Christian Louboutin’s ‘Crossed Paths’ With Cinderella

When Marc Jacobs released the clear, PVC pump at left earlier this spring it was impossible not to associate the shoe with Cinderella. It’s a slightly sexier, more modern version of the Disney princess’ legendary glass slipper.  But Jacobs isn’t the only one dreaming up designs for a modern day ball—Christian Louboutin’s been recruited to whip a shoe in Cinderella’s honor, too.
Louboutin tells WWD that he’ll apply his “magic touch” to her famous slipper—which we imagine means a red sole on something that looks a lot like Jacobs’ heels, becauase how much can one do with a clear pump?—in honor of the movie’s re-release on DVD.  He also tells the trade, “I have been so lucky to have crossed paths with Cinderella, an icon who is so emblematic to the shoe world as well as the dream world.”
We’re not totally clear on when and where they met, but we do think the shoe designer would make a wonderful Prince Charming.

Isabel Marant’s Made a Watch

Isabel Marant’s just released a limited edition gold watch inspired by the one her father used to wear.  The French designer puts it better than we could, considering the intimacy of the inspiration:  “A hand in my hand.  My father’s hand.  A hand marked by time, magnificent like childhood memories.  A fine wrist encircled by a watch in gold, which stays in my memory like an extension of him a timeless object the sign of natural elegance without pretence, without needless bling.  A just equilibrium.  Perfect proportions.  A meeting of the classic and the modern.”
Marant partnered with Jem Process to source the 18 carat gold used on the watch (as well as the bracelet, pictured below), which makes this the first “ethical” gold watch.  Only 50 have been produced, all of which are exclusively available at Marant’s Soho store for about $9,500.

Victoria Beckham’s Making Range Rovers Now

While you were riding the subway in sneakers this weekend, Victoria Beckham was in Beijing unveiling her bespoke Range Rover.  Just how fancy is a custom designed Range Rover with the name “Beckham” in front of it?  The car above is hand-finished with matte grey paint with glossy black forged alloy wheels, mohair floor mats inspired by her father’s Rolls Royce and rose-gold details. Beckham, who’s earned the title Creative Design Executive, covered the interiors with vintage tan leather and stitches resembling those on a baseball chosen, according to the release, “as a tongue-in-cheek reference to her athletic husband David,” (though he plays soccer?).  Range Rover will close the list of orders once it hits 200, but those lucky customers will get a set of luggage with their car, made of black leather and lined with the same microsuede you’ll find on the vehicle’s roof, as well as a wallet signed by Victoria herself.  You’ll probably never be able to bend it quite like Becks, but for £79,995, almost $129,000, you can drive like him!

Green it Up for Earth Day

To paraphrase in the negative a famous philosopher we all know, Kermit the Frog, it IS easy being green. The strangely perpetuated myth that natural beauty products are inferior to traditional formulas is exactly that.  With a bevy of beautiful ingredients, pigmented payoff and a distinct lack of chemicals, parabens and sulfates, these natural products perform just as well as their sometimes seriously scientific counterparts. Here, our seven eco-chic beauty picks to make you feel like a natural woman this Earth Day (and beyond!).

Oscar de la Renta’s Bridal Blues

Bridal fever’s swept New York this week. Designers like Vera Wang, Amanda Wakely, Marchesa and Reem Acra are showing off their spring 2013 bridal collections and there have been some pretty out there interpretations of the classic white dress like red lace, blue skirts and black veils.  Out of all the wacky trends, it was the baby blue nails at Oscar de la Renta that best held our attention (maybe because we’re not getting married?).
It’s safe to say that when de la Renta, of all people, pairs his hand-sewn lace veils with blue nails, the colorful nail trend is here to stay (and office appropriate).  As if to guarantee that his brides wouldn’t lack for something blue, he also showed a selection of blue tulle skirts and a white lace dress with a baby blue slip.  The best part?  Even if you’re not getting married you can indulge in a manicure—the models wore Larimar, from de la Renta’s own nail lacquer collection, available exclusively on Facebook this June.

Armani’s Designing Lady Gaga’s Tour Looks

Lady Gaga’s been uncharacteristically quiet lately (ever since she told Oprah she was done speaking), but thanks to her massive tour of Asia, kicking off April 27th, she’s bound to score a few headlines. First up, her costumes. The pop star’s enlisted Giorgio Armani, with whom she’s worked before, to whip up a dazzling array of mirrored, spiked and sparkling suits. Most only exist from the thigh up, but some, like the brown dress pictured above, are a bit more conservative.  As for those spiked, thigh-high boots on the left, we can’t help but home Armani issues a slightly more commercial (and for sale) version come fall.

Not Your Average Hair Oil

When we heard that Pureology was launching a hair oil, our first thought was, “Not another one!” Since hitting the mass market a couple of years ago, oils have saturated the market (pun intended). But, as we learned from Privé Salon stylist Tami Jensen, not all hair oils are created equal. Jensen, who’s had celebs like Emma Roberts and Nicole Richie in her chair, once lamented to us about how—after initially shiny, silky results—using certain oils left hers and her clients’ strands duller and drier over time. She blames the lackluster results on the products’ inclusion of silicone.
It should be noted, of course, that not all silicones deserve a bad rap; while certain water insoluble ones—dimethicone, dimethiconol, etc.—have the propensity to build up and weigh down hair, inhibiting the cuticle’s ability to absorb nutrients, other silicones—water soluble ones like dimethicone copolyol, lauryl methicone copolyol, and others—can yield lasting sleekness.

Lipstick Queen’s Storybook Formula

Are you a sinner, saint—or somewhere in between? If you fall into the latter category, Lipstick Queen founder Poppy King has just the product for you: a medium-pigment lipstick formula that’s not as sheer as her Saint line, nor as opaque as her Sinner one. The result? A best-of-both-worlds combo that includes color and sheen.
The new lipstick finish debuts this May in the form of Soho, Central Park, and Upper East, a trio of shades packaged in a book-inspired box. Part of Liptropolis, volume one of King’s novel Lipstick Library series (get it?), they’re inspired by Manhattan neighborhoods (King, who lives in New York, swears she knows whether a subway is going uptown or downtown based on her fellow passengers’ lips.)
Each Liptropolis hue is meant to represent their respective locales, with Soho being a maroon-red, Central Park a muted tangerine, and Upper East a sophisticated nude. Look for them at Lipstick Queen retailers and on lipstickqueen.com next month.

Kenzo x Vans = A Guaranteed Hit

You already knew it was the summer of the sneaker.  From Isabel Marant’s wedged Willows to the Olsen’s new Supergas, it feels like everyone’s traded in their platforms for a set of rubber soles—and now there’s one more pair to add to your closet.  Kenzo’s teamed up with Vans for an achingly hip collection—actually, three collections—of the classic sneaker covered in Kenzo’s spring prints.  They come all of the same colors as Humberto Leon and Carol Lim’s debut collection: watermelon pink, kelly green, ocean blue and bits of yellow. ”Since our childhood in suburban L.A., we’ve been fans of Vans and own too many pairs to count!” the duo said in a release. “Vans is one of the iconic American brands and we liked the idea of infusing this bit of American style into the house of Kenzo.”   Each pair costs $125 and the first installment hits stores next month.

Carine Roitfeld’s New Mag: CR

Those cameras following Carine Roitfeld around Paris Fashion Week (or the few elite shows she chose to attend), weren’t for a brief news segment or trend story.  It turns out the former French Vogue editor will be the subject of a feature length documentary from Fabien Constant, the man behind Sonia Rykiel’s The Day Before as well as Marc Jacobs Louis Vuitton.
Constant captured Roitfeld during the collections, but he’ll also have his cameras turned on the Standard Hotel in the East Village, since that’s where Roitfeld’s stationing her hugely anticipated magazine.  The English language publication, called CR Fashion Book, will launch in September.  “The name’s not a big surprise, but oh well,” she told WWD.  But what’s inside, she hopes, will be.  She told the trade that she’ll “find new ways to be irreverent…not necessarily safer, but different. It will always be edgy. Maybe it will be more mental than physical.”
That means shoots from both established and fresh young photographers, as well as long form articles.  Though it’s called a book, it’s priced at $9.99 (less than most international publications cost stateside) and comes out twice a year.  It lacks a front of book (or any sort of news, though there will be an active web component) and though it will be published in English, Roitfeld says that guest contributors will be in invited to write in their own language, with their work will be translated into English in a sort of appendix in the back of each issue.
Only fifty thousand copies of the first issue will be published, so stake out your newsstands now.

Leslie Fremar’s Fruit of the Loom Collection Keeps Growing

There was obviously a hole in the market,” said Fruit of the Loom’s John Shivel.  He’s talking about that empty space in between a $9 pack of Hanes tank tops and the $45 James Perse version, and he’s right.  So when superstar celebrity stylist Leslie Fremar—yes, that’s her on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter with client Charlize Theron—called and said she’d like to work with them on a new line of tees, Fruit of the Loom jumped at the opportunity. After a test run of just three styles in 11 Bloomingdales stores flew off shelves, they’ve expanded the collection and landed in every Bloomingdales.

Rick Santorum’s Sweater Vests Have Nothing on Barbie

A press release landed in our inbox late last night: “I’m reaching out with the news that Barbie has just announced that she is running for President in 2012, and will be dressed by designer Chris Benz!  With the help of Chris’ pink wedge heels, Barbie is standing on her own for the very first time.”
It’s about time someone figured out how to make the woman stand up without the help of a 5-year-old, or a doll stand, so hooray for Benz for making that happen.  As for the presidential thing, Barbie felt like the 2012 campaign needed a strong female candidate.  So she’s hitting the road in her glam-paign mobile, backed by The White House Project (a real thing that helps to empower women) hoping to win the B Party nomination.
A spokesperson from Mattel said, “We hope that Barbie will inspire girls to be leaders—be it in their schools, classrooms, or communities—with the President doll.” If nothing else, it will inspire them to buy wedges instead of stilettos.

Burberry’s Band of Sunnies

Burberry’s love of music’s no secret. Scratch that, Christopher Bailey’s love of rock stars is no secret. Since landing at Burberry in 2001, Bailey’s made the historic English brand synonymous with rock n’ roll. So to celebrate their spring summer eyewear collection, the designer recruited five British musicians to star in four different campaigns (one’s a duo). Each talent stars in an exclusive music video, a print campaign and a concert somewhere in the world this May.  There’s Marika Hackman (who will perform in New York), One Night Only’s George Craig, Life in Film’s Sam Fry and Paula Walker and Adam Pickering of The Daydream Club. Click through to watch One Night Only’s “Long Time Coming”.

Deer Dana’s Supermodel Tees

Justin Bieber might be the most famous face to wear one of Dana Veraldi’s t-shirts, but it’d be hard to choose the most famous face that’s graced the front of the white cotton tees.  She’s sketched everyone from Olivier Theyskens to Lil’ Wayne under her label, Deer Dana, and adds a dozen new names to her portfolio with the launch of an exclusive run for Opening Ceremony today.
You’ll find Veraldi’s signature portraiture amongst the bunch in the form of Dolly Parton, Rick Ross and Kobe Bryant.  Nicki Minaj and Prince Harry are colored in and of the three supermodel tributes available, only Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista are drawn straight on.  Cindy Crawford’s illustrated in the abstract, and wins the award for our  favorite.
They’re all on sale for $60 at OC starting today.

Former Mag Editor Encourages Your Proenza Problem

While mandatory family time and hoovering sugar-encrusted marshmallows can be a rocking good time, former fashion editor Kathryn Irby proposes a new Easter weekend activity: shopping!
This Saturday, a consortium of Williamsburg, Brooklyn eateries, bars and shops will offer one-day-only discounts, courtesy of a mobile smartphone platform.
Before we get too meta, the idea is rather simple: to access discounts from participating vendors, download the Domino Smart Guide app and start snapping pics of items you wish to purchase.  Once your swag is documented, the app will deliver an e-coupon for freebies including mini sundaes at Momofuku Milk Bar and 15% off full-priced clothing at Bird.

Floral PS1, here we come!

Nike’s Liberty Prints=Summer Workout Motivation

The second installment of Nike’s Liberty print sneakers is here.  The brightly printed kicks—both high tops and classic running shoes, all with a distinctly retro feel—will make an outfit out of your most boring black leggings and white t-shirt.  The Dunk Sky High, pictured above, features a wedge heel a la Isabel Marant’s now classic Willow sneaker.  You can snag the collection at Liberty in London starting today. 

Get a Piece of Prabal Gurung’s Spring Collection for Under $10

Prabal Gurung has been working with Sally Hansen on his show’s nail look for a couple of seasons, but this time around, they took the partnership further, turning out Prabal-printed nail wraps. Two different patterns from Gurung’s Spring 2012 collection have been recreated in miniature on Hansen’s pre-polished, press-on adhesive strips: Sweet Marble Floret (above) and Good Morning Glory (a violet floral print, which can be seen after the jump below). The limited-edition Prabal Gurung for Sally Hansen Salon Effects sets are $9.99 each and currently in drugstores nationwide.