Biz Buzz: Weekly Round-Up

Biz Buzz keeps its fabulously accessorized ear to the ground to provide breaking fashion news coverage.

The scandal of the week comes courtesy of J.Crew creative director, Jenna Lyons. A feature in the latest J. Crew catalogue and on the brand’s online store titled “Saturday with Jenna” shows Lyons painting her 3-year-old son Beckett’s toenails bright pink. Lyons was attacked by psychiatrist and Fox News contributor Dr. Keith Ablow posted in an editorial on Fox News’ website, “This is a dramatic example of the way that our culture is being encouraged to abandon all trappings of gender identity.” Meanwhile, Erin Brown of the Media Research Center, called the picture “blatant propaganda celebrating transgendered children.” You decide for yourself. [HuffPo, Fox News]

The feature from J. Crew’s website, courtesy of J. Crew

Last week, we told you that Christophe Decarnin has left Balmain. This week, rumor has it that an unknown will replace Decarnin at the legendary house. British Elle, who spoke with a source from the house, reported they plan on choosing an unknown, just like Decarnin was before he started there. “The owners want to support lesser-known design talent,” the source said. An announcement will be made “in the next two or three days.” [Fashionista]

Christophe Decarnin, courtesy of bluefly.com

Christian Louboutin is suing Yves Saint Lauren over a pair of red shoes created with matching red soles. Louboutin maintains that red-soled shoes have been a trademark of the company since 1992, according to the lawsuit, the New York Daily News reports.

A pair of Louboutins, courtesy of NY Daily News and Getty Images

The YSL shoe in question, courtesy of Fashionista and bluefly.com

The Advertising Standards Authority has approved a Miu Miu ad from the Spring/Summer 2011 campaign that came under fire in the UK when some believed the model portrayed to be too thin. The ad shows 23-year-old Polish model, Kasia Struss, sitting in a chair in a low-cut dress with dramatic lighting. [The Telegraph]

The Miu Miu ad in question, courtesy of Huffington Post

Lady Gaga is the cover girl for the May issue of Harper’s Bazaar, and she’s featured wearing the same face and shoulder prosthetics she debuted at the Grammy Awards in February. Naturally, Derek Blasberg asked her about them while interviewing her, and naturally, Gaga insists that they’re natural. “They’re not prosthetics, they’re bones,” she said. “They've always been inside of me, but I have been waiting for the right time to reveal to the universe who I truly am. They come out when I'm inspired. [Harper’s Bazaar]

Lady Gaga’s Harper’s Bazaar cover and an image from the shoot, courtesy of Harper’s Bazaar and New York Magazine

-Julie Kosin

Biz Buzz: And So it Begins…

Biz Buzz keeps its fabulously accessorized ear to the ground to provide breaking fashion news coverage.

Courtesy of FabSugar

Fashion Month is upon us! First off we have New York Fashion Week, where so far trends include color blocking, menswear-inspired looks, throwbacks to the ‘90s, and lots of red, whether it’s on the clothes or the models’ lips. Find full coverage of the shows and reviews at Style.com and New York Magazine’s Fashion Show Page.

This year we’re being treated to plenty of backstage coverage as well, thanks to the 24 bloggers blogging platform Tumblr flew out for the week. Find the complete list on Fashionista.

Teen Vogue editor Eva Chen has been chronicling her all-access backstage escapades on her Tumblr blog What Eva Wants.

The Grammy awards were Sunday night. Who tops your best and worst lists? Check out FabSugar and Go Fug Yourself for all the looks (including Gaga’s egg!).

Celebrity fashion line alert! Both Rachel Zoe and Lauren Conrad debuted new collections this week.

Jezebel has a great video of images of pre- and post-Photoshop models. See, no one is born with perfectly airbrushed skin!

Courtesy of Go Fug Yourself

- Julie Kosin

Designer Confidential: Wearable Art

Designer Confidential highlights the work of SU's greatest fashion asset: its student designers.

One of the greatest sources of inspiration for fashion designers is the past. Both Louis Vuitton and Prada’s fall 2010 collections heavily referenced the 1950s, while Marc Jacob’s Spring 2011 line paid homage to the ‘70s. However you won’t see anything this recent in Melissa Sack’s collections. “People are always doing the ‘60s or the ‘80s, and I say, ‘Yeah, but that’s come, gone, and come back again’” says the sophomore fashion design major. Instead, Sack draws her inspiration from ancient times: “I love to travel, and last December I went to Italy. I was really inspired by the Renaissance art period, and that’s reflecting in my work this year.”

Sack knows exactly where she wants her career to go: “A lot of people want to work for someone else and do wearable clothes, which is great, but if I could, I don’t want to be stuck working for someone for the rest of my life. I want to do my own thing and create my own designs. I have a lot of passion and I know exactly what I want. Everyone’s always like ‘How do you know what you want?’ and I say ‘I’ve known since high school. That’s not gonna change.”

But Sack has bigger dreams than just owning her own line: “I want to [make] wearable art, not pieces that you see and can be worn [in] everyday [life]. They would be very crazy couture, very Lady Gaga-esque. I would almost rather do gallery exhibits than runway shows.” Plus, she’s very hands-on with her designs: “I still want to be the one sewing. A lot of designers don’t even draw anymore.”

Dream Job: To own a fashion corporation, like Alexander McQueen or Marc Jacobs, working under the title of experimental artist rather than fashion designer.

Why you should look out for her: Her designs aren’t something you’ll see just anywhere. She describes them as “wearable art” and pictures herself designing duds for Lady Gaga or Rihanna.

Designer Confidential: When she's not at school, she spends her time working at her parent’s jewelry shop. Being around so much bijoux has both inspired her garment designs and given her an idea of how she'd like to style her model's jewelry for upcoming shows. Plus “it’s fun to play with the diamonds.”

- Julie Kosin

Rag Report: The joy of neon

Rag Report dives under the covers of fashion publications to rant or rave about all the glossy goodness.

In the Feb. 2010 issue of Teen Vogue, photographer Miles Aldridge captured the excitement of neon in the editorial "Joy Ride."

Each photograph was lively and colorful. Neon has a reputation of looking cheap, but every piece in this photo spread was anything but. The shoot centered on accessories from well-known brands such as Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Diane Von Furstenburg — labels you wouldn’t expect to have a wild side!

 

Wild accessories in Teen Vogue Feb. 2010

The models eerily resembled Lady Gaga; an appropriate muse seeing as she’s a fashion risk-taker, but we've never seen her dressed-down. Although the pieces were high-end, they were casual, which is not very Gaga.

Teen Vogue Feb. 2010

While the photographs remain true to the theme, the shoot seemed to be created just for fun. The outfits looked like they were randomly thrown on the models and the whole spread appears sloppy.  Our eyes didn't appreciate its intensity.

An intense spread in Teen Vogue

The piles of hot pink, bright yellow, and electric purple made this feel more like a bad trip than a joy ride!

- by Lauren Dulay

Biz Buzz: Armani’s going GaGa

Biz Buzz keeps its fabulously accessorized ear to the ground to provide breaking fashion news coverage.

Although Armani’s designs typically embody the reputation of understatement and class on the red carpet, the outrageous get-up girl, Lady Gaga, was seen sporting nothing other than Giorgio Armani Prive outfits throughout the entire night of the Grammys. 

January 31, 2010 was the date marking the fashion love affair between Lady Gaga and Italian designer, Giorgio Armani. The legendary designer claimed the Lady as “a modern fashion phenomenon," and she described him as “a fashion legend” that she was honored to be affiliated with. 

 

 Gaga's red carpet Grammys look

Although Gaga only walked away with two Grammy’s, she got all of the fashion attention with each of her impressive four outfits. Her red carpet gown was out of this world: a solar system, orb-like outfit that was shiny, silvery, three-dimensional, and simply superb. The form fitting crystal-covered body suit was surrounded by glittery boning to create an intensely sculptural piece of clothing.

  

Gaga's Armani performance outfit

Next, she changed into her performance piece. The second piece of her Grammy wardrobe by Armani did not embody his typical classical design either; it was a bold-shouldered sea green leotard with matching glamorous booties.

A Philip Treacy headpiece to match Gaga's Armani gown

Her next outfit was a sparkly silver number with a matching lightning bolt headpiece by designer Philip Treacy. She accepted her awards in this short, bottom-revealing mini-dress that had an unmistakable lifted lip in the back. Both Lady GaGa and Armani’s mutual love for headgear was expressed in the third and fourth outfits alike.

Gaga's final Grammys look, again with Philip Treacy hat

Her final outfit consisted of a winged silver crystal jacket, still clad in the Treacy lightning helmet, and topped with pink makeup around her eyes. Although these styles were a leap for Armani and his fashion house, Lady GaGa kept true to her over-the-top fashion sense at the 2010 Grammys.

- by Danielle Haygood

Rag Report: Gone GaGa for the Lady

Rag Report dives under the covers of fashion publications to rant or rave about all the glossy goodness. 

In V Magazine's Fall 2009 issue, chart-topping, Billboard-record-breaker-extraordinaire, Lady GaGa, gets “hood” with metallic makeup and a serious fake tan. 

Though it’s the first time that the GaGa has donned the cover of the oversized magazine (which is seriously the size of a totebag), it featured her in the previous issue. 

Clearly the magazine's a fan. 

When we heard about her upcoming cover, we expected a crazy outfit with a theme only she could pull off. Our verdict: Lady GaGa toned it down this time around.

 

V Magazine Fall 2009

In the last issue, her half-naked body and exposed breasts made appearances in about three pictures. On the cover though, Lady Gaga apparently just wants to look fierce. And with neon all over the place, she’s keeping it trendy.

The cover reads "It’s Lady Gaga’s World," and with the upcoming tour and re-release of her album, The Fame Monster, it just might be. She’s like this generation’s Madonna because she speaks with her clothes and has an original attitude toward fashion.

 

Rolling Stone June 2009

Of course, such fashion extravagance comes with many questions from fans, press, and onlookers alike. In a Rolling Stone interview she defended her infamous pantsless look, saying, “My grandmother is basically blind, but she can make out the lighter parts, like my skin and hair. She says, ‘I can see you, because you have no pants on.' So I'll continue to wear no pants so that my grandma can see me."

Evidently, this generation has a new pop and fashion icon, so we say: put Madonna to rest, hail Lady Gaga.

- by Elton Wong