Dior replaces John Galliano with Raf Simons

More than a year after it fired John Galliano as creative director, Dior has reportedly selected Raf Simons to replace him, the New York Times reports.

Simons, 44,  previously led Jil Sander for six years, leaving in February when Sander returned to the brand. Unlike the flamboyant Galliano, who ended each runway show with a flourish of theatricality, Simons is temperamentally more restrained -- although he did have tears in his eyes when he presented his last show for Sander in Milan in February.

During its year-plus of searching for a replacement, Dior had considered a galaxy of star designers, including Marc Jacobs of Louis Vuitton and Alber Elbaz of Lanvin. Meanwhile, the label's studio chief  Bill Gaytten kept things humming along at Dior.  

Galliano was fired after evidence that he erupted in anti-Semitic rants on a couple of occasions in a bar in Paris. He later was convicted and fined by a court -- anti-Semitic comments are a crime in France. He also reportedly sought treatment for substance abuse, but the episode also shone a light on the stress designers are under to stay creative in the almost nonstop cycle of fashion seasons.

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-- Susan Denley

Photo: Designer Raf Simons, formerly of Jil Sander, has been selected to replace John Galliano as creative director at Dior. Credit: Giuseppe Aresul / Associated Press  

Fashion's Night Out. Liz Taylor's gems. Molly Sims' accessories.

It's Fashion's Night Out! (Or will be in a few hours.) Check out the website for ideas on how, and where, to shop till you drop. [Los Angeles Times]

 
The late Elizabeth Taylor was known for many things -- among them many, many fabulous jewels and many, many husbands, some of whom showered her with said jewels. Now, as our Ministry of Gossip predicted in March, her entire 300-piece collection is scheduled to be auctioned by Christie's in December. Most of the pieces were gifts from either Michael Todd, who gave her the "Mike Todd tiara" above, or Richard Burton, the two great loves of her life. [Telegraph]

Carine Roitfeld's tribute to Taylor in the latest V magazine is spinning heads because of the spread she styled with hunky male model Ian Mellencamp in thigh-high skirts, leopard prints and high heels. [Ology]

Actress and model Molly Sims reportedly is set to host the latest "Project Runway" spin-off, "Project Accessory," which is slated to premiere on Lifetime later this year. Sims launched her own jewelry line last year, so should know a thing or two about the accessory field. Lifestyle expert Eva Lorenzotti will serve as mentor, and designer Kenneth Cole and InStyle editor Ariel Foxman have been tapped as judges. [Reuters]

Jil Sander's final +J collection for Uniqlo goes on sale at select Uniqlo stores and online Thursday. Fashionistas everywhere will weep. Or stand in line. [Telegraph]

New York Fashion Week is starting up, as our Booth Moore writes, and even though the Council of Fashion Designers of America has urged designers not to use models under age 16, it looks as if some shows might anyway. Some concern has been expressed that Kardashian sibling Kylie Jenner, who is 14, will be walking in Avril Lavigne's Abbey Dawn show. But that's part of Style360, not the official Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week -- if that makes any difference. [The Cut] Oh, and Avril is the girlfriend of Kylie's half-brother Brody Jenner -- if that makes any difference. [People]

Much is being made of Lady Gaga's posing "barefaced" on the cover of Harper's Bazaar. But it sure looks like she's wearing makeup to me ... and to some other observers, too! [People] 

Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor, who founded Juicy Couture but are no longer affiliated with the label, are launching a line that will be shown in February and go on sale for fall 2012. [WWD]   

The Duchess of Cambridge makes nude pantyhose look avant garde, fashion doyenne Anna Della Russo says. Della Russo likes Kate's modern flair. "She’s smart to mix cheap clothes with, like, Alexander McQueen, and small labels — even I don’t know the names sometimes of the brands she’s wearing," the Vogue editor at large tells The Cut. "That’s so smart. That’s a great message to the younger generation because it's a democratic approach." [The Cut] 

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-- Susan Denley

Top photo: Elizabeth Taylor's "Mike Todd tiara."  Credit: Richard Drew/Associated Press

Bottom photo: Molly Sims, who is to host "Project Accessories." Credit: Robyn Beck / AFP / Getty Images

 

From the spring runway to Zara

 
Raf Simons' spring collection for Jil Sander went off like a color bomb in the fashion world. It was the runway show of the season for sure, with acid brights upon acid brights, and blown-up floral patterned T-shirts tucked into ball skirts, the perfect mix of sporty and chic. The minute we saw it in Milan in September we knew it was something special, the rare collection that really has the power to reach the streets.

And I've been waiting to see how it would trickle down. In the past couple of months, as spring clothes began to arrive in stores, I've noticed a few neon-colored T-shirts at J. Crew and H&M, and a few  punchy colors at Gap (not nearly enough though; Gap should have had this one in the bag). But Zara is the first retailer to really take on the trend.

If you visit your local Zara store this weekend, you might want to wear shades. The Spanish fast fashion giant has every element of the JIl Sander look covered, with pieces including a fuchsia anorak and tuxedo blazer, a tangerine orange floor-length skirt, button-down shirts and gladiator sandals in electric blue, T-shirts and scarves blooming with flowers -- all for less than $200.

 
Of course, it should be noted that you can get an authentic piece of the Jil Sander collection for not much more -- just $295 for a floral T-shirt straight from the runway, or $395 for a pair of floral ballet flats, both at the brand's new e-shop.

-- Booth Moore

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Top photo: Models walk the runway displaying looks from Jil Sander during Milan Fashion Week. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson and Peter Stigter / For The Times. Bottom photo: Zara follows the Jil Sander lead. Credit: Zara

Milan Fashion Week: The top shows and takeaways

The big news in Milan was the continued interest in updating classic couture shapes with unusual colors, fabrications and surface embellishments.

We saw it done best at Jil Sander, where designer Raf Simons made outsize drop-shoulder coats, tunics and dresses with martingale belts look completely modern, by showing them with sleek, skiwear-inspired knits and stirrup pants.

At Bottega Veneta, Tomas Maier used ladylike, 1960s-inspired coats and sleeveless shift dresses as canvases for incredible work with layers of lace and print.

The 1960s trend took a mod turn at Versace, Alberta Ferretti and most notably at Prada, where coats and coatdresses with low-slung belts came in solids, windowpane checks, decorated with contrast piping, shag fur or silver-dollar sized paillettes.

Fashion's love affair with fur is still going strong. Marni's Consuelo Castiglione was the most inventive with fur, showing a modern-looking, zip-front mink blouson jacket, a full-length fur coat sheared into a diamond pattern, and a stiff, molded black leather jacket with a broadtail hem.

Also carrying over from spring, vivid color, seen most clearly at Gucci. Forest green, rust, mustard yellow, peach and teal blue were all hot hues, used to spectacular effect in Fendi's collection of arty, English country chic.

As for accessories, the Mary Jane with a chunky heel is the must-have. And why carry just one bag when you can carry two?

Now onto Paris. But not before naming the top five collections out of Milan: Bottega Veneta. Fendi, Marni, Prada and Jil Sander.

--Booth Moore in Milan

PHOTOS: Milan Fashion Week fall-winter 2011 top five shows photo gallery

Photos: Looks from the Jil Sander, Bottega Veneta, Versace, Alberta Ferretti, Prada, Marni, Gucci and Fendi fall-winter 2011 runway collections shown during Milan Fashion Week. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson and Peter Stigter / For The Times.

Milan Fashion Week: Jil Sander, Raf Simons ski dazzles

Raf Simons did it again, following last season's Jil Sander spectacular with a repeat performance.

This time it was ski wear that inspired him, which means stirrup pants are back! All black, and pulled through the wedge soles of ankle boots, they created the perfect foundation for body-conscious knits with colorful, figurative designs. Tunics as easy as sweatshirts also evoked a louche luxe. One style came embroidered with loops of clear beads that sparkled like crunchy snow. And all the models had their hair swirled like soft-serve cones.

As with last season, color played a starring role in this collection -- vivid red, blue, yellow and green. And 1950s couture was the starting point for experiments with volume and outsize silhouettes.

Felted wool caped coats morphed into coat dresses, one in cherry red shaped by a martingale, another in goldenrod yellow with a low-slung belt tied in front. To break up the powerful palette, Simons introduced warp-printed duchesse satin alpine florals.

A Tilda Swinton will be happy to know he brought spring's ball skirts back. A chocolate brown version with a wide waistband, worn with a crisp navy shirt tucked in, might as well have had her name on it.

But Simons had a different, but no less genius, twist on T-shirts this time. He insulated them ever so slightly, with just the right amount of down feathers.

Because when you're dressed in a fabulous, down-filled black T-shirt and royal blue skirt, who needs beauty rest?

-- Booth Moore in Milan

Photos: Looks from the Jil Sander fall-winter 2011 runway collection shown during Milan Fashion Week. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson and Peter Stigter / For The Times

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Photos from the top 10 spring-summer 2011 runway collections

Los Angeles Times fashion critic Booth Moore picks the top 10 runway collections of the spring-summer 2011 season. Check out a full gallery here.

Photo left: A look from the Fendi spring-summer 2011 runway collection. Photo right: A look from the Gucci spring-summer 2011 runway collection. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson and Peter Stigter / For The Times.

Milan Fashion Week: At Jil Sander, the new color guard

At Jil Sander, designer Raf Simons' extreme color story packed more of a punch than almost anything else we'd seen so far this season.

Although loosely inspired by classical couture, there was nothing retro about this collection, shown at Milan Fashion Week. Instead, Simons tweaked traditional elements of couture -- voluminous skirts and blouson jackets, peplums and bustles -- for today, playing with proportion, mixing in sportswear and working with modern fabrics, such as lightweight techno taffeta, nylon and gabardine.

Set to a soaring soundtrack from the film "Psycho," which Hitchcock famously shot in black and white because he thought it would be too scary in Technicolor, the models lit up the runway in shades of electric blue, acid green, tomato red, shocking pink and traffic cone orange. (Because there is nothing so dangerous as a woman in living color.)

The clothes were nearly all monochromatic (save from a few awning stripes and watercolor blooms), which made for a cinematic effect. And the shoes had glossy flourescent soles, making it look as if the models were walking on glowing light. (Take that, Christian Louboutin!)

The show began with long, neon-colored evening skirts and simple white T-shirts. (How amazing to bring back the evening-skirt-and-T-shirt combo! Reminds me of when Sharon Stone wore a Gap button down with a Vera Wang evening skirt at the ’98 Oscars.) 

Trousers were supersized and pleated, layered under oversized windbreakers, or slim blazers and T-shirts in contrasting colors. Tennis-ball yellow, combined with hot pink and emerald green, for example -- which made for a creative take on the season's pervasive colorblocking trend.

Back vents or storm flaps on jackets and trench coats were folded inside out, turning the colorful taping on inside seams into a decorative flourish. Full-length nylon duster coats were so airy and light, they resembled kites.

Matte fuchsia lipstick, mirrored sunglasses and grocery bags as handbags completed this powerful vision of effortless chic, which hit Milan like a bolt of lightning.

-- Booth Moore

Jil Sander spring-summer 2011 runway collection photo gallery

Photos: Looks from the Jil Sander spring-summer 2011 collection at Milan Fashion Week. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson & Peter Stigter / For The Times

Trend: Crazy for camel

Feeling Switzerland-neutral in your style these days? You're in luck. One of fashion's most famous muted hues — camel — is fall's hottest color.

We spotted the shy brown tone on the runways earlier this year — notably at Chloe, Michael Kors and Stella McCartney — but now it's official; retailers and fashion editors are pushing the color like crazy, offering, respectively, camel-themed fashion spreads and racks of merchandise in the classic color.

Lauded as a universally flattering hue, "camel" first popped up as a color name in fashion in 1916, according to the ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Color Names. We love it because it melds seamlessly into a black-heavy wardrobe and, when coloring classic silhouettes, adds 1960s-"Mad Men" panache to ensembles.

Here are a few camels we'd love to have on our backs:

Stella McCartney's wool-blend cape, $1,445 at Net-a-Porter, rolls two of fall's most charming trends — capes and camel — into one dreamy piece of outerwear.

Jil Sander's cashmere scarf, $525 at Barneys New York, works beautifully with trenches, winter coats and cool cardigans, and it's so basic, it will never go out of style.

J.Crew's wool-cashmere station coat, $149.99 at J.Crew, is elegant but understated, boasting retro military styling.

 

This Dior silk-wool dress at Bergdorf Goodman is a pipe dream because of the $3,600 price tag, but we love the way it hearkens back to the slinky, curve-loving "Mad Men" era without looking like a costume. 

-- Emili Vesilind

Photos, from top: Stella McCartney cape. Credit: Net-a-Porter. Jil Sander scarf. Credit: Barneys New York. J. Crew coat. Credit: J. Crew. Dior dress. Credit: Bergdorf Goodman

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Short heels and the recession. Tracy Reese's Plenty to do shoes. Jason Wu and iconic women

Can we blame the return of the kitten heel on the economy? [WSJ]

A sneak peak at Target's latest plus-size line, as modeled by "America's Next Top Model" winner Whitney Thompson. [FabSugar]

Long-strap bags are taking the world by storm? [Financial Times]

Designers for Swarovski's fall 2010 Crystallized collection include Jean Paul Gaultier and Catherine Malandrino. [Elle]

Teaser: Jil Sander's Navy collection. [Vogue UK]

Silly Bandz bracelets all the rage with kids? [Huffington Post]

Cosmetic Executive Women choose the best beauty products for 2010. [BellaSugar]

Naomi Campbell had one heck of a 40th birthday soiree. [Styleite]

Tracy Reese will add shoes to her Plenty collection. [WWD]

Halston unveils men's lines based on the late designer's own style. [WWD]

Elizabeth Arden launches spa collection at Bed Bath & Beyond. [StyleList]

Velvet will launch mini collection for Uniqlo. [The Cut]

Jason Wu's latest eyewear collection takes its inspiration from iconic women like "Amelia Earhart, singer Joan Jett, actress Mia Farrow, and Jane of 'Jane Eyre.'"[WWD, subscription required]

Coach sues the city of Chicago, claiming vendors at a city-controlled street market have been selling counterfeit goods. [WWD, subscription required]

-- Whitney Friedlander

Photo: A kitten heel pump from Brazilian shoe boutique Lua Cheia. Credit: Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press

Jil Sander -- the brand, not the designer -- launches diffusion line

In yet another sign of the times, Jil Sander -- the brand, this time,not the designer -- is launching a lower-priced clothing line called Jil Sander Navy.

The German-born Sander became famous in the 1980s, catering to the new female executive class with slim-line minimalist suits in the most luxurious fabrications costing well into the four figures. She left the label bearing her name in 2004 for good, after several years of turmoil with parent company Prada Group.

Belgian designer Raf Simons is creative director of Jil Sander now, and will also oversee the Navy collection. “I will continue to open up the Jil Sander brand by pushing its boundaries and introducing new elements to reinforce and widen the attraction to the house,” Simons said in a statement.

“Jil Sander Navy incorporates the values of purity, simplicity and ease. Adding and developing the aspect of casual luxe to the brand’s DNA of highest quality and forward innovation will enhance the reach of the brand. Reflecting the nature of casual sportswear, its light and unconstructed fit as well as the attractive price points, the line will provide the opportunity to address additional clients," said Alessandro Cremonesi, CEO of the Jil Sander Group. 

Jil Sander Navy, which launches for spring 2011, will be priced 30% to 40% lower than the Jil Sander collection. (Sander herself joined the cheap-chic revolution last year, when she announced she was consulting for Japanese fast fashion giant Uniqlo.).

The Navy collection will include less-structured, more casual styles. Think T-shirts, knit dresses, jackets and jeans. And the timing couldn't be better, now that fashion is turning toward minimalism again.

-- Booth Moore

Photo:  A look from Raf Simons' fall/winter 2010-2011 runway collection for Jil Sander. Credit: Giuseppe Cacace / AFP/Getty Images.