Monday Fashion News: Kate Moss is Designing Everything and More

First of all we want to make a few clarifications. We erroneously reported on Friday that Cloak designer Alexandre Plokhov's special limited edition collection for UNIQLO's Designer Invitation Project (pictured at left) had been canceled when Cloak had to shut its doors earlier this year. In fact, this is not true, and we had been misinformed by another media source (bad WWD!). Our friends at UNIQLO quickly set us to rights about the whole situation, but, unfortunately, not before some other blogs picked up on the story, so let us say once and for all, Alexander Plokhov for UNIQLO will be happening, and Alice Roi will be arriving on time this Friday. We are glad because A. we want the clothes, and B. we think Mr. Plokhov is very talented, and we hope this will help him get back to work very soon.
And while we are on the topic of designer collaborations (or model collaborations as the case may be) Kate Moss continues to flex her design muscles not only for Topshop (May 8, Barneys, expect a mob scene) but also for the French accessories brand Longchamp whose ads she has starred in for the past year. having now established her brand with her own logo, Kate has been adding her two cents to the design process over there, and the result is their new bag, the "Legend" a modified doctors' tote/duffel style (at right). Longchamp has been undergoing a image makeover lately, and it looks like they are on the right track.
Speaking of image makeovers (You like the segues or have we been watching too much Access Hollywood?) the fashion rumor mills are all abuzz over alleged news that Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon is on the verge of signing an endorsement contract with Estée Lauder. Lauder, once known for it's iconic single model advertising, has dramatically expanded its roster of faces, and Witherspoon would be joining fellow gold statuette holder Gwyneth Paltrow, Elizabeth Hurley, superstar models Carolyn Murphy and Liya Kebede, and budding supermodels Anja Rubik and the just signed Hilary Rhoda. That's a lot of faces, but Reese has been on an fashion roll since January when she debuted her unofficial yet mutually beneficial collaboration with Nina Ricci designer Olivier Theyskens. Suddenly, she's at the top of the Hollywood style heap (and what a heap it has become), so who can blame her for cashing in?
Longchamp's Legend (Vogue UK)
Reese Witherspoon's Beauty Move (The Daily)

Blondie's Back at Marc Jacobs

There are so many $20 t-shirts for sale over at Marc Jacobs that we can hardly keep track, and it seems like they have been such a success that Marc has taken to reviving an old favorite that originally sold out almost as soon as it hit the shelves. Now is your second chance to get ahold of the design originally made when Blondie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame a couple of years ago. It has been remade in a rainbow of 9 colors with Debbie Harry in her post-punk prime serving a surly glare. It will now benefit the Provincetown Art Association and Museum, no doubt to celebrate the opening of the Marc store there this Summer. This time around it looks like there's plenty to be had, speaking of which, not every one of Jacobs' bargain specials seems to be such a resounding success. It looks like there's more than enough colorful all-weather boots to go around, and now they're down to $7. Maybe they would have been more useful a week or so ago.

Marc by Marc Jacobs
403-405 Bleecker Street, Greenwich Village

Steven Alan Uptown Goes Outlet

As retailer Steven Alan's private label line has practically grown into a lifestyle collection of its own, the need has naturally arisen for an outlet to get rid of the inevitable extra goods. Rather than hide his outlet store in some out of the way discount center in Secaucus, Alan has kindly converted his Upper West Side location into the Steven Alan Outlet, with no discernible downgrading in service or décor. One of the best things about his updated classic sportswear is that last season's plaid shirts aren't wildly different form this season's, so you won't feel the least bit out of date. In addition to the Steven Alan label, The Shophound found the odd item from Earnest Sewn, Rag & Bone, Mayle and other labels found in Alan's stores. Who needs an outlet mall?

Steven Alan Outlet
                    465 Amsterdam Avenue, between 82nd and 83rd streets, Upper West Side

Counting Down Patrick Robinson for Target

Does anyone actually buy designer clothes in a department store anymore?
On this morning's "Today" show, Vogue's Sally Singer showed us a cute little jacket from Patrick Robinson's upcoming collection for Target's Go program, but don't run down to Brooklyn right away to get it just yet. Robinson's line will arrive on May 6, that's in two weeks, just in time since there is hardly anything left from Proenza Schouler. If the name sounds less than familiar, Robinson was most recently the designer for Paco Rabanne, and before that he fought a losing battle with the suits at Perry Ellis in his efforts to make their women's line cool and chic again. You can preview some of his appropriately summery looks here.

More UNIQLO News: Alice Roi On Her Way, and a T-shirt Bonanza

You should know by now that The Shophound lives and dies for UNIQLO these days. We were expecting the next phase of their Designer Invitation collections to have arrived today featuring Alexandre Plokhov for Cloak and Alice Roi, but those deliveries have been pushed back until next Friday the 27th. Unfortunately, the Cloak collection will be coming later, but not cancelled as had been reported earlier as the promising Mr. Plokhov has had to close his business. The men's component will be represented by Satoru Tanaka, (preview sketches after the jump) which we thought was coming next month. Such a lot of designers to keep track of! Still to come, a collection from 3.1 Phillip Lim that is sure to draw crowds.
As if that's not enough, they are spinning their limited edition T-shirts off into a new store concept. Next week the brand will unveil its first UT Store in Tokyo's Harajuku district featuring vending machines dispensing tees packaged in plastic tubes for a total self service experience.
To promote it, they have commissioned photographer Terry Richardson (possibly NSFW) to create an ad campaign using real people found through MySpace wearing their favorite UNIQLO tee. This would seem like a great idea, unless you are familiar with Richardson's sexually charged work, in which case the idea of him trolling MySpace is kind of creepy and gross.
Why would we care about that here in New York? We will be getting the 100 or so new styles next weekend from artists and designers including, among many others, Richardson, Nobuyoshi Araki, Kim Jones, Peter Saville, Gareth Pugh and Sølve Sundsbø, and possibly a vending machine or two of our own. At $15.50 each, they are still the best buy in town.
So next Friday will be another big day at UNIQLO, and the line starts behind us.
After the jump, preview sketches from Alice Roi &  Satoru Tanaka

Uniqlo T-Shirt Project (High Snobiety)
UNIQLO UT (Official Site)

Zarah Goes Shopping: The City's Best Secret Vintage Store Edition

Normally, we have not been all cracked up about Zarah Crawford's turns as the Thursday Styles' Critical Shopper. Frankly, we wish they would just assign one person to the column so it could acquire a consistent personality. Today, however, Zarah was inspired to visit the Memorial Sloane-Kettering Cancer Center Thrift Shop, and in the process has exposed the Upper East Side charity store as possibly one of the best resources for vintage couture. She portrays it as a charmingly genteel and patrician place to pick up a vintage Scaasi or Chanel for a song, which should annoy those resolute downtowners who have been supplying their vintage needs at somewhat pricier venues like NoLiTa's Resurrection. But let's get to the important news. The late socialite Nan Kempner, the subject of a recent show at the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute, actually bequeathed her entire wardrobe to Sloane-Kettering, who will be selling the bequest through the Thrift Store. Geoffrey Beene did the same thing with his personal archives, so vintage collectors of the tall and willowy variety (think runway-model sized) should stay alert for an upcoming treasure trove event. Although we would think the charity's interests would be better served by selling Mrs. Kempner's celebrated wardrobe of Yves Saint Laurent Haute Couture at auction, we weren't consulted on the decision, and, hey, who are we to stand in the way of a good bargain?
Critical Shopper: After Lunching, The Ladies Go Shopping by Zarah Crawford (NYTimes)
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Thrift Shop 1440 Third Avenue (between 81st and 82nd Streets)

UPDATE: If you aren't reading the comments, you will have missed that the charming Zarah Crawford has personally contacted us to let us know that the best of Nan Kempner's wardrobe will in fact be auctioned off at Christie's (meaning we can probably expect another exhibition of her wardrobe) but the rest will be sold through the thrift shop. Believe us, even the lesser pieces of her wardrobe are worth looking out for, especially the accessories. Say what you will about her, the woman had a flawless eye.

JC Penney Confirmed for Manhattan Mall's Lower Levels

Sarah Jessica Parker fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
Steve & Barry's is safe!
JC Penney has confirmed that they will build a 150,000 square foot store on three levels where Gimbels once stood in Manhattan Mall to open in late 2008 or 2009. Their first store in the borough will occupy space on the street level, but, cleverly taking advantage of the 34th Street Subway station, will descend down to the lower levels rather than displacing stores on upper floors of the 4-level mall.
Other stores may be moved within the mall, but given its current performance, Penney's is far likelier to succeed where Gimbels, A&S and Stern's all met their demises. With Penney's finally invading Manhattan, will we soon see, for example, Kohl's on the Upper East Side? Or how about Sears on the newly fashionable Bowery?
Previously: Is Penney's Going to be the New Gimbels?

Broadway SoHo News Part II

We thought we would let you have a glimpse of where you will inevitably be shopping later this year. On the left imagine the CB2 store we mentioned earlier form Crate & Barrel, and right next door we will be looking forward to Muji, the Japanese home furnishing and product company that we will be anticipating as much as we did UNIQLO. Both stores will be sitting on a block of Broadway (451 and 455 respectively) just below Grand Street that can generously be described as charm-free. Expect that to change as the Mega-Scoop continues to draw traffic down Broadway. As for further up the ever more desirable shopping strip, Lush has opened an awfully narrow stall at 529 Broadway just above Spring Street, and Forever 21 is preparing a store right next to a newly glitzed-up Zara. Up in NoHo, we have been tipped that Canal Jeans is not actually closing, and it is the building next door that is available. But if that's the case, then why are they selling off fixtures? Of course, if they are the kind of store that sells old mannequins by putting them in the front window, then maybe it's time for them to move on anyway.

Lord & Taylor Signs Tuleh's Bryan Bradley and Starts Looking Interesting

Those of you who had written off Lord & Taylor as running on fumes might want to think again. The venerable but beleaguered department store has been undergoing a slow repositioning, but new owners NRDC Equity Partners are looking to ramp things up. To that end, they have signed Tuleh designer Bryan Bradley to create an exclusive collection for their stores, and he may be the first of many, as the store has reportedly been in talks with Peter Som and Charles Nolan, the former Ellen Tracy and Anne Klein designer who has launched his signature collection in the bridge category that easily fits in with L&T's merchandising strategy. Cynthia Steffe is already on board working with accessories, but a non-compete agreement with the company that continues to make the line that bears her name keeps her from working on apparel for another year.
As for Bradley's collection, few other details have been released  beyond his assertion that we will not be seeing Tuleh II, a disappointment to runway fans on a budget. He tells WWD,

I am looking at it from the perspective of what I think a department store needs to do to be successful now...I think of it broadly in terms of monthly categories and monthly deliveries.

Clearly he is thinking in a commercial mode, and his work should start appearing on the shelves as early as Father's Day, so you may find yourselves making a trip down to 39th and Fifth sooner than you thought.
Adding Designer Touch: Lord & Taylor Recruits Tuleh's Bradley for Line (WWD)

Stefani Greenfield to bring "Scoop Style" to HSN

Scoop storekeeper and occasional "Today" show contributor Stefani Greenfield is taking her store to the Home Shopping Network next month according to WWD. "Scoop Style" will start airing on May 17th. As part of HSN's efforts to raise the level of its merchandise, Greenfield will be featuring the same type of contemporary and designer labels offered in her store along with her Scoop private label rather than creating a less costly collection specifically for TV selling.
Here at The Shophound, we generally try to keep our TV separate from our shopping activities. Since we devote enormous amounts of time to both pastimes, we feel that combining the two would simply send us into a hypnotic haze that can only be broken by The Quacker Factory.
Scoop Bringing Its Style to HSN (WWD)