Miranda Kerr, Candice Swanepoel model new Victoria's Secret swimwear

Victoria's Secret Angels Miranda Kerr and Candice Swanepoel visited the Thompson Hotel in Beverly Hills Thursday to celebrate the launch of the brand's new swimwear collection. Kerr circled the pool in a hot pink bikini with white crochet cover up while Swanepoel lounged in a neon turquise two piece and a nude cover-up.

The new collection features more than 375 styles, including bright neon colors, vibrant prints and a variety of fits such as the halter, bandeau and classic triangle bikini. Victoria's Secret also launched the Gorgeous Swim collection, inspired by the fit of the Gorgeous bra.

"The swimsuit gives you a little bit of an extra lift," said Kerr as she held up a neon yellow and white flower-embellished Gorgeous push-up halter top. "It's been a really big bestseller so that's why we turned it into a swimsuit."

Victoria's Secret also launched a bikini mixer tool on its website that allows users to mix and match  styles, colors and patterns for a custom swimsuit.

"The swimwear was inspired by Brazil so there are a lot of beautiful colors, neons, embellishments and there really is a style for everyone no matter your size, your skin tone, if you're more flirty -- there really is something for everyone," said Kerr, who also mentioned that her favorite cut was the bandeau top.

The suits went on sale Wednesday.

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-- Jenn Harris
twitter.com/jenn_harris

Photo: Victoria's Secret Angels Candice Swanepoel and Miranda Kerr launch the 2012 swim collection at the Thompson Hotel on Thursday in Beverly Hills. Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez / Getty Images.

Fashion News: PETA hates on Janet Jackson, Kim Kardashian

PETA has named Janet Jackson Grinch of the Year for wearing fur, saying in a statement: "When Janet Jackson had her infamous wardrobe malfunction during the Super Bowl, at least the flesh that popped into view was her own -- unlike the stolen animal skins she drapes herself with, which are as dead as her taste in fashion." The organization also came down on Kim Kardashian for wearing fur and on filmmaker Cameron Crowe for using animal actors in "We Bought a Zoo." [PETA Files]

Rumor du jour: Kanye West reportedly will move to London to pursue his fashion career -- despite his first collection being cooly received in Paris this year. [Fashionista]

Hard to believe, but when model Alessandra Ambrosio walked, scantily clad, in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show last month (at left) she was two months pregnant. [Fashionista]

One more way the Duchess of Cambridge has rocked the world: Reiss, one of her favorite stores, reported a near-doubling of its profits this year. Of course, company officials point to other factors, such as tighter cost controls. But after the duchess -- then Kate Middleton -- wore a white Reiss dress for her official engagement portrait in January, the company's website crashed amid an onslaught of orders. [Telegraph]

A poll by British chain Superdrug found that Kate and sister Pippa Middleton ranked No. 1 and No. 2 respectively as beauty icons of the year. [Daily Mail]

Brad Goreski, formerly Rachel Zoe's assistant, has been named brand stylist for Kate Spade New York. And his new show, "It's a Brad, Brad World," is slated to debut Monday on Bravo. [WWD]

Sephora plans to open about a dozen stores in Latin America in the next year to take advantage of the region's growing beauty market. [WWD] (subscription required)

A study by a Queensland University of Technology professor showed that shoppers who are touched, even lightly, by others in the crowd spend less time in stores and develop negative feelings about the brands. So my question is: then why is Black Friday so popular? The prices may draw people in, but the crowds will drive them away. [Atlantic]  

Blushington, the new makeup bar, is all booked up for New Year's Eve. [Racked]

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Photo: A two-months-pregnant Alessandra Ambrosio in last month's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. Credit: Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

Fashion news: Golden Globes, Tim Tebow, Victoria's Secret

Golden Globe nominations were announced this morning, and some of Hollywood's most fashionable women are on the list. Among them: Tilda Swinton, Charlize Theron, Kate Winslet, Michelle Williams, Viola Davis and Jessica Chastain. [L.A. Times]

Are the French being contrarians?

Sometimes the forces behind fashion month scheduling in New York, London, Milan and Paris can work out their schedules in a warm and fuzzy way. Sometimes they can't. Now, according to Fashionista (and Women's Wear Daily), France's Chambre Syndicale "dropped a bomb that essentially pits New York against the rest of the fashion world."

It's complicated. The hoped-for resolution involves the coordination of various timetables so editors can see everything (or almost everything) without having to race to the airport and cut a visit short. The Chambre Syndicale was asked to delay the start of its September 2012 shows a day.

"All the cities -- Paris included -- had to agree," Fashionista reported. "Well, Paris doesn't agree."

Sometimes fashion isn't pretty. [WWD, subscription required]

Women's Wear Daily has declared Tim Tebow to be its "man of the week," although if you read the fine print, it says the Denver Broncos quarterback "needs to repent for his fashion sins." Then there's this: "The Easter Bunny pastel blue blazer does nothing to enhance his upper torso -- or his masculinity." [WWD, subscription required]

If you care about Victoria's Secret (and we know you do) and fair trade (double that caring), you might find this item from New York magazine potentially shocking:

A new report by Bloomberg News shows that cotton used in Victoria's Secret underwear — described on labels as "fair trade" and "Good for women. Good for the children who depend on them" — was actually picked by abused, unpaid children in Burkina Faso. While it's unclear if Victoria's Secret actually knew that their cotton suppliers weren't meeting labor standards, many plantations in the country are known to exploit underage workers. VS claims that they never saw a study published in 2008 by one of their partners ... suggesting that thousands of children ... were forced to work on the fair-trade farms in the area.

Doesn't sound very angelic, does it? [The Cut]

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Fashion news: Victoria's Secret fashion show models strut

-- Alice Short

Photo: Charlize Theron arrives for the premiere of the film "Young Adult" in New York: Credit: Carlo Allegri / Reuters

Fashion News: Victoria's Secret fashion show models strut

The annual Victoria's Secret fashion show hit the airwaves on CBS Tuesday night, with Miranda Kerr showing off the $2.5-million fantasy bra (above), Jay-Z making an appearance and 37 other models walking the runway in lingerie. Most of us will never look as good in as few clothes as Miranda and Doutzen Kroes, who is posing at right. But you can at least copy their hair and makeup, with tips from the show's makeup artist, Tom Pecheux. [Us Weekly] [Beauty High]

Because the show was actually taped a couple of weeks ago, Kerr and the fantasy bra were able to make an appearance on Tuesday at the Victoria's Secret at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa. [Orange County Register]

The dress Amy Winehouse wore on her "Back to Black" album cover sold at auction in Britain on Tuesday for four times more than had been expected. The dress fetched the equivalent of about $63,000, which is to go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, a charity that aids young people. The buyer was Fundacion Museo De La Moda, a fashion museum in Chile. [Telegraph] 

H&M's collaboration with Trish Summerville, the costume designer on the soon-to-be-released "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo," is scheduled to go on sale Dec. 14. Computer-hacker clothes befitting title character Lisbeth Salander are a big change of pace from H&M's recent Versace collection. [The Cut]

Meanwhile, H&M announced Tuesday that it will team with Italian design label Marni on a 260-piece collection for men and women, scheduled to go on sale in March. [Los Angeles Times]

The "Hunger Games" nail polish we blogged about recently looks like a non-starter. It seems that as soon as word of the collaboration started to spread, polish company China Glaze and film studio Lionsgate got into a dispute and are heading to court after China Glaze's parent company filed a breach-of-contract suit against Lionsgate. [Racked] 

Shoplifting is reportedly up 10% over last year, and it seems as though the thieves may be as interested in looking good as they are in getting something for nothing. A list AdWeek put together of the top 10 items most in danger of being lifted includes Axe body wash and deodorant, shaving products, clothes from Polo by Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, perfume and athletic shoes. [AdWeek]

Dior marked two firsts this week: It opened its first pop-up shop and unveiled its first artist collaboration. The pop-up will be open for about 13 days in the heart of Miami, Florida's Fashion District. And it contains the fruits of the collaboration, stocked full of accessories by German artist Anselm Reyle. [WWD]

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-- Susan Denley

Upper photo:  Miranda Kerr models the $2.5-million Victoria's Secret fantasy bra. Credit: Brad Barket / Associated Press

Lower photo: Doutzen Kroes strikes a pose at the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show. Credit: Brad Barket /Associated Press

Fashion News: Angels walk runway in Victoria's Secret Fashion Show

Victoria's Secret's $12 million annual fashion show took place in New York on Wednesday night (we'll get to see it when it airs on CBS on Nov. 29), and it featured, well, lots of fantasy lingerie no real woman will ever wear. Like the gold-plated wings worn by Alessandra Ambrosio that were decorated with 105,000 Swarovski crystals and that weighed 22 pounds, or the $2.5 million, jewel-encrusted bra shown off by Miranda Kerr, at left. (Husband Orlando Bloom cheered her on from the front row). The event featured music from Maroon 5, Kanye West and surprise guest Jay Z. [Telegraph]

Marc Jacobs is no longer seen as a shoo-in to replace John Galliano as Christian Dior creative director. Jacobs had been the hottest contender, with negotiations going on since summer. But Louis Vuitton, where Jacobs currently is creative director, reportedly balked at losing the star designer -- and Dior reportedly thought Jacobs wanted too much money. Now WWD reports LVMH -- which owns both houses -- is discreetly looking around at other design talent. [WWD] (Subscription required.) [The Cut]

A picture that's surfaced on the Fashion Spot shows Kim Kardashian on the cover of December's Marie Claire, wearing her wedding ring. But the cover type reads "What Went on in Her Crazy Marriage," indicating either that the magazine editors knew the marriage was doomed weeks ago -- when they would have had to go to press -- or they made an impressive last-minute save.[Fashionista]

Katie Holmes took modeling classes in her teens, and she returned to her modeling roots recently, posing in an ad campaign for jeweler H. Stern. She looks stunning in the jewels; you can see why the mere thought of her would make Tom Cruise jump up and down on furniture. [Daily Mail]

Funeral services were held in Paris on Thursday for Loulou de la Falaise, Yves Saint Laurent's muse and creative collaborator, who is on the right in the photo above. She died Saturday at age 63 or 64 (reports vary) after an undisclosed illness that sources say was cancer. [WWD]

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen are on the cover of Vogue's "Best Dressed" issue, an annual supplement. This year's theme is "Dynamic Duos" -- like the Olsens, the Middletons, the Fannings and the Knowles sisters. [The Cut]

Pieces purported to be from the Versace for H&M line have popped up on eBay, even before the line has gone on sale.  [The Cut]

 --Susan Denley

Photos: Top, the scene on the Victoria's Secret runway on Wednesday night. Middle, Miranda Kerr models the $2.5 million bra. Both photos by Brad Barkett / Associated Press photos.

Bottom, Loulou de la Falaise, who died Saturday, is shown at right, with model-muse Betty Catroux and designer Yves Saint Laurent in September 1969. Associated Press photo

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Fashion News: 'Twilight' stars wear the right shoes for Grauman's ceremony

The "Twilight Trio" -- that would be Kristen Stewart Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner -- got their foot and hand prints immortalized in cement in a ceremony Thursday at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Stewart wore Brian Atwood high-heeled pumps for the red carpet, but -- prudent lady -- she slipped into checkered Vans for the footprint. The guys seemed to have the right shoes from the get-go. [Los Angeles Times]

U.S News & World Report took a look at 20 top diets to determine which is the healthiest, and coming out No. 1 was the DASH diet. More formally, the eating program is called Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and it earned points for being nutritionally sound and including lots of produce. But it was only No. 8 on the list as far as weight loss. In that category, Weight Watchers placed first. [U.S. News & World Report]  

It's tough being a Victoria's Secret angel. Wearing that jeweled underwear can be a pain -- literally -- as former angel Selita Ebanks revealed a few months back. And as far as a personal life goes ... well, the most beautiful women in the world find it hard to date. So says Candice Swanepoel: "When people meet you it's hard to look past our job, what we look like. They are always trying to impress you, you know, like 'come to my mansion blah blah blah.'"  Yeah, sounds like a problem. [StyleList]

Meanwhile, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley says she's not walking in this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (which films Wednesday  and is scheduled to air on CBS on Nov. 29). Too busy working on other things to be an angel this year. [InStyle]

I was laughing so hard at Thursday's episode of "South Park" -- which poked fun at targets including Occupy Wall Street,  the tea party, class warfare, racial divisions and more -- that I didn't realize that Cartman's "Muscle Man Marc" doll was modeled on designer Marc Jacobs. Right down to the Clyde the Frog tattoo. Thanks to The Cut for pointing this out!  

Designer Geren Ford has opened new headquarters, the Annex, in Hollywood, including her first-ever retail space. It's open by appointment only, and one can be made by email. The space is warehouse-y, workshop-y and should be fun. [PopSugar LA]

Former British Vogue creative director Robin Derrick has been hired to assist Harper's Bazaar make itself over. The results are to be revealed in the March 2012 issue. [WWD]

Designer Tom Ford made a personal appearance at Bergdorf Goodman's in NYC to promote his new makeup line, and reportedly sold $52,000 of the stuff to eager customers. [WWD] (Subscription required)

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-- Susan Denley

Photo: Kristen Stewart is flanked by Robert Pattinson, left, and Taylor Lautner as the "Twilight" stars  are honored Thursday at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. Credit: Valerie Macon / AFP/Getty Images

Fashion News: Victoria's Secret model says ouch to diamonds

Think diamond-encrusted lingerie seems glamorous? Not so, says Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks, who wore the label's $4.5-million jeweled panties and bra down the runway. "Diamonds hurt," she says. She looks more comfortable here, at the Hollywood premiere of "Larry Crowne." [Huffington Post]

Fresh off its blockbuster Alexander McQueen exhibit, the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute in New York City has selected two of the most influential women in fashion, Miuccia Prada and the late Elsa Schiaparelli, for next year's exhibit. [Telegraph] 

American Apparel has launched a search for women to model its new XL offerings. "We're looking for fresh faces (and curvaceous bods) to fill these babies out. If you think you've got what it takes to be the next XLent model, send us photos of you," the brand's website says. XL translates to around size 12-14. [Jezebel]

For Fashion's Night Out, the shopping and entertainment extravaganza planned for Sept. 8, the cast of "Glee" has performed in a video cover of David Bowie's "Fashion." They sing and dance dressed in high-style duds -- and FNO T-shirts. My favorite moment comes at the end: cut to coach Sue Sylvester (aka Jane Lynch), with a megaphone. "Now get out and shop," she barks. [Telegraph]

Australian model Ollie Henderson talked to The Cut, and among other things she revealed her motto, which struck me as good words to live by: "One: The answer in life is yes because yes is more exciting and gets you places," she said. "And two: What would you do if you weren't afraid?" [The Cut]

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Selita Ebanks, looking more comfortable in her dress at the "Larry Crowne" premiere in Hollywood than she was modeling jewel-encrusted underwear for Victoria's Secret. Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images

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Angel Candice Swanepoel introduces Victoria's Secret's 'Sheer Love' in L.A.

Victoria’s Secret dropped another bombshell in Los Angeles on Tuesday. This time, in the form of its South African-born, Portuguese-speaking angel Candice Swanepoel, who was dining at Chateau Marmont after a hectic day of promoting Victoria’s Secret's newest Fantasies beauty collection, “Sheer Love.”
 
“I had many fantasies growing up,” Swanepoel said, “Not all of them that you would like to know.”  She did reveal that she has always “secretly” wanted to be a fashion stylist. “I style myself,” she said. “I love fashion, I love to play with different stuff and I really think it shows your personality so I think if someone else chooses it for you it's different … and there’s something exciting about choosing something and not knowing what people's reactions will be.”

People's reactions usually work very much in her favor.  For her morning press shoot, she donned a strapless floral Balenciaga dress, and later she dined at the Chateau in a strapless, form-fitting pencil dress by Victoria Beckham.  “Beckham’s dresses just fit me perfectly,” she said.

There are other secrets to being camera ready that Swanepoel shared, such as starting off with a very strong moisturizer so that your skin can compete with all the dry makeup applied throughout the day, and drinking lots of water.   But how she feels is just as important  as the lotions and the creams for Swanepoel, which is why she has a soundtrack for getting ready in the morning. “I love music. I have a lot of reggae. For me, in the morning it's important to have something upbeat, like Coldplay or Bob Marley,” she said.

The newly engaged Kristin Cavallari was also there to celebrate -- dressed in a teeny-tiny, strapless Naven gown.

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Photos:  Candice Swanepoel, left, and Kristin Cavallari at the Chateau Marmont dinner celebrating the Victoria's Secret "Sheer Love" launch.  Credit: Charley Gallay / Getty Images 

The Angels return to L.A. for a Victoria's Secret Sexy party

What happens when the Angels come back to town as part of a nationwide tour to launch new products from the Victoria’s Secret Bombshell line? On Thursday, guests at the Beverly in West Hollywood found out when Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel, Miranda Kerr, Alessandra Ambrosio and Erin Heatherton joined the crowd at the sixth annual What is Sexy? List: Bombshell edition party.
 
The official Victoria’s Secret What is Sexy list, announced on Wednesday, deemed Emma Stone as "sexiest actress" and Sofia Vergara as having the "sexiest curves" among a host of other categories such as "sexiest songstress," bestowed on Rihanna, and the "sexiest chef" title given to Giada De Laurentiis.
 
Lima, dressed in Dolce & Gabbana, said she is enamored by our city. “Everything about L.A. is sexy, the city, the people, the food, the sun, the beach … all of it.” She added that she was looking forward to the party that was spun by New Yorker DJ Jus Ske in the new Bolthouse nightspot.
 
Other attendees included: Ryan Phillippe, Kellan Lutz, Jason Bentley, Paris Hilton, Nicky Hilton and Benji Madden.

-- Raha Lewis

Photo: Miranda Kerr, left, Erin Heatherton, Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel and Alessandra Ambrosio. Photo: Toby Canham  /Getty Images

Your Morning Fashion and Beauty Report: Dukan diet might be helping Kate Middleton lose weight before the big day and Miranda Kerr is already back in bikini shape

-- The Dukan diet, popular in France and with celebrities reportedly including Gisele Bundchen, Jennifer Lopez and, possibly, Kate Middleton (OK, the latter is just speculation on some people's parts because her mother is on it, but it seems as plausible as a lot of other wedding speculation), is due to hit the U.S. with the publication next week of "The Dukan Diet," by Dr. Pierre Dukan, a French physician. How does it work? Kind of similar to Atkins, heavy on protein, restrictive with carbs. But hey, this is a French diet, so it does allow a little wine. Sign me up. (But I think Kate looks perfectly fine without dieting.) [FitSugar] [The Star]

-- Some things just aren't fair: Model Miranda Kerr had a baby in January (with husband Orlando Bloom), and this week she was snapped posing in a bikini in Malibu for a Victoria's Secret campaign. [StyleList]

-- Taking a different tack, curvaceous TV chef Nigella Lawson hit the beach in Sydney, Australia, wearing a burkini ... kind of a hooded jumpsuit made for swimming and usually worn by Islamic women to protect their modesty. Lawson wore it to protect her creamy complexion. But I have to say it would be useful for any celebrity trying to avoid paparazzi bikini shots. [Telegraph] 

-- Work by renowned fashion illustrator Rene Gruau, who died in 2004, is going up for auction at Christie's in London. [Telegraph]

-- Chloe Malle, the 25-year-old daughter of Candice Bergen and the late director Louis Malle, has been named social editor at Vogue. [WWD]

-- "Hussein Chalayan by Hussein Chalayan," a book that delves into the work of the experimental British fashion designer, is due to be published in July by Rizzoli. Chalayan's work has made a splash in the worlds of fashion and art and has been the subject exhibitions in museums and galleries around the world, including five solo shows in London, the Netherlands, Tokyo, Istanbul and Paris. He has been named British Designer of the Year twice. And he is only 46. [Telegraph] 

-- Cynthia Steffe is expanding its new Seamline Cynthia Steffe collection of contemporary dresses for fall. Seamline is priced below the main Steffe line. [WWD] (subscription required)

Wedding roundup:

-- Vera Wang has unveiled her new bridesmaids' line for David's Bridal, which will ship to stores in late June. [WWD] (subscription required)

-- Priscilla of Boston is adding a new line by Marchesa, Eterna by Marchesa, starting this fall. [WWD] (subscription required) 

-- Los Angeles has some gorgeous places to take wedding photos, and PopSugar suggests several including the Disney Concert Hall, the Venice Canals, Echo Park Lake and others. [PopSugar L.A.]

-- Susan Denley

 Photo: Kate Middleton, whose mum is on the Dukan diet. Is she? Credit: Indigo / Getty Images