Manhattan transfer

krystal glynn at theyskens' theory SS12/getty via daylife

It was hard to miss the Australians in New York over the past week. In what is shaping up as another record season, by frockwriter's count at least 27 28 29 of them stalked the Spring/Summer 2012 runways of New York Fashion Week. On numerous occasions, they were cast alongside other compatriots. Six were cast at Richard Chai, for instance, with five at Marc Jacobs. Not counting a rapidly-expanding Kiwi posse led by Emily Baker, Jessica Clarke and Georgia Fowler, who did many of the same shows. No sign of the better-established Oz names Abbey Lee Kershaw and Catherine McNeil, even though McNeil was spotted at at least one casting, for Rag & Bone. Or for that matter, Bambi Northwood-Blyth, who made such a promising international start this time last year. Carving up the circuit in their place was a new Aussie power pack headed up by Julia Nobis, Codie Young, Dempsey Stewart, Rose Smith, Melissa Johannsen, Ruby-Jean Wilson, Ajak Deng and Amanda Ware, with a swag of new names getting their first bites of the Big Apple. The latter included Krystal Glynn, Nicole Pollard, Sarah Lorimer, Claire Collins, Chrystal Copland, Caris Tiivel and Philippa Gleeson. Fantastic to see two models who are well-established on Australia's runways, finally venturing onto the New York stage: Simone Kerr and Eliza Humble. After the Red Eye to Heathrow overnight, it starts all over again today at London Fashion Week.

Here are their preliminary showlists for the season. Thanks for any headsups on shows we may have missed. UPDATED: WITH LONDON FASHION WEEK SS12 SHOWS. AND MILAN FASHION WEEK.

JULIA NOBIS
Richard Chai

Tadashi Shoji

Peter Som (opened)

Rebecca Taylor (opened)

Rag & Bone

Lacoste

Alexander Wang

Jill Stuart

Derek Lam

Diane von Furstenberg

Son Jung Wan (opened and closed)

Edun

Tommy Hilfiger

Preen

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Tory Burch

Vera Wang

Narciso Rodriguez

Theyskens' Theory

3.1 Phillip Lim

Michael Kors

Proenza Schouler (closed)

Reed Krakoff

Calvin Klein

Marc Jacobs
Ports 1961

= 26

ROSE SMITH
Richard Chai
Doo.Ri
The Row
Edun
Jill Stuart
Adam
Band of Outsiders (opened)
Y-3
Zero Maria Cornejo (opened)
Tory Burch
Marchesa
Tibi
3.1 Phillip Lim
Ports 1961
Daks

= 15

CODIE YOUNG
Richard Chai
Rebecca Taylor
United Bamboo 

Suno
Jill Stuart (closed)
Graeme Armour
Thakoon
Tory Burch
Rodarte
Tibi
Hexa by Cuho
Milly by Michelle Smith
Wayne
Marc Jacobs

= 14

MELISSA 'MJ' JOHANNSEN
Steven Alan
Rachel Comey
Nicholas K
The Row
Band of Outsiders
Academy of Art University
Tracy Reese
Creatures of the Wind
Rodarte
Pink Tartan (opened)
Fotini
Elle Tahari
Jeremy Scott
Patrick Ervell

= 14

RUBY-JEAN WILSON
United Bamboo
Peter Som
Yigal Azrouel (opened)
Graeme Armour (closed)
Y-3
Jil Sander Navy
Reem Acra
Marchesa
Sophie Theallet
Jeremy Scott
Marc Jacobs
Patrick Ervell

= 12

KRYSTAL GLYNN
Richard Chai
Peter Som
Rebecca Taylor
Suno
Helmut Lang
Band of Outsiders
Honor
Tory Burch
Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti
Theyskens' Theory
Marc Jacobs

= 11

NICOLE POLLARD
Nicholas K
Ruffian
Band of Outsiders
Sally La Pointe (closed)
Graeme Armour
Rachel Roy
Theyskens Theory
Hexa by Cuho (closed)
Norman Ambrose
Supima

=10

DEMPSEY STEWART
Richard Chai
Rebecca Taylor (closed)
Suno (closed)
Graeme Armour
Honor
Thakoon
3.1 Phillip Lim
Jill Stuart
Marc Jacobs

= 9

CHRYSTAL COPLAND
Costello Tagliapietra (closed)
Libertine
Pink Tartan
Emerson
Hexa by Cuho
Jeremy Scott

Norman Ambrose 
Arise African Fashion Collective

= 8
 
SARAH LORIMER
Steven Alan
Wes Gordon
Christian Siriano
Libertine
A Detacher
Wayne
Karen Walker
Park Choon Moo

= 8

PHILIPPA GLEESON
Jenny Packham
Rachel Roy
Billy Reid
L.A.M.B.
Karen Walker
Nanette Lepore (opened)
Chado Ralph Rucci
Naeem Khan

= 8 

CLAIRE COLLINS
Faster by Mark Fast
Cut25 by Yigal Azrouel
Rebecca Minkoff
Rachel Zoe
Suno
Wes Gordon
Sally LaPointe

= 7 

JESS GOLD

Rebecca Taylor
Helmut Lang
Jen Kao
Faster by Mark Fast
Rachel Zoe
Francesc by Frank Tell

= 6

AMANDA WARE
BCBG by MAX AZRIA
Ruffian
Monique Lhuillier
Carlos Miele
Hervé Léger
L'Wren Scott

= 6

JADE JACKSON
Yigal Azrouel
Carlos Miele
Sophie Theallet
Rad by Rad Hourani
Milly by Michelle Smith
Ohne Titel

= 6

LAUREN MOODY
Imitation of Christ
Sally LaPointe
Juan Carlos Obando
Argentine Designers
Nomia
Arise African Fashion Collective

= 6

AJAK DENG
Richard Chai
Jason Wu
Edun
Ohne Titel
Wayne

= 5

LAUREN BROWN
Kimberley Ovitz
Son Jung Wan
Reed Krakoff
Chado Ralph Rucci
Arise African Fashion Collective

 = 5

CARIS TIIVEL
Christian Siriano
Bibi
Project Runway
Bibhu Mohapatra
Josie Natori

= 5

ELIZA HUMBLE
Erin by Erin Fetherston
Chris Benz
Gen Art
Douglas Hannant

= 4

SIMONE KERR
Christian Siriano
Pink Tartan
Betsey Johnson
The Blonds

= 4

TOM BULL
Imitation of Christ
Perry Ellis (opened and closed)
Marithé et François Girbaud
Sergio Davila

= 4

JAKE GORDON
Billy Reid
Dominic Lewis
Aston Mozie
Nexus Showroom

= 4

ANDREJ PEJIC
Custo Barcelona (opened)
Jeremy Scott
Mala Breton (opened)

= 3

ELYSE TAYLOR
Nicole Miller
VPL
DKNY

= 3

CAITLIN LOMAX
Yigal Azrouel
3.1 Phillip Lim

= 2

JACK VANDERHART
DKNY Men
Argentine Designers

= 2

VICTORIA LEE
DKNY
Libertine

= 2

VANESSA MILDE
Imitation of Christ
Eva Minge

= 2

MALLORY JANSEN
WISB (Way It Should Be)
Tribune Standard

= 2


photo gallery:


1/ julia nobis, calvin klein/getty via daylife
2/ krystal glynn, marc jacobs/getty via daylife
3/ dempsey stewart, marc jacobs/getty via daylife
4/ rose smith, marchesa/getty via daylife
5/ codie young, jill stuart/getty via daylife
6/ ruby-jean wilson, marchesa/getty via daylife
7/ ajak deng, jason wu/getty via daylife
8/ melissa johannsen, rodarte/getty via daylife
9/ nicole pollard, theyskens’ theory/getty via daylife
10/ chrystal copland, costello tagliatietra/style.com
11/ amanda ware, hervé leger/getty via daylife
12/ jack vanderhart, DKNY men/GQ italia via TFS
13/ sarah lorimer, karen walker/getty via daylife
14/ eliza humble, douglas hannant/getty via daylife
15/ claire collins, rachel zoe/getty via daylife
16/ andrej pejic, jeremy scott/getty via daylife
17/ jade jackson, carlos miele/getty via daylife
18/ lauren brown, chado ralph rucci/getty via daylife
19/ philippa gleeson, nanette lepore/getty via daylife
20/ lauren moody, juan carlos obando/getty via daylife
21/ jess gold, helmut lang/getty via daylife
22/ caris tiivel, christian siriano/getty via daylife
23/ caitlin lomax, 3.1 phillip lim/getty via daylife
24/ simone kerr, christian siriano/getty via daylife
25/ victoria lee, DKNY/getty via daylife
26/ elyse taylor, DKNY/getty via daylife
27/ vanessa milde (R), imitation of christ/style.com
28/ tom bull, perry ellis/getty via daylife
29/ jake gordon, billy reid/vogue.co.uk

Rainbow warrior

justin edward john smith

With the Spring/Summer 2012 show season kicking off in New York on September 8, we know what that means: yet more antipodean models trying their luck on the international  circuit. Beyond gender-bender extraordinaire Andrej Pejic and newcomers such as Jack Vanderhart, however, we don’t often hear that much about the men. Twenty-one Indigenous Australian Jake Gordon hopes to change this. Modelling for two years, Gordon was rather low-profile on the runways of the 2010 and 2011 editions of Australian Fashion Week. His editorial work in Australia embraces GQ, Cream and Oyster and campaigns/lookbooks includes clients such as Ksubi, Bassike, Roc Eyewear, Workshop Denim and Ben Sherman. Just signed to New York’s Major Model Management (his mother agent is Sydney's Chic Management), with a mention on models.com, Gordon leaves for NY on August 14th, in time for New York Fashion Week castings. Perth-based photographer Justin Edward John Smith recently contacted Gordon with a view to doing a special photoshoot. Considering that Smith’s shots of Gemma Ward for Mark magazine helped ignite her modelling career, Gordon jumped at the opportunity. Smith flew him to Perth and the result is this 41-page portfolio, below – a frockwriter exclusive (which is best viewed on the blog).

Born in Newcastle to an Aboriginal mother and an English/Italian father, Gordon grew up in Brewarrina, in outback NSW.

His Aboriginal name is Yuluwirri Gabinya – "Yulu" for short, as used by Gordon’s family and close friends.

“Yuluwirri means 'rainbow' and Gabinya means 'boy'... I will hopefully be using it more frequently on the modelling scene when overseas to separate me from other Jakes” he told frockwriter.

To travel to New York, Gordon will be taking a little time off from his day job of the past three years - contract manager for the federal government’s Indigenous Employment Program. 

Along with fellow Indigenous Australian model Samantha Harris, he is also an ambassador for the Australian chapter of the One Laptop Per Child charity.

Gordon hopes to return to Indigenous community outreach in some capacity at some stage.

“I just want to do the best I can and the best I can is being a really awesome role model - and not just being a model who’s taking it for granted” says Gordon. “You’ve pretty much got five minutes to make as much money as you possibly can and then move on to the next thing.

“I’m hoping to be more involved with my charity when I come back. And I hope to do further training, going into communities and learning about nutrition...... There’s this whole questioning my mortality at quite a young age. My mum’s DNA compared to my dad’s DNA is really, really different. My life expectancy due to my genetic makeup is still expected to be less than my non indigenous friends”.

Gotham pretty

Abbey Lee Kershaw might have skipped New York Fashion Week this season, but rising up in her wake was no shortage of antipodian runway talent. If international casting directors did not already have Australian and New Zealand model agencies on speed dial, they will do from now on. Australia had at least 18 models at New York Fashion Week, seven of them brand new to the event and among those, several models with less than six months experience who scored some big shows. New Zealand now has its own potential modelling superstar. For the second consecutive season  - and from the same agency, Auckland's Clyne Management - the Land of the Long White Cloud delivered a face to watch. And then some. After Jessica Clarke nabbed a Calvin Klein exclusive last season, a 17 year-old total unknown Kiwi by the name of Emily Baker walked in pretty much every major show of the week, prompting models.com to declare her its first Top 10 Newcomer of Fall/Winter 2011/2012 - and noting that Baker is now “on the watch list of every major casting director, photographer and editor in the trade”. 

In her third New York season, Australia’s Julia Nobis walked in 18 top shows. 

After a slow start, Australia’s biggest buzz newcomer, Codie Young, added Calvin Klein to a stellar show list, that already included Marc Jacobs and Marc by Marc Jacobs, Rodarte and Halston. Great to see Dempsey Stewart and ‘MJ’ also make a strong debut. Ditto Australia’s unique androgynous superstar Andrej Pejic, who walked in both womens’ and mens’ shows and was never far from the headlines all week. 

Another Australian man also made his mark in New York: Jack Vanderhart who, as frockwriter revealed, was booked for a Calvin Klein exclusive.

After a slew of lowprofile showroom presentations, Australia’s Next Top Model Cycle 6 winner Amanda Ware finished the week with two highly coveted shows: 3.1 Phillip Lim and L’Wren Scott. 

What was perhaps surprising was the relatively small show tallies of Bambi Northwood-Blyth, Lauren Brown and Alice Burdeu. But the season is yet young. 

FYI, Ware and Burdeu weren’t the only ANTM alumni on deck in New York: Cycle 6 contestant Chantal Croccolo did four shows/presentations.  

Next stop: London. 

Julia Nobis

Richard Chai
Tadashi Shoji
Rag & Bone
Jill Stuart
Edun
Alexander Wang
Victoria Beckham
Thakoon
Monique Lhuillier
Marc Jacobs
Narciso Rodriguez 
Marc by Marc Jacobs
Diesel Black Gold
Vera Wang                      

Ports 1961
Michael Kors
3.1 Phillip Lim
Proenza Schouler
Isaac Mizrahi

Codie Young
Wayne (opened, closed)
Richard Chai
Peter Som
Band of Outsiders
Thakoon
Marc Jacobs
Marc by Marc Jacobs
Hexa by Kuho
Rodarte
Halston
Milly by Michelle Smith
Calvin Klein Collection


Annaleise Smith
Costello Tagliapietra (opened)
Betsey Johnson
Cushnie et Ochs
Douglas Hannant
Zang Toi
Daniel Vosovic
Risto
Odd Molly
Theory 
Venexiana
Naeem Khan
Theory by Olivier Theyskens
Yoana Baraschi
Pamela Love
Risto Bimbiloski
Pamela Roland
Song Jung Wan



Andrej Pejic

NAHM
Robert Geller
Richard Chai
Yoana Baraschi
Custo Barcelona
Kimberley Ovitz
Jen Kao
RAD by Rad Hourani
Jeremy Scott
Odyn Vovk

Dempsey Stewart

Richard Chai (opened)
United Bamboo
Marc Jacobs                                
Marc by Marc Jacobs
Preen
Diane von Furstenberg (opened the finale)
Cynthia Steffe
Karen Walker (closed)
3.1 Phillip Lim
Ports 1961

Ajek Deng

Richard Chai
Nicole Miller
G-Star
Libertine
Preen
Carolina Herrera

Jen Kao (opened)
Tibi
Reed Krakoff 

'MJ'
Charlotte Ronson
Rodarte
Denis Basso
Marchesa                                           
Mandy Coon
Tracy Reese
Creatures of the Wild
Yoana Baraschi

Amanda Ware 

Wes Gordon
Timo Weiland
Woolrich Black Label
Chado Ralph Rucci
3.1 Phillip Lim
L’Wren Scott

Tallulah Morton

Ruffian
Betsey Johnson
Cushnie et Ochs
Badgley Mischka

Alice Burdeu 

Honor
Timo Weiland
Chado Ralph Rucci
Naeem Khan

Lauren Brown

Rebecca Taylor
Chado Ralph Rucci
Yoana Baraschi

Chantal Croccolo

Bensoni
Trias
Threeasfour
Suno 

Emily Wake
Timo Weiland
Jeremy Scott
Yoana Baraschi

Elyse Taylor

Lela Rose
Nanette Lepore
Tory Burch

Bambi Northwood-Blyth 

Jill Stuart
Diesel Black Gold

Mallory Jansen
Kate Spade
Althea Harper
  
Ruby Jean Wilson
Theory by Olivier Theyskens (exclusive) 

Jack Vanderhart
Calvin Klein Collection (exclusive)






all images: style.com
1. annaleise smith, costello tagliapietra
2. chantal croccolo, trias
3. alice burdeu, chado ralph rucci
4. amanda ware, l'wren scott
5. jack vanderhart, calvin klein
6. andrej pejic, jeremy scott
7. elyse taylor, nanette lepore
8. MJ, marchesa
9. ajak deng, g-star
10. tallulah morton, bagdley mischka
11. julia nobis, michael kors
12. dempsey stewart, marc jacobs
13. bambi northwood-blyth, diesel black gold
14. codie young, calvin klein collection
15. lauren brown, rebecca taylor
16. emily wake, jeremy scott

Andrej Pejic on the cover of ZEIT magazin

zeit magazin's facebook

Andrej Pejic's first modelling job was a cover: issue #77 of Australia's Oyster magazine, in 2008, together with two female models. Given Pejic's profile today, that was extraordinarily good foresight on Oyster's part. What is surprising, perhaps, is that it has taken this long for Pejic to land a solo cover. Germany's ZEIT magazin is the first cab off what frockwriter understands is a rapidly lengthening cover rank for Pejic, with two other European covers shot in the past two weeks - one of them, quite a big deal in fashion terms. ZEIT magazin is the arts/culture supplement to German newspaper Die Zeit. Founded in 1970, the magazine describes itself as the paper's "emotional section" and its numerous investigations and scoops over the years include having tracked down, in Buenos Aires, the long-lost original version of Fritz Lang's 1927 German Expressionist masterpiece Metropolis, which then premiered at last year's Berlin International Film Festival.

The cover line translates as "She is a model" and Tillman Prüfer's cover story promises to be an interesting read, one that hopefully examines the broader cultural backdrop into which Pejic has landed.

The cover and accompanying fashion editorial were lensed by Juergen Teller in London over two days a fortnight ago - in between the Paris mens' fashion week and the haute couture shows, in which Pejic now famously walked as Jean Paul Gaultier's bride. Here are a few of the images below. Head to Les Mads to see a few more. It was the second time Teller and Pejic had worked together - after the Marc by Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2001 campaign shoot in Marrakech late last year.

Currently at New York Fashion Week, where he has so far walked in eight shows - half of them in womenswear and half of them in menswear - Pejic has also made several other television appearances since the Seven Network's Sunday Night profile ran on Sunday 13th February. Including CBS, Inside Edition and a live cross to Seven's The Morning Show.

zeit magazin via itfashion.com

Melissa queen of the desert

rodarte FW1112/style.com

When the Mulleavy sisters were dreaming up their Fall/Winter 2011/2012 collection with the Great American Plains in mind, chances are there weren't any pictures of Australia’s Red Centre on their mood board. And yet second out in the ethereal chiffon and guipure lace confections of their New York Fashion Week show on Tuesday was 16 year-old Melissa J who lives slap bang in the middle of Australia in Alice Springs, surrounded by desert. Yesterday frockwriter mentioned that in this bumper antipodian model season, a few, even newer Aussie girls were waiting in the wings. Melissa – aka “MJ”, who we first profiled in November – is one of them. Discovered by Adelaide's Finesse Models in October, she has already walked in seven New York shows and presentations this week (also Charlotte Ronson, Mandy Coon, Dennis Basso, Tracy Reese, Creatures of the Wild and Yoana Baraschi), with Hollywood red carpet favourite Marchesa lined up for today. Now 16, MJ is being chaperoned by her mother, brother and auntie and all were, we hear, in attendance at Rodarte cheering her on. Must have been a big thrill for them. 

rodarte FW1112 backstage/wwd.com

charlotte ronson FW1112/style.com

dennis basso FW1112/style.com

ANZAC day at Marc Jacobs

Frockwriter mentioned that a larger-than-usual contingent of Australian models was heading to New York Fashion Week this season. And that after day one, some of them were off to a cracking start. We have previously talked about upwardly-mobile New Zealand faces, notably Jessica Clarke, who was spotted by a Calvin Klein rep in Sydney two years ago and then in September 2010, walked a Calvin Klein Collection exclusive in New York. Another Kiwi has just emerged from left-of-field to become one of the most buzzed-about models of the season: Emily Baker. Modelling for just six months, Baker has a smouldering, sunkissed beauty that is reminiscent of 1970s American modelling icons Cheryl Tiegs and Patti Hansen, blended with a little modern Lara Stone moxie. This morning Baker added Marc Jacobs to her bulging top show list. And she was joined by three upwardly mobile Australians: Julia Nobis, now in her third international season after her own Calvin Klein exclusive this time last year and Codie Young and Dempsey Stewart, both of whom are working in New York for the first time. You could say the antipodians are having a bumper season. And waiting in the wings behind them on some interesting options are several other new Aussie girls... 

Andrej Pejic talks to Seven's Sunday Night

richard chai FW1112/style.com

Seven's Sunday Night current affairs program just ran its profile on superstar Serbian Australian model Andrej Pejic - as tonight's lead story no less. Here is the video below, in case you missed it. As outlined last week, I worked closely on this story with the Sunday Night team, setting up all their filming access as they went in Paris and London. I also travelled to Melbourne for the interview with Pejic's delightful family: mother Jadranka, brother Igor and grandmother Danica. Andrej, meanwhile, has just touched down at New York Fashion Week, where he is booked for a number of shows. Some are straight menswear, as in yesterday's Richard Chai (above) and Robert Geller shows. However some shows and presentations are womenswear, such as Ally Hilfiger's presentation for her Nahm brand (below). And it seems he may be earning womens' modelling rates. Way to go.   

nahm FW1112/style.com

Add Dempsey Stewart to the Aussie posse of Fall/Winter 2011/2012

richard chai FW1112/style.com

This time last week frockwriter mentioned that a contingent of Australian models was readying to take to New York Fashion Week's runways in what could be the biggest antipodian season to date. And after day one, it looks like they're off to a cracking start. We didn't include Perth's Dempsey Stewart in that mix, but with a cover story on WWD yesterday (below) and the prestigious opening slot of Richard Chai's show (above), it's a little hard to ignore her. Chai in fact cast four Australians in his show: Codie Young, making her international runway debut, together with Julia Nobis and Ajak Deng. Later in the day Young not only opened, but closed the Wayne show (below). ANTM Cycle 6 winner Amanda Ware, meanwhile, made her OS debut in Wes Gordon's presentation. Saturday sees the arrival of two hot Aussie men - including, as reported, Jack Vanderhart, as an exclusive for the Calvin Klein Collection mens show. And it's only the first weekend of the season. 

 

wwd.com

wayve FW1112/style.com

Meet the new boy, Jack Vanderhart

models.com

On Friday, frockwriter posted about the potentially bumper season of Australian models on New York Fashion Week's runways for the Fall/Winter 2011/2012 season, which commences on Thursday. Three days later, there's already an update. Meet Cronulla's Jack Vanderhart. Modelling for just a few months, the 17 year-old's portfolio includes one editorial in Vogue Australia, two Australian GQ editorials and a campaign for pyjama tycoon Peter Alexander. According to his mother agency EMG Models, Vanderhart is about to add something with a little more international resonance to that list: Calvin Klein exclusive. EMG reports that Vanderhart has just been confirmed for Calvin Klein's menswear show in New York at 2pm on Sunday 13th February. A Calvin Klein exclusive is considered a highly prestigious get for any new model and has the potential to launch their career. Sydney's Julia Nobis scored an exclusive with the womens' show last year.

Amanda Ware gets her bouffant on for Nicola Finetti Pre Fall 2011/2012

Since being crowned runnerup to Australia's Next Top Model Cycle 6 in September - and then moments later, in dramatic fashion, named as the competition's real winner - Amanda Ware has yet to make her entree onto the international fashion market. That could change after next week, should Ware hit the runways of New York Fashion Week's Fall/Winter 2011/2012 season, which kicks off on February 10. In New York right now for castings, Ware has a better than even chance of getting noticed. Not just thanks to the ANTM win, but also inadvertently thanks to ANTM host Sarah O'Hare, news of whose live tv gaffe in announcing the wrong winner spread swiftly around the world, giving the show far more attention than it usually garners. Good timing then for Australian fashion designer Nicola Finetti in nabbing the still under-the-radar Ware for his Pre Fall 2011/2012 campaign and lookbook. Here is an exclusive preview of both below.

all images: supplied by nicola finetti
animation: frockwriter

Tom Ford's eyes-only debut womenswear collection is now on YouTube

Well Tom Ford certainly got off to a cracking start in 2011, uploading images of his new eyewear campaign which co-stars Abbey Lee Kershaw. Evidently Ford is another client who didn’t mind Kershaw’s new platinum blonde do – even apparently adding hair extensions. Now (via Homotography) comes a video of that top-secret debut Tom Ford womenswear show which was presented to a tightly-edited throng of just 100 at New York Fashion Week in September, with highly restricted camera access. Ford has spent a lot of time talking down the new digital news domain, telling US Vogue, "I do not understand everyone's need to see everything online the day after the show". Now that it’s crunch time for Ford's collection to hit stores, frockwriter has little doubt he is thrilled that social media is spreading the buzz. 

Jessica Clarke, Calvin Klein's new exclusive - Spring/Summer 2011

calvin klein SS11 backstage/sonny vandevelde

In December 2008, after modelling for just one month, New Zealand schoolgirl Jessica Clarke so charmed New York-based ck Calvin Klein creative director Kevin Carrigan in a home movie shot by her mother agency, that he flew her to Sydney and cast her in the brand’s big bucks party on Cockatoo Island that month. Minutes ago, in what is very big news for New Zealand, the 17 year-old scored an enormous coup: a New York Fashion Week exclusive with the same company’s marquee womenswear brand, Calvin Klein Collection. Heading into the season, Clarke was tipped by top US casting director Ashley Brokaw as a face to watch. But Calvin Klein is one of the most prestigious shows on the circuit and Clarke's coup will undoubtedly provide a brilliant springboard for her international career, just as it did for Sydney’s Julia Nobis last season. 

calvin klein

Clarke was one of six new girls who scored New York Fashion Week exclusives with Calvin Klein this season, alongside Daphne Groeneveld  (who opened), Chavelli Inghels, Hanna Samokhina, Iris Egbers and Theres Alexandersson.

No Australians, not even Abbey Lee Kershaw, who is in the Fall ck Calvin Klein campaign.

And no sign of any mature age models either, with current Calvin Klein advertising face, 26 year-old Lara Stone, apparently the oldest model in the show.

This is a far cry from the brand’s Fall/Winter 2010/2011 show in February, which included several 30+ and 40+ models, including grey-haired Kristen McMenamy.

At the time, Calvin Klein Collection womenswear creative director Francisco Costa (below, flanked by his Spring 2011 models) was widely quoted talking up the need for a greater age diversity in runway casting. In March, Costa told Australian tv current affairs show Today Tonight that while 16 year-olds are "new and fresh", older women “represent some kind of truth”.

Just not this season apparently. 

calvin klein's facebook

all backstage shots: supplied exclusively to frockwriter by sonny vandevelde
all runway images: supplied to frockwriter by calvin klein

Did Mexico's drug violence kill Rodarte's mojo? Spring/Summer 2011

With its avant-garde homespun aesthetic and ethereal eveningwear, Rodarte is normally considered a highlight of New York Fashion Week, an event better known for commercial sportswear than creative bravura. But this has been a peculiar event, with more than one designer delivering a low-risk, (they hope) sure-sale collection. In spite of the fact that several influential American fashion critics have lauded the Rodarte collection as some kind of breakthrough for sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, loving it is a pretty big ask. That’s not to say there were not a couple of pretty pieces. Supposedly inspired by the northern Californian outdoors, a clever, collaged wood grain print was used in a terrific shift dress with deconstructed sleeves and a shell top with stiffened peplum; and there is one striking blazer, also with a stiffened pannier peplum, in a Delft China-like blue microprint. But to frockwriter’s eye, the rest of the collection looks like a snafu of plaid, gold brocade, kimonos, cheongsams and togas – the kind of costumes that Maria Von Trapp might have whipped up for Ridley Scott’s next swords and sandals epic.  

“Kate and Laura Mulleavy are in total command of making wearable fashion” noted WWD. While The LA Times’ Booth Moore hit the nail on the head when she noted, “It was undoubtedly their most commercial outing yet”.

According to The New York Times’ Cathy Horyn, who described the collection as “undoubtedly a hit of New York Fashion Week”, editors, buyers and The Lord of The Rings star Elijah Wood rushed to congratulate the designers post-show.

Some of Horyn’s readers do not seem to share this enthusiasm.



Noted “GSK”:

“Wouldn’t wear this stuff to a dogfight”.

Bob from Philadelphia:

“Maybe Frodo thought he was escaping Mordor. The model looks like an elf-Ent hybrid, clad in fabric remnants from a Trolls' quilting bee”.

 WSS:

“These aren't fashions that any woman would wear.  They're nightmares”.

And Hutton:

“I did not know that they had a licensing agreement with Project Runway”.

To be sure, these are still difficult times in retail. 

Although US retail sales are improving, consumer confidence has been extremely slow to recover. In spite of last year’s CFDA Womenswear Designer of the Year award, red carpet buzz and a star turn as ballet costumiers in the new Darren Aronofsky film Black Swan starring Natalie Portman, Rodarte reportedly boasts a mere US$2million turnover and has incurred losses. Speculation continues to mount that LVMH may acquire equity.

You have to wonder to what degree the recent controversy over the brand's Fall 2010 collection may have rattled not only their cashflow - but their confidence.

The collection was inspired by a Mexican road trip and notably the drug violence-shattered border town of Ciudad Juarez, the epicentre of the Mexican drug war, which has claimed the lives of almost 30,000 people since President Felipe Calderon commenced a crackdown on drug cartels in December 2006.

Not that the Juarez connection appears to have caused much, if any, fuss in reviews of the runway collection in February. But when MAC chose that specific Rodarte collection as the springboard for a beauty JV, even flippantly calling two nail polishes “Juarez” and “Factory”, it was the blogosphere that called the collab out, led by The Frisky’s Jessica Wakeman, who asked:

“Juarez is an impoverished Mexican factory town notorious for the number of women between the ages of 12 and 22 who have been raped and murdered with little or no response from police. Most of the young women are employees at the border town’s factories, called maquiladoras, and disappeared on the way to or from work.... Why would MAC and Rodarte — which are both hip, with-it brands — name their nail polishes so tastelessly? Even if they were donating the proceeds to justice for Juarez victims’ families (and I haven’t read that they are), it’s a weird way to raise awareness about violence against women. What’s next, a lipstick called Bergen-Belsen?”  

After a public apology and an offer to donate partial proceeds to Juarez victims, MAC pulled the plug on the beauty collection last month.





all images: getty via daylife