Calvin Klein
Morning Memo: Simmons Robbed; Runway Renovated
A suitcase filled with $15,000 worth of Russell Simmons jewelry was reportedly stolen when one of Mr. Simmons' employees left it in the hallway of a Bleecker Street building for about 30 minutes. [P6]
Heidi Klum says that Project Runway will get a facelift on Lifetime that will include more catch phrases and a "Hollywood flair." [Forbes via The Cut]
Jennifer Lopez stopped by Obama's offices to talk about "matters close to her heart." [People read more »
A Little Perfume That Couldn't
The newest fragrance called Secret Obsession from Calvin Klein is having a little trouble launching.
First Women's Wear Daily reported that television networks were refusing to air the provocative ads for the perfume starring Eva Mendes whispering something about having a very sexy secret. Then, last night's celebration in honor of the launching fragrance—which was perhaps doomed from the start when it was scheduled to take place at 421 Broome Street, the site of Heath Ledger's death—didn't exactly work out. read more »
Calvin Klein Designer Francisco Costa Discusses Inspiration
Francisco Costa, the Brazilian-born creative director of Calvin Klein Collection, was all boyish grins—he somehow manages to make dental braces look cool—after his fall 2008 collection debuted yesterday evening. As soon as all the attendees had taken their places in an I.C.U.-clean, boxy space at 205 West 39th St., sounds of approaching footsteps and solitary piano notes entered the room through mounted speakers—a kind of sensual contrast to Mr. Costa’s pragmatic pieces and warm demeanor. read more »
Lydia Hearst to Get 'Model of the Year' Laurels; Plus, Sneak Peek at Richardson Shoot for Perry Ellis
The Michael Awards—the big black-tie fashion-industry smoochfest that gives out awards and raises money for the National Children's Leukemia Foundation—won’t be held until May 7th, but at this early date! The Transom can now exclusively reveal 2007’s model of the year: Lydia Hearst.
“It’s basically the Oscars of fashion,” she said, while picking away at a lobster roll yesterday at a café in the Time Warner Center.
Okay so, had she prepared her speech? read more »
Fur Fashions Sneeze at Global Warming, Calvin Klein, Abundance of Red Paint
Despite what may sometimes seem like a growing anti-fur trend in fashion, the Times of London reports today that global prices for mink pelts have never been higher, reaching record levels over the last two years. The primary source of such growing demand reportedly comes from China and Russia, where the soft stuff is considered hotter than mod. But in North America, too, the cost of mink has more than doubled since the late 1990s, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Despite fashion labels that have publicly boycotted the use of fur—Calvin Klein, Polo Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger—there are still plenty of others who favor using real fuzzy flesh in their garments. In our November interview with Ingrid Newkirk, the president and co-founder of PETA, she questioned the ethics and motives of fashionistas like Alexander McQueen, Karl Lagerfeld and Jean Paul Gaulteir, calling them “desperate.” read more »
2007: The Year of Fashion's Desperate Death Wail
In the wonderful world of fashion, 2007 was the year designers sent up a collective chorus, begging, “Look at me!”—or, so says today’s Styles section in the Times. Revisiting disastrous runway trends that add up to a mere style-free cesspool, the piece points specifically to the hard-to-ignore lack of non-white models, Dolce & Gabbana’s atrocious “fantasy-rape” ad and a gaggle of designers who had cameos on lowbrow T.V. shows.
Perhaps Vera Wang’s bizarre appearance on Ugly Betty rings a few bells? Marc Jacobs on The Hills?
What’s more, 2007 was also the year when Tom Ford demanded that his spread for Out magazine’s November issue be re-shot because—why else?—he thought it seemed odd to appear fully-clothed while showering with two naked dudes. read more »
To Choo, or Not to Choo: That is Art Basel
There were so many parties riding on the back of Art Basel Miami Beach, according to the Times, that “anyone without a crib sheet, or the power publicist Nadine Johnson on speed-dial, was lost.” So legion were the corporate-scented art-design-fashion fêtes, in fact, that Manhattan socialite Lee Schifter’s speech pattern was reduced to something akin to gibberish. “Did you Pucci or Choo?” she asked at one point, referring to a pair of concurrent parties—one given by Jimmy Choo founder Tamara Mellon and the other by Emilio Pucci’s daughter, Laudomia.
And those who didn’t Pucci or Choo were able to Swarovski, Audi and Cartier. Oh, and a few lucky people could also Klein, if they so desired, by dining with the 65-year-old designer, Calvin, at his new, art-free, Greece-or-something manse. No lazy affair, the planning for Mr. Klein’s party reportedly took several weeks and included “casting” and “importing” actor-waiters from New York. Art for promotion’s sake? It’s safe to say that Andy Warhol would be quite pleased. [NYT]
Calvin Klein Prefers Bare White - Walls! And Rio ...
Nothing comes between Calvin Klein and his white walls. The 65-year-old fashion designer, whose clothes epitomize a clean, sleek aesthetic, has a new home in North Miami—and roughhousing is probably not allowed inside. “It’s all white, of course,” Mr. Klein told WWD on Saturday night at P.R. kingpin Paul Wilmot’s dinner party during Art Basel. “And there is no art on the walls, but a few people on Friday night said they were relieved that they didn’t have to look at any more art!” (Yes, what a relief that must have been!) The minted digs, a 1920s-style Spanish Villa that took a year to renovate, apparently have a prime spot from which to peep the bay.
Though Mr. Klein spent much of the weekend visiting various high-minded fairs and fêtes, he likes to collect things that “you wouldn’t hang on the wall.” Instead, he wants to give his home a Mediterranean feel, as if it were “in Greece or something.” But when Greece or something seems too far from the action on South Beach, he can simply crash at his nearby apartment on Collins Ave.
For anyone but Calvin Klein, having two homes in the same Floridian city might indicate a lifelong love for the Sunshine State. Not so, apparently. “I used to have a house in Palm Beach, but I had decided I never wanted to be in Florida again. After five or six New York winters, I changed my mind." The designer added that he would be spending the holidays at his home in Rio de Janeiro. read more »
At Calvin Klein Party, Lance and Ashley Play Hide, No Seek, Maggie Teaches Julianne a 'Trick'
Lance Armstrong seems to be working very hard to snuff rumors of a fling with Ashley Olsen. Both guests were at last night’s Calvin Klein-hosted “First Look” party—held to celebrate the opening of the Bowery’s New Museum—but the once-lappy couple avoided each other like SARS. Sadly, we couldn’t be there to recoil. But Jim Shi was! The Fashion Week Daily reporter, who manages to be everywhere at once, offered a dynamic recap of the artful affair.
Apparently, the seventh-floor party space, a “custom-made Calvin Klein lounge,” presented some problems for those who only wear heels (a likely majority). While Roopal Patel, Linda Fargo, Rachel Feinstein and Yvonne Force Villareal decided to hang out and wait for an open elevator to whisk them skyward, Jennifer Creel mounted the steps, huffing and puffing her way to Partyville. “We didn’t eat Thanksgiving four days ago for nothing,” she said, while getting plenty of use out of her suede Prada boots.
Plus: co-hosts Julianne Moore and Maggie Gyllenhaal waxed on art, sporting brows alternately high and low. Ms. Moore looked around and mused, "It's all very transgressive, but this is not fashion lighting." Responding to the fellow actress, Ms. Gyllenhaal, who recently wowed us with her gray matter, remarked while laughing, “I finally gave up trying to remember each piece by artist and name … I figured it out. Wanna know the trick? You look for a guard and you say, 'Ok, now tell me who everybody is.'"
Style Blog Smells Fish at Barneys
In this week’s Observer, our very own Simon Doonan writes about how he was strongly encouraged by Barneys brass to lend the store’s holiday windows a “green” theme. But after style bloggers at Fashionista gave the street-facing displays the old once-over, they apparently became concerned about all the blinking lights, which, as they put it, “seem to suck energy the way we devour Skittles.”
“I don't know the specifics on how much energy the windows use," Julie Gilhart, fashion director at the store, told the blog at a Calvin Klein party last night. "But of course we use electricity, we use energy—but nobody can decide to go totally green overnight. It's a process. We're making a huge effort to be as green as possible, and to spread awareness to our community so they can start making adjustments, too. And we're really proud and excited about that... isn't the reindeer fun?"
Agyness Deyn: The New Kate Moss?
Overheard at the Chopard party last night (but not by us!):
Agyness Deyn and Jamie Burke, discussing an early call time this morning.
Could it be that Agyness has swapped out Lara Stone for the CK Jeans campaign?
If true, it marks the second time in a year that Ms. Deyn has replaced Kate Moss in a signature campaign (the first being Burberry).
And although we love Lara's face and amazing body, let's face it:
If anyone can make a pair of ripped, overpriced pants look like an essential tiara, it's the Machester [sic] native... read more »
Jamie Burke's Music Overshadowed by Enormous Seminude Billboard
Jamie Burke, the Calvin Klein underwear model and Johnny Depp look-a-like, said he has a good time showing of his photogenic protoplasm for the sake of fashion, but music is his passion.
Mr. Burke, who is rumored to be dating naughty model May Anderson (“I don’t want to talk about that”), told us last night at the Chopard party what it was like to see his body plastered on the side of a massive building on Houston Street. “It was mad! Very, very weird. I was shocked—very shocked. Yeah, it’s weird, because when you see yourself in a photo that big, like my nipples are this big,” he said, bringing his hands apart like he was holding the wheel of a car.
When he’s not posing for the camera, Mr. Burke said he passes the time singing for his band, Bloody Social. The underground rock group has just finished recording their new album, called Radio Maniacs. “It’s like nothing we’ve ever done before. It’s nice and rough; it’s cool,” he murmured in a Cockney accent of the record.
Despite being the face of a major ad campaign for Calvin Klein (and boasting a list of ex-girlfriends that includes Sienna Miller, Lindsay Lohan, Kate Moss and Jessie Leonard), the British-born Mr. Burke purports to stay grounded.
“I’m still just doing my thing, like, trying to play music everyday,” he said.
Meet The New Guy In The $9.9 Million Klein/Geffen Duplex
Mr. Geffen
But there was no mention of who had bought the nine-room American Thread Building duplex. According to city records, the lucky guy is Lawrence Guffey, a senior managing director of the monolithic Blackstone Group.
On the sales deed, Dreamworks mogul David Geffen happens to be listed as one of Ms. Klein's trustees. Maybe Mr. Geffen and Mr. Guffey are friends: the exec "leads Blackstone's media and communications investment activities." Reached through his office, Guffey had no comment.
Click here or here to read about his colleagues' Manhattan homes. read more »
- Max Abelson'An Educated Customer Is Our Best Customer'
My Wedding Photos Need To Look Like a Calvin Klein Ad
Is David Geffen Moving to Mercer Street?
158 Mercer Street.
But today's issue of The Post doesn't report who will be living in the sleek, 11th floor apartment. It's strange because the newspaper already revealed the buyer in April: it's Saturday Night Live producer Marci Klein (who's also the daughter of Calvin Klein).
A source with knowledge of the deal confirmed to The Observer that Ms. Klein will be the one living there. Considering that Mr. Geffen passed the board at 810 Fifth, he should be pretty content with his current living situation in Manhattan (although it is unclear how he fits in with this real estate buying trust).
Nancy Candib, of Brown Harris Stevens, had the Mercer Street listing. read more »
And meanwhile, downstairs from Ms. Klein's new gigs, there is an open house today at Andre Balazs's 4,200-square-foot loft, that's selling for $10 million.
- Michael CalderoneCalvin Klein Buys at Chelsea Arts Tower
Chelsea Arts Tower.
Some other buyers grabbing full-floor units in the tower have included Adam Lindemann (who is currently selling his co-op apartment at 730 Park), collector Glenn Furman, and Marlborough Gallery. read more »
Coincidentally, tonight is also the topping out party for the Chelsea Arts Tower. It's being held at Cheim & Read Gallery, which is located next door.
- Michael CalderoneEmotionally Withdrawn From My Wedding Presents
It makes no sense to me at all, since shopping is truly one of my favorite sporting events. And to make a list of all the stuff I want with a virtual guarantee that people are going to buy it for me, well, this is the stuff that dreams are made of. And yet somehow I still don't really care.
To make matters worse, my soon to be sister-in-law just called to tell me that we have several things on our registry that have been discontinued or are "not available for purchase online anymore." WTF!? How can something NOT be available for purchase online. What does that mean, exactly?
Think about it for a moment: you can buy live bumblebees online; you can even buy a suit of armor online for christ's sake. So how on earth has Macy's determined that our Black Krups Waffle Maker or Calvin Klein quilted feather pillows can no longer be purchased online?
And yes, I know I have a bad attitude and don't really have a right to be whining over our friends and family showering us with gifts. I'm sorry. Really I am. I think my problem stems from the fact that I've yet to see even one our many, shiny, new, generously given gifts. They are all being sent to Greg's parents' house (hello? 746 sq. ft. NYC apt...where do you want me to keep this stuff?) so I just feel a bit disconnected. Maybe we should take a field trip out to New Jersey this weekend and roll around with our new candlesticks and jump up and down on bubbly wrap while spinning a salad.
Perhaps that will send me back into the realm of registry nirvana. read more »
