News Flash: Thakoon for Target

Next in line for Target...Thakoon. The designer will design a diffusion line for Target, set to launch in December. Read more...

Return of the Crimp

Tyra Banks brings back crimped hair. It is either...love it or hate it.

Photo: wireimage.com

Most Stylish Couple?

Tom and Kate the two words that used to roll off everyone's tongue, whether you loathed celeb gossip or not. They were once the most fun couple, most loving, most envied, most stylish, however, this recent photo depicts otherwise. Is there something wrong with this image? Her? Him? Her height? Her hair? His hair? Their smiles?...

Photo: wireimage.com

The Gossip Girl Way

Blake Lively on location for the Gossip Girl in New York City. Love the bag, love the boots. I'm guessing the underlying message for fall is all about jeans, tees, great footwear and a great statement bag.

Photo: wireimage.com

Celebrity Designers: The Do's & Don'ts

Kitson owner Fraser Ross dishes on the do's and don'ts for celebrity designers. Apparently he has a lot to say, after Victoria Beckham refused to make an in-store appearance to support her line. Ross is of course correct in what he says.

Every second celebrity thinks they could wave the (imaginary) magic wand and become a fashion designer. The market is flooded and over saturated with celebrity clothing lines. I think, like with Reality TV, it is reaching it's peak and the market (i.e. retailer, consumer and media), is not as welcoming as it once was....and with supreme reason.

I don't care if J. Lo, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsey Lohan, or Beyonce's name is written in the label. It's actually a warning sign for me to steer clear. They (generally speaking, as there are always exceptions) don't know anything about the construction of a garment or the appreciation of a perfect drape, or the difference between straight grain and bias.

That said, there is no doubt that it is a great p.r. move and a cash cow for retailers such as Kitson.

Ross's top 8 do's & don'ts:

1. Do remember that not everyone's a size 2 like you.

2. Don't think your clothing line will fly off the shelves just because you're a celebrity.

3. Do make multiple personal appearances at retail stores that support your brand. After all, you're shopping all day anyway.

4. Don't believe everything your publicist says. They are paid to agree with you.

5. Do walk to the nearest coffee shop carrying a sketchbook after alerting the paparazzi. After all, it never hurts to look like you're doing work.

6. Don't take yourself too seriously. You're not Coco Chanel.

7. Do wear your own designs more than once a year.

8. Don't have Amy Winehouse wear them.

Source: nymag.com

Photo: kitson.com

Henri Bendel's School Project

Henri Bendel summoned Savannah College of Art and Design with the challenge of creating an exclusive limited edition fall 2008 floral print for their signature cashmere sweater.

It was Sir Andre Leon Talley who put the SCAD on the radar. A graduate of the college, Talley is on the school's Board of Trustees, and has been honoured (by the school) with a Lifetime Achievement Award, which has now become the Andre Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award. It is quite obvious that Talley had a hand in putting this school in the spotlight. I think that it is a great way that anyone of that (career) status can use their power and fame.

The "SCAD Working Class Studio for Henri Bendel" sweater, available in two colorways, will be featured in Bendel's October window. The sweater will retail for $248 and will be available late August.

Photo: fashionweekdaily.com

Meet Alice & Olivia's Stacey Bendet

Get a sneak peek into the Alice & Olivia showroom with this exclusive Saks Fifth Avenue video feature. For one of the most in-demand and of-the-moment brands, it was surprising to see such a young, bubbly girl at the helm. Stacey Bendet, founder and designer of Alice & Olivia shares her thoughts on what's hot for fall. I personally love this line. I recall walking into the showroom last season and wanting the entire rack of clothes to be my own personal wardrobe (view previous post).

Shop the collection at saks.com

The Gucci Group Award

"Julian Schnabel, Isaac Julien, Adam Yauch and Steve McQueen have been revealed as the nominees for the third annual Gucci Group Award..." read more...

A Day in Fashion History...

According to Vogue.co.uk, "on this day in history, August 1 2006...Kate Moss was dubbed "the most followed style icon of our time" by Vanity Fair as she took pole position on its 67th annual Best Dressed List".

Photo: vogue.co.uk

Style Find: Jimmy Choo's Blue Suede Shoes

The new shoe bootie in the season's hottest hue. Jimmy Choo's Glint Suede Boots $995 net-a-porter.com

Photo: net-a-poter.com

Video: The Alex Bittar Studio

Go behind the scenes of Alexis Bittar's studio, courtesy of New York Magazine. One of my favorite fashion jewellery designers, Bittar's designs are trend conscious and ultra modern. I love this behind-the-scenes video snippet featuring the making of the Lucite bangle, an Alexis Bittar signature.

News Flash: Harper's Bazaar Runway Report

On newsstands today, Harper's Bazaar Runway Report. A special issue, this side publication was intended to be an extension of Harper's Bazaar and is chock-full of everything runway. The book will be divided by city and designer and will be full of highlights from each runway show unable to be featured in it's mother book. The new mag will be a whopping 220 pages, 81 of which will be advertisements. On newsstands until November 1st.

Trend Alert: The Morgan

Lookout for Botkier's new fall hit, The Morgan. This fringed hobo will be all the rage come time to store your Havaianas. Get yours now and be ahead of the season. I love the grape, bronze and black version but my favorite is the grape. Who needs another black bag? I'd rather step out of the black puddle and into some color come fall.

$675. Available at botkier.com

Highlights from Milan...

One of my favorite fashion editorials is Highlights from Milan, Harpers Bazaar, July 2008, edited by Katie Mossman. Hilary Rhoda looks great. The fall collections inherit all the qualities of a stellar season. Rhoda breathes life into the clothes in a spectacular ethereal way that makes you want to go out and buy every single piece (save for the furs). Above all, I think that the hair is just fabulous. You will be sure to find me with these tear-outs at the salon come time for my fall (hair) makeover.

Fendi
Roberto CavalliGiorgio Armani
Gucci
Versace
Bottega Veneta
Photos: harpersbazaar.com

Style Spotter: Twisted Headband

C'N'C Costume National introduces a new way to wear the ubiquitous head scarf. Instead of folding it, try twisting it. Way more stylish than its predecessor, the twisted head scarf gives the headband look a whole new feeling. A great new style update.

Photo: elle.com

Most Stylish Staircase, Jewelry Display, Museum Gallery, Architect...

I never quite imagined myself writing about a staircase but then again the staircase I discovered is not your average pinewood suburban staircase, rather it is the spectacular glass staircase new to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The spiraling glass structure connects the two floors that make up the museum's new jewelry gallery.

Named after it's soul benefactors (who gifted the museum with $14 M), The William and Judith Bollinger Gallery was designed by Architect Eva Jiricna, with the intention of upping the ante on display standards. Not only is the gallery a magical diaphanous jewel box, it is a multi-media experience like no other. The gallery is sprinkled with rotating images and computer screens making the experience truly interactive.

This "crystal palace", as marked by the International Hearld Tribune, is an awe-inspiring experience of glass, crystal, glitter, and shine, as the extensive collection of 3,500 jewels, some dating back 800 years, literally, gleam off the walls.

For those who can't make the trip to London to visit the gallery, the book published to mark the opening of the gallery, Jewels & Jewellery, may suffice.

Photo: iht.com

Eva Mendes for Calvin Klein Underwear

Anyone can tell you that I am the furthest away from being even a smidgen of an Eva Mendes fan. However, I am not afraid to admit (even if I'd rather look the other way) when someone looks dashing or not and Eva Mendes for Calvin Klein Underwear looks rather dashing. The fall/winter 08-09 campaign, shot by Steven Miesel, introduces the Company's new line of underwear, Seductive Comfort, a line promising a new level of fit, support and comfort, and may I add, an underlying sexiness, not so often apparent in Calvin Klein Underwear. Eva does look good in these ads but my favorite CKU model so far has been Natalia.

Photo: unknown source

Designer Alert: West Feren

New handbag line worth checking out, West Feren. Named after her grandmothers, designer Alison Pawling, resorts back to her memories of her mentors for inspiration for her line. Launched in fall 2007, West Feren is a tight collection of leather handbags that are functional, practical and yet femininely quirky (all bags boast a splash of color). My two favorites are the Stone Town Clutch in Royal Purple ($269.00) and the Portland Clutch in Bright White ($279.00).

Stone Town Clutch Portland Clutch
Images: westferen.com

The Modern Socialite: Tinsley Mortimer

According to CNBC, Tinsley Mortimer, a permanent fixture on New York's social scene, is considered - The Modern Socialite. Mortimer, the socialite turned entrepreneur, is a working girl. She is not a just a lady who lunches but one who earns her own money. Mortimer, a descendant of Thomas Jefferson, known for her philanthropic efforts, her preferred charities include, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Natural History Museum, and New Yorkers for Children, has her own handbag collection under the Samantha Thavasa brand, and her own clothing collection, Riccimie, exclusively sold in Japan. Ms.Mortimer also has a Dior Lipgloss named after her, called Tinsley Pink. Apart from fashion, she has been hired as Lifestyle Director for a new New York luxury condominium. She is to lend her branding power to the new development and advise the developers on layout designs, amenities packages and décor. And you will always find her front and center at the circuit of fashion shows during New York Fashion Week. Is Tinsley Mortimer on the way to Tory Burch status? I think beyond.

Reality TV: Model.Live

Model.Live - the new model reality show to hit, no not your TV, but your PC. Vogue and IMG have teamed up to create, an as-real-as-it-gets model reality series based on three models as they work through New York, London, Milan and Paris fashion weeks. The show will air on vogue.tv starting August 19th. Check out this sneak peek of what's to come.

News Flash: Rachel Zoe -The Empire

Stay tuned for the Rachel Zoe clothing line, the Rachel Zoe Fragrance, and the Rachel Zoe Reality Show.