Paris, Je T'aime

It’s avant garde, it’s cause célèbre, it’s fashion’s raison d’être... We are flying from Milan to Paris, the final of the Big 4 cities, and in my mind the most glorious of the lot... How will Alexander McQueen look after the death of his Royal Highness? Where will JPG go after his Avengers-inspired Fall 2010 collection at Hermès? Most importantly of all, will Carine Roitfeld be invited to Balenciaga?

Showcards are available for those interested, and the schedule of shows is also up.

Another thing people might want to note is that this month (October, that is) is the 90th Anniversary of Vogue Paris. The magazine was released today, the cover featuring metallic gold printing in celebration and Lara Stone’s boobs, accompanied by the words “90 ans d’excès” (That’ “90 years of excess” for the less French-inclined). If there’s one thing you can usually depend on VP for, it’s a sort of in-your-face, devil-may-care attitude, and they certainly achieved that with this cover. The accessories editorial from which the shot comes is called Bal Masqué, and also features Mariacarla Boscono, Crystal Renn, Daphne Groeneveld, and Freja Beha Erichsen.

Vogue Paris - October 2010 - Lara Stone

To be sure, the cover is striking, and I have no doubt that Roitfeld made an excellent decision, both artistically and commercially. Lara Stone is one of the most successful models in the world right now, and having her cover for a commemorative edition of one of fashion’s most popular magazines is only natural. That said, I’m a little surprised about the content of the magazine itself. For sure, it contains some stunning editorials, but casting-wise, I was expecting to see Raquel or Daria pop up somewhere. Kate Moss is nowhere to be found either...

Regardless, if one thing is for sure, Paris Fashion Week is going to be excellent. Hosting all of my favourite names from Balmain to McQueen, Balenciaga to Rick Owens, and a host of others besides, Paris is what I’ve been most excited about these last few months. Drama, beauty, and excess in the City of Love? S'il vous plait.

Peace, love, and floating,

Gill Ford

Photo courtesy of fashionising.com

Milan, Milan, Sempre Per Te

After London, we head to Milan, the original home of all fine leathers. We have Gucci, Pucci and Prada, Versace, Ferretti, Dolce & Gabbana... The list goes on and on, as you could only expect from what is historically one of the world's most fashion forward cities. Of the four fashion capitals, Milan and Paris are generally accepted as the most important of all, so get ready for some fireworks, things are about to get real crazy.

Showcards are at the ready, schedules have been released, and the shows started today. Gucci showed earlier, and there's a bit of controversy over the show... it seems the Italian giants ordered all the models cast in their show to arrive at some point yesterday. Which probably wouldn't have been an issue, except that Burberry Prorsum showed yesterday and this resulted in many of their usual top models being unavailable to walk in London. It's a real shame; scheduling should have been coordinated so as to avoid this clashing of two major shows (which is a more polite assertion than saying Gucci should have backed the fuck off). Seriously though, a Burberry show without Lily Donaldson? No Freja Beha either? Dansk Magazine weren't the only people to be disappointed.

But whatever, cattiness and potstirring aside, Milan is looking goooood this year. Personally I'm looking forward to Blumarine and Pucci (Saturday), and of course the Caten boys at DSquared2 (Monday). Who knows what's going to happen though, Italian flare is always something I look forward to, and perhaps they'll be able to combat the minimalist movement with something obnoxious (if not, be sure that Christophe Decarnin over at Balmain will have something up his sleeve, come Paris).

Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford

Oh Why, Oh Why, Would I Want to be Anywhere Else?

I assure you I am hard at work on New York Fashion Week... Unfortunately, posts are taking much longer than I expected. I might have to just post pictures from the shows and review only certain ones for now, just so I can get caught up, because if you caught the reference in the title there, I'm quite late for other important dates: London Fashion Week starts today, and good Lord am I excited. I can't wait to see what Christopher Bailey has been working on after those aviator jackets back in March, and as I've already mentioned in earlier posts, I'm dying to see ACNE's first London showing after missing them in Copenhagen.

Anyway, showcards have been up for a little while now, but I'll send you over to models.com so you can have a looksie if you haven't already. Please note that IMG actually made theirs presentable for London; much better than what they turned out for New York.

Actually, speaking of IMG, you might have heard they got a new signing at the beginning of New York: Miss Chanel Iman, darling at US Vogue. I can't say I'm a fan of anything she's done thus far, but I'm really hoping IMG can do something to change that. She has an intriguing face, and regardless of the rumours surrounding her diva persona, I would really like to see her do more editorial pictures. I'm all for happiness and smiling, but she could do with a bit more flexibility. Fingers crossed that IMG gets her frowning a bit more often.

I'll also leave you with the schedule for London, just so you have an idea of the when and the what.

Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford

Weather Warning!

So, I'm not sure how many of you are aware of this, but the East Coast has been suffering a severe heat wave for the last week or so. As a matter of fact, New York is breaking records: this is the hottest summer it has ever had. With temperatures consistantly in the high 90s, the United States Tennis Association was forced to change procedures at the US Open (currently taking place at Flushing Meadows) to allow female players a ten minute break between the second and third sets, and male players medical time outs for heat related illnesses.


You might be wondering why I'm bringing this up, but I assure you, I have a valid reason: New York Fashion Week starts on Thursday! As you know, this means loads of fashion gurus and celebrities squishing into front rows under the tents at the Lincoln Center and at various other locations around the city. If the heat wave persists as it has been lately, this is going to mean a lot of sweaty people, and discomfort. Who are the people I'm most worried about? The models.


While fashion fans tend to shy away from discussions about the health of models, there is a sort of unspoken understanding that many of them are a bit thinner than they ought to be. In extreme heat conditions like what we've had recently, people of the model persuasion are perfect targets for severe dehydration, not just because half are severely emaciated and half are almost certainly underweight, but also because of the demands of the profession. These girls (and boys) will be running all over New York for castings, fittings, shows, and shoots for the whole of the week, often on very little sleep because of their hectic schedules (I'm looking directly at you, Vlada). As a result, there is enormous strain on their bodies, which, with the added aggravation of record high temperatures, will be even more dangerous than usual.


Most models carry water around with them, but this will be extremely important this year given the circumstances. Staying fully hydrated will be a problem, especially with the amount of things to do, but I really hope models have been warned of the situation by their agencies. I also hope show organizers are properly prepared for the week with lots of water, not just for models, but for staff as well. Fingers crossed!


Now, having said that, I've had my eye on the forecasts, and after the passing of Hurricane Earl, things seem to be cooling off around here to more tolerable temperatures, but who really knows how long that's going to last? I encourage everyone attending shows in New York to also make sure they're staying on top of water consumption as well: we don't want to have anyone getting hurt and whatnot. And when I say water, that's what I mean: no soft drinks, sport drinks, or things like that, water is what you want, even if it doesn't have a good taste. Another note: warm water is easier for your body to use, so if you're feeling dizzy or whatever, don't pass up a drink just because it's not cold!


Anyway, on a happier note, it looks like most of the showcards have been posted on models.com. Of the major agencies, it looks like we're still missing IMG... I've seen a couple of the cards they released on other sites, and I have to say, not impressive. Not that I was really expecting anything fantastic, but still, a little effort might be nice. But either way, it looks like all my favorites are going to be present at NYFW, so high fives all around!


We also have a schedule for the shows at Lincoln Center (And I stress, AT LINCOLN CENTER. So don't pop your top when you don't see Marc Jacobs, Alexander Wang, or Rag & Bone like I did at first... they're showing at off-site locations!). Looks like a great lineup this year... I AM SO EXCITED!!


What about you lot? Were you expecting any models that aren't showing up? What are you doing to stay cool during NYFW? What shows are you looking forward to most this year? And most importantly, do you think the person in charge of fonts at Wilhelmina should be fired immediately?


Peace, love, and floating,
Gill Ford