I had a good, thorough flip though the September issue of US Vogue over the weekend, and I was surprised to see how boring the advertising campaigns were. Firstly, Louis Vuitton was noticeably absent, which was very strange. And the magazine was also lacking in nice-looking campaigns, which, let’s face it, is usually the main reason we buy the September issues. I know that desperate times call for desperate measures, but the second, third, and fourth quarters of the magazine were crammed with tasteless, ugly campaigns from brands that are not “worthy of Vogue.” I guess they have had to drop their standards in order to fill their pages.

Before I go through my Loves and Loathes for the ad campaigns from the brands we know, I should point out that there was a very good article in Vogue about mothers in the US Army. Not only was it a riveting read, but it made me 1-feel so sad for children whose parents are in the military, and 2-hate the US Army more than words can describe.

I Love…

how amazing Karen Elson looks in this Balenciaga campaign. And the shape of that white furry coat is INSANE.

the way this ad highlights the unusual shapes Bottega Veneta is known for.

Roberto Cavalli at his best: glamour, leopard print, and fur.

these simple Celine ads.

that these Chanel photos look pretty relaxed.

the best trousers of the season, by Chloe.

that despite the fact that Gucci has basically repeated their Spring Summer photos, it still very luxury and on-brand.

Autumn Winter with Michael Kors. Only Carmen Kass can make grey jogging pants look great with a fur coat.

alien eye makeup at Lanvin.

gorgeous contrasts and hardcore hardware at Miu Miu.

that Nicole Miller suddenly looks modern and slick.

Prada's choice of models, Miranda Kerr looks amazing.

that Tommy Hilfiger does the American preppy look better than anyone else.

this beautiful photo. This Valentino dress looks absolutely stunning.

Cleopatra hair and dramatic stairs at Yves Saint Laurent.

I loathe…

the whole concept of this Bulgari shoot, plus the style of the photography, which looks quite tacky.

a boring Burberry campaign. Time to try something new.

ditto at Dolce & Gabanna. They also need to try something new.

when Hermes looks too equestrian.

this Jimmy Choo campaign. It is such a predictable fashion photo set-up, and the shoes look like nothing special.

when a campaign gets done too many times. The cute young Lacoste models jumping up and down were nice for a few seasons, but now they look like silly ravers.

that Ralph Lauren has chosen some of his most boring product for the seasonal ad campaign.

Kate Moss naked in this David Yurman campaign. She doesn't look nice at all, in fact, she looks a bit yuck.

Thursday was Jason Matlo’s birthday (I won’t be number specific here…) and he threw a party on a rooftop in a stunning apartment in Gastown. The orders were “dress to kill” so I used the opportunity to wear one of my fancy dresses. I have two dresses with trains, both of which are quite nice but have never been worn. So I thought this would be a good opportunity, since I knew I wouldn’t be walking around too much and I could trust the crowd not to step all over my dress.

The dress is a bias cut, beaded Jenny Packham gown, and I wore it with some Chanel skin art (tattoos.) There were only a few photos of my dress in full, but they didn’t look good, so I’m afraid you can only see the upper half. Take my word for it, it is a beautiful gown! But I should also say that wearing a train is very hard work, and I salute al the women who manage it with grace. I am glad I wore a mini at my wedding.

Jason Matlo, his mother Bernadette, and myself.

Trish, wearing Jason Matlo, and James.

Lyndi and Josh, the accessories man.

Gorgeous Roger Vivier shoes.

Two fine gentlemen.

Jason, when he saw his cake. He was so excited that he was about to eat some carbs

The cake by Shelome Bouvette and macarons from Paris.

Glen and I.

All photos by Bronte Robertson.

Next week Selfridges, London’s famous department store, is opening a large space called the Forever Shop, a shop that will sell iconic design classics. The collection will feature clothing, accessories, books, and homewares, curated by the likes of Sir Paul Smith and Elle Decoration editor Michelle Ogundehin, as well as the store’s Creative Director, Allanah Weston. The idea is to offer pieces that are classic and never go out of style, I guess this fits in quite well with the current economic climate, and consumer’s desire to invest in more quality pieces. It is also slightly ironic that the Forever Shop is replacing Selfridge’ Wonder Room, whose concept was ultra-luxury, ridiculously expensive pieces, like $20,000 bags and skull rings.

Here are a few of the items that the store will sell:

Le carré d'Hermès

Converse high tops.

Bic lighters.

Lady Chatterley's Lover

The Georg Jensen Koppel pitcher

Tom Dixon Mirror Ball light

Here’s what I would add to the fashion list:

Chanel 2.55 bag

Hermès Chaine d'Ancre bracelet

Diane Von Furstenberg wrap dress

Salvatore Ferragamo ballet flat

Cartier Trinity ring

Hunter Wellington boots

Burberry trenchcoat

Adidas tracksuit

Rayban Wayfarer

What would be on your list?

Chanel puts on the most incredible productions for their haute couture shows. This one, in the Grand Palais, featured a giant gold lion resting his paw on a pearl, which doubled as the entrance for the models. The collection was super classy, very elegant, with beautiful, structured tailoring. I loved the amazing rounded raglan sleeves, and the evening pieces, which show off the tehcniques of the ateliers and the Karl Lagerfeld’s incredible talent as a designer.

I love…

the way the top comes away from the skirt at the waist of this coat, and the beautifully rounded, narrow raglan sleeve.

that Karl has gotten rid of the hideous fake fur and brought back the real stuff!

this lovely silhouette and the perfect little gathers at the waist and on the sleeves.

more beautiful tailoring, this time slightly deconstructed.

embroidery to die for.

a dramatic evening dress worn mid calf and with slouchy boots.

the fact that this feels traditional, folksy, and space age all at the same time.

Image of the stage from here, the rest of the images from Style.com.

Read the rest of my Haute Couture Fall 2010 reviews here.

Some resort 2011 shoes I didn't review: Erdem's beautiful printed dresses.

I have finished my Resort 2011 fashion show coverage. I think they are done, and even if they aren’t, I can’t do anymore. Covering fashion shows is exhausting, even if I am not attending them (it is even worse if you are attending.)

I started my resort coverage with Dior and Chanel, thinking there would be 6 or 10 resort shows in total. That was not the case, at all. It seems like nearly all the big brands (and many smaller ones) have done a resort show. There’s been so much press recently about how designers are complaining that there are too many collections to do, too much work to do, etc…, but now they still continue to add to their workload by doing another fashion show.

Reed Krakoff Resort 2011: a perfectly simple white dress.

Rumour has it that Anna Wintour is the reason why everyone is doing resort shows. The Wall Street Journal’s Christina Binkley tweeted: “Wondered why ‘resort’ is a big runway show season this year. Just heard Anna Wintour asked for them. Great for everyone but designers” and this was confirmed to me by another industry insider this week. I heard that Anna is trying to hype up New York City, and by forcing everyone to show resort there, it elevates the city’s fashion status.

Cathy Horyn likes the resort shows, claiming there’s a smaller audience, food and drink served, and more wearbale clothes “depending on your perspective, resort collections can have either things you’re bored seeing or gems you can’t seem to find anymore because everybody’s become such big shots that they can’t do straightforward things.” She also quotes Micheal Kors, who puts some sense into the resort collections: “It’s the longest-selling period at full price.”

Richard Nicoll resort 2011: a perfectly balanced silhouette.

What’s the problem here? Firstly, if there weren’t SO many collections, and SO much stock on the shop floor, maybe clothing could be sold at full price for longer. Secondly, the problem is that Anna Wintour can convince designers to spend huge budgets on an additional fashion shows (usually across the Atlantic from their headquarters) just because she wants New York City to move up the fashion food chain. All these expenses are only going to add to the cost of the clothes. I’d like a designer to say, “I am only doing a look book. I am spending a minimal amount on marketing. I am not flying my entire team to NYC to put on a show in June. And my clothes are going to be 20% cheaper.” Just on principal, I would run out and buy this person’s collection.

The next problem is the continuous increase of responsibilities that a fashion company has. What happened to two seasons a year, two shows a year, and a lot of time to reflect, inspire, and design collections in between. This is gone, and now fashion is on a treadmill 52 weeks a year. I’d like someone to start a slow fashion movement, and only show twice a year. They can deliver the collections slowly, so it looks like there’s new stuff in store every few weeks, but really, its the same big collection, arriving bit by bit. There is too much going on, too many collections, and too much to see. It is just wrong.

3.1 Phillip Lim resort 2011: sexy retro looks.

What we need is less collections, and more imaginative ways to keep the customer interested. I agree you don’t want to walk into a store in September, October, November, December, and January, and see the same thing over and over again. But more strategic delivery dates, drops, or the delivery of one extra mini-collections a season (not a FULL resort collection, just a very small capsule collection) would make a lot more sense.

Anyway, I can complain about this until I am blue in the face, but it is only when the designers get together and decide they aren’t going to succumb to the pressure of Anna Wintour, and that two major fashion shows a year is enough, that we are going to see some changes. I am bored of all this fashion, and would like to go back to the days where each fashion week only had 30 or 40 shows, and designers could still sell their collections even if they didn’t have $100K to put on a fashion show twice a year. They were judged on their designs, and not their shows, celebrity support, and whether they had posed nude in an perfume advertising campaign.

Thakoon resort 2011: pleating genius.

Read all my resort 2011 show reviews here.

All images from Style.com.

Roger Vivier: one of the few brands that makes couture shoes.

The term Generation Y scares me, not because it is the term that is used to describe my generation (I am on the cusp, but still considered Generation Y) but because people born in the 90’s are also considered Generation Y. Which puts me in the same generation as an 18 year old, and I DO NOT feel I have much in common with an 18 year old. I didn’t grow up with a computer instead of a pen, and I didn’t buy Marc by Marc Jacobs when I was 15. In fact, it would have been impossible to buy Marc Jacobs then, since he didn’t even have his own brand.

An $11 ring by Marc by Marc Jacobs. Cool, yes. Prestige, no.

So I am a bit confused when I see the brands in the first annual L2 Gen Y Prestige Brand Rankings, “the largest study-of-its-kind measuring the affinity for 105 iconic brands among the next generation of prestige consumers.”

Gen Y Females:
1. Chanel
2. Ritz-Carlton
3. Four Seasons
4. Marc Jacobs
5. Cartier
6. BMW
7. Mercedes-Benz
8. W Hotels
9. Prada
10. Audi

Bottega Veneta: known for creating high end luxury products without distinctive branding.

OK, I can get Chanel, Prada, and Marc Jacobs. They deserve to be on that list, so does Cartier. I can’t understand why Ritz Carton is on there, that’s an old money, old person’s luxury hotel. Four Seasons is nothing special either… although W Hotels makes sense. I can’t believe Hermès is not on the list, although maybe it is too exclusive for Generation Y (which is why I can’t possible be Generation Y.) Louis Vuitton must be very disappointed not to be on there, but I guess the over saturation of the LV monogram has destroyed their exclusivity.

Pierre Hermé macarons: the Caramel and Fleur de Sel macaron is TO DIE FOR.

Here’s what I would add to this list: Hermès, Bottega Veneta, Roger Vivier, Lanvin, Loro Piana, Pierre Hardy, Pierre Hermé, The Fat Duck (I don’t care what people say, it might be gimmicky, but I have been there, and it was one of the best experiences in my ENTIRE life), Piaget, Pétrus, Krug (rappers drink Cristal, so it has lost a lot of its prestige), Frette, etc.. I could go on for hours. But Audi is defiently not on there, nor is Marc Jacobs. If a brand sells rings for 11 dollars, it is not a prestige brand.

Prestige: A Piaget watch with over 500 diamonds. Price available upon request.

The males list just makes me laugh.

Gen Y Males:
1. BMW
2. Ferrari
3. Porsche
4. Lamborghini
5. Audi
6. Aston Martin
7. Four Seasons
8. Mercedes-Benz
9. Ralph Lauren
10. Ritz-Carlton

I could never take someone seriously if they owned a Ferrari, or a Lamborghini, unless they were more than 25 years old (the car, not the driver.) Old Ferraris are very cool, new ones are not. Ferraris and Lamborghinis are terrible cars, they aren’t made well, don’t last long, and need expensive repairs all the time. And they say one of three things: “I am new money, just got rich really quick, and this car is going to make me look cool”, “I am losing my hair and need a cool sports car to make me feel young”, or “I am a show off.” Aston Martin says “I want to be James Bond.” Basically this list sums up exactly why the word “douchebag” was coined to describe Generation Y guys. Guys, get some taste please!

This image, from Dave WIlliams' Blog, was entitled "King of All Douchebags."

Image credits: Roger Vivier shoe, Marc by Marc Jacobs ring, Bottega Veneta bag, Pierre Hermé macarons, Piaget watch, and Douchebag with Ferrari.

The resort shows seem to be an opportunity for the brands to do something a bit unconventional. Chanel did theirs at Saint-Tropez’s famous Sénéquier, and the models arrived by speedboat. The casting was fantastic, the girls all look relaxed and like they were on holiday, exactly what you want from resort. Crystal Renn, the “plus size” model, walked the show, which seems to be an indicator that Karl Lagerfeld’s anti-plus size sentiments seem to be fading.

I Love…

that this collection felt breezy, summery, and effortless. I also like the fact that the girls are carrying their sandals. It is very beach.

the subtle retro influences throughout the collection. And the beautiful beaded foot jewelry.

a sunhat and the perfect summer day dress.

classy Chanel tailoring goes on holiday.

a beach wedding dress.

swimwear that is not meant to be worn while swimming.

I Loathe…

a lot of the denim in this collection. If Chanel does denim, it is going to be expensive, so it has got to be fabulous. This isn't very exciting or worth a high price tag.

anything that looks like Forever 21 on the Chanel catwalk.

thigh high boots for hot holidays.

a dodgy playsuit.

Read the rest of my resort 2011 collection reviews:

Donna Karan
Yves Saint Laurent
Michael Kors
Burberry Prorsum
Alexander Wang
Bottega Veneta
Christian Dior

All images from Style.com.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit took place last night. You would think that in this day and age, there would be someone, at least ONE person, who was actually wearing something dramatically interesting on the red carpet, rather than boring evening wear. (I am not a big fan of evening wear, its the most overrated fashion product.) I am not saying there wasn’t anything nice on the red carpet, there was, but it’s all the same repetive, boring tat.

I Love…

Anne Hathaway's fairytale Valentino dress. Yes, she looks a bit psychotic in this photo, and possibly too thin, but if you are going to wear a puffy, strapless, shiny evening dress, this is the way to do it.

Bee Shaffer in this Balenciaga dress. It is classic and flattering. But who the hell is Bee Shaffer? Has she done anything other than BE Anna Wintour's daughter?

Blake Lively in Marchesa. I was a bit torn on this one, but she looks great tanned with her hair slicked back, and she can get away with crazy dresses like this.

Carey Mulligan in Miu Miu. She always looks good, and it is really nice to see a young actress dressing appropriately young.

Chloe Sevigny in Proenza Schouler. It's a bit stuffy, and a bit weird, but at least she is making a statement that is not just "boring evening gown."

Diane Kruger in Calvin Klein. Fantastic, beautiful, and she is the best dressed of the evening.

January Jones in Yves Saint Laurent. OK, her hair and makeup look weird, and why is she standing like a robot? But at least the dress is beautiful

Jessica Alba in Sophie Theallet for Gap. I don't understand how this is very Sophie Theallet, or Gap, but it is a beautiful evening gown.

Jessica Biel in Ralph Lauren. Another classic one that looks good.

Oprah Winfrey in Oscar de la Renta. Only Oprah and her bust can get away with this OTT dress.

Sarah Jessica Parker in Halston. I am not a fan of SJP, but she looks naturally beautiful in this dress, with her lovely tan and the flower in her hair.

I Loathe…

Andre Leon Talley and Whoopi Goldberg. This is just bad, and are those women's shoes he is wearing?

Anna Wintour in Chanel Haute Couture. This looks a bit trashy, but also too "mature" (in this case, "mature" is a bad word.)

Coco Rocha in Zac Posen. A hideous gown, and as a model, shouldn't she know how to pose nicely for the camera?

Donatella Versace in Versace. Predictable. Wouldn't it be amazing one day if she wore Prada?

Emma Roberts in Burberry. The slit is WAY too high.

Tom Brady and Gisele Bundchen in Alexander Wang. Even though she is back in shape, it just seems a bit trashy that she is wearing this tight, fringed dress.

Karolina Kurkova in Altuzarra. An apron dress gone wrong.

Kirsten Dunst in Rodarte for Gap. How is this Rodarte, or Gap? And it makes her look 20 years older.

Kristen Stewart in Chanel. Gosh, it's Chanel does goth, really badly.

Maggie Gyllenhaal in Louis Vuitton. Meringue dresses are evil unless you are acting in The Wedding Singer.

All images from Coutorture.

Madonna for Dolce & Gabanna, Spring Summer 2010.

I wrote earlier this week about the fact that the fashion industry seems to be changing, and that was in reference to the new silhouette and the use of the curvy models on the Fall Winter 2010 catwalks. But I also read some very interesting articles this week about how models seems to be back “in fashion.”

Vogue Paris almost always puts models on their cover.

I have always been quite anti-celebrity when it comes to the fashion industry. Basically, they’ve ruined it, and made it super mainstream. One of the things I mention when I lecture on fashion promotion is the concept of celebrities within the industry, and an interesting example I use is that a fashion magazine now sells more copies with a celebrity on the cover, rather than a model. (The only exception here is Kate Moss, but she’s a model and a celebrity.) Well, it looks like those days may be coming to an end (Hallelujah!)

Victoria Beckham on the cover of Vogue UK, April 2008. Apparently they lost 40% of their subscribers after this cover, the readers were not impressed.

WWD posted an article on Wednesday about the fact that most designers are using models for their Fall Winter 2010 advertising campaigns, rather than celebrities. Hopefully the magazines will soon do the same. This list, complied by The Cut, shows that most brands will be working with models (aside from Dolce & Gabanna.)

• Yves St. Laurent: Daria Werbowy
• Gucci: Raquel Zimmermann
• Chanel: Freja Beha Erichsen, Abbey Lee Kershaw, and Brad Kroenig
• Fendi: Anja Rubik and Baptiste Giabiconi
• Louis Vuitton: Christy Turlington, Karen Elson, and Natalia Vodianova (though these names are rumored, not confirmed)
• Balenciaga: a cast of ten models, including Elson and Stella Tennant
• Roberto Cavalli: Gisele Bündchen
• Dior: Karlie Kloss
• Dolce & Gabanna: Madonna

Lindsay Lohan for Miu Miu, Spring Summer 2007.

To be honest, the ironic or interesting use of a celebrity in a fashion campaign doesn’t bother me too much, like Lindsay Lohan for Miu Miu (which looked nothing like her) or Madonna for Dolce & Gabanna. But in general, I am thrilled about this news.

Kate Moss has been shot for MANY Vogue UK covers.

In the WWD article, “Lagerfeld notes there are “not so many” celebrities around from which to choose. What’s more, their “overexposure in ‘people’ magazines also makes it that one may be a little tired of celebrities and the red carpet.”

I think “a little tired of celebrities” is an understatement. I am bored to death of celebrities meddling in the fashion industry, especially when they have no business being there. So for fun, I’ve compiled a list of most annoying celebrity/fashion situations. This is by no means exhaustive, and I’ve only spent a few minutes on it, so I am sure there are tons of juicy, ridiculous examples I’ve forgotten. Feel free to suggest more!

Lindsay Lohan for Ungaro Spring Summer 2010: calling it a disaster is an understatement.

1. Lindsay Lohan for Ungaro: painful, embarrassing, and nearly ruined the brand.
2. Sarah Jessica Parker for Halston Heritage: she herself said  ”they’d be bludgeoned for it” and I hope they are.
3. Kanye West for Louis Vuitton: Does Kanye actually make any music, or does he just go to fashion shows and pretend he knows stuff about fashion.
4. “Diavolo So Sexy” by Antonio Banderas: The name says it all.
5. Lauren Conrad’s clothing collection: Lauren, you suck.

Kanye West's trainers for Louis Vuitton. Boring.

Thanks Dal for helping me brainstorm on the above.

WWD posted an article today entitled the Top Ten Collections of Fall 2010. Normally I’d say its too early to do something like this (or too late.) Either you do it straight after the shows, or you wait and see how these collections look once they are shot in editorials, they are in the retail spaces, and how they look in their advertising campaigns. But when I had a look at this list, without analyzing too deeply, I had to admit that they had compiled a very comprehensive list.

What’s sad of course is that all of the brands are very well-known, established brands, and there are no real newcomers on the list (unless you count Celine as a newcomer, who is more like a “returning” brand.) Someone should do a list of “Best Fall 2010 Collections from brands less than ten years old.” Anyway, here’s their list:

Balenciaga

Burberry Prorsum

Celine

Chanel

Christian Dior

Dolce & Gabbana

Donna Karan

Marc Jacobs

Michael Kors

Prada

Well, maybe Christian Dior and Chanel were not SO deserving this season, but if you are a major publication, you probably can’t leave them out. Also, I feel that Louis Vuitton should have been on this list. Here are two of my favourite images from each of these collections.

Balenciaga Fall Winter 2010: I love the uncomfortable colour combinations in the knits.

Balenciaga Fall Winter 2010: Beautiful deconstructed tailoring.

Burberry Prorsum Fall Winter 2010: The best jackets of the season.

Burberry Prorsum Fall Winter 2010: And an incredible colour palette.

Céline Fall Winter 2010: Minimal leather pieces.

Céline Fall Winter 2010: Perfect coats.

Chanel Fall Winter 2010: An amazing backdrop for a rich collection.

Chanel Fall Winter 2010: Karl Lagerfeld's incredible ability to constantly re-invent the Chanel suit.

Christian Dior Fall Winter 2010: I love the use of fur in this collection, these delicate strips.

Christian Dior Fall Winter 2010: Beautiful tailoring.

Dolce & Gabbana Fall Winter 2010: Going back to the Sicilian roots of the brand.

Dolce & Gabbana Fall Winter 2010: Using their fantastic archives as inspiration.

Donna Karan Fall Winter 2010: One of my favourite collections, beautifully simple with stunning silhouettes.

Donna Karan Fall Winter 2010: Every piece in this collection is a winner.

Marc Jacobs Fall Winter 2010: The new matronly silhouette.

Marc Jacobs Fall Winter 2010: a new definition of sexy.

Michael Kors Fall Winter 2010: The king of camel coats.

Michael Kors Fall Winter 2010: Beautifully cosy knits.

Prada Fall Winter 2010: Going retro.

Prada Fall Winter 2010: A new, rounder silhouette.