The Daily Front Row Berlin

January 18, 2013

Berlin’s Chicest Clique!

anja gockel blacky dress minx by eva lutz dimitri holy ghost lala berlin barre noire franziska michael c’est Tout

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I C H F Ü H L’ M I C H S C H Ö N M I T M AY B E L L I N E J A D E .

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BERLIN

Fi x

The

Tranna Wintour

Franziska Knuppe

ANOTHER WINTOUR! Meet the faux Vogue editrix your Daily is j’adoring. Will “Tranna Wintour” hit up Berlin next season?

Here’s hoping...

Why Anna?

She’s a larger than life character. I love the editor-in-chief, evil queen.

How do you do her?

The name is an homage; it’s not really an alter ego. It’s a fabulous version of my everyday self.

How’s your Anna voice?

Her accent is a bit challenging: it’s a watered down British accent. The melody is fun to do — the disinterest and boredom.

Bibiana Beglau

Annelie Augustin and Odély Teboul

scene

Elle threw a Dawid Tomaszewski 25th anniversary supper on Tuesday evening—were you there, cheris? The affair took place at The Waldorf-Astoria, two weeks after its grand opening. ☛ Big congrats to the latest crop of Vogue Salon winners!

Today, the lucky designers, Michael handpicked by German Vogue Sontag editrix Christiane Arp, will show their collection at Hotel de Rome. Chic du chic! Without further ado, Arp’s Vogue-vetted top 10: Heiko Klesow, Iris Berben, Achtland, Augustin Teboul, and Sabine Nedelchev Blaenk, Blame, Dawid Tomaszewski, Isabell de Hillerin, Maiami, Michael Sontag und Vladimir Karaleev, plus a fresh accessories brands, Lika Mimika and Freund... ☛

CATCHING UP WITH…COCO ROCHA

Daily Double!

Baz Luhrmann

Klaus Wowereit

notable happenings on January 18

Vladimir Karaleev

Marni’s Consuelo Castiglioni and Carolina Castiglioni

Berlin’s mayor, Klaus Wowereit, and musical maestro Baz Luhrmann

How was your Berlin shoot with Ellen Von Unwerth?

We were shooting in a major old electrical plant that they turned into a disco space. She’s is so creative! Working with women photographers can be a bit overwhelming. Strong women are very competitive. But Ellen just loves to let you do what you do.

Any plans to return to Berlin soon?

I’d love to. My husband has a cousin, so

it would be nice to meet them.

Let’s talk food! What won’t you eat?

I hate anything slimy, like clams or squid. I’m not adventurous. I do sushi, but just avocado or California rolls.

Have you been tricked into eating anything crazy?

I once tried to be impressive at a meal and said I’d eat anything. Then the eel

Beauty Trend Alert: Matching Lips & Tips Bold red Essie on the fingertips...

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sational Lipstick in Cherry Candy along with Essie’s new She’s Pampered shade. Why wait for Fall, this is a runway trend you can easily steal for Spring!

YOUR DAILY HISTORY LESSON, LIEBLINGS!

1896: An X-ray generating machine is exhibited for the first time

by H.L. Smith.

1919: Bentley Motors is founded 1980: Pink Floyd’s album, The Wall, hits #1 on the Billboard charts 1996: Lisa Marie Presley files for divorce from Michael Jackson 1998: Otis Redding, Celine Dion, The Rolling Stones, The Temptations and Stevie Wonder are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Coco Rocha and two din date faves: Jean Paul Gaultier and Zac Posen

came out. I’ll probably never eat eel again.

Do you ever eat with fashion folks?

Yes! I’ve dined with Zac Posen and [Jean Paul] Gaultier, so I can’t complain. Zac is really great company. He has awesome stories and is very polite. We ate sushi, actually. getty images (8); elle: courtesy hubert Burda Media/Jessica kassner; courtesy maybelline jade; shutterstock

...paired with bright red Maybelline Jade on the lips!

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The

The

front row

Jefferson Hack

Daily

!

Double Kate Moss

Brandusa Niro Editor in Chief, CEO Guillaume Bruneau Creative Director Deputy Editor Eddie Roche Managing Editor Tangie Silva Berlin Editor Alonso Dominguez Editor At Large Christopher Tennant Features Editor Alexandra Ilyashov Senior Editor Maria Denardo Fashion News Editor Paige Reddinger Art Director Teresa Platt Photo Editor Shane Cisneros Production & Distribution Director Allison Coles Imaging Specialist George Maier Assistant Imaging Specialist Mihai Calin Simion

SCENE

Hey, party people: After the Marni party at KaDeWe the other night, where the Italian brand’s latest fragrance was the star du evening, the crowd migrated to the rowdy Don’t Shoot The Messenger opening bash. Your Daily hears the rollicking soirée went into the wee hours. ☛ Jefferson Hack makes his first appearance at Berlin Fashion Week tents this week, for his plum role as creative director of Mercedes-Benz’s latest campaign, shot by Ryan McGinley. ☛ P.S. Belated birthday wishes to Hack’s former flame, Kate Moss, who turned 39 on Wednesday. How will she ring in the big 4-0 next year?

Kerry Washington

Naomi Campbell

Django starlet Kerry Washington and supermod extraordinaire Naomi Campbell

THE DAILY BERLIN Joséphine

BODY LANGUAGE BREAK! Noah Becker, 18-year-old son of tennis great Boris Becker, has been spotted hitting runways all over town with leggy blond beauty Laura Zurbriggen in tow. The Daily’s resident body language expert, Patti Wood, analyzed this fan-accented front row shot from last season’s Michalsky Show.

Quite intriguing, non?

“They aren’t happy to be photographed: he’s using the fan in a way that blocks the camera. That expression on his face? I call it a downward look. You can see sadness, almost, when someone holds their eyes down.

They look tired—and like they don’t want to be where they are. Let’s talk about her! If you look at the arc of her neck and how her chin is out—it says a little bit more about her interest in what is going on than about [Noah’s]. But there is a tightness around the outer parts of her mouth. That’s where I see her displeasure. And her arms? I call that the turtle effect. It’s bizarre! Her arms are out, but the rest of the body is pulled back.

Whenever you see one part of the body hunched forward and another part retreating, it says someone has to, but doesn’t really want to, do something.”

Not happy!

Turtle effect!

RUNWAY RITUALS WITH LALA BERLIN’S LEYLA PIEDAYESH What do you eat on show days?

This season, I drank chamomile tea and ate a sandwich.

But honestly, it didn’t make me feel good.

Were you more nervous than usual pre-show this season, having skipped a full showing in July?

No, but I was very nervous anyways!

How did you celebrate after the show?

We had a reception at Grill Royal, then I had dinner with my family.

What are you most excited to do now that you have some free time on your hands?

Take a holiday!

How many hours of sleep did you get pre-show?

Five.

Leyla How many hours of Piedayesh sleep will you get post-show?

I guess around five hours as well!

German Publishing Director Olaf Holzhäuser German Marketing Director Michaela Fischer Ad Sales Burda Community Network GmbH

DFR Berlin is a publication of Bunte Entertainment Verlag GmbH. DFR is a trademark of Daily Front Row, Inc. used under License.

Verantwortlich i. S. d. Presserechtes: Bunte Entertainment Verlag GmbH, Arabellastr. 25, 81925 München, Tel. 089 / 9250 1754, Fax 089 / 9250 2583 vertreten d. d.

Geschäftsführerin Manuela Kampp-Wirtz

To advertise in The Daily Berlin, call +49 (0) 89.9250.3174 or e-mail michaela.fischer@burda.com

THE DAILY Front Row Louis A. Sarmiento Vice President, Publisher The Daily Front Row is a Daily Front Row Inc. publication. Copyright 2013. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is strictly prohibited. Requests for reprints must be submitted in writing to: The Daily, Attn: Tangie Silva, 135 West 50th Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10020.

Advertise in The Daily, call (212) 467-5785 Or e-mail: sarmiento@dailyfrontrow.com

On the cover: Minx by Eva Lutz & Dimitri Fall 2013

Collections by Getty Images

BIRTHDAY ALERT!

From silver screen greats to design icons, a few January 18-born Capricorns of note...

Kevin Costner Cary Grant Jason Segal Oliver Hardy Joanna Newsom Philippe Starck

Noah Becker and Laura Zurbriggen

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all getty images;shutterstock; wood: courtesy

ATHENS BEIJING BERLIN DUBAI DÜSSELDORF HONG KONG LONDON NEW YORK SEOUL SHANGHAI MCMWORLDWIDE.COM

chic supe

Sweet Karolina Is Czech stunner Karolina Kurkova gunning for German citizenship? She’s about to make waves on American television in the new Naomi Campbell reality competition, The Face, but she’s best known in Berlin for her role on Das Perfekte Model. The Daily got the scoop on the runway vet’s current love affair with this country and her new life as a TV star.

BY EDDIE ROCHE You’re a German television star. Discuss!

I was a coach and producer on the reality show Perfect Model. I was in front of the camera and behind the scenes. I learned a lot through the experience and it made me want to do the upcoming American show The Face with Naomi Campbell. I knew it was something I really enjoyed.

What television shows do you watch?

I have a three-year-old, so I don’t really have the luxury of watching TV between work and travelling.

My husband has made me watch Homeland. He’s a former marine who served in Desert Storm, so he really wanted me to watch to understand what it was

THE TAO OF KURKOVA Could this bombshell have a future in the self-help biz? Her Twitter feed overfloweth...

I’ve gotten to do are pretty incredible for someone from a small town in the Czech Republic. Before getting angry, ask yourself if it will really matter in 20 years.

Don’t look for reasons to be angry or sad, look for reasons to be happy. You’ll always be able to find plenty of each.Know what your priorities are in life, and act as if they are your priorities. Don’t let anyone EVER dull your sparkle.

The only person you should try to be better than, is the person you were yesterday.

For energy, try green+black teas 4 a more even-keeled, focused energy rather than the peaks and valleys associated with coffee and espresso.

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

like. I really love the show. It’s like our little date night whenever we can watch.

Are you coming back for another season?

No. It was kind of a special one-off project for me.

I also don’t speak German, but on the show I did a little bit. It was very funny to have me try and speak German with my dictionary and messing it up.

Would you have done a reality show when you were younger?

Probably not. I was very shy and insecure.

What’s your favorite thing to eat at the craft service table on set?

Green juices. I have to have one every day. One green juice a day keeps the doctor away. It gives me energy and nutrients.

No chocolate for you?

Sometimes I have a bagel on set if I am really hungry. The more crap that I put into my body, the more it makes me tired.

You’re a coach to young models on all these shows. Who was your mentor?

I didn’t really have one. At the beginning when I was starting I had to figure out a lot of things for myself and learn the hard way. But I have learned a lot from my colleagues in the industry by watching them and the decisions they’ve made for their career. When you are starting out you have to think about what direction you want to go. I always say you are your own brand. I am a person, but I am also a brand.

What’s your go-to advice for younger models?

I tell them to stay true to who they are and keep their feet on the ground. You can have everything, but you could have nothing tomorrow so be a good person. You are going to have a reputation. Were you a nice person? Being pretty isn’t enough. Were

you smart? Did you challenge yourself and have balls? Don’t stop learning. Be interested, not just interesting.

Are you a competitive person?

Yes, but I’m not competitive in a dramatic way. I am not vocal about it. I am more strategic and quiet about it. That’s my weapon. I don’t waste my time getting too excited. I take it in and put it in my work.

What do you think of Berlin Fashion Week?

It was cool. I love Berlin. It’s super inspiring. I love how the people dress and their style. I like to go out and see what people are wearing and check out the art.

We spotted you at StyleNite last year!

It’s kind of like a concert. That was pretty cool. I think the Berliners have a good sense of style and design.

It was very well done.

Where do you stay in town?

I love the Soho House. It’s cozy. There are always kids there. I like places that are nice to kids.

Are you a member of Soho House?

[Gasps] Oh, I can’t say that or give that away.

Is that a secret?

Well, it might be.

OK! Favorite food to eat here?

The potato salad. German food is like Czech food.

What’s your favorite German phrase?

Ich habe dich gerne. [I love you.]

B FA N yC . C O M ; G E T T Y I M AG E S

15° 03,057’ S 40° 45,901’ E Mozambique

arqueonautas.com

chic designer

Here Comes The

son

Dawid Tomaszewski grew up under the wings of design doyennes like Rei Kawakubo and Vivienne Westwood, but his eponymous label—dubbed the “New Couture”—was created with another woman in mind: his mother! B Y MARIA DENARDO PHOTO BY KATJA HENTSCHEL

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

How long have you lived in Berlin?

I’m originally from Poland, but I’ve lived in Berlin for 13 years. I returned here many years after studying at the Akademie der Künste [in Berlin].

What’s your earliest fashion memory?

My mother’s closet. She always had a lot of beautiful dresses. And I was always sewing things. If it was beautiful, I loved it. I’ve known I wanted to be a fashion designer since I was six-years-old.

What was your first experience like in the industry?

When I was 18 or 19, I was hired for an internship at Sonia Rykiel in Florence to work on the men’s collection. I was a nobody, and I was working with the biggest people in the industry. What can I say? I always knew what I wanted.

I went to Italy, and I got the job. I was there for six months, and I only have positive memories.

Did you ever run into Mme. Rykiel?

No, I worked with her team though. She wasn’t really around.

Where did you go after Sonia Rykiel?

I went to London to study at the London College of Fashion. I was there two years, but I left because the fashion university was boring. I wanted something else, something more. I wanted to push myself, so I came to Berlin. I studied architecture and art history, and the history of costuming at the Akademie der Künste. It really helped me to look at fashion in another way.

When you were enrolled at the London College of Fashion, did you really study under Vivienne Westwood?

Yes, a long time ago. She’s a great person! I love her, and her unique style.

Every time I saw her, she was a little crazy and funky. When I think about Vivienne Westwood, I remember her smiling face. She was always smiling in class.

You also interned for Alexis Mabille.

Yes, I interned there for three months in 2003. Every company I’ve worked for has helped me figure out who I am along the way and what kind of designer I am. chic streets.

What was the most surprising thing about working Are you going to any other shows this season? with Alexis?

I don’t really do that. I live alone with my dog, and I He’s always working with bowties, and thinking of ways to have my own work. I love what I make, but I’m not rereinvent them. I love it. I now own one, because I’m trying ally interested in fashion. I know a lot of designers in to put something chic on my body every day.

How would you describe Dawid as a child?

Berlin, and we’re friends. But everyone has their own What was your first fashion job after graduation?

Stubborn and determined. He knew exactly projects, and that’s okay.

I worked for a small shop in Berlin making men’s clothes at a what he wanted from the start.

Who do you hang out with in the industry? store that no longer exists. I switched to womenswear because When did you notice his interest in fashion? I love Wunderkind. Also, Très Bonjour and I collaboI loved women’s bodies. I don’t really like men’s bodies. It was We used to take him to the opera, and he alrated together. They’re friends of mine. a simple choice. ways loved the costumes. He started choosing Who’s your fantasy front row guest?

We hear you worked at Comme des Garçons? his own clothes when he was five!

Anna Wintour and Daphne Guinness, who’s one of my I worked with Rei [Kawakubo] and her team three or four years Where could you always find Dawid as a favorite girls in the world. ago. She’s a very special person. Comme des Garçons is very little boy?

What would you say to Daphne if you saw her? different from what I make. I love glamorous, beautiful things.

He loved to go to the horse stables.

I’d say hi…or maybe I wouldn’t say anything.

She loves to deconstruct. But her collection is still chic. It was What was Dawid’s least favorite activity?

Who’s your number one client? incredible to try to make something with her eye.

Helping in the garden!

My best and first client is my mother. She’s a really Tell us more about Rei! chic person, and she’s my best friend. Every piece She’s wildly interesting and intelligent. When she works, she’s that I make, I try to see her in it. Just like my mother, really quiet, which I love. It’s like me. I don’t like to talk either. my client is a real woman who loves clothes. She’s I like to just make it. fashionable, and she loves vintage like me.

How did you end up on The Next Fashion Talent in 2008?

Have you ever made something your mother didn’t The Next Fashion Talent is like Project Runway in the United love?

States. It was a funny time, but not interesting for me or my Yeah! I love the female body, so sometimes I make “nacareer—even though I met some nice people there. I was ked” dresses. She doesn’t really like that, but it’s okay. there for two months. That was all actually. Just a challenge What are your pet peeves? to make something for a huge company.

I don’t really like sports clothes. I hate t-shirts, and What’s your typical day like?

I only wear them to the gym—that’s it. Flat shoes I wake up at 6 or 7 a.m. to walk my dog, Victor. He’s a Polish are ugly shoes. I hate ballerina flats. All the girls look hunting dog. Then I go to the gym before work. When I go stupid with these shoes.

Dawid at work Mom Lucyna home, I’m still working. My life is my work; my work is my life.

What’s your top seller?

There’s no break.

The top selling item is the dress right now, which is So no hobbies? always my favorite piece in the collection. It’s like my mother. When she buys a My hobby is my job, but when I have time I love opera and jazz music. I have an dress, she buys it for the next 20 years. appreciation for art, and I’m obsessed with books. My home is full of books! I also What was the turning point in your career? love collecting photography. Tom Lemke is a great photographer.

The Spring/Summer 2013 collection was a big hit. We sold a lot of clothes! The Are you going to continue to show in Berlin? first three collections were more couture because I wanted to show my vision. But We want to change it up. My dream is Paris. I’m going to try to that collection was focused on the sales floor.

It really expanded our following. show there next season in a smaller capacity. But Berlin will Since the company is growing, we’re looking for investors to continue expanding. always be my base. Berlin gave me the chance to work and What editors have supported you from the beginning? show my vision.

The last three seasons we’ve gotten a lot of support from Christiane Arp of Vogue Why Paris over Milan or New York?

Germany. She’s a wonderful woman who orchestrates great things like the Vogue When you think about real, beautiful haute couture Salon, where five of her favorite designers can pick five looks to show to buyVictor fashion, this is Paris. When you go to Paris, you can smell ers and press. It’s a wonderful atmosphere where we have a couple hours to talk the fashion. about our collection one-on-one. She’s also featured a lot of items from the young What does Paris smell like?

Like beautiful girls who love beautiful clothes walking down designers in the pages of Vogue. We need the press!

A Tender Daily Moment with Dawid’s Mother, Lucyna ...

g e t t y i m ag e s ; R U N WAY: C O U R TESY daw i d To m a s z e w s k i

chic jewels

The Doctor

Is IN

Designer Michaela Frey launched FREYWILLE in Vienna in 1951.

But it took Dr. Fredrich Wille to make the jewelry line an international smash. The Daily got the RX on his success and why he considers Berlin such an important market. BY EDDIE ROCHE

What kind of doctor are you?

In Austria, if you study law and pass the exams you earn the title. It is now common in Austria to hide your academic title, but I have been around for so many years that the title has stuck with me.

How did you end up running the show at FREYWILLE? I studied law and then became a chartered accountant and I worked in that field for about eight years. A friend of mine, Michaela Frey, who was the original founder of the company, requested my assistance. She was searching for someone to run the operations. As I was in the process of starting up my own company, I considered Michaela’s offer for several months.

Since I was not fully prepared to build my own company yet, I offered to help for a short period until she found a permanent CEO. As time passed, Michaela convinced me to stay and my excitement grew because of the international component.

During the seventies, the prospect of working globally was very rare in Austria, so this was an attractive opportunity. I told Michaela I would only stay if I became a partner and that’s what happened.

Sounds like running a jewelry company wasn’t on your to-do list.

No, there was no thought about it. But I must say I was always very interested in art. It was always attractive to me to be able to work with artists.

You’re on both the business and creative sides now…

Initially I focused solely on the business side as Michaela Frey was the

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

designer. As my input was needed more and more in the late seventies, I began to work on both elements. The creative portion was very challenging to me. There were times when I considered giving up because I do not consider myself an artist and thought that was essential.

I then decided to bring an artist on board to take over the designing. I had invested so much time in the business that I was determined to make it successful. I found a fantastic team of artists under the leadership of my wife, Simone Grünberger-Wille.

You and your wife work together?

Since 1981. Simone came to the company as a young artist and did a fantastic job of leading a successful design team. We work great together!

What’s so special about your product?

We created a completely new kind of jewelry where the core value is the artistic expression and not the material. We wanted to create a really demanding level of creativity and art. My background enabled me to direct, motivate, and mobilize our creativity.

But more importantly, my personal interests of philosophy, history, and art were brought to life. In Vienna you can do that wonderfully. You have the arts wherever you look. As a child I went to museums and concerts. That was my life. I was thinking about my interest in Egyptian art and we created a collection that reflected it, followed by Greek and Roman art. Things developed quickly once we went in this direction. Shortly after, multiple well-known artistic foundations contacted us to create collections.

What are your favorite pieces?

That is always difficult to answer. My favorite pieces are associated with the latest developments. I am very interested in creating something for everyone. I aim to target people who love art and love to use art in fashion.

Do you collect art yourself?

No. It requires a lot of time and money. I prefer to use my time at work, which I love very much. I like to go to museums, which is where art should be.

Not in private homes.

Why do you think you have endured?

We have endured because our spirit is different from the fashion industry. I want to make sure that our artists do not have any pressure for seasonal deadlines. Our target is to be perfect. We sometimes take two or three years to create something.

While other companies focus soley on craftmanship, that’s not our only focus. It is very important, but if we could not make beautiful artistic creations, even the most precise craftmanship would not make people fall in love with it. When we go to a new country we are fully educated on the country’s history and I always try to get information about the culture and mentality. Enthusiasm about every country is a given, of course.

Do you have any collaborations in the works?

We want to be completely independent. We have had positive experiences with collaborations in the past. For instance, in the seventies we got together a bunch of big brand names like Yves Saint Laurent, who I was really impressed by. It was a real joy to work with him, but he was from another world. Fashion means four collections a year, and we need much more time to create one collection.

Why is Berlin important to you as a market?

We have two boutiques in Berlin. For many Germans it became a symbol of the German efficiency. As the country’s capital, it has an influence on the world.

Another thing is the mentality of the people of Berlin which is comparable to the people in Vienna. They are much more casual and like to laugh a lot! It is something that brings us close together. From the fashion point of view, Berlin is the epicentre.

Are you familar with the movie Free Willy?

Of course! We always laugh about the correlations that are often made between our name and the movie in foreign countries. I am happy that it’s a great movie with a positve meaning. We have that in common.

A ll C O U R T E S Y F rey W ille

25 JAHRE

DIE

GROSSE

FASHION BIBEL

Unser Mode-Trendheft mal ganz anders!

DIE NEUE ELLE. JETZT IM HANDEL.

chic legend

Mrs. Vreeland’s Pearls “Why don’t you as Schiaparelli go to the theatre in a black tweed evening suit with a jacket embroidered in brilliant paillettes? And then slip off the jacket, to show a necklace of old round uncut pink rubies, matching your ring?”

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

“Someone once said, “Genius is the capacity for taking infinite pains.” Therefore, when dressing be absorbed completely and utterly in yourself, letting no detail escape you. However, once dressed be interested only in those about you. “

“Why don’t you rinse your blonde child’s hair in dead champagne to keep its gold, as they do in France? Or pat her face gently with cream before she goes to bed, as they do in England?”

“Why don’t you get a fingerlength leopard-skin cape to wear this autumn over your country tweeds and your newest and most chic evening dresses—wonderful over yellow, pink, beige, or black?”

“I always wear my sweater back-to-front; it is so much more flattering.”

“Blue jeans are the most beautiful things since the gondola.”

“Unshined shoes are the end of civilization.”

TRAVELING through

This week Diana Vreeland is back in vogue with the launch of a book and documentary, The Eye Has To Travel about her divine life in fashion. The Daily asked author and filmmaker, Lisa Immordino Vreeland about her mission to keep her grandmotherin-law’s memory alive. BY EDDIE ROCHE How did you come up with the idea for the book?

I kept noticing that the two great books that already existed out there were ones she did herself, D.V., her autobiography, and Allure. I felt that she needed to be redefined for a new generation. It was such a treat to be able to go through 26 years of Bazaar and nine years of Vogue, and all of the shows at the Costume Institute. I couldn’t quite understand why no one had done it and thought she needed to be understood by the next generation. I worked in fashion for part of my career and I didn’t quite get her myself. I didn’t get what her contributions were. The only Vreeland that I knew was the Mrs. Vreeland that you saw in photographs, and everything was exaggerated with a lot of makeup. I discovered her through the process of the book and the movie.

You’re married to her grandson. Did you ever get to meet her?

I never did. We have a little bit of a clandestine relationship.

What’s it like living with the last name of a public figure that you’ve never met?

I still cherish my own name, Immordino. When I worked in fashion I made sure I was never called Mrs. Vreeland because there is only one Mrs. Vreeland. For most of my marriage, people just knew she was somebody in fashion, but that’s changed in recent years.

What is your background in fashion?

I have done everything from PR to marketing to design, and owning my own company. I started at Ralph Lauren and was an assistant to the vice president, and then opened their PR department in Italy. Then I just worked on freelance projects for many years.

Where did you start the book?

We were living in Paris at the time and I went to the Vogue offices and sat in someone’s office there and went through her nine years of Vogue in the 60’s when Vogue just totally came alive. I took my time going through all of those archives and then I started going through everything else. There was something lucky that happened, I found these tapes that were made between George Plimpton and Diana when he was editing her autobiography. I found them coupled with these transcripts and I was getting to know her through listening to her voice over and over again. I was totally immersed in her world. It was quite nice to be working on a book and a film. They complimented each other. There is a cross over between the images of the book and the film and there is, of course a lot of cross over in the text with her one-liners.

How do you describe Diana Vreeland to a generation that doesn’t know who she is?

Commonly she had been known as the Empress of Fashion.

She was about inspiration, she was the fashion editor at Harper’s Bazaar for 26 years, from 1936-1962 and from 1963-1971 she was the editor of Vogue. She took a magazine that had the name of Vogue but didn’t really stand for Vogue in a sense. It had been more of a society magazine, and she took this magazine and

what was going on in the sixties where life was changing. She was already in her own 60s at that point. She understood what was going on and how to react to those changes. She understood that the sixties signified the jet plane, the pill, the Beatles, Mick Jagger, and shorter skirts. She also understood that it was international and about the world. She had this wonderful vision that one world was everyone’s world.

She gave life to a magazine that didn’t really have any life and she gave it a soul.

How do you think she changed fashion?

She invented the fashion editor! At that time the whole concept of fashion editing didn’t exist. [Richard] Avedon says it the best: We just had society ladies that were filling in these spots. But she was very much a traditional society lady in a sense, but she went in there and it became her life. So the term “fashion editor” really only started with her. If you look at what she did with the “Why Don’t You” section and if you think of these messages that she was giving you, she wasn’t just talking about clothes. She was talking about life.

How would you describe her sense of humor?

She was hilarious. When you see the film you will be able to understand it because she is never still on camera. She always has a sense of rhythm, which is something that she talked about quite often. She always said that when she really learned to live was when she learned to dance. Dancing was a really important part of her life.

But when you see her talk she has a rhythm. Her eyes are rolling, and her mouth is making all these funny expressions. But she was deadpan funny. Things just kind of rolled off her shoulders. She had some real issues that happened in her life. Her mother called her ‘ugly little monster’ at a very young age, and from that moment on she felt she had to transform herself. She certainly had something special inside of her.

Didn’t she discover Oscar de la Renta?

I am not sure she made him; she played a very pivotal role in a lot of people’s lives including Manolo Blahnik, Diane von Furstenberg, and Carolina Herrera. I think that Manolo is a very good example, and he talks about this publicly. He had come to the United States and he was doing sets at the time and showed Mrs. Vreeland his drawings and she said, ‘My boy you must do extremities!’ And that is exactly what he started to do, he just started designing shoes.

People said that she was a horror to work for because she felt that she worked so hard so that everyone else around her should work as hard. She had no sense of what holidays were. Her assistants would cry at night and then come back the next day wanting more the next morning because she gave people so much inspiration.

Was she a party girl?

She was a party girl in different ways. It’s funny because I was talking to someone today and they said they used to always see her at Studio 54. She went a couple of times but I don’t think she went that much. Her husband died in 1965 and she didn’t die until 1989 so there were a lot of years that she was by herself. She was never with another man. She was very traditional with some things but very wild with her vision. She liked her drinks. She used to drink whisky, and she loved vodka. She was just very social.

Would she be a good EIC today?

Totally! She would be good at anything she did. I don’t know about the business side, but people are smart enough to know you have business people there to support that talent. She was so beyond her time. People who were half her age were not half as cool as she was.

G E T T Y I M AG E S ; l isa & B oo k co u rtesy

Runway Fall 2013

Anja Gockel

Dimitri

Blue lagoon. Someone was having a love affair with la mer, darlings. An ocean of chiffon, chiffon, and more chiffon billowed down the runway at Dimitri in cool shades of bluebell, azure, and cobalt. Clockwork orange. Mouthwatering shades of apricot, pumpkin, and spicy marmalade burst onto the scene at Anja Gockel atop cinched-waist coats, poppy day dresses, and printed stovepipe trousers. Sweet and zesty. t. Mountain FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

Blacky Dress

The shining. Time to reflect—with high-shine metallic separates and holographic accessories courtesy of Blacky Dress. FYI: The space cadet blazer has landed. Ruffle me this. What’s flirty, fun, and rippled to perfection? Minx by Eva Lutz’s latest collection, brimming with asymm gowns and leggy skirts injected with flouncy joie.

Minx

by Eva Lutz

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Runway Fall 2013

C’est Tout

Holy Ghost Boy meets girl. Girl dresses like boy. A classic love story recast at Holy Ghost with the usual suspects: a crisp button down, a camel coat, mix ‘n’ match suiting, and a bow tie for good measure. Naughty but nice. It was good girl versus bad girl on C’est Tout’s catty catwalk. Celestial white frocks in cloudy chiffon square off against boho biker babes in thigh-highs and lace-up leather shorts. Meow.

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

The fine print. Neon leopard and vibrant paisley motifs made for a trippy mix at Barre Noire. Pattern play on match-matchy suiting? Mind blowing! Peachy keen.

Franziska Michael grooved into the grove with shag carpet jackets, polyester zipper dresses, and oui, c’est vrai, leisure suits.

t

Barre Noire

Franziska Michael

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Runway Fall 2013

Lala Berlin

Mountain mama. Go west young lady. That was the message at Lala Berlin’s collection chock full of Aztec print in knifty knits like the très petites dresses and mini skirts mixed with jump suits and robe-like jackets. For the girlier bunch, the west got wild when prints paraded down the runway in paired with bubble-gum pink sweaters and jackets. We’ll take our patterns with a punch, please.

FA S H I O N W E E K D A I L Y. C O M

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