Noble, wise, and innovative are the characteristics of those born in the Year of the Dragon. In Chinese culture, the dragon is a sign of intense strength and power, and a symbol of good fortune. These are the traits found in Círculos de Fuego. This collection has been a huge success since its launch five years ago and has become one of Carrera y Carrera’s top icons and best selling collection worldwide.

The elaborate features of this mighty animal can be magnificently observed in the very precise details of the goldsmith’s craftsmanship in each and every one of the pieces. Rounded, curved forms convey balance and harmony while the fanciful figures create a sense of force, might, and passion, very representative of this collection.

The meticulous design and detail of the mini sculpturing, the generous volumes, and the extraordinary craftsmanship, all characteristic of Carrera y Carrera’s savoir-­‐faire, can be appreciated to perfection through the intricacies of this mythical creature, most revered in the Orient.

A real cocktail of fire, dragons, legend and fine jewelry to fill unforgettable moments with mythical fantasy.

Cosmetics brand Givenchy has launched its spring/summer 2012 collection.

Including luxury powders for the face and cheeks, these beautifully speckled creations are akin to a delicate birds egg. Lips burst forth in a bloom of poppy-red to add some punch to the otherwise muted tones of the collection.

Follow me on Twitter @KathGould_MUA, and you can check my portfolio at www.kmgould.com

Using Tokyo as a source of inspiration, PROJECT Wooster highlights japanese designes and exposes their mastery in crafting products that transcend culture and time. In addition, PROJECT Wooster will highlight the European and North American brands and include special collaborations between Nick Wooster and some of his favorite, innovative bands based on one common theme.

The show will take place at The Mandalay Bay Convention Centre on February 13, 14 and 15, 2012.

Jonathan Saunders, Spring Summer 2012

The British Fashion Council (BFC) today announced the winner of this year’s BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund is presented to Jonathan Saunders. The Award, which is now in its third year, was established to further enhance the reputation of London’s rising stars and assist in the development of their businesses. It comprises of $317,000 and access to director level mentors across the industry.

Jonathan Saunders, said “I’m so happy about winning the fund. The last 12 months have been an exciting time for me and my team and I’m very proud of all their hard work. We have many exciting plans for the near future and this along with the support network provided by the BFC will enable us to achieve our goals.”

The BFC will develop a bespoke mentoring programme tailored specifically to assist in achieving Jonathan’s business goals for the next twelve months with the aspiration that the network developed during this year will endure throughout his career as he makes the transition from a developing creative business into a global fashion brand.

The panel’s decision was based on the strength of Jonathan’s catwalk and pre-collections over the past few seasons and the acclaim that he has received from UK and international media and buyers. He demonstrated a clear and concise view on the areas in which he hopes to develop his business over the next twelve months and beyond.

Nine designers were shortlisted by a panel of representatives of Fund sponsors. All of those shortlisted were then invited to present their collections and future plans to the judging panel of Fund sponsor representatives and industry experts chaired by Alexandra Shulman, Editor of British Vogue. All of those shortlisted will have access to support from the mentoring panel either directly or through Marigay McKee, Chief Merchant, Harrods who will chair the mentoring panel.

Scottish born Jonathan Saunders graduated from the Glasgow School of Art in 1999 with a BA and then graduated with an MA distinction from Central St Martin’s in 2002, studying Printed Textiles in both courses. Jonathan then went on to win the Fashion Enterprise award given to him by the BFC in September 2006 followed by the Elle Style Award Designer of the Year in 2007. Jonathan has also designed for Pollini between 2008 and March 2010 and recent collaborations for his own label have included Topshop and US brand Target and his own name label in stocked in stores around the world including Bergdorf Goodman, Hudson Bay, Liberty’s, Luisa Via Roma, Net-a-Porter and Printemps.

The British Fashion Council has an international reputation for supporting emerging talent through its existing schemes; NEWGEN supported by TOPSHOP, NEWGEN MEN sponsored by Topman and Fashion Forward. The BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund aids business growth and create employment opportunities, it is complementary to existing support schemes and focuses on developing profile and opportunities for British designer businesses.

The Fund was launched by BFC Chairman Harold Tillman in September 2008. Vogue, headline sponsor, whose March issue is on sale 6th February, will showcase the talents of all nine finalists.

Caroline Rush, CEO of BFC, commented “The BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund is aimed to assist our very exceptional British designers who during the application process show that they have the potential and business acumen to take the development of their brand to the next step and make the transition to progress their business into a commercial global fashion brand. The panel felt that this really is Jonathan’s moment and he truly deserves to be the recipient of the fund prize.”

Alexandra Shulman, Editor of British Vogue, said “I am delighted that Jonathan has won this year’s award. His recent collections have shown that he is a designer who can provide beautiful clothes that women enjoy wearing and he is in a great position to build on his current success.”

The BFC would like to thank the fund sponsors Burberry, Clothing at Tesco, Debenhams, Harrods, HSBC, Jaeger & Aquascutum, LF Europe, Marks & Spencer, Paul Smith, TONI&GUY, TOPSHOP, VOGUE and Westfield Shopping Towns.

A fragrance bottle is not just a bottle, it is a piece of art.  Something to be respected and treated delicately. It is the first and most visual impression in a scent-directed industry. Fragrance is an art, not only in combining the perfect notes to meet your sensory utopia, but also in the beauty in which it is presented.

Step in Marc Rosen. Mr. Rosen is an icon in the fragrance world. He is an internationally known and idolized bottle designer and seven time FiFi winner. His book Glamour Icons: Perfume Bottle Design is a stunning and stimulating book of Rosen’s own bottle designs, as well as the iconic bottles in the history of perfumery. Glamour Icons is a deep history of a world fragrant with glamour, celebrities, and brilliant icons explaining how these pieces of art came about. From Karl Lagerfeld to Elizabeth Arden, Chanel, and Tiffany, these are only some of the many pieces of art that you will learn about.

I found this book superbly fascinating and honestly could not put it down. It brought me into a world I had not yet encountered with very close up and personal stories about many of my personal beauty icons. This is truly a book not to be missed and I will certainly never look at another fragrance bottle the same way.  I always admired the beauty of certain bottles, but now to know the passion, art, design and true talent put into each bottle, brings a new and beautiful admiration to an art that I already so admired.

 Click here to purchase; $85.00

Follow me on Twitter @Brushbeauty and check out my website at www.juliadaltonbrush.com

Don’t you hate those lazy Saturday afternoons when you’re hungover, your hair looks perfectly disheveled, and all you have to wear is Balenciaga pulled straight off the runway?

Well that was the inspiration behind Balenciaga’s highly praised spring 2012 campaign that’s already starting to appear in Fashion glosses around the world.

Shot by Steven Meisel and staring Juliane Grüner, Laura Kampman, Rosie Tapner, and Kirstin Liljegre, this campaign serves up exaggerated effortlessness in a bare loft-space furnished with a double mattress, dresser, television, and coveted Balenciaga accessories strewn about like forgotten papers and useless knick knacks. The perfect juxtaposition.

If you loved the campaign images, you’ll love the behind-the-scenes video that was just released. Set to the soundtrack of “Rectangle” by the late French punk musician JACNO, the video not only captures the laissez-faire quality of the photos, but gives you lust-worthy detail shots of your favorite pieces from the runway.

Marie-Amélie Sauvé was the stylist, Guido Palau and Pat McGrath tackled the hair and makeup, and Mathias Augustyniak & Michael Amzalag were in charge of art direction.

Additional Credits:

Model: Andrej Pejic
Photographer: Anthony Meyer
Stylist: Jerome Tiercelet
Hair: Robin Navarro Harraga
Makeup: Jacques Uzzardi

When you hear Roberto Cavalli‘s name, the first thing that comes to mind isn’t always “masterful tailoring” or “innovative construction.” He’s always had his place among the legendary figures in fashion but, let’s be honest, he sometimes dares you to wear some of the clothes on the runway. Cavalli onstage is baroque chic at its most luxurious and most extreme. What happens, though, when he turns down the volume? Well, Pre-fall 2012.

This collection was sublime, and made me see Cavalli and his talented team in a whole new light. Working in an austere palette, by Cavalli’s standards, you could see the clothes for what they were: desirable, impeccably well-made, alluring, and smart. From evening wear to accessories (I lived for the studded bags and the S&M elbow-length leather gloves) Cavalli nailed it.

What I loved most was how fluid the prints moved from being completely abstract to very literal natural references. My favorites were the leopard brushed pony hair varsity jacket (look 25), and the kaleidoscopic python and cheetah prints used throughout the collection. All the classic Cavallisms were there, but paired down and intelligently proportioned to making the clothes fresh and relevant.

Bill Gaytten shocked the fashion sphere last Fall when his SS12 ready-to-wear collecion for Christian Dior turned out to not be the dreadful tripe everyone had been expecting it to be. In fact, many people liked it, myself included. Pre-Fall finds Gaytten at his best yet, and his quirks and penchants, which were blown up and employed to hyperbolic measure for his last Fall’s Couture showing, have persisted, but not without a good deal of harnessing. Those touches were most apparent in a piebald lattice knit worn with a simple black skirt. The man loves black and white combinations, but even moreso, he lives for geometry (Follow his solo evolution at the house thus far and you will see).

The attempt here seems to be no-fuss Parisienne elegance, but injected with a touch of modernity that Galliano couldn’t seem to wrangle for himself. Galliano, admittedly, had been at a stand-still with Dior. Romance was his forte, but he could hardly blow the dust off such idealistic pursuits. Gaytten on the other hand is at least attempting to play with new fabrications, as evidenced by a fur-collared trench imbued in an oily, metallic organza. Luckily, he tried his luck with silhouette here too. A soft pink cocktail dress with a skirt that doesn’t know if it’s an A-line or a corolla was youthful and sexy, the way Valentino has reexercised its name through Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri. No one has anything bad to say about them. Perhaps, in time, Gaytten might be so lucky.

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Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring 2012, Photo by Kevin Tachman

Those breezy, flouncy layers of silk-organza were probably the most obvious affirmation that the House of Christian Dior - with or without John Galliano’s vision–will thrive on, effortlessly.

Although the house may have lost Galliano’s whimsy, it’s holding true to what will never fade… its DNA. Chock full of classic A-line shapes, oversized obi-bows, and at best cute design, this collection was definitely a mild revision of Dior’s “New Look.”

Christian Dior, Haute Couture Spring 2012 Preview, Photo by Kevin Tachman

But do we want anything to be mild come couture season?

There was very little shockvalue in this collection, designed under the supervision of Bill Gaytten. However, what it lacked in electricity was definitely made up for by the beautiful tailoring that emphasized the craftsmanship over the spectacular.

Unfortunately, for me, it felt more like a pre-season collection than Haute Couture. The couture collections have always given the industry a much needed boost of imagination. Twice a year we look to Paris for those museum-quality garments that are intended to inspire, sometimes even more than they’re intended to be worn.

Past the drama they’re just clothes. Mortage-value clothes, for sure. But ultimately without the extravagance and haute imaginative quality can it still be called couture?

Trina Turk

Banana Republic and Trina Turk are proud to announce the debut of the Banana Republic Trina Turk Collection – a limited-edition capsule featuring chic summer essentials inspired by the southern California lifestyle.

“I find myself continually inspired by the cool, modern vibe of southern California and I wanted to bring that spirit to Banana Republic’s summer collection,” says Simon Kneen, Creative Director. “Trina’s signature prints are beloved and embody the aspirational Palm Springs lifestyle, so she was a natural partner for Banana Republic’s capsule collection this Summer.”

A true reflection of the sophisticated ease of summer, the Banana Republic Trina Turk Collection will bring a harmonious fusion of Trina Turk’s distinctive resort inspired aesthetic, translated through the Banana Republic lens of effortless modernity and noticeable quality. The nearly 60-piece collection of women’s apparel and accessories features an array of summer must-haves in iconic Trina Turk prints re-imagined in this exclusive capsule of collaborative designs. From flirty dresses to printed swim separates and plush beach towels, items are perfect for the warm days ahead and will help Banana Republic customers effortlessly transition from deskside to poolside and everywhere in-between.

“When we began working together on the collaboration, Simon and I decided early on that the Palm Springs ‘cocktails by the pool’ lifestyle would be our key inspiration for the colors, styles, and prints,” says Turk. “I’m excited to offer this collection of colorful, covetable and unique pieces to Banana Republic customers for summer 2012.”

The Banana Republic Trina Turk Collection will be featured in Banana Republic’s June advertising campaign, which will appear in select print, online, direct mail and in store.