I'VE BEEN WAITING A WHILE FOR THIS ONE: ANN SOFIE BACK'S DEBUT COLLECTION FOR CHEAP MONDAY

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sweden - so i've been waiting a LONG time for this one! when i heard that ann sofie back was returning to sweden to be creative designer of cheap monday, i was excited and luckily - i wasn't disappointed. here are a few looks from her first collection for the spring 2010 line of cheap monday. honestly? j'adore. i LOVE that she's stayed true to the d.n.a of the brand, while still putting her own sloppy (and i mean that in the most flattering way) stamp on it all. kudos!



images via fashionologie.com

ARE YOU READY FOR H&M'S LATEST COLLABORATION? IT'S JIMMY CHOO, BIOTCHES!!!!

worldwide - i hate to get extra spicy in my headline, but it is what it is. h&m is serving the masses high fashion on a hot platter and they have (almost) outdone themselves with the latest collabo: jimmy choo. the lux brit label will be working with h&m to debut a line of shoes and bags which will be retailed at over 250 h&m stores world wide. but are you ready for the kicker? jimmy choo will also design a range of clothing to compliment the accesorries. and men will not be left out of the festivities either. jimmy choo will debut a collection of shoes, bags - or murses if you will - and clothes for men. this is beyond beyond. i'm not a hard core j.c fan at all (give me a louboutin or ysl or top shop unique shoe any day) but i have to respect what tamara mellon, creative director and founder of the label has been able to do in a little over ten years. she states in the press release, "We are privileged to be among the fashion greats who have been affiliated with H&M, to be designing a collection that will appeal to fashion-savvy, street-smart women and to be including some great pieces for men, too. Jimmy Choo will bring a sophisticated, fashion forward, accessible, glamorous collection to H&M – the perfect party pieces to buy now and then wear out that night!” she aint lying. this is going to be a spectacular debut. shout out to margareta van den bosch, creative advisor to h&m. this woman has zero idea who i am, but i've blogged about her in the past and absolutely adore what she's done with h&m: primarily engineering these spectacular collaborations and creating a very covetable signature collection within the h&m brand. zandile blay

photo: van den bosch and mellon above, below the duo fitting a model; courtesy of laforce&stevens

DO YOU KNOW WHAT TODAY IS? IT'S POSH SPICE' BIRTHDAY

she's come a long way hasn't she? now i ask you my dear reader, what do you think accounts for the changes in her face? age, weight loss, or plastic surgery? i say it's the first two. her features are more or less the same.

worldwide - now, if i know my readers like i think i do, i am assuming you don't necessarily care that it's victoria beckham's birthday. but just for kicks' i thought i would remind you this this aspiring internatinal fashionista (i sooo love the effort she puts forth, even if her style looks forced) has turned 34 today!

THESE KICKS (WOULD HAVE BEEN) SICK

london - nike is now collaborating with designer's from london's east end, collectively known as "the block." the block is made up of new generation superstars like gareth pugh, henry holland, david saunders, louise gray and roksanda illincic. instead of an actual sneaker (which would have been a dope idea) these designers are sending special invitations to a select few (editors at vogue, i.d, and buyers at liberty) to come to the nikeid studio at oxford circus in london and create their own sneaker. at first i was super excited about this idea: these designers are literally the creme of the crop in london's fashion scene. but at second blush, i think nike missed the plot. who cares about invitations to an elite group of people? since they had the attention of some of the most brilliant designers in london, shouldn't they have gone all out and actually had them design the sneakers - instead of inviting folks to create their own. seeing gareth pugh's take on a dunk would have turned a stilleto-ista like me into a sneaker stan.

WHAT MY KIDS WILL BE PLAYING WITH

i love how the toy designer modled this after the skinny karl lagerfeld. am i the only one who remembers when he was plump? (thanks to my old stoming grounds, complex mag for this photo.)

paris - i am years away for childbirth, but i'm determined to be a chic mom with an even chicer infant (chanel pampers anyone?). thank god colette has endeavoured to help me. the uber-stylish boutique is now retailing karl lagarfeld figurines. the tiny toy stands 3.9 inche tall and is a limited edition item: only 100 will be made. so what if it's a hazard for young children to play with? my nanny will make sure that zandile jr. stays safe.

WHAT'S YOUR ZODIAC SIGN? DONNA KARAN CAN HELP

top photo: designer, donna karan. following photos: bags from her latest collection. i'm into them. if they are priced right, would you buy?

new york - your budget, your personal style, your mothers closet: there are several ways to pick a handbag. now, donna karan has a fresh method: your zodiac sign. her new collection of handbags is based on the traits of each star sign. according to wwd.com, " Virgo's bags are solid and grounded, Leo's are full of confidence and extravagance and Scorpio's have a sense of self and fearlessness," etc. to me, it seems like a gimmick which will hopefully improve her chances of success with a bagline. she's attempted several times with little success. however, zodiac sign or not, this collection is sexy, sophisticated and should sell well.

MR. BLACKWELL'S WORST DRESSED LIST

sharp words & a sharp sense of style: mr. blackwell. (viewimages.com)
i don't think she belonged on the list, but i get why she made it. (chinadaily.com)

world wide -- so i don't know a whole lot about the mr. blackwell. (if you do, put me on.) either way, he must have some really good p.r. because for the past 40-odd years, folks have been waiting with baited breath to read his list of the previous years' worst dressed celebs. here is the list for 2007. do you agree with it?

10.) Alison Arngrim: "Little Nellie of the prairie, looks like a 1940's fashion editor for the Farmers Almanac."

9.) Lindsay Lohan: "Lindsay the fashion frenzy strikes again! Lohan takes fashion to a new low."

8.) Jessica Simpson: "Forget the Cowboys. In prom queen screams, can it get any worse? She's a global fashion curse!"

7.) Avril Lavigne: "Gothic make-up courtesy the mad spatula-Fashions provided by.. The house of Dracula!"

6.) Eva Green: "Stuck in neon nightmares not fit for the sane. Fashion this loud could give Bond a migraine! A profusion of confusion from toes to nose!"

5.) Kelly Clarkson: "Her heavenly voice soars above the rest... but those belly-baring bombs are hellish at best! She may be the queen of 'Pro-Active' – but that wardrobe looks downright radioactive!"

4.) Fergie: "Another style-free 'Fergie' in fashion's hall of shame? Yes, when it comes to couture chaos, guess it's all in a name!"

3.) Mary Kate Olsen: "YIKES! In layers of cut-rate kitsch, Mary Kate's look is hard to explain... she resembles a tattered toothpick-trapped in a hurricane!"

2.) Amy Winehouse: "Exploding beehives above…tacky polka-dots below... she's part 50's car-hop horror."

1.) Victoria Beckham: "Forget the fashion spice - wearing a skirt would suffice! In one skinny-mini monstrosity after another, pouty posh can really wreck-em."

THE NEW HAUTE ACCESSORY: BICYCLES

this is the quintessential city bike - also called the "city bike" - by jorg & olif. it retails for about $595 or less. (thanks to bikeportland.org for the photo.)
one of three bmx bikes outfitted by puma, available for the holidays. check out puma's black store in new york city or tokyo for prices and purchase. (thanks to freshnessmag.com for the photos)

new york -- according to the december issue of american vogue, bicycles are the hautest new accessory. i agree. take a stroll through the streets of london and other european cities and you will see person after person commuting on bicycle. from stylish young women to smart middle aged men, they are all riding in stye. jorg & oliff is the go-to brand for fashionistas. puma has also just debut accessorized bmx bikes that are as good for your wardrobe as they are for your daily commute.

JUST COS: H&M's NEW VENTURE

(thanks to telegraph.co.uk for photos above.)

examples of what cos has to offer above. they are simple stylish classics, true. but aren't there other stores that provide that on the market? just asking....( thanks to stylebubble.typepad.com for photos above)

london--a school assignment compelled me to check out a store i would have otherwise ignored: cos, which stands for collections of style. the london store which i checked out is around oxford circus on regent street (don't think there is a u.s. location yet) . cos is the new initiative from hennes and mauritz which, of course, runs h&m. unlike h&m, cos is very clean and simple and minimalist. it is rooted in trends, but not a slave to it. they have a very balanced menswear and womenswear collection. and ironically, the menswear line is actually more adventurous than the womens wear with interesting fabrics, colors and cuts. the price points are very mid-market. don't expect to spend $100 on several outfits, instead, that might get you a button-down shirt or a light cardigan. the decor is very modern and simple. and the overall vibe is rich - but not luxe. (does that make sense?) final verdict? i'm lukewarm and undecided. i can't say i love it or hate it. what i will say is that there's potential. i want to see how this store grows and their collections develop in order to see and understand their true identity. i encourage you to check it out though and let other blaynista's know what you think.