Wedding Dresses of the Week

Vera Wang for David's Bridal Edition!

Yes, it’s unprecedented: My top wedding dress picks are a day early—and there’s five instead of the usual three! I just couldn’t wait to show you the latest Vera Wang for David’s Bridal wedding dresses, and I had the hardest time picking my favorites!

Here they are!

Before you peek, let me remind you: None of the wedding dresses in the Vera Wang White Label collection cost more than $1,400. The most expensive gown below is $1,200—and the least expensive is just $600! For a Vera Wang wedding dress! (I hope you’re as excited about all of this as I am!)

http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0623-1-VW351027_09_183-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal-wedding-dresses-wedding-gowns-vera-wang-white-label_we.jpg

Taffeta Ball Gown with Floral Embroidery on Bodice, $1,200



http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0623-2-VW351039_10_135-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal-wedding-dresses-wedding-gowns-vera-wang-white-label_we.jpg

V-Neck Satin Corset Gown with Grosgrain Sash, $600



http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0623-3-VW351043_13_013-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal-wedding-dresses-wedding-gowns-vera-wang-white-label_we.jpg

Mermaid Gown with Pleated Skirt and Bubble Hem, $1,000


http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0623-4-VW351044_14_245-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal-wedding-dresses-wedding-gowns-vera-wang-white-label_we.jpg

Strapless Draped Lace Column Gown, $700


http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0623-5-VW351071_12_006-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal-wedding-dresses-wedding-gowns-vera-wang-white-label_we.jpg

Empire Waist Gown with Bias Cut Banded Bodice, $800


Are you as wild about the Vera Wang for David’s Bridal wedding dresses as I am? Which of the Vera Wang White Label wedding dresses would you like to wear? Are your favorites the same as mine? Or do you like a different one best?

If I could only wear one, I think I’d pick the second. (The $600 one!) Or maybe the third. No, the second ... I can’t decide!


Vera Wang for David's Bridal Bridesmaid Dresses

Bridal Bridesmaid Dresses

I had to do a teeny bit of begging this morning, but it was so worth the minor humiliation to get the photos of the Vera Wang for David’s Bridal bridesmaid dresses to you first!

Here are the first seven dresses the Vera Wang White Label bridesmaid dress collection. Bye-bye, boring old bridesmaid dresses!


http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0623-1-VW360004_23_023-vera-wang-white-label-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal-bridesmaid-dresses_we.jpg

Tiered Crinkle Chiffon Dress with Satin Straps



http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0623-2-VW360012PR_20_091-vera-wang-white-label-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal-bridesmaid-dresses_we.jpg

One Shoulder Organza Dress with Black Belt



http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0623-3-VW360017_21_186-vera-wang-white-label-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal-bridesmaid-dresses_we.jpg

Short Draped Satin Dress with Sash



http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0623-4-VW360018_22_071-vera-wang-white-label-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal-bridesmaid-dresses_we.jpg

Organza Dress with Draped Bodice and Bubble Skirt



http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0623-5-VW360013_18_109-vera-wang-white-label-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal-bridesmaid-dresses_we.jpg

One Shoulder Satin Dress with Asymmetrical Skirt



http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0623-6-VW360027_19_117-vera-wang-white-label-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal-bridesmaid-dresses_we.jpg

V-Neck Sleeveless Chiffon Column Dress



http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0623-6-VW360027_19_117-vera-wang-white-label-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal-bridesmaid-dresses_we.jpg

Draped Satin Dress with Grosgrain Sash



http://www.glamour.com/weddings/blogs/save-the-date/0623-7-VW360059_17_122-vera-wang-white-label-vera-wang-for-davids-bridal-bridesmaid-dresses_we.jpg

Draped Satin Dress with Grosgrain Sash


I hate to say “wear-again-able” and “bridesmaid dresses” in the same sentence because it’s such a wedding cliche ... but I would 100 percent re-wear the third or second-to-last bridesmaid dresses to ANY black tie wedding!



Which of the Vera Wang for David’s Bridal bridesmaid dresses would you like to wear? Brides, would you put your ’maids in a Vera Wang for David’s Bridal bridesmaid dress?


John Galliano : Fashion pressure

John Galliano trial highlights fashion pressure


http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/110624/aap_20110622_233601_9544_17081es-17081f6.jpg


Though the flamboyant former Dior designer John Galliano was the one on the stand, it was the multi-billion-dollar luxury industry that seemed to be on trial in Paris this week as the disgraced designer blamed the sector's skyrocketing pressures for his unravelling.

Galliano is on trial for allegedly spewing anti-Semitic and racist remarks at strangers at a Paris cafe in two separate incidents. Charged with "public insults based on origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity", he faces up to six months in prison and up to Euro 22,500 ($30,500) in fines.

Prosecutors have asked for a fine of at least Euro 10,000, but did not ask for jail time. A verdict is due September 8.

In an emotional testimony, the softly spoken designer said he did not remember making anti-Semitic or racist remarks, but acknowledged he was lost to alcohol and drug addictions when the alleged incidents took place in February and late last year.

The 50-year-old designer has tangled with addiction before, but the latest bout started in 2007, as the global financial crisis forced labels to fight for their lives.

As Galliano's workload at luxury supernova Christian Dior - where he had worked since 1996 - and at his small signature John Galliano label increased, he told the court he sought refuge in pills and alcohol.

"After every creative high, I would crash, and the alcohol helped me escape," he told the three-judge panel at the Paris Justice Palace.

He said he began to pop ever-rising numbers of sleeping pills and barbiturates - so many that he completely lost track of his consumption.

"I only just discovered in rehab what a lethal mix it was," said Galliano, who underwent a two-month-long treatment in Arizona after the incident.

Asked whether he had managed to break the addictions, the designer responded: "Yes, I'm still in recovery but I'm feeling much better."

Galliano's attorney, Aurelien Hamelle, was pursuing a two-pronged defence strategy, calling as witnesses customers of the cafe where the alleged incidents took place who said that though they had been watching the altercations, they had not heard him make any racist remarks.

Contrition was the second prong. Galliano - who always ended his runway shows with a puff-chested lap down the runway, looking as proud and self-satisfied as a rooster - looked defeated at Wednesday's proceedings, his face drawn and deflated.

Speaking in a voice so wispy that the interpreter couldn't make out what he was saying, the designer repeatedly said he was sorry for whatever he might have said while under the influence.

"I apologise for the sadness that this whole affair has caused, I apologise to the court as well," he said through his lawyer, who stepped in to translate his remarks from English into French.

Still, Galliano was careful to maintain that he remembered no details about what he said during either incident.

However, the couple that contended Galliano accosted them while they were having a drink on a terrace of the hip La Perle cafe in Paris' central Marais district on February 24 stuck firmly to their stories.

Though the specifics of the spat varied depending on who was telling it, most of the witnesses at the afternoon-long trial suggested the incident was drawn out, with the couple shouting four-letter words at the designer while he gave them right back, in a softer voice.

The hundred-odd journalists packed into the stately courtroom tittered as presiding Judge Anne-Marie Sauteraud read a salty litany of swear words in English as well as their French translations off deposition records. "Shut up" and "you're ugly" were allegedly among Galliano's sole barbs that are fit to print.

One member of the couple allegedly insulted, Geraldine Bloch, told the court that Galliano pronounced the word "Jewish" in his insults "at least 30 times" in the approximately 45-minute-long altercation.

Bloch said that after the cafe staff repeatedly refused to intervene to stop the fight, she called the police, who questioned Galliano and administered a sobriety test that showed he was drunk.

After the incident was splashed across newspapers worldwide, another woman came forward with similar claims about another clash in the same cafe in October. Both accusations were being addressed at Wednesday's trial.

Days after the February incident, a video was broadcast on the website of the British tabloid The Sun showing an inebriated Galliano insulting a fellow cafe client, slurring: "I love Hitler."

Dior then acted swiftly, firing Galliano days before the label's autumn-winter 2011 runway show last March.

He was later sacked from his eponymous label, which is owned by Dior's parent group.

Galliano watched on impassively as the court projected the 45-second-long video on a big screen. Asked about the anti-Semitic views he spouts in the shaky images, Galliano insisted he had no idea where it was all coming from.

"In the video, I see someone who needs help, who's vulnerable. It's the shell of John Galliano. I see someone who's been pushed to the edge," he said.

"These are not views that I hold or believe in," he said, adding that his over-the-top designs - which culled inspiration from destinations as far-flung as Kenya and Siberia - spoke for themselves of his openness to other peoples and cultures.

"You can see that I embrace every culture, every people, every race, creed, religion. I celebrate their cultural diversity . . . through couture, through fashion."

The most touching part of the proceedings, which began in the mid-afternoon and dragged on late into the evening, was Galliano's candid confessions about his childhood sufferings and recent losses.

Galliano, born in the British enclave of Gibraltar to a Spanish mother, said his origin and his homosexuality made him the brunt of relentless teasing as a child.

"All my life I've fought against prejudice and intolerance and discrimination because I have been subjected to it myself," said the designer, who was wearing a black jacket with silk harem pants, his long locks loose down his back.

"I was born Juan Carlos Galliano . . . I went to a typically English school and you can imagine that children can be very cruel."

Galliano said his recent descent into addiction also coincided with the 2005 passing of his father and the sudden 2007 death of his long-time right-hand man, Stephen Robinson.

He said he was so busy conducting fittings for the ready-to-wear, couture, menswear and other lines at Dior and Galliano that he didn't have time to mourn either.

"When Stephen died, with his parents I buried him and we went to the crematorium and I went back to do fittings," he said.

"The same thing happened with my father's death."

The pressures designers and other fashion industry insiders endure have recently become the object of increased scrutiny.

In a bid to have new merchandise constantly flowing into boutiques, labels have added new collections to the traditional twice-a-year calendar, increasing designers' workloads.

The pressure to churn out critically acclaimed and commercially viable collections season after season has made the industry a pressure-cooker, some observers say.

Another top Paris designer, Christophe Decarnin, was replaced at Balmain after he failed to show up for the label's runway show last March.

It was rumoured he had had a nervous breakdown, but a company spokesman said he was resting on a doctor's orders.

Galliano's trial coincided with the first day of Paris' five-day-long menswear displays.
The City of Light's spring-summer 2012 runway shows kicked off with an edgy display at the house of Mugler.

Fashion Label : Versace on the March

The world's sexiest fashion label is dressing Lady Gaga and launching a high-street range with H&M. So is Donatella Versace bidding for world domination?


http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/6/21/1308673092071/Donatella-Versace-puts-th-008.jpg

Donatella Versace puts the finishing touches to the H&M range.

The two headline fashion images of this week are both of glamorous blondes in skintight, gold-studded, stretch black Versace leather. In the new video for Edge of Glory, Lady Gaga is wearing a slashed, medusa-spiked corset from Gianni Versace's last collection; Donatella took a catwalk bow after this week's Versace menswear show in Milan in a skintight, knee-length, studded-and-zipped dress – which, she revealed the following morning, was an early sample from Versace for H&M, which will bring the Versace look to the high street, when it hits stores in November this year.

Versace is having a moment. The label has not been hotter since the salad days of supermodels in sweet-shop brights on the catwalk and Liz Hurley in safety pins on the red carpet. The significance of the Lady Gaga connection is not to be underestimated: after all, last September when the New York Times ran an article about the power struggles, feuds and mind games that determine the seating arrangements at catwalk shows, one editor, Dan Peres of Details, nailed the key issue: "I want to see who gets the seat next to Lady Gaga." Right now, that seat is occupied by Donatella Versace, and the momentum that Gaga has in pop culture makes that a powerful place to be.

The heart of the Versace brand will always be the prowling, tigerish sex appeal that the label stood for in the 80s. Medusa heads, black leather, a very Italian embrace of sunshine colours, a stiletto with everything and always, always make the boobs look good: that's what Versace is, and will always be. By forging a connection with Gaga, Donatella has found a way to make that heart beat again. According to fashion insiders, Donatella wrote Gaga a letter, telling her that she believed her brother Gianni would have wanted to dress her and offering to open the archives, and Gaga responded enthusiastically, wearing vintage Versace at high-profile appearances. She wore a Versace LBD on the cover of the US edition of Harpers Bazaar last month, and has shown a particular fondness for the Miami-bright scarf prints, on leggings and silk blouses. Donatella, in return, has lavished the singer with praise – and one-off Versace archive pieces that guarantee airtime in the fashion blogosphere.

Is it just me, or does Gaga bears a strong physical resemblance to a young Donatella, as seen in family photos when she was still only known as Gianni's younger sister? Plenty of fodder for amateur psychologists there. But still, I suspect Donatella's motivation is more about the brand than about her own ego. It is as if she is finally ready to take the Versace brand to the masses. She has in the past been hostile to the concept of high-street collaborations – just three years ago, she was quoted as saying: "I work very hard to put the Versace line in the luxury section. I think to put the Versace line in H&M would confuse the brand."

Her change of heart reflects, in part, the astonishing success of high-street collaborations with designers, which have proved to be – when done well – a winner for both parties. In 2009, when Matthew Williamson designed a range for H&M, he worried about the impact on sales at his boutique – would women still shop there, when they could get the name for a tenth of the price half a mile away? As it turned out, his main line sales figures for the period when the H&M collection was on sale were higher, not lower, than usual.

Interestingly, the press releases from both H&M and Versace emphasise that the range will be a celebration of iconic Versace moments, rather than a diffusion-level version of the current collection. As well as the dress worn by Donatella, the women's range for H&M includes a studded micro-minidress, a black-leather biker jacket, some fabulous spike-heeled shoes, an asymmetric black dress and a bright scarf-print silk dress. It is not a retro look – indeed, the silhouette is sometimes very close to the collections Christopher Kane has designed for Versus over the past two years – but the inclusion of a cushion and bedspread in iconic Versace prints from the Gianni era shows a willingness to embrace and celebrate the camp-to-kitsch end of the Versace spectrum, as well as the sleek little dresses.

http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2011/6/21/1308673191229/Lady-Gaga-in-her-The-Edge-007.jpg

Lady Gaga wears vintage Versace in her The Edge Of Glory video

Luke Day, fashion director of GQ Style, is by his own admission "obsessed" with Versace, and believes "a Versace resurgence has been bubbling away for a few years now." (Day is the proud owner of a Versace bedspread, which was given by Gianni to Howard Donald. Day, who is Take That's stylist, loved the bedspread so much that Donald gave it to him as a gift.) "All it took was for Donatella to fully embrace the heritage and sexuality of those heady glory years." Sophia Neophitou, editor-in-chief of the influential 10 Magazine, agrees. "Timing is everything in fashion. Donatella knows that; she's so smart. It's all about picking the right moment to bring something back, and making it new and modern." After all, thanks to Twitter and Shane Warne, Liz Hurley's pop cultural stock hasn't been higher since That Dress. A sign, surely, that the time is right for a Versace moment.

Two trends in fashion right now seem to run contrary to each other. On the one hand, the minimalist moment seems to have been overturned in favour of an embrace of flamboyant, taste-be-damned aesthetic: this week's menswear shows featured flame-print jackets (Alexander McQueen) and gold-chain print silk trousers (D&G). On the other, heritage has never been more valuable, with the all-important Asian markets tending to judge the cachet of a brand on its backstory.

There are two brands poised to make this apparent conflict work in their favour. The first is Prada. Miuccia Prada says that she is most inspired by things she hates, and follows up her "bananas" collection with a menswear show based on cheesy golfwear; meanwhile, the "ticker" code for the company's stock market float is 1913, the date the company was founded. The second brand able to embrace off-taste and heritage simultaneously is Versace, a house whose history is as shocking and lurid as it is iconic and extraordinary.

Katie Grand, super-stylist and editor of Love magazine, captures the house in a nutshell. "Versace is about sex, about looking hot, and about rock'n'roll." What's more, she says, it is about fearlessness, and having the guts to really embrace fashion. "Wearing Versace is about not being afraid to let a dress say quite a lot about you. It's not for wallflowers." Six months is a long time in fashion, but it doesn't seem too much of a stretch to predict the look that will dominate the Christmas party season of 2011. And I'm seeing black leather, with gold studs.


Evening Wear Dresses

Nothing too racy: Tamara Ecclestone models

When your dad is the head of Formula One, you are almost obligated to keep things racy.

And Bernie Ecclestone's daughter, Tamara, has lived up to those expectations in steamy shoots for lad's mags.

But her latest campaign for Ultimo is surprisingly sedate - after all, she is modelling the lingerie label's sophisticated evening wear range.

Choosing a socialite to front their campaign is a departure for the firm who prided themselves in selecting beautiful 'real women' to star in their last adverts.


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-0-0C78466C00000578-787_306x802.jpg


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-0-0C78461700000578-351_306x802.jpg

Model behaviour: Tamara Ecclestone in Ultimo Couture's Sophia dress in the beautiful grounds of The White House in Ealing

But Rachel Hunter, Penny Lancaster, Helena Christensen, Sarah Harding, Kelly Brook and Mel B have also fronted Ultimo campaigns.

This shoot, which took place in the beautiful grounds of The White House in Ealing, aims to sell Tamara's fairy-tale lifestyle as well as the clothes.

The millionairess is a big fan of the sophisticated and colourful dresses, which retail at between £200 and £325, even though she could easily afford to only wear designer gowns.

They all aim to flatter the figure and feature Ultimo’s trademark integrated support in the bodice for added confidence and comfort.

Tamra said: 'Ultimo Couture is so glamorous, beautifully designed and such great value - even I love a fabulous bargain!

'The summer collection is amazing and because each design is so flattering there’s a dress to suit everyone.'

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-0-0C78468B00000578-980_306x881.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-0-0C78469800000578-101_306x881.jpg

She wears it well: Tamara in Ultimo Couture's floor-length Eva gown and the fun and flirty Charlotte dress

The star has a busy summer ahead of her. She is starring in a reality TV show called Tamara’s World which will follow her and her stockbroker partner Omar Khyamie as they renovate her £45 million London home.

Michelle Mone, creator of Ultimo, said: 'Tamara is so elegant and beautiful, when I met her I knew straight away that she’d be perfect for Ultimo Couture.

'She’s had a fairy-tale life, but she’s incredibly down to earth and brings something entirely new to the brand.'


Fashion's coolest clash

Fashion's coolest clash: How orange and purple became the colours of the season

Thanks to Gucci and and Diane von Furstenberg, Kim Kardashian, Cheryl Cole and Jessica Alba have all been rocking the look on the red carpet in recent weeks.

It's no secret that colour blocking is the trend of the season. But do you know which colours to block?

According to fashion powerhouses Gucci and Diane von Furstenberg, the only combo to be seen in this summer is orange and purple.

Making reference to the style set's current love affair with all things Seventies, the usually jarring hues have been rocking red carpets everywhere in the past few weeks.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/09/article-2001222-0C78C19D00000578-643_306x921.jpg


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/09/article-2001222-0C77EF7500000578-714_306x921.jpg

Block tactics: Kim Kardashian, pictured yesterday at the launch of her latest perfume in London, ensured all eyes were on her in a purple and orange Gucci dress, harnessing one of fashion's hottest trends in the process

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-0-0C77CBD200000578-134_634x400.jpg


Dressing to impress: Hundreds of fans gathered outside the Debenhams flagship on London's Oxford Street to catch a glimpse of the newly-engaged reality star

Just last night Kim Kardashian chose one of the highlights from Gucci's spring/summer collection for an appearance to launch her latest fragrance in London.

The bright colours, cutaway details and figure-hugging cut ensured all eyes were on her as she took the time to meet and greet her hundreds of waiting fans.

And an eight-months-pregnant Jessica Alba knew that her custom-made Diane von Furstenberg gown would be just the thing to impress the fashion set at the CFDA Awards on Monday night.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-0-0C70DD5B00000578-292_196x612.jpg http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-0-0C79B16200000578-198_196x612.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-0-0C71005C00000578-381_196x612.jpg

Clashing colours: Cheryl Cole in Diane von Furstenberg at X Factor auditions in LA in May (left), Rose Byrne in Gucci in May's Harper's Bazaar (right), and Jessica Alba in DVF at the CFDA Awards on Monday (down 1)


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-2000987-0C78634300000578-445_306x673.jpg


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-2000987-0C5D9C9400000578-503_306x673.jpg

Setting a trend: A model wears the dress for the first time on the catwalk in Milan in September. It was also worn by Monaco royal Charlotte Casiraghi, pictured with Salma Hayek, earlier this month

The clashing combo has made plenty of magazine covers too. Lara Stone wore the same Gucci dress as Kim when she graced the front of February's Vogue Paris, as did a pre-pregnancy January Jones on the cover of May's Marie Claire.

And on the inside pages of May's Harper's Bazaar, Bridesmaids star Rose Byrne wore the frock to stunning effect in a shoot to promote the hit rom-com.

Of course, such a statement look needs to be worn with some care. Poor Cheryl Cole endured more criticism for her take on the DVF look than her accent at X Factor auditions last month.

While the outfit alone wasn't bad, the OTT hair tipped over the style edge, from fashion-forward to fancy dress.

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-0-0C79A84800000578-387_306x393.jpg


http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/06/08/article-0-0C79A86400000578-909_306x393.jpg

Style seal of approval: Lara Stone was on the cover of Vogue Paris in that same Gucci dress in February (Up) while a pre-pregnancy January Jones wore it on the cover of Marie Claire in May (Down)

One thing that was on the money was her turquoise belt. In almost every case, either gold or an aqua blue hue (or often both) features. That popular Gucci dress comes with a gold tasselled belt.

And instead of jarring, Kim's shoes, or the Christian Louboutins strewn just so in front of Rose, set off the vibrant shades perfectly.

It's not a look for wallflowers though, so if you don't feel confident enough to do a head-to-toe clash, try using accessories to echo the idea in a more subtle way. Stacks of chunky bangles or clashing shoes and bag would be just the thing to earn your colour blocking stripes.

An Interview With Jean Paul Gaultier

Fashion News Roundup: More Dior Rumors, An Interview With Jean Paul Gaultier Plus His New Campaign and Bergdorf’s Braiding Service

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/293810/KRISTEN-MCMENAMY.jpg

Azzadine Alaia Was Called To Take Over For Galliano: He was flattered but declined (he is in his 70s, after all). However, as the Financial Times observes, given Alaia’s rejection of the industry’s hyper-speed and the accompanying pressures, this may indicate that Dior is looking to change its ways. {Financial Times}

CreatetheGroup Aquires Morpheus Media: The digital media companies, which develop strategy, creative content and marketing on new media platforms, will now operate under the same umbrella. Clients include Burberry and Marc Jacobs (considered fashion’s digital pioneers), Net-a-porter, Louis Vuitton and others. {WWD}

A Woman Went A Month Without Looking In A Mirror: The Daily Mail’s Marrianne Power decided to test studies that show women are their own harshest critics by going a full month without using or looking in a mirror. Turns out, she looked more relaxed, got more compliments and felt loads better about herself . {Daily Mail}

Kristen McMenamy Stars In Jean Paul Gaultier Ad: Another point for the older models. The 46-year-old, who recently walked in Chanel resort, looks better in a tight leather pencil skirt than most girls half her age would. {Huffington Post}

Charlotte Ronson Is Tweeting For JC Penny Today: While prepping for the launch of I Heart Ronson’s summer line, the designer will tweet style advice, sneak peeks of her studio and behind the scenes bits of her day-to-day work. {I Heart Ronson}

GQ Entering ECommerce Via Gilt Groupe: The men’s magazine will curate a boutique on Gilt‘s new full-price menswear site, Park & Bond. The items will be revealed in the September issue of GQ and on GQ.com, forwarding reader traffic to Gilt for purchase. {Ad Week}

Humberto Leon Interviews Jean Paul Gaultier: The Opening Ceremony co-founder has a lengthy and thorough talk with the iconic designer about his life’s work in preparation for today’s opening of his retrospective, The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier, at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. {Opening Ceremony}

Bergdorf’ Has A Braiding Service: At at the NYC store’s new “Braid Bar”, John Barrett’s professional “braid practitioners” will give you a French, fishtail or side braid for $30. Is that really worth it?{The Frisky}


http://i.huffpost.com/gen/293809/KRISTEN-MCMENAMY.jpg


Fashion Week: Dhaka 2011

Dhaka Fashion Week 2011


http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/images/full/2011/06/20/116993-a-model-catwalks-during-dhaka-fashion-week-in-dhaka.jpg



June 15 started Dhaka Fashion Week
in which major designers of India and Bangladesh showcase their latest designs for 2011. Bangladeshi top brands and designers like Shirin Karim, Mansha, Rumana, Anika Osman, Sadakalo, Nogordola, Bibiana, Jatra, Rowshan Chowdhury, Ivy Hasan, Mohsena Kureshi, and Peter England all showed off their new designs which after this past year, have wowed viewers. Designers went above and beyond this year. 44 designers/brands have already registered for DFW 2011 and there will be a total of 50 fashion shows.

The fashion designers' collections mostly featured saris and tunics in royal colors and made of fabrics such as net, muslin, georgette, all detailed with gold and pearl embroidery as well as separate sewn on pieces, which caught the eyes of not only buyers, celebrities, and other designers but diplomats as well (international and local).

New and upcoming designers also shared their new designs with the world and impressed viewers as well as veteran designers such as Arnab Sen Gupta, fashion designer of India.

Dhaka Fashion Week has always been known as a place where new designers can get themselves heard, said Shirin Karim, noted designer and the managing director of Sayambara. The grand finale of the Dhaka Fashion Week along with an exhibition and fashion show is being held at the Ballroom of the Westin, Dhaka.

http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/images/full/2011/06/20/116989-models-showcase-creations-by-bangladeshi-fashion-label-mansha-during-d.jpg


http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/images/full/2011/06/20/116990-a-model-displays-a-creation-by-bangladeshi-label-anjans-during-dhaka-f.jpg


http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/images/full/2011/06/20/116991-a-model-showcases-a-creation-by-bangladeshi-label-escape-premium-durin.jpg

http://img.ibtimes.com/www/data/images/full/2011/06/20/116992-a-model-showcases-a-creation-by-bangladeshi-label-mansha-during-dhaka-.jpg


Eye-Catching 2011

2011 looks to usher in some eye-catching new trends that we saw glimpses of in 2010. From the sexy seventies and the return of the wide-leg bell-bottom to underwear that is really outerwear; here are our predictions for the biggest fashion trends for the new year.

1. Loungerie - Inner as outerwear

The decadence of the 1980's was the last time fashion saw lingerie being worn as outer-wear with Madonna leading the way in the ‘big reveal' of exposed underwear. The 2011 twist on this will see a luxe chic combination of lingerie, swimwear and lounge apparel combine to form a ‘loungerie' fashion trend for 2011.

http://cdn2.atwestfield.com/img_resized/au/retailers/little-joe-woman/437-pj-harvey-xs-caviar/ss2010-2-10b1289178313_1_lg_340x340.jpg

Think minimal fluid fabrics in neutral tones, sheers and whisper-thin fabrics exposing peeks of lingerie, underneath loose-fitting jumpsuits, long skirts, column dresses and wide-leg trousers.

2. Sophisticated seventies

Forget the Boho, flower child look of the seventies and get some vintage-glamour into your wardrobe for 2011. The 1970s gave us such sexy, striking and stylish fashion trends that seventies threads just keep reappearing year after year. Seventies glamour is that smouldering, sequinned, smokey look of the era and can be adopted day or night into your wardrobe.




http://cdn3.atwestfield.com/img_resized/au/retailers/hussy/s211-086-black-mariposajumpsuit-black-6/086_black_lb_340x340.jpg

By day, work the wide-legged trouser, floaty jumpsuit, super-high platform or wide-brimmed hat for a bold statement. When the night falls, think long, slinky, sexy, glistening gowns that give a sense of movement - look for high-riding splits or low hanging backs in luxe and shimmering fabrics like satin or Lurex.

3. Leather and lace

They may be poles apart in texture, but leather and lace are opposites that certainly attract in 2011. Both featured on 2010 catwalks and are back next season with a fabulous vengeance. Opt for the wider, antique-styles of lace that exude a vintage-feel rather than the finer, sexier weaves. Make a statement with lace rather than adding a girlie edge or try leaving out the slip and going for the sheer look that will carry on from last season.

http://cdn1.atwestfield.com/img_resized/au/retailers/general-pants-co/1000022477-1/-mg-7123-6c92753e-cb27-4710-ad32-ef3568a0d54d_340x340.jpg

Leather always has its place every season, but the biker look rocked in 2010 with biker pants, boots and jackets making a strong appearance. Teaming softer finishes like lace and floral prints with the toughness of leather looks to make resurgence again in 2011.

4. Bell-bottoms are back - the new trouser

Don't panic, skinny jeans are still in, and always will be. But the wide-leg, flared trouser is experiencing yet another revival as an on-trend alternative to the staple skinny. The Nu-vogue of bell-bottoms, do however, come with some rules. Firstly, the hem should be wide, at least as wide as your foot and on the longer side skimming the top of your toes.







Most importantly however, is that the 2011 take on the trend is a looser-fitting, cut generously at the knee rather than the thigh and knee-skimming cuts of a few years ago. Keeping the leg and hem wide means that a fitted high to the waist style will be more flattering and gives the fully fledged 1970s vibe.

5. Colour splash

In keeping with the vibrant, cheerful, swinging 70s theme, bold colours and all shades of tan, camel and neutrals will make a huge splash in 2011. Think boxy shifts in pillar-box red, canary yellow, cobalt blue and a dash of burnt orange. Make a statement with colour or thread it through your neutral palettes with loud and proud accessories.






Block colour is mixed with printed patterns galore with digital prints, geometric shapes and animal prints making an appearance and keep your eyes out for more original looks like the Chinese porcelain print and other Asiatic finishes. Cool whites are hot this year from summer through winter and hit anywhere on the neutral palette from cappuccino browns to tans and camel or the coolness of silvery metallics and gun-metal greys.