Julien Macdonaldhas said his latest collection was created to celebrate “real women”, who he would like to see better represented on the catwalk.
The 48-year-old designer whose London Fashion Week show is taking place tonight at Southwark Cathedral, told the Standard his collection was in “celebration of women, all women”.
He added: “I am bored of young girls on the runway. They look fabulous on the runway in my clothes but they are not the ones who buy the clothes. I want to produce a collection for real women, not just 16-year-olds. This collection is about celebrating being a woman.”
After several years working in fashion, including under Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel, Macdonald launched his own label in 1997. Since then, he has dressed stars including Kate Beckinsale, Beyoncé and Taylor Swift. His latest collection, called Julien x Gabriela, marks a collaboration with socialite Gabriela Gonzalez. The pair teased their project at the Cannes Film Festival in May, with Alessandra Ambrosio and Mariah Carey wearing some of the designs.
Macdonald said of Gonzalez: “She was one of my biggest clients and she told me she dreamed of being a fashion designer. So I said, well, let’s do a collaboration on a collection. The collection is therefore to suit the modern, glamorous working woman. She is every bit that.”
The award-winning designer said his brand had been trying to be more environmentally aware. He said: “It is really important to try and be sustainable. My clothes are made from as many organic fabrics as possible. I am trying my very best to do better ... I think it is a good sign designers are taking it more seriously.”
Julien Macdonald presents Julien x Gabriela will take place at 8pm
Christmas is on the horizon, which means that the onslaught of holiday parties is coming. Between figuring out dinner reservations for twenty people at the pub through to finding the perfect festive outfit, a new survey has discovered that on top of all that stress women are likely to spend nearly £300 on just their office Christmas party.
The new data comes from fashion retailer Oasis, who revealed women typically spend £281.78 on their work Christmas party - factoring in things like new clothing, travel, make-up and more.
According to Oasis, over the course of a woman’s working lifetime, this sum can build to a staggering sum of over £13,000. If you’re thinking of buying that new sparkly dress at Zara or Mango just for the occasion, you’re not the only one. It turns out that nearly everybody surveyed buys a new outfit specifically for the party each year, resulting in an average spend of £139.23 on their party look.
Ruth Wilson (Getty Images)
On top of this, 92% of women seek professional help to sort out their hair and make-up - a sum that typically comes to around £53.70.
Beyond the financial cost, Oasis’ research found a third of woman spends over three hours perfecting their hair and beauty look for maximum impact.
Adult Akech in black tie for the Fashion Awards (Getty Images)
The research also found that 18% of women begin looking for their dream dress in early autumn, though on the whole 48% of women start thinking about it in November. The procrastinating 8% wait until the very last week to find an outfit.
As for what to wear? Some office Christmas parties have fancier dress codes than others and Oasis polled people to find out where their preference lies. Over half of people (55%) said they were more down for a cocktail dress code, as opposed to 14% who wanted to bring the drama with a black-tie dress code.
Other average costs included £27.55 on transport, as well as £61 on accommodation.
Still, looking for a Christmas party dress? Here are a few of our favorites - all in the ballpark of the average £139 of course.
Zara Limited Edition Sequinned Dress
Willing to stretch the budget a little bit? Bring the drama in this sequinned burgundy dress from Zara, which features feathered cuffs and a flattering V neckline.
£149 | Zara | Buy it now
Kitri Maria Green Check Midi Dress
You can never go wrong with a green dress for a Christmas party and this Kitri piece is a sweet option for a cocktail party. Pair it with a chunky pearl hatband, heels, and a bright red lip and you’ll be the trendiest person in the room.
£125 | Kitri | Buy it now
Topshop Black Tuxedo Blazer Dress
Don’t do sparkle and bright colors? This chic tuxedo dress is one that’s bound to be an instant classic for any fancy work dos you have beyond Christmas.
£75 | Topshop | Buy it now
Sister Jane Shooting Star Sequin Dress
This starry dress is ideal for a fancy Christmas party or even a New Year’s bash and with all that sparkle, it'll be hard to miss you.
Moschino may have its roots in Milan, but on Monday the Italian luxury fashion house - spearheaded by creative director Jeremy Scott - was in a very New York state of mind.
Presenting both the label’s pre-fall 2020 womenswear and fall 2020 menswear collections, Moschino hosted its show on the subway cars at the New York Transit Museum in Brooklyn.
Rather than topping off their MetroCards, guests were given mini bottles of Moet as they found their seats and waited for the all-too-familiar "Stand clear of the closing doors” announcement.
The front row at the Moschino fashion show in New York (Getty Images for Moschino)
Seconds later, a hip-hop themed soundtrack that included Cardi B played through the subway speaker system as models including Joan Smalls, Stella Maxwell, Winnie Harlow,and Taylor Hill made their way through the cars.
(Getty Images for Moschino)
“New York is the ‘city that never sleeps,'" Scott said in a press statement. "With that in mind, I wanted to offer a little bit of everything. Around-the-clock set of ensembles for city girls and guys who aren’t afraid to go from the ballroom to the back room, then watch the sun come up over the East River. There’s nowhere else in the world where you get that kind of energy and magic."
(Getty Images for Moschino)
To represent New York City’s eclectic mix of styles, the models were dressed in designs that referenced everything from a nineties-era Harlem with tracksuits and oversized puffer jackets to uptown socialites with polished tweed suits and beaded evening gowns.
(Getty Images for Moschino)
Moschino’s logo was woven throughout the collection in a mix of oversized belts, gold chains, and cuff bracelets. Several models even carried comically oversized bags through the subway cars - perhaps as a tribute to everyone’s least favorite backpack-wielding passengers?
(Getty Images for Moschino)
It’s this sense of humor and playfulness that has helped earn Scott and the brand a dedicated celebrity following including Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry, and Kacey Musgraves - the latter of whom attended the pre-fall show next to Riverdale actress Madelaine Petsch and German pop singer Kim Petras.
Musgraves notably donned Moschino at the 2019 Met Gala, where the Grammy-winner wore a Barbie-themed look from the label’s spring 2015 collection, subsequently earning a spot on best-dressed lists everywhere.
Kacey Musgraves at the Met Gala (Getty Images for The Met Museum/)
Now, it’s only a matter of time before one of the designs from Moschino’s latest collection makes its way down the red carpet.
getting dressed up for a black or white tie party might be a lot of fun, but it can also be a wardrobe minefield.
How long or short should you go with your dress? What style of jacket should you wear? What exactlyis the difference between black tie and white tie?
As you'll have probably gathered from watching period dramas, dressing up in the evening has been popular for centuries, but black and white tie dress codes first came into force in the Edwardian era, when the practice of wearing a waistcoat and black bow tie with a dinner jacket became the default after-dark look. But what are the black and white tie dress code rules?
To save you from turning heads for the wrong reason, we've complied a complete guide for both men and women - with a few shopping ideas thrown in too.
What is a black tie dress code?
Emily Blunt and John Krasinski in black tie at the Golden Globes (Getty Images)
Black tie is a formal dress code for a social function that starts after 6pm. The dress code will mean different things for men and women. According to etiquette guide Debrett's, a true black tie outfit for a man will feature a black wool (barathea) or ultra-fine herringbone dinner jacket.
The jacket should be single-breasted or double-breasted with no vents, silk peaked lapels (or a shawl collar) and covered buttons.
White dinner jackets have also been traditionally worn for black tie in hot climates, but not usually in Britain.
Rami Malek at the Emmys in black tie (Getty Images)
Traditional black tie also features a white evening shirt - in Marcella, a slightly stiffer cotton fabric - with a bib detail and double cuffs. The shirt should have a turn-down collar (not a wing-collar) and should be worn with cufflinks.
Black tie trousers should be smart with a natural taper, and (if you're a real black tie purist) a single row of braid down the outside of each leg.
As for the black bow tie itself? Debrett's advises men to select one that's proportionate to head size - to avoid a comedy clown look - and one you make up yourself rather than a 'ready tied' bow tie.
David Beckham wearing a black tie dinner jacket with a shawl collar and satin lapels (Getty)
A man's black tie look is usually finished off with a white handkerchief in the left breast pocket and polished black shoes.
Optional pieces of black tie attire include cummerbunds and waistcoats - though the two should never be worn together.
Idris Elba in a double-breasted black tie jacket (Getty)
Women tend to have more flexibility with a black tie dress code, though Debrett's advises ladies avoid 'tight ‘red-carpet’ dresses' or 'those with a dramatic split as they can be uncomfortable or inappropriate at a formal event that involves both a reception and a sit-down dinner.'
(Getty Images for National Board )
A dress can be full length or knee-length, but no shorter, and should only reveal a little décolletage. Trousers are another acceptable option for women, but Debretts recommend a palazzo cut, rather than anything too form-fitting.
(Getty Images)
Costume jewellery or simple bracelets and necklaces are most appropriate, instead of anything too bling (that's apparently reserved for white tie).
(Getty Images for YouTube)
Tiaras are also apparently a no-no for black tie (though that's probably not an issue for most of us). Although the dress code is ‘black tie’, dresses do not need to be black, unless explicitly stated on the invitation.
What is a white tie dress code?
Chrissy Teigen and Johny Legend in white tie at the 2014 Met Gala (Getty Images)
White tie has been known as 'full evening dress’, ‘full dress’, ‘evening dress’ or, informally, as ‘tails.’
Before the Second World War, it was the regular evening dress for gentlemen. Today, a white tie dress code is typically reserved for presidential dinners, state dinners with royalty and events like Le Bal Des Debutantes in Paris.
As one of the rarer dress codes you’ll see on an invitation, even celebrities struggle to nail the look. Anna Wintour revealed that many of her 2014 Met Gala male guests barely scraped by, as they were required to wear white tie that year. Speaking on Late Night with Seth Meyers, she said she “had no idea how much panic [the dress code] would make the men of New York and all over the world think about their outfits” and scored her attendees looks on air.
Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Ford wearing white tie at the Met Gala (Rex)
Benedict Cumberbatch that year “nailed it” according to Wintour, and it helped that Cumberbatch was accompanied by designer Tom Ford. Ford, who dressed many male stars that evening, reportedly told Wintour in an email that he had “hundreds of men coming in and asking him to explain what white tie meant” that year.
Unlike black tie, there's very little room for style manoeuvring, as a white tie dress code comes with strict guidelines. Men have to ensure their outfit includes a black, single-breasted tailcoat in black wool (barathea) or ultra-fine herringbone with silk peaked lapels, which is worn unbuttoned, though Wintour added that it’s okay for men to wear dark blue.
(Getty Images)
The coat is shorter at the front than a morning coat, and is paired with black trousers with a natural taper and two lines of braids down the outside leg.
The white tie shirt is in Marcella (stiff cotton) with a starched detachable wing collar and double cufflinks. The shirt will usually be closed with studs, rather than buttons, though and as Wintour assessed Bradley Cooper’s 2014 Met Gala look, she said he only got it “99.55 right” as white tie studs are typically made of “onyx” - rather than the “mother of pearl” that Cooper opted for.
Eddie Redmayne in white tie (Rex)
The shirt is then worn underneath a low-cut, white Marcella evening waistcoat (double or single breasted). To complete your white tie look, wear a thin, white hand-tied Marcella bow tie.
Put your best (Fred Astaire) foot forward in patent black lace-up shoes, worn with black laces (though if you want something really traditional it's black ribbon) and black socks.
If you really want to stray into Downton Abbey territory, you can also add a black top hat, a black overcoat and white silk scarf.
Blake Lively at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival (Getty Images)
White-tie rules for women are less strict but the main requirement is a full-length ball gown or dress.
According to Debrett's a 'good' ball gown design will feature a fitted bodice with a full-skirt which reaches the ground.
Lupita Nyong'o (Getty Images)
Traditionally, long gloves have also been worn by women at white tie balls, but over time have become less of a requirement.
Jameela Jamil (Invision/AP)
Gloves should be worn on arrival at an event or in a receiving line (shaking hands with the host) and dancing.
Lady Gaga nailing white tie at the 2019 (Getty Images)
They are supposed to be removed when eating and at the dinner table - no-one likes a red wine spillage.
Shop the look
Black tie suits
Prada Two Button Virgin Wool Blend Tuxedo
This sleek black suit is the epitome of a classic tux, with silk peak lapels and a sharp tailored cut.
Burberry English Fit Monogram Wool Blend Jacquard Tuxedo
Burberry’s brand new monogram makes an appearance with this subtle black suit, which will quickly establish you as the most fashion forward man in the room.
If you're going to invest in one white shirt, it should be this one. Beloved by royalty and celebrities, this London brand's shirt features double cuffs and mother of pearl buttons.
You can never go wrong with a bit of sparkle over the holiday season. This high necked dress is a more pared back take on the trend with metallic stripes and a waist flattering tie.
Velvet is always a winner in the autumn/winter months and this stunner by Ghost is a great shout. Featuring a sweetheart neckline and button detail, the real highlight is that it’s all business in the front and party in the back as it’s backless.
Huishan Zhang Alma Feather-Trimmed Sequinned Tulle Gown
The feathered sleeves on this sequinned gown takes this sparkler into glamorous territory. It sadly can’t be seen here, but the dress actually is two-toned and is completely covered with white and silver sequins on the back to make a real statement.
Buttery yellows made a massive splash at autumn/winter fashion week just gone and this asymmetric Rosie Assoulin gown is right on the money. With puff sleeves and a full skirt, it’s the ideal dress to sweep across the dance floor in.
We’re all about puff sleeves this season and this Lee Matthews dress is nothing short of a modern fairytale. Featuring polkadots in a sheer fabric, the black trim adds is the perfect punch of interest to round off the sophisticated look.
Julien Macdonald has said his latest collection was created to celebrate “real women”, who he would like to see better represented on the catwalk.
