“I don’t think it will really sink in until tonight when my girlfriend and I get home,” Laricks told WWD. “We will probably order in a pizza and go through all the e-mails. I can’t wait to see all the messages on Facebook and Twitter.”

H&M will carry Laricks’ 10-piece capsule collection online and in 101 of its stores in the US while Macy’s says online sales are already ahead of schedule and Laricks’ line will be available in over 100 of its locations. Saks for its part is “very pleased” with early sell-throughs of the collection.

Laricks taped the finale last summer and had to keep mum on the outcome since then. Before her big win, she was a teacher for ten years and maintains that the best part about winning are the reactions she gets from former students: “Most of them say, ‘Wow, Miss Laricks — wow!’ That makes up for all the times they told me I had crazy hair in class.” [WWD, sub req'd]

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- Martha Stewart giving Veronica Lake realness, courtesy of the late makeup maestro Kevyn Aucoin. [Tumblr via Paper]

- In what has to be regarded as one of the greatest — and most inexplicable — comebacks in recent memory, Jennifer Lopez tops the Forbes annual Celebrity 100 list for the first time, unseating Lady Gaga who falls to a respectable fifth place behind perennial power player Oprah, and fellow poptarts Justin Bieber and Rihanna. [Forbes]

- H&M‘s opening up a two-story, 21,000-square-foot store in The Shops at Columbus Circle this fall, the 1000th H&M in a ten-block radius and the first in Manhattan with a dedicated entrance to the men’s department. [WWD, sub req'd]

- Model, fictional stripper and occasional singer Agyness Deyn will next be seen on-screen in an adaptation of the Scottish novel, Sunset Song directed by acclaimed filmmaker Terrence Davies. [Vogue UK]

- Amanda Lepore pretended to be an ordinary citizen for a few minutes by standing in line at the Chrisitan Louboutin sample sale. Then, remembering that she’s Amanda Fucking Lepore, she sashayed to the front of the line, bypassing self-proclaimed Basketball Wives, and shopped to her sole’s satisfaction. [The Cut]

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Abbey Lee Kershaw - member of Our Mountain Kershaw plays tambourine in Our Mountain and allegedly also contributes keys and vocals. The band released theirdebut single "Wooden Hearts" in 2011 and appeared in Pierre Balmain's spring 2012 fashion film directed by Inez and Vinoodh.

Agyness Deyn - featured on "Who" by Five O'Clock Heroes The single wasn't very well received, to say the least -- though NME said it succinctly enough: "she sings on this and it’s shit." -- and peaked at #109 on the UK charts. But Deyn made somewhat of a comeback, providing the opening monologue to Rihanna's "We Found Love" video.

Baptiste Giabiconi - "One Night in Paradise" (2012) I guess we can consider Baptiste's brief dalliance with Katy Perry as a fact-finding mission as the male super is determined to get his music career off the ground. But while the video for the midtempo ballad "One Night in Paradise" -- off his debut album Oxygen -- has over 2 million views, it lacks the pizzazz of his magnum opus, "Showtime."

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy - Quelqu'un m'a dit (Someone Told Me) (2003) Before she became the First Lady of France, but after she had hung up her runway heels for good, Carla Bruni released Quelqu'un m'a dit. A huge hit in France where it debuted at number one and spent 37 non-consecutive weeks on the charts, "Le plus beau du quartier" was used in a 2006 H&M commercial and the title track appears on the soundtrack of (500) Days of Summer.

Karen Elson - The Ghost Who Walks (2010) Aside from having married -- and divorcing -- rock royalty in the form of Jack White, Elson has her own musical credentials on which to stand. A founding member of New York-based cabaret act The Citizen's Band, Elson released her White-produced solo album in 2010, The Ghost Who Walks, to positive reviews. The album's title track was released as a single and the accompanying video was also directed by White.

Milla Jovovich - The Divine Comedy (1994) Though best known today as an "actress," Jovovich was already a model veteran when she released her critically-acclaimed debut album in 1994. It didn't do so well commercially, but Jovovich continues to contribute songs to the soundtracks of her own films as well as others, such as 2003's Underworld.

Naomi Campbell - babywoman (1994) Naomi made her music video debut in 1978 when she appeared in the clip for Bob Marley's "Is This Love." She went on to appear in videos for Culture Club, Madonna, Michael Jackson and most famously George Michael. So naturally she decided to try her hand at a music career of her own with the critical and commercial failure, the horribly-titled babywoman. Peaking at #75 in her native UK, the album was a hit in Japan and went on to sell a million copies worldwide, producing the single and video "Love and Tears."

Nick Kamen - "Each Time You Break My Heart" (1986) Famous for stripping down to his undies in a classic Levi's ad in 1985, Kamen had a top 5 UK hit with "Each Time You Break My Heart," written and produced by Madonna and her frequent collaborator Stephen Bray. I'm sure the Material Girl's decision to get involved had nothing to do with the undies. What was inside of them, however...

Twiggy Twiggy has been steadily releasing albums since the 70s after she officially retired from modeling following an iconic four-year run. She released her latest album, Romantically Yours in 2011, a collection of her favorite tunes and standards such as "My Funny Valentine" and "Bewitched, Bothered & Bewildered."

Tyra Banks - "Shake Ya Body" (2004) Banks -- a jill of many trades and a Harvard grad to boot -- couldn't quite master popstardom, though she tried her damndest with the Beyoncé-aping "Shake Ya Body." She also recorded a single with Kobe Bryant, "K.O.B.E.," which besides being an embarrassment for everyone involved, proved that not even two superstars can make one serviceable hit.

The eccentric editrix will design a range of accessories for the fast fashion retailer including sunglasses, shoes, jewelry, bags and a trolley suitcase.

“This is the sign of an important evolution in fashion and I am both thrilled and humbled to be the one chosen to lead it,” Dello Russo said. “I wanted to create precious accessories that are impossible to find. With these pieces everybody can have fun, turning an ordinary day into a fantastic fashion day.”

H&M creative advisor  Margareta van den Bosch adds, ”Anna has a fantastic eye and a strong taste, apart from being a veritable fashion icon. The collection is a celebration of excess, fantasy and decoration.”

ADR’s H&M collaboration hits stores on October 4. [Vogue UK]

Eco Perk: Made in Africa at fair trade wages to increase standard of living.

Eco Perk: You can wear it in 8 color ways by turning it inside out, rightside out, otherside out... and it's made in the U.S.A.

Eco Perk: Naturally dyed, hand-crocheted organic cotton.

Eco Perk: Ethically and sustainably produced in Canada.

Eco Perk: Made in the U.S.A. of organic lightweight silk

Eco Perk: Made locally in NYC of sustainable cupro.

Eco Perk: Made from organic cotton.

Eco Perk: Made from organic bamboo under ethically sound conditions.

Eco Perk: Made from 92% recycled polyester, the long skirt also detaches to reveal a mini dress.

An auction to buy the company is scheduled for May 8. The store closings will begin shortly afterwards meaning — bright side! — clearance sales, which are planned through the end of July. So you can pick up all the tutus and hot pink prom dresses your heart desires.

Execs at Steve Madden, which assumed $48.8 million of the cartwheeling designer’s debt in 2010 in exchange for her brand’s intellectual property, declined to comment on the exact number of employees that would lose their jobs, but an exec at Betsey Johnson estimated that at least 350 people will be affected.

“I feel so sad for my store people and all my pink girls. They live and die for me. But I need to be better. I really need to work well and be more efficient,” Lady Bets Johnson told WWD.

Madden wants to keep four or five Betsey Johnson flagship stores in New York, Los Angeles and other major cities while the Johnson brand will focus primarily on its moderately priced label sold at Macy’s and other retailers.  The Bestey Johnson label retails from around $128 to $148 as opposed to the Bestey Johnson Collection, available at her freestanding stores, with a price point around $395. Around 75% of the spring line will be moderately-priced goods.

“I love the moderate-price range. It is in sync with all the girls who are buying my clothes,” Johnson said.

According to Madden, e-commerce will be unaffected – “It will seamlessly integrate into our infrastructure.” — and they’re working to put a new license in place for Johnson’s sportswear to avoid “interruption to wholesale deliveries.”

The Betsey Johnson bankruptcy filing may come as a surprise, but for the designer, the fashion landscape has become all too crowded. When asked what was her biggest challenge in conducting business she responded, “The competition — the H&Ms, Topshop, Century 21 and the knockoff ability is unbelievable. Within three days of something being on the Internet, they have seen it, they copy it and they price-beat it.”

But don’t expect the plucky 69-year-old to stay down for long. She’s got a new reality show with her daughter Lulu, a new fragrance launching in the fall and a positive outlook: “You know, as you get older, you really want to go back to that idea of happy — happy, productive.” [WWD, sub req'd]

Sue de Beer sends Theodora Richards into the dreamlike territory of 60s and 70s rock and roll. The rockstar in her hotel room with her hot photographer man. The Keith Richards’ offspring embodies her dad’s badass spirit in this steamy role.

Deborah Tuberville revisited the bathhouse theme that made her 1975 Vogue images iconic, only this time in a dilapidated Mexican baños of San Bartolome. The dark, supernatural setting offsets Joe Fresh Spring 2012.

Ellen Von Unwerth brought the most levity to the scene with Miami Vixens. Two South Beach girls give off 60s California dreaming vibes in Joe Fresh’s brightest. Will they or won’t they steal off with the boy in the polka dot pants?

See these vids on the big screen for the next 2 weeks at Joe Fresh‘s new spot at 510 Fifth Avenue, NYC.

Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter revealed today that H&M’s new chain will be called “& other stories.” [Ed. note: Worst. Name. Ever.] The first of the new stores will open early next year and will have “slightly higher prices” and a “little better” quality according to H&M spokeswoman Camilla Emilsson Falk. & other stories will reportedly include hair products, bed linen, table cloths and sporting goods, among other things. [Fashion Mag]

Meanwhile, a federal judge has bitch-slapped Reebok with a temporary restraining order banning the retailer from making or selling Tim Tebow New York Jets merch. Reebok, in an attempt at making amends, has offered to repurchase all unauthorized Tebow products from vendors and resellers, though they can still shill shit from the player’s former team, the Denver Broncos…until Saturday when their license with the NFL expires. [Ed. note: sucks to be Reebok right now.] [WWD]

“We have many different projects in progress and already next year we will be launching a completely new store chain,” H&M chief executive officer Karl-Johan Persson said in a statement. “Like COS, which today is very successful with good profitability, the new chain of stores will be independent and complement the other offerings from the group.”

Persson is not spilling the beans quite yet on what this new chain will be, but he added,“We have great faith in this new brand and we see considerable potential for further initiatives.” [WWD]

Start with a color blocked dress. This well matched shift by Gucci is boxy with similarly proportioned stripes to the Rothko.

Mark Rothko untitled framed print,

Dagens Industri, a Swedish financial rag, first  reported the story, claiming that H&M will offer a luxury brand more expensive than its high-end COS — Collection of Style — chain and helmed by Swedish designer Behnaz Aram.

A spokeswoman for H&M would neither confirm or deny the report, but stated, “We are constantly looking at new ideas; it’s a natural part of our work. However, there is nothing new that we can [talk] about for the moment.”

Which I think we all know means “yeah it’s happening, but keep it under your toup.”

Though luxury seems to go against everything H&M stands for, it would be the next logical step. And presumably their high end goods wouldn’t fall apart after three months. Do you think H&M can pull it off? [WWD]

20 minutes after the show aired, H&M’s website sold out of a minidress by Sarah Parrott that retailed for $19.95 and a $49.95 men’s blazer by Nzimiro Oputa.

By Wednesday morning at 9:30, Saks.com had been wiped clean of Orly Shani’s convertible skirt, going for a comparatively hefty price of $350, with sales reportedly going well in its 49 stores.

Meanwhile, Macy’s had been carrying Lizzie Parker’s $79 tunic, Edmond Newton’s $110 cocktail dress and Nikki Poulos’ $89 kimono-sleeve caftan — which, by the gay, is my new drag name — exclusively online and at its Herald Square location, most of which was plucked up by eager viewers.

Whether any of these designers will become a household name seems unlikely, especially since the show has been nearly universally reviled and the designs deemed “soulless at best” by none other than Women’s Wear Daily. But with NBC, what’s good isn’t always popular and what’s bad isn’t always burned to the ground before inflicting further harm onto society. [WWD]

Meanwhile, can we talk about how Nicole Richie is giving serious face in this promo? Whose face, I don't know, but she's giving it.

Debuting tomorrow, Fashion Star tackles the business aspect of fashion and thus features buyers as judges. They not only decide who wins the big bucks, but they also bid against one another to carry a look exclusively. The show was taped over the summer to allow retailers time to produce clothes so that each week, the buyers can place orders after a designer’s runway presentation while viewers can order from the collection online the same night it debuts or in stores the following day.

Helping the fourteen contestants along the way will be host Elle Macpherson and mentors Jessica Simpson, Nicole Richie and John Varvatos.

Though only one lucky designer will walk away with the grand prize, according to the show’s creators, everyone’s a winner, with some designers nevertheless selling ”hundreds of thousands of dollars.” Probably because J. Simps shook out her extensions one day and some cash flew out from that booming billion-dollar business of hers. Remember that happened? [WWD]

Miuccia Prada is ranked 139th among the world’s ten-figure ballers with an estimated worth of $6.8 billion, thanks in part to Prada’s IPO on the Hong Kong stock exchange last year. Meanwhile, Miuccia’s husband and business partner Patrizio Bertelli takes a backseat with a paltry $3.7 billion.

Giorgio Armani‘s $7.2 billion fortune brings him in at #127 on the list with $7.2 billion while Ralph Lauren ties with Chanel owners Alain and Gerard Wertheimer at #122 with an estimated worth $7.5 billion.

The designers are unique on the list as most billionaires in fashion are the muckety-muck of the companies that own the labels, such as PPR‘s François Pinault (#59, $13 billion); Unqilo‘s Tadashi Yanai (#88, $10 billion); H&M‘s Stefan Persson (#8, $26 billion); and LVMH‘s Bernard Arnault, who for the second year in a row is the richest man both in fashion and in Europe, as well as the fourth richest person in the world with a net worth of $41 billion.

And now that you’re all sufficiently depressed, I leave you to your dead-end jobs and enormous credit card debt. Thanks for playing. [Forbes]

- Speaking of delightful harridans, these paper dolls of Dame Maggie Smith‘s sublime Dowager Countess from Downton Abbey are everything. Ever. [Vulture]

- America’s Next Top Model is still happening. Now in its 18th cycle, this time around it’s a “British Invasion” with seven British models versus seven American models. Sort of like a 21st century Revolutionary War with bikinis and smizing. [The Cut]

- Proving once again that you indeed have to pay the cost to be the boss, Britney Spears had to pay an undisclosed amount to Brand Sense for cutting them out on a secret deal she had with Elizabeth Arden. [ONTD!]

- The Marni for H&M lookbook, y’all. [Fashionologie]

- Stella McCartney staged a magic show and a flash mob during her elegant dinner party with a little help from her friends Shalom Harlow, Alexa Chung, Amber Valletta and Yasmin Le Bon. Kate Moss was there but she didn’t do shit except throw shade at everyone. [Styleite]

- And finally, Whitney Houston was laid to rest this weekend and I think this serves as a very fitting tribute.

- David’s wife Victoria, however, knows exactly what she’s doing on the cover of i-D. [Telegraph]

- John Galliano resurfaced recently to fete the birthday of a close friend. And not a single Jew was harmed — it’s called progress, people. [Page Six]

- Beyoncé‘s twins made their first public appearance last night. [The Cut]

- Lindsay Lohan + Terry Richardson = CLASS. The two professional provocateurs teamed up for an unsurprisingly trashy photoshoot for LOVE Magazine. [Highsnobiety]

- The gays may soon be able to marry in California again after a federal appeals court ruled Prop 8 unconstitutional. But there’s still time to appeal so don’t start registering at Bendel‘s yet, queens. [Huff Po]

- Speaking of a disenfranchised subset of society: models. They have rights too!  They’re not sure what they are, but dammit, they have them. And now a non-profit group to represent them. [Racked]

- Michelle Williams took a break from snatching trophies to star in Band of Outsiders‘ latest campaign. [Paper]

- Miu Miu will debut a limited edition collection of 46 handbags during the major fashion weeks beginning with New York. Start coveting, kids. [Fashionista]

[Image Amplified]

Maybe it’s just me, but doesn’t it seem like Mr. Beckham put a little weight around the waist area. One very funny reader pointed that he probably gained all the baby weight Victoria didn’t.

Photo: The Fashion Spot

Photo: Holy Moly

Nighttime shopping has grown in popularity, with order volumes peaking around 8 pm and the number of orders between 9 pm and midnight increasing from previous years. On eBay, the busiest time of day is between 6:30 pm and 10:30 pm, when the customer is allegedly in a “good mood” (read: has had a few).  Gilte Group has added more sales beginning at 9 pm in response to higher traffic while retailers such as Neiman Marcus, Loews and Saks inundate customers’ email inboxes with special offers and deals throughout the night and into the early morning.

It speaks to logic that people are less tight with the purse strings after they’ve tied one on; when that sequined jumpsuit you’ve been eyeing for the past month or so suddenly seems like a life or death purchase and you just say “to hell with it” and add it to your cart. The article is quick to point out that drunk shopping in stores is more rare than online, but speaking from personal experience, there’s nothing better than walking into an H&M with a cocktail in hand and daring the salesgirl to say something to you. And on the rare occasion they do, that’s when you throw both a violent tantrum and your drink in their insolent faces. [NYT]

Photo: Holy Moly

Nina Garcia, Tinsley Mortimer, Derek Warburton, Charlotte Ronson, Chris Benz and CNN“s Alina Cho were among the well-appointed attendees, while liquor sponsor Domaine de Canton kept the ballers well lubricated with a host of refreshing cocktails. Bill Cunningham donned his best — and in all likeliness, only — tuxedo to capture the scene, including the 20th Annual Holiday Train Show. Calling it a”Train Show” is a bit of an understatement since the Garden’s Enid A. Haupt Conservatory was turned into a miniature train town, featuring the most stunning scaled-to-size architecture I’ve seen since Barbie‘s Dream Italian Villa.

Besides an excuse to dress up and be fabulous, the Wonderland Ball also supports the Garden’s world-renowned Children’s Education programs, allowing children of all ages, particularly underserved children in the Bronx, an opportunity to learn about nature in engaging ways through workshops and hands-on activities. While it may sound like a very serious and somber affair, the night was a blast, particularly after the DJ took to the turntables. There’s nothing quite like seeing a stately woman in a feathered gown shaking her tail-feather to LMFAO.

Click through the gallery for images from the Winter Wonderland Ball — courtesy of Patrick McMullan and Will Raggozino — and try your hand at Domaine de Canton’s signature cocktails with these handy recipes:

Etlingera

1 ounce of Domaine de Canton topped with Champagne. (served in a champagne flute and Garnished with a Wild Hibiscus flower)

“The Winter Gold Rush”

1.5 Ounces of Domaine de Canton

1 ounce of Makers 46

Half ounce of fresh lemon juice

(Shaken and strained into a martini glass and garnished with a luxardo cherry)

“The White Orchid”

Equal parts (1 ounce ) of Domaine de Canton, Belvedere Citrus Vodka, White Cranberry juice. ( Shaken and strained into a rocks glass over fresh ice. Garnished with a white orchid flower )

Domaine de Canton

Atmosphere

Domaine de Canton cocktails

Atmosphere

The prather epic train show Photo - Patrick McMullan/PatrickMcMullan.com

Dance-mosphere

Train town Photo - Patrick McMullan/PatrickMcMullan.com

Jennifer Creel

Julia Moore, Nina Garcia, Nathalie Kaplan

Nina Garcia

Cristina Greeven Cuomo, Alina Cho

Chris Cuomo, Cristina Greeven Cuomo

Tinsley Mortimer

Photo - Patrick McMullan/PatrickMcMullan.com

Photo - Patrick McMullan/PatrickMcMullan.com

Nina Garcia, Bettina Zihlka, Tinsley Mortimer

Dance-mosphere

Photo - Patrick McMullan/PatrickMcMullan.com

Photo - Patrick McMullan/PatrickMcMullan.com

Charlotte Ronson, Ali Wise

Nick Brown, Dalia Oberlander

Darryl Robinson

Derek Warburton

Photo - Patrick McMullan/PatrickMcMullan.com

Meredith Melling Burke Photo - Patrick McMullan/PatrickMcMullan.com

Photo - Patrick McMullan/PatrickMcMullan.com

Thomas Farley, Lori Lengua, Darryl Robinson Photo - Patrick McMullan/PatrickMcMullan.com

Atmosphere

Photos: Vogue UK

Black and white snowflakes make for a soft sweater that is both chic and festive.

We love how awesome this cute sweater looks with badass metallic gold Balmain pants.

Purple and blue stripes prevent a snowman motif from looking too kitschy.

For the preppy party-goer, this Aspen-esque sweater should be paired with bling for maximum effectiveness.

This delightful snowman reminds us of childhood holiday dress... in a good way.

AGH! yells Frosty. Perhaps our favorite of the bunch, this icy man loves to scare the children away.

Moschino is at is again with another ridiculous holiday sweater we love, this time featuring cuddly penguins.

Marni’s founder and creative director, Consuelo Castiglioni – above with H&M’s Margareta van den Bosch – mined some of her favorite pieces and the label’s predilection for prints to create the capsule collection, with styles for both men and women.

Well, with spring around the corner…and down the block, across the street and a bit to the left, the Marni x H&M collabo might arrive just in time. If the runways were any indication, the season will be popping with prints and combusting with color — but what do you say, dear readers: are you excited for some marked-down Marni? [WWD]

Have you see the H&M November 2011 campaign? Check it out here. [Fashion Gone Rogue]

[Fashion Gone Rogue]

Photos via: The Fashionisto

Versace for H&M proved a retail juggernaut with lines wrapped around H&Ms around the world, the H&M website pulling a Target website and crashing last Thursday — it’s not up as of this post’s publication, FYI —  and items flying off the rack in minutes.  With an online-only collection, at least one can avoid the shoving and the pushing and the elbowing of overzealous shoppers — sorry, by the way, to that little girl I elbowed in the eye last Friday but there was a bustier with my editor’s name on it.  [WWD]

Now having seen the collection we’ve been going bananas over for months, here’s the scoop:

The collection was chock full of hit and misses, but admittedly mostly hits. And though there were the luxuries of pomegranate boozing whilst shopping, and indulging in dime sized hors d'oeuvre of petite spaghetti and meatball, spicy tuna tartar and more, the lines for the dressing rooms were no picnic. Many, like me, went rogue and tried on dresses over the clothes in the midst of the crowd. It werqs. Check the best and the worst of the collection and WHO was shopping ahead.

Theophilus London, Mickey Boardman and Robert Verdi got their diffusion shopping ON.

These lackluster hearts lacked love. In fact, they are some of the only items to remain in the store after it was ravaged by fashion bloggers, editors and the dedicated early bird shopper (even through today). Though the 90's are decidedly back, no one seems to be loving the heart print.

This outrageous palm-glam classic versace print translated best in the collection.

Of all the prints Versace could have mustered, this one lagged a bit. Sure the two-tone is kind of awesome, but it looks childish and too cheap in the first person.

This print was definitely the star of the men's department, which was considerably smaller than women's. The majority of the men's options were solid blinding pink and aqua, and studded black. This jumps out if you want something optical.

This little leather dress is stunningly studded and form fits to just the right shape. It's a little splurgier than the rest of the finds, but the $200-range for Versace still ain't bad.

At the end of the day, this shopper's hat summed up the experience. Versace x H&M was pretty epic, but seriously...

Donatella Versace herself crawled out of her crypt uncharacteristically before noon to pay a visit in London, decked out in a studded silk pink dress and studded black leather trench, her bleach blond hair casually swept over her oversized sunglasses. “I feel very emotional,” she told WWD. ”I really want to see how they are going to mix and pair the clothes, how they will wear them.”

Arriving at 8:30 am, when the line was already around the block, Donny also also expressed her approval of the quality of the garments that had produced such a clamor:  ”Do you see these studs? Usually, with low-cost clothing, they’re pressed on but these are real. And I only worked with pure materials – 100 percent silks and real leather.”

In Milan, a transportation strike did not deter Versace devotees from lining up while in Paris, the racks were picked clean within fifteen minutes. Some shoppers, however, were luckier than others as the night before, French Vogue‘s Emmanuelle Alt hosted a special preview shopping party for 1,000 winners of a contest the magazine had conducted.

Some 300 people lined up in Hong Kong for the store’s 8 am opening and in Berlin, lines started forming at 4 am.

In Shanghai, professional queuers waited on behalf of shoppers too smart and/or lazy to wait in line themselves. Mingling with migrant workers who were also paid as placeholders, a fight broke out amongst the predominately male stand-ins before doors opened. In fact, most of the customers in line were male, with some openly admitting they were there to snatch up as many covetable items as they could to re-sell online.

Besides that slight altercation, H&M’s well-organized, and well-documented, process has been rather smooth. But we’ll see once the doors open stateside this Saturday. [WWD]

Donatella

UK

UK

Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Shanghai

Shanghai

Photos: The Fashion Spot, Bellazon

H&M then responded to said hubub:

“We are very surprised by the NY Daily News article and do not understand how they came to this conclusion. We can only explain it as a misunderstanding and a series of miscommunication. H&M is a democratic fashion brand and it is not our policy to decide models for fashion features in media. Both H&M and Versace have, over many years, cast from a wide and diverse pool, not only of models, but of celebrities and personalities reflective of all ethnicities, gender, ages and sizes.”

Will these recent developments deter you from clamoring for the collection when it hits stores on Saturday? Or did all the rules and stipulations already do that?

[NYDN, Racked]

Photo: Racked

- Firstly, the collection hits stores statewide this Saturday, November 19th. There will no doubt be lines before the stores open — generally around 9 am — so bring some coffee, a flask and a friend to keep you company.

- Secondly, the first 280 people in the store will receive one of 14 different color bracelets, 20 people per bracelet color. The bracelets are only needed for shopping the Versace women’s collection, not the men’s or H&M’s other collections. So for the first time in…well, forever, I’ll be eschewing the ladies section. The bracelets will have a specific time for shopping and once your slot comes up, you’ll have 15 minutes to get down to business.

- Thirdly, once the first 280 have gone at the collection, every one else will get their chance to shop. But don’t worry because…

- Fourthly, there’s a shopping limit. Every customer is limited to a maximum of two pieces per product, so you can buy two sizes in a shoe or a garment or two of the same accessories but that’s it.

- And finally, to ensure your local H&M carries the collection you want, there’s a convenient store locator on the site for Ladies, Men and Home goods.

Sure, this sounds like a gigantic pain in the ass, but it’s Saturday morning and you’re going to be hungover anyway. Just keep drinking and by midday you’ll have the most coveted diffusion line of the year.

Photo: Racked

Photos: Zimbio

The Purple One and the Pink One will add some extra color to the collection’s ultra bold and bright prints, much to Donatella Versace‘s sheer delight. “I am so pleased to share with so many the excitement of this collaboration with H&M,” shared the designer. “To have my friend, the great, the amazing, the one and only Prince, and the extraordinary Nicki Minaj both perform at the event, will create exactly the feeling of joy and glamour I want this partnership to express.”

For those of us not invited to said press preview on November 8th — a-hem! — the Versace x H&M line launches worldwide November 19th. [WWD]

Citing the film’s Swedish backdrop, the Swedish retailer jumped at the chance to collaborate with the film’s costume designer, Trish Summerville. The result is lots of leather in jackets and boots, hoodies, tribal earrings, backpacks, tattered jeans and the always welcome knitted snood.

“We took her [Salander's] basic pieces that we used throughout the film and did a little more fashionable version for H&M,” Summerville says of the line, which goes on sale at 180 H&M stores worldwide December 14th. Just in time for the film’s premiere on December 26th. [Telegraph]

Gareth Pugh

Prada

Numêro / Models.com

W's "Transformers" by Steven Meisel

Pop Magazine Fall/Winter 2011 by Gillian Wearing / Models.com

Versace x H&M

Versace spring 2011

cK One spring 2011

Balenciaga spring 2011 runway

Barney

Harper's Bazaar Australia November 2011 / Models.com

Models.com

Vogue September 2011 / Fashion Gone Rogue

Why do you love it? 

I love the “caught in the moment” mood and the memories of working with such a lovely team of people that day.

Who took it?

Johan Sandberg (Artlist).

What were you thinking when it was taken?

“Think warm thoughts, think warm thoughts!” as the freezing cold Parisian temperatures chilled my bones.

How were you discovered?

The partner of a fashion designer told me I should go to a modelling agency. So I did — in Melbourne, Australia.

What’s your biggest challenge as a model?

Being thousands of miles away from my boyfriend and family for such long periods of time.

For more Model Musings, visit Lookbooks.com!

Mert and Marcus shot this latest in the Versace x H&M fall campaign. Still a full month away, it’s not too early to say that this diffusion line might be the best thing that ever happened to anyone ever. And that’s putting it lightly. [Design Scene]

For the Newborn Lez

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The clothes look more like designer Versace than collaboration. Personally I wasn’t interested in the mens stuff until I saw these pictures of River Viiperi modeling the faux designer duds.

Get ready for the massive line that will hit H&ms November 17th when the collection hits stores.

- Sarah Jessica Parker covers S Moda and the results are…not great. Looks like someone eschewed being Photoshopped — good for you — but that same someone should have ensured they were being lit properly. [Fashion Gone Rogue]

- Reebok has to pay out $25 million to the lazy lard-asses who believed a shoe would tone their lazy lard asses. [WWD, sub req'd]

- Vogue Russia provides a sneak peek at Versace for H&M and it. Is. STUNNSIES. [Refinery 29]

-  Lauren Santo Domingo, referring to Proenza Schouler‘s new fashion film directed by Harmony Korine:  ”I don’t know if anyone can make a crystal meth trailer park seem chic.” I think my good friend, Natasha Lyonne, would beg to differ. [The Cut]

- Scott Schuman, while bragging about how much he makes [$250K] and how big his…audience is, manages to throw in a few jibes against 8-year-old blogging sensation Tavi Gevinson, claiming her success is a “conspiracy” [agreed] and essentially making fun of her for not having a boyfriend. I would say pick on someone your own size but if you’ve ever seen The Sartorialist, you’d realize that Tavi probably has a good inch or two on him. [Fashionista, The Cut]