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• Fashion news 2011: Laura Ashley’s son designs men’s fashion line inspired by WW1 hero

  
  18 February 2011
  

  Fashion news 2011: Laura Ashley’s son designs men’s fashion line inspired by WW1 hero: Menswear label Private White V.C to appear in a documentary about the last remaining clothing factories in Salford.

  Co-owners Michael Stoll (left) and James Eden (right), outside the Cooper and Stollbrand factory which makes the Private White V.C menswear line inspired by Eden's great grandfather WW1 soldier, Jack White, who worked in the factory.

  A new menswear label, Private White V.C is the subject of a Channel 4 documentary Made in England following the daily life of one of the last remaining clothing factories left in Salford, Manchester.

  The documentary, to be aired tomorrow, will provide a unique insight into the 90-year-old Cooper and Stollbrand factory, and features the manufacturing process of the menswear label, Private White V.C, which is owned by the factory.

  Private White V.C is a British utilitarian casual men's collection based on the everyday wardrobe of Jack White. Born in Yorkshire in the late 1800s, White moved to Lancashire at the age of three and at the age of 20 was awarded a Victoria Cross for his outstanding bravery under intense enemy fire during the First World War.

  On his return to Lancashire, White began an apprenticeship in a raincoat factory - the same factory which is today headed-up by his great grandson, James Eden and produces the label Private White V.C, designed by Nick Ashley, son of Laura Ashley.

  The factory - which was taken over three years ago when Eden left his City job to buy a stake in the business - also produces clothing for high profile British brands, Burberry, Paul Smith, and Aquascutum.

  Private White V.C is a deeply British collection based on Eden's great grandfather's everyday wardrobe, and reflects the requirements of the time: Sunday best and the traditional working and family man wardrobe. Each piece bears a Victoria Cross emblem.

  Patterns from the factory's outerwear archive have been refined and brought up-to-date to suit today's modern man. Trousers come in robust moleskin, brushed British cotton and raw denim, whilst heavy Guernsey knits and a waxed wool coat have been created to withstand the elements.

  (telegraph fashion news)

   

• Anna Sui's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  18 February 2011
  

  Anna Sui's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 - Anna Sui Autumn Winter fashion trends 2011: A visit to the recent Diaghilev exhibition at London's Victoria & Albert Museum provided the starting point for Anna Sui's autumn/winter 2011 collection shown at New York Fashion Week Wednesday night.

  

  She based her colour palette on a mix of the vivid shades predominating in costumes for ballets such as 'Scheherazade', 'Petrushka' and 'Firebird', and contrasted these with the more graphic combination of black and white. Folkloric florals were mixed with woodblock-style geometrics and Art Nouveau-style butterfly patterns.

  One particularly striking print featured a whimsical pattern of deer in a forest, perhaps recalling 'L'Apres-Midi d'un Faune'. The prints were featured not just on the clothes but on matching tights, hats and bags. Striking metallic brocades and lamé, injected a theatrical note.

  The models appeared in balletic groups, three at a time, in stylised monotone mixes with black lace-textured tights or in a more fairytale mode, in a patchwork of cream and white beaded lace and chiffon.

  Anna Sui's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 photos:

  

  

  

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Oscar de la Renta's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  16 February 2011
  

  Oscar de la Renta's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 - Oscar de la Renta's Autumn Winter fashion trends 2011. Oscar de la Renta's collection took a magic carpet ride along the Silk Road at New York Fashion Week.

  Oscar de la Renta took his audience on a magic carpet ride along the ancient Silk Road, in a collection which celebrated the skill and artistry of traditional beading and embroidery from North Africa to the old Moghul empires and dynastic China, at New York Fashion Week today.

  The colours exploded like fireworks, the beading shimmered and dazzled, and the opulence of the fabrics and embellishments was worthy of a tribal court at Samarkand.

  De la Renta confessed he had never been to the places which fired his imagination in this exotic, eclectic collection, but said: "I go there in my mind."

  The collection unfolded like discovering the treasure of King Solomon's mines. De la Renta took his inspiration from cultures as far-flung as the Beni Ourain in the Middle Atlas mountains, the Buddhist "Chintamani" traditions of India, and the minority tribes of Mongolia and Northern China; and his colours from the gleaming, jewel-like costumes of the court of Tz'u-hui, the 19th century "Dragon Empress" of China.

  Ottoman jackets were embroidered with gilt bouillon in the manner of Bukhara carpets, and worn with red fox skirts. Alpaca coats were worked with black and ivory crewel-work, glistening with sequins. North African "threadwork" decorated patchwork paisley tunics and slim trousers, embellished with fox and crystals.

  Embroidered collages, shimmering fringing, be-jewelled tassels and metallic crochet all flashed past in a dazzling display of handwork and creativity.

  Gigantic "Genghis Khan" fox hats, silken hoods, embroidered booties balanced on metal heels, and ostrich feather skirts added to the exotic panoply. And semi-precious stone jewellery in sapphire, emerald and crystal, was matched to every outfit.

  Oscar de la Renta's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 photos:

  

  

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Michael Kors's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  16 February 2011
  

  Michael Kors's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 - Michael Kors's Autumn Winter fashion trends 2011. Michael Kors celebrates his 30th anniversary of being in fashion in Hollywood style, at New York Fashion Week.

  Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones CBE attend the Michael Kors autumn/winter 2011 show

  The American jet-set designer, Michael Kors, celebrated his 30th anniversary in fashion at New York Fashion Week today in true Hollywood style.

  The award-winning actress and singer, Bette Midler, who was born in Honolulu, serenaded him backstage with "Happy Anniversary", accompanying herself on a Hawaiian ukelele.

  Catherine Zeta-Jones, in a black leather mini, joined the front row celebrities - including Anjelica Huston, Emma Roberts, and Debra Messing - with a tanned and exuberant husband, Michael Douglas, who has just recovered from throat cancer, looking every inch the 'silver fox', in a pewter cashmere sweater to match his hair.

  "Doesn't he look great," said Zeta-Jones, giving him a hug.

  Douglas himself was full of pride about his wife's CBE. The award was announced last year, in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, but Zeta-Jones has not been able to collect it until now, owing to her husband's cancer battle.

  The couple, together with a party of family members, are now looking forward to their visit to Buckingham Palace on February 24th, when Zeta-Jones will formally be presented with her CBE.

  "I'll be wearing Michael Kors," she said.

  The designer's autumn/winter 2011/2012 collection certainly provided plenty of luxurious inspiration for her visit to the palace.

  Paraded in rose-tone and 'bellini' pastels, lilac, wine and crimson, to an upbeat mix of Donna Summer and Odyssey's hit, "Native New Yorker", the clothes exemplified Kors's signature interpretation of the ultimate glamorous, de luxe wardrobe for the limousine lifestyle.

  "Thirty years of American luxury," said Kors. "A playback of 70's sporty decadence, 80's athleticism, 90's spare tailoring, and the sexy freedom of the 21st century. The whole look is long, lean and leggy."

  This translated as a fox shrug, poncho, or even a shoulder-bag, dyed to match everything from a leather mini to a plunge-front cashmere jumpsuit, or a satin shirt, slashed open to the waist, with a pencil skirt and over-the-knee crocodile boots, or beneath a scissored, flannel trouser suit.

  Evening wear was worked in see-through black silk chiffon, or in crystal and sequin-embellished silk jersey, with "goddess gowns", worn toga-style, over one shoulder, or draped, in the manner of a sarong, to one side, with a split from ankle to thigh.

  Kors, who has more than 60 stores worldwide, and a flagship boutique in London's New Bond Street, will open his first UK lifestyle boutique, in Regent Street, W1, early next month.

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Halston's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  16 February 2011
  

  Halston's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 - Halston's Autumn Winter fashion trends 2011: London-based Marios Schwab gets the disco vibe at Halston and names Kate Moss the 'ideal' 21st century 'Halstonette'.

   

  In his third season at the iconic American brand, Halston, the London-based Marios Schwab, is slotting in as easily as a celebrity slides into a VIP booth.

  He has captured that fluid, sensual mood that so marked the heady, hedonistic Halston-Studio 54 days, beloved of the original "Halstonettes", including Bianca Jagger, Liza Minelli and Jerry Hall. But he has updated the proportions to suit the style and attitude of a new generation.

  "I think Kate Moss would be my ideal Halstonette for the 21st Century," he said backstage last night, as he put the finishing touches to his autumn/winter 2011/12 collection.

  "She's electric," is the perfect phrase to sum up Schwab's look of modern night-time glamour. Fine silk lamés shimmered under the lights in a shadow play of violet, emerald and gold. One dress was hand-beaded in phosphorescent sequins which glowed in the dark. Multi-coloured Swarovski crystals gleamed on the bodices and belts of cocktail dresses, underneath a gossamer-fine 'veil' of black silk chiffon, or appeared as a shimmering "bra" beneath a one-shouldered, olive chiffon gown. And fine slivers of gold metal tethered the halter necks of draped, olive silk jersey jumpsuits and gowns.

  The sensuality of the soft, sinuous fabrics against the skin was emphasized with fine keyhole slits exposing the cleavage, in low-cut, cowled backs which revealed the spine, and in subtle cut-outs down the sides of the torso. The slinky sophistication was just as evident in the pieces for day: Mongolian lamb and rabbit vests in chocolate and olive, with matching, slightly flared jersey trousers; an alpaca coat, finished with fine leather blanket stitching and an ultra-deluxe, ivory cashmere, sleeveless jumpsuit, with matching, floor-length, sweeping cape.

  (telegraph fashion news)

• London Fashion Week 2011: the next-gen tribes

  
  16 February 2011
  

  London Fashion Week 2011: the next-gen tribes: The battle for best-in-show starts on London's catwalks on Friday. But the real contest is for supremacy in the runways' front rows. Emma Sibbles reports

  When London Fashion Week kicks off this Friday, all eyes will be on the catwalks as designers showcase the trends for autumn/winter 2011. But there's another show that's just as important to watch: the runway audience. With a seating plan, fashion's pecking order is laid bare, as magazine editors and traditional taste-makers battle to retain front-row supremacy among growing swathes of fashion bloggers and who-knows-whatters. Here's our who's-who guide to the fashion tribes at London Fashion Week -what they'll be wearing, who they'll be watching, and where to catch them après -show.

  

  The new establishment
  Move over Anna Wintour, there's a new queen bee of the front row. Pin-thin in skinny jeans and sharp-shouldered jacket, Emmanuelle Alt has just replaced Carine Roitfeld at the helm of Paris Vogue . Despite rumours of a rift between the two, Alt is of the same school: she's nailed the tousled-hair-tucked-into-coat-collar look, insouciant swagger and perma-pout of her predecessor. Right now, everyone in the fashion pack is looking to her lead.

  

  Flying the flag for British taste-makers are Kate Reardon, who has taken the top spot at Tatler , where royal wedding excitement is reaching a peak, and Shala Monroque, who's the focus at Pop magazine now that Dasha Zhukova has stepped down.

  On the more conservative side, Samantha Cameron and Anya Hindmarch have been given new roles as ambassador for Fashion Week and non-executive board director of the British Fashion Council, respectively. Expect Marks & Spencer mixed with Erdem.

  

  But groomed and polished New Yorkers will be putting up a fight. Amanda Brooks takes up the high-profile position of women's fashion director for Barneys, while Taylor Tomasi Hill, US Marie Claire 's accessories editor, works the downtown look to perfection. Julia Sarr-Jamois, the fashion editor of Wonderland , and Caroline Issa, publisher of Tank , are never knowingly under-dressed.

  In the front row at: Christopher Kane, Erdem, Burberry, Jaeger London, Jonathan Saunders.
  What they'll be wearing: Anything that screams "fresh off the catwalk". Think Jil Sander's bold colour maxi-skirts and white T-shirts, Prada's fur stole, Tom Ford's womenswear, wide-leg trousers, and anything by Erdem.
  The hang-out: The art-deco Beaufort Bar in the Savoy.
  Other tribe members: Freelance stylist Giovanna Battaglia, Anna Dello Russo.
  Catchphrase: "I'm still waiting for my new business cards to arrive."

  

  The celebrity front-rowers
  They may be gifted free clothes and have a stylist put their outfits together, but it's brutal for celebrity attendees. Not only do they have to look great, but worry about those camera flashes and having their seats stolen by children. Ten-year-old singer Willow Smith sat front-row at Dolce & Gabbana and Armani, while 12-year-old Elle Fanning (star of Sofia Coppola's Somewhere and little sister of Dakota) and 14-year-old True Grit star Hailee Steinfeld, who has already shown promise for wearing a striped Prada dress at the Sag Awards last month, are all hot on her heels.

  Other celebrities trying to steal the Geldof sisters' glory are Josephine de la Baume, the new face of Agent Provocateur and Mark Ronson's fiancée, while fashion-conscious musicians Jessie J, Anna Calvi (Karl Lagerfeld's favourite) and Tennessee Thomas, drummer with The Like, could also be star spots. As for the boys, we have the actors and former Burberry models Douglas Booth and Eddie Redmayne, who is reportedly dating Carey Mulligan.

  Ready for their close-ups at : Burberry, House of Holland, Julien Macdonald, Vivienne Westwood.
  What they'll be wearing: Look-at-me leather and lace jackets and skirts by Christopher Kane, Isabel Marant's leather trousers and Christian Louboutin's cork platforms.
  The hang-out : Bleach hair salon in Dalston, east London.
  Other tribe members: Georgia May Jagger, Lou Lesage, Tali Lennox, Claire Foy, Sam Riley.

  Catchphrase: "Peaches who?"

  The model army
  It's sadly no longer enough to be genetically blessed. To be a successful model now, you need a back-story. Take Arizona Muse, touted as the new Gisele, with her cropped bob and strong brows. No easy route into the industry for her: she fell pregnant after signing to Next model agency and took time out with her baby before returning to snag the YSL campaign, a Prada exclusive and the opening and closing slots at Miu Miu. Kind of a big deal.

  Not to be outdone, Dree Hemingway can boast that her great grandfather was author Ernest Hemingway. She's landed campaigns for Margaret Howell, Gucci, Jean Paul Gaultier and Chanel.

  No back-story? Keep things interesting. Texan Britt Maren took a leaf out of chameleon supermodel Linda Evangelista's book by cutting her hair short and bleaching it white-blonde for Balenciaga's spring/summer 2011 show, before changing to brunette for Alexander Wang last week.

  Topping them all is Andrej Pejic, the poster boy (or girl?) for androgyny, who's snapping at the heels of female models by taking their jobs. He closed Jean Paul Gaultier's couture show last month as the "bride" and booked men's and women's shows in New York last week.

  Strutting the runway for: Matthew Williamson, Antonio Berardi, Todd Lynn.
  What they'll be wearing: Skinny jeans, biker jackets, red lips, jewellery by Tom Binns and Pamela Love, and Chanel's Black Pearl nail varnish.
  The hang-out: Backstage at Somerset House.
  Other tribe members : Cara Delevingne, Ruby Aldridge, Daphne Groeneveld, Bambi Northwood-Blyth, Melodie Monrose, Xiao Wen.
  Catchphrase: "I've gone blonde but I'm going red next week."

  The young guns
  Fashion assistants are the people to watch if you want to know how to work the trends. Their below-par salaries and hunger for the new style result in unique looks. Pick their brains for insider knowledge and creative ways with the high street. Lucy Williams, fashion assistant at InStyle , ticks the trend boxes and adds a splash of the unexpected to ensure she never looks try-hard. Her US counterparts, Emily Weiss at US Vogue and Laurel Pantin at Teen Vogue , both have a knack with vintage and sample sale bargains. Being in their gang is about knowing 101 ways with a hat and forging relationships with up-and-coming designers, picking up future classics at a snip.

  In the fourth row at : Fashion East, Felicity Brown, Michael van der Ham, David Koma, Holly Fulton, Richard Nicoll.
  What they'll be wearing: Vintage dresses, fruit prints, cropped T-shirts, wide-brim hats, banana earrings and messy topknots - all at once. If the street-style photographers aren't snapping, your look isn't working.
  The hang-out: The Box in London's Soho, for risqué cabaret.
  Other tribe members: The fashion assistants at Vogue , Grazia , Love and Harper's Bazaar .
  Catchphrase: "Oh, I got this in a sample sale/vintage shop/little place in New York."

  The next-gen bloggers
  Now that Bryanboy, Garance Doré, Scott Schuman and Tavi Gevinson are safely ensconced on the front row, there's a new generation of style bloggers hoping to get their big break at Somerset House. They are aware of the lucrative power of blogs and are hoping to snag a runway-side spot. Of course, it helps if you have model looks: Bip Ling is a model and DJ who features bands, drawings and photos on her fashion blog. Tokyo-based street-fashion photographer Rei Shito looks as cool as her subjects, while Rumi Neely of Fashion Toast has enjoyed a number of collaborations (with clothing labels RVCA and Forever 21, and jewellery brand Dannijo).

  On the tweet beat at: House of Holland, Meadham Kirchhoff.
  What they'll be wearing: Chloé-inspired balletic skirts and flats, Jil Sander for Uniqlo separates and Rodarte hair barrettes.
  The hang-out: The Wyld bar at the new W hotel in Leicester Square.
  Other tribe members: Jess Dempsey, Vanessa Jackman.
  Catchphrase: "I'm designing and modelling, as well as doing my blog."

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Thom Browne's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  15 February 2011
  

  Thom Browne's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 -  Thom Browne's Autumn Winter fashion trends 2011: Thom Browne shows his first full womenswear collection at New York Fashion Week.

  

  Thom Browne, the critically-acclaimed and award-winning American menswear designer, launched his first full women's wear collection at New York Fashion Week yesterday.

  Browne, named CFDA's Menswear Designer of the Year in 2006, and who collaborates with Brooks Brothers, chose the august surroundings of the New York Public Library. His models first appeared as "nuns" in winged, white head-dresses and black habits. The regalia was then removed by a pair of "altar-boys", to reveal Browne's tailored approach to the female body. Suits, dresses and egg-shaped coats came in a medley of plaids, flannels, and vinyls, with an emphasis on a red,white, and blue palette.

  Thom Browne's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 photos:

  

  

  

  

  

  

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Donna Karan's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  15 February 2011
  

  Donna Karan's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 -  Donna Karan's Autumn Winter fashion trends 2011: At Donna Karan the clothes were soft, sensual, sophisticated and very, rich.At one point in Donna Karan's show, I was reminded of a futuristic Joan Crawford or Tallulah Bankhead, teleported into the 21st century. The clothes were the ultimate in uptown, big city glamour, totally designed with the "limousine lifestyle" in mind.

  

  Take pale shades of smoke-grey, powder-blush, parchment, and celadon, draped and cleaving to the body in finest silk jersey and stretch; add ropes of pearls (by Erickson Beamon) at the throat, suede gloves gauntleted in shearling, a film of matching chiffon working as a cowl, a hood or a floating scarf, a shearling stole tossed over a shoulder, silk-rib tights in barely-there hues, and fine-heeled pastel snakeskin and satin shoes: everything whispered: "I am rich, I am woman."

  Jewelled embroidery added extra sparkle on cashmere sweaters; sequins were strewn on luxurious tweeds; felted wool, shearling and peach-skin, slim-belted trench coats featured wide, fringed, "portrait" collars, open just enough to show the matching pearl necklaces, shimmering beneath.

  The evening gowns suggested the sensual allure of the Jean Harlow era, sculpted and swathed in iridescent chiffon and jersey-satins, and embroidered with beads, pearls, crystals and platinum sequins.

  Donna Karan's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 photos:

  

  

  

  

  (telegraph fashion news)

   

• Marc Jacobs's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  15 February 2011
  

  Marc Jacobs's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 -  Marc Jacobs's Autumn Winter fashion trends 2011: Marc Jacobs mastered the discipline of dressage in a polka dot parade, Strict, disciplined, uptight, buttoned-up, sombre; Marc Jacobs unleashed a Thesaurus of words to describe the polished, sharp severity of his new autumn/winter 2011 collection shown at New York Fashion Week.

  The show was staged on a tongue-in-cheek version of a "padded cell", with the models parading amidst quilted PVC columns - and there was every reason to suspect the frenetic American designer had gone quite dotty.

  Polka dots were the whimsical note to this exercise in crisp, couture-like tailoring, appearing on every conceivable fabric from latex and Lamé, to sequinned cashmere, cellophane, polyester, rubber and double-face crepe - not to mention the "cabuchon" spots on the pillbox hats, fastened with an organza chin-strap, the coin-spot faux-fur Peter Pan collar on a brown wool suit, and the Lurex socks, just visible above patent "diving boots" with a vast wedge heel.

  The collection was a complete turnaround from Jacobs' current girls-in-party-mode-on-the-town spring/summer collection, with its "falling-off dresses," as he termed them.

  "There's not a hint of flesh," he said backstage. "Everything is covered up from the neck, down to the gloved hands and the legs in hose and socks. I didn't want the girls to look anything like casual or sloppy."

  The key silhouette was a curved and rigorously-waisted peplum jacket, with rounded, raglan sleeves, often worn with a "schoolmarm" white shirt, buttoned tight, over a skintight, sequinned pencil skirt, covering the knees, or a mid-ankle, slim trouser, in shimmering Lamé. Double-breasted jackets, grazing the waist, were a nod to the scissored precision of military tailoring.

  Dresses had a slight Victoriana-meets-Louisa May Alcott feel - high-necked, with a lace or cellophane jabot, a hint of a leg-o-mutton sleeve, and a fit-and-flare flow down the body, even, just occasionally, the suggestion of a bustle, perked-out with ruffles of tulle. But when wrought in extravagant, almost see-through lace or appliquéd florals, the dresses resembled more the preferred garb of a risqué governess.

  Jacobs referred to the palette - burgundy, bottle-green, navy, brown, black - as being "quite dowdy". But the extravagant exuberance of the materials and the exquisite craftsmanship of the cut completely belied any suggestion of this. And the use of Marilyn Manson's thunderous "Beautiful People" anthem on the soundtrack elevated what could have been a nostalgic journey into a quick-march into the future.

  Marc Jacobs's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 photos:

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  (telegraph fashion news)

   

• Street style trends 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  14 February 2011
  

  Street style trends 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011, latest Street style 2011 : Straight from the streets of New York: view what the fashionistas wear to the shows. A sturdy Yves Saint Laurent bag completes this practical but chic catwalk-ready look.

  

  Street style trends 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 photos:

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Theyskens Theory's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  14 February 2011
  

  Theyskens Theory's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011, Latest Theyskens Theory's Autumn Winter trends 2011: Olivier Theyskens first full collection for Theory was a joy to behold at New York Fashion Week.

  

  Imagine a parade of instantly-covetable must-haves; a parade that just kept on coming, containing all those pieces you have searched for, but probably rarely found: clothes with that cool, contemporary, comfortable and sexy factor. Well, you don't need to imagine any more, because they do exist. Welcome back to the catwalk, Olivier Theyskens!

  Your first full collection for Theory was a joy to behold. After stints at Rochas and Nina Ricci that never quite seemed to cleave totally to the young Belgian's aesthetic, Theyskens Theory is brilliantly in step with what modern women want in a wardrobe. Just to pick a few items: crunchy cable knits in wine or grey, micro-print chiffon maxis and shirtwaists, superbly-tailored long 'monk' coats with slashed open seams, big-sleeved kimono-jackets, man-tailored, loose blazers over crunchy gauze minis, low-slung, polished denim 'bags' and hot-pants, slouchy trousers narrowing to the ankle, cuffed and with pockets.

  The contemporary mood of the pieces was spiked with occasional gothic references, as in long, sheer black chiffon, dropped waist dresses, architecturally-built 'ball' gowns, and a long black leather slash-hem maxi teamed with a mink pom- pom and tail bolero. The colour palette centred on an urban street mix of charcoal, grey, black, smoke, pewter and khaki, with occasional bolts of deep wine, moss-green and even a candy pink. The fabrics ranged from velvet and velveteen, to salt-and-pepper tweeds, lightweight wools, sheer chiffon and nylon, to highly-technical lacquered silks.

  The mix, an emotional Theyskens said after the show, was to spotlight the contrast between raw-rustic and sleek-urban. "It's very accessible," he said. "I've been so thrilled with the reaction so far (to his first capsule range for spring/summer), "and this is the direction I want to go. It's been 15 years and I'm doing it! I'm so happy. You know I made no drawings, I just draped and worked and I could see everything as separates; separates that come together to make a wardrobe that girls and women will want to wear."

  Surely something in there too for Madonna, for whom Theyskens designed that daffodil-yellow gothic queen gown for the MTV Awards all those years ago.

   Theyskens Theory's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 photos:

  

  

  

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Carolina Herrera's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  14 February 2011
  

  Carolina Herrera's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011, Latest Carolina Herrera's Autumn Winter trends 2011: Caroline Herrera designs clothing for 'real women' at New York Fashion Week.

  

  Her designs may have been worn on the catwalk by willowy 6-foot teenagers, at New York Fashion Week, but the designer, Carolina Herrera, was in no doubt about just who they were really designed for: "Real" women. And to emphasize the point, one of her favourite customers, the award-winning 'Mad Men' actress, Christina Hendricks, was sitting in the front row, radiantly real - and exuberantly curvaceous.

  "I don't get my inspiration from books or a painting. I get it from the women I meet," said the Venezuelan-born designer who was one of the late Jackie Kennedy Onassis's favourites, and whose celebrity client list today includes everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Renee Zellweger, Amy Adams, and Blake Lively.

  As a long-standing fixture on the best-dressed lists herself, Carolina Herrera knows exactly how to deliver the look of rich-luxe. Her autumn/winter 2011/12 collection focussed on statement pieces such as the sequinned cashmere sweater, worn with a grey flannel "winged" skirt, an amethyst wool pencil-dress with a velvet belt, a red caped jacket and pencil skirt, flamboyantly accessorised with a rust velvet belt and embroidered, gauntlet gloves, or a slim, feather-print silk dress with an amethyst-dyed mink muffler knotted nonchalantly at the neck.

  Red carpet or grand gala-worthy gowns, where she allowed her Latino heritage full rein, came in vibrant shades of turquoise, gold, purple and primrose, some with extravagant, pleated bustled trains, to guarantee a Grand Exit as well as a Great Entrance.

  Carolina Herrera's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 photos:

  

  

  

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Fashion news: Baftas 2011 fashion Red carpet hits and misses

  
  14 February 2011
  

  Fashion news: Baftas 2011 fashion Red carpet hits and misses: The 2011 Baftas were a tale of experience vs youth in the fashion stakes.

  

  Tom-Ford-Julianna-Moore-at-the-2011-Baftas-fashion

  The 2011 Baftas were never quite going to match up to the Oscars or the Golden Globes when it came to drawing Hollywood's megastars. Very few were actually nominated this year, plus tonight's guest list was in direct competition with both the Grammy Awards and New York Fashion Week. But the up side to having no Angelina Jolie on the red carpet, is that the playing field was levelled when it came to winning fashion approval - or in film parlance: it was a great ensemble piece.

  In an age where we're so used to hearing actresses of a certain age complain there are no great film roles for women over 40, the good news is that three of tonight's best-dressed women were over 50.

  First up was The Kids Are All Right star Julianne Moore, who was Tom Ford's date for the night, so no surprise she was wearing one of his designs. Her strapless midnight blue velvet gown, which featured a big satin bow at the back, was perfectly accessorised by her old-Hollywood hair and scarlet lips. When you've got Tom Ford batting for your team, you already have an unfair advantage, but it really should be a crime to look this good at 50.

  Moore's co-star, 52 year-old Annette Bening, meanwhile, looked like a winner on the red carpet, even though she was later beaten to the best actress award by an absent Natalie Portman. Her stunning white embellished asymmetric gown was punctuated with a slick of red lipstick, a matching manicure and a youthful glow.

  Tilda Swinton, 50, whose film I Am Love missed out on the best foreign language award bent the red carpet rules, as usual, in a striking Haider Ackerman black tuxedo trouser suit, with champagne satin lapels that perfectly matched her hair.

  The 40-somethings were also stylistically well represented with Thandie Newton's bold and beautiful pink, rose print Monique Lhuillier gown brightening up the red carpet, whilst best supporting actress winner Helena Bonham Carter more than made up for her Golden Globes mauling from many of the fashion press (not us, I hasten to add), in safe-but-sexy black Vivienne Westwood dress and polka-dot bolero jacket. Let's hope she hasn't peaked too early in the season - with the Oscars just around the corner there's still time for another clanger (we're rooting for you Helena).

  On the other end of the age spectrum, 14 year-old True Grit star Hailee Steinfeld clocked-up yet another red carpet perfect 10 in a stunning embellished Miu Miu dress with this season's hottest hem-length: the midi. Her sleek bun, and Jimmy Choo shoes completed a flawless finish. Close behind her was 20 year-old Emma Watson, whose oyster asymmetric ruffle trimmed, devoré Valentino gown was a major crowd-pleaser - although I think she could benefit from some deportment training to stop her looking like an awkward teenager. Perhaps Easy A actress Emma Stone, who was nominated for the Orange Rising Star Award, could help her out. Fresh from filming the latest Spiderman instalment, she managed to pull-off mature sophistication, while still looking her tender 22 years in a striking asymmetric Celiné gown.

  Other notable success stories were Gemma Arterton's black strapless YSL gown with giant blue bow detail; Jessica Alba's royal blue Versace dress; Amy Adams' perfect peach, embellished Elie Saab gown; and Bond girls Eva Green and Rosamund Pike in demure, black Tom Ford, and saffron chiffon printed Alexander McQueen respectively.

  My one-to-watch award goes to young actress Felicity Jones who looked cute in vintage Chanel and sparkly Jimmy Choo sandals; while the award for most dutiful wife who managed to look stylish and glamorous whilst in no way detracting from the man of the hour, goes to green carpet queen Livia Firth in her Nina Scardia gown.

  So, who made a boo-boo on the big night? Surprisingly few, to be honest. If you take out the easy targets like Jane Goldman (note to Jane: Rihanna wants her hair back), Sarah Harding (too much tangerine tan and a triple-whammy of peroxide hair, red lips and mega-watt false eyelashes), and Minnie Driver (where did it all go so wrong?), there were only a few disappointments, and they were so borderline I feel bad even mentioning them. Still, duty calls…

  Winter's Bone star Jennifer Lawrence had a beautiful Stella McCartney dress that just didn't seem to fit right. On the red carpet I kept wanting to hoist it up three or four inches, though to be fair, by the time she came on stage to present an award, she had obviously clocked her reflection and the effect was much more pleasing.

  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo star Noomi Rapace, meanwhile, looked like a Vegas showgirl in a heavily embellished - and totally OTT - gold Givenchy haute couture dress. The dress itself was a work of art, just deafeningly loud.

  Natasha McElhorne suffered the same fate in her frothy Escada dress. Again, not a horror, but such showy gowns always go down better at the Oscars than on a rainy night in London.

  (telegraph fashion news)

• DKNY's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  14 February 2011
  

  DKNY's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011, latest DKNY'sAutumn Winter fashion trends 2011: Donna Karan played with graphics in a slick collection of sporty, uptown separates for her younger DKNY line at New York Fashion Week today.

  Boy-jackets and "Teddy Boy" coats came in intersecting panels of cream and black or navy and black. Slinky knits and sweater dresses wee in eye-popping stripes of red and black or red and pink. A maxi dress, fully Sunray-pleated from neck to ankle, was in contrast segments of sugar-pink, tan, black, and powder.

  

  An alternative to the coat or jacket was the cape, seen in short, grazing-the -waist lengths or well below the knee. The interplay of line and hue encompassed tweedy coats with knitted sleeves, and red tweed bombers with different-hued, fleck tweed minis or skirts. Offbeat colour combinations included mustard and red, or tan and pink.

  The graphics concept extended to the stack-heeled Mary Janes in suede and leather, with a fine stripe of silver or gold mark the outline of the shoe.

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Preen's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  14 February 2011
  

  Preen's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011, latest Autumn Winter fashion trends 2011: The cult British label, Preen, founded by Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi, took a step into new territory with the autumn/winter 2011/12 collection shown at New York Fashion Week today.

  Replacing the somewhat pared-down, plain-toned minimalist silhouette with rock and grunge overtones, was a sleek, sexy, stylish adventure in fashion that was bold and exciting. Embroidery, beading, appliques, bling-bling metalwork, tapestry effects, and stained glass-coloured geometric prints all played a part in creating this 21st century Preen makeover.

  Justin Thornton called Preen's new look a mix of Arts and Crafts-meets-sci-fi. "There's a hint of Diana Vreeland mixed with 'Tron' in there, " he said.There was also a 1940's look in the slim, long silhouettes based on high-necked, belted blouses and three-quarter skirts. But any suggestion of demure-mode or primness was cancelled out in the vivid colours - violet, purple, orange - and the fact all the skirts were wrap-over or split part-way to the thigh.

  The mixicology also included geo-knit Scottish cashmere sweaters and twinsets paired with the same print on silky-satin skirts. The couple played with illusion, slipping a contrast-toned, short mini-peplum over a mid-calf midi, or showing a blouse and skirt which in fact was a dress.

  Heavy metal work in silver - hand-embroidered in India - detailed black silk blouses worn with tailored black trousers, or else encrusted tunic-style dresses with blouson backs.

  Preen's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 photos:

  

  

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Fashion news 2011: Gemma Arterton on being the new face of G-Star

  
  14 February 2011
  

  Fashion news 2011: Gemma Arterton on being the new face of G-Star: The British actress talks about her latest fashionable role, and why she would never wear hot pants again.

  

  The BAFTA-nominated British actress Gemma Arterton has become the new "face" of the radical denim brand, G-Star.

  "I'm the face, the body, the legs, the whole package," she said yesterday as she showed off a pair of dark denim skinny jeans and a tight-fitting navy leather jacket from the new autumn/winter collection which was unveiled at New York Fashion Week last night.

  "I love jeans, just give me a pair of tight jeans and some heels and I'm happy. I'd wear jeans on the red carpet if I could."

  Much as she loves denim, the actress, who is one of the contenders for the BAFTA rising star award, said she would never ever again wear a pair of hot pants as brief and revealing as those she wore as the star of Tamara Drewe . "They were REALLY short."

  Later, Ms Arterton joined front row stars including the actors Alan Cuming, Jared Leto and Mena Suvari at the G-Star Raw autumn/winter presentation. The collection was a futuristic moto-cross version of denim and leather with Mad Max overtones. Life vest style jackets and tailcoats topped baggy and skinny jeans in a dark, dirty denim, many cut in the new 'arc' shape, curved to flatter the legs. The look was tough and streetwise, including a neo geo-camouflage print, khaki serge battledress jackets and asymmetric maxi skirts.

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Victoria Beckham's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  14 February 2011
  

  Victoria Beckham's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011: Beckham presented the 100th dress she has designed, and introduced her first shoe collaboration with Christian Louboutin.

  Before introducing each of the 29 pieces for next autumn/winter, as is her signature, she said: "I'm miked-up, but I'm not going to sing, so it's all good."

  Wearing a loose beige cashmere "sack" dress with a built-in scarf, she laughed:"This is the only thing in the new collection that fits me. When I started designing the collection I didn't know I was pregnant."

  The collection was a bold and colourful departure from her recognised hug-the-body silhouette. She introduced a vibrant coat in scarlet which she called "Little Red Riding Hood"; a new looser silhouette - "so women can be stylish and comfortable"; hooded "nomad" dresses in magenta; and a flattering flurry of pleats in metallic chiffon and jacquard for day and evening.

  The clothes were accessorised with knee-high boots and shoes designed in collaboration with Christian Louboutin, another first.

  The collection included Number 100, literally the 100th dress she has designed, which was a striking saffron, fitted dress with her signature zip snaking down the spine.

  "I can't wait to fit into all these again," she said.

  Mrs Beckham denied various reports which have claimed she is expecting a much-longed-for daughter. "I don't know whether it's a boy or a girl. I knew with the three boys, but this time I wanted it to be a surprise."

  The former Posh Spice, and wife of David Beckham, who is expecting the couple's fourth child at the end of June, has enjoyed a spectacular rise to fashion stardom in a little over two years.

  Her fashion collection, produced in partnership with the showbiz entrepreneur, Simon Fuller, has become a favourite choice of Hollywood celebrities.

  Stars who have recently worn her designs on the red carpet include Gwyneth Paltrow, Blake Lively, Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, Trudie Styler and Elle Macpherson.

  Victoria Beckham's new collection Autumn Winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 Photos:

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  (telegraph fashion news)

   

• Rag & Bone autumn winter collection 2011 New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  12 February 2011
  

  Rag & Bone autumn winter collection 2011 New York Fashion Week 2011: The British Rag & Bone boys are making a hit in America.

  When British schoolboys, Marcus Wainwright and David Neville, met at boarding school at historic Wellington College in Berkshire, twenty years ago, they little suspected that one day they would be heading up one of New York Fashion Week's most sought-after street-style labels.

  Yet the two friends who went on to, briefly, tread the Establishment path as a telecoms consultant (Wainwright) and a banker (Neville), are today the heads of Rag & Bone, a major denim-based US fashion brand with a celebrity following that includes Angelina Jolie, Sienna Miller, Keira Knightley, Rihanna, Cameron Diaz and Blake Lively.

  It's a long story; it all started with a girl," says Wainwright, who is married to the supermodel, Glenna Neece.

  "It's basically about two straight guys who love fashion," adds Neville, whose wife is the celebrity make-up artist, Gucci Westman.

  The pair established Rag & Bone in 2002 with two distinct aims: Wainwright wanted to find the perfect pair of jeans, and Neville, bored with banking, was fascinated by the idea of building a brand. "Plus, it meant we could make the clothes we wanted to wear ourselves," Wainwright adds.

  Initially, they settled on factories in Kentucky where they found machinists in old factories who adhered to the time-honoured techniques of quality and craftsmanship both had become accustomed to through exposure to British tailoring traditions.

  "To begin with, it was the search to find the perfect pair of jeans," Wainwright says, "and it just grew."

  Today, Rag & Bone boasts sales in more than 400 outlets around the world, with five stores in the US and one in Tokyo, and a buzzing design headquarters in Manhattan's meatpacking District staffed by 100 fashion-fuelled assistants from 25 different countries.

  "The energy is simply amazing in New York; anything is possible. I don't think we could have had the same success in England. We tried to do it in London, but it's like the rag trade district doesn't really exist any more. But we do want to do more in the UK. We'd like to open a store in London."

  Rag & Bone's new collection certainly pays homage to both their British roots and their global growth.

  Working from an initial inspiration of the Arctic Circle, together with the Inuit approach to a survival-instinct dress code, mixed with military influences from their days at Wellington College, and a hint of punk-meets-Braveheart references the Rag & Bone boys have created a collection for next autumn/winter which is a joyous celebration of individual style; louche but not luxurious.

  Sheepskin, tartan and tweed are patchworked into an energetic look that is sporty, streetwise and defiantly young.

  British style icon, Alexa Chung, who is a long-term fan of Rag & Bone's clothes and was in the front row, summed it up when she said that their designs appealed to her "tomboy" instincts, "plus, they don't try too hard, which is appealing."

  Rag & Bone autumn winter collection 2011 New York Fashion Week 2011 Photos:

  

  

  

  

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Kate Moss launches Far Away collection 2011 for Longchamp

  
  12 February 2011
  

  Kate Moss launches Far Away collection 2011 for Longchamp: Kate Moss launches her third collection for luxury leathergoods company, Longchamp.

  Supermodel, designer and businesswoman, Kate Moss, has released her third collection for luxury leather company, Longchamp.

  Inspired by a trip to Peru with her long-time friend, fashion photographer Mario Testino, the 'Far Away' collection is made up of striped canvas totes, straw-printed leather 'basket bags' and calfskin duffles, shoppers and military-style satchels, and is designed to bridge the beach-to-chic gap when on your travels this summer.

  Shot in Morocco by Alasdair McLellan, and styled by Katy England, the latest lookbook shows a super-blonde Moss draped languidly in cream hammocks and over beaded cushions in a 1960s style sun-soaked shoot. Teaming her collection with high-waisted flares, micro-mini dresses and reams of ethnic jewellery, the collection will nestle in nicely with spring/summer 2011's retro trends, and keep Kate Moss, as usual, firmly ahead of the fashion game.

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Jason Wu autumn winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011

  
  12 February 2011
  

  Jason Wu autumn winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011: At Jason Wu autumn winter collection at New York Fashion Week today, he paid tribute to Michelle Obama for being "a fan" and giving him world-wide exposure.

  "She is giving hope to so many young designers like me; it is very exciting."

  Since the white lace gown Mrs Obama wore for the Inaugural Ball just two years ago, made him a global star overnight, Wu, 27, has built his label into a luxury brand sold in 130 stores around the world, and has launched twice-yearly collections of handbags and shoes, in addition to his ready-to-wear and resort lines.

  The next step, he says, will be to open his own flagship store in New York.

  Wu says he has been inspired by the forthcoming Royal Wedding and believes Catherine Middleton will choose a bridal gown that is "sleek, beautiful and young. I think everyone is excited about it. She's a beautiful young girl and it marks a new era."

  Wu's new collection for next autumn/winter also had a 'royal' theme, and was based on the architectural splendour and 'decadent glamour' of the Palace of Versailles.

  He showed baroque embellishment, gilded embroideries, more than 15 different types of lace, and crystal beading on everything from felted-wool, drawstring parkas, boyish tuxedo-trouser suits, and sweatshirt-tops, to extravagant long gowns worthy of a State Dinner at the White House, accessorized with lace masks.

  The gilded motif extended to snub-toed platform shoes finished with a heel crafted from shards of gold metal which were reflected in the catwalk made up of dozens of gilt-framed mirrors.

  Jason Wu autumn winter 2011 at New York Fashion Week 2011 photos:

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Lady Gaga with latest fashion style 2011

  
  10 February 2011
  

  Lady Gaga with latest fashion style 2011: Lady Gaga in the pink for her first American Vogue magazine cover, Lady Gaga wearing Alexander McQueen in the March issue of American Vogue.

  

  The cover of US Vogue is the most coveted prize in fashion. It means that you have the approval of the most powerful figure in the industry: Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief.

  This morning, the March issue of the style bible was officially released, which sees Lady Gaga anointed as Wintour's 'chosen one'.

  The avant-garde pop star and fashion muse was photographed by Mario Testino. On the cover she wears a blush-toned silk kimono robe by designer Haider Ackermann. The accompanying interview, for which writer Jonathan Van Meter accompanied Gaga on tour, speaks of the star being committed to the outrageous. So, it will come as no surprise to British fashion observers that it was the London designers who accepted her with open arms first.

  Van Meter writes: "The fashion world sees something more precise: the influence of a very specific tribe of English eccentrics - Leigh Bowery, Isabella Blow, et al. 'The fashion community in general got me much earlier than everyone else,' [Gaga] says. 'But actually, I felt truly embraced by this London cultural movement, that McQueen, Isabella [Blow], Daphne Guinness wing of the English crowd. I remember when I first started doing photo shoots, people would say, 'My God, you look so much like Isabella Blow, it scares me.' And McQueen used to say, 'Oh, my God, your boobs!... Even your boobs are like hers!'"

  When Van Meter first meets the star she is wearing "a slinky black-and-white striped dress-a gown, really-with a four-foot train and shoes that-do I even need mention?- make her feet look as if they are screwed on backward. The heels bring her nearly up to my height of six feet. (She is five feet one.) She has a Bride of Frankenstein up-do, with a brooch perched on top."

  Yet Gaga has honed a regal and refined disposition: "Lady Gaga may be behaving as if she were a member of Marie Antoinette's coterie-the powdered wig, the binding costume, the impeccable courtliness."

  Lady Gaga with latest fashion style 2011  photos:

  

  

  

  

  (telegraph fashion news)

• Carine and Julia Roitfeld with new style wears dresses 2011

  
  10 February 2011
  

  Carine and Julia Roitfeld with new style wears dresses 2011: Carine Roitfeld wears Givenchy haute couture, daughter Julia Restoin Roitfeld wears spring/summer 2011 Louis Vuitton.

  Ah, Carine and Julia. Not since Little Edie and Big Edie has there been a more fabulous mother and daughter style statement.

  Last night at the amfAR New York Gala to kick off autumn/winter 2011 fashion week (and all of those to come over the next month), the 56-year-old ex Vogue Paris editor and her 30-year-old art director daughter - both muses to Tom Ford - perfectly complimented each other. Black and white, youthful and mature, Julia is all va-va-voom vixen in Vuitton, while Carine is the sexy archangel of Givenchy haute couture

  Even in straight-from-the-catwalk looks, Roitfeld maman and fille couldn't look less like mannequins. Not to cast aspersions on their doubtless taint-free characters, but with all ze messy hair and ze boobies they come across so lovely and louche, don't they?

  There's an accessory the Roitfelds always turn up with and it transforms everything they wear into an instant classic. It's called sex appeal and, baby, it ain't never gonna go out of style...

  (telegraph fashion news)