Search Results for “paris fashion week

Cheryl Cole is the face of L’Oreal

Cheryl Cole has landed a £500,000 contract with L’Oreal Paris. The Girls Aloud beauty has signed a deal to front a major TV, billboard and magazine campaign for the fashion house this autumn, following in the footsteps Beyonce Knowles and Jennifer Aniston. A source said: “Cheryl is a beautiful, sassy girl who is just perfect for this particular job. She is everything that young women aspire to.

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Diane Kruger’s found a father in Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld is like a father to Diane Kruger. Chanel’s creative director is a close friend of the 33-year-old actress, and she enjoys spending time with him when she is in Paris. Diane explained: “Oh, Karl. I pop in to see him at work if I’m in the area. He doesn’t do dinners but he’s got this great catering guy at work who just cooks so he doesn’t have to go out.

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Reviews: Coco Before Chanel

Pre-college I spent 13 years at the Lycee Francais in New York, so it’s little surprise that today a good chunk of my friends live in Paris. Needless to say I’ve been getting second-hand reviews of Anne Fontaine’s biopic “Coco Avant Chanel for weeks now. The film, which premiered in France back in April, just hit theaters in the UK and will be on screens state-side September 25th. I caught one of the advance screenings and left completely taken aback. I was not expecting to be as moved as I was, but the film was a truly powerful portrayal of Chanel’s rise to the top.

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More LFW news: Jasmine di Milo to return!

This season’s 25th year celebrations of London Fashion Week appear certainly to be a cause for change, as designers continue to announce their plans to return to the UK’s catwalks. Next in line? Harrods owner Mohammed Al Fayed’s daughter, Jasmine Al Fayed. Al Fayed has shown her label – Jasmine di Milo – in Paris since 2006 and will be joining the likes of Burberry, Jonathan Saunders and Clements Ribeiro in LFW’s new, central home, Somerset House this September!

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Five minutes with Net-a-Porter Buying Director Holli Rogers

What does a typical working day for you consist of? My work is extremely varied and there’s no typical day at NET-A-PORTER.COM! I love this about my job and thrive on the buzz of never really knowing what the next day can bring. When I am travelling, I go from appointment to appointment and meet with existing brands and potential new ones, scouting out trends and new talent. When I am in London, I meet with the rest of the buying and retail teams as well as marketing, creative and editorial to plan for the season ahead. Most treasured item in your wardrobe? I know I always say this but I love my Rick Owens leather jackets , they go with everything in my wardrobe and I would be lost without them!

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The Clothes Show comes to London

It may have taken numerous forms of transport to get there, but I managed it. I did note another disgruntled Clothes Show-er moaning that a trip to the Birmingham one would have been quicker, and sadly they were right. But back to the show, I was greeted by hundreds of young want-to be fashionable things, and their mums. This is fashion week for tweens, with lashing of pink hair-straighteners, fake tans and a sprinkling of boyband hysteria. I am not however slating the Clothes Show, for I too was one of these girls, well without the fake tan that had yet to be properly invented. But I dragged along my begrudging parents to its’ original home of Birmingham on two occasions as a tween. For me it was wonderful, my favourite high street brands which I could spend my well saved pocket money on. And ten years on, has it progressed? No it’s exactly the same except that I am now a fashion savvy shopper and reporter.

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Christian Lacroix files for bankruptcy

Sadly, we have yet another casualty of the global recession. Yesterday, French fashion house Christian Lacroix filed for bankruptcy, citing the, “consequences of the global financial crisis which has sharply hurt the luxury goods industry”, as the cause. The problem of course is sales are down and with everyone including the “wealthy”, tightening their purse strings, there are no positive indications that sales will increase in the near future. The house reported a €10 million loss in sales for last year whilst sales of the current summer ready-to-wear collections are down by 35%. Founded in 1987, Lacroix was bought in 2005 by American duty-free retailer, the Falic Group. Notorious for designing the most beautiful (and expensive) couture gowns, the house of Lacroix is of course a celeb favourite. Fans include Nicole Kidman, Madonna, Christina Aguilera and Natalie Portman.

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Burberry to make a come back to London

Burberry will show at the next London Fashion Week as opposed to its’ usual home in Milan. Burberry will be presenting the Spring/Summer 10 range at London Fashion Week’s new home of Somerset House. Not only that but Burberry will be closing Fashion Week on 22nd September, which will be followed by an exclusive special event. It’s all terribly exciting. And it’s exciting for two reasons, one is that we get to see Christopher Bailey’s creations up close and personal. And two because it is so important to get the big names back to London. London misses out big time each fashion week, it is glossed over in favour of New York, Milan and Paris where the big design guns reside. Here, we produce the talent, the Alexander McQueen’s and Matthew Williamson’s of this world and then they flee. Vivienne Westwood came back to our shores a couple of seasons ago, but now Burberry as well signals that London is back on the fashion map.

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Giorgio Armani is on the road to recovery

There have been a few rumours circulating that all is not right in the Armani camp. And so the fashion house has made a statement about Giorgio’s whereabouts. It transpires that Armani is recovering from hepatitis but is on the road to recovery. Recovery from such an illness does take time, but in the statement Armani expressed that his company “has continued to operate normally with business as usual. He further pointed out that he hasn’t been delegating his roles to anyone else and the company is still running “with the usual energy. Next month Armani will show his men’s collections and in July his Prive couture will be strutting down a Paris catwalk. So he’s got a tough couple of weeks ahead of him. At least it squashes dramatic rumours, no other statement will be made regarding Armani’s health. We hope you get well soon Giorgio! [Source]

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Chris Craymer brings Romance to Mulberry

London based photographer Chris Craymer is launching his new book ‘Romance’ and will be exhibiting his work in Mulberry stores across the world. The New York exhibition opened last week with a party that included a pink photo booth and vast quantities of chocolate kisses as well as a GB flag cake and a silent auction to raise money for the CFDA. The book is quirky and fun, and the images are gorgeous. Speaking about the ‘Romance’ Craymer said: “I wanted to find subjects that allowed me to make emotional images, not intellectual ones, I hope the book gave people a happy feeling because that’s what I like to feel when I look at people.

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Beach body beautiful in a sachet

Are you starting to worry about the summer weather? You just know that it means bikinis, swimsuits and super short shorts. So how many of you are planning a quick fix diet? Perhaps eating two bowls of cereal a day or drinking some form of maple syrup, pepper concoction? I thought as much, as women we can’t help but be lured into the quick fix solution, when we know that really the only solution is exercise and healthy eating. Because it is the summer you can expect another influx of diet plans and detox serums to hit our shelves. But one that has been making waves in the beauty world is Rodial’s skinny beach sticks. Because Rodial is a well-respected beauty brand and has created some miracle workers it did grab my attention.

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An interview with designer Romina Karamanea

Romina Karamanea may not be a name you recognise instantly, but the former right hand woman for Robert Cary Williams has been gaining recognition among the fashion cognoscenti ever since she branched out on her own with her instantly covetable collections. Specialising in experimental design, playing with structure and texture, her approach has appealed to fans including the late Isabella Blow and Italian Vogue’s Franca Sozanni. Karamanea has been sponsored to appear at London Fashion Week’s On/Off and the White shoe in Milan and now, after featuring in the 100 New Designers book by Lawrence King, it is only a matter of time before the London-based, Athens-born designer becomes the hottest ticket at Fashion Week. Here she talks exclusively to MFL about setting up her own label and the influences behind her unique design approach. Have you always known you wanted to be a designer? I have always wanted to be a fashion designer, for me it combines so many different disciplines like art, culture, music, film, architecture and people. It transcends language and everyone can appreciate it, so it is inclusive and also there is never a dull moment. When did you first start making clothes? I was 18 when I first started and I must say I have learnt a lot since then! I remember when I made my first garment, I had no formal training, I did not know how to cut or stitch, so I ended up using canvas, folding it in half, I then made a model lie on the floor so I could draw around her! I then secured the two pieces of canvas together with PVC tape and embellished it with metallic pieces from consumer packaging, i.e crisp and bottle tops. Very Blue Peter! It was quite a feat but to be honest […]

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Get Suspended!

Either Steve Erkel’s legend presided over the proceedings of the spring shows in New York or tis the season to be suspended since braces were out in full force. Notwithstanding Larry King’s hoary relationship with braces, the philia being shown towards suspenders is unprecedented. Then again, Rag & Bone were up to bat on day one of the week’s festivities so the penchant for braces could very well have stemmed from the seventies, skinhead feel of the British duos SS09 collection. All the same, it’s quite evident that suspenders haven’t gotten this much play in decades so, for some, the return to sartorial tradition is more so a trek into new frontiers.

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The big chill. Rising hemlines for AW09

The sun is finally shining (well, sort of) and it’s time to start thinking about our spring/summer wardrobes. Right? Well to be honest, after all the excitement of Fashion Week, I just can’t help but look towards the colder months of 2009 and dwell over one particular recurring theme from the season’s shows: the ever rising hemline. It appears that ‘short’ was the name of the game for many designers, which might come as something of a surprise to those of us who like to wrap up and keep the cold out during the blustery season.

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Killer-heel watch: Warning may induce foot pain!

It’s no secret that we have an unhealthy obsession with shoes here at My Fashion Life, and this has been a great week for fantasizing over footwear. While gulping down our coffee and sifting through Google reader we couldn’t help but highlight some of the footwear featured in news stories this week to share with you guys. Here are the top 5 heels on our wishlist…

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Cause she’s worth it: Aniston spends £40,000 on her hair

Recession. Credit crunch. Sorry what? It seems certain A-listers aren’t bothered about such trivial issues. Take for example Jennifer Aniston. The actress hit the headlines not just because she was a picture of perfection in a strapless grey blue georgette Burberry gown at the UK premiere of her new movie with Owen Wilson, Marley & Me (she actually looked so good we could almost forgive her for churning out yet another soppy romantic comedy). No, Jen mainly has everyone talking due to recent reports by the

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Catch Carine Roitfeld on CNN!

Anna Wintour. Give us Carine Roitfeld any day. If by any chance you’re thinking who? Shame on you! Carine is the oh-so chic editor in chief of Vogue Paris. We saw her front row at William Rast and couldn’t help but fall in a trance of adoration.

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White Socks and Black Dress Shoes…Finally Acceptable?

In comparison to our female counterparts, menswear can be viewed as rigid. To some, the stoic tradition that defines men’s fashion is what keeps things on an even keel. For others, these rigours serve as creative license to unsettle what seems to be the norm. I say all this because I’m noticing a rebel of sorts within menswear that would leave the staunchest traditionalists livid. However, for the longevity of men’s fashion, I think this break with tradition can be healthy. Or maybe not. Well, you be the judge as I share with you some recent avant garde encounters and sightings that had me shook.

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On|Off Exhibition: AW09

The On|Off exhibition made a new home for itself this year in London’s Science Museum, showcasing a selection of off schedule designers at London Fashion Week. The theme for the space was ‘White on White’, featuring a huge white catwalk a white press lounge and a giant, inflatable wall that enclosed the design stands (which was of course, white). Here are a few collections that caught our eye:

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Daisy and Peaches are arrested for W magazine

Controversy. Daisy and Peaches are notorious for being controversial. Dressing up as juvenile delinquents, the pair poked fun at their reputation for the latest issue of W magazine. Shot by Steven Meisel and styled by Alex White, Daisy and Peaches are joined by Eliza Cummings, Portia Freeman, Eden Clark and Amy Greenhouse. In more fashion week gossip, talking to W, Daisy reveals we might see her on the catwalk in Paris and Milan this coming fashion week….. Click

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YSL’s Edition Unisex is set for launch, but you’d better be quick

We mentioned the latest creation from the wonder that is Stefano Pilati for Yves Saint Laurent a couple of weeks ago. Edition Unisex harks back to the androgynous heyday of the legendary fashion brand. Having adapted the styles from the Spring/Summer 09 men’s collection to flatter a woman’s figure. It is a fabulous range; those blazers are stunning not to mention those great high waisted trousers. But if you want a piece of this soon to be iconic collection you’d better act fast. After New York Fashion Week the line hits London, then moves onto Milan, Paris and Hong Kong. This isn’t a collection that plans to hang around for long, this is strictly limited edition. In London the collection will be available to purchase only on, yes that’s ONLY ON: Friday 20th February and Saturday 21st February at the Yves Saint Laurent store on Old Bond Street. Then it’s bon voyage to the holy grail of collections. These items are true investment pieces, not only will you love them forever but they will become sought after in the future. If you have the money then definitely invest, if you don’t then drop by and drink in the wonder.

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Fall in love with YSL this Valentine’s Day

Whether you have a special someone in your life or not, there is always a spot reserved for Yves Saint Laurent designer Stefano Pilati. And this Valentine’s he is spreading the love, and you know what? Love costs nothing. If you value your status as a true fashionista you will be strutting your way to your local city streets this Saturday. 2,000 very lucky people will be given a free cotton bag, a heart shaped USB stick (that has lots of treats uploaded on it) and a copy of Pilati’s fashion Manifesto. So whether you’re in New York, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, Hong Kong or London this week, make sure you’re there out on the street bright and early. The luscious goody bags will be handed out for free from 11am. So you’d better make sure that it’s you that gets the goodies and not some poor random that doesn’t have a clue and will probably throw it away or give it to his Gran. For London dwellers you need to be at Covent Garden, Bond Street, Knightsbridge or Kensington High Street to claim your bag of loveliness. Just think when you get into the office on Monday, all your loved up co-workers will be chucking out their dead flowers, whilst you slip you notepad out of your YSL tote and plug in your heart shape USB. Now, that’s true love, it lasts forever (or until it’s eaten by moths/you lose it). Isn’t Valentine’s looking so much lovelier now?! Check out YSL to see the Manifesto.

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Alexander Wang brings us Tina Turner inspired jewels

The designer Alexander Wang is famed for his effortlessly sexy designs. He understands women’s figures and drapes them in gorgeous fabrics and cuts. Already a huge hit with the fashion pack he seems to just go from strength to award to strength. Recently receiving, possibly his greatest honour as one of the fifty designers creating Source]

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Pugh’s in good company

Gareth Pugh’s career has gone from strength to strength and he is now recognised the world over as a fashion force. It was only a matter of time before the fashion houses started to show interest in Pugh and his creations. This week Vogue reported that Delphine Arnault, the daughter of Bernard Arnault chairman of LVMH, had attended Pugh’s menswear show in Paris and exclaimed it as “amazing. LVMH is the ultimate fashion and luxury brand house, controlling designers such as Marc Jacobs and Fendi, to be part of this group is a straight route to success. And it has just been confirmed by Bernard Arnault that LVMH are financing Gareth Pugh’s shows. But why? They haven’t taken on Pugh as a brand in his own right; rumours suggest that he may be called upon to become the creative force behind one of LVMH’s luxury brands. So watch this space, for Pugh the sky’s the limit.

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Breakfast with designer William Tempest…

Actress Emma Watson made the headlines last week. Why? Because of the gorgeous dress she wore to the L.A premiere of her new movie The Tales of Despereaux. And because she opted for an up-coming designer over the likes of Chanel or McQueen. The chosen one was of course designer quaint cafe in Bermondsey he mentioned the possibility that Emma would wear one of his exquisite designs. I for one am pleased William made it to the red carpet…take a look at his collection for

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Five minutes with: Dolly Jones, editor of Vogue.com

If anyone knows about the ups and downs of working in online media it’s editor of Vogue.com, Dolly Jones. Under her direction she’s literally turned the site into fashion heaven – packed with videos and podcasts to keep us occupied…oh and enough street-chic to keep us inspired too! Always on the go, Dolly took a five-minute break to talk to us about fashion week, H&M collaborations, and British fashion. You’ve worked at Vogue.com for over nine years now, what’s the biggest change you’ve witnessed in online publishing since you first started? That people want us to feature them. When I started it was quite a challenge to persuade designers and models that they wanted to be associated with a phenomenon they didn’t understand – the internet was associated with internet geeks and porn addicts and not fashionable at all. What does a normal day for you consist of? Every day is different. It’s a luxury if I get to sit at my desk and get through my emails, I receive hundreds every day. I work with a brilliant editorial team these days and I love seeing all the ideas we come up with coming to fruition, whether it’s a film on VogueTV, a gallery of the seasonal trends from A to Z or an exclusive interview in the Daily News. I work with the commercial team to try to bring exciting and innovative clients onto the site and travel to Paris and Milan to cover the fashion shows as well as liaising with the magazine team to ensure our brand is where they want it to be. It’s a constant hamster wheel of meeting all the most exciting people in fashion to ensure we are on the pulse of what’s happening within the industry, both with the established global businesses […]

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Designer Alert: Disaya

Now London Fashion Week is over and we have stopped fantasising over the unobtainable delights of Westwood, Macdonald, Luella…I could go on, its time to become reacquainted with the delights of lesser known designers.

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Model.Live: The Reality Drama Begins

Model.Live , the new reality series from Vogue.tv premieres today. The show will follow three determined IMG Models – Austria Alcantara of the Dominican Republic (16yrs old), Cato van Ee of Amsterdam (19yrs old) and Madeline Kragh of North Carolina (20yrs old) – as they embark on supermodel status. From castings, fittings, coaching and the catwalk, viewers will get to see it all and even better interact with them all.

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An Interview With: Afshin Feiz

Designer Afshin Feiz was born in Iran, studied in America, and has lived in Paris, so it’s no wonder that his designs appeal to woman across the globe. Love and romanticism influence his collections, making him into a modern day poet who expresses his creativity through clothing rather than traditional words.

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My Trusty Chucks!

Last weekend during the only snowstorm of the year, my trusty Converse trainers broke. I was wondering why my toes were feeling damp, when I looked down and saw a crack the size of the Grand Canyon spreading southwards down the sole of my shoe. I always hate when my shoes break, because they become like a close friend, trusty and steadfast. Now I need to get looking for another pair in time for my trip to Paris next week, but where do I look? And what style do I choose?

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Project Runway Season 4: Episode 9

I will admit that when I was a kid, I used to watch the WWF all the time with my older brothers (I was a big Hulk Hogan fan). I never really got into watching women’s wrestling though because cheering on huge, as in built like a super hero, ladies wearing glittery spandex pulling out each others hair was not really my cup of tea. So when this weeks Project Runway challenge was to create a look for one of the Divas of Wrestling to wear in the ring, I was partly appalled, but also partly intrigued. After all, what could Nina Garcia and Michael Kors possibly have to say about faux patent leather spandex?

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Project Runway Season 4: Episode 7 Rundown

I couldn’t help but laugh when I heard about this week’s challenge for a couple of reasons: A. It brought back memories from my senior prom (wearing stilettos for the first time, having overly coiffed hair and way too much make-up on) and B. the Catholic school, St. John Vianney, where they found this week’s models, is located in the small, fairly affluent, central Jersey town that I grew up in (luckily, I went to public school). As the girls asked for plunging necklines, short hemlines and below-the-waist backs, I grimaced and thought that Lindsay Lohan and Paris Hilton had successfully made their mark on young, impressionable, teenage girls everywhere.

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Interviews: Caroline Issa – Owner of Tank Magazine

Caroline Issa – owner of Tank Magazine – is known for her impeccable sense of style but fashion aside Caroline is also an astute entrepreneur. Being at the helm of such an innovative and influential publication means she’s always on the go and in the know. Here, Caroline takes some time out of her busy schedule to talk fashion, music, travel and more… Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself, your background and how you came to own Tank Magazine? I actually studied business in Philadelphia as an undergraduate and moved to San Francisco after that as a strategic management consultant, working with fashion retailers and consumer brand companies on their business strategy. Working in the US and in Asia, I was then moved to work in London with a UK-based retailer before meeting my now-business partner, Masoud Golsorkhi who had started Tank magazine four years earlier. I found him to be an inspiring partner and thought, I’m young, when else can I become an entrepreneur with such an amazing opportunity and product. Five years later, I’m still here! Any thoughts on increasing Tank’s online presence and launching a blog? We have been debating in the office what we want Tank’s online presence to be. We currently have our own project, www.tank.tv which we started five years ago showing moving images online and has had shows at the Tate Modern and the ICA. Regarding our magazine’s online presence, we are aiming to launch something unique, which doesn’t just translate what the paper version is but adds a layer for the readers. Watch this space. Your job requires that you’re constantly on the go, travelling. But which destination is your favourite spot to just getaway? I love Singapore for the food, Beijing for the sights and Montreal for […]

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Model Profile: Ali Stephens

Google the name “Ali Stephens and you’re likely to find a few dozen sites featuring a girl whose beauty is simply otherworldly, clad in Balenciaga, Chloe, and Prada (among many others) strutting down the runway like a seasoned pro. When I searched for her, I kept clicking through the list, hoping to see more photos (really, why were there so few!) and started coming across statistics for a cross-country runner named Ali Stephens from Utah with an interest in marine biology. As it turns out, these two girls are one and the same: the girl that glides down the catwalk can also run a blisteringly fast cross-country race (albeit in more practical shoes). And the reason why photographs are relatively few and far between? Ali was discovered only last August—yes, August of 2007—yet landed on the runways of the crème de la crème of designers’ weeks later in the Milan and Paris shows.

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Tantrums & Tiaras: Marc Jacobs, Suzy Menkes and Cathy Horyn

Poor Marc Jacobs, he just can’t seem to catch a break. Since Suzy Menkes’ less than flattering review of his show at NY fashion week, all eyes have been on Jacobs in Paris wondering if he’d let bygones be bygones or if he was still hurting. Well a number of critics concluded it was the latter and after his amazing finale at Louis Vuitton, The Guardians, Jess Cartner-Morley hinted that Jacobs was still acting a diva and fashion journalist, Cathy Horyn wrote on her blog, I didn’t care for the gesture Jacobs made to Suzy at the end of the show. He stuck his tongue out. I guess he thought he was being cool or funny, on account of his feelings about her review of his New York show. It’s unbelievable, really. He should have known better. But wait…there’s more. Not one to keep his mouth shut (and don’t we love him for it eh?) Jacobs hit back with a comment on Horyn’s blog explaining his actions….

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A Jacobin Rebellion of a Rather Different Sort

Marc Jacobs has certainly not had a love affair with Paris. While living in the city as the creative director of Louis Vuitton, Jacobs struggled with everything from the foreign language to the lack of takeout food. But could recent events have him redesigning his previously shaky relationship with the city of lights? Jacobs is notorious for his punctuality, in fact, his Fall 2005 , Fall 2006 and Spring 2006 shows all began well behind schedule. But when his Spring 2008 presentation was two hours late, a public outcry erupted from editors and guests who felt that this time his tardiness was unforgivable. Suzy Menkes of the International Herald Tribune was especially venomous, suggesting in an interview with Women’s Wear Daily a startling desire to murder the designer. Marc’s response? Claiming to be fed up with New York, the designer is threatening to move his show to Paris next year.

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