Is Anna Wintour’s Fashion Power In Trouble?
A week ago, if you’d asked a fashion insider who the most powerful person in fashion was, the answer would have been fairly easy.
It would either have been the head of one of the huge luxury conglomerates who own all the fashion houses, or the tastemaker at the head of American Vogue for decades, the formidable Anna Wintour.
Now, however, there might be ominous signs that her influence is falling.
First there was the infamous feud with Giorgio Armani last week, when she ditched his show for Paris and the designer was displeased enough to publicly berate her. That’s not the act of a designer who needs her approval desperately to make a living.
Then Carine Roitfeld declared her ‘a politician’ in a recent interview.
And now news comes from Paris of the unthinkable: Anna Wintour was sat in the second row at Valentino, not at the front.
The front row is the creme de la creme, and the idea that the head of any Vogue masthead, much least the American one, might be delegated to second best has been unthinkable.
For their part, Vogue’s explanation doesn’t make much sense: they say Anna kindly gave up her front row seat to a Vogue staffer who was covering the show, to let them see better. Not exactly characteristic Nuclear Wintour behaviour.
What do you think: storm in a teacup or the end of the bobbed mafia of the front row?
Image: Anna Wintour and Valentino.
Esprit Supports UN Women Projects for International Women’s Day
Need an excuse to shop? Esprit have partnered with the Australian National Committee for UN Women to launch an exclusive collection that will raise money to lift women and girls out of poverty and as we’re celebrating International Women’s Day tomorrow, it seems the perfect time to shop for this very worthy cause.
The capsule collection includes over 30 styles for both men and women, all in hues of purple. We love the Skinny Twill Pant in aubergine — it’s the perfect pop of subtle colour as the weather turns autumnal and with $30 going towards helping a Syrain refugee woman to access education, it’s a purchase that we feel incredibly positive about.
Everything will be available in Esprit retail stores and Esprit online until March 16 and will see between $10 and $30 from the sale of each garment from the UN Women Purple Collection donated to the Fund for Gender Equality.
Trend Watch: Couture Fast Food
This year’s fashion is all about taste – literally.
Gone are the dainty lemons and oranges of Stella McCartney a few seasons ago- pretty, but not enough to get the mouth watering- and in come delectable, junk food-inspired fashions.
Maybe it was Jeremy Scott‘s influence- his Fashion Week show for Moschino had huge bonkers ballgowns printed with famous junk food, like Cheetos and Fruit Loops.
And then there was Kate Spade, whose Chinese Takeout handbag – the traditional fold-out shape of an Asian takeaway box, only rendered in white leather with red print and a gold handle – was a hit in New York. The witty look took over NYFW like wildfire.
So how do you pick up a piece without overindulging? Here’s our guide.
Want a hit of fruit but don’t like the same old healthy oranges? Pick up a Carven skirt printed with abstract slices of kiwi fruit for a bit of a tang. Or try an Armani Jeans T-shirt featuring a tiger leaping over a cornucopia of fruit – definitely the way to get your vitamins.
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, join in the candy revolution. There’s the Charlotte Olympia candy heart clutch – with sickly-sweet Be Mine message on the front – or Urban Outfitters‘ candy heart underwear, for those who like to keep their secret thoughts closer to home.
SIS by Simone has an 18k gold ‘lollipop’ pendant in virtually every colour crystal, while Markus Lupfer has a sequin-cupcake ironic sweater to snuggle up in calories. (Or you can choose a Piers Atkinson cupcake headband, for the days when it’s your party and you’ll cry if you want to.)
More of an omnivore? The disturbing MSGM Blue Candy t-shirt might put you off processed food for life with its weird photographic print of sweets, while you can use Forever 21’st Fast Food Frenzy tote bag to carry all your edible purchases.
And Cassette Playa at Farfetch.com has meat-patterned leggings for those who like to upset vegetarians on the street – or you could pick up a Modcloth ‘Good Enough To Eat’ dress, with its retro cartoon pattern of fast food favourites, to be more diplomatic.
Will you be getting in on the fast food mania?
Image: Couture fast food.
