Your Morning Fashion and Beauty Report: Claire's and Whitney Port get ready for the prom; Kate Middleton's sexy dress gets ready for auction

Happy St. Patrick's Day! If you're not wearing green, you should be. And choices abound, in dresses, shirts, sunglasses, watches ... even underwear. [FabSugar]

Are there too many fashion weeks? Some designers are starting to say so. Azzedine Alaïa is the latest to question the breakneck pace of showing multiple annual collections (spring, fall, resort, couture...) in cities around the world. [WWD] (Subscription required.)  

Claire's, the fast-fashion accessories chain, has teamed with reality star and designer Whitney Port to offer teens help in getting ready for the prom. A quiz on clairespromstyle.com will help users establish their personal style -- which of course can then be shared via Facebook and Twitter. Then there are videos of Port offering fashion and beauty advice based on the different prom styles. [WWD]  

Reese Witherspoon reportedly has chosen a Monique Lhuillier gown for her pending wedding to CAA agent Jim Toth. [Us Magazine]

The see-through dress Kate Middleton was wearing in a charity fashion show when Prince William first caught sight of her is going on the auction block. [Telegraph]

Eva Mendes has been named the face of Angel by Thierry Mugler. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Coco Chanel continues to fascinate. Karl Lagerfeld has created a series of original sketches for a new edition of Justine Picardie’s recent biography of the legendary designer. Lagerfeld and Picardie plan to host a cocktail and signing session for the launch of the French edition on March 24 at the Paris bookstore Galignani.  A German edition is slated for release in April, with the English version to follow in June. [WWD]

Demi Lovato is wearing her feelings not on her sleeve, but on her wrists, where she is sporting new tattoos reading "Stay" and "Strong" with a tiny heart. The tats are to show gratitude to her fans for their support during her recent personal troubles. [People] 

Men's Wearhouse is aggressively upgrading, with plans to remodel or open 135 stores in the next year. [WWD] (Subscription required.) 

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Whitney Port, looking as if she could be dressed for prom herself, at a premiere last May for "Sex and the City 2."   Credit: Stan Honda / AFP/Getty Images 

 

Frugal Fashion: Blake Lively is Chanel's new mademoiselle

Blake Lively's whirlwind appearance at Paris Fashion Week has the "it" girl simply glowing with joie de vivre. Ever since Vogue editor Anna Wintour swept Lively under her prevailing wings, the "Gossip Girl" star actress has been all but catapulted to the top of the fashion social ladder.

It's not enough that Christian Louboutin vowed to name a shoe after her or that the two friends went on a shopping trip and a stroll down the cobbled streets of Paris. No, her fashion prowess doesn't stop there. Lively was hand-picked by Karl Lagerfeld to become the official ambassador of Chanel's new Mademoiselle handbag line. And, it just so happens that Mr. Lagerfeld shot the ad campaign himself.

In an earlier edition of Frugal Fashion I once proclaimed that princess-to-be Kate Middleton would be the envy of every girl everywhere. I gladly take it back. For a fashion lover who would kill to have Lagerfeld and Louboutin fawn over her, it's Lively without a doubt.

It was only fitting that Chanel throw Lively an elegant dinner party to celebrate her new ambassador role. Stylish attendees included Wintour, her daughter Bee and red-haired songstress Florence Welch. 

Lively wore a metallic white and silver Chanel tiered dress a bit reminiscent of "Swan Lake" and a lot like the modern version of a certain mermaid named Ariel.  She paired the dress with her favorite designer's shoes (Christian Louboutin strappy heels), Schwartz diamonds and a Mademoiselle purse. 

To get Lively's look you'll need a metallic mini with some attitude. For a dress that will pack a punch, try the eDM Private Collection Metallic holiday dress from edressme.com for $70, Ruched metallic dress from Forever 21 for $19.80 or the  Tinley Road silver one-shoulder dress from Piperlime.com for $27.97.

Lively chose a decadent pair of white Louboutins with gold tassles, but any pair of white-colored strappy sandals will complete the look. I'm in love with the Miss Me diva-17 platform sandal from endless.com for $32.09. DSW also has some great pairs of strappy white sandals like the Max Studio Eirny sandal for $69.95, or the Chinese Laundry Illene patent sandal for $49.95.

Happy shopping!

Have an outfit you're dying to buy but need a frugal alternative? E-mail us a picture. We're up for the challenge.

-- Jenn Harris
Twitter.com/Jenn_Harris_

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Top photo: Blake Lively attends the Chanel dinner Saturday hosted in her honor during Paris Fashion Week. Credit: Pascal Le Segretain /Getty Images.

Dress photo: eDM Private Collection metallic holiday dress. Credit: edressme.com; Ruched metallic dress. Credit: Forever21.com; Tinley Road silver dress. Credit: Piperlime.com. 

Shoes photo: Miss Me diva-17 platform. Credit: endless.com; Max Studio Eirny sandal. Credit: dsw.com; Chinese Laundry Illene patent sandal. Credit: dsw.com.

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Mardi Gras' over-the-top looks, Michael Kors' 30th-anniversary bash and Lady Gaga's 'Born This Way' talons

It's Mardi Gras (or Carnival, depending on your corner of the world), and for some folks that means it's a day for over-the-top makeup, costumes and looks seen on no other day of the year. If some of the looks are too extreme, at least you can throw on a string of Mardi Gras beads. Let the good times roll! [BellaSugar]

Mary J. Blige performed at Michael Kors' star-studded 30th-anniversary bash Monday night at the American ambassador's residence in Paris -- singing Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," of all things. Our fashion critic Booth Moore was in the house -- make that embassy -- and shares the details. [All The Rage]

Earlier in the day, Kors opened his first store in France. At 7,000 square feet, the two-story flagship on Rue Saint-Honoré is the largest in Kors' 175-shop global chain. [Telegraph] 

Amid all the frenzy of Paris Fashion Week, singer Lily Allen was spotted patiently waiting for Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel to fit her wedding dress. Allen was signed up by Lagerfeld in 2009 to star as the "face" of Chanel's Coco Cocoon handbag line, and she performed live at Chanel's spring-summer 2010 show, so picking a Chanel gown for her wedding to Sam Cooper seems like a natural. [Telegraph]   

Just when the rest of the world is going with short, squared-off nails, Lady Gaga sports long, pointed talons in her "Born This Way" video. "We call this shape the 'sexy Gaga shape.' Gaga wanted a very pointy, sexy-shaped nail, so I created this shape based on her request," said her manicurist for the video, Aya Fukuda. [BellaSugar]

Are clothes going to be getting more expensive? Probably, as industry executives worry about increases in the costs of raw materials and labor. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Nowadays there always seems to be something new in the world of shopping. Today's example: Designer Alexander Wang has teamed up with American Express to host a private shopping event at the brand's flagship store in New York's SoHo on March 24. The event is open to AmEx platinum and gold card members only. Tickets, priced at $50, went on sale Monday at americanexpress.com/entertainment. Attendees will be able to shop Wang's spring-summer 2011 collection, sip cocktails, munch hors d'oeuvres and mingle with the designer himself. The $50 ticket price will be credited toward any purchase of $200 or more. [WWD]

The only free-standing Barbie store in the world -- in Shanghai, China -- has closed its doors after two years. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

--Susan Denley

Photo: At last year's Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans, a duke in the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club displays a gold coconut. Credit: Patrick Semanksy / AFP/Getty Images

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Lots of chic maternity wear in our future, thanks to Victoria Beckham, Rachel Zoe, Jane Krakowski, Natalie Portman

-- OMG! Sephora by OPI plans to launch a "Glee" limited-edition line of nail polish in February. Gleeks, get in line! [WWD] (subscription required)

-- On a more historic note, the storied Faberge is launching a new jewelry line, this one in white diamonds. [WWD] (subscription required)

-- Emmanuelle Alt has been named editor in chief of French Vogue, replacing Carine Roitfeld. Says the blunt Karl Lagerfeld, "I personally like her. She’s a handsome French woman. She has a style, but is it enough to make a whole magazine?” [The Cut]

-- Topshop's Philip Green will collect the National Retail Federation's National Retailer of the Year award Tuesday. [WWD]

-- The celebrity baby boom continues. Victoria Beckham, Jane Krakowski and singer Jewel are among the latest. And then there's Natalie Portman, who is sporting a new engagement ring as well as a baby bump. We only care here at All the Rage because of all the chic maternity styles we'll get to see since smart, stylish women no longer try to "hide" it. [People]

-- And we can't leave off of this list Rachel Zoe, who's expecting her first baby, launching her own clothing line and bringing her television show back for another season. [WWD] (subscription required)

-- Meanwhile, Sherri Shepard flashed a glimpse of her $70,000 engagement ring on "The View." [StyleList] 

-- There's a new place for sexy swimwear in L.A. Shay Todd has opened on Melrose. [Mondette]

-- Androgynous male model Andrej Pejic is the new face of Marc by Marc Jacobs. [StyleList] 

-- Susan Denley

Photo: The cast of "Glee," which will soon have its own nail polish. Credit: Fox

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Victoria's Secret Fashion Show draws some yawns.

Da bomb or bust? Well, there were certainly a lot of busts in evidence at Tuesday night's airing of the (prerecorded) "Victoria's Secret Fashion Show 2010," along with much fantasy lingerie (like the $2-million diamond-encrusted bra worn by Adriana Lima that we previewed on All the Rage a while back), but as television it was one big commercial, despite the efforts of entertainers like Katy Perry. [Entertainment Weekly]  [Washington Post]

Lingerie is a go-to Christmas gift for the man trying to impress a wife or girlfriend, and the trend this year -- across the pond, at any rate -- is bondage-style underpinnings. Hmmm. Somehow "bondage lingerie" just doesn't seem quite the right ticket for this time of year. [Telegraph]

Tuesday's auction of jewels once owned by Wallis Simpson, the late Duchess of Windsor, fetched about $12.4 million -- much more than the pre-auction estimate that the 20 pieces might bring in around $4.7 million. [WWD]

Alexandra St. Clair, a jewelry company that creates limited edition and one-of-a-kind pieces from semiprecious stones, crystals, base metals and vintage objects, has opened a holiday pop-up shop at 8207-A W. 3rd Street in Los Angeles. [Mondette]

Every year Pirelli, the European tire company, sends an arty calendar to select VIPs. This year, Karl Lagerfeld was in charge of the design and shoot, and on Tuesday he unveiled his handiwork, which features photos of 15 women (including Julianne Moore) and five men done up as (dressed isn't the right word here) figures from Greek and Roman mythology. [The Cut]

Judith Leiber, the venerable handbag line, plans to reenter the fragrance market with "Night," launching in January. [WWD] (Suscription required.)

Hermes and LVMH have been slugging it out over control of Hermes, and it is a feud that has two of France's richest families engaged in an epic battle. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Katy Perry with Victoria's Secret chief executive Sharon Turney. Credit: Mike Segar/Reuters.

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Black Friday, Karl Lagerfeld and SATC 3?

 
Yes, it's only Wednesday and on Thursday we dine on roasted fowl. But Friday -- Friday, we shop! Here are a few run-downs on Black Friday: Sometimes we can shop and get a massage. [L.A. Times] Some boutiques are having sales. [Huffington Post] Stylelist shares some beauty tips. [Stylelist] And Channel 11 offers a few tips on surviving the big day. [Fox 11]

-- In case you haven't come around yet to the idea that the world is turning in a different direction: Karl Lagerfeld is going to design a capsule collection for Macy's. [The Cut]

-- Rapper Nicki Minaj is about to show up on a lot of iPods (her new CD will be released Nov 26). But that's not all! She's paired with M.A.C. on a limited edition lipstick called "Pink Friday," which happens to be the name of her debut album. [People]  

-- Yes, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have been, as expected, indicted on tax evasion charges. [The Cut]

-- And, finally, on the eve of our bountiful holiday, there are more rumors about a third "Sex in the City" movie. [Vogue UK]

--Alice Short 

Photo: Cynthia Nixon, left, and Sarah Jessica Parker in "Sex and the City 2." Credit: Craig Blankenhorn / New Line Productions

 

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Speculation abounds over who will create Kate Middleton's royal wedding gown. 'Harry Potter's' Emma Watson dishes on her style transformation.

We are all about weddings here at All the Rage, particularly impending royal ones. We are anticipating a year full of delight leading to the nuptials of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton. Speculation is raging now over who will design the wedding gown, and some oddsmakers in the U.K. have placed bets on Phillipa Lepley, known for her elegant designs and celebrity dressing. [People]  For a retrospective on royal wedding style, take a look at our photo gallery. 

Emma Watson dishes about how "Harry Potter" character Hermione Granger shaped the actress' offscreen style. Yes, we all kind of suspected that the new short hair cut must be at least partly a reaction to Hermione's long locks (correct, Watson confirms) but who knew all the  outfits from the likes of Chanel and  Proenza Schouler were because of all of Hermione's Hogwarts uniforms? [WWD]  You can find out how to re-create Watson's premiere look in a Rafael Lopez for Atelier Mayer cocktail mini,  above,  on the cheap by checking out Jenn Harris' Frugal Fashion column on All the Rage.

Hermes International has opened its second-largest unit in the world, on Paris' Left Bank. [WWD] Salma Hayek was a guest, amid speculation that her presence was a back-handed slap at LMVH, with whom Hermes is battling for control of the company and the luxury market. [The Cut]

Beyonce Knowles' ad for her first fragrance, Beyonce Heat, is so, well, hot that it is being censored in England, where authorities have ruled that it may air only after 7:30 p.m., when, presumably, British youngsters are safely tucked away for the night. [WWD]

Despite all her personal problems, what with multiple arrests, rehab and even being the butt of jokes on "Glee," Lindsay Lohan is pressing forward with her fashion business. In her latest offering, clients can join her new 6126 Gold Member Club. For "dues" of $39.95 a month, a member will receive an item from the 6126 fashion line selected by Lohan herself (so the company says ) and valued at more than $75. [FabSugar]

Karl Lagerfeld says he has his eye on Colombian designer Haider Ackermann as a possible successor to helm Chanel. But don't get too riled up. Lagerfeld isn't likely to bow out anytime soon. [Vogue UK]  

Designer Zac Posen bid $3,500 to win a six-week internship with Martha Stewart. Huh??? It was all for charity. [New York Post] 

Photo: Actress Emma Watson. Credit: Gareth Cattermole / Getty Images

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Ralph Lauren, Coco Chanel and Katy Perry

American Apparel, the L.A.-based clothing maker, continues to struggle. Sales are down, and the company may have to shut some stores. One strategist said American Apparel is becoming "'a bit of an afterthought to its core hipster base." Ouch. Read Andrea Chang's report in the L.A. Times.

If you live in the Ralph Lauren universe, you might want to know the company is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its online shop with a "4-D" projection onto the new Madison Avenue store Wednesday night. [The Cut]

The late Alexander McQueen will be the focus of an exhibit at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Look for it to open next May. [Vogue UK]

If you have enjoyed recent films about legendary designer Coco Chanel, you are not alone. But take note: Karl Lagerfeld does not. [Fashionologie]

There's something about the letters VPL (yes, we're talking Visible Panty Line) that continues to make us smirk. It is also the name of a British clothing store that has opened a branch in New York. Perhaps you are wondering: What does it sell? Our response: Does it matter? [The Moment]

Don't deny it -- you watch the Victoria's Secret fashion show. (It's Nov. 30 on CBS.) This year, Katy Perry, who simply doesn't seem to get enough publicity, will be making her own fashion statement with a couple of outrageous outfits from designer Todd Thomas. And that's probably all you need to know for today. [People]

 -- Alice Short

Photo: Audrey Tautou as Coco Chanel in the movie "Coco Before Chanel." Credit: Chantal Thomine-Desmazures /Sony Pictures Classics

 

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Fuzzy lips, fashion islands, holiday hiring

"I Am the Walrus 2012"? As John R. Bolton, former ambassador to the United Nations, mulls a run for the White House in 2012, are we ready to elect our first mustache-in-chief since Taft? [WSJ]

"Lagerfeld Land" Here in Southern California we have a shopping center called Fashion Island, but it looks as if Karl Lagerfeld is working on the real deal, designing his own manmade island about 12 miles off the coast of Dubai, set to be completed by 2014. We hope the passport stamp looks like the Chanel logo. [Vogue.com UK]

"Top-Notch Topnotes" On Tuesday, the city of Beverly Hills unveiled a licensed trio of fragrances bearing its name and distinctive shield logo. [All The Rage] That follows on the heels of a deal announced earlier this summer for BH-branded skincare products. [All The Rage]

"Retail Ramp-up" Our colleague Andrea Chang reports in Wednesday's L.A. Times Business section that retailers are "agressively ramping up their seasonal hiring plans." Which means it could be a Merry Christmas after all. [LAT]

-- Adam Tschorn

Photo (left): John R. Bolton, former ambassador to the United Nations, in 2006. Credit: Haraz N. Ghanbari / Associated Press

Photo (right): Karl Lagerfeld at a recent party in Paris. Credit: Laurent Cipriani / Associated Press

Paris Fashion Week: Chanel's spring awakening

Oh Mr. Lagerfeld, just when I think a Chanel show can't get any better, you come along and surprise me again.

The spring Chanel show for Paris Fashion Week on Tuesday morning was spectacular, one of those once-in-a-lifetime fashion experiences, with a quaint French-garden setting and a full orchestra, all under the soaring glass roof of the Grand Palais.

When the first look came out -- a black coat riddled with holes, and the models' eyes were nearly blacked out with smoky makeup, I thought we were in for something dark and stormy, perhaps even another punk moment, of which there have been several this week.

But that was just the prelude to a spring awakening of pastel tweeds. Tunics or soft, three-quarter-sleeve jackets, some trimmed in floral print, topped short skirts in matching shades of blossom pink, sunshine yellow or salt 'n' pepper tweed. (For a bit of a Jackie O look.)

But there were also plenty of long skirts in keeping with the spring trend, one in a rose print with a smocked waist and others in dark, sheer layers, worn with belted jackets or sweaters.

For evening, a white cocktail dress with black embroidery brought to mind an ornate iron gate. Another dress, covered in peach-colored feathers, turned model Carmen Kass into a graceful bird. But there was also a little black dress for everyone--both long and short lengths--with sheer overlayers, jet-black feathers and embroidery.

As always, Lagerfeld included plenty of novelties aimed at the "Gossip Girl" set, including boucle cutoff shorts, paint-dappled gray jeans and jeweled or logo-ed barrettes fastened to the models' sleek ponytails.

But this show was for all ages, which Lagerfeld made sure were represented on his runway, from a toddler to the fiftysomething model Inès de la Fressange. It was as if he were saying, "We are all one big happy Chanel family."

And when the orchestra broke into "Bittersweet Symphony" and Lagerfeld took his victory lap around the runway, he did look for all the world like the patriarch of Paris fashion.

-- Booth Moore in Paris

Chanel spring-summer 2011 runway collection photo gallery

Photos: Looks from the Chanel spring-summer 2011 runway collection shown during Paris Fashion Week. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson & Peter Stigter / For The Times