Fashion Salad

When you need a new handbag, sometimes you’ll pay anything for it, even if it’s $125 million. Liz Claiborne Inc. announced it will buy Kate Spade, adding the popular handbag outfitter to holdings which now include Juicy Couture, Enyce and Mexx.

Reformed wild child Nicole Richie is turning over a new leaf, gaining some weight and now sacking her famous stylist Rachel Zoe.

"An insider said Nicole ‘wanted to surround herself with positive people and influences’ and that presumably didn’t include former confidante Zoe. With clients like Nicole, Mischa Barton, Lindsay Lohan and Keira Knightley, the powerful stylist was responsible for defining young Hollywood’s boho luxe look. Nicole has hired a new stylist – Cristina Ehrlich, who’s dressed Penelope Cruz – to pick an outfit for the American Music Awards, where she’ll be introducing a performance by dad Lionel Richie [via Glamour UK]."

Richie’s new stylist, Cristina Ehrlich usually works with another stylist called Estee Stanley, these 2 LA stylists are known for handpicking red carpet gowns for celebs like Penelope Cruz, Demi Moore, Eva Mendes, Jessica Biel, Mandy Moore, Elisha Cuthbert and Olsen Twins. They also have their own fashion line called Miss Davenporte and a new line of custom designed, specialty lingerie for Frederick’s of Hollywood that launches in stores this December.

NYC Based Arts Organization - Art For Progress Marks a Milestone with Multi-Platform Arts Celebration:“Clash of the Artists!”

In celebration of our freshly launched artist community website, we are proud to mark a year of spectacular events by hosting our first annual multidisciplinary open arts competition. Artists will enter submissions in the categories of visual arts, live music, fashion design, DJs, and short film. People visiting the Art For Progress website, will be able to vote for finalists in all categories, with the competition culminating in a multi-day showcase featuring the works of all finalists as chosen by the public – truly a “Clash of the Artists.”

To apply, fashion designers must submit three complete looks of their original work for a chance to win great prizes for 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place. Some of the prizes include: participation in the Art For Progress Spring 2008 fashion show, consultation with a top fashion public relations company in New York City, Art For Progress membership, and gift certificates.

For more information visit: www.artforprogress.org

Here are some fashion highlights from the blogosphere…

Pointing out the difference between  French and Italian hemlines (Eurobrat)

  Shell shocked - surprising tortoise shell treats & Sephora 20% Sale  (The It Lists)

An accessory top ten list worth checking out (Papier Doll)

Victoria’s Secret fantasy prance (Back in Skinny Jeans)

Trendscape: Faux Fur Coats (Omiru)

Holiday Wear doesn’t mean silly looking snowflake sweaters(Couture in the City)

This summer saw the Madrid shows banning skinny models, and now followed by the death of anorexic model Ana Carolina Reston maybe that’s enough for the rest of the fashion industry to finally wake up to the dangers of the eating disorder.

Reston, 21, a 5′ 8" Brazilian model weighed only 88 pounds at the time of her death. She succumbed to an infection caused by anorexia nervosa, officials at Sao Paulo’s Servior Publico Hospital said.

And now Twiggy jumps on board in blaming Hollywood for it’s role in the skinny.

Image [source]

David Lim, designer and founder of Kasil, shares his insight on denim trends for spring and summer 07 and how to complete the look…
 
Everything from clean, classic jeans to printed cotton shorts will be available in a variety of washes and fabrications for Spring Summer 2007. We’ll see a lot of light natural colors, and definitely the layered look. Denim shorts are back, but in a new style and fit that is a bit shorter and more hipslung like a boy fit.  Also non-denim shorts will be a great look the season in graphic prints; especially stripes. 
The style for jeans is going back towards a clean look with some subtle details in rich deep indigo denims, leaving all attention on the perfect fit. 

Kasils next big concentration will be on our wide leg denim trousers, focusing our main styles on a classic tailored fit with higher rises.  We are also taking our inspiration for details from the masters of illusion.  That entails constructive details to enhance the look of the wearer beyond his/her human limitations.  So while the look of the skinny jean may stick around, it will be about opening up that trend to fit more body types.  (as you mentioned, the Jodphurs, and carrot pants).

Here are Lim’s choices for denim trends this spring, and some tips to finish the look:

Spring Denim Styles:
-     Soft, lightweight denim with subtle details and light distressing.
-     Trouser Styles with higher rises and button detailing.
-     Pleated and fitted denim shorts, cuffed or straight,
      in varying lengths.
-     Flattering fit details with innovative yet subtle seaming and construction.
    
To complete the look:
-     Nothing too fitted up top, keep the look loose and casual to compliment the denim.
-     Pair this seasons long and short shorts with flat sandals or high wedges.
-     Light layers with tees, hoodies, jackets, and scarves.
-     Oversized totes and bags for both functionality and style.
-     Add color and texture this season with graphic printed accessories and somewhat chunky jewelry with a vintage look.

Stay tuned—it is going to be a magical season! ! Lindsay Lohan has been spotted picking up a pair of Kasil jeans from shopkitson.com or shop Kasil Denim Deals Here

Lindsay Lohan has been chosen as the face of Miu Miu, the lower priced line from Prada. Her “reported campaign deal with Louis Vuitton may have fallen through the cracks, and her rumored Versace deal may just have been nothing more than a figment of her fragrant imagination, but Miuccia Prada has taken a firm stance with the PYT. Lohan has been cast as the face of Miu Miu for its Spring 2007 ad campaign, a Prada spokeswoman confirmed [via Fashion Week Daily].”

Since 2001 Kate Moss has been the face for Chanel’s Coco Mademoiselle, but with all of Moss’s white powder controversy there’s been speculation over who would become the next face for Chanel 2007.

KEIRA KNIGHTLEY is the new face of Coco Mademoiselle. "The rumours circulating the French fashion house for the last two months were confirmed yesterday with Keira thought to have received at least $1 million for a one year contract involving both print and television ads [via Vogue]."

As if Knightley can’t get enough attention, on Thursday she was also named the world’s sexiest woman on Thursday. She beat the likes of Keely Hazel, Scarlett Johansson, Kelly Brook and Angelina Jolie in a poll by FHM magazine.

Image [source]

Here are some fashion highlights from the blogosphere…

The best $1.89 you’ll ever spend on a lipstick (Blogdorf Goodman)

Ring “it” - sexiest phone ever - and a retro find too (The It Lists)

Why Wayfarers? Return of the 80’s Ray-Ban (Style Bites)

An interview with Fidelity Jeans designer Jason Trotzuk (Omiru)

Torn between trashing Juicy Couture for velour sweats, or giving them props for new  timeless styles. (Couture in the City)

Black lace goes chic (Stilletto Jungle)

Noxzema is inviting aspiring fashion designers, fashion lovers and illustrators to design a fashionable outfit for one of the Noxzema girl characters.

The deadline for sketchbook submissions is January 5, 2007 and the winner will get the fabulous prize of a trip for two to New York City, two tickets to New York Fashion Week 2007 and they will get the priceless opportunity to get to shadow an editor at a national fashion magazine for a day!

Learn more about the Noxzema girls’ styles and the contest at www.Noxzema.com

Contest details here.

How cool is this?!  Like.com is the first true visual search engine, where the contents of photos are used to search and retrieve similar items. Now you just nodded and went ah-ha, neat, but let me explain what that means in Shop-inese. It means you can take a picture of that Mischa Barton wearing cool earrings, run an image query and whallah! Like.com will return results showing similar earrings.

Or to the opposite end of that - if you enter a text query, like “brown chunky heel boots,” Like.com will convert that query and look for related image results.

The site launched yesterday returns results only for shoes, jewelry, hand bags and clothing, but more categories are coming soon.

I know it’s a bit geeky for fashion, but think of all the pretty things you can now find. And best of all Like.com is offering free shipping to the first 10,000 fashionistas.

Image [source].

Every month we serve up a featured fashion bite. We invite you to comment on this dynamic fashion team: November 2006 marks an exciting partnership between  H&M and Viktor & Rolf . The cult Paris-based label is the latest top fashion industry name to collaborate with the high-street giant.

The duo of Viktor Horsting and Rolf Snoeren, have designed a wedding collection. Viktor & Rolf have designed everything a couple would need for a wedding and honeymoon: pink silk bras, skinny jeans, suede platform shoes, black tuxedos with heart-shaped cut-outs and even a silk wedding dress.

Read November’s full fashion bite here.

Here are some fashion highlights from the blogosphere…

Victoria Beckham launches new Style Website (Catwalk Queen)

House Party season starts up - a few ideas (The It Lists)

A serious weigh in on the skinny model debate (Style Bites)

Barbie partners up with MAC Cosmetics for a new collection (Second City Style)

Interview with hot jewellery designer Jessica Elliot (Omiru)

New Plus size jeans (Couture in the City)

Dove’s latest ad campaign takes an average looking woman and makes her model-like. This video follows the transformation in the most compelling way I’ve ever experienced.

I enjoy makeup, it’s not a bad thing, but I think it’s critical to understand the influences driving our need to wear makeup. Most of us know that consumersism is the drive behind the ads tossed our way, but do we really get it? It’s great that a commercial like this makes you stop and think.

Dove states “No wonder our perception of beauty is distorted. Every girl deserves to feel beautiful…” View Commercial Here.