It was all a lie
MANILA, Philippines - We suppose it might have been easier to say “I love my Choos,†in reference to Jimmy Choo, the brand, as opposed to “I love my Mellons,†which sounds super awkward, even though it refers to Tamara Mellon, the woman who actually designed the shoes. Those are the exact allegations that Mellon made while promoting her new book In Her Shoes, saying her ideas for designs were sketched by Choo’s niece, Sandra Choi, while the man himself never submitted a single sketch. “The original idea was for Jimmy to design the collection, and I would run the operations of the business,†Mellon told the Today show. “But it soon became very clear that Jimmy’s skill was in making shoes. He’s a cobbler.†Whoa. To top it off, in the book, Mellon writes that when the business started expanding, they won a British Fashion Council Award, which according to Mellon, “Jimmy insisted on accepting on our behalf, even though his design contribution had been nil.†Currently, Choo runs his own company that makes his own shoes while Mellon recently launched her own namesake brand of footwear and clothing. As of press time, Choo has not issued a statement to address Mellon’s accusations.
Maureen Disini finally offers some RTW options for would-be clients who just don’t have time for a fitting as she collaborates with Mosaic for the first time. Created for the Filipina with an overall classic edge and inspired in part by Madame Grès and Madeleine Vionnet, Disini stuck to her signature style, working with the same lines and silhouettes she is best known for. “It’s all about easy elegance,†says the Milan-trained designer. Expect to see her clingy, draped dresses in eye-catching hues and intriguing symmetry in stores. Jersey is naturally her top choice of fabric as she highlights a woman’s assets — light and soft, not to mention crazy-easy to throw in your suitcase for attending events while on vacation. Don’t miss out on the capsule collection, which hits all Mosaic stores today.
Looks like Topshop is up to its old tricks again. Either that or originality just doesn’t count for much these days, because Kate Moss is reviving her limited-edition design career for the Brit retailer. Her first collection appeared in 2007 and continued every season until 2010. “I am personally thrilled that Kate wanted to come back to Topshop to work with us again,†Topshop mogul Sir Philip Green told the Telegraph. “The first time around was such a lot of fun, and she has been sorely missed.†Apparently, the two came up with the idea of reuniting while on holiday last summer, which makes us wish we could think about coming up with a 40-piece line of womenswear, accessories and footwear while on vacation too, and it would happen, just like that. “I have really missed being involved in the design process, and working with the team at Topshop,†Moss said in the same interview. “Now more than ever, with London being at the forefront of fashion…it feels like I’m back home working with Topshop.†Cool your jets, though, because the collection won’t be available in 40 stores worldwide and online until April. But freak out as much as you want while planning your future outfits until then.
If you loved the Flash Lens aviators from the brand, then you’ll probably love the Folding Flash Lens Wayfarer, which basically combines the stunning ‘80s flash lens with the classic, foldable wayfarer shape. Next on the line-up is the Erika, bringing a youthful spin to the timeless Ray-Ban look. Featuring textured rubber frames, these lightweight sunglasses sport a more rounded version, giving the lenses a chic, vintage spin, available in nude, crimson, aquamarine, bright pink and ultra violet.
When you tap rapper MIA for a clothing collab, don’t expect it to be the usual design process where it’s “inspired†by “her favorite pieces in her closet,†which is basically the PR description for nearly every celebrity collab that exists, Kate Moss’s included. Oh, no — when MIA decided to team up with the Versace-owned Versus, she came up with the idea of ripping off the retailers who have copied Versace over the years. “The theme of counterfeits, of those that produce and sell them, has always been part of the culture of MIA,†the rapper told WWD. “When I was contacted by Versace, it seemed a great idea to invert the circle. Versace’s designs have always been copied, now it’s Versace that copies the copies, so those that copy must copy the copies. So this will continue.†The 19-piece range features the label’s most famous signatures, like the Medusa head and the Greek frieze, mixed with “graphic prints and street energy.†“I adore the energy of the street, so when MIA proposed to expose the issue of counterfeit Versace pieces by creating a collaboration inspired by these items, I thought it was an incredible idea,†said Donatella Versace. However, unless you have a plane ticket booked to shop the line, you’ll have to content yourselves with, um, the Rihanna x River Island collab. Sniff.