Quentin de Briey

Bambi Northwood-Blyth, who was one of Lucire’s news-makers of 2013, has now been named the face of the international press campaign for French label Ba&Sh.
   The autumn–winter 2014–15 collection will feature Northwood-Blyth in a shoot in Barcelona by Belgian photographer Quentin de Briey. The label says that the Australian model was chosen for her ‘glamorous freshness, and her bohemian-chic allure.’
   The designers, Barbara and Sharon, said in a release, ‘We were completely seduced by Bambi, her charisma, energy and boldness.’
   The collection contrasts between ‘intensity and lightness, nobility and bestality,’ says Ba&Sh, and is meant to convey pluralism.
   The campaign’s idea centres around femininity, ‘a woman wildly in love, deliberately free and outgoing, with multiple facets,’ or what it dubs ‘ultra-femininity’.
   The campaign breaks in France and internationally from August 2014, on displays, in print and web media. Ba&Sh’s web site can be found at www.ba-sh.com.

Andreas Rentz

Georgia May Jagger was guest of honour at Reserved’s German launch at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin. Jagger, who also serves as the new label’s face for autumn–winter 2014–15 and walked the catwalk on the night, was among numerous celebrities, including Franziska Knuppe, Daniel Brühl, Jasmin Gerat, Elyas M’Barek, Eva Padberg, Anna-Maria Mühe, Anna Julia Kapfelsperger and Anastasia Zampounidis. Reserved’s ‘Let’s Fashion’ party at Alte Münze Berlin was anything but reserved, with its 1,200 guests.
   DJs Beck To Beck, Terranova, Oskar Melzer, Adam Port and Rampa, and Niki Pauls performed, as well as indie band Oh Land.
   The launch, which showed the autumn–winter 2014–15 line, rather than the spring–summer 2015 one, marks the expansion of LPP SA’s brand into the German market. Reserved already has 500 stores in eastern and central Europe, and this month it will open its online store for German customers. Real-world shops will appear in the autumn at Recklinghausen, Stuttgart, Bremen and Hannover, with further stores planned in every main centre, as well as London and Paris, and in Croatia and Qatar.
   Polish-based LPP’s other brands are Cropp, Mohito, House and Sinsay. The company has revenues of over €1,000 million.

Andreas Rentz

Franziska Krug

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin’s spring–summer 2015 collections saw celebrity front rows at two of the first shows: Marc Cain and Laurèl.
   Marc Cain presented a collection at the Erika Hess Ice Stadium with a circus theme, and drew in an international crowd, including former WAG and model Sylvie Meis, Hilary Swank, Marcia Cross (who had made the journey especially for the Marc Cain show), Motsi Mabuse, Franziska Knuppe, and Nina Eichinger.
   His collection showed a return to pastel tones, with stripes, polka dots, flowers and animal prints.
   Marc Cain founder and chairman Helmut Schlotterer says that the label manages to reinvent itself every season and looks forward to strong sales.
   Laurèl, meanwhile, started its show with airline announcements for ‘Laurèl Airways flight LL 1978 to Berlin’ and ‘On behalf of the Laurèl crew, we wish you a very pleasant flight to our Bohemian Summer Islands. Thank you for choosing Laurèl Airways. Bon voyage!’
   The “dream destination” theme wasn’t a case of Caribbean brightness. Laurèl showed plant prints, frills and flowing pants as its take on a summer holiday: yellow, green and blue were the main colours here with only a few in fiery red and black. ‘Bohemian’ was accurate, but the spring–summer 2015 wearer could also be described as independent and confident.
   Guests included model Bar Refaeli and her brother Dor, tattooist Scott Campbell, Nikolai Kinski with Ina Paule Klink, Franziska Knuppe, Wolke Hegenbarth, Heino and Marie Jeanette Ferch, Barbara Becker and Noah Becker, Jana Pallaske, Vicky Krieps, Pegah Ferydoni, Dominic Raacke with Alexandra Rohleder, Fritzi Haberlandt, Jette Joop, Viktoria Lauterbach, Judith Milberg, Giovanni Zarella, Mirja DuMont, Minu Barati-Fischer, Mariella Ahrens with her daughter Isabella, Martin Krug and Julia Trainer, Jennifer Ulrich, Maria Ehrich, Aino Laberenz and director Bora Dagtekin.

Marc Cain

Laurèl

Carmen Bird Photography

Well known for her millinery, Natalie Chan has always had a love affair with all things pink and girly, and her latest Couture Bridal Collection is just that.
   Entitled Portrait of a Lady, Chan recently launched the collection with a breakfast brunch at Auckland’s Sofitel Hotel to selected media and clients.
   Drawing inspiration from Renaissance paintings, aristocratic families and a remembrance of a treasured trip to the Louvre, the collection is an exploration of old-world opulence in modern-day times.
   Ivory, butterscotch and soft rose were the key colour trends for the collection and were in line with the international bridal runways showcased recently, something that Chan was absolute about as her customers are very international in taste.
   The collection certainly harked back to a bygone era, not only in its soft colour palette, but also in its attention to detail. Each gown was hand-beaded with cut lace flowers, pearls and sequins which recalled the great robes of the Renaissance-era paintings of Botticelli and Raphaël. However, there was also a lightness to them, as well as soft gossamer silk chiffons and tulle, used extensively in the collection.
   There was everything from straight column gowns in Guipure lace and silk satins through to elegant sweeping ball gown styles with layered petal-shape hemlines or hand-pleated tulle skirts, which recalled the early works of Lanvin and Worth. The focus was definitely on the back for this season, as most of the gowns featured keyhole details and button-back detailing, or a plunging deep V at the back, showcasing the beauty of the neck. Pretty bow detailing along with scalloped edged Chantilly lace and embroidery certainly added to the allure.
   This wasn’t just the launch of her first couture bridal collection, but also her Couture Bridal Millinery range. The gowns were all matched perfectly with headpieces that were created in-house by Chan and her team in her Parnell atelier.
   Guipure lace twisted into bows, pearls and tulle were beaded into headbands tied with gold ribbons, and the pièce de résistance was the gold crown, each one matched with a beautiful veil. This was perfect for the modern princess bride.
   The collection is available now at www.nataliechan.co.nz.—Sopheak Seng, Fashion and Beauty Editor

Carmen Bird Photography

David M. Benett

Above Adriana Lima, appearing here for Victoria’s Secret, exemplifies the sensual Brazilian model who commands attention.

With the World Cup round the corner, the focus is on Brazil, including Brazilian models (it is the home of Gisèle Bündchen, Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Isabeli Fontana), and Brazilian fashion. Our series of videos from Brazil provide an insight into the country.
   The first, with Patrick Lemire, IMG Paris’s director of bookings, analyses what makes Brazilian models special. Lima, Ambrosio and Bündchen regularly take out the top-five spots in earning terms, according to Forbes, and Lemire believes it’s their power of seduction.
   In the translation, Lemire says, ‘In Brazil, there are two academies: you have football academy for the boys and modelling school for the girls. When we decide to go to Brazil to find new talent over there, our first impression is that we are quite taken aback, because instantly you are fully immersed in this amazingly relaxed, feel-good atmosphere.
   ‘She barely has to step into the room and she’s dancing the samba with you and within three seconds you are under her spell, which is great. I have never met a Brazilian who is morose, sad, who lacks passion or that desire to come, to fight and to conquer.’
   Twenty-nine-year-old fashion designer Barbara Casasola is the talk of the nation, after serving her earlier years at Roberto Cavalli, Lanvin, Sonia Rykiel and Chloé. Her interview below shows what drives her, how she mixes femininity with modernity, and how Brazil impacts on her design sensibilities.
   ‘A bikini and a pair of Havaianas’ is how one might describe Brazilian fashion, with a strong beach culture. Casasola and Havaianas France director Hervé Pinot both talk about this culture: how changing a bikini daily is part of the beach scene there, and how Havaianas have become cult. Brazil sells 350 million to 400 million pairs per annum.
   Finally, our fourth video examines some of the international labels hailing from Brazil: Osklen, Alexandre Herchcovitch (regularly covered by us at New York Fashion Week), Pedro Lourenço, Barbara Casasola, Filhas de Gaia, Animale, Espaço Fashion and Ausländer.

Model Natalia Vodianova made headlines with her Instagram this week, showing off a nude image with her breastfeeding son, photographed by Paolo Roversi.
   The photograph was dedicated to her husband, Antoine Arnault, for his birthday. It was later revealed by Vodianova on her Instagram that the photographer was Roversi, who ‘was one of the first to photograph me all the way back in 2001’, she wrote.
   Maxim was born on May 2—Vodianova Instagrammed his first photo at the time, noting he weighed in at 4·2 kg (9 lb 4 oz).
   Model of the moment Barbara Palvin had a more casual photo spending time with her sister, Anita, posted cycling, while the actress we have dubbed ‘woman of the year’, Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o, showed off her aqua-lacquer nails and matching cellphone cover from Maui, Hawai‘i.
   Natasha Poly was also lounging by the pool in shades, a leather jacket and scarf, shot in Paris, from which she departed on Friday, and actress Jessica Chastain has been spending time in Roma, checking out the Colosseo (and noting its restoration) and, in another photo, posing with a Fiat nuova 500 (the 1957–77 variety).
   Liya Kebede notes that the only jewellery she wore to the CFDA awards this year was a tattoo from Stone Paris for Colette. Ralph & Russo was in an awards’ mood, when it posted a composite image of Angelina Jolie wearing its designs, wishing the actress a happy birthday earlier this week.
   Model Nina Agdal, too, kept things casual, sharing her images with Vogue Australia after a trip to Sydney, and posting one of them on her ’Gram.

Above Rosie Huntington-Whiteley with her de Grisogono earrings at the AmFAR Gala last night.

De Grisogono has been a bit more exclusive this year with its annual Cannes Film Festival party at the Hôtel du Cap-Eden-Roc, though it has given a brief insight into its jewellery with the first video below (with English and French versions). Each year, it creates special-edition items for the Festival, releasing a version of the Instrumento.N.Uno watch in 2014 to tie in with The Expendables 3 film (its actors wear the watch). Cara Delevingne, Antonio Banderas, Paris Hilton and Riley Keough comment.
   Beauty also gets a look-in. We’ve featured some of the behind-the-scenes stories from the Hôtel Martinez where L’Oréal Paris has its base, but Dessange and Dior also make an effort to relocate to the Croisette each year to service their clients. Their private showrooms allow celebrities to get coiffed and made up: Dessange, which has partnered with the Festival de Cannes for over three decades, shows its four stand-out styles for the season: faux wavy bob, static extensions, twisted ponytail or sleek minimalism. Dior, meanwhile, cossets its clients in a pop-up salon.
   Dessange’s hairstylist Stéphane Bodin, notes, ‘A team of 20 hairstylists are at the actresses’ disposal for the duration of the festival, from very early in the morning, at around 7.30 or 8 o’clock, especially when they have photo calls and press conferences for the competing films. As a general rule, when you are put in charge of an actress, it is for the entire day because there is the red carpet in the evening and also lots of meetings that build up, schedules change every hour or thirty minutes according to all the whims of everybody here.
   ‘In Cannes, anything goes, even quite original hair styles; if you can’t do it here, then you can’t do anywhere but I find that the main trend is a return to the beautiful, simple and natural.’
   Violette, Dior’s international make-up designer, says, ‘The Dior suite is like a hidden beauty paradise because you feel very much sheltered from the outside world. Cannes is full of people, non-stop flashes and endless pressure and so you arrive in this cosy nest where you are pampered, beautified and comforted so that you can get your nails done as well as your make-up. Sometimes we also have hairstylists who come to perfect the stars’ hair so a woman can have a full beauty service.
The women that we look after want to be glamorous. Cannes is the place where femininity is celebrated and every pleasure is permitted so if you want to paint your lips in an extremely strong, and intense shade of red then you can. That’s what the festival is all about.’
   Fashion labels, too, make an effort to get exposure, knowing how the wealthy and the celebrities descend upon Cannes for 10 days. Elie Saab and Smalto are among the two who set up there.
   Emilie Legendre of Elie Saab says, ‘The Cannes Film Festival has to be prepared well in advance, meaning that dress fittings often begin two or three months beforehand so that the final selections are announced … It is our job to work on setting up the showroom and the suite as we entirely redecorate, and then, of course, we have fittings on-site when we finalize everything, which we generally call the final fitting before stepping onto the red carpet.
   ‘When we come down, we bring someone from the studio in Paris as at the fitting every dress has to be readjusted.
   ‘The day after the event, there are lots of requests from the clients who call up asking for news about their dresses, and essentially it is the visibility that comes with this social network immediacy and the live broadcasting of information that ensures that minutes after setting foot on the red carpet, the entire world already knows how many actresses wore Elie Saab.’
   Youn Chong Bak of Smalto says, ‘We devised a range of three different tuxedos that are available to the actors. We have done a bow-tie box because as everybody knows, you cannot walk on the red carpet without wearing a bow tie and, this year, we accentuated this gold side in recognition of the Palme d’Or. We also created a case with a golden eyelet or with golden detail.
We really tried to highlight this tailored-made aspect, particularly the silhouette created by Monsieur Smalto with small, elongated shoulders, well fitted but a structure that emphasizes virility and therefore the gentleman himself.’
   Our final video with Christophe Robin, sees the “colourist to the stars” give an exclusive interview, with the help of French legend Catherine Deneuve. (Deneuve’s endorsement of Robin can be seen on his website.)

De Grisogono jewellery
English

Version française

Beauty at Cannes: Dessange and Dior
English

Version française

Couture at Cannes: Elie Saab and Smalto
English

Version française

Christophe Robin
English

Version française

Kai He

Top Christina Kim and Natalie Salvador. Above Johnny Was.

According to Coco Chanel, ‘Fashion is architecture. It is a matter of proportions.’
   Otis College of Art and Design, founded in 1918, takes its students toward a path of art and ingenuity. It hosts an unforgettable annual black-tie gala where young designers, mentored by renowned names in the industry, take centre-stage.
   On May 3, Otis College of Art and Design hosted its 32nd annual scholarship benefit and fashion show, The Spirit of Otis Fashion, at the Beverly Hilton, raising US$1 million in support of rising talent in the field of art and design. Approximately 1,000 guests came to celebrate fashion. Students dominated the runway with their visions of contemporary appeal, working side by side with well known designers, including Amé Austin Max of Max Studio, Christina Kim of DOSA, David Meister, Isabel and Ruben Toledo of Lane Bryant, Biya Ramar of Eli Levite’s Johnny Was, Jarrett Reynolds and Adrian Nyman of Nike, Robert Tuggle of Eddie Bauer, Todd Oldham, Rod Beattie of Bleu with Erika Kane for Mattel Barbie, Bobbi Garland of Western Costume, and Manu Aldea of Under Armour. Mentors provided each student with a particular assignment that would inspire and spark their originality. The student collections featured sportswear, formal and casual looks for women, men and juniors. Student winners included Natalie Salvador for Ruben and Isabel Toledo and DOSA, Michelle Song for Todd Oldham, Hye Mi Kim for MaxStudio, Adrian Correa for Eddie Bauer, Anissa Irving for Johnny Was, June Lee for Under Armour, Rachel Lee for Nike, Hyun Jun Cho for Barbie, and Arthur Thammavong for David Meister. Thammavong was also announced as the winner of the Designer of the Year award.
   This year’s honorees included the president and CEO of Eddie Bauer, Michael Egeck (presented with the Creative Vision Award), the designer and founder of Max Studio, Leon Max (presented with the Design Legend Award), and creative New York-based duo, Isabel and Ruben Toledo (presented with the Design Innovation Award).—Lola Cristall, Paris editor

Kai He

From top, left to right David Meister and Arthur Thammavong. David Meister. Two designs from DOSA. Johnny Was. The final two, from Max Studios.