Morning Report: Anne Hathaway's engaged; Marni designs H&M

Anne Hathaway is engaged to her longtime love Adam Shulman. In a series of photos, the two were canoodling in a park near their Brooklyn, N.Y., home looking blissful and a bit like a pair of J Crew models in colorful sweaters, sitting against a backdrop of fall foliage. But the real star here is the ring, which was designed by Shulman in collaboration with Kwiat Heritage Jewels. [Pop Sugar]

What divorce drama? The January cover of Glamour magazine features the Kardashian sisters looking fancy-free in itty-bitty bottoms and sparkly cardigans. The images inside show the girls having a giggly slumber party and playing DJ, but the interview isn't without a little lamenting from Kim, who claims that when it comes to love, maybe the fairy-tale life just isn't for her. [Fashionista]

Felicity Jones, star of the film "Like Crazy," is the new face of Dolce & Gabbana The Makeup's new Khol line. The actress sports an elegant and subtle smokey eye in the campaign images, thanks to the Pat McGrath-designed pencils, which come out in January. [Stylelist]

The usually reserved Victoria Beckham gave an emotional speech at the British Fashion Awards presentation, where she was honored with the designer brand of the year prize. [Daily Mail]

Italian fashion label Marni is the next brand to create a high low line for mass retailer H&M. The collection (in H&M stores March 12) helmed by Marni designer Consuelo Castiglioni will feature the house's signature whimsy, bold prints and bright colors. [Huffington Post]

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-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photo: Anne Hathaway and Adam Shulman are seen at the Governors Ball following the 83rd Academy Awards. Credit: Chris Pizzello / Associated Press

New York Fashion Week: Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham took a major leap with her spring runway show, which proved that what started in 2008 as a small range of niche red carpet dresses is on its way to becoming a full-fledged luxury lifestyle brand.

Signs she is in growth mode? Beckham recently announced  plans for a secondary (less expensive) line of dresses that presumably will bring women with slightly larger body frames than hers’ into the fold. She launched a handbag line last year, and e-commerce sales and a brick-and-mortar store are said to be on the horizon.

On the runway, Beckham tapped into the sleek, minimal, Celine-inspired sportswear trend, but with her own spin. Case in point: the long, lean coats paired with slick black leather leggings that opened the show on a sexy note. This season, Beckham’s signature, zip-back, stretch jersey dresses fell below the knee, and came in a great-looking, bold color-blocked tangerine and navy blue, or in basic black and white with utility straps at the shoulders. Some of the shorter dresses had a mod feel, with a slight A-line and zipper pocket details.

Beckham also brought a sporty sensibility to more relaxed dresses, with drop-waist silhouettes and pleated silk print front panels. Also on the softer side? Voluminous pale lavender and blue zip-front silk gazar jackets that looked weightless, and a spectacularly chic pearl gray A-line raincoat with white piping details.

Smooth leather box bags and totes were the perfect accents, as were refreshingly comfortable-looking flat sandals with thick wrap-around ankle straps. They were courtesy of Christian Louboutin, but VB shoes can’t be too far off.

--Booth Moore, reporting from New York

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Photos: Looks from the Victoria Beckham spring 2012 runway collections shown during New York Fashion Week. Credit: Peter Michael Dills /Getty Images; Bebeto Matthews / AP Photo.

Fashion News: Rachel Zoe meets her customers at Saks

-- Celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe has been traveling all over launching her new line of women's clothing, the Rachel Zoe Collection. Most recently, she was at Saks Fifth Avenue flagship in New York City, advising non-celebrity customers on how to wear the pieces. [The Cut]

-- Victoria Beckham is back in high heels, and tweeting that she feels much better now, after a reported back problem kept her in flats for a few weeks. [JustJared]

-- Designers Tom Ford, Victoria Beckham, Stella McCartney and Sarah Burton are among nominees for the 2011 British Fashion Awards. [The Cut] 

-- Keith Richards, Tom Stoppard, Bill Nighy, Bella Freud, Charlize Theron, Ed Victor and Johnny Depp were among the well-known kicking up their heels at GQ's Men of the Year Awards Tuesday night. [Telegraph]

-- And Lara Stone was named GQ's Woman of the Year. [Telegraph] 

-- Anne Hathaway is the new celebrity face of Tod's. [Telegraph]

-- Famed fashion photographer Steven Meisel shot spreads for the September issue of W magazine and August's Italian Vogue  -- and fashion pundits are raising eyebrows over the similarities between the two. [WWD] 

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Rachel Zoe, who has been busy launching her new clothing line. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times

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Your Morning Fashion and Beauty Report: The Beckhams welcome baby Harper

David and Victoria Beckham welcomed a baby girl in Los Angeles on Sunday. The newborn, named Harper Seven, is the first daughter in a family that includes three big brothers. She already inspired her fashion-designer mother to create a collection of "girly-girl" dresses while pregnant. Word is that Christian Louboutin is sending over a pair of custom red-soled booties. We think this will be one of the most fashionable baby girls ever. [Telegraph] 

And why, you may ask, the middle name "Seven"? Not a firm answer on that one, but there are theories: it was her soccer-star dad's jersey number when he played for Manchester United and for the English National Team. And it's considered a lucky number. [People]

Camilla Al Fayed, the daughter of ex-Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed, has bought a controlling share in one of Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge's favorite labels, Issa. Catherine wore a blue dress by Issa designer Daniella Helayel for her first engagement photo, and a couple of Issa frocks on her Canada/U.S. visit. Camilla Al Fayed's 51% stake will provide funds to help Issa grow. [Telegraph]

Kate Spade is teaming with Current/Elliott designers Emily Current and Meritt Elliott for a capsule collection of street-style handbags. Prices in the Westward by Emily and Merritt for Kate Spade collection will range from $245 to $1,295, and the bags will go on sale in August. [FabSugar]

Socialite Cornelia Guest, a committed vegan, is debuting a line of vegan handbags. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

PopSugar L.A. got a peek inside the hidden VIP room at the new What Goes Around Comes Around boutique on LaBrea in Los Angeles. The room is reserved for celebrity clients, costume designers and stylists who want a more private shopping experience. Inside there's "a treasure trove of amazing vintage pieces, everything from Chanel to YSL to more theatrical pieces and glitzy eveningwear," said writer Melody Nazarian. [PopSugar L.A.]  

Lingerie purveyor Frederick's of Hollywood plans to open its first flagship in Abu Dhabi this month. [WWD] (Subscription required.) 

Victoria's Secret angel Candice Swanepoel looks downright devilish vamping in the new fall ad campaign for Tom Ford women's wear, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. The ads were shot outdoors in London, in a spot overlooking the Thames River, and will be seen in the September issues of fashion magazines. [WWD]

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-- Susan Denley

Photo: Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, wearing an Issa dress in her engagement photo with Prince William. Credit: Ben Stansall / AFP/Getty Images

Royal Wedding: Handicapping Kate Middleton's wedding gown designer: The high-fashion favorites

 
It's Day 3 of my royal dress derby, for which I'm handicapping the odds of the top designer contenders. Monday, I looked at the dark horses, Tuesday I took on the traditionalists, and today, I'm sizing up the high-fashion favorites.

The fashion clique has been trying to bring Kate Middleton into its glossy fold for months. British Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, for one, has been lobbying hard for the princess-in-waiting to choose Alexander McQueen successor Sarah Burton to make her dress. But Middleton has been linked to several other designers, too. Here's a rundown, along with pros and cons for each contender.

Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen

Pros: Has brought a fresh femininity to the label and been almost universally lauded in the fashion press. She's the one British designer in the running whose creations approach haute couture, with the highest level of craftsmanship and detail. Alexander McQueen, who died last year, is top of mind with the opening of the retrospective exhibition "Savage Beauty" on May 4 at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which is masthead queen Anna Wintour's baby.  

Cons: Might contradict Middleton's sensible shopper, ordinary girl image. In other words, the gown could be too provocative and too high-fashion.  

Stella McCartney

Pros: Has a clean, sporty sensibility in keeping with Middleton's style. Could help secure top musical guest for the reception. 

Cons: McCartney designed Madonna's wedding dress. Does Middleton really want to follow in the footsteps of Madge?  

Victoria Beckham

Pro: As a member of the Spice Girls, Beckham was probably a childhood fashion idol of Middleton's.

Con: Is attending the wedding, when presumably she'd have more important things to do, like fluffing Middleton's train.

Marchesa by Karen Craig and Georgina Chapman

Pros: Designers are Hollywood darlings (Marchesa co-founder Chapman is married to producer Harvey Weinstein), which could appeal to the media-savvy royal couple. Could help parlay their married life into a reality series like E!'s "Khloe and Lamar."

Cons: Designers are Hollywood darlings.

--Booth Moore

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Top photos left to right: A runway look from British designer Stella McCartney's Fall-Winter 2011/2012 women's collection. Credit: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters. A runway look from the Fall-Winter 2011/2012 Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen show presented in Paris. Credit: Francois Guillot/AFB/Getty Image.

Bottom photos left to right: David Beckham and his wife, Victoria, at the 2008 ESPY Awards in Los Angeles, July 16, 2008. Credit: Danny Moloshok/Reuters. Co-founder of Marchesa Georgina Chapman and producer Harvey Weinstein attend the exclusive fashion fundraiser "Suzanne Rogers Presents Marchesa" at The Carlu on April 5 in Toronto, Canada. Credit: George Pimentel/Getty Images.

Your Morning Fashion and Beauty Report: Royal weddings and scandals, reality star Kristin Cavallari

As this week's wedding of Britain's Prince William to Kate Middleton approaches, it is worth noting that, decades later, there is still debate over the most controversial royal romance of the 20th century: Britain's King Edward VIII abdicating the throne for the woman he loved, American divorcée Wallis Warfield Simpson, as the L.A. Times' Henry Chu explains in a story posted overnight. One thing not subject to debate: Wallis Simpson, later duchess of Windsor, was one of the most fashionable women of her era! She's to be the subject of two new books due out this year, as well as a film directed by Madonna.  [Los Angeles Times]

In Britain, they have royal weddings. In the U.S., we have reality stars and athletes:  Kristin Cavallari ("Laguna Beach," "The Hills") has become engaged to  Chicago Bears running back Jay Cutler. [People] She recently teamed up with footwear firm Shoe Dazzle to create a pair of floral-print wedges, the  "Bardot" -- 100% of the net profit will go to her charity One Kid One World. [contactmusic]

Fashion designer Victoria Beckham, along with her soccer-star husband, David, made the guest list for Prince William and Kate's nuptials on Friday. They'll be among, oh, about 1,900 royals, dignitaries, celebrities and friends attending the ceremony in Westminster Abbey. [People] 

Gwyneth Paltrow has been crazy busy of late, what with movies, a new singing career, appearances on "Glee." Add to the mix that she's just been named brand ambassador for Coach's 70th anniversary celebration, starting this fall. [WWD]

A new exhibit exploring Christian Dior, "Inspiration Dior," opens at Moscow's Pushkin Museum on Thursday. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Are you as perplexed as I am about clothing sizes? A 5 in one store is an 8 in another. And Chico's is out of step with everyone with its 0 to 4 -- 4 being large, not small. Help may be at hand. Some malls are installing a new body scanner from MyBestFit that scans your figure and spits out a list of what your size will be at various stores. [The Cut]

-- Susan Denley

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Photo: Wallis Warfield Simpson and the former King Edward VIII on their wedding day in 1937. Credit: Sotheby's

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Sell it like Beckham -- or Katy Perry -- for Adidas

Japanese Fashion Week, which was to take place next week, has been cancelled. For obvious reasons. [WWD] (suscription required)

On Wednesday, Adidas will launch the biggest marketing campaign in its history: a TV and movie theater commercial featuring a range of celebrities from sports, fashion and entertainment. They include soccer great David Beckham (of our own Galaxy), NBA star Derrick Rose and pop singer Katy Perry. [WWD]

Meanwhile, Beckham and wife, former-Spice-Girl-now-designer Victoria, announced their new child will be a girl ... joining three brothers. [People]

Emmanuelle Alt's first Vogue Paris cover features Giselle Bundchen looking beautifully Giselle-y. The only catch? The Dolce & Gabbana dress she's wearing has showed up on Spanish and German Vogue this season, too. [Telegraph] 

Supermodel Naomi Campbell, in conjunction with London shopping center Westfield, is opening a pop-up shop that will sell outfits from her Fashion for Relief shows and will include a Vivienne Westwood evening dress once worn by Campbell herself, along with a Tom Ford suit worn by comedian David Walliams. Profits will go to the Prince's Trust, benefitting 14-to-30-year-olds who need help to turn their lives around. [Telegraph]

Vineyard Vines, a brand that has been somewhat nautical, is creating a Kentucky Derby collection. [WWD]

The Phoenix Art Museum has acquired a couture collection once owned by Ann Bonfoey Taylor, who died in 2007 at age 96 and who spent a lifetime amassing Balenciaga, Charles James, Madame Grès and Givenchy, among others. About 200 pieces, including 60 ensembles, will be on display during the exhibit Fashion Independent, which runs through May 29. The bulk of the pieces date from the '50s to the '70s. [WWD]

Jenny from the block (JLo, of course) adds Spain-based jewelry label Tous to her growing endorsement roster. [StyleList]

Johnny Depp has been named the Hat Person of the Year by the Headwear Assn., whose mission is "to promote hat wearing and the headwear industry throughout the world and foster goodwill and fellowship among those engaged in the headwear industry." My only question: Have they met our hat-wearing scribe Adam Tschorn? [Cut]

I admit it: I am completely fascinated by Vogue creative director Grace Coddington. Even before she upstaged Anna Wintour in "The September Issue," her breathtaking work made us know she was a force among forces. She talks about what's inspiring her right now -- the structured menswear silhouettes at Dries Van Noten, punk-tinged touches at Balenciaga, the colorful looks at Miu Miu and Prada. [Vogue] 

-- Susan Denley

Photo: The Galaxy's David Beckham is among celebrities in Adidas' new ad campaign. Credit: Kent Horner / Getty Images 

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Mila Kunis, Jessica Simpson snag magazine covers, while Sports Illustrated's swimsuit 2011 issue's cover girl is Irina Shayk

Mila Kunis, fresh off her success in "Black Swan," seems to be everywhere. She's been one of the best-dressed at numerous awards shows, as the photograph here from the SAG Awards attests. And after a stunning cover for our own LA magazine this month, she's on the cover of the March issue of W, dressed in lingerie and feathers. [People] 

Jessica Simpson, right, is on the cover of New York, not because of her singing/reality star career but because her fashion empire is going like gangbusters, with sales expected to rise above a billion dollars -- or about the same in volume as Michael Kors. [People]

Russian model Irina Shayk is the 2011 Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover model. [StyleList]

Victoria Beckham, the Spice Girl-turned-fashion-designer, has been asked to send some pieces from her collection to princess-to-be Kate Middleton. Not for the wedding dress. Everything about that choice is still secret. But Kate is figuring out what (who?) to wear in the very public life she'll take on as a royal. [People] 

Retailers are seeming optimistic, and that may mean more interesting fashion choices for the rest of us. One indication: Buyers at the recent L.A. market for the fashion industry were stretching out of their comfort zones to pick up new lines and unique merchandise. [WWD] 

Emma Watson, at only 20, has been named a "style icon" by Elle magazine. [Telegraph]

I like Emma a lot, but I think Blake Lively has true icon status, now that Christian Louboutin has named a shoe after her. It's a colorful strappy heel. [Vogue UK]

Rumor has it that Demi Moore has dropped Rachel Zoe as her stylist in favor of Zoe's former assistant Brad Goreski. [New York Post]

WWD has relaunched its blog. 

 

--Susan Denley

Photos: Top, Mila Kunis. Credit: Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times. Right, Jessica Simpson. Credit: Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images for QVC 

Your morning fashion and beauty report: Kim Kardashian + Elizabeth Taylor on diamonds and more

 

This makes me dizzy. Kim Kardashian interviews Elizabeth Taylor in Harper's Bazaar and does a photo shoot dressed as Cleopatra, as portrayed memorably by Taylor in the 1963 film. The interview seems to focus a lot on the divine Liz's divine diamonds -- but trust me, the 33.19-carat Krupp diamond and the 69.42-carat Taylor-Burton diamond are worth talking about. They chat about other stuff too. The magazine hits newsstands Feb. 22.

Vera Wang launches White for David's Bridal on Feb. 11, and the gowns are everything you could want in a wedding confection. The prices -- $600 to $1,400 -- aren't bad either. [FabSugar]

Despite Internet rumors to the contrary, designer and former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham says she will not pose nude -- and pregnant -- for Vogue. [Telegraph]

Patti LaBelle, Dita Von Teese and Suzanne Somers were among the women modeling at Wednesday's Heart Truth Collection Red Dress Show. [StyleList]

Pantone has identified the top colors designers will be showing in their fall runway shows, previewed here Wednesday. The winners? Teal in the women's collections, cedar (kind of a greenish khaki) in the men's. [WWD]

Coco de Mer, home of erotic lingerie and toys, is closing its boutique on Melrose in Los Angeles, meaning there are sales just in time for Valentine's Day. [Mondette]   

Is the reign of boxers over? There's something new in men's underwear. Men are spending more on long-legged briefs. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

-- Susan Denley

Photos: Kim Kardashian, channeling La Liz as Cleopatra and as herself on the cover of Harper's Bazaar. Credit: Terry Richardson for Harper's Bazaar