FACCONABLE WOOS LAVIA FROM KENZO

paris - alberto lavia, c.e.o of kenzo, now holds the same position at french label, facconable. the announcement was made on tuesday. he replaces mark brashear who held the same spot for six years and quit last year.


photosource: perfil.com

WHY IS THE GUY NEXT TO ARMANI SO SEXY? BUT I DIGRESS

spain - wait, so is mr. armani the ultimate hustler? he's designing everything from couture to collection to casuals to casa and now costumes? bullfighting costumes to be exact. the cutie mr. armani is standing with is cayetano rivera ordonez, a famous bullfighter who will be taking part in the corrida goyesca this year. for the event, armani has created a one of a kind satin jacket and trousers for ordonez. if you happen to be in seville, where the event takes place this september 6, please do snap a photo of this man in the outfit. i need it in my life.

photosource: wwd.com

TORY BURCH IS ON THE MARKET FOR A PARTNER

new york - no, it's not what you are thinking, although i would have thought the same thing. instead, tory burch (sorry blaynistas, but i simply cannot stand those over priced ballet flats of hers, plus it gives zero foot support) is looking for an investor to buy a 30% stake in her company. i don't doubt that the offer will attract a lot of suiters as the company is hot, hot, hot at the moment. in fact, according to womens wear daily, the gross around $200 million a year in wholesale revenue alone. however, their asking price might be a bit of a damper: they are asking for about $300 million for the thirty percent stake. so far two companies are rumored to have taken the bait. stay tuned as this develops.


photosource: sfluxe.com

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG IS DOING A REALLY, REALLY GOOD JOB...

new york - ms. dvf is clearly storming these beeyotches in the new york fashion scene because she's been unanimously re-elected as president of the c.f.d.a (council of fashion designers of america.) i am not surprised. she just oozes confidence, charisma and capability. she's not the only one getting a stamp of approval, so are twenty eight other well established american designers. the c.f.d.a announced it's extention of membership to these industry professionals. they include, Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock of Vena Cava; Thakoon Panichgul of Thakoon; Holly Dunlap of Hollywould; Jenni Kayne; Naeem Khan; Sue Stemp; Dana Foley and Anna Corinna Sellinger of Foley + Corinna; Scott Sternberg of Band of Outsiders; Amy Smilovic of Tibi; Michael Bastian; Philip Crangi; Ron Anderson and David Rees of Tenthousandthings. p.s can we please applaud the vintage pic of dian vf on the left. just fiercerishious.


photosource:monmouth.army.mil

ELIE TAHARI NOW AVAILABLE IN SELFRIDGES AND HARVEY NICHOL

london - american's and brits continue their cross cultural exchange (at least in the retai world) with the opening of a new york based label in the heart of london. elie tahari known and loved for it's rich, baroque pieces has now opened a store-in-store at two of london's largest retail meccas: selfridges and harvey nichol. tahari has six stores in the states with a flagship in new york city. however, this is his first retail presence in the u.k. "we are taking london and england very seriously and are investing in opening shops," said the designer. "success here speaks for itself." that may be and congrats are in order. but something tells me that the weak dollar had a strong impact on this decision.

photo source: nypost.com

CALVIN COMES HOME TO NEW YORK

new york - it's still july, but the spring 2009 shows for new york fashion week (which takes place early september) are already upon us. calvin klein is taking it to a whole 'nother level by planning its fall 2009 show which takes place next february. the company just announced that in honor of it's upcoming anniversary, it will bring its collections shows back to the big apple. in an interview has already started the ball rolling waaayyyy in advance for it's by settling on a location for it's spring 2009 show: new york city. in an interview, c.o.o of the label, tom murry said, "as this is the year we have brought the colection business back in house and will celebrate the company's 40th anniversary, we thought this was an appropriate time to change things up a bit."

OHMYGAH! CARLA BRUNI ON COVER OF SEPTEMBER ISSUE OF VANITY FAIR

worldwide - i love! what do you think? and i know i don't need to give you fabulous fashionistas on a refresher on who carla bruni is, right? of course, we all know she is the former super model/singer who is now first lady of france. what a way to maintain your relevance. i live! i love!

photosource: nymag.com

"A WOMAN CANNOT SUBSIST ON DAVID BECKHAM ALONE" SO DIDDY GIVES US NELLY FOR SEAN JOHN

worldwide - oh me, oh my, oh yes!!!! by now i am sure you've heard the news. sean john, the clothing line of rap mogul sean combs, has enlisted american rapper - nelly - as their new spokesmodel for their underwear division. ( now i didn't even know they had an underwear division, did you?) i just spied a promo pic and boy, oh boy do i love it. and i am not even talking about the underwear, which i am sure is equally brilliant.


photosource: nymag.com

SO....THIS STORE FINALLY OPENED

new york - remember i blogged about this store a while back? kira plastinina is the eastern european import that has its sites set on tapping and dominating the u.s retail market , and i am sure they will succeed. the store has finally opened its doors on 34th street. the mob of teenage girls that are sure to storm this store is almost sexy. but i won't turn my nose up, i'm sure i'll be passing by to sample the sweets from dylan's candy bar, which is collaborating with the store.


photosource: fashionweekdaily.com

JUST HAD TO SHARE: A BRANGELINA CLASSIC FROM W MAGAZINE

worldwide - so i am trolling for news on w magazine's websites and came across these classique photos. these were taken by mr. steve klein before anything officially popped off with these two mega stars. the buzzworthy spread, ( i remember everybody was talking about it!) was featured TWO YEARS ago in the july 2005 issue of w magazine. like i've said before a. jolie doesn't move me in anyway , although brad pitt and these pictures do. enjoy!


photosource: w magazine online

OY! MAKES ME WISH I HAD COINS!

new york - okay, my favorite fashion blog (well one of them) fashionista.com, just clued us into a very fabulous sample sale going on tomorrow and thursday for...PROENZA SCHOULER! ohmygah! i wish i had coins. okay see deets below and if you go, won't you buy me something?



photosource: threadtrend.wordpress.com

KIND OF LIKE WHAT COLE HAAN DID WITH NIKE.....NINE WEST AND NEW BALANCE UNITE

usa - this is a cute match, if not necessarily a cutting edge one. hot on the heels of cole haan and nike's collaboration, well really years after it was done,u.s shoe retailer nine west and sneaker company new balance have announced a collaboration. there are precious little deets so far, but it promises to be rich with ultra comfortable heels at extremely comfortable price points. fashionistas with a budget and bunions can now rejoice!


photosource: fashionista.com

CAVALLI COMPLETELY CALLS OF SALE OF HIS COMPANY

italy - so we sort of knew this already when earlier this year the italian designer called of talks with companies interested in buying his company. now he's cut off talks with the main company involved with selling his comopany - merrill lynch. the bottom line turned out to be money. merrill lynch valued the company at around 1 bllion euros, while cavalli and company firmly believe the company should have been valued around 2 billion. so what does this mean for the future sale of the company? i think i will be a very long time before this discussion is broached again, personally. at the end of the day - though i am sure that was not the intention - it seems cavalli got more publicity from this than anything else.

WHEN KEEPING IT NICHE GOES WRONG...

usa - so i remember seeing the recent batch of nike ads in new york city on west fourth and thinking...interesting. it was a combination of the sexually charged poses they had male players/models in combined with phrases like "that aint right," written boldly across the ads. truth is, it reflects reality. anyone whose seen street basketball knows how in your face/touchy/and aggressive it can be. nike was spot on in its interpritation, but not exactly spot on in its execution. as it turns out, they offended a few folks in the states with their ads and have now decided to pull them. in a press release they cited their, "history of supporting athletes regardless of their sexual orientation" as a primary reason for withdrawing their ads. check them out on the left. what are your thoughts?

ZAHA HADID AND MELISSA UNITE? THIS HAS GOT TO BE GOOD!

london - talk about stepping your game up. mellissa, the brazilian shoe brand known and loved for their flip flops has teamed up with zaha hadid. who is the genius who brokered this? ( i am not even being sarcastic). and can we give a standing ovatoin to zaha hadid for being relevant beyond architecture? like frank ghery she has just surpassed her field to become a mark of style in everything and for everything she doe$. that we should all be so lucky. but i digress....the shoe debuts this coming september and will be available in eight colors, hand picked by hadid. it will be available exclusively from dover street market in london.

Galliano in Your Eye

London-

next fall, John Galliano will unveil the plan of his five-year licensing agreement with Italy's Marcolin to produce and distribute men's and women's sunglasses and prescription frames

the contract that was signed yesterday will become effective in September 2009 and will be renewable for an additional two years

“Sunglasses and eyewear are essential accessories to make a statement on and off the runway and I am really excited to give them a Galliano twist,” said Galliano told WWD...

galliano twist? ...i think i have an eye for it

THIS IS LANDING IN CENTRAL PARK THIS FALL...CAN YOU GUESS WHAT IT IS?

new york - savvy fashionista that you are, i am sure you already guessed it: chanel's traveling art exhibition. this spaceship like space was designed by uber architect zaha hadid. i love it. art lovers and fashion lovers and chanel stalkers alike can check this out at central park this september. inside will be art pieces from several international artists inspired by chanel's legendary (and my current obsession) 2.55 quilted bag.





photo source: nytimes.com

WHO WORE IT BEST? VIBE MAGAZINE FASHION EDITOR, JANELLE GRIMMOND vs. SOLANGE

new york - so which one of these two divas did this bcbg runway collection dress justice? janelle grimmond, posing with vibe fashion director memsor kamarake , far left, wore this dress to an intimate mixer she hosted in new york city. solange knowles, left, wore it to the essence music festival. both look beautifully groomed (hair,make-up, nails and body) and fabulous in the dress to me. it's a tough call. what do you say?

Bags! Bags! I Love Notting Hill Design Bags....

London--

there's nothing like a some haute shoes, designer shades, and a nice handbag to match...ooooh and i have this almost scary secret obsession with big handbags like my favorite shirt... i want them in every color

bad. i know. so of course i was very excited when i heard of Notting Hill Design, a new London-based cult luxury handbag label created by Kimberly Yurisich and her husband Steven


the bags are inspired by the 20th Century, particularly the 40 and 50s

fun. great details. nice colors. haute. haute.haute. check them...

























to see the complete look book see http://www.nottinghilldesign.com/...

Supermodel Liya Kebede's "Lemlem" Bringing Ethiophian Handwork to the West

pic of Liya Kebede and daughter--too cute!!!

worldwide-

Lemlem which means to bloom or flourish in Amharic, is the name of its supermodel, actress, and UN ambassador, Liya Kebede launched last February...

the mother of two dedicated her Ethiopian handwoven line for children as young as 3 months to 10 years old in hopes to preserve her country's ancient African art form of hand spinning of cotton, intricate embroidery, and hand weaving ...




just too adorable!






Celebs Mary Louis Parker and Veronica Webb are also fans of this line, which is sold at US Retailers Barney's, Calyspo, and Scoop among many others...they are now available internationally as well as in Italy, Spain, and Tokyo


Check the peices from Spring 2008 collection...


























Aaaawww!...

the price range is only $68 and $210...can you believe that? orginal, adorable, hand-woven pieces.


the fall 2008 collection will be available in stores September first
the spring 2008 collection is lined up in appear in New York and London Bubble Shows (the kids trade shows)

visit http://www.lemlem.com/

the clothes are "unique, playful and modern"...doesn't those words remind you of your little adorable nephew or neice...

GET READY TO BE INSPIRED: HOW ONE FASHIONISTA LEFT LAW BEHIND AND BAGGED A FASHIONABLE NEW CAREER

new york - blaynista's can i get your ear for a minute? now i know we do these career chronicles quite often, but this one simply blew me away. alicia ferriabough of sukari new york, is an unlikely fashionista. this spelman graduate started out as an entertainment lawyer. but after years of being unfulfilled she made the bold move to leave law behind and follow her life long passion: fashion. thus came to be her much loved bag collection - sukari new york. sukari is a line of hand-crafted luxury bags made from exotic leathers and rich materials. as it's described on the website, http://www.sukarinewyork.com/, "sukari is a paragon of modernity and style." the same can be said about the designer of these bags, ferriabough, who is every bit as dynamic, beautiful and inspiring as the amazing bags she designs. i caught up with her a few weeks ago (i know! alicia please forgive my tardiness!) to discuss how she got her start and where she sees her label/career going. see the transcript below...

what's your name?

Alicia D. Ferriabough

...and your age (optional)?

30 something

where do you live?

New York

...and your title
Owner, designer of Sukari, New York

that's a very cute one! are you passionate about your job?
Now I am! Before Sukari came to be I practiced corporate and entertainment law for a few years, but it never got me excited. I didn’t wake up in the morning amped up to draft a contract or a legal memo. I thought that by representing recording artists I would vicariously satisfy my need for creative expression, but it just reminded me of how off track I was.

what inspired you to pick this?
I chose designing accessories, handbags in particular, because I've always been creative and resourceful and loved fashion! When I was young, you could always find me in my bedroom (ahem, the creative studio) sewing, stapling or gluing something. From wardrobe sachets to baby dolls and wallets, anything I liked and saw in the stores, I tried to recreate it and put my own spin on it. I also LOVED the movie “Mahogany” featuring the uber fabulous, Diana Ross, as a burgeoning world-famous fashion designer; it was such an inspiring movie for me that I even modeled for a stint just so I could wear fabulous clothes and jewelry.

oh i love it!!!! you are a clever girl. did you go to college or trade school to learn how to design?
No, I actually studied political science at Spelman College then went to law school at Northwestern University. It was not until I decided to dive head first into my passion that I began taking courses at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. I took a few classes geared toward marketing and producing accessories.

that was a smart move. so now that you are knee-deep in this what have you learned about getting to your level - and staying there!?
I’m still figuring this out myself, but I think it takes perseverance, confidence, patience and a healthy dose of fear…fear of regret that is. I never want to regret not giving this venture my all, so I give it 110%. Since the launch of our Sukari collection, I feel like I have been eating and sleeping all things Sukari! I can’t help but stare at and study women’s handbags, shoes and belts as I walk the streets of New York.

what do you love most about what you do?
I love seeing my sketches come to life, but most of all, I enjoy seeing women wearing my handbags!

what makes your job a challenge?
I think the most challenging part of this whole business is introducing a new brand to the market. You could have the hottest new product, but the public won’t necessarily embrace it right away just because it's new. It really does take resources, time, effort, and luck to crack the market. You have to continuously implement different strategies and try new angles and hope that one of them breaks the ice.

would you recommend your career path to others?
I highly recommend people follow their dreams whatever they are; life’s too short not to. I’ve heard it said many times that one should do what you love and money and abundance will follow. I believe that is true. Fashion is a tough, fickle business, but if that’s what you love to do, you have to make it happen.

finally - because we live for compliments here at theblayreport.com - what do you love about this blog?
You’re worldwide, Zandile! I love your panoramic fashion features...myopic views on anything are so lame. Also, I love the Career Chronicles. Getting caught up on what’s happening behind the labels is a must, especially for me as a designer and entrepreneur; I need to know what’s happening on all fronts of fashion. LOVE IT!!

oh! and since this is a fashion blog, we have to ask you a fashionable question: describe an outfit that completely captures your style and personality?
I’ve been told that I have a conservative, yet earthy-chic, sophisticated style. My personality is eccentric and colorful. An outfit that epitomizes that description on a normal day is a pair of Hudson dark denim jeans, a sexy sweater (probably with bat wing sleeves...love them), Argentinean cowboy boots, jazzy bangles, hot shades, a Sukari necklace, and an espresso-colored Sukari Oaxaca shoulder bag. But on a “dress up” occasion I might wear a Butter by Nadia wrap dress with some hot Jimmy Choo boots (or strappy sandals), glitzy bangles from India or beaded ones from South Africa on my wrists, a colorful beaded choker around my neck and a Sukari Buenos Aires clutch under my arm!

EVERYONE IS BUZZING ABOUT VALENTINO'S NEW FALL CAMPAIGN...WHAT DO YOU THINK?

worldwide - here's a shot. i beg your forgiveness as i can't figure out which website i got it from. i gotta tell you, i love. and i especially love the use of a plum-pink as oppossed to the classic rich red which the label/mr. valentino always favored. fresh and young. (p.s super random note to my reader chicnoir: thanks so much for all your comments! adding you to my blog roll too girl......)

DOVER STREET MARKET GETS A NEW LOOK

london - i gotta say, i really regret not checking out this legendary boutique when i was in london. dover street market really surpasses trendiness, the multi-level store which is owned by rei kawakubo of commes de garcon is pretty much an art-meets-fashion-gallery-space. one of the many elements, besides amazing high end merchandise by lanvin, chalayan, chanel, is the drastic makeover the store goes through several times a year. this past saturday they debuted a new look, above left, featuring retail exhibitions by chalayan, alber elbaz of lanvin and an installation by punk artist jamie reed. even the basement stocked wonders of it's own such as paris based artist, katerina jebb, vintage couture gowns, above right.


photosource: wmagazine.com

YEAH...I KNOW SHE LOOKS AMAZING IN THESE ADS, BUT EVA MENDES STILL GETS THE SIDEYE FROM ME

worlwide - so the ads for eva mendes' calvin klein underwear ad campaign are finally out. cute. but i am sorry, i am still thrown by her rehab stint and alleged coke binging incidents. i can't see past it. thank god i am already a fan of calvin kline underwear, cause this campaign would have had a hard time moving me. am i the only one side-eyeing?


photosource: egotastic.com

BUT REALLY, IS THIS GOING TOO FAR? ROBERTO CAVALLI OPENS A CLUB

dubai - well i guess if it had to happen, something this tacktastic would only go down in dubai. and no offense to this lovely city. i live for dubai and one day hope to have a second home there. it's just unfortunate that some of the tackiest projects in the world (i.e. the world) insist on opening in this poor - yet rich - location. but i digress....roberto cavalli is opening a club. yes. and it's called - you guessed it: club cavalli. it promises to be a cornucopia of cornucopias: we are talking restaurants, dance spaces, crazy architecture, several floors of music, etc. etc. all enjoyed with chilled bottles of cavalli vodka. the dubai locations opens this november, with a second in florence by the end of the year. several other locations are also being planned. words finally fail me.

photosource: fashionweekdaily.com

OHMYGAH! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WOMENS WEAR DAILY SITE!?

worldwide - okay, FIRST PROMISE TO COME BACK TO MY BLOG AND COMMENT. second, maybe you should go to www.wwd.com to check out womens wear daily. fashion professsionals and enthusiasts who read this blog will recognize wwd as the newspaper to read in the fashion industry. it's fresh, relevant and always informative. now it has a new look (at least on line) and i am gagging! i honestly don't know if i like it. and they have blogs too....more gagging. i feel like my boyfriend went and got an extreme makeover. okay, have you checked out the site yet? thoughts? oh, and while i am sending you guys to other sites, have you checked out the blay beauty report today? maybe you should!

SO....WHICH ONE WOULD YOU BUY?

worldwideweb - so yall know how much i love fashionista.com. and like a nerd, i get especially excited when i see their "adventures in copyright" section where they juxtapose two items which seem identical but are from different companies. as always forever 21 is the main store ripping off a high end label. this time it's fendi. these two clutches are eerily similar. but considering that the forever 21 version probably costs $21 and the fendi one $2100 (just guessing here, but i am sure i am close) which one would you buy? honestly!?

I'M VERY LUKE WARM ON DIESEL'S DEBUT SWIM COLLECTION - WHAT DID YOU THINK?

miami - so by now you've already seen photos, especially of singer teyanna taylor, pumping down the runway of diesel's swim show. it was a big deal because this is diesel's first foray into swimwear (very surprising since they've been doing lingerie for a while). that said though, i was very, very underwhelmed by the rest of the show. without the collegiate gimmics (see photos) the swimsuits didn't really stand on their own. it's seemed all styling and no substance, which is quiet disappointing since i've always loved diesel's structured/sultry design. i would have hoped it would have translated into this latest venture.


photo source: coutourture.com