Chanel 2014/2015 cruise collection unveiled in Dubai
Gas can handbags? Arabian Nights? A man-made island? That would be the scene at the unveiling of the 2014/2015 Chanel cruise collection in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Tuesday. Guests including Tilda Swinton and Janelle Monae (who also performed) were treated to a collection that fashion industry trade paper WWD reported was inspired by Arabic paving stones and tiles from the 11th and 12th centuries and included “graphic motifs on filmy scarves, [and] gleaming and colorful embroideries ... Quirkier Middle East touches included quilted leather handbags shaped like jerricans -- a wink to the region’s oil riches.” [WWD]
We received word Wednesday morning of an interesting new business model for luxury fashion retail -- a just-launched website called Tinker Tailor (from some of the folks behind Moda Operandi) that’s offering “the opportunity to personalize women’s luxury apparel from more than 80 of the world’s top designers,” including labels such as Rodarte, Marchesa, Preen, Alberta Ferretti and Vivienne Westwood. Customers will apparently be able to customize individual garments -- via website or app -- with options including raising or lowering a hem, adding or removing sleeves and swapping out fabrics, prints, embellishments and finishings. The site will also offer selections from its own “house label.” We haven’t had a chance to kick the virtual tires, but we’re guessing this is the kind of thing that will appeal to the “everything a la carte” customization generation of shoppers. [Tinker Tailor]
Whatever the root cause of the elevator scuffle seen ‘round the world, Beyonce -- or at least her Instagram account -- showed some sororal support for Solange, Page Six reported. “Beyonce posted four warm-and-fuzzy Instagram snapshots Wednesday of her and sister Solange,” according to the piece, which also reports that later the same day Queen B posted a photo of herself with Rihanna, “who some believe,” the report said, “was at the center of the Jay Z and Solange argument. [Page Six]
Nicole Kidman had plenty of stylish help getting into character to play the title role in the film “Grace of Monaco” -- which is premiering at the Cannes Film Festival -- according to fashion industry trade paper WWD, which recently interviewed the movie’s costume designer, Gigi Lepage. Among the details Lepage shared: “Christian Dior reproduced two women’s suits designed by Marc Bohan, then artistic director of the house, including the gray Gamin skirt suit he showed as part of the fall 1961 haute couture collection.” [WWD]
