Fruit Salad: May 2006

Success

Who ever said success came in your 30s and 40s? Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez graduated from Parson's School of Design just two years ago and now they are one of the biggest names in fashion under the label Proenza Schouler (the latter pronounced school-er). Jack and the very cute Lazaro were thesis mates when US Vogue's Anna Wintour discovered the design duo. They passed college and then suddenly they had a huge career waiting for them all because of sheer talent and of course with the help of the most powerful woman in fashion!

Unlike Dolce & Gabbana and Badgely & Mischka, Proenza Schouler isn't taken directly from their last names. The label is actually taken from their mother's maiden names which was used during their time at Parsons. Today, Jack and Lazaro are showing in all key cities of the US like San Francisco, L.A., Miami and of course New York. I'm not sure if they are a couple, but apparently one of them had an affair with a Vogue staffer and it caused a stir between the two. Hala!

Lazaro Hernandez & Jack McCollough

With Mother Anna Wintour

Now, when will success come my way?

It Girl

Ever wonder who replaced Kate Moss as the it girl of fashion? Fashion insiders say that the likes of Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington (who went to NYU the same time I was there), Helena Christensen, Amber Valetta and the other 90s supermodels was an era that is over. We will no longer have supermodels, instead we will have top models. Kate Moss was probably the last supermodel and now that she got her endorsements taken away from her because of the cocaine incident, she has been replaced.

Make way for Gemma Ward, the industry's current it girl. Gemma replaced Kate at Burberry and Burberry Prorsum and is also the current Prada girl. Gemma has been seen in virutally all runway shows from Paris, Milan and New York. I don't think she's as pretty as other models and in fact she looks like an alien, but there is something about her that I find so fresh. I can't get enough of her.

Check out her Burberry and Prada campaigns below.

Gemma is also on the cover of V Magazine along with Freja and Daria.

Kate Moss, on the other hand, is now a fashion ICON after a successful comeback. Angelo tells me she wears the latest collections even before they hit the runways...