Wow, I knew ex-Clash bassist Paul Simonon was a hottie in his day but who knew he had two such beautiful sons? The new Prada menswear campaign features Simonon’s sons Claude and Louis as photographed by Hedi Slimane. How long til Daisy or Pixie try to hook up with them?
Back in July when I pondered over adopting some of the SS09 menswear looks for my own personal use, I had no idea that Stefano Pilati was thinking along the same lines. However, an interview with Pilati in US Vogue’s November issue introduces YSL’s new Edition Unisex collection. Apparently, those selfsame suits, jackets, blousons and sweaters in organza, gazar, voile and crepe de chine (not to mention a scattering of gold sequins) have landed – scaled down of course – in the YSL womenswear stores. Great thinking Mr Pilati. It’s the kind of move I wish Hedi Slimane had made years ago when we were all lusting after his Dior Homme skinny-cut jackets and pants. Not that I can afford YSL or Dior Homme prices but maybe someone (Topman?) might take notice and do something similar for us paupers…?
PIC: US Vogue/The fashion Spot
UPDATED January 13th 2009: The Times has written about the concept here
So there are rumours going round that poor Liberty is in trouble again and may be in danger of closing. This store seems to always have the threat of closure hovering above it but manages to haul itself out of trouble each time – it’s been going on for years. Whether or not the rumours are true, fans will be pleased to know that their transactional site is finally properly up and running. It started selling accessories and smaller items earlier in the year but now you can buy clothing by the likes of Acne Jeans, See by Chloe, McQueen et al online. There is also a sweet little blog which is updated every few days and features newsy snippets as well as interviews with buyers and designers across all the departments – furniture, beauty, fashion… Let’s hope Liberty can overcome whatever problems they are having, it’s one of London’s treasures.
Apart from the fact that I’ve been poorly and mostly housebound, I’ve not been in the mood for shopping for weeks. At first I thought it was the credit crunch holding me back and that I was being subconsciously sensible and saving my money but that’s not it. While in the West End last week I went for a browse in Liberty. There was a special one-day discount promotion for loyalty card customers with discounts up to 50% off throughout the store (although annoyingly, the final prices weren’t displayed). This should have piqued my interest but instead it made me feel deflated. Seeing stacks of Chloe and Marc Jacobs bags, belts and wallets piled high like bunches of bananas on a market stall at close of day only served to devalue them. Part of the appeal of designer goods is the luxury experience of buying them. This is why people get a buzz out of going to the Chanel shop to buy their lipstick instead of buying it at Debenhams. It’s why you’ll find dresses sparingly displayed three-finger-widths apart on a rail in Prada so you have to be looked after by a salesperson. (It’s also why uber-luxe stores like Hermes don’t have sales.) The hushed atmosphere, the pristine merchandise, the personal service are all factored into the price and what make a Prada dress ‘worth’ its four-figure sum. If it’s just going to be treated like a piece of tat like the poor Alexander McQueen sequin leggings at Saks, then we might as well all shop at Primark.
