Louis V

EDIT: Caroline has NOT booked Louis Vuitton. False alarm!

Well, I wasn't expecting this at all! The Brasch has booked the Fall/Winter 2011 Louis Vuitton campaign!

The news broke on tFS about 3 hours ago, and I'm still waiting on official confirmation, but if this is true, I am completely blown away. If you remember, Kate Moss closed the LV show in Paris last month in a very emphatic fashion, and everyone was quite certain that she had the campaign in one of those famed brown bags. But somehow, it seems that Moss is now completely uninvolved with the project.

Word on the net is that Caroline will be featured alongside Vogue Paris favorite, Daphne Groenfeld, as well as Fei Fei Sun, Zuzanna Bijoch, and Anais Pouliot. An interesting cast, not least because the majority of the girls are quite young, and the shoot will likely be on the raunchy side. It is Marc Jacobs though, and he's never been one to shy away from controversy in that area (I don't think I need to remind anyone about his BANG fragrance ad).

Interestingly, Jacobs also got a bit of flak from fans when Caroline was featured in the Spring/Summer 2011 campaign for the designer's eponymous line, in which she wore a transparent camisole that exposed her breasts (this was the same outfit she wore for the show; in fact, the shoot was done backstage at the show itself). As Caroline was sixteen when the ads were shot, this was seen as somewhat tasteless.

Either way, I'm eager to see what the result will be of the Louis Vuitton version of the collaboration, if it is, in fact, true. More on this later!

New York, Part 2

Monday saw Caroline looking very ladylike with looks at Donna Karan and Marc Jacobs. At Karan, there seemed to be a focus specifically on that classically elegant woman, you know, the one who wears pearls. Pearls were actually present in multitude, designed by Erickson Beamon. It was very old Hollywood, one might say; very glamourous, decadent, and - precisely - elegant. 

I am mad at you Marc Jacobs. You book The Brasch for your Spring campaign, and then you just lump her in a nondescript part of your show for Fall. Not cool in my books. Not cool at all. Yes, I know that there were other girls in the campaign as well. Yes, I know that you can't have them all open/close the show because there are too many. But you could have at least put the poor girl in second or third place instead of randomly tossed in at the tail-end-but-not-actual-end of the show. What pisses me off the most about this treachery is that you've gone and designed a brilliant collection, which makes it impossible for me to actually be disgusted with your behaviour. Shame. 

It was all pleats and parkas at Vera Wang on Tuesday. Caroline had another strong showing with two looks, the first, with another gorgeous piece of outerwear, this time in black; the second, a slinky red dress that showcased the pleated elements more freely.

Herve Leger was next up, and again, Caroline walked with two looks for the Azrias. The collection seemed to contain echoes of what one might fine in a medieval war zone. Not actual armour, obviously, and no one was carrying swords, but it seemed to me that many looks incorporated a sort of chainmail look, while others evoked the feel of armour with riveting and other strategically placed details. 

Caroline followed up with Marc by Marc Jacobs, where she had one (more appropriately placed) look in a showcase of vintage forties fashions. 

J. Mendel was next on the list, with two looks. Mendel (Gilles that is) was bang on trend with his incorporation of luxurious furs, though some might say he will regret not taking a more seventies approach to his collection, as has been the habit of many designers this season. I'll be the last one to complain though: after a few seasons, I'm quite ready to put that past decade back where it belings (i.e., in the past). Or maybe not... Either way, I'm thankful to Mendel, if for nothing else than for adding a bit of variety.

The final show for Caroline on Tuesday was Narciso Rodriguez, where she had one look. I'm really liking this one too, where Caroline has such a strong jaw, she pulls off more masculine looks very well, I think; at the same time, she has fair features, which allows her to maintain a certain femininity simultaneously.

Wednesday began with Michael Kors, a single look in the designer's show, celebrating his 30th year in the business. Kors' modus operandi was chic and sleek this season, and the result was really quite appealing to the eye. Yet another success from the veteran sportswear designer, not that we really expected anything less. Happy birthday, sir, may you continue for another 30 years. 

Oscar de la Renta was quick to follow, where Caroline took two turns for yet another well-established label. It was a very lavish collection from ODLR, who does luxe glamour like nobody's business. Fur upon fur, upon fur-lined pants (I'm not sure about that last one, but I really wouldn't be surprised), the designer drew on  so many things, watching his show felt like taking a trip around the world with Russian royalty or something. Everything was beautiful to look at, but it was also very stimulating in the sheer quantity of influences present. I could analyze this collection for weeks and still be fascinated. In the meantime though, does anyone else spot the fabled cheek-sucking of old? 

We next saw Caroline at Anna Sui, another show that we shall also note for the number of incorporated factors. I've heard a lot of people complain about Sui, saying that she's too commercial, that she's not 'high fashion'. But just looking at her collection here shows how much work goes into what she does. It's like a research paper, drawing pieces of information from a multitude of sources and forming them into one great persuasive whole. Regardless of whether I would purchase her clothes or not, that sort of dedication to one's craft is surely worth a little respect?

Nothing like Proenza Schouler to finish off the day. Caroline had one look at the cult fashion house, a teal velvet dress, with pixelated and striped detailing. 

Thursday was the final day of New York Fashion Week, and while it was not quite as busy as previous days (thank GOD for that), it had surprises of its own in store. At Isaac Mizrahi, models strutted the runway not only with large pompoms atop their heads (though not as large as those at Louis Vuitton Spring 2010; think more along the lines of Rykiel), but also with poofy poodles in a variety of sizes and colours. Caroline was pretty in pink in both looks, and handled her little friend very well, I have to say (though the head bob was a little too pronounced). It seems she became rather attached to her tiny companion, and decided to bring him out for the finale walk as well. I know right, I can't wait for these backstage photos.

In her final show in New York, my prayers were answered, and The Brasch was awarded an opening slot at Bill Blass. An excellent way to finish off the week, and the collection wasn't half bad either. It was very suave, very classy, and had just the right amount of sexy. The setting for the show (the Monkey Bar) seemed quite appropriate. It wasn't quite speakeasy, but that was the feeling I got as Caroline sauntered in with her opener. As for her second look, I don't remember the last time she did sultry, but she really pulled this red gown off very nicely. 

So New York is at an end, and we now head off to London! If it's anything like New York, I really hope Caroline manages to get some sleep in between shows... After a stellar Haute Couture season, as well as a packed week in Barcelona, 25 shows and 37 looks (and thus 37 fittings, not including the Rag & Bone one that never came to fruition) is quite a feat, and the poor girl is surely run ragged at this point. I think she's actually walked more shows than anyone else so far? 

Anyway, I'll also be posting some choice backstage photos in a bit. There have been quite a multitude in the last week, and some are really quite entertaining. We've also got some new printwork coming up, so eyes open for that!

Photos courtesy of vogue.it

BANG

So... guess who booked Marc Jacobs?

I cannot tell you how pleased this makes me. Caro has done so well on the runways since starting, but her lack of frequent printwork has definitely had me wondering if runway is all she really has going for her in the business. But getting the Marc Jacobs S/S 2011 campaign? That is huge. Major. Fantastic. Bombastic.

I know she booked Balenciaga F/W 2010, and that was a major gold star for her as well, but it was a group feature, which unfortunately forced her to share the spotlight in each of her shots. Contrast that to this Marc Jacobs campaign, where she features more prominently, and the effect is completely different. Not only is this a coup for her snagging such an enormous brand, it will also be extremely good exposure for her as a model. Combine that with her 3rd place ranking on FashionTV's First Face countdown for the past fashion weeks, and The Brasch is well on her way to a very prolific next few months.

Another thing I want to mention is that we have a more concrete notch on the Freja pattern here: Marc Jacobs has been a big fan of Freja for the duration of her career, and now we see Miss Caroline appearing in a campaign for him. Oh, did I mention Freja was also featured in Balenciaga? Yeah... feel free to condemn me a conspiracy feeder. But I'm a blogger. Conspiracy and reading into insignificant things? It's a forte.

Photos courtesy of fashiongonerogue.com and tFS user Carla-A