Her acting career might have come to a halt after her role in the OC series, but Mischa Barton remains in the public’s eye.  The 23-year-old actress, who is now living in London, has recently designed a handbag collection which is now available in stores such as Debenhams or Lewis. The fashionable items can be bought online as well. Even though the starlet is famous for adopting a hippie-chic look, the bag line is actually vintage-inspired. Therefore, if you want a piece of Mischa’s style, your options are narrowed down to fourteen handbags.

Many of the famous designers expressed their appreciation for this collection and outlined Mischa’s fresh fashion vision. The collection includes clutches, tots, oversized fringes bags, hand-held or shoulder bags which are mostly made of leather. Moreover, the bags designed for the Spring/Summer season have dull colours. More precisely, the star colour of the line is the brick red. Anyway, the whole collection is all the rage. The prices are not stiff at all, taking into account a clutch is worth $44 while a leather-made, trendy tot comes higher, around 300 $. If you are interested in buying such a bag, you can easily recognize it because they are labeled with a metal clover.

Apart from being busy with her bag collection, Mischa is enjoying the London nightlife with her boyfriend, Rooney guitarist Taylor Locke.

Now, do you like her bag line?  Moreover, do you sense a change of career in Mischa Barton’s life? Share your opinion with us!

It’s very hard to imagine the starting point in the history of a fashion house with the same renown like Dior’s. The first thought that crosses your mind is that it all happened a long time ago. Indeed, Christian Dior fashion house was founded sixty years ago. There is a twist of faith and a simple story behind it.

Personal Information

Christian Dior, one of the top designers in the fashion industry of all times, was born on the 21^st of January 1905, in Granville, a town located in the French romantic region, Normandy. He studied politics but dropped them in order to run an art gallery which he had to close few years later because of the crisis affecting the stock markets. After that, he began to sell fashion sketches for important French newspapers and illustrations. It was only in 1946 that he opened a self-named fashion house, with the financial support of Marcel Boussac, a fabric magnate.

Fashion Lines

Dior’s first collection had a resounding success. His designs featured a freshly New Look, putting behind the clothes tailored by rations of fabric. The outfits he designed for women were meant to emphasize the shape of their silhouettes. It is said Dior himself stated at that time he created flower women. The collection showcased included several clothing items that revolutioned the fashion world: the boned, hip padding corsets, the wasp-waisted bodices and the full-skirts (puffed with petticoats).

Over the next decade, Dior continued to set trends and to honor with each collection a woman’s feminity and features. The sudden death of the designer, in 1957 came as a shock for everyone in the fashion industry. It appears that the cause of his death is covered with a veil of incertitude. Some say he died of a heart-attack after chocking a fishbone while others claim his heart couldn’t resist the pressure of a cards game.

The Fashion House after Christian Dior’s Death

Dior’s successor was his assistant, Yves Saint Laurent. He exceeded all the anticipations with the extravagant Trapeze show and his clothing lines, gladdened critics’ eyes and became the hit of the period. In spite of that, the Beatnik collection he designed a few years later didn’t rejoice the same success and Saint Laurent left the house.

Lengthways time, well-known designers stepped into the shoes of Dior: Marc Bohan and Gianfranco Ferré. John Galliano has triumphed on the runway since he took over the helm of Dior. He managed to bring back the old-fashioned feminity and with each collection he outlined the extravagance and the opulence, trademarks of the Dior fashion house. The elegant gowns, highly embellished and voluminous but tailored in different forms and from different fabrics continue to be applauded by the fashion industry.

Did you know the nylon handbag was Miuccia Prada’s first important contribution to fashion? Or that the leather -goods shop first opened by Fratelli Prada back in 1913 would become nowadays one of the most powerful Italian fashion houses in the world? If not, read on and find out the history behind this fashion label. After all, even the Devil wears Prada, so there must be something different about it.

General Information

It was only after Miuccia Prada, the granddaughter of Mario Prada took over the company in 1978, that the label became worldly renowned. In spite of her lack of experience in this field (she studied politics), Miuccia’s both black nylon handbags and the shoes line made waves at the time of their release. Subsequently, boutiques in other European capitals welcomed their eager customers.

Once the first ready-to-wear collection for women was paraded down the catwalk in 1989, a story of a great success began. The designer herself admitted the clothes were very feminine, well tailored and elegant, “uniforms” for women to sport in the business environment.

In the 90s, this Italian fashion house was promoting the image of a fierce, independent woman dressed up in sallow shades of brown, green, grey and cream. The handbag was a must have. Belts were compulsory accessories which completed the outfit.  The Miu Miu clothing line was on the market in 1992 and was meant to draw young people’s attention. Eventually, it was beyond the designer’s expectations. During this period of time, the brand was gaining more and more fans.

Even though it faced some financial problems in the recent years, Prada is nowadays one of the most powerful brands in the fashion industry.

Miuccia Prada is happily married to Patrizio Bertelli, the manager of Prada S.p.A.

Prada Models

Prada is famous for hiring beautiful models to parade exclusively for the prestigious label. Take the example of Gemma Ward and Suvi Koponen who modeled only for Prada during several seasons in the recent period. The reputation of this fashion house is constantly increasing after Prada flagships and boutiques were opened on all the continents.

Prada Cell phone

Prada is not only fashion house designing luxury, high-quality garments for men and women. More recently, an LG customized cell phone was labeled Prada.

All in all, it is the original combination of high-class fabrics that make the Prada clothing lines so refined and special. Miuccia’s taste for unexplored accessories and materials turns out to be the element of surprise at each Prada runway show. She did manage to transform the backpack and the nylon in trendy pieces. What could you possibly want more?

Traditionally, at Oscars or Grammys, stars like Jennifer Lopez or Cameron Diaz usually go for a Versace mermaid gown. The elegant, mind-numbing Versace gowns are stars’ first choice for important events. We have already seen stunning Versace collections and the embellishments that make them so special. But do you know how it all started?

Back in 1978, when the talented designer Gianni Versace opened his first boutique in Milan, he laid the foundation for one of the most successful luxury brands in the world. Nowadays, the prestige of this Italian fashion house has made the tour of the world. It boasts of a wide array of self-designed luxury products such as clothing, accessories, perfumes, watches, make up and even furniture.

General Information

Gianni Versace discovered fashion at an early age because he used to help his mother embroider and embellish dresses. However, later on, he attended the school of architecture. In 1972, when he moved to Milan he started to work in the fashion industry. Before presenting publicly his first collections for both men and women, Gianni Versace was a designer for Complice. Gianni was appreciated for creating fabulous costumes for movies and theatre productions. Unfortunately, his life ended dramatically at the age of 50 when he was shot at the entrance of his Miami Beach residence by a serial killer. He left half of his fortune to his niece, Allegra, the daughter of Donatella Versace. Currently, Donatella is Versace’s designer.

Versace Lines&Boutiques

Gianni Versace Couture is an exclusivist line showcased during Milan’s Fashion Week. It includes luxury, expensive items such as jewelry, dresses, suits cosmetics and furniture. Most of these products are handmade as well. The gowns belonging to this line have stiff prices which can go up to 10000$ a piece. Still, each one of the gowns is worth every cent.

Versace Jeans Couture is a more casual line which comprises mainly fashionable, yet classic jeans and trendy shirts. These clothes are sold in many Armani boutiques and their prices are much more affordable. During the last decade, Donatella fashion choices, mirrored in each collection, were highly appreciated. She has a word to say on the international runways and her collections are based on fierce, glamorous, daring looks both for women and men.

There are 81 Versace boutiques spread all over the world and a notable number were opened on the European territory.

Celebrities in Versace

Versace’s originality and outstanding cuts gained it a place in the hearts of many celebrities. There are many celebrities who dress up only in Versace getups for their red carpet appearances and even in less formal circumstance: Sir Elton John who was also an old friend of Gianni’s, Beyonce, Elisabeth Hurley and Princess Diana. Versace is renowned for making use of a famous face in order to promote its products. Over the years, music stars such as Madonna, Britney Spears, Kevin Richardson and Christina Aguilera were the image of this fashion house. In exchange, they received enormous sums of money and free Versace getups. Advantageous trade, don’t you think?

Gucci is one of the most exclusive labels in the fashion industry. Its trademarks, both the red and green bands and the double G on the purses gladden the eyes of many fashion lovers. Over the years, many famous figures and stars have fallen under the spell of the refined, glowing, leather-made touts and of the spectacular night gowns. From the Hollywood red carpets to the White House, all the fashion icons of the 1970s like Audrey Hepburn and Jackie O donned exquisite Gucci gowns and getups. Provided you are interested to know what intrigues are hiding behind the glamorous Gucci scene, lean in.

General Information

It was the Italian designer Guccio Gucci who put the basis of the booming Gucci fashion house back in 1921, in Florence. The bamboo handle purse he created has remained a precious inheritance for the present-day collections. In 1953, following Guccio’s death, Aldo, his son took over the company and the first New Yorkese Gucci shop opened its doors. Subsequently, two important boutiques were opened in Hong Kong and Tokyo. In 1972, it was even possible to buy an American sports luxury car with a Gucci designed interior. However, the late 1970s the company faced severe problems because of violent inside quarrels and bad management. In 1983, Maurizio, one of Aldo’s nephews became the head of the company and things started to head in the right direction. Still, only in 1991, under the influence of Tom Ford, and with a refreshed image, the company regained its global prestige. Ford quit the company in 2004 and ever since, Frida Gianni has been the Gucci’s Creative Director. Nowadays, the house of Guci is owned by the French multinational Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR) and continues to enjoy a flourishing period, being ranked the best-selling Italian brand worldwide. In addition, Gianni has an important influence on the international fashion scene. Her vision regarding Gucci’s easy-going, luxurious clothes and accessories is all the rage.

Gucci Products

When entering one of the sophisticated Gucci shops, the diversified array of sparkling, exquisite products will definitely impress you. Here’s what you will find: wallets, (saddle, duffel) handbags, clutches, shoes, jewelry and watches. There are separate, coquette boutiques for the precious coat-hanging Gucci clothing items.

Fall/Winter 2008-2009 Collection

As far as this year’s fall/winter collection is concerned, it was inspired by the far Russian folklore. Fur was the star-fabric and both the floral-long dresses and peasant embroidered blouses were a hit. When it comes to shoes, the riding boots are still in style in the upcoming cold seasons.

Celebrities in Gucci

There are many teen stars who love to hit the red carpet in a Gucci getup. Vanessa Hudgens was spotted in a gorgeous white-and-black floral print dress courtesy of Gucci. She also sported loose locks in order for her appearance to look youthful. Drew Barrymore and Katie Holmes as well stated their fondness for the luxury label.

Therefore, happy Gucci owners and future owners, think about the fascinating story behind the label and boast of your item.

Are you fond of fashion? Then you are probably aware of every single clothing item that was paraded down the catwalk at the Milan Fashion Week. Still, have you managed to unpuzzle the Armani dress code? If you want to be abreast of the empire created by the most successful Italian designer of modern times, read on.

General Information

The 75-year-old designer Giorgio Armani was born in Piacenza, a city close to Milan. He dedicated his entire life to fashion and rose to fame primarily due to the men’s clothes he designed. It might be surprising, but he studied medicine for two years. Subsequently, he was a window dresser at a renowned store. Before he founded his self-named company, in 1975 together with his friend Sergio Galeotti, he worked as a designer for Nino Cerutti. This year marked also Armani’s first women’s wear line.

Fashion Credo

Armani gain critics’ appreciation with perfectly tailored, leisured jacket suits for women, inspired from the models designed for men. He used menswear high-quality fabrics in order to create fashionable outfits for business women. Thus, he brought elegance to another level. Nowadays, he continues to design both refined, classy gala gowns and suits for celebrities and he’s as present as ever with trend-setting collections on the Italian runways.

Fashion Labels

Giorgio Armani’s vision has become a point of reference for many young designers. With the years passing by, he built a fashion empire that he still owns. Here are the Armani labels, ranging from the highly-expensive to the more affordable ones and featuring garments, cosmetics, accessories, jewelry, watches and home decoration items.

Armani Collezioni

This is among the most expensive and refined labels of the Armani company. It includes exquisite, luxurious items for loyal customers which seek for a classic, reckoned design. It is also entitled Armani Prive or the black line because only the persons rolling in money can afford these items.

Emporio Armani

It is the most popular Armani label and therefore, the best sold one. Generally, the products are designed for adults in their late twenties and middle thirties. There is an extremely varied array of items which are labeled Emporio Armani: easy-going clothes, watches and sunglasses and the list is still opened.

Armani Exchange

Besides Emporio Armani, there is another well-known line, namely the Armani Exchange. Founded back in 1991, it has come to prominence among young people. The clothes are designed in an urban, yet chic style and rage from t-shirts, jeans, to jackets and pullovers. These products are mainly sold on the American market, even though there are many shops scattered all over the world.

The dimensions of the Armani company are remarkable. Over three hundred boutiques and shops sell Armani products in all the corners of the world. Moreover, in 2004, Giorgio Armani decided to expand his business and to build luxurious hotels both in the main fashion European capitals and on the Japanese territory.

Although the company has grown to a considerable size, enlarging its field of activity, the core of this Armani empire remains its fashion house. Time has passed indeed, but Giorgio Armani has preserved his fervent passion for stylish garments.

Fashion makes you both look and feel beautiful. Couturiers are artists, visionaries which tailor original, gorgeous, high-quality garments. The haute-couture collections showcased on the catwalks of the main capitals of fashion in the world draw, in general lines, the trends of the upcoming seasons. Nowadays, there are several famous couturiers whose inspiring collections wow the public every time. Dolce Domenico and Stefano Gabbana are one of them.

General Information

They have been in the fashion industry since 1985, when they founded the Dolce & Gabbana company. This fashion house is harbored by the Italian capital of fashion, Milan and it features both casual and formal, luxurious garments made of soft, high-quality fabrics. The Dolce&Gabbana collections are the spectacular result of Dolce and Gabanna’s common artistic vision. While Domenico Dolce, 51 is a Sicilian, Stefano Gabanna, 47 is a Venetian.

Fashion credo

The jaw-dropping clothes they design mirror their attention to details, an aesthetic vision deeply rooted in the Mediterranean life. The Dolce&Gabbana woman is extravagant, sensual, elegant and eye-popping. In a recent interview, Dolce briefly described the D&G brand as “refined, sensual and luxurious”. In 1990, this fashion house delivered its first menswear collection which had a tremendous success. The designers often express their fondness for lace, wool and silk.

Fashion lines

Lengthways time, these two famous designers developed two main fashion lines: Dolce&Gabbana and D&G. On the one hand, the worldly-renowned Dolce&Gabbana collections deliver luxurious, extravagant items which dot a more conventional fashion, highly influenced by the designer’s personal beliefs. It brings on the market fashionable beachwear, sunglasses, footwear, handbags and ready-to-wear. On the other hand, the D&G is regarded as a more casual, youthful line which narrows down to urban garments which are meant to be donned on less formal occasions. If you are interested in buying clothing items or accessories designed by this brand, there are plenty of boutiques spread all over the world.

Celebrities in Dolce & Gabbana

Both the glamour and the quality of the Dolce&Gabbana clothes determine many of the stars to don them whether they’re at a Hollywood movie premiere or in Tokyo. Each time, the fashion critics are delighted by the Italian creations. A Dolce&Gabbana frock is the key to rock the red carpet. Take Emma Roberts for example. This year, at the Kids Choice Awards she looked absolutely amazing by sporting a burgundy-red strapless gown, by courtesy of Dolce&Gabbana. There are other famous stars that constantly show up at either at formal events or strolling in the street in Dolce &Gabbana getups such as Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, Fergie, Christina Aguilera, Kylie Minogue and the list goes on and on.

Gossip

At the beginning of the year, Giorgio Armani shocked the fashion world by stating that Dolce & Gabbana had stolen from him the model of a pair of trousers at the Milan Fashion Week. Dolce & Gabbana fired back by asserting: “For sure we have much to learn - but certainly not from him.”

All in all, Dolce & Gabbana clothes are priceless for any fashionista. You’ll never fail to impress if you don such a getup when you step out in public.

Well girls, spring is here and the change of wardrobe is probably the harshest one throughout the year, as you go from the heavy winter jacket to very light springwear. To help you out, we’ve rounded up some information on what’s going to be hot this spring, based on what the fashion designers are telling us.

You see, all throughout the fall of 2008, from New York to London and from Paris to Milan, all the famous fashion designers showcased their 2009 spring collections to the public. Those of you who missed what garments were paraded down the catwalk, don’t despair! Here’s a quick round-up of this year’s spring trends.

Firstly, in order to be fashionable, you should sport clothes coloured in neon hues: orange, yellow, blue, red and pink. Actually, the star colours of this spring are: magenta (raspberry pink) and electric blue.

For a prom or a party, a short dress, frilly, ruffled or strapless is a head-turner. It’s not only exquisite, but youthful. And let’s be fair: it will show off your legs. Elegant dresses are embellished with beads, lace and embroidery. It is compulsory to wear stiletto-heels and a clutch.

It’s the jumpsuit that made fashion waves on the catwalk. Nevertheless, some fashion critics claim it’s unwearable. Because of its cut and generous décolletage, the jumpsuit is a successful look only for a daring young lady. Regardless of the fabric it is made of, the jumpsuit remains very classy. It’s best teamed with high-heels.

As far as the daily casual look is concerned, skinny jeans are still in style. Tucked into knee-high boots and paired up with a vivid coloured t-shirt, these jeans create a cool outfit that can be appropriately donned at school or downtown. Harem pants are also in, outlining a laidback style. They are normally cut flapping on top, still tapered above the ankle. Depending on the fabric used, they are the impact-element of a casual or sophisticated outfit.

If you prefer the rock style, short leather jackets, either with an asymmetrical zip or with two row button, are all the rage. Moreover, the leather pencil skirt is in fashion. In the upcoming season, both short denim vest and cardigans are a must have. Furthermore, floral prints are back in the vogue.

As for the footwear fashion, ballet flats, pumps and slippers are still popular. When it comes to the accessories, big bangles and hoop earrings will draw all eyes on you. The shoulder bags as well as the tots are not only up-to date, but practical and comfy. All in all, these are the hottest trends this spring. Remember to dress up: it’s all about creativity!