To A Neoclassical Manse

Location, location, location. The realtor’s mantra came to mind on Thursday night in London. First, the NEWGEN event at Somerset House, the new home of London fashion week. The neoclassical structure is one of the city’s most elegant riverside buildings, with a sweeping terrace that was particularly seductive in the summer gloaming. It’s also ideal for shoots—i-D was photographing the NEWGEN winners as they were announced. Amanda Harlech let Robert Forrest tear her away for a hard-hatted tour of the building site that will eventually become Robin Hurley’s new club. It’s in Shepherd’s Market, a louche-ly quaint hooker hangout of centuries past, and Rifat Ozbek had created a convincingly decadent mock-up of what the finished product may look like. Then, while Harlech linked up with Sarah Mower and the fashion world at the Royal College of Art’s graduate show, a smattering of London’s art, pop, and design aristocracy joined some genu-wine lords and ladies at Lancaster House, where HRH Prince Robert of Luxembourg was hosting a dinner to celebrate the 75th anniversary of his grandfather’s acquisition of Château Haut-Brion. There’ll be eight dinners in eight key cities around the world, but how many of them will be set in a spectacularly maintained neoclassical (again, but it’s such a good look) mansion that was once assessed as the most valuable private house in London, with St. James Palace on one side and Buckingham Palace on the other, just across—more or less—the velvety greensward? Speaking of velvet, the main course of lamb was served with a Château Haut-Brion 1961 that smacked unforgettably of velvet smoke. Those savoring it included Viscount and Viscountess Linley, Bryan Ferry and Amanda Shepherd, Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld and Erin Heatherton, and Charlotte Stockdale and Marc Newson, whose boy-toy table talk with Matthew Freud was—according to Camilla Lowther, who was parked between the two—all about planes. Their own, one assumes. Speaking of taking flight, Serena, Marchioness of Bute, looked heaven-bound in a fishtailed goddess dress by Roland Mouret (pictured).

—Tim Blanks

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The Blow Collection Gets A New Home, The Cocos Face Off, Maryna On Screen, And More…

Buried at the bottom of Suzy Menkes’ article on Goyard is this plum revelation: Daphne Guinness (pictured) has snapped up the entire Isabella Blow wardrobe that was slated to hit the auction block at Christie’s! They say money can’t buy you taste, but it sure can help you express it. [IHT]

WWD rounds up the most recent Coco Chanel portrayers for a side-by-side comparison. The biggest surprise? We kinda like Shirley MacLaine! [WWD]

Scouts in Chicago bring you the latest on the windows at Ikram: They’re now showing Rodarte alongside CdG and Alaïa. MObama-ologists are furiously at work determining what, if anything, this means for the FLOTUS’ future outfit choices. [Racked]

SHOWstudio’s Nick Knight, Jimmy Choo’s Tamara Mellon, and Jaeger and Aquascutum’s Harold Tillman were all recognized by her Highness the Queen of England at her birthday honors. Knight and Mellon received OBEs; Tillman received a CBE. [Vogue U.K.]

And Maryna Linchuk is extending her résumé: She’s got a part in Sofia Coppola’s upcoming Somewhere, where she plays a seductress. A stretch, we’re sure. [Fashionologie]

Photo: Nick Harvey / WireImage

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To A Neoclassical Manse

Location, location, location. The realtor’s mantra came to mind on Thursday night in London. First, the NEWGEN event at Somerset House, the new home of London fashion week. The neoclassical structure is one of the city’s most elegant riverside buildings, with a sweeping terrace that was particularly seductive in the summer gloaming. It’s also ideal for shoots—i-D was photographing the NEWGEN winners as they were announced. Amanda Harlech let Robert Forrest tear her away for a hard-hatted tour of the building site that will eventually become Robin Hurley’s new club. It’s in Shepherd’s Market, a louche-ly quaint hooker hangout of centuries past, and Rifat Ozbek had created a convincingly decadent mock-up of what the finished product may look like. Then, while Harlech linked up with Sarah Mower and the fashion world at the Royal College of Art’s graduate show, a smattering of London’s art, pop, and design aristocracy joined some genu-wine lords and ladies at Lancaster House, where HRH Prince Robert of Luxembourg was hosting a dinner to celebrate the 75th anniversary of his grandfather’s acquisition of Château Haut-Brion. There’ll be eight dinners in eight key cities around the world, but how many of them will be set in a spectacularly maintained neoclassical (again, but it’s such a good look) mansion that was once assessed as the most valuable private house in London, with St. James Palace on one side and Buckingham Palace on the other, just across—more or less—the velvety greensward? Speaking of velvet, the main course of lamb was served with a Château Haut-Brion 1961 that smacked unforgettably of velvet smoke. Those savoring it included Viscount and Viscountess Linley, Bryan Ferry and Amanda Shepherd, Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld and Erin Heatherton, and Charlotte Stockdale and Marc Newson, whose boy-toy table talk with Matthew Freud was—according to Camilla Lowther, who was parked between the two—all about planes. Their own, one assumes. Speaking of taking flight, Serena, Marchioness of Bute, looked heaven-bound in a fishtailed goddess dress by Roland Mouret (pictured).

—Tim Blanks

Read more...

The Blow Collection Gets A New Home, The Cocos Face Off, Maryna On Screen, And More…

Buried at the bottom of Suzy Menkes’ article on Goyard is this plum revelation: Daphne Guinness (pictured) has snapped up the entire Isabella Blow wardrobe that was slated to hit the auction block at Christie’s! They say money can’t buy you taste, but it sure can help you express it. [IHT]

WWD rounds up the most recent Coco Chanel portrayers for a side-by-side comparison. The biggest surprise? We kinda like Shirley MacLaine! [WWD]

Scouts in Chicago bring you the latest on the windows at Ikram: They’re now showing Rodarte alongside CdG and Alaïa. MObama-ologists are furiously at work determining what, if anything, this means for the FLOTUS’ future outfit choices. [Racked]

SHOWstudio’s Nick Knight, Jimmy Choo’s Tamara Mellon, and Jaeger and Aquascutum’s Harold Tillman were all recognized by her Highness the Queen of England at her birthday honors. Knight and Mellon received OBEs; Tillman received a CBE. [Vogue U.K.]

And Maryna Linchuk is extending her résumé: She’s got a part in Sofia Coppola’s upcoming Somewhere, where she plays a seductress. A stretch, we’re sure. [Fashionologie]

Photo: Nick Harvey / WireImage

Read more...

Marisa Tomei Isn’t Into Sweat Pants

The new movie Cyrus started out as a bunch of dudes. Directors Jay and Mark Duplass wrote the part of a down-and-out single guy specifically for John C. Reilly, then cast Jonah Hill as the clingy, weird, full-grown son of the woman he falls for.

And then? “Honestly, we had a little bit of a freak-out,” Jay Duplass explained at last night’s Blackberry-sponsored Cinema Society screening of the film at the Crosby Hotel. “We had these two guys who are just really funny, brilliant minds, and we were like, we’ve got to find a girl who can hold her own.”

Enter Marisa Tomei (left, with Jay Duplass). “What I enjoyed was that it was a fuller picture of a woman than a lot of times we get to see,” said the actress, who came by the screening in a Lela Rose dress and Brian Atwood heels. Tomei did decide to tweak the character’s wardrobe, though. “The guys were wanting it to be really low-key—serious low-key, like sweat pants. But she’s the muse to this really creative, eccentric child. I just thought she was more of a creative person and that it would be expressed somewhat more through her style.”

“She was really picky about what she wore,” Duplass confirmed. But the gents were happy to oblige. “Once we realized the level of her heightened awareness of clothes, we were like, girl, just go with it. We don’t even need to approve it, just pick what you want. That’s awesome.”

—Darrell Hartman

Read more...

Marisa Tomei Isn’t Into Sweat Pants

The new movie Cyrus started out as a bunch of dudes. Directors Jay and Mark Duplass wrote the part of a down-and-out single guy specifically for John C. Reilly, then cast Jonah Hill as the clingy, weird, full-grown son of the woman he falls for.

And then? “Honestly, we had a little bit of a freak-out,” Jay Duplass explained at last night’s Blackberry-sponsored Cinema Society screening of the film at the Crosby Hotel. “We had these two guys who are just really funny, brilliant minds, and we were like, we’ve got to find a girl who can hold her own.”

Enter Marisa Tomei (left, with Jay Duplass). “What I enjoyed was that it was a fuller picture of a woman than a lot of times we get to see,” said the actress, who came by the screening in a Lela Rose dress and Brian Atwood heels. Tomei did decide to tweak the character’s wardrobe, though. “The guys were wanting it to be really low-key—serious low-key, like sweat pants. But she’s the muse to this really creative, eccentric child. I just thought she was more of a creative person and that it would be expressed somewhat more through her style.”

“She was really picky about what she wore,” Duplass confirmed. But the gents were happy to oblige. “Once we realized the level of her heightened awareness of clothes, we were like, girl, just go with it. We don’t even need to approve it, just pick what you want. That’s awesome.”

—Darrell Hartman

Read more...