ARE 2 A.M. DIAPER CHANGES SCARING KANYE’S MUSE?
Is fatherhood contributing to Kanye West’s fashion woes? Sources say the rapper, who had baby North West with Kim Kardashian this summer, is working on a unisex line for his clothing brand, but it’s not all going smoothly. “He might have lost a little focus, which is great for him as a father,” says a source close to the artist, “but a bad thing for people depending on him to make decisions and be focused.” It’s unclear where and when he’ll debut the collection, but it is reportedly about 60 percent finished (his 2011 runway outing in Paris of slashed furs and hoochie dresses garnered worse reviews than “Ishtar”).
The iconic poster from “Beverly Hills Cop II”; a custom crocodile coat for Jay Z. (
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Partners in design and DJing: Alan Eckstein and Timo Weiland. (WireImage)
A model sporting a snazzy New York Sunshine Surf shirt. (
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Fashionista rapper Kanye West strolls through Soho with his pregnant paramour Kim Kardashian in May. (FilmMagic)
But an insider described his latest work to us as “completely wearable and surprisingly cohesive.” Although a third insider sniped, “It’s a cheaper looking version of an old Rick Owens collection mixed in with his APC capsule.” That might not be a bad thing, as his casual summer APC line of jeans and short-sleeved hoodies sold out within hours of its release.
EDDIE MURPHY AND THE DREAM COAT
Eddie Murphy will be reprising his role as wisecracking crime fighter Axel Foley in the long-awaited fourth installment of “Beverly Hills Cop.” But how can the costume department get a varsity jacket as cool as his iconic black and white Detroit Lions one from the 1987 sequel? Luckily, Starter varsity jackets are even more in style now than they were back then.
Paramount called Carl Banks, a former NFL star who played for the Giants, Redskins and Browns who’s rebooting sports apparel company Starter this fall. Banks recreated limited-edition replicas of the jacket, but there was one snag: It needed to look vintage. After the studio received the coat, they abused it to make it look beat up. “That was very expensive leather on those sleeves,” Banks says forlornly.
Banks has also created custom Starters for clients including Jay Z — for whom he made a crocodile and cashmere Brooklyn Nets jacket — and Spike Lee, whom he met at a Knicks game. “We shook hands, then he whispered in my ear, ‘I heard a rumor. Are you bringing back Starter? You know what’s never been made? The satin orange Knicks jacket. It would be nice if I could have one of those for the playoffs.’ ” Banks made him a custom one in time for the first round. “He wore it every playoff game,” Banks claims. “In Boston, he had an extra chair for the jacket.”
SHIFTING GOALS
Sean Avery, whose hat trick was to go from pro hockey player to Vogue intern to ad executive, is skating off to another new career — after less than a year at Lipman Group. At the firm, Avery worked on campaigns including 7 for All Mankind and Stuart Weitzman starring Kate Moss.
The hockey brute was famously demoted by the Rangers to the minors due to his temper flare-ups. But Avery didn’t get fired from Lipman for raging around the office swinging a hockey stick — we hear he’s leaving to take a new position at a mystery entertainment company. When contacted, he declined to comment.
WEDDING CRASHERS
Designer Timo Weiland, whose fans include Leven Rambin, “Twilight” star Taylor Lautner and socialite Amanda Hearst, is branching out beyond fashion. He is the resident Thursday night DJ at the Jane Hotel Rooftop, and also spins at hot-ticket events, including the after party for the MAS Annual Gala at the New York Public Library and the Keith Haring opening at Brooklyn Museum.
His design partner Alan Eckstein is also his co-pilot behind the turntables. “We did a Brazilian diplomat’s gay wedding,” explained Eckstein, referring to the March nuptials of Alfred Boll and Joost van Hout at the Standard Hotel. “We played disco meets new electro — everything from Whitney Houston to ‘The Chicken Dance.’ ” No word if guests performed the bunny hop. The duo also pays sharp attention to the soundtrack for their own runway shows, and this season will partner with DJ Mess Kid to oversee tunes at their Sept. 10 men’s and women’s presentation at Milk Studios.
SUMMER IN DECEMBER
John “Sunshine” Margaritis, a surf instructor turned designer, opened the hip New York Sunshine Surf this summer in Southampton and swiftly attracted the tony East End set — including Joel Schumacher and Brooklyn Nets coach Jason Kidd. Margaritis can brag about having the smallest retail space in Southampton (the cozy shop is just 350 square feet).
But just because the seasons are changing doesn’t mean he will be closing up shop. “I love it out here in September,” he told Threads. “I studied photography in school, and the light’s amazing and the waves also get better.” Margaritis is planning to keep the shop open throughout next month, and on weekends in December. And when he’s not working in the winter, you can find Sunshine surfing in the Rockaways, wearing a wet suit with gloves and booties. “People look at me like, ‘This guy’s crazy.’ But there’s good waves in the Rockaways.”