Fergie

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Fergie may be battling a marital storm back home, but it was an emergency of an entirely different kind that she faced in the U.K. on Sunday. While prepping for a performance with her band, The Black Eyed Peas, on the top-rated singing contest show X Factor, the singer narrowly escaped a footwear fiasco — with a little help from the American Idol-like show’s stylish judge, Cheryl Cole. “I had a last minute crisis,” Fergie revealed after a performance of “Meet Me Halfway,” before hitching up the hem of her nude gown to reveal shining platforms, smiling at Cole and saying, “So thank you for letting me borrow your shoes.” Considering that Fergie has her own footwear line, shoes are one thing we’d never have imagined that she’d be in short supply of! Tell us: Would you lend a friend your footwear? –Simon Perry

AP/Evan Agostini

Fergie’s new Avon fragrance hasn’t been named yet, but it already has hubby and actor Josh Duhamel’s stamp of approval. The Black Eyed Peas singer talked about the “fresh and yet modern” scent she’s been developing for the beauty giant, which is launching in November 2010. “We’ve been designing this for over a year,” said Fergie, who performed at the Avon Foundation for Women benefit held at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York on Tuesday, about her first-ever scent. “But I’ve been keeping my big mouth shut about it. I wanted it to smell fresh and yet modern at the same time…it’s definitely for confident, strong women.” And what exactly does Josh think about the fragrance? “He loved it…of course he does,” she said, adding, “I just made sure that he liked it, because that would be important.” Looking happy and content in a feathered Valentino dress, the newlywed (the two married on Jan. 10) described married life as “wonderful.” “I am happy,” she told PEOPLE. “I just saw him. We had a romantic rendezvous in Oklahoma City, because I’ve been on tour with U2, so he came to visit me there. And I’m going to go visit him on the set of his film Life as We Know It with Katherine Heigl.” –reporting by Jeffrey Slonim

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SJP’s not the only star making fragrance news today! Fergie has just announced that she also plans to add perfumer to her resume with a debut scent. “I’m so excited to partner with Avon to develop my first-ever fragrance,” she says in a release. “I couldn’t be happier to be working with a brand with such a strong reputation for supporting women.” And with a successful shoe line already under her stylish belt, fragrance was the next logical step. “I’m always seeking out new ways to express myself, and fragrance is the perfect opportunity to share my originality and confidence with my fans,” she explains. You still have a wait to find out what Fergie’s fragrance will smell like, when it launches in the U.S. in November of 2010. Check back for more details as we get them, and Click here to see more celebrity fragrances. Tell us: Will you try Fergie’s fragrance?

Annie Leibovitz /Vogue

Talk about an all-star cast! Kate Hudson, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Fergie and Marion Cotillard team up with screen legends Sophia Loren and Judi Dench to star in the musical Nine along with leading man Daniel Day-Lewis. And though the much-anticipated musical won’t hit the big screen until November 25, Vogue has already caught a glimpse of the killer costumes created by Oscar-award winner Colleen Atwood, who designed couture-like fashions that date back to the ’20s. And while the extras were decked in vintage, the superstar leading ladies had custom-made costumes to make it easier to sing and dance — 350 costumes and 200 pairs of shoes between them! Expect frilly garter belts, satin-and-lace bras, bustiers, hot pants, flapper dresses and fluffy ostrich-feather fans everywhere. The leading ladies tell Vogue how thrilled they are to be part of the movie, with Hudson gushing, “I spent most of my childhood singing and dancing and just never had the chance to do it professionally. So when I got the chance to work with Rob, I was so excited, I was out of my mind.” Marion confesses to a childhood longing to do musicals as well, “It’s been my dream to do an American musical. When I was a child, Annie was my favorite. I just never thought I would get to do it.” Read more from Vogue’s behind-the-scenes peek only at Style.com, including interviews with the A-list cast, and then be sure to pick up a copy of the November issue, on newsstands October 13. Tell us: Are you excited to see Nine?

CLICK HERE TO SEE VOGUE’S NOVEMBER COVER.
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Fergie has never been one to shy away from a fashion risk. So when we spotted her rocking a pair of drop-crotch pants, which have been showing up all over the runways, we weren’t exactly surprised. We know that the ’80s are back in a big way, but we’re not sure if taking fashion cues from MC Hammer is a step we’re willing to take in the name of fashion. When it comes to trouser trends, are you ready for “Hammer Time” again? Or do you wish that this look would have just stayed in the ’80s? Vote in our poll below!

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Over 350 fans turned out to Nordstrom at the Grove in L.A. this Saturday to get a first-hand look at Fergie’s new footwear line. And while the style maven sipped iced tea and signed autographs for waiting fans, she dished with PEOPLE.com about her recessionista-friendly line, priced between $69-$129. The expansive collection — aptly named Fergie — includes everything from signature zip-up gladiator heels to chic flats to strappy sandals adorned with peace signs and sneakers emblazoned with the singer’s initials. “I would feel really irresponsible right now to have a line that was completely out of my fans’ price range, so I feel really good about it,” she said. And inspiration behind the collection came right out of the newlywed’s real-life experience, with husband Josh Duhamel having an unexpected influence on his wife’s favorite pair from the collection, the “Pepper” gladiator platforms. “You know I’m 5′4″,” she explains, “So these are for girls like me who want a little height — especially being that my husband is almost 6′4″!”

But it wasn’t just footwear that was on Fergie’s mind. The former blonde explained the decision to go brunette. “It’s kind of a new era for me. I’m married, new Black Eyed Peas [album], getting back with them. I’m in a new place in my life and just evolving, and I wanted a change. And I’m not scared of change at all.” So comes the age-old question, do blondes really have more fun? Apparently not, according to Fergie. “I’m really having fun with it,” she said. Another major upside to the darker do? Getting to wear pink again. “It’s just funny because I didn’t want to look like a complete Barbie doll before, but now it has no relevance,” she says of reintroducing the rosy shade into her wardrobe. Tell us: Are you still loving the Dutchess’s new do? Are you excited to try to step into Fergie’s shoes? –Reporting by Jenny Sundel

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It looks like Katie Holmes isn’t the only celeb changing up her look this week. Last night Fergie turned out to the March of Dimes Beauty Ball with a chic new do unlike anything we’ve seen on her before. The newest M.A.C. Viva Glam spokesperson traded her blonde locks for extra-long, stick-straight chocolate brown tresses. And even her signature eyebrow piercing — which she wears as a celebration of kicking her crystal meth addiction years ago — was nowhere in sight. Tell us: What do you think of Fergie’s new hair? Should she bring back her trademark brow piercing?