>> Ralph Lauren just launched a new, heritage-driven brand, Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren, today, inspired by "found vintage pieces" styled in a "young, individualistic spirit." According to the release, this first collection is based on three stories — Into the Wild, The Lodge, and The Wharf — and will retail between $39.50 and $298 with "specialty jeans" under $200 and "core jeans" under $100.
A selection of the pieces from the new collection in the slideshow.
>> If there was any question as to how big Alexander Wang wants to go, it's a question no longer. He has aspirations to create a major lifestyle brand along the lines of Ralph Lauren's, Wang says: "Ralph Lauren is someone that I've always looked up to. That's what I want to be able to do — have control until the very end. And at the same time, have as much passion and love and enjoy it as much, and for that to be able to be translated into the product," says Wang. "You can really feel that from someone like Ralph. You know the things that he loves, you can see it, you can see it in the stores, you can feel it in the product that he creates." The bigger Wang gets, the less "It" he wants to be. A friend recently referred to the designer's "It" status in a blog post, Wang says: "I texted him right away and I was like, ' Please do not ever refer to me as anything It, whether it's It boy, It designer, It person.'" [Harper's Bazaar]
Duchess Kate Middleton stayed close to hubby Prince William while stocking up on groceries in North Wales. Kate looked cute and casual in a royal purple Ralph Lauren sweater, cropped jeans, and black Frenchsole flats. Her hair and makeup were fuss-free, and she added a plaid scarf for extra warmth. Get Kate's exact sweater with other complementing items now.
>> The dress Ralph Lauren designed for daughter Dylan to wed hedge fund founder Paul Arrouet appears in the August 2011 issue of Vogue. Lauren, who reportedly consulted with Vera Wang on the dress's design, decided on a handmade duchesse-satin, silk-tulle, and georgette embroidered dress with a tiered, nine-foot train. "I had to do something that was better than ever before," he told Oprah before the June 2011 wedding, which took place at his 300-acre Westchester County, New York estate. "When you do something for your family or your daughter, I mean it's the only daughter I have — beautiful girl. I want to just give her something that she'd really treasure and give her something that would be really amazing. I want her to feel fantastic."
Lauren also designed the bridesmaid's dresses in Dylan's Candy Bar-logo colors, with specially-made Spanx if the wearer so opted. "I also was inspired by a New York Times front page of one of my father's Spring/Summer collections where they showed the finale lineup of all those vivid colors of satin evening dresses," Dylan explained.
OnSugar blogger The Fash Pack recently reported on the ongoing debate regarding model retouching in ad campaigns. Read about the latest developments on this controversial topic right now.
Over the last few years debates concerning the rise in retouching has never been too far from the headlines. Ralph Lauren most notably made headlines back in 2009 for the dramatic photoshopping of model Filippa Hamilton in their ad campaign leading to the designer quickly apologising for the blunder. Despite the mass public criticism of the brand over-retouching of campaigns is increasingly becoming the norm, which has led to the American Medical Association to take a strong stance on the issue.
Read the rest of the article at The Fash Pack, or start your own blog now!
>> Oprah has scored another coup before her time as host of The Oprah Winfrey Show shortly comes to an end: Wednesday's show is dedicated to Ralph Lauren, who gives his first television interview in 20 years. It's also the first time camera crews were let into the designer's RRL Ranch in Telluride, CO. The two ride around the place in Lauren's vintage 1948 Jeep, get a rare look at his antique-filled tepees, and chat about his career and his future. Winfrey also sits down with Lauren's wife, Ricky, and children Andrew, David and Dylan (who are both getting married this year). [WWD]
Victoria's Secret stunner and soon-to-be-bride Lily Alridge looks sexy and subdued in a champagne-hued Ralph Lauren gown. The model pretty much looks like liquid gold — the dress appears to drip right off of her, and her gorgeous diamond drop earrings and side-swept hair lend an Old-Hollywood vibe to her look. Do you love or loathe Lily's outfit?
Vote on all of our Met Gala polls here!
>> A little over an hour and we might get a first glimpse at Kate Middleton's wedding gown, but in the meantime, the guest arrivals have started. Among them so far: David Beckham in Ralph Lauren Purple Label (and top hat!) and a pregnant Victoria Beckham in a midnight blue dress of her own design with a Philip Treacy hat — speaking of, Treacy is outfitting 36 guests in total; official engagement portrait photographer Mario Testino — who reportedly had his camera confiscated; and Prince Harry's on/off girlfriend Chelsy Davy in a boatnecked emerald Alberta Ferretti dress. Expect to see lots of hats, fascinators and dresses with sleeves — exposing shoulders and heads in a sacred house of worship like Westminster Abbey, where the wedding ceremony is taking place, is considered improper.
The gallery will be updated as photos come in.
>> The Fall 2011 campaign parade continues: Arizona Muse was on set for Alberta Ferretti yesterday, as were Valentina Zeliaeva and Magdalena Frackowiak for Ralph Lauren (left).
Raquel Zimmermann recently confirmed: "I'll be in the Lanvin campaign which was shot by photographer Steven Meisel, but I can not describe how it was, total secrecy until the campaign out!" And Roberto Cavalli is reportedly employing Natasha Poly, Mariacarla Boscono, and Karen Elson to be shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott and styled by Panos Yiapanis.
After Gwyneth Paltrow was spotted leaving Coach headquarters recently with Reed Krakoff, meanwhile, rumors have been fanned that the actress might be a new face for either Coach or Krakoff's Coach-funded eponymous label.
Photos from the Ferretti and Ralph Lauren shoots in the gallery.
>> Since becoming engaged to David Lauren last December, many have wondered what name Lauren Bush would take after marriage; the humor of potentially being Lauren Lauren is not lost on her: "Out of all the people I could've met and fallen in love with, it's just ironic that David would end up with someone named Lauren. I think it will be Lauren Bush-Lauren. That's not final, but I think it's nice to have the same name as your husband. I am sort of old-fashioned in that way." Bush's wedding dress is unsurprisingly to be designed by Ralph Lauren, and as for the size of the ceremony: "Small, we know small. We're just kind of figuring out all the other details." [Harper's Bazaar]
