The Fashion Informer

Happy Holidays From The Fashion Informer!

Wishing you all a merry merry, happy happy holiday.  See you in the New Year!

Illustration © Lana Frankel

Random Questions For…Tess Giberson

After shuttering her namesake collection in 2005 to become Design Director at TSE (a position she held until the summer of 2008), Tess Giberson is re-launching her signature collection for spring 2010.

Full of refined, modern staples (read: coated linen anorak, twist-back tank dress, asymmetric tuxedo jacket, skinny black pants), Giberson’s new line, which will be sold at Ron Herman and Louis Boston, is also exceptionally wallet-friendly, with jersey tops retailing for $88 and a lace-trimmed coat topping out at $425.

“The idea was to design an accessible collection without compromising either quality or my vision,” the RISD-trained Calvin Klein alum said of the line she founded with business partner, Harriet Lau.  “Spring was designed as an introduction, to create a starting point for me to build from. I simply wanted to design strong pieces with great details.”

Done and done.

The Fashion Informer sat down with the New Hampshire-bred, New York-based mother of two just before the holidays to talk books, fashion and family.

So, Tess…

What’s your idea of a perfect weekend?
Sleeping past 7 and spending time with friends/kids without making complicated plans.

What was the last book you read, and would you recommend it?
White by Kenya Hara. Yes, I’d recommend this to others.

Tell me about your family.
My husband is an artist. We met back at college and have worked closely together since. We have two children; a son who’s four-and-a-half and a daughter who’s almost two. 

Who is your ideal customer for the new line?
A strong, confident woman with an independent sense of style.

What are you currently wearing?
Pieces from my original Tess Giberson collection and black jeans.

When you were 9, what did you want to be when you grew up?
An interior designer or lawyer.

How often do you get a mani/pedi, and what are your go-to colors?
Not often enough!  It’s too hard to find the time between work and kids. When I do I either go very dark or very pale, depending on my mood.

What’s your favorite way to relax/recharge?
Sleep and a spa day.

If you found $15,000 cash in a brown paper bag, how would you spend it?
Splurge a little on my family.

Your designs have been labeled “arty” and “crafty.” How would you describe your aesthetic?
Balanced irreverence.

What song/musician has had the biggest impact on you?
CAN’s Ege Bamyasi. It’s something I’ve been listening to a lot recently.

What did you have for breakfast this morning?
Eggs, toast and coffee.

What makes you nervous?
Too many things to mention.

When are you happiest?
Watching my children.

Photo by KT Auletta

 

Stay tuned for Random Questions For…Lydia Hearst

(Bing) Bang Out Your Holiday Shopping

In need of a stylish last-minute holiday gift?  Fret not. Jewelry designer Anna Sheffield (of Bing Bang fame) has gotten together with a few like-minded friends - including the folks at Dossier Journal - to host a three-day, one-stop-pop-up-shop in her homey Soho showroom, where you'll find everything from Lindsey Thornburg Cloaks to Ortolan Organic napkins and handwoven blankets - all at prices well below retail.  

Also on offer: Gift bags full of home-baked goodies from Chop Shop's Anne Apparu, rare books, clothes from Duskin, Nomia, Samantha Pleet and Electric Feathers, limited-edition prints from artists Robert Longo, David Armstrong, Hisham Bharoocha, Skye Parrott and Marni Horwitz and, of course, bijoux from Sheffield's Bing Bang and fine jewelry lines, as well as Anna Sheffield gift certificates for customized rings and bracelets (just the thing for the person who has everything).

See you there!

Image courtesy Anna Sheffield

Barbara Bui's Sexy New Jewels

 Barbara Bui has unveiled a new jewelry collection, fittingly dubbed Atame ("Tie Me" in Spanish).  We're particularly enamored of the sexy ID bracelet featured on VOGUE.COM, though the entire range is pretty damn hot.  Santa baby, you know what to do!

Images courtesy Barbara Bui/Atame

   
   

Random Questions (Redux) For...Maison Martin Margiela

In honor of the news that designer Martin Margiela has officially retired from the label he founded 20 years ago, we are re-running the Random Questions For...column we did with Maison Martin Margiela for the fall/winter 2007-08 issue of Plastique magazine while he was still at the helm (and, fittingly, wearing our favorite Margiela cardi while typing this). Click the pages below to view them full size.

Informed Obsession: Malgosia Bela

Yes, she’s been around for a while - since 1998, in fact, when she first stalked the runway for Givenchy, Balenciaga and Comme des Garçons. And yes, she’s appeared on numerous catwalks and magazine covers since and starred in campaigns both high and low (Versace, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, H&M, Lanvin, Jil Sander, Chloé, Donna Karan, Louis Vuitton, Gap, Hermès, BCBG, Belstaff, Marc by Marc Jacobs, John Galliano, Chanel and…oh, need we go on?). But our adoration of this Polish-born beauty (real name: Malgorzata Bela) has only grown over the years, due in equal measure to her striking beauty, her take-no-prisoners sensuality and her willingness to look both fierce (see December British Vogue layout shot by Josh Olins) and funny (see November British Vogue layout shot by Tim Walker). Oh, Malgosia. You had us at cześć.

Images courtesy British Vogue/Josh Olins
 

Random Questions For…Jason Wu

Launch a line of doll clothing at age 16? Check.  Be named creative director of Integrity Toys at age 17? Check.  Start eponymous ready-to-wear-line, design Michelle Obama's inaugural ball gown/Vogue cover outfit and win Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Award, all before turning 27?  Check, check, check.  

So reads the resumé of Jason Wu, the fashion world wunderkind who has done more in a quarter century than most people do in a lifetime (better get cracking, Tavi!).

The Taipei-born, New England-bred designer has been infatuated with fashion from a very early age (and began sewing at 9), so it’s no surprise that he hit the ground running.  Wu studied sculpture in Tokyo at the tender age of 14, spent his senior year of high school in Paris and studied fashion design at Parsons, where he interned with Narciso Rodriguez before debuting his own collection of polished, ladylike looks in 2006.

Wu’s spring 2010 collection was his best to date, full of shapely skirts and feathered frocks – many sculpted right on the models’ bodies, in homage to artist Tara Donovan – and it certainly was a hit with Amanda Peet, Kerry Washington, Becki Newton and his other A-list fans (what, you thought the First Lady was the only trendsetter Wu has wooed?). 

The Fashion Informer caught up with the soft-spoken epicurean -  just after it was announced that he would be designing a Tse fall 2010 capsule collection - to get the lowdown on his love of architecture, his purr-ferred companions, and the other kind of pins he excels at playing with.

So, Jason…

 

What’s your favorite getaway spot?
Turks & Caicos.

I know you like to cook – why do you enjoy it, and what's your signature dish?
I love the creative process of cooking, and enjoy trying out new recipes. My favorite thing to make is an apple pie.

What did you do last weekend?
I went to a wedding, had poker night at my apartment and caught up on TV.

Brunch: pro or con?
Pro, but only if it’s after 1:30.

What’s your favorite mode of transportation?
Walking.

What's on your screensaver?
It’s a picture of my cats.

What form of art – music, film, books, painting – do you feel most connected to?
I’m a big architecture buff. I really appreciate the clean lines and details of a beautiful building. And we’re just now selecting furniture and accent pieces for our new studio - we move next month - so I have been getting really into the whole interior decorating process as well.

Where do you feel most at home?
In my studio.

When it comes to home décor, are you more about form or function?
I like a little bit of both - and love mixing classic pieces with utilitarian accents.

Tell me about your pet(s).
I have two cats, Peaches and Jinxy - they are my kids.

Who do you consider the most underrated fashion designer, living or dead?
Geoffrey Beene.

Do you have any hidden or unusual talents?
I’m really good at Wii bowling.

What freaks you out?
A messy room.

When are you happiest?
When I’m putting a collection together. I thrive on the creative energy.

Photo by Kevin Sturman 

Stay tuned for Random Questions For…Tess Giberson

Target To-Go Pops Up in New York

We popped by the press preview of the much ballyhooed Target To-Go pop-up shop in the Meatpacking District this afternoon (conveniently located at the entrance to the highly trafficked High Line from December 11th through December 13th) and were - how shall we put it? - underwhelmed.

Yes, it's a very clever idea, in theory: you don't actually enter the building (which is the size of a large taco stand) but are given an order sheet and clipboard that lists the numbered offerings - 50 in all, from a 99 cent ornament to a $250 Sony PSP Go - all of which are displayed in windows along one side of the structure, grouped by price (under $25, under $50, etc.). After marking off which items you want, you hand the sheet over to a cashier on the front side of the building, pay, and proceed to the Guest Services/Gift Pickup window to get your pre-wrapped purchases.

Sounds like fun. But in practice? Not so much. The big excitement for fashion lovers was the news that the Rodarte for Target collection, which doesn't hit regular Target stores until December 20th, would debut at the pop-up shop first. True enough. But there are only three Rodarte items available here (the slip dress in coral, the black bow-neck halter dress and the sequin ribcage dress), none of which look as good in person as they do in the look book - and none of which can be tried on because this is basically a facade-only take-out stand.

Which, in addition to not stocking the Rodarte stripey tee and black lace sweater (why, why, why must you taunt us, Target?!) is our other problem with Target To-Go: the unpredictable New York weather. It was a brisk 37 degrees when we stopped by earlier today, and it's supposed to go down to 28 tomorrow and rain all day Sunday. So it remains to be seen whether people will brave the elements and queue up in what promises to be a very long line for...what reason, exactly?  Because other than the Rodarte merch, which is scant, there's not much here you can't find online or in other stores (you know, the kind with a roof, four walls and heat).

That said, we did appreciate the $25 gift card and the chance to peep Faran Krentcil's new blonde-pink locks - which really do look like Moet - in person.

Photos © The Fashion Informer/Lauren David Peden
  

 

At Shelly Steffee: Ethnic Elegance for Spring 2010

"I started with this book about the architecture of fish," explained Shelly Steffee of the jumping off point for her drop dead gorgeous spring 2010 collection, which somehow manages to feel both soft and powerful. "I got really enamored by that - the transparency and the whitened, translucent layers - but it has a bit of edge to it."

Also edgy, and layered in a different way, are the ethnic face painting photos Steffee discovered in the book Desata Planeta, which informed the collection's prints and the textural byplay seen in sheer chiffon tops and elegant wrap dresses, which act as a lovely feminine foil to the more tailored vests, jackets and pants on offer.

Below are images of the spring 2010 collection, along with some behind-the-scenes snaps of Steffee's inspiration and mood boards. You can find our full review at VOGUE.COM.

Lookbook images courtesy Shelly Steffee
Other photos © The Fashion Informer/Lauren David Peden

         
        

   

  

Tamsen Z Leaves No Stone Unturned

Ann Ziff has been enamored of jewelry for as long as she can remember.  So it seemed inevitable when the gracious Upper East Side denizen began designing her own collection in 2005 - dubbed Tamsen Z (in honor of its creators' given first name) and undertaken with the encouragement of her late husband, philanthropic publishing magnate, William Ziff, Jr.

Distinguished by the use of unique stones (kyanite, chalcedony, smithsonite, chromium diopside, spessartite garnet), colored diamonds and fire opals, Tamsen Z artfully blends unusual raw materials with timeless, old-world craftsmanship in settings that range from traditional (a carved gold bead necklace) to au courant (a fire opal knuckle duster that dazzles like the sea in sunlight).  

Each one-of-a-kind piece in the collection, which retails from $1,500 for a pair of earrings to $450,000 for a white faceted diamond bead necklace, is designed by Ziff and made with the help of goldsmiths in Germany, metal smiths in New York and world-renowned artisans such as stonecutter Bernt Munsteiner. 

These collaborations result in some of the most drop dead gorgeous jewelry we've ever seen. Ziff's turquoise and opal rings are especially covetable and - at 30-odd carats each - are serious statement pieces.

Ziff, who has also designed jewelry for Dennis Basso, unveiled her spring 2010 collection - inspired by nature and fantasy - at New York's Alexander Gallery last week. And The Fashion Informer has just learned that the peripatetic jeweler is scheduled to open a Tamsen Z boutique this coming June in the former Bulgari space on Madison Avenue. Until then, jewelry aficionados can find a selection of Tamsen Z pieces at Selfridges' Wonder Room in London or peep the entire collection by private appointment.

Images courtesy Ann Ziff/Tamsen Z