FASHION Magazine

As Milan Fashion Week comes to a close, the beauty buzz has zeroed in on two distinct trends: brows and bangs. While it started catching editors’ eyes earlier in the season, the repeat appearance of barely-there brows at Gucci, Versace, and Prada and heavy fringe on Milan models and Hollywood stars alike have ensured both a top spot in the growing roster of Fall trends. And best of all, brows and bangs are easy to achieve on your own: a few extra minutes during your next salon visit is all it takes!

How to get them? Who else inspired them? Read on! »

In celebration of the Oscars, I’ve decided to give out a few awards of my own for day five of Milan Fashion Week. Drum roll, por favor.

BEST SHOW DU JOUR goes to… Dolce & Gabbana. The moving opera soundtrack (ah, I love Pavarotti!), the ornate rose-strewn chandeliers, the heavily embroidered Sicilian-inspired looks (think black and gold, beads, crystals, lace, and jewels); Dolce & Gabbana was the fashion moment of the day!

By Lesa Hannah and Sarah Daniel

It was sink or swim backstage, where wet hair and glistening skin were major beauty themes to surface this season. At Bottega Veneta and Diesel, Guido Palau crafted dripping chignons and misty ponytails. At Alexander Wang, models looked like they had just hopped out of the shower. The sopping effect wasn’t achieved with H2O but with argan hair treatment “until you really get it looking wet,” says Palau. Super-hydrated skin with a healthy sheen was reminiscent of an Olympian post-workout, or in the case of Missoni, a girl who had been up all night flamenco dancing—the models’ dewy complexions achieved through artful placement of metallic cream shadow. That shine could also result from plenty of Botox, according to makeup artist Val Garland, who simulated that supernatural skin for Giambattista Valli by strategically applying a pink-gold pigment on the planes of the face.

See the backstage beauty »
See our editors’ product picks »

By David Livingstone

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Louis Vuitton show for Spring 2012 opened with the tinkling of a music box and the rising of a scrim to reveal a carousel carrying girls in pale dresses on cream-coloured ponies. It might have seemed a saccharine set-up, but such a response could just be a bad case of not getting it. The news of the season is gentle news. That’s what Marc Jacobs got so right at Louis Vuitton. All the white and those whitened pastels—a key colour trend, favoured by both traditionalists such as Ralph Lauren and more experimental types such as Christopher Kane and Hussein Chalayan—might have appeared to be borrowed from a bag of miniature marshmallows. But the candied palette was not there simply to satisfy a sweet tooth. It also appeals to a Bluetooth appetite when dished out in fabrics that are marvels of modern technology—things like foam organza, silk cellophane and laser-cut leatherette. For the theory-minded, it’s tempting to conclude from the fact that we live in times when you see toddlers dressed in skull patterns and infants swaddled in camo-print blankets that it’s only logical their moms should start playing with pink and baby blue.

Take a thematic cue from the runways to put a little extra fizz in your holiday party à la Gucci’s, Louis Vuitton’s, and Jil Sander’s Fall 2011 collections.

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Jump to theme:
FRIDAY NIGHT FEVER | ADULTS ONLY | NUEVO APRÈS-SKI

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DIY: We teach you how to tie a turban, Jay Manuel style »
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The intense dry-ice spectacle at last night’s Attitude Jay Manuel show may have blurred the sight of some, case in point, the gorgeous Yasmin Warsame’s disoriented runway tumble, but Jay Manuel’s vision for his collection is crystal clear. For spring, it’s all about jet-setting ‘70s style. After a 30-minute delay, the antsy crowd settled their sights on the Missoni-inspired runway, to a parade of slick jersey jumpsuits, off-the-shoulder open knits, breezy cotton tunics and brightly coloured Palm Springs prints. On my personal can’t-live-without list is the chic two-tone denim trench. A shout-out must be given to our go-to guy, George Antonopoulos, for an amazing job styling—the headscarves, raffia fedoras, and oversized sunnies secured a care-free cool factor and added the perfect finishing touch.

Our last batch of Milan photos sure is a whopper. And by that we mean a proverbial multi-layered burger of amazingly costumed models at Missoni and Dsquared, editors, and some wowee architecture shots. Stay tuned for snaps from Paris starting tomorrow!

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Ciao, Milano! Now, it’s onto Paris. But before we turn our attention from Piazza Oberdan to the Grand Palais, we wanted to share some of our favourite beauty looks from MFW. Here are five we love.

Minx nails at Missoni
A departure from the nude nails seen on Milan runways last season, these custom-printed Minx nail appliqués were applied over an iridescent base. We’re praying that like Missoni for Target, these beauties make it to the masses, too.

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Missoni for Target, the latest designer collaboration with the American retailer launched yesterday online and at all Target locations and no one, not even Target, expected such a high demand for the line.

Shortly after launching online at 6:00 a.m. EST the Target site crashed leaving shoppers frantic for ways to try to buy the coveted clothes. The site was back up later that morning but continued to crash throughout the day with customers resorting Target’s mobile site or calling customer service. Blogs like Racked and Fashionista gave shoppers a play by play of the site’s status.

Now it’s reported that most stores are sold out of the collection—but fear not—a few items are left online and currently, if you search “Missoni for Target” on Ebay, 22,220 results are found. Happy bidding.

By Sarah Casselman and Susie Sheffman

From swinging ’60s to cowgirl chic, the hot looks
and perfect pieces you need for fall.

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View by trend: Colour | Strict Rules | Tux Luxe | Flash Mob | Mod Squad
True Grit | Geometry Class | Accessories

Word: Celebutot

Meaning: Taken from the older English portmanteau “celebutante,” this refers to a child who is famous for having famous parents and, as a result, a lot of stupendously expensive stuff.

Just in time for their North American tour, Wills and Kate grace the cover of July’s Vanity Fair. [Fashionista]