Front row for Mulberry’s Autumn 2012 runway show: Lana Del Ray, Pixie Geldof and Azealia Banks.

(Tonight my post theme is clearly “Celebrity Sunday Sity,” probably not to be repeated next week–more than likely I’m trying to avoid the work involved in posting my Project images!)

Womanly and with lots of structure, The Row’s Autumn/Winter 2012runway  illustrates a sleek modernist look we can see doing very well at retail. Love the styling with flats! Images courtesy of The Row.

Enjoy a look at Alternative Apparel’s Spring 2012 showcase from LA Fashion Week. Filled with soft beachy hues and textures this is summer wear 101.  Styled by Laura Urbinati, the line features slick basics that make warm weather style effotless and  irresistible.

Speaking of irresistible, Ry Cuming, the guitar-playing Aussie surfer with a knee-weakening voice and a rugged beard, performed live at the event! Sigh..full looks on the flip courtesy of Alternative Apparel.

Below via Papermag is an open letter Diane Von Furstenberg, head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, wrote to ”The Fashion Community” in response to the decision by the folks in charge of Milan Fashion Week to schedule the event during a period that conflicts with NYC and London Fashion Weeks for Autumn 2012.

From: DVF
Date: October 10, 2011 10:12:03 AM EDT
To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: An Open Letter to the Fashion Community from Diane von Furstenberg

Fashion shows are meant to allow designers to show their collections and vision for the following season.

Everyone goes through huge efforts at a large expense to make it easy and pleasant for the editors and retailers. The market has expanded greatly in the last years with Asia, Middle East, Russia and Brazil growing so fast. It requires a lot of coordination and planning.
 
Editors, retailers and designers like the consistency of every designer always showing on the same day of the week season after season. It makes it so much easier for everyone to plan and attend shows. Clearly, year after year, the calendar changes. There are 7 days in the week and every new year the calendar advances 1 day. Some years it will be better for some cities, some years not.
 
That is what is happening in September 2012. I believe our friends in Milan did not understand that. We did not change from the decision when we agreed to start Fashion Season in New York on the same day every year, which is on the second Thursday of February and September. It is the nature of the calendar.
 
I also believe this conflict is a misunderstanding. I am convinced it will be resolved and that the agreement that was made 3 years ago at great cost and effort is valid and will be kept.
 
As the President of the CFDA, I represent my fellow designers. We share the same goals as Milan, Paris, and London. Everyone at the CFDA has great respect and admiration for the designers working in those cities  Our shared goal is that we want the editors and retailers to see our work and to do theirs.
 
At a time of great uncertainty in the world, we are lucky to be part of an industry that is flourishing and that provides an enormous amount of jobs. We should not jeopardize that by being apart. It is most important that we show unity, fairness, and that we work together to ensure everyone is given equal benefit from our work.
 
As we say in fashion, the show must go on!

–Diane von Furstenberg

Mario Boselli, who’s the voice for Milan’s side of the story is quoted in WWD as stating “Italian designers unanimously agreed on the schedule. They showed great solidarity and Italian pride. Let the best [city] win.”

I can’t see this turning out well for Milan. I remember not very long in the past when the WSA, a shoe trade show, decided to attack a competing show, FFANY, by scheduling its dates so there would be a direct conflict, and it was the beginning of the end of a long down fall in the WSA’s attendance numbers. These shows are about business and if there is a sense that Milan is putting “pride” ahead of what’s best for the clientele its serving then they will lose.  Besides, there are few people in the fashion community more charming than Furstenberg and it’s hard not to see her winning the public sentiment debate.

Miu Miu does it again, creating a collection of shoes and accessories for Spring 2012 featuring designs that are rooted in vintage-girl charm, boosted to the heavens by silhouettes and patterns, which while often borderline over the top, make them immediately identifiable and for label lovers therefore highly covetable. Via Style.

More on the next page.

Mtv Style gives us a close up of some pieces of Kanye’s show that we see as directional and cool, the backpack fur hints of our beloved Helmut Lang and something about the woman he portrays reminds us of Carine Roitfeld. The shoes by Giuseppe Zanotti are love. Cathy Horyn already had this to say, we say meow (!):

Next season Kanye should get a tailor so clothes might fit. Models swimming in some looks. Kills the hot look, no?-CathyHoryn Twitter.

The idea of the little demure black dress gets turned on its head by Anthony Vacarello for Spring 2012. Cutouts, peeks of flesh bringing “torrid sexy” back in a way we have not seen in a while, and we like it. See the whole line here.

Without apology or irony Nasir once again is inspired by and pays tribute to up-from-the-street fashion for his Spring 2012 collection, this time with athletic-inspired looks leaping to the forefront. Commenting on his collection, designer Nasir Mazhar tells Vogue U.K:

“I’m showing people that if you’re into grime, why does that have to be dismissed? It’s a style. I’m trying to show that there’s this whole UK scene in London that’s really inventive and original. I’m trying to make people aware of one of the last subcultures. This season we’ve done four menswear outfits and I really like the tracksuit. It’s the beginning of us doing menswear, moving on from just accessories and hats.”

Needless to say, we in major luv. See more looks on the next page and be sure and check for the nail art (would love to know who handled it so we can give credit).

UPDATE: The top boss, Sharmadean, at WAH nails checked in and of course the art was done by her salon. She and Nasir are long-time buddies and she has collaborated with him in the past. When I asked her about the show’s nail art design theme, she explained, “We did glitters with tiger stripes. It was meant to be London street kids on a Caribbean holiday!”

Here’s a better look at Prada’s”Flaming” sandals it just showed on its Spring 2012 runway for Italian Fashion Week.

Looks like Christian Louboutin once again provided the footwear for Mary Kantrazou’s London Fashion Week runway show. Sandals featuring candy-colored studs on clear lucite and contrasting jewel-toned metallics were the dominant trends. So why are we featuring what appeared to be the lone snakeskin shoe shown in the show on the front page? Obviously ’cause we’re total suckers for a sexy foot tattoo!

See many more Chrisitan Louboutin shoes on the next page.