Elle Macpherson’s Fashion Star show is offering a pretty stunning prize pot. Rescu. has all the gossip…
Supermodel, lingerie mogul – nobody can accuse Elle Macpherson of doing things by halves.
The same rule applies with her new runway-based show, Fashion Star, with details emerging this week that the winner’s prize will be worth a mind-boggling $6 million in orders.
The format, Macpherson explained to journalists, is “as much about shopping as it is about fashion,” distinguishing it from Project Runway, which is purely for those aspiring designers with big dreams.
Fashion Star is looking for the next big retail success – the next Elle Macpherson Intimates, in other words. The other judges, Nicole Ritchie and Jessica Simpson, also have lucrative fashion empires – Simpson is supposedly worth nearly $1 billion.
“They have built businesses over many years and have branded themselves very intelligently in the industry,” Macpherson said graciously – glossing over rumours that Simpson and Ritchie haven’t necessarily bonded on set.
Macpherson is surely looking for some good personal press in the fashion news, as Fashion Week has been buzzing about Uma Thurman’s pregnancy with Arpad Busson, Elle’s ex-partner.
The massive prize pot is certainly grabbing headlines. The lucky brand which wins the support of the prize panel will receive $6 million of orders from Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s and H&M, all of whom get to scrutinise the finalists.
Mass market doesn’t mean down-market, either, as the Intimates line has proven – so the perfect winner will combine class with a good business sense. Think The Apprentice in big-market fashion.
But will it make good television? We’ll be watching just to see Nicole Ritchie’s famous expressions of disgust…
Will you be tuning into Macpherson’s latest venture?
Image: Elle Macpherson.
Looking for a gift for a special fashionable dude in your life? Coach and Hugo Guinness might have the answer.
They’ve paired up to release a range of man-bags and accessories, from glasses holders to key-bags, which are far too cool to be called feminine while still having a decided fashionable edge.
The collection, in the season’s hottest tones of deep yellow, includes beautiful wallets and card-cases, all decorated by the cartoonish stylings of Guinness, one of the world’s hottest commodities in art.
Men’s accessories are an increasingly big business. Intelligent Life, the offshoot of The Economist focussing on culture and lifestyle, saw fit to do an entire editorial on men’s jewellery this past issue – something which wouldn’t have been possible even five years ago.
And art-inspired collaborations are seeing a new rise – Rescu. brought you news of Dior’s collaboration with Anselm earlier this year.
It will be interesting to see if the accessories boom takes off. Will you be buying anybody the masculine-yet-cheeky set – or keeping them for yourself?
Image: Coach and Hugo Guinness wallets.
For certain fashionistas, fur’s never been out of style – but faux fur is definitely having a moment, in a way which even the Australian climate can bear.
The biggest trend? 1940s style fur lapels, collars, cuffs and hems. It’s called faux-fur trimming and it’s so classic your grandmother will recognise it immediately.
Fur trims were in style during periods where wearing full-length fur was prohibitively expensive – after the Second World War, for instance. Perhaps the recession’s brought this little piece of decoration back into fashion.
So how to wear it? It’s exclusively for outer-wear – don’t let anybody tell you to wear it on shirts, though faux-fur skirts saw a bit of a renaissance among adventurous editors at the various Fashion Weeks. (Fur is a bit heavy for that unless you weigh under 50kg – stick to feathers if you want some texture on a skirt.)
The classic Marlene Dietrich-esque look is coat-trim. Look for pieces which are 1940s in style if that appeals – broad collars, big cuffs and tight around the waist.
Jewel tones look fantastic with dark-coloured faux fur – purples and greens particularly. Red can look a bit like Santa Claus, so be careful.
Be careful of over-trimming. If a piece has fur on the collar, cuffs and hem, it might look over-decorated and not sit properly. Opt for only one fur detail rather than all-over pieces.
Faux-fur gilets are on their way out, so don’t bother unless you want to look last-season. A 60s-style swing coat with fur details is a good option if you’re in a cooler part of Australia.
It was the ultimate faux pas not to match your furs in your grandmother’s day – a light colour with a dark looked inconsistent and, often, cheap, as if you’d thrown on all your most expensive things at once. This rule doesn’t apply, but make sure the tones of the fake furs blend together, and don’t end up looking like an Eskimo.
Wear red lipstick and retro hair to fit the look, or pick up some T-strap heels to accompany it. It’s an adaptable look – you can go with slicked-back hair and a plain face, big stomping boots, or even a turban if you’re so inclined.
Buy properly attached faux fur if it’s integral to the look, but if you like the coat without it, make sure it’s removable.
Image: Fur-collared coat from the Gucci 2012/13 A/W show.
Carven caused a major splash this week with their Hieronymous Bosch dress, which featured the painter’s Garden Of Earthly Delights on an entire dress.
With every stylist on speed dial, you’ll be seeing the dress on the red carpet soon – so how to incorporate baroque-style prints into your modern wardrobe?
The biggest temptation for this particular trend is to shop for things which inspire your artistic side – glorious Liberty prints, for example, or baroque babies from Renaissance paintings, all of which are on dresses this season – without looking to what you already own.
Art-inspired prints are a beautiful thing, but if you’re putting it on your body rather than the wall, you have to pay attention to detail. If the most intricate or distracting parts of the print lie across body parts you’d rather hide – hips, thighs or stomach – you may have to let it go.
Colour is also a consideration. The Bosch dress is violent orange, which suits only a few skin tones at the best of times. Make sure the varied prints are adding to your glow rather than making it waste away.
It can also be very difficult to make sure you’re wearing the print rather than letting it wear you – big, splashy prints in general have this problem, and artwork-derived prints even more so.
Avant-garde tailoring isn’t an issue here; it can be a bit of fun contrast from the conservative religious artwork splashed across it. However, you have to wear it with confidence.
Also look for materials which actually show the print. Cheap t-shirts are for teenagers; you want silk or a material which takes the print and sets it, rather than one which will transfer off or fade in a few washes.
Accessorise boldly, but don’t clash. These are fantastic for night-time, adventurous for day but possible with the right accessories. It’s a statement piece, so choose wisely – and it could serve you for many years to come.
Great art, after all, never goes out of style.
Image: Carven Hieronymous Bosch dress.
