There is a random rumor that John Galliano is right this minute “ensconced” at the Seventh Avenue atelier of a Mystery American Designer, working on Kate Moss’s wedding dress. That would mean that the designer would have had to jet out of Paris just after the conclusion of his trial for hate speech. Moss, who allegedly told someone at a dinner back in February that Galliano was making her dress, but whose fiancé has since denied the account, gets married next weekend. [Telegraph]
Meanwhile, Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn has this report from Paris on Galliano’s potential future in fashion:
On Thursday, I ran into a number of executives who work with LVMH, and they would speak only on the condition of anonymity because of their close dealings. One individual said there had been casual discussions among LVMH executives about the feasibility of Mr. Galliano returning to his own label. Would the media and the public accept his return? This individual said he thought so. Another executive with whom I spoke had the same view. He cited the appeal of Mr. Galliano’s ultrafeminine fashion and added that in recent years the designer had lost touch with that sensibility (and indeed reality). “It became a kind of Lady Gaga show, and he’s more talented than this,” the executive said.
Horyn writes, “I hope he continues to get treatment. He should have a second chance.” [On The Runway]
John Galliano just presented its latest Resort collection — without John Galliano, of course. “There has been a lot of interest, a lot of appointments booked, so we will see,” says the company CEO. “Obviously it has been a complicated year.” [WWD]
Here are Naomi Watts and Eva Mendes‘ first Pantene ads. One hair industry exec says actresses are great at opening customers’ wallets: “The days of wondering what their beauty secrets are, are gone. They talk about their beauty challenges and their beauty secrets nonstop. They can tell real stories.” Compared with models, “they are much more relatable.” As evidence of this alleged relatability, the industry source said Mendes tested well with focus groups because while she is sexy she is “not threatening,” and pointed out that Watts “does not have the perfect hair.” We don’t know about you, but our first thought upon seeing this ad was definitely “Gee, that totally relatable woman has such not-perfect hair! Let’s buy Pantene.” [WWD]
As promised, Heidi Klum posed nude for thte latest Project Runway promo shots. The president of Lifetime says the channel is “trying to revamp” its image. [NYDN]
Eva Mendes, the latest face of Thierry Mugler‘s Angel perfume, says “I grew up with Angel. I remember thinking, as a child, ‘That’s what a woman smells like.’ I’m the baby [in my family] by 10 years, and my sisters wore it. It comes full circle now that I’d be the face of Angel.” It’s interesting that Thierry Mugler, in its latest bid for reinvention, is dropping the “Thierry” from its brand name where clothing is concerned — Nicola Formichetti designs for “Mugler” tout court — but keeping it for perfumes (which have long been the label’s sole proven source of revenue). [WWD]
Speaking of Mugler, at the latest men’s wear show, Nicola Formichetti distributed a racy magazine. Vaguely NSFW, for bare asses. You can also watch the promised “X-rated” Mugler men’s video on Xtube, here. (Warning: It’s pretty boring.) [The Cut]
The first image from 14-year-old actress Hailee Steinfeld‘s Miu Miu campaign just dropped, and for once, it’s not shot in a studio. We like. It’s shot by Bruce Weber. [Fashin]
Sixteen-year-old Zimbabwe-born model Nyasha Matonhodze — who is a current face of Louis Vuitton — appears on the newest cover of LOVE magazine. She seems to be wearing a crow as a hat and weeping blood. [Fashionologie]
Coco Rocha is the fall face of Canadian retailer Jacob, and the company is pledging not to Photoshop her in its ads. “Bold move? Lasting trend? Stay tuned for the results,” promises Rocha on her blog. [Oh So Coco]
True Blood cosmetics. Guess that had to happen. [Style.com]
This outfit, which incorporates a bowler hat, high-waisted sailor shorts and knee-socks, is currently the most-liked on Lookbook.nu. It has over 2,400 “hypes,” which are like Facebook “likes.” [Lookbook.nu, via The Cut]
- Garment factories across South Africa have been shut down by the government, or in some cases have voluntarily stopped production, for failing to comply with new minimum-wage laws. The factory owners are up in arms because they claim they cannot pay their workers the new legal wage and remain in business. The princely sums that the garment factory owners balk at giving their employees? $50-$75 per week. (The wage range reflects differences in urban and rural cost of living.) $50. A week. Five Chinese-owned garment factories are suing the South African government over the closures. The biggest reason clothing is one of the only consumer goods whose price in real dollars has declined consistently over the years to the point that a t-shirt now costs $6 and a dress costs $21 is the rag trade’s eagerness to seek efficiencies not by reducing waste or embracing technological advances, but by shifting production to ever-lower-wage economies. [WWD]
- Usher would like to found an underwear line, and he would like Pippa Middleton to be its…face. [Daily Star]
- Obviously, Justin Bieber’s perfume launch at Macy’s yesterday broke all sales records. Previously, Macy’s best celebrity perfume launch had been Beyoncé’s, for Heat, in 2010. Heat sold around $3 million at retail during its first month. [WWD]
- Kate Moss‘s hot pants, waistcoat, and gumboot combo from Glastonbury ’06 has been voted the best music festival outfit of all time. [/Kanye] [This Is London]
- Lily Cole graduated from Cambridge, where she had been studying art history. The model earned a double first degree, the highest possible honor in the U.K. university system. [Telegraph]
- On its first day of trading on the Hong Kong stock exchange, Prada shares didn’t close down. They also didn’t really close up: the shares opened at $5.07 and ended the day at $5.08. But a drop had been expected, because it’s been a rocky year for IPOs and the Greek debt crisis has investors nervous, and also because Prada had to lower its price guidance and set a share price at the very low end of that updated guidance when it issued its shares. [WWD]
- In Salvatore Ferragamo‘s IPO, company shares were priced at €9, or $13, in the mid-range of the company’s guidance. [WWD]
- Around 20% of Prada’s clothing and accessories is now manufactured in China. The company’s IPO prospectus has revealed plenty of information about its production chain that — while widely reported, for instance in Dana Thomas‘s excellent book De-Luxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster — had not been officially confirmed. Prada also manufactures, for example, in lower-wage economies including Vietnam, Turkey, and Romania. [WSJ]
- Ralph Lauren took a 7.2% pay raise to $29.7 million last year. [WWD]
Join the discussion...