Mark Your Hermes Day Planner

Just a reminder: New York Olympus Fashion Week starts this Friday, February 2. But what if you don't have time to review all the shows right as they hit the runways?! Never fear. The Fashion Blog will keep you up to date with our summaries and surmises of all the fashion fun to come...

Long Live Queen Westwood

"You have a much better life if you wear impressive clothes." Vivienne Westwood

All the Fashion Blog readers living in the San Francisco area (which basically means me) will be jumping for joy when they hear that the de Young Museum will be hosting "Vivienne Westwood: 36 Years in Fashion." This tribute to Westwood's extraordinary career will run from March 3 to June 10, 2007, and is the only American stop on its international tour. Organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the exhibition will showcase pieces ranging from punk to haute couture. If you have time, I would also suggest checking the de Young calendar for several events, such as art history lectures and films, leading up to this exhibition.

For those who aren't familiar with her work, Vivienne Westwood revolutionized fashion in the 1970's by inventing punk style. She owned a shop in London with her husband, Sex Pistols manager Malcom McLaren, and gained notoriety when the band members started wearing her clothes during their performances. She transitioned to the runways and continued making her ready-to-wear, as well as couture collections, in her signature non-conformist style. Always edgy and unique, Westwood is still known as "one of the most influential designers of our time."

Karl Lagerfeld to the Rescue

According to all the fashion insiders, Karl Lagerfeld may have single handedly saved the future of Parisian haute couture. His use of ultra-light weight fabrics, and slim sillouhettes are apparently just what was needed to lure in the next generation of fashion elite consumers.

Lagerfeld does not necessarily share the views that others have of him, stating: "My future is Chanel, the future of the other couture houses I don't really know. I only care what I'm doing. I'm not there to save the corporations. It's up to them to make an effort to save it."

Karl is said to have drawn inspiration from 60s "It Girl" Edie Sedgwick, eliminating skirts from the collection, and pairing black tights instead with the iconic tweed jacket of Chanel.

Leggings: Love Them or Leave Them?

When the trend of leggings first came out, I was 100% on the side of "OMG, you've got to be kidding me! Those are in style again?" I was never one to think that fashion from my childhood was overly great, and should be granted a second chance. But ever so slowly, the leggings grew on me. It started out at first with me buying them just to sleep in. "No one but my boyfriend will see me in them," I reasoned to myself. Then I started to wear them out to breakfast on a Sunday morning. "Only strangers I'll never see again will see them on me." But now, I dare say, I wear them out in the sunlight, during the week. Around people I see quite frequently. They are just so comfortable. Much more comfortable than jeans. And paired with the right shirt and other accessories, can even be passed off as acceptable for work. I know most people out there hate the legging trend, and wish it would die a quick death. I used to be there. Now, not so much. What are your thoughts?

Best News Ever? Probably.

I am deliriously happy! Tim Gunn signed with Bravo to do his own TV show! It's going to be called Tim Gunn's Guide to Style, and it's going to be based off of the book he is currently writing entitled "Tim Gunn: A Guide to Quality, Taste and Style". The book is set to be released in May 2007, and Bravo execs have stated that the show will premier after the book is finished. From what I've read so far, the show is going to be a type of makeover show, but Bravo insists that it's not going to be the same old makeover show that has been done a million and a half times before.

In Tim's own words, "This series aims to be one-part education with two-parts fun, and you'll see me being a fashion therapist, not a Svengali." Oh, Tim. Isn't he the funniest?

All of this great news comes on the heels of the not-so-great news that Bravo has cancelled Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. But we will shed a tear for those darling boys later. Now is the time for celebration!

Congratulations Tim! You're the best!

Awesomest

My favorite dress



My favorite Jew

Are They Still Friends?!

I guess the sinking of the Titanic is the type of thing that could really cement a friendship...

Give a little, Take a little

Beyonce has apparently found whatever curves J.Lo lost recently...times ten. This girl is beyond hourglass. I can't believe we're the same age.

For Bob

Speaking of people who need to eat, what's up with J. Lo's recent stick figure look? She's gotten thinner and thinner over the last few weeks. She's not looking like she is anorexic or anything, but compared to her usual volumptuous body type, I'm a bit shocked at this picture of her at the Golden Globes. She still looks beautiful though.

Just Eat Something Already

Everyone probably remembers back in September when officials at the Madrid fashion shows banned overly thin models from walking the runways. Since this was the first ban of its kind, the Spain shows ended up receiving a lot of press coverage about their ruling, but who really thought those actions would carry any "weight" with the other fashion capitals? After all, it was just Madrid. And what are fashion shows without stick-like bodies to hang the clothes on anyway?

Well it turned out that the fashion officials who reign in Milan also announced that they would adopt the same ban imposed by Madrid for their shows in February. Under the new codes, the models must have a body mass index (BMI) of at least 18.5 and be at least 16 years old to be hired by designers, modeling agencies, photographers, make-up artists etc. I also heard rumors of a smoke and alcohol-free zone backstage…has everyone gone mad?

Actually they’ve probably just gone healthy. The director of Madrid’s show, Leonor Perez Pita, admitted, “The restrictions could be quite a shock to the fashion world at the beginning, but I’m sure it’s important as far as health is concerned.”

The statements for Milan’s shows were also focused on promoting a healthy image for models, and under Milan’s new code, each model will have to possess a medical certificate to prove she is in good health before she can walk.

Of course the flip side of the healthy image is wanting to avoid projecting unhealthy images of anorexia to young, impressionable girls. Concho Guerra, a regional official in Spain, said, “Fashion is a mirror, and many teenagers imitate what they see on the catwalk.”

On our side of the pond, the tone was more one of anger than concern for all those vulnerable teenagers. Cathy Gould, director for Elite modeling agency in North America, stated, “I think it’s outrageous. I understand they want to set this tone of healthy, beautiful women, but what about discrimination against the model? And what about the freedom of the designer?” To give her some credit, she was concerned about some young women – her models whose careers could be hurt because of their “naturally gazelle-like” body types.

As for models working in the states, the Council of Fashion Designers of America issued a statement promising that they will not impose a similar ban based on a model’s weight. In explanation they stated, “The CFDA Health Initiative is about awareness and education, not policing.”

They also addressed the issue of anorexic models by saying, “Eating disorders are emotional disorders that have psychological, behavioral, social, and physical manifestations, of which body weight is only one.”

In addition to that lovely sentiment, Diane Von Furstenberg and the rest of the CFDA crew did want to do something to help the poor, starving models. So they are planning on setting up workshops to educate the industry on the nature of eating disorders as well as suggesting ways to keep models healthy, such as providing balanced meals at photo shoots and warning them against underage smoking and drinking.

It looks like everyone in the fashion world really is trying to do their part in making sure another Kate Moss-type doesn’t end up as the new poster girl for “Under-Eaters Anonymous” (or “Coke Whores Anonymous” for that matter).