This week was all about fashion real estate, cultural theft and Coca Cola
This week was all about fashion real estate. Karl Lagerfeld’s Gramercy Park pad is on the market for $5.2 million — pricey, but $1.3 million cheaper than when he first listed it last year. As for the interiors, they’re spacious, sun-lit and full of tasteful antiques — although that headless mannequin in the master bedroom is a little creepy. The listing draws particular attention to park views, oak floors and a walk in wardrobe fit for many a bespoke suit and leather glove. Rumour has it, though, that Karl has never actually resided in the building, which means he’s never made use of its Gramercy Park Hotel valet and butler services. Maybe he’s trying to ween himself off such luxuries. He did step foot in a supermarket this week, after all.
If Karl’s crib is not to your taste, Carrie Bradshaw’s West Village apartment might be. So it was only used for exterior shots of Carrie’s apartment, but it still attracts hundreds of Sex and the City pilgrims each year. It has a pretty interesting history besides that. And a fireplace and chandeliers. For a cool $9.5 million, it’s yours.
Kate Moss has also been making headlines this week. In an interview with The Telegraph she shares her style tips, things like “plan what you’re wearing to a dinner party so you don’t look silly” and “prepare to suffer” when wearing heels. There are also rumours that Moss, hubby Jamie Hince and Kristen Stewart are collaborating on a song. Moss will also be making a guest appearance in a special episode of Ab Fab, which is apparently one of her favourite TV shows. It’s set to air next week in the U.K.
After starring in two successful campaigns for Doc Martens, and being snapped stomping about in many a heavy-soled boot, Agyness Deyn is now making the relationship official. Later this year a Deyn/Doc Martens collaborative line featuring clothing, footwear and accessories will hit stores.
Frockwriter broke the story that Megan Davis, an indigenous Australian lawyer, and an expert member of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), thinks Rodarte’s Fall 2012 prints — what to most appear to be a pretty, and benign, arrangement of lines, dots and hand prints — are in fact an insensitive appropriation of Aboriginal culture. "The thought of seeing women walking around in this particular ready-to-wear collection sickens me,” Davis said. “I appreciate that we live in a postmodern culture, where people do take inspiration from particular areas… but as an Aboriginal lawyer, I found the designs offensive. What I find more offensive is that one doesn’t enter into a cultural protocol with a particular [indigenous] group, particularly when you keep in mind the abject poverty that a lot of these groups live in mostly remote Australia."
The Mulleavy sisters were open about the fact that they were inspired by Australia, telling Newsweek/The Daily Beast’s Robin Givhan that “the show was based on the rugged outback,” though admitting they had never actually been. In response to Davis’ comments the sisters released the following statement: “We deeply respect and admire the work of other artists. Through the appropriate channels, we licensed the Aboriginal artwork that influenced prints in our collection. As a result, the artists will share in proceeds of the pieces inspired by their work.”
Last week we reported that Jean Paul-Gaultier is the newly minted creative director of Coca Cola, and that he’s directing, and starring in, a series of television commercials promoting the soft drink. This week Comme des Garcons PLAY lent its cross-eyed, heart-shaped mascot to the carbonated beverage. Well, not officially. High Snobiety posted pictures of coke can packaging designed by Ashley Shen, and it’s unclear whether they have Rei Kawabuko’s tick of approval, or if they’re ever going to go into production. We're hoping they do; being able to buy Comme des Garcons from a vending machine would actually be so fittingly Japanese.
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