Saks Fifth Avenue Unveils New Beauty Floor In New York Flagship

The ‘future of beauty’ opens on second floor as part of Grand Renovation

Saks Fifth Avenue FaceGym – SAKS FIFTH AVENUE UNVEILS NEW BEAUTY FLOOR IN NEW YORK FLAGSHIP (Courtesy of Justin Bridges for Saks Fifth Avenue) 

Saks Fifth Avenue today opens the new, 32,000-square-foot beauty space on the second floor of the New York City Flagship Store with more than 120 color cosmetics, skincare, fragrance, and wellness brands —58 of which are new to the floor. (See the full list below.) With a significant focus on experiences, the floor is approximately 40-percent larger and now includes 15 new spa rooms along with services such as medi-spa treatments, facials, massages, manicures, brow services, a flower shop and more. By moving the Beauty department to the second floor, Saks is evolving the way customers shop and experience beauty. (Saks New York is located at 611 Fifth Avenue at 50th Street, and is open Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.)

Saks Fifth Avenue Apothecary – SAKS FIFTH AVENUE UNVEILS NEW BEAUTY FLOOR IN NEW YORK FLAGSHIP (Courtesy of Justin Bridges for Saks Fifth Avenue)

The brands represented on the new beauty space include (in alphabetic order) Acqua Di Parma, AERIN Beauty, Aesop, Alexander McQueen, Amouage, Angela Caglia, Annick Goutal, Art Meets Art, Artis, Balenciaga, Blink Brow Bar London, Bobbi Brown, Bond No. 9, Bottega Veneta, Bulgari, Burberry, By Terry, Care/of, Cartier, Cellcosmet, Chanel, Chantecaille, Chloé, Christian Dior, Christian Louboutin, Christophe Robin, Chuda, Cire Trudon, Clarins, Clé de Peau Beauté, Clinique, Clive Christian, Creed, Decorté, Diana Vreeland, Dior, Diptyque, Dolce & Gabbana, D.S. & Durga, Dyson, EB Florals, Estée Lauder, Ex Nihilo, FaceGym, Floraïku, Foreo, Frédéric Malle, GHD, Giorgio Armani, Givenchy, Glow Recipe, Gucci, Guerlain, Hermès, Histoires De Parfums, Hotel Couture, House of Sillage, Jason Wu, Jo Malone London, Kiehl’s Since 1851, Kilian, L’Artisan Parfumeur, La Mer, La Prairie, Lancer Skincare, Lancôme, Laura Mercier, Le Labo, Leonor Greyl, MAC, Maison Francis Kurkdjian, Mancera, Marc Jacobs, Mario Badescu, Martine de Richeville, Marvis, Mason Pearson, Molton Brown, Montale, Moroccanoil, Mugler, Narciso Rodriguez, Nars, Natura Bissé, NEST Fragrances, Omorovicza, Ormonde Jayne, Orveda, Patchology, Penhaligon’s, Philip Kingsley, Prada, Proenza Schouler, R+Co, Raincry, ReFa, RéVive, Rodial, RODIN olio lusso, Roja Dove, Rossano Ferretti, Sakara Life, Salvatore Ferragamo, Serge Lutens, Shiseido, simplehuman, Sisley Paris, SK-II, SKINNEY MedSpa, Slip, sundays, Supergoop!, Tammy Fender, Tata Harper, The Perfumer’s Story, Tiffany & Co., Tom Ford, Trish McEvoy, Valentino, Valmont, Viktor & Rolf, Vilhelm Parfumerie and YSL.

“As part of Saks’ overall growth strategy, we continue to look for ways to innovate, create and disrupt. The bold decision to move Beauty to the second floor, from the traditional main floor model, allowed us to build a one-of-a-kind destination enabling Saks to create the epitome of an experiential beauty floor,” said Marc Metrick, president, Saks Fifth Avenue. “We continue to apply the principles of what we call The New Luxury to everything we do. What we’ve done with Beauty gives the customer a warmer environment, differentiated from what they can get anywhere else and creates a reason to come to Saks and experience our brand.“

Saks Fifth Avenue EB Florals — SAKS FIFTH AVENUE UNVEILS NEW BEAUTY FLOOR IN NEW YORK FLAGSHIP (Courtesy of Justin Bridges for Saks Fifth Avenue)

The new beauty floor is the latest step in the New York flagship’s Grand Renovation. Saks redefined the department store concept with the revolutionary migration of Beauty from the main floor to the second floor. The Saks Store Planning and Design team, in collaboration with Gensler, spearheaded the design focusing on opening up the space, creating broad sightlines across the floor and modernizing traditional finishes that complement the brand’s heritage. The team used custom agglomerate white stone flooring from Italy throughout and restored original windows facing Fifth Avenue, 49th Street, and 50th Street, allowing natural light to the floor and north and south facing views of the city.

Nordstrom Men’s Store NYC Opens

Retailer Debuts First Manhattan Flagship

Nordstrom, Inc. opened the doors Thursday, April 12, to its very first flagship, full-line New York City location and first ever stand-alone men’s store at 235 West 57^th Street. The three-level 47,000 square foot store offers a differentiated merchandise assortment across all categories, including popular and designer brands, along with a range of convenient services to serve customers on their terms.

Nordstrom Incorporated logo. (PRNewsFoto)

The Nordstrom Men’s Store NYC features the company’s newest store design concepts, including an all-glass façade to bring in more natural light, unboxing the display windows, and connecting the shopping experience to the city. An open, flexible floor plan allows for an evolving curation of how products are displayed over time, depending on what New York customers respond to. The store environment will create a sense of discovery, allowing customers to navigate easily and find new brands they haven’t experienced before.

Calvin Klein Boutique at Nordstrom Men’s Store NYC

Nordstrom has been a longtime believer in investing in artwork for its stores. New Yorkers will experience an extensive collection, featuring 39 works by both international and American artists, with a quarter being local. Suspended in the center of a three-story staircase, a floating, diaphanous tree sculpture entitled “Arctic Tree” by the Seattle-based artist John Grade is a nod to the retailer’s Seattle roots.

EXCLUSIVE MERCHANDISE CONCEPTS
Olivia Kim, Nordstrom vice president of creative projects has curated a special Comme des Garçons(CDG) shop that will feature one of the largest local selections of the fashion house’s coveted brands. Olivia commissioned artist Marc Hundley to design a space that invokes both the ethos of CDG and the streets of New York City. In a first for Nordstrom, the men’s flagship will also feature designer shops by Calvin Klein, Balenciaga, Valentino, and Dior. Each space is united by a chainmail motif, but are distinguished by personalized fixtures adhering to each brand. The shoe department houses a Christian Louboutin shop displaying a wide range of the shoemaker’s sporty and formal offerings. The Nike Men’s Project, a sportswear and shoe destination for style and fitness-obsessed customers, will offer the brand’s latest sneakers and apparel collections.

Comme des Garcons shop at Nordstrom Men’s Store NYC

The store also features an array of customization and personalization experiences, including the Levi’s Tailor Shop, where customers can shop Levi’s Authorized Vintage, one of the largest vintage denim collections in existence, and also design custom embroidery on any item, heat press a shirt or get an express hem while they wait; Shinola will offer watch customization in addition to a selection of tech products; exclusive to the flagship, Samuelson Custom Suit Visualizer is an interactive digital made-to-measure suiting experience at an accessible price point; Eton Endless Aisle is a digital touchscreen offering an expanded assortment of dress shirts and ties; and cult-favorite Le Labo will create personalized fragrance labels in the grooming department.

Jacqueline de Ribes: The Essence of True Glamour and Style at The Met’s Costume Institute

“Style is what makes you different; it’s your own stamp, a message about yourself.” – Countess Jacqueline de Ribes.

The Costume Institute’s Fall 2015 exhibition, Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style, focuses on the internationally renowned style icon Countess Jacqueline de Ribes, whose originality and elegance established her as one of the most celebrated fashion personas of the 20th century.

Jacqueline de Ribes in Christian Dior, 1959. Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Roloff Beny, Roloff Beny Estate

“A close study of de Ribes’s life of creative expression yields illuminating insights into her strategies of style,” said Harold Koda, Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, who organized the exhibition. “Her approach to dress as a statement of individuality can be seen as a kind of performance art. When she established her own fashion house, her friend Yves Saint Laurent gave his blessing to the venture as a welcome projection of her elegance.”

The press preview for Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style, was a somber affair. The guest of honor and the exhibition’s subject, Countess Jacqueline de Ribes, was not in attendance for obvious reasons. The Costume Institute released the following statement:

“Following the tragic events in Paris, Jacqueline de Ribes has canceled her trip to New York for the opening of Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Her thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. She would like to express her gratitude to all her friends at the Met with whom she has collaborated for so many months, and hopes that they will understand her decision.

Comtesse de Ribes also knows how much Americans share the deep sadness felt in France, which confirms the enduring bond between the two countries. She hopes the exhibition will represent the joy associated with the freedom of creation.”

Jacqueline de Ribes in her own design, 1983
Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Victor Skrebneski, Skrebneski
Photograph © 1983

As reported by Vanessa Friedman of The New York Times, the planned dinner on Wednesday, hosted by the House of Dior, in honor of the exhibition was downgraded to a cocktail reception in business dress.

While I was looking forward to seeing the Countess in person (having read so much about her in magazines and newspapers since the early 1980’s), I must also say that, even without her there, the exhibition fully represented her far-reaching talents, self-assuredness and strong belief in her own sense of what works for her and how her public life (and charitable works) changed the world around her. In a time when “style icons” are anointed based on the work of their Svengali-like stylists who tell them what to wear (usually obscenely expensive designer dresses borrowed for the night, including the jewelery AND the shoes), where to wear them (most often than not to red-carpet events) and how to wear them, the Countess is the REAL DEAL. Most everyone else is a pale imitation.

Jacqueline de Ribes, 1955, Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Richard Avedon,
©The Richard Avedon Foundation

“Elegance. It’s an attitude. A frame of mind. An intuition, a refusal, a rigor, a research, a knowledge. The attitude of elegance is also a way of behaving.”

Countess Jacqueline de Ribes (born 1929 in Paris to aristocratic parents) is seen by many as the ultimate personification of Parisian elegance. She was, with the American and Italian beauties Gloria Vanderbilt and Marella Agnelli, among the small flock of “Swans” photographed by Richard Avedon and written about by Truman Capote in 1959.

Married at age 19 to the late Édouard, Vicomte de Ribes (he became the Count de Ribes upon the death of his father in 1981), the traditions of her in-laws precluded her from becoming a career woman. However, as an independent spirit, she channeled her creativity into a series of ventures linked by fashion, theater, and style. In 1956, de Ribes was nominated for Eleanor Lambert’s Best-Dressed List. At the time, she had only a handful of couture dresses, as most of her wardrobe was comprised of her own designs, which she made herself or with a dressmaker. Four more nominations followed, and resulted in her induction into the International Best-Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1962.

Jacqueline de Ribes in her own design, 1986
Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Photograph by Francesco
Scavullo, The Francesco Scavullo Foundation and The Estate of Francesco
Scavullo

“When I was a small child, there were two women I admired. One was a friend of my mother’s who was an ambassadress. The other was Coco Chanel. It seems I always wanted to be a designer.”

Photographed by the world’s leading talents including Slim Aarons, Richard Avedon, David Bailey, Cecil Beaton, Robert Doisneau, Horst, Jean Baptiste Mondino, Irving Penn, Francesco Scavullo, Victor Skrebneski, and Juergen Teller, her image came to define an effortless elegance and a sophisticated glamour, something you cannot say about so many of the women today that defines the term, “modern style icons.” As Carolina Herrera recently remarked in a newspaper interview (and I am paraphrasing here), “How can someone be a style icon when they are not wearing any clothes?” in reference to the trio of music and Hollywood stars who attended the recent Met Ball in “dresses” that left almost nothing to the imagination. And Mrs. Herrera is right. If you want to see what a TRUE style icon is, run, don’t walk, to The Met to see Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style.”

“You must remember that you’re never going to be sexy for everyone. You are sexy for someone and for someone else you are not. Being totally nude is not sexy. The art of being sexy is to suggest. To let people have fantasy.”

Gallery View, Evening Wear
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The thematic exhibition features approximately 60 ensembles of haute couture and ready-to-wear primarily from de Ribes’s personal archive, dating from 1962 to the present. Also included are her creations for fancy dress balls, which she often made by cutting up and cannibalizing her haute couture gowns to create unexpected, thematic, and conceptually nuanced expressions of her aesthetic. These, along with photographs, video, and ephemera, tell the story of how her interest in fashion developed over decades, from childhood “dress-up” to the epitome of international style.

A muse to haute couture designers, they placed at her disposal their drapers, cutters, and fitters in acknowledgment of their esteem for her taste and originality. Ultimately, she used this talent and experience to create her own successful design business, which she directed from 1982 to 1995.

Gallery View, Evening Wear
© The Metropolitan Museum of Art

“My mirror, my only truthful advisor.”

While the exhibition explores her taste and style methodology, extensive documentation from her personal archives illustrates the range and depth of her professional life, including her roles as theatrical impresario, television producer, interior designer, and director and organizer of international charity events.

Costume Institute’s Fall Exhibition to Focus on Fashion Icon Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style

The Costume Institute’s Fall 2015 exhibition, Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style, will focus on the internationally renowned style icon Countess Jacqueline de Ribes, whose originality and elegance established her as one of the most celebrated fashion personas of the 20th century. The exhibition will be on view in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Anna Wintour Costume Center from November 19, 2015 through February 21, 2016.  

“A close study of de Ribes’s life of creative expression yields illuminating insights into her strategies of style,” said Harold Koda, Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, who is organizing the exhibition. “Her approach to dress as a statement of individuality can be seen as a kind of performance art. When she established her own fashion house, her friend Yves Saint Laurent gave his blessing to the venture as a welcome projection of her elegance.”

Countess Jacqueline de Ribes (born 1929 in Paris to aristocratic parents) is seen by many as the ultimate personification of Parisian elegance. She was, with the American and Italian beauties Gloria Vanderbilt and Marella Agnelli, among the small flock of “Swans” photographed by Richard Avedon and written about by Truman Capote in 1959. 

Married at age 19 to Édouard, Vicomte de Ribes (he became the Count de Ribes upon the death of his father in 1981), the traditions of her in-laws precluded her from becoming a career woman. An independent spirit, she channeled her creativity into a series of ventures linked by fashion, theater, and style. In 1956, de Ribes was nominated for Eleanor Lambert’s Best-Dressed List. At the time, she had only a handful of couture dresses, as most of her wardrobe was comprised of her own designs, which she made herself or with a dressmaker.  Four more nominations followed, and resulted in her induction into the International Best-Dressed List Hall of Fame in 1962.  

Photographed by the world’s leading talents including Slim Aarons, Richard Avedon, David Bailey, Cecil Beaton, Robert Doisneau, Horst, Jean Baptiste Mondino, Irving Penn, Francesco Scavullo, Victor Skrebneski, and Juergen Teller, her image came to define an effortless elegance and a sophisticated glamour.

In 1999, Jean Paul Gaultier dedicated his haute couture collection to her with the title “Divine Jacqueline,” and in 2010, she received the Légion d’Honneur from then French President Nicolas Sarkozy for her philanthropic and cultural contributions to France.

The thematic exhibition will feature approximately 60 ensembles of haute couture and ready-to-wear primarily from de Ribes’s personal archive, dating from 1959 to the present. Also included will be her creations for fancy dress balls, which she often made by cutting up and cannibalizing her haute couture gowns to create unexpected, thematic, and conceptually nuanced expressions of her aesthetic. These, along with photographs and ephemera, will tell the story of how her interest in fashion developed over decades, from childhood “dress-up” to the epitome of international style.  

A muse to haute couture designers, they placed at her disposal their drapers, cutters, and fitters in acknowledgment of their esteem for her taste and originality. Ultimately, she used this talent and experience to create her own successful design business, which she directed from 1982 to 1995.  

While the exhibition will focus on her taste and style methodology, extensive documentation from her personal archives will illustrate the range and depth of her professional life, including her roles as theatrical impresario, television producer, interior designer, architect, and director and organizer of international charity events.

Designers in the exhibition will include Giorgio Armani, Pierre Balmain, Bill Blass, Marc Bohan for House of Dior, Roberto Cavalli, Jacqueline de Ribes, John Galliano, Madame Grès (Alix Barton), Valentino Garavani, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Norma Kamali, Guy Laroche, Ralph Lauren, Ralph Rucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Fernando Sanchez for Révillon Frères, and Emanuel Ungaro.

Jacqueline de Ribes: The Art of Style will run November 19, 2015–February 21, 2016 at the Anna Wintour Costume Center at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

 

The Museum at FIT Explores “Global Fashion Capitals”

Fashion & Textile History Gallery, June 2 – November 14, 2015

All photographs © The Museum at FIT

The globalization of fashion has given rise to new fashion cities that now annually host hundreds of fashion weeks around the world. Each city’s cultural identity and particular economic, political, and social circumstances combine to elevate its designers to international attention. Global Fashion Capitals explores the history of the established fashion capitals, Paris, New York, Milan, and London, and the emergence of 16 new fashion cities (including Tokyo, Antwerp, Stockholm, Berlin, St. Petersburg/Moscow, Madrid, Sydney/Melbourne, Mexico City, Sao Paolo, Istanbul and Mumbai).

A fashion capital is a city which has a major influence on international fashion trends and in which the design, production and retailing of fashion products – plus events such as fashion weeks, awards and trade fairs – generate significant economic output. The cities considered the Big Four fashion capitals of the world are: London, Paris, Milan and New York.

Fashion capitals usually have a broad mix of business, financial, entertainment, cultural and leisure activities and are internationally recognised for having a unique and strong identity. It has also been noted that the status of a fashion capital has become increasingly linked to a city’s domestic and international profile. Fashion capitals are also likely be part of a wider design scene, with design schools, fashion magazines and a local market of affluent consumers.

The exhibition (at The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology, Seventh Avenue at 27 Street, New York City 10001-5992) opens with a digital style map that geographically locates the fashion capitals and showcases their latest runway and street style photographs. Global Fashion Capitals continues city-by-city, starting with Paris, the birthplace of haute couture, represented by designs from Charles Frederick Worth, Gabrielle Chanel, Christian Dior, and the emerging couturier, Bouchra Jarrar.

Fashion has always existed at the crossroads of art and consumerism and never more so than in today’s society. The way we perceive our desires, bodies, and eras shapes fashion every season, as it shapes us. Paris fashion is at the center of it all. The French were the first to make an industry out of fashion, not just dress-making, and they have been exporting their style since the 17th century which is frankly before most of the world had even realized what fashion was. It all kicked off in the 17th century when the association of France with fashion and style was initiated by, surprise surprise, Louis XIV’s court.

The House of Worth, Cape, Circa 1890. Paris. Gift of the Estate of Elizabeth Arden. 69.160.9
Hip-length cape in cream lace with wide neckline border of black silk velvet; trimmed with black silk chenille bobble tassels

The House of Worth, Cape, Circa 1890. Paris. Gift of the Estate of Elizabeth Arden. 69.160.9
Hip-length cape in cream lace with wide neckline border of black silk velvet; trimmed with black silk chenille bobble tassels

The Sun King made it his business to be at the center of all that was beautiful in the world so the luxury goods industry in France became a royal commodity. The creation of the fashion press in the 1670s catapulted French fashion into the spotlight and the notions of different fashion “seasons” and the changing of styles became available to a bigger audience. Louis XIV himself was responsible for starting the trend for outrageous wigs of curled hair. The king was going bald so he over-compensated and the rest of the court followed suit.

Balenciaga , Cocktail dress , 1959, Paris. Gift of Kay Kerr Uebel. 75.170.1_20050512_01
Short evening dress in chartreuse ribbed silk with black chinÈ r; with bateau neckline; bubble skirt on hip yoke; and attached black satin ribbon tie; separate coordinating black satin ribbon sash

In fact, he moved the needle towards extravagant fashion even more so because of his wigs. The French Royal court turned into a farcical game of one-upmanship where fashion was concerned – Whose wig is the tallest? Whose skirt is the widest and most covered in tiny bows? In Paris fashion big was the rage. This was most evident in the french movie, Ridicule, the 1996 French film set in the 18th century at the decadent court of Versailles, where social status can rise and fall based on one’s ability to mete out witty insults and avoid ridicule oneself, as well as one’s ability to be the most preening peacock in the room. The story also examines the social injustices of late 18th century France, in showing the corruption and callousness of the aristocrats.

The rebels were, of course, very quick to change all this and went very fast towards the opposite direction — what before had been of a baroque, almost decadent, excess, now everything was simple — as per the ideas of the era and also because hygiene had improved wonders by now and people had to buy more fabric to have at least one piece of clothing to wear while they cleaned the other one. And then the 1800s came and department stores were opened, giving a boost to Paris fashion. Instead of courtiers, France now had the bourgeoisie and, as the driving force that made the economy move from hand to hand (as in, they could actually move money around), French fashion found its way into society.

It wasn’t long until the couturier (designer) was born. It is, of course, as usually with designers, a controversial statement, but a man from England named Charles Frederick Worth is more or less accepted into the popular vernacular as the man who totally dominated the industry. He was the first to be considered a designer and not just a dressmaker – he invented the fashion show and the fashion label as a status symbol. He went on to become so successful and respected, in fact, that he earned the final say on whatever their customers were going to wear, regardless of their opinion. He also came up with the idea of actually sketching the design before producing an expensive sample garment. He was hailed as a genius for that.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, the French fashion industry exploded (Vogue was founded in 1892) and Jacques Doucet and Madeline Vionnet founded fashion houses. They were influenced by Art Nouveau and Orientalist trends and so finally women were “liberated” from corsets and heavy petticoats and instead wore their whimsical designs with flowing bias-cut dresses. In 1925 a little known designer called Coco Chanel first came into prominence and revolutionized Paris fashion and then the world’s.

In 1947, the world’s attention was on Paris once more as Christian Dior unveiled his “New Look” – the clinched in waists contrasted with majestic busts and full skirts delighted the post-war clientele in its femininity. Hubert de Givenchy and Pierre Balmain both opened fashion houses soon after and Paris was the center of the world again.

The 1960s saw the Parisian youth becoming disillusioned with French fashion, (apparently too elegant and elaborate) favoring instead the casual style seen in London. In 1966, Yves Saint Laurent put Paris in the spotlight again with his a prêt-à-porter (“ready to wear”) line which made fashion accessible to the masses. In fact, even though Paco Rabanne and Pierre Cardin pushed fashion towards the future, creating bold shapes they always had to stay under YSL’s shadow. He was undoubtedly king of the latter part of the century. He pioneered the tuxedo suit for women, seducing everyone with his androgynous style and Left Bank beatnik chic.***

The New York section begins with a circa 1938 iridescent evening gown by Nettie Rosenstein and ends with Alexander Wang’s sporty spring/summer 2015 neon orange dress. New York also includes styles by Claire McCardell, Halston, and Ralph Lauren.

Nettie Rosenstein, Evening dress, Circa 1938, New York, Gift of Gloria Carr de Veynac. 76.32.1

Claire McCardell, Dress, 1954, New York . Gift of Sally Kirkland. 76.33.34_20080425_01
Sleeveless dress in beige muslin with black windowpane check; fitted midriff panel; calf-length flared skirt; wide wrap & tie sash

Milan claimed its place as Italy’s fashion capital during the 1970s. Milan has established a long history within the fields of fashion, textiles and design in general. Throughout the late 19th century, the Lombard capital was a major production centre, benefitting from its status as one of the country’s salient economic and industrial powerhouses. Milanese fashion, despite taking inspiration from the leading Parisian couture of the time, developed its own approach, which was by nature devoted to sobriety, simplicity and the quality of the fabric. Throughout the 20th century, the city expanded its role as a fashion centre, with a number of rising designers contributing to Milan’s image as a stylistic capital. Following this development, Milan emerged in the 1970s and 1980s as one of the world’s pre-eminent trendsetters, maintaining this stint well into the 1990s and 2000s and culminating with its entrenchment as one of the “big four” global fashion capitals. As of today, Milan is especially renowned for its role within the prêt-à-porter category of fashion.

Milan’s fashion history has evolved greatly throughout the years. Milan began as a center of fashion in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, as in Venice and Florence, the making of luxury goods was an industry of such importance that in the 16th century the city gave its name to the English word “milaner” or “millaner”, meaning fine wares like jewellery, cloth, hats and luxury apparel. By the 19th century, a later variant, “millinery”, had come to mean one who made or sold hats.

In the mid-19th century cheaper silk began to be imported from Asia and the pest phylloxera damaged silk and wine production. More land was subsequently given over to industrialisation. Textile production was followed by metal and mechanical and furniture manufacture. In 1865, the first major department store in the country opened in Milan by the Bocconi brothers (which was called Alle Città d’Italia and later in 1921 became La Rinascente). This was regarded as a novelty at the time with regards to retailing in Italy. Though, traditionally, artisans would sell the items they made directly or to small stores, the opening of these new department stores modernized the distributions of clothes in the city.

In the 1880s and late 19th century, the Milanese style was partially inspired by French fashion, which at the time was still dominant in terms of influence, yet adapted according to local tastes; this included a generally somber and simple style, which was moderate in terms of decoration and ornamentation, and put an emphasis on the quality of tailoring and the different fabrics and textiles. The general Milanese interest in styling was reflected in the number of fashion magazines which circulated in the city at the time, as well as the fact that the people were ready to follow trends; nevertheless, the Milanese style was relatively traditional. The city had several tailors and seamstresses which in 1881 amounted to 249 and in 1886 to 383 (which were listed in guides).

In this period, the city was one of the biggest industrial powerhouses in Italy, and had a diversified fashion and clothing economy which was mainly based on small workshops rather than large companies (highlighted in an 1881 census). The importance of this industry continued in the city into the early 20th century, where 42,711 out of 175,871 workers were in the clothing sector in 1911.

However, in the 1970s, Milan’s fashion image became more glamorous, and as Florentine designs were deemed to be “very formal and expensive”, the city became a more popular shopping destination, with numerous boutiques which sold both elegant and everyday clothes. Milanese designs were known for their practicality and simple elegance, and became more popular and affordable than Florentine and Parisian designs. The city became one of the main capitals for ready-to-wear female and male fashion in the 1970s.  Milan started to become an internationally successful and famous fashion capital towards the late-1980s and early 1990s.

Milan has been home to numerous fashion designers, including Giorgio Armani, Valentino Garavani, Gianni Versace, Gianfranco Ferrè,Domenico Dolce, Stefano Gabbana, Miuccia Prada, Mariuccia Mandelli alias Krizia, Antonio Marras, Alessandro Dell’Acqua, Franco Moschino, Gimmo Etro, Mila Schön, Nicola Trussardi, Ottavio Missoni, Donatella Versace, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Pierpaolo Piccioli and Giuseppe Zanotti in addition to Fausto Puglisi, Francesco Scognamiglio, Alessandra Facchinetti, Gabriele Colangelo, Simonetta Ravizza, Stella Jean and Marco De Vincenzo, just to name a few younger designers.

Prada , Ensemble , Fall 2007, Milan, Gift of Prada, 2007.20.1
Coat with black textured wool blazer fringed with plastic strips, stitched to orange fleece skirt with rust pile hem band; red silk ribknit toeless stockings; black satin shoes with hardware buckle, high curved heel and back covered in taupe satin

Most of the major Italian fashion houses and labels are based in Milan, even though many of them were founded in other cities. They include: Armani, Bottega Veneta, Canali, Costume National, Dolce & Gabbana, Dsquared2, Etro, Iceberg, Les Copains, Marni, Missoni, Miu Miu, Moncler, Frankie Morello, Moschino, MSGM, N°21, Prada, Fausto Puglisi, Tod’s, Trussardi, Valentino, Versace, Giuseppe Zanotti, Zagliani, Ermenegildo Zegna, and the eyewear company Luxottica.

Christopher Kane, Dress, Fall 2014, London, Museum Purchase, 2015.15.1

Christopher Kane, Dress, Fall 2014, London, Museum Purchase, 2015.15.1

London captured international attention with “youthquake” fashions during the 1960s. Provocative designers such as Vivienne Westwood, John Galliano, and Alexander McQueen established London as a creative fashion hub during the decades since.

 

Manish Aurora, Ensemble, Spring 2006, New Delhi, Museum purchase. 2007.58.1

Manish Arora, Detail of top, Spring 2006, New Delhi, Museum purchase, 2007.58.1

Manish Aurora. Detail of sneakers. Spring 2006, New Delhi, Museum purchase, 2007.58.1

When selecting which emerging fashion capitals to include in the exhibition, the curators considered a number of indicators to show that a city’s fashion scene is growing. All the featured cities are home to forward-thinking designers who have achieved domestic success and attracted international interest. They also hold fashion weeks attended by international press and fashion buyers.

 

Alexandre Herchcovitch, Jumpsuit, Spring 2007, São Paulo, Gift of Alexandre Herchcovitch. 2007.49.1

Walter Van Beirendonck, Ensemble, Summer 2006, Antwerp, Gift of Walter Van Beirendonck. 2007.54.1

Carla Fernandez, Ensemble, 2009, Mexico City, Gift of Carla Fernandez/TallerFlora, 2009.48.1

Yohji Yamamoto, Corset , Fall 1991, Tokyo. Gift of Anonymous Donor, 2010.1.2

Agatha Ruiz de la Prada, Dress, Spring/Summer 2014. Madrid. Gift of Agatha Ruiz de la Prada. 2014.44.1

Big Park, Dress. Spring 2015, Seoul, Gift of Big Park, 2015.2.1

BACK, Ensemble, Spring 2015. Stockholm. Gift of Ann-Sofie Back. 2015.3.1

LIE SANGBONG, Ensemble , Fall 2006. Seoul. Gift of LIE SANGBONG. 2015.9.1

 

Several factors drive the development of a city’s fashion scene—politics, economics, and government support among them. For example, Johannesburg fashion blossomed during the post-apartheid era, led by designers such as Nkhensani Nkosi of Stoned Cherrie. Current events in Ukraine have ignited the creativity of designers such as Anton Belinskiy, who staged a photoshoot amid Kiev’s street protests.

China’s economic growth over the last decade created consumer demand for international fashion, developing into support for successful domestic designers, such as Shanghai’s Masha Ma. Nigeria’s economy, the largest in Africa, supports Lagos’ developing fashion industry and the growing international reach of brands like Maki Oh and Lisa Folwaiyo. The governments of Copenhagen and Seoul actively fund and promote their fashion industries.

On October 13, 2015, The Museum at FIT, in conjunction with CUNY Graduate Center, will host a one day symposium on the topic of global fashion capitals. The morning session will take place on the FIT campus and will consist of a student fair, where visitors can interact with members of the international fashion community. The morning will also include a fashion show featuring five designers from emerging fashion capitals and a panel discussion moderated by MFIT curators Ariele Elia and Elizabeth Way. The afternoon session will take place at the CUNY Graduate Center, details to follow.

Global Fashion Capitals is organized by Ariele Elia, assistant curator of costume and textiles, and Elizabeth Way, curatorial assistant, The Museum at FIT.

*** Excerpted from http://www.whatparis.com/paris-fashion.html

Costume Institute’s Spring 2015 Exhibition at Metropolitan Museum to Focus on Chinese Imagery in Art, Film, and Fashion

Chinese Whispers: Tales of the East in Art, Film, and Fashion

Exhibition Locations: Chinese Galleries and Anna Wintour Costume Center

The Metropolitan Museum of Art announced today that The Costume Institute’s spring 2015 exhibition, made possible by Yahoo, with additional support is provided by Condé Nast, will be Chinese Whispers: Tales of the East in Art, Film, and Fashion, on view from May 7 through August 16, 2015 (preceded on May 4 by The Costume Institute Benefit). Presented in the Museum’s Chinese Galleries and Anna Wintour Costume Center, the exhibition will explore how China has fueled the creative imagination for centuries, resulting in layers of cultural translations, re-translations, and mistranslations. In this collaboration between The Costume Institute and the Department of Asian Art, high fashion will be juxtaposed with Chinese costumes, paintings, porcelains, and other art, as well as Chinese films to reveal ongoing dialogues between East and West, past and present.

This is The Costume Institute’s first collaboration with another curatorial department since AngloMania: Tradition and Transgression in British Fashion in 2006, a partnership with the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts. Chinese Whispers will feature more than 100 examples of haute couture and avant-garde ready-to-wear alongside Chinese art. Filmic representations of China will be incorporated throughout to reveal how our visions of China are framed by narratives that draw upon popular culture, and also to recognize the importance of cinema as a medium through which we understand the richness of Chinese history.

The exhibition, a collaboration between The Costume Institute and the Department of Asian Art, coincides with the Museum’s year-long centennial celebration of the Asian Art Department, which was created as a separate curatorial department in 1915. Chinese Whispers is organized by Andrew Bolton, Curator, with the support of Harold Koda, Curator in Charge, both of The Costume Institute. Additional support is provided by Maxwell Hearn, Douglas Dillon Chairman; Denise Patry Leidy, Curator; and Zhixin Jason Sun, Curator, all of the Department of Asian Art.

The Anna Wintour Costume Center’s Lizzie and Jonathan Tisch Gallery will present a series of “whispers” or conversations through time and space, focusing on Imperial China; Nationalist China, especially Shanghai in the 1920s and 1930s; and Communist China, with an emphasis on changing images of Chairman Mao. These ‘whispers,’ and others in the exhibition, will be illustrated with scenes from films by such groundbreaking Chinese directors as Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Ang Lee, and Wong Kar Wai. Distinct vignettes will be devoted to “women of style,” including Madame Wellington Koo, Madame Chiang Kai-shek (Soong May-Ling), and Empress Dowager Cixi.

Directly above the Anna Wintour Costume Center, the Chinese Galleries on the second floor will showcase fashion from the 1700s to the present, juxtaposed with decorative arts from Imperial China, including jade, lacquer, cloisonné, and blue-and-white porcelain, mostly drawn from the Met’s collection. The Astor Court will feature a thematic vignette dedicated to Chinese opera, focusing on the celebrated performer Mei Lanfang, who inspired John Galliano’s spring 2003 Christian Dior Haute Couture Collection, ensembles from which will be showcased alongside Mr. Mei’s original opera costumes.

Designers in the exhibition will include Giorgio Armani, Sarah Burton (Alexander McQueen), Roberto Cavalli, Peter Dundas (Emilio Pucci), Tom Ford (Yves Saint Laurent), John Galliano (Dior), Jean Paul Gaultier, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Picciolo (Valentino), Craig Green, Ground-Zero, Guo Pei, Marc Jacobs (Louis Vuitton), Mary Katrantzou, Karl Lagerfeld (Chanel), Ralph Lauren, Ma Ke, Martin Margiela, Alexander McQueen (Givenchy), Kate and Laura Mulleavy (Rodarte), Anna Sui, Vivienne Tam, Isabel Toledo, Dries van Noten, Vivienne Westwood, Jason Wu, Laurence Xu, and others.

“I am excited about this partnership between these two forward-thinking departments that will undoubtedly reveal provocative new insights into the West’s fascination with Chinese aesthetics,” said Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO of the Met. “The artistic direction of acclaimed filmmaker Wong Kar Wai will take visitors on a cinematic journey through our galleries, where high fashion will be shown alongside masterworks of Chinese art.”

“From the earliest period of European contact with China in the 16th century, the West has been enchanted with enigmatic objects and imagery from the East, providing inspiration for fashion designers from Paul Poiret to Yves Saint Laurent, whose fashions are infused at every turn with fantasy, romance, and nostalgia,” said Andrew Bolton, Curator in The Costume Institute. “In an intricate process of translation and mistranslation similar to the game of ‘Telephone’–which the British call ‘Chinese Whispers’–designers conjoin disparate stylistic references into a fantastic pastiche of Chinese aesthetic and cultural traditions.”

Internationally renowned filmmaker Wong Kar Wai will be the exhibition’s artistic director working with his longtime collaborator William Chang, who will supervise styling. Creative production company 59 Productions (exhibition designers for David Bowie is at the V&A Museum and video for the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony) will serve as the exhibition’s production designers.

“William Chang and I are pleased to be working in collaboration with The Costume Institute and the Asian Art Department of The Metropolitan Museum of Art on this exciting cross-cultural show,” said Wong. “Historically, there have been many cases of being ‘lost in translation’–with good and revealing results. As Chinese filmmakers we hope to create a show that is an Empire of Signs–filled with meaning for both East and West to discover and decipher.”

In celebration of the exhibition opening, the Museum’s Costume Institute Benefit will take place on Monday, May 4, 2015. Silas Chou will serve as Honorary Chair. The evening’s co-chairs will be Jennifer Lawrence, Gong Li, Marissa Mayer, Wendi Murdoch, and Anna Wintour. This event is The Costume Institute’s main source of annual funding for exhibitions, publications, acquisitions, and capital improvements. Additional financial support for the 2015 exhibition and benefit is provided by a group of Chinese donors. The design for the 2015 Costume Institute Gala Benefit will be created by Wong Kar Wai and William Chang with 59 Productions, and Raul Avila, who has produced the Benefit décor since 2007. A publication by Andrew Bolton will accompany the exhibition. It will be produced by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and distributed by Yale University Press, and will be available in early May.

amfAR’s CINEMA AGAINST AIDS GALA RAISES A RECORD BREAKING $35 MILLION FOR RESEARCH TO FIGHT HIV/AIDS AND TO HELP FIND A CURE

EVENT SPONSORED BY WORLDVIEW ENTERTAINMENT, BOLD FILMS, BVLGARI, MERCEDES-BENZ and THE WEINSTEIN COMPANY

The 21^st annual Cinema Against AIDS raised a record $35 million last night, helping amfAR in its continued fight against HIV/AIDS. The star-studded black-tie event was held at the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc and was presented by Worldview Entertainment, Bold Films, and BVLGARI.

CAP D’ANTIBES, FRANCE – MAY 22: Harvey Weinstein and Heidi Klum speak onstage during amfAR’s 21st Cinema Against AIDS Gala Presented By WORLDVIEW, BOLD FILMS, And BVLGARI at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 22, 2014 in Cap d’Antibes, France. (Photo by Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for amfAR)

CAP D’ANTIBES, FRANCE – MAY 22: Dean Caten, Sharon Stone and Dan Caten attend amfAR’s 21st Cinema Against AIDS Gala Presented By WORLDVIEW, BOLD FILMS, And BVLGARI at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 22, 2014 in Cap d’Antibes, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/amfAR14/WireImage)

Since amfAR’s late Founding International Chairman Dame Elizabeth Taylor hosted the first Cinema Against AIDS in 1993, the event has become the most coveted ticket in Cannes. Past events have been chaired by amfAR Global Fundraising Chairman Sharon Stone, President Bill Clinton, Demi Moore, Sir Elton John, and Madonna, among many others.

Like the epidemic itself, AIDS research knows no borders. amfAR’s programs have had a global reach since 1986, when the Foundation began awarding international grants. Today, amfAR continues to fund HIV/AIDS researchers worldwide and works to translate their research into effective policy, prevention, and treatment programs around the globe.

CAP D’ANTIBES, FRANCE – MAY 22: (L-R) Eva Herzigova and Sharon Stone speak onstage during amfAR’s 21st Cinema Against AIDS Gala Presented By WORLDVIEW, BOLD FILMS, And BVLGARI at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 22, 2014 in Cap d’Antibes, France. (Photo by Dominique Charriau/WireImage)

CAP D’ANTIBES, FRANCE – MAY 22: Kellan Lutz attends amfAR’s 21st Cinema Against AIDS Gala Presented By WORLDVIEW, BOLD FILMS, And BVLGARI at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc on May 22, 2014 in Cap d’Antibes, France. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/amfAR14/WireImage)

Sharon Stone was once again a Chair of the event, along with Harvey Weinstein, amfAR ambassador Milla Jovovich, Heidi Klum, BVLGARI Ambassador Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, John Travolta, Kelly Preston, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan, Carine Roitfeld, amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole, Bulgari Group Chief Executive Officer Jean-Christophe Babin, amfAR Global Fundraising Ambassador Milutin Gatsby, Michel Litvak, Vincent Roberti, Remo Ruffini, Worldview Entertainment chairman and CEO Christopher Woodrow, and Worldview Entertainment COO Molly Conners.

Armani/Casa Goes Back to Nature with its 2013/2014 Collection

Photo Credit: Fabrizio Nannini PHOTOGRAPHY

“Nature is a special place, where dreams meet reality and reality can transfigure itself into a sign or symbol, or a pure expression of culture.”

Nature as Giorgio Armani observes it is “eternal, infinite and powerful, seemingly simple yet always producing different paths through which to reconcile desire and fantasy.” The new Armani/Casa Collection was born from this enchanted observation and it is expressed in the use of unusual eco-friendly materials to protect the environment: striped banana tree finishes (gathered after the crops are cut) and tamo, the Japanese ash wood whose grain seems to reproduce the movements of sand in Zen gardens.

They are striking materials for furniture that features pure lines and simple shapes. Like the Gabriel Wardrobe that was inspired by old trunks: it is made in tamo with internal lighting and brown soft leather-covered trim, reminiscent of the wooden construction of vintage travelling containers. The elegant Daybed, which stems from the previous Engadin model, covered with soft leathers and fabrics from the Armani/Casa Exclusive Textiles by Rubelli line. The sophisticated Glam Dressing Table is delicate and feminine, with pale gold metal finish, offered in three different precious versions.

Neiman Marcus Unveils Fall 2013 The Art Of Fashion Campaign Photographed by Artist Sarah Moon

Alexander McQueen NM AOF Fall 2013. (PRNewsFoto/Neiman Marcus, Sarah Moon)

Soon to be seen in the big September fashion issues and the September edition of the Neiman Marcus’s in-house publication, the book , Neiman Marcus announced The Fall 2013 Art of Fashion Campaign. Debuting nearly 20 years ago, The Art of Fashion was a revolutionary step for the luxury retailer to feature cutting-edge fashion and provocative photography, as well as highlighting some of their top picks of the season. Designer merchandise featured in the Fall 2013 campaign includes Alexander McQueen, Stephen Webster, Dior, Burberry Prorsum, Lanvin Paris, Manolo Blahnik, The Row, Jil Sander, Chanel, Gucci, Valentino, Dolce & Gabbana, Akris, Charlotte Olympia, Carolina Herrera, Oscar de La Renta, Givenchy, Christian Louboutin, Giorgio Armani, Proenza Schuler, Azzedine Alaia and Tom Ford.

Gucci Neiman Marcus Art Of Fashion Fall 2013. (PRNewsFoto/Neiman Marcus, Sarah Moon)

Shot by veteran artist/photographer Sarah Moon, Creative Director Georgia Christensen is especially pleased with this year’s edition of the campaiagn: “There’s soul to her work. She loves clothes. And there’s a wonderful combination of modern and conventional. She’s shooting digital but then they’re physically moving the background.”

Tom Ford Neiman Marcus Art Of Fashion Fall 2013. (PRNewsFoto/Neiman Marcus, Sarah Moon)

SOLSTICE SUNGLASSES ANNOUNCES ITS “WISH MORE, GIVE MORE, SAVE MORE” HOLIDAY PROMOTION

SOLSTICE SUNGLASSES, upscale sunglass specialty chain owned and operated by SOLSTICE MARKETING CONCEPTS (SMC), LLC., and the New York City based subsidiary of the renowned Italian designer eyewear manufacturer SAFILO GROUP, offers a unique sunglass shopping experience as all of its sunglasses are displayed openly and readily available to customers. The open sell retail format has been hugely successful, as customers are able to touch and try on as many pairs as they like with the utmost ease and comfort.

A visual from the SOLSTICE Sunglasses “Wish More, Give More, Save More” holiday promotion which kicks off today. (PRNewsFoto/SOLSTICE Sunglasses)

The company offers more luxury, designer and sport performance sunglasses than any other retailer or sunglass specialty store in the United States. With over 135 locations nationwide, and over 1,000 pairs from which to choose from in a variety of price points, there is a pair for everyone. Highly coveted brands available at SOLSTICE SUNGLASS locations include:  ALEXANDER MCQUEEN, BALENCIAGA, BOTTEGA VENETA, CARRERA, CARRERA X-CEDE, DIOR, DIOR HOMME, EMPORIO ARMANI, GIORGIO ARMANI, GUCCI, HUGO BOSS, JIMMY CHOO, JUICY COUTURE, KATE SPADE, MARC JACOBS, MARC BY MARC JACOBS, TOMMY HILFIGER and YVES SAINT LAURENT, to name a few.