Vera Wang Charges Customers Try-On Fee

VERA WANG has started charging shoppers at the label's new Shanghai bridal store a fee for trying on gowns. Customers are required to pay 3,000 yuan (£317.70) for a 90-minute time slot. 

If a purchase is made the cost will be deducted from the final price, but it is otherwise non-refundable. The boutique, situated in the Huangpu district, showcases around 80 dresses priced between 30,000 yuan (£3,177), to 300,000 yuan (£31,770).

The Global Times reports that the policy aims to "protect the copyright of the designer", as a statement from the company read. Photos are also forbidden.

The luxury label has become a popular choice with many high-profile brides-to-be, with Victoria Beckham and Kate Hudson both having worn the brand's gowns for their respective nuptials.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 ELLA ALEXANDER |  25 MARCH 2013  |  Article Link 

Beyoncé For H&M Confirmed

BEYONCÉ KNOWLES has partnered with H&M for summer. The singer stars in the Swedish retailer's new campaign, modelling pieces inspired by her individual style. The singer also gave "personal input on the pieces seen in the campaign", confirmed a representative for the brand. 

The print and billboard images - which see her reclining on beach sun lounger and posing in swimwear by the sea - were shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin in the Bahamas earlier this year. The adverts will introduce the star: "Beyoncé as Mrs Carter in H&M" - tying in with the name of her upcoming world tour.

"I've always liked H&M's focus on fun affordable fashion. I really loved the concept we collaborated on to explore the different emotions of women represented by the four elements - fire, water, earth and wind," said Knowles. "It was a beautiful shoot on a tropical island. It felt more like making a video than a commercial."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 SARAH KARMALI |  21 MARCH 2013  |  Article Link 

Mila Kunis On Endorsing Brands She Believes In

MILA KUNIS only ever wants to work with brands and companies that she truly believes in. The actress, who is the new face of ethical coloured gemstone specialists Gemfields, says that endorsing a product that you don't believe in is "the hardest job in the world".

The 29-year-old was announced as the jewellery company's spokesperson earlier this year, after she was approached by CEO Ian Harebottle. Despite not looking to endorse anything at the time, the actress agreed to commit after "falling in love with the people" that work at the family-run company.

"There's a difference being part of a family-owned company and being part of a conglomerate - you feel as though you're a part of something, and you don't work for them, you work with them," she told us. "You don't want to endorse something that you don't believe in. I've done that before and it's just one of the hardest jobs to do. Why do it? I believe in this company and I believe in what they stand for. Lesson learned, absolutely."

The Oz The Great And Powerful actress - who has previously starred in campaigns for the likes of Dior and Gap - confessed that she felt less pressure working with a smaller and more tight-knit company like Gemfields.

"Pressure gets taken off you if they trust you and you trust them - then you're able to play around a bit and have some fun. I think pressure gets put on when there's a nervousness about where you stand and what you do and who's the boss," she said. "That's when things become a little uneven. I think when you have the same goal, you want to achieve it and make each other proud and happy."

Kunis admits that she waited until she was able to ensure that Gemfields was a transparent and ethically inclined company before signing up to work with them - and has since paid a visit to their mines in Zambia.

"That was absolutely the most important thing. Anything that has to do with stones I think you want to be a little cautious about," she said. "They opened their doors wide and just said,'Go ahead'. It was great. They've been so great at letting me be a part of anything and everything I've been able to. I chose them in the same way that they chose me and I have honestly never worked for a better company."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

 SARAH KARMALI |  19 MARCH 2013  |  Article Link 

Harrods Partners With Dior On Store Takeover

HARRODS is partnering with Christian Dior on a huge-scale store takeover this spring. The famed department store will become a tribute to the French fashion house - featuring never-before-seen exhibitions, displays and in-store activity.

The Brompton Road store windows will be transformed by Dior's instantly recognisable colour scheme of grey and white - with the theme a blend of "French Savior Fair and British charm". Iconic London post boxes and telephone boxes will feature prominently, featuring a series of exclusive limited edition Dior products and silhouette cut-outs, while Royal Beefeaters will wear costumes designed by the house's creative director, Raf Simons.

"Like the house of Dior, Harrods is reputed for astounding and satisfying its elegant women all over the world," said Sidney Toledano, president and CEO of Christian Dior. "The inspired collaboration with Harrods not only draws attention to Monsieur Dior's relationship with the fabled department store but also affirms the house of Dior's continued high standards via creation and discernment."

Inside the store, and Harrods' fourth floor will become "the ultimate Dior experience". Visitors will first come face-to-face with a reconstruction of the façade of 30 Avenue Montaigne - the famous Paris Dior headquarters - before exploring a host of different displays; focusing on everything from the house's Lady Dior handbag to its instantly recognisable scent, J'Adore.

Sketches and mini-mannequins help bring past looks to life, while the Stars in Dior installation features the actual dresses worn by famous faces including Emma Watson, Marion Cotillard and most recently, Jennifer Lawrence. Finally, the Café Dior pop-up restaurant will serve a host of dishes to reflect Monsieur Dior's love of good food - from lobster club sandwiches to Dior cupcakes.

"Our archive team at Harrods unearthed wonderful images of Christian Dior visiting Harrods in the Fifties and this is a beautiful part of the exhibition. Equally stunning dresses worn by the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Princess Margaret and Lady Diana alongside contemporary designs by Raf Simons are a real highlight," said Marigay McKee, chief merchant at Harrods. "The Dior at Harrods windows will also highlight exclusive product created especially for the collaboration, in a truly inspirational presentation which celebrates Dior's love of London. We hope our customers will experience a fascinating journey through the store, unveiling intricate details of Dior's rich heritage and that they will be inspired and delighted by the collaboration."

The Harrods Dior takeover will run from March 16 to April 14, 2013. See a preview of the exclsuive products on offer in the gallery feaured left.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
SARAH KARMALI |  12 MARCH 2013  |  Article Link 

Exclusive: Celia Birtwell For Uniqlo Collection Revealed

UNIQLO has unveiled the fruits of its long-awaited Celia Birtwell collection for the first time today, ahead of the official launch on March 21. From dresses and cropped trousers to shorts and scarves, the range comes covered in the famed British designer's whimsical and witty prints.

"Uniqlo has grown over the years for me," Birtwell told us of her decision to work with the Japanese high street label. "I've always thought that they are very good at doing men's basics and at designing simple shapes. We had a very peaceful initial meeting, which was very appealing. I did think though, 'They could really do with a good print.' And that's how it began."

Uniqlo first became interested in Birtwell after seeing her Topshop collaboration, which first launched in 2006. The collection started out as solely T-shirts, but soon led to a larger-scale project.

"I showed them my archive and a selection of new designs and we went from there," said Birtwell. "Uniqlo were charming people to work with and had very sympathetic take on print. I like to amuse myself with my prints and they were receptive to that."

 Birtwell first became widely-known in the Sixties, when she worked with then-husband Ossie Clark as a textiles designer - together dressing some of the decade's most famous, from the Rolling Stones and Jimmy Hendrix to Twiggy and Marianne Faithful. She hopes that her Uniqlo range will bring her work to a new audience.

"It's very young and fresh," she said. "There's an accent of youth and something for every generation. There's understated prints and bolder ones, I hope it will cater for a broad range of people, in the same way my Topshop line did."

The project is also in keeping with what Birtwell sees as one of the most appealing aspects of Sixties style and fashion - low prices.

"Fashion is such a big business now," she said. "There was a real innocence about it then and an element of post-war austerity. No one would have paid £1,000 for a bag. It was much more democratic - things had to be affordable."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
ELLA ALEXANDER |  11 MARCH 2013  |  Article Link 

The GREAT WHITE!!

Great White........ in GAP!

Transforming Experiences

PARIS — “Disembodiment,” said Hussein Chalayan backstage, competing with the other single word printed on his program: “Rise.”

In his many shows, the designer has turned complexity into an art form. But this time he made things appear simple and it produced a powerful collection.

Even those “tricks” from Chalayan legend — the tables turning into dresses, for example — were transformed in the show Friday into a simple and beautiful gesture: a model walking toward the camera in a short, draped dress, and then pulling at the silk at the neck until it flowed over into a long dress. No gimmicks. Just lovely either way.

It is tough to be a visionary when “next” is translated into a fast-fashion parade. But with this show Mr. Chalayan reached a goal that has so often escaped him: a modern wardrobe of interesting clothes but simple, sporty jackets and pants.

As one of the first designers to bring high tech to high fashion, he also knows when to back-off. The digital prints were all the more effective for being sparse and often seeming to blend with the swirling digital backdrop. Every single piece of clothing seemed a desirable fashion offering connected to the real world.

“She’s the Parisian woman,” announced Roland Mouret, referring to that legendary creature’s smoky hose and favored black, white and animal prints — and using her as a showcase for his new range of handbags.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUZY MENKES | March 1, 2013 | Read More. Article Link

Terry De Havilland To Open London Store

TERRY DE HAVILLAND will open a pop-up store off Carnaby Street in the Newburgh Quarter in April. The boutique is the footwear designer's first standalone retail space since he closed the doors to his renowned Cobblers to the World shop in 1979. Fans of the label include David Bowie, Bianca Jagger and Kate Moss.

"I'm thrilled to be opening a shop in the Newburgh Quarter," said de Havilland. "It's an area that epitomises the spirit of London style and I can't think of a more perfect place to be.  It's been over 30 years since I last had a flagship store and I can't wait to show it off."

The store will remain open until mid-July and will sell styles spanning de Havilland's six-decade-long career - from bespoke platform wedges featuring psychedelic prints to mixed metallic Seventies sandals. The interior - to be created by Harper Downie architecture firm creative director Graham Erickson - will be inspired by the silver décor of Andy Warhol's New York factory.

"I've got plenty of surprises up my sleeve, including a small range of designs that are being made right here in London," added de Havilland. "It's the start of a whole new chapter for me - bring it on!"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

ELLA ALEXANDER | February 28, 2013 | Article Link

Manolo Blahnik Open To High Street Collaboration

MANOLO BLAHNIK would be open to the idea of collaborating with a high street store - providing that the project was "something exciting." 

"If someone asked me to do high street and I really liked it, then why not?" he told us. "But it would have to be a challenge, I don't just want to do it for commerce or for business, I've never really been into money that way. But if it was something exciting and I could really collaborate with someone marvellous then yes, of course."

Blahnik has famously worked with some of the biggest names in the industry - most recently creating the catwalk shoes for Victoria Beckham's latest New York Fashion Week shows.

"She's a dream to work with. I love people who really work, and she does. She works like she's possessed," he said of Beckham. "It's really incredible and she's really exciting to work with. And it's good that she's in England now of course. Everybody should move to England!"

A firm fan of Great Britain (his home has been Bath now for many years), the Spanish-born Blahnik is an untiring advocate of our home-grown talent - and in particular, a fan of the 2013 CDFA/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund winner and fellow footwear designer, Nicholas Kirkwood.

"I like what he does very, very much and he was very kind to me - last year, I was in New York and someone came up to me and said: 'You must meet this boy, he says you are the reason he is doing shoes', and I thought, how flattering," explained Blahnik. "He has a real vision of himself. There are so many youngsters emerging that don't yet have their own personality - they're too young to be fully formed - but he's got this incredible thread of thought."

Another designer that he is an open supporter of is John Galliano. The two have been friends for many years, with Blahnik one of the few to speak out in support of him following the Dior dismissal.

"I adore John, and I think whatever he does is great," he said. "He is just brilliant. He can do whatever he wants to do now - whatever he ends up doing will be fantastic, he's always so full of creativity. Unfortunately this has been a bad period of his life and he's not been well, but he'll always come up with something extraordinary."

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

SARAH KARMALI | February 27, 2013 | Article Link

Tasting Freedom at Dior and Lanvin

When LVMH was searching for a designer for its Dior brand, Raf Simons looked as if he might be the last boy at the dance. Other names were always mentioned first. But within a year he has transformed Dior and, in a way, fashion.

His boss, Sidney Toledano, the president of Dior, perhaps described the Raf effect best. Standing in a room filled with giant Mylar capsules, which reflected the designer’s interest in all things modern, Mr. Toledano said that Mr. Simons has brought depth and a sense of curiosity to the company. “We discover new things with him,” the executive said. “This is good. I am young again.”

To that encomium, Mr. Simons might add a sense of fun.

This collection showed him in an incredibly free state of mind as he reinterpreted a houndstooth pattern that first looked modern when Christian Dior used it in 1948. He added graphic elements in the form of striking knit dresses or early Warhol shoe illustrations (on bags and embroideries), and sought other connections with the couturier, like Dior’s love of Surrealism.

For Mr. Simons, who favors midcentury art, the process was one of juxtaposing ideas rather than seeking perfect matches. “In the end, it’s all personal feelings,” he said.

Personal or not, it was abundantly clear what Mr. Simons was up to with this show, even if it at times the pieces seemed to hover as an impression. He was trying to recreate the realities of having strong sensitivities — in the crashing of a black skirt through the opening of an elegant red coat, in the amount of asymmetry and in the varied silhouettes. A recording by Laurie Anderson of a visit to a West Village vet to see why her dog was so fat played for much of the show. That neurotic patter, against the self-reflecting clouds of Mylar, said it all.

That Mr. Simons is able to pierce the strange membrane of time and memory, and make clothes of exceptional beauty and calm for today, is why he has the fashion industry’s attention. In a very real way, these clothes also appeal to many types of women.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CATHY HORYN | March 1, 2013 | Read More. Article Link

Anne Hathaway Apologises For Oscar Dress Swap

ANNE HATHAWAY has explained why she opted to wear Prada over her expected choice of Valentino on this year's Oscars red carpet - because another attendee was set to wear a very similar gown. The Les Misérables star - who went home with the Best Supporting Actress award on the night - issued an apology for "any disappointment caused".

Confusion first arose when Maison Valentino released a statement only hours before the red carpet began, confirming that they were to be dressing the actress in a couture gown - as well as Jennifer Aniston and Sally Field. However, when Hathaway arrived at the Dolby Theatre, it quickly became apparent that she was wearing a pale pink Prada column dress. She told press: "I didn't know what I was wearing until two hours ago. I tried on a lot of dresses, but at the end of the day, I loved the simplicity of it."

------------------------------------------------------------------------

SARAH KARMALI | February 27, 2013 | Article Link

Balenciaga Is in Good Hands

BALENCIAGA From left, a swallowtail wool coat,
a crackled knit top, a textured knit jacket and skinny wool pants,
a draped crepe gown with a low back.

Alexander Wang showed on Thursday that he could design for a major house. His debut for Balenciaga was smart and graceful, and the streamlined clothes advanced the codes in a modern way. He may have played it safe but he also didn’t make mistakes.

Mr. Wang had his doubters, on both sides of the Atlantic, who questioned if a designer of moderate-priced clothes with attitude could make the Paris grade. But Balenciaga isn’t a cathedral, any more than Mr. Wang is strictly a T-shirt designer. Times change. The only way to preserve a house is to periodically examine its foundations and then figure out how to make the structure more livable for today.

That’s essentially what Mr. Wang did.

Sticking to a stark but elegant palette of black and white with a smidge of brown and dark green, he poked around in the Balenciaga archive. In the roundness of the opening jackets, in the gentle sweep of coats and in the cap sleeves and loose-back tops, there were allusions to Balenciaga’s 1950s modernity, as well as ’60s evening styles.

But Mr. Wang brought his street smarts to those couture volumes that are indelibly Balenciaga. He minimized them so that they look more realistic for today. In effect, he was offering a top and a pair of black pants, or thigh-high suede boots with small loopy silver bows. But the results were not boringly minimalist.

He was also clever with textures. Jackets and tops that appeared to be stiffened wool were in fact knits. Those crackled leather pieces that came out late in the show? Not leather at all but rather painted knits.

His predecessor, Nicolas Ghesquière, modernized Balenciaga, in part by using new materials that relate to hard, synthetic environments. Embroideries, no matter how exquisite, can look fuddy-duddy. So Mr. Wang did some nice fake-outs. Tops and dresses that looked as if they could have been injection-molded and then rolled in plastic sprinkles were actually embroidered. And some of the loveliest dresses were elongated drapes with hard bodices of tiny French knots.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CATHY HORYN | February 28, 2013 | Read More. Article Link

Third Floor, Bombshells

WHAT WOULD Marilyn Monroe wear today if she were out for a night in the meatpacking district?

Designers have actually asked this question in preparation for a new collection arriving at Macy’s in March, one that, in the words of Macy’s, “reimagines the style of the greatest icon of the 20th century for the 21st-century fashionista.”

It’s big news in the world of fashion licensing, bigger than the Postal Service lending its motto to a “Rain Heat & Snow” collection, when a celebrity who died 50 years ago suddenly starts a clothing label. Macy’s plans to carry Marilyn Monroe designs in 150 stores, targeting younger shoppers with updated styles for modern blond bombshells. Not to sound prudish, but this means shorter, racier, Kardashianer.

Take a very little red dress for $59.50, a preview of what is to come, sold at Macy’s this month to benefit the American Heart Association. It evokes several famous Monroe looks, only she typically wore her dresses below the knee, as opposed to below the nothing. Denim shorts, $39.50, are cut short enough to see pockets.

While Norma Jeane jeans may sound peculiar in a competitive market dominated by living celebrity designers, like Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Lopez, Jessica Simpson and now Rihanna, Macy’s has done its homework. Monroe’s name still resonates strongly among millennial shoppers, roughly ages 13 to 30.

“If you hear them speak and what they like,” said Martine Reardon, the chief marketing officer of Macy’s, “they are very vocal about how short they want it, how baggy they want it and how ripped they want it.”

Two years ago, the Monroe estate was acquired by Authentic Brands Group, which plans to use her likeness to sell lingerie, jewelry, shoes. Last year, a Marilyn Monroe Cafe opened in Canada, and MAC offered cosmetics under her name. As a designer, she evidently has a lot to offer.

“Many celebrities of today, and I say that with air quotes, are one D.U.I. away from a disaster,” said Nick Woodhouse, a president of Authentic Brands. “With Marilyn, all of her dirty laundry has already been aired.”

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

ERIC WILSON | FEBRUARY 27, 2013 | Article Link

Alessandra Facchinetti Named Tod’s Creative Director

ALESSANDRA FACCHINETTI is the new creative director of Tod's women's collections. The former Gucci, Valentino and Uniqueness designer will start her role next month.

"Alessandra Facchinetti is a very talented woman," said Tod's Group president Diego Della Valle. "Her passion for detail and her dedication to the research of materials and manufacturing make her perfect for our brand, which has always been very attentive to quality and Made in Italy."

Facchinetti announced that she was leaving Uniqueness yesterday, the brand that she founded in collaboration with Italian label Pinko in 2011. She will unveil her first collection for Tod's during Milan Fashion Week in September.

Alessandra Facchinetti added: "As an Italian designer, I feel very honored to take up such an important role for a brand that - with the highest quality and refinement - helps to keep up the prestige of Made in Italy in the world."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ELLA ALEXANDER | FEBRUARY 21, 2013 | Article Link

Brits 2013 Winners

VOGUE cover girls Lana Del Rey and Adele both had a successful evening at last night's Brit Awards. Although Adele couldn't be there in person (she is busy in Los Angeles rehearsing for her Oscars performance on Sunday), she took home Best Single for Skyfall, while Del Rey won Best International Solo Artist - thanking her record label and friends for helping make her life "a work of art".

Emeli Sandé was the night's big winner, receiving the statues for Best British Female Solo Artist and British Album Of The Year. One Direction was awarded the Global Success accolade, a new honour. Tom Odell - who performed at the Burberry show on Monday - was chosen for the Critics Choice prize.

Mumford & Sons won Best British Group; Coldplay beat The Rolling Stones for Best British Live Act; and The Black Keys topped the International Group category. Frank Ocean was given the International Male Solo Artist honour. Ben Howard was named best British Male Solo Artist and British Breakthrough Act, fending off competition from alt-J, Jake Bugg, Jessie Ware and Rita Ora. 

VogueTV went behind the scenes at the event to meet the music world's biggest stars - from Lana Del Rey to One Direction. Find out how Harry Styles creates that famous quiff, how Alexa Chung decided what to wear and why Lana Del Rey's red carpet outfit was love at first sight in our exclusive film.

BRIT AWARDS 2013: NOMINEES AND WINNERS

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ELLA ALEXANDER | FEBRUARY 21, 2013 | Article Link

BFC’s Caroline Rush: “London Has Incredible Talent”

CAROLINE RUSH described this season's London Fashion Week as "the perfect storm". The British Fashion Council chief executive believes that the autumn/winter 2013-14 schedule was one of the capital's strongest to date - thanks to the timing (following the London 2012 Olympics), its selection of "incredible" diverse talent, and the fresh bout of "energy and enthusiasm" brought by new BFC chairman, Natalie Massenet. 

"We've been building on strengthening London Fashion Week over several seasons, but now it's almost the perfect storm," she told us. "It's post-London 2012, where there was a huge amount of attention on the UK. We have incredible designers - not just creatively, but which are now developing sustainable profitable businesses - and the internet now gives immediate access to a global audience."

Thanks to a partnership with Righster and YouTube, 21 of this season's shows were broadcast live online this season - not even taking into account the social efforts from the likes of Burberry and Topshop, labels which consistently push the bounds of public interactivity. And speaking of Topshop, Rush was delighted at the increase of British high street presence on this season's schedule.

"It's an opportunity for the general public to access fashion and trends that all start here at LFW, so it's no bad thing at all - [high street brands] are all building international businesses too, so it makes sense to show here when they've got the world's attention and international retailers and department stores in town," she said. "Of course Topshop have been part of London Fashion Week for many years supporting NEWGEN - they're an incredible global fashion brand in their own right now."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SARAH KARMALI | FEBRUARY 20, 2013 | Article Link

H&M Crashes Paris Fashion Week

Three days after crashing the Oscars red carpet by dressing Helen Hunt in a strapless gown, H&M, the Swedish fast fashion retailer, crashed Paris Fashion Week.

It has been eight years since H&M presented a runway show for its signature label, not counting its big promotions with Donatella Versace and Maison Martin Margiela, so executives at the company evidently decided it was time to pull out all the stops with an elaborate show on the grounds of the Musée Rodin. H&M’s previous show, by the way, was held in the Central Park Zoo. So it has come a long way.

It says a lot about the state of fashion shows, which are increasingly becoming entertainment vehicles designed for the public as opposed to events for industry insiders, that H&M chose Paris, the city of haute couture, for this one. Previous designers to have shown their collections in the gardens behind the museum include Dior, during the late John Galliano years, and Tom Ford before that, when he was at Yves Saint Laurent. And yet H&M’s production seemed even more over the top, and the audience appeared at least as wowed.

Guests entering the show Wednesday night walked along a candle-lit pathway to an enormous tent that had been decorated like a fantasy apartment, with more than 15 small rooms where editors were seated on couches, beds, marble slabs and at gilded wicker seats around a dining table. Each room was decorated in a different style, including a Moroccan lounge, an Art Deco sitting room, a marble bathroom and a kids’ bedroom with an outer space motif. Finding your assigned seat through the winding rooms was like walking through Ikea, only with better furniture........

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ERIC WILSON | February 27, 2013 | Read More Article Link

Light and lovely: Pastels for spring

SINGAPORE- Spring 2013 has brought a palette of blossoming pastel colors to all fashion enthusiasts.

Matching the sweetness of cotton candy and ice cream, the colors of baby pinks, dusk blues, and grayed greens have been spotted across several catwalks and sidewalks alike.

Other light colors according to Pantone.com’s Spring fashion forecast include: linen (a light, “nude-like” color), African violet, and a burst of lemon zest. A touch of these colors easily adds grace and lightness to your look.

On outfits

Dainty dresses are a classic way to wear this trend

Another option is to match ethereal tops with light bottoms (pants, short, and skirts)

On accessories

If you feel that a head to toe look is too much for your personality, you can opt to add small accent pieces to your look

Wrist bangles or necklaces can soften your outfit, along with bags

On makeup and nails

Who said pastel is limited to your wardrobe? This trend is also spotted in beauty/makeup looks and nail colors

Doll-up with a fresh face of pastel eye shadow and pink/clear lip-gloss

Candy-colored nails also makes a delicious appearance this Spring 2013

Spotted in Singapore were a few of these colors. Here are Rappler's sartorial picks:

Soft and casual

Light pink dress from SportMax.
Shoes from Converse.
Sunglasses from River Island.
Bangles from Forever 21

Read More: Rappler.com

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

VICTORIA HERRERA | March 2, 2013 | Article Link

The art of the LBD

MANILA, Philippines - Ever since Coco Chanel revolutionized the way women dress in the 1920s with her sleeveless black sheath just cut above the knee, the Little Black Dress or LBD has become a timeless fashion classic.

More than that, images of Audrey Hepburn in her Hubert de Givenchy LBD and pearls as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, French folk icon performing her poignant songs in a black sheath dress, and the Duchess of Windsor’s quote (“When a little black dress is right, there is nothing else to wear in its place”) have elevated the LBD to iconic status.

Wearing the LBD has, in fact, become an art form of sorts, as it brings to mind everything that is elegant, modern, functional, and chic. And with LBDs on the 2013 runways of designers like Valentino, Prada, and Dior, SM Ladies Fashion brings its latest incarnation to the store racks with shaped shifts, peplum and drape detailing, neat A-line silhouettes, embellished pieces, and luxe lace numbers.

The LBD has survived the test of time and trends because of its versatility. When combined with a blazer, it can make a stylish work outfit. Throw in a pair of high heels and a pearl necklace, and you transform it into a formal outfit. 

Art meets fashion as SM’s LBD collection is photographed amid the beautiful and insightful works of contemporary artists Carlo Gabuco, Nolet Soliven and Lyle Buencamino at the Finale Art Gallery at Warehouse 17.  Like art, the LBD is only limited by one’s imagination. And one thing is sure: the little black dress will never go out of style.

The Little Black Dress collection is available at SM Ladies Fashion of SM Department Stores.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Philippine Star | February 20, 2013 | Article Link

Oscars 2013: Jennifer Aniston and Stacy Keibler Plucked Dresses from the Runway

Jennifer Aniston walked the red carpet at last night's Academy Awards in a gorgeous Valentino gown from the designer's spring 2013 Haute Couture runway. The star's strapless, full-skirted red dress echoed the advice of celebrity stylist Cher Coulter: "Red always looks good on the red carpet-especially Valentino red," said Coulter. "The color's a no-brainer if you want to go classic and you want to stand out." Aniston finished off her look with Salvatore Ferragamo heels and her signature layered locks. And she isn't the only one who took a dress from runway to red carpet: George Clooney's main squeeze Stacy Keibler looked striking in a studded column gown by Naeem Khan, which debuted at New York Fashion Week less than two weeks ago. When we asked Khan if he had any Oscars dresses in the works, he wasn't so sure if he'd see one of his designs on the red carpet. "There are so many of them! Those kinds of things aren't so easy, so we'll see what happens!" 

-----------------------------------
InStyle.com | Article Link