Victoria’s Secret model Candice Swanpoel goes high fashion for fashion designer extraoidinaire, Prabal Gurung. In his new Spring/Summer 2012 ad campaign the model writhes sensuously on a white sheet while bright light illuminates the fantastical tyrian purple and transparent creations. Gurung’s inspiration for the collection is avant-garde photographer, Nobuyoshi Araki. More specifically, Araki’s series “Senual Flowers” found itself as the inspiration for the prints in the garments as well as the collection itself. Gurung described the collection in an interview with New York Magazine as “when you look at these flowers thinking they are pretty, but its disintegrated; has a subversive quality to it. But then when you up close- it has a feminine slant and it’s about empowering women its about making women feel good about themselves- confident sexy, tough, girl.” It seems appropriate that the positioning of the model in the ad campaign should reflect the sexy and rebellious ideas that are present in Araki’s work. His work deals with issues of bondage and S&M. Gurung took this inspiration into account in his collection saying that be thought about bondage but “not in an obvious way, bondage becomes so obvious… to cut the sweetness, let’s just say.” Despite the sexy and very body conscious posing, it’s the clothes that do all the talking in these powerful images.

The beautifully intense hues of the collection make these photos visually rich and glamorous. The first photo shows one of the signature dresses of the Spring/Summer collection with the transparent fabrics and experimental design showcased to the fullest. The next photos displays a short suit set with the saturated floral print that could be seen throughout the collection. A surprising accessory with the outfit is a rope bondage inspired belt but it seems to work well amidst the complexity. The final photo displays a striking and elaborate tulle dress, full of texture and wrought with alluring femininity. Prabal Gurung’s Spring/Summer ad campaign goes to show that not only does this designer know how to make beautiful clothes, but also how tantalizingly display them in beautiful advertisements.

By Sarah Humphries

Harper’s Bazaar, the oldest fashion magazine in the U.S, has undergone it’s first major renovation in a decade, prompted by a 12 percent decrease in ad sales last year. Bazaar daringly debuts their redesign in the March 2012 issue with Gwyneth Paltrow and a subscriber’s cover that masks Paltrow’s biggest money-maker: her face.

Paltrow stands statuesque in a revealing floor-length black dress, by new designer Anthony Vaccarello, with her face veiled by her long blonde waves. “It’s a very daring thing to do, where you don’t immediately see her face.” Glenda Bailey, Editor-in-Chief of Harper’s Bazaar told WWD.

However, the newsstand version will be more familiar to readers as it features Paltrow head-on, smiling, and surrounded by teaser headlines. This clever two-different-covers for the newsstand and subscribers approach, was the brainchild of Bailey herself, and one of the many major changes that comes along with the redesign, which was first announced as a plan this past November.

The new Harper’s Bazaar will be a compromise between old favorite attributes and new additions, as well as a significantly lengthier and less-cluttered magazine. The redesign is thicker by one inch, boasts a higher-quality paper, new typography and a sleeker look due to tighter editing and utilizing white space.

The new additions satisfy all kinds of readers, whether your vying for more fashion, beauty, culture or travel. One of Harper’s Bazaar’s most popular online features, the “Best-Dressed List” curated by Editor-at-Large Derek Blasberg, whose wit and impeccable taste make for an entertaining and eclectic list, will be a monthly column. Beauty-lovers have a lot to look forward to as the beauty section has been increased from four pages to 10 going forward. For globe-trotters, or at least those who hope to be, Bailey has introduced a monthly travel section entitled, “The Escape.” Lastly, there is a promise for more reporting on the latest in art, film and books. One of the most refreshing overall changes will be less of an emphasis on celebrity and popcorn stories.

When the March 2012 issue hits newsstands February 14th, it certainly promises to be celebration-worthy with contributions from the biggest names of A-list fashion set. Longtime contributor, and arguably one of the most in-demand photographers of our time, Terry Richardson shot the Paltrow cover and accompanying spread. The remaining features were shot by Karl Lagerfeld, Dan Jackson, Karim Sadhli, and artist Liu Bolin who literally painted his designer subjects, which included Alber Elbaz and Angela Missioni. Feature stories include a piece on the daughter-in-law of Bernie Madoff, Stephanie Mack, and a look at the controversial lifestyle of French journalist and love interest of Daphne Guiness, Bernard-Henri Lévy.

Beyond the redesign of the print magazine, Bazaar plans to rejuvenate the publication’s digital presence with a larger focus on online coverage and social media. “We’ve started to redesign online and we will see that continue,” explains Bailey to WWD. Towards the latter end of this year, Bazaar will launch an e-commerce which will literally sell the products they feature.

The unveiling of the March 2012 is shaping up to be a monumental move for Bazaar’s and it’s exciting to see the world’s oldest and most esteemed fashion publication employ a more modern design and embrace the latest technologies.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by LEXUS via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of LEXUS.

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ASOS’ new Spring Summer 2012 Lookbook has the fashion community craving tropical times like never before! The look features fun and bright resortwear pieces, which would look perfect on that summer holiday getaway. Most of the outfits have an edgy but beachy feel and employ loose silhouettes of many shift dresses and chic but comfortable looking tops. Particularly exciting pieces consist of a daring and modern mixed print dress, tie dye apparel, leather shorts,  some crochet dresses, a royal blue romper, and a revealing transparent top. Throughout the lookbook, bold prints and colors set the mood for this spring and had the feeling of Proenza Schouler or perhaps Jil Sander as runway inspiration.

As far as accessories go, several ensembles are topped with cute and quirky round sunglasses, and others have vivid backpacks complimenting the collection. But after the fashion outfits portion, the lookbook transforms into stiff life assemblages of accessories. It is certainly a veritable feast for the eyes as the selection features the most vibrant and enticing of the bags and shoes to be released in a few months time.

Fun and wearable but still different and chic; It is pleasing that ASOS is producing such fresh affordable apparel for spring and not a familiar regeneration of times past. The model’s minimal makeup and tousled hair represents that rolled out of bed cool-girl style coveted by many and achieved by few. This lookbook expresses an edgy casual glamour that every girl should love to embody. These pieces look like they could be the fitting for day or night, work, or play. Hopefully we can stand to wait a few months to snag the ASOS cool-girl essentials that we’ve seen here.

By Sarah Humphries

As we gear up for New York Fashion Week here at MyFDB, we are ecstatic to announce that we are teaming up with Nolcha Fashion Week! Nolcha Fashion Week is a leading award winning event for independent fashion designers to showcase their collections to a global audience of press, retailers, stylists and industry influencers.

“We are excited to support the independent fashion designers showcasing at Nolcha Fashion Week and to take our readers behind the scenes at the runway shows and after parties.” Reginald Flanagan, COO MyFDB.

Over the past five years Nolcha Fashion Week has established itself as a platform of discovery promoting innovative fashion designers through runway shows and exhibition during New York Fashion Week. The event is officially listed with Mercedes Benz as the two recognized Fashion Weeks by New York City Economic Development Corporation; offering a range of cost effective options to increase designers recognition and develop their business.

“I am thrilled to have MyFDB working with us to place the spotlight on our fashion professionals.” says Kerry Bannigan, CEO of Nolcha Fashion Week.

For more information, check out  www.nolchafashionweek.com and follow @MissNolcha on Twitter. To request a press pass or schedule interviews, please contact Alyson@amp3pr.com.

Most of the collection was rather desaturated and neutral. Gold, silver, beige, and subtle lilac were used but also several pops of coral could be seen amongst the soft neutrals. These bright coral pieces seem to be the focus of the new Spring/Summer ad campaign. Matching intricately woven headpieces add to the edgy outlandishness and create a look of absolute Mcqueen eccentricity. The ethereal photos display a ghostly pale figure amidst a futuristic kaleidoscope environment. In one photo, the model seems to hover in space, wearing one of the stunning finale gowns of the collection, completed with a stunning pearl-embroidered chiffon cape. Light rays seem to emanate from her face in almost a religious fashion and, once again, a kaleidoscope halo of brilliant blues and purples surround her. This slight presence of vivid yet cooler background colors, offsets the deeper warmer tones of the dress. The ad campaign is rightfully very central and concentrated on the garments of the collection, but there is also an attention to detail to display the mood of the McQueen brand and these advertisements capture that mood brilliantly.

Some of these exclusive and wearable works of art can be yours for the mere price of $17,575 or more. The chiffon cape and matching “Goddess” gown are both being sold on Neiman Marcus’ website. If only I could push the checkout button for this online shopping spree.

By Sarah Humphries

Finally! All of our wardrobe hopes and dreams are coming true! Marni is the latest high end design label to collaborate with mega brand H&M and the line is set to hit select stores March 8th. Yes, I really did say MARCH 8th! That is only one month away until fashionista’s everywhere can afford all of the tribal prints, funky jewlery, and chunky heels that their luxury-lusting hearts desire!

Marni is an Italian brand that was founded in 1994 by Consuelo Castiglioni, who remains the labels chief designer. The clothing and accessories label has a Mediterranean-bohemian aesthetic that is off beat yet supremely feminine. The luxury line uses vintage inspired fabrics with lots of geometric shapes and funky prints which, of course, always keeps the clothing sexy and seductive. You can undoubtedly rely on finding pops of vibrant color in this chic labels line. Anyone who is spotted sporting these fashion forward clothes appears fearless, young and exciting.

Lucky for us, the H&M line will also have the same luxury bohemian style that the brand is unanimous with. In the ad shot by the gorgeous and talented Sophia Coppola, Castiglioni stated that, “everything has the same level of quality, craft, and attention to detail Marni is known for.” So, are you excited yet?

By: Stephanie D’Angelo

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If you haven’t picked up the January issue of Nylon magazine, you still have a day to do so! In perusing the magazine, looking at the designer shows, and observing street trends, one doesn’t have to be the Sherlock Holmes of fashion to deduce that 60s and 70s style is back with a bang. Nylon Magazine proves the point with an issue saturated in the 60s. In two delightful editorials of the magazine, Nylon chose 60 of the most captivating up-and-coming musicians, actors, and creative minds to showcase the revolution of this generation.

In the first of the editorials dubbed “London,” photographed by Bella Howard, 30 of the young ladies and gentlemen blasted off the pages and, it seems, out of the past in truly striking period makeup and clothing. The doe-eyed girls sported luscious Twiggy eyelashes, and mod mini-dresses while the boys rocked 60s sweaters and clean-cut minimalist suits (complete with skinny ties). Of course, ultra-trendy 60s and 60s-inspired shades made an appearance as well. It seems that round glasses and wayfarers are visibly as trendy as ever. Another trendy element was volume in hair. It was all kinds of poofed, waved, backcombed, piled high, or falling long. “London” ended up looking like an Andy Warhol screen test with the white backgrounds bringing an element of focused minimalism to the shoot. Without the clutter of intricate backgrounds or elaborate scenes, the true beauty of the fashion and styling can be appreciated. Next to the photo of each up-and-coming star was a short and sweet interview chronicling their successes and creative ventures.

I feel it is important to not only imagine that the 1960s are coming back physically in fashion, but also in mindset. It was a time of intense turmoil, but also a time of revolution, excitement, and new ideas for art, culture, fashion and love. Perhaps we can find that the rebirth of the 60s can apply still to 2012. Fall in love with “London” in the January Nylon and you will find that “All You Need Is Love” …and perhaps a pair of chic round shades.

By Sarah Humphries

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The stars who took risks were rewarded with the best dressed title on our list. The ones who made the worst dressed list were far too predictable, accessorized terribly or wore an utterly unflattering ensemble. Letʼs pick apart these looks and decipher how some celebrities made the cut and otherʼs, well, not so much!

BEST:
1. Emma Stone in Alexander McQueen
-Emma stunned in a gothic black lace bustier tea length Alexander McQueen gown. The proportions on the beautiful starlet are to die for and she accessorized the ensemble to perfection.
2. Rose Byrne in Elie Saab
-Although this deep v-neck white jumpsuit ended up on some worst dressed lists, I think that Rose Byrne looked absolutely gorgeous in the daring ensemble. The vibe of her outfit is ethereal due to the light but intricate details on the jumpsuit but also chic because of the streamline shape of the couture and her sleek Anna Wintour-esque bob.
3. Jayma Mays in Reem Acra
-Modern with a twist! The layers of gunmetal sequins contradicts the streamline shape of the dress, but it works! The real deal maker is the elegant and glamourous lace inset that shows off the starʼs back.
4. Michelle WIlliams in Valentino
-Michelle Williams can really do no wrong. This red hot Valentino gown is striking on the platinum blonde actress. The scarlet lace capped sleeves discretely show off her sexy shoulders and the monochrome accessories are magnificent!
5. Zoe Saldana in Givenchy Haute Couture
-Zoe wowed in this pure white vintage number that contrasted perfectly against her smooth skin.
6. Amber Heard in Zac Posen
-Sexy, sophisticated, on trend with the cutouts, and fashion-forward! Amber worked it in
this severely sexy number.
7. Niya Rivera in Naeem Khan
-The actress looked mystical and beautiful in this low cut, icy number.
8. Stacy Keibler in Marchesa
-A vision in black lace! Her best accessory? Obviously, the timeless George Clooney.
9. Jane Lynch in David Meister
-Jane looks gorgeous in this royal blue, billowing gown.

WORST:
1.Busy Phillipps in SIMONE by Katie Nehra
-The boho look might have worked, but the strange ruching on the skirt killed it. Also,
the outfit is over accessorized and unfortunately Busyʼs outfit is just too busy.
2. Amber Riley in Badgley Mischka
-The shape of the dress is lovely on Amber but the huge bow in the center of her chest
really throws off the ensemble and adds unnecessary bulk to the actress.
3. Kristen Wiig in Balenciaga 

-Beautiful dress. However, this outfit is the perfect case of accessories done poorly.

4.Jenna Ushkowitz in Rebecca Minkoff

- The cutouts on the dress are well placed however, the print and the pleating is just not working for Jenna. A little more glam is definitely a necessity for the SAG Awards.

5. Renee Bargh in Basil Soda

-The dress is pretty but the hair makes the overall look cheesy, messy and unrefined.The look would have been much better with a sleek bun. The bun could have even been wrapped in a braid to keep the grecian aesthetic but still appear chic.

6. Berenice Bejo in Ralph Lauren
-This Ralph Lauren gown is absolutely gorgeous and looks beautiful against the actressʼ
skin. But… where did that necklace come from? Is it a mood necklace? It makes absolutely
no sense with that classic and sophisticated dress.
7. Heather Morris in Masai Payan
-Yet another case of accessorizing done poorly. The dress is interesting but the chunky
platform silver heels, the bulky silver bracelet and the stringy chandelier earrings are
out of place and change the sleek aesthetic of this gown.
8. Sophia Vergara in Marchesa
-Sophia looks gorgeous. This dress is gorgeous. However, the Latina actress has worn this
exact strapless, body hugging, fishtail gown to every single award show recently.
Itʼs time to switch it up and show off her curvaceous body in a new and inventive way.
9. Maria Menounos in Dolce & Gabanna
-Yes, Maria looks incredibly seductive in this tight, corseted, black satin number. But,
whereʼs the risk?

By Stephanie D’Angelo

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The Paris Fashion Week shows would not be complete without it’s share of drama and Jean Paul Gaultier’s Spring 2012 couture collection is causing quite a stir. The collection was filled quirky, cool, and edgy designs complete with the models sporting beehive bouffants and dramatic winged eyeliner, an ineffable homage to the late Amy Winehouse. The looks not only were comprised of eccentric mixes of colors, textures, and stylistic influences, but also included superb corsetry construction details. Such aspects exemplify Gaultier’s work and make this collection unambiguously Gaultier, even with the sensitive inspiration source. It is reported that her family was quite shocked by the theme of the show and were not consulted beforehand.

Although there is great controversy over whether the show was in “bad taste,” as Winehouse’s father is said to have called it, one can’t help but wonder that maybe Amy Winehouse may have loved it? The collection was weird and wonderful, as she was. It was more of a celebration of Winehouse and her unique beauty and sense of fashion, albeit untimely. It seems Gaultier produced the collection with the best of intentions stating: ”She was an icon of fashion and truly, the sense of how she mixed the clothes – it was great.” The garments were truly a very fascinating and fun mix and it seemed obvious that Gaultier kept the aesthetic of Amy Winehouse in the forefront of his mind. The theatricality, whimsy of this collection cannot be denied. Controversial as the issue is, in the end it is still a beautiful couture collection ultimately glorifying Winehouse’s creative beauty.

By Sarah Humphries

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Another exquisite designer collaboration is born! Yesterday, the infamous Karl Lagerfeld released his highly anticipated new line, “Karl,” on the swank online fashion boutique, Net-a-Porter. The website dubs “Karl” as a “collection of covetable downtown classics” and that is certainly so. The garments have the attitude of sophistication and urban chic that Lagerfeld himself always exudes. The collection includes everything from the ultimate it-girl motorcycle jackets, to wearable and ultramodern dresses for day and evening, to cotton T-shirts featuring charming illustrations of Lagerfeld’s recognizable visage. Viewing the collection, it seems like a mood board for everything the fashion mogul typically interjects into his high fashion collections. Stark contrasts of black and white characterize most of the line. But, there are also many lux metallic pieces that would be sure to turn heads on the street or in a nightclub. Lagerfeld’s use of intriguing fabrics in “Karl” generates much of the intricacy and enchantment of many of the garments. Several sorts and tops involve the use sleek and lush PVC plastic. Other items like shorts, a dress, and even pants are entirely sequined.

“Karl” also incorporates many delightful accessories that allow us all to emulate the quirks of the iconic Mr. Lagerfeld’s fashion. There are numerous collars in leather and sequins that one may don as a necklace or add to any ensemble for a splash of polish. Of course, Lagerfeld just had to a pair include of fingerless gloves, the likes of which are an important factor in his daily costume.

Another of the accoutrements which ooze edge and avant-garde chic is the fabulous footwear of “Karl.” Leather high top sneakers are playful and fashionable, and retain the high-quality look of the line. Leather wedges with a contrast of thick ankle strap and thin foot strap are inventive and would accompany the urban and very now look of the rest of the “Karl” collection perfectly. This budget line can still be pretty pricey, ranging from $25 for an (already sold out) tote bag to $1,350 for a faux-snakeskin leather jacket, it will still cost you to have a little “Karl” in your closet.

By Sarah Humphries