FASHION Magazine

Look out Kanye and Rihanna, there’s yet another celeb-turned–aspiring designer in town and it’s none other than…Mischa Barton? The O.C star has just launched an online store called Mischa’s Place.

What kind of collection could one expect from the newbie designer? The line, designed in collaboration with her mother, Nuala Barton, is defined as an “eclectic haven of style,” consisting mainly of embellished shirts starting from $55 to pricier pieces such as the “Mischa Signature” jacket (currently sold out) at $310 and a Michael Jackson tribute jacket for $288.

That’s not all folks—with a click of the mouse you can also scoop up Mischa Barton–branded cosmetics, from body butters to nail polishes galore.

This is an, uh…interesting venture for the actress who’s graced more worst-dressed than best-dressed lists in recent years. However, Barton is no stranger to the industry, having launched a headband collection in 2008 and a handbag line last year (now selling on Mischa’s Place). To prove her commitment to the clothing line, Barton announced plans to open a flagship store in London later this spring.

We’re sure Barton can only hope (or call June Ambrose to help her) to match fellow O.C. costar Rachel Bilson’s Shoemint success. Perhaps Marissa Cooper fans and celebrity-obsessed shoppers will help her get in the sartorial game this third time around.

Tommy Hilfiger is making not-so-positive headlines this month for continuing to use a dangerous manufacturing factory in Bangladesh—a factory that caught fire over a year ago, tragically killing 29 workers.

It’s been a landmark year for the international modeling industry what with the CFDA’s new suggested age restrictions and the somewhat ridiculous banning of a bajillion British ads. But now, Israel has become the first country to legally regulate the weight of working models.

According to the bill passed Monday, models attending castings must now bring medical documentation from the past three months proving they have a BMI of at least 18.5—below which the World Health Organization deems you officially malnourished. As a point of reference, Kate Moss has a BMI of around 17 whereas Naomi Campbell’s is a totally shocking 6.5. Well, looks like those two can officially say goodbye to an Israeli ad campaign.

All ads produced for the Israeli market must also have a clear statement saying the photo has been altered to make the model appear skinnier. We can only imagine the happy dance the British Advertising Standards Authority is doing right now.

Of course, there are some critics who are saying the new law should be based on health, not on weight. According to them, some models are naturally very thin and would be unfairly excluded from work because of their normal size.

The new rules won’t apply to foreign publications sold in Israel, so we can’t expect to see any major international changes just yet. But this is a definite step in the right direction. Clearly, the loose industry guidelines set in the US and UK aren’t quite enough to set some of the more rebellious designers straight (hint hint: Marc Jacobs).

What is a first lady to do when her country is in the midst of a civil war? Syria’s Asma al-Assad evidently thinks dropping thousands shopping online for lavish goods is fitting, and now the spree has landed her a deserving spot on the European Union sanctions blacklist.

Leaked emails directed to her husband, Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, exposed a lengthy shopping list of seriously opulent items—we’re talking diamond jewellery from Paris, crystal-encrusted Christian Louboutins—and other expensive items from British-based Harrods. So what does a spot on a sanctions blacklist get you? Frozen bank accounts and banned EU territory travel.

First lady shopping sprees never go over well. Case in point: Michelle Obama’s $50,000 Agent Provocateur trip. We think it is safe to say that Assad’s refined image of a fashionable yet sensible woman with strong Western-like values is now questionable, to say the very least.

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.

It seems like whenever the Mulleavy sisters seek inspiration from other countries, a little bit of controversy is sure to follow. Two years ago there was backlash against the name of a nail polish from Rodarte’s Mexico-inspired collaboration with M.A.C Cosmetics, and this week the brand is under fire for using sacred Aboriginal prints.

Looks like all those years of fedoras and pirate hats have finally paid off for Johnny Depp, who was announced last night as the winner of the CFDA’s Fashion Icon Award. Depp is the first man to win the award, which will be presented in June.

While the actor’s style has always been questionable entertaining, he seems a bit of a peculiar choice compared to the more obvious past winners like Lady Gaga, Sarah Jessica Parker, Iman and Kate Moss. We do love Depp’s penchant for headwear (and oh how trendy it is this season, ahem, Marc Jacobs), but has he ever made a mary-jane Manolo fly off the shelves? We didn’t think so.

As for the serious fashion nods, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen received a much-deserved nomination for The Row as Womenswear Designer of the Year. Of course, the twin designers face some serious competition with Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler both vying for the same award. While the rest of the list of nominees and honorees makes sense, we’ve got to ask: Is it Johnny’s sex appeal that helped him make the cut?

Karl Lagerfeld, king of taste-making (or just sharing his unwarranted opinions), has decried “pedestrian-chic” as the new cool in an upcoming shoot for French Elle.

The eight-page spread features the Kaiser tête-à-tête with his model crushes of the moment Saskia de Brauw and Caroline Brasch Neilsen (both clad in the designer’s new, more affordable line, KARL). The fashionable threesome are photographed doing all kinds of normal things: reading a sports paper, driving in traffic, shopping in the supermarket. Of course one can’t expect to push the Kaiser’s cart unless you’re runway gold.

And because he just can’t resist providing a ridiculous sound bite, Lagerfeld took to the accompanying interview to dish on his normal life (or total lack thereof):

On driving: “I haven’t driven since I was 18, and that’s a benefit to society because I ended up in a ditch, without knowing why!” Oh Uncle Karl, one would think your giant collars might prevent you from checking your blind spot!

On le supermarché: “It’s the first time I’ve stepped into a supermarket. It’s crazy—fascinating what one can buy. There’s enough here to easily gain 20 kilos.”

Frankly, we’re not too surprised given Karl’s feelings on food: it’s not allowed! This is the man who will only eat Nobu whilst in New York, who lost 60 pounds just to fit into super-skinny Slimane’s, and who famous declared that food was like plastic to him.

But, we have to ask—what’s next? Karl tying his shoes? Using the ATM? Taking the *gasps* subway? We can hardly wait!

Our heads are beginning to spin a bit from all the news, rumours and speculation of designers changing their fashion house posts. (Seriously, can we all just decide on a 2012 Trade Deadline?)

It was reported yesterday and confirmed today that much-loved designer Derek Lam would be leaving his post as Tod’s creative director. And while we love Lam’s shoes and accessories, we’re not all that disappointed—relinquishing Tod’s might just give him more time to concentrate on his acclaimed namesake line, or expand his diffusion line, 10 Crosby.

But a WWD interview with Tod’s chairman Diego Della Valle is causing an even bigger stir (sorry, Derek) for its seemingly off-hand comment about John Galliano being linked to the house. “Lam’s departure coincides with continued speculation that John Galliano was in talks with the Italian firm to either do a Tod’s capsule collection or revamp its Schiaparelli brand. However, Della Valle firmly dismissed the rumors.”

It’s too bad those rumours were dismissed, but we’re still crossing our fingers that they’re true. We think this could only be good news for Schiaparelli, a brand that’s gone without a head designer for the last several years. Galliano’s been a free agent for a while now, and the pairing could be a good first step back and a match made in heaven—quite romantic, actually.

Fashion is no stranger to political leanings, but a new fashion line out of Zimbabwe has everyone reconsidering the power of clothing. Zimbabwean fashion line House of Gushungo is celebrating all things Robert Mugabe, the controversial African president. The line, named after Mugabe’s clan, features T-shirts, caps, and berets all somewhat gaudily emblazoned with a silver-studded presidential signature. While the clothes are not the most fashion-forward items (we’re being kind), it’s the message behind them that has human-rights campaigners worried.

Is Primark playing copycat with Prabal Gurung? Observant bloggers at The Fashion Law did a double take at the Irish retailer’s Spring looks and noticed a conspicuous likeness to Gurung’s Resort 2012 collection.

From pop stars to puppets, Jean Paul Gaultier has proven he can dress ‘em all. Diet Coke has appointed the eccentric designer to take over Karl Lagerfeld’s position as creative director, and the first commercial has him giving a tiny marionette a couture makeover.

We never thought we’d feel puppet-envy, but the ad—the first of three in a series entitled The Night & Day Serial Designer—features Gaultier (sporting serious Dr. Seuss-esque hair) creating a punk ensemble for the miniature Diet Coke-girl.

JPG is the first designer to appear in the brand’s films, and will be lending his eye to create a limited-edition collection of show-stopping bottles and cans along with developing online content, ad campaigns, and retail concepts. We’re sure the brand has high expectations for the designer’s version of the bottle, given his knack to create curvaceous perfume bottles.

The second and third installments of the series will premiere on March 9 and 10.