A Look Back at the iPhone in Vogue: Kendall Jenner Selfies and More

As of today, the groundbreaking smartphone turns seven. Can you believe it’s been that long? And don’t you feel like we always had them? Well, we didn’t. Introduced at a time when flip phones were at the helm of mobile technology, the sleek iPhone, with its large touch screen and finger navigation, sent shockwaves throughout the industry.

Everyone remembers his or her first iPhone experience. Mine was in my hometown in Dominican Republic, as we were rehearsing for a school dance (don’t ask), when my friend brought it over. I was immediately obsessed. Who could go back to a flip phone after that?

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Fast forward to 2014, and the iPhone is still the quintessential smartphone to have. From working on our phone at the wee hours of the morning, to falling asleep next to it and being woken up by it, to using it to surreptitiously see what our friends (or frenemies!) are up to, or making impulse purchases or impulse dates or finding our way home at the end of the night (thank God for Google Maps!)—what would we do without it? I personally don’t know where I would be without Instagram and Spotify—plus, how else would I FaceTime my mom to show her my latest Barneys purchase (and, really, to see if she offers to reimburse me)? Without Instagram, how else would I know exactly what Mindy Kaling is doing at any given time? Or how Beyoncé is feeling today?

Lest we think the iPhone was made solely for us, don’t forget how revolutionary it has been in the fashion industry as a whole. Cara Delevingne used an iPhone to take the first runway selfie video this past February at Giles’s fall 2014 runway show during London Fashion Week. Burberry captured its entire spring 2014 collection live—with an iPhone. And let’s not forget Vogue’s first-of-its-kind Instagram shoots—you guessed it! Shot with an iPhone.

So here’s to the iPhone, the device we couldn’t live without, for the first lucky seven generations, and the many more to come (one every year, right Apple?). iPhones in Vogue—it’s iconic, no?

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A First Look at Duro Olowu's New Pop-Up Art Show “More Material”

Although he shies away from the term curator, London-based designer Duro Olowu stands more comfortably on the border of art and fashion than many of his peers; a position that seems all the more apparent with the launch of his second group show and pop-up boutique at Salon 94 Bowery tonight.

Titled “More Materials,” the installation is just that: a continuation of the work he started back in February 2012 with his first pop-up shop and exhibit during New York Fashion Week, an eye-catching collection of objet trouvés from the designer’s personal archive. “You grow, and like most things, you find more things, you discover more things. But what is really relevant now is just this concept of fashion, art, and objects, and really showing how women are perceived,” he says. “And how they perceive themselves.”

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Tapping into the work of artists who often use fashion to explore self-identity, Olowu calls upon some of his favorite modern artists like fashion photographer Juergen Teller, sculptor Rachel Feinstein and creative polymath Hassan Hajjaj to articulate his vision. Placed alongside dizzying patterned capes from Olowu’s spring 2014 collection, Teller’s raw silkscreens of model-of-the-moment Ajak Deng, Feinstein’s original sculptures, and Hajjaj’s never-before-seen video of a woman reclining, which greets you at the door. This combination of art follows the patchwork energies of Olowu’s own designs, where seemingly mismatched prints live together in harmony. “That link with clothing and fashion is still very strong with this show. You look left and you can feel the emphasis on textile and clothing and jewelry and objects, and at the same time you are not overwhelmed by the art in the show,” he says. “It all seems to form one huge cabinet of curiosities.”

Show-goers can shop the wares of Olowu’s current and past collections, while connecting with the work that inspired them like Antonio Lopez’s sensual instamatics of Grace Jones and Pat Cleveland, or a rare collection of Nigerian Yoruba “bubas.” And while “More Materials” is a selling show, Olowu and the artists involved don’t see it as a big advertisement; it’s much more about mutual admiration than anything else—an admiration Olowu understands all too well: the designer is married to Studio Museum of Harlem’s director Thelma Golden, after all. And with the new exhibition he’s putting the wide-ranging artistic sensibilities of the stylish women who wear his clothes into the frame. “The woman changes, she gets older, she gets wiser, more comfortable with herself,” he says “and that has to permeate the show.”

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Three Under-the-Radar Menswear Brands That Break the Mold

Last week’s Spring 2015 Pitti Uomo in Florence was overflowing with young international labels working with small ateliers to create high-end, limited-edition collections. Sweden’s Jimi Roos produces his embroidered shirts in Florence, where he now lives; Period Features’ Masakatsu Tsumura, a Japanese furniture designer, recently launched a range of men’s shirts made from rare sari fabrics from India; and Studiopretzel’s Emiliano Laszlo is a passionate advocate of local Tuscan design.

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Laszlo, 35, was one of the finalists for this year’s Who Is on Next menswear prize. His eclectic, pattern-filled collections are shaped by the fabrics he finds rather than the season. For instance, his waiter’s jackets in balloon ascension and feather-motif tapestry are actually more suited for Fall than Spring. His bright cotton jujitsu pants and shirts with Isola d’Elbe patches, however, are suited for warmer temperatures, and are dedicated to the island next to Tuscany where he likes to vacation. “I wanted to do something really personal,” said Lazlo, who launched his label in 2011 and now sells at almost a dozen stores in Italy.

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Jimi Roos, 42, moved to Italy from Sweden when he was 20, and while living in Florence, where he freelanced for houses like Chanel and Valentino, he became fascinated by embroidery. Thanks to the uneven loop stitch used to create comical embroideries (fat lips, Band-Aids, and flamingos, to name a few), his embellishments seem like arty mistakes. Roos is doing brisk business in Asia and Italy.

Period Features’ Masakatsu Tsumura, 57, is an established furniture designer, but a lifelong love of sari fabrics that began during his honeymoon in India twenty-five years ago convinced him to return there to gather rare Indian silks. He turned them into shirts and jackets whose quality met the highest Japanese standards. “This brand represents my life,” said Tsumura, who sourced fabrics and production for three years before launching his brand this season. “India is in a subtropical zone, and all the fabrics are for warm weather, which is why I produce only one Spring collection per year. There really are no trends. It’s a timeless business.”

Prada's 2015 menswear collection is conservative, seeking to be radical

"It was kind of conservative," said Miuccia Prada of her latest menswear collection, "because I thought that was the only new thing possible." It is a testament to the designer's skilful and relentless boundary-pushing that such a deliberately contrary declaration was met with sage nodding backstage.

For this is the label that sets the agenda at Milan fashion week. If Prada says that classic clothes with a whiff of the early 70s and a sombre colour palette are modern, her track record indicates that she will be proven right.

The deliberate awkwardness which defines the brand was evident as soon as guests arrived at the show on Sunday night. The catwalk set featured a cobalt-coloured ankle-deep pool with a brown carpet at the water's edge. Carpets and pools aren't a natural pairing but in the hands of Prada the set looked sleek.

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If guests were expecting the Prada pool to feature hunks in trunks they were in for a disappointment as the brand sent out a collection heavy on car coats, denim and shrunken knitwear. "The pool is a classic for summer," said Prada backstage. "It was a joke and an irony on what was classic."

The clothes themselves were what could be termed sombre occasion wear. The sort of clothes that feature in family photos with curved corners from the late 60s and early 70s. Brown car coats, moss-green trousers neither skinny nor wide which stopped at the ankle, shrunken V-neck jumpers, buttoned-up blue shirts and no ties. The colour palette of Wes Anderson's film costumes and charity shop silhouettes, as worn by that family friend with the side-parted, slicked hair in that old photo.

But to dismiss this as a retro collection that could be aped with charity shop bargains is to miss the point. It wasn't about recreating a trend from a bygone era, it was about taking classic and familiar products, injecting a touch of haute awkwardness and making undesirable clothes desirable.

Take the chunky visible parallel stitching on the pockets and trouser seams, which were reminiscent of cut-out paper dolls' wardrobes. Some featured real pockets, some merely meant to look like pockets – the "stitches" were actually embroidery. Stitching isn't usually seen as desirable but nothing is obvious when it comes to Prada.

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This was a collection that provided a wide-angle view of the Prada brand – its lack of rules, its agenda-setting, its international scope and its focus on defining moods not throwaway trends.

Sunday's catwalk also featured womenswear – buttoned-through dresses and heeled loafers. It is a tactic increasingly used by designers to showcase in-between, resort collections that make up the bulk of a brand's sales. But backstage, Prada dismissed the notion that the womenswear amounted to a resort collection, saying: "I don't like resort."

Indeed, the designer is not one for rules. Nor is she constrained by seasons – coats were often paired with sandals and bare feet, showing scant regard for practicalities and even seasons. But when you consider that Prada is an international brand selling to various climates at the same time it makes sense. Besides, coats and boots doesn't look half as modern.

5 Fool-Proof Tricks For Cleaning Summer Whites

Is there anything chicer than wearing all white in the summertime? The only problem is, there’s also nothing more likely to get dirty than your summer whites. Ice cream, sunscreen, grass, iced tea: All the best things about summer are also the most likely to cause a stain. So how do you keep your whites clean without leaving them threadbare by the end of the season? To find out, we called up the experts: Gwen Whiting and Lindsey Boyd, who cofounded the eco-friendly line of detergent and home-cleaning products The Laundress, which just celebrated its 10-year anniversary. And since they have a decade of fabric-care wisdom, we decided to pose an even trickier challenge: What if you want to keep some of the dirt and wear in your whites? How do you hold on to, say, the beautiful, dusty look of white jeans worn in the sand while still removing the smell of seaweed? Once you’ve earned that live-in look, isn’t it only natural that you want to keep it? Here, Whiting and Boyd offer their best tips for washing summer whites, from removing pit stains (they happen to everyone!) to making your best white button-down last for more than one summer. But deep-wear lovers be warned. When we asked these two pros what stains they thought could actually be beautiful on white (berries? tea? a nice grass mark on the rear?) they proudly declared: none!

1. The basic clean

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Whiting and Boyd always wash white shirts, pants, and denim in hot water (think kettle-hot) with the combo of The Laundress bleach alternative and Whites Detergent. The idea of whitening a shirt without a bleaching agent might seem like a hard sell, but their eco-friendly formula will brighten and remove any stains gently. “Delicate whites won’t disintegrate,” they say.

2. Never balk at pit stains

“Don’t throw out shirts with pit stains—you can get them out!” they say. According to them, removing pit stains is all about the pour. After you apply stain solution to the underarm, work it into the area with a brush. Then, pour hot water from a height and let it soak overnight. “Repeat the process until the stain is lifted (and it will be!).”

3. Pretreat to keep your whites white

Pretreating areas such as under sleeves, collars, cuffs, and hems with a enzyme-based remover before every wash, even if there is not a visible stain, will prevent any buildup. “Pretreating is key to helping your clothing stay white and bright,” they say.

4. Removing summer odors

To remove odors, prewash or presoak with vinegar—some are formulated for clothing so there’s no unpleasant smell. “Apply vinegar directly on odor areas and work stain solution into the fabric. Soak well,” they say.

5. Remove stains without making your perfectly-worn piece look brand new

The Laundress Wash & Stain Bar is good at removing soil, oils, sunscreen, and sunless tanner stains. For spot-treating: Wet the bar and the stain, working the soap directly into the stained area. Then, soak in hot water with bleach alternative. “If you want the garment completely clean, change the dirty water halfway through,” they say.

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Olivier Theyskens to leave Theory

The artistic director at Theory is leaving to pursue other design projects.

Olivier Theyskens has announced he will leave his post of artistic director at the contemporary New York label.

Theyskens has been with the brand since 2010 when he designed the successful Theyskens Theory capsule collection and stayed, creating his first runway collection for Autumn/Winter 2011. This year he showed his first collection for Theory after his Theyskens Theory line was discontinued.

The designer is making a quick exit, with plans to pursue other projects after showing his final collection for Theory for resort 2015 later this month.

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“I am grateful for Olivier’s extraordinary contribution to Theory over the past three and a half years, and I am particularly excited to see what he does next," Andrew Rosen, chief executive officer of Theory, told WWD. "While he has already accomplished so much, I am confident in the power of his artistic skill and believe his future will be very bright."

Theyskens said, “It has been an amazing opportunity to work with Andrew and to benefit from his knowledge in this dynamic segment of fashion. I will always cherish our friendship.”

Theyskens and Theory was initially thought to be an unusual pairing but the Belgian-born designer worked magic on the tailored, minimalist sports brand with his moody, gothic aesthetic. Rosen, a third generation New York apparel executive, who Anna Wintour has compared to LVMH, was the perfect partner for creative Theyskens.

The designer famously created his first collection in 1997 with no intention of selling it and turned down the fashion director of Barney's New York who wanted to buy the entire line. Shortly after, Theyskens was shot into the spotlight by Madonna who wore his black satin gown to the Oscars in 1998. After success with his own label he became creative director for Rochas for four years then artistic director at Nina Ricci for two.

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Solace London Brings Us Affordable Eveningwear That We Want to, Well, Wear

“The options for event-wear always seem to feel quite dated and somehow over-designed,” said Laura Taylor and Ryan Holliday-Stevens, the designers behind Solace London. The new line is their answer to the gap between the high-street and luxury brands. “The girl that’s ages 20 to, say, 35, she wants something that’s great and different, and there isn’t that much out there,” Taylor reasoned. “So we found a niche there and the collection is built around that.” And their commitment to creating an accessibly priced brand (pieces start at $100) in which the experience and creative reflect that of a super or luxury brand seem to set them apart. “When dresses are daring and the cut is revealing, it’s key that they fit,” Holliday-Stevens explained of the many facets of their design process. “We take risks with the cut and the fabrications, so it’s important to us that it all works together.”

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With a provocative but refined quality and a streamlined palette, the London-based designers’ modern but minimalist approach seems to have caught on among those hungry for their progressive, contemporary dresses and separates. Chanel Iman recently wore one of their frocks to Naomi Campbell’s birthday party in Monaco, and prominent U.S. stockists are placing orders. And while each delivery is expansive (the line cuts to cater to near-monthly deliveries for online retailers), the duo is committed to matching the quantity they’re designing with the quality that their target customer has been unable to find at this price point. “We want to create clothes that stand the test of time,” said Holliday-Stevens. And though the brand’s core will remain dresses, customers can expect more separates in coming seasons.

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Rick Edwards on style: summer to a tee

It is 2 o'clock in the afternoon and I am sitting in my flat with all the lights on. Two of my coats are hung on a door drip-drying. My cat is looking solemnly through her flap and thinking better of venturing outside. It is, to be perfectly honest, bloody horrible. A platter of grey with a side of spitting rain. Nevertheless, we are entering summer. I know this because I double-checked my calendar. So it must be time to start thinking about T-shirts.

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My favourite is the plain white tee. While wearing one I fancy myself to have a hint of the brooding Marlon Brando about me (I obviously don't, but indulge my pathetic fantasy, please). Unfortunately there is an ethical conundrum with this wardrobe staple. As soon as I pull a white tee on, something happens to my co-ordination. If I'm wearing a dark top, I never spill food. Or dribble orange juice down my front. Put me in a white tee, though, and I develop the food and drink-wrangling skills of a newborn. It's embarrassing. And no matter what these washing-powder makers say, it is never easy to get stains out of white clothes. There will always remain, in my experience, a faint ghost of where I dropped a bit of chilli con carne or pea soup or whatever on to my chest. And that won't do.

Consequently I tend to buy cheap white T-shirts – I favour Uniqlo crewnecks – and then get new ones every time I ruin them. And that's the ethical worry. Of course I'd much rather buy one or two lovely high-quality tees which would last for ages. APC and Alexander Wang do some beautifully soft, well-fitting ones. But I don't trust myself. Perhaps the thing to do is invest in a bib. Does anyone make adult bibs? And if not, why not? There's a clear gap in the market. Note to self: start business producing Trendy Adult Bibs. TABs. Potential angel investors feel free to get in touch.

Beyond the pale, there is a multitude of options. Stripes seem to be "in", although to be fair, stripes have been in for, and this is not an exaggeration, all of living memory. I wouldn't be surprised if Neolithic cave-dwellers went nutty for a bit of furry Breton. Floral patterns are also blooming (thank you) everywhere. If you must wear a floral-print tee, at least have the decency to team it with plain everything else. Clashing prints give me a headache.

A quick word on fit and style: never wear tight T-shirts. Never wear plunging V-neck T-shirts. If you obey those two simple rules, you will look fine. If you do not, you will look like a berk. A berk from Towie.

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Chinti and Parker Teams Up With Liberty

When it comes to designer collaborations, it doesn’t get much better than Liberty. From floral-printed Nikes to paisley Acne Studios moto jackets, Liberty is constantly finding cool ways to rework its heritage prints. Next up for the storied London retailer? Chinti and Parker, whose playful cashmere sweaters have earned a cult following of its own.

Designers Anna Singh and Rachael Wood dove into the archives to design Liberty-printed elbow patches, linings, and pockets for their best-selling sweaters. “We wanted to do something iconic Liberty. There were lots of meetings, lots of swatches…Obviously they’ve got an enormous archive dating back to the 1900s,” they told. “We decided to use the classic shapes we always work with, as they really allow the prints to shine.” Crewneck pullovers, preppy cardigans, and striped tees all got the Liberty treatment with ditsy florals in complementary hues. A first look at the collection debuts exclusively here.

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A collaboration with Liberty was the ultimate for Singh and Wood, who were born and raised in England. “It’s definitely part of every English girl’s dream. It was very aspirational,” Wood said. “For us, when you visited London, part of it was going to Liberty to explore the fabrics and see all the different designers.” Housed in a 19th-century Tudor revival building, Liberty’s contemporary selection makes for an incredibly unique shopping experience. “Liberty is really having a moment over here. I think they have a cool mix of brands, and they’re working on getting iconic Liberty out there,” Wood added. The Chinti and Parker x Liberty tees will retail for $140 and sweaters for $495.

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