Natalia Vodianova in Belle du Seigneur

It's Natalia’s upcoming film, Belle du Seigneur. The world is one step closer to seeing the Russian beauty in her first ever leading lady role. Of course, her first cinematic flutter was for Clash of the Titans, remember? Nah, me neither. The adaptation of Albert Cohen's Swiss tale sees Natalia embroiled in a tortured love affair with a high-ranking Jewish official on the brink of World War II (ooh, it's gonna be a tear-jerker!).

credit: Grazia

The House of Loewe has decided to create a book - all drawn by hand! - and have commissioned artist Robert Clarke to do the job. The research journey took Clarke on a tour of Madrid to get to know the city by visiting the Loewe shops, touring the ateliers and meeting Loewe’s artisans as they worked. He then headed up to Barcelona to see Loewe’s leather being treated in the tannery. He got to see how, at every stage of their creation, Loewe leather goods are moulded and shaped by the human hand. ‘The splendid and regal city of Madrid and the genuine warmth of the Loewe company made me feel so welcome,’ says Clarke, ‘and seeing the quality of the work at Loewe was such an eye-opener.’ Just look at the sparky illustrated end results. Wicked.

credit: Grazia

Make Up Forever's Smoky Fall

After a summer of makeup that's (typically) been stripped down to bare essentials, why not go all-out this fall with some gorgeous, bold eyes? Not only is the smoky eye a perennial fall beauty trend, adding some extra oomph to your peepers will pump up any look in a snap. The pro brand has created a troupe of shadows (in palette form), liners, and mascaras inspired by the season's rich jewel tones. Define your look with their Smoky Lash mascara (now in four colorful shades) and the new, extra-blendable Kohl Pencil. Plus, the limited-edition Smoky Palette includes eight different shadows for customizable looks ranging from smoky brown, blue, purple, and green to classic black. Without a doubt, this collection is sure to encourage you to get a little smoke in your eyes.

credit: refinery29

The Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibit

If you haven't marked your calendars for March 24, 2012 yet, you best do so now. That, of course, is the date that the big The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier: From the Sidewalk to the Catwalk exhibit will be touching down at the de Young museum after traveling from Montreal and Dallas (where it'll arrive in November). Can't wait until then? Well you don't totally have to, thanks to this jam-packed portfolio of the traveling exhibition, courtesy of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. The show will not only include 120 haute couture and ready-to-wear masterpieces from the '70s to the present (Madonna's famed cone bra and gowns with risqué strategically placed beads amongst them), but also sketches, photographs, video clips, and 30 mannequins who talk and sing!!!. Whet your appetite after the jump!

 credit: Montreal Museum of Fine Arts

Fashion-spiration *1*

 

Celine Phantom.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

So excited to see the long-awaited trailer for much-hyper thriller The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Hollywood stylee). The first instalment in Stieg Larsson's Millennium series is directed by David The Social Network Fincher while the titular tattooed girl is played by Rooney Mara, aka Mark Zuckerberg's girlfriend in the brilliant Facebook film.
 

Maternal Baggage

photo: Michael and Mama Kors.

They say behind every successful man stands a woman. In the case of Michael Kors, it’s his mother, Joan, a former model and Kors’s perennial muse. Now he has designed a bag worthy of carrying not just her wallet and sunglasses but also her name. The Joan, which comes in a variety of colors (including the mocha embossed leather version seen here) and is modestly priced at $398, meets Joan’s strict standards: “I always look for an outside pocket for my phone and keys,” she says, “and I love a zip closure.” But she adds, “I certainly wouldn’t mind being surprised with a crocodile version!” Joan says she plans to celebrate Mother’s Day on the West Coast with a fabulous arrangement of peonies and dinner with Michael. The greatest gift he’s ever given her? “Not having to go shopping for the past 30 years.”

Hot Collaboration!

Prestigious label Louis Vuitton has this week announced their collaboration with Belgian artist François Cadière for a collection of silk, printed scarves.
As well as being one of the stalwarts of the brand, along with their leather goods, the Louis Vuitton scarf, particularly in leopard print, has become as iconic as the design house’s monogrammed goods.
Cadière was called upon for his unconventional eye, and to subsequently illustrate the new series of silk scarves named ‘Edun’ with Berlin as his inspiration. This geographical creative source follows on from the label’s previous collections being based around Russia and Japan in turn. The artist is renowned for his photography and handmade collages, all treated with his trademark surrealist edge, intending to ‘set off an inner voyage.’
 I loved the 3rd one! tres tres chic !!

credit: motilo

Afraid of Clowns?

So . . . MAC, the makeup favoured by makeup artists, drag queens and alienated goth teenagers from the suburbs, has taken on the ultimate identity-examining artist to be the face of the brand. That’s right, Cindy Sherman, the New York photographer whose work consists of many permutations of the artist herself in disguise, wearing wigs, prosthetics and costumes is fronting a new campaign. Interesting.
Although she is now in her fifties, Cindy has come through the underground, since studying at art college in the Seventies to become a member of the establishment, showing at top galleries and selling loads. She’s even holder of the record for the highest price paid for a single photograph, which is £2.4m, for a picture earlier this year.

 one word: CREEPY! worst campaign ever LOL

credit: grazia

Liberty + Hello Kitty

Now we’ve just heard that the brands’ famous print room have teamed up with Hello Kitty to showcase the most fabulous collaboration that we’ve seen for a while.  Yes that’s right, those clever designers have incorporated the little kitty cat into some of their most classic archive prints, creating a veritable bevy of cosmetics and toiletries that we’ll be snapping us with immediate effect. Word on the street is that the first range will be available to buy from September with new prints released each year. Ooh it’s irresistible.

credit: grazia

Flip-Flop Beauty!

Anyone who has ever pounded the pavement in strappy sandals knows that, by dusk, your soles are the color of the asphalt you've been strolling. We won't even get into the "tan line" of grime around your ankle strap.
After finding out what your feet have picked up a seriously unappetizing stew of germs -- you may be ready to ditch your Havaianas for a pair of knee-high boots.
f your feet have cuts or open blisters, you may unknowingly be laying out a welcome mat to the viruses and bacteria stuck to the street. But even if you're abrasion-free, you can transfer all of that nasty stuff the moment you handle your flip-flops when you slip them off or drop them in your bag to change into heels.

Explains Tierno, "You're exposed to something even worse  these organisms on your hands." According to Dr. Tierno, 80 percent of all infectious diseases are transmitted by direct or indirect touching kissing or picking up a dirty shoe then touching your eyes, nose or mouth

But before you reserve a spot in the nearest plastic bubble, there is good news. "Your skin is built to protect you from getting infected by its very nature," says Jeannette Graf, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan. The dead skin layer known as the stratum corneum is thickest on the hands and feet and is considered your body's first line of defense. "Our skin makes antimicrobial peptides that fight against bacteria and viruses and lots of different pathogens," explains Dr. Graf.

And there are several steps you can take to prevent your tootsies from transferring germs to your hands. Shoe designer Matt Bernson, whose creations are worn by actress Amanda Seyfried and model Gisele Bündchen, has a suggestion for the legions of women who swap out their shoes when they arrive at work or home: "Carry your shoes in a shoe bag when they are in your purse."

To banish germs, use good old-fashioned soap and water. "You want to wash your feet when you get home," says Dr. Graf. Or in a pinch, apply an antibacterial hand sanitizer on your feet, she suggests. Also, park a pair of slippers by the front door. "In general, it's not a good idea to come into your home with dirty shoes that have walked on every known substance and schmear it all over your house," says Tierno.

You can help keep your skin's protective barrier in peak condition by exfoliating dead skin cells and slathering on moisturizer, says Dr. Graf. Gently smooth rough spots and calluses with a foot file or pumice stone, such as Sally Hansen's Prep your Pedi Foot File or Pumice Foot Polish -- not with one of those callus razors, says Ji Baek, founder of RescueBeauty.com and author of Rescue Your Nails. "They're illegal in many states," says Baek, and they can cut your foot way too deeply. "It's better to use a foot file and liquid soap when you get home at night."

Or try a homemade foot soak and scrub. Donna Perillo of Manhattan's Sweet Lily Natural Nail Spa adds warm citrus juice (grapefruit or orange) to a foot soak. "The acidity kind of eats at the grime," she says. Follow that up with an all-natural sugar scrub, which you can make at home using granulated sugar, olive oil and your favorite essential oil. And then apply moisturizer.




 Or you can lightly coat your feet with Vaseline petroleum jelly and then slip on cotton socks, such as Moisture Jamzz socks to protect your sheets. You'll wake up with super-soft, germ-free feet!

credit:  stylelist

Carine Roitfeld in Her Barneys Campaign

The former French Vogue editor picked up a gig styling Barneys ads when she left Condé Nast, and now that a leak from the campaign has come out, we can see she's also modeling in them. It's not like anyone wears clothes better than she does, anyway. photo: Carine and Vladimir (in his own clothes), Julia in Givenchy, and Carine in Rick Owens.

credit: nymag

Lady Gaga is Underdressed?!

Well, just a dress from Versace's fall 2011 collection. Keeping her outfit so simple that you might wonder if this was a cheap impersonator (it's not), she accessorized with only black shoes, a small clutch, gold jewelry, and a pair of big black sunglasses. Her hair was down and flowing all naturallike, and though her nails look quite pointy, they're just a single shade of red.
Do you miss normal Gaga (and by normal we mean, well, you know), or is this a nice change?

credit: nymag

Vera Wang and Zales Say 'I Do'

Vera Wang, whose business is expanding so rapidly that her office has to move from its garment district location to a new space near Madison Square Park, announced today that she's teaming up with Zales on a line of engagement rings and wedding bands. Wang is no stranger to partnerships with mass-market retailers (she has a long-term contract with Kohl's and, more recently, with David's Bridal), so this move isn't a big surprise. Vera Wang Group president Mario Grauso says the partnership is meant to go hand in hand (no pun intended) with their David's Bridal line. “Vera now wants to complete the story of the David’s bride,” Grauso told WWD. “Zales is an obvious place for us to go to do engagement rings and wedding bands ... because of their reach across the United States, which is similar to David’s.”
Wang's offerings at Zales will include over 50 engagement rings, each with "a signature blue sapphire signifying everlasting love," says Zales CEO Theo Killion (we might add that the blue stone will also resemble another very famous engagement ring we've seen a lot of recently). Prices will start at $1,999 for engagement rings and $649 for wedding bands, available online and in stores in October.

credit: WWD

Trend: Peter Pan collars

Here comes the newest collar shape, just in time for the new season. In versions ranging from oversized (Giambattista Valli), prim (DKNY), and even detachable (Louis Vuitton), Peter Pan collars are popping up everywhere and on everyone. Channel your inner Alexa Chung and wear yours peeking out from under a smart little cardi, or go for a sweetly glamorous look  à la Hailee Steinfeld at a July 2011 Miu Miu event in Los Angeles  and look for collars embellished with beads and jewels. Click through for a bit of collar inspiration, then continue on to shop the trend. 

 Peter Pan collars turned up all over the Fall 2011 runways. Here, versions from DKNY (right), Giambattista Valli (center), and Louis Vuitton.

 Two blouses on offer from Maje for Fall 2011.

 Michelle Williams (right) was photographed for the March 2011 issue of Interview wearing a detachable Peter Pan collar from Louis Vuitton's Fall 2011 collection. For the July 2011 issue of Marie Claire, Elle Fanning (left) donned the same collar  and struck a similar pose.

 The trend has been embraced on the red carpet as well. Here, Vanessa Traina (top left) wearing Louis Vuitton in July; Emily Browning (top right)  also in Louis Vuitton 

in June; Alexa Chung (bottom left) in a ruffled version in April 2011, and Sonam Kapoor (bottom left) in The Row Pre-Fall 2011 in July.

Hailee Steinfeld wore a jeweled version by Miu Miu to a Los Angeles bash in July.

 above: The Row Pell Blouse  below: Equipment Sophie Blouse

above: Asos Removable Bead and Pear Peter Pan Collar  below: Topshop Black Clover Print Blouse

 Asos Double Peterpan Collar Blouse

 Sandro Romaine Bead-Embelissed Crepe Dress

credit: fashionlogie