- Tan Mom may well be the best thing to come out of New Jersey since…well, my mind’s gone blank on that front. While discretely hiding the box of Franzia in her handbag, Patricia Krentcil lashed out at those who accused her of taking her 5-year-old daughter into a tanning salon, saying that “they’re jealous, they’re fat and they’re ugly.” [Jezebel]

- 90-year-old fashion icon Iris Apfel is launching a collection of handbags this fall that may or may not have been inspired by the Muppets. [Refinery29]

- Just when you thought Paco Rabanne stood a chance at a comeback, its new artistic director Manish Arora has up and left after just two seasons. [The Cut]

- Julia Restoin-Roitfeld jumped on the neverending naked pregnancy photo bandwagon, but with a chic and irreverent twist worthy of a Roitfeld, on the cover of i-D. [Huff Po]

- Beyoncé is winning a writing award and shockingly it’s not for this. Even more shocking, Beyoncé’s winning a writing award. [NYDN]

CC KUO wins the Main Prize worth over €10,000, which includes production sponsorship to create a capsule collection, brand consultancy with Plan 8, exposure to select retail stores, a 3-month subscription to EDITD.com and more. CC elates, “I am thrilled to have won. I know this opportunity will enable me to continue doing the thing I love most – creating beautiful garments.”

Though CC KUO got the gold, six other designers also receive career-moving prizes: Carmen Chen Wu (Best Womenswear Designer), BREAKS (Best Menswear Designer), Mark Goldenberg (Best Graduate 2011), and Mrs Herskin (Best Brand Identity). Kristofer Kongshaug has been chosen by the Digital Panel to receive the Digital Panel Award, and the public voted for MEGLA.M to receive the Public Choice Prize, after gaining the most supporters on LOOKK.

Starting Friday 3/23 you can buy CC KUO, along with Best Menswear Designer winner BREAKS in the Lookk.com pop up shop.

Congrats to all! Now check out the winners’ wares.

“CC KUO’s collection was the most focused, and had the most potential. You can see it on the rails already. There’s also something quite charming about her use of prints and shapes.” - Susie Lau, Style Bubble

“I just loved the exuberance of Carmen. Sometimes it’s really hard to mix different cultures and ethnic influences into a collection without it looking ‘costume’. I think Carmen does this really well and there’s something quite unique about the silhouettes.” - Susie Lau, Style Bubble

“A focused and polished collection from designers who take good care of their craftsmanship.” Susie Lau, StyleBubble

“The future is here. I love the way the MRS HERSKIN collection mixes materials, creating wearable landscapes. An outstanding result.” Filep Motwary, Un Nouveau Ideal

“Mark is playing a game with fashion that has no rules […] I could see Anna Dello Russo and Daphne Guinness both sporting designs from this collection.” - Emily Johnston, Fashion Foie Gras

“An unexpected twist to what is still a very feminine silhouette. A curve here, and extension there... he has a unique perspective that is still very wearable” Samantha Lim, Fashion Indie

“Fantasy and drama rule the roost with MEGLA.M with pieces that steal the show with each exaggerated feature.” - Emily Johnston, Fashion Foie Gras

- The bro-ing of America continues as men become more and more in touch with their inner lady. The latest development,
“Brotox.” Women are even getting in on the action, gifting their dudes with the gift of immobile foreheads. [HuffPo]

- Dolce & Gabbana caused outrage — and protests — among Hong Kong citizens after passing a ban on photos of the store’s window displays. The ban, however, was not enforced for foreign shoppers or Chinese nationals. [WSJ]

- The Vatican continues sweet-talking the gays with Pope Benedict claiming gay marriage basically signals the downfall of humanity. Joke’s on him, that happened after season one of the Jersey Shore. [Towleroad]

- It may be time for Barbie to start picking better friends. Doll versions of Kim, Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian – called Dash dolls after their miniature Kardashian-inspired clothing — will befriend Mattel’s golden girl this year. In addition to wearing the trashy leopard print jumpsuits synonymous with the family’s Dash Boutiques, the dolls will “reflect the girls’ measurements.” Meaning the Khloe doll will be played by Ken. [MTV]

Inspired by the muses of ancient Egypt, this Ecuadorian designer calls the collection Philopator in honor of the power they held over their civilization.

This visionaire from Milan keeps it choppy and sweet.

Sheer lingerie from Paris for women in love with glamour.

Unisex, deconstructed and transparent out of Warsaw, Poland.

In the lead is this London-based designer, who places femininity and the female form under question.

How it works: You go to Lookk.com and start scrolling through. When a Lookbooks gets you going, pick a piece you love and support it. The more ‘supporters’ a designer has, the higher they are on the list. To support a designer you must click one of the hearts to vote for a product you like in their collection and then you automatically become a supporter.

The main prize is a production deal worth over 10,000 Euros, and essentially puts the designer on a fast track to moving and shaking in the industry:

-Production and distribution of a capsule collection
-Editorial Shoot & PR/ Marketing Campaign
-Mentoring & Brand Consultancy by Plan8
-Exclusive feature on Stylebubble.co.uk (and a feature on FashionIndie)
-Collection presented to key offline retail stores
-Three month subscription to EDITD.com (the new ultimate fashion data database) worth 6,000 Euros

Then there are five category prizes for Best Womenswear Designer, Best Menswear Designer, Best Graduate 2011, Best Brand Identity and the Public Choice Award. Each designer wins:

-Exclusive editorial feature
-PR/marketing campaign, online and offline
-Internship/job mentoring on demand
-Collection presented to key retail stores

MEGLA.M in the photo above is currently in the lead. Place your “Follow” votes now! You have till the end of November. 

Though the contest is over this month, you can go on any time, follow and like your favorite designers and individual pieces. Your interest helps new clothing get made.

P.S. Designers – you can still enter your lookbook and bring your following with you for a chance to win!!

Colored glass is very popular here. They like to brighten a beverage.

The process involves thousand degree flames and men in upside-down dark half-spectacles.

Each piece passes through many experienced hands, and each piece is made by the breath of another human.

Engraved by hand, no two are exactly alike.

They did, however, allowed me to blow them. I just blew one bit of glass, which was easier than I thought - it blew up like a balloon that you spin while inflating. I felt very helpful to the process - until they chopped off the glass with a knife into a trough of broken glass.

Men at werq.

Glass moustache.

The hammered gold effect on this Moser glass immediately flashed me to Paco Rabanne Spring 2012. Thank you Manish Arora, stuns. They are each wildly close to couture.

Photo: Style.com

Under the stewardship of new creative director, and a perennial favorite of mine, Manish Arora, Paco Rabane should have them gagging for seasons to come.

Grayscale leather blocking weaves a jacket with arms that seemingly start at the waist.

Framed in floral has us pondering the layering process.

Where does the skin stop and the beading begin? The heavier pieces seem to have avalanced to the hem.

At quick glance there seems to be a bow tie, at another it's the print. Also optical illusively close to Missoni...

Stripes fall in waves and angles around the body. Warning: may induce seizure. Dying regardless.

Smoke and mirrors.

Iridescence bounces on a pencil as a black strip up center jacket front begs the question, "Is that another layer?". The shoulders bound out on high with had that moves in new directions.

Whittling the waist away with beads and inward curves, we also realize there is beaded fringe off the shoulder blades. Quel susprise!

Like areal shapes, the pieces of suit cut the air in nude on white.

Is it a high slitted skirt or a pant? Look closely at the gleaming sheers.

RAD HOURANI

IMPORT ORIGINS: He designs in Paris, by way of Canada, but grew up  in Jordan of Jordanian/Syrian descent.

DEISGN SPECS: Unisex transformability is his calling card. With angular cuts and zippers that zip infinitely, his aesthetic rides the edge of mascu-femme.

FACT: While his runway looks may run into the thousands, he considers Rad Hourani his laboratory. RAD by Rad Hourani applies those concepts conceived in the lab to materials we mortals can (?) afford.

Right to left, from top left:

BeaValdes for CoutureLab “Azzura” Necklace $2,764, couturelab.com

Eugenia Kim Gabriella Feather-Trimmed Fedora $345, net-a-porter

Cacharel Cutler & Gross Circular Lens Sunglasses $525, openingceremony.us

Azzedine Alaïa Skirt $2,800, colette.fr

Manish Arora Pop Dress $1,072, bombayelectric.in

All Saints Elkin Poncho $165, allsaints.com

Aldo Barges Bangles $18, aldoshoes.com

Aldo Croner Peep Toe Pumps $70, aldoshoes.com

American Apparel Nail Polish $6, store.americanapparel.net

Old Navy Aztec-Print Bucket Bag $19.94, oldnavy.gap.com

How are you going to celebrate the holiday?

The Indian-born designer is tapped to revive the Paco Rabanne label next season — a name perhaps best known for 90s cologne and designing costumes for the Jane Fonda classic, Barbarella. But in Manish’s nimble hands, Paco has got nothing to worry about. Arora’s clothes are fantastical and inventive, utilizing colors usually only seen in acid trips and/or Saturday morning cartoons.

Yet despite their adventurousness, the clothes are beautifully executed, very wearable and very feminine. Could everyone wear a neon fur skirt or whatever’s happening here?:

Probably not, but if anyone dears to wear it, imagine how insanely great they’ll look. Or just how plain insane. Either is equally intriguing.

Photos: Style.com

LINK LOVE: The Cut

In honor of Alice in Wonderland, Parisian department store Printemps asked Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane, Bernhard Willhelm, Haider Ackermann, Manish Arora, Ann Demeulemeester and Maison Martin Margiela to invent one-of-a-kind dresses for Alice.

Keep reading on Fashionista

Manish Arora, the Indian born fashion designer showed his collection at the fame Paris cabaret, the Crazy Horse, sticking to his love of embellishment sequince beading, and multi-color swirl patterns.

LINK LOVE

Flamboyant designer Manish Arora has produced a vibrant range of six Swatch watches which are now on sale. He follows the likes of Christian Lacroix and Vivienne Westwood in designing for Swatch.

The Manish Arora collection for Swatch is on sale exclusively at Selfridges and Swatch stores now and will be on sale from 1st of June at selected retailers around the UK.

LINKAGE: Dazed Digital

Here’s the video of the dude dancing and jumping about in a brown Sonic the Hedgehog outfit. Enjoysies.

Manish Arora took inspiration from the famous Parisian Circus, Cirque d’Hiver, for this latest collection. Models strolled down the runway make up like glamourous clowns, dressed in extreme, eccentric, rich colors and superb fabrics and cuts.

LINKAGE: Popgloss via Mademoisellelek