FASHION Magazine

Big Sexy, a new three-part reality series based around the burgeoning careers of five plus-size models in New York City, premieres tonight on TLC. With the tagline “Once you go big, you don’t go twig,” the show is getting all kinds of positive attention as well as negative vibes. While supporters hail it as the perfect vehicle to give big women their due, others have accused the show of encouraging obesity. Either way, the plus-size topic is again making waves. To boot, American Apparel just launched a plus-size model search, The Next Big Thing, to find models for their newly expanded size range (the brand is only now offering its clothes in XL). Ironically, as most would attest, the brand’s notoriously teeny sizes favour a slender figure so therefore a XL hardly qualify as plus-size.

View the shoot now »

After being discovered by a model scout, a small-town girl trades her uniform for digital prints, techno fur and lace-up boots.

Watch our behind the scenes video! »

True to form, Tom Ford’s new very-NSFW campaign for his line of Neroli Portofino bath and body products sizzles. [Tom Ford]

By Randi Bergman and Jordan Porter

Spring’s runway was a technicolour dream of sun-soaked yellows, fiery reds, brilliant blues, and everything in between. With so many vibrant hues to choose from, there’s no excuse for April showers to make us the least bit dreary. One of our biggest colour crushes for the season is purple, from aubergine to plum to magenta and mauve. You name it, and we heart it just as much as Prince did. When it pours, you can bet that we’ll be sporting a splashy shade of purple rain… gear.

Shop the guide now! »

Oh dear… American Apparel CEO Dov Charney has found himself in the middle of another sex scandal⎯with some very serious allegations. [Nypost]

By Gillian Pryor American designer, Charles Nolan lost his battle with cancer, passing away this weekend at the age of 53. [Style] Sleeping Beauty has just gone high fashion as Christian Lacroix illustrates Camilla Morton’s inaugural Fairytale Memoir series. [Nowness] It’s crunch time for Dov Charney yet again. Save American Apparel! Please! [WWD] Financially troubled […]

The post Fashion news: RIP Charles Nolan, American Apparel and Gianfranco Ferre’s financial woes appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

By Gillian Pryor

Miuccia Prada unveiled her spring campaign video, which can only be described as a dizzying dance party. Arizona Muse, Kinga Rajzak, Zuzanna Bijoch, Mariacarla Boscono and Tati Cotliar show off their best moves in Prada’s multicolored duds.

What’s fringed, flat, studded with stars and costs US$795? It could only be the new Jimmy Choo Uggs. [Racked]

Did Kate Moss secretly marry musician Jamie Hince? The pair have been spotted recently with slim bands on their respective wedding finger, but friends say they’re not hitched yet. [Daily Mail]

Grace Coddington, Vogue’s creative director, is currently penning a memoir, though we’ve already read her book The Catwalk Cats, so we’re not sure what else there is to add. (Kidding! We can’t wait.) [WWD]

Finally the gods of fashion and trends have turned their heads to the goddess of New York in the ’90s: Elaine Benes. The New York Times has recently dug deeper into the Seinfeld leading lady’s style signatures: floral skirts, blazers and jumpsuits, and found them all trolling about downtown Manhattan. [New York Times]

The contestants of the upcoming cycle of America’s Next Top Model (we’ve lost count of what season they’re on) have been revealed. It’s a choice between a non-existent waist, a lesbian Hooters waitress and a 21-year-old mother and 11 others. Should be entertaining. [Racked and Jezebel]

Karl Lagerfeld will be in New York on the first day of Fashion Week, receiving Couture Council’s special Fashion Visionary Award at Avery Fisher Hall on September 10th. [Daily Front Row]

Natalia Vodianova, Karen Elson and Christy Turlington primp in front of an old-fashioned dressing room mirror for Louis Vuitton’s fall campaign.

John Galliano wore braided pigtails to receive his Chevalier of the Legion of Honor from French president Nicolas Sarkozy. [WWD]

Pina Ferlisi, Toronto expat and former designer for Generra, is taking over design duties for the house’s licensed McQ line. [WWD] Read our interview with Ferlisi from our February 2008 issue.

Madonna and Lourdes’s juniors collection for Macy’s reminds us of that time we dressed up as the Material Girl for a skit in elementary school. [Racked]

An image of Coco Rocha‘s recent wedding to James Conran has surfaced. The bride looks stunning in a custom Zac Posen dress, which BFF Behati Prinsloo described as “It was tight over her body all the way to her knees, then it had this extreme mermaid tail at the bottom. The straps were off the shoulder, and the material looked vintage – it’s sort of hard to explain, you have to see it.” [Huffington Post]

Writer and designer Douglas Coupland is adding fashion designer to his already impressive resume. Roots has decided to expand their Canadiana by featuring a limited edition collection of pieces designed by Mr. Coupland. Dubbed Canada Goes Electric, the line includes T-shirts with TV test pattern bars and pixelated maple leaves that are sure to bring out your inner Microserf when they go on sale July 8. [Globe & Mail, Quill & Quire]