By the way, meant to tell you about this days ago...apologies, this vacation is slowing me down! So if you care, the Kate Moss collection for Topshop at Barneys has been replenished and new pieces are in as well.
Get it here.
Yawn.
The 'celebrity perfume' phenom seems like its been around for ages, but the recent furious increase in 'celebrity fashion lines' (think SJP, the Olsen Twins, JLo, Kate Moss, Madonna, Kylie Minogue....Oy it gets tiring just typing the masses in) has some critics questioning where this leaves the 'real designers'?
The NY Times featured the topic in today's Style section, check it out!
Thoughts?? Much as I love MK and Ashley (and the new 'Row' line), I gotta admit that the whole thing (more-so the Madonna/Kate Moss/H&M/Topshop bit) does seem like a bit of a celebrity wash. Some lines appear solid like 'The Row', others seem just lame, such as SJP's 'Bitten'. The fact that celebrities have so much more financial capital to build upon and the tails of their success, seems to give an unfair advantage in an extremely cut-throat and competitive arena. Is fashion going the way of pop music? Are we selling out in some way? How much of a free-market approach is 'too-much' when it comes to the creative arts like fashion?
It appears to me that too often money is driving fashion rather than talent.
FYI girls:
Stopped by Barneys Coop this Afternoon for like 2 seconds and saw that there was a little replenishment of the KM for TS collection. The dress I did not snag but wanted, the famed "Pansy Dress" is present!!! There are a few size 6's, an 8 and a 10, they ring in at 120$,. Tried the dress on, and surprisingly its really lovely, cut very flatteringly. These additions to stock were shipped in from other Barneys across the US where they did not sell. Get 'em while you can! Literally there were only five there, and they will probably be gone by tomorrow.
OK--have to run. Event uptown in like 3 seconds, madly dashing about trying to get ready.
Ta, BG
Whew! What a day.
Soooo, in spite of waking up super early to get into Barneys for their 10am opening time....I didn't end up making it there until 20 minutes after 10...I am not so good at mornings. Things were pretty calm when I entered the store, there were a few reporters out front asking questions of shoppers who had already been in and out...I heard some talk of hype and exorbitant pricing...cashing in, etc.
When the elevator opened on the 7th floor, there was definitely a pronounceable din...and an energy buzz. The Kate Moss collection was clustered around a small space in the middle of the room comprised (at this point at least) of 7 or so racks that were being attacked in a gently chaotic manner. Certainly things were quite civil and not at all madness. Having arrived just a tad too late...I missed out on nearly all the dresses, 'cept for that particular one I was hoping to get (alas I didn't like the way it hung after all) and a chiffon number (see below) that at 200$ was so way overpriced and just not my thing.
The Chiffon 'Tatoo" Dress 
The Cowl Neck 'Dress' as terribly photographed by Moi in the dressing room. Hmm looking at it here, I kinda like it....at the time I thought, not worth 115$ and truthfully its not...tho it is cute. Anyway, too late.
The only vest option (and another majorly crummy pic by moi) they had...I snagged one when it was returned to the rack after someone deferred. A button popped off before I even got to try it on, at that price, I was like 'forget it'...plus it was made in China, not such a great indicator of quality workmanship...passed on this one too.
Other than those 2 dresses there was little else in the way of variety, a large number of the 'beater' tanks in white, khaki, pink and black, some short-shorts, a couple of patterned T's, a beaded shirt/dress that no one seemed to be going for (though I thought was cute but pricey and heavy), a few pairs of black skinny jeans and even fewer pairs of blue denim cropped jeans. It really was slim pickings. People seemed to keep hovering around the same 6 racks filled with redundant pieces, waiting for the rare occurrence when someone would return a piece after nixing it. By the time I left the 7 or so racks were down to 4 measly barren racks.
In essence, a rather disappointing affair that fell short in both variety and quantity. The pieces just weren't that interesting or 'new'. I left with a pair of the black skinny jeans but truthfully I already have another black pair from Topshop and I am not so sure these are too different, so they may end up going back. The highlight was probably just seeing all the great outfits that everyone at the turnout was wearing. Certainly they were far better dressed than any of these pieces could ever hope to aspire to.
A very New York event, no one ever looked like they cared too much, just enough to get the goods. Calm aloof mayhem. "Did you want this? Oh no, you take it...." Who me, care? Certainly not. Brilliant, perfectly New York.
For those of you wanting to cash in on a little of the action in farther off places, the following items are still available online at Barneys Coop.
P.S.
The front display windows had live models with Kate Moss masquerade-type masks over their face, making subtle references to being coy. Maybe that should have been my first indication that like their masks, this event was not quite the real thing.
Cowl Neck Dress. My goal.
Off I go. Wish me luck girls.
TTFN.
Gosh, so much to talk about. Last nights MET Costume Institute Gala....and the dresses!!! And then coming up tomorrow, Kate Moss at Barney's. OMG, it's too much. Starting today there is an ongoing witty commentary by Simon Doonan on the Barneys website. An excerpt below:
"Is she here yet? Is she bringing Pete? Is she going to clamber into the window like she did at the UK launch?...Can I come to the Party and bring my extended family? Oy Veh!!!!!
I have been at Barneys for twenty years and nothing-no store event or opening-has rivaled the insane, frenzied, build-up to the arrival of Kate and her Topshop line. I would put it right up there with the Invasion of the Faukland Islands, and the first episode of AbFab, or at least the launch of the DVD of Abfab."
Geez people, have we forgotten about the other huge, major Brit on the scene, hello: The Queen!!!
Right but anyway, yes back to important things like Topshop. Argh, I can't believe I am actually willingly going to subject myself to the madness that will be tomorrow.
And, my fave five pics from last nights gala:
Cam D. Love how she always contrast colors. Love the turquoise accents with the bright fuchsia.
Scarlett Johanson
Jessica Stam
Mary Kate Olsen
Ashley Olsen
Liv Tyler
And some of the more interesting and creative dresses:
Margherita Missoni
NY Socialites Tinsley Mortimer and Zani Gugelman
Kirsten Dunst
and Miss Anna herself.
TaTa dahlings, have to run.
xo, BG
From Fashion Week Daily:
"...outside crowds stood six deep and snaked around three full blocks, while photographers and press were relegated to standing on ladders to get their photo ops and stories...Only 200 guests were allowed in at any one time, and each shopper was limited to five pieces. Moss’ face was splashed across the covers of nearly every British paper and news and entertainment television program. Needless to say, the reaction to Part II of the Kate Moss Topshop launch—next Tuesday night at Barneys New York in Manhattan—will be of intense scrutiny..."
One week girls. One week.
O.K., so I admit I am almost hesitant to post anything more about the Kate Moss for Topshop collection coming to barneys in less than 2 weeks, for fear of an even more chaotic madhouse than I already anticipate it will be.
But anyway...
Check out the countdown.
Needless to say, I am SO excited!!!
The much-anticipated collection which drops May 1st at the flagship Oxford Circus London store (always a madhouse, can't imagine what it will be like May 1st) will be available a week later here in NYC at Barneys Co-op. Kate herself will make an appearance on the day of. I am sure this will be a big scene, I really do want a few of the pieces though. I suppose I will brave the masses. Oh and I keep hearing rumours of the opening of a Topshop here in the city later in the year. Anyone have any updates??
Fashion Week Daily reports on the collaboration:
“Topshop is a lower-end mass store that offers a lot of style; Barneys is an upscale luxury store that offers high style,” said Julie Gilhart. “What we both share is a love of style.”
“Kate’s style is so much of a Barneys style, so it’s like having a peek into her closet,” Gilhart compared. “But the most important thing is that we buy produce first, regardless of designer or name.”
Check out ShopDiary for shots from British Vogue of the new collection.
