W FEBRUARY 2012
This cover for the February issue of W Magazine is a bit perplexing as it looks like it could have been shot in 1994 during the “Interview with a Vampire” craze. Freshly blown out, feathered hair is a risky game plan and it’s a bit surprising that it was approved. “Brad Pitt Hotter Than Ever” & “Spring’s Sexiest Fashion” does little to offset the overall impression that this cover might be better suited for Glamour or Cosmo. Here’s a terrific flashback photo of Mr. Pitt from another 1994 classic, can you guess the movie? (more…)
WEALTH CREATIONS
WEALTH CREATIONS. At the Milan men’s wear shows, luxe looks ignored lean times. [FINANCIALTIMES]
LAYOFFS AT GILT GROUPE
LAYOFFS AT GILT GROUPE. Gilt’s spokesperson has confirmed the number of layoffs, writing in an e-mail, “We let go of about 80-90 across the businesses and that process is now complete.” [THECUT]
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN + H. HUNTSMAN
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN + H HUNTSMAN. Alexander McQueen by Huntsman intermingles the traditional Saville Row style of Huntsman and the modern design of Alexander McQueen. [INTERVIEW]
WOOLRICH WOOLEN MILLS
Here are four looks from last week’s FW12 Woolrich Woolen Mills presentation in Milan featuring a very precise and tightly edited 15 looks. It’s a good example of how a smaller brand can make an impact during the frenzy of a fashion week made up primarily of powerhouse, highly-staged runway shows. It’s also encouraging to see a storied American brand like Woolrich experience a second/third? act, with head creative director Mark McNairy largely responsible for keeping the brands momentum moving positively forward from the successful Daiki Suzuki era. The Civil War was listed as (more…)
LOUIS VUITTON A STAND OUT
LOUIS VUITTON A STAND OUT. If the men’s shows in Milan were all about looking like a corporate warrior, suits and all, the news from Paris is largely about looking like the Milanese’s younger, hipper brother. [FORBES]
THE 10 BEST STATES TO RAISE A CHILD
THE 10 BEST STATES TO RAISE A CHILD. Some surprises in here, including North Dakota, and the #1 state. [BUSINESSINSIDER]
PARIS FASHION WEEK IN PICTURES
PARIS FASHION WEEK IN PICTURES. A slideshow look at the highlights from Paris. [GUARDIANUK]
COUNT BASIE JUMPIN AT THE WOODSIDE
Some music gets the mind going better than others, jazz and the big band era in particular. Count Basie (1904-1984) was one of the most influential musicians of his time and his song “Jumpin at the Woodside” helped usher in the golden age of Big Band Jazz. He introduced several generations of listeners to this new sound and helped support the careers of hundreds of musicians. From his peers: “Basie is remembered by many who worked for him as being considerate of musicians and their opinions, modest, relaxed, fun-loving, dryly witty, and always enthusiastic about his music. As he summed up the key to his understated style, in his autobiography, ‘I think the band can really swing when it swings easy, when it can just play along like you are cutting butter’”. That’s a good philosophy for just about any earnest endeavor. If you like this song, here’s another favorite: (more…)
AGENCY OF THE YEAR
AGENCY OF THE YEAR. Top h0nors go to OMD, Maxus and Edelman. [ADWEEK]
DIGITAL CATWALK IS THE NEW FASHION
DIGITAL CATWALK IS THE NEW FASHION. An alternative to the global, monthlong trek to fashion weeks is emerging. KCD Worldwide, the fashion public-relations and production powerhouse, was expected to announce early Monday the launch of an invitation-only Internet platform for fashion catwalk shows. [WSJ]
THE DEMON OF SCREAMIN
Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler peformed the national anthem at yesterday’s AFC Championship game between the Patriots and Ravens and it was more humorously entertaining then a well-executed performance. He did a good enough job, although the press this morning has been ripping him up. It was a fair choice to have Tyler perform – his range may be “limited” but his passion for the Patriots and his New England roots go deep. His choice of outfit was kind of funny: leather and fur jacket, running shoes and a vintage logo tee shirt – looked like he had just come from the Salvation Army en route to the game. As he concluded the national anthem, a massive Hercules C130 military plane roared overhead, a welcome relief to the fading voice of the “Demon of Screamin.”
LUXURY STORE WARS ESCALATE ON LONDON’S TOP STREET
LUXURY STORE WARS ESCALATE ON LONDON’S TOP STREET. Bond Street, the UK’s most expensive shopping destination, is fast becoming a battlefield for deep-pocketed fashion dynasties that are increasingly willing to shell out hard cash to guarantee ownership of top sites and hedge against spiraling rents. [REUTERS]
THE GENTLEMANS BAR
If you find cocktail shakers a bit excessive, there is a smoother way to prepare first-rate drinks. While out in New York recently at Locanda Verde, Robert De Niro’s popular Tribeca restaurant, the talented bartenders could be seen using a stunning crystal glass jar, with little of the fanfare that is now de rigueur amongst the mixology set. The jar is known as a “Seamless Yarai Mixing Glass” and can be bought for $52 at Cocktail Kingdom, a terrific bar supply website. Here are a few other essentials to round out your bar: (more…)
DARK DOLCE & GABBANA
Here are four top looks from this weeks Dolce & Gabbana FW12 menswear show in Milan. The first look is a perfect example of an effortless and, dare I say, casual? double breasted suit. It’s the lower button stance, short cropped jacket and form fitting fabrication that makes it purely Italian, and so uniquely Dolce & Gabbana. Heavy gauge sweaters have always been a bright spot for the company, with a medium gray, cable knit cardigan a particular stand out. It’s very difficult to find manufacturers who can create such a lux, stylish sweater – as thinner-weight, flimsier knits out of China have started to take over. It’s refreshing to see such a rugged and substantial piece (more…)
THE 11 COOLEST GADGETS FROM CES
THE 11 COOLEST GADGETS FROM THE CES SHOW. A slideshow look at some of the stand outs from Vegas. [BUSINESSINSIDER]
FISHING FOR NOSTALGIA TO MARK 100 YEARS OF L.L. BEAN
FISHING FOR NOSTALGIA TO MARK 100 YEARS OF L.L. BEAN. The Freeport, Maine, company’s centennial comes as its rugged, retro-style fashions are enjoying an uptick in popularity, particularly among younger shoppers. [WSJ]
ASIAN DESIGNERS MAKE AN IMPACT IN PARIS
ASIAN DESIGNERS MAKE AN IMPACT IN PARIS. Asian designers, whether home based or in the fashion diaspora, are making an impact in the opening days of the Paris men’s 2012 season. That idea of uniform, which was the undercurrent of the Milan men’s wear shows, has re-emerged in Paris. [IHT]
DANDY FINANCIERS CUT THROUGH GLOOM AT MILAN WEEK
DANDY FINANCIERS CUT THROUGH GLOOM AT MILAN FASHION WEEK. Chinese buyers were again the top guests at the Milan menswear fashion week that ended Tuesday, confirming their influence on an industry relying on Asia to shield itself from European headwinds. [REUTERS]
DOLCE & GABBANA’S HONG KONG PR DISASTER
DOLCE & GABBANA’S HONG KONG PR DISASTER. One of the biggest stories of this past weekend in Hong Kong was a massive, Facebook-organized protest of the Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana. [FORBES]
