New Model Ver. Meet Lana Del Rey

LANA DEL REY is the music name on everyone's lips: her first UK gig sold out in 13 minutes; Christopher Kane and Emilio de la Morena chose her music to accompany their spring/summer 2012 shows; and her debut single, the beautifully haunting Video Games, has already had over two million You Tube hits - despite only being released this week.

"I had no idea about the fashion shows," she told us. "But I think they chose Video Games because it embodies summertime sadness. Fashion is inspired by youth and nostalgia and draws inspiration from the best of the past. I think both the song and the collections touch on the light and the dark side of life."Perhaps surprisingly given her melancholic sound (described by the singer as "Hollywood sadcore"), American-born Del Rey is inspired by Elvis, Eminem, Frank Sinatra and Diamanda Galas. She admits her rise to musical stardom was almost accidental. "I was always singing, but didn't plan on pursuing it seriously," she said. "When I got to New York City when I was 18, I started playing in clubs in Brooklyn - I have good friends and devoted fans on the underground scene, but we were playing for each other at that point - and that was it."

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New fashion Ver. ALBERTA FERRETTI

ALBERTA FERRETTI continued the story of covert sexiness that we saw a lot of in London last week, this afternoon offering cocktail dresses with panels of sheer nude fabric interspersing juicy jewel colours of emerald, saffron, fuchsia and coral - it was almost as if the colours themselves were tattooed onto the body in geometric markings.

More modern and less girly that she often prefers, Ferretti took a Twenties slant too – it’s fast becoming the decade to look to for spring/summer 2012 - and smothered the drop-waisted, cowel-backed dresses in seed pearl embroidery  or larger white beads that gave them a more tribal feel.

If they weren’t in dresses, the girls - with their loose, towel-dried hair – strode out in pyjama style suits of black or ochre that had more chiffon strips criss-crossed around them, one great belted trench and another boyishly loose khaki shirt worn over a crochet pencil skirt in bold stripes of red, brown and black.

The seed pearls came again on fine mesh tops, teamed with more bright crochet, and then a palm frond print added a new jungle-esque element. The finale of black dresses – with heavily beaded uppers and lacy patchworks to the floor, carried with handbags that had long fringes noisily dragging behind them – were a good combination of a more recognisable Ferretti woman with this new slightly more rebellious one.
resource http://www.vogue.co.uk

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New Fashion Louis Vuitton

 NOTE to self and to anyone else who wants to go to a Louis Vuitton show – always arrive in plenty of time. At one minute to ten this morning, the doors were closed, no exceptions, leaving lots of bemused and cross and slightly bereft fashion journalists outside.

Those who did get in were greeted with a set that was just as huge in terms of headlines, preparation and considerable spend as we saw in the Grand Palais for Chanel yesterday morning, and like Chanel, this was a pale wonderland – as if designers this season are letting us indulge our every fashion fairytale fantasy.

Of course, the dramatic showmanship reopened the endless will he, won’t he conversation about Marc Jacobs going to Dior – as if we needed any proof that he and his team would do a good job there, this show was it. But we’re apparently no closer to knowing the outcome yet, so we just settled in to watch it happen.

Calling to mind Jacobs’ own show in New York over three weeks ago, he opened by unveiling all the girls at once, scattered beautifully across a white, glittering fairground carousel. That was enough to send us all straight onto Twitter – but we forced ourselves to keep watching because there was so much to see. "It's my biggest set, I could have never done this anywhere else.Very magical, it's like a magic box: very Paris," said Jacobs by way of explanation.

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New Japan Fashion

The full Versace For H&M lookbook is here. The collection, which launches in select countries on Nov. 17 and in the US on Nov. 19, runs from $19.95 costume jewelry up to $299 for a leather jacket and the studded leather dress Anna Dello Russo wore. Also included in the offering for the first time — home decor, which consists of pillows, priced $29.95 and $39.95, and a bedspread, at $149.

“The collection for H&M is the essence of Versace,” Donatella Versace stated. “For the collaboration we’ve brought back from the archives, as well as from more recent collections, some of the icons of Versace, such as the bright prints, the Greek key, and daring cuts. I can’t wait to see how H&M’s wide audience will make these pieces their own

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Lacoste

Felipe Oliveira Baptista’s first full collection for Lacoste incorporated luxe elements while staying true to the sportswear soul of the iconic French brand. The co-ed show focused mostly on women’s, but we got a glimpse of his new direction, which mixed sportswear and tailored pieces and featured cool cotton blazers and hooded anoraks. The palette consisted of crisp white, navy and royal blues, and military green with some subtle color blocking. Structured blazers were paired with shorts to showcase the elements of fine tailoring.
MH STANDOUT: This olive jacket that hits right at the waist, mixed with the navy and olive combination, creates an eye-catching—but practical—look. The oversized pocket flaps add an architectural element for a modern feel.

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New Lab Editions

Number: Lab We’ve had our eye on this brand since designer Luis Fernandez and co-founder Greg Lawrence launched in 2007. Known for fusing athletic-inspired clothing with tailored pieces, their Spring/Summer 2012 collection, shown at the Standard Hotel, was inspired by the French Riviera in the 1930s and skateboarder style. The color palette included royal and navy blues, orange, white and gray mixing bold geometric patterns and stripes for visual interest. Basic tanks get an upgrade with color blocking mixing solids and stripes, and for the more daring guy: cotton pants in bright orange or gray and white stripes.

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Fashion 2012

Twice a year in New York, the women are prettier, the clothes are trendier, and the streets are busier—it’s New York Fashion Week, eight days of designers, trends, and runway shows. This week, top designers show off their collections for the Spring/Summer 2012 season. We scanned the runways to show you what you’ll be wearing next year—and how to pull it off right now. Check back later this week for a complete round-up of Fashion Week highlights.

DKNY
DKNY took over Times Square on Wednesday evening, jumbotrons included. A row of dapper gentlemen in sleek grey suits lined the windows of the NASDAQ Marketsite, looking relaxed compared to the bustle two floors below. To complete the Times Square takeover, the brand’s ad campaign ran on several video screens outside, broadcasting the modern classics for everyone passing by. The slim silhouettes echo the return of Mad Men era style. The tailored pieces boasted a simple grey palette, but took on a whole different feel when paired with statement making shoes. Other key pieces from the collection include ombre knits from pureDKNY, the weekend wear label, and a three-button blazer. We passed a faux boardroom filled with models on the way out—bringing the collection’s office chic vibe full circle.

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