Jovovich-Hawk launch in LA

Milla Jovovich and Carmen Hawk, recently nominated for the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award, debuted their Holiday collection in Los Angeles at the inaugural Stoli Hotel. The space brought to life the iconic Hotel Moskva depicted on its label with the 10,000 square foot space complete with luxury hotel amenities including a full-service concierge, a bar, and integrated spa offering massages, facials and manicures. It also included an elite Suite VIP room, guest rooms inspired by Stoli's four flavours and a lobby which was lined with pieces from the Jovovich-Hawk Fall collection. The modern Russian Constructivist lines of the hotel complimented the Sixties look that Jovovich and Hawk created for Holiday. Models presented the collection on three circular stages decorated with colorful modern art hanging from a giant mobile that rotated overhead. Hawk said the party was an opportunity to debut their holiday collection in a fun way. She described the collection as Valley of the Dolls meets the Beatniks before they became hippies. The look was classic with clean lines and a chic modern touch - styles included party frocks like a seriously short black mini with a lace yoke and pockets topped with a chic evening coat. A black sheath dress had gold braid trim and a brocade A-line dress had belled sleeves and large decorative buttons. A cape and matching pant in the new wider leg silhouette were made from a wave fabric that inspired the entire collection. Hawk said their fun, kitchy party dresses are for the girl that's flirty, not too serious and isn't afraid to dress with individuality. "It's about being fun and you bringing the party (to the party)," she said.

Pucci turns 60

Pucci is turning 60 with a bang. The Italian fashion house has invited 250 guests to Florence this weekend for a two-part, event-filled weekend that will kick off with the debut of an artistic installation and black-tie dinner on Saturday at the Palazzo Pucci hosted by Laudomia Pucci and Delphine Arnault. The outside of Palazzo Medici will be lit by a different colour light every night, while the premises play host to coloured balloon installations based on the maison’s trademark palettes. Invitations evocative of the artwork were sent in the form of a black tray ensconced in a sleeve with Pucci’s signature swirls. Inside are three separate cardboard invitations, the top one featuring two Pucci-printed “planets” spinning about on a simple white string. Pucci designer Matthew Williamson will be on hand for the festivities, as will a bevy of European socialites and select press, which cap off on Sunday, when Emilio Pucci will launch it’s new signature fragrance at a luncheon at Marchesi Pucci’s country estate at Villa di Granaiolo.

Jennifer Lopez and her Fur

When will she ever learn..... Jennifer Lopez is reportedly in fear for her safety after getting threatening letters from animal rights campaigners because of her love of wearing fur. According to an insider, the letters suggest that the writer wants 'to kill her in public, just like the slaughtered animals whose fur she wears." J Lo’s rep dismissed the story as untrue, but the source claims that Jennifer’s husband, Marc Anthony, “has hired two off-duty police officers, in addition to her usual security team, to watch over Lopez whenever she makes public appearances." A spokesperson for the anti-fur lobby group PETA said, "All violence is wrong. But J.Lo needs to stop the real violence she promotes and subsidizes rather than give herself extra protection she doesn't need." .....I don't think anyone would mind if she would wear a bit less.....

Christina Aguilera's new scent

Christina Aguilera is hopping on the celebrity fragrance bandwagon with a scent of her own called, unoriginally, ‘Christina Aguilera, the fragrance’, that will be launched in the autumn. Proctor & Gamble, the cosmetics giant that is developing the fragrance said, “This is a big priority for us, our objective is for Christina to become the number-one celebrity fragrance… We will invest very strongly behind it.” The bottle will reportedly be based on the Dirrty singer’s famous curves, with the slogan, “Sometimes it’s all you need to wear” across it......Sounds more like something Bai Ling would wear......

Angelina Jolie for Asia

Angelina Jolie is using her newfound popularity in Asia to her advantage, by appearing in three beauty campaigns for Shiseido. Having travelled there extensively through her role as a UN Goodwill Ambassador, Jolie endeared herself further to the continent by adopting two orphans - one from Vietnam and one from Cambodia. The actress flew to Hollywood Studios two weeks ago where she was shot for the Shiseido ads by beauty photographer Camilla Akrans. The US and UK will never see the images - they will be shown only in Japan - Jolie will appear on billboards and in glossy magazines from September to promote the brand's powder and liquid eyeshadows.

Another Date with Kate

Kate Moss got the five-star Madison Avenue treatment when she toasted the stateside launch of her Topshop collection at Barneys New York. The retailer sequestered off the seventh and eighth floors of the store with velvet ropes and clipboard wielders, and nary a party crasher was admitted—not even at the after party at the rooftop of the Gramercy Park Hotel, where the supermodel stayed for her sojourn to the Big Apple and was joined by Daria Werbowy, Kate Bosworth, Ziyi Zhang, Marc Jacobs, and Mario Testino.
The lady of the hour arrived fashionably early at 6:30 p.m., setting off a flashbulb frenzy. In the spirit of her new high/low line, she floated through the room in a black and white chiffon tunic of her own design for Topshop, paired with an Alaïa belt, Manolos, and Chanel clutch, before settling in to chat with fellow Brit Hilary Alexander, Topshop honcho Sir Philip Green, and his wife, Tina. “Hilary already bought some of the collection,” Moss shouted to Green, raising her voice above the music. “Yes, I’ve already bought four pieces from Topshop,” admitted the Daily Telegraph fashion critic, “and I didn’t even get a press discount.” Her catwalk colleague, Suzy Menkes, however, did not partake in any High Street shopping. “I had a chance to buy it in London, but I didn’t get anything,” she said sans explanation. “But Kate is such a cool chick, a real rock chick, and she just really knows how to put herself together.”

Gisele lingerie for H&M?

Hold your pretty horses.....It's not confirmed yet. But rumors swirl that Gisele is in talks with H&M to design a line of lingerie to be marketed under her name.

Rafe snags CFDA date

Rafe Totengco, the creative head behind the New York-based accessories and footwear company has been asked by Target—which earlier this year tapped him to design a line of handbags for its stores—to be a speaker during Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Target was looking to showcase a person of Asian descent that had made an impact in the fashion industry and thought Totengco would be an ideal person because of its mainline collection and recent collaboration with cheap-chic giant. Totengco will travel to Target headquarters on May 15 to speak about his history in the fashion world, growing up in the Philippines, coming to the U.S. and starting and growing his collection, as well as his design partnership with Target.
But the exposure doesn’t stop there. Totengco is also the recipient of the National Asian Entrepreneur of the Year, which will be handed out by Asia Enterprise Magazine on May 25 in Los Angeles. The Asian Entrepreneur of the Year Awards was established in 1994 as the only competitive awards program in the U.S. that recognizes exemplary Asian Pacific American entrepreneurs. Additionally, the affable accessories guru has confirmed Japanese supermodel Anne Watanabe as his date to this year’s CFDA Fashion Awards. For the occasion, he has created a pair of silver snake platforms and a matching silver snake clutch for her to wear with her Peter Som dress.

Lagerfeld snaps Brad once again

Karl Lagerfeld may be a man of the world, but when it comes to his cars, only a fellow German will do. The designer-cum-photographer recently shot his model muse, Brad Kroenig, sitting at the wheel of the Audi R8 in Ramatuelle, near Saint-Tropez in the South of France, for Kaleidoscopic Vision of a Car, a series of 20 black/white photos that will be officially unveiled May 12 at a party at the Audi Forum center on Park Avenue. Lagerfeld breaks down the overall design of the sleek concept coupe by working with reflections to render the images abstractly and convey new perspectives on the coupe. Following the exhibition, which will be on display for two weeks, the images will travel the world. But 12 of the priceless shots will be made into an exclusive 2008 art calendar keepsake that will be distributed to buyers of the Audi R8, which ranges in price from $109,000 to $118,000. Kroenig, as it happens, is currently being shot by the master designer as part of a five-year long-term study he is curating entitled “One Man Shown.”

Gisele Mania

Yes, you're absolutely right. I just can't get enough of her!

Bundchen has confirmed the signing of her next multi-million dollar contract - she will become the face of Cacharel's new fragrance, Liberte "I think Liberte is a very strong word and a cool project. Everybody should work on being free. That should be everybody's mission for 2007: work on being free!" the supermodel says. Bundchen, 26, will soon be jetting off to Tenerife, where Cacharel's television and billboard campaign will be shot on top of the island's impressive Teide volcano.

Isabella Blow remembered

Isabella Blow's husband Detmar confirmed this morning that the 48-year-old fashion guru lost her battle with ovarian cancer in the early hours of Sunday morning at the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital. The news has shocked the international fashion world, for whom Isabella has been a bastion, credited with the discovery of such successful figures as Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, Sophie Dahl and Stella Tennant. "She was a ray of sunshine," said Detmar, of the woman he proposed to just 16 days after meeting her at a wedding in 1988 before marrying her the following year. "She was a beautiful, brave woman; indefatigable, courageous and brilliantly intellectual." Blow, who recently underwent surgery to remove a tumour, had been confined to hospital for some time but her husband said he had still been hopeful of a recovery. "She was original, impactful, generous-minded and spotted some of the greatest talents," said Geordie Greig, editor of Tatler magazine for which Blow was still working as a contributing editor. "She was the most intelligent and creative person in fashion. In many ways she was the British queen of fashion. She was intoxicating. You could never get enough of her. She was a free spirit." Philip Treacy, whose hats Isabella was rarely seen without, also paid tribute from the Blow country home this morning: "She was a great champion of young people," he said. "She came from the establishment but she was a punk at heart. Her love was talent, rather than money. Her ethos was beauty and elegance. And her encouragement was rare."

Sarah Jessica Parker on celebrity designers

"Madonna's line for H&M is extremely directional, provocative and sexy," says Sarah Jessica Parker, comparing other celebrities' designing debuts to her own forthcoming line, Bitten. "I don't know J-Lo's line as well, but I know that it's much more trendy than Bitten. L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani is much more avant-garde, definitely high fashion. But I don't want to do that for women, because that's not really their lives."

Gisele for YSL

Supermodel Gisele Bundchen may have bid adieu to Victoria’s Secret, but she’s welcomed Yves Saint Laurent with open arms. The Brazilian model has been cast by Stefano Pilati to star in his Fall/Winter 2007 campaign.

Amber Valletta helps Fashion TV turn 10

“This is insane,” marveled a newly brunette Amber Valletta as she surveyed the well-lubricated mob packed into Social Hollywood on Wednesday night. “I think I might have to go upstairs.” The model-cum-actress was on hand to host Fashion TV’s 10th anniversary celebration, which climaxed with a runway fashion show of Collection Bebe’s upcoming summer collection.

Gucci tells Frida Giannini who's the Boss

Gucci ceo Robert Polet has got his company priorities straight. "The brand is the most important asset in our company," he said, adding that "brand strength is paying off". In an industry where the profile and celebrity status of designers is increasing - and with Gucci creative director Frida Giannini's predecessor Tom Ford high up on the list of examples - Polet has affirmed that his company certainly does not see the personality of a designer as more important than the brand's inherent identity. Polet stressed that establishing a label's message and ethos must always remain more important than the prominence of its designers and ceo. He then cited Bottega Veneta, Balenciaga and Boucheron as good examples of environments in which both designers and executives can be creative, further enhancing the brands. Dunno if Frida will like that!?! Last time she was here in Hong Kong she was supposed to wait for celebrity guests to start the show. She got really impatient and said "Who? Carina Lau? Who is that? I'm the star of the show!" ...yeah so much for the company's priorities.....Good luck Frida.

Gisele says Adieu to Victoria's Secret

Gisele Bundchen, the world’s top model, has parted ways with Victoria’s Secret, her manager at IMG Models confirmed this morning. While terms of the contract were not revealed, spokesperson Anne Nelson reassured that the relationship ended the same way it began: on good terms.
News about the split stayed quiet until it was reported on Brazilian site Glamurama.com, after which it quickly spread to the U.S. According to the gossip site, Victoria’s Secret was ultimately unable to meet Gisele’s financial terms.
News of the breakup is just the most recent headline-making revelation for the supermodel. Paparazzi and celebrity tabloids have relentlessly scrutinized her relationship to New England Patriots football player Tom Brady, who recently ended a relationship with actress Bridget Moynahan only to discover she was pregnant with his child.
“The long and fruitful relationship between Gisele Bundchen and Victoria’s Secret has reached a conclusion,” said Edward Razek, chief creative officer, Victoria’s Secret, in a statement. “We wish her all the best and thank her for her extraordinary work. She will continue to be a very visible party of the world’s sexiest brand through the remainder of the year.”
Victoria’s Secret models who will keep their wings for the time being include Selita Ebanks, Adriana Lima, Izabel Goulart, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Karolina Kurkova, who signed a multiyear contract with the lingerie retailer in November 2005. There has also been speculation that Heidi Klum will return following the birth of her second child.

Ms. Moss for Topshop

While the Madonna H&M stuff hardly moved off the shelves, people went crazy about the new Kate Moss Topshop line. The Moss caused utter pandemonium on Oxford Street Monday night, but this time it was in the name of cheap-chic fashion. The supermodel was on hand to personally unveil her capsule Kate Moss Topshop 90-piece collection at its flagship store.
Indeed, outside crowds stood six deep and snaked around three full blocks, while photographers and press were relegated to standing on ladders to get their photo ops and stories. At 8:00 p.m., Moss, clad in a red $390 bias-cut dress of her own design, helped count down “Five, four, three, two one!” moments before appearing draped in the window as a live mannequin. After 10 minutes of posing for photos and observing the hordes of shoppers queued up outside, Moss slinked back inside and upstairs, where she rejoined a posse of British socials and editors—including Alexandra Shulman, Katie Grand, Lily Cole, Sadie Frost, Bella Freud, Peaches Geldof, and Katy England (Moss’ line consultant)—all of whom went mad during a champagne reception, picking out pieces for themselves. Even the store itself had been transformed—think: purple couches, black walls with images of swallows, birdcages, and leopard print floors—to mimic Moss’ own home.

The publicity coup was impressive, to say the least. Only 200 guests were allowed in at any one time, and each shopper was limited to five pieces. Moss’ face was splashed across the covers of nearly every British paper and news and entertainment television program. Needless to say, the reaction to Part II of the Kate Moss Topshop launch—next Tuesday night at Barneys New York in Manhattan—will be of intense scrutiny.