ADR for H&M
Anna dello russo is teaming up with H&M to design an accessories collection that will land in stores on October 4. The Vogue Japan creative consultant and director-at-large who is known for her extensive couture wardrobe, has created a range including sunglasses, shoes, jewellery, bags and a trolley suitcase.
"This is the sign of an important evolution in fashion and I am both thrilled and humbled to be the one chosen to lead it," said Dello Russo. "I wanted to create precious accessories that are impossible to find. With these pieces everybody can have fun, turning an ordinary day into a fantastic fashion day."
The style maven follows in the footsteps of designers Karl Lagerfeld,Stella McCartney, Lanvin's Alber Elbaz, Versace's Donatella Versace and Marni's Consuelo Castiglioni.
"Anna has a fantastic eye and a strong taste, apart from being a veritable fashion icon," H&M creative advisor Margareta van den Bosch said. "The collection is a celebration of excess, fantasy and decoration."
Queen of leon
Kings of leon bassist Jared Followill has confirmed his engagement to model Martha Patterson. The 25-year-old bass player presented Patterson with a 4-carat cushion-cut diamond ring on April 11 at his home in Nashville after four months of dating, but spoke for the first time about the happy news yesterday, Tweeting: "It's true! I'm engaged! CANNOT wait to finally lose my virginity."
Patterson - who is signed with the LA division of Click Models, but hasn't yet starred in any major fashion campaigns or shows - Tweeted the morning after the engagement: "What a beautiful, wonderfully perfect day," but didn't reveal the news at the time - despite sporting her sizeable engagement ring at Coachella, where the twosome spent time with Patterson's fellow model Karlie Kloss and St. Louis Rams Quarterback Sam Bradford.
The youngest Followill brother, who previously dated actress Ashley Greene, will be the last to get married - after older brother Nathan married Jessie Baylin in November 2009 and Caleb married Victoria's Secret model Lily Aldridge in May 2011. Caleb and Lily are expecting their first child this summer, whilst the band's fourth member, cousin Matthew Followill, has a one-year-old son Knox with wife Johanna Bennett.
Pilottos Pitti
Peter Pilotto and design partner Christopher De Vos will be the next guest designers at this year's Pitti W event, held in Florence from June 19 to 22.
"We invited Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos because we were looking for a modern approach to feminine elegance that is constant, profound and has the ability to think about itself", Lapo Cianchi, Pitti Immagine's director of communications said today. "We saw this in the evolution of their collections, a knowledgeable process that develops around surprising colours, body-conscious draping and light sculpting. It was also interesting to see how the designers' two distinct spirits come together and reinterpret fashion's classic elements."
Pilotto and De Vos will show the Peter Pilotto pre-spring/summer 2013 collection at the event. The duo's menswear counterpart at this year's Pitti Uomo will be Carven's Guillaume Henry.
High street olympics
River Island has joined forces with official sportswear partner of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games Adidas to create a Team GB collection, featuring sportswear for both men and women - all in patriotic red, white and blue colours. Expect cropped vests with metallic prints; hoodies with Union Jack motifs; and body-con dresses with lion detailing. The collection will land in stores and on the high-street chain's website on May 20. Prices start at £16 for vests.
In other high-street fashion news, Adidas has also been working with the British Fashion Council as part of a student competition to design a sportswear collection that represents London during the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The winner - Alexandra Gardner from Nottingham Trent University - will see her range go into Adidas stores on May 18.
Hiller for asprey
Katie Hiller has created a new bag collection for Asprey and she says having worked with designers from Marc Jacobs to Victoria Beckham that working with a heritage brand like Asprey was just the same.
"The design process for everyone I work for is the same; collaboratively we try and come up with something cool and unique and we make it!" she said. "I was very lucky to be approached by Asprey to consult on the design of the women's leather goods, and for me it was an opportunity that I could not miss. I didn't want to reinvent the wheel, it's a common mistake I think that's made with brands that have heritage. There are so many wonderful bags in the collection that are just perfect as they are, a few tweaks here and there for new functionalities that women in the 21st Century need, but ultimately the Asprey woman - I like to think - is still who she used to be; elegant, with an eye for glamour and rare beautiful things."
The bag collection - inspired by "a walk through the woods in the autumn," Hillier explains - features a muted colour palette and plenty of textured skins on the label's classic bag shapes.
And now Hillier has added another designer name to her impressive CV, is there anyone she still yearns to work with?
Jubilee Shoes
Nicholas Kirkwood has created a one-off pair of shoes to celebrate the Queen's Jubilee. The style comes covered in red and white Swarovski crystals and will be sold exclusively in his London boutique from the official Jubilee weekend starting June 2. A great fan of the royal family, Kirkwood has intended the towering heel to be one of the most stylish ways to show your support for Her Majesty's forthcoming celebrations next month.
