Tom Ford: Rihanna’s Instagram Is The Future Of Fashion
Designer Tom Ford has announced that the true tastemakers in fashion aren’t magazines or editors any more – they’re on Instagram.
And the woman he singled out? Rihanna, whose Instagram Badgalriri was shut down last month (possibly because of all the nudity).
In an interview with Tim Blanks for Style.com, Tom said that the age of Vogue and Vanity Fair was over, and that social media was now the centre of taste – though he wasn’t sure it was for the better.
“Something new is happening that I’m just clueing into now – this probably won’t go down well – but customers don’t care any more about reviews or hard-copy publications,” he said. “They care what picture Rihanna just Instagrammed while she’s naked in bed, what new shoes she has on….”
Possibly they’re not just interested in the shoes, Tom.
He added, “It doesn’t mean I don’t care about reviews, but… there’s no longer the hierarchy of an editor-in-chief on top who hires people with a knowledge and a history and an ability to write.”
So what blogger particularly gets Ford’s attention? He’s not giving away any clues, simply saying that “the person with the loudest voice is the one people listen to.”
We wonder if he’ll care about the review of his new sneaker collection? Ford’s dipping into the world of luxury men’s sneakers for the first time this winter, specially made by Italian artisans. Some are even velvet.
What do you think – is Instagram the home of fashion criticism now, and is it for the best?
Image: Tom Ford and Rihanna’s Instagram.
Comptoir des Cotonniers Launches ‘Instant Shopping’
Comptoir des Cotonniers is launching 10,000 stores overnight on May 28.
And they haven’t needed to buy an inch of land. Their ‘Fast Shopping’ concept is all on your smartphone.
It’s all down to the app Powatag, which can scan the tag on any product’s picture – on a poster, a magazine page, even a table – and immediately purchase it with one click.
Not great for impulse control – but very good for people whose idea of browsing is as fuss-free as possible.
Comptoir des Cotonniers, a French brand famous for their elegant cotton separates and clean Parisian chic, is plastering Europe with pictures of clothes for sale, all with a tag to scan. Once the app has your shipping address and credit card number, it does all the work for you.
So is this the future of shopping – and will actual stores soon be a thing of the past?
Increasingly online shopping has been a big part of company profits for brands, and the success of places like ASOS and theICONIC means that more and more people are cool with buying online.
But a lot of luxury brands prefer to keep it in-person, for a more ‘authentic’ experience (and to help people find a better fit).
So what do you think – is buying off a poster removing the glamour from shopping, or just making it easier?
Image: Comptoir des Cotonniers Fast Shopping concept.
Madonna and Katy Perry Do S&M For V Magazine
The big trend for winter 2014? A little touch of bondage.
Madonna and Katy Perry showed the world how to do it with an editorial in V Magazine in which they indulged all things S&M, from latex to leather to hair-pulling.
So how do you get the look – and what’s the story behind the shoot?
Going dark and bondage-inspired doesn’t mean revealing everything. In fact, the buttoned-up look is part of the aesthetic – uber-feminine with a vintage, dark edge. Perry and Madonna both work lined stockings and leather gloves,
The twosome had 1950s-style Bettie Page blunt haircuts, structured black skirt-suits with elaborate studs and ties, and incredibly high heels. The dominatrix look is in, and it’s gone deeply gothic, with dark lipstick and cat’s-eye eyeliner.
It’s also about embracing unexpected textures. Photographer Steven Klein had the women in latex, leather and some very complicated Agent Provocateur lingerie.
And while the results might look raunchy, it turns out that the poses were quite physically demanding. “I was sore in my upper body and my butt area from all that squatting,” Perry said, while Madonna added, “My neck is sore from that wonderful moment when I was sucking on your heel.” (Ouch.)
So what do their families think of their kinky on-film show?
Madonna, the ultimate veteran of S&M photography, says it’s taken a long time, but her dad’s finally OK with what she does. “I would always say, “Dad, I’m an artist, I have to express myself. You don’t understand.” I think he’s finally come to terms with it. It’s only taken 30 years.”
And Perry, whose parents are famously Christian evangelists, talked glowingly about Madonna’s “great mentorship” in all things fetish.
What do you think: S&M pairing made in heaven, or trying too hard to shock?
Images: Katy Perry and Madonna for V Magazine.
