Nicholas Kirkwood’s first full collection as creative director of Pollini started with a decidedly not Kirkwood-esque flat riding boot—a tidbit of the Italian brand’s heritage—but it didn’t stay there long. “It’s inspired by this equestrian, menswear kind of detailing,” Kirkwood said. “But it’s giving it new life.”In Kirkwood’s countryside, the Aran knit is turned into a trompe l’oeil printed suede on an open-toed sandal bootie with a gently flared and stacked heel. Hardy Blundstone-esque ankle boots are raised up on needle heels, and his signature cut-out geometric platform sandal now comes in homey brown felt backed with acid-hued leather for slivery flashes of color.Kirkwood explained that Pollini’s heyday was in the seventies. That brought out jewel-bright suede booties and tasseled pumps, some with gold horse bits. Funnily enough, one of the biggest points of excitement from this footwear virtuoso were the bags. He’s done several styles, but chose to feature just one—a tidy shoulder bag with a smooth arc of brass hardware called the Amisse—in several different fabrications. There was a chocolate-box assortment: a perfect caramel leather along with a rainbow of suedes and classic-hued embossed croc and woven leather. It would be tough to choose just one, but seeing as they all ring in under $1,000, you don’t necessarily have to.
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Giorgio Armani has just unveiled his newly renovated Madison Avenue flagship store. The facelift of the 17-year-old store, which took three months of work, is part of his new vision for capturing market share in North America. [WWD]Miranda Kerr is skipping New York fashion week, opting instead to walk the runway in Sydney. The supermodel showed off designs by Dion Lee, Josh Goot, and Kirrily Johnston at retailer David Jones’ show. [Huff Po]Editors at the J.Crew presentation did a double take yesterday when they spotted Jenna Lyons’ doppelgänger. Lyons, who has appeared in the J.Crew campaigns before, says it wasn’t intentional, however. [Page Six]Although the E network pulled its rebroadcast of the Fashion Police episode in which Joan Rivers makes snarky comments about Whitney Houston (the episode originally aired the day before Houston died), the fashion critic says she has no regrets about what she said. “When she’s alive, she’s fair game. It’s part of being a celebrity,” Rivers tells WWD. [WWD]Photo: Stephen Sullivan
It takes a particular kind of person to stage not only their life, but also their death. But performance artist Marina Abramović is that special kind. She had already created her biography twice—first staged by herself, ten years ago, then by theater director Michael Laub—but for the third iteration of The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic, the artist put herself entirely in the hands of another artist: avant-garde legend Bob Wilson. Wilson accepted, and his The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic debuted in Manchester last year. To add yet another level of scrutiny to the process, Wilson invited photographer Tim Hailand to photograph a day in the creation of the piece, now published as One Day in the Life of Robert Wilson’s The Life and Death of Marina Abramovic. The piece had grown to include an original score, performed by musician Antony of Antony and the Johnsons, and starred Abramović herself along with Antony and Willem Dafoe. Last night, Abramović’s longtime friend Ennio Capasa of Costume National hosted a party for the book and introduced a related film installation by Giada Colagrande. To celebrate the occasions, Style.com spoke with Abramović about the process.—Matthew Schneier
Designer Zoë Jordan (pictured) has a bit of risk-taking in the blood: Her father is the Irish F1 racing icon Eddie Jordan. But a life in the fast lane wasn’t what Jordan had in mind for thrills; it was making the jump from finance to fashion. “I was in New York about four years ago, but I was a bond trader then. It’s my first time coming back,” Jordan reminisced at the stateside debut of her London-based line, Irwin & Jordan, last night. “I’ve actually enjoyed New York this time, because I’m not getting up at five a.m.! And now that I’m doing fashion, it doesn’t feel like work at all. I love it.”Fun as it may be, Jordan’s 2-year-old label has earned some notable stripes. The recently engaged designer counts a group of Brit girls-about-town, including Alexa Chung and Sienna Miller, as fans of her sharp Savile Row-style tailoring and feminine touches. At the New York fête, a polished set snapped up the pre-order Fall 2010 pieces. Most styles, such as a mini-houndstooth blazer with leather shoulder detailing or a rosy nude double-faced silk dress with oversize lapels, hovered in the $300 to $600 range. Meanwhile, West Hollywood boutique Arcade by Rochelle Gores has picked up the line, where it’ll soon share rack space with labels like Alexis Mabille, Kimberly Ovitz, and Erdem. That might be enough for most designers looking for kicks, but not Jordan. “I climbed Macchu Picchu about two months ago, and I’ve got a marathon coming up,” she said. “I guess I do like a little bit of a rush every now and then.”
The rebozo, a traditional shawl immortalized by Frida Kahlo, is a staple in any Mexican woman’s wardrobe. Thus, it was a likely starting point for designer Francesca Bonato’s accessories line, Hacienda Montaecristo (Bonato owns the trendy Mexican getaway spot the Coqui Coqui Hotel in Tulum, with her husband, model Nicolas Malleville). Since not everyone can escape to Coqui Coqui, where her pieces are on display at the in-hotel shop, Bonato is in New York tonight—her first time ever showing here—to present some of her latest wares as part of the L-Atitude Mexico City Collection launch (which also includes designs from Anndra Neen and Dezso by Sara Beltrán), of which the centerpiece is the rebozo. Style.com has the exclusive first look at some of the Hacienda Montaecristo items, which are handmade in the Mayan Rivera, included in the L’Atitude Mexico City offerings. The full collection officially launches tomorrow on the site and new Hacienda Montaecristo rebozos will be added throughout the week.
