Your Morning Fashion & Beauty Report: Creator of Kate Middleton's see-through dress launches collection. Leighton Meester stars for Vera Wang. And Karl Lagerfield dives into chocolate.

I swore I wasn't going to write a word about the royal wedding, especially after Booth Moore's great coverage of the wedding fashion here at All the Rage early -- really early! -- Friday morning. But then this marginally related tidbit caught my eye: Charlotte Todd, who created the see-through dress that reportedly got Prince William's attention when it was modeled by Kate Middleton back when they were in school, launched her own design firm on the eve of the wedding. The 12-piece collection includes a tube dress similar to the one Kate modeled. Of course. [Telegraph]

There have actually been some other weddings lately, btw. LeAnn Rimes marrying Eddie Cibrian in a Malibu backyard, for instance. Rimes wore a handmade Reem Acra gown featuring all-over pearls in a range of sizes and white paillettes on nude silk chiffon. She accessorized with snakeskin shoes. [People]

"Gossip Girl's" Leighton Meester introduced Vera Wang's latest fragrance, Lovestruck, to a standing-room-only crowd at the designer's Manhattan apartment this week. Meester will appear in ads for the fragrance,  which is being released in the U.K in June and the U.S. in August. [WWD] 

Photo gallery: The royal wedding

The multitasking Karl Lagerfeld's latest endeavor? He created a hotel suite at La Réserve in Paris constructed entirely of chocolate, complete with a life-sized likeness of model Baptiste Giabiconi lounging on a quilted white bedspread edged in delicate broderie anglaise. Master chocolate-maker Patrick Roger reportedly used 1.5 tons of chocolate for everything, right down to the carpet and the books on the bedside table. Why? Publicity for ice cream brand Magnum. [WWD]

The American Apparel and Footwear Assn.'s Image Awards, held Wednesday in New York, raised $1.1 million for the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Among the honorees: Ruben Toledo won the Fashion Maverick Award; David Koch, the Humanitarian Award; William Rast was named brand of the year; Ugg Australia, footwear brand of the year; and Neiman Marcus, retailer of the year. Mark Weber, chief exec of LVMH Inc. and chairman of Donna Karan International, took home man of the year honors. [WWD]   

Was it just a few days ago that a huge hubbub blew up when the J. Crew catalog featured a photo of creative director Jenna Lyons painting her young son's toenails in what many thought was a sweet moment of mother-son play and others thought was a sign of the end of civilization? Now designer Isaac Mizrahi confesses: He always paints his toenails, he said at a fundraiser for Good Shepherd Services, a children's charity he's involved with. Let's see, he is a successful, creative person who mentors disadvantaged children -- despite having painted nails. [The Cut]    

Walgreen's plans to update its stodgy beauty aisles with a slick, more modern offering. [WWD] (subscription required.) 

-- Susan Denley

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Photos: a royal wedding

Interactive: Your guide to the royal wedding

Photo: Leighton Meester, who stars in ads for Vera Wang's new fragrance. Credit: Andrew H. Walker / Getty Images

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Pundits wonder if Kate Middleton will wear a tiara on her wedding day.

This is the week of the much-anticipated royal wedding in Britain, and the drumbeat of speculation has reached a fever pitch. Besides all the rumors over the identify of the designer of the bridal gown, now there's talk of tiaras: Will Kate Middleton wear one or not? Will it be the Russian Fringe, the diamond tiara worn by the queen, the queen mother, Queen Mary and the Princess Royal? Will it be the Spencer family tiara worn by Princess Diana (above)? Or will the queen give Kate a tiara as a wedding gift, as she did her other daughters-in-law? I guess we'll just have to wait till the big day Friday to find out. [Telegraph]

No one knows yet who designed Kate's dress, but Isaac Mizrahi has advice for whomever it is. Having designed "millions of wedding dresses," he says he can empathize. "It's so stressful, because you always think something's going to fall off right in the middle of the most important day of [the bride's] life," he says. The solution? Tranquilizers. [Cut] 

Speaking of weddings, no one knows how to dress a bride like Vera Wang, so when she gives her 10 top tips for getting through the big day beautifully, I pay attention. Among them, always step into your gown. Do not -- repeat do not -- pull it on over your head. Why? By the time you are putting on the gown, your makeup has been done and you really can't risk a lipstick smear on your dress. [WWD]

For a wedding closer to home, "Grey's Anatomy" is planning one, to air May 5. Followers of the crew at Seattle Grace know that weddings on the show can be fraught with angst -- remember Burke leaving Cristina at the altar? Meredith and Derek's postponements? Izzie flatlining after marrying Karev?  This time, no matter how it turns out, we will at least get to see two wedding gowns, because the couple in question are Callie and Arizona. [BuzzSugar]   

The trend of lingerie this fall? Sweet, girly ruffles are back. [WWD]

Interior design firm Tony Duquette Inc. is suing J. Crew over the use of a leopard print. [WWD] (Subscription required)

Macy's is taking several steps toward being more eco-conscious this year, including rolling out hangers made of recycled material. [WWD] (Subscription required)

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Prince Charles and Princess Diana, wearing her tiara, on their wedding day in 1981. Credit: Associated Press 

 

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Johnny Weir designs LBDs. Billy Reid collection available at J. Crew

U.S. Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir's personal style is commented on as often as his skating prowess, and now he's launching a Little Black Dress collection that will be available on edressme.com starting April 30. In true Weir style, the dresses are embellished with ostrich feathers, netting and sequins. Prices run $198 to $298. They will be modeled during the second annual “Ice Dreams” skating show in Bensenville, Ill., also scheduled for April 30.  [WWD]

With only a few days to go until The Wedding, British hatmaker-to-the-aristocracy Philip Treacy is swamped.  He says he's not going to the Kate Middleton/Prince William nuptials, but "my hats will be." While he won't name names, he says, “I’m designing hats for queens, princesses, and celebrities." As per usual. [Style] 

J. Crew has teamed up with the Council of Fashion Designers of America/Vogue Fashion Fund to spotlight recipients of the fund's prestigious design prize by offering capsule collections by winners and runners-up. Available now is a seven-piece collection by Billy Reid. [J. Crew]

Marlon Brando's 20-year-old grandson Tuki Brando, a medical student in France, also models and is featured in the new ad campaign for TechnoMarine watches. [Telegraph] 

After 16 years in business, Alternative Apparel is poised to expand by opening its own stores. The grand opening of its flagship is scheduled for Friday in Venice Beach. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Tory Burch launched a new blog, torypedia, on Tumblr. [WWD] (Subscription required.) 

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Olympic skater Johnny Weir, who will launch a line of little black dresses. Credit: Kevin Winter / Getty Images

J. Crew channels Old Hollywood with spring catalog shot entirely at L.A landmarks

When the team shooting J. Crew’s spring 2011 catalog set up at the Hollywood sign in early December to snap a leggy model wearing a pair of shiny gold shorts in front of the landmark, no one was expecting that the scene would turn into something out of "Law & Order: Los Angeles."

"A fireman walked into the shot, and all of a sudden over loudspeakers someone started yelling at us to leave because we were trespassing," said Ashley Price, a senior vice president at J. Crew who had been on set high up in the Hollywood Hills that day. The crew had secured a permit to shoot, and the reprimand was merely a miscommunication, but by chance a fireman in all his gear and a low-flying helicopter made it into a few of the shots. "You can’t get more L.A than that!" Price said.

The New York-based company known for its studio-set catalogs full of elegantly disheveled models and quirky tomboy styling, sought out the sunny backdrop of L.A to showcase its spring 2011 collection. To channel the era of Old Hollywood, actor Sam Page, from "Mad Men," was chosen to model the men’s collection, and locations such as the Chateau Marmont; the Downtown Palace Theatre; the Stahl House, by architect Pierre Koenig; the Paramount Studios back lot; and tree-lined North Hillcrest Road served as backdrops.

“We were inspired by the idea of Old Hollywood glamour and tying that into American classics, and we’ve been looking at L.A more for a point of view on glamour,” said Jenna Lyons, president and executive creative director of J. Crew. “We’re making things look a little more polished, things like the hair, makeup and styling. It’s definitely an over-arching theme for styling.”

Crew Cuts, J. Crew’s kids' collection was shot on the Paramount lot to utilize the whimsical sets and outrageous props. “There are those funny extremes you can have nowhere else but in L.A.,” Lyons said.

But the crew said perhaps the most Hollywood of all the locations was the Chateau Marmont. “Within an hour at the Chateau Marmont, we saw three celebrities,” Price said. “That felt very glamorous and very L.A."

The J. Crew Spring 2011 catalog will be out the end of January.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photo: A shot from the upcoming catalog. Credit: J. Crew

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Retail sales up, J.Crew deal slowed, Anna Wintour does a Diddy album

Lured by Black Friday deals and extended hours, retail sales jumped 6% in November, reports Andrea Chang in Friday's Los Angeles Times. The retailer that saw the largest leap compared with last November's numbers was Abercrombie & Fitch, which saw sales jump a whopping 22%. Maybe those hotties and hunks lounging at the front doors of A&F mall stores are doing the trick after all. [LAT]

J. Crew stockholders shouldn't break out the bubbly just yet; the recently announced $3-billion deal to take the clothing-and-accessories retailer private apparently faces some legal hurdles (including two recently filed lawsuits), says industry trade paper WWD. Until the fat lady sings on this one, perhaps she'd be interested in a Merino wool cowl-neck sweater and a pair of broken-in boyfriend chinos? [WWD, subscription required]

According to the New York Daily News (by way of website Fashionista), Vogue editor Anna Wintour was among those asked by Sean "Diddy" Combs to lend their voices to his upcoming album. Others reportedly recruited from the fashion flock include Andre Leon Talley, Tommy Hilfiger and Marc Jacobs. But don't get your hopes up that you'll hear Ms. Wintour busting out her rendition of Combs' "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down" -- the vocals are limited to a spoken-word introduction to one of the tracks. [N.Y. Daily News]

-- Adam Tschorn

Left photo: Sean "Diddy" Combs. Credit: Taylor Hill / Getty Images

Right photo: Anna Wintour. Credit: Andy Kropa / Getty Images

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Philippe Starck to create a new bottle for L'Air du Temps.

Product designer Philippe Starck has turned to fragrance, and will rework the iconic dooule-dove L'air du Temps bottle for Nina Ricci. The flask was originally designed by Marc Lalique (of the equally iconic Laliques)  with Robert Ricci. Okay, I am wondering: is this an update that is really needed? [WWD]  

Steven Madden eyes Betsey Johnson, as the design firm reportedly defaults on a $48.8-million loan. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

What's the secret to great-fitting jeans? Wash them only every six months, says Levi Strauss' director of brand concepts Carl Chiari, with spot cleaning and airings in a steamy bathroom in between. That's what he does with his 15-pair wardrobe. [Wall Street Journal]

Kardashian news of the day: the sisters add handbags and shoes to their line for Bebe. [People] 

Designer Catharine Malandrino reports on "how I spent my summer vacation," and it sounds way more divine than most: Saint-Tropez, shopping for antique furniture at vineyard flea markets, sailing azure seas, sipping rose on the beach. She hints that this will inspire her next summer collection. [WWD]  

Meanwhile, J. Crew's "looks we love" feature can inspire ideas for terrific fall outfits. [FabSugar] 

A small lot of country singer June Carter-Cash's sleek 1960s wardrobe is up for bid on website 1stDibs. [StyleSectionLA]

Acne has joined forces with Candy magazine to create an androgynous line of clothing specifically aimed at transvestites and cross-dressers. My question: is it really cross-dressing if there is no cross-over? [Vogue UK]

--Susan Denley

Photo:  L'Air du Temps Credit: Nina Ricci

Martha Stewart takes on fashion in her first prime-time interview special

The name Martha Stewart conjures up images of striped linens, puffy souffles and leaf blowers. So it's surprising that the lifestyle doyenne has chosen fashion as the subject of the debut episode of "Martha Stewart Presents," a new prime time interview special on the Hallmark channel.

"Martha Stewart Presents: The Women Who Dress America," a one-hour special  scheduled to air Sept. 19 at 9 p.m., will celebrate four modern-day fashion forces: living legends Diane von Furstenberg and Donna Karan;  Jenna Lyons, president of J. Crew; and Tory Burch, the queen of seaside prep.

The show will be formatted in the style of a traditional talk show, with Stewart engaging in conversations with famous faces from various realms. And like Barbara Walters' sporadic specials, this one will happen only occasionally; a second “Martha Stewart Presents”  is scheduled for November.

Timed to coincide with the close of New York’s Fashion Week, the show is hoping to "dig beneath the surface" to find the sources of inspiration for each designer.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to bring our viewers a different side of the world of fashion," said Stewart in a press release, "and a better understanding of the challenges and rewards of being on fashion’s front lines.”

Do you think Stewart (who, let's be honest, is almost always photographed in a smock-like button-front shirt) is the right person to interview four of fashion's most illustrious designers?

-- Emili Vesilind

Photo: Martha Stewart attends a party earlier this year wearing a smock-like shirt. Credit: Peter Foley/EPA

Trend: Crazy for camel

Feeling Switzerland-neutral in your style these days? You're in luck. One of fashion's most famous muted hues — camel — is fall's hottest color.

We spotted the shy brown tone on the runways earlier this year — notably at Chloe, Michael Kors and Stella McCartney — but now it's official; retailers and fashion editors are pushing the color like crazy, offering, respectively, camel-themed fashion spreads and racks of merchandise in the classic color.

Lauded as a universally flattering hue, "camel" first popped up as a color name in fashion in 1916, according to the ISCC-NBS Dictionary of Color Names. We love it because it melds seamlessly into a black-heavy wardrobe and, when coloring classic silhouettes, adds 1960s-"Mad Men" panache to ensembles.

Here are a few camels we'd love to have on our backs:

Stella McCartney's wool-blend cape, $1,445 at Net-a-Porter, rolls two of fall's most charming trends — capes and camel — into one dreamy piece of outerwear.

Jil Sander's cashmere scarf, $525 at Barneys New York, works beautifully with trenches, winter coats and cool cardigans, and it's so basic, it will never go out of style.

J.Crew's wool-cashmere station coat, $149.99 at J.Crew, is elegant but understated, boasting retro military styling.

 

This Dior silk-wool dress at Bergdorf Goodman is a pipe dream because of the $3,600 price tag, but we love the way it hearkens back to the slinky, curve-loving "Mad Men" era without looking like a costume. 

-- Emili Vesilind

Photos, from top: Stella McCartney cape. Credit: Net-a-Porter. Jil Sander scarf. Credit: Barneys New York. J. Crew coat. Credit: J. Crew. Dior dress. Credit: Bergdorf Goodman

Best of: Great takes on the classic nautical-striped shirt

The classic nautical-striped shirt -- featuring navy-on-cream stripes and a boxy fit — was originally worn by fishermen off the coast of Brittany in the late 19th century. But these days it epitomizes casual chic, and is a staple among style-setters including Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller and Sofia Coppola.

You can snag an original-fit nautical-striped tee online at L.L. Bean or Petit Bateau. But with nearly every sporty fashion company turning out innovative takes on the iconic top this season, why not go for something a little jazzier?

Leave it to prep-savvy J.Crew to turn out a sequined nautical striped shirt ($72) that somehow isn't corny or dated-looking. The secret? An amazing fit (super-slouchy), ultra-thin fabric and subtle shine.

Urban Outfitters brand Cooperative, meanwhile, reinterpreted the shirt's extremities — replacing the classic 3/4-length sleeves with puffy princess sleeves and slimming down the bodice for trendy PYTs ($32). Vince's take on the classic  — simply reversing the stripes so the navy stripes are more dominant ($98) — is less adventurous, but probably more wearable for those of us out of college.

And speaking of sleeves — Shipley & Halmos shortened the sleeves of their otherwise conventional nautical tee for men ($85), creating the ultimate heat-friendly version.

-- Emili Vesilind

Photos, from left: Nautical-striped tops from J. Crew, Vince, Cooperative and Shipley & Halmos. Credits, from left: J. Crew, Neiman Marcus, Urban Outfitters and Barneys New York

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Jenna Lyons gets a new title, Stella McCartney gets a new gig, Penelope Cruz gets a new dress

Jenna Lyons, above, executive creative director at J. Crew, has been named president as well. [WWD] (Subscription required)

Celebrities keep turning up in dresses from Victoria Beckham's 2010 spring/summer collection. [Telegraph]

The Tobe Report, a trend forecasting firm, is back among the trendy, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Another model has a few things to say about her image ... and being sidelined for being a size ... four! [Huffington Post] ... And Jean Paul Gaultier has cast plus-size model Crystal Renn as the face of a new advertising campaign. [Vogue UK]

Adidas has selected Stella McCartney to be creative director for the uniforms that British athletes will wear at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. [Vogue UK]

Stylelist reports that Penelope Cruz has wed Javier Bardem in a dress by Christian Dior designer John Galliano.

And, finally, guess who looks good in sailor pants? January Jones, that's who! Of course, she'd look good in anything. [Fab Sugar]

-- Alice Short

Photo credit: Perry Hagopian