Blog

Music is integral to Saint Laurent. Since Hedi Slimane’s appointment in 2012, the house has embraced musicians as campaign stars, models, and muses. BB King, Chuck Berry, Joni Mitchell, Marianne Faithfull, Daft Punk, Kim Gordon, and Courtney Love have all posed for the house’s Music Project campaigns, though Slimane is as focused on up-and-coming acts as he is on global superstars. Tonight’s menswear and Pre-Fall concert-cum-runway show at the Palladium in Los Angeles promises performances from a number of California-native bands, including Dylan Lee, the teenage son of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee, who is so fresh to the scene, he doesn’t have a song—save the one he created for Saint Laurent—out yet.

Hedi Slimane’s affinity for musicians is well documented, but rock stars aren’t his only source of inspiration. Sure, music appreciation is a requirement to join Slimane’s cabal of muses, but male models play just as important a role as the frontmen of buzzed-about bands. Whether they’re the handsome sons of Hollywood royalty or the willowy boys he handpicks while street casting, Slimane’s favorites are united by a nonchalant cool that they carry into endeavors far beyond fashion.

The pleated skirt, first popularized on the runways at Proenza Schouler, Céline, Altuzarra, and Gucci, has become every fashion girl’s best friend. It’s the kind of fail-proof piece that can be worked in a myriad of ways depending on the occasion: buttoned up with a sensible oxford shirt for the office, or zhooshed up for date night with a plunging V-neck top. Victoria Beckham has clearly figured out how to work the look into her winter street style wardrobe and was seen out in New York today wearing a pleated skirt of her own design.

What a day of drama!

February 5, 2019 might go down in history as the day it sank in that the whole fashion system is about to reconfigure. Hot on the heels of Burberry’s announcement that it will be launching a see-now-buy-immediately women’s and men’s show in September, Tom Ford has declared the same thing.

Beyoncé has had quite a weekend. First, she dropped “Formation,” a single with a pointed message and fierce fashion; then she stole the show with her halftime performance at Super Bowl 50. Dazzling onstage in a custom military-inspired look by Dsquared2 (over an Ashton Michael bodysuit), the superstar was clearly paying homage to what Michael Jackson wore when he sang at Super Bowl XXVII, back in 1993. “He is her biggest musical influence,” said Knowles’s stylist Marni Senofonte in an exclusive interview with Vogue.com’s Marjon Carlos.

Mercedes-Benz Kiev Fashion Days kicked off with the sequin-pumped label Andreeva by Olga Andreeva. Inspired by Milton Glaser’s “I Love New York” logo and his kaleidoscope-swirled posters from the ’80s, Andreeva’s nightclubby collection included plenty of mesh. The fabric took the form of sleeves tacked onto a silk jumpsuit that was striped in candied hues of red, green, and peach, and as the black-and-white panels of a brocade dress. There were more discreet pieces as well, like a dress with the front covered in silver sequins, which Andreeva paired with a sweeping cardigan made of strips of dyed ostrich feathers. Still, one of the most eye-catching looks had the least fabric of all: a mesh long-sleeved dress with sequined appliquéd embroideries that acted as glittering cover-ups on the torso—paging Miley Cyrus.

Few things at last night’s Super Bowl were more patriotic than Lady Gaga singing—nay, belting out—the national anthem in a glittering red suit, her nails painted Old Glory blue, and her shoes a mix of stripes (right foot) and sparkles (left one). Gaga’s American-inspired ensemble paired nicely with the Blue Angels flyover and the large flag unfurled behind her, though one aspect left this writer questioning: The look was custom designed by Alessandro Michele for Gucci. Curious that Lady Gaga and her stylist, Brandon Maxwell, would ask an Italian brand to create a look that screams “Americana!”—especially when you consider Gaga’s longstanding relationship with Marc Jacobs, whose Spring 2019 collection might be the most American-influenced show in history.

Who knew Alessandro Michele’s new Gucci girl was a Texas Bama at heart? Well, it certainly appeared so in the stirring and electrifying new visuals for Beyoncé’s single “Formation,” which shows the pop behemoth exploring not only her Creole roots but those of the storied Italian heritage brand. Trotting out a—ahem—coordinated artillery of female dancers sheathed in matching custom Gucci monogrammed crop tops, leggings, and high-waist booty shorts, Beyoncé rendered not only an homage to the halcyon days of logomania that made Gucci a household name, but the hip hop culture that helped to make it a style phenomenon in the ’90s. Because as stylist and mastermind behind the look, Marni Senofonte, reminds us, “New is the old.”

Though street style remains a cultural obsession, it’s often hard to put a finger on exactly why an outfit works. Models have the ability to make almost anything look good, but the girls celebrated for their style bring something extra to the table. That said, with millions of model-off-duty images permeating the Internet, and all sorts of chic moments flooding social media, a few tried-and-true street style tenets have come to light. Here, the 10 model-approved rules that serve to elevate any look—no matter the occasion.

Since 2014’s civil unrest, Ukraine’s fashion industry has undergone its own revolution. There is an influx of patriotism and homegrown pride that seems to affect the marketing of even the most underwhelming pieces of clothing: Wool socks sold on the side of the street are proudly stamped with phrases like “Made in the region of Zhytomyr, Ukraine,” while $3 beanies are emblazoned with the country’s coat of arms. Every other booth in a bazaar is filled with colorful handmade vinoks, a traditional Ukrainian flower crown. And, of course, everything is “Made in Ukraine,” a phrase that has come to hold great symbolism and even inspired it’s own hashtag—there are over 150,000 results of manufactured goods, from coffee mugs to passport covers, hailing from the country that are currently available for view on Instagram.