Happy Birthday Olivier Theyskens

Oliver Theyskens will have 33 candles on his birthday cake today.  Born to a Belgian engineer and  a French homemaker, he was always frustrated that girls always got to be princesses and wear skirts.  He started design school when he was 18, then quit to start his own line.  He had to close his label because he lacked sufficient funding.  He designed for the theater for a while, then was hired by Rochas as their creative director when he was 25.  His designs were praised as “nothing short of magnificent.”  However, he was notorious for being anti-capitalist in terms of his vision for Rochas. Theyskens asserted that he wanted to “stop global vulgarity”.  Not good if you want to stay in business.  Rochas announced it was closing it’s fashion division in 2006.

Nina Ricci then hired him and seemed to be doing well, designing clothing that was considered “the thing to watch.”   Nina Ricci did not renew his contract in 2009, shocking fashion critics.  These shoes were part of his last collection with Ricci.  Everyone was talking about them, no one ordered them.

Happy birthday, Oliver Theyskens.

Happy Birthday Diane von Furstenberg

Diane Von Furstenberg will celebrate her birthday with 63 candles on her cake.  Diane is interesting because in 1969 she married Prince Egon of Furstenberg, making her a princess. (When they divorced, I think she no longer qualified as a princess.)  When she married Egon, she decided she did not want to be a “plain little girl who married beyond her desserts.”  In 1970 she began designing women’s clothing, hitting a design home-run with a wrap dress in 1973. I had the Vogue pattern for that dress and made about three dresses.

I also had the same dress leave me half dressed when the tie came undone.

Here are some Diane von Furstenberg shoes to admire.

Dock $160 to $200 AT Zappos

Rand $460 at Zappos

Zia $284 at Zappos

I think I will carefully wear my wrap dress for tonight’s party to celebrate.

REMINDER: Today is the last day to enter the ShoeBlog Holiday Giveaway.  We are giving away a $150 and $50 gift certificate to Zappos, Endless, or Amazon.

Happy Birthday Kate Spade

Kate Spade’s birthday cake will have 47 candles today.   Katheryn Brosnahan attended Arizona State University and met her future husband, Andy Spade, when they worked together in a menswear store in Phoenix.  A friend of mine said she named her line Kate Spade because she just KNEW she was going to marry Andy.  R5friend thought it was the most romantic thing in the world.    I suggested they were engaged when they launched the company and designs because the line was launched in 1993 and were married in 1994.  R5friend thinks I am cynical.   It doesn’t matter now, of course, because they created a successful line, then sold the company in 2007 for $775 million.

Here are some Kate Spade shoes for you.

Sierra Boot $383 at Endless.com

Gratis pump $325 at Endless

Nolan flat $295 at Endless

Kane bootie $450 at Endless

Andy Spade’s brother is David Spade.  In the television show Just shoot Me, Wendy Malick’s character Nina wore a lot of kate spade shoes and handbags.  To celebrate I am going to watch a couple of re-runs.

Happy Birthday John Galliano

Christian Dior designer, John Galliano turns 49 today.  He is a quirky, quirky guy.  When you see how beautiful his dresses look on Charlze Theron, maybe the quirks are a good thing. He produces six couture and ready-to-wear collections a year for Dior as well as his own label.   Like most high energy people, he has an extreme fitness regime, including a daily six mile jog along the Seine. “It helps to concentrate the mind and I find that I have so much more energy and focus.” 

Here are some of his designs. Love them.

$1179 at Styledrops

Red sandals $915 at Styledrops

 Red suede boots $760 at Styledrops

Maybe I will watch Pirates of the Caribbean to celebrate his birthday today.