Vintage Shopping Just Got a Whole Lot Easier

Current/Elliott is taking the guesswork (and legwork) out of scouring flea markets and antique shops. Loved and Found, a new editorial concept that launches today, makes a vintage score as easy as the click of a mouse. For the launch, Current/Elliott CEO and creative director Serge Azria teamed up with Taylor Tomasi Hill and her husband, Chase Hill, to curate their own special capsule of pieces. A first look at their selection debuts exclusively here.

“We wanted to curate a unique shopping experience for our customers, a platform to share our passion for denim and all things vintage,” Azria told Style.com. “I automatically thought of Taylor—she has the ability to know what’s cool before it’s cool. As both a tastemaker and style influencer, I trust her eye, as well as Chase’s, to find covetable items both new and old.”

“Serge has a distinctive eye, and I know what he’s looking to offer the Current/Elliott customer,” Tomasi Hill said. “The goal was to find loved items at attainable prices so anyone and everyone can find something special.” Tomasi Hill, whose résumé includes accessories director at Marie Claire; creative director of Moda Operandi; and, most recently, working on her floral company, TTH Blooms, has been honing her vintage skills since she was a teenager. “I started back in college at the Salvation Army stores all over Brooklyn,” she said. “I got pretty addicted to searching for the needle in the haystack, and once I found that gem, I wore it out.”

Clothes as Personal History at Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster’s First U.S. Show

We mostly know about how the appearance of art has influenced fashion in moments like the Mondrian dress by Yves Saint Laurent in 1965, or more recently when Raf Simons and Sterling Ruby collaborated on an actual men’s collection.

On the other hand, what we rarely see is how fashion can influence the work of an artist. The conceptual wearable sculptures of Franz Erhard Walther and Yoko Ono’s “Cut Piece” performance in the sixties come to mind, but Dominique Gonzalez-Foerster’s first U.S. show, Euqinimod & Costumes, might be the most detailed artistic experience of fashion yet.

The show is an archeological account of her own wardrobe and how each piece of clothing displayed relates to another experience in her own personal and artistic history. (The show includes clothing from her childhood.) The fashion items are recontextualized as part of a journey into the artist’s biographical narrative: Comme des Garçons for the eighties, Maison Martin Margiela for the nineties, and, of course, Balenciaga for the 2000s (Gonzalez-Foerster has been a longtime friend and collaborator of then-designer Nicolas Ghesquière, notably designing the Los Angeles and Paris store).

Christian Dior in Black, White, and Color

Christian Dior may have been reserved in person, but he left volumes of quotable lines about his work. One example: “Black and white could be enough.” Apt for this particular season, and also for the Christian Dior Museum in Granville, Normandy, where it is writ large on the wall at the exhibition Dior: The Legendary Images: Great Photographers and Dior, open through September 21.

“Museums are almost replacing books. [An exhibition is] like a living book, and that’s especially true for [ones about] fashion,” noted the show’s curator, Florence Müller (Though it should be note that Rizzoli has released a book corresponding with the show, and the tome is pretty impressive in and of itself.) “What’s beautiful about fashion photography is that beyond an iconic piece like the Bar jacket, you have the makeup, the look, and all the refinement of a time that makes you dream. In the end, it’s like a film. It’s magnified beauty.”

Christian Pellizzari Wins Armani’s Support

Giorgio Armani has announced today that Christian Pellizzari is the next designer he will sponsor to show at Armani Teatro in Milan come September. Pellizzari is an alum of the Vionnet team and launched his eponymous menswear line in 2011, adding a women’s range for Spring ’14. This move speaks to Armani’s faith in (and continued efforts to reinvigorate) Milan fashion week: the Teatro Armani blessing has brought the attention of the press to other young designers, such as Haitian-Italian Stella Jean, who showed her barnstorming debut in the Tadao Ando-designed space last year; Andrea Pompilio; Au Jour Le Jour; and Julian Zigerli.

The Art Fair Survival Kit: Remedy Hangovers, Dead iPhones, and Bad Breath

Art fairs like Frieze are glamorous occasions for wealthy collectors and casual browsers of fine art, but for the gallery directors and sales teams working the show floor, it can be a grueling experience—exhausting days filled with endless banter and always being “on” despite having a skull-splitting hangover from last night’s parties. For those poor souls, Alexandra Chemla, the 27-year-old founder of ArtBinder, has dreamed up this Art Fair Survival Kit, debuting here today exclusively on Style.com. The limited-edition kit, done in collaboration with the artist Deborah Kass, premieres for Frieze Art Fair 2014 at Fivestory. All proceeds from the sale of the kits will go to Free Arts NYC, which promotes arts education to underserved children and families. Among the goodies you’ll find inside: blister Band-Aids, Listerine breath strips, an iPhone charger, Kiehl’s lip balm and eye cream, Purell, Advil, and—for those who can find time for sleep—a Kass-designed “Enough Already” eye mask.

West Hollywood Upholds Ban on Fur

If you live in West Hollywood, fur is not in your future. WWD reports that a federal court has upheld the ban of fur apparel, a ruling that was first enforced back in 2011. West Hollywood retailer Mayfair House challenged the ordinance as being unconstitutional, but chief judge George H. King of the United States District Court for the Central District of California dismissed the claim. He reasoned that West Hollywood’s intent to “promote community awareness of animal welfare, foster the city’s goal to be a community that cares about animal welfare, and further the city’s reputation as a cruelty-free zone for animals” by banning fur sales was a “legitimate interest.”

The ordinance could have severe implications for businesses. The Fur Information Council of America has estimated that more than half of the retailers in West Hollywood will lose sales as a result. The ban doesn’t just limit the sale of super-luxe coats—it includes any apparel item with fur fibers attached, like shearling and calfskin.

The ruling would have a little more clout if it applied to retailers across the board—not just clothing. As it stands, home design stores can still sell fur rugs, yet the Balenciaga boutique won’t be able to stock any of the fur sweatshirts from Fall ’14. However, it’s independent retailers that will really take the hit. They don’t have the luxury of stocking their fur pieces at additional locations around the world. Fur is a difficult—and emotional—subject. But whether you’re for or against it, it’s worth considering: In this economy, is stunting the growth of small businesses really the best move? We’ll soon find out.

Abercrombie Bows to Activist Investor Engaged With New Directors

NEW YORK, United States — Abercrombie & Fitch Co. named four new independent directors to its board after forging a truce with activist investor Engaged Capital LLC, which had sought a management shakeup at the teen retail chain.

Hudson’s Bay Co. Vice Chair Bonnie Brooks, ex-Ralph Lauren executive Sarah Gallagher, Fossil Group Inc. director Diane Neal and Ernst & Young LLP veteran Stephanie Shern will be nominated for election to the board, according to a statement today. Four current members won’t stand for re-election, leaving the 12- person board with 11 independent directors.

“Our new director nominees each bring strong and relevant backgrounds,” Arthur Martinez, nonexecutive chairman of the New Albany, Ohio-based company, said in the statement. “These actions will further enhance the board and management team’s focus, including strengthening the business, executing on the company’s strategic plans and succession planning.”

Victoria’s Secret Sports Bras Selling Slower Than Expected

NEW YORK, United States — An effort by Victoria’s Secret to make the sports bra sexy is taking longer than expected.

The lingerie chain, part of L Brands Inc., last year rolled out a new line of sports bras, including push-up varieties that let women show off their cleavage at the gym. The move was part of an increasing focus on activewear clothes, such as butt- enhancing workout pants and training shorts.

So far, though, sales haven’t met the company’s initial ambitions. Victoria’s Secret ordered too many sports bras in the summer and fall of 2013 than it could sell, leaving it with excess inventory, Chief Financial Officer Stuart Burgdoerfer said this week at an event in New York. Even so, the retailer expects to sell the bras without marking them down, he said.

“We bought enough to hit a home run, but we hit about a double or a triple,” Burgdoerfer said at the Barclays Retail and Consumer Discretionary Conference. “We have grown that business very nicely, but we bought a lot of sports bras.”

Pratt Honors the Past and the Present

“We all started here,” related designer Byron Lars of his experience studying at the Pratt Institute. “Up all night, working tirelessly on your collection—your first collection—the first one that anybody in the industry will actually view. It’s a really big thing.” Lars and the legendary Stephen Burrows were honored by Pratt in a ceremony just before the annual Pratt student fashion show yesterday at Center548 in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood.

“To be awarded for [something that I feel is a privilege every day]—it’s like, that feels really wrong!” exclaimed Lars upon receiving his Fashion Visionary Award from longtime friend and fan Angela Bassett. (“Uptown they call it swag. Downtown, struts. But up the way where I’m from, they say, ‘I’m feelin’ myself,’” said Bassett of what it means to wear Lars’ colorful creations.)

Alexa Chung, Calvin Klein, and FIT Salute the Future of Fashion

Last night’s Future of Fashion Show at the Fashion Institute of Technology was as good an indicator as any that comfort is still women’s top priority. This year’s graduating fashion design students opted for more loopy knits, boxy sweatshirts, and spongy neoprene coats than we could count, while also experimenting with 3-D printing, hand knits, and luxe fur. It Brit and style icon Alexa Chung was tapped to host the event, which was sponsored by Calvin Klein Inc. and the Calvin Klein Family Foundation. An FIT alum, Klein recently gifted $2 million to the program.

The show included approximately eighty-five looks and was live-streamed to FIT campuses all over the world. A front row packed with designers and industry leaders likely inspired a few butterflies backstage— Klein, Francisco Costa, Rebecca Minkoff, and Anya Ziourova were all in attendance.

“I knew it would be good, but I didn’t know it would be that good,” Chung told Style.com after the show. “I thought Sarah Conlon’s silvery-gold pleated skirt [above, left] was brilliant.” She wasn’t the only fan. Minkoff selected Conlon as her Critic Award winner in sportswear. Another standout look was Grace Cox’s neon-pink sweater coat, which featured a thick, intricate weave and frayed edges. It earned Cox the Best Use of Color Award by Siempre Mujer‘s editor in chief, Maria Cristina Marrero. A slew of ethereal lingerie pieces also drew praise from the crowd. Danielle Ortiz won the Critic Award in intimate apparel for her sheer, vintage-inspired bodysuit crafted from creamy lace and blue satin. As for the cutest moment of the night? The parade of kids who stepped out for the children’s wear category, red balloons in hand. Their miniature fur coats, doll-like dresses, and fringed vests looked like they were plucked from our fall wish list.

Art and Commerce: On Christopher Bailey’s New Dual Role at Burberry

This week Christopher Bailey officially assumed his joint position as both chief creative and chief executive officer of Burberry. The move has been hailed as revolutionary in some quarters. It’s rare for someone from the design side of things to be given so much responsibility for business decisions. But in fact this turn of events speaks more to evolution than revolution. It’s a reflection of the way that the role of the creative director has changed in the last decade. The notion of the designer as an artistic genius who spins brilliant collections from his own turbulent emotions and who flourishes best with a fierce protector at his side (Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé being the obvious paradigm) exists only in the memory. Or on the screen—two new YSL biopics are being released this year.

Today, fashion is big business on such a global scale that creative directors are expected to have as much of a grasp of the bottom line as of a hemline. Bailey, a talented designer who also happens to be levelheaded and exceptionally well-organized, is more in the mold of a Ralph Lauren, less focused on inventing a new silhouette than in keeping a brand both consistent and constantly refreshed. It’s not that monumental a leap for him to take control of the balance sheets. In other words, there are no more ivory towers. Hedi Slimane, to my mind an artist, is also incredibly disciplined and clear-eyed about the strategic direction of Saint Laurent as a whole. Nicolas Ghesquière’s debut at Louis Vuitton, meanwhile, seemed to suggest he has an eye on reality as well as experimentation. One of the reasons the young New York designers who emerged in the last five years have stolen a march on their contemporaries in Europe is that they have a well-defined sense of where they fit in the commercial space. But even in London, once the bastion of wayward visionaries and even more wayward bank balances, the talk is of how fledgling labels are setting themselves up to succeed as real businesses. When Natalie Massenet took over as chairman of the British Fashion Council, one of her first acts, I’ve been told, was to limit the champagne intake at the London Showrooms event in Paris. At this seasonal showcase, which allows a group of emerging British designers to present their wares to visiting press and buyers, it used to be that the bubbly would start pouring at 10 a.m. and by noon the process of writing down orders had become somewhat hazy. These days they wait till 5 p.m. to pop the cork.