Fashion News: Madonna, Eva Longoria debut new fragrances

Madonna's Truth or Dare fragrance commercial came out, and in it she's pretty much as expected: dressed in fishnets, a bustier, a mask at one point. With a lot of heavy breathing and writhing. [The Cut]

Eva Longoria launched her newest fragrance, EVAmour, on Thursday on HSN. (That's Longoria goofing around with an HSN crew behind the scenes -- and yes, that's a coffee cup, not a perfume bottle, she's holding up for the camera.) The scent is described in an HSN release as having notes of bergamot blossom, Pink Lady apple and red currant, "with a heart of rich, sexy floral notes and [it ends] with a warm vanilla, amber and musk." It's available exclusively at HSN. [HSN]

The pink suit First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy was wearing the day her husband was gunned down is often (but not always) described as a Chanel. But in an interview with Style.com/magazine, Chanel creative director Karl Lagerfeld maintains that it isn't. Instead, he says, the suit was a Chanel knockoff done by Oleg Cassini, one of the first lady's favorite designers. [Fashionista]

Speaking of Lagerfeld, the latest among his many, many extracurricular projects is doing some refurbishing at the the Hotel Métropole Monte-Carlo, a Belle Epoque building that was last remodeled in 2004. Lagerfeld's attention will be on the pool, terrace and gardens as well as on creating an artistic setting for the hotel’s third Joël Robuchon restaurant. [WWD]

Ivanka Trump showed her first fashion collection at Lord & Taylor in New York City on Wednesday evening. The women's ready-to-wear collection consists of 37 pieces geared toward working women and priced $50 to $225. [New York Daily News]

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Should the Kardashians be considered a brand?

Several of the comments posted in response to my recent Los Angeles Times article, co-written with Calendar section's Yvonne Villarreal, about the potential economic impact of the Kardashian-Humphries divorce on the family's brand, raise an interesting question:

Is there really a Kardashian brand to begin with?

Some of the marketing and branding experts I spoke with -- including CultureRanch's Eli Portnoy (who has the long view of several decades in the business) -- answer with an emphatic "no."

"I don’t think they’ve earned the right to be called a brand," Portnoy said. "I'd rather call it the Kardashian business' because the word 'brand' is being overused. The concept is to establish a substantive, meaningful relationship with an audience. The Kardashians haven’t done that, and without it you are not going to be a long-term brand, you’re a fad -- short-term fluff."

Portnoy name-checked Kathy Ireland and the Olsen twins as examples of celebrities he feels have built business empires -- and brands -- by bringing something to the table. "Even Paris Hilton -- love her or hate her -- a least there's a brand there that she's trading on; the heritage of the Hilton hotel brand and the notion of old-money America."

Though "brand versus "business" may sound like a matter of semantics, Portnoy says it's a crucial distinction to make when trying to figure out the impact the 72-day marriage will have.

Portnoy contends that by focusing on multiple brand extensions (multiple reality TV shows, clothing collections, fragrances, shoe and liquor endorsements and the like) instead of building a meaningful brand relationship with consumers, there is no brand loyalty.

"It's a case of the emperor's new clothes," Portnoy said. "There isn't anything behind the [wizard's] curtain, and I think that level of deal-making we saw going on is going to wane. People are going to stop investing themselves in it."

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-- Adam Tschorn +

 Photo: Kim Kardashian promotes the Kardashian Kollection in Sydney, Australia. Credit: Tracey Nearmy / EPA

Fashion News: Vera Wang designs Kim Kardashian's wedding gown

-- Vera Wang is designing Kim Kardashian's wedding gown. “Vera has been a close family friend for a long time and we had talked about this moment for years,” Kardashian wrote on her blog Monday. Her wedding to basketball player Kris Humphries is planned for Aug. 20. Wang also designed the gown for Kim's sister Khloe when she wed the Lakers' Lamar Odom. [People]

-- Cast members of "Glee" will reportedly make appearances in L.A. and New York Sept. 8 as part of Fashion's Night Out, the shopping and fashion spectacular launched by Vogue a few years back to stimulate industry sales. [New York Post]

-- Nicola Formichetti, the designer behind many of Lady Gaga's memorable looks and creative director for Mugler, plans to launch his own line, with a sneak preview in a pop-up shop during New York Fashion Week in September. [Telegraph]

-- Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen launched a redesigned website therow.com on Monday. It includes behind-the-scenes features and improved shopping. [WWD]

-- Rihanna got in the spirit Monday, wearing a red and gold bikini costume and feathered headdress in a festive Kadooment Day parade in her native Barbados. [People]

-- Ralph Toledano, former chairman and chief executive officer of Chloé International, has been named chairman of the board at St. John, the Irvine, Calif.-based maker of classic knitwear for women. The brand has struggled to appeal to younger buyers, in recent years trying a parade of celebrities in its advertising, including Gisele Bundchen, Angelina Jolie and Karen Elson. [WWD] (subscription required)  

-- Kelly Rowland is the face of Empress, a new women's scent from P.Diddy. [The Cut]

--Susan Denley

Photo: Kim Kardashian, right, with fiance Kris Humphries says Vera Wang is designing her wedding gown. Credit: Mark Thompson / Getty Images

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Your Morning Fashion and Beauty Report: Heidi Klum bares all for 'Project Runway.' Justin Bieber's perfume launch sparks excitement. Katy Perry sports new hair color.

 

You don't usually think of something like a perfume launch turning violent, but that's what happened Thursday when Justin Bieber appeared to promote his new "Someday" fragrance at Macy's Herald Square in Manhattan. The young heartthrob went outside the store to greet the overflow of fans, top, who couldn't get inside, when a man jumped a barrier and rushed him. It turns out the that man was a plainclothes police officer trying to make sure Bieber wasn't trampled by the crowd. Bieber, shown at left during the launch, appeared unhurt but shaken up, as anyone would be! [People] [Perez Hilton]

In new ads for Lifetime's "Project Runway," Heidi Klum is shown from the hips up wearing nothing but a pink tie, with an arm strategically draped over her chest. "This is definitely sexier than past campaigns we've done," Klum said. The show returns for its ninth season on July 28.  [CBS]

The raven-haired Katy Perry is the latest celeb to go red. But it's only for three weeks, she indicated in a tweet. In order to get to her ultimate (undisclosed) shade, ginger is just a step on the way. [PopEater]  

Top runway model Karlie Kloss was discovered in St. Louis in 2005 by Mother Model Management, owned by husband-wife team Jeff and Mary Clarke. The now 18-year-old Kloss is returning the favor, helping the Clarkes with a model competition across America that runs through the end of July and will end with a charity fashion show and benefit that Kloss will host. The winner stands to land a management contract with Mother Management and Next Models, coaching from the Clarkes and a trip to New York for a fashion photo shoot. Model search dates are coming up in Indianapolis on Saturday, Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday and Cleveland on Monday. [Telegraph]   

Actress Tia Mowry is due to give birth July 3, and it is notable how chic she has looked throughout her pregnancy, including serving as a bridesmaid at sister Tamera's wedding and taking part in numerous red carpet events. [People]

-- Susan Denley

Upper photo: Fans line up outside Macy's Herald Square in Manhattan to catch a glimpse of Justin Bieber on Thursday. Credit: Andrew Kelly / Reuters

Lower photo: Bieber at the launch of his new perfume. Evan Agostini / Associated Press

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Your Morning Fashion and Beauty Report: Lady Gaga wears Versace. Charlene Wittstock talks fashion. Heidi Klum shines.

There's another royal wedding coming up this summer when Monaco's Prince Albert marries former Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstock on July 1. Wittstock is more open about talking fashion than Kate Middleton was before her. For instance, we already know that her wedding gown was designed by Giorgio Armani. whereas Middleton's dress designer was top secret until the big day. She also admits to some qualms about dressing the part of a princess. “Finding my fashion feet has certainly been the biggest challenge,” she says. Luckily she's had help, from the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Michael Kors and is considering starting a Monaco Fashion Week. [Vogue] 

Lady Gaga is attempting to wear only Versace for the next two months, and she got off to a good start in her just-released music video "The Edge of Glory," clad in vintage Versace. [Telegraph]

Man to watch: James Middleton, younger brother of Catherine Duchess of Cambridge and Pippa Middleton, who is being noted for his sense of style. It's not so much what he wears as how he wears it. [WWD]

Heidi Klum's first fragrance, Shine, is scheduled to hit department stores this September. It's described as an oriental scent made of pink peppercorn, pear and mandarin top notes; a mimosa absolute, sunflower, and lily of the valley heart; and musk cosmone, vanilla and Venezuelan tonka bean drydown. [StyleList]

In the late 1970s, famed British photographer Brian Duffy burned bundles of negatives of his work from the previous decades. But not all were destroyed and after months of searching, enough have been found in various places for a new book, "Duffy," and an exhibition of his work at London's Idea Generation Gallery. [Telegraph]   

Indie brands are making Made in America the latest buzz in fashion. [WWD] (Subscription required.) 

Milan men's fashion week is in full swing, and we've got our stylish boots on the ground. For up-to-the-minute coverage follow Adam Tschorn's reports on All the Rage.

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Prince Albert of Monaco with fiancee Charlene Wittstock, who is finding her fashion feet with the help of some top designers. Credit: Associated Press

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Your Morning Fashion and Beauty Report: Beyonce, Mariah Carey launch fragrances. Pre-Wimbledon party matches tennis, fashion stars. Ashton Kutcher models.

The world's top women's tennis stars mingled with celebrities like singer Liza Doolittle on Thursday night at a pre-Wimbledon party hosted by the Women's Tennis Assn., and with a high-style twist: The players were wearing exclusive gowns that British designers, under the auspices of the British Fashion Council, had created for them for the occasion. No. 1-ranked Caroline Wozniacki arrived in a sleek one-shouldered black dress by Stella McCartney; French Open champ Li Na wore a chic gown emblazoned with a Delaroche print by Giles Deacon; Maria Sharapova was in a radiant red Alexander McQueen; and Serena Williams wore an emerald Burberry. [Telegraph] 

Beyonce says her new fragrance, Pulse, is "a fragrance you can wear all the time." The first ads for the perfume, due in stores in September, have been unveiled and they feature -- no surprise here -- the sexy singer herself. The fragrance features notes of pearblossom, peony, midnight blooming jasmine, Madagascar vanilla and bluebird orchid. [People] 

Mariah Carey is adding to her Elizabeth Arden fragrance line with Lollipop Splash the Remix, a trio of scents, all named for songs. They are Inseparable, which contains notes of raspberry, mango, jasmine and orange flowers; Never Forget You, which smells of gourmet jelly beans and golden peony; and Vision of Love, inspired by French macaroon and purple jasmine. [People] 

Rodarte showed 10 elaborate gowns — detailed with Swarovski crystals, tulle and feathers and inspired by influences including Fra Angelico frescoes and monks' cells —  in an unused building in central Florence on Thursday. Rodarte was one of two Los-Angeles-based design firms (Band of Outsiders was the other) invited to show during the prestigious Pitti Uomo trade show. Later the dresses are to go on display at the Los Angeles Country Museum of Art, as our Booth Moore reports. [Los Angeles Times]

Ashton Kutcher returned -- briefly -- to his modeling roots, opening the show for Brazilian label Colcci at Sao Paulo Fashion Week on Wednesday night. He walked the runway with model Alessandra Ambrosio, with whom he stars in the label's print campaign. [Fashionista]

After a recent round of royal appearances -- the Order of the Garter ceremony, Royal Ascot races and ARK charity gala among them -- the former Kate Middleton dropped into the Trilogy store on High Street and bought  a pair of jeans. The on-trend denims are J. Brand's 811 midrise style in one of this season's hot colors, tomato red. [Telegraph]

J. Crew is partnering with CFDA award nominee Eddie Borgo on a six-piece, limited edition jewelry collection. [People]

 -- Susan Denley

Photo: Mariah Carey, who is introducing three new fragrances. Credit: Lucas Jackson / Reuters

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Christina Aguilera launches a super sweet new scent

Christina Aguilera launches a super sweet new scent

 

“The Voice” coach and seasoned singer Christina Aguilera may have said goodbye to two of her team members on last night’s episode of the singing competition, but the platinum blond diva is all smiles and seductress when it comes to the launch of her third fragrance – a regal sounding scent called Royal Desire.

The women’s perfume will launch in early July, exclusively at Kohl’s stores, where Aguilera already has two other scents, her Christina Aguilera signature scent and Christina Aguilera By Night, both of which launched at the same time in November 2010 surrounding her role in “Burlesque.”

Like her two previous perfumes, Royal Desire is classified as a fruity Oriental scent with notes like yuzu and lily, but the real standout element here is a top note of sugary sweet marshmallow that’s very much heightened by honeysuckle and black currant.  The result borders on cavity inducing, but the musk and sandalwood in the base notes kicks in, in the dry down and evens everything out. But regardless, this is for the woman who likes a super girly, ultra sweet scent similar to the light body splashes at Victoria’s Secret – not bad for someone searching for a summery fragrance.

The tall pink box with a brown bow is supposed to represent a gift and be regal in design, according to press material. And Aguilera’s concept for the scent was meant to capture sensuality and luxury to leave the user feeling like a queen.  The bottle resembles the curves of a woman’s body with a voluptuous base, while her other scents have a voluptuous top. Not unlike the bronzed singer/TV vocal coach herself who’s been wearing everything from sassy hot pants to jewel-toned bandage dresses on “The Voice”.

Royal Desire will be available in early July and exclusive to Kohl's stores. $37 for a 30 ml bottle, $47 for a 50 ml bottle.

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Melissa Magsaysay

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