FASHION Magazine

It’s not every day that Ashley Judd graces headlines. The actress has managed to steer clear of controversy—being an actress, humanitarian, political activist, fashion designer, model and philanthropist (and now, feminist) probably has kept her busy. But Judd has certainly spiced things up. The actress has written an essay slamming her detractors after being criticized for having a puffy face in recent promo appearances.

In the essay published on The Daily Beast, Judd not only faces her critics who accused her of using facial fillers to acquire the plump face, but she smacks down on body image sexism as a whole, by labeling it as “a misogynistic assault on all women.” She writes: “The assault on our body image, the hypersexualization of girls and women […] and the general incessant objectification is what this conversation allegedly about my face is really about.”

After pointing out that part of the puffiness was due to an illness which required her to take steroids, she says, “When my skin is nearly flawless, and at age 43, I do not yet have visible wrinkles that can be seen on television, I have had ‘work done,’ with media outlets bolstered by consulting with plastic surgeons I have never met who ‘conclude’ what procedures I have ‘clearly’ had. (Notice that this is a ‘back-handed compliment,’ too—I look so good! It simply cannot possibly be real!)”

The Missing star, of course, isn’t the only celeb to recently come under fire for her appearance. Renee Zellweger’s pursed lips, Jessica Simpson’s weight gain and Lindsey Lohan’s… well…everything, are only a few examples of the harsh scrutiny celebs face from the media. But Judd’s thoughtful approach to the matter is certainly refreshing.

Just when we thought the world had enough (or one too many) celebrity clothing lines, Rihanna decided to give us another one. Yes, the Barbadian singer took to On Air with Ryan Secreast to announce her intentions of launching a fashion line of her own.

While RiRi doesn’t actually have any design chops of her own (then again, when has that ever mattered before?), she intends on earning the respect of the fashion industry by working closely with designers:

“This is also a road that I want to earn it. So I’m working with designers. Designers that I respect, and [fashion] companies that I respect. I want people to really trust me before I just say ‘Buy it, because it’s mine.'” Hmmm, is this starting to sound suspiciously like Kanye West part 2 to anyone else?

To be fair, Rihanna does have some serious commercial power behind her. After being spotted on the Jonathan Ross Show in head-to-toe Boy London, UK retailer Selfridges saw sales of the brand soar 45 per cent overnight. And then there’s her two-year-strong “design collaboration” with Emporio Armani (though the word “collaboration” has literally lost all meaning to us ever since Lindsay Lohan pastied Ungaro).

Maybe we’ll be eating our words in a year’s time, but we’re not too optimistic. While the singer has had some major fashion wins of late (think: her “self-designed” Armani Grammy gown) sometimes her taste is just a tad questionable. Remember her Thug Life tattoo? We do. And frankly, we’re not #overit.

Much to the serious chagrin of some (including us), Lindsay Lohan has been confirmed to play the role of Elizabeth Taylor in an upcoming Lifetime biopic called Liz and Dick—provided she fulfills the requirements of her probation. The film will centre on the tumultuous relationship between the violet-eyed Hollywood princess and her on-again off-again husband of 12 years, Richard Burton.

Though Lohan might have proved her acting chops in The Parent Trap and Freaky Friday remakes (we’re slightly serious), it’s been a while since we’ve seen her do anything noteworthy. But hey, we’d rather see Lohan in the role than her rumoured competition, Megan Fox. But that’s not saying much? What do you think?

First Phoebe Philo, now Ralph Rucci. Luxury line Chado Ralph Rucci announced today that it is cancelling its upcoming Fall 2012 runway show, and opting for more intimate showroom appointments instead.

The designer (who you may remember from his diva-esque cameo on Kell on Earth) was set to show on February 12, during the same time slot as Tommy Hilfiger (an undeniable NYFW staple). Of course, this has people questioning whether the Rucci camp moved the show to avoid press and buyer competition with Hilfiger.

Of course Rucci’s sister, Rosina Rucci, shot down all those rumours, telling WWD, “Tommy’s audience is decidedly not ours.”

Others are speculating that this is all about finances, citing Ungaro’s recent decision to cancel its Pre-Fall and Fall shows. But given that Ungaro also sent models with heart-shaped nipple pasties down the runway at the behest of Lindsay Lohan, we find it hard to compare the two.

We hope this isn’t a sign of difficulties (monetary or otherwise) in the Rucci camp. Whatever the reason may be, we just hope we can see snaps of the collection online. We love us some American couture.

We were shocked to hear that one of the first (and few) celebrity lines to succeed, Twenty8Twelve, announced today that notoriously stylish Sienna Miller and her designer sister Savannah Miller have left the label. Come fall, the label will change its name from Twenty8Twelve by s. miller to Twenty8Twelve London. Despite the loss of the two co-creative directors, the brand will still show at the upcoming London fashion week, and has plans to expand into e-commerce and open a new store in New York (in addition to their successful London stores and sales in department stores worldwide).

This news about one of the most prominent celebrity lines got us thinking about celebrity status and fashion-line success. We revisit 10 of the best and worst celebrity fashion lines out there and give you our verdicts.

We count ’em in no particular order »

Word: Coda

Meaning: The concluding passage of a piece of (classical) music; the conclusion of a book or film, often summarizing what happens to characters in the end, after the climax.

Usage: “The decade-long Potter franchise gets the finale it deserves, leaving rubble in its wake and providing fitting final bows for many of the beloved secondary characters, on its way to a brief coda that feels perfectly paced and entirely satisfying. Magical.” — from Chris Knight’s top-films-of-2011 listicle in the National Post.

They’re just like us! Hollywood’s and fashion’s best were out over the weekend and last night celebrating Halloween in Marvel, Disney, and trash TV style. Despite some lacklustre outings from the likes of Lindsay Lohan (what else is new?) and Paris Hilton, who all gave it the ole “I just want to be sexy” college try, we picked our 6 favourites. So, who takes the cake?

Vote after the jump! »
View the photo gallery »

Word: Firecrotch

Meaning: A redhead whose carpet matches her drapes.

Usage: “Lindsay Lohan is a firecrotch!” — Brandon Davis, 2006

It’s no surprise that Kanye West’s debut ready-to-wear collection in Paris on Saturday received mixed reviews. We’re also not surprised that the rapper-come-designer obnoxiously responded to his critics before any reviews of his show were actually published. It’s just his… thing, we guess.

Delivered to partygoers including Karlie Kloss, Lindsay Lohan, and Olivier Theyskens, West whined about the amount of hard labour he had put into his line, and how he’s “different” then other celebrity designers (different i.e. better?). To boot, he mentioned a hope that critics would be “easy” on him, considering it was his first shot out of the gate. “I took out motherf—ing loans to get the best models, to get the best designers, to get the best venue. I gave you everything that I had,” he reportedly added. Can we LOL now, or later?

By Louise Coleman

Forget the Vera Wang wedding dress: Kim should’ve been wearing dollar bills down the aisle! While everybody has been ooohing and ahhhing at the images surfacing from the Kardashian wedding on Saturday, it appears that Kim and her basketball star husband, Kris, may have actually been paid to say “I do.” And a hefty $17.9 million at that! How silly we were to think that even a Kardashian wedding was supposed to cost money, not make money….

From back in July, the reality star is said to have been paid $50,000 by Las Vegas nightclub Tao to host his-and-hers bachelor and bachelorette parties. Even her stepdad, Bruce Jenner, was roped in to raise money for the Kardashian clan, by negotiating a $2.5-million deal with People magazine for exclusive rights to her wedding pictures. But the lovebirds’ biggest paycheck will come from turning their special day into a four-hour E! special to air in October, which will earn them a whopping $15 million!

That doesn’t even cover the free stuff they received—from the wedding cake to Kim’s dress—worth an estimated $650,000. Looks like her mom/manager, Kris, has been very busy.

Word: Titian

Meaning: The Italian Renaissance painter (c. 1488) known for naturalistic colour, realistic brushwork and versatility. He painted portraits, landscapes and religious images equally well—but in colour lexicon, he’s remembered for one thing: the auburn colour he painted. The term “titian” refers to a natural, though not usual, shade of red found in hair—famously created by the artist. He loved redheaded honeys like nobody’s business.

The usually reclusive Azzedine Alaïa has announced that he plans on showing a collection during the upcoming Paris couture week. [Fashionologie]