I was lead to believe that the days of patchwork pieces had gone with the 2003 hippie trend. I was so wrong! Because if Miss Selfridge is stocking it, it has to be a trend… again, right??? Well, I don’t know what to think about it!

Jessica Simpson and her Louis Vuitton bags

Jessica Simpson’s loves Louis Vuitton bags. It seems like Jessica Simpsom has at least one bag from every leather collection the French fashion house make, except for the Epi leather collection. Talk about a girl having a brand obsession.

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Tom Ford After Sex

With a new super-high-end men’s store, the former Gucci designer explores who he is without all that libido to sell.
It’s not every day one gets to see the penis of a sex god. But Tom Ford, among other ostentatiously masculine habits, doesn’t wear underwear. And on a recent afternoon, while we were talking about the ladies who also do not wear underwear—Spears, Lohan, Hilton—Ford is saying that he doesn’t necessarily think they are gauche. “I don’t know, I’m not sure,” he says in his flirty baritone, accented by a macho Texas twang. “Why shouldn’t women have sex for enjoyment? Why should showing off be a bad thing?” He throws one hand in the air, snarls, and reaches down to grab it. “Men have been very crude for a long time—I mean, you walk down the street and guys scream, ‘Hey, baby!’”


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Alice Lane, Makeup Artist

"I wouldn’t want to be trendy, but not being trendy seems to be trendy at the moment."


Do you like being a redhead?
In England, redheads are hated. You’re called “ginger nuts,” and you’re a hated breed. I just saw this film called Hot Fuzz, and at the end, there’s a ginger-nut kid and they threaten to shoot him. But Americans love red hair!



Is that why you moved here?
No! I moved for love. My husband is a New Yorker, and he didn’t want to live in London. But, I mean, when I was a kid, my dad cut my hair and I had a big, Afro, microphone head. And it was red. I could never get a boyfriend. But when I moved here, everyone started saying, “Hey, I love your hair.”



How do you take care of it?
Dye it! We redheads don’t go gray, we go darker brown. So I go to Laurie at OC 61 and go a brighter shade.



How did you get into doing makeup?
I went to art school, and makeup is just painting on people’s faces. I find that I prefer doing people who aren’t used to having their makeup done, as opposed to models who already know they’re gorgeous.



How do you describe your style?
I don’t. I just put on things that I like. I wouldn’t want to be trendy, but not being trendy seems to be trendy at the moment.

VIDEO LOOK BOOK OF ANDREW C. VALENTINE ACTOR

"If I'm not careful, I come across as too British, too elegant, too buttoned-up."

Vionnet loses Kokosalaki and gains Artistic Advisor

After less than a year at the helm of the newly relaunched brand, Sophia Kokosalaki has parted ways with the House of Vionnet. The announcement comes as no great surprise, infact it has been expected ever since Diesel's purchase of the Greek designer's brand in January this year. Interestingly though, Arnaud de Lummen, Vionnet's chief executive officer has decided not just to replace Kokolasaki but to seemingly reinvent the creative role needed.

According to fashionwiredaily, rather than filling the Creative Director shoes, Marc Audibet (previously a designer at Hermes, Ferragamo and Prada) will take on the newly created title of Artistic Advisor. And after only two seasons on the catwalk, the fashion house is turning its back on Paris Fashion Week and returning to the traditional atelier model of appointment showcases which will be unveiled during the more exclusive Haute Couture Week.

What this all means is as yet unclear, but implies a shift by the brand to position itself away from fast fashion and plant its feet in the luxury prestige market. And with a namesake who is globally recognised for introducing bias cut to the fashion world, the company should find ample opportunity in emerging luxury markets- if they get the package right.

Pin-Ups

Bracelets are the accessory du saison replacing last year's longtime necklace-monopoly. To make a fresh lil bracelet for yourself, find some old lapel pins or brooches and some luxurious ribbon. Velvet is my favorite.

Most of us have a handful of pins passed down from Mom or Grandmom from another era when brooches easily complimented a wardrobe. Now, not so much, but you can add these little jewels to your wrist making a chic bracelet with a dose of heritage.

Loop different combinations of ribbon two and a half times around your four fingers (your hand flat, as if you are being sworn-in). Cut the ribbon on the diagonal so it won't fray. Have someone loop the ribbon twice around your wrist and tie in a double knot. Then have that trusted friend carefully put the pin or brooch through each layer of the bracelet like a watch.

Now you have a unique, one-of-a-kind bracelet with history to boot. If you're scared of losing your brooch, a dab of Krazy Glue works wonders. Just don't ruin your Great Grandmother's Tiffany brooch!

'The Beginning of Something Beautiful’

Dragana Perisic & Su Blackwell
A collaboration of art and fashion.

Dragana Perisic, the East London based designer beloved for her playful, elegant clothing is opening the doors to her shop for a unique event. British artist Su Blackwell has brought her whimsical world to the window of Dragana Perisic, creating a mystical display from the pages of a fashion magazine. The display coincides with three exclusive new sculptures to be exhibited within the distinctive boutique.

Dragana spotted Su Blackwell’s work in Vogue before approaching her for collaboration. ‘I could see a playful, fantasy-like quality in Su’s work that appealed to me - I thought it would work well with the philosophy of my designs as well as the atmosphere of the shop’ says Dragana. 'The optimistic colours of spring are the inspiration for the combined work.‘ These works are about the end of winter, the transition into spring, when tiny bursts of colour begin to blossom and surround us’ says Su. This will be the first of an ongoing series of art and photography exhibitions to be held at the boutique in the future.

The private view held on Thursday 17th May will feature the exclusive chance to pre-order garments from Dragana’s Autumn/Winter 07/08 collection. Inspired by the sepia hues and textile shapes evident in the photography of Edward S Curtis the designer has combined translucent jerseys, signature silks, brocades and soft wools in a myriad palette of chocolate, mustard yellow, blushing reds and iced pink. Dragana’s fondness for versatility in her clothing designs emerges throughout the collection – the ‘in/out dress’ can be worn with or without pockets while the ‘V or not dress’ can be worn, as the name suggests, with or without a brocade panel buttoned into the neckline.

The Dragana Perisic boutique, which opened in the summer of last year, is known for its cosy, unpretentious atmosphere. Situated among the various inspired independent shops of Cheshire Street, the interior is a mix of vintage furniture, contemporary cabinetry and delicately crafted silver-leaf frames all bought or made locally. Dragana’s clothing and textile jewellery are displayed in playful abundance alongside AnnAnn leather bags, TN29 shoes, Evica gloves, Roger La Borde cards and hats by Bea & Evie.

Fashion Fringe's Final Four

A look from Maki Lofrander & Marcus Wilmont



A look by Graeme Armour



A look by Dejan Agatonovic



A look by Andrea McWha

(LONDON) Fashion Fringe has tapped its final four. Andrea McWha, Graeme Armour, Dejan Agatonovic, and Marcus Wilmont and Maki Lofrander are all semi-finalists in the fourth-annual UK-based fashion design talent competition. The designers will now have access to studio space and staff to assist them as they create and produce their collections with support from The London College of Fashion and Fashion Fringe mentors. Their completed collections will be shown in the Fashion Fringe Final at London Fashion Week in September. This year’s Fashion Fringe panel was comprised of Tom Ford; Christopher Bailey; Net-a-Porter.com’s Natalie Massenet; Vanity Fair’s Elizabeth Saltzman; Roy Peach, Dean of Fashion Design and Technology at The London College of Fashion; and Anne Pitcher, head of buying at Selfridges. Fashion Fringe was created by Colin McDowell and IMG with the support of Red Bull. Past winners have included Basso & Brooke, Sinha-Stanic, Erdem Moralioglu, and Gavin Douglas.

Online Style Finder

Nautica Jeans has launched an online Style Advisor, which helps you to find the perfect combination and style for every occasion. By selecting a type of jean and occasion, the style advisor will recommend shirts that match well to create a variety of different looks. Take a look of this Web Site and you will feel more comfortable on your next date because you will have the advise of a professional in style. The concept helps to make the site very interactive.

CFDA Snapshots

Michael Bastian might know men’s clothing better than anyone. After holding the title of Bergdorf Goodman men’s fashion director for five years, he launched his own eponymous line three seasons ago. Now, after chalking up raves for designs effortlessly combining luxurious casuals with well-tailored formals, Bastian’s been nominated for his first CFDA honor, the Swarovski Award for Menswear.
So, are you excited about the nomination?
It’s a little bit surreal and happened so quickly to me. I’m just trying to absorb it all.

What do you think about the category and your fellow nominees?
What great about the category is that my fellow nominees are all pretty new to this like me. As much as I design, I seriously almost never shop, so I’m less than familiar with their designs.

You’re Bergdorf Goodman’s former men’s fashion director. How did that experience translate into your designs?
My brand is finding that middle ground between designer consumer and luxury consumer. I cater to guys with a very good eye, who love that good suit and a tie while also wanting to wear that comfortable, well-made sportswear. The ideal consumer is a solid American guy who likes his clothes done on a luxurious level.
Why do think it’s Americans who understand that niche better than anyone?
We love real luxury. We love to buy something and feel like wearing it for ten years. I know American luxury has kind of become a hollow term, but the consumer could spot a right article of clothing from hundreds of brands that are out there.
What are your eventual goals with your company?
I really want my brand to grow organically and just let it develop in a sincere manner. We’ve added categories like bags and socks when it felt right and natural. But at times it can be like a snowball effect as the snow and demand just keeps on rolling.

Are you resting anywhere this summer before the showcase of your next big collection?
Yes, I need a real break! Preferably, I want to go to Arizona in July or August and not do anything at all.

Narciso Rodriguez and Liz Claiborne Inc. announced that they have agreed to enter into a multi-faceted partnership agreement. The $4.99 billion apparel giant is acquiring a 50 percent ownership interest in the Narciso Rodriguez name and trademarks from Rodriguez and will form a new company to develop the Narciso Rodriguez brand worldwide with Rodriguez as creative director.
"Narciso Rodriguez is one of the finest American designers today and we are thrilled to enter into a partnership with this extremely talented individual and his much heralded brand,” said William L. McComb, chief executive officer of Liz Claiborne Inc., said in a statement. “Narciso's strong following and high recognition level position his business well for considerable organic growth.”

Rodriguez said in a statement, "I am excited about the opportunities that this partnership will offer. Collaborating with Liz Claiborne will enable me to focus on my work and all of its possibilities. Bill McComb and his team have a clear understanding of my vision and are committed to help me realize my dream."

This is the first significant apparel deal for under McComb’s reign at Liz Claiborne, which currently counts Juicy Couture, Ellen Tracy, Dana Buchman, Sigrid Olsen, and Kate Spade in its portfolio of brands.

The Cuban-American designer is known for his women's and men's ready-to-wear collections (the latter of which was established in 2005), whose hallmarks include clean lines and precision tailoring. The Cuban-born designer and graduate of Parsons School of Design was the first recipient of two consecutive CFDA women’s wear design awards in 2002 and 2003 following the establishment of his eponymous brand in 1997.

What has also been clear in recent months is the deteriorating relationship between Rodriguez and Aeffe SpA, the Italian company that owns half of the operating company controlling his business. It remains unclear what this deal with Liz Claiborne Inc. means for his business agreement with Aeffe, who expressly made no mention of the designer in reports of its earnings last month.

After studying at Parsons, Rodriguez started his career at Anne Klein, where he worked under Donna Karan, followed by stints at Calvin Klein, Cerruti, and Loewe. Rodriguez, whose collections are carried at Barneys New York, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and key specialty stores worldwide and has an award-winning line of fragrances distributed worldwide under an existing license agreement with Beauté Prestige International, counts the likes of Salma Hayek, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Rachel Weisz, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Jessica Seinfeld among his loyal devotees. He became a household name in 1996 when Carolyn Bessette Kennedy wore his bias-cut gown at her wedding to John F. Kennedy Jr.

Despite all of Rodriguez’s achievements, the designer has also met with hurdles. Giorgio Armani chief operating officer Roberto Pesaro, who came on board as president and CEO last year, resigned less than 10 months later. The Narciso Rodriguez flagship in Milan also shut its doors around February.

“This is a totally different kind of deal than those we have done in the past,” continued McComb in a statement. “Unlike acquisitions of fully scaled businesses, here we are affiliating with one of the world's finest designers to organically build a broad business in a growing and profitable category that we do not currently operate in—the luxury designer segment—that is sold in productive and partnership-oriented upscale retailers. The chance to work with Narciso to significantly grow his business while retaining his unique vision of timeless elegance was right in line with our commitment to outstanding designers and design excellence. We were compelled to seize on this opportunity now."

ElixirAdvisors represented Rodriguez in the Claiborne deal.

Hot or Not?

How can a normal person, someone who doesn´t lives in the fashion world knows when a fashion trend is a Fashion Past?
It’s a fashion follower’s worst nightmare — worse than looking fat, more humiliating than wearing the same dress as another party guest — it’s the dread of looking last year.
Fashion trends, sometimes referred to as fads, are notoriously fickle. The fashion industry is always on the hunt for what’s new, what’s hot. For every new, must-have handbag, there’s another that gets tossed aside like, well, last year’s trend.
The Fashion Cycle
1. First, there’s the emerging trend (the American Marketing Association refers to this as the “distinctiveness” part of the cycle where the trend is highly sought after. You know this as when you see that great hat/dress/shoe on the runway, red carpet or music video.
2. Next, comes what the AMA calls the emulation phase, where everyone wants a piece of the trend.
3. You’ll see it in fashion magazines, newspapers, internet and TV during this phase.
4. Finally, the trend becomes saturated in the market, usually at very low prices. With trendy items like a must-have designer handbag, the item becomes widely available as a knock-off.
Most of us will buy it somewhere between phases two and three. Only celebrities and fashion industry types have access to fashion fresh off the runway that hasn’t appeared in stores yet, like in the first phase of a fashion trend.
At the second phase a look is often available in high-priced designer collections. Only in the third phase, when a look makes it to the mass market, does it become affordable for most consumers.
Twenty or 30 years ago it might have taken a few years to make it from red carpet to mass market, but today’s manufacturers have put the fashion cycle into hyperspeed. Sometimes a hot trend makes it into lower priced retail outlets in as little as a few months.
In or Out?
Affordable trendy clothing (sometimes called “fast fashion”) is a double-edged sword: it makes fashionable looks accessible to those of us on real-life budgets, but when the market is totally saturated with a look a trend loses its appeal. It basically helps to kill the trend quicker.
So how do you know how long a trend will last? A few general guidelines:
• Generally speaking, most fashion trends stick around for at least a year. Some trends, usually the most understandable ones, last longer. For example, the personalization or initial craze started with Sarah Jessica Parker’s “Carrie” necklace during season two of “Sex and the City” in 1998. The look saturated the mass market in the fall 2003 with initial handbags, sweaters — you name it — a full five years after it started.
• One school of thought says that fashion cycles about every 20 years. Thus, the minis of the ’80s have come back into favor now (as did the nameplate necklace mentioned above, which was hot then, too).
A big part of deciding on how long a trend is viable depends on where in the fashion cycle you bought the trend. If you bought it as a knock-off or at a discount store, then you should count on it being in for just one or two seasons. Because the fashion industry often lumps together Spring and Summer, Fall and Winter, that gives you approximately six months of wear out of a look before it looks dated.
• Although there is no hard-and-fast rule about how long a fashion trend will stick around, you can bet that the more-difficult-to-pull-off looks (Uggs, large cuff jeans, trucker hats) are just fads that will fade. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have fun buying them, just know that they aren’t looks that will be fresh this time next year.
• Buying power can keep a trend on life support. Sometimes consumers love a look so much they just won’t let it die. Capris, crops, tank tops and flip flops are all examples of former trends which actually became wardrobe staples.
• The higher the profile — boho chic and mod are recent examples — the more likely it is that the trend will look dated by the same next year. Likewise, the more radical the cut, color or print — microminis, army jackets, mod graphics — the more certain that the trend will be long over by the same time next year.
The best defense against quickly changing trends is to have a wardrobe stocked with mostly classic looks: jeans, T-shirts, blazers, little black dresses. Use trendy items as an addition to a core wardrobe to give it some kick.

More of the same or Plus one...

After Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Stella McCartney and many more, Top Model Kate Moss launched her new collection for the UK based, chic fashion boutique TopShop.
Hundreds of fashionistas queued
outside Topshop's flagship store in Oxford Street London to catch
a glimpse of this naughty supermodel, posing
as a mannequin in one of her dresses for the launch! No doubt they were
also there to grab a fashion designer bargain at the opening sale.
Well has I live in Portugal I was only able to see the new collection on the internet. I think it’s very beautiful and has Kate’s personal hand… however for me it doesn’t ads anything new to all we have already seen in stores like H&M, even Zara. But I can only speak from what I’ve seen on the site. It seem that a great number of fashionistas were there to buy first hand the items of the collection. I think that only happened because they all want to have something designed by Kate.
Here is a video of the event for you to see.
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Wentworth Miller: Behind-the-Scenes @ Bean Pole Jeans Photoshoot

Here are some great behind-the-scenes shots of Prison Break hottie Wentworth Miller shooting the ad campaign for Bean Pole Jeans in Korea back in March.

Source: Just Jared