On this day in fashion history

In 2011, Karl Lagerfeld announced he was to launch a new, affordable womenswear label, entitled Karl, which was to go on sale exclusively on NET-A-PORTER.COM.

“It’s my today’s taste and style and a reflection of how I think a great number of people would like to be dressed now,I just want not too expensive clothes that people may like and perhaps want to wear. That was my concept for a long time, but my business partners in the past wanted to be like Chanel or Fendi without putting behind what is needed to be like that.”

The 100-piece range featured evening and daywear, including timeless black dresses with plunging backs, silver jeans and vest tops. “We are thrilled and proud to be the exclusive partner for the launch of KARL,” said NET-A-PORTER.COM founder and executive chairman Natalie Massenet. “From the moment we saw the collection we were hooked.”

**Image source: vogue.co.uk

On this day in fashion history

In 2009, Vogue cover girl and rock daughter Georgia May Jagger became the new face of Rimmel London. The cosmetic company, which counts Kate Moss, Lily Cole and Sophie Ellis-Bextor among its spokespeople, also signed Coco Rocha alongside Jagger for the spring/summer 2010 campaign.

“We needed a wider palette of faces to show the makeup results of our new products,” Stephen Mormoris, senior vice president of global marketing at Coty Beauty, adding that Jagger was chosen because she is “edgy, experimental and provocative.”

 

**Image source: sandiinthecity.onsugar.com

On this day in fashion history

In 2009, it was announced that artists agency Art + Commerce had signed designer-turned-photographer Hedi Slimane to its books.

Things had been all quiet on the fashion front for Slimane since he left Dior Homme the previous year and, despite persistent rumours that he was in talks with various labels, nothing had materialised. When asked about his future plans in July of the same year, he maintained: “It’s a secret.”

Three years later he was appointed creative director of Yves Saint Laurent, replacing Stefano Pilati.

**Image:mediamodemusic.com

On this day in fashion history

In 2003, Heidi Klum broke the $8 million Victoria’s Secret bra she was wearing on the set of Jay Leno’s Tonightshow.

The supermodel walked on wearing the diamond-studded bra and matching $3 million knickers under her clothes and was due to strip off later in the show. However, halfway through her interview, she suddenly looked shocked and announced, “I think my bra has broken.” Jay and Heidi’s fellow guest, comedian Martin Short, both offered their jackets to cover the model up and tried in vain to fix the bra but the programme was forced to cut to an ad break while the problem was solved.

Eventually, once Heidi was strapped back into the bra with sticky tape, she was able to perform the striptease.

**Image: modelinia.com

On this day in fashion history

In 2009, Marc Jacobs compared the modern representation of fashion to a “spectator sport”, following a season in which designers showed collections live on the internet, Tweeted secrets pre-show and released backstage films of their collections being made – but denies the practices make fashion more accessible.

Any behind-the-scenes look is always telling of the fact that these are all real people doing real jobs and who work really hard. Again, I don’t know that that makes the end result more accessible. It just makes the ideas more accessible.”

On this day in fashion history

In 2010, self-confessed hoarder Paul Smith revealed his wife and assistants were conspiring to help his organise his life. “The other day, my wife whispered to my assistant: ‘Colette, you have to do something about his room. It’s becoming a disease!’” said the designer, whose Covent Garden office could be found bursting with books, paintings, wooden animals, kitsch Japanese robots and sports memorabilia.

“The sheer volume of items I receive is astounding. One anonymous individual has sent me a gift every month for the past 20 years, ranging from a toy car, a sledge and a skateboard, to the utterly bizarre, such as a wheelbarrow, a pair of Incredible Hulk hands and a traffic cone,” he said

 

On this day in fashion history

In 2006, private bank Coutts & Co commissioned Stella McCartney to design its latest current account card – following a design for the Coutts World super premium card by Ozwald Boateng in 2004. The design combined the intricacies found on banknotes and on the Coutts cheque book with aspects of the British countryside.

“It was refreshing to be asked by Coutts to design something I have never done before,” said Stella. “It is a design area that has been overlooked in the past and it’s about time you get to spend your hard earned money with an account card that looks good.”

On this day in fashion history

In 2009, Naomi Campbell teamed up with Louis Vuitton in the name of charity. The supermodel chose one of the label’s bags to sell and raise money for the White Ribbon Alliance, an organisation dedicated to reducing maternal mortality worldwide and for which she was also a global ambassador. “I think it’s going to sell really well,” Campbell told WWD of the square-shaped bag with canvas stitched strips.

The bag launched to coincide with the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day was priced at 1,900 euros.

On this day in fashion history

In 2009, after nearly 30 years operating there, Versace revealed it was set to pull out of Japan – ceasing all retail operations there by the end of that month.

The Italian label’s withdrawal, which included the closure of four standalone stores and its Tokyo office, appeared to confirm the consumer slump that was being experienced by one of the world’s largest luxury markets – and hinted that the recovery was not going to be swift.

Louis Vuitton also cancelled plans to open its largest store the Ginza district of Tokyo the following year; Marni closed a store in the Marunouchi area after nearly five years; while Chanel also closed a boutique in the southwestern district of Kyushu.

**Image: Starpulse.com

On this day in fashion history

In 2010, Marc Jacobs compared his relationship with Bernard Arnault, CEO of luxury goods conglomerate LVMH, to that of Babe the pig and his farmer owner.

“I used to say in the beginning that I was like the pig in Babe when the farmer, who was not wildly emotional, expressed himself in a super-warm way,” he told us. “Mr Arnault does not express himself in a super-warm way, but he has softened up – I am that pig and he pats me on the back and says ‘That’ll do pig’, and I just feel this is the highest praise.”