Too young for Couture?

Bloggers and editors saw elements of inspiration from Twilight in the most recent collection – which was fittingly opened by the new face of the brand, Freja Beha Erichsen – but no agreement on whether that is a good or bad thing seems to have surfaced. WWD felt the clothes were beautiful but too youthful for a couture line and the Telegraph thought the collection was more confident and signature to the new designers, while Style.com admits the pitch to a younger audience was peculiar but perhaps genius. {The Cut}

Or too Boring?

Style.com may have hit the nail on the head, as luxury fashion labels have attempted to keep their footing of late by reaching out to Generation Y. The looks may also come to symbolize a new era for Valentino.

The youthful slant to the collection is smart, but there are too many dropped waistlines and bows for our taste and the clothes are a bit bland, a kiss of death for haute couture, which we look to for the kind of over the top fantasy that would be out of place in ready to wear collections. The blah-ness of it is ironic considering the collection departs from their more typical Valentino lines, which critics found boring as well. Nothing is terribly wrong with the collection – the sheer hoop dress looks like a toned down take on Lady Gaga’s Grammy dress, but it looks like Chiuri and Piccioli are light years away from wowing like John Gallianoâ€s flower-inspired masterpiece for Dior did earlier in the week.

Appearing in the window of the Valentino boutique on Rodeo Drive in Los Angeles last week was a red T-shirt adorned with a strip of lace at the neck, a bouquet of embroidered silk roses and a $790 price tag. {The Wall Street Journal}

Valentino T-shirts, at left $1350, at right $890

Valentino has been famous for creating dressy evening wear for the fabulously wealthy since 1959, but the labelâ€s new design duo, Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, who took over for Valentino Garavani in 2008 after creating accessories for the brand for 8 years, are working to move the label into the future by including less stuffy attire. Enter: Valentinoâ€s 10 new T-shirt styles ranging in price from $295-$800 for embellished jersey tees and up to $3,000 for silk versions. {The Cut}

“Before, Valentino was quite untouchable,” Valentino’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Stefano Sassi said. “It’s a reinterpretation of the brand.”

Chiuri and Piccioli were criticized for “trying to hard” with their Spring 2010 collection for the label, which broke away from the established Valentino image. {Harperâ€s Bazaar} Whether Mr. Garavani himself is pleased with the introduction of T-shirts is unclear.

According to multiple reports, Valentino hates the T-shirts and has not liked much of anything the pair has come up with.

Sassi said, “This is the anathema to Valentino,” though he admitted to not actually having spoken to the designer about the matter. {The Wall Street Journal}

Meanwhile, a Harperâ€s Bazaar portrait of Chiuri and Piccioli, who began as handbag designers for Fendi, paints a picture of a playfully stern relationship between Mr. Garavani and the pair. The two discussed how he needled them for being late to shows by threatening not to use their handbags and slipping in comments about how he made more money than they.

“I couldnâ€t say I like everything they design,” Valentino said in the story. “Sometimes I think they try too hard to be cool and lose sight of the heritage they have received. However, their desire of renovation is respectable and acceptable in the world we live in today, and I am very happy that they became the creative and artistic directors of the Maison Valentino.” {Harperâ€s Bazaar}

But nevermind what Valentino thinks: the more obvious question in our minds is of who would buy these T-shirts? Perhaps the same lady who has a place in her closet for the holey $1625 Balmain t-shirt, but are $1000+ t-shirts (easily replicated by DIYers at that) really an effective strategy for expanding a brand? While that much for a t-shirt would be laughable for most, if the $3000 tee drives sales of Valentino’s new $300 shirts, it could prove to be an effective strategy. For Balmain? Well, considering there are no offerings in the aspirational luxury price range, we’ll agree with other feedback calling the pricing fashion foolishness.

What do you think – at $3000, would you buy the emperor’s new clothes?

Nick Snider (not the mugshot), Becca Shumlin and Remy Renzullo, Giancarlo Giammetti and Valentino

The first case of foot in mouth disease: fashion edition, comes courtesy of 21-year-old male model Nick Snider. Arrested in Arkansas for being drunk and disorderly, Snider twice tried to barter his release in exchange for oral sex. The unsuccessful offer resulted in a 3rd charge of attempting to influence a public servant. At least in this case, he can blame it on alcohol.

Moving away from the alcohol and questionable attempts at bail, but staying with the “blame it on youth” theme, Fashionista brings us the stories of two attempted Fashion Week crashers. The first are a team: Becca Shumlin and Remy Renzullo, two teen Vermont fashion fans, stuck their feet in pretty deep. Most high school and college students who want to experience fashion week will scour for internships that allow them to help a few models, haul a few dresses and take in the activity from backstage. At least 10 years ago. Now? It’s much easier to hire someone to hack into the reservations system and add a name or two to the list. We’re all for the chic plus geek thing (see: this site), but not in this way. Shumlin’s Twitter account and blog have disappeared, so we’re guessing any future guest list attempts will be more low-tech.

Our next fashion crasher would do well to take notes. While Shumlin and Renzullo didn’t pull of the guest list additions, they get an E for Effort. Requesting tickets on behalf of French Vogue with editorial clips from Harper’s Bazaar? Not so much. An anonymous fashion lover from Florida, who should probably know the difference if attempting to fake it, tried – and failed with this technique.

Our final case of fashion foot in mouth, which can’t be attributed to youth or drinking, comes courtesy of Giancarlo Giammetti. Giametti, the longtime business partner of Valentino Garavani, called the latest couture collection under the Valentino name a “ridiculous circus” on his Facebook page. So far, there have been no tweets, status updates or other comments from current Valentino designers Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli. On a positive note, it looks like people in fashion really are embracing social media.