As seen on the catwalk at Louis Vuitton, who gave the Orient a modern twist with its jewel tone brights and classic LV monogram, Oriental prints are hot news for summer.

We love designer pieces at a high street price, and we know you do, too, so count your lucky stars that theOutnet is offering a hint of the East with Christian Lacroix’ printed linen scarf, now reduced by a massive 65%.

We love the washed out sea palette and splashes of teal, navy and grey. The pale white border creates a parchment-like feel, and when combined with the frayed linen edges, this scarf could easily pass for an Eastern-inspired vintage piece.

For an East meets West explosion, we’ll be teaming ours with skinny jeans and a slinky tee, or you could clash this Lacroix timepiece with monochrome for cool next-season style.

Christian Lacroix printed linen scarf, £170 £59.50, available at theOutnet.com. BUY NOW!

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While John Galliano may still be awaiting the start of his trial, it seems his old design team are putting their best foot forward as they plan to show his namesake men’s line at Paris Men’s Fashion Week.

The spring/summer 2012 collection will bow on Friday, June 24th, and no doubt promises a stunning set of men’s outerwear for next year (and even prettier guys wearing it).

In more men’s news, designer Sacha Walckhoff will be making his debut for Christian Lacroix, reports the Cut, so if you needed another excuse to oggle beautiful boys, consider this it.

Oh, June, it’s a great month.

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Among the 2 billion people watching the royal wedding on Friday was a surprising amount of leading designers, who tuned in to discover Kate Middleton’s dress had indeed been designed by Sarah Burton on behalf of the house of McQueen.

With a lot of love going around for the already-iconic creation, a very fashionable jury have given their verdict on Kate’s dress – Karl Lagerfeld called it “very pretty”, Valentino loved it, and Donatella Versace thought she looked beautiful – with a triumphant applause, save for Vera Wang who “would have preferred a closed neckline” and Elie Saab who “would have liked it even more with a little extra volume and longer train.”

Here’s what the fashion heavyweights had to say about Kate’s dress…

Karl Lagerfeld:

“She is very elegant. The dress is classic and goes very well in the Westminster decor. It almost reminds me of (Queen) Elizabeth’s wedding, the royal weddings in the Fifties. The proportion of the train is good. The lace is very pretty. I like the veil a lot.”

Vera Wang:

“This was great for Sarah Burton, and whether it was intentional or accidental, everything worked. It is amazing and wonderful for someone who does not usually do wedding dresses to show such restraint. The dress was cut beautifully, in a subdued way. I found the fitted lace bodice and the fairly large skirt, without tiers or technical draping, just right — a modern version of a tradition that will never be outdated. I would have preferred a closed neckline, however.”

Prabal Gurung:

“I thought it was pretty and appropriate. A high-profile wedding like this is not the place for making a crazy fashion moment. It sounds like an oxymoron but it was a personal moment in a very public place. The dress clearly said she’s a modern girl and of this generation. It was not McQueen at its theatrical sense but McQueen in its quiet but beautiful sense. I loved the bustle and how her silk tulle veil was moving softly in the wind.”

Jason Wu:

“I thought Catherine’s dress looked stunning. The details were very well done and I loved the emphasis on craftsmanship and the use of British talent. Her choice to pay tribute to Alexander McQueen was both touching and exciting.”

Diane von Furstenberg:

“The dress was beautiful. I think she is irresistible, she is so beautiful. I am happy it was McQueen. It was absolutely the right thing to do. They made [the dress] simple, so it wasn’t costumey but a beautiful evening gown. I was happy for Sarah, happy for the Met, and happy for McQueen.”

Valentino:

“I loved the dress..it was very simple and young even if an hint of Grace Kelly’s dress spoke of 1950s! I loved the flounce on the back of the skirt and the little decoration all around the short veil. I loved the choice of the tiara: simple, pretty, very right for the dress and for her attitude..it was used almost as an hairpiece to keep the hair and the veil, not as a heavy decoration. Compared to the famous Diana’s dress, Diana’s was a dress of a fairytale princess.. still a dress everybody remembers.. Kate’s one is a very pretty, modern dress that will be copied everywhere but lacks that fairytale element. Today most of the new princesses are young, modern, non-royal women who have clear ideas, independence from stiff protocol.. they want to be themselves and not anymore a symbol of the crown.”

Christian Lacroix:

“I like the dress very much, simpler than expected: A combination just in between 1956 Grace Kelly and 1947 Queen Elizabeth dress. I love the modest veil with the Queen Mother’s Thirties scroll tiara and balanced volume of the whole gown. She’s radiant; She never was so beautiful. And Prince William’s red Irish uniform is gorgeous.”

Hubert de Givenchy:

“The dress is very simple and very nice. The veil is a little flat, but because she has such a lovely face, she can afford to wear it this way. She is very pretty.”

Oscar de la Renta:

“She looked absolutely ravishing. She looked like a bride should look and she handled herself tremendously. And they look like a much loving couple. I am happy to see fresh blood coming into the family. It was a very traditional, beautiful dress which it needed to be for that kind of wedding. Most of all she devastated with her charm. Listen, she will wear anything and will look ravishing.”

Donatella Versace:

“Kate’s dress was beautiful. She looked very regal.”

Viktor & Rolf:

“Kate’s dress was simply elegant. Her hair down was a beautiful and natural touch, and the tiara was stunning. She looked as at-ease as humanly possible and was radiant. Our compliments.”

Elie Saab:

“It was a very elegant dress, subtly refined and discreet, in keeping with her style. I would have liked it even more with a little extra volume and a longer train.”

[WWD]

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So Galliano’s out. It’s a sad, sorry shame, but it was inevitable (and necessary) in light of his recent racist ramblings. Naturally, the fashion sphere has already begun speculating who’ll replace the enfant terrible – but let’s face it; those are some pretty big pirate boots to fill.

With Dior standing by its schedule to show its autumn/winter 2011 collection at Paris Fashion Week on Friday, the pressure’s never been so high to perform – rumour has it some top editors are anxious of attending the house’s show because it’s been tainted with bad publicity – especially with the all-too realistic problem of poor sales looming.

Suffice to say, we reckon Dior’s looking to find a new front (wo)man to direct its design pretty pronto, so let’s take a look at the names being thrown around already as possible replacements.

1. Riccardo Tisci

Who: Riccardo Tisci, creative director at Givenchy
Why: Riccardo Tisci has garnered increasing acclaim since heading Givenchy in 2005. He’s a design genius and he’s bold, but he’s also a safe bet, seeing as he’s already working within the LVMH staple (Givenchy belongs to the luxury conglomerate). And if you believe in history repeating itself, you’ll like this – Galliano was himself heading Givenchy before landing creative director at Dior.

2. Marc Jacobs

Who: Marc Jacobs, creative director at Louis Vuitton as well as his eponymous empire
Why: Louis Vuitton also lives under LVHM alongside Dior – if the powers that be want to keep it in the family, Marc could be in the running. Question is, is he ready to leave Louis Vuitton?

3. Phoebe Philo

Who: Phoebe Philo, creative director at Celine
Why: Another designer working under LVMH’s bracket, Celine is also owned by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy, making Phoebe Philo another close contender. But Philo also belongs to the triumphant trio of minimalism – a signature not, perhaps, best associated with Dior.

4. Alber Elbaz

Who: Alber Elbaz, creative director at Lanvin
Why: Elbaz’s name keeps cropping up in the replacement circle – he’s long been rumoured to replace Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel when the time eventually comes, but this career move could at least come sooner. His classic, feminine, couture-like collections fit well with Dior’s aesthetic, and he’s got that element of showmanship without being a loose cannon.

5. Christian Lacroix

Who: Christian Lacroix, creative director of his eponymous couture collection before it bust in 2009.
Why: Though his own house fell victim to the economy, Christian Lacroix’s understanding for extravagance and uber-glamour goes hand in hand with Dior’s. The industry felt collectively crushed when Christian’s label buckled – this could be the greatest comeback in fashion history.

The outsiders
Some say it’ll be an inside job, with someone already at Dior taking Galliano’s place, but we don’t buy it. A house like Dior needs a big name to front its brand.

Stefano Pilati is the bookies’ favourite, especially as he’s rumoured to be leaving Yves Saint Laurent (again). But his collections for YSL have become increasingly unimpressive to critics – he may be a little bland.

Others in the bookmakers mix are former YSL designer Heidi Slimane, Dior Homme creative director Kris Van Assche, Haider Ackermann, Giambattista Valli and Tom Ford.

Stay tuned for an update…

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He’s been sorely missed since his eponymous couture house was turned into a marketing operation in 2009, but Christian Lacroix has a brand new project up his sleeve – and there’s yet another high-street collaboration on its way as the French designer teams up with Spanish brand Desigual to design a capsule collection.

Unable to use his real name due to a bankruptcy meltdown, the AW11 collection will called Monsieur Lacroix and marks Christian’s first commercial design scheme since the tragic closing of his label a little over a year ago.

According to Styleite, the first collection for the Spanish brand will include 30 select pieces ranging from jackets to skirts and even lingerie in his signature colourful style, with a larger, more comprehensive offering following suit for summer 2012 – just one more thing to add to our eagerly-anticipated must-haves, were sure.

Fingers crossed this is just the splint to relight Lacroix’s fashion fire. Make sure you stay tuned for the collection’s launch next season…

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There are some people we could sit down and have afternoon tea with every day without ever growing tired of it, and Zandra Rhodes is one of them. But as luck would have it, that’s something we may just be able to very soon with the promise of a brand new store.

Well, perhaps not the tea part, but a jolly good natter, anyway. According to the designer, setting up a new London store where she can chat away to her customers is top of her to do list – and, if luck’s feeling generous, we may just find a certain Christian Lacroix coming by.

“It’s something I’d absolutely love to do,” she told Vogue UK of her plans for a new shop. “It’s my next big plan – I just want to be able to see everything and to go in there and meet my customers and see what they want. Did you ever hear Christian Lacroix talking about my old shop? He said he used to press his face up against the shop windows just to have a look – isn’t that just lovely? Maybe he’d come back again.”

Perhaps someone should send the memo to Christian. Until such time as the new store comes, though, you’ll have to make do with her latest handbag collection to get your dose of Rhodes, which has just hit stores – we can think of worse things to console ourselves with.

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His couture label may have gone bust, but Christian Lacroix has got other things on his mind. Like the Monnaie de Paris (the French Mint) for example, for which he’s just been named the new artistic adviser.

Since his namesake house was shuttered last year, the French designer has tested a few different paths – uniforms, stage costumes and not forgetting those peculiar projects involving hotels and trams (yes really) – but now he’s found the money. Quite literally.

Lacroix will be taking on the role of designing at the Mint – which plays home to a museum, photography shows and, of course, coins aplenty (as well as a legendary designer now to boot) – but though he’ll get around to coins eventually, his first task is tackling special medals.

According to WWD, Lacroix will design medals for marriages and PACS (that’s French civil unions) to begin with, but has future plans to create new commemorative coins using precious metals.

Something tells us they’ll be a little more special than the current currency…

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