Diane von Furstenberg
Transom Week In Review: Gay Talese, Michael Musto, and 'Dee-ahhn' von Eff
We talked mob money with writer Gay Talese at the screening of Gomorrah.
After months of speculation, we got to the bottom of Marquee's temporary summer shutdown.
We tallied gifts, drank absinthe, and chatted with godfather Michael Musto at nightlife heir Liam McMullan's 21st birthday party.
Russell Crowe got a little testy at the Body of Lies premiere--par for the course, we suppose.
We partied with Diane von Furstenberg, Tory Burch, Fern Mallis, Martha Stewart and Rory and Elie Tahari as the CFDA welcomed its newest members.
New CFDA Members Hope Their Customers Will Stick Around
On Tuesday evening, the bi-level roof of Elie and Rory Tahari's enviable Prince Street apartment was turned into a rooftop lounge with couches, bottle service, and a DJ station for a Council of Fashion Designers of America party welcoming 28 new members.
"I think it's been 10 months since we've begun planning this!" said Mr. Tahari. “It's always great to welcome new members into the community. I tell them how lucky they are because they are young and have a lot of opportunities available to them in the industry." The new members were pinned with floral boutonnieres instead of name tags so that everyone would know who they were.
The party was scheduled from 7 to 9pm; everyone could, therefore, get home in time to at least catch a part of the presidential debate. (CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg must have been looking forward to the debate, since she arrived and left in what seemed like a matter of minutes.) read more »
Diane von Furstenberg Channels Her Inner Wonder Woman, But Do Superheroes 'Work' In Fashion?
The fashion world has recently become fascinated with superheroes of the Batman, Spiderman, and Superman variety. This year the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art chose a superhero theme for its annual gala; Anna Wintour wore a silver Chanel extraterrestrial gown. Even socialite Denise Wohl, mother of Arden, started a comic book company, Intrinsic Comics, last year with former Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief James Shooter.
Now designer Diane von Furstenberg is getting ready to launch her holiday collection inspired by Wonder Woman, perhaps hoping that superheroes will bring the same kind of sales to a clothing line as they did to feature films. She's even authored a comic book, “Be the Wonder Woman You Can Be, Featuring the Adventures of Diva, Viva & Fifa," illustrated by artist Konstantin Kakanias. The comic will feature inspirational stories about three women as they discover their "inner Wonder Woman," all while wearing DVF designs. read more »
Thakoon Panichgul, Peter Som, Erin Fetherston Say Sometimes, Lateness is Unavoidable
the Thakoon show on Monday.
Yesterday, we issued some tardies to the designers who continue to struggle to begin their shows on time. (Even Diane von Furstenberg, the issuer of the original pleading letter asking designers to be punctual, got one!)
Since then we've learned that Carolina Herrera nearly lost her mind when Renee Zellweger showed up over 25 minutes late to her Monday morning show. And Monday's 1 p.m. Thakoon show was reportedly held up for 57 minutes due to Kanye West’s late arrival. read more »
Wherein We Hand Out 'Tardies'; DVF Disrespects Own Start Time Edict
Over the summer, Council of Fashion Designers of America president Diane von Furstenberg sent letters to Fashion Week designers beseeching them to start their shows on time this fall, rather than offer the traditional wait of 40 to 45 minutes.
Ms. von Furstenberg’s edict—coupled with Marc Jacobs’ shocking, almost arrogantly prompt 20-minutes-late start last season, following criticism levied at his more-than-two-hours-tardy start a year ago—raised the possibility of a seismic shift in Fashion Week start times.
Alas, it hasn’t occurred. The Yigal Azrouel show in Chelsea on Friday, Sept. 5, was scheduled for noon, but the lights went down at 12:34. At Rag & Bone later that day, opening model Sasha Pivovarova stalked angrily down the catwalk at 4:36 p. read more »
Anna Wintour's Fund-Raiser for Obama, Round 2
show last February.
On June 17, Anna Wintour co-hosted a fund-raiser for Barack Obama with Andre Leon Talley, Calvin Klein and Michelle Obama followed by an $10,000-per-head dinner at Mr. Klein's home.
Now, with New York Fashion Week approaching, Ms. Wintour has roped in Sarah Jessica Parker to help with a second fund-raiser on Sept. 9 at Charles Nolan's West 27th Street studio, according to British Vogue.
In the spirit of Fashion Week, the fund-raiser will include a mini-fashion show, with designs donated by Diane von Furstenberg, Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, Proenza Schouler, and Narciso Rodriguez making their way down the runway. read more »
Morning Memo: Whitney Port's Already Working for DVF; Pirates Attack a Real Estate Investor's Yacht; Samantha Ronson's New Book
party last Friday.
The Hills' Whitney Port may have already started her new job working as in-house PR for Diane von Furstenberg. [NY Daily News]
Gotham magazine editor and socialite Cristina Greeven Cuomo is reportedly next in line to make an appearance on Gossip Girl. [P6]
Jonathan Leitersdorf--real-estate investor and former owner of Noho's Sky Studios, an 11,000 square foot event space where the Seinfelds got married and several episodes of Sex and the City were shot--owns a 178-foot yacht that was just attacked by pirates off the coast of Corsica. The men were carrying "rifles and guns" and made off with $200,000 in cash, jewelry, and art work. read more »
Fashion Roundup: New Job for Whitney Port; Anna Sui Wants to Save the Garment District; Gemma Ward Isn't Retiring
The Hills' Whitney Port will reportedly leave Kelly Cutrone's fashion PR and production company People's Revolution during the current season of The Hills; she may depart for Diane von Furstenberg as the label's in-house PR rep. And the cameras might follow. [The Cut, Fashionista]
Anna Sui has designed a T-shirt that says "Save the Garment District" with e-mails and names of New York officials on the back to raise awareness about the struggle of companies to stay in business in the neighborhood. [Vogue UK]
Patrick Robinson has brought khaki back to The Gap. [NY Times]
Gemma Ward is not retiring to pursue a full-time acting career as was read more »
Fashion Roundup: Justin Timberlake's Fashion Week Plans; Zara Outdoes The Gap; Diane von Furstenberg's New Job
Justin Timberlake will perform twice during Fashion Week—once for the Fashion Rocks show, and once more at the Roseland Ballroom during a showing of his own collection. [WWD]
Zara has officially beat out The Gap as the world's largest fashion retailer. [Guardian]
A preview of Comme des Garcons's line for H&M, which will hit stores in November, is now available. [The Cut]
Meet the Ronsons dressed up as the Royal Tenenbaums. [Harper's Bazaar]
Diane von Furstenberg is the new celebrity columnist for travel magazine Departures. [Vogue UK]
Tiffany and Co. has filed an appeal in federal court of the court's ruling last month that eBay is not to be held accountable for trademark infrigement on the Tiffany brand. read more »
Morning Memo: A-Rod Donates to Madonna's Charity; Princess Michael Gets Mad at a Blogger
Great Britian's Princess Michael of Kent is angry with New York Social Diary blogger David Patrick Columbia over his report that her husband, Prince Michael, was seen out with another woman. [P6]
New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez will reportedly donate at least $500,000 to Madonna's charity, Raising Malawi. [TMZ]
read more »
Fashion Roundup: Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone's Vacation with Kate Moss; Eva Mendes' Topless Ad
.jpg "Marc Jacobs and Lorenzo Martone.")
Marc Jacobs and boyfriend Lorenzo Martone—whom we still think are not married—vacationed in Ibiza with Kate Moss and her mom, Linda. Ms. Moss's daughter, Lila Grace, was on hand to snap the party photos. [Fashionologie via The Cut]
Diane von Furstenberg is teaming up with the Andy Warhol Foundation to create a resort 2008 and pre-spring 2009 collections of swimwear and other pieces featuring the artist's prints. [WWD]
Eva Mendes is pleased that her topless video ad for Calvin Klein has been banned in the U.S. (And yes, click through to see the titillating video.) [The Sun] read more »
Fashion News Round-Up: Donatella's Gala; Von Furstenberg's Administration; Beyoncé's Sister
Donatella Versace has announced that she'll sponsor the Whitney Museum's 2008 Gala on October 20th, and will collaborate with Julian Schnabel, Marc Quinn and Wangechi Mutu on creating three pieces of jewelry to be auctioned during the event. [WWD]
Diane von Furstenberg was re-elected as the president of the Council of the Fashion Designers of America. [WWD]
Beyoncé's sister, Solange Knowles, is now an Ambassador for Armani Jeans. [Vogue UK]
Warner Brothers is producing a Supergirl-themed contemporary line designed by New York power trio Shoshanna Lonstein Gruss, Alice Roi and Abaete designer Laura Poretzky. [WWD]
Someone at Elle might get fired for air-brushing Jessica Simpson to the point of non-recognition. [The Cut]
Architecture Enthusiasts Crowd Gehry Buiding for MAS Awards
Livable-city activists celebrated the latest, coolest additions to the city’s urban landscape on Thursday inside the stark white interior of Frank Gehry’s first building in New York City, the IAC headquarters on 11th Avenue.
The occasion was the Municipal Art Society’s 2008 MASterwork Awards, which, according to the program, “honor the year’s top projects for their excellence in architecture and urban design, and their contribution to New York’s built environment.”
A motley assortment of New York bold-faced names showed up for the event, including Diane Von Furstenberg, there to receive a Best Historic Preservation award for the DVF Studio Headquarters at 440 West 14th Street in the Meatpacking District.
So did developer extraordinaire Jerry Speyer, who served on the awards committee and who presented the Best Building awards; and Ann Buttenwieser, who accepted a Best Neighborhood Catalyst award for her Floating Pool Lady, that pool-in-a-barge parked last summer at the foot of Brooklyn Heights. read more »
Who's on Von Furstenberg? Power Matrons Pick Up Plaques, Peck at Parfaits With Padma
On the afternoon of Monday, April 7, the Grand Ballroom at the Waldorf-Astoria filled with the clicking of heels and an array of expensive scents as the New York Women in Communications presented their Matrix Awards, this year honoring Good Morning America’s Robin Roberts, Gourmet editor in chief Ruth Reichl read more »
Diane von Furstenberg: New Face of AmEx
This morning, American Express announced that fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg will be the new face of the company’s major forthcoming advertising campaign. The commercial, which was directed by Bennett Miller (Capote), is scheduled to air during the Academy Awards on Sunday, Feb 24. Accompanying the television spots will be a print campaign photographed by Annie Leibovitz. read more »
Diane von Furstenberg Show Colorful, in More Ways Than One
At some runway shows, the style of the tall, blow-dried fashion editors in the front row eclipses that of the actual models, who wear severe hairstyles and clothing that, for all its value in advancing new silhouette(s) for fall, is often not anything you’d actually want to wear.
Diane Von Furstenberg’s packed show at the Tents on Sunday, Feb. 4 was a notable exception, full of skirts and jackets in bright patterns and chunky textures, elbow-length gloves, and cool retro hats, all exuding a kind of sexy-librarian-in-Rio vibe. read more »
Project Runway Alum Daniel Vosovic Makes Cute Bags, Chronicles Design Process
Remember Daniel Vosovic from the second season of Project Runway? Well, the 26-year-old budding designer has been keeping very busy since his successful stint on the Bravo reality show (he won five design challenges). He may have lots of balls in the air, but when it comes to starting his own fashion label, Mr. Vosovic is nothing but slow and cautious.
“Right after the show, I really had to make a decision of what to do,” he told us, before recalling a conversation he had with himself. ‘“Do I want to start a collection or work for someone else? No, I need more experience.’ So I’ve been working on the foundation of what my future company will be. I’m working with my management team now on the launch for my signature line,” he said, adding that the line should launch in about a year and a half. In the meantime, he’s been collaborating with a new hotel chain called NYLO, designing a collection of uniforms for the staff.
Continue reading after the jump. read more »
The Transom
The Transom
Von Furstenberg Flagship: $2.75 M. Less
Inside Diane and Barry's home.
That's $2.75 million less than they were being offered last January, as reported in The Observer. Also, the listing has changed hands too: It's now being offered by Peter McCuen, of Peter McCuen & Associates, rather than Brown Harris Stevens. read more »
Of course, Ms. Von Furstenberg hasn't owned the properties since October 2004, when she sold them for $21 million to Coalco International, which is run by Vassily Anisimov (father of tabloid-mainstay, Anna). However, the West Village downzoning thwarted Coalco's plans to develop the site.
- Michael CalderoneWhere's The Beef?
Now, fashionista friendly.
Now, Taconic Investment Partners has purchased the 60,000-square-foot development in the Meatpacking District, and has some big plans, according to a release.
Taconic has received approval from the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission for a complete renovation of the property, including a new 8,000-square-foot penthouse, which will also have approximately 4,000 square feet of terrace space. Taconic has hired architects Cook + Fox to manage this restoration.
Not surprisingly, Robert K. Futterman--who recently bought his own pied-a-terre nearby--was hired as the building's retail leasing agent. read more »
And speaking of retail space in the Meatpacking District, the New York Times has plenty more today on the subject.
- Michael CalderoneVon Furstenberg's Folly
Diane von Furstenberg
While community boards serve in a strictly advisory capacity, the L.P.C. (and other city agencies) do listen to their input. The L.P.C. told Ms. von Furstenberg to go before the board before applying for a certificate of appropriateness again. Because the two buildings are in the Gansevoort Market Historic District, the L.P.C. must approve the plans. read more »
Ms. von Furstenberg bought the properties in 2004 from meat wholesaler Gachot & Gachot for $10.5 million. She intends to convert them into a complex with theaters, event spaces, offices and an enclosed roof space, according to The Villager.
-Matthew GraceEditorials
B.S.A. Gives the Nod
Yesterday, the Board of Standards and Appeals gave the go-ahead to continue construction on an eight-story residential development at 163 Charles Street in the far West Village.
The neighborhood was recently down-zoned after a concerted push by area residents and activist groups, most notably the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.
GVSHP executive director Andrew Berman has been at the forefront of many battles around the nabe; after the down-zoning, he's been trying stop projects that were conspicuously started right before the height limits went into effect. But with limited success.
Artist Julien Schnabel just received a pass to continue construction on his 12-story tower on West 11th Street; Diane von Furstenberg's former studio and residence at 387-91 West 12th Street, which was sold for $21 million to Coalco, a Russian-owned development company, was slated to be the site of a 150-foot Christian de Portzamparc-designed glass-box tower. That project is in limbo.
163 Charles is just east of the three Richard Meier-designed towers that started the rush to build--and limit the height of--new buildings in the neighborhood. read more »
-Matthew GraceThis Is A Story About Julian and Diane
Julian Schnabel, Diane von Furstenberg, and downtown developers Ira Druker and Richard Born are crossing swords with Greenwich Village preservationists (and possibly the city) over plans to build tall, luxurious condo buildings.
What if the MTA's bid to float bonds to cover new projects like the Second Avenue Subway fails again? Experts think 30 percent of the vote on Election Day, statewide, will have to come from New York City for the act to pass, since everyone upstate will vote against it. “We’re concerned about the fact that if the Mayor is so far ahead, maybe people won’t come out to vote, period,” A.J. Castelbuono, who spent $3 million on the last failed bond-act measure, told Matthew Schuerman. read more » It's A Chatte fight As Novelist Levy Nips Carla Bruni
It’s A Chattefight As Novelist Levy Nips Carla Bruni
It’s Fashion Wake
Tragedy Strikes At Diane von Furstenberg; At Least Two Injured
At least two people, preliminary reports indicate, were injured. read more »
No word yet on whether show attendee Paris Hilton was among the injured.
The Transom ran into Ms. von Furstenberg at St. Vincent's hospital after the show. She expressed her shock and dismay at the incident.Friday Morning Round-Up
The New York Times reports that a judge failed to block the sale of 2 Columbus Circle yesterday to the Museum of Arts and Design. Preservation group Landmark West has been fighting the sale and trying to get landmark status for the Edward Durell Stone-designed building for some time now. We've got a feeling that this won't be the end of it.
The Sun reports that the new owners of Diane von Furstenburg's two Greenwich Village buildings will meet next week with neighborhood groups to try to get their support for a variance to new zoning laws. Russian heiress and former model Anna Anisimova purchased the buildings on West 12th Street last year on behalf of Coalco International, a company owned by Vasily Anismov, her millionaire father.
Reps are set to meet with Andrew Berman, executive director of the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, and members of Community Board 2 to discuss the possibility of support for an upzoning to the property. Under the new zoning, which is due to go into effect later this year, a building can't be over 80 feet; currently, a building can be up to 15 stories tall. The GVSHP has been fighting for this rezoning tooth and nail, so Ms. Anisimova's reps better have silver tongues.
Newsday picks up an AP wire story that belies the real-estate-bubble-burst talk we've been hearing so much of lately. Toll Brothers Inc., a national luxury-home builder, had earnings double in the third quarter of 2005.
- Matthew Grace read more » What Sort Of Man Reads Playboy?
Research, of course! According to Heather Patt, senior account executive for Tracy Paul & Company, Inc., such men desire to become familiar with these sort of products so that they might later purchase them as gifts. For their wives.
"Men buy a lot of lingerie," said Ms. Patt, whose company organized the Felina and Jezebel fashion show and a party afterwards at Frederick's Bar and Grill on West 58th Street last week.
Guests were hesitant to discuss their motivations for attending the underground party. A staircase carpeted in red led the way down to the subtle dirtiness. The drinks were very much not free—the bartender responded to a request for a glass of water with a definite "no".
One PepsiCo employee seemed slightly offended when it was suggested that he might have come to the event to see half-naked women. Instead, he said, he was "just here to have a little fun."
He then encouraged the Transom to make the acquaintance of his friend, claiming that such an introduction would be greatly pleasing to said friend. The friend seemed wholly uninterested, but: "You just made his night," claimed the fellow.
A woman in a sky-blue sheath dress said she worked in "real estate." She did a little grinding with a man lingering by a Lehman Bros. briefcase. The deejay spun some fairly earthy tunes for their dirty dancing; Earth Wind & Fire's "September" and Ludacris' "What's Your Fantasy?".
A suited fellow approached a delicate blond woman. He said, "You're very beautiful." She thanked him. He said, "Can I take you home tonight?" She declined the invitation. After he walked away, she sighed. "He cut right to the chase, " she said. "At least that was over quickly."
Only one individual stood out in the sea of suits and silk camisoles, and that individual was Willy Mrasek, a designer for Felina and Jezebel. His all-black ensemble, complete with combat boots, set off his Kool-Aid-red hair. He introduced himself as simply "Willy". When asked to spell his name, he specified that it was with a ‘Y'. Silence. "You don't want my last name, do you?" he asked.
Mr. Mrasek described the Jezebel spring/summer 2005 line as "Betty Page meets Ann-Margret." The vaguely pin-up, very push-up bras in pink and black, often trimmed with ribbons and/or rosettes, did suggest a meeting of the bondage enthusiast with the go-go girl. Felina's new line, Mr. Mrasek said, was, however, inspired by "Diane von Furstenberg circa 1980." read more »
Mr. Mrasek referred to a photo of the queen of wrap dresses on a bed in the Seychelles, describing the feeling of the picture as "luxe but casual." The brunette model they chose for the front cover of the Jezebel mini-catalog is, in fact, absolutely reminiscent of Ms. von Furstenberg herself, circa the libidinous mid-70's; eyes set wide, defiant, all sass and chest forward. —Anna Lindow
