Lacoste Black Label, Lush @ Brooks Bros & When Anti-Preps Gather…

Hello-Hello!

We continue Fashion Week coverage, starting today with the Brooks Brothers presentation of their Fall 2009 Collection. Like many others, this is not a runway show, but an event at the Madison Avenue store.

PHOTO: George Chinsee

The styles are displayed in tableaus, as seen above. We like the rich gray and lush purple, it is very striking.  The review in yesterday’s WWD mentions plenty of cashmere, in twinsets and coats.

PHOTO: George Chinsee

In an interesting partnership with Wilson, the official NFL football maker, Brooks will debut a new briefcase and duffle crafted of vintage leather from Wilson. And they will retail a limited edition co-branded football made of this same material; the football is just visible in the photo below.

PHOTO: George Chinsee

The review also talks about changes in the Black Fleece line from designer Thom Browne:

“The women’s wear has lightened up. “We’re softening the girl,” Browne said, noting there are “more skirts and dresses” offered this time. “The collection is a lot more feminine, from the shapes of the skirts to the looseness of the knits.”

We are intrigued to see the Men’s full-length beaver overcoat Mr. Browne has created. All in all it appears to be a nicely done collection that is eminently wearable.

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Thought we’d sweeten your day with a few tidbits we haven’t posted yet, including the debut jewelry collection from Liberty of London.

Photo by WWD Staff

The line will be available at Barneys.

We also share a few images from the Lacoste Fall 2009 Men’s collection, we ran out of time when posting the Women’s collection on Saturday.

PHOTO: Talaya Centeno

As the WWD staff put it in their review of the line:

“Christophe Lemaire’s newly named Black collection for Lacoste offered plenty of comfort. In men’s wear, Lemaire showed the strongest conviction with his milky-colored, fine-knit suits, but sweaters…. held the most appeal.”

Another look:

PHOTO: Talaya Centeno

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We have another frightening instance of multiple AntiPreps being located in the same place.

At. The. Same. Time.

Behold, the Tracy Reese runway show yesterday:

PHOTO: Amy Sussman/Getty

Between Ms. Kardashian and Paris Hilton is Nicky Hilton, singer Kellie Pickler is on the far right. Quote of the Day award clearly goes to Ms. Hilton, as seen in an interview with E! News this weekend:

“There’s nobody in the world like me. I think every decade has an iconic blonde, like Marilyn Monroe or Princess Diana and, right now, I’m that icon.”

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We bring you an update on a favorite brand for TPC (The Princess Consort), Hart Schaffner Marx.  In this January post we detailed the firm’s bankruptcy filing, but there was good news on Friday from a Federal judge, allowing a line of credit to be extended so the menswear manufacturer can keep operating.  It also appears creditor are showing patience with HartMarx as it works to dig out of the financial mess.

Hart Schaffner Marx

President Barack Obama owns several of the Hart Schaffner Marx Golden Trumpeter suits; it was also a tuxedo from the line that he wore to the Inauguration Balls.  Speaking of Presidential fashion, one of First Lady Michelle Obama’s favorite designers was at Fashion Week.

Maria Pinto did not do a runway show, but rather, held appointments to show her Fall looks. Below, the one we found most appealing:

PHOTO: Kristen Somody Whalen

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It would not be Fashion Week without seeing models struggling in the insane shoes they must now wear. These shots are from Sunday’s Hervé Léger by Max Azria show:

The model on the right was wearing these:

PHOTO: Getty

One designer, Maria Cornejo, is vocal in her thoughts on the heels and the spills taken by models; she spoke with NY magazine:

“That’s just sad, you know? It’s boys dressing women. I’m sorry — they don’t have to wear the —– shoes…

What could I possibly add to that comment?  Except, perhaps this:

Here is one for the “When Pink Goes Wrong” category, the high-heel sneaker.

Photo by WWD Staff

This one is the result of a Puma – Sergio Rossi collaboration.  Not that that should be anything about which to brag…

Ta-Ta for now.

Tommy Hilfiger Week, Gossip Girl Windows

Hello-hello… we are enjoying the extended sunshine and warm weather here in the Great Midwest!

Are you on the mailing list for one of Macy’s new Tommy Hilfiger catalogs? In advance of ‘Tommy Week” at Macy’s two million catalogs are going in the mail, presumably those homes where a Macy’s or Bloomingdale’s credit card holder resides. (The same company owns both.) Perhaps they aren’t even going to Bloomies customers, as one won’t be able to purchase the goods shown in the catalog at Bloomies.

That is because pretty soon it is all about Macy’s for the Hilfiger lines. For those who may not remember the news, soon you will not be able to purchase Tommy Hilfiger men’s and women’s apparel at any outlet other than Macy’s, at least that is how TP understands the exclusivity arrangement between those two entities.

Above we show a courtesy photo of a newly remodeled Hilfiger Women’s department at Macy’s. Below left we show the Melinda cable-knit sweater and the Abigail pants; lower right is a Menswear look for which we don’t know the particulars. (Both are courtesy photos via WWD.)

At any rate, perfectly timed to run in tandem with Fashion Week, ‘Tommy Week” starts this Sunday (the 7th) at Macy’s; it is a very big deal for both Macy’s and Tommy Hilfiger. (Which is actually owned by Apax, a Dutch company.)

Some of the festivities include the launch of a Men’s fragrance on Sept. 7, appearances by Tommy Hilfiger himself and special lighting at the State Street Marshall Field’s, it is Field’s dammit store in Chicago and Herald Square Macy’s will project Tommy images on the buildings. Here is more perspective on the brand itself from the VP of Marketing, Avery Baker, via Women’s Wear Daily:

“There’s a new sensibility of what Tommy is all about — preppy, collegiate, lots of plaids, trenchcoats, as well as long dresses and elegant pieces,” Reardon said. “There is more risk-taking with some pieces. The collection has a little bit for everybody, though it’s a little more edgy.”

We are fond of the Fall campaign, shot at Lake Tahoe and using what appears to be a vintage Chris-Craft or Century wooden boat; regular readers have been forced to cope with TP’s continuing love for these incredible relics of another time in previous posts. Back to the Tommy situation, here is a little more from WWD:

“Along with the quality, Apax has been elevating the price points, cutting jobs, bringing some of the licenses in-house and opening large stores in prime locations….”

If you have been inside a Macy’s lately you may have seen one of the 300+ renovated Tommy departments, most of which have been upsized. It will be interesting to see if the exclusive deal for the Hilfiger label will help boost Macy’s sagging sales, especially as a very tough economic climate looms over the critical upcoming fall season, not to mention the holiday season. Here are a few looks from the Fall 2008 runway show:

A reminder, these are from last February’s runway show for the fashions going into stores right now; this year’s Hilfiger show comes during Fashion Week, starting this Friday. A few more, this time Hilfiger’s take on the LBD.

Who goes to this show? Well, last year’s attendees included Anna Wintour, Nicky Hilton, Julianne Moore, Maggie Gyllenhaal, and someone named Richie Rich. (Please accept our apologies, TP isn’t clear on that last individual, be they male, female, or anything else.)  

Apparently the Richie Rich person is seated next to Nicky Hilton, above left, whilst Virginia Smith accompanied Anna Wintour to the show last Febuary. Not that it matters, but The Princess is struggling with Ms. Wintour’s fur, as it seems more to be overtaking her face as opposed to framing it, which we presume was its original function in addition to looking smart and providing some warmth. Below, Mr. Hilfiger at the conclusion of the show followed by a photo of him with daughters Elizabeth and Ally Hilfiger.

The topic does remind us, we have never found the origins of this photo of Anna Wintour and Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps, clearly not this past season, but when? Where? An expiring mind is dying to know!

The Princess is invoking the ‘better late than never’ clause of her blogging contract on this next item, the Gossip Girl windows at Henri Bendel story, even if we are almost a week behind the times with it. They were done by Eric Daman, costume designer for the hit show, and made their debut last week at an enormous party inside the store. We don’t know how many scenes have actually been shot at the store as we were a little tardy to the G2 party, so to speak, but evidently Bendel’s is seeing a little spike in business from the added exposure.

Above we see Taylor Momsen, Leighton Meester and Eric Daman at the Bendel’s party. BTW, ShopDiary has an an interesting story on some of the show’s fashions, chatting about pieces from Marc by Marc Jacobs, Ferragamo, and others. It is their image showing a few of the Blair dresses that you see immediately below.  

If you have made it all the way through your summer reading list, you may elect to add a few titles, certainly nothing requiring deep thought, just a couple of ideas providing escapist delights from the realities of summer’s end.

In advance of Fashion Week we though you might enjoy This Year’s Model from model Carol Alt, almost precisely as you would expect from the cover images and the author, although it is our understanding this is not a flattering portrayal of the industry.

'This Year's Model' by Carol Alt

The book was just released last week, and is only about $11 at Amazon, should that tickle your fancy. There is also Candace Bushnell’s “One Fifth Avenue,” now available for pre-orders almost everywhere, including Amazon; it is out September 22. (You know, that Candace Bushnell, Sex and the City Candace Bushnell!) There is also an online interview with Ms. Bushnell at Amazon, should that pique your antennae.

Also, the fabulous Fug Girls have a book out! Definitely not for the weak of heart or those easily offended by salty language, “Go Fug Yourself: the Fug Awards” is already out.

Happy Reading!

Photo Credits:

• Our thanks to Racked for the Bendel’s window pix!
• Tommy Hilfiger Runway Shots: Imaxtree.com
• Tommy Hilfiger Guests: Getty Images

Sunday Snippets: Vineyard Vines Opening, Suri’s Shoes, Rogan for Target Collection Debuts

Springtime… a sleepy Sunday… a feeble mind… it seems all have conspired to make coherent discourse impossible for The Princess today. Sigh. Therefore we are reduced to simply sharing some of those items capturing our attention recently that we thought might be of interest to you.

We’ll start with a snippet that belongs in the “Insane & Over-Indulgent Parent” file as well as the “Conspicuous Consumption” category. It seems that Suri Cruise, enchanting daughter of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, was fascinated to some degree with a pair of dashing red flats she noticed when visiting the Vivier store on Madison Avenue last week. Now we have word the company will make their first ever pair of children’s shoes ‘to the child’s liking’ according to Women’s Wear Daily.

 

The Vineyard Vines expansion continues, with their opening in Georgetown (DC) last week at the former Wet Seal store site on Wisconsin at M. The uber-preppy retailer also also opened their Westport store recently, right on Main Street, taking over what used to be the Talbots Mens shop. Ouch. (A painful example of what happens when one loses touch with their brand and their primary customer, let alone commences putting energy into efforts to attract new customers and grow brand extensions. Double ouch.)

Now it’s time for a few looks from the Rogan for Target Collection, debuting today, and we apologize in advance for our hideous photos. We do start with an image of the designer, Rogan Gregory, followed by pieces from the collection. The collection is described as “…an environmentally-conscious collection of modern silhouettes and nature-inspired prints and patterns“. The Princess must acknowledge she is underwhelmed, hopeful the pieces might look better when seen and touched in person at the Boutique (Target). In all fairness, we admit earthtones have never really been our ‘thing.’ A reminder that the pieces are all done in organic cotton, and still reasonably priced for those watching their fashion budgets.

 

 

It would appear simply everyone is interested in the collection, at least when it’s Hollywood and when it is the opening at Barney’s last week for its limited run before the full move to Target nationwide. Below we see Nicky Hilton with the designer. Do we think Ms. Hilton will be spotted wearing the organic collection?

 

The Anti-Prep x 2 (A Hilton Sister and…?)

And we always thought Paris was bad. Bu then we saw Nicky’s “Ten Style Rules” on the Glam blog. Actually, to be fair, we were doing quite well reading the list, surprised to see several of Nicky’s Rules were actually in sync with many of The Princess’s. Among those we agree upon? Always have a good black pump in the closet & Don’t get carried away with each season’s ‘It’ Bag. But then we were horrified to see Number Four: “Wear your jewelry during the day. Its ALWAYS ok to wear diamonds.” Hello? Diamonds before five in the evening? Sigh. We do remember having the topic explained quite clearly at an early age. “No lady wears diamonds before 5 with the exception of those in her engagement and/or wedding rings.” End of conversation.

Then we simply had to share this. (Talk about being horrified!) It stands a solid chance of earning inclusion in this year’s Top 10 Anti-Prep Collection Items. These are compliments of Steve Madden. And we thought he had disappeared. This would be the Steve Madden Bukled in the Multi-Color and White models. At the risk of disappointing some of you *terribly* The Princess must advise you they are only available for pre-ordering at this time. They are NFS (Not for Sale) until June 29th. And to make it worse, they are a copy of a Balenciaga style, as seen here. If you are going to do something hideous, shouldn’t it be original?

We are now speechless.