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

Miss Piggy may not be the first model that pops in your head, but her snout and curves were recently highlighted in the pages of InStyle. The muppet already has a collaboration deal with Opening Ceremony and now other designers have gotten into the mix by creating looks for the star. Photographed by Dan Forbes, InStyle dedicated a huge spread to the animal with the perfectly titled editorial, “The Notorious P.i.g.” Even better, Brian Atwood, Prabal Gurung, Jason Wu, Suno and more inventively created looks of piggy sized proportion. Her personality is quite loud, but her size isn’t exactly that of a typical model, so everything was custom made.  Would you expect anything less from the famous pig? Her snout clearly knows how to sniff out awesome style!

See the full Miss Piggy for InStyle spread on MyFDB.

Having followed Prabal Gurung‘s career for a few years now, the designer continues to appeal to all types of women and his popularity is getting to be as big as Nicki Minaj’s hair – literally. The singer paraded into Gurung’s NYFW show today with paparazzi swarming around her. Trailing behind and making a much more delicate entrance was actress Amanda Seyfried, who was seated close to Minaj. It takes imagination and a unique comprehension of a woman’s body to appeal to both of these celebrities, which Gurung has, not to mention the designer has dressed everyone from Michelle Obama to Zoe Saldana.

Anna Wintour was vacant from this showing, yet the Vogue presence remained a powerhouse with Andre Leon Talley, Grace Coddington, and Hamish Bowles front row. Elle’s creative director Joe Zee sat with the mag’s editor-in-chief Robbie Myers, while we also spotted Brad Goreski, Bryan Boy, Steven Kolb, Derek Blasberg, Mickey Boardman, and Imran Amed in the audience.

Karlie Kloss

The designer’s pre-show tweets gave us a preview of the looks, so we knew to anticipate shades of violet. Of course in true Gurung fashion, always expect the unexpected as fierce sheer cutout pieces came down the catwalk. Metallics yelled at the audience and reflected the wearer’s dominance over the crowd. The designer’s collection transformed from flirty into a dagger of seductive reality before coming full circle with immaculately detailed tulle accented silk gowns. The garments encompassed the empowering effect of romance, whether that be with another person or your wardrobe.

On the runway coveted model Karlie Kloss wowed in a sheer cutout black gown which was sex and drama in clothing form. Kloss even gave a slight smirk down the runway before greeting photog flashes. Also walking for Gurung we spotted Lindsey Wixson, Arizona Muse, Liu Wen, Jourdan Dunn, Nimue Smit, and Sui He. Each model had noticeably slicked back locks and bold lipstick, while their face makeup remained natural with a light sheen thanks to makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury.

Showgoers knew they were witnessing something amazing. As you can tell by the finale music in the video above the occasion felt momentous; Boardman even tweeted that he cried. If there’s something we’ve learned from his shows throughout the years, it’s that Prabal Gurung is a designer who has a way of taking pieces women would normally fear and morph their fright into desire. As you can see by his mixed clientele, he’s good at having his way with the ladies and he can totally have his way with me any day.

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What do  Angela Missoni, Donatella Versace and Miss Piggy all have in common? Besides bold looks, these three are all involved in major designer collaborations. (Yes, Miss Piggy is a designer.) Nowadays fresh collaborations are announced practically every day, so we’re left asking ourselves… “Is this even news?” While, yes, many partnerships are exciting and garner mountains of press and make great additional to our wardrobe, others are well…less interesting to say the least. New collaborations, capsule collections, and guest design stints are constantly in circulation, so it’s easy to get lost in the jumble. Therefore, MyFDB wanted to break down some of the most noteworthy collections that you may (or may not) want to add to your closet.

Up first is the highly anticipated Missoni for Target line. Mark your calendars now for September 13th, because you don’t want to be last one on the block without a Missoni bike, towels, dress, or patio furniture. The brand wants to invade our lives and we’re totally okay with it.

Next, Muppet diva Miss Piggy is teaming up with Opening Ceremony for a unique collection. The line will debut during Fashion’s Night Out, but the pieces are still a secret. We hear Miss Piggy herself will be in arriving to show off the looks. No word on the attendance of Kermit or any other members of the Muppet gang as of yet. We’ll keep you posted on how this plays out.

Then Versace is getting into bed with H&M – literally. The retailer will be selling branded Versace bedding along with an array of designs from Donatella this fall. We think the line will sell well, but we’re just not completely sold on if we’d purchase it ourselves.

Lastly, our feathers were majorly ruffled when Prabal Gurung‘s looks for J. Crew were released. Sleek, classy, yet full of pizzaz the designer clearly knows his audience.

So, who’s ready for some retail therapy?

A big round of applause goes out to the whopping 33 new faces to the CFDA family! This is the largest induction into the organization since being founded in 1962 by twenty designers. Pictured above are just a few of the new members from top left to right, Prabal Gurung, Olivier Theyskens, Eddie Borgo, Stacey Bendet, and Charlotte Ronson.

Steven Kolb, CEO of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) said of the group, “Each new member is uniquely talented and collectively they add strength to the ever growing influence of the CFDA and American fashion.”

The CFDA is a not-for-profit trade association, which hosts its annual Fashion Awards to recognize the top creative talent in the industry. The organization also offers programs which support professional development and scholarships.

Meet the talented 33…

Alexa Adams, OHNE TITEL

Fred Allard, NINE WEST

Miho Aoki, UNITED BAMBOO

Gaby Basora, TUCKER

Stacey Bendet, ALICE + OLIVIA

Eddie Borgo, EDDIE BORGO

Kip Chapelle, RUBIN & CHAPELLE

Christian Cota, CHRISTIAN COTA

Luis Fernandez, NUMBER:LAB

Tess Giberson, TESS GIBERSON

Flora Gill, OHNE TITEL

Rogan Gregory, ROGAN / LOOMSTATE

Joy Gryson, GRYSON

Prabal Gurung, PRABAL GURUNG

Scott Hahn, ROGAN / LOOMSTATE

Mara Hoffman, MARA HOFFMAN

Jen Kao, JEN KAO

Shaun Kearney, CYNTHIA STEFFE

Andrea Lieberman, A.L.C

Dana Lorenz, FENTON / FALLON

Melissa Joy Manning, MELISSA JOY MANNING

Derrick Miller, BARKER BLACK LIMITED

Claude Morais, RUFFIAN

Blake Mycoskie, TOMS SHOES

Gregory Parkinson, GREGORY PARKINSON

Patty Perreira, BARTON PERREIRA

Thuy Pham, UNITED BAMBOO

Charlotte Ronson, CHARLOTTE RONSON

Ippolita Rostagno, IPPOLITA

Sonja Rubin, RUBIN & CHAPELLE

Olivier Theyskens, THEORY

Trish Wescoat Pound, HAUTE HIPPIE

Brian Wolk, RUFFIAN

Now Prabal has collaborated once again (first time being spring 2011) with Sally Hansen in celebration of his (and amazing) 2012 resort collect. The collection will include 5 complimenty polishes…and even better? All of the polishes range in prices from $2.99-$7.99 at local drugstores. The shades are as follows: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in “Pacific Blue” and “Sun Kissed”, Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in “Gilty Pleasure”, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in “Black Out” and a Antiqued Gold Crackle Overcoat.

Hmmm, I may have to just buy all of them.

Prabal Gurung

Prabal and Rye Rye make for the perfect pair. “I was immediately taken by how unique and dynamic her music was…Her authentic sound and tremendous energy was exactly what we were looking for, and I have always loved her bright, personal style” Gurung said of the singer.

As for the collection, Gurung was inspired by Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. He said, “She was in many ways a symbol of the ’60s free love moment. She considers herself an ‘obsessive artist,’ which is a feeling I in many ways relate to. Her work often dealt with feminism and as a designer, I have designed for women who knew their own worth before society dictated it. I have had a profound respect for intelligent women or as I always say, ‘the thinking man’s sex symbol.”

As for Prabal’s love for women, the feeling is mutual. We heart him just as much (maybe more?) and we’re so proud to see his career skyrocket with amazing collaborations and new collections. So get ready to shake your groove thing with Prabal’s “New Thing” and watch the video below.

Typically known for more formal and pieces, it’s thrilling to see him spread his design wings and show garments that are vivacious and exciting to wear on a daily basis as opposed to his evening-wear collections.

You can view Prabal’s collection below.

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First up is the beautiful Adele, who I simply cannot get enough of and who recently graced Elle’s May cover . Her first album, 19 was amazing and now her sophmotre album, 21 is sure to give you the chills with lyrics about love and losing it. My two favorite tracks are “Someone Like You” and “Rolling in the Deep”…Check out the remix of “Rolling in the Deep” by Villa that was a hit at NYFW shows such as Prabal Gurung’s and Rebecca Taylor’s. (Dare you to try and not dance to this one.)

Did you know that red-head Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine was the inspiration behind Gucci’s Fall 2011 collection? And Welch recently sang her hit “Dogs Days Are Over” at the Met Gala! Check out the video of her performance below!

Kings of Leon front man, Caleb Followill just tied the knot to Victoria Secret Angel Lily Alridge but that doens’t mean you can’t enjoy their latest album Come Around Sundown.

Or check out our interview with the fashionable DJ Misty Rabbit and her rad remixes.

And last, but certainly not least is NickI Minaj (and her multiple personalities). Her verses are just as fierce and funky as her crazy outfits. I’m currently obsessed with her latest single “Super Bass” which is about crushing on that special someone. Check the video out down below!

What are you guys currently listening to? Any suggestions?

When I saw pictures of what happened after the met gala last night, I was reminded of Jay-Z‘s lyrics: “After the show it’s the after party then, after the party it’s the hotel lobby.” Because that’s exactly where everyone ended up after partying the night away at The Standard NY‘s infamous Boom Boom Room on top of the hotel.

Once the formal gala ended everyone let loose! Dree Hemingway got behind the turntables, Prabal Gurung partied with Andy Cohen, Brad Goreski danced the night away, and Naomi Campbell received a kiss of admiration on the hand from Bruno Mars. Ok, I know I said the Costume Institute ball is where everyone was at, but I think the after party comes in a close second. How much would you have loved to watch Stefano Pilati cut a rug with Florence Welch? Well, actually you can! We gathered the best party shots, so you don’t feel left out.

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(images via)

We got the chance to meet Gurung and couldn’t agree more with his latest honor which comes from USA Network. Prabal is proudly receiving the network’s “Character Approved Award” along with 11 others including Blake Mycoskie of Tom’s Shoes, singer Janelle Monae and actress Lily Rabe.

The network has said of Prabal, “Drawing inspiration from his own travels and work around the globe, Gurung transforms clothing into wearable art. Although a fashion veteran, Gurung’s own collection launched just two years ago and has already garnered rave reviews and well-deserved awards. His sculpted, modern designs have won the hearts of the fashion elite, including Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey and Demi Moore. For continuing to surprise and delight us with his flights of fashion fancy every September and February, Gurung is distinctly—and sartorially—Character Approved.”

The USA Network one hour-long special titled “Character Approved: Honoring 12 Cultural Traiblazers” will air tonight (Tuesday) at 10/11pm CST! We will DEFINITELY be watching! Congrats Prabal! Peep the video below for a sneak peek!