The 4,000 square foot J.Crew Bridal Store opened today on Madison Avenue in New York City. The store, located at 769 Madison Avenue, is the chain’s first bridal store and features, in addition to wedding dresses and bridal party gear, a full array of outfits and accessories for a full range of wedding festivities. Among these offerings is the new 769 collection of evening-wear for both him and her. Dresses range in price from $250 to $3,500.
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Grace Kelly has long been an icon of style, glamor, and elegance, and now her status as such is being celebrated in the Albert Museum’s “Grace Kelly: Style Icon” exhibit (London). On display are a number of Kelly’s most well-known dresses, which were created by an impressive list of designers (Balenciaga, Dior, and Yves St. Laurent among them). The exhibit separates Kelly’s fashionable history into three separate phases – The Actress, The Bride, and The Princess. Grace Kelly is also commemorated in this month’s issue of Vanity Fair, which includes a feature article about her life.
Fashion great, Alexander McQueen, was found dead in his London apartment yesterday morning (Feb. 11, 2010); he was 40 years old. McQueen was best known for his wildly ground-breaking designs, which were loved and frequently worn by Hollywood style icons Victoria Beckham and Lady Gaga. For now, his death is being ruled a suicide; many wonder if it was brought on by the emotional distress he endured over his mother’s recent death (Feb. 2, 2010). Alexander McQueen was a true fashion genius and icon, and he will certainly be missed by many.
The CW announced on Monday that Andre Leon Talley, Vogue editor-at-large, has signed on to judge for the 14th season of America’s Next Top Model. Talley will join Tyra Banks, Nigel Barker, and several guest judges throughout the season to decide which aspiring model will make it to become America’s next top model. Talley will replace J. Alexander, who has judged on the show for several seasons; Alexander is returning to his original role on the show as a walking coach for the models.
Jessica Simpson is adding denim to her fashion line, which already includes shoes, accessories, and dresses. Simpson has also designed a variety of tops (blouses, vests, jackets) to accompany her jeans. Jessica Simpson collection jeans will be sold in 1,000 department stores nationwide, and online at jessicasimpsoncollection.com.
Popular sample sale shopping site Gilt Groupe (gilt.com) has just introduced an element of extreme exclusivity in the form of its new offshoot, Gilt Noir. Gilt Groupe is already a members-only site, albeit ‘membership’ is not difficult to attain (it involves signing up your email address on the website).