"Fashion is a form of ugliness
so intolerable
that we have to alter it
every six months."
-Oscar Wilde

These are boots that Balenciaga gave me as a gift. I asked Nicholas Ghesquire for them. They hurt like crazy—they are five-inch heels—but I wore them out every night when I got them. Then one night I was leaving Smiths night and a friend of mine and I were play-fighting in the street. I took a dive in these and bashed my face on the ground. I broke my four front teeth. They’re all veneered now. One is totally fake.

-Chloe Sevigny on an unfortunate event from 2003

And on an interesting note, Balenciaga did the thigh high boots way back in 2003.  So I guess thigh highs are considered so a dozen or more seasons ago, right Anonymous?

Oh Nicolas, you are so ahead of it all.

On the  June/July issue of Interview, Donatella speaks with Lenny Kravitz about the 80’s revival in fashion:

I knew that trend was coming. I knew exactly when every designer was going to start doing it. And I couldn’t, because I was with Gianni doing the ’80s, in the ’80s. I have so many pieces in the archives that I could put right out on the runway and they’d be perfect. [laughs] In general, I think, yes, we can look back, but not that much. It’s too literal. Like shoulder pads. We belonged to that time. But for me, it doesn’t make sense today. You can play with it for one season, but it’s not going to be revolutionary. I think we should move forward, not back. To define the era we live in is very difficult . . . Fashion is struggling to define itself today. For me, I’m concentrating more on fabrics, on the technological aspect of fabrics.

Way to stand your ground Donatella! I would much rather buy one of your exquisite goddess dress that will be in my wardrobe for a long time rather than some shoulder pads piece that I will only wear for one season (or in the case of Balmain, Spring and Fall 2009).

I am so curious about which seasons Donatella had in mind! So I went on a mini search to fully comprehend what she meant. Spoiler alert: stardoll Brooke Shields, Madonna, Former America’s Next Top Model Judges Janice Dickinson and Paulina Porizkova are included.

I also included some 90’s ads because they remind me of Narcisso Rodriguez/ Tisci-Givenchy bondage, D-squared cowboy leather and colorful Marc Jacobs/ Alexander Wang like garments worn by Kate Moss.

Also, what is fascinating is you can see two decades of models gradually change from the supremely flawless Porizkova and Iman, to the glamazons with Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington, until finally to the heroin-chic model like Kate Moss.

Versace FW1980
Photographer: Richard Avedon.
Models: Janice Dickinson, Brooke Shields, Talisa Soto.

Versace SS1983
Photographer: Richard Avedon.
Models: Iman, Jerry Hall, Lynne Koester, Janice Dickinson, Lauren Helm.

1983 F/W
Richard Avedon
Janice Dickinson

Versace FW1987
Model: Tatjana Patitz,Unk
Photographer: Helmut Newton.

Versace SS1988
Photographer: Richard Avedon.
Models: Christy Turligton, Linda Evangelista, Cindy Crwaford, Paulina Porizkova.

Versace FW1990
Models: Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Tatjana Pattiz, Cameron Alborzain, Cindy Crwaford, Unk
Photographer: Herb Ritts

Versace FW1991
Models: Stephanie Seymour, Karen Mulder, LindaEvangelista, Christy Turlington, Helena Christensen, Cindy Crwaford.
Photographer: Herb Ritts.

BONDAGE 1992 by Irving Penn
Models Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington & Yasmeen Ghauri.
   

Versace FW1996
Photographer: Richard Avedon.
Model: Kate Moss.
 

Lagerfeld didn’t think much of the Balenciaga prints. I saw Lagerfeld last night at Chanel. “Prints are for middle-aged women with weight problems,” he told me.

“Can I quote you, Karl?” I said.

“Yes.” He shrugged.

-Cathy Horyn, Times fashion critic

I don't exercise. If God wanted us to bend over he'd put diamonds on the floor.

-Joan Rivers

And I found this great story about how Joan made Helen Mirren cry when Joan named her worst dressed.

"I'd won a Golden Globe many years ago and I'd just arrived from England and had my funky little English outfit on - I thought I looked pretty cool. Black suit, black boots and black feathery hat. I thought, 'Well, I look OK.' Anyway, about four weeks later, I'm in Los Angeles at home watching telly and there's Joan Rivers and she's doing the Golden Globes thing that I was in. So my heart beating, I started watching it thinking, 'I think this is a mistake, Helen. I have a feeling you shouldn't be watching this.' I couldn't resist. What were they going to say about me?

"They (Rivers and her colleagues) all said, 'So who was the worst dressed?' 'Well, Helen Mirren.' And Joan said, 'My God, this is a first. We have never all agreed on the person who's worst dressed.' And I'm watching this on the telly, and Joan turns and looks at the screen and says, 'Helen, get your act together. You've got to start dressing better.' It was like the TV was talking at me. I cried."

And since 1997…

Thank you Saint Joan for the wake up call.

“Mediocrity. If you see a collection that is…where you feel the designer has been lazy or taking inspiration from other designers.  It doesn’t so much as bore me as anger me.”

-Anna Wintour on her 60 Minutes interview, when asked what bores her.

So never copy.

Mother Teresa Influence:

“People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.”