you in a week.

Yes Upside down...As Always...!

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alice
(self portrait wearing a Sonia Rykiel striped dress)

Nicholas Kirkwood Exclusive for Dover Street Market

In store this September.

Mr. Kirkwood is the new Darling of the: Shoes World.

His designs= Sex. Amazingly paying attention to detail, he is Thee designer of tomorrow.

Dover Street Market

Nicholas Kirkwood

xx
alice