Paul's Valentine

Picture
Natalie Portman has teamed up with Johnny Depp for Paul McCartney's self-directed new music video, My Valentine. The actors feature in a simple black and white video, gesturing and lip-syncing McCartney's lyrics to the mellow track, which is taken from his recent album, Kisses on the Bottom.
The video was unveiled at a private event on Friday evening in the LA store of daughter Stella McCartney, where guests included Miranda Kerrand Orlando Bloom, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin as well as Reese Witherspoon, Gwen Stefani, Kristen Stewart and Zooey Deschanel.



Jaeger sold!

Picture
Jaeger has been sold for almost £20 million to Better Capital, a Guernsey-based investment company.
Better Capital said in a statement today that it had acquired, "all of the secured debt and a 90 per cent stake in Jaeger Group Limited… The aggregate cost of the acquisition was £19.5 million, the substantial majority of which was in respect of the acquisition of the secured debt with the remainder in respect of the equity stake."
The British label - which saw profits fall more than 60 per cent from £2.22 million to £772,000 in 2011 - was acquired by British Fashion Council chairman Harold Tillman in 2002, but the retail mogul admitted in January that the label had not been immune to a difficult year for the UK high street.



Diana the muse

Picture
Princess Diana, is responsible for two of the footwear world's most iconic designs - or so says Christian Louboutin. The legendary designer created his first pair of shoes, the Love style, after being inspired by the late royal.
"It was 1992 and I was looking at this picture of Princess Diana taken while her husband was giving a speech. She looked so sad and bored, I thought: 'what would bring a smile to her face?'" he said.
He added that Diana also gave him the idea for cleavage shoes - styles that expose the top of a woman's toes.



Diors Future

Picture
  Dior president and chief executive Sidney Toledanohas spoken for the first about Raf Simons'appointment as artistic director at the label.
"It's a very exciting time," Toledano told WWD. "I always said that the right person would come along when all the stars aligned and that's exactly what happened last week. Simons has already begun to lay out his vision for where he can take Dior in the future and I think we are all very excited by that vision."


Angies engaged!!!!

Picture
Angelina Joile and Brad Pitt are engaged, the jeweller who designed Jolie's ring has confirmed this evening. Robert Procop worked closely with Pitt in creating the piece, which Jolie wore for the first time last night at a private view of the new Chinese Art collection at the LA County Museum.
"Yes, it's confirmed," Pitt's manager, Cynthia Pett-Dante, told The Hollywood Reporter. "It is a promise for the future and their kids are very happy. There's no date set at this time. Brad designed the ring."



Brides Week

Picture
NEW YORK played host to the latest designer wedding dresses this weekend as Bridal Week once again came to the city
The biggest names in bridal - including Vera Wang, Marchesa, Jenny Packham, Monique Lhuillier, Reem Acra(pictured), and Alfred Angelo - showed their spring/summer 2013 collections over the weekend, with Oscar de la Renta set to take to the catwalk today as the Week comes to a close.



Oscars new home

Picture
Oscar De La Renta is opening his first shop in London and, after a three-year search for the perfect location, is set to move in to hairdresser Nicky Clarke's Mount Street flagship.
Clarke, who has occupied the unit for more than 20 years, will move just along the road to 11 Carlos Place - next to Roland Mouret and Jenny Packham's stores, and just opposite the Connaught Hotel - in a deal said to be worth more than half a million pounds. Both Clarke and his landlord have refused to confirm whether he was paid the reported £500,000 premium to move, but his ex-wife and business partner Lesley Clarke said all parties are happy with the move.



 

Mr Right

Picture
Joan Burstein, Colin McDowell and Katie Grand, among others, have joined the debate about the appointment of Raf Simons at Dior and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
"It is not a surprise that he has got this position as he bought another dimension to Jil Sander as far as sophistication and a touch of glamour was concerned," Browns founder Burstein  the woman who bought Simons' predecessor John Galliano's graduate collection in 1984, 12 years before he was appointed by Dior  told us. "And I am sure he will have the opportunity to develop his great talent at Dior."
"This is a great chance for Raf to prove himself a true all-rounder," legendary fashion journalist and Fashion Fringe founder Colin McDowell added. "I see no reason why he should not succeed in moving Dior in a new direction and I look forward to his collections with great anticipation. It is so refreshing to have another young designer alongside Riccardo Tisci as an haute couture creator."
"I am a huge fan of Raf's, he's smart, clever, interesting and extremely talented," Love editor and long-time Marc Jacobscollaborator  Katie Grand told us. "I think he will modernise Dior's womenswear and I'm very excited to see a fresh, new vision from the house."
"Raf is possibly the most modern designer of our time," fashion consultant Yasmin Sewell added. "Having him take on one of the most historical fashion houses will be, in my opinion nothing short of ground breaking"


Pilati at Armani?

Picture
JUST one day without successor rumours is quite enough for the fashion world and, almost as soon as Raf Simons' appointment brought a year of Dior conjecture to an end, speculation that Stefano Pilati is headed to Giorgio Armani has reared its head again.
Former Fashion News Daily writer Jim Shi Tweeted earlier this week: "My sources are telling me Stefano Pilati is headed to Giorgio Armani with the intention to assume full creative reigns when GA retires."


End of the road

Picture
 Heidi Klum and Seal have each filed divorce papers, following news of their separation in January this year. The supermodel has asked for joint legal custody of their four children, while Seal has requested joint physical custody - meaning that the children would divide their time between both parents. The papers show that the couple signed a post-nuptial agreement, so no assets will be divided. Klum cited "irreconcilable differences" as the reason for the split. Both parties have asked the judge to reject any spousal claims made.

Super things come in small packages

Picture
Joan smalls appeared for the first time on the international catwalks 11 seasons ago, but the 23-year-old's look is still as fresh as it was on her first season - with designers including Balmain,Givenchy, Dolce & Gabbana and Alexander Wang utilising her adaptable catwalk beauty. Born Joan Smalls Rodriguez - since in Hispanic culture, children take the first surname of each parent to create their own apellidos  or surnames - in Puerto Rico, the model is now based in New York.
After beginning her career in 2007 when she was signed by Elite Model Management, her breakthrough came in January 2010, when Riccardo Tisci booked her to walk exclusively for Givenchy during the couture shows.Since then, Smalls  has been chosen by brands including Calvin Klein Jeans, Chanel, Givenchy, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Roberto Cavalli and Stella McCartney to front their advertising campaigns: a true sign of her bankable, near-supermodel status.


The Del Rey

Picture
You might be able to get your hands on the Del Rey bag earlier that anticipated, after Mulberryreleased a limited number exclusively to three stores in London, New York and Singapore yesterday - over a month prior to the official global launch date. The bag is now available in black and deer brown, with the remaining colours to follow in May.

 
 Christian Dior has confirmed that Raf Simons has taken the place of John Galliano at the house. The designer, who left his post as creative director of Jil Sander in February, will show his first collection for Dior during Couture Week in July, and will hold the official title of "artistic director".
"It is with the utmost respect for its tremendous history, its unparalleled knowledge and craftsmanship that I am joining the magnificent house of Dior," Simons said today. "Mr Christian Dior has always been for me the most inspiring couturier. Around the globe, the name Dior symbolises the ultimate in elegance and refinement. I am truly humbled and honoured to become artistic director of the most celebrated French house in the world."
The appointment comes more than a year after John Galliano's high profile dismissal, which preceded a trial in Paris during which he was found guilty of using anti-Semitic insults. Simons is only the sixth designer to helm Christian Dior - following the founder, Yves Saint Laurent, Marc Bohan, Gianfranco Ferré, and John Galliano in the role.
Much like his predecessor, Simons has one eye on the history of the brand - but aims to bring his own point of view to the label.
"My aim is a very modern Dior, but at the end of the day, I also look back," Simons told the New York Times, referring to what he calls "mid-century modernism".
"I find that period between 1947 and 1957 extremely attractive, and there was a lot of modernity," he said. "There was the romantic appeal looking back to his mother and the belle époque, but there was also a constant evolution in shape, changing proportions and the ideas connected to the World War were revolutionary."
"It is with tremendous excitement that the House of Dior is welcoming Raf Simons, one of today's greatest talents," LVMH added in a statement. "Monsieur Dior's first collection radically changed the codes of elegance all over the world. Following the legacy of its founder, Raf Simons' journey with the house of Dior will propel its iconic style into the 21st Century."
And for those who think the former menswear designer will struggle with the rigours of couture, Simons has a simple answer.
"It is not always right to judge everything in terms of commerciality," he said. "In the art world there are collectors, curators and an audience, and they are all important. I am fascinated with what could be the relevance of the language of couture in the 21st Century."

Here is a look at Raf's work through the years

What do you think of Raf at dior? I think its the best choice they could have made.
 
Here are some fab pastel nail polish that will give you bright spring easter look and look fabulously on trend with those PASTELS! Chosen by beauty professionals
 

Stars in Dior

Picture
DIOR's most faithful fashion fans have become the subject of a new book and exhibition, from past Hollywood icons - such as Marlene Dietrich,Marilyn Monroe and Sophia Loren - to cinema's current crop of acting talents, including Natalie Portman, Charlize Theron and Kristen Dunst.
Stars In Dior -  which opens in France at the Christian Dior Museum on May 12 until September 23 - looks back at women throughout history, who have all worn the label's clothes - featuring recent pictures of its current fragrance muses, Natalie Portman and Charlize Theron, as well as archive images of Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly. Each picture shows a star wearing Dior in a different way, whether pared-down with jeans like Marion Cotillard or pretty and gamine like Jean Seberg. Other highlights include illustrations of its famous gowns.


The big three!

Picture
THREE of the biggest Italian fashion labels have seen a healthy year of growth - with and without IPO listings.  Versace returned to profit in 2011 - with earnings of €8.5 million compared to a loss of €21.7 million in 2010 - whilst Salvatore Ferragamo and Prada, which both listed on the stock exchange in the past year, saw net profits lift by 69.8 per cent and 72.2 per cent respectively.

Maternal muse

Picture
Arizona muse unlike many other models, she didn't feel the pressure to get back on the catwalk as soon as she gave birth.
"There are plenty of models who have children," she said. "At first I was like, 'I'm going to be fat forever!' I think we all feel that way after we have a baby. I threw away so many clothes thinking that it would be so depressing having them sitting in my drawer when they're never going to fit me. I got rid of my favourite pair of jeans, which of course would fit me now. You just have to give your body time. You can't have a three-month-old baby and think, 'That's it for me.' I tell mothers that you have to wait a whole year before you start judging your body, before you start working on it. Just give yourself a whole year of rest… I think my body was better after I had a child, actually. I prefer my body now to what it was like before I had Nikko - although I exercise now and I didn't then."
Although the 23-year-old single mother admits managing her career - from  Prada catwalk to  Vogue cover - was tricky at times, she made her son her priority.



Sister brand

Picture
H&M has reportedly registered trademarks and a logo for a new brand called "& Other Stories," Swedish news service Dagens Nyheter reports. The label confirmed last week that it is set to launch a new label, but has not yet confirmed its name or any further details.

Plan A

Picture
In an interview promoting her debut novel, Can We Still Be FriendsVogue editor Alexandra Shulman says she never planned to have a career in fashion journalism.
"[The idea of becoming a writer] was my idea of a nightmare," she said, "I wanted to be a hairdresser."
It was only after "accidentally" landing a job as an editorial secretary at the now-defunct women's magazine Over 21 that she worked out where her future lay.
"I loved being in a magazine office and I think from that point I knew what I was going to do," she told theObserver.
She wouldn't, however, want to trade places with today's generation of young women - firmly stating that she wouldn't ever feel inclined to have a vajazzle, for example



The new carrie

Picture
Another Monday, another weekend's worth of pictures of AnnaSophia Robb - the actress playing a young Carrie Bradshaw - from the set of The Carrie Diaries. This time, a typically Carrie look of sequinned dress and bright shoes was the highlight.

 
Here is the kate moss editorial that will feature in next months vogue is  you want to wait to see it on the fabulous papers of vogue look away NOW. The editorial features the major spring couture collection worn stunningly by the fabulous kate ENJOY! fashion editor grace coddington!
Picture
"Life imitates art"
Picture
Kate wears the most stunning red dior couture gown gracefully imitating the art behind her
Picture
“I drink the French 76: vodka, sugar, lemon juice topped up with champagne; it’s the best drink ever, but it only tastes like that in the Hemingway Bar,”
Picture
MY BLEU HEAVEN!!!
Picture
Kate lounges in the imperial suite surronding by chanel boxes wearing the imperial CHANEL!
Picture
A chillingly beautiful vintage looking shot kate wearing GIVENCHY gown and JEWELRY which is to die for
Picture
"ladies in waiting" all wearing marie antoinette inspired valentino couture in the imperial suite
Picture
culinary delight
Picture
The best service in all of france!
Picture
"sleeping beauty" kate is so glamourous in this sequence armani
Picture
a fabulous view from the top!
 

Look of the day

Look of the moment today is a very chic tailored black bottega veneta look. Its a major coat styled with great cute and chic flat black riding boots and python bag all creating very strong chic and absolutely fabulous look. Broken down the flat riding boots can be a great causal item you could wear with jeans or riding pants also the coat is super strong and could be great investment for work or even an evening event could be worn with cute dress

Accessory of the day

Accessory of the day to day is this very cute monochrome tweed dior bag. Its that classic dior leather bag remade into super cute tweed monochrome which really stands out in the good way. Very commercial and very wearable the perfect new dior bag this fall!

Look of the moment 

Look of the moment is beyonce at  a lunch hosted by michelle obama. She is looking really cool in simple and body conscious navy victoria beckham dress which does wonders for her figure!!! Styled with cute nicholas Kirkwood's and fab lanvin necklaces!
 

New blood needed

Picture
Respected fashion commentator Colin McDowell has weighed in on the Dior successor debate again this morning insisting that new blood, rather than a safe established name, is what the house needs for the next phase of its development.
"And so we come to the tragic case of Dior," he writes for the Business of Fashion, after offering his opinion on Raf Simons' Jil Sander departureand Hedi Slimane's YSL arrival. "And it is tragic on more levels than one: that a label needs a designer and that a man, for all his transgressions, needs a job. Fashion needs that man. To insert Bill Gaytten   an undisputedly brilliant technician, but not a designer into the gap at Dior can be nothing but a temporary solution. It's high time this gap was closed. But why not with somebody young and untested, as Yves Saint Laurent was when he took over the reins at Dior at the tender age of 21 and went on to revolutionise women's clothes? I still believe that designers with genius and courage, traits which are invariably independent of age, are more likely to thrive at a grand Paris label than at brands in any of the world's other fashion capitals at this point." McDowell made headlines last year after he revealed he had written to Dior chief executive Sidney Toledano to recommend Yves Saint Laurent lookalike Erdem Moralioglu for the vacant post. Another young London based designer, Christopher Kane, was linked with the job last month but told us exclusively that he is not in the running. 



Change the world with yoga and supermodels 

Picture
Miranda Kerr has agreed to give a free yoga lesson if she can convince 500 people to take up her Earth Hour challenge.
"I believe everyone has the power to change the world we live in,"



Super olsens

Picture
THE Olsen twins' new capsule  shoe  collection for Superga is almost here and will be available to buy exclusively at Harvey Nichols later this month. The stylish twins were appointed the brand's creative directors in September 2011 to mark the tennis sneaker label's 100th  birthday, announcing that they would also be designing a range under their fashion label The Row. But they may not be much to get excited over as they are only sneakers but could add sporty youth to a outfit or just wear them doing sporty things. But i see them as being more hipster rather than athletic 

Is schiaparelli and galliano set for a comeback?

Picture
The latest industry rumor isn’t about a Dior appointment but rather, the house’s former designer John Galliano. Hint reports that Galliano may be heading to Schiaparelli. With the Costume Institute’s upcoming exhibit Elsa Schiaparelli and Miuccia Prada: On Fashion, it would be a timely comeback for the Italian house and for the controversial but  genius man

 
This was bill gaytens second season for the house of dior the first time i wasn't persuaded but i am now a little more pleased with this latest collection. It is what i called toned down dior which is quite an unusual image as season after season galliano put on quite a dramatic theatrical show so in some ways this was a minimalist dior collection and it was all about going back to the DNA of the brand thats sound familiar??? BECAUSE HE DID THE SAME LAST SEASON!!!!!! The collection really focused on the waist to create that classic dior 50s style silhouette. There were fabulous pleats and cropped pants, the palette was quite neutral mostly blacks,greys,silvers,dull pinks,beige and some blue and pink which didn't even out the over boring like colors. I hated that the prints were a boring beige they had a certain elegance but i would simply have said "i think we need to lift it!!!!" but it may seem pleasing to a dior customer. Thats another thing was the collection to commercial the clothes were almost an accessories to the profit making ACCESSORIES which i found quite cute(not designed by bill!). The gowns were very ballerina like and had such a graceful movement!! The shoes also had a ballerina look. The pleat gowns and bows were my favorite aspects but still need to be "LIFTED" i hope the rumors of bill signing 6 year contract are not true because this brand needs more of a leader to lead this brand!!! Raf or stefano would be prefect!!!! Diors future is still the most talked about thing in the fashion world and this collection ask the question sales or fashion+sales because at the moment this was a very commercial collection and something you wont find in major editorials or worn by any fashionistas but will be bought by rich women who don't really stand out they just look expensive also will appeal to major asian market!!
 
Diors couture collection was absolutely divine. it was very 50s very simple and very chic. it was mainly a palette of black,white,grey but there were delicious dashes of red and purple witch gave the collection more va va voom. The collection took its stride in pretty nostalgic 50s dresses but I was at times blown away by several gowns which where really DIVINE!!! my favorite was a large ruffled grey,black,white gown which was so dramatic and was so stunning. I found the simple and very chic hair prefect for THE LOOK. it was classic dior but it certainly was not galliano dior it played down the avant garde fun and went for a more simple and chic collection which is so bill.  This couture collection was alot more polished and confident and is a definite sucess. BRAVO DIVINE! what did you think??????