Alice Ritter Tells Tales and Recommends Some Fashionable Reading

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

Jessica paid a visit to designer Alice Ritter as part of LOOKBOOKS.com‘s new feature, “Tales of the Atelier”:

Through the concrete and brick columned hall of the CFDA Incubator, past glass doors with names like Bibhu Mohapatra, House of Waris and Prabal Gurung etched upon them, sits a room on the end that houses the studio of a French expat with a beautiful concept. Alice Ritter works seemingly solitary in a tidy, brightly lit room with a towering cubic bookshelf, a sewing machine and inspiration all around. Her style rings from the authenticity of growing up in the late 70s in France, where Yves Saint Laurent was god and high power glossies were sacred. Having studied economics, she created a fashion lab within her home with her Brooklynite husband to pursue her true art of design. Poring over books and dissecting vintage clothing lead to her creating an aesthetic that is uniquely hers. 

Muppets Take The Runway!

Edited by Jessica Lapidos

Miss Piggy has been hogging the fashion spotlight for quite some time, but now it’s time for all the Muppets to step out in style. Have designers like Tom Ford, Rick Owens, Versace and Michael Kors been secretly inspired by the Muppet clan? We think so, because we found a whole ton of muppet doppelgängers on the runway. They took over Good Morning America this morning, and now they’re taking over FashionIndie. What with all this media, once they’re done saving their theater, maybe they can help save Fashion Week. 

Design Houses Discount for Housingworks

Edited by Jessica Lapidos

This weekend, the big guns are coming out for charity, and by guns we mean designers. Everyone from Marc by Marc Jacobs, Christian Dior, Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin, DVF, BCBG, Rebecca Taylor, Brooks Brothers, Tory Burch and many more are donating thousands of dollars worth of merchandise to the Housingworks Fashion For Action event this weekend. Rachel Roy and Thom Browne are hosting the event tonight which kicks off the sale. Oh yes, it’s a sale. Everything is ON SALE! It’s gonna be super ritzy, mad cheap, and all going to support the victims HIV & AIDS and the homeless. 

Liz Taylor’s Jewelry Up for Sale Online

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

Elizabeth Taylor‘s fabled, multi-million jewelry collection is being put up for sale in a three-day auction by Christies, but in addition, the legendary star’s baubles and bits will be available during a special online sale from December 3-17. 

Dior-Marc Jacobs Talks Falling Through

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

At the glacial pace Bernard Arnault and co. are moving to replace John Galliano at Christian Dior, the ousted designer will have time to finish rehab, mount a comeback, and muck it all up again in another drunken, anti-Semitic tirade. The luxury brand has been in talks with Marc Jacobs for months, which have been less than smooth, but now it seems that Jacobs and Dior might be calling it quits. 

Karlie Kloss Overjoyed After Discovering Victoria’s Secret

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

Having strutted her high-fashion stuff for every luxury brand from Dior — for which she opened several consecutive seasons — to Chanel and back, Karlie Kloss couldn’t contain her excitement at walking the Victoria’s Secret fashion show. Eschewing her usual runway ferocity, Karlie was all smiles — and the occasional guffaw — as she strutted to Kanye West‘s feral flow. Feral, because he’s clearly wearing Versace x H&M, with jaguars ensconced within its exuberant prints,  as opposed to his usual casual attire. Check out the gallery for more of Karlie’s joyful jaunt down the catwalk. 

Pat McGrath Shares Her Favorite Backstage Polaroids from Fashion Week

Edited by Amanda Gabriele

Famed makeup artist and Creative Advisor for Dolce & Gabbana The Make Up Pat McGrath has plenty of Fashion Week experience under her belt. With the Spring 2012 collection shows behind her, McGrath wants to share her backstage polaroids with the world. Not only can you see her brilliant makeup jobs on the industry’s top models, but these photos give you a glimpse of the most exclusive backstages in the fashion world. Click through for the gallery.

Vuitton to Launch Louis’ First Fragrance

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

For its premier perfume, Louis Vuitton has picked a nose that knows. Noted nose, perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud, has been tapped by the luxury brand to develop their first fragrance, reportedly using extracts from rare, nearly extinct, flowers. 

15 of Hal Rubenstein’s “100 Unforgettable Dresses”

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

InStyle‘s fashion director, Hal Rubenstein waxes iconic in his new book, 100 Unforgettable Dresses (Harper Design, 2011). From Rita Hayworth in Gilda to Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, Princess Diana to the Duchess of Cambridge, Grace Kelly to Grace Jones, Bob Mackie to Karl Lagerfeld, Rubenstein delves into fashion history and comes up with an informative and entertaining read. But what makes a dress unforgettable? Calvin Klein — one of several designers interviewed for the book —  put it best: “an unforgettable moment is the combination of the right dress on the right woman at the right time.” Click through for a sampling of some of the dresses that made the list.*

Dior Beauty is Hosting a Garden Party for Spring 2012

Edited by Amanda Gabriele

Spring is already in full bloom over at Christian Dior Beauty, where everything is coming up roses. We’re absolutely drooling over Garden Party‘s luminous Spring 2012 hues and incredibly gorgeous packaging. If you don’t find a palette from this collection to suit your beauty needs, good luck on your search for colors more lovely.