Oct. 2, 2008: Bernhard Willhelm has always existed somewhere in outer space, but for spring he returned to terra firma with a collection based on just that: earth. As he told us backstage, the ground is the first thing you look at in the morning when you put your feet down and greet the day. Naturally he took the concept to exotic, carnal extremes, sending out girls in tribal dresses, homemade ceramic jewelry, face paint and graphic sex prints—ooh, so dirty! (Runtime - 6:08)
Sep. 28, 2008: What do Madame Grès, Leigh Bowery, Marianne Faithfull, Barbra Streisand and Kiss have in common? They're the deceptively random influences—among even more—that went into Rick Owens' spring '09 collection. And yet, oddly, it was his most pared-down show to date. We caught the key looks on mini-cam (sorry for the shaky-shaky—we might have been nerved out by Suzy tapping away on her keyboard next to us), then dashed backstage for answers from the man himself. (Runtime - 7:37)
Jun. 19, 2008: Like we've said before, London designer Carri Mundane puts the collide in kaleidoscope, infusing her Cassette Playa men's line with a mash-up of explosive references, from gabba dancing and grime boys to sci-fi and YouTube—or Utube, as in her latest series of digitally collaged Utube Utopia silk tees. Recently she was invited to show at Pitti Uomo in Florence, and naturally brought along about fifty friends from London and all over the world, including Hint, to stay with her at Villa Gamberaia, a sprawling medieval mansion (think Medici) in the hills overlooking the city. We arrived in a state of suspense, having received only a few buzzwords—future street gangs, pixel warriors, toxicolor uniforms—which we were told would come together in a live video jumpdance installation that had to do with a new dance sweeping the Netherlands. Or was it Belgium? And so on the big night we descended on the gymnasium of an old boarding school on the outskirts of Florence to bear witness to Carri's latest, greatest kaleidoscopic vision. This much we knew: the birthplace of the Renaissance had never seen anything like this. (Runtime - 5:18)
Jun. 3, 2008: Okay, we know it's been forever since our last video—October, to be exact. Has it taken us this long to recover from Oktoberfest? If that's the case, it seems we've stumbled out of the beer garden right back into another garden, thanks to Stella McCartney and her spring '09 resort collection. The "half New Yorker," as she reminded us, held the show in Jefferson Market Garden in Greenwich Village, and even—very thoughtfully, we think—brought in a soydog stand, jazz musicians, graffiti art, champagne-plying waiters and a parade of stars (Kate Hudson, Jeff Koons and some other familiar faces). And, of course, a bouquet of beautiful models picnicking among themselves, sauntering around, munching on lollipops and generally lazing about. Not that having the show there was easy-breezy. Apparently it took a charm offensive, since the gated park doesn't usually allow such lawn-threatening events—and there were many an eagle-eyed grass minder to keep tipsy revelers (certainly not us) teetering strictly on the garden path. (Runtime - 3:20)
Collections We go backstage at the women's and men's shows in Paris, Milan, New York and London for a peek at all the fashion and frolic.
Beauty Duty We all know there's not a single thing Tom Ford does with a white glove and a feather touch. He manhandles everything with an iron gauntlet, and if he doesn't cross over into gauche every now and again there's something seriously wrong. His latest perfume, Champaca Absolute, is no exception...
