Getting Ziggy

David Bowie in his Ziggy Stardust Hunky Dory days and Frida Giannini's pre-fall collection for Gucci. Or, early '70s box pleats. One of the same.

Day 3: Emmanuelle Alt

Initially I'd planned not to double up on editors from the same country, much less the same publication. But it just can't be helped when Parisians (more specifically, Paris Vogue staffers) are so damned stylish. Emmanuelle Alt, fashion director of Paris Vogue, right-hand woman to Carine Roitfeld, is certainly no exception.

With two of 2009's best editorials (as voted by models.com) to her name - she styled Game Girl with Daria Werbowy for May and Graffi Couture with PV favourite Raquel Zimmermann for November - 2010 has also been a stellar year for the stylist, as both her work and personal style clearly shows. She's responsible for some of my favourite editorials this year; styling super Natasha Poly in the latest swimwear looks for May as well as the moroccan-inspired Comtesse Natasha in April, Kate Moss and Raquel Zimmermann for June/July, Iselin Steiro in the unforgettable Balmain-themed Commando shoot... the list goes on. And that's just her work for Vogue. Outside the magazine she's responsible for styling the last three Balmain RTW shows and fall '09 campaign, as well as numerous campaigns for Gucci and Isabel Marant. And with almost all her outfits containing a piece by at least one of these labels, her work for these clients continues way past styling their campaigns.

 Daria Werbowy in Game Girl for Paris Vogue's May 2009 issue, voted best-styled shoot by models.com for the year 2009.

Iselin Steiro in Commando for Vogue Paris March 2010, wearing Balmain Spring 2010 crocodile leather jacket.

 Gucci F/W 2009 campaign, shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, styled by Emmanuelle Alt.

Alt's another who can easily wear the same thing over and over and still look amazingly fresh and new. It's not so much what she wears (Balmain, Isabel Marant, Balmain again), but how she wears it. She doesn't wear it because it's perceived "cool" or "on-trend"; she wears it because she can, with an attitude that says she really doesn't give a shit what anyone thinks of her style. With an otherworldly knack for interpreting runway pieces for everyday wear, her look is angrogynous but chic, nonchalant but confident and - most importantly - never overdone. Her uniform of a sharp shouldered blazer, deconstructed tee, slick leather pants or skinny jeans teamed with boots or strappy sandals never fails. Some would say she needs to mix it up, but when you look as amazing Alt, why would you want to?

Photos: models.com, The Fashion Spot, Jak&Jil and The Sartorialist

Spring/Summer 2010 off-runway

Since the ready-to-wear collections were unveiled in New York, London, Milan and Paris in September, there has been the usual flurry of excitement by (mostly celebrity) stylists, buyers and all those well-connected to get their hands on pieces before they hit stores.

It’s always interesting to see how the looks are translated off-runway, especially by celebrities who have copious amounts of help with all their ‘people’- so there really is no excuse for getting it wrong! I’m still undecided as to whether Jennifer Lopez, shown at the American Music Awards in Gucci rocked it or wrecked it. Although Natasha Poly in the collection’s first look pulls off this season’s cut away body-con-plus-sculptural-platform-combo with ease (as if there’s any doubt), I’m not sure copying the look one-for-one was a wise move for Jenny. Perhaps different shoes (and definitely different- or no - earrings) could’ve worked in JLo’s favour. However, credit has to be given where credit is due; this woman’s body is amazing (twins anyone?!)



Meanwhile, Sandra Bullock chose Alberta Ferretti for the screening of The Blind Side in New Orleans earlier this month. The almost-casual look she’s got going on- with the loose waves and the flowing chiffon of the dress- is surely going to be called “too relaxed” by those dreaded “style police,” but props for Bullock for wearing it differently to Edita on-runway.



Taking one of the moore (haha- too, too easy) wearable pieces from the Viktor & Rolf collection was Julianne Moore, who chose look 17 from the collection for the New York screening of The Private Lives of Pippa Lee. How glad I am she didn’t pull a JLo and opt for matching shoes; while knee length rosettes are borderline avant garde on runway (and will look amazing in editorials), only someone like Tanya Dziahileva (i.e. a 6 foot tall model) could pull off both. I love how the sculpted sleeves and sharp lapels of the original juxtapose the softly draped chiffon, and wonder why Moore removed them.



And, finally, how could we forget Daphne Guinness in THAT Alexander McQueen, who co-hosted the release party of François Nars’ (yes, the man behind the make-up) new picture book. She plucked look 24 straight off the runway (paired with more sinister shoes, no less), looking right at home in the footwear that would make many a model cringe, shrugging “I’ve had years of practice.” If anyone can wear McQueen with conviction, she can.



And, just because, here’s some pictures of Viktor & Rolf’s (ready-to-wear?!) collection from Paris. Cannot wait to see the fun the photographers have with the background choices for all the hedge-trimmed tulle.








photos: style.com

Milan's turn at that thing known as Fashion Week

Fashion week has just wrapped in the fashion capital of Italy, Milan, proving once again why everything with an Italian label oozes glamour and sensuality. In Milan, the designs are a world away from the cool-factor of London, where the summer 2010 collections, and rightly so, are hot hot hot.

Frida Giannini followed on the sparkling success of her fall collection, this time taking Gucci on an athletic road less travelled, and staying there with conviction. The collection revolved around the figure-hugging silhouette of a layered bandage dress, with the designer herself emerging at the end of the show in a tightly wound little black number. Past shows like Wang in New York and Macdonald in London spring to mind upon the emergence of Natasha Poly poured into a startlingly bright white multi-strap dress. With the white starting block fading to grey around the bend, it was typical Gucci-girl print up the back straight and sharp, dark beading on sleek dresses bringing it home. A definite highlight of not only Milan, but the entire current season, with the streak of modernism Giannini finally deciding to play paying off in spades.

Gucci

Fellow Italian glamourite Donatella Versace, poster girl for the fun and frivolity of '90s fashion, took the label back it its roots with shorter-than-short hemlines, wild prints and colour. And what a time to do so- with hemlines on the rise the world over, Donatella stepped up to the plate and showed them all how it's done. Psychedelic, geometric prints splashed in zesty neons over a figure-hugging silhouette formed the basis of this Alice in Wonderland themed collection. When she wasn't skirting the issue, Donatella threw in a sleek, tailored jacket or two, just for good measure. Ending with floor-length chiffon gowns in a rainbow hued array perfect for the up and coming awards season, Donatella proved why she's the go to girl for quintessential Italian glamour.

Versace

Other Milanese highlights, and also fans of colour's reemergence, were Emilio Pucci and Prada, the latter's take on colour reverberated through to the showstopping glossy pouts. Taking a break from the swirling print side of Pucci was Peter Dundas with his debut collection built upon the water-loving scuba trend. However, it wasn't just a line full of body dresses that one might assume makes up a summer 2010 show; Dundas cleverly incorporated many varying trends of the season within the limits of a single show. There were deconstructed tees done Decarnin-style, softly draped safari pants, strong shouldered jackets all mixed in with the vibrant, flowing dresses a Pucci girl would love. Miuccia Prada took a step back from the leather-punch, presenting a strong-lined collection revolving around a "business-to-beach" idea. And I mean this quite literally: sleek office wear was branded with a seaside pattern, pared back with monochromal, tech-looking separates.

Pucci

Over at Dolce & Gabbana, the crowd was treated to a different kind of finale- an upheaval from past endings of voluminous ballgowns. After a latina-themed, overtly lacy show, the models took to the runway in a'40s inspired lingerie-clad-bunch, lead by all-round favourite Natasha Poly. With a sexy and glamorous, but always classy week done, we're now on the home straight of the ready-to-wear summer 2010 season, and let it be known Paris won't let us down!

Natasha Poly leading the pack at the Dolce & Gabbana finale

photos: Style.com, Zimbio, Coutorture