Janet Jackson is the new Blackglama girl

by: Rod Hagwood
PETA will not be pleased.

Janet Jackson is the latest mega-celeb to wrap herself in the furs of the Blackglama label.

Blackglama is famous for their “What Becomes a Legend Most” advertising campaign which – in the past few decades – has featured such style-stars as Sophia Loren, Marlene Dietrich, Elizabeth Taylor, Diana Ross, Lauren Bacall, Lena Horne, Liza Minelli, Judy Garland, Faye Dunaway, Joan Rivers, Lillian Gish and Audrey Hepburn.

More recent legends have included Cindy Crawford, Elizabeth Hurley, Naomi Campbell, Elle Macpherson, Giselle Bundchen and Linda Evangelista.

“Janet is to entertainment what Blackglama is to luxury,” said the furrier’s CEO Joe Morelli in a press release.

Jackson’s shots were lensed by fashion shutterbug Rocco Laspata, who is a SoFla regular with clients such as Harry Winston, Estee Lauder, Revlon and Miami-based Perry Ellis.

“The chemistry between who is before and behind the lens is crucial in any successful sitting,” said Laspata. “Janet completely gets that dynamic and delivers 100% in establishing a one-on-one connection. She is extremely focused on set and I fell completely in love with her.”

The ads will debut in September glossies (Vanity Fair, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, etc.) and a billboard in Times Square.

Blackglama is a co-op of ranch-raised mink furriers based in Seattle with origins stretching back to 1941 and the Great Lakes Mink Association (GLMA). Blackglama is a play on words with “glamor” and the initials “GLMA.”

Chicago gets some New Cashmere

A Los Angeles-based retailer known for its casual cashmere and leather offerings is opening a store on Oak Street this fall.


Vince plans to open at 106 E. Oak St. in October, the 15th location nationwide for the designer of luxury, contemporary men’s and women’s fashion.

Vince, which is carried in upscale departments stores including Barneys New York and Saks Fifth Avenue, has been expanding its stores nationwide recently and later this year will open a 16th location outside Seattle.

Vince plans to open its first international store next year in London, according to a news release from Chesterfield, Mo.-based Kellwood Co., a clothing manufacturer that acquired Vince in 2006.

At 106 E. Oak, Vince will lease 1,500 square feet on the first floor, beneath the Ultimate Bride on the second level and the Charles Ifergen Salon on the third level. The space was formerly the local fashion retailer Chasalla, which closed there around the beginning of the year, says Mr. Ifergen, who has owned the building since the late 1970s.

Mr. Ifergen says he began talks with Vince this spring. He’s excited because Vince caters to a young clientele, with prices just below those of couture designers.

“As soon as I told my wife and daughter, they said that’s great,” says Mr. Ifergen, who also sees the deal as a hopeful sign for Oak Street. “Slowly but surely, the street is getting filled up again. We took a hell of a beating. Now lots of stores are moving in.”

Naomi dons fur in summer!

British model Naomi Campbell has proven she takes her job seriously after she donned a fur vest on a 90-degree afternoon to model for Dennis Basso’s fall/winter 2010 campaign.
A team including photographer Tom Munro and stylist Patti Wilson took over the Mobil gas station at 10th Avenue and 14th Street for the shoot, the New York Post reported. Campbell took a moment out from working to chat with Ellen Barkin, a faithful Basso client, and Mickey Rourke, who stopped by together to say hello.
The leggy supermodel has been the face of Basso since last year. The new ad campaign will break in September.