cut lines

Mary Kate and Ashley Olson have launched two fragrances under their Elizabeth and James brand. They will hit Sephora’s web and retail stores exclusively in January.  Mark your calendars: On Nov. 23, a group of vintage collectors will be hosting a fashion show dubbed XX. The show is set to take place at The Hamiltonnd the vintage styling will come courtesy of  The Telegraph plays a hypothetical game of musical chairs as it tries to determine who will take over the creative reins at Louis Vuitton, Jil Sander, Thiery Mugler and “potentially” Martin Margiela. 

This tidy little essay in Fashionista asks if luxury designer collaborations are doing customers a disservice. Basically, when designers, like Phillip Lim, knock off themselves, it hurts the customers that shell out four-digit sums for the swag.  T Magazine is lamenting the “demise of the fashion eccentric.” Today’s fashion scene, in Milwaukee and beyond, has many attention-seekers dressing for that goal alone, but I’m not convinced the days of genuine eccentricity (as defined by T) are gone for good.  And everyone is talking about Conde Nast cutting its internship program entirely. 

If you love shopping and art, then tonight is a good night for you. Read on.  A LOCAL LOOK  Tonight Milwaukee native Peggy Larson will be presenting her Bliss Bag collection, and 25 additional Milwaukee designers will be hanging around Third Coast Style. I’d tag this as a not-to-miss event of “Fashion Night Milwaukee.” Since Fashion Night also falls on gallery night (this is no coincidence), I would recommend stopping by Redline (1422 N. 4th St.) to see its “Human Touch” exhibit. This travelling show features the figure-dominant work of some of today’s most acclaimed artists. I’ve seen it, and…

It’s that blessed time of year when no international fashion events are going on, but the same cannot be said for Milwaukee’s fashion scene. Read on!  Business of Fashion has an essay about fashion and the free press; specifically, the relationship between the major luxury houses and fashion critics, which can often be described as tense – at best. It is worth a read. And here’s another nugget to chew on: what is the relationship between fashion critics and designers in a city Milwaukee’s size? Leave it in the comments.  Yesterday, Twitter was in a twizzy (see what I did…

It’s a gloomy Milwaukee morning, so I’ve got some good reads to brighten your coffee hour. Let’s get to it.  Kerry Washington, actress and cover girl of the moment, has some consistently spectacular style. Here’s all the proof you need. Scandal’s costume designer, Lyn Paolo, gives Fashionista the scoop on how she keeps Washington looking like TV’s best-dressed lady season after season. It was announced this week that Marc Jacobs is leaving the post at Louis Vuitton to work on his namesake collection and, following in the lucrative steps of Michael Kors, potentially take his company public. And, because he can,…

Sometimes it takes one fashion show to get you excited about an otherwise mediocre fashion month. For me that show was Rick Owens, the California native who shows his minimalist, mostly neutral-colored apparel in Paris. And now that Paris fashion week is upon us, it means the end of fashion month is nigh. And it seems as if the fashion gods have saved the best for last.  Rick Owens’ spring 2014 womenswear collection is making big, bold headlines for its use of diverse models from four Washington D.C. dance groups, some of which were sororities. Some are confused about the intention, but…

It’s the third leg of fashion month, and I’m exhausted just thinking about it. Just kidding. Head over to Style.com to catch up on the shows, including the much-raved offerings from Prada. And then read the rest of the fashion bits.  Milwaukee’s unofficial fashion week “initiative” kicks off this Sunday. A full schedule of events can be found here. The week of events includes a host of cocktail parties, market-type events, as well as one oddly-placed fashion show for dogs.  Racism on the runway. It’s a real (biannual) problem, but this season it seems as if designers have made baby steps…

Sweater season and fashion month are upon us. If you kept up with the New York shows, tell me in the comments about your favorites (Mine: Joseph Altuzarra, Marc Jacobs). And if you’re ready for the next leg of the fashion marathon, check out our live stream of the London shows here. GoodMorningAmerica.com reports that over the course of their 56-year marriage, one man has bought is wife more than 55,000 dresses. It begs the question: Does he have sons? One non-personal style blogger takes pictures of herself for the nine days of New York fashion week. This is what…

To celebrate fashion month, which kicked off yesterday in New York, this edition of Cut Lines contains a little extra fashion love. Read on. Most importantly, watch our live stream of the shows right here. After you’ve opened that screen, read The Times Eric Wilson’s piece about the declining popularity of the shows themselves. And then read Fashionista.com’s piece that declares the fashion week format needs to be rejiggered. Fashion journalists have turned this into a lively discussion, and it’s one that is bound to have far-reaching effects. Also on Fashionista – if you’re into this kind of thing –…

Happy Friday! Here are the stories we’re reading to stay up on the scene. On Sept. 14, the Third Ward’s Lela will be celebrating ten years with a design showcase that will include fabric designs by Reginald Baylor Studio. A pretty sweet anniversary indeed. More info here. T Magazine has a nice piece on the “wilder” side of designer Jason Wu, whom I predict could be America’s next OdlR.  Did Abercrombie & Fitch’s CEO’s comments about the weight of the store’s customers have anything to do with its sluggish Q2 sales? BuzzFeed’s fashion vertical is doing the asking. Business of…