The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier

Attention all bay area TFG readers. The de Young Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco is launching The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Catwalk to the Sidewalk. The exhibition will be on view from March 24-August 19, 2012 and this Friday is the Le Grande Fête, where you can party with the designer at the opening with food and cocktails. 

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier is the first major exhibition dedicated to the celebrated French designer. More than 130 iconic haute couture and prêt-a-porter ensembles created between the early 1970s and 2010 will be dramatically displayed in scenic contexts ranging from the boudoir to graffiti streets and the catwalk. Animated mannequins talk and sing in playful and outrageous vignettes, enhancing the artistry and culturally revolutionary work of Gaultier. The exhibition also includes the elaborate costumes from Madonna's Vogue tour.

The Fashion Grid is a happy to see another museum recognize fashion designers as true artists. To purchase tickets for the event, click here. 

TFG Exclusive: Fashion Quote of the Day

“Anyone can get dressed up and glamorous, but it is how people dress in their days off that are the most intriguing.” 
                   

                —Alexander Wang

CFDA Announces Nominees for Fashion Awards

From the studios of Diane Von Furstenberg, President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the CFDA has offically announced the nominees for the 2012 CFDA Fashion Awards which will take place on June 4th at the Lincoln Center. And the nominees are.....

For Womenswear Designer of the Year Award

- Ashley Olsen & Mary-Kate Olsen for The Row

- Jack McCollough & Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler

- Marc Jacobs.

For Menswear Designer of the Year

- Billy Reid

- Patrik Ervell

- Simon Spurr

For Accessory Designer of the Year Award

- Alexander Wang

- Jack McCollough & Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler

- Reed Krakoff

For the Swarovski Award for Womenswear

- Chris Peters & Shane Gabier for Creatures of the Wind

- Joseph Altuzarra

- Max Osterweis & Erin Beatty for Suno 

For the Swarovski Award for Menswear

- Antonio Azzuolo

- Phillip Lim

- Todd Snyder

For the Swarovski Award for Accessory Design

- Irene Neuwirth

- Pamela Love

- Tabitha Simmons

The following honors have been decided and will be granted as follows:

- The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award will go to Tommy Hilfiger

- The Media Award will go to Scott Schuman & Garance Doré.

- The Fashion Icon Award will given to Johnny Depp, the first male recipient to receive the award, for his personal and eclectic sense of style.

- The Founders Award will go to Andrew Rosen.

- The International Award will go to Rei Kawakubo for Comme des Garçons for making an outstanding creative contribution to the world of fashion.

Zara Opens New Flagship Store on 5th Avenue

Today, Zara opened a 32,000 square foot flagship prototype at 666 Fifth Avenue at a price of $324 million. As reported by WWD, Zara will be able to create a new brand image with the flagship store because it has more "architectural character," with "virtual catwalks" and rooms highlighting "different aspects of the collection." Even more impressive than its size is its sustainability, proving that eco-friendly is as important to Zara as affordable price points.

The Fashion Grid is excited about this amazing expansion, which is a testament to the success of the international retailer. TFG loves Zara- not only because of their affordable fashions, but mainly because of their brilliant business model.  Zara is one of the few fast-fashion retailers that has an in-house design team working to tweak the designs of the high-fashion lines they are inspired by, making a good faith effort to avoid knocking off designer looks line-by-line (TFG supports inspired by designs, but not knock-offs).

Zara also creates a level of exclusivity in their pieces by avoiding overproduction of any one single item. The design team designs on demand, based off daily sales reports. Ever notice how quickly that blazer you had your eye on disappeared? Remember, the one you saw, hesitated to purchase, only to change your mind, return to the store, and find it has been replaced by a new set of blazers in new colors? That's no accident. It is a carefully calculated component of their operations and once a customer catches wind that Zara's pieces go quickly, they'll be more inclined to make the purchase and feel like they got something valuable- this creates a feeling of exclusivity even though the piece isn't designer label. Pretty genius people working over at Inditex, Zara's parent company. Not only does the limited production make each piece more valuable to the customer, but it also allows Zara to stay on trend with high turnovers. The retailer produces 20,000 to 30,000 designs each year. At that rate, the flagship store can only do wonders in satisfying the insatiable appetite of fashionistas looking for affordable pieces.

For our fellow fashion geeks out there, check out this Harvard Business School article on Zara.

TFG Exclusive: Style Curator

The Fashion Grid: Mint

Helmut Lang scoop neck tank
barneys.com

Rick owens jacket
theoutnet.com

Jane Norman mint jeans
$31 - janenorman.co.uk

Maison Martin Margiela leather shoes
saksfifthavenue.com

Givenchy women's handbags, Code: 5252 004 280, Main color:beige,...
styledrops.com