The Fashion Informer

Random Questions For...Alice Temperley

Since launching her eponymous label, Temperley London, in 2000, British-born designer Alice Temperley has earned a reputation as the queen of quirky, deliciously feminine knitwear, thanks to her signature hand knit, hand crocheted, intricately beaded dresses, which have caressed the curves of celebs Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johansson, Kim Cattrall, Halle Berry, Natalie Portman and Demi Moore, among others.

But Temperley is more than just a one-stitch pony, as witnessed by her expanding international business (complete with jewelry, luggage and the demi-couture “Black Label” line) and her recent ready-to-wear collections, which have riffed on everything from Russian exiles in Paris to the French seaside, circa 1925 to the Mata Hari.

The Fashion Informer caught up with the Central Saint Martin’s-trained designer earlier this month to find out why she’s so inspired by nature (thanks, mom and dad!) and why her nickname is, was, and will always be “Magpie.”

So, Alice...

What did you do last weekend and what are your plans for this weekend?
Last weekend I was in Paris Fashion Week. This weekend I intend to go to the country side and absorb some of the amazing spring weather in Somerset.

What is your favorite store in the world?
The Dogs Bollocks [Les Couilles du Chien] on Golborne Road - London's best antiques store.

Who do you consider the most underrated designer, living or dead?
Whoever designed the Ford Thunderbird.

What is your fondest memory from childhood?
A trip through Kenya. My parents rented a car and took off into the Masai Mara with us. I have never forgotten that feeling of freedom.

What is your favorite holiday?
The trip to Kenya I mentioned above...it made me discover and love the wildness of Africa.

What was your childhood nickname and what's your nickname now?
Magpie was and is [my nickname], as I collect a great variety of sparkly things and love roaming around markets.

Beverage of choice?
My father's Somerset Brandy Company's Kingston Black Aperitif - Eau de Vie straight from the still, mixed with apple juice and matured in oak.

For what will you be arrested (hypothetically speaking)?
Speeding.

What is the greatest, or most important lesson, your parents taught you?
Look for freedom in your life and laugh a lot.

What is your favorite mode of transportation?
A pushbike in London and a 1960's Thunderbird in the country side.

What's in current rotation on your iPod?
My husband's playlists.

What is your one can't-live-without-it beauty or grooming product?
Red lipstick.

If you found $15,000 cash in a brown paper bag, how would you spend it?
Give it to Afghan kids.

Do you play any instruments?
Saxophone.

When are you happiest?
When in a hot bubble bath on top of a mountain.

Stay tuned next week for Random Questions For...Zac Posen.

Muks Launches Spring Collection

Muks, the furry boots made by Canadian Aboriginals, have launched a new collection for the warm weather months. Read all about it at VOGUE.COM.

Photo courtesy of Muks

Random Questions For...Paula Thomas

Designer/Founder/Conceptualist. So read the titles on Paula Thomas’s bio.

But then, what else would you expect from this modern day Renaissance woman, who did stints as a Bond Girl (A View to a Kill), model (appearing in Vogue, I.D. and Elle), and muse/right-hand to Julien MacDonald - where she co-designed and sold the collection, produced shows, dressed celebrities and helped orchestrate his appointment as head designer at Givenchy - before partnering with Milanese designer (and Versace alum) Stefano Guerriero in 2001 to help create his pret-a-porter collection.

The British-born Thomas moved to Los Angeles in 2003 to help designer Jenni Kayne conceptualize her label, and struck out on her own in 2006 with the launch of Thomas Wylde, the punk chic brand favored by rock stars - and those who just want to look like one.

Along with her infamous skull-print scarves and chiffon separates (the prints on which were four years in the making), Thomas also creates a luxe line of shoes, handbags - even furniture - as seen in the photos below.

Her theme for fall '08: the wanderers and nomads of the African Highlands, with spring's scorpion print replaced by the more docile tarantula and spider, the former of which can be found creeping across the front of blouses and the latter seen crawling down the spine of cashmere pieces.

The Fashion Informer recently chatted with the rebellious, free-spirited Jill-of-all-trades to get the skinny on Elvis, life in LA, and how fashion sometimes makes her scream.

So, Paula...

What did you have for lunch today?
I had a Caprese salad and a wonderful seared tuna with fava beans.
 
What are you currently reading, and what is your favorite book/author of all time?
I’m currently reading nothing as I have no time during sales in Paris, but my favorite book of all time is “The Lovely Bones.”
 
NY vs. LA:  What's the number one difference, in your opinion?
The quality of life one lives in Los Angeles is much better.
 
Tell me about your pet(s).
My beloved Labrador, Elvis. He is very old and has arthritis, but is still hobbling around. He’s a survivor.
 
What is your favorite work of art?
Edvard Munch, The Scream - because this is how I feel on a daily basis in my industry.
 
If you found $15,000 in a brown paper bag, how would you spend it?
I only spend money I’ve earned, not what I find. I’d have to donate it to charity.  
 
Why skulls?
Because they represent a sense of rebellion, freedom and liberty as well as expression of individualism for me.
 
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
My quick temper.

Ocean or mountains?
Both.
 
What's your favorite form of transportation?
My Range Rover.
 
What is your most cherished item of clothing/jewelry and why is it so special to you?
My studded Thomas Wylde biker jacket, because it was the first piece ever made under my collection. And, like me, it gets better with age.
 
What type of music do you listen to while you work?
Many kinds. I can’t give one specific as it depends on my mood.
 
What freaks you out?
People with massive egos.
 
When are you happiest?
When I’m in bed at night with my TV on.

 
Stay tuned next week for Random Questions For...Alice Temperley.

Wool, C'est Cool: Woolmark To Relaunch Annual Fashion Prize During Paris Couture

Woolmark, the non-profit organization founded by Australian wool growers, is relaunching its annual Woolmark Prize for fashion creativity in Paris this summer.

The Woolmark Prize was originally conceived back in 1954 as the International Wool Secretariat to assist emerging fashion talent both financially and professionally, and was awarded to two then-fledgling young designers by the names of Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent, who were 21 and 19, respectively.

Since then, countless other designers went on to win the prize, including Donna Karan, Ralph Lauren, Romeo Gigli, Dolce & Gabbana and Giorgio Armani, before the program was shuttered in 1992.

Sixteen years later, the Woolmark Award is being relaunched as the Woolmark Prize with a roster of truly talented up-and-comers. The 2008 nominees hail from around the globe and include Louise Goldin, Rubecksen Yamanaka, Shao Jia, Tom Scott, Everlasting Sprout, Crysti Fischer, Qui Hao, Cooperativedesigns, Marielle Vab de Ven and Xavier Brisoux.

All were required to create a capsule collection emphasizing the "sensual, sculptural aspects of knit," and are vying for a prize of €100,000 in the form of Australian Merino wool, and support in sourcing, manufacturing, distributing and publicizing a prototype collection to be shown during the A/W 2009 ready-to-wear shows in Paris.

The 2008 Woolmark Prize will be judged by an as-yet-unnamed panel of industry experts and awarded at a gala to be held at the Palais de Tokyo during the couture shows in July.

Monica Botkier To Design Target Collection

Another week, another Target collaboration announcement. Last week came the news that Richard Chai had signed on as Target's latest guest women's wear designer. Today comes the news that accessories designer Monica Botkier (she of the recent Fashion Informer "Random Questions For..." column, below) has partnered with the chain on a limited-edition handbag collection, set to hit stores in mid-July. The line forms to the left, ladies.

Random Questions For...Lulu Guinness

Famous for her whimsical, retro-inspired handbags and witty shoes, British accessories designer Lulu Guinness is equally revered for her glamorous personal style, intelligence and generosity of spirit.

The Fashion Informer caught up with the London-based mother of two - whose fanciful handbags come in the shape of houses, fans, flower baskets, castles, and birdcages and have been the subject of two Sotheby’s exhibits and are included in the permanent fashion collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London - to dish about her favorite weekend pastimes, biggest style influence and the pros and cons of suffering for fashion.

So, Lulu...

What's your favorite off-duty activity?
I love Sundays in the park with my dog Woffle or at home with my children.  I love going to the Electric Cinema with the children, or wandering around Portobello Road.

What did you do last weekend, and what are you plans for this weekend?
I went to Solange Azagury’s jewelery shop on Westbourne Grove to see the Hot Lips rings.  This weekend, I am going to stay with Cath Kidston in Gloucestershire.

What did you eat for breakfast this morning?
Mango.
 
Favorite character on "Ugly Betty"?
Madeleine (my daughter) and I love the gay guy, Mark, and blonde receptionist, Amanda.
 
Tea or coffee?
Coffee.

Biggest style icon?
Elsa Schiaparelli.

Who is your favorite model of the moment?
I love Agyness Deyn - she has the most amazing sense of personal style. She certainly isn't afraid of expressing herself and I like the way she has fun with fashion.

What will be the title of your autobiography?
Be a Glamour Girl.

How do you stay in shape?
I don’t.

Favorite non-fashion magazine?
Domino.

Do you believe in suffering for fashion/beauty?
There are so many things in life that you have to be serious about, and fashion shouldn’t be one of them. But yes, I will suffer pain to look good!

What is your best Valentine's Day memory?
When I was 15 and receiving anonymous cards was the most important thing in the world.

When are you happiest?
I am absolutely the happiest when I am laughing with my daughters - that is what I do to enjoy myself. Laughing until I cry is my idea of heaven!
 

Stay tuned next week for Random Questions For...Paula Thomas.

Richard Chai to GO Target

Target has just announced that Richard Chai is the next designer in their GO Target collection, following hot on the heels of Jovovich-Hawk, Alice Temperley and Erin Fetherston. Chai's limited-edition GO womenswear collection will hit shelves in August 2008.

CFDA 2008 Nominees and Honorees Announced

Swarovski and the Council of Fashion Designers of America hosted a party at the Rooftop Gardens at Rockefeller Center Monday, March 10th, to announce the 2008 CFDA Fashion Awards nominees and honorees (you can read our coverage of the festivities at VOGUE.COM).

Here's a complete list of the honorees and nominees, all of whom will will collect their awards at the CFDA Fashion Awards gala, emceed by Fran Lebowitz, on June 2nd at the New York Public Library.

Womenswear Designer of the Year
Awarded to an American designer or a designer whose business is headquartered in the U.S. who has made the most outstanding contribution to and has influenced the direction of women's ready-to-wear fashion with his or her Spring and Fall 2008 collections. The designer selected must have his or her business based primarily in America.

2008 Nominees:
Francisco Costa for Calvin Klein
Lazaro Hernandez & Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler
Marc Jacobs

Menswear Designer of the Year
Awarded to an American designer or a designer whose business is headquartered in the U.S. who has made the most outstanding contribution to and has influenced the direction of men's ready-to-wear fashion with his or her Spring and Fall 2008 collections. The designer selected must have his or her business based primarily in America.

2008 Nominees:
Michael Bastian
Thom Browne
Tom Ford

Accessory Designer of the Year
Awarded to an American designer or a designer whose business is headquartered in the U.S. who has made the most outstanding contribution to and has influenced the direction of accessory design with his or her Spring and Fall 2008 collections. The designer selected must have his or her business based primarily in America.

2008 Nominees:
Tory Burch
Marc Jacobs
Michael Kors

Swarovski Award for Womenswear
Awarded to an American designer or a designer whose business is headquartered in the U.S. who has made the greatest impact as an emerging new talent in womenswear design with his or her Spring and Fall 2008 collections. The Swarovski Awards, originally called Swarovski’s Perry Ellis Awards, were established to recognize and support the talent and creativity of the next generation of American designers. The designer selected must have his or her business based primarily in America.

2008 Nominees:
Thakoon Panichgul
Kate & Laura Mulleavy for Rodarte
Alexander Wang

Swarovski Award for Menswear
Awarded to an American designer or a designer whose business is headquartered in the U.S. who has made the greatest impact as an emerging new talent in menswear design with his or her Spring and Fall 2008 collections. The Swarovski Awards, originally called Swarovski’s Perry Ellis Awards, were established to recognize and support the talent and creativity of the next generation of American designers. The designer selected must have his or her business based primarily in America.

2008 Nominees:
Patrik Ervell
Tim Hamilton
Scott Sternberg for Band of Outsiders

Swarovski Award for Accessory Design
Awarded to an American designer or a designer whose business is headquartered in the U.S. who has made the greatest impact as an emerging new talent in accessory design with his or her Spring and Fall 2008 collections. The Swarovski Awards, originally called Swarovski’s Perry Ellis Awards, were established to recognize and support the talent and creativity of the next generation of American designers. The designer selected must have his or her business based primarily in America.

2008 Nominees:
Philip Crangi
Justin Giunta for Subversive Jewelry
Joy Gryson

HONOREE AWARDS

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award
Awarded for a “lifetime” of consistent, creative influence and dedication to fashion.

2008 Honoree: Carolina Herrera

Eugenia Sheppard Award
Awarded to a writer, photographer, or editor who has used his or her craft to further the profession of fashion reporting and coverage, or to a creative director, fashion editor, stylist, or artist whose exceptional creativity has shaped fashion visually.

2008 Honoree: Candy Pratts Price

International Award
Awarded to a designer working outside of America who has made an outstanding creative contribution to the world of fashion.

2008 Honoree: Dries Van Noten

Board of Directors’ Special Tribute
A special tribute by the Board of Directors of the CFDA, given from time to time to acknowledge significant contributions and commitment to fashion.

2008 Honoree: Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg

Photos © The Fashion Informer/Lauren David Peden

Diane von Furstenberg Celebrates International Women's Day in Style

Diane von Furstenberg is hosting a series of events in her stores worldwide this week to celebrate International Women's Day and the program "Woman Can." You can read all about it on VOGUE.COM.

Random Questions For...Christian Siriano, Project Runway Winner

Six months ago, he was Christian Who?? to most of America. But last night, Christian Siriano beat out Rami Kashou and Jillian Lewis to be crowned the latest winner of Bravo’s hit show, “Project Runway,” with a shiny new Saturn Astra, a spread in Elle magazine, the chance to sell his collection on bluefly.com and $100,000 seed money at his disposal.

Not bad for a “fierce” 22-year-old from Annapolis, Maryland (albeit one who worked for Vivienne Westwood and Alexander McQueen after studying fashion design in London).

“Christian brings a European showman sensibility to American fashion,” Tim Gunn told The Fashion Informer earlier today. “His aesthetic is refined, sophisticated and exuberant, with the latter characteristic ensuring that his work is always editorial.”

“I truly believe that Christian is his generation's Marc Jacobs,” adds Gunn. “Christian has the aptitude and capacity to be the leading voice in fashion for New York and, accordingly, this nation.  The maturity of his point of view as a designer betrays his relative youth.  He is an old soul.”

The Fashion Informer caught up with the tiny-yet-larger-than-life old soul following the announcement of his big win. And we can report that Monsieur Siriano is just as exuberant in print as he is in person (note the effusive use of exclamation points). But, then, we’d expect nothing less of the diminutive designer known, among other things, as “Ferosha Coutura.”

So, Christian...

What is your favorite off-duty activity?
Shopping!

What did you have for breakfast this morning?
I had a PBJ [peanut butter and jelly] sandwich, I'm five years old!

What did you do last weekend and what are your plans for this weekend?
Last weekend I was sewing away for clients!!! Sooo fun. This weekend I did an event for the Baltimore School for the Arts and the live auction featured me to design for the highest bidder. It went for 50,000!

Which other "Project Runway" designer did you consider your biggest competition?
My biggest competition was Jillian and Rami from Day One.

What was the hardest thing about living/working in close quarters with so many other people for a solid month?
Living and working close was hard because there was no one to vent to!! We all barely knew each other!

What's in current rotation on your iPod?
Britney and Rhianna.

Who do you consider the most underrated designer?
I think that there are no underrated high fashion designers!!!

Tell me about your pet(s).
No pets.

What was your first thought upon being named the winner of “Project Runway?”
My first thought as the winner was that I'm not poor anymore and my life will never be the same! YAY!

What's your favorite store in the world?
Dover Street Market in London!

What was your childhood nickname, and what's your nickname now?
My childhood nickname was just Chris. Now, I have sooo many. OMG. Prodigy, pocket gay, cocktail, diva, tiny tim, chicken, third Olsen twin, Ferosha Coutura. Too many.

What freaks you out?
It freaks me out that I just won “Project Runway” and everyone tries to touch me!!

When are you happiest?
When I'm sewing away and it comes out perfect!

Stay tuned next week for Random Questions For...Lulu Guinness.

“Fashion Illustration by Fashion Designers” Offers a Graphic Peek Inside Designer’s Minds

Laird Borrelli is clearly smitten with fashion illustration. Her first two books, “Fashion Illustration Now” and “Fashion Illustration Next” were paeans to the work of professional graphic artists such as Mats Gustafson, Jeffrey Fulvimari, Ruben Toledo, Julie Verhoeven, Mode 2, Koji Iwashi and Maren Esdar, among others.

Her new book, "Fashion Illustration by Fashion Designers" (Chronicle Books, $40), continues the tradition by paying visual salute to the drawings of 50 international designers, from established couturiers Christian Lacroix, Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent to emerging talents such as Phillip Lim, Costello Tagliapietra, Christopher Kane, Giles Deacon, Riccardo Tisci, Alexander Terekhov and Doo-Ri Chung.

“I can’t draw, but to me, looking at a photo is more like reading prose, whereas an illustration is more like fiction,” Borrelli, a fashion historian and senior fashion editor at style.com, told The Fashion Informer last week. “I always think of them sort of like children’s books for grownups because they kind of tell the story in a different way. I love that fantasy element and getting a window into how someone’s imagination works.”

Indeed, looking at Phillip Lim’s spare headless ink on paper line drawings, Aitor Throup’s colorful punky characters, Badgley Mischka’s bejeweled glam goddess sketches, Rodarte’s whimsical colored pencil and ink maidens and Bruno Frisoni’s modern impressionistic babes - rendered in marker pen and colored pencils in a way that suggests his gals are ready for action, even while at rest - offers a fascinating peek at the origins of these designer’s creative process and a little bit of insight into their personality.

Sonia Rykiel, for instance, sketches in a manner that reflects the boldness (or “Gallic insouciance,” as Borrelli aptly puts it) of her finished creations, while Stephen Burrows opts for more realistic crayon and mixed media renderings designed to “capture the mood and posture” of the collection he’s working on. Tuleh’s Bryan Bradley scrawls little notes (“For life, love, sex & fashion...”) in the margins of his elegant illustrations, which recall the wink-wink knowingness of his fashions. Walter Van Beirendonck’s beefy boys, sketched in bright yellow leggings or buffalo check pants using ink and colored pens, resemble the Belgian designer himself. Zang Toi, meanwhile, uses a black roller on white paper and methodically sketches “over and over again” until the drawing is an exact replica of the ensemble he’s envisioned in his imagination. And Molly Grad’s subversively sexy, doll-like characters (some fully realized watercolors, others rendered as an ink on paper x-ray of skeletal tendon and bone) are as otherworldly as the folded, knotted and pleated “demi-couture” collection she debuted upon graduating from London’s Central St. Martins.

Unlike the professional illustrators Borrelli featured in her previous books, who are given a specific assignment (“We need you to illustrate a beauty image or looks from Gaultier’s latest collection”), a designer’s illustrations are, for the most part, a private enterprise not intended for public viewing - which, for a fashion fan, makes seeing them all the more thrilling.

“A fashion illustration by a professional illustrator is usually editorializing something that already exists,” explains Borrelli. “But these drawings generally are a starting point for something. And the designers seem to be divided almost equally in half [about their process], like Christian Lacroix, who told me something he drew as a bathing suit ended up as a baroque wedding dress, whereas Roksanda Ilincic says she feels like her garment’s successful when it looks exactly like the drawing. So for one, the drawing is a basic starting point, while other people use their illustrations as maps.”

In fact, it’s Borrelli’s attempt to capture something of each designer’s creative process - along with the diverse nature of the drawings themselves (some of which were culled from well-organized archives, others yanked down from the designer’s inspiration board and sent with fabric swatches attached, still others discovered beneath piles of books or magazines in the corner of a designer’s studio) - that makes "Fashion Illustration by Fashion Designers" such a fun, compelling read.

And according to Borrelli, this may very well be the first in a series. “Of course, as soon as you finish a book, you find something amazing,” says the author with a chuckle. “Like, I got Celia Birtwell to agree to do it but it was too late to include her. That was so frustrating. But it’s just impetus to start collecting for a new one.”

We’ll be waiting...

Photos © The Fashion Informer