Out.com | Style

Sports + fashion, together forever

2008-08-20T15:08:00-04:00

Photo: Getty Images

A new exhibition at London's Victoria and Albert Museum examines the romance between sports and fashion and its resulting street chic offspring, the tracksuit. Featuring 60 outfits, drawings, photographs, and films that showcases design elements, advertising campaigns, and fashion collections, "Fashion V Sport" reveals the ways in which sportswear has sprinted from the gym to the runway.

"More and more we are seeing fashion brands getting involved in sports like the Olympics or Wimbledon or the U.S. Open," curator Ligaya Salazar told Reuters.

The show is divided into sections entitled "Dare," "Display," "Play," "Desire," and involves designs from high end names like Prada, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, and Yohji Yamamoto, who have created looks for companies including Adidas, Reebok, Nike, and Puma. It also investigates the role of sports celebrities, like hunky poster boys David Beckham and Roger Federer, in popularizing fashion trends off the field.

"Fashion and sport share a long history, but close collaboration only began about 10 years ago after designers noticed ordinary people wearing sports gear outside the gym in emulation of the stars of the sports and entertainment worlds," Salazar said.

And here we were willing to give all the credit to Richard Simmons.

The exhibition runs through January 4th, 2009.

Brad Pitt goes green for Kiehl's

2008-08-19T14:28:00-04:00

Photo: Getty Images

Brad Pitt has teamed up with cosmetics giant Kiehl's to create a sumptuous new Earth-conscious body wash and simultaneously raise funds for eco-friendly causes, thus finally catching up with the smarts of legions of gay men long on board with the skin-saver.

Kiehl's Aloe Vera Biodegradable Liquid Body Cleanser will be available in stores and online starting in October for $16.95 a bottle. The cleanser, packaged in recyclable plastic and made up of all-natural ingredients like aloe vera, coconut, and glycerin, will permanently join Kiehl's already popular line of skin-care products.

While neither the packaging nor the product's promotion campaign will feature the actor's photogenic mug, the bottle's text boasts Pitt's handwriting. "Brad is not a face, he's a partner," Roberta Weiss, Kiehl's senior VP of global marketing told WWD.com. "We shared a vision, to support this new way of thinking -- being more eco-intelligent."

One hundred percent of proceeds from the sales of the body wash will benefit JPF Eco Systems, the nonprofit started by Pitt and Kiehl's to "minimize impact on the environment through thoughtful design," which will channel the funds to a variety of green groups. First up? Pitt's own Make It Right organization, which he started last year to hep rebuilding projects in New Orleans.

-- NOAH MICHELSON

How to be a fashionable farmboy

2008-08-19T11:42:00-04:00

Out's September fashion story "The Migrants," shot by Walter Chin, features some of fall's hottest runway looks and was shot on location at an upstate New York farm. We asked Out's editorial and fashion assistant, Brent Coover, to instruct us on the fine art of adding a few key pieces to your wardrobe -- without looking like a country bumpkin.

All Photos by Walter Chin

Dolce & Gabbana's equestrian inspired runway show featured tailored pants and luxe riding boots paired with chunky scarves and sweaters. The result encompasses masculine ease but isn't sloppy. Grab those loose knit pieces that look handmade, but not homely.

The problem with shearling is that it is so sexy. Who doesn't fantasize about a lumberjack or a farmhand? But on common boys or city folk, it can easily seem silly and like you're trying too hard. This Marc Jacobs jacket (above left) with shearling collar and lining, however, has a modern and fresh cut and color.

Playing with proportions is definitely something to take note of, though it may not be for everyone. Alexander McQueen's shawl collar cardigan (above right) is a prime example -- it would look great with suiting pieces or just a great pair of worn-in jeans.

Let's be honest, no one actually looks this good chopping up trees. Then again, no one wears head-to-toe Gucci while gathering firewood. But look at that beautiful leather jacket with fur collar! Definitely a must-have item.

Plaid, whether tartan or bold, woven cotton or knit wool, is a necessary purchase if you don't already own. It was around last year and by the looks of this Yohji Yamamoto jacket (above left), it really isn't going anywhere.

An entire pony hair trench, like this Burberry (above right), is a tough one albeit beautiful. It's a nice variation from the usual textures. Try a pony hair belt or pony loafers.

The great thing about these brown D&G leather cargo pants is that they have that worn-in look and yet the cut is entirely new. Check out the elastic finish at the hem. We've been seeing this on all kinds of trousers, including knit pants in cashmere, wool, and cotton, which was an overwhelming trend.

The lesson to be learned from this Calvin Klein look: feel free to mix textures, fabrics, and colors, especially when dressing in less than common materials like suede.

To see more from the shoot and other fall fashion, head over to Out.com.

-- BRENT COOVER

James Franco goes Gucci

2008-08-18T15:11:00-04:00

Photo: Getty Images

As rumored back in April, James Franco is the new face of the men's fragrance Gucci by Gucci.

Below is some additional behind-the-scenes bonus footage that was made available when the campaign recently launched. Franco walks around an apartment with a scowl on his face as he tries to avoid getting beaned by a boom mic, before finally breaking character and cracking a smile for camera.

Not much happens in either clip, but with a face and body like his, who's really going to complain?

Quickies: Casting Chanel, Steven Alan, Pope & PETA, Wrangler ads, Barneys maps

2008-08-15T15:44:50-04:00

Photo: Getty Images

> Casting Chanel: Alessandro Nivola (above) has been confirmed to play a dashing Arthur "Boy" Capel to Audrey Tatou's Coco Chanel in the upcoming big screen biopic.

> Steven Alan opens in Brooklyn: For anyone in search of perfectly tailored basics, when price is no option.

> Will the Pope go naked rather than wear fur? The Italian Association for Defense of Animals and the Environment has launched an online petition appealing to Pope Benedict XVI, as an animal lover, to stop wearing robes trimmed with ermine.

> Artist Ryan McGinley's animalistic Wrangler ads: Banned in the US for appearing to glorify the murder and rape of young women, but still seen all over Europe (and online). Mission accomplished?

> The map to Barneys men's section: Some useful details to navigate the warehouse sale.

Transgender (and not so transgender) models among us

2008-08-15T12:31:14-04:00

Photo: Getty Images

Inspired by news that the next season of America's Next Top Model will feature a transgender contestant named Isis Tsunami, New York magazine took it upon itself to write up a short history of the "tranny model."

The only problem? While we adore New York magazine, it appears they need a crash course in Gender Studies 101 ASAP. After discussing Teri Toye -- one of the first transgender models to appear in editorials in mainstream fashion magazines, including a spread in Interview wearing Gaultier -- they move onto RuPaul. Granted, Ru did do much to expose middle America to the joys of gender bending campy self-expression as one of the first widely known and publicized bad ass drag queens on the scene, but she isn't trans. Neither is Andre J, the newly appointed bearded first lady of fashion who was featured in our very own Out magazine and was shot by Bruce Weber alongside Carolyn Murphy for French Vogue last November.

Don't get us wrong: obviously there's some major gender mischief at work here, but even in the loosey-goosey fashion world where anything and everything goes, you can't just label everyone whose identification with or tendencies toward the male or the female is flip-flopped, off track, or puzzling as trannies.

Still, we appreciate the article -- however misinformed -- if only for reminding us how far fashion has come, and how far it has to go. And here's to hoping Isis can survive Tyra long enough to turn a few heads and change a few minds.

-- NOAH MICHELSON

Glamazons return! (It's beginning to look a lot like the '90s!)

2008-08-13T17:40:00-04:00

Photo: Getty Images

The New York Post's user guide to fall fashion magazines misses one important trend: the welcome return of the supermodel. Vanity Fair's Style Issue chats with the ladies, who like it or not, made many of us the fashion junkies we are:

"It was lightning in a bottle," says Paul Wilmot, who was head of public relations at Calvin Klein in the late 1980's, when the supermodel phenomenon took flight. "Suddenly you had five or six incredibly glamorous and beautiful girls, and they all looked different. And they all were known by their first names. And they all palled around. That has never happened before. It was almost the female equivalent of Sinatra's Rat Pack."

VF is hoarding the full text, but you can see the photos here or flip through their virtual scrapbook of past Super Spreads.

Look no further than September's Vogue to find the Supers in a succession of ads: YSL, Prada and Chanel, starring Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Claudia Schiffer. Turn another page for Kate Moss cocooned in Donna Karan's claret wool bouclé, then Stella Tennant posed in gold lamé Marc Jacobs and then, a few pages later, Tennant again, this time jeweled and glossy for Vera Wang.

On the way from Kate to Stella, don't miss a visit from "'90s icon Alex Lindquist for Brooks Brothers (in other photos from this spread, not in Vogue, he shares the bench with "80s Bruce Weber muse and model Jeff Aquilon). At 300 or so pages in there's also a double page spread of Christie Turlington in Escada, and then Schiffer again, paired with the sensational ballet dancer Robert Bollé for Salvatore Ferragamo...

The glamazons return -- and we haven't even hit the editorial yet. In the meantime, enjoy this clip shot by fashion photographer Peter Lindbergh, which captures the creative zeitgeist of the girls' silent screen aura:

-- ANTHONY DEL TUFO

Model of the Moment: Sean O'Pry

2008-08-13T14:26:00-04:00

Just because top male model Sean O'Pry is beautiful:

Quickies: Gyllenhaal, toast, West Elm, invisibility and Brooke Shields

2008-08-13T14:20:00-04:00

Photo: Getty Images

> See Jake run: Photos from the set Prince of Persia: the Sands of Time -- based on the popular computer game about a sixth century prince -- show off Gyllenhaal's newly upgraded guns.

> Make grilled cheese sandwiches in your toaster: Feed your sandwich into reusable bags. All the gooey goodness, half the mess that might end up on your shirt.

> Lutz & Patmos team with West Elm: Knitwear designers collaborate with affordable chic homemakers West Elm on luxe line of pillows and throws.

> Invisibility cloak?: Scientists say they are a step closer to developing materials that could render people and objects invisible.

> Project Runway sneak peek: Bravo hosts icon Brooke Shields as a guest judge, and our guess is the designers' challenge will relate to her character on sister station NBC's Lipstick Jungle.

The NY Post's primer for fall fashion magazine madness

2008-08-13T13:24:00-04:00

Photo: Getty Images

Sadly, the end of summer always means saying goodbye to carefree days of beaching, bbq-ing, and spotting bare chested men jogging around the city (at least if you live in New York City). But, thankfully, it also heralds the arrival of the annual cavalcade of two-inch thick fall fashion magazines. Though we wish we had the time to sprawl out on our chaise lounge with a highball full of lemonade and thumb through each and every issue that made eyes at us from the newsstand racks, there simply isn't enough time.

Luckily, the New York Post's Maureen Callahan has whipped up an easy-to-use guide to the hits, misses, and must-sees from six of the top most anticipated fall issues including Vogue, Elle, W, and Harper's Bazaar. Using a scale from one to four lips, Callahan gives a CliffsNotes blow-by-blow of what you can't miss -- Vogue's interview with Alexander McQueen (above with Janet Jackson) "with five pages of looks from his new collection inspired by the super-knotty 16th century elm tree on his property and Elle's fashionable threesome featuring Zac Efron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale from the High School Musical series -- and what you should skip -- Callahan says "the styling and photos in [InStyle's] features, including the Uma Thurman story, are a bore" and she isn't "a fan of the lingering Olsen-twin bag-lady eclecticism" found in this issue of Elle.

Does Callahan get everything right? Of course not -- she finds the stunning W shoot with former Out cover girl Tilda Swinton "arty" and "weird." We disagree! But for those of us with not nearly enough time on our hands to make it through the combined 3,420 pages awaiting us if we were to buy all six issues, her handy two-page primer delivers a surefire head start to cure the end of the summer blues with a little -- or a lot of -- fall fashion.

-- NOAH MICHELSON