The Shophound

TV PARTY TIME: H&M Throws A Bash For Fashion Star

What does the Shophound do when H&M invites us to a party celebrating a show we haven't really been watching? We go, because one ting we have learned is that H&M throws an exceptionally good store party. You might not recognize the atrium of the chain's Fifth Avenue flagship in the picture above as it was on Tuesday evening. It was transformed into festive, tropical wonderland where open bars naturally sprout on every floor, and the natives walk around with trays of treats. The party was in honor of NBC's "Fashion Star", the show where contestants create new capsule collections every week and then try to have H&M, Saks Fifth Avenue and Macy's compete to buy them. Sometimes they win big, and sometimes, nobody bids (insert wah-wah sound). From what we can tell, H&M serves as some designers' last hope, since what Saks and Macy's might not find interesting enough for their customers, H&M is happy to sell for $39.95 the day after the show airs. We can't tell if the show is big winner with NBC, but it looks like it was a hit for H&M, which was proudly displaying the items the chain had bought from contestants so far. The event was billed as an "exclusive shopping event" and the store staff was super-extra helpful and ready to hand everyone a mesh shopping tote. Most everyone seemed more interested in drinking, however, or trying to catch some face time with "Fashion Star" judges Nicole Ritchie and John Varvatos who hosted the event. The other name of interest who appeared was androgynous model of the moment, Andrej Pejic who was serving up a lady look for the evening (all pictured below). Pejic has no connection with the show that we know of, and was probably there for the free drinks like everyone else.

It was also a opportunity for H&M to get press folks into the store to see its new Conscious collection of eco-friendly fashion which was being showcased on the main floor amongst the temporary palm fronds. We went wandering around to explore the unlikely possibility that any of the chain's recent Marni collaboration was still hanging around, and upstairs in the men's department, not far from an antipasto bar, we found an abundance of both colors of the collection's hooded lightweight parka as well as the navy coat with knitted sleeves and a few random shirts and trousers. Unfortunately, they were all still at full price ($149 for the coats) but there were enough left to suggest that holding out for the inevitable markdown might be an advisable strategy.

H&M (Official Site)
Fashion Star (Official Site)

OSCAR FASHION: Why Did Nicole Kidman Wear A Two-Year-Old Dior To The Oscars?

At this point, we all know the Oscars have become more of a fashion event than an awards show, and the red carpet arrivals are far more interesting than the show itself. There are a million people ranking who looked better than whom. We can't begin to enter that fray, and actually, nobody really looked terrible ...except for one person.

What happened to Nicole Kidman? Her white beaded Dior gown was ungainly and awkward looking, especially if you saw it from any angle other than straight on from the front. It was almost unianimously chosen by the innumerable fashion pundits as a major misstep. The strangest part of all: It was two years old! Kidman's dress was look #26 from the Spring 2009 Haute Couture Collection. Cate Blanchett's Givenchy and Michelle Williams' Chanel Couture dresses were both from the latest Spring 2011 collections (Looks #3 and #53 respectively, though Williams' was shown on the runway with an odd satin coat that the actress wisely discarded), and while host Anne Hathaway's white Givenchy was in fact from Fall 2009 Haute Couture (and, yes, it was shon as a wedding gown), she wore so many dresses, including new Tom Ford and Armani Privé, that it seems to matter less in her instance.

Designers and, more importantly, their public relations staffs are usually intensely careful about making sure their dresses are well represented at awards shows like the Oscars. It took only minutes after her performance for an email blast to go out notifying the world that Gwyneth Paltrow's onstage dress was right off the Michael Kors Fall 2011 collection runway. While we can attribute Kidman's (and her stylist's) choice as a matter of taste, we have to wonder why Dior would would have tossed a two-year-old gown to a major nominee often lauded as a fashion icon? It's not like anyone thinks she actually pulled it out of her own closet or anything like that. Especially considering the fact that Kidman herself was instrumental in promoting Dior designer John Galliano's first collection at the Oscars when she famously arrived in a green, chinese-style embroidered, mink-trimmed gown, wouldn't she have earned a bit more deference at this point? The house might not have seen this a blunder, but we can't see how it isn't. And, while they have bigger fish to fry at this very moment, wouldn't they have sent her some new dresses to choose from? Or at least some that looked better?

TODAY IN FAKE STORES: Dash Draws A Line Of Fans... Are They Actual Customers?

Dash is the store we have been trying to pretend doesn't exist, but like its owners, the Kardashian sisters, it simply refuses to be ignored.

We had been hearing all sorts of stories about how the three would-be Gabors were planning on opening a branch of their boutique Dash in New York as an obvious pretext for moving their reality show to the city, and we pretty much disregarded them because, basically, The Shophound doesn't really care that much about the Kardashian sisters. But then, last week, the store actually opened with a party that brought the predictable crush of crowds, paparazzi and police called to restore order to the tiny sidewalk of Spring Street. The came the press reports about how the event was so chaotic that even Kanye West was left on the curb. Sounds awesome.

Still, we thought we would be able to ban the place from our consciousness, but please see the above scene which we witnessed early last Saturday afternoon. Yes, it seems that, for the foreseeable future, Dash will be forcing curious shoppers who to form a line to get inside that wraps around the corner of Greene Street...because SoHo isn't crowded enough on weekends. The neighbors must be so pleased.

This would all be less irritating if Dash turned out to be the sort of fantastic store that was actually worth standing in line for, but nobody's exactly been raving about the fantastic merchandise that would bring this shop all the way from the San Fernando Valley to SoHo. It looks like there is no limit to the number of people who will go out of their way for a taste of reality show glamor. We don't think the folks at Scoop are feeling threatened, but then they probably wouldn't mind it if their stores were so full that people had to line up outside. We are pretty sure, however, they like their business to be seen as more than a fancy tourist trap.

Are we being too hard on the ambitious Kardashian sisters? We're pretty sure they can take it. Of course, if the store winds up lasting longer than their reality show, then we might have to reconsider our opinion.

TV TALE: Anna Wintour Remains The Boss On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Some of you may have caught Anna Wintour and Marc Jacobs visit on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon last night. If you couldn't stay up past midnight, this clip shows an impatient Vogue Editor-in-Chief steering the conversation towards Fashion's Night Out. Of course they were actually talking about something more entertaining than FNO (which, we are sorry to say, we are already sick to death of hearing about), but damned if La Wintour was going to veer from her primary agenda! She's all business that one, but clearly unaware that when appearing on a late night talk show, the worst possible thing to do is to try and hijack the interview away from the host. Fallon, for his part handled it gracefully, but once again, Wintour proved herself to be a fully charm-free interview subject.

As of to balance out all the fashion talk, Fallon also packed the show with counter-programming including a spit-take competition and bulky WWE wrestler John Cena.

You can watch the full show on Hulu HERE.

White Collar Update: In Which Our Shirt Arrives

We were starting to get a little antsy waiting for our Thomas Pink shirt that USA Network promised us after we spent several hours waiting in line a few weeks ago. We didn't want to complain just jet —after all, it's a free shirt— but it has been a bit longer than the promised 10-business-day wait, and we were starting to wonder if it was ever going to arrive, or did we truly waste a perfectly good afternoon?
Just moments ago, however, FedEx appeared with our shirt, gift boxed and packed with a thank you card from USA, promoting its new original series and subject of the promotion, "White Collar" (which we are kind of enjoying, partly thanks to star Matt Bomer's sleek and stylish wardrobe).
Our only disappointment in the pristine, new shirt was discovering that Thomas Pink now manufactures its shirts not in the London workroom on Jermyn Street we had pictured in our mind, but somewhere in Thailand.
Thailand!
Our illusions are shattered.
Previously:
Today In Complimentary Items: How Long Would We Stand In Line For A Free Shirt?

White Collar Update: Free Shirt Frenzy Overwhelms Rockefeller Center?

We're glad we stood in line yesterday because our friends at RACKED tell us that USA Network's White Collar Thomas Pink shirt giveaway at Rockefeller Center gas gotten totally out of control. One of their commenters has reported that as of 8:20 AM the line was already closed and the wait was estimated at a whopping six hours!
Sorry folks. You just might have to wait until the next time USA launches a show that has a clothing related title.
Total Shirtpocalypse at Rockefeller Center (RACKED)
Previously:
Today In Complimentary Items: How Long Would We Stand In Line For A Free Shirt?

Today In Complimentary Items: How Long Would We Stand In Line For A Free Shirt?

Longer than we thought, it turns out.
USA Network is undertaking what must be a staggeringly expensive promotion for its new original series, White Collar which premieres Friday night October 23^rd at 10 PM. The network is giving away free white shirts for men and women from Thomas Pink to those who are willing to line up at the White Collar Shirt Bar that has been set up in the middle of Rockefeller Center's Channel Gardens. Customers are not simply being handed shirts and sent on their ways. They are measured and fitted individually, and will receive a correctly sized shirt via FedEx within 10 days.
We had two options at 2:30 in the afternoon on Thursday. One was to come back at 8 AM on Friday morning to get the jump on the next day's crowd. The other was simply to get in line right then and there. We were told that the wait would be about two hours by the cheery young lady who was part of the event staff, all of them dressed in white Pink shirts, black pants, black fedora hats and cobalt blue ties that matched the piercing eyes of White Collar star Matt Bomer who was smirking down at the entire affair from posters, banners and portable DVD players all over the place.
Since it was a lovely afternoon, and The Shophound had an iPod full of podcasts, we decided to just get in line and stick it out. Generally, those waiting in line were calm and well behaved, resigned to a few hours of hanging around with zen-like calm. Of course, by the time we discovered that two hours was a rather optimistic estimate, we had already invested too much time to ditch the whole thing entirely. Dammit, we were going to get our shirt, and so we persevered for nearly three hours, and after a couple of "This American Life"s and some "Fresh Air"s, we ordered a classic dress shirt with double cuffs in an elegant herringbone textured cotton (a $180 value according to the Thomas Pink website). Men are offered the options of classic, slim or formal pleated styles. We detest waiting in lines, but we still think this is a pretty good deal. You can never have too many perfect white shirts, especially if they are made in England and also free.
This stunt is costing the network at least a couple hundred thousand dollars in shirts alone, and that's not even counting the free shoeshine and coffee bars or any other expenses. We're putting the price tag on this event at about half a million, and that might be lowballing it. Is that a lot of cash to promote the début of a basic cable series? We have no idea. It may be a bargain to NBC Universal.
For those of you who missed out on today's free-for-all, it will be repeated on Friday the 23^rd from 8 AM to 6 PM, though if the crowds are anything like they were on Thursday, you can expect that the line will be closed at about 4 PM or possibly before, so you really can't get there too early. We recommend comfy shoes and good, working headphones.
White Collar Shirt Bar Rockefeller Center Channel Gardens, 49^th Street at Fifth Avenue, Thursday October 22^nd, 10 AM-6 PM Friday the 23^rd, 8 AM-6 PM

Today In Newsletters: Zoe Report Débuts Wth A 'Shootie'

Stylist Rachel Zoe has recently gone from tabloid punching bag to begrudgingly beloved (if a little loopy) cult figure mostly through her Bravo reality show, The Rachel Zoe Project, which returns to the air on August 24th. What a few well chosen catchphrases and a love of vintage couture will do for a public image!
Yesterday, many of us media folk were breathlessly informed that today would bring the launch of Zoe's daily newsletter, and The Zoe Report has appeared in The Shophound's inbox right on time this morning. Those who were hoping that Zoe would give self appointed celebrity guru Gwyneth Paltrow's GOOP a kick in the pants may be just a bit disappointed, as today's inaugural email only extols the virtues of a single pair of leopard patterned Brian Atwood platform pumps ($680 in black at Saks).
On the ambitious side, Zoe attempts to coin a term, 'shootie' (shoe + booty, which really should be 'bootie', since shoe + booty means shoe + ass, —a somewhat less appealing concept depending on your particular fetishes, but we digress). Spelling aside, we can't really endorse this term, since it seems thoroughly unnecessary with 'bootie' already referring to something between a shoe and a fully fledged boot, but there's no accounting for how eagerly some fashion folks will embrace a new word for an accessory or article of clothing —any new word.
Surprisingly, Zoe ends with a plug for a knock-off version from Steve Madden for $129.95. This is, in its own way, a slightly subversive act in that it shows the affordable option, but in picturing it proves how it in no way compares to the original in terms of quality.
Perhaps there is some promise here after all, but for now, we think the best way to liven up The Zoe Report might be to find a way to incorporate a meltdown from her amusing, bickering assistants, Brad & Taylor into the mix, because that's what we really watch her show for.

Project Runway On Sale: Champ Leanne Marshall Makes Her Bluefly Début

The most recent Project Runway champion, Leanne Marshall has finally made it to Bluefly today with her exclusive collection, and it's 20% off on day one.
We're not really sure if something actually can be 20% off if it has never been offered at "full price" to begin with, but we digress.
The tiny capsule collection looks good —based on the elegant creations Leanne came up with at the end of the season rather than the tricky, overly artsy things she made at the beginning (can you actually remember back that far?).
Leanne is not the enthusiastic media figure that her predecessor Christian Siriano is, so the PR dial for her has been set a little bit lower. Bluefly is featuring an "interview" with the charming designer by a bedraggled looking Kelly Cutrone of People's revolution and "The Hills" fame, who makes sure to plug her own upcoming show on Bravo, confirming to all who her number one client really is (hint: it ain't Leanne). But here we are talking about Kelly. We shall speak of her no more.
Back to Leanne. The collection, made from organic fabrics, ranges in price from $98 to $990 for a strapless silk gown. It looks pleasingly salable without being boring, and though she hasn't been able to whip up Siriano's frisson, it shouldn't last too long on the web page, so start your clicking.
Project Runway will finally return with its Lifetime début on August 20^th.
Leanne Marshall on Bluefly (Official Site)
Kelly Cutrone Interviews Leanne Marshall (Fly•Paper)

Television: Simon Doonan's "Beautiful People": Episode 1

Are we to resist writing about a TV show that begins and ends in Barneys' window?
Certainly not.
Last night saw the U.S. premiere of Beautiful People, a comedy series based (loosely) on Barneys' Creative Director Simon Doonan's childhood memoirs of growing up fabulous in a dreary British town surrounded by a bunch of wackos (to be rebroadcast several times over the next week, check Logo listings).
Since a bunch of wackos is basically The Shophound's recipe for perfect TV, our DVR is already recording automatically.
We'll admit that we have not yet read Doonan's book, so we are judging the show on its own merits. Most of the action has been transposed from the 1960's (Doonan's actual childhood) into the 90's with lots of music references to British pop bands that never really made it in the U.S. like All Saints, D:Ream, M People and of course, Kylie Minogue in her mid '90s Euro Superstar/U.S. Obscurity period. The premiere episode, "How I Got My Vase" is bookended by a "contemporary" adult Simon ten years later, in his signature paisley shirt, putting the finishing touches on a window display at the corner of Madison Avenue and 61^st Street as he tells his assistant (played by a clearly British actor hopelessly overdoing his best American Gay accent) how being a "slightly fey" teen in England was nothing compared with the crazy people with whom he found himself surrounded. There's his best friend Kylie (né Kyle), who is given to addressing Simon as "Girlfriend", and with whom the young Simon forms an intellectually superior yet socially inferior pair; his gin loving mother, Debbie, whom it is generally concurred to be much more agreeable when drunk; his unrelated Aunty Hayley, a blind, former amphetamine addict the family has taken in; his trampy sister, Ashlene, who blackmails her brother into doing her hair in a giant fountain of curls like M People singer Heather Smalls ( hardly a punishment, one would think); and his father, Andy, a mild mannered plumber with talents for winemaking and attracting the attention of the neighborhood housewives.
The general tone here is "Absolutely Fabulous" style lunacy, and while the show doesn't quite reach that series' high pitched silliness, it does have its satisfying moments. When Simon is caught experimenting with with cross-dressing, his mother is furious, but only because she is insulted that instead of using her own perfectly good wardrobe, he has pinched a dress from Kylie's mother.
On the plus side, the cast is full of skilled actors expertly selling the unlikely stories, particularly Myra Syaal as daffy Aunty Hayley and Olivia Colman as the peroxided Debbie Doonan.
On the downside, Many of the musical references and British colloquialisms will likely fly over the heads of American audiences, and while the first episode makes it clear that Simon is not so popular amongst the other schoolkids, we are bracing for the episode where he inevitably gets beat up. Perhaps that will be next week's installment, "How I Got My Nose".
Beautiful People Tuesdays at 10:30 on Logo
Simon Doonan: Musings on his LOGO show, 'Beautiful People,' and Adam Lambert's 'guts' (Entertainment Weekly)