Illustrator Katy Smail Talks Artful Inspiration in a World Overrun with Photoshop

Edited by Amanda Gabriele

LOOKBOOKS editor-in-chief Cator Sparks explores the lost art of fashion illustration with artist Katy Smail. See the interview and fantastic gallery of her whimsical work below.

With the amount of air brushing going on these days, models in magazines look nearly good enough to hang in the Louvre. Their skin so dewy, their teeth so white and their eyes so clear, so it only make sense that the fashion world is rediscovering the lost art of illustration.

Celebs Came Out in Droves for the Levi’s Fall 2012 Global Collection

Edited by Amanda Gabriele

Yesterday afternoon, News & Culture Editor Lester and I waltzed down to SoHo for Levi’s Fall 2012 Global Collection preview. Before the actual runway show began, we walked around the space, Stella Artois and PBRs in hand, checking out mini instillations inspiring the line. It was a hot spot for celeb sightings, as VIPs like Maria Menounos, Brad Goreski, Zachery Levi, Byrdie Bell, Theophilus London and Jessica White took their places in the front row. Click to see all the famous faces and the collection in full.

Runway to the Future: Digital Fashion Shows Making Their Debut at NYFW

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

In lieu of a traditional runway presentation, Prabal Gurung is going digital. For his latest collaboration with ICB, Gurung is turning to digitalfashionshows.com, an initiative by superstar PR firm KCD and branding agency King & Partners that has the potential to revolutionize the business of fashion shows.

Adriana Lima and Donna Karen For The Love of Haiti Spring 2012

Edited by Nicole Vardo

After experiencing last night’s 92Y “Fashion Icons” talk with Fern Mallis and Donna Karen, it’s time to finally up the ante on the new Donna Karen Spring 2012 ad campaign  that will be featured this March. The editorial inspired by Haiti and modeled by one of the world’s most beautiful women, Adriana Lima. “I have never used her before, and I am totally in love with her. She shows the heart and soul of Haiti,” Karan told WWD of Lima. Click through the images and see a side of Adriana Lima that you’ve never seen before.

Carine Roitfeld Used “Real People” as Guest Editor for VMAN

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

After a busy year of redefining and reinventing herself, Carine Rotifeld doesn’t seem to be slowing down in 2012. The former French Vogue editrix recently finished a stint as guest editor for VMAN, where she used “real people” — because as we all know models aren’t actually people —  in the spring fashion issue’s editorials. Said “real people” were a combination of celebrities, chefs, mechanics, architects and a fireman; however for the bonus pin-up calendar, Rotifeld turned to her stable of models, including Victoria’s Secret Angel Adriana Lima. 

Stella McCartney Pre-Fall 2012 British Invasion

Edited by Jessica Lapidos

The British are coming! The British are coming! One If By Land, Two If By Sea in the West Village last night housed Stella McCartney fête to her Pre-Fall 2012 collection; a British Invasion of grown up English prep school. Stella is celebrating 10 years of business, and her mates Liv Tyler and Naomi Watts were there to raise a glass. 

Anna Wintour Throws Designers’ Support Behind Obama for Runway to Win

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

While the Republicans scramble to choose a nominee from their clown car of potential candidates, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden have already laid down the groundwork for their 2012 campaign. The Obama-Biden ticket has recently partnered with 22 fashion designers for Runway to Win, an initiative to create T-shirts, tote bags, scarves and wristlets benefiting the Obama Victory Fund. And the driving force behind it is none other than Vogue‘s very own iron lady, Anna Wintour. 

Sweating the Shop: Nervous Retailers Gear up for Black Friday

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

Black Friday — that ugliest and most desperate of shopping days, in which consumers buck all self-respect and dignity while elbowing each other about the face and throat to secure the lowest price on a crock pot — is once again upon us. Analysts are predicting this to be the blackest  Black Friday in history, with sales for the first time reaching $20 billion. With dollar signs in their eyes, retailers are planning to be as accommodating as possible to separate you from your hard-earned money before the turkey even gets a chance to settle in your colon. Happy Holidays!

Virtual Valentino: Garavani Launches Online Museum

Edited by Lester Brathwaite

Valentino Garavani might be retired and just shy of 1,000 years old, but he and longtime partner Giancarlo Giammetti are still very much with the times. To wit, the duo has conceived the Valentino Garavani Virtual Museum, a downloadable desktop application that archives 50 years of the designer’s work — officially launching December 5. 

Face Time With Tory Burch Tomorrow Morning

Edited by McArthur Joseph

WWD is giving you a front row seat to see Tory Burch in action with our first-ever-WWD live stream from the WWD CEO Summit.