Va Va Voom

he New York Times Magazine this week profiled Ken Downing, the fashion director and senior vice president of Neiman Marcus on the advent of the store's 100th anniversary. He shared some of his picks for the season.


Included amongst them are these kitschy cat-eye sunglasses from the Christian Dior Resort 2008 Collection by John Galliano:

John Galliano’s resort collection for Dior paid homage to the irreverent, load-it-on aesthetic of the style mavens (and Downing heroines) Peggy Guggenheim and Dodie Rosekrans. “You can picture Peggy wearing these sunglasses as she stepped into a gondola outside her palazzo in Venice.”

Models from Left to right: Tanya Dziahileva, Erin Heatherton, Tanya Chubko, Ana Mihajlovic, Milagros Schmoll and Sofi Berelidze. Click image for larger view.

[Source: NYTimes, Style.com]


Downing couldn't be more on target with his Peggy Guggenheim comparison, as seen at right.

Campy or not, I loved this Dior show. And this backstage photograph of Dita Von Teese and Kylie Minogue!

M.K.'s Online

ichael Kors, like Valentino before him, has partnered with Neiman Marcus to launch michaelkors.com.

The sunglass selection remains largely unchanged, however these Crocodile Arm Sunglasses are quite lovely.



Cost: $225
Colors: Black, Bone, Olive
Retailers: Michael Kors

e-valentino

n August 1, valentino.com went live (for US/Canada customers only) as a result of a e-commerce partnership with Neiman Marcus.

"E-commerce is one of the easiest ways to make Valentino accessible," said Graziano de Boni, President and CEO of Valentino North America. "It's a way to communicate with the consumers." [source]

Naturally, they have not yet smoothed out all the details. The main accessories page features this beautiful pair of Stefani-esque shades, yet they do not seem to appear on subsequent pages.

The ten pairs of available shades are uniformly oversized and rhinestone-laden.
Cost: $220-340
Retailer: valentino.neimanmarcus.com