-- When our Melissa Magsaysay visited Taraji P. Henson's closet last summer, the actress was down to earth, warm and passionate about her clothes. But she's also passionate about animals and willing to bare all for the cause. She is featured in the latest PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) ad, dressed in nothing but the vine tattoo around her waist. "Be comfortable in your own skin," the ad reads, "and let animals keeps theirs." [New York Daily News]

-- Two princesses-in-waiting are having to contend with the large shadows of their princes' fashion icon mothers. For Kate Middleton, it's Britain's Princess Diana. For Charlene Wittstock, Monaco's Princess Grace. Women's Wear Daily has a fun comparison of the two and predictions about how they might (or might not) influence fashion. Kate "who hasn’t had a public misstep since she began dating Prince William, risks treading safe fashion ground for the rest of her life, which would result in a collective yawn in Britain and abroad," WWD concludes. Charlene, who has been taken under Armani's wing and is being courted by Dior, "can tend to look stiff and slightly uncomfortable in designer duds. She needs to relax and smile more. She will be a princess, after all." [WWD]

-- If you can't get enough of all this royal wedding madness -- like me! --Lifetime is preparing a movie about Kate and Prince William's courtship and wedding. [EOnline] [People]

-- In the world of rock royalty, Tali Lennox, daughter of music legend Annie Lennox and Israeli film producer Uri Fruchtmann, stars in cult Swedish label Acne's newest lookbook shoot. [Telegraph]

-- Paris Couture Fashion Week just wrapped up, with some "awe-inspiring" collections. [FabSugar]

-- Norma Kamali was a keynote speaker at Fashion Group International’s Rising Star Awards Thursday. Among the designers taking home honors were Loris Diran for men's apparel; Fabiola Arias and Bradley Scott, in a tie for women's apparel; Jennifer Fleiss and Jennifer Hyman of Rent the Runway for retail; Marc Marmel for accessories and Betty Lou Moscot for fine jewelry. [WWD]  

--The Obama factor is working for niche jewelry designer Kara Ross, who is getting lots of attention since the first lady wore pieces she designed at the White House Christmas tree ceremony and at the State of the Union address. [WWD] (subscription required)

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Actress Taraji P. Henson, in her closet. Photo: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times

Vogue editor in chief Anna Wintour is a guest at tonight's state dinner at the White House for the *People's Republic of China. She seems a little informally dressed, no?

First Lady Michelle Obama has accessorized her Alexander McQueen gown with earrings by Kimberly McDonald, the jewelry designer known for her use of natural stones, who splits her time between New York and Los Angeles. The earrings are black geodes surrounded by a mosaic of natural rubies, set in 18 karat gold.

--Booth Moore

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo: Anna Wintour, right, editor in chief of American Vogue magazine, and Shelby Bryan arrive at the White House for a state dinner Jan. 19. Credit: Brendan Smialowski / Getty Images

Updated: Jan. 20, 2011 at 12:28 p.m. An earlier version of this post referred to the White House state dinner for the Republic of China. It was for the People's Republic of China.

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.

Raining again. I love it. But I'd love it more if I could just watch from the window without ever going outside. Impossible. Fortunately, our Melissa Magsaysay has some tips on rain gear to help stay dry(ish) and look good at the same time -- kind of like Gene Kelly dancing and "Singing in the Rain."

Stella McCartney seems to be one of the busiest designers around. Now, on Thursday, she's opening her first Las Vegas store, just in time for the usual post-Christmas influx of visitors. It's a 2,900-square-foot space at the tony Crystals at CityCenter. [WWD] (Subscription required.)

There's another royal wedding on the horizon! This one isn't likely to get the buzz of THE royal wedding -- Prince William and Kate Middleton, in case you've been asleep --  but we're liking the trend. This time it's William's cousin, Zara Phillips, the daughter of his aunt Princess Anne, who announced her engagement to English rugby player Mike Tindall. The ring is described as a single solitaire diamond with pavé set diamonds on a split shank, set on a platinum band. No word yet on a date. [People] 

Usually we think of modeling as glamorous, but there is a downside. This is physical labor, after all, and labor in which the human being is decidedly secondary to the clothes on parade. A new alliance has formed aimed at offering protections to those in the trade. [WWD] (Subscription required.)  

Gisele Bundchen stars in Balenciaga's spring ad campaign, looking uncharacteristically androgynous, along with a very weirdly menacing male model, Yuri Pleskun, who wears ghoulish makeup and little else. [Telegraph]

Michelle Obama wore a Marc Jacobs sequined sheath from his fall 2010 runway collection at a recent White House function, marking a long-awaited (by some fashion observers) first matchup of the stylish first lady and the designer. [The Cut] 

Postscript to first item: While I've been writing this from my home office, my roof began to leak. Maybe staying inside on a rainy day isn't all it's cracked up to be. I'm about to give voice to my feelings ... and not exactly in the way Gene Kelly would!

-- Susan Denley

Photo: Gene Kelly at his finest in "Singing in the Rain."  Credit: American Cinematique 

"Pink is the navy blue of India," Vogue editor Diana Vreeland famously declared in 1962, the year Jacqueline Kennedy wowed the world with her colorful fashion choices during a state visit to that country.

According to Hamish Bowles, who curated an exhibit about her style in 2001 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she wore outfits like this apricot-colored dress (left) so she would be instantly recognizable to crowds. Life magazine has a fantastic online gallery of that trip here.

Or course, First Lady Michelle Obama is quite the fashion plate herself. During her visit to India over the last few days, she has turned up the color, print and embroidery in her own wardrobe. 

For an evening event, she wore a richly embroidered jacket by Belgian designer Dries Van Noten, and a tassel necklace by Indian American jewelry designer Ranjana Khan (wife of designer Naeem Khan, who made the gold and silver sequined gown Obama wore to a state dinner in honor of the Indian Prime Minister at the White House last year). 

During a visit to the National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum in New Delhi, she chose a colorful green print skirt by Van Noten, accessorized with a flower pin by Alexis Bittar, and fabulous looking necklaces and bangle bracelets by local artisans.

-- Booth Moore

Top photo: An image of Jacqueline Kennedy with sister Lee Radziwill in India, from "Jacqueline Kennedy: The White House Years Selections from the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum" exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2001. Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art

Bottom photo: First Lady Michelle Obama tries on a necklace during her visit to National Handicrafts and Handlooms Museum in New Delhi on Monday. Credit: Manpreet Romana / AFP/Getty Images

 

We assume you worked all weekend to keep up with the Hilary Duff-Mike Comrie nuptials in Santa Barbara. But there may be sad news for those who wish to gaze upon Duff's Vera Wang mermaid wedding gown. A certain magazine (well, OK, it's OK!) says it will have exclusive photos ... but you'll have to wait until Thursday ... or content yourself with grainy images taken from far, far away. [OK!]

We also assume you thought a great deal about the economy over the weekend. If so, we must inform you that Faith Popcorn, the trend-forecasting guru, has declared that "mindless excess is over." [WWD, subscription required]

We can't assume that you spent a great deal of time imagining Jay-Z in a cardigan ... with patent leather arm patches. But it happened ... this last week ... at Madison Square Garden. [Stylefile]

A new series of Dior lipsticks has been crafted to match the colors of some of the haute couture creations. [The Moment]

The Malibu Lumber Yard, a shopping center that opened to great fanfare last year with such stores as Kitson and Alice + Olivia, is for sale. [WWD, subscription required]

This probably won't surprise you, but Suri Cruise likes to design her own clothes. [NYDN]

Michelle Obama sported a number of ensembles on the First Family's recent visit to the Gulf. And there are photos for those who must take a look. [Huffington Post]

-- Alice Short

Photo of Hilary Duff and Mike Comrie: Getty Images

We've talked before about Pucci's resurgence on the red carpet, sans the mod tank dresses for which the label is probably best remembered. But can it still be Pucci without wild prints? [WSJ]

Two dresses from Alexander McQueen's Fall 2007 collection will be up for auction. [Vogue UK]

Will Michelle Obama be on the cover of Vogue again? [Fashion Week Daily]

The ugliest summer fashion trends. [The Daily Beast]

Also ugly, but apparently life savers: Boy's Croc shoes save him after electric shock. [Telegraph]

Is Karl Lagerfeld's photo of Claudia Schiffer in dark makeup and an afro on the cover of Germany's Stern Fotografie offensive? [Huffington Post]

Also causing waves: Urban Outfitters' Eat Less T-shirt. [Jezebel]

Can Giles Deacon save Ungaro? [Guardian]

Catherine Malandrino is not joining Lacoste. [Fashionologie]

Three CFDA winners create designs for Gap. [WWD, subscription required]

Courtney Prince's vintage and affordable jewelry. [Style Section LA]

-- Whitney Friedlander

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Photo: Eva Longoria Parker wears Pucci at Cannes. Credit: Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

Add Los Angeles-based Barbara Tfank to the list of illustrious designers who have dressed Michelle Obama. The first lady wore this delightful box-pleat dress with a funnel neck from Tfank's collection to kickoff the Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride at the White House last month. The silk jacquard dress is available by special order from Barneys in New York and Chicago or from Susan of Burlingame in San Francisco.  

The outing was a long time coming. The dress was snapped up by Obama's unofficial stylist, Chicago retailer Ikram Goldman, back in March when Tfank was showing her sample collection in Paris. It wound its way back to the designer's L.A. atelier, into production and into Obama's closet in just days. "I had to have the finished dress in Chicago by Wednesday and it was a Sunday," Tfank said by phone on Tuesday.

Not that she minded one bit. "I am honored that she wore it and honored that she wore it for such a wonderful occasion. I'm very touched," Tfank said.

It's great exposure for the designer whose star is rising with women who put a premium on quality fabrics and timeless silhouettes. Bravo.

-- Booth Moore

Photo: First Lady Michelle Obama with wounded soldiers on April 28 wearing a Barbara Tfank dress. Credit: Samantha Appleton / White House

Barbara Tfank's grown-up glamour for the 'Mad Men' set

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Singer and fashion icon Lena Horne dies. [Los Angeles Times]

A tribute to Horne's style. [Style Section L.A.]

The secrets of dressing Michelle Obama. [The Daily Beast]

The funny folks who do Fail Blog also have If Shoes Could Kill. [Huffington Post]

Fashion designer Anna Sui will have a book out this fall. [WWD]

Design students can't get jobs. [The Cut]

Lady Gaga accused of losing Rigby and Peller lingerie. [Daily Mail]

She also walked around Sweeden in her underwear. [Styleite]

My eight-year-old self is dying for these Louis Vuitton booties. [Nylon]

Victoria Beckham brings back her "pob" hairstyle. [FabSugar UK]

A look at Lindsay Lohan's "it" bag for 6126. [People StyleWatch]

Dissolving wedding dresses? Well, you are only supposed to wear it once. [Telegraph]

Harrods, London's enormous luxury department store, is sold for $2.2 billion. [Racked]

And BCBG joins the trend of U.S. stores crossing the pond. [WWD, subscription required]

Fashion designers + home decor = collaboration magic? [WSJ]

Late fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent's Paris apartment is for sale. [Vogue UK]

How H&M keeps things cool. [WSJ, subscription required]

-- Whitney Friedlander

Photo: Lena Horne, shown in a 1946 promotional photo for the musical "Till the Clouds Roll By." Credit: Associated Press / WNET

 
The stars are en route to the Screen Actors Guild Awards in downtown L.A. After the spongy mess that was the red carpet at the Golden Globes, organizers decided to tent the red carpet today. But after a week of rain, the sun is shining. Let the fashion parade begin.

"Inglourious Basterds" star Diane Kruger, who made such a splash on the Golden Globes red carpet dressed in an ombre pink gown from one of Paris designer Christian Lacroix's last couture collections, is expected to wear Jason Wu at the Screen Actors Guild Awards. Wu is the up-and-coming New York designer who made the frothy white gown that First Lady Michelle Obama wore to the inaugural parties last year. Kudos to Kruger for taking a chance on a young American designer. Can't wait to see it.

--Booth Moore

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[UPDATED AT 5:23 P.M.]: Diane Kruger wears Jason Wu to the 2010 SAG Awards. Credit Matt Sayles / Associated Press

Nearly a year after the inauguration, it's no surprise that there are a bevy of Obama-rama products on the market to commemorate the first couple, from President Obama flip-flops to cardboard cutouts of the First Lady. But this Mighty Michelle Shopper, which I found at my favorite local bookstore back east (and promptly purchased for the politico on my list) has to be my favorite.

It's from Pittsfield, Mass.,-based novelty company Blue Q, makers of such life necessities as the Dirty Girl Bubble Bath, Miso Pretty Lip Balm, Look and Feel Canadian Breath Spray and Supermodel Meal Gum. Just $11.99, the shopper was designed by British illustrator Fiona Hewitt, and is made from 95% recycled polyproplylene.

It's been a top seller since it was introduced in October, according to Mitch Nash, co-owner of Blue Q, who says that his company has shipped tens of thousands of the stylish accessories, with multiple reorders coming in from several retail stores, including Pearl River Mart in New York City. "They are selling well in red and blue states."

"We make lots of these bags, but this was the first topical one we’ve done. We wanted to give it a fantasy feel, to have it embody the feeling of the country being on the upswing." The first lady is appealing on a lot of different levels, he adds, "As a style icon and a healthy eating advocate, which is why we put some gardening elements in the illustration. She's so open and warm and inclusive, and she hasn't created any real controversy, at least not yet. Everyone loves Michelle."

The project was smooth sailing except for one detail--getting the first lady's arms just right, he says. "We had to redraw them several times because they weren't buff enough."

Photo: The Mighty Michelle shopping bag ($11.99), designed by British illustrator Fiona Hewitt and made by Pittsfield, Mass.,-based novelty company Blue Q, is 95% recycled polypropylene plastic and has been a top-seller for the company since it was introduced in October. Photo credit: Blue Q

-- Booth Moore

Italian designer brand Moschino is mining its roots for spring/summer 2010. The label -- a favorite brand of First Lady Michelle Obama's (she wore a Moschino blouse to the Vatican) -- is reproducing a selection of designs created by house founder Franco Moschino as a part of its latest collection. The items will be made with special “Archivio Moschino” labels.

"The past helps us to understand the present and understanding the present gives us the ability to open up our imagination for the future," said creative director Rossella Jardini, who pored through the 26-year-old brand's archives when choosing the iconic pieces to revamp.

"This season especially it felt right to take Moschino’s creative DNA from the past as a point of reference and inspiration and fuse it with our creativity now for the look into the future."

Jardini chose some of the house's most recognizable designs, including a boxy suit trimmed in pearls, a playful black-and-white heart-print dress and skirt, a dress bearing an embroidered peace sign, a white oversized T-shirt emblazoned with the word "Niente" (the Italian word for "nothing") and a biker jacket featuring colored pins.

But none of the homages are direct-from-pattern rehashes. The designer tweaked the fit of each item to modern proportions. The collection will be available at Fred Segal and Saks Fifth Avenue in L.A. But it's safe to assume we'll see it on the first lady first.

--Emili Vesilind

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Photo: A pearl-trimmed suit jacket from the Archivio Moschino collection. Credit: Moschino.