Archive – Style News - StyleWatch

Feb 27 2010 10:00 AM ET

Prada’s Runway Surprise — Victoria’s Secret Angels!

Christophe Simon/AFP/Getty; Gruber/FWD; Christophet

While Victoria’s Secret Angels Alessandra Abrossio, Doutzen Kroes and Miranda Kerr are well-known for strutting in the brand’s famous fashion show wearing nothing but skimpy, skin-baring lingerie, the sexy models got modest makeovers for Prada’s Fall 2010 fashion show in Milan on Thursday. With the trio clad in demure knee-length dresses and heavy wool stockings that, at first glance, downplay their signature knockout curves, head designer Miuccia Prada tells The New York Times that the models were, in fact, deliberately cast for their famous figures: “It’s normal clothes–the silhouette of the ‘90s, but using many different kinds of models who are much more womanly.” And indeed, closer inspection of the garments reveals tight bodices and carefully placed darts to accentuate an unabashedly feminine silhouette. Kroes, acknowledging an ongoing debate within the fashion industry over runway models’ super-slim frames, tells PEOPLE that “after being a part of the CFDA panel discussion about the model weight issue, I’m so happy to have walked in the Prada show seeing a change in more healthy looking women on the runway.”

SEE ALL THE STARS AND THE BEST OF THE RUNWAY AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK HERE!

Feb 26 2010 02:28 PM ET

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Lily Allen Puts Music On Hold To Focus On Fashion

PA Photos/Landov

At only 24 years old, Lily Allen has announced that she’s seeking early retirement from the music business in favor of a career in fashion. According to the Daily Mail, Allen’s last performance will be in London March 7, after which she’ll be honing her creative talents on the launch of a clothing label and boutique called Lucy In Disguise. “I’m opening up a shop with my sister and a couple of other people and I’m really busy,” she said. “I’m in the office every day, sourcing clothes and getting really excited about my new venture.” The star is on the hunt for a storefront in central London, and in a twist on the traditional shopping model, plans to allow customers to rent clothes for a fraction of their retail value. Allen tells NME.com, “It’s amazing stuff that would be really expensive but we’re renting it [out] for a fraction of the price, so girls can come and get dressed up for a night out and have a laugh.” This isn’t the first time Allen has tried her hand at designing: in 2007, she produced a collection of dresses, shoes, and accessories for New Look called Lily Loves, and just last month she announced plans for an eponymous jewelry line. Lucy In Disguise is expected to debut at the Vintage At Goodway festival in Sussex in August. And fans of her tunes, fear not: she hasn’t closed the door on music completely, and already hints that she might be performing again–but “maybe in five years.” For more on Allen’s new venture, visit dailymail.co.uk. Tell us: Are you excited to see Lily Allen expand into fashion? – Emily Hsieh

Feb 26 2010 02:15 PM ET

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WATCH: Jessica Biel’s Changing Style!

Talk about a dramatic transformation! Over the years, Jessica Biel has evolved her look from laid-back to high glamour — and we’re taking you along through all her style changes. Though the star was recently seen seamlessly dressed at Fashion Week—spotted with her main beau Justin Timberlake—there was a time when she was far from the cover girl she is today. The buff beauty’s journey begins in 1998 when she convincingly played a basketball jock on Seventh Heaven on —and off—the court. Admittedly, the young Biel said, “I usually don’t wear gowns,” opting for comfortable jeans and t-shirts. But after a few years of dabbling with her feminine side, experimenting with high fashion gowns, that quickly changed. Today, Jessica has perfected the art of effortlessly donning creations by the likes of YSL, Prada, and Atelier Versace, making her one of Hollywood’s hottest-dressed stars! Tell us: What do you think of Jessica’s transformation?-–David Yi

Jessica Biel

Feb 26 2010 01:00 PM ET

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Stars Shine In Vivienne Westwood at the ‘Alice In Wonderland’ Premiere

Jon Furniss/WireImage

There may have been two fictional monarchs and a real-life duchess on-hand, but designer Vivienne Westwood was the fashion queen of the Alice in Wonderland premiere last night in London. Leading ladies Anne Hathaway (the White Queen in the Disney flick) and Helena Bonham Carter (the Red Queen), and even special guest Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, were all decked out in gowns from the British designer, who also made an appearance on the green, garden-themed carpet. Braving the drizzly weather in a shimmering bronze sequined dress, Hathaway told BBC, “I have not mastered the British art of looking stoic in the rain.” She’ll have plenty of time to acclimate, as she told reporters, “I’m making a film in England this summer,” and continued, “I just feel overwhelmed and happy. It’s just so thrilling — all of it.” Meanwhile, co-star Johnny Depp spent the better part of an hour chatting to fans. He then swept back his long hair, dampened by the incessant rain, to head into the Odeon cinema in London’s Leicester Square to prepare to meet yet another royal—Prince Charles, as the evening doubled as a fundraiser for the prince’s Foundation for Children & the Arts. -Simon Perry

Feb 26 2010 11:54 AM ET

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FIRST LOOK: James Franco Reprises His Role As Gucci Cologne Frontman

Courtesy Gucci

Following James Franco‘s good-natured spoof of his earlier Gucci Pour Homme fragrance ad campaign on Funny Or Die, the actor is officially back in front of the camera for the Italian luxury brand’s latest scent, Gucci by Gucci SPORT pour Homme. “James Franco is perfect for this fragrance and perfect for Gucci,” the brand’s creative director, Frida Giannini, tells WWD. “He personifies the sort of nonchalance and unforced appeal that is most attractive in a man. In the advertising campaign, he captures the fragrance’s casual, modern and masculine air.” Shot by famed fashion photographers Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin in Cannes, France, the new series depicts a very wet and chiseled Franco gazing seductively into the camera after a fully-clothed dip in a pool. The sporty fragrance, a mix of fresh citrus scents and masculine undertones like veviter, is available in stores now with products ranging from a deodorant stick for $27 to a 50 ml spray at $57. Tell us: What do you think of Franco’s new sexy campaign? —David Yi

Celebrity Fragrances

Feb 25 2010 05:07 PM ET

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WATCH: Jessica Simpson Goes From Catwalk to ‘Fattening Hut’ in ‘The Price of Beauty’

“There’s a lot of pressure to feel beautiful–but what defines beauty?” asks Jessica Simpson in a just-released clip from her soon-to-debut Vh1 show, The Price of Beauty. As part of her research, Simpson—along with pals Cacee Cobb and hairstylist Ken Paves—travels to far-flung corners of the world to see how other cultures measure feminine allure (fattening hut in Uganda, anyone?). The much-debated show debuts on Vh1 on March 15. Get more details on the series at TV Watch. Tell us: Will you watch Jessica’s new show?

Jessica Simpson

Feb 25 2010 01:15 PM ET

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Fashion Designer Vera Wang Dishes On Finally Getting Her Gold

David Gray/Landov; Jemal Countess/WireImage

For Vera Wang, watching ice skater Evan Lysacek win gold in one of her designs—a sleek black bodysuit punctuated by a shimmery silver sequined snake—last week at the Winter Olympics was a dream come true. Wang, a former competitive skater herself, tells WWD: “It was just so exciting. The Olympics are something you can’t really convey on TV. The entire stadium was screaming. They were waving American flags in the stands. It was the Olympic moment I never had, by the way. But one I certainly aspired to.” Despite having dressed former Olympians Michelle Kwan and Nancy Kerrigan, Lysacek’s win marks Wang’s first time outfitting a gold medalist. She celebrated the occasion with a party in Lysacek’s honor at the USA House in Vancouver, surrounded by skating greats Brian Boitano, Dorothy Hamill and Kristi Yamaguchi. Back home in New York, Wang (who wasn’t the only designer taking her talent to the ice this season) rehashes the night: “At the USA House, I got to hang out with skaters, ski jumpers and all different athletes. It’s so positive. It was kind of wonderful just to be there.” – Emily Hsieh