Fashion Week in NYC

@ajadedielist no not involved but will follow it in the press and on TV. Love seeing the clothes and all the celebrity hoopla that goes with it .

So sad about Alexander McQueen.....

Normally I ignore it completely but this year I'm feeling motivated to follow the hooplah a lot more...

Here's Anna Wintour's response to McQueen's death:

http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/02/anna_wintour_responds_to_mcque.html

Anna Wintour, by the way, could probably go in my Favorite New Yorker list.

I'm not into fashion, but my girlfriend is. I will mention it to her, but knowing her, she probably already knows about it, considering her many connections in the city.

What a story - poor Alexander McQueen. I hope Fashion Week is able to commemorate and honor his contributions to the art of fashion.

The articles I've been reading say that Fashion Week is going to be especially subdued because of his death.

@ Uraniumfish did you ever get to see 'The September issue'? it gave you a wonderful insight into the working of the magazine..and Grace Coddington was absolutely fab especially when she stood up to La Wintour. Yes I think Fashion Week is going to be quite subdued this time around -quite sad especially since its bidding adieu to Bryant Park.

Ugh. Anna Wintour. She is such a wretched human! And I realize that she is probably completely satisfied in her absolute materialism, but she seems like such a sad excuse for a human. Her self-importance kills me. No one should have as much power over fashion as she does, either. She's right about Alexander McQueen, though.

Oh, I see, one has to actually like the people on the My Favorite NYer List? I don't actually like Anna Wintour in any sense of the word, just think powerful women deserve some respect, especially since she's at the top of an industry as bitchy as the fashion industry.

Ha. I think favorite implies some sort of favorable opinion? I appreciate a good polarizing figure, so she can stay. I have met women - in fashion of course - who absolutely adore her.

loved this pic from fashion week: http://gawker.com/5470870/causing-a-row

That;s a great image, because it's as if they all know they're being seen and posture accordingly.

@BroadwayBK Do they adore her, or do they "adore" her in the fashion world sense? The fashion world kind of adore doesn't have much to do with actual human emotion mos of us can understand. AW doesn't seem especially loveable...

@uraniumfish I don't know if the fashion folk adore her maybe they fear the the enormous power she wields. Seem to remember a recent controversy involving her snubbing for Azzedine Alaia for the Met's Model as a Muse gala in 2009.
http://www.fashionologie.com/Alaia-Pulls-Dresses-From-Costume-Institute-Gala-After-Exhibit-Snub-3111548
http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2009/05/naomi_campbell_didnt_show_at_a.html

Actually heard AW speak at the 92nd Y sometime last year . She was being interviewed by Jonathan Tisch and spoke about fashion and the ongoing recession though the talk was disrupted at first by the anti-fur lobby which began to heckle her from the gallery but were soon booted out by security.

OMG Uraniumfish the second piece was so hilarious.. btw any idea how old is AW? when we saw her at the 92nd Y we were guessing maybe mid-50s/60? she seems to have been around forever though..

@Uraniumfish Yeah, if you're buddies with Anna Wintour you end up in the pages of Vogue - that movie The Devil Wears Prada was not far off. And if you're not, well...

But with any art form there are always select people who get to decide what is high brow and what isn't - this is just a more obvious case.

And I think you're right, they "adore" her in a sort of emotionless way.

It seems appropriate that they got Lady Gaga to do the opening performance for Fashion Week:

http://www.t5m.com/new-york-city-fashion-week/lady-gaga-kicks-off-nyfw-aw-2010-marchesa-calvin-klein-halston-and-more.html

Did anyone read that funny story about the teenage girl who tried to hack her way into Fashion Week? http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/02/these_high_schoolers_are_reall.html?imw=Y&f=most-viewed-24h10

Anna Wintour at her charming best:-
http://nymag.com/daily/fashion/2010/02/anna_wintour_snubs_former_vogu.html?f=most-commented-cut-7d5

Yeah, it's not easy being at the top of the bitchiest industry possible, but AW does her best...

Has anyone gone to any fashion week events? Are they all that hard to get into?

I just read that McQueen killed himself, and it looks like he was really upset about his mother's death some days before.

How depressing, although I don't see why there's particular attention based on the tragedy because he was a "visionary." Suicide is sad, no matter who it happens to....

It is always sad, of course, but whenever a tragedy happens to someone in the public eye the press is inevitably going to run with it.

On a slightly unrelated note, Lady Gaga dedicated her performance at last night's BRIT Awards to Alexander McQueen: http://www.brits.co.uk/videos/2010-lady-gaga-dance-in-the-dark

Here's a good tribute to McQueen, if anyone is unfamiliar with his work: http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-articles/alexander-mcqueen-career

@BroadwayBK nice link on Alexander McQueen. Didn't think the Lady Gaga performance was as spectacular as usual, but I read that she changed her performance at the last moment to do something more subdued at the Brits.

Anyone have any favorites from Fashion Week? I'm partial to Abaeté (http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/slideshow/S2009RTW-ABAETE/) - loved those shoes - and Alexandre Herchcovitch (http://www.coutorture.com/New-York-Fashion-Week-Alexandre-Herchcovitch-Spring-2010-5040194), whose spring line had sort of a Alice in Tim Burton land thing going on.

@NeverSleep I quite liked 3.1 Philip Lim but I am a bit unsure about this whole neutral palette have never really like beige/camel/sand colors which seem to be the trend for Fall 2010.
http://nymag.com/fashion/fashionshows/2010/fall/main/newyork/womenrunway/philliplim/#slide8&ss1

@uptowngirl I love it! But then a natural palette really suites my complexion - except for that light gray color.

Just for you, BroadwayBK:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/17/olsen-twins-present-their_n_465274.html

Haha, thanks. Even Anna Wintour graced the Olsens with her tight-lipped presence.

@BroadwayBK how could she not especially since her arch-rival and rumored to be successor Carine Roitfeld also put in an appearance.

Anyone heard of the 13 year old fashion blogger, Tavi Gevinson? She was also at Fashion Week. She had to skip school to go. How super cute.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/09/17/tavi-gevinson-13-year-old_n_287269.html

@Uraniumfish did read about her in some report on Fashion Week and she's only 13!!!!.

@Uraniumfish, Yes I actually read about her in Teen Vogue.... Yes, I read Teen Vogue.

That child is the future Anna Wintour. Poor kid.

@uptowngirl Does that mean she's retiring or just being ousted?

@BroadwayBK neither for the moment I think but the gossip has been around for ages.. don't think the two ladies see eye to eye and Carine Roitfeld has her own fan following. Btw did you know that last year Elle trumped Vogue in terms of ad revenue.. must have been quite a blow to Ms. Wintour.

It'll be interesting when the kid is approaching 30 and really maturing her ideas, while Anna Wintour will be just ANCIENT. This girl is going to make AW look like a harpie by just being in the same room with her.

I'm pretty sure Anna Wintour IS a harpie. At least, if anyone is, it's her.

@uptowngirl After reading that blog posting where Anna Wintour toured a Macy's, only to find herself much lesser known than former Elle fashion director Nina Garcia, I'd be willing to bet that Elle's better ad revenue has something to do with Garcia being a national TV star, therefore making Elle the face of middle American "high" fashion. I mean, on most seasons of Project Runway, they must mention the phrase "Elle magazine" like a gazillion times! Haven't seen the new episodes of the show, but one of the prizes used to be that the designer would be featured in an Elle spread....

@NeverSleeps Ah-ha you're so right!! I had completely forgotten about the plugs for Elle on Project Runway.

Anna Wintour may be a style "icon" - but I am not a fan - she makes her money by presenting an impossible image of snobbery, money, elitism, and thinness to the point of anorexia, and then defends her choices by arguing that she's merely presenting an "ideal" that is not for mere mortals...

I am with you, ajadedidealist, and I think much of the fashion industry maintains a similar and unappealing image.

Isn't it kind of cool to have harpies like Anna Wintour around, though? Heightens your sense of humanity or something.

@uptowngirl I also think Elle is marketed more to the everyday kind of gal, whereas Vogue sets itself up for a readership with more money to burn, or people who dream of such things. I mean, I know Elle has become more high fashion-ish in recent years, but Vogue is more ridiculous by far.

@NeverSleeps I read both magazines and couldn't agree with you more. I usually enjoy the features more than the fashions in Vogue . I especially enjoy the pieces by its food writer-Jeffrey Steingarten. I can't really afford the clothes featured in Vogue, no Louboutins or Jimmy Choos are going to grace these feet anytime soon.

There's nothing wrong with high fashion, nor with having any form of artistic development reach a state of extreme development. What's weird is the way people take high fashion seriously and think they have to emulate it? What for? I mean Freddie Mercury and Lady Gaga also go to extremes of expression visually but I'm not feeling I need to emulate them. I can just appreciate them for what they are. Anna Wintour can do what she wants, I think it's the everyday gal who holds her own self to weird, unrealistic expectations...

@Uraniumfish very well said!

I never understood why teenage girls worry about their weight and their looks as much as they do. Guys get insecure about their appearance, especially at that awkward age, but with girls it seems to be a whole phenomenon. And they seem to go to such unhealthy extremes.

@DBlack Young girls are highly impressionable and surrounded by images of unrealistic looking women... I also think that boys put a certain amount of pressure on young girls - inadvertently, maybe - because their minds are overrun by testosterone and they tend to focus on outward attractiveness more than anything. I remember teenage boys making lists of all the girls in the class and rating them - that kind of thing.

@Uraniumfish I think you have a fair point. But doesn't Anna Wintour doing what she wants effect the way that the average girl holds herself up to unrealistic standards?

@uptowngirl It always kind of annoys me that the features in Vogue are ALWAYS about extremely wealthy people, or some form of extravagant opulence. I would rather just flip through the pictures in Vogue.

@NeverSleeps You know thats what their clientele prefers. They apparently want escapism over reality, some month's ago Vogue featured the trials of youngish, newly divorced formerly wealthy single mum who had to give up the fripperies of her former life due to financial constraints. She was compelled live on a credit card which had a limit of $500 and use innovative means to earn some money as I dont think she had any marketable skills. While I enjoyed reading about her trials and her ultimate success many readers complained by writing in and saying that if they wanted to read such features they would get Good Housekeeping or some other middle class magazine but they didnt want such features in Vogue. I was astounded to say the least.

@uptowngirl I think I remember glossing over that article - but I didn't know about the readers' reactions. I can completely understand your surprise, but I'm not so sure if I am as surprised. I think that anyone who would bother to write in complaining about such an article is exactly the type of reader that Vogue caters to - and that same sort of big headed fashion snob we've been talking about - whereas someone like me who glosses over the magazine but doesn't think of it as some sort of Bible that must be emulated wouldn't bother writing in.