With all of the Galliano drama at Dior, the last couple weeks have been epic in terms of bizarre fashion news. When Christophe Decarnin failed to appear at the Balmain runway show in Paris last week, reports began to emerge that the designer has been in a “mental hospital” since January as a result of a nervous breakdown. A statement from Balmain claims that the designer was absent from the show because he was “tired after working on the collection,” and that he was resting. Are “tired” and “resting” simply euphemisms? Decarnin reportedly disappeared one day in mid-January and employees were subsequently told that he would not be returning. He apparently was not involved in the design of the Fall 2011 collection, which was created by Balmain’s in-house design team and stylist Melanie Ward (who took over Emmanuelle Alt’s consulting role after Alt was promoted to Editor-in-Chief of French Vogue).
It seems that these reports are just the latest in a line of reports that have been exposing the dark underbelly of the fashion world and the results its demanding expectations and production schedules have on designers. “I have a feeling this is just the beginning of the fashion industry’s mess coming to light,” educo speculated. Many posters in the forum expressed concern and lauded Decarnin for seeking help. Mikeijames explained his take on the designer’s breakdown: “The world of fashion remains quite a taxing one. It’s why the leaders in industry have such infamous reputations surrounding them. These people make themselves easy targets for mental illness and substance abuse because they offer up something so personal and deep from within themselves only to have people either write it off as ‘not good enough’ or ‘seen it before.’ The pressures in designing on this level remain too much for the average person to endure. Most people don’t have the weight of millions of dollars in sales and the livelihoods of hundreds depending on their creative whim. And, while it’s easy for us in the blogosphere to just denigrate every collection that comes out, one must realize that this stuff does take a personal toll… I suspect the behind the scenes pressures to recreate some of Balmain’s blockbuster seasons may have come into play here.”
We wish Decarnin well… wherever he may be.
In lighter news, model Miranda Kerr made her first post-baby runway appearance at Balenciaga last week, just two months after giving birth to her first child with husband Orlando Bloom (who coincidentally was seated in the front row next to Anna Wintour). Fans of Kerr’s in the forums were thrilled to see her on the runway again, especially for a high fashion house. “Wow, she looks fab at Balenciaga, great to see her there and I love the dress she wore,” wrote Melly5525.
Sophie02 and many others expressed the general sentiment of, “She looks incredible!” but tanii94, though excited about the debut, thought that she could have looked better. “She never looks particularly amazing at Balenciaga (blame the make-up) but I’m so, so happy she was there!” she said.
No More D&G?
Fashion world rumors abounded last week and WWD added another juicy tidbit to the mix, reporting that Dolce & Gabbana is considering a move to incorporate D&G, its lower-priced secondary line, into its mainline collection. The rumor is somewhat confusing as D&G reportedly turns a healthy profit.
As Petit Lucille stated, “Shockers are by the dozen this season,” so at this point, anything seems possible. “All these rumors lately are killing me,” LagerfeldBoy expressed. “Personally, I hope this is absolutely false. I’m a HUGE fan of each line and wouldn’t want to combine both of them. What I love about both is that they each target two different customers and actually balance each other out. It showcases variety in what Domenico [Dolce] & Stefano [Gabbana] do.”
Time will tell if this rumor materializes into definitive action or fizzles into the ether.
Model Kristina Salinovic continues to be a rising star on the runway this season. At the Thierry Mugler fashion show in Paris, she opened the show and led the finale. “She was an absolute VISION opening Mugler. Now that is modeling!” pronounced Faith Akiyama.
Salinovic received all-around praise from the forums on her Mugler appearance. “When she opened the Mugler show, I was breathless! I can’t describe how happy I was, she walked the best and she had that vibe, just perfect for the show!” gushed MagicWonder. Zoom kept the compliments coming: “She tore it up and brought the drama OPENING at Mugler. Pitch perfect. Couldn’t be happier with her [Fall 2011 runway appearances]!!!”
Kim Kardashian Should Stick to Her Day Job… Whatever That Is
Trying her hand at yet another moneymaking venture, Kim Kardashian released a single called “Jam” in an apparent effort to add “Pop Star” to her resumé. If reactions in the forum are any indication, Kardashian should cross this off her Bucket List and move on.
“Wow, it really does SUCK BIG TIME!” Berryciaga weighed in. 4everinprogress tried to find a sliver lining: “On its own the song is kinda blah. Whoever produced it slacked off big time and is hoping that Kim and her name will carry the song. But if the right DJ remixes it I could totally see people dancing to it.”
“Is there anything she won’t try?” joked HodanChloe. The answer is probably no… we’ll see what she comes out with next.
Images: fashionologie.com, nowfashion.com, Vincenzo Grillo, IMAXtree
