Archive for June 2011

Rumor: Kanye West is in Paris Designing a Collection for Spring 2012

Fashion breaks Kanye’s heart. He said so himself when he was named “Stylemaker of the Year” by the Accessories Council last year. Since then, he’s become a fixture at fashion shows (even if he had some trouble getting into the shows in Paris this past season), met with folks in the biz for advice on starting a line–like a professor at Central Saint Martins and A.P.C. founder Jean Touitou, and most recently collaborated with famed French graphic design and art direction team M/M to produce a collection of silk scarves.

The rapper obviously takes fashion seriously (I mean, the man performed in spring 2011 Celine at Coachella), so it should come as no surprise that he’s working on a collection in Paris, according to the UK’s Telegraph.

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Fashion News Roundup

Fashion News Roundup: DvF Smells Like Seduction, Fendi’s Fur-Free Floating Island and Miuccia’s Millions

DvF’s Magical Tool of Seduction: Yeah, that’s how her new fragrance, Diane, is described. Apparently, seduction includes frangipani and violet leaves. {WWD, subscription required}

Fendi’s Fur-Free Floating Island Fashion Show: Karl and crew showed the label’s fall collection on a manmade island in Seoul. However, all fur pieces were removed from the show so as not to offend South Korean protestors. {Reuters}

Technicolor Punk: A credit card-bruising roundup of this season’s top day glo punk pieces. Argh, we want that Tom Binns necklace. {Stylelist}

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Magazines

Marquita Pring Chronicles Her Shoot for Vogue Italia‘s Groundbreaking Curves Spread

Marquita Pring, Tara Lynn, Candice Huffine and Robyn Lawley–all “plus” size models–are the stars of Vogue Italia‘s June issue. Whereas Pring was once relegated to Vogue Italia‘s “curves” section online, this month she’s just another model in a smoldering black and white 10-page Elizabeth Taylor-inspired editorial for the mag shot by Steven Meisel. Tara Lynn, Candice Huffine and Robyn Lawley grace the cover.

“Never before have four curvier girls been in a spread shot by Steven Meisel with no specific purpose at all,” Pring said. “No size issue, no color issue. Just beautiful, normal Italian Vogue.”

Pring kept a diary during the two-day shoot. She chronicled everything–her nerves, emotions, the clothes, the makeup (the makeup artist uses what she calls the “Naomi kit” on Marquita which is usually used for Naomi Campbell), and how it felt to get naked for Steven Meisel–minute by minute.

The shoot, Pring says, was “one of the most incredible experiences of my career/life.” But she almost missed out on it.

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News

Tom Ford on Why He No Longer Works For Money and Why Yves Saint Laurent Hated His Guts

By Lauren Sherman Friday, Jun 3, 2011 / 11:17 AM

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Beauty

The Daily Nail: Temporary Tattoos for Your Nails

Nail art is going in many different and extreme directions, thanks to the likes of Gaga and cool nail technology. While some of the craziest versions require a salon and a professional, the DIY girl still has tons of options.

Different from Sally Hansen Salon Effects strips and not as bizarre as temporary lip tattoos, BigRuby temporary nail tattoos are an easy way to add a bit of flair without too much commitment. They work just like those tattoos you got in a birthday goody bag when you were a kid: cut out the one you want, press it on your dry nail, wet the backing until the tattoo comes off, then cover with a top coat.

There are six sets available: cosmic, garden, star (our fave), mod, sea, and tweet (cute birds). They’re $12 for a pack of 86, and BigRuby also sells a quick drying top coat for $9.95.

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Models

Heidi Klum Gets Naked for Project Runway Campaign

Get excited! Project Runway host Heidi Klum will appear naked in ads for the series’ ninth season, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The campaign is part of Lifetime‘s new marketing strategy–the basic cable channel is aiming to go less “woman in peril” (even though LTMs are ahhhmazing) and more “brazen, strong, confident and sexy.”

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Beauty

Neiman Marcus’ Ken Downing Is Doing a Beauty Collaboration (and Tells Us that Shoes and Handbags Will Match this Fall)

When I first heard that Ken Downing, the fashion director at Neiman Marcus, developed a color collection in collaboration with Le Métier de Beauté, I said, “Huh?” Then I really thought about it and it started to seem like a good idea. Then I talked to him about it, and it suddenly made utter and perfect sense. Think about it–this man is around clothes and makeup and women constantly. He lives and dies by trends. It’s a no-brainer.

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Reviews

Lauren Conrad on Her Second Collection for Paper Crown (Plus the Full Look Book)

Lauren Conrad’s new line Paper Crown might not have the publicity of an MTV reality show behind it, but it’s still chugging right along.

In fact, Conrad, who is on the cover of Lucky‘s July issue in a complete look from her new label, told the mag that she’s even glad her reality show was dropped. “It’s easier to launch the line without MTV,” she says. “A lot of people in fashion don’t want to be linked with anything that has to do with reality TV. Showrooms were turning us down.” Plus, she concedes her life isn’t exactly MTV fodder anymore. “There weren’t any scenes of me getting drunk or fighting, so what’s the point?” she told the mag.

Conrad seems bent on proving herself in the fashion world.

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Beauty

What’s Up With Botox Lately? We Talk to a Dermatologist About all the Recent Crazy News

Botox, despite its years of use and now-mainstream status, is still a great source of fascination and debate in beauty and medical circles. The more experience dermatologists have with the drug, the more creative ways they are finding to use it. And as a result, a lot of ethical and social questions arise.

Botox Mom stole the headlines with her fake story, but we all believed that it could actually happen. In the last week no fewer than four Botox stories appeared in various outlets.

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Armani Teams Up With Tommy Ton and Co. to Launch Heritage Frames

To celebrate the debut of their new Heritage Frames eye wear collection, Armani put together a blogger-photographed street style project called Frames of Your Life, intended to capture real people wearing their shades. It’s a “more than just sunglasses” deal, okay? It’s a “frame” of one’s life, captured in a photographer’s lens while wearing Armani’s frames. Get it?

Despite the kitschy tag line on the project’s website, the project is quite impressive: Armani has used well known and respected bloggers (like Tommy Ton) whose photographs are gorgeous. So far, they’ve captured subjects in ten cities.

Click through to see our favorite shots, and check out Frames of Your Life for profiles on the bloggers and their cities.

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Trendspotting

Trendspotting: Arizona Muse as Muse

By Steff Yotka Thursday, Jun 2, 2011 / 5:30 PM

Arizona Muse is without a doubt the model to beat. She burst onto the scene during the Spring 2011 season, with her only visible credit being an Urban Outfitters online model, and has yet to slow down. Dazed and Confused dedicated an entire issue to her, which means that she’s in the popularity realm of Agyness Deyn circa 2008 when i-D identified the pixie hair model as an icon. Read more »

People We Like

Model/Designer Tori Praver On Her Latest Swimsuit Collection, Why She Never Wanted to Be a Model, and Her Most Embarrassing Bathing Suit Moment

If you haven’t heard of Tori Praver your boyfriend probably has. The blond bombshell from Hawaii has appeared in Sports Illustrated three times, and is a former Guess? girl. But if you’re in the market for a new bathing suit you’ve probably come across Tori’s name, too. The Maui native launched her eponymous line of swimwear in 2009. Her suits have earned a following because they’re versatile–from sexy one-pieces with cutouts to high waisted cutesy floral bikinis–so you don’t have to look like Tori to look good in them. But it helps that she can model her own lookbook.

Here’s what Tori had to say about modeling, designing, and bathing suit malfunctions (yes, they happen to her too).

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