James Perse explains how to achieve laid-back West Coast style

Californian fashion designer James Perse explains how to achieve laid-back West Coast style.
Foundation first -The three main 'foundation' pieces you should have in your wardrobe are a T-shirt, chinos and pair of tennis shoes.
The perfect shade - The tone of a colour is everything in a T-shirt. Always opt for more earthy tones, such as olive, brown and any type of grey.
Dress for the occasion - There are so many different trends with dresses, whether they're loose and casual or fitted and sexy. The best option is to go for easy, casual sundresses, beach dresses and anything that looks like a holiday cover-up.
The bottom line -Jeans have become the everyday casual trouser, but it's always nice to mix it up and try casual khakis or chinos.
Leave the leather - I'm really looking forward to a new wardrobe and a new attitude that involves bomber jackets - in particular the 1980s-style silk ones, which are very modern.
Bag to basics - You can partner a casual outfit with a canvas tote bag to complete the look, they're very easy to use. People have found ways to make a Hermès Birkin bag feel casual, but it's because they're putting it with a nice, laid-back outfit and aren't head-to-toe in expensive items.

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Coco Chanel

Fashion designer Coco Chanel, born August 19, 1883, in Saumur, France, is famous for her timeless designs, trademark suits, and little black dresses.

The French born designer's was made famous by the  jersey-and-tweed suits which closed the distance between male and female fashions and created a product that afforded women both comfort and tremendous style. At the time inequality ran rampant, Coco Chanel took the hands of feminism by the designer short hair by doing away with rigid corsets and cinched waists, in favor of pants and suit jackets for women - Coco Chanel emerged as a pioneer for women's fashion and women's rights.



In 1912, she was backed by a wealthy man named Arthur Capel, who provided initial funding her first hat shop. In the 1920's, Chanel's designs became very popular thanks to word of mouth. Even though this was a time of economic despair many people still found they could afford a $700 Chanel designer suit, from one of her Paris or Biarritz shops. Eventually Coco Chanel would invent Chanel No. 5 perfume, at that time Chanel's name was on everyone's minds, so much so that director Samuel Goldwin commissioned her to dress the stars of his films, including Katherine Hepburn, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor.
In 1940, Chanel was unfortunately forced to shutdown her boutiques and turned to nursing during war. When she got romantically involved with a Nazi officer and fled to Switzerland, Chanel was exiled for fifteen years from her beloved Paris, only to return to fashion in the 1950s, when she caught the appreciative gaze of American Hollywood.

Katy Perry Covers Elle Magazine September 2012

Katy Perry covers the September 2012 issue of Elle Magazine, which hits newsstands on August 14th. Inside her covers tory, Katy Perry: Hard Candy, the pop singer speaks about her career, being a role model, marriage and much more.

For her Carter Smith-directed photo shoot, Katy‘s adorned in statement necklaces and printed dresses from Etro, Bottega Veneta, and YSL with a sexy Versace Fall 2012 pump.
For high-shine hair, stylist Renato Campora used Frédéric Fekkai Coiff mousse on Perry's deep-purple hair while makeup artist Jake Bailey chose smoky black eyeliner to craft a dramatically dark cat eye. Perry worked her own girly glamour into the shoot, enthusiastically switching up her nail art for different looks and weighing in on clothing choices. By the looks of it, the time she spent in the front row of Chanel, Miu Miu, Viktor & Rolf, and YSL at Paris Fashion Week last spring paid off in spades.

Alexander McQueen - Spring/Summer 2013 Paris Fashion Week

Alexander McQueen just released the Pre-Spring/Summer collection 2013, and once again chief designer Sara Burton has created a collection both luxurious and cranky at the same time.

The collection featured sparkling colors of silver, gold, and black. Each ready-to-wear was designed with high-fashion glamour and eye-catching appeal. Today, let’s focus on several types of dramatic dresses from the collection.

BOSS Black Campaign Men/Women

High-end brand Hugo Boss has released a video, shot in Napa Valley, California, as part of its new BOSS Black campaign. In the video, Swedish model Alex Lundqvist and American model Hilary Rhonda present the Fall/Winter 2012 collection, featuring graphic prints on shirts and ties in a dark color palette of purple, grey and brown hues.

BOSS Black Womenswear: here
BOSS Black Menswear: here

3.1 Phillip Lim - 'Kill The Night’ Fall 2012 Comic Book

COLLECTION AND THE NEO-NOIR HEROINES WHO EMBODY IT.
CO-WRITTEN BY PHILLIP LIM, THIS IS A STORY OF DUALITY.
DAY AND NIGHT,
BLACK AND WHITE, LOVE AND BETRAYAL.

Fashion designer -Phillip Lim has a thing for comics his Pre-Fall 2012 collection was emblazoned with blown-up "Ka-Pow" graphics, and his Fall 2012 collection continued the obsession, sourcing inspiration from neo-noir comics like Sin City and V for Vendetta.

Now, Phillip has taken the love to a new level. He co-wrote an original comic book, drawn by Jan Duursema of Star Wars comic book fame, to celebrate the arrival of his Fall 2012 collection. Kill the Night, as it's called, takes Lim's fall neo-noir heroines -some based on his friends—and envelopes them in a story "of duality and metamorphosis, day and night, black and white, love and betrayal," according to the release.

Kill The Night officially launches September 6, and will only have limited distribution. To get your hands on a copy, sign up at 31philliplim.com.

Givenchy embroidered shirt and sweater in LOVE Magazine #8 'Another Country'

'Another Country' by Alice Hawkins

 LOVE Magazine #8

Givenchy Menswear Fall Winter 2012-2013