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Roberto Cavalli Is Jumping On The E-Commerce Bandwagon

With his new website, designer Roberto Cavalli has just reveiled his first online store, which is transactional in 46 countries across Europe, the US and Asia.

Cavalli partners with global Internet retailing site for leading fashion & design brands Yoox Group, which has established itself amongst the market leaders with the Multi-brand stores yoox.com and thecorner.com as well as with numerous Mono-brand stores all “Powered by YOOX Group.”
Yoox also powers Emporio Armani’s, Diesel’s, Dsquared’s and Miss Sixty’s online stores.

Topshop Dresses You Up

Topshop makes your Christmas wishes come true this year: The high street giant’s latest venture, Dress Me Up, allows shoppers to steal a star’s style for a day by hiring dresses from their wardrobe.

Launching today, Dress Me Up will be in Topshop’s flagship Oxford Street store until December 6th for you to try things on for size before its official launch on 7th December, running through until the 23rd.

During the hire period, you can grab Kate Moss’ beaded Lanvin dress, Freida Pinto’s pale yellow Burberry Prorsum number, Scarlett Johansson’s Nanette Lepore animal print mini, Peaches Geldof’s floral floor-length Dolce & Gabbana gown, Dita Von Teese’s blue evening dress by Jayson Brundson, and one of Nicola Robert’s bespoke costumes from the latest Girls Aloud tour, among a rialfull of others. Names also signed up to the initiative include Naomi Campbell, Jourdan Dunn, Erin O’Connor, Sophie Dahl and ELLE’s very own Olivia Palermo.

But that’s not the best part: Hiring a dress costs a mere £40. And, if after wearing your favourite dress you can’t bare to see it go, you’ve got the chance to own it forever as it falls into auction, with proceeds going to Age Concern and Help the Aged.

“Having worked with Topshop for so long, we didn’t think twice about donating our dress. It’s such a great cause, especially at this time of year,” Emma Cook told Vogue UK. “The combination of being able to help support Age Concern and Help the Aged and the chance for someone to wear our dress that wouldn’t ordinarily be able to afford to, is such a fantastic concept.”

Which dress would you borrow if you were in the UK? Let me know @twitter.com/HauteCouturista

Zappos And Steve Madden Launch “Sole Search” Shoe Design Contest

Attention all hobby footwear designers: Zappos has teamed up with the master of stylish and affordable footwear Steve Madden to give you the chance to design your own Steve Madden shoe to be produced and sold by the online retail giant.

The designer told Stylelist, he’s “looking for insouciance and originality” – along with giving Lady Gaga a “Yay” and Alexander McQueen’s crazy mutant shoes a “Nay”.

Will you submit your footwear design until December 24? Let me know @twitter.com/HauteCouturista

Time Inc., Hearst, Condé Nast And Possibly Other Major Publishers Close To Digital Magazine Joint Venture

The magazine industry’s major players are about to form a new company that would allow them to take the digital future into their own hands.

According to The New York Observer, the company would make up one of the biggest alliances among rival publishers ever formed in print media, with Time Inc., Condé Nast and Hearst all expected to join, houses that together publish more than 50 magazines, including The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Time, People, Sports Illustrated, Esquire and O, The Oprah Magazine.

The new venture will be charged with setting up a seamless distribution channel for digital magazines across the iPhone, BlackBerry and other digital devices, creating a standard template for advertisers and readers. The group doesn’t plan to create a single digital e-reader product; instead the publishers want to set up an iTunes-like storefront for magazine content. In addition to electronic versions of mag content, the storefront would also allow for print subscriptions and sales.

I think it would be awesome and so convenient to have just one digital destination for all of these mags but I’m really missing ELLE here!

What do you think? Let me know @twitter.com/HauteCouturista!

Target Just Announced Collaborating With Eugenia Kim and Cynthia Vincent

Target just announced two new exciting designer collaborations, set to launch in spring 2010!
Cynthia Vincent’s limited-editions footwear line and Eugenia Kim’s hat line will hit the stores and Target.com on April 18, 2010.

Target has become somewhat of a fashion right of passage with designers like Alexander McQueen, Anna Scheffield, Proenza Schouler and Anna Sui.

Have you become a ‘recessionista’ yet? Let me know @twitter.com/HauteCouturista!

A Successful Shoe Accentuates Nudity

1964 born shoe designer Christian Loubutin, who launched his line of high-end women’s shoes in France in 1991, told Times UK: “I prefer shoes that undress to shoes that dress. A successful shoe is a shoe that accentuates nudity. The woman remains entirely nude when she wears those shoes. The shoe becomes the privilege of nudity … If you are very chic you might not need an extra drop of chicness, so you go for the sexy side and buy my shoes because they are … tarty. We get very smart women coming in and buying a pair to feel a little more sluttish. And then, thank God, we also get the hookers coming in the store, who buy my shoes because they are superchic. You see, whatever you have, if you add a drop of the opposite, then it just becomes a little more sexy.”

Christian Louboutin helped bring stilettos back into fashion in the 1990s and 2000s, designing dozens of styles with heel heights of 4.72 inches and higher. The designer’s professed goal is to “make a woman look sexy, beautiful, to make her legs look as long as [he] can.”

What’s you most favorite shoe designer? Let me know @twitter.com/HauteCouturista

SYMS Ladies Sample Sale Runs To The 24th!

Good news for all the NYC shopaholics: SYMS ladies sample sale runs to November 24th! Be sure to stop by their 400 Park Avenue store for 80% off retail!

The company had to report the passing of Retail Visionary, Founder and Chairman, Sy Syms last week.

Although Sy passed the reigns to his daughter Marcy many years ago, he remained an active steward of the SYMS’ brand right up to his passing. Perhaps Marcy summed it up best when she said “My father was a really passionate person, and someone who was a bit of a visionary.  And he was above all tenacious.  Once he believed something could happen, he pulled out all the stops to make it so.”

What is your favorite sample sale store? Let me know @twitter.com/HauteCouturista!

Gaga, Ooh-La-La!

Metro Lyrics reports that Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as the phenomenal Lady Gaga has been booked to perform at the Royal Variety Performance in front of the Queen next month. A Buckingham Palace spokesman said: “I really don’t know if the Queen or Prince Philip have listened to Lady Gaga, or are familiar with her. But the Royal Variety Performance is a well-known charitable event which they support, and they meet all the stars involved.”

The 23-year-old singer’s first album The Fame had two international number-ones hits: “Just Dance” and “Poker Face”.
Lady Gaga is inspired by glam rockers such as David Bowie and British rock band Queen, as well as pop icons Madonna and Michael Jackson. She is also inspired by fashion, which she has said is an essential component to her songwriting and performances. To date she has sold over 20 million digital singles and more than four million albums worldwide.

Are you as starstruck as I am? And how you like “Bad Romance”? Let me know @twitter.com/HauteCouturista!

“Je veux ton amour et je veux ta revanche. Je veux ton amour –  I don’t wanna be friends.”

The Fur Question

Origin Assured is an initiative that approves retailers and manufacturers coming from a country where welfare regulations or standards governing fur production are in force.

Their recent campaign is supported by renowned fashion designers. Oscar de la Renta said: “Buying Origin Assured furs removes a lot of questions for the customer. It allows her to buy fur with confidence.” Karl Lagerfeld adds: “An Origin Assured fur is timeless and fashionable like a ready-to-wear piece. The woman’s sense of style is enhanced by beautiful materials.” The campaign is also supported by Roberto Cavalli and John Galliano.

The question if wearing fur is ethical or not has been a controversy since decades between the fashion industry and organizations such as PETA.
My question is: If wearing fur is unethical wouldn’t eating meat, fish and wearing leather be as unethical as wearing fur? A poll sponsored by the Vegetarian Resource Group showed that only 2.5% of the US population can be considered vegetarian. Considering the price points for fur fashion products in department stores such as Barney’s, Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue it is crystal clear that the meat and fish consumption outnumbers the purchase of fur products significantly.

What do you think? Let me know @twitter.com/HauteCouturista

Strike A Pose – Joe Zee, The Creative Director Of ELLE, With Model Brooklyn Decker During A Workout Session In Manhattan

The New York Times spotted Elle’s Creative Director Joe Zee and model Brooklyn Decker at the Equinox fitness club on Broadway and 19th Street in Manhattan.

Joe and Brooklyn were attending the  Jakuri exercise regimen, inspired by Cirque du Soleil moves.

There have been awkward moves but Brooklyn managed it with grace, The New York Times reports.

Equinox instructor Kristin Kenney informed Joe Zee: “She did it better than you.” Joe, still huffing, smiled wryly. “When you’re younger, taller and thinner, everything looks better,” he said.

ELLE is working on a very exciting project with Brooklyn Decker: ELLE Make Better, a multiplatform initiative encompassing fitness, fashion and beauty content that will include a themed January issue, a dedicated website and a three-DVD set, out on Amazon.com and on HSN December 8.

Learn more about Elle’s DVD set here!

Want Your Favorite Season 8 “American Idol” Star’s Autograph? ELLE Magazine Can Hook You Up!

ELLE Magazine features a three-page spread in their December issue, starring Kris Allen, Adam Lambert and Allison Oraheta styled by Creative Director Joe Zee. Watch Joe style Kris, Adam and Allison in this video and check out how Joe styled them in this gallery.

MTV News is holding a contest to find the #1 fan for each contestant. Here are the rules: Pick up a copy of ELLE, read Joe Zee’s “A to Zee” column about each contestant’s personal style and do your best to replicate your fave’s fashion in your own photo!

MTV’s Jim Cantiello recommends: “Keep in mind we’re not looking for exact copies of the photos in the ELLE spread. Be creative! Whoever captures the essence of their favorite singer will be handsomely rewarded”.

There will be a winner for each contestant will each receive a copy of ELLE Magazine signed by their favorite Idol. Kris will be giving away a John Hancock, the Adam fan will get a signature from the Fierce One and the winner of Allison’s contest will get a copy signed by Her Royal Rockness.

Go to Your.MTV.com, create an account and upload your photo! The deadline for submission is November 30, 2009.

And don’t forget to become Joe Zee’s fan on Facebook and follow Joe on Twitter!

Beauty.com Is Giving Away Free Deluxe Sample Bags

Beauty.com is giving away free deluxe sample bags from jewelry Designers Karen Erickson and Vicki Beamon valued at more than $150.00!

The newest designer bag collaboration invites the famed jewelry designers to transform the traditional cosmetic tote into a glittering gift with purchase this holiday season. Legendary for their runway collaborations with designers such as Marc Jacobs, Chanel, Dior, and Givenchy, Erickson Beamon is the first jewelry house to be featured in the gift with purchase designer bag series. The bag is full of free prestige samples including:

dr.brandt® microdermabrasion body exfoliating cream
Sue Devitt Eye Intensifier Pencil (Tanzania or Kalahari)
Talika Eye Decompress
NICK CHAVEZ® Beverly Hills Thickening Hairspray with Collagen
Jack Black Industrial Strength Hand Healer
RENE FURTERER PARIS MYRRHEA ANTI-FRIZZ silkening mask
DIANA B. Candle (Black Fig or Maple Sugar Lychee Nut)
Smashbox LASH DNA MASCARA
StriVectin® Neck Cream
DDF® Daily Protective Moisturizer SPF 15
PHYTO phytolisse finishing serum
INTELLIGENT NUTRIENTS® LIP DELIVERY NUTRITION
Urban Decay Sin Primer Potion

Pamper yourself and get your free deluxe sample bag here!

Beauty Retailer Sephora Announces New Digital Initiative “Sephora Claus”

With the launch of “Sephora Claus” beauty and cosmetics retailer Sephora is rolling out a very smart new social media initiative on Twitter and Facebook you will be very much in love with!

Twitter followers are enticed to tweet their holiday beauty wish with an @Sephora message and tag their wish with #sephoraclaus hashtag until December 18.

Sephora is also giving a free sample to Facebook users who become a fan of their page.

Ho Ho Ho – thank you Sephora Claus!

Lucky Magazine Launches E-Commerce Site

Several media companies, including Condé Nast and Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S., have recently increased their e-commerce activities. Therefore it is not surprising that Lucky Magazine launches its fashion and beauty e-commerce section shopping.luckymag.com today.

The section is built around its editors’ constantly updated choices of what’s best when it comes to all things fashionable and fabulous. They have designed everything to make it clickable and shop-able. Consumers can choose from more than 40 retailers and over 450 labels, which amounts to a selection of over 86,000 clothing, accessories, and beauty items, including Marc Jacobs, Phillip Lim, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent and many more.

Kim France, Editor in Chief, says: “We really wanted to do this e-commerce site to bring readers our edit of what was out there in online shopping. This was an opportunity to link in all of the great sites we shop with and get them under one tent for our editors to go out there and do a big edit of what we really like.”

They also found a way to make shoppers feel less guilty: Almost every store offers a cash back or rewards program. Happy shopping!

Change Of Date For Fashion’s Night Out 2010

From Brooklyn to Brazil to Bombay, the fashion industry is already buzzing on the news that this year’s globe-spanning, night-crawling staggeringly successful shopping extravaganza is back!
The very first Fashion’s Night Out, led by Vogue and the CFDA, was set up this year to celebrate fashion and boost the industry’s economy.

Vogue, New York & Company and the CFDA have announced a change of date for next year’s Fashion’s Night Out which is now due to be held on Friday, 10th September 2010. Initially scheduled for Thursday 9th, the decision was made to maximise local customer and tourist participation by holding the shopping event on a weekend.

I can’t wait for the special events and celebrity guests!

Christian Louboutin’s Spike Studded Shopper Should Have A Sign Reading “Beware! Do Not Touch!”

This Christian Loutboutin Spike Studded Shopper certainly has a lot of bite, thanks to its spiky trim. It’s like carrying around a cactus for a purse. It also features suede trim and patent leather cutouts, plus woven handles.

Ladies, in case you want to replace Mace pepper spray by a something much chicer, buy this gorgeous handbag online from Bergdorf Goodman!

Heidi Klum hits the runway at 2009 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show

German supermodel Heidi Klum made a surprise appearance on the runway at yesterday’s annual Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. Heidi wowed the audience as she took the catwalk just six weeks after giving birth to her fourth child, Lou Sulola Samuel.

It was a fantastic show last night on Times Square: Tons of energy, major fashion, great music, amazing Angels!

Supermodels Alessandra Ambrosio, Miranda Kerr, Selita Ebanks, Marisa Miller and a bevy of other beauties were back in New York City for the sexiest show on earth.

The show themes fell into 4 categories: Enchanted Forest, Star Trooper, Romantic Journey and Pink Planet.

The highlight of the show was the $3 million worth ‘Fantasy Bra’, modelled by Victoria’s Secret Angel Marisa Miller. The ‘Fantasy Bra’ is studded with 2,350 white, champagne and cognac diamonds placed in a harlequin pattern, with a rare 16-carat heart-shaped champagne diamond in the center.

The 2009 ‘Fantasy Bra’ is $2 million cheaper than last year’s modelled by Adriana Lima who was absent from this year’s fashion show as well as Karolina Kurkova who are both taking maternity breaks.

Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour Hires Online Consulting Firm That Designed Barack Obama’s Website

Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour hired online consultancy Blue State Digital to amp up Vogue’s online platform.

According to Jezebel, Anna Wintour and publisher Tom Florio, Vogue’s publishing director, hired the firm to help the website reach out to readers and subscribers.
A Vogue spokesman confirmed that the progressive-oriented online consultancy that famously created my.barackobama.com, has been hired to work on Vogue.com on both the editorial and business sides.
Blue State Digital has been getting a lot of business lately according to Business Insider. Revenue is up 40 percent, mostly from non-political clients who want to figure out how to create online communities.

ELLE’s Smart Brand Extensions

ELLE has a very successful history in branded entertainment, the touchstone being Project Runway which ELLE publisher Carol Smith helped start in 2004 as a vehicle to sell advertisers on more than just ad pages. Thanks to Carol’s efforts ELLE went from No. 6 in a six-book fashion category to No. 2 by the time they left the show prior to Project Runway’s switch to Lifetime. ELLE significantly contributed to the success of MTV’s The City which has scored series-high ratings since ELLE and Creative Director Joe Zee came on board.
ELLE will be finishing the year with another very exciting project: ELLE Make Better, a multiplatform initiative encompassing fitness, fashion and beauty content that will include a themed January issue, a dedicated website and a three-DVD set, out on Amazon.com and on HSN December 8, hosted by model Brooklyn Decker.

As most fashion titles saw September ad pages decrease as much as 54%, ELLE held on to more pages than its Condé Nast competitors, sliding 21% year-over-year vs. Glamour’s 25%, Allure’s 28% and Vogue’s 30%. 2009 is the first year ELLE finished ahead of Vogue in total ad pages.

ELLE’s various brand extensions are ultimately designed to boost overall ad revenue: ”The magazine is always at the core of everything we do, but the more we can find we’re integrating other media it gets more interesting in terms of what we can offer to advertisers,” Brent Allen, VP of Brand Development, said to AdAge. “We’re looking at programs that really are truly integrated, whether it’s mobile, web or print. An ad page is not an ad page anymore. We’re trying to be strategic partners with our clients.”
She further noted that ELLE Make Better could already be considered a success at launch because Elle had already offset its production costs by signing up Reebok as an integrated sponsor. “We’re walking out at break even before we’ve sold a single DVD.”

Check back soon here to learn more about the DVD collection! I can’t wait!