FASHION Magazine

Stop the presses! Kim Kardashian has officially moved on from professional sports players to polymath rappers. The mono-high pitch-toned reality star has been dating hip-hop mogul Kanye West for—get this—a whole two weeks. You know it’s serious because that’s like the length of her entire marriage to Kris Humphries.

The media got wind of the now highly publicized “showmance” after Kim was spotted leaving Kanye’s apartment the morning after their Hunger Games movie date in last night’s leather pants and a hickey. Later that day, Yeezy had the entire piano floor of FAO Schwarz roped off so Kim and him could get a lesson on how to play “Chopsticks” Big-stylez. Okay, that’s kind of cute extravagant.

In fact, a source told Us Weekly that Kanye thinks Kim is “his Beyoncé.” Next we’ll be hearing him say he wants a baby named Red Lichen. Come on. This cheapens the deep love that is Jay-Z and Beyoncé (have you seen her Tumblr? We teared up).

All right, all right. Maybe it’s true love. After all, Kim and Kanye do have some really important things in common: 1. Their names both begin with K! 2. They love the spotlight more than they love themselves! 3. They both have really bad fashion lines/collaborations (see this and this)!

Hmmm, we smell something fishy and it’s definitely not Kim’s fragrance line. For starters, West is no stranger to the odd publicity stunt. In 2007, the rapper faked a feud with 50 Cent when their competing albums were released on the same day, and later admitted to it.

Not to mention convenient timing: West just previewed his new track “Theraflu” in which he raps that he “fell in love with Kim.” Every story on the pair mentions the new single, leading people to YouTube the song (guilty). And listen to it (guilty). And maybe even put it on their iTunes wishlist (guilty). As for Kim, well, it’s obvious she could use a little positive press after her 72-day-long marriage.

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.

He said he was leaving Milan forever, but he never said anything about Paris. Yes, the longest-running game of Guess Who? the fashion world has ever seen is finally over. And cue the welcome party, because we couldn’t be happier.

Cathy Horyn broke the news today that Raf Simons will be taking over (effective immediately) as artistic director at Dior. His first collection with the house will be for the haute couture shows in July—somewhat fitting considering the colour-loving minimalist took a decidedly haute hand to his recent Jil Sander “Couture Trilogy” (before getting the boot, that is).

The news comes after over a year of headhunting on Dior’s part. The house famously went after Marc Jacobs last year (the two parties couldn’t agree on salary) and reportedly later Lanvin honcho Alber Elbaz (he turned down the offer). Simons’ name started popping up in late December and the rumour mill began churning like nobody’s business.

The juiciest part in all this? Yves Saint Laurent creative director Hedi Slimane has been a longtime menswear rival of Simons’. And now the two get to face off in the womenswear arena. Does this mean Dior versus YSL walk-offs are in our future?

Whether he was their first choice or not, he was most definitely ours. We’re still having dreams about his last Jil Sander collection. Those reds! Those pinks! This really couldn’t have turned out better.

She debuted at the Crillon Ball, has arguably one of the most covetable shoe collections and counts Kanye West and Karl Lagerfeld as fans. Like most successful bloggers, the key to Jane Aldridge’s popularity is her perfectly curated online persona. However, today the Sea of Shoes blogger is stomping her fancy heels all over the Internet after New York magazine’s The Cut blog published an unflattering synopsis of a profile of Aldridge that appeared in Texas Monthly.

There are a few outfits that have had a lasting impact on society. Kate Middleton’s blue Issa engagement dress, for example. Marilyn Monroe’s white dress in The Seven Year Itch. Janet Jackson’s Super Bowl halftime show costume. Okay, maybe not that last one.

Amongst that iconic list, the pink bouclé suit Jackie Kennedy wore the day her husband, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated (she famously refused to take off the bloodstained jacket), stands out. In fact, it was so iconic that Carine Roitfeld told Tim Blanks it was the first Chanel piece she recognized: “The first Chanel jacket that I saw–that I knew was Chanel–was on TV. It was on Mrs. Kennedy–the pink one.”

Sorry, Carine, but it looks like you “knew” wrong. Karl Lagerfeld quickly countered, saying it was a line-by-line fake. Wait, Jackie Kennedy wore fake Chanel?!

Well… not exactly. While the Kaiser seems to think Oleg Cassini made the line-by-line copy, consensus is it was actually tailored at the Chez Ninon dress shop in New York. Apparently, the store had received the OK from Chanel to copy the dress and used Chanel fabrics, buttons and patterns to make it.

It appears Kennedy wore the “knockoff” (though with Chanel’s approval, it probably can’t be classified as one) suit to show patriotism and support American clothiers. And considering all the fuss that was made when Michelle Obama wore Alexander McQueen (not American) to the Chinese State Dinner, we think we can understand why she went in that direction.

Either way, the iconic suit will be locked away in a vault in Maryland until 2103. Chanel or not, this is one piece of fashion history we’d love to have seen.

Perhaps in attempt to combat her critics, Vogue Italia editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani hit Harvard yesterday, to speak to students about body image and eating disorders as well as the role that the fashion industry may or may not play in endorsing the ideal of thinness.

At the helm of the often-controversial publication, Sozzani has been responsible for both steps in the right direction (think the June 2011 beautifully-covered “curvy” issue) as well as some major gaffes (think Karlie Kloss’s overtly jutting hipbones earlier this year).

While accepting part of the blame, Sozzani stated that other factors must be tackled, such as anorexia-endorsing websites, family issues and the food industry. “I can accept that fashion may exaggerate, but I cannot help but mention all the negative tools that society employs to spread false information on food and aesthetics. How can all this be possibly caused by fashion?”

So how do we eradicate this problem? Banning pro-anorexic “thinspiration” content on social media sites such as Tumblr and Pinterest is a good start (as addressed in the speech).

We have to give it to her for speaking so openly and attacking the ever-controversial issue that contains no clear-cut solutions. And with more support of those in the public eye (see: Sarah Palin), we hope this issue will become a thing of the past.

Forget sports! It seems the London 2012 Olympics will be an international battleground of the sartorial sort after Prada announced today it would be designing the Italian sailing team’s uniforms. The all-blue, slim-fitting uniforms will feature prominent Prada logos on the sleeves.

The news is merely another drop in the ocean of Olympic haute wears. The USA once again hired Ralph Lauren to design its 2012 collection. This year the designer took a decidedly traditional turn with abundant whites and preppy polos (though with some unforgivable popped collars). Stella McCartney’s hotly debated collection for the UK has been receiving some serious media attention including complaints that it’s “too blue” and “won’t look good on out of shape soccer fans.” And then there’s Giorgio Armani, whose sportswear diffusion line, Emporio Armani EA7, promises to inspire its athletes in its latest video.

All things aside, this is all starting to sound a lot like Paris Fashion Week. But with the Olympics’ incredible viewership (it’s estimated to be around 4 billion people) and its serious commercial potential, it’s no wonder these designers want to put their name on a tracksuit.

So where does Canada fit into all of this? The Hudson’s Bay Company has created patched denim jackets (Olympic Canadian Tuxedo anyone?) and a wide variety of sweaters, tees and jackets. It’s a casual collection to be sure, but a definite commercial hit.

Who will reign supreme on the catwalk in the opening ceremonies? Only time will tell. But for now, we just hope this move towards designer uniforms means we’ll never have to see another one of those backwards Poorboy caps again.

We’ve been missing André Leon Talley—former Vogue editor-at-large, forever cape-wearer and sole creator of “dreckitude”—in our lives ever since he left his seat at the judges’ table on America’s Next Top Model. Lucky for us, the fashion icon will be starring in a new Bravo reality fashion show (yes, another one of those), tentatively titled Fashion Stories of NYC.

Let the battle of the Gs begin! After a three-year-long feud, Gucci faced off with Guess (who are currently celebrating 30 years in the biz) in federal court, claiming the their products infringe on Gucci’s trademarked designs.

Gucci first sued Guess way back in 2009, accusing the more affordable G-named brand of retailing items with similar trademarks such as Gucci’s noted green-and-red-striped design, a square G, script and the interlocking G’s in a diamond pattern.

The Internet (plus Stanley Tucci, but more on that later) is in the midst of a hot debate over Jennifer Lawrence’s body size: is she “too big” to play the role of Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games?

The debate is—shocker!—mostly catty (she’s been dubbed “Fatniss”) and barely justified: it’s based entirely on the fact that Suzanne Collins, author of the The Hunger Games, described the fictional character as a starving teenage girl.

It is no secret that childhood obesity is a growing issue with various solutions. Eating healthy and physical activity? Sure. Publicly humiliating a child and having them endure a rigorous calorie-counting diet? No go. The author of a controversial Vogue article has done just that and has now come under fire for chronicling her overweight […]

The post They said/We said: The Vogue editor who put her 7-year-old daughter on an extreme diet has now scored a book deal appeared first on FASHION Magazine.

Miss Universe Canada has disqualified a “real girl” on the grounds of…well…not being a “real girl.” In a circular, confusing and seriously offensive series of events, Miss Universe Canada pulled transgender finalist Jenna Talackova from the competition on the basis that she didn’t meet competition rules.

CTV is reporting that though the application states contestants must be between the ages of 18-27 and Canadian, it says nothing about cosmetic surgery. Not according to Miss Universe Canada’s national director, Denis Davila, who said that the rules state each contestant must be a “naturally born female” and that Talackova lied about that on her registration form.

Though beauty pageants have never been known for their progressive thinking (or even thinking for that matter), this seems especially antiquated; we’re in an age of Andrej Pejic acting as the new Cindy Crawford and Lea T starring in Givenchy campaigns. We will say though, that it’s somewhat heartening to consider how strongly the mainstream media has rallied around Talackova and her cause.