Just in case you didn’t notice, the temperatures are dropping. Richard Chai, for his part, did. His new temporary pop-up shop, at the west Chelsea space under the High Line that played host to Waris Ahluwalia’s recent installation, is designed to be a glacial, Styrofoam-carved ice cave. For his first standalone store—albeit a temporary one—Chai was after the shock of the new. “I didn’t want a straightforward retail space,” he explained at the opening bash on Friday night, co-hosted by The Last Magazine. Mission accomplished.Designed in collaboration with the architecture firm Snarkitecture, the space will sell Chai’s men’s and women’s collections until October 31. On Friday, Emily Haines and her band Metric toasted the chilly space with a short set (and a Strokes cover) that had Julie Gilhart, Jamie Johnson, and Last’s Magnus Berger smiling. “I love and live for Metric—I’m a super big fan!” Chai explained, as the crowd headed for the after-party at Le Bain. Makes sense, that—after the ice, the poolside thaw.The Richard Chai pop-up installation is located at 504 W. 24th Street, NYC.
—Lily Kwong
Photo: Courtesy of Snarkitecture/snarkitecture.com
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Riccardo Tisci knows how to put on a show. That much was very clear at his Spring ‘12 menswear show in Paris at the city’s glass-walled Centre Pompidou: It drew not only every editor, stylist, photographer, and well-connected friend in town, but also a throng of Parisian passersby, who pressed against the windows for a look. The show itself was spectacular—that is to say, a spectacle. Tisci’s bird-of-paradise print, splashed on tennis skirts and suiting, was one of the week’s strongest statements, complemented by a series of chunky, plasticized sandals that leave no doubt of their maker. (”GIVENCHY” is embossed on the soles—walk in them, and you’ll literally leave the label’s calling card in your wake.)I loved the look, but for everyday wear, I prefer my statements a little quieter. Which is why, when Givenchy’s Spring lookbook hit my desk this week, a pair of sandals (OK, flip-flops) that didn’t make it onto the catwalk caught my eye. They’re printed with a bit of classic cheesecake, a nudie illustration borrowed from the Fall ‘11 women’s collection. But when you’re wearing them, she’s covered; nobody’s the wiser. Know and tell, not show and tell, let’s say. Paradise! Hold the birds.—Matthew Schneier
Viktor & Rolf have got a brand-new bag—an airline bag, to be precise. The Dutch design duo has created a special amenity kit for KLM’s business-class passengers. The bow-front bag comes stocked with toothpaste and a toothbrush, an eye mask, lip balm, face cream, socks, a pen, and ear plugs. (For gents, there’s a bow-less version, too.) Not a bad reason to upgrade. [Viktor & Rolf]The September Issue’s R.J. Cutler returns: Deadline Hollywood reports that HBO has green-lit a Cutler-produced half-hour comedy pilot about the fashion industry, Spring/Fall. Téa Leoni will star as half of a dysfunctional pair of partners in the fashion industry; Kate Robin, formerly a writer-producer on HBO’s Six Feet Under, penned the script. [Deadline via Daily Front Row]Is Anna Dello Russo a “total fashion victim”? That’s not the haters talking; that’s ADR herself, explaining her look to CNN. She seems to be in pretty good spirits about it—and we would be too with a closet like hers. Check out the video for a look inside her Paris fashion week suite at the Ritz. [Fashionologie]Calling all sole men: T spotlights a curious new trend in menswear—vibrantly colored soles on men’s shoes. Well, it worked for Louboutin… [T]
Zoe Saldana might be better known for her day job as a successful actress, but she’s also translated her burgeoning fashion interests into a second job as the founder/partner of My Fashion Database. Two years ago, when Saldana launched the site, along with her fiancé, former model Keith Britton, and the help of their close friend Jordan Glassberg, they were simply trying to provide fast, efficient answers to their own style questions: Who shot that editorial in V magazine from September 2008? Who was the manicurist for the recent Lindsey Wixson spread in i-D? This month, MyFDB, dubbed “fashion’s IMDB,” was relaunched with expanded features, including the ability to view ad campaigns and immediately shop the looks. Tonight, the actress will celebrate the relaunch with, what else, a party in New York as fashion week here comes to a close. Saldana spoke to Style.com about MyFDB, mused over a Prabal collaboration, and the next job title she wants: intern.—Kristin Studeman
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It always seems as if e-tailer Net-a-Porter is pretty nimble in staying a couple steps ahead of our online needs, helpfully aiding any laptop shopping ventures to function successfully with the least frustration. Today, the site launches another feature that will make getting a fix of Roland Mouret or Rick Owens even easier for NAP addicts the world over: seven boutiques organized by type. There’s the Essentials shop with those workhorse basics like black cardigans from Vince; a Vacation store that covers both snow and sand; a Salon with serious soigné fashion; and the Cutting Edge corner with seriously cool fashion. “We wanted to re-create the in-store shop floor experience by aligning relevant designers,” explains founder Natalie Massenet. “It personalizes the shopping experience and provides customers with an instant connection to the product as they immediately identify which boutique is relevant to them.” Still, there’s no rule decreeing that the Salon girl can’t click over to the Cutting Edge side, and vice versa.
