Oh behave: WISH magazine April 2011, the London issue

It's a dark, dark moment for British fashion. John Galliano is in disgrace, fired from his post as the creative director of Christian Dior, charged by French prosecutors with making racist comments on two separate occasions and now due to stand trial - exactly twelve months after Alexander McQueen took his own life. Shining lights that they were, McQueen and Galliano do not a fashion industry make however. Tomorrow, The Australian newspaper's monthly luxury mag WISH will publish a special London edition featuring a swag of interviews with a number of other far less tragic British fashion figures, notably Burberry creative director Christopher Bailey, Nêt-à-Porter.com founder Natalie Massenet, accessories designer Anya Hindmarch, go-to interior designer David Collins, publisher Tyler Brûlé and Bally's London-based creative directors Graeme Fidler and Michael Herz. Accompanying all the words, a fab fashion cover story that was lensed by Michelle Holden in and around various London landmarks in the freezing cold just before Christmas and which stars Brits Alexander Eden and Donna McPhail (on the cover) plus one Aussie ringin, Josh Gray. The story was styled by Ken Thompson with hair by Heath Massi and makeup by Linda Anderson. Here's a first look.

all images: supplied to frockwriter by wish magazine

The extreme cheek of Italian Vogue

screen cap vogue italia

Frockwriter loves the fact that the late Alexander McQueen finally did what more than one scifi makeup artist must have dreamed of doing for his Spring/Summer 2010 ‘Plato’s Atlantis’ show last October: use prosthetics in runway makeup. But we really didn’t anticipate that the alien-esque look would be adopted quite so literally by the fash pack. Imagine our surprise, then, to check into Vogue Italia’s website and spot the headline, The Now Idea - Focus on cheekbones, accompanied by a gallery of backstage images from the show, a video and the following instructions, which naturally squeeze in as many plugs for Vogue advertisers as possible:

“A rebuilt face, yes, but just for one night. Implants become toys you put on your cheeks to change your features and live a special night as if you were a creature from outer space or a nymph who escaped from the forest. In a soft version they are more structured types of foundation that create a smoothing and reconstructive effect, while soins help features to get lifted.

Cheekbones Volumizer by Pupa acts with a lipo-filling cosmetic action which increases volume thanks to Volufiline and Kio Pulp Complex V10. You will already see the effect after a few applications.

For the treatment of the whole face, there's the Recompacting High Definition Foundation SPF10 with anti-wrinkle action by Collistar. The special formula extends your features and strengthens the facial contours, while the marine collagen acts in the tissues giving you a long compacting action”.

alexander mcqueen SS10/vogue.it

Hilariously, the story sits directly opposite a second beauty story entitled Beauty Victim, which warns about the dangers of too much plastic surgery:

“Cosmetic surgery can dramatically improve our physical appearance. But be careful not to go in for too many operations in an attempt to achieve an impossible model of aesthetic perfection. Don't become a beauty victim.

This is what happened to American socialite Jocelyn Wildenstein, also known as Catwoman, who spent four million dollars on plastic surgery. The outcome? Her face was radically altered, giving her a grotesque, unnatural look”.

Flake's Alexander McQueen fake

Interesting new tv spot by iconic British chocolate bar maker Cadbury Flake, which airs tonight in the UK. Produced by an outfit called Fallon, according to Creative Review the clip was directed by Baillie Walsh and features Russian model Yulia Lobova, who is suspended mid-air dressed in a flowing yellow dress that was fashioned from 200 metres of fabric. The dress was designed by British couturier Antony Price, who just told vogue.co.uk that "The idea came from looking at the edges of the Flake bar and the look of a Portuguese man of war jelly fish... It took a while playing around with the frills of the dress to make it look like Flake bar edges. I do think this form of pleating is very directional - it may well creep into my next collection." Frockwriter can't help thinking that there may have been another source of inspiration for the concept - one a little closer to home for Flake and Price than Portugal.

Below is a video of the finale of the Widows of Culloden Fall/Winter 2006/2007 show of the late, great British designer Alexander McQueen, who took his own life in February.

Staged in Paris in March 2006, the show concluded with a spectacular, ghostly illusion of Kate Moss that was projected inside a giant glass pyramid in the centre of the stage. Wearing a diaphanous ballgown - that is not too dissimilar to the Price/Flake version - Moss appeared to float in the air inside the structure.

Although dubbed a life-sized "hologram" by many, McQueen's longtime show producer Simon Kenny later told me that it was in fact a Victorian era parlour trick called Pepper’s Ghost.

UPDATE 09/06/10 at 3.25pm: Creative Review updated its story overnight to point out that the Flake ad director Baillie Walsh in fact also directed the clip of Kate Moss for McQueen's show in 2006. "I'm not sure how Walsh can be 'stealing' his own work" notes CR editor Patrick Burgoyne, responding to comments that the Flake clip is a ripoff of McQueen's 2006 catwalk stunt (comments that were posted after frockwriter's post FYI). On closer inspection, however, the McQueen illusion was created with the assistance of several production houses, including not only Simon Kenny's Souvenir Scenic Studios, but also Glassworks and Gainsbury and Whiting. But who actually came up with the idea?

UPDATE 14/06: Evidently McQueen's company believes he did. The company is now considering legal action against Cadbury.

Alexander McQueen's final collection saluted in camera by "all who loved him"

WWD twitter


Frockwriter predicted that an Alexander McQueen show would go on in Paris on March 9th. It concluded several hours ago. Perhaps not on the original scale planned by McQueen prior to his death on February 11th, but in its place, a sobre, dignified presentation of just 15 showpieces in a gilded salon, according to WWD, which uploaded one shot to Twitter. At time of writing it had been viewed over 3,000 times. Although you can see photographers in the background, it is unclear if they were working for the house. Reportedly, the latter is due to supply press images, with all other photographers banned. Update: Here are 11 of the (in fact)16 looks. Which is not dissimilar to the way the Paris fashion show system used to work way back in the mid 20th century. A second presentation will, by all accounts, take place tomorrow, the final day of the FW1011 season, which commenced with the terrible news of McQueen's suicide. In closing, frockwriter would just like to share the following comment which was left on our original post yesterday. It’s anonymous, so obviously we have no idea about the identity of its author. But we would like to believe that it was genuinely one of McQueen's colleagues:

“I have worked with Alexander McQueen for 10 years. Out of respect for the man, the person, and all of those who are still trying to come to terms with Lee's untimely demise, the brand will not be putting on a blow out catwalk show, but will indeed present the collection (which was indeed already cut and finished) in a very intimate setting as it is sure to be emotional for all who loved him. The brand will go on, not in Gucci's bid to cash in, but as all of us who had the joy and pleasure of working with Lee remain committed to building our brand, and carrying on his legacy.”

McQueen's shoes weren't made for walking, but that's just what they'll do on March 9

alexander mcqueen ss10/style.com

Did we or did we not say that Alexander McQueen's Fall/Winter 2010/2011 show in Paris remains locked into the (constantly updated) Paris Fashion Week schedule - suggesting that the show will definitely be going ahead? (UPDATE: since removed from schedule. UPDATE: Nevertheless since confirmed by a company spokeswoman to take place on March 9). And that the production of showpieces specifically commissioned by McQueen for the presentation before his February 11th death, continues unabated? We did. And voilà, comes word today from Gucci Group chief executive Robert Polet via WWD that a McQueen collection will definitely be presented during Paris Fashion Week. The exact format of the presentation, however, remains unclear. Frockwriter can tell you a little bit more about those showpieces currently in production. We're talking shoes. McQueen and co, we hear, were so thrilled with the publicity generated by the Armadillos (above) and Geiger-inspired footwear from Spring/Summer 2010 (even though it terrified some models) that he designed/ordered some equally extreme footwear. Too bad he won't be around to see the final results.

"No change" to Alexander McQueen's Paris show date and production

alexander mcqueen SS10/graphikaddict

Surely the biggest question on the lips of everyone in the fashion world at the moment, beyond what the future holds for the Alexander McQueen brand, is, just what is happening with the scheduled presentation of McQueen’s Fall/Winter 2010/2011 collection at 8.30pm on March 9 in Paris? In the wake of the designer’s suicide on February 11, plans would obviously have been thrown into chaos. Irrespective of what happens to the brand in the longterm however, for the time being it is still a going concern. And the collection was reportedly completed, including final fittings, in the week prior to McQueen's death. Frockwriter has just checked with the Paris shows organising body, the Chambre Syndicale, which reports there is so far "aucune modification" (no change) to the schedule. Sources close to McQueen’s atelier, moreover, tell frockwriter that in terms of the production of showpieces commissioned specifically for the presentation, there is also no change to the delivery deadline. Whether the items are destined for the show, or merely for future photographic purposes, is unclear. But why the hurry otherwise? UPDATE: MCQUEEN'S NAME REMOVED FROM SCHEDULE, BUT SHOW STILL REPORTEDLY GOING AHEAD ON THE 9TH.

McQueen jilted by Australian lover, not his first suicide attempt – The Daily Telegraph

the fashionisto

Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper has added some interesting details to the intrigue surrounding the suicide of top British designer Alexander McQueen, the biggest fashion story since the murder of Gianni Versace in 1998. Citing an interview with McQueen conducted by Irish journalist Godfrey Deeny for the April edition of Australian Harpers Bazaar, the paper claims that McQueen had been recently (although it doesn't clarify how recently) jilted by an Australian lover, whose name he had tattoed on his arm. It also includes claims from an unnamed friend of the designer - as originally reported in The Daily Mail - that McQueen’s arms were covered with lacerations following previous suicide attempts and that, against the backdrop of his mother’s death and funeral, which was due to take place yesterday, he could not cope with the pressures of completing his next collection. One friend is quoted as saying, “His Paris show is coming up and his staff have been nagging him all week to get up and start working. But he wouldn't get out of bed, he just couldn't get up. He hasn't even been to any of his fittings for the show. He was so upset about his mother. It was her funeral and he couldn't face it." Hasn't Gucci Group heard of bereavement leave?

Vale Alexander McQueen

kin ho

A tremendous loss to the fashion world, Alexander McQueen has committed suicide at the age of 40. The British designer was found dead this morning in London, reportedly by hanging. The news follows just nine days after the death of McQueen’s mother Joyce. Three months after the suicide, also by hanging, of South Korean model Daul Kim, a favourite of McQueen. And three years after the suicide of close friend, British stylist Isabella Blow, who launched McQueen’s career in 1992, after purchasing his entire graduation collection from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design.

Born on the 17th March 1969 in London’s East End, the son of a taxi driver and a social science teacher, McQueen made clothing for his sisters at an early age, before leaving school at 16 to pursue an apprenticeship on the hallowed tailoring ground of London’s Savile Row, where he worked for Anderson & Sheppard and later, Gieves & Hawkes. While at the latter, McQueen famously penned the words "I am a cunt” in biro into the lining of a suit destined for Prince Charles. In 2003 he nevertheless accepted a CBE, “for my parents” he told SHOWstudio.

McQueen also worked briefly for the London costume supplier Angels & Bermans, where he worked on productions such as Les Mis, in addition to fashion houses Koji Tatsuno and Romeo Gigli. In 1990 he was offered a highly coveted place in Saint Martins’ MA design course - after initially being knocked back for a patternmaker tutor's job for which he had applied at the college.

In 1993 McQueen launched his own label with a small collection in the Bluebird Garage on the King’s Road, Chelsea. His subversive edge was evidenced from the get go, with the launch collection including a skirt emblazoned with images of an electric chair.

The Fall/Winter 1995/1996 Highland Rape collection, which featured torn bodices and tampon string-festooned skirts, garnered controversy. Accused of misogyny, McQueen said it was an artistic statement on the rape of the Scottish Highlands by the British.

In 1998, he was obliged to change the name of one show – The Golden Shower – after objections by sponsor American Express. Models walked through water illuminated by yellow light with horse bits in their mouths.

In 1996, after just eight collections, McQueen was appointed creative director of the French haute couture house of Givenchy, where he worked for four years producing both ready to wear and haute couture.

In December 2000 – the same year he began showing the Alexander McQueen collection in Paris - McQueen sold a 51% stake in his company to Gucci Group. This enabled him to build a global brand that now embraces boutiques, perfume and accessories. In 2008, the company finally turned a profit.

In addition to a CBE, McQueen was named British Designer of the Year four times between 1996 and 2003 and also the CFDA’s International Designer of the Year in 2003.

McQueen will be remembered as a creative genius, who pushed the concept of the fashion show to its greatest contemporary heights.

Yes his tailoring was exceptional. Beyond the razor-cut day suiting which made his name, he introduced the term “bumster” to the modern fashion lexicon: trousers cut so low they exposed bottom cleavage.

But arguably McQueen’s greatest legacy is his extraordinary showmanship which has influenced a generation of designers. After seven years of highly imaginative shows in London, his theatrical vision was finally fully realised thanks to the deep pockets of Gucci Group.

Notable productions include Spring/Summer 2004's They Shoot Horses Don’t They and the Fall/Winter 2006/2007 Widows of Culloden show, at the conclusion of which McQueen blew his audience away with what many described as a life-sized holographic image of Kate Moss (the bridesmaid at McQueen’s 2001 wedding to George Forsyth).

In fact, as McQueen’s longtime stage designer told me backstage at his Spring/Summer 2008 show, it was a Victorian era illusion called Pepper’s Ghost.

In March 2009, set against a backdrop of garbage and featuring wildly theatrical makeup and styling, the breathtaking Horn of Plenty show provided a mini retrospective of McQueen's best-known work.

McQueen's last collection, presented in October 2009 and titled Plato’s Atlantis, will be his epitaph.

The collection was inspired by his love of scuba diving (he also had a passion for ornithology from a young age, which may partially explain his love of costume feathers). The futuristic production, which was live streamed to the net, featured models wearing sculpted minidresses emblazoned with multicoloured reptilian prints - but most notably, 12-inch platform booties that McQueen called “Armadillos” which have since been widely photographed.

As revealed by this blog in December, models Abbey Lee Kershaw, Natasha Poly and Sasha Pivovarova refused to walk in them.

Frockwriter predicts McQueen's mourners will be wearing them to his funeral.

Gaga outbuzzes MObama as fashion's hottest term

getty via daylife


Has there been a fashion force to match Lady Gaga? In terms of outrageous performance factor, surely few have come close. Interesting to see therefore that she just displaced Michelle Obama on Global Language Monitor’s brand new 2010 Fashion Buzzwords list as the fashion world’s most buzzed-about name. Here’s a first look at the yet-to-be-published annual list, which kicks off with Lady Gaga – with MObama dropping to 15th position, down 13 spots from last year. Also of note, “no pants” in third place, which of course go hand in hand, or rather, leg in leg, with Gaga. Frockwriter did have to chuckle at Armadillos coming in at number 10. Some might recall the recent controversy in which Alexander McQueen's extreme shoes recently found themselves mired. Global Language Monitor is an an Austin, Texas-based not-for-profit which tracks and analyses language. Nominated by the global fashion media (including this journalist) the buzzwords were then run through GLM’s "Predictive Quantities Index", a proprietary algorithm that tracks words and phrases in print, electronic and online media. Here's the list.

"1. Lady Gaga - Enigmatic performance artist has had outsized impact on the world of fashion.

2. Leggins 2.0 – Flourishing from Milano to Main Street, leggings are now differentiated as jeggings (jeans + leggings) and meggings (male leggings), and the like.

3. No pants – Hot pants for the 21st Century; not much pant (see Lady GaGa).

4. Off-shoulder – One shoulder and Off-the-shoulder assymetrics are now combined with cutouts, draping, or heritage stylings.

5. Chandeliers - Earrings, that is.

6. Boyfriend (the jacket, jeans etc) – It’s getting to be like an Audrey Hepburn movie out there with boyfriend jackets, jeans and the like.

7. Peek-a-boo – Peek-a-boo fashion is back once again; this time as cutouts.

8. Camo – Camouflage is back, this time with an Urban Jungle vibe.

9. Hippie-luxe – Haute Hippies? That’s the Hippie Luxe movement inspired by the 40th anniversary of that classic New York Daily News headline:  “600,000 Hippies Mired in Mud”.

10. Armadillos – Shaped like a lobster, made of Python, and called Armadillos - the highly controversial sculpted shoe designs of Alexander McQueen.

11. Mixed prints – Mixing various print in sometimes surprising ways:  florals, tropicals, geometrics, polka dots, psychedelics, modernism-inspired, even plaids.

12. Embellishments – Delicate, all, including ruffles, transparency and tulle.

13. Ethical fashion – Echoes of PETA here.  No furs, no armadillos, no leather.

14. Fashion 2.0 - Incorporating streaming techniques that bring designer showcases and shows to the buyers and consumers in real time.

15. MObama – OK, so she wears ‘mom’ jeans, but everyone seems to notice, after all Michelle is The MObama."

Source: Global Language Monitor

McQueen's shoes weren't meant for walking - Abbey Lee Kershaw

daniel jackson for dazed+confused via chic

Had a chat to Abbey Lee Kershaw Monday afternoon while she was working in Sydney. The details of the shoot are yet to be revealed, but I can share one of the more amusing model gossip gems to surface. When talking about how models navigate the runway in increasingly ludicrous designer shoes, we touched on the so-called 'armadillo' shoes from Alexander McQueen's S/S 2010 show (below). Wonder why we didn't see Kershaw, Sasha Pivovarova or Natasha Poly in the show? According to Kershaw, that's because after taking one look at the shoes, the supermod trio convened for a powow and decided to nix it.


alexander mcqueen SS10/style.com

With killer heels already causing one catwalk catastrophe for Kershaw at Rodarte in New York last September, followed by another near miss with similarly extreme shoes in February this year - the latter prompting her to skip the rest of the FW0910 season in order to nurse a knee injury - little wonder she was loathe to take the risk.

And all that's not counting, of course, the too-tight corset at McQueen's SS09 show one year earlier in Paris, in which Kershaw fainted.