When we saw Kanye West’s debut womenswear collection for the spring/summer 2012 season, we personally thought it was a solid first effort. Unfortunately for Mr West, not all the fashion critics agreed with us. Still, we’re glad to hear that Kanye isn’t the kind of person to let a little bit of criticism get in his way… 

If you thought the rapper-turned-designer wanted to put his debut catwalk outing behind him and quietly move on without anyone noticing, then you’re sorely mistaken. Kanye West is determined to make another go of fashion designing, and is going ahead with showing the sophomore womenswear collection for his eponymous label during Paris Fashion Week on March 6th at 9:30 pm.

We can’t wait to see it, and hope for his sake the critics enjoy it more the second time around.

Don’t forget – today marks the start of New York Fashion Week – and a whole new season – so make sure you come back later for a catwalk catchup!

[Telegraph]  

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After 10 years of showing at Paris Fashion Week, Stella McCartney will be back in London for a special fashion presentation, where she will be showcasing a one-off collection on Saturday February 18th. 

The unique collection celebrating all things London will be available to buy at her retail stores and through the StellaMcCartney.com website, but her autumn/winter 2012 collection will still be shown in Paris as scheduled on March 5th.

Stella appears to be taking London by storm, as the one-off fashion event is set to coincide with the World of Stella exhibition in Selfridges, where the designer will unveil a brand new fragrance, as well as new ready-to-wear, accessories, childrenswear, lingerie, sunglasses and the Adidas by Stella McCartney collections.

If that wasn’t enough, Stella will also be in town to open a second store at Brompton Cross in the second week of February – her original store lies on Bruton Street – which will include the first ever Stella McCartney Kids freestanding space.

If those aren’t great reasons to come to London, then we don’t know what are.

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David Beckham’s five-year LA Galaxy contract is due to expire at the end of the year (didn’t all those years go quickly?), but he is showing no signs of resigning, taking a break or even slowing down, as he’s apparently already in talks to sign an 18-month contract with Qatari-owned Paris St Germain at the start of the new year.

This means that the Beckham brood would need to relocate to the City of Light for at least a year and a half, although the family would reportedly be returning Stateside after David’s contract expires.

This potential move now begs the question: if the Beckhams move to Paris, will Victoria therefore show at Paris Fashion Week instead of New York Fashion Week? We have a feeling that Paris could do wonders for Victoria’s fashion lines, possibly giving her a fresh start and a new edge to her much-loved collections.

We know that Paris has long been the fashion capital of the world, but will Victoria be able to manage her fashion empire in the same way she has done in LA? Will she rack up the air miles and jet back and forth? Or will she just Skype everyone as she said she did during her maternity leave?

Only time will tell, but if history has taught us anything, Mrs Beckham will make it work for her.

[Daily Mail] 

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We’ve always wanted to be a fly on the wall and witness what happens backstage at the biggest shows during fashion week, and now the house of Alexander McQueen is giving us all the opportunity to do so! 

The luxury label has just released a behind-the-scenes video from its much-lauded spring/summer 2012 catwalk show, which was shot by young filmmaker Sean Frank.

The exclusive video gives us an inside view of what went on backstage at the highly anticipated catwalk outing at Paris Fashion Week this October, including how Sarah Burton, the models and the rest of the McQueen team prepared for the show.

“I was thinking about a woman as an object of desire,” said Creative Director Sarah Burton of the latest collection. “We go to such lengths to adorn ourselves that we almost become our clothes or are taken over by them. This is a collection about excess – an exploration of ideals of beauty at their most extreme.”

We always knew precision and extreme attention to detail was part of any fashion show preparation, and this short film truly accentuates just how much effort and detail goes into each and every look.

If you want to copy the braided hairstyles that some of the models were wearing, you can get a few tips in the video – but be warned… we think it’ll take you a while!

Check out the video below and prepare to be amazed.

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Long-time Miu Miu fan Alexa Chung looked super-stylish at the label’s show in Paris earlier this month.

Wearing a trademark heritage-girly ensemble, she looked feminine and sweet, and did an excellent job at flying the flag for us Brits in Paris.

And since she’s (almost) single-handedly responsible for the resurgence of peter pan collars, it’s really no surprise that she chose to wear this white ruffled peter pan collared blouse from Miu Miu.

She paired it with a cute navy check pinafore dress, also by Miu Miu, an adorable pair of black satin bow heels and a studded super-sized clutch bag by Valentino.

The good news? With a bit of know how, anyone can recreate this look with ease. Here’s how:

The foundation for this look is a beautifully cut ruffled blouse. This one from Moschino Cheap & Cheap might blow your budget but, you have to admit, it is rather gorgeous.

Moschino Cheap & Chic lace ruffle front blouse, £450, available at my-wardrobe.

Next, opt for a navy v-neck sleeveless dress to recreate Alexa’s pinafore-style look. This classic Prince of Wales check dress from Stella McCartney is the perfect shape and will prove super versatile for your wardrobe.

Stella McCartney Prince of Wales check dress, £855, available at Matches.

A black bow pump adds a sweet chicness to Alexa’s look – try these cute flats from Oasis as a purse-friendly option.

Annabella bow ballerina pumps, £25, available at Oasis.

Add to this a giant neutral-toned clutch and you’re onto a winner. This studded one from Topshop is the next best thing to Alexa’s Valentino beauty.

Grey mixed stud clutch, £25, available at Topshop.

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A few weeks ago we showed you a picture of a luggage cart carrying no less than 13 suitcases belonging to celebrity stylist and designer Rachel Zoe. We firmly established that she is definitely not a light packer, but she finally explained what she used them for. You ready to find out?

“I was basically gone from Los Angeles for five weeks,” she told InStyle.com. “I was in New York for two weeks, London for a week and a half and Paris for a week and a half. So, it’s all different climates. It’s a lot of stuff.”

We understand climate differences as much as the next person (even more so thanks to our unseasonable weather of late) and even though we still think 13 is a tad excessive, we mustn’t forget that she had her adorable little man Skyler on board too.

“He had all his clothes, too. He changes two or three times a day. I mean, there’s spit up involved. You have to have changes on hand.”

Spit up and climate change? Ok, we’ll let her off then!

[InStyle US] 

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In case watching his face light up when he took his bow at the Louis Vuitton show wasn’t enough to prove where his loyalties lie, Marc Jacobs dished out even more hints that put an end to those Dior rumours. 

Unless he’s a really good actor and has been sworn to secrecy (Kate Middleton‘s wedding dress style), we may have to accept that he might not actually be John Galliano’s successor at Christian Dior.

“I could never do this anywhere else,” he told the Telegraph. “It’s not just a Paris thing – Vuitton allows me. It’s really, really something I feel particularly proud of and am grateful to the team for. We’ve all worked really hard and gone through a lot to get this to where it is now and we’re starting to see results.”

Well, there you have it, perhaps he won’t be the highest paid designer after all.

[Vogue] [Image]

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