Y Style Picks

The Royal Wedding: KimYe Nuptials

MANILA, Philippines - In a bid to rival the grand wedding of the Duke of Cambridge and Catherine Middleton, more commonly known as the commoner Kate, hip-hop royalty Kanye West married long-time fiancé and reality TV star Kim Kardashian. The marriage took place last Saturday, May 24, within the Forte di Belvedere in Florence, Italy. It is the closest thing to a Royal Wedding TMZ and Us Weekly could ever hope for. The couple took their vows in front of a Dior-esque white floral wall with friends and family in attendance; from the fashion set,  the Jenner-Kardashians in full sartorial force (save for brother Rob, whom we think matriarch and manager Kris Jenner is keeping in the basement: you won’t look good in photos, she lamented over a transatlantic call) and Yeezus-approved designers Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy, Oliver Rousteing of Balmain, Valentino and Alexander Wang fulfilled their RSVP, among many other industry heavy weights, André Leon-Talley (zing) included.

Notable absences belong to the reigning Royal Couple of pop; Jay-Z and Beyoncé. Prior reports pegged Jay-Z to stand-in as Kanye’s best man with Beyoncé in tow, the marital snub was later assuaged by a half-hearted personal message on Queen Bey’s Instagram, sandwiched between photos of the singer living it up in the Hamptons. Rumors are playing up either a feud between the two power couples, or, the Carters simply avoiding a run-in with designer and Kardashian BFF Rachel Roy, the alleged catalyst of the sensational elevator pow-wow between Jay-Z and Solange. In either case, we say well-played Knowles-Carters, who wouldn’t prefer a relaxing weekend over a self-orchestrated paparazzi firestorm that is a weekly episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians. You know this entire wedding will air on primetime, right?

In the grand tradition of the Royal Wedding (in very recent years, please see: Kate Middleton, her wedding gown reveal as engineered by the elusive Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen), Kim and Kanye kept us in the dark as to whom the blushing bride will wear as she walks down the aisle – French labels Lanvin, Balmain, Maison Martin Margiela and Givenchy had all been optioned. In the end, the designer friendship connection came through and Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci was chosen – the bride wore an exquisite white gown in French lace with sheer panelling. The groom and baby North West as well, both wore custom creations by Tisci himself.

Kim and Kanye, recent Vogue inductees and both style icons in their own right, exhibit a penchant for matching designer outfits and a way of dressing that screams look-at-me-you-can’t-afford-any-of-this style. Needless to say, we cannot wait for the wedding episode to air on Keeping Up, the fashion circus surrounding the Jenner-Kardashians deserves its own prime time slot.

Joseph Altuzarra x Target

2014 CFDA womenswear designer of the year nominee Joseph Altuzarra is slated to collaborate with American retailer Target for a F/W mass market collection. Hot off the heels of designer labels Proenza Schouler, Prabal Gurung, 3.1 Phillip Lim, and most recently, Peter Pilotto, the French-born Chinese-American Altuzarra will present an almost 50-piece collection of ready-to-wear apparel, lingerie and accessories. The Altuzarra brand is known for embodying a Parisian sense of style and sophistication tempered with American ease and eclectic inspiration. An easy chic sensibility that Target is hoping to translate to their more contemporary luxe market. Attention, Walmart shoppers! This is our chance. 

Joseph Altuzarra, the designer and creative director of his namesake brand, was inspired by a world traveler, jetting off to far-flung destinations like Paris, Morroco, Tokyo and Mongolia. The range will include hyper-tailored peplum jackets, pencil skirts and trench coats, all with special details, like embroidery. As quoted in the press release: “I didn’t want to assume that because we were doing a collection with Target that it suddenly had to be a much less interesting product. The collection has to stand on its own and it is details, volume, and tailoring that make a piece feel rich and special.” The collection will feature a mix of fabrics that will maintain the luxury feel of the line-up–lace, satin georgette, faux fur, jacquard, velveteen, leather and stretch twill will be used throughout. With inspiration and materials alone, we’re already dreaming of the low-rent high-production fantasy Target will provide.

Matching strides with the much-hyped Alexander Wang for H&M collaboration, both are scheduled for a fall release. The former will include pieces for men, whereas Altuzarra for Target will only feature womenswear and accessories. “I’ve admired the elegance that Target brings to fast fashion. By working together on this capsule collection, we hope to instill a sense of power, confidence and beauty in women everywhere.” Mark your calendars and book your flights, ladies. The collection will hit the retail floor, Target.com and Netaporter on Sept. 14.