Fashion Ticker
COLLABORATIONS
Cyprus-born designer Hussein Chalayan was tapped to be the creative director of Puma, the London-based company announced yesterday. Mr. Chalayan will be responsible for designing, creating, and developing the sport-fashion line of shoes, apparel, and accessories. Puma's parent company is PPR, which also has Gucci under its roof. And in a deal that is sure to result in some exciting design, Puma acquired a major stake in the Hussein Chalayan brand.
The messenger bags that models carried at the Yohji Yamamoto show are the result of the designer's new partnership with Hermès. The Yohji bag is made of Barenia calfskin and comes in three sizes. In New York, it is available by special order at the Madison Avenue and Wall Street stores.
MUSIC
DJ Charles Shillings played the European hit single "Big City Life" by Mattafix at the Celine show. The pop-reggae-rap group blends the musical talents of Preetesh Hirji, who is of Indian-British heritage, and the steel-pan drum player Marlon Roudette.
Hussein Chalayan brought in a live vocal group rather than recorded music for his show. The four-man ensemble sang a cappella and created diverse sounds — thumping heartbeats, blazing sirens, and, of course, the human beat box.
DJ Michael Gaubert mixed tunes for the Viktor & Rolf show, which will be remembered for its theme of "No!" For it, Mr. Gaubert used Vitalic's "No Fun" and Franz Ferdinand's "No," plus tunes by Carl Craig. At Akris, Mr. Gaubert closed the show on an extended mix of "Love Hangover" that was unabashedly enthusiastic.
The guitar licks that accompanied the Yohji Yamamoto show were composed and played by the designer himself. The bluesy folk sounds had an Indian edge to them. Mr. Yamamoto has been playing the guitar and composing since his days at university.
Before the Andrew Gn show began, DJ Jean de Lardemelle played a loop of the French band Ezekiel performing an electro-louche café version of Prokofiev's 'Romeo and Juliet'. During the show itself, the designer chose songs by the rock trio Blonde Redhead, DJ Olga Kouklaki, and the Raveonettes.
PARTIES
On Wednesday night, Costume National launched its new fragrance, 21, with a party at its shop on rue Cambon. The unisex scent has 21 elements, most notably saffron, milk, and orange. A special cocktail inspired by the fragrance was served: coconut milk with vodka and a hint of lemon.
Just around the corner on the same evening, Anne Fontaine hosted a party at her shop on rue Saint-Honoré. The event honored a series of photographs by Guido Mocafico. Commissioned by Ms. Fontaine, the photographer shot still lifes that incorporate the designer's spring collection of white shirts and accessories. Large-scale reproductions of the photographs now cover the ceilings in each of the treatment rooms of the Anne Fontaine spa, which is just below the retail shop. A New York version of this spa, designed by Andrée Putman, is in the works for late 2008 or early 2009.
