The designer has both celebrated and mourned the extraordinary 16-year run as Louis Vuitton creative director with a spectacular show this morning, predominantly black. The darkness of the surroundings and clothes was reminiscent of his first collection for the brand and several details alluded to memorable shows such as the carousel.
Marc Jacobs
Jacobs will now focus on his own label but considering LVMH holds around a 75% stake of the brand, he will continue working under the same business umbrella. The American designer should now go back to his beloved New York city and have more time to take things slowly without the same limitations and constraints of "the new speed of fashion"...Or is this asking for the moon?
Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2011
Marc Jacobs has contributed to the success of Louis Vuitton as an established global brand and it's likely that he will do the same for his own label. You can watch this morning's show online and share the intense experience of many fashion aficionados on the last day of Paris Fashion Week.
Marc Jacobs final show for Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2014
Former Balenciaga creative director, Nicholas Ghesquière, is a potential candidate to take the creative lead at Louis Vuitton. I leave you with an old documentary which captures Marc Jacobs view on fashion at the earlier stages of his career.
The annual Costume Institute fundraising gala at the MET is one of the most important events for the fashion industry, when celebrities wear the most amazing dresses on the red carpet. This year's theme was Punk: Chaos to Couture, a promising yet challenging endeavour for even the best stylists in the world.
Sarah Jessica Parker in Giles Deacon
The red carpet didn't live up to expectations but some stars managed to succeed and the most brilliant interpretation of the theme was undoubtedly by Sarah Jessica Parker. Philip Treacy's headpiece is definitely the cherry on top of the cake, bringing the whole look together in a magnificent way.
Taylor Swift in J. Mendel
There were a few literal interpretations of either punk or couture but few achieve the same subtle balance between these two contrasting styles. Taylor Swift is always interesting on the red carpet, revealing a strong aesthetic sense. Kirsten Dunst was also particularly chic in a beautiful Louis Vuitton gown with feathered detailing.
Kirsten Dunst in Louis Vuitton
We regularly see 'the little black dress' on red carpet events, it's a safe option but it can also become predictable so it's important to have something that sets it apart from previously seen ideas. Miranda Kerr was stunning in Michael Kors, a sexy version which suits her joyful character.
Miranda Kerr in Michael Kors
But Jennifer Lawrence wore one of the most extraordinary black dresses at the Met Ball 2013 and Florence Welch was adventurous with a Givenchy Couture gown by Ricardo Tisci. This was also the designer chosen by Amanda Seyfried, who wore a silk printed dress from the spring/summer 2007 collection.
Jennifer Lawrence in Christian Dior and Florence Welch in Givenchy
Emma Watson, who stars in the latest Sofia Coppola film - The Bling Ring - chose an asymmetric Prabal Gurung dress for this year's Met Ball. This sought-after event is an opportunity to dress up and wear a long gown but there are no fixed rules. Is it possible to pull it off with a short dress?
Emma Watson in Prabal Gurung and Amanda Seyfried in Givenchy Couture
Gisele Bundchen and Karolina Kurkova were bold enough to wear short dresses and they both look stunning. Overall, this was a fabulous evening for the fashion industry but somehow disappointing as this theme was controversial enough to justify braver options. Punk is subversive while couture is all about beauty and craftsmanship.
Gisele Bundchen in Anthony Vaccarello and Karlolina Kurkova in Mary Katrantzou
When opposing forces manage to achieve a balance, then something incredible can emerge. For this suggestive theme, there's a particular dress that comes up in my mind, a Dior dress Gisele wore to Nick Knight's Masquerade Ball in 2006. Simply Fabulous! For further information about this year's Met Ball, watch the video on American Vogue.
Gisele Bundchen in Christian Dior, 2006 (photo: vogue.co.uk)
After a much needed tech-free holiday, it's a pleasure to get back to work with the 'Oscars of the design world'. The Designs of the Year 2013, celebrating the most innovative international designs over the past year, are currently being showcased at the Design Museum. This is a great opportunity to be inspired by those at the forefront of the creative industries.
From architecture to graphics and furniture, different categories are awarded for its artistic output. I will focus on the fashion category won by the excellent tribute to Diana Vreeland in the form of an intimate documentary. It captures beautifully her enthusiasm for life, visionary spirit and inner sense of style. "She took fashion design to another level, reaching a wider audience and creating a greater understanding of the fashion world." Ilse Crawford, chair of the jury
Keira Knightley as Anna Karenina
Other fashion nominations include the extraordinary Anna Karenina costumes by Jacqueline Durran, who won an Oscar for her incredible interpretation of Leo Tolstoy's remarkable heroine. Another favourite is the refreshing Louis Vuitton collection designed by Yayoi Kusama, dots were never this stylish!
Louis Vuitton collection designed by Yayoi Kusama (photos edited from vogue.it)
I Want Muscle directed by Elisha Smith-Leverock short video was also able to make it to this exclusive design awards nominations. But even though the winner of this fashion category was also focused on the moving image, this list featured a wide range of particularly graphic A/W12 collections by innovative designers such as Craig Green and Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garçons.
Comme des Garçons designed by Rei kawakubo (A/W12) (photos edited from vogue.it)
Other selected fashion collections from this season include Proenza Shouler and Giles Deacon. Victoria Beckham was wearing the black Giles dress shown bellow on the Olympic's closing ceremony in London. This was undoubtedly a proud moment for the British fashion industry.
Giles A/W12 collection (photos edited from vogue.it)
From S/S12 collections, only Prada caught the eye of the experts with her brilliant take on iconic imagery from the past, making vintage cars and other clever design notes not only appealing but also wearable. Her video to promote this collection was also fabulous!
Prada S/S 12 collection (photos edited from vogue.it)
For the fashion category alone, this exhibition is already worth visiting but there are many interesting design aesthetics and ideas featured in other key areas such as architecture and furniture. We can also make the most of its location and go for a walk along the river... Any plans for the weekend?
Proenza Shouler A/W12 collection (photos edited from vogue.it)
Fur is another prevalent trend just emerging from the latest catwalk shows for AW 2013/14. Designers have covered up their women in the most exciting pieces of fur, either as a stole or long coat. It's up to one's consciousness how to follow this trend as faux fur is always an option on the table.
Lanvin and Marc Jacobs (photos edited from vogue.it)
A fur stole is old school glamour, women look demure yet very feminine when they wear it around their neck. It's also worth mentioning how the skirt length has fallen bellow the knee or even lower bringing up nostalgia of past decades where good manners were still fashionable. Courtesy is always priceless.
Tom Ford and Emilio Pucci (photos edited from vogue.it)
When snow slowly drifts down just as it's happening now, there's nothing quite like a winter coat to keep us warm and fur details always give it a special touch and exotic allure, reminiscent of Russian Czars and historic figures. Tom Ford has embraced an almost baroque style using a lot of print and embroidery on his latest collection.
Roberto Cavalli and Fendi (photos edited from vogue.it)
When it comes to Autumn/Winter collections, the truth is fur always comes back in some shape or form. It's functional, protecting us from the cold weather and it's also stylish but the latest catwalk shows reveal an audacity to experiment with different patterns and colours. It certainly looks edgier.
Lanvin and Marc Jacobs (photos edited from vogue.it)
Marc Jacobs is now a designer at the top of his game and his latest collection has fabulous pieces where he has combined fur with sparkling fabrics. It's ideal for parties and events. We all need a bit of fantasy to brighten up our winter days! He also did a great job for Louis Vuitton, creating one of the strongest collections for the season.
Donna Karan and Louis Vuitton (photos edited from vogue.it)
But if you prefer the classic rock star style, both Marc Jacobs and Saint Laurent have produced the ideal coat for you. If you're conscientious about animal rights wear faux fur, there's still a long way to go nonetheless it's possible to find relatively interesting pieces on the high street.
Saint Laurent and Marc Jacobs (photos edited from vogue.it)
You never cease to be surprised in London! That's one of the things I love the most about this city. When staring at Julie Verhoeven's illustrations at SHOWstudio: Fashion Revolution, I was far from imagining it would be possible to meet her but this morning she was presenting her work at the British Library and I was fortunate enough to be there. Come and meet her too!
Julie Verhoeven
It's great to be able to share such experiences particularly to those who are far away. As a true artist, she communicates through her work and has started her talk by welcoming us to her world with a series of short creative videos for the fashion industry. This happened after spreading a series of magazines, films, clothes and record covers on the floor transforming it into her own canvas.
Julie Verhoeven's memorabilia
"I've been a magazine obsessive since I was a child." Julie Verhoeven seems to find space in chaos and enjoys working while being surrounded by noise and music. Her videos are all about the theatrics of fashion, playing up with performance, characters and a wide range of visual stimuli.
Julie Verhoeven
She loves the dynamic nature of videos: "as soon as I put down ideas on paper it feels too concrete and dead. The way I work is very instinctive." But her work on paper is incredible, her signature style has caught the attention of different fashion brands such as Chloe, Versace, Mulberry and Louis Vuitton.
Louis Vuitton. Spring/Summer 2002. Frog Bag. Photographed by Mert & Marcus
When Marc Jacobs called her she thought it was someone having a laugh. Despite her success, her attitude is unpretentious and you can sense immediately this is someone who thinks outside the box and does her own thing. It's not just her colourful appearance but also an emerging inner freedom which reveals itself vividly through her work.
Julie Verhoeven and me
"Colour makes me happy." Julie Verhoeven
Even though fashion illustration is not as published as it should be, influential magazines such as Numéro, Self Service and Dazed & Confused have already graced their pages with Verhoeven's work. Future projects could include theatre and the performing arts. Apart from set design, she would also love to work with Karl Lagerfeld. We look forward to seeing it all happen!
This is such an exciting time! It gives me great pleasure to celebrate the first anniversary of my blog with a video about an amazing evening - Vogue's Fashion Night Out. The streets were alive with a buzzing atmosphere, live music entertainment and fun photo sessions. Enjoy!
I've designed my own dress and can design one exclusively for your tailored to your lifestyle or a particular occasion. For further information just email me (right hand side of this blog). Once again, thank you all for your support. I will work hard to continue deserving your preference.
From magazines to online retail sites and global luxury brands, videos are more and more crucial to communicate with potential consumers and engage target audiences. If a video becomes viral it saves a lot of investment in terms of advertising and marketing campaigns.
1 - Dior: Secret Garden Versailles film - 17,401,524 views
(25,552 subscribers / 53,609,045 video views)
You can watch videos not only on a specific website but those with vision have extended their online presence to a YouTube channel, showcasing their work to an increasingly growing community.
2 - Fendi:Milan Fashion Show Fall/Winter 2012-13 - 4,595,252 views
(2,655 subscribers / 20,439,303 video views)
This global phenomenon of video sharing creates a buzz around brands and if you don't have a YouTube channel is very likely that someone else is being popular and even making money out of your built image.
This is a research of the most popular videos based on brands which have a YouTube channel. The fact that a video is popular does not imply an increase in subscribers and does not interfere particularly on video views, but it gives an idea of what people enjoy watching online.
4 - Armani: Megan Fox for EA Underwear and Armani Jeans - 1,465,478 views
(9,209 subscribers / 9,435,802 video views)
Sometimes they just follow one another as a snow ball going down a mountain. My most popular blog post of all time is about an exhibition from last September. It's not particularly interesting when compared with others but everyone is curious to check out what others like.
5 - Chanel:Blue de Chanel - The Film - 1,429,174 views
(29,641 subscribers / 8,611,451 video views)
Maybe they assume it's good just because the majority of people love it but this is always questionable. However, viral videos do wonders by reaching global audiences in a short period of time. But what makes a video viral?
6 - Dolce & Gabbana:The making of Calcio Underwear campaign: episode 1 - 1,052,659 views
(21,159 subscribers / 13,462,203 video views)
It can be quite random and it is challenging to unveil the secrets of a video's success. It is really not about advertising in its conventional form but brand communication at its highest level. The big players in luxury fashion can afford to gather the best possible team of contributors to create eye catching videos.
Creativity is definitely a key ingredient to capture the attention of people who are likely to enjoy it enough to share the video with their social media network. Entertainment is also fundamental if you think about user experiences.
8 - Lanvin:Fall Winter 2011-12 ad campaign - 750,099 views
(3,059 subscribers / 1,255,408 video views)
A video can be a little break from work or a personal experience on an iPad or mobile phone while travelling around the city so the fun element needs to be addressed. Online communities are more and more important in our increasingly wired world.
9 - SHOWstudio.com:Nick Knight shoots Lady Gaga for Vanity Fair - 716,854 views
(9,871 subscribers / 4,847,219 video views)
The fashion industry as a fast-forward area by excellence is embracing this new tool of expressing their image with highly sophisticated short films. The figures show quite bluntly who is doing well and producing the most engaging content.
10 - Burberry:'Remember by Misty Miller - 676,837 views
(40,134 subscribers / 15,604,620 video views)
When the future of TV becomes more and more tailored to niche markets and individual taste as it's already happening online, YouTube is probably a predecessor of what lies ahead. It's also worth considering how immune we are all getting towards advertising so brands really need to push boundaries in order to connect with us. PS If this list was based on subscribers/video views the order would be very different.
11 - Prada:"A Therapy" - 582,965 views
(7,813 subscribers / 2,074,783 video views)
12 - Louis Vuitton:The Art of Packaging - 314,844 views
(19,247 subscribers / 5,101,755 video views)
13 - Gucci: Exclusive behind the scenes footage of Jennifer Lopes - 309,797 views
(4,418 subscribers / 1,220,989 video views)
14 - Vogue TV: Gisele Bundchen Cover Shoot behind the scenes April 2010 - 199,409 views
