J. Crew Spring/Summer 2010 Preview | Source: J. Crew
J. Crew Is Going Global on Net-A-Porter (Stylelist)
“Now, the classic American outfitter, currently available only in North America and Japan, has entered into an agreement with Net-A-Porter to be sold globally starting in May.”
Nordstrom’s Profit More Than Doubles(WSJ)
“Upscale department-store chain Nordstrom Inc. reported a 152 percent increase in profits during the quarter ended Jan. 30, underscoring how its strategy of expanding price points and carrying more exclusive merchandise is leading to more full-priced selling.”
Britain a cut above the rest(Telegraph)
“The creativity of these highly inspirational designers [generates] consistent demand via regular showcasing of new trends and design styles. Without this talent there would simply be no thriving high street, no £46bn sector and far fewer jobs.”
Liberty’s designer open call event (FT)
“The Liberty Best of British Open Call, an initiative launched last April by the store’s buying director… involves designers showing their wares to Liberty’s textile, furniture and fashion buyers.”
Christopher Kane updates the little black dress at LFW(Independent)
“When Gabrielle ‘Coco’ Chanel created the little black dress in the Twenties, she could hardly have foreseen the sexy leather and lace versions which graced London Fashion Week.”
Mrs. Obama’s East Wing said she will be “joined by members of the president’s cabinet, as well as media, sports, entertainment, and business leaders,” plus mayors, member of the medical community and others at the White House event. On Tuesday evening, Mrs. Obama will sit down with CNN’s Larry King for an interview about obesity and her first year as first lady. She will take questions from viewers.
Additionally, Mrs. O will appear on Good Morning America,a first peek of which we have here:
On a style note, the first lady is wearing an ivory double face wool sheath dress and jacket from Talbots for her interview with Robin Roberts. Mrs. O first wore the dress in November for a White House classical music event, seen here. Completing the ensemble is a pair of knee high boots in camel.
Update #1: Mrs. O’s Super Tuesday is off and running! This morning the president signed a memorandum as part of Mrs. O’s campaign to combat childhood obesity. The president and first lady were joined by Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar in the Oval Office of the White House.
For the signing, Mrs. O wore a teal dress with printed top, paired wtih a coordinating teal cardigan. A statement brooch by Erickson Beamon completed look. See photo above.
Update #2: The first lady has just unveiled a new website for her campaign against childhood obesity, Let’s Move. In the email introducing the website, Mrs. O writes:
“The problem is clear. Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates in this country have tripled. Today, obesity and excess weight threaten the health of one out of three American children. It’s time for us to act. That’s why I’m asking you to be part of Let’s Move! — a nationwide effort to solve the obesity epidemic within one generation.”
The site also includes this video from Mrs. O (wearing a J.Crew cardigan for the seated interview):
Before the clock strikes midnight and this officially becomes the second day of 2010, I wanted to take a look back through 2009 to highlight a few favorite Mrs. O ensembles of the year. With my top five outlined below, I’d also love to hear your favorite picks.
#1 Orange gold Rodarte dress in Copenhagen worn with a trio of vintage brooches / October 1, 2009
While the Olympic bid for Chicago was not a success, the trip to Copenhagen did bring one of Mrs. O’s most stunning style moments of the year. The first lady has improved perceptions of American culture abroad, in part, by projecting elegance and sophistication through her style. It is a powerful, smart use of fashion, purely embodied through the Rodarte dress and vintage pins below, worn as Mrs. O represented the United States on a world stage in Copenhagen.
Photos by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images
#2 Peter Soronen Twilight Gown paired with a Tom Binns necklace for the National Governors’ Association Dinner / February 22, 2009
The National Governors’ Association Dinner happened to fall on the same night as the Oscars, and as one flicked from TV to laptop screen, it was hard to remember which was which. Mrs. O looked unlike any first lady had looked before in her sequined Peter Soronen corset gown, accessorized with ropes of crystals and pearls by Tom Binns. It was the perfect union of classic glamour and modern edge, and certainly one of the most exciting looks of the year.
Photo credit: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images
#3 Isabel Toledo lemongrass dress and coat chosen for the inauguration / January 20, 2009
Many Americans were introduced to Cuban-American designer Isabel Toledo on January 20, enchanted by her inaugural creation for our new first lady. Amidst a sea of navy and black wool winter coats, the eye was instantly drawn to Mrs. O’s bold lemongrass hue, which projected an optimistic mood on the cold winter morning.
The ensemble in its entirety is an example of classic Mrs. O style. With the Isabel Toledo dress and coat, Mrs. O wore a Nina Ricci cardigan, a vintage pin from the Carole Tanenbaum Vintage Collection at the collar, green Jimmy Choo heels and J.Crew leather gloves — a mix of price points and aesthetics, and a fresh play on color.
Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images
#4 Alaia dress worn for American Ballet Opening Night Spring Gala in New York City / May 18, 2009
Throughout the year, we saw the first lady embrace a wide range of fashion talent — young, up and comers; established, mainstream labels; and a handful of lesser known, semi-couturiers. Significant among those is Azzedine Alaia, who has been described as the “last true couturier.” Mrs. O publicly wore Alaia for the first time during the G-20 and NATO summits overseas in April. Soon following, she chose this frock, said to have been a long-time favorite in her closet, to wear to the American Ballet Opening in New York. The touch of sparkle and structured construction made it one of the best looks of the year.
Image via a kind, anonymous friend
#5 Violet Jason Wu dress with french knot embroidery, worn for a White House kitchen event / February 23, 2009
When seen from afar, one might perceive a simple, printed cocktail dress in this Jason Wu frock. But viewed up close, we discover thousand of hand embroidered knots, clustered in florets to create the pattern on the backdrop of violet fabric. As we whiz through glossy magazine pages, it’s often easy to overlook the fine craftsmanship that goes into beautiful dresses. But we see a prime example of it here, offering an entirely new, substantive dimension to following the first lady’s style.
When the first lady appeared on the December cover of Glamour magazine, wearing a red Jason Wu dress and a statement necklace adorned with jewels and bows, we were all intrigued by the same question: who made that gorgeous necklace? The answer proved to be designer Dana Lorenz for her line Fenton. The designer was as delighted to see her necklace on the first lady as we were, unaware that it had made its way into Mrs. O’s jewelry collection.
Behind the scenes, Jenna Lyons of J.Crew and Dana Lorenz had met at a dinner party a few months before. A great fan of the Fenton and Fallon lines, Jenna Lyons made plans to meet at Dana Lorenz’s new store in downtown Manhattan’s Freeman Alley to discuss a possible collaboration. As they looked through the Fenton and Fallon look books, there was a necklace that caught Jenna Lyon’s eye. J.Crew made plans to produce the necklace with slight modifications. It was a fortuitous, though unexpected, twist, when just three days after plans for the collaboration were set, the first lady wore the same Fenton necklace on the cover of Glamour. Though on track to release the necklace for Spring 2010, J.Crew decided to push production forward after seeing the response that the necklace received (in part, by comments from many of you!).
The Carrington crystal bow necklace, designed by J.Crew in collaboration with Fenton / Fallon, features crystals and glass stones, silk ribbons dyed by hand (available in ivory or grey/green), and unplated chains. “There is a certain handwriting that J.Crew has, and Dana’s pieces have a bit more edge,” Jenna Lyons said. “Mixed with J.Crew clothes, there is a nice contrast.” I asked Jenna how she might style the piece. “This is a statement necklace – no question,” she replied. She recommends pairing the necklace with a classic jewel neck t-shirt, black blazer and jeans, or even a chambray shirt buttoned up to the top.
These pieces are the first look at what will be a continuing collaboration between J.Crew and Fenton / Fallon. The next pieces, set to debut in April, May and June, will feature the chains, studs and rock crystals that Dana Lorenz’s work has become known for. Jenna Lyons said the gals at J.Crew are “madly obsessed” with the pieces. If these first necklaces are any indication, we will be too.
The Carrington crystal bow necklaces are available at J.Crew stores for $295. They’ll be available online at JCrew.com beginning December 30. We’ll follow up with a post when they are!
UPDATE: You can now order the FENTON-FALLON for J.Crew Carrington crystal bow necklace on J.Crew.com, here. We have heard rave reviews from readers who have seen the necklace in-store!
Thank you to everyone who made it out to Bloomingdale’s in New York City last Friday evening for the “Mrs. O: The Face of Fashion Democracy” book signing. It was an absolute pleasure to meet so many of you, including the fabulous OperaFanatic and Bevi, among others.
Peter Soronen was on hand to sign books, and to answer questions about the now famous red dress worn by the first lady. We had no idea Mrs. O would wear another of his stunning gowns just a few days later!
I would also like to thank everyone at Bloomingdale’s who made this event possible, Peter Soronen for participating (and for my own gorgeous dress!), and Glaceau smartwater for providing ice cold water for our refreshment. I am grateful to everyone involved!
P.S. The Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum has posted a video of my Q&A with designer Maria Pinto from early November. You can have a peek here. (Please excuse my rather nervous, eyes-on-notecards introduction).
J. Crew more than doubles profit in 3Q(AP)
“J. Crew Group Inc., seller of clothes, shoes and accessories, said Tuesday its profit more than doubled in the third quarter as sales rose by a double-digit percentage. The results sent its stock surging in after-hours trading after the retailer beat Wall Street consensus estimates for profit and revenue.”
Baugur founder seeks investment (Drapers)
“Jon Asgeir Johannesson, the founder of collapsed Icelandic investment vehicle Baugur, has approached former colleagues seeking investment for his Icelandic retail business Hagar.”
Why MaxMara is having a moment(The Times)
“With its purist approach to design and branding, MaxMara is seeing its camel coat become a recessionista favourite.”
Michelle Obama’s dinner gown, made in India by an Indian(Economic Times)
“First Lady Michelle Obama glowed in a silver-sequined, strapless gold and cream gown Tuesday night at the first state dinner hosted by her husband in honour of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. She owed her dazzling appearance to the Indian-born US-based designer Naeem Khan.”
For the State Dinner preview this afternoon, Mrs. O changed ensembles, rewearing her J.Crew Crystal constellation cardigan, first seen in London last April, paired with a Rachel Roy “Marble” pencil skirt. The ensemble is cinched at the waist by a wide silver belt, featuring a clear square buckle.
To note, Rachel Roy is an Indian-American designer – a thoughtful sartorial choice by Mrs. O, likely in reference to the cultural heritage of the guests of honor. Mrs. O has worn one of Rachel Roy’s dresses before, choosing the Reid dress, seen here, for a California conference earlier this year. Might Ms. Roy be a contender for this evening?
For those who love Mrs. O’s sparkle, J.Crew recently introduced a cardigan similar to the one Mrs. O wears above. The Shimmering constellation cardigan is available here.
Update: A full transcript of Mrs. O’s speech from the event was released later in the day and can be read here. Of note, 50 area school children, who take part in the White House Leadership and Mentoring Program, were invited to the White House to attend the state dinner preview. Lucky young women!
First Lady Mrs. O is in Alexandria, VA today visiting the vegetable garden of a Virginia elementary school. Per the AP, Mrs. O handed out bananas and tangerines during the school’s lunch hour, while receiving a few gardening tips from students – all part of Mrs. O’s ongoing efforts to promote healthy eating and exercise.
On the style front, we can hardly believe our eyes! Mrs. O is wearing a ruffled, olive green blouse from J.Crew. Fitting with operafanatic’s new thread on O.Chat, “I Own the Same Thing”, we have the same blouse in the same color – and in fact, wore it to J.Crew when interviewing Creative Director Jenna Lyons for the Mrs. O book.
First Lady Mrs. O is hosting a women’s health care event at the White House today, and for the occasion, is rewearing the famed J.Crew ensemble she first debuted on the Tonight Show in October 2008.
The November 2009 rendition of the ensemble includes a cut-out statement belt – definitely a hot item in Mrs. O’s wardrobe as of late – and a sleek updo. Though we assume it’s a coincidence, we cannot help but observe the remarkable color coordination with the golden yellow drapes in the background.
Click here to read the first lady’s remarks from the event (it seems Mrs. O has a cold!). And apologies to those who commented earlier. We somehow deleted our first version of this post!
In honor of Veterans Day, First Lady Mrs. O has joined the Bidens and President O for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery. Mrs. O is wearing a blue tweed overcoat from J.Crew, last seen in January 2009, belted at the waist for this occasion. We are intrigued by the dress underneath. Might it be the teal Maria Pinto dress worn for the DNC in August 2008?
Update:
Image via PRNewsFoto/THE HISTORY CHANNEL, Pete Souza
Also today, President O and First Lady Mrs. O posed with veterans taking part in the History Channel’s “Take a Veteran to School Day.” Sans coat, we can see that Mrs. O was in fact wearing her teal Maria Pinto frock from the 2008 DNC.
Today Mrs. O launched a new White House mentoring program, hosting the kick-off for the initiative in the State Dining room. The first lady and her staff were joined by 13 area high school students, selected to participate in the program. Additional photos here.
Robin Givhan of the Washington Post described the event, here:
Obama said she became interested in the power of mentoring as a corporate lawyer in Chicago. Her office, she said, was on the 47th floor of a downtown building and her windows faced south towards her old neighborhood. Kids who were just as smart and capable as she was missed out on opportunities and successes “by a hair,” she said.
And then she got a bit verklempt. “We’ve got the most powerful seat in the land to be a bridge-builder,” she told the girls, her eyes tearing and voice cracking. “And I’m so excited and touched and moved to have you all here…. I can get emotional.”
For the event, Mrs. O wore the same printed cardigan first seen a few weeks ago for the Os church outing.
Update: Reader Julie has pointed us to this crewcuts cardigan, a mini version of Mrs. O’s! For those curious about Mrs. O’s cut-out leather belt, this is not the first time we’ve seen it. Mrs. O wore the belt with a Maria Pinto ensemble, campaigning in Puerto Rico in 2008, seen here. Mica4Life also reminds us (via Twitter) that Mrs. O wore the belt the week before last for Breast Cancer Awareness month, here.
