Actress Drew Barrymore appeared at the London premiere of Going the Distance in a short McQ dress by Alexander McQueen.  She wore a sage green mini-dress that was belted to show-off her figure.  It boasted a flattering hem with a slight draping.  The earth tone went beautifully with her blonde highlighted tresses and nude suede platforms.  Her neutral color palette was accented with a bright red pout.  Barrymore got it right last night, this is how you do effortless chic.

When Sarah Burton was named the new creative director at Alexander McQueen, many were pleased because they felt she was the right choice to continue Lee McQueen’s legacy.  The Resort 2011 collection has been revealed and Burton did not disappoint.  She maintained the fashion house’s aesthetic of exacting details and precise tailoring.  McQueen’s Resort collection was a major stand-out for the season because of the stunning gowns and the fantastic lines exhibited in the suits. 

McQueen’s First Collection Without McQueen [Jezebel]

Daphne Guinness is the proud owner of the late Isabella Blow’s collection.  The legendary fashion stylist had a wardrobe consisting of 50 Philip Treacy hats, a few John Galliano dresses and several pieces by her dear friend Alexander McQueen.  In total, Daphne Guinness has acquired a 90 piece collection that is worthy of display in a museum.  She intercepted a planned Christie’s auction scheduled for September to sell off  Blow’s wardrobe and photographs.  Photographs by Steven Meisel, Mario Testino and Karl Lagerfeld are also among her new acquisitions.  “It’s Issy – it’s her D.N.A., it should not be scattered to the four winds.  Like any artist, it should not be dispersed, but remain as a monument with people having access to it,” says Guinness.

Isabella Blow Collection is Sold [Elle UK]

The beautiful people came out tonight at Lincoln Center to hear the winners announced at the CFDA Awards.  There were very few surprises.  The big winner of the evening was Marc Jacobs for Womenswear Designer of the Year.  Take a look at the list of winners and nominees below to see if you agree with the outcome.

CFDA Winners:

Womenswear Designer of the Year: Marc Jacobs

Menswear Designer of the Year: Rag & Bone (Marcus Wainwright and David Neville)

Accessory Designer of the Year: Alexis Bittar

Popular Vote Award: Ralph Lauren

The Swarovski Award for Womenswear: Jason Wu

The Swarovski Award for Menswear: Richard Chai

The Swarovski Award for Accessory Design: Alexander Wang

The Jeffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement: Michael Kors 

CFDA Special Award Tribute: Lee McQueen of Alexander McQueen

The Eugenia Sheppard Journalism Award – Kim Hastreiter (Paper Magazine)

The International Award – Christopher Bailey (Burberry Prorsum) 

The Eleanor Lambert Award – Tonne Goodman (Vogue)

Icon Award: Iman

Nominees:

Womenswear Designers of the Year – Donna Karan, Alexander Wang and Marc Jacobs

Menswear Designers of the Year - Michael Bastian, Tom Ford and Rag & Bone (David Neville and Marcus Wainwright)

Accessory Designer of the Year - Alexis Bittar, Proenza Schouler (Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez) and Marc Jacobs

Swarovski Awards For Womenswear - Joseph Altuzarra, Prabal Gurung and Jason Wu

The Swarovski Award for Menswear – Simon Spurr, Patrik Ervell and Richard Chai

The Swarovski Award For Accessory Design – Dana Lorenz, Alexander Wang and Eddie Borgo

CFDA Special  Award Tribute – Alexander McQueen

The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award – Michael Kors

The Eugenia Sheppard Journalism Award – Kim Hastreiter (Paper Magazine)

The International Award – Christopher Bailey (Burberry Prorsum) 

The Eleanor Lambert Award – Tonne Goodman (Vogue)

The Fashion Icon Award – Iman

Related Updates: CFDA Announces Fashion Awards Finalists

Sarah Burton has been named the new creative director at the house of Alexander McQueen.  Burton has been with the fashion house since 1996.  Lee McQueen was a fashion visionary, and it makes good sense creatively to fill the position with someone who has worked closely with him.  The fashion house is own by the Gucci Group, and it is no stranger to the fashion business or to making good business decisions.  McQueen left a major void in his company when he committed suicide back in February.  His Spring 2010 collection was the design genius at his best.  Many will view the Spring 2011 collection with mixed emotions; there will be sadness because McQueen is no longer at the helm, and pride to see his legacy live on.  A thriving and successful Alexander McQueen would be the greatest tribute to the late designer.

Heartbreak within the fashion community today as we learned of the untimely death of designer Lee McQueen of Alexander McQueen.  Shock and disbelief were the sentiments of the day.  We lost a creative genius who leaves behind a void.  He was only 40 years old when he took his own life.  His death took us especially hard in New York because today marked the first day of fashion week, and it was also supposed to be the day McQueen’s McQ line debuted in New York for the first time. 

Lee McQueen was a London born designer who showed his line in Paris.  He had the ability to tailor suits to the perfect specifications of the body.  McQueen was also a master at putting on a runway show, you watched for the spectacle as well as the collection.  Each year he would out-do himself, it was theater and we watched with excitement.  His spring 2010 collection gave us a glimpse of the future, and we eagerly anticipated his next show.  Sadly, it will never be, even if the show does go on. We should not focus on his death, but on the wealth of wearable art he has left behind.

Noted London fashion designer, Alexander McQueen, is showing his diffusion line McQ during New York Fashion Week Fall 2010.  The secondary line is for a younger and more trendsetting crowd.  It is also more affordable than the Alexander McQueen ready-to-wear collection.  McQ will be presented at Milk Studios on Thursday, February 11th.  Practically everyone in the fashion industry will be clamoring for invites.  You can be sure we will make McQueen feel welcome in his New York debut.

Alexander McQueen’s McQ Line to Host Presentation at Milk Studios [The Thread]

 #1. Kate Hudson in Emilio Pucci

 #2. Diane Kruger in Jason Wu

 #3. Marion Cotillard in Elie Saab

 #4. Sandra Bullock in Alexander McQueen (with husband Jesse James)

#5. Lea Michele in Catherine Malandrino

On the Red Carpet:

Kate Hudson did it again, two weeks in a row.  We named her the best dressed at the Golden Globes last week, and she takes top honors again in this Emilio Pucci dress.  White is obviously Ms. Hudson’s color and it becoming a favorite on the red carpet.  The fit of this gown was perfect, from the deceptively demure front to the jaw dropping back.                                                     

Diane Kruger looked glamourous in her mustard colored Jason Wu gown.  She did a great job at channeling the starlets of old hollywood.  Her jewelry, hair and make-up complemented this gorgeous chiffon number.  The dress perfectly sculpted her body and the color was extremely flattering to her skintone.

Marion Cotillard was young and edgy at the SAG Awards and we appreciated it.  She continued the one shoulder trend in an off-white beaded dress by Elie Saab.  The mix of beads and feathers made this dress a bold choice and she wore it well.  The color and length made this a refreshing sight on the red carpet.

Sandra Bullock wisely selected this Alexander McQueen gown.  It showcased a very flattering silhouette.  The structured shoulders landed this gown on the best dressed list.  It looked very modern and the royal blue beading served as the icing on the cake. 

Lea Michele Everything was right with this Catherine Malandrino dress, the low V-cut front and the floor length finish elongated her figure.  The color worked beautifully with her hair color and lightly bronzed skin.  We’re looking forward to seeing her on the red carpet more often.

The year 2009 is drawing to a close, and we are about to head into a new year.  Before we get into 2010, let’s look back at a few of the highlights on Fashion Rollcall in 2009.  It seems fitting to take a look back at some of the images that excited us most about style and fashion.

Michelle Obama and President Barack Obama at The White House dinner.  Mrs. Obama is wearing a beautiful sequin Naeem Khan gown.  She radiated glamour that evening. Michelle Obama Dazzles in Naeem Khan at State Dinner

Robert Pattinson and his cast thrilled us in Twilight and Twilight: New Moon.  The vampire story captured the imagination of millions in 2009. ‘New Moon” and the Talented Mr. Robert Pattinson

Alexander McQueen gave a runway show in Paris during Fashion Week Spring 2010 that we will not soon forget. Alexander McQueen’s Runway Show: A Visit to the Future

Michelle Obama caused a splash during her overseas visit to Britian.  She gave emerging designer Junya Watanabe quite a boost when she donned the designer’s cardigan on the world stage. Her Style Showdown

Sarah Jessica Parker and the cast have assembled once again, and we are looking forward to Sex and the City 2 in May 2010.  The excitement can hardly be contained.  The ‘Sex and the City 2′ Designer Label Breakdown

Arlenis Sosa made the May cover of Vogue Germany in 2009, and she was also named the new face of Lancome’s Laque Fever line. Having A Model Year

Matthew Williamson and several other well established designers returned to London Fashion Week. Their return rejuvenated London Fashion Week. Designers Revive London Fashion Week

Designer Jil Sander teamed up with Uniqlo to bring us +J.  They brought us the minimalist aesthetic of Jil Sander at an affordable price. Jil Sander’s +J for Uniqlo is Almost Here

Nicole Richie was extremely busy in 2009.  The mother of two has a maternity line, jewelry line, and she now has Winter-Kate, her own celebrity fashion line. Nicole Richie’s New Clothing Line: Winter Kate

Michelle Obama offered great dating advice in Glamour magazine.  The First Lady made our list a few times because of the effect she’s had on the fashion industry during tough economic times.  She has been a great support to many young designers and several well- established ones, and we recognize her efforts. Michelle Obama Lands ‘Glamour’ Cover

Alexander McQueen Spring 2010

Luxury brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs and Givenchy have not embraced the idea of selling their apparel online.  Marc Jacobs is an American designer, and he is also the creative director of Louis Vuitton.  There appears to be a  divide betweeen U.S. high-end retailers and European retailers; the U.S. companies are far more open to e-commerce.   

European retailers are hesitant to take advantage of the online retail market amid concerns about brand exclusivity and brand dilution.  They are concerned about a deterioration in customer service online as well.  Some retail consultants argue that the ease and convenience of ordering online is really what quality service is all about. 

Many of these brands have certain exceptions like, U.K. based Alexander McQueen.  His website sells everything to his U.S. customers only.  Yves Saint Laurent will only allow accessories to be sold online to its U.S. customers.  Chanel sells its beauty products, and Louis Vuitton sells  leather goods and accessories, but neither will go beyond those specified items.

Luxury brands are not as averse to the Internet as before, many have ventured into the online social networking arena.  It’s a great way to connect with customers in an attempt to better address their needs.  Twitter, Facebook and other sites provide real-time feedback that, if used correctly, can be invaluable to these companies.

“More than 50% of the population has grown up with shopping on the Internet. It continues to be the biggest growth opportunity for fashion, and luxury in particular. They’re not going to see the same level of growth in traditional outlets,” says chief retail analyst Marshal Cohen.  Maybe the question to ask is, can luxury retail continue to shun e-commerce without serious financial implications?

Online Luxury Retail Remains Elusive [BusinessWeek]