Where’s Abbey Lee? (Definitely) On the cover of V

Well this may help make up for that esoteric Dazed & Confused cover we told you about on Friday - not to mention the nasty prang at Rodarte yesterday, when Kershaw's vertiginous Nicholas Kirkwood platforms got the better of her. Before D&C has even hit the stands, Abbey Lee Kershaw has cracked page one of one of the world’s most high profile fashion magazines, V. Nose ring to boot.

The issue is out tomorrow. And OK, OK, OK, Kershaw might be one of 14 V cover girls next month – fashion magazines have taken to making multiple covers of late.

But for the V55 celebration issue, Kershaw is partnered up with thirteen “of the most beautiful women on earth”, according to V mag, as shot by leading fashion snapper duo, Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin.

Notes the V website:

“We like to think of it as our 21st-century survey of modern beauty, starring cover girls Eniko Mihalik, Malgosia Bela, Anna Selezneva, Daria Werbowy, Frankie Rayder, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Natasha Poly, Sunniva Stordahl, Christy Turlington, Agyness Deyn, Naomi Campbell, Lara Stone, Anja Rubik, and Eva Herzigova”.

It’s pretty fast company for a girl who had never set foot on an international runway eight months ago - and who is currently ranked the world number 21 working model by models.com.

Kershaw's Chic Management stablemate Catherine McNeil, who is ranked the world # 9, is not amongst next month's V cover girls, but then of course McNeil scored her own V cover eight months ago: V47.

With at least 15 New York SS09 shows under Kershaw's belt the last time I checked (which was before the shows for Tuesday 6 September had even been posted), someone is having a blockbuster sophomore season.

But wait, there's more: Fabienne's fab first season

fabienne vanderhaeghen at rachel roy, sep 4/wwd

So as I was saying, it’s hard keeping up with the Australian modelling news in NY at the moment. Myf we knew about. Emma Balfour well, that one was a surprise. Now make way way for Fabienne Vanderhaeghen. Bolting out of left of field to secure nine New York shows so far in her first OS season, as it emerges Vanderhaeghen headed into SS09 with editorial in Nylon, a DKNY Jeans campaign and covers of Italian ELLE and Grazia under her belt.

The 17 year-old Perth-ite, who is with Chadwicks in Australia and Trump in New York, has so far walked Rachel Roy, Savant, Abaete, Geova, Patricia Field for M&S and Harlan Bell and is booked for Chris Benz, Pamela Rowland and Aurelio Costarella.


fabienne vanderhaeghen (L) in the edie rose for DKNY Jeans campaign - a line co-designed by actress rachel bilson/supplied

Modelling for two years, the latter one full-time, Vanderhaeghen’s recent Australian work includes a Just Jeans campaign and a recent cover of Summer Winter magazine – sharing cover billing with the far more high profile Abbey Lee Kershaw.


vanderhaeghen on the march cover of italian elle/supplied

Another Chadwicks model popping up on the New York Fashion Week radar is Lauren Burnett who has done several shows, including Rubin Singer.

Myf Shepherd, as I revealed in another blog incarnation in July, was, hilariously, snubbed by the producers of Australia’s Next Top Model for this year’s show, only to walk more Australian Fashion Week shows than any other model from her agency (Chic Management) and then go on to be booked by both Prada and Gucci for the Resort 09 presentations in New York in July.

Shepherd has of course been buoyed by the hypemeisters over at Chic Management and notably, the agency's well-connected New York affiliate Next.

Shepherd’s raft of NY shows so far includes Marc Jacobs, Alice McCall, Jason Wu, Cushnie et Ochs and Rubin Singer.

Fellow Chic hatchling, Sarah Stephens was also much-hyped heading into SS09. Stephens' shows so far include Jason Wu, RVCA, Hanii Y, Cushnie et Ochs (which she closed), Frank Tell, James Coviello, Twinkle and Tuleh.

Tallulah Morton's shows to date include Rubin Singer, Michael Angel, Hanii Y, ADAM and Ruffian.

Morton's mate, Balenciaga 'muse' Stephanie Carta apparently had a New York exclusive with Phi.

Now in their sophomore international runway season, both Skye Stracke and Alice Burdeu continue their ascent. Stracke's shows include to date, Chris Benz, Dian von Furstenberg, Alexandre Herchkovich, Karen Walker, Lacoste and Yigal Azrouel. So far Burdeu's bookings include Lacoste, Brian Reyes - and one very big name in Marc Jacobs.

Abbey Lee Kershaw meanwhile, the so-called 'instant star' of FW0809 who is currently ranked the world # 21 working model on models.com, is also walking in just her second OS season.

So far Kershaw seems to have walked in more shows that any other Australian model: at least 16 in the space of just four-five days. They include Diesel, Ohne Titel, Peter Som, Thakoon, DKNY, Diane von Furstenberg (which she closed), Jonathon Saunders, Preen, Alexander Wang, Lacoste, Daughters by Obedient Sons, Ruffian, BCBG Max Azria, Jason Wu, Rag & Bone and Rodarte.

This is the fourth ready-to-wear season for Catherine McNeil - the breakout sensation of FW0708, who debuted on models.com at #26 early last year and is now ranked the world number #9.

McNeil has done at least nine shows so far, including Carolina Herrera, Isaac Mizrahi, Ohne Titel, Peter Som, Thakoon, Jonathon Saunders, Preen, Alexander Wang and Diane von Furstenberg, which she opened.

Marc's Fair Ladies

wall street journal

Part prairie, part Pygmalion, Marc Jacobs mixed it up for SS09.

Starting almost on-the-dot for the second season in a row, and set to George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue soundtrack, the show’s backdrop was a mirrored runway with a difference – one made from dozens of dress mirrors stationed down the catwalk’s length.

The effect was not only reminiscent of a circus mirror, but of the famous faceted mirror staircase at Chanel’s headquarters in the Rue Cambon. There was also something more than a little Coco Chanel (and YSL) about the models' sweet straw boaters.

The collection, a mashup of mannish plaid and ladylike luxe, groaned with voluminous layered silhouettes, nearly every last look cinched at the waist with the collection’s signature, wide obi-like sash or cummerbund.

They included gypsy-like, tiered skirts fashioned from up to three different fabrications and styled back with boxy little 80s-look jackets with shoulder pads and elbow patches. Also, button-down plaid shirts, which seemed at once a nod to Jacobs’ 1992 grunge collection for Perry Ellis – which got him fired – and the moment’s lingering lumberjack look.

But Jacobs is the one to set trends, not follow them. Some of his sure-to-be-copied SS09 looks include two voluminous colourblocked sundresses in canary yellow, turquoise and violet which looked like they had been fashioned from two obscure countries' national flags.

There were ruffled pinafore dresses with plastic bretelles; crisp shirts with bracelet-length sleeves worn over high-waisted, mid calf pencil skirts in Jacobs’ now trademark liquid metallic fabrics; high-shine, slimline brocade cocktail shorts; and smart print coats and side-split, cheongsam-style skirts, both with contrast piping.

The tangential closer: three, simple, full-length draped jersey dresses in apricot and dove grey.

The latter did seem to strike an odd note. But then, perhaps you had to be there. The swag of boldface names who were included Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Richie, Winona Ryder and Victoria Beckham, who sported a new gamine cropped 'do.

Accessories included a spectacular platform espadrille with straps laced all the way to the knee.

Click here to see the full collection on style.com.

An Oz model trifecta at Marc Jacobs - and one of them is pushing 40

storm models

It’s mind-boggling trying to keep up with the Australian models in New York. Just when you think you have a handle on who is breaking into the international scene, comes news of a totally unsung new heroine – or indeed a veteran who, having long since hung up her stilettos, has just decided to return to the main game in her mid-late 30s. Arguably the biggest Australian modelling story to date of New York Fashion Week is that the Marc Jacobs show, which wrapped a short time ago, featured not one but three Australian models: Myf Shepherd, Alice Burdeu and 90s superwaif Emma Balfour.



balfour at marc jacobs, sep 8/style.com

The mother of two has just decided to resume modelling. According to her Australian agent Priscilla Leighton-Clarke, who spoke to Balfour backstage at Jacobs, she is attempting to reboot her career this week with the Jacobs and Alexander Wang shows.


balfour at alexander wang, sep 6/style.com

Stand by to see whether any other iconic 90s models also pop up in Jacobs’ show - which started at 9.15pm, according to our backstage sources, just 15 minutes after the scheduled start time.

As set by Jacobs at the Louis Vuitton SS08 show in Paris last October, the return to older, iconic models is certainly a fashion trend with legs, with several big name 80s/90s models such as Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington enjoying a raft of recent high profile advertising campaigns, including YSL and Prada.

And not before time many would argue - even the agents themselves.

“Modelling does really need to go across the ages a bit” Leighton-Clarke told me. “It’s all very well having these young girls, that’s great, that’s where new models starts. But I think with the likes of Emma Balfour, Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista, Naomi... It’s absolutely terrific that these girls are still working because women can relate to them".

She added, "We had such an incredible reaction from Elite in New York [when they mentioned Balfour wanted to work again]. We encouraged her, it wasn’t something that was foremost on her mind. But she’s delighted that she has landed in New York a week ago and all this is happening for her now”.

More model blogger reports: Marc Jacobs pays in "trade", Undercover is "racist"

daul kim at alexander mcqueen, paris october 07


Eight hours to go before the Big One (Marc Jacobs) and still Canadian model Simona McIntyre hasn’t spilled any beans about the collection, in spite of having been back to the studio for fittings. Yesterday she did however provide some shots of “The Closet” - a vast repository of samples past from which, according to McIntyre, Jacobs pays models via what is known in the biz as “trade”. Many designers do this. It’s just a damned shame of course that more landlords don’t accept cone heels as rent. Meanwhile news emerges of yet another model blogger: Korean supe Daul Kim.

Kim has been blogging since April 2007 via the hilariously-titled I Like To Fork Myself.

Kim signs herself “Daulmonster” and her signature post signon is “Say hi to....”

She sounds pretty cool and unpretentious and is interested in the horror film genre (an interest I share), paints and writes poetry.

Kim often talks about being homesick and some of the writing is in fact quite dark. So dark, that Kim felt the need to defend herself at one point, denying that she’s either depressed or suicidal.

This appears to have been in response to some kind of reaction to her writings/comments back home in Korea.

The social commentary is quite biting at times and in one case she doesn't pull any punches in naming a fashion brand with which she has issues.

Kim claims she was turned away from a SS08 casting by the Undercover brand last year.

And look, while I'm sure Undercover would vehemently deny that there is any issue at all here, if you check the style.com shots of the show in question, there does not in fact appear to be one single Asian or black face on its SS08 runway.

This is interesting vis-a-vis the current lack-of-runway-diversity debate for two reasons.

Firstly, Undercover’s all-white runway is in fact whiter than many of the other shows which have come under scrutiny recently over their negligible Asian or black casting.

Secondly, Undercover might show in Paris however it’s not a western brand. It's Japanese.

In this post from 25th October last year titled “Say hi to racist person at Undercover”, Kim wrote:

“sometimes ASIAN people are more racist to
OTHER ASIANS

like...

THIS JAPANESE BRAND called UNDERCOVER

i was a big fan of jun [Takahashi – the designer] really, i love when he did the issue for A magazine
its my fav A magazine and it was awesome

but i never knew they were SO RACIST
well i hope that not everyones like that at undercover.

i go to the casting because they REQUSTED me and then i go and
a japanese girl who works there sees me and says WORD TO WORD

‘SORRY WE ARE ONLY CASTING WHITE GIRLS’

and waved her hand on her face

I AM SHOCKED.

REALLY, does it sell better if u use no asians/blacks on the runway?

are you guys saying that being white is cooler and more "fashion"

than being asian or black?

so ridiculous...”

I remember Daul Kim well because when I was backstage after the Alexander McQueen SS08 show in Paris last October, camera in hand, she was one of many models still back there for up to a hour afterwards, attempting to extricate hair extensions.

Looking up at me as I walked past, through still wildly-teased hair that partially obscured her face, she gave me her best Ringu impersonation:



Kim some time later, ready to go home:

Graydon Carter on Richie, Lopez and co: "Who cares? They're just actresses"

winona ryder, christina ricci and nicole richie at DKNY/reuters

Yes that has to be the quote of the decade. Graydon Carter, editor of celeb Bible Vanity Fair, weighing up the pap frenzy which went down at the Diane von Furstenberg show yesterday. The PETA protestors who managed to infiltrate DKNY's runway had nothing, apparently, on the pre-show kerkuffle which occurred at not only DKNY, but also Diane von Furstenberg, which two shows' combined front row lineup boasted Tatum O’Neal, Eva Longoria Parker, Venus Williams, Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Lopez, Uma Thurman, Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci and Nicole Richie. Wow. That’s celeb overload even by New York Fashion Week standards.

Carter dropped the above quote when a photographer “practically fell in his lap” before the DVF show, according to WWD's just-filed “Bumps and bruises at DVF” story.

And Carter wasn’t the only highprofiler complaining apparently.

Regarding the pap schmozzle around her front row neighbour Nicole Richie over at DKNY, Christina Ricci told another media outlet:

"I think the media attention's fine until it becomes a weird frenzy."

Meanwhile, where on earth are the pictures from Victoria Beckham’s dress collection preview which I mentioned last night was due to kickstart Sunday’s proceedings?

Yes Beckham did show, but my apologies, in spite of the fact that The Daily is in fact in my Google Reader, I failed to recall this item from August 12, which mentioned that Beckham would be showing her collection in a series of private appointments.

Which is kind of hilarious really, given that every other designer uses celebrities to maximise their own media coverage during NYFW.

Yes, you do see celebs in Paris and Milan, and for precisely the same reason. But to nowhere near the degree that is witnessed in New York. With 250+ shows on, heck, I guess they need the point-of-difference.

In seasons past I’ve asked celebs why they front up to fashion shows – and particularly New York. Some of these iv's have been archived in this new blog [under the “celebrities” tag].

Their responses have varied.

Here’s what Victoria Beckham told me at the Marc Jacobs SS07 show in September 2006:

“I think that celebrities love fashion and I think that we're lucky enough to be able to get in the front row and come to these shows. I just like it, you know”.

In the same season, at Diesel, Heather Graham told me:

“Well I think because as a celebrity you have to go out to different events and people who are great designers, sometimes they give you things. Like you wear some of their stuff and so you develop sometimes relationships with people that you like their clothes, because you wear their stuff”.

But while the designers revel in the media attention that celebrities provide at shows, they don't seem to be quite so keen on the attention that celebrities muster for themselves when they launch their own fashion lines at the event.

In seasons past, some designers have criticised the growing trend for celebrity line launches at NYFW, claiming that they trivialise the event and deflect attention from the event's real stars: the designers.

Perhaps VB just wants to be taken like, you know, seriously as a designer.

Or Beckham's (ad campaign) client, Marc Jacobs, whispered in her ear that he'd reeeeeally appreciate her not cannibalising publicity from his Monday night show, to which she's expected to rock up.

Click here to see the Diane Von Furstenberg collection on wwd.com.
Click here to see the DKNY collection on wwd.com.

Just a quiet Sunday in New York....

victoria beckham in marc jacobs/juergen teller

So I was talking about those kerr-azy Americans and how hectic their schmozzle, sorry schedule, of fashion shows can be. Just to give you an idea, here's a snapshot of what will be kicking off at around 11.00pm Sydney time tonight.

New York Fashion Week Schedule - Day Three - Sunday, September 7th

9am Victoria Beckman Dress Preview

10am Lela Rose Show

10pm Walter Show

11am DKNY Show

11-12:30pm Tiffany's Blue Book Collection

12pm Costello Tagliapietra Show

12pm Tracy Reese Show

1pm Susan Cianciolo Show

12.45-2pm Gap Presentation

1-2pm Jolibe Installation

1-3pm Hollywould Presentation

2pm Preen by Thornton Bregazzi Show

2pm Chadwick Bell Show

2pm Charles Nolan Apparel Show

2pm Terexov Show

3pm Herve Leger by Max Azria Show

4pm Diane Von Furstenberg Show

5pm Y-3 Show

5pm Karen Sabag

5pm Sari Gueron Show

5-6pm Staerk Presentation

6pm Jonathan Saunders Show

6pm Binetti Show

6pm Akiko Ogawa Show

6pm Harlan Bel Show

6-8pm Julia Jentzsch

6-9pm Selima Optique Eyewear Preview

7pm Cassette Show

7pm Tibi Show

7pm Tuleh Show

7pm Opera Swimwear Show

8pm Miss Sixty Show

8-10pm Hess Natur by Miguel Adrover Presentation

9pm Carlos Campos Show

9pm Thuy Show

9pm William Rast Show




The day is topped and tailed with two sure-to-generate-pap-meltdowns courtesy Victoria Beckham and Justin Timberlake (William Rast).

Beckham's 10-look line of cocktail dresses represents her third fashion venture, following the release of the dVb jeans and sunglasses lines.

WWD had an exclusive preview on Friday, including shots of two bustier dresses.

The collection of tailored dresses in basket-weave cotton, gazar and georgette silks, boasts corsetry features.

Beckham told WWD:

“Dresses are very signature for me, as I have always dressed in a very feminine and ladylike manner. This collection may be new, but it’s been a lifetime in the making for me.”

Beckham is also expected at the Marc Jacobs show on Monday night - one of her favourites.

So that's today's heart-starter.

In between VB and JT, I think I counted 34 presentations. Ten of them are in the Bryant Park tents. The rest are spread from one side of Manhattan to the other.

Oh, and the suite of US tropical storms has ensured that it's pissing down with rain in New York.

I'm not sure which would be worse: cab strike, as occurred this time last year, or torrential rain.

[List: via wwd's new daily newsletter alert]

Karen Walker's fashion belief system

getty

Australian model Skye Stracke works a faded leopard print shift dress in Karen Walker's The Believers SS09 collection in New York yesterday.


getty

Androgyny is a key component of Karen Walker’s brand DNA – the first garments she made for market back in 1988 were not dresses, but two shirts. And although inspired by cults and voodoo, such was the androgyny factor of this collection, it often seemed a little more Annie Hall, than Amish.

Oversized boyfriend jackets were teamed with baggy bermudas, long shirts with clerical collars were layered over slouchy, cropped chinos and XL, fine-gauge T-shirts bearing ram’s head graphics hung over loose-fit pencil skirts.

The cultish puritannical streak kicked in via high-necked, folkloric smock tops layered over wide-legged pants, with the pretty white lace shift dresses seemingly a nod to the symbolically 'pure' white peasant dresses that are seen in Creole voodoo - ditto the grey/black madras check theme, which was used in bermudas and even a trouser suit with shrunken blazer.

I read that Walker hoped at one stage to make the entire collection blue – another significant voodoo hue.

She certainly used a lot of it in, among a myriad of other blue-on-blue looks, one sweet microfloral blouse worn over electric blue slouch pants. And not forgetting a series of striking cobalt blue silk cocktail dresses. Walker might pander to androgyny - but she makes a wicked party frock.

Click here to see the full collection on wwd.com.
Click here to see Sonny Vandevelde's backstage shots.

Maticevski forms a lobby group

Toni Maticevski enjoyed a little international PR pick-me-up earlier this year when Gemma Ward chose his distressed silk goddess gown to wear to the Australian premier of The Black Balloon. Overnight he made his fourth New York Fashion Week foray: on-schedule, but off-site, in the lobby of the chic new Rafael Viñoly-designed Hotel Roger Williams.

The collection was inspired by the 1977 book, Inventive Paris Clothes 1909-1939. A photo essay by Irving Penn, the book documents the Diana Vreeland-curated 1973 Metropolitian Museum of Art exhibition Inventive Clothes 1909-1939, which featured garments from Paris couture masters including Paul Poiret, Madeliene Vionnet, Alix Grès, Molyneux, Chanel, Paquin, Schiaparelli and Callot Soeurs.

There were nods to Vionnet in the draped silk gowns and to Poiret, in the lace sack dresses and shifts, the most striking a black and white draped cocktail dress with lace insert.

The rest seemed like trademark Maticevski: exquisitely detailed teastained and ivory cocktail dresses and ballgowns, with some occasional shots of marigold and salmon pink, one of the prettiest a panelled ivory cocktail dress with high Victorian collar, silk fringing and delicate shoulder ruffles.

Smart tailoring included an ivory lace blouse with shoulder pads tucked into a matching pencil skirt; a sheer, striped maxi-length shirtwaister; and a glossy black, wide-legged jumpsuit worn under a jet black blazer - it seems no designer wants to do a collection this spring without one.

All up, a polished, if occasionally unfocussed, collection, which might have been perfect had Maticevski edited out a handful of exits (a case in point the petrol blue silk layered dress with ringlets).






all images: getty for img

Click here to see the complete collection on wwd.com.

A model blogger reports: Marc Jacobs uses green toilet paper

self-portrait @ alice mccall/simona mcintyre

Between the backstage photographer, the far-flung journo and the designer himself, was anyone not blogging Michael Angel’s show in New York? I chanced upon this by accident this afternoon: the blog of 19 year-old Canadian model Simona McIntyre. Her Friday shows included both Michael Angel and Alice McCall.

Modelling for twelve months and blogging for two, in her first post back in July McIntyre reported that she scored both the Marc Jacobs and Jean Paul Gaultier shows in her first runway season last year, SS08.

And indeed last month, New York mag reported that the angelic vegan is keeping the 'baby doll' look in fashion, in the wake of the departure of Gemma Ward.

Of her reasons for launching a blog, posts McIntyre:

“I could keep a journal for myself somewhere personal, but with this blog I intend to include others. With the Internet anyone can speak out nowadays so here are my thoughts”.

As I asked recently when looking at Sessilee Lopez's blog however, just how 'outspoken' can any model realistically be without jeapardising their own commercial interests?

Of course there’s the anonymous "Tatiana" over at Jezebel, but noone knows her identity (FYI prime Tatiana suspect herself, Jenna Sauers, hopped on frockwriter one day to deny that she's the culprit. Someone claiming to be Sauers' ex boyfriend also left an amusing comment).


simona mcintyre and michael angel/blondeoverblue

I'm not sure McIntyre is a Tatiana candidate, but it is interesting to see yet another window open onto the model world.

McIntyre's post dated September 5 mentions that McCall's makeup concept did not boast 'cat's eye' eyeliner, but in fact "a whale shaped thick eyelid", that Angel's nail polish was environmentally-friendly - and so is Marc Jacobs’ toilet paper.

McIntyre knows this because she's very interested in matters green and, beyond the Angel and McCall shows, she also spent four hours overnight Friday night bunkered down at Jacobs’ office, trying on outfits for Monday night’s show.

Notes McIntryre,

“It was nice to preview the collection and hang out with Amanda (Laine) who was there for looks as well. I have noticed in my time working at the Marc building that the toilet paper there is environmentally friendly. Green thumbs to that".

Of the Marc by Marc Jacobs collection, she wrote on September 4:

"I’d love to share some of the pieces I have seen, but at this stage it isn’t appropriate (for the designer’s privacy). Marc by Marc is looking cute from the outfits I was saw doing looks this week. Last spring I worked with fitting vintage clothing at Marc to design the Spring/Summer 2009 collection. It has been very interesting to work with them and see the collection evolve".

Of course it would be hilarious if an anonymous model or other blogger who does have inside access to collections, did actually dish details before the collections were shown.

Now that would be some witch hunt...