Your morning fashion and beauty report: Naomi Campbell wears Alaia, Avril Lavigne launches a new scent and Forever 21 rocks on.

Naomi Campbell came off as supermodel smug, I thought, when she testified Thursday in the trial of former Liberian leader Charles Taylor. She arrived late to court, said the gifts he allegedly gave her, which some believe were "blood diamonds," were nothing but "dirty stones" delivered by two unknown men, and seems to have given them away without so much as an appraisal -- or a thank you. Of course, at All the Rage we were most interested in what she wore: a cream-colored knit ensemble from Azzadine Alaia's spring-summer collection. [Los Angeles Times]

Menswear designer Mark Geller, who worked for Cloak and Marc Jacobs before launching his own line in 2006, is trying to work men's shorts into more polished ensembles. Think well-cut, knee-length khakis matched with a gray blazer. Not a stretch here in California, where I know some males of the species who wear shorts year-round and to occasions ranging from picnics to dinner parties and church services. [Wall Street Journal]

New York City is different; we've always known it. But who would have thought that the city's young trendsters would be making the midnight scene at Forever 21? Yep. The chain's new store in Times Square is luring them in with music and shopping and sometimes not closing until 2 a.m. It's the city that never sleeps indeed! (Footnote: The chain has no plans to extend hours here on the sleepy West Coast, where most of its stores close around 9 p.m. on weeknights.) [Wall Street Journal]

Cartier had sued online retailer HauteLook, saying the e-tailer caused "irreparable harm" to the luxury brand by selling damaged goods. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Kardashian deal of the day: The three sisters. famous for being famous, inked a new deal for an apparel, home and accessories line with Sydney-based Jupi Corp. [WWD]

Celebrity fragrance of the day: Rocker Avril Lavigne has a new one, a more sophisticated offering than the Black Star scent she launched last year. The new Forbidden Rose is a fruity floral with a woodsy base and comes in a bottle sealed with a ring of barbed wire. It's available at Kohl's starting in mid-August. [StyleList]

Celebrity wannabe of the day: Say you want to re-create a look from Lady Gaga or Fergie or some other member of rock royalty. A new service from website Not Just a Label allows fans to click on a pic of their favorite rocker and be directed to the website of the designer responsible for the look. Could be genius. [Grazia Daily]

Mary-Kate Olsen says she is still open to acting but is happier as a designer (along with twin Ashley of The Row, Olsenboye and Elizabeth and James) than she is as an actress. [People]

DailyCandy Starts Sending Articles To Android Users Who Walk Past Fashion Sales (CMCSA)

DailyCandy, the popular women's lifestyle email newsletter, released a new Android app today that sends its users editorial content whenever they are near relevant "current local happenings like designer sales, spa deals, and underground concerts."

The app, DailyCandy Stylish Alerts, monitors users' locations while running in the background, and pushes the content out as soon as a user comes within a certain distance of one of these events. These sorts of "geo-triggered" alerts are rapidly spawning new types of mobile apps now that Android and, more recently, the iPhone allow them to run in the background.

The Stylish Alerts app is powered by Xtify, which specializes in this sort of geofencing technology. Xtify is an offshoot of meetMoi, a dating site that just yesterday launched its own geo-focused Android app, which sends alerts to its users when it finds a romantic match for them within a mile of their current location. Location-based social network Loopt has offered a similar feature since the day Apple's new iOS was released.

Comcast-owned DailyCandy is only offering this service in New York for now, but plans to expand it to all of the cities it covers in the near future.

Most intriguing newcomer for 2010 -- Vanity Fair

The 71st Annual International Best-Dressed List includes princesses, First Ladies, a sitcom star, a venerable director, and a polo player. But who’s its most intriguing newcomer?

Vanity Fair magazine’s annual International Best dressed list includes: Eccentric singer Lady Gaga, US First Lady Michelle Obama and actress Carey Mulligan.

US First Lady Michelle Obama plays a very important role in fashion. She made the list for the fourth consecutive year and won approval for being a trendsetter.

Amy Fine Collins, Vanity Fair special correspondent, stated TODAY’s Matt Lauer Tuesday, referring to the U.S. first lady’s mix of designer labels with affordable brands like J. Crew, Talbots and Isaac Mizrahi’s Liz Claiborne.

Actress Carey Mulligan who famously refused an offer from Vogue’s Anna Wintour to help her choose her Academy Awards outfit, is an original. She also noted for her 'existential pixie' look and mixing high street with designers.

“She is a Hollywood girl who is not the typical Hollywood type,” Fine Collins said. “She’s adorable and women love her.”

Mulligan, who famously refused an offer from Vogue’s Anna Wintour to help her choose her Academy Awards outfit, is an original. “She is a Hollywood girl who is not the typical Hollywood type,” Fine Collins said. “She’s adorable and women love her.”

Unfortunately, “Salt” actress Angelina Jolie is not on the list this year. Her super-safe fashion choices of black, black and more black from mainstream designers have led fashion watchers to label her with one dreaded word — boring.

Samantha Cameron - wife of British Prime Minister - also made the list, becoming the first visibly pregnant woman to make the poll. Others included on the prestigious list include France's First Lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, soccer star David Beckham, siblings Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal and designer John Galliano.

Finally, Vanity Fair magazine reveals the most intriguing newcomer LADY GAGA!! Lady Gaga known for her very eccentric fashion sense, cracking the list for the first time in the “Originals” category is the avant-garde Lady Gaga, who is also Vanity Fair’s cover girl for September.

Fine Collins explained. “They tend to be fashion leaders, not followers. They set the trends, not follow them.”

As for Gaga specifically, she “reinvented the medium of fashion. She’s included anything and everything into fashion, from telephones to wheelchairs. She’s consistently herself.”

Mary-Kate Olsen: 'I Would Never Wish My Upbringing On Anyone'

Whatever happened to predictability? The milkman, the paperboy, the … Mary-Kate and Ashley? Fans of "Full House" know that’s not exactly how this show’s opening song goes, but sometimes we are left to wonder what ever happened to the adorable twins who played cute little Michelle Tanner.

Actress-turned-successful fashion designer Mary-Kate Olsen takes a step back into the limelight opening up in the pages of Marie Claire about the hit 90s sitcom that catapulted her and her sister’s career.

While the rest of us may think of Michelle Tanner as a character we fell in love with growing up, for the actress who played her, it was a much different experience.

In the August issue of MC, Mary-Kate revealed, "I look at old photos of me, and I don't feel connected to them at all.” She even goes so far as to compare her stint as a child star to "monkey performers."

But, while the candid starlet seems to hold some remorse about having a less than normal lifestyle, it’s not all regrets for MK. "I would never wish my upbringing on anyone...but I wouldn't take it back for the world," she said. Hm, would the fact that she and Ashley became self-made millionaires by the age of 10 have anything to do with it?

Regardless, Mary-Kate is just another prime example that money can’t buy you happiness. In 2004, tabloids featured hundreds of pictures of the troubled actress with claims of an eating disorder and potential drug and alcohol problems.

However the 24-year-old tells the mag she’s finally learned to speak up for herself when it counts. "I think it's really important to be able to talk when something's wrong,” Mary-Kate said. “I learned at a really young age that if you don't talk about it, it can drive you insane."

The doe-eyed blonde has made a full recovery since then and is better than ever with a new fashion label The Row, several other clothing line projects and potentially new acting roles. “I still read scripts, and if something great comes along, that's great … but this is my day job,” MK clarified. “The Row is where I go every day."

Now a force to be reckoned with in the fashion industry, Mary-Kate credits much of her success to the person who stood by her side since their diaper days. "Sometimes Ash and I have to bring each other back, or push each other more,” she said. “It's really helpful to have another half; we're constantly checking in with each other."

What do you think of Mary-Kate's thoughts on her childhood? Do you want to see her act again?

The Kardashian Sisters Set To Launch Fashion and Home Lines

Little sisters Kendall and Kylie may be making headlines with their budding modeling careers, but the older Kardashian girls are back making fashion headlines today with the announcement of a new clothing, home and accessories line. Khloe, Kim, and Kourtney Kardashian are teaming up with leading international designer Bruno Schiavi and his Australian-based apparel company, Jupi Corporation, to create everything from women’s ready-to-wear and lingerie to bags and belts. “We are excited to work with Bruno Schiavi in developing our first brand together,” stated the Kardashian sisters in a release. “His expert design sensibilities and amazing creativity, and his genuine understanding of female consumers everywhere make him the ideal partner.” The initial collection is set to hit stores in 2011, with plans to add luggage, shoes and kid’s fashion to the lineup at a later date. With the girls’ recent partnership with Beach Bunny Swimwear, Kim’s jewelry line launch and the fifth season of their hit reality show set to premiere, it really is getting tough to keep up with the Kardashians!--by airmax

Show and Tell

Photo: Mike Hemy

I'm sure it’s unusual for Big Love, HBO’s series about a polygamist clan living in Utah, to spark a fashion identity crisis. But watching the scene when Chloë Sevigny’s character, Nicki, trades in floor-length denim skirts, turtlenecks, and button-downs for Tiffany-blue (the pop star, not the brand) eye shadow, a slutty miniskirt, a tube top, and a high side-pony, I thought of my own wardrobe: I love French braids, turtlenecks, men’s button-downs, fisherman sweaters, and wool slacks from the little boys’ department at Brooks Brothers. Thing is, Nicki’s sexless shroud was the result of being raised on a Warren Jeffs–style compound. I’m an unmarried atheist from Boston who had a relatively blissful childhood. What’s my excuse?

As bizarre as it may seem for a fashion writer, my philosophy on clothes stems from generations of New England puritan guilt. Don’t stand out, don’t show off, and dress for the terrain and the weather (not the trends). My maternal grandmother once made my grandfather return an incredible fox coat he’d bought her, lest it draw too much attention in town. He came back with a dark chestnut mink, which has hung in her closet gathering dust ever since. I could see myself doing the same. The last thing I’d want is to have all eyes on me. It’s why I had to stop playing tennis in college. Fans in the bleachers!

Considering the current obsession with reality TV, spray tans, boob jobs, hair extensions, Facebook, and YouTube, it’s an especially odd time to be someone whose only fashion fantasy involves being an undercover spy (ahem, Leon Panetta) slipping invisibly through crowds in a trench coat, Borsalino hat, and penny loafers. I asked Judy Norsigian, executive director of the Boston Women’s Health Book Collective and coauthor of the classic Our Bodies, Ourselves, what she made of my dressing phobias. “It’s been planted in a lot of women’s heads—as well as men’s, unfortunately—that if you dress provocatively you’re asking for trouble from the opposite sex,” she said. “But ultimately, it comes down to what each of us is comfortable in.” Tight dresses, high heels, and makeup don’t feel empowering to me (as they do for many women)—they leave me feeling naked, objectified, and tacky. And definitely uncomfortable.

That said, I’ve always admired—from afar, of course—more rebellious, less eager-to-please demonstrations of feminine power. Anne Bancroft stripping down to a black lace bra and slip in front of a stunned Dustin Hoffman in The Graduate. Doris Duke swimming in an unlined bathing suit at the conservative Bailey’s Beach Club. Lara Stone opening a Christopher Kane show wearing a dangerously tight pencil skirt, walking that amazing wobbly walk, maxing out those talked-about curves. Peggy Lipton, leaning against a fence wearing nothing but a men’s sweater and cowboy boots in a snapshot that’s been tacked to my fridge for years. These women—playing characters or not—were cool, a characteristic I can look up to. Cool enough to not give a damn whether all eyes were on them.

Earlier this year, a gift arrived from Alexander Wang: his take on men’s tighty-whities, in black, for girls. Nestled within a crisp sheet of tissue paper, they whispered, “Do it, wear it, dare to be great.” Panicked, I e-mailed Wang for instructions. “I love the toughness of a wide band peeking above the tops of pants,” he wrote. “Girls feel sexier and a little more mischievous wearing boy underwear.” Huh. Come to think of it, my usual striped cotton panties from the Gap weren’t inspiring much of anything. And every nice bra I’ve ever owned has ended up deboned by utility dryers at the wash-and-fold. Was Wang onto something? Perhaps the route to my inner exhibitionist should start from the inside, with the kind of underpinnings that would be worth showing off.

So, on a cold winter weekend, I traveled to Paris, the city where sexy (in my humble opinion) was born, to meet Valérie Delafosse, the artistic director for Eres, purveyor of some of the most beautiful underpinnings in the world. In the company’s design studios in the Eleventh Arrondissement, Delafosse—picture a raven-haired Catherine Deneuve—showed me her personal collection of vintage skivvies from the ’20s and ’30s, which serve as her design inspiration. “Her boyfriend is a lucky man,” whispered Delafosse’s assistant. I thought of the man in my life. Poor guy. Growing up in Texas and Washington, DC, he’d always had a slightly Southern idea of what a woman should look like, including round-the-clock heels and an overall polish I’d never even attempted to achieve. “Owning beautiful lingerie is the best way to increase your self-worth,” Delafosse said, as if reading my mind. As we admired pale silk garter belts, daffodil-color cone bras, and tissue-thin lace nighties, I vowed to try harder both for myself and my guy.

At the Eres flagship on rue Tronchet in Place de la Madeleine, I climbed the sun-drenched store’s mahogany spiral staircase, thinking of all the lovely, old-fashioned accoutrements of womanhood I’d looked forward to when I was younger. Back then, it was all powder rooms, Cole Porter, silk stockings, and champagne to me—courtesy of one too many screenings of Jean Negulesco’s How to Marry a Millionaire. I spotted a boxy camisole and low-riding bloomers hanging from the sparse brass racks. Bathed in Parisian afternoon light, they were the color of the Atlantic, trimmed in off-white cotton lace. When I slipped them on, just the feeling of silk on my skin made me want to wear something slinky.

Admittedly, these were a far cry from the teddy I thought I’d come here to find. But let’s be honest—I was never going to achieve “va-va-voom.” And I didn’t want to. I could only be myself. “Character always makes a better impression than a plunging neckline in the long run,” Delafosse quipped as she stood behind me, adjusting the thin silk straps to my shoulders, approving of my modest choice. It was then that I realized, I haven’t missed my time to be sexy. I am just beginning it— finally, on my own terms. The minute I came home to my apartment in New York City, I threw away the entire contents of my top drawer and filled it with my ocean blue bloomers and camisole. Lying there, elegantly alone, they looked like the small start to something big.

Drew Barrymore

On taking stock of where she is now: “For three years straight, I’ve been burning the candle at both ends, and as of last December, I just didn’t have anything left. I’ve been so aggressive about living life to the fullest and being plugged into everything, but now I’ve ripped the plug out of the wall and put it on the floor for a while. I’m thinking about the same things as when I was 15, about spirituality and who I am, who I want to be. It’s cocoon, pupa, larva, and fuck, I’m reborn!”

On the media’s misconceptions of her: “I make movies. I have a passion. Puppies and daisies don’t accomplish anything. That’s not me at all.”

On being single: “If you’re 35 and single and it’s a choice, it feels fine. So I didn’t settle with the wrong person yet. Big deal!”

On her upcoming role in Going the Distance: “I like that it’s not a traditional romantic comedy, with the story line of, ‘Oh, I slept with this guy, but when I woke up, I found out he’s the CEO of my company, and we’re going to live happily ever after once we go through all these crazy perils. I talk shit with my girlfriends. And it can get dirty.”

On why she’s not afraid to get older: “I don’t want to be vain or fearful, and I don’t think I’ll do anything [in terms of plastic surgery], but if I want to do something, I will. From my perspective, there’s no reason to be afraid of aging, because if you age, you’re lucky! The alternative is death.”

On child stardom: “I was raised in unique and trying environments, but they were also amazing platforms for me to have an extraordinary life. Going through hell as a kid made me sensitive to what others in this world go through too.”

Street Chic: New York

Find a flirty sundress for a retro summer look.

Alexander Wang Will Sign Your Gum Wrapper

At Barneys successful (and fun) Trunk-a-palooza a couple of months ago, Alexander Wang set up his own tent on the seventh floor and spent just as much time selling his fall collection as he did meeting fans.

This week, he dragged the tent up north to Canada's Barneys equivalent — Holt Renfrew — and greeted a whole new set of fans, girls who asked him to sign Chloé sunglasses and a group of three with just one gum wrapper. So naturally, they split it into three and he happily signed each piece.

While that's kind of like asking Cameron Diaz to autograph a picture of Drew Barrymore, Wang's gotten just as far from being nice as he has from being a great designer. But here's a tip, next time you buy a piece from T (which given its stellar fall outing will probably be soon) stick the tag in your wallet just in case you run into him next time you're downtown.

Katy Perry's Launching a Fragrance (Without Coty!)

Katy Perry's new scent is one of the first celebrity fragrances not coming courtesy of Coty.

Instead, the popstar's partnering with Firmenich on a Japanese inspired fragrance that sounds super fruity. It's called Purr, and according to WWD "has top notes of peach nectar, forbidden apple and green bamboo; a heart of jasmine blossom, pink freesia and Bulgarian rose, and a drydown of vanilla orchid, white amber, creamy sandalwood and musk."

The fragrance was inspired by her favorite catwoman costume and it launches at Nordstrom in November.

Meanwhile, yesterday afternoon, Columbia Records released the artwork for Katy's new album, Teenage Dream, and there's a lot less going on in the image than there is in her new perfume. She's appears to be just barely wrapped in cotton candy floating through the sky.

Accessories News: Cartier Launches New Trinity Collection

Cartier perfected the delivery of elegant simplicity with the celebrated Trinity collection in 1924. The series of polished rolling bangles and rings have, until now, been offered in a classic selection of golds, with or without diamonds. For the first time in nearly a century, Trinity is getting a new look: black and white. The collection, slated to hit Cartier boutiques in December, presents a refreshingly modern update on a to die for classic. Get on the waiting list now!

News Bites: Kelly Cutrone's Writing A New Book & Adrian Grenier's Selling Drugs

Cameron Diaz wowed in Bottega Veneta last night at the German premiere of Knight and Day. {RedCarpet Fashion}

Baggu’s teamed up with Shabd Simon-Alexander — their limited edition line of tie-dye backpacks and totes are lightweight and eco-friendly. {NYMag}

Adrian Grenier’s working with 50 Cent and Eminem on a new documentary called How To Make Money Selling Drugs. {WonderWall}

Christina Aguilera’s newest video, You Lost Me, premieres today on Vevo. She attributes its almost guaranteed success to Sia. {JustJared}

Kelly Cutrone’s writing another book, but she wants it sold in a new section of the bookstore. {PeopleStyle}

Could you live in six items or less for six weeks? These people did. {FocusOnStyle}

Uni K Wax: A Greener Waxing Experience

It only takes one bad waxing experience to turn you off the whole thing, but the Uni K Wax Center is enough to turn you right back around.

Uni K founder Noemi Grupenmager and an Argentinean chemist spent two years perfecting their wax formula, and since 1993 she's single-handedly revolutionized waxing in Miami – a.k.a. the bikini capital of the world.

A specific species of Argentinean pine trees grows in Grupenmager’s homeland and their sap's the main (and secret) ingredient in her concoction — there's also beeswax and aloe vera. The sap's collected in “its most purest state,” which means the trunks of the trees are cut open and pulled back instead of being cut down. The trees look like they're “crying or weeping” as their sap drips into bags below, but, like a minor cut on human skin, the trees heal.

Grupenmager says her refreshingly scented, bright green wax won't “shock your skin” because it “never exceeds one degree above normal body temperature” when applied and it doesn’t harden like typical salon wax—it stays soft and warm.

On top of all of that, the wax is 100% biodegradable, but each Uni K Wax center has what Grupenmager calls a “laboratory” where a lab technician is on site and works exclusively with the wax. Every client receives their own canister of wax that's been prepared upon arrival, and, so as to avoid excessive waste, each canister contains precisely enough wax for their services. She also offers her own line of face and body products including an amazing Body Perfect Dry Oil Spray. The apricot, peach and squalene oils really hydrate the skin.

Florida’s once best-kept secret is officially out, and they're excited to announce the fall opening of their new boutique in New York's Flat Iron district and 50 more openings planned across the US before the end of this year!

Capitol Hill Class

First Lady Michelle Obama's certainly injected a long-missed sense of style into the White House. In her two years in D.C. she's spotlighted young designers like Jason Wu and Thakoon, shown an edge with Ann Demeulemeester and Rick Owens, and appealed to the generally stylish public by advocating J.Crew. At the end of the day, the fact that there's a daily "Michelle Obama Watch" for every outfit she sports is quite a departure from the stereotype of frumpy office dress on Capitol Hill. Far from an ill-fitting pencil skirt or chunky-heel pumps, these styles are sophisticated, trim and still work-appropriate. Shop your favorite D.C.

Gilt Groupe styles runway for everyday

Racks upon racks of designer clothes line the most unlikely warehouse inside the industrial Brooklyn Navy Yard, swarming with chic models, stylists, photographers and makeup artists.

Hundreds of pairs of covetable shoes, handbags and belts are lined up neatly on nearby shelves to be parsed out to seven photo studios that buzz nonstop from 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. every single day.

This space belongs to Gilt Groupe, a sample sale website that converts often avant garde runway looks into reality — bought and worn by regular folks who feel comfortable dropping a load of money, even with the discount, on things they can't see, let alone try on.

Through their expansive photo shoots, new ones posted each day at noon, Gilt has to bring clothes to life, explains company co-founder Alexandra Wilkis Wilson. Otherwise, she says, the garments literally lie flat.

"This is about the purchase that's highly emotional," she says. "We want you to be swept away. We want it to have all the visual cues, show you how to wear it, how you might transform yourself."

"None of this," she says, pointing to the vast office and commotion of people, "would happen if it was done on a hanger."

Sample sales — with garments askew on hangers if not tossed haphazardly in cartons — aren't uncommon in a place like New York. It's a way for designers to subtly sell off inventory to a basically pre-selected crowd since they're mostly advertised by word of mouth in neighborhoods where stylish consumers live or work.

Typical shoppers probably already have an appreciation for the more fashion-forward items that seem to be left over at the end of the season, and they'll figure out how to make these pieces work in their already eclectic wardrobes.

But Gilt, which invites new members through existing users, opens up this little secret to many more people — more than 1 million shoppers a month — some of whom might not know quite what to do with a magenta Christian Lacroix bell-shaped cocktail frock, for example.

"We have to answer the question, `How do I translate Chloe to Pasadena, California, or Marni in Fort Lauderdale (Fla.)?'" explains co-founder Alexis Maybank.

Longtime friends Maybank and Wilson launched Gilt in 2007, building on their combined career experience in e-commerce and fashion. Their gut, they say, told them that there was a broader audience out there for runway clothes, even if the appetite didn't extend to runway style.

On a recent day, Gilt plucked four runway looks and interpreted them for everyday life:

_Strapless Lacroix cocktail dress with cascade of bows down the front and bubble hem.

No doubt, the hot pink color is intimidating, says womenswear stylist Tammy Eckenswiller, and the silhouette could be too — especially if you only saw it on a hanger.

Seeing it on a body, even a model's body, helps a shopper picture what it might look in person, she adds. "It's actually a forgiving dress, and a great color for a party."

Eckenswiller grabs some peep-toe shoe-booties with towering heels and a black chunky collarlike necklace as accessories. "By rooting it in black, it makes most of us feel more comfortable. It's a very bare neckline, so it's fun to put on a statement necklace, and most people already have black shoes."

The substantial accessories dress down the dress so it doesn't have to be worn only to a fancy black-tie event, Eckenswiller says. She says she could imagine this look at a gallery opening, a cocktail party, even to dinner — if you tossed over the shoulders a black boyfriend blazer.

_Ann Demeulemeester purple men's blazer with rows of ruffles down the front.

For mass appeal, this jacket needs to be toned down and paired with something conservative, menswear stylist Seth Howard advises, suggesting a classic white button-down shirt and a gray flannel tie. A plain gray V-neck sweater provides extra contrast to the somewhat flashy piece, he says.

With dark denim jeans and gray lace-up shoes, he says, this is an outfit that goes from day-to-night, something often talked about in a woman's wardrobe but something men need, too.

_Marbled gray leather jacket by Odyn Vovk.

This men's jacket has a short, fitted shape, which, says Howard, risks looking feminine. Khaki pants and a ribbed white tank help "beef it up." With a button-down shirt and dress shoes, this can even be worn to work, he says, and it goes with jeans for weekends.

"This is probably for someone in L.A. or a metro environment, but everyone loves leather. It's actually a simple jacket, just the cut is a little unusual."

_Carolina Herrera red-and-black lace overlay sheath dress.

Even though the dress is flat-out wearable, it can be a little "too uptown" for some women, Eckenswiller says. The addition of a black Valentino coat with a laser-cut lace bottom gives it edge without going over the top.

The cluster of black around the bodice has a corsetlike slimming effect, while the contrast of the black and red against white creates enough visual interest that jewelry and makeup can be kept to a minimum, she says.

Again, this dress is paired with a black shoe, the most relatable option. But don't fall into rut, either, particularly at this level of designer clothes, Eckenswiller says. "These are about aspirational pieces. Don't be afraid of being bold."

Haider Ackermann's Japanese Pirate Couture

There was a rare fashion moment in Florence on Wednesday, June 16, in a storied Renaissance palazzo, when Haider Ackermann presented a true rarity in the industry, a collection of men's couture, of highly unique, customized clothes.

And, the Japanese pirate meets rocker combination, the first ever menswear presented by Ackermann, looks like being highly influential. That's not to say that millions of men are going to start dressing like a cross between Johnny Depp and Keith Richards. But one suspects this designer's choice of patchwork fabrics from India, pajama pants, silky shirts and bizarre seat belts, that looked pinched from a business class flight, will filter into many guy's wardrobe.

Entitled "Opium, Wardrobe for Men…. & Women," the show - a gala event at Pitti, the giant menswear trade show - contained clothes for both men and women for the spring 2011 season.

Ackermann, a Colombian-born designer whose women's runway show have, in the past few seasons, come to be regarded as a top ten must-see in the Paris season where he normally shows, employed his signature sculptural look for both men and women.

"It's the same aesthetic. Though maybe the woman is more poetic and the man more of an adventurer. After all, he is pursuing the lady," the designer said backstage after the show.

In a brilliant piece of staging, the production team hung a series of huge chandeliers in the night sky above the courtyard of Palazzo Corsini, a magnificent baroque palace on the banks of the Arno. Pre-show, the designer had laid out a huge feast, just as a spectacle, inside the palazzo, whose amazing ground floor frescoes have a ghostly damaged appeal, the result of the waters that flowed through the building in November 1966 when the Arno overflowed its banks.

Ackermann had clearly tailored his look for the setting, sending out glitzy scarves and Moroccan style slippers, in feathered finishes that recalled the colors of the opulent frescoes. And, getting ex-model and torch singer Jamie Bochert to accompany the show on a grand piano with a cellist and violinist playing Bob Dylan's "Knockin' on Heaven's Door," was an inspired idea.

Jackets cut like Asian wrestler outfits, double lapel coats in Goa-style patchworks, Scarlet Pimpernel striped tops or dhoti cut trousers that finished three-inches above the ankle all made for an exotic mood. Worn on a great casting of unshaven models, this was an audacious take on men's fashion. And it was proper couture, rather than just luxury ready-to-wear.

"I want to be clear that I am not launching a menswear division. We'll make these clothes for special order and maybe a few boutiques that have always stocked our women's wear. It was more an interesting challenge than anything else," said Ackermann.

Taylor Swift, Billy Joel Perform at Songwriters Hall of Fame Ceremony

Award-winning producers, songwriters and performers gathered Thursday night, June 17, in New York, to honor and be honored at the 41st Annual Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

The evening included a performance by Taylor Swift, who received the Hal David Starlight Award. Swift performed to a star-studded audience, including Hall of Fame inductees Leonard Cohen and Jackie DeShannon. Kim Carnes, Elizabeth Withers, and Nikki Yanofsky were also in attendance.

Piano man Billy Joel was on hand to induct his producer, Phil Ramone, and to take part in a special ensemble performance that paid tribute to Paul Simon's classic single "Bridge Over Troubled Water," and also featured Brian Stokes Mitchell, Phil Collins, and Judy Collins.

The 18-year-old Filipina phenom Charice, who looked thrilled and a little overwhelmed, showed up in support of her producer and mentor David Foster, who was being inducted and recognized for a long career of achievements, including 44 Grammy nominations. A native of British Columbia, Foster's credits include Toni Braxton's "Unbreak My Heart," as well as the launching careers of artists like Celine Dion and Michael Buble.

Foster has recently revealed to Oprah that he has accepted Charice's request to be her godfather. "He's one of the most important people who actually helped me from the very beginning," Charice told Entertainment Tonight.

Lesbians get real on TV's "Real L Word"

Jill is a "nice Jewish girl" who is planning her wedding. Rose is a long-haired Latina who has a problem with commitment, and tattooed Mikey is a domineering fashion show producer with a heart of gold.

They also are lesbians and are among the stars of the first lesbian-themed TV reality show on a mainstream U.S. cable channel.

Making its highly-anticipated debut on Sunday, "The Real L Word" is a spin-off of the groundbreaking 2004-2009 Showtime drama series "The L Word" that portrayed the love lives of a group of lesbians in an explicit manner never before seen on U.S. television.

But that was fiction -- albeit rooted in the experiences of "L Word" creator Ilene Chaikin -- and the six Los Angeles women featured in the new show, also on Showtime, are real.

"One of the things I was asked constantly (about 'The L Word') was 'is that true? Are there really lesbians like that?'," Chaikin told Reuters.

"To some extent this show answers that question in the affirmative...Just like all women, lesbians come in many different packages and these women may tell you something that you wouldn't have thought before about who a lesbian is."

Promoted as a show sizzling with sex and lovely ladies, "The Real L Word" arrives at a time when lesbians have been making headlines but are still more under-represented in U.S. pop culture even than gay men.

In the past two months, country singer Chely Wright and Christian singer Jennifer Knapp came out after years of hiding their sexuality in careers seen as hostile to gay culture.

A U.S. study in June found that being raised by two mothers does not hinder the healthy psychological development of kids.

This July, "The Kids Are All Right" -- a comedy movie starring Julianne Moore and Annette Bening as a lesbian couple -- hits theaters as one of the most widely-anticipated U.S. independent films of the summer film season.

STILL STRUGGLING FOR POP CULTURE KUDOS

Yet five years after the love story of gay cowboys won three Oscars for "Brokeback Mountain", there were just four lesbian characters on U.S. network TV shows this season, none of which were leads, according to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation.

"I had hoped and maybe expected that we would be a little bit more present in the pop culture than we are right now. But I am confident that it is changing," Chaikin said, noting that most minorities are under-represented in Hollywood.

However Chaiken says she has always been more interested in storytelling than using her shows to promote sexual politics.

"I set out to tell stories, not to change stereotypes. But if one effect is to challenge stereotypes, that is a lovely thing," she said.

As for the sex in "The Real L Word" -- and there is plenty -- Chaikin noted that sexual preference is part of what differentiates lesbians.

"It's not 'I am going to be sexy and explicit and push the envelope'", she said. "It's 'I'm in a world telling stories and for a network that allows me to go places...and that makes the stories that much richer."

She said producers worked hard to weed out mere attention seekers in the casting process. "It was truly challenging to find six aspirational women who were comfortable enough in front of the cameras to share their lives with us, but who weren't simply looking to promote themselves in a vulgar way."

Veteran Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman, who guided Chely Wright during her coming out in May, said anticipation was high in the wider gay community for "The Real L Word" and for the future portrayal of gay characters.

"I hope we can have interesting gay and lesbian and transgender characters without them being stereotypes. We watch too many gay pride parades, and we think it's either gay guys in gold lame' thongs, or dykes on bikes.

"So I hope this show will send the message that we are a lot more diverse than that. People are going to start to realize that we have the same problems and challenges as anyone else -- money, family and in-laws," he said.

Jil Sander's Psychedelic Designs

If any message emerged from three days this week in Florence at Pitti, the world's leading menswear trade show, it's that men will be wearing mega bright, high-tech colors next spring, especially if they shop at Jil Sander, which staged a gala show here Thursday, June 17.

Using a combination of colors such as electric violet, shiny orange, Aegean turquoise, Sander's creative designer Raf Simons whipped up a Pop Art ensemble that dazzled the eyes, even though it was staged at night.

Staged in the strikingly beautiful gardens of Villa Gamberaia, a late 18th century neoclassic villa east of Florence, the show featured 45 models wandering around the bushes and intricate pathways before walking down an 80-yard lawn.

Simons pulled no punches when it came to brights; he even color co-ordinated outfits with shoes whose soles were in fiery red or indigo blue. Nor did he hesitate when it came to advanced fabrics - between high-tech waterproof cottons and nylon taffeta.

His show underlined a major trend here - bright 1960s hippie flower power looks, though updated by modern technology. For instance, Simons showed several great white shirts with outrageously large single floral prints, which on closer inspection turned out be amalgams of several flowers, like roses or orchids, morphed together in a photo computer program.

Simons is also an extremely savvy tailor, alternating between floating technical trench coats in geranium and light yet super structured jackets in iris where stripes of silver duct tape added cool details and functional rigidity. Plus his glistening zigzag stripe jerseys looked like sure commercial hits.

Milan menswear opens out, in anniversary mood

Designers such as Italian duo Dolce & Gabbana and Belgian Dirk Bikkembergs are hoping to lure crisis-hit shoppers back by staging fashion events in Milan's most popular squares.

Male models and celebrities strut catwalks and red carpets in more than 30 shows and dozens of showroom collections during the Milan spring/summer 2011 fashion week, which runs until Tuesday and takes place amid timid signs of economic recovery.

Sales of tailored suits, ties and leather shoes declined by 11.3 percent to 8 billion euros ($9.91 billion) in 2009, one of the worst years ever for Italian menswear, said Sistema Moda Italia, a body representing Italy's clothing and textile industry.

However, wealthy spenders were back in the shops in the first months of the year and should help raise global luxury sales by more than 4 percent in 2010, according to U.S. consultancy Bain and Co.

"This edition will be particularly important to assess the pace of recovery, which is certainly under way, but whose vigor has to be strengthened," Mario Boselli, president of Italy's National Chamber of Fashion, said in a statement.

The image of Italy's fashion capital, competing with cities such as London, Paris and New York, will enjoy a boost from significant anniversaries marked by Ermenegildo Zegna and Dolce & Gabbana.

However, a shadow was cast over the shows by the death of a catwalk model, 22-year-old Frenchman Tom Nicon, whose body was found in the courtyard of a building in central Milan Friday. Police said they were investigating.

GLAMOUR AND TRADITION

Dolce & Gabbana celebrated the 20th anniversary of their menswear line with an exhibition at the City Hall, in front of La Scala opera house.

"We want as many people as possible at our exhibition, we want Mr Brambilla (a typical Milanese name) to come and see our history," Domenico Dolce told a joint news conference with Milan's Mayor Letizia Moratti Friday.

Glamour and tradition mingled at the duo's celebratory show, with extra-light washed silk jackets and sweaters in woven jute inspired by Sicilian sensuality.

Models in classic and traditional summertime suits cheered a performance by British singer Annie Lennox and Hollywood was represented by stars such as Rachel Weisz, Morgan Freeman and Matthew McConaughey.

Zegna, which celebrates its 100th birthday this year, hosts an exhibition on the importance of style.

In an unofficial kickoff Friday, Bikkembergs showed on a big screen in central Duomo Square, a popular tourist spot, its South Africa-inspired "sport couture" collection.

The fashion industry, with an annual turnover of about 100 billion euros, is central to Italy's economy.

Turnover for the sector fell by 15 percent last year to 56.5 billion euros. An improvement is forecast for this year.

Calvin Klein's Capes for Cool Guys

The design leader of the modernist moment in men's fashion today is surely Italo Zucchelli, an Italian designing for Calvin Klein, where he evokes the energy, hard edges and technical crowded life of urban citizens for this American brand.

It was instructive that in a Milan season where so many other designers are showing colonial chic with rumpled linen suits and blazers in jute, Zucchelli presented taut, frequently cropped clothes with hard high-tech finishes, albeit in a spring 2011 collection leavened with sportswear touches.

"Graphic, clean, strong, New York!" trumpeted Zucchelli after the show on Saturday, June 19.

Though Italy is suffering floods and Milan heavy rains, Zucchelli is envisaging a balmy summer next year. So much so, many sweatshirts were cropped half way up the chest, the better to see the models' six-pack abdomen. Severeal of these feature logos, though even the Calvin was cut in half. Part sweatshirt, part micro cape, the garment would be impossible to wear without a flat stomach, but a cool look if one is gym rat buffed.

Many super shiny materials had an almost circuit board attitude finish, achieved by spraying or bleaching cottons.

Zucchelli cuts his tailored clothing with a scalpel. His are not outfits for the overweight, but by being so strict with his silhouette he only adds to the sense of high-tech dandy, which is the major theme of this designer.

Technology aside, a favorite look, however, was a great suit in black and white plaid, though with the check so huge it looked almost like an abstract painting. It had sass and cool swagger, just like this innovative collection.

Alexander McQueen sticks to British roots

The Alexander McQueen fashion house presented its first menswear collection following the designer's death, drawing on archives and the fashion house's British roots in a bid for continuity.

But not everyone stuck close to familiar territory on the second day of men's fashion week Sunday: Giorgio Armani presented a surprisingly edgy and militaristic/borderline S&M line for next summer. In a diametrically opposite look for the season, Gianfranco Ferre's young designing pair looked to India, Japan and China for a relaxed, easy-to-wear collection cut largely of linen and silk.

ALEXANDER MCQUEEN

Alexander McQueen's spring/summer 2011 collection was the first solo outing for Sarah Burton, who has worked with the fashion house for 16 years and was named creative director last month. The fashion house may still be seeking its emotional footing since McQueen's suicide in February but found firm stylistic ground in the aristocratic and military tradition of Savile row tailoring district and shopping street.

The collection hits a range of historical notes, from World War I Tommies to uppercrust Eaton schoolboys. "This is the England of Alexander McQueen, a place of eclectic historical and cultural references," the fashion house said in a release.

There were classic trench coats of superlight fabric, over stretch tweed military-style leggings, and linen jackets paired with skinny pants that defy their slim fit with cargo pockets.

The color range was mostly neutrals, grays and tans, with flashes of red and orange that burst through in one rich red velvet jacket over wide-leg silk trousers with an Oriental print, roomy loungwear.

Shirts ran the gamut from an easy Nehru collar, or wide, stiff Eton-collar shirts that give new meaning to the phrase buttoned-up.

The collection's highlight was an evening suit that faded from a shimmery silver to gray, giving the effect of a spotlight shining from above, with roomy trousers rolled up at the heel.

Rather than a glitzy show, the collection was presented in a lower-key presentation deemed more appropriate to the circumstances that ended with Sir Edward Elgar's "Pomp and Circumstance."

EMPORIO ARMANI

For his second line Emporio Armani, Giorgio Armani strode unshrinking into the leather-clad world depicted in Lady Gaga's "Alejandro" video, which was fully referenced at the end of the show when a parade of Emporio models dressed in black leather military gear from the caps on their heads to the lace-up boots marched across the runway.

No relaxed summer look for the Emporio Armani man: He's clad in leather and wearing chains, or maybe a mesh metal scarf.

"Maybe this is not something we expect to see from Emporio Armani," the designer said after the show. The collection is something youths would "happily wear for their nocturnal wanderings in search of fun," Armani said.

Armani took elements that have become wardrobe standards and put in a contemporary twist, pairing Bermuda shorts with leggings, and updating camouflage with cool city colors, including putty, beige and gray.

There was lots of leather — pants, short-sleeve shirts, gilets with cap sleeves and jackets that might be laser-cut or given an animal print including fish scales and a tortoise.

For the beach, there were black brief swim suits over top crocodile-print lycra leggings and one-piece bathing suits reminiscent of Sacha Baron Cohen's "Bruno" but less whimsical and definitely not fluorescent.

GIANFRANCO FERRE'

At the other end of the fashion spectrum, GianFranco Ferre's young design team of Tommaso Aquilano and Roberto Rimondi sought inspiration in the Orient, with references from China, India and Japan in their spring/summer collection.

Lightweight shirts were collarless, or high-collared with buttons in the back, paired with loose trousers or Bermuda shorts. Floppy broad-brimmed hats provided ample sun protection on a safari or in a rice paddy.

For forays into the city, there were three-piece suits and for the evening a tuxedo in silk shantung, cream with black lapels and tie.

The collection features soothing colors of powder green to sand khaki to sky blue and intense lapis lazuli.

BOTTEGA VENETA

The Bottega Veneta man is on the go, and his destination could well be the tropics.

His wardrobe is easy to pack — wrinkles are part of the look — and the range is from guerrilla chic, say olive green garb of lightweight fabric with strategic pockets, to easy-fitting suits that can be slipped on for a gin-and-tonic at an embassy cocktail party.

Shoes have sturdy soles — as he never knows what to expect.

"The collection is about performance and possibility, about what happens when you combine materials and techniques in new ways," designer Tomas Maier said in notes.