The South Parkers are the latest pop culture icons to grace the tees,which in the past have featured Naomi Campbell, Dita von Teese and Victoria Beckham.

Getting Butters to bare all, however, proved more difficult than Jacobs and company president Robert Duffy anticipated. “They’re very, very cautious about collaborations,” Duffy said of Parker and  Stone. “We’ve worked with so many artists in the past, and I’d say Trey and Matt are the most protective of their brand. They were so involved, to the point of wanting to know the texture of the T-shirt and how thick the paint is on the silk screen.”

And sadly Duffy’s dream of disrobing a particular character were inevitably dashed: “I really wanted to do Kenny, but they said there was absolutely no way they were going to let me use Kenny. I wanted to see what he looks like without his coat.”

The T-shirts retail for $35 and are available online and at Marc by Marc Jacobs stores. [WWD]

When financier Annu Gyani lost her job during the recession, she didn’t see it as a setback. Though a graduate of NYU’s Stern School of Business, Gyani’s passion was always deep-rooted in fashion, and one closed door was her open window to an industry she’d always admired and wanted to be a part of.  On an extended trip to India, researching fabrics, textiles and artists, her idea for ShawLux was born. Not only does Gyani work with beautiful textiles and embellishments for her accessory line, but she recently began to digitally print well-known landmarks and pieces of nature onto her scarves that are catching the eyes of consumers and press globally. No matter your taste, there is something in this chic line for everyone.

How can you win one of five ShawLux digital print scarves? Head over to the brand’s Facebook page, LIKE it and tell us in the comments what landmark you would print on a ShawLux scarf. Whether because of a special memory or just general admiration for the beauty of the place, we want to hear about it in the comments below. Good luck!

For more information on ShawLux, visit the website here or find the brand on Twitter @shawlux. Questions about the contest? Ask me on Twitter @CrystlMeatballs. This FashionIndie contest is open to res

Though only 17% of men actually use body spray — most often in lieu of actually showering — Axe is by far the most popular choice, with a 74% share of the market; the majority of men prefer after shave (65%) or cologne (62%). On the other hand, 47% of women use body spray as compared to body lotion (59%), eau de parfum (43%) and eau de toilette (34%), so I guess it makes scents (*rimshot*) for Axe to target the fairer sex. However, can Axe appeal to women as it has so successfully appealed to men since 2002?

In the advertising campaign for Anachy, Axe attempts to level the playing field. As David Kolbusz, creative director of London-based ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty explains: “Before, an Axe commercial was always about a guy spraying himself and a girl being attracted, and Axe giving him an edge in the mating game, whereas now women also have something to spray on themselves, and consequently there’s more of an equilibrium between the sexes.”

Meanwhile, welcome to the 20th century, Axe.

As part of this new advertising strategy, there’s also more of an equilibrium between “the sexy.” According to Kolbusz, “Girls in Axe advertising will always be a little better-looking than the guys” but in the Anarchy ads the attractive gap is tightened “without the average guy feeling threatened.”

The latest commercial:

Axe is also introducing an interactive graphic novel through its Facebook where users can suggest plot twists and even be drawn into the action:

Marketing aside, the real question remains, will a girl really want to wear a scent traditionally associate with Guidos and pedos? That, of course, depends on what Anarchy smells like — thus Anarchy “for her”  is only being offered in a limited edition, with the possibility of permanence depending on sales.

However, sales among women might not be Axe’s biggest concern. David Vinjamuri, an adjunct professor of marketing at New York University made this astute observation:“The moment you start talking to girls, you lose credibility with teenage boys.” It’s nice to know that advertising is just like puberty…only more awkward. [NYT]

Having mastered the art of social media — they’re #1 on Facebook with nearly 9 million “Likes” and #2 on Twitter — Burberry continues to find innovative ways to engage consumers such as a live-streaming Tweetwalk, where looks from London Fashion Week were Tweeted before they hit the runway. They also scored well in e-commerce and mobile commerce thanks to its global site relaunch, landing the over 150-year-old British label the top spot on the L2 index and the official label of “Genius.”

Kate Spade was a newcomer to the index but their blend of smart e-commerce and a strong mobile and social presence skyrocketed the brand to the #2 spot. Storied houses Chanel and Christian Dior, on the other hand, seem to be resting on their luxury laurels earning only “Average” L2 IQs.

Prada and Hermès started running with the bad girls in school, smoking in the bathroom and dating college boys instead of working on their social media and as a result their IQs plummeted from “Gifted” in 2009 to “Challenged” in 2011. And to make matters worse, Prada was cited as the “biggest digital disappointment in luxury.” Yikes, wait til your father hears about this….

But in their defense, Europe might just have a harder learning curve. Ten of the top fifteen brands in the L2 index were American and on average American brands have a higher digital IQ than their Euro counterparts. Finally, somewhere the U.S. excels in something besides obesity and sluttiness.

The top 10 list is as follows:

1. Burberry: Digital births an icon: Proof that digital investments translate to shareholder value.

2. Kate Spade: Top social media score; Index newcomer did not get memo that heritage is necessary to be iconic digitally.

3. Coach: New York native continues to woo the blogosphere and registers top scores for site experience.

3. Gucci: Gucci Connects dots and delivers with shoppable video and recent Tumblr launch

5. Dolce & Gabbana: Global site relaunch threads needle of edgy and effective.

5. Tory Burch: Facebook store leads fashion F-commerce (r)evolution.

7. Ralph Lauren: New York Times iPad app takeover transforms brand into rich media publisher.

8. Hugo Boss: Top mobile scores and interactive YouTube channel venture differentiate the brand online.

9. Louis Vuitton: Embracing the spirit of travel with Amble app; Leads on Foursquare.

10. Michael Kors: Destination: Kors. Evolving brand into an online lifestyle.

[Luxury Lab, Telegraph]

Doug and Ben Burkman, the Burkman Bros

According to Bibu Mohapatra, who was part of the first Fashion Incubator class: “The program has helped me grow my business. The industry mentors are helping me tackle the affairs of a rapidly growing business, whether on production issues, collaborations, licensing or legal matters.”

The second season begins in May when the class of 2012-2014 moves into their Fashion Incubator studios at 209 West 38th Street. Designers will receive mentoring from industry professionals in addition to real estate space at below market value and for the first time the CFDA is partnering with New York University‘s Stern School of Business.

Through Stern Consulting Corps, designers will be matched up with MBA students who will help them “develop full financial statements, cash flow projections and investor-ready business plans.”

The lucky group of Incubatees are:

Antonio Azzuolo
Arielle Shapiro of Ari Dein
Benjamin and Doug Burkman of Burkman Brothers
Christian Coda
Emanuela Duca
Ricky Hendry and Marc Daniels of Isaora
Luis M. Fernandez of Number:Lab
Reece Solomon of Reece Hudson
Maayan Zilberman and Nikki Dekker of The Lake & Stars
Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein of Timo Weiland [WWD]

“Stay Close” – Kafei from Zoe Robyn on Vimeo.

Check out Kafei’s MySpace Music page here!

Last night’s Mystery Concert at at New York University’s Skirball Theater had students in awe and confusion over the night’s opening act. Pattern is Movement, hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania set the precedent for later act, the French Kicks and headliner, Broken Social Scene. So did they set the bar sky-high or embarrassingly low? Well, it depends on one’s taste in music as a whole.

The general description of Pattern is Movement as an American Indie rock band does not do this two-piece musical concoction justice. Exuding elements of Gregorian chant, early 90′s hip-hop, musical theater show tunes, funk and R&B drum beats, the set performed by band members Andrew Thiboldeaux (vocals, bass and mellotron) and Chris Ward (drums), was not for the closed minded. One shouldn’t dare trying to summarize the band’s style, because in actuality, they don’t even know.

Performing several numbers off of their 2008 album “All Together,” the band’s 50 minute set was like watching two grungy grizzly bears fight their way through music history. With anecdotes sporadically placed, audience vocal participation and the band’s liberty to perform shoe-less and talk about man boobs, the show was personal and intriguing for all audience members. 

But to answer the question of whether they killed it or spilled it, there is no definite answer. Some people walked out. Some people gave standing ovations. Some people sat with blank stares. Others danced. And there are those people, like myself, who woke up singing the chorus to “Right Away,” trying desperately to get it out of my head.