Drew Barrymore for Gucci

For the first time in the label's history, Gucci hired a celebrity for an advertising campaign. Drew Barrymore was their choice.

The famous Italian fashion label hired a famous face to appear in one of their advertising campaigns and reach out beyond the fashion industry for the first time.

The face of their new collection in 33-year-old Hollywood actress Drew Barrymore, who is fresher looking and more beautiful than ever. The charismatic girl has a successful career as of a fashion and makeup model in advertising campaigns under her belt. She is still the face and spokeswoman of makeup label CoverGirl and, last year, she also shone in Missoni's creations.

Artistic director Frida Giannini says that Drew is exactly what their collection represents, a strong and confident woman whose sense of humour is simply disarming.

Fashion Rocks Brings Out Hollywood Elite

As part of New York City’s Fashion Week, Fashion Rocks took place last night at Radio City Music Hall. And there were plenty of performers to satisfy even the most eclectic tastes.

One of the coolest surprises of the night was when Aerosmith was performing “Walk This Way” and Fergie joined them onstage. With this song’s brilliant history of pairing Aerosmith with artists like Run DMC and Kid Rock, the performance delivered on it’s reputation.

Also at the show, Jennifer Lopez looked stunning while performing her disco hit “Waiting for Tonight.” Her choreography, bolstered by “ravenous paparazzi and strutting models,” added to the stunning spectacle.

And Avril Lavigne lent some estrogen to the show’s lineup, which was predominantly male. All in all, it was a good night. And you can see for yourself when Fashion Rocks airs tonight at 9pm EST on CBS.

Gossip Girls
Below are a few shots from Fashion Rocks (September 6).

Stefani Impresses at New York Fashion Week

Pop star Gwen Stefani wowed critics at New York Fashion Week on Wednesday, with her L.A.M.B. clothing collection, receiving a standing ovation from rapper Eve, Sean "Diddy" Combs and actress Sophia Bush.


The singer and her stylist Andrea Lieberman won over fashion insiders on the opening day of the annual event with their mix of retro and modern designs, with a few outfits also showcasing Stefani's love of costumes.

Stefani also showed off a very special pair of yellow, green and black platform shoes named "the Kingston"after her 1-year-old son -- who was cheering her on from the front row with husband Gavin Rossdale.

Other previews on Wednesday included spring collections by BCBG Max Azria and Nicole Miller.

Giorgio Armani: the emperor of Italian fashion arrives in Dallas

The emperor of Italian fashion arrives in Dallas this month to celebrate three decades with Neiman Marcus

It's a little after 5 o'clock in the afternoon inside Palais de Chaillot, the grand art deco building opposite the Eiffel Tower where Giorgio Armani is prepping his sixth Privé couture collection.

In less than an hour, models will walk the runway in the Italian designer's bold, David Bowie-inspired costumes while editors sketch and scribble into their black Moleskin notebooks. The pressure is on for the 73-year-old fashion icon.

Backstage the air is abuzz with a muddy mixture of Italian, French, Russian and English. Clear garment bags reveal punky asymmetrical gowns, skinny tuxedo suits and colorful feather capes that will soon illuminate the glass catwalk. Down a set of marble stairs, models with twisted updos and heavy eyeliner sip doppio espressos and suck sugary candies. The rest of the show's svelte beauties are below another pack of marble steps, where dozens of hair and makeup artists glob on mascara and twirl hair around jewel-encrusted headpieces.

In the wings, 60 sketches of the night's ensembles decorate a slate suede wall. Suddenly, a hidden door cut from the cloth swings open and the black-clad magician behind this spectacle struts out. The cellphone clutched in his hand is ringing a house tune you might hear at Hotel Costes K, the hip hangout where the designer's staff and socialite fans are staying.

"Si, pronto," Armani answers. The tension in his tone requires no translator. The rock symphony is about to hit the stage.
He needn't worry. Tomorrow, WWD will declare the glam colors, buoyant skirts and feather-spangled siren gowns "the designer's best Privé collection yet."

It doesn't take long observing Giorgio Armani to know you're in the presence of a powerhouse. Although soft-spoken and unassuming at 5-foot-7, he radiates charisma befitting a fashion legend.

Dallasites will have the chance to feel that charm firsthand this month, when Neiman Marcus downtown hosts the style icon at the annual Crystal Charity Ball luncheon and fashion show Sept. 7. The day before, he'll appear at NM NorthPark to sign copies of the 2002 photo book Armani: Backstage.

The partnership between designer and store stretches to the earliest years of his career, and includes a previous Dallas appearance in the late 1980s.

"I'm excited to visit Dallas again," says Armani, taking a rare break from model fittings before the Privé show. "When I was there last, things were so exaggerated. I'm curious to see the new Dallas. I'm going to pay homage to Neiman Marcus and its shoppers."

The Crystal Charity show, being held for the first time in a tented space adjacent to the 100-year-old store, will showcase the fall Giorgio Armani ready-to-wear line. The predominantly gray-and-black collection includes at least one piece made especially for the event: a voluminous cocktail dress with an extravagant shoulder bow.

"Texas shoppers are very important to me," says Armani. "I was concerned about the collection I'm showing in Dallas, that it wasn't right for Texans. But a lot has changed since I was there last.

"Fashion has arrived in Dallas; I think the city is ready for it."

It isn't only Dallas that has changed. What started in 1975 as a small women's and men's ready-to-wear line has exploded into a design empire with annual retail sales reported by WWD at more than $6.8 billion worldwide. Giorgio Armani S.p.A., owned wholly by the designer, encompasses men's and women's apparel, cosmetics, fragrance, jewelry, eyewear, home furnishings, luxury hotels, even eateries.

The seven primary fashion labels – Giorgio Armani, Armani Collezioni, Emporio Armani, Armani Jeans, Armani Exchange, Armani Junior and Giorgio Armani Privé – cover all the clothing bases, from trendy tees and jeans to boardroom suits and Oscar-entrance eveningwear.

"The cool thing about Armani is that we can go super chic in Paris with couture, but get down and dirty with a DJ and the kids at Armani Exchange," says one of Armani's Milan-based PR directors over champagne at Castel, the Saint Germain lounge where the company held its couture show after-party in early July.

Armani's empire also includes a global retail component, his name emblazoned above the doors of grand flagships on via Manzoni, Madison Avenue and Avenue Montaigne; freestanding stores; and boutiques in specialty stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. This month, he'll add a 5,300-square-foot NorthPark Center location offering the Georgio Armani ready-to-wear apparel and accessory collections for men and women.

Although the company is continually expanding and evolving, Armani's signature style has never strayed far from its roots. The self-taught designer is known for delivering clean lines, neutral colors and superb but soft tailoring year after year. His jackets are legendary – in both looks and comfort.

"I've seen it all," says Armani. "Some people have said my fashion has evolved, yet always kept a consistent feel. For me, a collection is just about falling in love with what I'm doing in the moment. But I always look back and see the defects. You need the past to keep you going forward. You live and learn."

Armani is known to be a harsh self-critic. (He reportedly stopped dancing at age 25 to avoid looking ridiculous.) While sunbathing in the Mediterranean on his 163-foot yacht, he had plenty of time to dissect July's well-received couture collection, which he says "broke the waves" of his usual style rhythm.

"My inspiration always comes from an idea that transforms into a collection; this season it was the world of rock. I wanted the collection to be a little aggressive and to use stronger colors. But at the end of the day, I want my shoppers to wear what's on the runway."

That has seldom been a problem, especially among celebrities. Armani was one of the first designers to dress Hollywood, starting in the early '80s when he outfitted Richard Gere in American Gigolo and virtually rewrote men's style history for the balance of the 20th century. His film cred continues today with stylish hits such as Ocean's Thirteen, starring Armani friend and front-row staple George Clooney.

Other runway and red-carpet fans include Clive Owen, Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes (who could forget that wedding dress?) and one of Armani's favorites, Cate Blanchett, who sat front-row-center at summer's Privé show. Rumor has it she picked a show-stopping black-and-chartreuse gown for an upcoming appearance.

Odds are good that more of the show's edgy styles will pop up at this month's MTV Video Music Awards and at the Grammys in February. Particularly on longtime fan Beyoncé Knowles, the face and voice of the new Emporio Armani Diamonds fragrance, which starts sparkling in stores this month.

Other recent projects include Armani's first foray into skin care, the luxurious Crema Nera, with an obsidian mineral complex inspired by Pantelleria, the Italian island where he has a home, and the August launch of emporioarmani.com, which joins existing armaniexchange.com and giorgioarmanibeauty.com e-commerce sites.

Technology has always been important to Armani. Last January, he became the first designer to offer everyone a front row seat at an haute-couture show via live streaming on msn.com and Cingular cellphones.

Personal appearances, fragrance and Web launches, award shows. A hotel, his first, scheduled to open in Dubai next year. The demands for the designer's time and attention would seem overwhelming. Does Armani feel the pinch?

"September is one of the most beautiful months in Italy. During this time of year I prefer to be there on my boat or in my house than anywhere where else in the world," he admits.

"This year, I'm making an exception. But I'm not going to miss another one."

Is that a hint at retirement, which many have speculated is on the horizon? Armani quickly brushes off the rumor.

"I'm always thinking about work. It's difficult to see myself not being part of this world. They'd have to tie me up at home to keep me from doing what I love and do best."

Fashion Rocks With Piven and Lopez

To judge New York Fashion Week by the lineup at Thursday night's Fashion Rocks concert, you'd think the mismatched look was in.

Fergie sang with Aerosmith, Teri Hatcher shared the stage with 50 Cent to introduce Jennifer Lopez, and Jeremy Piven served as host to a crowd of style insiders. From the start, Piven wondered aloud why he was there — were possible emcees Tom Ford, Kanye West or Heidi Klum all unavailable?

Yes, Piven answered, and that left him to do the job. He was more than serviceable.

He warmed up the crowd at Radio City Musical Hall with photos of the "trendsetting" fashions of his youth. The oversize T-shirts that now dominate designer runways — check. Feathered hair later worn by Kristy McNichol and more recently by the heartthrobs on the "O.C." — check.

Same goes for Jean Paul Gaultier's crazy hats and shawls. Piven compared them to the outfit he wore to his bar mitzvah.

He did better for Fashion Rocks in a slightly shiny dark suit. But some of the other celebrities onstage more closely hit the fashion mark: Martina McBride wore a pantsuit and bow blouse in line with the fall's polished look, and Cuba Gooding Jr., with a bright yellow shirt, must have had an early line on the spring clothes being previewed on the catwalks through Wednesday.

Steven Tyler wore a medley of animal prints, Jessica Alba had on a black gown with chain link detail and Tyra Banks wore on-trend booties with her black cocktail dress. Lopez started her performance in a short, sequined trenchcoat but eventually pulled it off to reveal a short, sequined baby-doll dress. She kept her knee-high boots on the whole time.

The concert will be telecast Friday in a two-hour special on CBS.

Celebs who dress us

Who do the wannabes wanna look like? Rachel Wells asks the experts which stars set trends and which stars ruin them.

Flick through the racks at a chain store and chances are you'll stumble across a pretty good knock-off of those denim shorts Kate Moss was wearing in Who last month, or that maxi dress Paris Hilton was sporting in Famous a couple of weeks back.

Dressing like our favourite celebrities has become a multimillion-dollar obsession thanks to our preoccupation with celebrity culture and a proliferation of fast-fashion stores and online boutiques that can be selling the latest look within weeks, if not days.

A survey by credit card company Virgin Money last year revealed that Australian women aged 18 to 34 spent $4.6 million, or almost $2000 each, annually to look like celebrities. As a result, chain stores are more likely to look to the streets of London or Los Angeles than the catwalks of Paris and Milan for their style inspiration.

"Chain stores watch celebrities like hawks," says Kerrie McCallum, editor of fashion tome Shop Til You Drop. "Any celebrity that is hot property is on their radar and the chain stores can turn around outfits inspired by that celebrity in a matter of weeks. That's what the customer wants."

McCallum says celebrities provide a more wearable interpretation of new fashion trends than the catwalk ever can.

"Catwalk is still very relevant to the fashion industry but, for the average woman, a celebrity shows them how to take that look to the street. They get hold of trends before we know about them, then they break them down into a look that can be worn on the street. So they are almost showing us how to wear the trends before anyone else," she says.

Sarah Rovis, general manager and head buyer at fast fashion chain Dotti, agrees.

"We do look to the celebrities and we also mix it with what we see on the streets...We travel a lot and hit the streets of London, LA, New York and Tokyo to see what the girls are wearing and how they are putting their outfits together," she says.

Given this demand for the celebrity look, it is not surprising that the days of chain stores delivering new stock only two to four times a year are long gone. Nowadays most fast fashion stores stock new clothes on a weekly, sometimes daily, basis.

It is also not surprising that we have seen a spate of so-called celebrity-designed fashion ranges in recent times - think Kate Moss for Topshop, Madonna for H&M, Lily Allen for British chain New Look and Milla Jovovich and fellow model Carmen Hawk for MNG. Not too mention a flood of celebrity collections including J Lo by Jennifer Lopez, Beyonce's House of Dereon, Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B., Jessica Simpson's Princy and JS by Jessica Simpson lines, Justin Timberlake's William Rast collection and most recently Twenty8Twelve by Sienna and Savannah Miller and Paris Hilton's new namesake label.

So it seems everyone wants to look like their favourite celebrity, but which of them most deserve their following?

According to McCallum, former OC star and Hollywood "It" girl Mischa Barton and style stalwart Kate Moss are leading the celebrity fashion charge, right now. Meanwhile, one-time style leader Sienna Miller - famous for putting boho on the fashion map - has lost her fashion mojo.

"Mischa Barton is the ideal. She's on trend, elegant, young and beautiful, not too scandalous but naughty enough to be interesting. She's a real clothes horse...and Kate Moss still has it...despite her grubby personal life, she has single-handedly influenced the world's perspective on fashion," she says.

In terms of up-and-coming style icons, McCallum says celebrity wannabes should keep their eye on actors Michelle Williams, Camille Belle and Kate Bosworth.

A quick scan of the ever-growing number of online stores devoted to celebrity fashion also offers a good idea of who's hot and who's not.

At As Seen on Screen's website asos.com, an online store that sells shameless copies of clothes recently worn by celebrities, the most searched stars include: Paris Hilton, who turns up close to 60 garments (from printed maxi dresses to drawstring jersey mini shorts); Kate Moss, who inspires more than 40 items, from high-waisted denim flares to raw-hemmed denim shorts; and the naughty LA starlet triumvirate of Lindsay Lohan, Nicole Richie and Mischa Barton. Sienna Miller, Kylie Minogue, Kate Hudson, Cameron Diaz, Jessica Alba, Lily Allen and J Lo are also popular.

At famousfashionsfound.com, where you can buy the same clothes that the celebrities are wearing, and search via TV show, movie, "magazine must-have" or star, Lohan, Richie and Hilton all feature strongly, along with Jessica and Ashlee Simpson, Rachel Bilson, Cameron Diaz, Eva Longoria, Kate Hudson, Jessica Alba, Nicky Hilton, Hilary Duff and J Lo.

Rovis says celebrities on Dotti's radar include Kate Moss, Rachel Bilson, the Olsen twins, Lily Allen and Peaches Geldof (the daughter of Sir Bob Geldof and Paula Yates), who the company has just named as the face of its spring/summer campaign.

These stars appeal to young, fashion- and budget-conscious consumers because they don't dress in head-to-toe designer brands. "Our customers look to these A-listers for their ability to mix designer brands with chain-store bargains or vintage finds," says Rovis. "They love that these celebrities take risks and mix it up a bit."

The most enduring style setters are those who look as though they've spent all of five minutes and little money throwing together a look before rushing out the door.

Being a celebrity doesn't guarantee style status. There are some, like tabloid trainwrecks Britney Spears, Courtney Love and Amy Winehouse, for example, who most women wouldn't part with a single cent to look like. Then there are others who have a "style" completely beyond the reach of average consumers. Victoria Beckham is a classic example. She was recently dubbed a "fashion liability" by a British newspaper - whenever she is spotted in a certain look "she kills it stone-dead".

"The problem is her look is too contrived and so obviously over-styled that it looks like she has tried too hard," says McCallum. And she says there is another kind of celebrity who never makes it to fashion "It" girl status because they choose not to follow trends.

"Even though they're beautiful, people like Jennifer Aniston or Angelina Jolie have more of a classic style," she says. "They don't slavishly follow trends so aren't necessarily as interesting when it comes to pap shots."

MySpace Fashion: Vogue or Waste of Time?

While other social networking sites, and especially MySpace's biggest competitor, Facebook, are trying to expand into the professional networking space, the social networking leader is moving in a different direction. Do they know something the others don't or are they just sadly misguided? Let's find out.

With the professional networking space heating up as more and more professionals head online to connect with their co-workers and others in their fields, you would expect the leader in social networking to make similar moves (if not be the one to initiate the moves) to capitalize on the expanding market and further secure its lead. But when MySpace decides that instead it will release a revamped version of its fashion community, you can't simply write it off. If MySpace's history is any indication, their move into fashion networking over professional networking makes sense.


When MySpace was launched in 2003, it was popularized as a platform for budding artists to upload, share, and essentially market their music for free. The site's beginnings and their current foray into fashion sheds light on MySpace's strategy, which BusinessWeek points out as one of 'identifying the communities of interest that have grown organically and the building official member communities around them, turning once-grassroots groups into content platforms for old-media companies and consumer brands'.

Opting for niche communities over fast-maturing areas is risky but if successful, will be far more rewarding. By choosing to focus on these under-served communities, MySpace can foster loyalty and become a monopoly player with absolutely no competition, while leaving the competition to fight over areas like business networking. Furthermore, this brings diversity to the MySpace portfolio (for marketers) and allows MySpace to hedge their bets against competition from Facebook and other rivals.

Steve O'Hear explains this phenomenon clearly,
Whilst many of us have applauded Facebook's clean design and focus on communication, it's hard to imagine that the site will eat into MySpace's strong communities around musicians, film makers, and now fashion enthusiasts -- as user profiles and community pages can't be heavily branded or customized...