Nicolas Ghesquiere For Louis Vuitton: What Will Change?
It was the worst-kept secret in fashion: Nicolas Ghesquiere is now the creative head of Louis Vuitton.
The new artistic director replaces Marc Jacobs – and now rumours are rife about what will happen to the house under his leadership.
Under Marc, Vuitton was all about splash and display. Check out our review of his finest moments and you’ll see that he loved referencing films, collaborating with artists, elaborate sets and full-on fantasy.
So what’s Ghesquiere going to do with his new reign?
As head of Balenciaga, even though he’s now said that it tried to ‘homogenise’ his style (Balenciaga is suing him for $6m), Ghesquiere went for a young, fresh, avant-garde look.
Remember those knee-high striped and strapped gladiator zebra sandals that everybody from Rihanna to Jennifer Connelly adored? That was him.
He also cultivated muses like Kristen Stewart – young, off-beat, not fascinated with old Hollywood glamour or playing by the rules. Remember when his Balenciaga fragrance campaign with Stewart caused a furore when she looked barely made-up and sulkily dishevelled?
He also rocketed to the top early – he was head of Balenciaga by the ridiculous age of 25 – and produced design classics like the ‘Lego’ shoe and the Lariat bag.
As for Vuitton? Ghesquiere has a history of turning preppy on its head, making abstract structural dresses wearable (he’s to thank for the tulip skirt returning with a vengeance) and experimenting with florals and patterns.
We predict that he’ll avoid playing safe, push the boundaries and not bother to please the critics.
What do you think about Ghesquiere for LV: good choice or bad?
Images: Ghesquiere with Kristen Stewart at the 2013 Met Ball, courtesy Guardian Images. Ghesquiere’s Balenciaga moments, courtesy Balenciaga.
Predicting Natalia Vodianova’s Pregnancy Wardrobe
Natalia Vodianova is pregnant – and you know she’ll dress her bump brilliantly.
The supermodel, who already has three children by her ex-husband, is expecting a baby with LVMH heir Antoine Arnault, and is three months along.
We predict her first purchase will be a Victoria Beckham ‘tent’ dress. The tabloids were amused by its unstructured flow when the designer wore it out at Fashion Week, but it’s the perfect way to create a floaty silhouette and skim over a bump.
What supermodel’s pregnancy arsenal would be incomplete without an Issa dress? They’ve graced the bump of Duchess Cambridge – but she couldn’t wear the snakeskin print. We’re going to guess that Vodianova can.
She’s also a very old friend of Valentino’s, who often dresses her for her lavish Naked Heart Foundation benefits. His blue strapless jumpsuit would be glamourous for early bumps, while the stretch-knit of his long-sleeved prudish mini-dresses, with their coy little collars, would be comfortable for later on.
The shell coat that’s currently all the rage is also a boon for pregnant ladies – it falls in a cocoon around the body, so can be worn all the way up to the third trimester. Marc Jacobs’ version is grey and simple, but she might splash a pattern with Nina Ricci’s geometric one.
And then there are pregnancy shoes. Some suede or velvet slippers to soothe aching, swollen feet wouldn’t go astray – she may get her hands on some Guiseppe Zanotti numbers.
What would you wear if you were pregnant by the owner of the world’s biggest designers? Aside from a very decadent ‘push present’, of course.
Image: Vodianova with Arnault, courtesy Getty.
How To Work The Sheer-Streak Trend
It’s officially a trend when it’s hit the red carpet three times.
And now the sheer side-or-back gown has showed up at three different premieres – all on radically different stars – and Rescu. has a guide to how to work it yourself.
Gwyneth Paltrow famously wore a side-sheer dress to the Iron Man premiere this year, and gave an interview about how her assistants had to ‘rush around for a razor’ just beforehand. Now that’s revealing.
Then Zoe Saldana dared to bare – and now Jaimie Alexander, who plays Asgard warror Sif in Thor 2, showed up on the red carpet in a dress that was sheer not on the side, but in the front AND the back.
Want to go daring, but don’t quite have the confidence of an A-lister with a personal trainer? Here’s how to manage it.
The key part of the sheer-streak trend is that it be balanced.
If you’re not sure about putting it in action anywhere risky, stick to your upper half, your arms and shoulder blades. DKNY’s LBDs with mesh panels at the shoulders are a great way to ease into the trend. For the more adventurous, Junya Wanatabe’s scuba-inspired layers of mesh make his dresses edgy without big reveals.
Still feeling insecure? Start with the bottom instead. McQ by Alexander McQueen has mesh-panelled high heeled booties that work in a sheer insert on a leather base, and Alexander Wang even has mesh-toed heels. Or go girly with a pink mesh Louboutin Filove 85.
If you want to work the look for work, get a hold of Jonathan Simkai‘s jumpsuit at Net-a-Porter. It’s full-coverage with fun mesh parts in the sleeves for a fun surprise under a blazer.
Once you’re feeling a bit more daring, get a hold of a sheer blouse like Chloe‘s polka-dot version, and layer it underneath. Black vintage-inspired bras are very in this season – or there’s Stella McCartney’s mesh-topped bras for a double dose of sheerness.
However, the sheer leg is where it’s really at. McQ has mesh-patterned leggings to flash a bit of flesh in the thigh and calf, but if you want something more elegant, try for a partially-panelled skirt.
We’re loving Dion Lee‘s felt and mesh-panelled skirt – a beautiful mini with a fresh layer of mesh on the bottom. Perfect for adding a hint of sexiness to an evening outfit. For more formal occasions, Theyskens’ Theory and Maison Martin Margiela have full-length dresses that gradually become sheer below the knee and elbow, to reveal just enough.
If you only want a pop of sheer for a summer decadent look, pull on Gucci‘s sheer sequinned gloves – divine and elegant.
The best bit about our version of the red carpet looks? You don’t have to pull an A-lister and forgo underwear for the evening…
Images: Sheer streak fashion.
