Hint pays attention to retail


It was a little like d�j� fur on November 3rd when Fendi, having already celebrated its 80th anniversary a week earlier with a massive Halloween party, opened a shiny new flagship in New York with, once again, the hosting help of its designers Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Fendi. The 7500-square-foot boutique designed by the affable Peter Marino (who jokingly told us, "I have holes in my pants!" but he wasn't joking) features all the trappings of luxury shopping—not just the furs for which the Roman house is famous, but also a classical staircase, video projections, floors made of San Pietrini stone, a digital waterfall of Fendi's letters and logo, and wall-to-wall displays of shoes and bags. Still more reason to celebrate was the announcement at the launch party, of the formation of the Fendi Rome Prize Fellowship in support of emerging designers. That's enough Fendi to last us another eighty years, or until next week, whichever comes first. Fendi, 677 Fifth Avenue, 212-759-4646.
Yazbukey's clothes and accessories are, for humans, a wild world of Galliano-style statement pieces inspired by whimsical Jean de la Fontaine stories, Grimm's fairy tales, Gershwin music, Agatha Christie novels, Tim Burton movies and other camp theatrics. But the line's new clothing for "mini dogs" has even more bite, with its brightly-colored and printed bib-like ruffs tied around the neck with a ribbon where a leash would otherwise tug. Going beyond simple knitted body suits, the unisex range offers a chic alternative for furry friends of the fancier sort. What else would you expect from two eccentric Turkish sisters, Yaz and Emel Kurhan, who also happen to be Ottoman princesses and grandnieces of Egypt's late King Farouk? Now living and working in Paris, the duo studied styling at the famed Studio Ber�ot, where Emel continues to teach, before collectively interning at Christian Lacroix, Martin Margiela, Martine Sitbon, Givenchy and Jeremy Scott, even releasing a single with music man Michel Gaubert—just the sort of pedigree one needs to design canine couture. In Paris at Maria Luisa, 8 rue du Mont Thabor, 75001, +33 1 42 96 47 81.

We always thought beluga was the right way to do caviar, until we came across Kaviar Gauche, a women's label from the hotbed of fashion and creativity that is Berlin's Mitte district. Founded two years ago by Johanna K�hl, a former assistant to Martine Sitbon, and Alexandra Fischer-Roehler, an editor and stylist, the line is named after a collective of rich, decadent, leftist young things in Sixties Paris and, for fall, comprises pieces in flowy fabrics like jersey and silk, asymmetrically cut for a slouchy fit. But the line's focus is on handbags, made mostly in circular shapes and a predominantly black palette from super soft leather, canvas and other materials. Curved like a shrimp, the Lamellabag (pictured left) comes with customizable inserts and flexible detailing. We love the complete line, but we couldn't possibly resist anything from a label named after existentialist jetsetters. - Suleman Anaya
A D V E R T I S E M E N T
Study fashion at Parsons The New School for Design in NYC
 

British (but all-over-the-map) designer Kim Jones estimates he's put his touch on twenty collections besides his own in the four years since graduating from Central Saint Martins. In addition to designing his men's line, a cult favorite around the world and an all-out sensation in Sweden, Jones has been linked with Comme des Gar�ons, Iceberg History, Topman and the English soccer outfitter Umbro. A demonstrated team player, Jones has most recently lent his design services to the quintessentially British leather label Mulberry, creating posh yet practical men's bags. The Kim Jones/Mulberry collection consists of unfussy knapsacks, weekenders, carry-alls, bum bags and lunchbox bags (his favorite) in snakeskin, suede and denim-colored Darwin leather, all with bold stitching and silver hardware. Inspiration, he says, comes from 70's fashion illustrations by the late Antonio Lopez, as well as a lack of bags that could "comfortably fit both a laptop and a sandwich," among other real-life concerns. Above all, though, Jones declares, "I just like flying the flag for Britain whenever I can." Which is, apparently, often.

Once the domain of ski lodges and axe murderers, animal heads are now popping up on fashionable fingers from coast to coast, thanks to Ryan Kearney's GerardTully line of unisex 18k gold rings. Punctuated with black-diamond eyes, the decapitated critter heads are intended to be "a bit dark and sinister," says Kearney, "but also projecting an endearing sweetness as one looks down and sees a bunny, squirrel or owl staring back." Plus, each ring can be paired with a corresponding pendant in the shape of a carrot, acorn, field mouse and so on. GerardTully (a hybrid of his father's middle and mother's maiden names), however, is as much a product of Kearney's native New York City as it is nature, as he explains, "I have a strong attachment to 80's street culture where the inner city was flaunting these larger-than-life gold medallions, bracelets and of course, rings." Get your beastly bling ($650 for small rings and pendants, $680 for large rings) at Barneys New York, 660 Madison Avenue, 212-826-8900.

Not everything made in Japan whizzes, whistles or whirls. Case in point: after earning her design degree from FIT, Warita (or "little star"—a name she gave herself on a trip to a village in Peru) left New York City for her native Tokyo to work as an accessories merchandiser for Christian Dior. While there, she concocted her own line of accessories that couldn't be further from the Dior aesthetic if it were made in pewter—toy-like jewelry in rainbow colors, inspired by her travels to developing countries. Shown in Paris, the debut fall collection of hand-knitted bunny bracelets, feather-tailed bird necklaces and other such artsy-craftsy wares are not only low-tech, like something from a box of Christmas tree trimmings, but also low-priced (starting around $100). Finally, Japanese merch that doesn't require batteries and good hand-eye coordination. At La Curiosit� in Tokyo, and Maria Luisa and Kokon to Zai in Paris, with plans on New York. - Erica Crompton



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