Oscar de la Renta is fretting over the red and black Alexander McQueen gown Michelle Obama wore to this week's state dinner for People's Republic of China President Hu Jintao. Not that the frock by McQueen creative director Sarah Burton wasn't lovely. But it should have been made by an American or Chinese designer, not a Brit, de la Renta says. Who knew fashion was so political? [WWD]

A couple of my favorite celebs are announcing product deals as this week nears its close. 

New papa Orlando Bloom (it was a baby boy for the actor and wife, model Miranda Kerr, on Jan. 6) will be the frontman for Boss Orange Man, due out Feb. 1.  [WWD] (Subscription required.)  

"Project Runway's" Heidi Klum signed a deal with Coty to create her own fragrance, Shine, scheduled to hit stores in September. [WWD] (Subscription required.) 

Actor Vincent Cassel and director Darren Aronofsky of "Black Swan" worked with Yves Saint Laurent on a short film promoting YSL's La Nuit de L’Homme. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Speaking of "Black Swan," here's a fun fact for you: Swarovski provided more than 250,000 crystals for the film's costumes and chandeliers. [People]

Rihanna has become the girl with the most talked about hair over the last year or so -- not counting Willow Smith! Rihanna's hair has been long, it's been short and edgy, it's been different colors. And this week, thanks to a wig, it was wild, red Afro style curls spiraling around her face like a mushroom cloud. Kids, don't try this at home! [StyleList] 

Kat Von D has been spotted wearing a Neil Lane engagement ring from fiance Jesse James. The 4-carat-plus sparkler is a large diamond surrounded by smaller diamonds in a dome shape. [People]

Foley + Corinna has closed its Los Angeles shop on Melrose. [Mondette]

--Susan Denley

Photo: First Lady Michelle Obama, wearing the Alexander McQueen gown, with President Barack Obama. Credit: AFP/Getty 

On Wednesday night, First Lady Michelle Obama donned a red Alexander McQueen gown to wear to a state dinner for the People’s Republic of China. The asymmetrical neckline, Times fashion critic Booth Moore wrote, “was incredible.” But that wasn’t the only charm of the dress. It was sleeveless, offering us another chance to catch a glimpse of the famous Obama arms. Much has been written about the first lady’s fit figure (she’s “buff,” Times health writer Jeannine Stein proclaimed). And she continues to provide evidence that even a busy first lady has time to work out. Her curvy biceps have become “something of a lightning rod for remarks from both sexes in a larger discussion of how much female muscle constitutes too much,” Stein reported.  But those of us who spend hours working on our bicep curls salute her.   

Photo gallery of the first lady's famous biceps

-- Alice Short

Photo: President Obama, right, and First Lady Michelle Obama, left, welcome Chinese President Hu Jintao for a state dinner at the White House in Washington on Wednesday. Obama and Hu met in the Oval Office earlier in the day. EPA/Mark Wilson / Pool

The heavy focus of the Milan menswear collections this season has been on outerwear (Burberry's stormy-weather collection is top of mind), and the Alexander McQueen collection was in lock step trend-wise, with a razor-sharp collection inspired by regimental military dress and grounded in a palette of navy blue, black and gray with pops of red and gold.

The emphasis was on great coats, shearling bomber jackets, tartan ponchos and voluminous capes that seemed to trail behind the models, crisply frozen in mid-billow (a look accomplished by bonding felted wool to leather and velvet).

These crisp outerwear pieces were layered over outfits that combined casual pieces (drawstring sweat pants, ribbed turtlenecks) with more formal-looking but equally soft and unstructured garments rendered in chalk stripes, Prince of Wales checks and gray flannels.

A contrast stripe of red along the asymmetrical button placket of a black shirt created the effect of a regimental sash draped diagonally across the chest, and a zippered track jacket bore the ghostly image of a military medal surrounded by the swirling mercurial patterns that are a recurring motif at the label.

For some reason the collection made me think of Roger Waters' live (and currently touring) performance of Pink Floyd's rock opera "The Wall," and as I stepped out of the Alexander McQueen show into the cold, foggy Milan night, that peculiar blend of military and melancholy that both manage to evoke wrapped itself around me like a billowing cape.

-- Adam Tschorn in Milan, Italy

Photos: Looks from the Alexander McQueen fall and winter 2011 men's runway collection shown during Milan Fashion Week. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson & Peter Stigter / For The Times

If you thought the first lady's fashion sense was mellowing out, think again. Michelle Obama chose a red petal print silk organza gown by Alexander McQueen to wear to Wednesday's state dinner for the *People's Republic of China at the White House. The asymmetrical neckline is incredible, and the red color no doubt a nod to China.

McQueen, who died last year, was the fashion world's rabble-rouser. But this dress was designed by his successor, Sarah Burton. Red is the color of happiness and prosperity in China, a fact of which Mrs. Obama was no doubt keenly aware. 

-- Booth Moore

Photo: President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama arrive to greet China's president at the White House before a state dinner Wednesday. Credit: Saul Loeb / AFP/Getty Images

*Updated 1/19/2011 at 6 p.m. An earlier version of this post stated that the White House state dinner is for the Republic of China. It is for the People's Republic of China.

-- Willow Smith is scheduled to whip her hair on "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" show. The girl-of-a-thousand-hair-styles showed off another one Saturday when she performed at the Christmas tree lighting ceremony at L.A. Live, wearing braids that looked like candy canes. [People] 

-- The red carpet was rolled out in Washington Sunday night for the Kennedy Center Honors and there was a true diversity of looks. Michelle Obama was sophisticated in a figure-huggging gown that showed off those toned arms. Sheryl Crow channeled her inner goddess in a flowing cream dress cinched at the waist. Nancy Shevell, the date of honoree Paul McCartney, was edgy in a short green-and-black dress with sheer paneled hem, while honoree Oprah Winfrey was elegant in a sweeping black skirt and low-cut white blouse. But what was Kid Rock thinking, in shirtsleeves, a hat and some kind of furry vest? [Huffington Post]  

-- While celebrities can burn out as fast as a shooting star in the worlds of fashion and beauty, Jessica Simpson is showing some staying power and is on track to becoming a billion-dollar fashion powerhouse. [WWD] (subscription required) 

-- We wonder if Angelina Jolie will be as successful? She's entered into a new jewelry collaboration. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

-- Canadian researchers have done a study that shows that Botox injections can cause muscle to waste away to fat, both at the injection site and in other parts of the body ... in rabbits, at least. The researchers, from the University of Calgary, warn that their findings "raise important questions" about the long-term use of the popular cosmetic treatment. The study results were published in the Journal of Biomechanics.  [Daily Mail]

-- The British Fashion Council plans to honor the late Alexander McQueen with a posthumous award for outstanding achievement in fashion. [WWD] (subscription required) 

-- Belgian model Tanga Moreau, who in the late 1990s appeared in Vogue Paris and Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue (among others), is returning to modeling after a 10-year absence. [Telegraph] 

-- Jezebel has unearthed a 1988 music video featuring designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, a number of gender-bending male and female models, a cone bra and dancing scissors. Kind of a precursor to some of the videos design houses have been using the last couple of years.

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Willow Smith with brother Jaden. Credit: Agence France-Presse / Getty Images

American Apparel, the L.A.-based clothing maker, continues to struggle. Sales are down, and the company may have to shut some stores. One strategist said American Apparel is becoming "'a bit of an afterthought to its core hipster base." Ouch. Read Andrea Chang's report in the L.A. Times.

If you live in the Ralph Lauren universe, you might want to know the company is celebrating the 10th anniversary of its online shop with a "4-D" projection onto the new Madison Avenue store Wednesday night. [The Cut]

The late Alexander McQueen will be the focus of an exhibit at the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Look for it to open next May. [Vogue UK]

If you have enjoyed recent films about legendary designer Coco Chanel, you are not alone. But take note: Karl Lagerfeld does not. [Fashionologie]

There's something about the letters VPL (yes, we're talking Visible Panty Line) that continues to make us smirk. It is also the name of a British clothing store that has opened a branch in New York. Perhaps you are wondering: What does it sell? Our response: Does it matter? [The Moment]

Don't deny it -- you watch the Victoria's Secret fashion show. (It's Nov. 30 on CBS.) This year, Katy Perry, who simply doesn't seem to get enough publicity, will be making her own fashion statement with a couple of outrageous outfits from designer Todd Thomas. And that's probably all you need to know for today. [People]

 -- Alice Short

Photo: Audrey Tautou as Coco Chanel in the movie "Coco Before Chanel." Credit: Chantal Thomine-Desmazures /Sony Pictures Classics

The Republican sweep of Congress means Nancy Pelosi will be out as speaker of the House, and we here at All the Rage will miss having her flair for fashion front and center. What other speaker has been named "best dressed," as Pelosi was in a Huffington Post poll? [LAT] Not to mention having her style dissected in glossy mags such as Harper's Bazaar, online sites including the Daily Beast and august dailies such as the New York Times and Washington Post. Who can forget Pelosi, in her elegant lavender suit and matching pumps amid a bevvy of congressmen in dark suits? The San Francisco Democrat will still be serving in Congress but not as prominently without the speakership. [LAT]

Wow, that was fast! Eight days after the Hells Angels sued Alexander McQueen, Saks Fifth Avenue and Zappos over the sale of McQueen merchandise bearing the Hells Angels winged-skull logo and name, the parties have reached a settlement. McQueen, Saks and Zappos will cease and desist and also attempt to recall already sold items. Good luck with that. [WWD]

In a Parisian Indian summer, smart women are wearing shorts with scarves and boots, dresses with vests, touches of black and jeans. Sounds kind of like L.A.! [WWD] 

Shellac, the long-wearing nail polish from CDC that is supposed to make a manicure last up to two weeks, is coming out with a dozen more colors next year. [BellaSugar]

Dr. Nicholas Perricone, whose name is synonymous with good skin, has a new book out, "Forever Young," along with a new skin-care line, Super. The new products are based on plants and free of parabens and other bad stuff. [T Magazine]

Ever wish there were a way to keep your shirt tucked in no matter what? There is. It's a contraption called a shirt garter, which attaches to your shirttail on one end and your socks on the other. So your shirt stays tucked in, and your socks stay up. Brilliant. [The Cut]

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Nancy Pelosi with gavel in hand during passage of the healthcare reform bill earlier this year. Credit: Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images    

In decades past, the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club settled disputes the old-fashioned way, with a swift kick in the groin or a punch in the face to the offending party. On Monday, the outlaw club opted for a more civilized action. It filed a lawsuit against the designer fashion label Alexander McQueen, along with retailers Saks Fifth Avenue and Zappos, claiming they illegally sold McQueen items that use the trademarked Hells Angels name and death head design in rings, clutch purses, scarves and dresses.

“There’s no doubt in my mind the designer had seen the death head mark,” said Hells Angels’ intellectual property attorney, Fritz Clapp, who filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

One week prior, Clapp had received a text message from a club member’s fiancee who was shopping online and saw a “Hells four-finger ring” on Saksfifthavenue.com that was strikingly similar to the winged skull the club had used as its logo for decades. Clapp continued his online search and soon also found a “Hells knuckle duster” clutch purse for sale on Zappos.com.

“Then I go to Alexander McQueen’s site and I find not only is the word ‘Hells’ used on those things, but ‘Hells Angels,’ the whole phrase, on a pashmina scarf and a Jacquard dress,” Clapp said. “If you’d said to the designer, ‘Just give me a side view skull with feathers coming off of it and they’d never seen the death head or a Hells Angels patch and they’d just come from Mars, it’s still closer than comfort.”

Clapp said he opted to file a suit rather than send a cease-and- desist letter because “it has a certain instructive quality in the public and in the market: Advertisers and businesses and lawyers are reminded that the Hells Angels name and logo are protected marks, commercially as well as on the street.”

The Hells Angels lawsuit relies on a 1982 registration protecting the Hells Angels name and multiple registrations from 1984, 2002, 2007 and 2009 protecting the death head from being copied in jewelry, clocks, watches, earrings, key rings and other items without permission.

The newest lawsuit is the latest in a string of trademark infringement suits the club has filed since 1992, when the club sued Marvel Entertainment Group over a Hells Angels comic book; the suit was settled when Marvel changed the name of the comic to Dark Angel and donated $20,000 to Ronald McDonald’s charities. After subsequent lawsuits against a skateboard manufacturer and an action sportswear line, the club, in 2006, sued Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group for its potential portrayal of the club in the film "Wild Hogs." That suit was voluntarily dismissed.

The current lawsuit seeks the immediate removal of the Alexander McQueen items from sale and display. Spokespeople for Alexander McQueen and Saks Fifth Avenue had no comment on the suit.

The defendants have until Nov. 15 to respond to the complaint.

 -- Susan Carpenter

More All The Rage coverage of Alexander McQueen

Photo: An Alexander McQueen ring is among the items by the label that the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club alleges violates its trademark. Credit: Saks Fifth Avenue

Michelle Obama, speaking Tuesday at the annual Women's Conference in Long Beach, donned a Jason Wu sheath dress with an Alaia belt. [The Cut] And speaking of the first lady, a new study suggests her wardrobe choices have boosted the retail world by about $2.6 billion. [Vogue UK]

Ever wonder who is buying all those luxury goods during these tough economic times? Women's Wear Daily (subscription required) points to China, whose economy defies the trends and continues to grow.

Love Rachel Zoe? Want to dress like her? You've got opportunities, especially this evening when she is scheduled to appear on QVC to hawk her new collection. [The Cut]

Rodarte’s Laura and Kate Mulleavy have a few things to say about the intricate costumes they designed for the upcoming ballet thriller film "Black Swan." [People]

Kate Moss has just designed her final collection for Topshop. Check out a video of Moss dressing some of her best buds in pieces from the new line. [People]

Supermodel Lara Stone has won a fair bit of money from French Playboy. The magazine published unauthorized photos of her earlier this year. [Vogue UK]

What would a day be without news of the Hells Angels? They are suing Alexander McQueen, suggesting the British fashion house has misused its (trademarked) winged death heads symbol. [Vogue UK]

And, finally, the Material Girl wants the rest of us to shape up. Yes, Madonna is opening up a chain of gyms called (wait for it) Hard Candy Fitness. The first location? Mexico City. [Styleist]

-- Alice Short

Photo: Michelle Obama at the Women's Conference. Credit: Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images

-- Our Jenn Harris has given you a lot of Halloween costume ideas recently, but here's another one, thanks to FabSugar: Taylor Momsen. The rocker and "Gossip Girl" actress can be recreated with some thigh-high fishnets, a slashed tank, short skirt, matte maroon lips and lots of eye makeup. Lots. 

-- For more Halloween fashion inspiration be sure to tune in Tuesday night when the cast of "Glee" recreates "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Think of the costume possibilities; Dr. Frankenfurter, Magenta, Riff Raff -- my head is spinning!

-- I never quite think of Hogwarts and fashion at the same time, but now comes word -- possible spoiler ahead -- that Fleur Delacour (played by Clemence Posey) will wear a wedding gown very, very, very similar to a dress from Alexander McQueen's 2008 collection. [Lela London]

-- Designer Issey Miyake has been tapped to receive Japan's prestigious Order of Culture, which is slated to be bestowed by Emperor Akihito next week at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. [WWD]

-- Japan Fashion Week wrapped up its five days of runway shows last week, but the event attracted fewer international buyers than usual. [WWD] (Subscription required)

-- California pro surfer and part-time model Anastasia Ashley appeared on MTV's "World of Jenks" Monday and talked with host Tom Jenks about topics both personal and more public -- such as their shared enthusiasm for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animal, for which they have both been spokespeople. [Contact Music]

-- Olivier Theyskens, already designing the Theyskens for Theory line that will debut for spring, has been named creative director for the Theory label. [WWD] (Subscription required)

-- Elie Tahari is telling people his passport is his new fashion accessory. In less than a month, the designer has been tending to business in Newport Beach (where he opened a boutique at Fashion Island), Beverly Hills, London, Istanbul, Turkey, Israel and New York. [WWD] 

-- Christian Siriano plans to expand his, um, cheap shoe line for Payless to 20 styles for fall 2011. [The Cut] 

-- Susan Denley

Photo: In "Glee's" version of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," Chris Colfer, left, plays Riff Raff and Dianna Agron is Magenta. Credit: Adam Rose / Fox

L'Oreal Paris has tapped Rachel Weisz to be its new face in markets around the world, excluding the U.S. [WWD] (Subscription required)

"American Idol" runner-up Crystal Bowersox wed Brian Walker over the weekend, wearing an all-natural dress of hemp and cotton, featuring macrame, sea shells and beading. It was designed by Vermonter Tara Lynn. [People]

"Brothers and Sisters" star Dave Annable married actress Odette Yustman on Sunday. No word on her dress yet, but she reportedly wore 10 carats of diamond earrings and 30-carat diamond and platinum barrettes from Neil Lane. [People] 

J.K. Rowling, creator of Harry Potter, was named the most influential woman in Britain by the National Magazine Company. Coming in second was Spice-Girl-turned-fashion-designer Victoria Beckham. Strangely, they both beat out the queen, with her majesty placing third. [the Guardian]

Designer Jason Wu, a favorite of Michelle Obama's, met with the president of Taiwan and presented him with a dress for his wife. Wu was in Taipei for his brother's wedding on Sunday. [WWD]

Starting with the collection for next fall, Alexander McQueen will take full control of its McQ contemporary line, which has been produced by an Italian firm under a licensing agreement. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

Some of L.A.'s most influential fashionistas just happen to be Filipino, including designers Monique Lhuillier and Oliver Tolentino, Women's Wear Daily West Coast chief Marcy Medina and our own Melissa Magsaysay. [Style Section L.A.]

Katy Perry is said to be in talks with shoe mogul Steve Madden about a collaboration of some kind. [New York Post] 

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Rachel Weisz.  Credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images

Designer Sarah Burton's first women's show for Alexander McQueen didn't have the tortured genius of the namesake designer who committed suicide in February. But the clothes may have been better for it.

Although there was much about the collection that was familiar (the use of butterflies and gold bullion for example), Burton banished McQueen's famously restrictive neckpieces, headdresses and hobbling shoes with a woman's touch.

She introduced a new softness to the house's tailoring tradition with a fraying white jacket and tailcoat that had slits cut at the shoulders for range of motion, and a short skirt with feminine scalloped and pleated details.

A gold print jacket in a rounded silhouette, with matching skirt, looked as if they would also be forgiving. Even the shoes -- lacquered platforms sculpted into butterfly shapes -- seemed a tad less treacherous than you'd expect to see on a McQueen catwalk.

Not that Burton doesn't have the power to shock and amaze. There were many over-the-top showstoppers, including a "corn dollie" dress made of wheat grass and corn husks, a dress covered in handpainted feather butterflies, and another with cut leather leaves.

But between the exaggerated hips and amazing hand craftsmanship, there was also an emphasis on the wearable, as evidenced by two floaty silk gold feather print gowns with a boho spirit, as well as a stunning evening suit with cropped black pants, a lace shell and a cutaway tuxedo vest.

Which is all to say that McQueen the man may be gone, but McQueen the business must continue. And thanks to Burton, it's off to a solid start.

-- Booth Moore in Paris

Alexander McQueen spring-summer 2011 runway collection photo gallery

Photos: Looks from the Alexander McQueen spring-summer 2011 runway collection shown during Paris Fashion Week. Credit: Jonas Gustavsson & Peter Stigter / For The Times.