The fashion world mourns Alber Elbaz, a surprise hit of nostalgia from the Oscars red carpet, save the date for a new Netflix designer biopic, and a high-street collaboration to note...
Read on for the April 2021 instalment of Diary of a Fashion Director.
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On 24 April fashion designer Alber Elbaz died from complications of Covid-19 at the age of 59. The fashion world has been united in mourning for one of the most talented and generous designers of recent history.
Elbaz is perhaps best known for his 14-year tenure at Lanvin, during which he revived the once-dusty French house transforming it into a go-to label for women who wanted to feel confident, sensual and sophisticated.
Testament to his talent, Elbaz managed to do so without sacrificing his innate sense of fun, ease and good humour – his handwriting was dotted with hearts and doodles. It's little wonder that, for a period, Lanvin became a go-to for brides.
Self-effacing, slightly neurotic but vivacious, Elbaz didn't let the setbacks of his career (including his firing from Lanvin in 2015, which truly shocked an industry full of fans of his work) bring down his joie de vivre.
Instead he used his time to go back to what was important, with guest lectures at Central Saint Martins, a liberating Instagram presence and, more recently, a new Richemont-backed fashion venture AZ Factory.
The ethos of his new line, he told Vanessa Friedman of the New York Times was to 'break the system... I feel happy that I didn’t give up my dream and say, "OK, I’m going back to fashion the way it was".'
As the fashion world mourns a beloved man, we give thanks that he shared his beautiful dream with the world.
Photo: A.Koo
Halston holds a singular place in the heritage of American fashion, not only for the impact of his designs – from Jackie Kennedy's pillbox hat to the slinky sexiness of the 70s – and his famed social life as a regular at Studio 54, but also as a cautionary tale when his early attempts to democratise his label led to the loss of his own name.
Halston is a new limited series directed by Ryan Murphy and starring Ewan McGregor, coming to Netflix in May. The teaser trailer has just dropped and it's as slick and glossy as you'd expect. I can't wait to dive into the drama when it debuts on Friday 14 May.
In the meantime, I'll be streaming the 2019 documentary of the same name. From Frédéric Tcheng, the director of the legendary Raf Simons documentary Dior and I, HALSTON makes use of the archival TV footage that helped cement the designer's position as a household name.
Supporting black fashion designers can often mean searching out small, indie labels, bringing character and flair to your wardrobe in the process. But small can be mighty too, as proven by Kemi Telford, the London label which has recently launched at John Lewis as part of a big push to up its fashion credentials.
I'm so excited to see designer Yvonne Telford modelling her vibrant designs on a bigger platform, and hope that it's one small step to diversifying and strengthening the future of the somewhat beleaguered British retailer.
Shop the colourful collection here
Last week I wrote that a new handbag might just be the ultimate post-pandemic purchase whether it's a designer investment or a more-affordable style injection. Alessandro Michele seems to agree: the Gucci creative director just released a new Harmony Korine-shot campaign, The Beloved Show. It's a fictional talk show where friends of the house including Harry Styles, Serena Williams, Awkwafina, Sienna Miller and Diane Keaton happily vie for screen time with some of the house's signature handbags. James Corden appears as the host, dressed in a selection of very natty suits.
'I truly love and adore my handbags,' says Michele. 'Perhaps they will always be my greatest love, my favourite accessory.' That's a sentiment that resonates – to me a handbag is a sign of self-sufficiency, of freedom, and of having somewhere to go.
The latest instalment of JW Anderson's collaboration with Uniqlo has just dropped, and the easy cotton and linen pieces are a breath of fresh air. Sweet embroidered floral motifs, blanket-stitching and comfortable smocking lend a homespun feel to the high street collection.
I'm in the habit of browsing Anderson's men's collections too, and this season I'll be picking up a few pairs of daisy-stitched socks, a grandad-collar linen shirt as well as the simple T-shirt dresses from the women's collection.
Just as we’re beginning to update our homes for the summer season, ready to host our friends and family once more, affordable high street brand Mango has launched its first ever homeware range. Tonally, the line is largely in keeping with our ongoing love affair with the neutral palette (featuring lots of cream, beige and brown pieces), while 75% of the materials used are said to be sustainable. At a time when physical travel is prohibited, Mango’s Mediterranian-themed range, transporting us to sun-drenched climes through cooling linens, rustic towels and blankets, and seaside aromas is especially welcome.
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Red-carpet fashion has never been a particular interest of mine, especially in recent years when few stars have felt liberated enough to make the sort of style statements that truly take the breath away (think Cher in Bob Mackie, or Björk's swan dress).
After a year without much in the way of glamour, however, I was feeling buoyed by the promise of the Oscars red carpet, a proper in-person event with glamorous gowns and full hair and make-up looks.
And while I can admire the dedication to the body beautiful that went into the midriff-baring, show-stealing looks worn by Zendaya, Carey Mulligan and Andra Day, Emerald Fennell's floaty floral number by Gucci really got me thinking.
Like Fennell, who won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, I'm pregnant with my second child. But, unlike Fennell (who is more instantly recognisable than most writer/directors due to her spectacular performance as Camilla Parker Bowles in The Crown) I currently have nowhere special to get all dressed up to go.
During my first pregnancy I was working full time at a fashion magazine and attending work events, weddings and parties. I was literally dancing on tables. The only reason I wore leggings was to visit the gym multiple times a week.
Sure my pregnancy wardrobe was limited: I didn't see the point financially or environmentally of buying clothes for just a few months, and the maternity offering wasn't particularly inspiring. But I was lucky enough to borrow a few great sized-up pieces that helped me to feel like I was staying true to my own style and identity.
Pregnancy this time around has involved working from home, looking after a small child and dealing with the ennui of lockdown. In response I've found myself clinging to a regular rotation of dungarees, leggings and tracksuit bottoms. Practical, comfortable, but so boring.
A pair of vegan leather drawstring trousers is one of the few concessions I still manage to make to my old style identity, and I'm looking at this cotton version as a warmer-weather update that should work postpartum too.
Firmly in the final trimester, I know I can soon kiss goodbye to being able to tie my own shoes, followed by the chaos a newborn brings and which makes getting dressed at all feel like an achievement.
Until then, I'm making a commitment to dressing with more intention: making the most of summery smock dresses while they still fit over my bump (even if I do have to wear layers of thermals underneath and can't yet swap out my boots in favour of sandals), returning to accessories as a way of making me feel like 'me' again, and exploring fashion rental sites for upsized items that wouldn't pass the 30 wears test to make it into my forever wardrobe but are perfect for a brief pre-baby fling.
Stay safe,
Rebecca
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