Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs have opened up a joint exhibition in Paris. Rescu. brings you all the gossip…
Fashion in Paris is always big news – and this year it’s art.
Louis Vuitton and Marc Jacobs have been awarded an exhibition of their works at the Musee Arts Decoratifs in Paris.
Crucially, and unlike previous exhibitions at the Grand Palais about fashion (they held one about Yves Saint Laurent after his death), it’ not a retrospective but an analysis’, the museum says. Vuitton and Jacobs are vastly different creatures – Vuitton started making travelling cases in stackable forms when making luggage for the French court, while Jacobs burst onto the fashion scene and remains its enfant terrible, dying his hair blue and getting a tattoo of a Simpsons character.
However, the Grand Palais holds them both in high esteem as French brands and artisans, and is pairing them together – and the exhibition, in an offshoot of the Louvre’s Art Decoratifs segment, looks to cement their artistic reputations.
The opening party for the exhibition also drew considerable paparazzi attention, with Sarah Jessica Parker turning up in head-to-toe couture Marc Jacobs, Fan Bingbing in a cape and Jacobs himself in a pink shirt-dress with buckled shoes from his latest collection.
It remains to be seen what critics make of the show, and whether Jacobs and Vuitton’s fashion oeuvres can impress a much more difficult crowd than the fashion world – the art scene.
Image: Jacobs at the show opening.
Fashion insiders always look forward to the release of Forbes magazine’s rich list, as it details exactly who has the money and is calling the shots in an often-obscure industry.
The MO Down reports that Forbes’s latest high-roller, Bernard Arnault, the richest man in France, is actually not increasing his wealth despite his position at the top of the Fashion list. He’s stable at $US41 billion.
The other remarkable name on the fashion list which is getting people talking? Sarah Blakely. Never heard of her? Chances are you’re wearing one of her products, or own at least one.
She invented Spanx, and from a $5000 investment made an empire worth over $1 billion, making her the youngest female self-made billionaire on the list. Not bad.
Blakely has encountered resistance along the way- factories refused to help her make the product, worrying about its sale potential, and various feminists have criticsed Spanx for feeding into women’s unhappiness about their bodies – but she’s laughing all the way to the bank.
The list shows the power of high street fashion. Although Arnault is at the top of the list, with a controlling hold on LVMH, the luxury conglomerate, just below him are the CEOS of Zara and H&M. Fast fashion may be despised by high-fashion insiders, but it’s made the fortunes of many people.
And guess who’s wealthier than Ralph Lauren? Leonardo Del Vecchio. He’s not exactly a household name, but he owns the world’s largest producer of – wait for it – luxury glasses and prescription sunglasses.
So if you’re looking to make money in the fashion industry, or contacting a person of influence, don’t just look for designers or models – search for the power backers behind some unusual brands…
Image: Sarah Blakely.
Louis Vuitton learned a hard lesson about the phrase ‘never try to beat somebody at their own game’ this week.
A group of copyright lawyers organised a conference about trademarks, copyright and other intellectual property issues at the University of Pennsylvania in America. Penn Law School is one of the best schools in the country for intellectual property law.
However, the poster – which cleverly parodied Louis Vuitton’s logo, replacing the miniature LVs and flowers with TM (trademark) and (C) (copyright) signs – caused Louis Vuitton some ire.
They wrote to Penn Law School demanding a complete retraction, but the lawyers held their ground – and sent back one of the funniest letters in fashion-law history.
They calmly told Louis Vuitton that parodies were acceptable under law, that nobody would mix up a legal conference with an actual Louis Vuitton event, and then outlined perhaps fifteen laws which allowed them to use the poster. They also invited Louis Vuitton to the conference to learn more about the correct application of legal protection. Ouch.
Louis Vuitton’s lawyer, Michael Pantalony, had no comment, but it appears their attempt to rescind the posters might have failed.
Intellectual property rights are a very large part of luxury fashion, particularly with all the fakes on the market. There have also been copious accusations of copying designs over the years – Rachel Zoe’s carbon-copies of vintage dresses for her own line comes to mind.
Image: Louis Vuitton logo.
It can sometimes be difficult to elevate a trend from ‘cute’ to ‘fashion-forward’. Fortunately Rescu. is here to help.
The Peter Pan collar is having a comeback, but it takes good styling to take this rounded-collar, English-schoolgirl look, beloved of Alexa Chung and Marc Jacobs, from prim territory to something more stylish.
Start with the shirts themselves. Avoid puff-sleeves or overly twee details. Look for contrasting collar colours – collars in black, grey or blue are very in at the moment. Red or pink might cast odd shades on the face, as will yellow. White has shades of the governess, but is probably the most common one out there.
Peter Pan collars are generally sold on short-sleeved shirts – look for something more sophisticated than plain white. Get a tailored one in a bright print – perhaps paisley, stripes or polka dots, all of which are having a moment this season.
For workwear, pair it with sleek separates to balance its potential sweetness. You can look feminine without going over the top. For going out, ramping up the femininity is an option, involving lace and red lipstick – but stay away from knee-high socks unless you’re under 16.
One very common look at the moment? Putting a Peter Pan collar under an unexpected layer – like a little black dress or a leather jacket. Its tiny appearance around your neck creates a more complex look, particularly for evening.
Most fashionistas are wearing it buttoned all the way to the neck, but this isn’t necessary – it can also look chic loose, or perhaps tied with a small brooch or bow in the centre if you’re going for a Miss Havisham vintage look.
Always get it properly fitted, and wear your hair up to show it off to its best advantage. Peter Pan has met his Wendy.
Image: Peter Pan collars.
