Fashion Moments of 2011

JULY
July 1: Hussein Chalayan, well known for pushing fashion’s boundaries throughout his 17-year career, has his first retrospective at Les Arts Décoratifs in Paris.

July 5: Christian Dior presents its first couture collection without a couturier. Studio director Bill Gaytten and first assistant Susanna Venegas take the postshow bow.

July 5: For the launch party of her collaboration with British jeweler Shaun Leane — which resulted in a $1.8 million gold and diamond glove — Daphne Guinness lays in state at Jay Jopling’s Georgian town house. Tom Ford pecks her seemingly deceased cheek.

July 11: Naughty but nice Frederick’s of Hollywood opens its first flagship in ultraconservative Abu Dhabi.

July 11: Victoria and David Beckham welcome a baby girl they name Harper Seven — and make the announcement via Twitter.

July 12: LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton taps Opening Ceremony duo Humberto Leon and Carol Lim as creative directors of the struggling Kenzo label.

July 14: Sarah Jessica Parker leaves her post as president and chief creative officer at the storied but challenged Halston.

July 15: Mary-Kate and Ashley  Olsen launch their handbag collection  for The Row, including a gasp-worthy $39,000 alligator backpack, at  Barneys New York.

July 18: Gwen Stefani partners with Target for a Harajuku Mini collection for babies, children and tweens.

July 18: Kohl’s says that despite their split, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony’s simultaneous collections for the retailer are still on.

July 22: “Real Housewife” Bethenny Frankel launches a mass market beauty brand called Skinnygirl Body Solutions.

July 25: No surprise here: Pamela Anderson unveils a collection of lingerie and stockings — and she’ll model for the merch.

July 27: Details of Alexander McQueen’s will are released, revealing he left hefty sums to his family and charities, as well as his dogs and housekeepers.

July 27: Express breaks the Guinness World Record for the most people to walk a catwalk, getting 1,243 individuals to traverse a 70-foot runway set up in Times Square before its holiday fashion show. The previous record was established by Galeries Lafayette in Paris in 2010, when 521 people walked a catwalk.

July 28: Designer Arnold Scaasi and Parker Ladd make their 50-year union official. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Barbara Walters, Liz Smith, Tory Burch and Stan Herman are among the well-wishers at Le Cirque.

July 29: David Beckham inks H&M Bodywear deal. Women everywhere swoon.

AUGUST

Aug. 1: After more than a year of negotiations, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez cut most of their ties with Valentino Fashion Group and find new backers for Proenza Schouler — a group of 20 investors led by Andrew Rosen and financier John Howard.

Aug 1: Gucci launches an app for the iPad and iPhone.

Aug. 4: Michael Kors confirms to WWD that he and longtime partner Lance LePere received their marriage license at the City Clerk’s Office in Manhattan.

Aug. 11: Zale Corp. and Vera Wang partner for Vera Wang Love, a diamond jewelry collection.

Aug. 11: Monica Botkier files a cease and desist order against Sears pertaining to a Kardashian Kollection handbag that she contends is nearly identical to a bag of her own design.

Aug. 15: Barneys New York announces a multifaceted holiday campaign collaboration with Lady Gaga, called Gaga’s Workshop.

Aug. 16: Kris Jenner reveals plans to launch a line for QVC aptly named Kris Jenner Kollection.

Aug. 18: Macy’s and Giambattista Valli collaborate on a mouthful of a collection: Giambattista Valli for Impulse Only at Macy’s.

Aug. 19: Oscar de la Renta reveals he will create his first fragrance in a decade, dubbed Live in Love.

Aug. 26: Zac Posen schedules his spring 2012 collection in New York after showing in Paris for the two prior seasons.

SEPTEMBER

Sept. 1: BeachMint adds BeautyMint, booking Jessica Simpson as its celeb sponsor.

Sept. 1: Hurricane Irene wreaks havoc on the New York Fashion Week schedule, forcing Theyskens’ Theory and Marc Jacobs to reschedule their shows.

Sept. 1: Priscilla of Boston closes.

Sept. 7: Juicy Couture’s founders, Pamela Skaist-Levy and Gela Nash-Taylor, reveal they’re starting over with a fresh brand, Skaist-Taylor.

Sept. 9: Tweens mob Dolce & Gabbana’s Madison Avenue store to see Justin Beiber on Fashion’s Night Out.

Sept. 10: The Olsens show a blockbuster all-white collection for The Row and, two days later, sign on as creative directors of Superga.

Sept. 12: Ronaldus Shamask returns to the runway with a show in New York.

Sept. 12: Valentino does karaoke at the Carine Roitfeld party at Barneys, singing “My Way.”

Sept. 13: Rachel Zoe shows her first collection during New York Fashion Week.

Sept. 14: Target’s Web site crashes under the weight of demand for the Missoni for Target collection. A month later, Jason Wu signs on as Target’s next Go International designer, with a launch slated for February.

Sept. 14: J. Crew shows for the first time on the calendar during New York Fashion Week. Beyoncé Knowles sits front row.

Sept. 16: Another one bites the dust: Giles Deacon is out at Ungaro.

Sept. 16: FIT opens the Daphne Guinness exhibition.

Sept. 19: CAA opens a fashion arm, to rep Rag & Bone, Derek Lam, Alessandra Ambrosio and Bryanboy.

Sept. 23: Dolce & Gabbana pull the plug on the D&G line, folding it into the main collection.

Sept. 27: Comme Des Garçons launches a new fragrance that boasts notes of industrial glue and brown — not to be confused with clear — Scotch tape, during Paris Fashion Week.

Sept. 27: Gucci opens a museum in Florence.

Sept. 30: Benches break and put editors on their bums before the Balenciaga show starts.

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