Kate Spade Found Dead From Suicide in New York Apartment
Sadly, handbag and accessories designer Kate Spade was found dead from suicide at her apartment in New York early in the week. Her name is synonymous with her line of popular handbags, which she introduced to the world in the 1993 with great success. Spade is said to have suffered from depression and anxiety which ultimately led to her untimely death. Though her husband and business partner Andy Spade told the New York Times, “There was no indication and no warning that she would do this. It was a complete shock. And it clearly wasn’t her.” The Spades sold a 56 percent stake of their company in 1999 and the rest in 2006 to Neiman Marcus. It is now owned by Tapestry, Inc.
Alexander Wang Goes Shows Off-season at South Street Seaport and Saint Laurent Menswear Circles Back to New York, 1978
Alexander Wang presented his off-season Spring 2019 RTW collection in New York at the South Street Seaport. The looks offered were credited to a family road trip, immigration and his growing up articulated through decidedly Axel Rose-esque Route 66 wares, sometimes novelties, sometimes actually ready to wear. Anthony Vaccarello fashion showed his Yves Saint Laurent menswear collection backdropped by an impressive, gleaming Manhattan skyline–the first time the brand has shown in New York (though technically it was shown in New Jersey to achieve that view) since Yves launched his Opium fragrance with a party at the South Street Seaport in 1978. The show aptly concluded with an afterparty on a ferry. The collection paired well with Manhattan nighttime codes of dress–black, leather, glitter, a soupçon of grit and disco-driven all, of course with French sensibilities.
Proenza Schouler to Return to New York in September
Designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez of Proenza Schouler announced via Instagram they would be returning their show to New York come September. They have shown their two previous collections during Paris Couture amidst some designers bowing out of NYFW to show in Paris. Their return to the schedule could signal a needed upturn for the fashion week. On their Instagram they wrote, “In today’s world, when, where, and how one shows can be looser and more fluid than ever and so for now, NY is our home once again,” continuing, “Looking forward to heading back home now and being a part of NYFW in September, where it all began.” [WWD]
Albert Watson Shoots the 2019 Pirelli Calendar
The honor of shooting the Pirelli calendar is a distinction that joins you amongst the photographic elite with past alumni like Richard Avedon, Steven Meisel, Tim Walker, Annie Leibovitz, and Peter Lindbergh shooting the exclusively distributed. Scottish photographer and Models.com contributor, Albert Watson, joins the hearty list, declaring he has shot the 2019’s Pirelli across the USA this past April.
And the Winner of LVMH Prize is…Doublet!
Masayuki Ino’s Doublet beats out a record number of applicants to grab LVMH’s top prize offered to young designers. The Japanese designer will receive €300,000 in prize money and a year-long mentorship with LVMH executives, the conglomerate luxury group that boasts portfolio ownership of Celine, Dior, Givenchy, and of course, Louis Vuitton. The special prize and €150,000 was awarded to runner-up South Korean designer Rok Hwang and his brand, Rokh. Past winners and finalists have been brought into the LVMH fold like Grace Wales Bonner, Simon Porte Jacquemus, Virgil Abloh of Off-White appointed as the menswear designer at Louis Vuitton, and Yoon Ahn of Ambush joining Dior Homme as its jewelry designer.
The CFDA Handed Out Annual Honors
The CFDA celebrated winners as it gave out its annual awards to fashion’s most influential at the Brooklyn Museum. Those who went home happy ranged from Raf Simons for his Calvin Klein womenswear, to James Jebbia of Supreme, to Naomi Campbell as a fashion icon to Kim Kardashian West as an influencer. Some have observed the disparate nature of the respective winners to be telling prophetic of the ambiguous future of the an existentially-unclear industry. Others who took away honors were Edward Enninful (Media Award) and Donatella Versace (International Award).
