Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Behold: The Entire Cara Delevingne Topshop Holiday Campaign is Here

Behold: The Entire Cara Delevingne Topshop Holiday Campaign is Here:

Photo: Topshop
Photo: Topshop
In a well-timed move, Topshop just released its holiday campaign starring Cara Delevingne, which the brand teased earlier this week with a video. You know, the day after the high street behemoth threw a mindblowingly star-studded dinner in New York. (One word: BEYONCÉ; four words: Cara Delevingne petting Beyoncé.) The campaign comes as a pre-holiday gift while we're still basking in the event's afterglow.

The images were appropriately shot in London's legendary Annabel's Club (the tony members-only establishment frequented by royalty like Prince Harry and famous fashion-y people like Kate Moss) by Alasdair McLellan and styled by Topshop's creative director, Kate Phelan.

Browse all the images below to see Delevingne in Topshop's most holiday party-appropriate items, from sparkly dresses to feather-embellished shoes to novelty tights.

Hermès's Leather Goods Are Selling Like Hotcakes

Hermès's Leather Goods Are Selling Like Hotcakes:

A look from Hermès's spring 2015 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
A look from Hermès's spring 2015 collection. Photo: Imaxtree
Last month, U.S. officials seized $1.8 million worth of counterfeit Hermès bags. However, that seemingly large counterfeiting problem doesn't seem to have done much damage to the French luxury heritage brand's own handbag business.

Hermès said Thursday that revenue increased by a healthy 11 percent to 990.6 million euros ($1.2 billion) in the third quarter of 2014, and much of that was thanks to demand for the brand's French-made, high-end leather goods. That category grew 15 percent.

Ready-to-wear also fared pretty well, growing 13 percent over the quarter, underlining what we knew -- that recently departed Creative Director Christophe Lemaire has left some pretty big shoes to fill.

Regionally, demand in Japan and the U.S. was high -- sales went up 13 percent and 14 percent in those countries, respectively. In Europe, sales only grew 7 percent, due to the challenging economic climate there, which most other luxury brands have also experienced in recent months, Michael Kors excepted.

Alexander Wang for H&M Already Crashed the Website

Alexander Wang for H&M Already Crashed the Website:

A look from the collection. Photo: H&M
A look from the collection. Photo: H&M
The Alexander Wang for H&M collection wasn't even set to go live on the site until 10 a.m. EST, but just 10 minutes before, the site crashed.

Womp womp.
Womp womp.
Visitors to HM.com were welcomed with the above message, informing them that there were too many people on the site. As of 10:05 a.m., the site is still down. Apparently, the retailer didn't learn from previous experience, like the time Versace for H&M crashed the site, or just recently, when the U.S. site for its offshoot brand & Other Stories crashed before it could even properly launch.

Don't fret, though: There's always Ebay, where pieces from the collection are (of course) already listed, provided you're willing to pay a markup. The collection is also live on Alexander Wang's (still currently functioning) website.

Joan Smalls Is a Notorious Prankster at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows

Joan Smalls Is a Notorious Prankster at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows:

You want a piece of this? Why yes, please. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
You want a piece of this? Why yes, please. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Leading up to the much-anticipated Victoria's Secret Show in London on Dec. 2, the runway lineup confirmations are trickling in — mostly through Instagram posts from the ladies themselves. Sadly, it looks like those Kendall Jenner rumors turned out to be just that and, sorry ladies, but Bradley Cooper will not be sitting in the audience to support Suki Waterhouse. BUT our favorite long running, wing-rocking cat walkers, including Karlie Kloss, Behati Prinsloo, and double Dream Angels Fantasy Bra wearers Alessandra Ambrosio and Adriana Lima, will be there.

At the model-packed WSJ. Magazine Innovator Awards last night, five-year VS show veteran Constance Jablonski — who donned the heaviest wings last year — said she's excited to take the flight across the pond with her fellow VS pals, including Joan Smalls. (Sounds like two more confirmations, right?) But everyone, especially the newbies, better watch out because Smalls is a notorious prankster.

"Joan is the wittiest of [them] all," said Jablonski, pointing out that if anyone was going to pull a fast one backstage, it's Smalls. "She’s my favorite anyway, so she knows I love it. But she’s definitely the one who’s gonna unzip your dress. But it’s always very casual."

Along with the high fashion version of pants-ing, a little covert bum squeeze here and there is also part of Smalls' M.O.

"I’m always pinching butts while we’re taking pictures because the person can’t see [me]," said Smalls, with a mischievous (and ridiculously gorgeous) grin on her face. "So then the girl has the biggest smile on her face because she can’t hold it in. Or she's like, 'Who did that?!'"

Constance Jablonski probably getting her butt pinched by Joan Smalls at the 'WSJ. Magazine' Innovator Awards. Photo: BFA NYC
Constance Jablonski probably getting her butt pinched by Joan Smalls at the 'WSJ. Magazine' Innovator Awards. Photo: BFA NYC
But, of course, the tables do turn. With so many excited girls and loads of downtime preparing for the show, there has to be some payback, right?

"All the time," Smalls said. "[Fellow models' tricks include] saying that I finished shooting early and I was about to take everything off and [producers] were like, 'No we actually have a couple more shots left!' I forgot who did it and I was like, 'That is not funny!'" She couldn't remember who the culprit was, but I bet it was that Cara Delevingne, who seems like she would definitely have some naughty  trickery up her sweatshirt sleeve. "Probably," Smalls laughed.

"Joan definitely is trouble whether it’s the Victoria's Secret Show or any show," said Kloss. "But it keeps it fun that way."

The prolific model and Karlie's Kookie dessert mogul explained that the VS extravaganza is one of the "most stressful shows" she's ever walked in. So she appreciates the levity even though Smalls is a master of friendly deception.

"Joan can keep a really straight face," Kloss said. "She can do a really good bluff, saying I missed the show or I missed something. She’s a good prankster."

But the sweet and wide-eyed serial prank-ee can't quite bring herself to bring a little retribution upon Smalls.

"Have I gotten her back? No," she admitted. "I’m not good at being clever and conniving and she’s really good at it. I gotta beat her at her own game. So if you have any good tips... "

Well, I think a some good old fashioned bra freezing would be pretty apropos at a Victoria's Secret Show.

"Wait, I thought YOU were putting Joan's bedazzled bra in the freezer." Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
"Wait, I thought YOU were putting Joan's bedazzled bra in the freezer." Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

Constance Jablonski Makes the Flower Crown Look Sophisticated

Constance Jablonski Makes the Flower Crown Look Sophisticated:

Dreamy. Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
Dreamy. Photo: Neilson Barnard/Getty Images
Leave it to a supermodel like Constance Jablonski to take something like a flower crown — that music festival staple now available in cheap versions at retailers across the country — and make it look like the must-have accessory of the season.

First, she sported a gold-butterfly encrusted headpiece to the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund dinner on Monday (above), and it was lovely. But it wasn't until she appeared at the WSJ. Magazine 2014 Innovator Awards Thursday evening that it became clear that Jablonski has nailed the look.

She paired an alligator floral crown by milliner Gigi Burris with a simple white Chanel gown and a gorgeous beauty look that accentuated her stunning eyes. The effect was simultaneously playful and sophisticated, and we'll be attempting to replicate it ASAP.

It's like a halo on a super hot angel. Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
It's like a halo on a super hot angel. Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Lupita Nyong'o Stuns In Latest Lancôme Ad, Jean Touitou Slams Hedi Slimane

Lupita Nyong'o Stuns In Latest Lancôme Ad, Jean Touitou Slams Hedi Slimane:

Lupita Nyong'o for Lancôme. Photo: Lancôme
Lupita Nyong'o for Lancôme. Photo: Lancôme
Lupita Nyong’o's latest Lancôme ad is out and and it is as feminine and beautiful as you imagined it would be. {Fashionista Inbox} 

The British Fashion Council announced that it will be honoring Anna Wintour with an outstanding achievement award at the British Fashion Awards on Dec. 1 in London. Congrats, Anna! {WWD}

More shade is being thrown Hedi Slimane’s way and this time it’s coming from fellow Frenchman, Jean Touitou. The A.P.C. founder claimed in an interview that Slimane is difficult to work with, like “he thinks he’s the Kaiser or something,” and that he’s trying too hard to be Yves Saint Laurent himself. Shots fired. {Vestoj}

It’s obvious that Cara Delevingne is raking it in, but now we have a better idea of her exact earning power. The British model reportedly brings in £6,500 (about $8,000) a day, and earned £2.4 million in a year according to accounts filed by her company, Cara & Co. And with a number of big acting and musical endeavors in the works, in addition to her plethora of ad campaigns, that number is sure to go up. {The Express}

Keira Knightley Explains Topless Photo Shoot, Cara Delevingne Scales Back Modeling Career

Keira Knightley Explains Topless Photo Shoot, Cara Delevingne Scales Back Modeling Career:

Keira Knightley. Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
Keira Knightley. Photo: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
So why did Keira Knightley pose topless for Interview? The actress says she agreed to pose on the condition that her breasts were not retouched -- her body has been manipulated in photos for so many reasons, and she believes it sends the wrong message to society. "It does feel important to say it really doesn't matter what shape you are," she says. {Jezebel}

Cara Delevingne is scaling back her modeling career to focus on film. Delevingne, who recently completed her sixth movie, has a slew of new films coming out next year, including a take on the real-life story of Amanda Knox, and other projects staring Johnny Depp, Amber Heard, Hugh Jackman and Rooney Mara. {WWD}

Naomi Campbell is staging two fashion shows to raise money to support Ebola victims. The shows will be in New York and London, and the money will go to Jeffrey Wright's Ebola Survival Fund. {New York Post}

Alexa Chung's hairstylist, George Northwood, is launching "Tonging Tutorials" at his London salon to teach Chung-philes how to get the perfect natural wave. The sessions are 45 minutes and show you how to prep, style and control your curls. {Telegraph}

Celebrating Francesca Amfitheatrof, Tiffany’s Latest Triumph

Celebrating Francesca Amfitheatrof, Tiffany’s Latest Triumph:

Francesca Amfitheatrof. Photo: Tiffany & Co.
Francesca Amfitheatrof. Photo: Tiffany & Co.
Staring down at a strategic arrangement of two Tiffany & Co. hinged cuffs and a chain bracelet, a bizarre image pops into my head. Although the three pieces aren’t physically connected, I’m almost sure they’re intended to be a designer pair of handcuffs, set in sterling silver. But I’m at a Tiffany T opening night celebration, an intimate yet impressive fête at a Chelsea gallery space for the brand’s latest line. Tiffany? Handcuffs? Is my imagination running wild?

“No. Definitely not,” Francesca Amfitheatrof, Tiffany & Co.’s first female design director, assures me. “I found out [Harry] Houdini was one of the great clients of Charles Lewis Tiffany. [They] were very close. And I thought, we’ve got to make handcuffs. They’re in our history.”

Amfitheatrof, who started at the 177-year-old house in September 2013, is a tour de force: a clever, captivating artist and silversmith who’s designed jewelry and accessories for Alessi, Chanel and Fendi. “What’s funny about Tiffany is that you always think it’s a very sort of classic, proper company. And it is, but at the same time, it’s had this kind of artistic, crazy, irreverent side,” she enthuses, her tone becoming more affectionate. “It’s got to come back. We’ve got to bring it out.”

On Thursday night, at an event to celebrate Tiffany's new "T" line of 18-karat gold and sterling silver jewelry, a new kind of energy was in the air. Music, spun by DJ-of-the-moment Harley Viera-Newton, blared. Guests, including Olivia Palermo, Coco Rocha, Karlie Kloss and Eva Chen, took pictures on their mobile phones, showing off Tiffany T bracelets and rings. If they hashtagged #MyTiffanyT, they’d find a neat little printout at a nearby photobooth. Inside a white Tiffany train, situated in the center of the open, high-ceilinged space, an engraver was hard at work, the latest pieces of the collection on display. Outside, Michael Geier, better known as Puddles Pity Party, crooned his covers of “Dancing Queen” and “Chandelier,” his baritone voice a complement to his towering, operatic presence. It wasn’t your average Tiffany party.

At the world's premier luxury jeweler, Francesca Amfitheatrof finds that she has much creative freedom, an independence that allows her to bring that artistic irreverence back to life. “You can go to very big brands and you can say, ‘I’m going to change things, I’m going to do things,’ but you don’t have the support. I had the support from day one,” she tells me.

Earlier in the day, I visited the Tiffany & Co. flagship store on Fifth Avenue, where many Tiffany T pieces are currently on display, a few campaign ads strategically hanging in the elevators. One of the saleswomen I talked to told me that the designs have been well received. Another showed me that the thinner gold wire bracelets are malleable, memorizing the shape of your wrist.

Bracelets from the collection. Photo: Tiffany & Co.
Bracelets from the collection. Photo: Tiffany & Co.
“The thing with this collection,” Amfitheatrof says, “is that it has a lot of engineering behind it. The [Tiffany T] collection appears effortless. But behind it there’s an amazing amount of discovery through engineering possibilities. Only a company like Tiffany could do that.”

Still, it’s Amfitheatrof who lays the blueprints, unique designs and energetic shapes plucked from her own dreams. “Tiffany is a big brand,” she confirms. “It took me three months just to learn the size of it, just to start to touch the edges of it.” Yet she is already having an impact on its vocabulary. “I sort of hit the ground running. So from day one, I arrived with this [Tiffany T] collection and everybody said, ‘Great, we’re going to start, and we’re going to do this.’”

One of her fans is the multifaceted Karlie Kloss, who arrives 20 minutes after Amfitheatrof. Before we discuss Tiffany, I want to learn about Kloss’s most personal piece of jewelry. I show her two Cruciani bracelets on my left wrist, explaining that I don’t particularly like them — aesthetically, that is. They’re frayed. They never go with anything I wear. But they have meaning. Like charms. With positive associations.

“Yeah,” she says, catching my drift. “My mom and dad bought me these beautiful diamond studs for my 16th birthday. Every girl wants the perfect pair of diamond studs. They were [designed by] nobody special. They’re very coming-of-age, classic things, things that I’ll have forever,” she explains. “I wear them all the time.”

Kloss, 22, tells me that she has three sisters. “Plus my mom and myself, so five girls in one household,” she adds. Just from our brief meeting, she makes it clear that the Kloss women are lucky girls. “Every birthday, every Christmas, every Val...” — she balances scales — “every birthday for my entire life my dad supplies us with a little blue box.”

Karlie Kloss at the Tiffany T event on Thursday. Photo: Tiffany & Co.
Karlie Kloss at the Tiffany T event on Thursday. Photo: Tiffany & Co.
Instead of asking what’s inside, I’m curious how old she was when she first remembered the image of the blue box.

“I was five,” she says, without hesitation. She goes on to explain the ritual of receiving the gifts. “I mean that white ribbon, a little bow...” her declarative description ringing over the blaring lyrics of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie.” “I love all things in a little blue box,” she rhapsodizes.

Once the event is over, I check her Instagram. Her latest photograph, a shot of her forearm framed by Tiffany & Co. scrim, shows her wearing four of Amfitheatrof’s new Tiffany T designs. The caption reads: “There’s nothing quite like a blue box.”

Was Kloss paid to be at the Tiffany event? Probably. But the less cynical side of me couldn't help but marvel that after 177 years in business, Tiffany & Co. still has the power to excite one of the most beautiful, fashion-conscious women in the world.

Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain Ruled the Red Carpet This Week

Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain Ruled the Red Carpet This Week:

Anne Hathaway in Calvin Klein. Photo: Teresa Kroeger/Getty Images
Anne Hathaway in Calvin Klein. Photo: Teresa Kroeger/Getty Images
We dare Hatha-haters to find anything negative to say about Anne Hathaway's recent red carpet looks. Clearly, the actress made a smart hire in choosing stylist Penny Lovell to replace Rachel Zoe earlier this year. This week, we fell hard for her black, body-hugging Calvin Klein dress and sweet white Valentino mini dress. She even wore one of Rodarte's lovely but crazy mermaid-inspired spring 2015 dresses and not only did she pull it off, it also felt appropriate for the futuristic film she was promoting, "Interstellar."

Of course, Hathaway's co-star Jessica Chastain held her own as well in flawlessly elegant looks by Roksanda and Prada. Here's hoping this movie garners some nominations so that we can see this red carpet perfection continue into awards season.

Click through to see those, and the rest of the weeks' best dressed ladies, below.



Constance Jablonski in Chanel and a Gigi Burris headpiece at the WSJ Innovator Awards. Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images
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Constance Jablonski in Chanel and a Gigi Burris headpiece at the WSJ Innovator Awards. Photo: Mike Coppola/Getty Images



Zoe Kravitz in Dior at the Guggenheim International Gala Pre-Party. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
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Zoe Kravitz in Dior at the Guggenheim International Gala Pre-Party. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images



Leelee Sobieski in Dior at the Guggenheim International Gala Pre-Party. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
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Leelee Sobieski in Dior at the Guggenheim International Gala Pre-Party. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images



Jessica Chastain in Prada at the "Interstellar" New York premiere. Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images
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Jessica Chastain in Prada at the "Interstellar" New York premiere. Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images



Anne Hathaway in Calvin Klein at the "Interstellar" premiere at the National Air and Space Museum. Photo: Teresa Kroeger/Getty Images
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Anne Hathaway in Calvin Klein at the "Interstellar" premiere at the National Air and Space Museum. Photo: Teresa Kroeger/Getty Images



Anne Hathaway in Valentino (with Marlo Thomas) at the 2014 World Of Children Awards. Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images
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Anne Hathaway in Valentino (with Marlo Thomas) at the 2014 World Of Children Awards. Photo: Robin Marchant/Getty Images



Jessica Chastain in Roksanda at the AFI Festival. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFI
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Jessica Chastain in Roksanda at the AFI Festival. Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images for AFI

Gemma Ward Continues Her Comeback On 'Vogue' Australia's December Cover

Gemma Ward Continues Her Comeback On 'Vogue' Australia's December Cover:

Flawless. Photo: 'Vogue' Australia
Flawless. Photo: 'Vogue' Australia
Hello and welcome to the future, humans.

Gemma Ward has put that ethereal face of hers — hovering somewhere between angelic and alien — to good use on the space travel-inspired December cover of Vogue Australia. Set against backgrounds designed by Animal Logic, an Australian visual effects studio that's worked on movies like "The Great Gatsby" and "Happy Feet," Ward floats around in zero gravity and wears Dior Couture like some beautiful extraterrestrial queen.

This also happens to be the magazine's 55th anniversary issue, which would explain the futuristic vibe (you know: celebrate the past, keep looking forward). More important, it's the latest development in what increasingly feels like a true comeback campaign for the supermodel, who disappeared from the fashion world after cementing herself as the biggest face of the '00s. In September, she made fashion followers do a figurative (maybe literal) spit take when she walked the Prada show and has been picking up jobs since.

With a major magazine cover under her belt, we're hopeful that we'll be seeing much, much more of Ward soon.

Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio May Retire Their Wings, How 'Lucky' Will Tackle E-Commerce

Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio May Retire Their Wings, How 'Lucky' Will Tackle E-Commerce:

Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio in the 2014 Dream Angels Fantasy Bras. Photo: Victoria's Secret
Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio in the 2014 Dream Angels Fantasy Bras. Photo: Victoria's Secret
Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio may be clipping their Victoria’s Secret Angel wings. Sources claim that the brand’s two most recognizable faces (and this year’s Fantasy Bra models) are wrapping up their tenure at the lingerie brand after this year’s big show in London. Considering that both Brazilian beauties have been with VS since the early 2000’s, it could be the right time to move on. {Page Six}

Three months after Lucky announced it was spinning off from Condé Nast and into a new e-commerce venture, Lucky Group president Gillian Gorman Round discusses how Lucky’s history of putting readers first will drive its e-commerce business in comparison to sites like Net-a-Porter or Shopbop that, even with a growing editorial presence, put the product first. {Adweek}

With Marco Zanini’s departure from Schiaparelli, the fashion world is wondering what's next for the Paris-based brand struggling to revive itself. Though Schiaparelli will probably be absent from the January couture shows, it will ready a spring collection, and plans to announce a new creative director "soon." WWD has some ideas as to who it could be. {WWD}

Miley Cyrus has the Internet in an uproar and this time it has nothing to do with her nipples. The new face of MAC Viva Glam upset several of her Instagram followers after posting pictures of her pet pig, Bubba Sue, getting a bright red manicure. Commenters expressed concern that the chemicals could be harmful to her pot-bellied pet, while others claimed it was blatant abuse of the animal. Hopefully Miley realizes that you can put nail polish on a pig, but it’s still a pig. {People}

Felicity Jones Shows Her Wilder Side in Prada

Felicity Jones Shows Her Wilder Side in Prada:

Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Last week, Dhani posed the question: Is Felicity Jones the new queen of demure, feminine dressing? I'd be inclined to say yes (her navy pleated Peter Pan collared Dior cocktail dress was pretty much perfect), but then, this weekend, the British actress stepped out in this kinda sexy, and, dare we say, edgy midnight blue Prada dress at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Governors Awards.

Not that "The Theory of Everything" star didn't look impeccably elegant (and gorgeous), mind you, but the peekaboo cut-outs on her tricotine silk column gown are pretty sassy compared to her previous ladylike, ready-for-high-tea dresses. Plus, the crystal-embroidered trim kind of mimics chain link detail (or do I just have too much "50 Shades of Grey" on the brain?). So perhaps Jones is a style chameleon on the making. Either way, kudos for keeping us on our toes.

Jones gives us a peek of her Brian Atwood heel and carries an Edie Parker "Jean" clutch. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
Jones gives us a peek of her Brian Atwood heel and carries an Edie Parker "Jean" clutch. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Allison Williams Is Stressed Out That You Worry About Her Weight

Allison Williams Is Stressed Out That You Worry About Her Weight:

Photo: Courtesy 'Allure'
Photo: Courtesy 'Allure'
Allison Williams has been promoting "Peter Pan: Live!" (yes, that's still happening, so hope you're stocked up on wine for December 4) pretty heavily for the past few weeks, but for the December cover of Allure, she gets to take off that pixie cut wig and try out something a bit more glamorous.

Sporting voluminous waves and a green dress we're sure is a nod to the boy who never grows up, Williams tells the mag she knows people talk about her body. Explaining that she started filming "Girls" at her "college-weight," Williams insists that what we see now is her natural body type (and, as people familiar with the tendency to put on a few thanks to a bit too much beer and late night pizza at school, we're inclined to believe her).

"But that's still the way it was set in people's minds, so they're like, 'Oh, my God, you've lost weight,'" she explains. "It’s a little bit stressful to know that there are a lot of people walking around who think I'm constantly just shaking and depriving myself."

Williams is also known for her pretty but safe red carpet choices, and she's okay with it. Even the 2013 Met Gala theme wouldn't shake Williams from her carefully crafted style. "The theme was punk," she tells the glossy. "Picture me, Allison Williams, hearing the theme to the Met Ball is punk. This was, like, the riskiest thing I'd ever worn. There was the danger of underboob showing."

Wow. Much risk. Such underboob. Dress by Altuzarra. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Wow. Much risk. Such underboob. Dress by Altuzarra. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
Allison Williams's cover of Allure hits newsstands November 18.

How Victoria's Secret Angel Wings Are Made

How Victoria's Secret Angel Wings Are Made:

Candice Swanepoel in a relatively light pair of wings in 2013. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
How Victoria's Secret Angel Wings Are Made
Candice Swanepoel in a relatively light pair of wings in 2013. Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images
They may look effortless floating down the runway, but a ton of work goes into every pair of Angel Wings that appear in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Get a behind-the-scenes look at how those wings are made (and at Candice Swanepoel's crazy-good body). {HuffPo}



Prabal Gurung on His New MAC Collection and the Future of His Fashion Business

Prabal Gurung on His New MAC Collection and the Future of His Fashion Business:

Photo: Peter Michael Dills/Getty Images 
Photo: Peter Michael Dills/Getty Images 
MAC has a reputation for spearheading some  unusual collaborations (The Simpsons, anyone?), but its latest collection with Prabal Gurung makes perfect, beautiful sense. The brand has been working with the designer for the past five years on his runway shows since he was a relative unknown, so this is a natural progression of that relationship. The collaboration is two years in the making and a chance for the designer to dip his toe into beauty, a category he has said he's very interested in adding to his own line eventually.

The 14-piece holiday collection launches on November 26 in the U.S., at prices ranging from $20 for an eye pencil to $70 for bronzing powder. The prices are slightly higher than usual for MAC, but that's a result of the packaging and also Prabal's luxury point of view. The packaging was inspired by 1920s jeweled minaudieres, and also by the art of Damien Hirst, Sylvie Fleury and Nick Knight.

Last night at a party at the Boom Boom Room at the Standard Hotel in NYC to fete the collab, I got to chat with the designer about the collection and the future of his business. The conversation got off to a promising start when he said Fashionista was his favorite site. (Let it be shown on the record that this writer has always had a teeny crush on Prabal also.) Here, his thoughts on starting a lower priced line, why he thinks his high price point works, and the way his women friends influenced the beauty collection.

Photo: MAC
Photo: MAC
Fashionista: So is this the next step to launching beauty under your own name? 

Prabal Gurung: It is. When I started my collection five years back, it was with this idea and concept about creating beauty. Not just about clothes or dresses, it was the concept and idea of creating something beautiful. From ready-to-wear, this was a natural progression.

What was the most surprising or challenging thing about doing beauty, and how is it different from fashion?

The challenging thing about this was the lead time. In ready-to-wear, we’re used to churning out collections four times a year, so it was more about, 'OK, are we on that timeline or not?' Since I wanted to change the packaging, which was the big thing I wanted to have, it took time. It took two years before we could launch this.

Wow. Why did the packaging hold it up?

Normally if you look at collaborations they’ve done before, it’s within the framework of what they already have. What I wanted to do was create this really beautiful object of desire. Whether it’s on the bathroom counter or in your bag, when you use it, you feel good. It’s not like a utilitarian thing. It’s extremely important. I felt personally that the getting-ready process, whether it’s 10, 15 minutes or one hour, is such a time for yourself and I wanted to create this moment for this woman that I imagined. When she pulls the makeup out and puts it on the counter, she feels good. There’s an aspiration to it.

Did the women in your life give you feedback?

My earliest memory about fashion and makeup has always been about my mother. I would look at her beauty products and how she would dab [things on] and spread time in front of the vanity mirror. It would transform her. So I was very fascinated with that. But I’m a big observer of women. I talk to them and I watch them. It's why I wanted to create a really amazing product. I’ve had an experience where my girlfriends and I would be at a restaurant or we'd be in a cab and they’d take out a makeup product from their bag and it would be like some big dusty thing! I would watch them and think, 'What if that came out and it was a beautiful, magical looking thing?' That’s why I wanted to do this. You pull it out of a bag and it looks beautiful. It was very important for me.

You’ve mentioned that since you design a luxury fashion product that you wanted this collection to reflect that.


I wanted it at the same level, and it’s slightly more expensive than what MAC has done. But it’s also what I really wanted. The reason I started doing a luxury price point, it’s not a snobbery thing or anything. I wanted to create this idea of aspiration. I think [this collection] is aspiration that is attainable. But it's very inclusive. Yes, you might not be able [to afford my clothes now], but you can one day. I've never been that kind of person, 'Oh, you can’t sit with us.' That’s not my mentality.

You've designed the Target line and you design for ICB, but do you anticipate ever doing a contemporary line for your own brand like some of your peers do?

As the brand grows, you think about different categories and distinctions. I do want to get into handbags, shoes, makeup. And definitely a ready-to-wear line at a different price point. But it has to be at the right time. I have a general sense of what I want it to look and feel like. But it has to also be something that’s not already out there. We do make clothes — everyone makes clothes! At the end of the day a jacket has two sleeves. But the point of view has to be yours.

Photo: MAC
Photo: MAC
This interview has been edited and condensed.



Deceptively Simple Statements Ruled the Red Carpet This Week

Deceptively Simple Statements Ruled the Red Carpet This Week:

Lupita Nyong'o in Chanel couture at the 'Glamour' Women of the Year Awards. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris
Lupita Nyong'o in Chanel couture at the 'Glamour' Women of the Year Awards. Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris
Hey, HEY, time to focus! I know we're all a bit distracted by what certain people aren't wearing right now (ahem, Kim Kardashian) but it's time to talk about the stars who were wearing clothes — really good ones at that — on the red carpet this week.

While the occasions were varied — movie premieres, fancy dinner parties, and awards shows around the globe — the celebs that caught our eye chose simple pieces that were anything but basic: think eye-catching monochrome outfits, and clean, streamlined shapes. For instance, Lupita Nyong'o's sublime Chanel couture dress was, of course, exquisitely embellished, but done in a straightforward shift silhouette. The sleek leather texture and diagonal slash of bold red on Keri Russell's strapless J. Mendel jumpsuit blew me away, and Olivia Wilde's minimalist black Michael Kors cut-out gown made more of a statement than any kaleidoscopic printed piece ever could.

Click through the gallery below for this week's best of the best:



Lorde in Schiaparelli at 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' premiere in London. Photo: Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images
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Lorde in Schiaparelli at 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1' premiere in London. Photo: Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images



Keri Russell in J. Mendel 'Glamour' Women of the Year Awards. Photo: Demitrios Kambouris/Getty Images
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Keri Russell in J. Mendel 'Glamour' Women of the Year Awards. Photo: Demitrios Kambouris/Getty Images



Ashley Madekwe in Elie Saab at an Elie Saab dinner in Los Angeles. Photo: Donato Sardella/Getty Images
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Ashley Madekwe in Elie Saab at an Elie Saab dinner in Los Angeles. Photo: Donato Sardella/Getty Images



Felicity Jones in Prada at the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences' 2014 Governors Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images
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Felicity Jones in Prada at the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences' 2014 Governors Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images



Olivia Wilde in Michael Kors at the 'Horrible Bosses 2' premiere in London. Photo: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images
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Olivia Wilde in Michael Kors at the 'Horrible Bosses 2' premiere in London. Photo: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images



Uzo Aduba in Rosie Assoulin at the Panthere De Cartier and 'Harper's Bazaar' dinner. Photo: JP Yim/Getty Images
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Uzo Aduba in Rosie Assoulin at the Panthere De Cartier and 'Harper's Bazaar' dinner. Photo: JP Yim/Getty Images



Michelle Monaghan in Lanvin resort 2015 at the 2014 Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards. Photo: Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images
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Michelle Monaghan in Lanvin resort 2015 at the 2014 Hamilton Behind the Camera Awards. Photo: Chelsea Lauren/Getty Images

Kendall Jenner Signs On as the New Face of Estée Lauder

Kendall Jenner Signs On as the New Face of Estée Lauder:

Behind the scenes on an Estée Lauder ad shoot with Kendall Jenner. Photo: Estée Lauder
Behind the scenes on an Estée Lauder ad shoot with Kendall Jenner. Photo: Estée Lauder
This morning Estée Lauder announced that Kendall Jenner will be the new face of the beauty behemoth. (And we can't help but wonder if this unusual Saturday announcement is the result of a delay caused by no one being able to pay attention to anything but big sister Kim's oily butt for the last two days.)

The newly-minted A-list model is in good company at Estée Lauder. Kendall joins the likes of Joan Smalls, Liu Wen, Constance Jablonski, and Stephanie Seymour on the brand's roster of spokesmodels. According to a release, she'll appear in print, TV, and digital advertising, as well as "play an active role in creating social media content that will live on Estée Lauder’s channels as well as her own."

It's an exceptionally savvy move for the brand, which has been struggling to increase its visibility with a younger audience over the past few years, and which has been buying up several hot, niche beauty companies recently. The 19-year-old Kendall has almost 16 million Instagram followers, and is part of a family that clearly knows how to get a message out. Kendall already has her own landing page on Estée's site, complete with vintage video footage of her as a toddler putting on mom Kris's makeup. There's also a high fashion editorial-like photo gallery, and a curated list of shoppable products.

Kudos, Kendall, and thank you for keeping it klassy.

Amy Adams Nabs First 'Vogue' Cover

Amy Adams Nabs First 'Vogue' Cover:

Christmas has come early for actress Amy Adams — she just scored her very first American Vogue cover.

Shot by Annie Leibovitz, the spread was inspired by the 1948 film "The Red Shoes" and co-stars director Tim Burton. It's a stunning editorial for the December issue, managing to feel holiday-appropriate without being cliché (hello, all-red covers). And of course, the "American Hustle" actress looks gorgeous, her red hair popping against the blues of the photos.

The issue also calls out the Kendall Jenner beauty feature announcing her as the face of Estée Lauder — another major coup for the model.

Check out a preview of the editorial and Adams's cover story at Vogue.com.

Homepage photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Audrey Hepburn's Granddaughter Signs With Cara Delevingne's Modeling Agency

Audrey Hepburn's Granddaughter Signs With Cara Delevingne's Modeling Agency:

Harper's Bazaar September 2014 cover shot by Michael Avedon
Harper's Bazaar September 2014 cover shot by Michael Avedon
The latest fashion icon progeny to join the esteemed ranks of high fashion models isn't a second generation, but a third. Congratulations to Emma Ferrer — granddaughter of legendary actress/humanitarian Audrey Hepburn — who just signed with Storm Model Management, the London-based agency that also launched the careers of Kate Moss, Cindy Crawford and Cara Delevingne. Of course, you probably remember Ferrer from the September cover of Harper's Bazaar, which is a pretty prestigious first modeling job.

Ferrer also received a crash course in the biz during Fashion Month as she sat FROW at high profile shows, including Alexander Wang, Ralph Lauren and Carolina Herrera in New York and Lanvin in Paris. Although, the budding supermodel was one of those overlooked celebs this season. ("I was between Nicki Minaj and Skrillex,” she told the NY Post about her Wang experience.)

According to the Telegraph UK, the 20-year-old Florence Academy of Art student-turned-model is moving from Italy to New York City in January to start her go-sees. She won't be giving up her studies though, as the school actually has a satellite location in... Jersey City. Ferrer also continues Hepburn's charitable work with her own involvement with UNICEF. She also expresses an interest in her grandmother's craft: acting (not unlike Storm roster mate, Cara Delevingne).

But the fashion scion is paving her own way through the business. "What can be bothersome and confusing is when people are disappointed to see I'm not her carbon copy, nor would I want to be," Ferrer tells the Telegraph. "I want to be a person that she would be proud of, and I hope she would be proud because of who I am."

Needless to say, we're excited to see more from Ferrer, like during the February runways, perhaps?

Emma Ferrer at the InTouch Awards in October. Photo: Mathis Wienand/Getty Images
Emma Ferrer at the InTouch Awards in October. Photo: Mathis Wienand/Getty Images

MAC to Cast Its Next Campaign Star on Social Media

MAC to Cast Its Next Campaign Star on Social Media:

Practice your pout now. Photo: MAC
Practice your pout now. Photo: MAC
Want to be the next Miley? MAC is looking for a few new faces — six, to be precise —  and it's combing the Internet to find them.

In a new initiative called "MACnificent Me," would-be campaign stars are asked to submit a few things to MAC's website, including your "Mantra" of 140 characters or less. Once that's taken care of, contestants are asked to post their mantra all over social media — Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, etc. Getting lots of shares or likes won't help get you into the top six, MAC says, but "it will definitely help you grab our attention — which is never a bad thing when it comes time to make our final decisions." The six winners will be shot by a "prestigious fashion photographer" to appear in the fall 2015 ad campaign.

Of course, plenty of brands, like Marc by Marc Jacobs and DKNY, have launched similar campaigns recently. But MAC was actually a pioneer of the online open call: In 2011, it used a similar method with “MAC Me Over,” which just lacked the social media component of "MACnificent Me."

You have between now and December 12 to enter.

The 2015 Pirelli Calendar Is Here - Anna Ewers in the 2015 Pirelli Calendar

The 2015 Pirelli Calendar Is Here:

Anna Ewers in the 2015 Pirelli Calendar. Photo: Steven Meisel
The 2015 Pirelli Calendar Is Here
Anna Ewers in the 2015 Pirelli Calendar. Photo: Steven Meisel
The time has come for one of our favorite fashion reveals of the year: the perennially sexy (and impossibly exclusive) Pirelli Calendar. On Monday night in Milan, the 2015 edition of "The Cal" was unveiled, and the pin-up-themed edition shot by Steven Meisel is iconic as they come.

With styling by Carine Roitfeld, makeup by Pat McGrath and an all-star cast — the models featured (in order of appearance) are Adriana Lima, Natalia Vodianova, Joan Smalls, Candice Huffine, Carolyn Murphy, Anna Ewers, Cameron Russell, Sasha Luss, Karen Elson, Isabeli Fontana, Gigi Hadid and Raquel Zimmermann — each month of the calendar is celebrated with a poster-like image of a single girl.

Unlike past editions of the Pirelli Calendar, which don't involve much clothing at all, each woman in this year's shoot is  styled according to Meisel's vision of key fashion aesthetics and stereotypes that are imposed upon females. For example, Ewers plays a Brigitte Bardot-inspired bombshell; Luss channels a sexy, retro sailor pin-up girl; and Huffine — with a whip and a leather bodice — portrays a dominatrix. "Sometimes, to show a bit of fashion is even more sexy than to be totally naked," Roitfeld said on styling the shoot. "I think that is the point of this calendar."