Much like Maria Sharapova’s post-U.S. Open behavior last year, which saw her hanging out at New York fashion week and in Nole‘s player’s box, her early Wimbledon loss quickly turned into cameos at a few places in Paris and London.
She made a showing at the Valentino Fall 2008 couture show — the first one by young designer Alessandra Facchinetti (who replaced the recently retired Valentino Garavani himself). The hyper-embroidered collection reinterpreted the fashion house’s classic silhouettes and included the requisite red dress.
And she took in a night at the Tiki-themed Mahiki Club in Dover Street. (src)
Stella McCartney courted this Maria (instead of her tennis muse, Maria Kirilenko) when she hosted a party at Harvey Nichols‘ Fifth Floor Restaurant to expand her organics collection, which currently includes make-up and lingerie.
Masha showed up in a white chiffon cocktail dress with friend Camilla Belle. Masses of pink peonies occupied the dining room, with each of the lucky guests receiving a bespoke napkin ring embossed with their name.
Eco-conscious: We are sick of green-movement marketing as much as writing off Roger, but Stella’s ahead of the pack. The collection will debut at Harvey Nichols and Stella’s flagship store on London’s Bruton Street in June. It’s will be a 20-piece collection made up of loose tunics, slouchy suits, knits and versatile coats — all exuding Stella’s signature, laid-back look, in her favorite color palette of muted tones, taupe, blush pink, grey and stone. (and FYI, Stella uses wind energy — from the grid — to power her studio and e-commerce site. She also has an option with her online store where you can decide to ship your order carbon neutral.)
LeSportsac: The Spring/Summer 2008 collaboration between McCartney and LeSportsac has been out for a while. If you haven’t had a chance to browse, look at detail shots here and the full collection (shop) here.
i really love these stella mccartney for lesportsac bags. the solids are really great colors and if i want to change it up and use a print, they are so cute for totes. someone mentioned the price, but i think that that’s a pretty good price because you are still paying for a stella bag and lesportsacs are always so light and easy to travel with!!
Maria has been having some major physical problems for a couple years now, which I think is causing some of her early losses. She talks about this on her website, and writes that her arm is hurting so much that she’s finally giving up and playing with a new racket in the hopes that it will get better! That’s huge! And I don’t think it will help her results this season. Love her, though.
And I’m seriously coveting those Stella SportSac bags, btw – just wish they weren’t $350. That’s a lot to pay for a fabric purse. . .
Sharapova said something in the wake of Henin’s retirement to the effect of, “If I had her career and her 7 Grand Slam titles, I’d quit at 25 too. I’d have done what I could.” It seems, more and more, that she’s using tennis as a springboard to other (I won’t say larger) things. It’s as if she’s already looking ahead, and, in doing so, isn’t owning the present. Thus she loses to a 130th-ranked upstart from her own nation, one who claimed she took it to MaSha in part because, well, she didn’t like her outfit.
It’s just a far cry from the shrieky 16-year-old who leapt onto the scene years ago.
Much has been said in the media this week that the Williams’ sisters interest in things outside of tennis (modelling, acting etc) has actually prolonged their tennis lives… “Henin was 100% tennis, where is she now?” they ask. Same goes for Hingis, and others.
Fair point i say, but do we think that Maria’s ‘other interests’ are actually hampering her tennis? Could she be more succesful on court than she is now?