|
Marc Jacobs fashion show sparks controversy
Marc Jacobs is considered the bellwether designer of American fashion. So what's the outlook for next spring? Um, a lot of lingerie? Jacobs presented his spring collection late Monday night to a packed crowd that had been waiting in the Lexington Avenue Armory for two hours. (Celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Sheryl Crow didn't wait quite as long— they seemed to know to show up ''fashionably late.'') But it looked like he could have used a little more time. Models were wearing what Jacobs called ''scrap tops'' and ''one-half gowns''— clothes that one presumes were left unfinished to make an ironic statement—thus, giving the audience plenty of glimpses of their silk, satin, and crepe bras, slips, and tap pants. Individual elements of the outfits, such as a black lace cape or a moire sleeveless trench coat, were very attractive, but wearable clothes weren't essential here.
How Cheap Luxury Led to Extortionate Stylists, Burberry Thugs
Aug. 27 (Bloomberg) -- There was a time when luxury goods were made by hand. Tailors and artisans dealt directly with clients, and shopping was an elevated experience. The $157 billion luxury-goods industry isn't what it used to be, and that's a pity, Dana Thomas declares in her lively and incisive ``Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Luster.'' These days, writes Thomas (Newsweek's Paris-based culture and fashion reporter), the industry is dominated by a handful of publicly traded corporations. These multinationals spend millions pushing a ``cult of luxury'' on an obliging ``middle market.'' Fine gowns, jewelry, clothing and cosmetics have become homogenized and omnipresent, she grumbles, their quality downgraded for consumers more interested in flaunting logos than in owning exquisitely made items.
|
