C'est Jolie!

Vintage Fashion Show: Alexander McQueen for Givenchy 1998

2012-03-16T07:16:00.001-04:00

Alexander McQueen for Givenchy Haute Couture

Vintage Fashion Show: Gucci 1996

2012-03-16T07:14:00.001-04:00

Gucci Fall 1996 Fashion Show

Vintage Fashion Show: Dolce & Gabbana 1996

2012-03-16T07:13:00.002-04:00

Dolce & Gabbana Spring 1996 Fashion Show

Vintage Fashion Show: Jean Paul Gaultier 1990

2012-03-16T07:12:00.000-04:00

Jean Paul Gaultier 1990 Spring Summer Collection

Vintage Fashion Video: Elsa Schiaparelli on "What's My Line?"

2012-03-16T07:10:00.001-04:00

Vintage Fashion Show: Gianni Versace 1994

2012-03-16T07:08:00.001-04:00

Gianni Versace Spring 1994 Fashion Show

Self Service Spring / Summer 2012

2012-03-07T11:27:00.000-05:00

Shot by: Theo Wenner
Models: Emily Baker, Lindsey Wixson, Patricia van der Vliet, Frida Gustavsson, Jacquelyn Jablonski

PFW fall '12: Alexander McQueen

2012-03-07T09:58:00.001-05:00

The floor of the Salle Wagram still bears the marks of the track that was laid out forAlexander McQueen's show in October 2003, the one that re-created the last-man-standing dance marathon from They Shoot Horses, Don't They?. That particular presentation found savage beauty in darkness and despair. Quintessential McQueen, in other words. But today, Sarah Burton well and truly laid those old ghosts to rest with a show that celebrated, in her words, "a beautiful future, positivity, optimism."

Burton described shapes and patterns that would organically "explode" as the show reeled on. So the first short, shaped skirts were "pods," initially in graphic jacquards, with decoration embedded in the fabric. Then they began to open out, first into cherry blossoms (maybe it was that Japanese connotation that triggered visions of a manga army with the models' uniform white wigs, sci-fi visors, and Rollerball booties), next into "doilies" of laser-cut ponyskin mounted on leather, and finally fur pompoms. Then the pods exploded, like puffballs, into extravagantly shaggy shapes in goat fur, ostrich feather, or Mongolian lamb, their shivering undulation evoking another organic association: anemones swaying in the tide.

"The future's usually shown as stark and cold," said Burton. "I wanted lightness, the sense that the dresses were hovering." One tiered dress, sprinkled with "dandelions" that looked like they were floating on air, had 80 godets, according to the woman who sewed it. The number of dandelions, she had totally lost count of. There were probably a dozen other such stats, underscoring how obsessive Burton's remarkable vision is (a quality she shares with her late mentor). Backstage before the show, nine people surrounded a huge froth of deep pink organza, hand-massaging its multilayers to bring them to life. The dress itself stood to silent attention, like an object of cultish worship—the cult being, of course, beauty.

The show's progression from pure white to the grandest possible finale of red and black felt like a journey from innocence to experience. Burton's own story, in other words. "I pushed myself more," she acknowledged. "It has to move forward." Even those in the audience who queried the absence of anything approaching clothes for the everyday surrendered to the forward movement of the stunning technique. As for pushing herself, Burton has tapped a vein of absolute magic. Its spell is irresistible.

PFW Fall '12: Chanel

2012-03-07T09:58:00.000-05:00

Karl Lagerfeld thrives on the new. And he's happy to share his thirst for novelty with the massive audience at his biannual Chanelspectaculars. In today's often enthralling show, there was the new proportion of a three-piece suit—jacket, skirt, and pants. (Well, almost new. Lagerfeld has tried that before, but this time, he got it right.)

There was new music (Michel Gaubert soundtracked the proceedings with a not-yet-released number by Tristesse Contemporaine). And there was a credit no one would have seen at a fashion show before: eyebrows by Lesage, the legendary couture embroidery house. The strips of crystal that defined each model's brows were a microcosmic rendition of the show's grand design, which featured a set that looked like the Fortress of Solitude.

"Nature's the greatest designer," said Lagerfeld, pointing at some of the more spectacular crystalline excrescences. "These shapes are millions of years old." He lavished crystals on hems and cuffs as the trim on coats and the heels of shoes. And he indulged his new mineralogical bent with the mica sparkle in the dark tweeds that opened the show, in jeans with the streaky grain of rock formations, in the knits that looked like layers of sediment, and in a scatter of moonstones across a sweater dress.

But Lagerfeld also found a man-made co-relative for Nature's geometry in an exhibition of Czech cubism he saw in Prague. So there was angular cubist articulation in sleeves—a new silhouette, in other words—and in the polyhedron decoration of coats. The abstract color-blocking also had a vaguely cubist feel.
Ah yes, color. Karl felt it was time to bring it back, after last Fall's monochrome and Spring's pastels. But as it turned out, the colored pieces didn't fare so well against those penumbral tweeds, or the oily glisten of the feathered pieces that closed the show. It was much easier to imagine the younger customer that Lagerfeld has so successfully courted for Chanel being drawn to the dark side.

PFW Fall '12: Yves St Laurent

2012-03-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

Stefano Pilati couldn't have known his days as the house's designer were numbered when he presented his men's collection forYves Saint Laurent in June, but the way he dipped into YSL's dark side—the one personified by the designer's relationship with the arch-decadent Jacques de Bascher—prophetically hinted at an end game.

And Pilati extended that same mood into his women's collection, the last he'll show for Saint Laurent. The wasp-waisted, fetishistic discipline, the leather, the martial strictness of Guido Palau's slicked-back hair combined with the vampiric gloss of Pat McGrath's blood-red lip were components of a powerful, hard-edge dominatrix fashion fantasy. Backless dresses in a chain mail made of metal and rubber were the ultimate expression of Pilati's hypersexualized vision. So he naturally picked the calla lily, Roman symbol of lust, as the floral accent for the collection. (Ironic footnote: Calla lilies were also the flowers laid on the graves of those who suffered an untimely demise.)

The burnished backdrop, the gold paneling on the walls, established a kind of imperial, pagan tone against which Pilati could parade his broad-shouldered nightlife Amazons. There is something inevitably glamorous about that look. Many kids like Pilati were conditioned by adolescences spent poring over pictures of YSL, Warhol, and their gang idling away glittering nights. But there'd always be a grim, hard-lit dawn. And yet with that dawn would also come the promise of a new day. Maybe that's why, when he appeared to a stomping ovation, Pilati seemed so cheerful.

Hedi Slimane in at YSL!!!

2012-03-07T09:44:00.000-05:00

Finally there’s one rumor we can stop worrying about. An official press release early today from YSL and PPR, confirming that Hedi Slimane is officially back at YSL:

Yves Saint Laurent and PPR announce today the appointment of Hedi Slimane as Creative Director of the maison Yves Saint Laurent. Slimane will assume total creative responsibility for the brand image and all its collections. In parallel with this new position, he will continue to pursue his career in photography.
Hedi Slimane thus returns to the fashion house where he was Artistic Director of Menswear until 2000.
“Hedi Slimane’s exceptional talent and understanding of the spirit of Yves Saint Laurent heralds a promising new chapter in the story of the maison”, said Paul Deneve, Chief Executive Officer of Yves Saint Laurent.
François-Henri Pinault, PPR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, added, “As one of the most important French fashion houses, Yves Saint Laurent today possesses formidable potential, which I am confident will be successfully harnessed and revealed through the vision of Hedi Slimane.”

In case you forgot, Slimane is replacing Stefano Pilati. WWD reports that he is expected to show a resort collection for the house in June.- fashionista

PFW Fall '12: Balmain

2012-03-07T09:41:00.002-05:00

PFW Fa;; '12: Isabel Marant

2012-03-07T09:40:00.003-05:00

PFW Fall'12; Stella McCartney

2012-03-07T09:40:00.000-05:00

PFW Fall '12: Valentino

2012-03-07T09:39:00.003-05:00

There's some irony in using folk costume as inspiration for clothes as haute as the ones Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli make at Valentino. The fashion on their runway today was of the people, but not for the people—it's for a rarefied, very lucky few.

For Fall, the designers wove an enchanting, globe-trotting story through the sweetly feminine silhouettes they've established as their own over the last few ready-to-wear and couture seasons. Pasolini's Medea was on their mood board, along with other photos of women in native dress torn from film, fashion editorials, and real life. A white coat-dress was stitched with red and blue thread in a native motif—Russian maybe, or Greek, the mix was the message. Another was made from a densely woven jacquard that looked like an Oriental carpet. A lot of craft went into the pieces, but they weren't craftsy. In fact, black leather gave the duo's by-now familiar dresses and jumpsuits a new edge; it was characteristically softened with macramé seams and passementerie details.

Daywear was the distinct emphasis here with smart-looking frog-closure coats and Aran sweaters dotted here and there with crystals. For evening, Chiuri and Piccioli proposed long, loose-fitting shorts in black leather with a sheer beaded tunic and an embroidered velvet vest—black tie, but with a modern kick. Their other after-dark ideas had a more demure look thanks to above-the-ankle hems and, more often than not, long sleeves. The best came in multicolor crystals that reproduced that carpet pattern. Talk about a magic carpet ride.

PFW fall '12: Emilio Pucci

2012-03-07T09:39:00.002-05:00

PFW Fall '12: Louis Vuitton

2012-03-07T09:36:00.002-05:00

PFW Fall '12: Kanye West

2012-03-07T09:21:00.004-05:00

Kanye West can't wait to carve his niche in the fashion hierarchy. At least that's how his choice of show venue—the same space Alber Elbaz used to celebrate a decade at Lanvin a few days earlier—translated to some skeptics in tonight's audience. And, truth be told, skepticism was rife after West's inauspicious Paris debut as a designer last season. But the element of surprise has always been one of the secret weapons of his music, and it popped up in his sophomore fashion effort by simple virtue of the fact that West won a much-improved badge.

He reduced his first collection's profligacy to a more concise statement in leather, velvet, and astrakhan, most often in black and always wrapping a legging or pencil-skirted lean silhouette. It was a declaration that West is learning self-discipline in design, and he amplified it aggressively with the martial music, the harsh makeup, the gladiatorial footwear, the odd croc collars. The show's tight edit left little room for anything beyond this core statement, but the hard edge still had some light and shade: the use of dévoré, for instance, the more relaxed sweatshirt shapes, and the clutch-coat decorum of the final outfit.

West unleashed his showmanship with a finale that featured gothic go-karts speeding out of the darkness of the Halle Freyssinet. Later, Azealia Banks performed at his party, just as she had at Karl Lagerfeld's dinner a month or so ago. Like Lagerfeld, West has always known how to make worlds collide, in his music, at least. How that talent might translate into an asset for his fashion remains up in the air.-style.com

Toy Story

2012-03-05T12:55:00.000-05:00

Highlighting quirky prints and graphic patterns, the March issue of Harper’s Bazaar Russia offers a story of playful ensembles starring Daga Ziober. Captured by Natalia Alaverdian, Daga sports colorful designs from labels such as Viktor & Rolf, Jil Sander and Prada selected by fashion editor Natalie Joos. Cropped hair by Domingo Quintero and dark lips by makeup artist Maki H. bring a sophisticated touch to the quirky outfits.

On the Newsstand...

2012-03-05T11:14:00.001-05:00

- Harper’s Bazaar Turkey March 2012 Katrin Thormann by Koray Birand

- Elle Brazil March 2012 Aline Weber by Gui Paganini
- Vogue India March 2012
- Vogue Australia April 2012 Julia Frauche by Kai Z Feng
- Mirage Magazine No 3 by by Yorick Nubé

Age of Consent

2012-03-05T09:55:00.001-05:00

Dansk SS 2012
Shot by: Jimmy Backius
Styling by: Gabi Humnicki
Model: Agnete Hegelund

New

2012-03-05T09:53:00.001-05:00

The Gentlewoman #5 SS 2012
Shot by: Karim Sadli
Sytling by: Jonathan Kaye
Model: Elise Crombez

April 2012 ASOS Magazine

2012-03-05T09:49:00.001-05:00

The April 2012 issue of of ASOS Magazine features cover star, Léa Seydoux, the 25-year-old French actress and currently the face of Prada's Candy fragrance was shot exclusively by ASOS and photographer Eric Guillemain on loaction around paris. Woody Allen's muse and Tom Cruise's co-star wears Miu Miu lighting print dress, soon set to appear alongside Diane Kruger in Farewell, my Queen!. Seydoux talks about her inspiration from the likes of Johnny Depp, why she was bad at school and why style is more important than trends. Styled by Zeba Lowe working with Miu Miu, Prada, ASOS print shirt dress and drawstring hem shirt. Hair by Joseph Pujalte, Make up by Marie Duhart.

www.ASOS.com | www.ericguillemain.com

Prints Charming

2012-03-01T12:11:00.001-05:00

With more prints than all of Spring 2012 combined, two faceless ladies lay tied up in the busyness of layered silk prints from Pucci, Etro, Missoni, Jean Paul Gaultier, Ferragamo and more of our patterned favorites. The spectacle will have your eyes wide open and ready to get back to WERQ.

More Milly...

Adriana vs. Doutzen

2012-03-01T11:54:00.004-05:00

– Adriana Lima and Doutzen Kroes get into a girl fight for the “Sports” issue of V Magazine. In front of Mario Testino’s lens, the Victoria’s Secret Angels wear sexy lingerie inspired ensembles that are a cross between super heroine chic and boxing gear in the provocative selects of stylist Nicola Formichetti.

PFW Fall '12: Gareth Pugh

2012-03-01T11:45:00.001-05:00

Something about Gareth Pugh brings out the philosopher in his collaborators. Soundsmith Matthew Stone was talking about "the archetypal human need for religion." Makeup artist Alex Box was brooding on the penitence of nuns. Pugh himself shied away from anything directly tied to the dinner party's favorite conversation killer, but maybe that's because he felt his designs had done the talking for him. The fiercesome insularity of his clothes suggested a world where women had dispensed with the fripperies of civilization—i.e., men—in favor of a faith in female power. Nothing as blandly noxious as girl power, mind you. More a kind of cannibalistic, Amazonian, mutant force. And that sure made for a great fashion show.
Petals of black had scarcely stopped cascading from the ceiling when Joan Smalls marched onto the catwalk in a yeti shag and Aztec headdress, like the high priestess of a techno death cult. Furriness and fringing in multiple variations followed, creating a liquid, indefinable silhouette. When Pugh drew that silhouette back to the body, he used snakeskin on a jersey backing, a sinuously elemental effect which automatically evoked the poor misbegotten serpent who tried to wise up Adam and Eve to their state of unblissful ignorance in Eden. But if Eve took the rap for Adam's fall, Pugh was determined to restore some semblance of her dignity. His women were battlefield-worthy in their funnel necks and spiked shoulders. And their enemy? Could it be God Himself, textured through Stone's soundtrack by Twitter voices saying His name? The conceit was an audacious one, but it's hard to ignore the niggle that Pugh needs something bold at this point in his career to knock him up to the next level. Alien beauty has a shelf life, after all.- style.com

PFW Fall '12: Mugler

2012-03-01T11:39:00.003-05:00

Since getting hired at Mugler over a year ago, creative director Nicola Formichetti and his head of women's design, Sébastien Peigné, have pointed their compasses forward, relying as much on the power of Formichetti's celebrity, and that of his pal Lady Gaga, as the name of the brand. They've had mixed-to-middling results doing so, which must be why tonight's show was their most ambitious yet.

It was also their most intimate. For the last two seasons, Mugler's large, elevated catwalks kept the models and the clothes at a remove from their audience. Here, the setup was reversed—the models walked just inches front the front row—and it made a difference. So, too, did the scope of the collection. Formichetti and Peigné divided the show into sections, bookending it with a series of white looks in sculptural cashmere and neoprene with fluted peplums and fox-fur sleeves to start, and mostly sheer black "ninja" outfits to end.

The strongest pieces came in between, mostly because they were the result of careful study of the Mugler oeuvre, a not insignificant body of work. Few designers created as potent and recognizable a vocabulary as he did. The superheroine shoulders, the body-loving cut, the optimism inherent to his eighties heyday—they came together best in a yellowy-orange stretch jersey dress. A pair of sheer dresses with their appliqués of python and crocodile will find their way into Gaga's traveling trunks before long, but there was also a trio of white coats that you could imagine seeing in a department store. All in all, a positive step ahead for team Mugler.-style.com

PFW Fall '12: Rochas

2012-03-01T10:22:00.004-05:00

The Fall Rochas show was a swirling kaleidoscope of graphic, geometric prints inspired by the pottery of the Swedish ceramicist Wilhelm Kage. Designer Marco Zanini collects his pieces; still, he was surprised when he found himself using them in his own work. He usually starts with an image of a woman or a movie.

Well, the change did him good. Despite what Zanini called the collection's "certain disregard for quiet good taste," there were many good, wearable pieces for both day and evening. Unlike his show for Spring, which had a formal fifties couture look, this one had a cooler seventies vibe. Jacquard pants were deeply flared and nearly grazed the floor despite the models' stacked heel sandals. And the collection's "ugly" prints (including those on the clashing tights) reminded some in the crowd of nineties Prada, when Miuccia herself was taking a closer look at the seventies. Zanini was extra proud that they were painted by hand, without the use of a computer. An interlocking diamond pattern that looked like stained glass on a button-down shirt and on matching flares was particularly compelling.
However, it wasn't all prints, all the time. A mustard ribbed sweater (one of the collection's many excellent knits) was paired with silk pants in a slightly different shade of yellow, giving the eyes a chance to rest. Zanini's finale ball gowns came in warm fall colors like that, but not before he sent out a trio of floor-length dresses fearlessly enlivened with pattern. Who needs good taste?- style.com

PFW Fall '12: See by Chloé

2012-03-01T09:07:00.002-05:00

The little-sister line to Chloé took its first (virtual) steps onto the runway today. See by Chloé became the second label, after the relaunched ICB by Prabal Gurung, to strut into the online ether as part of Digitalfashionshows.com, which allows an invite-only crowd to screen prerecorded shows. It's hard to imagine Chloé ever making such a move—especially as it gears up to celebrate its 60th anniversary this year—but little sisters are often more adventurous than their elders. Especially when they've got parents in high places pushing them along. "It felt right to support this strong and directional collection and to promote See by Chloé via an innovative and new digital platform which allows optimum visibility to the label," Chloé CEO Geoffroy de la Bourdonnaye said.

As a move to up visibility, the decision was a success. (Case in point: You're reading about it here.) With greater visibility, however, comes greater scrutiny. Chloé's Clare Waight Keller is not the creative force at the helm of See, and in fact, the company doesn't identify a designer or team behind the line. Maybe that's why the collection itself feels more anonymous than it might. The See aesthetic riffs on that of the Chloé main line, especially in its emphasis on long, fluid lines, soft volumes, and a pretty, feminine bent. For Fall, the femme got flirty with an emphasis on sheer mesh tops and dresses in silk georgette, viscose, and silk, fineness that played off the roughness and slouch of oversize outerwear and tailored pieces in denim and wide-wale corduroy. Piece by piece, you could see items that should energize customers on the sales floor, but overall, the message wasn't as distinctive as the medium.- style.com

Happy Leap Day!!!!!

2012-02-29T11:02:00.005-05:00

PFW Fall '12: Guy Laroche

2012-02-29T10:50:00.002-05:00

Paris Fashion Week Fall '12: Julien David

2012-02-29T10:40:00.001-05:00

The journey on Julien David's runway went from the great outdoors of snowy slopes to the great-there's-a-taxi outdoors of city streets. The collection was more overtly thematic than usual, but he mostly managed it with typical cleverness. In the well-worn aprés-ski territory, David turned puffa quilting into tiny circles on a silver party frock, and if you looked closely at the Fair Isle he pieced into anoraks and cut into chic little hooded blousons and skirts, you'd see city skylines and Hummers. "Our eyes are so used to seeing those Tyrolean patterns that you don't really see the difference," David explained.

The axis that spun country toward town was a crisp white shirtdress printed with two views—one mountains, the other a cityscape—abstracted as if seen through shutters. (In the urban glare and blare, the Tyrolean motif shrank into shirt collars, and there David's sneakily avant-garde tailoring was what stood out. It came in what he called a "bidirectional" houndstooth, which subtly zigzags from left to right. It's custom-made for him, as most of his fabrics are, in Japan. It's easy to see why David's coats are the thing that sell most at his longtime retailers like the Webster and Colette, and now at new supporters like Browns, Lane Crawford, and tough-to-crack Susan of Burlingame. Coolly elegant street wear is David's strength, and logically his comfort zone. Credit him for leaving it, but knowing when to come home.-style.com

Dior Launched Its Online Magazine Today

2012-02-29T10:12:00.004-05:00

If you j’adore Dior you’ll be j’adoring it all the more thanks to DiorMag, the illustrious French house’s first foray into the editrorial world, launching today. And in another first, Christian Dior will live-stream its runway show this Friday with blogger Susie Bubble catering to the hashtag crowd with a simultaneous Twitter feed.

DiorMag boasts an unnamed editor-in-chief — since we’re all too well aware how secretive the house can be about who’s in charge of what, amirite? — and debuts with eight articles, Mon. Dior’s lucky number.

And did you know that on the day of his show, the superstitious designer would sew sprigs of lily of the valley into dress linings for luck?

The online mag is full of fun facts like that, with content updated almost daily, including news and background info on the brand, such as where raw materials for Dior perfumes are harvested.

DiorMag also features shareable high-res images and long-format videos and will soon be available on the iPhone and iPad. The digital pub is officially live so take a gander over at dior.com/magazine. [WWD]

Private Dancer

2012-02-29T09:05:00.000-05:00

FRINGED FROCKS AND ROCK-AND-ROLL WORTHY MINIDRESSES ARE SIMPLY THE BEST PIECES FOR NAOMI CAMPBELL AS SHE STYLISHLY EMBODIES THE GREAT TINA TURNER

The Lady is a CHAMP

2012-02-29T08:46:00.001-05:00

“There are so many differences in the Latin community. Someone from Mexico and someone from Puerto Rico have different foods, different traditions,” Lopez says. “There’s an education to be had. Even as I was going through the differ- ent countries, there were certain forms of music that I didn’t know about. ”

read article here

Nina Ricci Spring Summer 2012 Campaign

2012-02-29T08:40:00.001-05:00

Raquel Zimmermann by Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

The New Fifties

2012-02-29T08:38:00.003-05:00

Vogue China March 2012
Shot by: Inez van Lamsweerde & Vinoodh Matadin
Models: Isabeli Fontana & Natasha Poly

El jardín del Edén

2012-02-29T08:37:00.000-05:00

Angela Lindvall poses for Jean-François Campos in a lush outdoor shoot set in the desert for the March cover shoot of Vogue Latin America. Outfitted by Sarah Gore Reeves, Angela wears a mix of ladylike and futuristic looks from Gareth Pugh, Lanvin and Miu Miu amongst others. Lush curls by Maranda and flawless makeup by Billy B perfect the blonde’s outdoor escapades. / Art direction by John Paul Tran

MFW Fall '12: Dsquared²

2012-02-28T13:28:00.003-05:00

Other designers in Milan may be feeling dark and moody, but not Dsquared²'s Dan and Dean Caten. To prove it, they staged a high school prom, dimming the lights and switching on a pair of disco balls midway through their 9:30 a.m. show. The sign on the wall said Class of 2013, but the vibe was more early sixties—from the top of the models' bouffant hairdos to the tips of their diamanté and leopard-spot pumps. In between, they wore snug brushed mohair sweaters over button-downs and lamé skirts; toggle coats and rolled-hem jeans; and a green croc jacket with cropped pink pants. Hands down the most charming piece was a rugby sweatshirt in striped mink.

Often the Caten brothers prefer their girls more bad than good, but that wasn't the case here. The only things that these pretend high schoolers' parents would disapprove of were their cigarettes. Even after the disco balls came on, things never took a turn for the provocative. Hewing more closely to the current trends than what preceded them, a trio of black column gowns were all about the hips. Pure sweetness from Dsquared²? Trust us, we were surprised, too, but pleasantly so.

Vogue Italia March 2012

2012-02-28T09:18:00.001-05:00

Joan Smalls is the first black model to cover Vogue Italia since the epic “Black Issue” in 2008.

Shot by Steven Meisel, the cover features Smalls looking truly over the top in a Dolce & Gabbana top, brow-high shadow, bold earrings and some wild nail art. If we tried to combine all those things, we guarantee we would look like six-year-olds playing dress-up. But somehow, Joan makes it work.

Fashin points out that the last time Vogue Italia put a model of color on their cover was back in 2008 (in the famous "all black" issue) -- waaaaay too long ago!

On the Newsstand...

2012-02-28T09:08:00.000-05:00

- Playing Fashion March 2012 Heather Marks
- Vogue Italia March 2012 Joan Smalls by Steven Meisel
- Vogue Turkey March 2012 Angelina Jolie by Mert & Marcus

- Interview March 2012 Katy Perry
- Harper’s Bazaar Singapore February 2012 Kinga Rajzak
- Glamour Italia March 2012 Felicity Jones

- Elle Mexico March 2012 Poppy Delevingne
- Elle Turkey March 2012 Reese Witherspoon
- Asos April 2012 Léa Seydoux by Eric Guillemain

Spring Nails get ELECTRIC

2012-02-28T09:07:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the rainbow revolution! it looks like the neon trend to stay thoughout the warmer months, and its no surprise that many beauty brands have launched vibrant, eye popping lacquers for spring. Take a look at our favorite high-voltage polishes for your next manicure & let your fingertips feel the energy!!!

If you haven't heard the news already, tangerine is one of the year's hottest shades! I've been smitten with the bright and cheery hue and this flattering favorite is a surefire way to make a statement manicure in one swipe.
Pictured Above:
La Metier de Beaute nail Lacquer in NOt so safe Orange
Essie Nail Polish in Obvious
American Apparel Neon polish in Neon Coral

The sunny hue gained huge popularity last spring but yellow nail polish continues to shine strong this season. Try these opaque formulas for florescent fingertips!
Pictured Above:
Pure Ice Nail Polish in Yellow Polka
L'Oreal Paris Coloue Riche Nail in Tweet Me 101
China Glaze Nail Lacquer in Sunshine Pop

Vivid coral red & pinks look amazing on virtually every skin tone. WHen paired with nude makeup & sleek hair, rosy brights add a jolt of energy to a classic manicure. Love love LOOOVE these Fushia-tinted reds from Pixi, laura Mercier and OPI

Pictured Above:

Pixi Nail POlish in Vivid Coral

Laura Mercier nail lacquer in Sizzle

OPI Nail Polish in Red Lights Ahead...Where?

While muted, multi-tonal greens were a hit for fall and winter, Spring is lightening up the verdent hue to tints of chartreuse and grass tones. Pair these acid colors with a sheer neon lip for a chic, in-the- garden look.
Pictured Above:
MAC Nail Lacquer in Al Fredo
Pop Beauty Nail Glam in radioactive
Sephora by OPI Nail Colour in It's Totally Karma
Love the Nautical brights ever since Beyonce was spotted wearing a bold blue manicure in honor of her newborn baby girl, Blue Ivy- Super cute! But which sapphire shade did the star actually sport/ That would be Nail's Ins. Baker Street, Out in March. If you can't wait that long try these other marine must haves.
Pictured Above:
Deborah Lippmann Nail Color in On the Beach
Butter London 3 Free Lacquer in Slapper
Nails Inc Nail Varnish in Baker Street

Need to saturate your spring pastels? Put these fashion forward purples on your tips and topes to stay on trend and ahead of the game!
Pictured Above:
Sonia Kashuk nail Color in Purparazzi
Revelon Colorstay Longwear Nail Enamel in Amethyst
Dior Vernis in 687 Ulta Violet (Anselm Reyle Collection)

Just Married

2012-02-28T09:07:00.001-05:00

Vogue Spain Brides
Shot by: Hunter & Gatti
Model: Beegee Margenyte

Blond Bombshell Kate Upton

2012-02-28T09:07:00.000-05:00

Blond Bombshell Kate Upton by Sebastian Faena for Muse 29.

There’s a New Carrie Bradshaw in Town!!!

2012-02-28T09:06:00.005-05:00

And her name is AnnaSophia Robb. The 18-year-old actress has been cast as the young Carrie Bradshaw for the upcoming prequel to Sex and the City, The CW‘s The Carrie Diaries. Robb is best known for playing Violet Beuaregarde in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and more recently one-armed surferBethany Hamilton in Soul Surfer. Let’s hope Robb is getting ready to step into Sarah Jessica Parker‘s iconic Manolo Blahniks by making cheap puns, getting sloshed on Cosmos, wearing a bird on her head and waxing philosophically as she stares out of her bedroom window. [Daily Mail]

Armani SS 2012 Video Campaign

2012-02-28T09:04:00.001-05:00

Milou Van Groesen for Armani SS 2012 Video Campaign by Luca Guadagnino

On the Newsstand...

2012-02-28T09:01:00.002-05:00

- Numéro China March 2012 Tati Cotliar by Tiziano Magni

- French Revue De Modes SS 2012 Cindy Crawford
- French Revue De Modes SS 2012 Sharon Stone
- Interview Germany March 2012 Anna Dello Russo by Giampaolo Sgura

The Homecoming Queen

2012-02-28T08:38:00.000-05:00

exclusive first look at Chanel Iman’s cover shoot for the May edition of Foam MagazineKayt Jones with styling by Aya Kanai, Chanel dons sexy swimwear as she hits the sand to hula hoop and fly kites. The American beauty’s beach look is perfected by hair stylist John D’s carefree locks and makeup artist’s Sarai Fiszel

Red Carpet: 2012 Oscars

2012-02-27T09:53:00.001-05:00

Confirmed: Stefano Pilati out at YSL

2012-02-27T09:50:00.000-05:00

Following reports this weekend that Stefano Pilati would show his last collection for YSL this week, to be replaced by Hedi Slimane, comes confirmation from the house that Pilati is indeed, out. YSL released the following statement today:

Yves Saint Laurent today announces the departure of Creative Director Stefano Pilati, who since 2004 has stood at the creative helm of the maison and has been instrumental in the rebuilding and repositioning of an iconic French luxury brand. Under Stefano’s guiding vision and artistic direction, the house has become a contemporary reference in high fashion.
Stefano will show his final collection for Fall/Winter 2012-2013 womenswear on March 5, 2012 in Paris. In the coming weeks, the maison will announce a new Creative Director.

Yves Saint Laurent and PPR would like to thank Stefano for his extraordinary contributions and wish him the very best with his future endeavors.
Commenting on the announcement, Yves Saint Laurent Chief Executive Officer Paul Deneve said ‘We are all at Yves Saint Laurent grateful to Stefano for his important achievements in advancing the mission and success of this historic and treasured fashion house.’
PPR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer François-Henri Pinault echoed these sentiments: ‘I join Paul Deneve and the house of Saint Laurent in thanking Stefano for his dedication and contribution to the story of Yves Saint Laurent. I personally wish him all the best.’

“I exit the house with fierce conviction in all that we have achieved and deep gratitude to those who have supported me along the way,” Pilati told WWD. “I wish the maison Yves Saint Laurent and its new creative director the very best for the future.”

But who is the new creative director? PPR is keeping it close to the vest for the moment. Yesterday rumors surfaced that Hedi Slimane, who helmed the design team at YSL starting in the mid-90s, and subsequently left in 2001 to be creative director at Dior Homme until 2007, was the frontrunner, and it seems likely that he’ll step in. YSL and PPR have refused all comment, and from the above release, we won’t expect anything to happen until after the show.

Despite a famously tumultuous relationship with YSL and mixed collection reviews over the years,Pilati is leaving the house in good stead. WWD reports that the brand is breaking even, and accessories that Pilati introduced, like the Muse bag and the Tribute shoe are still selling well. He’s also been lauded for developing “strong” advertising images.

Stay tuned to see how the game of fashion musical chairs progresses.- fashionista

Fashion Moment...The Carters

2012-02-27T09:03:00.000-05:00

All three Carters had their first outdoors sighting this weekend as Beyoncé and Jay-Ztook Baby Blue out for lunch in NYC.

Baby Blue in Alice by Temperley Scarf

MFW Fall '12: Dolce & Gabbana

2012-02-27T08:37:00.005-05:00

MFW Fall '12: Trussardi

2012-02-27T08:37:00.004-05:00

Trussardi's program notes, not to mention the market stall packed with fresh fruits and vegetables at the end of the runway, promised a trip to the Peruvian countryside—straight up to the top of Machu Picchu. At another house, that might've meant all types of native dress, but under Umit Benan's new leadership, this Italian brand is becoming known for strong, sharp tailoring. Benan designed menswear first; his own evocative show is usually among the highlights of Milan's men's week.

As with his debut here last season, the focus was on structured but not strict jackets, collared shirts, and well-cut trousers with an ease about them. (A few of the suits were three-piecers.) The only obvious nods to the Andes came in the form of wide-brim hats with rounded crowns, and oversize backpacks in exotics, and to a lesser extent perhaps the asymmetric hem of skirts worn over pants. Benan can't help himself, he designs clothes suited for women who negotiate the wilds of modern cities. A coat in shearling and snakeskin was made to attract attention, not repel the elements, while shirtdresses in leather or silk had a relaxed sense of chic. In all, this felt like a solid follow-up to Benan's strong debut at Trussardi, but you sense that, if he really buckled down to the task, he could push things further here.

MFW Fall '12: MIssoni

2012-02-27T08:37:00.003-05:00

MFW Fall '12: Salvatore Ferragamo

2012-02-27T08:37:00.002-05:00

Toward the end of the Salvatore Ferragamoshow, a song came over the loudspeakers that summed up designer Massimiliano Giornetti's new direction for Fall. Kate Bush's "Army Dreamers" said everything there was to know about a fine collection that married the rigor of military clothing with the romance of chiffon and lace.

Having worked on Ferragamo's men's collection before assuming the reins on the women's side as well, Giornetti is a practiced, subtle tailor. There was real finesse in an officer's jacket that combined black leather and sheared astrakhan. The same goes for a black leather blazer belted snug at the waist and its matching pencil skirt, as well as a fatigues-green flannel suit worn with its pants tucked into knee-high boots. Snug sweaters embroidered in bullion kept the military motif going.

The femme side of the Ferragamo story featured off-the-shoulder dresses in crocheted silk interwoven with ribbon; peasant tops tucked into high-waisted pencil skirts; and chiffon gypsy dresses edged in gold. "Lots to wear," said a fellow editor on her way out of the show. Agreed.-style.com

MFW Fall '12: Versus

2012-02-27T08:37:00.001-05:00

MFW Fall '12: Bottega Veneta

2012-02-27T08:37:00.000-05:00

There's been lots of talk about oversize this and exaggerated that so far this season, but Bottega Veneta's Tomas Maier is taking a different tack. "It's usually more flowy," he said in his succinct style backstage, addressing his Fall collection's new close-to-the-body shapes; its dense, opaque fabrics; and the ways in which he used print and embroidery to enhance the figure. Enhance it he did; it's still not too late to ship a black velvet bustier evening gown with Art Nouveau-style boning on the torso to L.A. for the Oscars tomorrow night.

Maier opened with strict tailoring: Coat-dresses and suits were marvels of buttoned-up precision, with graphic details at the sides and slightly padded hips that put the accent on nipped and narrowed waists—the New Look again. With the silhouette thus established, Maier touched on curvy day shifts unadorned but for large-scale brooches at the neckline, and sporty, waffle-knit sweaters tossed over peplum blouses.

What impressed about the dresses was their range. Printed numbers that riffed on ones that Maier introduced last Fall hugged the body, while others came embellished with shreds of chiffon that looked like dense layers of feathers. A pair of stretch velvet frocks, one with overlapping multicolor flowers and the other with curling black vines à la cut-paper silhouettes, had an almost naïve innocence. But ultimately elegance ruled. Maier's event dresses, which seemed to elongate their models' already exceedingly willowy frames, will get scooped up by celebrities, even if the timing isn't right for the Academy Awards. High marks all around.- style.com

MFW Fall '12: Emilio Pucci

2012-02-27T08:36:00.002-05:00

MFW Fall'12: Jil Sander

2012-02-27T08:36:00.001-05:00

The audience stood and cheered for Raf Simons as he took his final bow at Jil Sander today. Then they continued to stand and cheer until the designer, overwhelmed by emotion, reappeared on the catwalk. An ovation and an encore: That is the very definition of a hard fashion act to follow.

Which is exactly as it should be, given what Simons has achieved in his seven years at Jil Sander. Never mind that this was the best collection he'd presented for the label. In light of the week's events, there was an unwittingly bitter irony to the story it told. After last season's women's-world scenario, Simons wanted to celebrate a day in the life of a relationship, the pure and simple pleasure of two as one. But Raf's no Pollyanna. He was equally engaged by the hard work it takes to maintain such an ideal. So he introduced chaos into his dream world. The most graphically significant element in his collection might have been the slash of shine that split open Julia Nobis' strapless matte black sheath. Thus are hopes and dreams splintered.

Before that climactic moment, however, there was a seamless parade of peerlessly beautiful dresses and coats. A grace note was struck from the moment models entered clutching their coats closed. In Raf's day-in-the-life scenario, these might have been bathrobes, just as insinuations of slips and nighties crept in later. A palette of blush pink, coffee, and pale gray underlined an early-morning feel. The soundtrack was Mazzy Star's "Fade into You" and Sonic Youth's version of the Carpenters classic "Superstar," both songs where love is lorn. Can melancholia be uplifting? Here be proof, compounded by Smashing Pumpkins' "Tonight, Tonight," one of Simons' favorite songs. It sounded like an envoi to the Sander years.

He called his previous three seasons for Sander his "couture trilogy," and even before this week's shock announcement that he was departing and the house's namesake founder was returning, Simons had decided he wanted to unhinge the perfect universe he'd created. The leathered-up menswear collection he showed here in January cued a dark finale for his womenswear, where black leather and PVC threw a fetish wrench in a perfect day. Again, irony, in that the complete control of his Spring collection implied that chaos is a shot away. And here it finally was. Good luck to his successor. She'll need it.- style.com