FLOWER POWER: Fashion imitating nature doesn’t get much better than chez Manish Arora — in terms of entertainment value, in any case. For the finale of his show Monday, the Indian designer sent out a wild mechanical frock covered in a variety of opening and closing carnivorous blooms. Other wacky highlights included a red glitter dress with a cardboard deer head protruding from its chest, sequined lion’s head shoulder pads and a textured reptilian dress embroidered with beady orange eyes on either shoulder.
SCHWAB TO HALSTON?: Does Halston have its eye on hot London-based designer Marios Schwab? According to sources, Halston has been in talks with the wunderkind as it searches for a new creative director to succeed Marco Zanini, who left the company last year after two seasons as creative director of the revived line. Halston’s in-house design team produced the label’s fall collection. A spokesman for Schwab could not be reached for comment Monday. Reached on Monday, Bonnie Takhar, Halston president and chief executive officer, said that the company has been speaking to many different people. “We have been looking at all options in the market, but we have made no decisions,” Takhar said.
Related Galleries
MAYBE AN ENCORE: One of fashion’s hardiest rumors has resurfaced at the Paris shows: Could Jil Sander, who exited her namesake label in 2004, be readying a comeback? According to sources, Sander attended last month’s Première Vision fabric fair, suggesting a project is in the works. The designer could not be reached for comment.
DIEGO’S GIFT: A tough economy isn’t preventing Tod’s SpA chief Diego Della Valle from distributing a bonus of 1,400 euros gross, or $1,772 at the current exchange rate, to his employees in 2009. This is the second year in a row Della Valle has given a bonus to the artisans working for his luxury goods brand, which is based in Italy’s central Marche region.
RETAIL DETAIL: Yves Saint Laurent, which is to resume its retail expansion after entering the black last year, has tapped a Lanvin executive to help out. Emmanuel Gintzburger will join YSL as European retail director, a new post, in April. He succeeds Roberto Correia-Paz, who moved over to Gucci to become its vice president of retail for Europe.