Comprised of five fragrances, each a different bloom from the original illustration, the Flora Collection is as youthful and contemporary as it is classic. “Creating The Flora Garden collection allowed me to express the depth of emotions of every woman,” Giannini said. “Each fragrance is distinct, yet together all the scents embody the beauty and allure of this muse.”

We have fallen in love with these beautiful fragrances, and you will too. There is one for your every mood.

The Flora Garden Collection, from left: Gorgeous Gardenia, Glamorous Magnolia, Gracious Tuberose, Generous Violet and Glorious Mandarin

The iconic Flora print, designed for Princess Grace Kelly

Casiraghi was shot by legendary lensman Peter Lindbergh, the first of four photogs who will capture the princess for Gucci’s Forever Now campaign over the next two years.

Of Casiraghi, Gucci creative director Frida Giannini had this to say: ”She not only embodies the beauty and the grace of the equestrian, but is also a wonderful ambassador for the sport. While designing her riding wardrobe, I have gained an appreciation for her innate ability to combine family traditions with a uniquely modern attitude… Charlotte brings the spirit of Gucci to life so elegantly.” [Telegraph]

Elegance in a hay stack. Oh well. Check out the behind-the-scenes video for more from this shoot:

The Jazz Age was in full swing at Etro where the Italian label’s namesake paisley print was barely recognizable. Veronica Etro turned to futuristic artist Fortunato Depero for Art Deco prints screaming with vivacity. The Chrysler Building even made an appearance.

Photos from Style.com

Models on Todd Lynn's Spring 2012 runway / Style.com

According to Carole White, founder of Premier Model Management and not the biggest Naomi Campbell fan, ”We’re not just talking about one or two big girls. Jacobs had numerous models holding on options right up until the day of his show meaning they all stayed in New York just in case they got cast.”

White goes on to say, ”Gucci demanded that girls fly to Milan on Saturday to meet Frida to see if she would consider them for her show, which meant Saturday got trashed. Then the girls were expected to fly straight back to London, and if Gucci were interested, fly back to Milan again on Sunday for another round of casting, then for fittings on Monday. Only a tiny fraction of them realistically have a shot at being in that show — we all know it will be full of mega girls. I find it insulting that a designer like Frida thinks London is so insignificant that she would do that.”

For agents and models alike, Gucci and Jacobs are major gets, but that leaves the already packed London schedule of designers feeling like fashion’s bastard step-children. A source at Todd Lynn claims to have “lost 10 out of 19 girls,” with agents calling them in the middle of the night to pull their girls and some models not even showing up for fittings because they’ve flown off to Milan.

Also not helping matters is LOVE magazine editor Katie Grand — damn you Katie Grand — who styled for Jacobs and also styled for the London-based designer Giles Deacon. Grand demanded a five-hour call time — which one “fashion insider” calls ”unnecessary, absurd, selfish and wrong,” citing Paris’ strict two-hour limit — thus monopolizing any girls left in town after Burberry.

Amidst fears that London Fashion Week may be squeezed out all together, the British Fashion Council is beginning to feel the heat. The BFC is being accused of mismanaging the show calendar and for not standing up to the organizers behind the  New York and Milan fashion weeks.

Meanwhile, CEO of the BFC, Caroline Rush, insists that something is being done. She’s not particularly clear what that something is, but the Council has “invested time in developing direct relationships with model agencies to better understand their challenges and encourage them to send more internationally-recognised catwalk models to London. This season, the models at designers such as Jonathan Saunders, Erdem, Christopher Kane and Tom Ford have been of a global standard.”

Well, for those handful of shows, good for you. But for everyone else suffering at the model-grabbing claws of New York and Milan: damn you, Caroline Rush. [Telegraph]

Models on Todd Lynn's Spring 2012 runway / Style.com

Thank you. Madge looks the best I’ve seen her in 102 years in this Vionnet gown, but the real kicker are the giant, completely unnecessary but nonetheless perfect sunglasses studded with red crystals. While Madonna looks great, the advanced buzz for W.E. is…god awful. Swept Away 2: On the Shores of Failure.

Franco is judging you right now, ladies. Sexily.

And the nominees are: director of photography Caroline Champetier for Of Gods and Men; Jessica Chastain, star of Terrence Malick‘s The Tree of Life; screenwriter Federica Pontremoli for Habemus Papam; Nansun Shi, the producer behind Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame; and producer/director of Attenberg, Athina Tsangari.

The winner will be chosen September 2 by Franco, Gucci creative director Frida Giannini and occasional actress Robin Wright formerly Penn. [WWD]

GRAMMY Collection - Designed to celebrate the three-year partnership between Gucci and The Recording Academy , these gorgeous watches and dog tags will be seen on countless recording artists. Gucci Timepieces & Jewelry is the first partner to help the GRAMMY Museum support the preservation of a recently discovered, historical Muzak archive including more than 20,000 never-released master recordings of American music dating back to 1934.

1921 Watch Collection - Designed by Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini and housed under the Coupé collection, this iconic designs fuse classic and contemporary. The sophisticated square shape of the timepiece references the aesthetics of the 1920s while creating a modern look. With four designs for women and two for men, these classic pieces will last a style lifetime.

Bamboo Silver Collection – Gucci originally introduced Bamboo in the 1940s as an innovative solution to the lack of raw materials during World War II, and it has become one of the brand’s most distinctive icons. Today, the sterling silver collection features handcrafted bamboo wood ‘stones’ that adorn necklaces, earrings, rings and bracelets. Up close, this fusion of contemporary and classic is truly spectacular.

Diamantissima Collection – This collection is at the heart of the Gucci archives, featuring an exclusive fabric design tied to the brand’s storied legacy – its distinctive crisscross pattern was the original signature print of the Florentine House. The elegant and subtle design has now been incorporated into an 18kt gold jewelry line featuring rings, earrings, bracelets and a modern interpretation of the lariat necklace. Simple with a luxurious twist, you will never want to go without these intricate pieces.

Horsebit Collection – Now a symbol of Gucci’s glamour, the Horsebit first gained prestige in 1953 when it adorned Gucci’s classic loafer, recalling
the horse-riding world of the aristocracy and high society in Florence. Unexpected combinations of colors, such as black onyx, black diamonds on black synthetic corundum secured by 18kt pink gold Horsebit links, offer glamorous reinterpretations of the Horsebit icon. Extremely glamorous and chic, this collection is definitely a favorite.

For more information about these Gucci Timepieces & Jewelry collections, tweet at me @CrystlMeatballs.

1. Princess Diana – Diana Spencer

Title: Princess of Wales
Prince Charming: Friend, confidante and designer of choice, Gianni Versace, particularly since Prince Charles proved more frog than prince.

2. Princess Grace – Grace Kelly

Title: Princess of Monaco
Prince Charming: Longtime BFF, Josephine Baker, whom she met in 1951 after standing up for Baker against The Stork Club’s racist practices

3. Princess Jasmine – from Disney‘s Aladdin

Title: Princess of Agrabah
Prince Charming: Street urchin turned Prince Ali, Fabulous He Ali Ababwa

4. Princess Ann – Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday (1953)

Title: N/A
Prince Charming: Co-star Gregory Peck and Hubert de Givenchy whom she wore to accept her Best Actress Oscar for her performance

5. Princess Charlotte – Charlotte Casiraghi

Title: Princess of Monaco (she’s Princess Grace’s granddaughter)
Prince Charming: Gucci’s Frida Giannini who exclusively designs Princess Charlotte’s equestrian wardrobe.

6. Princess Sirivannavari – Sirivannavari Nariratana

Title: Princess of Thailand
Prince Charming: Fashion. She’s designs her own fashion line and is a regular at Jean Paul Gaultier‘s shows.

7. Miss Chi Chi Rodriguez – John Leguizamo in To Wong Foo

Title: Drag Princess, “P to the R to the In to the Cess”
Prince Charming: Julie Newmar, who crowns the princess a queen while wearing a Mugler catsuit.

8. Princess Leila – Leila Pahlavi

Title: Princess of Iran
Prince Charming: Barbiturates. A former Valentino model, Leila had her share of demons including anorexia, depression and drug abuse, which ultimately claimed her life.

9. Mia Thermopolis – Anne Hathaway in The Princess Diaries

Title: Princess of Genovia
Prince Charming: Julie Andrews, whose spoonful of sugar helped make the royal medicine go down as Mia’s grandmother, Queen Clarisse.

10. Princess Catherine – Kate Middleton

Title: The Duchess of Cambridge, Her Royal Highness Princess William of Wales
Prince Charming: Sarah Burton, whose Alexander McQueen wedding gown propelled Kate from lady to Lady.

Lopez was inspired by Gucci designer Frida Giannini‘s work with UNICEF and made a donation to honor the launch of the children’s collection.

LINK LOVE: Just Jared

As Gucci prepares to the open the London branch of its Icon-Temporary shop (the other lucky cities being New York and Milan), its creative director Frida Giannini also takes the opportunity to launch a new trainer collection in collaboration with musician and producer Mark Ronson.

Read the interview on Dazed Digital

Gucci presents its latest addition to the fragrance world with James Franco as its main man. Gucci By Gucci Sport is meant to immerse you in that “sporty state of mind”. The fragrance will be sold in early April. But in the mean time, Mr. Franco’s “masculine air”, according to creative director Frida Giannini, will keep everyone on the edge of their seats.

LINK LOVE: WWD

Find more photos like this on ENVY. THE FASHION NETWORK

LINK LOVE: GQ

The launch of GUCCI ICON-TEMPORARY, a flash sneaker store that will travel the world beginning in October 2009 with its first stop in
New York City on 43 Crosby Street. Frida Giannini has collaborated with Mark Ronson on a limited collection of sneakers.

The opening was last week and boy were there tons of celebs, including: Mary J. Blige, Claire Danes (so cute and tiny in person), Wyclef Jean, Evan Rachel Wood, Mischa Barton, Poppy Delevingne, Leigh Lezark (this girl can totally rock 5 inch heels), Agyness Deyn, Alexander Wang, Julia Restoin Roitfeld, Alex Skarsgard (True Blood fame) and many many more. Red velvet cupcakes and turtle cheesecake was served along with white only wine and champagne.

Images via Fashionista101

Gucci has announced the launch of the Gucci App for iPhone and iPod touch, which is now available from the App Store.

The app synthesizes the worlds of fashion, technology and music offering Gucci enthusiasts access to exclusive Gucci products, unique playlists, videos, fashion shows, news, events, latest collections, store listings and the ability to mix their own music.

The rich content on the app was developed specifically with the profile of the Gucci loyalist in mind and delivers a new way to experience the varied world of the Gucci lifestyle. The launch of the Gucci App has been timed to coincide with the itinerant GUCCI ICON-TEMPORARY project, a travelling sneaker store that opens on October 24th at 43 Crosby Street in New York, before moving to Miami on December 1st, and then to London and Tokyo in Spring 2010.

Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini collaborated with award-winning musical artist and producer Mark Ronson on key features of the app including:
* The Gucci Ronson Sneaker: Giannini and Ronson have designed a collection of limited edition sneakers in conjunction with the GUCCI ICON-TEMPORARY travelling sneaker store project. For each city opening in the US, one special Gucci Ronson model has been reserved exclusively for the Gucci App. Only iPhone and iPod touch users can view these coveted models, and only they have the ability to purchase it.
* Gucci Beats: One of the most progressive features of the Gucci App allows users to mix their own music tracks on a virtual turntable. Ronson has provided loops that can be individually manipulated by layering on various beats, sound types, drums, bass and vocals. Users are given DJ-like creative and technical capabilities on their iPhone or iPod touch and can save and share their original tracks with friends via email or Facebook.
* Frida and Mark’s Playlists: Both Giannini and Ronson have created their own personal playlists for the Gucci App, which can be downloaded directly from the iTunes Store. A well-documented music lover, Giannini has included a mix of tracks currently inspiring her fashion collections.
“Apps are the new virtual accessory, so I approached the design of Gucci’s first app in the same way I do with a bag or shoe from my collections,” said Frida Giannini, Gucci’s Creative Director. “I looked to provide the essence of the Gucci lifestyle experience in a way that takes full advantage of the technological capabilities of the revolutionary iPhone and iPod touch. Of course Mark Ronson’s contribution ensures that the Gucci App is truly unique.”

In honor of the film, Gucci creative director Frida Giannini has designed a special, limited edition t-shirt in which proceeds will benefit Arthus-Bertrand’s non-profit organization, Goodplanet.org. Consider this a donation with a reward! These t-shirts, crafted from 100% organic cotton and natural dyes combine the Gucci and HOME names to promote awareness for all of the nations featured in the film. A HOME logo tote-bag accompanies each t-shirt. 

Starting May 25th, these t-shirts, available in both men’s and women’s sizes for 140 Euros (about $185), will be sold  at select Gucci stores worldwide. Who knew promoting environmental awareness could look so good?

Tom who? Frida Giannini delivered a spectacular collection for Gucci that I think even Tom Ford would be a bit jealous of. The collection is probably my favorite so far from Milan Fashion Week, and the collection features some absolutely perfect suits. The cuts are slim and the micro prints on a bunch of them make the suit look incredible. The use of metallics, leather and other significantly textured materials really created a great look on the runway. Two thumbs up from me!

Gallery: RUNWAY RUNDOWN: Gucci Fall 2009 Collection

Courtesy of: Men’s Stlye