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May 03 2011 09:00 AM ET

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May 02 2011 07:00 PM ET

Celebrities Celebrate McQueen Tonight at the Met Costume Insitute Gala

Costume Institute Gala 2011 Patrick McMullan/Sipa

His death was tragic, and happened much too soon, but in the 15 months since Alexander McQueen’s untimely passing, his eponymous fashion label has thrived. From a successful runway presentation by his successor, Sarah Burton, to the label’s biggest moment yet — designing Kate Middleton’s wedding dress — it’s been a big year for the British brand. Tonight, scores of stars will descend upon New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate the house of McQueen and the museum’s latest exhibit, “Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty,” at the annual Costume Institute Gala, chaired by Salma Hayek and husband François-Henri Pinault. Then on Wednesday, the installation will officially open to the public, offering more than 100 stunning examples of McQueen’s work, from his first post-graduate collection to his final runway presentation, seen on the catwalk in February 2010. The exhibition is on display at the Met through July 31, 2011; stay tuned to PEOPLE StyleWatch tonight for all the latest from the big event.

May 02 2011 06:00 PM ET

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Get Kate Middleton’s Wedding Dress for Less!

A.B.S. By Allen Schwartz creates Kate Middleton knockoff dress
Courtesy ABS, Toby Melville/Landov

It’s only been a few days since Prince William and Kate Middleton became husband and wife, but hours after the Duchess walked down the aisle in her stunning Alexander McQueen wedding dress, there was already another version in the works! A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz, a label known for whipping up less-expensive versions of favorite red carpet frocks in record time, created a lookalike of the famous dress just 12 hours after the wedding. The gown, which bears a striking resemblance to the royal wedding gown worn by Middleton, was created by a team of 35 people who drew out the sketches, chose the fabrics and sewed the gown together. Schwartz tells Today that among the most significant challenges of creating the masterpiece with such a quick turnaround time were perfecting the triple-mesh veil, which was sewn to a tiara, and beautifying the eight yards of fabric in the skirt, topped in the back with a bustle. The dress will retail for about $800 and will be available in select Lord & Taylor stores this July. For those looking to channel the sophisticated look of Middleton’s sister Pippa, you’re in luck: the brand plans to create a version of her buzzed-about white McQueen maid of honor look as well. Tell us: Would you walk down the aisle in the lookalike gown? –Kim Peiffer

READ UP ON STUNNING STAR WEDDING GOWNS!

May 02 2011 04:30 PM ET

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Nicole Richie’s Met Ball Design for Britt Maren: Inspired by Alexander McQueen

Nicole Richie Met Ball Winter Kate
Marc Stamas/Getty, Jeff Vespa/Getty

When model Britt Maren ascends the staircase at tonight’s Costume Institute Gala, she will sport a custom dress by a well-known designer: Nicole Richie! After revealing to WWD that the Winter Kate dress is “pretty major,” reps confirm to PEOPLE that in addition to designing for Maren, Richie will also attend the event alongside her model muse. When she debuted Winter Kate in 2009, Richie told PEOPLE she was inspired by the 1960s and ’70s, plus music and people of the past. This year’s Met Ball will honor one such individual, the late Alexander McQueen, whose unique aesthetic had a veritable impact on Richie’s design process. “McQueen was such a visionary,” Richie tells PEOPLE of the couturier, whose eponymous collection was worn by newlywed Kate Middleton. “It would be hard not to find elements of the dress I designed for Britt Maren in one McQueen dress or collection.” And while the Winter Kate brand is steadily gaining traction (with Richie herself as a ubiquitous ambassador), tonight will mark the first time Richie attends the Vogue-hosted gala in an official designer capacity. Tell us: Are you excited to see Maren’s Winter Kate gown? And don’t forget to visit PEOPLE StyleWatch tonight for all the latest from the 2011 Met Ball! –Justine Harman

CHECK OUT OUR CELEBRITY DESIGNER ARCHIVE!

May 02 2011 03:00 PM ET

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Leighton Meester Is “Lovestruck” in New Campaign for Vera Wang

Leighton Meester's ads for Vera Wang Lovestruck
Courtesy Coty

Leighton Meester‘s alter-ego Blair Waldorf always seems to be part of a dramatic love triangle on Gossip Girl, but now, the actress has a Prince Charming all to herself in a campaign for Vera Wang’s new fragrance, Lovestruck. Meester was announced as the brand’s new face last fall as part of a reported $3 million, two-year deal, and recently, her first round of chic ads surfaced. This new campaign was shot in downtown New York City where Meester, wearing a striking couture Vera Wang gown, was photographed leaning over a fire escape while awaiting the arrival of her Romeo — who just so happens to be racing toward her with a bouquet of flowers. Despite frigid temperatures during the shoot — and crowds of bystanders looking on — Meester said she was simply enjoying the view. “I was above it all, literally,” she told WWD of being perched on a fourth-floor fire escape while shooting. “So I was just kind of entertaining myself — I did a little singing, did a little dance.” The perfume will be available in the U.S. in August, with the print campaign slated to run in September. Tell us: What do you think of Meester’s Lovestruck ads? –Kim Peiffer

SHOP STARS’ SIGNATURE SCENTS

May 02 2011 01:30 PM ET

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Ingrid Bergman’s Granddaughter to Pay Haute Homage at the Met Ball

Ingrid Bergman Fashion
Courtesy VOGUE

Model Elettra Rossellini Wiedemann’s Costume Instititute Gala gown is more than just a fashion statement: it’s a piece of history. At tonight’s prestigious event, the 27-year-old will be carrying on grandmother Ingrid Bergman’s legacy, sporting a gown the famed actress wore in the 1952 film Europa ’51. However, when she was first presented with the Fernanda Gattinoni gown — one of two she inherited long after Bergman’s death in 1982 — Wiedemann (mom is Isabella Rossellini) initially hid the garment in storage. “It’s interesting how clothes can connect you to a sentimentality that can be very complicated sometimes,” she says in the May issue of Vogue. Only after pursuing her master’s degree at the London School of Economics did the young model find the confidence to wear the intimidating threads. Enter fashion wunderkind Prabal Gurung (right), who helped Wiedemann update the gown’s silhouette without compromising its integrity. “It was a beautiful dress with a Grecian-goddess feel, but there was too much fabric,” Gurung explains, adding that the period details were particularly exciting. “The shirring and the beading and the metal boning — I hadn’t seen that ever.” After a long discussion, the designer changed the neckline, reoriented the embroidery and shortened the front of the dress to flatter Wiedemann’s figure. The result? “It’s still the same dress,” Wiedemann says, “but it feels a little bit sexier, more contemporary, and younger.” Adds Gurung, “The beauty of this dress is its history.” Visit PEOPLE StyleWatch tonight for all the latest from the 2011 Met Ball! –Justine Harman

Snap! Heidi Klum Works the Camera for Amazon.com

She’s got the athletic market covered with her New Balance line, and now, Heidi Klum is expanding her growing fashion empire with a new collection, HK, for Amazon.com. In the clip above, Klum mugs for the camera as models work her cute, strappy sandals, available online June 1. She gives us a sneak peek at her latest clothing collection — the dress she’s wearing is part of it! — as well. “It’s a mixture of beautiful things for the summer,” Klum tells PEOPLE. “Short little dresses, awesome tops.” The supermodel, a mom of four, says that while she loves high-fashion clothes, she appreciates a chic, comfy ensemble too. “I do normal things too like bringing my kids to school in the morning or just running thousands of different errands, and I don’t do that in a hot cocktail dress,” she jokes. “I always look for fun, easy pieces that are still fashionable.” Check out the clip above for more on Klum’s latest collection!

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