Daks goes hip

Venerable British label Daks is about to get an injection of hipness thanks to multi-tasking London designer Giles Deacon. In a perfect example of the hi-lo collaborations that characterize fashion today, Deacon will be designing the luxury women's collection for Daks starting next spring, about the same time his designs for high street retailer New Look hit stores.

Giles Deacon holding his British Designer of the Year award at the recent British Fashion Awards

Daks is best known for sensible pleated skirts and sturdy raincoats of the type favored by Her Majesty herself. "I loved the idea of working with a true British luxury brand. And it doesn’t hurt that they have royal warrants," Deacon told industry paper Women's Wear Daily. "I want to transform it into an ultramodern British tailored clothing collection. There will be a lot of coats, jackets, suits — and I hope I can pop a few frocks in there, too."

Emmanuelle Béart in H&M campaign

The latest celebrity to grace an H&M advertising campaign is French actress Emmanuelle Béart, best known for her roles in "Manon des Sources" and "Mission: Impossible".

H&M's Christmas lingerie advertising campaign, which has been described as "pornography" by one Swedish member of parliament

At the risk of being ungracious, I have to assume these images are heavily photoshopped. Emanuelle Béart is 43 and on these pictures, she looks like 21. They also prove that she is far from the curvy beauty celebrated by French Elle in a now-famous cover shot.

Béart's infamous Elle cover

I saw Emmanuelle when she was on the jury at the Cannes film festival, and she is tiny. An absolute sparrow!

Galliano does French Vogue

French Vogue's guest editor this December is the British designer John Galliano, who next year celebrates 10 years at the helm of Christian Dior.

John Gallliano taking his bow on the catwalk

The issue includes extracts from his collection diaries and several photoshoots by longtime collaborator Nick Knight (even though Knight has just been replaced as the photographer for Dior's advertising campaigns by Craig McDean). Previous Vogue guest editors have included the Dalai Lama, Sofia Coppola and Kate Moss, though surprisingly, this is a first time a designer has been asked to do the honors.

Blame Vuitton

Marc Jacobs continues his tradition of collaborating with other designers and artists at Louis Vuitton. For the French label's cruise collection, he has enlisted cult punk stylist Judy Blame to customize LV-monogrammed denim shorts and bags with his trademark chains and safety pins. The highly collectible pieces are available this month!

Model Lohan?

Lindsay Lohan was in London during my vacation there last week and - more disturbing than the countless pictures of her baring her crotch - comes news that she shot the new advertising campaign for Miu Miu over the weekend.

Lindsay Lohan looking a little rough in London last week

Miu Miu using celebs in its ad campaigns is nothing new - previous models for the super-cool brand include Drew Barrymore, Chloe Sevigny and Kim Basinger. But do they really want to be associated with the scandal-prone teen queen? Rumor has it that Lohan was due to shoot a campaign for Louis Vuitton earlier this year, but they wisely decided to pass.

Kim Basinger and Camilla Belle in the Miu Miu spring-summer 2006 advertising campaign

Addendum: This just in!

Lindsay burning a tabloid article about herself in this Terry Richardson shot for GQ

Stella for skin

I'm back from a holiday in London and excited to discover that Brit designer Stella McCartney is launching a skincare line.

An advertisement for the skincare line due to be launched in 2007

In line with her commitment to animal protection, the products will be totally organic (a fast-growing trend in skincare). I liked the Stella fragrance she launched in 2003, although I sometimes thought it smelled too much like a room fragrance. Recently, I have been wearing Stella In Two (an amber solid and peony edt, to be combined as you wish) which is a more sophisticated variation on the original. The amber is, as my sister would say, totally "more-ish".

Love Courtney

Courtney Love has had almost as many comebacks as Liz Taylor, but I am thrilled to see her looking her edgiest best on the cover of the latest edition of Pop magazine.

The Pop cover by Mert & Marcus

Lest her fashion influence be obscured by the tabloid antics (which include incidents of air rage and flashing her breasts at strangers), it is worth remembering that Love has starred in advertising campaigns for Gianni Versace shot by Richard Avedon - this was when even Versace, the king of bling, was doing heroin chic in the 90s.

A visual from the Versace campaign featuring a clean Courtney

She has also shot some dubious spreads with kitschmeister David LaChapelle, including a picture in which she cradles a dead Kurt Cobain lookalike that has angered fans of the late singer.

The cover of David LaChapelle's upcoming book "Heaven to Hell"

Nostril mystery

What is up with Kate's nose?

Chloé, je t'aime!

Chloé is supposed to be in a bit of a rut since the departure of its designer Phoebe Philo in January, but I confess I can't get enough of this season's collection. I love this tunic from its diffusion line, See by Chloé, available for a (relatively) reasonable 235 euros at Net-A-Porter.

Tom Ford Black Orchid

Like many people, I am totally over the sleek, sexed-up aesthetic that Tom Ford peddled at Gucci until his departure from the brand in 2004. So it's just as well that the bottle for his new perfume, due to be launched this month, is a paragon of 1930s style.

The campaign stars Julia Restoin-Roitfeld, the daughter of the editor of French Vogue

Ford has patented the world's handful of black orchids, using headspace technology to capture and replicate their essence. The fragrance has top notes of French jasmine, black gardenia, ylang ylang, bergamot, mandarin and citrus; a heart of Tom Ford black orchid, spicy floral orchid accords and lotus wood, and a drydown of patchouli, incense, amber, sandalwood and vanilla.

After returning to fashion with eyewear and a limited edition collection for Estée Lauder, Ford is quietly building his empire with a dozen fragrances planned for next year in addition to a menswear collection. His first freestanding store is slated to open on Madison Avenue next spring, though Ford continues to insist he has no plans for a women's collection. Let's wait and see!

Addendum: Ford has just announced he is also working on a collection of luggage and high-end jewelry. March on, Napoleon!

Accessories mania

It's not enough that I am still lusting for a pair of Chloé platforms, fashion editors have to rub my nose in their top picks for NEXT SPRING! Check out the candy box of options on Style.com and weep for your credit card.

The Marc Jacobs blush metallic Little Stam bag - inspired by readhead model Jessica Stam?