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PFW Fall '12: Guy Laroche

Paris Fashion Week Fall '12: Julien David

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

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

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

“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

Raquel Zimmermann by Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin

The New Fifties

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

El jardín del Edén

 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

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

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...

- 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