Ralph Lauren Hooks Up With The Vow

by Janna Johnson
on February 10, 2012 - 8:33 PM

Photo: Sony Pictures

To celebrate their iconic perfume, Romance, Ralph Lauren teamed up with Sony Pictures to sponsor the premiere of The Vow, this decade’s The Notebook—also starring Rachel McAdams.

McAdams wore an icy blue Vivienne Westwood dress to Monday’s premiere, where she walked the white carpet (so bridal!) with co-stars Channing Tatum and Scott Speedman before the screening at Los Angeles’ Grauman’s Chinese Theater.

As if to prove the theme of eternal love, the after party at the Roosevelt Hotel was reminiscent of a wedding reception–complete with arrangements of pastel pink roses, a photo booth and a large, three-tiered wedding cake from Sweet Lady Jane Bakery (sadly, it was just for viewing, not consuming).

Hyden Yoo Comes to Life

by ELLE
on February 10, 2012 - 7:20 PM

An intellectual scene at Hyden Yoo.

The best thing about a presentation—instead of a fashion show—is that it’s easy to get an intimate look at the clothes. Instead of watching luxurious fabrics sweep down a runway, they’re standing still right in front of you. But nobody gets quite as close as Bil Thompson, ELLE’s go to director and the man behind the video showcasing Hyden Yoo’s fall collection, after the jump. Thompson, who met Woo through his model girlfriend, Tsubasa, captures the models flipping through books, playing chess, and holding hands while wearing ladylike dresses and layered cardigans. “The idea behind the presentation was ‘the unattainable woman and the intellectual man who pines for her,’ so I went into the shoot with this in mind,” Thompson says. If that sounds a bit like Gossip Girl, well, our first though post-viewing was, “We’d totally watch this show.” (We’d buy the clothes, too!) Click through to see what we mean.

Rebecca Romijn & Abigail Breslin Talk Underage Models

by Rebecca Willa Davis
on February 10, 2012 - 6:13 PM

Front row at Cynthia Rowley. Photo: Getty Images

The CFDA’s attempt to limit underage models on the New York Fashion Week runways has made headlines this week, setting off a debate on the efficacy of a 16-and-up policy. While supporters and detractors have voiced their opinions online (the New York Times story that broke the news has 137 comments and counting), what do the women who grew up in the industry have to say about it?

“Obviously with child labor laws in this country, there are certain things that should come into play,” said model-turned-actress Rebecca Romijn after Cynthia Rowley’s show. “Back in the day, we all had champagne backstage at these shows and it was a party,” she remembers. It wasn’t just the wild times that made it tough for teenage models, but also the demands of the job. “Shoes that were too tight and pointy,” Romijn says of the particular pains of modeling. “I wasn’t being honest with the shoe size I wore—you have to be honest or you’ll pay for it later.” She’s seen firsthand the changes taking place behind the scenes: “Last night I was at the Red Heart event and there was no champagne anywhere—and I could have really used some! I was like, ‘Get me out of here so I can get some booze in me, I need a shot of Johnny Courage!’”

Colette Is For Lovers

by Rebecca Willa Davis
on February 10, 2012 - 5:37 PM

Courtesy of Magnum Photos

Paris doesn’t necessarily need to boost its reputation as the most romantic city in the world, but given the time of year, why not?  Colette and Magnum Photos.

Tomorrow, February 11, five of Magnum photo agency’s famous photographers will set up temporary studios in luxury hotels (and one converted cinema) around the city.  Paolo Pellegrin, Steve McCurry, Christopher Anderson, Bruce Gilden, and Antoine d’Agata will be shooting portraits of love birds and selling signed prints of couples for $330 to $430 each.  Every duo who sits for a portrait will also be entered in a raffle, with the winners receiving a night’s stay at the hotel where the photo was taken (among the options are Hotel Lutetia, La Belle Juliette, and Hotel Amour). But the romance doesn’t end there: The portraits will be turned into an art exhibition, “In Love with Magnum,” that will be on view at Colette on Valentine’s Day.

Magnum isn’t new to the love game—this is the fourth year that it’s organized special events around Valentine’s Day—but in the past the agency hasn’t offered up its talented photographers as a gift option. As an added bonus, 20-percent of the proceeds will go to Solidarité Sida, an organization that helps the fight against AIDS.

Visit magnumphotos.com for more information and to make an appointment.

Ten Faces That Deserve Your Attention This Week

by Sydney Wasserman
on February 10, 2012 - 4:59 PM

Ophelie at Trump Models

If you haven’t noticed by now, the streets of Manhattan are overflowing with exceptionally tall girls flaunting impeccable bone structure.

Yes, Fashion Week has officially begun and the models have poured in from around the world, eager to get their big break on the runways. Their fate lies in the hands of casting directors like Jennifer Venditti of JV8INC—who’s responsible for the lineup at shows from Rodarte to Band of Outsiders—to sift through hundreds of new models and determine which girls really have what it takes.

After seeing the new crop of runway walkers to hit the scene, she’s narrowed down her top ten talented and promising girls. Learn their faces now and spot them on the runways at NYFW!

Follow Jennifer at 
@JV8INC for all the latest in model news during fashion week!

Jenni Kayne, Katie Ermilio & the Return of Brian Reyes

by Tommye Fitzpatrick
on February 10, 2012 - 4:13 PM

Katie Ermilio's fall collection. Photo: Getty Images

Jenni Kayne
Inspired by the English countryside and the notion of the “perfect gentleman’s hunting weekend wardrobe,” Kayne took traditional menswear fabrics like herringbone and tweed and made them her own, mixing in pops of chartreuse, kelly green, yellow, and orange. The designer cited the collection’s two print looks as her favorites: one a blown-up, digitized image of whales gracing a top and skirt, the other a graphic floral—”which I picture as wallpaper in an amazing English house in the countryside,” Kayne said—covering a sheer top and maxi skirt.

Katie Ermilio
It’s a season of firsts for young designer Ermilio: she shaped her fall collection around hand-drawn patterns of stripes and dots, marking her first use of prints; introduced both hosiery (sheer with dots) and fur (fox and rabbit) into the mix; and “purged” herself of color, focusing instead largely on black and white for the first time. As she explained, “I did so much color last season, I knew I wanted something a little bit cleaner.” The influence of her father—a bespoke menswear designer—was felt in the use of men’s cashmere suit fabric in a lightweight rabbit fur jacket.

Kimberly Ovitz
Ivanka Trump and J.Crew’s Jenna Lyons turned up front row for Ovitz’s Gothic fall turn. A black-heavy palette was tempered with “mud” and “pine”-colored jersey dresses and sheer wolf-print chiffon tanks. Textural faux fur jackets, brushed velvet pants, and hair-accented skirts rounded out the offering.

Nine in Ten Single Women Won’t Ask a Guy Out—Suprised?

by Carrie Sloan
on February 10, 2012 - 3:29 PM

Photo: Getty

Calling all the single ladies: When was the last time you asked a guy out? If you’re like 90% of the unattached women in America, the answer is “over a year ago,” according to a recent survey spearheaded by match.com. Only a mere 10% confessed to sidling up to a guy they were interested in during the past 12 months.

While the findings suggest the single and looking are happy to stay that way (only 13% of respondents were actively looking for a relationship, and nearly two thirds were unsure they wanted to marry—ever), the women’s widespread reluctance was still a bit surprising.  So why aren’t women asking men out? We asked a sample of singletons.

Fear, for one. “I’m generally terrified of rejection so I tend not to make the first move without my good friend, beer,” says Julieanne, 27.

Maybe we’ve unwittingly entered a new Jane Austen era, in which we’re happy to bat our eyes but won’t actually approach. At least that’s the case for one online dater: “Yes, I did ask a guy out—in a very passive aggressive way,” says Bonnie, 35. “I kept looking at him on JDate, and I eventually emailed him … but didn’t ask him out … emailing was enough of an invite.” For her, the coy come-on worked: She married the object of her online stalking.