Sad news

Earlier this week a colleague sent a forward with the news that Isabella Blow had died. For those of you who don’t recognize the name, Blow was intrinsically famous in the world of fashion – an eccentric, bright light who graced the magazine world (she was contributing fashion editor-at-large for the British society magazine Tatler) the fashion world (she discovered Alexander McQueen, Hussein Chalayan, and internationally famous milliner Philip Treacy) and the modeling world (she took the stunning Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl under her wing.)

With regards to Blow, I have a few personal experiences myself, which is part of the reason I took the news to heart. I met her on a few occasions when we crossed paths at Alexander McQueen (I was interning in their PR department) and one afternoon while my friend and I were dining at the scrumptious creperie right by Kensington tube station. She was sitting at a nearby table with a friend, drinking extremely strong espresso, and laughing louder than anyone in the place. I imagine that was her “trademark” – to be heard above all others in both voice and personality.

The first encounter, at the McQueen offices, was larger than life. When you hear of Isabella Blow -- specifically in London – you hear about a true British persona. Never without a hat -- sometimes small and intricate, sometimes large and ostentatious – or her trademark, over-the-top style – she was incredibly British in the sense that she celebrated individuality. Loud, opinionated and tumultuous, her exploits and antics were as celebrated as her eye for finding the next best thing.

Blow began her fashion career after a chance meeting with Anna Wintour, then the fashion director of American Vogue. After assisting Wintour, she returned to London, where she became the fashion assistant to Michael Roberts at Tatler and the Sunday Times. She worked for British Vogue and the Sunday Times Style section, before finally joining Tatler magazine. It was a career that spanned the continents and I’m sure it was both gratifying and exciting while it lasted.

Chanel goes public with podcasts

Earlier today I was reading WWD and happened to come across a fun item about Chanel. It seems they’re joining the revolution of Internet marketing with daily podcasts about their cruise collection (inspirations etc). Starting today through Friday, they’ll stage their “shows” at the Santa Monica Airport in LA. The first involves planes and Chanel luggage, how cool! The podcasts will be available through iTunes and through subscriptions at www.chanel.com. Definitely check it out!