The fashion industry is an odd creature that shows its wares six months in advance of their actual arrival in the stores, which results in a kind of split-personality approach when trying to make forecasts for any particular season -- yes, I can look back at the runway shows for "Spring 2010" that showed back in October of 2009, and use those photos, videos and analysis to make forecasts, or do I take a broad survey of the Fall 2010 shows that are just wrapping up in Paris as I type this, and use these fresh trends (that are immediately adopted for wear by the fashion cutting-edge, despite their "fall" designation) as a means of staying ahead of the curve?
In past years, this would have posed a genuine conundrum, as Spring and Fall trends traditionally diverge wildly, but this year showed much more toned-down fall offerings from most of the major designers, with mustard yellows, light grays, camels, taupes & beiges, corals, purples and basic blacks (along with metallic silvers and golds) playing a significant role in both seasons, resulting in a tonal convergence for Spring and Fall. The fabrics and materials are different -- the fall shows were heavy on fur, leather and wool -- but the jewelry trend for both seasons is chunky, the nude/natural cosmetics look was shown for both seasons, and the wardrobe color palettes exhibit distinct similarities, with the designers seeminly focused on creating adaptable basics that can be accessorized for either season with bursts of texture and color.
So this is how I'll approach a Top Perfumes for Spring 2010 forecast, taking in the colors and trends for Spring 2010, but with an eye on Fall 2010 to keep things moving in a forward direction.
1.) CHANEL BEIGE: arguably the dark horse of the Chanel Les Exclusifs collection, Beige was dismissed by dedicated perfume hounds on its initial release in 2008 as being too, well, beige (i.e. classic, well-mannered and conservative -- some even went so far as to call it "boring").
What no one knew at the time was that skirt hems would lengthen, bling would fall out of favor, models with womanly curves would reappear on the catwalks and the actual color beige (along with its cousins light khaki, camel, champagne and sand) would stage a coup in fashion houses across the globe, with "classic, well-mannered and conservative" the new buzzwords for the seasons.
Marina at Perfume Smellin' Things writes: "Jacques Polge interprets the slinky aspect of beige by using luscious floral notes of freesia and frangipani enriched by a touch of honey . . . an olfactory equivalent of raw silk" and Abigail at I Smell Therefore I Am says, "Beige is a beautifully soft, abstract and classic white floral bouquet that is grounded in a dry ambery base (amber is not among the listed notes) leaving it not too sweet or heady in the least."
Given the above, expect Beige to become Chanel's sleeper hit for both Spring and Fall.
Color Trend: Chanel Beige references Spring hues of cream, beige (of course), desert khaki, tobacco and metallic gold.
2.) BALENCIAGA PARIS: We'll all be hearing a lot about Balenciaga Paris because it's Balenciaga, because it references Paris with all the accompanying romantic and stylish imagery, and because it's the first Balenciaga perfume release since 1998.
The cool, hip kids have been coveting Balenciaga motorcyle-inspired bags for the past decade, and Balenciaga's head designer, Nicolas Ghesquière, has been steadily gaining clout as one of the top influential (and experimental) designers since his start at the company in 1997, attracting celebrity clients (Jennifer Connelly, Victoria Beckham, Julianne Moore, Kristen Stewart, Rihanna) and glossy-mag buzz. This makes the name "Balenciaga" on a new perfume release nearly impossible for the style conscious to ignore.
It also doesn't hurt that the recently released Paris fragrance is a pretty and slightly peppery abstracted violet with a warm, approachable finish -- like a cool-toned ensemble that shows a lot of skin.
Balenciaga Spring/Summer 2010
Robin at Now Smell This writes, "Balenciaga Paris wears like a minimalist veil . . . think of it as a musky violet skin scent and you'll get the idea. It's one of those fragrances that you can forget you put on, then all of a sudden you smell something lovely and remember."
Color Trend: Balenciaga Paris picks up on Spring 2010 colors like green sheen, violet, misty gray, sycamore, mushroom and ice blue.
3.) ISSEY MIYAKE A SCENT EAU DE PARFUM: an upcoming feminized floral version of Miyake's original clean and bamboo-shoot green A Scent released in 2009. The hues of wildflowers and garden pinks are scattered throughout the Spring 2010 collections, with neutral shades, pinks, subtle pastels and light earth tones dominating the makeup trends. Miyake's April release of A Scent Eau de Parfum is timed perfectly to catch this particular wave.
Marie-Helene Wagner at The Scented Salamander writes that the original Miyake A Scent is "a monochromatic pale green composition with a semi-transparent, semi-opaque polished sea glass feel . . . . A Scent is minimal and ego-less. It is for people who are looking for a discreet perfume signature and have nothing to prove nor flaunt."
The soon to be released A Scent sequel, A Scent Eau de Parfum, is said to be a clean, pale pink floral with a flash of Spring green, and is likely to be as polished, poised and without ego as its A Scent predecessor, dovetailing nicely with the present understated luxury, anti-bling mindset.
Color Trend: A Scent Eau de Parfum might evoke citron, celery green, creamy pink, peachy rose and hibiscus, all of which play strong accessory and cosmetics roles for Spring 2010.
4.) PRADA L'EAU AMBREE: a light, uncomplicated amber that goes on sheer and even somewhat leafy green, then progresses to a warm, casual and discreetly sweet vanilla-patchouli finish. It's the successful marriage of Japanese minimalism and Thierry Mugler maximalism -- a sweetened patchouli that's fresh and office friendly.
L'Eau Ambree wears like a cotton khaki trench -- it goes with everything, can be dressed up or down, and never offends. Unlike heavy patchoulis (such as Thierry Mugler Angel and Chanel Coromandel) that often wear the wearer, L'Eau Ambree functions as a smooth olfactory background that won't clash with your individual style.
Color Trend: Prada L'Eau Ambree is a color-wheel of green peridot, toasted almond, copper, muted clay and goldenrod.
5.) THE BEAUTIFUL MIND SERIES VOL. 1 - INTELLIGENCE & FANTASY: If you ignore the retro-futuristic packaging (though it would have suited a Balenciaga release perfectly) and the unarguably high price point, Intelligence & Fantasy plays out like a well-calibrated response to nervous market forces.
Crafted by perfumer Geza Schoen (of Escentric Molecules and Clive Christian X for Men fame), a cursory sniff might fool you into thinking "Meh, generic floral", but that would be your loss. Intelligence & Fantasy is a sheer abstract floral fixed with a light touch to a warm cashmeran base.
The composition is precisely calibrated, so there's no lush romanticism (if that's what you need), but it possesses a cleanly structured and airily natural ambience that would pair neatly with a seasonal cosmetics launch like the Chanel Les Impressions de Chanel Collection for Spring 2010 -- and since Chanel usually has its finger on the pulse of consumer trends, this bodes well for Intelligence & Fantasy.
The Beautiful Mind: Intelligence & Fantasy
Unfortunately, The Beautiful Mind Series is resolutely niche, which means it has limited distribution, a quirky presentation and it's priced to turn the mainstream consumer away. If not for these three aspects, this fresh and understated floral could very well be on any number of "Must Buy" lists for Spring 2010, particularly for how well it captures the spirit of carefree feminine sophistication that's the essence of the new luxury, reflecting the fashion industry's pivot away from teenagers to focus once more on the adults who can actually pay the bills.
Color Trend: The Beautiful Mind Intelligence & Fantasy hits appropriate Spring 2010 color notes like natural buff, pearl, carnation, pistachio green, pale tangerine and mimosa gold.
And lastly:
6.) SERGE LUTENS L'EAU: I was excited when I first read the information about the release for L'eau Serge Lutens -- the French master of fiercely independent art-perfumery does Japanese minimalist soapy-clean? Sign me up!
There was a soapy-clean hole in the Lutens lineup that L'eau Serge Lutens nicely fills, and with perfume sales falling across the board, for every brand and everywhere, this release could turn out to be the financially successful shot in the arm the Lutens brand needs if it's to survive for future seasons.
Do dedicated Serge Lutens fans like it? No, but who cares? Lutens could have easily chosen to launch yet one more richly layered, complicated and difficult scent that preached solely to his faithful choir (a faithful choir now purchasing less faithfully than they used to, I might add), but I suspect that he assessed the playing field, saw a significant market segment he was steadfastly neglecting and hopped on it. Like it or not, this will probably be the most popular Lutens fragrance in years, capitalizing on the trend toward more demure luxury from names with boutique appeal.
There will always be the monied crowd that wants to flash its dyed fur stoles and woven metallic leather bags -- let them wear Dior Poison -- but there's also the increasingly international demand for conservative, even austere beauty that houses like Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors and Chloe are newly intent on targeting with their pale, subdued yet consummately tailored Fall collections. L'eau Serge Lutens should more than satisfy this market segment.
Color Trend: Forget about Fall, L'eau Serge Lutens references Spring 2010 colors like ivory, nude, chalk, bleached stone and optic white. On trend and just in time.
*Note: I have a bottle of L'eau Serge Lutens sitting in my bathroom cupboard, awaiting its moment of photographic worship. The packaging is a departure from the previous Lutens silhouette, and appears to represent an overall new direction for the brand. I find this encouraging, as it likely means that parent company Shiseido is working to update the brand for a broader market launch.
Other worthy fragrances to consider for a sleek Spring 2010: Costes 2, Penhaligons Amarinthine, Parfumerie Generale Papyrus de Ciane, Puredistance and Nasomatto Silver Musk.
Fashionista.com Discovers the Origin of the Alexander McQueen 10" heel amphibious platform shoe -- a 1982 glam-rock concert video by The Tubes!
The possibly McQueen-influencing platforms make their appearance starting at around 1:05, following the laugh-in-disbelief bit with the cheerleaders and the man in the micro-mini tennis shorts:
There's nothing new under the sun
For all the talk about models refusing to wear the heels on the catwalk and how impossible they would be to wear in real life, the singer for The Tubes seems to have little problem keeping his balance. Granted, he does tend to use the microphone stand for support, but he also did navigate those stairs with no small amount of skill.
*Pop-Culture Tidbit: Some of you may be more familiar with The Tubes from their appearance in the genre-mashup film Xanadu.
And as long as we're on the subject of Alexander McQueen, Brit newspaper Telegraph UK reported last Friday that young uber-goth designer Gareth Pugh was whispered to be in talks with PPR/Gucci Group to take over the helm at the Alexander McQueen label: "Just a week after Alexander McQueen's funeral, the company in charge of his fashion label is believed to have identified his successor. Gareth Pugh, 28, is understood to be the designer that PPR wants as the new creative director of Alexander McQueen, of which it owns 51 per cent."
Pugh's representatives quickly issued a statement denying any such talks have taken place between the parties: "To speculative reports earlier this week, Gareth Pugh is not in discussions with Gucci Group about a Creative Director role at Alexander McQueen."
Video clip below of Pugh's recent Fall 2010 collection shown in Paris -- you can see that he has a very definite and full-blown vision. My bet is that Pugh would chafe under consumer and corporate demands to keep the McQueen style legacy alive when he can jolly well create his own.
I've been designing grim so long it looks like happy to me
Fashionologie.com notes that once white-hot designer Olivier Theyskens is unemployed at present, and would make an interesting choice for the McQueen label. Theyskens has designed for Rochas and Nina Ricci, but is said to be notoriously anti-capitalist, anti-marketing and anti-affordable accessories (he considers the fashion industry's pursuit of the dollar at the expense of craft and creativity to be vulgar) -- an attitude that cost him his job at Nina Ricci while arguably contributing to the demise of the House of Rochas. PPR would be more than a little foolish to enter into a deal with Theysken's if he's dragging that particular set of baggage clanking behind.
*Note: Theyskens is like Christian Lacroix and his now defunct House of Lacroix in this respect -- focusing all the attention on the beauty and art of couture and couture detailing when couture is not how a label generates the revenue it needs to stay in business.
Video clip below of the Theysken's swan song for Nina Ricci -- considered his best collection for the label and a possible F.U. to the corporate heads who deemed his work too resolutely uncommercial to appeal to the mainstream.
Take that, you filthy money grubbers!
As you can see, the heel-less platforms are a bit insane, and the models look collectively nervous as they walk the runway. But is this the main reason why fashion-insiders keep lobbing Theysken's name as a potential pick to head the McQueen label -- the freaky, near unwearable shoes? Because god knows the man's "All Art No Business" attitude would sink the McQueen label like a stone.
Last word: fifteen full looks from the final collection that McQueen designed before his death last month were unveiled today for industry insiders at an invite only display in Paris: "The fall collection was inspired by old masters' paintings and filled with ornate embroidery, deep red and gold hues and dramatic capes. According to Women's Wear Daily, when the final look--a coat of golden feathers--made its entrance, spectators' eyes filled with tears."
Fashion critic Suzy Menkes writes that "In this collection Alexander -- Lee -- McQueen showed his sensitivity to history, his powers of research, his imagination, his technical skills and his love of women, often misinterpreted or misunderstood, but here evident in every fold and feather."
You can see photos from the collection here: Alexander McQueen Fall 2010 Collection
I'll wrap this up with a relevant McQueen quote that speaks to this spinning wheel of legacies and successors: "Well I just think that which celebrities are wearing it, what reviews say -- none of it matters . . . I'm 40 now, but I want this to be a company that lives way beyond me, and I believe that customers are more important to making that happen than press. When I'm dead, hopefully this house will still be going. On a spaceship. Hopping up and down above the earth."
So I rolled out of bed at the ungodly hour of 7 a.m. on a Saturday (March 6th) and stumbled blearily out the door to meet up with Louise for the Nordstrom Spring Beauty Trends event at the downtown Nordstrom here in Seattle. I arrived at the door of the Nordstrom coffee shop, haggard and in desperate need of caffeine while Louise looked like she'd just stepped off the clean, pressed and stylin' train.
Of course.
We gulped down some lattes and headed into the Nordstrom store, where we were ushered like cattle to the elevators to take us to the fifth floor where the first part of the event was taking place. Guys, if you've never woken up early on a Saturday to sit in a room filled with hundreds of women eagerly awaiting the cosmetics sales pitch of the season, it's an experience that I can promise you you'll never forget (whether you want to or not).
Are we there yet?
There were hundreds of white chairs lined up around a brightly lit runway, plus a DJ stationed at a sound booth for the necessary mood enhancements.
Hey Mr. DJ, rock it 'til the groove's done
The event started off with vocal calisthenics as the emcee prepped the ladies for a morning of hootin' and hollerin' (dear lord, I needed far more than one latte to prepare me for that!) and then the sales reps hit the runway, plugging new Spring products and colors and sending models trotting up and down the floor to show off their wares.
The new Chanel temporary tattoos
Spring florals under hot white lights
Or, in the case of Clarins self-tanning products, tossing shirtless young men down the runway, much to the clapping, cheering delight of the 98.5% female audience.
Clarins "delectable" self-tanning mousse - Mr. "delicious" sauntered past earlier
Surprisingly, the male Guerlain rep decided he wanted in on the hunky-male action and came out shirtless to talk about Guerlain products -- which was a little jarring. Yes, he had a physique that looked tailor-made for a sunny California beach, but while it makes a certain logical sense to hire shirtless men to model a self-tanning cream for Clarins, it's another thing altogether when an official representative for an almost two centuries old French beauty & fragrance company strips off his clothes at a product demo event to "spice up" a talk about mascara. It had the unfortunate effect of making his invitation to come see him downstairs at the Guerlain booth sound like a sleazy come-on (and the very visible tramp-stamp didn't help matters any -- oh Guerlain, how you've come down in the world!).
Louise said she wasn't going anywhere near the Guerlain booth when I asked her, and mentioned that she'd had a much higher opinion of Guerlain going into the event than when she exited. Ouch.
Mr. "delectable" says one for you, and one for you, and one for you
But enough about PR misfires, there were prizes!
She's a winner
And more models with more products.
She's so gonna video-blog this
And after the reps wrapped up their sales pitches, the crowd made a stampede for the elevators (we tried to find stairs, but the Nordstrom staff insisted there weren't any, which was annoying -- of course there are stairs, it's the law) and poured out into the first floor for a frenzied period of product browsing and makeovers.
Hooray for us!
Louise scheduled a makeover with the Trish McEvoy counter, so I spent a good chunk of time taking photos of the process. I haven't finished sorting through all the makeover pics yet, but I do have one of the finished result -- Louise looked terrific: fresh, natural and very Spring Has Sprung again.
I eat beauty events for breakfast
We both plunked down a chunk of change picking up everything the cosmetics expert used to make Louise look so lovely. She kept asking the girl, "Should I get this eye primer or that eye brightener, this facial concealer or that facial moisturizer, because I can't justify getting it all!" -- so I told the sales clerk to just ring up an extra bag of everything that Louise *didn't* buy so that I could give it to her to complete the look. Problem solved.
She said she kept the makeup on and wore it out to a restaurant date that evening, where even she was stunned by how smoothly the concealers performed and how flattering the spring colors looked in the dim, romantic ambience. She laughed as she described how her husband scrambled to open the car door for her as they left the restaurant to head home.
Ah, success is a makeover from Trish McEvoy. Click the following link to see a more complete set of photos from the event: Nordstrom Spring 2010 Beauty Trends event: Seattle
1.) Paris Fashion Week as Mix and Meld:
"There's a spirit of bricolage running through this season, as if designers wanted their clothes to convey as many possibilities as possible. Why not, for example, give a sweater a fur sleeve, or a tailored jacket a knit shoulder? . . . A khaki coat, set off with a mock leopard print scarf, suggests a belligerent state of fashion mind. But it ain't necessarily so."
Balenciaga and Dries Van Noten could conceivably be the Parisian master brands at this approach, expertly welding futuristic architectural forms to new materials (Balenciaga) or incorporating a melange of textures, fabrics, colors and silhouettes to result in a surprising look of understated sophistication (Dries Van Noten).
Video clip below of the Balenciaga Fall 2010 show -- odd, angular glamour interspersed with bursts of flowing simplicity:
Dancing about architecture
Cathy Horyn for the the NYTimes writes: "When it comes to the collections (head Balenciaga designer Nicolas Ghesquiere) presents in Paris, there has almost always been a sense of a designer free to create. That was again the invigorating experience this morning at the Hôtel de Crillon, on a specially installed white laboratory floor, where Mr. Ghesquiere showed a highly textured collection that looked well beyond the fall of 2010."
Suzy Menkes adds her two cents: "New geometry -- linear and circular cutting -- rules the runways for the fall/winter Paris season. From the Issey Miyake math lesson through the Rick Owens asymmetrics to Vionnet's folded squares, sharp cutting and soft folds are the power pieces."
Now, move from that to the defiantly high-end casual yet still captivating Dries Van Noten Fall 2010 show -- we find that comfort via the sweatshirt is back in style (a very 1990's reference):
Too cool for scandal school
And since we've mentioned the 1990's, there are several 90's era trends that have made a big comeback for 2010: #1) An Ode to Clueless -- "Yes, AW10 has sent us back to the '90s--pleated mini skirts, knee socks, plaid prints, pinstripes and velvet have dominated the fall runways"; #2) Hello, GI Jane -- "Okay, so there isn't any glitz and glamor in a pair of army fatigues, but the fashion industry has taken the military trend to a whole new level. We saw a lot of this on the Fall 2010 runways during New York Fashion Week. Deep, neutral shades of green will be hot this year and this military-inspired look is a great way to wear them"; and #3) Tom Ford -- "Balmain's Christophe Decarnin brought the Court of Versailles to modern-day Paris with his rock-n-roll take on opulence, complete with his signature dose of sex appeal. As Prince hits blasted from the speakers, models went down the runway in gold leather, sequins, brocade and lamé dresses and rocker pantsuits à la Tom Ford in the Gucci days."
Extra bonus info: Tom Ford moves forward with plans to return to women's wear: "It looks like a Tom Ford women's wear collection is moving closer to reality. According to markets sources in Europe, Ford has quietly begun recruiting designers, including accessories specialists, for the forthcoming launch. Last year Ford signaled he would reenter women's 'very soon,' but has been mum on dates and specifics."
Apparently, not a moment too soon. It's been intriguing to see Ford's name pop up in reference to several of the Fall 2010 shows, but how did he know that the right time to make a comeback would be now? Just two years ago, no one seemed to care whether the 90's Gucci glam era ever came back into style.
*Note: The Paris collections are still exhibiting. Major mover and shaker Christian Dior has just presented, with Chanel still yet to come. An advance peek below at Dior for Fall, 2010:
The horse she rode in on
2.) Fur is Back to Stay - Is it PETA's Fault?:
"It started during New York Fashion Week this past February and it is still going strong on this side of pond this week. Fur. It's everywhere. More importantly, it's on the runways not only of established designers with a track record for incorporating fur into their collections (Oscar de la Renta, Fendi, etc.) but younger designers as well (Thakoon Panchigul, Quentin Veron, etc.). Why?"
The author suggests that PETA itself may be partially responsible for the sudden insurgence of fur on runways across the world -- that once they abandoned the tactic of raising awareness of animal abuse for more aggressive (and often moronic) methods that sought to control consumer behavior, stifle free choice and publicly shame/humiliate fur/leather wearers, it was only a matter of time before consumers rebelled.
That may be true (or not), but I would think the far more significant influence in the return of fur is the rising dominance of the Asian, Eastern European and Latin American consumer markets. When the U.S. and Western Europe provided the bulk of revenue for global fashion and luxury brands, then companies paid close attention to the anti-fur concerns prevalent in the Western media. But once the financial meltdown hit and the Western consumer shrank from spending, nervous global luxury brands found themselves with more to worry about than gallons of fake blood and Pamela Anderson stripping in public -- and since the Chinese, Russian or Indian consumer isn't fur averse (but actually fur friendly), fur has roared back into the fashion picture.
The fashion and luxury business is, first and foremost, a business. Allegedly moral considerations apply when they make financial sense.
*Note: A watershed moment for the fur industry in the U.S. was the Barack Obama Presidential Inauguration in January of 2009, where numerous celebrities and high ranking officials sported fur coats and accessories to brave the Washington, D.C. winter chill. It hit the New York runways with a vengeance the following seasons.
Video clip below of the Fendi Fall 2010 collection. Fendi is an Italian furrier (founded in 1925) that's achieved contemporary global reach due to the creative influence of head designer Karl Lagerfeld (who famously stated that the banning of fur is "childish") -- they're focusing on accessories now (like most fashion brands), but their roots are in the fur industry and their collections proudly showcase this heritage:
Who's the dinosaur now?
In related news, Cole Haan and Nike have announced that they're banning the use of exotic skins from their brand lineups: "The decision follows a campaign by animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) which carried out an undercover investigation into the suffering caused by the exotic-skins industry."
PETA: they lose some, they win some.
3.) Hermes Decides It Doesn't Do Yachts, After All:
"French luxury brand Hermes is exiting a luxury yacht joint venture with shipbuilder Wally, saying it is not experienced enough to complete the project, its chief executive told Reuters. The two partners had unveiled a full-sized model of their mega yacht, 'WHY' (Wally Hermes Yacht), in Monte Carlo in September . . . Hermes, which is famous for its silk scarves and handbags, will sell its stake to Monaco-based Wally and will be paid back via commissions on boat sales through to 2020, Thomas said."
The WHY yacht concept is an extraordinary piece of design, but I have to admit that my first thought on seeing the CGI photos was, "That's going to take a huge full-time staff to keep all those windows and decks clean!" But hey, if you're splashing on a Wally-Hermes yacht, then you're likely to have staff whose job it is to worry about the staff, right?
Hermes stated that the WHY yacht project was a bit too above their pay-grade (i.e. they didn't have the proper expertise to complete the project), though they seem to have no problem collaborating on cars (the Bugatti Hermes Veyron) and helicopters (the Hermes Eurocopter). Granted, a $109 million dollar yacht is a much more involved and intense project than a $2.1 million dollar car or a $7.9 million dollar helicopter.
Video clip below of the Bugatti Hermes Veyron:
When a $1million car isn't exclusive enough
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Pierre-Alexis Dumas, part of the Hermes family and head of the creative end of the Hermes company, defines luxury for the 21st century: "'Last May, I bought a new portable computer. After a while, it broke down. It went to the computer doctors and I'm going to get a new one. They tell me, We can fix it but it's going to be more expensive than buying a new one. I have a problem with that. I feel that incredible sense of waste. Maybe we're going too fast, maybe there's a feeling of acceleration of everything. We have to slow down . . . Speed is so passé. What is the luxury for tomorrow? One of them is time."
Along those lines, that luxury means time and speed is so passé, there seems to be a renewed interest in slow yet palatial means of travel: Blimp My Ride: Luxury Eco-Zeppelin Does London to NYC in 37 Unforgettable Hours -- a cross Atlantic ride that's spacious, gorgeous, stuffed with amenities and takes several days instead of several hours.
Because, really, if you've got the time and the cash to hang-out and relax aboard an opulent airship on your slow-going way to London instead of cramming aboard a dirty, overcrowded public jet, then that really is a luxury.
Speaking of moving a little slower: Proudly Not Made In America -- "Farah Malik and Dana Arbib are bringing fashion literally into the war zone. The two founders of A Peace Treaty have set up production in Afghanistan, where they're working with the nonprofit Afghan Hands to produce hand-embroidered scarves and -- soon to come -- a range of bags."
While "artisinal" may be the new overused buzzword, there is a growing segment of consumers who desire to move away from anonymous mass-production methods in support of hand work and traditional designs. The prices may not reflect a sense of "luxury" when compared to something from Hermes or Chanel (if price is how you define luxury -- Balmain, anyone?), but the idea of hand crafting designs drawn from a long cultural history is what "heritage" meant before the word was hijacked by LVMH, PPR and Richemont to promote canvas logo bags and assembly line watches.
4.) Alice in Wonderland Could Wear Out its Welcome:
"If you haven't already fallen down the rabbit hole, prepare to be pushed. Alice in Wonderland is being positioned as the grown-up's answer to Disney Princess, with 360-degree licensing agreements that make Ed Hardy look restrained by comparison . . . But whether the rich offerings will thrill fans or scare them off remains to be seen, with analysts noting that market saturation could strip Wonderland of its fringe sensibility . . . 'There's so much collateral involved in these things now that the movie becomes almost an afterthought,' says UBC's Dahl. 'The licensing of goods has become the chief consideration.'"
If you compare the Twilight movie phenomenon with what's happening with Alice in Wonderland, you can see a huge difference in how a pop-culture to retail success movement grows naturally versus how it's forced into the world.
The flood of Twilight related merchandise was a popular reaction to the book/movie series, with retailers scrambling to meet consumer demand and fashion houses fighting to sit the film's young stars in their fashion week front rows and feature them in ad campaigns -- Disney's Alice movie is the oppositie: a mass of merchandise already on-tap before the film is even released, accompanied by a calculated media and advertising roar pitched to manufacture a demand that doesn't presently exist.
For example: Jewelry, cosmetics, designer dresses, handbags and more -- a good portion of it aimed at adults and with prices that bust the curve for the average merchandising price point.
There's so much retailer hope riding on the success of this film that it's pretty much going to be dragged kicking and screaming across the box office success finish line, whether anyone wants to watch it or not. But getting consumers to spend money on tie-in merchandise is another matter entirely -- Twilight was considered "cool" because the teens and tweens owned it while most adults were baffled, but Alice in Wonderland? It's aimed squarely at the adult mainstream, so there's no cool-factor to push sales, no club that anyone will be rushing to join as a means of separating him/herself from the boring people in charge.
I'm curious (and curiouser!) to see how the manufacturing of the Alice phenomenon plays out.
Buy our stuff or it's off with your head!
5.) Fewer Stars, But They Still Shine Bright:
"Despite predictions to the contrary (many have forecast a shift in the fragrance industry away from the cult of the celebrity and towards the cult of the perfumer), product sales and new launches suggest celebrity scents are still a dominant trend . . . it is still the mass market products that attract the biggest consumer base, of which celebrity fragrances make up a large proportion, that are likely to continue driving growth in the market."
The article notes that while companies have cut back on launching new celebrity fragrances, they're working to expand their already successful celebrity brand names, rolling out accompanying sub-brands of products that are calculated to profit off the success of an already established name.
A good example of this new sub-branding is SJP NYC, a new fruity-floral perfume that's meant to capitalize on Parker's 'Sex in the City' Carrie Bradshaw personae rather than Sarah Jessica Parker herself.
While Parker's 'Lovely' fragrance was a huge global hit, the follow-up 'Covet' was a sales disappointment (though still a money maker), so Coty decided that maybe what consumers really wanted was Carrie Bradshaw and they created a new type of celebrity brand -- the fictional character as celebrity. If this proves successful, I'm certain we'll see a lot more of it, like a Bruce Willis John McClane or Matthew Fox Jack Shephard cologne, or maybe a Kristen Stewart Bella Swan or Meryl Streep Miranda Priestly perfume.
All the advantages of celebrity name recognition without any of the disadvantages of a celebrity's bad behavior or waning popularity. I'll take a bottle of Cary Grant as whomever in whatever, thanks:
It's tough to be so suave
Plus this: Perfumistas are the new cool-hunters -- "Smart Londoners don't want to smell like everyone else. We're busy hunting down tiny artisan perfumers and niche brands. From colognes at Santa Maria Novella on Walton Street to contemporary artisan perfumers at Les Senteurs in Belgravia, we're looking for a new hit . . . These days perfume is experiential, almost a relationship. The watchwords are craftsmanship, expertise, savoir faire and the customer is a patron -- not just a casual shopper."
Hmmm, I think I know a few people just like this.
6.) INDUSTRY QUICK HITS:
A. Coach Plots Global Expansion for Beauty Products: "The companies plan to increase their existing fragrance and beauty line globally, with immediate plans to enter North American department stores and specialty retailers, followed by a launch in global markets . . . The global expansion will begin in March 2010 with the launch of the Coach Signature Fragrance in Bloomingdales, Nordstrom, Macy's, Dillard's, Lord & Taylor, Von Maur, Bon Ton, Belk and Sephora stores nationwide. The launch will be supported by an integrated marketing and communications campaign, including widespread national print and web, among other media."
Coach beauty products to date have been sold exclusively in Coach boutiques, so this is an ambitious roll-out for the Coach brand, but one which they believe is supported by customer demand: "'We have been pleased with the customer reactions and industry reception that our fragrance business has garnered in such a short time,' said Kathy Nedorostek, President of U.S. Wholesale and Global Licensing for Coach. 'This initial success in our own stores serves to underscore the potential for Coach Beauty with a more extensive distribution network.'"
Coach fragrances are produced in partnership with BeautyBank and Aramis, divisions of the Estee Lauder company.
B.) Alexander McQueen's Spring 2010 high-concept runway show wins posthumous award: "Paula Reed, judge and style director of Grazia magazine described McQueen ... as a clear winner . . . 'The entire jury wanted to be clear that the choice was not made for any sentimental reason. The video presentation of McQueen's last show is one of the most compelling pieces in the exhibition. It works on so many levels. The designer had been working for years on developing fabrics that could blend the hard into soft and had pretty much come close to achieving that in this collection.'"
The award was the Brit Insurance Design of the Year, and the list of nominees was finalized before McQueen's death last month. And I know I've featured this before but it's worth seeing again -- the Spring 2010 McQueen show that won the Brit award, a fantastical concept that merged the marine and mammalian into a high-style hybrid:
Surf and turf
C.) Christian Lacroix Returns, But Without Christian Lacroix:"The company has announced plans for four upcoming fashion and lifestyle lines while pursuing licensing deals for lingerie, childrenswear and men's and women's accessory collections . . . While Lacroix, the brand, is still out of the couture and ready-to-wear game, it has reportedly set its sights on a range of women's sunglasses and optical frames for Mondottica; luxury stationery via Libretto Holdings; home textiles with the Designers Guild and decorative wood panels (hey, whatever works) with Marotte . . . French designer Christian Lacroix, whose name carries on, is no longer involved with the company."
The only valuable part of the Lacroix company was its name, so the quick licensing of this name to companies eager to produce Lacroix-branded merchandise was a no-brainer. And since Lacroix was never able to steer his own company into profitability, his absence from the newly revitalized operation is not a surprise.
This is not to say that Mr. Lacroix isn't busy with his own projects: Hotel Notre-Dame in Paris: The Latest from Christian Lacroix
D.) Christian Louboutin Opens His First Boutique in Dubai: "In an interview with Gulf News during his visit to Dubai yesterday, Louboutin says he has been extremely choosy about the store location, the product detailing and the size of the store. 'The look of the store is very important to me. I look into every detail such as the architecture, the size of the store, the height of the ceiling and the galleries above it. The store should finally reflect the flavour of the region too,' said Louboutin. After scouting myriad locations -- including the expansive Dubai Mall -- Louboutin zeroed in on the Mall of the Emirates."
Without really thinking about it, I'd assumed that Louboutin had established a presence in Dubai already, and was surprised to read that this is his first boutique, but then I read that the Middle East accounts for less than 2% of Louboutin's total sales, so I can understand the leisurely approach. The partners involved in the venture are hoping to increase sales to 5% of the total over the next three years.
In other Louboutin news, the designer has created his second Barbie doll for Net-a-Porter.
E.) Designer Brands Go to Art School:
First, there's the abstract, over-artsy film clip for critcal darling label Rodarte:
My wardrobe has swallowed all my happiness
Though I'm not certain what exactly they're attempting to convey here -- how miserable and depressing it must feel to actually wear their clothes?
And then we have the new Dior mini-film advertisement that's part nu-new-wave music video and part fashion catalogue:
The 80's pop star that never should have been
Again, I'm not exactly certain who the target audience is -- do the people who plunk down a couple of grand for a Dior handbag care about Franz Ferdinand (the featured band)? And Marion Cotillard could have benefited from a trip through the pitch-correction software. Just sayin' . . .
But perhaps it's really more about selling makeup than handbags and dresses. Lord knows, Cotillard's lips, eyes and skin feature very heavily. If it's a Dior cosmetics showcase, that might help explain the retro-80's music video approach.
Meanwhile, rumors are swirling that Tommy Hilfiger is up for sale, Yves St. Laurent might be struggling and that Proenza Schouler's major financial backers want out.
A couple of weeks ago, when I first skidded to a stop in the presence of Mugler's Angel Liqueur, I wrote, "Like bobbing for fruitchoulis in a vat of vintage port. Massive, tenacious and perversely yummy in a 'Help! My perfume is stalking me!' kind of way. I happily steeped in its sweet, cherry-wood and booze infused fumes all day."
Happily enough that I caved in and grabbed myself a bottle of this "limited edition" tweak to the Angel portfolio (but what does "limited edition" even mean anymore in a global, mass-production world? The number 904118 is stamped on my bottle -- so I have bottle nine hundred and four thousand, one hundred and eighteen? How much more special could I possibly feel? I guess I could be Mr. One Million, oooh la la . . . ) and tucked it neatly in among the other bottles fighting for space on what's become a ridiculously crowded bathroom cupboard shelf.
I might have to do something about my disappearing cupboard space soon -- hold a garage sale or something. I could probably open up my own Pike Place Market perfume shop at this point, happily hosing down unsuspecting tourists on sunny weekends: "What? You like it? Three hundred and fifty dollars. No, wait, don't cry -- because I like you so much, I'll offer you the special sunny Seattle Saturday price of $29.95. Oh h*ll, you can have it for free, I'll even wrap it up for you. Do you want red or turquoise ribbon? I even have little tinkly silver bells I can tie to the box somewhere OH MY GOD LOOK WHAT I FOUND IN THE DRAWER! The eighteen million four hundred and sixty eight thousand two hundred and seventy second bottle of limited edition Angel liqueur!"
There are some experiences that simply can't be resold.
But the bottle certainy is pretty -- though I hate to admit that it photographs better than it actually looks.
Not that it looks bad in actuality, but I can't stand at the bathroom sink every 6 a.m., angling the bottle just right and praying for an errant beam of morning sunlight to defy all known cosmic laws and shine directly in through the West facing window. I'd never get a thing done.
I somehow missed the entire Angel hoopla when it debuted in 1992. There are a good number of people who would count me as one of the fortunate ones in this respect, but I was hanging around with a gaggle of artsy urban bohemians at the time, so I'm not certain I didn't draw the short straw. It was all I could do to get some of them to simply bathe more than once a week -- a smog-cloud of Angel blowing past my day might have been a welcome relief. Fast forward eighteen years, and my experience with Mugler's sweet and fruity patchouli was limited to polarizing discussions (i.e. flame wars) on various fragrance forums, so I felt I was missing something -- like someone who's never actually seen "Twilight" yet continuously finds himself caught in the middle of a passionate fight between fans who love it and anti-fans who find it too nauseating to even consider. But the whole larger-than-life, toxic patchouli cloud, love it or leave it descriptions of Angel didn't particularly spark the desire to encounter it on my own, until I read about the Liqueur de Parfums, versions of Mugler's Angel and Alien that have been barrel aged in wood casks for eight months, a la fine cognacs, whiskies and wines. It was Abigail at I Smell Therefore I Am who first coaxed me to dip my toe into the Mugler waters with her abiding adoration of Alien Liqueur (Abigail is probably one of the most successful fragrance enablers I know -- she launches into one of her impossibly enthusiastic raves and before you know it, you're charm-tied into knots), and while I ordered samples of Alien and Alien Liqueur from her Posh Peasant site, I also snagged samples of Angel, Angel extrait and Angel Liqueur to round out the experience. I'm glad I did. So okay, here's the deal. The original Angel? It's huge. Like, gigantic. One spray from the sample vial and my entire bathroom filled with the scent, which then spread to the bedroom and out into the hallway. I didn't hate it -- it was a nice enough fruitchouli, though a bit harsh around the edges -- but I couldn't conceive of palling around with such an attention-whore all day. It'd be the equivalent of saying "yes" to a ride in a Ferrari only to find myself strapped to the hood and barrelling down the California highway at 120mph. In other words, I'd really have to be in the mood. Angel Liqueur, however, functions at a much more serene level on the rev-and-throttle chart. I orignally stated (in my February 8th test-spin) that two sprays of the Liqueur version were enough to last all day, and while that's the truth, Angel Liqueur is so successful at what it does -- ripe Port-wine sweetness stuffed inside a honey infused patchouli -- that I've been adding to the spray count just because I want to experience its lush presence more fully and distinctly as I go about my day (though I've only been able to up the spray count to five, max -- and five is seriously pushing the envelope; any more than that and I'm unnecessarily jeapordizing my social circle). I can't say which aspect of Angel Liqueur I like the best, since it doesn't really scream "here's the opening, now we're at the middle and ta da! the end", the way a lot of perfumes traditionally do. And while it has the appearance of phase-development, the Liqueur is subtle about its shifts and twists: it's a boozy, fruity, choco-caramel patchouli; then it's less boozy but still jammy dessert patchouli with a honey crust; then it sheds the concentrated reduction sauce and wraps things up as a soft, silky patchouli without a hint of head shop hippie, but done with such an adept hand that you hardly notice as the elements are shifting and the phases are turning. I'd be tap tap tapping away on my laptop and six hours later, I'm thinking, "God, what a generously deep scent!" Octavian at 1000Fragrances seems to agree: "The new versions of Alien and Angel have the depth, quality and richness of classic perfumes. Compared to the originals, all asperities have been softened, all contrasts smoothed . . . In terms of scent, (Angel Liqueur) is not a variation of the original ... but an improvement in depth . . . (Angel Liqueur) show(s) that high quality products can coexist with commercial distribution." And that's what I think surprises me the most about Angel Liqueur de Parfum -- it's a mass market product from a global fragrance company, yet it doesn't smell mass market. It has the depth and polish of a sophisticated boutique label while clocking in at a mainstream "prestige" (i.e. department store rather than drugstore) price point. Re: Packaging: The look and feel of the piece is nicely done, though not exactly straining at the creative leash as far as "limited edition" packaging is concerned. The box is functional enough (it protects the bottle from damage), and the bottle is an attractive deep blue to purple glass, playing on the original Angel star shape with its jutting angles and planes. But the cap, despite looking terrific in photographs, is either plastic or some type of similar lightweight, thermo-molded variation. Not particularly L.E. impressive, but it also won't chip or crack -- a valid point to make, as the small bottle tends to tip a lot due to its uber-angular form. *Note: At least, I tend to knock the bottle over a lot, but I'm a bit clumsy with precious, breakable things. I still cringe when I think about the antique Louis the XIVth chair I fell over in and broke in a wine collector's cellar after one too many glasses of vintage brew. It was not one of my finer moments. But the Angel Liqueur atomizer? Five Angel stars! Not a drip or even the tiniest of leaks, and the spray is exceptionally fine, which makes for excellent coverage when you're waving the bottle around and pumping on the nozzle. The only other bottle I've found that sprays as fine a mist (and with nary a leak) is the Chanel Les Exclusifs package, so maybe it takes a mass-produced brand to order bottle-parts in such high quantities that an excellent atomizer is no longer a price consideration. I'll wrap things up with a few Angel Liqueur fan quotes from others: Brian at I Smell Therefore I Am: "Angel Liqueur brings to mind port wine (or, okay, cognac) and dark, aged leather, all of which I love. The first ten to twenty minutes are pretty divine, with a protracted, boozy opening." Robin at Now Smell This: "The dry down is still rich, but it's mellower than Angel: a bit less patchouli, a bit more smooth woods. Likewise, it's still sweet -- possibly even more so -- but there's less chocolate (if any) and less caramel; it's the sweetness of honeyed dried fruits rather than the cotton candy and other childhood treats of Angel. I don't know that Angel really evoked a childhood fairground for me, but the Liqueur de Parfum certainly does not." The Scented Salamander: "Angel has become deeper, more liquorishy, and as if sprinkled with dry cacao powder. The patchouli in it is quite chocolatey. The honeyed facet is also there to contribute to a dry fruit effect. It feels warm, enveloping. The only regret you have is that it does not unfold on an even deeper note. Somehow, you would like the scent to spiral down even more and you remain a bit frustrated that richness here has a limit. But besides this critique, it is a very alluring version of Angel."
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