The Latest Nature-Inspired Lines

Lindsey Thornburg, a flame-haired free spirit whose e-mail sign-off reads “warmth,” designs velvet burnout dresses from fabric she finds at the Oregon Country Fair. Meanwhile, David Hershberger, who creates washedsilk shirts and faded black pauper jackets for his Endovanera line—and who looks startlingly like a young Johnny Depp—spends leisure hours hiking Elysian Park, playing music, and fishing. If the two seem to have their beautifully blissed-out heads in the clouds, they’re not alone. From New York (Thornburg) to Los Angeles (Hershberger), a growing group of influential, under-theradar designers are focusing on a new kind of earthy fashion, turning back to the land and finding inspiration in nature, sunsets, and skylarks. Similar to the ’60s hippies and not unlike today’s locavore neofarmers, they favor a look that is rooted in self-expression and nonconformist ideas. The self-taught Hershberger, who also designs a men’s line (both Endovanera—phonetically, End of an Era—collections are sold at his hip Echo Park boutique, Front St.), specializes in deliberately rumpled style: borrowed-from-the boys button-downs that have been soaked in a bathtub then air-dried, as well as relaxed wool jackets with hidden inside pockets, “like the ones priests have to carry their rosaries,” he says. Add the requisite long, unwashed hair; a floppy, wide-brimmed hat; and jewelry made by a metalsmithing friend—what, you don’t have one?—and the image is complete. “All the girls I hang out with are tomboys,” says the 28-year-old Californian, whose muses include Warpaint’s Theresa Wayman and Megan Gold from the band We Are the World. “There’s a sexiness in effortlessness and being comfortable acting like one of the dudes.” Thornburg, 31, debuted her namesake line four years ago with a range of Navajo-inspired cloaks, so ideal for camping or concert carousing that they remain a cult favorite among the Opening Ceremony set today. For fall, the designer, who grew up in Colorado and studied philosophy at the University of California, Santa Barbara, before attending L.A.’s Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, branched out to floor-length totem-print gowns, highwaist crochet flair pants, and silk-velvet tops, tie-dyed by first-wave Oregon hippies. “I’m interested in things that are naturally psychedelic,” says Thornburg, whose influences range from Frida Kahlo to Native American folklore. Right on.




From: http://www.elle.com/

Gossip Girl Taylor Momsen poses for Madonna and Lourdes' Material Girl line - behind the scenes pics

Gossip Girl Taylor Momsen is fast becoming a cover girl as the 17-year-old shoots for Madonna and Lourdes' Material Girl line.

A source said: "Taylor was in her element striking her sultry poses.

Rumour has it she almost didn't take the job as she wasn't sure it was cool enough." She needn't have worried...

Sisley: supermarket raids & laundromat escapades

Sisley are relying on the strength of Terry Richardson's photography and/or reputation to pull their Fall 2010 campaign through. Supermarket raids and laundromat escapades may have a sort of raw appeal for some, and Ashely Smith draped over a motorcycle looking hot can't exactly harm your campaign either. But we miss the polished goddess perfection of the brand's Summer ads of yesteryear; and the somewhat uninspiring clothes in their latest campaign aren't helping to change our minds.


From: http://www.fashionising.com/

Vienna's Annual Life Ball Celebrates Fashion

Kenneth Cole, Diane Von Furstenburg, Francisco Costa and a host of celebrities stepped out in support of HIV and AIDS at the 2010 Life Ball

Life Ball, since it’s inception in 1993, has been one of the largest and most fabulous AIDS charity events in the world, uniting the unique Viennese ball tradition with extravagance, provocation and glamour. Scores of revelers from drag queens to duchesses descend on Vienna's City Hall to celebrate life and raise piles of money in incomparable style. Since the beginning, Life Ball has invited a veritable who's who of fashion's biggest and most influential designers, such as Olivier Theyskens, Thierry Mugler, Jean-Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood to present their creations to the estimated 40,000 in attendance.

For this year's gala, Diane Von Furstenberg, Kenneth Cole and Calvin Klein Collection designer Francisco Costa were all asked to show their collections in Vienna. The three invited a dizzying array of celebrities and supermodels on which to showcase their work. Diane Von Furstenberg invited an entire battalion of Radio City Hall's finest Rockettes to parade down the runway, wearing her signature wrap dresses as well as a red lip hat made exclusively for the Ball.

No stranger to the runway, Rebecca Romijn was no doubt excited to showcase her catwalk strut while wearing whimsical and still politically charged clothing from Kenneth Cole. Jerry O'Connell, while not necessarily a runway veteran, was as good a sport as one can be, considering he was made to wear eyeliner and try his hand at modeling in front of thousands. It's possible he gave a sigh of relief when the sky opened up and crashing rain forced the authorities to cancel the rest of the presentation.

Mr Cole took his message to the skin, branding several of the male models in temporary tattoos, with various statements and graphics, each in his signature style. Lydia Hearst, a Life Ball veteran having walked in the last few year's festivities, was a proud wearer of Mr Cole's designs as well.

Francisco Costa hired a string of top models to show off his sleek fall collection, but Life Ball isn't just about fashion. Performances, committed speeches and emotional moments are on tall order as well. This year's big performance was to be the great Patti LaBelle, who was slated to sing her legendary classics.

The weather also ruined a sure-to-be hysterical speech by Whoopi Goldberg, though the comedian had her chance to shine at the Ball’s press conference, where she was joined by Cole, Von Furstenberg, Costa, and John Dempsey, who’s president of the EstéeLauder group and the MAC AIDS Fund.

Dempsey tapped Dita Von Teese as the spokesperson for MAC Viva Glam, who donate 100% of the profits from all Viva Glam products to the MAC AIDS Fund. Had the weather not intervened, Von Teese would have presented President Bill Clinton with a check for €100,000. (Of course, the check will still go to the William J. Clinton Foundation, a major beneficiary of the Ball)

This year marks the tenth consecutive involvement on the part of MINI in Life Ball. Each year, the showcased designer or designers puts their spin on the iconic MINI. Here, Diane Von Furstenberg sits atop her creation, flanked by her Rockettes. In the end, this year's three exclusive MINIs were auctioned off with proceeds going to amfAR.

Models wearing Francisco Costa's Calvin Klein Collection

One of the many clever temporary tattoos designed by Kenneth Cole, plastered all over the models for his portion of the fashion presentations.

A model wearing Calvin Klein Collection

The environment backstage was hugely celebratory. Here, models wearing Calvin Klein Collection caught soaking it all in.

A huge disappointment was the massive storm that blew through Vienna, shutting down the festivities outside and preventing Patti LaBelle, the evening's slated entertainer, from performing.

Despite the cancellation due to inclement weather, the boys of Kenneth Cole were exuberant and ready for the massive party that was not to be stopped by the rains.

Kenneth Cole, seen backstage, making last minute checks on his models, as they readied to line up for his presentation.

From: http://www.elle.com/

If my bag is fake, what does that say about me?

It’s been said that “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Not quite, if you ask the people behind luxury brands. Imitation has become their worst enemy, their foe in a fierce battle to take back what they have lost: revenue, brand reputation, good will and brand equity.

Counterfeiting has reared its dark, ugly head, taunting luxury brands with an in-your-face brashness, claiming an unlawful stake in the multibillion-dollar fashion industry and undeserved dominance over the rightful purveyors of luxury goods.

Counterfeit goods have existed since 200 BC. If you walk into the Museum of Counterfeiting in Paris, you will find fake wine stoppers used to transport wine from Italy to Gaul millenniums ago.

Today, it is no longer about wine stoppers. The stakes are much higher — about US$600 billion worth — and it has gone global, spanning the world from the Silk Alley and Old City of Shanghai in China to the Piazza San Marco in Venice, Italy, to the Stadium Market in Warsaw, Poland, to Canal Street in New York City, where the fabulously fashionable quartet of Sex and the City were once filmed gushing over a knockoff Hermès bag.

According to a most recent estimate, the luxury brand industry has lost about $250 billion to counterfeiting. These past few years they have taken a very aggressive stance against violators and began working with investigators worldwide to put a stop to this black-market industry. Several raids initiated by luxury firms have netted sizeable confiscated fakes. One raid in Virginia led to the seizure of almost $300 million in fake goods. Another one in Canal Street involved a million dollars’ worth of imitation Chanel, Gucci, Coach and Cartier products.

Just this February here in the Philippines, almost $5 million worth of fake Louis Vuitton bags (28,000 pieces in all) were confiscated in retail stores and warehouses in Metro Manila. Even eBay was ordered to pay a fine of 38 million euros to the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) Group and 20,000 euros to Hermès for selling fake LV and Hermès bags and Christian Dior cosmetics.

Because of the staggering amount of money involved in this underground business, the people behind them have become more crafty and organized. It is rumored that mafias are heavily involved in the business, child labor and human trafficking are part of the system, and some proceeds from the sales are being used to fund certain terrorist activities. With all this disturbing information, who would want to buy these counterfeit products? Apparently many.

Faking It

Several years ago, I got invited to a “purse party.” “What is that?” you might ask. A purse party is a casual get-together much like a Tupperware party attended mostly by upper-middle-class women. But instead of comparing and buying plastic, women purchase fake, illegal designer bags over wine, appetizers and chitchat. While I didn’t go to the party because of my “buy only the real thing” stance, I found out that this social trend is apparently popular, especially in America where the idea took hold.

A researcher named Renee Richardson Gosline became curious about the phenomenon and conducted research over a period of two and a half years. She followed purse parties and traveled through social networks to document the attendees’ behavior. She found that most of the women didn’t seem to mind the illegality of their behavior because of the friendly atmosphere at the parties. But what she didn’t expect was, over a period of time, these women began checking out the brands’ websites and became converts to the real thing. They reconciled their dishonest public behavior with their positive, private self-image and the latter one won over time. In the end these women realized that nothing could substitute for the real deal.

If you’ve got purse partygoers on one hand, then you’ve got “counterfeit chic” on the other. These are women who can clearly afford the genuine products but opt to buy the convincing fakes because they find it cool and fashion-forward. They mix originals and knockoffs with ease when they go out and make no excuses for their choices. In a somewhat perverse way, they like the fact that they can get away with using fakes and be admired for it.

The “snobs” are those who have a double standard about wearing fakes. They have a very strong sense of entitlement and justify their choice to use fakes because they deserve to feel good about themselves and have the best in life.

While the motivation behind buying and using fakes may be varied, ultimately it is a personal choice.

Here are several factors that largely explain why people buy fakes:

• Price is a primary incentive for almost everyone who buys fakes. They feel that by buying the real thing, they are being ripped off. Not knowing the actual difference between the genuine and imitation, they believe that buying cheap means they are getting a great deal and not buying something of inferior quality.

• Attitude. Several studies have shown that people with a high level of moral judgment are less likely to buy fakes for personal consumption or as a gift for another person. But people who wear fake items are more likely to behave unethically and participate in fraudulent behavior.

• Status consumption is the desire to fit in a social class wealthier than their own or an expression of who they think they are to others through the products they use. People who often do not have the financial means but aspire to belong will purchase a fake regardless of their ethical standing. They don’t value the functionality of a product; instead they buy them to project the “image of status” or “having arrived.”

• Abject materialism is the view that wealth is the only way to achieve happiness at any cost, even buying fake. At times, it serves as a life goal for certain people because they view worldly possessions as a gauge of their wealth and social standing. They believe they are sending positive signals to the outside world when in fact they are sending negative signals to themselves.

Now, if you are none of the above and just want to be able to spot a counterfeit, especially when buying via the Internet, here are some practical tips that will hone your fake-alert button:

1. Buy only at the boutique, the brand’s website or an authorized website (in this case, www.eluxury.com) and an authorized dealer. Don’t buy at flea markets, purse parties, street vendors or unauthorized websites.

2. If the price is too good to be true, chances are it is. Unless you buy at a by-invitation-only brand-sponsored sale or an in-store limited sale, you will not find original products marked down considerably elsewhere.

3. Luxury brands are proud of their craftsmanship; they pay careful attention to design details. So if you see sloppy stitching in less visible areas like the lining, inside pocket or the underside of the bag, then those products are most likely fake.

4. Luxury brands put a premium not only on their products but also their packaging, so they come wrapped in tissue paper, cloth bags accompanied by authenticity cards, product care information, superior-quality boxes and paper bags. If you come across an item that is wrapped in plastic or bubble wrap, turn around and walk away from the poseur.

5. Conduct a spell check. Since most fake products are made in non-English-speaking countries, there is always a chance that fake product logos and names are misspelled. Check for letters that are swapped or a letter that is in capitals when it should not be.

6. Look for the logo hardware. If the logo is not embossed or engraved on leather or directly onto a metal piece such as zippers, latches, snaps or buckles, then they are imitations.

7. Inspect the labels. If they are not delicately stitched on and are just printed on a hangtag, it is a fake. Look at the country of origin as well; you might be surprised to find that upon careful inspection, it bears a “Made in China” label.

8. Be informed. If you want to purchase a particular type of product, research it, go to the official website, take photos of celebrities using the product, look at the ads and the catalogs or better yet, visit their store so you get up-close-and-personal enough with the product that you won’t get fooled by an impostor.

‘Ain’t nothin’ like the real thing, baby’

I confess to buying counterfeit once in my life, eons ago on a trip to Taipei for a fashion show at the Asia World Hotel. I wanted to impress a boyfriend so along with the other models, we bought up a vendor’s entire inventory of fake Cartier and Dunhill watches and proudly gifted our boyfriends and loved ones with the bogus timepieces.

I was young and naïve, I didn’t even think for a minute that what I was buying wasn’t the real stuff. I was just happy to pay so little for such famous brands. Of course, no sooner were we sporting them on our wrists than the face started to tarnish and the hour hand stopped. So much for the deal of a lifetime!

Truth be told, I have only been to a tiangge once to look for uniforms; I have never set foot inside the 168 Mall. Both places hold no fascination for me and I would not be caught dead bringing foreign visitors to either place, even if others rave about the so-called “great deals” there. I don’t always associate “bargain” with a great buy or “cheap” as a great find. I do not pretend to be the moral compass for fashion. I am just a smart, practical and responsible consumer.

Today there are many wonderful and affordable fashion labels to choose from, so there is no excuse to resort to fakes or depend on luxury labels alone to create a unique fashion style.

Fake is fake and there are no two ways about it. If you can’t afford the real thing, don’t buy the lowly imitation. You may be able to fool some, but you definitely cannot fool yourself, so as the Bard said, “To thine own self be true.”

From：http://www.philstar.com/

Ne-Yo Won’t Be Marrying His Baby Mama

Ne-Yo may be “very very very excited” about being a first time dad, but he’s not anticipating tying the knot with the mother-to-be.

There was chatter that the singer popped the question to his girlfriend Monyetta Shaw right around the time he announced they were expecting, but it looks like his girl will remain “Miss Independent.” When random Rock Candy asked Ne-Yo if he was getting married in a recent interview he respond “no, just a rumor” with zero hesitation.

Back in 2005 Ne-Yo’s ex-girlfriend Jessica White had a baby, which the singer believed was his but ultimately discovered the kid (who was named Chimere, after Ne-Yo’s middle name) was not his son. After all that, I wouldn’t blame him if he was holding out to put a ring on Shaw until somebody confirms he is the father.

From: http://blogs.bet.com/

No More Flattery From Scaasi

AFTER 55 years in the dress business, Arnold Scaasi announced on Monday that he is hanging up his shears and closing his made-to-order dress business.
Never mind that, for all intents and purposes, Mr. Scaasi has long been removed from the heavy action of Fashion Week, or that he is perhaps more broadly known today for selling costume jewelry on HSN and for criticizing Michelle Obama’s style. From his perch at 16 East 52nd Street, where he kept about 18 employees, the designer (who dressed five first ladies during his career) had continued quietly making custom gowns, about 20 each month, for a coterie of devoted clients.

“The best thing about my career was always the clients,” Mr. Scaasi said. “They wanted something special, and I was able to give it to them. I knew what they needed for their lifestyle because I had the same kind of lifestyle.”

Mr. Scaasi was once described by the writer Bob Morris as “New York’s last great couturier,” in recognition of his training at the Chambre Syndicale in Paris, his early days at Paquin and Charles James and the fact that few designers were still interested in that level of craftsmanship. He had an uncanny talent as a salesman who could flatter any figure and was so close to his clients that he was practically a social fixture at the first Bush White House. But times have changed.

“I’m sure there are a lot of little dressmakers around making clothes for people, but I don’t know that women want to be bothered as much anymore,” Mr. Scaasi said. “They are happy to get something off the rack.”

Mr. Scaasi said that he will continue his jewelry line and that there are talks of writing another book, following his 1996 autobiography, “Scaasi: A Cut Above,” and a 2004 memoir coyly titled “Women I Have Dressed (And Undressed).” In September, a Scaasi retrospective will open at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, for which the designer has donated more than 200 pieces from his archives. One of his personal highlights was the see-through pajamas worn by Barbra Streisand to the 1969 Academy Awards, which caused a small scandal at the time, even though the actual outfit appeared almost opaque in person.

“Let’s face it, all the strategic parts were covered with lining underneath,” he said. “It was the lights of the photographers’ flashbulbs that erased the outer level of silk tulle.”

Still, he doesn’t mind leaving all that behind.

“I think I’ve had a really good run, and I’m happy in my home life,” he said. “I have to treat myself.”

From:http://www.nytimes.com/

CFDA Nominees Design With Swarovski

The glint in our eyes isn't just from the shopper's high we're constantly experiencing, it's a sparkling reflection of the CFDA Swarovski Award Collection. The exclusive series of eight unique pieces created by this year's CFDA Fashion Award nominees shines with crystals from the Swarovski Creative Service Center. The designers were given free reign to use products from the center in their one-of-a-kind creations. Want to nab a Prabal Gurung party dress drizzled in crystal? Or maybe an Alexander Wang duffel studded with studs that are a little more glam that the usual? Schedule an extra long lunch break Wednesday, practice your clicking finger, and get ready, because you'll be able to nab the goods on Gilt at noon. Oh, and maybe add some extra plastic to your preparedness kit, because prices start at $1,200. Proceeds benefit the CFDA Foundation's Education Initiatives.

From: http://www.refinery29.com/

The naked and the dead at Paris couture

PARIS – Haute couture is all about dressing up — dressing way, way, up, in fact, in made-to-measure garments that cost as much as a new car. But Jean Paul Gaultier reversed the equation Wednesday, sending out burlesque star Dita Von Teese, who peeled off layer after wildly expensive layer till she was stripped literally to the bone.

The campy strip show — which ended with Von Teese in a buff-colored bustier with sequin-covered applique bones mapping out her skeleton — was a fit finale to a fall-winter 2010-11 collection largely about transparency and anatomy, with a dash of morbidness thrown in for good measure.
At Valentino, the garment's anatomy — the bone-work that give the gowns their shape — took center stage, with translucent hoop-skirts and an oblong birdcage made of tulle fitted over the bum-skimming minidresses.
Earlier in the week, Riccardo Tisci showed off the skill of the seamstresses at the house of Givenchy, delivering Mexican Day of the Dead-inspired lace and tulle bodysuits and gowns with appliques that mapped out the bones of the human body. In glimmering gold rhinestones and the finest Chantilly lace, his museum-quality concoctions were the world's most expensive Halloween skeleton costumes. Emerging French designer Julien Fournie's night of the living dead collection was also spot on the morbid, x-ray chic trend.
Other shows on Wednesday, the last day of Paris' ever-dwindling three-day-long couture calendar included emerging Lebanese talent Rabih Kayrouz, who marched to his own relaxed drum with a collection of cool summer staples that blended the line between couture and ready-to-wear.
On Aura Tout Vu's fish-themed collection was meant for the thin slice on the Venn diagram where the very wealthy and very funny demographics overlap. After all, it takes a pretty good sense of humor to pull off an impeccable beige sheath dress with sleeves ending in stuffed fish-face hand puppets.
French veteran Franck Sorbier's uplifting collection underscored the core values of couture — which is meant to be a celebration of creativity and technical savoir faire but has increasingly become a media blitz used by luxury conglomerates for promoting aspirational secondary products like cosmetics, perfumes and sunglasses. Coming after big-budget mega-productions like Tuesday's Chanel show, where models paraded beneath an enormous golden lion — in an homage to the founder's astrological sign — Sorbier's sincere and funny collection was a much-needed reminder of what couture should be about.
Paris' couture calendar officially concludes on Thursday, with fine jewelry presentations at Place Vendome jewelry houses like Boucheron, Chaumet and Van Cleef & Arpels.
JEAN PAUL GAULTIER
The man who gave the world Madonna's pointy bra went deeper in his exploration of the concept of innerwear-as-outerwear with his anatomical collection of lean skirt suits and bustiers covered with rhinestone-encrusted femurs, tibias and ribs.
The porcelaine-skinned burlesque star Dita Von Teese drove the audience wild with her mid-show strip tease, peeling off layer after layers of her black gown till she was wearing nothing but a bustier emblazoned with a twinkling applique skeleton.
"It was all about structure, about bringing the bones, the very foundation of what makes a garment, to the surface," Gaultier told reporters in a post-show interview. "It's about bones, but not in a ghost kind of way — unless we're talking about the ghost of couture," he joked.
Models in jewel-toned turbans with a stiff sculpted loop of fabric standing at attention atop their heads sported long, kite-shaped gowns with pointy square shoulders or leather trench coats whose fine pleats fanned out into full skirts.
Even the bride, who traditionally closes Paris' made-to-measure couture collections, was wearing a trench coat — a Gaultier staple — in bone white mircofiber with a long tulle veil. And because this was Gaultier show — where a stiff dose of theatricality is de rigeur — the bride was playing her own wedding march — on a matching white violin.
VALENTINO
Valentino's new design duo, who've been charged with the difficult task of rejuvenating the label's aging customer base, had something for everyone — or, depending on how you look at it, for nothing for anyone — with a collection that paired matronly chiffon blouses with the miniest of minidresses.
Designers Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri, who were promoted out of Valentino's lucrative accessories division after the designer who briefly replaced founder Valentino Garavani was dismissed, have demonstrated their predilection for creeping hemlines in seasons past — to mixed reviews.
They gave it another shot, sending out pretty little bustier dresses that grazed the tops of the models' gazelle thighs. Sometimes the dresses, in black, beige, sea green and baby pink, were worn alone, sometimes layered over long-sleeved chiffon blouses that felt like they were channeling a 1970s schoolmarm.
With its beige petticoat-like structures layered on top of some of the looks, the collection was spot-on the innerwear-as-outerwear trend. One model sported what looked like birdcage, in translucent silk with visible bone-work, that trapped her arms inside.
Bows, one of the hallmarks of the ultra-feminine brand, were everywhere, adorning one sleeve of a leather skirt suit in powder pink, the beaded, kitten-heel mules worn by all the girls and the back of low-cut leather gloves.
It was a pretty collection, overall, but one that might prove a hard sell to the over-17 set, whose thighs no longer resemble those of a deer.
RABIH KAYROUZ
Kayrouz flouted both convention and season, sending out barefoot models who, instead of careening down the runway in vertiginous heels, ambled barefoot over a catwalk covered in real grass wearing pleated silk tankdresses for what was in theory a fall-winter show.
The audience of fashion editors, stylists and journalists — baking under the summer sun in courtyard — eyed Kayrouz's fan-pleated silk dresses and airy, wide-legged trousers with undisguised envy. A knit tankdress in chartreuse and a shirtdress in bold teal looked particularly appealing to the melting crowd of fashion insiders.
Little green feathers, like a nascent layer of moss, emerged from the creases of the pleats that covered a putty-colored silk dress. Belts in gold metal gave a hard edge to the gauzy knits and silks.
While other designers sent out more season-appropriate looks in leather with a sprinkling of fur, Kayrouz explained he was seeking a middle route between couture's ultra-exclusive looks made-to-measure for a handful of fabulously wealthy women and the off-the-rack designs most of us morals are condemned to wearing.
"Haute couture as we know it is almost something passe," he told The AP. "There's no time for that. Now clients are very demanding and they want those well-designed, well-cut pieces in great materials, but they want them off the rack."
"We want to take the savoir faire of France's haute couture ateliers and give it the rigor and the pace of high-end ready-to-wear," he said.
FRANCK SORBIER
Held in a tiny hall lent to him by Sotheby's auction house, Sorbier's show was at the opposite end of the spectrum from the big-budget mega-productions. But his collection didn't suffer for it — au contraire.
Sorbier has gone through hard financial times of late, and Wednesday's collection — full of his trademark inventive, almost surrealist, looks in a rainbow of buoyant colors — represented a return to happier times.
A bustier in papier mache from old newspaper clippings had faux nipples made from wine corks. A baroque mirror with an ornate gilded frame was strapped to the model's chest, like a bustier. Woven raffia in saturated jewel tones became a ravishing, African-themed sheath dress. A Plane Indian coat in leather hung with dangling fringe was paired with a ballerina's skirt worn low around the model's ankles.
An off-the-shoulder dress vibrated in bubblegum pink, while a long, lean, lacy evening gown smoldered in fiery red lace.
As the haute couture collections wound down, Sorbier's show was a much-needed reminder that couture need not be smothered in sequins or dripping with rhinestones to be desirable.

From: www.yahoo.com

See the Supermodels in Louis Vuitton’s Fall 2010 Campaign

Christy Turlington, Karen Elson, and Natalia Vodianova star in Louis Vuitton's just-released fall 2010 campaign. Unlike Prada's fall ad campaign, starring Valerija Kelava, Daria Strokous, and Sigrid Agren, Vuitton cast models that reflect the curvy, diverse, more mature aesthetic (well, in model terms) of its runway-show models. Steven Meisel shot the ads in a studio in New York.

The images are simple and lovely and confirm the importance of captivating, neckline-overflowing cleavage for fall. Your thoughts welcome in comments.

More Louis Vuitton handbags info.....