Gaga Fashion Icon

The pop princess, Lady Gaga, will be presented with this year's style icon award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America.

Gaga is known for her bizarre fashion statements such as a meat dress and most recently, arriving in a giant egg to the Grammy's.

The 24 year old singer will receive the award  on June 6. She will be joined with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, who have been nominated in the womenswear category for emerging talent.

John Galliano Pulled From Saks

Image courtesy of
msmpr24seven.blogspot.com

Dior designer, John Galliano, has really been feeling the backlash after he made some anti-semantic remarks in a bar in Paris.

Not only did Natalie Portman not wear one of his designs to the Oscars, but now department stores are starting to pull his merchandise off the racks.

Saks carried a small selection of Galliano's menswear line, and that will be removed from the store. Neiman Marcus fashion director, Ken Dowing, told The Washington Post that his store will continue to carry Dior — but that doesn’t mean Neiman Marcus condones Galliano’s behavior.

Also some stores in Canada have gone as far as to pull Galliano's fragrance from the shelves.

However, all you Dior fans, do not worry the Dior label is staying put,  just Galliano's eponymous label is out.

Naomi Campbell To Open Pop-Up Shop

Image courtesy of
shoppingblog.com

Supermodel, Naomi Campbell, has decided to add 'shopkeeper' to her resume. The catwalk queen along with London Shopping Centre Westfield, will be opening a pop-up shop which will sell outfits from her Fashion for Relief shows.

According to the Telegraph, Campbell has asked designers such as Givenchy, Christopher Kane, Stella McCartney and Mulberry to donate pieces to the shop.

She will be donating profits to The Prince's Trust, which benefit 14 to 30-year-olds who need financial support to turn their lives around.

Jimmy Choo For Sale

Jimmy Choo - Image Courtesy
of jimmychoo.com

LVMH (Louis Vuitton, Moet Hennessy) recently purchased Bulgari and now, according to the Sunday Times, has been considering purchasing the high-end shoe brand, Jimmy Choo. The Sunday Times reported Choo could be sold for as much as £500 million ($800 million).

However, The Financial Times reported that the private equity group, TowerBrook Capital, is also considering making a bid.

Whomever does purchase Choo, I'd love to see shoe prices drop so I could actually afford a pair!

This Year's Fashion Weeks Spark Hope for High Sales

Burberry - Image courtesy of
The Daily Telegraph

After reading Drapers, 'Catwalk brights bode well for premium chains', I'm hopeful that maybe this recession is starting to come to an end!

As Paris Fashion Week drew to a close, it sounded as if high street retailers were feeling confident that bold colors, innovative pant shapes and cool outerwear might help to increase sales for fall 2011.

Clive Reeve, head of design at Arcadia-owned womenswear chain Wallis told Drapers,  “I think the trouser thing is going to be really strong. There’s a continuation of the midi-length skirt and boots, which is a really good story for autumn 11.”

Other retailers feel outerwear will be the biggest seller. The runway was full of bright colored trench coats that should fly off the racks for next season's winter blues.

Let's hope their sales forecasts are right and we see a retail boom this year!

Best Facial Cleanser: Dr. Bronner's Bar Soaps

Image Courtesy of treehugger.com

If you are looking for a good facial cleanser that doesn't break your wallet I highly recommend Dr. Bronner's Bar Soaps!

All of his soaps are made with organic oils and are not tested on animals, so you wont get any of those icky parabens soaking into your skin. Start by using a little sweet almond oil to take your make-up off, then wash your face with one of these bars soaps and your skin will not only be squeaky clean but will feel amazing. My favorite is the tea tree oil, but you can choose from a variety of others which include peppermint, almond, baby mild, citrus, eucalyptus,  lavender and rose.

You can buy these soaps online or find them at your local organic foods store.

Award Season Fashion

This year there were some knock out dresses! Here are some of my favorites:

Jessica Biel in Versace

Mila Kunis in Elie Saab Haute Couture

Anne Hathaway in Giorgio Armani Privé

Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace

Images courtesy of nextnewfashion.com, justjared.com and cocoperez.com

Elle UK Picks the Top Five Trends For Autumn/Winter '08

In Elle UK’s August issue they choose the hot new season trends for autumn/winter 2008.

The first big trend of the season is the grunge look. Designers were showcasing the goth look with black eyeliner on the models, black beanies, studded necklaces, ankle boots, and back lace tights.

Gone are the frilly and flowery themes of summer and get your closet ready for the second biggest trend of the season; power dressing. The runway showcased new shapes and sharp tailoring on a variety of different suits. From pantsuits to skirt suits they were all flattering and functional. The colors showcased were mainly black, navy and grey.

The third trend is a flash back to the 70’s. The catwalk was ablaze with flared denims and calf-length skirts with thick tights, silk scarves, floppy hats and print dresses. The clothing had a vintage feel and if you enjoy layering the autumn/winter ’08 season will be the perfect time to bundle up and get ready for the snow!

Another huge trend for the upcoming season will be black, black, and more black. The runway featured clothes with lace, sheer chiffon and tulle paired with skinny leather or PVC trousers. Make sure to get yourself a pair of knee-high boots as they rocked the runway along with crucifix chains and sultry eyes.

The final trend of the season will get you ready for cocktail hour. With high necklines and low hemlines expect the stores to be stocking a lot of classy and elegant dresses for the new season. Restrained and refined was the theme this year that included beautifully constructed cocktail dresses and evening coats in jewel colors. Bright tights gave the conservative dresses a bit of edge and make-up was kept simple and clean.

Paris Couture

The Paris couture week is always part fantasy, part theatrics but always done in style and this year the show opened with Dior and John Galliano did not disappoint. His collection was one of old world glamour and French conservative chic that included hourglass gowns, big coats, circle jackets and tulle dance dresses.

For fall 2008, expect to see a lot of the 50s silhouettes; cinched waists with long flowing dresses and a lot of lighter colors that include pale pink, ivory, violet, mint and pea green. On the catwalks all the designers were incorporating the aforementioned colors throughout their collections from Anne Valerie Hash's micro-paneled lace dresses and skirts in ivory and pale pink to Christian Dior's injection of mint and violet in many of his outfits.

If you haven't worn a suit in a while, this would be the season to expand your horizons as the majority of the designers incorporated gorgeous classic suiting in each of their collections. Armani Privé did something unique, he broke up his suits by using light pink tops with menswear fabric bottoms (and vice versa). Alessandra Facchinetti did the Valentino name proud and included his classic suiting but with curved, slightly space-age volumes.

The runway was full of accessories for the fall 2008 season, the most prominent being bows. Alexis Mabille has been using bow ties since 2005 and continued his tradition for 2008 as well. Armani Privé used the bow by tying one under the bust of one of his dresses. Other accessories that were a hit on the runway were brooches, belts, leather jackets and leggings.

There was only the best of materials used in each of the designers' collections which included silk, satin, lace, velvet and tweed with elaborate beading throughout. This year's couture show screamed class and elegance and I enjoyed the throw-back to the 50s. All I know is that after seeing what the designer's showcased, I can't wait to start shopping!

Original clip written for: Factio Magazine on their Runway to Retail blog

Green is the New Black

A book worth checking out is "Green is the New Black" by Tamsin Blanchard.

It has an interesting take about next season's hot looks but also how we as consumers are affecting global warming. Such questions addressed are: Does our shopping addiction contribute to climate change? What's so special about organic cotton? Who are the real fashion victims behind the GBP3 jeans?

Tamsin explains the principles of ethical fashion, offers tips on how to knit your own scarf, eco-coutur and the best places to shop for vintage sunglasses. The book also includes fun facts and essential directories on every aspect of "sustainable stylish living".

With fashion secrets from celebrity friends, "Green is the New Black" is a great buy for those of you that are fashion conscious yet eco-friendly.

Image courtesy of pressofficers.co.uk

Fashion Week Paris

New York Magazine's fashion director, Mays Powell and fashion reporter Amy Larocca talked about the trends they saw while in Paris. They say to expect for Spring 2008; lingerie-inspired dresses, belts and hats, a more grown-up style.

In the beauty department, the big thing coming up for the winter is red lips and red nails. Old World Glamour.

Image from the Anamika collection during Paris Fashion Week 2007, courtesy of Melissa Lwee.