>> The Fashion Weeks are flying by. Next stop? Milan — home of some of the chicest street-snapped looks yet. So far, there have been eye-popping brights, head-to-toe prints, and too many delectable accessories to count. See them all right here — with more to come as the Milan shows go on.
>> Dean and Dan Caten riffed on the idea of high school — albeit a glamorous, '60s-tinged one — for Fall 2012. There were candy-hued pencil skirts, snug little cardigans, and perky ankle pants — and even a few sparkling evening looks just perfect for "prom." It was a fun, imaginative, and — surprisingly — wearable foray. "We love telling a story. You get where we're coming from," the duo explained backstage.
>> It's been a busy 24 hours for Roberto Cavalli. Not only did the designer dress more celebrities — including supermodels Alessandra Ambrosio, Cindy Crawford, and Bar Refaeli — than anyone else at last night's Oscars festivities, but he also closed out the week in Milan with what had to be the second-most-talked-about finale of the season: Naomi Campbell's return to the catwalk.
In true Cavalli fashion, the collection was decadent, extravagant, and lavishly glamorous. There was fur, leather, and exotic skins in every shape, color, and form — including tromp l'oeil prints on chiffon and silk that re-created the look of animal skins. There were sparkling beads, sequins, embroidery, and ruffles aplenty, plus "micro feathers" and lace. Silhouettes were super short or maxi — because for Cavalli, of course, there is no in-between.
"An earthly paradise populated by creatures of fantasy . . . the Eden of femininity . . . my creativity is expressed through clothes which make the Cavalli woman a sensual and mysterious being," Cavalli explained.
>> Giorgio Armani's classic menswear tailoring got a jolt of youthful spirit for Fall 2012. It came in the form of pops of coral, pink, and berry, flat shoes, and sequined minidresses — all layered over wider versions of the Bermuda shorts the designer sent out at his Emporio show a few days ago. Adding to the sense of "Easy Chic" (the collection's name) were the angled fedoras perched cheekily atop every model's head. "The modern woman loves to dress in androgynous and masculine clothes, yet she doesn't want to sacrifice feminine subtlety and lightness," the show notes explained.
>> Right here, in our daily news round up.
>> Donatella Versace and Christopher Kane tapped the rough-and-tumble youths of London's Camden Town for their Fall 2012 Versus collection. "The skinheads, the glitter, the acid tie-dye," Kane described backstage. And sure enough, there was a grittiness to the collection — and it was evident from the moment the first model appeared on the runway clad in a leather-sleeved jacket. Colors were dark and moody — burgundy, violet, and acid yellow — and everything from the skintight pants to the short little dresses was printed in psychedelic graphics or slashed-and-laced with grommets. "She's a rebellious, tough, angry, modern girl," Kane explained.
>> The designer shakeups continue: YSL has announced the departure of creative director Stefano Pilati.
"We are all at Yves Saint Laurent grateful to Stefano for his important achievements in advancing the mission and success of this historic and treasured fashion house," YSL's CEO, Paul Deneve, said in a statement.
Pilati has been head designer at YSL since 2004. His Fall 2012 collection, which will be shown in Paris on March 5, will be his last outing for the label.
Despite Pilati's somewhat turbulent tenure at YSL, the label has shown marked growth under Pilati's leadership, especially in accessories. "Pilati has been instrumental in the rebuilding and repositioning of an iconic French luxury brand. Under Stefano’s guiding vision and artistic direction, the house has become a contemporary reference in high fashion," the statement acknowledged.
YSL has declined to comment on who will replace Pilati at the creative helm. However, several sources this past weekend — including WWD — have reported that former Dior Homme designer, Heidi Slimane, is poised to take over.
"I wish the maison Yves Saint Laurent and its new creative director the very best for the future," Pilati told WWD. “I exit the house with fierce conviction in all that we have achieved and deep gratitude to those who have supported me along the way. "
>> The red carpet is only half the style story on Oscar night; from the Vanity Fair party to the Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation viewing party, the evening is so jam-packed with events that the potential for chicness is nearly endless. This year, the parties saw everyone from models (Karolina Kurkova, Heidi Klum, Alessandra Ambrosio) to designers (Tom Ford, Tory Burch, Carolina Herrera) to muses (Sofia Coppola, Claire Danes, Dita Von Teese) — and the ensembles on display were just as gorgeous as those of the main event. Click through to see some of the best looks from the evening — with more added as they come in — right here.
>>The biggest red carpet moment of the season has finally arrived — and with it comes some of the most memorable looks of the year. Among the evening's greatest hits? Jessica Chastain's gilt-embroidered Alexander McQueen, Gwyneth Paltrow's cape-endowed white Tom Ford, and Rooney Mara's ivory Givenchy Couture — which she said she picked out the morning before. See those — plus more of the chicest looks of the night — right here, in our 2012 Oscars best dressed slideshow.
>> Czarist Russia and Eastern Europe were the touch points for Massimiliano Giornetti's Fall 2012 Salvatore Ferragamo collection. The result? A romantic mix of elevated peasant silhouettes and precise military shapes. There were off-the-shoulder tops and gypsy skirts came in brocade or frothy sheers, with elaborate lace or gilded embroidery providing an element of luxe exoticism. Double-breasted coats and suits were sharply cut in greige astrakhan or rich navy wool and decorated with piping, epaulets, and rows of shiny gold buttons.
